Happy New Year to You!

It's here!  The last day of 2013!  A calm ending for an event-packed year.  Seems as each year passes it's filled with new experiences and new thoughts.  I've even learned more about myself this year, learned more about who I am and what I'm about, what I want and don't want.  My life is an ongoing learning experience and journey towards the real me, as most of you probably realize in your own lives, it's neverending, isn't it? Until it ends.

I must say, I'm looking forward to 2014, looking forward to the challenges I know are ahead of me ... first, of course, upping my health level, then writing another novel in the 'Rachel O'Neill' series, starting a new mystery series, publishing other writers' books, traveling/research ... yes, mine is mainly a life that is all about books, and believe me, I'm very content and happy with that.

As usual I have had to backtrack and withdraw a few offerings to become part of other people's businesses, I tend to overdo that, tend to take on too much, which takes away from who I am and my own ventures. But I will still be on tap for parts of the commitments, although not full time.  One venture that I'm truly looking forward to, however, is assisting Bookbarn International operating from the UK, a company specializing in old and out of print books.  But that seems a better fit than most, within my knowledge realm, again, it's all about books for me, who would've thunk it?  lol lol

When I was a young girl growing up in the San Joaquin Valley ... I was all about boys and music and sports. Then as a young woman I was all about men, music, and partying.  Then after marriage and kids, as a middle aged woman, I was all about music, painting (art), and reading ... then came serious writing.  Now music and art have taken a backseat to books, although I dabble from time to time. Yep, thats me in a nutshell.  I read, I write, I research, I publish. It's a good life, and I've finally arrived where I belong. This is who I am today.

Do you know who you are, what makes you the happiest and most content?   Have you discovered your soulful nature?  Have you been able to peel away the layers of other peoples' influences and desires to reveal the real you and what you're about?  Well, it's taken me 70 years to do that. And I finally know exactly who I am. It's a terrific feeling!

Now I'm on to the next personal assignment . . .

DO YOU WRITE XMAS BOOKS?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Are you aware of how many writers release Christmas fiction for the holidays?  Are you among the many?

Starry Night - by Debbie Macomber
All I want for Christmas is you - by Lisa Mondello
The Christmas Tin - by Roderick J. Robison
A Nantucket Christmas - by Nancy Thayer
The Christmas Cottage - by Samantha Chase
The Christmas Diary - by Eylse Douglas
A Christmas Hope - by Anne Perry
A Redbird Christmas - by Fannie Flagg
Bah Humbug! - by Heather Hollocks
A Virgin River Christmas - by Robyn Carr

... and the list goes on and on ... seventy-five pages of Christmas novels and novellas listed on Amazon.

Nora Roberts and Debbie Macomber have written numbers of them, even James Patterson writes them. Most of the major writers contribute to Christmas fiction. There are Christmas mysteries and Christmas romances, all genres.

Lifetime Channel, Lifetime Movies and Hallmark Channel run Christmas movies adapted from novels and novellas throughout the holiday season, every year new ones are produced. The Christmas film market is great for writers. All it takes is for your novel being read by the right person at the right time. Or submitting to the right person to get it produced, if that's your wish.

So this year I've joined the ranks with "The Christmas Diary" ... yes, same title as the book written by Eylse Douglas.  Didn't see that in time.  But doesn't matter, my story is different from hers.

This one is a story of a thirty-something woman, Honey Ray, who was raised by a single mother, Lydia Howard. Honey Ray never knew who her father was until just before her mother died. The book opens on Lydia's deathbed, Christmas Eve, when she gives Honey Ray a diary adorned with pink and red ribbons and a Christmas ornament, and tells her that the truth of her birth and her daddy is in its pages.  It's her last birthday gift to Honey Ray, for Honey was born on Christmas Eve, 32 years ago.

Part One of the book takes us from Lydia's death to Honey Ray finding her father in England.  Part Two takes us through a very intense year for Honey, ending on Christmas Eve once again. Don't want to give the plot away, so that's about all I can tell you, however I will say it does have a wonderful Christmas-y ending. But there is an unresolved mystery ... so you'll see where I'm going with the novel series that follows.  Yes, this is an introduction to another series, my 'Honey Ray' series, this time with even more mystery and suspense in the genre of Romantic Mystery.  

Be sure you download the eBook from Kindle or Smashwords.com for all other digital readers, or you can get the print copy from Amazon and other online booksellers.  You can also order from your local bookstores.  I hope you enjoy the book, it's a short one, a novella, and you may recognize the story at the beginning for it's taken from a short story I wrote called 'Mama's Diary'.  But it goes beyond that in this version.  More characters, more story, more heartbreak, and more mystery.

Have a good read ...

Here's a link to it on Amazon ... The Christmas Diary   ...

And have a happy holiday season!