Yearly Archives: 2022

Dear Friends,

Oh my goodness it’s July already!   I hope you had an enjoyable holiday weekend.  Personally I spent a lot of it hiding in a large closet with the fur babies.  We had torrential rain, and clouds so black it looked like a tornado was about to hit.  Surely we are not in Kansas anymore.  The weather here in South Carolina has been all but consistent.  The only constant is change.  Kinda like life, I suppose.  But seriously, people may not want to acknowledge climate change, but guess what kids?  Climate changes every single day.  We just happen to be experiencing wide swings of it in a very short time.  Call it whatever you want but even the weather people can’t seem to get a handle on it either.  (I want that job.  Get paid lots of money and you can be wrong every single day.  Not bad.  LOL.)

The world surely seems in need of some kind of realignment.  A re-set button so to speak.  Every day there is more to fret about.  I know I’ve said I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer and I won’t.  I’m simply saying while there is a lot to fret about, we need to be strong.  We need to be Bad-Ass.  One of my favorite expressions is “Just because I can, doesn’t mean I should.”  We have to pick our battles and boy oh boy do we seem to have many.  So pick the ones that mean the most to you.  Narrow it down.  Don’t be overwhelmed by the overshadowing cloud of doom.  Imagine if all of us could take a deep breath at the same time and then blow away all the evil?  Now that is what I call a fantasy.  My point is, try to stay positive.  Try to stay kind even if you want to choke the living heck out of the idiot at the head of the line at the post office who never bought a money order before.  Sorry.  Was that mean?  Thought balloons.  Like in the cartoons.  Sometimes I laugh out loud at what’s going through my head and then everyone around me takes a few steps back.  Gives me a little more elbow room.  Ha! Ha!

I am happy to report the latest paperback release NO WAY OUT is # 9 on the NEW YORK TIMES Best Seller List, and I thank all of you for your support.  I cannot tell you how much it means to me that after all the years I’ve been writing, I can still reach people’s hearts, minds, and souls.  So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Speaking of paperback releases and being a shameless self-promoter (if you know me personally you know that’s a big fat lie.  I have people pushing me all the time 😊),  the second installment of the Lost and Found series SECRETS, starring Luna Bodman and her brother Cullen will be out in six weeks.  So we are going to make that part of this months’ contest.  A bundle of my favorites including HIDDEN the first book in the series, just in case you haven’t started it yet.  I am truly enjoying writing it.  It’s set in the atmosphere of an art center and the eccentric people who inhabit it.  There’s mystery, romance, friendships, twists, and turns.

For the dog days of August I suggest lots of watermelon, sweet tea, ice cream, hot dogs, and corn on the cob, and not necessarily in that order!  Eat what you want, and when you want!

Sincerely,
Fern

Dear Friends,

June is busting out all over and so are the magnolias, roses, gardenias, hydrangeas, and some curious mushrooms.  Those I would not trust to eat, but they sure are interesting looking.

I hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day and Memorial Weekend.  Sadly there seems to be more people to keep in our prayers every month.  It’s important to be thankful for the blessings in our lives even if it’s only having a day with no drama!

Hard to believe we are almost halfway through 2022.  Let’s hope things start to improve soon.  It’s been a heck of a couple of years and none of us are getting any younger!  Try to stay healthy so when the world finally regains balance, we’ll be around to appreciate it!  Geeze.

We have several holidays this month starting with Flag Day on June 14^th.  Let’s join together and show our patriotism for our country regardless of politics.  On June 19^th we have Father’s Day, so remember to honor your Dad whether he’s still with you or not.  Chances are if he’s not, he’s still keeping an eye on you.

The summer solstice is on June 21^st which marks the beginning of summer and the longest day of the year when the sun is at its highest,  most northern point in the Northern Hemisphere.  At the same time, it is the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.  That’s today’s astronomy lesson.

On to my animal kingdom.  My cat Winnie has decided to make my dining room table his/her new permanent residence.  I know, I know.  How appalling.  Not really.  I have a big table and he/she takes up very little room.  Yes, it seems like I’ve turned into a “Crazy Cat Lady!”  By the way, I’m not intentionally being politically correct with the pronouns because when Winnie first showed up, I thought it was a she so I named her Winnie.  When he/she finally was tame enough to be an indoor cat, the vet gave me the surprising news that Winnie was a “he.”    So now I tell people Winnie is short for Winston.

