Trick or Treat by Bea Tifton

Yesterday at the grocery store I pondered that oh, so important question, What Halloween candy will we buy? We really don’t need to buy any, because we don’t have any trick or treaters. I don’t think many kids even go door to door now. When I was a kid we did. We planned our costumes carefully and greeted the holiday with anticipation and excitement. We would go door to door. If we knew the people, we were allowed to take cookies or the ultimate fun Halloween homemade treat, popcorn balls. Word quickly traveled when one house had particularly good candy. Some people I knew piled into a parent’s car and drove to the wealthy parts of town, but to my friends and I that was cheating. It was a neighborhood thing. We would go door to door, escorted by our parents when we were very small, then allowed to go on our own. When we got tired, we would come home and gorge ourselves. Mom and Dad would pick through our haul to get their favorites as well.  After a few years people began to circulate rumors of razor blades or candy poisoning, and while we still got to trick or treat, Dad would buy our candy from us. It wasn’t quite the same but as an adult I understand. (Hey, at least we got money to replace the candy if we wanted.) 

Now I see elaborate Halloween yard decorations, but I think most kids go to Trunk or Treat celebrations instead of going door to door. I think those are nice but not the same as the neighborhood celebrations. It’s a little sad. Today’s kids don’t know what they’re missing, but I do. And my father really misses opening the door on Halloween. He loved the little ones the best because they just looked so cute in their costumes and the proud parents would be hovering nearby.

We have a new routine where we buy some candy “just in case” and order pizza for Halloween. We watch the original “Ghostbusters” and “Practical Magic” and snack. I enjoy it. Last year I had choir rehearsal on Halloween night and we did the pizza thing the day before, but it wasn’t the same. This year, the way is clear for pizza and candy on Halloween night. I may even put a Halloween shirt on the dog.

 

Do you have trick or treaters? Do your kids do something for Halloween?

  

Photo Credits:Pexels.com
Terrance Barksdale "Pile of Halloween Sweets"
Yuting Gao "Group of Children in Halloween Costumes"
Charles Parker "Little Girls in Halloween Costumes Standing on Stairs"
Sam Lion "Small Dog Sitting in Light Studio"
Kaboompics.com "A Room with Halloween Decorations" 

Fiber Fest 2024 is on the Books~ Sherri Easley

Well, after months of preparing, my big show ended with a twisted finale.  DFW Fiber Fest is an annual three-day event held at the Irving Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. Next year will be their 20^th year. With over 100 vendors of fiber related products such as hand dyed yarn, project bags, raw wool, spinning devices, weaving looms, supplies and classes, it is a playground for the crafter.

I worked for months to prepare for this event, planning everything in minute detail, such as the placement of my items, what to sell, and my list of tools and things I needed to be my best for the big three-day show.

By all standards, I had a great show, except for that little thing I mentioned in the beginning…

Being a hyper independent person, I set up my booth all by myself, grid wall and all. After about 5 hours, it was ready. I put everything extra back on my dolly, more than I should have to save a trip, and headed for my car.

As I moved across the parking garage, eyes on my car, something fell off my dolly, causing me to trip. I face planted in the parking garage. My glasses broke and left a C shaped cut around my eye that bled like the victim in a teenage horror movie. I sat in my car feeling my arms and wrists and felt no protrusions and held McDonald napkins on my face to stop the bleeding. Then, after convincing myself I did not have a concussion, and putting on the extra pair of glasses I always carry, I drove the hour and half home.

The next morning, I put a band-aid on my eye and did my show. Repeat on Saturday and Sunday, and yes, my arm was a "little sore".

After the show, I tore everything down, moved it to my car and went home. By Monday, dark bruising showed up. My eye was completely black and my fingers tingled. I went to Minor emergency on Tuesday, 5 days after the event and guess what? My elbow is broken.

That’s been a couple of weeks now. My black eye is gone, and my cut has almost healed. My arm still hurts at night and getting new x-rays on Tuesday.

I hope all of you started your October on a much brighter note. 

Anticipation

 Stephanie Suesan Smith writing for Caroline Clemmons

It is fall in Texas and the temperatures are starting to drop enough to go outside during the day.  I am eagerly waiting for November.  I have a birthday then.  More importantly, a book comes out I want to read.  

Amazon Link

The Mirror, the second book in the Lost Brides Trilogy, by Nora Roberts comes out November 19, 2024.  I read the first book in the series, Inheritance, when it came out in the spring.  I also read Nora Roberts series In Death that she writes as J.D. Robb.  They come out in February and September.

