Thursday, July 9, 2015

Patience is a Virtue…Bull!


 


I love to write, but life gets in the way at times. Sometimes it’s something minor but still interferes. Sometimes it’s much, much more serious like an illness or death. When that happens, books are delayed or put on hold for a period of time. Readers are already on pins and needles waiting for that next book, so any delay seems terrible and inexcusable when they have been waiting weeks and weeks for it.

Believe me, I understand. I have favorite authors just like any reader. Authors love to read, too and we get just as impatient as our own readers get. I have an author right now who is behind on her books and it’s driving me insane, but you know what? She had a serious illness that nearly killed her and affected her ability to work. She’s back at it and moving along, but after I found out, I felt a little sick that I’d been fuming about waiting.

Sheesh! I remember waiting nearly an entire year for books not all that long ago. Even now, there are some authors who only write one or two books a year. With the dawn of e-book popularity came the expectation of immediate gratification/satisfaction. We can’t wait on anything anymore because for the most part, we don’t have to. If we can’t get what we want right now, we move on to the next person/business who can.

Still there are some of us diehard fans of those really exceptional authors who do wait. And even if we read other books while we wait, we keep watch for when the golden goose lays that golden egg for us. Then we snatch it up, prepare for a marathon session of reading all night and all day until we finish it. Then once again we are back to waiting, waiting…

So for those of you who have been waiting for the next Ghost Riders book, its out!
Book five, Being the Bikers’ Old Lady is now available at Siren Bookstrand http://bit.ly/1J0VTtm
 
  me-mm-tgr-beingthebikersoldlady3
Delta vowed to leave the biker world behind but didn’t count on Butch and Walker’s determination. After growing up in the dangerous MC world where women rarely held any status outside of their men, Delta didn’t want that lifestyle now that she was an adult. She learned that sometimes expensive clothes and important careers aren’t indications that a man will be a good husband.
 
When an ex-boyfriend needs her silenced over something she’d seen, Delta ends up under the protection of two sexy bikers as their old Lady. Things got complicated fast. These bikers weren’t like any biker MC she’d ever been around before. Suddenly being an old lady didn’t seem quite as bad as she’d thought, but was she just an obligation or did they have a future with her as their old lady?


me-mm-ww-abbystwowarriors3And for the Amazon “One Click”, Wonders, of which I’m a charter member myself, book two of the Wounded Warrior Series, Abby’s Two Warriors is available for your reading pleasure.   http://amzn.to/1CUuCEl


See you in the waiting line!

Marla Monroe
 
Twitter: @MarlaMonroe1
                          

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Ramping Up the Fun!


Some exciting things going on here in Marla Monroe land. Coming soon to a website/blog/Facebook/Google+ account near you so stay tuned. You’ve read about them and fallen in love with them. You’ve cheered for them and cried for them. Now you can find out what makes them tick or just what their favorite food is. We’re going to be doing a series of character interviews to give you an inside look at who they really are. Sound like fun?
 
 

 So, would you choose one from The Ghost Riders?

 
Maybe it would be one from Wolfs Pass Shifters...

 
 There's always the men of Knights in Black Leather to think about.
 

 



















How about some mini-stories or flash fiction from your favorite series as free reads? Just because the book ended doesn’t mean they ended. Find out what parts didn’t make the cut and ended up on the editor’s floor.


Need a little pick me up from time to time? Let’s create a hero bulletin board on Pinterest. I’ll post a picture every week and you get to create a two or three sentence little story about them and then at the end of a month, we’ll vote on the best overall “hero” and the best two or three stories about them. There will be fun, goofy prizes.

 
I've already got some really HOT ideas on this one. What about you?

 
 
Oh the possibilities of a hot and sweaty cowboy.

No words. No words.


Yea! Fight scene and the winner gets me!!
 


So don’t forget to keep a watch here and in the forums on my website here

For more information on where and when to watch for the start of some summer fun!

 

Marla
www.marlamonroe.com
www.facebook.com/marla.monroe7
@MarlaMonroe1
https://www.pinterest.com/marlamonroe/

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Dual Duties Today

One of my favorite things in the world is to watch snow fall then stand out in it at night and listen to the absolute silence that it leaves. It's as if the snow absorbs all sounds and muffles anything that might try to intrude. I always feel so peaceful when I can do that and it's been nearly ten years since there's been enough snow for me to do that. Today, I got my favorite thing and I'll be standing out in it in a few hours. :-)

I'm so excited that Their Independent Submissive is on pre-order already. Book five of the Knights in Black Leather series was so much fun to write because of Darla's son,  Tommy. He was fun and challenging to write. He's eight years old and loves baseball.

