Monday Morning Musing: Spring Tease, Cartoons, Book Sale

Spring Teaser. That's what we call when the temps go up--on Saturday, it was 64°--making us think Spring is here, then we wake up to snow. Nasty trick, Mother Nature.

Spring can come anytime now. The gray skies can go away. We need the sunshine.

Cartoons. Remember when cartoons only came on Saturday mornings? The theme for "George of the Jungle" has been going through my head this morning. My favorite was "Rocky and Bullwinkle" with its sly humor. What was yours?

Now cartoons are on all the time. Thanks to the 4-year-old twins, I'm learning more than I want to know. They seem simplistic, the designs lack the attention to detail of older cartoons. Sometimes, there isn't any dialogue, just grunting as the characters beat up each other. Unfortunately, I can see the appeal to the boys, I had four brothers.

Sale. On Wednesday, I'm participating in N.N. Light's "Shake Off the Winter Doldrums" event. (No link yet. I'll have one here Wednesday morning.) I'm featuring One Red Shoe, a road trip adventure. I had so much fun writing ORS. even some slapstick comedy with a clumsy assassin wannabe. If you haven't read it yet, now's your chance to get it for 99 cents. 

Have a good week, stay warm, and think Spring.

#IWSG - Spring - #ThinkBlue4ALSA

It's the 1st Wednesday of May. Happy Insecure Writers Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts:  E.M.A. Timar, J. Q. Rose, C.Lee McKenzie, and Raimey Gallant!

This month's Optional Question: It's spring! Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not?

Absolutely! I’ve mentioned having the winter blahs—think it was more depression.Then, I got pneumonia. So when Spring came along, the sunshine made me feel more energetic. Daughter said I need a “happy” lamp. I plan to get one so this doesn’t happen next winter. 

I love Spring. Everything is greening up. Trees have buds. Daffodils and tulips are blooming. Yesterday, it got up to 80. Last week, it was in the 30s. If the sun was shining, the temp didn’t seem as cold. Yay for sunshine.

During the month of May, 12 science fiction and paranormal romance writers are donating 25% of their royalties for their special Blue Cover books to the ALS Association, an organization dedicated to providing ALS patients and their families with a multitude of different types of assistance, and continuing research to find a cure for this deadly disease..

I'm donating 25% of my royalties from my sci-fi romance, The Chameleon (An Outer Rim Novel) to ALSA in memory of Stephen Hawking. Despite the debility of ALS, he accomplished so much in the field of physics and cosmology.

Blurb for The Chameleon (An Outer Rim Novel):

Legally Blond meets Mata Hari

Socialite Jileena Winslott has perfected the image of the spoiled, rich, bubble-headed daughter of an industrial magnate. In reality, she’s a smart, savvy aide to her father in social situations where she is his eyes and ears. She yearns to be her true self and run the family business. When her father sends her on a covert mission to the Outer Rim, she has the chance to prove herself. Big problem. He insists she take along a fake fiancé—the man she’s secretly loved for years.

Security Officer Laning Servary has better things to do than babysit a spoiled rich girl on a tour of the Frontier. If he refuses, he can kiss his career good-by. Then Jileena’s father sweetens the pot. If Laning keeps her safe, his family will receive the land they share-crop. He can’t refuse.

In the close quarters of her ship, Laning and Jileena discover they aren’t who they seem. Pirates, weather, and her recklessness threaten to derail the mission. As Laning and Jileena revise their impressions of each other, they’ll have to make hard choices about their goals. Can their budding love survive?

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ iBooks ~ B&N ~ Smashwords

Check out the landing page for our Blue Cover Project to see the other participating authors:   http://www.leakirk.com/supporting-als.html

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

Playing Catch Up

Once again, I apologize for being absent on Mondays. I started this blog back in 2011 and rarely missed a Monday. This year has been different. Between the weather (the winter that never left), my mood (winter blahs that bordered on depression), and my health (pneumonia), this blog suffered. I kept up with my commitments on Paranormal Romantics, The Roses of Prose, and Pandora’s Box Gazette, though. Isn’t that typical? We don’t want to let others down, so we push ourselves to complete projects, yet we ignore commitments to ourselves.

