-
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 I’m Really Tired and I Got Nothin’ Edition
I’m not going to whine, even though I feel like I could. Isn’t it funny, though, how you can’t seem to catch up on sleep? Why, do you suppose? I mean, it makes sense to me that if you miss some sleeping time, then sleeping more later should fix it. But things don’t seem to work out like that. Right now, I feel like I could sleep for a week, but I can’t do that, so here I am. On the upside, I’m at the lake, I’ve gotten to swim several times this week with friend Moe and Grandboy and Son, and we had time with our kids up here.…
-
Wednesday Snippet: The Travelogue #3 Edition
So, here’s the thing, mes amies. I haven’t had a moment to write for the past 36 hours or so. So much great stuff planned by the Tule Publishing team and spending time with other authors and eating… Oh mes amies, the food! We’ve been luxuriating in delicious meals and snacks and wine, oh my! Yesterday started with breakfast–for Carol and me, it was at a darling little place called Ellie’s Table at the Egan House, a few blocks from the inn. We had quiche and Carol also had a chocolate croissant the size of a football, while I added a slice of cinnamon crumb coffee cake that tasted exactly…
-
Monday Snippet: The Travelogue #2 Edition
Wow, has it ever been a crazy busy last 36 hours! Carol and I got to San Juan Capistrano around 1:30 on Sunday, and walked from the train station to the hotel, lugging our bags. It was only a few blocks, so it was fine. We were pretty glad we were able to check in, though, because we were both ready for rest, lunch, and a few moments to chill. Turns out, we skipped lunch and went down the road to buy me pajamas. Yes, in all my uber-efficient packing, I spaced putting jammies in my suitcase. I know, I know, a real DUH moment. We found a Marshalls and…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Travelogue Edition
Okay, the start of a travelogue. As you’re waking up and reading this, I’m on a plane with Son headed to Hawaii. Seriously. He’s going for a work thing, I’m tagging along because when your 40-something kid invites you to go along with him to Hawaii for a week, you get the okay from your cardiologist and then you say, “you betcha!” (I actually did that the other way around, but our secret, okay?) Darling Husband (who is no traveler by choice) will stay home and hold down the fort, and DIL and Grandboy have work and school, plus they’ve already been to Hawaii, so this was a perfect opportunity…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Post Retreat Edition
It’s funny–it always takes me about a day to regroup after Liz and I have been on retreat. Settling back into my office, using the PC instead of the laptop, doing laundry, etc. I pretty much dropped my stuff yesterday and spent the day with Husband, catching up in the way married people who’ve been apart for a few days do. But today, I’m back in my office, looking out at a frosty morning and debating where to start. Well, apparently, I decided because here I am writing my Sunday Snippet. The retreat was, as always, fun and productive and full of words and story processing and sharing ideas. Liz…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Gift of Retreat Magic Edition
And what it gift it was! We worked, we walked, we ate, we worked some more, we drank wine and ate junk, walked more, processed and shared and talked endlessly, and oh, how we worked! We both agreed it was the most productive retreat we’d ever had. Liz got lots of words in on her new project, I got all the revisions done on the second Weaver Sisters novel that was due back to my editor the day we returned from South Haven. Our condo was amazing and gorgeous and incredibly comfortable, and our view was spectacular. It took us most of the trip to learn that the drawbridge went…
-
Sunday Snippet: The On Our Way Edition
Today’s snippet is necessarily short because I’m meeting Liz in a couple of hours and we’ll be on our way to Michigan for our fall writing retreat. If I could be any more excited, I promise you I don’t know how. I’ll be doing revisions on this trip with probably a little bit of new writing tossed in–I need to get started on Book 3 in the Weaver Sisters trilogy. Liz will be working on her new project, which isn’t mine to tell about, but I’m really excited about it! We’ll wander the west coast of Michigan, checking out lighthouses, wineries, beaches, and great restaurants, but mostly, we’ll be in…
-
Sunday Snippet: The Fashionista (Not!) Edition
So…I have two events that I’m attending next week–a gala for the arts group that DIL works for and my–get ready for it–50th high school reunion, and I need to decide what to wear for both events. The gala is black tie optional and when Moe and I went last year, we wore nice dresses, but saw every possible kind of outfit there, including, believe it or not, black tie. Folks wore everything from shorts and T-shirts to gowns and tuxes. I liked wearing my dress, but I’m not a dress kind of girl. I feel, and I know how dumb this is so don’t bother berating me for it,…
-
Sunday Snippet: The I’m Going on Retreat Edition
Yup, I am going on retreat and I’m so excited, I could jump out of my skin! Liz and I are headed to a little hotel in the southern part of the state, where we will probably pretty much be the only guests. There’s a lovely restaurant downstairs and the little tourist town we’ll be in is pretty much closed up for winter. We will write and process and brainstorm and talk. There will be wine and chocolate and cheese and crackers and coffee because that’s how Liz and I roll, but mostly we’ll be writing. She is a little past midway in her current book, and I hope to…