The wheel goes around -- Happy 10th Anniversary of the sale of my first book

10 years ago to the day, I made the acquaintance a very wonderful lady, Hilary Sares. She was editor at Kensington books. I simply adored her!

I had gone for the day, a day where everyone was watching the weather because Katrina was coming close to land, and here ten years later we are again watching the weather because another hurricane moves near shore. I was finishing up my book and decided to took a break, and wen to the store. It had started raining, and when I came in side, and took off my rain coat, I noticed the light on the answer machine blinking. 

It was a message left by Hilary Sares saying she wanted to buy my book. THE CALL. Of course, you mind goes through a wild swing of emotions, from wanting to scream and jump for joy, to who is the a-hole so cruel to pay such a trick. Shaking, I wrote down the number and called it. Yes, it was Hilary Sares, and yes she wanted to buy my book. 

It came out in August of 2006, and I was lucky to work on two more books with her on two more books before she left Kensington. She once said, "Remember when you go big, I was the one who found you."

Thing comes around. My contract on that book was up and I requested rights reversion. I am now once more editing that same book. I have to redo it to put it out, because although the rights reverted, I cannot use edits Hilary did because that was considered property of Kensignton books. I can live with that. There were things cut, I wanted to add back. Tweaks I can make to tighten the series as a whole as more Dragons of Challon come out in the future.

Still, it seems odd, ten years later and I am once more watching a hurricane near US shores and working on the same book.

Birthday - Part 2

We set out to have lunch at Keepers seafood restaurant.  But as we got there, we learned they were having trouble getting their deep fryers working.  So since we were already halfway there, we decided to go on to Our Best.  It in Smithfield, KY - and is the original site of Our Best Flour -- an old mill that was considered one of the best during its period.  It's a lovely spot, oozing history.

they make the best onion rings -- you ever stop by, order one for your party.  This is with two already gone..lol

A couple pictures of Miss Candy -- always the picture of grace and beauty.

I was rather exhausted.  I just finished writing a novella, editing a short story, and selling both this week, and then began doing the revamp of my A Restless Knight to get it ready for fall release.  I wasn't sure how they would come out since I didn't have any makeup on outside of lip gloss  Not too bad.

Afterward we came back and sat in the Gazebo on Main Street, and just enjoyed the sounds and rhythm of out lovely town.

My keylime cake with cream cheese icing Candy made for me.

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me!!

My birthday Snoopy made by Candy Thompson

A Cat in Jackboots novella

A new novella coming soon!  I will post details when they are set.

A Regency Tale

Updating -- 8/20 

I signed the contract this morning and it should out this fall, probably before Halloween.

Ah, a two-timing man can break your heart!!

I have a tender heart when it comes to cats.  This handsome lad came to me 3 1/2 months ago. He became a part of our family.  All the other cats loved him.  He had a pallet in our home. I always wanted a black kitty, and this one was so beautiful.  He had such a great personality and I came to love him very deeply.  I named him Mr. Pye Wackett.

Then he went missing last week.  I cried.  We called the animal shelter to see is someone had turned him in.  I posted all over Facebook pages that were local.  And I posted on the Humane Society page.  Sigh.   Finally, on their page I got a response.  "Can I have your phone number.  I know the cat you are talking about."

Well, she DID know him.  She tells me his name is Max.  He was two years old (what I guessed his age as).  And she had raised him from a kitten.  His mother gave birth to him on the night her husband had surgery, so she knew to the day how old he was.  He lives  two streets over.   He went missing from their household 3 1/2 months ago, and suddenly he came back home last week -- the day he went missing from my home.

She is lovely lady.  She said I could come visit him, but that he will likely come back to see me now and again.  I wanted to rush over and hug him, to know he was safe, but I held back.  I love the little two-timing squirt, didn't sleep for the week he was gone, worried something had happened to him.  I really don't want to be crying over him in front of his real owner.

He is welcome to come visit anytime, but he's no longer "mine".  At least he is safe.

Pye covered in catnip

Pye relaxing on the front porch with Munchkin

Happy National Book Lover's Day!!

Linda Goin's La Grange 3-Day Tour Itinerary - free this weekend

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Available on Amazon Kindle or Amazon Kindle App for your device. Search on Amazon for: Unanchor La Grange (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013EZAODA)

Tip on future rights reversions

A Timely Tip for authors --- at some time in your writing career you will ask for rights reversion of your books. Once you get them back you will naturally want to relaunch them to see your backlist staying healthy. When you get your rights back, you get the rights back to your ORIGINAL works - not the copy that was sold by your publisher. Meaning you will need to go back to your original version and re-edit the works to put them out again.

To that aim - KEEP ALL copies of your manuscripts forever...lol!!

I did, and will be relaunching my first Dragons of Challon books. I have my original manuscripts, so I can pull them up, redo my books and put them out. I have had a couple friends that didn't keep their originals so they are for a lot of work now. You cannot use the edited version, you have to drop all edits the publisher did while they had the rights, and they have to type their books into Word Doc form again. As I said, a lot of work. If you keep your copies you will save yourself a lot of headaches!!

Not that it should need saying - but you will need new covers too

An Evening with Tia McGraff - at the Pillow and Paddock Bed & Breakfast

Candy and I have a wonderful evening at the Pillow and Paddock Bed & Breakfast.  Tia McGraff and her husband Tommy Parham performed for us.

The concert was in honor of Hugh Blair, a local favourite who died recently of cancer.

These four photos are by Tommy Parham

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTiaMcGraff?fref=ts

Tommy and Tia performing.  They are GREAT!!  He's one of the best guitar players I have seen, and she has the power and range of Joan Baez

Candy having entirely too much fun getting tipsy on a Diet Coke...lol

I scoped out the wicker love seat and sat, because my knee was KILLING ME.

County Fair time

Candy did very well at the Oldham County Fair this year -- 5 Blue Ribbons and 1 Red Ribbon.

This is here with her Snoopy Celebration, which took first place in Holiday Display Division

Christmas Mouse with kitten - took a 1 place Blue for Crochet Division

 

 

She also took a Blue Ribbon for best Chocolate Chip Cookies, a Blue Ribbon for Fudge and 2nd Place for Peanut Butter Cookies.

Catching up - Candy's Birthday

July is always a busy time.  Candy's birthday was on the 18th.  Oldham County Day and then the County Fair sees everyone rushing around to get things done.

Candy and me at Keepers for a Birthday lunch on the Scuttlebutt Deck.  She is showing her new purse I got her for her birthday.

 

Us at another birthday lunch at Alley Cat Cafe.

The Friday before her birthday we went to a street dance in downtown La Grange.  A great time was had by all --Mid Age Crisis was the band.