Monday Moments - When the Weight of Being Stuck Feels Too Heavy

A Monday Moment from Still Moments Magazine

When the Weight of Being Stuck Feels Too Heavy

Some days come with a heaviness that’s hard to name. A stuck feeling where you wonder what you should be doing, or what you could change to reach that one dream that feels just out of reach. It’s frustrating, and it’s human. Wanting something deeply while feeling motionless can make you question your direction, your timing, even your purpose.

But life isn’t only about chasing one big dream. Patience is part of the journey, and while that larger vision may take time to unfold, you’re allowed to reach for smaller dreams along the way. Little goals, gentle ambitions, and simple joys. They keep you moving, growing, and hopeful. Stay positive and let those smaller dreams carry you forward while the big one quietly prepares itself.

Take a small moment today to stay open to the possibility that your life can hold more than one beautiful ambition at a time.

A Story Rebirth

In January 2011, I signed my first publishing contract. Secret Cravings accepted my completed manuscript titled, Keeping Secrets. And in August 2011, Keeping Secrets was available for purchase. Unfortunately, three years later, Secret Cravings closed their doors. 

With the rights reverted back to me, I sought a new publisher. And in July 2014, I signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press with my book, now titled Twist of Faith. Twist of Faith was released in 2015, and had a great few years and even an extended contract. But at the end of the extension, and after ten years with that publisher, I claimed my rights back to Twist of Faith.

For two years, Twist of Faith sat in a file collecting dust, but I have good news to share! Twist of Faith is getting a rebirth. Edits to polish the story began yesterday! I'm excited to return to my first book publication from fifteen years ago. It's one of my favorite stories, and I can't wait to share it with readers again.

Testing the New Dog Blanket

This is our wicker loveseat in our music/den room. Rambler (our Corso) has claimed the loveseat as his bed, and I'm sure I previously posted a photo of him on it. Every time Rambler would jump up on the loveseat, he'd make a mess of the blanket I had covering it, so I bought a new dog blanket that is super soft and fluffy. I put the new blanket on and pointed to the loveseat...but instead of Rambler jumping up, Keefer (our Lab) decided he wanted to try it first...and he gave it two paws up. No worries about Rambler missing out because he soon claimed back his bed.

Redford Falls Seven Book Series

Escape to Redford Falls, where small-town magic meets big-hearted romance. My series now has seven books, each filled with family drama, lovable characters, festive seasons, a dash of mystery, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments.

Want to know more?

Redford Falls is a small town that feels like home, has endless charm, cozy streets, family secrets, holiday sparkle, and characters you'll want to hug.

If you haven't visited yet, consider this your official invitation. Redford Falls is ready to steal your heart.

Dee Deliberations #9

"I can't remember what I walked into the room for, but I still remember my childhood phone number."

This is so relatable! There are many times when I walk into a room and wonder 'what did I come in here for'. I'll leave and then a few minutes later I remember what I was looking for. And, it is true that I do remember my childhood phone number.

I have to keep a notebook with a few passwords, because every site and app requires a password, and I while I know most of them, the sites I don't go into as often, I need a little reminder. But, I can recite my childhood phone number without even thinking. How crazy is that? Lol.

Monday Moments - The Power of Achievement

A Monday Moment from Still Moments Magazine

The Power of Achievement

Achievement isn’t just about crossing finish lines; it’s about recognizing the moments, choices, and quiet victories that shape who you’re becoming. Too often we rush past our accomplishments, treating them like stepping stones instead of milestones. But we need to pause and celebrate them, the big leaps, the small steps, and everything in between.

Every achievement tells a story. Maybe it’s finally completing a project you’ve been chipping away at. Maybe it’s choosing yourself in a moment when it would’ve been easier not to. Maybe it’s simply getting out of bed on a day when motivation felt miles away. These moments matter. They build confidence, resilience, and momentum.

But achievement doesn’t happen by accident. It grows from intention. Setting goals, even small ones, gives you direction and something to strive toward, reminding you that you’re capable of more than you think.

Take a small moment today to celebrate what you’ve already done. Then choose one thing that you want to achieve next. Let it be meaningful. Let it be yours. And let it pull you forward. Here’s to your achievements, past, present, and the ones waiting for you.

What Am I Missing?

I posted the above graphic on Instagram yesterday with the following text:

Hey Canadian Authors! Let's follow each other to connect and grow side by side. Comment where you're writing from. Tag a Canadian author friend who deserves a little spotlight. Let's make CanLit world feel a little cozier together. (And included a bunch of hashtags.)

This was my social media attempt to connect with Canadian authors/writers. Since posting that graphic, I received one new follower. And that one follower wasn't an author. It was a man who I'm assuming is looking to 'connect'. Well, that's NOT the connection I'm looking for. My bio on Instagram states 'Wife' therefore one should assume that I'm not single and looking to mingle. Needless to say, I did not follow him back.

