Dear Friends and Readers,
As I mentioned last month, we’ve reissued THE BOOK OF BELOVED, and will soon have Book 2 of The Pluto’s Snitch series back in print. THE HOUSE OF MEMORY. Books 3 and 4 are available now. It’s always exciting to see books that are no longer in print from the publisher come back to life.
With that being said, I have more exciting news. Harlequin returned the rights on 20 titles to me! Yay! Yay! These are romantic mysteries that I wrote in the 1980s and 1990s under the name Caroline Burnes. I’m so excited that these books have “come home” to me and that now I can reissue them and put them back into print. Priya Bhakta, who truly runs KaliOka Press, is in charge of this project. Soon Priya will be stepping up as president of the press and I will take a more advisory position. I am really excited about all the changes.
Those who know me likely know that I haven’t always been good with change. I’ve fought it hard most of my life. But this miracle thing happened after my last brother and my sister died. I just don’t have the energy to fight change any more, so I am working to embrace it and have fun. And these changes at the press are very exciting. Priya knows more about the business of running the press than I do, so KaliOka is in the best of hands. And the fact that she wants to keep my books in print is a miracle. It is a lot of work. A whole lot of work.
It’s no secret that I will be 72 next month. I write this and look at it and think—that’s a mistake. But then I look in the mirror and I know it is a fact. I am lucky to have relatively good health, too. I’m still feeding the horses and messing with dogs and cats. I am so lucky to have the mobility and energy to continue to live the life I love. It’s a simple life with a lot of work and plenty of cleaning up poop (horse, dog, cat!) but it is the way I love to spend my day.
 Dolly |
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In other good news, Dolly is doing great with her new master. The gentleman who adopted her is so kind and patient. He lets me know how she is doing. She was a little distressed when he took her home 3 weeks ago, but she is coming around. She is wagging her tail. And she is defending her new domain by barking at the lawn person. She will give Billy her whole heart. She lucked out when she got picked up by the shelter; she lucked out again when I took her; and this third time she hit the motherlode of luck!
 Cruella |
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To that end I have a new foster dog from The Pretty Pittie Committee. Cruella (she has white eyelashes on one side and black on the other) appears (to me) to be part shepherd and part cattle dog. Smart as a whip. Easy going—except that she jumps my fence to follow me to the barn. She does want to herd the horses, which is a no-no! She is due to be spayed next week and so I have to break up this fence jumping right away. To that end I ordered a solar fence charger, and I am going to make it work. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. But I will get it done. Cruella must be kept safe. If anyone is interested in Cruella who really is a lovely dog, please contact me or the Pretty Pittie Committee. They are on FB. And please, please consider fostering a dog or cat from your local shelter or rescue. It means saving a life.
Spring news! My orange tree is coming back with a vengeance. I have trimmed it way back. I bought a satsuma too, so I will plant that once I have the fence working properly. So much to do and only one old farm girl to do it.
The pecan trees are all leafed out. The grass is growing like a weed (because it is mostly weeds—growing centipede grass just freaking defies my skill set!). Spring is here and summer is breathing down her throat. I am not a fan of summer. I hate the heat and humidity and the hurricanes that blow up. So many areas are suffering extreme weather now—I feel for people because folks around me face possible destruction every year. It just wasn’t this way when I was a kid. No one would ever have dreamed of hurricane damage in the Carolinas! Please contribute to environmental groups fighting climate change.
Enough gloom. You can preorder DOGGONE BONES right this red hot minute—from your local bookstore or online. I’ll be having a signing downtown—maybe at The Haunted Bookshop or maybe at a different location, but the event will be sponsored by the bookstore. Please check my FB pages and my website for more details. I will also be signing at G & D Farms in Wilmer, along with children’s book author Wanda Green. Those dates will also be available on my FB page or website. It will be a later Saturday, once the book is available.
So two fun things for me to do.
Okay guys. I’m working on ODE TO THE BONES. Whew! So much to do and so little time to do it. But take a minute and listen to this Bobbie Gentry tune. And wish me good luck finishing my book. Bobbie Gentry is a Mississippi gal, and I really wanted to be her! Ha ha ha.
Bobby Gentry paints an accurate portrait of how I grew up. Click this song to check it out: Ode to Billie Joe
Come to the Spring Fling! Catch up with some of your favorite authors at the Writerspace Spring Fling on April 30. I will be joining Diana Palmer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jayne Ann Krentz, RaeAnne Thayne and others! The event kicks off at 6pm ET and goes until 9pm ET. I’ll be there at 7:30-8pm ET with Linda Lael Miller. There are prizes, too! Learn more here.
Until next month!
Carolyn and the Critters
 One of the cats enjoying the new screened porch |
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 Ashley’s dog Benjy wearing rabbit ears for Easter! |
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