Those Goals of Mine!

 

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia:com

Visit me on Kindle Vella amazon.com/kindle-vella writing as Sari Smith and Marcia King-Gamble.

When I heard that August was supposed to be the mid-year check-in for all those goals I never set, my initial reaction was to go off topic. I felt I would have little to offer in this area.  Frankly, I am just not one to write down goals on an excel spreadsheet, and hold myself to a deadline. I do not check off  accomplishments. I’m just not wired that way. This girl has  never played by the rules.

Those of you following my posts know I don’t make New Year Resolutions. Instead, I create a vision board. That vision board acts as a reminder and as my map for the year. I apply this same thought process to my writing. Some people find it beneficial to plot out every chapter and detail. They document every high and low, when the middle should sag, and the black moment happen. That’s never worked for me. It takes away from my creative process and my writing simply won’t flow.

Contrary to what every writer has been told, I have never finished a manuscript before submitting. I’m more of a three chapter girl. Back to I never play by the rules.

I proudly own being a seat of the pants writer. There’s something freeing about this writing process.  I like writing what pops into my head. With no structure, I feel less confined. The downside of course is going down several rabbit holes, but what a wonderful feeling to emerge and find light.

Now back to the topic of the progress made on these non-existent goals. For that I  was forced to refer to my 2023 Vision Board and here are the results.  

Normally, travel dominates and I am pleased to say that was an easy one. So far this year, I have made it to San Diego twice, New York for a high school reunion, New Orleans for a writers conference, and in October,  I am off to Barcelona, Tunisia, France and Rome. By year end I should have made another trip to the Caribbean.  Check that one off.

Travel also takes care of my “Happy Place.”

Exercise and staying in shape are also featured on my vision board. I’m proud to say I’ve made it to the gym at least three times a week,  and I walk every chance I get.   I am still striving to get to my personal best, though in my heart I am there. Isn't that what matters? 

In terms of taking total control of my life, and getting my finances where I want it to be, well ummm, double fail. Two air conditioner failures ( sum total $20,000) set me back financially. I have a two zoned home. A leaking pool pump didn’t help either. On the upside, I am not out on the street. 

Putting everything into perspective, at the eight month mark, my ultimate goal has already been realized. I have joy in my life. I can still appreciate the small every day things and not look at setbacks as failures.

    That should be everyone's goal  Life happens and joy is a conscious choice.

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Let the Magic Find You!

By: Marcia King- Gamble

www.lovemarcia. com

Happy Holidays to you and yours!  It’s that time of year again. A time to reflect.

For those of you who’ve been following me over the years, you know that I always start off the new year by creating a vision board.  So, isn’t it fitting to end the year looking back at the highs and lows of 2018? 

For me there were many.  But despite the best laid plans of mice and Marcia, life got in the way. The one thing I’ve learned is to roll with it and deal with whatever is thrown at me. A prominent theme  this year on my vision board is to allow myself to enter the “Zen Zone.” In other words, be more relaxed and open to what life hands me.

Overall, it’s been a promising year, and one in which I’ve learned to make lemonade out of the sourest of limes.  In the whole scheme of things, as one friend constantly reminds me, "Ours are first world problems.” 

I saw how true that statement was when I visited Malawi in October. I had the good fortune to be selected as an Ambassador to UNICEF. Many people there earn thirty-eight cents per day.  At least here in the United States, while we might moan about our income, we have a minimum wage.

 This rare opportunity, though unplanned, was the highlight of my year. Travel is always highlighted on my vision board. But I thought for sure I’d be back in Europe or maybe New Zealand.  Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to be in Africa; a place I’d not been to in several decades. This is a country that required inoculations and the taking of malaria pills.  The journey was hardly a vacation, and definitely an eye-opening experience. For me, it was a much-needed reality check, making me grateful for what I have.  In so many ways, comparatively speaking, I am rich. My wealth goes way beyond money, especially when you see malnourished children greatly in need. 

Giving back to the craft is always on my vision board. This year, I had several opportunities to present workshops; the focus being aspiring writers. I conducted several on self-publishing and marketing yourself on a shoestring. A most recent  workshop focused on how to get published in a tough publishing market.

