WRITERLY WEDNESDAY PICTURE PROMPT - FLORAL REFLECTION

FLORAL REFLECTION

I dug in the dirt, prepping the soil with fertilizer. As I worked, my thoughts wandered. Everything I knew about gardening was through  my grandfather’s teachings. Working by his side as a child had always been such fun. That is until as a teenager, I’d rather hang at the mall with friends than be sent to my grandparents house while my mother worked.

On one such occasion, we were planting flowers in front of the newly painted farmhouse. Grampa rambled on. I’d barely listened.

“If you paint an old house white it looks clean and fresh. And if you plant bright red flowers against the white walls, the house pops and looks new.”

I’d rolled my eyes and promptly forgot his words...until now.

Standing in front of my freshly painted white home, with the newly planted trailing red blooms and red roses, I smiled.

“I miss you, Grampa.”

***

Flash fiction prompt provided by:   http://www.writerlycorner.com/writerly-prompts/writerly-wednesday-8242016 Visit me on my Facebook Author Page HERE.

WRITERLY WEDNESDAY PICTURE PROMPT

The weeks seem to fly by and here we are, Wednesday again. Just to update you on my other writing endeabours. I'm in the final chapters of Missing Thread, The Georgia Series, Book 3. I expect to finish it and have it sent off to my publisher by mid-April. Yay!

Meanwhile here's my 150 word flash fiction for this week. 

LADY

She sat in a field behind my parents house. She’d seen better days but I love that car.  My Dad’s pride and joy, he’d bought her as a fixer-upper She was all that, with no back seat. In those days cars didn’t have seat belts, so for the first couple of weeks, we three sisters sat on little stools, so low to the floor we couldn’t see out the windows. When Dad went around a corner, we were too short to reach the ‘oh shit handles’, and we’d slide off the stools onto the floor in a tangled mass of giggles. Dad would glance over his shoulder and shout: “You girls stop that fooling around.” Like we’d planned the whole thing.

We named her Lady, from the movie, Lady and the Tramp. She may have lost her looks but not her style or her memories.

She was still Lady.

Flash fiction prompt provided by http://www.writerlycorner.com/writerly-prompts/writerly-wednesday-462016.

ABC ... EASY AS ... 123, THE LETTER 'D'

Today is 'D' day. The word of the day is 'Dialogue'.

(My continued journey of novel writing tips from A-Z)

di·a·logue

noun

1   A written composition in which two or more characters are represented as conversing

2   a:  a conversation between two or more persons

     b:  an exchange of ideas and opinions 

     c:  a discussion between representatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at resolution 

3   The conversational element of literary or dramatic composition 

***

Dialogue is an integral part of any story. It is a multi-purpose tool that should do some or all of the following:

1        Reveal something about the character and the relationships between characters.

2        Help to move the story forward.

3        Increase the tension between characters or of the story line.

Action:

A key element to writing good dialogue is to break it up with action. The reader needs direction in order to visualize a scene. Otherwise, the dialogue would be boring. In Winter’s Captive, Georgia confronts her cheating ex-husband. The sample below reveals elements of each character but doesn’t move the story forward.

 “Have we moved on? Have you?”

“How can you ask if we moved on? I presumed you did that a year ago. Now you’re asking me? I don’t think Julie would be too happy to hear this conversation.”

“This has nothing to do with Julie. It’s about you and me.”

 “You really are something. There is no you and me. There hasn’t been for a long time. And I’ll tell you something else too. It’s about you and only you,”

“How can you say that? I’m trying to communicate with you about how we feel. I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“Where was the communication when you left me? Where were you when I tried to figure it all out? When I doubted myself as a wife and a woman? I’ll tell you where, with Julie, right where you wanted to be. You never gave me an explanation or showed any concern for my feelings then. You shut me out and even refused to talk to me. It’s your feelings we’re really talking about here, because you’re confused. You never even asked to see your baby until I pushed it on you. You haven’t even asked me her name. I’ll tell you what I’m thinking, Colin. You’re a whiffle bird.”  

“A what-bird?”

“A whiffle bird ... he flies in ever decreasing concentric circles, faster and faster, the circles getting smaller and smaller, until finally--he flies up his own ass.”

