Gratitude Journals- A Look on the Silly Side #RB4U @melissa_keir

Gratitude Journals- A Look on the Silly Side

Hello everyone. It's Melissa popping in today for a little look at gratitude. I know we focus on that during November as a part of Thanksgiving and with our New Year, we set goals and resolutions. Many people want to be more positive this year. It seems like 2015 was a pretty yucky year for so many people...at least according to my Facebook feed.

According to Wikipedia.."A gratitude journal is a diary of things for which one is grateful. Gratitude journals are used by individuals who wish to focus their attention on the positive things in their lives...participants who kept weekly or daily gratitude journals had greater psychological and physical benefits when compared to participants who did not keep gratitude journals."Link to Wikipedia

I don't keep my own gratitude journal but I do text my best friend every day. We text what we are grateful for and it help support each other as well as keep in touch, since we live so far apart.  Sometimes our texts are profound and other times, simple. We each are facing so challenges that we love being able to keep in touch and help each other. So a journal doesn't have to be a book, but some way that you reflect and share what you are grateful for.

I thought it would be fun to see what some of my characters would write if they wrote in a gratitude journal. Mind you I took it on the silly side. 

Betsie Wolfe: I am grateful that I found my favorite lipstick when I dropped my purse. Too bad I had to witness that murder. 

Jonah Pigg: I'm grateful that Betsie didn't freak out about staying in my old bedroom. At least the sheets were clean... I think.

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Michelle Alt: I am grateful for my mom helping out with my daughter and our home. I'd never have time to protest if she wasn't here.

Preston Hall: I'm grateful I didn't continue with the polo career. There's no way I'd be able to compete against the British Royals.

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Keira Matthews: I'm grateful for my little furry baby. He's always there for me, even when Rob's too busy. At least, Gris kisses me.

Rob Matthews: I am grateful for a vacation, even if it's supposed to be a second honeymoon with my wife who doesn't trust me. Maybe there'll be some good fishing.

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While these are silly gratitude journal entries, I could see the characters being honest in a journal they think no one else would read. Do you keep a gratitude journal? What would your characters say in a journal? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Don't forget to drop by next month at this same day for more silly insights into my writing, books, characters and life. 

I am grateful for all of you who read the blog, visit my page and website, and buy my books. You are so important to me! I wish you a happy and prosperous 2016!

http://www.melissakeir.com

7 Authors – 7 Divas – not by @DarylDevore #RB4U #Romance

I had the pleasure of being asked to join a group of authors to create a box of crash romance stories. Each story starts with a plane crash and ends with a Happily Ever After. Simple, right? Not exactly. More like terrifying. Look at the quality of the authors I'd been selected to be with. I had to put on my big girl panties and get down to work.

Seven authors can easily have 7 different and delicate egos, but not once was there any serious drama in the group. Everyone was professional and supportive. If someone had a "silly" question, no one mocked them, just helped answer the problem. When asked where everyone wanted to be placed in the lineup – 6 responses were anywhere. Mine was, “I'll go first.” I had an idea how to prep the whole concept with a replica crash report and it needed to go first. People have stepped up in organizing blogs, a Thunderclap campaign, a Facebook event and other promotional items. So this anthology is truly written by seven authors – not a diva in the crowd.

Now, how does this tie into a July theme here on RB4U. Two words – beach scene. Five of the crash romances happen on tropical islands. Which is an interesting story in itself. When D'Ann Lindun and Brenda Dyer came up with the idea of the box set all the stories were supposed to originate from one plane crash. Each author scurried off to their writing gave and dug in to creating their story. Someone asked a question on our Facebook page and it turned out 6 people had 6 different versions of the crash and Jenna moved the crash to England – which I will concede is an island, but not tropical. I had the plane breaking up after crashing on a coral reef, the front end sinks first and the back end sinks in a storm. Another author had the back end sinking right away. Another author…well, you get the idea.

After a moment's panic, our fabulous leader, D'Ann said – pick your location and go. And we did. We wrote these stories over the past winter, which I will say was one of the worst where I live in Ontario. My hero, Guy, even thinks about that.

Guy smiled. Those palm trees along the shoreline looked a lot better than the massive, dirty snow banks back home. And the sea breeze rustling his hair was like a warm embrace, not like a hard slap of the brutal Ontario winds in January.  

But it is the love affairs that bloom as the couples struggle for survival among the palm trees, sea views and long sandy beaches. There is just something about a beach that seems to bring out the romance; even in a difficult situation as a crash.

Seven planes lift off…seven planes crash…seven stories of struggle, passion and love in the barren Canadian Wilderness, the coast of England, or the steamy heat of a tropical island. Romance hangs in the balance between survival and death.

Brace for Impact by Daryl Devoré. What could be simpler than a routine plane trip from Toronto, Canada to Caracas, Venezuela for rookie flight attendant, Lori, and sexy R.C.M.P. officer, Guy Lapierre? But Fate had other intentions.

Crashing into You by Lisa Kumar When Ashlee Trent meets handsome businessman Kaiden West on a plane to Australia, he eases her fears even as he sets her heart ablaze. But after their plane crashes into the ocean and they wash ashore, will the secrets surrounding him send their budding relationship into a nosedive?

Crash and Burn by Melissa Keir Can Rob and Keira's second honeymoon lead to romance, or will it crash and burn? On the verge of a divorce, Rob and Keira Matthews book a second honeymoon at the urging of their counselor. Unable to conceive, they've pushed each other away in an effort to protect their hearts. Will a romantic holiday be the ticket to love or a plane crash in disaster??

Crashing Through Time by Jenna Jaxon The most dangerous thing about time travel is knowledge of the past: does she save him and change history, or let the tragic events play out and lose the love of her life?
More than hearts can be broken when you crash through time. 