You can pre-order it at Bookstrand. It will be released for download on March 6th. Follow the above link and read more about Darla and Tommy and the two Alpha Marines who want to claim her.



While you're there looking around, remember that Their Forever Home, Book 13 of Men of the Border Lands is available for download now.

With those still living in the East slowly moving deeper into the West, lawlessness and danger is at an all time high for families, especially those with women. More and more of the original families are moving deeper into the Border Lands and joining up with a community working together to keep each other safe and provide a better life for themselves.

Vella has left a commune she never felt safe in and Lance and Carver are teaming up to locate this place they've heard about in hopes they will be allowed to stay. Their chances would be a lot better if they had a complete family, but women are hard to find these days. Imagine their surprise when Lance fishes one out of the swollen creek one day.

You can follow the diary entries of Jane on my forum. She's giving us a deeper look into what these pioneers have to face on a day to day basis. You can read the entries here on my webpage, www.marlamonroe.com    Here 

Remember you can get all but the last two books at Amazon here.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook  HERE
Kay's Fan Page for me is HERE

Until later,

Marla Monroe

Thursday, January 29, 2015

COVER REVEAL


My cover is out for book 5 in the Knights in Black Leather series. I love it and want to know what you guys think?

 

I think it's tasteful without losing the sexiness of the book. At the same time, it's not cheesy or have put together body parts.

Be sure to follow my forum on my website for more fun and future excerpts. Also, today and maybe tomorrow, I'm having a cover reveal prize give away! All you have to do is comment here or on Facebook what you think about the cover. The winner will receive a surprise swag gift.

Don't miss out today!

Marla

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

GUEST POST FOR Normandie Alleman on Poor Little Daddy's Girl

Meet the Dream Cast for
 
 
Poor Little Daddy's Girl
 
Twenty-four-year-old Charmaine Bainbridge appears to have it all—beauty, fame, and tremendous wealth—yet behind all the glitz and glamor hides a sad little girl who has been abandoned by every man she’s ever loved.
By
Meet Normandie Alleman.  A former psychologist, Normandie has always been fascinated by human behavior. She loves writing quirky characters that are all too human. Fiber arts, baking, and Pinterest are a few of her favorite pastimes. She lives on a farm with a passel of kids, an adorable husband, and a pet pig who’s crazy for Red Bull.



 
 
Poor Little Daddy's Girl
When firefighter Hunter Baldwin saves Charmaine from a fire in her penthouse apartment—a blaze started by her own carelessness—he’s appalled by her nonchalant attitude. Forced to carry her to safety, he throws her over his shoulder, but not before correcting her behavior with a well-deserved spanking. Something about Charmaine arouses him deeply, and it isn’t just her gorgeous looks. This girl needs to be firmly corrected and thoroughly dominated, and a part of Hunter demands that he be the one to take her in hand.
Though he’s used to charging into burning buildings on a daily basis, Hunter knows taming Charmaine’s wild ways may prove to be his greatest challenge yet. Undeterred, he takes on the role of Charmaine’s daddy dom in hopes of breaking down her defenses and healing her wounds. But can she bring herself to open her heart to him, or will she remain the lonely little rich girl forever?





Oh how fun it is to dream up a cast for your book! It’s an author’s dream task. Here’s who I’d love to see starring in the film version of Poor Little Daddy’s Girl. Charmaine would have to be played by the stunning Mena Suvari. Mena exemplified the “naughty little sexpot” in American Beauty and she just looks like she could be a wealthy socialite/local celebrity and party girl.

 

Jason Lewis (the stunning suitor from Sex & the City who almost tamed Samantha) would make a brilliant Hunter. Handsome and buff, Jason also excels as the strong, silent type who is capable of letting his woman take center stage. He’s also surprisingly grounded, just like our favorite firefighting Daddy Dom, Hunter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Poor Little Daddy’s Girl is the third book in the Daddy’s Girl Series and I’d love to cast even more of the series characters, most notably Taye Diggs as the flamboyant Dallas Vipers wide receiver Natron Dakers (Daddy’s Game), and Matt Bomer as Daddy Morebucks himself (James) from the first book.
 
