Tag Archives: word of the year

Awards, Everything else

Reflections on 2023/Goals for 2024

, , , , Leave a comment

Happy New Year everyone! I’ve been without internet for the past week as we packed up the last of my things in St. Louis and moved them back to South Bend so this is a little later (and longer) than originally planned. We got back last night in time to rest a little, have pizza and ring in 2024.

The new year certainly started off right! Just after midnight, I found out that America’s Forgotten Suffragists won Gold (the highest level) in the non-fiction category of the Historical Fiction Company Awards! I completely forgot I even entered that contest, so it was a very pleasant surprise! You can read their 5-star review of the book here. (I think this bodes well for it winning the Pulitzer on May 8, don’t you?)

Thinking About 2023

I just looked back at what my word of the year was for 2023 and it was “health.” Yeah, not the way the year went at all. If there was a word that describes 2023 accurately it would be” whirlwind.”

On the book side of things, I released five books this year: Raising our Voices: League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis 1960-2022; America’s Forgotten Suffragists: Virginia and Francis Minor; a chapter in Ethics in the Arthurian Legend; Fierce Females on Television: A Cultural History; and Catherine’s Mercy. This was the culmination of two years of really hard work and to be honest, I’m tired and a little crispy. But more on that in a bit.

My personal life was even crazier. In January I had my first date with Chris, the younger brother of a girl I’ve been friends with since I was 15. It was terrible. Normally, I would have written Chris off, but for some reason I gave him a second chance. We did the long distance thing until May, when I moved to South Bend, Indiana, to live with him. He proposed to me in September and we’re getting married next October. It sounds like things moved fast—and they did—but we’re both at a point in life (in our 40s) where we know what we want and when you find it, why wait? I can honestly say I didn’t know I could love someone so much. I can’t imagine going back to my previous life, and God willing, I won’t ever have to.

Moving to another state disrupted my whole life—my job (I had a rough go of it but thank God I got to keep it), every single way I live. Balancing that with all the book releases and my personal life was very, very difficult. I will admit to breaking down several times, crying a lot (sometimes just out of stress, sometimes happiness, and sometimes sadness), and having a tough time adjusting. But now things are getting better, mainly because I’m getting used to my new life, I think I have a good handle on my day job again and that I have so much support from Chris.

Given that nothing in 2023 went the way I expected, let’s take a look at my goals for this year and see how I did:

Writing

  • Edit Catherine’s Mercy – Done
  • Do additional marketing for Sex and the City – I think I did this, but I’m honestly not sure.
  • Market and successfully release: – Done
    • Raising Our Voices
    • America’s Forgotten Suffragists
    • Catherine’s Mercy
    • The project I haven’t talked about yet (I’m not sure which one this was)
    • The Arthurian Ethics book
    • Fierce Females in Television
  • Write – Did not do any of these, but I had a really good excuse named Chris
    • Revolutionary War book (started)
    • 1920s book (research started)
    • Stretch goal: WWII (halfway done)
  • Attend the Historical Novel Society Conference in June – Did this and loved it!
  • Speak as a member of the Missouri Speaker’s Bureau – Done
  • Learn how to better use TikTok – Oddly enough, I stopped using it for a long time
  • Continue writing poetry – I wrote some, but I don’t think I shared any

Personal

  • Enjoy life! – Um, does being caught in a whirlwind count? I think so because it was mostly good.
  • Lose about 70 lbs – nope
  • Get into a habit exercise and healthy eating – nope
  • Pay down debt (I promised my Chicago friends I would move there by the end of 2024) – no, but we are working on the debt and I now live only 2 hours from Chicago, so sort of?
  • Get reaquatinted with my spiritual side – not really
  • Celebrate 20 years at my day job and keep it until I can write full time – yes, barely, but I did it!
  • As for fun: go see more concerts (Placebo in April in Chicago!), theatre (Les Mis and Six this month!), dance, get into gaming again (maybe on Twitch?), etc. – all this and so much more!

