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| Marianne Evans |
It’s a new
year. Time to make resolutions. Time to set Goals. Time to start filling that
fresh, clean slate with hopes and dreams ready to be fulfilled. Time to pick a
word to accompany my journey through 2018.
Hmm. Perhaps
it’s actually time to realize there’s a lot of pressure that accompanies the
turning of a calendar page from one year to the next.
All things
considered, want to know what my plan is? Normalcy. Finding my groove, my
routine, and letting myself flow into new writing projects and whatever else
life has in store. Sometimes, the best remedy to that sprint through the first
month or two of a new year is establishing a sense of calm. Meditative prayer.
The kind of directive peace that can only come once the celebrations and joyful
chaos of the holidays comes to a close.
I’ll be
honest. I didn’t look at freshly delivered edits for my Fishermen of Antioch
series, or my WIP, during the month of December. And I was totally fine with
that fact. The month began with my mother facing surgery (that went fine-praise
the Lord!) and nothing trumped me being at her side. After that, Christmas
preps kicked into full swing, and since I was hosting family on Christmas eve,
my priority was sharing this time with those I love. That meant decorations,
shopping, baking, visiting, laughter and the kind of happiness that fills your
heart, but lifts you leagues away from “normal.”
Again,
that’s okay. In fact, it’s welcomed!
Long before
the playing of Auld Lang Syne at midnight on December 31st, I knew I
was going to return to that which I needed more than resolutions, goals, or
words of empowerment. I was going to return to a place where I can transform my
time and energy once again into the process of writing and characters that tug
my heart with stories they demand be told. I knew I would return to the kind of
focus that would propel me into 2018 without as much stress or anxiety. In the
meantime, though, I wasn’t going to cheat myself of every memory and precious moment
of Christmas and the advent of a New Year.
As you move through the open door of 2018, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas about facing that ‘clean slate.’ I wish you many blessings and much success as we move and grow through the coming year!
~~~~~
Widower Luca DeRosa owns and operates a
premiere art gallery at the heart of Florence. He’s just over a year away from
turning forty, but doesn’t mind the milestone. He enjoys a life spent raising
his five-year-old son and scouting artistic talent. When he comes upon Ashley,
he’s captivated by her artistic skills and fluid grace, and he sees to it that
Ashley’s dreams take off at high velocity.
But as love blooms, questions mount. Will Ashley embrace her gifts and a life in Italy that’s worlds different than the one waiting at home in America? Can Luca trust his heart and instincts enough to embrace the love of a vibrant young woman whose spirit speaks to him so deeply?
What comes next when the dreams they dare to
dream really might come true…?
~~~~~
