10/3/16 Swimmingly, that's how things are going

Working on book #7 in the Sam Darling mystery series. Who Dies Next? is making me smile. (Hmm, smiling when talking about murder is weird, I'm sure.) It has some fun new characters in it, some of whom may return later. It starts with something I don't like at all, but I couldn't stop it from happening. My characters definitely have minds of their own, and sometimes it makes me mad. Other times I love it because they sort of write the book. They just use my fingers on the keyboard.

There are some neat surprises in the story, I think. Some surprises for Sam, George, and Clancy. I hope you'll like the story as much as I do.

I've had two recent book signings, one at Quincy University and another at Panera. In both cases, I shared the table with Author Tracey Broemmer. Check her out on FB or at broemmerbooks.com. She writes women's fiction.

There are two more book signings lined up. One in early November at the ShowMeWriters Master Class at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO and the other around Christmas at the Historical Society of Quincy, IL and Adams County at the Quincy Mall. I'm sure looking forward to both of them.

For now, it's back to the work in progress. I'm anxious to find out who, what, when, where, and why!

9/5 Labor Day indeed

Today is indeed Labor Day. I have so much to do and feel like my time is limited. Am going on vacation on Wednesday and will be gone for 10 days. I hope to have some really good writing time in there, but am not sure how it will go.

But, before I go, here are my writing assignments:

1. Proof Triple Trouble Too, the second compilation of Sam's mysteries. This one contains books 4 through 6. For those who've asked, we still don't have Who's the Rogue? in paperback yet, but I'm assured it's on its way.

2. Finish reading a friend's play to give him feedback.

3. Write some more case studies for my class at QU. This class has been harder to organize for the students because the case study book is out of print. Yikes. But the students are handling the chaos well.

4. And finally, I sincerely hope I can actually write more on Who Dies Next? It's #7 in the series. I'm particularly having fun because three of my sibs inspired three of the characters in this book and their interactions with each other make me laugh each time I start writing.

While I'm gone, I need to finish reading a friend's book and write a review for Amazon.

But think on this...can you picture me sitting on the balcony of my cruise ship, writing a book? Yeah, neither can I.

8/22 Took a day off

Took a day off from writing today because I had some appointments this morning (ugh). Then I met with my trainer. After getting beaten up, I came home and had an easy day. But I'm ready to write tomorrow. I'm at a point in the story where things are happening and I'm having a ton of fun being the orchestrator of it.

I've had a few other ideas to add to the story, and that makes it even more fun. Oops, will take a break from this to write those down. I'm forgetful. Okay, I'm back. That was quick, wasn't it?

This book is a little bit different. It still has the same cast of regulars, but it starts with something sad. Then there are some very happy and surprising things that happen. And ultimately, happiness will prevail, I'm sure, because at the root of it all, the author is an optimist.

8/17 Being good...yes, I am

Reached 9400 words today, and I'm content. I could still be writing if I didn't have other jobs. I know I said this yesterday, but it bore repeating. :)

I'm excited about Who Dies Next? because it deals with people confusing good and evil, or evil disguised as good.

Flies are buzzing around me this morning on the patio. I did take a shower this morning, and Gus is clean, so it must be the food crumbs. Plus, since this is a restaurant, they can't use bug spray or anything like that.

Time to move on to my QU job. I only have to metaphorically move though, because the work is on the same computer. Yeah, life is good.

8/16 It's moving along

Up to 8500 words in Who Dies Next? If I didn't have other jobs besides writing I would keep going today. The plot seems to be flowing, and I'm enjoying the ride.

It's only Chapter 6 and I already know who one of the villains is. Yeah, I think there might be two. Or maybe more. They'll let me know as I write.

I so enjoy finding out about who is who as my fingers fly across the keyboard. One of my main flaws is that I'm always going back to fix typos. Common writing wisdom is not to edit as you write the first draft. My problem is that I'm worried I'll forget what the word was really supposed to be. So this slows me down. However, the process seems to be working for me.

This is book 7, but actually 9 when you count the two compilations. Triple Trouble Too is in process and it contains books 4 through 6: Will You Marry Me?; Where Is Henderson?; and Who's the Rogue? It's quite an exciting endeavor to see three of my books in one volume. Plus it will be a bargain!

Okay, off to work on one of my other jobs—teaching at Quincy University. Classes start on Monday and I have a lot of preparing to do. More later.

8/11 Writing woes...

Why in the world do I read my reviews? I saw a fairly negative one recently and it brought me down. Now this was one negative one in the midst of many five-star reviews. I wonder why that one almost negates all the really good ones.

It's because I'm human I guess. I take all my reviews seriously, both good and bad. And sometimes the negative ones have something to teach me. I've actually made changes in the next book based upon something I agreed with in a few-star review.

However, I think some are just mean, and I do my best to ignore them. Or to let them roll off of me without injury.  It's a skill I'm trying to improve on. :)

In the meantime, I do want to encourage readers to keep reviewing, no matter what you have to say. Reviews are like life blood to an independent writer. We thrive on them. The more reviews, the more attention we get from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other sites.

So I'll keep writing, and you keep reviewing. Please.

8/8 Writing is sometimes fun

The last few days I didn't write since I was going over the proof of the paperback of Who's the Rogue? Remember, that's part of the writing profession that doesn't produce new words, but is a necessary evil. Not evil exactly, but certainly not as fun as writing a new story. Anyway, that's now done and sent to my publisher.

Today I got to write, and produced a little more than a thousand words. Who Dies Next? (hereafter known as WDN?) now stands at 6,685 words. And I'll do more than a thousand tomorrow. I definitely want to get in the writing groove, so that it's an automatic thing to sit down each morning and write.

It's not that I don't enjoy writing, I really do. It's just that other things get in my way. Today Gus and I are volunteering at an Alzheimer's Unit and then I meet with my trainer. If I waited until after that to write, my brain would be mush already. So I do it in the morning. From 8 to about 10:30 (Central Time) I do my marketing, FaceBook, Twitter, blog, and writing. It works perfectly for me.

Then I have my other part-time jobs to do. Right now, I'm preparing for the university classes to start. I have a lot of work to do to make that happen. I only teach one class at a time, so it's fun and not a pain.

My third part-time job, as a program counselor for an international au pair agency, is something I can't schedule. I do that work as I get referrals, and it's usually fest or famine. :)

8/5 I promise I'm writing and other stuff.

I'm more than 5,000 words into book 7. It should be more. However, I'm realizing that being an author is a lot more than just writing. Today I'm looking at a proof of the paperback of Book 6, Who's the Rogue? That has to count for something, right?

Despite that disclaimer I'm still going to get to 6,000 words today. Yes, I am. Naysayers and nonbelievers can just wait and see.

Off to proof...

8/3 The aftermath of my birthday

My confession. Yesterday, on my 69th birthday, I didn't write a word. Well, except to say "thank you" to my friends on FaceBook for their good wishes.  So now it's time for me to get back to work.

Except—I woke up this morning and realized my driver's license expired yesterday. Yikes.

8/1 A little more

I took off from writing yesterday (Sunday), so it's not going as fast as I'd like. However, I will get to 5,000 per week because Who Dies Next? seems to be flowing pretty well.

I'm at 3,673 today. So a few hundred short of the goal. I'll catch up in two days. Tomorrow is my birthday so I may not write. I don't like to write when I'm drunk. (Just kidding. I love it.) I probably won't really drink tomorrow, but will enjoy being totally lazy. My gift to me.

Tomorrow is my Online Birthday Bash. If you didn't get an invitation and you want one, just let me know. Two of my friends are showing LipSense (cosmetics) and LuLaRoe (clothing). I love both products a lot.

