Archive for the ‘quotes’ Category
It’s 2023, Time To Set New Goals
Posted January 3, 2023
on:- In: Books | Dreams | quotes | Writing
- 80 Comments
“Marilla, isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
LM Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
That is how I always feel on New Year’s Day. A new year with no mistakes yet! I am always so excited to make a list of goals, not all of them new, some are brought over from the year before as they didn’t get met. And that’s OK. Some have been on the list for a few years already. Things happen when they are supposed to.
Here is my list for 2023
- Read Mom’s five-year diary by reading one page a day. It will be great to learn more about Mom as a teenager.
2. Finish Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones, book number ten in the Amanda Travels series.
3. Publish my collection of short stories based on my childhood growing up on the Canadian prairies.
4. Learn how to self-publish
5. Return to Canada and attend a family reunion
6. Create a newsletter.
7. Clean up and sort out my office.
8. Clean up my computer and tablet
9. Read and write more poetry
10. Eat out more often. Since the pandemic, we have gotten out of the habit and I’m getting tired of cooking all the time.
11. Read 48 books. I’m going to try for this reading goal again.
12. Work on reducing my TBR pile on my bookshelves and on my Kindle
13. Maintain my health; reduce my sugar intake
14. Visit Ireland
15. Continue marketing my books and looking for new ways to market
That should keep me busy enough so I don’t get bored.
My words for 2023 are Savour the Moment
Wishing everyone a super 2023: May many of your dreams come true!

First Day of Spring Cover Reveal
Posted March 21, 2022
on:- In: Books | quotes
- 82 Comments

“That is one good thing about this world…there are always sure to be more springs.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea
I hope everyone is enjoying the first day of spring if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. This is typically a time for new birth. So to celebrate, I am revealing the cover of my upcoming new birth, book #9 of the Amanda Travels series.
Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral
Amanda is in love! With Paris – the city of love. She’s in awe of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. While there, she gets to work as a volunteer and stay in a famous bookstore, along with her bestie Leah and Leah’s eccentric Aunt Jenny. A dream come true for a book lover like Amanda.
Except, while she’s at the Paris Opera House there is a bomb threat. Then the lights go out during their visit to the Louvre. Worst of all, a devastating fire blazes in Notre Dame. Why does a mysterious man, who claims to be a busker, writer and artist, show up every time something bad happens?
Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the colourful gardens of the painter Claude Monet, all the time looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic cathedral.
Comments from beta readers:
Children all over the world, impatiently waiting for this latest addition to the Amanda travel series, will not be disappointed! M. Iberg
I found the book compelling in the way a tragic news story has been woven into a mystery for children. Readers will want to explore more about the famous cathedral after reading this book. S. MacArthur
So, without further ado… Drum roll please… Here it is!

I hope you love it as much as I do.
The book is scheduled to be birthed, I mean released in September 2022.
“If people did not love one another, I really don’t see what use there would be in having any spring.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

- In: Books | guest posts | quotes | reviews | Writing
- 38 Comments
I ‘ve read some amazing books this year. But the most incredible reading experience I’ve had was joining a read-along which enabled me to complete The Brothers Karamazov. The Book Club Mom has shared my review.
Title: The Brothers Karamazov
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Genre: Classic/Literature
What’s it about? I have wanted to read this novel for years but found it intimidating. I recently joined a read-along where we read one chapter a day of this amazing book. That was one chapter a day for 96 days! I am so glad I did as it was the best way to savour this incredible story. It is essentially a story of three, possibly four, very different brothers from a dysfunctional family, and how their actions affect each other and the people around them. One brother is a ladies’ man and a spendthrift, another an intellectual and the youngest, kind and religious.
The story covers everything, love, hate, family, religion, history, philosophy, mystery and much more. Every chapter makes you think, some make you laugh and others make you sad. The themes are timeless and as…
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2021 – A New Year, A New Page
Posted January 3, 2021
on:- In: Books | Dreams | quotes | Writing
- 78 Comments
For many years I have set goals for the coming year. They help to keep me focused and be productive. This year I was reluctant to set any goals because it is hard to make plans when things are still so uncertain. But then I decided the best thing is to just carry on as usual. Goals are not written in stone. They can always be adjusted or carried over to the next year. So before I went to bed on January 1st, I wrote down some goals. I also believe goals need to be shared in order to be effective. Here they are!
Goals for 2021
- Come up with innovative ideas to market Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady
- Plan a trip to Canada to launch Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady
- Visit family and friends in Canada as soon as it is safe to do so
- Finish writing Amanda in Spain: Fire in the Cathedral
- Read and review at least 40 good books
- Visit new places in Spain
- Continue to help other writers
- Organize computer files
- Attend conferences and workshops on line
- Do podcast and video interviews and presentations
- Visit schools digitally and in-person if possible
- Find markets for my short stories
- Adopt a buddy for Dot
- Stay safe and stay positive

In recent years, I have been encouraged by other bloggers to pick three words for the year. I really like this idea and usually pick the first three words that come to mind.
These are my words for 2021.
Strength
Love
Hope
My wish for everyone for 2021 is to be strong, share the love and never give up hope! And drink good tea and read good books.

SENIOR SALON 2018
Posted March 20, 2018
on:- In: guest posts | quotes
- 13 Comments
Check out the reopened Senior Salon. A great place to show off your blog posts and meet some amazing new bloggers.
This will be the very first, and I hope of many to come, Senior Salon link-ups here at The Recipe Hunter
The above picture is one of our personal pictures, as will be all pictures used in the SENIOR SALON 2018. Quote
March 19 – 23, 2018
Linkup will Start: March 19, 2018, 02:00 am and Ends: March 23, 2018, 8:00 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).
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It’s That Time Again
Posted January 3, 2018
on:- In: Dreams | quotes
- 86 Comments
I hope 2018 has started out well for everyone! As is my habit, I sat on my terrace in the sun, took out a pen and paper and scribbled down my goals for the coming year. I feel I need to share them with you. So here they are
Darlene’s Goals for 2018
1. Finish Amanda in Holland -Missing in Action
2. Publish an anthology of short stories about growing up on the Canadian prairies
3. Go on a driving holiday to Paris with Paul and Dot
4. Attend a Writer’s Conference in the UK
5. Have the house painted
6. Take some mini get-aways
7. Visit places I haven’t been before
8. Start Amanda in Malta
9. Find new markets for my books
10. Promote other authors
11. Help my daughter with her pottery business
12. Create more girlfriend time (I miss this from my life in Canada)
13. Hold more dinner parties
14. Be with mom on her 90th birthday
There you have it. Wish me luck!
My three words for this year are
Create
Happiness
Friendship
I will leave you with a thought by Anne Lamott from her book “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life”
“Oh my God, what if you wake up someday, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen.”
and from the amazing Neil Gaiman
“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”
Have a surprising 2018 and thanks for following my blog, inspiring me and being my friend!
- In: Inspiration | quotes
- 30 Comments
This is me some days!! Thanks for this Lynn.