Kate Lloyd's Blog, page 11
November 30, 2020
Thank You Dear Readers
I am delighted to thank each and every one of you for supporting my writing career and my sanity. For any author, readers and writers go hand in hand. What would I do without you?
To say this has been an unusual year is an understatement. First, my husband planned to go scuba diving in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in April, so I decided to embark on a small tour to Italy exactly when the new virus was taking hold. Needless to say, when the virus erupted in northern Italy my trip was cancelled. So I switched destinations to Great Britain only to have that door slammed shut too. And my third choice, a tour of the South? You guessed it. Canceled. And our state is still pretty much shut down.
My husband recently renewed a pastime (bought a small airplane) so he is still a man on the go. He owned a dynamite single prop Mooney 231 turbo and is a super pilot. Still I’m waiting until January before I go up with him again. Often, I have wished I could use my computer to write while I’m doing something else. Truth is, writers are constantly writing, be it in the middle of the night or while exercising. I came up with one of my favorite manuscript ideas while running.
My husband, with his plane.
As the year winds down at warp speed, I am grateful I work from my home. Although I wouldn’t mind a secretary or an assistant to help me with research and keeping my papers straight.
Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, named for the first king of a united Italy, and dedicated to the ideas of Italian unification and liberation. (Image by Volker Glätsch from Pixabay)
I took a giant leap of faith and produced my first book in a new genre, Stage Fright. Wonderfully exciting, with only a few moments of stress, followed by a Christmas book To Rome with Love. Both are my new favorites. So it goes: my newest book is always my favorite.
A treat to pass a red Alfa Romeo like Mario’s sedan in From Rome with Love.
I’m so thankful to all of you. I don’t need to mention the author-reader relationship is beyond special. Where would we be without one another?
How can I thank you? By sending fifteen of you a paperback or an e-book of Stage Fright or From Rome with Love. The first five chosen will get their choice of paperback (Us only) or e-book. The rest will get an e-book. Kindle or Nook.
Enter for a chance to win one of 15 copies of either Stage Fright or From Rome With Love
Winners have three days to respond. E-book (Kindle or Nook) winners must download their e-book in two days.
How can you thank me in return? Yes, please! Leave an online review for Stage Fright or From Rome with Love! Thanks!
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November 16, 2020
Congratulations and Happy Thanksgiving
Please help me congratulate Deborah Gardner, winner of the $100 Amazon gift card plus, a signed copy of either Stage Fright or From Rome With Love. Thank you to all who entered.
Happy Thanksgiving
November is a time to be thankful. Thankful for what we have, for the family we love, the friends we cherish, and for the blessings that will come. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 10, 2020
Remaining Thankful
No matter what is happening, I try to stay thankful. Speaking of Thanksgiving … or was I just dreaming of turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy … I have much to be grateful for during the pandemic, even though my mother-in-law’s memorial service must be postponed again—something to do with a sick church employee so the church is quarantined until it can be sanitized. BTW: she did not die of the virus.
As my husband and I drove home from our son’s house yesterday we raved over the delicious lunch our son had served us. I wonder why food is a catalyst to so much happiness. Good food, anyway. After a large meal we remarked that we yearned for something sweet. But our son had no dessert. Fortunately, I’d eaten my chocolate in the morning. Dark chocolate has been proven to have many benefits, when eaten in moderation.
“All things in moderation,” my father used to say. But until doing a little research, never did I dream dark chocolate was considered so nutritious. Best news I’ve heard all week! I had long heard that chocolate can reduce the chance of depression. No wonder I am always in such a good mood. And doctors say it is good for your heart function. Yippee!
Turkey is also a very nutritious food and is supposed to help with sleep, thanks to its tryptophan. Maybe. The jury is still out.
Oops, I realize I’m getting off track here. I had planned to concentrate on being thankful during turbulent times. Although I am a fiction author, I suffer through hardships like everyone else. We have lost several family members this year, including my brother and dear mother-in-law. Okay, I tell myself, hold on to those feelings and use them in your writing. Which I often do when a character is down in the dumps or worse.
This morning as my husband sat reading Stage Fright, he said, “This is really good,” which pleased me no end. I asked him if he thought he knew what was going to happen next, then told him he didn’t. I know, not very nice, but I so enjoy adding the unexpected to my writing. If you have read Stage Fright you know what I mean. Even more so if you have read From Rome with Love.
What is bringing me joy right now? Watching a hummingbird out the window and
admiring the white winter blooming camellias that grow alongside our house. Plus
knowing my neighbor doesn’t mind if I invite myself over for tea with ten minutes warning.
