Olivia's February Newsletter

Dealing with Self Doubt.

The only good teachers for you are those friends who love you, who think you are interesting, or very important, or wonderfully funny. ~Brenda Ueland

The doubt demon loves artists. This sensitive bunch of individuals falls prey to it so easily, from cartoonist Charles Schulz to writer Virginia Woolf. This little demon reared its ugly head when Stephen King threw the beginnings of Carrie into the wastebasket. We all owe our gratitude to his wife, Tabitha, who picked it out of the wastebasket and encouraged her husband to keep going. Some struggling writers don't have such champions. Many writers ask themselves: Am I good enough? Am I wasting my time? If I was really talented I would be (published, successful, rich) by now. These kinds of thoughts are evidence of the doubt demon. The doubt demon can only be conquered by a concerted effort to give it as little attention as possible. Not just by you, but by the people around you.

Avoiding the doubt demon is basically impossible for most of us, but there is something you can do about it. When you are facing the doubt demon make sure only to speak to friends or family members who are truly invested in seeing you succeed. You can identify these individuals three ways. The:

1. Always have something upbeat to say. You say, "I just got another rejection. I must suck." They say "No, you just sent it to the wrong editor." If they say something like, "You get a lot of rejections maybe writing isn’t your thing," they are not someone you want to discuss your dreams with. As artists, we know the power of the written word and how they can impact people (read any bestseller). The spoken word is just as powerful (ask any leader) and you need to protect yourself from all negative input.

2. Are basically happy. Sorry, but unhappy people can't give you the support you need. If they're bemoaning man troubles or their jobs they likely won't have the energy to lift your sagging spirits. Unfortunately, the phrase 'misery loves company' is true. So look for happy, optimistic individuals for support. You don't need many. One will do.

3. Make you feel good. No matter what, they are enthusiastic about your efforts, ask about what you're up to, and are generally interested in what you’re doing. At times, when I've begun a story and it's not coming together I have a friend who I always call. I know I can depend on her to say or do something that will make me feel good. If someone makes you feel bad, take them off your list.

Fighting the doubt demon is hard on your own. You need to find a cheerleader to place in your corner. As I've said earlier, even if it's only one person have someone you can call to give yourself the boost you need. The wonderful thing about a cheerleader is they can come in two forms: Those who read your works and those who don't. I know people who continue to support my writing ambitions, but who have never read any of my work. They believe in me and that's support enough. So go out there and find your demon fighters. You deserve them.

Thursday, February 16th at 7:00pm!

Aiken, South Carolina

I'm coming to The Center for African American History, Art & Culture for a book chat and signing. Mark your calendars!

Become a member, donate or support this wonderful center dedicated to the Immanuel Institute's building and to be an educational resource with interactive programs of sight and sound that educate and inspire.

120 York Street NE, Aiken, SC

http://www.caahac.org/

(803) 502-4858

Orlando! Coastal Magic Convention!

Coastal Magic –. (coastalmagicconvention.com)

Friday, February 24th, Panel Discussion: The Devil We Know 2:45 pm

Saturday, February 25th, Book Signing, Open to the Public 4-6 pm

Sunday, February 26th,

Panel Discussion: Spine-Tingling Romantic Suspense 11 am

Released January 24th!

Mr. Slow took his time in life. Love, family, and the job were functions performed by the man he needed to be. A phone call in the middle of the night transformed him into the man he’d always wanted to be. Everything he ever wanted for himself was within his grasp, but he was reluctant to reach for the happily ever after he craved.

Abigail Barnes was the cherry on top of the ideal sundae. A woman who is not willing to be tied down by any man, for any reason. When her cousin goes missing, she makes the one phone she’s been dreading for nearly five years. She needed to call the man who turned her emotions on end, making her want all the things life didn’t have time to give her, but she needed his help.

Arriving in the middle of the night to help the woman who made him lose sleep, he discovered the two of them shared more than three hot nights in a cheap hotel in Mexico.

Prepare to turn the pages and learn of the man the technicians call Mr. Slow, but also the man, Gabriel Neary, the Archangel, calls his cousin.

Get it here: https://amzn.to/3XA7Dz8

https://books2read.com/u/3J61Dv

Guys, there are scenes in this book that will make you gasp at the audacity of the villain and his actions. (For Mature Readers Only)

Mr. Slow is here.

AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time

The American Film Institute proudly curates lists to celebrate excellence in the art form. Since its inception, American film has marginalized the diversity of voices that make our nation and its stories strong – and these lists reflect that intolerable truth. You can download the list here.

Each month I shall pick three movies that are on my list and where to find these wonderful watches for movie night.

Do The Right Thing: On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence..

Available on Prime Video.

Bringing Up Baby: While trying to secure a $1 million donation for his museum, a befuddled paleontologist is pursued by a flighty and often irritating heiress and her pet leopard, Baby.

Available on Prime Video

On the Waterfront: An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.

Available on HBO/MAX

One Pan of Italian Sausage and Veggies

Delicious Italian-seasoned veggies and sausage all made in one pan. A great and healthy meal prep idea! Get the Recipe here!

I have been tasked by the Romance Writers of America to curate the ideal 100 books every romance reader, writer, or library should possess. Feel free to shoot me an email if you can think of a must-read, in classic literature, as well as a gotta-have series for any bookshelf.

Licorice Whips

"Sweet" Hawkes is a BDSM dominant who has lost his smile. Although he loves the candy store called Decadent Treats that he co-owns with his brother, Masaun, he's lost the passion he had for making treats for his customers. After releasing his last submissive, Sweet decides to dive head first into business and forget about love and discipline. He wants to open up a second Decadent Treats and a store that would sell quality BDSM toys and apparel. Sweet never expects to find an obstacle outside his door.

Confessions in B-Flat

Essence bestselling author Donna Hill brings us an emotional love story set against the powerful backdrop of the civil rights movement that gripped a nation—a story as timely as it is timeless...

The year is 1963. In Harlem, the epicenter of Black culture, the fight for equality has never been stronger. The time is now. Enough is enough. Yet even within its ranks, a different kind of battle rages. Love thy neighbor? Or rise up against your oppressors?

Confessions in B-Flat is a celebration of the hard-won victories of those who came before us, and a stark reminder of just how far we still have to go.

If Beale Street Could Talk

From one of the most important writers of the twentieth century comes a stunning love story about a young Black woman whose life is torn apart when her lover is wrongly accused of a crime—"a moving, painful story, so vividly human and so obviously based on reality that it strikes us as timeless" (The New York Times Book Review).

"One of the best books Baldwin has ever written—perhaps the best of all." —The Philadelphia Inquirer

It's a new year, and well, some of the same problems are prevalent. Let's start the year right and look at being more productive. I will provide a new challenge each month so by the end of the year we can be organized, sharpen and complete our goals.

Follow the challenge here.

You Should Be Writing: Give Your Writing Brain a Daily Break 2

Writing is such a solitary life. There are days when you've had it with your characters and they simply will not behave. Here is the perfect way to take a mental break. In between chapters, and scenes, or if the primary heroine is being temperamental, take a break and rest the noggin. Get it here.