Curious which characters would be played by Kate Hudson, Henry Cavill, and Idena Menzel? Check out my Daddy’s Girl Pinterest Board. http://www.pinterest.com/NormandieA/the-daddys-girls-series/
Excerpt
Charmaine robotically fastened her seat belt, dazed from the passionate kiss Hunter had just planted on her. Whew, her legs had gone all Jell-O on her, and she’d been afraid she might slide to the ground. A side effect from her concussion last weekend or pure lust? Difficult to determine.
“Where will you take me next?” Usually she would have told him where she wanted to go, but for some reason, tonight it pleased her to let Hunter take charge of their evening.
“I thought we could go back to my place. You still haven’t received that punishment I owe you.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Her heart sunk. A punishment? That didn’t sound like a fun time at all. She was no pain slut, and she had a feeling he would inflict some pain if given the opportunity. Using her safe word was always an option. Nah, she couldn’t have him thinking he was too much for her.
“Fine,” she said, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
When they got to his place they took the rattle-y old elevator to his apartment. Once inside, Charmaine felt the buzz of happiness. His place was growing on her.
“Why don’t you go into the bedroom and take off your clothes,” Hunter said as casually as if he asked her to hand him a paper towel.
“Just like that?” she asked in a voice that dripped sarcasm.
“Just like that.”
Her heart rate sped up. How arrogant could he be, just assuming she was going to get naked for him? Who did he think he was? Clearly he didn’t know she had considered standing him up tonight.
“You should at least offer me a drink,” she snipped.
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners? Would you like some water, Charmaine?”
“Water?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I was thinking beer or some wine…”
“I’m sure you were but you’ve had enough to drink tonight, tiger.”
“You’re an ass, you know that?” she asked, pressing her lips together in anger.
“So I’ve been told. Do you want some water or not?”
“Ugh. Fine, I’ll take some, but I’m not getting undressed!” She huffed loudly and went to sit in the ugly recliner, trying to shut out the pictures in her head of the way he’d pleasured her there. She wanted to stay mad at him.
He brought her a glass of water with two ice cubes in it. She took a sip then set the glass down on the coffee table. Hunter tilted her chin up toward him. “Hey,” he said.
She gave him a pronounced pout. “What?”
“Don’t be like that,” he chided her.
“Like what?” she said, sticking her lower lip out as far as it could go.
“All pouty and bratty, like a naughty little girl.”
“Why? What will you do?” she said, her interest growing.
“I might have to spank you with my belt.”
“With your belt?” Her blue eyes grew huge.
He nodded. “Now, please go into the bedroom and take off your clothes. If you don’t want to take off your top you may leave on your blouse, but off with your skirt and no panties.”
The way he’d taken control of the situation, firmly yet gently, captivated her. “Well, since you asked nicely…” she said and went into the bedroom where she took off all of her clothes. Unsure what to do next, she lay down on her tummy on the bed.
She heard him come into the room, then heard the “ziiiiiiip” as he yanked his belt out of his belt loops. No one had ever hit her with a belt before, and she wasn’t sure she could take it. Remember you have a safe word—Kimberly’s advice rang in her ears, and she took a deep breath. Breathing always helped her get through a spanking.
“Charmaine, what are you being punished for?”
She wanted to roll her eyes and offer a smartass retort, but she squashed her obnoxious side and answered dutifully, “For not following your instructions after the car wreck.”
“That is correct. Anything else?”
“Being bratty?”
“Exactly.”
She lay there, quietly on the bed for several minutes trying not to tense up her muscles, a challenge since any second she anticipated a leather strap would wallop her butt.
Then it came. The impact of the belt cracking against her buttocks. Ouch! It hurt, but not as badly as she’d expected. She exhaled and reminded herself not to hold her breath.
Another swat came down, this time she could actually feel the supple texture of the leather against her backside. It made an impression that was both pleasurable and painful at the same time. She writhed on the bed, eager to experience more.
“See? It’s not so bad is it?”
“No, sir.”
Thwap! The slapping sound resonated throughout the room.
Thwap! The lashes were beginning to sting. She imagined her bottom must be turning pink by this point, and she was getting wetter as her arousal built.
Thwack! That one hit lower on her ass and she prayed he wouldn’t go onto her thighs. Thigh spankings could be killers.
Fortunately, Hunter was no sadist, and he kept his swats to her rear end.
His smacks were starting to burn, and now she made a small cry with each one.
He must have realized she was getting close to her limit because with one final whack he asked, “What have you learned from this?”
“To listen to what you say, do what you ask, and not be bratty.”
He sat down heavy on the bed next to her. “That about sums it up.” He curled his body next to her and rubbed his palm over her reddened flesh which now felt like it was on fire. His caresses served as a salve, mitigating the pain, and she moved to press her naked body against his clothed one.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said playfully.
“You’re welcome, Kitten.”
She stroked his cheek with her hand. “Kitten?”
“Yeah. You’re a tiger most of the time, but when I tame you, you turn into the most adorable little kitten.” Her heart fluttered in her chest, and her pussy throbbed with need. At that moment there was nothing in the entire world she wanted more than to be his kitten.
brats
 