I eagerly drop whatever book I am reading when a new In Death comes out and read it.  I usually finish it in two or three days.  Then I have book regret.  I have to wait six months for the next one.  Do you ever have problems with book regret?

As authors, having readers so excited about reading your books must be wonderful.  I usually write nonfiction articles and I don't know of anyone watering with baited breath to read my next gardening text.  

Of course, I have lots of books in the to-be-read pile to fill in the time between the publication of another book in the series I am reading.  

I had to switch to collecting ebooks when I moved from a house to an apartment, so the stacks ar metephorical.  I am always adding to it, but I miss real books.  I had a full room just for my books.  Somehow, it isn't the same to curl up with my phone to read them.  Do you prefer ebooks or physical books?  I still have some physical reference texts, but just don't have room for my library anymore.

What series do you rush to read?  Many of Caroline Clemmons' books are now in audiobook format, great for listening to while driving back and forth to work or on errands, or cleaning the house.  

The Legendary Yeti by Laura Hunsaker

 I probably should be writing about something book-related, but honestly, I just really want to talk about Yeti.

He's my new dog.

This good boy was found trying to get into the fire station. One of the guys fostered him for about a month, but this skinny white husky pup needed a forever home. My husband sent me a photo of him without any context. Just a cute 1 year old husky pic. He took the kids to meet him, and the meeting went really well. We picked him up in August and we're almost 2 months into having him.

He's such a lovebug. I really expected a lot of issues since he'd been on the streets for who knows how long. But he just adores the kids and his favorite thing is his 3:00 nap. 

I've never been the type of person to allow dogs on my furniture, but well, he's won me over. He's also claimed a blanket as his own. Here he is after gathering it up for himself. It was flat on the couch (for dog hair purposes). He nibbles it, he moves it where he wants it, he burritos himself with it. He's just absolutely adorable. And he's my new couch buddy. 

I've started running again, I mean he's a 1 year old husky, so he needs activity. He and I go out every afternoon before dinner, and whoever is home in the morning takes him out then. But he and I have our runs every day, no matter what, and, wow. He's really fast. I don't know as I will ever truly be able to keep up with him, but he's kind enough to slow his pace for me LOL

And he is learning to play. He didn't play before we got him. In fact, we had to teach him to play fetch, and to play with toys. He's getting there. But you know what he does love? His blankie.

So this month, no book post, only the wild Yeti in his natural habitat-a cozy blanket. 

Ch-ch-changes by Liz Flaherty

It's such a pretty time of year here in Indiana's middle. The beanfields have gone from dark and heavy green to golden as the trees are trying on their shades of orange and yellow. Kids and teachers are back in school. Football and soccer fields have replaced baseball diamonds as the bleacher sites of choice. 

I've never been much of a fan of change. I despise DST with the kind of anger I reserve for pedophiles, racists, homophobes, and misogynists--yeah, I know that's extreme--and really wish Facebook would stop insisting everything in my house that I love is passe and obsolete and should be gotten rid of immediately if not sooner. Every time it's mentioned that Boomers are no longer relevant, I want to cry (I'm not only extreme, I can be childish as well), because I think we are relevant indeed. We have knowledge and memories to share, we are funny, we spend money, and we remember when kindness and truth were good things.

Oops, sorry-not-sorry, I didn't even intend to go there. 

Where I meant to go is to admit that I'm often wrong about change. Changes of seasons are just the tip of that iceberg. 

As in, for years and years, we drank a certain brand of coffee and we loved it. I remember when it came in one-, two-, and three-pound cans. Then, as the cans all grew smaller and the prices grew bigger, they started offering different blends, and we loved some of those, too, only every time we got used to one, they discontinued it, so we changed brands. 

It's better, and our chosen blends have been around for a long time. I wonder if it was better all along, or if we were the ones who changed. 

My grandkids all print. I think they can write in cursive, but they usually don't. In truth, I don't like it that it's not necessarily taught anymore, but that's because I DO still write in cursive, which means everyone should, right? I haven't yet looked at anyone and known which way they write, so maybe my concern is a non-starter. 

The moon--I think maybe it's the harvest moon; depends on who you ask--is extraordinary right now, and none of our pictures do it justice. It will still be extraordinary next week, too, but it will be different. It will change. And we'll still hang over the porch rail saying, "Oh, wow, look at that!"

I remember when cataract surgery required long hours of lying still. People approached it with dread. Now it's done with lasers. It's fast and painless. 

