Month: September 2026

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When Fall Blows In #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

September 28, 2026

Outside the usual autumn stuff, what else does the season hold for you annually?

I know traditionally I should be getting ready for winter.

But I’m looking around and seeing all the things I didn’t get done in the summer. Or spring.

There’s a large flowerpot I never put fresh soil in. All it grew was weeds. I need to empty it and put it away before winter settles in. (Along with the pots that treated me to multi-colored displays all summer.)

I never got my front steps repainted. A summer job that was delayed by rain too many times. If the weather holds off for a few days, I might get that chore accomplished. There is new weatherstripping to be installed, too.

But does the season hold anything special for me?

Just the expected autumn stuff. The never-ending hills covered in glorious shades of color. Cooler days, relieving the heat of summer. Cooler nights, bringing the comfort of thicker blankets and cuddly coats. I’ve always loved the season, even if it isn’t my favorite.

Oh, and I guess it’s worth mentioning—the season holds my birthday. And the anniversary of my husband and I first meeting. Important dates for me!

How about the other authors on this hop? What does the season hold? Find out by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

 

September 28, 2026

Outside the usual autumn stuff, what else does the season hold for you annually?

 

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In The Arms Of Literature #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

September 21, 2026

What section of the library would we find you hanging out in?

When I was in high school, following after-school activities, I’d often head to the local library to wait for a ride home.

I didn’t have a car, there were no buses, and I lived too far out in the country to walk home. So, I’d head to the library and amuse myself there until my father got done with work and could take me home. Besides, it was back in the day that if you wanted to do research for school assignments, you’d have to visit the library. Google and the internet didn’t exist. Card  catalogs and microfiche did.

And a great periodicals section.  Newspapers, weekly news magazines, monthly magazines of all types. Padded chairs  that were comfortable to sit in for long stretches. It was tucked away in a back corner of the main floor, away from the main traffic flow. Lit by the sun on good days and lights that were easy on the eyes during bad weather, it was a spot that Id head to if I wasn’t involved in a research project.

 

 

It became the model for the library where Harmony Duprie, my amateur sleuth, spent much of her time. Now, it houses many of my books.

These days, periodicals are a pale shadow of what they used to be. Everything is on line now, and available at your fingertips. (As long as your wallet can tolerate the price.

Sadly, I didn’t find a similar home in the library near my current home.

When I inquired about volunteer opportunities, I was turned down. The person I spoke with said they didn’t need any. As I result, I’ve never spent a lot of time there.

So, what section of the library would I spend time in?

I’ve always enjoyed reading biographies, but haven’t read one recently. (except one I read as research for a potential project.) Got out of the habit, I guess. So, given an unknown library, that’s where I’d set up camp. If I got lucky, I’d find one with a chair nearby. Or, you might find me in fiction, specifically in the mystery section, if there is one. Truth is, you might find me in any section of the library, except in children’s books. (Story time: I worked as the children’s librarian in a small library for about a year. I’ve spent lots of time in children’s books.)

Truth is, I don’t want to be restricted to any one part of the library. If you want to find me there, you might need to check out the whole library. I could be anywhere.

How about our other authors? Which part of the library would we find them in? Find out by checking out their blog posts this wee. You can find those by following the links below.

In the meantime, I hope you stay safe until the next time.

September 21, 2026

What section of the library would we find you hanging out in?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Do You Hear What I Hear? #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

 

September 14, 2026

Setting music aside, describe some of your favorite sounds.

We could debate all week which genre of music is the best

But the lady who developed the prompt wisely excluded that discussion. So, what are my favorite sounds?

That’s easy. It came with retirement and my newly discovered interest in bird-watching. We are on several migratory routes, and I spot a variety of birds each spring. Not the same ones each year, but always a thrill to spot a new variety. What comes with that are bird calls.

So, bird calls are my second choice for my favorite sound. It’s fascinating to be outdoors and listen to the various calls and whistles. Have you ever heard the sound of hummingbirds? It’s more than the high-speed of the flapping of their wings. Then there are the blue jays, cardinals, wrens, even crows and ravens. I think those are my favorites. It’s challenging to figure out which is which based only on their distant calls.

Sadly, I’ve started to lose my hearing. Well, start is a inadequate description. I injured my ear in a bicycle accident back in the 1970s. Over the years, I’ve lost small portions of the upper and lower ranges of sound in that ear. As I get older, the loss is accelerated. (But the hearing in the other ear  is still hanging in there.)

But that’s not my favorite sound.

The one thing I like to hear more than anything is the words “I love you,” when spoken by my husband. After fifty-plus years, it still makes my heart flutter. Call it sappy, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

What do the other authors in this hop like to hear? Find out by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time. (Which should be soon, because I should have a cover design soon and I’m in the final edits of The Donovan files.)

September 14, 2026

Setting music aside, describe some of your favorite sounds.

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

You Put Your Right Foot In #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

September 7, 2026

Do you ever act out your scenes to immerse yourself and test them out, to be sure they really work?

I did that.

Once. I was trying to figure out a fight scene. That was over a decade ago, and I can’t remember which book it was for. But I was worried the space I’d chosen for the scene wasn’t big enough for the fight to happen in. (There was a big wooden desk in the way.) In the end, I gave it up. Decided it wouldn’t work.

Not that I’m much of a fighter. But I’ve watched lots of YouTube videos trying to figure out martial arts moves for various characters. Especially for Harmony Duprie. She had a way of getting herself into trouble.

Because I’m afraid my days of being athletic are over. My knees aren’t in prime form anymore. I can’t move the way I envision my characters moving. Except in my mind, of course, where I will walk through each step in a major scene. I don’t know how many aches I’d end up with if I tried rolling from one aisle in a convenience store to another.

Can I be sure they work?

I can’t guarantee it. I can only do what I can do. And hope that the videos I’ve watched and not AI  and can be done in real life.

Do our other authors act out scenes from their stories? You know what to do—follow the links below to find out. 

As always, please stay safe until next time.

Goal update – remember those? My story has come back from my 2nd editor. I need to set a new goal – for getting this through formatting and to a printer.

“Annie held the Bible over her head, unwrapped and opened to show off the discs before placing it on the ground. Awkwardly, she gathered the child into her arms and stood. It was harder than she’d anticipated, and she stumbled on her way back to her end of the alley. When she heard footsteps behind her, she didn’t turn to look, assuming Shorty was retrieving his prize.”

September 7, 2026 Do you ever act out your scenes to immerse yourself and test them out, to be sure they really work? Rules: 1. Link your blog to this hop. 2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop. 3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants' blogs. 4. Tweet/or share each person's blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting. 5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

September 7, 2026

Do you ever act out your scenes to immerse yourself and test them out, to be sure they really work?