May 2023 Newsletter

Oh, the merry, merry month of May! One month till my book releases! Yippee!! I’m not one to throw around words like “yippee” unless I’m over-the-top excited. So, you get it…right?

This month I’ve got lots on my calendar. I’ll be recording the Charlotte Readers Podcast at 10 a.m. on May 4. This terrific podcast aired an essay I wrote, “The Most Important Tool in a Writer’s Arsenal.” You can access it here. I’ll be on the Authors on the Air podcast May 24, so be watching my social media for a link. And I was on the Best of Women’s Fiction on April 8. You can access that podcast here. It was so much fun!

But first, Mother’s Day.

I’m so blessed to have the mother I have. She’s been my biggest cheerleader, greatest encourager, best role model, finest teacher, and most fun adventure partner. So what do you get for someone like that? How do you show your appreciation for someone who’s shown up for you every day of your life? Excellent question!

Can you keep a secret? (Mom, stop reading right now!!!)

I’ve found her the perfect gift. (Mom, I mean it. Shut this newsletter! Now!)

I got her a…Well, darn. She’s wonderful but you can’t trust her all the time. It’s okay, Mom. I understand. I would read on too.

I’ll show you what I gave her in next month’s newsletter. In the meantime, here are some ideas for you to give your Mom…

Ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts

 

• • A hand-written letter. We just don’t get enough of these anymore. I’m so grateful for the letters I’ve saved. I’m so sad for the ones I didn’t. I’m going to try to write more letters to the people I love. I’ll bet there’s not a mother out there who wouldn’t appreciate a note from her child. I subscribe to Letters of Note and I love it! Here’s a link to some special letters written by mothers and to mothers.

• • Along the same line…Write your children letters for Mother’s Day. There’s nobody stopping you from giving your own gift to the ones who made you a mother.

• • If you’re thinking, “Ugh. I hate to write,” then give photos. Have you seen these Mixtiles? You send your pictures in and they come back framed and ready to hang. They’re super easy to move around and make for a fantastic collage wall. My daughter-in-law has them going up their stairway, and they look terrific.

• • I told my husband and sons once that if they couldn’t think of anything to give me, I always liked yummy bath products. It was amazing how quickly I started accumulating bath salts, bath bubbles, bath pillows, candles to put by my bath, bath…You get the picture. But, it’s true–I love me a good bath product. My favorite right now is this Eucalyptus-Spearmint Bath Salt. Moms always need relaxation-enhancing goods!

• • A gift of service. I can’t think of any mother who wouldn’t appreciate some help. I’d love for my sons to give me a coupon entitling me to free tech help with my next computer adventure (and by adventure I mean “Help because I can’t figure this out and I’m about to curse.” Do your mom a favor, help her out with something she doesn’t like to ask you to help her with. (I don’t think that last sentence is my best writing work, but I hope you get the idea.)

Here’s what I just finished reading

I’m on a really good reading streak. Everything I pick up is GOLD. One of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this year is Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. Come to think of it, it would make a great Mother’s Day present!

Hello Beautiful is about a family. And love. And loyalty. So much. The power of secrets, how love can transform a person, mental health, relationships. Gosh. I can’t gush enough about this book. Here’s the line that hooked me when I was reading about it: “An exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic, Little Women, Hello Beautiful is a profoundly moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.” And that’s not hyperbole.

These books would make great gifts too. I love both of them…

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano. This book is hilarious. I laughed out loud and read lines to my husband, who also laughed out loud. Well, he kind of chuckled, which is big considering he was trying to fall asleep. Anyway. The book. It’s about a woman who buys a beach house without seeing it in person first. You can imagine.

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland. I didn’t know about this tragedy that was considered the worst in our country’s young life–a fire that killed seventy-two theater-goers in Richmond, VA, in 1811. Beanland chooses to tell the story from the viewpoint of four very different people, and it weaves together seamlessly and powerfully.

So, see ya on the www

That’s it for this month. But, be sure to keep up with my daily adventures on social media. Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace comes out in 48 days and I’ll keep you updated on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I’ve got a Pinterest page about the book that’s fun too! You can preorder the Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace here.

Feel free to share this newsletter or my website with absolutely anyone. Hmmm. Do I mean that? You wouldn’t share it with a mass murderer or an evil dictator would you? You don’t actually know any murderers or dictators, do you? Just in case…Please share with absolutely anyone else.

And feel free to drop me a line. I love hearing from readers and I’ll answer almost any question!recording