I sure do wish Mother Nature would make up her mind! Where I live in North Texas, our weather has always fluctuated depending on where the winds are coming from.  If they blow from the chilly north, we have cold days, and if it blows from the balmy south, we have warm days. The difference can be startling - 40 degrees today and 70 degrees tomorrow.  But by February, the huge gaps usually arent as big or as frequent. The chilly times are more often at night and not so much in the daytime. 

Well, not so today - it's just plain cold all dang day! and gray and cloudy- wouldn't mind the cold so much if it were sunny, but it's not - sigh. 

The other thing is I prefer writing on a sunny day - but- since Quinn needs to be finished sooner than later - writing on a gray day I shall do! 

and since I have a ton of work ahead of me today- here's the opening scene of Quinn to wet your whistle! remember pre orders are up at all vendors and if you want it a little early (not much mind you) then you can wait and buy it at a 10% discount direct from my site! 

here goes- hope you like it: 

 
      The sun beat down mercilessly on the old café, its weathered clapboard siding a testament to nearly a century of neglect. Another Texas summer hung over the town of Four Corners, now more commonly known as Sadieville.
     Quinn Farraday stood with his boot propped against a pile of broken lath and plaster, surveying the building's skeletal interior with a critical eye. One of the crew carried stacks of broken chairs and rotted tables covered with demolition debris to the front porch. Progress, sure but steady. He liked that.
      Returning to the assigned task, his work-gloved hand brushed against the crumbling walls, feeling the decades of history beneath his fingertips. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light streaming through the gaps in the termite riddled siding, soon to be replaced by cement board. Inside the bare structure would be covered with plenty of insulation and modern sheetrock. He grunted, shifting his weight and adjusting his grip on the pry bar. Another day, another renovation.
       Board by board, building by building, Sadieville had slowly been coming back to life.  One episode at a time, the dust, cobwebs, and rotted wood in the once forgotten ghost town, had painstakingly given way to the beginnings of an attractive and inviting small town.
      The Mercantile had seen the first transition, then, a nearby group of homestead houses had been rehabbed for the families the town hoped to draw. His brother Neil and his wife Nora moved into the first home. After that came the hotel—and now the café that would soon serve the production and construction crews alike. Not that the crews didn’t love Molly’s gourmet food truck, they did, but a sit down restaurant for dinner would be a welcome addition for the hotel guests and growing number of town residents the Tuckers Bluff council had been working so hard to attract.
      The camera crew from Construction Cousins reality TV show circled like vultures, their equipment catching every swing of a hammer, every cloud of demolition dust, and of course, every mishap, prank, and moment of shenanigans that ensued.
    "This place already looks better," Nodding his approval at the scene, his brother Neil crossed to a makeshift workbench cobbled together from salvaged lumber and unrolled his architectural drawings. "We're keeping as much of the original footprint as possible."
Quinn's gaze flickered briefly to the blueprint, catching the key details. The design would preserve the bones of the old cafe while bringing it into the modern era.
     Tracing a line on the blueprint, Neil tapped his finger on the page. "The idea is to  modernize the kitchen,”
       “Duh,” Morgan teased from across the large room.
Rolling his eyes, Neil ignored his older brother. “Open up the dining area. The town council wants something that still feels authentic to the original era, but can actually serve more than lukewarm coffee and day-old pie."
       On a ladder by the large window, Morgan laughed, pulling down another small section of lath and plaster. Wooden strips pulled away from the wall, revealing the rough-hewn studs beneath. Chunks of hardened plaster crumbled to the floor, releasing decades of settled dust.  "Speaking of pie, I hope they find a real chef. Not some celebrity who thinks wearing a white coat makes them Gordon Ramsay."
        “Or some hotshot celebrity chef who thinks adding mesquite smoke to everything makes it authentic Texas barbecue.” Ryan, the youngest brother and Quinn’s Irish twin, wheeled in a large trash bin to clean up the remaining debris.
      Morgan's laugh cut through the ambient noise. "I heard the town council is sorting through over a hundred applications."
     “You’re kidding?” Ryan’s jaw dropped slightly open. “Who knew there were that many people wanting to move to dusty West Texas?”
       Neil rolled the papers up again. “There are a lot of people who think moving to a ghost town will be fun.”
       “Or spooky,” Ryan added, his attention falling on the bare wall in front of Quinn. Wooden laths revealed like old ribs of a building holding its breath.
      “Or spooky,” Neil chuckled, tucking the tube of designs under his arm. “I’m going with Connie to look for some fixtures. The kitchen appliances will be top of the line, but in the dining room I need vintage for atmosphere. I’ll leave y’all to finish cleaning this place out.”
      With a nod, Quinn turned his attention to the wall, working methodically, each movement calculated. Baseball had taught him precision—every swing counted, every motion mattered. The muscles in his shoulders remembered the discipline, the quiet intensity he'd always brought to every task.
       A particularly stubborn section of plaster resisted. Quinn's jaw clenched. He'd never been one to back down from a challenge. A quick strategic hit, and the wall surrendered, showering debris across the floor.
     His brothers moved around him, a well-choreographed dance of demolition and preservation. No words needed. They'd been doing this together so long, communication happened in grunts, half-glances, or the subtle shift of a shoulder.
        Quinn's hand tightened on the hammer. Another swing. Another piece of history revealed. His focus on the wall, his mind wandering to the next stage; the arrival of the chef. The man’s professional know-how would add the final touches of the kitchen. If they continued moving at this pace, the town council had better choose their candidate sooner than later. Much sooner. 

