Dear Friends and Readers,
We’ve had our first official “cool day” on Oct. 17. I went to my 55th class reunion in Lucedale. About 30 of my classmates attended. I snapped candid photos, which was a good opportunity to talk to everyone there. We are getting a little long in the tooth! But it was a good gathering, and I thank Pauline Tanner and her co-workers for pulling this together for everyone to enjoy.
Class of 1979. George County High School in Lucedale, MS.
October is the month between summer and colder weather. These were the days I so loved riding my horse in the woods. That time has past, but the memories are vividly with me. It’s so odd to grab that memory and realize that I’m now 73. Who knew it would happen to me too? Ha ha ha.
The very last Sarah Booth Delaney mystery book went on sale on Oct. 27. JOY TO THE BONES. I did a fun book signing at the Haunted Book Shop last weekend — Loads of fun! I also have an online event today at In the Pages with Heather and Shawn on Facebook. It should be fun. It starts at 6 p.m. CDT and it lasts for an hour, so feel free to drop in. It’s all online – so be sure and join the group today. Would love for you to say hello to me.
And I have a signing on Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. for a Lunch and Learn at the Columbus, MS library hosted by the Friends of the Library and Friendly City Books. I have a special guest! Blinda Doty will be sitting with me (the book is dedicated to her) and she will sign for anyone who asks. Blinda is a Mississippi woman who could easily have been Sarah Booth!
I’m having a very good time writing the supernatural thriller with Daryl Marcus. It’s been such an interesting process. I’m an intuitive writer and Daryl is an excellent planner. We have the best conversations. And thanks to some of the feedback you guys sent us, we are reworking the opening of the book to shift the focus a little. Every book comes with its own set of joys and problems. This one is no exception. And I am learning so much!
October is the month for burning leaves and football played with the neighborhood kids. We had a lot of neighbors growing up and we all played football or softball in our yard. My cousins Johnny Goff and Mike Nyman would come play, along with Mitchell Mixon who is now sheriff of George County. We played hard and had so many good times.
The cool weather has finally given my horses some relief from the hideous heat. We did have a 90+ degree day last week, but the future looks so much better for my horses. Flicker has Cushing’s Disease and both horses are insulin resistant. But the worst was that this summer was so horrifically hot they quit sweating. That, my friends, is a nightmare. I bought misters and fans and went down to the barn every hour of every day to hose the horses to try to help them. My friend Eileen helped me body clip both horses—I had never had to do that before. That helped a lot. And I had acupuncture sessions for Flicker to try to help. But the bottom line is that when a horse can’t sweat, it has to rely on the respiratory system to cool them. We had 12 weeks of 90+ temperatures. It was horrific.
What makes me sad is how we have destroyed every living creature’s ability to have a natural life. My horses would pack it up about May and head north—if they could migrate like god intended. They would be up in Canada for the summers and come home for the winter. I wish I could give them that, but I can’t. We have created a totally artificial world for the animals in our care—and also for our children. There is going to be a hard price to pay for this in the future. I sincerely believe my horses are victims of poisoned feed. Not poison like arsenic but poisoned with herbicides and chemicals. My niece’s two horses also have Cushings Disease. That’s just too many horses in proximity to each other but who have nothing in common except the food they eat. And of course, I am not a scientist or researcher—this is just my opinion. Prove me wrong—please! (I do have some wacky theories.)
Casper is on a walk with the dangling bone hands in my driveway for Halloween.
Please remember to leave reviews for all the books you read. Publishing is changing drastically now, with the threat of AI-written books hanging over “real” writers and discerning readers. Publishers are dropping the mass market paperback format, going with the more expensive trade size. Yes, it is easier to read, but young people don’t have vision issues like us Boomers. They liked the cheaper mass market books. And every review you leave is solid gold for a writer. Please take the time—and thank you from all the writers I know.
I’m looking forward to Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday. If I do something fun, I’ll post photos. Even if it is illegal! Enjoy the great fall weather. Rake some leaves. Toss a football. Have some fun. Time really does move too swiftly!
Here’s a song for the season– Click me: Monster Mash
Adios from Carolyn and the Critters!
Carolyn signing a copy of Joy to the Bones
Dear Readers,
Just a quick note to let you know that in case you missed it, Carolyn released the FINAL book in the Sarah Booth Delaney cozy mystery series a few days ago. Joy to the Bones. Please do check it out, tell your friends about it, gift it for Christmas, borrow it from the library, stream it on audio, or read the e-book version of it. Or bonus, you can contact me and I can get you an autographed edition. I can ask Carolyn to sign it any way you like too. A personal inscription sounds quite spectacular, doesn’t it? If you go this route, every penny will be donated to the Good Fortune Farm Refuge. Just contact me at KaliOkaPress@gmail.com and in the subject line, write “Joy to the Bones” and I will write you back. This book will conclude this epic series, so this is a big deal. Happy Halloween everyone!
Trick or treat,
Priya