Hello 2024!
Because of all of this, I was planning on not doing any writing until after the wedding, but I was approached the other day by a publisher who is interested in a certain type of book. We’re going to talk about a few ideas I have. I have no idea how that is going to go, but I’m hopeful.

I also have a non-fiction that I want to work on because it has basically become my entire personality right now (and ties into a future fiction project) and I got a fun idea on the way back from St. Louis the other day. I’m looking at the new idea as something I write just for me and if it gets published someday, fabulous. If not, I don’t care.

Regardless of what happens with those ideas. I’m going to focus more on marketing the books I have, having a work/life balance and enjoying planning my wedding. I’ve worked my butt off for the last two years with my writing and honestly, I’m not seeing nearly enough return on it to keep going that way. Plus, I have better things to do with my time now.

There are several books I definitely still want to write, but I need to allow myself to deal with the continued transitions in my life in a healthy way. (Which, oddly, brings us back full circle to my word of the year for 2023.)

I’m going to try to go light(er) on the goals for 2024:

  • Enjoy my time with Chris as much as possible.
    1. I think this one will happen because Chris is really sweet about helping me to relax.
    2. We travel a lot, which forces me to remove myself from my problems.
    3. We have our honeymoon to look forward to! (We’re going to England.)
  • Lose 70 lbs before my wedding in October.
    1. I know I’ve said this for many years, but if this doesn’t motivate me to do it, nothing will.
    2. This is going to take a lot of willpower, but it is possible.
    3. I’m already working on healthier eating; it’s the exercise that I have a hard time prioritizing.
    4. I’m working with a health coach through my day job and my doctor has recommended me to a weight loss clinic in town.
    5. Chris is very supportive and is willing to help me as much as I want him to. He is very clear this has nothing to do with my looks; he wants me to be healthy so that we can be together for a long time.
  • Enjoy wedding planning and all events that come with it.
    1. I’ve got a good start on this, so I’m hoping I won’t have a lot of stress as the time gets closer.
    2. I’m really enjoying doing the flowers, décor and writing the ceremony.
    3. The wedding shower will be in June; the bachelorette party in September.
  • Redesign my house. You know I love DIY projects.
    1. I have solid plans for an overall look (you guys will love it!)
    2. I know exactly what I want the bedroom to look like. Just waiting on the money to get what I need to.
    3. I have a vision for the kitchen and an idea for the living room.
  • Write because I have stories to tell and because I enjoy it.
    1. I hope money comes along with it, but I’m tired of chasing after it.
    2. I need to remember why I started writing in the first place, and money wasn’t it.

Normally this is where I pick a word of the year for 2024, but I’m not going to do that this year. I was thinking something like “balance” or “fun,” but for some reason every time I go to select one, I freeze up. Maybe I’m just burned out on this tradition or maybe its because I forgot to pack my anxiety meds and haven’t had one for a week, but I just can’t get myself to do it. Maybe no word is the new tradition.

Thank you all for your support in 2023 (and always). I wish you a bright, happy new year filled with blessings and abundance.

Everything else

2022 Goals and Word of the Year: Glam

,

Artist unknown. This image is so beautiful to me. And its also me trying to make COVID go away.

2021 was my busiest year yet on purpose, but I also discovered my limits. I really believe that we design our own lives and therefore I want to design a life I love that includes all the things that are important to me.

FIRST: Go away COVID so we can do things in-person again! I want to go back to church, see my friends again, be able to go to the pool, travel, etc.

2022 Word of the Year: Glam (updated 1/25)

I had enticing as my Word of the Year, but the more I sat with that, the more it just didn’t feel right. The word glam has been in my world since December (it all started with this video–I think she is my spirit animal) and I really, really like it. It fits my overall ascetic and how I want to feel and be regarded. And besides, what is more glam than success??!

