How can I not be inspired by this kind of sight? Want to know what draws me to the mountains? It's the views, the air, the colors, and yes, that's an old steam train in the foreground. Obviously, this was taken during mud season, when the skiers stay home and the hikers haven't arrived yet, because they are waiting for the snow to melt. It's very quiet. The animals begin to appear in town, moose wander through your yard, foxes find a sunny spot and relax, chickadees crowd the feeders.
It's my favorite time to be there to write. The good news is that I have made progress on book 3 recently, writing scenes of Netah summer olympics-type games and competitions. If you know me at all, you know that I also love theater, so I'm including a festival with a parade, dances and a theater production, all done by the Netahs in their animal forms. The creative juices are flowing. As promised, Josh cannot avoid romance. He can try, but he cannot hide. Stay tuned to see who he ends up with and who is there by his side to help steer him and cheer him along. Is there peril, danger, suspense? Well, I certainly hope so. 
If you made it this far, drop me a note. What is your favorite place to read or write?
​I'll check back in soon.

Just got back from yet another lovely, sunny escape where I captured this beautiful shot with my phone camera. We snorkeled, looking for sea turtles, but this was the closest I got. The cloud started out looking more like a swift, but the breezes transformed it.
Reminded me of my human to animal transforming characters.

​Now I'm back in the saddle and at my computer, because I'm back in the cold and snowy wonder that is Colorado. What better place to settle in next to the fireplace with my trusty laptop and tell some more stories? I have been away on several trips this year, which has slowed my progress, but now I'm ready. As a reward to myself for being such a good girl, I plan to post a piece of flash fiction soon, so stay tuned!

​Signing off and getting to work...

As a wildlife enthusiast, I loved observing this big guy over spring break. Who says the dinosaurs are all gone? My opinion? They have merely downsized!  Don't rewrite the natural history books yet, I am no expert. Anyway, this iguana spent time sunning among the plants on the ledge above him, then swam through the pool and into the grounds, much to the surprise and consternation of several swimmers. Don't get me started on pelicans, which I think are very much like a pterodactyl, and great entertainment to watch soar effortlessly above a bay, then dive for dinner. Several found a school of fish and dove into the banquet. I could only imagine the dinosaur version. I wonder if they also fished?

What did I read on break? I finished Martha Wells' Witch King,  Rebecca Yarros' Onyx Storm, a Japanese folk tales collection by Kyota Ko, and Yangtze Choo"s The Fox Wife. ​ I cannot imagine anything more fun than relaxing into several different worlds of fantasy. 

Now that I've returned from a sunny spring break, it's time to get back to work! As you may have noticed on my  Good News page, I am putting together a workshop on writing a synopsis. Check out that page for registration and more information. There are many forms of synopsis, from elevator pitches to long forms, and we will be discussing and practicing three of them. 

I could show you what it looks like outside right now (a blizzard), but I won't. While DC enjoys cherry blossom time, we've had a spring teaser in Colorado, but winter is not done with us yet. That said, it's perfect weather for staying cozy inside and working on book 3, my WIP (work in progress). I packed notebooks and wrote pages of notes as part of my pre-writing efforts, which help me focus when I get days like this with my computer.

Since I write about animals, or rather, people who can turn into animals, I thought it was absolutely necessary and required that I take myself to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on a recent visit to sunny California. Fun fact, rhinos can easily hide among rocks! Who'd a thought? How many can you count in that photo, and are you sure?

My fans and friends know that one of my favorite things about Colorado is live wildlife sightings, whether it's on my drive into the mountains or in my own backyard there. It is such a thrill to see them in their natural habitats, which can make most zoos problematic. Not so with the Safari Park. Word of advice, wear good walking shoes. If you are lucky enough to go there, you will marvel at the size and arrangements of the different habitats. One disadvantage is that there's more space for the animals to hide from you! 

Now, while I have resumed work on book 3, I had a thought about zoos. What if a Netah was accidentally caught and taken to a zoo? Would they survive with the actual animals? If they transformed into humans, would they become dinner? How could they escape? I would love to explore this situation, but will not do so right now, because I don't want to get distracted from the progress I made today. I managed to edit the first four chapters and add new scenes and moments. I then turned to my outline and fleshed that out. Having made a false start a year ago, I realized I still had some good material in the original and figured out where it could be used in the new version. That feels like progress. The zoo situation feels like a short story. I could make it a bonus piece, or submit it. Stay tuned. 

​Thanks for reading!