May Has Arrived...

 Happy Monday and Happy May!

April was full of many things...including going up to Springdale, Arkansas to lay my father-in-law to rest. I didn't know him very well, but being up there with my husband and kids, I got to learn a little more about him. I knew he'd loved his wife to the very end of her life, but what I didn't know was how much. Several pictures had the caption "My beautiful wife..." and then a description of the picture. In the living room and his room, the walls were full of pictures of her and of their wedding. He had several of them framed. In all of them he looked happy (she looked happy, too, just in case y'all wondered). So I got to see more of his devotion to her. My mother-in-law died some years ago from Alzheimer's. By the time I met my husband and we were getting married, she was already pretty far along (although we did talk a tiny bit about her rose garden--which the flowers in their yard were lovely). They're now buried together in a cemetery in Springdale, Arkansas, according to my father-in-law's last wishes. My husband was AMAZING. He did the majority of all the cleaning in the house, and moved a ton of furniture. Some he gave away, some he sold. The house is just about sold (people up there move fast!) I barely saw him because he was so busy. But we did manage to get over to Eureka Springs and to Two Dumb Dames. I've been to Two Dumb Dames twice and ordered from there about 3 times. The fudge is the best fudge ever (in my and my husband's opinions). And yes, they do ship. I had some delivered to my parents' house last year, as well as to one of my best friend's. Everybody I've had try it has been totally amazed by how good it is. The company was started in 1979, and now the daughters/sons run it (so it's still in the family). It's a funky little shop with chocolates, fudge, truffles, candy, and t-shirts. I love it.

My anniversary is this month, which is something I'm happy about. Another year with my Real Life Hero, another year full of good and bad, ups and downs. Living out our marriage vows, being each other's best friends, being parents, family, friends to others. It's not always easy, but it isn't something I'd trade in. He's a man who truly gets me and I consider that a gift from God. So I'm grateful for him.

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and I want to wish every mother out there a very Happy Mother's Day! I love my children even when it's tough (and sometimes especially when it's tough). Nobody is perfect, but they are incredibly special to me.

As to writing, I'm continuing on. I've been querying a manuscript, and I've got several other ideas. I've no idea what will happen or where everything will lead. God has always been in charge of things in my life, and so I entrust this to Him, while trying to do what I can. I'm hoping more of my books will be available on audiobooks--my narrator and I are often in touch (he's worked on some things for The Author Encounter with me and my business partner, Nan), so we'll see.

I've made some new author friends this year, and I'm grateful for them being in my life as well, and for you, my darling readers!

I wish each and every one of you a marvelous May! I hope it's a good month for you all.

Have A Magically Merry Monday!

April Has Arrived...

 Happy Friday!

It's April, if you can believe...or even if you can't believe it. Sometimes to me it seems like the year goes slowly and other times it seems fast.

Real life has been taking up some of my attention lately, so I forgot to get a post ready ahead of time. Now we're approaching Easter (well, at least it's a little over a week away, but still it's almost here).

I've got a story out on query with agents and we'll see how that goes. I participated in the recent Mood Pitch on Twitter and that was an interesting experience. As part of the pitches, participants could share Mood Boards (for those who don't know what a Mood Board is, they're images/words that express either the mood or something about a story--or whatever the person who creates the Mood Board wants to express). It was kind of cool to see pictures with pitches.

The Author Encounter keeps moving along. We're having a quieter year due to real life (not bad, just busy). But we're working on some ideas.

There are some personal things going on in my life that I don't want to post here, but I'm pretty active on Twitter, so feel free to follow me there. If something newsworthy happens, I'll share it here, too. :-)

I wish you and yours a wonderful April and a very Happy Easter!

Have A Fantastically Fabulous Friday!

In Comes March...

 Happy Monday Everyone!

It's MARCH! Can you believe February is already over?

I meant to make this blog post earlier than now, but I was busy with editing, and life, so I had to put the post on hold. Editing is currently done, so I've got some time to post.

