Loose Screws

 The last hot spell seems to be over which is a relief.  I am focused on the rewrite of MURDER BY THE HOOK.  I tried working from the on screen version of my last couple of books, but I'm back to working from a hard copy.  I have gotten pretty good and reading e-books, but it just isn't the same as reading something on paper.  

I find it hard to feel where what I'm reading fits in with the whole book. And, reading on a screen is different because apparently you don't blink as often and your eyes dry out.  I think there is a vibration to screens that is too fast to be noticed, but is still there.

 There is nothing like that  with paper.  

I want to just work on it and forget about everything else, but life goes on.  And it seems like there is always a whole trail of details with every chore.  Take the kitchen cabinet door that is hanging on by only the bottom hinge. The holes for the top screws have gotten too big over time and just full out if you try to screw them in.

We need wood fill, or at least that is what I called it.  There maybe a brand new kind of stuff that does that now.  That means a trip to Home Depot or Lowe's to see what's out there to do the job.  It also means that most likely Jakey will be along.  And that means a lot of time with the Halloween decorations.  He loves Halloween and decorating our house and yard. We already have a lot of stuff, but there is always something new  I will have to spirit him away from the grave stones and witches that say creepy stuff when you walk by to get to the reason for our visit.

The great thing about Home Depot and Lowe's is that they seem to have everything.  But finding it is another matter. Sometimes the employees can help and sometimes they don't know where something is either. And then we always get distracted by something else like pots of fall flowers.

Assuming I'm right about the wood fill.  There is doing the actual "fill" and having the patience to let it dry completely.

The final challenge is will it actually work.  Can the screws be put in or will all the wood fill stuff fall out and bring the screws with it.  Will there be a feeling of triumph that a problem has been solved or will it be just a lot of time spent and extra Halloween shopping before being left with the hanging cabinet door that looks like it's drunk.  I'm hoping for the best.

All of that is trivial compared to what the people affected by the hurricanes are dealing with.  I hope Sally Morrison is okay.

Plotting and Writing Some More

             After the last couple of posts, based on my travels before them, things have certainly slowed down in my life. No more safaris or Toronto trips!           

            But I have been writing my next Harlequin Romantic Suspense book, which is fun. And walking and playing with the dogs. And attending a local Mystery Writers of America chapter dinner, and visiting with neighbors to show them our safari pictures. 

            Yes, I’m keeping busy. But I find it particularly fun to look at my safari pictures. Still haven’t been plotting much on the story I’ll definitely have to write about it, but my mind is at work, as it always is. 

            And I’m happy that an interview I did previously has now been published by Readers House in the UK in multiple editions and publications. Here’s one of them: https://readershouse.co.uk/issue-47/

The Cat in a Hat

 You wouldn't know it was October by the weather.  The heat came back with a vengeance.  Though it is not as bad as the summer.  The days are shorter and the angle of the sun different.  The temperature drops at night giving everything a chance to cool off.

I'm all mixed up in my head about the seasons anyway. MURDER BY THE HOOK takes place around the summer solstice.  When I stop working for the day, I have to remind myself that summer is not just starting.

I read an interesting story  this morning about s real cat in a hat, actually it's cats in hats.  Crocheted cat hats are being used to measure their brainwaves.  Up until now, they could only measure the felines brainwaves  if they were sedated.  It seemed like the cats played with the wires if they were awake.

The crocheted caps have the electrodes in them and most of the cats seem okay with wearing them.  They looked very cute in the picture.

I'm not really comfortable with experimentation on animals since it is often cruel, but this seems okay.  The point of measuring their brainwaves has to do with helping the cats deal with arthritis pain and finding ways to help them with things like colors and scents.

Now it's back to the rewrite.

Bring On October!

             Happy October, everyone!

 Since last week, when I described my African safari, I’ve been out of the country again, this time in Toronto, Canada, for the Harlequin 75^th Anniversary celebration. It was wonderful! They held a lot of sessions introducing their current authors to the way they create all aspects of their books, from cover to production to printing and more. We got to see their Canada offices, where a lot of it is put together—although I’ve also seen their New York offices. We saw more of the new covers, and even got copies of some of the newest books. We met more of the editorial staff and those in charge of it all, and heard some of them speak. 

And of course they held a party to celebrate it all—with a live band who played a lot of the songs always played at Harlequin parties at Romance Writers of America celebrations and more—including It’s Raining Men! For that, and other songs, lots of women get up and dance and really party. It’s Harlequin romance, after all! 

It was also fun to see the other authors there, including meeting some I hadn’t met before, and catching up a bit with those I already knew. 

Now, though, I’m home and trying to return to my usual routine, including doing some more writing—including continuing with my next Harlequin Romantic Suspense book, the first in my new series. 

It’s good to be home and get to spend more time with my dogs, who clearly missed me—and I missed them too. 

But I definitely enjoyed the trip and celebration!