November and the Holidays

I lost October somewhere. I'm not exactly sure how or why, but I blinked and it was gone. Yes, I know I have a blog and the concept is that I'm supposed to write it in frequently to keep you up-to-date on Patti doings. So what have I been doing? Glad you asked.

First, I'd like to remind you that this is Halloween/Thanksgiving season and it is definitely the time to revisit a favorite read -- THE DADDY SPELL.



Pumpkin magic is always stronger during 'the season', doncha know. If you follow me on Facebook (and if not, why not???), you'll know I posted a teaser on Kiss Me Goodnight yesterday. My brother thought that was quite the marketing ploy, but truthfully I was having so much fun pulling out the pumpkin magic as a threat to Tom and Summer that I laughed my way to 2500 written words with no problem.

Of course, you're probably sitting there saying - Yeah Patti, but Kiss Me Goodnight probably won't be available to buy until Spring 2011. How do we get our Echo Falls fix until then? My Answer: I'm writing here people, as fast as I can. Harvest Moon Magic is about half finished and hopefully will be on my website before Thanksgiving. Then I'll be writing a wonderfully fun story - Boo and Lindy's Magical Christmas Matchmaking Adventure. What's it about? Ummm...I don't exactly know, but doesn't the title sound great? Yes, I have an evil grin on my face. You're just going to have to wait and see...just like waiting for Santa. I am planning to post that free short story mid-December. 2010 will be littered with several Echo Falls Short Stories to keep you up on the town doings.

The other good news is that Canyon Hearts - Echo Falls #4 - will be finished shortly, too. I've co-written this one with my writing partner and best friend, Kelly McCrady. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my publisher can give you a double whammy of Echo Falls in 2011.

What took so long? Two things. I side-tracked for about seven months to write The Rock Star's Sheriff - Book 1 of a new series set in Parson Corners, Colorado. I sent this one to Harlequin American and it was rejected with a nice personalized letter. I plan to send it to The Wild Rose Press as well -- that means early next year because it isn't being sent until Kiss Me Goodnight has gone - so don't panic!! But hopefully I'll sweet talk you into enjoying another small town love story which has a bunch of sequels planned, too.

The second reason? I'm working on a futuristic, military romance action adventure. I not giving out many details here yet because the idea is cool and unique and I'm scaring myself to death with it. "I can't write this!!!" I wail that frequently. Then my crit group slaps me - "YES, you can!" And I go back to seeing if I can get this tale out of my head.

Have I given up on print publishing? Of course not. I have one completed romantic suspense and a new planned contemporary romance waiting in the wings to be worked on next year to be sent out into that world. There's much more coming from Patti Ann Colt.

In the meantime, I continue to take care of my grandson full-time, work my Amazon Marketplace, and write articles for associated content. Housecleaning and trips to the park fall in there somewhere. And I'm happily anticipating a trip to Nashville next year for the Romance Writers of America conference.

You can find me on Facebook most days - Patti Ann Colt. I also am on Myspace and Twitter - pattianncolt.

I'm going to write now, but I do have a six book weekly reader entry to write. Eventually I'll get tired of the books hanging around on the corner of my desk and I'll get it done.

Happy Veteran's Day to all!

Food Talking and Fun

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time moves. I feel like I just posted and yet it's been over a week. Time is a mystery to me. I know they say we all get the same amount and it's how we use it that makes it different - but I swear I don't get the same amount as everyone else. Either that or I'm just living in la la land part of the time and I'm unaware that life is moving this fast.

One fun thing - I've posted a couple of great fall soup recipes - go check them out!

I'm writing again. Back at Kiss Me Goodnight - Book 3 of Echo Falls - after taking a brief seven months (HA!) to give Harlequin a go. The strangest thing happened when I pulled the first few chapters that I had complete and reread them. I didn't think I wrote them! They were fabulous and I remember them being more crappy than that. Yes, it's true what they say. Some of us writers are just plain off our rockers.

Canyon Hearts - Echo Falls Book 4 - continues on its merry journey to the ending. Kelly McCrady and I are almost finished with this crackerjack story. It has lots of editing to be done, but we'll hopefully be able to give you a double blast of Echo Falls. If you haven't read it lately, pull The Daddy Spell and get yourself some pumpkin magic going! Two short stories will be coming up on my website, too -- Harvest Moon Magic available 10/26 and Boo and Lindy's Magical Christmas Matchmaking Adventure available 12/14.

I've been watching way too much television, but I have to say that Stargate: Universe had me squeeing in glee! So glad a new Stargate is back. Watched the pilot three times already!.

