NATIONAL COMPLIMENT DAY - January 24th

 by Judy Ann Davis 

 Hello 2026! Good-bye 2025.

It’s been a long year. A wild ride. A year when negativity has reigned 365 days on the radio, television, internet, and in our lives. Whenever someone tells us to be thankful for the blessings in our lives, it’s a tough rule to follow, especially when we feel our calm, once functional world is now not the same.                

National Compliment Day on January 24th offers a wonderful way to brighten someone's day or to give credit for a job well done! It’s a day to give an extra compliment not only on January 24^th, but also any time one is deserved.                        

A compliment has a powerful effect. It can empower confidence in a child. Allow a person to feel worthy. Validate someone's hard work. A compliment not only improves the receiver's mood, but also it says something about the giver. It tells them you’ve noticed. Whether we recognize someone's achievement or their classic style, a compliment can go a long way.

However, in all our attempts to stay positive, we also need to navigate negativity. This includes actively reframing our thoughts and shifting our focus by practicing mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion. 

It also means we may have to set boundaries and limit exposure to negative environments or people. It might mean we may have to walk away. It also involves recognizing negative patterns, challenging their validity, and consciously choosing to engage in positive actions and seek uplifting experiences instead. 

To further make our lives more pleasurable, we need to surround ourselves with uplifting, positive people who share and support our goals. Engaging in enjoyable hobbies or activities like reading, exercising, listening to music, for example, also helps to disengage from negativity.

Whatever day, whether you’re reading this or currently having one of those negative moments, take some time to treat yourself with kindness and pass it on to others...and especially be sure to do it on "National Compliment Day," January 24th! 

 

 

 

FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY  

 

New Release:  

eBook/Digital - $2.99

Print - 6.99 

 

Make Room for a New Year by Joan Reeves

We are 2 weeks into the New Year, and practically everyone I know has been sorting and storing away holiday decorations, cleaning out closets and garages, and carting the excess to Goodwill and church thrift stores.

After thinking about this a while—when I was actively avoiding engaging in the same activities—I decided there's a reason behind this compulsive cleaning and organizing.

What they're acctually doing is a physical manifestation of making room for the New Year. I think this is a good thing.

It's like warming up your engine for the Grand Prix race ahead—making new starts, changing habits, improving whatever one thinks needs to be optimized, undertaking new projects, etcetera.

Make room in your life for new beginnings. Clear the decks for that all important assault on resolutions or goals or whatever you choose to call those good intentions we all have to optimize our human body, mind, and spirit. I cheer you on and wish you the best.

Since I did much of that cleaning, organizing, and paring down in 2025, I'm good. In fact, I'm so over the "clearing the decks" that I don't even have goals for this New Year. 

Maybe I'm still tired from all the frenetic activity of the last 6 months, but I'm okay just floating along and doing what comes next.

In my case, what comes next is the writing. I'll confess I do have writing projects listed. I'm excited about getting some new books out. If—yes, if because there are always challenges—my eyes and vision hold up, I'll make that a reality.

In the meantime, if you've been clearing the decks and getting ready to launch yourself into the stratosphere, figuratively speaking, I'm offering a free romantic comedy so you'll have something to read when you run out of things to do.

You'll notice JUST ONE LOOK is still wearing its Christmas cover. 

Seduction and sex can be pretty funny—especially when both sides play dirty, and there's no holiday ceasefire in this battle of the sexes!

Get your free ebook while offer lasts.

Free ebook starts Friday Jan. 16, 2026, at 12:00 AM PST. 

Free offer ends Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST.

I wish you a happy year ahead. Go forth and conquer!

Best Wishes, Joan Reeves

"Writing Happily Ever After—Time After Time

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MY FIRST SNOW ADVENTURE

 By Caroline Clemmons

Happy New Year! Optimist that I am, I predict 2023 will outshine 2021 and 2022. Here’s hoping for health and happiness—and I wouldn’t mind a bit of prosperity thrown in for good measure.

The first time I saw snow I was five years old, so I remember a lot of details. At the time, we lived in the San Joaquin Valley of Southern California. For some reason, our extended family took a one-day excursion to go snow skiing and sledding in the Sequoia redwoods.

Person walking in Redwoods

I’m surprised we went with them. Most of the family members were very athletic. I was a sickly child and my mom was super overprotective. Doctors had told my parents there was no way I could survive many more years, and my mom was determined to prove them wrong. As you can tell, she won.

At the time, I was disappointed Mom wouldn’t let me ride the sled down the long, steep slope with the “big kids” and some of the adults. I was probably whining, because a lady named Lois Reed said she would take me sledding. Lois said we would stay off to the side and wouldn’t go far or too fast.

Surprisingly, Lois convinced my mom to let me go (which probably means my dad interceded on my behalf). I recall being so excited. We climbed on a small sled and off we went—not to the side but into the forest and headed for a huge drop off. At the last moment, Lois managed to turn the sled ninety degrees, but still into trees. Seconds before we crashed into a giant redwood, the sled flipped over and we fell off. I landed on Lois, so I was fine. Poor Lois landed on a pile of huge pine cones. Ouch! Mom rushed to help her stand. Lois admitted she had never actually steered a sled before, but had thought it looked easy enough. I was happy and didn’t care that we’d overturned. Not only had I seen snow, but I’d ridden a sled for an adventure.

