Author on the Road
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Day 3.5 Montana: We Were Slugs…
Nan here. Okay, maybe not entirely sluggish, but after we wandered around Big Sky for a couple of hours and had lunch at a very nice country club with a fantastic mountain view, we decided not to try to go up to Ousel Falls right then. Our plan was to take our tired, altitude-sick butts back to the condo and rest. Then change into our jeans and hiking shoes and go up to the falls. Ummmm…not so much, cuddling up in blankets and reading and honestly, napping, it was after five when we both came back to the world. A brief discussion later and we were reminded we still have…
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Day 2 In Montana: Yellowstone Adventures
As Nan is still agog over the sights we saw today at Yellowstone National Park, she asked me to blog in her place. Yesterday, when we realized how close we were to one of America’s most breathtaking natural wonders, we decided we had to visit Yellowstone. We headed south, actually crossing into Wyoming after we entered the park, which also extends into Idaho. The shear size of Yellowstone is one of its most amazing features. The friendly National Park Service employee who sold us our pass suggested that we explore the Lower Loop today. It’s a mere 96 miles and spoiler alert–we didn’t make it all the way around. If…
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Nan & Carol’s Big Adventure Montana Style
We’re here! After a combined 4 airports, we’ve arrived in Big Sky and wow! It truly is BIG here! Big mountains, big rivers, huge rocks and trees… it’s a little overwhelming but absolutely gorgeous country. I left my local airport at 8:30 a.m.; Carol left her local airport 10:15 a.m. and we met up in Denver Airport. Then we flew together to Bozeman–one of the cutest airports I’ve ever seen! There are bears and moose everywhere and some crazy huge bird hanging from the ceiling! There’s even a convenient bin to dispose of your bear spray, which made us laugh. The whole airport was mountain stone and cedar beams–really pretty…
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Sunday Snippet: The Pure Joy Edition, Plus A Real Snippet!
It’s been hot and sultry here in the Midwest–temperatures in the nineties every day with humidity to match. T-storms come out of nowhere, shower us for a few minutes, and then the blazing sun returns to make the atmosphere even more heavy. It’s hard to even catch your breath outside. Except for morning or evening walks with my neighbor, I mostly stay inside in the AC and work and write. I set a goal each morning–this many pages done on an editing gig or this many words written today. I pretty much accomplish whatever goal I set. I mean, after all, when it’s too hot to be outside in the…
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Author Spotlight: Me with Big News!
Putting myself in the spotlight today with a big announcement–I’m moving! My amazing publisher has offered me a new challenge, and I couldn’t resist! I’ve been invited to write a series for Tule Publishing’s Montana Born imprint, so for the next four books, we are all about the cowboys, ranches, the spectacular Montana mountains, rugged cowboys, Marietta, rodeos, cowboys, bronc ridin’, the open range ..oh, and did I mention cowboys? My first Montana Born book, Forever Cowboy launches in September as a part of a special Bad Boys of the Rodeo series with three other fabulous authors: Jeannie Watt’s Unforgettable Cowboy; Nicole Flockton’s Headstrong Cowboy; Sinclair Jayne’s Rogue Cowboy; and…
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Sunday Snippet: The Writing in the Information Age Edition
It’s been a week, mes amis. I’m working hard on my current WIP–the first book in the Dykemans of River’s Edge series. Liz and I went on a very fruitful, if extremely chilly, writer retreat, where both of us wrote words and did a lot processing. Even more of “what’s the word for this” along with a gesture or a motion. We do that a lot when we’re writing together. Liz is an invaluable resource and I can’t imagine writing a book without her input. We ate some good food, drank a little less wine than usual, and found a fab little place for breakfast right near our hotel. Otherwise,…
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Author Spotlight: It’s Me with Some Fun Stuff for You
Congratulations, Debra and Linda, you two are my winners of a $5 Amazon gift card and a free e-book ARC of Made to Love You. I’ll get those right out to you! Yup, today I’m in my own Spotlight, which happens now and again. I hope you forgive my shameless self-promotion, but I confess this blog sometimes does that. It is snowy here in the Midwest, which is okay by me. The world is white and quiet and the snow sparkles in the sunlight. The brisk cold sorta takes your breath away, but it’s wondrous to watch from inside my warm cozy house. Here’s a little something to warm your…
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Sunday Snippet: The We’re on Retreat Edition
I think there’s a chance that this is the most-anticipated writing retreat Liz and I have ever had. Seriously. We both have been beyond ready for this getaway. Not sure why this one has been such a star in the distance for both of us. Maybe because it’s been a long time (January) since our last retreat or maybe because we’re both feeling our ages a little more this year and life somehow feels shorter. Or maybe we both needed a getaway. Whatever, we’re here and it’s already been nearly twenty-four hours of bliss. Oh, we both miss the husbands–so each retreat evening we spend some time on the phone…
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Sunday Snippet: The Book Signing Edition
This post is going up before I do a book signing here in the Ohio River town that is the inspiration for my fictional town of River’s Edge. I’m speaking to a writers group at 2 p.m. and then signing books at a fun coffeeshop right on Main Street. I’m really looking forward to this event, although I confess that the butterflies in my tummy have butterflies. Speaking is so far out of my wheelhouse, but I think it’s a good exercise to do it, and I’m hoping to do more of it at libraries and book clubs. Today, I’m talking about what a copy editor does and what we…