plants – Mystery Deb

About Plants and Planning

Although we moved into our home two years ago, I’m still discovering new plants in our garden. They were probably there all along, but perhaps I’m allowing myself more time to actually see them. In any event, here’s a couple of examples from our front yard.

It’s become clear that the previous owner(s) put a lot of thought into choosing a variety of colourful plants that bloom throughout the months. Some of them are especially beneficial for bees and hummingbirds. It’s quite remarkable when I think what’s been accomplished on this small plot of land.

My writing life has required a fair bit of planning lately, too. This week I’ve been researching craft fair market opportunities for the fall and winter. And then there’s the writing itself. I haven’t accomplished as much as I want to lately. Slow and steady progress has been my theme over the years. Switching to a higher gear is more challenging than I thought. So, it might be time for some thoughtful planning. The question is what I want to accomplish by the end of this year, and what it will take to make that happen?

My activities this month, while welcome, are carving chunks of time out of my writing schedule. I’m selling books at a craft fair on Saturday (which requires prep time), Mother’s Day is Sunday, and my wedding anniversary is shortly after that. We’re also helping my sister move the following week, and then there’s a wedding we’re attending on the 24^th. You can see why I’m questioning my productivity right now. Of course, this has happened many times over the years and will again.

Eye surgery is likely to happen over the coming months. I’ll learn more from my ophthalmologist in June. And there will be a week’s vacation with the family, where I’ll likely not write at all, I expect. I have a few other commitments for August and the fall, but that’s real life, right?

Earlier this week, I was listening to a podcast from the Alliance of Independent Authors. The host was interviewing two authors, one a thriller writer and the other writes what she refers to as spicy queer romances. Both of them earn a six-figure living from their work, and both of them publish three books a year. Their output is a head-scratcher for me. I guess they skip critique partners or beta readers, although both have editors and teams of people helping them with the production aspect. It’s not my goal to be that prolific, but I would like to do better than what I have been. It’s doable. Time management and mindset are key. And planning. Lots of planning.

How about you? Are your plans, writing or otherwise, going as well as you hoped this year? Are you making progress or is it time to rethink a few things?

Let the Fun Begin

Are you feeling the busyness of autumn yet? I am and there’s plenty to look forward to. The weekly workshops I’ve been facilitating for a dozen years now have resumed for the fall session. It’s always lovely to meet new students and hear the stories and ideas that the group shares. By the end of each class, I’m inspired to hurry home and keep working on various writing projects.

I’m on the board of a local literary society and our AGM is coming up. There are plenty more opportunities to become more involved, which I’m considering. I’m also preparing to give a workshop on October 5^th about how to sustain your protagonist in a series and how to maintain a series overall. I don’t give a lot of workshops because they take a lot of prep time, but if I can give some worthwhile tips and answer questions, then it’s worthwhile.

On the homefront, my granddaughters are still enjoying their daycare adventures and have been healthy, for the most part, these past couple of months. Two-year-old Abby’s vocabulary is expanding exponentially, as are her emotions 😊 Since this is only the second week of September, I expect illnesses will come. I’ll try and protect myself as much as possible, but you know how it goes. One kiss from a grandchild, one trip to the grocery store, one shared doorhandle and poof … At my doctor’s recommendation, I got a pneumonia shot late last spring. Based on my sister’s horrific experience with shingles a couple of years back, I also got my first vaccine for that in June and will need another one soon. I’m a big believer in doing what I can to protect myself and others from what will inevitably be a challenging cold and flu season. The last thing I want is to wind up on a stretcher in a hospital corridor for three days, as happened to too many people last year.

As you can see, we have grown a gigantic sunflower plant that towers over my spouse. The plant didn’t exist last year and we didn’t plant any seeds. A bird must have dropped off at least one seed at some point and it settled in. We have two more sunflower plants at the front of the house that we didn’t plant either, but such is the mystery and wonder of gardens. I’m curious to see what the fall will bring, on all levels.

Settling Into Summer

Welcome to July, possibly my favorite month of the year. Here in Canada, we celebrated Canada’s 156 birthday on July 1^st and since this is July 4^th, Happy Independence Day to my American friends, colleagues, and readers. I hope it’s a great one for you.

As many of you know, this past spring was one of the most hectic periods of my life. While things have slowed down considerably, there are a couple of final tasks ahead. The new owners of our Port Moody come take possession of the place next week, which means handing over keys, a lawyer’s appointment and final cleaning. On the health front, I have one more CT scan coming up next week as the surgeon wants to ensure all of the mass in my chest was removed. While a CT scan isn’t horribly invasive, I hope this will be the last test for some time.

Meanwhile, we have more new plants appearing on our Ladner property. The previous owners clearly put a lot of thought into having various plants bloom one after the other, starting back with the crocuses in April.