What’s something you remember doing as a first?

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME

 by Judy Ann Davis

What does Christmas mean to me? There are so many things to think about when the holiday season arrives in December. For me, and most importantly, Christmas means we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. But it also means we need to reflect upon such things as compassion for others, being kind and caring, being thankful for good health, and being grateful for friends and family. My husband and I also rejoice in the celebration of the season with special traditions like sending Christmas cards and enjoying certain foods, stories, movies, and music.

I am hooked on Christmas music and usually turn on the tunes the day after Thanksgiving. Imagine my surprise when my husband started playing them on Thanksgiving Day. I believe that he, like all of us during this pandemic, wanted something uplifting to hear and look forward to. I love to play instrumental Christmas songs and fill the house with the old standard holiday tunes while I work. My favorite Christmas carols are in a tie--Silver Bells with Mary Did You Know? 

But if I could decide on one thing that I'm forever grateful for, it's the invention of our technical digital advances allowing us visual face time with people from afar. We regularly Skype with our son and family in Alaska, watching his four-year-old and his seventeen-month-old sons grow and thrive in the snowy North. It’s such a joy to chat with them.

This year, we will celebrate alone again. My husband and I always cook together during the holidays. We’ll bake a ham with all our traditional fixings of baked corn, green beans, potatoes, cookies, and an apple or pumpkin pie. We are fans of left-overs. My husband makes a fabulous ham and potato soup afterwards.

I used to get anxiety-ridden when the holiday season arrived. There was so much to do when my sons lived at home. However, my mother, who is now deceased, used to tell me over and over, “Judy, Christmas is really only one day.” She was right, the rest is just frenzy in celebration of that one day.

If you have special traditions you celebrate for Christmas, drop me a note in the comment box below. I’d love to hear about them. Before I forget: 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

   A NOVELLA FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

              A MAPLE COOKIE HOMECOMING

      

            THE MUSICAL CHRISTMAS SERIES:

                 JUNE ~ The Pianist

                ADELENE ~ The Violinist

                LUCY ~ The Clarinetist

Welcome, 2021! by @JacquieRogers

 

Welcome, 2021!

Out With The Old -- In With The New

by Jacquie Rogers

Sometimes we just have to count our blessings, and if you're able to read this then it's a blessing that you made it through 2020.  Mr R and I are fine but several family members have had COVID-19 and two friends died of it.  I'm happy to say, 2021 shines with hope for all of us that 2020's grief will soon be a mere memory.

Okay, so what's going to happen this year?  Did you make any New Year's Resolutions?

I admit, I gave up on resolutions years ago in favor of actual planning.  Realistic planning.  Reaching for the stars, or beyond them, has less appeal to me than a genuine accomplishment.  

So let's recap my accomplishments, at least the major ones.  

1. Yes, I did lose weight.  Yay!!!
2. I wrote one book.  I had three books scheduled but in spite of all the chaos around here I did manage to publish one book and one short story.  I try not to dwell on the fact that this is the least I've written since I started in 1997.
3. I expanded the garden from ten little growboxes to raised beds all around the perimeter of the backyard.  
4. 
   My watermelon vine grew 38 spaghetti squash.
5. My daughter and I canned a whole bunch of tomatoes, salsa, peaches, pears, sauces, and pickles.  (In truth, Mr R and my son-in-law made most of the pickles.)
6. I percolated on promotion plans for 2021... um, which means I have to write some books to promote.
7. I try to learn at a minimum of one new thing each week and social distancing gave me no choice but to learn a bunch of things.
8. We're in the midst of a kitchen remodel.  The flooring is down (looks wonderful) and now Mr R is working on the first half of the project, which we hope to have done before... okay, you can read about this below.

And what will I do in 2021?

1. Planning for my readers' event, Much Ado About Silver City, is already in progress.  Mark your calendars for July 16-18.  We're going to have a grand ol' time, God willin' and the creek don't rise.  COVID vaccinations can't get here fast enough for me. LOL
2. I'm really, really, really hoping we'll be able to schedule the Walker Family Reunion sometime this summer.  We had to cancel last year, of course.

3. 

