Chris Keniston's Blog

It's funny how professionals don't listen to non professionals. I don't know about you guys, but when I tell a doctor something like, I never get sleepy in allergy meds, or ordinary amoxocillin doesn't work on me - they don't believe us - they have to learn the hard way that we know what we're talking about 

so far - I'm the only person not surprised the pool is leaking - I told the first leak guy who said pool isn't leaking go ahead and replaster - I told them - it's been leaking  so it has to be somewhere - no no no - they came short of saying little lady!  So here we are - letting the pool drain and it's still draining - pretty soon there won't be any water at all in the shallow end - yep, it's that bad! 

they're trying something new today - plugged the main drain - hmm where did they hear that before lol - yeah - we'll see.

We are still hunting for a good home for my kids - the scope is widening and the prices are getting higher - a tight squeeze for their comfort zone but they are ready to move! It's a bit chaotic, but nice having the kids around daily, they're just more at home with us.  we're no longer treated like guests! 

On the book front - the aloha holiday story releases later this month - it should be available by next week in my store for those who like to get it early. AND - i'm delighted to report that Sweet Tomorrows the next honeysuckle book is at the editors - so excited to be almost back on schedule, today I started on sweet redemption! 

We're still deciding what to do next and I am definitely leaning toward the New England Firehouse - after I'm done writing Alice's book for Sweet Redemption, I'm going to re-read Lily and see if the guys still make me want to write about them! 

​If you have any thoughts on what you want to read next - now is the time to speak up! 

We'll start with the househunt for my daughter - still no glory.  This time of year is never the best for folks to put their houses on the market and with today's higher interest rates, few people want to give up their lower mortgages for a different house. So we keep hunting, and I keep knocking on neighbor's doors while I'm at it! 

Then we go on to the drama with the swimming pool - no surprise - it's still leaking - we strongly suspect it's so low, below the steps, below the lights, below the returns, that the only place left it can leak from has to be the main drain. I see unpleasant construction and expense in my future. 
Which brings me to the writing part of my life. Thankfully, Sweet Tomorrows is staying on track. It's even going faster than expected. I seem to have found a rhythm for working with a house full of grandchildren. And I also seem to have less trouble writing small town ranch country than beach country Hawaii.  The thing is, Sweet Tomorrow is book six in the Honeysuckle series and I have one more book to write - Sweet Redemption and this series - at least for now- will come to an end, and I need to decide what to do next. 

If any of you remember the Hart Land Lakeside Inn series - in book two I had a slew of firefighters and I always thought it might be fun to write a series set at their firehouse - but most of my fans do seem to prefer series set in Texas. Do you have a preference? I can't help but wonder if anyone wants to return to New England. 

As for the grands, it's always fun having them around. I am thankful for this chance to create memories with them - though at only three it's unlikely my granddaughter will remember a whole lot, but my older grandson should! I think many of my memories of my grandparents were from when I was around four or five - so we'll see! 

Lastly, since I went ahead and spoiled that Sweet Tomorrows goes to Vegas, I'm going to share the complete raw and unedited draft of the first chapter with you! 

​* * * * 
The familiar scent of old leather, paper, and their father’s cologne should have felt like coming home. Instead, leaning against the doorframe of the study, to Kade Sweet it felt like visiting a museum of a life that was no longer his. The chaotic, sprawling family of his youth had now settled into smaller, tighter pairings of two. Carson’s hand rested on Jess’s knee, an easy, possessive gesture. Across the room, Preston murmured something to Sarah Sue, and the private smile they shared was a conversation all its own. Garret and Jackie sat on the floor, their easy affection a comfortable fixture in the room now. Even Rachel and Jim, his free-spirited sister and her childhood-friend-turned-husband, seemed to share a quiet, solid understanding. And then there was Jillian, his youngest sister, radiating a new, confident happiness as she leaned against the rock star who had somehow become her husband.

Kade felt relegated to little more than an observer. A low, contented sigh from his side was his only anchor. Kade looked down at Brady, the big German Shepherd’s head resting on his boot. The dog, at least, was a constant.

“All right,” Preston’s voice cut through the low chatter, pulling Kade’s attention from his thoughts to the laptop open on their father’s desk. “Time for the state of the union.”

A collective settling fell over the room. This was the new normal—the family pow-wow, the mission briefing for the ongoing campaign to save the Sweet Ranch.

