How do you know what's best for you?

In life there any many decisions we have to make. Some on a daily basis. Some are real easy. There's a clear cut best option. But what about the harder things in life? How do you choose?

In my line of work, there are many options for success, but no clear cut perfect way. Which I guess is a good thing. Years ago, the only way to get published was to grab an agent's attention and then have them sell your work to a publisher. In the last decade, since I started my writing journey, things have changed so much. There is no one and only way anymore. So it makes it tougher to know what the right way for you is.

We're all looking for success and happiness. I think we can all get there. It's okay to take different roads. But it sure is hard as hell when you're staring down a path that branches off in about ten different directions. It's real hard to know which one is right for you when you can't see how any of them twist and turn along the way.

No matter what road you take, you have to just jump in, do your best, and go back to the beginning if you need to.

Museful Monday!

Today I'm guest blogging over at Sandra Sookoo's blog!! Come on over! Today I'm talking about giving up perfection!

Click here to check it out!

Reaching your New Year's Goals!

January is the month of setting goals. Everyone makes promises to themselves, or to others, for how they will change their lives in the new year. But so often those goals get pushed aside by the end of February. Why? It could be laziness or lack of time. Lack of motivation, support, money.... There are lots of reasons why people fail to carry out their goals.

Here are my list of Dos and Don'ts for keeping your New Year's goals!

DON'T make unrealistic goals. If you aim to get to the gym 7 days a week and lose 5 pounds a week, well, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. It's good to aim high, but in order to keep yourself from getting disappointed, start small. If you're joining a gym for the first time, aim for 3 days a week. And 1 pound a week is a healthy weight loss goal. You'll find it easier to reach goals if you start small and adjust your goals as you go along. And the small accomplishments will energize and motivate you.

DO adjust your priorities. If your goal is to write more in 2014, well, that takes time. And as everyone knows, time is precious. There's only 24 hours in a day, and that time has to be divided between jobs, kids, spouses, chores, eating, and of course, sleeping. How great would it be if we could sleep 1 hour and be completely rested?? But until science invents some kind of magic pill, we all need a good 7-8 hours a night. So the only option for eeking out more time is to give up some of the other ways we spend it. Do you really need to watch that TV show? Is it all that important to sit on Pinterest for an hour? An hour to write, or work out, or do whatever other goal you have, can be a very successful hour.

DON'T let others discourage you. It happens. People try to pull you from your goals for whatever reason. I think family is the biggest culprit for this....and the guilt we feel. The kids want to play, the spouse wants to snuggle. Stay strong! Talk with your family and make them understand your goals and how important they are to you.

DO let yourself off the hook once in a while. Life can throw all kinds of things at us. It's okay to step back and take a break, rejuvenate yourself. Pushing on when you're clearly tired, burned out, under the weather, stressed, etc... is asking for disaster. Step back, fix whatever is going on, then get back to your goals. And it's okay to play with the kids and snuggle with the spouse. Enjoy your life too. It's all about finding the right balance.

DO find a support system. Having friends to reach goals with is a great way to keep yourself on track. Not only is it good to have someone to celebrate the highs with and commiserate the lows with, having someone to keep tabs on you will help keep you motivated. It's easy to fail when there's no one to hold you accountable but yourself. But if you have to check in with a friend, you will be more motivated to do something. Find friends in real life, or friends online. Support is so so important

So there it is! Good luck in 2014! And if you want to chat about goals and making the happen, tune in tonight at 8 EST on Twitter for #ChickLitChat!

Full steam ahead, or scale back??

The holidays are always a busy time of year. If you guys are like me, the weekends are jam-packed with parties and holiday merriment. It's such a fun time and we always make so many memories. In my opinion, life is meant to be enjoyed, and I will take advantage of every opportunity I can :)

But sometimes it is tough to find time for everything.

Last week I wrote Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. But then Turkey Day hit and it was just so hard to find time for myself. Now I stare down this week. My kids are off Thursday and Friday for parent teacher conferences. I always struggle to write when they are home. But on top of that, we're hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party on Saturday. I have a ton to do this week.

So it makes me wonder what others do this time of year. Do you charge forward, full steam ahead? Or do you scale back and set a slower pace?

If I had a job outside of my home, I'd still have to go every day despite what I had going on in my personal life. I think many writers, including myself, treat their writing like a job outside the home and set specific hours for it. But since I do not work a traditional job, I enjoy the perk of making my own hours and taking a day off (or a week) when I need to. I've often heard the statement- "Real writers write every day." I consider myself a "real" writer even though I don't write every day. I have a family and a life. I adore writing, but everyone needs days off.

