Setting Goals Instead of Resolutions

Many people make New Year's resolutions, but statistics show they usually aren't successful. Only about 8% of the resolutions made around the first of each year are kept. In fact, so many people have failed to keep them that only about 45% of Americans say they make them anymore.

Making resolutions may be rather futile, but setting goals have better results. We often try to achieve resolutions all at once, but with goals, we expect to break them down into steps. Goals are targets and not absolutes, so it is more acceptable if we have to adjust them along the way. With resolutions, we see failures, but with goals, we view them as temporary setbacks.

Whether we do it at the end of a year or at other points on the calendar, it is good to evaluate the previous year and set goals for the new one. When I taught school, I always evaluated the past school year in June, reflected over the summer, and formed a new set of goals by August. This doesn't have to be done on paper, but it helps to do it. I plan to do something similar as a writer this year. As a historian, I know that assessing the past can help plan for a better future.

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When the Wise Men Came

...behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2:1b-2).

The second chapter of Matthew is the only biblical account of the wise men or magi who came to visit Jesus. They knew of the prophecy that told of this special king, and they had seen the strange star in the eastern sky as predicted. How adventuresome and bold of them to make this long, grueling journey to honor this King.

...and , lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: and when they opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:9b-11).

Although the Bible doesn't name the foreign visitors, legend and tradition give their names as Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior. Neither does the Bible tell us how many came, but, because the plural is used, we know there was more than one. We get the idea there were three because they brought three gifts: frankincense, gold, and myrrh. These gifts were ones commonly given at the birth of a king. In contrast to the shepherds, these were wealthy, educated, respected men. This must have happened sometime after the birth because the small family was now in a house.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way (Matthew 2:12).


The magi may have learned of the Messiah's coming from Daniel (see Daniel 9). Daniel had become important in Babylon, and then Persia conquered the Babylonians and had access to their records. These wise men appear in contrast to the common Jewish shepherds who first worshipped the Baby. Perhaps they are another example that the Christ Child would be the Savior of the whole world. Would that all people go to as much trouble to find Him.

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Are Series Better?

I have been told many times, even by publishers, that each book in a series has better sales than standalones, but I'm not sure that's true for me. After publishing fourteen books, I have two series and another pair that is slightly connected. The first, the Appalachian Roots series, is a set of four historicals. The first book, Cleared for Planting has done really well, especially in the print version. Sown in Dark Soil, the second in the series, has sold well, but not quite as well as Cleared for Planting. Then, each of the next two, Uprooted by War and Transplanted to Red Clay have done less than the ones before them. The Farmers series, a contemporary trilogy, has similar statistics, although not numbers quite as large.

My seven standalones have held their own against the series. Mountain Mishap has done far better than any other ebook, and its done fine in the print version, too. When Winter Is Past is my second bestselling standalone, but its the one with a slight connection to With Summer's Songs.With Summer's Songs, however, hasn't sold nearly as well. It seems to me that each book in a series garners less readers than the ones before it. If the number of reviews are any indication, other authors experience a similar thing.

So, do books in a series sell better than standalones? I would say not. I find that readers choose books based on other criteria, and if they like an author, they will buy other books, regardless of whether they are in a series or not. However, they'll choose what appeals to them. A good series or a good standalone will sell, and a poor series or standalone will not, or at least not more than one trial book. The bottom line is good writing sells, and a talented author will stand out. 

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The Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas in 1822 when Clement Moore first shared his classic poem with his family at Chelsea Mansion in New York. The Greek scholar and theology professor liked to dabble in poetry, and his home beside the picturesque Hudson River provided plenty of inspiration. One account says he wrote much of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" while on a sleigh ride to choose a Christmas tree. His wife and six children made up his audience on that Christmas Eve.

He wrote  the poem strictly for entertainment and never expected for it to be published. Someone else who heard it later actually sent it in  the following year. Moore was not comfortable with all the attention the whimsical poem garnered. He would have much preferred that one of  his more scholarly works became popular, but the poem did become popular indeed, more so each year. Today, we consider it a holiday classic.

     Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
     Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
     The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
     In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

     The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
     While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
     And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
     Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

     When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
     I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
     Away to the window I flew like a flash,
     Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

     The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
     Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
     When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
     But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

    With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
     I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
     More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
     And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

     "Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
     On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!
     To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

     Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

     As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
    When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
     So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
     With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

     And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
     The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
     As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
     Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

     He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
     And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
     A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
     And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

     His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
     His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
     His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
     And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

     The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
     And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
     He had a broad face and a little round belly,
     That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

     He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
    A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
    Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
    And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
    And laying his finger aside of his nose,
    And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

    He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
    And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
    But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
    HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

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"Highly Favored"

Hail, thou that are highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women (Luke 1:28b).

