Family

I got some writing in this week, but not a lot.  Why?  We had family visiting.  And this time, when our grandsons visited us here in Los Angeles, we had to have fun with them.

That means we spent one day at Universal Studios, and another at the Los Angeles Zoo.  Plus, we visited the bat cave--the cave in the hills where some of the Batman TV shows were filmed. 

And more, of course.

I sneaked in some editing when I could, and also kept on writing the second book in my new miniseries Shelter of Secrets for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. 

Not sure what my dogs thought about it all.  We spent a lot less time with them than we generally do.  But right now they're lying at my feet in my office, so they've apparently forgiven me, or at least want to hang out with me.

Now, the family has gone back home, and I'm trying to catch up with everything else that got put on hold--and also started writing again.

Fun--but busy!

Retreat

I'm having my own personal writer's retreat in Chicago.  It's been great.  I spent the first part of the time finishing the copy edit for KNOT ON YOUR LIFE.  Once finished and sent on its way I moved on to MURDER INK which features writer for hire Veronica Blackstone.  The first book takes place in October in Chicago, so all I had to do was look out the window for inspiration.

Even for this short time it is great to have the chance to just focus on writing.  Though I started working on something new in crochet.  It goes with something I'm working on about a woman who crochets toys.  It happens to have been a goal of mine and now I have the incentive to go for it.

I did make a worry doll for the crochet series.  I enjoyed it, but it was one and done.  I was want to make all kinds of things.  The first project is a purple bunny.  The choice was made by what yarn I have here and a pattern in a book I keep here.  It took me a number of attempts, but I've completed it's first arm.  Now that  have the feel of it, the second one will be easy as will hopefully the rest of it's body.

But the real challenge is the finishing.  A bad face ruins the whole thing.  Also want to give it a sewn on heart and maybe some clothes.

The neat thing about crochet is that you can make "things" rather than just shawls and afghans.  I crocheted a cactus.  I've seen crocheted pots filled with crocheted violets that I'd love to make.  It's a learning process.  First, I use a pattern and get an idea how it all works then I make up my own designs.

I am go grateful to have this time to write and dream.  And then its back to the usual chaos juggling chores, family business, writing and family drama.

Fun With Research... Or Not

I'm still busily at work on the second book in my new miniseries Shelter of Secrets for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.  I've even sent the proposal in.  But this morning when I woke up I heard a snippet of news on TV that made me worry that some research I did for this new book wasn't correct.

I tried to check it right away--but my computer wasn't hooking up with the internet the way it should be.  Later I was able to confirm that I was right--plus, I was able to hear the story that had worried me on the TV again and realized it wasn't so bad after all.

Still, I'll be keeping a lot of things I learned during this period of concern in mind as I continue writing, and may modify some of my ideas just a bit, but hopefully it'll all work fine.

And I'm glad I got some exercise in this morning.  Maybe it helped my racing heart!

Knot on Your Life

The next Yarn Retreat Mystery is one step closer to coming out.  The title is now Knot on Your Life and I just got the copy edit.  I started to go through it and most of the changes are minor things.  I was glad to get the feed back from my editor since he was the first person other than me to read it.

When I got to the end I realized I had a whole lot of things going on that I had to tie up and I wasn't sure it all made sense and that I'd tied them all up.  But it seems I have. 

There is a lot going on.  Friendship, romance, murder, a Silicon Valley startup, food, a skeleton falling out of the local royalty's closet, a smuggled dog, Julius the cat  and of course, yarn.

Once the copy edit is done, I think there is one last proof read then it is out to readers.  We're working on the cover and cover copy right now.  I'm always excited to see what the art people come up with.  This time I offered a pretty detailed suggestion.

I have a lot of things going right now.  There is the first book in the new series to complete.  The exciting news is we already have an offer for the audio edition.  The book takes place in October in Chicago and I'm heading to Chicago to get inspiration.  Also October is my favorite month there.  The leaves are turning and the air is crisp, but not cold yet.  In the old days there were scents of burning leaves.  Now they get blown around with those noisy gas blowers.

I'm also working on something else.  It has been taking me forever to get the first page right.  Once I do that all else follows.  It's exciting because it is writing about a place in Indiana that I have loved my whole life.  And my character crochets toys which means I will be making them too. It's  one of those things I've been wanting to work on.

I have grandma duties and working support in our family business, too.  I am never bored.  In fact sometimes I wish I was just so time would seem to slow down. 

Life is exciting