Penny Watson's Blog, page 5

Poem for the Day

Woke up this morning at 5 am with this poem rattling around in my brain.
xoxoxoxoxox
Neen/Penny

OLD WOMAN'S REFLECTION...

20 Ways To Simplify Your Life

What's the most important thing you do to "simplify" your life? Are you trying to save time? Money? Make things less complicated?

I have figured out quite a few things that help me in my quest for a kinder, gentler, more simple existence.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you, too!


PERSONAL CARE


1. CLOTHES: THE UNIFORM

This one is a no-brainer for me because I don't care about clothes. At all. For those of you who do care, you may be horrified by this suggestion, but it's one of the best part...

Books on the Horizon

Some books on my to-be-read pile, with links...
LOVE LIKE SKY by Leslie C. Youngblood...middle-grade novel
SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King...horror novel (this is for my Halloween read)
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR: THE LIFE AND WORK OF FRED ROGERS by Maxwell King...biography


I've had a hankering for books about Alaska. Here is a partial list of recommendations from a Facebook post. This list includes fiction, non-fiction, etc...
#1 Recommendation was for  THE GREAT ALONE  by Kristin Hannah


MURDER ON THE...

The Great Experiment

The Great Experiment


I would like to invite you along for the ride as I attempt my "Great Experiment!"

What is "The Great Experiment?"

Well, first a little background for those of you who don't know me.
The most important things to me as an author are writing unique, one-of-a-kind fiction--the quirkier the better--and trying new things creatively. I like to set up writing challenges for myself as I embark on each new project. 
They are craft-related goals.
I'll try writing a different genre, e...

Overcoming Professional Jealousy

Here's a topic that is uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing and can be utterly debilitating.

It's also something that is widely prevalent in publishing although seldom spoken about.

Unless you are living the existence of a "hermit" writer--perhaps living in a shack in the woods with no Internet service, maybe a small herb garden, and perhaps a couple of wiener dogs...

(Sorry, I got side-tracked by my fantasy life!)

...you are aware of other authors.

In fact, once you get going with marketing/p...

New Ruts in the Road

I realized something this summer.

Writing romance is a default setting for me.

What does this mean?

It means that it has become a habit. When I start writing, I easily slip into alternating hero POV/heroine POV, banter/dialogue, focusing on their relationship. Creating setting as texture. The writing flows easily. It's second nature, uncomplicated, effortless.

The writing has always been the easy part for me.

It's the thinking/planning that's tough.

Writing romance is painless. I've been doing it f...

Quick Pickles!

End of summer project...quick pickles!

This is for 3 mason jars, but you could double/triple the recipe easily.

3 cups water
1 cup apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar or white balsamic vinegar)
1 T. sea salt
1 T. peppercorns (I used green and black)
1 T. mustard seeds
1 T. coriander seeds
fresh dill
bay leaves
garlic cloves, peeled
Veggies of choice...I used cucumber, green beans, carrots, and biquinho peppers.

Mason jars, washed and dried. They do not need to be sterilized since these will be refriger...

A Round of Applause for the Good Guys

I saw some frustrated sentiments on social media this week, and I thought I would chime in.

This pertains to the world of publishing, but it could probably apply to almost any profession.

It's human nature to crave the satisfaction of "fair play." 

We like to think the good guys will win, and the bad guys will lose. Unfortunately, life doesn't always work out that way.

It's incredibly frustrating to see folks who lie, cheat, and steal get ahead and "win."

There are plenty of folks in the publ...

Summery Update Part B

Hubby on Annual Fishing Trip!
Q: Dear Nina, what's been going on in your neck of the woods?

A: A whole bunch of stuff!


1. Hubby did his annual fly-fishing trip to British Columbia. See photo above. He caught numerous fish and had only one near run-in with a family of Grizzly bears. Success!

2. Took the family to Portland, Maine for a quickie summer trip. Here are the kids in Cape Elizabeth...



And here are a few pics from the GREATEST botanic garden, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay....

A Few Summery Updates: Professional (Part A)

Time for A Few Summery Updates: Professional (Part A).

Part B is Personal Updates...coming tomorrow.




Part A: Professional 

1. My first announcement has been a long time coming. 
I have decided to temporarily retire "Penny Watson."
What does this mean?
It means that I have a boat-load of stories floating around in my head, but they are not romance-driven. They still include love and friendship and romance, but they are not fitting into the "romance genre" box anymore.
My interests have chan...