2022 Goals

Contracted (meaning I’m contractually obligated to do these)

  • Research and write the Fierce Females book (due Jan. 13, 2023)
  • Edit League of Women Voters book (Jan 2022)
  • Edit Minor bio (Jan- March 2002)
  • Edit SATC book (TBD)

Other Writing-Related

  • Project involving Daughter of Destiny (Jan 2022)
  • Write and record Historical Fiction Master Class (Jan 2022)
  • Attend the Chanticleer Conference (April 2022 – I am SO excited to see my friends again! This is such an important vacation for me.)
  • Write more fiction! (I know I won’t get all of these done, but this is my dream list, in no particular order)
    • WWII (halfway done)
    • Isolde (have 50,000 words I cut from Camelot’s Queen. Would love to have this done by April, but I doubt that will happen)
    • Revolutionary War book (started)
    • Female inventor (held over from last year’s goals)
  • A few fun side projects:
    • Family cookbook (using recipes from my parents, grandparents and other relatives)
    • Studying tarot and other metaphysical topics
    • Dream Atelier through the School of Self image
    • Write my own magazine based on the Live Like An Editor workshop from last year
    • Continue writing poetry

Personal

  • Continue taking classes through the School of Self Image. This is doing so much for all areas of my life. It’s cheaper than therapy and makes me very happy.
  • Lose 55 lbs (I’m on a weight control plan with my doctor and am working with a health coach. Focusing on eating well, medicine, mindset, and exercise)
  • Learn to dance – whatever I can do without a partner. I LOVE to dance, need to move, and I want to feel sexy again.
  • Find balance between work and writing; slowly start to shift in the direction of more writing. I have a long-term goal of becoming a full time author.
  • Pay off debt – This is not only smart, but it is necessary for me to be able to move. I have three cities in mind where I’d like to live in the future. I’m not ready to add that to my list yet, but this is a baby step in that direction.
  • Assuming COVID lets us: attend more cultural events like theatre, ballet, opera, symphony, dance, etc.
Everything else

2021 Word of the Year and Goals

, , , 5 Comments

I feel like in the last six months, and especially in the last two to three weeks, I have popped out of some kind of opaque chrysalis that I didn’t know I was living in into a new life, a new me. I have a new outlook on life, a greater feeling of maturity (I’ve always been a little emotionally behind others my age), and an energizing feeling of direction and purpose.

I know with crystal clarity what kind of life I want to live and am taking steps in all aspects to get what I want.

I feel like there is no limit on what I can do. That’s why I chose the phrase “infinite possibilities,” as my Word of the Year for 2021. I am optimistic that this year will bring me endless possibilities for success, growth, money, and all good things. And I plan to take advantage of every one of them.

To that end, I’ve established both author and personal goals for 2021. I’m fine with sharing both here because I am the same person whether you are talking to me as an author or a regular person and I aim to be authentic in all I do.

Writing Goals:

  • Get a contract for Minor bio. (Okay, that’s more in my agent’s hands than mine.)
  • Finish Colonial/Revolutionary War histfic by end of July.
  • Finish WWII histfic by end of July.
  • Write female inventor histfic by end of 2021.
  • Start on modern retelling of a classic (I’ll be working on ideas for this while I am writing the other books) by the end of the year.
  • Write poetry again. (I did this as a child and teenager, but I’ve lacked the confidence as an adult.)
  • Attend the Biographer’s International and Historical Novel Society virtual conferences.
  • Hopefully the Ethics in Arthurian Legend book a I wrote a chapter for will be published. (That is out of my hands.)
  • Do what I can to get Madame Presidentess and Daughter of Destiny optioned.

Personal Goals:

  • Lose 40-50 lbs by June 1.
    • Walk outside when the weather is nice. Swim if the pools open again.
    • Dance, barre, basic cardio, weight lifting indoors.
    • Eat a mostly pescatarian/Mediterranean diet.
    • Stop eating delivery.
  • Pay off debt.
    • Focus on paying off credit card.
    • Every time I have the urge to buy something, put that amount of money in my savings account and use it to pay on credit card that month.
    • Continue to pay off loans.
  • Continue working with the League of Women voters to fund a permanent suffrage memorial of some kind in St. Louis.
  • Learn to read French.
  • Teach myself to sew.
  • There’s another one that I’m not ready to talk about yet, but I will if it ends up working out.

I realize this is an ambitious list, but I always set high goals for myself. That is the way I am happiest. I plan to achieve them all but if I don’t, that is fine too.