I used to have my oil changed every 2000 miles; now it's every 6000, and both the dash of my car and my phone let me know when it's time. 

If I were still working on a typewriter, I'm pretty sure I'd have given up writing books a long time ago or be spending much more than I can afford hiring a typist. 

So, yeah, I love...well, no...I accept that change is often good. Sometimes fun. And yes, of course that's my natural hair color--it hasn't changed at all. 

Speaking of change, I have a new release of an old book with a great new cover by Nancy Fraser. I hope you'll give The Girls of Tonsil Lake a look!

https://books2read.com/u/bxGQQk

https://a.co/d/h9vKvxL

Cautionary Tale by Joan Reeves

Today's post is short because I'm typing with my left hand only.

Why? Good question. I did something dumb. I picked up something heavy and felt a ping of pain in my right wrist.

Then I spent a couple of hours doing graphics work, using the mouse constantly, whih put more strain on my wrist.

I packed up my laptop so Darling Hubby and I could go to our house in the country.

Imagine my surprise this morning when I woke up and found my right wrist was a little swollen and about a 20 on a pain scale of 10. After ibuprofen and icing the delicate joint, I wrapped it in an ace bandage which helped a little. So instead of a pretty bracelet today, I'm sporting a good old ace bandage.

There are 3 things to learn from my mistakes.

1. Don't pick up something you know is too heavy!

2. When you feel pain in a joint, be smart and don't overwork it which exacerbates the issue.

3. Carry a microphone in your laptop case so you can dictate and continue writing—just in case you find yourself unable to type.

Wishing you a happy autumn which commenses in a few days. Now I'm going to sit on the porch, enjoy a cup of tea, and watch the clouds roll past.

Love to read? Sign up for my free Newsletter, I LOVE READING. Once a month, you'll receive exclusive content and news about giveaways, bargains, and new releases.

Treading Water by Bea Tifton

Sometimes life interferes. It just does. I love writing this blog and look forward to it all year, but now it’s late. I never used to miss deadlines. But as I’ve gotten older and life has become more complicated, I find that I don’t feel as organized. Sometimes I feel like I’m treading water. Sometimes I go under.

To be clear, Dear Reader, I have a good life. I have a few very close friends who are always in my lifeboat. They are different in personality and they have different talents, which is great. It helps add balance. But I know I can trust them and that’s what’s important. I have parents who love me. I have activities I enjoy. I volunteer for a pet rescue called Highway Hounds of Texas and it’s such an important organization. Saving lives and warming my heart. I also volunteer for a homeless program called Room in the Inn during the hottest part of the year and the coldest part of the year. The other volunteers are my friends, it’s so interesting to meet the unhoused men, and volunteering really restores my perspective!

But in our modern times, we are inundated with information. Too much, really. I use social media to keep up with people. Years ago, we would telephone, visit, or even (gasp!) write letters to keep in touch. Oh, how I miss getting and writing letters. But our country is in the midst of a cultural civil war. And I struggle with my friends who follow a person I just can’t imagine supporting. It’s gone beyond, “Agree to disagree” because we are developing different value systems. And there’s so much vitriol and disinformation on Facebook that it can be difficult to sift through it all.

And the news. We hear about things that happen all over the country, all over the planet. And that can be overwhelming. I truly believe there are more good people in the world than bad people, but the bad people do such horrible things and we hear so much about them. It’s hard to remember the good things. I used to watch the news several times a day. I’m down to once a day with my father each evening, but I may have to just take a break for a while. I like the human interest stories, so I’d like to just watch part of the news.

When we were locked down in a world-wide pandemic, people said they wouldn’t overschedule anymore. I was dubious, but hopeful. One of my favorite friends cares about me and thinks about me, I truly believe. But she’s too busy to get together. I miss her. I’m missing her kids growing up. But those kids are busier than a Fortune 500 CEO, and she has a job and a side business. I don’t know how she does it, brilliant and amazing as she is.

So, if you’re feeling a bit overloaded, remember that as trite as it is, it’s true: taking time out for yourself is not selfish. It’s refreshing, invigorating, recharging. It’s just as important to the people around you as it is for you because a car that’s run out of gas can’t help anyone. Take a news break. Take a break from the garbage on social media. If you must check, and I get it; I keep track of several people I love that way, think of it the way we should thing about work email. Check it twice a day. Or just check the pages that are positive and uplifting. And do the occasional frivolous thing. Don’t think of reading as nonessential. Reading recharges our brain and keeps it going through the years. Take a bubble bath. Go to a museum. Take a nature hike. Anything that recharges you. Or leave a day blissfully, wonderfully open and just relax.

