The Year That Will Shock the World

By Courtney Pierce

2021 will be an epic year, one that will change the course of future history. Events soon to unfold will enlighten humanity to heights far above the current disillusionment of nasty politics. Like all good books, the climax of a story is the showdown between good and evil, light and dark, right and wrong, truth and lies. Clarity emerges to conclude the story as it began—a Revolution—with our hero of the story forever changed.

We're about to come full circle to reclaim what we didn't know we'd lost. 

Every writer knows that the most important emotional moment of a book is at the 70% mark when "all hope is lost." Yes, the 50% mark is the exciting climax, with our hero in the height of battle with outside forces, but when "all hope is lost," it is the internal battle that becomes more important. Our hero hits an emotional bottom by what he/she feels: betrayed, trapped, oppressed, or disillusioned. The weakest, most vulnerable moment requires a hero to dig deep to find strength. Then a choice must be made.

Here's the backstory for what we're living in real time. In the coming months, maybe sooner, it will surely be the front story. 

Over 245 years ago, our great country was born into a Republic of thirteen colonies based on a foundation of law and order, freedom, morality, and spirituality. The Constitution was designed to represent the people, all the people, and the people were in charge. That's where our country's story began. Since then, we've been in a relentless battle to maintain our original freedoms. This has resulted in assassinations, wars, scandals, corruption, crimes, manipulation, and oppression.

A free people are a threat. The masses must be controlled.

In the late 1800s, our liberties were secretly sold. The Republic was no longer representing "the people." Many Americans have no idea of this little-known fact in our country's history. At the end of the Civil War, the United States became a "Corporation" after going bankrupt. President Woodrow Wilson did a deal with the Devil to get the country out of deep debt. We, the people, became the collateral for a loan from the global banking Cabal that was comprised of international elite families, the British Royal Family, and the Vatican. This group of foreign entities has "owned" our country ever since. We ceased to be a Democratic Republic. That's why the Federal Reserve and the Internal Revenue Service were created. Every dollar we earn or save has enslaved us to pay the country's debt to these foreign entities.

An amazing transaction happened in 2020. The United States of America Corporation was dissolved.

The battle to take back our country has begun, hence the election mess, a weaponized pandemic, and a battle with Big Tech. The Cabal includes China. If we win this digital war, our country will be returning to it's original Constitutional structure of a Republic, and our currency will become real money again with a transition back to the Gold Standard. The international Cabal has much to protect in making sure this transition doesn't happen.

To compound the assault, dissolution of the Corporation is not supported by everyone in our representative government. There are many corrupt politicians paid off by the Cabal, on both sides of aisle, who also have much to lose from their ill-gotten self-enrichment on the backs of the American people.

America ceases to be great when its leaders cease working for the greater good.   

In this fight, the people have been stripped of their freedoms and bombarded with propaganda. Who would have dreamed Americans could be canceled and censored for mere independent thought? No healthy debate is allowed for different points-of-view. Instead, everyone who challenges the narrative is accused of systemic racism, while a blind eye is turned to true violence. Peaceful voices are deemed to be domestic terrorism. Mandates of masks and lockdowns have crushed independent businesses. Orders for families to separate for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah seem utterly unthinkable in America. But the unthinkable is happening now, as if we're living inside a real dystopian novel.

We're in that dark moment of the story where our hero is awakened to fight. And fight we will, summoning hope and belief against all odds. Pain will become motivation to rise to save our country. Light will prevail over dark. Truth will become strength.

And that's what we're living through at this amazing moment in time. The stakes have risen far above the noisy fray of bickering political parties. This has everything to do with America taking back its independence and thwarting a foreign takeover. The public needs the truth—no matter how heinous what we learn—because on the other side of all this, we'll have unity.

We're sheep no more. We won't allow our civil liberties to be weaponized against us. And we authors won't allow our books to be banned or manipulated on search engines for what we write, nor will we endure our Tweets tagged as disinformation, or have our websites blown off servers for how we voted.

Bring on 2021. This is America.

Courtney Pierce is a fiction writer living in Kalispell, Montana with her husband and stepdaughter. She writes for the baby boomer audience. She spent 28 years as an executive in the entertainment industry and used her time in a theater seat to create stories that are filled with heart, humor, and mystery. She studied craft and storytelling at the Attic Institute and has completed the Hawthorne Fellows Program for writing and publishing. Active in the writing community, Courtney is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association and on the Advisory Council of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. She is a member of Willamette Writers, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and Authors of the Flathead. The Executrix received the Library Journal Self-E recommendation seal.