“Good news first,” Preston continued, a rare, unforced smile touching his lips. “Thanks to the initial payments and everyone’s hard work, we’re holding the line. The operating budget is stable, if not exactly comfortable. We’re meeting the monthly payments.”

A collective, quiet sigh of relief went through the room. It wasn’t a victory, not yet, but it was a far sight better than the desperate freefall they’d been in when he’d first heard of their not so trusted foreman’s thievery.

“The real light at the end of the tunnel is still the anniversary payouts,” Carson added, his voice steady. “Only several more months to go and the first anniversary stipend will hit.  From there, we can easily pay off the biggest of Dad’s loans. Give us some real breathing room.”

“In other words, by the time they all roll in, we’ll be in the clear?” Garret squeezed his wife’s hand.

The plan was working. The insane, beautiful, ridiculous plan had actually worked. Kade felt a surge of pride for his siblings, for the incredible new spouses who had stepped up to join their fight. For the homes they’d created.

Preston lifted his chin to his older brother. “You, brother Kade, may very well be off the hook. We should be able to hold the fort down until the big payments start rolling in.

It was Jillian who turned her gaze on him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes that he remembered all too well from their childhood. “Of course,” she said, her voice laced with theatrical innocence, “Now that Blake and I are moving into our own place, the master bedroom will be free again so… if you happened to fall in love in the next few months, it certainly wouldn’t hurt the budget.”

The room erupted in easy laughter. Kade felt the corner of his own mouth twitch. “Noted,” he held back a chuckle, shaking his head. Though lord knows why he was laughing.  Perhaps because, for everyone, the guillotine of foreclosure was no longer hanging over their necks.  
As the conversation shifted to a brief, if uneventful update on the still-missing Ray and the two hands caught in Wyoming, Kade’s mind drifted again. He looked at his brothers, men who were now husbands and fathers, their lives intricately woven into the fabric of this land. He had always defined himself by his service, his duty to his country. It was a clear, honorable path. But for the first time, watching the life his family was building, a life of shared burdens and quiet joys, he questioned his own future. Was a career spent thousands of miles away truly the best thing for him, or for them? What was his legacy beyond a distinguished service record?

The sharp ring of his phone cut through his thoughts, a jarring intrusion from the outside world. He glanced at the caller ID—Sully, his best friend from his unit. Frowning, he pushed off the doorframe. “Excuse me a second.”

He stepped into the hallway, the murmur of his family’s voices fading behind him. “Sully. What’s up?”

"Hey, I was hoping I'd catch you."

Kade smiled despite his exhaustion. Dan “Sully” Sullivan had been in his unit three deployments ago, a solid soldier and an even better friend. “What’s all that racket? Where the heck are you?”

"Vegas. That's uh actually why I'm calling." Sully's laugh sounded forced. "I'm getting married. Tomorrow night. I know it's short notice, but I need a best man, and you're the only guy I trust not to let me do something completely stupid."

"Tomorrow night? Sully, what the hell—"

"I know how it sounds. But Kade, she's the one. I met her six months ago when I was passing through on leave, and I haven't been able to get her out of my head since. She's got orders for Germany next month. It's now or we wait two years, and I can't wait two years."

Kade closed his eyes, already knowing what his answer would be. Sully had saved his ass more times than he could count. If his friend needed him, he'd be there.

"What time do you need me?"

"Are you serious?" The relief in Danny's voice was palpable. "Man, I owe you big time. Ceremony's at eight. Nothing fancy, just a quick thing at one of the chapels, then we'll hit the town to celebrate."

"Text me the details. And Sullivan—you sure about this?"

"Never been more sure of anything in my life."

A moment later, he walked back into the study, the phone now silent in his hand. Every eye in the room on him.

He ran a hand over his face, a slow grin spreading across his lips. “Well, change of plans. I’m hopping a flight in the morning.”

“What’s going on?” Jillian’s brow furrowed with concern.
​
Kade shook his head, the absurdity of it all hitting him. “Sully’s getting married. In Vegas. And apparently, I’m the best man.”
* * * * 
Well, I hope y'all like the start - and if you want to go ahead and preorder go for it - hopefully Amazon won't muck it up like they did with Sweet Obsession there are still over 400 people who had preordered and we are unable to find them to let them know the book is live and for sale everywhere they buy ebooks. Hopefully it's available at the local libraries too! At least it should be. 

And on this - I leave you till next week! 

Mine has been plenty busy and borderline crazy.  I have no idea how much of my real world y'all want to hear - but I'm sharing anyhow LOL. 

