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Where did the year go? I’m sure I don’t know. <sigh>

Like just about everyone else, I’ve been running around like a chook with its head cut off. (Aussie expression for way too busy!) Apart from the quickly approaching Christmas Day, I’ve edited and compiled a Christmas cookbook, as well as finishing off and setting up another one for sale.

The Christmas cookbook I compiled was a project for Authors Unlimited, my promotional website. It was purely a promotional effort, and is fr*ee to download. If you’d like a copy, go to http://www.authorsunlimited.net and grab your copy. (The book is 40 pages long and packed with scrumptious Christmas recipes!)

I’ve also been putting the finishing touches on my non-fiction submission, which had to reach the publisher before Christmas. I barely scraped in, but got it there.

This book has been and continues to be a lot of work, but the end result will prove it is worth the effort. Hopefully I’ll know within a couple of months whether or not the book will be contracted. (I only have until September to finish it if it is!)

I had intended to write an article about setting goals (I don’t believe in resolutions!) but on top of everything else, I’ve had another major chest infection, and my specialist thought I may end up in hospital for Christmas. But his little magic pills have averted pneumonia, so hospital treatment will not be necessary. Hallelujah!

I will endeavour to write the planned article for the next issue.

I’ve been a subscriber to Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s "Sharing with Writers" newsletter for as long as I can remember, and recently came across an advertisement there about a contest Carolyn and Star Publish were sponsoring.

I decided to enter, then immediately forgot – until Carolyn sent out a reminder. I quickly wrote up my entry, sent off my payment, then promptly forgot about it.

A few weeks back I received an email from Carolyn notifying that I was the Grand Prize Winner! As well as a monetary prize, I also won a number of excellent writing-related hard-copy books - one of which I contributed to some time back, but had never seen. The books have started to arrive on my doorstep, and what I’ve received so far are of a very high standard, as well as being extremely informative.

As if all that is not enough, part of the prize is ongoing promotion for some months to come. Sometime in January, all entries will be compiled into an ebook that will be freely given away at the Star Publish website. As the Grand Prize Winner, my biography and entry will take pride of place.

To read more about the contest, go to http://www.authorsunlimited.net/stars.htm

The entry I submitted centres around the Authors Unlimited website which I created earlier this year, and is proving to be very successful to all the authors involved.

Once again this month we have some great articles for you. Sensuality Times Five is this month’s romance article from Cynthia VanRooy, who has had another book released recently (Congratulations Cynthia!), and Beth Morrow has once again provided a thought provoking and informative book review. This time Beth has reviewed The Writer's Retreat: A Guide for Creative Exploration & Personal Expression, by Judy Reeves. Marilyn Henderson discusses marketing plans, something that many authors do not think about when they’re either ready to find a publisher, or their book is ready to be released. (For the record, I generally include a marketing plan with my book proposals.)

There is also an interesting and provocative article from Hope Clark this month, one that may get you rethinking your strategies.

Although I’m running way behind with this issue, and Christmas is almost upon us, I’ve put together some Christmas specials – you can check them out here. All special offers will finish January 25, so don’t delay or you will miss out.

And finally, but certainly not least, as we are so close to Christmas, I’d like to give you some gifts. One of those is access to a Santa Letter, to allow you to create a letter to your child. Feel free to create as many letters as you like, and also pass the info onto friends and family etc. You’ll find the script to create the letter at: http://www.bestchristmasrecipes.com which is another of my websites. there are also a number of other free gifts there too.

Three other gifts I have for you can’t be found at the site. They are:

McSanta, which is an activity book for kids

Shop Safe Online at Christmas, which is being sold on many sites around the internet for between US$10 and US$15.

Christmas Colouring book which as the name implies, is a colouring book.

Success Quotes - this is the book I use to source a lot of quotes used in this newsletter.

(Click on the book name to download your copy.)

Now it’s time to sit back and relax with your favourite beverage.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and a fruitful and prosperous New Year.

Til next month,

Cheryl