Just finished writing this morning, and am getting ready to meet with my trainer. It's a new experience for me and I'm hurting. :) However, I'm hopeful I will start to see results in a week or so.

7/30 Writing update

Who Dies Next? (Sam Darling mystery #7) is off and running. I have more than 2,000 words written, plus I've completed the synopsis as well. I've changed my commitment to be, "I'll write at least 1,000 words per day five days per week." I realized that I'm only setting myself up if I promise to do this every single day. So that's it.

So far, so good.

And on my Wordpress blog, the Incredible Shrinking Shrinks, I've committed to see my trainer once or twice a week and then exercising in some form every day. Right now I'm doing the exercises he taught me and asked me to do. They take about a half hour to do, once a day. I'm also to do the stretches an additional time every day. Not so good on that one. But I am doing the exercises. Just need to add the extra set of stretches.

7/27/16 A writing commitment

Okay, here it is. I'm finding it hard to make time to write. I'm distracted by family fun, swimming, FaceBook, politics, dog sitting, my own pets, omigod the list can go on and on. So I'm going to make a public commitment, like a writer friend did on FB.

I want to have the first draft of this book completed in three months (at the latest). Then it will go to my beta readers. After they quickly read it and give me advice, I'll make changes (or not) and then the manuscript will go to my publisher, who will also return it with suggestions. Again, I'll make the changes (or not) and then it's done. During this time, my small writing group (Nikki, Justin, and Beth) will be reading as I write. They not only give me support and encouragement, they always have really good suggestions (which I'll take or not...are you tired of this phrase?). Ha-ha.

So I'm trying to decide what my commitment will be. I want it to be realistic, because I know how lazy I can be. But I also want it to give me a much needed KITP (kick in the pants). Here's the deal: Starting tomorrow (yeah, I said tomorrow, not today), I will write at least 1,000 words a day. That may be 1,000 a day or 7,000 a week, but it will average to 1K a day.

I've said that since I started viewing writing as a job instead of a hobby that I've done much better. Recently, however, I've been slacking. Book 6 (Who's the Rogue?) took longer than any other book. I've still done six in three years and feel pretty good about it. I want to continue writing at least two a year and this will help me do it.

I'll report, whether the news is good or bad.

I forgot to post this. 7/13/16 One year ago today

One year ago today Quincy IL had a storm of such magnitude that we lost thousands of trees and that many homes and/or cars were damaged. There were so many homes and buildings hurt that some haven't been repaired yet. We had straight line winds that equaled a Category 1 hurricane. Amazing here in tornado country.

I keep thinking I'll put an incident like this in one of my books set in Quincy, but haven't found the right way to do it yet. I often put "real life" things in my books. For example, Book Two (Any Meat in That Soup?) had a murder take place in the ER of a hospital. It was loosely based on the Mike Swango incidents that happened many years ago. However, there was no Mike character and other things were different. Those attempted murders in real life inspired me to write of some real ones.

Other things that come from reality: The Darling siblings resemble mine in many ways. However, there are more Bozarths than Darlings. And we're more sarcastic, and dare I say more fun? We also drink more.

In several of my books there are real names of people, but those are used either at their request or I've asked permission.

In my latest book, Who's the Rogue? the leading man is named Wes Friday. Wes is actually a very talented actor in our area, and he asked if I'd use his name when I stated that I thought it would be an excellent fictional character. In that same book, the director Branson Barkley is an extremely unflattering caricature of our real director—Brandon Thomsen. What they have in common is talent, and that's about it. The real director is much kinder.

There are a few more examples, but overall my characters are not based on real people. They might be an amalgam of several or even many people—a nose here, a mannerism there, a way of speaking, many things go into creating a believable character.

Except George. Sigh. He's just the guy I want to meet. Sigh again.

7/8 Where to write?

I'm trying to write in my usual spot, with Gus, on the Panera patio. However, today it's loud with voices and trucks and sirens. It seems everything is conspiring against the muse today. So instead, I'm going to my sister's house. I swim a while, then write in the gazebo, then swim a while, then write in the gazebo, and so forth. It will be quiet, probably too quiet. I guess I can get the three dogs (including Gus) to chatter a bit so the quiet isn't deafening. At least I can try.

Chapter 2 of Who Dies Next? awaits.

7/6 An inspiring post from Hugh Howey

So if you like science fiction at all, you know who Hugh Howey is. I love his work. And I admire him as a human too. His recent blog post inspired me to think more deeply about what I do with my plots. As you know, if you've read my blog before, I observe people and situations, I eavesdrop (yes, I do), I look at billboards, I read articles, whatever—and that's how the germ of an idea comes to me. Then I add the "what if..." or someone gives that to me. In Can You Picture This? a friend on the Panera patio said, "Yeah, Jer. What if that paparazzi guy rides a bicycle instead of a motorcycle or driving a car?" And off I went. (Yes, I credited him in the Acknowledgements. Didn't I, Joe?)

Anyway, Hugh's post reminded me that I ought to go a step farther. Yeah, it's funny that the dude rides a bicycle and tries to take photos. What else could be broken? Well, in that book the guy uses a Polaroid camera. That brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. And there was one other thing that I could break, and I did. But of course I can't reveal that because I want you to read the book. (It's book 3 in the Sam Darling mystery series.)

So as I sit here, thinking about book 7 (Who Dies Next?), I'm going to apply some of Hugh's ideas to the book. What idea can I take, break it, then break it again. We'll see how it works. (It worked accidentally in Can You Picture This? Now, I want to make it work on purpose.)

Hugh was talking about science fiction. I think the same ideas apply to cozy mysteries.

7/5 Time flies (or has that been said before?)

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I've posted. So many neat things are happening on the writing front. Who's the Rogue? is in Australia in the capable hands of Jason, our formatter at Polgarus Studios. Keri Knutson has designed a gorgeous cover of a lovely home in Quincy. This cover is my favorite, hands down.

I'm working on Book 7. We just came up with the title yesterday—Who Dies Next? Normally titles are easy for me and I come up with them in a snap. However, since I have some requirements—namely, it must be a question, it must be short, and it must be relevant to the story—it's become a little more difficult. So for the first time, my brilliant publisher came up with this title, after I gave her some ideas. I think Who Dies Next? fits the criteria very well.

Triple Trouble is out in paperback and ebook format. And very soon it'll be on SALE in a big way. This book is nearly 700 pages, with three of my books in it. The first three books in the Sam Darling mysteries. From July 23 until August 1, the ebook for Triple Trouble will be on sale for only 99 cents. It's an amazing deal. I sure hope people take advantage of it.

6/12 Good things happening

Who's the Rogue? is at my publisher. Triple Trouble is out electronically, and will be out in paperback soon. Where Is Henderson? will soon be out in paperback.

So I'm going to set up another book signing at Panera very soon. I've been invited to speak on a panel at Leadership Illinois in July. And I'll be signing books at the Quincy University homecoming in September. I'm feeling pretty motivated by all this movement.

So it's time to start writing #7, tentatively titled Shall We Move?

Thanks so much for buying my books and reviewing them. Both things mean so much. We indi writers live and die by our reviews. So I hope you continue writing them.

Here we go again....

Gosh, I love writing books!

5/18 Home from the hills

After five days and four nights on a writing retreat at Snowmass, Colorado, I've returned home. The retreat, at a Trappist Monastery, was successful in many ways. Certainly spiritually. However, it was even more successful writing-wise. The first draft of Book Six is finished and in the hands of my beta readers, and I wrote a short story for a mystery anthology coming out in the summer or fall. (I'll post more about that later.)