As we left for our dream trip to Ireland this summer, we'd also contracted to have the pool replastered. We've lived here for thirty years and it was never replastered - to say it was beyond time was probably an understatement.  The challenge is this pool has leaked for years. Okay, maybe decades. Every year we patch the cracks and try to find the source and in recent years the water bills have become astronomical.  This year we bit the bullet to replaster - explained in great detail about the leak problem to the contractors - was assured they would find any issues and repair before plastering - including chiseling away at loose plaster and existing cracks - Long and short - Pool was finished over two months ago - and yep - still leaking! 

I have stopped filling it because I'd have to sell a library to pay for the 1000 dollar a month water bills if I kept it full. Here's a couple of photos of where it's at now. We're just letting it run on the main drain only to see how far will it go - I'm darn curious to be honest. It seems to be worse than in years past - 
So this is an ongoing issue - say your prayers that it's resolved or it's going to be a very low fill summer! 

then we move on to the Aloha Holiday book. I stayed in Houston until it was FINISHED! Yay!! of course it was so late my editor had to push it back as well, but we should still meet the late october release date so go ahead and get your preorders in if you remember the ALoha series - if you've never read it - pick up Mai Tai Marriage for free and meet the team from the Big Island Dive shop! 

Now I'm working on the next Honeysuckle book. Sweet Tomorrows. It's coming way easier than the Aloha book did, hopefully it will keep up - I'm so thankful for friends who have been to Vegas more often than me! So y'all are the first to hear that Sweet Tomorrows starts out in... Las Vegas!  So now you know :) - but don't worry - Most of the book will be in Honeysuckle!  With plenty of bling and cowboys :) 

This brings me to the rest of the chaos in my life - My spare guest room stank of golden retriever - the culprit - besides the dog - the rug. That room is the only room in the entire house with wall to wall carpet - it now has vinyl plank flooring. The problem, it's not sticking well (it was glue down to match the hall not click connect like my kitchen) soo - I've been in there every day literally dancing on the floor and moving weights, books, and gallons of paint around to make the stupid floor stick.  Other than not sticking, it's looking pretty good! 

But the biggest block of our time--and exhaustion--has been thanks to the grands. My daughter and son in law spent the weekend doing final clean up and touch up on their house to put it on the market, and hubby and I had the kids.  Let me tell you, there is a reason people are designed to have children young!  There needs to be a word for exhaustedly exhausted LOL.  Keeping up with a three and six year is tough on these old bones! This morning I slept in till ten and my husband till noon. I suspect we'll be needing DAYS to recover LOL. 

I'm still wanting folks to tell me what you want to read - my daily grind, my book process, snippets as I go - more pictures- just let me know! In the comments though so I can find them! 

Thanks much for hanging out with me! 

As most of you know - tomorrow is release day for Sweet Obsession - well - not so at Amazon. The lovely vendor screwed up. They claim they didn't have the file in time - then they said yes they did but it wasn't finalized. Bottom line - they cancelled ALL the preorders. Trying to find the folks who preorder is almost impossible. So few people follow our social media or sign up for newsletters.  I've tried to let folks know via my facebook page - but of course that's not reaching many people. 

then of course, I have been struggling like you wouldn't believe with the new Aloha Christmas story - I honestly think pulling teeth would be easier! Doesn't help that when you have to do a lot of typing, after a while, hands start to hurt. I usually use magnets for that, but don't have them with me here in Houston. I am getting closer, so close I can almost smell it, but it's been ions since I've been to Hawaii or been around divers.  And then I keep forgetting this is a holiday story - those are never my strength. But I'm hoping with my editors help, it will all come together. 

And for anyone who has dark wood floors with lots of scratches - sharpies work to hide them. I have been roaming around my daughter's house filling in scratch marks with sharpie markers. Then I rub the excess off the good floor and only the darkened scratch remains. It probably works better on dark floors than light ones, but thank heavens it's working. Next project is patching the carpets where the cats scratched. That one may be a bit tougher - but I'm going to try! 

Next on the list - starting on Sweet Tomorrows. I knew where I was going with it when I stopped working on the series to put out a christmas book - I just hope it turns out easier to write than this one has. I will do my best to release it on time, but I suspect Sweet Redemption is going to have to be pushed back a few weeks, I can only do so much and my brain is rebelling! 

