My Least Favorite Goal by Lynn Lovegreen

 

I don’t write traditional resolutions anymore, but I do give myself a personal watchword for the year. Last year’s was Time, as in think carefully about how I spend my time. This year, I’m thinking of Grace, as in a disposition to show kindness or compassion.

And I make writing/career goals. This year, my least favorite goal is updating my website.

 

I like my website (www.lynnlovegreen.com), and Wix makes it fairly easy to work with. I know authors are “supposed to” update or refresh their websites on a regular basis, and I agree it’s an excellent idea. Good so far. But the choices are overwhelming to me. Should I create a new theme, or does the old one still fit my author brand? Are the pages or sections in the best order? Should I drop one, or add another page? Or tweak my social media links? Where do I even start? 

 

I confess this is one of my 2023 goals that I dragged over to 2024. One of these days, I need to stop procrastinating and just dig into it. Right now, it’s on the to-do list. Maybe I’ll get around to it before the snow melts? 😉

 

Do you have any goals you keep putting off? Or do you have any website advice for me? Please drop a line in the comments.

 

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 

 

 

 

Goal Girls by Eleri Grace

 Happy New Year to all!  

This week was a rude awakening for many of us who have been in some form of holiday mode for the last weeks (and it was an especially jarring note to realize that my blog is due TODAY). But while we all hate to see the fun and relaxation of the holiday times in the rear view window, there's something fresh and exciting about January for me. 

We're meant to talk about our least favorite goal and why we set it this month, but I'll open by talking a bit about my "Goal Girls" group. At least 4 years ago, a friend explained to a group of us that she wanted to try out the "Cultivate your Life" planner system and wondered who would like to join her. Out of about 10 women, only 4 of us decided to give it a try, and we've stuck with it each year. We buy the planner, and we meet once a month on a Sunday morning or afternoon. We catch up with each other on a personal level, we discuss how our goals for the previous month or overall year are going, and we encourage each other to celebrate wins and reframe the things that didn't go to plan. We inspire and support each other as each year brings new pathways and challenges for each of us. 

For several years we would lament that the only time we actually opened the planner was at our monthly gatherings, and we wondered if we should even bother buying the book for the following year and continuing. But one of the lessons we discussed and have gradually absorbed is that it's not about the book or how many times the book is opened or whether the book is fully completed each month or year. It's about the mental clarity, the rejuvenation, and the community of support and engagement that we share together. Speaking personally, I do have my weekly, monthly and yearly goals in my mental mindset after our gatherings, even if I don't record my progress on a daily or weekly basis in the book itself. The book, not as complete as it might be, does serve its purpose in the end. But more importantly, I have this fabulous circle of friends who will cheer me on, lift up my spirits, and challenge me to refocus and reframe as needed to keep pushing forward. 

My least favorite goal? Well, that probably has to be the "weight loss" goal that rolls forward every single year in my planner book. This year I'm trying something new, so maybe there will be success to report, and my 2025 goal will simply be health & weight maintenance.  Hope springs eternal!  Happy 2024!

Finding Joy By Kathy Coatney

 

         The theme for Romancing the Genres this month is dreams and goals. My main goal for 2023 is searching for joy. When I first thought about what brings me joy, I drew a blank. I'm one of those people who doesn’t do well being put on the spot with a question. I need time to process it. And it took me a few minutes before my brain kicked in, but the first joy that came to me were the children in my life.

         Is there anything more precious than a baby's first smile, a toddler’s belly laugh, a five-year-old’s first time riding a bike without training wheels, or an eight-year-old’s wonder at nature? Those were all things that gave me immense joy as I watched my grandchildren progress through these milestones this year. And it happens so fast. One minute they’re babies, and the next they’re in grade school. I’ve spent time absorbing and enjoying these moments because they go by in the blink of an eye.

         I also find joy spending time with my husband, my sons and their families, extended family, and friends. But beyond that I still find incredible joy whenever it snows. The crisp, clean snow, and the utter silence that fills the landscape. I love cross-country skiing, and in particular, fresh snow clinging to the pine trees. And then there’s spring in central Oregon that's mostly like winter just less snow. Spring actually arrives in mid-June when the rhododendrons are bursting with color and the lavenders in full bloom. I find joy in the fresh scent of pine when we mountain bike or hike in the woods with the birds singing around us or a squirrel zipping up a tree.

         As I find the joy in my life, it ends up in my books as well. Since I write contemporary romance, I have babies and young children in my stories more frequently these days than I used to. I think that's because I was only exposed to older children until my grandchildren began arriving. Now that I have young children in my life, it gives me plenty of inspiration for my writing.

