December 1st, 2014

Oh my gosh, where did November go?!

I can't believe it is already December, and I sit here looking at the naked Christmas tree, waiting to be decorated.

I like the holidays, but I think that I am not alone in that there is also a certain amount of stress and pressure to get things done that come along with them. It is always this time of year that I try and slow things down and remember what the season is really all about. NOT giving and giving gifts, but LOVE.

So take a deep breath and hug someone. :)

I am STILL working on finishing up the audiobook for Bloodline,  but I can see the finish line. I will cross it this week and then it should be available the following week. I'm excited to get it out there!

I am also excited about my next book: The Secret of Camp Whispering Pine (Book #2 in the Samantha Wolf Mysteries) I just got the proof for the book cover and I LOVE it! I will be planning a reveal for it in a week or so.  I'm still hoping to get the book out by the end of the year, but we'll see. While I always try and keep the deadlines that I set for myself, it will never be at the cost of the story quality. I'm behind on it as of now, due to the audiobooks taking me longer than anticipated, but it will just depend on how fast the writing goes these next few weeks. Either way, it will be soon and I think readers will like this next installment!

I've had a blast doing senior pictures these past couple of months and I just completed a really fun shoot yesterday. It flooded this past week on our street, and then froze. So we took advantage of this unique setting and literally went out on the ice! The pictures turned out great, and I always feel privileged to be a part of such an important time in their lives. I continue to charge just $50 for everything (including copies of all the pictures), because I can't stand to take more. My son just graduated two  years ago, and I know that the going rate for a professional photographer starts at around $250. These kids already have so many expenses, and there are a lot that can't afford the pictures. (I also do some free ones each year)  I will end up doing about eight senior portraits this year, and I hope to continue it!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

October 13th, 2014

Last night, I accomplished a 'first'! I completed my submission for the audiobook version of my book, The Mystery of Hollow Inn.

This story has special meaning to me. I began writing it when I was sixteen. I can still remember sitting in detention (for being late to class. I was a pretty good kid. :) )  writing my book. I was thrilled to be detained in the small room, isolated so that I could write uninterrupted. I guess I was always a bit weird.

I didn't finish it until I was twenty, and then I tried to get it published. This was back when you had to mail out your manuscript to the publishers...after painfully printing it off the dot matrix printer. I gave up very quickly.

This manuscript sat in a box for over twenty years, until I took it out last year, in between writing Bloodline and Heritage. I was taking a 'break' from the trilogy, but got bored. So I decided to revisit Hollow Inn. I ended up re-writing the whole thing, changing the POV and adding a couple of chapters.

I just love this book and the nostalgia it evokes. As soon as I finished Descent, I went back to it again and concentrated on giving it a new cover and doing the audio. The cover that Mel at Melchelle Designs made is just so absolutely PERFECT, that I can't get over it. I employed a couple of family friends to model for me (putting my photography skills to use), so that I could capture exactly what I was hoping for. Mel has a way of taking the image and blending it and matching it up with the perfect concoction, to produce a near perfect match with the image I have in my head.

Here is the new cover for The Mystery of Hollow Inn, #1 in the Samantha Wolf Mysteries

I is a middle grade book, (ages 9-12, but a fun read for anyone!) Amazon link

October 10th, 2014

The fog is thick outside this morning, but it sure makes for a gorgeous sunrise! I wish I had my camera with me, while taking my daughter to school.

The season has most definitely turned, although the temps are still mild. I've enjoyed the weather this summer/fall, although we'll see what that means for our winter. I think it's either going to continue to be unseasonably warm and dry, or else we'll get hit hard with a severe and rapid change.

I am nearing completion on my first audiobook! The Mystery of Hollow Inn should be uploaded by this weekend. Since this is my first attempt, I have no idea how long the review process takes and I'll be crossing my fingers that none of the files get rejected. I'm doing my best at the mastering level, to make sure everything meets the specs...but we'll see.

I am also VERY excited to be revealing the new and incredible cover, soon. Mel at Melchelle Designs has done it again! Along with some willing models for me to photograph, we've come up with what I see as a perfect image.

I'll leave you with a picture I took a few years ago of the fog and sunrise combination in our backyard: