Hold On To Your Joy!!

Hey my lovelies! Happy Friday!!

I just wanted to send out a quick note to you guys to remind you that you have to hold on to your joy no matter what life throws at you. I needed to be reminded of this the other day when my boss pissed me off. I won't go into details but I allowed someone to steal my joy and my whole day was ruined. Can't do that again. It keeps me from being productive and working toward my personal goals. 

I'm also reading the book, Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller, for the second time in the past few months. I'm reading it again because I didn't follow the principles after I read it the first time. But now I plan to follow the principles that he suggests in the book. You should definitely check it out at Amazon!

Keep your attitude right and it will help you overcome any and every obstacle that comes your way. I'm a work in progress...when I learn...I like to share. So this is me sharing!

Have a blessed day...or not...the choice is yours!

Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!


Here is a word from Joel Osteen: Don't Give Up!

Don’t Give it Up! TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, ESV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Throughout life, there will always be something that will try to take our joy. If it’s not a grumpy sales person, it’s a family member aggravating you, traffic is backed up, your flight got delayed, or your spouse is taking too long! Don’t go the next 20 years allowing the same people and same circumstances to frustrate you. Change your approach. What’s upsetting you now doesn’t have to upset you anymore. You can choose to keep your cool and stay calm and steady. Remember, a relaxed attitude is going to lengthen your life. The next time you’re tempted to be upset, ask yourself, “Is this really worth me giving up my joy?” If you’ll make this decision to not give away your joy, to live each day happy, God promises you’ll be strong, you’ll have better relationships and you’ll accomplish more. He says a joyful heart is good medicine! Hold on to your joy and move forward into the abundant life God has in store! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, today I will hold on to joy! I choose to live each day with peace and happiness. I choose to rely on Your strength and Your Word which guides my every step. I love You and thank You for loving and directing me in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen © 2013 Joel Osteen Ministries

Joel Osteen: Attitude in Adversity

Hey Peeps!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Last week I decided that I need to start my gratitude journal this weekend....I didn't start it lol but I will this week. I was reading last night about a lady and her manifestation box and I remembered that I had saved a shoe box a year ago to use as my Creation Box that I spoke about in this post THREE years ago! LOL

I didn't follow through with it three years ago so my plan last year was to do it....I was having so many issues in my living situation last year that I never got around to tapping into my vision for my life. But I need to get more serious about it because I'm finding it difficulty these days to continue living in mediocrity as if it's okay for me. And it's not!

I figured the best way for me to maintain sanity while I wait on my blessings is to forever keep an attitude of gratitude. When I get frustrated which seems to be daily....these people in New York will test you consistently honey....I need to remind myself that this is only temporary and my break through is coming however I have to remain faithful and grateful.

Joel Osteen touched on it in his message that you can read below. Until next time.....

Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned

Attitude in Adversity TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria We all face challenges, difficulties and times when things don’t go our way. God doesn’t send these storms, but He will allow us to go through certain things in order to shape our character and prove our faith. Really, it’s in our times of difficulty that we grow and develop. God wants to use the tough times in our lives to do a work in us. He wants to strengthen and develop us. Our attitude in times of adversity is the evidence of our maturity. Are we going to treat people right even when we’re being mistreated? Are we going to stay full of joy even when the bottom falls out? Are we going to be faithful even in the dry seasons of our lives when we don’t see anything good happening? It may take more effort. You may have to work harder to keep a good attitude, but remember, attitude and faith in God is the key to your promotion. As you keep that positive attitude of faith and expectancy, even in times of adversity, God will deliver you and move you forward into the destiny He has prepared for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, I want to grow spiritually and be more like You. I choose to trust You in times of adversity knowing that You are working things out for my good. Renew a right attitude in me by Your Spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen © 2013 Joel Osteen Ministries

According to Forbes Magazine I'm not behaving like a successful person. In an article recently, 5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM they rattled on about the things you should do in the mornings before work that could lead to a successful and healthy lifestyle. I'm just going to list them 5 things below but they go into more detail in the article.

1-Exercise

2-Map Out Your Day

3-Eat A Healthy Breakfast

4-Visualization

5-Make Your Day Top Heavy

The first problem I have with this whole thing is the fact that I barely get up in time to make it to work by 9am. I am a night owl have always been a night owl and love being a night owl. The only reason why being a night owl is an issue for me is because I've always had freaking DAY jobs! ugh! I set my clock 20 minutes before I'm supposed to get up because my intentions are to spend that time praying and become alert. Well let's just say I haven't stuck to that routine in over a year. I do have to admit that when I was following that routine I felt much better starting my day.