This week I definitely have to scale back, considerably. For the rest of December, I will still be moving forward, but I will not hesitate to take days off when I need. Cause I know come January, when the holidays and hoopla are over, I can get back on my horse. I have a very good work ethic and can pump out over 50K in a month when I set my mind to it. So I don't see anything wrong with taking it slow for a month :)

Ignoring your social media is worse than not having it to begin with

I have a HUGE pet peeve. People ignoring their social media. 

I know not everyone has the time to be online all day every day, but as a small business or a self-employed person like a writer/author, you NEED to check it periodically. If not once a day, then at least every other day. The world uses social media as a major way of communication. If you ignore it, you're ignoring possible customers. 

Little story here. A few weeks ago I was helping some friends collect donations for a fundraiser we were organizing. The proceeds went to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, a VERY well-known hospital in our area, as well as the entire country. To save time, and to make it easier on us, I sent messages through Facebook to about 20 local businesses asking for donations. Guess how many responded. 4. The rest hadn't even read the message. (Love how FB lets you see when the message has been viewed.)

So…I don't know about you guys, but that leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth. Regardless if they would have donated or not, all I cared about was a reply. I could have been asking an important question about their business. Business owners need to accept the fact that customers reach out to them in more ways than just the telephone these days. 

In my opinion, if you have no intention of keeping up with your social media, don't have it at all. 

Technology in Contemporary Books

Tonight I'm hosting Chick Lit Chat on Twitter!! Come on by at 8 EST and use the hashtag #chicklitchat! Tonight's topic is technology in contemporary works!

My topic for tonight came from an old episode of Friends. I am a huge fan of the show and I'm in the process of watching the entire series from start to finish on DVD. In one of the early season's episodes, there was a big problem when some of the friends were supposed to be somewhere and they weren't and no one knew where they were and it turned into a huge problem. (I'm blanking on exact details, since I watched this episode a couple months ago.) But anyway, I sat here thinking to myself, "This would't even be an issue today since everyone has cell phones."

This made me think about technology, or lack there of, and it's place in contemporary work.

Obviously when this episode of Friends was made, cell phones existed, but not like they do in today's society. And even in later episodes--I'm now on season 9-- they all have cell phones, but they are old clamshell style. No smartphones. It sure dates the show. Which is perfectly fine for a TV series. But a book?

I see distinct advantages to leaving out as much technology as you can. Authors want their books to live on and be read for years and years to come. No one wants a reader to read it and think the same things I thought while rewatching an old TV episode.

But on the other hand, leaving technology out isn't the best option either. It's a part of our lives. Most people use cell phones, text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, etc…on a daily basis, not to mention computers, TVs, DVD, DVR, the way we listen to music. All these things evolve so fast. Something cutting edge now will be outdated in two years. I even think about a newbie writer working on their first novel. Usually it takes a while…years even. By the time it's done, the technology in that book is most definitely outdated.

But technology is a part of life, and leaving it out can make a contemporary piece of fiction feel very unrealistic.

Author Spotlight! Meet Jennifer Snow!

Today I'm celebrating the release of Jennifer Snow's newest book, The Trouble with Mistletoe!

Such an adorable cover!!!

Jennifer sat down to answer some questions! I love getting to know authors!!

1: I see you write contemporary romance. Can I ask why? What do you love about it?

I love sweet contemporary romance because of the challenge of creating an emotionally impactful story without the steamy love scenes or the extra intriguing elements such as vampires. Just the love story of two people with ordinary problems told in a unique way.

Awesome! Love it!

2: You’ve written a few holiday themed books. I’ve always thought of writing one, but just haven’t yet. What draws you to that? 

I think Christmas is the most romantic time of year, so for me it’s the perfect setting for a novel. The themes of forgiveness and second chances and new love just seem so much more magical when set with a holiday backdrop.

Christmas is such a magical time! The perfect setting for this type of story!

3: Tell me a little of what inspired The Trouble with Mistletoe.

The Trouble With Mistletoe is a story about getting a second chance at love and I think there are many people who remember their first love…and perhaps some who wouldn’t mind another shot at it, so this story came from a ‘what if…’ moment.

Ah…the memories of a first love :)

4: I love a return home story, especially set in a small town. Do you prefer writing small town or big city settings? Why? 

I love both-I have a few stories set in New York and a new WIP set in Hollywood…but there’s something special about small towns-the sense of community that appeals to most readers. Small towns-for me-are more challenging to write as I try to make each scene exciting to read…so coming up with unique things for my characters to do instead of filling 380 pages with ‘kitchen scenes’ can be hard lolJ

I love writing both too :) I was just in Hollywood and decided I definitely have to write a book set there some day soon!

