There’s not much to roundup this weekend. We mostly stayed home and kept things quiet for Maggie. So here’s the boring highlights:

–The day before the surgery, Maggie got worse. Like a little scary-to-me worse. So while while it’s not fun to watch her frustration at the cone, or annoyance at being limited, we’re very grateful she came through to surgery so well and is recovering.

–Through a fluke of events, we had 10 cans of food for Maggie that we now can’t use. Wizard took them to the animal shelter, and they were so grateful, we now want to buy extra just to take to them. Somehow we got out of the habit of donating to them. We are big believers in animal shelters. I like rescues too but animal shelters are often front line and help more animals that a lot of the public realizes.

–Maggie ran in her kennel at bedtime the first night home, but her hard plastic cone makes a terrible noise against the side of the kennels and scared her. So she slept in her bed on the floor in our room. She stayed quiet and calm where we put her so that’s fine…but will she ever go back to sleeping in her kennel??? I hope so, but right now, this is the best thing for her to stay calm and feel safe.

–BLB and daughter-in-law came by yesterday. Daughter-in-law is the one who works at the vet and Maggie ADORES her. So after surgery, they keep the dogs in a kennel for recovery. Maggie didn’t care when anyone came in that room, but when daughter-in-law came in she cried and freaked out with her “I know you and love you” cries. Seriously Maggie LOVES her. Maggie was all over her when they came over. She loves BLB too. We truly appreciate how lucky we are to have a family member working at our vet’s office, and that Maggie adores her.

–Fun fact: I was taking Maggie on a “banned” small walk around the corner right when BLB and daughter-in-law drove up. I was quite literally busted doing the thing I’d been told not to do   But daughter-in-law understood that Maggie is used to a lot of activity and struggling with the typical (not serious) post surgery issues, and I thought a walk to the corner and back might help. And it did It also helped her just seeing more people she loved. After that, she ate really well and rested.

–I worked and reworked a scene. it’s not great progress, but all things considered, I’ll take it.

That’s it for me, how was your weekend?

TGIF! Let’s get right to sharing five random things about our week:

1. For anyone who didn’t see it on my FB pages, Maggie did great during surgery. She had 3 huge stones. Maggie is tough, she never lets pain stop her, but this…it’s kind of scary that she could hide it. However, now we have a treatment plan to monitor her going forward so she hopefully won’t have to go through this again and that makes me feel better. If Maggie’s doing well enough tomorrow, she’ll be able to come home.
2. I didn’t even try to write yesterday. I’ve been doing a bunch of other writing related stuff this week so I’ve been productive at least.
3. I made oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies yesterday. Tried a recipe I found online…I feel like I wasted my chocolate chunks The cookies aren’t bad, just not what I wanted. I think I’ll survive the disappointment, LOL.
4. Covid has hit one of our extended family and the situation is not good. We just feel helpless like everyone else in the world. I don’t know if there’s anyone left who hasn’t been affected by this virus.
5. Rain is expected tonight and it’s supposed to be a big-for-us storm.  We didn’t make any plans this weekend, figuring it’s best to just stay home and take care of Maggie. If one of the kids stops by, that’s fine, but we don’t want to to anywhere and leave her alone at all for a few days or longer depending on how she does.

So that’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours!

So this weekend took an a turn I could have done without. Maggie had what I hoped was just a bladder infection. Friday afternoon, I took her to the vet where my daughter-in-law works.  In my state and probably elsewhere, Covid restrictions require humans to stay in the cars, only pets go into the office. My daughter-in-law came out to get Maggie, and secure my permission to take urine, which involves an ultrasound and a needle. After that she and Maggie went inside. A half hour later the doctor called me. While doing the ultrasound on Maggie, they found two significant spots in her bladder that could be stones (not good) or masses (really bad). She asked to do an x-ray and blood work.

I want to say I was shocked, but I wasn’t. I’d hoped I was over-reacting, but we’d known something was going on with Maggie for a while. The problem was we couldn’t pinpoint it until last week when her symptoms showed and then quickly progressed.

