Tuesday Tidbits: 2020 GOALS MET-ISH

Last year, I set forth a few writing goals. 

Click HERE to view that blog post.

If you want to see my guidelines for setting goals, click HERE.

So how did I do?

Here we go!

1. I will Finish Writing Two 85,000 Word Novels or Something Better.

~ Yes-ish! The first of the two, Quilting Circle book 

4, The Debutante’s Secret, I completed and am in the editing phase. The second didn't get contracted as I had hoped, so I set it aside for now. But I did get the rough draft of a new historical idea that will end up being between 75-80,000. I also got started on book 5 in the Quilting Circle series, so I'll call that a win.

3. I will Create 3+ Videos for Mountain Brook Ink’s YouTube Channel.

~Nope. I didn't even come close to reaching this goal. I haven't figured out how to do videos yet.

6. I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.

~Nope. But I did reach this goal two out of the twelve months. So that's a start. They are due on the 16th, which is a week ahead of when they go live. I was trying to not be stressed out right down to the wire each month.

 

8. I will Participate in April and July CampNaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo in November.

 

~ Score! I met this goal by participating, but I also won!

 

 

13. I will Write More Words in 2020 than in 2019 (120,740).

~ I met this one. 1 have written 141,619 words this year, and I still have a couple of days left.

Extra: One of my non-writing goals was to walk 20 minutes 3 times a week or more.

~ I mostly reached this one. =0)

 

Some of my other goals I met and some I didn't, but overall, I'm calling my 2020 goals a win!

 

Now to work on my 2021 goals.

How did you do?

 

 Now All 3 QUILTING CIRCLE Books are Available in Audio, as well as Kindle and paperback!

Book 1: THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT

A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding her past cost her the man she loves?

LISTEN to chapter 1 here: https://youtu.be/qaUG-sN6Y_k

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Widows-Plight-Audiobook/B088HJLH4J?qid=1607878778&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=2EJ4RS5E9G3AJ55XJ6T1

FREE Preview: http://a.co/1riJfrA

FREE on Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV4XDLH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_XaM.DbMKBGBG1

#TheWidowsPlight

 

Book 2: THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT

As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams. Can a patient love win her heart? Or will a forced marriage be the end of her romantic dreams?

LISTEN to chapter 1 here: https://youtu.be/fMWDBA4NFeo

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Daughters-Predicament-Audiobook/B08GD3DNRH?qid=1607878923&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=BFNBV5BDHHTPP1576QH8

FREE Preview: http://a.co/4UXlRN5

FREE on Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WcM.DbRBRKVQ9

#TheDaughtersPredicament

Book 3: THE DAMSEL'S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) #TheDamselsIntent #HistoricalRomance #FreeKU #KU #ChristianRomance 

Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher? Nicole Waterby heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband, not realizing women don’t wear trousers or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn. 

LISTEN to chapter 1 here: https://youtu.be/fqqq60WVZGk

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Damsels-Intent-Audiobook/B08PVXT28F?qid=1607878644&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=PTVMYSYX8MMHZ9P1W2DR

FREE Preview: https://a.co/7xbqxVk

FREE on Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/Damsels-Intent-Quilting-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B089DTXDCN/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Damsel%27s+Intent&qid=1590863747&s=books&sr=1-2

#TheDamselsIntent #HistoricalRomance #FreeKU #KU #ChristianRomance

 

Book 4: THE DEBUTANTE’S SECRET releases August 2021

When a fancy French lady steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms, his simple life might not be enough anymore.

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3). The Quilting Circle Book 4, The Dèbutante's Secret, will release August of 2021. Some of her other recent titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-six years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Tuesday Tidbits: NEW CHRISTMAS MASKS!

Who is tired of wearing a face mask?

ME!

Since masks are necessary these days and I’m bored with my current T-shirt knit masks, I thought I would make a few new ones.

 

On YouTube, I saw where people make masks out of all sorts of things. One that piqued my interest is a no-sew style made out of socks. So in the holiday spirit, I purchased a pair of Christmas socks from Dollar Tree.

How cute will that kitty cat look on my face?

 

I want to try a couple of different ones and see how they turn out. They might be total failures, but for a buck, they are worth a try.

Attempt #1

In the above image, you can see where I cut the sock off at the heel.

Then I cut off the top and cut up the middle of one of the kitty faces. I laid it flat and cut about a four inch opening about a half inch from the edge for ear holes.

I left the bottom and top long so I could fold them in to create a filter “pocket” if I want to use one.

Attempt #2

Then with he foot part I made another mask. I cut off the green toe part but left on the heel part to see if that would work for going over the nose. I cut up the top of the foot piece and cut ear holes.

Here are the results.

