Authentic Romantic Historical Fiction

Month: September 2017 (Page 2 of 2)

Don’t Drink the Koolade

Some of you know the story of how I came to be an indie-published author (aka self-published). Probably more of you don’t.

The highlights are here:

  • Doctor said to put my affairs in order
  • Initial panic at thought of dying
  • I didn’t want my novel manuscripts thrown out by the kids
  • I sought out the best solution for me
  • I acted on it by publishing my first book
  • People liked the first, so I did the second one, too
  • I was Indie before it was cool
  • The doctor was wrong

That doctor actually did me a favor. I love what being in charge of my writing career does for me.

However, I see new and wanna-be authors making costly, unthinking mistakes in seeking traditional publishing for their book. I’ve done the careful cautions, but can’t save everyone from their dreams. They’ll sign the contracts, get badly burned, then ask around about how they can get out of those hideous contracts. Most times, they can’t. In a fraction of cases, they can, but only because the publisher already breached the contract.

I’m about to the point that I won’t open my mouth anymore. It’s sad.

Yesterday, one of my heroes among writers, Dean Wesley Smith, published a blog post that tells how he feels nowadays. Check it out here.

EDIT: I’ve fixed the link. I’m blaming the error on my fat fingers using the WordPress phone app.

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Choose the Right

One of the huge blessings of holiday weekends– no matter how much I may say about “flatlanders”–is the influx of people up here camping, using their cabins, and staying with friends or relatives, who plan to attend church services with our little congregation. Three young gentlemen even brought their Sunday suits so they could respectfully participate in passing the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper to the congregants. I don’t know if they had a cabin or were camping, but that really shows a level of respect for holy things not often seen in the young. 

Part of my Sunday service is spent with the children in Primary. For two hours they are taught eternal truths through song, story, and lessons.


We have a yearly theme. This year it’s Choose the Right. Today we had fifty-two children visiting our Primary. They were extraordinarily good, so the concepts they’ve been taught in their home churches have sunk deeply into their hearts. (Mormons use the same lesson materials world-wide.) They also have good parents.

We had a great time with our 52 visitors. Oddly enough, none of our member children attended today. They were visiting another ward or branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

How was your Sunday?

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Labor Day Weekend

Up here on Rim Country, the Labor Day Weekend is the last hurrah for many “flatlanders,” as we call summer and weekend visitors. 

We can count on traffic jams, with more than one vehicle at a time on the roads. Speeding is a problem, because many of the visitors can’t seem to read. At least they don’t read and observe the 35 mph speed limit on The Loop. 

Worse then that are the under-age golf cart and ATV drivers, who don’t know how to drive the 10 mph limit on the interior roads. Sometimes they are so young they can’t reach the brake pedal. Talk about lack of responsibility on the part of *coughparentscough*.

But Labor Day Weekend also brings certain perks. For example, I attended the local HOA meeting this morning. They fed us lunch afterwards. 


Tonight the LDS Church has a free community barbecue. They provide the steaks, burgers, hotdogs, baked potatoes and corn on the cob. Also the live music. Attendees are invited to bring a side dish or dessert. These affairs are well attended. 


With the blessing of good weather, my neighbors are having a yard sale. There’s quite a range of goodies, including lots of glassware. 

Do you get away on holiday weekends? Remember to observe local speed limits and other laws, and try not to annoy the locals!

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