Time For New Beginnings

We're only a couple days away from New Year's Eve, and 2020 will be every bit as wild as 2019 turned out to be. While I don't normally make resolutions, since the couple of times I made them, I broke them almost before I wrote them down, this year will be a year of new beginnings, not resolutions. Here's my list:

My most important new beginning is personal. My brother-in-law had major health issues starting in August, and only came home from the hospital two days before Christmas. It's been a long, hard ride for him and he still has a ways to go. But he's out of the hospital, so we are counting our blessings.

Second, this coming year will see a new book from me for the first time in two years. It's the start of my Revolutionary War series and I'm loving this time period. It's made what's going on in our government today very personal since I have immersed myself in the streets of Boston and Philadelphia in the 1700s, and write about ordinary people rising to the challenge of creating a new country. I can't wait for you to meet my characters. There's Pippa and Daniel, Libby and Hawk, and an as yet unnamed woman from England who will become the new love of Patterson. Any help with a name will be most appreciated.

And last, after a health scare last year, I am going to get really serious about developing a more structured exercise program. I've been a member of a health club for over a year now, but it's so easy to let my three-times-a-week regimen slip in favor of meeting up with friends, or writing that next chapter.

In my area, we don't drop a Swaroski crystal ball from the roof of a skyscraper. No, here we drop an oversized pine cone from the ladder of a fire truck. And we don't wait until midnight. The cone drops at 8 pm. Much more laid back and sensible. I can barely stay awake until midnight on most nights.

So these are my new beginnings. What are you planning for the upcoming year? Whatever you have planned, and however you plan to celebrate, Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

I used my grandmother's collection of Christmas postcards on a recent post for History Imagined, a blog I contribute to once a month. What struck me as I was photographing the cards was how the word "Christmas" was abbreviated to "Xmas." We have been so shamed by this abbreviation in the past decades (Taking the Christ out of the holiday, etc.)  that it's fallen out of use. In fact, it's no longer fashionable to say "Merry Christmas." Instead, we should all say "Happy Holidays," so as not to offend other religions.

I realize that postcards didn't have a lot of room on which to print a message, but nonetheless, just like the Christmas postcard and, more recently, the proverbial Christmas card, the moniker of Xmas has fallen into disfavor. 

I'll keep these postcards as a reminder of Christmases past and will try to keep up with the e-card craze of today. So, however you celebrate, whether it's Christmas, Hanukkeh, Kwanzaa, or something else, have a happy holiday with friends and family, and a wonderful 2020. 

Buffalo Plaid Time

This week marked the first day of the season when I had to haul out my heavy winter coat. If I were still living in Ohio, it would have been already in use for weeks. But this is North Carolina, where we just had a day when the temperature gauge got above 70 degrees. Now it’s dipped to the 40s, and it’s time to get serious about things. 

Fortunately, a few years ago, my sister bought me a jacket in my favorite buffalo plaid squares of black and red.

You could play a game of checkers on my jacket if you were so inclined. I have loved this combination for years, and would have it in every room in my home if I could. It’s available not just in clothing, but in pillows, dog beds, blankets, couches, bedspreads, draperies, etc. But I refrained from being a one-trick pony and only have the jacket. Although I did buy some wrapping paper this year that was buffalo plaid and the black squares were flocked, of all things. And I gave serious thought to buying a buffalo plaid sweater for Mary. Think of it­–matching outfits!

When I climbed into my new-to-me car today, and started it up, the heated seat and steering wheel automatically kicked in, because of the temperature, I guess. Wrapping my cold fingers around a warm steering wheel was an unexpected pleasure. So there are plenty of reasons to enjoy the occasional cold days this winter. 

I hope you can find reasons to enjoy the season, too! 

The Stockings Are Hung

Any of you who follow this blog regularly will already know that I'd rather celebrate Thanksgiving than Christmas. Because we never had much growing up, my memories of Christmas are pretty bleak. So, during the last couple of years, when I didn't put up a tree or send greeting cards, it didn't bother me, even though it offended my friends for whom Christmas is the day they look forward to all year.

Which is why this year is such a marked contrast. Already, with weeks to go before THE day, I've got my gifts in the mail and the cards have all been addressed and sent. I purchased a little tree with fiber-optic lights and hung my special White House ornament collection on it. There's just enough room for these beautiful and unique ornaments, each of which have a special significance to the former occupants in the White House.

Why am I so ahead of the game this year? I asked myself that question as I sat last night watching my tree go through its light rotation. I came up with only one reason: My routine is back to normal.

I am a list-maker, as are so many of us. Each week, I prepare my list of what needs done in the next seven days and love being able to mark things off the list. I include things that are relevant to my work, and hold myself accountable for both my creative work and my side hustle job. But there are also things on the list like meeting up with a friend for lunch, going to my exercise class, and other mundane chores like swiffering the floors and taking my trash to the dump. If it needs doing during the next seven days, it goes on my list.