On the inside of the kitty one, the top and bottom that were folded in and curled. I didn’t like the way that felt on under my nose and on my mouth. On the next one, though the heel worked for going over the nose and had the swoop under the eyes, there was no way I wanted to walk around with a big green nose. But the straight red and white striped pushed up under my eyes too much, so I cut curves down for under the eyes. Much better.

Attempt #3

This one is with a shorter sock.

I cut off the toe and heel. I cut up one side, but I left the top band on to see how that would work. I cut ear holes on both the top snowman part and the poinsettia part. I left that lower part again for a filter holder if I wanted to use one.

The band from the top of the sock caused too much tension and the ear bands pulled off my ears. Like I did with the red and white striped one, I cut curves under the eyes. I did leave a little of the band over the nose for more coverage. And this mask is reversible. I can wear the poinsettias on the outside.
 

Conclusion:

I’m counting this as a success. It was fun! And simple. I love to sew, but I like that these are no-sew. I plan to make a few more with a winter theme but not Christmas for January and February.

THIMBLES AND THREADS: 4 Love Stories Are Quilted Into Broken Lives

Love Stitched into Four Women’s Lives
Enjoy four historical romances that celebrate the arts of sewing and quilting. When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their talents lead to love? #thimblesandthreadscollection
Click HERE to order yours today.
FREE Preview
#thimblesandthreadscollection
“Bygones” by Mary Davis (1st Place 2020 Selah Awards winner)
Texas, 1884
Drawn to the new orphan boy in town, Tilly Rockford soon became the unfortunate victim of a lot of Orion Dunbar’s mischievous deeds in school. Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? Now she doesn’t even know she holds his heart. Can this deviant orphan-train boy turned man make up for the misdeeds of his youth and win Tilly’s heart before another man steals her away?

Other stories in this collection:
“The Bridal Shop” by Grace Hitchcock, “Mending Sarah’s Heart” by Suzanne Norquist, and “Binding Up Wounds” by Liz Tolsma

Book 2 THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT (2nd Place 2020 Selah Awards winner)

Listen to it on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Daughters-Predicament-Audiobook/B08GD3DNRH?qid=1602517870&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=7G3NJC7HWP4YHK00FZGJ

FREE Preview of eBook: http://a.co/4UXlRN5

Can a patient love win her heart? Or will a forced marriage be the end of her romantic dreams? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $3.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WcM.DbRBRKVQ9

#TheDaughtersPredicament

 

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3). The Quilting Circle Book 4, The Dèbutante's Secret, will release August of 2021. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-six years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: SELAH AWARDS & NaNoWriMo RESULTS

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Though I wasn’t able to get together with family, I had lots of good turkey with potatoes and gravy. As long as I have those three things on my plate, I need no other food. =0D

I am tickled pink about the Selah Awards! I watched them on November 18th via a live stream on YouTube and both my entries placed! I am honored to have been awarded 1st place in the novella category for "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads!

I was also honored with a tie for 2nd place in the Western category for The Daughter's Predicament, Quilting Circle 2!

There were a lot of great authors, so to have my stories chosen over theirs is amazing and humbling. I could not do any of the writing I do without the Lord. I feel truly blessed.

Then Yesterday, I reached my NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words during the month of November with 50,172 words. YAY!!!!

 

It still seems unbelievable that I wrote 50k in one month. I have done it many times before, but I have been struggling with writing very much at a time for a several years. Many times during November I wanted to quit, having only reached 25,000 (half of the words) two-thirds of the way through the month, I felt my NaNo goal was out of reach with only nine days left. I had done a lot of research the first half of the month to have things to write. That slowed down my writing a lot.

I kept thinking how nice it would be to have beginning-to-end all down of a very rough draft of this at-some-point-in-the-future-80k novel. So I kept going to see if I could get to 30k (because that would be better than 25k) and then 40k and then I pushed to the finish line. I did stay up late every night for about a week to reach minimum words counts to have a shot at 50k. The Lord provided the words.

From the time my agent emailed me to ask if I had any WWII novel ideas (which I didn’t) to this very rough draft, it has been a little less than 12 weeks! It was fun to stay with an idea and write the novel without too much time in between the idea, the synopsis, and the first draft. I did take a break between writing the synopsis and writing the novel. In October, I needed to finish writing and editing a novel that was due to my publisher November 1st, Quilting Circle 4. I turned it in and jumped into the WWII story. It is far from complete, but I have the bones and large chunks of it fleshed out, mostly at the beginning and end. It was nice to write 50k in one month once again.

Blessings to you all!

 

THIMBLES AND THREADS: 4 Love Stories Are Quilted Into Broken Lives

Love Stitched into Four Women’s Lives
Enjoy four historical romances that celebrate the arts of sewing and quilting. When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their talents lead to love? #thimblesandthreadscollection
Click HERE to order yours today.
FREE Preview
#thimblesandthreadscollection
“Bygones” by Mary Davis (1st Place 2020 Selah Awards winner)
Texas, 1884
Drawn to the new orphan boy in town, Tilly Rockford soon became the unfortunate victim of a lot of Orion Dunbar’s mischievous deeds in school. Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? Now she doesn’t even know she holds his heart. Can this deviant orphan-train boy turned man make up for the misdeeds of his youth and win Tilly’s heart before another man steals her away?