5: Doing anything fun to celebrate the release of The Trouble with Mistletoe?

YES! I am holding a murder mystery/cocktail party for my family and friends. The premise of the mystery is a book launch party where the author’s agent is murdered (sorry Stephany Evans lol) so it fit the celebration perfectly and it should be a lot of fun.

Ooooh! That sounds really fun!!!!

6: I love to learn about authors and what they do beside writing. What are your hobbies? 

I do some freelance contract work for several magazines as well as writing and then raising my three year old keeps me busy-he is my hobby lolJ

Ha! The kids definitely keep us busy!!

7: And how about some favorites! Feel free to explain!

-       Drink- Coffee-8-10 cups a day (I wish I was exaggerating.)

-       Appetizer- Chicken fingers

-       Band- I like a lot of solo country artists, but my favorite band would be Pearl Jam.

-       Song- Changes all the time, but currently it is Beat of the Music by Brett Elridge

-       TV show- Beauty and the Geek or Faceoff

-       Movie- While You Were Sleeping-nineties Sandra Bullock Christmas romance.

-       Vacation spot- Las Vegas-I try to go once a year for the shows and the exciting night life atmosphere.

Cool! I just visited Vegas for the first time this past summer! Very fun! And I'm all about 90's movies!!         

Thanks so much for being here Jennifer!!

Visit Jennifer's website for info on all her books! Click here!! And visit her on Facebook and Twitter! 

Check out an excerpt from Jennifer's new book!

The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jennifer Snow

            Victoria’s gaze fell to his left hand. No wedding band. Her relief both irritated and confused her.

            “Well, we’re not actually interested in owning this store,” she explained. “My company’s client ran into complications obtaining a permit to build one of their own, with Legend’s still doing business nearby.”

            “Well, I guess they’re out of luck. I just bought the place and I plan on keeping it.” Luke collected the discarded packing paper from the new stock boxes. He crumpled the sheets and tossed them into a wastebasket near the counter.

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m surprised you’re interested in owning a run-down sporting goods store.” The Luke she used to know would rather remodel the old-fashioned buildings in the downtown core, not own a retail store in one of them. He’d always had a talent for designing and building things. When they were kids, his derby cars were always the best in the race and she remembered the lemonade stand he’d made for her from the wood left over from building his sister’s treehouse.

            “We haven’t spoken in a long time. Maybe I’m not the same guy you remember.” Pulling a Swiss Army knife out of his jeans, he tore into the remaining cardboard boxes, breaking them down.

Victoria had noticed the changes in him, despite her best efforts. Time had been good to him. He was bigger now, muscular and slightly wider around the waist. No longer the physique of a struggling, young, architectural student. His face showed signs of maturity, but the fine lines around his mouth and eyes only enhanced his looks.

Luke straightened and his gaze met hers. “Besides, this store has a history in the community. That means something to most of us.”

            Of course. Luke had worked in the store every summer when they were teenagers. His interest in preserving it made sense. “Okay, well I guess we should get to work.” She faked a smile, forcing her professionalism. She didn’t need or want any more time to get to know this man over again. What she wanted was for him to sign her contract so she could get out of Brookhollow. “I’ll have an offer by Wednesday, but we should go over the preliminary paperwork as soon as possible.” She scanned the store for a place to lay out her documents. “The major chain store interested in purchasing Legend’s…”

Luke turned off the lights and unplugged the strand of multicolored Christmas lights draped across the window. Only the glow from the pole lamp outside illuminated them.

 “Do you prefer we do this in the dark?” she asked sarcastically.

He slipped his coat on and wrapped his scarf around his neck. “I have dinner plans.” He stood next to the door.

The familiar scent of his musky cologne made her pulse race. She suddenly remembered the nights she’d fallen asleep in his T-shirt, when he’d been away at college. “Tomorrow, then.” She stepped out into the frigid air. “I’ll come by in the morning,” she said through the icy burst of wind and snow. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a silver monogrammed cardholder.  She popped it open with her freshly manicured fingernails and slid one of her cards free. Her hand shook as she handed it to Luke.

“Your card?” he asked.

 “It has my cell number on it.” Victoria’s teeth chattered.

“Victoria, this is Brookhollow.” He laughed. “I could stand in the center and call to you, and wherever you are, you’d hear me.”

The rich, deep sound of his laughter caught her off guard. Not at all the boyish laugh she remembered.

“What?” He asked, giving her a puzzled look.

Her cheeks heated and she looked away. “Anyway, let’s not test that theory. Use the cell number.”