To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.
This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dear Readers,
Christmastime has always held a special place in my heart –a season filled with warmth, stories, and quiet moments shared with the ones we love. This book was written with that spirit in mind. I wanted to create a story that families could enjoy together, snuggled under blankets, wrapped in the glow of holiday lights.
If you are looking for a gift that brings imagination, laughter, and gentle lessons about friendship, I hope you will consider this little adventure. It is a story meant to be shared–read aloud, wondered over, and remembered. May it bring joy to your home this Christmas and become part of your family’s holiday traditions.
I wish I could stop the overthinking before I decide to do something. It has always been a problem and it stops me from achieving what I want to do. Overthinking brings about uncertainty, fear, and headaches!
Why do I overthink? I don’t know. It just happens and it seems that it is the first line of defense against something that is new. I take the new problem, I call it a problem, and take out the magnifying glass. I come in from all angles, I stay there for a while, and then I come up with, “I don’t think I want to do this!” If that’s not enough, I come up with a hundred different reasons as to why it would be a bad idea.
I wish I could be more spontaneous but the problem is you can’t change something that easily once it has been part and parcel of your lifestyle. Overthinking has kept me from danger, it has protected me from jumping in with both feet before I’ve had a chance to take stock of what I’m doing and it has been a “friend” in some ways. However, it has also worked towards my detriment.
What to do? I could use a little more spontaneity and less of overthinking. That would be a happy medium. Still working on it, so let’s see how it turns out.
To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.
This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dear Parents, Teachers, and Friends,
As I wrote this book, I hoped it would be more than just a moment of entertainment, I wanted it to be a story that children could return to –one that gently encourages courage, kindness, and empathy. The characters learn to support one another, face fears, and discover what friendship truly asks of us. These are lessons that grow alongside young readers.
Whether shared in a classroom, a library, or at bedtime, this story offers children a safe and magical place to explore big feelings through small adventures. Thank you for choosing stories that help young readers grow strong and tender at the same time.
This past year has seen both good and bad events. I will talk about the good events. One of them was the publication of my book, The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie. It took forever to get it published and the waiting time was filled with frustration but there was a euphoric high when it was finally out there. Seeing it in print was a feeling I can’t really describe. Happiness was one thing, my writing being out there was another, and a certain nervousness as to what happens next followed.
I think every writer goes through those emotions. Will it make it was the other question? Will it be liked? Will it bomb? You get the drift. However, the first reviews were positive. Then more started coming in. They were mostly positive and then, it hit. I call it a bad review because it brought me back to earth with a loud thud! I was angry, sad, confused, and a whole host of other emotions I can’t even begin to describe. I decided to climb out of the hole, of my own making, and to take it in stride. Then followed more reviews and when the teachers, parents, and educators decided to join in and called it, “a classic in the making,” I was back up again.
If you’re a new author, here’s the thing. It seems that all 5-star ratings are not always a good thing, especially if you have a lot of reviews, according to you know who. Having a mix is a better way to go. I don’t know if that is true but the book is doing fine and I’m still waiting for that movie director to pick it up and say, “Here’s a hit movie in the making!” Hasn’t happened yet but fingers crossed!
The other thing that I’m still working on is to get “me” in a better place. Dating the wrong guys, putting up with false friendships, and learning to go it alone until I know what I really want and will tolerate in my life is taking some time. It is a work in progress. There has been ups and downs, falling flat on my face, picking myself back up again and thinking it is an impossible task to do. However, I am finding that I’ve made headway. The “wrong guys” have been sent packing, I’ve said goodbye to fake friendships and I am seeing a new person emerge out of the fog so to speak. She is much stronger, knows her self-worth and is ready to tackle whatever life throws her way. It doesn’t mean that I’ve made it. It just means that I’m willing to accept the challenge and to see what is out there as I make my way up the mountain top.
Will next year bring something better? I don’t know but positivity brings positivity as they say. One can only hope!
Daily writing prompt
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.
This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dear Friends,
Every writer has a place where their stories begin. For me, it was a quiet patch of woods behind my childhood home — sunlight through the branches, the soft rustle of leaves, and endless room for imagination. I wrote this story to return to that place, to honor the wonder I felt there, and to share it with young readers who are discovering their own worlds of make-believe.
This book allowed me to revisit the magical creatures and brave little characters that lived in my mind long ago. Writing it felt like opening a door to a forgotten corner of my heart. My hope is that, in reading it, children feel inspired to explore their own imaginations with joy and curiosity.
Thank you for letting me share a piece of my childhood with you.
It is that time of year when there seems to be a certain something in the air. It just feels kinder, softer and gentler. People seem friendlier, more in tune with life and rushing around becomes a “must do” and even though the hustle and bustle is not liked in some circles, it is part and parcel of the season.
Driving home yesterday, I noticed the Christmas tree vendor setting up his booth for the mad dash of Christmas tree buying. Not fake ones but ones that make your living room smell wonderful and out of the ordinary as the countdown begins to Christmas. I’ve always loved the scent of fresh pine accompanying my morning coffee as I go back in time to Christmases past.
