Finished...For Now

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him." ~Abraham Lincoln

Well, the print galleys for One Night in Memphis are proofread, the first round of edits for One Night in Napa are done, the blurb form is tweaked, and for right now...I'm finished.

Next week, I'll get another round of edits for Napa, and then I'm hoping for my cover sometime in the next month or so after that (can't wait to see what the artist does this time!). Then some of my promo events start up (check out the sidebar...will I see you at any of them?)

I suppose I should really start thinking about what project is next. I want to submit Summer's Song to my Samhain editor, so I need to do another read-through of that. And actually, I should decide which One Night... book I want to start drafting. I have One Night in Savannah outlined, and I'm pretty happy with it, so we'll see. I should probably pull out a map and see what cute/attractive/jazzy/sinful city in the midwest I can set a novel in. So far I've done both coasts and the south.

Any suggestions?

Two Opportunities

"If you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it." ~Peter McWilliams

An opportunity for readers: The Long and the Short of It is, in their words, "desperate" for new reviewers. If you like to read romance, you enjoy discovering new authors, and you'd to get like free ebooks (and print books too!), consider joining their team. They also run an incentive program, so you earn points that go toward cool prizes with every review you do. Interested in finding out more? Click here.


And an opportunity for writers: NYT best-selling romance author Brenda Novak runs a hugely popular and successful online auction each May to raise money for diabetes research. She's looking for donations for her 2009 auction right now, so consider giving away a signed copy of your book(s), or a critique of an unpublished author's first three chapters, or a gift pack, or... This is a GREAT opportunity to promote yourself, so click here if you want to know more!

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Donna Bolk

Welcome to a wintry edition of Writers' Wednesday (here in the northeast, anyway). Welcome to Wild Rose Press best-selling author Donna Bolk. Sit back and enjoy!

Good morning, Donna, and welcome to my blog! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I've held a variety of jobs over the years, to name a few; gas station attendant, prison courier, instructor, waitress, role player, army sergeant, and dog groomer.

I will celebrate my 30th wedding anniversary this year. My husband and I, have had the pleasure of raising three incredible sons, who are now in their twenties. Our oldest son is and artist, our middle son is a songwriter and bass player in a punk band, and our youngest is pursuing a career in writing.

Currently, my sister and I own and operator a dog grooming salon. I have the good fortune to be able to go to work each day and collect more than my share of doggy kisses, and unconditional love. And at the end of the day, I get to slip into my furry pink slippers and write. Life is good.

What an interesting and exciting life so far! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I don't remember a time when I wasn't writing. Growing up I went through the daily - I want to be when I grow up stages. I discovered through writing I can do just that - from detective to showgirl, I can be them all.

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

I'm in the editing stages of Package Deal. It will be released through The Wild Rose Press in 2009. It's a romantic comedy that centers on a foster mom, and her five kids.

Saving Cinderella was released in 2008. It's a Cinderella in reverse story, about a young woman who goes from riches to rags. It's a romance so you know there's a happy ending for my heroine.

Wow, sounds intriguing. How do you go about developing your characters?

I start with a story idea, and two main characters, the other characters flow from the story line. For example in Saving Cinderella, by the time my hero a Adam (a country doctor) arrives at his ranch, his twin brother Josh is waiting on his porch. Now, Mallory my heroine is already out of element, going from rich to poor and city to country life. But she has the added surprise of her husband's twin bother, and to make things even more interesting, Josh is preacher. And because I so enjoyed his character, I had to give him a love interest. Enter Harley, a lady with a shady past. So, as you can see one character just rolled into another.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Write for the pure joy of it. Getting published is great, but if you don't love what you're doing it will get old and heart breaking. And of course the standard read, read, read, and write, write, write.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I read everything, but my favorite genre is woman's fiction, closely followed by romance. As for favorite author there are just too many to choose just one. However, I will put Donna L. Bolk at the top of my list as favorite author. I am a firm believer that you have to be your own biggest fan, if you don't believe in yourself, you can't expect a reader to believe in you. I give one hundred percent plus to my writing. The reader deserves no less.

Your own cheerleader - I like that theory! What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

Most difficult - that's easy. Where do I put that dang comma! The most rewarding is also easy. Hands-down it's hearing from my readers.

Great interview, Donna. Anything else you’d like to mention?

Thank you for letting me share a little about my books and myself . And thank you to the readers who took time out of their busy schedules to read it. Warm regards to all!

