• Sunday Snippet: A Real Snippet!

    Good Sunday to you all. Thanks for stopping by. I don’t say it enough, but I really appreciate all my lovely readers who come by every Sunday to see what’s happening in Nan’s world. I’ve never considered myself to be all that fascinating, but I sure am glad you want to be here with me. Right off, I’m nervous as heck about the cardiac PET scan tomorrow–seriously nervous and scared about what they might find. But, we take whatever comes along and deal with it, right? So… that’s that. I won’t have any conclusive results before I go back to Dr. B to discuss what the test showed. I’ll get…

  • Sunday Snippet: Heart Update # Ummm… Whatever…

    Good Sunday morning, mes amis, and I hope you’re enjoying this long holiday weekend. It’s the weekend when we honor all those soldiers who died in service to our country. I am so grateful to anyone who fought and currently fights for the security of the United States and to protect our constitution. A smile and a salute today to all those brave men and women who died fighting for to keep America and the world safe and free. Now, to the update: As you all know, although I try not to dwell on it here, I am in heart failure–Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction–HFrEF. Don’t you just love…

  • Sunday Snippet: The May Memos Edition

    I do have fun with memos, especially when they are good news, so here goes! Dear Readers, ARCs for Make It Real, book 2 of the Walkers of River’s Edge series are now available on BookSprout! Click this BookSprout link to nab an e-book ARC to read and review! Merci, et bisous toujours, Moi ~*~*~*~ Dearest Office Garden, Oh, how you are growing and looking so very lovely! It was delightful to come home to all this amazing color! Happy, Happy, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear heart, Hey, I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do–taking the meds, exercising, eating right–so what’s with the breathlessness when I walked the hills at the lake?…

  • Sunday Snippet: The Eeek, I Need a Break Edition and a Question

    I’ve been working and writing pretty much nonstop for… well, for the last five years for sure and probably longer and I need a break. That’s not a whine…well, okay, maybe a little bit of a whine, but the fact is, I need to get away. Thankfully, I am getting away in about about a week! YAY! Liz and I are going on retreat for four days and I can’t wait. Retreat doesn’t mean I’ll stop writing. As a matter of fact our retreats are all about writing, but it does mean I’ll set my editing gigs aside for four days and focus entirely on the current WIP. Plus I…

  • Sunday Snippet: The Heart Update Edition, Rev. 3

    It really is Heart Update number three, I went back in and counted. I’m overjoyed to tell you that we’ve got nothing but good news this time. I had an echocardiogram in August and although I’d read the results on MyChart (a blessing and a curse, if there ever was one!), it was good to see Doc B and hear her reaction to what I’d seen there. She was all smiles when she came into the exam room, not with balloons and confetti, but perhaps the verbal equivalent. “Wow, great news, huh?” Yup, indeed! The echo showed that my ejection fraction had risen from 37 to 50! (Up is how…

  • Sunday Snippet: The September Resolution (And Birthday!) Edition

    Our winner is Joanna Mallozzi Owen! I’ve contacted you on Facebook, Joanna, so watch for a private message from me.  I read an article a few years ago that talked about September resolutions–how they’re much easier than New Year’s resolutions because they’re inner resolutions. A fall renewing of your spirit and determination. I like that idea, just a quiet resolve to do better. The worrying thing will need work this fall–the knot in my stomach is back, I think mostly because of politics. That whole situation terrifies the tar outta me, but outside of voting, what can I do? Just live my life, love my family and friends, and try…

  • Sunday Snippet: The Celebration Edition

    What am I celebrating? Well, mes amies, mostly life. Husband’s colonoscopy this week was clean–no signs of the cancer that turned our summer last year on its ear. He’s feeling well and the gastro doc was pleased enough to order his next check for three years from now. We are relieved and feeling very blessed. My heart is doing well, too, so right now, two healthy seniors here. YAY! I’m also in celebration mode because reviews for Meet Me in River’s Edge are coming in and they’re terrific! Readers are loving Jo and Alex’s story and that just warms my heart. Everyone has been so kind! This snippet from Kim…

  • Sunday Snippet: The Time to Breathe Edition

    Good morning, mes amies! It’s been a week, kids, it’s really been a week! Release week is always kinda crazy, and this one has been particularly wild because I’ve been all over the Web, including being chosen as a Fresh Pick on Fresh Fiction yesterday–totally awesome!! Check it out! Heart Update: Tuesday, I had an echocardiogram, expecting to hear that my heart had improved slightly on the 4-drug protocol, but wowee! My Ejection Fraction went from 37 to 50 (normal is 55-70), so those pricey meds are truly working! I am feeling better, stronger than I have in probably five years, so yup–taking a handful of meds twice a day…

  • Sunday Snippet: The Heart Update Edition, Rev. 2

    I think this is update 2, but if it’s number 3, well, sorry about that, and thank you for being patient with me processing this whole thing with y’all. I won’t update you every time I go to the cardiologist because that would be major TMI for you guys. That said, you’re kind to come along and I always appreciate all the good wishes. Right off, the good news is things are improving. I’m way less tired and can pretty much make it through a whole day and not lose steam. I still get breathless when I walk too fast or uphill or exercise too strenuously, but my cardiologist, Dr.…

  • Sunday Snippet: The I’m Dawdling Edition

    And so I am…it’s been a lazy Sunday so far, to the extent that I’m just now writing my Sunday Snippet for this week. Truthfully, the week has been… well… busy, so a dawdle or two is in order today. Right off, happy birthday to darling Husband, who turned 74 last week and is still the hottest guy I know. We celebrated with the neighbors on Wednesday night with spice cake and wine and then again on Thursday with the kiddos. I made beef stew and we had the best Italian bread and more spice cake and wine. All in all, turning another year older was mostly painless for him,…