Twins and Other Things That Are Born

 I woke this morning with no clue it was Thursday, much less the third Thursday of the month. 

Oops. 

Covid-brain, you ask? 

Well, the days have certainly run together this year/decade/eternity of a pandemic. But it's simpler--and tougher--than that. Backing up a moment, my daughter and her husband had twins in December. Talk about a Christmas surprise! Twins don't "run" in either family, so R & E were a (delightful) shock and were quickly labeled Double Trouble. 

(Not my grandchildren, but aren't they cute? =>) 

For the past three months, writing has been especially sporadic, since we're spending our days tending babies. At first, it was simply they needed more hands. (How on earth did moms do this in the 50s when they were expected to handle all domestic chores alone???) Now, they have to work and even after a year on the waiting list, their day care doesn't start until July. Yikes!

While I'm the first to say, you have kids when you're young for a reason, it's been interesting (the only all encompassing word I can come up with on one cup of coffee) to see all the ways things have changed. Part of me laughs about it, the rest says, seriously, I'm not that old a dinosaur. Of course, snuggling babies and the eternal maternal rock are the same, but now there's probably an app for everything else. Seriously, there are lactation coaches, sleep assistants on call (but not at 2 AM when you need them), heated cleansing cloths, and an app to track every soiled diaper - including the relevant degree and color of the poop. 

I wouldn't miss this time with my grandchildren. R is a charmer who already knows how to use her engaging smile and bright eyes to entice you to pick her up and play. E - aka Little Man - is more serious, loves jazz as much as I do, and puts much more effort into capturing fingers and toys with his lovely long fingers. (Yes, I'm getting him a keyboard as soon as he can sit up.) 

I promised both my daughters I'd never post pictures of their children on social media, a decision I whole-heartedly support. But the coos from the other room says it's time to load up the stroller and head out. 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She's hard at work on Peril in the Pony Ring, the sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, releasing May 2021!) which was recently presented with the Killer Nashville's Claymore Award. 

What a Month or Three New Babies!

What A Month or Three New Babies! by Debra H. Goldstein

May proved to be a crazy and wonderful month. It was so exciting, I want to share it with you.

The month began with my husband and I being on pins and needles anytime the phone rang for fear our daughter, Jennifer, whose first child was due on May 25^th had gone into early labor. We breathed a sign of relief at the end of the first week.

Then, the doorbell rang. It proved to be a different kind of delivery. Two boxes from Harlequin . I tore into the box and held the new Harlequin Worldwide Mystery version of my second baby (book).

Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery.

Here’s the history of my second book. In 2014, Five Star purchased Poker. Because its 2015 calendar was filled, the book was scheduled for publication in 2016. A hardback version was released in April 2016, but to my dismay shortly thereafter Five Star ended its mystery line. Instead of a series, Poker became a standalone. Then, a nice thing happened. Harlequin Worldwide Mystery bought the book’s mass market rights. That meant it would be distributed to Harlequin’s book clubs and mystery subscribers and would also become part of its catalog for the general public to buy in a reasonably priced paperback format. With joy, in May 2019, I held the new edition of Poker, which officially releases on August 6, but already can be pre-ordered for the special discounted price of $6.39 - https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335455468_should-have-played-poker.html.

Despite my happiness of the rebirth of this book, my attention still was on when Jen’s baby would   Another week went by – nothing. Her due date came – still nothing. She appeared to be no closer to delivery than I was. The doorbell rang again. When I opened it, no one was there. I looked down and was surprised to see a box. Confused, I carried it inside and carefully opened it. The box contained ARCS of Two Bites Too Many, the second book in my Sarah Blair series, which will be available on September 24 (but can be pre-ordered for delivery on that date at https://www.amazon.com/Bites-Many-Sarah-Blair-Mystery/dp/1496719484 or https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-bites-too-many-debra-h-goldstein/1130055243 .


Again, I was excited, but my mind was on Jennifer. Would her baby ever arrive? Of course, on May 31, 2019, Eliza Rose Feld entered the world. As happy and excited as I was at the other two May deliveries, neither topped Eliza. I’m over the moon at my third May delivery … and I think it will be a few days until I come down long enough to write anything that isn’t gibberish. Do you blame me?

Two is Definitely More than One

I’m the mother of four children, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. Moms know that when you have a second child, the amount of work grows exponentially. So I should have realized that two dogs is definitely more than twice the amount of wear and tear. And don’t get me started on how they’ll entertain each other…unless tearing around the house like it was the dragway at Daytona Beach is your definition of entertainment.

Our oldest and his wife are on vacation, and we, the grandparents to adorable Nook, are babysitting for two weeks. Nook is a Portugese Water Dog, all black curly hair except for her right front paw, which is white. She is four years old, so just past adolescence. She loves adult companionship, which translates to mean, let me sit on your feet so you can't go anywhere without me.

Clio, the resident Irish terrier, is nine years old, so let’s call a spade a spade – she’s eligible for Social Security. She entered this household when there were four kids still living at home – and she learned quite early to pick her battles in terms of what she needed. She wanted her dinner promptly at 5 pm (and seriously you can set the clock by it). She wanted her sheepskin blankie from her days in the litter to sleep on. And she wanted Honey Nut Cheerios on top of her kibble in the morning. Otherwise, she was happy to watch television with whomever had gotten the remote, and had no preference whether it was a Mets game or Masterpiece Theater. The likelihood of some popcorn hitting the ground under either scenario was excellent, and she is always ready to serve as a canine vacuum cleaner.

Clio has taken seriously her role as big sister. She’s taught Nook that when you come in from the backyard, you have to walk down the steps to the basement and then right back up again (to get rid of any lingering dirt). She’s also clearly informed little sister that going outside to do your “business,” entitles you to a doggie treat. Clio was incredulous, and her face showed it, when Nook wandered off the other morning without the biscuit. Of course, Clio immediately rose to the occasion and was happy to oblige by polishing off a second treat in under five seconds. Making sure everyone knows that she is the alpha dog of the pack is accomplished by immediately doing her business wherever Nook has done hers. What this means is that any walk with the two of them takes double the amount of time because Clio has to mark the previously marked spots. Oy!

Still, as with the two-legged children I've known, these furry companions have their moments. Growling one minute, snuggling up the next. But do I have any interest in permanently growing the canine population in this house? Nope. Like grandparents everywhere, I love to indulge this little one - and then send her home!

Evelyn David

Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David
Murder Off the Books by Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com