Spirits of the Past, Present, and Future

By Nancy Jill Thames

We here at Cozy Mystery Magazine wish you a Very Happy New Year! 

Like me, you may be making new year resolutions, beginning to organize your closets, or perhaps getting ready to read new books on an eReader you received as a gift. 

We've been busy, too. 

My hubby and I must watch at least four versions of A Christmas Carol every year, and it made me think about progress on our blog. Let's take a walk with our own spirits on Cozy Mystery Magazine.

In the Spirit of the Past over the last year-and-a-half we've brought you news of our books, introduced you to new authors, and had fun with contests, giveaways, and afternoon tea. The Spirit of the Past shows us posting five times a week has been our pleasure.


The Spirit of the Present shows us, however, we are branching out to Pinterest and our very own Cozy Mystery Magazine Facebook page. Our Cozy Mystery Magazine blog will now feature a new weekly article every Wednesday beginning today. We hope you'll join us at the new sites as you continue to read our posts.

Included in these changes is the departure of author S. Dionne Moore, our much enjoyed recipe posts contributor. She will be missed.

We Cozy Mystery Magazine authors are excited about the Spirit of the Future. I know each of us have published new books last year and have new books in the works.

I look forward to wrapping up the Spirits of the Past, Present, and Future for Jillian and Teddy with my last book in the series "The Long Trip Home." I'll keep you posted on the launch date. Afterward, Jillian will reappear in conjunction with a brand new series called "Lawrence" - stories about a clumsy but lovable amateur sleuth who is the husband of one of Jillian's friends. I think you'll enjoy them.

The only other book I plan to write in the near Future is a fictitious memoir called "The Wedding Vase" - a story based on my grandmother's life. As you can tell my work's cut out.

What about you? What are your plans for 2014?

See you in my books.

~Nancy Jill 

NANCY JILL THAMES

Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames has published Christian fiction since 2010. The author of seven books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award-winning blogger and  listed frequently on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List. In addition, she won first place in her church's 4th of July Celebration for her chocolate cream pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren in two states, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers' Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), CenTex-Chapter of ACFW, and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales. She resides with her husband in Leander, Texas.

To learn more about the author and check out her books, please visit her blog at  

Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames.

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Happy New Year!



Time to make those new years resolutions. Oh no, not again. How many times I've made them and never followed through. I found some tips that might help us with our goals - that is the catch word- goals instead of resoultions. We can make goals anytime. I hope these little tidbits will help you reachyour potentials.

 

 

 

10 Stratagies For Reaching Your Goals

 

10) Focus on one goal. The fewer things your brain has to deal with the better, then you'll be able to focus your motivation on one goal increasing the chances you'll succeed.

 

9) Get someone to hold you accountable. Tell your goals to a few close family and friends who will be honest with you and keep you on the right track.

 

8) Set Ultra-Specific Goals. The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to reach that goal. "Lose weight" or "get in shape" is a bad resolution; "Lose 15 pounds by March" is a good one. Setting multiple specific goals throughout the year is good, too. That way, you always have something attainable to focus on that doesn't seem far off.

 

7) Piggyback your goal with existing habits. If your resolution involves building small habits—like, say, flossing every day or taking daily vitamins—you can "piggyback" these habits with other, already-established ones. Stick your dental floss in your shower and floss during your shower, or put your vitamin jar inside your kitchen cupboard so you always remember to take them when you eat breakfast.

 

6) Give yourself a trial run. Give yourself a 30-day trial run to work out the kinks, where you can let yourself stumble a bit and tweak your goals to something better suited for success. Keep in mind that not all habits are formed in 21 days, as conventional wisdom says, so even after the trial run, give yourself time to sink into the habit before you start admitting defeat.

 

5) Trick your mind. Focus on anything that makes you feel like you're succeeding. If you're trying to lose weight, eating from smaller plates will make you "feel" fuller, even if you're eating the same amount of food, for example. Do whatever you need to do to trick your mind and you'll be well on your way to success.

 

4) Visualize the end result. If you're having trouble staying motivated, focus on what you'll get from your end goal—whether that's feeling better at a lower weight, being able to impress your friends with your new guitar skills, or just being able to breathe now that you've quit smoking. Staying positive seems like common sense, but it can be hard when you're in the middle of a big plateau.

 

3) Closely measure your progress. If you've created specific goals, then getting positive reinforcement should be easy. Every time your each one of those goals—even if it's just a daily goal—mark it off on a checklist or calendar.

 

2) Remind yourself of your goals everyday. If you're having trouble keeping your goals at the forefront of your mind, you can use one of any number of tricks to constantly remind yourself (besides tracking your progress). Set an alarm on your phone with a message of why you're doing this, record yourself on a webcam every day, or use dry erase markers to write your goals on your bathroom mirror.

 

1) Start right now. Why wait until New Year's Day? Whether you're reading this at the end of December or in the middle of July, start right now—even with small changes to prepare you for the big push—and you'll be one step closer to achieving your goals. There's no reason your goals need to start on January 1st, so call up those accountability buddies, jot down your milestones, and get started with that resolution right now.

http://lifehacker.com/5971803/top-10-strategies-for-making-your-new-years-resolution-stick

 

 

                                                                          

 

 

Author Bio: Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.