Happy Monday All, Also, Happy All Hallow's Eve aka Halloween! I meant to write an October post earlier this month, but there were things going on in my real life that made it so I just didn't get to it. I'm doing okay--just a lot going on in my real life. But doesn't everybody usually? October also means my birthday, which I celebrated by going over to my parents' house. Dad had a fall in September, so it was nice to see him making so much progress and doing so much better. I told them that since they had such an integral part of me coming into existence that it seemed appropriate that I'd come over for a visit. We had a lot of fun. It was simple, small, and just right for me. My parents gave me a beautiful card that touched my heart (I got teary!) and I got some other cards and gifts from my siblings. My husband got me Chinese food for dinner a couple of days before since I was going to be at my folks' house on my actual birthday. I can't complain. It...

Happy Wednesday All, We're almost done with August, in fact, September starts tomorrow. Writers have until September 23rd to register for the Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star Writer's Conference . All writers, of all genres are welcome. We open up the conference to all writers of all genres, so take advantage of that. Morning Speaker will be NY Times Bestseller, Kerrelyn Sparks. The afternoon speaker is going to be Sandra Beckwith from Buildbookbuzz.com. We'll have raffle baskets to raffle off, there will be pitch sessions going on, and more.  Some writers have said they couldn't make this year. Very well, if you, a writer, can't make it this year, then put us down for next year. Generally we have the Conference the first Saturday in October. That's the date it's been ever since I started going to the conference back in 2009. So see, the time of year hasn't changed, just when the first Saturday of October is changes (some years it's not the 1st ...

Happy Thursday All, I'm a bit late posting this blog post--make that about 2 days late. I meant to post this on the release day or the day before, but I've been so swamped lately that the days "got away from me" so to speak. On October 7th author Laura Childs released a new novel, so today I thought I'd give you all a peek into it... Carmela and Ava are snooping out a brand-new mystery in Laura Childs' newest Scrapbooking mystery. Ghouls, vampires, and zombies are on the loose as New Orleans gears up for Halloween and Carmela's October holiday calendar is jam packed with invitations featuring all things haunting. But the fun of the season takes a somber turn when her business neighbor, Marcus Joubert, falls out of a cabinet and into Carmela's frightened arms. The worst part is the owner of Oddities is dead. Murder and thievery hang in the air as Carmela and her best bud, Ava, try to track down the killer and the stolen mysteri...

Happy Tuesday & November Everybody, Wow! It's November ALREADY? What happened to October? I blinked and it was gone (does this mean I need to stop blinking, because that's really hard to do). There is a lot going on lately--getting things out to those who requested them and playing around with other novel ideas (I still have to outline one that's been in my head for about a year, and I haven't been able to get it out on paper the way I'd like. The idea is good, the title is probably my best title idea yet and a lot of people like the story idea and title; it's just the execution that's lacking at the moment, but I intend to remedy that). I'm also trying to catch up on my reading, so that's been another thing. I grab anywhere between 2-10 pages here and there. I've learned I'm both a "pantser" and a "plotter"--I have to have a decent idea of what I'm doing and where I'm going, but enough room in that pla...

Happy Monday All, Laura Childs is one busy author. With 3 mystery series out, she keeps herself well immersed in a myriad of characters. Her newest series, Cackleberry Club Mystery , is joining the ranks of her other two. So...in light of all this, I have a questiong:  What do eggs, pumpkins, and murder have in common? Give up? They're all happening around Suzanne Dietz, one of the owners of The Cackleberry Club--a diner, named for it's main dish: eggs. In the small Midwestern town of Kindred, Suzanne and her friends, Petra and Toni are serving up eggs (in every way imaginable), desserts, coffee and a side dish of mystery. Only this time the mystery is in their backyard. Literally. Mayor hopeful, Chuck Peebler, finds his campaign trail sadly curtailed the moment an arrow shoots him right through the forehead--in front of a frightened Suzanne. The sheriff suspects Jane Buckley, Petra's friend, and it makes sense. After all, Peebler accused Jane of stealing...

Morning Folks, Halloween Day seems like the perfect time to announce that I have a book preview video (not great quality, but I'm hoping to either figure out how to fix the problems or have my younger brother who knows about a lot of media stuff might be able to help when he's in town for Christmas). You see, I don't have a Youtube account (I might end up getting one; but I'm not sure, yet) so I think maybe I'll wait until I have a website to put it up. But once I'm able to work out the kinks I think it's pretty good. The preview is for Surreal . Other than that I'm working more on Conjure A Man . I worked on Chapter 2 yesterday, but I'm not sure if it's just right or if I went overboard a different direction. I'll have to review it and if necessary, I'll make changes. But I do like Delaney's character better for this, now. I just didn't like having her appear so weak because I know that in all her life she was pretty strong. I ...

Hi Everyone, So, this weekend is Halloween. Yes, we have a pumpkin, no we haven't carved it. It's been kinda busy over here. We've had a lot going on. But Halloween also marks the end of October. A month I'm rather fond of because it's when I start feeling more of the fall weather, my birthday happens, my dad's birthday, one of my sisters and her husband have their wedding anniversary, and it's just nice to see Fall breezing in. Kids of all ages look forward breathlessly to Halloween and everything they like about it (whether it's costumes, treats, parties or spooky movies) Halloween has a lot of things for people of all ages. I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween--whatever you celebrate or don't celebrate, or what Oct. 31st means to you, I wish you well. What does the end of October mean for my writing? Well, pretty much the same as it meant for every other month. Working, working, editing, revising, and improving and getting closer to queryin...

Good Afternoon Folks, I like October because it's my birthday month--also because it's Fall and I like cooler weather. I live in the Southern part of Texas, so we get a lot of heat--for most of the year. So I welcome the cooler weather (don't ask me to move, I ain't moving...but I reserve the right to be glad of the cooler weather and to say that it's too hot to go outside in the summer LOL). But I'm not into spooky stuff that's often associated with Halloween. "But wait," you say, "what about the fact that you write paranormal romance? You've got a witch in one of your stories and a vampire, too!" Yes, this is true. And I have liked Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, too. However, these stories are very different from the usual witch or vampire fare. It's safe too call it Witch-Lite and Diet Vampire. I doubt anyone consider my characters the embodiment of any story centered around witches, vampires, werewolves, warlocks. Granted my va...