Okay, I have a lot of work ahead of me still!  I'm going to make this one short - and please - if you read this - comment here and let me know what kind of things you like reading about and I can focus more on those! 

Happy week

Life is not slowing down for the Kenistons.  We found a preschool for my granddaughter, but finding a good fit for my grandson is proving a challenge. Having children on the spectrum creates all sorts of interesting challenges for parents (and grandparents) seeking the best education. My grandson is a sweet and smart (sometimes too smart lol) boy, but his emotions are not yet age appropriately related, so typical classroom scenarios are not a good fit at this time. Hopefully in the next week or two we'll find a good fit for him as well, but having kids in the house all day long does make it interesting trying to write a book. 

I did finally come up with what I hope are a few interesting ideas for Fake Dating the SEAL, it's been so long since I've written an Aloha series book that it's taking a bit more work than I had hoped to fall back in the rhythm with the story. I'm also pretty excited to start on Sweet Tomorrows.  I'm hoping that will be a fun book - it will start out in Vegas - won't that be a little different?? 

To make life more challenging, while roaming about looking at open houses for my daughter, my car battery died. Only it might not have been the battery as much as the battery cables. Just in case you didn't know, you haven't lived until you've stood in the 100 degree Texas whether pushing buttons on your cell phone with AAA.  I finally got fed up and screamed (Yeah you might have heard me where you live) into the phone to give me a human being to talk to. Thankfully, because I was out in the high heat with my pregnant daughter, AAA showed up in only five minutes - of course that it took five times that to finally reach a human is another story all together! Then it was a bit time consuming trying to start the thing - on the silver lining side, since AAA replaced the battery only two years ago - I got a new battery for free. Now all I have to pay for is for my local mechanic to replace the battery cables.  We did the remainder of our househunting with me leaving the car parked out front and engine running. I didn't dare turn it off- lol ! - Hopefully the mechanic will have it back quickly tomorrow! 

As promised last week, Sweet Obsessions is available for early purchase at my store - at a ten percent discount too!  It will be releasing next week at all vendors. I'm thinking when we're finished with this series I may slow down a bit to enjoy the new grandbaby - I suspect this might be the last one and I do so love the infant stage - I could hold a little baby all day long without a single complaint! 

oh - and totally off topic, have you seen reports popping up about how parents are getting their young teens landline phones instead of cell phones? Does anyone besides me think that's a super great idea? GIve the kids back the skills to communicate face to face (so to speak) and to have to actually listen since you can't read back on a text? I think it's too cool for words and hope it blossoms  across the country to become the norm - then kids won't need cell phones until they're sixteen and driving (that's when our kids got cell phones) 

Okay- well that's it because I have a busy day trying to work on a book AND help with the kids! 

​Everyone have a good week! 

Life is very hectic here at the Keniston household. It's obviously been a while since we had little ones in the house all the time. Yes we've gotten them for a weekend here and there, and once or twice for a whole week, but that's very different from all day every day.  Now, that was not a complaint. I will take these beauties any time I can for as long as I can, 

So far the house hunting has come to a halt until more folks put their houses on the market - not as many people are selling because the prices have stagnated with the high interest rates for mortgages. Then you consider with the prices as high as they are, you don't want to just buy any old house that you might be miserable in for who knows how long. But we know the right house will come up and we'll be ready! 

I've gotten very little work done on the new Aloha story, but I have been doing small bits here and there and hopefully, both kids will be in school soon giving me more time to work. My grandson is shadowing at a school that has an excellent reputation with autistic kids. We're hopeful that they will think he's ready for kindergarten, otherwise, we'll be piecing together part time schools and therapies. 

For anyone waiting for Sweet Obsession - the official release is the end of the month, but it's available now at a discount on my website! 

So - what do y'all want to hear about from me? More on my work - how I want to throttle the laptop when I can't come up with anything new under the sun - though I must admit, I'm rather proud of myself for figuring out how to have a meet cute happen in a bathroom LOL. 

I've been so busy with the family, I can't even remember what i've shared bookwise but here is the opening scene for Sweet Obsession - Let me know if you like it when I post snippets! 

