Paty Jager's Blog

Today I’m sharing with you my friend Carmen Peone’s newest release, and if you read all the way to the end, an event I’m participating in.

Christmas Wishes

If you’ve read the other books in the Seven Tine Ranch Romance, this story is about Mandie and finally finding a man who’ll stay put. 
And be the father to Mandie’s daughter, Nona. 

This story came about at the request of a reader who wanted to know more about the ranch cook! “She needs her own story.”

I agreed and wrote Christmas Wishes. 

Being a sucker for December/Christmas brides, I knew this story had to be told. 

One dream wedding. Two uncertain futures. A season of decisions that could change everything….

Mandie Sellars is a single mom and ranch cook with a dream: to become Seven Tine Ranch’s event planner. She grabs her chance when a last-minute Christmas Eve wedding is booked. There’s just one problem . . . she’s planning her own wedding at the same time.

Hudson Piccolo is a dissatisfied small-town lawyer who has finally been offered his dream job—on the other side of the state. But accepting it would mean uprooting Mandie and her daughter just as life seems to be falling into place.

With conflicting dreams, and a wedding countdown ticking, can their love survive the season?

https://carmenpeone.com/books/christmas-wishes/

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Wishes-Seven-Ranch-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FVTK5F5P

Book Trailer

Read the first chapter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1blVgyDrSn8KuJha3D2fkjzKFqT-C6qZl/view?usp=sharing

Book Club Kit Link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13rKyDhvt2Hca2IpOHvoTs-PfDGPFUdrW/view?usp=sharing

Carmen Peone is an award-winning author of Young Adult and Inspirational Western Romance. With the love of history and the Western woman’s lifestyle, she weaves healing, hope, and horses into her stories, with a thread of romance. She lives with her husband in Northeast Washington on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation.

https://carmenpeone.com/

There could be a bundle of holiday gifts coming your way! 

I’m joining eleven other fabulous, award-winning, and best-selling mystery authors for a 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS STORY GIVEAWAY.

Here’s how it will work: 

For eleven days starting December 1st, you’ll receive a link for a completely free holiday story–no newsletter signups necessary. (except for mine, so you have access to the links to the stories) Then, on the 12th day, you’ll get a bundle of extra goodies to celebrate the season!

Sound like fun?

If you want to make sure not to miss any of the stories and bonuses, you need to sign up for my monthly newsletter so I can send you the links to the stories every day for 12 days. If, after that, you no longer wish to be on my list, just unsubscribe at any time. The link to sign up to be on the list for the 12 Days of Christmas and 12 Free Christmas mysteries, click here: 12 Days Giveaway

This is the last week of October. Only two more months left in 2025. This year has whooshed by like a freight train. Fast and hauling all kinds of things.

I have been busy with book events, family events, and life events. All of those things have whisked the days by in a blur. And the rest of the year will be almost as fast and furious!

I have an event in Bruneau, Idaho, November 7th-9th. I’ll be selling my books in a booth with my daughter who will be selling fudge. It’s called Bruneau Cowboy Christmas. I love their tagline: Best shopping and day drinking in the West! Which is what we’re hoping will give us lots of sales.

My daughter and I taped out the size of the booth on my living room floor and we set up the booth so we will know what we need to do when we get there. I also have all my books in totes, marked “put out”, “under table” and “in vehicle.” I hope to sell so much that I’ll need more books that will be in my vehicle.

After that, we’ll have a lovely family Thanksgiving, and then I have two events back-to-back in December. A 4-H Christmas Bazaar, December 5th & 6th in Baker City, Oregon, and then the 2025 Authors and Artists Fair in Eugene, Oregon, December 15th.

When those two weekends are over, then it’s hanging out with family through the holidays and gearing up to start a new year of writing.

We will also be moving to Baker City in the coming year. We have slowly been taking things to the house we purchased there. So there will always be something to do, whether it is writing, editing, publishing, marketing, or boxing things up.