Okay - that's it for today - have a good week and stay warm! 

Well this looks to be a week of good news for the Keniston Clan.  Starting with I don't have to wear a sweater this week - yay! I love weather in the 70s, not too hot so when you get in the car you melt, and not so chilly that you need a sweater or wrap - This will be my week!  Won't tempt Mother Nature with what comes after that LOL. 

Next, I have lost 1.8 pounds since last Monday. I'm trying desperately because to be quite frank I don't know any 90 year olds who are over weight and I would like to get there if I can - the catch is I want to do it like Rita Moreno - that woman is over ninety, still moves on her own steam- heck she even dances, and her voice is as strong and stable as if she were forty years younger - that's my goal and it starts with this week down almost two pounds. If I can drop a pound a week for the next several months, I will be one very happy camper. 

And third on the list, my husband is officially on the first step to retirement. Over the next eight week he will be training the new folks in charge of the family business and then we'll be off and running. First stop in April, Disney World with my daughter and her family - it will be fun to see how the kids react to Disney. I honestly don't remember what my kids did and didn't like at the time. Being the parent always means organizing, corralling, and basically keeping everyone on task - this time - I just get to enjoy. I love being the grandparent! 

This brings me to writing - well, the Sweets are giving me a few fits, and I had to move on to Quinn which is releasing in a couple of months so I need to get him finished and ready to go.  I've already started and hopefully he'll be more cooperative than Carson Sweet has been lol. 

What about you guys? How have you survived the cold weather spree? I love this photo of my daughter's cat in Houston - I would pay big bucks to read his mind.  I don't know that he's ever seen snow. Most of Houston probably hasn't seen that much snow! 

This week we're going to be sprucing up the yard, getting rid of all the massive ant mounds that have appeared since all the winter rain - do you have fire ants where you live? They're sneaky little buggers - and when they bite, they bite! 

All right - time to say ciao till next week.  Or as a friend would say, see ya later alligator.

Well, even though I avoided snow this last cold snap - all the photos remind me of growing up in NY.  Back when I was a little girl we had a LOT of snow OFTEN. Not just a few inches, I remember the snow being almost as tall as I was!  There are so many photos through the years before and after I was born of family and friends standing on the sidewalk with three feet of snow on either side of them - and most of the time, it wasn't just a mound from shoveling, it was everywhere!  By the time I was a teen in the 70s, we got a lot less snow but still enough for me to escape to the South lol. 

