Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 98 of the podcast and it's January 4, 2023  as we record this. Happy New Year! Main Topic: Monthly Gamechangers PATREON: No new patrons this week. Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in us and in the podcast.  This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a postcard from me, a shout out on the podcast, and we can make announcements for you on air. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    Comments: Ep95: A Year in Review, Mary says: A very nice discussion. I especially like the advice you both give to yourselves for the upcoming year! (She also included some topic suggestions for both the podcast and for patrons.)     Patron announcement:  Announcements:  ** Author Action Plan Group Coaching started yesterday on the 3rd and goes for three months, ending on April 4th. You can still join the cohort this week, if you don't mind missing out on the first session. $500 includes group coaching with other writers every other week for three months, plus a customized author action plan for one of your larger projects/goals. Podcast listeners get a 10% discount, making the cost $450. Use the discount code PODCAST (all caps) at checkout. **I have a female writer looking for another female-identifying writer to share lodging at the retreat. The Shared Retreat Ticket price is $650 and includes all the food, lodging, instruction, retreat, and coaching. Please reach out to me at Valerie@valerieihsan.com to ask any questions or to get the PayPal link for the Shared Retreat Ticket. 1) Writer Craft Writing Retreat is scheduled for next August 24-27, 2023. Tickets include all lodging and gourmet meals, plus instruction and coaching and retreat time on the river, in Marcola, OR. “We’ll be touching on book structure, story hypothesis, plotting that doesn’t hurt, author action plans, and more.”  Go to valerieihsan.com/retreat for more information. Alumni and patron price is $775.  Early Bird price available from November - January. $800 Monthly payments are an option. Send me a message Valerie@valerieihsan.com for a unique PayPal link, or go to the shopping page on my website to purchase at full price.  2) We want to celebrate our 100th episode with you. Please send in an audio clip via email to writercraftpodcast@gmail.com with a comment or testimonial about the podcast. What you like about it, why you listen, etc. On the 100th episode on January 18th, we'll play the clips on air. Please send in your audio clips by January 11th at the latest. 3) We need topic suggestions. Please send to writercraftpodcast@gmail.com.   UPDATE:   Rachael Herron's blurb came back for my memoir! She wrote: A lovely story told with poetic lyricism and gentle humor, You Can't Dance a Lie is more than a memoir of love and relationships—it's the chronicle of a woman learning to trust herself completely before stepping into the love-shaped life she makes possible for herself.  - Rachael Herron, Bestselling Author of A Life in Stitches  ordered sample copies from Ingram so I can decide on which type of hardcover to do; and  started formatting the large print edition of the memoir.  Waiting to send more details to the cover designer until I get the samples from Ingram. I'm wondering about BookVault for distribution of a dust jacketed hardcover.   Just finished: I read 67 books last year. And I finished reading the day book from 2022: Simple Abundance: 365 Days to a Balanced and Joyful Life.     I'M READING: Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore; Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Beth Kempton. My new day book for the year 2023 is: Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga by Rolf