At the moment, I have two Gabriel Hawke novels, one Spotted Pony Casino mystery, and one Cuddle Farm Mystery book scheduled to write and release in 2026. I’ve been thinking about the next three books I’ll be writing and doing some research. I always have a couple of books brewing in my head while I’m writing one.

So stay tuned to this blog to find out what the next book will be and what I might have learned to write it.

Today and tomorrow are the last two days you can get the first book in the Shandra Higheagle Mystery series, Double Duplicity for FREE as an audiobook. You can download it from my website. https://www.patyjager.net/product/double-duplicity-audiobook/

Check out my website while you’re there and see that the prices for the audiobooks on my website are more reasonable than those of other vendors, and once you download the free audiobook, it will make any audiobook you order later the same process you go through at other audiobook vendors. Same with the ebook sales on my website. And if you want a print book with an autograph, you can purchase it from my website. Check it all out here: https://www.patyjager.net/

It’s hard to believe it has been a year since we came back from our epic three week trip to the Netherlands, Spain, England, Scotland and Ireland.

This post is about our last days in Ireland. After this I’ll have to come up with some more fun travels to take so I can keep the travel segment of this blog going.

One of the first villages depicted at the heritage museum.

Day 24 of our trip was a move-on day. We headed to Straffan, Ireland, where your next Airbnb was. Along the way, we stopped at the Irish Heritage Museum. It was an outdoor museum where you moved from one scene to the next. It began with the first people of Ireland and continued until they gained their independence. There was also a falconry on site. Angie and Rietta both held a peregrine falcon. From there, we traveled on, arriving at Straffan late and settling in.

Cliffs of Mohr

The next day, we drove to the Cliffs of Moher. The high cliffs and ragged rocks along the swirling sea were definitely breathtaking. We walked through an entrance in the side of the hill, wondering what could be inside, and discovered a large, underground, indoor museum. The interactive museum was extensive. It was set into the hill so it didn’t detract from the scenery. There were also shops built into the side of the hill.

Entrance to the underground museum

On the way to the cliffs, we’d read signs to Bunratty Castle, and we saw it from the highway. On the way back to Straffan, we stopped there and had an excellent tour of the castle and the old town. There were houses set up as they would have been in medieval times, and some in the Victorian era. One lad in the Victorian era regaled us with tales of his heroics, his family, and life during that time period. He was entertaining.

Bunratty Castle

On Day 26, we walked around Dublin. As we were walking to the Dublin Castle, we passed an alley across the street. I saw young people coming out of it, so I stared down the alley to see where they were coming from. I kept walking and walked into a three-foot-high orange traffic cone on the sidewalk.

At first, I couldn’t figure out what I’d walked into, and then I felt myself falling. I landed on my left hip and shoulder. Both my granddaughter behind me and my daughter in front of me tried to catch me, but it happened too fast. I was so embarrassed, I laughed and had tears. An Irish woman working for a construction company witnessed the incident and remarked that it was unfortunate they hadn’t captured it on video. LOL That’s how I started my tour of Dublin!

Beautiful woodwork and art. This is stairway is where the Irish Presidents are inaugurated.

The Dublin Castle and Government apartments were interesting. They weren’t giving tours of the medieval part of the Castle, but we were able to see the apartment areas. It has history, art, and heritage. I enjoyed it.

A beautiful hallway that is used for events.Beautiful architecture and art in this sitting room.

Then we walked around Dublin, had lunch in an Irish Pub, and went to the wax museum. While the museum had a lot of Irish history, the admission price seemed a bit steep for what we saw. After that, we walked some more, crossing the Ha’Penny footbridge.

We ended the day with a stroll through Dublin Castle gardens and a sweet treat.

Beautiful art piece in the garden.

Day 27, we drove to the airport and flew home. Angie and Rietta were happy to head home, but I was game for more traveling. I’m hoping to go back and see a few other countries in the next few years.

Playing cards as we wait for our plane.

Three-quarters of 2025 is over! Where did the time go? I swear, as I get older, the days, weeks, and months go by faster and faster. I never have enough time in a day to do everything that I want to do.

I have been busy packing in events to attend through the rest of the year. I missed out on a few but I’m excited for the ones I have signed up to do.

