DO YOU MAKE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR?

                                                     by Judy Ann Davis

I’m not a fan of making resolutions and putting pressure on my life or increasing stress. I do believe that we can make decisions or intentions for our betterment as we look to the future. Life itself, with all its quirks, is often pressure enough without strict guidelines, rules, or repetitive activities for successfully living each day.                                                            

Thus, I will strive to. . .

Live each day to the fullest and allow the activities of that day to take me on new, winding journeys I never expected. “Ninety-five percent of the people who died today had expected to live a lot longer.” 

--Albert M. Wells, Jr.

Be more patient with people, family, processes, my writing, distractions—even slow elevators. We must learn that, like the farmers, we can’t sow and reap the same day.

Exercise more, listen more, laugh more. . . and let the future come one day at a time, as it always does.

Enjoy my home to its fullest, despite the work, dust and menial chores that surround me which often gobble time set aside for writing. After all, home is where you hang your heart.

Dream . . . or rather allow myself the luxury to dream. Dreams are the heart of creativity. “The poorest of all men is not the man without a cent, but a man without a dream.”

Handle criticism graciously.  “If it’s untrue, disregard it. If it’s unfair, keep from irritation. If it’s ignorant, smile. If it’s justified, learn from it.” --Anonymous

Be grateful for the doors of opportunity. . .and for friends who oil the hinges. As writers, we need our family, our friends and other writers who understand the trials and toils of the writing process.

Help find and better define truth in the world. We have lost sight of the importance of truth and honesty in our lives. Our media and people today have failed to delineate the difference between fact versus opinion. “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”--Aldous Huxley

Understand  and accept that peace does not mean the same thing (or have the same definition) for all the people who inhabit our world. Therefore, as part of a U.S. military family, I will pray for a peace that will remove all our men and women from combat in foreign lands and bring them home to the safety of American soil. “God blesses those who work for peace, for they shall be called the children of God.”   Matthew 5:9

Reiterate my daily mantra in the New 2025 year to all who will listen:

                 “Never let anyone steal your  joy.”      

 

Happy New Year!

                                                 LINK to my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

   

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY - January 27th

by Judy Ann Davis

It’s January 2023, and everyone is setting goals or making resolutions for the new year. 

I have decided to make just one: to try to eat less sweets. I discovered—well, not just recently discovered—I’m addicted to sweets and especially chocolate. I love all kinds of chocolate: milk, dark, white, semi-sweet, bitter sweet. And I’m not fussy whether they are in eatable or drinkable forms. I like candy, cakes, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, hot chocolate and chocolate syrups. 

Chocolate come from cacao trees. These trees are relatively short, only growing to be about 15-25 feet tall. It takes about 5 years for a cacao tree to grow mature and start producing cacao pods. The beans grow in football-shaped pods on the trunk of the tree and from larger branches.

Chocolate has been part of American society for about 252 years. In America, chocolate was consumed primarily as a beverage until the 1830s or 40s. Chocolate cakes, as we think of them today, did not exist.

Imagine my surprise when I found out January 27^th is National Chocolate Cake Day in the United States, a nonofficial holiday to commemorate this delicious treat. 

A popular Philadelphia cookbook author, Eliza Leslie, published the earliest chocolate cake recipe in 1847 in The Lady’s Receipt Book. The first boxed cake mix was created by a company called O. Duff and Sons in the late 1920s. Betty Crocker released their first dry cake mixes in 1947.

Since then, cake has its own category and is featured in recipes around the world. Who hasn’t heard of German chocolate or Black Forest cake? Chocolate fudge or molten lava cake? Texas sheet cake or chocolate truffle cake? There are even cakelike brownie recipes. 

Cocoa contains both healthy and unhealthy forms of dietary fat, and contains minerals important for human health, including potassium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium. Some studies have found that regular chocolate consumption is associated with lower blood pressure, decreased stress levels, and increased alertness.   

And thus, because chocolate can be healthy was exactly why I modified my resolution not to give up all sweets, just to eat less of them. Hey, who am I kidding? A red box of deluxe chocolates sitting on my counter (a Christmas present from my son) is calling out to me this very moment. Maybe just a small piece wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Happy New Year! 

                             VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE FOR ALL MY BOOKS 

 

REALISTIC WRITER RESOLUTIONS FOR 2023

 by Judy Ann Davis

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR WRITING ~ This tops the list for almost all writers. We resolve to make more time for writing every year, but it’s so easy for life to distract us. We rationalize we have other tasks and chores to do for our kids, our husband, friends, or family. If we wrote only 500 words at day, we would have 15,000 words in a month. One thousand words would net us 30,000, quite an admirable word goal. Don’t feel like writing? Research, writing exercises, outlining, reading for information, and editing also count as part of the writing process since these activities propel us forward.

READ, READ, READ ~ Not only do we need to read in our genre to stay on top of the latest trends and to study other writers’ styles, structure, plotting, voice and pacing, but also we need to read outside our comfort zone. We need to delve into a memoir, a nonfiction book, editorials, the newspaper, and anything we don’t normally read. This will give us a new perspective when we sit down to write again.

GET ORGANIZED ~ Organize your writing space. File that pile of papers you were going to take care of. Clean out your emails. Clean up your hard drive. Back up your data. Review and update your blog, website, Facebook page and Twitter account. Set a timetable for writing a certain project and determine how you’re planning to track your progress.

