I hope you all
had a good holiday, and I hope this New Year is a great one for you.
Today, January
24, is National Compliment Day. What a great idea! How many times do you give
someone a compliment? I don’t do it often enough. I think most of us are so
caught up in our own busy lives that we don’t take time to compliment others.
I don’t mean
fake compliments to get favors, or to get someone to like you, but genuine
ones. If your waitress has a hair style you like, or you like her nail polish,
tell her. If a child does something particularly sweet, compliment him on what
a nice thing he did.
If a friend or
co-worker is wearing something that makes her look stylish, hip, whatever, tell
her. Compliments make you feel as good as the person you’re complimenting. You
can diffuse tensions this way too. Imagine you’re having a spirited discussion
with a friend or relative. Take a deep breath and ask her if she’s done
something different with her hair because it looks very nice. She’ll be so
shocked that the tension will dissolve. But be genuine. If her hair doesn’t
look nice, maybe you like the jeans she’s wearing, and you can mention them.
This brings me
to writers. I’m as guilty as anyone for enjoying a book and not telling the
author. What is the ultimate compliment you can give an author after reading,
and liking, one of her books? Post a nice review on Amazon and the other sites.
Trust me, reviews are very important to authors. We like to know that people
enjoy our books. If you meet an author at a conference and you’ve enjoyed her
books, tell her, and tell her why you like them. For instance, maybe she writes
cowboy romances. Tell her how real and likeable her cowboys are. Or if she
writes SEAL romances, tell her how heroic and warm her SEALS are. You’ll have a
friend for life.
I no longer make
New Year’s resolutions. Why bother? I never keep them. Every January, I set a
goal of writing at least 1,000 words a day. I usually go to March before that
goal slips away. This year, I kept my goal for one week. I had to put aside the
book I’m writing to critique novellas for an anthology I’m in that will be
released in April. Once I get away from my stated writing goal, I find it hard
to get back, but I will.
Besides writing
at least 1,000 words a day this year, I pledge to myself that I will compliment
people more, smile more, and be generally more pleasant despite some of the
unpleasantness in the world.
Compliment
someone today, and every day. And don’t forget us writers.
Keep the warm
holiday spirit a little longer. Snag these holiday books before the prices go
up.
A Groom for Christmas, multi-award
winning sensuous romance, is still on sale for 99 cents. That’s a savings of
$2.00 but it won’t last for long.
Winner! 2014 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award
A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS is a new twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas movie full of family, humor, love, and a little bit of redemption.
Family pressure just might make her do something crazy...
When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.
New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.
Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge.
But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed.
Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?
2013 Snow Globes Award Contest Finalist
2014 Readers' Choice Nominee, Best Couple, Love Romances Cafe
2014 RomCon Awards Finalist
A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS is a new twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas movie full of family, humor, love, and a little bit of redemption.
Family pressure just might make her do something crazy...
When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.
New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.
Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge.
But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed.
Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?
2013 Snow Globes Award Contest Finalist
2014 Readers' Choice Nominee, Best Couple, Love Romances Cafe
2014 RomCon Awards Finalist
Like stories from around the
world? Holiday Magic from the World
Romance Writers is still only 99 cents!
The World
Romance Writers wish you joy and love this holiday season and all year long
with a collection of heartwarming romances filled with Holiday Magic. This anthology features stories from far and wide,
and includes contemporary and historical romance, futuristic time travel
romance, and romance touched with magic by Award-Winning and Multi-Published
Authors: Rose Anderson, Lynn Crain, Gemma Juliana, Cara Marsi, and Jenny Twist.
Visit my website to read excerpts from all my books and to sign up for my monthly newsletter. I include a movie/TV review and a recipe in every issue.
www.caramarsi.com
What a fun post! Just compliments... even when we get them, we don't really appreciate them. I give an excuse to push the compliment off me, like I didn't earn it. But we should listen. This is the month of Kindness as well so let's make a change!
ReplyDeleteTelling an author is a wonderful thing. Even if your review is as simple as I liked it. Or I wish I was with your characters saving the world... it will bring a smile to someone's face!
Thank you Cara for sharing! I'm going to be sure to do some complimenting today!
Thanks, Melissa. You bring up a good point. I, too, don't always know how to accept a compliment. Accepting compliments gracefully is as important as giving them.
ReplyDeleteCara, loved your post. Thanks for reminding me that I need to be a person that takes a moment to compliment.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Cara. And it should be coupled with be kind every day.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Cara! I've always had a hard time accepting a compliment but when I really thought about it, that attitude disrespects the person who took the time to say something kind. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy, Vicki, and Paris. I'm going to try harder to give more compliments, and learn how to accept them, too.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea, Cara. Too much negativity and nastiness in the world today.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina, and you are so right.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I've tried very hard to do...Although sometimes it is hard because I also want to be honest. Better to try, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean. Even yesterday, I forgot to compliment someone. I need to get better at it.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea.
ReplyDelete