Wendy Lindstrom's Blog, page 3

More Than Leaves Are Changing At Rustic Studio

Fall at Rustic Studio

As pink and purple petunias and summer flowers make way for fall sedum and changing maple leaves, I’m digging out my cozy sweaters and preparing mugs of hot apple cider. Night temps are dropping into the forties now, and I’ve built our first fire in the woodstove.

Autumn is my second favorite season (spring is my fave). When autumn arrives life seems to settle down some and all of us at Rustic Studio finally get to breathe.

Our bucolic glade is losing its green lushness as the maple leaves turn gold and red. Soon our lawn will be a blanket of fallen leaves. Our backyard friends have already started foraging in preparation for winter.  The twin fawns, Raindrop and Honeydew, are losing their spots and becoming more independent, while Mama’s and Mr. Sunshine’s coats are deepening to a darker brown.

Two of my fur babies relaxing.

My four fur babies are seeking the warmth of my bed at night instead of camping out in their outside enclosure, which means I wake up with no feeling in my legs.

The change of season also brings out my craving for hot stews and soups thick with vegetables, wild rice, and beans. To avoid adding unwanted winter fat, Grayson Guide Melissa and I recently completed a 10 day cleanse and are making healthy meals for our families and are finally getting back to kickboxing. When we do splurge, one of our favorite meals is this white chicken chili.  The fresh cilantro makes this chilly ahhhh-mazing! This is one of those throw-it-in-the-crockpot recipes, my go-to method of cooking when in my writing cave.

White Chicken Chili

Speaking of my writing cave…I’m pleased to share that there has been a flurry of words flying from my fingertips. I am currently working on three new books.  I’m well underway with Hal & Nancy Grayson’s story, which will come out in January, and will be followed by Dawson & Nancy’s book (aiming for February).  I started their stories early this spring, but due to some medical issues within my family I had to put the books aside for a short while.  Thankfully, I am back at it and I am having a great time with each of their stories.

 Nancy Grayson is such a beautiful woman. Her strength and beauty will shine through as she falls in love with Hal and then again as she falls in love with Dawson Crane and learns there are still more first-times and new loves at any age. Hal Grayson and Dawson Crane are absolutely swoon worthy men and Nancy Grayson, although deserving of them, is one lucky gal.

When I Fall in Love is the sensual edition of Hal and Nancy’s story.  Always and Forever is the sweet edition. We are busy working on titles and covers for Nancy & Dawson’s story (we’ll share them soon). Pre-orders for When I Fall in Love and Always and Forever will be also available soon.  I will be sharing those links in my newsletter and on my social media pages.

As for the other book I’m working on, I am keeping that secret for now, but I’m super excited about it.

Can you guess whose story is next?

Stay tuned. Or better yet, if you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter.  I will be sharing titles and covers along with release dates and pre-order links. My newsletter subscribers are the first to know of new book releases.  You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Now for some fun news for the month! Our sweet Second Chance Brides series is topping the bestseller lists at Amazon (hit #4 storewide) and Barnes and Noble (#41 storewide) along with making it to #1 on numerous sub-genre bestseller lists. Our heartfelt thanks to our readers who are keeping several of these books at the top of these bestseller lists.

Kindle | Nook | Apple | Kobo | Google

All right, enough from me for the moment as I must get back to the writing cave (or more aptly my gorgeous rustic studio) and get these books finished. In the meantime, if you have any stew or soup recipes you would like to share with us, please post below and/or in the Grayson Parlor.

Peace and warmest wishes from all of us at Rustic Studio.

 

 

 

 

Springtime in the Glade

Winter has finally released her grip and spring abounds at Rustic Studio. If you can envision Snow White’s bucolic glade teaming with colorful birds and squirrels and deer, then you’ll have a good idea of the world surrounding Rustic Studio. And if Bambi is one of your favorite fairytales then you will love the story of Sunshine.