         I also like to incorporate the beauty of nature in my writing. Book five in the Falling in Love Series, Falling in Love With Her is up for preorder, and it’s set in Paradise Falls, Idaho, on Lake Serenity. I absolutely love the abundance of wildlife, thick forests, and babies and toddlers in this series. Every time I write about Paradise Falls and the characters residing there, I’m overcome with happiness, and I can’t wait to bring it to life for my readers.

         What gives you joy?

         Falling in Love With Her releases September 5, 2023, but it’s available for preorder now.

 

A LEFT AT THE ALTAR, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, BROTHER’S BEST FRIEND, AFRAID TO COMMIT, DESTINED TO BE TOGETHER, ROMANTIC MYSTERY NOT TO BE MISSED!

Ingie

Love, marriage, and a family aren’t in the cards for me after my fiancé left me at the altar. I was so certain he loved me, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. My mother’s words haunt me. “She’s an ugly duckling. She’ll never attract a man. A husband and family aren’t in her future.” Instead of dwelling on the past, I focus on running Three Rivers Fly Shop and Boat Repair, the legacy from my father.

Two years later, Ian Callahan, my brother’s best friend and my childhood heartthrob, returns home. Certain he’ll never see the swan lurking beneath the ugly duckling, the same as when we were teenagers, I protect my heart by insisting on a friends with benefits relationship. The fact is, I don’t need love. I have my work, a persnickety, one-eyed cat, and keeping the Trench Coat Brigade in line—a wacky group of seniors with a penchant for meddling, matchmaking, and mystery-solving.

Ian

After my last relationship crashed and burned, I left my job as an arson investigator and firefighter in Seattle to return home. Ready to settle down, my hometown is the only place I want to put down roots. And the only woman I want to make a life with is Ingie Pulaski. She’s smart, sassy, and fearless, but she wants a causal relationship.

When a building is torched and a body is found, I find myself keeping tabs on the Trench Coat Brigade to ensure they stay out of trouble. But there’s an added benefit to that assignment—I’m spending a lot more time with Ingie. And I’m making it my mission to show her there’s more to our relationship than friends with benefits. 

Ingie

I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places until I meet up with Ian again. Now I have to conquer my deepest fear—abandonment—or lose the only man who loves me just the way I am.

Preorder your copy now because men like Ian are one of a kind!

 Pre-Order here: https://www.kathycoatney.com/falling-in-love-with-her-a-romantic-mystery/

         Thank you so much for stopping by today. I think finding our joy is such an important topic, and I hope you'll join me in bringing more joy into your life.

Follow me @

Goodreads

BookBub

Facebook

Facebook Group

Amazon Newsletter

 

One of These Days I'm Gonna ...

 Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction with light paranormal elements. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you make choices to overcome the darkest nights and choose love and light.

August is the 8^th month of the year. We are well past the half-way point in 2023.

I had such plans for myself in January. The previous couple of years had been a challenge due to some health issues. I was hopeful that the antibiotics, etc. had done their work and I’d be on top of the world again.

Alas, that was/is not my reality.

When I look around me, I do not see progress. However, my very best friend was reminding me just yesterday that even when I don’t think I’ve done anything, I actually have.

She is, of course, correct. I’ve gotten up, dressed, done my morning routine of fixing tea and protein bar. I’ve checked emails 99% of the time. I feed myself. So, what’s this “I’ve not done anything” about?

It’s actually very simple.

I’ve always been an independent doing kind of person. I make a list and Do It. Of courses there are days when not Everything gets done and by the end of the week or maybe in extreme cases, the month, it does all get done.

I noticed that I was falling behind around the beginning of 2004. I’d been in another auto accident and it was Much Harder for me to recover from that. When I look back I see that my list “One of These Days” started between then and 2010. That’s 19 years!

I won’t bore you with my “One of These Days” and “Gonna Do It” lists. I will tell you that I’ve made progress on whittling them down. And yes, there are and have been challenges along the way.

#1: Finding someone who can do things I cannot do who is competent and available and affordable. I managed that in May 2023.

#2: Giving myself a realistic time frame. I’m working on that one.

#3: Sorting things into what I can do and what I need help to get done. Some things no one else can do. For example: I did get a simple Will written out and notarized the day before I traveled to St. Louis, MO for the 2023 Glasser conference.

#4: Along with the realistic time frame is pacing. I don’t have the stamina to work on more physical projects every day and sometimes not even every other day.

#5: Celebrate successes! Yep, one of those things that makes everything easier and yet…

#6: One of the core messages in Dr. William Glasser’s teaching is “Is what I’m Doing bringing me closer or pushing me apart from the people who matter?” I’ve adapted that to “Is what I’m doing now helping me move forward or holding me back? Is it something that will matter next week, month, year or in 5 or 10 years?” By answering this question, I put things in perspective and that is helpful to me.

