August Is and Always Has Been My Favorite Month

Even more so this year, as it started with our family reunion, a most special reunion. My grandson whom I hadn't seen since he was three and now 42, came all the way to join us from Nebraska and brought his wife Jeff is the child of our eldest son who died from cancer. And no, he never got to see his son again. You can't imagine how wonderful it was to hug Jeff, and hear all about him. Emotions ran high all weekend. We also had a lot of fun. All my daughters were there with some of their family members, plus cousins galore.

This is also my birthday month, and at the reunion my eldest daughter did a This is Your Life presentation, with comments from people from my past, like the superintendent of schools (I was PTA president four times and knew him as a friend), several of my Camp Fire Girls,and  three of my cousins. That was fun.

My daughter celebrated her birthday and she and her daughter both celebrate anniversaries, we have other family birthdays this month too.

But enough about family, onto writing business. Usually I have a new Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery coming out this month, but I haven't quite finished writing it. Had too many re-edits to do of both the earlier books in that series and the ones in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series.

Because I don't have any new books at the moment, I haven't done much promotion. However, I still have plenty of copies of my older books and have presentations and other venues lined up in the coming months to hopefully sell some.

I went to Nightwriters in San Luis Obispo to tell about where I got the ideas for my books.This is always fun, and a great group of people.

Next I went to Visalia to the Tulare/Kings Writers group to talk about writing description of  people, places and things. This is a small group and so enjoyable as we can easily share back and forth.

I'm always ready and willing to give talks about different aspects of writing, and I love going to book and craft fairs.

Hopefully, in the next month or so, I can finish my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. I think you'll like this one, it's set in Tehachapi where all the wind machines are, and of course Tempe will be dealing with ghosts and spirits as well as a murder.

Marilyn

It Happens Every Time!

At least this is what happens to me.

Everytime I go out of town I get important emails. Emails that I need to respond to, but often there are those that I have information I either need to send or check but am unable to because I only have my phone and my iPad with me.

This past few days were no exception.

We went to our family reunion--was exceptionally wonderful, emotional, and fun! A grandson who lives in Nebraska and I haven't seen since he was 3, recently made contact, and he and his wife came to the runion. But that's a whole other story.

While we were at the reunion I heard from someone I'd done a job for and sent it as an attachment to her email. She didn't receive it.

The publisher of my Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series found a problem in the latest offering, and of course I don't have that manuscript on my iPad and couldn't even try to find what he had discovered, much less fix it.

The publisher of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, didn't receive a manuscript of one of the early books that I'd re-edited. I felt sure I had done it and sent it, but again, no way of checking.

Fortunately, I was able to put that all out of my mind and enjoy the time with family.

First thing when I got home, I started working on all these problems.

Anyone else have that happen?

Marilyn

First meeting since grandson was 3,  a true family reunion!

Life Getting in the Way of Writing

Recently I wrote a blog about writers writing--something we all need to do. I'd like to write on my work-in-progress for at least three hours every day. Sometimes I can, more often, I'm lucky if I can write a page or two.

This coming week life will certainly get in the way of my regular writing. And it all began last weekend when we headed for San Luis Obispo and the Central Coast Book Festival. As all writers know, we all must spend some time on in-person events where we can interest readers in buying our books.

While I'm there I have a dinner planned with a good writing friend the first night and after the festival, dinner with my publisher. I don't get to see her often, though we're in touch via e-mail (a plus of being with a small publisher), so this will be a treat.

We didn't come home until Monday and as anyone knows who goes on a trip, I came home to mail to be taken care of, phone calls to answer, laundry, etc. When this come out, I'll be grocery shopping.

On Wednesday, I have a meeting with a group that I write a monthly newsletter for. Most of it is done already, but when I get home I'll have to finish it up and get it ready to send out.

I'll take the newsletter to the printers on Thursday (they also do the mailing, I've got the stamped envelopes ready to go) and then on to get my yearly mammogram. When I get home I have to make preparations for the huge pot of chili I'll be making at or family reunion on Saturday--plus pack, etc.

We leave Friday morning for the family reunion and may be taking a great-granddaughter with us (not sure yet.) The reunion is in Barstow CA. Anyone who knows anything about Barstow knows it's in the middle of the Mojave desert the last city before Las Vegas. Why have a reunion there? Because it's right in the middle for my sister's family (they all live in Vegas) and mine (scattered all over Southern and Central California.)

Sis and two female cousins are the elders of the crowd. We have kids, grandkids and great grands who attend with the youngest around two. Two granddaughters and a niece are in charge, and everyone is kept busy when they aren't just visiting, and it's really fun. I do bring my latest books for anyone who might be so inclined to buy one. But no, I don't get any writing done.

It is a good time to observe characters though--we have many in our family. We don't have any fighting, thank goodness, the ones who don't get along well with others don't come.

Often, while on long drives I do some brainstorming with hubby about what's going on in whatever book I'm writing and I always have a notebook to jot down ideas--but that's about as close to writing as I get on these trips.

One this month is over, I'll have some writing time until Bouchercon.

I know I'm not unique--life always elbows it's way into our plans for writing.

Marilyn Meredith