Like those writers who have also abandoned their blogs for a number of weeks, I must apologize for disappointing those of you who read it and find it interesting. I have not held up my end of the deal, but now things have changed in my life, and I’m looking forward to the future and to reinstating my weekly blogs.

Part of my enthusiasm comes from having sent the seventh in my Eve Appel Mysteries to my publisher. It is entitled Nearly Departed. Here’s a teaser for the book:

It begins with the picture of a kitty cat made by a little boy from seeds, beans and dried pasta. Some of the seeds are deadly poison. Is this the final attempt on Angus MacAngus’ life?

I began the book last year at this time. However, medical issues intruded and made it necessary for me to write for only short periods of time. Yet, for this past year, writing has been my salvation because I was unable to engage in my usual activities due to extreme disequilibrium as well as back issues. I’ve finally found help for my condition, so I’m celebrating more than another book. I’m celebrating a return to health after ten long years of struggle.

I signed up for a program called fantasy agent through the Guppies, the unpublished subgroup for Sisters in Crime. I will be critiquing the first 30 pages of a manuscript from an unpublished writer. I am so excited to do this because I like to be able to take what I’ve learned in writing and use it to help other writers as yet to be published. It’s inspiring to see the creative ideas these newbies are generating. It takes courage to present your work for critique, but it’s also the smart way to get a leg up on the writing and publishing industry. Kudos to all of you. I’ve read a bit of the manuscript I’ll be examining and the premise is unusual and exciting.

Spring is firmly here and summer is soon to follow. Our vegetable garden and our flower beds are lush. I’m looking forward to some of the bounty from the garden. Early pick of radishes says they are hot!

Along with warm weather comes the crop of wild strawberries and the chipmunk who dines on them. The berries line one side of our walkway out front, so our male cat likes to sit behind the glass door on the enclosed porch and wait to see his pal, the chipmunk. I was surprised he seemed to remember from last year how the chipmunk came to eat where Marley could watch him, but Marley was out there every morning since we returned here. His patience paid off. The chipper came this morning, and Marley was all aquiver.

My husband is tearing off our old siding, adding insulation and putting on new cedar shingles. It’s a lot of work, and I worry his writing will suffer. He tends to focus on only one thing at a time, but he’s trying this year to keep a balance in his life. And with my improved balance, physically speaking, we may be able to take hikes in our nearby state park. I’m looking forward to it. He will publish his book sometime this summer, and I have a new book in the Big Lake Murder Mysteries which I hope to get out late this summer. And then I begin another Eve Appel book. In the evenings we sit out back by a fire and gaze at our trout stream. Life is good.