 “I guess I deserved that, didn’t I? I know I’ve been a shit to you. I couldn’t talk to you because I didn’t know how. And then there was Julie, telling me I had to make a clean break. She was so jealous and insecure. I felt like I was being pulled in opposite directions. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“That's my point. Again, it’s about how you felt,”

“You’ve changed. You were never this ... aggressive before.”

Here's the same sample with action and thought:

Colin stared at me for a long moment. “Have we moved on? Have you?”

“How can you ask if we moved on? I presumed you did that a year ago. Now you’re asking me? I don’t think Julie would be too happy to hear this conversation.”

“This has nothing to do with Julie. It’s about you and me.”

My mouth dropped open. “You really are something. There is no you and me. There hasn’t been for a long time. And I’ll tell you something else too. It’s about you and only you,” I said, my anger rising.

“How can you say that? I’m trying to communicate with you about how we feel. I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“Where was the communication when you left me? Where were you when I tried to figure it all out? When I doubted myself as a wife and a woman? I’ll tell you where, with Julie, right where you wanted to be. You never gave me an explanation or showed any concern for my feelings then. You shut me out and even refused to talk to me. It’s your feelings we’re really talking about here, because you’re confused.” I was wound tight. All my pent-up anger released. I stood up and leaned towards him. “You never even asked to see your baby until I pushed it on you. You haven’t even asked me her name. I’ll tell you what I’m thinking, Colin. You’re a whiffle bird.”  

“A what-bird?”

“A whiffle bird ... he flies in ever decreasing concentric circles, faster and faster, the circles getting smaller and smaller, until finally--he flies up his own ass.”

Colin stared at me, a look of shock on his face, and I stared back defiantly, hands on my hips. After a long silence, he started to smile.

“I guess I deserved that, didn’t I? I know I’ve been a shit to you. I couldn’t talk to you because I didn’t know how. And then there was Julie, telling me I had to make a clean break. She was so jealous and insecure. I felt like I was being pulled in opposite directions. I’m sorry I hurt you.” Colin took my hand in his.

“That's my point. Again, it’s about how you felt,” I said, shaking my hand from his.

“You’ve changed. You were never this ... aggressive before.”

I gave my shoulders a shake and turned towards the water. “Let’s walk.”

Big difference, right? By adding action, we’ve moved the story along and added tension to their encounter by showing body language and thought.

Dialect:

The most important thing to remember when depicting dialect in dialogue is to be consistent. This is a very tricky element to express. If you have a character with a southern states drawl or a Native American dialect, etc., it is extremely difficult to carry their dialogue with the right inflection throughout the entire story. It was suggested to me by my editor to choose some key words that reflect their dialect and use them consistently throughout the story. The dialogue will ring true to the reader and they will buy into it. But only if you are CONSISTENT.

In Winter’s Captive, Book 1 and Chasing Georgia, Book 2 (to be released in April), two words I chose to indicate that Nonnock was an indigenous native, were references to her Peoples and when she talked of nature as the Mother or Mother Earth.

For all of you writers out there:

Keep on Keeping on Writing!

Visit me at: www.facebook.com/june.bourgo

BROWNWOOD BOOK CLUB END OF THE YEAR PARTY

Hello everyone. This post is to announce THE book party of the year ... the Brownwood Book Club End of the Year Party.

Lots of prizes, fun, and games.

This party is a three day event running from December 11th, starting at 10:00 pm to December 14th, ending at 9:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited from readers, to authors, street teamers, bloggers and anyone else who likes to hang out online and chat. Meet authors, make new online friends.

I'll be hosting on Friday, December 12th, from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm PST, or that's 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Central time.  I'll be giving away free e-book copies of Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series.

Come and meet the authors, other readers, and make new online friends.  See you there. Here's the link:

Here's the  LINK to my Facebook author page. Follow the post  to the party.  See you all there.

ABC ... EASY AS ... 123, THE LETTER 'B'

Today, we look at the letter 'B'. The word of the day is BACK STORY.

Definition:

BACK STORY
Noun
* alternative spelling of backstory

1. background information provided, often in narrative form, to give help in understanding something, as the behaviour of a character

2. history to describe events leading up to the present

Back story is something I've always had trouble handling. It's something that requires finesse. And finesse comes with writing experience and in my case, from the advice of a good editor.

