Tag Archives: Sweet Romance

Digging Deep: Focus

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Lately, I haven’t been as focused as I should be. I guess because I have too much on my plate and that, in itself, contributes to me being overwhelmed. For many writers, trying to cope with the many demands of life, plus the book publishing business can be draining. I’ve been thinking about all the things I know I should do but haven’t really focused on doing. But, it’s time to get back to basics. Here’s what it looks like:

Photo by Lisa Fotios: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-rolling-armchair-beside-table-1957478/

Stop over-committing. I’ve been more disciplined about the “sparkly new idea” syndrome, but I still need to dig deeper and find the discipline to say no to new projects that will consume more time than I have.

Let “No” be no. I struggle with saying no to people, but I’m learning not to commit without explaining why I can’t. Not feeling guilty about saying no is also something I’m working on. I’d love to help everyone, but that’s not wise or practical.

Focus on what matters.  Creativity can be a blessing and a curse, depending on how you look at it and how you manage it. I have a kazillion ideas fighting for dominance in my mind and for my time. I’m niching down on the things I really love and that will give the biggest yield on the investments I make. Everything else can take a backseat until I free up more time and space in my schedule.

Make resting a priority. Aside from being nurturers, women hold down jobs and make important contributions to society. While we’re busy making those contributions and taking care of the home, we forget the importance of rest. Without it, we cheat ourselves and diminish our health. Get enough sleep, exercise, meditate. Your mind and body will thank you.

Self-care is important – Whether you go for a nature walk, have a spa day, or simply read a book, try to do something that is specifically for you. You’d be amazed at how invigorated you feel just by planning some activity to benefit you.

Photo by Kindel Media: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-drawing-smiling-sun-on-sand-7938450/

Life is a journey. Be sure that as you travel you stay focused on your end goals and that you’re getting satisfaction on the way.

Here’s a story about one woman who thought way too much of what others thought of her.

Caroline Byrd is living her dream—following her passion and looking forward to life with the man at the center of her world. Then family problems, involving the law, turn things upside down.

There’s no way a man like Gordon Raimes can understand what she’s going through, and she cannot risk embarrassing him and his family any further. Her plan to disappear fails because Gordon refuses to cooperate, but Caroline knows it’s a matter of time before he discovers her secret. Has she given up too quickly on the man she loves or will he prove her suspicions true?

Find out how Caroline solves her issues – https://lrd.to/Blindsided

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078T39F51/

Lessons From Hanging On & Letting Go

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Photo by Kai Pilger: https://www.pexels.com/photo/assorted-clothes-996329/

I tend to be a packrat, but lately, life has taught me that I need to let go to make room for new things. In recent times, I received the gift of a new wardrobe. It was unexpected but received with gratitude. The challenging part has been what to give away to make room for this blessing.

There are so many pieces in my wardrobe that I’ve had for years but have only worn once or twice. I’m sure these would have been of benefit to others if I had made the time to de-clutter, but it’s never too late, so this has been an ongoing process.

I’ve taken away the following from this experience:

  1. Don’t block other people’s blessings. If a gift is offered, accept it in the spirit in which it is given.
  2. Don’t be overwhelmed by the process of de-cluttering. Do it as time allows.
  3. Don’t hang on to stuff that’s not needed. If someone else can use it, part with the item.
  4. Appreciate the additional space that’s created in the home or environment.
  5. Be thankful that other people will be blessed by the overflow from your life.

What tips do you have for creating space or being a blessing? Do share.

Let me also invite you to take a peek at Sold!

Feechi has her hands full with working and balancing life as a single mother. Her son becomes obsessed with owning a dog they can’t afford. When Carsten sweeps into their life, will she make room in her heart for his generosity? Find out in Sold! amzn.to/3QrzvAW

Sweet Romance title on Amazon

Family memories and secrets #RachelleAyala @Mimisgang1 #mgtab

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Have you ever been amazed at family get togethers on how a single event you vividly remember is entirely different in another family member’s memory? Or how stories are not the way you remembered? Or even that you’ve reinterpreted some happening now with the distance of wisdom and experience?

These questions are ever present for me as I am now a grandmother and asked to write down memories in a book for my granddaughter. I most certainly want to present her with as much “truth” as I know or am aware of, but I’m afraid I cannot capture everything outside of my perspective. I recently read a memoir of an author who was shocked that the stories her parents told her were not what she uncovered in their paperwork, and I realized the fragility of childhood memories when research showed that many more people during world war II reported unexploded bombs dropped into their homes, even in regions with no aerial bombing.

