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January 13, 2012

New Year Resolutions

Put your hands together for the lovely and talented Ms Jana Downs!



            It’s that time of year again. Everyone is thinking about the previous 365 and wondering what the next 365 will bring. We all make promises to ourselves (that 99.9% of the time we will not keep) and try to imagine that the new and shiny year ahead will be infinitely better than the last. It’s a time of hope that is rarely seen when we’re midway through July and neck deep in whatever social, financial, or personal drama that we will inevitably get caught up in at some point over the course of the next few months. So since we’re hoping for less of that life-inflicted “stuff” right now and promising ourselves that we’ll just be happier if we keep our promises, I’ve decided to pledge to myself and the universe to make a better resolution.

            I’ve resigned myself to the fact that that extra 15 pounds is not going to come off. I’m busy and lazy, the combination will not equal any significant weight loss, not to mention the fact that “losing weight” is the number one resolution people make and never keep. I don’t want to be that person that gives a vague generalization about their New Year’s resolution, “I resolve to be more wonderful”. Uh-huh. Right. What does that even mean? So I’m going to approach this resolution thing with a little more thought than I had previously. What did I respect about myself? What did I dislike about myself last year? And where the heck do I go from here?

            The first question is easy to answer. I’ve been writing my whole life and this year is the first year people beyond myself and my reading partners have ever been privy to my work. Getting published was not an easy road or a simple experience. I’ve been through a veritable color wheel of emotions: dismay, determination, dismay again, stress, impatience, joy, happiness, elation (yes I know they’re all synonyms of one another but they represent different moments. Let me show off my literary skills a bit. :P), and then satisfaction. I’m proud of that accomplishment and I think that my resolution has to include more of the determination that got two books and a novella out this year.   

            What did I dislike about myself? Well, this question is a lot less easy to swallow. I disliked the fact that I allowed other peoples’ opinions and attitude problems to affect the thing I love most about myself. I’m a writer. We get crap. We need to get over it. No one is going to love everything. In fact, some people will claim to dislike something so intensely and so rudely that they manage to create an entire soap opera over their dismay over the book that you’ve spent hundreds of hours working on. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind critiques. In fact there is nothing more useful to me than a thoughtful critique. But let’s face it. There are a lot of Jerks in the world who want to say something cruel just to say it. I let those jerks get under my skin, deep enough that I stopped writing entirely for a couple of weeks because I was simply too down on myself to open up the laptop and dig into something significant. I don’t want to be the pitiful Golem like creature who sits in the pit otherwise known as my office writing stories on my laptop that other people aren’t allowed to read, while screaming “my precioussssssssssssss!” because some angry hobbits tried to jack my confidence over who really owns my bloody ring, er, story.

            So where the heck do I go from here? What resolution about 2012 can encompass both the loved and hated moments of 2011? Here’s what I came up with: avoid the hobbits (they’re meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Frodo may have saved the world but Sam married someone else in the end so he didn’t get jack for stealing the bloody ring) and I’m going to write like 2012 is really going to be the last 12 months of my life. My challenge to everyone this year is to make a resolution that means something to you and stick with it. Don’t give into temptation to pledge to do something you don’t really care about. Fight your own hobbits and remember your own accomplishments. Maybe you’ll finish 2012 with even loftier ambitions because of it.


. ^_^ Good luck and stay scandalous!    


 Ravyn's Destiny


The demon Prince Salvatore is a kingdomless monarch getting tired of life. Watched over by five Ravyn warriors, he’s spent generations trying to take back his kingdom from his murderous cousin. All he desires is to return home in peace. Then he meets an unexpected treasure, a human who won’t tell him his name. Now he wants something for himself that he never wanted before—love.

Destin is a faery King who has been unlucky in relationships. He’s been hurt in the past and has given up on love. By playing a bartender in the human world, he keeps his distance emotionally from other people, until he meets a gorgeous foreigner who wants him to take a chance.