   Tresa Hiatt, Moriah McCormick, and moi
   at Silver City, Idaho

   Honey Beaulieu will not get away with goofing off this year.  I hope to have Crack Shot in Whiskey Gap (Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter #4) published in both print and digital by July 1.
4. If I don't get around to cleaning my office, I'm going to hire it done.  So there.
5. Yes, I'm expanding the garden even more.  Mr R has mocked up a drip irrigation system that works well, so there's no stopping me now.
6. I'm hoping we can get the greenhouse set up.  The problem is, setting it up (foundation, base, water, electricity) costs nearly four times what the greenhouse itself cost.  Yikes!  But I would rather get watermelon off the watermelon vines, not spaghetti squash.
7. It's our year to travel.  We haven't gone anywhere since September of 2018.  I want to take another trip to Texas and Arizona.  I'd also like to go to the Chanticleer Author Conference in Bellingham, which is generally held in April but I'm not sure about 2021.  Then again, we're not sure about anything these days.
8. I'm going to learn how to be proficient with DaVinci Resolve.  I might even shoot a few videos for my YouTube channel that I've had for over a decade.
9. I'll continue to learn at least one new thing each week.
10. We hope to do more community volunteer work this year, and I would like to resume helping other writers.
11. I would very much like to set up a booth at the Owyhee County Fair this year, but then that depends on the family reunion scheduling.

I have a feeling I left off something really major, but oh well, because it's time to go to bed and I'm wanting to change my sleeping hours so I haul my lazy butt out of bed sometime before noon.

And finally, despite all the issues with 2020, I'm so grateful for loving family and friends, a snug home, an obnoxious cat, plenty of good food to eat, and lots and lots and lots of books.  I'm one lucky woman, all right.

Happy Reading!

Jacquie's Website | Amazon author page | BookBub

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PAYING IT FORWARD

By Mary Adair

Happy New Year!!

Now, the New Year Resolution.                                                           

I have decided that this year I am not going to proclaim, “I will go on a diet and lose XX# of pounds.”  

Why should I? It has never worked before. 

I spend months feeling bad about myself because I didn’t lose as much as I expected. I cheat and then feel guilty. I tell myself I am going through this torture for myself, yet think about how everyone can see how well I’m Not doing. I might lose a few pounds, but by the end of the year, guess what. Its back and it brought friends!

This year is different. This year I am proclaiming, “I will pay it forward.” That’s something I can do and new friends are always a blessing. 

The best part about paying forward, with The Golden Rule in mind as opposed to The Rule of Reciprocity, is you don’t have to wait for someone else to do something thoughtful for you, and you don’t have to think of what to do that will gain you a monetary reward. Just spend a moment counting your blessings, and you will soon realize that many of your most treasured, non-monetary, blessings came after doing something kind for another.

A smile and a hug are the best medicine in the world, not only for the receiver, but the giver as well. I love hugs. I love giving hugs. Hugs are one of my favorite things!  But, there are other great ways to help others feel accepted, or comforted or worthy.

I wonder if my New Year Resolution will make a difference to even one person other than myself. I believe it will. That is enough to make it worth my while.

A BLESSING TO START YOUR YEAR OFF RIGHT!

By Caroline Clemmons

Now that the holidays are over, we can get back to what we do best. I hope you are busy reading the books of the Smart Girls authors while we launch into a new year of writing. We can’t help ourselves—we are happiest when we are pounding on the keyboard to create new books.

I'm working on the next Kincaid novel, GABE. Usually I work on one project at a time, but an opportunity arose for me to participate in a collection of western historical romance short stories, and I seized the chance. The collection will be released mid March. My story is a prequel to THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, and is about that hero’s parents, Houston McClintock and Gentle Dove Tall Trees, known as Dovie. I loved writing THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, Book one of the McClintocks. Oh, incidentally, the woman on the cover is my vision of the way I was supposed to look. I am still ticked off at fate because that isn't at all the way I appear now or at any time in my life. ☺

Revisiting the McClintock family reminded me of my extensive research about Irish superstitions and blessings. Heroine Cenora Rose O’Neill’s father, Sean O'Neill, has a toast for every occasion—for he is far better at talking than working. Dallas McClintock finds Cenora's countless superstitions annoying. I loved reading about both.   

My family is mainly Scot-Irish, so I’ve always been interested in Ireland and Scotland. My grandmother would have denied being superstitious, but she was. The only time she ever scolded me was when I opened an umbrella in her living room. She said I would "cause trouble to rain down on the house." That scared me and I worried for days that something would drop from the sky and fall through the roof. I was a kid, okay?

She also had “the sight,” although she called it a curse. To my knowledge, the only time she was wrong was when I was in high school and she thought she would die soon. Instead, it was her second husband, my step-grandfather, who passed away. Grandmother had pneumonia each winter, but otherwise she was tough and lived to be 91. After my step-grandfather died, she told me she saw death hovering over the house and thought she would be the one to die.I could tell she was puzzled. She had even taught my step-grandfather to make cornbread for lunch and biscuits for breakfast, which he believed he had to have each day.(Supper was leftovers.)

When I was a girl and collected Storybook Dolls, my favorites were the dolls representing Ireland and Scotland. Sadly, all the dolls were ruined by a leaking storage building roof, so they have gone to dolly heaven. 

My love for Celtic things continues. So, to start your New Year off on a good foot, let me share this blessing with you:

May you always have these blessings—

A soft breeze when the summer comes

A warm fireside in winter

And always—the warm soft smile of a friend.

And I'll add: 

May you always have a good book to read!

Happy New Year to you and yours!