Okay, I’m in freak out mode about my daughter’s upcoming wedding! Right now I’m dealing with the bridal shower stuff and getting the house ready and then it’ll be the fittings and all the last minute details. Of course, those are all happy things to be dealing with! LOL! We are so happy for our daughter and happy that her fiancé will become part of our family. He is a wonderful young man who truly gets our daughter and makes her laugh and smile. We are lucky that she chose him and can’t wait to be beside them as they take this journey into the next phase of their lives.
#WednesdayWisdom – Fear of Failure
There are lots of things that can hold you back in life, but one of the biggest ones, at least for me, is fear of failure. A lot of that fear has to do with my writing life, I must confess. It can be draining to put all your heart and soul into a book and see it tank. It leaves its scars and it leaves its fears, namely the fear of failure. What if I write another one again and the same thing happens? It becomes a roadblock to your creativity until you tell yourself, “You can’t succeed unless you’re willing to fail.” It may feel like falling off a cliff, but do it to regain your creative freedom.
I think another part of the problem is that once writing becomes a “career” you start measuring your success based on sales which is probably one of the worst things you can do. Sales don’t necessarily mean you’ve written a good book and vice versa. What’s important is that you wrote the book of your heart and if even one person writes to you to say they liked it, you’ve succeeded!
So that’s my wisdom for today! I hope you won’t let fear of failure in your life keep you from reaching for your dreams.
Original Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay
#TransformationTuesday – A Gardener of Plants and Words
It occurred to me as I was walking through Bryant Park this morning that gardens are always transforming. From seedlings kept safe and warm inside until it’s time to plant, to spring bulbs flowering, to now when the gardens are in full bloom, gardens transform every day. It’s the same with my vegetable plants. I eagerly plant them in early spring and hope a late frost won’t hurt them. I watch as they grow and anticipate those first little flowers that say vegetables will soon be on the way. I trim the herbs for delicious pesto and chimichurri or to add to my other dishes (and by the way I am so cooking up some interesting recipes for you that you’ll find in June 2020’s Hallmark Release, SOUTH BEACH LOVE).
Something else also came to me this morning: Writers are like gardeners in that they create a garden with words. We start with the seed of an idea and plant the words on the page. Little by little, we sow more words or we trim until suddenly that sparse garden blooms into a book! LOL!
Just some thoughts about transformation on this Tuesday! Have an awesome day.
#MondayBlues – Happy Monday is truly an oxymoron!
It’s no surprise that one of the most popular Monday hashtags is #MondayBlues because let’s face it, getting up on Monday mornings to go to work is tough after the weekend. It’s why Happy Monday is an oxymoron because very few people are happy on Monday morning. I always find it tough to get up at 5 a.m. (yes you read that right) and head to work instead of hanging out on my little balcony writing my heart out. And while walking on the NYC streets on my way to work can be fun at times, it doesn’t beat an early morning stroll on the boardwalk. Sigh. Is it any wonder that I’ve got Monday blues? How about you? Do you love Mondays?
Original Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
#FreebieFriday & #Giveaway
I’m finally getting settled from multiple conferences and I’ve rounded up some goodies for you! Today it’s double goodies since you get a chance to enter into this giveaway and since everyone is a winner since they can download a free copy of my vampire novella, DESIRE CALLS, by visiting http://bit.ly/desirecalls. As for the giveaway, it’s a cool Memory Book thanks to the wonderful BookLovers Con. The book is signed by a number of authors, including the fabulous Sylvia Day. There are books, a tote bag, beads, buttons, and a $10 Amazon gift card. To enter, visit my Facebook Fan Page and just tag a friend on the giveaway post, one per comment. Each tag is an entry. You can also share the giveaway post for extra entries and finally, if you’d like, please like and follow my fan page! You can enter until midnight EST Wednesday, August 7. Look for another giveaway and freebie next Friday as well. While I have your attention, ONE SUMMER NIGHT is now specially priced for 99 cents at various retailers. Find links to purchase here: https://books2read.com/onesummernight .
#ThrowbackThursday – A Jersey Shore Summer and Special Pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT
I so love the Jersey Shore! I love the pace of life there and being surrounded by nature. Yes, there is nature there. It’s not all like what you see on that show that shall not be named. This year we’re being treated to the return of some endangered bird and plant species: the plover, black skimmer, and beach amaranth. It’s exciting to see them coming back.
I love going on my little balcony to write and then taking a long stroll along the boardwalk. Oftentimes I’ll go to Ocean Grove, one of the towns that is the basis for Sea Kiss, the fictional town in my At the Shore series. I love the quaint Victorian homes and Main Avenue with all its shops. My daughter used to have a shop there and you’ll see cameos with her in the first two books in the series!
Speaking of the series, the first book, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, is now specially priced for 99 cents. If you’re in the mood for a good beach read, please check it out at https://books2read.com/onesummernight. ONE SUMMER NIGHT was a Publishers Weekly Top 10 Fall Romance and was also featured in the NY Times. That doesn’t happen very often to us romance writers. LOL!
This photo is of the beach at Ocean Grove. It was a slightly overcast day and the yellow flags were out, something we don’t like to see, but any day you can be at the beach is a good day.
#WellnessWednesday #WorkoutWednesday – WOO HOO I met my goal!
This was not an easy month for me on my transformation journey. I was at two conferences back-to-back which meant totally different workout schedules and a much harder to control environment with respect to my eating. At the first conference, I did not have access to a gym facility so I turned to longer walks and even some jogging. I am so not a runner. Think of the tortoise and that’s me, but I did it.
At the second conference, I had access to a gym and with my trusty roommate, I managed to get in some aerobic exercise almost every day. However, I was sitting more than usual and the last two days were difficult in light of various meetings that involved food. Mostly carbs. YIKES!
Despite that, I managed to meet my goal of losing another five pounds in July. I actually lost an additional .6 pounds. Since April 1 when I first started sharing my journey, I’ve lost 27.2 pounds! WOO HOO!
At the last conference, a number of people asked how I did it and so I’m here to share some wellness and workout tips!
On the wellness issue, I’ve virtually cut out diet soda and all fake sweeteners. I use a minimal amount of sugar in my coffee. I hydrate by drinking lots of water and thanks to my Sodastream, carbonated water and one diet soda with dinner.
I’ve cut out carbs like pasta and bread and instead have more fruits and vegetables. I keep my meat portions to between 4 and 6 ounces depending on the nature of the protein.
My daily goal for calories is between 1200 and 1300 and I do allow myself a sweet snack after dinner, usually chocolate or some kind of “thin” cookies. My favs are the Cranberry Almond Thins and Oreo Thins.
As for my workout regimen, once I reach Penn Station I walk to my office in the morning and back at night. That’s almost three miles of walking right there. I also make it a point to get up from my desk every hour and take a short walk around the office, usually to drop off papers.
At night I head to my local Y. Two nights a week I do cardio, usually the elliptical for 40 or so minutes. The other two nights I do strength and balance training. I am a real clutz and need all the help I can get and I am much more balanced and I feel much stronger.
Friday is a free night to just be a couch potato.
On Saturday and Sunday, I take long strolls along the boardwalk, usually one in the morning after a writing marathon and another in the afternoon or after dinner. I confess that sometimes we go and get ices or ice cream on that walk, but usually something small. Moderation is key.
So that’s it! That’s how I’ve been transforming myself and getting healthier and stronger. If you want to do it, you can too!
