Blog Blast From the Past

 By Maureen Bonatch

When I realized that the 4th of the month was coming up and that it was my turn to post, my mind came up blank for new ideas. As an introvert more skilled at listening than talking, despite a world pushing FOMO, I usually prefer silence, and it often feels like I have nothing new to say. 

At first, I thought I was just procrastinating writing a blog, but as I continued to scour my brain for an interesting topic, each time one surfaced, I realized I talked about that topic on the blog before. 

No surprise there, since I’ve been blogging at Paranormal Romantics for almost 10 years now, as well as other blogs, including my personal blog. It’s no wonder that sometimes I feel all talked out. But sometimes, just like a favorite book or movie, it’s fun to rewatch or revisit those times. 

So I thought we’d pop through blog cyberspace to visit some of those previous Paranormal Romantics blogs and the blogs of ideas past.

A pic from the past with my prior pup, Bummy, helping me write the old-fashioned way when I could still kind of read my handwriting.

As a proud Pennsylvanian, I considered talking about something related to that.

I’m sure there are plenty more topics about living in PA, but here are a few that I’ve already talked about.

• Signs You Might be From Pennsylvania: Whatcha’ Talkin About Willis: 

• Cookie Tables: Let Them Eat Cookies

• Covered Bridges: Uncovering the Magic of Covered Bridges

Then I thought About Things to Do on the Weekend. 

• How About a Movie: 10 Movies on the Must Watch, and then Watch Again, and Again, List 

• Maybe Some Self-Care: Self-Care Isn’t Selfish

• Or a DIY Favorite of Mine: My DIY Treadmill Desk

Valentine’s Day is Coming Up. I Can Write About That! Oh..Wait…

• Valentine's Day Gifts: 10 Reasons Books Make Great Valentine Gifts

• Romance Writing & Valentine’s Day: A Magical Time for Romance and Reflection

I hope you enjoyed this journey down my blog memory lane. This is just a small taste of the many blogs I’ve written for Paranormal Romantics. 

Do You Have a Book, Movie, or Topic That You Can’t Resist Visiting Over and Over Again?

Now I’d better start thinking about March, so I have some new ideas. Not that there isn’t a way to take any topic and write it with a fresh perspective, just like a story.

Until then, here are some things to keep you cozy during those cold winter days with some cozy mystery sales and freebies. 

Happy Valentine’s Day Cozy Mystery Sales

https://books.bookfunnel.com/happyvalentinesdaycozymysteries/8r4rwxmjxo

February Free Cozy Mysteries!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/cozymysterylover/d92xo4oa9e

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing cozy paranormal mysteries and paranormal romance as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival.

Visit my Website: https://www.maureenbonatch.com/

Sign up for my Newsletter https://www.maureenbonatch.com/free-book/

Keep the conversation going by joining my Facebook Group right HERE! https://www.facebook.com/groups/630494098126926

Happy Healthy Me 2023

 By Maureen Bonatch

It’s that time of year again when we’re all overwhelmed with commercials for diet and exercise. As if we can make up for the last few weeks—or the last year—of overindulging in one month. 

But often, we fall for it, or at least I do. Because I see the bright, shiny New Year in front of me, full of possibilities. Often that’s enough to achieve the goals we might’ve put off for a while, while other times, it’s just setting us up for disappointment. 

Being that I’ve fallen into the latter over the last year, I’ve decided to simplify my goals a bit this year. Sure I still have an elaborate spreadsheet (or several) for my author goals, but I have at least broken those down into good, better, and the best goals so I can adjust accordingly.

But as far as my personal goals, I’m looking at the year with a different mindset.

Is This Healthy for Me?

Diets? I’ve tried almost all of them. I’ve had plenty of time to do so since I’ve been on a diet since I’ve been about thirteen years old. Of course, now, when I look back over the years, the goal weight I might have now might be what I weighed when I was on a diet then! 

Instead, I plan to look at what I’m planning to look at what I want to eat or drink and think, “Is this healthy for me?” 

That’s not to say that I’m giving up chocolate (hey- I’m no quitter!), but I’ll be more mindful when I do indulge, rather than eating mindlessly. This is more about awareness because when I eat healthier, I feel better.

