Happy New Year!

Tonight I watched the sunset over the Pacific Ocean and I am happy to report that the first day of 2019 ended with spectacular colors!

I’m taking it as a sign that 2019 will be a year of light and color and hope. I know I’m not the only one who felt some despair this past year. I am watching my country struggle with its identity, with its place in the world and even, I would say, with its humanity. There have been times when compassion seems to have completely disappeared from our leaders’ hearts.

But I see so many people around me, in my town, amongst family and friends, in the writing community, in the reader communities, who are striving to become more. More compassionate, more kind, more true to who they are deep down inside. And that gives me a lot of hope. That is what I hang onto when I read one more horrible news headline.

And I hang onto my dreams of happily ever after. I try to show in my stories that change is possible. That even when we dislike someone at first, even when they do things we don’t agree with, if we take the time, if we find those places where we share some common ground, we can perhaps find a way to respect each other. Maybe even become friends. And since I write romance, fall in love. Because sometimes the people we butt heads with the most are the ones we learn from the most. They can be the ones who force us to grow and become who we are truly meant to be.

For the new year, I wish us all more light. More hope. A more compassionate, loving world.
And I wish us all beautiful sunsets, much love, good books and the time to read them!

And if you ever need a touch of hope in your day? Feel free to visit my Hope Pinterest Board!

Okay, back to writing. Book Two of Heroes of Shelter Creek is due at the end of January. I have no idea how I’m going to squish this huge story into my allowed 70,000 words, but I am trying, friends, I am trying!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful first week of 2019!