Love Comes Crashing In by Brenda Dyer Best friends find love in each other's arms, but can that love survive reality.

Falling Hard by D'Ann Lindun He craves solitude to forget what a woman did to him. She needs one last chance before her career ends. Can a plane crash in the Canadian Rockies show them what really matters?

and A Splash of Romance by Deb Julienne Hannah Parks is a trauma nurse on her way to a symposium at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. She just started her bucket list and a plane crash definitely isn't on it. Oliver Lawson's divorce is almost final and he's looking to start over. A tropical island, a gorgeous woman, and romance is one thing, getting there as a result of a crash landing...who knew?

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Stranded...What Would You Do? #RB4U #crashingintolove

Thank you for tuning in today. I'm Melissa Keir and your tour guide for your trip down memory lane today. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Being stuck on an island has been a part of our culture for years. Think Gilligan's Island, Survivor, or Lost. With each of those scenarios the people had to learn how to survive without the modern conveniences. No internet! No electricity! If that doesn't scare you, what are you going to do for food and water? It's not like there's a Kroger store just around the corner.

Gilligan was fortunate to have a smart professor along for the adventure. His knowledge allowed them to survive and even build a couple of handy tools!

When you have friends, you are home!

 With shows like Survivor, the producers put you in precarious situations and force you to find a way to succeed or get booted off the island. Not only do you have to survive the conditions but you have to be sneaky and nice enough to stick around.

Forget it! I'm not that nice or sneaky!

It's this idea of what happens when you are trapped and at the mercy of nature that was the basis for my story Crash and Burn in the book bundle- Crashing into Love. Rob and Keira end up on a deserted island following a plane crash. Their marriage was in shambles. They hardly spoke or saw each other. Now they're forced to deal with nature and each other. Nowhere to hide when you must rely on each other. 

What would you do if you were stranded with the one person you couldn't stand? Could you put aside your differences to get along? Would close quarters lead to romance and passion? Would you survive without your internet, bathrooms and air conditioning? (Honestly, that'd be the hardest part for me!).

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Excerpt:

     Her husband stomped away in a huff. His damp clothes accentuated his fit body. The many nights he’d spent lately at the gym had firmed and toned his already-sexy body into a dream machine. Yeah, and all those other women ogling him. Too bad the gym didn’t do more for his attitude. I heard his comment. Why does he always have to push my buttons? He really shouldn’t have expected me to go walking, looking for…. She shivered. What if there were bodies? I wonder if anyone else survived the crash. I’ve got better things to do. Maybe I’ll find out this island is really a resort like in that romance novel I read. Then I can save the day.

     She picked up Gris and gave him a kiss on the nose. “Little man, you’d never get mad at me. Let’s go find ourselves the perfect place to rest. Maybe we can prove to that man I’m capable.” With the dog settled in her arms, Keira headed inland, away from the beach and toward the jungle.

     Trees filled her vision. Their dense foliage provided shelter and had allowed moss to cover the ground. She welcomed the softness under her feet. She noticed the drop in temperature as well. The blistering sun from the beach dappled through the leaves and created a cool, welcoming environment. The sound of birds and other animals teased her hearing. She paused and inhaled. A flowery fragrance filled the air.

     The trees are so thick, I can’t see more than five feet in front of me. I hope there aren’t any snakes. Her stomach knotted. Snakes or lack of food? She pulled Gris closer to her, absently running her fingers through his fur. I’m sure there’s no coffee joint or five-star hotel around here. I would’ve seen something before now. Rats. I was really hoping for the happy ending of a romance novel.

Crashing into Love....

Lost meets Romancing the Stone--action adventure, a dash of mystery, and romance to die for.

Seven planes lift off…seven planes crash…seven stories of struggle, passion and love in the barren Canadian Wilderness, the coast of England, or the steamy heat of a tropical island. Romance hangs in the balance between survival and death.

Brace for Impact by Daryl Devoré.

What could be simpler than a routine plane trip from Toronto, Canada to Caracas, Venezuela for rookie flight attendant, Lori, and sexy R.C.M.P. officer, Guy Lapierre? But Fate had other intentions.

Crashing into You by Lisa Kumar

When Ashlee Trent meets handsome businessman Kaiden West on a plane to Australia, he eases her fears even as he sets her heart ablaze. But after their plane crashes into the ocean and they wash ashore, will the secrets surrounding him send their budding relationship into a nosedive?

Crash and Burn by Melissa Keir

Can Rob and Keira's second honeymoon lead to romance, or will it crash and burn?

On the verge of a divorce, Rob and Keira Matthews book a second honeymoon at the urging of their counselor. Unable to conceive, they've pushed each other away in an effort to protect their hearts. Will a romantic holiday be the ticket to love or a plane crash in disaster?

Crashing Through Time by Jenna Jaxon

The most dangerous thing about time travel is knowledge of the past: does she save him and change history, or let the tragic events play out and lose the love of her life?
More than hearts can be broken when you crash through time. 

Love Comes Crashing In by Brenda Dyer

Best friends find love in each other's arms, but can that love survive reality?

Falling Hard by D'Ann Lindun

He craves solitude to forget what a woman did to him. She needs one last chance before her career ends. Can a plane crash in the Canadian Rockies show them what really matters?

A Splash of Romance by Deb Julienne

Who knew a plane crash would lead to romance? Hannah Parks is a trauma nurse on her way to a symposium at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. She just started her bucket list and a plane crash definitely isn't on it.  Oliver Lawson's divorce is final and he's looking to start over. A tropical island, a gorgeous woman. Romance is one thing, getting there as a result of a crash landing...who knew?  

Thank you for visiting with me today! Come back next month for another look into my twisted mind! :)

Melissa

http://www.melissakeir.com