On the writing front, I’ve spent the last few days converting my ebooks into print versions through Draft2Digital. D2D will make them available through Ingram Sparks, Amazon, and other sources, which is fabulous since I never could get the four book covers (from my publisher) to meet Amazon’s guidelines.

This hasn’t been a problem with D2D, although I need to have two of the later covers adjusted slightly by my jacket designer. It’s good to know that American readers can now request the books through their libraries. Next up, I’m finally going to start the process of converting to my series into audiobooks, again through Draft2Digital.

I always have more energy to tackle these tasks in summer, another reason for loving this month. The extra light and warmth also makes reading outside in the evening possible, and that’s another favorite summer activity. How about you? Do you feel energized with your reading and writing in the summer, or is it more difficult because of all the fun distractions available?

Another Plant Mystery, Another Book on Sale

Happy Summer Solstice! We have gray skies here in the Lower Mainland today, but the sunshine is coming.

Just when I thought I had every plant identified at our new home, I discovered this lovely purple bush, which actually is more tree than bush, I think. The flowers are gorgeous, but we have no idea what it is. Any thoughts? And recently, I posted

Recently, I posted a photo of a single clematis. Needless to say, things have really bloomed as you’ll see below.

Last week, we went to our old home to do some cleaning and sell two pieces of furniture. It was surreal but also gratifying to see the bright orange sold sign on our house. It will be hard to take one last look at the place. We were married in our backyard, raised our babies there, and gave a home to numerous pets. A younger family will be moving in, which makes me happy. The house needs to be filled with kids and pets again.

Now that the moving tasks are coming to a close, I find myself focusing more on writing. I’ve heard back from two beta readers on the urban fantasy and am eager to start the final revision. I’ve written 26,000 words for book two in this trilogy, which is both fun and challenging, as it should be.

Meanwhile, the 6^th installment in my Casey Holland series is on sale for $.99 and part of a joint BookFunnel sales promo. The Blade Man explores some of the anger and/or mental health issues bus drivers face every day. While dealing with the increasing violence, Casey is determined to make her wedding happen this time, no matter what.

This joint promo features 24 authors and includes samples and excerpts of mysteries, suspense and thrillers. I’m offering the full novel, which you can find HERE, or the other links if you prefer.

Amazon: amazon link: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B083XQGDNH

Links to other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3LDre1

Everything’s Coming Up Roses, Mostly

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post and I can’t believe it’s mid-June already. We are still discovering delights among the plant life at our new home. As you’ll see from the photos, roses have bloomed up everywhere. My mom’s memorial rosebush has gained a new lease on life. It loves the Ladner sunshine, as do I.

We’ve done a fair bit of walking in our new neighborhood and were invited to a big block party last week. We also wandered through the season’s first Ladner’s Farmer’s Market, which was huge and lots of fun. I came across vendors from other markets I’ve sold books at, which was a bonus. This is such a friendly environment and I’m grateful to be here.

The post-surgery healing goes well. I diligently applied the cream I was given to stop an infection and it worked. I have one more follow-up test next month but that’ll be a breeze compared to the surgery.

Our Port Moody home has officially been sold to the family who wanted it right after they saw it at our open house back on April 22 and 23^rd. To make it work financially, they had to sell their home and a buyer stepped up right away. Subjects were removed on all contracts, the final documents signed and now we just have to finish selling and/or donating a few pieces of old furniture. Housecleaning will come after that, then a lawyer’s appointment as we prepare to hand over keys in July.

As my weeks are still somewhat unpredictable, I don’t have a solid writing routine yet. I’m eager to focus on projects I’ve shelved for months, but moving-related tasks are swallowing up time. Also, my daughter was sick on Monday, which meant more babysitting for me. Once July 11^th passes, the rest of the summer should be far more relaxing. Well, one can hope, right?

Plants Galore, But What Are They?

Our new home was previously owned by an avid gardener, so a profusion of plants are popping up everywhere this spring. The lilacs and lavender have been fabulous and it looks like peonies are close to blooming.

The two rose bushes we brought from our hold home (my mom’s memorial roses plus a Mother’s Day gift from my daughter) are currently thriving in their new home. Buds are popping up everywhere, possibly because they’re receiving far more sunshine than they’re used to. But there’s more! Did I mention that we have a palm tree in our front yard and banana plants in front and back? Who knew that BC’s lower mainland is capable of such tropical delights, but there you go.

Since some of you are avid gardeners, I’m hoping you can help me identify some plants whose names I either don’t know or can’t recall. I’m on a gardening learning curve these days. So, please help me identity these plants. #1, below, is flowering bush just in front of the patio.

#2 is a gorgeous purple flower

#3, I should know the name of this plant, but can’t think of it!

Another photo for you.