Print and E-books are available through most major online retailers, including Amazon.com.

Check out all of Courtney's books: 

courtney-pierce.com and windtreepress.com 

New York Times best-selling author Karen Karbo says, "Courtney Pierce spins a madcap tale of family grudges, sisterly love, unexpected romance, mysterious mobsters and dog love. Reading Indigo Lake is like drinking champagne with a chaser of Mountain Dew. Pure Delight."

Coming in 2021!

When Aubrey Cenderon moves to Montana after the death of her father, the peace and quiet of Big Sky Country becomes complicated with a knock on the door from the sheriff. An injured grizzly bear is on the loose and it must be eliminated before it kills again. The sheriff's insistence that she buy a gun for protection will present Aubrey with some serious soul-searching, because the grizzly-on-the-run is hunting her too . . . for a different reason.

Welcome to 2021 ... Delsora Lowe

I’m not telling you anything new—2020 was a rough year. And I assume a year most of us want to put behind us.

It’s always exciting to look forward to something new. A new year that is full of possibilities is always a treat, as each of us think about our goals, hopes, and dreams for 2021.

In the last month of the year, we experienced a phenomenon with two planets lining up on the winter solstice, we wandered through the holidays, whichever ones you observe or celebrate, and then we rang in a new year. Hopefully signaling a new beginning to slaying a killer viral dragon and working toward a healthy and hopeful year.

On a personal level, as a writer, it was a rough year. There isn’t much that keeps me from my love of creating–writing the stories of my heart. But late 2020 shut me down completely. Something I have never experienced even in the darkest, dreariest days of winter when it’s hard to put one foot in front of the other on some days for months on end from fall into winter. Even then I am only dragged under for a few hours or days.

In order to function, I had to relieve myself of all negative energy. And that meant not looking at the news, and not dealing with social media, something that is essential to my work as a writer. And essential in another way—that of keeping up with family and friends when writing becomes a lonely business with just me and my computer.

I was lucky to have several groups of writers who ZOOM, so that helped me stay sane. But energy levels remained at a stand-still for the months of November and December.

But onward into 2021. I vow to renew my spirit by setting realistic writing and personal goals. Goal setting is a tool that always works for me (except this year.)

I belong to several goal-setting groups. The very act of telling others your goals and then reporting in to others, keeps me on track. And when I have a bad day or week or month, those same authors are there to cheer me up and encourage me, just as I do for them. And those same people validate my feelings and my need to take a break. I need those relationships, as I am a champion at beating myself up when I can’t write. They bring me back to earth, empathize, but are also honest in giving me advice that I need to hear. And I do the same for them. .

So my advice, as we welcome in 2021, is to find those friends or colleagues who both hear you and help steer you out of the depths and back into the heights of enjoying your world, your family and friends, and valuing yourself. Set goals. Goals are a guidepost to give you the tools to reach for a wished-for outcome.

And whatever you do, give yourself permission to change those goals if need be, and permission to not beat yourself up, if you don’t reach every single one. Goals are meant to be tweaked. And there is no shame in that. They are just goals, after all, the very meaning of the word is “an aim or desired result.”

If circumstances change, then our aim or desired result may also change. All you’ve done is changed the trajectory or placement of that goal. Because yes, life does get in the way. Roadblocks appear out of the blue, and sometimes one needs to take an alternate route to reach your destination.

I’m raising a glass to the new year where anything is possible if we have the right mindset.

Happy New Year and Happy 2021!

The Love Left Behind
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Left-Behind-Hartford-Estate-ebook/dp/B08L5N5DS9/

Books2Read
books2read.com/u/mglVqK

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine. .

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. Her new novella, The Love Left Behind, will release in late fall, 2020.

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518 Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/ .

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May You Live In Interesting Times

I know this should be a post designed to make readers happy about getting rid of 2020. I should avoid politics, after all, most of us are either scared or worn out about current affairs, let me tell you my good news. 2020 ended on a good note for me personally. After a long negotiation, I sold a middle grade non-fiction manuscript to Scholastic. The contract was signed near the end of December - publishing houses do work during the holidays. Unlawful Orders is scheduled to be published in 2022. Mainstream publishing is a long and winding road. My original blogging plan had been to begin a series about my journey along that road. But circumstances have caused me to delay that set of posts.

