Monday Afternoon Slump…

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Hey, we’ve almost got this Monday under our belt. Here in Georgia it’s a cold and rainy one too! Nothing a little coffee or hot tea can’t help. Also, get up and get moving. Do some jumping jacks or run in place. Get that blood flowing, you’ve got this!

Happy Monday!!!

Monday Thoughts & Coffee By the Fire…

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Good Monday morning! I hope that you’re staying warm wherever you are this morning. It’s cold in Georgia and looks to be a dreary day with cold, icy rain. Burrrrr…. I’m sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in my fuzzy blanket, sipping coffee and writing.

So, here’s my Monday thought as I drink my coffee and get my eyes open. What length of book do you like to read or write? Do you love a long, 50K or more book, or a quick read of less than 25K?

Here are my thoughts on the length of a book that I read or write for that matter. I’ve heard from fans that say they love the longer ones, then others love the shorter ones that I write. It’s hard to know what will be the best length based on fans wants.

Now, if I’m picking up a book to read, it’s entirely up to my mood. If I’m kicking back and have the luxury of a whole afternoon to sit by the fire and read, then I’ll choose a longer book, but if it’s just a quick moment of sitting in a bubble bath, then sometimes I prefer a shorter book. Especially if I’m stressed or had a particularly hard day, then I need that quick, mindless read, meaning I need to see the story from start to finish in one sitting and have that heartwarming feeling of a Happily Ever After.

For my writing, it’s a toss up. Some of my series or books are setup to be quick reads. I make them short for a reason. A couple of my series have been wrote in short form just for those fans that write to me all the time wanting what they call, lunch time reads. But I do have long novels in my list. My new series that will start rolling out in March will be long books, each one.

So, long or short read… long or short writing… We all love to read and write, so keep it up and let’s get lost in another world or time at least for a moment or maybe for a whole day. Who am I kidding? We readers tend to read into the night sometimes… There’s nothing wrong with pulling an all nighter!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Friday Afternoon Yawns…

Why is it that after lunch I always get so sleepy? It’s coffee thirty in the office. Actually, I could drink coffee any time of the day, but around 2 or 2:30 I’m always ready for a cup of coffee.

So, when you have the afternoon yawns, what is your go to?

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Friday Coffee Thoughts & Writing…

We made! It’s Friday people… As I sit here, sipping my coffee, I’m thinking about how many words I want to get in over the weekend. It’s the first weekend since before the holidays that we don’t have plans. That feels good too!

As for my writing, I’m finishing up Double Take At Mistletoe Ranch and getting ready to buckle down for the new series In Harm’s Way. It makes me excited to start the new series, which if you know me, then you know I’ve already started writing on it. But I’m ready to dig in and get to the roots of the first book, SAFE.

But, for now, I’ll leave you with a little tidbit from the upcoming new release, Double Take at Mistletoe Ranch…

Maddy came out of the hallway bathroom, holding a cool cloth for her forehead. “Baby, you’re making mommy feel rough.” Then she lovingly rubbed her flat abdomen.
“Honey, you’re carrying Denver’s baby, so that baby is probably kicking and screaming.” Annie said as she put her arm around Maddy’s shoulders.
“I won’t argue with that.” Maddy said, turning on her heel to run back in the bathroom.
The door slammed as Denver walked in the front door. “Is she sick again?” Denver’s brows arched in concern. “Annie, something is wrong, I just know it is.”
Annie gave him an affectionate shoulder rub. “Denver, this is part of the pregnancy. Just give it a month or two and she’ll be eating you out of house and home.”
“I can’t stand seeing her this sick.” Denver leaned against the door frame, lightly knocking. “Maddy, sweetheart, can I get you anything?”
Her voice was weak as she called from inside the bathroom. “Some cool water would be good, with a little lemon.”
“You got it. I’ll be right back.” Denver turned to go get the water.
“Just stay with her, I’ll grab her some water and soda crackers.” Annie went to the kitchen, leaving Denver listening for his bride.
Denver couldn’t stand this. He wanted to make things better, but he had no idea of what to do. He’d spent the last two days worrying about her and the baby. There was no way he was losing Maddy. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. This was supposed to be the happiest time of their life, celebrating the upcoming birth of their first child. But it was turning into a nightmare.
The door opened as Maddy came out of the bathroom. Her face was pale and Denver was positive she’d lost some weight. And the fact that Maddy was already too thin, it only made his anxiety heighten.
“Let’s go in the den so you can lay down.” Denver put his arm around her shoulders, leading her into the other room. He draped a throw over her lap when she curled up in the corner of the couch. “Annie is getting you something to help.”
At that moment, Annie came in with a tray. “Maddy, these crackers may help some with the nausea.” Annie handed Maddy a plate with soda crackers on it. She placed the lemon water beside her on the table. “If you need anything else, just let me know. I’ll be in the kitchen getting lunch ready.
“Thank you Annie.” Maddy said in a raspy voice.
Annie gave her a motherly pat on her knee. “Don’t worry. The nausea will pass.”
“I hope so.” Maddy picked up a cracker and nibbled on it. She’d barely kept anything down for days. It surprised her that she didn’t feel hunger.
Denver sat beside her, not talking. He was too worried to talk. She was the love of his life and to see her so pale made him feel horrible for her. In a warped way, he blamed himself for this. She was pregnant and sick because of him. Then he reminded himself that it took two, but he still solely blamed himself.

