Something Old, Something New—Something FREE!

Everyone loves something free—or at least I hope so. My web page was redesigned several weeks ago, with an eye to making it fresh. But recently I realized that some of the content was out of date. My webmaster, a wonderful woman named Lisa (I love her email because it begins with TabbyCat), suggested that old news wasn’t always bad because it shows readers what I’ve been doing. You judge.

But we added two features that I am wildly enthusiastic about: a list of free offerings. I hadn’t realized it until Lisa organized the material, but I offer no less than five either complete short stories or excerpts of novels. So please—download, read to your heart’s content, and maybe you’ll like my historical work or my mysteries or both. The whole idea, dear reader, is to connect with you

And there’s another addition—a list of what’s to come. I may enlarge it with descriptions of the work in progress, but for now I want you to know that I am writing again, after almost a year of very little activity.

On the web page you can read about recent—and not so recent—activities, subscribe to my “only occasional” newsletter, follow my Tweets, check the blog, and read about me and my work. I’d love comments, suggestions, things you’d like to see on the page. Check it out at http://judyalter.com .

What it doesn’t say is that today I’m proofreading, one more time, the second Blue Plate Café Mystery, Murder at the Tremont House. I’ll post It to a site that provides digital books to such platforms as Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo and others, some I’d never heard of. And then I’ll be able to say all my mysteries and most of my historical work is (are?) available in digital form. It’s a project that kept being put on the back burner, but this week I moved it forward. Believe me, when it’s done, I’ll crow about it.

And while I’m sharing secrets about my writing life, here’s another: novelist Susan Wittig Albert published a year-long journal, An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days, and when she mentioned it on a list today I had a thought: I should write a memoir of my recent year-long journey through debilitating pain, surgery, and now recovery. Separate friends have said to me on a few occasions, “You’re back. I’m so glad.” I really didn’t realize I’d been away, but in retrospect I know I did some things and made some decisions that weren’t me. I did blog fairly consistently during that period, and I may mine that material for a memoir. Interested?

You know how I know I’m back? I’m writing again, I’m cooking, and I’m wearing makeup. What more does one need to know.

I invite you to my revised web page: http://judyalter.com

One of those days

Is there a spot on the moon today? Or does the calendar know it’s the 13^th but think it’s Friday? Either way, my luck has changed. Woke up from an afternoon nap feeling sort of blue, and the evening at my desk has done nothing to improve that mood.

I set out to find the files of some novels I had starts on, rough notes, maybe 1000 words of a first draft. There should be two of them, but I cannot find them. It may be that my computer in its wisdom has decided they should be abandoned and has swallowed them. It’s probably the best fate for them, but before I start something new, I wanted to check.

Today I digitized two books, and one was rejected. I had to go back and correct the way my name was displayed. And I burned myself out this morning trying to collect tax information for my accountant. I don’t think I’ll ever finish, and it’s frustrating because it keeps me from creative work.

My publicist wrote with a note that a blog post was due today. But I’d never heard of this blog and hadn’t even begun to think about a topic on the book requested. I don’t do spur-of-the-moment well, so I will lie in bed tonight and think on it. It’s a romance blog—yes, there’s a bit of romance in Murder at Peacock Mansion, but it isn’t front and center by any means.

And then friends came for happy hour. The wife reminded me that we were having lunch with a third friend Friday—oops, my mentor is scheduled to bring lunch Friday. I’ve double-booked myself. You’d think I had a galloping social life but it’s simply not true.

I learned from the physical therapist today that I am classified as homebound—she was taken aback that I have several outings planned this week. I’ve been homebound or mostly so since early fall. Now that I have little or no pain, I’m anxious to get out. In fact, a friend is taking me to a breakfast group in the morning, and my mouth is set for biscuits and gravy. I lost twenty lbs. on this journey, and I can allow myself such indulgences.

With visions of biscuits and gravy, I’m going to pack it up and spend the rest of the evening reading. I’m still enjoying Jenn McKinley’s Hat Shop Mysteries. It does, however, seem like a very long evening ahead, and I don’t want to go to bed early because I’ll not sleep at 4 a.m.if I do that.

Let’s see—I can’t think of anything else to whine about, so I’ll quit. A bit of belly-aching is good for the soul. Thanks for listening. Tomorrow will be a better day. Blessings and sleep tight.