Hey there, lovely people!
It's a beautiful day here in Northern California. The skies are a deep, clear blue, the temperature is just right – not cold, but not energy-sapping hot, either. It truly feels like the dog days of summer and I'm here for it.
I am rereading the Diana Hunter series, refreshing my memory as I prepare to delve into another adventure for Diana and Peter. How far will she get in her quest to solve the murders of her parents? And what or who is she willing to risk to do so? These are the questions I'm pondering.
I'm also planning my activities for the rest of this year and the whole of next. I wish planning was a job. It's so easy, isn't it? Designing a utopia, no problem. It's the execution and adapting to the changes that's the hard work. Anyhow, I have lots of plans, around half of which I won't get to based on prior experience, but half I will.
Today I have a profile of my right hand person, something you might not know about your Kindle, and a reminder.
Barney and the Birthday Club
In June, when I was in the UK, I met up with this handsome young man. This is Barney Skinner. He is the chap behind most of everything you see from me. Yup, I know you thought I did it all, but in fact, I only write the books (And emails to you. And promotion to people who haven't heard of my stories yet.)
Barney is a techie, artistic, and my project manager for non-writing related projects. I call him my work-husband. I will, like a dilettante, conjure up a vision and Barney will make it happen. When I want a birthday club, he sorts it out. When I want to update my starter library, he manages the revisions (and the myriad of other actions that ripple from that.) Puzzles on my website? He puts them there. New Annabelle covers? He seeks out an illustrator and sees the project through. He also listens to every audiobook prior to publishing to check the narration is accurate.
Barney has his own visions and sometimes pushes me to take a risk I'm not so keen on. Recent merch that we've had custom designed for special projects was one such vision. The feedback for the tea towels below that he commissioned and designed was universally positive. They are absolutely adorable. If you like anything I do, please say a little thank you to Barney because he's sure to have had a hand in it.
Barney lives on the South Coast of England and despite working together for nearly five years, our lunch was only the second time we had met in person. We convened in London for a “planning session” (another one – I told you I like planning.) It was great fun. We talked for too long and had to run for our trains. It was great to be in the same timezone for once.
Book Highlights
When you're reading one of my books on your Kindle, do you ever come across passages that really resonate with you? That make an impact, make you smile, make you laugh, enhance your enjoyment of that book somehow?
Did you know that you can highlight them?
It means you can return to those same passages time and again if you wish. You can reflect upon them, or allow them to prompt another smile, a laugh, a pleasant memory. And when you highlight passages on your device, it helps Amazon identify others who might be equally moved or motivated by the same passages. In that way, you are helping others find those books.
One of my favorite passages is from Witches at the Wedding. It never fails to make me smile and I refer back to it often.
“What ensued was a flurry of activity the like of which 101-year-old Mrs. Polightly, who was sitting quietly in the corner out of the way, had not seen since wartime. The women (wo)manned their stations and cut, cleaned, pressed, and dressed with a precision, urgency, and focus they had never attached to any task ever before. They had fifty-three minutes after which, well, who knew, but they had fifty-three minutes. Even Gabriella and Sophie stopped twittering.”
Did you know…
Did you know you can follow me on Amazon? Amazon will let you know whenever I have a new book out and let you know of books of mine you've missed. You can follow me on any book page. Look under the cover for my author photo and the “Follow” button.
I'll be back next week with more news, pictures, and bonuses. Watch your inbox on Thursday.
Until next time, happy reading!