October 6th – Harvest of Books – Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, Baker City, OR – 9 AM – 3 PMNov. 8th & 9th – Bruneau Cowboy Christmas – Bruneau, ID 10-5 & 10-4Dec. 5th & 6th – 4-H Christmas Bazaar – Baker City, OR – 12- 5 PM & 9 AM -5 PMDec. 13th – 2025 Authors & Artists Fair – Atrium at Lane Events Center Eugene, OR – 10 AM – 5 PM

The 4-H Christmas Bazaar, I still have to sign up for. They aren’t taking applications until October 6th. But I plan to be at their door to sign up that day. These are all new events that I’ve not attended before. The Bruneau Cowboy Christmas is HUGE! My daughter is sharing the booth with me and selling her fudge, lip balm, and pork gift packs. We are also taking her oldest daughter and my oldest daughter to help with stocking and selling. They say they get 20,000 people to the event.

Then the other big event will be the Authors & Artists Fair. It’s in conjunction with a big Christmas Bazaar at the Lane County Fair. I was invited to this because of being at the State Fair book event. Happy! Happy!

Other good news on the writing front, Wolf Moon has been released, and so far, the reviews are good and people are purchasing the book! In case you are interested:

In the remote, snowbound wilderness of Oregon’s Eagle Cap Mountains, a sled dog race turns deadly.

State Trooper Gabriel Hawke is teaching winter survival to Search and Rescue recruits when he’s called in to find a missing musher. Arriving at the race camp, he discovers the musher isn’t just a name on a list—she’s someone his friend Justine cares about deeply.

As Hawke searches rugged trails and icy backcountry, the case quickly shifts from a rescue to a murder investigation. Then a second body turns up, and it’s clear the killer is hiding among the racers, handlers, or volunteers. The deeper Hawke digs, the more he uncovers buried secrets and dangerous rivalries.

Now, with a killer on the loose and Justine possibly in the crosshairs, Hawke must navigate blizzards, betrayal, and bloodshed—before the race ends in even more tragedy.

Available in ebook and print. My narrator, Larry Gorman, is working on the audiobook.

Ebook from my website for $1 less https://www.patyjager.net/product/wolf-moon-ebook/ or the Universal buy link: https://books2read.com/u/bWO1dD

Print from my website: https://www.patyjager.net/product/wolf-moon/

And releasing on October 10th is my new cozy Cuddle Farm Mystery series, book 1, Merry Merry Merry Murder:

This book is doing a Blog Tour from Oct. 10th – 23rd. You can find out all about the tour here:

Merry Merry Merry Murder (Cuddle Farm Mysteries) by Paty Jager – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Great Escapes Book Tours

If you would like to be one of the first to get an ebook copy of Merry Merry Merry Murder, you can purchase it now at my website. https://www.patyjager.net/product-category/cuddle-farm-mystery-ebook/

Where comfort and cheer meet scandalous secrets—A holiday mystery set in a small town.

In the close-knit town of Auburn, Oregon, Andi Clark’s therapy animals bring comfort to the community, especially during the holiday season. When a young girl seeks solace from Athena, Andi’s therapy dog, after witnessing an unsettling scene behind the sleigh, it marks the beginning of a much darker holiday.

As the town gathers for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, a scream shatters the festive atmosphere. Cocoa, Andi’s loyal Border Collie, pulls her toward a chilling sight: a woman standing over the lifeless body of the girl’s mother, strangled with Christmas lights.

Determined to help the grieving girl and her town recover from the shock, Andi, her therapy animals, and her niece, a county deputy, take it upon themselves to investigate. As they uncover secrets and untangle clues, they stay one step ahead of the new sheriff and worry that the killer lurking in their midst could be someone they know.

Preorder here: https://books2read.com/u/mZ6qpJ

Two reads to keep you indoors as the weather turns colder. I am currently working on the next Spotted Pony Casino Mystery. Full House is turning out to be harder to write than I thought. When I came up with the plot, I knew it would complicate Dela and Heath’s wedding. What I didn’t realize was that by making Heath the suspect of a murder in a town an hour and a half away, it would make it difficult for Dela, Heath, and Quinn to investigate. Especially since Quinn was pulled from the investigation because of his past with Heath and Dela.

