Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy Author New Year to You from my home to yours! 

This is a favorite time of the year for me. I love the lights, the colors, the festivities, the gatherings and the changes of pace it brings. Everything! And oh yes, we do decorate and do lots of entertaining. And even though we aren’t entertaining this year, I still decorated. Nightly, we light candles and all the colorful lights. Loved it!

It’s a wonderful time of “togetherness” with family and friends; and, a time of reflection on the past year … and think forward. Next week is, gulp, the beginning of 2021. Winter Solstice was yesterday which always delights. Three more minutes are added each day and the march begins toward Spring and then Summertime …yes!

And I hear AUTHOR SUCCESS! The 2021 Publishing at Sea was canceled due to COVID, but 2022 is scheduled for February 26–an 8-night adventure with already 25 registered. Living in Colorado, we’ve had freezing temps for several weeks now, so just thinking that in a little over a year, I will be in the sun and on the seas once again. Why don’t you check it out HERE and join us?

As you spend time with those you are close to, it’s natural to noodle a bit. They all know you have a book … or are writing one. Are they encouragers or stompers? Do they celebrate each step or shake their heads thinking it’s a folly? And how about you … where … exactly are you in the process? During this final week of the year, this is the time to look back and look forward. What worked? What didn’t? And if something, just didn’t work, what are your plans. Scrap it? Morph it? See if it will right itself? What?

SO… your big questions are:

•  What are you going to do the same; keep doing–yet change a bit; or add new to your authoring/publishing mix? Why?

•  What’s worked this year?  Why?  

•  Are you going to continue to do the same or change it up a bit? Why?

• What’s not worked? Why?

•  Are you going to keep it in the mix? Or change it up a bit? Why?

•  What would you like to add? Why?

What do you need to do … as in now … to awaken your author and book spirits … so that The Force becomes your driver?

I would love to have you to make comments… let’s compile a list to share for a future blog.

All of us within The Book Shepherd team want you to know how much you are appreciated. So many of our authors have won national book awards again this year–we celebrate their amazing journeys and success.

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 37 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Collectively, her books have earned over 45 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences. 

Throughout the year, she holds Judith Briles Book Unplugged experiences: Publishing, Speaking, Marketing, and Social Media. All are two-day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. Join Judith live for the “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” podcast on the Toginet Radio Network HERE. 

Follow @AuthorYOU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.