Quote for Today: “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” John Holmes
Yesterday, I had an interview with ASK WIN and it was fun! Of course, Win promoted my latest mystery-thriller, Primed For Revenge, Sydney Jones Series, Book 1. And, I’ve included the interview for your enjoyment. Listen on iTunes.
Also, Win made an announcement about a new upcoming novel. So, follow Win Kelly Charles on Amazon so you’ll know when it’s released. I know I have!
Thanks again, Win, for having me on your podcast – ASK WIN. It was a blast!
Counting down to the official release of Primed For Revenge, Sydney Jones Series, Book 1. April 2nd, 2019 Preorder Now!
For more information about my novels, see my About Page. Follow my blog for the latest news about new releases, my writing life, and giveaways. I appreciate your support. Carolyn Bowen
Quote of the Day: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” H. Jackson Brown Jr., P.S. I Love You!
It’s time to begin thinking about plans and goals for the New Year. Most years I come up with some New Year resolutions that after a week, at the most, I abandon.
This year I’m going to plan differently. Instead of making New Year resolutions, I’m going to make a list of things to do in 2019. I’ll pick out the top 5 and make a commitment to achieving them.
When making a decision to move forward toward reaching my goals I’ll have a timeline to keep me on the path. Should a need arise to make adjustments to the plan, I’m prepared.
There’s something special about writing your goals down. The psychological effect spurs you to complete the tasks as planned. By whatever name you choose to call your goals for 2019, stay committed. What would you like to accomplish in 2019?
Thank you for following my blogand connecting on social media. I appreciate your support. Carolyn M. Bowen
Let’s Connect on Social Media!
These are a few of my favorite social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” Dame Edith Sitwell
Today, December 21, 2018, is the winter solstice in North America, officially the shortest day of the year. We can look forward to the beginning of shortening nights and lengthening days after this astronomical event. As we celebrate tonight look to the sky and mark the occasion with the spectacular Ursid meteor shower and a full Moon.
What is the Winter Solstice?
The winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. It occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
This rhythmic event is also called Midwinter, Yule, the Longest Night, and Jól. Celebrations include family gatherings, festivals and feast, dancing, and winter fires. Wikipedia
For the long winter nights, download and read a mystery by Carolyn M. Bowen.
Attention Reviewers and Book Bloggers
My new mystery-thriller is coming out this winter. Interested? Enter your name and email address below to be one of the first to receive an advance copy. Thank you!
Thank you for following my blogand connecting on social media. I appreciate your support. Carolyn M. Bowen
Let’s Connect on Social Media!
These are a few of my favorite social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: “December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come.” ― Fennel Hudson, A Meaningful Life – Fennel’s Journal – No. 1
The year 2018 will soon be a wrap as we welcome the month of December. This will be a busy time for there’s a lot to do before the New Year. Here are some of the holidays celebrated throughout the world. Happy Holidays!
December Holidays
Dec 2 First Sunday of Advent
Dec 3 Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day)
Dec 6 St. Nicholas Day
Dec 7 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Dec 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Dec 9 Last Day of Chanukah
Dec 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec 21 December Solstice (Season)
Dec 24 Christmas Eve
Dec 24 Washington’s Birthday
Dec 25 Christmas Day
Dec 26 Day After Christmas Day (State Holiday)
Dec 31 New Year’s Eve
What’s on your Christmas list?
Shopping for a special someone in your life? Whoever it is, we’re guessing they’d love a good book, because who doesn’t? Look no further than action-packed books byCarolyn Bowen!
Photo Credit: Pixabay
I share on social media daily. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my favorite social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: Fallen leaves lying on the grass in the November sun bring more happiness than the daffodils. Cyril Connolly
November brings a smile to my face. It’s my birthday month and I enjoy celebrating all month long and at my age, it’s a privilege to be alive. Plus, I love getting in the holiday spirit. And, a great start for the upcoming holiday season is showing gratitude to our veterans for their service followed by being thankful for our family and friends on Thanksgiving Day. A monumental event for me was the release of The Long Road Home. I hope you’ll read it and leave a review. I want to know the thinking process of my readers.