Anyway, my daughter-in-law came out to get my signature and talk to me. First, she did NOT pretend all is well. Guys, I love her for that alone. It’s okay to be worried and scared as long as we’re not panicking. I wanted to make sure I was processing information correctly, because no matter how this turned out, I would have to make decisions and they needed to make the right ones for Maggie. My daughter-in-law kept me focused on dealing with each step, answered questions that she could (she’s not a vet, and never oversteps that line which is another reason I respect her), and gave me a timeline for the next couple hours. I do much better with clear information than any kind of vague assurances. And the best part is I knew she was in there with Maggie.

In the meantime, I called Wizard. He was upset for Maggie, and waiting too. I think I talked to him more on the phone in those three hours I waited at the vet’s office than in the past couple months An hour and a half later the vet called. Maggie has two large stones in her bladder. She needs surgery and the soonest they can get her in is this Thursday. We booked it. How this dog has been functioning like her happy little self for this long is a mystery. Maggie is a tough little girl I’m sure I should have realized sooner, but I didn’t. Beating myself up over that won’t help Maggie now, so I’m not going down that road.

To add to our fun, the next day, one of Maggie’s labs came back and sure enough she also has an infection (UTI) so…my girl likes to multitask.

Maggie’s home now, she’s on some meds to help clear up the infection and get her through until Thursday. So far she’s tolerating the meds, and believe it or not, eating. Urinating is a struggle, but she’s coping. She never cries, no matter how awful it looks when she’s trying to void her bladder. I have a copy of the x-ray, and trust me, these are  two very large stones. Wizard and I are are aware of the risks, but we are confident surgery really is the best and only option for her. Once that’s done, we’ll have to change her diet, but we’ll tackle it all one day at a time. Because we love her.

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

TGIF! It’s been another week that feels long and short at the same time. Let’s jump into sharing five random things about our week.

1. This week, I was in the kitchen doing something, when I realized I heard Eli and Savi talking. Obviously this was in my head, but it was the clearest I’ve heard character voices since my tinnitus started a few years ago. That was a high.
2. The low has been trying to make the scenes work. The dialogue is okay, it’s everything else like world building that has to be right. I looked like this yesterday afternoon
3. Maggie has been telling me for a week there was something in our hill. The other day, she found it. It was hilarious to watch her stalk, pounce, and bury her head up to her neck in the ground cover trying to get this thing. I hoped it wasn’t a snake. It wasn’t–it was a rat. Ugh. Maggie flushed it out and chased it away. We’re at the base of the Cleveland National Forest so we get critters.
4. We might have some rain in the forecast and we need it.
5. I take Maggie on two walks most days, but otherwise, I’m in the house too much. I really need to get out and see more people. As it turns out, I’m not all hermit and I miss being with people. I really miss seeing other writers too. I’m probably not alone feeling like this.

That’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours! Hope everyone has a:

When my debut book DATING CAN BE MURDER came out, the publication Kirkus reviewed it. If you want to see my first lesson in humility as an author, go read it here. I was crushed. I’d struggled for eight long years and had collected countless rejections on several manuscripts to get that very first contract, then waited yet another year to see it in print. I’d poured my heart and meager skills into that book, and someone was…gasp…mean.

Welcome to life as an author and artist. The reality is this: While we’re writing and polishing the book, it’s ours to love and protect. But the instant we publish it, our book changes from being our “beloved passion project” into a “product” for the consumer to judge.  It takes time and practice to learn how to handle this. But here’s some of my thoughts that I hope will help:

A few bad reviews won’t destroy your sales or career.  My print run of DATING CAN BE MURDER sold out, the publisher did a second print run and the series continued until the publisher moved me into romance. By allowing that Kirkus review to upset me for an entire day, I gave it much more weight than it deserved.

Reviews are important but they are for readers not the author: Reviews really help books get noticed, but the actual reviews are meant to give readers an idea if the book is for them. Bad reviews tend to highlight “triggers” for readers. Maybe they are offended by graphic sex or swear words in a book and gave the book a one star review based on that. Or they loathe secret baby tropes, or some other device in your book. It could be anything. We all have different tastes and reactions to the same books and movies. The point is, the reviews are meant to tell other readers what to expect. The author already knows what’s in the book.