Oliver the Owl is still trying to cajole Olivia into some kind of tet-a-tete, but she won’t have anything to do with him; and he’s keeping everyone awake with his longing.  Typical male.  Ignore them and they  keep coming back!  Fred, the woodpecker taps out his annoyance with them all day long.  I have to admit it sure beats hearing the sounds of horns and sirens!

I’m excited to announce the paperback edition of No Way Out is now available.  As I mentioned last month, a few comments were, “it ended too soon” and “what happened to Elle/Libby?”  The next sisterhood book, Tick Tock will see the return of Libby, and a few characters from Hidden (Book One of The Lost and Found Series) will also make an appearance.  I hope you become as attached to these characters as I have.

Last month’s contest saw a record number of entries.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I think we should reprise that with another bundle of my favorites including No Way Out.

A few more things.  June is cataract awareness month.  Take it from me, if your doctor tells you to have them removed, please listen and take action.  Waiting too long can cause serious vision issues.  It’s also National Adopt a Cat Month; and let’s not forget National Accordion Awareness Month.  Polka anyone?  LOL.

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you come on by again soon.  Be safe, be well, be kind.

Sincerely,
Fern

Dear Reader,

Here we are in the month of May.  Did you ever wonder why they call it “The Merry Month of May?”  It would be reasonable to assume it’s because winter is in the rear-view mirror and flowers are in bloom.  And that, my friends, is not far off.  It’s a poem from a play The Shoemaker’s Holiday written by Thomas Dekker (circa 1590) an Elizabethan poet and pamphleteer.  It was first performed in 1599 by The Admirals Men, also known as The Earl of Nottingham’s Men, considered one of the most important acting troupes of The English Renaissance Theatre.  The play depicts everyday life during the reign of King Henry VI.   Here’s the first verse:

O the month of May, the merry month of May,
So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green!
O, and then did I unto my true love say:
“Sweet Peg, thou shalt be my summer’s queen!

One of the lines mentions “Kiss and Toy” so I’ll just leave the rest to your imagination.  But isn’t it nice to know there was real heated romance way back when?  I guess they don’t call some of the more current romance novels “Boddice Rippers” for nothing!

Getting back to this month.  Mother’s Day is coming.  Do something nice for your mother if she is still here.  And if she isn’t, light a candle and say a prayer.  A mother’s love never dies.  And nobody’s perfect.

I have a few additions to my wildlife family.  An owl named Oliver keeps trying to seduce his girlfriend, Olivia all through the night.  He keeps calling her and she answers but she’s playing hard to get.  Then there’s my new alarm clock, Fred the woodpecker.  He’s up at the crack of dawn doing his jack-hammer thing all day long.

On to book news:  A new anthology has just been released called In Bloom.  It’s a collection of three stories, one by me (Amazing Gracie,) Carolyn Brown (The Mother’s Day Crown), and Lori Foster (Meant to Be.) They are novellas about family and motherhood that will make a wonderful gift and introduce readers to new authors.

Next month the paperback edition of No Way Out will be available.  Some of the comments from the hardcover were “it ended too soon” and “what happened to Elle/Libby?”  It makes me happy when people become attached to the characters so in a forthcoming Sisterhood Novel, Tick Tock we will see the return of Libby, and a few characters from Hidden (Book One of The Lost and Found Series) will also make an appearance.  Many children have imaginary friends and so do I.  LOL.

One more VERY important thing, and VERY close to my heart:  May is National Pet Adoption Month.  Please think about our  furry friends and help give one a furr-ever home.

This month’s contest will be a bundle of my recent favorites including In Bloom.

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you come on by again soon.  Be safe, be well, be kind.

Sincerely,
Fern

Dear Friends,

Just when you thought things were going to get back to some semblance of normal (even though it seems harder to figure out exactly what “normal” is), people are still losing their homes, livelihood, and their loved ones in Ukraine.  I know the situation is bad for a lot of people all around the world, and my heart breaks every time I turn on the news.  When did we become so uncivilized?  Makes me want to cry.  But I am not going to be a Debbie-Downer and ask that we take a moment to send positive thoughts throughout the world and spread as much loving light as possible.  So remember, when someone at the grocery store is getting on your one last nerve, be thankful.  Be thankful you can put on your pants, shoes, and be able to move about freely.   Never take anything for granted.