The fallback of time from Daylight Savings Time (DST) is a reminder of the fall season and holidays approaching. You’ll have a chance to recoup the hour of sleep you lost March 11th.
What to Do
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. (EST) on Sunday, November 4th. You’ll need to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. Remember Spring Forward – Fallback!
Is There a Downside to DST?
Besides some folks just not liking it period, according to Dr. Anthony Komaroff, executive editor of the Harvard Health Letter, there are side effects including problems falling asleep and restless nights. Yes, I wonder what they’re thinking. Children going to bus stops in the dark. Really can’t anyone see the danger in this?
How it started
We’ve got to blame someone for this idea – right? According to the National Geographic, New Zealand’s entomologist George Hudson came up with the idea. Why? He wanted to go bug hunting.
In the U.S., Daylight Savings Time (DST) was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918.
In the United States, the idea was pitched as a way to help farmers with crops and harvesting. Growing up on a farm, I can tell you the hands on the clock meant nothing to the farmer/rancher. The grind was from sunrise to sundown and most times during the night for a calf birthing or shooting a possum who had found a way into the chicken coop, invasion by wolfs, bobcats and/or coyotes. In reality, it was department stores behind the push for adjusting clocks, looking for another hour of shopping time in the afternoon and evenings.
Others have argued that DST saves energy. A 1975 study by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed that DST accounted for a savings of about one percent a day in electricity use.
While most of the country and about 40 percent of the world use DST, there are some exceptions. Two states – Arizona and Hawaii – and several territories don’t fall back or spring forward with DST.
Will We Keep It?
Just how important is this in the grand scheme of things? Like it – hate it –until Congress moves and the clock continues to tick on that one, Daylight Savings Time is here to stay.
NOTE: It’s likely that most U.S. states will continue the practice of changing the clock twice a year, though some state legislatures have discussed ending the practice.
Californians will vote Nov. 6 on a proposition to keep Daylight Saving Time year-round. Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill passed overwhelmingly by the Florida Legislature that would keep the Sunshine State on DST year-round.
Bottom Line
Set your clock back an hour this November 4th and enjoy the festivities of the season. Want to make a change? Contact people who can make a difference – your area Congressman/Congresswoman. Remember they serve at your pleasure.
I look forward to learning your preferences about Daylight Savings Time. Thank you for following my blog and reading my books. Hope you’ll check out my “About Page” to learn more about my books and writing life.
I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: Life isn’t about maneuvering in a straight upward line. It’s about negotiating the dips, twists, and turns encountered in everyday life thereby removing obstacles standing in your path to claim your noble calling. CMBowen Author
Now available in the Timeless Edition.
The first sentence in M. Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Traveled, says “Life is difficult.” What a downer or surprise for those who believe failure is not an option.
Many years ago with the first edition, I wanted to quit reading after the first sentence. My definition of life was the direct opposite. Yet, I continued reading and joined a book study group to get the full force of the meaning and basis for the book. I’ll add here the end results enlarged my thinking to transcend difficulty and surrounded me with lots of warm, fuzzy feelings.
Struggle too many is unacceptable. If it becomes too hard they quit. But, the question comes to mind, how long should you struggle, sometimes leaving a trail of brokenness in your wake? Perhaps, you’re barking up the wrong tree decoded means this business/career is not for you. Highlight: There is a special way for you to showcase your talents. Go back to square one!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
If you’re repeating previous failures, stop now and get some help before your upside down peeking out a mouse hole.
Question for Today
How long do you think you should attempt to accomplish a goal? For example, building a business, before quitting?
I look forward to reading your comments. Thank you, Carolyn Bowen
As always, I appreciate your following my blog and reading my books. Hope you’ll check out my “About Page” to learn more about my books and writing life.
I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote for Today:It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy, we face the storm and defy it. Amelia Barr
Panama City Beach before Hurricane Michael
Recently I’ve decided to put my education to good use and help others by writing in the mental health area also. I’m a mystery-crime fiction author with a background in psychology and communication. I look forward to sharing personal development and inspirational tips from time to time on my blog.
