Sunday Morning Inspiration…

Do you get joy from writing? Some will say they write because they have to and that doesn’t bring joy. But for the majority of writers, you write because you love the art of putting words on paper. Keep that joy and your writing will fill you with such pleasure that you’ll always find inspiration in the small things.

Inspiration can come from many sources, so go out into the world and explore. Go for a nature walk. People watch. Listen to music that inspires you. But always strive to find joy in what you do.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11

Saturday Night Thoughts…

Description is key! What am I talking about? Well, if you want a reader to take the journey of your story with you, then you need to help kick their imagination in gear. So, take them there with words. If the walls are red, then tell them. Because the reader can’t read your mind. Show don’t tell… Just my thoughts…

Sweet dreams…

Coffee is better on Saturday morning…

It’s Saturday, if you haven’t noticed. Why is coffee better on a Saturday morning? Here are my thoughts on that.

On Saturday morning you can sit and enjoy your coffee without being in a hurry.

On Saturday morning, life is just calm and beautiful. (Most of the time)

On Saturday morning you get to sleep in, so you’re refreshed when you take that first sip.

On Saturday morning you don’t have to go to work, so everything seems better.

What am I saying? Coffee is good on any day!

Have a blessed Saturday morning…

Happy Release Day…

There’s several reasons to smile today. One, it’s Friday. Two it’s release day for Double Take At Mistletoe Ranch. It seems like just yesterday I was announcing the first book in the Mistletoe Ranch Series and now the series is complete. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun!

So, if you haven’t met Denver and Maddy, then grab all three books and fall in love again. Their love story is one that will have you laughing, crying, and rooting them on.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Wednesday Coffee Ramblings…

We’re halfway to the weekend, so that’s something to smile about. Have you noticed how fast this year is already going? Or is that just me? It seems like we just said, Happy New Year, and now we’re almost to February.

With that being said, my newest release comes out tomorrow. What! Double Take at Mistletoe Ranch releases tomorrow. As I sit and sip my coffee, I’m thinking about all of the trouble Denver and Maddy have gotten themselves into. But they’ve also found the most amazing love. Their story is so sweet and I’m honored to get to be the one that brought to life.

If you’ve ever read any of the Mistletoe Ranch books, you’ll laugh, cry, and sigh as you read this last installment. It’s such a sad time as I say goodbye to Denver and Maddy, but as a writer, you never know when they might get revisited one day. Hey, stranger things have happened.

So, as you get your day started… Sip some coffee, you deserve it… Take the time to enjoy the morning… Tell someone how special they are to you… And just focus on having a wonderful day. You’ve got this, so go out there and be the best you can be.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

Edit until it hurts…

Why does editing hurt so bad? For one thing, you’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into the work, so yes, it will hurt. The other thing is, it’s hard to cut out what you think needs to be there.

But I have some advice, and I had to take this advice myself. In order to make the work the best it can be, then you’ve got to trim the fat. And believe me, it hurts, but once you’ve done it, you’ll see the better product. Sometimes I look at my editor and shake my head. But, once I see it in another light, then I’m better with it.

So, here is what you need to tell yourself, it only makes it better. Yes, you will have to do this multiple times.

Repeat after me… It only makes it better!

Now, let me tell you the worst thing that can happen, and this happened to me. One of my previous editors told me to get rid half a chapter and I had a meltdown, but once I took the plunge, I saw it worked and flowed better. And in the end, that’s our goal, to make our work flow. If it doesn’t, then the reader won’t enjoy the read.

So, edit without mercy and keep the tissues close as you do.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Writers stay healthy!

I have the rainy Monday morning blahs… But sipping some strong coffee, so hoping this feeling passes. So, let’s dive into writers and their health. It’s a double edged sword…

If you’re like me, you work a day job and write in your free time, which leaves precious little time to exercise. Even full time writers don’t take the time to exercise. So, what do we do? The fact is, it’s important to get moving as much as possible. Yes, we love to chase the words, but are we doing it at the cost of our health.

