AND THE DAY 5 WINNER IS...

Paula H.!

Congratulations, Paula! I'll be contacting you about your book bag of goodies!

Thanks to everyone who is dropping by. Though you can only win one daily prize, every day you visit and enter means another chance to win the grand prize drawing on December 12.

Hope you are all feeling merry and bright (and not stressed)!

DAY 5 GUEST AUTHOR: CHRISTINA F. YORK

       

 Web site & blog: www.yorkwriters.com

Currently working on:  A series of mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. The first book, SINK TRAP, will be out in September 2009 and the second, LEAD PIPE CINCH, will be released in mid-2010. Her most recent releases include WITCH HIGH and ENCHANTMENT, fantasy anthologies from DAW Books. 

A few days ago a friend of mine posted on his blog (www.deanwesleysmith.com) about goals. A short discussion on goal-setting and eating the elephant, with a promise of more discussion to come. I won’t rehash what he said here, since you can easily follow the link and read it for yourself. With nearly 100 books sold, I think he knows what he’s talking about.

But there was a line in there that spoke to me in a way I really needed. Right. This. Minute. “Don’t pretend there is time when there isn’t…”

A writing career requires setting goals and planning how to meet them. It requires time management and resource allocation, and juggling priorities.

Most of all, it means being realistic about what we can really do. Learn your limits, the demands on your time that you can’t ignore, and what things you are willing to sacrifice.

Me? Scrubbing bathrooms and dusting knick-knacks are high on that list, along with makeup, fussing with my hair, and anything that requires ironing. Time to read is absolutely not, and the end of BOSTON LEGAL (boohoo) will give me back an hour each week that I wouldn’t give up otherwise.

The new year starts in a few weeks. It’s a time when we make resolutions with all the good intentions in the world, only to see them crash and burn a few weeks later when the realities of the world force us to stop pretending there’s time when there isn’t.

Between now and then, think about what your priorities are. What you can give up and what you can’t. What things are really important to you. Then, when you make your resolutions for the next year, be realistic.

Who knows? If you stop pretending, you might find yourself succeeding instead!

Bonus: A short (less than 1000 words) Christmas story from Christina F. York. To download FUDFIGHT, click here. 

AND THE DAY 4 WINNER IS...

Paty J!

Paty, congratulations! You will soon have a book bag containing the Day 4 goodies!

Thanks for taking time from your busy day to stop by!

DAY 4 GUEST AUTHOR: C. L. Kraemer/CELIA COOPER

   


Current releases: Healthy Homicide (October 2008) and Cats in the Cradle of Civilization (December 2008)

Web site: www.celiacooper.com/www.clkraemer.com

What's on your wish list for Christmas: My Christmas wish is to find the one book combination that excites readers to the point they won't put my work down. I love writing and won't stop just because my "sales" aren't over the top of the charts, but like everyone else, I'd love to find my bank account in the black. Oh, yes, and I want to win million dollars so I can move back to Oregon and stay home near my grandkids and write, and I want to take a motorcycle riding class so I can get my own Harley-Davidson, and I want to win a trip to Scotland for writing inspiration, and...and...of course, world peace.

AND THE DAY 3 WINNER IS...

SAMANTHA W.!

Congratulations, Samantha! Your three tiny erasers, two chocolate Santas, and a book about Stephanie Plum--along with a book bag--will soon be on their way to you!

Remember, even if you win one of the twelve daily prizes, you can still enter every day to give you more chances to win the December 12th grand prize of a fully decorated Christmas tree! 

DAY 3 GUEST AUTHOR: NICKIE FLEMING

Current release: Maria Gonzalez coming Feb. 1, 2009 (the previous release being a Dutch one)

Web site: www.nickiefleming.com

Blog: www.myspace.com/nickiefleming

Favorite book: Um... difficult! I like to read a lot, so have many favorite books & authors. One of the books I remember from my early youth was "Mara, Daughter of the Nile" by Eloise McGraw. Recently, I kind of prefer books John Connolly, Christopher Fowler, Paul Doherty, Val McDermid, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Clive Cussler, Sabrina Jeffries, Karen Hawkins, Tami Hoag, .... probably forget one or two, but you get the drift!

Favorite holiday: The most beautiful place I ever visited was Machu Picchu in Peru, old city of the Inca's. Made a trip through Peru and Bolivia that was quite unforgettable. Also have fond memories of our safari through Kenya, our trip to Thailand (all in the 1980's) and more recently, the many trips to the USA. Also have seen most of Europe, including Russia and Turkey.

Fondest memory: Of my parents and greatparents

What's on my wish list: First of all, remain healthy for a long time to come, and then have a bestseller.

AND THE DAY 2 WINNER IS...

TAMMY G!

Congratulations, Tammy! I will be contacting you about sending your goodies: two chocolate Santas and a Stephanie Plum novel, as well as a book bag. And your name will go back in the contest hat for the Grand Prize drawing on December 12!

DAY 2 FEATURED AUTHOR: TERRI REED

Terri's Web site:  http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com

Terri's blog site:  http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

Favorite holiday book: One of my favorite holiday books is "The 25 Days of Christmas" by Rebecca Hayford Bauer. This books counts down the days to Christmas with recipes, suggestions of when to mail packages and cards, decoration ideas, hymns and devotions that bring the focus of Christmas to its true meaning, the birth of Christ. Don't get me wrong, I love all the gifts and the parties and treats of Christmas but amid all the commercial hoopla it's nice to have something to remind me every day that the spirit of Christmas isn't about presents and Santa but about God and His love of humanity.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Donna B.! CONGRATULATIONS, Donna!

If you send me your snail mail address to *genene@genenevalleau.com*, I'll send your prize: a Stephanie Plum book and a book bag. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. And, remember, your name will go in the contest hat for the grand prize drawing on December 12. Also, anyone else who commented today will stay in the contest hat for the next days' prizes (unless they win) as well as the grand prize drawing. 

Congratulations once again, Donna!

FIVE MORE MINUTES UNTIL THE PRIZE DRAWING...

According to the clock on my computer, we have five more minutes until the prize drawing. If anyone is reading the blog and wants to get in on the drawing, better hurry! :)