Tuesday Tidbits: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Writing Goals:

2022 Recap, 2023 Goals, & Update

I know this is three months late, but it’s never too late to set goals for the year. But first, how did I do on my 2022 goals? Overall, I’m pleased. Here is a quick recap.

~~ I will Read & Edit 1st-Cousin-Once-Removed Mary Linn’s Novel.
    I got this read and edited, but I ran out of time to finish the proofread.
~~ I will Write 100,000-ish words.
    I wrote 125,018 words. WooHoo!
~~ I will Finish Writing Silver Bells, a Christmas Novella.
    I worked on this but haven’t finished it yet. 2023 is another year and my chance to finish it.
~~ I will Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
    I participated and wrote over 25k words. I’m pleased with that. I also participated in CampNaNoWriMo in April and July.
~~ I will Complete a Proposal.
    I completed an Amish proposal that hasn’t been picked up yet.
~~ I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.
    I did that.
~~ I will Post/Market 1 or More Books in FB Groups Each Week.
    I averaged this over the year.
~~Two of my non-writing goals were, I will Walk 20 Minutes 3 Times a Week or More.
    I met this goal.
~~I will Continue Intermittent Fasting
    I did this and lost a few more pounds.

Here are some of my 2023 Goals.
I won’t bore you with all of them. I set not only big goals but small ones as well.

~~ I will Proofread & Publish 1st-Cousin-Once-Removed Mary Linn’s Novel.
    I got this read and edited, but I ran out of time to finish the proofread. This is the novel I received a copy of and permission to edit and publish. It was written in the 1990s by my 1st cousin once removed Mary Linn. She has since passed away and her sister, Sarah, had a copy of it sitting in her garage. Sarah didn’t want it to be discarded some years down the road when no one would know what it was or who wrote it. So, she passed it on to me to do with it whatever I want.
~~ I will Write 100,000-ish words or more.
    I’m working on a treasure hunting series. And would like to get the first two stories finished so I can work on self-publishing them. I also want to finish that Christmas novella. After that there are so many unfinished novels and novellas that I have proposed over the years that I would like to revisit. It will be hard to choose.
~~ I will Finish Writing Silver Bells, a Christmas Novella.
    Hopefully, 2023 will be my year to finally complete this novella. I’ll keep trying until I get this one done.
~~ I will Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
    This is the same as last year. NaNoWriMo stands for NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. Each year in November, thousands of writers all over the world make a mad dash to write 50,000 words in 30 days. My goal says “participate” not win. If I write 50,000 words or less than 50,000 words, I can still meet this goal by participating. I will also participate in CampNaNoWriMo in April and July. By setting your own goal, those are low pressure and a lot of fun. A good way to get started with NaNoWriMo. I have already gotten started on CampNaNo this month.
~~ I will Complete a Proposal.
    I have a bride series proposal I want to finish and get to my agent to shop around.
~~ I will Complete HHH Posts by the 10th of Each Month.
    I want to continue this one. I contribute to the Heroes, Heroines, and History blog (HHH) once a month. It’s a lot less stressful to have posts completed early.

Non-writing goals:
~~I will Read Through the Bible in 2023.
    I have always wanted to do this, but being dyslexic, it always seemed impossible for this slow reader. I tried several times to follow one of the “Read the Bible in a Year” outlines, where it tells you what chapters of what books to read. Jumping around from book to book, reading this and that fried my brain. And that’s coming from a random brain person who sees no need to write a story in order as long as it’s in order by the time I finish.
    So, I’m going to read the books in order, chapter by chapter. (I’m enjoying that so far.) I divided the number of pages in my Bible by 365, giving me the number of pages I need to read each day. So far, so good. I started January 1st, and I’m actually 16 pages ahead of schedule, as I error on the side of a little bit more than a little less, which is adding up.
~~I will Continue trying to get regular exercise by walking or running up and down the stairs as well as continuing Intermittent Fasting.

And finally, a goal (this is the update) I had and completed already is to move closer to my son and grandchildren. The first three months of this year we packed up and traveled over 1,200 miles. That’s why I didn’t get my goals written out and sent in a post yet. A related goal, is to go through all the boxes. I don’t know if I’ll get through them all, but I want to try to get through as many as possible.

One last thing is my word of the year. I don’t always do this, but I have a couple of times. So, my word for 2023 isn’t really a word but a prefix: “Re”. Rework. Republish. Re-edit. Rewrite. Reuse. Recycle. Repurpose. Reimagine. Revisit. Recharge. Relax. And other “Re” words. Do you have a word for 2023?

I hope you all are successful in meeting your goals in 2023. It’s never too late to set them. =0)

And I pray this year is happy and healthy, and may you find joy in the little things. =0)

 

MRS. WITHERSPOON GOES TO WAR (Heroines of WWII series)

***2023 SELAH Award Finalist***

A WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) flies a secret mission to rescue three soldiers held captive in Cuba.

Margaret “Peggy” Witherspoon is a thirty-four-year-old widow, mother of two daughters, an excellent pilot, and very patriotic. She joins the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). As she performs various tasks like ferry aircraft, transporting cargo, and being an airplane mechanic, she meets and develops feelings for her supervisor Army Air Corp Major Howie Berg. When Peggy learns of U.S. soldiers being held captive in Cuba, she, Major Berg, and two fellow WASPs devise an unsanctioned mission to rescue them. With Cuba being an ally in the war, they must be careful not to ignite an international incident.

  Order HERE!

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5) 

***2023 SELAH Award Finalist***

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart? 

 Available for order on Amazon..

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, 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 thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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