Laina Turner's Blog, page 7

Here’s The Story – April, May, June

The monthly recap idea I had at the beginning of the year is not going so well because here I am recapping for the last three months (and posting it 6 weeks after that). But as crazy as most of us would have thought 2020 was for me, 2021 has proven to be a million times crazier.

If you’ve kept up with me at all, you will know that I spent the last several months, first in Tennessee, sleeping on a tiny love seat, taking care of my father, and then finally in May, bringing him back to Indiana with me. We lived in an extended-stay hotel for a few weeks until his apartment was ready. And while you might think, as I did when realizing I was at age 50, going to spend a few weeks in a one-bedroom hotel with my father might be weird, uncomfortable, and annoying, a disclaimer – please note, he sleeps in his wheelchair, so I was able to have the only bed, it turned out to be a fun adventure.

We had to stay in a hotel farther away from my home than I would’ve liked in a part of town that wasn’t exactly a part of town I would’ve wanted to stay in, but who knew handicap-accessible hotel rooms would be so difficult to find. There was also a lot we were dealing with, with hospice and other legal issues that initially made me worried that being together 24/7 would be a little more than I could handle. But I think it was much more fun than I anticipated because of my dad’s good attitude and sense of adventure and the fact we got to hang out every evening and chat.

Now I’m not saying I wasn’t thrilled when his apartment was ready, and it was time for him to move in so that I could go back to my bed. But it was more about the lumpy bed than about the company. Now we’re a little over a month where he is in his place, which has been a different kind of adjustment. Working out hospice schedules and the other caregiving he needs has taken us to where we are now, which is, I guess, the new normal. Though, to be honest, I’m not sure I’m ever going to call life normal again.

So obviously, with all that going on, I’ve not got much writing done. I took May and June off for the most part. I did write a novella that sparked off a pet-themed cozy mystery anthology, which I’m super stoked about. It had the best preorder sales of any book or collection on release, and I’m excited about my contribution, which is a Presley Thurman novella.

I told myself that I could not afford to take any more time off and while I said to myself that, I ended up taking June off. I felt coming into July, and I would be able to manage my time a little more and do things I needed to get done.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah, that didn’t happen.

And I will admit I need to set better boundaries. But we can talk about that on a different day in a different blog post.

As you may know, I took my Presley series and my Spencer University series off sale to revamp my backlist. My writing has come a long way while working with a fabulous new editor, and after much thought, I just really wanted to make sure those books were the best they could be and that the covers were the best they could be. Of course, when I took them down, I didn’t anticipate taking a few months off, so I’m way behind. But it is what it is.

As we go to the back half of the year, my goal is to polish those up, put them back on sale, and then start some new series which, to be completely honest, will probably not happen until 2022. Although I did, on a recent trip, start dictating a new series, but I’m not going to say anything more about it, except it, takes place in the competitive cheer world, but I’m not putting a date or anything else on it until I’m done with the series. Or at least the first book. I just don’t need the stress of a deadline.

Now in other news, the house. Of course, leaving town for a couple of months and living in the hotel kind of made it more challenging to get up and take care of Annie, but we did make a little headway. I am super excited to announce we found someone to repair the slate roof, which he said wasn’t in that bad of condition, to begin with, which is exciting.

However, he is a true artesian, and I need to work around his schedule so that the repairs won’t be fully completed until the end of the summer, but it’s okay. Slow and steady wins the race, and all that.

We also ripped out the old deck, which was dangerous and unsalvageable, and should have the new deck finished this weekend. That was important because the deck held up the porch roof, so it was a safety and stability issue. Once we get the roof finished, we will be tearing out the old gutter boxes that are rotted and have contributed to the leaking problems in the house, extending the roof enough to put traditional gutters underneath them but where you can’t see them.

Looking at where we wanted to spend our money, the amount of lumber it would cost to redo the gutter boxes for the entire house was cost-prohibitive, and I’m sorry, but I had more important things to restore than the actual gutter boxes. If anyone wants to volunteer to make the wooden fish scales that go on the third-floor exterior, please don’t hesitate to reach out because my husband will be making them all winter long.

The interior is ready for lead paint encapsulation, and everything is sparkling clean and primed. I didn’t have to prime it, but I wanted an extra layer between the lead and the lead encapsulation paint, which is probably overkill, but I wanted to make sure it was taken care of. And once that is done, I hope to get the health department out to maybe give us a clearance to allow us to stay in the house while we are still fixing the outside.