So, while my daughter was experiencing snow in Houston, I was working in Florida wondering who swiped Mother Nature's meds.  Almost the entire time I was there, the weather was in the thirties and raining to boot!  Not my favorite weather. But I was smart enough to have brought long pants, closed shoes, and a jacket - so there is that. 

I've been doing my best to keep working on Sweet Surprise.  This one is a bit more challenging that Sweet Beginnings, but I'm hoping you like what I do with it. 

Since my mom with alzheimer's is staying with me unexpectedly for a few days while she adapts to her new hearing aids, there's not much time for writing or story telling, so here's a small snippet from Sweet Surprise: 

      As much as he hated to admit it, he’d taken to eating lunch at the café every day this week. The stress of not finding a willing female to help save the ranch was making it harder and harder to look his siblings—and mother—in the eyes.  He had no idea why, but he felt as the second born it was his responsibility to move forward, more than garret or the girls.
      Of course Kade, would be the most logical as the oldest, but away serving his country meant passing the baton to Carson.  Removing his hat, he hung it on a hook by the booth and slid in. No standing on ceremony at the café. If there was an open table, the locals took it.
       Agnes walked past him. “Be back in just a moment.”
      Nodding, he glanced up at the recent addition of a blackboard with chalk specials on it. For years the menu had never changed, but for some reason, Agnes decided it was time for a little variety. Glancing at the booth in front of him, he noticed a little boy sitting by himself.  Studying the child, he didn’t recognize the face. Honeysuckle wasn’t so small that he knew ever single resident, but it was small enough that he knew most. Often he could figure out who the parents were just by looking at the offspring’s face. There were usually only two choices, looks like their mother or father. Every once in a while a grandparent made the connection, but this time he was stumped.
      Lifting his gaze from his artwork, the little boy smiled at him. No fear of strangers. Carson supposed in a small town like this that was a good thing. A moment later the boy looked up again, this time not fully raising his head, just glancing Carson’s way through thick lashes. The kid had the most startling green eyes. Not since, well, not for a long time had he seen eyes quite so green.
     Wondering what was taking his parents so long to return to the table, Carson slid out from the booth and taking a few steps, slid into the empty seat in front of the boy. “Mind if I join you?” 
And on that note - I'm off to play daughter! 

Timing was definitely on my side this week - I'm in Florida again working on finishing book two of the new series, plotting out ideas for another series set in Florida - what do you think of that?  Debating turning it into a continuation of the book Shell Game - Sophia was so much fun!  Best of all - the coldest daytime weather here will be in the fifties with a bit of rain, but back home, in the twenties and waiting on the dreaded - snow! 

Before leaving home I needed to buy eggs - we usually buy sort of organic without hormones and things in an effort to keep our food a smidge healthier, especially when the grands visit. Well, I guess there's an egg shortage because all the store had were blue eggs - I have never in my life seen blue eggs! Especially not in a chain grocery store - but there they were. Of course, I knew they would taste the same, but it was a bit of a startle for me! 

Now - back to Florida - I discovered something new and tasty - cookies from Disney Springs. My host had one in her fridge -oh my heavens! Had the peanut butter one - what a delicious and amazing treat. Of course didn't do much good for my diet - which after five days it was quickly decided that carnivore was not going to work. For now, I'm skipping all bread, pasta, rice, and baked goods (well except the bite of peanut butter cookie lol) and we'll see how that helps. I have GOT to lose some serious poundage if I want to live long enough to see my grandkids grow up! 

All right folks - that's it for today! I have to run - so much to do while the sun is out.

Enjoy your new year - and do tell me - what do you think about a series based on Shell Game? 

Yep - the holiday season is officially over - no more 'permission' to enjoy - now it's time to drop those pesky pounds that have been hanging onto me like a koala to his mama! lol. 

