Celebrate! by Sally Shupe

Happy December! The month of celebration. I thought about what I’d set out to accomplish over the year. In some areas, I accomplished everything I set out to do. In other areas, I fell short. But you know what? Overall, I am happy with how this year turned out. My writing has grown, I’ve made new friends, I’ve got some great new ideas for more stories for next year. I’m excited!

Don’t focus on what didn’t get accomplished this year, and why you couldn’t get those items marked off your list. Didn’t get that remodel done? Didn’t find that great new job? Didn’t get that one last box emptied? Or maybe you didn’t get that book written, or finish the outline for your next book. Instead, focus on what you did accomplish. Look at your completed tasks. Did you get an outline typed up, flesh out characters for a book, enter a contest, get feedback? Did you find a critique partner? Celebrate the little things you did get done! Reward yourself for continually working toward your goal.

So. What are you celebrating? Every step forward is a step to be celebrated. Didn’t completely follow that diet plan? Celebrate that you’re more active now than you used to be, or that you’re eating more vegetables than you used to. Don’t focus on the negative, on the things you didn’t get done, the obstacles that you couldn’t control. Did life get in the way of you accomplishing your goals? Look at what you did get done during that time. Sometimes just showing up takes everything you’ve got. Celebrate that! Celebrate all the little things that make life special to you. A sweet smile, an unexpected visitor or card, writing an extra 500 words, a new idea for your next book. A snowstorm-or maybe that’s just me lol.

While you’re celebrating the season, and the reason for the season, pull out all the little and big things you’ve accomplished this year, and celebrate those things. Merry Christmas!

Sally Shupe lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, two grown kids, and a whole bunch of pets: five dogs, three cats, a rabbit, and birds at the birdfeeder (and the mandatory snowman when the snow cooperates). She writes contemporary Christian romance, with two completed manuscripts and others in progress. They are part of a series located in small town Virginia.

When Sally’s not writing or working full-time, she is a freelance editor for several authors who write fiction and nonfiction; students working on dissertation papers; a copy editor for Desert Breeze (now closed); a content editor for Prism (became part of Pelican); performs beta reading for various authors; publishes book reviews on her blog and with Valley Business FRONT’s monthly magazine; is a member of ACFW and ACFW Virginia; and loves genealogy, running, and crocheting.

Sally uses her love of words to write about God’s amazing love.

Have you given yourself a pat on the back today? By Christina Lorenzen

So there I was in 2014 beaming from ear to ear with my first book contract. I compare the feeling to being in love. Your heart is racing and all you can think about is that special someone (in this case the future book). Unfortunately, once the book releases and the hype dies down, like the flush of new love, some of the feeling fades. It was a great achievement, but all around me I saw friends announcing contracts for second, third and fourth books.  

I joined in Nanowrimo to write a sequel to my 2014 release. I worked like a madwoman. On December 2, 2015 I got my second book contract. I was ecstatic at the thought that I would have two books published. Fast forward to April of this year. There was the usual hoopla that comes with a book release – guest blogs, author spotlights, internet radio interviews and more. I was on cloud nine.

Last week I was cleaning out my file cabinets (I still have 4 metal file cabinets dating back to my writer beginnings, the 80s. I’m dating myself). One piece of paper made me stop what I was doing. It was a list of goals titled “By the time I am 55”.  I laughed because I’m teetering close to that now. I am happy to say that ‘have at least 2 books published’ had been met. Now I’ve read articles about how the brain will focus on that one negative thing even if there are five positives. Sure, the other goals were met. I had opened a separate savings and checking account for business. I had taken those college classes. But there were still a few goals I hadn’t attained. And while I should have patted myself on the back for what I had accomplished so far, I was agitated.

Though I’m sure people in all walks of life find themselves always looking for the next rung on the ladder, writing in particular lends itself to a certain discontent. In such a competitive industry, we often obsess over what comes next. If we have one book published, we need to get that second book out. 

Even after that second book is published, you need to get the third and fourth book out. If, like me, your books are eBooks only, you might feel pressured to be in print. Maybe you think it’s time for an agent. . What about movie rights? I’ve seen several friends negotiating movie rights (Hallmark Channel, have I got a movie for you J). No matter where we are in our careers, we often feel like it’s just not enough. It’s the proverbial hamster wheel. And round and round we go.

