Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 7

In the Book

 Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

Last month, I published the complete set of the series, Wild Horse Peaks. This compilation, this series has had quite an evolutionary journey. I'm often asked where I get my ideas or how does a book or story come about. Authors talk like books are their babies. They even celebrate book birthdays. Sounds silly, I suppose, but we don't just write a book, set it free, and then forget about it. I find myself thinking about certain characters as if their life has continued without me looking in. I think about how I might have written their stories differently.

What are today known as the Wild Horse Peaks books have had a journey. In 2012, I had a concept for a series that would eventually become five books. I called the series, Love and Murder. It was my first venture into Romantic Suspense. I intended to weave my love of coffee, my Indian heritage, and Minneapolis into the first book. As it progressed, I moved the setting to Arizona, I incorporated Hopi heritage not my own, but I was able to keep coffee love the same. My heroine owned a coffee shop.

I was able to pitch my concept to an agent and gained representation. I had the first two books written at the time. I wanted her to pitch the series to publishers I couldn't get into on my own. But she worked too slow for my comfort, and we parted ways. In 2013, I submitted the first book to a publisher who had several of my books, and it was accepted with an agreement to publish the whole series. The five books in the Love and Murder Series were published between 2014 and 2018.

By 2021, I grew dissatisfied with lackluster sales. Publishers do very little to promote books. I had done some promotion, but I was busy writing other books too. I had dipped my toes into self-publication with another series and found the waters quite warm and welcoming. 

I asked for my rights back for all five books. I was excited. I could dig in, re-edit, make the books better. And I think I did. I wanted a more western flavor, so I changed the setting names. The San Francisco Peaks became Wild Horse Peaks. I updated some of the verbiage and cleaned up any mistakes that had been missed first time around. I was super excited to change the covers to reflect more of the suspense and the story. I also turned it into a four book series with a sequel, which it should've been all along.

Last month, I got another idea...bundle the four books into a complete works set. It's been well received!

If you haven't read all of the books in the series, or if only one, then now is the time to dig into the four book series, Wild Horse Peaks. It's available in eBook and Kindle Unlimited:

Wild Horse Peaks, The Complete Series

The sequel, A Legacy of Love and Murder, is available for eBook purchase separately here:

A Legacy of Love and Murder

OR you can receive the sequel FREE if you're a member of BNG (Brenda's Newsletter Group):

Brenda's Newsletter Group

Life's Adventures with Jimmy Buffett

The world recently marked the first anniversary of the death of animportant man in my life—a man who influenced my lifestyle for many years, whowas the reason FDW and I had a wide circle of friends, and a man who brought megreat joy with his music—Jimmy Buffett, December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023.Born December 25, and in my opinion, a great gift to the world. 

My brother, who is twelve years younger than I am,introduced me to Parrothead mania in the seventies. It was instant love atfirst listen. The thing with Jimmy’s music is, it wasn’t widely played on theradio stations (which for you youngins’ is the way we found music

back then).He charted only 13 top 100 hits in his career. His first top 40 hit was ComeMonday in 1974. It’s one of the most beautiful love songs, in my opinion. And evenif you aren’t a Buffett Parrothead, I’m guessing you can sing at least a fewlines of Margaritaville, the ultimate Parrothead party song. In fact, it’s knownas the Parrothead National Anthem.

I can’t begin to count how many Jimmy Buffett concerts I’ve enjoyedin Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Alpine Valley (WI), Los Angeles, andAtlanta. But I’ve seen a bunch. They aren’t just concerts. If you never experienceda Parrothead gathering for a Buffett concert, I can’t begin to explain whatthey are. That would be a whole post in itself. 

When FDW and I left Arizona for Minnesota, we were entrenchedin Parrotheadism, but had no idea how much deeper we would dive. After nearly ayear in Minnesota, we were still without friends. We were both in managementpositions, so mingling with office staff was touchy. We’d never been regular church-goingpeople, so we didn’t have that way to meet people. We really didn’t want to dothe bar scene which we’d never been
into. But I did suggest maybe we should andstart “picking-up” friends in random bars. We thought about joining some sortof club. FDW did some research and discovered St. Minnesomeplace in Paradise, aParrothead club. And life got so much better. We gained a circle of friendsthat have lasted decades even though we left Minnesota and are back in Arizona.While in Minnesota, we raised tons of money for charity, true to the Buffettphilosophy. And we partied with a purpose, which was charity, but wow did weparty. Jimmy Buffett promoted a lifestyle, and we Parrotheads were on board. 

