Wintry, Sunday thoughts…

More White Stuff…

Woke up to another day of snow this morning, as this winter just keeps rolling right along. We can get out if we need—or want—to, so it’s not as though we’re “snowed in.” Today, however, it will just be easier to stay in and not have to navigate the streets and roads in and out of our small town. Living out here in northern Illinois, surrounded by open fields, we get a lot of blowing and drifting. Thus, the roads are often more treacherous than those closer to cities and larger towns and villages.

I don’t have a problem with any of this, by the way. It’s OK to be tucked inside today. After all, I have many long-neglected writing “chores” to attend to, and there’s really no place we have to be today anyway. So I’ll launch Scrivener, knock the cobwebs off my work in progress, and spend a few hours seeing if I can make some headway on the revision/rewrite of a story that just continues to hang on and beg to be finished–for better or worse!

Recently, I have read a couple of very good blog posts by blogging friends that have rekindled my desire to “hit the keyboard” again. There’s nothing quite as nice as reading how others cope with getting their writing jump-started. A special word of thanks goes out to Francis Guenette at her wonderful blog Disappearing in Plain Sight for her inspirational posts.

After spending time writing away the morning and into the afternoon hours, and after this current snowfall abates, I’ll go out and see about clearing the driveway and sidewalk. The current temperature of 25°F isn’t so bad, and the wind is minimal. The fresh air will be good. For now, though, let it snow, and let my fingers find the right words on the keyboard!

A Great Read…

On another topic altogether, I’ve been reading—and enjoying—Bob Drury and Tom Clavin’s book, Valley Forge. I suppose, given our current weather, it’s quite easy to “get into” the overall tone and point of the book about that miserable winter of 1777 George Washington’s Continental Army spent there. But it would be truly unfair to compare anything of what we have to “endure” today with what these people suffered through during our Revolutionary War. Under supplied with food, clothing, ammunition, and shelter, they still managed to hang on and do what was necessary to achieve what they were fighting for–our independence.

The book is very good at illustrating how critically close to the brink of extinction Washington and the whole of the revolutionary forces were. As students and readers of history, we often gloss over the entire picture of the struggles and perils the Continental Army went through. Read this book to re-connect with the overall truth of that moment in our history. And even though I’m warm and snug as I read it now, it doesn’t hurt to have it cold and snowy outside—as a sort of tribute to those hardy souls who persevered–starved and half naked–at Valley Forge.

What’s Ahead…

Other than our seemingly daily battle with the on again-off again snow, we’re at a pretty calm period of the year. It doesn’t look as though an annual late-February trip to Florida is in the offing this year.

I guess I can live with this, given that we had a marvelous January cruise to and thru the

Enjoying the sunshine on the Lido Deck in January

Panama Canal. The memory of those glorious warm days of shorts, short sleeve shirts, and sandals will have to suffice until spring arrives around here in late March/early-April. I had hoped to take in a spring training game or two this winter down there in the Florida sunshine, but I’ll have to plan for that next year.

Time spent right around the old homestead is never a bad thing, and that’s where I’ll be. Happy rest-of-winter to everyone. Until next time, stay warm, all!

 

 

April in the wings, an elusive ending, and Deep Down Dark…

Roused from my work on my novel, I just realized that the blustery month of March is just about finished, which means that the annual guessing game as to what kind of weather we’ll be having around these parts is soon to begin. Will we be able to have morning coffee on the deck before much longer? This is critical, you know!

Yep, the calendar says that it’s officially spring, but we in northern Illinois know better than to put much stock in April’s arrival ushering in warm days full of blooming flowers and trees and lawns magically greening up. Instead, we can be sure that heavy jackets and hats will be necessary at times, which makes it rather difficult to become inspired to get out there and spread the first treatment of weed-n-feed or tend to the cluttered garage. But I’m steeling myself to get my spring tasks completed despite what Mother Nature will throw at us.

But, hark! April is waiting in the wings to give us at least an illusion that we’re through with the brunt of winter’s wrath and that those shorts-and-tee shirt-days are on the way. How soon, though, is the real question. The common saying around here is that the one thing that is predictable about spring weather is that it is quite unpredictable!

