Birthdays and Edits

The twins turn two today. Here they are checking out Oscar or maybe Oscar is checking them out. I'd put a picture of them both looking at me but last time they were here I couldn't get them to stand still beside one another. Standing still is not their favorite thing. But they do like the dogs - as long as there is a window in between.

~~

It doesn't seem possible that they are already two years old, but then when I think about the books I've written since then, guess it has been all twenty-four months. The summer they were born I was rushing to get down the first draft of The Believer. And now the third Shaker book, The Seeker, is out there on store shelves with the fourth Shaker book, The Blessed, going through the necessary steps to get it ready for readers. Got to get a cover designed and do some editing to make sure the story reads the best it can. That story is a lot different from the other Shaker books, but I like to come up with different type characters and then figure out how associating with the Shakers is going to affect their lives. And how they are going to fall in love in a society that doesn't believe in romantic love and who they are going to fall in love with in spite of those no romance rules.

~~

I just got a list of reviews from The Seeker's blog tour. I won't have time to check out all the reviews until I'm finished with editing Angel Sister. But when I looked at the list I thought it would be nice if the good reviews were listed in blue and the not so good reviews in orange or something so I'd know which ones to read if I needed an ego boost. You may not think so, but writers are pretty needy when it comes to needing ego boosts. We want everybody to love our stories. Everybody! And of course that rarely happens. Even if it happens for one book, say a bestseller that is universally critically acclaimed, then I've noticed that the next book out by that author sometimes has a rough review trip. But the majority of reviews that I've seen for The Seeker have been positive. That's enough of an ego boost for me.

~~

Meanwhile, I'm editing Angel Sister. Not a Shaker novel, but a historical family drama set in the 1930s. I love this story and want to make it one that readers will love too, so I'm listening to my line editor's comments. I'm working to smooth out the rough places she's noted and make the whole book smooth sailing for the reader. So now back to work with my sandpaper smoothing red ink pen before I have to go back to stay with my mom. She's getting stronger, but the memory problems persist. Not all the time, but too much of the time for her happiness.

~~

Hope you have a good week with plenty of cool air flowing past you. It's hot here in Kentucky. Real hot. They say we may break the record set back in 1911 today. Some records shouldn't be broken. I took a walk this morning and almost melted. I took the shady path walk so the dogs wouldn't have heat stroke.

~~

Remember to send me an e-mail or leave a comment if you want to be in my book giveaway this month. You can check out the details on my website's event page.

Butterflies and Blog Tours

Butterflies and Blog Tours.
~~

Sort of an odd combination, but then in another way it fits. First let's talk butterflies. There seem to be more of them out here on the farm this year. Maybe all the nice rain and warm, very warm temperatures have been good for the butterfly population. Don't you feel as if the Lord has sent down a blessing to you every time you see one of these beautiful creatures? I just got back from a walk where I saw dozens of them in all sizes and colors. I didn't have my camera with me so this beautiful butterfly shot was from a free photo site and credited to pdphoto.org. I've taken a lot of butterfly pictures, but none of them were loaded on this computer. I think one of my butterfly shots is over on my webpage. But butterflies are spirit lifters. Plus they flit about first here and there. And as I said, each species has its unique color scheme and size.
~~
You know what? So do bloggers. They can be spirit lifters. They, the subjects, can flit first here and there. And each blogger has a unique outlook on life that colors his or her words. I signed up for that Google alert thing where it lets me know when something new is posted on the web about one of my books. So this last week I've been getting quite a few alerts about my book, The Seeker. My book has been on a blog tour, traveling all over while I sit at home and read about what bloggers think about it. If you are one of those people who review books on a blog, you probably can't imagine how hesitant a writer might be to click on your review and see what you said. We care what you say. At least I do. I've met writers who don't read reviews, but I usually do. If it's good, I'm glad. If it's not so good, I just shrug my shoulders and say maybe they'll like one of my other books.


~~
Just for fun, I'll show you a few of the nicest comments.
~~

From the Harrison Family Blog: "The plot moved at a good pace and the characters were great! I also loved how the romance came about - very creative. A thoroughly enjoyable read." (I think it's neat how they have a family blog.)
~~
From Carlybird's Home: "I picked up this book and I was completely enchanted by Charlotte's story. This book had everything I was hoping it would have." (Carly's my new best friend. ;-))
~~
From Jean on A Slice of the Epic: "I thought the history lesson throughout this book is what made it shine. Especially about the Shaker community and their beliefs." (Hope that doesn't make me sound like a history teacher!!)
~~
From Kristie on Moments: "You will be quickly drawn into the story and you will not want to stop until you finish the book!" (That's always a writer's favorite comment. "I didn't want to put your book down.")
~~
There were lots of other comments and reviews. So many that with what's been going on with Mom this week and the edits due for the next Shaker book, The Blessed, I haven't had a chance to read them all or to thank the bloggers/reviewers. But I do appreciate everyone who reads my books. I really do and then I think it's neat when some of the readers take the time to write some comments. Most have been favorable and kind. I once offered a potential book buyer a list of excerpts from reviews about my first Hollyhill book, The Scent of Lilacs. With a smile, she just handed it back without looking at it and said, "You wouldn't put any but the good ones on there." And of course she was right. Not many of us want to shout out the bad remarks about us. We let them worm their way down inside of us where they can gouge and poke us and make us uncomfortable. No, I don't do that either. I just get back to work on that next book. That's what I need to be doing right now. So to the edits and then to stay with Mom.
~~
Thanks for reading and may a beautiful butterfly float in front of you sometime on your journey today.