TGIF!

Happy Friday everyone! I know I'm thrilled that I made it through this week unscathed and I am sure you are thrilled that you did as well. Good news has come my way though! The Search for Mrs. Claus is set for release on June 20, 2014! I'm excited to share this with you!

This has been a difficult week at the office but has been extremely productive for me as far as my writing goes. I outlined a very pivotal chapter for my upcoming Camp NaNo work that really gives me a guide to how the novel will end. It excites me to reach a point like that when I'm writing or outlining! Reaching a point like that really makes me love doing what I do! It's just fun!

This weekend's going to be a stay-at-home sort of weekend for me. I've got a lot that I want to get done at home. Spring has sprung and there's lots of spring cleaning that needs to be completed. And April's almost here so I really want to work on more outlining. I have a lofty goal of 75,000 words for this Camp NaNo project and it will take a lot of hard work, imagination, and direction to make that happen.

If you're looking for a good book to read over the weekend and love crime novels, you may want to check out Sketch of a Murder by fellow MSH author Aya Walksfar. It looks like you'll be on the edge of your seat while reading! Aya's a captivating author and I'm going to have to check it out myself!

I'm hoping you'll all have a fabulous weekend! Rest, relax, and read!

Continuous Progress

My author page on Facebook is growing! So far I have 50 likes. I know that's not very many but the number is slowly growing. I love seeing the progress that I am making!

March is halfway over. Honestly, where is the year going? It seems like only yesterday we were toasting the sparkling grape juice and wishing everyone a happy New Year and now St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow. This year is truly flying. There's an old adage that says "time flies when you're having fun." That's apparently true. This year so far really has been a fun year for me. Summer is just around the corner already!

Oh, speaking of St. Patrick's Day, for those like me with a love of all things Irish here's a book that you may enjoy! Bailey's Revenge by Allison Bruning is available now! I'm looking forward to reading this one. Some of my favorite novels have been historical romances set in Ireland. Do you remember Outlander by Diane Gabaldon? That series was wonderful and I'm hoping this one will be just was incredible! Do check it out if you're a fan of books set in Ireland.

Enjoy your St. Patricks' Day tomorrow and don't forget to wear something green!

Making your passion a priority!

We all have a passion for something in this world. Be it writing, music, sports, baking...anything can be that one task you enjoy doing more than anything else in the world. Some days the world gets in the way of that passion though.

Today was like that for me. I work a full time (more than forty hours each week) sales job. Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy my job very much. But there are days when a person can just get so overwhelmed. You've heard the phrase "some days you're the dog and some days you're the hydrant" haven't you? Well today I was most definitely the hydrant. By the time I got off work I was mentally exhausted.

When I got home I had a choice to make. I could let the stresses of my hectic day overwhelm me and head for bed early or I could delve into my passion for writing for a while. I opted for the latter. Do you know that I honestly feel so much better now? It's nice to brush the dust of the day off of my mind and retreat into my little worlds inside my head. Don't laugh. Every writer lives in their own fantasy land from time to time. I'm willing to bet that you do as well.

Today I mailed my signed and notarized contract back to Mountain Springs House. I am very excited and can't wait to hear from them on the next step of the publishing process. Although I've been published before this is the first time I've ever been part of a traditional publisher! This is really a dream come true for me. The little girl who wrote stories about fairies and horses on a word processor and hoped they would become books someday has finally had that dream of being a writer come true! Someday has become today!

I am already working on my next novel. This time around I'm approaching it in a totally different way. I usually just sit down with my laptop and start writing whatever stories I am seeing in my mind. This time around I am actually outlining my next work before I start writing. I carry a green notebook with me to work and when I am in the break room on lunch I can outline in it. So far I've outlined the first nine chapters. My husband took a peek at it tonight and thought it was pretty interesting. Since it's a work in progress I won't divulge too much info yet. I really am not sure where the novel will go at this moment. But I can tell you that this is quite different from "The Search for Mrs. Claus" so far.

I choose to make time for my passion. I am making writing a priority in my life. Feed your passion too. Keep feeding that passion. Write. Read. Play that guitar. Above all, be yourself! Free yourself and dive headfirst into your passion, whatever it may be. I guarantee you'll be a happier person.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! I'm very excited to share that my novel, "The Search for Mrs. Claus" has been accepted by Mountain Springs House and will be published! More info will come later.