Story writing today is part of the fast-foods McDonalds era we live in. How often do we take the time to go into a restaurant and enjoy the dining experience? Most of us rush about in our busy lives and buy fast foods on the way home or take ten minutes to gulp down our food at fast-food restaurants before rushing to our next destination.

Readers today have a short attention span and want into the action quickly. If not, they get bored, skip pages, and maybe give up on the story all together. The problem with this is that they don't have time to get to know the characters, to relate to them and feel connected. So if the characters are plunged straight away into a suspenseful conflict, the reader may not care. The writer wants readers to get invested in the character's life and dilemma and really care about what happens to them. Disconnect is a bad thing for a writer.

In my opinion, this is an even larger problem when writing a series, which I am. If the reader has read earlier books in the series, they already know the main character. They have an invested interest in the character's life and care what's going to happen to them next, like an old friend. But someone who hasn't read previous books need some back story and it is the writer's job to make sure the book can stand alone for a new reader. The problem here lies wherein the writer has to add enough back story to interest the new reader but not be repetitive as to bore the established reader.

My third book, A Missing Thread, Book 3 of the Georgia Series jumps right into the action with Chapter 1. My problem here is that anyone who knows Georgia Charles-Dixon well, will jump into the action right along with her, but a new reader hasn't had time to care about her. I need to add back story. How do I do that?

I could start the narrative earlier before the crisis, to describe the character and get the reader invested in her. However, they may get bored, along with the old reader who already knows her story up to this point. So I'm not going there.

I could and have in the past, put flashbacks in the middle of the action to describe her history, The problem here is that the story can become choppy and it stops the action. I risk ruining the build-up to the crisis. (My editor, Ron Bagliere, taught me this tidbit)

Another method, is to put the back story into dialogue, not narrative. This is showing not telling. And if the dialogue is part of the current story line, it's not going back into the past and can serve its purpose of allowing the reader to connect to the character. It has to be subtle and fit into the conversation. Don't info-dump (which could possible be our 'I' word in future ABC blogs LOL).

A prologue can work, but it definitely takes finesse. I did some research myself by putting the question out to my readers what they thought of prologues. Most didn't like them. By the time they got into the body of the story, they had forgotten what the prologue was all about, especially if there was forgotten information they needed and they had to go back to the prologue and search it out. The most common complaint was prologues that were too long. With that in mind, I do believe prologues can have a place in certain story lines, but only if they are short and to the point. I would never write a prologue that was more than three pages. Let it serve its purpose, leave the reader intrigued and move onto the action in Chapter 1. Now that's just my opinion.

*

There you have it, four ways of working in the back story. Only you can decide which method is best for your story. And I do believe that every story is different. What I might do in one of the Georgia Series books may not work in another one. Herein lies the challenge. What will I do with the problem I'm facing with back story in A Missing Thread, Book 3 of the Georgia Series?

Let's look at each option. First, starting the narrative earlier is out. I like my first chapter which delves right into the action.

Option 2, using flashbacks is out to me as well. It will make the story choppy and ruin the build up to the crisis.

Option 3, putting the back story into dialogue is also out because my character is alone in a car with no one to talk to.

That leaves me Option 4, using a prologue. This appeals to me as the best solution for this particular dilemma and the direction I am heading in. However, it will be short, to the point, and hopefully intrigue the reader to move on to the action of Chapter 1.

For all you writers out there, good luck with your back story and keep on keeping on writing. 

Click HERE to visit me on my Facebook page.

GUEST POST ON LILAC REVIEWS

Good morning. I must say these words have special meaning for me today. I've been down for the past few days with a flu bug and today is the first day I feel relatively human. 

Recently, I was asked by Felita Daniels to write a blog post for Lilac Reviews. I was thrilled to do so and a little apprehensive as this is my first guest posting. It actually was a lot of fun to do and I enjoyed the process. My subject was 'Understanding and Choosing a Point of View'.

If you are unfamiliar with the site, it is well worth checking out for their guest blogs, book reviews, and so much more. I thank Felita for inviting me.

Here is the link to Lilac Reviews. 