It's been a year since his passing. When he passed, part ofmy past went with him, part of my heart went with him, my soul ached. Becausehe was so much more than a singer, than a man. He inspired generations ofParrotheads.

I haven’t listened to his music since he died. I know Ishould find joy in his legacy, and I should dance like no one is watching. Butnot yet. Each and every one of his songs sparks a memory. Yes, they are happymemories, but without him, I just get sad.

That said, thank you, Jimmy Buffett, for being you. Yourmessage is one of joy and heartfelt soulful philosophy. I’ll find a way to tunein, to listen, again. In time.

Death By Jellybeans is Easter Fun by Susie Black

 MUSE MONDAY Easter Fun

 “

The premise of Deathby Jelly Beans, my latest cozy mystery, is that a department store EasterBunny dies when he accidentally consumes tainted jelly beans meant for anothervictim. I am the curious sort and delved into the history of the Easter Bunny.As it turns out, the Easter Bunny has quite an interesting story with rootsgoing back to ancient times.

Whilelegend has told us that the Easter Bunny is a long-eared, cotton-tailedcreature who hops from house to house to deliver festive baskets, there's moreabout his history that you might not be familiar with. The Easter Bunny'sconnection to this special Christian holiday goes back to pagan traditions.

TheBible makes no mention of a mythical hare who delivers eggs to children onEaster day. So, why exactly has a rabbit become a prominent part of one ofChristianity's most important celebrations? One theory, according to TimeMagazine, is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from the ancient pagantradition on which many of our Easter traditions are based —the festival ofEostre, which honored the goddess of fertility and spring. The goddess's animalsymbol was a rabbit, which has long traditionally stood for fertility due totheir high reproduction rates.

As forhow the character of the Easter Bunny made its way to America, History.comreports that it was first introduced in the 1700s by German immigrants toPennsylvania, who reportedly brought over their tradition of an egg-laying harenamed "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" from the Old Country.Legend has it, that the rabbit would lay colorful eggs as gifts to goodchildren, so kids would make nests in which the bunny could leave his eggs andeven sometimes set out carrots in case the hare got hungry. Remind you of anyother holiday traditions? Eventually, the custom spread across America until itwas a widespread Easter tradition. Over time, the fabled bunny's deliveryexpanded from eggs to other treats such as chocolate and toys. Easter basketshave only gotten more and more elaborate over the years.

Today, theEaster Bunny is usually depicted as a white rabbit with long ears, oftenwearing colorful human clothes. You'll typically find one at Easter parades,mall kiosks, and other celebratory events for the holiday, often carrying abasket filled with colorful eggs, chocolate, candy, and other treats to giveout to kids. You can even get their picture taken with the rabbit in someplaces.

Despite theprevalence of the bunny, it's not always a rabbit that brings the Easter eggsin countries outside of the U.S. In Australia, for example, the spring holidayis greeted with the Easter Bilby, an endangered rabbit-like marsupial native tothat country. Other gift-bearing animals include the Easter Cuckoo inSwitzerland and, in some parts of Germany, the Easter Fox or the EasterRooster.

CREDIT: GoodHousekeeping Magazine

Blurb:

Mermaid SwimwearPresident Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store EasterBunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee isarrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly isconvinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateursleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turnsthan a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as shetangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.

Excerpt:

The door to Sue Ellen’s office flew open and a six-foottall rabbit I’d later learn named Pedro Conejo, President of Rent a RabbitCharacters, stalked out and bowled me over as I tried vainly to get out of hisway. 

The messenger bag containing samples and thepresentation information fell off my shoulder and bounced across the room. Theflap of the unzipped messenger bag flipped open, scattering everything insideit from one end of the room to the other. 

The rabbit gripped the two ears atop the head with hispaws. He ripped the headpiece straight up and off with a furious jerk andshoved it under his right armpit. He turned, faced Sue Ellen’s open door, andscreamed loud enough for anyone at the mart three blocks away to hear. “Youcan’t prove a damned thing. Think you’ll get away with this? We have acontract. I’ll get you fired for this; you bitch!” 

Then the rabbit removed the left paw of his costumewith his teeth and gave Sue Ellen the middle finger salute. He hurdled over myprone body splayed out on the floor and stomped out of the office without somuch as an apology for knocking me over, let alone an offer to help me up. 

