SADLY, IT HASN'T PASSED YET.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

Hello friends,

For those of you in quarantine, how are you doing? Since I am diabetic, I decided to take extra precautions and stay at home and wait this virus out until a cure or vaccine is available.

It hasn’t always been easy.

For the first two months it really wasn’t that bad. I wrote a book, cleaned my house from top to bottom, and lost 25 pounds. Most of my friends tell me that all they do is walk back and forth to the kitchen, and eat. I read that the average person has gained five pounds in the last two months.

Fortunately, not me.

Then again, I was accustomed to eating three meals a day in restaurants. In fact I only cooked when my children were coming over. So when I stopped eating all that processed food the weight came off with ease. Also, since that pesky Miss Corona came knocking on our doors, I haven’t had much of an appetite. I pretty much exist on boiled eggs and ground turkey patties now. Oh, and coffee, lots and lots of coffee.

My biggest fear is not knowing what the future holds. Will they develop a vaccine? Will life ever return to normal? Will I ever get to hug my precious grandchildren again?

Let me know how you are doing during these strange and bewildering times.

Kitty

40 Days and 40 Nights

Rain, rain, and buckets of rain. It’s raining cats and dogs. The bottom has fallen out of the sky. It has rained for more than 40 days and 40 nights in the great state of North Carolina and we are waterlogged.

Enough already.

Although, don’t tell anyone since the general population of my county is complaining about the rain, I rather enjoy it. It is GREAT writing weather. It’s dark and cozy inside my house as the rain beats a staccato tune on my red tin roof. I curl up in my plush, overstuffed recliner with a cup of bulletproof coffee and an afghan and completely lose myself in the storyline. Bulletproof coffee is a mainstay in the KETO diet which I rigorously follow. 

A little background. 

Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At the time, my A1C was 7.3. You are considered to be diabetic when your A1C reaches 6.5 or above. I was put on meds and a strict diet. I followed the diet, and over the next ten years my diabetes worsened and my Metformin dosage was increased. My eyesight was always blurry, I was getting tingling in my feet from nerve damage, I was developing a terrible case of psoriasis on my scalp, (nasty, but trying to be truthful here) and my blood sugar was rarely in the normal range.

Then, last mother’s day, I began the KETO diet. Oh, believe me, it isn’t a fun way of eating. It’s very, very strict. Sometimes, I honestly believe that if I look at one more pork rind I will hurl, but there are also some very good recipes out there as well. You just have to find what works best for you. And, let me tell you, IT WORKS. I began the diet not for weight loss, but as a way to combat diabetes.

Yesterday, after eight months on the diet, I went for my yearly physical. My A1C was 5.6, that of a non diabetic, and my doctor TOOK ME OFF Metformin. I was floored, shocked, stunned to the roots of my hair. He said the words, “As of this moment, your diabetes is in remission.”

Now, understand this. If I eat a slice of chocolate pie, or birthday cake, or a candy bar, or popcorn at the movie theatre my blood sugar will skyrocket and my remission will be history. So, therefore, I won’t. Like my doctor is fond of asking, “What is more important, Kitty? A slice of chocolate pie or your eyesight? A bag of popcorn, or your toes?”

To me, it’s a no brainer. So, I abstain from many, many foods that I absolutely love.

Bear in mind that KETO works exceedingly well IF YOU HAVE THE WILLPOWER to deny your cravings. If not, I’m afraid you would simply be spinning your wheels.

But enough about me. If you have small children or grandchildren my son has written, and he and his wife have illustrated, a series of fabulous children’s books. The first book is titled FARMER JOE and SNAKE by Billy Hinson on Amazon. Check it out! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KCZY568/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_yVwCCbRGH3D3N Your kids will love it!

So, keep the faith on these dreary winter days and remember that spring is right around the corner.

Happy Reading!

Kitty Margo

APPARENTLY MOTHER NATURE IS MENOPAUSAL.

April is typically a glorious month in the South. Warm breezes, April showers, blooms ready to burst into May flowers, the smell of barbecue chicken on the grill, and the squeals of delight as children run barefoot through the grass, dodging fire ant hills. Although, when we were little our mama would have laid a cane stalk on our behinds if we had even considered taking our shoes off before May 1^st.

It goes without saying that you would freeze your patootie off if you tried any of these outdoor endeavors right now. It was snowing in my neck of the woods this week. Snowing!

I’m still scraping ice off my windshield in the morning and wearing shirts with sleeves during the day. I have yet to pull out my beloved tank tops and flip flops and parade around in capris.

Nor have I even considered a weekend trip to the coast. I shiver just thinking about how cold the ocean would be.

I am, however, going on a cruise at the end of the month. Lawd, I need a vacation! I’m not ashamed to admit that I enjoy having someone pamper me for a change and, yes, I do tip accordingly.

Anyway, I just paid to have my propane tank filled, even though I had hoped the thermostat could be switched to off by now, a few days shy of mid April. Nope, she’s cranked up to 70 degrees.

I know doctor’s frown upon prescribing hormones these days, but I’m convinced that Mother Nature needs a dose of estrogen to ward off her hot flashes. If something isn’t done, I have a feeling that it’s going to be one hell of a summer.

