Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The Accident I FAILED to Watch Out For

 

Now that our children are grown, our fur-babies are the family members who live with my husband and me. Mac is the grumpy old man of the bunch, a black, thirteen-year old Cairn terrier/Schipperke cross who takes his job as Watchdog seriously. Mac raised Petey from a tiny furball into his sweet, smart and funny twelve-pound Shih-Tzu sidekick. Neko is their feline brother-from-another-species. He alternates between playmate and doggy nemesis.

 Because Petey’s hair grows constantly, he has to visit Miss Dana every other month for a bath, haircut and nail trim. Mac goes with him for a bath and nail trim. Neko spends many hours every day taking care of his own grooming needs, thank goodness!

 Bath Day is very exciting for the pups. They love visiting Miss Dana. Her home is in the country only a five-minute drive from ours. Her Grooming Salon is in what was originally her garage.

 The short drive to Miss Dana’s in January was uneventful. I dropped the pups off at three-thirty in the afternoon and went home to vacuum while they were away. Mac HATES the vacuum with a passion. A few hours later Miss Dana texted they would be done at six o’clock. We drove over to pick them up in the rain.

 Chuck parked in the driveway to the side of the house. I used my phone’s flashlight to light our way around to the back where the salon door was located. The boys were happy to see us and ready to go home. After paying and chatting with Dana, we put on their harnesses and leashes and carried them back to the car.

Chuck loaded Mac in the driver’s side back door. I loaded Petey in on the passenger side. I made sure to toss in the end of his leash before shutting the door.

We climbed into the front seats and headed for the grocery store in Molalla to pick up some eggs and milk. A few minutes later as we came into town, Chuck had to swerve to avoid hitting a guy on a bicycle. The bike had no lights or reflectors, and the guy was dressed in dark clothes. Although Chuck was driving the speed limit, he slowed down because visibility was so bad.

 Out of nowhere, three things happened at once: the car seemed to hit a pothole, a sound like metal snapping made me jump, and screams filled the air.

“What happened? Did we hit someone?” Chuck yelled over the screams.

“I don’t know! I don’t think so!” I craned my neck to look into the back seat where the screams seemed to be coming from. “We hit a bump or something. I think one of the dogs got hurt.” Although I’d never imagined a dog could scream like that.

“I need to pull over!” Chuck sounded as shaky as I felt.

He turned into a parking lot at the end of the block and stopped the car. I opened my door and jumped out as he twisted around and peered behind my seat.

“It’s Petey!” he said. “He’s upside down between the seat and the door. Be careful opening the door! He may fall out.”

I was so scared he’d get hurt if I couldn’t keep him from falling, but I had to get him out. I crouched down and eased the door open a little. As soon as he had a little wiggle room, Petey twisted over and managed to get a paw hold on the edge of the floor and pull himself up. Blessed silence fell like a comforting blanket.

I opened the door the rest of the way and looked Petey over in the dim light from the dome. No obvious injuries, but he was shivering. So was I. We were both in shock.

“There’s no bleeding,” I told Chuck. “He’s standing and moving.”

 “Good. Why don’t you let me have a look at him while you check Mac?”

 “His leash is missing and his harness is coming off,” I said. “I’m going to hand him to you.”

 Very carefully, I picked him up and handed him to Chuck. Mac came to me, wagging his tail. I checked him over, but he seemed fine. No shivering.

 “Petey seems okay,” Chuck said. “We need to drive around the block. I’m still worried we hit someone on a bike.”

I moved up to the front seat and took Petey onto my lap. His shivering seemed to have slowed. We drove around the block twice, but saw no one. I remembered I’d found Petey’s steel leash clip still attached to his harness and told Chuck about it.

“I think his leash fell out the door and I didn’t see it in the dark. It must have caught on something and jerked him so hard as it pulled through the door crack that it flipped him onto his back and wedged him in. Luckily, the leash clip couldn’t get through the crack so the leash broke off. And his harness distributed the force over the strongest part of his body before it broke.”

“When I slowed down,” Chuck said, “his leash got caught on the rear tire and wrapped around until the clip couldn’t get through the crack. That was the dip we felt and the metallic snap. Thank God we weren’t going faster when it happened!”

Petey was a very lucky dog. He was sore and bruised, had a swollen ear and a broken blood vessel in his eye, but suffered no major injuries.

What I watch out for now is dog leashes in the dark.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

What I Always Look Out For by Susan Horsnell, USA Today Bestselling Author


First of all, I would like to thank Judith for inviting me to post at

Romancing the Genres. 