“Heads up!”
Jillian sprang back just as a hammer sailed through the air, landing a few inches in front of her.
“Sorry about that.” Garret slid down a support post with the ease of a fireman gliding down a steel pole on his way to save lives. “I missed the loop in my belt. You okay?”
Nodding, she smiled at her brother. This wouldn’t be the first or last time since the new construction project began that she’d been bumped, dinged, or suffered a near miss. She had the black and blues to prove it. “No harm, no foul.”
Lips pressed tightly together, Garret nodded, and falling into place beside his sister, scanned the finally complete frame of what would soon be the Sweet Ranch's new calving barn. The foundation had been poured weeks ago, and now the wooden bones stretched skyward, outlining the structure that for so many years had lived only in their father's notes and dreams. “Dad would love it.”
All the siblings who’d worked today gathered in a line and nodded their agreement.
Propped against a stack of lumber, music drifted from Preston's phone—a smooth blend of easy listening rock and country that made the assembly feel a little less like work and a little more like a party.
Alice, their mother, gazed across the burgeoning structure, a soft, approving smile on her face. Mindlessly, her hand reached down to stroke the thick fur of her eldest son’s dog, always faithfully at her side. "Charlie would be so proud."
“He really would." Garret eyed the scribbled notepaper tacked to a center post. Their father had mapped out a plan and everyone felt a surge of pride at reaching another milestone on the long to-do list. “We’ve managed to get most of the pastures improved the way he wanted – organic fertilization, got a handle on the worst of the weeds, and Preston’s rotational grazing system seems to be working wonders.”
“And that new baler Jim bought has been a godsend.” Carson hammered a stray nail flush. “We finally managed to acquire a few more head of cattle last month. Not as many as we’d hoped for initially, but it’s a start. Should help with the income stream a bit.”
Consulting his tablet where he'd been tracking their progress, Preston nodded. "If we can get this barn finished before calving season starts, we'll be in good shape. Thank God for Carson's construction connections—saved us a fortune on the foundation and framing."
Alice walked over to a plywood storage closet they’d built into one corner of the frame – a necessary precaution after the mysterious disappearance of the stolen hay baler they’d found hidden in the line shack. She carefully placed a set of new power tools inside. “Speaking of mysteries, any more news on Ray or those other hands?”
Preston shook his head. “Nothing solid.”
A timer chimed from Alice's phone. "Oh, that's my roast. You all keep working—dinner in an hour." She hurried toward the house.
The moment their mom was out of earshot, Jillian spun around to face her brother. “So what aren’t you telling us?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Preston sighed. “Sean Farraday called earlier today. Told me he’d bumped into Ray – or someone who looked exactly like him – working for the Brady ranch near them.”
“Mr. Farraday found Ray? Does the sheriff have him?” A million things swirled through Jillian’s mind, the first being how she’d love to be back in the old west when they happily drew and quartered cattle rustlers. Or maybe it was just tarred and feathered. Either would do.
“‘Fraid not. Sean didn’t say anything, played it casual. The guy claimed his name was John Smith. By the time Sean got a hold of Declan, Ray and all his gear was gone.”
“For a stellar thief, not a very original alias.” Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Wait.” Carson’s head snapped around. “Why was Ray working? That doesn't make sense at all."
 “Good point.” Rachel joined them from where she’d been sorting lumber. “Considering how much money he must have squirreled away from everything he stole from us, why would he need to work at all? He should be on a beach in some country where he can’t be extradited.”
“If he’s as smart as we thought, agreed.” Preston shrugged again.
"Or he's lying low, trying to blend in," Garret suggested darkly.
“I’d like to stick with he’s an idiot.” Rachel flashed a fake smile. “Gives me hope we’ll actually catch the S.O.B.”
The conversation turned to their own finances—how much progress they'd made, yet how far they still had to go. Jillian felt the familiar weight of expectation settling on her shoulders. Four siblings down, four successful marriages that had brought crucial trust fund payments. Now it was her turn.
Just then, the music from Carson’s phone shifted. The twangy country faded, replaced by the soft, intricate finger picking of an acoustic guitar, a melody that was both melancholic and hopeful. A familiar male voice, rich and unexpectedly gentle, began to sing – one of Blake Kirby’s older, lesser-known tracks, from before the stadium tours and the chart-topping cross over anthems.
Garret paused. “That’s a new one on Carson’s playlist. I preferred his earlier songs to his country-rock hits.”
Looking up, Rachel stopped to listen. “Hard to believe that we knew Blake when he was nothing more than one of Kade’s buddies. Who knew all that fiddling with the guitar would take him to the top of the charts?”
Now Garret stepped away from the storage closet, shaking his head. “Funny, isn’t it? Buys that bazillion-dollar place down near the Austin music scene, supposedly to be closer to family, and yet he hasn’t set foot back in Honeysuckle in years.”
"Why should he come home?" Preston reached for his hat. "He flies his family anywhere they want to see him on tour. From what I hear, his grandmother used to follow him around the country like a groupie.”
That made Jillian chuckle. Sara Kirby was as feisty as they come. The old woman would probably outlive them all and still be dancing after everyone was gone.
Carson heaved a sigh. “Can’t blame him. It’s certainly easier than dealing with grapevine queen Iris Hathaway."
Her brothers were right. This town held very little for Blake Kirby. Only half-listening to the ongoing conversation, the music pulled Jillian back to a memory from years ago. She was a little girl again, sitting off to the side on the back porch. Kade and his friends, Blake among them, playing a game of touch football on the sprawling back lawn. An idea had struck Blake, mid-play. He’d grabbed his battered guitar from the back of his pickup, settled onto the porch steps, and oblivious to the shouts and laughter around him, began to coax a new tune from the strings. Jillian had sat, mesmerized, as scattered notes bloomed into that unforgettable, haunting melody now playing from Carson’s phone. When he’d finally looked up, his fingers stilling on the frets, and seen her sitting there, listening so intently, he’d smiled. She’d never forgotten that smile, the raw beauty of the tune, or the boy who’d become a rock star.
The song ended, and the usual country twang returned, snapping Jillian back to the present, the ranch, their dilemma, and the sound of a ticking clock in her head reminding her that her time to find a partner in crime was running out. 