I don't exercise at all asides from walking daily. In New York, you can do a lot of walking without even trying to. I love to walk. Absolutely....in nice walking weather of course. I actually have a walking exercise DVD that I should start back using. I plan to but I know it won't be before 8 AM during the week!

I barely eat breakfast because I normally wait until I get to work. Sometimes as soon as I walk in the door my boss has me running around fetching stuff for him that by the time I'm able to think straight it's already 10 or 11am. I normally eat fruit sometimes I may grab a muffin sometimes it's nothing sometimes it's junkfood....for awhile I was doing green smoothies but I realized that they should be drunk at home vs. traveling with it 40 minutes after making it to drink at work. The flavor wasn't the greatest by then so I 86'd that idea. I love green smoothies though but I would either have to drink them before coming to work or drink them when I get home from work.

I don't map out my day because let's face it...my day is so routine I really don't need to map it out. Get up, go to work, run errands, go home. Rinse and repeat Monday through Friday.

Visualization...I normally do this at night before bed or during my commute to work, or while I'm walking from the train to work, or while I'm at work when I'm just sitting in my boss' office while he's sorting through papers on his desk. LOL I love to pretend that I'm somewhere other than where I am. Sometimes when I'm walking to work I pretend that I'm only up that early because I have a business meeting with Tyler Perry to discuss turning one of my books into a movie. LOL hey faith it til you make it, right? :-)

Number 5 doesn't apply to me. 

If you are a morning person more power to you...if you are a night owl like me...and you want to do the things listed in that article in hopes of being more productive and successful then I'm sure you can train your body to be a morning person. We can train our minds and bodies to do just about anything we want by creating those habits. I for one would much rather create the work environment that corresponds to my body's natural way of being. And naturally my body loves sleeping in without an alarm clock so...what does that tell you...I need to create a work environment where I get up on my own schedule and allow my body to get up organically. THAT my friend will help me to be more productive and successful because I'm not being forced to behave in a way that my body naturally disagrees with. IMO.

Go read the article: 

5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM

Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned!

The Key To Making It As A Writer!

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Everybody wants to know the key to success!

Well I've been listening to a few people lately...messages I've heard before but sometimes I need a reminder.

Will Smith-
"There's no reason to have a Plan B because it distracts from Plan A."

My Plan A: Ultimately, to live a life of freedom working from home full-time supporting myself easily and effortlessly as an author  & if I can add "New York Times Best-Selling Author" after my name that will be a bonus!

Every step I take today and the many days after will lead to my ultimate plan. 

Tyler Perry (I love this dude he's a true inspiration to me)-




With my 100% commitment to being the best storyteller I can be and by God's grace and favor I will succeed!


Hugh Howey- My Advice To Aspiring Writers

"The key to making it as a writer is to write a lot, write great stories, publish them yourself, spend more time writing, study the industry, act like a pro, network, be nice, invest in yourself and your craft, and be patient. If you can do all of these things, you’ll earn some money. Maybe enough to pay a bill every month. Maybe enough to get out of debt. Maybe enough to quit your job. Thousands of writers are doing this, and we are welcoming all comers with open arms."

Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!

Focus On Becoming A Better Storyteller!

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So I mentioned that I started a new year in my writing career. I've decided that I need to focus on improving my craft and creating content. I need to spend less time on promoting because that's a major distraction that takes away from my writing. Especially for a new writer like myself who don't have a lot of product and who needs to create better writing habits. When I released my last novella I was so focused on spreading the word that I haven't even started writing my next book yet.

This may not be an issue for most people but I recognize my shortcomings and weaknesses so I need to work on perfecting my craft and building a better work ethic and getting more inventory. I honestly think that I get better with each story that I write.

So my ultimate goal for the next 12 months is to focus on becoming a better storyteller!

I follow the blogs of Dean Wesley Smith and Hugh Howey. They both suggest doing what I'm going to focus on for the next year.

Hugh Howey- My Advice to Aspiring Writers

"When I finished my first novel, I was on a complete high. This is when you think your book is the shit and you wonder why Oprah hasn’t called. You’re gonna be rich!
This feeling lasted a few days. That’s when I started writing my next work. My father at the time wondered why I wasn’t spending all of my time promoting that first book. I told him I had my entire life to promote my works. I only had now to write. I stuck to that principle for years, writing and publishing several novels or short stories a year. 