Weekly Reader is going on hiatus until January. My to-be-read pile is ridiculous, but Fall seems to be the time when I dive into projects around the house and don't read as much as I am used to. Plus, lately I'm reading my favorite authors - Suzanne Brockmann's on my bedside table right now -- and those reviews are simply too easy - A+. I'll be happy to give you reports on home improvement projects, sewing, and all my television watching if that will suffice in the meantime. ;-)

That said. Ta Ta. I'm off to watch NCIS Los Angeles.

Kate Duffy

Kate Duffy, editor extraordinaire in the romance industry, died today. On this day of sadness, I'd like to remember Kate with my favorite Kate quote:

"Romance entertains me; it makes me happy. I like to say Nora Roberts got me through my divorce; Suzanne Brockmann got me through my father's illness; Joanne Ross got me through my father's death, and Lisa Kleypas got me through yesterday."

Amen. Blessings to Kate's friends and family.

Yard Sale Aftermath

Oh yeah, enthusiasm increased.

Many $$$ pocketed and lots of items carted off. Things of note if you decide to ever do a yard sale.

--Several people asked if we could break $100 bills. This was early on in the morning, so maybe this was their yard sale budget and they hadn't spent anything yet. But if you're only buying seven bucks worth of stuff, breaking a hundred dollar bill ain't cool. Just saying.

--Sold 90% of our baby clothes, toys, and baby furniture. I can understand that as it's expensive in the stores. I was just glad we had lots to offer.

--I was amazed by the stuff that did sell, i.e. my broken lawn mower and the bins from my dead refrigerator. I was amazed by the stuff that didn't sell - not a bit of our Christmas decorations and two seven foot artifical trees and Anne's old recliner, still in good shape.

--I'd like to express my deep appreciation and admiration for the six foot, long black haired, muscled biker dude who bought my Mom's gaudy 70's blue bubble lamps and the gamer chair. You made my day! No joke.

--I'd like to say WTF to the neighbor who brought over an old 8-track player and about thirty 8-track tapes and asked us to sell them for her. Fortunately, she said the magic word. Keep the money. I actually decided to buy them myself and see if I can sell them on e-bay.

It was a profitable, but miserably hot day. I still have stuff to take to Goodwill, but half a truck load isn't anything at all. A thorough reorganization of the garage will then net me a parking spot for my car. Sigh. The best reward of all.

Yard Sale

Texas weather finally decided to cooperate. There should be 90 degree weather today for my Yard Sale! Finally will be able to get all this stuff out of the garage. Ultimate goal: Get my car in the garage! Yes, it must seem strange that I'm excited about this, but we've used the garage as a storage unit for boxes and miscellaneous since we moved into this house. 'Twill be nice to finally be able to use it for what it was intended.

I haven't done a yard sale since 1997. We did a major moving sale before we left Cheney, Washington and headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, thanks to the Army. I do believe I was heard swearing at that one: "I will never have another garage sale."

And yet, here I am.

There are people that thrive on yard sales - giving them and visiting them, but I am not one of them. Goodwill is my weapon of choice. First, yard sales require a lot of fore thought and work. I have spent the better part of a month sorting, cleaning, throwing out, and adding to the sale pile. Yesterday, Christopher, Tiffany and I spent most of the afternoon and evening doing more sorting, pricing, and arranging tables. It's exhausting work.

Several neighbors popped over yesterday. "Having a Yard Sale?" I pause, schooling the expression on my face to bland. "Uh, no. We're just moving outside. Here's your sign." Sorry, couldn't help it. Thanks Bill Engvall.

Then we come to the day of. We've been talking about doing this for three months so I am thankful the day is finally here. It's 0-dark-30. I slept maybe three hours. I have to be outside in ten minutes to pull the tables from the garage and start loading them up. I'm still in my pajamas. Tiff will be here in 40 minutes and I'm lacking energy and enthusiasm . . . going back to that "I'm not supposed to be doing yard sales anymore. What was I thinking?" thought.

Watch enthusiasm increase as day progresses, as items are carted off, and as money adds up in the pocketbook.

Still I'm looking forward to about 4 pm this afternoon when all is said and done and my feet are up in front of the television.

A View to My Life

I noted over the weekend as I was formulating goals for this week that I am seriously out of the blogging habit. No excuses, just a promise to get back at it.

Fall has arrived in Texas. Two weeks of rain and the temperature was 59 degrees this morning. I stuck my toes in the swimming pool yesterday and mourned the chill and that another swimming season is definitely over. Time to put the patio furniture back in the garage, get out the long sleeve shirts, and try to kick some butt in the family fantasy football league. How can I go wrong with Peyton Manning?

