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Sunday Snippet: The Loving My Own Words Edition
When Liz and I were on retreat earlier this month, we spent a lot of time discussing our WIPs. At one point she read me something she’d just written and said, “I really love it. That’s so nice when you like your own stuff.” I had to agree. I have to confess, I am one of those writers who needs to do that—read what I wrote previously in order to get into writing mode. I sometimes wonder if that’s because I’m an editor in my heart (and in my day job), but I don’t think I’m the only writer who works this way. I’ve tried just picking up where I…
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Writing Retreat Report #3
I asked Liz what I should talk about in the report and she smiled and said, “Just that we had a good day.” And so we did. We got a lot of writing in, a lot of talking, and a lot of walking! After our writing session this morning, we walked into town for brunch at the Downtowner and wandered around a bit, although there wasn’t much to see because most of the shops aren’t open here yet. Lots still closed from Covid and actually the season here hasn’t truly begun yet. I did find a lovely pair of aquamarine earrings and Liz got a really cute top at a…
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Sunday Snippet–The Wardrobe Edition
My readings in Simple Abundance the past few days have all been about self–becoming more confident and seeing myself in a new way. Clothes were part of the topic–wearing them, buying them, choosing them…knowing what best suits me. Sarah Ban Breathnach talks about finding clothes that fit my lifestyle. That assumes I have a lifestyle, which I’m not entirely sure I really do. I’m a writer. I pretty much live in comfort clothes–yoga pants, T-shirts with a sweater tugged over the top of them or a sweatshirt if it’s really cold outside. Slippers or socks and I’m good to go for the day. There are even days, I confess, where…
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Snippet Sunday: The Here’s an Actual Snippet Edition
I know, I know, I’m calling these posts Sunday Snippets and I’m not always posting snippets. Mostly because I don’t want to give too much of the new series away, particularly since the first one isn’t due to release until early 2022. That’s a long way off! But I also want you to remain interested in River’s Edge and the folks there. So here’s a quick snippet from The Valentine Wager and a couple of pictures of River’s Edge in winter. Enjoy! A familiar frisson of excitement tingled through him as he approached the cedar-and-glass building that overlooked the river. It was the same adrenaline high he got when he…
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Sunday Snippet–The Post-Holiday Version
I’m tired. The holidays were lovely, if odd for not doing all the usual stuff like baking for friends and neighbors and spending a cookie-baking day with my sis, lunch with Liz, shopping in an actual store, doing Christmas Eve chicken-and-noodles and Candlelight service with my family and Christmas day with all the Reinhardts in the same room, but now…well, I’m tired. Physically, mentally, emotionally exhausted. I’ve currently got a butt load of work and I need to get back on my morning writing schedule. To that end, I’m going to take a social media break for a while, so if you want me, email me or text me or…
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Saturday Snippet (Okay, Sunday…)
Yesterday was a bit more zoo-y than I expected as we got Son and DIL’s cottage closed up for the summer and his boat pulled and winterized for storage, so I didn’t get to my Saturday post. It was a fun day with Son, though, and I got to take a final ride for the season in his fishing boat, which was a treat. Hardly anyone was on the lake, but man the shad were firing like crazy. It was kind of a crappy year for fishing (no crappie pun intended), but there are years like that. Husband and I were remembering the second or third year we had our…
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Saturday Snippet
I’m going to try a new thing here on the blog–the Saturday Snippet. Each week, I’ll give you a tiny snippet from my current work-in-progress or I may give you a peek into some parts of River’s Edge that aren’t in any of the Four Irish Brothers Winery books. Just a quick chance to follow along with the next River’s Edge books and to look behind the scenes in River’s Edge, Indiana. I’m not going to give context or set up the snippets. I’m simply going to present them here–I hope you are intrigued enough to return for more! Here’s today Saturday Snippet from the new River’s Edge story currently…
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Focused on Writing
I’m in a weird place with this new work-in-progress. I like the story, I like the characters, but somehow I’m having a problem getting them to move along. I have more notes about this story, this new series, than I did starting out the Four Irish Brothers Winery series, mostly because I’m coming off those stories with this series, so character lists, place descriptions, etc. are already created, I’m just adding to them. But I also have more word notes, more conversation notes, more scene notes than any book I’ve ever written. It’s almost as if I’m writing the book in my notes, but when I get to the computer,…
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BookBub Free Book!!
Man, I love BookBub day, don’t you? My publisher, Tule Publishing, and I get enormous pleasure out of sharing our books with readers who haven’t discovered us yet. So here’s Meant to Be, book 2 in my Four Irish Brothers Winery series free to you for a few days. Don’t miss this because it’ll be back to regular price soon! You can start the series anywhere–all the books stand alone, so now’s the time! Can a near-tragedy help two best friends realize they’re meant to be so much more? Best friends since grade school, high-powered Chicago attorney, Sean Flaherty, and small-town mayor Megan Mackenzie have always shared a special bond. When Sean is…
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Annnd…It’s Monday, Friends
Wowzers, I can’t believe it is already the middle of August. Grandboy starts school today, online, the weather is pure Midwest summer–sultry with the occasional t-storm, and I’m still in book promotion. Meant to Be, book 2 in the Four Irish Brothers Winery series is free for a few days, so if you haven’t read it yet, here’s your chance. But hurry, it won’t stay free for very long! Today, my focus will be writing the new series. My amazing publisher has been doing workshops that have been incredibly inspiring, and now Ryker and Kitt’s story is bouncing around in my head like a tennis ball. It’s coming together, they’re…