New Year 2021 dawns with a full moon of hope. HOPE. How many times have we written that word in our holiday communications with friends and family? Hope for the future, for good health, for better days, to be free for travel, to hug our kids. But wait. Is hope an active word? Is it simply a desire, or like love, a 2nd hand emotion as Tina Turner sings? Hope is to anticipate, which indicates trust. Hope is to crave, to believe, to dream. So maybe hope is the beginning of a dream. A prerequisite to action? The beginning of an active verb? Hopes lead to dreams which lead to intentions which lead to goals which lead to plans. Now, that’s action! As always, this is my Note to Self. My New Years Intensions: Make Hope an action verb. Stop hoping and start acting. Make IT happen. Be creative. Be active. Focus! Do it! LET'S MAKE 2021 A BETTER YEAR FOR ALL OF US! Mary Tate I hope you like my featured books this month, both set in Mexico, where I’ve spent a lot of time over the years. And to make that hope active, I’ve priced them on sale. Only 99c! Rogue Diamond is about finding a stolen child and breaking up a baby trafficking ring. A Man to Remember is a fun story of adventure, escape and love! Once upon a time, this black cat… hung around the patio… Black in-door house cat wasn't friendly… But this black feral cat persisted. A year ago, house cat Angel crossed Rainbow Bridge But Ali Kat is still hanging around, She likes her milk cold and her food crunchy, She runs feral and free Against all odds, 14 years of living outside in the desert land of coyotes and bobcats, She is still here, hanging around. Smart cat. Survivor. Persistence wins. True story. This year, 2020, and at this time, before a hotly contested election, reminds me why I like to write fiction. To escape, create my own little world and watch some really nice and loving characters figure out and overcome the problems in their lives. Makes me think I can, too. Hopefully, you will think so, too. And it's why we read. Persistence wins. OUR TIME TO LOVE, my 99 cent winter special is.... … a bridge to love, a tribute to all our heroes, now more than ever. Violence always changes everything. Only love can heal. You can't run from your past; you have to live through it to a healing place. You can't hide from love; it will seek you out. Will you be ready? There is a time for love… for Gwyn and Neal in Harmony Creek. But is that time now? Love and Peace, Mary Tate Did you think of her, RBG, when you saw that word, notorious? I was amazed that she embraced such a flagrant description with her special quiet humor. Then I looked it up. One definition used words like infamous, disreputable and scandalous. Not the RBG I highly respect. But wait! Notorious can also mean notable, esteemed, legendary, or memorable. OK, that’s more like it. Quite a positive legacy to leave us, don’t you think? Ruth Bader Ginsberg made Dissent an esteemed action. In her dissents, RGB insisted, explained, and educated. And because she often bucked an unequal system, especially for women, she became notorious, legendary, and historical. The more I learn about this remarkable woman, the more I admire her. It’s okay to dissent. That’s how change occurs. Well-behaved women rarely make history. RBG worked through Constitutional Law to improve life for all. She taught us that discrimination on the basis of gender is unequal under the Law. That women belong in all places where decisions are made. That We the People includes ALL the people of this country. RBG made us think of what’s not right in our world and what can we do about it? And that even Rock Stars 🌟 have a heart. That’s a pretty good legacy and inspiration! I may not be able to change the social injustices I see, but my characters certainly can. They are activists in their own small world and persist until change is made. Sometimes writing fiction is the most notorious tool for dissent and change. UNDER THE DESERT SKY, has Mayor Lacy dealing with a dying town’s economy and homeless kids. Her decisions could ruin her relationship with Holt, a guy with one child and determined to keep it that way. But she must do what she thinks is the right thing.
In UNDER THE DESERT MOON, Annie is faced with the unthinkable — harboring illegal immigrants on her apple farm. Her decisions risk her relationship with Brett, a law and order guy to his core. But she must follow her heart and do what she thinks is right. Both of these e-books are on sale for 99 cents this month and can be purchased at www.marytateengels.com. Notorious mte |