The first daffodils are blooming along the edge of the woods, a reminder that (despite the post-2016 chaos in our government) there are still a few things we can rely on. I began planting daffodils thirty-some years ago, putting in as many as I could afford every October. The seasons haven't always been kind--we endured a long drought in the last decade that reduced their numbers. But they're multiplying again, and this spring promises an abundance of bloom. As I write this, I look out of my window and see three deer racing along the creek and out of sight, a squirrel digging busily in the leaf litter, and a fiery red cardinal brightening a branch. The politics in Texas often feel to me like a foreign country. But I love living in this place, especially when the winter back in Illinois (my home state) is as brutal as it's been this past week. If you're in the grip of that polar vortex, please stay where it's warm and safe.
Works in progress on the writing/publishing desk. January was a busy, productive month. A Plain Vanilla Murder (China' 27th mystery) is scheduled for June 4, under my imprint, Persevero Press. I approved the print specifications last week, and the cover yesterday. I love it--hope you do, too!
But before Vanilla comes along, it looks like Ruby Wilcox will make her first solo appearance, perhaps as early as April 15th, in a book called NoBODY. This is a novella (half the length of the usual mystery), the first in a trilogy, ebook-only, Kindle-only. The titles and pub dates: NoBODY, April 15; SomeBODY Else, July 15; and Out of BODY, September 15.
This project is ebook-only because a novella is impossible to publish in the usual print format: the price would have to be the same as a full-length book, and you wouldn't like that, now, would you? I've chosen Kindle-only because Kindle offers advertising boosts that the trilogy wouldn't get on the other platforms. All of this is entirely experimental; if it doesn't work, I won't repeat it. If it does . . . well, I already have some ideas (and a character I really like) for another short novella series. I'm grateful to be working in an era when an author can experiment with length, genre, and format. It's a learning experience and fun for me. Hope you'll find it interesting.
Also in the works now: another China mystery, Hemlock, for June 2020. This one is built around A Curious Herbal, by Elizabeth Blackwell. The link goes to a digital display of a copy of the book held by the British Library and it may take a few minutes to load. Glance through it and read the description of the book, and you'll see why China and I are excited to be writing about it.
Goodreads Giveaway! We're giving away 13 print copies of The Darling Dahlias and the Poinsettia Puzzle. Your chance is as good as anybody else's--but you can't win if you don't enter, so give it a try.
My LifeLines writing workshop. I've retired from book travel, but I'm still teaching occasionally. This year, I'll be doing one women-only weekend writing workshop for Story Circle, March 29-31, at a lovely inn in the little town of Fredericksburg, TX. We'll be a fairly small group, working intensively Friday night through Sunday. You can read about it here. If you're interested, better register now--it's filling up. A bonus: we've had plenty of rain this fall, so this will be a banner spring for Hill Country wildflowers.
Sadly, we lost one of America's finest poets last month. Mary Oliver has been a voice for many of us, and my shelves are full of her books.
Reading note.
Praying
It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.
― Mary Oliver, from Thirst