Mary is a central figure in the Christmas story and a good example for us all. Unlike Zacharias, she didn't doubt what the angel told her, and what would happen to her was even more incredulous than Elizabeth and him having a child in their old age. Mary was humble, accepting, and said to the angel, "be it unto me according to thy word." She was willing to do whatever God wanted of her, even put up with gossip, a soiled reputation, or what Joseph might say and do. She loved and trusted God.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).

Months later, when her time to give birth neared, she traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Joseph for the government census. Perhaps no one in Nazareth would have helped her in her condition if he had left Mary behind. This couldn't have been an easy journey for her, either. And, of course, when they got there, Bethlehem was so crowded from the influx of all the others who had to register there that they couldn't find a room. Therefore, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the peace of God was upon him (Luke 2:40).

A little later the family would need to go to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath, but we aren't told much about Jesus' childhood until the incident in the temple when he was twelve and lagged behind his parents so that they had to go back and look for him. I wonder what it was like for Mary to parent a perfect child when she wasn't perfect? It might not have been as easy as one would first assume. But all indications are they were close. We don't know what  happened to Joseph, but Mary seems to have been near her Son on several occasions. Even from the cross, Jesus asked John to take care of her. We could learn much from studying Mary's commitment to God.

And the angel said unto her, fear not, Mary:for thou hast found favour with God (Luke 1:30).

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The Mystery of Mountain Mishap

I have a marketing mystery that I haven't been able to figure out, and it's nagging at me. One of my historical novels, Mountain Mishap, has consistently been outselling all my other ebooks for close to a year now. In fact, its sales have grown until it's not unusual for the book to sell better each month than all my other books put together.

I have seven other historical novels, so that's not the reason. There's another historical novel that the publisher has had at 99 cents for a couple of months now, and Mountain Mishap at $2.99 has been selling better, so price isn't the deciding factor. I have four other books set in the Appalachian Mountains, so it couldn't be that. I haven't advertised it as much as I have some of the other ones because I haven't needed to. And it doesn't have as many reviews than some of the others. In addition, it has 4.7 stars on Amazon, and I have books rated higher, even some with nothing but 5 stars.

I would love to know why the book has done this well so I could use the information as I publish and market others. If any of you have read it and/or have any ideas to answer my question, I would love to hear from you. In any regard, I'm extremely grateful it's doing so well. I have just started the process of producing it on audio books and have selected the narrator. We'll see if it does as well there.

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Maple Syrup

December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day. What a good day to have some pancakes, waffles, or French toast topped with maple syrup. Some cooks substitute it for corn syrup in recipes, and you can find some baking recipes online. In addition, it's fun to experiment to see which maple syrup surprises your family likes.

Red, black, or sugar maple trees are most often tapped to obtain maple syrup. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter. The starch is converted to sugar and rises in the xylem sap when spring comes. This is the time to drill holes in the trunks of the maple trees and collect the sap in buckets. The the sap is heated to boil out some of the liquid and leave a syrup. This process originated with Native American groups, but European settlers soon adopted their practices and improved them over time to meet their needs.

Although maple syrup and sugar have about the same amount of sucrose, maple syrup has some health benefits refined sugar does not, the main one being antioxidants. These antioxidants fight free radicals that are known to cause serious health problems. The darker the syrup, the more important antioxidants it has. So today is a good day to indulge in a good helping of maple syrup.

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Many Sacrifices

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

When we think of Jesus' sacrifice, we think of the cross, and so we should. He came as the ultimate, final sacrificial lamb to die for all if they would put their trust in Him. No other sin sacrifice would ever be needed. This is the heart of the gospel message. This is the good news we're supposed to share with the world. And the main part of the story begins with a birth in Bethlehem.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7).

However, leaving heaven, going through the birth process, and living on a sinful earth must have also been a great sacrifice. Think of leaving a place like heaven. He came to earth, not as a conquering Messiah but as a weak, helpless baby in a manger. He must have cried like most babies at the indignity of being pushed out into a cold, uncomfortable world. When He agreed to come, He knew his purpose - to die a cruel, torturing death nailed to a humiliating cross.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people (Matthew 4:23).

While on earth, he would set the example for us to follow. From obeying His Heavenly Father; to baptism; and then to teaching, ministering, and serving, He demonstrated how His followers should live their lives, not thinking of themselves but others and not seeking their will but God's. In many ways, Jesus' whole life was a sacrifice. How closely are we willing to follow His example?

