Bits and Bobs is my monthly update featuring personal tidbits and writing news.
Bits and Bobs for July…
For the past forever years, July has meant vacation time at my house. July was the chosen month because it coincided with my husband’s annual treks to San Diego Comic-Con. But July also means stepping out the door is like visiting the surface of the sun. With my spouse no longer braving crowds to be a panel guest at SDCC, I may do vacations earlier in summer. Preferably before average temps hover in the triple digits. But now, on to my update!
New Book Trailer! I just got back from the writing retreat (more on that in a minute). One of the projects I did at the cabin was a video promo for the special edition of Visions. I’ll be posting it in a new section for trailers, but I wanted to also share it here:
Writing Retreat: A good time was had by all, for the most part. I was delighted with the progress I made on writing. Not only with the above trailer (what do you think of it?), but also on Always the Bride. I’m down to the wire on this draft, folks! I pounded keys for over twenty hours until I got the story near the end.
I do confess, I’d hoped to finish it entirely, but I hadn’t counted on heat exhaustion knocking me down the first day (and never fully letting up). It was a lot cooler in the mountains than down at our place, where we were light-headed just packing the car full in the 100+ heat. The bad news was, this still meant mid-eighties temps at a cabin with vaulted ceilings, large expanses of glass to let in heat, and no real A/C. The cabin heated up by 6:30 a.m. and became more or less tolerable again after midnight. (Then the car’s A/C broke down on the trip and can’t be fixed until next week.)
Despite the little hiccups here and there, the setting was truly inspiring for my writing muse. Walking the shops and docks around Lake Arrowhead, waking up to views of the forest, and stargazing on the deck in the evening are memories I will treasure.
Traveling with Pets
This was Tina the wonder pup’s first time traveling,. The poor thing was a bit of a nervous Nellie. She fancies herself our private one-dog security force, and patrolling a generous 2-level cabin proved challenging for little puppy legs. Plus she smelled wildlife in those mountains that she isn’t used to. During daytime walks, we heard other dogs and rattlesnakes. At night, well, walks were curtailed. First night, she growled at something…and the bushes rustled and growled back. She spent more time in her kennel up there. Maybe she felt more secure.
Until next time!