Meet Beautiful Singles

By Marilyn Brant

Call it an occupational hazard of having spent so many years as a teacher but, to me, the "New Year" never really started on January 1st. Instead, I always liked to ring it in on July 1st -- yes, today -- when the old school year had officially ended and the new school calendar was set to begin. (So, hey, let's bring out the noisemakers and pop some champagne, shall we?!)

For my family, the winter holidays are routinely a frantic time of trying to meet up with relatives and friends -- often amid snowstorms, hail, and freezing temps, given that most of us live in the American Midwest. But mid-summer? Busy, to be sure, but my husband is a high school teacher and our son is a teen...so, we all still think of early July as vacation time with a range of more laid-back family events, fun outdoor activities, and evenings when we can stay up late and watch DVDs together without needing to get up the next morning at the crack of dawn.

An eight-novel romantic comedy boxed set -- LOVE, LAUGHTER & HAPPILY EVER AFTERS -- on sale for a limited time for just 99 cents at: AMAZON = http://amzn.com/B00K8HWYOA B&N = http://tinyurl.com/LoveLaughterHEA-BN iBOOKS = http://tinyurl.com/LLHEA-BoxSet-iBooks KOBO = http://tinyurl.com/LLHEA-BoxSet-Kobo  GOOGLEPLAY = http://tinyurl.com/LLHEA-BoxSet-GooglePlay

Because of the lighter workload for us all, we tend to finally have time to review the highlights of the prior July-through-June year, reflect on the most meaningful accomplishments for each of us, and look ahead to our goals for the next year. There always seems to be some challenge we're especially proud of having mastered (for me, it was hitting the USA Today Bestseller List for the first time back in September), and at least a handful of new ones that we're still striving to meet. (I'm definitely still waiting for that Hollywood movie deal...LOL.)

I appreciate the time the three of us get to spend sharing these achievements and goals with each other, though. It's become a family tradition. My husband and I have collected two decades' worth of them since we got married, and it's an intriguing thing to look back on what we'd hoped to accomplish five or ten or fifteen years ago. To see which dreams we succeeded in reaching, which ones we've still got our fingers crossed about, and which ones we dropped because they proved to no longer be as important to us as they once were.

PRIDE, PREJUDICE & THE PERFECT BET (the sequel to Pride, Prejudice &the Perfect Match), coming in JULY!!

In my writing career in particular, where it can be a long time between major achievements, I've found I needed both the encouragement that comes from reminding myself of goals I've met -- even tiny ones -- and taking the time to daydream about those I still wish to plan for and pursue...

It takes a lot of courage to keep working toward a big goal (it's a long game, this novel-writing thing) so, in my opinion, it's necessary to applaud the small steps along the way. We ought to pause at least once every year and acknowledge the hard work we've done in the prior 12 months. For me, that day is today. For some of you, it may be January 1st. For others, another time. But, whenever it is, I really do hope you'll celebrate. You deserve it!!

Do you have any goals you're especially proud of having accomplished in the past year and/or some big goals you're still hoping to achieve? I'd love to hear about them! :)

___

I always get so motivated at the start of a new year.  New beginnings, a chance to start over, a chance to do new things.

And this year, I'm doing something I've never done before.  My fourth novel will be published this winter, but it won't be on the bookshelves at your local bookstore.  No, this time I'm doing something a bit different.

This novel will only be published as an e-book.

No pretty paperback to display on my bookshelf.  No book parties at my local indie and at Barnes and Noble where my friends can come hear me read and then buy my book.  No actual, physical books anywhere to be found.

No, this one will be ordered solely by a click of the mouse.

When the fabulous Jason Pinter contacted me about his new independent publishing house, Polis Books, I jumped at the chance to work with him.  Only, I was halfway into my two-book deal with St. Martin's.  I didn't know what I would do-- I was working on book two for St. Martin's, and that was taking all of my free time.  But, then it hit me:  I had a book proposal that I was completely in love with, but never sold due to changes in the publishing landscape.  I asked Jason if he wanted to take a peek.

The rest, as they say, his history.  Polis Books will be publishing THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB this winter.  I don't have an exact pub date yet, but isn't that the fun of e-publishing?  Immediacy.  The second Jason and I decide that the book's ready to go out in the world, a few clicks, and you will be able to find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, or anywhere you buy your e-books.

Jason's already designed a gorgeous cover for the book, so we're just about ready to launch.

Now, you may recognize this book as my "drawer" novel, the one book I wrote but never saw the light of day.  Well, light: here it comes!!  (You can still read the first chapter if you'd like by clicking here!)  I'm so very excited about trying something new.  It's fun, a bit scary, and totally liberating to just go for it.

To celebrate the impending publication of LONELY HEARTS, I'll be reading at Lady Jane's Salon this Monday.  I'd love to see you there!  That is, if the snow clears by then....


What new things will YOU be doing this new year?