It’s Monday and I turn 44 today!

Yeah I know, most women don’t reveal their age, but I’m just happy to have another birthday every year. It’s crazy that I’m over 40. Me! I don’t feel 44. Most people say I don’t act 44 either. Well, last week while I had sickness, I felt over 40, but now after all the antibiotics and steroids I’m back to feeling young again.

Age to me is a frame of mind. If you constantly act your age, you will end up feeling your age. I try to enjoy every aspect of life. I try not to let everything get to me. My friends are constantly saying how do you stay so calm all the time. Well, letting things drag me down and keep me in depression doesn’t accomplish anything but developing an ulcer. Don’t get me wrong, I have regrets in my life. I have those moments of what if… I put a lot of those what if’s in my writing and go on with my life.

So, if you are in the dumps because you’re over 40, well get up off the ground you have threw yourself on and dust yourself off. Start living life to the fullest. You’re not promised tomorrow and the Good Lord gave you this time to live as He would have you live. Enjoy your family, play with your kids, decorate a tree, hug a friend, kiss your lover, tell someone you love them and live, by goodness live. Start today, right now. It will change your life.

That’s why I finally decided to publish my books and continue writing. It gives me immense pleasure. I get to live the life of my characters and enjoy what they enjoy. If only for a moment.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You!

Do you believe?

Sorry that I haven’t posted anything for a couple of days, but the bug that’s going around struck me down on Tuesday and knocked me out of the living for a couple of days. Two shots later (OUCH!) and two meds I’m on the mend.

My blog today is the magic of believing. You may be saying to yourself, believing in what? Well here’s what I’m talking about. During Christmas I’m transformed into a big kid. Well I’m always a big kid, but during Christmas my inner kid comes alive.

Do you believe in Santa? Well, I do. Or at least the spirit of Santa. I mean St. Nick was a real man that lived a long time ago, but his legacy lives on today. I’m talking about the legacy of giving. It’s sad that most people only have the giving spirit at this time of year, but it’s true. As for me, I gaze at my tree all decorated in red and gold balls, snowmen, my sons handmade ornaments and snowflakes, oh, yeah, and don’t forget the angel on top, it makes my heart a little giddy. I smile and the spirit of the season washes over me. I close my eyes and remember the feeling of knowing Santa would come soon and it always made everything alright. I love to watch the magic of Christmas shine in a child’s eyes as they look at decorations or talk to Santa. It’s awesome. The magic is that they don’t have to see Santa put the presents under the tree to believe he put them there.

As with Jesus. As you know if you’ve seen my profile, I’m a children’s minister and I take that responsibility seriously. I often have to explain to the children that even if you can’t see something it doesn’t mean it’s not real. As with Santa, they can sit on his lap (Well the one the mall hired) and it’s makes it more real. With Jesus they feel it. Sometimes they just look at me, but when the Spirit hits them, they usually come up to me and say, now I know what you meant. It warms my heart when I see that look come over them. When they start to truly believe. The way a child believes is so surreal. They haven’t had all the worldly wrongs touch them and shade their eyes. They believe with all their hearts, which is what you should do.

Now on the love. So many people say love doesn’t exist. They say it’s just temporary lust or the need for someone to spend time with. Not! True love does exist. It’s not something you can see as a physical thing. It’s the look in a persons eyes and the feeling in your heart. That’s one reason I love to write about romance and love. It’s one of those feelings that can totally take you to another realm of feeling. Love can also take you to your lowest point in your life. I know some of you are shaking you head and saying is she for real. Well, open your heart and let love in. That’s the problem today, people don’t slow down and just let it take over. Sometimes they overlook love for practicality. I mean people, you only live once and you should experience the phenomenal feeling of true love. It’s awesome and magical.

Well, that’s just a few things that I believe in. I believe in the magic that can be inspired inside the heart. Just open up and let your guard down. You might be surprised at what happens.

As always, good writing and May God bless and keep you!