What are your 2021 goals?

Everything else

Looking Back on 2018/Word of the Year and Goals for 2019

, , , , , 4 Comments

It’s that time again. The one day a year I look back on my goals and laugh. Here’s what I planned to do this year, with commentary on how it turned out:

  1. Get Mistress of Legend done and published. I accomplished this goal. It came out in September. I’m very happy with the way it turned out and it needed the extra time.
  2. Continue on the Rose Ferron biography, which I’m hoping to have done by late summer. I did get a fair amount of work done on this, but it got put on the back burner after that conference got canceled in June, which also canceled my archival trip. I’ll pick this back up again eventually, but I don’t know when.
  3. Research and start writing two WWII books that I’d like to get traditionally published. I tried to start on this after Mistress of Legend came out but my brain wasn’t having it. It wanted me to work on another project, which I’ve since made great strides on.
  4. Research the feminism book I’d love to have out by August 2019 (I doubt it will be ready by then). This project changed scope. It was originally the history of feminism in the U.S. book (which I do still want to do), but it morphed into a book on the suffrage movement that I’m still hoping to have out by August 2020 (the centennial of women getting the right to vote in the U.S.)

2019 Word of the Year and Goals
I was originally going to keep my word from last year (Leap), but I realized it doesn’t really fit anymore. It didn’t end up working out the way I thought it would, but it was still an appropriate word for 2018.

For 2019, I’ve chosen Prosper. I’ve had a heck of a 2018, especially toward the end, so I’m hoping this word will keep the good things coming and build on what 2018 started. I also think it is fitting because I’ve put in years of hard work (since 2008 with writing and since August 2015 with publishing) and it’s time to see them pay off.

That doesn’t mean, however, that I will take it easy in 2019. No-siree-bob. I don’t know how to take it easy. Writing-wise, this seems like it will be a non-fiction year for me, but you never know what may crop up.

  1. Finish the proposal for, successfully pitch and sell a book I’m co-writing with another author. This is the non-fiction on the suffrage movement I mentioned above.
  2. Finish the proposal for, successfully pitch and sell another book on the suffrage movement (different angle from above) I’m working on.
  3. Write both of these books by their deadlines (I’m hoping both will be traditionally published by August 2020).
  4. Finish the biography I’m working on (not Rose, someone else) and sell it.
  5. Attend three conferences and have successful speaking engagements at the ones I’m booked at.
  6. Possibly work on either Isolde or the gothic fiction book I’m planning.
  7. Keep up to date on the progress of Madame Presidentess as it makes its way toward becoming a TV show or movie.

I’ll release details on all the books mentioned above when I can. The two suffrage books and the biography will also help shape a book on St. Louis’ role in the suffrage movement that I have planned for the future. I may be suffraged and non-fictioned out by the end of 2019, but I LOVE research so this will be a fun year.

Everything else

2018 Word of the Year and Goals

, , , , 2 Comments

All of the year-end Best Books of 2017 lists (and an article on 10-year planning I read) have brought me to a conclusion about 2018: I need to focus on getting traditionally published.

I’ve known all along that I would try that route again someday, but if I’m going to become “the Nora Roberts of Historical Fiction,”* which is my goal, I don’t know that I can do it without at least a few traditionally published books. Plus:

  • I want to be on those year-end lists.
  • I want to get big-time exposure.
  • I want to get foreign rights deals so I can get more international fans.
  • I want to be on the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists.

And realistically, the only way these are going to happen is either by an act of God (like Colleen Hoover and Bella Andre experienced with their indie careers) or with a traditional contract.

I’m hoping that my indie publishing successes will give me enough credence to make getting an agent/publisher easier than it was the last time. I know that because of what I’ve already experienced, I will go into this round of querying and submissions with so much more confidence. And probably less stress because I know this time that it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of my career; if it doesn’t work out, I can always self-publish the books.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN I’M GOING TO STOP INDIE PUBLISHING!