On the writing front: I’m still working on Numbers Never Lie, my romantic suspense. Every weekend, I share a 10-sentence snippet with Weekend Writing Warriors. I’ve loved the comments. So encouraging. I just have about 10,000 words to go. But, it’s the same 10k that’s been staring me in the face all month. I need a kick in the pants to finish. I’m sure Hubs will be happy to oblige. 😊

Spring finally came yesterday. The sun is shining. The temp is in the 60s, approaching 70. The spring flowers—daffodils and tulips—are poking their tips out of the ground. It’s amazing how the weather affects mood. I feel more energy, excited to get moving.

My health is a topic I’d prefer not to talk about—even though I’ve used the bout with pneumonia as fodder for other blogs. I went to the doctor’s last week for a follow up visit and to discuss recent blood work. Lack of energy and short of breath upon the slightest exertion worried me. Last spring, I had congestive heart failure, so I worried about that returning. The blood work confirmed what I’ve been expecting. Diabetes. At this point, the doctor said it hasn’t damaged my body. He attributes all my symptoms (chronic back pain, shortness of breath, and diabetes) to being overweight. At every visit, he’s told me to exercise more. How do you exercise when your back is killing you? He asked what weight loss programs I’ve tried in the past that worked. Weight Watchers. Then he “ordered” me to join. Losing twenty pounds, he said, would make a difference. (Never mind I have several 20 pounds to lose.) So, I joined online and will attend my first in-person meeting tomorrow. By announcing this, I’m putting myself on notice. I can’t backslide or give up, not when other people know about it.

On a happier note: Saturday, I had a rare treat. I took my oldest grandchild to lunch. Just she and I—no sibling, no parents, no granddad. She’s ten (closing in on eleven) and very mature. In so many ways, she reminds me of her mother. For years, people have said she looks like her mom. While I agree, I see more of our daughter’s personality in her. Serious, studious, a hard worker, a reader, a leader. Yet, she has her own personality, too. She’s bubbly and fun-loving. She’s a dancer (ballet), a Girl Scout, plays violin, and is active in church. Yesterday, she was an acolyte at the early service and read Scripture at the second. Best of all, she’s a great conversationalist. From the time I picked her up, through lunch, and almost all the way back to her house, she carried on a conversation with me. No one-word answers to my questions. We talked about school, her summer plans, what she’s reading (always a good topic LOL) and the previous night’s sleepover at a girlfriend’s. It’s probably obvious I am very proud of her. And proud of her parents for raising such a good kid. This was so much fun for me, I plan to do it often with her and the other grandkids. The ones who can talk. I think it will be a while before the twins are ready for lunch with grandma.

Have a great week. I promise to do better with this blog.

Monday Morning Musing

Good Morning!

I've shared character sketches from four characters in my work-in-progress Numbers Never Lie. That's all for now. The story is really coming together quickly as the end approaches. (See my progress on the widget to the right.) I mentioned before that I started this story back in 2003, updated technology, and did quite a bit of editing. I'm a better writer now than 15 years ago. (I should be!) Having versions of the story saved on 3.25 floppies presented a challenge. Gathering together the best of what I'd written before and changing the focus became easier as I plunged into this romantic suspense. Yesterday, I found two scenes that I knew I'd written. Halleluia. 

My goal is to finish the first draft by April 1st (no joke). Since I periodically go back and edit as I write, much of the draft is in good shape. Then I plan to get it to my editor by mid-April. If I stay on target, the book should be released by Mother's Day. That's my plan. Hopefully, I make my deadlines.

Life has a way of smacking you down when you get too full of yourself. Or as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans." Isn't that the truth? I'm sure there will surprises between now and Mother's Day.

