New House

Yep, I bought a new house. Here it is. I’d went to the garden shop just for mulch for the flowerbeds but my four-year-old granddaughter was with me and fell in love with ‘the house with the yellow door'. Thankfully her daddy, my son, was with too, because we needed his truck to haul home the new house, and we needed his help since the house came in two very large boxes and required some assembling. All three girls arrived in time for the official unveiling and then we had a sleep over. 

The following day I wrote until 4:00 in the morning to meet my deadline. But it was worth it! 

I did get the mulch, too, and the flowerbeds were completely ready for the lovely rain we got this weekend. (Prayers and thoughts to all those in Oklahoma!)

With my Alaska gold rush story completed and sent off to my editor, I have started a new story. I never tire of mail order bride ones, so that’s what this one is. With a slight twist. It is also a Christmas tale and will be released late this year in the HQN Undone line. I received a contract for three more Undone’s. Every contract is just as exciting as the first one, so I was doing another little happy dance upon receiving it. 

I also want to mention that the Brenda Novak’s Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research is happening right now! As a member of Sweethearts of the West and Hearts through History, I’ve donated a few things to the auction. Stop on over and check them out at  http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/AuctionHelp.taf?S=N&R=2&C=2&m=3&sort=1&ST=1&days=10&category_id=14289&skipkw=1&status=&_start=1

Take a moment and enjoy the wonders of spring. It is all around us!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....

The granddaughters spent the night on Friday and helped me wrap the presents that had piled up in the corner of my bedroom waiting for just such an event. We also watched Miracle on 34^th Street (the remade version, not the original, black and white just doesn’t hold their attention) while munching on a tray of homemade goodies. We’ll gather at one son’s house on Christmas Eve and another son’s house for Christmas Day and I’m looking forward to watching the girls tear into their gifts. The little one hidden amongst the presents in this picture wants a specific princess kitchen so badly she shivers when talking about it. (That present has been wrapped for some time and I sincerely hope ‘some assembly required’ doesn’t take hours!)

Today I will make a trip to the grocery store to purchase the times I need to create the dishes I will bring to both gatherings, and we have a lunch date with our oldest granddaughter. She turns six today and with the holidays so close, we’ve made a tradition of celebrating it early and going out to eat at the restaurant of her choice on her actually birthday.

One the writing side, all is going well. I had the unique opportunity to write a Christmas story during the Christmas season. It seems I’m usually writing about July in December and vise versa. HQN asked me to write a story for their 2013 Christmas anthology in November, and just this week I received the edits. I plan on completing them this coming week. Anna and Tanner’s story will be released next October. 

It’s hard not to think about all that’s going on around the world, and the tragedies right here in the United States. Please say a prayer, offer sympathy and empathy, but also take the time to reflect upon your blessings. All that you have and hold dear. That’s my Christmas wish for you.