As an older woman, one of the things I always look out for are the actions of people and the goodness within. As the saying goes…They speak much louder than words. 

Over the years, as a nurse, I have encountered hundreds of people, probably thousands, many in the emergency department, and I have learned to read people very well. I have become very astute at reading ‘body language’ and figuring out what people aren’t telling me, or in some cases, how they are trying to fool me. 

In my books, I draw on my experience to get into the heads of my characters, those who have both good and questionable behavior. I write stories as they invade my head and across many sub-genres of romance from sweet, Christian historical to the steamiest of contemporary, paranormal, mafia and others. Every one of my books has an element of my experience woven throughout and in historical, although fiction, I include many facts from the time. 

Being married to a Naval Officer since the age of 18…50 years as of 23 March 2024, it has been a privilege to be able to travel throughout Australia and in many countries of the world. These postings and travel have given me the opportunity to spend time with people from all walks of life and various cultures which has given me a great deal of content for my books. 

50 years…We have had a wonderful marriage and life together, raised two sons that we are extremely proud of, and now we spend our days wandering the country with our caravan (RV) and our precious little Jack Russell…Gemma-Jean who is a never-ending source of joy and one day, she will make it into one of my books. 

This is my husband and I on our wedding day at the tender ages of 18. 


I shall close with a little history about the Golden Wedding Anniversary…

The traditional gift for the golden wedding anniversary is—as you probably guessed—gold. A rare and precious metal with a pleasing yellow or white luster that is highly sought after for fine jewellery and other valuables. This material shines with the sparkle of a love that has endured five decades. 

According to Time, the history of associating gold with the 50th wedding anniversary might have begun in Roman or Medieval times—but the custom was more firmly cemented around the turn of the 20th century in the later Victorian era, when love marriages became more common and life expectancies began increasing. Per customs described by newspapers at the time, wives were given golden wreaths to commemorate the occasion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


A person wearing glasses smiling

Description automatically generated


I’m an Australian author who writes in a variety of genres, including Western romance, historical romance, Gay Romance, and contemporary romance. 


I have published over 60 books and novellas, many of which feature strong, independent heroines and rugged, alpha male heroes. Some of my popular series include the Outback Australia series and The Carter Brothers series.


My books are known for their well-researched historical details and vivid descriptions of the Australian landscape.


My work has garnered praise from readers and critics alike, and I have won several awards for my writing.


If you're interested in learning more about my books: 

Linktree

https://linktr.ee/SusanHorsnell 


Thursday, March 21, 2024

Gratitude

        I’ve been thinking about gratitude lately and how much I have to be thankful for, which inspired me to write about the five things I’m grateful for. 

         First and foremost, I'm grateful for my husband, fantastic kids, and grandchildren that I adore. That's a treasure that brings me joy every single day.

         I'm also grateful for my health. Is there anything more precious than good health? Not in my opinion, and I imagine if you ask anyone who is suffering with a prolonged illness they would agree. I've been fortunate to have good health all my life, and I do everything in my power to maintain it.

         I eat well, get enough rest, monitor my stress, strength train, and move my body every day. Managing stress is easy to say when you're not under a lot of pressure, but when you are, it can be really difficult to manage.

         Another thing I'm incredibly grateful for it to be retired from my day job. I love having the freedom to write fiction fulltime. At the same time, I find I’m incredibly busy and it can be challenge to find time to write, or more accurately, I choose to do things other than write. This means I have to carve out writing time and stick to it!

         Some lifesavers have been taping my first drafts, then using Dragon to transcribe the recordings, which by the way, is how I wrote this blog. I taped it while I was driving. I also tape while I’m out walking or doing housework. This has been such an incredible gift. I’ve heard writers say they just can't do it that way, but after writing for over thirty-five years I've discovered that if you have limited time, you figure out how to make it work. And that's what I've done.

  

       I’m also grateful to be living in a place I love, having a beautiful home, and never forgetting that I have a roof over my head when so many don't. 

         The last thing out of the five things I'm grateful for are all the wonderful people in my life. Friends, acquaintances, Facebook friends, and readers. When you have so many people in your life, you also lose them which is the hardest part, but it’s part of living. 

         As I write this blog, we lost our neighbor and friend from California in February. He and his wife were family to us, and he was Farmer Charlie in the  From the Farm to the Table—Olives book with my husband, Farmer Nick. 

         Charlie was such a special person. We miss him even though we haven't lived next door to each
other in almost a decade. But every time we were in California we’d stop and see them. I'm so grateful we saw him in October and for all the time we had with him. He was a funny, sweet, kind person who made friends everywhere he went. Over the years, I’ve had several friends with that ability, and I always admired that quality about them.