 As you all know, the publishing market has undergone changes. It's become survival of the fittest, making it even tougher for newbies to break into our world.  Many of these workshops are free and sponsored by the local libraries. As an author, it’s gratifying to conduct them and see how grateful the attendees are to receive tips from a published author.

This was also a year of getting back to work in an industry I enjoy. After taking a long hiatus from the travel industry,  I’ve, returned to a career that is every bit as fulfilling as writing, and equally as rewarding.  I realize just how much I missed it.   It's a business that sparks ideas. Since I’ve always enjoyed meeting people of different cultures, and traveling to exotic lands,  the rewards are that I have to do limited research regarding settings. I usually write about places I've been to, so the smell and the feel of that country or city is authentic, at least from my point of view.  

Another constant theme on my vision board is ‘letting the magic find you.’  By that,  it means remaining more open to possibilities. I tend to be a planner, and at times, way too self-focused. By allowing the magic to find me, I was able to write a book for a series that was a new world to me, and one that I had been resistant to at first. Not because I disliked the concept, I’d just never considered writing about a small, Southern town, as that lifestyle is foreign to me.   

The end result, however was  Magnolia Moments, the cover above. The story is set in the small Southern town of Eighty-Eight. My hero, an executive recruiter comes to town in search of the mother who gave him away. My heroine is in town trying to piece together why her father, a retired doctor is mysteriously getting ill.  Her dad, recently widowed, is now remarried. At the urging of his new wife, he takes out out a huge insurance policy, and then starts getting sick.  Look for Magnolia  Moments, out as an eBook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, in the next few days. The Eighty-Eight series was created by author, Bettye Griffin.  

In the last several years, Bettye and I have collaborated on the Holiday Sparkle Series; a collection of novellas, focusing on a special red dress that changes lives.  These are the perfect holiday "feel good" stories. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X6BYMFQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_4yMdCbTDA7KVD

Next up, is a novella titled Ring in the Holidays, also being released in a few weeks. Ring in the Holidays will be found on the same platforms.

Overall, it has been a year of opportunity. Many unseen, and many unplanned. Staying in the Zen Zone allows the magic to come to you.  All it requires is acceptance and an open mind, and your dreams can come true.

Happy Holidays all!  Remain humble and remain grateful.  I so much appreciate you!

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 former 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

New beginnings

How can a new year that starts with a super moon but anything but amazing???

I decided 2018 was going to be my year. I’m not a big new years resolution sort of person. Actually, I’m a non-resolution type of person regardless of the date. BUT…I wanted to make some serious changes to my life. And a New year that starts with a super moon and ends with a moon eclipse is my kind of year.

Sooooooo, I put shiny objects into a drawer, rounded up my turtles, and sobered up my squirrels and I’m ready to take 2018 on full throttle…. Some of the changes took behind the scenes planning before I could take the big splash. I always pick a word/theme. For 2018 the word/theme is COMPLETE…. Complete my goals, complete writing projects, just complete things in general. Now for most of you this will seems like a weird focus. But I’m queen of the half started projects. As I tell people, the two things I completed on a timely bases is having my kids become adults…. I also make a vision board….I made two goals for the 5 areas of my life…

I made a "GO ME" board it keep the positive in view. AND I already have a new cover to put it.

I have also started a good reads account to track my reading. This year reading focus is series. I’m starting A and B in January. I don’t plan on reading entire series in one months so I’m not sure how far I’ll make.

It's going to be an amazing year!  Have you done anything different this year to ensure it's amazing?

Have Vision! Make it your Mission!

By Marcia King-Gamble

Happy 2015!  It’s going to be a great year!   Now say that over and over and it’s bound to come true.

This month’s blog may well be a continuation of last month’s message.  You’ve heard me say I gave up making resolutions years ago, because I know the moment the words come out of my mouth, I am doomed.  I need a constant reminder to stay focused.   That’s why I create a Vision Board.  If you can see it you can be it! 