I sat up and poked my extremities to make sure nothingmore than my pride had been injured. Satisfied my body, if not my self-respect,remained in one piece, I shook myself to get out the kinks the way my standardpoodle Siggie does after a bath. I stretched as far as possible and grabbed themessenger bag. I spent the next five minutes crawling on all fours around theroom, stuffing everything back inside the case. Note to self: Next time, zipthe damned bag closed.

As I shoved the last sample back in the messenger bag, Sue Ellen’s assistant came out of the buyer’s office and observed me sprawled across the floor. I bit the inside of my cheek not to laugh as Abby deadpanned. “Sue Ellen will see you now.”

Susie Black biography

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights BookHeaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Applebut now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her HollySwimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susiebegan telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all thestories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries. 

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with anaccent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and istrying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as hercore food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep hergirlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susielives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy butsmart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inheritedgenetic defect. 

Looking for more? Contact Susie at:

E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com

Website: www.authorsusieblack.com

Book Bub: www.bookbub.com/authors/susie-black

Facebook:   https://facebook.com/TheHollySwimsuitMysterySeries

Good Reads: Search results for "Susie Black" (showing 1-9 of82 books) | Goodreads

Instagram:   SusieBlack (@hollyswimsuit) • Instagram photos and videos

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsusieblack-61941011

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hollysusie1_saved/

Twitter:   http://twitter.com/@hollyswimsuit

Reading and Reviews (Heistand and Gallant)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'llshare my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read islimited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook atnight for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. BesidesRomantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while atrue story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past.Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

Crumbs of Defeat (A Cookies and Kilts Mystery Book 4) by JoA. Heistand 

April first. The annual bake-off contest in Beaudin Trace,Missouri. Oven temperatures and entrants' tempers are hot enough to bake mostanything. And everyone there thinks if one particular participant would leave,things would cool off.

Evidently, someone's wish is overheard, for the contentious contestant is foundpost-contest, sprinkled with cupcakes and ready for her postmortem.

The death yields a mix of suspects, all capable of cooking up the murder. Theproblem is, who was stirred up enough to do it?

To prove herself innocent of killing Tiffany, bakery shop owner Kate Dunbarinvestigates. But she quickly wonders if the bake-off was the conclusion in aseries of risky events, and if her own elimination is just around the corner.

 

MY REVIEW: 

This is a cozy with a cast of characters who make it fun forKate to investigate the murder of Tiffany, an obnoxious wannabe chef. Reg wasmy personal favorite. The setting is fun too. The Mississippi River, a dogbakery, and a culinary school all play roles. Unfortunately, Kate is among thelist of possible murderers for the police. Her amateur sleuthing is a quest toprove her innocence. 

This was my first read of this series, although it is thefourth book. I feel if I’d read the prior books, a couple of the characterswould be more complete. Kate’s relationship to the sheriff was vague. But the readwas entertaining. Lovers of cozy mysteries will enjoy the story. 

 

Final Witness (Truth and Lies Book 2) by Jannine Gallant 

The face of a killer could be the final picture he takes…

As a photojournalist, Nash Quintrell travels the world, capturing strikingimages of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. He certainly neverexpected to snap a photo of the assassin who shot the nation’s first womanpresident on her Inauguration Day. Discovering his pictures hold importantclues to identifying the men behind the attacks on several high-profile figuresis a shock. But they also provide the key to rekindling a relationship with thewoman he once loved and pushed away.

When FBI Special Agent Tempest English sees Nash in the inauguration crowd,camera in hand, she has no choice but to approach him. Her mission is to catcha killer, and she’ll take whatever help she can get, even if the last thing shewants is to work with the man who dumped her years before. Nash may have brokenher heart, but fate throws them together again, and his photos are the bestlead she has.

In an effort to unmask the powerful players behind the conspiracy, Nash andTempest must track a ruthless band of homegrown terrorists. Infiltrating theircircle risks not only their lives, but a future together neither imagined waspossible. 

MY REVIEW:

I’m like a broken record when it comes to Jannine Gallant’sbooks. Just plug in a different title and the praises are the same. Isn’t thisa timely read too, with political intrigue and a female president? There’s astory of intrigue and conspiracy with homegrown terrorists. And then there isthe romance. Photojournalist Nash and FBI Agent Tempest make a fiery couple solvingthe crime and revisiting their love story. Romantic Suspense readers are sureto flip the pages of this satisfying book with a smile on their faces.

