Giving Thanks

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!