Newsletter!

 I'm working on setting up my newsletter! I have a lovely short story ready for free for those who register for my newsletter. Hopefully within the next week or so it'll be edited and ready! 

I hope you like Malcolm and Louise's story. (I'm still working on a title!) It's a short story, the first in several I plan for them as they discover the joys and pitfalls of falling in love. And also family, spies, and the value of hope.

Here's the blurb:

Escorting a widow and her six children away from London and her husband’s shady activities didn’t fit Lieutenant Malcolm Sawyer’s plan of infiltrating the seedier side of Dover. Tea with the lovely Lady Hélène, did. However, it was only a brief stop on his way to find proof of a suspected French invasion imminent.

He had not imagined the lovely Louise Ardenne opening the door with a modified walking stick, ready to bludgeon him.

Louise Ardenne had no time for dashing English officers. A refugee from France who traded all her possessions for safe passage across the Channel, she owed her life to Lady Hélène and had more serious business than flushing at pretty compliments. The tall, sapphire-eyed officer posed an intriguing mix of threat from arrest or an opportunity for help finding her missing father and brother. If she didn’t melt at his searing looks first.

Revolution had burned her world to the ground. Malcolm, with his honor and kisses that stole her breath may finish the job.  She’s not a French spy.  He doesn’t trust her. An alliance is built not on trust but need, for the heat building between them and the answers they both seek amidst a world in chaos where even the closest friend could be an enemy.

Will their tentative alliance in the face of intrigue and spies be enough to convince him she is who she says? Or will her questions lead to her own death?

September New Moon

New moons are the perfect time for new beginnings, manifesting abundance, and opening up to growth. You don't have to follow the moon cycles, just write a list. 

What are your goals for this month? What do you plan to accomplish? How are you working on  yourself--spiritually, emotionally, physically? 

Set boundaries, maintain your own energy, envision what you want between now and the full moon on September 20, 2021.

You've got this!!

Self care Monday-Meditation

 What are your favorite meditations?

I have a lot of meditations saved on my YouTube lists. One day I'll organize them. Probably. Maybe. (Probably not...)

This 20 Minute Chakra Meditation is my favorite. It's a guided meditation. The first time I listened, I was shocked at where I found myself, but honestly, the beach, the ocean, is always a haven for me. (I'm also a Scorpio so there's that water sign!)

I listen to this 3-4 times a week, sometimes while walking, sometimes in a quiet house before work.

CD Player for audiobooks

 I love audiobooks. I listen to all sorts of books in a variety of ways. I have a subscription to Libro.fm and my library's OverDrive and Hoopla apps. I also listen to CDs, because buying all the books I listen to is expensive.

Please note the largeness of the boombox. RIP boombox!

Here is my latest purchase. I know, so old fashion. But my previous CD player finally bit the dust. Well, the CD part did. The radio still works. Maybe the cassette player, too, but I don't know anyone with cassette tapes...

Anyway, this new Magnavox CD Boombox should help me nicely while I finish a few audiobook series on CDs!

Self care Monday-rest

Where do you find 10 minutes to reset?

Getting our of your head. I don't know about you, but I spend entirely too much time going round and round in my own headspace when what I need to do is stop.

One way I like to do this is go for a walk. Not just around the block, there are people there and I don't need to talk to anyone. When setting boundaries, it's hard to keep them when your neighbor pops out and wants to talk for 20+ minutes when all you want is 10 minutes to yourself.

My go-to place is the beach. First thing in the morning when the crowds haven't arrived yet, whether summer or winter. I'm less than an hour from the coast, so I admit it's easier for me than most. 

Walking along an empty (or mostly empty) beach always recharges me.

Husband of Convenience-update

Kaya and Paul's first book is with the editor! AND...the cover artist is now working on a cover!

I'm excited and nervous and really excited! This has been 4+ years in the making. But in January I decided this was the year to get all my stories ready for the world. So yeah, really excited!

I should have the cover in 2 or so weeks and the edits back about the same time. Phew! Suddenly everything is moving super fast!

Self care Monday-sleep

What 3 things are you grateful for today?

I haven't been sleeping well lately. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Usually I find myself awake around 3:30, staring at the ceiling, the wall, the inside of my mind that won't shut up! I don't grab my phone or turn on the TV or pick up the book I'm reading. That makes it worse, like well, not I'm awake, so I should be doing something.

Gratitude. I try to think of at least 3 things I'm grateful for. Not like air, a bed, central air. Though I am grateful for those I'm talking deeper. 

Thinking of things I'm grateful for like another wonderful day with my dog and the beautiful walk we took. Or talking to my 94 year old grandmother during our weekly call. Or even that I'm grateful that I paid all my bills this week and had money left over!

Thinking what I'm grateful for, in the dark, with my eyes closed, helps my mind relax and refocuses it from what's keeping me awake to allowing it to drift off.