November: Gratitude, Edits, and Christmas is just around the corner!

Hello everyone! October has flown by in a blur and here we are in November before I could blink! As many of my readers are based in the US, November means Thanksgiving, but regardless of where you're based, I think it's always valuable to spend time reflecting on what we're grateful for and thinking about what we appreciate in our lives.

There's a quote by Cicero that really resonated with me this month: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." If you're not sure where to start with gratitude practice, I'd recommend checking out this article from Headspace on How Gratitude can Increase Positivity. It explores ways to practice gratitude and the many benefits of a regular gratitude practice, including lowering anxiety, increasing energy and improving sleep, and deepening relationships.

After reading about those benefits, I'm going to try a daily gratitude practice – who's with me? And I'll start by saying how grateful I am to all my readers! Thank you!

Making Progress on Bitterport #2

I'm expecting edits for Bitterport #1 to hit my inbox any day now - which I'm trying not to stress about, and instead focusing on writing the second Bitterport mystery. I'm about a quarter of the way through the first draft now, and I'm finding some really interesting facts as part of my research. The characters are starting to take on a personality of their own. I love it when I reach that stage and can feel the story coming together.

Cultural Outings

On the social front, I've been into Geelong several times this month, including to see a show. The local theatre company put on a production of Mamma Mia and it was such good fun! Especially the sing-along at the end! It's reminded me that I need to make the effort to see more theatre – I enjoy it so much when I do.

Looking Ahead

I expect the next few weeks will be very busy for me with edits (fingers crossed they arrive!), as well as juggling my casual jobs and my university studies. Plus writing my next story when I can, and keeping up with my strength training routine and walking...

Oh, and the stores are full of Christmas decorations, so I guess I need to start thinking about buying presents soon!

Eeek! I think I need to clone myself...

Until next time,

Kerrie

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