Itâs officially Autumn, butâŠyouâd never prove it by our weather in the middle of California. Upper 90s to triple digits day after day. Gah! But the good news is it cools down at night. And the even better news is the weather on the California coast is usually great in October, and weâre headed for the beach soon to celebrate our 50th Anniversary.
Paul and I both find it really hard to wrap our heads around this milestone. I honestly wouldnât have believed it if I hadnât just spent the past week going through boxes and boxes of the âstuffâ one collects over five decades. Silly things like ticket stubs from: An Evening with Yanni, a swizzle stick from Bermuda, my McDonaldâs uniform pin, my old Press Pass, and a stack of newspaper clippings announcing some of the high points in our life: graduations, marriage, a brief turn as a model, our first spec house ad, my first book release, etc, etc.
But itâs been fun to cruise down memory lane. My daughter and daughter-in-law are working on a video montage using the photos. Here are a couple of fun shots I want them to include: the two of us on top of Half Dome, our first time zip-lining in Mexico, a second honeymoon in Bermuda (it sure beat our firstâŠsee below!!), visiting the Statue of Liberty with the New York skyline in the background. (We went to the top of the Empire State building but didnât have time to do the World Trade Center. We told ourselves, âNext time.â Sigh.)
It surprised me when I looked at the calendar and realized our anniversary fell on a Saturdayâsame as our wedding back in 1974. Since we said our vows in the church that Paul attended for most of his lifeâand since this was in South Dakotaâwe had to prepare for any kind of weather. Hence, my gown, which my mother sewed, was ice blue satin with long sleeves, and Paul wore a spiffy navy-blue velveteen jacket with a demure (kidding) bow tie.
The wedding took place in the evening. As two college students striving to be independent, we were on a shoestring budget. Iâve forgotten how many pale blue, heart-shaped, cream-cheese mints I made for the reception in the church basement. Afterward, some family friends hosted a party for us at a popular dinner club (in the basement).
We lucked out weather-wise: cold, but no snow. Timing-wise, it was the beginning of hunting season, so Iâm sure the early morning risers at the Holiday Inn got a chuckle when they spotted our tiny MGB adorned with the usual trail of cans (mostly Budweiser, I think), some âsuggestiveâ comments, and a condom over the antenna. (I remember being mortified.)
This year, weâre hoping for nicer weather and maybe a whale sighting or two because weâre definitely not in South Dakota anymore.đ Weâre holding a small, family-centric celebration on the central California coast.
This is one of our favorite places on the planet. Hereâs a pic of quaint, colorful Capitola that I transformed into a watercolor.
When we visited this venue last month, we spotted whales feeding quite close to the shoreline where weâll be staying. I told Kelly we arranged it for her birthday.đ
In addition to planning a party, we also put the finishing touches on our new outdoor kitchen patio and putting green this week. Yes, putting as in golf. Do we golf? No, butâŠoh, donât ask me to explain. Itâs just one thing leads to another sometimesâeven when itâs hotter than Hades. Sorta like writing a bookâŠonly much sweatier.đ But are we enjoying it and thatâs what counts, right?
So, letâs talk books!
I recently read a couple of cute, sexy, contemporary romances, and Paul just finished a historical saga that he really liked. Plus, I downloaded a couple of new titles I canât wait to read.
Hereâs Paulâs pick:
ADDISON TRUE by Craig Savoye
Addison True is an old school, rollicking western adventure ride--a sweeping, epic American saga. The historical novel follows the title character, a quintessential American hero, from Addyâs arrival in Gold Rush San Francisco in 1849, age 18, to guiding a winter-trapped wagon train down the back side of the Sierra, pioneering a stagecoach route through Apache territory, getting caught in the 1855 Plains war, serving as sheriff of Leavenworth during âbloody Kansasâ days, Pony Express station keeper in Nebraska territory, to the Civil War, where he is a scout-turned-spy for Grant at Vicksburg, and he and a slave escape north from Mississippi to Ohio.
Paul liked Book 1 so much, he immediately jumped into Book 2. If youâre a fan of western sagas, you should check them out. Both are free on Kindle Unlimited here.
These two contemporary romances are fresh, funny at times, and hotter than I expected. I enjoyed them both even though neither trope is my usual go-to pick: enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers.
MR. ABSOLUTELY NOT! by Alina Jacobs
Armed with comfy pants, overpriced coffee, and a highly anxious emotional-support corgi, I prepare to face him. Corporate boss. Villain.
