What have I done so far today?
Absolutely NOTHING! I’m still on cloud nine from all the wonderful comments and emails from my announcement yesterday. (Thanks for the love!!) So I’ve been spending the day leisurely answering emails, posting replies, and sipping coffee while getting caught up with other writer’s websites and blogs. [...]

Have you ever dreamed for, worked for, and prayed for something to happen for so, so long, that when it finally does, it doesn’t quite sink in at first and when the shock wears off, you’re nervous about announcing it?
Well, I’ve dreamed, I’ve worked, and I’ve prayed for something. And yes, I must admit [...]

No, really–I mean it–there’s a TIRE on our MAILBOX!

Huh.
I must say, this is quite original so I can’t help but applaud our prankster’s creativity. Most people’s mailboxes are trashed with eggs or a baseball bat, but not us–we get a tire.
Does that mean they wheel-y like us?
Is there a secret [...]

“Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It’s in our hands.”–Cathy Better.
Nice, huh?

So, are library fines tax deductible?
Yeah, I didn’t think so. Shoot, there’s goes a New Year’s resolution down the drain. (Why do I even make this one? Not to be negative, but I can’t go past one month without fines let alone a year.) Oh well, guess I better stop [...]

So, what were my kids doing on Tuesday while it was snowing?

Playing football. I froze just watching them. But now there’s no football in their forecast for a while, I’m afraid.

But the bright side of being home-bound is that I’ve been able to spend the week giving my husband’s company’s [...]

While I truly admire my daffodils’ optimism and their determination to grow . . .

. . . Punxsutawney Phil predicts otherwise.

Bummer. But reading this article did remind me to add something to my “Do Before Dying” list: Go to Punxsutawney, PA on Groundhogs Day to see little Phil and enjoy the festivities. Just [...]

Okay. There’s hardly any groceries in the fridge, we’re down to the crappy chunky peanut butter that my husband bought by mistake, I had to use shampoo because we’re out of body wash, and there’s only one roll of toilet paper left in the house.
Yep. Can’t put it off any longer. I [...]

I have to change a character’s name.
Sometimes I really hate changing a character’s name, especially if they’re established.
Like this one minor character in a book I’ve been working on for a very long time and I hope to have good news about soon. Her name was Torrance. I thought it [...]

The shop is still open! Last fall, I discovered how my little BEAUTY SHOP FOR RENT was nominated for the following awards:
South Dakota State Library’s 2009-10 YARP Reading List
Missouri Association of School Librarian’s 2009-10 Gateway Readers Award
New York State Reading Association’s 2010 Charlotte Award
Eliot Rosewater 2009-10 Award
Volunteer State 2009-10 Book Award
The Kentucky 2009 Book [...]