Such an odd daylight this morning, sort of a yellowish glow. The sun is not yet up but darkness took its leave before I could reach my computer. This is the time when the world seems hushed, not fully awake. Not a leaf stirs on the trees and only a couple of neighbors have passed my window on their way to work. The robins who were so noisy in the spring don’t have much to say. Oh, great! Another creature stirs in my domain–a feisty squirrel jumps and scurries across the lawn with much twitching of the tail.
Yesterday’s Cozy Critique was a lively session. We welcomed a new member, Linda, who is a friend of Helen and Nancy and has now become a friend of Peg, Jane, and mine. We celebrated Nancy’s success. A publisher has given the nod to her inspirational book, but I’ll let Nancy say more about this later, in her own time, and perhaps she wants to say it on her own website and give it proper attention. I do congratulate Nancy and look forward to getting a copy of her book.
Helen read more of her personal insight devotionals and brought copies of a publication which has published several of her inspirational stories. Congratulations to Helen too.
Jane continued with her children’s story/mystery and we can hardly wait to see how it ends. Jane’s story is set during World War I and Peg, who has studied that era in history, gave us a bit of background to consider.
And I? Well, now that Best Left Buried is in its final stage on the way to (I hope) publication, I read a story to the group that I sent several years ago to Woman’s World. I don’t remember why this one didn’t fit their need for light romances. Perhaps it was too long or perhaps it was another reason. Anyway, I read the story about a young woman who, although not interested in meeting her friend’s handsome young neighbor Tom, nonetheless met him on a rainy night in a hardware store quite by accident. The story involved Tom’s allergy to cats which drove him to close contact with a mud puddle. Anyway, I got some encouragement and few suggestions and who knows? I may just send Strike While the Iron Is Hot out into the wide world of media again.
Peg and Linda can discern good writing when they hear it and are also able to zero in on words or phrases that might be said in a better way. And you know what, they point these things out in a gentle, courteous manner.
Two hours passed quickly as the six of us sat around my hundred year old table, drinking coffee and tea, munching on Helen’s trail mix, reading, listening, and writing. We had a few laughs too, namely when I realized that I used a name in Best Left Buried that I had used in Strike While the Iron is Hot which all goes to show that when a name is grooved into this particular writer’s brain, it is loath to leave.
A reader of this blog who lives in Canada sent her website, http://www.homewithinahome.com/Main.html. Although this is not a writing website, it is one that might prove inspirational and helpful. I’m sure she would welcome a visit.
Onward and upward, Cozy Mystery writers and readers. Whether your favorite time to write is early morning, evening, or (dare I say it?) all day, we have a world of ideas, stealthy plots and ghostly characters waiting to take shape courtesy of our imaginations. With one story completed, we do what every good Cozy writer/reader does, we move on to the next book!
Blanche’s cozy mysteries
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