 
Publisher’s Note: Poor Little Daddy’s Girl is the third book in the Daddy’s Girl series. It incorporates characters from the first two books in the series, but it is a stand-alone novel. This book includes spankings, sexual scenes, BDSM content, and more.
 
Buy Links:
Coming soon to Blushing Books!
You can watch the book trailer for the Daddy’s Girls Series, Books 1-3 here: http://youtu.be/HKslEJO9tGI 
Rafflecopter for giveaway for (2) $50 Amazon gift cards:
 Follow her on:
Twitter at @NormandieA  https://twitter.com/NormandieA
 

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Their Forever Home


Vella's  decision on whether to accept Carver as her other husband will determine if Carver can stay at the compound or has to leave. How can she turn away from one of the men who saved her life not once, but twice and never showed her anything but kindness?
 
Outside of the compound winter is about to strike and few men would be able to survive it without having made preparations in advance. Seeing Carver walk out into the surrounding woods would surely break her. No. Vella loved him and if that meant overlooking the fact that he'd once been a member of the Bondsmen who'd killed her brother and the only family she'd had left then that was what she was prepared to do.
 
Find out what happens next in book thirteen of Men of the Border Lands. A new era has begun on an Earth ravaged by thousands of storms, fires, floods, and famine. The diseases that swept over the survivors afterwards finished off the remainder of the weak. Now all that was left were those nature deemed smart enough and  brave enough to have survived.

Available on pre-order now and officially released January 23rd at Bookstrand            http://bit.ly/1DS0ieT

Read an excerpt here:

“No more talk, guys,” Lance said as he settled between her legs once more. “I’m hungry and she’s lying here spread open like a feast before me. I’m not wasting one second of this.”
She gasped as Lance’s tongue flicked over her clit in rapid movements that had her digging her fingers into the blankets to the hard cave rock underneath. He sank two fingers into her cunt this time and as he pumped them and sucked on her clit, pressure built deep in her womb, yet the friction wasn’t quite enough. Vella lifted one hand and scratched down the center of Carver’s chest.
“Please. I need something. I’m so close already,” she pleaded.
Carver growled before taken one of her nipples in his mouth while squeezing the other with his fingers. His teeth worried the swollen nub even as he twisted the other nipple between his fingers. Vella exploded all over them.
“Yes!” she screamed. “Lance, so good. Carver. God, Carver!”
“Give it all to us, babe,” Carver demanded. 
She couldn’t stop the tremors that racked her body as she slowly came down from the best orgasm of her life. If that felt that amazing, how much better would actual intercourse be? She was almost too worried to find out. Almost, but not quite enough to put a stop to their play.
Vella lay panting with her eyes closed. She didn’t have the energy to open them until someone covered her body with theirs. They snapped open at the barely there weight to find Carver staring down at her.
“I want a taste of you before Lance fucks you. That little taste wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy me, babe. I can see I’m going to spend a lot of time buried in your sweet pussy, Vella.” Carver claimed her mouth as only he could do.
The aggressive way he took control of the kiss from the very beginning turned her own in so many ways. The soft growl ramped up her arousal even though she’d just had an orgasm worth writing home about. Carver almost forced her to accept his tongue and the desperate attack it waged in her mouth. No spot was unclaimed as he slowly withdrew only to nibble on her lips before he pulled back to stare at her again.
Before she managed to ask him what he was looking at, Carver kissed and bit his way down her body until spread her legs even farther apart than Lance had. If he ate her pussy anything like how he kissed, Vella was pretty sure she’d come again. The man didn’t do anything half way or slow and easy.
“Fuck me, you smell like heaven,” Carver snarled just before he ran his tongue from slit to clit and back down again.
“Oh. My. God!” It was all she managed to get out before he’d stabbed her pussy with his thick tongue, fucking her with it like a battering ram.
Even as he penetrated her cunt with two fingers, Carver growled against her clit, sending sharp zings straight to her center. Vella was sure she was leaking her juices faster than he could lap them up. Her thighs felt wet from his mouth and her cream. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten so turned on. She wasn’t even sure she ever had.
“So damn good, babe. I could lick your sweet juices all day,” he said in a growly voice.
“Come on, Carver. That’s enough. You’re going to have her so swollen I won’t be able to get inside of her without it being uncomfortable for her,” Lance said.
Vella sighed when Carver released her clit in both disappointment and dread. Lance was right, much more stimulation and she’d be too swollen for either one of them to get inside her. She really wanted that to happen. All three of them needed that connection to get started bonding.
Who am I kidding? I want to feel them inside of me. I can’t even begin to imagine what it will feel like to take them both at the same time.
If she were honest with herself, Vella would admit that she was a little frightened of trying that. She had no doubt that they would understand and go slow with her. She was sure Lance would and Carver would follow his lead.
“Damn you’re addictive, woman,” Carver said on a huff just before he moved back.
Vella wasn’t sure what to expect next. When Lance took her face in both of his hands she wanted to rub her cheeks against the callused palms. This felt right to her. The feel of his rough skin and the heat of his now nude body pressed against hers, skin to skin was nearly her undoing. The intimacy of the moment choked her up and without thinking about it, she reached out to Carver, needing to touch him as well.
For a second she didn’t think he would take her offered hand, but then his much larger hand enclosed hers. In that moment, a spark seemed to travel through them where they touched, linking them together just as Lance pressed his cock inside her wet slit.
 
