A Bit of Bad News

Well, folks, Life has thrown us a curveball once again, and it includes some pretty bad news, I’m afraid. My husband Mark tested positive for COVID this morning, and I’m still trying to get my head around what all this might mean. 

The good news is:

  1. We’ve both had our shots, which can mean milder cases with less severe symptoms for many people.
  2. They are setting him up to receive the IV medication that can also reduce the severity of symptoms. 
  3. Mark is incredibly healthy for his age (72) and almost never gets sick. (I think it’s been at least ten years since his last common cold.)
  4. He only developed symptoms last night, which we hope means I may not come down with this, too.
  5. He’s now isolated in the master bedroom for 10 to 14 days, depending on what other symptoms, if any, he develops. Again, this may help keep me safe.

The Bad News is:

  1. It’s COVID. Who really knows what will happen now?

I’m letting you know this is going on because I have no idea at all what the next week or two will bring for either of us, and if I disappear for a bit, you’ll know why. I WILL try to keep you updated as to how things are progressing. And all positive thoughts, prayers, healing energy, wizardly magic, and plain ol’ best wishes will be gratefully accepted in the meantime. 

Thanks!! And please, STAY SAFE out there! 🤗 ❤

Whew! We Were Spared!!

NOTE: Just after I posted this, Elsa made landfall near Cedar Key. (A good distance north of us. 65mph winds, and from the map, it looks as though Gainesville (where my son lives) is now being hit by those eastern bands. We are “officially” in the clear here.) 

Just a quick note to let you know that Hurricane Elsa was once again downgraded to a tropical storm, and didn’t come ashore yet. It barely missed a direct hit on Tampa, apparently, and has continued northward up the coast.

Here, we were greeted by torrential rains  from one of the wicked eastern bands at 6:00am this morning , but any serious wind must have blown through overnight. Thus far, we seem to have escaped any damage, and I think my son & family did, as well, though an hour or two ago, they were getting a LOT of heavy rain. But nothing dire.

I believe we are out of Elsa’s reach now, unless she does a sudden U-turn, but please keep the folks still in her path in your thoughts and prayers. It can gain strength again before finally touching land, and even as a tropical storm, can cause a lot of wind and flood damage. 

And a HUGE thank you for all the well wishes, prayers, positive thoughts, and encouragement. It really helped me deal with the prepareation and stress involved over the last couple of day. I’m going to try to catch up with some comments, but bear with me if it takes a while. In the meantime, I must say, you guys ROCK!

Hurricane Elsa Update …

Yep, it looks like Elsa will be a hurricane when it hits Tampa, which means those folks over there could have all kinds of things to deal with, even if it’s a mild hurricane, including possible storm surge, etc. And it definitely means we be getting the outer bands of the storm, so it might get pretty unpleasant over here, too. I’m hoping not, but there’s nothing to do at this point but to wait and see how it plays out. Will get back with you folks on the other side, which could be a day or two if we have much damage or lingering power outages. But I’ll let you know how we fared as soon as I can.

Thanks for understanding why I may not be able to take part in tomorrow’s Ten Things post, but again, I do hope you’ll enjoy it, regardless. And I’ll join in as soon as possible!

Thinking of everyone in the storm’s path, and hoping you ALL stay safe! 

One More Week!

After much deliberation, dithering around, and mind changing, I’ve finally decided to extend my blog break one more week. I’ve gotten a lot of stuff done that I’d fallen way behind on, both on our house projects, and our garden clean-up/replant. I’ve also made good headway on my PowerPoint presentations coming up this year. And I’ve even written a bit, too, finishing CH 6 and most of CH 7 of my WIP. 

Yeah, I’d hoped to write more, but I realized that some of these other chores were keeping me away from doing so, and by clearing a few more off my To Do list, I’m actually making a lot more time for writing ahead. 

I know most of you will fully understand this decision, and I hope you won’t forget me while I’m gone. If you do, I’m totally gonna blame Diana and Sally. They encouraged me to take more time if I needed to, so it’s obviously on them!
😀 😀 😀 

I’ll be back here on The Write Stuff May 31, if nothing dreadful happens to keep me away. And just so you know, I’ve missed ALL of you more than you can imagine. I’m looking forward to my return!

