What I Pay Attention to?

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 of your life to choose love and light.

When the Blog Queens, Sarah McDermed and Judith Ashley, get together to brainstorm blog topics/themes, their creativity runs wild and ideas pour forth. This is one of them inspired by The Ides of March, the day Brutus killed Julius Caesar. Perhaps if Caesar had been paying attention to his surroundings a bit more, he could have escaped being stabbed?

However, although there is not as much peace in the world as I’d like to see, I’ve found for my own mental health I do not spend copious amounts of time worrying or agonizing over what is happening in another part of the world. It isn’t because I don’t care about other people, it is more that I’m reserving or perhaps saving the energy I do have for issues over which I have some control.

I’ve written an entire blog post for The Glasser Institute for Choice Theory©- US on The Ides of March – Power and Self-Worth. It should be up by March 7^th. You can read it here.

Other things I pay attention to in no particular order are:

My Family – How are they doing? Pictures of my great grands always brighten my day.

My Friends – How are they doing? At my age, I’ve lost several over the past few years.

Weather - I know I can’t change it. And yet I do want to be prepared for the winter storms, possible power outages, excessively cold or the increasingly hot temperatures of spring, summer and fall.

My Health – Actually this could be the first item on the list. I’ve found as the years go by, my vision of what I’d be doing now was off a bit. That is an adjustment I find more difficult than I thought it might be.

Traffic – I swear people are driving faster, running red lights and jumping green ones. I’m very careful to enter major arteries at traffic signals and if I’m the first in line, I wait for a few seconds and make sure ALL vehicles are stopped before I start into the intersection.

And one last item here:
Commercials – yep, television commercials. Why? This summer one of the themes Genre-istas can write about are Favorite Commercials. I’ve got a few that I enjoy watching. Can’t always remember the product though. Those that I Really Do Not Like? I can tell you the product and I do not purchase it. 

And I no longer watch the commercial. Mute is my favorite button on the remote and it gives me the opportunity to get up and move around, something that is a positive for My Health.

There is a longer list of things I’m aware of. I do what I can here like recycle, vote, keep a few of the essentials on hand.

Climate change
Politics
Supply Chain issues
When geraniums are in stock at Costco
When the daffodils bloom (they are several inches tall right now)

Looking at that list, now I’m wondering...Should the Geraniums at Costco be moved to the Pay Attention to list?

You can find my books at your favorite e-book vendor as well as through my website www.JudithAshley.net and Windtree Press. Print books are available at Jan’s Paperbacks in Beaverton, OR and Arte Soleil in Portland, OR. Get the addresses from my website. And be sure to ask your library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshley.net

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2024 Judith Ashley

The Power of Getting Outdoors: Breeding Creativity ... Delsora Lowe

Writing takes a special kind of creativity and tons of work. Writing means continual learning - everything from correct grammar, to researching your story topics and locations, as well as learning the tools of the trade from characterization, to correct flow of a fictional work, to dozens of other rules and implied rules of creative writing. Then one must also understand the differences in writing different genres, as well as learn the ins and outs of how to get published: whether working with a traditional publisher or learning all there is—every nut and bolt, and there are many—to self-publish a book. Then add learning all the ways to market, how to use social media and build a website, or put together a mailing list to start a newsletter, it’s enough to make one dizzy.

Hence, the excitement about the coming of spring, where getting outside on a beautiful day to take a walk is paramount.

Fresh air is good for you. Sunny days, and vitamin C, and walking the neighborhood are good for you. And there is no longer a hidden, skim of ice lying under dead leaves and pine needles to slip on.

But the best thing about getting outdoors on a beautiful sunny day, or on an overcast day that may produce a spray of moisture, is that it is good for your mental health.

And as a writer, what is good for my mental health, after a long winter, is communing with nature, clearing my head, breathing deep the scents of spring, waving hello to a neighbor, hearing the laughter (and, yes, screeches) of the kids on the playground of the school behind my house, and watching my neighbor’s yards transfigure from the deep browns and grays of winter, into the lush variety of greens that appear almost in front of my eyes. Spring shoots on new growth on trees, blades of grass fighting to appear against the weight of the brown or black soil, and those tiny shoots that are identifiable as a variety of plants that will soon cover our gardens in bright colors of every shade.

And this clearing my head and concentrating on the growth and metamorphosis around me, also helps to clear my brain, and allow the ideas to percolate just below the surface. Those creative ideas begin to push up through the packed soil of my brain, grow, and blossom into new ideas.