I didn't post that graphic to increase my number of followers, however that would be nice. My goal was to connect with other writers from my country. I've seen other authors do this and it's worked for them. They had many people comment on their post. But mine...crickets. 

I sometimes wonder what I'm missing. What am I doing wrong? What's the secret to social media engagement? Would making a video of myself writing or talking about my books create interest? Is that the answer? Because if it is, then I give up right now. I'm not making videos of myself. I don't have time to record, edit, and upload videos everyday.

I'll leave that post up on Instagram for a few days, but if it doesn't receive any engagement, then I'll delete it. I don't have the social media magic potion. And you know what? That's okay. I don't want to be an influencer. I'm a writer who just wants to write books, and have readers enjoy them. Maybe, someday...when one of my books makes it really big on all the best sellers lists...the engagement will come looking for me, instead of me looking for it.

George The Winter Lamb

I'm running late today, but wanted to share this art piece that I made on the weekend. This is George The Winter Lamb. If you watched The Sheep Detectives with Hugh Jackman, you'll know who George is. And if you haven't watched the movie, I highly recommend it. When my daughter and I watched it, she fell in love with George. She was sick on the weekend, so I made this for her, hoping it would bring a smile to her face. And it definitely did. I received a text back with lots of hearts and smiling emojis.

Murals of Birds

I am a big fan of birds and murals. I saw these painted designs of birds when my daughter and I went on a trip to see The Jonas Brothers. The above photo of the blue jay was absolutely beautiful. The picture was taken from the car, but I wish we would have stopped so I could have gotten a better and closer picture.

The below photo was also take from the car as we drove by, so the picture wasn't as close as I would have liked, but it still shows the pigeons in flight and was another stunning mural.

As an artist, I admire other artists who design larger than life pieces of work. I've seen many murals and would describe some of them as graffiti, but most of them are definitely labor intensive and master-crafted works of art.

Dee's Deliberations #8

"You're a crazy plant lady when you name your plants: Mint Jagger, Elvis Parsley, Spruce Willis, and Brad Pott."

With the colder weather upon us, Dee is now inside. Today, she's busy watering her plants, which she has named after some of her favorite celebrities.

I don't give my plants names, but my daughter does, and she has a lot of plants, so I don't know how she keeps track of them. She'll be talking about how one of her plants is doing and I'll ask, 'which one is that?' and she'll respond 'you know...Betty White', lol. :-)

The Lighthouse

I designed this piece last year, but I recently added a few new touches. The water in the background is a little choppy, but the stormy sea doesn't stop a sailor or the dolphin popping up to say hello.

After The Rain

Just a quick post this morning as I edit/polish the last few pages of my manuscript. I thought I'd share a photo of my miniature roses after a rain shower. The picture didn't quite capture the rain drops on the rose petals as I had hoped, but they are visible on the leaves. Both rose bushes are doing great with plenty of blooms. Now I just need to learn how to take better pictures...sigh.

Be My Guest - Liz Flaherty with Shades of Green

I'm sitting on the porch today with my writing friend, Liz Flaherty, who is celebrating the release of the third book in her Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy. We're going to chat a bit about Shades of Green and share a little teaser so you can go grab a copy of this fabulous book, which is now available.

Shades of Green, Book 3 of Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy

Romance or Women’s Fiction? Inspirational Romance … Or Not?

I made a discovery when I went digging through Cari’s story to find suitable excerpts to go on blog visits with. Although Shades of Green is—to me, anyway—very much a romance, it dives way over into the women’s fiction aisle when it’s relating what happens in the book. A part of me thinks I should apologize for this in case any of the readers are disappointed, but the bigger part isn’t at all sorry. While I understand that in many people’s minds, there’s a big gap between romance and women’s fiction, I don’t even think it’s a crack in the sidewalk. Unless the romance is MM, it is the woman’s journey. That’s what I like to write, including all the backroads and bumpy spots. Also … now, you’ve got me started … Cari is a pastor at Harper Loch Community Church. She is religious. Her life is one of service. But Shades of Green is not an inspirational book. It is a love story, but it is not Christian fiction. It is not her journey in faith. She lives that one every day, but it’s hers. It’s not the hero’s or anyone else’s. She does get asked to pray for meals and for other things, no one swears (much) in front of her, and no one has any idea she might know what sex is. But that’s not the story, either. The story is, as I said above, one woman’s journey. It was so much fun to write. I hope it’s fun to read, too.