Healthy Habits

Since being healthy isn’t just about eating, I’ll be sure to look at other habits and try to make them more healthy such as:

• How long have I been sitting? Maybe I’m due for a short walk or a stretch.

• What time am I getting up tomorrow? Maybe I should try to go to bed earlier.

• How much caffeine have I had already? Maybe I should have herbal tea or more water instead.

• Is worrying going to change this? Maybe I should put that worry into ‘the parking lot’ and focus on other priorities.

Happiness

Happiness is my ultimate goal and I know that by taking care of my body and mind that I’ll feel better and thus should be happier. Other things I’ll consider include to:

• Reprioritize or eliminate tasks that won’t help me meet my author goals.

• Break the cycle of negative thoughts, and avoid negative people and situations which can infect me with more negativity.

• Make time for things that may be completely unproductive, but make me happy.

Happy New Year! I Hope 2023 Brings You Much Joy!

If you want to read more about making healthy author goals, then check out my article (here) for Indie Author Magazine about setting healthy Indie Author Goals.

Speaking of joy, here are some book freebies and sales to fill up your kindle with some cozy goodness.

Happy New Year Cozy Mystery Sales Event:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/happynewyearcozymystery/g27769n6gh

Free Cozy Mysteries for January:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/cozy_mystery_obsessed/3cz91mwf36

M.L. Bonatch believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and caffeine and wine are essential for survival. When she’s not doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, she’s a mom to twin daughters, exploring the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby and dancing as much as possible. She writes cozy paranormal mysteries and paranormal romance as  M.L. Bonatch, urban fantasy, and other genres as Maureen Bonatch.

Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

 

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

It’s Time to Get Cozy

By Maureen Bonatch

The weather is getting colder in my neck of the woods, so it's the perfect time to get cozy! The third book in my paranormal cozy mystery Witch Shifter Series, A Clever CATnapping, released on October 28th. Here's a little bit about each book in the series, and since I’m thankful for cozies I’ve included links  to find more cozies to curl up with and even more cozy freebies! 

So go ahead and grab your beverage, curl up by that fire, and dive into a story.

Find the Witch Shifter Series by clicking: right here

A Clever CATnapping

Get your copy of Book 3 in the Witch Shifter series right here

 

  A Clever CATnapping!

When familiars start disappearing, as a witch who can shift into a cat, this mystery is personal.

#newrelease #cozymystery #paranormal

 

New cat familiars have stopped arriving. Witch’s familiars have vanished. Is one of the witches in the neighborhood responsible?

 

Something is very wrong on Witchteria Lane, and it's not just the ridiculous everyday shenanigans of rogue elderly witches. Two cats have gone missing, and new familiars have stopped arriving. This mystery is more significant than the disappearing cats. A witch without a familiar isn't as powerful. Is one of the witches seeking to steal the magic from the others?

 

Investigating forces my cat Olaf and me to suspect everyone. We must use our amateur sleuthing skills outside the protected area of the witchness program. To make it more difficult, a toad is our only help—but that's a whole different problem.

 

Answers to long-held mysteries are revealed—Why is Olaf terrified of toads? Do I look good in sequins? And…who is catnapping familiars?

 

If we don’t find the culprit, Olaf or I could be the next cat that vanishes.

 

A Creepy CATalyst 

Get your copy of Book 2 in the Witch Shifter series right here

If you like your cozy mystery with magic, a ghost, and chatty cats, then you'll love 📖 A Creepy CATalyst! 🐈

 

Being a witch who can shift has its perks—seeing ghosts isn’t one of them.

 

Can Abigail and her fat familiar solve the murder, or will a ghost become a permanent houseguest?

 

A murder within the Witchness Protection Program makes everyone a suspect. Abigail must solve the case for the ghost to stop haunting her—and if she ever wants to sleep again.

 

When a witch weak at spellcasting teams up with a group of outspoken, ancient witches and a herd of familiars, can they solve a murder?

 

Since Abigail has either fingers or paws, she must work with the witches, and the familiars, on this ghostly murder mystery.