Sorry this is a day late but it's NUTS in the Keniston household. My son and his golden retriever are staying with me because there was a flood at his condo and repairs still need to be made - then my daughter and her family are here because here husband has a new job and they're house hunting. Then - yeah ain't that enough lol - my niece and nephew from out of the country are visiting for a few days so we are scrambling on all channels ! But you know I love it. 

The challenge is it's affecting my ability to be in a story and finish it so the Aloha Series' holiday book - fake Dating the SEAL is going very slowly but I will have it to you as scheduled by October if I have to go without sleep at some point!  After all, this IS my job! 

I hope you picked up your copy of Sweet Deal - and are telling all your friends about it - and Sweet Beginnings is free everywhere but amazon at the moment so tell your friends about that! Then pop over to my facebook page to read about my mother and the affects of her nutritional changes on her dementia.  I'll talk more about that here, but for now, I have to take my nephew to the stockyards for a tourist day and I'm late!! 

Take care folks! 

I'm not only home, I'm staying put!  We are in whirlwind mode. My daughter is scrambling at this late date to find schools for the grandkids - well my grandkids, her kids lol.  There are a handful she loves but they're already full, so we keep looking. Then once that's all settled, they'll start looking for housing. The goal is a house near me but unfortunately, there are more people wanting the same thing then there are people moving away, but we'll keep looking. 

My job is to make the guest room designed for folks staying a few days or a week, to something more comfortable for a month or more. The biggest challenge has been the bathroom, it has a pedestal sink and no other storage and of course no counter space. So I ordered one of those over the toilet shelf thingies to gave them a place for putting creams and things down and then I have one of those plastic drawer things - it's been emptied and put in a corner--I hope it helps! Next job to tackle was the closet - well, I can't do much about small closet, but thankfully, a good friend is lending me one of the clothing racks she had in her garage, so now they'll have plenty of room to hang things while they're here. I'm also shuffling furniture around - switching the bigger queen bed down to the guest room and moving the full bed up to where my grandson sleeps. Full bed is fine for a few nights - but they need a little more room. And then there's dressers, I pulled a short one out of another room and am using it as a night table so my daughter has someplace to put her things while my son in law uses the one that is already in there. All in all, I hope when we're done they'll be mostly comfortable in their temporary digs! 

The hardest thing for me is learning to go to bed early. I've always been a night owl, and I get my best writing done after everyone else has gone to bed, except then I'm supposed to be able to sleep late too, well, not so much with young ones around. This means I keep dozing on the recliner in the middle of the day, but I'll get there soon, where I can sleep earlier, wake up with the grands, and get writing done! 

The good thing about having visited Olivia Sands in France, is that my husband took a liking to swimming every day. We have a pool, but no one ever uses it -- until now. Every day since we returned from England, hubby has been swimming in the pool!  Great gentle exercise for us old whipper snappers LOL 

The downside, is that I have put on three pounds since returning to Texas - that is so frustrating - I really hate how processed and sugar laden our foods are - sigh. 