Who's the Rogue? (Book 6) is well on its way to being in your hands.

Also, Triple Trouble is very close to being published. I have the formatted version in my hands. Then it will be ready. I'm thrilled about this, since it has a special short story inside as a gift. So in Triple Trouble readers will get the first three Sam Darling mysteries as well as a short story about Sam and George's Prom fiasco in high school.

Writing in a gorgeous hermitage, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains is inspiring. It's also surprisingly easy since there's no WiFi and no cell phone reception. Amazing what I can accomplish when not tempted by the Internet, phone calls, and texts.

Still haven't unpacked, so more later...

(This is misplaced in my list of posts, because it sat here in draft. Guess I forgot to hit Publish. Also I guess I have more in common with Sam Darling than I thought.)

5/29/16 My daughter's birthday and an editing day

So my daughter's birthday is today, and I'm smiling about that. However, what doesn't make me smile is that she's thousands of miles away. I wish her much joy and happiness, as always.

As for the editing part. Well, Whose the Rogue? is due to my publisher by June 1, and I'm gathering comments from my beta readers and will incorporate some of them. Gosh, I love smart people. My beta readers are smart in different ways, but they sure know how to catch my inconsistencies. One of the many reasons I love them.

So there's that.

Also, I want to start thinking about/working on Book #7. I love the start of the process, with a blank canvas, as it were. I know what the book's about, but don't know who is killed and who did it. That's part of the fun for me, discovering the victim and the villain(s) as I write. So far, this process has worked well for me.

To hear first about my new books, sign up at http://eepurl.com/z30jv. Your email will never be made public and you can opt out at any time. 

5/8/16 Mothers' Day and Writing

I'm so excited because two more of my books are in print (as well as being e-books). Can You Picture This? and Will You Marry Me? are in print as of this weekend. Many of you have enjoyed the books electronically, but a lot of readers prefer to hold a book in their hands. That's why I'm so happy about this.

And my fifth book (Where Is Henderson?) will have a print version shortly.

On this Mothers' Day, I'm sitting here feeling incredibly grateful that I'm a Mom and also grateful that I got to fulfill other dreams (besides parenthood). My dreams included being a writer. I am living proof that dreams can come true, even in your 60s.

Go to http://www.amazon.com/Jerilyn-Dufresne/e/B00HK36AUO/ to see all my books, both electronic and print.

Thanks so much for reading. If you keep reading, I'll keep writing.

2/17/16 The character versus the author

Some people compare my character, Sam Darling, with me. That's because she and I share many similar traits. However, I think she's much nicer than I am. When my friends say, "In book three you...," I have to remind them that it's Samantha and not I who did such and such.

When I began the first book (begun in 1995, published in 2012) I didn't have any experience in writing books. I'd written shorter works all my life, but never a book-length project. So I did what most new writers do—I made everything too autobiographical. So I did a lot of editing on that first book and I changed a lot. There are now 6 Darling sibs instead of 9. (Nine sibs in my family.) Sam's first name was changed from Jan to Sam. (JD are my initials and I didn't want the character to have the same initials as I.) There were more things I edited as well.

What Sam and I do share are a natural curiosity about everything. And I do mean everything. I ask questions all the time, and have done that since I was very small. And I honestly don't mean to be intrusive, I am just overly curious. The big difference is that I would never look in someone's medicine cabinet or search through drawers without permission. Sam would do it without blinking.

She and I share an inability to tell a lie very well. I choose not to lie, and that has caused problems in my life. She blushes when she lies. However in the later books she's become quite good at it.

Sam is not a good housekeeper. Me either.

Sam holds a grudge. I don't. (In fact, she's a professional at it.)

She's a smart-ass. And I have to confess that I am too.

She's in love with love. Me: Guilty as charged.

She doesn't have a lot of close friends outside her family. Me either. I've always had a ton of sibs in my life, and very few close friends. When I've lived away from Quincy, I developed more friends because I didn't have my sibs close by.

That's all I can think of off the cuff.

2/13/16 I answered a friend's question

My friend, Kimberly Shursen, asked people about how they get their ideas. She also asked other questions, but that's the one that stuck with me. By the way, she's a wonderful thriller writer and I suggest you check out her books on Amazon or else on her website kimberlyshursen.com.

Anyway, my response on her blog was so long that I thought it would make a blog entry on my site. So here it is:

I really enjoyed your post, Kimberly, and also enjoy your thrillers immensely. As you know, I write different types of books. Mine are called cozy mysteries. I am working on number six right now. Where do I get my ideas? From people. From conversations I've overheard. From questions I've asked. One whole book was totally conceived on the patio of a Panera Bread Company when a friend said, "Wouldn't it be funny if...?" And we went off on a riff that gave life to one of my favorite works. (Note: That book is Can You Picture This?) I write mostly at Panera and that's because I'm an extrovert and get energy from people. At home I have a hard time writing even though I have a great office.

So in the summer I'm on the patio there and in the winter I'm ensconced in booth number 2, from 8 to 11 AM. I call them my office hours.

My characters tell me the plot. When I start I have a general idea, like right now--my book Who's the Rogue? started when I was in a play at our community theatre and noticed there were some dark areas and also that the basement was a little scary at times. I thought, "What if a murder would happen there? How would that be able to happen?" I didn't want to make it the stereotypical theater murder where a sandbag falls on someone's head or a real gun is substituted for the fake one. So I came up with another idea. Then a friend asked me if I'd use his name in a book. And voila'! Wes Friday is the Broadway star brought to my hometown to star in a show. And so it goes....

Wow. Sorry this is so long, Kimberly. Your questions inspired me. I'm going to copy and paste it to my blog. :)
                                                                    ***

So, do you have any questions for me about writing? Either my writing or writing in general? I'm certainly not the foremost expert on writing, but I do know a thing or two.

12/8 Full of memories

The 7th, 8th, and 9th of December are the birthdays of three (out of five) of my brothers. Dad's birthday was on March 16th. You do the math.

Anyway, surrounded by their birthdays always makes me reminisce about my childhood and the happy memories of growing up the eldest in a big family.

I feel so lucky that I'm able to celebrate some of the memories by incorporating a few of them into my books. For example, the Darling family in the series use the word "shup" in place of "shut up." That's from real life, and we still use the word.

I don't know if it's just an abbreviation or if we'd get in trouble for saying "shut up." Either way, it's one of the small things from real life that made it into Sam Darling's fictional life.

11/20 NaNoWriMo continues...

I have almost 20,000 words finished during NaNoWriMo. Since this is the 20th, I actually should have written 33,340. So I'm not going to reach 50,000 words this year. That's okay. The important thing is that I'm writing.

And I'm having fun doing it. Now that I know who the killer is (or the killers are), and I know why the person(s) did it, I am in writer heaven. That's one of the hard parts.

So I know the ending, and I just have to follow the route to get there. Unfortunately, the route isn't charted, since I don't outline. However, writing the book is a lot easier once the characters tell me about the villain(s).

The book itself is almost 2/3 finished, so I'm feeling pretty darn good. Who's the Rogue? will be completed this year. My publisher will be happy!

11/1 NaNoWriMo

And so it begins. I've got about a thousand words done out of my 1667 needed for today. I'd like to hit 2,000 because I know there will be days when I won't or can't write. In order to hit the 50,000 I need to overachieve on a few days I think.

I'm about 1/3 of the way through Who's the Rogue? and I still am not sure who did it. There are a few people who look suspicious to me as the writer, but I'm getting caught up in wanting to write about Sam and George's relationship and not in solving the murder.

Dumb, I know.

