A Perfect Afternoon

 I'm writing this blog from my front porch from my front porch. Around me the maples are turning. The oaks remain resolutely green, which means I'll still be raking in December.

October is my favorite month. In Kansas City, it's a month filled with impossibly blue skies, mild afternoons, and crisp evenings. Today, a gentle breeze plays with fallen leaves.

I should be writing or editing or focused on the business of writing. But, it's Sunday and the day is beautiful. I ignore work, stretch on the chaise, and eye the book next to me (a travelogue about Greece because that's Poppy's next stop).

All too soon the weather will turn--cold winds, leaden skies--and I'll miss porch sitting, al fresco dinners, and sandals. As I put on a heavy sweater, I'll probably bemoan the words I could have written when I put aside 1975 and watched the season change.

Then again, to quote a favorite movie of my youth, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

That's right, I'm using Ferris Bueller to justify a lazy afternoon.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention I released a book a few weeks ago. Poppy's in Grand Cayman, and if you've been dreaming of a beach vacation, her latest adventure is just the ticket.

Also, Amazon made Stayin' Alive a monthly deal for October . You can grab a copy for your Kindle for only $1.99!

I hope your October exceeds your expectations!

Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders and the Poppy Fields Adventures.

She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean--and she's got an active imagination. Truth is--she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.