Instead, I said yes when my dd asked whether I’d like to make a trip to Sam’s. Sam’s is an hour away. And an hour back. Inside Sam’s is a world of temptation in big, multi-box glory. We took forever shopping. So, when we wrapped it up, the kids slept in the back of the mini-van while the adults cranked up the Pandora to do some headbanging. And then it was, “Play this!” We went through our hard rock/metal faves—Limp Bizkit’s “Nookie” (I can’t believe how well that song has aged for me!), White Zombie’s “More Human Than Human”, Disturbed’s “Stupefy”—with all of us trying to follow David D’s haunting cantor’s wail (oh my eardrums!).
In the middle of a very satisfying jam, my dd suddenly, joltingly, changed the theme to our least favorite songs, beginning with “Peaches” by The Presidents of the United States of America (which, oddly, we knew all the words to!). But the one that rose to the top of the groans scale was “Brimful of Asha” by Cornershop. Don’t remember it? I bet you’ll wish you didn’t after you have a listen here. And I’ll bet you can’t play it just once. (Ahem, it’s a bit addicting.)
Share your favorite bad song for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! (“Bad” is all in the eye of the beholder—my daughter can’t understand why I detest Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph”!)
I’m a planner by nature and education. I make lists. FOR EVERYTHING. That doesn’t mean I’m super-organized. It just means I track my achievements and know all too well where I fall short.
I teach a free goal-setting class every December to other authors, hoping that while I kick their butts to think about what they want to achieve that I’m inspired to do the same.
So far, I have listed everything I want to do writing-wise. I started out with a goal of making my life a lot easier next year with a sedate writing pace… Yeah. By the time I figured in everything I NEED to write, that easy plan went out the window. Crazy as it is, I have my 2019 writing plan mapped out. But work’s not everything, right?
What about real life? Family fun and obligations. Fitness goals (ha!). My artistic goals (paint for fun, re-open my Etsy store, produce something to sell…). Build my savings. Get ready for retirement (like that will ever happen!).
To get all my goals in alignment, I set up a Bullet Journal. I’ve kept one for about three years now. It’s time-consuming. A pain in the ass to set up and maintain, but everything I need to do is captured in one little journal book. That’s what I’m trying to wrap up today.
So, my question to you is whether you worry about the coming year. Do you plan? Set resolutions? Set up journals or calendars? Answer for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
Hello, everyone! First I want to thank Delilah for hosting me today, for sharing her space with me. It’s always generous of her to do that, and always fun for me to be here.
I have to admit, I’ve been looking forward to the end of this year. I thought I was looking forward to the end of last year, but then 2018 happened. The last couple of years have been rough here, but the challenges look like they are winding down, which is a huge relief. I’ve been anticipating the start of the new year for a fresh start.
My fresh start doesn’t include New Year’s resolutions–I’ve never had much success with those.Instead I always set goals for myself (mostly writing, though I used to include personal things on those lists) and try to break them down into smaller, manageable bites that make it more likely I’ll reach those goals by the end of the year. Sometimes life gets in the way, like it has for the past three years. Some things you simply can’t plan for.
I had high hopes for last year, even after the really lousy start we had. But if you’ve experienced loss, you know what happens: even when you think you’re good, or you think you should be better, grief has a way of pulling you under when you least expect it.
So I am looking at next week, at the start of the near year, and am determined that the last couple of things we still need to wrap up will not slow me down. I have my writing goals fine-tuned (Thanks for that, too, Delilah! I do love the goal-setting workshop each December!), and I am almost ready to go. I have a few days left this year to relax a little before we turn the calendar forward–just the direction I’m aiming for.
My list is ready, posted on my bulletin board here beside my desk in my home office, and tucked into my day-job tote bag where I will see it daily when I pull my things out to put on my desk there in the mornings. I did add some personal goals to the list this year (You know what else loss and grief can do? Screw up your day-to-day schedules, including meals and exercise.), so I can end next year in a much better place, writing-wise and personally, than this year or last year, or even the year before, before things went really haywire.
I’ve had some really ambitious lists in previous years, must bigger lists that I managed to pull off, because things went my way in every conceivable circumstance. These last few years? Not so much. So my list for 2019 is a little smaller than I would like, but I don’t want to set myself up for failure. If I get more done, that can be a nice bonus when we get to this time next year. But honestly, I’ll be thrilled to check off everything on my goals list for the year, even if there is no extra.