Now, I’ve done enough harping about the weather, so I’ll let it go and get back to work on that elusive conclusion to Birchwood’s Secret (originally titled Sandbar’s Secret). I’m resigned to the fact that a massive rewrite is in order for the conclusion to develop. And so it goes…

* * *

My writing struggles aside, I’ve also been reading a very stirring non-fiction book about the thirty-three Chilean miners who were trapped in a copper mine over 2,000 feet below ground in 2010. Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 2014) is one of those books that is good—yet challenging—for a claustrophobic such as I to read. Knowing that the outcome is a good one makes it a bit easier, yet author Héctor Tobar has created a good deal of nerve-racking tension throughout as he brings to light the stories of these unfortunate brave Chilean miners and their families. I recommend that one not read this book prior to going to bed, although it’s hard to put down.

How about you? Is there a book you’ve read that you’ve enjoyed, but yet made you squirm a bit?

That unexpected happening…

Something unexpected happened yesterday, and I’m kind of hoping that the same thing will do so again today. Of course, then it wouldn’t be unexpected. But enough of splitting hairs.

I have been struggling—for longer than I care to even think about—with the novel, Birchwood’s Secret, which I began years ago. It is to be my third book published, and a continuation of the lives of the two main characters, Rick and Karen Brenson, who performed so bravely in Black Wolf Lodge. That one came out in 2010, after many starts and stops along the way.

This current adventure in which Rick and Karen find themselves involved was actually begun long before Black Wolf Lodge. For whatever reasons, I simply wasn’t enthused about working on Birchwood’s Secret and pretty much abandoned it altogether. The rough outlines and ideas remained tucked away in the depths of a manilla folder, in the depths of purgatory in my writing file box. It was then that I plunged into writing Black Wolf, a couple of short stories, “Hobo Willie” and “Pinewood Farm,” and a very fun book titled The Good Luck Highway.

What was I going to work on next? About that time, November rolled around and NaNoWriMo reared its beckoning head and drew me in. And then it hit me that I had a wonderful opportunity to finally do something with all of the notes, scribblings, outlines, etc., still serving out their sentence in the confines of that manilla folder. Thus, the beginnings of my current work in progress began to come together.

At the end of the month, I had accumulated well over the 50,000 word target, but the work itself was scattered, unorganized, and full of problems too numerous to even mention here. Suffice it to say, I was once again ready to re-commit this whole thing to the darkness of the writing file box and some out-of-the-way abyss in a Scrivener Projects folder on my Mac.

But that didn’t happen. I actually went back to the beginning of the novel and began to rework it and attempt to develop it toward some kind of logical and satisfying conclusion. As before, though, that process didn’t go as I’d liked, and the frustration and inability to write much of anything grew and grew.

From the very beginning, I’ve always known what the main premise of the story is all about and who the main characters and the roles they’ll play are. It took me a very long time, however, to know how the thing would end. And that’s when yesterday’s “unexpected happening” happened!

Yesterday, as I try to do on most mornings, I sat down at my Mac and opened my Birchwood’s Secret Scrivener project and re-read what I’d written just a few days before. And for whatever reason, I suddenly knew that a couple of characters needed changed as to their roles in the story, and that another major character (main villain) would have to be worked in.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Realizing this, it became clear in my mind how I could finally build things to the conclusion and outcome that has been eluding me for a long, long time. And I was able to crank out well over two-and-a-half hours worth of writing, the words seeming to flow as they hadn’t in such an extended stretch of time. And, to be honest, it was a wonderful feeling!

Now, as I wrap up this post, I will pour another cup of hot coffee, jump back to dear, old Birchwood’s Secret, and hope that yesterday’s magic shows itself once more.

Sage advice: “Do it right the first time!”

The Good Luck Highway-Now available as a paperback and Kindle Edition and soon-to-be Nook Book

It has been a very busy and productive week since I last took the time away from my endeavors in publishing my new book, The Good Luck Highway, as a paperback, a Kindle Edition, and a Nook Book, to attend to my Blog. And believe me when I say, it’s best to take your time and work carefully through each step of the process.

A wrong click here, an errant upload of the wrong file there, and unnecessary delays to the publishing process are added. In short, in all of our excitement and eagerness to be finished and have our masterpiece live and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, et al, it is imperative that we check and double-check all requirements.

I’m not sure that any of us enjoys re-tracing our steps and having to re-do things–especially since the Review process takes several hours (days)–but it happens. I know from experience this past week!