 

Abigail and her familiar Olaf are desperate to solve this murder mystery. Or else they’re stuck living with a persistent ghost and her keening familiar. 

 

A Cagey CATastrophe

Get your copy of Book 1 in the Witch Shifter series right here

 

🐈‍⬛ Abigail gets thrown into the Witchness Protection Program and the magic & mayhem begins. If you like fun stories with magic, mystery and sassy animal sidekicks then you'll love A Cagey CATastrophe.🐈 #cozymystery

A confused new witch. A familiar with more attitude than aptitude. Can the two work together to find the missing teens?

 

Hi, I'm Abigail. I’d barely accepted I was half magic-blood when my sister from another mister showed up in a tacky van and dumped me in the witchness protection program. Now I’m stuck in a house with an arrogant warlock and an ancient gossip-loving witch in a neighborhood with more secrets than stray cats. I shouldn’t be here, for mortal's sake, I'm 30 years old!

 

Soon after arriving, I wake up as a cat and discover the chatter in my head since moving here has been the local cat population talking. Is this what’s made me so interesting to all the wrong people? I'm a witch who can shift? Maybe I need witchness protection after all.

 

When someone with dark magic starts luring wayward teens away from the area, it leaves me questioning how good this protection program really is. But before I can learn how to stop blowing things up with my magic or turning into Abby the tabby, another teen witch goes missing.

 

This time, I fear that she was taken to get to me, so it’s up to me and my fat tomcat familiar to save her. If I can’t, the darkness won’t just stop at me. It will come for us all.

Thankful for Cozy Mysteries

Find more Cozies by clicking right here

Thankful for Giveaways

Fill up your TBR with cozies by clicking right here.

How Do You Get Cozy?

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival.

 Follow M.L. Bonatch all through cyberspace! 

 Amazon page    https://www.amazon.com/M-L-Bonatch/e/B0951C41XM

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-l-bonatch

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MLBonatch

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21508579.M_L_Bonatch

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mlbonatch.author/

Newsletter https://www.maureenbonatch.com/free-book/

Keep the conversation going by joining my Facebook Group right HERE! https://www.facebook.com/groups/630494098126926

Productive Procrastination...or Eat the Frog

 

By Maureen Bonatch

The first time I heard ‘eat the frog’, I had the same grimace you’re wearing now if you’re unfamiliar with the meaning of this expression. Now I can say it with ease without making that face—until today when I saw a similar reference for avoiding procrastination that referenced ‘eat an elephant beetle’. This left me wondering why eating something most unpleasant seems to be the motivator for preventing procrastination. 

Both of these expressions refer to that task that we put off. You know the one. 

It needs to be done, but it might feel like a lot of work, or there’s something easier or more enjoyable that you’d rather do first. Often this leads to many other little tasks that get completed while that big ole’ frog is still sitting there ribbit-ing at you to pay attention to it. (I am not sure what sound an elephant beetle makes. After taking a peek at a picture of one of those buggers, I’d prefer not to eat that either.)

Avoidance

Sometimes in avoidance, I’ll tackle many tadpole tasks, so it feels like I’m getting something done. Although in the back of my mind, I knew that the giant frog would be waiting for me tomorrow. 

Writing this blog right now is one way I avoid finishing the last 15 thousand words of a story draft. As a panster (a writer who outlines little but instead writes by the seat of her pants), sometimes the words flow like a flood, while other times I sit waiting for the character to tell me what happens next. And sometimes, those stubborn fools just don’t want to share. Or I think I know what’s coming up, and they laugh at the choppy words that are later deleted. 

Productive Procrastination

Many who aren’t authors envision days of just writing the words. Ahh…we writers know there are days like that, but usually, that’s not every day since there are sooo many other tasks that need to be addressed. 

It’s easy to avoid a big task by detouring to other little jobs that still need doing. Things like reworking or writing a blurb, making ads, making graphics, editing, social media posting, looking for book covers, and listening to educational podcasts or other courses… Or—oh—start this new shiny story because it’s so much better than the current one. The last is my current dilemma. Some other characters want their story started.

But alas, this list of ways to procrastinate is endless. Doing these might help to feel productive, but the frog? Yep. Still waiting. 

