cj Sez: Onward! Looking hopefully
forward to a Far-Better Year . . .
I do not make New Year’s resolutions. To me, the word implies a
passive ending, something already resolved. My career in a corporate
environment taught me to use the word “goal,” a word that infers action, a
constant striving to reach that target or be defeated. I will change direction
and adjust my expectations if necessary, but I will not be defeated.
§§
I love words. Even more so than the plot of a story, the syntax and
cadence of a well-crafted sentence, paragraph, chapter, story invites me to
read those lines over and over. But my
personal writing enthusiasm wanes and ennui waxes when I contemplate finding a
critique group/partner and beta reader then going through the tedious processes
of self-publishing and marketing of novels. Besides the time it takes, marketing
dollars are the main deterrent for me. I think I earned less than $20 in
royalties last year, which leads me to another of my goals for 2026: Make a
monthly budget/placement plan for maximum return on marketing dollars spent.
“Goals are
dreams we convert to plans and take action to fulfill.”
Zig Ziglar
§§
Book Review
I've had the book for a couple of months, but I just finished A DANGEROUS HOMECOMING yesterday. (Yeah, I know. I’m a slow reader and writer.)
My take:
Oh what a tangled web of plot twists and turns Susan Yawn
Tanner expertly weaves. An elopement fated to fail. A quest for a murderer. A love story decades in the making.
Tanner’s characters
are 3D perfect as is her latest novel in The Bellamy Legacy series, A DANGEROUS
HOMECOMING. 5-Stars!
§§
Etcetera
When I first saw the picture of Mr. Scrappy Rooster on
Facebook, I wasn't sure if he was the winner or the loser of that fight.
I look a lot like him as I skid into 2026.
Then I realized,
he’s not only upright, he’s strutting. He’s definitely the winner.
I’m hoping 2026
is a winning year for you, too.
§§
I
want to end this first Lyrical Pens post of 2026 with one of Billy Graham’s
prayers for a new beginning for all of us in another uncertain and turbulent year.
“Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this
new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the
future. We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of
us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the
strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to
humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for
our lives during this coming year. In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the
days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.” —Billy Graham
§§
That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll
try to do the same.
cj
My fast-paced novels, The
Dawgstar and Death on the Yampa,
are available on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore.
Nota bene: Angela
Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a
few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
Just a reminder: Lyrical Pens blogs
for readers and writers is now a monthly blog. I’ll be aiming for the first of
the month, so watch for it please. That said, thank you for stopping by Lyrical
Pens today. I really do appreciate you . . . and you . . . and especially, you.
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