A wise teacher once told his reckless students that to avoid frustration and failure, they should “do it right the first time.” I was one of those reckless students, and through the years I’ve tried to apply his words of wisdom to most tasks I undertake. Unfortunately, I haven’t always hit the mark, and every now and then I slip up and end up going back to square one. Ouch!

However, one really terrific discovery I made through the whole process was an invaluable resource that truly helped me reach my goal of publishing my book in paperback, Kindle, and ePub formats.

It’s a nice little book by Ed Ditto titled How to Format Your Novel for Kindle, Nook, the iBookstore, Smashwords, and CreateSpace in One Afternoon. Quite a title, but it’s full of excellent step-by-step instructions, suggestions, and other “tips” for getting our Scrivener project compiled correctly.

I don’t know Mr. Ditto, and I’m not getting any payment for this, but I highly recommend  that anyone who is ready to publish–especially first-timers–should check out his book. It will certainly help one and all to “do it right the first time!”…CortlandWriter

Cover via Amazon

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“Roughing it”

“Roughing it” in cottage number 2 in the beautiful campground under the pines, beside a lake, in the A.H. Stephens Historic Park–Crawfordville, Georgia.

(Writing from beautiful Summerville, SC)

In early December when we decided to make a trip to Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, and Waynesville, we realized that Crawfordville, Georgia, home of the A.H. Stephens Historic Park, was kind of on the way to Savannah from Atlanta, and perhaps we could include a visit there. So we made a reservation for a two-night stay in one of the four cottages on the park grounds.

Our modern two-bedroom cottage was fully furnished and very, very comfortable. However, we were without Internet access, but our iPhones functioned well. Carolyn and I were the only folks residing there, and the quiet and dark of night was wonderful.

During the two nights there, we read, watched some of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and I managed to work in Scrivener to compile  my newest book and making some very good progress in getting the thing ready for publication. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can make that happen very soon.

Saturday morning was warm and beautiful, perfect for our tour of Mr. Stephens’ home and museum. The house was very impressive, as was the biographical

Liberty Hall…the home of A.H. Stephens

information presented by a very pleasant and knowledgeable young lady, who was our guide through the house and grounds.

We learned that Alexander Stephens was a very generous and caring man, best known as the Confederacy’s vice-president and Georgia governor. He is also my wife’s second-cousin twice removed, so there was just a bit more of a higher interest level involved here!

After our nice tour there, we asked where a good place to eat might be found. Everyone we asked said that there was only one restaurant–literally–of any kind within several miles. And they weren’t kidding, either!

That place was a rustic place called Heavy’s Barbecue, located about four miles southwest, and only open on weekends. Since this was Saturday, we were in luck. Heavy’s is pretty well known in the area, and it’s one of those classic places where the pork and ribs are delicious, and the surrounding atmosphere is the real thing.

Deer head trophies adorn the walls all around the dining room, as well as other stuffed wildlife in prominent places throughout the small log building. Nothing fancy, but the food was good and plentiful. Had we more time, we probably could have engaged a few of the locals and the waitress for some more tales and local color.

Carolyn about to enter Heavy’s Barbecue, down the road, yonder, from Crawfordville, GA.

As it was, one interesting piece of trivia we learned was that some bar scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama (2002), starring Reese Witherspoon, were filmed here. Outside, among various other “vintage” artifacts, is a sign used in the movie that reads “Stella’s Roadhouse.” Neither of us has seen the movie, but now it’s a must, just to see Heavy’s as it appears.

And so we were up relatively early Sunday morning, had our oatmeal at the cottage, picked the place up, and loaded the car ready to check out and once more hit the road. Of course, our “Welcoming Committee” of the two ducks was there to serve now as the “Send-off Committee” and they somehow managed to coerce another cracker or two from Carolyn before everything was stowed away.

After turning in the key at the park office, I programmed the Garmin and had our course charted to Savannah. Soon, under sun and blue skies, we set sail south and east through some of the most beautiful Georgia countryside, amidst so many towering pines and red clay of gently rolling fields. We’d arrive in Historic Savannah by early afternoon, ready for our next piece of this February adventure….CortlandWriter

One half of the “Send-off Committee”

If it’s February, it must be time to travel…

January (Photo credit: Deadly Tedly)

The end is near…

…Yes, the end of January, that is, and this means that the wife and I are about to embark on our annual February vacation/road trip.