I wonder how many others are ready for the new year to begin, for your own fresh start? Do you have specific goals? A short list? A long list? Just a reading list? I have an electronic copy of my book Hunting Medusa and a gift card for either Amazon or Barnes & Noble to give away for one commenter.I’ll do a drawing via RandomResult.com for these and include entries for everyone who comments between now and 5pm EST on Friday, December 28, 2018.
Happy New Year!
About Elizabeth Andrews
Elizabeth Andrews has been a book lover since she was old enough to read. She read her copies of Little Women and the Little House series so many times, the books fell apart. As an adult, her book habit continues. She has a room overflowing with her literary collection right now, and still more spreading into other rooms.Almost as long as she’s been reading great stories, she’s been attempting to write her own. Thanks to a fifth grade teacher who started the class on creative writing, Elizabeth went from writing creative sentences to short stories and eventually full-length novels. Her father saved her poor, callused fingers from permanent damage when he brought home a used typewriter for her.
Elizabeth found her mother’s stash of romance novels as a teenager, and—though she loves horror—romance became her very favorite genre, making writing romances a natural progression. There are more than just a few manuscripts, however, tucked away in a filing cabinet that will never see the light of day.
Along with her enormous book stash, Elizabeth lives with her husband of more than twenty years and two young adult sons, though no one else in the house reads nearly as much as she does. When she’s not at work or buried in books or writing, there is a garden outside full of herbs, flowers and vegetables that requires occasional attention.
One of the challenges of writing is creating new story ideas, or, if working on a rough draft, deciding what to write that day. For me, regardless of the task, I find inspiration in nature.
There’s something amazing about walking in the woods, of the whisper of wind, or the tapping of a distant woodpecker. As I follow trails through the forest, take in the squirrels chatting, the birds chirping in the trees, or other sites of nature, I relax.
With each path I choose, surrounded by nature, instead of struggling with my current story issues, new ideas flow through my mind.
How can you not smile when you see the quirky things that the birds or squirrels do, or watch fox kits play.
By the time I return home, I find myself recharged, energized to dive into the writing day to unravel any story problems, or, to work with my characters if they decide to be stubborn.
At the end of the day, I wind down by reviewing photos of nature that I took during my walks. I’m always amazed by the incredible things I see in the woods. Best, knowing that when the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll be out in the forest again and no doubt be inspired.
About the Author
A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated in five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.
After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series and The Oath Trilogy, and the first three book of The Forbidden Series, she’s now working on book #4, Forbidden Realm, of the five-book series, which will be released August, 6th, 2019.
Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.
Contest
Contest: ***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post on Inspired By Nature on Delilah’s blog between 26 December 2018 – 1 January 2019. The winner will receive one of Diana’s mugs and a tote.
I’m working on my next short story collection — Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology. The themes all center around a hero or heroine who is stranded, and then rescued by a bad boy. Think, a plane crashes in the jungle and you have to count on a smuggler to see you to safety; or your ship sinks and you find yourself on a deserted island where rescue comes from a man with no intentions of delivering you home anytime soon. Yeah, men taking advantage—not without our hero/heroine’s consent or pleasure, of course!
While I’m reading through the many stories some wonderful authors have sent me, my sister, Elle James, and I are kicking around the cover design. I wanted someone who looked a little scruffy, maybe a mountain man kind of guy. What do you think of these images? Vote in the poll for the one you like best, then offer comments about what you like or don’t for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
Ready for some spine-tingling, blood-heating, thrilling and exciting romantic suspense? Instead of one book today, I thought I’d give you a taste of a few. Leave me a comment telling me which one appeals to you most and one lucky person will have their name drawn for a $5 Gift Certificate.
Masquerade
Book #3 Corporate Heat
Hunting a murderer is hot work, in more ways than one.
Lindsey Califaro, second in command at Elite Marketing, is suspicious when her boss is killed in a one car accident. She’s had a funny feeling about things around the agency for a while and now her spidey senses are going haywire. Something is wrong and she’s determined to find out what.
John Martino, highly sought after forensic accountant, is sent by Arroyo to dig into Elite’s books and see if there is an answer there. He expects problems but what he doesn’t expect is to find a super smart hot female who pushes all his buttons and sends his sex drive into overload.
As the two dig into Elite’s books and Craig’s private life, they uncover a sordid trail of sex trafficking and drugs so extensive it shocks them. As they draw closer to the real head of the operation the heat between them rises in temperature and their feelings for each other explode.
As they work to blow open the criminal enterprise, their relationship intensifies and John knows he must do everything to protect Lindsey from a master criminal.