It's not easy to weave both of them together--to want to write a mystery but to also have a love story in it, and hopefully a realistic one. Well, not a completely realistic one. George is pretty much the perfect guy, after all. :)

Okay. Back to work. Wish me luck.

10/31 Candy and kids

Munching on candy while I wait for my great-nieces and great-nephews to come to the house. Gus is waiting at the door, hoping kids will come soon.

Something unusual happened today. I didn't write.

It feels funny. I've been writing at least 1,000 words a day for a while, but haven't touched the keyboard until now. (My FB posts were done on my iPad. Now I'm typing on my Mac Air.)

But tomorrow NaNoWriMo starts. It's National Novel Writing Month and it comes around every November. The idea is to commit to write 50,000 words during the month of November, which averages 1667 words per day, a little more than I'm used to doing.

But I've exercised my fingers and am raring to go. During November I'll finish the first draft of Who's the Rogue? (Sam Darling Mystery #6) and will begin #7. Thinking about the concept of #7 now.

Hope you have a great Halloween and hope you are reading and enjoying my books. By the way, if you are, please write a review on Amazon. Writers live and die by their reviews. Thanks.

10/25/15 Faces

The older I get the more I believe there are only a certain number of faces in the world. Everywhere I go I see people I know. Unfortunately, sometimes they aren't people I know. Perhaps they're clones. That would explain it.

Or perhaps as one ages, the planes and lines on a person's face blur so that the things that make us look special are no longer so evident.

I mean, it really could be a high school chum I saw on the Eiffel Tower. I was there, so he could have been there too. Except he looked as he looked in high school. And I...didn't. Not fair.

I was with my sister on Oahu in the 70s when she saw a classmate from Illinois. It does happen.

I've seen others I recognize and then discover it's someone's child and not the person I know. Some day it might be a grandchild I mistake for a friend. Time hurries and hurries and pushes forward and we're swept up in the wave.

Much of the time I blame my imagination. The same thing that allows me to write books also helps me make things up when I'm trying to identify someone.

This is true--I saw the same woman twice in one day and they were different people. I even asked the second one if she had a sister or daughter that looked like her. She said she had no female relatives.

Clones.

It's the only answer.

Unless I'm making this all up.

10/6/15 Book news and book signing

Am taking a break from writing Who's the Rogue? in order to get all the other books ready to be printed. Then every single book will be available in both ebook and paperback. I'm going to be so happy when that's done. The only book (from 1 through 5) that needs to be checked is number four, Will You Marry Me? One and two are printed, and three and five are at the formatters.

This is a huge deal for me because I've wanted the ebook and print book to come out virtually simultaneously for a long time. Many of my readers prefer a book in their hands, so that's my goal.

Be on the lookout for the books to show up in print form.

In the meantime, I'm having a book signing for the first two books--Who Killed My Boss? and Any Meat in That Soup? It will take place at Panera Bread Company in Quincy, IL on Saturday October 10 at 10 AM. Hope to see you there!

The plot thickens...

In Who's the Rogue? I now know who gets murdered. I'm still not sure who the murderer is. I'm like a reader as I write; I have to get into the book before I know who killed the person(s). Right now I'm making educated guesses, just as readers do. It could be so-and-so because of a checkered history with the victim or it could be so-and-so because of a jealous rage or even...

You see. I don't know much at all yet. :) I do have ideas though, and have narrowed the field of potential murderers.

I've reached the 5,000 word mark which means I'm definitely in it! And I'm loving the premise. Hope you will too.

And Where Is Henderson? should be out soon. It's with my publisher and I expect to get her suggestions back at any time. Then some quick edits and off to the formatter. Getting excited.

Not much

I've been writing at least 500 words per day. It doesn't seem like much, but with the rehearsals for Mary Poppins, plus learning my lines, 500 words is plenty.

I do think there will be a day when all I do is write. As soon as the characters tell me who gets murdered, and who did the deed, the words will just flow. Until then, I write some "filler" scenes, waiting for the action to happen.

Some people think it's funny that I don't have an outline or don't know what really is going to happen in the book. I have the idea of where the book will take place and who the characters are, but that's about it. As the characters become more and more "real" to me, they let me know who is going to die and finally who the murderer is. I get quite excited when that happens.

I'll let you know when I know. Nope, won't tell you who, but will tell you that I have it figured out.

Writing and singing, a nice combination

Book #5, Where Is Henderson?, is with my publisher. I expect it back soon with some (many?) suggested edits. It should be published as an e-book by mid-June. I'm currently writing #6, Who's the Rogue?, which takes place entirely in Quincy, IL. Back to my roots, as suggested by some readers. See, I do pay attention!

My second book--Any Meat in That Soup?--has been printed in paperback form and is available at Amazon and I believe Barnes and Noble. Excited about this.

I'm rehearsing nightly for Mary Poppins, in which I play the Bird Woman and Miss Andres. I love that I get to play both a hero and a villain. Because of my renewed love for local theater, via Quincy Community Theatre, WTR? takes place at a community theatre. In the book it's Gem City Community Theatre. For the uninitiated, Quincy's nickname is the Gem City, given to us by none other than Mark Twain. I believe his exact words were, "Quincy is a gem of a city." No, I'm not quite old enough to have heard his words myself.

I'm hopeful that my fellow castmates won't mind that I stare at them and occasionally take notes. I'm still deciding who's going to die in the book and who's going to do the murdering, so everyone better be nice to me.

Fair warning.

Writing is therapeutic

For me, writing is therapeutic. If I'm in a bad mood I just have to turn to my characters to cheer me up. I laugh at Sam's efforts to be a sleuth, and how she normally bungles things. I chuckle at the new characters in each book and come to care about them. Will You Marry Me? was published October 1, and contains some of the more memorable supporting characters. Perhaps some of them will appear in a later work. Never can tell.

Right now I'm working on number five--Where Is Henderson? It takes place in both Quincy, Illinois and Henderson, Kentucky. The title applies to the town and a person as well, and promises more murder and mayhem.

My publisher informed me that the print versions of the first books are with a formatter. I'm so looking forward to seeing them in print. It will be a totally new experience, and I can imagine my joy. I think when the first box arrives I will emulate one of my favorite writers--Hugh Howey--and will film the official "box opening." I only hope I'll remember to do it. I'll probably be so excited that I'll rip the box open! Not very mature behavior for someone my age, but that's the way I am.

Well, back to work. There's a murder to be solved.

I need noise to write

I'm an extrovert. (I can just hear people say, "Ya think?") I get energy from people, plus I think out loud. That's why I write my books primarily at Panera, and sometimes at Starbucks. 

So now, my dog Gus and I are in a little cottage at a retreat center--from Friday morning until Monday morning. I love the peace. I love the location. And sometimes I even love the quiet. But not when I'm trying to write. So book number five, titled Where Is Henderson? still just has two chapters complete.

I should have known that quiet wasn't conducive to my creative writing.

I do love it here, though. Gus and I will definitely return. I found Windridge Solitude by Googling "solo retreat with pet." Et voila--it appeared. And just 2 1/2 hours from my home. Check out windridgesolitude.org and you'll see how lovely this place is. And reasonable. The cottages are small and new, with everything you'd need. You bring your own food. There's no wifi of course, but I turned my phone into a mobile hotspot and am able to post. However, I'm not "hanging out" on the internet like I usually do. Just a few times a day.

I've been reading some spiritual books, and the entire place and process has had a calming influence on me.

Gus is bored when we stay in the cottage, I think. However, there are 93 acres to roam around on, and we've been doing a lot of that. This may sound strange but my favorite place is their pet cemetary. The nuns rescue dogs and cat, and most of the animals are old and their time here is short. I met the current three dogs, but didn't meet the cats. One of the big dogs has huge scars across her skull. She's had a rough life, but here she's pampered and loved and will be here until she passes.