         In honor of Farmer Charlie, I've discounted the print version of From the Farm to the Table—Olives at Amazon and Barnes and Noble to $10.99 through the month of April.

         As you can see, I have a lot to be thankful for, and I remind myself every day how fortunate I am for everything I've been blessed with. What things are you grateful for?

     

Did you know table olives are picked green, unripe, and they ripen after they are picked? Thirty-five-year veteran photojournalist Kathy Coatney (specializing in agriculture) and former olive grower introduces second and third-graders to this amazing crop with photographs and easy-to-read text from the olive guys, Farmer Nick and Farmer Charlie. The olive-producing duo explains how table olives are grown and processed.

The From the Farm to the Table series is designed for second and third-grade readers, each book highlighting second grade vocabulary words.

 

         Thank you so much for stopping by today, and you can follow me @

Goodreads

BookBub 

Facebook

Facebook Group

Amazon

Newsletter

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Inspiration for Writing Short Stories ... by Deb Noone

The month of March theme is all about inspiration. It just so happens I have a fun story to tell about inspiration.

First, some background. I love reading short romances that only take a few minutes to read. I also love to challenge myself by writing a romance in 600 to 1,000 words. This is a tricky task, for sure. So, devising a romantic story that is akin to a flash in time for the hero and heroine is a must.

One of my goals for 2024 was to write and submit ten short stories. I wrote one in late December and submitted it, after much editing, in January. I then wrote two more, both in response to calls for submissions. The first was a St. Patrick’s Day story, which I had a ton of fun writing. I also edited it at least twenty times. A tweak here and there, or a change of direction, are all part of the editing process. Truthfully, the inspiration part of coming up with an idea is the easy part. It’s always a kernel of a thought that blossoms into a full, but very short story. Then the hard part begins.

After sending in two stories, I went back to work on writing my next novel. Writing is hard work and I often need a break, both from the ache of typing non-stop for hours, but also to give my brain a rest. So, of course, I find things to do, like checking out the internet and I saw a call for an Easter story.

I mentally shook my head. Nope. I just wrote and sent in two. I got back to work on my current writing project. But the thought niggled at the back of my brain. Easter. Easter. Easter. What did I used to do as a kid? Hunt Easter eggs.

As an aside, I grew up in Washington, D.C. and I once went to the White House Easter Egg Roll—a tradition started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. This event was always held the Monday after Easter, when all schools were closed. I believe you had to have special tickets to get in. My sister and I would dress up in our Easter finest, including a bonnet and our little black shoes. Once we arrived at the White House, we had free run of the lawns, got to meet THE Easter Bunny, and gaze up to the White House balcony to see the President and First Lady waving at all of us. 

But back to hunting eggs…as an adult I accompanied my sister and niece to the neighborhood egg hunt. The night before, I helped my sister and other parents in the neighborhood hide colorful plastic eggs filled with candy in the “hidden” park surrounded by neighborhood homes that rimmed the hill in what I like to call a secret garden.

AHA! Remembering that one special Easter with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece… Well, you guessed it. Inspiration hit.

I began typing and realized that the heroine, the visiting aunt, would meet her sister’s new neighbor who was going to dress as the Easter Bunny. Sparks flew. They met for dinner at the sister’s home and again, just the two. And by the end of the story, on Easter Day when the kids are collecting eggs, the aunt realizes she is in love with the Easter Bunny.


I wrote the story, adding and subtracting words, moving around paragraphs, and after SEVENTEEN versions, I finally sent in the story at the beginning of January. With great excitement, I can announce that in late February the story was contracted and will be released in a magazine toward the end of March.

The theme for April is “Three Things I Do Well.” My second “inspiration” this morning was to write about the creativity of working with food. That is one thing I believe I do well, as I used to cook in restaurants and cater. So, I look forward to writing the April blog and putting it out into the ether for all to read next month. Stay tuned to find out what are the other two things I think I do well, that is, when I figure out what those are—HA!

                     What inspires you? 

      Or how do you jumpstart your inspiration?

 

The Prince’s Son
Amazon(also available in print) 
Books2Read

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) were released in late fall 2022. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, in 2024.

