If you've been keeping up with the news, you should know by now the devastation that Harvey left in its wake along the Texas Gulf coast region and Houston. Houston - I live 30 miles north of the city.....it takes me roughly 40 minutes to get to downtown. I can't even begin to tell you how petrified I was during the storm. My heart is broken for my city. My heart grieves for the neighbors whose homes I've seen get flooded; friends whose entire world swept away in this storm..... I've driven around our area and have seen with my eyes the helplessness but I've seen hope too. Hope in knowing that we're all alive. Our family is safe. Hope that our neighbors will be there for us. I've seen strangers go up to people's homes, introduce themselves and got to work. I've seen a plethora of  good and wonderful things. We truly will rebuild again.

So what did that mean for my August goals? Well, yours truly waited until the last few days to do things and then realizing when the storm was projected to hit here, most of my goals got put on hold....obviously.
August goals:
​ 1. Successfully make it to Ellie's Kindergarten without crying.
2. Finish beta readings for Anthology group --> my procrastinator side got the best of me. By the time I finally was able to sit and read and go through the beta stage, Harvey was coming.
3. Finish beta reading for friend's 2nd book 
4. Read and review 3 books --> I finished Amanda Lovelace's The Princess Saves Herself in this One, Intricate Deception by Jennifer Rayes and The Last Time I'll Write about You by Dawn Lanuza. 
5. Set up FB Monday Bible verses for September! 

Technically though, it's not as bad. I have a couple of articles I need to finish. I have to find time to reschedule a few online things.....so despite the storm, August was 3/4.

1.) Read and Review  4/5 books.
- Breaking Norms, Broken Rules, the Leftover, the Coronation, poetry: Remember me in Sleepless Nights
2.) Finish edits for Letters to Lenora (anthology group).
3.) Update site for following interviews.
4.) Finish articles for Echoes of the Struggle and Daughters of the Deep. 
5.) Host a farewell get-together for a fellow book club member.
And 6.) to continue to help, donate, sort, organize....for the victims of the Harvey flood. I know once the news find something new to cover, the victims will have been forgotten. But their rebuilding is still beginning and I want to make sure I continue to be of any help to my neighbors and fellow Houstonians. If you haven't had the chance to donate, please do so!

So goodbye August, hello September. What are your writing goals? 

I'm on several Facebook groups and on days when we're allowed to do "self promotion," I get to scoop everyone's websites. They're all so beautiful, unique to the author, "clean," and organized. I feel a little inadequate with my little simplicity over here. But each time I add something to it, I worry that it's too much and too cluttered. I remember that I actually love simplicity. So like it or not, this is probably what you're going to see.....I did find a few things that I liked and already incorporated that......Notice the sidebar? I added events and online things. I also finally sent out a newsletter but I'm terrible at self promotion anyway and have absolutely nothing to say. If you've signed up, great! But also be thankful that I'm a totally spaz when it comes to doing monthly things. I like the "seasonal" aspect of newsletter. Once every 3 months is perfect for me and your inbox!

I know it's the 11th, but I also really love some monthly goals that authors post on their site. Here are mine.

AUGUST GOALS:
1. Successfully make it to Ellie's Kindergarten without crying.
2. Finish beta readings for Anthology group
3. Finish beta reading for friend's 2nd book
4. Read and review 3 books 
5. Set up FB Monday Bible verses for September! 
​
~ It's almost almost close enough fall, y'all! The weather here has "dipped" to the upper 80s - low 90s. Yay, Texas heat and humidity. I hope wherever you are in your writing journey that you keep focus, keep going, and keep reaching!

Happy Friday, friends!

Hey, if you've been a follower, you would know that I had a book that released July 21st and is on Amazon! This one is a little different than any I've ever done. Up until April of this year, I considered myself a "closet poet." Storm of Hope is a memoir about my Preeclampsia, pregnancy anxiety and postpartum depression and has journal entries and 40 poems. I'm excited for its journey and to no longer be a closeted poet. Ha!

Here's what some reviewers are saying:
"The poems throughout were a beautiful, if sometimes gut-wrenchingly honest look into this Momma's heart." - Sarah Grace

"She writes with emotion as she fights through preeclampsia, two births, and depression. Through her writings, you sense her faith in Christ was and is her daily lifeline." - Lisa

"I will say Storm of Hope is just as it is titled. A written book of pure hope and overcoming. Although the poetry is very slim in abundance, what there is, is very powerful!" - from fellow poet, Mckayla Debonis

I'm doing a "blog tour" with Lola's Blog Tours for Storm of Hope, so please be sure to stop by any of the blogs and enter a chance to win a signed paperback copy! ​