Summer Is Perfect for Shorts!

 by Sparkle Abbey

Here in the Midwest we're finally seeing some regular summer weather but most of this summer has been hot, hot hot!

So no matter what your style vibe is, it's truly been the perfect weather for shorts. 

We're probably apt to flash a little less leg in our choices. 

Mostly because after a year of going nowhere and working inside, we not only don't have any tan lines - we don't have any tans at all. 

Caro and Mel, the heroines in our Pampered Pets mystery series would undoubtedly be much more daring And, after all, they do live in Laguna Beach. 

So, we're thinking they'd have great stylish choices in shorts. 

How about you? Do you wear shorts? 

And, if so, what's your favorite style? 

And by the way, since we're talking short, summer is also the perfect time for short reads. We've been reading some of the award nominated shorts stories. Something quick for the deck or the beach or even for a road trip. So, we're loving great novellas and short stories! And we've also just released our very first short - PROJECT DOGWAY. 

Here's a little bit about it. 

Canines are on the “catwalk” at this Laguna Beach dog fashion show—a heartworm awareness fundraiser—where former Texas beauty queen and currently-not-speaking-to-each-other cousins, Caro and Mel, are in attendance. When award-winning show beagle, Shadow’s, owner drops dead from eating a deadly scallop ceviche, the cousins find themselves embroiled in much more than a fashion “faux paw.”

Project Dogway is available on all ebook platforms: 

Amazon Link

All other platforms

Watch for our next short, coming soon! Any guesses on what Caro and Met will be up to next? 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don't tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook,and Twitter their favorite social media sites. 

Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Looking for Fun

Looking for Fun by Debra H. Goldstein

Sometimes, I don’t feel like writing a blog.  Other times, I have ideas galore, but not enough time to address them.  The reality, according to John Lennon is “life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” This has been that kind of week. In fact, it has been that kind of month.

I could complain, but what good would it do? And, why would I want to?  Life isn’t perfect (ask my air conditioner), but it certainly beats the alternative. Besides, sometimes a “bad” thing turns out to be the best thing that could have happened. Plans falling through may mean extra time to do something on my to-do list or to simply have fun.

Fun is something I like. I tend to be super serious, but when there is laughter and fun, no matter what goes wrong, the world is right. Occasionally, I forget to have fun. I become too overwhelmed with obligations.  Responsibilities become burdensome. Eventually, my to-do list is accomplished, but when things aren’t fun, every task takes longer. Little roadblocks, which usually never bother me, are irksome. When I reach that point, I need to step away, take stock, and find my sense of fun.  It may be a deep reach, but it always is there. Thank goodness.

What about you? How do you find your way back to an even keel?

Change

by Sparkle Abbey

Change. This past Sunday we had a book signing for our latest release. It was during the question and answer session we realized it was four years ago to the exact day we had our very first book signing, November 1, 2011. From book one, Desperate Housedogs to book eight, Downton Tabby.

Boy, have things changed in four years.

Not in a bad way – things are just different. Publishing has changed in a big way, our families have changed, our day jobs have morphed. Our lives are richer but certainly busier. Things we stressed about four years ago aren’t even a blip on our radar now. Of course, there are other things to worry about that we were too new then to even see on the horizon.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the joy we feel when we reflect on our publishing journey so far. A bookstore talk like we were able to do this week, reminds us. We’ve crammed a lot of fun into the past four years. Traveling, conferences, workshops, panels, making new friends, meeting readers, plotting stories and brainstorming new titles.

Each season has its own beauty. Change is good. It helps you to grow.

What changes have you been through in the past year? 

To stay up on the latest news, new releases or upcoming appearances, sign up for the Sparkle Abbey newsletter at www.sparkleabbey.com 

Celebrate!

By: Joelle Charbonneau

Get out the noise makers and the party hats.  Shove down the nerves and the feelings of inadequacy and party like there is no tomorrow.  (Okay the nerves and inadequacy part is all me, but hey!  It needed to be said.)  Last Tuesday, I celebrated a new book.  SKATING ON THE EDGE hit shelves on October second.   And to top off the celebration, the paperback edition of SKATING AROUND THE LAW came out on Monday, which made the first week of October pretty special in my house!

A new book is a funny thing.  All of us writer types peck away at our keyboards hoping that someone will think what we have written is interesting enough to read.  We agonize over plot, character development and each word choice, turn the book in to our editors, rework it and then wait for it to hit shelves.  During that wait, we do what writers do—we write something new.  So by the time the new book comes out, we’ve moved onto something else.

For me, that process is always odd because while I love the book that has just come out, I’ve often written the next installment in the lives of those characters.  I know where they are going, but I have to remember that my readers don’t. I know if Pop has had his heart broken (or more likely if he’s broken someone's heart) or if Rebecca has made a choice that changes what she wants out of her life.  But I have to block that out and remember that those things haven’t technically happened yet and that readers are just discovering the choices they have made in this story.

And I LOVE this story.  SKATING ON THE EDGE is my favorite of the Rebecca Robbins novels thus far.  I guess as writers we’re all supposed to love the most recent book, and perhaps we always do, but I really think this is the best of the books.  I love the choices my characters make to move their lives forward and the derby girls who are so full of life and loyalty and fun.  They are wonderful characters to write and infuse the story with excitement.  And, of course, Lionel and Sean continue to make Rebecca’s life interesting.  Lionel can’t help but want her to stay in town and fall in love with him and Sean…well, you’ll see.

In order to celebrate the release of both SKATING ON THE EDGE and the paperback of SKATING AROUND THE LAW, I am happy to give away one copy of each to a commenter.  Please leave your name and e-mail address so I can get a hold of you!  I will draw the winning names on Friday evening, so you have lots of time to stuff the ballot box.