Blurb:
    Pastor Cari Newland’s life is stuck in the middle.
    Her friends and parishioners at Harper Loch are mostly older than her thirty-two years… or they’re younger. While she likes being a single minister, she would also like to meet someone who sees her as someone besides “Preach.” She gets hugged a lot, she realizes, but she never gets held.         She’s never been the daughter her parents wanted or the woman her long-ago fiancé needed. Her life is good, but it’s lonely. Enter handsome navy pilot Zack Grant. Visiting his parents at the lake, he attends a wedding Cari officiates. They talk and they dance and they are … interested. But Zack’s life is a thousand miles away and Cari’s life is firmly in Harper Loch. When interested begins to grow into something more, Cari and Zack must decide how to fit into each other’s world and whether or not they can make a long-distance romance work. 

    But Cari’s life is in the small lake community in Michigan. Zack’s is in the Florida Panhandle. And neither of them has any intention of changing locations.

Buy links:
Amazon: https://a.co/d/0dKnw8fA
D2D: https://books2read.com/u/3RRAgL

Excerpt:
    I called Zack.
    “How did it feel?” I asked when he answered. “Losing your mother before you actually lost her?”
    The question was awkward at best, thoughtless at worst. I hoped he knew what I was asking.
    He was silent for a moment, then he said quietly, “Her eyes still smiled, even when she couldn’t anymore. Her expression changed when she looked at each of us. She and Pop could always talk, even without words, and they kept us aware of what was happening the whole time. He had to work a lot, but my grandparents helped—Mom’s parents and Pop’s stepmother—and they managed things so that—”
    He stopped, and I could almost feel him choosing his words. “We remained a family throughout,” he said finally. “We grieved. Of course, we did. But it wasn’t just Mom who was sick; rather, we were a family with ALS. I can honestly say that as rough as it was, there was good in almost every day.”
    I thought of Adria and Dad laughing together while he held the yarn and she rolled it into a ball. I could say that, too; moreover, I should say it. Of course I had issues with my growing-up years, but those issues were way beyond their expiration date by now. Besides, didn’t everybody have issues with how they’d grown up?
    Zack chuckled, and his voice was soft with memory. “The year before she died, when she was in a wheelchair, but could still talk some, she wanted to go trick-or-treating with us even though we didn’t do that anymore. So Lessie, Pop’s stepmom, dressed Mom up like Whistler’s Mother in that painting and had Luke and me decked out like Santa’s elves, only we were whistlers instead of elves, and we whistled all over the neighborhood. There are pictures, but you wouldn’t want to see them.”
    I laughed, trying to picture the Grant brothers as elves.
    “Pop and Mom went into marriage with lessons learned and crazy in love with each other,” said Zack. “It wasn’t all that long before they found out their forever wasn’t going to be very long, so they made every day count.”
    I knew how important that was. I preached how important it was.
    Cemetery lanterns danced in the breeze outside. I didn’t like them much when they started showing up. I felt like they took away from the peacefulness of the burial place, but I got used to them.
    DeMaris had sat at her daughter’s grave for a long time when she was here. When I finally asked if I could help her, she shook her head and reached to touch the lantern that hung on a sturdy shepherd’s hook. “John got this,” she said. “She was always a little afraid of the dark.”

    After that conversation, I liked the gentle lights; I didn’t just tolerate them. I made sure they stayed lit when it was dark.

    I couldn’t do that much for Dad and Adria, but I could make sure the lights she needed in the house stayed on at night and I could find the good. 

    “Thank you, Zack,” I said, missing him. “I think you just got me through something.”
    “Good.”
    I wanted to ask when he was coming. Again. I seemed to want to do that a lot. But I didn’t want to sound too eager, much less needy. 

    “I’ll be in Friday night,” he said, reading my mind again. He seemed to do that. “Luke and I are both working till noon and we’re flying out at three. Pop and Ellie are picking us up. See you Saturday?”
    I was still smiling when I hung up a few minutes later. Finding the good in this day didn’t take long.

About Liz:
Retired from the post office, Liz Flaherty spends non-writing time thinking about writing and wanting to travel. The author of 20-some books and her husband Duane share an old farmhouse in North Central Indiana. They do think about moving from there, but they have literally decades of stuff, and they’re just not ready! She thinks one of the things that keeps you young when you quite obviously aren’t anymore is the constant chances you have to reinvent yourself. Her latest professional incarnation is as a fledgling women’s fiction author and she is enjoying every minute that she’s not scared to death. You can connect with her at https://linktr.ee/LizFlaherty She’s always glad for new friends—and to see her old ones!

Dee's Deliberations #7

There are still three weeks of summer, but once the calendar page turns to September, my thought process immediately thinks fall...and the 'Brrr months'. I hadn't actually heard that saying until my aunt said it a few years ago. Now I see it everywhere, lol. I'm okay with the 'Brrr months', but I don't like what comes after them...the dreaded 'W' word. So let's enjoy the 'Brrr months' as much as we can.