I’m a New Year’s
resolution breaker from a long way back. I rarely kept a resolution beyond the
first week and most of the time I’d broken it within the first two days.
So a few years
ago I stopped making resolutions. Why set myself up for failure every year?
Resolutions are all about improvement and I got really good at not keeping
them. So I saw the best way for me not to fail at the New Year tradition was
not to make a resolution at all.
Of course, that
meant I stayed in the same spot for all that time. Goal-less. But we’ve all
heard the saying: if you’re not going forward, or improving, you’re sliding
backwards.
So, in all those
years of refusing to make resolutions, I didn’t get into shape, I gained weight,
I didn’t get any of the books I wanted to write finished. All I accomplished
was what I was trying to avoid—feeling like a failure.
The brilliance
of the “Star Trek” movie that came out in 2009 was the resetting of time. They
went back, reset the story, rebooted and started over. Now millions of fans who
have always loved Star Trek can enjoy new stories set in the same time frame as
the old favorite. No stretching and contorting of story lines to somehow
lengthen the Star Trek universe. Just start over. Who can’t appreciate the
genius of that?
Just Start Over!
In our lives we
have many opportunities to start over: the first day of the year, the first day
of a month, the first day of a week, the beginning of a new day. And if you
really need it, every hour is a chance to start over.
So do just that.
Grab your dreams, reclaim your goal and start afresh. Paint that painting.
Learn to drive that eighteen wheeler. Start a walking program. Finish that
book.
Remake yourself
into a new person.
I realized this
past Christmas I had the beginnings of a goal sitting in the back of my mind. Apparently
it’s been there for a while. I have grandchildren who don’t know anything about
their ancestral past. I want to do something about that.
I also have
several ideas for more novels I want to write. I already have several in various
stages of completion. I want to finish them. The growing industry of
e-publishing opens an avenue I can explore.
I’ve decided to
start over. I’ve taken one of my back list books, The Heldan, revised it and had it digitized. It’s available on
Amazon.
But that’s only
the beginning. This year, I’m making some resolutions. It’s scary because I don’t
know if I’ll make it to my birthday. But I want to go forward. I don’t want to
slide backward anymore.
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4 comments:
Way to go! I love being able to start over - sometimes a few times a day. :)
What a great message, Deborah. You've made a difference for me today. Thanks for writing.
I still remember the day I found "The Apprentice" in the corner of a very small library in my very small hometown. I read it all in one sitting. It enthralled me; even now, more than a decade later, I can remember precisely how it made me feel.
When I found "The Heldan" in a bookstore a couple of years later I was beside myself. I read it too in one setting. As much as I loved the other (and believe me I do!), "The Heldan" swept me away. Senea and Sky and Vayhawk and the tension between them had me absolutely riveted. I loved the world you had created, I loved the concept of the Held, and I loved everything about the characters.
Once I'd finished reading your books, you became the standard in what I look for in a fantasy author. I read a lot of books and I enjoy most of them, but what I found in your books was something a little different, something compelling, that I've yet to find anywhere else.
I wasn't certain if you planned on writing any more. I looked for you on Goodreads, which led me here. After reading this post and learning that you are thinking of writing more, I wanted to lend you my support. Your books are those favorites I return to year after year. They're the books I use as a comparison when I'm rating a good read. I am beyond excited (bouncing, actually) to know you've got an upcoming novel. There are really no words to describe how much I look forward to reading more from you!
I first found Deborah T. Bickmore almost 20 years ago and The Heldan was the first book of hers I read. I immediately fell in love with it and subsequently found and read her other books.
The world is easy to fall into, good fantasy without being too complicated to follow. I've never experienced writing such as Bickmore's and I've read ALOT of fantasy. She is amazing at character development and these are some of the most well rounded characters I've experienced, especially considering it's all from Senea's vantage, yet the reader feels as if they know each person intimately.
Senea is such a dynamic heroine. In the beginning, she is shy and unsure of herself but we see glimpses of an inner strength that makes her challenge even the highest authority for what she believes. Held law is mandated and she is called to become the personal apprentice of Vayhawk, the Heldlord of all the helden. Her journey to becoming a heldan is fraught with intrigue and political machinations that she is not prepared for, but she quickly understands the risk she poses to Vayhawk and does her best to protect him while maintaining her own values.
Her relationship with Vayhawk is complicated. She is at one time his destined mate but also a weapon and the fulfillment of a premonition. Their feelings are deep for one another from the get-go, but forces keep trying to pull them apart and Senea's fear holds her back from giving her entire heart to him. Vayhawk, on the other hand, is the epitome of delicious alpha male. He has a plan and is in control of everything around him. He knows what he wants and is not afraid to do whatever necessary to get it.
In other words, this book is unique. A heroine who is feminine enough to accept protection from Vayhawk but is a strong warrior in her own right. She kicks butt! Vayhawk is the perfect picture of a dominant male who is still gentle and loving, and supporting characters like Roskel, Treyna, Yunab, Aldived, and Sky each contribute a unique component to the story.
I've loved it for 20 years and I cannot wait to love it, and further sequels, for another 20. Thank you, Deborah T. Bickmore, from the bottom of my heart, for fulfilling a dream of mine - to see this story flourish and grow!!!!
And btw, read "The Apprentice" also by this author - you won't be disappointed! And I cannot wait to start on her new book "Crown of Dragons".
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