Decorating with Friends.

Today was really fun. It was the annual decorating of the Church. Several ladies got together to deck the halls so to speak. We always have a blast. As we all work so well together it makes it a joy. The only draw back is the Church is three stories and we decorate on all levels. Thank goodness we have several children to do most of the running up and down the stairs getting supplies for us.

It’s always so heartwarming to make His house sparkle with the spirit of Christmas. You never know if someone that visits one of the Sundays through the Christmas season knows about the real reason for Christmas. As we decorate the Church we try to fill it with reminders of His birth. Angels, stars, mangers, and love go into the decorating.

As the weekend progresses I hope to decorate my own house. Since my hubby is sick with what we think is the flu, it may have to wait a couple of days.

As always good writing and May God Bless you.

Today’s the Day! It’s Published! Finally!

I know I haven’t made a post in a couple of days. I’ve had a personal issue that had my mind completely in a fog. I finally got with my editor yesterday and the edits are finished and the last word is done. My Christmas novel is finished and the publishing starts today. It should be on Amazon late this evening or in the morning. It will be available on Smashwords today. I’m excited.

When my editor finished the final reading she turned and look at me with a look of anger. I thought she didn’t like it. The look was actually disbelief. She said I did it again, I left her hanging, because this is part 1 of 2 parts. I held that part from her to get the look that she gave me.

So, I hope it’s well received by my readers. It was a labor of love. The story just hit me a couple of months ago and I put the other manuscripts I was working on to the side to finish it. Now on the “Rekindled Flames” the 2nd in the “Flames of Love” series. It’s the continuation of “Tender Flames”. It will be a New Year’s Love Story.

As always good writing and May God Bless and Keep you.

Books…Books…Where from here?

I’m in a whirling dervish and can’t seem to stop it. Well it started like this. I had 12 different manuscripts started. A little over ambitious I know, but sometimes an idea comes to me in the middle of the night and I just have to write it down. Well it goes down hill from there, but I usually have a couple of chapters written before I know it. Then another manuscript catches my brain and I go back to it.

I had an idea for a Christmas novel. It kept poking me in the brain begging for release. I had to let it out. What else could I do? Well I put the others aside and started that one. I promised the others I’d return real soon. Well, then I decided that the 2nd book in the “Flames of Love” series would be a New Year’s book also. Thank goodness that one was already in the works.

As I worked on “The Winner Is Love” which is the Christmas novel, it occurred to me that these characters could not just go away at Christmas. Yep, here we go again, there will be a part two. My brain has it in for me. It is determined to make me insane. I’ve got only a couple of modifications on this one and it will go out this week. Maybe I need one of those gadgets that you speak into and it types what you say. But the catch would be to talk to one computer and type on the other. Boy that would turn out terrible wouldn’t it. My brain can only really do one thing at a time. Never could chew gum and walk, sad but true.

As always, good writing, stay sane, and May God Bless you…

Christmas in the eyes of a child!

I did something yesterday I didn’t really want to do. I let my mom talk me into going to a couple of home improvement stores. At least half of Georgia was not at those stores. We were looking for a new Christmas tree for her.

As we walked through the Christmas decoration a small boy came running up to the counter and grabbed a stuffed Rudolph that was bigger than him. His eyes lit up with joy and he started singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I couldn’t help but smile. Before that I wasn’t in the smiling mood.

The little boy had so much joy in his heart that Christmas was near, you couldn’t help but get the Christmas spirit. He went from one decoration to the other smiling and eyes twinkling. When he got to the section with items for Christmas villages I thought he would literally explode his smile got so large. There was Santa’s toy shop with dancing elves, a pond with moving ice skaters, a Church with ringing bells, a windmill with a spinning mill, and a carnival carousel turning with bright blinking lights.