Social Media Links:

Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page:
https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page:
https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page:
https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

  

Photo Credits:

Love in hand: Download | FreeImages walking-love-bond-5693695.svg 
Love Tree: love-tree-5690191
Love Arrow: Flat Love Arrow PNG Design Free Clipart Download | FreeImages
Free love arrow Clipart Images | FreeImages
Easter Bunny: Easter Bunny Painting an Easter Egg Clip Art - Easter Bunny Painting an Easter Egg Image (mycutegraphics.com)
Easter Eggs: Free Vector | Easter eggs collection (freepik.com) 1072593-OMUVFNO.JPG
Cherry Blossoms: Cherry Blossom Clipart Images - Free Download on Freepik
Free Vector | Free vector watercolor cherry blossom collection (freepik.com) 12982494_5114318_CherryBlosooms

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

What I Always Look Out For by Lynn Lovegreen

 According to the Oxford Learners Dictionary, “to look out for” means to avoid something bad, or to take care of someone and make sure nothing bad happens to them. 

pair of binoculars

 

In the first meaning, I look out for:

 

Moose and other wildlife

Living in Alaska means looking out for critters. Hitting a moose with your car usually leads to the car being totaled. Aggravating bears while hiking is dangerous. While I love seeing them from a respectful distance, I need to look out for wildlife.

 

Bad weather or conditions

As they say, there’s no bad weather, just bad gear. Living in Alaska means nasty weather and rough water. It’s important to dress for the weather and be prepared for what Mother Nature throws at you. I look out for these things when I leave the house.

 

 

In the second meaning, I look out for:

 

Young people

As adults, it’s up to us to take care of kids. That can mean taking care of their welfare. Part of our responsibility in life is to help our next generations. I look out for young people as I work toward the future. 

 

 

Each other

In general, life is better when we take care of people. Whether that’s our neighbors, our community, or humans in general, we are at our best when we touch the “better angels of our nature,” as Lincoln said. We should make the world a better place for everyone. That means looking out for each other.

 

What do you look out for? Or what guidelines do you live by?




Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

There Goes The Sun

  I’ve written to you about my issues with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) in earlier posts. For decades my mood has been controlled by the amount of sunlight during the day. By October, there is so little sunlight that my brain goes dark too as depression descends. Fortunately, by this time of year, my depression has fled. Good, because April 8, 2024 is coming.


The sun has such a powerful effect on me, its no wonder I see why ancient humans worshiped that

glowing yellow ball dominating the daytime sky. The Egyptians, Incas in Peru, people in Babylon, China, Africa, even Rome did the same. Some Native American tribes considered the sun part of the Great Spirit. Solar eclipses were frequently considered signs of the god’s displeasure. People were often terrified during the few minutes of totality, worried that the sun might have abandoned the Earth forever. In fact, the word eclipse comes from a Greek word meaning abandonment.

 
These days we know the cause of solar eclipses. We know its just the full moon’s shadow passing over the Earth’s surface and temporarily obscuring the sun. And we understand the math and physics enough to accurately calculate the dates, location, and duration when this shadow will touch down and hide the sun from view.

 
And yet …

Some of the old superstitions still nestle deep inside some human hearts. My heart, at least. I realized that in a frozen Canadian plain on February 26, 1979, when I experienced my first total solar eclipse. The sub-zero grew noticeably colder as the sun faded away. But I forgot that I was cold once this gigantic hole opened in the sky. The place where the sun had been was now a void empty of stars. A magical nothingness surrounded by a ring of fire. I stood, open-mouthed, just staring into the void. Animals were headed for their homes, leaving only a gaggle of foolish humans standing motionless on the ice, staring up at that emptiness.

 

I had paid big money (for those days) to travel from a warm apartment in Chicago, Ill to Manitoba, Canada just so I could stand on an icy field so I could witness the phenomenon that had terrified so many of our ancestors. I spent just over two minutes in the darkness known as totality that day. It was my first eclipse, but not my last. Over the years I became a veteran eclipse chaser. Instead of fearing the darkness, I raced to meet it across the globe wherever I had the opportunity.

  • June 11, 1983  for almost 5 minutes
  • July 23, 1990  for 2 minutes
  • July 11, 1991  for almost 7 minutes
  • August 11, 1999  for over 2 minutes
  • March 29, 2006 for over 4 minutes
  • August 21, 2017 (nicknamed “The Great American Eclipse”) for 2 ½ minutes

And now, April 8, 2024. This one is expected to last almost 4 minutes in southern Illinois where I will be observing with others at a special presentation at Southern Illinois University, only a five hour drive away from my home. I have traveled as far away as Russia, Lybia and Argentina in pursuit of an eclipse. 2017 found me close, in Missouri. This time I get to stay even closer to home, in Illinois. Fitting, because this will likely be my last eclipse. I will have spent almost a half hour in totality. April 8 will be a bookend to my expriences, and I am looking forward to relaxing, looking up, and staring into the void.