So let's see...

Lent has begun, which was punctuated for me by Ash Wednesday. I like to go to church to receive ashes. It was nice. I had my offspring with me--which meant a bit of adventure, but we managed okay.

The Author Encounter is gearing up for its 2nd Annual Authors March Forward events. A little smaller than last year, but still exciting. Watch TAE website and social media for more information. (I'm looking forward to it, as I do all our events because they're informative and fun).

I'm not excited about the clocks moving forward on Sunday, March 13th. Losing an hour of sleep, not fun. I'm sure I'll adjust, though.

Hopefully I'll have some exciting news in April regarding something that has nothing to do with what I was editing or anything I'm querying. For now, I'll just leave this vague statement here and let you, darling readers wonder. (Sorry, sometimes it's fun to keep y'all in anticipation).

February was a rough month because a family member had some health things pop up--thanking the Lord that the family member is okay. I was stressed for a few days and then came my deceased friend's death anniversary (she passed on 9 years ago). I'm hoping March will be better. There is likely to be some nerves about these projects (I hope things go well and all that) Regardless of nerves, I'm looking forward to it all.

There are a lot of things going on in the world right now, and I'm praying about them. I don't want to discuss these things on my blog, but they are in my prayers.

Take care, darling readers. I wish you a good March. Happy St. Patrick's Day, too!

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!

February Brings A Chill And Romance Fills The Air...

 Happy Friday Everyone!

It's February of 2022! February. Let that sink in a moment. February makes me a bit nervous this year. Last year, on February 15th, we lost power and water, got displaced for about 4.5 months (due to water pipe bursting and needing to fix parts of the house). With the talks of winter storms and things, I'm doing a lot of praying for this year not to have another Snowmeggeddon. (Yes, I'm praying for those who DEFINITELY will be dealing with bad parts of the storm, but I'm also praying that we don't have to go through what we did last year).

In between all this, I'm editing. My freelance editor, the incredibly helpful Deb Ewing finished all passes on my manuscript and now it's down to me doing the final read-through and little nit-picky things. Deb warned me not to get so hung up that I lose the way my story works, which is a fair point. As a writer, you don't want to poke and prod your work into a oblivion and lose the voice that works for it. However, I know that this pass is very necessary (including something that Deb made a note of that I've been watching out for). (By the way, Deb is an AWESOME editor and I highly recommend her. If she has time to work with you on your manuscript, go for it. She gave me great notes).

I've also set up a "10-minute with an Expert" meeting through The Manuscript Academy. I joined under the Gold Membership to take full advantage of what they offer. So far, I'd say if their faculty and workshop offerings look like something up your alley having at least a month or more of a subscription (either Basic or Gold are the choices) with them could benefit a writer. It really depends on where you are with your career, what you're looking for, and what you need assistance on in your own craft. I've attended other of their events before I chose to get a subscription, so having a membership wasn't my first introduction to the company. And, I have to say so far the "10 Minute Meeting With An Expert" seems like a helpful item (they have other meeting options, but I chose this particular one for several reasons--one of them being I wanted to work on my query letter a bit more--I've had at least 3-4 sets of eyes on it including my own, but the chance to have an actual agent look at it is an opportunity that's hard to pass up. (And probably shouldn't be passed up, either, if you find someone on their list that reps what you write).

The Author Encounter continues forward. This year, we plan to have our "mainstay" events (Authors March Forward in March, Traditional Publishing Day in September, Indie Author Day in November). Other things are being worked out. For February's Behind The Page, we're going to have author Robin Covington as a guest.

February is a fantastic month for us romance/romantic writers since it's filled with romance and Valentine's Day prep. Fun fact: there actually existed a real guy named Valentine who was a bishop. I've also read that there is, in fact, more than one St. Valentine. The one I've read about attributed to February 14th  and that he left a note for someone and signed it "Your Valentine". In any case, February 14th has lots of stories attributed to it and if you celebrate the day, I wish you a good one.