The power of getting outdoors, wandering at a snail’s pace or powerwalking at top speed, while watching the transformation from one season to the next clears the mind of clutter. And allows the ideas to sprout and grow.

What inspires you as the season changes from cold to warm to hot?

 

Starlight Grille

A Serenity Harbor Maine Collection

Welcome to Serenity Harbor, Maine, a small coastal town where the Starlight Grille is a favorite meeting place. This sweet, with a touch of heat, collection includes a new bonus short story and a Starlight Grille recipe.

The Legacy of Parkers Point

Two lives, one legacy—the lure of Parkers Point. One runs from … One runs toward …
Grayson Mann runs from a professional wound so deep he changes his career. Lauralee Adler runs toward a family connection, and a chance to save a family business and find her father.

Welcome Home

Coming home means second chances to open your heart, find understanding and love, and resolve the past.
Is Jim the one man who will understand and help Maurie heal from past mistakes? Will Maurie fill the space left from Jim’s long-ago loss?

Come Dance with Me

Improvisational jazz musician meets buttoned up English teacher—will the Christmas lights sparkle or shatter before the dance ends?
Sam’s mission to rescue Ashley from childhood fears has her running the other direction. Can what is done out of love tear apart a relationship, or forever cement a love that is true?

Moonlighting

A blast from the past, a ten-year old matchmaker with a valentine wish, an omission, and a villainous man…
a recipe for disaster? Or love against all odds?

When Tucker discovers the secret Mary Beth holds close to her heart, will love be enough to overcome broken trusts?

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Grille-Serenity-Harbor-Collection-ebook/dp/B07CN8JV2Z/

Books2Read
books2read.com/u/3yDjWe

 

~ 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/

PHOTO CREDITS:
Author at Work: free writing book clip art - Google Search

The Seven Year Switch

Since we’re celebrating the seven year anniversary of the Romancing the Genres blog in May, I thought I’d get in early and write an abridged or smooshed account of the last seven years of my life.

You could say the last seven years of my life have been pretty eventful. So much so, I can hardly remember what my day-to-day life was like seven years ago.

Baby steps

Back in 2011, I was a pregnant lady, getting ready for the birth of my second child, with a gorgeous little two-year-old boy also running around my ankles. I was also working part-time in a corporate communications role that meant commuting to the city, plus juggling home and work life in a way that didn’t always come easily.

Fast forward a few months and I found myself at home full-time on maternity leave, with two little boys under three years of age. Then I was literally juggling, with baby in one arm and toddler in the other, changing two sets of nappies (diapers) trying to remember if I’d had a shower that day or whether I had remembered to make lunch. One day I forgot how to buckle the baby into his car seat. In short, I’d just about lost my mind.

It wasn’t just mummy brain – I was totally exhausted. After a few visits to the doctor I found out my thyroid was playing up. I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  It’s an autoimmune disease that affects metabolism, how fast or slow your body runs, body weight, concentration and alertness. I already had Coeliac/Celiac disease, so I understood about needing to manage your stress levels, diet and overall health to keep an autoimmune condition under control.

Once I started taking some medication, the fog lifted from my head and I began to think clearly again. Hooray!

The write life

Around the time my little one was 18 months old, I went back to work two days a week and started to think about whether I wanted to stick with that job long-term. In the back of my mind, I’d always harboured a desire to write a novel. I remember I’d just joined Twitter and was starting to read romance novels on my commute, when I saw a tweet about the So You Think You Can Write contest. I don’t know exactly what spurred me on to give it a try, but it kick-started my fiction writing.

I wrote and wrote. And wrote some more! At lunchtime, at night, during my son’s afternoon nap on the days I was at home. I taught myself to write a book based on the super helpful tips and advice from authors in the Harlequin Community and shared my work with a fabulous group of writers at much the same stage as me.

I managed to write a 60,000 word manuscript in a couple of months, along with a synopsis and pitch. In retrospect it wasn’t a great attempt at a novel, but I did learn heaps. I may not have got anywhere in the contest, but I was hooked on the writing life.

An unfolding saga

Since 2014, I figure I’ve written three complete manuscripts, two complete short stories and many more partials. I’ve entered many more writing contests and even won the We Heart New Talent contest. That resulted in my debut novel, Girl on aPlane, being published by HarperCollins UK. The book was also translated and released in the Czech Republic as Letuska last year, something so wildly unimaginable to me just a few years ago, I did pinch myself. I have actual fans in Prague!

