Dear Readers and Friends,
The last month has been truly hard. I lost my most precious white kitty, Kismet, to cancer three weeks ago, and just last week I had to have Leroy and little Pearl put to sleep. Both had serious medical issues and Pearl was so old. Almost 18. I had her for 4.5 years after my sister Susan died, and I made her life as good as I could. Leroy, man, that was unexpected and a real blow. Kismet, I am still in shock. He was only 8. Cancer is horrible. And because of the pollution of the planet, it is in every home now.
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- Pearl
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- Leroy
So, this month I am not going to talk about sickness or loss or ending Sarah Booth and my friends in Zinnia. I’m trying to focus on the future.
Here is a link to what I’m working on now. Click on this: The Aggrieved
Click me to start reading this free sample now.
It’s just a digital sample that you can open up on the reader app and device of your choice, but I’m going to ask you to read it (if it appeals to you). Let me know what you think. I’ve known my writing partner, Daryl Marcus, for 20+ years and he’s a fine writer and a logical thinker! He loves dark stories like I do. When I proposed writing a book together, he didn’t hesitate. It’s been an amazing process. I’ve spent so much of my life alone, writing my stories, that it is a joy to work with someone like Daryl. We would really appreciate your feedback if you have a minute. Please reach out to us both at carolyn@carolynhaines.com and darylthewriter@gmail.com with THE AGGRIEVED in the subject line.
You can holler at Priya if you need help getting it delivered to your Kindle or iBooks app or whatever you got. E-mail her at priya@carolynhaines.com and she also included this QR code for instant access to the story.
This is a new direction for my writing. We’re not certain exactly WHAT it is, but we’re calling it a supernatural thriller. The book is set, once again, in Mississippi, but this time in the Bay St. Louis area. It begins in August and three big things happen. A hurricane is coming right up the Bay of St. Louis toward the fictional town of Baytown. As the storm breaks over Baytown, a serial killer escapes from a prison transport and three young girls go missing from the area. Miraculously, the storm somehow splits and does little damage to Baytown. But a lot more is going on under the surface!
If you’re so inclined, give it a shot. And don’t hesitate to share my newsletter with your friends. Ask them to read the excerpt and subscribe to my Mailing List. This is the primary way I’ll be able to stay in touch with readers now.
I could go on and on whining about how I hate summer and how my horses are suffering in this oppressive heat, but that won’t change the weather or make me feel better. So, I’m going to leave it here and go back to writing. I have to keep jumping around to escape the wall of grief I know will hit me if I stand still and let it. Bear with me. We all deal with loss and grief in our own way. Mostly I want to slug the absolute snot out of someone I dislike, but my lawyer tells me that isn’t a smart move. I will just keep jumping around.
Give the pages a read, please, and let me know what you think. Always be honest. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
Here’s a tune for you from Hank Williams. “Mississippi Mud.” The older I get the more I appreciate some of the old heroes of the country world.
Adieu from Carolyn and the Critters!
