More and More and More Bones!

on April 26, 2022

Dear Friends,

I have some terrific news—St. Martin’s offered another three-book contract for more Bones! Of course I eagerly said yes! So this year, we have LADY OF BONES in June, BONES OF HOLLY in December, and I’m busy as a bee writing TELL-TALE BONES for summer of 2023. Sarah Booth has more adventures and they are doozies.

I got a really good review in Publishers Weekly for LADY OF BONES! Yay!

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The disparity of age between my character and myself becomes more evident to me every week. Sarah Booth does all the things I used to do without giving them a second thought. As my grandmother would tell me often when I begged her to do some crazy activity with me, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And creaky, I would add. photo of Dorothy

My friend, Dorothy Morrison, came for a visit. We had a lot of fun. We went to Art Walk with my niece, Jennifer, and had an impromptu dinner at my house with my buddies Aleta and Kathleen. I need to see my friends more often. It really gave me a big boost.

Poor Dorothy! She’d gifted me with a cat tree when I posted that I had to sledgehammer the old one because it had died! So when she arrived, the TV had also died. We picked up a new one and then Dorothy helped me hang it on the wall. It is not as easy as it sounds. But gadzooks! She said, “Let’s Google this.” And we did, and then we did it. And THEN she put the cat tower together. Not enough to give it to me—she had to put it together and it had 409 parts. She did not utter a curse word that I heard. Ha ha ha. Now that is a good friend.

An update on my sister’s pets. They are doing terrific! Dick Cheney is on a “mood elevator” since he wants to whip butt on all the other cats. His spirit is willing AND his flesh accommodates even though he is 18. Puss is finally gaining a little weight. The dogs are doing fine. David’s cats are doing great too. And my animals are all okay right now. Eudora is still tolerating the cancer treatment well. Sorrow is creaky but still game to go to the barn with me so she can sniff out those delectable horse hooves (from Joey trimming the horses). Ugh. She likes to keep them in her bed. Why? You’ll have to ask her. Scooter is my oldest kitty and she will be 17 next month. She is also doing great.

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Summer is coming, but the last two months have been mostly bliss here. Cool, sunny, etc. There have been tornadoes and one came very close to my house (about a mile down the road) but no damage. I’m trying to build an arbor for my wisteria using repurposed materials. I am not great at building anything, but I presume I can set two posts and use the back of an old bench (wrought iron) for the vines to climb on. We shall see. I dug one posthole yesterday. I’m not the farm hand anyone would hire to build fence. One posthole a day is not going to cut it!

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Dewberries ripened last week..The vines are mean to wrangle with. I am lucky to have bees.

I love this time of year. I dread what’s coming, but this is truly the South’s finest hour when all the azaleas and bridal wreath are blooming. Dewberries are coming in and I need to stock up the freezer so I can make cobblers. I don’t need to eat them, but I enjoy making them when I have time.

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I had a very small Easter egg hunt for my adopted great-niece, Lily. She is my friend, Anna McCant’s, granddaughter. She isn’t quite three but she got the hang of finding those eggs—and then she loved running around the kitchen table while Lily (my dog) and Tundra chased her. Lily (the dog) had developed some kind of fetish for the sparkly Easter eggs Dorothy brought for the hunt. Lily (the dog) was obsessed. And Lily (the beautiful child) was having a blast!

And Tundra got her first professional haircut. Payton did such a beautiful job. Tundra is hard. She is very squirmy. Now she is free of all that thick, matted hair and ready for swimming in the river!

Remember that SMARTY BONES is still on sale until the end of the month. Please let your friends know. That would be terrific, and a chance for them to sample the series for only $2.99 for a digital book.

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Okay, that posthole is calling my name. (That could be a horror movie, right?) So enjoy the spring. Adopt a pet if you have room for another. Spay and neuter. The commandments according to Carolyn! And while you’re working on postholes or whatever, here’s a tune to enjoy: Sam Cooke – Chain Gang

Until next month!

Carolyn and the critters
CH

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Had my 50th class reunion this year.