It's Raining, It's Pouring!
Missed My Self-Imposed Deadline
November came and went, and I missed my deadline to keep this newsletter/blog on its “monthly” track. In so many ways, it’s been raining and pouring cats and dogs. My calendar was flooded, so I’ve been treading water. Now, I’m finally coming up for air! And, believe it or not, I do have a few things to show for it. This will be a shorter-than-usual newsletter. Pinky swear!
Red Carpet - World Debut
First things first. Thank you to all who attended my book’s 1st Birthday Party to help me celebrate this past roller-coaster of a year! It was a lighthearted hour filled with questions & answers, drawings & prizes—just good old-fashioned fun! The highlight was the “red-carpet world debut” of the Book Trailer for Force of Nature created by Candice Jarrett at ElectraFox and narrated by Anna Crowe. You can watch the fun short video by clicking below.
Mandarin Season & Pumpkin Bread
November marks the beginning of Mandarin Season here in the Northern California Sierra Foothills. The farm stands burst open, selling 5- and 10-pound bags of these just-picked, sweet juice-bombs all through November and December. They also feature mandarin salad dressings and syrups, mandarin-infused olive oil and honey made by bees housed in the orchards. If you’re lucky, you can find fresh-squeezed mandarin orange juice! I mail boxes of mandarins to family back east, just to give them a taste of this fresh-picked regional bounty.
It’s also pumpkin bread time. Following in my mother’s long established tradition, I make several batches of pumpkin bread using her handwritten recipe. The whole house fills with the rich and savory aroma of the baking bread, making me nostalgic.
November’s Books
Last month, I read four books, all very different and all 5*****.
2 Historical Fictions about strong women (probably my favorite genre to read)
1 Historical Nonfiction
1 Contemporary Thriller
The Path Beneath Her Feet, was written by Janis Robinson Daly, an author with whom I share a publisher, Black Rose Writing (does that make us literary sisters?). It’s a rich, inspiring historical tale about some of the first female medical doctors in the United States. The main characters are strong, smart women who make their way in a man’s world in order to care for others. Facing the challenges of The Great Depression and WWII, these dedicated doctors find ways to help those in extreme need. This is book #2 in the series. (Book #1 is The Unlocked Path.) 5*****
The Bletchley Girls, by Anna Stuart, is a fascinating story set at that mysterious place of British WWII code-busting, Bletchley Park. Three smart women with three unique backstories become friends, and between them, cleverly solve numerous top-secret puzzles while under great pressure. The Axis Powers are the obvious “bad guys,” but it seems there might be a dangerous “bad guy” closer to home, too. 5*****
Prolific storyteller and California historian Gary Noy’s Gem of the Sierra is stuffed to the brim with stories about Lake Tahoe and the northern Sierra during the 19th Century. Massive research went into collecting information for this book. There are funny tales and stories of wild adventures. There are sad events of exploitation and rich musings about natural beauty. I had the honor of interviewing Gary Noy for my OLLI at Sierra Spotlight on Local Authors just last week. 5*****
The Last Patient of the Night by Gary Gerlacher, another author with whom I share my publisher, Black Rose Writing, is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, contemporary who-done-it medical thriller. The jaunty ER doc at the center of the story is funny, determined, and quite daring. You can’t help but love him and root for him as he challenges some true villains! 5*****
Jolabokaflod - A Winter Tradition
The Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod, which translates to "Christmas book flood," is fast approaching! Are you ready? The idea is that everyone gives gifts of books to one another on Christmas Eve. Then, together they read their new books throughout the winter holidays. I imagine mugs of good tea or hot chocolate, slices of pumpkin bread or gingerbread cookies, and warm blankets to snuggle into being part of that tradition, too. Happy Jolabokaflod, everyone!
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Great B-day party. Awesome trailer. And you're the only one concerned about the newsletter punctuality. The rest of us just think it's Christmas when the letter pops in. The Emerald Mile is my rec for you! Maybe you already read it?