Stitching a Dream by Ellen Parker

TODAY'S GUEST: ELLEN PARKER

I'm so happy to welcome Ellen Parker back to Discover... Enjoy!

A Visit to the Bakery

In May of 1851, ten days after I arrived in thevillage of Elm Ridge, Illinois, I gathered my courage and set out for the Deutschbakery on Walnut Street. I found the business easy enough, the location on acorner and the painted sign with a loaf of bread guided me to the front door.

My son, Joseph, limped beside me, his hand wrappedaround three of my fingers. Sunlight highlighted his straight, copper-redhair—the only outward gift from his father. “Who are we going to see?”

Good question. The previous time I’d seen the man Ihoped to find was in the autumn of 1845—mere hours before my brother forced theDeutsch baker to leave St. Louis. I glanced into my son’s wide, browneyes. “A friend from a long time ago—before you were born.”

A moment later, I opened the shop door. Mouth-wateringscents of sugar, nutmeg, and cherry enveloped the both of us. I was tempted toremain still, quiet, and savor the air. But my sense of purpose returned andafter a quick assessment of the tall, middle-aged woman behind the counterholding an embroidery hoop and a blonde girl-flirting-with-womanhood in anapron, I found my voice. “Good afternoon.”

Both women turned friendly, curious gazes on me as Iclosed the shop door. “Is this the bakery of Mr. Bernard Keil?”

“Ja. Herr Keil is not here.” The older womenset her embroidery aside. “I am Frau. Have you come to buy a treat foryour son?”

 “My business iswith your husband. Will he return soon?” A wife. I should not be surprised. Ilifted my gaze toward the top of the wall and searched for enough Deutschwords to remain polite.

The older woman gripped the rim of the sales counterand leaned forward. “Who are you?”

“Yes, I suppose you have a right to know.” I releasedJoseph’s hand and smoothed my best dress’ green skirts. I can say this—Ihave whispered the words every night for weeks before I fall asleep. “TellBernard…tell Herr Keil…Polly Black from St. Louis recently arrived inElm Ridge and works at Mrs. Clark’s dress shop.”

The baker’s wife paled to match fine muslin.

For one instant, I feared the woman would faint.However, the blonde woman grasped her elbow and steadied her.

“Frau Keil, are you ill?” Stepping forward, Iglimpsed my son approaching the glass case of cookies and turnovers.

The baker’s wife shook her head, looked toward thefloor, and gathered a deep breath.

“It is the surprise of the thing.” The older womanfound her voice. “Herr Keil has spoken of you. I will tell my husband where youmay be found.” She glanced toward the boy. “What is the name of your son?”

I reached out and touched Frau Keil’s hand.“Joseph—my son’s name is Joseph. I do not mean to cause you trouble.”

“Not trouble.”

What does she see as she inspects me? I checked mygown and bonnet before I left the dress shop. She will not find stains ortears. Does she see the foolish girt? Or the practical woman I pray I havebecome? One of my mother’s favorite sayings crept into my brain andlingered.

Reputation is a woman’s fragile cloak—she best keep itmended.

****

Blurb:

Prepare for consequenceswhen you love your neighbor. 

In 1851, Polly Blackarrives in Elm Ridge, Illinois with little more than her sewing skills, heryoung son, and the persona of a widow. To preserve her reputation, she needs totread lightly when a recent widower, a powerful man who knows she never married,courts her. A new shop opens across the way, and the owner’s friendly face is awelcome sight for both Polly and her son. 

Born and raised in aPennsylvania Deutsch community, Kurt Tafel moves to Illinois for adventure andan opportunity to run his own cobbler shop. He’s not an immigrant, but is heAmerican enough to act on his feelings for the intelligent and pretty seamstress? 

Bio for Ellen Parker:

Raised in a household filled with books,it was natural that Ellen Parker grew into an avid reader. Writing is hersecond career and she enjoys spinning of story which appeals to multiplegenerations. She encourages her readers to share her work with mother ordaughter – or both.