Exactly a week ago today, I was in the middle of an internal debate. I've heard many of my friends rhapsodize over Bridgerton on Netflix. I am one of the apparently small number of people who do not subscribe to Netflix. To sign up or not sign up was my number one question last Wednesday morning.

I also cared about the results of the runoff elections in Georgia for Senators. The standings were being presented by my chartthrob, Steve Kornacki in his khakis. If you don't know Steve, check out People's Sexiest Man alive 2020 issue. He's definitely the sexiest nerd and deserves to be made a hero in a book.

At the same time, because I multitask, I was watching Congress, as a sort of civics lessons. It’s the first time in my entire life I had paid attention to the electoral vote count. (The first time I even knew it happened.)  Last, but absolutely not least, my fractured mind was working on a new WIP about two girls and a witch at a summer camp in Wisconsin. Never say I can't fracture my brain into multiple pieces. 

Then the news broke in, and it was not about the Georgia results. The only thing on my brain from then until after midnight was the full scale invasion of the US Capital. I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about anything else, not the Bridgertons or even my WIP, since.

 

It’s almost like 2020 was the prologue for every dystopian novel ever written, and now we are entering chapter one. The good news:  sometimes the main story is very different from the prologue. 

I choose to be positive. Just as we read and love romances set in the Regency period or WWII, 2020 and 2021 will someday form the setting for great historical romance novels. You know, books with titles like: My Socially Distant Love, or Love in the days of Insurrection or We Met on Vaccination Day.

In the last few days my life and work have gotten back to normal. I have a virtual meeting with my critique partner scheduled for next week. I’m also in discussions about a new YA project with my agent. Between making final edits on Unlawful Orders, my magic-strewn WIP, and now this possible new project, I can’t help wondering if external conflict might be good for my productivity.

But I can’t help remembering the old curse: “May you live in interesting times.” I bet a lot of us can now understand exactly how cruel that curse is.  

New Beginnings by Eleri Grace

 

I'm not a huge fan of New Year's in terms of the big, glitzy parties on New Year's Eve. Even when younger, I much preferred to stay in with friends/loved ones, a good movie, and a glass or two of champagne.

I did, however, typically embrace the concept of resolutions. Big, sweeping ones ("lose weight" topping the list) were the norm. As with most people, the resolutions were usually out the window before the Christmas decorations were fully packed away.

This year feels different. A group of friends invited me to join them in a new goal-setting planner system. In November, we ordered the planner and met a few times to do the planning exercises and brainstorming. Though I initially worried that this would end up with the same end result (discarded and failed resolutions that were too unrealistic), I am cautiously optimistic that this system might work -- at least for many of my goals, if not all. The reason is that it doesn't allow you to simply write down "lose weight" -- it challenges you to dig deeper and break that lofty goal down into bite-sized action steps and mini-goals for daily, weekly, and monthly steps (as well as quarterly goals). So for that one, I'm focusing on hydration during January, and then each month after that, I'm adding in something else meant to spark healthier eating habits and subsequent weight loss.

2020 was such a traumatic year filled with stress, tension, anxiety, and upheaval at the micro and macro levels. My heart is full of hope for 2021 -- not only will our country take a different and hopefully more positive trajectory, but maybe I too will make incremental and positive progress toward my personal and professional goals this year.

I'm reminded of Churchill's famous quote in an address to the US Congress in late December 1941, after Pearl Harbor: "Sure I am that this day -- now we are the masters of our fate; that the task which has been set us is not above our strength and toils are not beyond our endurance."

As with my heroes and heroines, no matter how bad things have been of late, I want to focus on progress, positivity, and optimism for a better and brighter tomorrow. I want to "accentuate the positive," as the 1940s song goes. 

May 2021 bring us all much health and happiness! 

Learn more about me and my writing on my website, and you can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

You can find my Clubmobile Girls books on Amazon

To New Beginnings!

 

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

You’ve probably heard me say this before. At the beginning of a new year I never make resolutions. What I do is create a vision board. The board serves as my map as the year unfolds.

There is something cathartic about looking through magazines and finding words that express the way I feel and that represent me. I get joy out of clipping out graphics and images of places that I would like to visit, hobbies that represent me, or events that I enjoy, even things I would like to learn or improve on in the coming year.

It all brings me Joy.