Spring has come to Michigan. Finally. Winter will give us another taste as it fades away. The ducks and geese have returned to the pond behind our house. So has the muskrat. Apparently, he (or she) decided to make the bank in front of our house its home. Hubs has tried nearly everything to make it find another home, even to the extent of pouring cement into the holes. Muskrat just made more. Smart critter. He doesn't bother us, except for the possibility of breaking a leg by stepping into a hole while mowing near the water.

We went to a Pinewood Derby race on Saturday. Oldest grandson's Cub Scout Pack sponsored the event. He asked Hubs to help with making the car. My husband has always been patient with kids (with me, too, LOL). And he has the tools for the kids to use. BTW, they let siblings race their cars, too, after the Cub Scouts finish their race, so oldest granddaughter built a car and raced it, too. I was impressed with the layout. It sure was different from when Son participated with a wood track and the adults eyeballing the winner. A metal track with an electronic gadget that recorded the outcome of each heat (4 cars raced in a heat), a huge screen that showed the outcome. Each car raced in four heats. Neither of the grandkids' cars won. As a result, he and his sister decided to start working on their cars during Christmas break. Instead of trying to do everything in 3 weekends. Good planning.

A week ago, we attended oldest granddaughter's 5th grade orchestra concert. Since the kids have only been playing their instruments for 6 months, I expected to hear a lot of squeaks and out of tune notes. (Both our kids played band instruments, so we've been to concerts before.) The kids did well, much better than I expected. Short pieces. Their teacher explained their progress from two or three lines of music to a full page. Granddaughter plays the violin. Her cousin, Toddler Girl, came, too. She announced she's going to play piano. That's exciting. We went to a lot of piano recitals, too, featuring her daddy and her aunt. 

The twins are growing like proverbial weeds. Eight and five pounds at birth, they're now 12 and 18 pounds. The linebacker and the quarterback. More importantly (to me) than physical growth is their engaging with others. The smiles and coos are delightful. The linebacker even "talks" to us. Sure wish we knew what he's saying. The little one is very active, arm and leg movements and grins. Melts my heart when he smiles. He babbles, too. Love it.

With Spring here, Hubs is raring to get outside and work in the garden. I'm enjoying the sunshine. Looking forward to a good week of writing. Not looking forward to getting ready for taxes. 

On Wednesday, my monthly column on Family Life at Pandora's Box Gazette is on Reading.

On Saturday, starting at 9am EDT, I'm participating in a "get to know the contributors chat" with other Pandora contributors and readers. If you have time, I'd love if you stopped by. 
https://www.pandorasboxjt.com/forum/meet-the-authors

Of course, on the weekend, I'll post another snippet here from Numbers Never Lie with the Weekend Writing Warriors.

Have a great week!

New Life

Spring brings many signs of new life. Green grass, tulips and daffodils, yellow forsythia, and redbud trees in bloom. On Saturday, I found something new. A nest under a rhododendron. The fact that I could see it out my living room window made it more interesting. Amazingly, the nest held about fifteen eggs and Mama Mallard stood nearby. Did I take a picture then? Of course not. Talk about a missed opportunity. When I did grab my phone (my nearest camera), Mama had settled on top of her eggs. If you look carefully, you can see her tail feathers.

Four years ago, when we finally choose a location for our new home, I was slightly disappointed that we didn't back to trees. (That lot was in a flood zone.) Instead we chose the lot that backed to a pond (along with twenty-two other lots). We have enjoyed the inhabitants of that pond--the ducks, especially. We could do without the geese (who decorate our lawn with green deposits) and the muskrat whose hole in our lawn could be a leg-breaking hazard.

But the ducks are entertaining. They return each spring, build nests, and have their babies. Several of the neighbors (and Hubs) toss bread to them, making them so tame they come right up to the house as soon as they hear the slider opening. 

