Remembering Our Loved Ones

Day of the Dead

As you may know, Day of the Dead, celebrated October 31 through November 2, is a traditional Mexican holiday set aside for remembrance of loved ones. Celebrants set up altars with photos and memorabilia of their loved ones, and share stories and food. It's wonderful, isn't it? Our loved ones may have physically passed on, but they remain with us as long as their stories do.

What you may not know is that today, October 27th, is set aside for pets who have passed on. I love that. Two years ago this October 28th, I lost my soul dog, so this is a beautiful way to remember her each year. I plan to light a candle and celebrate her spirit. She was a one-of-a-kind dog who quite literally saved me during one of the worst times of my life. I'll never forget her, and this special day is sure to become a way I can always remember her.

If you have a beloved pet and want to share their story, get in touch!

Summer Flowers and Adventure Escapes

Gems in the Garden

Summer's unofficially here, which means my garden is bursting with beautiful flowers. I forget how much I miss the flowers and birdsong until I'm able to throw open the windows and welcome spring back to NY. I often go out to the garden with my camera and forget to take photos because I'm enjoying the beauty.

Did you know that even a few minutes a day spent with nature can do wonders for your physical and mental health? Even tending a potted plant is beneficial...further proof that we were not meant to sit at a desk for hours, staring at a screen. Get out that sunscreen and pay Mother Nature a visit! She misses you.

Gems in the Ground

I've scaled back my writing engagements this year to travel with my husband in our travel trailer, affectionately dubbed "Libby" (and maybe collect some new stories to tell). Recently, we went to

Scam Alert for Aspiring Authors

Author Beware

I posted this on my Facebook page, but it's important enough that I feel it should be repeated here.

TO ASPIRING AUTHORS:

There have been a lot of spam emails targeting aspiring (or published) authors lately. It goes like this:

"Hi, I'm [insert name] of [insert entity], and I was captivated by your [insert your book title]. The [insert book details] was so [insert gushing compliments]. I would love to promote your book/publish/edit/whatever your book and get it in front of my audience of [insert astronomical number] readers. Contact me!"

These are ALWAYS A SCAM, made to look credible by the use of AI to get details from your book. Don't answer. Report spam and block them.

No one credible will approach YOU. It's almost always the other way around in publishing. The credible authors, editors, formatters, promoters, and publishers have way too much work on their plates already to voluntarily seek out an unknown quantity (or someone who, if published, isn't already a NYT bestseller). If someone DOES approach you without your prompting them, they're likely to have a credible, verifiable reference (e.g., "Our mutual acquaintance, So-and-So, gave me your name."). You should be able to verify with So-and-So that this is, in fact, the case.

A real editor, formatter, promoter, or publisher will not seek you out. They'll wait for you to send a query letter, then respond accordingly.

Don't fall for it. Please, for the love of that potential bestseller inside you, don't fall for it. These scammers are just looking to steal your money, your work, or both.

Rule of thumb: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.