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Choosing a Narrator

Audiobooks are the up and coming format. No longer does a listener have to borrow audio disks from the limited collection most libraries have or purchase the expensive CDs themselves. Like so much else, it's gone digital. And as in ebooks, Amazon has a big slice of the market with their Amazon Audible. They make it easy for both writers and producers

After filling out the form to list the already published book for production, the writer will need to choose a narrator. I usually put in the filters of what I'm looking for and then listen to the samples of some of the narrators that apply on Audible. However, for the last couple of books, narrators have contacted me from the initial listing. This didn't happen often at first, but it has made it quicker and easier to find my producer. They will be responsible for all the technical end of things as they read and record the book. You will need to furnish the manuscript, upload the cover design, and review the chapters for errors.

My dilemma in choosing the narrator has more to do with the accent and gender. Is it better to have someone with the accent of the book's setting or one with a more general accent? Heretofore, I've gone with ones with the accent the main characters in my books would have. Most of those have been Southern, although two were set in Pennsylvania. However, I'm beginning to wonder if readers don't prefer less of an accent. I haven't been specific as to gender unless there is only one main character. What do you think? What type of voice is best?

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It's Dewey Day

December 10 is National Dewey Decimal System Day because Melvil Dewey was born on December 10, 1851, in Adams Center, New York. He became a noted educator, librarian, and created the Dewey Decimal System of organizing books. He served as the head librarian at Columbia University before becoming the director of the New York State Library in 1888, but he had a tendency to become embroiled in controversy.

He created the Dewey Decimal System, for which he is most noted, in his first job directly out of college. Amherst hired him to manage its library and rearrange the collections there. Dewey used Sir Francis Bacon's method of assigning components decimal numbers. He copyrighted his system in 1876, and over time, it became widely used. He also did other work in the field, including establishing traveling libraries.

As both an avid reader and writer, I have long appreciated libraries, and all the libraries I have used except two used the Dewey Decimal system. I volunteered as a student assistant in the library in middle school and worked in the library part time when I was in college. In my opinion, Dewy's system is still the easiest for patron's to use. So, I will gladly celebrate National Dewey Decimal Day. What about with a good book?

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Why Doesn't God Make His Will Clear?

I think most Christians sometimes struggle with knowing God's will for them. We might wonder why He doesn't make His will clearer so we can follow it better. If He would just tell us or show us, we would do what He wants. Yet, would we? Did we always obey our earthly parents or guardians, even when we knew what they were saying was for the best, or were we determined to have our own way?

Look at Abraham. He only knew a very small part of God's will for him when he packed up everything, took Sarah and his servants, and traveled away from his extended family and all that was familiar to him. He had no idea where he was going or what he was to do when he got there. But the fact that he obeyed God, even when he didn't know the full extent of His will, grew his faith. He learned to seek God and to rely on Him.

It is in the ignorance and the not knowing, that our faith grows. If we easily knew what God wanted of us, it wouldn't require faith, we wouldn't grow as close to Him, and we would take Him for granted. As Jesus told Thomas, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet hath believed" (John 20:29). It is in the struggle of seeking God and His will that our faith grows stronger and stronger. As we read His Word, fall on our knees in prayer, and seek to be obedient, we grow closer to Him. He'll show us His will for us when the time is right. In the meantime, enjoy the journey of living in His presence, because that's where you'll be when you're seeking His will.

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When Winter Is Past, Another Audible

I am very happy to announce When Winter Is Past is almost out on audible. This has been one of the books that has steadily sold very well, and I expect it will also do well in the audio version. The narrator lives in Pennsylvania where the novel is set, and he has a touch of a British accent which seems appropriate for 1739 in the colonies. Out of my five novels with audible contracts, he's only the second narrator who has finished on time and the first male to do so.

Corey Thomas Hutcheson has an easy-to-listen-to, appealing voice. He's also a professor and an author with a background in storytelling and almost ten years of recording experience. With a background in literature and folk studies, he is currently a lecturer at Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg. I feel sure you will enjoy his reading of When Winter Is Past, as I have, and I hope he and I can work on another project sometime. You can visit his website at www.corythomashutcheson.com.

The story tells of Stanton Klein, a widower, Beth Evans, and the people of Middleville. Stan-ton’s father had given up on life after his wife died and left Stanton orphaned to live with his grandparents. As he grew up, Stanton decided he would never love like that. He and his first wife had fared well together, but he'd never loved her, and she died in childbirth. Now he’s decided to find another woman to marry - after all, a farmer needs a wife and sons. However, with the changes come important lessons and dangers that Stanton never imagined. Beth has taken care of her father, since he fell from a barn roof and can no longer walk. People, like Fiona, have always made fun of her, because she has a limp. When Stanton befriends her, she’s wary but also intrigued. Her father encourages her to give Stanton a chance, but she's not so sure. The book is not only an exciting romance, but it has a mystery to solve as well. And as always, all of my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children. It will be released as soon as ACX reviews and approves it, and it's currently available in print and e-books.