Today, Just a Picture

"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle." ~Amy Bloom

I know, there were a lot of great photos from the inuaguration a week ago. But this one I love: the Obamas between balls, in a freight elevator (who said being President was glamorous??). And she's wearing his coat, because, you know, it was about 20 degrees in Washington that night. I just love the intimacy between them here.

What's in a Warning?

“Why haven't women got labels on their foreheads saying, "Danger: Government Health Warning: Women can be dangerous to your brains, genitals, current account, confidence, razor blades and good standing among your friends” ~Anonymous

Two parts of writing blurbs I'm not crazy about: (1) The Warning and (2) The Comparison Titles. For marketing purposes, Samhain likes authors to add a warning to any titles that have explicit language, sex, situations, etc. But they also like it when authors come up with "creative" warnings that are humorous or sarcastic or somehow tease the reader into buying the book. Since my books are more sweet/sensual than anything else, and PG-13 rated, I don't have any necessary warnings. But my editor wants a cute, clever warning, so I spent yesterday wracking my brain trying to come up with something.

Here are three possibilities for One Night in Napa I have so far. Which one jumps out at you the most?

#1: Warning: This title contains a ticking clock, family secrets, and enough sexual tension to heat every corner of an enormous mansion…especially when the power goes out.

#2: Warning: This title contains a hunky hero who thinks he knows it all, an unconventional heroine who’s gonna show him how wrong he is, twisted family secrets, obscure references to Greek mythology, and fireworks galore.

#3: Warning: This title contains lots and lots of sexual tension, innuendos galore, and twenty-four short hours in which family secrets turn out to be more dangerous and damning than you’d ever imagine…

I also have to come up with book titles that are similar to mine, so Samhain can market appropriately to booksellers. But I always struggle with those too. That's next on the agenda...

Inspiration and Motivation

"I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short stories, and he said he wrote a few widely separated words or phrases on a piece of paper and then went back and filled in the spaces." ~Harold Ross

Hey writers, one of my favorite ezines just published their January 2009 issue, and it's a great one for jump-starting your writing.

WOW-Women on Writing's "It's About Time" issue features all kinds of articles on how to get more writing done, how to set goals and deadlines, why blogging is such a great tool, and more. They also have contests to enter...so hop on over and check it out!

A Day of Quiet

"We cannot see Beyond...But this I know: I loved you so - 'twas heaven here with you!"

No blog today, in honor of my father's memorial service.

The Trials of Switching Editors

“You can be a little ungrammatical if you come from the right part of the country.” ~Robert Frost

Some of you may know that my original editor at Samhain left last year, and now I'm working with a new one. I do really like my new editor -- she seems very on the ball, quick to return emails, and very, very specific in her comments and requests.

And as expected, I got my first round of edits for One Night in Napa yesterday. (I'm hoping this means a mid-2009 release!). Let me tell you right now: editors are totally different. I've had 4 now, between Samhain, The Wild Rose Press, and the My Mom is my Hero anthology, and each one works in her own style. My first one with Samhain would send me all comments (which were more grammar than content based) in the track changes text of the manuscript itself.

This editor, though, sent me a very long email with most of the content concerns/changes enumerated by page (which makes me think she's mainly focused on grammar in the ms.) Her comments are great, even if they do ask me to rewrite a significant part of the opening chapters (sigh), but also made me laugh because I never had a beta reader look at the whole thing. So she caught some content errors which are so obvious they're funny, like...how can the hero be making coffee if the power has gone out?

Ah, well. Thank goodness for editors. Now I'm off to work on that darn blurb...

It Always Pours

Well, it's true in the world of publishing, I think: you can go months with very little to do, besides your own writing and marketing, and then all of a sudden you have all these deadlines at one time. That's how it seems to be for me, anyway. I just finished the cover art form for One Night in Napa -- am still working on the print galleys for One Night in Memphis -- and just received my blurb form for One Night in Napa, with a promise from my editor that my first round of edits are close behind. Yikes.

So the blurb...

I don't really like writing them. Sometimes the words come easily, but usually they don't. In 1000 words or less, I'm supposed to write something so exciting, and so revealing about my book and the style in which it's written, that readers will run to buy it.

While I was chewing over how to start this one, I pulled out my original query letter (well, one of them, anyway) for some help. And I realized that most of my regular blog readers don't have much idea what this story is about. So until the official blurb is written and posted, I thought I'd share part of the query today...

