I made a mistake when crediting the author of “The Wrong Girl”–the book was written by Hank Phillippi Ryan, not Ms. French. I have another of her novels on my iPod, hence the confusion. Writing a book is hard work, obviously, and the writer generally sweats blood–a little or a lot, depending–during the creative process. Mr. Ryan, my sincere apologies. (Maybe you’ll feel better when I say the story was action-packed, well-written, and completely engaging. 🙂 I truly cared about the characters; especially Jake and Janie. Oh, and the stray kitten was a nice touch, too.)
I’m off to California tomorrow, and I plan on taking my laptop along, so I can blog and perhaps get some writing done. (I can’t help it, I’m basically an optimist.) There will be wine, friends, fun and good food, not to mention my first tour of an actual winery and a chance to explore the countryside a little. Who knows? Maybe I’ll write a book about a cowboy–or cowgirl–who rides herd over a vineyard. 🙂 It would definitely be different.
Tuesday is the day all the new audiobooks come out on iTunes, so I delete what I’ve already listened to to make space, and then I go straight to the “New This Week” page and reload. 🙂 I think I downloaded something like ten books this week–so that might do me for a while. Have I mentioned that I think recorded books are the best thing since velcro?
I was right in predicting that I wouldn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night–I had to find out how “The Wrong Girl” ended, who-done-it, etc. 🙂 Most of my listening, and reading as well, is nonfiction, but I’ve been on a kick for novels lately. If they have a ghost or ghosts woven into the plot, so much the better. (This one doesn’t, but I enjoyed it enormously anyhow.)
Fall is definitely here. There was ice on Bernice and the kitties’ outside water dish this morning. The pasture has been tilled and layered with manure, and “we” (as in Doug, Larry and Jeremy) will plant grass before the snow comes, if we can find the seed, or in the spring. The painted ponies are going to LOVE all that green stuff to munch on, and I’ll save a small fortune on grass hay, at least in the summertime, in the bargain. They sure love to wander their ten acres and graze, and they’re still raiding the pumpkin patch–not for pumpkins, but for the last of this year’s grass.
Lots of artist trading cards in the works–I guess this is a fixation I’m not going to get over. I tend to lose interest in most hobbies after a while, but this one stuck. I love making the things, and trading them. This week, in fact, I received a terrific card from a swapping friend in Texas–an expertly rendered watercolor of a very unusual subject, for this kind of swap: a mug-shot! I mean, it’s GREAT. There is so much talent out there, and I think one of the best things about the internet is the way it allows regular artists (as in, people who aren’t Picasso) to show their work. I’ve become a Pinterest addict, and some of the work posted by artists is absolutely mind-blowing. I also find it very inspiring.
Speaking of inspiring, I can’t close without a mention of my fellow Daily Audio Bible follower, Blind Tony. He writes the most wonderful poetry, spiritual stuff of course, and reads it on the call-in line. His voice is wonderfully gentle and resonant, and my ears always perk up when I hear the words, “This is Blind Tony–“. The man has developed quite a following and, after many requests, he’s recorded some of his moving, faith-filled poems on CD. Naturally, I ordered one.
That about sums it up for today, my friends.
Be well, be brave, and be kind.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
