Family Time

Fresh from a late Thanksgiving and dashing straight into Christmas Season! It's time for the December IWSG session. And I am excited to be one of the Hosts this month! My Co-hosts are: 

Liza  http://middlepassages-lcs.blogspot.com/

Ronel Janse van Vuuren http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/

Pat Garcia  http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/

Natalie Aguirre  http://www.literaryrambles.com/

And the (optional) Question for December is: As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received? The absolute best gift I've gotten is my convertible dolly - my husband got it for me to cart around my book event paraphernalia & books. It's been a lifesaver! 

Looking forward to reading y'alls posts!

My post is about family. I love the Family Time and am looking forward to more!

I had a terrific visit with my one and only sister and her fantastic kids (and families) plus our folks--so nice to get together and see them all. The great thing about families is we can be ourselves. We tease each other and joke around, but we know it's all meant in fun and our family loves us, faults and all. And that's all in addition to the yummy cooking! But it's also nice to go back home to our own familiar surroundings and the way we do things. 

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season and sharing lots of HUGS!!

Oh, and while I was out of town, my lovely writer friend Tyrean Martinson posted a fun podcast featuring moi! I was so flattered she asked and so excited to share it! Here's the LINK.

Stay warm and cozy!

Merry Christmas from Florida

Energize!

It's easy to find the energy to do the things you love. If my kids ask me to play a board game, I suddenly get a second wind, even after a day of shopping and cooking and it's probably past my bedtime =D. Or, if an idea sparks, I am energized to write down a whole scene or a new character's backstory. For December's IWSG, I'm brainstorming ways to...

For some things, I have to scrounge up energy to get them done - like housework. I love to write, but sometimes after a long day of work, I don't have the energy to be creative. Responsibilities come first and can wear us out! So here are some things to try to Energize:

• Promise yourself a Reward - You deserve a treat for getting chores done. And a treat doesn't have to be food; it can be just relaxing, watching a favorite show, playing a video game, or strolling through social media--though a little chocolate or a glass of wine are also quite rewarding.
• Alternate - Do a chore, do something fun, do a chore, watch a show, etc. 
• Take a Walk - Exercising can give you energy, seriously =D
• Take a Power Nap - If you're exhausted but still have to finish up some work, a 30 minute lie-down can be quite refreshing

If you have any suggestions for getting energized, please share!

Hope you enjoy the Holidays and all the Festivities that go along with the Season! 

The Holidays are Exhausting!

I'm a little late posting for IWSG today... but I'm happy I made it! I'm keeping up with my holiday to do list by the skin of my teeth. And it's draining my energy! I hope you are getting the most out of these shorter days and fitting in time for you as you search for gifts and stocking stuffers and prepare for company or travel. I'm very excited to see my boys as they continue their adventures through life.

One great thing about the holidays is they always bring out stories--reminiscing over fond memories and creating new ones. Do you ever get inspired to write a holiday story? What are your favorite books and movies to enjoy at this time of year? Harry Potter is one of my holiday faves in addition to some fun Christmas specials. And I love relaxing with the family under the glow of the tree as we watch together.

Though I haven't had much time to write lately, I am very excited to be a part of a Christmas anthology with a short story about my Pop Travel main characters, Cooper & Geri that I wrote this summer.

MAGICK & MISTLETOE

by Dragon Soul Press

my contribution...

A Cold Case for Christmas

by Tara Tyler

Though Geri is a tough FBI Agent, she's nervous about going home with Cooper for the holidays to meet his parents. When she arrives, her trepidation is magnified by a cloud of mystery hanging over the  cozy, old farmhouse that no one wants to talk about. She vows to fight back her urge to investigate so she can make a good impression, especially for the beloved, spooky, and judgmental cat. But as the clues pile up, her nagging need to uncover the truth might spoil everything.

Pre-Order Now!

Available Dec 20

I'm excited to read the rest of them!

I hope your holidays are warm and cuddly and full of magical moments!

via GIPHY

The Perfect Gift

When's the last time you went to a bookstore?

I'm sad to say it's been several months for me... I love walking around and seeing the covers and smelling the fresh paper... checking out new titles from favorite authors, looking for new reads. I miss it. I need to go!

I wish a book was the perfect give for the people in my life. My parents still love to read, and I'm glad I get to buy them books for gifts. But so many of my friends and relatives don't. Makes me sad.

I'm not much better. I have enough books to last me a century of reading... Harder than picking out gifts for others, I hate coming up with gift ideas for myself! At my age, I just see what I want and buy it. I was glad my boys came up with great lists this year. Sometimes they just ask for gift cards. Maybe it's a sign of maturity? haha

So what's the perfect gift for you? You might give me some ideas!

Hope your holiday season is off to a great start and you have safe travels wherever you may go this month. 

Enjoy your family and friends.

And can you believe 2022 is right around the corner??

via GIPHY

2021 has been a tornado of a year! I'm trepidatious of what will happen next.

Good Luck and Cheers! See you next year!

December, just in time

We made it to December--hard to believe.

And welcome to the Insecure Writers Support Group - we sure needed each other this year!

Have you accomplished your goals this year despite the pandemic? What changes have you made to your writing process/goals?

I thoroughly enjoyed our short Thanksgiving Break - I got a spurt of energy and time to write a few more chapters in the next Pop Travel novel. And I had fun playing games with my boys. I hope you all had a peaceful, yet exuberant Thanksgiving - if you live in the states =)  Really hoping things will turn more positive after the new year begins. So much loss and depression have been hard for many to overcome. Sending encouraging thoughts and virtual hugs! Hang in there!

I also found some time to enjoy Sherry Ellis's latest MG adventure: 

BUBBA AND SQUIRT'S MAYAN ADVENTURE

Here's a quick review:

Bubba and Squirt are in it again--The portal to another exciting place, that is! This brother-sister team make middle grade adventures fun again. They complement each other's skills and intellects in a good hearted way to solve this new Mayan mystery. The bonus is the hidden cultural facts and excellent recipes to try!

 

In other pleasant tidings... I sent some books to a Youtube Book-Tuber, The Tiny Book Dragon, and she mentioned my books in her Fall Book Haul video.

If you haven't watched a book-tuber, you should. They do a great job of talking about books with honest and enthusiastic reviews.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!

I'm ready to put this naughty 2020 to bed!

#WritersLife Survey 12 - Writing is Scary!

I feel really lame this year. No pumpkins, no fall decor, no Halloween decorations... As my boys keep getting older, they don't care about these things as much. The wonder and excitement is gone to sarcastic teenage apathy. Ugh.

Ah well. I still have pumpkin flavored everything and candy to give out. Halloween is what you make it, right? And I have this fun-filled spooky survey treat for you guys... enjoy!



Thanks for playing! I love finding out who likes what and sharing it with everyone.
Hope your October is full of bone-chilling thrills and tasty treats!

PS - My quarterly newsletter came out this month AND Thanks to those signing up to with my form for DISPOSAL's release coming up November 14. I might have to forego a survey for November... we shall see.