Posts Tagged ‘writing’
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!

2022 Goal Review
Posted December 31, 2022
on:- In: Books | Dreams | Writing
- 76 Comments

2022 is almost over and it’s time to take stock and see how I did with the goals I set at the beginning of the year. To be honest it was not a bad year, certainly better than the two before. I was fairly cautious about setting goals as so many plans had been dashed previously. We are still not comfortable about doing much travelling but are enjoying spending time with our two dogs instead.
I’m a habitual planner, so setting goals and making plans keeps me going.

Not meeting a goal is not a bad thing. It can just be added to the next year’s list. Or maybe it is no longer important and can be struck off permanently! Let’s see how I did with meeting my 2022 goals.
Goals for 2022
- Publish Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral
Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral was published by Central Avenue Publishers and released on September 13th. I am happy to report that this book is doing well and I’ve received many positive reviews.
2. Publish a collection of short stories
I am working on this and have polished the collection of stories but have not published it yet.
3. Learn how to self-publish
Haven’t done this yet.
4. Start writing a new book
I have started writing Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones (working title). I even returned to The Isle of Arran to do more research this year.
5. Market my books in person and online
I am pleased with my marketing efforts for 2022. Online marketing has gone very smoothly with great results. I’m eternally grateful to the blogging community who have been so very supportive. I also visited bookstores, libraries and schools in three Canadian provinces doing signings and presentations. I sold out of books in one store!
6. Return to Canada and spend time with family and friends in BC and Alberta
This was a highlight of the year. I saw so many family members and friends during my three-week visit to Canada in September, including both of my children and all of my grand and great-grandchildren.
7. Travel to at least one new place
I did this and the new place was Prince Edward Island, a Province on the east coast of Canada. A place I have wanted to visit since I read Anne of Green Gables when I was ten years old. I even had an opportunity to visit the house that inspired the author, Lucy Maude Montgomery, to write the novel.
8. Update my blog
I’ve done some work on this but still have more to do.
9. Buy a new computer
I did buy a new computer and just love it. The speed is incredible!
10. Take an online course
I’ve taken part in a few online courses, mostly via podcasts and Zoom meetings.
11. Read at least 48 books
According to my Goodreads challenge, I have read 46 books this year. But I also read 2 books that were not on Goodreads, and one of the books I read was War and Peace; that should count for 3 books at least! So I’m calling this a win.
12. Keep up to date with technology
This is something I really believe in and don’t want to fall behind. I have updated my new computer to Windows 11 and have had no problems with it at all. I tend to learn new things as needed.
13. Make new friends and stay in touch with old friends
“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet” – Will Rogers. I have turned a few strangers into new friends this year but have spent most of my time keeping in touch with my long-time friends. I was happy to have met a couple of blogging friends in person which is always special.
14. Keep calm and stay positive, no matter what
I did a good job of this in 2022 and it certainly reflected in my health and attitude.
I’m happy with the results and am ready to face 2023 with a new set of goals, along with some carried over.
How did you do this past year? Any surprises?

Happy New Year one and all!!
Amanda in France on NetGalley
Posted June 21, 2022
on:- In: Books | reviews
- 86 Comments
The final edits are done! Whew. At times it seems as if we will never get there but it always feels so good once we get to this stage.
Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral, the ninth book in the Amanda Travels series, is scheduled to be released on September 13, 2022. However, it is now available on NetGalley if you would like a free digital advanced reading copy and are willing to write a review. http://netgal.ly/eLELmj