It's been hard this past year for me to adhere to my list, since life got in the way of my routine. But I'm happy that I was able to complete a manuscript that got picked up by a publisher, and I will have a new book coming out next year. And I'm happy that I've found a new and fascinating era from our past that I can delve into. The Revolutionary War affected every person, great or small, rebel or resistor, gun-toting farmer or Quaker pacifist. My work with this period of our past makes what's now going on in Congress especially memorable, and I marvel every day at the forward-thinking of the framers of our Constitution.

So, routine has been reestablished, the tree is up, the stockings are hung, and my little dog Mary and I are set to enjoy the milder climate of a North Carolina December. Wherever you choose to celebrate the season, stay warm and be happy.

Final Freebie Day

My publisher, Prairie Rose, has made the first books in these seven series, free for a limited time, as we celebrated Black Friday weekend. Today marks the final day these books will be free. Go to the following website to learn more about each of these great books:

http://prairierosepublications.com/black-friday-book-giveaway/

When this giveaway began a few days ago, I made it my mission to get The Reluctant Debutante to number one on the list of Victorian Historical Romance. As of this writing, I'm sitting at number thirteen. Since I don't want to perpetuate the myth that thirteen is an unlucky number, I need you to add this book to your kindle reading list, if you don't already have a copy. This is the final day that I can try to get to the top of the list, for at least an hour.

And, while you're at it, take a look at the other offerings from Prairie Rose and help yourself. You just might find a new favorite author.

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with fun, food, and family and that you're now ready for December. And that you'll now help yourself to a gift or two from Prairie Rose. If you're a fan of western romance, we've got you covered.

Taking Time to Give Thanks

In a combination of Thanksgiving blessings and Christmas gift giving, I decided to part with a piece of property I had in Virginia. I'd held it for over ten years and finally decided I wasn't going to ever build a house on it, so it was time to get rid of it. I contacted a realtor and she agreed to represent me, but told me it might take as much as eighteen months to sell. Much to the surprise of both of us, it was under contract within two weeks.

So, what did I do with the profit? I bought myself a Christmas gift. If I could find one of those big red bows you see in commercials, I'd have it tied to the top of this car. My new to me Jeep!

My old Jeep had been purchased as a used vehicle, and I drove it for thirteen years. I owned my car longer than I held onto any of my assorted houses. The Ohio winters had been very hard on the old boy, and the parts underneath had begun to rust together. It was past time to upgrade. On the final day of having the car in my possession, I took it through the car wash, had a final meal in the car, and got misty when I thanked it for a final time. We'd been through a lot together.

So now, I'll learn what all the buttons are for in the new vehicle, and become as familiar with it as I was with the old one. As long as it's a Jeep, I'm comfortable. My brother was the one to remind me that, when I was contemplating my first car way back when, I told my mother I wanted a Jeep and she persuaded me to buy something else, saying that Jeeps were for boys. So now I have purchased two of those "boy" cars. My brother is proud of me for finally realizing my dream. My mother would probably shake her head at my folly and tell me that's one of the reasons I never could find anyone to marry. I do miss my mother but maybe it was because of her I learned how to be a strong, independent woman, much like my heroines. 

What about you? Are you planning to buy something nice for yourself this Christmas season?

If you need a gift idea, here's one. My novella, An Unconventional Courtship is free right now. Grab a copy for you and your loved ones. https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/wPvUwkuJ

And check out the Chase Family Book Club here: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=cfrg%20book%20club&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Getting Ready for the Holidays

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I attribute this phenomenon to the fact I come from a large family and there never seemed to be enough food to go around–except at Thanksgiving, when everyone got to eat until their bellies were full. The turkey, all juicy and golden brown, and all the trimmings, was eagerly anticipated each November.

Over the years, my many siblings have spread out, as my mother used to say, from sea to shining sea. So each year, we have carried on the Thanksgiving tradition any time of year when three or more of us have been together. Sometimes, it caused funny looks in the grocery store, such as when we tried to buy fresh cranberries and turkeys in July. But, for the most part, we had our celebrations whenever we could get together. 

Alas, this year will be different. At no time during this year were there three of us together, except for one weekend when we had more important plans. So, I'll be alone this year for the holiday. I certainly don't want to prepare a big bird for myself. I'm still eating turkey soup from the last time. I'm thinking of ordering a pre-cooked meal for two from the local grocery and buy a little pumpkin pie or pumpkin roll. It will be more than enough to fill my belly and put me in the mood for all those Hallmark Christmas movies to come next month. 

And, in celebration of the season, I'm giving away my novella, An Unconventional Courtship, to one and all. Be sure to visit Lauren Royal's facebook page on November 24 for freebies galore, and snap up a copy of my book now. I know it's a few weeks early, but Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. That's how we Lowers roll. 

https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/wPvUwkuJ

Pausing to Admire

I recently had the opportunity to visit my niece, her husband, and their two delightful children. I watched as the parents tag-teamed the care of the kids and wondered how in the world you could do this if you were a single parent. But I know it's done every day, across the country and the world. In my own family, my sister and brother have both had to be single parents and raise their offspring. My admiration of their achievements keeps growing, especially after spending a day with my niece's enthusiastic kids.