There's a vote on my facebook page for the cover for the new Aloha book - pop over and take a look see which ones you like - so far the blue seems to be in the lead by a small margin! 

All right - that's it for me today - I have to get some words in and assemble a toilet shelf! 

​see y'all next week! 

My travel buddy and I usually celebrate decade birthdays with a special trip. For her fiftieth we spent three weeks in Australia so she could scuba dive the great barrier reef. For my fiftieth we did a two week Caribbean cruise (because november is a crappy month to visit my bucket list Greek Islands) and now her sixtieth is coming up next year - so - I flew into Florida to help her with some more decorating shopping and trip planning. 

The final decision - though we're waiting for confirmation - Antarctica! It seems we're developing a pattern of new continent visiting on the big years - Maybe for my next one we'll get to see the great wall of china on my bucket list - and a new continent to me! 

Anyhow - this planning has taken up a lot of spare time but I'm delighted to report that Sweet Obsession is back from the editors and off with the review team to proof. You should be able to purchase it early on my website soon. It will release at all vendors in late September. 

I am now working on a holiday book from the Aloha series - its been a while since we've hung out with the folks from the Big Island Dive shop and there was one book I very much wanted to write back in the day- so y'all are going to get it now! 

And now - as we run out the door to go shopping - here is the VERY rough draft of the first scene in the new Aloha book I'm working on:
“What’s that smell?” Sara Alani sniffed at the air like a blood hound seeking its mark.
“My fritters!” Maile Everrett shouted from across the room. Bright red and purple and blue flowers from the family matriarch’s neck to her toes flew past Sara. For the mother of four and grandmother to three of her grandchildren and even more almost grandchildren, that woman could move. Not to mention she wore a muumuu like no one else on the island.
“I’ve got it,” a call came from the kitchen as Maile disappeared through the doorway.  Emily Everrett Hamilton had come in the back door and reaching the oven minutes before her mother, averted a near disaster.
“Well,” Maile slid the hot baking dish onto the stone trivet that always sat on the counter. For anyone who baked and cooked as often as Maile did, putting the thing away simply made no sense. “Only the row closest to the back of the oven are toast.”
Reaching for one of the fritters with a darkened rim around the edge, Sara pulled her hand back and licked her burned finger.
“You know better than that.” Maile grabbed the hand and shoved it under the cold water faucet. A move she’d done often when growing up Sara and the Everrett girls would help in the family kitchen.
Rabb, the family’s beloved German shepherd, stood at his master’s feet. Any other dog would have been waiting for a dropped treat, but Sara knew as well as anyone else in the kitchen, that the astute dog was more concerned for Maile’s safety. As soon as the animal was convinced that Maile’s mad dash across the house and Sara’s hand under running water was not a major, or even minor, crisis, he plopped to the ground from the corner of the room where he could oversee all the happenings.
The front door flew open and now the sweet chaos of the Everrett family was about to truly begin. Billy, the oldest child and only son came through the door carrying their two year old son NAME, his wife Angela had their daughter Isabella by the hand.
The four year old easily dragged her mother toward the kitchen. “Hurry Mommy, cookie time.”
On their tails, Nick Harper, who might has well have been an Everrett considering how close, like Sara, he’d been to the Everrett brood, ushered his own family—Maile’s almost grandchildren—through the doorway. 
Within minutes the kitchen was filled with giggling children and their parents all talking at the same time. Sara had to smile. Only once had she missed the annual Christmas cookie baking day at the Everrett household, and that was because she’d been confined to bed with strep throat.  The memory broadened her smile. When she’d fully recovered she’d had Maile Everrett all to herself one afternoon after school and baked the best looking Santa and reindeer cookies ever. It hadn’t been the same as the loving chaos of the whole family baking on that special day, but Maile had made it special for her nonetheless.
Even though Sara had wonderful loving parents, she always felt doubly blessed to have the Everretts as a second set of parents. Except of course for the matchmaking thing.  Sara had spent the last six years trying to explain to her mother and her mother’s best friend that she could find her own man—when she was ready.  Whether the two women doubted her ability to find a man or if she’d ever be ready, was a mystery to her. Especially since with the best of intentions, those two had tried to hook her up in one way or another with pretty much any breathing male old enough to order a beer for more years than she cared to think about.
“You doing okay?” Emily Everrett, her dearest friend since they’d met the first day of preschool and their mothers had become as fast friends as she and Emily, smiled at her. Ever since Emily turned thirty and she and Doug decided that it was time to start a family, Emily seemed to be more worried about Sara’s biological clock than Sara. After all, she still had a few months until her own thirtieth birthday and in this day and age, thirty wasn’t all that old for starting a family.
“You know I love cookie baking day.” Sara smiled at Emily.
“I do.” Her friend’s eyes were filled with love, friendship, and Sara feared, just a bit of pity.
“Don’t you start turning into my mothers.”
“Me?” Emily’s eyes doubled in size. “What did I do?”
“Nothing. Yet.”  The minute Emily discovered she and Doug were having a baby, she’d tried to set Sara up with one of dive shop customers who’d been getting certified to scuba dive.  The guy had been nice enough, and handsome enough, but it hadn’t taken long to figure out he had more interest in the fish than in women. Especially her.
“What are you two doing out here?” Apron tied around her waist, hands on her hips, Maile stood at the kitchen threshold. “It’s time to mix the dough.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emily saluted, even though unlike her brother and most of his buddies, she’d never been in the military.
As Sara passed by her friend’s mother, Maile reached for hand and leaned in almost conspiratorially. Sara braced herself. She’d seen that look on Maile and her mother’s faces too many times.
Lowering her voice, Maile glanced back into the kitchen as if worried someone would over hear her sharing state secrets, “Emily tells me there’s a new teacher at the high school.”
Sara nodded, cautiously.
“He’s not married.”
And here they went again. Why did Christmas have to heighten everyone’s interest in finding Sara a man?  Maybe it was time she tried in earnest to find a man on her own.  Too bad she couldn’t ask Santa. 
All righty - I'll leave you all here with that little tidbit to digest! See y'all next week! 