They do good work here.

Writing Process Blog Tour

At the request of author Kimberly Shursen (kimberlyshursen.com), I'm answering questions about my writing process. Then I'll "tag" two other authors to respond.

What am I working on now?

Currently I'm writing book number four in the Sam Darling Mystery Series, Will You Marry Me? I know it sounds more like a romance than a mystery, but trust me, it's a mystery. Sam's dog finds a bone that turns out to be a human femur, and off our heroine goes--creating more trouble than you'd expect from a social worker-wannabe-sleuth.

The above picture, from Tiger Imagery, is going to be turned into cover art by Keri Knutson.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

First of all it takes place in my hometown of Quincy, IL. A town that normally doesn't have as many murders as my mystery series would imply. Also, Sam Darling has a psychic connection with her dog, Clancy. Clancy herself is a big help in solving crimes. Additionally Sam is one of six kids. They're close, but all of them are irritated by Sam's nosiness and her inability to stop butting in where she's not wanted.

Why do I write what I do?

I am from Quincy originally, but was a nomad in the middle part of my life. While living in hotels when I traveled weekly, I found myself homesick for the little city I loved. So one night I just started writing. This was nearly 20 years ago. I was unable to find an agent because my first manuscript was like many from novice writers--it wasn't well-written and was full of rookie mistakes. So I put the manuscript away. However, it kept surfacing in my brain. I really liked the characters, and they haunted me. So I edited, edited, and edited it some more. And finally an indie publisher thought it was good enough. By the way, she was the first person I sent it to after I'd re-written it.

How does my writing process work?

Well, as I said--the first book was born from boredom and homesickness. The second idea followed soon after, and the third and so on. Now I only work part-time at my other jobs--as a mental health therapist and a university instructor. I view writing as a job as well. Three or four days a week I go to my favorite writing spot, Panera Bread, and write for three or four hours in the morning. I also write by my sister's pool during the summer. The only place I don't write is at home in my nice little office. For some reason, writing at home is too distracting. I keep thinking of laundry and all the TV shows I've taped but haven't watched yet. When the weather's nice, my dog Gus accompanies me to the Panera patio and definitely to my sister's pool. I find him calming and sometimes an inspiration for Clancy in the books.

Ideas aren't hard for me to come by. Discipline is.

What are my writing plans for the future?

As I said, I'm working on book four and I have ideas for several more in the Sam Darling series. I'm also considering branching out with some stand-alone novels--maybe a little edgier, or maybe a different genre.

I would like to retire from my other jobs some day, but hope to never have to retire from writing. Not only does writing keep my mind active, the characters continually make me laugh. I think I'm my own best audience.

Currently my books are available on amazon.com in electronic format. They'll be in print by summer.

Tagging: I'm tagging Nikki Shields and Lynnette Spratley to blog about their writing, using the above questions.

Writing continues...

I've had a trip to LA which fed my soul. Spending time with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids is a great way to rejuvenate me and energize my writing.

Number 3, Can You Picture This? is out and doing well. Currently I'm working on number 4, with the title, Will You Marry Me? All is not as it seems in the idyllic Ozarks town of Crackertown, MO. So small, it's not on any maps, even though it's the "Ritz of the Ozarks." Sam and George "accidentally" end up there on their way to a Grand Canyon vacation. Clancy is in tow, of course, and she unearths the reason they have to stay in Crackertown, even though their vacation is calling.

Am having fun with this one. I love the Ozark Mountains and the people I met the several times I visited.

More writing news

Last night I turned in the manuscript to my publisher. Can You Picture This? is well on its way to publication. However, I fear there's a little work to do. We'll see, after she reads it today or tomorrow.

It's funny to not have that book to work on. I'm going to grade some papers for my other job, and then read a little, but I really need to get to work on #4. I'll tell you the name of it as soon as I know it. :)

Keep reading!

Merry Christmas Eve

Today is a wonderful and exciting day for me. Of course the first reason is because it's Christmas Eve and my huge family gathers together to share food, gifts, and merriment. I love Christmas Eve.

Also, what makes this time extra special for me is that my second book is finally out. It was published a few days ago and I announced it yesterday. It's such a thrill to have it on amazon.com. The name is Any Meat in That Soup? and I'm trying to get the word out.

From December 25 through December 29, the first book in the series is FREE. Yep, to celebrate the publication of #2, #1 (Who Killed My Boss?) will be free.

And the third reason I'm so darn giddy is that I lost weight. Down a total of 21 pounds since September 10.

Yeah, today is going to be a good day.

Perhaps a Christmas gift

My second book, Any Meat in That Soup, should be out in a matter of days. I'm excited certainly, but also a little nervous. So to help with the nervousness I'm going to be writing today--working on a Sci-Fi in cooperation with Patrice Fitzgerald and also working on the third in the Sam Darling series (Can You Picture This?).

If AMITS? comes out by Christmas, it will be a wonderful present for me--and maybe for someone on your Christmas list.

Writing news

I'm pleased to announce that my next book, Any Meat in That Soup?, will be coming out later this month. Hopefully it will be in time for Christmas. I'm going to have a special sale on the first book in the series--Who Killed My Boss? That way, if  you haven't read the first one you'll have a chance to get both of them.

Having a hard time uploading a picture from my iPad, but when I get home I'll be able to publish the cover art.

I received some edits from my publisher and am busy going through those. At the same time I'm grading papers from the university course I teach, and also working on two other books. One is the third in the Samantha Darling series, and the second is a Silo story from Hugh Howey's world of Wool.

My publisher is awaiting Any Meat in That Soup? so she can get it to the formatters for uploading to Amazon. Additionally I've given her Reality Is Murder to look at. It's a stand-alone mystery that I absolutely love. It's not written in my first-person, cozy voice. It's third person, and I hope is a little scary.

Lots going on in my writing life. And I love it. The only bad thing about it is that it's a solitary occupation. For an extrovert like me, it's difficult to take. Part of the reason I write at Panera, I guess.

Any Meat in That Soup?

I'm about 60% finished with the second book in the Sam Darling Mystery series. Right now I'm sitting on the Panera patio, one of my two favorite places to write, the other being my sister Jan's gazebo.

Crafting the ending of a mystery isn't an easy task. you want the hero to solve the mystery but you don't want to make it too easy nor too difficult. It's hard striking the right balance. Oh, and it has to be believable. You can't take a normal human being and have them suddenly become a superhero at the last minute.

And you don't want to have the hero always being rescued by someone else. That's okay every now and then, but you want the hero to actually be a hero.

So this is one of the struggles of writing a book. I find short stories easier sometimes. You go in, do something, and go out.

In a full-length manuscript there has to be excitement throughout, but you can't have things get too exciting or the reader will expect an ending sooner than you have planned.

Actually writing a book is a bit like life. You do the best you can and hope for a good result.

Enjoying this writing stuff

Another day at my sister's gazebo and pool. She is so kind to let me write here. Plus she supplies the iced tea. I've been here writing three out of the last four days, so am feeling quite productive.

Hard at work on my third book which is the second in the Sam Darling series. This series is going to be family friendly, with the "s" word as the worst thing that happens. Well, except the death, but as with all good cozies, the death happens off screen. Guess that's not true for AMITS. The guy falls over in the first line. No gore or blood however. 

The Clarice Wilkins series is a bit more out there. There's more language in it, plus I really let my mind go, and have expanded my universe to include things that may or may not ever happen. It's a lot of fun when I can cast off the reins and just RUN...

