Do you do the yearly Reading Challenge on Goodreads? I've done it for several years now and always seem to surpass the number I set (125 for the last few years). But this year, when I log in to Goodreads, I usually see a message like the one above. See those words right under the little line showing my progress?

"behind schedule"

But I've been reading. Pretty much reading as much as normal. How is that possible? And should I care?

It's time! Time for the next book in our Stained Glass Legacy series to release.
Regina Rudd Merrick is guesting on my blog today to talk about the memories and research done to write a book set in the time when she was a little girl. Do you think you could do the same?

When I began writing Window of Peace, all I had was a story outline for the Stained Glass Legacy series, of which mine is second. Heather Greer’s Window of Opportunity is book one (1920s), mine is book 2 (1970), Amy’s Window of the Heart is book 3 (current day), and Erin Howard’s Window of Time is book 4(dystopian future).
How hard could it be? I was alive in 1970. I remember it well.
Tip #1. When you think something’s going to be easy, hold that thought.
Yes, I was alive, but I wasn’t an adult in 1970, like my characters. I was six. Six years old. My PARENTS were in their 20’s!
I started researching the time period. The clothes, I remembered. I’d just been going through old photos of my family, so that wasn’t hard. 

I haven't had a chance to read this beautiful book yet, but I'm excited to. Brand new author, Janilise Lloyd is here to chat today, and her story, The Whisperer's Wish, looks absolutely wonderful. So, sit down and stay a few minutes to get to know Janilise and her new story.

Janilise, congrats on your first book release! You say you never thought you'd end up an author, so what changed your plans? What first encouraged you to pursue writing?
 
As a kid and teenager, writing was never something I considered doing for fun. As far as I knew, it was just something I used for classes in school. But I have always loved to read, and though I didn’t recognize it when I was young, I also loved storytelling. I used to make up little stories when I was cleaning or on long road trips with my family.
 
When I was in my early twenties, my husband had a different work schedule than me, so I often had evenings to myself. A story idea came to mind and I decide—purely for the fun of it—I’d try writing it down. That’s when my foray into the writing world began. That story grew and changed. I began to see writing as a hobby and then something I sincerely wanted to pursue. My love for it has only grown since then.
  
Your enthusiasm for helping young people write is beautiful. What is your best tip for younger people hoping to write?
 
My best tip is to give yourself quiet time to be alone with your own thoughts. In today’s world, the options for consuming other people’s creations are endless. But you’ll never truly create something of your own until you give yourself the time to be with your own imagination. While other people’s creations can serve as a spring board or inspiration for your own ideas, don’t let them crowd out the time you can take to develop your own. While in the beginning stages of writing, you have to let your own creative self take control. Write what you think makes a great story and forget about all the other pressures and distractions.