Likewise, I admire the thousands of romance authors who not only have burgeoning artistic careers, but raise children, care for their significant others, keep the house going, have full-time jobs, and hold an office with their local RWA chapter. How do they do it? Was I ever so motivated?

The past few years have been at a slower pace for me. After having deadlines for years, and putting out two or three books a year, I've had time to take a step back, figure out what makes me happy, and write what I want to. I'm pleased that my next book will be coming out next year, that my second book in the series is close to the finale, and that my publisher has faith in my work. With all the recent emphasis from the national organization on diversity and making certain not to offend anyone, the playing field has tilted dramatically. It will shift back to a more normal stance in a couple years as we all embrace each other's uniqueness, but right now, publishers are being very careful. Thankfully, there are still publishers who can recognize a good read when they see one. I admire that, too.

And, in honor of Veteran's Day, I admire anyone who has served in our country's military and salute you. Thank you for your service.

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time came into existence in the United States during the first World War in 1918 as a way to conserve energy and for the farmers to use as much daylight as possible to keep the crops growing. The idea was discontinued after seven months. During the second World War, however, the current model of Daylight Savings Time was signed into law by Roosevelt, and the format is still in use today. Today, 70 different countries have some form of daylight savings time, so it's not unique to the US.

The idea was not new when it was first executed in the US. In fact, Ben Franklin, back in 1784, wrote a letter to the editor of a Parisian newspaper, suggesting candle usage could be conserved if people would go to bed earlier and get up earlier. But Franklin meant it as a joke. It's a pity people didn't take it as such.

Turning back the clocks plays havoc with one's internal clock, much like jet lag. It usually takes about a week for my body to get used to it. Even though I don't have a job where I have to clock in anymore, my internal clock wakes me at 7 each morning when it needs coffee, and I'm ready to hit the sack by 11pm. We'll see how long it takes me this fall to get used to it.

What will I do with the extra hour today? Will I work on my manuscript, which I've been neglecting in favor of spending quality time with my sisters? Will I start planning a launch for my first new book in two years? Or will I roll over and get an extra hour of sleep? Inquiring minds want to know. Especially mine. In the meanwhile, here's a bit of an introduction to Libby, from my WIP:

 The proprietor gave her a sideways look when she appeared in the lobby.

“I’d like a room, please.” Libby gave him one of her solemn smiles.

“You’re alone?” 

Libby nodded. “Yes. I’d like to arrange for long-term accommodations.” 

The glint in the man’s eyes when she mentioned a long-term arrangement made her almost certain she would clear this hurdle. 

“Your name, please.” He held out a quill pen for her to sign the guest book. 

She took special care to put a Mrs before her new name. The man spun the book around and peered at her signature. 

“Mrs. Wexford, eh? Will Mr. Wexford be joining you anytime soon?” 

Libby manufactured a tear, which she made a show of brushing away. “I’m afraid Mr. Wexford just passed.” 

He mumbled an apology, handed her a key and took her money for the first week’s rent. Libby placed her fingers on her fluttering stomach. She’d told the truth, sort of. Mr. Wexford had recently passed. 

She thought she’d have a bigger battle on her hands, but evidently, widows were aplenty in Boston. The scuffle with Britain had been simmering for some years and was about to turn into a full-blown war. Just the kind of distraction she needed. If all the men in Boston were consumed by the Revolution against Britain, she could live here peacefully.

Time To Chill

I've been living in North Carolina for a year and a half now, and hadn't been able yet to get to the coast. Until now, anyway. My sister is visiting me from Phoenix and we decided to go see my niece's new home in Wilmington, and by so doing, I got to stick my toes in the Atlantic Ocean at Carolina Beach.

The water was cold, and my pant legs got wet, but I had a huge smile on my face as my great-niece and I waded in and tried to dodge the waves. 

It was also wonderful to see my other sister, too. We've turned into three old ladies, but we Golden Girls are taking it in stride. (With the great-niece and nephew.)

Sometimes it's nice to step away from the computer for a couple days and just chill. 

Starting Over?

In April, 2018, Crimson Romance went out of business. It was shortly after I moved to North Carolina when the bottom fell out of my publishing career. I was in the middle of a Regency series, had two of the books written and one published. I signed with an agent who suggested I write the third one in the series so she could try to salvage the series. The Regency period and I never seemed a good fit, though, and I found myself creating feisty secondary characters instead. I hired an author coach to help me right my ship and lost the agent.

I ended up taking the feisty secondary characters out of the strict Regency regulations in England, and plopped them into America at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It seemed to have worked. The first book in my new Revolutionary War series was a finalist in a recent contest, and I've just received a contract for the book, to be published early next year.

All this reflection has made me realize my roots are in America, not England.

If you look at this past year and a half one way, I've wasted a lot of time and my loyal fans are losing patience with me. But on the other hand, I've found where my strengths are. I can't wait to begin promoting a new book, and launching a branding campaign for myself. Or rebranding, as it were. 

I'm pretty excited to see what comes next.

Time For A Change?

For years now, I've had a tire cover on my Jeep that is easily identifiable. My hippie smiley-face that proclaims "Only In A Jeep" has been my calling card.

It's helped me locate my car in large parking decks, it's made a lot of folks smile, it's enabled people to track my whereabouts. While I really enjoy having the hippie dude on my car's rear, it has made me realize how easily identifiable I am.

My neighbor recently asked "Didn't I just see your car at Harris Teeter?" She could have surmised my whereabouts by the bags of groceries I just had unloaded, but she went to pains to tell me it was because of my tire cover. "There's not another one like it in all of Pinehurst." My dog, Mary, was being groomed last month, and the woman at the desk told me, after seeing my car in the parking lot, that she delivers my newspaper to me twice a week. I can't even get away with a late afternoon visit to the grocery or a morning at the groomer without being unmasked, it seems.

My dear Jeep, loyal as it has been, is about at the end of the road. I'm trading it in, hopefully sometime this week, for a newer used car, which will undoubtedly be another Jeep. But I'll remove the tire cover before I affect the trade, since it's been my trademark and I don't want it or me to be associated with the new owner. Alas, the newer Jeep models no longer have an outside spare tire, so I don't know what I'll do with my hippie, but it's not a good idea to transfer it with the car. What if the person robs a bank? Would the police come to my house, since I'm the smiley-faced hippie dude owner? The possibilities are endless.

I'm going to take some pointers on how I developed that brand, since I'll be coming out with my first new book in a couple of years soon. But this time I'll welcome the recognition. Stay tuned.

Time To Curl Up

The temperature in North Carolina shifted from summer to fall this past week. And, it's about time. I've always loved autumn. That's probably why I surround myself with trees every place I've lived, just so I can enjoy the spectacle of color in the fall. In my part of the state, there are vast forests of pine, which smells good, but doesn't put on the show of color that I prefer. For that, you need to go to the mountains.

So, I'm planning a trip. My sister from Phoenix is coming to visit, and we're going to explore my state, from the coast line to the mountains and a few places in between.

We'll feel the ocean breeze on our cheeks, breathe in the salt air, visit my niece and my baby sister, and then head to the hills for the display of color. We'll be able to curl up with a good book in front of a roaring fire, maybe see some deer or black bears. Can't wait. I'll get to spend valuable time with my sisters, and get to tour parts of the state I haven't yet seen. Maybe I'll even get inspired to have my next book take place in the mountains of North Carolina. If Nora Roberts can do it, so can I. 

Getting Here

Long ago, I lived in Texas. Those who were born and raised there were in one class of folks. Those who migrated there as adults got to wear a popular t-shirt proclaiming even though they weren't born there, they got there as soon as they could.

I thought about that shirt (which I never bought or subscribed to its notion) this week when I read an editorial talking about the same subject, but instead of Texas, they were relating it to North Carolina. Now, that's a notion I can get behind. Since moving here 1-1/2 years ago, I've settled in. I have nice neighbors, I've found work I can do from home, I joined a gym, and my new Revolutionary War series has me waking up each morning raring to go.

The first one in the series, A British Heiress in America, basically wrote itself. The second one's taking a bit longer, since my hero took a while to get his act together. But with a name like Hawk, what else could you expect? Here's a snippet from the second book, A British Courtesan in America:

The streets were bustling with people, all busy with their lives. Libby melted into the throng and wandered from one street to the next. Her next hurdle was to find employment. She glanced at the various shops and tried to picture herself working in one of them, but nothing so far captured her fancy. The street noise was deafening and the cobbles uneven, so she shifted her gaze to the street and lurched to a stop as the heel of her expensive brocaded silk shoe wedged between two cobbles. In her haste to explore her new city, she’d forgotten to change out of her favorite pair of shoes, the final gift from Atticus. She leaned over to dislodge the shoe, or take it off. 

Shouts, and then, thundering hooves, finally resonated. Libby glanced up in time to see a horse barreling right at her, but she was unable to move to safety. A scream formed in her throat as her gaze was pinned on the runaway animal. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. What a pity, to die on her first day of freedom. Then, the breath got knocked out of her as hands grabbed her and yanked her out of the way. She landed hard on the cobblestones, with an equally hard body on top of her. She fought for air as the man rolled off her, helping her to a sitting position, while Boston bustled around her. 

When she finally was able to breathe again, she opened her eyes and stared at the person who had saved her life. Dark skin, a shock of black hair that stood straight up from his scalp, broad shoulders, and brown eyes that narrowed as she perused him. If she hadn’t had the wind knocked out of her already, this man’s appearance would have stolen it. She’d never seen anyone remotely resembling him. And he still held onto her hand. 

She put her feet under her and he helped her rise. When she tried to put weight on her left foot, her ankle screamed in pain and she winced. 

“Have you been injured?” The exotic stranger asked in a voice that had a French lilt to it. 

“It’s my ankle. I twisted it, evidently. And lost my shoe.” Libby glanced around, searching for her missing footwear. 

The man scoured the area where she had been and pulled what was left of the shoe from the cobbles. He handed it to her. “Hope you weren’t too fond of them. Mighty fancy footwear for the wild streets of Boston.” 

