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Sunday Snippet: The Photo Dump Edition
It’s been a week, mes amis. Book release on Tuesday, promotion, promotion, promotion… and I capped off the week with a book signing at a local author event. In between the bookish stuff, I’ve been working on two editing gigs and helping with spring yard work. My brain and my body are pretty fried. I need a day of doing nothing and doing it well. That day might be today. The sun is shining, temps in the mid-fifties are predicted, but the no wind, which means a walk with pal Mary will be in order for sure, and maybe Husband and I will take a drive out to see blossoming…
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Sunday Snippet: Another Deep Breath Edition
How did it get to be April 14 already? I mean, seriously, wasn’t it just Valentine’s Day and the ground was covered with a light blanket of snow and my gardens were still sleeping? Now everything is popping up, flowers are blooming, bushes and trees are leafing out. These are my gorgeous tulips that my sweet neighbor, Mary, gave me for my birthday in September. As you can see, my office garden is starting to wake up. Husband has already mowed twice, and y’all know he’s happiest on his mower. We’ve had torrential rain this week, so the lawn is lush and green and as soon as it dries out…
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Sunday Snippet: The Happy Easter Edition
Remember Easter when you were a kid? Man, I do. It was an event at our house every spring. The night before Easter, we colored hardboiled eggs with the Paas Easter egg dye kits. Remember those? After we kids went to bed, Mom, who was probably already exhausted from working at the grocery store all day and studying whatever courses she was taking for her nursing degree, hid them around the house. Then, she’d iron everyone’s Easter clothes–usually made by our Aunt Alice, who was a stellar seamstress–so we’d look spiffy the next morning. I loved my dress and hat and little umbrella purse the Easter I was seven. I…
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Sunday Snippet: The March Memos Edition
March has been an incredibly busy month so far–finishing a book, starting a new one, editing gigs to do, promotion to get lined up, plus housework and laundry and keeping fit. Thus, I do have a few things I need to get off my chest–the first one is a yay, though! Dear Gal’s Guide Library, Congratulations on your 2024 anthology–Nourish. It releases April 13 and I can’t wait to get my copy! And huge congratulations to bestie, Liz Flaherty, whose essay “The Rickrack Chronicles” won a second place medal in the anthology! Nobody does it better, my friend, and I’m so proud of you! Beaming, Nan Dear Spring, Are you…
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Sunday Snippet: A “The End” Edition
Yup…I’m there, well, sorta. I wrote THE END yesterday on Cam and Harper’s book, Made for Mistletoe, but I may still have another tiny scene to write, so that will be today’s mission. This book has been a journey. Christmas books always are. I love writing about Christmas in River’s Edge, but getting really creative and coming up with new holiday stories for my characters is sometimes harder than writing stories that happen at non-holiday times of the year. I confess I write my idea of the perfect Christmas in the River’s Edge books and it looks nothing at all like real Christmas in my life/family. Don’t get me wrong–the…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Ready for Spring Edition
Spring seems to be springing already and you know, we really haven’t had much of a winter here. Oh, we’ve had few days of snow, but no real accumulation, and a few days of serious cold, but no long stretches of temperatures below freezing. That’s unusual but certainly not unheard of here in the middle of the United States. I remember lots of mild winters. These are crocuses discovered on one of my walks in the hood, aren’t they sweet? My tulips that neighbor Mary gifted me last fall are starting to peek up–they’re going to be yellow, she says, and I can’t wait to see them bloom! But I…
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Sunday Snippet: The I’m Pushing Edition
Yup, I am. Working on first draft of book 3 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series, Made for Mistletoe, (deadline is in three weeks), and I’m nearly at The End. I’m hoping Cam and Harper’s story will touch hearts and bring special holiday joy for lovers of all things River’s Edge. I’m also working on promo for book 1 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series, Make You Mine, which releases April 16. All this in addition to my day job, copy editing. I’m really falling in love with Cam Walker–he’s just a big cinnamon roll (as are so many of my heroes). But Cam’s heart is so big…
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Sunday Snippet: The Start of a New Year Memos Edition
Every so often, I do a memos edition–just random stuff that’s on my mind and needs to be dumped. This is one… feel free to add your own memos in the comments. I love it when you share! Dear Winter, Make up your mind already…snow and desperately freezing temperatures or mild and teasing us with spring? My daffodils are confused and so am I. Shiveringly, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear Creative Brain, One book at a time, okay? Stay focused, finish Cam and Harper’s story, then you can move on. Distractedly, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear Chocolate, Yes, I know you are delicious and wonderful and taste like magic, but you have to stop…
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Sunday Snippet: The Writing from Other People’s Experiences Edition
I’m writing book 3 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series–it’s Cam Walker’s story. He’s fallen in love with the new girl in town–a lovely young artist who also happens to be a widow. As a fiction writer, sometimes, my own life directs my storytelling, but honestly, most all of what I write comes from other people’s experiences, from absorbing narrative through films, books, music, and TV, and from listening. Okay, maybe eavesdropping in restaurants and airports and in groups of people, and from conversations I’ve been a part of and some that I’ve only been an observer in. That’s all part of the discovery process–what happens before you start…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Shall Thole Edition
It’s here. The New Year. It snowed yesterday and I opened the front door to take a picture and to inhale the crisp, cold scent of it. Snow brings a hush to the world and peace to my heart. So many people my age leave the state for warmer climes and I totally don’t get it. I like the change of seasons here in the Midwest, I don’t mind the snow–I don’t even mind being stuck inside if the snow makes travel hazardous. I’m writing the third book in The Walkers of River’s Edge series. It’s Cameron and Harper’s story and it’s coming hard, I confess. I’m not sure why…