Thursday, July 3, 2014

The Importance of Setting Goals

I find the hardest challenge I fight, beyond the usual monkey on my back of writer's block is that of discipline. The discipline of writing every day, that is. Of course ending sentences with a preposition is another one, but I digress.

When I think back to the art of discipline - and it is an art, I usually freestyle it, which means I write based on whims and impulses. Does it work? Sometimes. But more often than not,  I end up frustrated because I haven't written enough or completed x book in x amount of time.

Thinking back to the accomplishments I have managed in my life, I am happiest when the those accomplishments are the result of goal setting. Be it personal or professional, the finishing of a goal with a positive result is meaningful, satisfying and motivation to set additional goals.

So here's my challenge to myself and to you. I am going to my first RWA conference in San Antonio at the end of the month. My challenge, my goal is to finish at least one project that I am working on - not just to have something to pitch to editors and agents but also as a way to feel a sense of accomplishment. Will you join me in this challenge and finish that project that has been the annoying monkey on your back?

Now a few authors that have finished projects near and dear to their hearts...

Meet Anne Cole !

Souls Entwined is Anne B. Cole’s debut release, combining sweet romantic suspense, time travel, and paranormal elements in a New Adult novel attractive to a wide range of readers.

In addition to writing, Anne teaches preschool and is raising three very active teenagers with her husband of twenty-two years. Her love for making fresh baked goodies, running, hiking, historical fiction, and her three pet cats continue to be her inspiration while she pens the sequel to Souls Entwined.

Souls Entwined

When a cursed family heirloom sends Gretta Dobbs back in time, a hunky construction worker, Sam Daggett, suddenly finds himself love struck and joins her adventure. Their souls entwine within the bodies of young lovers on a Greek island in 1829, where they begin to unravel the mysteries behind Grettas ring all while avoiding a bloodthirsty pirate who is determined to seek revenge. Gretta and Sam must find the secrets needed to save her and her relatives from an afterlife in purgatory and return to their own lives---or risk becoming prisoners of the past, continuing the evil cycle of the ring’s curse.

To follow Anne’s publishing journey and connect with her, check out her website and find her on Twitter and Facebook.


Click on the Buy Link below to see Souls Entwined on Amazon.
BUY LINK 


Meet MJ Compton !

Although my 30-year career in local television included such highlights as being bitten by a lion, preempting a US President for a college basketball game, giving a three-time world champion boxer a few black eyes, a mention in the Drudge Report, and meeting my husband, my urge to write never went away. I live in upstate New York with my husband and two young-adult children revolving in and out of the house. I'm a member of Romance Writers of America and Central New York Romance Writers. Music and cooking are two of my passions, and I enjoy watching baseball and college basketball, but I'm primarily focused on wine . . . and writing.

My current release is Moonlight Serenade, a sexy paranormal romantic suspense that New York Times Best Selling Author Maggie Shayne says is "a gripping, sexy as hell, page turner of a werewolf novel not for the faint hearted!" Alpha male werewolf Tokarz de Lobo Garnier will do anything for his headstrong human bride . . . except trust her. She’s a reporter, and she’s on the trail of a story that could destroy the sanctuary his pack has enjoyed since the American Revolution. But she’s in danger, and risking her safety goes against everything he believes. 


Website/blog: www.comptonplations.com




Meet Linda Bennett Pennell !

I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work. I reside in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite positive she is a little girl. When I am not writing, I can be found singing with the Texas Master Chorale, volunteering with my church and community arts efforts, and working with the local school district. 
Favorite quote regarding my professional passion:  "History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." Voltaire   
Books:
Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel now available from Soul Mate Publishing
Confederado do Norte  coming from Soul Mate Publishing July 9, 2014

Twitter:  @LindaPennell 
Buy Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel:  http://amzn.to/16qq3k5

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting me, Christina! I love the header for the blog and website. So enticing! Hope you have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Inspiring post!

    ReplyDelete