Where did Wednesday go? I think all these dogs I’m dog sitting along with the two that are mine have my thoughts scattered. Then a storm came and knocked down trees in my son’s neighborhood to mess up their fenced backyard. No longer dog friendly. Instead dog escape time.
I can blame the dogs and the storm, but my lapse of memory about what day it is might be because I’ve got my head in several stories. I’m doing my best to let readers know about my packhorse librarian book, Along a Storied Trail. It is great to see the reviews coming in from some of those who have read the story. Especially when they are complimentary. And reviewers have seemed to like my book woman, Tansy, and all her mountain friends and family. Here’s one from Urban Book Reviews that showed up this week.
Ann H. Gabhart has a way of luring me into her world of fiction and keeping me there. I did not want to leave…Love, family, friends, and plenty of adventure inside this incredible read.
Those nice words are always good to read about one of your books, but every review is appreciated. If you’ve posted reviews for any of my books, please know I’m very grateful.
But back to the busyness of writing life or perhaps I should just say life. It is very easy to get busy with so many things whatever the season of the year or life. The same as most, I have so many things I want to get done or should get done or have to get done. There are differences in each of those “get dones.” I used to keep this quote on my desk calendar to remind me of those differences.
It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? ~Henry David Thoreau
One of the things I want to be busy about is narrating my books that didn’t get an audio contract through the publishers. I’ve done my Heart of Hollyhill books. A freelance narrator read Scent of Lilacs, but then I gave narration a try with Orchard of Hope and Summer of Joy. If you like audio books, I hope you’ll give them a listen. Now in a little break after sending off my next year’s book to my editor for her thoughts, I am narrating the last Rosey Corner book, Love Comes Home. Angel Sister and Small Town Girl were narrated by professional readers who did a great job or so I’ve heard. I listened to Angel Sister but haven’t Small Town Girl. I thought the narrator did a super job on Angel Sister, but a reader/listener said Small Town Girl was even better.
I don’t think Love Comes Home will be better since I’m not a professional reader or actress, but I do okay and I enjoy the reading. Not the editing, however. At any rate, I’m giving it a try. I’ve got my little soundproof recording place set up with blankets and wanted to get it done before I had to disassemble it, but it takes a while to read a book out loud and then proof it to be sure I read it right out loud. Sometimes the tongue just says something that wasn’t written down on the page.
I’m about halfway through the narration but I am going to have to put a pause on it and hope I don’t forget the voices I’ve decided on for each of my characters. I have a new deadline on the next year’s book with edits my editor has suggested to make the story better. Now I just have to get my head around how to make those changes.
Then I’m ready to start researching for my next book. I have some books lined up to read for that. Plus I have a stack of books I want to read for fun. A writer needs to read. It’s like weight lifting for an athlete. But way more fun and without strain. Still, it builds up those imagination muscles.
That was a lot of words to explain why I let Wednesday slip by. I hope I don’t let Sunday slip by. I have come up with three mystery pictures for a new mystery picture game. I have high hopes of starting the new game Sunday. I hope you’ll want to play along. Of course, I’ll be giving away a few books to those who play.
So what are you busy about this summer? And what is a book you hope to read before summer slides past?