(Can you guess what this is? See below!) 

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR
(Two birthdays and more stories!)

  
Welcome, everyone, to 2025. So far, so good on my end. Just so you know, I’m partial to January. It’s my birthday month, and on the twenty-fourth, it’s Early Birds b-day. Nine years ago, Winged Publication published my FIRST book. Praise the Lord and pass the turtle soup.
 
How about I tell you some little-known facts about my first book:

• Early Birds is not my first book. Yes, it’s the first one published, but Chords of Love wins the prize for #1. I wrote it seven years before Early Birds. After it came out, I dusted off Chords of Love and published it in March 2017.
• I have the lyrics to On the Road Again by Willie Nelson in the book. Did you know you need to get the okay to use them in a book? Thankfully, I did. And after I paid Sony a chunk of change, I’m legal to use it.
• In the summer of 2015, I went to visit my mom and help her make the transition to the nursing home. While I’m there, I’m putting the final touches on Early Birds and asking my mother questions about her life, which I put in a book for my siblings. FYI: They love it.
• The Lord had been on this book journey, but He showed up big time after EB came out. I’m a newbie and wondered how I’d market it. One day it hit me. I could do a class to help other people tell their stories, just like my mom had shared hers. We contacted RV rallies and libraries (where we’d be traveling), and they loved the idea. These are the same classes I teach in Arizona and wherever we land in the summer. God is amazing!
• And the final fun fact. Even though I write comedy, and my intention is for people to laugh while reading my books, I want the Lord’s message to ring out from the pages of my books. Here is a review that touched my heart: A really good clean read – I really enjoyed this book and appreciate an author who will write a good Christian book. The story line is about the restoration of marriage and what God can do in your life when you try! You will enjoy the humor as well as the character!

 

 

https://amzn.to/47xzLbg

 

There you have the rest of the story. And before I forget: Early Birds Adventures (5-book series) is ON SALE this month for $1.99. And it has a NEW COVER! I love it! 

JANUARY FUNNY:
I can hear you asking, “Why is there a picture of tortillas in Janetta’s newsletter?” Because what happened with them is too funny not to share. Here’s the story: Ray and I were invited to a party, and the host warned us before we arrived that we’d play some games.
 
We arrived, and a few minutes later, our host brought out two bags of tortillas. Mike explained it was the latest TikTok sensation called Tortilla Slap. Two people played each round. Each would take a drink of water and hold it in their mouth. Then they’d do the rock, paper, scissors game.
 
Whoever won that part got to slap the other person with one of the tortillas. The goal was to get the person you were slapping to laugh and spit out the water they still held in their mouth. If they did, you had the victory!
 
We didn’t participate in the fun, but being a bystander entertained us enough. So, if you’re looking for a fun party game, give this one a try. I guarantee it will bring lots of laughs. You can thank me later. And if you do it, video it and send it to me.
 
Until next time…
 

PS: If you've read this far - the top picture is a hand-painted COOKIE. Can you believe it? Friends gave us two, and they were almost too pretty to eat. In the end, we succumbed. They were scrumptious. 

Janetta Fudge Messmer - Author of Christian Comedy/Romances

“Turning Life Into Comedy”
E-mail: janettafudgemessmer@gmail.com
Website and sign up for the newsletter: http://janettafudgemessmer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetta.fudge.messmer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettiefudge