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Looking back at September (Weekend Coffee Share #8)

October 1, 2021 /

Good morning, happy Friday, and welcome to the weekend coffee share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a drink and pull up a seat.

I’m going to shamelessly steal Natalie’s review-of-September format, but first I’m going to engage in some shameless self-promotion.

Published short story–as an audio drama!

Brown square with gold frame. Inside the frame is the Storyteller Series logo, a gold open book with a gold microphone rising from the pages.

My short story, “Open House,” was just published on The Storyteller Series podcast! I’ve published a couple of short stories in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary magazine, but this is the first time I’ve had one available free online and definitely the first time I’ve had one produced as an audio drama! Something I wrote is available on Spotify, y’all! (and other podcast players) My feet haven’t touched the ground in hours. More details about the story available here.

OK, now let’s talk about September. I love September. I love the first feel of fall in the air. The change in the quality of light as we approach the fall equinox. The first Halloween decorations. The reappearance of pumpkin spice everything. The end of triple-digit heat (at least this year, at least so far).

This September was extra-special, because my husband and I celebrated our 30th anniversary. Life has taken us on quite a ride in the last 30 years.

So, let’s chat about the month that was. Here’s the September highlight reel (all my September posts can be found here):

September Travel

We started the month with a road trip to Tumacácori National Historical Park. I shared a ton of pics on a post about that trip, so I won’t repeat them here. A couple weeks later, we were on the road again, this time to celebrate our anniversary in Bisbee. I also posted about that trip and shared a few black and white pics. Here are a few in color:

  • Mine entrance under highway through Bisbee

We stayed at the Copper Queen, which is supposed to be haunted, but we didn’t see any ghosts. *grumble*.

On the way back from Bisbee, we stopped in Tombstone, nicknamed the town too tough to die:

  • World’s largest rose tree

The highlight of that visit was the Rose Tree Museum, which features (shocker) the world’s largest rose tree. The rose in question is a Lady Banks, and it is indeed huge. They sell rooted cuttings, so of course we bought one. Now I have to figure out where to plant it.

Writing in September

I led off with my exciting podcast news, so I’ll resist the urge to brag about it again. I’ve also been busy writing some new material:

  • I finished a time travel romance short story to submit to the IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) anthology. It’s set in the same world as Vanishing, Inc., the novel I’m currently querying. The genre of the anthology is sweet romance, and I’m a little embarrassed to say I really struggled to write without sex, violence, or profanity. I also learned that writing just romance, without an element of suspense, is really difficult for me.
  • I started a horror story (see the beginning here), which has definitely been easier and more fun to write than the sweet romance. Apparently I need a certain amount of suspense and adrenaline in my writing. Good to know!
  • I learned that I’m a finalist in the 2021 Arizona Authors Association annual literary contest for my second novel, Delta Dawn (which has plenty of suspense). I’ll learn how I placed at the awards banquet is in early November, so until then, I’ll be in suspense. I’d rather write about suspense than experience it.

Reading and Listening in September

As work and writing got busier, I did less reading and listening, but what I found time for was great.

Books

  • Confessions of an Investigative Reporter by Matthew Schwartz. I loved this book! Schwartz was a TV news reporter for local stations in New York, Florida, and here in Tucson and interviewed everyone from a sleazy greyhound trainer to the Son of Sam. I bought this book at a local signing; I shared a bit about that in Weekend Coffee Share #6.
  • Dark Duets, edited by Christopher Golden. Wonderful collection of horror and dark fantasy short stories–some real gems in here.
  • Fatal Intent by Tammy Euliano. An interesting combination of medical thriller and cozy mystery by a debut author who’s also an anesthesiologist. I couldn’t put it down and ignored my poor husband till I finished it. Loved, loved, loved it.

Podcasts

It’s taken me awhile to get into podcasts, but I’ve found some that are fabulous. My favorites in September:

  • The Sisters in Crime Writers’ Podcast – interviews with crime writers about their writing and publishing journeys and lessons learned. I’ve found so much encouragement in these episodes.
  • Queries, Qualms & Quirks by Sarah Nicolas – published authors share their successful query letters and talk about their publishing journeys. This is where I learned about Tammy Euliano and Fatal Intent.
  • And, of course, The Storyteller Series–and not just because they published my story (I wonder if I can work that fact into this post one more time). They publish a wonderful variety of short stories, and the audio productions are so much fun.

Now it’s your turn. What are you reading/listening to/writing? Did you go anywhere interesting in September? What are you looking forward to in October?

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