To my great delight, I’ve learned that Delta not only has an abundance of trees, gorgeous flowering bushes, and other flora and fauna, but it also has a writing community. I joined the Delta Literary Arts Society and look forward to meeting other writers soon.

I’ve also discovered that I’m within walking distance of the local library, Black Bond Books, and the farmers’ market which starts in June. There’s also what looks like a wonderful walking trail not too far from here. I have plenty of things to keep me busy this summer and beyond. 😊

The I-Think-I-Can Approach

A story starts with an idea, like a flower starts with a seed. It’s planted. It germinates.

As with a book or the sunflower that just bloomed in my garden four days ago, it can take a while. Weeks. Months. Even years. The process is often unpredictable.

But one day, something starts to happen. Something fresh pokes through the many thoughts, or the dirt in the ground, and you’ve begun.

The journey isn’t easy. There are periods when nothing seems to be happening. This is because you can’t truly see what’s percolating in your subconscious, or what’s going on underground. Self-doubt creeps in. Maybe unintentional neglect. Or impatient waiting for some sign of progress.

Through the period of early growth, there are setbacks and obstacles. Illness, emergencies, accidents, or natural intervention. For my sunflower it was a summer of heat domes, toxic smoky air, and water from a hose rather rather than thirst-quenching rain.

Time passes. Obstacles fade. Dry toxicity turns into breathable air. Thoughts begin to gel. The story is making sense now, and then it really takes off. One day you look up and the stem is strong and two feet tall. A bud appears. The logical sequence to an approaching climax.

Finally, one day, you spot a vibrant little flower peering down at you, and you realize it’s survived a pretty long journey. Sure, the surrounding vines and tree are stronger and larger, but my sunflower stands just as proud, basking in the light of day.

May everything you create and grow, flourish.

We Have Flowers!

I’m on a mini-holiday with my family this week, so if I don’t respond to your comments right away, please forgive me. I might be on the net, but I’m not sure.

I want this week’s blog to be about something cheerful, so I’m sharing snapshots of the beautiful plants and flowers that flourished in our front yard this spring.

Front Yard Flowers-3, 2019.jpg

Until last summer, we had so many trees on our property that most of the yard was in shade, which wasn’t helping anything bloom. Our neighbors asked that we remove a couple of them bordering their property, and given that they could well be safety hazards in a storm, we did so (they shared the cost).

Front Yard Flowers-1, 2019

The result will attract bees which are also in dire need of help. In 31 years, our yard has never been this colorful, and I’ve never appreciated flowers more than I do now.

Front Yard Flowers

The rose bush in my mom’s memory will also be planted here in a prominent place with plant of sunlight.

Rodos, front of house

The Powerful Connection Between Nature and Writing

Front Yard Flowers-3, 2019.jpg Writing and gardening seem to go hand in hand. I’ve read wonderful blogs from authors whose photos and enthusiasm for their gardens is amazing. I’ve read biographies about deceased authors who were also passionate gardeners.

Although I haven’t done much gardening as an adult, I loved growing flowers as a kid. My favorite were gladioli. I still like big flowers, dahlias and sunflowers in particular. But after my husband started a vegetable garden in earnest last year (we enjoyed oodles of zucchini and kale) and we had some trees topped or removed (we still have plenty of trees, trust me), the sunlight has poured in, revitalizing flowering plants (which will hopefully attract bees) that have been there for years, but never really blossomed, until now, as you’ll see in the photos.

Front Yard Flowers-1, 2019.jpg Many authors know that one of the best ways to sort through novel plotting problems is to take a walk, whether in the woods, by water, or in a park. There’s something about the tranquility, the sounds and smells of nature that ease our conscious minds while allowing our subconscious our brains to quietly knit ideas together. It’s no wonder that some writers prefer to write outside. Beaches, outdoor cafés, benches, campgrounds, can be inspirational.

At the other end of the spectrum, those of us who’ve been working hard to finish and/or edit a manuscript find the outdoors a way to re-energize and just breathe. There are certain outdoor places where I don’t think about writing at all. While in Mexico back in January, I spent a great deal of time outside walking and seeing the sights, with little thought to writing at all.

As most authors already know, writing about nature is an integral part of storytelling. Without a setting, we don’t have a fully developed novel, and while some stories might be set totally indoors, many are not. Writing about what we see, hear, smell, and touch adds depth to a story that relies too heavily on visual senses.

By the way, last week I wrote about weird and wacky days of the week. Tomorrow, May 23^rd, is world turtle day, according to my WWF-Canada calendar. Not wacky or weird. Just poignant. Because I fear that we’re losing too much nature at a horrific rate and that one day we’ll be forced to step inside some sort of dome if we want to see it and inhale the many fragrances. It makes me want to do more to keep what we have before it’s all gone, and to enjoy the outdoors more often.