Beth Overmyer's Blog: The Blog of Beth Overmyer, page 11

Kittens in the HOUSE–well, not the actual house…

There have been no cats in any of my published work and that is a crying SHAME. I mean, cats are my favorite animal (foxes are second, horses are third, otters are tied in fourth with dogs.) WHY haven’t I featured these pretty lil critters in my books? Well, I mean, the first draft of IN A PICKLE had a time-traveling companion cat named Thomasin. But he didn’t make it through the first round of rewrites, bother.

Right now, there is a litter of two (once three) feral kittens hanging around my ...

Riddle Answer

For book three of The Goblets Immortal Trilogy, I wanted to do a riddle to reveal the title. Here is the answer…un-riddled….

This man was greeted as an old friend. Or was he a man? Emily could tell you, no fear you’d offend!

The man in question is no man at all, but an “old friend” of Emily Dickinson. The answer is Death!

(Now, name and make him the possessor. Congratulations! You have the first word, you clever old guesser.)

The possessive of “Death” is Death’s.

ALT or Enter (or ...

Lemongrass

Like tanderine blossoms in my series The Goblets Immortal, lemongrass is reputed to have healing properties. Note that I am NOT a doctor nor am I giving medical advice in this post. This is all my own experience.

I’ve been growing a small crop of lemongrass, and the other week I harvested a small portion of it. Lemongrass, from my understanding, can be harvested when the plant is at least twelve inches long.

First, I traced the leaf down to the stalk near the soil, and then I cut, lea...

Songs for Writing Time

Here is a list of songs that have inspired and seen me through multiple drafts of novels. Hit it, maestro!

For The Goblets Immortal Trilogy*:

Ruins of Illusion by LEAHWicked Game (cover) by Theory of a DeadmanEdge of Your Sword by LEAHDo Not Stand at My Grave and Weep (version) by LEAHHero by Chad KroegerI’m So Sorry by Imagine Dragons

*Book three comes out in 2023. Guess the title by solving these riddles here.

For ADIBAB Duology(?)*:

Avalanche by Cellar DarlingBlack Moon by Cell...

Late Fee, a short story

            It wasn’t that Neilson Redd was unwilling to pay the fine for his overdue library book. He most certainly did not wish to make a statement about the unfairness of such a program by refusing to pay. He had money in the bank, so lack of funds wasn’t it either. The reason for Neilson’s inability to pay the fine was that he himself was late. As in dead.

            As he sat—or rather hovered over the wooden bench outside his local public library, Neilson wondered. The normal existent...

Baking With Beth: English Cream Scones

Scones possibly came from Scotland (I love y’all’s pronunciation of them over there!) or Cornwall in the 1500s, and were believed to originally have been flat. Aidan Ingledark (The Goblets Immortal) would have grown up with these baking powder biscuit treats for tea-time with Lord and Lady Clement Ingledark, his parents.

I made the scones using a recipe from The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook.

2 cups flour, and more for the work surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoo...

Which LOTR Hobbit are You?

Just for fun, I thought I’d make up a short hobbit personality quiz. Don’t take it too seriously

Of the following, which would you say is your greatest strength?
a. Taking responsibility
b. Loyalty
c. The ability to see the best in people
d. A sense of fun and adventureOf the following, what would you say is your greatest weakness?
a. Trying to bear burdens alone
b. Bashfulness/insecurity
c. Giving in to peer pressure
d. Shirking responsibilityAt a party, what would you most likely be doing?
a. I ten...

Solve a Riddle to Uncover Book 3’s Title and Win Something Shiny

I’m throwing around the idea of doing an escape room blog post. Having only sorta done one virtual escape room, I will need to take time to study this craft. In the meantime, I have some riddles for you. Email the correct answer/s to me for a chance to win a $5 Amazon e-gift card. US only (sorry!)

The first five people to send the correct answer/s to bethovermyer@gmail.com will get a gift card plus my undying gratitude for proving that my riddles aren’t too difficult. I’ll leave this open thr...

Paint Me a Thousand Words

The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. I would like to share some of my favorite art, but don’t expect 1,000 words on each!

The Storm by Pierre Auguste Cot

The painting is full of romance and whimsy (two of my favorite things!) He’s looking at her as they run from the onslaught of rain, but she’s got her eyes on the surroundings. Bashful? Modest (albeit not dressed so)? It’s all up to the viewer’s interpretation! This work of art is the wallpaper on my laptop

Thought...

What I’m reading – And Perhaps You Should Be Too

Here are some books I’m reading and my thoughts on them so far…

For the Wolf (The Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten. As of this writing, I’m only a couple chapters in, but I’m intrigued. The pacing is a bit slow, but I get that it’s meant to build dread in the reader.Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was a tough act to follow, which is why I’m a bit stalled on this one. Don’t get me wrong: it is FASCINATING and awesome and I will finish it. I just need a b...