Yes, the bad review will turn some readers away but that can be a good thing. You want the right readers to find your books. The readers that love it so much, they talk about it everywhere; to their neighbors, their pharmacist, their mother-in-law and most definitely, online. Those readers are pure gold, and they are the ones who will help your career grow the most. You don’t want more readers bad-mouthing your book. There’s real danger in accidently drawing a lot of readers who don’t like the type of book you wrote. A few bad reviews can warn off those readers who, in huge numbers, can cause real damage.

As a reader, I read and buy books from bad reviews. When I’m browsing for books, I check out one and two star reviews. Why? Because the very thing they hate is often the thing I love in a book. Woman in jeopardy with a protective hero that annoys some readers? I’ll buy it! Too sexy? Just what I’m looking for! A bad review is often more specific than a raving review, and helps me zero in on what I want to read. So not only can bad review warn off some readers, they can gain you readers who want to read the story you wrote.

Never Respond to a Bad Review. The temptation is great, but resist the urge to correct or lash out. Reviewers sometimes get details wrong, but it does not help your sales or reputation to correct them. Responding can cause way more damage to your career than anything the reviewer said. I’ve seen flame wars break out, the author’s name get smeared, and in a few cases, authors were stalked by trolls who posted bad reviews on every book. Don’t respond, it’s not worth the potential problems. If there really is some issue you think must be addressed, politely contact that platform that posted the review.

Don’t let a bad review on your book define you. No review deserves that power. You decide who you are, and demonstrate it by your choices and actions. No review can do that, so don’t let a review ruin your day. If you want to gripe to your spouse or friends for a few minutes, have at it. I’ve done that too. Then let it go and write your next book.

Since my Kirkus review in 2001, I’ve written twenty-five more books, won awards, hit the USA Today Bestseller List, various other lists. I’m living proof a bad review doesn’t destroy your career.

It’s so hot here, it’s hard to believe its January. Yesterday morning when Maggie and I were walking about 7am, the bunnies were out playing. Everyone is confused. Meanwhile, other parts of the country are getting slammed with cold and storms.

My weekend was good. Saturday I got a ton of stuff done which included writing pages, and I made these cookies for Turbo:

Sunday we went to visit Turbo. He loved the cookies, of course. So does Wizard, but I can’t limit him to one like I do Turbo

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

TGIF! It’s a crazy world, but some things remain the same like sharing five random things about our week. I’ll go first:

1. Don’t be jealous, but yesterday I went to Target with a mental list, meaning I was too lazy to write it down. But guess what? I remember everything on my list. Impressive, am I right?
2. After two weeks of nonstop whining from Wizard, I broke down and made dark chocolate almond clusters with sea salt. And I made him his favorite taquitos for dinner last night too. I’m inspired by how hard he’s trying to give me space to work lately.
3. I’m hoping that Covid will be better and Wizard and I can go to the NINC conference in in the fall. It’s in St. Pete’s Florida, and I’ve loved it the the two times I’ve gone.
4. I’m writing. It’s a mess, but eventually, the magic will happen and a book will start to emerge. Eli and Savi, and Ram and Ginny’s stories are running around in my head, making me dizzy as I try to get them all to line up in an orderly format. It’s probably a lot like putting a bunch of cranky toddlers juiced up on Twinkies and Ding Dongs in a room with feral cats, set off the fire alarm and sprinkles and then expect them to write a book that’s readable.
5. I’m going to try to see Turbo this weekend if possible. I have some store bought break and bake sugar cookies in my fridge that I never used. So I bought mini M&Ms and plan figure out how to get the most M&Ms possible in a cookie, bake it and then take it to Turbo. I take my job of spoiling him very seriously I have no idea why his parents are so tolerant of me doing this stuff but I’m grateful.

That’s my five things, now I’d love to hear yours. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy and peaceful weekend!