Dear Friends and Readers,
 Izzy |
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I have some sad news. I lost my little Izzy last month. She came to me from my friend Cissy Hartley, who was too sick to care for her any longer. While Cissy was still alive, I’d drive her back to visit her mom, until Cissy passed away.
Izzy was my little shadow. She was the dog who claimed my lap whenever I sat down. She was sweet and clever and so smart. Izzy had a number of illnesses—diabetes, Cushing’s disease, pancreatitis. But she was such a trooper. Now I find myself lost without the routine of her medications and shots. It is so crazy how I shaped my day around her needs. And I never minded. I had a cat with diabetes before Izzy, so for the last seven years, I’ve been living on that two-shots-of-insulin a day routine. My schedule was rigid, but now I miss the routine, and I’m a little lost as I find a new daily way of life. I do not like change.
The other dogs miss her, but not as much as I do. And I found out that Lily has a heart murmur. She is 12 this year. Everyone is getting old, just like me.
In book news, I also have a sad ending to tell you about. This year ODE TO THE BONES and JOY TO THE BONES will be published in May and October, respectively. These are the last two books in the Sarah Booth Delaney series.
I know! I know! It almost killed me to write these last two books. I have spent the last 30 years in Zinnia with Sarah Booth and the gang. I have spent more time with these characters than anyone else in my life now. I did not make the decision to end the series lightly. I put a lot of thought and heartache into it. But I wanted to end the series the way I wanted to end it. I didn’t want to get sick or have something happen where things were left up in the air.
ODE has a somewhat shocking ending, but don’t despair, JOY will bring the whole series around in what I hope is a satisfying arc for the reader.
I am not quitting writing. Not at all. I’m working on an idea with a former student, Daryl Marcus. I don’t know if we can pull off the book we’re discussing, but it is going to be fun trying.
As I mentioned, I do not like change. But the truth is that all of life is about change. We grow or we shrivel up. We change or we are left behind. If you’re a little behind in the Sarah Booth books, now is a great time to catch up and be ready for the final two books.
In other areas, Priya is working with me to bring back some of my older books. We’ve recently released HOODWINKED and REVENANT, and there are many more that will be available as digital books (for right now). And I have a million more stories that I want to tell. So this isn’t the end of writing, only a shift in direction.
And this month’s re-release is PENUMBRA.
People often ask me where I get ideas for my books. I was a naughty child (I know most people will NEVER believe this). My mother, who was a journalist and also something of a mental health counselor and priest, was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee with a woman I didn’t know. I was a nosy child and I sneaked into the kitchen and hid under the table, listening to them talk. The woman was distraught and defiant. She said she felt trapped. My mother counseled her to think through her actions. The woman said she didn’t love her husband and wanted to be free. Mama told her to think through her actions and weigh the results–she had a child to consider and where would she work in a place that offered women only low paying jobs. I remember being under the table, staring at the woman’s feet in sandals and her perfectly painted toenails. After she left, I crawled out and stood up. The coffee cups were still on the table. There was an ashtray with seven butts–all marked with red lipstick, as was her coffee cup. That incident has stayed with me all of my life. I never knew her name. Didn’t care. Didn’t realize how much this would haunt me. But this is ultimately the seed of PENUMBRA. I hope you enjoy the book.
 Jade from PENUMBRA |
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At the end of this month I’ll be in Monroeville, AL for the literary festival there where an old friend, Ace Atkins, will be awarded the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing. I’ve known Ace for a while now. He’s a dog rescuer too, and a former football standout. I am honored to be a small part of the event celebrating his win.
We survived the cold weather without any broken pipes—so far! But March can always throw a few monkey wrenches into the weather, so I’m not going to let down my weather vigilance. Not yet.
In preparation for the May release of ODE, here’s a link to the song that is the inspiration for my story. Bobby Gentry–Ode to Billy Joe. Enjoy the song and I hope you enjoy the book when it comes out. Please tell your friends to sign up for my newsletter so you can keep up with where I land next!
Until next time, from Carolyn and the Critters—now here is Priya.
 This is Kismet |
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Dear Readers,
I am typing this letter on the plane ride back home to Alabama. I spent 3 days with 5500 people at ChosenCon in Charlotte, NC and it was an experience I’ll never forget. We’d wake up, put on our teal-colored shirts and lanyards, and head to the convention center where we were treated to Meet and Greets, Roundtable discussions, live concerts, book signings, giveaways, insider panels, and even a hysterical gameshow where cast members competed against each other. All of us rose from our seats and jammed to the music of Phil Wickham and we even got to see Jonathan Roumie play the drums! I was also introduced to Jackie Hill Perry who delivered a lively keynote. My favorite segment was the Women of The Chosen panel – I learned so much about them and what it was like behind the scenes. Another fun thing was spotting actors randomly while we walked around the venue – there’s a Pharisee named Shmuel who I had daggers for, but after listening to Shaan Sharma and the production staff, my heart softened for his role. He was so blinded in his devotion to traditional law that he was unable to recognize the Messiah who was right in front of him the whole time. Reminds me of Luke 23:24…“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” That line gets me balling tears when I spend time with it.
It was amusing to see Gaius, Yussif, and Quintus selling hats at the gift shop.
I had a blast perusing the gift shop and settled on a lovely Disciples Tunic Blanket that I will snuggle up in to re-watch the show. I wanted to purchase a set of exquisite Annie Leibovitz photographs that she took of the cast, but it was out of our budget. Though I must say, the cherry on top of the entire conference was getting to see episode 1 of the upcoming season six of The Chosen on the big screen with thousands of other fans! Shahar Isaac, the man who portrays Simon Peter, was watching it with us in the auditorium. The season won’t be released to you until autumn, but I’m telling you right now that episode 1 was phenomenal. I am blessed to have seen this sneak peek, and I won’t give away any spoilers, but let’s just say the opening sequence is totally bewildering and unexpected and it will knock your socks off and make you wonder and then wildly cheer.
The director Dallas Jenkins puts a lot of thought and effort into each episode. He has a team he consults with to get the story as accurate as possible consisting of a Catholic priest, a Messianic Rabbi, and a Protestant Minister. No matter your faith, this show is worth giving a try. Give it some time and I reckon you will fall in love with the characters and how they flesh out the story of Jesus seen through the eyes of his disciples.
Now it’s time to get back to work! Speaking of beautifully written stories, please enjoy reading Penumbra. The year is 1952 and we’re in hotter-than-a-pepper-patch Drexel, Mississippi. This compelling Southern literary suspense novel is free to download on your Kindle if you’re a KU subscriber– otherwise it’s $2.99. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for free on the device of your choice. Carolyn mentioned Cissy Hartley earlier but I want you to know that she also designed the cover for this book. It’s nice to see this edition of the book in digital form at long last.
Warmly,
Priya