It's been a while since I've posted anything. Sorry. Life gets busy and priorities aren't always set in stone.

My suspense/romance is presently being edited by a professional. I'm on pins and needles waiting to hear from her but not looking forward to the work that will be necessary to improve my writing.

It will be interesting to see what I'll learn from her as she is a "teaching" editor which is the reason I chose her.

I also have a poem in the wings that needs improvement and am procrastinating as usual. When I'm not in the mood to write, it's best to take a break. Of course, reading three or four books during that time is a poor excuse but it works for me.

Just like my old Schwinn bike: flat tires and needs some work, I need to get back on the seat and start pedaling.

   I was driving to a substitute teaching job on automatic. You know what that is: driving but not really focusing on your driving. My mind was all over the map. I began thinking about the teacher who would be absent that day. He has the same name as a fictional character. That's when I my mind drifted off the side of the street because I wondered if he had ever gotten his DNA checked through one of those online sites. Perhaps he was related to the fictional character (sans "fictional" said in a droll tone). Like a balloon popping, I realized my faux pas. I hoped that this was not an example of what lay ahead for the day. My students enjoy hearing my strange experiences so I shared it with the first period class. You can imagine my surprise when a few of them thought the fictional character was a real person. Their classmates were laughing in disbelief as was I. You never know what will come out of the mouth of a child, even a 10th grader.

So what is new with you on the writing scene? I started working on a short story for a contest that is due at the end of September. Unfortunately life intervenes and school has started which means I'm subbing again plus keeping up with the housework.

If you have an old story filed away in your computer's archives, pull it out. Try a rewrite. Submit it. You never know when something is going to catch a publisher's or agent's eye.

If you don't try, you won't fail. If you do try and fail, you successfully tried. Which is best?

Gimmee a break...

You can't spend all your time writing. It's okay to take a break and do something fun even if it turns into work. I've spent weeks working on flower beds and decorations. Take a peek and let me know what you think.

So satisfying to send my book to an agent. You might want to try that. Even if it is rejected, you still learn from the experience.

God is good and His timing is right.

I tried to make a recording using my computer and discovered all you would hear was silence so until I figure out how to record my voice and video, I'll stick with writing.

I haven't felt like writing since my husband passed away but things have changed. I have two books out to two different agents.

I'm back to substitute teaching again and trying very hard not laugh at the antics of my students. It doesn't work but I am adding both first and last names for book characters. The parents of these students give me a wealth of different names and I thank them.

I plan on editing another completed book to take out backstory which is something that happened in the past and needs to be changed to follow the correct way of informing the reader how the characters met and interacted. I wish I knew that before I had written the first two books in a series.

Always something to do. God bless you and have a wonderful Easter.

It has been a rough month. My husband of 42 years went home to be with the Lord. He had been in ill health for years. I just didn't expect it so quickly. But the Lord was blessing both of us. Sonny is no longer sick. He is healthier than anyone on earth. I wasn't forced to stop life support. Thank you God for making that decision for me. You are great and wonderful. Praise the Lord!