When friends get together with coffee and cookies, it’s a fun time. Throw in a rousing critique, mix with a lot of laughter, and you have a recipe for a very good day.
We Cozy Critters have met when snow lay on the ground, when we had to dodge raindrops, when the wind was so strong it blew over Peg’s umbrella and dislodged tiles on her picnic table and when the sky was unbelievably blue and leaves starting to change color, as they were yesterday. We have shared each other’s triumphs, tough times, and perplexing situations. We have wrestled with commas, grammatical bad guys, and wayward sentence structures. We have discussed what makes a good book and what does not. And we’ve invited you, our readers, to share all these things with us.
Peg, our avid reader, is an Ellery Adams fan. She is reading Murder in the Paperback Parlor . This is the second in the Book Retreat series and is guaranteed to give mystery fans the superb adventure that Ellery fans expect in her well-crafted books. Peg is also reading Sheila Connolly’s Apple series and is delving into Anne Hillerman’s books. Anne is the daughter of Tony Hillerman and is continuing his Navaho detective series. And, our adventurous Peg is about to embark on reading the new Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout.
Judy’s writings are always insightful. Yesterday she read Friends for Life about a childhood friend and a wish they shared. When they were little girls, Judy and her chum dreamed of taking a trip to Hawaii. These girls remained close as they grew up, married, and had homes of their own but they still held that dream of visiting Hawaii. One day, the dream became reality as they and their husbands took that long awaited trip. Judy brought pictures and a memento from Hawaii to share with us.
Helen, whose inspirational writings are always encouraging and hopeful, brought four for us to critique. Meesa’s Legacy was about a ten-year old cat and the way she expressed disapproval with the decisions of her family. Dispensing Lotion illustrated the fact that God gives His grave and forgiveness abundantly with nothing held back and we should do the same. Going Home was a thoughtful, insight glimpse into the important things in life and Accept or Reject gave us food for thought.
Jane once more brought her artistic talent into her beautiful crafting of words with How Our Life can Be Renewed. She mentioned that I once referred to us women of a certain age as Antique Little Girls. She took that theme and talked about accumulated years as being the patina of life. On Antiques Road Show, we hear a lot about patina and how it adds to the value of a piece. And, provenance is equally important . Now, let me tell you, these two things become increasingly important to us antique little girls and probably antique little boys too. We, like pottery, can sometimes become a bit chipped or cracked and we may show signs of wear but, hey! That only adds to our value. God sees us as prized possessions or cherished children and gives us a home on His shelf called Heaven. A beautiful piece from Jane.
I mentioned a snag, a rough place in the fourth Darcy and Flora book, Grave Heritage. The critiquers offered suggestions and brought out several solutions to the problem that I hadn’t even thought of! Last time, when the word “streeling” had everyone stumped, Judy suggested a remedy which worked well.
Then I shared that the audio book for The Cemetery Club should be ready the first week of November, according to my publisher and, as the release date for Moonlight Can Be Murder nears, I am like a parent awaiting the arrival of a bundle of joy! Remember $2.00 off until November 15 at Pen-L.com.
So ended a rousing critique and the Critters departed to their own homes, chatting as they walked down the sidewalk or to their cars. Tomorrow’s blog will be a little bit more about these friends and critiquers, offering insights into who they are and why reading and writing are an important part of their lives.
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