Hi ,

I have to confess I don't really make New Year's resolutions. I do have some aims for the year though - for example this year I plan to do some more writing! But rather than leaving that as a vague resolution I'll plan that out on a weekly basis, trying to fit a realistic target around whatever my day job brings that week. Our Quick Question is about New Year Resolutions - if you do something different, drop me a line and let me know what.

Last month I asked which was your favourite season - more than half of you picked Autumn as your favourite, with another quarter choosing Spring. Whilst my favourite season is Spring, I can certainly see the attraction of Autumn.

In November I asked about social media. Facebook topped the list easily, with nearly 90% of us checking our feeds at least once a week. I haven't been doing much on social media recently, but one of my aims for this year will be to concentrate on Facebook and interact more there. If you'd like to follow my page you can find it here. Right now it mostly has details of our giveaways and competitions, but watch out for changes as the year progresses.

If you're getting this newsletter for the first time, thank you for joining me. I send a newsletter around the middle of each month and in this issue you'll find:

• Behind the Scenes - Hobbies
  
• Quick Question - New Year Resolutions : yes or no?
  
• Fantastic Paranormal/Fantasy Romance - a free book giveaway
• January's Win an eReader competition
• Your Subscriber Freebies
  

It turns out January is National Hobby Month - probably because, tied in with New Year Resolutions, people start new hobbies in January. I don't know about you, but I already have more hobbies than I find time to participate in. Perhaps that should be one of my aims this year - to plan my time better and find more time for my hobbies!

Some of my hobbies are reflected in my books. One is genealogy, in which I'm helped by the fact that my great grandfather had the same hobby and I've inherited all his papers. Certainly discovering past family relationships is key to mystery in the Choices and Consequences series! Last month I finally got access to a strongbox that had belonged first to my grandmother and then to my father. I had no idea what was inside but there turned out to be a treasure trove of birth and marriage certificates, medals, and other documents. I'm still working my way through them. (If you're also into family history, sorry if I've made you jealous....)

One of my other hobbies is cross-stitch and I usually have a project (I mean several projects!) on the go. I'm also working on a design for a bookmark to reflect the Choices and Consequences series, but that is very slow going.

What are your favourite hobbies? Do drop me a line and let me know.

And by the way, 21st January is National Hugging Day, so don't forget to hug your loved ones!

Here's your chance to win a Kindle Fire Tablet, or a $60 voucher for the ebook retailer of your choice. The January competition is open, so enter now!

I'll be back next month - look out for a newsletter around the middle of the month.  In the meantime, take care, and happy reading.

If you're ready to move on to the rest of the Choices and Consequences series, grab them here.