This 2021, my board is still a work in progress. But as I snip and cut out pictures and sayings, I find myself becoming more and more optimistic and hopeful.

For those of you who have followed me over the years, you know there is usually a theme to my board. My boards represent my life with emphasis on travel, exercise, books, wine and food.  All these things bring out the best in me. 

These themes continue this year,  but with a focus on joyful living and celebrating small moments. I am hopeful about many things this year and grateful to be here. This year, I plan on brushing up my Spanish. It’s a language that speaks to me and one I used to be fairly good at but have let go to the wayside. Spanish is considered the language of love because its passionate and sensual.  And shouldn’t we be passionate about everything we do? Without passion life wouldn’t be a whole lot of fun. 

 I am hopeful about many things this year. I am hopeful to put more passion back into my life. I am hopeful that our country can heal, and that people can get back to work and living their best lives. I am hopeful that we can travel again and see family and friends. 

More importantly, I am hopeful that we have used this time to reflect and get our priorities in order. Having gone through an experience like no other, we should realize that we are really a small speck in a vast universe. We rent space on this earth. We own nothing. And without health we have nothing.

That said, we should be living our most meaningful lives, no matter how insignificant we think that life might be.

 Writing to me represents living my best life. 

To that end, I celebrated 2021 with a brand-new release. 

Here is an excerpt from By Golly:

Elle felt and sensed Miles’ presence behind her. She could smell that citrusy scent and feel his warm breath on the nape of her neck. Even though her heart thudded, she remained resolute. Miles’s hands caressed the back of her arms before he turned her to face him. Now she didn’t know what to believe.

“Carrie’s divorcing her husband. When she found out Justin was in trouble, she reached out to me, pitching the idea of getting back together, and providing a united front for the sake of our son.”

Elle spun around facing him. “You must have given it some consideration. You broke up with me.”

“I did not. I simply asked for time and space. We were both doing a lot of traveling. I was dealing with a troubled child and an ex pressuring me. Plus, we were in the middle of negotiating an international deal. There was a lot on my plate. I needed to work through some things.”

“Can we talk about Justin?” Elle said, switching the direction of the conversation. Miles had put her through a lot of misery. Had he had this discussion with her up front, perhaps she would be a lot more forgiving.

“Sure. We might as well sit. I have the feeling this might take a while. Taking her by the hand, Miles guided her back toward the couch. “What did my son have to say for himself?”

“Well, it seems he thinks you sent him off to school to get rid of him.”

“Oh, please. Justin knows better. We talked about it. He knows why I sent him to the academy. Couldn’t have a housekeeper bringing up my son.”

“Apparently, you didn’t do a very good job of explaining. He seems to think he’ll be going to live with you and your ex, and you’ll be one big happy family.”

“He’s wrong about that.”

“I did get him to promise me he’d go to therapy.”

Miles’ head snapped back and forth. Hie squinted at her.  “And why would my son need therapy?”

“Because he has problems you and I can’t fix. He’s hurting and doesn’t understanding why you and his mom divorced.” She held up a finger before Miles could interrupt. “It’s quid pro quo. Justin stops getting high and goes to therapy. You don’t send him to rehab. Now all you have to do is talk the principal, head of school, or whatever they’re called these days, into not expelling Justin.”

Miles reached over and took her cheeks between his palms and kissed her on the lips. “If that’s all it would take, you’re a miracle worker.” Before she knew it, he deepened the kiss, and those too familiar feelings came flooding back and she was winding her arms around his neck, relishing his warmth and drowning in the citrusy smell of him.

A knock on the door, drew them apart before things ricocheted out of control and she forgot she was still mad at him.

“What Lousy timing,” Miles muttered, heading off to answer the door.

You can pick up a copy of By Golly here:

 https://www.amazon.com/Golly-H-Caldwell-ebook/dp/B08R5GN5B8/ref

Wishing you a special Feliz año nuevo!  

Live a passionate life and make it a good one! 

Please sign up for my newsletter here:

http://www.lovemarcia.com/guestbook.htm

   About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Be sure to join her mailing list.

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A Joyful Heart

by Diana McCollum 

 For the first time ever we can truly say 2020 is behind us! There is a vaccine coming to all of us very soon! With the vaccine, when most people are vaccinated, will come a shift towards life as we knew it before the pandemic. I don’t want to dwell on all the negativity that has been part of all our lives right through today. 

