-
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…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Lake Life Reality Edition
We are in our 14th year here at the lake. It’s hard to believe we’ve had our cottage for so long, particularly given that we waited for so long to buy one. It seemed like whenever we were ready to buy, cottages were just out of our reach and when they were in our reach, we weren’t in a position to consider buying one. Fourteen years ago, when this marriage-long dream came true, we were overjoyed. We still are, although the realities of lake life are a little different from the fantasies. This is a rehash of the harsh realities of lake life, but I’m doing it again anyway because…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Words Sometimes Come Hard Edition
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 first story in my new series than I did starting out any other River’s Edge series, mostly because a lot of this story happens away from River’s Edge. 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, the words are coming hard. Funny thing is, I know this…
-
Sunday Snippet: The River’s Edge Is Happening Edition
I’m old enough to remember when people would say something was “happening.” You know, like “it’s a happening place”? I’m not sure when that phrase started or when it stopped being part of the vernacular, but this past week, my little town of River’s Edge, Indiana, was a happening place–for real. Let me explain… River’s Edge, my fictional town on the Ohio River, is inspired by a real town on the Ohio River called Madison, Indiana. Madison is a lovely place, filled with history and culture and art and wonderful kind folks. It’s one of my very favorite places to visit, and when I wanted a setting for my sweet,…
-
Author Spotlight: C’est Moi!
We have a winner! DeeAnn Kraft, your name was chosen at random as the reader who will receive the fun prize! Thank to everyone who stopped by! So delighted to share the magic of Christmas with you! I’m in the spotlight today with Christmas magic and a bunch of fun! I know it’s only October, but I’m ready for the holidays and so is River’s Edge. Today is release day for Made for Mistletoe, book 3 in the Walkers of River’s Edge series and we are all about the holidays! This one is Cameron Walker and Harper Gaines’s story and it is full of emotion and heart. I cried while…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Summer of the Sundress Edition
I confess, I got nothin’ for this week–I mean seriously, between editing gigs and revisions and book promotion and book signings (That’s Lizzie and me at Whyte Horse Winery last Sunday!), and getting into discover for book 1 in my new Dykemans of Rivers Edge series, my brain is exhausted and empty. So… I guess I’m going to tell you about something fun that I discovered this summer… ya ready? This summer, I’ve rediscovered dresses. Okay, so not fancy, like-we-use-to-wear-to-church dresses. You remember those? They required ironing and pantyhose? No, not those dresses. I’ve found sundresses. Cute, knit ones that have an empire waist and come in fun colors. This…
-
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.…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Maybe This Is How It Happens Edition
It’s August 11. Summer is nearly over. How did that happen? I’ve been married for 51 years! How did that happen? Grandboy is 12 and he’s back in school. How did that happen? I’ve got 16 published novels and another two on the way in October and January, plus I’m contracted to write four more books for Tule. Whew–how did that happen? I’ll be 71 next month, how the hell did that happen? Can you tell I’m a little overwhelmed with… well, life stuff and work stuff and writing stuff at the moment? I am, yet I go on ahead and do what needs doing because don’t we all? The…