And that, my friends, is what I’m doing these days. Attending book-selling events and writing. Enjoy Fall!

I have wanted to attend the Happy Canyon Night Show during the Pendleton Roundup for years. This year, I finally just bought tickets and told Hubby we were going.

When I told my oldest daughter we were going, she asked which seats and in a few days she said she and her husband had tickets not far from where we were sitting. I picked a box seat. I wanted to see it all, not knowing that probably about halfway up the stands might have been a better view. But I’ll try that the next time I go.

What is the Happy Canyon Night Show you ask? It is Oregon’s Official State Outdoor Pageant and Wild West Show. It has over 100 cast members from the Pendleton area and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla. At one point, I think 100 tribal members were standing on the set. It was powerful seeing children, women, and men in historical clothing standing along the rims of the elevated set.

This is the set for Happy Canyon Night Show. This was before it started.

In 1916 the show’s writer Roy Raley wanted to add Native American life before the explorers came to the area. He asked Anna Minthorn Wannassay to help him write the tribal life scenes of the Columbia River Plateau tribes.

Anna had been a student at the Carlisle Institute in Pennsylvania, graduating in 1906 and returning to the Pendleton area. Raley knew of her love for history and community involvement. At Carlisle, Anna had participated in Dramatic Arts. This came in handy as she helped Raley with the script.

In 1917, they performed the added tribal scenes, and the audience loved it. Each year, Anna and Raley added more and more scenes to the show. They preserved history with their show.

I, Hubby, and my daughter and her husband enjoyed the show.

It starts with the tribal members welcoming one another and the start of a day in the life of tribal members before the non-Indians appeared.

There is a scene where four boys return from scouting, having vision quests, and establishing their identities. The chief calls all the tribe together, and the boys tell of their deeds to become men.

Then Sacajawea arrives with Lewis and Clark. The tribe welcomes the weary travelers, giving them food, and company.

A chief’s son has been killed. The first clash with the white man begins. In retaliation, the tribe steals a white girl (who, by the way, had good lungs! Her screams were ear-splitting) The chief appeals to the medicine man, who says the only choice is war. But scouts and plainsmen rescue the girl. I loved the part where they jumped off the cliff into a pool of water under the waterfall. Then the lights went out. All I could think of was “how can I get this into a book with a person found in the pool dead the next morning?”

Cover wagons arrive. They stop for the night and have singing, dancing, and revelry. The Indians attack! There is a lot of noise from gun blasts, people falling on the ground, and horses charging around the wagons and through the people. Then the Calvary arrives chasing off the Indians.

The part that broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes was seeing the tribe, riding horses and walking, with their heads bowed as they were pushed from their beloved home. The scene was the most heart-wrenching and sad. Even the small children had their heads bowed and walked with sadness. (I was so overwhelmed I didn’t take a photo)

Then they changed the backdrop, and it was a frontier town with townspeople rollicking about. This part of the show for me, seemed to last longer than it needed to. I would have loved more of the Native American culture and history.

Then there was a trick roper who was fair. And a trick rider, who was having an off night. Or more likely, her horse was having an off night. It didn’t want to stay in the small area. It kept bolting for the exit.

After the trick roper and rider, there was a Cowboy and Cowgirl Mounted Quadrille. They square danced on horses. It was fun to watch. They did it at a lope and it was thrilling.

This and when he carried the American Flag from here down to the ground, were my favorite scenes.

Next time I will make sure my phone is charged so I can take more photos and hopefully better ones. The night picture taking wasn’t easy for me or my phone to do.

Before the show we walked among the vendor booths. There were a lot of different tribes represented at these booths. And lots of beautiful beadwork. We also walked through the Teepee village where many of the tribal members stayed for the week of Roundup.

You can see the teepee village in the distance. The stage coach was used in the Happy Canyon Night Show.

