Are you surprised I’m still around? I’ve been pretty busy with research and writing stories. My most recent book is about Surf Dude a Carolina Dog. I follow him on The Adventures of Bill & SurfDude. Surf Dude is a beloved stray dog that found a community in Panacea, Florida that adores him. This sweet pup is a traveling man. Surf Dude is known to cover several counties over a week, but his love of the Florida coast in Panacea…
I MADE THE LEAP. I’M A SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR. In all honesty, I never thought I’d see the light-of-day that I was brave enough to be a self-published author with Amazon. This is a HUGE step for me considering that in 2015, I didn’t even want my husband to read a few sentences that I’d written down on a scrap piece of paper. Now, I’m a self-published author! I had many people ask me why I chose this path when I…
WRITING PROMPTS I just came back from an eight-day writing retreat on St. George Island! Ten women converged in a four-story house. We wrote writing prompts, edited our stories, read our stories out loud, critiqued, praised each other, laughed, cried, and ate. Oh boy, did we eat! Those women can cook! Barefoot strolls on the beach in January? You bet I did! There is so much to share about this retreat. Too much for one blog post. I’ll be sharing…
Hybrid Author The cat’s out of the bag! I’m going to be a hybrid author. What that means is that I will continue to be traditionally published through SYP Publishing as they published my Paisley Series. BUT, I will be self publishing my historical fiction novel about the Salem witch trials. I’ve turned into a hybrid author! So why change? Every author goes through a growing period. I’ve reached that point in my career. I want to be my own…
Christmas Gifts Market Days is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for Christmas Gifts! For over 50 years Market Days has been happening at the Fair Grounds in Tallahassee, Florida. I started going about seven years ago with two dear friends. We take advantage of the Early Bird Shopping Spree and enjoy two hours of browsing before the doors are open to the public. We have made it a tradition to wear our hats. If we get lost…
Random Facts about Zelle Andrews Just the random facts ma’am, just the random facts. Have you ever read a book, fallen in love with it, and wondered if the author was anything like one of the characters she wrote about? Is she feisty and a survivor like Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon? Maybe, she experienced an awakening of cultural differences and found that she wasn’t all that different, like Mary Rowlandson in Flight of the Sparrow…
This Author is Spreading her Creative Wings A few Saturdays ago, I decided to spread my creative wings. My husband and I decided it was a good day to purchase a new grill. The old grill is resting behind our shed. It was good to our family. It produced tender chicken breasts, juicy burgers, and scrumptious ribs. Hence, the word produced. As in past tense. It was time to retire and let her live out her time in that big grill…
Do you still use bookmarks? I do! I absolutely love bookmarks. Almost as much as books. The best place to acquire free bookmarks are at book events. You’ll meet a plethora of authors distributing their ‘calling cards’ so to speak. I give them freely when people show an interest in my novels, ‘Paisley Memories’ and ‘Dancing with Dandelions’. You can also obtain them at bookstores. When I was a little girl, I made them from anything I could find; a…
Let’s Be Real. You’ll never see my house in Southern Living and Martha Stewart will never take cleaning tips from me. Cleaning the house is not my thing. We all lead busy lives. And unless you have hired a cleaning service, dirty deeds are done dirt cheap. Meaning, you will be cleaning the house. I’m taking two weeks off with my husband due to recent surgery on his foot. I’m at his beck-and-call. At least when he is awake. I’ve…
National High-Five Day Today, April 19, 2018, is National High-Five Day! I’ve always enjoyed giving someone a ‘High-Five’. I guess it goes back to my childhood. It was the cool thing to do. I kissed and high-fived my husband as he walked out the door this morning. Cooper-Clyde couldn’t be left out. Two down many to go! Yes, I’m gong to keep a tally, just for giggles. I’m pretty sure that every knows what this hand gesture means. But, just…