This spring is the first time we've found a nest on our property. Right next to our house! (This is the rhododendron. I can't see her in the above picture.) I keep hoping to catch Mama off the nest so I can take that picture. According to my resident researcher, the gestation period is 24 to 29 days. We have no idea when she laid the eggs. As you can see from the picture, she's well camouflaged. And she doesn't move, even when Hubs goes out the front door to get the newspaper or when I went out to take a picture. Apparently, she will leave the nest to get food and drink. Perhaps when the area warms up near our supper time. As I write this, the nest is in the shade, so she's busy keeping those eggs warm.

Mamas are like that, aren't they? We keep our babies warm, give them what they need, and above all protect them. In my newest cozy mystery, The Case of the Meddling Mama, Nick's mother has returned home to Michigan from Arizona where she and his dad retired. Leaving her husband of almost forty years had to be a difficult decision. But what's a woman to do when her spouse doesn't listen to her?

I'll keep my eye on Mama Mallard and take pictures when she leaves the nest. Can't wait for the grandkiddies to see this.

How is spring where you live?

Once again, Alex O’Hara is up to her ears in mysteries. After surviving an attempted murder, all she wants is R&R time with Nick Palzetti. But his mother leaving his father (“that horse’s patoot”) and moving in with Alex puts a crimp in their plans. Then Nick leaves on assignment and the teen she rescued from an abusive father believes his buddy is doing drugs. Meanwhile, Alex has two easy cases to take her mind off her shaky relationship with Nick—a philandering husband and a background check on a client’s boyfriend. Piece of cake.

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Smashwords

Daffodils, Baseball, Tornadoes

You can tell it’s Spring in Michigan—and in most of the Midwest. Daffodils and other spring bulbs are poking their heads through the cold ground. Today is the first day of baseball—the Detroit Tigers play the Chicago White Sox. Time to get boats in the water. And it’s tornado season.

Every fall, Hubs and I plant tulips and daffodils in the hopes that we’ll have lots of color despite winter’s brown grass. Unfortunately, some critters think bulbs are a delicacy. Not sure, but we think it’s a rabbit and his/her buddies. The profusion of blooms fills me with joy and hope. So we’ll plant more bulbs and hope for the best.

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that baseball is my favorite sport. Never mind that Hubs and almost every person in the U.S. will be glued to their televisions tonight watching the NCAA Basketball playoffs. I’d rather watch baseball. Some equate watching baseball on TV the equivalent of watching paint dry. Not me. As a kid, I played baseball. As a parent, I watched my kids in Little League, and even kept score for our son’s team. Baseball is a sport whose rules I understand. Besides, it’s fun. While it's quite a hike across the state to watch the Tigers play in person, I can still get my baseball fix by attending the West Michigan WhiteCaps games. The WhiteCaps, a minor league team affiliated with the Tigers, play just north of Grand Rapids.

While the first two signs of Spring are fun and exciting, the next one is scary. I lived in Missouri for six years. Tornado Alley. A tornado hit Sedalia the year before we moved there. Despite the devastation to houses, a mobile home park, and the factory where Hubs went to work, no lives were lost due to the advance warning system. After seeing pictures of the devastation, I have a healthy respect for tornado sirens. I hope you do, too. While Michigan isn’t exactly in Tornado Alley, we do get tornadoes here. So, I know where in my basement to go when the sirens sound. My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by the tornadoes this past week.

The Case of the Meddling Mama takes place in Spring. My cover designer, the talented Florence Price of The Novel Difference, did a great job with the cover. See the containers containing tulips in front of Alex’s building and the people frolicking on the beach? They’re smart enough not to go into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan. But it's a great time to go fishing and sailing.

Blurb:

Once again, Alex O’Hara is up to her ears in mysteries. After surviving an attempted murder, all she wants is R&R time with Nick Palzetti. But his mother leaving his father (“that horse’s patoot”) and moving in with Alex puts a crimp in their plans. Then Nick leaves on assignment and the teen she rescued from an abusive father believes his buddy is doing drugs. Meanwhile, Alex has two easy cases to take her mind off her shaky relationship with Nick—a philandering husband and a background check on a client’s boyfriend. Piece of cake.

