Michele Venne's Blog, page 20

First friday

The first Friday of 2022 feels like I’m embarking on a voyage! A friend picked “Venture” for her word of the year. I think that might apply to many of us, especially after the last couple of years… Fates willing, I won’t look like this pirate ship’s sails come December. (I actually used this photo for a short story about a female pirate…) I’m changing the way I check in with followers this year. I’...

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holiday reflection

Holiday greetings! Whatever you celebrate, or even if you don’t, I hope the end of 2021 brings you peace. I’ve come a long way from making New Year’s resolutions. Over time, my yearly process has evolved from resolutions (resolve to “fix” a problem) to goals (stress and strive along the way only to feel “fulfilled” for a moment, maybe) to intentions (mindful steps in a particular direction where...

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so much gratitude

It feels more like the holiday season if the air has changed where you are. Here in Phoenix, we’re enjoying wonderfully cool weather. In the desert, that means sweatshirts in the early morning and probably sneakers instead of sandals. I noticed Christmas candy next to the Halloween candy, boxed greeting cards near the checkout, and all variety of squash in huge boxes in the produce section.

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All Treats, no tricks

Happy (almost) Halloween! If I wrote horror instead of romantic suspense and paranormal romance, I could have come up with a short story guaranteed to give you shivers. Instead, I’ve gathered a few cool treats of interest. I have to say it has been different this past month. Since finishing The Stalker and getting it to my beta readers, I’ve been spending a LOT of time working behind the scenes.

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Got balance?

It’s official today, at least in Phoenix, Arizona. The Autumnal Equinox happened on September 22 (in the northern hemisphere), but a few longitudinal degrees north of the equator and we’re looking at sunrise at 6:14 AM and sunset at 6:14 PM. Not that we’ll see it today, since we have clouds and rain in the desert. Just to be clear, I’m not complaining about the clouds, the rain...

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so much new stuff

Here we are, the end of August, and dogs days or not, I’ve got a lot to share with you! Glad you’re here 🙂 First up, this newsletter! You may not notice a difference and that’s fine. After a while with one email provider, it was time to switch to another. This one offers some features I didn’t have at the old one. As things grow and change, we’re invited to do the same. It was past time I left the...

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Midsummer update

Some of this, a sprinkle of that, a dash for excitement, and freeze overnight…sounds like just the thing to cool a body down. July has passed at the same rate as an ice lasts on the sidewalk in Phoenix at noon. I’ve been crossing items off my to-do. And since everything takes longer to finish than I plan, I suspect that’s where the time has dripped. The good news is that I’ve made final edits/

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Popsicles in the shade

It’s summertime, and with the heat cranked up in the Southwest desert, we’re all trying to live easy! It’s the end of June and halfway through 2021. I’ve been spending more time than usual inside, and when I look back at my production schedule that I planned out at the end of 2020, I’m very far off the mark. However, scanning my calendar so far this year, I realize I’ve done a lot...

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Spring flowers

Not that we’ve received much rain in the desert this winter or spring, but some of the desert plants are blooming! The ironwoods have been dotting the brown landscape with pale lavender blooms. The creosote shifted quickly from yellow petals to their fuzzy white seeds. The saguaros, an elegant cactus that appears to survey its domain, are crowned with white blossoms. I don’t think the chollas...

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Choose your own adventure

I hinted at this back in the fall, so time to follow up on my idea! The Internet and online retailers have changed how people shop. Personally, I don’t order much online. Sometimes I get stuff from the feed store, and sometimes I order through a retailer that offers the same items but usually at a cheaper price. Throughout this past year, I’ve continued to go to the grocery store instead of...

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