The stage was so large that you couldn’t always see everything that was going on. Even my hubby said he wanted to see it again because he felt he had missed so much. And that, my friends, means I’ll be getting tickets for next year!

I think I say this every month, but where has 2025 gone! We are headed into the fall months with holidays around the corner. This year has flown by for me. With so much going on with my writing and family life, I feel like some of the months are a blur.

Good news with my writing. Book 14 in the Gabriel Hawke Novels is releasing on September 19th. You can pre-order it from here: https://books2read.com/u/bWO1dD

In the remote, snowbound wilderness of Oregon’s Eagle Cap Mountains, a sled dog race turns deadly.

State Trooper Gabriel Hawke is teaching winter survival to Search and Rescue recruits when he’s called in to find a missing musher. Arriving at the race camp, he discovers the musher isn’t just a name on a list—she’s someone his friend Justine cares about deeply.

As Hawke searches rugged trails and icy backcountry, the case quickly shifts from a rescue to a murder investigation. Then a second body turns up, and it’s clear the killer is hiding among the racers, handlers, or volunteers. The deeper Hawke digs, the more he uncovers buried secrets and dangerous rivalries.

Now, with a killer on the loose and Justine possibly in the crosshairs, Hawke must navigate blizzards, betrayal, and bloodshed—before the race ends in even more tragedy.

I’m proud of this book. I did a lot of research and interviewed people involved in the Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race to make this book come alive for my readers.

Next month, you’ll be able to purchase the first book in my Cuddle Farm Mystery series. I’ll tell you all about it and have a link to purchase the book when I post on October 1st. This book had to be pushed out to October because when my beta readers say there is something off about the book, I listen and rework it. Now my beta readers like it.

I believe the reason they didn’t like my main character the first time was because I hadn’t had enough time with her in my head to get to know her before I started writing the book. All my other mystery series, I’ve thought about the main characters for over a year or more before I began their books. I’d only had Andi in my head about four months when I started writing Merry Merry Merry Murder.

When I started writing the book, I didn’t know her well enough to make her come alive. After writing the book, getting feedback, and thinking about the story, and Andi, I now know so much more about her and was able to show her on the page with more clarity.

Here’s a teaser from the book, Merry Merry Merry Murder:

“Good, you two made it,” Mom said, linking her arm through mine. It had been twenty-five years since I’d witnessed this event. I was excited and happy to be with my family.

“Wouldn’t miss the tree lighting,” I said, gazing up at the dark tree highlighted by the streetlamps behind it.

“I’m going to find Monica,” Rudy said and disappeared.

“When is he going to ask that woman to marry him?” Mom asked.

“Are you ready to get rid of your roommate?” I asked.

“He might as well get married. He’s not sleeping in his bed that much anyway.” Mom huffed and I giggled.

“I’d know that giggle anywhere,” said a voice behind me.

I spun around and stared into the unseeing eyes of my childhood friend. “Betty!” I shouted and pulled the slender, dark-skinned woman into a hug. There was no mistaking the short-cropped curls with a touch of gray, underneath a wide-brimmed hat with Christmas decorations around the crown. Even as a girl, she’d worn outlandish hats. Her mom would give her the hats, and Betty would decorate them.

Betty whispered in my ear, “I’ve missed you.”

Leaning back, I peered under the brim of the hat. Tears glistened in her eyes. “I’ve missed you, too. Tell me how to get a hold of you, and we’ll catch up.” I looped an arm in hers as Cocoa pressed against her legs.

“Who is this?” Betty asked, her hand touching the top of Cocoa’s head.

“One of my therapy dogs. Her name is Cocoa.”

Betty moved her hand down Cocoa’s forehead between her eyes and down her snout. “You are a beautiful creature. I can tell by how calm you are and the aura about you.”

I said quietly. “You see an aura? Have you had surgery on your eyes?”

Betty smiled. “No. But I have a lot to tell you.”

