Category Archives: Real Life

Print books are dead!

Posted in Books, Family, Opinion, Polls, Reader, Writing by

“Print books are dead, Mom,” said my son in a recent phone conversation. Lest you think this mother raised a fool, Daniel is Dr. Lewis, with a PhD in English, and teaches that at college level. He loves books. He begged me to teach him to read at the age of three.

Daniel and his wife, Sarah, in Ireland.

But he’s also a member of the first generation to be raised with video games, which led to personal computers, CDs, DVDs, cell phones, DVRs, and eReaders . He’s fully ensconced in the digital age. As my son says, “Digital is faster, easier, and cheaper.” I can’t argue with that. I have a Kindle and I read a lot of books on it.

That’s not to say I don’t still love the feel of a “real” book in my hands. And I confess that print books still seem more substantial to me. More important. As I said in a previous post, once again I’m dependent on public library borrows for most of my books, and though they have access to some eBooks through Overdrive, most of the books I’m looking for are not among them.

So print books are still very much a part of my life. But are they a part of yours? Will print books be less important to the current generation of children and mere old-fashioned curiosities to the next? What form do you favor now?

I’ve taken a poll on this topic twice before, so let’s update again. If you’re reading this through email or a blog reader and don’t see the poll, PLEASE click through to vote.

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This is my last blog post!

Posted in Musings, Real Life by

kat_dream

This is NOT my last blog post! Forget reading it; you’ll only get confused. SORRY about that.

Back when I used to have fun blogging, that’s the kind of catchy blog post titles I wrote. I miss that fun. Once before, I questioned why I’d begun watching only drama on TV. I don’t know why I keep getting so serious that I forget to have fun.

The “old-timers” here might remember weekend blog parties where the silliest of silliness ensued. Maybe that was because we were all still dreaming of being published. We hadn’t yet been sobered by reality—or I hadn’t, at least. Sometimes reality sucks, and the only thing that keeps you going is the dream of what could be.

I feel younger, more alive, when I have a dream. So … I need a new one. Or maybe a return to an old dream. In a way, I guess this will be my last post. My last without a dream. My last without an awareness of the joy that can bring to life.

Talk to me: What’s a dream that brings you joy?

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ETA: Apparently my post is being misread. Sorry for the confusion. I am NOT taking a break from blogging. The blog title was a tease. And I only said this was my last post IN ONE SENSE.

Still not writing, but that’s all right!

Posted in Real Life, Writing by

I don’t know which is worse, having no story idea at all or having too many to choose from. I can’t decide which of three ideas to develop, so for now I’m not writing. I’m all right with that. I’m reading and catching up on some episodes of Mad Men, Revolution, Person of Interest, and Rectify—my new favorite.

That’s not to say I’m not thinking about writing. At least once a day I decide which book to work on, but before long I’m undecided again. I’d say that’s a clue to wait. Maybe I’ll write a new short story or two. Maybe I’ll take another look at that first novel I wrote. Or birth a poem.

maggieWe have a new puppy in our house to occupy me too. She’s a miniature schnauzer named Maggie. My husband and I have talked on and off about getting another dog since our springer spaniel, Lizzie, died. But coincidences surrounded the arrival of this dog in our lives.

First, I dreamed about my father and then, in that half-waking state afterward, I thought of the white puppy he told me he had in his childhood. Two days later, my husband happened to see a classified ad by a woman needing to sell her white puppy. She was asking $350—my husband offered her $50. She gasped and turned him down, of course, but he asked her to keep our phone number, just in case.

The woman said she got several calls and checked out a couple of prospects, but didn’t like them for one reason or another. She called us back and asked if we’d like to meet Maggie. So we did and found her perfect for us. On the way home, I realized I was hazy on the date our Lizzie died. For some reason, I always remember it as being in April, so I got out the vet records. What I discovered is that we adopted Maggie exactly four years after we lost Lizzie. Coincidences, yes. Still …

Anyway, that’s the state of my life as we head into mid-May—can you believe almost half the year is gone already? So yeah. I’m not writing, but who knows what tomorrow will bring? Maybe I’ll start work on the best novel of my life—the best so far, at least. What’s up with you?

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While I was away

Posted in Family, Real Life, Travel by

Thank you all for visiting my blog last week while Christa was in charge. I was mostly unavailable because my mother and youngest sister were visiting from Indiana. And now I’m sick, so today I’ll just share with you some photos I took while we showed them some of the glories of living in California. Enjoy.