Also, yesterday, February 3 marked 63 years since "The day the music died" when Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson "The Big Bopper", Richie Valens, and their pilot, Roger Peterson, died in the famous plane crash (I apologize, I meant to put plane crash and originally had "car crash" that was a typo. And apparently the plane is unnamed, not named "American Pie"). Years later, Don McLean released the song "American Pie" in tribute. Don was a Buddy Holly fan, and so am I. He was very talented, and apparently well-liked by those who knew him. May their souls rest peacefully in Heaven and their music live on.

Lately I seem to be posting once a month, so unless I get some news or have something interesting to post, I'll keep my posting frequency at once a month.

Hope you have a wonderful February and a Fabulously Fun Friday!

2022, A New Year...

 Happy January and Happy New Year 2022 one and all!

There have been many times that I've said this, and I expect many times to say it again: my observation is that every year brings both good and bad. Some years there's more good, some more bad, some in the middle. I don't know what 2022 will be, but I continue to look for blessings.

One of the blessings of 2021, was in spite of Snowmeggeddon (or, rather, because of it) back in February, I got a new kitchen. Now, a storm with broken pipes is not the way I'd PREFER to have gotten this kitchen, but I love it. So, even though the storm sucked and being out of my house for 4 1/2 months wasn't always easy, I got this brand new kitchen that is so much more me and my family than what we moved into when we first got the house.

In August, I got a non-displaced fracture in my shoulder. Yeah, I hadn't known silly detergent had spilled and I wasn't looking to perfect my detergent-skating abilities (or, in this case, inability) but despite it, it meant I got to see my husband's job in action. The ortho doctors allowed him to work with me on my PT, and I've had the chance to experience his expertise and gentleness. He also paid me a compliment, saying "Thank you for not fighting me. Some of my patients do." I had reasoned in my mind the way I do a lot of things that it made no sense for me to fight him since the way to get better was to allow him to do what the doctors told him to do. Yes, it's been a painful process (I won't lie) but I'm improving and learning. Plus, I spend extra time with my husband.

My point in sharing these things is that so many people take the bad and just focus on the bad and never look for any good. Yes, there has been a lot of suffering and that sucks bananas and I'm definitely NOT trying to downplay any of that. I lost people close to me. I mourned. I looked at the junk in the world and cried. But I also turned to my faith and found solace. I learned about joy. I learned that it's okay for joy and sorrow to exist simultaneously. Sometimes they do. I learned a deeper appreciation for the blessings and good in the world (especially good people).

I've had the chance to work with an extremely talented freelance editor (named Deb Ewing) who has helped my manuscript get polished and better than it was before. I've added stuff I hadn't thought to add, which will enhance the reading experience for my audience. Through The Author Encounter, I've met some really nice agents and other people who have answered some questions I've had regarding the industry.

Sure, I've still got learning disabilities--those will never go away, but that's okay. I've lived with them this long, I can continue living with them and learning in spite of them (and sometimes because of them).

Yes, Covid-19 still exists and that's not cool, but my family continues to do Sunday Family Zoom sessions and I've gotten to talk to my family more than I ever had done in a year (or even 2 years) so for me, that's a blessing in a yucky situation. We've continued this practice of having Family Zoom sessions every Sunday afternoon (so far only missing one or two Sundays). It's been wonderful!

My wish for all of you this year and every year is to find that place of solace and to recognize the blessings that exist. Even when it's hard, or seems impossible, this is my wish for you. Find those who can make you believe in hope and cherish them. Even if they pass on, you can have the comfort of having known them and what you learned from them.

God bless and Happy New Year 2022 to you and yours.

Have A Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

It's December!

 Happy Wednesday & Happy December!

I hope December 2021 finds all of you well. I can't believe we're already nearing the end of 2021. It feels like the year just started yesterday or something.

