Howling from My Mountain -

 

I love Tulip Poplar trees - they are one of my favorites .... *smiling*

 

 

Mt Hood from the airplane on my way to Oregon for my son's wedding (in May)

 

spider web at Lake Junaluska

 

Hope you all have a wonderful day today!

I appreciate you for stopping by and saying hi, even though I haven't been able to visit much at all these past months with the Tender Graces novel coming out, then immediately beginning work on Book2. The work on the Vkbook2 is coming along well - almost 80,000 words and I want at least 95,000 before I start the "real editing." Right now, I'm getting the story down - I have a good "frame" and am filling in, deleting, adding - whatever.

 

I'm on twitter if any of you do that. I have a facebook, too - if any of you have that . . . stop and see me! I resisted those places at first when I was "invited" by people to be involved, but, I do see the appeal of going in and having 140 words or so to say something and to read something that quickly *smiling*

 

Amazon has Tender Graces on Kindle and the funny thing is, I've never even seen a Kindle! haw! I want to see one somewhere so I can see what it looks like. I doubt I'd ever read a novel on a device, but I'm curious about it. Anyone have one? What is the experience like? Do you really read an entire novel on a handheld device?

 

My reviews are still good and I am humbled and amazed and happy. I've had two people say they called in sick to finish my book - what a compliment! This experience is wonderful - the reaching out of readers. It's a stressful thing sometimes, having a book published - a different stress from trying to be published, and these good words about  my words fill me up...thank you.

 

Now, go do the day! I am going to come visit on Sundays. That's what I decided I would try to do. Until the second book is sent off, I have to concentrate there, but I think Sundays would be a good day to come a-calling....

 

EMAIL PRESIDENT OBAMA - it's easy to do - ilovemountains.org has done all the work for you.

 

 

Join the cause!

 

 

 

 

 

The work on VK book 2 is going well - I have almost 70,000 words. I'm quite happy with at least 50,000 of those *laughing* But, I know what I must do - keep writing, get all the words down, and there will be time to fiddle with it and rearrange and delete and replace and rewrite. After all, I deleted 30,000 words that I'd written back before Tender Graces was published, when I'd written the original 200,000 words that would be come TG and "The Draft of Book 2" - actually, more than 30,000 words have been deleted. You must be fearless when you write . . . if it's not right, it's just not right - delete and write more, there's always more words - always!

 

I want to tell you all that a good friend of mine just won the Bram Stroker award for first time author for her novel The Gentling Box - I am so proud of her. Her writing is unique and lush and beautiful. Even though this is not my usual genre to read, and I admittedly had to close both eyes and not read parts of her novel *laughing* I appreciated the skill she has as a writer - beautiful language. CONGRATULATIONS LISA MANNETTI! Lisa is the short little one with the print dress...*smiling*

I'm going to be at Osondu Books in Waynesville, NC, this saturday the 13th to sign some Tender Graces books. If you are in the area, come say hello and have a cup of tea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First, I'll say that Greg Langley knows how to make someone relaxed enough to babble away....I hate talking on the phone, and to do an interview over the phone made me so nervous, but as soon as he called, I relaxed and was able somehow to make a little sense, I think - but, mostly he's just good at what he does!

 

Here are the links:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tender Graces and BelleBooks is in the Asheville Citizen Times -- a review of Tender Graces by Rob Neufeld, and as well a profile on BelleBooks publishers. *smiling*

 

And, to boot, Asheville is on CBS Sunday Morning - so Charles Osgood is talking up our Asheville area....he recorded at the Biltmore.

 

I'm happy that another indie bookstore has added Tender Graces to its shelves. Octavia Books in New Orleans now has Tender Graces. You see, an authors books do not necessarily end up automatically in bookstores  - especially unknown authors as I am, and especially writers of "general" or "literary" or "women's" or "southern" or "non-genre" fiction....we have to prove ourselves before bookstores will consider taking a chance on ordering our books. It is a business, after all. And with online booksales growing, Kindle (which TG is on Kindle -something I've never even personally seen!), and the economy, it's a difficult time for booksellers, publishers, and thus authors! So, thank you Octavia Booksellers!

 

Well, whatever the case, this morning the TG review and image of the book is splashed across the newspaper in the arts and entertainment section and I am happy! *Big Smile*

 

(I do post pretty regularly on the Tender Graces blog - *smiling* but I so appreciate those of you who come by here and see me at my first blog home)

 

Thank you all for stopping by and I'll see you soon - I'm working furiously on the second VK book.

 

 

 

A form of coal mining --entire mountains are dynamited -- more than 470 mountains already destroyed.

Help end Mountaintop Removal

Explore iLoveMountains.org

 "The National Memorial for the Mountains"

 

 

"I am happy, and that thought slams against me." -- virginia kate

 

me, too Virginia Kate. me, too.

 

Furiously at work on VKBook2. I hope all of you are well.

 

Thank you for the Tender Grace kudos on Amazon - on Blogs - your emails - your comments- I am appreciative.

 

And now - as never before seen except in the most darkest of corners of a drawer, or inside a box of mementos (at the bottom), or turned upside down and ever-which-a-way in a photo album.....the person who inspired Virginia Kate's Grandmother Laudine, or Mee Maw as she called herself. Yes, this is the woman who inspired the Mee Maw character in Tender Graces....who is she? Well....who was she is more the answer...This woman gave me the idea for Mee Maw Laudine just by being who she was....my brother Tommy found this photo and we laugh every time we look at it. This is such a telling photo. She would have been so mad at me for posting her before she was "fixed up" - without her nice wig and whatevers. Just as Virginia Kate's Mee Maw Laudine would be fussin' up a big black storm, too, for being shown whilst not "fixed up." 

 

 

I am honored to have been asked to guest blog at J. Kaye's Book Blog. Teehee....The blogging community has been wonderful - I am grateful and happy -- thank you all for all of your support!

 

Guest Blogger Author Kathryn Magendie

J. Kaye’s Book Blog is excited to welcome Kathryn Magendie, author of TENDER GRACES, as our featured Guest Blogger today. She’ll be sharing a little bit of her southern philosophy and charming wit. Be sure to check out the awesome giveaway at the end of this post.