She stifled the moan, and blinked rapidly, not letting the tears fall. “Thank you, kind sir. Now, if you can direct me to my hotel, I’ll let you get back to work.” She took a step forward, but latched onto the man’s arm for support as she cried out in pain. 

“You aren’t going anywhere in that condition, mon amie. I can take care of you.” He picked her up in his brawny arms and carried her through the streets. 

“I can take care of myself, sir. Please put me down.” She struggled, which made him grip her tighter. 

“Not until I take care of your ankle. The longer it’s left unattended, the greater the swelling.” He glanced down at her and smiled slightly. “It’s the least I can do. That horse escaped from my stables.” 

Libby settled into his arms. “Well, in that case…” She took a moment to study him. “I’m sensing a French accent, but something else, too. What is your nationality?” 

“Oui, half French. The other half is Passamaquoddy Indian.” 

And, when I get a spare morsel of time, I'm already thinking of the third book, tentatively titled A British Spinster in America. All my heroines are transplanted from England to the United States at the very moment in time when the states did become united. The Revolutionary War is a battle I can get behind, unlike the Civil War, in which so many died so a few could continue their plantation way of life. I keep my Civil War leanings to myself, since I am technically a Southerner now. But North Carolina is a good place to grow things. Like my office plant. It was a gift when I moved into my new place, and has taken off, spreading its leaves towards the heavens. What only a year ago was a little philodendron of some kind has grown into a plant worthy of Little Shop of Horrors. I can hear it calling out "Feed Me!" each time I come near with a watering can.

So I guess it's time I bought a shirt. One that says "I may not have been born here, but I got here as soon as I could." North Carolina is feeling like home.

Peace, Love and Rock n' Roll

My new Peace symbol t-shirt arrived in the mail today. I had to retire the old one, since a shirt can only have so many stains on it before it becomes embarrassing, regardless of the message.

While I was in college, a friend of mine carved a huge peace symbol out of a block of iron since he knew how much I liked the sign. I wish I still had it, but it got too costly to lug it around the country with me. So now, I'm on to the new shirt and hope it lasts as long as my previous one did. 

And I couldn't call myself a hippie if I didn't include love in the equation. Since I write romances, I think I've got that one covered. I'm currently shopping my 20th manuscript around and hope it finds a home soon. 

As for rock and roll, I grew up outside of Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. My sister and I attended the Who concerts when they still played in small venues, and saw the Rolling Stones on their first American tour. I have to admit to a bit of a hearing loss as a result of these early encounters, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Nowadays I like to work in absolute quiet, but when I need to boogie, I turn to Bruno Mars and his Uptown Funk. 

I  just finished rereading my latest manuscript, which is set during the Revolutionary War. It's made me focus on how our country got its start, how much these early founding fathers and mothers sacrificed to form this country, and I've become intensely patriotic as a result. Here's a snippet of a scene from the as yet unpublished story, entitled A British Heiress In America: 

Daniel let out a slow breath as Pip departed the deck. His natural curiosity about America, and what he was headed into, had forced their conversation to skate very close to the edges of his secret life. He’d taken a lot of guff from his friends when he accepted the job of ferrying supplies to the British forces. His in-laws, who took care of his daughter, Emma, while he was at sea, frowned on his activity even though they understood why he accepted the post. He’d do what he had to in order to make certain his daughter had the best life possible. And her best life possible didn’t include the British taking over the country he’d grown up in and loved. But it also didn’t include having her grow up as an orphan. She’d already lost one parent to the Brits. He’d be damned if they’d get a chance with him. He would guard his secret with his life. He had to, for Emma’s sake.

So, he’d continue his duplicity. He’d carry the missives meant for the British generals from their superiors still in England, as well as those directions going back to America from the British commanding officers. But not before reading what he could, listening to the talk as he picked up the parcel of letters, and passing along the information to his best friend Sam. Samuel Adams.

Having a Becky Day

Lately, I've had my nose to the grindstone to pay for a new stove, to pay attention to a sick family member, and to read some books that I've been putting off reading. Oh, yeah, and then there's the work-in-progress (WIP).

The sick family member is approaching stability, the stove is in and by the end of this week I will have it paid for with my side-hustle job. So, in the middle of this week, I was surprised to find I had a full day with no appropriate articles to write, and nothing on the calendar. So I plopped my butt in my chair and had a Becky kind of day. I got to do exactly what I have been dying to do--get back into my WIP and then read one of my good friend's books.

It was a day to recharge, one which I sorely needed but wasn't even aware I was being dragged down.

So, I got a couple more chapters edited in my WIP, and got deep into my friend's book. I finished reading the book today, but can't say the same about the WIP. That will take a little bit longer. But I think I'll schedule a Becky Day once a week. It puts a different shine on the rest of the week.

Prioritizing or Procrastinating?

My work schedule has shifted over the past few weeks, for a variety of reasons. And just as with anything that you develop a routine for–exercising, dieting, writing, etc.–when your routine gets interrupted, it's hard to get back on track. As most of you know, I have a side-hustle job, which at times pays more than my royalties from all my books. When the stove in my house hid the skids, I needed to find money to buy a new one, or stop cooking. Trust me when I say the "stop cooking" option held some appeal. But since that wasn't feasible, I went shopping over Labor Day for a new stove.