Ellen currently lives in St. Louis. Whennot guiding characters to “happily ever after” she’s apt to be reading,walking, or gardening. You can find her on the web at www.ellen-parker-writes.com.Or:   https://www.facebook.com/ellen.parker 

Links for Stitchinga Dream: 

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3VwoeFh 

Nook: https://bit.ly/3Ri8RNX 

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4ec8PRB

 

Reading and Reviews (Ligon and Evanovich)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'llshare my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read islimited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook atnight for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. BesidesRomantic Suspense and mystery, I read crime and law novels, once in a while atrue story, WWII historicals, romance, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past.Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

Polly's List by Kim Janine Ligon

CJ Reynolds couldn't wait toescape his hometown. He's loving his bachelor life as a software developer inCalifornia. So much so that he hasn't been back in years to see the grandmotherwho raised him.

Mikal Benson believes her small town is perfect for raising her son, Will,alone. When Mikal finds her neighbor, Polly Rogers, sprawled on the floor in apool of blood, barely clinging to life, she calls Polly's grandson - CJReynolds - and insists he must come home. Now!

From her coma, Polly whispers three words that change everything. Did she fallor was she pushed? CJ, Mikal, and Will form an unlikely team coming together todiscover the truth as danger engulfs them and love transforms them into afamily.

My Review:

I’m a big fan of characterdriven stories. Ms. Ligon shines with her characterizations of Polly, hergrandson CJ, Mikal, and Will. The last is a child, and although I think childrenare particularly difficult to write realistically, the author pulls it off. Ireally enjoyed not much liking CJ in the beginning. He didn’t pay enoughattention to Polly over the years. When he finally comes home, and Polly is ina coma, we watch as his personality is revealed to us in more depth. This is amystery that unfolds and keeps you guessing. It’s entertaining and enjoyable.Recommended.

Tricky Twenty-two by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum might not be theworld’s greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she’s being played. KenGlobovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeperof the animalhouse known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean ofstudents at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone intohiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things justaren’t adding up, and Stephanie can’t shake the feeling that something funny isgoing on at the college—and it’s not just Zeta fraternity pranks.
 
As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunneddown in his backyard it’s good riddance, and the list of possible murdersuspects is long. The only people who care about finding Linken’s killer areTrenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expertRanger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on acash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve.

My Review:

I took a break from Stephanie Plumnovels as they tend to feel the same. Eventually, you get enough. But I cameback and read Tricky Twenty-two and enjoyed it for all the same reasons Ialways do these books. Funny and entertaining.

Life's Adventures

A few months back, I had an idea for blogging that would be an ongoing journal of "The Life of an Author." I had no idea if anyone would be interested. At book fests, I'm often asked questions about my writing process or what it's like to write a book, so I thought, well, maybe. So, I started journaling, but it didn't last long. I've started and stopped journals so many times in my life. I have trouble finding the time to journal when I'm so busy writing books and promoting. But I'll share my first entry anyway. If anyone sees this and states a smidgen of interest, I might be compelled to take it up again. Or not. 

FEBRUARY 1, 2023 

Woke at 5 a.m. and since it was the 4th time I'd awakened since 9 p.m. the night before, I put the covers over my head and waited until I could smell the coffee brewing at the programmed time of 5:25. Once the aroma drifted in, I did my stretches, fixed the pillows on my bed for sitting up, and turned up the heat. Once I had coffee and cream in my mug, I went back to bed and fired up my laptop. Checked personal email 28 messages (a sale at JCPennys, return email to sister-in-law, and deleted all the junk mail). Checkedbusiness email. 22 messages. Answered 3. Filed away 3 for later attention.Scanned 2 author loop messages. Scanned a blog. Deleted all the junk mail.Checked and replied to personal Facebook page. Checked and replied to author Facebook page. Did the same for my BrendaSue page and my editor page. Scanned the feeds for all four and commented on a dozen posts. I reheated my half cup of coffee in the microwave.Skimmed Twitter, otherwise known as X. Looked at the Twitternotifications and liked or shared. Checked my book ranking on Amazon. Checked royaltyreports on KDP. 

Put drops in eyes. Think I’m tired. 

Amigo was shooting me daggers at 7:30. I dressed in two layers of clothes and walked 1.5 mileswith
the dog in 30-degree temps. 

Back home, I peeled out of one layer, poured another cup of java andhit the living room chair with computer in lap. Made a hotel reservation forFeb 28 and Mar 1 for the book event I am doing in Tombstone, Arizona. Saw anote on my calendar that I should reread David Gaughran’s notes on newsletters.I know I won’t have time so I move it to the weekend. I checked email and FB again.Made comments and replies. Shared a post on FB. Mom called and distracted me for 15 minutes. Brought up my blog, Discover... and started a column about Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder. FDW woke up, and wedecided to do cold cereal for breakfast. Bad decision. I’m was already cold. 3rdcup of hot coffee. 

