Saucy women packing heat blog

12/23/2025 0 Comments

It's October already

When we have to close the pool, I want to cry. It's not that I want to swim all the time, but just seeing the blue of the pool and hear the water moving make me calmer and happy.

I'm looking forward to the holidays. Remember when COVID hit and we were spending more time at home? That year everyone agreed to put up their Christmas lights and decorations way before the holidays because it made people happy. I vote we do that. The sparkly lights delight everyone, much like the water in the pool makes me content.

My husband and I went out to look at Halloween lights. We saw some decorations, but it wasn't the same as when all of the Christmas lights are on display.

When I'm not out looking at lights, I'm working on my computer creating new contact. I have five novels done and that have passed through my critique group with more coming. I want you to know that I am working on getting them ready for publishing.

In the meantime, I am publishing coloring and activity books. I have three Christmas coloring books out this year. One is monochromatic, which is a new, fun genre, and then the other two are fun mandalas and ugly sweaters. I hope you'll check them out and consider getting them as Christmas gifts.

We have no travel plans for November. However, there are more trips on the horizon, especially in 2026. I'm actually getting antsy to get out on the road and especially to try out the new couch we have added where the dinette used to be.
It is November, which means trying to write a 50,000-word book during the month. I know I won't make that goal, but I'm going to get three novellas written during November.

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11/2/2025 1 Comment

November 02nd, 2025

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11/2/2025 0 Comments

When bullied, persevere.

OMG. It's October, with pumpkin spice, hayrides, apple picking (up north) and Halloween decorations everywhere. Have you seen the enormous skeletons?

Welcome to my website. If you haven't been here before, welcome. If you have, welcome back.

I've been working on a bunch of projects since returning from Hawaii and with no trips planned for the next few months, I'm buckling down to get them done.

I have three new coloring books. The first one is a mini coloring book (think bold and easy) for Hawaii. The second one is the same type for Maine. The third is a new type of book, where it's all black and white. You fill in the black where you want it and the image comes out looking like a silhouette. It's pretty cool. Here's a link to it. It's called a monochrome coloring book.

It's been a busy month with a lot of stress, but I've come out the other side and am ready for what the fall brings. I also have a book to deal with the stress of being bullied. It's a reoccurring theme in my life and this time, I'm doing something about it. Watch for a fun, therapeutic way deal with your anxiety.

If you like cozy mysteries, I've been working on a series. None of the books have been released, but I've added that to my to-do list. Just know that they take place on an island off the coast of Maine and my heroine owns her own craft store.

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10/6/2025 0 Comments

Filling up the Stickers on our RV Map

A coconut husk on the beach in Kauai, Hawaii. The water was warm and clear, the sand was fine and burning hot.

I've been doing the "12-week year challenge." And, I stuck to it through our latest trip. This week back has kicked my butt.

We went to Kauai and Oahu, Hawaii for 12 days. There is a 6-hour time difference from South Carolina and that is a lot when coming home.

The trip was amazing. Our friends renewed their wedding vows on the beach. It was a beautiful ceremony at sunset. We spent the whole week driving around Kauai and seeing all of the natural wonders, the beauty, soaking up the sun at the beaches and spending time with friends.

We went to Poi Pu beach, where the turtles come ashore at night. We did a catamaran cruise from Captain Andy's. It was the most fun adventure. We sat in the front of the boat and spent almost the whole time soaked from the water splashing over the bow. I would recommend this trip to see the Napali Coast of Kauai. It was stunningly beautiful.

Did I mention the waterfalls? Just gorgeous. This was a trip that we hadn't planned on taking, but when your best friend says, "We're doing this in Hawaii", you go. Now that we've been to Hawaii and we can't take our RV there, we added the Hawaii stickers to our motorhome map of the places we slept at least one night.

