Another week gone by in a flash. Now that MURDER BY THE HOOK is totally done and up for pre-sale, I had to update my website which includes adding a picture of the crochet project in the book. I had made the squares for the scarf a while ago, but put off weaving in the ends and sewing them together.  I know I am not alone with putting off doing those things.  I'm not even sure why we all do it. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Now, maybe I will get back to that kitten who is just a body waiting for a head, legs and tail. Meanwhile, there is a special p ..read more

             Oh, yes. As I mentioned before, April is approaching fast—and that means the official publication date for CANINE REFUGE, the fifth and final story in my Shelter of Secrets series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense will be here soon. And yes, as I previously mentioned too, I’ve been working on promoting it—including getting ideas and preparing to do things like more blogs and chats at Writerspace, which handles a lot of my promotion.             But one of the most fun things turned out to ..read more

  MURDER BY THE HOOK is up for pre-sale.  The official release date is April 8.  It's great timing because the basket of orange orbs on the cover are Pixie tangerines. And April is a big time for Pixis.  They only grown in Ojai, California, where the book takes place.   I finally got it straight about mandarins versus tangerines.  All tangerines are mandarins, but not all mandarins are tangerines. We went up to Ojai on Sunday and bought our first Pixies of the year. We also passed lots of groves of the trees loaded with them.  I was glued to the window the ..read more

             April is approaching fast—and that means the publication date for CANINE REFUGE, the fifth and final story in my Shelter of Secrets series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense, will be here soon. I’m delighted! I really enjoy that series and look forward to the newest and last to be available to readers.             In fact, I’ve been working on ideas to let the world know about this newest story, from more blogs to newsletters and maybe even chats. Plus more talks. And my new bookmarks are i ..read more

 It's National Crochet Month.  I'm not sure how to celebrate.  Maybe by finishing that kitten I started.  I have a lot going on, so it's been hard for me to focus on just finishing the kitten. There are different level of crochet, for me at least.  Working on a scarf or big granny square afghan doesn't take a lot of concentration.  It's repetitious and there is not much stitch counting.  And there's no face to get right.  The scarf or afghan are easy to work on for awhile and put down. I have discovered that making amirgurumi which is what the little toy ..read more

            Yes, the third month of the year has started. Boy, does time pass fast these days!             But nothing much different to report now. I’m working on the second story in my latest Harlequin Romantic Suspense series, plus researching and more. Plus, I’m giving a talk later this month at the Union Oil Company Alumni meeting. I was an in-house real estate attorney for Unocal, but the company is long gone now. Some of the old timers still get together now and then. I’ll be talking abou ..read more

 And another month bites the dust.  It's been warm here which made it hard to remember what month it was anyway.  But it's turned cloudy and instead of the 80s we've been having, it's going back to a high in the 60s tomorrow.  I hope the weather change brings some rain.  We really need it. Words are kind of my business.  Well, with some yarn thrown in.  I always looked at crossword puzzles as something I couldn't do.  I never even tried them since it seemed beyond me.  But then I had a People Magazine on a plane and got to the crossword puzzle at th ..read more

              I met my deadline for the first in my new Harlequin Romantic Suspense series last week. And now I’ve started to work on the second one!             And I’m still having fun researching a new idea. Well, not so new. I had the general idea a while back but it’s undergone a lot of iterations in my mind and I’m still not sure where it’s going.             Some traveling going on soon, to visit family. Looking forward to that ..read more

 Going over the first past pages of MURDER BY THE HOOK  is done.  Now I just have to get the corrections together to give to my editor.  I had enough distance from the manuscript that it was like I was reading something that someone else wrote.  I hope readers agree, but I really liked it.  This is my last touch with the manuscript.  I always feel a little bittersweet when I send it off, knowing it's going out into the world.  All I hope for is that it is a fun read.  I have been writing down notes for the next Yarn Retreat book.  But  I w ..read more

              And okay, I’m late again as I’ve been much too often these days. My excuse? Editing and plotting as well as doing other stuff in my life such what I’m planning for later this day.             What’s that? Well, there’s going to be a neighborhood meeting about planning for, and dealing with, any fires. It’s been okay here in LA for a while, but the rains have stopped again and I don’t know when any more is expected. That means yes, it’s dry again. The potential for fires has re ..read more