ONE NIGHT IN NAPA

Grant Walker wants nothing more than to get out from under his domineering father’s thumb. But as the editor in chief for the most successful San Francisco newspaper, dad pretty much calls the shots, since he pays Grant’s salary. A series of interviews with the reclusive fading film star Francesca Morelli might be Grant’s ticket out, though, if he proves himself worthy. When Francesca’s adopted son ends up kidnapped by terrorists, Grant is there to get the first interview with a grieving mother. Just when he thinks his situation can’t get any better, Francesca’s illegitimate granddaughter arrives on the scene – and she hasn’t been heard from in seven long years. It’s the story of a lifetime, and all Grant has to do is deliver.

Kira March, a.k.a. Isabella Morelli, left her childhood home seven years earlier, vowing never to return after she discovered a terrible secret about her own birth. But when her father vanishes and her adoptive grandmother cracks under media pressure, it’s up to Kira to find and destroy all evidence of that secret. The only problem? A reporter has weaseled his way into the Morelli mansion looking for answers – and he isn’t leaving until he gets them.

With both hero and heroine fighting time, their attraction to one another, and their own inner paternal struggles, this novel invokes the classic tale of Oedipus Rex and forces us to examine the ways in which fathers can both shape and destroy us – and the lengths we’ll go to protect the family name...

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Linore Rose Burkard

Welcome to another edition of Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm featuring Christian/historial romance author Linore Rose Burkard, talking about her latest release, ...enjoy!

England, 1813: Romantic woes at home send Ariana Forsythe to her Aunt Bentley's town house in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Under her aunt's watchful eye, Ariana is soon steeped in high society--and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London's current darling rogue.

Then, unexpectedly, rumour of a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her faith and her future are at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent's attention.

Will Ariana's faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it is Ariana's heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed against a wall, betrothed to a man who cannot share her faith, how can it ever turn out right?

Linore, Before the Season Ends sounds like a fascinating book! What drew you to writing Regency Romance novels?

Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen books gave me a love for the period, and there weren't any Christian regencies to be found. I wanted to change that.

Where did you find your inspiration for Ariana and Phillip?

I'm not sure. I think they're both amalgamations of people I've read about and known.

What do you think we could learn today from how society operated in the Regency period?

England in the 1800s is a world away from the 21st century. Times have changed, but people haven't. Men and women of the time were concerned with their appearances, their finances, their futures, finding the right spouse, and so on, just as we are, today. How they went about pursuing these ends is where all the difference lies, however, and this is precisely where the interest and adventure opens up for writers. Bringing to life the means and methods of everyday life and timeless concerns from the regency. It is fun and enlightening as a glimpse into the past, but readers can also identify with the basic human need to be genuinely loved for oneself, no matter the setting or time period, and to be certain of one's convictions concerning life, eternity, and faith. Having said that, it is good to remind modern readers that valuing one's purity can be mainstream, as it was then; or that the struggle to find a true love and a sense that one's life has value, has always been a human issue.

What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I hope my readers will feel as though they've been transported to the Regency for a good, satisfying visit; While they're visiting, they'll be reminded that God is involved in their life, and that happy endings are possible for everyone.

Any Regency romance is going to be compared to Jane Austen's novels ~ how are your books similar / different?

I don't think most regencies are written with this comparison in mind at all. However, other people say my book is "Austen-like." That is a huge compliment, and one I would love to live up to.T he sequel, The House in Grosvenor Square, is releasing in 2009.

Do you have more Regency novels planned?

My editor and I are tossing around ideas right now. I do have a few more regencies in mind.

What are you working on at the moment? A sneak peek, please.

I'm exploring whether to do a third book in the Regency Series, which at present is comprised of Before the Season Ends, and The House in Grosvenor Square. Book three would begin about five years later (about 1818) and follow the lives of a number of people who were introduced in the first two books. I would also probably introduce one new couple.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I do something else. If I can't write a scene for a book, I can always write an article. I can update my blog. I can't really force a scene when it isn't coming; I find that getting busy and doing something else is the best thing I can do for the book and for me (rather than beat myself up). One thing about having an online presence today is that there is never a shortage of tasks to be done, including a great many writing tasks. Since I write historical (regency) romance, there are always tons of subjects I can research and write about, putting them into articles for my ezine, or out there on the web.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters, or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

I think for me the biggest challenge was to believe that I could write a novel in small increments. As a mom of five, four of whom are still home year-round (one is in college), having frequent interruptions is a fact of life. Writing takes a concentration so deep so that when I first started doing scenes, I would find myself getting woozy after standing up. I was shocked at the level of exertion it took to use my brain that hard, I guess! It happens less now--I guess I've grown accustomed to it. And I've learned to appreciate those small blocks of time. Ten minutes in a waiting room can yield a part of a scene I couldn't get done at home. Every little bit counts. I don't despise small beginnings. There are times when I'm in a deep level of involvement with a story or a character, and then getting interrupted can break the mood; but I'm getting better all the time at picking up where I left off, no matter how deeply I've got to dive to get back into the character or situation. For people like me with busy households, this is a must-have ability. I believe it can be the difference between making that deadline or not.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins, or do you have to tweeze each word out?

