Being Thankful, No Matter the Situation

Camping at Lowburn reminded me of some of our camps around Australia.

I’m so thankful for this lifestyle.

“Use your smile to change the world. Don’t let the world change your smile.” – Unknown

#amwriting #writersnetwork #christianauthors #christianauthor #christianwriter #nanowrimo #christianwomenwriter #authorsoninstagram #authorofinstagram #bookstagram #eidlewise #travelnzopenspaces #kiwigreynomads #greynomads #womenontheroad #romancereaders #christianromance #grief #smile

MailerLite Course For Authors With A Customer List

Being an Author is all about creating a story, right?

And editing, before sending to a professional.

There’s books to prepare for the accountant.

Advertising…Website, so many things you could flend up feeling like a one arm paper hanger.

The good news is Blackwolf Editorial Services’s Judy L Mohr has created a course to help.

When you have finished the course, you will have created an automated email sequence, so there are less jobs to worry about. If only we could do that with a hundred and one other things!

This is the ideal set it and forget it, freeing up some of your precious time.

And even better, there’s a launch special you can take advantage of.

But get in quick because this offer ends in March.

Its not normal for me to recommend a product, but Judy has put in a lot of work to bring this to authors.

Enjoy.

A Better Category for my Book

I’ve found a better category!

This fits nicely in number three a – a title starting with the letter E.

No double up after all.

Small Steps, Incremental Changes, Tipping Point

In Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point he looks behind the big changes to find they began with many small steps. Some by quite a few people who meet at a certain point to create something amazing.

This year, with pandemic uncertainty, how can we possibly plan for the year?

I decided to set big dreams aside, and focus on small steps that walk towards dreams. The dreams are big, but in reality they might not happen this year, but they will happen.

In the meantime, I’ll walk towards them. My word for this year is two “Small Steps”.

How’s your goal setting going?

Books I’ve read in January towards my 52 Books in 2022 Goal (I just need to work on which category they come under):

Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone – Diana Gabaldon (began in December, completed January)
The Relaxed Author – Joanna Penn
Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
Breath, The new Science Of A Lost Art – James Nestor
Financial Freedom – Grant Sabatier
Home Truths – Susan Lewis
Educated – Tara Westover (I’m not going to do well in the 52 books challenge if I keep repeating the same one!).

I have my listening speed set anywhere from 1.25x to 1.40x the normal speed. Yes, the books I read are audio. I listen when driving, doing housework, gardening and walking. My eyes aren’t what they were and by the time I’ve written for two to three hours, they’ve done their dash on printed word.

Holiday Ends and Friendship Beginnings Continue

Chilled out and relaxed. Stretched and challenged. Books read. Days sitting in the sun. Tanned and burnt bodies. Sand between the toes. And one little dog with separation anxiety.

The excitement and thrill of going away on holiday is beginning to fade as thoughts of returning home begin to surface.

I’m luckier than most. I take my home on holiday with me because I live in my motorhome. But for two weeks I’ve been able to travel and explore with new friends Sharon and Adrienne. Two years ago we didn’t know each other.

What we have in common is a love of travel, and travel in motorhomes in particular. We each have our own motorhome and fix our own meals (or go out). We plan our tomorrow over a few wines.

We’ve had lots of laughs and a few honest tears. And in two days time we will go our separate ways again. But we’ll meet up again at the end of January. It turns out we’re all going to the same festival.

It’s so cool when begin a new friendship and find out what you have in common.

Writing
I took a break for a couple of days from writing, but the new year has begun with a new book.
I rolled over in that half sleep, half wake state, to hold my I hubby’s hand as we used to do in the night when we lay and listened to the surf.
He’d passed away in July 2020. And I realised a small book needed to be written.

Background Photo
The end of State Highway 67 is at the Kohaihai DOC Camp. The start/end of the Heaphy Track. Home of a pretty lagoon and beach with rolling sea.

Goal: Read 52 Books In 2022

A reading challenge for 2022 is to help expand the genre and topics I would normally read. Fifty-two books in fifty-two weeks.

The rules are reasonably flexible and creativity is encouraged.

The books don’t need to be read in order.

