Lots Going on

 

 KNOT DEAD AGAIN comes out next week.  I remember when I got the book deal for the Crochet series that my agent explained all  the steps between turning in a manuscript and the book coming out.  She also explained there would be overlaps between working on one book and another.  It's gotten more so since I have been working on different series.

Right now I am thinking about the questions I received in advance of being a guest on a podcast that tapes the day KNOT DEAD AGAIN comes out. (www.thecozysleuth.com/podcast).  I always worry about going blank and having nothing to say.  I live in a household where everyone but me seems to lecture rather than have a conversation and I seem to always be listening to someone else.  It's a whole adjustment to me being the one who is talking.  It's even weirder talking to a computer screen.

At the same time, I am working on the next Molly book.  I wrote the actual first page, though I already started to rewrite it.  The first page is everything-- for me and for readers.  Once I have the first page, I seem to feel confident that the rest will come.  And if I don't capture a readers attention on that first page, I worry I will lose them.

And any day I will get the edits on CLASSY YARNS.  It's a new editor so I have no idea what to expect.  

I just finished putting together my travel arrangements for my trip to Writers Police Academy/Killer Con.  It's being held in Appleton, Wisconsin again.  Travel from Los Angeles to Appleton is never direct, so I am adding in a stay in Chicago on the way there.  I have gone to Writers Police Academy numerous times, but this time the program is different. It is supposed to start with a murder/crime scene and follow an investigation of it.  They also bring in an assortment of first responders and their equipment.  It's a chance to see everything close up and ask questions.  I am most interested in talking to the people and finding out who they are and how they deal with their job.

On top of all that, there is the elephant in the room-- the buckled floors from the hot water leak.  We are still dealing with the insurance company about getting them fixed.  I can only imagine the chaos when the work finally starts. I'm just glad the room that has my computer doesn't have wood floors and is tucked away in a corner far from where all the action will be.

Things Change

             Yes, things change. And that includes the formatting of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense books. I received copies of CANINE PROTECTION, the fourth book in my Shelter of Secrets series which will be out in August, and it looks different from the earlier books in the series and all earlier HRS books. It looks good, but it’ll be different on my shelf of previous HRS books.

             Why the change? Well, I’ve heard that HarperCollins, which now owns Harlequin, is making changes to its books including layouts, fonts, inks used and maybe more. Why? To save trees! I can’t argue with that. And I do like the new format. In fact, as an amateur environmentalist appreciator, I like the idea. Hang in there, trees! 

            Another change is that my husband shaved our older Cavalier Cari for the summer. She grows a lot of fur, so she looks really different now. Still adorable, of course. And maybe more inclined to play with Roxie for exercise. 

            I’m working more now on one of my new story ideas—and enjoying it!

Random Thoughts

 Along with thinking about Molly's next adventure, I have spent the week working on updating my website.  I have been using the same person to deal with my website since my first book.  He decided to kick things up a little and when he sent me changes to look at, he had made everything look more interesting. It all should be up and running by next week.

My web guy sent me the News page for the Yarn Retreat  books and asked if I wanted to change it.  I had forgotten all about that page and it looked it since it featured the first two books in the series and another that came out a while ago.

When I read over the copy that went with the first two books, I thought about how much the world had changed since they came out.  Like, there used to be a Barnes & Noble near me and there used to be Border's Bookstores.  Shopping Malls were still popular.  People weren't staring at their phones all the time.  No one would have believed that the world would shut down for a virus. It also seems that civility has gone out the window. 

Who would have thought they would seem like the good old days.  And then  I think about the future and wonder if  we will be thinking about now as the good old days.

Missing Conferences

             Happy May, everyone! 

            I’ve been seeing lots of posts from friends on Facebook about Malice Domestic and, before that, Left Coast Crime, both in April. I used to attend both of them a lot, though working around the pandemic back in the day, but this year I didn’t. And then there’s upcoming Bouchercon, which I’ve attended the past couple of years, but not this year because of some conflicts with family events. 

            But I’m delighted that Harlequin might be holding its own conference later this year. Yes, I hope to attend. It’ll be in Canada, which should in itself be fun. 

            I do miss seeing fellow writers in person as much as I used to, although I do attend local chapter meetings quite bit. 

            Otherwise, I stay home with my pups and my writing, which is also enjoyable but in a different way. 

            And yes, I’m busy plotting and planning these days. And more of my older books are becoming available as ebooks and audio books. Always fun!