Dec 31st Final Favorite Look Back Pictures of 2021

Take a peek at the third and final Favorite Look Back Pictures of 2021. Though 2021 was a very rough year, we still managed to get in camping and enjoying the beauty nature offers. Which resulted in some of 2021 my favorite photos. Do you have favorite photos taken in 2021? Share in the comments, please.

Last campfire of 2022 in October. After that we winterized the 5th wheel and put it in storage for the winter. Had we known the winter would be so mind, we could have postponed the winterization until December. Darn it!

Sun sets behind Pikes Peak and between storm clouds. A beautiful ending to a warmer than usual day in November 2021.

Another beautiful sunset behind Pikes Peak, taken from our neighborhood park makes it one of my look back phots of. 2021 has been such a mild fall and early winter, it’s unbelievable. Setting records for the latest snowfall So far no snow through December 31, 2021. Hoping for snow New Years Eve or early New Years Day.

First dusting of snow on Pikes Peak. Taken from a little park in Woodland Park, where we stopped to eat lunch and walk the dog.

Elk outside out campsite at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Changing of the Aspens outside Leadville by the Climax Mine in Colorado

Sunrise at a intersection during my daily travels. Could resist one more fantastic Colorado Sunset! One of the many reasons I love Colorado!

There you have my Favorite Look Back Pictures of 2021. We have several camping reservations already for 2022 that should give us a wide array of photos. Looking forward to sharing those photos with you. Also our kitchen remodel begins January 3, 2022, before and after pictures will be shared at some point. May not make the favorite photos for 2022, but you never know. I’m hoping to love my new kitchen, after the tear-out and replace phase. LOL Any of you have any remodeling survival stories you care to share? Please list them in the comments.

Plans for New Years Eve? How about curling up around a cozy fire with a great feel-good book (my suggestion Hidden Gypsy Magic is below), glass of exceptional wine, or your favorite adult beverage and relax. Say farewell to 2021 and welcome 2022 and hope for a much better year!

The Salem Wildlife Sanctuary is Gwen Taylor’s life work. Her Irish Gypsy heritage provides a hidden talent she uses to help the creatures under her care. But even her magical skills can’t help new rescues in dire need of veterinary care.

The opportunity of signing on as the vet for Gwen’s sanctuary dropped into Brock Scutter’s lap after he expanded his practice to include wildlife. The personal attraction he and Gwen experience is undeniable the more their professional and personal lives collide.

Touring the only “non-haunted” house in Salem they both feel a spark of magic. A trip to his family’s cabin uncovers a heritage he didn’t know existed. If they want a future together, it means facing the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic and a race against the clock to correct past wrongs.

Have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve. See you next year with lots of new projects you don’t want to miss! Check back often!

Dec 31st Goals or Resolutions I’ll Strive For In 2020

The Resolutions I make are more like goals for the coming year. So…. Lets get started.
When my hubby and I left the fifth wheel all snug in a storage space under its cover until next spring, I said the holidays will be here before you know it. He chuckled and said, “Don’t I know it.”

In the blink of an eye, Christmas is knocking at the door, filled with family, friends and a great time to be had by all. Well, mostly. Some tragic events befell several friends and family this year. I shed many tears for those individuals this year. For those I pray a for a better, kinder 2020.

Another year passed, but what was accomplished? Surprisingly, I met all of my 2019 New Year’s resolutions of 5,000 words written each week, won NaNoWriMo, 50,000 words in 30 days (but it was close),a new book contracted, I managed two, and spend quality time with family and friends. My list was short but attainable. I try to keep it that way each year.

This year in front of the Christmas tree decorated with bright multi-colored lights and ornaments that evoke wonderful memories, I ponder what the New Year will bring. First and foremost I’m going to slow down, take time to notice what is changing around me. I seem to always be focused on what’s coming up several hours from the present or days or weeks ahead. Life is to short to live life in that fashion. You miss so much. I hope, no let me rephrase I will do the following:

Have more quiet, reflective walks with Mystic my dog. We have great conversations as we tour the neighborhood or hike in the mountains. One sided sometimes, but my dog is a great listener and doesn’t judge.

Spend more playtime with our Eclectus parrot, Taco.

Take time to appreciate and enjoy each day.

Keep the those with negative thoughts or words at bay. Life’s to short.

While working towards my professional goals, I’ll up my word count goal to 6,000 words written in a week this year.

I hope to have one or two more books contracted and published.

Take more time for family and friends, you don’t know how long they will be around. The future is not a given so make the most of your present.

Last but not least, spend more time camping in our new fifth wheel for long weekends from Spring to Fall. All the comforts of home on wheels! LOL

I best get back to my WIP, or one of my goals will be slipping away before 2020 even gets started! LOL

What are your New Year’s Resolutions or goals? If you don’t make any, why not? Do you just take life as it comes and hope for the best?

Start your New Year off with a BANG. Take a peek at my New Release, CHARM ME AGAIN.Breaking the curse is only the first step to forever. Spend a few hours in a magical, fantasy adventure. Pick up a copy today! Available at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Itunes

A little about Charm Me Again!

For several months a Scottish Highland Ghost has haunted Daylan, in his personal life, his professional life and at his forge. Yet, being a talented warlock, he is no closer to discovering what the ghost wants or why he chose Daylan. A trip to his estranged sister’s home in Colorado may have unforeseen consequences especially when family history leads him to a shocking discovery.