In the meantime, stay safe, stay well, and STAY HAPPY! See you soon! 🤗

#Reblog Alert – Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp

This week, Sally Cronin’s Weekly Round-Up post is absolutely bursting at the seams with goodies of all kinds! It’s always a pleasure to share these vastly entertaining and amusing posts, and I highly recommend you stop by to check this one out. (And be SURE you don’t miss the video with the horse. I defy the hardest heart not to be touched with that one!) So what are you waiting for? Go take a look! You’ll be glad you did! 🙂

You can read Sally’s Smorgasbord Weekly Round Up post HERE.

And that’s all for now, folks! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

#OnSale #Promo – Entire Wake-Robin Ridge Series – $1.99 each

Merry Christmas, Everybody! As of today through Christmas Eve, each of my Wake-Robin Ridge novels will be on sale for the low, low, LOW price of $1.99.  This is your chance to check out all four books at a rock bottom bargain price! Hope you’ll take advantage of this holiday special! Happy Reading!

BTW, the wake-robin, for which this series is named, is the beautiful wine-red trillium that blooms in the forests of North Carolina every spring. You’ll see it pictured on the cover of all books in this series. 


WAKE-ROBIN RIDGE

BLURB:

“A PHONE RINGING AT 2:00 A.M. never means anything good. Calls at 2:00 A.M. are bad news. Someone has died. Someone is hurt. Or someone needs help.”

On a bitter cold January night in 1965, death came calling at an isolated little cabin on Wake-Robin Ridge. Now, nearly 50 years later, librarian Sarah Gray has quit her job and moved into the same cabin, hoping the peace and quiet of her woodland retreat will allow her to concentrate on writing her first novel. Instead she finds herself distracted by her only neighbor, the enigmatic and reclusive MacKenzie Cole, who lives on top of the mountain with his Irish wolfhound as his sole companion.

As their tentative friendship grows, Sarah learns the truth about the heartbreaking secret causing Mac to hide from the world. But before the two can sort out their feelings for each other, they find themselves plunged into a night of terror neither could have anticipated. Now they must unravel the horrifying events of a murder committed decades earlier. In doing so, they discover that the only thing stronger than a hatred that will not die is a heart willing to sacrifice everything for another.


A BOY NAMED RABBIT: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2

BLURB:

“Evil’s comin’, boy…comin’ fast. Look for the man with eyes like winter skies, and hair like a crow’s wing. He’s the one you gotta find.”

The remote mountain wilderness of North Carolina swallowed up the ten-year-old boy as he made his way down from the primitive camp where his grandparents had kept him hidden all his life. His dying grandmother, gifted with the Sight, set him on a quest to find the Good People, and though he is filled with fear and wary of civilization, Rabbit is determined to keep his promise to her. When he crosses paths with Sarah and MacKenzie Cole, neither their lives nor his, are ever the same again.

The extraordinary little boy called Rabbit has the power light up the darkness, and the resourcefulness to save himself from the one person his grandparents had hoped would never find him. His dangerous and bittersweet journey will touch you in unexpected ways, and once you’ve let Rabbit into your heart, you’ll never forget him.


HARBINGER: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

BLURB:

“. . . he felt the wet slide of the dog’s burning hot tongue on his face, and the scrape of its razor sharp teeth against the top of his head. A white-hot agony of crushing pain followed, as the jaws began to close.”

The wine-red trillium that carpets the forests of the North Carolina Mountains is considered a welcome harbinger of spring—but not all such omens are happy ones. An Appalachian legend claims the Black Dog, or Ol’ Shuck, as he’s often called, is a harbinger of death. If you see him, you or someone you know is going to die.

But what happens when Ol’ Shuck starts coming for you in your dreams? Nightmares of epic proportions haunt the deacon of the Light of Grace Baptist Church, and bring terror into the lives of everyone around him. Even MacKenzie Cole and his adopted son, Rabbit, find themselves pulled into danger.

When Sheriff Raleigh Wardell asks Mac and Rabbit to help him solve a twenty-year-old cold case, Rabbit’s visions of a little girl lost set them on a path that soon collides with that of a desperate man being slowly driven mad by guilt.

As Rabbit’s gift of the Sight grows ever more powerful, his commitment to those who seek justice grows as well, even when their pleas come from beyond the grave.


THE LIGHT: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4

BLURB:

For Robert MacKenzie Cole—or Rabbit, as he’s known to all—the chance to accompany his family to see North Carolina’s infamous Brown Mountain Lights has him nearly dizzy with excitement. And what better night to watch this unexplained phenomenon unfold than Halloween?

