Bits and Bobs is my monthly update featuring personal tidbits and writing news.
Bits and Bobs for September 2018…
Happy Fall! Just a quick update about my new book coming out in a couple of weeks, plus a little bit about what I’ve been doing when I’m not typing away on the keyboard.
![](http://janellmichaels.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fallplants-225x300.jpg)
Fall Decor
We’re still puttering around the new house. Since the blazing summer heat eased slightly (to low/mid-nineties), we’ve done a little on the backyard. AÂ “yard” in the high desert doesn’t mean rolling lawns and koi ponds. Ours came with dirt, rocks, and some trees. But we want that dirt to have character! We hung feeders for feathered friends and are enjoying watching birds come to visit. My favorite tree casts afternoon shade right where our park bench sits, so my husband put planters on either side that I filled with fall flowers. Now it’s a pretty spot to read or write when the weather permits.
I was doubly excited about this because at our old place, I used to do seasonal displays on our front porch. Since the new one doesn’t have a porch to speak of, a decision was made to let go of the seasonal decor and start fresh. Now I have a nice garden window for indoor display, plus the backyard.
Meanwhile, my son is coming from Utah this week to stay a few days. It’s the first time he’ll have seen the house, and we’re super excited.
Book ARCs
Save the Date! Always the Bride has a release date of October 1. Advance copies are already out with the review team, and some great feedback has been coming in from readers saying how much they enjoyed it.
Speaking of writing, I picked up a Chromebook to take back and forth from work so I can get in a little planning or drafting on my lunch break. Also, I’ve been practicing dictation by outlining my next book (a romance for my paranormal pen name) during the commute. Sadly, I’m less than thrilled with the speech-to-text transcription thus far, even after a new microphone and trying different apps. I haven’t given up, though. A lot of writers swear by it.
Until next time!