2023 Goals ~ Raine Rochelle

 Happy New Year! I hope you’re as excited as I am to welcome another year full of possibilities and opportunities.

Although January always seems such a long, cold month, I enjoy looking forward to the chance to try again at reaching the goals I didn’t quite manage to achieve last year, and to make new plans for the months ahead.

One of my aims for 2023 is to write and publish The Johnsons of Junova series, which is a spin-off from The Billionaires of Brightside Ranch and The Brides of Brightside Ranch.

On that note, I’m pleased to give you the first glimpse of the cover of Book 1 in the series, Heartstrings, which was designed by the very talented Kay Maszek of Maszek Designs. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Heartstrings is due for release on 26^th January and will be on pre-order very soon.

I hope you’re making your own plans for 2023, and hope it’s a year full of hope and health for all of us.

Take care,

Raine

Don’t forget that The Billionaires of Brightside Ranch series is currently FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Happy New Year!

We’ve ushered in 2017 and bid farewell to 2016. Some may be sad to see 2016 end. Change is often hard. And some may be thrilled to welcome a new year. There are different goals to work toward, resolutions to be made (and broken), and more opportunities for success. Hard work nets that feeling of satisfaction gained by a job completed and completed well.

Here at Cowboy Kisses we’ve gone through some changes in 2016 and welcome the challenge of success in 2017. Our first change comes in the form of the Cowboy Kisses founder. As some of you may know, Ginger Simpson has retired. Selfishly, I took over the blog because I didn’t want to see it disappear. Neither did the Cowboy Kisses team, as we all share a great love for all things western. It’s been a crash course learning the necessary steps and procedures to maintain the blog, and I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of the Cowboy Kisses authors. Their encouragement and generosity is most appreciated and has often brought tears to my eyes. I value each of these ladies, not only in a business sense, but their friendship. All are truly special to me.

Our second change centers around our roster of authors. We lost some contributors last year but have gained some new talent; Patti Sherry-Crews, Letisha Stanton, Andrea Downing and Heather Frey Blanton. Please give a warm welcome to them, take a peek at the schedule for their dates, and visit their author pages to get to know them better. They bring to the team fresh voices and blogs meant to entertain and share.

The overall theme of Cowboy Kisses has not changed. We each have our days to blog and try our best to meet this schedule. Life sometimes gets in the way, but rest assured, if you’re a fan of western romance, Cowboy Kisses remains strong and intact. To further keep you engaged with the blog and our authors, I invite you to check out our Facebook group page. There you can gain insight to upcoming western releases and chat with the Cowboy Kisses team. We also host a Round-Up party in the fall, so be sure to check the group page later in the year for more info.    

I look forward to serving you and our authors in 2017. Let’s make this a great year and put the Cowboy Kisses blog to the top of the charts.

Hugs,

Julie Lence

Cowboy Kisses Facebook Group page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CowboyKisses/

Happy New Year

courtesy of: hottytoddy.com

Happy New Year Cowboy Kisses!! I hope you and your family had a blessed and happy holiday season. The hubby, kiddo, and I celebrated in the same fashion as we usually do; Christmas Eve Mass followed by the kiddo rushing down the stairs Christmas morning at 5am. (Hard to believe at 16 he’s still as excited as a 5 year old and promptly springs up from bed when the sun is still sleeping. Most kids his age would hit the snooze button.) Nova, our German shepherd, was right behind him, eager for her stocking of treats. Her excitement begins Christmas Eve when I put the presents beneath the tree. She always looks for her stocking, because she knows it’s filled with something good. So much that I have to shoo her upstairs and put the gate up so she can’t sneak down during the middle of the night.

After a round on the phone calling family in New York and Australia, our dinner was Italian, same as years past. The kiddo opted out of chicken parmigiana this time around and asked for lasagna. We shared our meal with friends who are more like family and enjoyed a quiet evening together. And then, within a blink of an eye, New Year’s Eve arrived. Firecrackers and fireworks echoed around the neighborhood, and in the light of day, it was time to put away the Christmas decorations and embrace 2016.

Nova guarding her stocking

While I was packing boxes, my mind wandered toward my career. Mentally, I made a list of what I accomplished the previous year and another list of what I hope to accomplish this year. Goals, whether long-term or short-term, are important to me. They keep me grounded in day-to-day chores and writing and give me something to aspire toward during the latter part of the year. I now have lists for events scheduled or that need scheduling during the year and items to research and master. A new story is formulating in the back of my mind, and soon I’ll be fleshing out characters and settings. The overall plot and scenes for the story are things I write from the seat-of-my-pants. I’ve tried outlining, but have found I never stick to it.

courtesy of:

www.runmum.com

Two things I can say about drafting goals and ‘to do’ lists; if a chore is written down, I won’t forget to do it. If it’s not on my list, chances are good it won’t get done. Better yet, I’m likely to not even remember the matter. Second, crossing off a completed task gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Whether it’s mopping the floor or writing a chapter, I take pride in knowing my day was a success. I loathe the feeling of ‘a wasted day’, because then I tend to panic and scold myself for having wallowed away hours playing solitaire due to the fact my muse was in a fog.

Whether you’re considering beginning a writing career or a seasoned veteran, begin 2016 with your own ‘to-do’ lists. They are a great way to keep you organized and motivated, and help to structure a daily writing routine.