But when the entrancing, unpredictable lights show up, Rabbit gets far more than he bargained for. He’s gifted with what folks in the Appalachians call “the Sight,” and it’s this extrasensory perception that enables him to spot the one light different from all the rest.

In his biggest challenge to date, Rabbit—aided by his daddy and his newest friend, Austin Dupree— begins a quest to learn more about the mysterious light. Their investigation unveils a web of cons and corruption none of them expected and exposes a brutal murder along the way.

Throughout all, Rabbit is unfaltering in his commitment to do whatever it takes to understand the truth behind the glowing orb and to determine how he can help it. After all, it followed him home.


Hope you’ll check these out while the sale lasts. There’s nothing like a new book (or four) for Christmas, and it will probably be some time before these books will be available at this price again.  Hope you’ll enjoy them (and might even consider leaving a review or two.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

#Special Guest – #SpecialSale – #SubjectA36 by Teri Polen

Teri Polen has some great news for you folks today! Be sure
to take advantage of this one!
***

Thanks so much, Marcia, for allowing me to do some book promotion on your blog! My most recent release, Subject A36, will be on sale for $0.99 TOMORROW ONLY! I’m currently hard at work on the sequel, which will be released in 2021. Below are the blurb and Amazon link – but remember, don’t click on it until tomorrow!

If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?

Residents of the Colony would. And do.

Only the Insurgents can stop them.

Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.

He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.

Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.

Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.

Amazon Purchase Link


Author Teri Polen

Teri Polen reads and watches horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.  The Walking Dead, Harry Potter, and anything Marvel-related are likely to cause fangirl delirium.  She lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband, sons, and black cat.  Her first novel, Sarah, a YA horror/thriller, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  Visit her online at www.teripolen.com

Contact Links:
Website:  https://teripolen.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TeriPolenAuthor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TPolen6
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16114393.Teri_Polen
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tpolen6/
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/teripolen/
BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/teri-polen

 

Book Promo – GRINDERS – by C.S. Boyack…

Craig Boyack’s latest book, Grinders, is currently being showcased over on The Story Reading Ape’s wonderful blog. If you haven’t read Grinders, you don’t know what you’re missing. Check out the post to see for yourself, and then pass it along, if you can, so others can find and enjoy this truly imaginative, fun book. Thanks!

Book Promo – GRINDERS – BY C. S. Boyak

 

NOTE: 2020 Conversations with Colleen: Meet Author, Mae Clair, @MaeClair1

My good friend and favorite Penderpal, author Mae Clair, is being interviewed over on Colleen Chesebro’s All The Best – Word Craft Prose and Poetry blog. Here’s a great opportunity to learn a bit more about Mae’s wonderful Hode’s Hill series, as well as some insight into how she writes. It’s a fun interview and I hope you’ll take a minute to stop by and say hello to Mae and Colleen.  Thanks! 🙂 

2020 Conversations with Colleen: Meet Author, Mae Clair

 

Scheduling Change for #FirstLineFriday

Good morning, Everyone!

I have come to the conclusion that my basic time management skills are rudimentary, at best, and possibly totally lacking altogether. I seem to have no realistic sense of how much I can accomplish in any given day or week. Or month. Or year. (I think you see where I’m going with this.)

Because I’ve fallen desperately behind on my current WIP, The Emissary 3, and because my readers are getting restless and emailing me regularly about the release of this one, I decided I have no choice but to cut back a bit on social media, at least until I finish this novella and get it published.

I’ve already slowed down on some of my regular features like #MondayMeme and #ShareAReviewDay Tuesdays, for which I apologize, but I’m still too far behind. So  I’ve decided to feature #FirstLineFridays every other Friday until I catch up a bit. I do plan to resume the regular weekly schedule of each of these things as soon as possible, but I hope you’ll understand that for the immediate future, I need to focus on my writing until I get TE3 finished.

This is a temporary situation, and I will be picking up the pace again when I’m more in control of my workload. HONEST. I enjoy this blog too much to disappear completely, so I will still be sharing some things here on the blog, as I’m able. But I think it will be much easier for me to manage if I don’t try to stick to a preset daily schedule. That just becomes a source of frustration when I fail to meet it. 

Thanks so much for your understanding, and rest assured I will be picking up where I left off as soon as possible. In the meantime, I have Jake, Dodger, and Azrael waiting for me to get on with their story, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on. 

 

DON’T WORRY!! Things will be back to normal before you know it! 

NOTE: Since it is a time-sensitive subject, I will continue my weekly Peace Talks Countdown posts, which are pretty much all set to go, already.