In general, I write more than I need and later have to cut back. I don't use a word count, but I may set a goal of one chapter a day or two chapters for a busy week. Other times, I don't think in terms of chapters at all, just events. I may break an event down into four scenes, say, and so my goal for that day will be to get the whole event on paper. In other words, finish the four scenes. Life changes so rapidly with the children, that for me, a hard and fast writing goal just wouldn't work. And, I focus on results, not time spent. Instead of, "Now I'll write for three hours," I say, "Now I'll have this or that happen to a character, or, 'I'll show a different side to this person." When I have accomplished that goal, no matter how long it took, I feel satisfied, and only then.

Readers, would you like a sneak peek at Before the Season Ends? Check out the trailer:

I've Been Tagged

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY!!!

Looks as though fellow authors Amber and Dayana both tagged me for 6 Happy Thoughts (thanks, guys!), so here goes:

Rules: link back to the person who tagged you, name six things that make you happy then tag six more bloggers and let them know, then notify the person who tagged you when your list is complete.

6 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Sunshine

2. Support from my friends, family and colleague during a very difficult time

3. Love from my kitties

4. Reading a sentence I wrote that absolutely nails it

5. Teaching

6. Waking up next to hubby on a cold winter morning and snuggling in


I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you'd like to play along and post, let me know!

My First Conference Presentation!

"I only drink to steady my nerves. Sometimes I'm so steady I don't move for months." ~W.C. Fields

Exciting news: I'll be presenting a workshop at the Connecticut Romance Writers "Ignite your Muse" Conference on May 2, 2009! I hadn't officially sent in a proposal, but the VP of that chapter is doing the same book signing I am at Borders in February, and she asked any of us if we wanted to present. If you know my history as a writer, you know I usually jump at any promotional opportunity, no matter how scary, so I said "Of course!"

Of course, now that she accepted my offer, I have to actually think about getting up in front of people and talking about writing. Um...okay...

My workshop is going to be something along the lines of "Tighten and Trim," talking about how to eliminate unnecessary words, phrases, and scenes from a novel. Hope I can put together enough info to make it sound like I know what I'm talking about! Of course, I'm a teacher in my other life, so I get up and talk in front of people every day. This might be a little different, though.

I think I'm already nervous.

Anyway, the link with more info is here, so if you're in the CT area and thinking about a writers' conference in the spring, give it some thought. Maybe I'll see you there!

Thanks from the Sunshine State

Thanks for all the cyber-hugs yesterday ~ as I said, they really do mean a lot and make a difference. It's been amazing to me, as I do say every now and again, how a community of people can grow and communicate online. My Facebook page, the last week, has turned into a wonderful source of solace as well.

And now I'm off to enjoy some Florida sunshine, since hubby and I are down visiting with my mom for a few days. Since we left minus-ten degrees yesterday and stepped off a plane into 60 degrees less than 4 hours later, I'm pretty happy, all things considered!

Have a wonderful weekend...

One Week

One week ago today, my father passed away. I haven't blogged about it, and won't today except to say that I am so thankful for all the kind words and thoughts people have shared, that have made this grief bearable.

Yesterday a friend sent a lovely poem that I hadn't seen before, but it's worth sharing here.

“I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
"Here she comes!"

And that is dying.”

Fun Friday Facts from Allie's Corner of the World

"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat." ~Author Unknown

1. If I'm flying over a body of water any time in the near future, I want this guy to be my pilot.

2. I'm halfway through reading/proofreading the galley of One Night in Memphis and remembering why I love the story so much. Can't wait 'til it comes out in print!

3. It is negative 2 degrees right now, as I write this. And that doesn't factor in the wind chill. Yikes.

4. When I lived in Cleveland, Ohio, in the mid-1990s, there was a record-setting stretch of 10 days when the temperature never got above 0 at all...so I think I can live through today without a problem.

What's the temperature where you are? C'mon, let's have an informal poll here today and see where everyone's writing in from...

The Book Roast Blogspot

"The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television." ~Andrew Ross

Hey all, check out The Book Roast, a fun promotional blog I just discovered. They host publishers, agents, and authors (of course) and there's a place where you can add yourself to the upcoming featured author list. Looking for some free promo? (and who isn't??). Check it out~

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Dawn McClure

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Today's featured guest is fellow Samhain author Dawn McClure. Enjoy!