I have been struggling with how the heck am I going to drop a few pounds for over a year - everything I try doesn't quite work - I found that by skipping breakfast I don't gain as much but it's not any help losing. And of course I put on a few more pounds after the holidays to add to the challenges. 

well - recently I saw something about a carnivore diet and thought - hmm - I can do that... so - i've started - now I'm not sure that my chocolate martinis are acceptable, but I went ahead and had them at dinner tonight anyhow! lol.  My friend and I went out to a very fancy steakhouse where I had scallops on bacon for an appetizer and then a whole lot of porkchop for dinner. 

I brought home leftover porkchop and tomorrow will try it again - we'll see how far I get! 

As for the nasty bout with Strep throat - well - my daughter's throat hurts - again - and today I took my uncle to the doctor - he has it too! Apparently it really 'tis the season!  - and thank heavens for GoodRx - my uncle's antibiotic was 210 dollars until I asked about goodRx - my uncle wound up paying $20 for the same prescription - it's nuts! 

as for book two of the new series - I'm struggling with this one - sigh.  It's talking long, I'm sort of wandering back and forth, but need to keep plugging along -   

the weather here is starting to perk up a bit - today at one point we finally hit 50 degrees. It's going to keep warming over the rest of the week until we hit the 60s - I'm all for that! then I'm off on a brief business trip to Florida again - At least this time I can walk without an orthopedic boot! Though I am really looking forward to the farmers market - last time I bought some home made whole milk mozzarella and we ate it with some sliced vine ripened tomatoes - SO good! 

Now I know it's late - the day got away with me - mostly taking uncle to doctor appointments - the first for his cataracts and the second for his throat - and of course there was the eternal delays picking up his meds. All in all - a very productive day - and I for one - am ready for bed - even if it is somewhat early LOL. 

​Okay - bidding you farewell until next time! 

The grandkids were a lot of fun - my house did look like someone had dropped a bomb on it - but I was delighted to have them here. My granddaughter especially is still at the cute stage where she says things that make you smile. For instance my Uncle walked past her and said- she reminds me of goldie hawn in overboard when she's just sitting in the chair going bubububu - so turned to my granddaughter and laughed - told me uncle that's Up Above - she's singing twinkle twinkle LOL.  She's only two so that part did sound a bit like bububu LOL. 

but alas, then came the down side - yours truly developed a fever of 102 quickly followed with a scratchy throat that became the fires of hell.  Thankfully, today I am on the mend but have SO much to catch up on and no photos to share - 

on the book news- the new flirt is available everywhere - the first book in the sweet series is back from editor and almost finalized- and book 2- sweet surprises is on chapter four now! 

Since I have no photos and am very late posting - here's a snippet from one of the chapters of book one: 
​
    Liz’s cheeks pulled back in a wide smile to rival her sister’s and snapped the new holster onto her hips again. “Looks like we’re going to show Mildred McEntire she’s not the only one who can bedazzle the crowd.”
     “You’d better not mean you’re going to blind me with bling.”
     “Of course not. That’s not my style.”
     “Good. For a minute there I thought I was going to have to find a new sister.”
     “Don’t you look serious.” The door closed behind their niece Jillian.
     “Oh, hi sweetie.” The holster still on her hips, Liz turned and drew her niece into a big bear hug. “You look prettier than an East Texas rose.”
     “I do take after my aunts.” Jillian grinned at them. The long running joke between the Davis women and the twins always brought a smile to their faces.
     Liz undid the holster. “What brings you by? I thought y’all were going to the ranch for a family dinner.”
     “I am.” Jill picked up a red bean bag with an embroidered American flag on it and weighed it in one hand. “I was just thinking.”
     Liz looked to Vicki. She didn’t like the glint in her niece’s eyes. Ever since the twins learned to speak, they could get their aunts to do or say anything. Right about now, say was the problem.
     “Mama tells y’all absolutely everything."
     Uh oh. With there being nothing but boys in the family until Jill and Rachel were born, it was plum easy for every adult in the family to cave in to the blonde pigtails and sweet smiles. Even if they didn’t wear pigtails anymore, resistance was futile. Except this time their sister had sworn them to secrecy.
     “I don’t know about everything,” Vicki offered up quickly. They needed to stay strong—and silent.
     “But enough?” Jillian dropped the bean bag back in the display bowl, then inched closer. “Something is going on with Mom and I’d like to know what it is.” 
That's all for today - See y'all next week ! 