This is a picture of Sunshine grazing outside the studio. We suspect she was born last spring. She showed up this winter, alone and badly injured. It appears that Sunshine was hit by a motor vehicle. Her right front leg is broken and swings uselessly from her shoulder. Her back lower leg is also damaged, yet appears to adequately support her. Somehow Sunshine found her way to our little glade and has made it her home.  For several weeks now she’s been feeding herself from our bird feeders and drinking from our small back pond just outside the thicket where she beds down at night. Each day she hobbles across the grounds cleaning out the feeders and eating the greens we put out. She grazes alongside rabbits and squirrels, cardinals and robins, and sometimes other deer as they dine on a healthy mix of millet and sunflower seeds. Some evenings Sunshine lies under our silver maple tree and watches me through the French doors as I prepare supper.

Last week two crows tried to chase Sunshine away from the feeders, but she didn’t budge. It was a proud mama moment for me to see her well enough to stand her ground. I’m not fond of the crows or the hawks that occasionally camp out in our trees because they are aggressive, but I can’t begrudge them claiming their little piece of the pie. They know a good campsite when they see one.

Several red-headed downy woodpeckers and bluejays have commandeered the suet feeder leaving only ground scraps for the chipmunks, but they all seem to be getting their fill. Our resident groundhogs Woody, Charlie, and Mrs. Fatbottom and their ever-growing family are out of their burrows now, so I’m willing to believe that winter is finally over.

To my delight, two mallard ducks have made their home in the small marsh out back. Each day the “Mallards”, as I refer to the pretty couple, paddle slowly among the reeds and sumac bushes. At feeding time they waddle up through the grass fluttering their tails and scouting for the best treats. I expect to see a clutch of little ones trailing behind them soon.

Sunshine and I have spent many days together, she grazing, me writing and daydreaming. My Rustic Studio is such a beautiful place to live and write. As I listen to the babbling waterfalls of my water feature, I imagine the world the Graysons live in. I think about Nancy Grayson as she goes about her daily chores of hanging laundry on the line while her grandchildren play in the apple orchard. In their faces she sees the faces of her own boys when they were young—and she remembers a man she has loved all her life…and a new man who is teaching her how to love again.

How did this sassy, vibrant woman command the love of two great men? How did it all begin? I planned to write the story of Nancy falling in love for a second time in her life—with Dawson Crane—but to tell their story I need to tell you about her first love with Hal Grayson.

Both stories deserve to be told…

I am well underway with Hal and Nancy’s story and I must say I’m really excited about this book. But I can say the same about Dawson and Nancy’s story, which came to me in pieces while writing Leave it for the Rain. As I sink deeper into the thoughts and heart of Nancy Grayson, I find myself falling in love with both men…

I think you will too.

So…how do you think Hal and Nancy’s romance began?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Cover Reveal

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Sweet vs. Sensual

Readers have been asking for sweet editions of the Grayson Brothers series. I’m thrilled to announce that I now have books for readers of either sensual or sweet romance.

In your opinion, what is the difference between a sweet story and a sensual story?

Which do you prefer?  Are you more inclined to read a sweet book?  Or do you prefer something with a little heat?

Spring Fever and March Madness

 

Holy moly! It’s 10 degrees Fahrenheit at my Rustic Studio and I’m coming down with a bad case of March Madness and Spring Fever.

As I look out my studio window, my frozen water feature makes me long for the sunny days of summer.  The limbs of the magnolia bushes are barely visible above the several feet of snow that covers my lawn.  The cardinals and blue jays don’t seem to mind the cold though. They’re all aflutter drinking and bathing in the opening we keep on the pond for our koi (I hope they survive!).  The sight makes me shiver and I’m glad to be tucked inside my cozy studio.

Spring seems so far off, but it’s only days away—Spring 2015 officially begins on Friday, March 20th at 6:46 pm!  I know this because…well, I’m obsessed with getting outside and landscaping my new water feature.

It will be several weeks before the temperature is consistently warm enough to be outside without a jacket, but I’m already daydreaming about planting new flowers and groundcover around my water feature.

Last spring, I added the small pond and some landscaping to replace a monstrous above ground pool.  It was bliss to hear water splashing against slate rocks instead of the sound of a humming pool pump.  The burbling stream is much more inspiring. After the water feature was installed, we planted a few rhododendron and magnolia bushes and some annuals to add some temporary color.  This year we’ll be adding creeping myrtle and other groundcover along with some colorful perennials. I’ll be posting before and after pics in the Grayson Parlor, so make sure you have access to the Parlor.

