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