The last book of the Mistletoe Ranch Series will have you laughing, crying, and wondering if Denver and Maddy will still hold the Mistletoe Ranch by the time I type The End. I love this story and can’t wait to get it out to my wonderful fans. Thanks for all the love that Mistletoe Ranch has received. It releases January 29th! Preorder today!

As always, good writing and may God Bless You…

Wednesday Coffee Thoughts…

Wow, we’ve made it to the midweek crunch. So, what’s running through my mind this afternoon? Glad you asked. Here goes…

Do you read other genres than you write in? I write romance, so I mostly read romance novels. But to my surprise, I talked with other writers that don’t read the genre they write. How is that possible? Just a little thought that ran through my mind as I sip my coffee this afternoon…

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Fiction… It’s Fiction!

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Good morning! I need to get on my soapbox for just a teeny second. And no, it’s not political!

Ok, so I want to know how many know the meaning of the word, Fiction? If you don’t, then let me enlighten you. Fiction means literature in the form of short stories and novels, that describes events from the imagination and people that don’t exist. And in case that isn’t good enough, it means not true or make believe.

The reason for my rant is this, romance novels are fiction unless they are noted as Non Fiction. Let me repeat that, ROMANCE NOVELS ARE FICTION. I was reading a post the other day about someone raking a romance writer over the coals for letting the characters fall in love within days of meeting one another. As I read it, I looked back to make sure this was about a romance novel, not a true story. Why would someone question something that happens in a fictional world? Some romance readers actually love the characters to experience love at first sight, but why is it considered unreal? It’s a work of fiction people! In this little world that came from the writers mind these two met, fell in love immediately and that’s it. It’s a book of FICTION!

Even in real life, there is such thing as love at first sight. And thank goodness for that. I know so many people that fell in love on the first date and that’s amazing. So, why would you downgrade a work of fiction for the couple falling in love so quick. Fiction stories often go into things that don’t happen everyday in the real world. Ok, I’m off my soapbox. Now, back to our day 😉

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Tuesday Afternoon Coffee…

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Who doesn’t love that afternoon cup of coffee or hot tea? It’s always coffee thirty at my house and office. So, here’s to your Tuesday Coffee Break. Make it count because you have three more work days this week!

Tuesday Writing hints…

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Hello! Glad you made it to Tuesday. So, let’s discuss character bios. Yes, we’ve discussed those before, but it needs to be brought back up. Recently I read a post from a fellow writer that said they were writing a series and were constantly flipping back and forth. That’s time consuming and eats up your writing time.

Here’s my suggestion, take it or leave it. And it helps me!

  • Grab a notebook, binder, or make a file on your computer. If you use Scrivener, you’re already there!
  • As you start a new series or book, write down every characteristic of each character and place that comes up. It’s important to know if they have blonde hair and blue eyes. Also, birthdays are essential in case you need to throw a birthday party. If a character gets a scar, make note of it.
  • Add marriages, births and deaths to this also. Nothing is worse than getting to book three and not remembering if Mary is married to Burt or Ernie. Believe me, this is time consuming as well as frustrating to the reader if Mary marries Burt, but keeps kissing Ernie.

It’s worth the time and effort, believe me. Getting called out on a mistake that you could have avoided isn’t fun.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

A little Monday midday motivation…

Here’s a little midday Monday Motivation. Now that lunch is over and you’re starting to get a little midday slump, grab a cup of coffee or tea and sit back to take some time to think about yourself. Maybe grab a little dark chocolate to add a little energy to your afternoon.

You’ve got this, so do a stretch and smile brightly. This is your day. You own it!

And it’s the 1st Monday of 2021…

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It’s the first Monday of the new year and I’m feeling it. After two 4-day weekends, I’m moving a little slow. But, as an Accountant I have to hit the ground running today. It’s tax time, end of year, and quarterly. So, things are about to get crazy for me.

So, with that being said, what are you doing to start the year off right? Any New Year’s resolutions? Remember, a New Year is time to start over. Make it your year. Even though we’re starting off the year still in the craziness of 2020, we can make it our own. Just focus on being the best you can be and don’t worry about everything. Just move forward and get it done.

I’m working on the finishing touches of Double Take At Mistletoe Ranch, which means the Mistletoe Ranch Series will be coming to an end soon. That makes me so sad because I’ve grown close to Maddy and Denver. But it makes room for my new series, In Harm’s Way. And yes, I’ve already started writing the first book, SAFE. This makes me do a little happy dance too.

Now it’s time for another cup of coffee and some breakfast. Let’s do this Monday…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…