Sorry today is late but it's been a busier than usual week - not only did we have the holidays - but I now have my two grandkids for the week - yay! I just might need a week or two to recover LOL. 

So much reminds me of my kids when they were young... and how tired I must have been LOL. 

we'll start with the holidays - we celebrate Christmas Eve as well as Christmas day - two of the only three days a year I really cook! (meaning need an oven not a microwave LOL). I pull out my grandmother's good china and silverware and now we add my husband's family silverware to the mix. We try to keep passing it down so we don't have too much. I have my grandmother's my daughter has my mother's and when my granddaughter grows up she'll have my husband's family silver - then eventually she'll get my grandmother's when I'm no longer doing dinners and then some day, someone will get my mothers! 

anyhow here are the two tables on christmas Eve and Christmas Day - we had a smaller crowd on christmas day and the kids went to bed before the adults ate.  You can see the lasagna already on the table Christmas eve - I make a pretty good New York style lasagna, and then for the first time in ages, I made a roast beef. I've been making homemade mac and cheese for a few years now but I still can't match the original recipe - sigh, but I keep trying! 

After those two big days of cooking and santa, we all went to Grapevine Texas - the Christmas Capital of Texas - for the North Pole Train ride!  The kids just loved that - I didn't get good photos of the 'elves' on board or of Santa and Mrs Claus but I did get a few photos to share! My mom at 89 kept up pretty well, of course we had to walk a little slowly but hey at 89, walking at all is pretty great! First photo is her waiting to go inside - Mom was as excited as the kids. Then we have the conductors outside, and then the pretty decorations inside, and a shot of the men - hubby, uncle, son in law, and grandson (the women were on the other side) - as we pulled out of the station. 

If you're in the North Texas area next year - the Grapevine Main street is all lit up and worth a family visit - the train tickets sell out fast for the whole season, but there's plenty of other things to do and see and enjoy from Santa, to glass blowing, and craft vendors and of course all the shops and lights. Both our little ones seemed to enjoy it - and best of all - at bedtime they were out like lights in a heartbeat LOL - 

Now it's just Oma and Pawpaw and two kids, so I'm a bit late today - but I'm enjoying every minute. Fortunately, I have two snugglers on my hands, so if Oma's tired, they're up for snuggle time. Especially if Pawpaw is reading to them! 

I will be sending out that new flirt from the Hart Land series any day now, so if you're not signed up for my newsletter - sign up now because it's free to subscribers but the rest of the world will have to pay for it! 

Okay- off to fix supper - have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

So far so good.  I got both book one of the new series and the flirt back from my editor so y'all will be seeing the flirt in your emails before the end of the year if you subscribe to my newsletter and everyone else will be able to pick it up at their favorite vendor for 99 cents. The book, well, that sucker needs some work, but I'm squeezing it in between holiday preparations. 

I seem to be sort of on schedule. LOL.  I still need to run to the grocery store for a few things but will start putting together the christmas eve dinner - I make lasagna - not very holiday traditional but my family loves it so there you go lol.  Then I'm simplifying christmas day to a roast beef and mac and cheese (my son in law and grandson's favorite) and my daughter's favorite green bean casserole-- the only hold out from our traditional christmas day dinner. 

the fly in the ointment has been the guest list.  My cousin and his family (six all together) were supposed to join us for Christmas eve dinner but due to a plumbing problem and workers coming today AND tomorrow, they backed out. Which is disappointing but okay, it's just too bad the thing didn't break yesterday before we moved the living room furniture around and rearranged the office upstairs to bring the upstairs table downstairs.  Here's our hardwork that will be undone today! LOL. And our christmas tree. 