 Link: Lilac Reviews.

Enjoy my post and if you are an author, I hope you find it helpful. Cheers.

Facebook Author Page:      https://www.facebook.com/june.bourgo/settings?tab=public&section=web_address

Web Site:   https://www.junebourgoauthor.com/

Blog Site:   http://losingcinderella.blogspot.ca/

Twitter:      @jvbug

Amazon:    

http://www.amazon.com/Winters-Captive-Georgia-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00NWRRONO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414364265&sr=8-1&keywords=winter%27s+captive

Keep on Keeping on Writing

BE PREPARED FOR A 'THUNDERCLAP'

Hi all,

Happy Thursday.

Today, I created a Thunderclap for Winter's Captive. For those who have never heard of Thunderclap, it's a site where you set up a project for anything you would like to request support for. In my case, my newest released book, Winter's Captive.

My project is set for two weeks, beginning today, and ends on November 6th. I need 100 votes by November 6th. Every time someone votes for my book, more people are added to my social reach. If I get my 100 votes on time, Thunderclap will shoot my book, Winter's Captive, and it's description and links to possibly hundreds of thousands of people in social media. 

If you wish to support my campaign, please click on the link below. You can sign on to Thunderclap through your Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr sign-on to vote for me. You can also share the link on your platforms. 

I promise if you create a Thunderlcap project and notify me, I will return the favour.

I thank you all for your support, so far I have reached 16% of my goal, and this is only Day 1.

So let's get together and create a thunderstorm for Winter's Captive.

Keep on keeping on Thunderclapping. 

Click HERE

BOOK TRAILER FOR WINTER'S CAPTIVE

I'm so excited to release the new BOOK TRAILER for WINTER'S CAPTIVE, Book 1 of the Georgia Series.

Hope you all enjoy it.

Visit me at: https://www.facebook.com/june.bourgo

WINTER'S CAPTIVE, Book 1 of the Gerogia Series - NOW RELEASED!

On Friday, October 3rd, my book was released through Fountain Blue Publishing of Los Angeles. I held my first ever Release Party, and it was a success. Lots of people came and prizes were handed out. It was a little exhausting, moving back and forth between additional added posts to make sure I didn't miss any comments left by my guests. But I enjoyed the process immensely.

I'd like to thank all my guests for coming. I hope I didn't miss acknowledging anyone.  Know that I will reciprocate-just ask.

A little about the second release of Winter's Captive. My new editor and I had an extensive chat about Book 1, once he provided me with a Creative Edit Report. Because the story for all books in the series takes place in part in the north western area of British Columbia, which is Tahltan Indigenous Lands, we chose to change the character of Kaela, the angel to Kaela the native spirit, and her indeginous name Nonnock. It made sense since their is more native spirituality in Chasing Georgia, Book 2, to be released soon.

I added about 10,000 more words to the story, which includes more angst for Georgia at the cabin and more history of the Tahltan people.

I'm very excited at the re-release of this book and hope you all enjoy the new book.

Here are the links for purchasing in paperback or e-book format:

Amazon.com 

Amazon.ca

Smashwords

Fountain Blue Publishing

To all my writer friends, never give up the dream, keep on keeping on writing.

***E-BOOK AVAILABLE FOR PRESALES***

UPDATE - I am so please and excited to announce that Winter's Captive is now available for presales on Amazon.com and on Smashwords at a reduced price for a limited time only. Follow the links below to preorder now. 

I believe my release date will be October 3rd. I will update you all as soon as my Publisher confirms it. 

Sample:

     Crack! The axe hit a knot and slipped off the wood, knocking me off balance and hitting the side of my ankle. “Ow ...” I yelled and fell to the ground. “Oh, shit ... that hurts. I rocked back and forth in pain as blood poured from the gash. Pulling myself up, I hobbled into the cabin and grabbed a towel and the first aid kit. I applied pressure to the wound. With not much flesh in that area, the gash was open to the bone and ran about five inches long. My worst fear had just become reality.

I would really appreciate it if you could leave an 'honest' review after reading the book on the site you purchase it from. 

Thank you to everyone who have helped me on my writing journey. It could never happen without my team of supporters and my readers.  

