7 Be Happy Tips

On one of my New Year's posts, I stated that I had only 1 New Year's Resolution aka Goal aka Challenge.

Every day I just want to be happy to be here.

Almost 3 months have passed so I thought I'd share some thoughts on my be happy to be here goal.

To be candid, I chose that goal because of the passing of my sister-in-law Judy. I still can't think about that without crying.

Like I said in that January post, "Your life is passing with every day you worry and fret. Consciously remember to be happy today. Not tomorrow. Today."

Many people don't seem to know how what constitutes happiness. It's defined as a state of well-being or joy. I define it as feeling calm and at peace with yourself and your world. 

7 BE HAPPY TIPS

1. Learn how to work more effectively rather than work harder.

2. Enjoy yourself more whether at work or leisure—unless you're already spending way too much time in the pursuit of pleasure.

You must have a good balance between hard effective work and play.

3. Never let your work monopolize all your time.

No one on a death bed ever said they regretted not working harder.

4. At the same time, change your attitude about work.

Most people link work to something unpleasant. Reframe the way you think about how you earn your income. If you truly hate what you're doing, find a better way to make a living.

5. Learn to choose optimism rather than negativity.

Thinking negatively is like fertilizing weeds in the garden.

6. Realize and accept that the way you think about yourself determines your future.

If you always think of yourself as loser (choose your own negative label), you'll be that because you'll constantly sabotage yourself and your efforts. 

7. Learn to ignore negative comments from others.

Remember the old rhyme? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." The truth is that words can hurt, and some people like to hurt others. These people are all over the internet. You may have run into some of them.

Sadly, they're also found among friends and family, and they may not even know how hateful their comments are. If you can't remove these people from your world, you must learn to ignore what they say if you're going to spend time with them.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Choose Joy, not sadness. Choose optimism, not pessimism. Choose serenity, not frustration. Enjoy every day of your life. You deserve that.

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8 Writing Tips from Famous Authors

Famous Authors are often quoted—especially the quotes I'm sharing today.

When I started writing, about the time Conestoga wagons rolled across the mountains, I found the following bits of advice inspiring, useful, and witty.

Robert Heinlein Said

You must write. You must finish what you write. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order. You must put it on the market until sold.

Joan: This was true in 1949 when he said it, but it wasn't true for the latter part of the 20th century when many a good book wasn't accepted by the "gate keepers." But now, it's true again because of the creation of the ebook and the Kindle which really propelled self-publishing into the mainstream.

Elmore Leonard Said

I try to leave out the parts that people skip.

Raymond Chandler Said

When in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns. 

Joan: I'm going to try this with my next romantic comedy. *G*

Mark Twain Said

The difference between using the right word and the one that is almost right is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.

Joan: Absolutely still true, and I hope it remains true forever.

Ernest Hemingway Said

Never mistake emotion for action. 

Stephen King Said

Never look at a reference book while doing a first draft.

Joan: Oh, my yes. Research and fact checking are great ways to bog yourself down.

William Faulkner Said

Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.

Joan: In today's world, recycle that paper by printing on the reverse side and/or shredding it and tossing it into a recycle bin.

Larry Brown Said

There’s no such thing as a born writer. It’s a skill you’ve got to learn, just like learning how to be a bricklayer or a carpenter. You’ve got to write X number of words before you can write anything that can be published, but nobody is able to tell you how many words that is. You will know when you get there, but you don’t know how long it will take.

Joan: OMG. So true.

If you like quotations about writers, writing, books, and the literary life, you'd probably enjoy Stephanie Gunning's The Writer's Book of Inspiration. It's available on Amazon in Kindle and print.

(I've collected so many quotations over the years about books, reading, authors, publishing, and the writing life that I should publish my own book of quotations.)

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Go forth and write.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon.

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New Mystery: Easter at Oakley Ranch by James Moushon

My friend James Moushon just published a New Oakley Ranch Cozy Mystery Short Story. 

EASTER AT OAKLEY RANCH is available on Amazon for only 99¢. It's also a Kindle Unlimited selection if you're a subscriber.

Welcome to Oakley Ranch: An Active Adult Community just outside of Phoenix, Arizona.

Easter is another fun time at Oakley Ranch. We reach out to the kids in the area and have an egg hunt at the dog park and various games. Just lots of fun.

As everyone started preparing for the weekend festivities an old panel truck stalls in the Sandtrap Bar’s parking lot. An apparent truck problem turns into something much more when drugs are found in the rear of the van.

At the egg hunt, things turned rotten. A body of a prominent resident is found dead in the dog park. Murdered. Detective Ferguson and Officer Rizzo were already at the Ranch for the drug incident. Now they were off to the dog park.