Not at all. I have plans to self-publish at least four or five more books related to the Guinevere series (Mistress of Legend, Isolde’s story, Morgan’s story, Soibian’s story and a companion guide, plus maybe a few novellas), and possibly the other three or four books in the Chicago Soulmates series, which began with Been Searching for You. Plus whatever else traditional publishing doesn’t take. I’ll become a hybrid author.

So that means 2018 is shaping up like this:

  1. Get Mistress of Legend done and published. (I know that will make many of you happy. Me as well! Publication date TBD.)
  2. Continue on the Rose Ferron biography, which I’m hoping to have done by late summer.
  3. Research and start writing two WWII books that I’d like to get traditionally published.
  4. Research the feminism book I’d love to have out by August 2019 (I doubt it will be ready by then).

In my fantasies, I will also have time to write Isolde and Sobian’s stories and start researching a 19th century historical that I am also going to try getting a traditional contract for. That might be possible if I wrote full-time, but I don’t. So just let me live in my deluded state. I’m happy here.

But I will have more time to write because I’m only going to two conferences and am going to limit my speaking engagements. I may pull back on social media as well. I see 2018 as a year of retreat, and by that I don’t mean running away from battle; I mean it in the sense of a quiet, calming spiritual retreat, a chance to get away and focus. But instead of prayer, my focus will be writing, which for me is a spiritual act. I know I say every year that I’m going to focus on writing, but this year feels different.

They that when we make plans, God laughs. Yes, but God also knows that I need plans because he/she/it/they/whatever made me this way. At least I know that if things don’t follow my plan, it’s because he/she/it/they/whatever has something better in store for me.

2018 Word of the Year
So this brings me to my 2018 Word of the Year: Leap. I’m tired of baby steps. Been there, done that. I’m ready for action, so I’m going to take the metaphoric leap of faith and soar into the unknown by trying once again to go traditional. I’m ready for success; I’m ready for the big time. As they say, God helps those who help themselves, so my helping myself is going to be writing several books with traditional potential and putting myself out there in the publishing industry again.

*For all of you wondering how I define being “the Nora Roberts of Historical Fiction,” here’s my thinking: She’s prolific (perhaps too much so; I’m not aiming for that level), well-respected in her genre, beloved by her readers, and one of the queens of the author world. I don’t care so much about the last one (although I so want the perks like money, films, and bestseller status); the others are what really matters. I hope I’ve made a few strides in that direction already with my own small efforts. I plan to expand exponentially from here.

What is your 2018 Word of the Year?

About the Author

2017 Goals and Word of Year: Write

, , , 4 Comments
Created with Canva

Created with Canva

Happy 2017!

I was originally planning for my Word of the Year to be “savor.” I wanted to have a year to sit back and relax, to enjoy the fruits of the whirlwind that was 2016.

However, all that changed on Christmas Day, when I found out my cousin passed away unexpectedly the night before. She was only six months younger than me and she and I were the best of friends when we were little, so it hit me very, very hard. She’s the first relative that has died that I was really close to (no offense to the others) and the first person near my age. It really made me realize how fleeting life is and how we aren’t promised the 80+ years we tend to take for granted, so I changed my focus.

I have this horrible fear that I will die or something will happen to my brain (like a stroke or something) before I can get all the stories in my head written. That’s why I’m going to push myself this year to write my little heart out, which you will see reflected in my goals below. It’s also why I chose the word “write” as my Word of the Year.