Links:               Amazon.com 

                         Smashwords

Visit me at:      Facebook Author Page

To all my writer friends - Keep on keeping on writing

EXCITED! WINTER'S CAPTIVE IS AVAILABLE FOR PRESALE

Hi everyone!  Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series is now available for a limited time only at a reduced presale price on my publisher's web site. 

Release date is soon. I will repost when I have the exact date. 

If you enjoy suspense, adventure, and women's empowerment stories, this one is for you. Georgia Charles is a survivor and a heroine. And the world needs heroes. 

Here's a sample preview:

     I slowed and glanced around me.  The near darkness provided deep shadows in the trees.  A tangle of fallen trees and branches on my left looked like a good spot to hide in.   Branches scratched my face and caught in my hair as I pulled myself over the decaying trunks.  I tumbled face first into a hollow under a log, filling my mouth with dirt and leaves.   The smell of musty, rotting debris turned my stomach.

    Gary charged over the top of the incline and came to a dead stop.  Damn.  I hoped he would miss the game trail and keep going. 

To order an autographed presale copy visit my publisher, Fountain Blue Publishing HERE.

To my fellow writer's, I did it, so can you!

Keeping on keeping on writing!

... NEW RELEASE UPDATES

The publication date is getting closer for my revised Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series.

I expect an announcement within the next two weeks and that availability will be October, just in time to order for those Christmas gifts.

My new cover reveal is days away. The e-book will be released at the same time as the pre-sale of autographed paperbacks at a special discounted price. I will post when available so no one will miss the opportunity to take advantage of this and get their own copies and those for those special friends and family members at Christmas.

It's been a lot of hard work and my editors, Ronald Bagliere and Linda Ortola were wonderful to work with on the rewrite of this story. I am so grateful to Melanie Fountain, Owner/Editor-In-Chief of Fountain Blue Publishing for picking up my novel. Melanie and Kim Barton, Business Manager have been so supportive and knowledgeable.

For those of you who have read the book, you may want to another go-round. I've added 10,000 additional words, more angst for Georgia and adventures, as well as developing the spirituality aspect to the story. The decision was made to change the angel encounter to a native spirit, given the geography and the raven. It brings the story that much closer to Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of the Georgia Series, in creative edits with my editors at the moment.

I am really excited to see this story become a series and hope my readers will enjoy.

To my writer friends, Keep on Keeping on Writing. Talk soon.

Visit me on the Facebook Author page and chat. www.facebook.com/june.bourgo

WELCOME TO THE WRITING PROCESS BLOG TOUR

In July I was invited by Gerry Wilson to participate in a Writing Process Blog Tour. I did write my post once. However, something happened to the formatting and I had to scratch it. What with editing commitments and grandkid visits, I've finally been able to redo this post. Before I begin, I want to thank Gerry Wilson for inviting me. Click this is LINK to her blog site, the writerly life, where you can check out her blog tour and accomplishments. Be sure to check out the three author's she's featured on her tour.

On to the Blog Tour.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

I recently finished my rewrites and edits for Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series. It was an emotional and strange revisit to my first book which had been previously published by another publisher. When Fountain Blue Publishing picked up this book and the yet unpublished Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of the Georgia Series, I knew Book 1 would have to go through a new editing process. It was a little scary but working with my editors, Ron and Linda Bagliere, I found his insights and support encouraging. I have added 10,000 new words to the book, added more angst in Georgia's struggle to survive in the wilderness, and changed the angel visits she experiences to that of a native spirit. Overall, I feel the book is more cohesive with Book 2 and Book 3 which I'm in the process of writing now. The new Winter's Captive is going to final galley proof and a release date should be out soon.

WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

I started Winter's Captive as a way to share with women the lessons I learned from an abusive first marriage. What I first thought was  a woman's story for women, turned out to be a suspense/thriller/adventure with a touch of paranormal/fantasy that men can enjoy as well. I, also, believed the story which was a form of a healing for me would be a one up book. Georgia Charles took on a life of her own and it was no longer about me but her story. Book 2 and Book 3 continue her journey to self and her struggles to reach empowerment and happiness in a modern-day world.

HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

Now that is an interesting question. Books 1 and 2 did not follow a writing format or outline. I always know basically the beginning, the middle and the end, but wrote where the muse took me.  If I felt something belonged in the book, I researched the idea if needed and wrote that chapter. One day I might right the last chapter, the next day a chapter I perceived to be in the middle, etc.  Book 3 is a completely different format. Again, I know the beginning, the middle and what I believe will be the end. However, I started at Chapter 1 this time and have followed through from Chapter 2 to 8, in order of the chapters. Wow! This is new to me. I don't know why the writing process is so different for this book than the other two, but I decided not to examine it, but go with the flow. So far, it's working.

I try to write every day, sometimes for hours, sometimes for a few minutes. If the muse isn't there, I do research or marketing, or write my blog :). I'm not one for conformity. I hate routines and schedules so I write in the same manner. Maybe, I could be more disciplined and produce more work if I were but I'm okay with what I feel works for me. I used to call myself a closet non-conformist, but I guess I'm out now.

MOVING ON WITH THE TOUR

I have asked three author's to join the tour and I thank them for participating. Here's a little info about each of them with their links.  Be sure to check out their sites.

LAUREN BOEHM-LYNCH

Lauren Boehm Lynch is a retired nurse. She has left the city life for the country, and now lives on The Broken Road Farm with her husband Tim and their many animals.

Lauren also writes a column called The Farmer’s Wife and also has a website about their lives on the farm. www.laurenboehmlynch.com

The farm keeps them busy, and her love of writing flourishes there. Living on a farm and having numerous animals and grandchildren always provides a new adventure and stories to tell!

You can follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurenBoehmLynch

HEATHER B. MOON

Heather B. Moon was born in Royton, Lancashire and worked as a primary school teacher in the Oldham and Rochdale area. She and her husband acquired their own school and she was happy to go into any class and teach any subject.

One of her favourite times of the day was reading the ‘home-time’ story to her class of excited kids.

She now spends her time travelling around Europe in her motor home, scuba diving in exotic places, and walking the south west coast path near her home in Cornwall.

Heather is married with two adult children and two beautiful grandchildren, Louie and Amelie.

Click HERE to check out her web site at Fountain Blue Publishing and her own site HERE.

RUSSELL WARNBERG

Russell Warnberg, teacher, writer, artist and woodworker grew up in Minnesota.  After joining the Navy, has spent most of his life in Maine. Having earned a degree from the University of Minnesota and Masters Degree from the University of Maine, he taught history and English in both public and private schools for many years.

Click HERE to check out his writing accomplishments and site information.

To all my fellow writers, keep on keeping on writing!

Changes...

As you can see, I have a new banner at the top of my blog site. I now have a new cover for Winter's Captive, Book 1 of the Georgia Series. And a new cover for Chasing Georgia, Book 2 of the Georgia Series.

I am in a transition at the moment. It is with some sadness that my publisher and I have parted and I now have the rights back for Winter's Captive. Asteroid Publishing gave me the opportunity as a first time author to be published and for that, I will be forever grateful. They taught me a lot the past two years about writing, publishing, and marketing. They are headed in a new direction that I have decided is not for me. I have the utmost respect for Asteroid and wish them every success with their future endeavours.

So where am I headed? As mentioned in a previous post, new decisions need to be made. To self-publish or seek a new publisher? Currently, a publisher is considering Chasing Georgia, Book 2 and we are in the process of talks and edits. They are aware that I have my rights back to Book 1 and as I write this post, it is under consideration as to whether or not they will pick it up along with Book 2. Should they decide not to republish Winter's Captive, I will then self-publish it and move forward with Book 2.

Winter's Captive e-book has come down as of today and shortly, the paperback version will be down as well. I do have copies with the old cover and those are still available for purchase through myself or Asteroid Publishing for a limited time period or until existing stock has been sold.

Meanwhile, check out my new covers. They were done by Paradox Book Cover Designs. Patti Roberts is an author in her own right and a wonderful cover designer. I had so much fun working with her on the new designs. She is absolutely awesome and works so quickly. She pays attention to detail and captured the ideas from my samples I sent her. And believe me, my samples cannot compare to the final product she produced. The covers are amazing and way beyond my expectations. If you need a cover here is the LINK to contact her. She also has some premade covers on display on her site for purchase.