Visit James at his Website and his blogs: HBS Author's Spotlight and Indie Author Corner. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

James is the author of the popular Jonathon Stone Mysteries and several stories in his new Oakley Ranch series. All of his mystery short stories are in Kindle Unlimited. Grab a copy of Easter at Oakley Ranch today.

Joan Reeves participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon.

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Pro Writer Secret: Getting Words Written

Today's post is Short and Sweet.

SECRET TO GETTING WORDS WRITTEN

There is a secret that separates professional writers from wannabes. Here it is.

Real writers don't wait for The Muse to pay them a visit.

They write because they know that The Muse is a fictional concept, and real writers must write and work in the real world.

Many aspiring writers think they must wait for a creative spirit to possess them before they can write. Those people don’t know what professional writers have learned.

Inspiration comes to those who work consistently, every day, on the creative project.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Rita Dove, former Poet Laureate of the United States, said: “If you wait for inspiration, inspiration’s going to go away and look for more fertile ground to work with.”

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New Release: Ghosts of New England: Last Light Point

Looking for a captivating book bundle?

Want stories with a paranormal bent?

Want adventurous tales of sailing ships and light houses?

Four bestselling and award-winning authors—Lisa A. Olech, Kathryn Hills, Nancy Fraser, and Peggy Jaeger have an anthology you're going to love!

GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND: LAST LIGHT POINT

This Multi-Century Romance Anthology poses the question: "Can true love conquer a deadly curse?"

Don’t look at the gibbet… Legend has it that disaster will strike all those who do. The townspeople of Last Light Point have come to respect the centuries-old advice. Those that didn’t, paid the price.

4 stories – 4 time periods – 1 very haunted tavern in New England!

A new romance anthology unlike any other from 4 best-selling and award-winning authors.

The Pirate’s Promise by Lisa A. Olech (Autumn 1728)

Smoke and Mirrors by Kathryn Hills (Autumn 1867)

For the Love of Grace by Nancy Fraser (Fall 1941)

A Promise Fulfilled by Peggy Jaeger (Late October, Present Day)

The Pirate’s Promise by Lisa A. Olech

Autumn 1728

The Crowe’s Nest Tavern was located in a fortuitous place. If you were condemned to hang in Execution Square, they were your last stop.

Everly Crowe along with her father and two sisters ran The Crowe’s Nest that was rumored to be slightly haunted, although Everly never believed in such foolishness….until she did.

John Beckett was a pirate, or not. Forced upon the account, he’d lost his belief in many things before he caught the eye of a bonny serving lass who was fierce enough to go toe to boot with his captor and captain, Bartholomew Jacques.

Jacques held a note on the tavern and tormented Everly and her family as he terrorized all the small towns up and down the coast. But even his threats couldn’t keep Everly and John from promising themselves to each other, “‘till death do us part.” After Jacques and his crew are captured and sent to the gallows, Everly learns those fateful words have little meaning when love is forever.

Learn more about Lisa A. Olech and her books! https://lisaolech.com/

Smoke and Mirrors by Kathryn Hills

Autumn 1867

Sometimes when you knock on heaven’s door. . .the dead answer back.

Willow Pinch lives life on a razor’s edge in world of deception and disguise. By day she hides in plain sight as Will, a servant boy. Nights are spent as a table knocker, aiding so-called spiritualists in duping townsfolk into believing loved ones speak from the grave.

That is until the ghosts of Last Light Point unmask her before the only man she’s ever cared for. Dare she trust Morgan Blackwell with her secrets?

Morgan invests every hard-earned penny in The Crowe’s Nest. He doesn’t trust strangers. Yet the last thing he expects are charlatans hell-bent on destroying his reputation with so-called séances. Not to mention there are ghosts in his tavern now! Be damned, must he turn his back on the infuriating woman he longs to protect?

Will the dead of Last Light Point guide Willow and Morgan to lasting love? Or will the dark forces they’ve unleashed lead to ruin?

Learn more about Kathryn Hills and her books! https://www.kathrynhills.com/

For the Love of Grace by Nancy Fraser

Fall 1941

Grace O’Hearn has lived in Last Light Point since long before the ’29 stock market crash took so much from so many. Ten years later, things are looking up. When Grace’s father is murdered, Grace becomes the sole owner of the Crowe's Nest Tavern--an establishment that dates back centuries and comes with its own resident ghosts.

FBI agent, Max Stewart, is sent to Last Light Point to investigate racketeering and police corruption. Could it be connected to man’s murder? When he first meets Grace, he’s convinced she’s hiding something. Yet, her keen insight about the town, and everyone in it, may be the best lead he has.

