A beautiful winter

So instead of talking about my writing I thought I show you pictures from the hikes I have taken this winter.  Views that keep me inspired.  The first five are from a 14.2 mile hike on the west side of Michigan.  My cousin and I were the first ones out on this section of the North Country Trail after a snowfall.  We hiked through about 4inches of snow.  It was absolutely beautiful.   I forgot my camera so these were taken with my dumb phone.  I was so frustrated because the pictures could have been so much better.  As we walked, I kept thinking how other-worldly the Earth looked.  

These next photos are from hikes in the woods near my home that I take when I have a hard time focusing, the dog needs a walk, or I just need to be outside.  They were taken with a point and shoot camera. (I bought it because it was Amanda proof - it could be dropped, it was waterproof, works in below freezing temperatures, and could be ran over by a car.  At the time it was a great purchase, but now, since I've been writing, I see so much more beauty in the world that I wish I could capture.)

These last two are my favorite with the last one being a place I love the most in the winter.  I love how the branch is curved over the trail like a doorway and the way the snow accents the beauty of it all.  They cut the fallen tree this past summer so that it doesn't block the trail which kind of made me sad - I loved to sit there.  It's still an amazing place though.  

"I Lived" by One Republic

Last year the song "Best Day of My Live" by American Authors grabbed tight to my soul. I listened to it everyday, never tiring of it. For the most part I accomplished what I set out to do. I strived to make each day the best day.  It's pretty amazing how one song can speak so much in only a few minutes.  As I flipped through my photos I have taken over the year, I was throughly impressed at what a great life I had in 2014.  Granted not everything was the best, but when I lacked optimism and strength, God made sure there was someone to help me through it.  Sometimes it was just a smile, sometimes an unexpected hug, sometimes my children laughing, or compliment I didn't think I deserved. I can honestly say that 2014 was a wonderful year.  I may not have finished as much as I wanted in my writer's world, but I never stopped, I never gave up, and in 365 days I did something for my writing everyday.  Whether it was writing, reading, editing, revising, promoting, brainstorming,  at the end of the day I can say I accomplished another piece to one of my stories.  The conclusion was a resounding: being a writer is not option.  It is part of what makes every day the best day of my life.

Moving into 2015, "I Lived" by One Republic has rooted itself in my soul:

"Hope when the moment comes you'll say:
I did it all
I owned every second that this world could give
I saw so many places
The things that I did
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived..."

I hope this year that each day I will make sure I do something that makes me feel alive. I hope that even when things are bad, I'll believe there's better things to come.  I hope I'll always remember that I am blessed because I made a positive difference in someone else's life. I hope at the end of each day I'll swear I lived.  

This video is pretty awesome. I find One Republic pretty inspirational in their music and lyrics.  And their last couple of videos have left me glad that I watched.

What to expect from me in writing?  Definitely the Shadow Dragon book 3!  I am very excited with how this story grew.  It started from a dream I had while I was camping a few years ago.  Something about a girl and a guy who couldn't be together because of what might happen - and he knew it wouldn't be good, but he couldn't not love her.  Of course the rest of that dream is nothing like the book.  It was just an idea.  When I was writing it, I had only expected it to be one book, but it turned into two.  And now it looks like it's going to be four books!  It's so amazing how that happens.

I'm also hoping to get Story 13 published.  On a side note: I read through my list of stories that I have started (it's a sheet of paper with the story number,  the main characters, and how many words have been written) and realized I totally forgot that I finished Story 9.  However my friend still has it.  (I'll have to see if she's even taken a peek.  I mean if I forgot about it, what's to say she hasn't.)  So hopefully that one should be on the published list this year too.  Which makes a definite 3 books published in 2015 with the chance there will be more.  My brain never stops, which means the possiblities are abounding!  

One thing stands out to me with this song being my inspiration for the year: I am looking forward to the adventure that awaits!