Things have finally slowed down to the point where I could tackle a newsletter. Well, to be perfectly honest, a lot of October, I just wasn’t feeling like doing much of anything. On top of dealing with a loss in the family, I had major surgery October 17th, which has been pretty miserable in terms of pain and immobility. We traveled 300 miles to get the surgery and ended up camping in the hospital parking lot in our RV for a week and a half so the doctor could monitor my wounds closer. I was so happy to get home to my own bed! Pain can really suck the joy out of life. But is finally letting up now, and I’m beginning to feel human again.
Book News
Thankfully, lots of good things happened before my surgery, so I just tried to focus on that. The big news is that Dreams and Illusions launched in a huge way! Over 4,100 ebooks were downloaded during the launch, and I’m thrilled to report Dreams and Illusions became an Amazon #1 Best Seller in the category of Miracles and Spirituality! A huge thank you to all of you who participated in the launch! I couldn’t have done it without you. Please, keep sharing the book with friends and family. I’ve received a couple very cool reviews, but most people have only rated it. Mostly 5 stars, but some 4 stars as well.☺️I really look forward to reading all of your reviews! And to make things sweeter, Dreams and Illusions has also made the long list for the Chanticleer M & M Award for best mystery!
Other Book News
My other works have been very busy this fall as well. Loved So Much It Hurts made the second round of judging for the Journey Award and is now competing for a place in the finals.
Also, my story “Grandma’s Legacy” made the cover of the November 19 edition of Live magazine. This was a fun piece to write, remembering the Thanksgivings of my past.
And my story “Love and Death in Madison, Georgia” is still available for presale on Amazon in the Malice, Matrimony, &
Murder anthology. This is an amazing value, offering up 25 cozy mystery/crime stories by 25 different authors, and it’s a limited-edition collection, so I hope you’ve grabbed yours. I’ll be signing copies of Malice, Matrimony, & Murder along with Dreams and Illusions next spring in Walla Walla at Book & Game Company, so watch for updates.
Carolynn and I flew to Seattle in September to attend the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference together for the first time. What fun! We finally met some of the members of our online writers group in person, three of which were finalists in the writers contest! What an adventure. One of the highlights was meeting Cindy Dees , who had some great stories and wisdom to share.
We returned from the conference to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary! Best twenty years of my life!
Garden News
We had an amazing garden this year, though I wasn’t much help, with all the surgeries I had. But I was able to preserve some of the goodness.
Bunny News
The one good thing about camping out at a hospital was that we finally had our baby with us again. Carolynn had just returned from an epic journey cross country with some amazing ladies, Crazy Women Rabbitiers, to compete in the American Rabbit Breeders Assoc. National Convention in Louisville, KY! It was the longest 2 weeks of my life, but she had an amazing time and she and her bunnies brought back some amazing awards.
Carolynn competed against over 60 young ladies from all over the US for the title of Queen, and all of it knowledge-based testing and creative educational displays. She won Third Runner-up! I wish I could have been there. She studied all the way from Washington to Kentucky, so she earned that award! We’re so proud!
While she was away, we were blessed with another litter of kits, and Carolynn also bought a new little buck to add to her heard, so we continue to grow and show. ☺️
In my next newsletters, I’ll be featuring some of the amazing authors we met at the PNWA conference. Until then …
Happy Reading!
Rebecca