A Leap Into February...

Happy February!

Okay, for the first time in a while I can say that a month didn't zip past me at lightning speed. I don't know if that's good or bad. Just that January didn't seem to go by quite as fast as most of last year seemed.

Perhaps the lack of "zipping by" has to do with the fact that my eldest had a bacterial infection near the end of December and then 2 weeks later had Covid and a week later I had a bacterial infection (different one from eldest). So for awhile there, it was a bit crazy at my house. Luckily the rest of January was pretty healthy.

This February has a couple of particularly interesting things about it...for one, there are 29 days this year for this month (most of the time it's 28) so Happy Leap Year!

Query news...not really anything I'm ready to report on, so I'll let you know when there is.

Writing news: I have several unfinished manuscripts and after some revision work that I did for like 2-3 months, I'm back to them and reacquainting myself with these stories. They need to be written and edited.

In my non-writer life (my personal life) I've got some family birthdays and at least one anniversary this month. So that's fun. :-) Another interesting thing about this February is that Ash Wednesday is on St. Valentine's Day (February 14), so that's a bit different than previous years. We'll attend an Ash Wednesday service and observe the Catholic Traditions of fasting and no meat on that day.

Some people I know have amazing trips planned (for their personal privacy I won't mention details) and I can't wait to hear about their trips.

As for me, most of my trips consist of either within my state or within the USA. The only other country (that I recall) I've been to that wasn't my own, was Canada (and I can't remember how many times I've been, but it's been a long time since the last time I was there). I've been to St. Croix, but that's in the US Virgin Islands, so I'm not sure it counts as going to another country (but it was a fun trip!) I do have ideas of places I'd want to go outside the USA, but haven't really gotten to doing that. Maybe someday.

Fun Fact about my trip to St. Croix: It was for my honeymoon and the way I came to choosing it was that author Lurlene McDaniel had mentioned it in her novel, For Better, For Worse, Forever. The descriptions of St. Croix in this novel made me want to go there. So I made a decision (either this was Middle School or beginning of High School) that when I got married that's where I'd go on my honeymoon. When I told my husband where I wanted to go, he said that he was all for going to the Caribbean, and we enjoyed our time there (particularly a restaurant that apparently isn't there anymore, but it was a really lovely outdoor one).

For those of you unfamiliar with Lurlene McDaniel's books, she's a retired YA author (according to a Google Search she retired in 2019) who wrote about teens in tough situations. I've loved many of her because she wrote them so well. For Better, For Worse, Forever is the sequel in a 2-book set that starts with Till Death Do Us Part.

Have you ever decided to go somewhere based on a book you read? Did you enjoy it?

I hope you all had a good January and that February treats you well.

Have a tremendously terrific Tuesday!

It's Worth A Fortune

Happy Tuesday Everyone, Does anyone remember the song If I Had A Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies ? I can't remember when or how I was first introduced to this song, but it's a fun song. So, how about if you had a million dollars? What would you do with it? Of course there's the responsible things to do with a million dollars--pay off debts, and such like that. Then there's the question of whether or not you give to charities, and how much. But, suppose you answered all those questions and you still had quite a lot left; what would you do with it? Maybe I'd go to Disney World. I've wanted to go, and I've never been able to. Or, perhaps I'd go to Germany and England, and Belgium (three of the countries my ancestors are from). Travel around seeing family and friends I don't see often. There's all kinds of possibilities. So, what about you? What would you do with a million dollars? Have A Tremendous Tuesday!

Spotlight On Author: Loretta Wheeler

Happy Tuesday Everyone, There's a gem of an author I've had the privilege of coming across...I'm talking about my friend, Loretta Wheeler. She's a sweetheart and very talented author. I enjoyed her YA Paranormal novella, The Pan Man immensely. And, she also writes Romance. So without further ado, come into my parlor and meet Loretta Wheeler: Me: In your YA novelette, The Pan Man , you mention Pan's looking for his long lost soul mate. What made you choose Pan out of all the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses? Loretta: I chose the Greek god Pan, because of the connection with the music. I found later on in the story, (my stories take over and write themselves usually) it applied even more than I realized because of the band's name. I won't mention the name of the band in here, because it's part of the surprise ending. Me: You're mostly known for your Romance stories. How would you describe your writing style? Hot, suspenseful, sensual, sw...

Myths About Writers

Afternoon Folks, I thought we'd do a post to dispel some of the myths people seem to have about writers. I'll put the ones that first come to mind then y'all can chime in. Myth: Writing is a great way to make a lot of money. I'm not sure exactly how this one matriculated. Probably in the wake of some of the big best sellers (i.e. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, and the like) but most of the time writers put in more money for their writing than they do get out of it. Generally a writer doesn't make a ton of money unless somehow his/her book is a blockbuster hit and blasts through what the author owes in the advance (which is paid back to publishers through royalties). Most writers I've met and talked to are not millionaires. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it's not one of those things that's automatic. Myth: Writing Is Easy Anybody Can Do It. Okay, granted this isn't entirely a myth, but it's not ent...

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