Can they work together to bring down the guilty? Or, will an attraction neither of them wants keep getting in the way?

Learn more about Nancy Fraser and her books! https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Fraser/author/B004AOL61Y

A Promise Fulfilled by Peggy Jaeger

Late October, Present Day

After winning millions in a national lottery, local librarian Daisy Morgan sets out to revitalize the infamous Crowe’s Nest Tavern. After saving the historic inn from the auction block, Daisy begins a major renovation only to discover some hidden secrets – and a few unearthly spirits – tied to the tavern’s history.

Writer Keegan Warren arrives to do a story on the tavern weeks before the grand re-opening. Keegan’s got a few secrets of his own about why he wanted the assignment – secrets that unfold no matter how diligently he tries to keep them hidden. With Daisy’s help, he unearths a centuries old murder tied to his family’s past.

As they investigate, their mutual attraction grows. But will their budding relationship suffer when the truth is discovered?

Learn more about Peggy Jaeger and her books! https://peggyjaeger.com/

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Ahh! Pirates, sailing ships, adventures, ghosts, and romance. What's not to like about Ghosts of New England: Last Light Point? Join the adventure. Read this anthology!

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Confession: Writing Is Hard Work

GARDENING, WRITING, AND THINKING

Yesterday as I worked in the backyard on my garden, my mind was busy thinking about my 3 works-in-progress: Stone Angel, a Kindle Vella; Small Sins, also a Kindle Vella; and Good Girl Conspiracy, a contemporary romance.

I have to admit I was also thinking about a story I want to write as soon as I can get the above projects and a few others completed.

I don't have a title for it or any writing done—just a lot of ideas swimming around in my head.

A difficulty most authors confront is the desire to begin a new story before the others are finished.

It's hard to resist the siren call of a new story when ideas are dancing around in your brain.

WRITING IS HARD WORK

Writing is hard work. When one is immersed in the writing, it literally occupies you 24/7 and often follows you into your dreams.

Writing can be all-consuming. It's often difficult to separate the writing from the rest of your life so that you actually have a life.

WHY WRITE?

If writing books is so hard and so all-consuming, why do I—and so many others—do it? That's a good question. Some very famous authors are often quoted as saying that writers write fiction to understand themselves. 

I think that's probably true. It's not enough that many of us constantly explore our thoughts, memories, regrets, and experiences. We also take that and use it as filters for the story ideas we have.

Perhaps we authors write because we possess the DNA of generations of storytellers. That's as good an explanation as any. 

Each author has a worldview he or she puts forth in every book. Mine is expressed by what Michael Murpurgo said which is shown in the graphic above.

"Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart."

CHOOSE OPTIMISM

Yes, at heart, I am an optimist because it's so much better than being a pessimist.

I don't believe anyone is born an optimist or a pessimist. One may be born with a basic personality blueprint, but personality is determined, I believe, by what happens as one grows from babyhood to adulthood.

Yes, it's the old "nature versus nurture" conundrum. If you didn't get the right kind of nurturing growing up, then you must learn how to nurture yourself. You can do it.

It's not too late to change. I believe as long as one breathes, change is possible through education, re-education, and self-nurture. Books can be a vehicle for change.

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin E. P. Seligman is a book you should read.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Yes, at heart I'm an optimist, but I also like happy endings.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon.

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Spring Gardening with Blooms and Lights

I'm so excited. Today, at our house in town, the first bloom on a border of day lilies that we transplanted from our house in the country opened.

A couple of months ago, we dug up a dozen clumps of day lilies, divided them, and planted them in a border in our front yard in town.

They've exploded in growth. This first bloom is on the smallest clump.

The fig tree cutting we took from my brother's farm is now growing by leaps and bounds. I'll post a photo of it next time.

We've had strange weather this spring, but the weather seems to be moderating now.

I've transplanted some herbs—sage and basil—and have some vegetable seeds to plant. We've decided on the perfect spot to move our vegetable garden so we're going to try to get that finalized next week.

I've laid out an outline for my rose garden. Now I'm thinking of buying some outdoor lights I saw on Amazon.

I couldn't resist scrolling through garden items and found these lights even though I knew I should be doing something more productive.

I think these "fairy lights" would look magical in the day lily border.

They're called Tonulax Solar Garden Lights and they're sold in 2 to a set for $19.98.

They're Prime so I can return them if they don't look as charming as the picture shows.

That covers my outdoor plans from now to the middle of April.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Do you have any gardening plans or goals?

Joan Reeves participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon.

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