And so I must conclude, Dear Reader. I have an appointment for a pedicure, and I feel delightfully decadent. It’s time to uplug.

(I would love for you to comment, but please don't include anything political in your post. 💓)

Photo Credits:Pexels.com
Laszlo Glatz "A Duck Paddling on Water"
Elena Saharova "Lifeboat in Calm Water in Dusk"
Darina Belonogova "WOman with Curly Hair with Hands on Her Head"
Ricardo Lima "An Old TV Set"
Arina Krasnikova "Girl in Green Dress Standing Behind Woman in Beige Shirt"
Anna Tarazevich "A Woman Meditating at the Beach"
Andrea Mosti "Close Up of Woman's Feet With Pink Toenails on Glittering Background"

The Dragon Amulet~ Sherri Easley

 

From as early as I can remember, I wanted to write a book. I bought the “how to” books and read them and even wrote several stories, but I didn’t know what to do once they were on paper. Even in college, I wanted to write but got the degree in Math instead, which was much easier for me. It wasn’t until years later that my friend Caroline showed me how that I finally published my first novel, something I wish I had done twenty years earlier.  

This summer, my granddaughter, Dylan, age 8, decided she wanted to write a book. You can’t imagine my excitement as I worked with her, showing her some tricks I had learned. I thought this would be a novelty and her interest would wane but to my amazement; she caught on to concepts like opening scenes and flaws that will challenge her characters during their adventures.

After two months, she had taught herself to type on the family desktop and had outlined three books. She drew her characters on paper and put notes on them so she could remember as she wrote.

Her first book will be: Harper Joy: Legend of the Dragon Amulet.

The book is about a young girl staying with her Japanese grandmother, Obasan, for the summer. While she is there, she finds half of a magic dragon amulet. The rest of the book is filled with her making new friends as she looks for the remaining half of the amulet, and about the magic the amulet holds.

Here is an unedited excerpt from her book. 

”But then Snooky ran away, the three girls chased Snooky, and then finally Harper caught her!

But when she got her, they were lost.

“Uh, where are we?” asked Mich.

“I don’t know,” said Harper.

The girls looked around but then three dragons flew in and caged them up. One of the dragons was big and had green blue on her wings and the second was purple and teal, and the smallest was pink and red. Mich and the smallest dragon were playing together while Ana was complaining and pouting.

Harper’s amulet was glowing, so she held it in her hand and then suddenly she knew exactly what they were saying.

Wow they are actually speaking! Harper yelled.”  

 

 ******************

Since we are going to publish this for her, I will help her edit her work and write in notes of where she needs to add details. So far, she has followed my instructions very well. 

It has been fun getting to see her excitement as she diligently works on her books and creates her characters and story. She has an amazing imagination and an incredible grasp of concepts. I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Stay tuned!

LIFE AND ART

 By Caroline Clemmons

Since I’ve been an adult, I have loved Monet’s paintings, especially those done of his garden in Giverny. I wanted to travel there, walk through the gardens, and stand on the little Japanese bridge. I haven’t made it. I have a print of the water lilies in our home and my daughter always gives me a Monet calendar at Christmas. When Monet’s works are on tour and accessible at the Kimball Museum in Fort Worth, I’ve gone to admire the paintings in person.

 

One of Monet's water lily paintings

Recently, our youngest daughter drove Hero and me around Lake Weatherford, west of Fort Worth. She was eager to show me the water lilies. We drove around the lake, and reached the water lily garden at the west end of the lake (at least that’s where it seemed to me). Seeing a mass of the flowers and pads spreading over an acre or more surprised me. What surprised me even more was the sweet fragrance filling the air. Who knew they had such a lovely aroma in a mass?

Of course, I had seen water lilies in Koi and other decorative ponds. Believe me, I had never seen flowers like those at Lake Weatherford this year. They were huge, some on stems standing above the water amid their large pads.  A floating boardwalk crosses a part of the flowers, but I am not steady enough on my feet to attempt that, eveen with the rope to act as a rail. Our daughter and a friend enjoyed the walk last summer, but she said the flowers are larger this year.

Many dozens of times Hero or he and I have driven to Lake Weatherford for his fishing or for us to visit friends who live there on a different part of the lake. This trip will be a lasting memory for me. The experience proves that we don’t have to depend on paintings—although they continue to give pleasure. We don't have to travel across the world. I’ll always admire Monet’s works, but, beauty is all around us if we only look.

Thanks for stopping by.