I got a good Labor Day sale price, but I still had to find the money to pay for it. Which meant doubling up on my efforts with my side-hustle for at least a month. So I switched the order in which I put together my day. Instead of working on the WIP first thing, I've been writing my articles first, and then, if I have any creative energy left, I work on my WIP. But a couple things are hanging me up. First, when I had to put down the WIP, I was at a sticky part where I needed to spend time doing some research and then write a fight scene. Second, I started using the book Save The Cat Writes a Novel, so I'm rereading the chapters I've already written to make them better, and make them adhere more closely to the suggestions in this book. And third, I find my brain is only capable of coming up with 1,200 words a day, regardless of whether they are used in the formation of articles or as part of my novel.

So am I prioritizing or procrastinating? Once I accumulate the funds needed to pay for the stove, I'll let you know.

Save The Cat

For years, I've been using Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet from his Save The Cat book to formulate my novels. It's basically for screenwriting, but I've found it quite useful in plotting out the basics of my stories. I can quickly fill in a beat sheet and determine if I have enough of a story line for a complete 70,000 word product. If I'm successful in filling in all the boxes, I'll go forward.

I was in the middle of the second book in my Revolutionary War series when life interrupted my orderly days. I abandoned the project for weeks, and then, when I was finally ready to get back into it, I couldn't get a grasp on what came next. One of my writing buddies suggested I take a look at the next version of Save The Cat. It's designed specifically for novel writing, not screenplays. I bought the book, thinking I'd apply it to the story I had written thus far. I'm probably at 25,000 words, so I've got a lot of material to filter through. 

So, the other day, I brought up the first chapter. Following along with the Novel version of Save The Cat, I got through the setup for the heroine and moved on to the next part of the first act, where the theme must be stated. According to the book, "a character (usually not the hero) will make a statement or pose a question to your hero or heroine that somehow relates to what the person needs to learn by the end of the story." I was already in trouble. 

I already had a secondary character in the scene, so I used him to pose the question to the heroine. Reading through the scene again, I quickly saw how much stronger the scene had become by my additional words, which fleshed out the secondary character and put the heroine on edge with his summation. Now I have to do the same with the hero. 

For all you writers who follow this blog, I highly recommend this craft book. Save The Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody not only saved the cat, but may have saved my book. Thanks, MJ, for the suggestion. 

Back To Work

Following my forced hiatus to take care of the family emergency, things are getting back on track. And that means back to work for me. Whoever said retirement meant slowing down obviously has never been there. I'm working harder than ever, but for the most part, it's enjoyable work rather than the teeth-gnashing kind.

After all, one of my favorite places to plot my next scene or work through a knotty situation with my characters is while I'm floating in the salt water pool at my fitness center. It's a great stress reliever and helps me clear my mind of my daily problems and focus on my writing. If I go more than a few days without getting my swimsuit wet, I miss it.

It seems I'm not the only one getting my life back to normal. The golf course behind my house is back up and running after spending the summer recuperating from a bad fertilizer job. The temperature is coming down into the comfortable category and I'm looking forward to fall. As for my WIP, I'll figure out what Hawk's big conflict is (as if fighting the Revolutionary War isn't enough) and decide when to do the big reveal for Anjanette/Liberty (since admitting she made her money as a courtesan is not something you can just drop into a casual conversation). It may mean more visits to the pool, but I'm up for that.

Does this mean I can write off my fitness center membership as a business expense? Hmmm...

The Dark Moment

All of us who write romance know that a good novel has to have a dark moment. The hero and heroine might think things are going along swimmingly and they are in a happy place, but then the bottom drops out of their lives. They have to work hard, and fight for each other and their happiness in order to get to the happy ending. Here's the official definition:

The darkest moment in the book is when a character loses all hope - normally the protagonist. It's often towards the end of the book, because that's right before the inevitable happy ending (or not, if you're being cruel) will emerge from the dark.

My sister and her husband are in their dark moment right now. After months of searching for a place to live, they found a great house, and are scheduled to settle on their new home in a few weeks. Everything was moving along well until, as my sister calls it, what happened wasn't a bump in the road, but a sink hole. My brother-in-law developed serious, life-threatening medical issues, and is currently being treated in the hospital.

What will happen? Right now, it's all up in the air. I have my idea of what they should do next, my sister and hubby have a different idea, and her daughter and her husband have another solution. All I can say is however it plays out, and whatever happens, they will deserve the best, most elaborate  happy ever after ending.

Their story would make a great book. 

Kids Say The Darnedest Things

Mary and I are not accustomed to being around children, so having a visit from my great-niece and nephew has been an eye-opening experience. My brother-in-law had emergency surgery while staying with me and now his daughter, son-in-law and grandkids have come to spend a couple days with him and my sister. I am overrun with people of all ages. The little girl, Keira, especially, is full of questions about why I don't have any children of my own.