One funny little house story is we did have a couple of raccoons get into the inside of Annie, and I’m assuming it was a couple because, with the amount of animal waste and the destruction, it had to be more than one. It wasn’t anything we couldn’t fix or clean up, but seriously, people, this was the last thing I needed.

I will say even though I don’t have time to work on the house like I want to, the time that has been spent has been so relaxing. Because I spend most of my time behind a computer or playing chauffeur for Sydney, being able to strip paint off, or use a heat gun to melt silicone that they close the windows up with, is just nice. The physical part of it and the mindlessness of it is a perfect escape for me.

Well, that is about it for now. I’m looking forward to July, when I will hopefully be getting a lot of editing done, and also, I will be taking a trip to Gatlinburg to speak at a Romance Writers of America retreat.

I hope everyone enjoys the summer, and I would love to hear what your summer plans are (send them even though it’s almost over). I’m always looking for vacation ideas for the camper.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – MELODY ARCHER

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is Melody Archer with her book, The Forgiven Cowboy’s Best Friend.

Find it on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
He’s a hardened cowboy in love with his best friend. After seven years spent waiting for a second chance at love, he’s about ready to give up hope.

She’s a widow, wounded by pain and heartache and still angry at the man who left her.

Wyatt Callahan spent a miserable childhood with a father who was an abusive drunk and a mother addicted to drugs.

After his mother died and his father was sent to jail, he was sent to several foster homes. Always in the way and left feeling unwanted, callouses surround Wyatt’s heart.

Until one day Mack and Annie Callahan opened up their home and their lives to him and a group of seven boys and adopted them. They became a family. Wyatt fell in love with each of them, but also with the one person he wasn’t supposed to… his best friend Abby.

The day Wyatt finally gathered the courage to ask Abby’s father for her hand in marriage, her father growled a resounding no and sent him packing. After all attempts to get in touch with Abby are blocked, in anger Wyatt joins the military and stays away from his home town for seven years.

Abby Meadows Hart spent her childhood on her family’s ranch, next door to the Callahans. Her father was a rancher who each year lost more money than he gained with his wife and two daughters suffering more and more with each loss.

When Wyatt never shows up to marry her, Abby’s dreams are brought to a sudden halt. She decides to marry the man of her parents choosing, but life dealt more difficult turns in the road. Married only a few short years, Abby became a widow.

All alone, her one goal was to keep from losing her ranch. In her experience, the ranch land and her animals were the only two things she could rely on. Especially when all the people she loved have left her abandoned and wounded.

At Wyatt Callahan’s sudden return home, Abby is left reeling. Still grieving and in pain, she’s still angry at him for leaving her years ago.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Archer writes clean heart-pounding romance, with scarred heroes and feisty heroines. She loves to create enchantment by stringing words together, but she’s also been known to drink way too much chai tea. When not escaping to another world via reading or writing a book, she’s usually doing her best to coax her hubby and four children to watch yet another classic romance movie. Melody is blessed to have the support of her family and wonderful friends on this roller coaster writing journey as well as the nonstop cluster of characters who live in her imagination.

Visit Melody on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – K.C. GRANT

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is K.C. Grant with her book, The Perfect Wave.

Find it on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
He lives to surf.

She’s learning to live.

Can they both learn to love or is this leading to a wipe-out?

Winning a vacation to Hawaii during one of Chicago’s worst winters, Bridget O’Connell couldn’t imagine her mundane life getting any better…until she meets Australian surfing champion, Chase Beckett. Now life becomes a tidal wave of excitement and adventure. But what about her job, her home, and a disabled father who needs her?

Chase has spent most of his life searching for the next big wave and outrunning commitment. But then he meets Bridget and everything starts to change, forcing him to face fears that are bigger than the monster waves he rides.

When the attraction between Bridget and Chase becomes undeniable, will it lead to true love or be a total wipe-out?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
K.C. Grant is the author of multiple books, including the upcoming Sweet Escape Series. She loves her family, writing and chocolate…in that order. If she had her wish, she’d visit every continent and write about it.

Visit K.C. on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – JEN PETERS

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is Jen Peters with her book, Safe in His Heart.

Find it on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
She rescues stray dogs, but can she find a forever home for herself?

Robin Cooper’s favorite people are dogs. She’s learned the hard way that people can’t be trusted, and bullying has left its mark on her: her planned career is down the tubes and she’d much rather rescue strays and daydream happy endings than rely on people…until an unexpected encounter with a ranch hand makes her re-think her sheltered safety.