Small Progress Is Still Progress by Laura Hunsaker

 I work in school for my day job, and we are going into our third week back. One of my coworkers asked me if I had gotten any writing done over the break (I get 4 weeks off during the summer). I did, but I didn't feel like it was all that much. Normally I get much more done. But lemme tell ya, my kids are living their best lives and I'm their ride. We were so busy.

But my coworker told me that I was a writing machine. My reply was that oh I'm definitely not. Two books a year is not a writing machine. I know authors who do 6 or more per year! It's wild how many words they can get done in a day! 

Why couldn't I have just said thank you and left it at that? 

It really changed the way I think about how I write though. I mean, I wrote two books in one year! That's fantastic! I may not get a book a month out, but I'm okay with that. I like what I do, and I'm proud of what I write.

So I hereby declare that if you wrote any words, you are a writing machine! And that's amazing! I'll shake my internet pom poms for you!

Right now I'm working on three projects:

1. The short story DREAMS OF THE FUTURE that is done, but in edits 

2. A Kenzie MacLir paranormal romance I'm co-writing 

3. The next book in the Fatal Instincts series that follows DREAMS OF THE FUTURE. It's getting good ;)

I think when I finish DREAMS I'm going to toast to all of us fellow "writing machines" and I'm going to remember that small progress is still progress.

Coming Soon...

Kate Landry is soon to be Kate Donovan, if only the groom would show up.

Maid of honor Cara Nguyen wants everything to go smoothly for her best friend's wedding, yet almost immediately, the wedding turns into a fiasco. Kate and Kyle deserve to have the wedding of their dreams, and Cara wants to make it happen. It’s hard to do when the flowers are delivered to the wrong location, the groom is missing, and the lovely sunny day has become a sweltering hot mess. She definitely doesn’t have time to get distracted by a sexy groomsman in a kilt.

Kyle Donovan is ready to marry the love of his life, but first he has to help some stranded guests…

Dash Helms is in the small town of Chester, California for his friend Kyle’s wedding, when he is immediately tasked to help. A caravan of wedding guests break down on their way to the venue, one of the groomsmen misses his flight, and the beautiful maid of honor is the only thing he can concentrate on. When Dash is asked to step in at the last minute as a replacement groomsman, of course he says yes. But the striking brunette he’s walking down the aisle wants nothing to do with him. 

With everything seeming to go wrong, what can go right?

In this wedding short story written for Kate and Kyle from Dark Past, the cast of the Fatal Instincts series comes together to celebrate their friends. With everyone in the same place at once, and romance in the air, can this small town handle them?

 

Wine and Words by Liz Flaherty

I sold my first book in 1998. Alway Annie made its Precious Gems debut in 1999. There have been 20 since then, along with some novellas. While I don't often chase down book signings, I do a few of them every year. Sometimes they're hearteningly successful and sometimes they're...not. Sometimes I spend more money at the venue than I make from book sales. 

And sometimes they're just fun. My friend Nan Reinhardt and I had one of those this weekend. We sat in Whyte Horse Winery for several hours and didn't sell many books. We did drink some good wine, eat some good pizza, and talk to people. 

Nan Reinhardt and Liz Flaherty

The talking to people is what makes me happy. It reminds me that most people are nice, that we're more alike than we are different, that family businesses are special in a way I can't define, that the world--at least in central Indiana--is small indeed. Conversations were cluttered with the words "do you know..." and "that is so exciting." Because other people's good news is even better when it's shared.

I was reminded, as I have to be quite often, that just for fun is a good enough reason for anything you choose to do that doesn't hurt anyone else. Your bottom line isn't anyone else's business. Your friends and family aren't going to love you less on a day you sell three books than on a day you sell three dozen. You'll have those conversations to keep in your memory bank. 

Now I am reminded, once again, that while writing on life's downhill slope is different than it was on the other side, it's still just as much fun. And that's all the reason I need to keep doing it. 

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/FlahertyBlue

Amazon: https://a.co/d/eyEjPDA

Lemonade, a Summer Classic by Joan Reeves

When you think about a winter drink, does hot chocolate immediately come to mind?

What about a summer drink? Do you make an instant connection to something?

I do, and the drink is lemonade.

When I was a kid, we didn't drink Coca Cola or other soft drinks very often. We had lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons.

The citrus drink had just the right amount of tartness and just the right amount of sweetness. Mom would fix a big pitcher of lemonade and toss ice cubes into the pitcher too. She'd crush mint leaves on the rims of the glasses, add ice, and fill the tumblers with the lemonade. If she had a lemon left, she'd slice it and float it on top of the drink. 