For Liam Benedict, the merging of Software By Design into the Arroyo mega-conglomerate is a dream come true—until someone on his staff screws with critical software and put the company and its future in grave jeopardy.
Suddenly life is not so euphoric for Liam. His contract with a defence contractor is in jeopardy, he doesn’t know who to trust on his staff and there is a distinct possibility a foreign power is behind the whole thing.
When forensic data analyst Eric Braun discovers who it is and how they did it, he is killed before he can tell Liam he’s discovered the mole. Framed by the killer, Liam is arrested for the murder.
It will take the combined resources of beautiful criminal defence attorney Sydney Alfiore, the woman he loves, and the huge Arroyo Corporation to solve the riddle, but can they do it in time?
Reader advisory: This book contains a scene of on-page murder.
Jenna Daniels grew up in a world of great wealth and privilege. Powerful men and women from all over the country attended the lavish parties that her stepfather hosted on their Montana ranch. But the night of one party, one of those men crept into her bedroom, blindfolded her and viciously raped her, threatening to kill her if she spoke out. Years of therapy have helped her deal with it but she still freezes at the thought of an intimate relationship. Now she’s a true crime writer specializing in unsolved rape cases, determined to find others similar to hers and track down the rapist. When she uncovers several committed over the past fifteen years, she knows she must return to Montana to find her answers.
Medically discharged after twelve years in the SEALs, Scott Nolan doesn’t know what to do with himself. There’s not much in civilian life for a former sniper. Then a friend puts him in touch with Hank Patterson who heads Brotherhood Protectors and he feels as if he’s found a home again. He’s just finished his first assignment when Hank receives a call from Grey Holden, head of The Omega Team in Tampa, who asks him to have someone keep an eye on Jenna. Good thing, too, because she’s hardly settled into her rental cabin before someone leaves a threatening note under her windshield followed up by a dead skunk on her doorstep with another note.
Good thing the cabin has two bedrooms because Hank insists Scott move in with Jenna so he can monitor her twenty-four/seven. As Jenna gets closer to finding her answers, the attempts on her life increase. But is she in more danger from the unknown person or from Scott, himself a tortured soul but who wakens feelings she is afraid to face may be the only one who can get past her emotional fear and teach her how to love?
You ready for another high-octane thrill ride? Love sexy alpha males who cruise along at the edge of the law? You’re going to love WOLF! Along the way, you’ll see some familiar faces, Reaper and Fetch are pretty prominent. So are the guys and girls from RIP. Haven’t met them yet? Tsk-tsk. They are coming soon!!!!
Missed a book in the series? No worries. Just click on a cover to find out more about these stories, read opening scenes, and find out where to get them!
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you’ve read any books in this series, so far!
Meet Wolf
MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS: Authentic Men… Real Adventures…
Former Marine Wolf Patterson is working with a team of MBH bounty hunters in the densely forested Kootenai Forest to bring in one Reese Tobin, a man wanted for arson, who escaped from jail just before his trial. When Wolf catches up to him, Tobin draws a gun, telling Wolf he can’t return to lock-up or he’s a dead man. Just as one of his teammates is about to lunge toward Tobin to take him down, a shot rings out, and Tobin is dead.
Former Army Military Police Officer, now Deputy, Meg Henry, was the officer who arrested Tobin, and nothing about that night sat right since. After hearing he was killed, she heads to Kootenai, hoping to talk to the men who were with him last, hoping Tobin told them something that might help her figure out the mystery surrounding him. Because handsome bounty hunter, Wolf, was the last to talk to Tobin, Meg offers Wolf a ride back to the sheriff’s department. They barely begin their conversation when they find themselves running for their lives. Meg doesn’t know who to trust, but she instinctively trusts the tall, intensely attractive Wolf. Together, they work to unravel the mystery while staying one step ahead of someone who wants them both dead.
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Hunting a murderer is hot work, in more ways than one.
No one could tell who was telling the truth…
Jenna Daniels grew up in a world of great wealth and privilege. Powerful men and women from all over the country attended the lavish parties that her stepfather hosted on their Montana ranch. But the night of one party, one of those men crept into her bedroom, blindfolded her and viciously raped her, threatening to kill her if she spoke out. Years of therapy have helped her deal with it but she still freezes at the thought of an intimate relationship. Now she’s a true crime writer specializing in unsolved rape cases, determined to find others similar to hers and track down the rapist. When she uncovers several committed over the past fifteen years, she knows she must return to Montana to find her answers.
