May peace fill all the empty spaces around you
and in you, may contentment answer all your wishes.
 

May comfort be yours, warm and soft like a sigh.
And may the coming year show you that every day is
really a first day, a new year.
 

Let abundance be your constant companion,
so that you have much to share.
 

May mirth be near you always,
like a lamp shining brightly
on the many paths you travel.
 

May you be true love.

~author unknown, but much appreciated~

Wishing you all a beautiful new year, filled with dreams realized and love always near!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry holiday season, and Happy New year!  Be well and safe, and I’m sure we’ll all have wonderful stories to tell!

Here’s some news I wanted to share today.  These gals are great friends, and I’m so happy for them!

Edie Ramer, moved to the second round of the American Title V competition yesterday with her entry, Dead People!  So, be sure and vote for Edie this week.  All you have to do is send a blank email to votes@romantictimes.com with the title, Dead People, on the subject line.  We’re cheering you to victory, Edie!  For those who might not know, the American Title is a tough competition and the American Idol in the writing world.  The winner gets a publishing contract, and I think it’s fabulous!

Michelle Diener, and I moved to round two of Karin Tabke’s First Line contest.  There’s so many great lines, and we know it’s only going to get tougher each week.  I wish everyone the best of luck over there, and I look forward to sharing the journey with all of you! 

And Liz garnered a Romantic Times nomination for Best Small Press 2008 under contemporary paranormal/futuristic for her book, Promise for Tomorrow! 

Karin Tabke received a Romantic Times nomintation under the Erotic Suspense category for her book, Jaded.  The RT nomination is huge folks, and I’m so happy for you both!

I’ll be putting up a holiday blog sometime next week.  Till then, be safe and seize the day!  And keep the confetti comin’!

Hubby and I watched an old favorite tonight titled, Legends Of the Fall.  I found it on the reduced rack at Walmart, and tossed it in my cart.  This is a movie that rates high on character development.  This story has everything in it; love, betrayal, and those unbreakable bonds of family.

Brad Pitt plays the most interesting character to me.  He’s the middle child, and breaks all the rules yet everyone is drawn to him.  He’s wild and passionate, and hungry for a peace he can’t find.  This character is a writer’s dream. 

I love all my characters, but for different reasons. It’s the bold ones, though, that get my adrenaline rushing.  What characters have you read, or watched lately that you imagine to be a writer’s dream?

Well, it’s Karin Tabke’s First Line Contest time again!  Let the good times roll! Let’s just put it this way, I decided to enter today and, when it was time to post lines, I tweaked a couple of words at the last minute, hit submit and slid in at #90.  Only the First 100 first lines are allowed.  Phew!  This year, the slots filled up in 9 minutes flat!  A record of all records! Karin knows how to throw a party! 

I can’t tell ya how valuable this contest is.  After the initial cut, the entrants post a line every week until five finalists are left standing.  This is the short rules version.  I entered twice previously, and was lucky enough to final both times.  I didn’t enter last year, but caught the rumba this time around.  For one thing, Karin’s contest is perfect for tweaking those critical first lines.  Every line is crucial in this contest. An off-line can get you culled very quickly.  Edie Ramer, Michelle Diener, and Marcia Colette entered too, and I’m wishing them success to the finish line!  I also saw many familiar names, and look forward to banding together to ride it out!

The five finalists will get to submit 10 pages to Senior Editor, Amy Pierpont, at Grand Central! I’ll keep ya posted as we go! And the new lines will be posted every Monday at Karin’s place.

Hey all, today’s my blog day at Magical so come on over and stop by for a visit.  I’m blogging about a life lesson regarding writing that I’ve officially crossed off my “finally got it” list!

Also, Stonecreek Media-thank you Amy and Justin- added a couple of reviews to my book page, and a few needed tweaks here and there.  I was way overdo.  I love having them as Webmasters!  And it was a honor being their 100th client last year.  So fun!

Cynthia Eden was kind enough to grant me this gift, and I wanted to share it with y’all!  First of all, Cindy, I love ya sweetie! You’re not only a fantastic writer, but a dear friend I enjoy cyber-visits with.  And I love that we have so many friends in common, because it gives me more chances to run into you.

Since I followed the blog award trail last week and, spotted all my favorites, I’ll share this gift with all of you who come to visit me here.  I appreciate you all, and wish you all the best on your writing journey!

We’re the lucky ones, because we understand the things that matter in this business…FRIENDSHIP at the top of that list!  Keep on keepin’ on, dear friends!