In 2016 I made the decision to quit my corporate job, and concentrate on writing. So far it’s paying off...okay, not financially yet! But in other ways, my writing is going well and I’m not so tired from being pushed and pulled in all directions. I’ve picked up a few freelance business writing jobs too.

I can’t quite believe my two babies are now school boys, but it’s great to have work with the flexibility to spend more time with them. I’m home to walk my boys to school and back, cook proper meals and read to them every night. Oh, I also spend a bit more time with that man I married!

Now I’m looking to the future, with a plan for a hybrid writing career combining traditionally published and self-published work. I’m working on another novella that I hope to finish writing soon, plus thinking about indie publishing some print versions.

My life has done a grand switcheroo over the last seven years and I’m thankful that I had the courage to give it a go. My health might not be 100% perfect, but I'm going well, managing not to overdo my work hours, and still progressing with my writing. 

What about you – have you had health challenges or life-changing circumstances in the last few years? How has your life changed, for better or worse?

About Cassandra O'Leary

**Winner of the global We Heart New Talent contest. Nominated for Best New Author in the 2016 AusRomToday Reader's Choice Awards for excellence in Australian romance fiction.**

Cassandra O'Leary is a romance and women's fiction author from Melbourne, Australia, drinking coffee, dreaming of Italy and Spain, and raising two mini ninjas with her superhero husband.

In 2015, Cassandra won the global We Heart New Talent contest run by Avon Books/HarperCollins UK and her debut romantic comedy novel, Girl on a Plane, was released in July 2016. She was also a 2015 finalist in the Lone Star contest, Northwest Houston Romance Writers of America, and a 2014 finalist, First Kiss contest, Romance Writers of Australia.

Read more at cassandraolearyauthor.com 

It all begins with a smile

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

What am I Really Thankful For?

By Diana McCollum

Normally when someone asks me what I'm thankful for, I say all the most common answers. And I am thankful, truly for these things:  Family, health, home, friends.

Mom, daughter katie, grandson Eli, Me.

I want you, and me, to dig a little deeper. Sure I'm thankful for family, but I'm also thankful for a family I can count on, I can be proud of, and I can laugh with and cry with and know they won't judge me.

I am thankful for my health. I've been lucky enough that I only take one prescription drug. I exercise regularly, I'm thankful I can afford to pay for a trainer at the gym and she keeps me on track. Because frankly, I have no will power when it comes to working out. But if I pay Johann Trass, I'm there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

Not only am I thankful for the beautiful home we share with my Mom, but I am thankful for living in beautiful Central Oregon. We have the desert 5 mins east of us and the Cascade Mountains. With Mt. Bachelor 15 mins to the west of us, gorgeous country!

 

Cultus Lake Cascade Mts.

Now I come to friends. It took a while to meet new friends when we first moved to Central Oregon. I can now count 12 ladies, who are all writers, as my friends. We only meet once a month and I so look forward to those get togethers.

I have friends that live in California, Kansas, Washington, England, Australia, and Canada etc. Some of these friends I've met in person and have been able to continue our friendship through the internet. I've met many new friends through the internet, Google +, Twitter, Writing Loops, Facebook etc.

So I'm adding a new thing to my "Thankful List", I am so-o-o thankful for my laptop and the internet. I'd be pretty lonesome without them. And these friends are also very caring and helpful. Some I may never meet in person, but we are still close.

What things besides family, health, home and world peace, you know the normal things people mention, are you thankful for?    

Bio:

A lifetime avid reader, DIANA MCCOLLUM loves creating worlds where anything is possible. Always with an element of the paranormal her stories end with a happily-ever-after.

Website: Dianamccollum.weebly.com

Sign up for the Windtree Press news letter on my website

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dianasuemcc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianamccollumauthor/?ref=bookmarks

I'd appreciate any likes on my Author Facebook page!

True Confessions of a Reluctant Vegan

Where’s the beef? Or for that matter where’s the chicken, pork, cheese, butter, eggs, and milk? And how can anyone cook anything tasty if these ingredients—my all time favorites—are verboten? I LOVE to cook (and eat).

If you’d told me a few months ago that I’d be trying to maintain a 90-95% vegan eating regimen, I’d have laughed out loud—then turned around to whip up something yummy loaded with animal proteins (think eggs benedict, prime rib, cheese cake). Nonetheless, my husband, Tom, and I have been on the vegan wagon for more than six weeks, and I think (think) we’ll make a year. Our doctor CLAIMS our tastes will change by then, and we’ll no longer want to beg for bacon. We’ll see.