Happy Spring, friends.

Kitty

The BEWARE series.

If your kids and grandkids love a good scary story like my grandchildren do, they will enjoy my new middle school horror series. Check it out. Very, very spooky. You have been warned!

Book One     Beware the Attic    http://a.co/aRLAnIg
Book Two    Beware the Sky      http://a.co/1Au2hFl
Book Three  Beware the River   http://a.co/8ZtiVA7

         





                                                                                                 

Clara's Temptation is available for preorder now.

Hello, everyone. It looks like fall is finally upon us. Cooler weather, falling leaves, boots and hoodies, camping out and making smores by an open fire, pig pickins’, and, hallelujah! pumpkin spice scented candles. It’s the only time this aroma infiltrates my surroundings, since I don’t cook or eat anything orange. Honestly, the thought of eating a pumpkin or sweet potato pie gives me the heebie jeebies. I know! I know! How weird is that? We are chocolate pie loaded down with whipped cream lovers around here. At any rate, from right this very minute, until the scent of spruce pine eradicates all other smells, if you enter my humble abode you will be greeted by my all time favorite candle aroma. What’s yours?

It has been a busy spring and summer for me. First of all, I have a new granddaughter to brag about. Her name is Rae and she has those chubby little cheeks and thighs that you can’t help but squeeze. Rae is probably the most content baby I have ever seen. She has slept all night since she was 2 months old, she’s always smiling, and she is an absolute delight to cuddle with. That makes 5 grandchildren for me, so far. The more the merrier!

I’ve told you my favorite aroma. Now I’ll tell you one of my favorite things to do and that is research. I love nothing better than visiting new places and discovering their history. Recently I took a trip to New Orleans and booked a post Katrina tour. Hearing firsthand what some residents experienced after the levees broke left me a bit shell shocked. At times, I felt like I was listening to someone recount an event that had happened in another country. One elderly man told me that when the water rose inside his home it reached to about five inches shy of the ceiling. Him, his wife, and her sister stood on a bed holding on to a light fixture with their noses pressed to the ceiling. He held on for 9 hours. 9 hours of standing in rushing water with the full realization of what will happen if the water rises a few more inches. Can you even imagine? Unfortunately, his wife and her sister lost their grip after a few hours and were swept away never to be recovered. It’s hard for me to even comprehend such horror.

We also stopped at several places along the way which I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely hope to visit again. These were Martin Accordions, Frogmore Cotton Plantation, Tobasco Hot Sauce Factory, Blue Willow Inn, and Bellingrath Gardens to name a few. Have you visited any of these places?

I also spent a week with my family at the Outer Banks this summer and later visited Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Who knows what Point Pleasant is famous for?

Now it’s time for me to settle down and finish the last book of the A Moment in Time Novels. I originally set the date of publication for Clara’s Temptation as late October. I’m sad to say that I’ve been forced to change that date. It will now be released on Christmas day. I had planned to write all summer, but that just did not happen. After several years of pretty much non stop writing, I felt like I needed a summer off. Plus, you have to be in a certain mood to write and, to be honest, I just couldn’t get there this summer, even though I did try a few times. I finally got my mojo back a few weeks ago and now I am writing day and night. I had a few directions to go with Clara, Travis, and Wren and I was finally able to narrow it down to one and now I am headed toward the finish line. The book is now coming along great and I hope it will be worth the wait.

          So, Clara’s Temptation is available for preorder here   https://amzn.com/B01M73M5SY for publication on December 25, 2016.

Have a great fall everyone!

Keep those emails coming. I love hearing from you!

Kitty

Release of Clara's Forever

At long last I can finally say that I have typed The End to Clara’s Forever. I was beginning to worry about finishing it on time because, to be honest, the last month has been insanely busy

I am proud to announce that I have a new granddaughter, Cathryn Rae, who is absolutely adorable with these chubby little cheeks that you just can’t help but smooch on. My little Clara, the original Clara Mae, recently turned four, plus, I have three other grandchildren to dote on.

I just returned from a seven-day cruise a few weeks ago. Yes, I do love cruising. Call me spoiled, but I love the pampering one gets on a ship, especially in the spa. For the record, I probably need a twelve step program for I am hopelessly addicted to facials and pedicures.

Some people spend their money on port excursions. Not me, nope, I spend my spare pennies on me. If the truth be told, I spend the majority of my life in my recliner writing books, so I when I get a chance to go forth and see the world I am all over it. And the food on a cruise, oh, let’s not even go there, but I will say that I adore room service!

Okay, let’s discuss Clara’s Forever for a moment. I totally stepped out of the box with Book Four in the A Moment in Time series. When you read it you will see what I mean. Trust me, when I started the book none of the ideas that came about between the characters were already percolating in my mind, admittedly a place where peculiar thoughts sometimes tend to germinate. However, as I continued to write, it was like a natural progression of the storyline and I just went with it. About halfway through Chapter 16 I was like, “Seriously, is this really happening?”

It was.

I can’t wait to hear your responses so here is the link to Clara’s Forever http://amzn.com/B01EOZYOYO.

Keep the messages and email coming. I love hearing from you all.

Happy reading!

Kitty