Put out the Fire! The Fat Man is coming down the chimney!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. The holidays are in full swing and the countdown to the coming year is on.

Since this is mostly likely my last newsletter in 2024, I’m offering something a little different. If you have read any of my previous rantings, it’s hard not to miss what is going on in the mind of this creative and often neurotic author.

But today I’m just sharing some of my favorites things, things that make me happy.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens . . .  you probably know the song, and the movie. Julie Andrews, who played the role of Maria in the SOUND OF MUSIC, sung like an angel of her favorite things that kept her heart warm, even on a cold winter day. 

                               So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite things:

* I wouldn’t be a very good grandmother if this list didn’t start with spending time with my six beautiful  grandchildren. Yes. Six. I am blessed.

* Classic childhood stories like Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Hobbit, Little Women, and Johnathan Livingston Seagull still warm my heart today.

* Seaside art galleries, classical symphonies, live theater performances, Scottish dancers, John Lennon, and sappy movies that make me cry.

* Dragons, pixies, faeries, and mermaids, and any stories about them.

* Leo and Frankie – the feral cats that have made my home their home.

* Classic childhood stories like Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Hobbit, Little Women, and Johnathan Livingston Seagull.   

* Seaside art galleries, classical symphonies, live theater performances, Scottish dancers, John Lennon, and sappy movies that make me cry.

* Dragons, pixies, faeries, and mermaids, and any stories about them.

* My dream trip to Scotland in 2019 with my friend and editor, Sara.

* Pilates, yoga, and dance, making my muscles ache in a good way.

* t makes me snort and my sides ache!

Gardening, digging in the dirt, and being with Mother Nature.

* A foot massage, a back massage, anything massaged!

* A brisk walk on a chilly day with a good friend.

* A full belly laugh that makes me snort and my sides ache!

* And my top favorite as an author: hearing from a reader who loves the books in the MARK OF THE FAERIE series! That has me doing a Dance of Joy!

           Some favorite books I have read this year:

• Wicked by Gregory Maguire
• The White Witches Daughter by JC Wade
• The House of the Four Winds by Lackey & Mallory
• TheLittle Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
• And the series of books which feeds my creative inner child: A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Falling Up, all written by the great Shel Silverstein!

There are so many great books on my to-be-read list, and I’m slowly getting to them as time allows.

Getting swept away in a compelling story to the point you miss the characters when you reach ‘The End’ – now that’s a book destined to become a favorite.

One last thing: If you are familiar at all with journalism, you might recognize the acronym HARO: Help A Reporter Out. How about a new acronym: HAAO – Help An AUTHOR Out.
And how does one help an author? Good question.

1) Buy her book!
2) Leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, your FB or Instagram feed, and be sure to let the author know!
3) Tell everyone about the outstanding book you just read!

And to those readers who have been asking when will book five be available.
The manuscript for book five, DAUGHTER OF EUPHORIA, is currently going through some final fine-tuning, and she still needs to go through the fire of editing. My goal is to have book five released into the wild by 2026. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!