In case you
hadn’t noticed, I’ve been absent for a while. I’ll make a long story short.
My dog,
Murphy, had to have surgery on his knee. There were complications, mostly from
the medications he was on.
In the
meantime we sold our two-story house and bought a one-story house. That meant
packing, moving and unpacking. There were a few complications there, too.
It seemed
like everything dragged on and on and on. Thankfully, we had a great Realtor
who made things a little easier for us. (Thanks, Todd!)
Just to add
to the issues, my daughter caught that nasty virus that’s going around, and I
caught it from her. My heart goes out to those who are going through the
illness.
During this
time I did no writing and no reading. By evening I was tired and my eyes
wouldn’t focus on book pages.
I had a dozen
chapters done on my Work in Progress (WIP) and had to set it aside a few months
ago. Now I’m back and I’ve picked up where I left off, and I’m having a great
time.
Before the
dog and house situation, I picked up a book of old newspaper headlines which
were actually the first page of news. None of the headlines inspired me, but
one story at the bottom of the page caught my eye and I read an account from
many years ago, or at least part of it. It was continued on another page, and
this book was only headline pages.
Anyway, there
was a story about a man who was murdered in his home. When the police entered
the residence, his brother (whom they believed to be the killer) had mysteriously
disappeared. I didn’t do further research on the story. I didn’t want to know
if the brother was the killer or how he disappeared. The general information
from this article inspired “Gin Mill
Grill,” my WIP.
As I
sometimes do, I’ve created an old crime that has to be solved today. I kind of
like Sandi Webster not having to walk in on a current crime and a, um, fresh
corpse. Although, along those lines there are a few surprises in this story.
Just to add
to the excitement, an artist, Dori Pendergrass, has already painted the new
book cover. I’ll share it in the not too distant future. I’m totally taken with
the cover, and the original painting will be proudly displayed on the wall in
my office.
I live in
Washington state, where it rains frequently. I’ve been so wrapped up in the new
story that I haven’t really noticed the dark and dreary skies or the
rain-soaked surroundings, except when I go outside. I glance skyward and think,
Really? It’s cold and raining? When did
that start?
Many of you
know how it goes, but I’m still unpacking and setting up the house. Where do I
hang this? Where do I place that? What can I give up without having fits?
Two-story to one-story really puts a crimp in what there’s room to display and
that includes both furniture and decor. Looks like there might be a yard sale
come spring.
So, I’m back
and happy to be here.
I don’t know
that I’ll keep up with a blog-a-week, like I’ve done in the past, but I’ll do
my best. In the meantime I want to get back to the book I was reading when this
all started. I’ve missed my reading time as much as I’ve missed my writing
time.
Have you ever
noticed how things seem to happen in rapid succession? You take care of one
issue and another pops up? Hopefully, things will turn around now.
Until next
week, if you’re moving, my heart goes out to you. If your beloved pet is having
surgery or any other issue, my heart goes out to you. If you’ve got the flu or
the latest virus, get in to see the doctor quickly. I hope that from now on,
things go smoothly for all of us.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website (In dire need of updating)
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
COMING SOON, or as soon as possible, Gin
Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery. In the meantime you might want to
keep up with her in Entrance to Nowhere – A Sandi Webster Mystery.
