Home

rain, cool, temps 15

HOME! Oh, does this feel wonderful. Everything is emerald green and young and fresh and achingly beautiful. And home, home, home.

It feels like such a long time away...and sorry I couldn't blog sooner, but very glad not to have taken the laptop along...so busy anyway.

Love that it's raining here, and I don't care. Indeed, want to lay a fire, and lie in front of it this afternoon, reading and relaxing, drinking tea and snoozing. Plan to take next couple of days away from writing to get caught up. Loads of emailing and mailing of books and other things. Feels like a mountain. You know what it's like - getting back to work after time away. Still, one thing at a time and it all gets done.

Had a blast in Pittsburgh, and the road trip with Marcia Talley, Elaine Viets, Rhys Bowen, Mary Jane Maffini and GM Maillet. We laughed and laughed. And I got a chance to listen to Elaine and Marcia (whose car I was in for about 10 hours or more) talk about their experiences as mystery writers, and the community. Hilarious at times, but also very informative.

And had more great news...THE CRUELEST MONTH has been shortlisted for a Macavity Awards, which will be given out at Bouchercon in october. It's up for Best Novel. GM's book, DEATH OF A COZY WRITER is up for Best First. And Rhys Bowen's A ROYAL PAIN is up for Best Historical. Very fun...and fun to be with that group.

And now I'm going to head off...more correspondence and interviews to do. Before breakfast, after walking Trudy, I went into the cutting garden and got a whole lot of stunning tulips. Will return shortly for daffodils.

What a life. Hectic, buccolic, peaceful and frantic. Wonderful.