Is it because we are suggestable people? Especially as children where we’ve heard a story and then believe it to have happened to ourselves? I know that’s the case in our family where our children to this day claim things that happened to them but we “know” were things that happended to us when we were kids and we told about them. Could it be that “dog bite” story was actually transmitted from great-grandfather to grandfather to father to son, and none of them had actually been bitten? This question has haunted me as I recall my mom’s wartime stories and witness my children thinking certain things happened to them exactly like described in a time and place they didn’t exist.

As a writer, these mismatched family memories are fertile grounds for stories, especially those in which a child was lied to their entire life. In my latest book, Going to Find Love, Penny Barnes has a big shock when she finds out her religious parents lied to her by omitting her adoption and then denying it. What are they covering up? Compelled to find the truth, Penny leaves everything behind, including her high school sweetheart, to find the answers long denied her.

I know how she feels because I know real life people who have had a similar shock [too close for me to reveal who] of finding out they weren’t who they thought they were. I hope these musings will encourage you to dig into your memories, old pictures, and documents to make a sense of your past to reexamine and preserve what you hope is closest to the truth.

Going to Find Love by Rachelle Ayala

Penny Barnes has never left home. She’s a pastor’s daughter, has a long time boyfriend, and is a hometown sweetheart. Her fairytale life is upended when she discovers she’s adopted.

Excited by the discovery of a genetic match, Penny is lured to a distant town with secrets of its own. She meets another lonely young woman who has more questions than answers. Her adoptive parents disappear. She runs into roadblocks and dead-ends, and someone powerful is determined to stop her from finding the truth.

Mike drops everything to find Penny as she digs through old secrets. When disaster strikes, will Penny leave everyone she loves behind—including her hometown sweetheart or find love on her own terms? [Pre-order Going to Find Love for 99c]

Snacks, 100 Calories or Less – #HealthyEating by @Donna_Fasano

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Let’s face it, we all overeat now and then. Whenever I overindulge, I do what I can to get myself back on track as quickly as possible. Here’s a list of my go-to snacks when I’m focused on sticking to 1200-1400 calories per day:

Snacks

  1. 1 cup frozen seedless green grapes – 65 calories
  2. 1/4 cup wasabi peas – 100 calories
  3. 1/2 cup of slow-churned ice cream – 100 calories
  4. 2 stalks celery (about 7” long) and 2 tablespoons hummus – 100 calories
  5. 30 goldfish crackers – 100 calories
  6. 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and a small wedge of cantaloupe – 100 calories
  7. 2 tablespoons PB2 spread on 1/2 granny smith apple – 90 calories (PB2 is powdered peanut butter that is 80% fat free. Mix 2 tablespoons PB2 with 1 tablespoon water.)
  8. 1/2 of a medium-sized baked potato and a heaping tablespoon of salsa – 100 calories
  9. 8 baby carrots – 100 calories
  10. 2 Tablespoons PB2 spread on 2 stalks celery – 66 calories
  11. 1 cup of tomato soup – 75 calories
  12. 1/2 banana (sliced and frozen) dipped in 2 teaspoons dark chocolate chips (melted)  – 100 calories
  13. 1/3 cup Greek Gods Vanilla Honey yogurt – 96 calories
  14. 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon – 75 calories
  15. Banana smoothie – blend 1/2 a banana, 1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, and a handful of crushed ice – 100 calories
  16. 2 long pretzel rods dipped in 2 teaspoons yellow mustard – 77 calories
  17. 1/2 cup steamed edamame (shelled) with a splash of soy sauce – 100 calories
  18. 16 cherry tomatoes sliced in half, 1/8 cup crumbled feta cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice – 95 calories
What are YOUR go-to snacks when you’re trying to get your diet and your weight back on track?

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This month, I’m offering A REASON TO BELIEVE to Kindle readers for just 99¢. You save $3 off the regular price!

A Reason To Believe

A Real Fairy Tale

It seems like a grand idea, temporarily trading her pixie wings for a womanly form to help handsome widower Paul Roland with his baby girl. And the moment she holds the precious bairn in her arms, Fern knows true happiness for the first time.

But Fern never anticipates the dizzying emotions she feels for the man who not only needs her as a nanny, but as a woman whose passion can heal his wounded heart. Suddenly the forbidden fairy rule she gently bends because of the baby is in danger of being irrevocably broken.

Some things are meant to be…