Counting Down to the Winter Solstice

Some of you may have noticed that I've been counting down to the Winter Solstice on my Facebook Page for the past month.  And it's almost here.  My first step in setting up my very own circle of standing stones!

Meanwhile, you can also get FREE deals on my first "Peaks Saga" books to celebrate Winter:
OKAY, THE FINAL COUNTDOWN IS HERE! Between now and the Winter Solstice, you can get my first three books FREE for Kindle, on the following dates:
Book One: Finding the Light - Dec. 13-14
Book Two: Searching for Maia - Dec. 16-18
Book Three: Mountaintops & Valleys - Dec. 20-22

Then you'll be really ready for Winter--and you can move on to Book 4: When the World Grows Cold ( how's that for a wintery title?)...

Anybody out there know how to say "Merry Christmas" in Latin?   It's 'Io Saturnalia' !

Let's Get Online

We are in the middle of blizzard right now.  I get tired of fighting the crowds and the weather, trying to do Christmas shopping.  Seems I have spent a lot of my life living in remote places, too.  I used to tease my husband that we always lived 60 miles from anywhere!

Before the Internet, I did a lot of catalog shopping, and I still do that occasionally.  But increasingly I find that I do more on-line shopping.  Especially since I got my Kindle.

Speaking of Kindle, watch the Kindle store for Free download offers this month.  I am going to put each book of "The Peaks at the Edge of the World" saga on sale at some point.

Right now it's the newest one, "When the World Grows Cold"  --now that's an appropriate title for what the weather is doing here right now--can't you tell I wrote most of this book in winter?  Well, you'll know if you read it...

The Long Road to the Sequel

When I started "The Peaks at the Edge of the World" my goal was to write a Trilogy, and I did.  But then some more really unusual ideas occurred to me, and I just had to press on.  I'd barely published the Trilogy when I started on Book Four, which I called "When the World Grows Cold"

As it turned out I put a lot more labor and time into this book than I expected.  Now it's almost two years later, and finally, I have it where I want it.

It is set about 25 years farther along in time than the Trilogy, so it's about the next generation, Jon and Martina's descendants.  Thought some of the main character from the original Trilogy are still around.  There is a really strange time-travel twist that I think readers will find intriguing.

And just in case anyone is wondering, I have started Book Five, too!

Big Brother Is Still With Us

Well, almost 30 years have passed since the year 1984--the time setting of George Orwell's iconic book--he wrote it in 1948, by the way, and just transposed the numbers--so a legend was born.  And few in the world don't know the significance of the year and the term Big Brother (not to be confused with the 'reality show').

Now as we approach 2014, I feel there is no doubt that some form of Big Brother is watching. Subconsciously, I think we all know it, unless we live under a rock or in a secret cave somewhere.  (For my take on this, check out my next book, "When the World Grows Cold"!)  Most of the time, though, we try to keep the thought out of our minds.

Here's a little illustration:  About 2 months ago, my husband bought a kayak at a local sporting goods store, using a nationally-known credit card.  A few weeks later, he went to a local branch of a national hardware chain and bought some cord and a small block and tackle set, so he could rig up a way to store the kayak suspended from our garage ceiling, for the winter.  He thinks he used the same credit card to pay.

That's the only connection between the two purchases, and I was not with him either time--the credit card is in his name.  This morning I got a 'special offer' in my email from Amazon--for a kayak storage hoist!  My husband's name is not on this Amazon account--he doesn't even have one.  How did they put all this together?  Creepy, huh?

We might as well accept the fact that there is no personal privacy now that nearly everyone is carrying some kind of access to the "Worldwide Web" in their pocket.  Hmm--'web' makes me think of spiders--and they give me the creeps, too!   We're probably all walking around with little cursor squares on our heads, persons of interest to someone.

So what happens next?  I don't know.  But I've done some fictional speculation in my book series, "The Peaks at the Edge of the World".  Book 4, When the World Grows Cold, will be released by the end of this month.  And guess where you can check out the entire series?  Amazon.com, of course!  The computers rule...

Book Four is nearly in print!

Had a great evening at the Whitefish Library Montana Authors open house. Sold two books of "The Peaks Trilogy". Met lots of interesting people, and saw a few old friends. Have decided to get more involved in the local writers group.

THE next book in the PEAKS Series is coming soon-  Book Four:  "When the World Grows Cold"
Hit like or post a comment if you would like to be the first to know! Also to be notified of freebies and specials.  Check Amazon. com  -- it will be on Kindle Select, and there will also be specials on the first three books, too...

Wearing Lots of Hats!

As many of you know, I am not just as author.  I'm also a musician, singing in a Sweet Adelines Chorus, the Five Valley Chorus, based in Missoula Montana.  I also play in the Flathead Valley Community Band, and teach piano and guitar lessons in my studio, Erler's Musical Expressions.  As if this we're enough I also teach music and movement classes one a week to 2 Kindergarten classes, and 1 First Grade class at Trinity Lutheran School in Kalispell.

Currently our Five Valley Chorus is preparing a Musical Variety Show, which will be held at Flathead High School Auditorium, Saturday, November 2, at 3:30 p.m.  Tickets are only $10 regular, $8 for Seniors and Students.  12 and under are free!  You can contact me or any member of the chorus for tickets.  They will also be available at the door!

I am hoping I can get a copy of the poster to come us to put on this blog...Nope, it won't take PDF...

Next Installment of The Peaks Saga?

I have been working hard on the next PEAKS book this summer. There's been a lot of rewriting to firm up Book Four. For any of you who were pre-readers for the book, you'll find it is not the same as before. Three or four chapters have been moved to Book Five!
I replaced them with more about Ginna...and her daughter...
I don't want to be a spoiler, so that's all I am going to say.
Publication is set for this Fall. So watch for it: "When the World Grows Cold", Book Four of the PEAKS Saga. It will be available on Kindle and Create-space first.