It was something to watch. I remember when I was that way. It was a wonderful time. I have to admit I still have those feelings in my heart at Christmas time. My son is 13 and he still loves Christmas time. He has mentioned putting up the tree several times in the last two days. My husband is not a fan. If it was left up to him we would put the tree up two days before Christmas. Bah Humbug… That’s what I tell him.

So, get into the spirit of Christmas and think as a child with innocence and wonder. It will make your Christmas a lot more enjoyable.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you.

Just a Christmas reminder, my Christmas novel is coming out this week. Finally!!!

Black Friday! Not Me!

Ok, so I’m not sure if other countries have Black Friday Sales, but in America people go nuts. Why? I don’t like to shop on a regular day, I’m sure not going to go on the day 95% of America is too… People camp out at stores waiting for them to open the doors at or before daylight on Black Friday. That’s if they didn’t go right after filling up with turkey and dressing to the stores that opened on Thanksgiving night.

How on earth can you get your mind wrapped around Christmas shopping when you are miserable from eating so much? It amazes me how many people live for Black Friday. I guess I’m just weird, but I don’t like shopping and especially standing in line.

As for me, I shop online. Cyber Monday I will sitting at my laptop clicking away. All I have to do is find what I want and then click checkout. No lines, no angry people snatching items out of your hands, and no driving anywhere. I can shop in the comfort of my own home, sitting with a cup of coffee, just enjoying the Christmas season.

So, now that I’m done with my Black Friday rant, hope everyone is pleasantly full from their Thanksgiving meal. As always, good luck writing (remember November is almost over) and May God Bless you…

As we give THANKS!

Well, today is Thanksgiving. It’s a day to remember all that we’re thankful for. Even if you are not American you can be thankful for something. Let’s breakdown the word Thanksgiving. First you have Thanks, which is what most people do on Thanksgiving, unfortunately that is the only day some people are thankful. The second part is giving. So today give thanks and be giving in nature. Help those that are less fortunate or those that just need a hug or kind word.

I always try to watch the Macy’s parade in bits and pieces. I sneak peaks in between cooking. I made my cream pumpkin pies last night. Today I am responsible for peas, broccoli casserole, and deviled eggs to take to my mother in laws fora traditional Thanksgiving feast and my mom is having homemade brunswich stew and barbeque (Yum), so all I had to do for this is pie, buns, and chips. I miss my Dad dearly. This is our 6th Thanksgiving without him.

As I cook the dishes I will take to lunch with my in laws and dinner with my mom I am thankful to have the food to cook. So many today are hungry and cold. As we sit down to eat way too much food be thankful for the bounty before you. Look around the table and thank each one for something. Even that weird family member that annoys you, thank them for something.

So to all my wonderful cyber friends, thanks for the many posts, likes and comments. It has been such a wild and fun ride. I look forward to many more posts.

As always, good writing and May God bless and keep you…

Thankful for reviews…

How can you be thankful for bad reviews? Well, when I get a bad review I notice an increase in sales. Odd, but true. I have realized that I have a bad review stalker. When I get a really good review on one of my books, they follow with a very mean and vindictive review. They always say the same thing, just change the words around. This time they added a paragraph telling how bad my grammar is and that a five year old could do better.

At first I was angry, then I realized that with all the good reviews on this one book, this one only showed a vindictive nature to this reviewer. They even gave me one star, why even give a star at all if it was that bad. If you’re going to review someone’s work, try to be a little less vindictive. It makes the review a lot more real. When you start slinging mud, it only makes the review worthy of nothing but mean spirited emotions.

Not sure why this one person keeps reading my books if they are so awful. If they even read my books. According to two of the reviews the comments totally don’t match the book or it’s content. Oh well, life goes on and we live another day to write for the people that truly enjoy our work and write nice reviews.

As Thanksgiving rolls around tomorrow, I’m thankful for those that take reviewing books seriously and know how to handle even the bad reviews. Thanks to my fan base that I thankfully am building, my books continue to sell at a slight upward trend. Not retire from day job pace, but a make the author happy pace.

As always good writing and May God bless.