What's on the Page by L. A. Keller

-
I'm including a new monthly feature to keep my readers in the loop about what's been happening in my writing world. These posts will include information about new releases from me, book events and general updates.

This year has been exceptional - exceptionally hectic, exceptionally distracting but also productive.  I've continued work on the third book in the Jayne Stanford series. Darn that Jayne who keeps me hopping because she isn't doing what I expected her to do. However, I'm working hard to wrap up the story and get her out of my head.

I ended 2018 and began 2019 in Miami Beach with family. I admit I was quite spoiled by the spa treatments, White Christmas performance and amazing food we enjoyed.

In February, I participated in the Scottsdale Library's annual Authors event.  This is the third time I've been a part of this event and each time it's as much fun for the authors as it is for the attendees.

I followed this event up the following week at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire.  As a member of the Valley of the Sun chapter of the Romance Writers of America, I spent a gorgeous Saturday in the booth, meeting new readers and signing books. As a special bonus, Cerrata Chocolates sponsors the extra large booth and provides all of the authors a lovely basket filled with goodies from their factory.

In March, I spent some time in Las Vegas with my mother. We enjoyed seeing Cher and the Cirque Show "O". Of course, there was some gambling in the casinos and lots of delicious food, including her favorite Giada's.

In April, May and June I spent some time with family recovering from surgeries and cancer treatments. Although a difficult time for all, I'm happy to say everyone is recovering well. As I know first hand, cancer sucks but how we deal with the challenges in life defines the overall experience.  My philosophy was and is still kick butt and move on.

In June my mother moved across the country from Virginia where she has lived for more than half of her life.  I am blessed to have so many special moments to share with her now that she's within minutes of my home. We've eaten our way through the many restaurant options, won some money at the casino (her, not me), shopped and laughed. I can't wait to spend the holidays this year with her close by.

July I participated again in the Payson Book Festival.  Wow!  I sold out of Menu for Murder in record time and met dozens of new readers. There is nothing more exciting for an author than to meet someone who is anxious for your book.  The pressure is on to finish the third book.

August was my 60th birthday month. Yes, I celebrated almost the entire month.  First a spectacular family trip to Napa which included the French Laundry and a picnic at Rutherford Hill winery.  I enjoyed two separate dinner parties with friends and spent a peaceful week in Pine Top writing and hiking.  Although I didn't reach my goal of finishing the book, I made great progress.

I was invited to judge short story submissions for the Arizona Authors Association. I took this responsibility seriously as I know what it's like to have your work in someone else's hands.  The winners will be announced at the annual event in November.

At the end of August I participated in a shared world series. Don't worry if you have no idea what that is, I didn't either. As a member of the Valley of the Sun Romance Writers I had the opportunity to write a short story. Originally, I thought I would take my blog posts for I Don't Believe in Happily Ever After and convert it.  Once I started writing I knew I had to write a different story. Once again, I was surprised by the ending. Despite my efforts to outline and plot I generally wind up with something different. This story is available in E-Book only on Amazon for $.99.  I may order a few copies to sell at the next book fair but for now you can only purchase it online.

Oh, yes and both books received Five Star Reviews from Readers' Favorites.

Stay tuned for updates on the new book, No Reservations.


Happy Trails,
Leslie


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Does the Wine Glass Matter by L. A. Keller

-
Image
As part of my restaurant series, this post is about the vessel you use to consume your juice - the fermented grape juice variety. Personally, I love a beautiful glass from which to drink wine. The more shapely and delicate the more I enjoy the wine - not because it always makes the wine dramatically  better but it adds to the pleasure of the act.  I also tend to break them routinely so I go through lots of different glassware. The first question you may ask is whether to have stemware or stemless (also known as a tumbler).  There was a trend a few years ago to move away from glasses with stems.  I agree that the stemless version is sturdier all around. You are less likely to knock the glass over and unable to snap off the stem when washing. These are easy to load in the dishwasher, but not always advisable for any wine glass depending on the quality of the glass. However, the biggest issue with stemless glasses is that you are holding the glass, and thus the wine, in your hand.
Read more

I Don't Believe in Happily Ever After by L. A. Keller

-
I've been so busy writing Reunion in the Desert and trying to finish the third book in the Jayne Stanford series that I left this short story hanging. I'm including part Nine with the new installment as a brief review.  You can read the entire series in my blog posts or email me for one complete copy.  Part 9 “I gave up on happily ever after. Maybe I'm not cut out for a relationship. Maybe, I just don't like being committed to one person for longer than two weeks.” Clare kicked off her running shoes at the back door of her grandmother, Mae’s house. She winced when she thought about how much she spent on them but the fabric absorbed manure like a sponge and there was no way they would ever come clean. She figured she may as well throw them out, along with all her plans for this weekend. Hours of chores around the farm had worn her down more than all day client meetings. Mae hummed a tune as she prepared their lunch. Clare knew she had been guilt tripped in
Read more

Jayne's Restaurant Review - Fabio on Fire by L. A. Keller

-
Image
I was meeting friends for dinner and wanted to select a place I've never been.  My friend suggested Fabio on Fire in Peoria, Arizona. When I viewed the website, I thought it looked like a casual pizza joint. I was partially right in that it was small and casual but I was wrong about it being just a pizza place. I am officially obsessed!   Located in a small strip shopping area the outside may not impress you but the food definitely will. I dined right before they closed for Labor Day weekend to expand to a larger space in the same location. I can't wait to return to see the changes and to sample more of the amazing food.   There were six adults and a child for dinner. We started with the Caprese and Charcuterie with prosciutto and delicious cheeses. I could have dined exclusively on these starters but we moved on to the lamb chop special, butternut squash ravioli, gnocchi and short rib ravioli.  Each dish was presented well and impeccably prepared. I've hear
Read more