Cliff Jackson’s world fell apart when his father died and the ranch went to auction. He’s trying to get his head straight while working as a hand on his uncle’s ranch near McCormick’s Creek, Oregon. Then Robin Cooper enters his life with her smile, her compassion, and her magic around dogs. Could there be room for her alongside his grief and uncertain future?

Robin gathers her courage to start a local animal shelter. She’ll need funding, council approval and, most of all, Cliff’s support. But when the ranch has problems, Cliff is torn between helping his uncle and keeping his promises to Robin.

Will Robin retreat to her four-legged friends or choose love with all its risks?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jen Peters loves falling in love—the look in his eyes that makes her feel pretty, the whispers on the phone at night, the gentleness of his kiss, the security in his arms. She was lucky enough to marry her sweetheart all those years ago, and he continues to sweep her off her feet. Whether reading or writing, Jen loves escaping into a romantic story to experience it all over again, especially when remodeling their homes gets a little overwhelming. They don’t live in Oregon anymore, but there are other mountain paths to hike, and an opinionated Cavalier named Bailey reminds her not to take life too seriously.

Find Jen on her website and Facebook.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – LYNN CAHOON

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is Lynn Cahoon with her book, One Poison Pie.

Find it on Amazon, Nook, Apple and Kobo.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
What’s a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer’s simple: move to her grandmother’s quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business—and a touch of magic in her recipes—Mia’s hopes are high. Even when her ex’s little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client’s body is found, stabbed and stuffed under the head table. Mia’s shocked to learn that she’s a suspect—and even more so when she realizes she’s next on a killer’s list. With Christina, along with Mia’s meddling grandma, in the mix, she’ll have to find out which of the town’s eccentric residents has an appetite for murder…before this fresh start comes to a sticky end. . . . include recipes!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lynn Cahoon, author of ONE POISON PIE, is a NYT and USA Today author of the best-selling Tourist Trap, Kitchen Witch, Cat Latimer and Farm-to-Fork mystery series. No matter where the mystery is set, readers can expect a fun ride.

Visit Lynn on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – MARY ELLEN BOYD

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is Mary Ellen Boyd with her book, The Thief’s Daughter.

Find it on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Her long lost father is back. And he’s dying. With his last breaths, he says he has provided for her.

Tessa wishes she could believe him. A poor seamstress in 1814 London can use all the help she can get. Sadly, she could not trust him before. What makes this time any different?

Then she finds his provision. And it’s worse than she could have imagined. It could get her killed.

She needs help to undo her father’s folly. And there is only one person she knows who can. No matter what she does, the risks are enormous.

The beautiful seamstress intrigues Lord Warrenby. But a true gentleman does not abuse the defenseless.

The young woman at his mother’s favorite modiste threatens his willpower. When his biggest temptation shows up with her impossible quest, he struggles to believe her claim of innocence. Worse yet, she knows his own scandal, one that can ruin others.

Who is this beautiful young woman? Is Tessa as virtuous as she appears? He hopes so, because something is growing between them, something that he cannot bear to lose.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mary Ellen Boyd is a romance author of Regency and Biblical fiction, although if the muse strikes, she will happily branch into other genres. Her special passion is building fictional stories around factual accounts. She has been happily married since 1982, in May, the prettiest month of the year. She and her husband have one son, who is now married to his high school sweetheart.

Visit Mary Ellen on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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Here’s the Story – February

At the beginning of this year, I told myself I would do an end-of-the-month recap to let everyone who cares know what I’ve been doing. I often get readers asking me for updates, both in my writing life and just life in general.

I have to tell you I’m always surprised when readers are interested in what I have going on because I don’t view my life as interesting. However, I guess it shouldn’t seem such a surprise because I watch a lot of bad reality television simply because I find other people’s lives fascinating. Sometimes it’s like a train wreck that I can’t look away from.

Anyways, as you can tell, it’s March, and I didn’t recap January. So, I will sum up January and February in this post and try to get better at writing recap posts from now on.

So here goes.

Life Happenings

In the last few months of 2020, my husband and I begin to seriously contemplate what the next phase in our life might look like. Caden’s in college and Neave goes to college in the fall. Sydney is a freshman in high school, so she will also be a college student in a blink of an eye. Initially, the last few years, as I’ve thought about us getting to the point of being empty-nesters, I  wanted to spend half our time in someplace like Belize or Panama. Ex-pat-friendly countries that were warm and reasonable to live in from a financial standpoint. Since both of us have remote jobs, we can go anywhere.