And the trees changing color. Splendid on a sunny cold day. And you, dear reader!
Enter my Giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card plus a signed copy of either Stage Fright or From Rome with Love.
US Only. Winner will be chosen in one week and has three days to respond to my email.
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October 20, 2020
Congratulations and Kate’s Favorite Pics
Kate’s Favorite Pics
The chilly mornings and damp, mostly gray days mark the change to Fall here in the Pacific Northwest. I find something rather comforting in the unfaltering progression of seasons during the year, and enjoy the changes I see on my walks. It’s one of many reasons I take pictures, a way to mark the days and weeks that often seem to run together until suddenly, it’s a whole new season.
October 13, 2020
Book By Its Cover
Do you judge a book by its cover? Some book covers seem to jump off the shelf at me. I think of children zeroing in on a colorful book with a dramatic design. Not that I’ve been to a library or bookstore for ages. I’m not much of a shopper but I could spend hours rifling through books. And I admit the covers are what snag me.
I hope Stage Fright’s cover attracted someone’s eye as it was pouring rain!
In my three newest books, my aim was to entice readers but not give away the whole story with the cover. The title Stage Fright is only the tip of the iceberg because my heroine, Jessica Nash, carries with her a boatload of fears and uncertainties she hopes to overcome. Even I didn’t know if she would until the ending.
An Unexpected Christmas Gift’s cover contrasts the icy cold of winter and the warmth of Christmas.
Next, I see An Unexpected Christmas Gift. I love this snowy scene on the cover, thanks to Bethany House. When it comes to the Amish, I must again do research, no matter how often I visit Lancaster County. Things change there too, and I do my best to keep in step with the times.
A pre-lease ARC of From Rome with Love visited a Christmas tree!
Finally, I spy my most recent novel, From Rome with Love. I was fortunate to have lived in Rome and have visited often. I love Italy so much I chose Italian as my language in college. I don’t suppose studying Latin for four years counts because my spelling is still horrendous.
Writing about glorious Rome where I’ve spent much time is fun!
From Rome with Love’s heroine carries with her a plethora of uncertainties and doubts. Who wouldn’t in her situation? Once again, I love the cover, which does not tell the whole story. Even I didn’t know what would happen next when I wrote it. No one was as surprised as I by the twists and turns of her Christmas trip!
Enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card and a signed copy of either Stage Fright or From Rome With Love
I can’t decide which is my favorite cover. Please take a moment to look them over and give me your opinion if you like. With or without commenting, enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Money for books, and a copy of Stage Fright or From Rome with Love! (Unfortunately, the Kindle version of An Unexpected Christmas Gift is not available as a prize.) Winner has three days to respond to my email. U.S. and Canada only.
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September 8, 2020
Congratulations
Pics from the last winner
Thank you to last month’s winner, Meredith Briski, for sending these pictures of the Royal Albert tea set. I hope she enjoys it for years to come. And her scones look so tempting!
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September 1, 2020
Lifelong learning
It’s the first week of school in some places! As children head back, even if at the dining room table, it’s never too late to learn something new. New challenges, new ways of learning, new ways of teaching. Many parents have never sat in the head of the class desk before. I used to help in my son’s classes once a week, but our boys didn’t want to home school. They wanted to be around other kids. I did not fit the bill.
I asked my husba...
August 18, 2020
Congratulations and Kate’s Favorite Pics
Please help me congratulate Meredith Briski, winner of the Royal Albert “Old Country Roses” three-piece tea set plus, a signed copy of Stage Fright. Thank you to all who entered.
Kate’s Favorite Pics
I have been fortunate enough to travel through England many times. Leafing through my photo albums full of centuries-old castles and cathedrals, cobblestone streets, narrow archways, scenic views, all came together to form the backdrop fo...
August 11, 2020
Celebration!
Roll the drums! I wish I had a drummer with a snare drum to start off the festivities. Or a birthday cake with one candle. I’m in a celebratory mood as my new book Stage Fright releases. Today, Tuesday, is its official release date. Anyone who preordered the e-book should find it in their Kindle or e-reader. And anyone who wishes to purchase a paperback will be rewarded soon.
When I think of all t...
July 14, 2020
Congratulations and Kate’s Favorite Pics
Please help me congratulate Heather Amos, winner of the Road Trip giveaway, and a signed copy of one of my books! Thank you to all who entered.
Kate’s Favorite Pics
Yesterday, when the weatherman predicted rain in the morning, then clearing, he was right! Since it was pouring when I woke up, I decided to wait a few hours. I left the house in a rain jacket and came home feeling too warm.
Out our window over the front door.
Residual wa...