Our second day touring was a whole lot of fun even though I stopped reading Harry Potter after book 4 and stopped watching the movies after 2 lol. 

If you're looking to step back in time - visit Lavenham England.  It's a small Tudor village that doesn't have anything modern in it - You get a real feel for how folks functioned in the 15 and 16 hundreds! 

You also become aware of the inspiration for Godric's Hollow in Harry Potter's Deathly Hallows. Some of you may have seen the little video clip  in front of the Harry Potter house - if not - run over to Youtube now and watch! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HuT_s-... 

So  - what you need to know is that the way the production company did this was that they came into town, quietly, took photos and videos and then went back to the studio and with the help of computers - created the Godric Hollow.  This means many of the photos aren't exact, but were altered for the movie - but you'll get the feel of it!  The first house - is the one that was used for the birthplace of Harry.  I didn't even realize what it was, but there were a few other people mulling about taking photos and then our friends explained it to us. The town was delightful on its own - but the Harry Potter connection just made it more fun! 

Here's a snippet from the former owners: 
“The crew arrived without actors and filmed both the front and the back in the height of summer. They used parts of the house like pieces of a massive three-dimensional jigsaw, cutting and pasting them to form the streets of Godric’s Hollow. They even made the final result a snow scene in the winter, with a Christmas tree in our front window and carol singing coming from within the house.”  Tony Ranzetta, the owner of De Vere House at that time.

the second house - which is the guild hall - became the home where the Potters hid from voldemort and eventually died saving Harry.  I have no clue what the tea room was used for but the woman said that they were there for quiet some time filming and photographing. 

And of course the church - you can see that big tower in the background in the film (I watched the clip lol) and then the tombstones - had I known where we were going I would have watched the movie first - because there are a couple of tombstones and I recognized one - it had an odd pyramid shape top and it caught my eye - then later when watching the film clip I saw the same shape and thought - ohh - the cemetery scene is from the church cemetery.  It was really quite fascinating and a lot of fun! 

Now on the book front - it took a lot of late night - or would that be early morning lol - until three, four and even five am to get Sweet Obsession finished for my drop dead deadline - but I did it!  - here's hoping my editor likes it! 

I'm also tinkering with trying to get a holiday book out for y'all - I'm thinking from the Aloha Series - might be nice to revisit those folks for a bit - don't you think? 

Well, this is the end of galavanting with hubby - Not sure I'd want to do it again. lol.  Handsome is a sweetheart but not really adventurous. There were more things I would have done while I was there because -well we were there! but hubby, he wanted to come home - I guess, we'll just have to see! 

Anyone have any questions for me? You know you're allowed to make comments! I'll answer - I promise!