Janelle Meraz Hooper's Blog

My short story, A 30-Day Pass From Heaven, is now posted on my Substack site and is free to read:

https://janellemerazhooper.substack.c...

Give it a look! It's the most unusual format I've ever used, and I think it's my best.
Let me know what you think! Janelle

Custer & His Naked Ladies, due to a computer glitch on my part, has confused my readers. The sequence of my Turtle Trilogy goes like this:
1. A Three-Turtle Summer (auto-biography)- Glory's mom, Grace, with her sisters' help, has to dump a man who's meaner than a rattlesnake and dumber than adobe.
2. As Brown as I Want, The Indianhead Diaries (mostly autobiography)- Glory's dad has taken out a $50,000 accidental death policy on her. Now, he's spending the summer trying to collect!
3. Custer & His Naked Ladies (fiction)- I use my memories of my mother and her sisters to describe their lives as senior citizens. They never lost their spunk in their later years!
Give them a try! Sample chapters are on Amazon. Let me know if you have questions! Janelle

It's 1st Wednesday of every month on my Substack. For July, I've posted an excerpt from my starting-over romance, Bears in the Hibiscus. Hey! I can't write about Geronimo all the time! Check it out. My Substack is free to read. I think the "subscribe" option is misleading.
janellemerazhooper.substack.com

Write to me here if you have any questions! Janelle

Largely because of Geronimo's Laptop, I've been invited to join the private Southwestern Oklahoma Historical Society. I look forward to the friendship of other members. I'm sure I can learn a lot from them!

I love a sale! Especially on books! Right now, the audio version of Geronimo's Laptop is on sale. It's a bit tricky to get the sale price: First type in Audiobooksnow.com. At the top of the page, type in Geronimo's Laptop. The price of $9.10 should come up. I've had a time getting used to these audiobooks! I could learn French easier! But give it a try--you'll be great at it. I'm just very tech-impaired! J.

Dear Reader, how do you handle grief? This past year, with the sudden death of my husband, I've learned a lot about such deep sadness and even more about myself. Most of all, I've learned that I am a survivor. My latest piece (I don't know yet if it's a short story or a novel) was born of this need to survive. To remember without losing grasp of the rest of my life. My family. My friends. My joy in the beautiful things in my life.
Humor has always been a part of my stories. I'm not sure how readers will feel about my injecting humor into my "Heaven" story. I hope they see the love flowing from my heart to my screen. If not, I beg your forgiveness. Our lives are so short and the love we're given is so much longer. I'll let you know when it is finished. Meanwhile, Geronimo's Laptop is going strong. Some friends gave me a vintage Geronimo toy that sits permanently on my windowsill. "Hey, Geronimo, let's go see what our little sweetheart is doing up in heaven as soon as your powwow is over..."

How do you feel about AI? Over the weekend I was playing around with it:
The first thing I did was ask AI to show me an iguana wearing green sparkly earrings for a possible illustration. I got amazing results! I wanted to show you one of them but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to copy something just for information.
Another thing I did was type in my name. Just my name. Try it. What fun!
If you haven't tried it yet, look for the little colorful icon on the bottom right of your screen. Let me know what you think!
Back to work! Janelle

Geronimo's Laptop is being featured in selected bookstores in the UK & Ireland. I just got my new computer up and running or I would have posted more info. I wonder if Geronimo will come back from Ireland with a brogue?
Write me for more info.
Janelle

My Substack submission for my First Wednesday Post is the first two chapters of my "One Way Cruise" novel. Chapter One, Maku's Shopping Cart and Chapter Two, He Was A Killer. You can read it now for free on my Substack site: janellemerazhooper.substack.com/

This book and subject matter is unheard of from me but, given the huge increase in sex trafficking, I think it is an important read for young women and men. Because it is a tough subject, I've lightened it up with a little romance and humor. It has been my experience that NO ONE wants to hear about sex trafficking in this country.
After the first two introductory chapters, the location switches to Seattle and Tombstone Arizona. Please give it a read. The characters are delightful (except for the bad guys) and Anney's two gay friends are unforgettable.
I'm posting this book so that you don't all think that all I write about is Geronimo! Ha! Janelle

Dear Goodreads Friends. I wasn't a member of Goodreads for (probably) years. I read a lot and so many of my books are missing. I am trying to correct this failure in detail now. I know you're busy, so I'll give you the short story:
1. I dislike criticizing other peoples' books. If I really hate a book, I'll try to just delete it.
2. I am a historical romance lover and have read few "duke books" that I dislike.
3. Contemporary romance books almost never fail to entertain me. What can I say? I like men!
4. I call my romance books that I write my starting-over romances. I like stories about women who have had their struggles finding happiness.
5. Geronimo's Laptop is my very favorite book--a mixture of history, fantasy, and humor--I'll never regret telling this great Apache's story about his life after he was put on a reservation.

Little by little, I'll try to straighten out this mess that I've made. Please hang in there with me! Goodreads is an amazing platform. I'll try to do better! Janelle