Oh, there was nothing better. Just the smell of the lemons would make our mouths water. The drink was more thirst quenching than water or ice tea. (Yes, we in the South always said "ice tea" not iced tea.)

Years ago, when powdered lemonade mixes hit the market, I tried them, but they paled in comparison to the real thing. I wanted lemonade like my mother made. She squeezed fresh lemons—and oranges too—on an old glass juicer like the one shown here. I don't know what happened to the one she had. I guess it got broken at some point in time.

 A few years ago, at a thrift store, I saw one like the one my mom used. Excited, I scooped it up then bought a bag of lemons on the way home.

OLD FASHIONED LEMONADE

I was so excited. I washed the glass juicer, got my ice tea pitcher out of the cabinet, lined up the lemons on the cutting board, and rolled each lemon around to "loosen" the juice.

The tangy scent of the oil in the lemon skin hit my nose and reminded me of being in Mom's kitchen.

I cut each lemon in half then took one of the halves and placed it over the glass juicer, pressed down and rotated the lemon around on the glass cone-shaped middle. Happily, I went to the next half, and the next, and the next...next...next...next until I thought my hand might fall off my arm.

How on earth did women do things like this back in the old days? By the time I'd squeezed out 12 lemon halves, I felt as if I'd been doing bicep curls with a fifty pound dumbbell. I did finish making that pitcher of lemonade, but I never used that beautiful glass juicer again. I bought an electric juicer which does 12 lemon halves in a few minutes. There's definitely something to be said for modern appliances.

WANT TO MAKE REAL LEMONADE?

It's really easy just make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice—never that bottled stuff which is really gross.)

3 cups water + 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice + 1/2 to 3/4 cup of white sugar. (Half a cup is what Mom used, but most people today think that's too tart so adjust as needed.) Fresh mint leaves if you have them.

Add the water and juice to a tall pitcher. Stir well. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Serve over ice with a crushed mint leaf on top. Drink and enjoy.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Have a glass of real lemonade while you read a summertime book. May I suggest ROMEO AND JUDY ANNE? 

Can good girls ever win? High school principal Judy Anne Palmer doesn't think so. She was always a good girl who never did an impulsive, rebellious thing. Ever. And look where it got her! Stuck in a life she hates. One night in Dallas, she rebels against...everything! That may end up being the biggest scandal that ever hit her little Texas town.  

Reviews: "I can't recommend this story enough. The characterization is deep and the end as satisfying as the reader could hope for." and "I just adored Roman/Romeo. Perfect hero material, hot, rich and a lovely guy."—Loves Reading

ROMEO AND JUDY ANNE is available only on Kindle, but it will be available wide by the end of August. Sign up for my free newsletter below and you'll know when this book can be found at all the other ebook sellers plus you'll receive exclusive content, book news, and other book bargains.

FIND JOAN

Website *** SlingWords Blog *** Facebook *** Instagram *** TikTok 

Love to read? Sign up for my free Newsletter, I LOVE READING. Once a month, you'll receive exclusive content and news about giveaways, bargains, and new releases.

The Dog Days of Summer by Bea Tifton

Elino Sazo "Dog Sitting on Ground
 Under Starry Sky"

Well, here we are, dear Readers, just ending the Dog Days of Summer. Which has much to do with where Sirius, the Dog Star, is in the sky and little to do with actual dogs.  But the phrase did cause me to think about my own dogs, dogs in general, and most of all, rescue dogs. I volunteer for a dog rescue founded by Susan Trammell called Highway Hounds of Texas. I am not able to foster at this point of my life, but I attend the adoption events and do an occasional extraction or transport.

I transport is when I meet a member of another rescue or a city animal shelter employee to pick up one or more dogs. An extraction is when someone decides to return the dog. A dog named Mo (I call him Mo Mo and now almost everyone else does, too) stands out in my mind and occupies my heart. A woman called Ms. Trammell and said he needed to be returned because he was trying to bite her grandchildren. She sent a short video and the poor little dog was obviously cowed and miserable. Someone had been hitting him. As I walked into a dark, tiny apartment filled with so much cigarette smoke that I saw everything through a haze, I saw the cutest little dog sitting on the couch. The woman was nervous but polite enough, she handed Mo Mo to me with a string of excuses and apologies that I pretty much ignored. Mo didn’t even look back as we walked to my car. When Ms. Trammell saw him, she almost cried. She said he wasn’t the happy, friendly little dog she adopted out. And the “biting” was puppy mouthing. He was just a baby! Now, several empathetic people, myself included, have been coaxing Mo Mo out of his frightened shell. He is playing again and he doesn’t bark at men unless they clearly remind him of the abuser. Mo Mo is still available for adoption and he needs a kind, very patient person (men are okay if they are a good match to Mo) who wants a sweet, loyal dog for whom they would care for the rest of his life. Mo Mo deserves to be cherished.