However, it is not just about the good times, joyful times, the cozy times, but also about the moments I still hold dear in my heart. Memories of Christmases past where a special someone was there and he made Christmas so much better. The sale of Christmas trees brought back some memories that also brought a ache to the heart. He is gone now but those memories remain. The way he would make his way here excitedly on weekends ready to make Christmas a fantastic affair. A fresh tree was a must, he got the tree and I did the decorating. Menu planning was left up to me but there was always something special on the table, he made sure of that. Presents galore were all his doing and he loved giving. The Christmas tree vendor brought back some memories as I am sure more will come rushing in as we get closer to Christmas. He’s an “angel” now, this friend of mine, having earned his wings and I’m sure he’ll be singing with the rest of the angels welcoming the season in. Have a fantastic Christmas, “my angel.”
“But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round…as a good time, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.” Charles Dickens
It is a time to rejoice, to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season, to breathe a little freer and to hug a little tighter. A time to step back, to sit by the fireplace with a cup of something warm and to take in the beauty of Christmas time. Sure, memories will rush in, they will hurt at times, you will shed a few tears, but when all is said and done, it is the most beautiful time of the year.
No, not really except for in documentaries. I call Chachi, the cat, the Lion King but that doesn’t mean anything. He just looks like one, a smaller version of Mufasa but with an attitude!
Other than that, I see deer all the time as I go walking in nature. They seem pretty tame or at least they seem to be from a distance. Once, one dashed out from the woodline just a short distance away and took off to the open fields. No harm done but it did shock me. I’ve heard that we have wild boar in the forest but I’ve never seen them. Also, there are wild dogs. It seems they attacked a deer brutally and left it to die in the forest. A warning sign was posted everywhere after that but I’ve never seen any of them, but when I pass a patch of woods, I listen carefully just in case they are lying in wait but so far nothing. I did see a huge red fox streaking across the fields once heading somewhere in haste. Perhaps, it was late for a date!
To my loyal readers, friends, and WP buddies, you know who you are.
This year, I want to share with you a series of letters I composed with gratitude for helping make The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie a success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dear Friends,
Some of my happiest childhood memories came from wandering through the quiet woods behind my home — places where imagination felt as real as the trees themselves. When I began writing this book, I returned to that world with the same sense of wonder I felt as a child. Every page reflects a piece of that enchanted place, filled with curiosity, friendship, and the simple joy of letting imagination run free.
It warms my heart to share this story with you. My hope is that, whether you are reading it with a child or rediscovering your own sense of wonder, these pages bring a little magic into your day. Thank you for stepping into this adventure with me.
It is one of the hardest things to do. You’ve got a plan in hand, all set to go, you take off and then you come to a screeching halt! What happened? Life did. Your focus is not on what you need to get done, the noise surrounding you is too loud, it is hard to concentrate and “giving up” is less work and easier to do. You are at a standstill not knowing which direction to take or worse still, you don’t have the energy to carry on.
“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” Unknown
How do you starve your distractions? First, what are distractions? They are defined as, “things like technology (phones, social media, websites, YouTube, video games, Netflix), other people, or noises around you,” all vying for your attention and quite often they win.
“Stay focused on your goals and ignore the noise.” Unknown
Not easy to do, I know. I’ve let distractions get the better of me and what I could have achieved in a short amount of time took forever and a longer route to get there. You have a plan? If not, make one. You want to get somewhere? You’ve got to focus. Here’s the truth. If you don’t focus, you’re left by the wayside. Tony Robbins once said, “Your life is controlled by what you focus on.”
Focus on the good things and you get more of the same. Focus on doing better and you will. Focus on what’s in front of you and you’ll start moving forward.
FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!
Oh, one more thing.
“You decide how to show up, and you’d better come correct: the way you look, what you say, how you act and react. No excuses! Get in front of the mirror and own what you see. You may have to drag your fabulousness out of hiding, but it’s there.” Alyssa Edwards
AND
“The more you focus on you, the better you become.” Unknown
Cut out the noise and the excuses. Zero in on what you want. You’re allowed to waver now and then but get back on track. FOCUS, and you’re halfway there, the rest needs work!
I’ve visited many places during my lifetime but the one that I still see in my mind is this place that mom and dad took us to as children. It was in Singapore and the air was scented with night blooming jasmine. Dad wouldn’t tell us where we were headed but it wasn’t too far from where we lived.
We arrived at this open field and it was getting dark. Dad said, “Wait for it.” Sure enough, tiny flickers of light began to form all over the field, dim at first and then as the night grew darker, the lights became brighter. It was mesmerizing and magical. I had never seen anything like it before so I asked, “What are they?”
Dad said, “Fireflies.”
I didn’t know what fireflies were but it didn’t matter. I was caught up in the magic of the moment. Soon, they were all around us and as the parents watched, the children ran around trying to catch them. Dad handed out small glass containers and I managed to catch a few of them. They twinkled within the confines of that container and I watched dazzled by their magic. I thought they were tiny little fairies at first but dad set me straight on that theory. He decided I had enough imagination going on in that little head of mine!
However, it is a place I’ve visited many times during my childhood and it never failed to keep me captivated. If you’ve never seen a field full of fireflies lighting up the night then you’ve missed out on a wonderful display of “magic.”
I’ve visited many places since then and seen gorgeous sunsets, beautiful beaches, fantastic landscapes that have taken my breath away but my first encounter with the fireflies still is at the top of the list.
Daily writing prompt
Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?
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