This year, the weather being what it has been, the two of us are most definitely in the mood to load the car and set out for points south.

That is exactly what we plan to do late next Tuesday evening, when we’ll leave our tiny hamlet here in northern Illinois and set sail for Stone Mountain, Georgia, our first stopping point on this year’s adventure. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the recent snow, icy roads, and howling winds will not rear their ugly heads again on the night we want to get out and on the road.

We’ll spend a couple of days in and around the Atlanta area, with plans to visit Margaret Mitchell’s home and The World of Coca-Cola before heading east to the A H. Stephens State Park, named after Alexander H. Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy.

Why this park, you ask? It seems as though Carolyn, my wife, recently discovered, in her many extensive and exhaustive ancestry/genealogical researches, that A.H. Stephens was a second-cousin, twice removed.

That being the case, it will be way more meaningful and fun when we tour the

Liberty Hall in Crawfordville, Georgia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Confederate museum and Liberty Hall, Stephens’s home. We also have reservations for a two-night’s stay in one of the cottages located in the park, and I’m very much looking forward to that.

Then it will be on to Savannah, Georgia, a place we stopped at briefly one time years ago on our way to our home at the time in Titusville, Florida. I recall it being a beautiful, historic spot, and I will enjoy the two days we plan to spend there learning more about the place. And if the weather is as typically moderate and pleasant as I’ve heard, that can’t be all bad, either.

On the road again to Charleston, South Carolina, for a few days and to find out, first-hand, what everyone has forever told us about Charleston being one of their very favorite places to visit and spend time. The historic stuff alone will be well worth the time and money we’re investing in this February’s trip. I’m eagerly awaiting that part of the journey.

And it can’t be a February get-away without spending some time in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina at Carolyn’s brother’s house in Waynesville. We’ll make the relatively short drive there when finished immersing ourselves in all things Charleston. Our weekend with her brother and his wife will be fun and relaxing before we make the drive from there back to northern Illinois.

At each of these wonderful places along the way, I plan to get plenty of writing done in the evenings: updating this blog, working on the current WIP, and sending e-mail. Last year’s February genealogy “field trip” to Athens County, Ohio, Coalwood, West Virginia, and Waynesville, coincided with the start of Gwen Hernandez’s online Scrivener for Mac class. During the course of that trip, I completed several of the first lessons that Gwen would post each day. I found it to be lots of fun working through the lessons in a different location each morning.

Now that February is creeping in (and not a moment too soon!), it’s time to dig the Eddie Bauer bag out of the closet, get the clothes laid out and packed, and begin to get serious about hitting the road. Leaving northern Illinois for a couple of weeks will be just what the two of us need–if the weather “gods” see fit to smile on us!

I’m looking forward to writing about all of this as the miles and days unfold beginning next week. Stay tuned…CortlandWriter

Cortland, IL (Photo credit: moominsean)

NaNoWriMo…Rolling Through Week #1

For the past week, I have been firmly ensconced in this year’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and in my last post I wrote about all of the trials and tribulations that the month of November offers, causing me to claw and scrape to reach my target of 50,000 words by month’s end.

I am happy to report that as of now, I have nearly 21,000 words in the hopper, and I’m having fun firing up the MacBook very early each morning and wondering exactly in which direction my story is going to go.

I love the freedom that NaNoWriMo provides in not having to be concerned with editing and revising. Since I’m a stickler for correcting and editing and revising whenever I see a need in my writing, ignoring the inclination to do so is probably the toughest aspect of the month’s writing challenge for me. But this year, I’m finding it much easier to do so.

I think, too, that this year’s effort is enhanced by that wonderful program known as Scrivener. Not only does it allow me to write in large chunks, and then break them up into smaller chunks as needed, but it is ideal for keeping track of the Word Count for each writing session and the overall count for the entire project. I love writing in Composition Mode, without any other distractions, and having the Project Target indicator showing at the lower left-hand corner of the screen. As I crank out those words, the progress bar grows slowly and steadily, and the word totals click off, higher and higher. It was never this easy or relaxing using Word.