Happy Reading! Jer

I finished it

I finished the first draft of Reality Is Murder. Hooray. Today I'll glance at it and clean up anything that needs cleaning up. Then it will go to my first readers and also my publisher. Two of my first readers are just that--readers. They are so important because they'll tell me if the story makes sense, if it's consistent, if the characters are lively and interesting, and if they would buy the book. The other first reader is a writer herself. She'll tell me the unvarnished truth, and when I'm finished crying, I'll take her advice.

To me, it's extremely important to get the readers' point of view because they're the ones who make a book a success or failure. It's not if I have every comma in place, it's whether the story carries the reader into the characters' universe.

I'm thrilled that Draft #1 is done.

YES!

I figured out the  ending!!!

Writing furiously.

Lovely writing time

This weekend has been full of family activities. I love that. But I crave time to write. So I'm sitting in the gazebo by my sister's pool and I'm going to carve out some time for fiction.

I'm struggling withe the ending of Reality Is Murder, and I want to finish it before I get back into Any Meat in That Soup? It's a good problem to have.

Who Killed My Boss? is doing better than expected. My publisher said since it's my first book and I'm unknown that I should expect to be around 200,000 on the best seller list. A few days ago I was 12,000 and was elated. I've settled around 54,000 now and my publisher and I are coming up with different marketing plans. Exciting for me.

Family time was and is fun. But it's nice when I can sneak away to write. (Wish I didn't have sweet tea. The ants are crazy about it.)

A good day

I was off work today, and it's been a great day. First I was able to announce the publication of my first book, I had a good Physical Therapy session, and then Gus and I volunteered at Blessing Hospital (Bay General in my book). We spent an hour on the Child and Adolescent Psych Unit and then 45 minutes on the Rehab Unit. As usual it was wonderful, and Gus did what he always does. He's a good therapy dog!

Who Killed My Boss?

Buy my book, please! :)

Ahhh! It's finally time. My book is officially published and ready for the public. I hope you check it out and are interested enough to buy it. If you like it, I'd appreciate a review on Amazon, and also please tell your friends about it. The book is available at Who Killed My Boss?

Thanks so much. 

The result will be worth it

The day looks perfect, but before I can enjoy it, there are "chores" to do. First I have to do at least one load of laundry so I have clothes to wear. I haven't done laundry since last Thursday, and was at the Avon Breast Cancer Walk last weekend. When I got home Monday I was exhausted, and remained so all week.

But today, today is different. Gus and I will go to the office for a while so I can catch up on paperwork. Then, with those two chores completed, you can find us sitting outside--maybe Panera, maybe Starbucks. They both are close to my home. Depends on whether I want to be in the sun or not. And I'll write and write and write and write.

My goal is to complete Reality Is Murder before my knee replacement on July 10. Then I'll use the six/seven week recuperation period to work on the second Sam Darling mystery. Although I don't look forward to the surgery and the rehab, I look forward to having uninterrupted writing time.

And no knee pain.

6/5/13 One week away

My book is being formatted and uploaded soon. In one week we'll be able to  order it. It seems unreal that Who Killed My Boss? is finally a reality. I hope people like it for what it is--a humorous, light mystery.

I'm hard at work on a stand-alone book called Reality Is Murder. I'm about 90% done with the first draft, so this is the book that will be published next. The second in the Sam Darling Mysteries is called Any Meat in That Soup? It will be published in 2914. I plan to work on this manuscript when I'm recuperating from knee surgery. It will seem like a luxury to have  six weeks to write without having to go to my other job.

Writing is a joy most of the time. Other times it's almost painful--wringing out words that hopefully make sense and entertain those who read them.

Lost in thought

I should be grading papers because QU grades are due today. But I find I'm lost in thought. 

First of all, I love diversity, and am a champion of people being allowed to be different. But today I'm sad. Certainly I remain sad about the tragedy in CT, but also sad at the response to it.

People are dead. Children are dead. The tortured soul who did this is dead. His mom was a legal gun owner. Friends of hers were interviewed this morning and said she kept her guns locked up, just as she should. Still she's dead. She took her sons to the shooting range and taught them a healthy respect for weapons and how to use them safely. Still she's dead.

And people I know, respect, and love say we should arm teachers. Madness. Sadness.

Combination of things

Yesterday was a mash-up of emotions. Went to QMG Christmas dinner as my sister's date. It was fun being with both my sisters. However after the horrible school massacre in CT, it was hard to get that off our minds. Also got some disturbing health news about a b-i-l. Today I took Gus to the office and worked a few hours, then home for a nice long nap. I have so much work to do for QU, and will need to spend more hours on that.

Cover art for book

Here's something I didn't know--cover art for e-books needs to be more simple and uncluttered than print books. For Who Killed My Boss? I wanted a carriage house on the cover. I have a particular carriage house in mind. It's in Quincy, where the story takes place. The protagonist lives in the carriage house behind the owner's mansion. Those of you from Quincy can picture many such set-ups. Our town has a wonderful abundance of beautiful old homes, many of them with carriage houses. My publisher said when (if) we go to print after the e-version, we can discuss a more detailed cover. For now, she had me look at all the online best sellers with female sleuths. I did and really noticed the difference. Many of them have a few abstract curlicues behind the title and that's it. Others do have less abstract art, but almost all of them are simple. More later about my writing adventure. I'm excited. (And need to get more done on the second in the series--Any Meat in That Soup?)

Writing About Writing AGAIN...

I found out last night that an ePublisher has accepted Who Killed My Boss? for online publication. I'm beyond thrilled. I didn't want to self-publish because there's still a stigma against it--even though many self-published books are awesome. In a few days I'll publish a blurb about the book, and hope that when it's on Amazon that friends and relatives will purchase it. Now, as the publisher and I are finalizing our agreement, I'm starting again on the sequel called Any Meat in That Soup? I need to get some momentum built up so I can get it ready as soon as possible. At the same time I'm going to continue with Reality Is Murder, because I love the plot. Excited? You betcha.

10/28/11 Writing about writing

I miss writing. Technically I'm still the National Mental Health Examiner for examiner.com, but it doesn't move me. In the late 80s and early 90s I wrote a monthly column for the children's agency where I was VP. And at CPI I wrote a lot and was published in several magazines/journals. Those things were fun. But the best writing "fun" I had was right after I joined an online writing community when I was working on my first novel. I'd sit in hotel rooms all over the US and Canada and had nothing to do but write. What a joy that was! When I traveled overseas I wrote my travelogs which turned into my first blog when I lived in the UK. My second blog has dwindled away, usurped by FB.

Back to the unpublished novel--Who Killed My Boss? There were/are some really good parts to it, but the plot seems contrived and the ending wrapped up in a nice little bow, much too easily. The second one (unfinished) is: Is There Any Meat in That Soup? I love the first two lines--"He fell at my feet. Nice place for a man." And that's about all I love about that manuscript. Those two books, in my fantasy world, were the first two in a long series with a beloved protagonist. :) (Hey, I told you it was a fantasy.)

Then several years ago I started a novel about a reality game show set in the wilderness. I still like the idea of it, even though some of the characters were kind of flat. Maybe that one is salvageable--I don't know. Remember NANIWRIMO? I worked on this one during a NANIWRIMO frenzy one November.

Felt like writing about writing today. Thanks for indulging me in my narcissistic musings.

2/3/11 Pictures of the blizzard

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5/1/10 Recent articles

Mental Health Examiner--Bullying: She committed suicide, were the bullies at fault?

Mental Health Examiner--Strike three for smokers: Third-hand smoke is identified as dangerous

Mental Health Examiner--Zero tolerance policies in schools: Necessary or overreaction?