Instead, what are we going to do going forward? I have come to appreciate my friends and family so much more. I’m hoping my weekly zoom meetings with family and friends will continue. As I am always uplifted after seeing their faces and hearing their voices. I intend to keep up my daily walks and i always find something new to be thankful for. Sometimes a deer in a neighbor's yard or a bunch of tiny pinecones that fell from a tree. The blue sky and fluffy white clouds, so many things to be thankful for. and so many more things too many to name.

I want to learn new skills. My friend and are holding each other accountable for spending time on writer related things. The book I’m working on will be published in 2021, which is exciting. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hopeful for a peaceful world. There is some joy in every day. If one can find even that small amount of joy it is uplifting. One thing I enjoy is cooking. I must say during the pandemic I’ve cooked new deserts more often than healthy meals. That is one thing I am changing.

I’d like to share a New Year’s recipe with you. It is from my recipe book “A Kitchen Witch’s Cookbook”, by Patricia Telesco.

As you go forward into the New Year I wish you the Magical attributes of this recipe which are: Strength, courage, vitality, and fire magic. 

Red Bean Rally (Cuba) 

 1lb red beans Pepper

 ½ lb cooked, cubed pork

 1 large onion chopped 

3 cloves garlic minced

 1 red pepper diced

 ½ tsp dried thyme

 2 tbls olive oil

 ½ tsp dried basil

 1 tomato chopped 

1 bay leaf

 4 ½ tsps. Vinegar Salt

 3 cups cooked rice 

Soak the beans for 12 hours and then drain. Combine the beans, pork, garlic, thyme, basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and 5-6 cups of water in a large pot. Simmer. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil. Add to the beans with tomato and vinegar. Simmer till the beans are done, 20-30 mins. Serve on a bed of rice with a hard boiled egg or lemon slices as garnish. Yield: 6 servings

Celebrations: Solar and fire festivals, Feast of Banners, Feast of Juniper Enjoy the recipe!!! 

"The bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues and tinges And every cover is a door that turns on magic hinges." by Nancy B. Turner 

 What things are you doing for yourself in the New Year?

What Did We Learn?

By Robin Weaver

Reflecting on 2020, I found myself reexamining Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Given the world’s current problems, old Maslow may be the last thing on your mind. But, isn’t the year we just “endured” a testament to the validity of the theory?

As most of you know, Maslow developed a theory of motivation which states that five categories of need dictate a person's behavior.  According to his findings, higher ideals—ego & self-fulfillment—can only be fully addressed once basic human survival is assured.  Maslow’s categories of needs are:

1.    Prior to COVID, most people in the Western World had climbed high on the hierarchy, past love and belonging, and were searching for Esteem and/or Self-Actualization.  We didn’t have to worry about food or water (physiological); safety (other than the ozone layer, which most people ignored) was pretty much taken for granted by most Americans.

Thanks to Match.Com and Doctor Phil, we’d also conquered romance. And, if we didn’t find our significant other online or at the gym, we bought a dog.  The increasing popularity of self-help books signaled that the masses were in hot pursuit of being our “best self.”

Then, the corona virus showed it’ ugly crown. And, BOOM!

Suddenly everyone (and I do mean everyone) was back at level two.  We weren’t safe. Forget about being a better person, we needed toilet paper to survive. And tons of it.   Forget about belonging (level 3); we started fighting over wearing masks. Those of us who diligently cover our face thought we were demonstrating concern for our fellow humans, but were we?  Did we even try to understand those who were defiant about covering the face?  Did we consider that a world filled with the unknown drives the need to feel in control? Even if that control mean thwarting good sense and not wearing the mask? And be honest, didn’t you secretly worry that a mask isn’t enough?

Once we can again “belong” without Zoom or Skype, perhaps we can self-actualize about what we learned during the year of COVID.  In fiction, conflict strengthens the story and gives the main character an opportunity for growth. Maybe I’m too low on Maslow’s hierarchy to figure out how to improve from this experience, because I’m not finding much good from 2020.  The COVID conflict has strengthened my resolve to appreciate all that I’ve taken for granted in the past.

Just when there’s a vaccine on the horizon, I find something else to worry about.  Something I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I could have met friends for coffee or attended writers’ conferences. I’m now worried about The birds.  I’ve just read that the avian population has dwindled by 29% in the last 50 years. 

Egads! Time for a romance novel.

Happy 2021 everyone. May your new year have you climbing to the top of Maslow’s hierarchy.