Hello from Iowa! In the last few months we’ve gone from winter to summer and back, sometimes within a single day. But now we seem to have settled into a beautiful spring, complete with lovely green grass (and pollen), trees in bloom (and pollen), flower gardens coming to life (and pollen)… Are we sensing a theme here?
When I last wrote, I hoped that by this time I’d be able to tell you all about a new book. But some other things have interfered with my writing schedule. I had a wonderful time in March at a brand-new writers’ conference. We had three days at a gorgeous Iowa location, the Honey Creek Resort — located on Lake Rathbun in southeast Iowa. The conference is called Only Books in the Building, and it will be repeated in the spring of 2025. There will be something for everyone — whether you write romance or memoir or creative non-fiction or columns. Readers are welcome as well — come and learn more about how your favorite books come into being!
I’m also very active with my local library. I’m a trustee, president of the library’s foundation, and a member and volunteer with the library friends group — including taking a role in organizing, setting up, running, and cleaning up after our annual book sale. The photo at the head of this post shows just a few of the 113 tables crammed full of books, just before the doors opened. The sale was last weekend, and it was the most successful in more than a decade of sales. The proceeds will help provide the library with programs and activities that we couldn’t otherwise afford.
Sometimes authors take issue with things like library book sales. Because the books are donated, the author doesn’t get another payment even though the book is being read by a second or even a third reader. As for me, I think book sales are a great way for readers to find new authors that they might not otherwise discover. If they like an author’s work, then the odds are they’ll buy other titles as well, and not wait to find them at a sale.
Because of the time commitment to my library roles, however, my new book has been on hold. I’m still hoping to have it out in time for Christmas, and I’ll plan to do a cover and title reveal in the next newsletter.
I did find time this spring for a fun project. Lefties Write is a journal intended mainly for left-handed writers. The left-hand pages are ruled for notes, lists, or thoughts, while the right-hand pages feature inspirational quotes from writers about writing. You can see more about the book here.
In the meantime, work is ongoing to turn the Rent-A-Wife series of contemporary romances, set in Denver, into audio books. The first book, Husband on Demand, has been released. Book two, Bride on Loan, is in progress, and book three, Wife on Approval, should be available by fall.
And while I’m writing that new Regency romance, I’m also keeping up — barely — with a weekly Substack column called The Snarky Editor, where I comment on the awkward and sometimes hilarious errors found in published books. Your response to the original Snark, which was a series of blog posts here on my website, led to reaching out to a larger audience. If you haven’t yet signed up for the Substack version of The Snarky Editor, here’s a link where you can join and get the column by email each Monday morning. With almost 50 posts behind me, I’m thinking of turning The Snarky Editor into a book as well. What do you think? Let me know through the Contact Me form on the website!