I will keep you up-to-date as to when Winter's Captive will be back up and when Chasing Georgia will be published. Closing out my post today with my two new covers which I just love.

Meanwhile keep on keeping on writing.

A CHANGE OF SEASON

I love the fall. Looking out my office window with coffee in hand, the various shades of leaves from green to yellow, orange, and red set against the surrounding dark green mountains is breathtaking. The warmth and coziness inside my cocoon masks the cool air outside. Today will be a beautiful sunny, day.

What a great way to start this day. The quietness and tranquility totally inspire my creative spirit and is much needed after a stressful week, albeit positive stress, but non-the-less a crazy, full-impact experience.

After fifteen months on the market, we accepted an offer on our home. We are pleased that the couple that want our place are suited to it. Life is so strange and co-incidental. They are both an artist and a writer, just like my husband and myself. Very down-to-earth, they will settle into life in this beautiful little valley with ease. And like us when we first moved here, they have family here. We won't be leaving anytime too soon as the deal is subject to them selling their house, which probably won't happen when the snow starts to fly.

Unbelievably, another party wants our place as well. So much so, that they are waiting to make sure our deal goes through. He, also, is well suited here.

On top of this, we are agents for my sister's house which is rented out at the moment. We showed her house three times last week.

What's our future plan? To downsize, relocate to Vancouver Island where most of our family are, and live in a 33' Silverback Fifth Wheel by the ocean or on the river. Minimal housework, no yard work, and lots of time to write all those books bumping into each other inside my head.

I am also Chair of a committee putting on a fundraiser and talent show on November 8th to raise money for Variety - the Children's Charity in Vancouver. We are holding it at our Memorial Hall here in Clinton as a way for residents to give back for services they have been provided with over the years when their kids on occasion were ill and stayed in Children's Hospital in Vancouver. We are in the throes of rehearsals, gathering donations for a silent and live auction, and handling advertising. Truly an enjoyment, but a worry that all will go according to plan. The students are rehearsing for performances and we are working with them as well. I love to see the kids enthusiasm. Opportunities for them to explore their creative side is limited in our little village.

Meanwhile, I had a breakthough with my sequel and am busy plotting and creating. I expect to finish before Christmas.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving here in Canada and I feel truly grateful to be in a safe and happy space in my life. I wish the same to all of you.

Until next time, all you writer's out there, "Keep on Keeping on Writing!"

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THE ZEN OF IT ALL

SO...27 days into my retirement from the traditional working world and it still hasn't hit home.

The past four weeks have been filled with a week away on vacation, a week with the grandkids visiting, visits from great nieces, sisters, brother-in-laws, and surprisingly a slew of people interested in seeing our home (which is up for sale). Surprising because the market has been quiet here in our sleepy village. With so much happening all at once, it feels like an extended holiday. Summer is such a wonderful time to see family, enjoy swimming, and BBQ's. Last Sunday was our wedding anniversary and we went to Seton Lake for a last swim of the year and a picnic dinner in nature. Saw a hawk hunting, had to pull over for a cattle drive to bring the cattle to winter pasture, and deer. See pics below:

I still wake up at the same time my alarm clock used to go off at.  I don't have to set it anymore (bonus). I expect as we move into fall the realization "that the working outside the home part of my life is done" will sink in.

What I have noticed is that my list of things to do is getting done and there are more hours in the day. If not, there's always tomorrow.  I have more time with my husband and my cats. And...the opporunity to say "Hey, let's go do this" at the drop of a hat...and we have. I see myself adopting a "zen" way of life. Don't stress, don't rush, and above all meditate for mental and physical health.

I haven't had much time to do a lot of writing what with visitors and cleaning up for perspective buyers . But I have done some research for my sequel and some editing. A definite plus and a good start. Even spent some time thinking on my next project...new story, new characters, but still a woman heroine. Love those empowerment plots.

Once immersed into a writing frenzy...which I'm about to jump into head first...expect my sequel to be finished finally. At that point, decisions will have to be made as to how I wish to continue my writing course of action. But more on that later.

As I write this, my retirement from the working world IS beginning to sink in...AND I LIKE IT.

For all you writer's out there: Keep on keeping on writing!

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