Who participated in NaNoWriMo2021? I didn't. I don't really do NaNo, but I fully support those who do. If you did participate, I wish you a great word count!

If NaNoWriMo something that works for you as an author and/or you enjoy it, then I say go for it! I know people who do Camp NaNoWriMo or other NaNo-like events and they say they actually help them with their writing. Every author is different, so you have to find a process/technique that works for you.

I'm working on getting into the Christmas spirit. We're in the process of putting up the tree (have to fix something on the lights so the ornaments aren't on there, yet). I've been playing Christmas Carols and I've almost completed my Christmas shopping. My biggest concern with the cooler weather isn't the cooler weather itself (I like wrapping myself up cozily in blankets or something warm). It's the possibility of another Snowmeggeddon. After all the craziness of February with the pipes bursting, etc., I'm really praying that it doesn't happen again. As long as we don't lose power and water, the outside can be cold, that's fine, I just don't want to lose power, water, and have pipe issues again.

I continue to work on the mss that I'm hoping to query soon. I've got more notes from my freelance editor, so I'll be working on that. We're over halfway through the novel, so I've started another round of edits of the pages we've already worked through. I've got to finish polishing the synopsis, but the query letter is done. #PitMad is tomorrow, but I won't be participating this go around.

Packages of Christmas presents that I've ordered have started to arrive, as well as presents from relatives that I needed to wrap for my Offspring. I've gotten a good portion of those done (although not all of them, yet). I've got other presents I've ordered coming in and packages to get to UPS for mailing.

The Author Encounter has one event for December--a Behind The Page. There is a guest already lined up and we'll be revealing that person soon. I'm very excited about it (well, I'm always excited about who we get for our events because we get some really awesome people) but this one is rather person to me from my writing journey, so it's especially exciting. Be sure to watch the website and various social media for the guest reveal!

Meanwhile, I hope you have a blessed and Merry December whatever holiday you're celebrating. I'll try to check in again later in the month, but for now once a month is working for me.

Take care!

Have a Wonderfully Whimsical Wednesday!

Welcome To November...

 Happy Friday & Happy November!

We're clocking in the first week of November if you can believe it! 2021 kinda started slow for me when we had "Snowmeggeddon" in February. Now, it feels like it's going by fast!

My editor has sent some of the chapters for my manuscript, and I'm just waiting on the rest. My query letter is written, I figured out a tag line (which I will probably look over again) and I'm working on any polishing that's needed on my synopsis.

I've got some other manuscripts in various stages of having started but not finished with the first full draft. I've also got other ideas that play in my head from time to time, so we'll see what happens with all of those.

The Author Encounter's Indie Author Day is happening next week (Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12 & 13). Click here for more information on the lineup and tickets. (They're free!)

I've started Christmas shopping (I always like to start early so I'm not completely scrambling in December). The tree won't go up until after Thanksgiving, but a parody of "12 Days Of Christmas" was sung by yours truly much to Eldest's chagrin ("It's NOT Christmas!" was yelled at me).

Thursday saw some more Fall weather for my part of Texas as the temperature was in the 50s. The house was a bit chilly, but not ready to start the heater, yet!

My arm continues to heal with help from physical therapy, a heating pad, and a cold pack/Biofreeze. It looks like I might be able to start driving again next week.

I'm enjoying seeing some red and orange leaves on the tree in my backyard. I like Fall colors. Halloween was a bit of a quiet affair for me, with most of my family going to a Halloween parade while I nursed the tail-end of a headache. I needed the quiet--not just because of the headache, but in general. It was nice. 

I don't do NaNoWriMo, but I do cheer others on. So, if you're doing NaNo, I wish you the best with getting in the daily word count! I hope the experience is great! :-)

Here's wishing all of you an awesome Fall and November--I don't know if I'll get around to writing another blog post before December, so if I don't, I hope your November is wonderful!

Have A Fabulously Fantastic Friday!