I hope this week finds you prepared for whatever holidays you celebrate this time of year! We are on the Christmas track of things, but our family has also established a tradition of having latkes — often on Christmas morning itself. We grew to love them from friends who are Jewish (especially during my husband’s years of working at the Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield, MI). My family loves them served with bacon, so it is far from kosher, but I think that’s what happens in a place like America. Traditions meld and form into something new. I’m all about any celebration that involves presents and food and family!

My husband goes a little “Clark Griswold” this time of year, but it looks mighty pretty from the highway as travelers drive by.

As a holiday special, I have set all three of my Cats in the Mirror books for sale on kindle for only 99 cents each. That’s all three for less than the normal price of one book! If you still need gifts for the last few nights of Hanukkah or are looking for some Christmas gifts, I hope these fit the bill for you. The 99 cents special runs from December 20th – 26th, so if someone gets a kindle for Christmas you know what to stock it with right away. Click here to find all of my books on kindle at amazon.com.  

Alien rescue cats for only 99 cents each. You can’t beat that!

My writing work was sidelined a bit this month because I have taken on a new position as a proofreader for Pen-L Publishing. I’ve gotten to know Duke and Kimberly Pennell quite well over the last few months. They are putting out my adult book, “At the Corner of Magnetic and Main,” in September. I have done freelance proofreading for a while now, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team at Pen-L that helps authors put out the most beautiful and fantastic books possible. My first project for them was a mob hit mystery type book called “Copperhead Cove.” It was a bit of a rush job to get it all tucked in before the holidays, so I proofed 85,000+ words in three days. Whew. I’m grateful I enjoyed the story! And the cover is perfect too. I’m sure I’ll toot more about it when release time comes.

Staying focused, I was also able to get “Max’s Wild Night” completed and off to the beta readers before the holidays, like I had planned. My husband has already had his say and made some good notes (which he says I fixed perfectly). This is the stage where I take another break from the book and let it rest for a bit while others have their chance to add their two cents. I’m really happy with how the story evolved and look forward to sharing it with you on May 1, 2015!

Max is very excited that he is finally getting a book of his own! He wants to be more than just The Big Black Beast.

In January and February, this blog is going to take a bit of a turn and focus on sharing what I have learned in the last three years of my self-publishing journey. There are hundreds of books on the subject. This will not be like that. It’s going to be only about what I have learned and discovered along the way — failures and successes — in the hopes that it can start some conversation and sharing in the comments sections so we can all get better at this new frontier of publishing. Watch for the first blog on January 5, 2015, and one each week after that. Is there something you want to make sure I cover? Shoot me an email or share your thoughts in the comments section.

What am I currently reading? I just finished “The Story is the Thing” by Amy Hale Auker, and I just loved it. Here’s my amazon.com review (5 stars!), and here’s the link where you can purchase it directly from Pen-L Publishing. Another reviewer used words like “lyrical” and “poignant” and described it as a “love letter.” I totally agree. Highly recommend.

On my bedside table right now is “Washed in the Water” by Nancy Hartney — a collection of Southern stories that won Best Book of the Year from the Ozark Writer’s League. So far, these stories also hit that “poignant” spot. I also just picked up “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson at the library. It is a National Book Award winner, and I keep seeing it on everyone’s lists of best books this year, so I need to know what the fuss is about. I’ll let you know.

I have finally broken down and asked for a kindle for Christmas. My book budget is soooo tight (they know me by sight at the library), and I love all the deals I can get on books that way. My mom always gets me what I ask for, so I have been collecting freebies and fun-looking books to put on it. I can’t wait to start reading it all! I know I will always prefer actual books. I’ve shared my husband’s kindle for the last year (and boy is he grateful I’m getting my own), so I’ve done some reading that way. It’s just not the same, but it is time to step at least one foot into the more digital age.

I hope each of you has a joy-filled end of the year and take time to enjoy all of the little pleasures of the holidays amid all of the chaos it can bring. I know I’m really going to try this year. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Wonderful Winter Solstice, and a Happy New Year to you all!