Ralene Burke's Blog, page 11

February 2016 Goals

Can it really be the start of a new month already? I feel like all of January was completely lost to me.

Well, in some ways it was. I caught a nasty bug right after the new year, and it held on for 3weeks! I’m still reeling from the exhaustion of it all. Thank goodness for my wonderful kids and my amazing husband.

Needless to say, when I am sick for 3 weeks in a row, nothing gets done. I made some progress on my January goals, but didn’t fully accomplish any of them. So, my goals for February...

Cover Reveal: Darkened Hope (by J.L. Mbewe)

I am so excited to share the news with you all! My dear friend and fellow fantasy author, J.L. Mbewe, is FINALLY getting ready to release the 2nd novel in her trilogy. Today, we’re doing a cover reveal.

I’ve read the first book, Secrets Kept, some time ago, and really enjoyed it. The world of Nalu is well thought out and the story engaging. There’s also quite the interesting spread of characters. You should check it out (link at the bottom–only 99 cents today).

Darkened Hope Blurb:

Ayianna i...

A Season to Shine Beyond

As my friend and I began to redesign my website to reflect more of my fiction writing than my editing (although I still do both), I found myself reflecting on what themes connected me, my writing, and my editing–not an easy task. I didn’t want to take away from my editing tagline (Making your next project S.H.I.N.E.), but I needed something that was more.

Shine Beyond is a vision for me, for my life, for my writing, and even spreading into my editing. As a born again child of the King, I have...

Stand in Faith (by Sandra Ardoin)

Our church choir sings a praise song on occasion. It’s called “I Will Not Be Shaken.” It’s the kind of song to set your toes tapping and hands clapping. Maybe you know it. If not, here’s a YouTube link to another choir’s version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoxbKyCoaPM. Enjoy!

I mention this song because of the words in the chorus. As I listened to them one Sunday, my creativity sprang to life, and I saw them as a basis for a story. I began to get ideas right there in the pew. Does that e...

January 2016 Goals!

Bring on the New Year! It’s time to get down to business. I have lots of plans for making 2016 the best year yet. But it’s going to take a lot of work, a lot of perseverance, and lot of prayer. No worries, I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

In evaluating my accomplishments and struggles from last year, I’ve determined that I lacked a serious support system. I mostly made my goals myself, but nobody held me accountable and nobody pushed me if I was slacking. Turns ou...

A “God First” Year

It’s hard to believe that 2016 is already here. Seems like yesterday I was promising myself to write 500 words/day and lose 30 pounds by Realm Makers. The year flew by–and while I managed to write ore this year than in 2014, I didn’t keep to the 500 word/day, and I think I might have gained some weight.

But, I’m not going to let that get me down. I’m going to face 2016 with all the hope of a blank slate and a new year. Who’s with me?

Now, I’ve made a habit of choosing a word to represent my f...

And a Spekkie New Year!

Christmas is over (phooey!), and we turn our attention to the coming year. It’s bright, and sparkly, and new. No one has messed it up yet. As we settle down to determine our aspirations and goals, it’s nice to see what others have up their sleeves.

I’ll be doing a whole set of posts on my goals and all that soon, so I won’t give away too much yet. (Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss the cool stuff I have planned!) I will say that I plan to conquer the small revisions on a couple of m...

Bellanok: An Urgent Quest is Here!

I know, I know . . . it’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. The next installment of Bellanok is now on Amazon. The same characters you enjoyed in The Reluctant Savior, but with a whole new set of obstacles and dangers on the island of Bellanok.

Here’s the blurb for Bellanok: An Urgent Quest:

Brian made it to Bellanok alive, but he’s not sure he’ll get out that way. From the time he arrives, things are not as he expected. The demon’s influence is everywhere. And then there’s the...

A Spekkie Author Christmas Part 4

Christmas is a time steeped in tradition–religious, cultural, and family tradition! I don’t think too many families celebrate Christmas just alike. And that’s what makes this month so unique and fun!

At our house, we have started the Family Night Box tradition on Christmas Eve. Kind of like the “open one present” tradition both my husband and Ihad on Christmas Eve growing up, our family opens up the Family Night Box, which includes new PJs for everyone and either a family movie or family game...

A Spekkie Author Christmas Part 3

I love giving gifts at Christmas time. I’m definitely one of those who agonizes over finding just the right gift that complements family and friends. Sometimes I run out of time or never land on the perfect present. Still, I love watching people open presents–the light in their eyes, the smiles on their faces . . . *happy sigh*

I think the best present I ever received was the year my husband was deploying to Kosovo. He left in October for training, but wasn’t actually going overseas until Jan...