When five women are talking, writing, reading, and giggling, it’s no wonder they don’t notice the afternoon has grown dark and storm clouds are gathering. However, rain held off until the Cozy Critters began climbing into their cars. Then, it rained! Poured! Deluged! (I don’t think there is such a word but that’s what it did.)
Carolyn came back to our group yesterday! We welcomed her with open arms. Carolyn has been nurse to a sick family member for several months. Thankfully, he is much better now, due, no doubt, to Carolyn’s care. The War Eagle Arts and Crafts Show is in October and Carolyn is busy painting canvases for that. I heard her mention acrylic Santas and I’m sure they will be beautiful. This multi-talented lady also writes poetry and children’s books. She read two poems to us, “My Earthly Home” and “Autumn Years.” Thoughtful, serious works.
Jane, too, is a writer and an artist. She read the poem, “Grandpa’s Knees.” This was based on a true story of her grandpa who always punctuated his stories with sound effects, the sound of a horse galloping, or the howl of a wolf. She switched gears from light-hearted reading to an introspective story, “Loved, But Never Known.”
Peg, our avid reader, has been busy with many things, including cozy mysteries. “I’m reading one now,” she said, “about a mysterious visitor who appears in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm. It’s really scary.”
“And, the visitor,” I said, “did he have a rather short life?”
“Pretty short,” Peg answered.
Peg is one of my advance readers for Grave Heritage (due to be released Monday.) Thanks, Peg.
She includes in her reading material No Farm, No Foul by Peg Cochran and Digging Up the Dirt by Miranda James.
Nancy is Miss September for The Arkansas Women Bloggers. As Miss September, she writes a new blog each week. Two of these are “Miss September 2016” and “Learning Never Stops.” Nancy always has a pithy statement that I can take with me through the week. Yesterday, she mentioned that her goal is to be present at whatever she’s doing. Isn’t that meaningful? It is likened to, “Live in the Moment.” Another piece with an uplifting message was “Hope for the Unseen Hurts.”
In addition to writing, she presided over a bloggers’ conference last week in Fayetteville, “Megaphone 2016.” Her other activities, include a weekly radio show, Living Life Unedited, speaking engagements, giving piano lessons, and marketing her book, The Grace Impact.
Then it was time for the “Manos Mystery Corner.” I displayed the Pen-L.com website on my iPad, on which, wouldn’t you know, was this enticing cozy mystery, Grave Heritage, waiting impatiently for its birthday on Monday. 
We discussed marketing and ways to get the word out to the reading public. Being a guest blogger is one of those ways. On Saturday, I will guest on Janet K. Brown’s site. The time grows short for pre-orders. Ordering from my publisher, Pen-L.com will get your name in the pot for a signed, free copy of Grave Heritage. Or, you may pre-order from Amazon.com. Thank you for pre-ordering, and for those reviews I hope you’ll write after reading.
So begins Thursday, a fresh, clean page on which you and I write a part of our life’s journey. Tonight, as I go to bed, I expect to find some joyful moments written there, and the only storm clouds will be those that bring welcome showers.
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