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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Not Christmas Yet, But…Edition
It is only September, but for me, for River’s Edge, it’s almost Christmas! When I write a holiday-themed romance, it’s usually during the gray days of February or the cool rainy days in early April. That’s because for a book to be released during the holidays, it has be done and ready for production by May. So am I feeling the holidays at those times? Not so much. I’m just over the holidays at that point. But I sit down at my desk, close my eyes, and take myself back to River’s Edge in December. The shops are all decorated with twinkle lights and green and red garland. Carly has…
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Sunday Snippet: The Yard Sale and Memories Edition
So, sister PJ had a 2-day yard sale this weekend and I went to help out. It was a neighborhood event, rather ill-timed, I originally thought, because the main drag to her lakeside home was closed to through-traffic Saturday for a town-sponsored mini half-marathon. Folks coming on Friday had no problem getting to her neighborhood, but yesterday, they had to figure a workaround to get there. As it turned out, hardcore yard salers figured it out, and crowds were great both days. Gorgeous early fall weather helped our cause–we had sunshine and blue skies and a lovely September breeze. I confess I’m not much of a yard sale person. I’ve…
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Sunday Snippet: The Don’t Faint, But It’s a Snippet Edition
I know how infrequently my Sunday Snippet actually features a snippet from a book, but that’s because I’m trying not to let each Sunday be all about my books. I muse and whine and talk about other stuff a lot more, and I think that’s okay, don’t you? It’s been a week… but this whole summer has been, I dunno, weird. I’ve been in a strange mood. I think it has more to do with the state of country instead of the state of Nan. For the first time in a very long time–probably since 2008, I feel hopeful again about the United States. Hope has been at a premium…
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Sunday Snippet: The Procrastinor’s Oh, Hell, What Day Is It Edition
I’ve been procrastinating…okay, no big news, right? I am a world-class procrastinator. I passed amateur status years ago and have gone into full-time professional procrastination. Nobody wastes time as well as I do. And honestly, it doesn’t even have to be time spent scrolling around the Web. I can put off doing anything that needs to be done with something as basic as folding laundry—oh, excuse me for a minute, I do have to get some stuff out of the dryer… brb… Fifteen minutes later…I’m back, clothes folded and put away, next load is in the washing machine, and while I was in there, I sorted the recycling, which I…
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Sunday Snippet: The I May Need a Smack Edition
Okay, so yes, I’m a world-class worrier. But I only worry about important stuff, like whether or not the voices in my head that become novels might suddenly stop talking to me or that no one will buy my books or that they will buy them, but hate them or that I’m going to have a heart attack while I’m driving… See? Only really important stuff. The book fears are more real right now because I have a new series to start with Tule Publishing, and I worry that maybe there aren’t any more stories from River’s Edge to tell. That’s totally dumb because of course there are more–tons more.…
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Sunday Snippet: The Confluence Edition
Confluence: noun; a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point I am at the confluence of finishing a book, starting a new book, and promoting a new release. It’s a weird place to be, particularly when I’d rather be somewhere quiet where all I have to do for a whole week is read for pleasure, take long walks along a lovely lake, and simply breathe. I think I might need a vacation… That said, what a wonderful feeling to be able to type “The End” at the finish line of a long arduous writing experience. Aren’t they all? Some more than others. This one wasn’t quite as…
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Sunday Snippet: The July Memos Edition
Yup, it’s that time again… I have some things to say… Dear July Weather, I’ve enjoyed the rain and wow have we needed it! That said, I’m kinda over the sultry heat and humidity. Can we just stick to the low 80s and a shower or two, or even a great gully-washer, for the rest of the summer? Swelteringly, Nan ~*~*~*~ Dear Hair, You know I love you and that I can even be a little prideful of how pretty you are most of the time, but (and refer to the previous memo to weather), it would be nice if you’d hang onto a style for longer than five minutes…
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Sunday Snippet: A July Check-In
Every couple of years, I break out my copy of Sara Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance. She calls it “A Daybook of Comfort and Joy,” and it truly is. If you’ve never read the book, I recommend it highly and it’s even available as an e-book! I downloaded it to my Kindle a few years ago, which makes it easy to have wherever I am, but I’m still partial to the hardback book because it has my notes in it from previous years, and it’s cool to read those, too. I’ve been doing the Simple Abundance meditations this year because I need that centering right now. Part of the meditation is…
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Sunday Snippet: The Anniversary Edition
It’s our wedding anniversary. Husband and I have been married 51 years today. Last year for our 50th, we took a trip to Oregon and celebrated our day with wine and supper on a beautiful deck overlooking a gorgeous vineyard. It was heaven. Today, we’ll have another kind of heaven, celebrating with homemade flatbread pizzas and a good chianti. Maybe a walk down to the lake in the moonlight. 51 years. Wow…that sounds like a long time. Probably because it is a long damn time. Marriages in this country don’t usually last for over 50 years. We are a nation of disposable everything, including marriages. Folks seem to me to…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Hope I’m Not Irrelevant Edition
As I write my 30-something characters this week, I’ve been thinking about how much of the world I am not a part of any more—specifically, pop culture. Liz and I talk frequently about how we are aging out of many things. She wonders if she’s aging out of romance novels–reading and writing them. I sometimes wonder if I’m aging out of being able to keep my plate as full as I do with editing gigs and writing deadlines and book promotion because stuff falls off sometimes, and more often than I like, it’s fun stuff like time with family and friends. Every now and again, I watch younger writers who…