What do you call a pan of double chocolate orange brownies that don’t exactly come out of the pan as they ought? Chocolate nuggets, of course. And, let me tell you they are just as tasty as the kind that is neatly cut into attractive squares.Chocolate nuggets, coffee, friendship and a whole lot of laughter abounded at my dining table yesterday. We cozy critters missed Nancy but she sent word that her new book is coming along nicely and soon will be headed for publication. Peg has been doing a lot of reading and always has keen insight on what makes a book enjoyable. Jane shared a special event. She had written new words to fit with the Beatles Tune, When I’m Sixty-Four, to celebrate her church’s sixty-fifth anniversary. She had the music on video, sung by her church and choir. That was a special treat for us and for all those who saw and heard it.
We celebrated another of Helen’s writing successes. She brought a copy of Purpose which had bought one of her inspirational pieces. She read that to us and then we critiqued several others works in progress. I was delighted that Helen brought a guest. Kaye, a retired English teacher from Iowa, came with her and added much to the discussions and fun.
I proudly introduced the bright, new copies of The Cemetery Club, Grave Shift, and Best Left Buried. The ladies known as the cozy critters have been with me throughout the whole manuscript writing process, offering suggestions and support for all these months. I appreciate friends who will walk the road, whether it is rough or smooth, continuing until the end. Now, they are suggesting ways to market. To my mind, a critique group is critical to the success of a book.
And the launch date of Barbara’s and my three Darcy and Flora cozy mysteries is two days away–November 1. At that time, the books will be ready to ship to readers who order from Pen-L.com. My thanks to each of you who orders. May you curl up in your favorite chair, cup of coffee at hand, a plate of chocolate orange nuggets within reach, and snug in for a visit with this mother and daughter duo in Levi, Oklahoma. Maybe, though, you shouldn’t read them while you are alone in the house, or if you are expecting a good night’s sleep afterward, or are prone to hear unexplained noises in the dark. Although the books are cozies, they are, after all, mysteries and Darcy and Flora get into some doozies!
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