My Links:
Twitter: @MarlaMonroe1   or https://twitter.com/MarlaMonroe1
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1wwEyFT   
Marla Monroe

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Writing Down the Words

What do I write next? There are so many ideas and thoughts in my head that figuring out what to do next can be painful for some. Usually, with me it's what scratches at my brain the hardest, who yells the loudest. You know, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. But what happens when there are two equally squeaky wheels? How do you pick and choose?

I don't know. I don't think that there is any rhyme or reason to how I decide. Sometimes, I write on two or three things at once and the one that I finish first is the one that won. Sometimes, I try to push it to work on one specific work and that usually crashes on me.

So, in other words, for me it's a crap shoot. I write the one that claims the majority of my attention. Isn't that how it is when you have a roomful of screaming kids? You deal with the loudest and most obnoxious first.

I'm going to give you a hint of something I'm working on. It's a super secret project that involves vampires and wolves. I've never written vampires for you guys before. Admittedly these will play a minor role—for now, but they will be there.





Here is what one of my characters looks like to me. Isn't he handsome–viral? Maybe even a little scary. What do you think?

There will be more information coming on my website in the forum. www.marlamonroe.com

That's all for now,

Marla

Friday, January 2, 2015

Their New Year's Resolution Available Now!

Single, divorced mom with three children. Sound familiar? There are a lot of them out there, struggling to make ends meet with no time for love and no delusions that there are any good men left.

Maybe not one, but could there be two?  Available now for download, Their New Year's Resolution. http://bit.ly/1xFT26n

 
Erica wasn’t exactly looking for love, but a new friend wouldn’t be bad either. But what if there were two, and they wanted to share? She didn’t think the small community would approve. She depended on them for her business and that kept her three children clothed and fed. Erica was in a bind.
 
Brent and Kent just moved to town buying one of the ranches in the area. They wanted a big family Thanksgiving with all of their brothers, sisters, and families there to celebrate. They needed help. One look at Erica when she arrived to help them get ready, and their hearts were committed. But what about hers?

In order to become a family, they had to overcome Erica’s fear of losing her business and the guy’s worry she would resent them if she did. A little Christmas magic and some revised goals just might do the trick.