I won't detail all the embarrassing questions I had to answer tonight, but Art Linkletter knew what he was talking about when he said Kids Say the Darnedest Things. I've decided to enjoy this interlude in my life, immerse myself in being the grandmother I never had a chance to be and put writing on hold for a week or so.

Family Time

My month of August has been chaotic so far. My sister, her husband, and their two dogs, are between houses and are camping out at Chez Lower. Fortunately, the dogs are getting along fine. The people? It's been a challenge. Buying a house is a lot different than it was just a few years ago, and I've been helping get their paperwork in order for the mortgage company. That's as close as I've come to doing any creative writing.

Fortunately, I think the paperwork is finally coming to an end, and we'll just count down the days until settlement. At least I hope that will be the case. So maybe I can get back to work this week, writing the big battle scene from the Revolutionary War. Obviously, I need to be in the proper mindset for that. You can't just throw on a tricorn hat and be there.

So, while I do battle with the underwriter, and with the Battle of Machias, not to mention a printer upgrade no one told me about, I'll try to work in a massage and some pool time to keep my sanity. September seems a long way off.

Kindle Countdown Deal!

This is the first time I've tried a Kindle Countdown Deal and it's for one of my favorite books, Blame It On The Brontes. From now until Tuesday, July 30, the price has been lowered to 99 cents for the ebook version. So, if you've been thinking about buying this one, now's the time.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TJ2PVT5/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=becky+lower&qid=1561506661&s=gateway&sr=8-5

          

            Sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne are back together again to eagerly dig into their dead mother’s fortune. 

         Only their mother has other plans for their contentious reunion. 

         Unknown to the trio, Mom decided her fortune wouldn’t be divided until one very critical thing happened. The sisters have to reunite in their childhood home for one year in Puffin Bay, Maine.

         And they have to get along. 

         But long-buried resentments, old rivalries, and would-be boyfriends are about to provoke their biggest feud yet, threatening the sisters’ financial claims and the lineage of a family that hasn’t known peace in decades. 

         Will a year be enough for three brash sisters to figure it all out? 

Excerpt: 

Charlotte raised her binoculars, searching the ocean for the only boat on the water that mattered to her. Nothing yet, but soon, The Brontëand Gray would be on their way home, to her. She really didn’t need visual proof that he was coming into shore. She could feel it in her gut. Goosebumps, which had nothing to do with the breeze wafting in from the water, dotted her skin.

Charlotte’s heart constricted with a twinge of loneliness. Her mother was gone forever. The keen sense of loss was something Gray would certainly understand. For the first time in her life, her mother would not inhabit the house with her, tidying the comfortable rooms, taking care of everyone and making them feel at home. She needed Gray to help take away the feeling she was all alone. She needed Gray, plain and simple.

For the next several days she would fulfill the role of hostess to her two sisters, who were returning home for the somber event of laying their mother to rest. As the eldest, Charlotte accepted the mantle that fell on her shoulders, although she was not happy about it. Their mother had been the one to keep the lines of communication open between the three of them, and Charlotte now wondered what would happen. Certainly, she had no plans to talk to her sisters, beyond what was necessary this week. 

She climbed over the wet, sun-bleached granite boulders ringing the shoreline. 

“Hi there, Char.” 

She gazed into the faded blue eyes of Puffin Bay’s oldest resident, Autry Jones. He sat in his usual summertime spot, on the slatted wooden bench in front of the post office. His white beard rested on his chest, and his captain’s hat shielded his eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. 

Charlotte smiled at the old codger. “Hey, Autry.” 

She had a lot to do before Gray’s boat arrived at the dock, but she always had time to talk to Autry. 

“The sea cough up anything for you today?” 

“No, nothing. But I wasn’t really searching for sea glass. I’m not going to have time to make any jewelry this week, what with everyone coming in for the funeral.” 

Charlotte lowered herself onto the bench beside him. Autry bumped his arm up against hers and tore his gaze away from the ocean. “One thing you don’t need to worry about is groceries this week. Mrs. Spradling headed to your house a bit earlier to drop off a mountain of food, as she does every time someone in this town passes. Sorry about your mom. Such a good woman.”

“Thank you. She was kind-hearted, even though she stuffed our childish heads with romantic nonsense. Hell, instead of hearing Dr. Seuss books when we were kids, we got yet another chapter of her favorite romance novel. And, every night after supper, Mom took us to the widow’s walk to see if Daddy’s boat was in port.” 

“She did her best to raise you girls while your daddy was earning a living from the sea.”

“I know, and I miss her terribly already. Are you going to be at the memorial service? Emily and Anne will be coming home for the funeral. The two of them should be pulling into town later today.”

“Ay-yup. I’ll be there. It’ll be nice to see you girls together again. Should be good weather for a funeral. I hear Grayson turned his boat toward the shore, too.” Autry’s pale eyes twinkled.

“I figured he’d come in from the sea, but Mom’s viewing isn’t until tomorrow, so I don’t expect to see him until then.” She shifted on the seat under Autry’s keen gaze.

“You can’t think of any reason he might want to come in early? Charlotte Bronson, you and Gray may think you’ve been fooling the town for eighteen years, pretending the two of you don’t care for each other, but you can’t hoodwink an old coot. I was young once, too, and I know what love is.”