When fate thrusts the two of them together, can they learn to embrace the unexpected gift they’ve been given? Or is their shared destiny just too good to be true?




Here, here, Ms Downs! Don't let the hobbits get you down. :) Want to win a copy of the 3rd book in the Ravyn Warriors series, Ravyn's Destiny? (Trust me, you do!) Comment below and slap on that contact info!

Contest ends January 15th at midnight EST.

16 comments:

  1. I too, seem to attract nasty, and abusive people. No matter where I go, or what I do, they infiltrate my life. I am a kind, and generous person. Whatever they say about me is not true, and this year I will try not to let them win. I refuse to be a hater.

    jm111@mymts.net

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  2. I am loving your Ravyn series and just read the last installment. Cannot wait to read more in the series.

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  3. Anonymous1/13/2012

    I am thrilled with the Ravyn's Series...I adore Germany..Keep them coming.
    yratpatrol@aol.com

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  4. Read the 1st book in the Ravyn series and loved it. Even though I have the 2nd book I have to say I haven't had a chance to read it yet, and I pre-ordered the 3rd book as well, which I can now download. :-)

    I'm slipping behind I know, but I will get to reading the last two. I just wanted to let you know that I really loved book 1 and am looking forward to more of your work.

    Paula
    paula.hadgraft@gmail.com

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  5. Andrea1/13/2012

    I love this series so far. I think you are a talented writer. On the other note I don't make new year resolutions anymore. I just try to do what you did and take stock of the things I didn't like and try to make it better in some way. I won't let those hobbits get to me.

    Andrea
    drealynn84@hotmail.com

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  6. I know what you mean about letting other people's opinions get to you. Last year I let some comments from some people in a group get to me so much that I couldn't even look at my computer without shaking and feeling like I was going to have a panic attack. But by the end of the year my life was so amazing that I realized that that was the storm before the rainbow. So I'm encouraging you with that. I think the really bad/horrible shit happens to distract us from the awesome things coming our way. I see AHMAHZING things coming your way!-Vic

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  7. Anonymous1/13/2012

    Cool, a new author to read!
    The books sound great.
    Thanks
    talia628@yahoo.com

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  8. Im soooooo far behind on my tbr list, but am always glad to add to it. This book and series sounds great. Im so adding it/them to my list.

    Kitana
    Kitana_wolff@yahoo.com

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  9. I love what you had to say about New Years Resolutions.

    Also, this sounds like a great book. I am going to have to go take a look at the first two.

    Tiffany
    bubbliemom@gmail.com

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  10. I never make resolutions. I know I'll never keep them. ;)

    I can't fight the hobbits!!! *sigh* Hubby is known on the net as Frodo. ;)

    This book (and series) sounds great!

    Stacy Wilson

    dragn_lady at yahoo dot com

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  11. Anonymous1/13/2012

    Just bought the first and second books and loved them cant wait to read the next one. If its as awesome as the others I know I'm gonna love it.
    vampireawakening@gmail.com

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  12. Congrats on getting published. I would read the reviews, but not rush to change anything based on just one opinion, but if you see a theme repeatedly coming up you need to take a good look at it.

    I fll in the 99.9% failure category, I don't bother making resolutions any more.

    acm05atjuno.com

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  13. sounds like a real good book would love to win a copy if I don't I just might save my money and buy it myself.

    teeddragon68@gmail.com

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  14. Great post! I don't believe in resolutions and just try every new year to not let the bad stuff in life get to me so much. The book blurb you showed us sounds great and it's definitely going on my wishlist.

    joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

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  15. Oh! I so need to get this series!
    It sounds great! I saw the first book and thought about getting it but it just kinda passed me by. Now I am so going to!

    Judi
    arella3173_loveless(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. Anonymous1/15/2012

    I find your Ravyn's series really fascinating.I'm working on getting the first book in the series.

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