Happy New Year!

The past year has had many ups and downs in my family and friends lives. 

I have spent many hours writing, thinking, crying, laughing, and contemplating my life.

I think part of being a writer is the contemplation.

Thinking, observing, and dreaming.

Life is full of times to face reality, but then a writer dreams.

I love the moments I have in my days that I dream, looking around my surroundings and see them differently, and fully.

I know that this next year will have challenges. I think it’s the way we face and attack those challenges that make life worth living.

Face forward, wide eyed, and attack!

I’m sitting in beautiful Lake Arrowhead, California, in a resort called Bruin Woods. My family and friends are here and we relax, play games, walk around the lake, and really do whatever we want. Today I even took a kickboxing class, so I’m sure I’ll be nice and sore soon. But right now I feel calm and peaceful. I don’t have to cook, clean, do laundry, or help the kids with homework.

It’s pure vacation.

Even though it’s up in Lake Arrowhead, it’s mid-60’s in the daytime, so the fire isn’t lit, but even so, here I sit in front of the fireplace and write. I’m in heaven. And I appreciate it!

My writing journey continues. Last night I finished my most recent revision of my middle-grade novel. I am so happy with how each revision improves the story. It’s many hours of work but the manuscript is so much stronger. Today, I worked further to improve my query and tightened up my synopsis.

I am almost ready to send it out to more agents.

But today, I sit and I dream. I play with my friends and family, and I laugh . . . a lot!

I am so thankful to my family, friends, and to everyone in my life.

My hope is that we all attack life, dream often, find more moments of heaven, and appreciate those moments to the fullest!

Happy, Healthy New Year,

Meredith