Brushed teeth, showered, made bed, cleaned up breakfast dishes.FDW left to do grocery shopping. 

I finished the blog and post. Shared it on FB and Twitter. Momcalled so I closed the laptop and took a lunch break. I was hungry for Mexican, but we were so out of food I couldn’t evenmake nachos. I settled for spinach salad topped with some leftover hamburger and tomatoeswith chili powder and garlic. I then hunkered down and got chapter twenty-two ofReading, Writing, and Murder finished. Sent it off to my co-author, Joyce Proell. 

Amigo threw up on the leather couch so I cleaned that up. 

I saw on my calendar I was supposed to call andschedule a mammogram. I called, and they put me on hold, so I gave up and added it to tomorrow's list. Completed acharacter interview for a blog tour for Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder in March. Sent it to co-author foropinions. Checked email and FB and followed up. 

FDW got home with groceries so I put those away for thenext half hour. 

While FDW napped, I made a page for Candy, Cigarettes, andMurder (CCM) on Book Funnel. Then I joined a group promotion on BF for the book. 

Changed my mom’s address online with 2 places she asked me to take care of on her last phone call. I called her again to update her that I'd done as asked. 

While proofing, I discovered amistake in both the eBook and the print book of CCM. I had to make correctionsand uploaded them yet again to Amazon. 

FDW got up from his nap, and I reminded him to check the pipes under the sinkthat like to loosen and leak from time to time. 

I dusted the surfaces in living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. 

Checked email and FB for the last time. Followed up. Checked rankings on Amazon androyalty reports on KDP. 

Watered all the plants outside while FDW whipped up a delicious dinner. I sat down to a grilled steak,asparagus, potatoes, and red wine. My work day done, we watched a movie.

In the Book

Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

Summertime sucks the creativity out of me. I guess I should qualify that statement by adding Arizona summertime. The heat makes it hard for me to think. With the advent of the monsoons spiking the humidity, I'm darn near comatose.

But...the book must go on. Luckily, I have a co-author partner in the midwest who keeps me barreling ahead. When Joyce sends me a chapter, I can't ignore my duty. Truth is, the writing keeps me sane. I can block out the misery of summer when I am fully ensconsed in the lovely, cooler town of Wyatt, Arizona. Not to say I'm not having to scrape up my Muse from a melted puddle on the floor from time to time.

This fourth book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books will be Puppies, Yoga, and Murder. We've got puppy snatchers, yoga classes, and of course murder for sisters Em and Nic to handle. Here's a peek. These are the first few sentences of the latest mystery adventure:

Nic glanced at the time in the corner of her computerscreen. “Where on earth did this day go?” Springing from her desk chair, shehit send on the travel article she’d written. Then froze. Should she haveproofed it one more time? “Gah, don’t be neurotic.”

That doesn't give you much hint into the mayhem and murder to come. Okay, one more peek:

Emma shirked backfrom the bushes and halted her quizzical aunt’s advance with a raised hand. “Stop.”A shiver raced up her spine. A dead body. Ugh.

That's all the hints I can give. Besides, I'm up for writing chapter five, and I need to get back to it before Joyce catches me.

Although we live nearly 2,000miles apart, we’re good friends and avid writing partners. We met when we bothlived in Minnesota. This writing partnership now spans the Midwest to the West.

The Chocolate Martini SistersMystery Series was born in an historical bar in a real-life western town inArizona. With nothing but a title and a vague storyline, I wanted to ventureinto the cozy mystery world. I approached Joyce with my idea. That’s all ittook. She was off and running. She is my synopsis hero. I hope you enjoyreading these stories as much as I enjoy writing them with my partner in murderand mayhem.

The Next Book

Summertime sucks the creativity out of me. I guess I should qualify that statement by adding Arizona summertime. The heat makes it hard for me to think. With the advent of the monsoons spiking the humidity, I'm darn near comatose.

But...the book must go on. Luckily, I have a co-author partner in the midwest who keeps me barreling ahead. When Joyce sends me a chapter, I can't ignore my duty. Truth is, the writing keeps me sane. I can block out the misery of summer when I am fully ensconsed in the lovely, cooler town of Wyatt, Arizona. Not to say I'm not having to scrape up my Muse from a melted puddle on the floor from time to time.