While nosing around for the perfect plants I discovered a website that has great tips on water gardening.   Are any of you fellow gardeners?  Have you watched Pond Stars on Nat Geo Wild featuring Aquascape’s pond builders?  I just recently discovered the website and show, and much like the tiny home movement, I am becoming obsessed.  If you are into water gardening, you will find some great inspiration on the show and on Aquascape’s website http://www.aquascapeinc.com/.

So, while I wait for the thaw to begin, I’ll be nestled in my studio nosing through gardening books and watching those crazy birds bathe in my icy pond. I’ll be ordering lawn furniture and planning my garden while finishing up the next Grayson Brothers book (more on that very soon).

Meanwhile, please help me combat Spring Fever by sharing pictures of your gardens, water or otherwise, and your landscaping tips and inspiration. Post below and/or in the Grayson Parlor (Click on Topic: Spring Fever).

And please send me some sunshine!

Spring Fever

Holy moly! It’s 10 degrees Fahrenheit at my Rustic Studio and I am coming down with a bad case of March Madness and Spring Fever.

Spring seems so far off, but it’s only days away—Spring 2015 officially begins on Friday, March 20th at 6:46 pm!  I know this because…well, I’m obsessed with getting outside and landscaping my new water feature.

I need your help combating March Madness and Spring Fever. What are you doing to get through these final few weeks of winter?   Please share your gardening and landscaping tips in the comments below and your name will be entered into a drawing for a really fun prize.

 

Big Dreams of a Tiny Home

Are You Part of the Tiny House Movement?

Did you know that “…an increasing number of people are embracing what is called the “Tiny House Movement,” a trend where people are downsizing their living spaces.”—Elizabeth Murray, Today show

I’m one of those people!

I love my Rustic Studio and my home. The area I live in is too beautiful to leave, but winters here can be harsh. The hills, the changing seasons, and the slower pace of small town America suit me and my writing life. However, during these long, cold winter days I can’t help daydreaming of owning a Tiny House in a warmer climate where we can escape the blustery winter days.

My “secret plan” is to build my Tiny House in the mid south in an area filled with rolling hills and meandering creeks—and lots of sunshine! The Smokey Mountains of Tennessee or the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Mid-Atlantic States might make a perfect setting for my Tiny Dream Home.

I envision adding a main lodge with a huge stone fireplace and loft style cozy guestrooms with an upper level interior balcony—friends and family will need a place to stay. I see us sitting in rustic, thick-cushioned chairs arranged around a massive fireplace where we’ll all share festive meals and easy conversations. Outside, I would create a large fenced play area with trees and a shallow creek where my boys (four rascal cats) could run and climb and wear themselves out before settling in our Tiny Home for a night of cuddling in our loft bedroom.

Grayson Guide Melissa thinks we should both move our families south and create a Tiny Home resort similar to Oak Haven Resort & Spa in Sevierville, Tennessee, but I don’t know about having her as a neighbor. She wants to have baby goats as pets. They’re cute as the dickens, but I can’t imagine listening to all that bleating while trying to write.

For now, I’ll enjoy my beautiful home and rustic studio and keep looking at Tiny homes to see which style and size best fits my plan. I recently started following the Living Large in Our Little House on Facebook. This week they are posting Tiny houses across the United States available to rent as vacation homes.  How cool is that?

The one thing I’m certain of is that I’ll need to get rid of a lot of clothes if I move into a Tiny home. My must have in a Tiny home? My e-reader, of course. Must have my books!

Have you considered downsizing to a Tiny home? Could you live in a Tiny home—typically 300 square feet or less? Join the conversation and share your comments below.

Grayson Brothers Memes

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Sweet Contest For Our Sweet Readers

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New behind the scenes video of Rustic Studio

Spring fawn at Rustic Studio

Here’s a sneak peek video of Rustic Studio — my little piece of paradise where I spend my days writing and relaxing.