SET REALISTIC GOALS ~ Stop beating yourself up when you don’t accomplish what you planned. Stop comparing yourself to other writers. Set realistic goals. Maybe you will only accomplish one novel per year. However, you might want to try writing a seasonal short story, or an opinion or a blog piece as well.

EXERCISE ~ Good health is important. Get plenty of rest and find some activity where you can get exercise: swimming, walking, golfing, tennis, zumba, dancing or any other activity that takes you away from the keyboard and gets you moving.

                 Have you made your New Year’s resolutions?
                 If so, share one of them in the comments below.

        

JUNE ~ The Pianist

(Book 1 of the Musical Christmas Series)
NOW ON SALE $0.99

 

FINISHING WHAT I STARTED - A New Year's Resolution

                                             by Judy Ann Davis

There is a Polish proverb that says, “It’s better not to begin, than having begun, to leave unfinished.”

My New Year’s writing resolution is to try to embrace that proverb. I found that this last year, I concocted all kinds of ways to procrastinate and not finish writing some stories I started and later abandoned. Was it the pandemic mood or did I just need an excuse?  I have to admit, I had plenty of time to write while my husband and I were keeping ourselves safe at home. And, I sure didn’t enjoy cleaning my closets.

So why do I write? I think it’s more than just having something to say. I’m a daydreamer. I’ll admit it. I often have a story to tell. I like to create, and my mind is always churning out scenarios. Writers have ideas that won’t leave them alone. Or more personally, I have characters stomping around in my head who won’t leave me alone. They go to sleep with me and wake up with me in the morning. 

I also have found when I write, I enjoy the research, and I try to incorporate something unique in my manuscripts. My current work has one of the characters losing one of her mother’s Edwardian aquamarine earrings from 1910, with the stones originating from Santa Maria, Brazil. The earrings are unique and irreplaceable. What a great time I had looking at old jewelry. (Do you see any possible procrastination in that activity?)

There’s a mistaken notion from the public that our writing just flows out—into a perfect flawless story, just ready for print. Oh, how I wish it were so. Writing is work. But like other occupations, it can be enjoyable and gratifying.

I only have one New Year’s “writing resolution” for 2021. Like the proverb above, I plan to finish what I start. (Now on to the edit phase of a current work-in-progress!)

Did you make any resolutions this year? If so, will you share?

 Coming soon: VALENTINE'S DAY!

"Can one sweet kiss revive an old romance?" 

SWEET KISS

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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If you're on Snapchat, friend me!  My handle is jacquierogers.  You can get videos of Sassy's latest updates there.  And goofy pictures of her scribe.

Keep up with Jacquie Rogers' latest news at the

Pickle Barrel Gazette!
Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter series
Hearts of Owyhee series

50 (or so) Shades of New

By Ellie James

The day after Christmas, I sat down with pencil and paper and all these words started pouring out of me. Quickly I realized I had the guts of a blog, including an awesome title: New Year's Confession. I still like that title--a LOT. Just think what a great novel that could be...!

But then I saw a segment on The Today Show about, instead of setting traditional New Year's goals, (such as the standards lose weight, exercise more, read more, stop saying Amazing!, etc.,) choosing a word instead. One word. That was the challenge. Choose one word you'd like to define the coming year...that you'd like to define you. And commit to that word.

Immediately I was intrigued. I started brainstorming words and came up with some terrific ones (patience, explore, create, present), but every time I tried to latch onto one of those really wonderful and inspiring words, another word whispered through me.

And that's where my New Year's Confession comes in, all those words that poured out of me the day after Christmas. I love writing and I always have, way back as long as I can remember. But, professionally, this past year has been hard.  I started 2013 feeling down and I spent the majority of the year in that same place. Being a professional writer is a dream come true, but there's so much more involved than simply giving voice to the stories living in your heart. There's the business side--the dollars and the cents, the contracts and competition, the marketing and promotion--and this past year, that's what knocked me down. Knocked me down hard. And since then, the shadow of disappointment has followed me everywhere.

For a while, I couldn't write. Worse, merely the thought of writing made me sick to my stomach--and my heart. Especially my heart. I'd get that awful tight chest feeling. I felt so lost and alone. And the words wouldn't come. I tried. I tried everything I could think of. But nothing worked. I told myself to stop being a baby and put my big girl panties on. I ordered myself to. But everywhere I looked were reminders of my disappointment.

Days...weeks...months. They rolled by, rolled together. There were times when things got better, when I focused on--made myself look to--the future. What came next instead of what was already done. But it seems something always crept in to throw me back to that deep, dark, cold pit of sadness.

Over the past several days, I've asked myself if I really want to share all this. If I'm seriously going to post something so personal. Generally I don't shout out my good or carry on about my bad. But you know what?  We live in such a photoshopped world. We live a life of greatest hits. Our messages are carefully crafted to be all Wonderful! and Amazing! But the truth is we all have B-sides. We all have junk. We all have stuff. And unless we can be real about the B-sides, in many ways we're doing everyone a disservice, setting up this false equation where people inadvertently find themselves comparing the raw, unvarnished truth of their own lives to Glistening Public Images of everyone else's. So I've decided to be real about this. To be authentic. To talk about a B-side, no matter how uncomfortable it is.

Now here I stand, at the threshold of a new year, and I'm committing myself to turning the corner, too, to leaving the "blue" where it belongs--in the past. I'm committing myself to 50 incredible shades of new: a new year, a new perspective, a new me, a new beginning. (Okay, that's only four, but one new leads to another, right?)  

Right here, right now, I'm committing myself to....

What word will define YOUR year?

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!