Sexy Excerpt: Warning, 18+ Only"

Kent walked over to where his brother stepped out of his underwear totally nude and completely comfortable that way. When Brent stood up to his full height, it was like looking at twin images of one man only there were subtle differences if she really looked. Brent had just a little more thickness in his arm and leg muscles than his twin. Kent’s skin was maybe a shade lighter than Brent’s was. Though both men were built like Adonis on steroids, Brent was just a little more cut and Kent was just a little more relaxed than his brother.
Even without the differences in their hair length, Erica was sure she would know them anywhere. Given time to explore their bodies in much more detail, she was sure she would even know the difference if blind folded and that thought led to another one a little kinkier.
Finally, she allowed her eyes to feast on their cocks and moaned out loud to her utter embarrassment. But damn! They were beautiful. Both men had long thick dicks that had a slight curve. Heavy balls with just a dusting of hair hung between their legs as the stalks of their cocks pointed almost directly at her. It took all of her determination to lift her eyes from their amazing packages to meet their heavy lidded eyes.
As if that had been some secret signal to them, they pounced. She had no idea who removed what item of clothing, but before she realized it, Erica was as nude as they were, only her clothes had been folded and left on the dresser where theirs lay where they’d dropped it.
“You are so damn beautiful, Erica. I will never get tired of looking at you,” Brent said.
“One of the perks of there being two of us is that one of us can always lay back watch your face when you come while the other brings you there. But this time, we both want to hold you and get our cocks deep inside of you,” Kent told her.
“Have you ever had anal sex before?” Brent asked her. His voice had deepened as he ran his hands up and down her abdomen.
“Y–Yes. I didn’t like it, but I’ll try with you if you want me to,” she said.
“Babe, I can assure you we’ll make it good for you, but if it hurts we’ll stop, okay?” Brent’s strained voice told her he was more turned on than he appeared. She loved that they wanted her that much.
“Okay. I trust you,” she said. And she did. Deep down, Erica knew they wouldn’t hurt her.
“Fuck! That is the sweetest thing you could have ever said to me, babe.” Brent kissed her, sweeping his tongue into her mouth to tease hers before he pulled back and nipped at her neck.
“I’ve got to taste her before we get started, Brent. That one quick suck of her fingers last time wasn’t enough.” Kent moved down to the foot of the bed where he slipped between her legs and spread them so his shoulders would fit.
Brent pulled one of her legs higher with his hand then licked and teased her nipples while his brother blew hot hair across her wet pussy lips. All Erica could do in that moment was close her eyes and enjoy what they were doing to her. Every lick, every nip sent her senses spiraling higher and higher. She was sure she'd explode if they didn’t do something soon. Ever cell in her body was on fire.
“Please. Oh, God! I need you. I need you both so much,” she said.
Kent’s tongue continued to circle her clit then swipe more of her juices from her slit before returning to torment the little bundle of nerves again. Brent’s mouth mauled her breasts, biting just hard enough to make her squirm with pleasure. She didn’t know if she was trying to pull away from him or move closer. All she did know was that she’d never been so turned on or felt so loved in her life. This was what sex was supposed to be like between lovers.
 
Marla

Thursday, January 1, 2015

New Year — New Dreams

Every year I say I'm going to do better, be better, feel better but somehow I always feel like I've missed the goal. I've never really been able to keep a single New Year's resolution past the first three months of the year either. So why do we make goals in the first place? Why do we dream of things going our way when they usually don't?

Because without a dream or a goal in our lives, we merely exist with nothing to look forward to. Why go out of our way to do something if it doesn't mean anything? Even animals have goals. I don't know if they have dreams like humans, but they strive to find the best food, the safest place to have their young and the strongest male to breed their young.

Humans go beyond that now. Most of us have the necessities like a roof over our heads and food on the table. So now we look for new things to strive for, new goals to reach. The common ones are to lose weight, get healthier, organize our lives better, stop smoking or drinking.


Maybe those of us who are goal-challenged in life should make easier goals that we can achieve so we feel better about the accomplishment. Then we can set a slightly higher goal and one day, we'll meet the big one we had wanted all along. Constantly failing day after day and year after year only creates a rut that we can't get out of. We feel bad about ourselves and begin to believe that we can never do better at all. I think it would be better to make no goals than to set ourselves up to constantly fail.

What are some easier goals that would help us to feel better about ourselves?
     Donate a book to a library.
     Read the paper or a short story to a shut in
     Put the garbage can back from the street for the elderly
     Buy a few five dollar Starbuck's cards and give them to random
     people you meet.
     Give someone a flower you don't know.

Funny how doing things for others makes me feel good about myself. I really enjoy seeing the surprised smile. It warms my heart and takes away a little of the disappointment I feel in myself.

Do yourself and someone else a good deed and pass on a smile in this 2015 New Year. I'm going to ask you about it when the year is almost over. Don't disappointment me.  I'm watching you!


Marla Monroe