It’s easy to obsess over the big picture, easy to forget the little victories. I’ve learned that the key to discontent is to compare your journey to someone else’s.  I’ve found the key to my own happiness is to enjoy the journey.  Nothing new there, right? But oh how hard it is to do it. Like many things in life, it’s something you have to choose to do each and every day. When I feel myself comparing my career to someone else’s (and we’ve all done it), I take a trip down memory lane. I relive what it felt like the day I opened that email that said “we would love to publish this”.  And I remember to give myself a little pat on the back. 

Have you celebrated just how much you’ve accomplished already?

A Wife for Humphrey on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/gr8mhle

Christina started writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head and down on paper. Her love of writing has sustained her through a myriad of jobs that included hairdresser,legal secretary, waitress and door-­to-‑door saleswoman.

Luckily for her, writing proved to be successful and a lot less walking than going door to door. "A Husband for Danna" is Christina's first novel. She is busy working on her next. When she isn't writing or reading, she can be found walking her dog, talking to her herd of cats and spending time with her family.

Christina's second book, A Wife for Humphrey, was released on April 28, 2016. Her first Christmas novella, Snow Globe Reunion, will release on September 1, 2016.

To find out about Christina's upcoming releases, visit her website at http://christinalorenzen.com/.

Subscribe to Christina's newsletter and be entered automatically each month to win a $5 Amazon gift card at http://christinalorenzen.com/connect-with-christina/

Happy Independence Day!

As Americans, we celebrate the Fourth of July. Independence Day. The freedom to be our own country. The freedom to be, well...free.

We take so many things for granted. Choices like:

Where to worship, work, live, shop, travel.

Who to love and marry, who to "follow" on Twitter or "like" on Facebook.
What to read, wear, eat and drink. What to say or feel.
How to spend our money, our spare time, to worship or celebrate.

Or something as simple as writing this blog post. 

Celebrate Independence Day with family and friends over barbecues, baseball games and fireworks. Live. Love. Laugh. Adopt an attitude of gratitude and pray for our leaders.

Thank you to all who fought, to those who continue to fight, for our freedoms! 

Thank You, God, for allowing me to live in a free country. Help me not to take for granted the price that was paid for my freedom. Help our leaders make the right decisions for our country and to look to You for guidance.

What about you? What are you thankful for today? 

How will you celebrate your freedom?

Happy Fourth!

Our 1000th Post!

Celebrating

Also at that time, people will say,
"Look at what's happened! This is our God!
We waited for him and he showed up and saved us!
This God, the one we waited for! Let's celebrate,
sing the joys of his salvation. (see Isaiah 25:9, MSG)

When was the last time you succeeded in achieving a goal?

This month, as I’ve shared before, I participated in ACFW’s first ever Novel Track: Writing challenge.

The idea is writers set their own word total goal for the month of July and work on whatever WIP they want. In April, God had clearly given me my next writing project assignment. And before I decided to join Novel Track: Writing challenge I had plotted and planned and filled out my character sketches. So I was prepared, somewhat. *grin* Who couldn’t use a little more time to plan (read: procrastinate)?

But there I was with my goal and a vacation, our large family plus a dog, and lots of church obligations packed into July.

Writing isn’t my whole life. *grin*

But something wonderful happened—I made my goal!!

Then it was time to celebrate! I emailed my friends. I posted a new Facebook status and cheered aloud in my room. *smile* And the timing is perfect. My husband and I celebrate our anniversary today—so we’re having a little time to celebrate.

We should also celebrate with others who are celebrating. As people posted the news of having met their goals on the e-loop, some of us sent our congrats. We celebrated together. Like when someone gets a book contract or finds the right agent.

So, just in case you needed permission or persuasion—here it is: next time something great happens, celebrate! God is with you. He is for you. And He has called you. Enough tough stuff happens in the biz. Celebrate the breakthroughs, the met goals, the finished WIPs. Let those moments recharge you for the next challenge.