To all you Knott’s Berry Farm afficionado’s, Happy Ghost Town Alive Eve! IYKYK.
Once again, I’m initiating a once a week blog. They may be a bit shorter than before… And they might not be on the same day… We’ll see. I’m retired, therefore being on a schedule is not mandatory anymore LOL! But I do miss documenting all the stories in my life ~ my own, my writing, and other peoples’ writing and entertainment. So, here we go!
Beautiful flowers on our neighborhood walk.
Life’s been lifin’, as it always does. As some of you may know, The Husband has some medical issues, including Parkinson’s Disease. He has good days and bad days and life marches on. We try to stay busy, finding him some Parkinson’s and music related groups. Plus our once-a-month California Writer’s Club and my Sisters in Crime group that I recently rejoined. Also, finding time to get some exercise and have some fun!
Here’s a few pics of life around Casa Carter.
I hope this is what aliens look like! This little guy was on the edge of our trash can, which we didn’t close until he’d gone.
The Husband at the Scooby Doo exhibit at The Discovery Cube, Santa Ana, CA
The candle I light every time I use my laptop!
Gosling season!
Writing
I’m finally done with the final character/story revision on The Bonus Grave! Woo hoo! I’m going to go through once more with a checklist of updates, then it’s a full round of line edits (looking at each line to make sure each is as clear and concise as I can make them). I’ll be reading the new Anne Lamott/Neal Allen book, Good Writing, before I start the line edits, so I don’t miss anything 😊 Then onto all the other necessaries of self-publishing. It’s still gonna be a while, kids!
I created a newsletter on Substack last year but so far, haven’t launched it. Not sure how I can make it substantially different from this blog (although it will have way less pictures…). The main feature, for a writer/creator, is that a newsletter gathers a mailing list, which some people say is better than social media because if a particular platform fails, you’ve still got your mailing list of true fans. Still processing… I may start with a series to kick off the newsletter. Something like: Adventures of a Self-Published Debut. The link to sign up is at the bottom of this post, so be among the first to join!
Watching
I’m not usually a horror fan but I enjoyed The Boroughs on Netflix. I was initially drawn to the excellent cast, namely Alfre Woodard, Alfred Molina, and Bill Pullman, who play inhabitants of a Villages-like senior living community. When one of their friends dies, the hunt is on for the truth behind the monster who killed him. The Husband found it too dark, both figuratively and literally (the houses these people lived in were like caves, light-wise…), but I really liked how the story progressed. Lots of characters to hate ~ LOL ~ and a just-complicated-enough plotline to keep me guessing. And the end left it open for another potential season.
Reading
So many books to catch you up on, but here’s a recent favorite for now:
The Most Mysterious Bookshop in Paris by Mark Pryor
Why I read it: I read Pryors’ previous series, where his main character, Hugo Marston, worked security at the American Embassy in Paris. With this new book, Hugo has retired and is opening a mystery bookstore.
Plot: Hugo, in the midst of opening his new venture, is pulled back into investigation when an American citizen requests help from the Embassy. The chocolate factory he works for has been threatened with blackmail. The plot thickens when the blackmail is suddenly called off.
What I liked: Good plotting, lots of twists. Also, I love the trans police lieutenant he works with. Added new characters ~ Blake as his right hand man at the bookstore, and Moulin, a young police detective who has ties to the café next to Hugo’s bookshop and apparently also to a character in a trilogy of Pryor’s that takes place after WWII (I have them on order!).
Even if you haven’t read any of the original series, this can stand as a great read on its own.
Till sometime next week, be good to yourselves and each other!
I'm Writing As Fast As I Can 