As his attraction blooms for Josie, a yoga instructor in his sister’s studio, he realizes there may be more to Josie than he can imagine. When an ancient rogue Fae Warrior set on revenge kidnaps her in an attempt to claim her as his own, a devastating curse comes to light.

Daylan’s world spirals out of control as he searches for Josie. Can he break the age old curse to save her and their future, or will she be lost to him forever?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 2020, goals, New Year, Resolutions, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 9 comments.

Dec 28th The Good, Bad and Ugly – Reflections of 2018

This time of year, I always look back to see what my successes were and what I could have done better. 2018 was my least favorite year of all time. Beaten only by the year my mother passed away twenty years ago. Now there were some shining moments too; which I clung to tight just to get me through this year.

Let’s start with the good:

I met all my goals for 2018. Yeah! <Fist pump>

Book four, AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, and five, A MAGIC REDEMPTION, in A DEMON’S WITCH SERIES were published in August and December. Exciting times but promo was crazy.

My third book, A Witch’s Journey became Amazon’s #2 best seller in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Yep I was stoked. What happened to the United States ranking, I’ve no idea.

I was featured twice August and December in HEA column of USA Today the latest being an exclusive excerpt from A MAGIC REDEMPTION in December. As a writer, that is a dream come true.

Hubby and I enjoyed a few fantastic camping trips over the summer and early fall. During the next to last camping trip we learned the company my husband worked for had been sold and he would have to find another job. Yeah it kinda ruined the trip to our favorite spot Rocky Mountain National Park. But there’s always next year. However, same day he was offered a job with another company but dealing with the six month non-compete sucks. Which leads me to…

The bad:

My father-in-law passed away in January 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Settling the estate long distance was difficult to begin with, not to mention the interference from relatives.

Due to Alzheimer’s, my mother-in-law is in a nice memory care facility but it’s located 2500 miles from our home. Because of her deteriorating condition, she can’t be moved.

A favorite aunt passed away mid-December.

Though my books usually get stellar reviews, there were a couple reviews that were not and those bother me even though I read them only once. Yes I know publishing is a tough industry and writing is subjective… but still…

The Ugly:

Right now the world around us is scary and very dark. Kindness is in short supply, negativity is everywhere, and it’s always someone else’s fault. I can remember when you owned your mistakes and stepped up to correct them. I’m hopeful 2019 will bring about changes that will put our country and world on a better path.

So I’m going to put aside the bad and ugly and start 2019 with a renewed enthusiasm for accomplishing my New Year’s goals.

Hopefully receive a couple new book contracts.
Meet my writing goal of 5,000 words written each week.
Set aside more quality time with friends, family, and my dog, parrot and turtle.
Relax and enjoy many camping trips.
Exercise regularly. This is always a tough one for me. I tend to let deadlines and obligations control my schedule.
Take control of my schedule and stick to it, barring emergencies.

How about sharing some of your New Year’s goals? Did you make your 2018 goals? Wishing you and yours Love, Laughter and Happy New Year! See you next year. I love saying that. LOL

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 2018, 2019, A Magic Redemption, An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, New Year, Paranormal Romance, Reflections of 2018, Rocky Mountain National Park, Tena Stetler, USA Today, writing by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Jan 2nd New Year’s Resolutions – Make Them or Not?

Happy New Year!! New Year Resolutions?

Now there’s a dilemma. In 2017 I made what I thought was attainable resolutions, as I normally do. However, toward the end of the year due to a family member’s unexpected ongoing illness, making those goals was tough. I barely made my 50,000 words in November for Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo. I did muddle through making my word counts, deadlines and projects as planned, but it was tough.

I guess I’ve been lucky in that I am a planner and the plans I set in stone happen as expected. Toward the end of 2017, for the first time, I learned that setting long term plans and goals can be fraught with problems. Life throws curve balls that you cannot imagine until it happens.

Ever the optimist, I did make reservations for 2018 camping trips, with the knowledge that cancelling them is a possibility. The alternative of no camping reservations is unthinkable.

I have discovered that I don’t work well with the unknown. I like to have it nailed down and know where I’m going and how I’m going to get there. Which is probably why I’ve usually created my new year’s resolutions with an eye to my plans for the entire new year. Yeah, going to back that off a bit.

So here it goes. My 2018 resolutions:

Write 5,000 to 7,000 words each week.

Finish the edits for fourth book in A Demon’s Witch Series in time for a springtime release.

Finish the fifth book in A Demon’s Witch Series and the complete the sequel to Charm Me.

Finish a rough draft of my romantic suspense – book one. There will be three books in this series.

Take more time for myself and my companion animals. I did pretty good on that goal last year, but going to do better this year.

Read and enjoy more books than last year.

Think before I blurt out statements that are better left unsaid, making me a kinder, gentler person.

Clean out the closets and give away the clothes we don’t wear anymore. It’s time. LOL

Spend more time actually talking to people rather than letting my fingers do the talking. (More verbal communication and less electronic) LOL

Exercise more! This is a tough one for me that’s why I’m not setting a specific goal trying for 3 times a week.

How about you? What resolutions will you make for 2018? Did you make your 2017 goals? Or if you don’t make resolutions, why not. Leave your answers in the comments, please. Welcome to 2018, what I wild ride it may be!

Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged 2018 goals, Authors, Long Term Goals, New Year, Resolutions, Word Count, writing by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.