Dean Frech's Blog

Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore ~ Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

Once you get started on your dream journey and start accomplishing some of your smaller goals, you’ll notice a change in yourself.You’ll see the rest of your journey differently. You’ll notice that it’s not as hard as you once thought it might be. You’ll start looking at the outside world differently as well.

But beware - in my experience, just when I have things under control, I get knocked back two or three steps. What I’ve learned is that no matter how much I’ve learned and no matter how easy my routines and boundaries are to adhere to, I have to constantly remind myself all the reasons to keep going.

I’ve also learned that the best things for us (in this case, working on routines that help achieve goals in our dream journey) are sometimes the hardest to do. It’s easy to sleep in every morning and get up at the very last minute before you have to get ready for work. It can be grueling to get up two or three hours before work everyday (including weekends) to work on your dream goals. (The same can be said if you are working all day and coming home to work on dream goals).

What’s a change in yourself that you noticed right away once you started working on your dream journey?

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from JMS Books !


Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from JMS Books!

Have we all stepped through the looking glass? ~ Dowager Countess, from Downton Abbey

Thinking about this topic and the long distance we’ve come over the last few years, I can’t believe I’m experiencing this in my (relative) youth. I truly believed that Thomas and I would be in our sixties or seventies lined up at the courthouse to be legally married. We were one of the first couples married in our county in Missouri here before the Supreme Court decision two years ago.

I enjoyed seeing all the pictures of the same-sex couples on social media that got to go to Prom without petitioning the school board for permission. They celebrated a right of passage along with their straight friends, I hope without the fear of being assaulted.

And yet, we still see pictures of gay couples being assaulted for public displays of affection. Just when I think we are moving forward, I see stuff like that. I don’t even want to get into the transgendered bathroom issue. I need to get the badge that says, “I will go with you” and wear it all the time.

I suppose that’s why I love writing historical books. I am so grateful that, for the most part, I’ve never had to hide in the closet. Sometimes I really have to scheme to figure out how to get the characters together in a plausible fashion that works for their times. In A Place to Call Their Own, it’s the unsettled Kansas Prairie. In Disappear With Me, it was a housekeeper’s need to get home to her family. Need Your Love is about the struggle in the 60s that two professional men have to figure out their way in the homophobic world.

So this year, let’s celebrate what we do have, that life is pretty good for most of us. Let’s continue to push for reform that makes the rest of country, and the world, a safer place to be for all of us.

Thanks for stopping by, enter the rafflecopter for 2 chancse to win a copy of both A Place to Call Their Own or Need Your Love, and stop by some of the other blogs participating this year.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ');

Coherent conversation stuck in his throat. The class clown, the jokester at a loss for words. He finished his cigarette, then ground his newfound frustration into the butt on the ground. “I need to go. Enjoy the rest of the day.”Garrett nodded. “Nice to meet you.”It was just as well. Garrett didn’t seem interested in conversation either. When Garrett failed to extend his hand, Eron offered his wanting another moment of contact. No, he wanted to push Garrett up against the wall and kiss his lips, but for now he’d settle for a handshake.



Get Need Your Love from your favorite online retailer today!

JMS BooksAmazon USAmazon UKBarnes and NobleAll Romance eBooksBookstrandKobo

Also- Check out other great LGBTQ novels on Facebook through the Rainbow Snippets Group!

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Amazon US!

Here’s to the parts of our jobs that we love ~ Jill Badonsky

No matter how much we enjoy our dream journey, there will be tasks that we just don’t like. For me, it’s the promo part of writing. I am inconsistent with asking for reviews from blogs, posting in the Facebook groups, and asking to do guest posts. But that is part of sales process in today’s Internet global market.

When I was in direct sales, one of the tips constantly given by top leadership was to hire other people to do the work that anyone could do. Recently, I read a Mary Kay Ash book and she talked about having a housekeeper as soon as she could afford it. Mary Kay said that anyone could clean her house, but only she could lead and build her team. So that’s one tip to get out of the tasks that you don’t like that have to be done.

I supposed I need to have more faith in my own work. I do need to hire a assistant to do the promo part for me. Promo needs to be consistent. I have to write the content in my own voice, but I don’t necessarily need to be the one that contacts all the blog sites out there. Amazing what brainstorms I come up with writing posts.

So, here’s to the parts of our jobs that we love, and help us figure out a way to delegate the stuff that we don’t.

What’s a task in your dream journey you’re able to hire out or delegate?

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Smashwords!


Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from Smashwords!
Coming soon from JMS Books: Disappear With Me!

Here’s to clear gut feelings that spare us emotions and save us time ~ Jill Badonsky

The answers to all your questions about our dream journeys are deep within us. We each hold our own answers. Sometimes we just don’t know it.