So, unless I hit that proverbial “wall” and simply fail to pound out the rest of the story by the deadline, I am pretty sure that I’m on course to exceed the 50,000 words by the end of the month, even though I will be cramped for regular writing time the last couple of weeks. That’s why I’m making a concerted effort in these first weeks of November to harvest as many words as I can. And, of course, it helps when I have a pretty good idea where I want my story to end up–even though just how it will do so is every day’s adventure!…CortlandWriter

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Draft Complete! Time to edit & revise…

 (Photo credit: rich115)

It’s nearing the end of September and summer is “officially” over with, and I have finally reached the revision stage of my novel, The Bet. Since my last post, which was written soon after we closed up the cottage, put the intrepid pontoon in mothballs for the winter, and moved back into our humble little dwelling here in beautiful northern Illinois, I have managed to bring the first draft of my novel to an end. For better or worse, the thing is “done,” and now rests and awaits some major revising and editing—two things that I’m very much looking forward to.

 

 

I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about techniques and various tips for editing and revising that seem to work for those who have shared them on various blog sites. The one thing that each seems to have in common with all others is that the task of editing and revising is arduous, to say the least, and calls for close and careful reading and examination of each and every word and sentence in order to make the prose read so well that the reader will have no doubt about what is intended.

 

 

Without a doubt, it is paramount to make our characters come to life and behave in ways that are believable, realistic, and memorable. The same is true of settings, plot, and conflicts. Glancing back through my first draft, I’m not too disappointed with my characters and settings, but I do know that plot and conflict elements will need some heavy-duty revision to get my story standing up before it ever sees the light of publication. Even so, I’m confident that I’ve told an interesting story (one that is based on an actual experience I shared way back in the early 70s), and that with some concentrated efforts these next couple of weeks, I will have an even better tale to share with all those eager readers out there!

 

 

The journey of this story to where it sits at this writing began last November with the challenge of NaNoWriMo. During the busy month, I was able to reach my word goal, but the novel itself was far short of being complete. To bring it to completion by summer’s end was my goal, and I have done so. Typing THE END at the bottom of the final page of the final chapter was a refreshing thing—symbolic of so many good feelings of having reached the finish line at the end of the marathon, even though I know darned well that there remain oh, so many holes in the novel that will need that careful and critical revising and editing. But that’s the stage I’m about to step into and move it from dull and blah to something memorable and good (my personal goal).

 

 

At the conclusion of NaNoWriMo, because I reached the magic word count in time, I qualified for a discount on the writing software known as Scrivener. It has made all  the difference in my whole approach to writing now, and all of my writing (this blog included!) is done within Scrivener. It will be another busy journey these next few weeks as revising and editing take center stage, and I am eager to get started now and comforted to know that Scrivener will be right along with me, helping to get the job done.

 

Scrivener (software) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Finding that lost discipline…

Have desk, will write (Photo credit: Bright Meadow)

I’ve been kicking myself lately because I have not been very disciplined in accomplishing my daily writing goals. Yeah, we’ve had some company here at the cottage, and there’s been a distraction here, a distraction there that have offered me convenient “outs” for my writing routine. But what it has come down to is I have simply been un-disciplined during the open time when I could be writing.

 

Our current guests were here for a couple of days at the beginning of the week, and I made a mental note that as soon as they were gone, I’d get back to the necessary “grindstone” and get that novel–The Bet–revised, edited, and ready for publication by the end of August. In fact, I even went as far as to declare that nothing else would take priority over my writing today–nothing! No trips to the laundromat, grocery store, pontoon cruises, Facebook, e-mail, etc. I would dedicate myself to spending time only on my Scrivener project, my novel.

 

And I must say, writing this after a full day’s worth of diligent writing, it was a wonderful–disciplined–day where I accomplished more than I anticipated. And though I probably won’t be able to emulate today’s output every day, I know that it can be done. All in all, I’m confident that my goal to have novel number two published by the end of August will probably be moved up a few weeks earlier. Now that’s a wonderful feeling!

 

I love writing here at the cottage by the lake, especially when I’m the only one here. Much can be accomplished–when there’s the motivation and the discipline. I haven’t thought much about that this summer, but today’s re-focusing on my writing was a good thing. And, of course, it didn’t hurt to have what I call a perfect writing morning be hanging around for most of the early part of the day.