 

My favorite adoption event was my very first one. A man came by and looked at our dogs available for adoption that day. He and his partner were witty and likeable people, and I was disappointed when they didn’t take a particular Chihuahua on whom they had their eye. After lunch, the same man who’d held the Chihuahua hurried over with his partner struggling to catch up. When he saw the little dog was still there, the first man burst into tears of relief. I gave him my purse pack of facial tissue and one of the other volunteers and I hugged him as a third volunteer quickly retrieved the lucky dog. I’d be willing to bet that spoiled, happy little dog now has a jeweled collar and a satin pillow.

Iggy

Some of the dogs have been in foster homes for a long time. They are getting good care but they need forever homes. Lucky is a goofy, sweet dog who absolutely loves the splash pad in the dog park. He’s good with other dogs but not cats. He loves everyone, including kids. Craig is an older dog who loves playing with his toys so much he plays tug of war with himself, spinning and running in ecstasy. One dog claimed my heart. Iggy is such a sweet, adorable little Maltese I wanted to adopt so badly. I have an older dog who doesn’t want another dog in the pack or I would have adopted him immediately. Truly it broke my heart. Iggy is afraid of children, and we don’t have any kids who visit so that would have been perfect. When he was adopted by a nice couple, I was so happy for him, but I’m not gonna lie; I cried and cried.

Being part of Highway Hounds has added so much to my life. I meet fascinating people, I get to help save dogs from being euthanized in overcrowded shelters, I can play and love on dogs for hours during adoption events, and I’ve met some great fellow volunteers. One other volunteer has become one of my closest friends and I never would have met her if it wasn’t for Highway Hounds and Susan Trammell.

Craig

Mo

Lucky

This blog isn’t an advertisement; I just wanted to share a meaningful and rewarding part of my life. But, that said, if you do live in North Texas, we really need foster homes (all the supplies are provided and vetting is paid for) and of course, we need adopters state wide. If you can’t adopt or foster, Highway Hounds always needs donations.

 

The website is www.highwayhoundstx.org

School Days by Bea Tifton

 I’m filling in for the lovely and talented Caroline Clemmons.

I was a teacher and then a school librarian for a total of 20 years. It’s a terrible, wonderful job with much heartbreak and many rewards. The working conditions for teachers are appalling in most of today’s schools, but the kids can make it all worthwhile.  I had many amazing memories as an elementary school teacher in particular.

When I taught second grade, I had one very shy little boy whose father was originally from Norway. He was so sweet and I never had a bit of trouble with him. I talked with him but, having been painfully shy as a child, I didn’t force things. One day when I was sitting at my desk he came up to me and said “I would like to sing you a Norwegian lullaby.” I was very surprised, but of course I said yes. In the perfect, pure voice of a young child, he sang me the song his mother sang to him each night. I was so touched that I almost choked up. What a gift and a show of trust he gave me.

My first year of teaching, one sweet, studious, and shy little boy with a face covered in adorable freckles and big, thick glasses had an obvious crush on me, as some boys do on their teachers. For the last day of class, I told the kids they could sit anywhere in the classroom. My little admirer yelled, “Whoo hoo! I’ve been waiting for this all year!” and scooted his desk right next to mine.

I had one particularly boisterous child one year. He was a big kid for his age, and he was quite disruptive. But it was always just cheerful clowning as that boy didn’t have a mean bone in his body. His name was Little ___, because of course his father was Big ___. Little already played football and he played it well, so the other teachers and I hoped he’d ride that train as far as  he possibly could. I talked to his mother, who was wonderful and supportive, almost every day for one reason or another, even just because she wanted a status report. The next year, I was standing in the hall after school talking to a teacher friend of mine and I threw my arms out wide as I told my story. Threw them out wide just as Little came tearing around the corner. Umph! And he was down. I helped him up, brushed him off, and anxiously asked if he was okay. He laughed, gave me a cheeky smile, and continued on his way, walking this time.

