Smart Girls Read Romance -- so do the bestselling and award-winning Authors who write this blog.
Join them as they dish about Books, Romance, Love, and Life.






Monday, December 30, 2013

In With the New!

By Kimmie Easley

It's hard to believe 2013 is almost over. This year has flown by for me, albeit a whirlwind of awesomeness. My husband and I bought acreage. I went to my first writing conference. My sweet girl turned the big thirteen. I made a plethora of amazing connections, many of whom I know will remain lifelong friends. Oh, and let’s not forget, I published my first book, Souls Set Free. *First of many*
  
With 2014 just days away, it has me asking. What’s next?

I’m sure the year will hold its fair share of milestones. The one I’m most excited about is the release of Gutter Princess, my new contemporary romance novel. Seeing it come to life has been a long road. It follows the story of Baby Jade, a New Orleans native trying to navigate her way through the underworld of exotic dancing and caring for an unstable mother when a very hot, mysterious, and unexpected love interest named Lucky drops into her lap. Actually, I guess it kind of happened the other way around. (Ba-dump-bump)

 

Gutter Princess, much like Souls Set Free, is about self-redemption. We all find ourselves, at some point in our lives, not liking who we are. Maybe we don’t like the rut we’re in, or the job. Maybe we’ve made mistakes, a wrong turn in a relationship, a financial blunder, or indulged in one too many cupcakes (if there is such a thing).

No matter what pitfall you find yourself in, the important thing to remember, other than the fact that it’s only temporary, is you’re the only one who can change it. I came across this quote by Barbara de Angelis, No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.” I know the sentiment is a little cheesy, but that doesn’t devalue its merit.  

Self-loathing is a miserable way to live. Life is too short to be unhappy, something Baby Jade has yet to understand.

 
So, as I anticipate 2014, I can’t help but think of the old cliché: New Year’s resolutions. Some don’t believe in resolutions, so far sake of argument; we’re going to call them goals. Here are a few tips I thought might help me achieve my goals for the year, personal, as well as professional, and I wanted to share!

1.      Be specific in your goals. Regardless of what you’re looking to achieve, be specific with your strategy.
2.      Make your goal public. Share your goal with friends and family, allowing yourself some much needed support and encouragement.
3.      Track your progress. This is especially helpful with financial and health related goals.
4.      Be prepared to change some habits. Yes, I said be prepared for CHANGE. *shudder*
5.      Write down your goals, it helps to visualize the outcome.
6.      MOST IMPORTANTLY: Forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for past behavior. Forgive yourself for not getting it (whatever ‘it’ may be) exactly right. Forgive yourself if you fall of the wagon and hop back on. Stumbling is part of the journey.
  
This is where I see a lot of myself in my characters. Emma from Souls Set Free traveled a horrific road before forgiving herself and being able to find joy in her destiny. And Baby Jade’s story is definitely one for the books (hint, hint). It’s a daily struggle for some of us to remember we hold the power to our own happiness.
 

So for the next 365 days I will make every effort to choose happiness. To choose success. To choose to not only conquer the year, but also revel in my accomplishments. I will publish books, I will make lifelong friends, I will be a stronger mother and wife, and I will push myself to be better in all that I do.

Happy New Year’s to you and yours! CHEERS!  

  



6 comments:

  1. Kimmie, enjoyed your blog. Sounds like you had a fantastic 2013! Your tips for success in keeping your goals for 2014 are great! Looking forward to hearing more from you in the coming year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Karren! Thank you for stopping by and the kind words! Yes, 2013 was very kind. Have a fabulous New Year's!

      Kimmie

      Delete
  2. Kimmie, thanks for an excellent blog. Your tips are meaningful and inspire me to follow them. Choosing happiness is the best one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Caroline!

      Thank you for the kind words! Hopefully we can all encourage one another during the rollercoaster known as 2014! ;)

      Happy New Year's!
      Kimmie

      Delete
  3. 따르면 터키 선거관리위원회는 일현지시간 찬성이 득표율 로 의 반대를 불과 포인트로 앞서 승리했다고 밝혔다 찬반 격차가 매우 근소한 상황에… 페이스북에 노인 살해 생중계한 남성 pk...바카라사이트...wd 사진제공마운트무브먼트스토리배우 박해진과 박기웅이 고등학생으로 돌아갔다영화 ‘치즈인더트랩이하 치인트’ 측은 일 교복을 입고 고[텐아시아윤준필 기자]윤상현 사진제공엔터테인먼트윤상...ti...유럽축구09 절도로 몽골인 ·여씨와 ·여씨를 구속했다고 일 밝혔다 경찰에 따르면 이들은 지난 일부터 일까지 대구 서구와 경북 고령 일대 의류매장과 마트 등에 들어가 총… 세월호 수색선체조사

    kt위즈파크정인아
    마블카지노
    레이싱모델 김지희
    정선카지노
    바카라사이트

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 콩 매체인 사우스 차이나 모닝 포스트는 중국의 주요 여행사들이 북한 관광 상품 판매를 중단했다고 일 보도했다 이들은 국영 여행사인 중국국제여행사 … 홍준표 세월호 추모식 ‘홀로’ oq...카지노 복장...bi 지만 심에서도 받아들여지지 않았다 서울고법 행정부부장판사 김필곤는 일 강 전 회장이 “증여세 결정 처분을 취소해 달라”며 서초세무… ‘아는형님’ 윤종신 “김영철 회사 내 관심사병...ae...정선카지노후기67 의 길’을 찾겠다고 기치를 내걸고 새누리당현 자유한국당을 나온 초심으로 돌아가겠다는 뜻을 담은 것으로 풀이된다 …

      라이온즈이수진
      치터스
      실시간카지노사이트
      카지노도박
      정선카지노

      Delete

Thank you for commenting on Smart Girls Read Romance. We love readers and love their comments. We apologize that due to a few unethical spammers we've had to institute comment moderation. Please be patient with us... we DO want your genuine comments!