Our first stop was Monterrey Bay, where we watched the sea lions, gulls, and boats before we ate lunch.

Pride of Madeira at Old Fisherman's Wharf.

Pride of Madeira (echium candicans) at Old Fisherman’s Wharf.

One of the whale watching cruise boats.

One of the whale watching cruise boats.

Next we drove down to Carmel, where I plan to move just as soon as I win the lottery. :-) The April sun was warm, the wind chilly, but the sand was light and fine as sugar.

Carmel River State Beach

Carmel River State Beach

We ended our coastal experience at Pacific Grove. The wind was even stronger and colder here, but the view was fabulous. I really need to live by the ocean, people.

Lover's Point

Lover’s Point

Another day we went to Yosemite National Park. My mother had been there before when my father was still alive, but she only vaguely remembered that.

San Joaquin Valley

Starting the drive up. A San Joaquin Valley view, north of my town.

Three ladies about to slide into the valley at Oakhurst!

Three ladies about to slide into the valley below Oakhurst!

Yosemite Valley

The majestic Yosemite Valley

Next we viewed Bridalveil Falls. First from a distance and then up close where the wind blew the falls into their full veilness.

Bridalveil Falls from a distance.

Bridalveil Falls from a distance.

Bridalveil Falls up close.

Try keeping dry when the wind billows the “tulle” as you stand at the bottom.

South Fork Merced River

South Fork Merced River

We ended our visit to Yosemite with a picnic beside this river. It was warm and sunny and perfect. In the same week, I spent time at my two favorite places: the mountains and the ocean. I’m not a hiker, swimmer or surfer, I prefer just to sit quietly and commune with nature. There wasn’t much time to do that on these trips, but maybe someday soon. At least we had homemade chocolate chip cookies—with pecans!

A quick lunch on the way to the airport.

A quick lunch on the way to the airport.

Too soon the visit was over. My mother is 89-years-old and I doubt she’ll make another trip out here, so I’m happy we had this opportunity to take her to some beautiful places. Plus, she loved the cookies. :-)

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Big news week!

Posted in My Books, Reading, Real Life, Writing by

My author activity this past week was about as opposite of my usual as possible. First I announced the publication of my new novel An Illusion of Trust in ebook and then in print. I also announced a two-day giveaway of The Brevity of Roses ebook. So my first full week of not writing still had a lot of writing-related activity.

I also made the pair of earrings pictured, went to a concert, brushed up on my knitting skill, and read two books that have been on my Kindle forever. Maybe this week I’ll get to some of that much-needed blue_earhousework. And I need to weed the flower beds. I’ll definitely continue my reading spurt. And if I could get some drawing done this month, it would be a perfect hiatus.

Speaking of reading, if you’re a member of Goodreads, I’m sure you received notice that it’s “joined the Amazon family.” The social media world went crazy with that news. I’ve read a lot of pros and cons on this now, but I don’t understand the merger implications enough to take sides. Though, since my books are sold at Amazon and I own a Kindle, I think whatever changes might occur at Goodreads will be in my favor.

Since I’m not writing, but can’t help thinking about writing, I’ve been asking myself why I want to write and then why I want to write specific stories and ultimately why I want to publish what I write. I know the simple answers to those questions, but I’m hoping to reach a deeper level of understanding. If I succeed, I’ll share my reasons in a future post.

elle

Life between books is …

Posted in My Books, Real Life, Writing by

My husband saw my Facebook status saying I would take a month off before starting work on my next novel, so I guess I have to keep that vow. I do have many other things needing my attention—like housework. Yeah. Ugh. But menial tasks leave your mind free to wander, and wander mine will to what I’ll write next.

window_viewIf you followed this blog last year, you might remember that I changed my mind a few times on which project would be my next book. I think I’ll keep quiet on that front this time until I’m absolutely, positively sure. After all, I have a reputation to protect. Or are crazy writers the hot new thing to be?

Of course, since I’ve rejoined a small critique group, I’ll have some writing involvement in the next month. In particular, I’ll be seeking feedback on some short stories already written. And I’ll be reading some books that have gathered dust in my TBR pile.

Life between books is strange. It’s disconcerting when I wake up and realize I have no book to work on that day. But clean windows are nice too. Maybe I’ll see something through them to inspire a great story.

Your turn: What’s ahead for you this next month?

elle