Books can be listened to instead of read. I use the apps Audible and Libby as well as Kobo (which manages both e-books and audio).

Libby provides books for free via the local library.

I’ve completed my first book, Untamed, ‘challenge number 7 – A Non Fiction Bestseller’

Glennon Doyle’s coming out story is full of honesty in a part memoir work. Its also about how women in particular look out to others for permission about what choices they make. Men make their own decisions.
An example was the simple question “are you hungry?” The boys made their own decision. Glennon watch the girls take a silent poll, even to appointing a spokesperson for all of them. I found this example of the differences enlightening. The book was full of aha and raised eyebrows moments.
And about judgement.
I’d recommend the book, but not a repeat read.

I’ll keep you updated as I work my way through the challenge. If you’re joining in, let me know how your going and I’d love to hear your recommendations.

#amreading #christianauthors #christianauthor #christianwriter #christianwomenwriter #glennondoyle #bookstagram #eidlewise #travelnzopenspaces #kiwigreynomads #greynomads #romancereaders #christianromance #love

Happy New Year

Wishing you a HAPPY NEW YEAR from the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

May 2022 be a year of peace, happiness and much joy for you and yours.

The Best Use of My Time

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” – Michael Altshuler

The end of year is looming at break kneck speed. Smell the roses? Put up a Christmas tree? Hurrying past the people in our lives, all but yelling “get out of my way”. Don’t these people know how busy we are?

And yet…

Once it was important to make time for family and friends. Not to rush to the next place. The next job. The next…whatever has our attention.

At the start of each year, do you set goals? Possible covering all the important areas of life:

Career and business
Finances
Education
Relationships
Health and fitness
Personal growth
Spiritual growth

When was the last time these were reviewed?
How are these goals tracking?

What if we squeezed ten minutes to take a look, now.

Celebrate the wins.

What if the order of these goals were reversed?

My goals have been partially realised, but I’ve been wondering what the outcome would have been if I’d begun with spirituality, personal growth etc.

A long time ago, we decided to get ready for Christmas a week early. And go camping.
Hardly anyone else was wherever we went. They were jostling shoulders with the maddening crowds while we soaked in the sun, read a book, played board games and splashed in the water, enjoy a campfire. Carefree. No hustle. No hassle. We returned home relaxed and ready to enjoy Christmas and our Christmas traditions.

Take time to chill out and celebrate this year’s wins. Its been a tough one very few people would have known to plan for. That makes all you have achieved special.

Go you!

Keep Going. Never Quit. You’ve Got This

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach

Nanowrimo is done and dusted for another year. How did you go?

This year is the first time I didn’t complete my goal and I’ve been feeling a bit down and cross with myself.

Then I looked at what I had accomplished. A manuscript that needs work. Thirty thousand plus words. But thirty thousand words more than if I hadn’t worked on the script when I could.

Life happens.

I’m looking at what I do have and what I can do with it. So I continue to write. Showing up each planned writing day to write 500 plus words (Fast 500).

Build on the habit you began with Nanowrimo. Write each day, in whatever time you have.

If your in the same boat, you’re not alone. Work on consistently adding words, until there is a manuscript to edit.

Be an amateur who doesn’t quit. You’ve got this, my writing friend. Have a fabulous day.

Background photo is one of the beautiful sunsets we had while the Motorhome Babes gathered near Oxford, New Zealand.

Size Matters Not. Look At Me.

I don’t know why, but this little fur baby reminds me of Yoda.

So here are some fav Yoda quotes.

“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.”

“Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.”

“Wars not make one great.”

This cute little fur baby is the last of the ragdoll cross litter. (The neighbours tom cat bet the breeding program). I’m so tempted.

“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.”

Enjoy Thanksgiving weekend. Even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand, its a great reminder to remember all we’re thankful for.

Nanowrimo
It looks like for the first time ever, I won’t meet my 50k word goal. But the mystery will be solved.
But I’m still writing, just not as fast.

Children’s Book Update
The book is with the editor and the printer is creating a mock up of the textured paper books. We’re in a holding pattern.

And the best Yoda quote:

“Do or do not. There is no try.”