....My father now agrees with this approach and sees the value of having a dozen titles available. This is going to sound strange, but you are MUCH better off with your 10th work exploding than your 1st work. You’ll never have quiet time to crank out quality material ever again. And when your backlist matches the growth of your first breakout, you’ll do very well for yourself. Be patient. It’s been said by many others, but I’ll repeat it here: self-publishing is a marathon."

Dean Wesley Smith- Maybe You Wrote A Good Book

"It really is that simple.But putting the responsibility squarely back on the writer’s shoulders to write better stories is scary. Especially to new writers who really don’t understand what it takes to write a quality story that hundreds or thousands or millions will want to read. New writers don’t even know what they don’t know. They just don’t have the study or the practice or the words under their fingers yet.Writing good stories is a skill that takes time to learn. It can be learned. It’s not a talent, it’s a craft that can be studied and learned with enough effort and drive and practice.But writing and learning need to be the focus.So if you are out promoting your third novel and wondering why it’s not selling, maybe your time would be better served to learn how to write a better story. Just maybe.Just saying…"

So other than announcing on my blogs, Facebook, and uploading to my different author platforms, I won't be going hard in promoting. I'll focus on producing great content  and building relationships with my readers and other authors (which I'll do on Sundays). I started a small group on Facebook where we help each other promote our books so of course I'm always going to help my fellow authors promote their work and they will do the same for me but once I make that initial announcement.....I'm off to writing my next book!

Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!

Well to me it's a new year!

Back in June I was talking to a friend of mine and I mentioned that I wish it was the new year already....this year hasn't gone as well as I expected it to go so I was ready for a new year already. So she told me, "Why wait for the calendar to say that is 2014...you can start your new year whenever you want."

So as of July 1, 2013, it is now a new year for me. Whenever we start a new year it's like a chance to start fresh...to start anew. In my case, that's with a new mindset and starting anew in my writing career.

My goal for 2013 was to produce a new novella per month. If I had stuck to that goal I would have 7 novellas produced instead of only 2! So I decided to just start fresh. Start a new year! I can't go back and change what I haven't done and I can only go forward.

I'm not setting a publication goal but a production goal. If I produce 12 novellas in a 12 month period or 6 novels in a 12 month period then I have reach my goal for that year.

The reason I say production instead of publishing is because I use beta readers to read my work before I publish. I like to have two other people read over my work so when I publish will depend on when I can have two betas read them for me.

I'm not setting a sales goal....lord knows if I could control that I would be selling millions of copies right now! ha!

I'm choosing to focus on what I can control and that's production.

So I mentioned mindset as well. Well that is a work in progress and my mindset right now is mainly centered around my career or lack thereof. If it was up to me I would be a writer full-time right now but I have to pay the bills so I work a regular 9-5. Because I work a 9-5 and have a steady income coming in every two weeks I have not been treating writing like a career but more so like a hobby. Since it's not producing the same salary as (or better than) my current "bread & butter" job, it's been easy to put it off if I'm not "feeling" it, or not meet deadlines that I set for myself or to go months without writing at all.

I have to change my mindset to look at writing as my career, my job, my way of life, my bread & butter. If I keep treating it like a hobby I won't take it serious enough to reach my ultimate goal of becoming an author who makes a living telling stories easily and effortlessly on a full-time basis.

I have to get disciplined....create a strong work ethic. I have to write to quota as suggested on the Kill Authors Zone blog.

My goals for the new year (I've faulted on these goals this month but I did really well in July when I created the goal so I did start my new year off right :-D)

1. Write to a quota
I learned that I can produce 4K words a day if I give myself at least 4 hours of writing time and if I know what I'm going to write. Minimum goal per writing day is 1K words. I plan to keep a spreadsheet to track my word count per week.

2. Write six days a week
I plan to take Sundays off to catch up on networking, blog reading, reading books, hanging out with friends, watching movies, promotion etc. (I slacked off this past week so I will be working this Sunday)

3. Produce a new novella once a month or a new novel once every two months
I met that goal for July. I can meet that goal for August even though I slacked off for an ENTIRE week...smh there are no excuses I just didn't make it a priority. But that has to change.

