MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

During this holiday week, I have much to be grateful for.  2011 has been a spectacular year. Preparing my novel for publication in 2012 has been exciting and fun. I completed two new manuscripts this year, and I'm proud of them both. Hopefully they will each find a publishing home in the near future.

I've read many good books this years, 33 to be exact. Not as many as I read the year before, but that's alright. I fell in love with some wonderful authors including Kate Mosse, S.A. Bodeen, Neal Shusterman, Neil Gaiman and Mike Mullin.  This year also launched this blog, and I've been blessed with nearly 900 followers so far. Thank you all for that.

The best reasons to be thankful, of course, are my family. My oldest child turned 18 this year, and my youngest turned 4. All five of my kids have made huge strides in their own individual pursuits this year. They are wonderful kids and I thank God for them every day. My husband has been amazing. He has been nothing but supportive of my writing. For our anniversary, he even bought me the original oil painting of my book cover direct from the artist. He installed a new kitchen floor for me, installed several outdoor lamps, kept my car running, edited one of my manuscripts, and did countless other kind things for me over this past year. What a wonderful guy!

Lastly, it would not be Christmas if I did not express gratitude for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I take a few moments every morning to read in the scriptures and to pray. But during this time of year, I find myself feeling especially humbled by His life and sacrifice. I am indebted to him and hope I can live my life to His glory. Also, I remember how many people there are in this world who do not have all the luxuries and physical comforts that I do. As the Lord said in the book of Matthew:  "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me...Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it to unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25-35-40)

If you would like to share a little of your abundance this Christmas season, but might not know how, our family supports Safe Homes For Children, a private charity in Guatemala that provides food, shelter, medical care and education for the severely impoverished in that nation.  A few dollars goes a long way there.  Their website is:  http://www.safehomesforchildren.org/  

Thank you all for helping 2011 be so successful. May 2012 be even better!

--Laurisa White Reyes