2017 Goals

  1. Write and publish at least two books. This includes Mistress of Legend and a non-fiction book about Guinevere that I’m currently working on. The latter won’t be long, but it will be a synthesis of all my research. I’m really more putting it out for fun than as a money-maker. I will also release an ebook bundle of the Guinevere’s Tale trilogy once Mistress of Legend is out.
  2. Write Isolde and Morgan’s stories for 2018 publication. I’ve been wanting to do this for years now and it just feels right to make this a year of Arthurian legend. Doing so will keep me in the mindset and help the books have more continuity and consistency. Also, once those books are done, I can move on to other time periods and subjects without guilt that this one isn’t finished.
  3. Continue to attend conferences and speak. I am finding that I love to speak and teach, so I want to do this as much as possible. I have seven events between March and July, so this is shaping up to a good start. Some of my events are for readers, while others are for writers.
  4. Turn some of my blog posts/presentations into online classes. For those who can’t come hear me speak or who want to learn more, I’d love to start offering classes. This may be a stretch goal for 2017, but it’s been on my mind a lot, so I want to list it.
  5. Continue to learn about marketing and indie publishing. This is an ongoing goal because things keep changing and I’m of the opinion that you should never stop learning.
  6. Break even on expenses incurred in 2016 and 2017 by the end of the year. Running any business, including indie publishing, comes with it’s fair share of costs. I’m publishing less and plan to do less marketing this year to help accomplish this. And of course, hopefully I will see increased income from my books!
  7. Lose 30 lbs by my 20-year high school reunion in September, which means exercising regularly and eating right. All this “butt in chair” time writing and editing and such has led to a huge weight gain for me. But more important than the number on the scale are my health and self-confidence, both of which will improve as I lose weight.
  8. Reignite my social life. I’ve really let this slide over the last few years in favor of my writing career, but now that that is established, it’s time for me to find some balance. Luckily, I have some new friends (Mia and Greg, I’m looking at you), so hopefully I will have people to do things with. I already have tickets to finally see Rent live, so that is a step in the right direction! (Those of you who have read Been Searching for You know that Rent is my favorite musical. Can you believe I’ve never seen it on stage?) Bring on the concerts, musicals and plays, ballet, and anything else that sounds like fun!

So, there you have it, my plans for a busy, but hopefully balanced year.

What are your plans for 2017? What’s your Word of the Year?

About the Author, Everything else

2015 Word of the Year: Valiant

, ,

valiantI started the tradition of picking a word for the year last January and I really like it. It was also one of the exercises in the 2015 guide by Dianne Sylvan, which I used to help me plan this upcoming year. (It’s not too late if you want to plan your year.) It gives me focus, something to repeat to myself on the tough days.

I knew this year is going to be one of major change in almost every aspect of my life (I can’t talk about the details yet for various reasons, but they aren’t contract-related, so don’t get your hopes up there quite yet), so I was originally going to choose “change” or “transform.” But then I got to thinking that once the change occurs, I would need a word to guide the rest of the year. That was when I hit upon the idea or being brave or courageous. Out of that came the 2015 word of the year: valiant.

Dictionary.com defines it as “boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted.” These are all things I aim to be during my time of change this year and also on the ordinary days. The etymology of the word is also interesting:

1275-1325; Middle English valia (u) nt < Anglo-French; Middle French vaillant, present participle of valoir to be of worth < Latin valēre; see -ant

“To be of worth.” That’s a phrase we all need to keep in mind – the idea that no matter what happens in life, we are of worth. I also like “valiant” because it satisfies the medievalist in me with it’s evocation of knights in shining armor, but it goes beyond that – it somehow stokes in my inner warrior woman and brings my own personal inner Excalibur to life. I’m ready for an adventure and this word arms me for whatever may come.

Along the same lines, I’ve also picked a motto for 2015: “mission is glory or death.” These are lyrics in my favorite Wrongchilde song, Call Me Crash. I obviously don’t mean this motto literally, as I hope to live for a very long time, but somehow it has always resonated with me. I think it’s because of my all or nothing attitude. If I’m going to do something, I’m in it all the way. And I am certainly in this writing thing with my whole being, body, mind and soul, and I have no intention of ever quitting. I’m the girl who got the words “I am the dragon’s daughter” tattooed on her arm last year as a reminder of inner strength, so I think this is a fitting follow-up motto. (I’ve even thought about getting this one tattooed on me, but then I thought “nah, better not.” What’s the New Year without a Pitch Perfect reference, amiright?)

In case you’re interested, I’ve made a playlist of songs to go along with the word of the year. I’ll update it as I think of songs that fit into it.

Now I’m off to plan a trip that I hope will cross of few things off my bucket list. Happy 2015, all!

What’s your word for 2105?

PS – Be sure to come back here tomorrow for an excerpt from my new book as part of the No Kiss Blogfest.