4. Read a new fiction book once every month (or every two months)
I love reading. Reading also helps with writing. So I have to make sure that I'm getting that in as well. I've been reading some non-fiction too. Currently I'm reading Think & Grow Rich. (look for future posts on that too)

5. Don't compare myself to others and trust the process
I've read countless stories about authors hitting best-sellers list with their very first book....I'm not that author although when I first started writing I hoped to be that author. But God has mapped out my road to success a little different. Although I'm not that breakout novelist with instant stardom it doesn't mean that I should stop writing. My path is my path and I have to trust the process. Everything happens at an appointed time. Which leads me to point number six....

6. Never give up!
I've tried giving up....lol I'm not lying when I say I tried to give up on this journey. I didn't write for four months. I wanted to give up. I didn't want to want to be a writer. I didn't want to like telling stories. I wanted to give up because the journey hasn't been as smooth sailing as I wanted it to be. I wanted EASY...I wanted Instant Stardom....I wanted to quit my day job like yesterday....LOL well that didn't happen and when it didn't, I was like oh..so that means that I must not be meant to be a writer so let's just put this to the side.

I've published to two novellas since then. Something inside of me won't let me give up. What does that mean? I don't know exactly what it means. I just know I choose to not give up. No matter how many books I don't sell or how many negative reviews I get....I'm going to continue on until the Lord says that it's time to quit.

I have a certain lifestyle that I want to live and working for myself has always been one of my goals. Having a creative job has always been one of my goals. I started writing poetry when I was 14 and love to do it...but life got in the way and I stopped. One thing I have to work on and overcome is ALLOWING life to get in the way. 

I'm determined to live the life of my dreams. There are plenty of people in this world living the life of their dreams and some of them looks a little like what I've described my ideal life to be so that tells me it's not impossible. I have proof that it's possible. If it can happen for them/to them, then it can do the same for me!

It's okay to start over whenever you feel you've gone too far in the wrong direction....it's never too late as long as you are alive and in perfect health....so Happy New Year to me and to anyone else that just need a fresh start!!!

Stay Blessed and Stay Tuned!

How To Live A Legendary Life!

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Hep Peeps!

So I don't know about you but I honestly believe that I was born to do something great with my life. Although I was born into mediocrity, I don't believe that I was created to stay in it. I believe that my attitude, my way of thinking, and the thoughts/behaviors/habits that have been embedded in me over the course of my life has created my current existence. I WANT TO CHANGE!

I want to change the way I live, I want to change the way I perceive things, I want to change the way I think and speak and react to my circumstances. I am litterally standing in my own way. Blocking my own blessings from manifesting.

All last week the message that I was hearing over and over again was: change your mindset! change your mindset!

Why haven't things I prayed for manifested in my life yet? Well I don't know the exact answer to that question only God knows, but one thing that was brought to my attention was that, most times when those things that are for us does not manifest is because of unbelief. We have the faith but we can also have unbelief. This message is talked about in more detail by Creflo Dollar. You can listen to the message in this four part series on YouTube:

I bought Joyce Meyer's book, Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind a few years ago, I didn't read all of it, but I just started it again last week. She has a updated version. I'm going to buy it for my mom and brother to read.

I am determined to change my mindset and my attitude so that I can get out of my own way. So that I can focus on God's promises over my life and not my problems. 

Another book that you may like is Lord, Change My Attitude: Before It's Too Late by James MacDonald. 

*please note the links to these two books are affiliate links

Now if you are looking for a free book that is full of wonderful advice and something that I thought was really good and straight to the point, then check out Johnny B Truant's book, How to Be Legendary. You can find it on his website. I listen to Johnny's videos on YouTube, the Self Publishing Podcast and the Bigger Better Stronger Faster Podcast. You should check those out too. Here is his YouTube Channel.

Here is a list of some of the main points of the How to Be Legendary book...some truths we've lost track of:

• You will get old and then you will die, so there’s no point in waiting and no point in hedging your biggest bets. It’s truly now or never.
• Almost anything is possible if you’re willing to be flexible about the problem and its solution, and if you’re willing to break some conventions.
• Nobody controls you but you. Nothing anyone does to you can ruin things for you unless you allow it to.
• Everything is simple, but very little is easy. If you fail, it will be due to lack of effort and persistence, not lack of knowledge.
• Nobody is “normal,” so you should stop trying to be normal, too.
• Wanting more does not make you ungrateful for what you have. Receiving more does not take something away from someone else.
• Satisfaction often comes at the cost of some discomfort, but it is always worth it.
• You cannot fail. You can only quit.
• You already know everything you need to know to get everything you want. All that’s left is to do it.