#7: Be flexible both in terms of time lines and also what is important. Revisit the “will it matter in weeks, months, years”. There are things I’d like to have done that don’t actually affect my life. An example is to have the roof of my house “raised” and the upper level made into two large main bedrooms including a lovely bathroom, closet and balcony off the back of the house where I can see Mt. Hood on a clear winter day. I’ve lived here 47 years without that. However many years I have left, while it would be nice, it isn’t necessary.

#8: Share the load. As I said, there are things that only I can do. There are also Lots of things, other people can either do or help me with them. This one seems so easy and yet, for an independent person it is one of the more difficult. I am making progress and still have a ways to go!

#9: Find joy in each day, each step along this path.

#10: Be grateful. I am very fortunate in so many ways. Focusing on what I have rather than what I don’t have or don’t have yet actually makes my life simpler, easier and happier.

What would you add to this list?

You can find all of my books at your favorite e-book vendor. Be sure to ask
your local library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2023 Judith Ashley

Looking back, Looking ahead by Peggy Jaeger

 Hard to believe it's time to write another yearly recap post. I used to laugh at "older folks" when they said once you got to a certain age, time flew by faster every year. 

Now I'm one of those "older folks," and I gotta tell ya, it's true!

I made some decent goals for 2022 and I think I achieved most of them - and not through anything but grit, determination, and a lot of lost sleep.

I wanted to up my  Instagram followers this year so I started posting a picture of the day. 365 days of a daily pic of something going on in my life. Sometimes it was about what I was doing writing-wise, sometimes it was about my dog. But I made the goal ( or I will by December 31!) It was a monumental task for me because I'm not used to taking pictures and to post one every day that someone would find interesting was a challenge.

And I have to tell you, I'm glad it's almost over, hahaha

I had 8 books written and published this year - most over 50,000 words each, so no quick short stories or novellas. They were, each and everyone, time-consuming, but I'm glad I got them done in the time frame I'd set for myself. I had a reader ask me recently why I publish so often and I told her the truth: I'm still a relative unknown, so the more I can get my name out there to new readers, the better it will be for my career. I'm 62 years old and I don't know how many more years I'll have to write like this. I'd like to have a large-to-massive following someday, and someday needs to be soon!

Had two of my books made into games!!! This was by far the coolest thing. A PRIDE OF BROTHERS: RICK became UNDER HIS PROTECTION in the CHAPTERS app and TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS was billed the same way in the ROMANCE FATE app ( although they changed the story almost completely!!!)

I was also thrilled to have a book accepted to the KISS app. A PRIDE OF BROTHERS has both Rick and Aiden as one story, you get two books for the price of one!

The most important goal for me this year was to do more in-person meet-and-greets with readers. Covid made this impossible for two years because travel was minimal and bookstores and romance conferences all went dormant. In 2022 I was able to do several local book signings at my town Toadstool Bookshop, plus I attended 4 romance book signing events around the East coast. That may not seem like a lot, but when the prior two years it was nil, 4 was great.

So, on to 2023

First and foremost I want to continue grow my reader and fan base, so I've just joined TikTok. I know: one more thing to do and keep track of. But this has been fun for me. I've been doing videos of me reading snippets from my books. Hopefully, some #booktokers will see the videos and want to read and recommend my books. That's the hope, anyway!

I've got 10 new books on the docket for the year, 3 of them are for traditional publishers, and the rest are indie, so I've got to get my rear end in gear. The best way to accomplish all this is to be dedicated to writing first before all else I need to do for my career, so that means daily word counts of 2-3k without fail. 

Once again I'm going to up my personal appearances. I already have 5 book signings all over the East Coast scheduled, although one I may have to cancel due to a time conflict. I will be doing more local book signings, and this year I am going to explore local fairs to sell my books. I have several writer friends who do this successfully every year and make a killing plus garner new readers who didn't know their names beforehand.

Another thing I'm passionate about spreading positivity. We live in difficult ( at best!) times right now where hate, depression, and overall ennui are taking over. If I can, I want to be a light in someone's day, so I'll be posting a daily positivity boost on my Instagram and Facebook pages to - hopefully - make someone feel less lonely, depressed, and forgotten.

And, of course, I have to add the annual I-want-to-lose-50-pounds-goal. I'd settle for 10, or 5 if I have to, but once again, I'm upping my exercise and fitness routine, now that my long Covid seems to be resolving. eating better is always a challenge, but I'll give it a try.

Here's hoping your 2023 is better than 2022, filled with love, laughter, light, and above all else, health.

Happy New Year, folks ~ Peg

Peggy Jaeger writes in multiple romance genres about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can't live without them. She loves to connect with readers and other writers and talk about all things romance and romance related.