As the New Year is upon us, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking: not about goals and resolutions, but about progress.   A lot can happen in a year, especially when you’re an author.  I have a friend who started out the year scribbling between customers at a retail job, and now she’s proudly freelancing enough articles to work from home and focus on her own writing.  Another friend is set to self-publish her first novella this February … and of course, this past fall saw the publishing of From the Desk of Buster Heywood and the completion of the first draft of In The Cards. 
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More than that, I’ve grown to be part of an amazing community of writers on Twitter: writers who hold one another up and cheer through every victory, no matter how small (finding just the right word) and provide support in the face of hardship, no matter how large (a precious baby girl’s medical bills).   If there is one thing that 2015 has proven to me, it is that authors can do anything… and most of us do it for very little or nothing at all, in between what my friend Gracie calls the #JobToSurvive.  It’s a precarious balance to keep, for sure … and if you ever find yourself weighed down by it, feel free to reach out to me.  I’ll just point you toward groups like The WANA Tribe and the #2bitTues Twitter crew, and we’ll keep you afloat.  

As a fitting end to the year, I thought I’d close 2015 with a little giveaway!  If you sign up for my newsletter before the end of the year, you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win a copy of “Writer With A Day Job” by Aine Greaney.  It’s an awesome book with a lot of tips, hints, and exercises that are helpful no matter what your #JobToSurvive might be.   
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Just click here to sign up, and I’ll add your name to the list.  A winner will be chosen via Random.org's list generator and notified via email on Saturday, January 2nd.  Good luck, and happy writing!

Hi, everyone!  I apologize for the lack of post this past Thursday ... not only has life been hectic, but I am trying to push and get 30 Days of Aviario ready, so that I can build my mailing list.  I am behind in my short story deadlines, but that's something I can work with ... I am still hoping to have From the Desk of Buster Heywood published on Smashwords by September 18th.  In order to get things moving, however, I am going to have to put this blog on a hiatus until the book is out.  

In the meantime, I encourage you to still follow me on Twitter, where I will be continuing to help #2bitTuesday grow: this week's optional theme is "Temperature".  To keep myself sane, I've been taking short breaks by indulging in the following things.  Feel free to check them out, if any strike your fancy!

• Your Local Library: I spent a good six hours both in and out of mine, yesterday.  It's amazing what getting away from the distractions of home can do ... and there are so many great things that you can uncover.  
• Headspace.com: Guided meditations to help you take some time out from your busy mind.  The first 10 short sessions are free!
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: This was recommended to my by a close friend who's never steered me wrong where good fiction is concerned.  Fantasy fans should give it a shot: so far, I'm impressed by the characters and the world-building.
• Pocket Posh puzzle books: No matter what kind of exercise your brain likes, these are great for small doses of something fun that still keeps your mind going!  (I'm fond of anagrams, personally.)
• The 7th Guest: This is my favorite game, and has been for 20 years.  I have a blog post about it planned for Halloween, as a matter of fact.  It's making a comeback, and a 3rd installation made by fans was just backed on Kickstarter.  If you like some puzzles with your horror, this is perfect.