It’s that time of the year again where everyone or almost everyone makes a resolution for the new year. I usually try to keep mine but within a month or two I usually forget what it was.

This year my new nephew will be my inspiration. You see Zachary Ethan Goodwin wasn’t meant to arrive for another week but decided to change his parents and doctor’s plan and come early. Both baby and Mom are doing fabulous.

However his arrival made me realize that I need to put myself first a little more and try not to control every aspect of my life. So I’m looking to live a little and relax. Hopefully I’ll meet interesting people and have a ball all at once.

What do you have planned for the new years?

I started work at SAIC Canada 9 years ago (or it will be on Jan 2). I didn’t start surfing their employee forum until earlier this year. That’s where I posted a little about myself, Deadly Secrets and the American Breast Cancer Foundation. Ok I did this at the urging of two co-workers (Thanks Trish and Caroline). I had a few people contact me and suggest I fill out Life@SAIC Profiles. I didn’t think anything would happen other than be filed away.

I was very happy when they featured my profile in an email that is sent to all 40,000+ employees around the world. The shock came when I was contacted by someone asking if they could use my profile when promoting the company to potential clients and then did an interview about me and my book. This means more people would know about the American Breast Cancer Foundation and my book of course.

Today I found out that close to 1,000 employees have filled out their profile and out of those I am 5^th most viewed profile and one of the top 10 employees to get to know in 2009. Now isn’t that cool! I certainly think it is.

Yesterday I finished another Jillian Hart book. I love her stuff. She never disappoints. I had read THE SOLDIER’S HOLIDAY VOW. This book is about Mark Hawkins “Hawk” and September Stevens. Hawk is a soldier who wants a family, but not one he leaves behind when he goes off on missions as his career demands it. While September has already lost one true love to war, Tim Granger, her fiancé and Hawk’s best friend since childhood.

In this book both its 2 years since Tim’s death and they are both still healing from it. Both September and Hawk fight their feelings and love for one another, determined to stay just friends in order keep their hearts safe from heartbreak. However their hearts didn’t get the message because both fall for each other, hard. Both learn to let go of the past, their fears and live fully for today.

This was a wonderful book. Ms Hart wrote it in such a way that you felt exactly what her characters were going through. I would definitely recommend this book. You won’t be disappointed, I wasn’t.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.

In the spirit of Christmas I’d like to recommend a fabulous novella from bestselling erotic romance author Opal Carew. CHRISTMAS ANGEL was released on Christmas Eve and is only $299. If you buy it now through Opal’s website you get a copy of my book in ebook format for FREE (a donation will still be made to the American Breast Cancer Foundation even though you didn’t purchase a copy of DEADLY SECRETS).

Here is a little about CHRISTMAS ANGEL

Nick Berringer’s life is turned upside down when a very sexy angel stumbles into his life – and his bed – to make this the most memorable Christmas of his life.

I saw on Dear Author today a survey about whether you buy a book for someone as part of the holidays. Well I have a tradition that I give a book to my Mom, Father and sister. This way I decided that my 10 year old (I can’t believe she’s that old) niece Kayla is old enough to get included in my book giveaway along with my sister’s boyfriend. I have to say I can’t wait to give my niece her book, or should say books. I got her a series of books from my favourite author of all time, L M Montgomery. I’m hoping to get her hooked as I have been.

My relatives know better than to get me books. Any book they are likely to pick up I have already purchased for myself. My to be read pile had been slowly shrinking until I discovered Christian Romances. I can’t explain why that genre interests me, but it has and I’m happy for it.

So are you planning to give a book as a gift this year?

So far so good. I have been able to meet my weekly goal of 2 pages set up as my publisher prefers (single page). However there have been a few weeks where it was a close call. You’d think that writing so little shouldn’t be so hard to meet, but working 2 jobs that are full time has a way to stealing time you didn’t know were gone.

That said I am close to ¼ of the way through my book. I am truly enjoying writing again. I feared that I wouldn’t. I am hoping to get some writing done over the holiday but I’m not sure how much.

I know I’ll get tons written during my writers retreat in Connecticut. I’m also going to keep up working on one of my 2 jobs, but for the most part I’m hoping to pass the halfway point in my book.  Then I’ll be on track to meet my deadline.

Here I thought the malls would be insane today. I mean it is the last Saturday before Christmas. The media has been calling it “Super Saturday”. It must be a slow news day for that to happen.

I used to work the last Saturday before Christmas when I worked retail and yes they were insane during the day and died down in the evening. I have to say I don’t miss those days all that much. However I went to the mall late this afternoon I found it lacking shoppers. There were a lot of shoppers in the mall but nothing compared to what I had expected. The sales clerks I spoke with said it had been a busy.

That said I got a lot more of my Christmas shopping done and crossed off a few names off my shopping list. I hope you were able to get out and get some of your shopping if not all your shopping done.

Today I have two friends who are blogging at different blogs.

Reece Butler will be chatting at Romance Readers @ Heart’s blog Novel Thoughts . She’ll be blogging about her first book COWBOY SANDWICH and how proud she is to be an erotic romance writer.

While Vanessa Kelly will be blogging at Romance Junkies Blog. She’ll be chatting about her historical romance titles MASTERING THE MARQUESS and up coming release SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL.

Pop on over if you get a chance.

Last night I got a glimpse of the Olympic Torch while I attended the Ottawa 67 hockey game. At first I thought the flame itself would be there, but it wasn’t. It will be officially arriving in Ottawa today. I am hoping to attend one of the ceremonies they have planned. One is at the Parliament buildings with Gregory Charles and Tom Cochran. I had planned to attend it but I need to visit some stores in town and out of town for my publisher. Once that is done then I’ll be free to go.

What do you have planned for the day?

Well a year ago I was on cloud nine because my book, DEADLY SECRETS was officially released. It’s been a fabulous year. I have met some wonderful readers who have contacted me to let me know how much they enjoyed reading it.

What have I learned in the last year? That is was worth the 11 year wait to see my book come out in print. For someone who isn’t a patient person (& I’m not usually) this had been a long time coming.

I also sold my second book in the series. I’m still writing it. I’m hoping to have it done by Mach 2010. So tonight I’ll be picking up some special ice cream and toasting this fabulous year of publication. I never intend to take this experience for granted.