After Kauai, we flew to Oahu to explore the history of the area. It was a city! We stayed at a hotel in Waikiki Beach, but we couldn't see the beach without driving to it. Oahu is beautiful once you get out of the city, which we did. We also went to Pearl Harbor. All of this adventuring has been exciting and fun. We definitely made the most of our time there.

We brainstormed a Choose your own adventure book while we were there. It was all about doing things on the islands that could kill you. "Don't swim at this beach, or you will die."

Now that I'm home, it's time to get back to work. Before we left, I finished by cozy mystery preview and published two books. Procrastibaking finally got published in paperback form. I also published a cute mandala Christmas coloring book.

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9/1/2025 0 Comments

Back to School...in August...Lots of travel

Acadia National Park in the distance.

September was always back to school time, but here in the South, school started August 1. It's like an out of time experience. It's 90 degrees and humid, kids should be at the pool or lake, not in school. I think that's the plan through. If they're in school, then they have air conditioning and can be cool.

I have been working through "The 12-week Year". This book club has been motivational to get things done. It's tiring, especially when you don't meet goals that have been set. I'm moving forward on my work in progress. I've published a few books, including a new cookbook to be used for procrastination. It's called "Procrasti-baking". hehe.

We also traveled to Maine for some lobster, I mean, to hang with friends and family. It was a whirlwind trip. We got to visit Buc-ee's on I-81. It's a new store and man, it was busy. We love the food and the atmosphere. I also bought my first Buc-ee's t-shirt.

The things we planned to do in Maine, we didn't wind up doing. We didn't get to Acadia, or go to Governer's. We did shop at Reny's and Marden's. We ate whoopie pies and had whoopie pie ice cream from Shain's of Maine.

We did go boating and swimming and grilled and caught up with family we hadn't seen for a while.

We are home for a while, but then off on another adventure in a few weeks. Can't wait to tell you about that trip.

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8/2/2025 0 Comments

What I like...

Things I like to learn about and thinks I just like, weather, natural disasters, flamingos, purses and bags, gambling and travel. It's an eclectic mix that I've curated over the years.
If you knew me in middle school, I used to bring in the weather report and write it on the chalkboard in homeroom. It's a bit shocking that I didn't become a meteorologist. Going along with that is a fascination of natural disasters. I hate the havoc it reeks on communities and families, but the awesome power is amazing to watch. I also enjoy a good natural disaster film. The Day After Tomorrow, 2010, Twisters, anything like that you can be sure I've watched a time or two.

Flamingos is a newer thing. I just think they're cute and make me think of summer.

Purses and me go way back. I love a purse with pockets. I hate to spend a ton of money on a bag or burse because, I tend to move on and find something new to carry. I have two large bins of bags that I call "my favorite bags" and "my other favorite bags".

Gambling...the lights, the sounds, the excitement...what more is there to say? Slots are my favorite thing.

Travel. Well, if you've been here for any length of time, you'd know this had to make the list. I love to travel near, far and to many cool and unique places. Be it on a cruise, in a car or in the RV, the excitement of a road trip never loses its luster.

The final thing is that I love to entertain with my writing. I want you to be kept awake a night finishing a few pages or the whole book. I want you to not have to think about a story, but let it linger in your subconscious. If it makes you happy, it makes me happy.

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7/10/2025 0 Comments

June...summer is here

I kind of want to start out each month posting about the weather in South Carolina. Up north in Maine the weather was cool and crisp. Perfect. Now, in SC in June, we are having a string of hazy, hot and humid days, where the best thing to do is stay inside. Or swim in the pool, then run back inside before getting sunburned. But, I'm not sure how many pictures of my pool I can post without making everyone crazy. Soooo.

I went to Maine in May to visit with family, friends and to attend the Maine Romance Writers retreat. It will probably be the final retreat held in May which makes me sad. It was always a great way to celebrate the year before turning the ship over to another captain and to gather with friends we haven't seen all winter because the weather stunk.

They are considering moving it to October, We shall see.

