Get a Giggle

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June is here and I think it is finally looking like summer in Colorado. We had a cool, wet spring. In late May we even had 8 inches of snow. Quite unusual for this area of the state. With all the weather I spent a good deal of time indoors working on my new book, Sulpher Gulch.

I have written in many styles and am finding the cozy mystery quite fun. I read a series of books by Amanda M. Lee that really tickled my funny bone. Her series, Wicked Witches of the Midwest, are based on three witches who live in Hemlock Cove, a quiet village in the lower part of upper Michigan. For me, it is a laugh out loud series. Janet Evanovich is another author who also gets giggles from me. I loved the Plum Series.

How do I keep those giggles going after the series end (or I just need a break)? Write my own. First off, writing a cozy mystery was a new venture for me. Add the humor side and I found myself in uncharted territory. Yet, I didn’t feel discouraged, lost, or otherwise sinking in a doomed ship. I felt energized (remember the pink bunny?).

I started Sulpher Gulch just a short while ago and am nearly finished. I am excited to see this coming together and am looking forward to the cover design and its release. I haven’t set a date for that yet, but when I do, you will be the first to hear.

Until then, read a little bit of Amanda Lee or Janet Evanovich. Your day will be brighter if you do.

Today’s post was inspired by:

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The question posed for this month’s post was, “Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why?”

The co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton,Kim Lajevardi,Sylvia Ney,Sarah Foster,Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

2018 Reading List

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Every year, on my birthday, I ask for books. My family comes through with gift certificates to my favorite book haunts. Because I consume books like some people drink coffee, the gift certificates are perfect.

Below is my reading list from 2018. I usually post this list in January or February, but, hey, what can I say? Better late than never. I read a ton of Amanda Lee’s books because they just struck my funny bone in just the right place. She cranks out books faster than Janet Evanovich (I’ve read most of her’s too), and has the same sense of humor. I can never pass up on something funny and easy to read.

People ask me, “Did you really read all of them?” YES. If I came across anything too awful to finish it is not listed here. I am pleased to say that I did not have to pass on any books last year.

Note: I have listed these books alphabetically, order by author, so they are not in any particular ranking of best to worst.

~~THE LIST~~

C.J. Archer
Glass and Steel Books 3, 5 & 6
The Ink Master’s Silence
The Convent’s Secret
The Apothecary’s Poison

David R. Bernstein
Avatars Rising

Becky Clark
Fiction Can Be Murder

Michelle Crystal
Lavender Blue

Avery Daniels
A Resort to Murder Mystery I & II
ICED
Nailed

T.C. Edge
The Enhanced

Charlie N. Holmberg
A Paper Magician Novel
The Plastic Magician

DeAnna Knippling
The Page Turners

Cynthia Kuhn
A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery Book 1
The Semester of Our Discontent

Stephen Lawhead
The Paradise War

Amanda M. Lee
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery Books 1 & 2
Witch Out of Water
Witchin’ USA
An Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs Cozy Mystery Books 1, 2, 3, 4
Bat Out of Spell
Spell on Earth
Hotter Than Spell
Spell or High Water
A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery Book 1
The Bigfoot Blunder
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery Books 1-11
Any Witch Way You Can A Breath of Witchy Air
Every Witch Way But Wicked
A Witch Before Dying
Witching You Were Here
Murder Most Witchy
The Trouble With Witches
Witching On A Star
Something to Witch About
Charms & Witchdemeanors
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch

Madeleine L’Engle
The Wrinkle in Time Quintet: Books 1-5
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wind in the Door
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Many Waters
An Acceptable Time

Shannon Mayer
Questing Witch Series Books 1 & 2
Aimless Witch
Caravan Witch

Margaret Mizushima
Killing Trail: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

Harper North
The Manipulated Series, Books 1 & 2
Modified
Surfaced

Corinne O’Flynn
The Expatriates, Books 1&2
Song of the Sending
Promise of the Scholar

Philip Pullman
His Dark Materials, Books 1-3
The Golden Compass
The Amber Spyglass
The Subtle Knife

Susan Kaye Quinn
The Debt Collector

Philip Reeve
Mortal Engines, Book 1
Mortal Engines

Lisa Brown Roberts
Spies, Lies, and Allies: A Love Story

Michael Scott
The Alchemyst

Cidney Swanson
Thief in Time, Books 1- 3
A Thief in Time
A Sword in Time
A Flight in Time

Jeff VanderMeer
The Southern Reach Trilogy Books 1, 2, 3
Authority
Annihilation
Acceptance

Kiersten White
The Chaos of Stars

T.A. White
Of Bone and Ruin

A to Z Reflections

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The A to Z Blogging Challenge for 2019 is now in the history books. I participated right up until I just couldn’t. I had some deadlines that squeezed between having to adult and my job. I had to make a choice and left the challenge at ‘R’.

#AtoZChallenge 2019 Tenth Anniversary Reflections badge

The Reflection post is a tradition at the A to Z Challenge. It gives everyone a chance to look back at what worked, what didn’t, what we’ve done, what was learned, and where we hope to go from here. There is a list of 10 questions that have been posed by the A to Z organizers. I may not answer all of them, but I hope, by doing this reflection post you will join us next year, or you will do your own challenge at some point.

A to Z asked: What did you love about the challenge?
This is the second year I participated and what I like the most about it is the push to keep up on this blog. I sometimes forget my readers (how rude!) when I’m falling down the writing rabbit hole. By doing this challenge I am reminded to get back to the important people — YOU, my readers.

