Valentine's Day

Advance notice: Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 pm, I will be at the Rum River Public Library in Anoka, MN, to give a talk and sell books.

I was planning on boasting in this entry about the marvelous, perhaps exotic, chocolates I had purchased at Truffle Hill in Excelsior to give away at the Valentine’s Day Party at Joanna Campbell Slan’s site this evening from 9 p.m. EST to Midnight EST. But, wanting the freshest candy, I was going to go out on Monday – and discovered the shop is closed on Mondays. So as soon as it opens at ten this morning I will be at their door. On their web site they offered as their Truffle of the Month one flavored with hot chili peppers. I may buy one of those for the little collection. What do you think?

My husband and I went out to dinner last Friday in an early Valentine’s Day celebration. The older I get, the less I feel I must celebrate a particular holiday exactly on the day. Still, I have a bar of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds, my favorite, on hand to mark the Fourteenth.

I’m beginning to think of And Then You Dye as the novel that will not die. There’s a letter that a character needs to write to Betsy I have discovered, and I will create it today. My editor hasn’t read the manuscript yet, and so says I should go ahead and do it.

Meanwhile, I am already thinking about the next book. I wanted to take some time off – my sister in Florida has invited me down for a visit – but Watered Silk is nudging at me, and I’m getting intrigued at its possibilities. Maybe it’s the vitamin B-12 I’ve been taking.

On the other hand: Florida. Sunshine. Fresh local fruit and vegetables. Gathering seashells on the Gulf. Heaven! What’s your idea of an ideal winter getaway?