I step into his office. His perfect mouth twists into a sneer. There is no heart of gold beneath that suit, just a big black pit. Heâs a shark in the frothy waters of high-stakes finance. He might be the quintessential asshole CEO, causing all in his path to quake in fear, but heâs never had to face down a basic bitch in her thirties.
I am exactly like the other girlsâI adore Starbucks, greige home, and making snarky jokes with my bestie. Iâve even inherited a stalker from an ill-advised singles party. Yeah, the stalker is⊠a problem, one Iâm hoping will just go away if I ignore it.
I canât ignore him, though. Heâs all broad shoulders and snide comments, picking apart everything about me as he circles me, going for the kill. He would never fire me, though. Thereâs no fun in that. He wants me to quit, to have a mental breakdown. Well, he can get in line behind my crazy gold-digging sister, my guilt-tripping mother, and the aforementioned stalker.
He pins me with his gaze. I brace myself, waiting for the verbal blow to come⊠Instead, he says, âI need a date tonight, and unfortunately, it has to be you.â
This is a full-length, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, complete with smokinâ hot-but-morally gray heroes, a smidge of suspense, and of course the perfect happily ever after!
From the author of Chick Magnet comes a heartfelt friends-to-lovers story about what can happen when a funny guy and his childhood best friend are stuck together in a small New York City apartment.
Sam canât escape the smash hit âLost Boyâ because, well, he is the lost boy. His pop-singer ex immortalized him in a song about his childish ways, and now his comedy career is on the line.
At least he still has Bree, his best friend and confidante. Bree has always been there for Sam, but sheâs never revealed her biggest secret: sheâs in love with him. To help herself move on, Bree applies for her dream job across the countryâand doesnât say a thing to Sam.
But as Sam tries to resuscitate his career, he turns to Bree for supportâand maybe more. In the confines of her tiny apartment, they share a different dynamic. A charged dynamic. But sheâs his friend. He canât be falling for her. Except he is.
Are his feelings for Bree just funny business? Or is their smoldering attraction the real deal?
Because I have a new cozy series of my own waiting patiently in my back pocket, AND because this cover is one of the best Iâve ever seen on a cozy, I just started reading:
PANIC IN THE PANHANDLE by J.C. Kenney
This is no ordinary wild animal removal call...
In the sleepy panhandle of Florida, Benjamin âElmoâ Simpson has carved out a comfortable niche as the go-to wild animal removal specialist. Life is sweet until a peculiar service request takes him to a local condo and an unexpected scene. Retired lawyer Fran Cohen is missing and in his apartment is a well-fed alligator that appears to have enjoyed a nice breakfast withâŠor rather, ofâŠFran.
All evidence points toward murder, and local alligator farmer, Waldo âRamboâ Quigley has the motive and the means. When Rambo pleads for help to clear his name, old debts and a history of friendship leave Elmo no choice but to investigate. With his girlfriend, Nicola, by his side, and Ramboâs freedom on the line, Elmoâs on the hunt for the real killer, but donât panicâŠElmoâs got a planâŠsort of. Maybe.
Reptilian clues lead to unexpected allies, and the call of danger is addictive. Can Elmo uncover the identity of Franâs killer before becoming the next victim, removed from the scene like an unwanted pest?
From my friendâand fabulous writerâCJ Carmichael comes her new release set in our favorite Montana small town: Marietta. I canât wait to pop into Bramble House and find out whatâs happening. Iâve missed this town.
A BABY AT BRAMBLE HOUSE by CJ Carmichael
You never know who will be checking into Bramble House in the charming Montana town of MariettaâŠ
B & B owners Amy and Chet Hardwick have their hands full. Theyâre fully booked, Chetâs new rodeo school is taking off, and theyâre both trying to deal with their own complicated emotions about becoming first time parents. Meanwhile their guests are proving to be anything but relaxed.
Edgar Keyes, widowed geologist for the US Park Service in Yellowstone, has returned to Marietta to right an old wrong, but an unexpected attraction to Tami, one of two sisters at the B & B trying to repair their relationship, has him reevaluating his entire life...
Librarian Mackenzie Sifton is on a doctor-recommended vacation to recover from work-related trauma. Sheâs looking for relaxation, not romance. But when her car breaks down, passing motorist Craig Denton arrives to the rescue with a toolbox and a dinner invitation.
Romance is the air at Bramble House, but a medical emergency has Amy and Chet thinking they need to close. Their guests have other ideas.
Come join the guests at Bramble House in this heartwarming small-town romance that will take you on a journey of friendship, healing, love, and new beginnings.
