Hi friends,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.

I definitely did! My oldest two adult children returned to visit for a few weeks. One came with his awesome spouse and my adorable granddaughter while my daughter brought a young man home that she's very committed to. :D

We did miss my third child who has dedicated two years to a service and church mission. But we made sure to send him some fun gifts and connect via video calls over the holidays.

I have to say the video call capabilities are a great blessing that came out of a very hard 2020.

Today's book excerpt is from Deadly Escape, the second in the completed disaster trilogy Steph and I wrote together: (Fun note: My oldest daughter did the cover!)

Kate couldn't help the anxious thoughts that rolled through her mind in waves, unrelenting after hearing how bad things had been for Clay. He'd been swarmed in a mini-riot at a gas station on his way home from checking the National Guard blockages of the bridges.

How did I end up trapped in St. Louis during an epidemic? Even worse, stuck in the middle of that hospital shootout yesterday?

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Kate, a medical resident, was such a fun character to write as she fights to survive the panic and breakdown of society after a nasty virus. I got to put in a lot of practical medical tips.

Fun fact in the story: An effective DIY method to close a scalp wound uses hair to tie it closed when you don't have the ability or supplies to put in stitches.

Scroll down to see what I do about New Year's Resolutions!

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TONS of Dytopian and Apocalyptic Reading!

My friend Sam Fires just finished up this series and packaged it into a mega-boxset!

End of Days 7 Book Complete Series by Sam Fires

No lights. No power. No help.

During the coldest winter on record, an EMP attack wipes out the nation's power and cripples the country.

So many excellent SFF eBooks!!

My new friend Mike has a 12 book zombie series out for you!

The Orphans (Book 1 of 12) by Mike Evans

The living becomes the minority when one man tries to defy science to save the woman he loves.

So many FREE Fantastical World books!!

The Darkest Winter by Lindsey Pogue

FREE Book 1 of 7

The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began.

So many FREE SFF eBooks!!

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Goals for the New Year!

I think New Year's resolutions are a fascinating idea. After the excesses of the holiday season and a fresh new year, a lot of us (about 40%) are inspired to make new goals.

Except a quarter of those fail in the first week and only about 10% of those who set a resolution actually succeed.

And the most common resolution? You probably guessed it: to exercise more.

And me? Do I set them?

Turns out I kind of set goals all year round, but with a bit of a different philosophy.

I want to do things that will become a change in my lifestyle and stick around basically forever. For example, since 2018, I've been writing 2k words (or spending 2 hours on other writing work) six days a week with a regular consistency that makes it part of my daily life. (I do take the occasional break from writing for vacation trips and holidays)

I also do 20-40 minutes of aerobic exercise 6-7 days a week, too. This is to counter my diabetes.

How did I get to this point?

I start with small goals, simple ones I can't really fail without feeling silly.

My first exercise goal: Put on workout clothes and jog down the driveway to the mailbox. Soooo easy, it was hard to fail. And then I'd run further than the mailbox almost every day = me the overachiever!

My first writing goal = write a book! Which led to off and on trying for ten years and spurts of progress, but mostly failure.

My revised goal = write a sentence in my new book every day no matter what. "She stood" counts as a sentence. Who can't do that?

The result? I finished that book in 9 months! A new record.

My tips for goals (at any time of the year)

• Start small and as easy as you can come up with. Enjoy the thrill of overachieving.
• Pick just one at a time.
• Build in rewards for yourself that get you excited.
• Do it with friends who are excited too.
• Once it's a regular habit, bump it up a bit - or don't. Just enjoy your overachieving every day!
• Aim for a permanent change instead of a short fad.
• Pick something that makes you smile with excitement. If it feels like a burden, you'll dump it as soon as you can.

Good luck!

If you set new goals, I'd love to hear about it - I enjoy hearing what you're up to!

Thanks for all your support! Happy New Year!

— Misty :)

p.s. See all my books on Amazon here: Misty Zaugg Amazon Page

p.p.s. For a web version of this newsletter and previous newsletters: https://sendfox.com/mistyzaugg/campaigns