Cover Art for THE SERPENT IN THE STONE!

Just a picture to whet your appetites today. This is Book One in the Gifted Series, THE SERPENT IN THE STONE, coming soon from The Wild Rose Press!

Juuuust Right!

Fate gets a bad rap sometimes, from folks who don't believe in it, and sometimes even from myself. For example, I recently had a two-week streak of rotten luck that left me wishing for the following Sunday. However, this past week, I'd have to say my luck turned around. I got a new car (a Honda Civic, which I adore), and my family got a new dog.

We had been talking about a second dog here and there, and one day we came across one that we loved. Unfortunately for us (but fortunately for the dog), he got adopted just before we arrived to adopt him. Then we saw a dog at a local shelter that we wanted, but she, too, was adopted. Rotten luck, like I said.

Then, my husband discovered a few pups on Petfinder, of the same breed as the first dog we'd seen. Turns out, she's exactly what our family needed. Macey is smart, obedient, housetrained, and a great companion for us, as well as our Beagle, who now has a companion while we're away at work. She's an Australian Cattle Dog, and while we had some reservations about keeping this high-energy breed stimulated during our long hours away from the house, it seems Macey is perfectly happy just with twice-a-day walks, runs at the dog park, and learning (fast!) whatever tricks we want to teach her. She's such a sweet girl that I've been entertaining ideas of training her as a therapy dog. So, it seems Macey was fated to be a part of our family after all!

Books 4 Less Closing

Sad news today: my favorite bookstore, Books 4 Less, is closing. Owners Margie and Dave have decided to close their doors, and are now selling off their fixtures and inventory at huge discounts.

Margie and Dave were kind enough to display my books on their shelves for in-store purchase, and have been a big support to me with sales and book signings. It's a huge deal for an author to have cheerleaders like that, who will champion her work and introduce customers to her writing. Margie and Dave were part of what has made my books a success, and I will always be grateful for that. While I'm sad to see the bookstore go, I'd like to say congratulations to Margie and Dave on deciding to retire and enjoy themselves. They've earned it! :)

Winner of the 2012 "Hot Fun In The Summertime" Contest!

Congratulations to Donna M., who has won the 2012 "Hot Fun In The Summertime" contest! Donna has won her choice of one print copy of either of my currently released books, EARTH or WATER.



Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. Some of you shared with me your own interesting family histories, and it was really cool to get to know you. Keep checking this blog for announcements of future prizes and upcoming book signings. Congratulations again to Donna M., and Happy Reading!

Autumn Is Coming: Clean House!

We've had wave after wave of hot weather this summer, and I find myself looking forward to autumn, when the temperatures will be more tolerable, and Mother Nature puts on some of her prettiest colors. I'll also be a lot happier about sitting in my non-A/C, upstairs office to write!

Autumn is a season of tangible change, and it's a good time to take stock of what you have, and what is unused. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven't used it in a year, it should go. Kids outgrow their clothes, and everyone has something at the back of their closet that they don't (and won't) wear. These things can go to a charitable organization. Most will supply you with a donation sheet, which you can itemize for tax purposes, so it's a win-win!

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ~ William Morris

Got more than just clothes? No problem. Organizations like Freecycle.org are dedicated to keeping reuseable items out of landfills. Why just throw that perfectly good widget away, when someone in your town might want one? You can also post your wanted items, in case someone may have an item you're looking for.

Cleaning unused items out of your house can be a very satisfying task, if your unwanted stuff goes to a person in need. It's refreshing not to be "weighted down" with extra things you'll never use. Start small, one room at a time. You may find yourself zooming through the house, gathering up unwanted items that will become another man's treasure. Then you have a clean slate, and who doesn't love that?

If You Build It, They Will Come (v. 2.0)

Today's the day my persistence (and environmentally-concerned determination) paid off. Close to a year and a half after building my butterfly garden, I got what I've been waiting for.

I was outside today, thinking, "Gee, I really ought to trim back some of the leggier stuff in my garden. It's been so hot, I haven't done much, and everything's gone haywire." No sooner did I start trimming back the leggy stuff and unwanted volunteer seedings, than I hit the brakes. There, tucked in the back on a milkweed seedling, I found a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar!



Needless to say, I'm elated. This is what I built the garden for: to help along the Monarch species, which has been in a devastating decline due to habitat loss and pesticide use. And now, proof positive that my garden lives up to the purpose for which I built it!

Well, I ran right out and bought some mulch and began laying it ever-so-gently in between plants, where bare soil still existed (never did any mulching except a "green mulch" this year with a thick mat of Alyssum "Carpet-of-Snow" plants to keep the soil in place and somewhat moist). This will also help the various insects find places to hide.

Well, there I am with a bag of mulch on my shoulder, and as I approach the garden, I see a Giant Swallowtail on my butterfly bush:



Double yay! I am now considering registering my little side garden with Monarch Watch, an organization dedicated to helping this butterfly species survive. Of course, other species of butterfly and insect are always welcome. My property is wildlife-friendly, and I'm proud of that.

I don't even mind when the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds fly by and holler at me to refill their feeder ... again. :)