Mental Health Examiner--Biggest Loser: A risky way to lose weight?

Mental Health Examiner: When your child or loved one commits suicide

1/30/10 It's been a long time

I feel like I have nothing to say, but that's never stopped me before.

Right now I'm sick and crabby. Tired of it. This bronchitis or pneumonia or whatever the hell this is is making me sick (oh, a play on words). My head hurts, my chest hurts, my throat hurts, and I'm so sick of coughing.

Okay I'm done complaining. Here are some articles I forgot to post on my blog.

Mental Health Examiner: The technology of Avatar isn't as far off as you think

Mental Health Examiner: Haitian earthquake a result of a pact with the devil? Pat Robertson thinks so 'video'

Mental Health Examiner: Scared to tell your boss about a mental health issue?

Mental Health Examiner: Disorganization got you down?

12/24/09 Christmas Eve

I'm so very excited. Christmas Eve brings me back to my childhood with all the same excitement and wonder. I absolutely adore getting together with my siblings and their families. Can't wait.


Mental Health Examiner: Quest for physical perfection killed former Miss Argentina http://bit.ly/74uT8M

Mental Health Examiner: Drunk four-year-old (Hayden Wright) accused of stealing presents '(video)' http://bit.ly/8q3t2w

Mental Health Examiner: Pets can be a great antidote to holiday stress http://bit.ly/85wdKL

11-22-09 What a gorgeous day!

Can't believe it's almost the end of November. What a fantastic, warm day. It was fun spending some of it outside with Gus.


Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: On way to finale

11/5 and 11/6/09 Profit off of tragedy

I absolutely hate making money off of a tragedy--but that's my mind of a social worker instead of a reporter. Am sure getting a lot of hits on the site.

Mental Health Examiner: What made Major Malik Nadal Hasan shoot?

Mental Health Examiner--Fort Hood Texas Army Base mass shooting: Allahu akbar--the cry of a mentally ill man or a terrorist?

11/3/09 class reunion and...

Had a class reunion planning meeting at Mr. Bill's. Too bad I'm on call and couldn't have a beer. Drat.

One article tonight is Mental Health Examiner: Is technology messing up our memories? I'll write another one tonight but will post it tomorrow. Am tired.

11/1/09 Sunday

Gus and I spent more than two hours at the dog park and he is happily sleeping on the floor where he passed out almost immediately after returning home. It's so enjoyable for me to see him having so much fun with other dogs.

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: Play golf or dance

10/29/09 Stayed home

Stayed home from work today because I started feeling bad yesterday afternoon. Thank God it's not the flu, though. It's a head cold or something like that. Headache, eye ache, body aches. No fever and no stomach problems, so I'm confident it's not the flu. I only have to work a half day tomorrow so will stay home again...

Slept all day long which is an unbelievable luxury.


Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Survivor Samoa: Is Shambo just one of the guys?

10/25/09 A fun weekend

We all had such a great time at Matt and Beth's fall festival. It was so much fun with super people and delicious food. Beth even made meatless chili, which was very tasty. I forgot to bring some home with me. Drat.

Today, Gussie and I went to the Padua Pet Parade at QU, but I messed up and got there late. We were in time to see the ending, which was nice, and we were able to give a present for the Humane Society.

Then Gus and I went to the dog park and the only dogs that were there were the small ones, so this was a perfect day for Gus. He got to play with pals who were just the right size.

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: Face your fears or go home

10/19/09 Another busy day

Had to take Gus in for a steroid shot. He's been scratching himself raw and biting himself. Turns out he's more like me than I thought. Allergies. Poor thing. I felt so bad for him. But it was great that the vet got him in right away. Then Elizabeth gave him a bath so he looked pretty, errr...I mean handsome.

Mental Health Examiner--Balloon boy controversy: Would you ask your kids to lie?

Felt like I got a lot done at home today, but my house sure doesn't show it. Too bad.

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: Is it hot or is it hot?

10/15/09 Two articles

Mental Health Examiner: Was six-year-old boy in a balloon at 7,000 feet?
Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Survivor Samoa: Try it, you'll like it--or not

10/13/09 Working out

Another nice workout with Jan at the aquaaerobics class at QU. It was fun, and this was the best workout ever. My back was hurting, but I kept with it and will keep trying, because this is supposed to help. I really appreciate that Jan encouraged me to do this.


Tonight's article is Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Biggest Loser: Tracy has a guardian angel or is in league with the devil

10/11/09 About Obama again. No need to read if you are tired of this.

I've listened to other people's opinions and respect their right to those opinions. Contrary to what some people think, I've never followed a president blindly and am not doing so now. I'm listening to both sides, although I must admit that Rush Limbaugh's incendiary rhetoric is long on falsehood and short on truth. Here's a thoughtful response to Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize. It doesn't do any namecalling, but it quotes reasons why people in the past have gotten the reward. I liked her perspective.



Tonight's article: Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: Passports are important

10/8/09 A fun weekend

Tomorrow I'm going to Davenport with Jan. And on Saturday night we're driving to Des Moines to see Wicked. I'm so excited. Have been singing the songs from the show for years and now I finally get to see it. It's the national tour.

And I can't wait to see Kris and Brian's home. Should be a fun weekend.


Tonight's article is Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Survivor Samoa: Waiting for Jeff on the beach

10/6/09 Another workout

Jan and I went to aqua aerobics again tonight, and it was a much better workout this week. I took it easy however, because last week I couldn't even finish teaching on Wednesday night. Can't believe that damn water aerobics did me in like that. And tonight I can already feel it starting, but perhaps with some extra pain meds I'll feel okay tomorrow. Sure hope so.


Tonight's article: Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Biggest Loser: Don't move, Tracy

10/5/09 Women dish on their guys

Good day at work but lots of pain. Pain for no reason pisses me off.

National Mental Health Examiner: Women dish on their guys

I'd love it if you would leave comments on the site...you can be anonymous if you want.

10/4/09 A great lunch

Lunch at Maya with 30 members of my immediate family was so much fun. (Are brothers and sisters etc. "immediate family"?) It was so great seeing Craig, Megan, Ian, and Kris. Ian has grown into such a friendly little fellow. It was fun watching him smile at everyone.

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: Like being dropped off on Mars

10/1/09 Two articles

Worked 12 hours today but wrote one article during lunch and another after work tonight. And I left my phone at work and that drives me CRAZY.

Mental Health Examiner--Mental Health 101: Five communication recommendations

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Survivor Samoa: The Russell seed

9/29/09 The Biggest Loser, etc.

Tonight's article Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Biggest Loser: Trainers versus a two pound advantage

Had an early dentist appointment then worked all day. After work met Jan for water aerobics. Was there from 5:15 until 6:45, so I got a lot of good exercise. Thanks for going with me, Jan.

But I'm really tired. Am on call so sure hope the pager doesn't go off.

Sarah, thanks for walking Gus.

9/27/09 Two articles

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: The beginning and the end for one team

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Amazing Race: Vietnam, here we come

Other than that, Gussie and I have had a quiet day. We've enjoyed the backyard together, but that's about it.

9/26/09 A good Saturday

Gus and I started at Panera for breakfast--then spent some quality time at the office. :) Then off to the Pet Expo at the Oakley Lindsey Center where Gus scored some great goodies.

At home Gus got to play outside while Uncle Tim cut the grass. I think he had fun.

I went to dinner tonight with Jane, Pete, Jordan, Lyndsey, Deb, and Diane. First time at Kutter's and had an excellent pizza. Now it's time to put clean sheets on the bed, and get ready to watch the SNL season premiere. Tomorrow night I'll post about the new Amazing Race.

