Been a busy summer here in Roh-land.
Several visits by family meant some much-needed time away from work (both the day job and the writing job) doing some pretty fun stuff:
- Sequoia National Park to see the Big Trees (as in 33 FEET in diameter!)
- Horseback riding
- Train trip to get ice cream (world-renowned ice cream!)
- Native American festival
- Star party by the local astronomers club (Mars and Jupiter were stunning through the high-powered telescopes)
- Large cat sanctuary (lions and tigers and leopards, but no bears)
- And an escape room (which was really cool!)
And somewhere in there, we fit in a Harry Potter marathon (the kids had not seen any of these movies).
All that kept us running each day from dawn until midnight. And it was a blast!
Everyone needs to take a little time out to spend with family and enjoy life. That’s what it’s supposed to be about, right?
But it’s nice to get back to the writing world, and I’ve got a few updates for you. 
Appearances
Mark your calendars! The Great Valley Bookfest in Manteca, CA is being held on October 13, and I’m excited to be one of their featured authors! I’m also moderating a panel, “The Many Faces of Romance” that includes fellow Yosemite Romance Writers Debra Salonen and Sandra Masters. The event is free, so be sure to come by and say “Hi!”
Award News
In a previous post, I mentioned that I’d entered Saving Magic, an unpublished YA historical fantasy, in a writing contest. The contest was sponsored by the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal chapter of the Romance Writers of America.
Saving Magic ended up winning second place in the Young Adult category, and won FIRST PLACE in the New Adult category! In addition, Andrea Somberg of the Harvey Klinger Literary Agency requested the full manuscript.
Needless to say, I’m pretty jazzed. Magic was originally written as a short story (it’s now a novel) for a writers group anthology which, unfortunately, never got off the ground. I’m looking forward to hearing what Ms. Somberg has to say about it.
Recommended Reads – The Jane Yellowrock Series by Faith Hunter
I just finished reading the 12-volume series about Cherokee skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, and what a wild ride!
The series starts with Skinwalker (2009) and ends (for now) with Dark Queen (2018). Through it all, rogue vampire killer Jane kicks butt, nearly dies a few times, falls in love, and helps save the world. Set in New Orleans for most of the series, author Faith Hunter brings the story to life with vivid setting descriptions and nearly non-stop action. For urban fantasy fans, this series is a must-read.
- In the News – features news about vampire and urban fantasy pop cultures, such as upcoming books, movies, TV shows, etc.
- Recommended Reads – generally features a work from urban fantasy or vampire literature along with what I’m currently reading
- Vampire Collectibles – photos from my extensive (and rather silly) collection of vampire knick-knacks
- Music for the Muse – spotlight on the inspirational music used by many authors (including me) in their writing
- Behind the Scenes – background information on my stories (like strange happenings I call “Watcher Weirdness”)
- Author Corner – news about me and my stories, such as awards, events and appearances, what I’m working on, etc.
- The Chosen Update – exclusive excerpts from a work in progress in The Chosen series; the last two newsletters included excerpts from Monster, the prequel to Watcher
- Sales – Announcements about periodic sales; Watcher AND Runner were both on sale over the Labor Day weekend