It all started when Tom and I were assigned a new family doctor—a vegan. He suggested we read The China Study, Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell. He also suggested we read and try to follow the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, MD. Tom met with the doc a few months before me and immediately read and gave a thumbs-up on both books. He surprised the heck out of me when he expressed interest in giving a vegan diet a shot. We’d talked before about our addiction to cheese, noting that meat would be far easier to sacrifice.

Pleading I was too busy to read the books (head in the sand?), I scanned them before my annual physical appointment. And even my limited reading convinced me that a plant-based diet would be good for me. Our reasons are totally (selfish) related to personal health issues. For me, these issues include taking medicine for high blood pressure and cholesterol, worries about Alzheimer’s (Mom had it), and weight. (Did I mention I love to eat?)

However, I was danged reluctant to “go vegan.” Here are five reasons why:

• We enjoy visits from family and friends. What could I feed them? I had no desire to become a zealot, who tries to force other people to follow her special diet.
• I take pride in my cooking. My top entrees were all loaded with animal protein: lasagna, eggs benedict, ham and cheesy potatoes, turkey and gravy. And we won’t even mention desserts. Suffice it to say that all my pie recipes started with “butter” crusts.
• I’m also lazy. It’s always seemed so much more efficient to make BIG batches of soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles and freeze portions to pull out when I’m into writing and don’t want to leave the computer. Vegan meals with their fresh ingredients often entail chopping, chopping, chopping.
• What about eating out? While I’m no social butterfly, I do visit restaurants with a variety of groups—local chapters of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America, my book club, the neighborhood ladies, my tennis friends. I didn’t want to be a pain in the behind with my “leave off” requests.
• And, finally, did I mention I LOVE many non-vegan foods. My family could enroll in cheese-aholics.

When I asked our doc if he was a “total” vegan, he said “no”—he couldn’t imagine fresh, summer tomatoes without cheese. He claimed he aimed at a 95% plant-based diet. In his words, we live in the real world—do the best you can and splurge once in a while on the things you miss most. Hmmm. That seemed doable.

Six weeks in, I have to admit most of my concerns turned out to be no big deal. I’ve found many superb plant-based recipes. In fact, it’s become something of a game, a challenge—finding and experimenting with recipes to make them winners. My first pizza attempt fed our garbage disposal. The second rated four stars. Nuts have proven to be one of my cooking saviors. Cashew “cheese” may not taste like “real” cheese, but it’s delicious and a lip-smacking substitute for adding flavor to everything from pizza to soup.   

What does this all have to do with writing and novels? Not much. Except perhaps a willingness to try new things, to experiment can help you grow as a cook or an author. You need to be willing to fail for creativity to blossom. A friend gave me a plaque with this Winston Churchill quote: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” I keep that plaque on my desk.

How about you? Have some of your writing experiments failed but still helped you become a better, more creative author?

Better yet, if you don’t want to talk about writing, send me some tasty vegan recipes and I’ll play with the ingredients.

What's in YOUR Food?

by Tam Linsey

When asked to share my passion, I didn't have to think long about my "soapbox." I love to garden, I love to cook, and I love to eat. My novel, Botanicaust, is about about a future world where these things are taken away. Taken by a rogue genetic manipulation (GMO) that devastates food crops across the globe, and leaves humanity struggling for survival.

You might think this means I am anti-genetically modified organisms. I'm not. I think this kind of science has huge potential. But as the saying goes, "with great power comes great responsibility." Don't rush releasing new organisms into the biosystem. Test it and then have someone else test it again. (And NOT the company that stands to make money from the item in question.) This is an area I think government really needs to take a strong hand.

Right now, if you live in the United States, you are probably eating genetically modified organisms. It is in nearly anything that has corn or soybean based additives. That's nearly everything processed.

And they don't know the long term effects of eating these items. Some evidence points to real problems. Since the late 1990's, food allergies have risen drastically. Just like exposure to sunlight takes years to develop cancer, exposure to the new genetic structure in our foods could take years to manifest. But current regulations allow such crops into the food chain after less than a handful of years of development and testing.


And companies are not required to tell you about it.

The only way to be fairly certain you are not eating GMO's is to buy only organic. And even then there could be contamination.

Now there may be readers out there shaking their heads who don't believe any of the potential dangers. And that's all right. They can believe what they want, eat what they want. But I deserve to eat what I want, too. I deserve to know what I am eating. I deserve a choice. If you think you deserve a choice, too, I encourage you to go to Just Label It right now and tell Congress we want to require companies to provide full disclosure about what they put in our food.

And thanks for listening to my soapbox.

© Tam Linsey, 2011. All rights reserved.