Mental Health Examiner: A hearty laugh can make your day

9/24/09 Hey there I'm really tired

I think I work too many jobs, but I'm not willing to give anything up. So we'll see how I manage this.

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Survivor Samoa: Russell the Evil thinks he's the puppetmaster

9/22/09 One more for the road

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Biggest Loser: All for one and one for all

9/22/09 Two VERY different articles

The Emmys got it right for Reality Shows


Mental Health Examiner--Domestic violence: Guerline stayed with husband and now she and her five children are dead

9/17/09 Two articles

12 hours at the office and still wrote two articles. I'm beat. :)

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-1906-Mental-Health-Examiner~y2009m9d17-Workplace-violence-From-Yale-University-to-your-office-it-never-goes-away



Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Survivor Samoa: The man you love to hate

9/15/09 Two new reality shows

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Big Brother 11: Finale
Chicago Reality TV Examiner--The Biggest Loser: It's time to start over

No time to write anything else.

9/13/09 Reality TV--Big Brother

Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Big Brother 11: Highlights from the season

9/12/09 A day

Today was a day. Yep. And tomorrow will be another one.

I slept in excessively today and missed Weight Watchers. But according to my scale I stayed the same, so I guess it's okay.

Went shopping with Jane and Sarah after lunch. Hit Hobby Lobby, Kohl's and Dollar Tree. Unfortunately, it did in my back and I couldn't go to the celebration at Blessed Sacrament tonight.

Article is: Mental Health Examiner--They call themselves patriots but some are xenophobic, jingoistic, and racist

9/10/09 A very long day

I worked 8 AM until 8 PM two nights in a row, so am beat. But I did write an article,



Chicago Reality TV Examiner--Big Brother 11: It all comes down to the final HOH

9/8/09 A provocative article, I think

I'll probably get a lot of hits on this one, and a bunch of negative comments. But that's life.


What do people have to be paranoid about, now that Obama's school speech is over?

And the reality tv article Big Brother 11: Only three houseguests are left

9/7 No labor Labor Day

Went out to lunch with Jane and Sarah, then an exciting jaunt to KMart. I've written one article today and have one more to do. Plus one more load of laundry. Yep, I've put everything off until the last moment as usual.


Today's Reality TV article--Big Brother 11: I want you to be in the final two with me

9/5/09 A good weigh in

I lost 3.4 pounds and am now down 22.2 pounds with about a thousand to go. But I'm feeling positive.

After WW, Gus and I went to Starbucks and then to the office for a few hours. Have been taking it easy since then.

Today's Reality TV article: Real Chance of Love 2: Junk's name describes what she's throwing around

9/4/09 Eating tonight and weigh in tomorrow

Had dinner with Jane, Pete, and Sarah at Elder's. I sure shouldn't have gone there and eaten french fries--I have to weigh in tomorrow morning. Yikes. But I skipped last week for no good reason and I really have to go tomorrow.

Then Jane, Sarah, and Jordan came over and Sarah and I watched the Hannah Montana movie. It was predictable but really cute and had some good music in it. And Gus sure liked having company.

I wrote two articles tonight. Hope you enjoy at least one of them. :) Thanks for reading--thanks for at least clicking. :)

Big Brother 11: Do good guys finish last or will Jeff stay in the game?


Online therapy: My name is Eliza, how may I help you?

9/3/09 Reality TV Examiner

First one and after two 12 hour days I'm too tired to post more. :)

The Colony loses George, their doctor

9/1/09 Just an article, that's it.

Wait--Chris Brown does remember attacking Rihanna

8/31/09 Great exercise for Gussie

Another bad day, back-wise, so Gussie's exercise consisted of walking across the alley to the gas station to buy some trash stickers. Then he walked out in front while I placed my recyclables at the curb. He really thought he got a nice walk since he had his leash on. And I don't even feel guilty.

Tonight's article is: Chris Brown "doesn't remember" assaulting Rihanna

8/30/09 Lazy Sunday

Slept in and all I did all day was work on the computer. Lazy day, but it felt good.

Tonight's article: Mental Health Examiner: Do you live in a stressed-out city?

Last night had dinner at Jan and Tim's. My oh my the food was good. I ate way too much. Had to get back "on the wagon" today.

8-28-09 No new site yet

My Examiner boss is having trouble setting up my new site, but hopefully it will be done soon. In the meantime, here's tonight's mental health article: Worrying about losing your job causes high stress, even more than we thought

8/25/09 Puppies, puppies, and more puppies

Am going to see two Shih Tzu pups tomorrow. Free. Purebred. Just hope some family members want one. I know they are going to be adorable.

Applied yesterday for another examiner position--national Reality Show Junkie Examiner.

Tonight's article is: What role did Michael Jackson play in his own death?

Am tired out tonight. Will probably hit the sack early. Well, maybe after just one more game of Farkle... (fingers crossed behind my back)

8/23/09 A beautiful Sunday

We all had such a good time out at the cabin. Thanks so much John and Paulette. Everything was perfect.

Today's weather was gorgeous. Didn't do much. Ate a lot of fried green tomatoes, because when I have green tomatoes in my house I just can't help it. Who else in the world has an addiction to fried green tomatoes? What a dork.

Gus and I walked for a mile throughout the university and it was fun seeing all the kids settling in for the year.

My latest article is Compassion versus justice: Scotland releases Lockerbie bomber

8-22-09 Pedicures and puppies

I took Gussie with me when I got a pedicure. He absolutely loved it. First he had to smell everything because these were brand new smells for him. Then Kaitlyn and Jaden came in--the owners' kids. So Gus had a ball while I was relaxing and getting my toes prettified.

This afternoon we're going to John's cabin for a big family picnic. I'm excited. My sisters are bringing their dogs too, so should be fun.

Today's article is Does Kate--of Jon and Kate Plus8--have OCD?

8/21/09 A good day

I worked a half day then picked up Gussie. We went to QU to get my ID updated and I brought him in with me. It was really fun to watch everyone's faces. School hasn't started yet so I thought what the heck.

Then I slept all afternoon. And this evening went to Germanfest with Jan, Tim, Uncle Bill, John, Jane, Pete, and Sarah. I really enjoyed myself. Because of my recent bout with back "stuff" I couldn't polka with Jan like we always have done, but did do the chicken dance with Jan. (And, Jan, I'm paying the price as I feared, but I promise not to call you and cry.)

Here's my first article as the national Mental Health Examiner--Autism service dogs: True service dogs or merely comfort animals?

8/18/09 Gus is a star

Gus is a star in the Alpha Dog commercial. He's in it a few places, but at the very end he runs toward the camera all by himself. I'm so proud of my little buddy. It'll be on KHQA through 8/31. Elizabeth showed me at Alpha Dog today, but I saw it during the news tonight. Gee, this is fun. I hope to catch it on video.

Tonight's article is: They gave a second chance to Michael Vick's dogs: Does he deserve a second chance too?

8-15 Back home

After a fantastic vacation, I'm back to normal. (Normal?) Am working on publishing photos on Facebook, but am running into just a little trouble. I promise they'll be there by tomorrow.

Today was great--my sisters, niece Sarah, and I volunteered at HELP which is a back to school extravaganza, providing many needed services for kids going back to school. Back to school physicals, sports physicals, dental exams, clothing, haircuts, school supplies and backpacks, and probably more--all these services were offered today. It was wonderful. The other family members have been doing it for four or five years, but this is my first one. Won't be my last.

Then afterward a whole bunch of us met at Cassano's for Jane's belated birthday lunch. It was fun and delicious.

Tonight's article is: Euthanasia: Australian with quadraplegia has right to die.