According to the calendar it’s officially Spring.  But where?  Even the seasons are a mess.  Many of my beautiful blooms were killed by a frost a week ago, and it’s South Carolina.  I enjoy gardening and it pains me to see lovely azaleas and camellias wilt on the vine.  I hope your gardening efforts are more fruitful.  I may start planting artificial flowers outside.  Just kidding.

This month we have Easter.  Time to color eggs and stuff our faces with chocolate bunnies.  Did you ever wonder how eggs became associated with Easter?  It’s a symbol of new life.  Jesus reborn.  BTW, jelly beans are a symbol of the egg.

Now what about bunnies?  It’s still a bit of a mystery, but it’s thought that since they are prolific little creatures they represent fertility, and fertility is associated with Spring; and it was originated by the Germans who brought the tradition to America in the 1700’s.

Chocolate?  Sometime around 1890, a gentleman named Robert Strohecker made a 5 feet tall chocolate bunny to promote Easter in his drug store in Pennsylvania.  And there you have it!  You will be the best trivia person at the dinner table.

As I mentioned last month, Fear Thy Neighbor, a stand-alone hardcover will be available first week of April.  It’s about a woman, Alison Marshall, who is looking for a place to call home.  She finds something that seems to be is everything she hoped.  But as days turn into weeks, she uncovers a dark side to this supposedly peaceful haven, but something clandestine is lurking among the locals, and once Alison discovers what it is, she faces a stark choice.  It’s intriguing and suspenseful and I don’t want to give any more details away.

We received a lot of entries in last month’s contest so we will be running it again for a signed copy of Fear Thy Neighbor!

Be safe, Be kind.

All the best,
Fern

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well.  Just when you thought things were going to lighten up, the world is faced with another challenge.  I don’t mean to be a Debbie-Downer, but my heart breaks for the people of Ukraine, and anywhere else there is tyranny and injustice.  It’s no surprise aliens don’t want to come here.  Too bad they can’t pick up all the bad guys and whisk them off the planet.  Maybe I should start writing science fiction.  Ha.  Ha.  I have often said if women ruled the world, we wouldn’t have any of this fighting.  Ok.  Maybe a little hair-pulling but women still have a nurturing instinct, at least for now.  So let’s pray – however and to whomever you pray – we can find peaceful coexistence.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  This year it’s more like a rollercoaster.  One day it’s 70 degrees, the next it’s hovering around 30.  Yep, everything is off kilter, so we need to try even harder to keep our balance.  In a very short time we will see daffodils, tulips, and forsythia’s in bloom bringing us a sense of hope.  I hope!

Next month we have Easter.  Last year I told you how we arrive at Easter Sunday.  Here’s a refresher:

It is the FIRST Sunday after the FIRST Full Moon AFTER the Equinox (equal hours of daylight and dark).  Follow me with the math.  This year The Equinox is March 20th.  The first full moon after the Equinox is April 16.  The first Sunday after that is April 17th.  Voila!  Passover is also on its own calendar and this year it’s the weekend of Easter.  God sure works in mysterious ways.

For book news:  19 Yellow Moon Road is # 9 on the New York Times Best Seller List!

Fear Thy Neighbor, a stand-alone hardcover will be available first week of April.  It’s about a woman, Alison Marshall, who is looking for a place to call home.  She finds a something that seems to be is everything she hoped.  But as days turn into weeks, she uncovers a dark side to this supposedly peaceful haven, but something clandestine is lurking among the locals, and once Alison discovers what it is, she faces a stark choice.  It’s intriguing and suspenseful and I don’t want to give any more details away.  SO…

This months’ contest is a signed copy Fear Thy Neighbor!

I am working on a new novel for next year.  It’s about a chef, a mysterious illness, and a secret past.  While I was writing it, I came across some recipes that I am going to share with you now.

Be well, be safe!  Take care of yourself.

All the best,
Fern