Last Sunday I took a media fast challenge given to me by my church leaders. It was the second time I've participated in a media fast and the outcome had different results than the first time I embarked on this journey. I was anticipating it'd be easy, because it didn't seem to hard the first time. However, I found it was a bit more of a challenge. Why? Because so many things happened and I wanted to share but I didn't have a platform to share on. THIS was enlightening.

Life moved forward, the world kept spinning, dinners were still eaten, funny things said, and day passed into night even though I didn't announce it to the world. HOW CAN THAT BE?! If you have a good meal, you need to share! When your child does something funny, EVERYONE needs to know? Am I right?!

Reality is, no! My dog still had surgery and I still had to carry him to the bathroom even if the world had no idea. We still ate some amazing dinners that looked fantastic and tasted even better, even though it wasn't documented for the whole world. My son hit several milestones, my husband built stuff, family visited, disputes over frivolous things were resolved. All without having to announce it to everyone. In fact, I was a better wife, mother, daughter, care-taker, grandmother, etc. because I was less focused on what I could share and more focused on LIVING IN THE MOMENT! I've discovered, I like living in the moment. While others were taking pictures, posting posts, and analyzing results, I was looking up and enjoying my life.

Now that this media fast is almost complete, I have a few things I want to personally take away from this experience.
1) Social media has it's time and place.
2) I don't need to broadcast my entire life for everyone to see in order to be happy.
3) Living in the moment means I get to pick and choose the important things I want to share with others, the rest I get to keep for me.
4) Living in the moment is really the best way to live.

I know there are many changes I will make in the future, once I'm back to my social media platforms again. Those changes are personal to me and changes I know will make me a better person, mother, writer, and friend. I'm so looking forward to the "new social media me".
Much Love!

(Don't you worry! I have another post coming with highlights from this last week.)

Oh my, has it really been almost a year since my last post?! Believe it or not, my journals are the same way. I try, I really do, but I just can't seem to keep updated regularly. Life gets in my way, but I promise I will do better. That's one of my goals for this year.
Wow, almost a year and so much has happened to keep me away from writing the way I wanted. It's been a crazy year as well, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me.
Since my last book, Dangerous Obsession, was published I've had excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't move onto the sequel of Raine. For the last two years I was lucky enough to be a daycare provider for my adorable grand baby and he kept me as busy and you can expect. On top of that, I had family members who went through various surgeries over the last few years. Meaning in the last three years we've had seven different surgeries between four different people, myself included. I know what you're thinking . . . I should've been a nurse with all the experience I've had recently. I think you're right.

My latest round of surgeries was just five weeks ago. I underwent a hip reconstruction that was pretty intense. I'm still currently on crutches and will be for another 4-5 weeks before I'm back on my feet and able to do things for myself again. This isn't so bad, but knowing I have two more surgeries coming down the line, I'm gearing up for the next round.

All the excuses aside, I'm here today to announce that I'm back on the horse for writing. I know! It's about time! I'm currently re-reading Raine and taking notes so I can use this recovery time to get my manuscript, which is LONG over due, completed. This is my goal, aside from walking again. This is my happy place and I'm so happy to be back here again.
Thank you all for your patience, for your support, and for your love! I love hearing people ask me when the sequel will be out. I love knowing y'all love my work. My promise to you is I will get it done!

Love you all!

Hello all my friends! I can't believe I let another five months slip by without making a blog post of some sort. My life has been 'nuts-o' and here's what I've been up to over these last few months.
In July of last year my grandson was born and it's been a wild a crazy ride with him in our home. We love having him here to brighten our days and bring laughter that only a baby can bring into our lives. He is a lot of work, he keeps his mother on her toes, and we've learned just how "baby proof" our house really isn't, but he's a joy to have.
In November over the Thanksgiving weekend my sweetheart took our cute little family to Hawaii, some place we've been trying to get to for over five years. It was an amazing vacation and we had the best time. We spent our time in Maui, even running into celebrities such as Steven Tylor, (pictured in the last two pictures). I snorkeled! For those that know me, that is huge! We ate at fabulous restaurants, drove the Road to Hanna, flew to Honolulu to visit Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Center, and watched Moana next to the Dole Plantation. It was incredible and my son has vowed to return to Hawaii to live, hoping he'd be stationed there after joining the military. At least the child has goals! 

After our fabulous vacation, we spent the holiday's as a family before ringing in the new year in our own boring way. Movies and early bed for us!
2017 has proven to be just as busy and crazy as 2016 was. One of the biggest changes is, my mother is now living with me as she works on getting healthy. It isn't a permanent thing, my mother is too young and spry to be shackled with me the rest of her life, but she definitely needed a break to get healthy. As she was moving from one state to another, she stopped over in Colorado to visit as she was passing through and ended up staying. It was determined she had a rare auto-immune marker in her spinal tap test and the words, Mayo Clinic, were said often. Thankfully, after several months of testing, poking, prodding, and countless trips to the doctors, she is starting to feel better and on the road to recovery. With one surgery in the future to fix her shoulder, she's finally starting to mend and can think about what direction she'd like to head once she is cleared by the doctors to do so. It's been a crazy four months but I have to admit I'm grateful for the time I have with my mom here. She's a funny, witty, feisty lady and puts up with my garbage. (Yes, feisty means she's feeling like her normal self!)

With all of that said, and all excuses aside, I've realized how I need to make time to write every day no matter how crazy my life becomes. If I wait for the perfect time, I will never get anything written. It's been FOREVER since I've sat down at the keyboard to write and that just can't happen. A week ago I had a sweet young woman ask me if she could buy the third book in my Elemental Series because she couldn't find it anywhere and she was dying to read it. I was so flattered and so ashamed that its been this long and I still don't have it completed. When I explained it wasn't written yet, she simply said, "Well, you should write it. I need to read it, you should write it." I have officially been reminded that I SHOULD WRITE! I NEED TO WRITE!!
With that fresh on my mind, I took time last night to write and the words just flew from my brain. It was amazing and I've missed my time at the keyboard with my imaginary friends to keep me company. With fresh determination, I'm setting out to make new goals and create the stories that have been dancing around in my head begging to be released. 2017 is going to be my year!

Keep your goals in sight and never give up!

With Love!