I thought, Oh, great. I’m really going to get in trouble for this one. I just knocked a student on his rear, albeit accidentally. I immediately called his mother and told her what had happened. She laughed and said “Oh, honey, you’ve probably been waitin’ to do that for a year!”

I have so, so many more memories of my time as an educator. Some funny, some touching, and some not so great. Be kind to your teachers, folks. It’s a tough job and they do it out of love.

Photo Credits: Pexels.com
Andrea Piacquadio "Strict Female Teacher with Book Pointing at Scribbled Blackboard"
cottonbro studio "A Choirboy in a Bow Tie Singing in Church"
RDNE Stock project "Young Boy Wearing Blue Backpack"
Pixabay "Boy Playing Football"
Yan Krukau "Group of Preschoolers with Their Teacher"

 

Did I Write Non-Fiction? by Laura Hunsaker

I've kept a small secret that isn't a secret. If you've read DANGEROUS PAST, you'll have seen a page with the Fatal Instincts book titles. One of them said "Coming Soon..."

I'm thrilled to share that I'm almost done with edits on a surprise(ish) short story called DREAMS OF THE FUTURE!

This is a wedding story for Kate and Kyle from DARK PAST. And I have a beautiful cover to share. I've included the blurb,

This story is based on my own wedding, and all the things that didn't go to plan. I actually cut some things since I was worried readers would say it was too unbelievable! I would like to call this my first non-fiction story! LOL My wedding anniversary is this month, so it feels like I should release it as soon as possible, but I'm realistic. It's easily going to be summer, but I can't give a firm date.

The way to get this story for free is to sign up for my newsletter but it will be available for everyone after that for just $.99 after the first week.

That being said...here is the beautiful, gorgeous, amazing cover:

Kate Landry is soon to be Kate Donovan, if only the groom would show up.


Maid of honor Cara Nguyen wants everything to go smoothly for her best friend's wedding, yet almost immediately, the wedding turns into a fiasco. Kate and Kyle deserve to have the wedding of their dreams, and Cara wants to make it happen. It’s hard to do when the flowers are delivered to the wrong location, the groom is missing, and the lovely sunny day has become a sweltering hot mess. She definitely doesn’t have time to get distracted by a sexy groomsman in a kilt.


Kyle Donovan is ready to marry the love of his life, but first he has to help some stranded guests…


Dash Helms is in the small town of Chester, California for his friend Kyle’s wedding, when he is immediately tasked to help. A caravan of wedding guests break down on their way, one of the groomsmen misses his flight, and the beautiful maid of honor is the only thing he can concentrate on. When Dash is asked to step in at the last minute as a replacement groomsman, of course he says yes. But the striking brunette he’s walking down the aisle wants nothing to do with him.


With everything seeming to go wrong, what can go right?


In this wedding short story written for Kate and Kyle from Dark Past, the cast of the Fatal Instincts series comes together to celebrate their friends. With everyone in the same place at once, and romance in the air, can this small town handle them?

AN OLDIE FROM THE PAST - KEY TO LOVE

                             by Judy Ann Davis

"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness," so says Oliver Wendell Holmes. . . and the father of Elise Springer, the main character.  http://www.amazon.com/Key-to-Love-ebook/dp/B00DNO9S8K

KEY TO LOVE is an oldie from the past and a romantic mystery full of snappy, humorous dialogue. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll race against the clock with Elise as she tries to find the person who murdered a state trooper.

The cast of characters include the heroine, Elise Springer, an architect; hero Lucas Fisher who owns a car restoration garage and drives a restored Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am; and Lucas’s little orphaned nephew, Todd, who’s addicted to animal crackers and The Fox and the Hound storybook. 

 

You'll laugh with Elise’s grumpy, but astute father, her wise-cracking brother, Fritz, and a no-nonsense director of Child and Youth Services, Twila Pedmo.

BOOK BLURB:

When architect Elise Springer's father is injured, she immediately leaves San Francisco to care for him. The last person she expects to encounter in her Pennsylvania hometown is her childhood friend, Lucas Fisher. 

Lucas is investigating his brother's mysterious death, and Elise can't resist lending a hand. Lucas longs for the close family ties he never had. He's back in Scranton to set up a classic car restoration business and build a future. The torch he carries for Elise burns brighter than ever, but before he can declare his love, he must obtain the legal rights to adopt his nephew--and prove his brother's death was no accident.

As they unearth clues to find the murderer and a missing stash of money, Elise faces a dilemma. Is her career on the West Coast the key to her happiness, or is it an animal-cracker-eating four-year-old and his handsome uncle instead? 

                                      ~ * ~ 

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE