Welcome to 2024! Happy New Year + Resolutions!

Hello everyone!

Happy New Year! It's 2024 and time for a fresh start and setting goals. Last year wasn't as productive as I had hoped it would be, but there were some good parts to it.

I was hoping to be able to complete rewrites for If Only We and republish. The rewrites didn't happen, but I did manage to fix the major errors and republish on Amazon. I didn't do much in the way of writing something new, so no new books from me in 2023. I had to reduce my Goodreads Reading Challenge from 27 to 12 and managed to reach that goal, which is great! As far as losing weight for my health, I did lose a little bit, which is a good thing. And while I didn't finish my temperature blanket, I did manage to crochet a bunch of catnip mice, which was fun.

Let's get on to the new year goals!

WRITING

I haven't pinned down exactly what I want to do when it comes to writing and publishing something new, but I would love to accomplish what I couldn't do in 2023:

• Write and publish The Fall Fling
• Write and publish A Bluecastle Christmas
• Rewrite and publish If Only We

Even if I can't get to everything, if I can do ONE of them, I'll be happy.

IN GENERAL

When it comes to reading, I want to push myself to read as much as I can. I'm setting my yearly goal at 27 again, but I'd like to read more than that. I'd also love to get back to learning German again. I fell out of the habit and really want to get a routine going there.

In the next few months, I'll be moving into my own apartment. It's going to be nice living in a place of my own again. Plus, I'll be getting a cat and maybe pet rats again, so that's exciting.

WORD OF THE YEAR

Last year my word was DETERMINATION. Despite not being able to accomplish nearly as much as I wanted to writing-wise, I was able to embody that word in other areas. Earlier this year, my husband and I separated and I had to start over. This included getting a full-time job to cover the bills and save up to get a place of my own. I used my determination to achieve this, and I'm so glad that I was able to do it!

For 2024, I decided on not one, but FOUR words that will get me through the year ahead. They are...

EMERGE * PROGRESS * RISE * THRIVE

I feel like these four words work well in combination and will suit me just fine for the new year!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful new year!

2023: Happy New Year!

Hello everyone!

Happy new year! I hope 2023 has started out well for you. Today I'll be discussing my plans for the new year.

WRITING

Since I had to push back The Fall Fling last year, I would like to write and publish that book this fall. I would also like to write the story, A Bluecastle Christmas, about Westley and Winnie's first Christmas together as a couple. The Fall Fling will be about the same length as The High School Sweetheart (a short novella) and A Bluecastle Christmas will be a short story.

My main writing goal for 2023 is to revise and republish my debut novel, If Only We. There are several discrepancies in the timeline that I need to address, and I also want to tighten up the writing a little bit. It won't change the story itself, but hopefully make it easier to read. Another reason why I want to make sure to republish this year is because the book was first published in 2013, meaning it is the 10-year anniversary! I would love to have it ready by October 27th 2023, so I can do a little mini celebration in honor of my debut.

IN GENERAL

Other than my writing and publishing goals, I would also like to accomplish a few other things, too. One is to complete another Goodreads Reading Challenge with 27 books. I would also like to complete my 2022 temperature blanket. I got behind on crocheting it, so it would be nice to finish it. I also want to be more realistic in what I can and can't do. My life has changed a lot over the years and so has my body. I'm turning 38 this summer, and my 40s are right around the corner. I want to make sure that I take care of myself and treat my body with respect as some bigger changes are nearing. I would like to aim to lose some weight for the betterment of my health. I have some health issues that are connected to my weight, so if I can lose a little bit it will make my quality of life better.

WORD OF THE YEAR

My word of the year for 2022 was RESET. I feel like I was able to do a little bit of a reset when it comes to certain aspects of my life. For 2023, I want to ramp this up a little bit. My word of the year is...

DETERMINATION is the word of the year for 2023 because I'm determined to accomplish all of my goals and make a better everything for myself. I know that if I set my mind to it, I can do it.

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That's all I have for now! Thanks for reading and...

Hope y'all have a wonderful new year!

2022: End of the Year Wrap Up

 

Hello everyone!

It's been half a year since I posted on here, so you may be wondering what's going on in Jessica's world. Well, I'll tell you all about it today!

First of all, 2022 has been a rollercoaster of a year for me. I was able to publish The High School Sweetheart, the first book in the Bluecastle series, on June 21st. That same day, I caught COVID. I was sick for a week and subsequently had brain fog for at least 2 weeks.

My original plan was to write and publish The Fall Fling (the second Bluecastle book) in October, but I pushed it back by a month after the COVID setback, thinking I'd still have enough time. But then I faced major car issues, my neighbor getting sick and passing away, among other setbacks.

I had to face the music: Publishing another book just wasn't going to work out this year. It was upsetting to say the least, but it was the smart thing to do. I didn't want to push myself too hard, especially with the words not flowing and everything else going on.

Here's the thing: I still published one book and that's something to be proud of!

Despite the bad parts of the year, there were definitely good parts. I completed my Goodreads reading challenge, spent time with family and friends, and have been able to work on some cross-stitch and crochet projects.

I'll be back in a few days to discuss my plans for 2023. So, make sure you return to hear all about it!

Here's to a good year!