Diana Cosby, My First Ever Guest Blogger

"A New Year’s Guide To Achieving Your Goals!"

By Diana Cosby ©2012

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.” - Mark Twain

Dreams are visions of what we can become.  But, dreams are also an invitation to doubt, to wonder if you’re good enough, or if you have what it takes.   When I retired from the Navy, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a published author.  After 100 rejections, I quit counting as I figured I knew how to achieve a rejection.  Then, after 9 ½ years, I finally sold.  The journey taught me many things, which I’d like to share with you.

-Take yourself seriously:  If YOU don’t, no one else will. 

-Associate with people who inspire you, and encourage you to achieve your dreams.  Encourage and inspire others as you grow in your own writing.

-Set a clear goal:  Once you know exactly what you want, break down steps to achieve it.  If you’re unsure how to start, read biographies of people who have achieved a dream similar to yours.   What steps did they take?  Are there comparable avenues you can pursue?

-Success is a compilation of small steps toward one focused goal.   

-Affiliate yourself with professional organizations:  Join accredited groups to educate yourself about the industry you’ve chosen.  In addition to net-working, you will have opportunities to learn from on-line or local sources.

-Self affirmation:  Each morning reaffirm that you are good enough and clarify your goal of the day.  Then, move forward with positive, focused steps.

-Inspirational quotes:  I’m a huge fan of inspirational quotes, they ground and remind me that each of us struggle as we pursue our dreams.  Each day, I find a quote that touches me and post it on my Facebook page in hopes others find inspiration in the message as well.

-Permission to fail:  Success is not a moment, but a journey.  As we grow within our craft, there will be times when we fail at certain steps.  Focus not on the failure, but on the lessons learned.  What worked, what didn’t?  Move forward and make wiser decisions with the knowledge learned. 

-The way we act, and talk about our goals reflects our commitment to them:  What are you telling yourself?  “I WILL do this!”  Or, are you assuring yourself that one day you’ll really try?

-Give the gift of example:  When you make the choice to follow your dream, you are doing more than commitment to self, but teaching your children an important life lesson — dare to dream, and follow through.  So, be bold.  Believe in yourself. 

            I hope you’ve found inspiration from my comments.  Remember, there is no right path, but the steps right for you.  Believe in yourself, YOU have what it takes!

*How do you encourage others to go after their dreams?

**One person will be drawn from all posts today.  The winner receives a signed copy of His Destiny!

Bio for Diana Cosby

After retiring at 36 from my job as a Navy Chief Meteorologist/Oceanographer, I dove into my passion – writing romance novels. With 33 moves behind me, I was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people I’ve met throughout the world. Nine and a half years later, I received “The Call” from Kensington and sold the first two books in the MacGruder brother’s series.

I have many passions, but one that resonates most in my life is that of giving. I firmly believe that each of us can make a positive difference in another person’s life.  With each book I sell, I tithe 10% of my royalties to a charity of my choice.  I’m currently working on the next book in the award-winning MacGruder brother’s series, and look forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author

www.dianacosby.com

His Captive-Alexander MacGruder/ His Woman-Duncan MacGruder

His Conquest-Seathan MacGruder / His Destiny-Patrik

(Updates on the MacGruder brothers series coming soon!)

Highland vampire anthology:  Title/Release date TBA
. http://www.dianacosby.com/
http://www.dianacosby.com/books.html

Thank you, Diana, for being my guest today! I first met Diana several years ago at a meeting of the Virginia Romance Writers. I was impressed with her poise and charming personality. Since then, I've been amazed at the interest she shows in all the writers in our VRW group. Although she moved to Texas soon after we met, she has continued her connection with Virginia Writers. I very much admire her interest in a variety of charities and her dedication to giving a portion of her royalties to those of her choice.

Please comment on this post. I will leave it up though Saturday, and a winner will then be chosen to receive a copy of His Destiny.

Diana is my first ever guest author. I hope to make this a new feature on Notes Along the Way for 2012 with a guest once or twice a month.

An Author's Dream--Having a Reader Love All Your Books

Customer awaits signing at bookstore event

At one of my last book signings for 2011, I had a wonderful reader come up and buy a copy of each of my novels and more than one copy of a couple of them. What a delight! Isn't that every author's dream--to have readers love your books? It makes me wonder what will happen if everyone gets an e-reader. Will some people still want a "real" book to hold in their hands?

I hope so.

My wish for 2012 is more readers who love my books. It makes life as a writer feel worthwhile!



On Friday, January 6, Diana Cosby, International best-selling author, will be my first ever blog guest. She will give away a copy of her latest novel, His Destiny, to one of the folks who comment on her post. Please stop by for a visit.

My Three Best Hotels of 2011

It's that time of year when people start reflecting on the past 12 months--what was good and what was not. I like to remember our travels for the year--especially visits to hotels. This year I have selected three unique and wonderful hotels. Each is special for a reason beyond the facilities they provide.

