There is much to be grateful for in my house this Christmas
season. My Grandmother's health is improving each day and I look forward to the
time when she will no longer need assistance with everyday activities. I know
she will never be as independent as she once was, but she will be able to take
care of herself. I am sure she is looking forward to that day much more than I
am, as she is tired of her granddaughters making all the decisions for her.
I am grateful to friends and family for their prayers and
support. We could not have gotten by without you.
I am thankful for this time with my grandmother though it
has been very difficult and frustrating at times. I know that she would not be
here if not for my sister and I stepping in on several occasions.
I am looking forward to getting out of debt. We are now
taking active steps to limit our spending and help pay off the mountains of
debt we have accumulated since my grandmother became ill. I would like to say
that it is mostly medical bills, but I know there was a lot we should have done
that we didn't. We were living as if we had the money we used to and that was
not the case. If anyone is listening , all I want for Christmas is to be debt
free, or at least to pay off a few of the smaller credit cards. I am tired of
stressing over finances.
On a different note, I am almost ready to launch The Beast of the Ruin. My sister is
reworking the cover along with a new cover for Ties of Fate. I am still working on Lost Lady, The Lost Prince, and now on an older work called The Captain's Ghost. I know it sounds
weird but instead of taking a break, I usually switch gears from one story to
another whenever I hit a block. I have dozens of stories I have almost finished
from years ago. I just dust off a manuscript, read what I have and then start
writing. I hope one day I will have a number of completed works under my belt.
I feel this method works best for me because if I stopped writing for a bit, it
could be months before I picked it back up again. At least this way I might
work an hour on one draft and then an hour on another. Eventually they will
come to fruition.
My GoFundMe account hasn't garnered a lot of attention.
That's okay, I think I will lower the amount of it anyway. I had grand ideas,
but what I need right now is funds to market my novel. If they don't know it's
there, how can they buy it? Right? My sister and my friends and family have
graciously been my test subjects... I mean test readers, editors and critics
for many years. With their opinions and my sister's Photoshop ninja skills I
have saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in publishing my own work.
I find that in many ways it is a group effort. I am so
thankful that they are willing to lend me their time and skills. Their
strengths help to strengthen me, and I return the favors whenever I can.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season, and are
blessed with all that you need.
To my fellow writers who have finished NaNoWriMo, whether
you met the 50,000 word mark or even your own smaller goals, remember that you
have started something great! Keep going, keep dreaming. WRITE ON!