Working Through Procrastination

The idea of eating a frog (or a huge beetle) is to start the day by tackling the most dreaded task first …and then complete the other tasks without the weight of that task dragging you down. 

The key is finding what works to provide enough motivation to get it done, such as:

• Find something tastier than a frog: Decide upon a reward for yourself
• Hide from the tadpoles: Minimize distractions by shutting down social media and other windows
• Face the frog: Admit you’ve been procrastinating, and then tackle it
• Make a deal with the frog: Commit to completing the task- tell a friend for accountability 
• Picture giving the frog the boot: Change dread to the excitement of imagining how you’ll feel once it’s done
• Magically turn the frog into tadpoles: Break it into smaller tasks, so it’s not as overwhelming

Who Starts the Day Eating the Frog? Or How Do You Deal with Procrastination?

Psst! Here’s some cool things to procrastinate with! 

A Cagey CATastrophe is available for Preorder- click right here to check it out!

Look-ey, Look-ey! It's a Giveaway! Check it out by clicking right here.

Did someone say Free Cozy Mysteries? Click right here to check them out!

M.L. Bonatch believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and caffeine and wine are essential for survival. When she’s not doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, she’s a mom to twin daughters, exploring the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby and dancing as much as possible. She writes paranormal cozy mysteries as  M.L. Bonatch, paranormal romance and other genres as Maureen Bonatch, and her latest urban fantasy as Amber Wrath.

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

When It’s Time for an Update

 

We’re getting new carpet upstairs this week. Believe me, this was long overdue. But unlike this cute new mouse pad that I got for my writing desk, sometimes, changes aren’t that easy.

Most of us like to be comfortable and enjoy a predictable routine. The disruption and chaos to our home when we emptied out the rooms has been the biggest challenge. 

Now most of the items from the office have been stacked in our bedroom all week. This forced me to take a long look at what I’ve been holding on to for years. I kept some things for sentimental value, others because I might need that someday, right? Even if I haven’t looked at it for years and years? Or is it also saved digitally?

Nope. I don’t need all that.

This was a surprise because I hate clutter, and I’m always going through things. But apparently, paper products and binders haven’t been high on that list—until now. I’m hoping that once the carpet is complete and I’ve gone through everything (okay, most of the things, let’s not get too crazy. I don’t have all year, lol), I’ll be rewarded with a less cluttered office to write in. Since clutter reduces my productivity, this should be a good thing for all the writing plans I have for this year. 

Author Updates

This year has also been a time for other updates for my writing career. So far, most of these tasks have felt like I’ve been pushing an enormous boulder up a hill, but I hope to soon release it. Let’s just hope that the boulder goes over and down the hill and doesn’t roll back on me!

A few of these updates include:

• A new logo for my cozy mystery pen name

• A new pen name for my upcoming urban fantasy 

• A new logo for the new urban fantasy pen name

• Updates to my Maureen Bonatch website 

• A website for my new urban fantasy pen name 

Why all of these updates? 

Because I have 3 new paranormal cozy mystery books coming out in the next few months. Then I’m planning for the release of the new pen name and urban fantasy books over the fall of 2022 into 2023. 

Stay in the Loop

If you want to stay in the loop for all these updates, sign up for my newsletter right here and/or join my Facebook group right here. That way you'll be the first to see the new logos and covers, as well as find out about release dates, sales, and other fun stuff!

Fun Stuff and Freebies

Fill up your TBR with some of these goodies!

Cozy Mystery Freebies: Click Right Here

Mystery Cozy and Clean: Click Right Here

What do you want to update this year? 

Just a small-town girl, Maureen Bonatch leads a double life. She lives in a magical world as a novelist, and as a nurse leader in reality. Maureen’s first novella was a paranormal romance published when blogs were a new-fangled thing. She’s since changed her focus to writing paranormal cozy mysteries as M.L. Bonatch and urban fantasy as Maureen Bonatch. 

While she’s not busy writing or doing nurse-things, she’s a mom to her twin daughters, bicycling in the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby, doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, and dancing as much as possible. She believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and that caffeine and wine are essential for survival.

Follow me on Amazon Right Here.