Writing - the ups and downs

My new story (fiction) is available on Amazon as a Kindle ebook for $1.99. Dear Anne will probably never be in book form as it's too short to stand alone. However, the love letters are part of a novel, and I decided to make the letters into a short story. Thus, Dear Anne was born.  The larger work is still on the back burner, waiting to have more scenes written. Dear Anne has had some positive reviews so far and I'm delighted with the reception it's getting. It's a romance and set during the heat of the Vietnam War. I hope if you have time to read the love story about newlyweds Anne in WV and Rob in Vietnam, you'll leave a review on Amazon. Reviews help in so many ways. Not only do they help get a story noticed but it helps the author's other books get recognition as well. My goal is to move up in the ranks and have more and more readers. I don't care if the readers are from free books or Amazon sales. A writer wants his or her work read and apprec...

I reviewed THE SHACK here last year and recently discussed it with friends as several of us have been reading books about Heaven. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL; PROOF OF HEAVEN, and a few others. All of which I've loved. Now I plan to see the movies GOD IS NOT DEAD and NOAH. This should evoke even more spirited discussion about Heaven with the group.  That said, here is the review from earlier.  The Shack by William P. Young has been much touted in the last few years. Some people love it. Others hate it. As it was one of the books discussed recently at our writers meeting, and the group was clearly divided in their feelings about the book, I decided to read it. I knew very little about the book when I opened it and I was hooked in the first few pages. It's about the disappearance from a camp ground of a beautiful little six year old girl named Missy. The shack comes into play early on when the little girl's bloody dress is found in the shack in the woods. Okay, we move...

Good to be back from Florida vacation! Here are a few highlights from the trip. I came home with more than I went with. Five extra pounds and I can't figure out why. WHO AM I KIDDING??? Here I am at Goodson's Strawberry Farm with an oversized strawberry shortcake with ice cream. Hands down the best strawberries I've ever tasted! We've visited Goodson's Farm for a good many years now. It's grown from a shack along the road to a huge indoor farm market and food court. Sandwiches, drinks and their famous strawberry concoctions. Happy to see them thriving. We had a great time visiting Sarasota and the Lipizon Horse Show. Beautiful horses. Such a great story about them being saved from Austria, in part by our own General Patton.  Sorry no photos of the play we saw at Sun City Center - Rollings Theatre, titled Valentine's on Rt. 66, written by two members of the talented cast. No photos either of our afternoon of music, performed by the F...

So ready for Spring I know when one writes a novel and puts it out there for the public to read, the writer is open to criticism, both negative and positive. I expect that. I've been writing and publishing long enough to have developed a tough skin. I've learned with my own books that for every negative review I get - I get ten glowing reviews. I'm not bragging, I'm just mighty proud. I've worked long and hard at my writing career. It's all about ups and downs. An author has to roll with the punches and know the public is not going to like every single project he or she puts out there. That's life. I'm still growing as an author. Each time I start a project, I can tell I'm getting better as a writer, at plotting and characterization, at organizing material, being a better editor. Am I perfect? No way! But am I growing and willing to accept honest criticism? You bet! My suggestion to anyone choosing a book is to take a few minutes before pur...

Hard to believe it's been over 90 days since Raymond passed away. Why do they/we call it passed away? Does passing away somehow sound less harsh than Death? It's still a final departure, no matter what we call it and dealing with a loss this profound is devastating. What I am experiencing is certainly different than anything I ever thought I might go through. At times I feel as though a huge ocean wave slams into me. I have to hold onto something to not be taken down. When I least expect it, I burst into tears. No prompting necessary. Other times I am able to function and go about my life in a normal fashion. I'm used to taking care of myself and doing all the things that need doing. Things he did before he became ill a number of years ago. I'm thankful his descent was slow over the last few years and he was able to enjoy the things he loved. Family was his number one love. Myself, the grandchildren, our daughters and their husbands. Then, there was his love of the...

The month of January is almost over and I don't remember it ever starting. Not to say I don't remember my two granddaughters, Jillian and Samantha, going to dinner New Year's eve with me and spending a girls night watching movies and eating tons of food! After losing my husband in November, I somehow moved through Thanksgiving (got through his birthday on the same day), and into December in a complete fog. I flew to Rhode Island to spend the holidays with our youngest daughter and her family in Massachusetts. I can only catch glimpses in my memory of what we did while I was there. Jill and I had some special times and shared lots of tears. I went to see two of the boys play basketball and they were good at shooting baskets and dribbling down the court. However it seemed I was someplace beyond myself. In space maybe - or outside my body looking at the world from a distance. Spending Christmas with the four grandchildren (triplets 12 and our youngest grandson 8) was an extr...

Losing Raymond recently has made me sit back and reflect on years gone by. I cannot adequately capture the best moments in photos but these are a few that meant something to both of us. And, they were the ones that were easy to find. This photo was taken around 1957. My sister Sue looking adoringly at her favorite guy, James Browning "Brownie" Hoffman. Me with the monkey named Mr. Jiggs. Pretty sure I decorated the tree. Draw  your own conclusions as to my talents in that area. Writing on photos! Ummm, guess who did that? Ray coaching grandson Steve on the art of making the best sugar cookies in the world. Or in our house anyway!                                             More happy cookie makers in our kitchen!!! Someone wants to join in the fun! Party animal! Let's all take a ride. Where are those cookies? Yummy! ...