Adventures N Writing

At the beginning of every year people seem to get caught up in setting goals and making up for lost time the previous year. It is good for everyone to take a step back and remember that life is a marathon not a sprint. I found myself being a victim of getting caught up in the rush of life and its struggles. Holidays brought a lot of expected bills and plenty of unexpected. I’ve been trying to catch everything up in one month but now I realize it is impossible. I always tell my friends that rewarding one’s self is important, and now I realize I have forgotten to take my own advice. This weekend I’m going to set aside a moment for me, myself, and I. I think you should do the same for yourself. Maybe read a book... In fact maybe I'll read a book. Also a reminder that tomorrow is the last day to get Michele's books on Kindle for 0.99 cents! A great way to take a break is with a great book. http://www.amazon.com/Death-Michaela-Bancroft-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0037Z6YHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8...

The writing career is interesting. Everyone has an opinion (especially these days) on big house publishing, small house publishing, self-pubbing, p.o.d., electronic publishing, etceteras. As the industry tries to manage through a roller coaster of change, the writer either needs to get off the roller coaster and take charge of her writing career--deciding what is best for her--or buckle in for the ride and see where it takes her. I hate roller coasters. I used to like them when I was a kid, but not so much anymore. I usually get dizzy and feel like I'm going to puke. I think this has to do with getting older. My oldest son tried to get me to go on this loopydeloop dealio at Universal Studios with him at like 100 miles an hour or something insane like that. I was perfectly content to sip my lemonade and wait on the sidelines as the kid rode the ride. Just not into it. Therefore, you can imagine how I feel about the publishing industry's roller coaster ride ...

I spoke the other night to a women's group here in town and had a great time. They were a gracious group and I sold a bunch of books, which is always a great thing. My favorite part of speaking is the Q & A session. I'm not sure why but it is. People usually have really good questions and it's a lot of fun. The one question that I always, always get and that I am never prepared for is: who is your favorite author? Oh jeez. I honestly have no clue. I like so many authors and I like so many writers that are unpublished and I just respect anyone who takes a leap and writes because they have a story to tell. I can tell you the writers I have a lot of respect for and why. 1. James Patterson. I know that some of you may be shaking your head but just "listen." Patterson is a genius at branding Patterson. He may not be the most amazing writer in the world, but he is a darn good storyteller. There are not many books that I can read in a few hours or even want to ...

Everyone knows New Years is the time when everyone makes New Year’s resolutions; work at them for a month and by February a slim few are still keeping to them. Instead of doing the typical New Year’s Resolution I’d like to propose something different. Create a vision board for 2011 and even beyond. Clip pictures, words, anything out of magazines that pictures what you want for your future. Arrange the clippings on a large poster board. You can make it collage style or super organized. Michele, myself and our good friend Gilly made our boards this weekend and each was vastly different but all turned out beautiful. I took the uber-organized approach and separated mine into three categories: career at the top, hobbies and personal in the middle, and my dream home at the bottom. Our vision boards were goals for 2011 and even longer term goals distributed throughout. Michele and Gilly took the more collage approach and theirs turned out just as great! It really showed off the differences in...

Starting January 1st 2011, it will be your last chance to purchase the limited first edition of Happy Hour. This book is scheduled to be re-released by ZOVA books, March 2011, with a new cover and other additions. This is your chance to have a collector’s item book about the special relationship between four friends working in Napa Valley, in which Sundays are for fellowship, good food and wine. Jamie is editor-in-chief at "Wine Lover's Magazine," and a single mother. Before her husband died, she lived a fairy tale life. Guilt from his death keeps her from moving forward. Kat is a sommelier, and co-owner of a restaurant with her chef husband Christian. Although deeply in love they deal with a myriad of issues, including ex-spouses, Kat's teenage sons and her new age mother Venus. Danielle is a vintner who finds herself entrenched in both an identity and family crisis when her eldest daughter returns home from college with a bombshell of a secret. Alyssa...

Another post by team Long Shot My last post was on having a bad day and how to bounce back. Naturally, lots of different methods are available to every individual, but after the events of this past bad week, I felt a crying need to get away from it all. Given the opportunity, I packed my bags and went to a friend’s house for the weekend. On the surface, this approach may seem like an attempt to run away, but I focused on the need for a mental vacation. Now that I’m back, nothing magically fixed itself, but my problems somehow seem in better focus, and I have far more energy to tackle them. Michele and I would like to hear about what you enjoy on your mental vacations? I bet lots of you would like to blow the whistle, call “time out” and read a great book! Thanks for reading, Cassie

Another Post by Team Long Shot Just had one of those days where if it can go wrong it does. Work was tough, car breaks down, bad weather, feeling sick, and I even realized I only grabbed one sock instead of two, halfway to work… It is times like these where I usually turn to what brings me peace, whether it be writing, riding my horses, or just taking a nap. Unfortunately, with the holidays coming up there hasn’t even been time for any of that. I’ve decided the only way to deal with all this crazy is to let it go. I will do my best to accomplish and fix everything on my list but if it doesn’t get done I have to let it go. Everyone will tell you it is not worth stressing out over, yet inevitably we do anyways. One small thing that makes me feel better is the song “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter. Michele and I would love to hear how you deal with a bad day. Thanks for reading, Cassie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH476CxJxfg