“Let’s meet tomorrow at Bow Wow Brew, say one?” I said, wanting to find out what was up with Betty and seeing auras. “It’s a date.” Betty stood beside me as the mayor appeared on the pavilion

Yes, there is a bit of a paranormal element in this series. It didn’t start out that way, but Betty showed up in Andi’s backstory, and I liked her. So I gave her the ability to see auras even though she is blind. Something unique to her and makes her a bit of a help when Andi is talking to people.

If you aren’t already signed up for my newsletter, you might want to do that. Not only do I give away a mug with my mystery logos on it to one person a month, but author friends give away free books and short stories in my newsletter each month. When they don’t have something, I have free short stories you can get. Go here to sign up: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

I’m picking back up with the trip I took last fall with my oldest daughter and a granddaughter. The third leg of our trip was in Ireland. After crossing from Scotland to Ireland by ferry, we rented a car. It was the first time we’d rented a car during the whole trip, but it was definitely worth it.

After being kind of stranded in Scotland without a means of transportation, it was a freedom to be able to drive ourselves where we wanted to go.

We spent the night in Belfast, Ireland and picked up the rental car the following morning. Since we were at the northern end of the island, we decided to hit one of the major sites. My daughter did a good job of staying on the left (wrong) side of the road. It took her a bit to get used to the difference.

We loaded into the car and headed to Giant’s Causeway on the north coast of Ireland. We took the walking tour and spent time in the gift shop. Then we returned to the car and drove what was supposed to be 4 1/2 hours but turned out to be more like 6. By the time we stopped for lunch and a few missed turns, we made it to our Airbnb in Bullycullen about 9 pm. We were all tired. After unloading and eating dinner, we went to bed.

The Giant’s Causeway features hexagonal pillars of rock formed from an ancient volcanic fissure eruption.

The next day, we headed out when we were rested and drove to Blarney Castle. We toured the castle and all decided we didn’t need to hang upside down and kiss a rock that millions of other people had kissed. Next, we sauntered around the beautiful gardens, lime house, ice house, caves, and towers. It was a wonderful afternoon of exploring.

The gap up there is where the kissing stone is.Poisonous plantMy favorite part of the gardens. Cave used to retreat from the Blarney Castle.

Day 23 of our trip we explored close to where we were staying. A brochure at the house talked about the oldest lighthouse in the world. We set our GPS for Hooks Head, less than half an hour from where we were staying in Bullycullane. The wind picked up as we drove to the peninsula. The tour guide was excellent! So much history and storytelling combined that we were enthralled. My granddaughter thought it was great and wished she’d recorded the monologue.

She was also the only one who could answer one of the tour guide’s questions about the man who had the lighthouse built. The wind was so strong that when we stepped out of the lighthouse, we were held in place by the wind, barely able to take a step. The history of the lighthouse goes back to a monk who believed a light needed to be lit at all hours of the day and night to keep ships safe. He first built bonfires on the rocky peninsula. Later, a stone conical tower was built with a fire basket on top. The monks carried buckets of coal up the four levels to keep the fire lit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Later a better lighthouse was built.

From there, we went to Wexford and shopped. Each of us purchased at least one piece of clothing. Then we had a delightful dinner at a bar and Bistro.

I’ll continue our Ireland stay in the next Travel installment.

How can it be August already? That means summer is almost over. This has been a whirling, fast paced summer for me.

This weekend is the second wedding of the summer. Both were for grandchildren. I can’t be that old that I have grandchildren getting married, can I? This makes three married.

I’m looking forward to my upcoming book events. They are:

August 24th & 25th – Oregon State Fair, Salem, OR from 10 am-8 pm

September 6th – Quail Ridge Arts Festival, Baker City, OR 2-9 pm

November 8th & 9th – Bruneau Cowboy Christmas, Bruneau, ID 10 am- 5pm and 10 am – 4 pm

These are all new to me as venues to sell my books. Two of them are large and I purchased books in anticipation of selling a lot.

Next month I’ll have links to both the newest Gabriel Hawke book, Wolf Moon, and the new Merry Merry Merry Murder, Christmas mystery. The links will be for pre-orders. The Hawke book is being read by beta readers and the Christmas Mystery needs some tweaking done to it. But it will be out in October and Wolf Moon will be out the end of September.

