This is a prompt I shared in one of my author mastermind groups - it had so much participation and the feedback was great so I thought I'd share it here... Hope it helps! Whether you are just beginning your writing journey or you have been sitting on a manuscript that deserves to finally be finished — this prompt is for you. Set aside 15 quiet, uninterrupted minutes today and answer this honestly: "Where do I want my book and my writing life to be one year from now — not next week. What small, steady actions do I need to take every single day to make that vision a reality?" Think beyond the word count and the deadlines. Think about how you want to feel as a writer one year from now. Do you want to hold a finished manuscript in your hands? See your name on a published cover? Write it down. All of it. Without editing. Without second guessing. Without lowering your expectations to something that feels safer or more realistic. Next, write down the one small daily action (the one that matters most) that when done consistently for the next twelve months would make that vision a reality. Books are not written in grand dramatic marathons of inspiration. They are written in quiet, consistent, daily acts of showing up for the story only you can tell... Feel free to share your "where do I want my book and writing life to be one year from now." This is a great place to find encouragement from one another... I just answered this last week so will share mine in the comments...

A couple of weeks ago @Sierra Melcher mentioned submitting your cover for "Cover of the Month" Contest. Last day to sign up is the 28th, I just did mine. Who else has submitted theirs?

I’ll go first. For me, it would be Ernest Hemingway. I’ve read most of his books. I’ve visited his home in Key West. And yes… I’ve even “partied” with fellow fans during Hemingway Days years ago. There’s something about his spare, disciplined prose that fascinates me. So much emotion beneath so few words. The famous iceberg theory, what’s unsaid carrying more weight than what’s written. My question for him would be: "How did you decide what to leave out?" "How did you know when restraint would say more than explanation?" As someone who writes from story, experience, and heart… that balance between what to reveal and what to withhold is endlessly intriguing to me. I tend to overexplain things and sometime it takes me 4 or 5 reads and rewrites to whittle out the 'fluff.' So, if you could sit across the table from any author with no time limits, who would it be… and what would you ask them about how they write? ps. image created with AI ...

We are seeking 2-3 more reviews to include in our book and use in the promo materials. HINT: This gets you more visibility, too. If you are an expert in the field (women/leadership/business) If you are an author If you are not an author of the anthology If you can get us 1-2 sentences by March 2nd Please raise your hand I will send you a pdf to scan & review. Thank you in advance.

Hi! Have you been getting AI-spammy-feeling messages about the Goodreads Choice Awards and having your book added to the reading challenge? I pushed back on one of the emails, and I finally think I got a response written by a real human... it was quite different in tone and style compared to her previous ones. What's your take on this latest email exchange/reply? Is this a real opportunity to bring my book to a new reader community, or is it just another distraction and annoying phishing email? I'm leaning towards it being a scam, but my brain is foggy and, again, this email is different than the original one that for sure was edited and polished with AI. I'm also pretty sure from Goodreads Author Dashboard that I can add my books to the Choice Awards site without paying $225 to a third party. What has your experience been with this kind of cold-marketing baiting? I appreciate your insights. *** From the latest email exchange with this mystery woman named Kate: "Thank you for being direct and asking these questions so clearly I genuinely respect that. Authors should verify opportunities carefully, and I’m happy to answer everything transparently so you can make an informed decision. First, I want to clarify something important: I am not a moderator or employee of Goodreads or the Goodreads Choice Awards itself. I work in partnership with independent reader communities that organize discussion challenges built around Goodreads Choice Awards recognized titles and similar books readers already engage with on Goodreads. My role is coordinating author participation and guiding books into those reader discussions so engagement happens in an organized, intentional way. About websites and links The Goodreads Choice Awards themselves are hosted directly on Goodreads, which you can view here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards The reading challenge operates inside an existing reader community environment rather than through a standalone public website. That’s why there isn’t a single public registration page onboarding happens through direct coordination once an author decides the program is a fit.