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 book store, 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 gardens of the painter Claude Monet, all the time looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic cathedral.
Here is what beta readers have had to say about Amanda in France:
“Revisiting Paris with Amanda was a roller-coaster ride through the city I once knew so well. A great adventure story, and I couldn’t put it down!”
Maureen Moss, author of The Tour Guide Life – It Could be Yours, More to Life and There’s a Funnelweb on the Floor!
“Amanda’s latest romp around the world’s favourite city of love will appeal to both the armchair traveller and the mystery fan.” Gina McMurchy-Barber Author of The Jigsaw Puzzle King (Winner of the 2021 Silver Birch Awards)
“Children all over the world, impatiently waiting for this latest addition to your Amanda travel series, will not be disappointed!” Marion 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.” Sheila MacArthur
A short excerpt for you:
As night fell and the sky grew darker, roaring flames rose higher, painting the sky bright red, orange, and yellow. From inside, the sounds of crackling and falling timbers caused Amanda to shiver when she thought of the destruction. As if at a funeral, the crowd watched silently.
An immense sadness crushed Amanda’s chest.

I am excited to hear what readers think of this adventure.
- In: Books | contests | Writing
- 27 Comments

I have a giveaway to tell you about that you absolutely do not want to miss. Angela and Becca, the co-authors of The Emotion Thesaurus, are celebrating their book’s 10th anniversary with a massive giveaway!
They’ve scoured the internet for the best tools to help a writer strengthen their storytelling and give their career a boost – I’m talking software licences, subscriptions, course bundles, and even a full set of the Writers Helping Writers thesaurus guides. And some lucky writer is going to WIN IT ALL.
I would love for one of you to win, so head over to this post and enter by May 13th. And good luck!
Ten years ago, a good friend gave me a copy of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression for Christmas and it changed my writing life. I use it every day I write. I would suggest looking into The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression if you struggle with how to show your character’s emotion. This book has 130 different emotions and gives you lists of ways to describe them through body language, thoughts, visceral sensations, dialogue cues, and more. It’s helped me, and maybe it will help you!
(You can find a few sample entries here if you want to see what these lists look like.)
Congratulations Angela and Becca and thanks for making writing easier for those of us who call ourselves writers!
Happy Book Birthday!
Posted April 14, 2022
on:- In: Books | Dreams | reviews | Writing
- 104 Comments
On April 13th, 2010, my first book, Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask, was published by Central Avenue Publishing. An auspicious day for me and a dream come true! That was twelve years ago, and what a fabulous twelve years it has been.
The story is loosely based on a trip I took to the United Arab Emirates to visit a friend. I was so amazed at this part of the world, I felt compelled to write about it. After a few failed attempts, a twelve-year-old girl entered my mind and wanted to tell the story from her point of view. I named her Amanda and, well, the rest is history.
The book has had three different covers over the years.
Although Amanda in Arabia is twelve years old, I am happy to say it is still being read. Recently, I was delighted to read a review by James Cudney.
Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask is the first middle-grade book in Darlene Foster’s Amanda Travels series, and I very much enjoyed reading it. Amanda yearns to travel the world, and first up is the United Arab Emirates, but call it UAE or the Emirates as one of her new local friends wisely cautions her upon arrival. One of Amanda’s birthday wishes, this smart young girl finds herself visiting an aunt and uncle who live in the far-away country. Whether she’s magically or realistically transported is a question you’ll have to find out for yourself!
Readers will learn all about camels, the Persian Gulf, a princess who was almost forced to marry an older man, and many more culturally significant items of relevance. Both an educational and charming tale, the book offers a variety of themes and good old-fashioned fairy tale fun. Amanda makes several more international trips in future books (there are 8 to date in the series) and I’m keen to find out what she’s going to explore. You’ll enjoy her witty intelligence, and I’m sure if the shenanigans in this book are a sense of things to come, it will be a delightful collection of books that will appeal to a wide variety of personalities. Great job! – James J Cudney
James is a prolific reader and a great writer himself. Check out his blog where he writes honest reviews of a variety of books. He especially enjoys books in a series. https://thisismytruthnow.com/category/general-blog/
His own entertaining books can be found on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/James-J-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
A huge thank you to everyone who, over the years, has assisted and encouraged me, bought my books, told others about them and written reviews. You have made these past twelve years an incredible part of my life!
Amanda in Arabia is available on all Amazon sites as well as at other booksellers.