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The Cold War

U. S. President, George H. W. Bush, and Soviet President, Mikhail Gorbachev, declared that the Cold War was over on December 3, 1989, in a meeting off the coast of Malta. The "war" had escalated since 1946 before it began to wane. The end of World War II basically left the United States and the Soviet Union as the top world powers, and yet they had vastly different ideologies, economic strategies, and political systems. As other Eastern European nations fell under Soviet control, tensions increased, and phrases like "Soviet Block" and "Iron Curtain" became buzzwords of the day.

As a part of these differences, the communists built a wall between East Germany under Soviet control and the more democratic West Germany. It was started August 13, 1961. Perhaps the climax of this Cold War occurred in the standoff between President John F. Kennedy and the Soviets over Cuban missiles in October of 1962. During these early sixties, Americans were encouraged to build bomb shelters due to the severe threat. Even the space race became a part of cold war posturing. 

 George Orwell had first popularized the term "Cold War." In 1945, he wrote an essay, "You and the Atomic Bomb," in a British newspaper. Following that, he wrote about the country being "in a permanent state of 'cold war' with its neighbours." The announcement in 1989 was an official declaration that some of these tensions had eased, and the world breathed a sigh of relief. 

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All Good Things

And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17).

How many times do we take credit for God's blessings. We strive to provide a good life, make things happen, and to become successful. We seek profit, prestige, and power. Yet, when someone obtains these things, the person may find they weren't the blessing he or she supposed. What they gained did not equal what they had to give up to get it. Worldly pursuits never satisfy in the end.

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:!8a)

All truly good things come from God. When we rely on Him, His blessings always last and satisfy for He is our greatest blessing. His presence sustains us and gives us an abundant life, regardless of material things. What a privilege it is to grow close to Him, to feel His love so strongly that it brings tears to our eyes. How it nourishes our souls to see blessing after blessing come - blessings we didn't even ask for, but he gives, not because we are good and deserve them, but because he is good and wants to bestow good things on His children. If we make Him our All in All and give Him all of ourselves, all the blessings of Heaven will be ours. Hallelujah!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father" (James 1:17a).

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The Length of a Book

Does how long or short a book is matter? At one time I wouldn't have thought so. As I have heard many authors say, I would have agreed that the length of a book should be determined by the content. Some stories or subjects take longer to tell than others. And, although there is certainly truth in that, the number of pages in a book seems to matter to readers.

I've noticed over the years, the size of novels have tended to get smaller. However, a novel needs to be long enough to develop the characters and plot. It's been my experience, if a book is much under a hundred pages, it tends to be too shallow to leave me satisfied. I've found that most readers agree. It's better not to publish one until it's fleshed out and ready. I've read several novellas lately that would have been wonderful if they'd been developed into a novel, but, as they were, they fell way short of expectations.

However, a novel that goes on and on can also lose the reader's interest. These novels tend to be too descriptive, have too many characters, or be repetitive and belabor points. Reviewers may list them as "boring" or readers may give up on the book before they get to the end. Society has changed since the days of the classics, and people are even more aware of how they spend their time. We have more choices than ever before, and a book needs to be succinct and to the point. If something doesn't move the story forward, it probably shouldn't be there.

There are, of course, exceptions to all this, but I've found these things true in general. I've been giving the matter much attention, both from a reader's and a writer's standpoint. The most successful length with readers seems to be between 200 and 295 pages. The more a book goes over 300 pages, the more special they need to be to have readers give them five stars. Most people will think twice about buying a book over 400 pages anymore. Do you have a preference as to the number of pages in a book?

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King Tut's Tomb Discovered

On November 26, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his crew opened the tomb of King Tutankhamen and entered to find it still intact. This created a flurry of media storms, and interest in Egypt and Egyptian treasures surged. Tutankhamen was part of the 18th Egyptian dynasty and ruled from about 1332-1323 BC. He is also known as "the boy king," because he came to the throne at age ten, and died at nineteen.

King Tut married his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten, which was not uncommon in most parts of the known world at that time. Some biblical figures, like Abraham, did something similar. Tutankhamen had two daughters, but they were both stillborn and buried with him. Most historians believe this king had powerful advisers, since he came to the throne so young. He sought to restore diplomatic relations with other countries, which had weakened under prior rulers.

Standing at 5 feet and 11 inches tall, when he died, Tut was lean and trim. Busts found in his tomb gives us some idea of what he may have looked like. No one knows for sure the reason for his death. Some have wondered if he wasn't killed, but more think it happened due to an accident. He had a broken leg shortly before death, and it became infected. There's also evidence he had malaria. Some have speculated that the fall, which broke his leg, may have caused an internal brain injury as well. Regardless, this ended his family's line to the throne.

sarcophagus

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