“But we haven’t been in love for years. We try to avoid each other.”

Autry continued to stare at her without saying a word. 

She shook off the rush of schoolgirl giddiness that came with the idea Gray was turning toward port early in order to see her. She ran a hand down her braid of dark hair, now liberally laced with silver. Maybe she could do something about the streaks before he arrived. If only I could erase the past as easily as I can get rid of the outward signs of aging. Then maybe Gray and I could fall in love again. Remembering she had a million things to do, she leaned over and kissed the old man on the cheek before jumping up. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TJ2PVT5/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=becky+lower&qid=1561506661&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Pass the Pepper, Please!

 I'm so pleased that this week saw the re-release of A Widow's Salvation. As the Akron Beacon Journal said in their review, "It's high time Pepper has her turn at romance." 

After serving as a secondary character in the previous seven Cotillion Ball books, Pepper gets her own story, a year after her husband, Michael, died at the first battle of the Civil War. This war affected everyone living in America during the time, so it would have been unusual for the large Fitzpatrick family to not have one fatality. Since I was so entrenched in the series, as I hoped my readers were, I didn't want to do away with any of the Fitzpatrick men, so Michael seemed the logical choice, since he was related only by marriage. Here's the way the story opens: 

New York City, July 1862

Pepper Brown yanked open her bedroom armoire and stared at the sea of black. Her widow’s weeds, as people called them. They were showing up in increasing numbers on the streets of New York, on women of all ages. The Civil War, which both sides had thought would be over in a matter of weeks, marked its one-year anniversary today. Which meant today was also Pepper’s one-year anniversary as a widow. She drummed her foot on the floor while she perused the black dresses. Was she ready to move on? Michael had thought she would be. In fact, he extracted a promise from her before he left for the war. One year and not one day more, he had said. Her mother thought so, too, or she wouldn’t have planned their outing for today. All Pepper now needed was the courage to convince herself they were right. The churning in her stomach told her she had a ways to go yet.

She straightened and turned her back on the black.

“Molly, please come help me dress,” Pepper called down the hall to her lady’s maid. “I’m going out today.”

“Aye, ma’am.” Molly, a young Irish girl with light brown hair and matching freckles across her pert nose, came quickly into the room. “Which gown would you be liking?” She began fondling the various dresses in the armoire.

“None of these. I’m done with these dresses. Besides, most of them are maternity gowns. I want to wear something fresh, something different.”

Molly nodded vigorously, and the little white cap on her head bounced askew. She righted it before she spoke. “Perfectly understood, ma’am, and you should be stepping down to half mourning. Perhaps I can find a nice gray or deep purple gown among your other things.”

Pepper shook her head. “No, no half mourning for me. What kind of silly term is that, anyway? I’m going out with Mother, and I want our day to be special. I want to wear something bright. I think the periwinkle dress Jasmine created for me right before Michael’s death will do. Yes, the periwinkle.”

Pepper smiled at Molly’s horrified intake of breath. She obviously disapproved, which meant it was the right decision.

“Periwinkle? Forgive me saying so, ma’am, but isn’t it a wee bit too much of a difference?”
“Why yes, it is, Molly.”

I am constantly surprised, and amused, at the way history works with my stories. Pepper was now a single mother raising three young boys, so she possessed the inner strength of every mother who's ever raised a child. What I didn't see coming when I began the story was how the Civil War led to the advancement of the use of prosthetic devices. Who better to take on the task of getting grown men to use a prosthetic leg than a mother? There are several scenes where Pepper whipped these men into shape and got them to walk again. I hope you enjoy Pepper's story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
https://www.amazon.com/Widows-Salvation-Cotillion-Ball-Saga-ebook/dp/B07TVPD6SJ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=a+widow%27s+salvation&qid=1563029753&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Worth The Wait?

Since the demise of Crimson Romance, I haven't been able to release any new books, only re-publish the ones they returned to me. A few loyal readers have reached out to me over the past year, asking when I'd put out something new, and I had no answer.

Now, I do. Sort of, anyway.

I labored this past year writing two manuscripts set in the Regency era. Labor being the key word here. They were both very difficult to write and now have taken up residence under my bed. But in each book, I introduced a secondary, minor character to move the story forward and became entranced by these characters. One of my beta readers told me I should toss the Regency and write the story of the secondary woman. I'm glad I listened.

I decided to take the minor character from the first book and tell her tale. But instead of having her be in England, I transported her to America during the Revolutionary War. I figured her penchant for a good cheroot would not be so frowned on in America. The book idea came to me so easily, and I really enjoyed writing it. I entered it into a few contests to get some good feedback and to see if it held up under the scrutiny of others. And look what happened!

I am a finalist! Haven't been able to say that in a while. We'll see where this leads, but right now, it's under scrutiny at four different publishers and I'm working on the next one. My secondary character from the second rejected Regency is a courtesan who finds her way to Boston one year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. She's left her profession behind. Or so she thinks. Can anyone really leave their past behind?

Stay tuned.