I'm SO proud of that tree. For more than a decade, I have put the tree up, plugged it in, called it colorful and done (Yeah, I'm a bit of a scrooge lol).  Now that I have grandchildren, I go out of my way to make the house festive and fun so they enjoy coming to Oma and Pawpaws for the holidays. I not only put all the ornaments up (well most of them) but I even added a little tinsel.  I was so proud of that tree when it was done, and it was fun too, like when I was a kid with my mother, not the chore it turned into after years of adulting LOL. 

To add to the festivities - I strung christmas lights along the patio doors and around the fireplace in the den. It looks so cool - especially at night. I didn't take a photo because the room is sort of majorly messy - but I'll share later when it's cleaned up! LOL. Of course what prompted that was my five year old grandson was disappointed last year that all the pretty lights outside the house weren't also inside the house.  I've got a few fun ideas up my sleeve for next year when I won't be coming off a foot injury.

Which I am delighted to announce I graduated from the orthopedic boot to laced shoes. My ankle will hurt if I push it too far, but improvement is wonderful! 

Since I know there are lots of folks celebrating different holidays this season and some just enjoying the peace and quiet, I'm signing off to go move furniture and leaving you with this photo of the outside lights this year!  (yes, they look a lot like last year LOL) 

This has been a hard week in many ways. An author friend of mine lost her husband unexpectedly which means my hubby and I lost a cherished friend. The truth is, in this busy life, we hardly ever get to see the people we care about as often as we'd like. Whether it's the distance of cities and states that separate us, or the long hours of our day jobs, or responsibilities to our young or elderly, time is often in high demand with not enough to go around. 

So, this week I had lunch with a friend I haven't seen in months, and even though we were dead tired, over the weekend, hubby and I went to a Christmas party to catch up with folks we don't see very often. No more wasting what little time we have. 

Anyone who is signed up for my newsletter will have a treat in this month's news - I'm working on a Hart Land flirt. For folks who don't remember those, they're little short stories. Glorified meet cutes. I got the idea years ago after watching a marathon of the old television series Love American Style. They're all on sale for 99 cents (told you they were short), but are given free to my newsletter subscribers. Another good reason to sign up if you're not already signed up! 

On the health side of news, my foot is improving. I can walk short distances in my house with just a compression bandage, but for long treks out in the real world, like stomping through Home Depot, I still need to wear the boot. But, the ankle is so much better, I can sleep at night, even toss and turn, and it doesn't hurt so that's a big plus! 

We also got our Christmas tree up this weekend, I need to decorate it and the rest of the inside of the house, but it's going to have to wait till I can walk around the house a bit more easily. 

​So, for now, back to finishing up that Flirt. See y'all next week! 

Are you an early planner? Do you have all your holiday gifts bought and wrapped? 

Or are you like me, staring at the calendar and asking yourself how can we be in the almost middle of December already? 

I did manage to get my Christmas lights up on the house, so there is that. My husband, who in some ways is a little kid himself, has already bought a bunch of gifts, mostly books, for my grands. Now I sit here wondering if anyone would notice if we didn't decorate inside!  lol 

While my ankle is improving greatly, I still spend a good deal of time in my recliner debating if I really want to walk across the house. Pulling out the Christmas decorations from the under the stairs closet is not an easy task when you're wobbly. For instance, remember that Halloween house? Well, they have their Christmas decorations up and I want to film it for you - except that means walking LOL. In the cold - is it cold by you? It's really cold for Texas. Normally we have a few warm days and a couple of chilly ones, but I've worn my coat more this December than I did all of last winter! Anyhow, the filming is going to have to wait for a warm evening. I could take daytime photos, but i drove past it last night and it is much prettier when it's all lit up at night. 

The fun thing I'm looking forward to is that my grands are going to stay with us a week after mom and dad go home - yay! the downside for this night owl is that I'm going to have to get up every morning at 7am, but that's a small price to pay. 

As for book news, another Honeymoon box set releases tomorrow, and I'm still working out the plan for book two in the new Sweet series. Haven't heard  back from my editor on book one, but hoping to meet up with a few author friends and work out the darn book. 

​Until then, enjoy the season!