Starting August 13th, you can get the first three audiobooks in a bundle from Chirp for $2.99. IF you are a Chirp listener, watch for the promo they send out in the middle of the month. If you aren’t a Chirp listener and would like to purchase the box set at this low price, you can find it here: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/gabriel-hawke-box-set-1-3-by-paty-jager Just remember the low price doesn’t start until Aug, 13th. All the other audiobooks in the Hawke series will be priced lower at Chirp as well.

Because I am limited on time to write this and haven’t a whole lot to say, here are some photos.

This is my new folding bookcase, I will be using at the Cowboy Christmas in Bruneau, Idaho. I like how it displays the books in a more inviting way than the wooden racks I’ve been using.

These books are what I’ll have at the Oregon State Fair. I can get them all in two stands like on the right. When book bundles for the first 3 books in a series. I’m only allowed 4 ft of a table to set up on and told to bring as many titles as I could.

Enjoy the August weather and get out and enjoy the great outdoors. I hope to get more outdoor time here soon.

We did our nearly yearly trip up on the Steens to see the wildflowers a week ago. There had been so much snow up on the mountain that the roads didn’t open until a couple weeks ago. We like to go for my birthday at the end of June, but the roads had just opened and we were busy. Lucky for us, the wildflowers didn’t disappoint.

There is a small waterfall in the background.

The left photo is at the edge of Kiger Gorge. The photo is farther up the road.

Steens Mountain summit is in the background.

I thought these orange-yellow almost succulents were interesting in this photo. As you can see there were still patches of snow everywhere.

This is the same type of plant as the orange and yellow plant in the lower photo.

We also saw the wild horses in their usual spot near a watering hole. Some were even in the water.

The next trip we make will most likely be with grandkids to swim in Fish Lake then we will most likely make the fall trip to see the colorful aspen leaves.

Wow, can you believe it! July is here already. Our family had a wedding in June. I baked and decorated the cake. I found an easy-to-make vanilla bean cake and lavender-infused buttercream frosting. They paired well, and people enjoyed the cake. The decorating had me frazzled because it was a “naked cake.” I made more of a fuss out of how I felt it would look than I needed to. It turned out fine and the bride thought it was awesome, so all was good.

Author Mary Vine and I tried out the Sumpter, Oregon Renaissance Faire over the 4th of July. We made some sales to new readers, and we had a couple of repeat customers. It was cold and rainy on the first day, and very few people. The second day was the perfect temperature for them to come out. I realized when I was leaving that most of the Renaissance people were over in an area hidden from where the book trailer was. What we mainly had come through were people dressed normally. We will most likely do it again next year. They had a reasonable rate for the spaces.

I’m excited to be attending the Tamkaliks Powwow in Wallowa again this year. I love listening to the music and watching the dancers. And every year I pick up a little more information that helps me better understand my characters.

I also start judging at county fairs this month. I enjoy visiting with the 4-H members and traveling around the state.

This month I’m busy writing the next Gabriel Hawke book, Wolf Moon. I hope to have a cover for it soon. Once I get the first draft finished, I’ll put it up for pre-order. I know my readers have been waiting for the next book.

Today is the last day to purchase the first three Spotted Pony Casino audiobooks for $2.99. If you want to get them here is the direct link: https://www.patyjager.net/product/spotted-pony-casino-mystery-box-set-1-3/

You can also purchase Spotted Pony Casino audiobooks 1-3 individually through KOBO during July for $4.99 each.

Poker Face: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/poker-face-30

House Edge: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/house-edge-2

Double Down: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/double-down-57

At the moment that is all the specials I have going on. With summer being so crazy I have trouble remembering to sign up for specials and changing the prices!

As always you can purchase any of my books in any format from my website. https://www.patyjager.net

And if you want to keep up with the book specials, where I’ll be live selling my books, get your name in the hat for a mug, or want to get a short story from me or a fellow author, sign up for my newsletter that goes out the first Thursday for the month. https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Have a great July!