Leslie Keller Books

My partner has retired from the work force and now spends his days at the gym and learning guitar.  That is nice for him but I'm still dividing my time between the job that pays me a salary and the job I love to do - writing.  The difference between the two of us and how we allocate our time has made me thing of the topic for today's blog which is about having a clean house, literally and figuratively. Let me first say that although he has raised a family, run multiple businesses and lived on his own, the process of cleaning the house is still relatively foreign to him.  He gets a lot of credit for trying and I do understand that the tasks I ask him to do are ones he hasn't focused his time on in the past.  In my family the girls did the housework and even the outside yard work but we all pitched in.  In his family it was "woman's work"  and he never really paid much attention to it.  Even in our years together, I've been the primary caretaker for the ho

Yes, today is my birthday - woo hoo?  I am unable to decide it that makes me happy or sad or if I should be way, way beyond celebrating the years.  I wonder if it's a good idea to be staring into this magnifying mirror and counting the wrinkles like the rings on a tree. I won't even try to count the gray hairs which are now popping up in my eyebrows and eyelashes! What is it about getting older that we love until we hit thirty and then it's pretty much all downhill?  Looking back I have very few regrets about how I spent the years getting to this point and in reality I don't mind being my age - but I wouldn't mind being ten years younger either.  But seriously, where has the time gone?  I swear it seems like only a few years ago that I moved to Arizona and the reality is that I've been here almost twenty years.  My mind still thinks I am that same person but I'm relieved to say that I am a much wiser version. Having said all of that my question today is

My biggest challenge lately has been setting aside time to write.  Alright I'm lying.  My biggest challenge lately has been how to break my sugar addiction.  I was serious when I made the commitment to not buy anymore candy or chocolate or sugar laden foods but truth is I haven't been very successful. I love sugar but not in every form.  For example, I won't drink sweet iced tea despite having lived much of my life in Virginia.  I don't like dark chocolate - it's too healthy and way too bitter to be enjoyable.  But my favorite addiction is milk chocolate covered raisins.  They are chocolate and chewy and could pass for health food.  I can eat them until I'm ill but I love every second of it. I'm afraid if I can never eat another bite of chocolate I will simply dream about it and probably gain more weight than if I actually eat it.  And, I rationalize by telling myself that life is way too short not to eat chocolate. You may wonder why I picked this as

The question of the day is should you write what you already know or should you write about what you don't know but want to learn.  If I had my dithers I would write all day, every day and never have to do anything but that.  No other job, no laundry, no grocery shopping or cooking or any of the mundane daily tasks we must accomplish.  My second choice would be to go to school forever - and be graded on my work!  I love learning that much.  Having made that statement it's imperative that I now answer my own question.  It is my belief that you should write what you know with a BUT.  I know about the restaurant business so Menu for Murder has that as its setting.   I know about women - being one gives me a distinct advantage in that area.  I know central Arizona and the small towns I portray in the novel.  And here is the BUT.  I have never seen a murder, never been involved in a murder, never gone further than what I have seen on television or in the movies.  Hooray for that

When I first started the writing process as a "serious" author I wasn't aware of the vast resources available to me.  I took some college courses in writing and attended a few seminars.  They were a great place to get me started and I learned some valuable skills. As one website led to another I discovered the world of writer conferences. If you look there is probably a conference opportunity a month.  Some are small and attended by only a few writers and agents but others, well those are the ones that may cost significantly more to attend but make it well worth your time. You'll have the expense of travel to the city where the conference is held, the hotel room and at least a few meals that aren't included in the registration.  And maybe some add on costs for extra pitch sessions with agents or special functions or seminars.  My advise - get out the credit card or do whatever it takes but go to at least one of these conferences a year.  The benefits far out w

Today I will admit to a brain null of any useful thoughts except how soon do we leave for Las Vegas.  Car is partially packed - road trip snacks will go in tomorrow in the early morning hours.  Several (let's not say more than that) pairs of shoes are crammed into the overnight bag along with enough outfits to give me options.  Lastly I threw in my iPad because despite email access via my phone I have developed an irrational fear of being without internet access for more than two hours.  What would happen if I needed to blog about something important that happened or I get a great idea for the next manuscript or changes to Menu for Murder?  The logical side of my brain scoffs at these thoughts because I'm relatively sure that once I hit Vegas I won't be thinking about much more than lounging by the pool, dropping a few coins in a slot machine and deciding which shows to see.  But you never know when the urge to write may hit you and even though the iPad is not set up fo