Covid changed that thinking a little. Not that I don’t think we will ever be able to travel again, I hope that if not in 2021 that 2022 will bring the vaccinations needed for everyone to safely travel as we used to, even if in a different way. But it did make me pause about the thought of going out of the country and something happening, like another pandemic and maybe not being able to get back in to see our kids.

The other fanciful dream we had over the years is buying a fixer-upper in a smaller, quieter town. Rehab it and live in it until we were ready to downsize. I wasn’t as gung-ho about that idea because Matt wanted to find a house pre-1920s. He’s into antiques and that period of architecture. I don’t know anything about either, so I didn’t have the same excitement he did.

But then we took a camping trip to Virginia in October and around a campfire started to look at what was on the market. The more we looked at houses, the more excited I got and started to like the idea of owning an old home we could restore and make beautiful again.

On January 29, we closed on a 1902 Queen Anne in Logansport, Indiana, about an hour from where we currently live. The house is condemned due to lead paint and has some other issues, but there are also many positive aspects. February was all about figuring out what to do with the house and where to start.

We started by hauling out the trash (2 – 40 yard dumpsters of trash to start) and now are cleaning it, so it doesn’t smell or have 3 inches of dirt and grime inside, and we can think about painting to encapsulate the lead paint.

In other personal news, Caden was diagnosed with a rare strain of mono in October. I know who gets mono in the middle of a covid pandemic. Apparently, he does, and he swears he wasn’t kissing anyone. As I’m writing this post, he is just now having more days without a fever than days with a fever. The first 3 months were constant 101-102 temps, chills, fatigue; the poor kid was miserable. He goes next month for another blood test, and hopefully, it will be out of his system.

Our other daughter Neave has been working at a senior retirement community as a food server and loving it. She’s finishing up her senior year and wants to pursue musical therapy in college. She is a very talented musician and loves to help people.

Sydney has been a little annoyed at us the past year because we did make her quit competitive cheerleading for a while and rugby. But now that things seem to be going in the right direction, we’re hoping she can ease back into her sports.

As far as me, you guys know I adopted our third dog in December (Luna), and I have to tell you, going from 2 to 3 dogs is like going from 2 to 300. Since they are about the same age and the same size, Luna and Macy just love playing. However, they play hard like they are WWE wrestlers in the ring. That prompted my latest project that I just finished with, and that is creating a dog-only portion of my yard because they have torn up our yard, and with the spring thaw, it was a muddy mess. So, I fenced off a nice big spot for them and put in rubber mulch. So far, it has greatly decreased the amount of mud in my house.

Now with all the personal stuff out of the way, I can catch you up with what’s going on in the writing world of Laina.

As you may know, I had book 6 release in the Read Wine cozy bookstore series called Dunes and Dead bodies in February. I also declared 2021 is the year of the fine-tuning of my backlist. I’ve been writing and publishing for 12 years now, and I’m a much better writer now than I was 12 years ago.

So first, a shout out to all of you that have been with me for the last 12 years as I’ve grown as a writer.

I took the Presley series off of sale last year to completely overhaul the series, and I am working with a new editor. I soon realized that it wasn’t just Presley that I needed to update. I felt I owed it to my readers, to myself, and my characters in the Read Wine series and the Spencer University series to take my better skills and lend them to those books.

I spent February working on Read Wine, and that series is completely overhauled. Not from a storyline change but just from an elevated writing change. Focusing more on show versus tell and trying to dig a little bit deeper into the characters. Things that I’ve gotten better at as I’ve been writing.

Now that I’ve finished updating Read Wine, and I feel great about it, I’m working on Spencer University. That series has never sold as well as I thought it should. I think the premise of a college professor in a university setting is a great one. But as I’ve been going back there with my editor. I can see why it hasn’t sold as well, and so the month of March and probably a little bit into April, I’m going to be sprucing that series up, and then I’m digging into Presley. It’s been tough to keep putting her off because I am so excited in the direction I’m going with her. You can go to my website and see the fantastic new covers that just finally I think will do her justice. Now, I need to develop her story to the best of my ability, and I’m looking forward to that. There are 16 books in that series, so it will take me the rest of the year to finish. However, I will have to pause and write a short story for a new pet-themed anthology. Some of my other friends and I are going to be putting out the summer. Between the house, the dogs, the kids, and all this rewriting, I’ve been crazy busy. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Oh, and Sydney and I are heading to Corpus Christi for spring break in the camper. The vacation we had planned in October when Caden got sick. It’s the first time we have been able to use our new one. If you have any suggestions on what we should do there, make sure to let me know.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – S.C. MERRITT

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is S.C. Merritt with her book, Moonshine and Murder.

