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Sunday Snippet: The Retreat Check-In Edition
What a wondrous time this has been! And today is our last full day here at this beautiful mountain house, so I’m feeling both sad that we will be starting our trek home tomorrow and yet happy and oh, so grateful for the days we’ve shared here. We’ve laughed and read aloud and asked for words and opinions–“Listen…what’s wrong with this?” “Not a thing.” or “Take *that phrase* and move it to right after your introductory phrase…” “Ah, there, okay.” “Would he say______?” “Not if he’s looking for redemption.” “Do you want some toast with French butter?” “Well, yeah…” “How about cake?” “Yes! Cake!” “This is such a beautiful house!”…
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Sunday Snippet: The Too Excited to Breathe & Giveaway Edition
It’s coming up! We are a mere 5 days away from Word Wranglers writer’s retreat in North Carolina and the four of us who are able to attend are about to pop, we’re so excited. First of all, outside of Liz and me, we’ve never met in person. So I get to meet Margie on Wednesday when I go pick her up at the airport, Liz gets to meet her when she picks us up and we get on the road, then all of us get to meet Janie when we arrive in NC. Liz and I travel together frequently, and we’re anticipating all the fun we’ll have adding Margie…
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Sunday Snippet: The Loving My Own Words Edition
When Liz and I were on retreat earlier this month, we spent a lot of time discussing our WIPs. At one point she read me something she’d just written and said, “I really love it. That’s so nice when you like your own stuff.” I had to agree. I have to confess, I am one of those writers who needs to do that—read what I wrote previously in order to get into writing mode. I sometimes wonder if that’s because I’m an editor in my heart (and in my day job), but I don’t think I’m the only writer who works this way. I’ve tried just picking up where I…
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Retreat Report
We’re here and it’s been a good first day. Liz has gotten some writing done, I’ve gotten some other stuff done that needed doing, but I’m brewing the opening of Beck’s book, so I imagine I’ll start writing tomorrow. Our drive down was leisurely and fun. We stopped at charming little Stream Cliff Farm in Commiskey for an outdoor lunch and to buy some wine. I also got a gift for Husband because I love him and it was too sweet to pass up. Don’t tell him, though, it’s a surprise. Everyone had on their masks, which was nice. Our little cottage is adorable and we love it! It’s just…
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Sunday Snippet: The OMG, I’m So Excited Edition
Yup, I am about to jump out of my fur, I’m so excited! Liz and I are headed out tomorrow for our first writing retreat in well over a year and a half. Frankly, we’re both flipping around with joy! It’s been months since we’ve seen each other and I can’t wait to spend 4 days with her, writing, talking, drinking wine and coffee, eating, processing, catching up… it’s going to be glorious. The weather report for Madison, Indiana, which is where we’re headed sucks–I mean it truly sucks. Rain the entire time we are down there and cool-ish temps, so no fun spring clothes, but you know what? I…
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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…