Dawn, thanks so much for stopping by today. Can you tell us about your latest writing project or published title?

Asmodeus, now available from Samhain Publishing, is about Brianna, an aspiring witch who accidentally summons a demon from the Abyss. Immediately Brianna realizes she must send him back, yet she’s not quite certain it’s possible with her limited powers. When four death angels arrive unexpectedly and give her a mission to kill Asmodeus – or face the Abyss – it’s no longer a matter of if she can send him back, it’s a matter of how. Deciding the best course of action is gaining Asmodeus’s trust, she does exactly that. Only she begins to see the man he is, not the demon she thought him to be.

I had so much fun writing this novel. Brianna is hilarious as she tries to outwit a demon whose powers are so much greater than her own.

Sounds like a great read! How do you go about developing your characters?

The first thing I do is write the first draft, so I can get a solid feel for them. I concentrate on the character’s personalities as I’m writing, and I keep an index card for each character that lists their features and quirks. Very often, by the end of the first draft, I find that the characters have grown and changed. When I go back for my first revision I take a look at the index cards and ensure I stay true to their individual personalities. I keep the characters goals in mind, and the motivation that propels them to do what they do.

What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

The most difficult aspect of writing for me is finishing the last chapter. Obviously, if you write romance, you need that happily-ever-after. Some of my first drafts are so corny I cringe when I re-read them. Thank goodness for revisions. It’s hard getting that perfect balance of HEA without getting too mushy. My characters tend to be assassins, vampires and demons. Mushy and demons don’t go together so easily. I find that the most exciting aspect of writing is when a story starts coming together, and the muse kicks into high gear. All of a sudden doubts fly out the window and you type as fast as you can. There’s something magical about it – and I wish it happened more often.

It is a fun experience, isn't it? But do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Actually, this just happened to me. I was fresh off of my first contract with Samhain, and I sat down to write…and nothing came to me. It took me a few weeks to figure out the problem. I was looking at the big picture – writing the entire novel, the revising, the editing. I criticized every word I wrote. I had to push those thoughts aside and focus on a paragraph or a chapter. The writing started flowing after that. If I sit there and think about the entire process of creating a story I get blocked. Writing a novel can be daunting, but writing a page or two? I can do that.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

This question is easy. I like to read. My favorite genre is paranormal, but I truly like all genres of romance. Right now I’m reading Hot Wheels and High Heels by Jane Graves. Excellent book.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Don’t quit. Think of rejection letters as a step in the right direction. I know that sounds odd, but we all have to start somewhere. Even the best writers had to deal with rejection. Stay motivated and keep writing. All of my rejection letters are framed and proudly displayed in my office. Many of my family members ask me why I do this. I respond by telling them the rejections remind me of how hard I worked to get that first contract. I never got so discouraged that I quit writing. I consider rejection letters as the stepping blocks that will get you to where you want to go.

I think that's terrific advice! Dawn, I'm so glad you were able to share your experiences with my blog readers today. You can find out more about Dawn and her upcoming work by checking out her website.

Have a great day!

A "Marley and Me" Alternative

Marley and Me is the latest animal lovers' best-seller to hit the big screen, but I wanted to mention another, less famous animal story that's worth a read: Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and his Girl.

If you like stories about animals and their quirks and the way they change their owners, this is a great, easy read. Who knew barn owls had such intelligence and personality? The author, a biologist who adopts an infant barn owl and then raises him for the next 19 years, is a biologist from CA. Along with a great pet story, this book also gives some interesting insight into the eccentricity of biologists and their work, along with the incredible bond that some animals can create with their owners. I'm not sure I totally believed the part about communicating via telepathy with your pet, but it's intersting nonetheless.

It's a quick, entertaining read, and will probably make you think twice about animals and the emotional and intellectual capabilities they really do have. Give it a try~

No Blog Today

Readers, I'm taking a break from blogging today, since I'm traveling via plane for most of the day (unpleasant circumstances, but that's a blog for another day.) But I did want to mention that I read Randy Pausch's memoir The Last Lecture recently. Good book, easy read, uplifting message -- I highly recommend it. And if you're in the mood, you can watch his "last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon here:




See you tomorrow~

A List to Live By

Swiped this list from Diane -- it's great one!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile.It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,‘My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________.

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8 . Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

14. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:‘In five years, will this really matter?’

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick.Your friends will. Stay in touch!

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You’ll be smiling before you know it.