Let’s look at some things you can do to help stay healthy and keep up with your word count:

Get in those steps! Try to get in at least 10,000 steps a day. Yes, I know it’s hard, but even on a rainy day you can walk inside. I’ve set a timer on my phone to make me get up and move. Today is my first day of keeping track of it better. I’ve been slacking since I had a book deadline, not to mention it’s tax season. So, get up and march in place for a few minutes, or walk to the mailbox a couple of times a day. Whatever it takes to get those steps up? Give Yoga a try. It’s a great mind clearing way to get healthier and stay in shape.
If you have to snack while writing, then grab something healthy. A couple of examples are: 1. Freeze some grapes and eat when writing. 2. Cut up an apple and get a little peanut butter to dip it in. 3. Eat low salt nuts such as almonds or cashews. 4. Yogurt with granola. 5. Cut up veggies such as carrots or even bell pepper and dip in ranch.
If you grab coffee, like me, then opt for no creamer, or less creamer. Maybe even grab some decaf at times. Also, remember those fancy coffees from the coffee shop add a lot of calories to your day. Opt for a simple cup of joe.
Tea is great, unless you’re southern like me and love it sweet. Change it up to green tea or herbal with antioxidants to help you out.
Last, but not least, stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. I keep a bottle of water with me all of the time. Get in your allotted amount of water a day. If you can’t handle plain water, then grab some of those no calorie flavorings. I love those. But staying hydrated is important.

Remember, the only way to get that bestseller seen is to be healthy enough to finish it. If you’re not here, then it won’t see the light of day. And as your fellow writer, I want to see you succeed and stay healthy. This goes for me. Let’s start this today!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

When you cry at the end…

Good morning! I’m a little emotional this morning. I typed THE END on the Mistletoe Ranch Series late last night. To say I’m sad to see these characters go away is an understatement. This has been one of those series that totally filled me with joy.

Today marks the first day after the Mistletoe Ranch. That may sound strange, but to a writer, it’s all too clear. You spend almost everyday with these characters and it’s surreal when they no longer fill your writing time.

But as with anything, you step away and start a new manuscript. So, I say goodbye to Denver and Maddy, but maybe one day I’ll revisit them. You never know, I am a writer and we’re a different people. We love our characters fiercely and have a hard time letting go of them.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Release date: January 29th!

Preorder now. Starting this afternoon it will be only .99 for a limited time!

If I had wings…

Photo by Tu00fa Nguyu1ec5n on Pexels.com

Good morning! It’s a mildly cloudy day here in Georgia and a little cool. But, it’s Wednesday, so we’re halfway to the weekend.

My question today is this: If you had wings, where would you go?

If I had wings:

I would fly over the Georgia coast and take in the beauty.
I would fly over Yellowstone park, low and slow. I’d take in all of God’s artistry.
I would swoop down in front of Mt. Rushmore and give a wave.
I would cross the ocean and take in the Swiss Alps. Breathing in the clean fresh air.
Then I would take my last flight over Israel to see the Holy Land in it’s entirety. I’d take my time and see every place I’ve read about.

There are so many places I’d love to go, but if I could fly, these are the top five.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Let’s talk Scrivener…

Good morning! Who wants to write in an organized way? Who wants their outline and characters right at their fingertips? Me! Here’s how I do that…

I use the program, Scrivener. And no, I don’t get any money for talking about this program. What I do get by using this program is piece of mind. So, here are my top five reasons that I use Scrivener to bring my words to life.

Easy to use. Folks, once you sit down and start using Scrivener, you will realize that even though it has all those bells and whistles, it’s so easy to use.
Character Bio list. Yes, this is amazing. I have all of my main characters running down the left side of my manuscript. And if I forget a characters occupation or eye color, all I do is click and double check.
Place list. This is a life saver. I can keep the places in my story straight. Because it’s hard to remember everything, but with Scrivener, I have it at my fingertips.
Outline. Yes, I’m an outliner most of the time. And with Scrivener, I have my outline to the right. And it’s always open. The fun thing is, I can separate it by chapters or sections, then mark done when I’m finished with that section. This helps because Scrivener also separates by chapters.
Word count progress. I have a window to open that tells me how many words I’ve typed in a session. I also can put a daily word count need, manuscript word count expected, and keep up with my progress. It helps keep me on track!

So, this is just a little look into all of the things that Scrivener can do for you. There’s also a script writing part integrated in the same window. And you can change the way your Scrivener looks at every turn. I use cork board for my outline, which gives a story board feel.

As always, good writing and may God Bless You…