January 31 - My writing life

The computer came back on Tuesday afternoon and was able to get back on schedule. I felt so deprived for the days the machine was missing and the limited internet access frankly was the pits. Hard to imagine how much our lives resolve around a machine. For a writer the computer has been a real savings in time and money. The days of typing the manuscript and making sure you had a carbon since you were typing the script to send out to publishers. Usually you could get away with sending it out twice before you had to retype. There was also white out what fun that was. I graduated to a typewriter that allowed you to make the changes without using the liquid. Finally the computer. The first one I had was an Apple with the large floppy discs and I had to load the writing program every time I sat down to write. The machine only saved chapter by chapter. Does anyone remember the continuous paper and how sometimes the tear was right and sometimes wrong? Those were the days.

This week also found me involved in contests, not enterine but judging for three. Two were relatively easy since there were only a few pages to read. The other required books. I do like judging contests of both kinds. Finding someone who has talent and might become published is a real treat. Also finding a new writer who's prose sings is always fun.

Now to my own writing. I;m moving along on Confrontations and hopefully I'llhave it finished by mid-March. Sure hope so. I do hate endings and I've been living with these characters for about six or seven years. Writing the end to a series will be a great moment. Then I have another series to conclude but it is a quartet of novellas so that's not too bad.

Have been also reading on my Kindle, two chapter members mss and they were both interesting and fun reads. Also have been sorting through my shelves of books and re-reading many. Sometimes I wonder why I kept some books. So the shelves are dwindling once again.

My Writing week - Nov. 29 -- Plus a contest

First, I've decided to hold a contest that will start December first. Those faithful followers of my blog will get first pick and if they don't bite, I'll let other people who sign the post of the day have a chance. I have sixteen paper copies of my books to give away. A different one will be the book of the day. All one has to do is put their name in the hat by leaving a note. The second day I'll announce the winner and then post the next book on the giveaway. The winner can email me and I'll learn where to send the book. Unfortunately because of the shipping costs the books will be given to those United States and Canada winners. Hope you enjoy.

Now to the second news. I've joined a group giving away kindle editions to our men serving in the military, I believe on foreign soil. More about this when I hear more.

Now to the writing. I'm continuing with Confrontations and hope to see the end to this in the next two months. Hard book to write since there are a lot of loose ends to be tied up from the previous three books. At times I feel as if I'm in a time warp that won't release me. There are two stories chaffing in my head waiting to be told. I've been putting a bit about them on paper so I don't lose what the characters want to say.

My Writing Life Nov. 8

To sum it up, last week was a great one. Heard that the entire collection of Katherine Miller mysteries will be available soon. Murder and Mint Tea and Requiem Murder are already available in electronic form and will be in print soon. The Midas Murders went live on Friday and The Hudson House Murders will soon be there. Both will be in print before long. This series is close to my heart since the stories began when I had the desire to kill my neighbor. The heroine is me, except that she was once a church organist and she is a terrific cook and plays bridge. None of these things are among my talents, though I am good with making cookies and cakes and sometimes pies.

What really makes me feel great is that this now makes five books released since the end of July. More promotion is needed so I keep plugging at these things. One of these days I'll get on track with that.

Another thing is that we may have a solution to the roadblocked Haverstraw Alliance thing. What started out as a good venue for our books turned into nothing. There are ways this can be done but someone there missed the ball. Will see what happens on this Wednesday.

Am almost to the two fifths point on Confrontations and it looks as though the book will end up somewhere between 70,000 words and 90,000 words. Thus it's taking longer than I wanted. The next project is ready to go but I have a philosophy that works for me. I do not even let a publisher know that I have a book for them until the book is finished to my satisfaction. Twice I have been blocked by someone knowing what I was writing before I wrote it and both times I couldn't work on the book. Somedays I envy people who have books sold before they write them. Most days I don't/