Years ago, before my first book was published, I would spend hours in book stores visualizing that prime spot on the romance shelf. I would wrap my hands around some poor unsuspecting author’s book, breathe in the unique scent of paper, and run my fingers up and down the spine.  That author’s book was mine. I owned it and I already felt what it was like to be a published novelist. 

Flash forward, when the call came, I was prepared.  Sure, I felt lucky and grateful, but not all that surprised.  I say this from a humble place. We attract the life and things we want. Of course my sister, the practical one, disagrees with me. She thinks life is about the choices we make.  She may very well be right, but I’ll stick to my guns. If you believe it, it will happen.  

I’ve always been a huge fan of The Secret; the 2006 bestselling book about the law of attraction and the power of positive thinking. I am the classic optimist. I believe positivity attracts positivity and negativity begets negativity.  Positive thinking can create life-changing results. This is something I truly believe, because it has happened to me.

That said, my plan this year is to have more disposable income so that I can do things I love; travel for one.  I juggle too many balls, and according to a New Age friend, my energy is way too scattered.  I kept that in mind when creating my vision board.  

  

Instead of dividing my board into quarters like I usually do, this year all my messages and pics are linked to my central theme of financial security.  The board is now displayed in a prominent place where I can look at it, focus, and know that it will happen. 

What are your goals this New Year? Have you written them down?  Have you dared to dream big dreams?

Believe and it will happen. Don’t let negativity or naysayers derail those dreams.  

Here I  am today (31 novels later) to tell you all things are possible. I re-released  another novel this month. His Golden Heart is about hopes and dreams.

http://bit.ly/1tJMuCY

http://amzn.com/B00R41R8O4
http://bit.ly/1wKsjDM

So write down your goals! Create your map and believe in you!

 If you can see it, you can be it!  

Now go for it!  

 Marcia King-Gamble is a Caribbean American author. She hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue.

She is a former travel industry executive and a self proclaimed globetrotter. 

A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned 31 books and 5 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling, and with her animal family.

She loves hearing from you. E mail her at mkinggambl@aol.com, like her on Facebook

 http://on.fb.me/1GF28CG and visit her website www.lovemarcia.com.

Have a vision and live it!

 By: Marcia King-Gamble

In December I wrap up the year at the exact same time I wrap up my presents.  I see it as the perfect time to reflect on what went right and what didn’t go as planned that year. Instead of beating myself up,  I think about what I might do differently in the new year and I start coming up with a plan.

It's an opportunity to paint an entirely new canvas.  Anything goes!

Below is an example of a vision board I created  two years ago.

What's a vision board?

Think Pinterest. But mine isn’t virtual (some people's are.) I actually go out and buy Bristol Board.  I clip pictures and inspirational quotes from newspapers and magazines and paste them on that board.  I dream of places I want to visit and people I want to meet and see.  Maybe even people I want to be. My board represents inspiration and  hope! I have fun with it.

It's a great motivator and a way to envision what I want the upcoming year to look like. Then I create that year in pictures. My board is divided into quarters, but yours can be whatever you want it to be. Mine always has at least one quarter devoted to travel.  Another quarter is devoted to writing, another to my personal life,  and the fourth  is where I dream big dreams. 

During the year  I depend on this board to keep me on track. When I'm not feeling optimistic I go to the board for reinforcement. Just looking at the pictures and sayings, makes me realize all things are possible. It's the map I use when I lose focus. It's where I registered my hopes and dreams.  In my head dreams do come true.

Call me an eternal optimist,  but  if you can see it you can be it. This is why I chose this exact time of year to reissue one of my best sellers to date. His Golden Heart, formerly titled, Change of Heart.

http://amzn.com/B00R41R8O4
http://bit.ly/1wKsjDM

It’s a story about an athlete who loses hope after losing his chance at a gold medal.  And it’s about the incredible woman who helps him find his way back to the land of the living. It’s a feel good story and perfect for the holidays.  I hope you read it.   

And so as this year draws to a close, think about all the good things that came your way. Remember to cherish your family and friends and create your own vision board. Make it your map for the year to come.

Happy 2015 all!

 www.lovemarcia.com
 https://www.facebook.com/MarciaKingGamble