Release date: April 17, 2017. Available for pre-order at a reduced price.

Amazon: http://a.co/2hk7fYF

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-case-of-the-meddling-mama-an-alex-o-hara-novel

Have a great week. Happy Spring!

The Good and the Bad

This week has held both good and bad news. The bombings in Belgium stunned all of us. The horror, especially for the victims and their families, spread across the world. Since 9-11, we still can’t understand how people can do this to other people.

Last week wasn’t so good for me. I’d be doing great with exercises, walking, and physical therapy. Then Tuesday night, as I was leaving book group, I fell and landed on my hip. After getting up, walking, and driving home, I thought okay, it’s not broken. On Thursday, the pain really kicked in. While thinking I don’t have time for broken bones, I hit the ER. 

Here’s the good news. No broken hip. Thank God for watching out for me. I really have too much to do in the next month. A reminder to pay attention, especially when yakking away with friends. A special thank you to them for helping me up and rescuing my keys, phone, and purse—all of which when flying when I went down. A good friend wasn’t as fortunate. In January, she fell, broke her hip, had surgery for pins, which didn’t work, and had hip replacement the day I fell. I really wasn’t trying to be a copycat.

More good news. Spring has come and it looks like it’s staying. A major snowstorm skirted north of us, dumping lots of rain here but no snow. Two mallards, a drake and hen, sat on our deck rail. They’ve never done that before. I wonder if they remember Hubs throwing out bread crumbs for the past two summers. 

 

Best news. Yesterday was Easter. A celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. And a reminder that there is life beyond death. And hope. Hope for a better life than what we have here. I cannot imagine not believing in an afterlife. With all the ugliness in this world, I have to believe that in the next life we’ll find justice, forgiveness, and love.

I hope you all have a great week. That the good news outweighs the bad.

On Wednesday, I’ll be over at The Roses of Prose. If you have time, come and visit.

Spring

OMG, I think it’s here. The sun is shining, even if the wind is strong. Isn’t there something about March winds? The air smells different. Fresher, cleaner. Hubs and I had our first sundae of the season at Captain Sundae’s last week, so it must be Spring!

I feel so much more energized when it’s sunny. I even went for a walk yesterday. It was short, but it felt good. I’m going to try to go every day. Gotta toughen up for vacation. LOL

I’ve been going to physical therapy for my back for four weeks now, and it’s really helping. Plus, I’ve been learning a lot about the reason I’m in pain—besides the arthritis in my spine. You know the commercial that says you have to keep moving to help arthritis, but arthritis makes it hurt to move. A vicious cycle. When you don’t move (because it hurts to move), muscles tighten up.

The therapist has been working my hip muscles, which were really tight. And he’s given me exercises to do at home. Just a couple. He said they’ve found out if they give patients a whole list of home exercises, patients won’t do them. Too overwhelming. So true. At any rate, I’m getting outside and walking, keeping the hip muscles loose. A rolling walker really helps, too. Just like a shopping cart gets me through Walmart, Meijer’s, and Costco.

Now that the snow is gone, it’s so great to see green grass and the tips of daffodils poking through the ground. Birds are back. A mourning dove sat on our deck rail and serenaded us. The mallards are back in the pond. Can’t wait to see the babies. Hubs is all set to feed them again. Unfortunately, the geese have found their way back, too. I keep meaning to borrow my daughter’s dog to chase away the geese before they leave “deposits” all over the backyard.

Despite the sun, it’s still chilly here in West Michigan. At least the gray skies of winter are gone. I hope.

 

The Case of the Fabulous Fiancé starts in winter and goes into just the beginning of spring. The next book, The Case of the Meddling Mama, will take place in spring. There’s one thing you’ll see on the cover. Tulips. Can’t have spring in West Michigan without tulips.

So here’s to Spring, a time of rebirth.