 

Perfect writing morning? The summer rain and thunderstorms have been lurking about for the past few days and nights, and this morning’s dreary atmosphere was absolutely perfect to be shut up inside the cottage, be sitting at the old table, and typing away on the MacBook, writing and revising my novel. If it were possible to capture the whole atmosphere that was here most of the day, I would never have a problem being a disciplined writer….CortlandWriter

 

Macbook relaxation. (Photo credit: mlchetrit)

Shifting my focus

The Victorinox Cybertool. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s that time once again—it happens every year—when my focus shifts from daily routines of tasks around the house and writing regularly each morning to getting ready for another summer at the cottage up in Michigan. And now that we’ve had an uninterrupted string of beautiful warm spring weather, I’m finding it very difficult to stay focused on my writing duties, as much as I need and want to. I have no doubt that I will be able to pick back up once things are settled at the cottage, the pier is in place, the pontoon securely moored, and that first  gray and rainy day comes along.

The winter just passed (finally!) was very productive in the writing skills development department, I must say. For example, February and March were devoted to learning Scrivener, that powerful Swiss Army Knife of writing tools created by the good folks at Literature & Latte! And it all came about rather unexpectedly.

 I had completed a 50,000+ novel in Word during November’s NaNoWriMo event, something I jumped into for the fun of it and to actually be “forced” to have some kind of rough draft of a novel on hand at the end of the month. That was a challenge, though, as the month unwound, with all of the many November “interruptions” (Thanksgiving, guests, travel, etc.). Through it all, though, I exceeded the required word count of 50,000 and was more than pleased with what I’d created. For better or worse, I had something to work with in the months ahead.

It was during the conclusion and word count verification process in NaNoWriMo when I first heard of Scrivener. I learned that, because I was a NaNoWriMo “winner,” I could get the program for half price, about $22, following a 30-day Free Trial period. Being an old guy who has always loved learning how to use technology (I even taught those various things for many years), and since it’s been a while since I’ve really gone beyond the “basics” of Word, I jumped at the opportunity to give Scrivener a try.

It wasn’t long before I had the Free Trial up and running, and I figured the Tutorial that comes with the program would clarify everything I needed to know about using Scrivener. And, I must say, it’s a very good Tutorial, but I wanted more, and that’s where Gwen Hernandez rode in on her white steed and really opened the floodgates to understanding the program.

It wasn’t hard to come upon ads for a book Gwen had written, titled Scrivener for Dummies. Having loved all previous “Dummies” books, I once again jumped—leaped, actually—at the chance to purchase the book that I knew would be a wonderful guide through Scrivener and all its various parts. After all, my just-completed NaNoWriMo novel was resting and waiting for me to take it to the next steps, and my plan was to do so in Scrivener. So there it was, my winter project, something I could look forward to and feel that my growth as a writer would be something to make it all worthwhile.

Right about this time, I also discovered that Gwen offered online classes in Scrivener for Mac, the next one to begin in late February. Perfect! I not only leaped but did a double-back flip at the opportunity to enroll and be part of a “live” class. I don’t have time or space at this writing to list all of the wonderful positives that came from my six weeks spent in working through Gwen’s class. I’m sure there’s a post or two down the road where I will really be able to devote the time and space to extolling the positives that came from the class, her book, and an immersion in Scrivener.

So by the time April rolled around, work continued (it still does) on my novel The Bet. Meanwhile, I jaunted off into the world of publishing to Amazon. A couple of short stories (“Pinewood Farm” and “Hobo Willie”) which have been stowing away with me for a long time, were thrown into Scrivener and made ready for formatting as .mobi eBooks for Kindle. It’s a process that is pretty straightforward and simple—thanks to Scrivener! Long story short, in less than an hour, I had them on Amazon, ready for public consumption. I’ve actually sold a number of copies of those two short stories, something I smile at—appreciatively,

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

that is!

So now, back to my need to step back for a short time. Those cold and gray winter mornings allowed me time and space to get lots accomplished—writing and learning—but now it will be time spent packing, doing outdoor stuff here as needed, and checking into the cottage Memorial Day Weekend. But that’s not cause for concern, since my first book—Black Wolf Lodge—was written over the course of several summers on the wonderful screened front porch of that cottage, an ancient lady who turns 100 this summer. And the beauty of it is, Scrivener will be right there along with me as we watch the lake go by and the summer days grab my focus….CortlandWriter