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New year, new writing progress
Welcome to my first IWSG post of 2023! (Because I’m a huge dork who forgot to post in January.) The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome February co-hosts are Jacqui Murray, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Gwen Gardner. Please stop by and leave them some comment love. Each month our fearless leaders provide an optional question we can answer in our posts. This month’s question is: If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what…
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California Delta Part 2: Mossdale Crossing Regional Park
Last week we visited Paradise Cut, a section of the California Delta outside my hometown of Tracy. This week we’ll move a few miles east to Mossdale Crossing Regional Park, which sits next to I5 on the way from Tracy to Stockton. Only a few pictures this time, because a) it was cold and windy, and b) the park is small. The boat ramp is the big attraction, but a) I don’t own a boat, and b) the river was running high and fast, which should make sensible people think twice about boating. For me, the attractions were the river and the old bridges. But before we get to those:…
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California Delta Part 1: Paradise Cut (+Books! and Memes!)
Today I’m going to take you on a visit to one of my favorite places in the world–and the setting for my novel-in-progress, Delta Dawn–the California Delta. Well, I’m going to take you to one tiny piece of it, Paradise Cut outside my hometown of Tracy, California. We’ll also talk books, and I have the usual batch of meme-y hilarity. But first: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer and the What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. When most non-Californians think of the state, they think of Hollywood, San Francisco, Silicon Valley–movie stars and…
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Delta Dawn won first place! (Weekend Coffee Share #14)
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2023 is off to a weird start
I had lots of plans for Winter Break and the start of 2023. Travel! New look for the blog! Lots of progress on my writing! Late brunches and desert hikes and lots of lounging in my PJs. Well… some of that happened. Long-Suffering Husband and I drove to Vegas right after Christmas (he won, I didn’t–as usual). I worked on the Blog Refresh from Hell that I started last Winter Break. I flew to Sacramento, drove to my hometown, hung out with friends, visited some places near and dear to me. Flew home ready to finish up the website refresh, work on my novel, and have those late brunches and…
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Writing news and the monthly book post
I have writing news! And I read some books! And it’s cold in Tucson! C’mon, at least pretend you’re excited. My delicate writer’s ego bruises easier than an overripe heirloom tomato. And if you humor me, you get memes. OK, fine, you get memes anyway. Let’s get this party started before I make a bigger idiot of myself. Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and the What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it.
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A visit to Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
This week I’ll take you on a tour of Sweetwater Wetlands, another place here in Tucson that a) has actual water, and b) is not a swimming pool or a water hazard on a golf course. Last week we toured Sabino Canyon, so apparently it’s Water in the Desert Month here in my demented corner of the interwebs. I’ll also have the usual hot, fresh, batch of memes, but otherwise this post will be short, because I’m trying to get serious about completing the Novel Revision from Hell. After spending at least a year and being not even halfway done, I’m starting to understand why authors drink. I do have…
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Are holidays for rest or productivity?
I’ve spent the last few days on holiday planning. I’m an academic, and my university shuts down from just before Christmas till just after New Years, giving me ~10 days off during which I don’t have to monitor email or think about work in any way. I don’t have much family, so I don’t have holiday houseguests, and I’m not expected to travel anywhere. Yet I manage to stress about Winter Break every year. Why? Because overthinking is one of my superpowers (the others are being so lazy my FitBit thinks I’m dead and eating my body weight in Extra Toasty Cheez-Its). Before we get to my overthinking of Winter…
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The monthly book post–and a great tool for readers
We’re talking books this week–what I’ve been reading, a nifty tool that lets you revisit your Kindle highlights, and of course the usual meme-y silliness. Oh, and weather bragging. We must have weather bragging. With apologies to those of you who live where winter exists: Feel free to gloat in June when it’ll be approximately 872F here in Satan’s Anus. Right now it’s my turn. Now that I have the weather bragging out of my system: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and the What’s On Your Bookshelf challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it.
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My poem won a prize!
Back in September I shared that my poem, “The Future Held in Store,” was a finalist in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary contest. Well… it won third place! I’m excited because I’m pretty inexperienced as a poet. This is the first time I’ve ever let anyone else read one of my poems, let alone submit one, so yay! I’m bummed I had to miss the awards banquet due to COVID exposure), but I didn’t get COVID, so that’s another reason to celebrate. And now I just noticed they put my real name rather than my pen name on the certificate. Oh, well. I have a little more news, a…
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The book is done* and the plague hath descended
If you’ve been hanging around here at all in the last few weeks, you’ll know I had a book manuscript due on Halloween. Well… It’s done!* *Except for one chapter that will be late because the original author bailed. **And the permissions issue for a figure that is requiring a last-minute edit to another chapter ***And any changes the publisher will request. ****And the marketing and promotion. But, yeah, it’s done! Woo hoo! I have a bit more news and the usual batch of memes, but first: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it.
Suspense | Horror | Romance