This fourth book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery books will be Puppies, Yoga, and Murder. We've got puppy snatchers, yoga classes, and of course murder for sisters Em and Nic to handle. Here's a peek. These are the first few sentences of the latest mystery adventure:

Nic glanced at the time in the corner of her computerscreen. “Where on earth did this day go?” Springing from her desk chair, shehit send on the travel article she’d written. Then froze. Should she haveproofed it one more time? “Gah, don’t be neurotic.”

That doesn't give you much hint into the mayhem and murder to come. Okay, one more peek:

Emma shirked backfrom the bushes and halted her quizzical aunt’s advance with a raised hand. “Stop.”A shiver raced up her spine. A dead body. Ugh.

That's all the hints I can give. Besides, I'm up for writing chapter five, and I need to get back to it before Joyce catches me.

Although we live nearly 2,000miles apart, we’re good friends and avid writing partners. We met when we bothlived in Minnesota. This writing partnership now spans the Midwest to the West.

The Chocolate Martini SistersMystery Series was born in an historical bar in a real-life western town inArizona. With nothing but a title and a vague storyline, I wanted to ventureinto the cozy mystery world. I approached Joyce with my idea. That’s all ittook. She was off and running. She is my synopsis hero. I hope you enjoyreading these stories as much as I enjoy writing them with my partner in murderand mayhem.

Life's Adventures

Adventure I Could Do Without (part 2) 

To pick up where we left off, after a week, we returned to the RV to gather some needed items. We hadn't packed for more than a couple of days. Seeing, or rather smelling, it was still extremely smokey, we got in and out as quickly as possible. How would we ever get that smell out of there? Add to that problem, our awning was ripped at both ends. We decided to file a claim with our insurance company. We'd never had to in spite of a fire evacuation and two floods in prior years.

Back in Prescott, I started making phone calls. We were assigned an agent. I sent the required via email. She wanted the story and photos. A day or so passed, and we were assigned another agent because the first one didn't handle this type of claim. I sent photos again. But it's not possible to send photos of a smell! Anyway, were were told it would take a few days to go through the system and an adjuster would contact us. When he finally did, FDW jetted off to Tonto to meet him. And it was a joke. He didn't need to have the awning out...he could see it was damaged. He forgot his telecoping stick to take a photo of the roof in case we had fire damage from flying embers. And he was afraid of heights. So he went up a couple of rungs on the ladder, stuck the camera in the air, and took ONE photo from one end. The RV is 42' long with two air conditioners on top. His phone must have some lens on it to get the whole roof. When he came inside, he commented, "Yeah, it stinks." He also told FDW, he wasn't an adjuster, just a photographer.

A few more days, and we got an email that they weren't able to confirm damage. The awning is old so the wind probably didn't do the damage. Denied claim. In order to assess the inside and roof, we needed to take it to Mesa for a tear down. That's an hour and a half away and our rig is set up to travel. We received this on the day we were making the trip to Tonto again to water plants and get more odds and ends like food I was sure was going to go bad.

My anger spiked. No one else on the ranch had to take their unit in. The adjusters came to them and were already settling with what needed to be done. I wrote a couple of scathing emails...for all the good it did.

As it turned out, on this trip we were pleasantly surprised to find the smokey stink practically gone. We'd
left windows open and fans running. The trees were finally not burning. The awning works, even if it looks like trash. FDW wanted to fight, but I couldn't see the sense. The awning is old and even if the wind did some damage, that isn't worth the process of fighting the claim. Life's too short for battles of this kind that I'd get an enormous headache from and probably lose.

So, we spent a couple of more days in Prescott, dreading returning to the cleanup. Ashes were everywhere. We needed to arrange for a total wash and wax of the outside. We needed to find someone to replace the awning. I stripped the inside of all textiles and washed them. It's liveable. The mess outside is still not cleaned up. Too hot! The trees have been cut to the ground, but they haven't finished the removal or leveling of land.

So ends this adventure in living. Hey! Never a dull moment.

A heartwarming side note: FDW's boat covered was ripped to shreds by the tree encounter and the wind. When we came back, we found a brand new boat cover on FDW's boat as well as a motor cover. Our neighbors, the ones whose RV FDW kept the water hose on until the Fire Department arrived, had purchased and brought up and covered it. FDW was moved to tears. They're such good people!