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Sunday Snippet: The Deadline Edition, But…
..today you get a real snippet. How about a quick clip from The Valentine Wager, the first novel in the Langes of River’s Edge series? Here’s fabulous news: My publisher, Tule Publishing, liked the title well enough to keep it. I’m pleased as can be because I really liked the title and it fit the story perfectly! Pretty soon we can have a big cover reveal party here–there will be wine and chocolate! Some setup for this snippet: Police Lieutenant Ryker Lange has accompanied his mom to a Pink Wine and Valentines event at Four Irish Brothers Winery just so he can make some time with the Flaherty’s cousin, Kitt…
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Sunday Snippet: The Muzzy Edition
Mushy mind—it’s a thing and wow, do I have it right now. I have a very bad case of mind mush—my ability to focus and function is seriously out of whack. I’m not sure if it’s pandemic weariness or spring fever or the sinus infection I’m nursing right now, but for some reason, my brain is muddled. Fact is, I’m just not able to focus on much of anything right now. My grandmother used to say she was muzzy—isn’t that a great word? I’m muzzy. My writer friend, Anne Stuart, often quotes Anne Lamott’s story about a time when her little brother was overwhelmed with a science project cataloguing birds…
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Sunday Snippet
I’m finally breathing… with about five thousand words or less left to write on my current WIP, I can see the end and it’s full of light! The other day I was telling Husband that as I’ve gotten closer to The End on this book, I think I’ve discovered that pandemic writing is much harder than I ever realized. So much of what I, as a writer, depend on to prime the creative well has been unavailable to me through all of the writing of this first book in the Langes of River’s Edge series. People-watching and eavesdropping in restaurants and airports, writing trips, get-togethers with friends and family, wandering…
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Day 19: Gratitude and a Great Retreat
Well, we’re back from retreat–Liz is at home and I’m back at the lake. Our trip was fantastic, mostly because we travel so well together, never seem to run out of things to talk about, and yet, enjoy companionable silences. Our condo was lovely and Grand Haven was, well, grand. 😉 We both got done what we wanted to get done and that felt wonderful! Today, our drive home went along the Lake Michigan coast until we got to St. Joseph. We caught glimpses of the lake as we drove along the Blue Star highway, stopping in Saugatuck for breakfast and Holland to watch a schooner make it’s way out…
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Day 18: Gratitude on Our Last Day of Retreat
What a grand time this has been, although if you asked me to list all that we did, pretty much the list would be we wrote, we revised, we processed and brainstormed writing and revisions, and we ate. It wasn’t a touristy trip at all–we mostly stayed in our condo and did what we came up to do and for that, I’m very glad because yesterday around 6 pm, Liz shut her computer and said, “It’s finished” about her Christmas Town story. Today, sometime around 4 pm, I finally sent the revisions on Aidan and Holly’s book back to my editor. We did it! I’m so delighted to be celebrating…
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Day 17: Gratitude Michigan Style
It’s been a long day of revisions. I’m finally through that process although not without a lot of gnashing of teeth and tears. I wish I could tell you I’m being dramatic, but Liz will testify–it was arduous. However, she was throwing around terms like drama queen and big baby. Tomorrow, will be a final run-through edit and then it goes back to my editor. Liz finished the rough draft of her Christmas Town story with very little teeth-gnashing and no tears at all. We also have to spend some time talking about our library presentation that’s coming on Sunday. We do think we should try to prepare something that’s…
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Day 16: Gratitude with Liz
A Sum of Its Parts Hello! It’s Liz, hijacking Nan’s blog for today. It’s a glorious day in Michigan. The condo we’re in is walking distance from…everything. We’ve had great food, great ice cream, and a glass or two of wine, so it was good we walked. Although I don’t have the heart link with Michigan that Nan has, I do love it here. The World Wranglers have been trash talking the past few days about the Dog Days Kristi’s suffering in Ohio (I’m not sure she likes us anymore 😊), but we’re in mellow weather here and it is good not only for the disposition but for the soul…
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Day 15: Gratitude and We’re on Retreat!
It’s been a great day! Liz and I set off this morning in the rain, which, while dampening our hair did not dampen our spirits! Although the rain made Liz’s hair get big and mine to droop, like the ears of a basset hound. However, that’s why God made hair clips, right? We meandered up to Grand Haven. Took our time traveling through the the corn fields of Indiana and enjoyed a tour of the campus at Notre Dame in South Bend, which has changed a lot since the last time we were through. We took the back roads into Benton Harbor and realized that, even though lunch sounded good,…
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Day 14: Gratitude and We’re Off…
It’s actually early morning of Day 15, but I’m calling this one Day 14 because I fell into bed yesterday after a long, long day of work and then a chili supper over at Son and DIL’s cottage. I got quite a bit done, so that was a good thing. Son piled DIL and I into his bass boat and we took a quick spin around the lake before supper, which was quite lovely! Totally different boating experience than riding in Husband’s pontoon, but just as enjoyable. We’d all discussed swimming, but decided the lake was probably way too cold for Grandboy and actually for us, too, so the boat…
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Days 12 & 13: Gratitude and Yes, I’m behind
Do you remember me saying that I was determined to be grateful each day, even if the most I could say was that I was grateful the day was over? That’s where I was yesterday and instead of posting it, I let it slide. I’m glad I did because today is better and later last night, it was lovely because I got to put Grandboy to bed, read Dogman with him, and sing and cuddle until Mommy came home to tag-team with me. There is such joy in being with that kid–and don’t get me wrong, he can be a royal PIA and sometimes stubborn and sometimes a real pill.…