A Contemplative Life

From left clockwise: a fun diagonal quilt, my granddaugther's EPP classic, seedlings and an EPP hexie. Wow, it's nearly the end of the year, how did that occur? Days tick past, weeks turning into months and suddenly it's time for new calendars, new quilts, new books.... I've been reading through The Earthen Chronicles Book 1 for a few days, starting to feel the sequel forming in my head, a great sensation. You can enjoy the first chapter of that tale at the end of my latest release, That Which Can Be Remembered , now available at major online retailers. Just a little plug for that novel, as well as reminding anyone wishing to get a copy for free of its predecessor Gracious Mysteries to head over to Smashwords , where GM is on sale for two more days during Smashwords' End of Year Sale. However, I am strongly considering making a box set of that series, and all three books would be priced for free. I need a new cover for that publication, we'll see how that co...

My latest novel! Having returned home late yesterday, I gave brief consideration to releasing my newest book last night. However Future Me insisted I first get some decent sleep, and thankfully I listened. But on this beautifully sunny (and chilly) day, may I present the final installment in my latest series , the aptly titled That Which Can Be Remembered . Available on Smashwords , and soon enough on other fine online retailers, TWCBR concludes what began as a road trip for Brynn Dahl and her family to find one thought lost to a menacing plague. Along the way they reunite with old friends, then are led to a faraway ranch whereupon dwells a figure from Brynn's past who carries no memories of their life together. I don't recall from where this plot originated, but all these characters are dear to my heart, snippets of Brynn's Vodali language having made their way into my lexicon. Especially in conjunction with my clan's current travails, ohmah polise seems inescapable; ...

The innards of a Christmas coaster; not sure if I will get around to adding a border, as well as the rest of the quilt sandwich, before the end of this year. I'm powering through the LAST revision of That Which Can Be Remembered , its probable release slated for the fifteenth of this month. I'm a little dismayed to still find a few typos, sigh. However, better to locate them now than later, ahem. A final edit is for my own peace of mind; well that and fixing the previously unnoticed gaffes, lol. I still need to format this document, then decide if I will include the first chapter of my next.... It would definitely be a series, the length of which is wholly unknown. Upon completion of the formatting, I will then decide if a teaser chapter will close TWCBR , something I have never done in any other of my published novels, not even The Hawk , which would have benefited from such a move. Independent publishing permits last-minute alterations; I'm bound by my own personal goals ...

This morning's sunrise approaches, reminding me to embrace where I am right this minute. Despite setting aside one story, others remain, lol. One is definitely a work in progress, although it is completed and has recently been through yet another wringer, which all drafts require. But I am nearing the end of possessing That Which Can Be Remembered ( TWCBR ), both as a series and book. And in reading it now, a few weeks away from its release, I am enjoying the story and the sense of closure, which admittedly is a good feeling, having just jettisoned 20K for the hinterlands. Especially since TWCBR comes from a similar start; I gave up on those characters twice before finally committing to their story, dude! It was painful, aggravating, at times depressing. I so wanted to explore their hurts and triumphs, yet it took a good year before I could reclaim that book. When I did, I wrote like Past Me, pounding out a chapter daily, sometimes more, hehehe. A four-part series was trimmed to ...

Releasing a new book is more than dotting i's and crossing t's . It's the culmination of craft and tech blended into twenty-first century art; writing novels will hopefully remain a timeless manner of expression now enhanced by an author's ability to self-publish. Gracious Mysteries , set in an unnamed world in what could be deemed several decades ago, continues the tale of one woman's search for her beloved and the experiences of others caught in a devastating plague. Yet a long-fought war has tempered these characters, and now finding themselves in a relatively safe place, Brynn Dahl and her family can finally set roots on a vast ranch, although not everyone initially joins them; Brynn's eldest daughter Ronan takes a different path, attempting to find peace after years of abuse. Love emerges between Polly and Mo, as well as Ava and Seti. And for Timral and Nasri, budding affection is threatened when Nasri intervenes as one man attempts to cause harm. A novel ...

  Tomorrow is already today for some on this planet; on the tenth of October my next book goes live, WOO HOO! Yet for some nations it is the tenth, so here's a brief post about Gracious Mysteries , with a small personal notation of how odd this life can be. In the second novel of my That Which Can Be Remembered series, the whereabouts of one man become clear to his family while to those who have known Strivek well, a new background must be accommodated, which is especially hard for Yasbek Timral, who is greatly disturbed by considering her Yunka welder had married a Vodali. Overcoming biases is one theme of this story; another is accepting the Vodali term of ohmah polise , which translates as being grateful for the unknown. As Vodali elder Da Miri says, sometimes knowledge is a dangerous gift. Love abounds within this novel, as do unremitting personal strength and reliance on faith, of which I am clinging to in my own day-to-day; a much beloved family member is battling lymphoma a...

For the eldest grandgirl; attaching one side of the binding, which was then sewn on via my machine. Family is heading our way for the week, so best I write a post now, little time to do so once they arrive. The pattern for the coaster pictured above is courtesy of Jodi Godfrey , from her Cornflower Quilt in the marvelous book The Seedling Quilts . Over the summer when I visited my eldest daughter and family, I took along the little paper pieces, then asked my granddaughters to choose fabrics so I could make them each a block. Those blocks were sewn together once I got home, then floated around the sewing hoo haa that needs to be cleared before family arrives today, ahem. Anyways, I completed these coasters, they are now in the dryer. Very pleased for how they turned out and I hope the grandgirls enjoy using them both here for tea parties and when they again reach home. A finished mug rug for my youngest granddaughter; we're planning on some tea parties this week and they can break...

  I have five chapters left of my next book to read through, then I'll make sure there are no extra spaces at the end of paragraphs. Then I will upload the final version of Gracious Mysteries , which is available as a pre-order from various online retailers. It will be released on the tenth of October, the second novel in my current series That Which Can Be Remembered . I just spent several minutes gathering notes that I cleared off my desk in yesterday's computer swap. Arranging some decorative rocks near my monitor, I wanted to put away scraps related to this collection of stories. If I really wanted to get some cleaning done, I could try to do the same on my sewing table, ahem. But pieces of paper with ideas scribbled in longhand were much easier to sort, stuffing them in a folder, then putting that in a desk drawer. Fabric scraps require more attention; depending on their size and weight on my heart, they would go here or there or way over there. Much simpler to place plot ...

The Possibility of What If , my fifteenth novel, is now available for download! So after plenty of assistance from some awesome folks, I am so pleased and a little proud to announce the release of my latest novel, which introduces a new series to my collection! The Possibility of What If is the first book of That Which Can Be Remembered , and I cannot thank enough my husband who is more than my beloved spouse but also my tech champion when things get dodgy. Self-publishing is such a misnomer, why I prefer the term independent publishing. But before I get off topic, let me share what this fantasy/women's fiction series is all about.... While mourning her husband Thaydon, Vodali refugee Brynn Dahl learns that her Yunka spouse might still be alive. During a widespread plague Brynn and her family take to the road in search of the veteran, meeting up with other Vodalis along the way. Meanwhile Strivek, an amnesiac welder, dwells among other vets on a faraway ranch. The only clue to S...