When I found my story for my first novel, A Place to Call Their Own, something deep inside resonated that it would be my first novel. I immediately started working on notes and research, developing the characters, etc. It took me four years to write the first draft, but I knew Frank and Gregory’s story was the first I would tell.

Recently, my husband had the choice of two jobs. I told him he had the answers within himself. Even though he quit a job he had only just started, he took the job that was Monday through Friday at a small family owned company that he truly loved. Although he felt guilty about quitting the other job, we knew it was the correct decision for him.

I’d love to hear about a gut feeling you had about your dream journey and how it turned out.

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from BookStrand!


Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from BookStrand!

Frank didn’t look up from his plate. “Sir, I’m going to Kansas, and you can’t stop me. I am twenty-three years old, and there’s nothing you can say that will change my mind. We’re going to take two claims side-by-side and help each other out.” He stopped short of saying that they planned to live in one house and sleep in one bed.“I know you know what you’re doing—I taught you how to manage a farm myself—but I don’t think you really know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Get your copy of #APTCTO here:
JMS Books
Amazon US Amazon UKBarnes and NobleAll Romance EbooksOmnilit.comGoodreads

Also- Check out other great LGBTQ novels on Facebook through theRainbow Snippets Group!

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Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from Amazon US!

Here’s to a moment of relief ~ Jill Badonsky

So…I’m back at some of my regular routines. This is the third full week of consistent blog posts, I am participating in my critique groups, life is better than it has been.

I feel a sense of relief to resume many of my normal activities in my writing life. There have been times in the past when I felt guilty and worried about not completing those activities. My comfort comes not only from returning to the activities that build my writer brand, but also from giving myself a break.

Would I have prefered/wanted/loved to have more titles available at this point in my publishing career? Absolutely.

For me, it just wasn’t in the cards, and I am fine with that. Everything comes in its due time and evidently there are more life lessons to learn before I can put out another new title. Maybe it was to keep all my titles with one publisher? Seems to be working out for me so far.

Wherever you are in your dream journey, I hope you have some relief as well. My wish for you is that your relief is in accomplishment. But if that’s not where you are, my desire is that your relief comes in giving yourself a break.

Where, how, why do you feel relief on your dream journey?

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Kobo!


Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from Kobo!

Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living ~ Soren Kierkegaard

If you’re well on your way through your dream journey, you might have already noticed how different your life has turned. You’ve probably met new people, also engaged in your dream journey, and are becoming more involved in the community of dreamers.

That’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of working to become a writer, the community in which I belong. Prior to attending a convention in 2014, I interacted with a few people on Facebook and Twitter. Meeting people in person and spending quality time with them solidified some of those relationships.

If you have the opportunity to commune with others striving for your same, or similar, dream goals, by all means take it. The number of support groups online is endless, but there is nothing like interacting in person to help create community and achieve your goals.

I’d love to hear about a time when you got to spend real time with other in your dream goals and how it helped your own journey.

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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Omnilit!


Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from Omnilit!

Help us to be forever faithful gardeners of the spirit, who know that without darkness nothing come to birth and with out light nothing flowers ~ Mary Sarton

When asked recently how I feel, with everything going on, it feels wonderful to say that things are going great!

When I examine why, the common denominator seems to be back into regular writing routines. I can’t believe how much better I feel emotionally, spiritually, even physically. The other day (and even the morning I write this) my appetite is back with a vengeance.

Its seems when I operate with all cylinders firing, that is when I’m the best. I’m back to blogging regularly, promoting my titles, and most importantly, writing. I’m setting boundaries at the NSEDJ and spending energy on myself and my relationship with my husband.

The one area still a bit out of balance is my reading. I have devoured as much as I can on self help topics. I need to balance that with fiction of my favorite authors again. I am trying to enjoy Kayla Jameth’s A Tested Love that came out last month.

I’d love to hear about a time when you found peace when you returned to your dream journey goals.


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Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from All Romance eBooks!


Can two men find love amidst the pervasive culture of  propriety, honor, and expectation of the 1960s?

My latest novel, Need Your Love is available from All Romance eBooks!

Eron squinted through the smoke at the sound of footsteps around the corner of the church. The sun blinded him as the stranger joined him.
Well, look who it is.
Eron nodded and grunted “hello” as he took the cigarette out of his mouth.
“Hello,” the other man said. “You needed a break, too.”
“Eron Lassiter.” Eron put the cigarette back in his mouth and extended his right hand.
“Garrett Emerson.” Garrett extended his hand, and held the pack of cigarettes in his left.




Get Need Your Love from your favorite online retailer today!

JMS BooksAmazon USAmazon UKBarnes and NobleAll Romance eBooksBookstrandKobo

Also- Check out other great LGBTQ novels on Facebook through the Rainbow Snippets Group!

_______________________________________________



Is it possible for two Civil War veterans to find their place in the world on the Kansas Prairie?


My first novel, A Place to Call Their Own is available from Amazon US!