When storms blow your way
I had a feeling this hurricane season would be bad and the worst isn’t over until the end of November. (See the previous post) I just didn’t know how close it would hit to home – my community.
Many folks are still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Michael. The far-reaching effects inland are beyond comprehension. This is a look at Marianna, FL located 60 miles from the direct hit on Mexico Beach.
Photo/Brendan Farrington)
How do you deal with this mess?
My family and friends in Panama City FL and Marianna FL are still without power, gas, water, ice….
A feeling of being overwhelmed is normal. One day you have a residence and the next you don’t. My Granny comes to mind, 90 years old and displaced by the hurricane. No home to return to and years of memories gone. She’s a fighter who left her home when it was engulfed during the hurricane and sought a safe place. No one expected the Hurricane Michael to reap damage 60 miles inland, maybe some rain and wind but nothing traumatic.
As Granny says, “The next time there’s a mention of a hurricane in NW FL, I’m gone.” Like I said, she’s a smart woman.
My sister and family in Panama City, FL experienced the brunt of the hurricane force. She and her family survived a harrowing experience. They’re alive – residence totaled.
Well, my place appears to have survived the worst. Besides needing a new roof and major road clearing up my driveway all seems good. Yet, I’ve not been able to get to the property for the trees in the lane leading to the house. Yet, looking at NOAA images, the damages may not be so bad. I’ll know next Wednesday when a path is cleared.
Family First
Check in with family as soon as possible and let them know your situation.
Make your request – what do you need? Food, medical supplies, lodging…
In times like this cash and supplies work best. Send cash and if possible deliver food, gas, ice and other needs. Gas is a premium for running generators for homes still intact and for getting out of town.
You are a survivor
You made it through this ordeal and you will be able to start over. This experience doesn’t define you. It will motivate you to become a more authentic person. You are more than a survivalist for this is just one part in your story. The next chapter will be a result of your rebuilding and claiming your destiny of goodness and prosperity.
To all those affected by Hurricane Michael, I wish you peace!
As always, I appreciate your following my blog and reading my books. Carolyn M. Bowen
I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Quote of the Day: Courage is the act of putting one foot in front of the other in the bleak of disaster not knowing the final outcome. Carolyn M. Bowen, Author
Mexico Beach – Before Hurricane Michael
Hurricane Michael blows through and for many, it’s over, but for those living in the region devastated by the blow at zero points, it’s significant. The hurricane’s landfall and surrounding areas have experienced the wretched aftermath and it’s not a quick fix. And, the news cycle goes on to the next big story while residents try to make sense of their losses and rebuild from nothing and I’m talking about 60 miles inland.
For many, including myself, we are unsure of the property damage or even if there’s property remaining. The ocean may have sucked in the land and perhaps created another island. This brings to point. We have no news yet, about St. George Island. Does it still exist?
St. George Island is the coastal getaway for many folks living in Tallahassee and surrounding areas plus a destination getaway for the rich and famous.
These places are my stomping grounds and have been for decades. The historic homes along the old coast are gone forever. My favorite oyster bar and shipping company were completely underwater. What’s going to happen to our gulf oysters this year? And, yes, I order them by the case for my personal consumption when out of Florida!
I love the Gulf of Mexico seafood. Some refer to the area as the Panhandle, me personally, I like the title Emerald Coast of Florida. For if you saw it, you’d know there’s nothing like it in the world.
You can see I have more questions than answers. My writing about Hurricane Michael is nostalgic, yet I already know my family members have suffered significant losses. I’m still waiting until the path can be cleared to my homestead or maybe not.
As always, I appreciate your following my blog and reading my books. Carolyn Bowen
I’ll be writing and sharing on social media. Hope to see you there, too! Carolyn Bowen
Social Media Hangouts!
These are a few of my social media hangouts! Drop by and say hello!
Carolyn M. Bowen, Author 