Find it on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Hollywood comes to Sweetwater Springs when a local historic estate is chosen as the location to film a blockbuster movie. Glory and Momma are having the time of their lives, working as extras, until Glory’s new friend is found hanging around the set — literally.
When the police write it off as suicide, Glory’s gut tells her differently. Determined to prove the young man was murdered, she begins to uncover secrets about the old mansion that someone wants left hidden.
Will Glory’s sleuthing lead the police to the truth or will her determination to bring the killer to justice land her knee-deep in a bootlegger’s back yard? And will her budding relationship with the hunky, chief detective survive her uncontrollable urge to solve a mystery?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
S.C. Merritt is a cozy mystery author whose stories feature southern female sleuths, plots with a twist, and a little sprinkle of romance. The Sweetwater Springs Southern Mystery Series is set in a small Alabama town full of quirky characters, delicious restaurants, and lots of murder. Yummy recipes are included in each book! When not writing, she is traveling, watching classic movies and tv shows or collecting flamingos. She lives in Mississippi with her husband and miniature Schnauzer, Izzy and dreams of living in a tropical locale someday.

Visit S.C. on her website, Facebook and Instagram.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – MACIE ST. JAMES

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is Macie St. James with her book, The Country Star Cowboy.

Find it on Amazon.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
A mother’s dying wish gives six battling cousins a chance at family, forgiveness, and love.

Tyler Petty loves two things: country music and his hometown of Weeping Willow. Unfortunately, his dream of being a country star will put him on the road. He’s come to terms with that…until he stumbles upon the beautiful woman living above his cousin’s restaurant.

Peyton Clark has been hiding out from her old life for the past few months. She ran from a wedding her wealthy parents arranged for her, but she knows she’ll have to go home eventually. When she meets budding country star Tyler Petty, though, she suddenly has a reason to stay in Weeping Willow.

As their feelings for each other develop, Tyler and Peyton have to make a tough choice. Both are being pulled away from the town that has brought them together. Can they find a way to achieve their dreams without it tearing them apart?

The Lone Star Cowboys series is a sweet, clean contemporary western series filled with swoon-worthy heroes and a small-town Texas setting.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Macie St. James is a freelance content writer by day, romance author by night. Or maybe a mix of both at all times. When she’s not dreaming up her next story, she can be found indulging her Happy Planner habit and snuggling with her pet dog, a spaniel mix. She lives in Nashville with her husband.

Visit Macie on her website and Facebook.

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FRIEND FRIDAY – ELLEN JACOBSON

Friend Friday answers the question – what should I read next?

This week’s friend is Ellen Jacobson with her book, Smitten with Ravioli.

Find it on Amazon, Google, Apple and Nook.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
I’m not sure what I’m more scared of—cats that drool or falling for that annoying history professor in my Italian cooking course.

Sure, Preston Whitaker has amazing blue eyes, but he’s an arrogant know-it-all, just like my ex. I can’t stand the man. And now I’m stuck with him for the next four weeks in Italy.

If you gave me a choice between snuggling with a drooling cat or with Preston, I’d choose the cat in a heartbeat.

Or would I?

Did I mention how cute Preston is?

Maybe I should just have a holiday romance with him. That would be okay, right? Then, once I leave Italy, I’ll never have to see that pretentious jerk again.

Just one teeny-tiny problem—I think I might be falling for him big time. Will I be able to say goodbye to him when the cooking course is over?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ellen Jacobson is a chocolate obsessed cat lover who writes cozy mysteries and romantic comedies. After living on a sailboat for many years, she now travels around in a teeny-tiny camper with her husband and an imaginary cat named Simon. Her Mollie McGhie cozy mystery series, featuring a reluctant sailor turned amateur sleuth, is inspired by her own sailing adventures and misadventures living aboard sailboats in New Zealand and the States. Her Smitten with Travel romantic comedy series is inspired by her life as an expat in Scotland and New Zealand and love of exploring new countries and learning about new cultures.

Visit Ellen on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

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