I'm ready to live a legendary life! No more mediocrity for me homie! lol

Live your best life! Be the best version of YOURSELF you can possibly be! Get out of your own way! and GO GET YOUR BLESSINGS!!!

As always...

Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned

The Wedding Date: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Available Now at following retailers:
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Create Identity Based Habits for Success!!

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Hey Peeps!!

So today I was listening to a video on YouTube about creating winning habits to become the best you can be. If you want to be a pro athlete, or a bestselling author (raises my hand), or CEO of your own company then you have to create the type of habits that those people who have those titles would do.

You can check on the video here:





One of the guys in the video, James Clear, spoke about creating Identity Based Habits. An identity based habit is more effective than a performance or appearance based habit. Basically, if you want to achieve a goal then you must create the habits to reach that goal. Say your goal is to lose 10 pounds so that you can be more fit and healthy. What are the characteristics of a fit and healthy person? That person would most likely be someone that works out on a regular basis, consumes healthy food on a daily basis, etc.

Now in order to reach your goal of losing 10 pounds, you need to change your behavior and habits into that of a fit and healthy person, once you do that, then you will eventually achieve your ultimate goal of losing those 10 pounds. The point I'm trying to make is you must become the person you want to be before you become the person you want to be. Does that make since?

Take my situation for instance, I want to become a bestselling author. I must now adapt the behavior of a bestselling author before I even hold the title bestselling author. So I ask myself, what type of person is a bestselling author? I don't know a lot of bestselling authors personally but I would conclude that a bestselling author is someone that is disciplined, meet deadlines, produces quality work on a regular basis, looks at writing as his career and take it seriously, knows that if he doesn't write he doesn't eat, and practies his craft on a daily basis.

Now if my ultimate goal is the be a bestselling author, what habits can I start creating in my life that will get me one step closer to my ultimate goal? In order words, I have to create the habits that someone would attribute to a bestselling author.

My plan going forward:

Write daily whether I want to or not. A professional doesn't show up to work only when inspired or motivated to go to work. If that was the case they wouldn't keep the job long. If I want to get a paycheck I show up for work and work. I invest approximately 50 hours per week into someone else's dream i.e. my day job. I must invest in my dream career as much time and effort as I do in my day job if I want to eventually be my own boss and have a self-sustaining business.

Produce quality work. This comes with time and practice. The more I write the better I get. The more I learn and apply what I learn, the better I get.

Don't focus on my sales. This is a big one for me because I haven't been displaying patience with my writing career. I have been comparing myself to others that have more sales monthly than I have. I wanted instant stardom so that I could quit my day job and have more freedom. Well it doesn't work that way for everyone...for most people. So it may take me longer to quit the day job than I had hoped for but that's just a price I have to pay if I want to reach my goal and focusing on my sales and how much longer I will have to go before reaching my ultimate goal only hinders me from being productive. If I'm not productive then I will DEFINITELY not become a bestselling author. My work will eventually find an audience but if they don't have more than one book to read from me...then my chances of making this a fulltime career is slim to none.

Stop worrying about how long it's going to take. This a marathon not a sprint. I need to focus on the process and not worry about how long it's going to take to reach the finish line. God works on his own timeline not mine. So what he has for me is mine but it's up to me to remain patient with the path he has me on and not give up just because I don't think it's coming fast enough. He knows the big picture, I can only see what is currently in front of me. So I need to trust that my steps are being perfectly ordered on my path.

Continue to pray that God leds me to live out my purpose for my life. Being a bestselling author is what I desire for my life and career. But I know that whatever God has in store for me is the best for me. I will continue to pursue my career as an author giving 120% and if for some reason this was not God's ultimate plan for me, then I will at least know, I was fully committed.

Get fully committed to fulfiling your dreams. Get fully committed to creating the habits of the person that you want to become. And keep praying that God order your steps so that you can fulfill your purpose.

For more information on creating Identity Based habits, check out James Clear's website. You can download the PDF for free on his site. I think you may have to give your email address.

Until next time my loves!
Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned



The Wedding Date: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Available Now at following retailers:
Amazon Kobo AllRomance