Subject: Changes and Exciting Plans Ahead for 2025!

For Readers

Hi Friend,

Happy to be Back!

Hi Readers and Writers!

I took the month of January off to plan my writing goals for the new year, read a few books, and enjoy some time with my husband. We ate out a little too much, sat together to enjoy the sunrise at our home in South Dakota, and did a little sightseeing. It was lovely, but I did miss connecting with you!

Meeting With Book Club Readers!

While in Rapid City, I met with a wonderful book club who read Christmas Without You in December. These fun ladies meet at Last Mile Brewery once a month to share their love of books. I enjoyed a delicious dark beer and answered their questions about the characters Jaden and Keri.

Will there be a sequel? No, probably not. They will live happily ever after.

How did I build the chemistry between the two? This is a tough question because chemistry comes from setting up emotional and physical connections. These two had a past, so they were already attracted to each other, but since it had been ten years since they'd one another, the emotional connection had to be rebuilt one small step at a time as they fell in love again.

How long does it take me to write a book? Usually about 6-12 months, but I wrote Christmas Without You in a month.

By the end of the evening, I had answered many questions and made some new friends.

If you have a book club and you would like me to attend, send me a message. If I can attend in person, I will, otherwise I'm happy to join you virtually!

Books I've Read

Something new I'd like to add to my newsletter is to share a book I've read with you. My goal is not to provide a review. You can get plenty of reviews from Good Reads or Amazon. Instead, I want to share a valuable line or idea or thought I got from the book.

This week, it's from the book The House of Broken Angels from Luis Alberto Urrea.

My favorite part of this story comes from these lines:

There is a minute in the day, a minute for everyone, though most everyone is too distracted to notice its arrival. A minute of gifts coming from the world like birthday presents. A minute given to every day that seems to create a golden bubble available to everyone.

He goes on to show how almost everyone misses it and the opportunity it provides. Everyone except one character, Minnie, who is inspired by a thought of how to make her dying father's birthday extra special.

The reason I loved this short paragraph was because it's so true. When you think about it, amazing things are happening around you all the time, and yet you probably miss them because you're thinking of something else, you're fighting traffic, you're distracted by work or making dinner.

I would say there isn't just one minute in the day, but many minutes, and we just have to pay attention. The sunrise picture I shared above was a minute I enjoyed every day in January because it was the birth of a new day, and it was so gorgeous that (like the passage said) it felt like a gift. It inspired me to live the day to the fullest.

My wish for you this month is that you be on the lookout for that golden bubble. It might come from something your child says, a kind word from a stranger, or a cute squirrel playing in your bushes. Or even a book, a story that makes you think. These are all reminders of the beauty of life.

My 2025 Writing Plan

Will you see a new book release from me this year? Possibly.

Years ago, I sold three books that were never released to a traditional publisher. They maintained the rights for many years. Eventually, I requested the rights back, and the publisher granted them, but I didn't attempt to resell or publish those books. I wanted to move forward with new ideas and stories.

However, one of those stories calls out to me every once in a while, and the time has finally come to revive the story. I'm working on updating it and changing it from a romance to a women's fiction novel, though it will keep the very strong romance as its main storyline.

It's a story about a young woman who loses everything and has to rebuild her life with only one possession (left to her by her estranged father in his will) --- a racecar.

I will attempt to sell this story to a traditional publisher, which might mean that the book will not be released in 2025, or I may use my own publishing company to self-publish this novel.

We will see!

For Writers

Becoming a Writer

Although I took a break from some aspects of my writing career in January, I continued to create videos for those who follow me on YouTube.

I decided to begin 2025 with a series on how to become a professional writer. It all begins with acquiring the necessary skills, and I don't just cover writing skills. We all know we need to learn how to write: create characters, plot a story, etc., but working writers must master other skills as well.

Begin with this video below, and view the two that follow (the latest posted today).

If you are just starting out as a writer or you've ever said, "I'd love to write a book" then visit my How to Write a Book group on Facebook to read more of my blogs about writing for free, and to chat about your project and ideas with others.

You can also join my 12-Month Novel Writing Program. The next cohort launches in March.

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