More Writing, More Plotting

 Every time I do something special or different or both, I always start plotting in my mind—as I am currently. Last weekend I went to the Fun Day for the local Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, and am considering what I can use from that experience in a new story or series. For one thing, I met a really nice lady who works in law enforcement who’s being stalked by some guy. Oh, she’s written about it, so I’m not going to attempt to tell her story. But it’s edging on my mind. And of course so are Cavaliers! That day was our Cari’s 10^th birthday, so a lot of what we did there was to celebrate her.

And otherwise? Yes, I’m still working on the third book in my current Harlequin Romantic Suspense series, K-9 Crime Solvers. It’s fun to see the first now in print form, though not available yet, plus I received copies of a print version that also has another author’s story in it, one of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense Colton books.

Weather or Not

 After days of 100 plus days, the weather did a huge change.  The temperature suddenly dropped.  I went from waking up to it being 77 in the house to it being 68,  The T-shirts I was wearing were not enough and I put long sleeve shirts on over them.  Well, for a day.  Another big change as all that unusual humidity we were getting blew away and the air became light and dry as a Santa Ana blew in.  The temperature is going back up to the 90s.

All the abrupt changes are disquieting, but the winds add something more.  There has already been a warning text from the city about fire danger.  The winds themselves feel eerie and put people on edge.  I'm certainly on edge.  It's a good time for some crochet therapy while trying to let it all go.

I watched a new show called CUPERTINO.  I loved that the female lead crocheted to calm herself.  I wonder if the writers will keep her doing that in future shows.  

Meanwhile I am trying to shut out all the local weather and think Midwest fall as I work on the third Crochet and Crumpet mystery.  Instead of seeing green leaves on the lime tree outside my window, I am trying to picture red leaves fluttering down from as trees become skeletons.  It is fun seeing it through the eyes of the two California girls.   

Hey, I think I’m on time today!

 

Right now, I’m still hanging out at home, mostly working on the third book in my current Harlequin Romantic Suspense series, K-9 Crime Solvers.

I also wrote a post for the other site where I blog every few weeks, Writers in Residence, one to be published this week. The topic? Writers who use themes in their stories. And of course I had to mention how much I love to write stories that involve dogs, which I’ve been doing forever. Unfortunately, that post will be one of my last for WinR, since the decision has been made that, after many years, that blog will be ending.

But so far, at least, I’m staying here! And for now, at least, I’m also remaining active at Writerspace.

Going Behind the Scenes

 Doing research for a book is one of my favorite things. This time it is about miniature golf. though when I was a kid and we went to a golf spot in Indiana, we called it tiny golf.  It was a super big treat to go there which makes writing about a miniature golf course out there even more fun..  This time the course is out in the rural area on a former estate that has a lake.  It is based on a real estate that had included a lake which has now been turned into a strip mall with an event venue.

In my telling all those stores and parking lot are open land that has been cleared for the miniature golf course.  I never thought about how you build that kind of golf course until now.  I have looked at lots of pictures of works in progress and finished courses.  I found out that there are even portable ones for use on cruise ships.

I like to draw locations to see how the pieces fit together or in this case what the holes might look like since part of the fun of miniature golf is the theme.  Are there pirate ships, or an under the water theme.  I was thinking of including local scenery in my fictional one that has a light house surrounded by a moat and a replica of the sand dunes.

I actually found a diagram of a floating hole that could be on the small lake on the property.  

The other research I was doing was on Waldorf salad because a lot of the plot centers on apples for the salad which is offered in the tea room.  I was surprised that it started out as just apples and celery with a mayonnaise dressing and grapes and walnuts were added later.  Now I want to make some with an addition of some seasoning to make it more fall like since the book takes place in October. 

Next up will be figuring some fall themed finger sandwiches they can serve.