Other stories in this collection:
“The Bridal Shop” by Grace Hitchcock, “Mending Sarah’s Heart” by Suzanne Norquist, and “Binding Up Wounds” by Liz Tolsma

Book 2 THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT (2nd Place 2020 Selah Awards winner)

Listen to it on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Daughters-Predicament-Audiobook/B08GD3DNRH?qid=1602517870&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=7G3NJC7HWP4YHK00FZGJ

FREE Preview of eBook: http://a.co/4UXlRN5

Can a patient love win her heart? Or will a forced marriage be the end of her romantic dreams? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $3.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WcM.DbRBRKVQ9

#TheDaughtersPredicament

 

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3). The Quilting Circle Book 4, The Dèbutante's Secret, will release August of 2021. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-six years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: RAGAMUFFIN DAY

 

Ragamuffin Day was a sort of a Halloween on Thanksgiving in New York City.

Ragamuffin Day sources say they don’t know when this tradition started and others say it started around 1870, a few years after President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, and went through WWII.

On Thanksgiving, New York City children would dress up in ragged clothes and go around begging pedestrian. It was a sort of parade. Others went door to door. Some ragamuffins painted their faces while other donned masks, and so, Ragamuffins were also often known as Maskers.

Apparently at this time, both begging and masquerading were technically forbidden, but that didn’t stop the ragamuffins.

People would give these masquerading beggars pennies or a nickel or an apple or something like that. If bystanders didn’t give alms to the beggars, they became the victim of a practical joke. It could be a fishmonger’s horn blasted in their ear (Ouch!) or being hit over the head with a sock full of flour (Ouch again!) or something else. Sounds a lot like Trick-or-Treat.

Some people, who the ragamuffins came to, would put pennies on their fire so they would be hot when they threw them down from their windows. This seems mean to me, but I imagine it didn’t take long for the pennies to cool off. This New York City tradition that had started out as good humored fun eventually turned into a nuisance.

This from The Hattiesburg News, Hattiesburg, Miss., November 24, 1908.

In the 1920s, the thousands of Ragamuffins carousing around the streets got competition for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

With the dawn of the Great Depression, throwing red-hot pennies from windows or giving them to every ragamuffin beggar in the street became too precious to part with.

In 1930, the New York school superintendent issued an edict to have Ragamuffin Day stop. For the most part it did but remained in areas like the Bronx, Flatbush, Greenpoint, and other places where the subway ended. 

By the late 1930, several organization hosted Thanksgiving parades to discourage ragamuffins.

As Halloween became more popular during the Great Depression, Ragamuffin Day became less popular but did continue into the 1940s. The last reported Ragamuffin parade was in 1956. However, starting in the 1970s, some communities have taken up the tradition again to have ragamuffin parades.

Happy Thanksgiving!

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) #TheDamselsIntent #HistoricalRomance #FreeKU #KU #ChristianRomance
Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?
   Nicole Waterby heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband, not realizing women don’t wear trousers or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn. Rancher Shane Keegan has drifted from one location to another to find a place to belong. When Nicole crosses his path, he wonders if he can have love, but he soon realizes she’s destined for someone better than a saddle tramp. Will love stand a chance while both Nicole and Shane try to be people they’re not?

Free on Kindle Unlimited, or $2.99 to buy ebook.

Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Damsels-Intent-Quilting-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B089DTXDCN/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Damsel%27s+Intent&qid=1590863747&s=books&sr=1-2

Book 1 THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT ~NOW AVAILABLE IN AUDIO!

A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding Lily’s past cost her the man she loves? #TheWidowsPlight
Listen to it on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Widows-Plight-Audiobook/B088HJLH4J?qid=1592671960&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=KDZ2GD836E7CMPGYX21F
FREE Preview of eBook: http://a.co/1riJfrA

FREE Preview of the audio book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaUG-sN6Y_k 
A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding her past cost her the man she loves? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $4.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV4XDLH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_XaM.DbMKBGBG1

#TheWidowsPlight

Book 2 THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (2nd Place 2020 Selah Awards winner)

Listen to it on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Daughters-Predicament-Audiobook/B08GD3DNRH?qid=1602517870&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=7G3NJC7HWP4YHK00FZGJ

FREE Preview of eBook: http://a.co/4UXlRN5

Can a patient love win her heart? Or will a forced marriage be the end of her romantic dreams? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $3.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WcM.DbRBRKVQ9

#TheDaughtersPredicament

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3). The Quilting Circle Book 4, The Dèbutante's Secret, will release August of 2021. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-six years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub