Yes, yes it is. You all know what I'm talking about.
Time to change the calendars and psych ourselves up for remembering to write 2015 instead of 2014.
Time to rethink life habits and either set goals or resolutions for the upcoming year. Many of these are the same year after year, not necessarily because we've failed but because we want to do better.
Time to look back and reflect on the past year: everything we've accomplished; everything we've lost; everything we've gained; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And time to look forward into out hopes and dreams, even if the only hope we have is for the next year to be better than the one ending. (This is why January is named after the god Janus; he had two faces - one looking forward, one looking back and was the god of gateways.)
Judging by some of the statuses I've seen on Facebook, a lot of us have had a rough time of it in 2014 and are not sad to see it go. Divorces and deaths balances out the births and the other good things that happened I guess; although it honestly doesn't feel like it sometimes, does it? But the best we can do is exactly that, our best. Weather the worst life has to throw at us and treasure the good.
My own year was full of ups and downs, just like everyone else's. Was it a good year or a bad year? I don't really know if I'd say it was either way. I know that it's ending happier than it began, and for that much I am grateful.
I am like everyone else, thinking about what changes I can make in the new year to make my life better. Some things I have no choice about. Like tightening up on my diet in order to better control my diabetes and lose weight. A few months ago while I was off work, my blood sugar went all wonky and the Endocrinologist put me on a second medicine. I was not happy about that, and it bummer me out for a few days. Especially since I have to pay $60 for it even though it's covered by my health insurance. But the foot doctor returned me back to work for 4 hours a day even though the tear in my tendon has not healed and he's decided that surgery is the next step. Those few hours were enough to start my blood sugars evening out, even though my foot doesn't like it one bit.
The surgery isn't scheduled yet, but will be near the end of January or the beginning of February. It all depends on when my husband will be able to go back to work. He's been off because he tweaked something in his shoulder. He now knows exactly how the cortisone shots to my foot feel as he's had one now. Thankfully, it seems to be helping him more than they did me.
Although I have not seen stellar sales for Ring of Fire, which is 99cents for the next three days, it has been released and I have sold a few. I'm a little nervous as I await those customer reviews as the second book isn't like the first one, even though it's the same characters. Our characters were changed by the events surrounding Angela's kidnapping in the first novel, so it was logical to change the feel of their world. We get to see more of Craig's family, even meet his imprisoned brother. So of course, one of my goals for the new year is to sell more books (as always) and finish/release the third one in the series.
And of course, the best way to increase my reader base, is to be smarter on social media. I've been very lackadaisical about it. I don't Tweet enough, even though I like Twitter. And I don't get on Google+ enough either, even though I like it better than Facebook. So I do have to come up with some kind of strategy for my favorite outlets. I know I need to write out some kind of blog posting schedule and plan, for both this blog and Broads of a Feather. I may post only every other week, but my posts have been getting later and later each week! I don't feel too bad because my partner has been having the same problem.
So far all I've done is think about it, and I really need to start writing things down. It will be more 'real' that way and I'll be able to hold myself more accountable. I've been thinking about doing an email list, but I haven't made my mind up yet. Would any of you be interesting in receiving periodic emails from me, letting you know when I've updated my blog and updates on books?
I also have some research to be doing. I need to read up on writing non-fiction and biographies. I should be able to figure it out, after all I'm a smart enough girl when it comes to the written world. I'm no Stephen King (yet) but I'm not exactly a hack either!
Whatever your plans are for ringing in the New Year. be safe and have fun! We want to be able to hang out together in the future! There is still so much left for us to do!
2014 ~ Soon to be a distant memory...
Judging by some of the statuses I've seen on Facebook, a lot of us have had a rough time of it in 2014 and are not sad to see it go. Divorces and deaths balances out the births and the other good things that happened I guess; although it honestly doesn't feel like it sometimes, does it? But the best we can do is exactly that, our best. Weather the worst life has to throw at us and treasure the good.My own year was full of ups and downs, just like everyone else's. Was it a good year or a bad year? I don't really know if I'd say it was either way. I know that it's ending happier than it began, and for that much I am grateful.
I am like everyone else, thinking about what changes I can make in the new year to make my life better. Some things I have no choice about. Like tightening up on my diet in order to better control my diabetes and lose weight. A few months ago while I was off work, my blood sugar went all wonky and the Endocrinologist put me on a second medicine. I was not happy about that, and it bummer me out for a few days. Especially since I have to pay $60 for it even though it's covered by my health insurance. But the foot doctor returned me back to work for 4 hours a day even though the tear in my tendon has not healed and he's decided that surgery is the next step. Those few hours were enough to start my blood sugars evening out, even though my foot doesn't like it one bit.
The surgery isn't scheduled yet, but will be near the end of January or the beginning of February. It all depends on when my husband will be able to go back to work. He's been off because he tweaked something in his shoulder. He now knows exactly how the cortisone shots to my foot feel as he's had one now. Thankfully, it seems to be helping him more than they did me.
Although I have not seen stellar sales for Ring of Fire, which is 99cents for the next three days, it has been released and I have sold a few. I'm a little nervous as I await those customer reviews as the second book isn't like the first one, even though it's the same characters. Our characters were changed by the events surrounding Angela's kidnapping in the first novel, so it was logical to change the feel of their world. We get to see more of Craig's family, even meet his imprisoned brother. So of course, one of my goals for the new year is to sell more books (as always) and finish/release the third one in the series.
And of course, the best way to increase my reader base, is to be smarter on social media. I've been very lackadaisical about it. I don't Tweet enough, even though I like Twitter. And I don't get on Google+ enough either, even though I like it better than Facebook. So I do have to come up with some kind of strategy for my favorite outlets. I know I need to write out some kind of blog posting schedule and plan, for both this blog and Broads of a Feather. I may post only every other week, but my posts have been getting later and later each week! I don't feel too bad because my partner has been having the same problem.
So far all I've done is think about it, and I really need to start writing things down. It will be more 'real' that way and I'll be able to hold myself more accountable. I've been thinking about doing an email list, but I haven't made my mind up yet. Would any of you be interesting in receiving periodic emails from me, letting you know when I've updated my blog and updates on books?
I also have some research to be doing. I need to read up on writing non-fiction and biographies. I should be able to figure it out, after all I'm a smart enough girl when it comes to the written world. I'm no Stephen King (yet) but I'm not exactly a hack either!
Whatever your plans are for ringing in the New Year. be safe and have fun! We want to be able to hang out together in the future! There is still so much left for us to do!
2014 ~ Soon to be a distant memory...
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