As far as writing goes, I've joined the Maine Summer Challenge. In June I will write 5,000 words and edit my hurricane story. If I meet all of my deadlines, I will get three badges toward the ultimate prize. Which, if you know me, I'm all about the ultimate prize, and to get my books published. I'm now working on my cozy mystery series and putting together an activity book for men about the Civil War. Two more books are almost complete. It will be a busy month.

I also wanted to talk about AI. It's a lightning rod topic, but one I'd like to mention. I was told that I could edit photos in iPhone. I now take out extra people or objects in the way. For some reason, this has blown my mind and excited me. I also can create my own emojis. Holy cow, that's fun. I have created a pirate crab and a flamingo writing on a typewriter. What would you like to see if you could create your own emoji?

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6/3/2025 1 Comment

Connections

May in South Carolina is pretty nice, other than the constant pollen. It's warm enough to swim, my favorite thing, and warm enough to be outside.

May is also great for traveling north. It has been a long winter, but now we pack up and head to Maine. It's a great chance to see family and friends and it's the annual Maine Romance Writers' Retreat. It's a great time with my fellow writers. After traveling for a few years in the RV, road trips are exciting and bring back so many memories.

Every year writers descend to Southern Maine to share stories and wisdom. I think it's the connections with the other writers that sticks with me throughout the year. Everything in the writing community has changed since COVID. We don't have as many writing conferences or meetings, everything has gone online.

I'm working on projects for everyone. I'm editing my cozy mystery so that my friends in my community here in South Carolina can read it. Some of my earlier books are a bit more racy.

There are more low content books coming as well. I hope you'll check them out by searching on Amazon.

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5/3/2025 1 Comment

I'm at it again with travel

I think everyone knows that I like to travel. We spent almost two years living in an RV traveling around the United States. It was a dream. Now that we have a homebase, I still get the itch to travel...frequently.
At the end of March, we boarded a ship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a seven-day cruise to the southern Caribbean. We stopped at a port every day, but one. The culture, the warmth and the blue water made this trip amazing.
It was my mom, my sister, my husband and me on this adventure. We played trivia (we won twice), did beach breaks and soaked up so much history. We went to St. Kitts, where I worked for the University of Medical and Health Sciences remotely during COVID. What a place to attend medical school.
Coming home was tough this time. Too much reality is...too much. I'm back in the saddle again. The weather is great in South Carolina, although every day is a high pollen day. I feel bad for my friends in Maine who are still getting snow. I miss them, but not the snow in April.
As far as projects, I'm still working on my cozy mystery prequel and a book on flowers of the Northeast. I also have a book for creative types and writers with lots of wisdom that will be republished with a facelift.
Finally, four of my books are now available on Audible.com, through Amazon, including my first book Kidnapped. I hope you'll give them a try.
Happy Spring with a small chance of pollen.

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4/18/2025 0 Comments

Two months gone already?

The Stumphouse Tunnel in South Carolina. Never finished, it remains a cool 54 degrees.

Welcome to my website. If you haven't been here before, welcome. If you have, welcome back. I'm not sure what happened in February and the beginning of March, it's like I was sucked into a time warp. I can't even tell you what...no wait. I can tell you what happened. February was the New Jersey Romance Writers 30,000 word challenge. Seriously, I wrote and edited like crazy and basically ignored almost everything else. I reached my goal for the fifth time. And am ready to send my middle grade book out into the world. I'm querying agents this month.

I'm also traveling this month and my daughter is heading to Japan. Yikes.

I realized at an event at our community center, that I'm pretty knowledgeable about cruising. I had a man tell he was going on a cruise and had some questions. Well, I had answers. It felt pretty good to be a know-it-all, and help someone out in the process.

I published four activity type books in January. Wrote 30k in February and March is all about putting myself out there.

I hope ya'll will find some exciting things to do that stretch you outside your comfort zone. (I had to write ya'll a few times and it still looks wrong.) I'm not southern yet.

Have a great month.

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