A to Z: What would you change about it?
I would like to see a Blog Hop link. Was there one? Maybe I missed it. It would be nice to be able to have a link at the end of our posts (Linky Tools) so readers can easily check out the rest of the blogs participating.

A to Z: What was the best moment for you during this year’s challenge?
I hate to say this, but the day I had to call it to a stop. I know that is counterintuitive, but I was relived. I over extended myself and by stepping away I was doing myself (and everyone involved) a service that benefited all of us.

A to Z: What is the best comment your blog got during the challenge, and who left the comment?
I got so many wonderful comments from everyone who read the posts. I hope they all keep coming back to visit and commenting. It is encouraging to have comments and likes because then I know there are readers who enjoy the posts.

I found several new blogs to follow along the way. Check them out :

A to Z: Will you do the challenge again?
Absolutely!

There were more questions and much more to say, but I think I will close here by saying WOW!! A huge thank you goes back to everyone who worked hard to make this challenge happen. This is one of the best writing challenges I participate in and I’m looking to continue for sometime to come.

Until then? Happy reading!!

Language is Power

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What was some experiences where you learned that language had power?

Language, I have found, has more power than I ever realized. What about you? Think about it. If you were to walk up to a random person on the street and tell them their shoes were ugly, what would happen? My guess is that, if you could be a flea on their sleeve, you would see them go through the rest of their day in the dumps. On the other hand, change a single word – ugly to awesome – you change the tone of their entire day.

Television, books, social media, person to person communication, and even books, are opportunities to use language to influence, support, or demoralize people. In my home, we dropped network television and I immediately noticed a difference in my attitude. If I read a humorous book my outlook brightens.

Much of my childhood was spent learning the negative power of language, and as I grew, and had children of my own, I learned how to turn all that negative to positive. In college I studied photography and we had to give, and take, critique. I saw first hand how a few, carefully stated words, could either save, or kill, the artist within a person.

When I read books, then write a review, I point out the best of it rather than everything the author has done wrong. Mind you, there is room for improvement in most things, but I show a writer how to improve with positive language. Whenever I am given feedback that is supportive, I tend to learn more and have a stronger desire to continue on.

Language is a powerful thing. It really is as simple as having a glass half empty or half full. To borrow on another saying, “You attract more bees with honey.” That honey will always taste sweeter when you carefully choose words that support and encourage. Now that’s power!

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Every month, IWSG announces a question that members can answer in our IWSG post. These questions may prompt us to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. We Include our answers to the question in the IWSG post or let it inspire our post if we are struggling with something to say. 

The awesome co-hosts for this month are, Lee Lowery,Juneta Key, Yvonne Ventresca, and T. Powell Coltrin!

It’s a Blog Hop!! Check out these other amazing blogs…..

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

New Look

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What do you think?

After 5+ years of the same photo, I decided it was time for a change. I took this image off the porch of a B ‘n’ B we stayed at in Buena Vista, Colorado. It was an amazing autumn that year and we had a grand time. Below are just a few more of the photos from that trip.

****All photos © Kathie Scrimgeour. *****
All Rights Reserved both domestic and abroad. Copying of these photos, in any way, is a violation of the copyright laws of the United States.

See You Next Time

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It has been fun. A riot.

I enjoyed getting to know my fellow A to Z Blogging Challengers. Your blogs are great and I look forward to reading them through the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, I have to jump ship on the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I left off at R and with the deadlines I have been facing, well…………. S, T, U,V, W, X, Y, and Z will have to go on without me. Thank you to A to Z Blogging Challenge for hosting. I’ll be back in 2020!

Once we get into May, when the dust has settles, I will introduce everyone to the new blogs I found that I think you might enjoy as well.

Have a great rest of April!!

This post inspired by:

#AtoZChallenge 2019 Tenth Anniversary badge

Reasons for a Short Story

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What is the big deal about short stories? Why have them? Why do readers prefer the short story over a full blown novel? First, let me say that novel length manuscripts have NOT gone by the wayside. There are still vast numbers of people (myself included) who read the thousands of wonderful books out there. Yet, short stories are on the rise. More and more readers are turning to the short story. What is different today, then let’s say 40 years ago? Are there reasons the short story is more popular to day?

Short Attention Spans & Time

It has been said that our attention spans are shrinking, therefore our desire to sit a read a four hundred page novel has also shrunk. One study suggested that our attention span has dropped to a mere 8 seconds. The statistics were published in Time magazine, the Telegraph, the Guardian, USA Today, the New York Times and the National Post. Since 2015, that theory has been debunked.

Another angle is we just have too many choices (think mega-stores like Costco or Sam’s Club, or coffee shops like Starbucks). When I walk into a coffee shop with a menu the size of the Encyclopedia Britannica I can’t make a clear decision so I order coffee and leave. Quick, easy, and black.

Time, for many people, is a huge culprit. Busy lives can drain away minutes, hours, days, and weeks before we realize that the time has gone by. Careers and family obligations alone can drain the day away. When there is only twenty minutes left for reading, a novel is challenging to get through.

Short Stories

Whatever the reasons, a short story can fill the tiny gaps in our day. They are usually quick reads that are satisfying, and packed with meaning. Short story writers learn early on how to keep a tale riding on a tight rope. They are a trapeze artist walking a narrow path with the reader, their audience, holding their collective breath. When the artist reaches that last sentence the audience erupts with applause.

There is always the quick gratification that is gotten through a short story. A reader can sit and finish a full bodied story in about an hour.

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