3. Hyatt Regency Incline Village Lake Tahoe

1. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort -
Lake Tahoe, a destination I've always wanted to visit, did not disappoint me. The scenery was amazing and spectacular. Even in June, at 7,000 feet, snow covered the mountains. The Hyatt Resort is lovely and even has a nice sized sports bar where we watched baseball and enjoyed good dinners at the same time. Many cozy little restaurants adorn the quaint streets of Incline Village. Scenic parks are only a short drive away and are a must for visitors. Eight inches of snow fell on the village the week before we arrived, and we were unable to take a planned side trip to Yosemite because the main road through the park was still closed due to snow. Even so, June is a good time to go to Lake Tahoe because it's an in-between tourist season, too late for skiers and too early for a barrage of summer visitors.

The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2. The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
We had been to the Pfister before and I wanted to return. In fact, I included this historic old hotel in my book, Hotels to Remember, because it is an unforgettable edifice located within easy walking distance of the newly-expanded Milwaukee Art Museum. The hotel is a museum on its own, featuring original paintings and sculpture throughout the facility. Getting to see the ceiling of the lobby is worth a visit to the Pfister. A major disappointment for me was the discovery that the awnings are now red instead of green as I painted them in the hotel portrait for use in my book. It was exciting to meet the artist in residence who has a studio/gallery in the hotel and also the resident blogger who changes every six months. (The artist stays for one year.) I was delighted to see Peter Mortensen, the chef concierge, again. Peter was most helpful when I worked on the Pfister entry in my book.

Roses for a wedding, Embassy Suites lobby.

3. Embassy Suites, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Because our transportation plans got diverted to a different airport, we arrived at our hotel after the restaurant stopped serving food. Exhausted from the long day of travel which included a side trip to Boston en route to Florida from Virginia, we were thrilled when room service offered to serve the meal we ordered at a table in the restaurant. Everyone was courteous and helpful. Not only did we enjoy meeting other St. Louis Cardinals fans staying at this Embassy Suites, we also got to see Alan Craig, a star of the 2011 World Series, who was also staying there. The prepared-to-order breakfasts (included) were awesome. We enjoyed watching a wedding that took place in the lobby near the scenic bridge that crosses a little pond which is home to a pair of beautiful swan. The Palm Beach Gardens Embassy Suites is a special destination in late February and March each year because of its proximity to Roger Dean Stadium, home of the Cardinals in Jupiter.

Swan at Embassy Suites Palm Beach Gardens

It's time to turn the page on the 2011 calendar. I look forward to hotel visits in 2012 and hope to find more properties that are a joy to visit.

A Spirited Gift - Getting Caught Up in a Setting

Settings intrigue me. Because we live in an area of Virginia where people flock to vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I was especially interested in the setting of A Spirited Gift by Joyce and Jim Lavene. The book begins when hurricane winds damage the hotel where a group of area governing officials are meeting. The descriptions of the low-lying terrain so easily devastated by storms captivate me. I've often wondered why people build homes in these locations, then refuse to leave when warned to do so. As in this story, the area's bridges are often closed during and following storms, and tourists as well as residents are cut off from the mainland.

A Spirited Gift features a heroine who has the gift of psychometry that helps her solve a murder, the ghost of a pirate, and much more. It is part of the Missing Pieces Mystery series. 

Still, it is the setting and how the elements of nature affect this story that attract me. I tend to get caught up in a setting!

Coming Next Week

Next week on January 6, Diana Cosby, Amazon Bestselling Author, will be a guest on Notes Along the Way. Diana who is author of the MacGruder historicals set in Scotland will be my first guest blogger.

Mystery and Mystique - Who Are the Maya?

"Early Evening Sky" - MM Sikes

Since I first visited the dramatic, expansive ruins of the Maya that lie buried deep beneath the thick, green jungles of Mexico and Central America, I've been hooked. Then, when I started reading about the end of the Maya Calendar in 2012, I was spellbound. It's like gazing at the sky in wonderment as early evening settles in.

Did the Maya know things we do not? Is the end of their calendar on December 21, 2012 the sign of a doomsday event?

Because of their advanced abilities in mathematics and their primitive knowledge of astronomy, the Maya were able to develop a calendar that was considered by some to be the most accurate in the world. Their Long Count calendar begins in 3114 BC and ends December 21, 2012. The calendar has time divisions of 144,000 days (a little more than 394 years) called Baktuns. The 13th Baktun ends December 21, 2012. Long ago, the Maya predicted a solar shift at that time. A stone tablet found in the 1960s at the Tortuguero archaeological site in the Gulf of Mexico tells of the return of a Mayan god at the end of the 13th Baktun.

So much of the Maya history was destroyed during the European conquest that sometimes myths have grown to take the place of knowledge. I love the adventure of uncovering the ruins of the lost buildings of the Maya. I even fantasized about it in my latest Passenger to Paradise book, Jungle Jeopardy.

Who knows what still may lie hidden beneath the lush, tropical jungles?

Mexican tourism will take advantage of the 2012 phenomena. A year-long celebration is planned for the heart of the Maya ruins that lie buried in southern Mexico. Palenque in Chiapas is one of those sites. As many as 52 million tourists are expected to flood the area. That compares with about 22 million during an average year.


Who knows what we may learn? Perhaps we will know more about who the Maya were in those long ago lost times.