My middle daughter is moving back home. This necessitated moving the grandson to another room, painting, reorganizing (which netted some good stuff for the yard sale), and coping with the lack of Better Homes and Gardens perfection - not that it ever looks like that, but I'm not even close lately. Thing is I've never been one to invest the hours and hours of work it takes to make it BHG, but clean without tripping over boxes would be nice.

My foot, from my slice and dice last May, is still numb. Not enjoying this much as it's very uncomfortable. And with the colder weather, switching from loose flip flops to wearing shoes and socks is a challenge. The doctor said she wouldn't refer before six months had passed because it just takes that long for nerves to regenerate, but ... pausing to scream here ... strategies for coping are getting tiresome.

In the process of moving bedrooms around and tossing unnecessary stuff, I uncovered several unfinished sewing projects and wondered when I'd gotten so busy I had no time for sewing or cross-stitching, two of my favorite hobbies after home improvement projects and reading. One in particular grasped my attention. I had started a shades/patterns in navy blue bed quilt using a bear paw pattern. I had intended it to be for my bed. I had enough squares finished for one row in a quilt and I'm not sure why I quit and put it away. Fall seems like just the time to get it out again and finish it - considering I need a new bedspread and I noted I'm working too much with no time for fun.



On the work front, those of you who are big fans of Echo Falls are probably chomping for more and wondering what the heck I'm doing. Two short stories are coming up for my website - Harvest Moon Magic - tentative post date October 26th and Boo and Lindy's Magical Matchmaking Christmas Adventure coming December 14th. I took a slight detour from Echo Falls to write a Harlequin American, which has since been rejected and put back in the drawer for later. Moving on from that I'm now working on Kiss Me Goodnight, Tom Applegate's story. AND my friend Kelly McCrady graciously agreed to co-write the next set of Echo Falls books with me - our EF Cop series. This will be Echo Falls books 4, 5, 6, and 7. The first one is Canyon Hearts and we're hoping - fingers crossed - to have that to you shortly after Kiss Me Goodnight so you will get to bask in two full-length Echo Falls books. I also have another secret project that I'm not giving out many details about. Not being superstitious here, just protecting the idea like a newborn babe, because that's what it is...fledgling. Hints? Really . . . adventure, kick ass, and no vampires involved. :-) Sorry. No more.

In other venues of my life, I continue to enjoy taking care of my grandson who is now two and keeping me running. I think I enjoyed his birthday presents as much as he did - seriously, Lego Thomas the Train! Dude! My Amazon Marketplace is taking up a chunk of time and continuing to challenge. If you visit Amazon to buy a used book and see one from coltbooks - that's me. Buy from me, please.

There won't be a weekly reader this week. I'm wading through a writing book this week and reading magazines, but I noted Cindy Gerard has a new one coming out. Expect a trip to Borders and a quick read of that one. In the meantime, Fall is in the air. Once I survive the yard sale I'm having this weekend, it'll be time for pumpkins and Halloween stuff to make their appearance at my house. How about yours?

Weekly Reader - September 16, 2009

I haven't posted a weekly reader for a month. No, it's not because I've not been reading - as was the case over the summer. No, it's because I've been reading the newest releases from my favorite authors and all the books have been A+ awesome. Unfortunately, this leaves me with not much to comment on except to gush that they are A+ awesome and you should run out and buy them. Here's my rundown:

Joann Ross - Breakpoint (Book 4 - High Risk Series)
Lora Leigh - Bengal's Heart (A Breed Novel)
Nalini Singh - Branded by Fire (A Psy-Changling Novel)
Jessica Andersen - Skykeepers (Book 3 - Final Prophecy Series)
Stacey Kayne - Mountain Wild (The Final Book in her WILD series)
Alyssa Day - Atlantis Rising
"Wild Hearts in Atlantis" in Wild Thing Anthology
Atlantis Awakening
"Shifter's Lady" in Shift Anthology
Atlantis Unleashed
Atlantis Unmasked

Final notes:

With two new Alyssa Day's out during the summer, I decided to reread the entire series. I must say that Ven's book has been upsurped by Justice. Just saying. ;-)

Highly recommend that you hunt down Jessica Andersen's Final Prophecy Series. This series just keeps getting better and better.

All of these go on my keeper shelf. Check my other Weekly Reader posts for previous gushing on these authors' other works.

Happy reading, ya'll!