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Inspiration
So often I am asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” It doesn’t seem like a hard question, but the answer can be complicated. Every story setting or plot comes from a different place, but most often it’s simply that the people in my head start talking and I have to create a story for them so they’ll shut up and leave me and my dreams alone. The inspiration for the new series I’m writing for Tule Publishing was this guy. Karl Wente of Wente Vineyards in California and I’ve never met him personally, but I’ve been to his winery and tasted his delicious wines and this particular picture set…
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Where’s the Big Stuff?
Okay, so a week or so ago, I posted that big news is coming and it is. Truly! I turned in revisions to the first Tule Publishing book on Monday and heard back from my editor immediately. She’s got a couple of other books in front of mine in the pipeline–she’s a busy lady–but she’ll be getting to mine very soon. Got to admit to being rather nervous because I tried very hard to address her concerns with the first draft. I think I got it. I just hope she agrees. The angst that goes along with turning your work over to an editor is real, especially when you suspect…
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Big Stuff Is Coming…
…honest! Hold tight and as soon as I finish the revisions on my Tule Publishing book, I’ll be back with news and fun posts.
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Getting Older or Better?
Seems like this year, June is going to start out with an emotions overload. Yesterday was sister Kate’s birthday. She’d have been 67 and we lost her way too soon. I was so counting on becoming feisty senior citizens with my sisters, like my Nana and her sister Alice. They were so funny and got on one another’s nerves and loved each other with all their hearts. I thank God I still have PJ to make those kinds of memories with–we’ve promised each other we’ll live to an old age and drive each other crazy. I’m counting on you, PJ! Today is the celebration of life service for my friend…
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Silver Disobedience
Dian Griesel has started a fabulous new website geared for folks over 50 called Silver Disobedience. She interviewed me for a feature spot and it’s up on the website this week. Check it out–so much fun!
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Woot!! I’m Featured This Week!
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Once a Month Works…Right?
Yeah, it’s been a month since my last post here. Frankly, it’s been a crazy month where life happened while I was making other plans. Mostly, I’ve been writing. I’m on a deadline and so that’s been where every writing moment has been spent. When I wasn’t writing my own book, I was editing someone else’s. Been a busy month for Editor Nan–good news because, you know, they’re paying me and there is that damn $1K/month health insurance bill that has to be paid. But between work and writing, I’ve pretty much been a hermit. I did get to meet up with my bestie/writing buddy and we had a writing…
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Staying in the Moment
On Wednesday, I posted this to the Word Wranglers blog–take a minute and read it. I’ll wait here. Oh, good, you’re back! Then today I read this article on a phenomenon called “phubbing,” which is the habit of snubbing someone in favor of a mobile phone. We’ve all done it. Some of us do it. I tend to do it most at breakfast because I’m tracking my food on my WW app or checking points for food or… okay checking to see what’s coming in the mail and yes, okay, checking Twitter and Instagram. I don’t have Facebook on my phone because I was spending too much time there. Starting…
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Hanging with the Grandboy
I’ve been so very blessed these past few days because I’ve gotten to spend extra time with my darling Grandboy, who is the heart of my heart and the joy of my life. His parents are away on a much-needed vacation, so Nanny volunteered to stay with the kiddo. It’s been a blast. He’s so unbearably funny and clever, so sweet-natured and easygoing, and so very curious about everything. He’s especially interested in anything under the sea–his class is currently making an under-the-sea mural and Grandboy can’t stop talking about it. When we read, he always chooses books about octopi and lionfish and whales and dolphins. He and his Poppy…
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Gratitude When It’s Hard to Be Grateful
I gave up being dissatisfied for Lent and man, oh, man, is life ever testing me on that one. It’s been a tough week–Son is trying very hard to finish up his PhD thesis in preparation for defense next month, their house is in serious disarray as the contractor gets the kitchen remodel finished up, and we had a terrible tragedy in our family. My niece’s daughter died of an overdose last week. At 24 years old, her life was sad and spiraling downward due to addiction and bad choices, but no one deserves to die so young. We are all heartbroken for her mother–I can’t imagine the pain of…