My One Word for 2018

Happy New Year! It's resolution time again, and as usual I am tempted to commit to way too much. How easy it is to be unrealistic! Having a one-word goal keeps things simple for me. I focus on the big picture. For 2014, my word was READY. I wanted success as a writer, but was I ready …

My One Word for 2017

Happy New Year! It's resolution time again, and as usual I find myself itching to commit to a list of new projects--which I will later shrug off. Don't you hate the guilt of trying and then failing? Having a one-word goal keeps things simple for me. In this way I focus not on the "dot" but …

On to the next book project!

Writers wiser than I advise that just before a new book comes out, one should get busy with the next. Supposedly this will keep the author's mind off how readers are responding on Amazon. Or something. So that's what I began doing last weekend. Even though the Darcy book isn't *quite* out, I launched a new …

My One Word for 2016

Happy New Year! It's time for resolutions and goals--and as usual I am rolling my eyes. I am prone to over-commitment!  And then abandoning my resolutions when I become overwhelmed. A one-word goal keeps things simple and focused. For 2014, my word was READY. Even though I kind of wasn't. For 2015, I chose ENGAGE. As …

Thankful is a way of life

On a field trip recently, since I simply rode in the bus, I took in the autumn sights: the rolling hills with red and golden trees, the clear blue of the sky, the scattered clouds. What if, I thought. What if I had not lived to see this season? I have every reason to be …

Day 29: From California to the New York island

Along the indie publishing road, it's tempting to think that I must go it alone. The wheat fields are waving, the dust clouds are rolling--and I am traveling that lonesome highway on my own. After all, I make the decisions, hire the services, and set the deadlines.  Daunting, yes. But I've discovered that I kind …

Day 28: Social Media, baby!

For today's indie author, social media is the only game in town. It's the most effective way to promote my books. Most of my sales are ebooks. And with a series? An eager reader can get the next book right away. It's kind of perfect for word-of-mouth impulse buying. See it, click it, read it. Shazam! …

What ships are made for

"Fair winds and a following sea." There's a reason that this is called the sailor's blessing. The sea is never at rest. And in leaving port, I take a risk. Several of them, actually. Most are unforeseen. But foul weather is what ships are made for. I've been content to be a houseboat, safe in …

Doing the remarkable

On July 31st a switch flipped or something. I felt not only well, but normal. Normal? I've been trying to force that feeling for months. But like the doctors said, it needed time and rest to happen. So in August I hit the ground running. No more scardy cat. No more waiting until my book is …

Mapping it, more or less

In the journey toward my book release, I feel like a cat chasing his tail. Round and round I go. First this, then that. Crank out another chapter, then tighten up the outline with the changes. Pesky story elements keep popping up like weasels. Events that I foreshadowed in earlier chapters and forgot about. I …