Monday, January 5, 2015

Pulling My Head Out of the Snow....

Not really.

It's too darned cold out there to touch the snow.

I goofed off right through the weekend, so here I am with a rush post before heading for the grocery store to restock the pantry and fridge.

As I may have mentioned, my knee replacement surgery has been rescheduled to April 6th, so I'm celebrating the first quarter of 2015 with a great lineup of guest bloggers, most of them mystery or thriller writers. This is going to be so much fun.

If you scroll down and look at the guest schedule in the right sidebar, you'll see a lot of new names and a couple of multi-published authors. Introducing a debut mystery writer is always fun, so we have a few of those as well.

I won't be able to participate in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this year. It will be the first time I've bailed out since the challenge began. Even if I could write and schedule the posts in advance, I won't be online enough to visit anyone else's blog. Missing A to Z was not in my original plan, but I must go with the change and make the best of it. I'd still rather wait for my surgeon's wrist injury to heal than schedule with a new doctor.

Other than that, I'm focused on finishing and submitting manuscripts, self-publishing a small project, continuing my co-editor gig with the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers blog, and figuring out how to promote books when hobbling around to bookstores to do signings is not an option.

Please join me on Thursday to welcome author Darden North. You can learn a little about Dr. North and his novels at his website.

14 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Bummer you'll miss the Challenge, but your health and sanity are more important.
We had severe thunderstorms and mid-seventy degree weather yesterday. Trade you.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Sounds like you've got a good plan in place. Hang in there and stay warm! Yikes!

Sarah Foster said...

Too bad you'll miss the challenge, but it's better to take it easy!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I skipped the Challenge last year because I knew it just wouldn't be possible.

Donna Volkenannt said...

Hope your surgery is a success and you're back on your feet in no time.

Patricia Stoltey said...

No trade, Alex. We retired from Florida to Colorado because we like change of seasons (just not quite this cold....).

Hi Madeline, now if I can just stick to the plan. :D

I do hate missing the challenge for the first time, Sarah. I'll jump back in next year though.

I guess we can't do everything, Diane, even though we try our best to be superwomen.

That's what I'm hoping, too, Donna. I'm tired of hobbling around with this dumb old cane.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Pretty picture but it does look cold. You really won't feel like doing A to Z after getting your knee done. And you're not supposed to sit for long periods anyway.
I'm really looking forward to being one of your guests.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Susan, I'm definitely not making any big plans for April or May...except to focus on pain control and rehab. I do have a lovely supply of books on hand in case I feel like doing a little reading, though.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year, Pat! Stay warm and safe. I wish you well getting ready for your surgery. In the meantime, looking forward to your guests.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Pat - the weather sounds beautiful but terrible .. lovely to look at, then the challenges kick in .. but sure hope you can raise your head above the snowy parapet.

Trusting and waiting for your surgeon seems the right thing ... but sorry you'll miss the A-Z - still some good reading material (without the need to comment) might be a bonus!

Good luck with preparations for the guest posts and then the Spring before April 6th ... cheers Hilary

Eileen Goudge said...

Hang in there, Pat. Spring will come and with surgery you'll have the spring back in your step. I'm currently experiencing some neck and lower back issues, so I can relate to what you're going through. Cheers to the new year and new you.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Happy New Year, Margot. I'm planning on it being a good one.

Hilary -- and then the downslope winds came, the temperature jumped more than 40 degrees, and the snow started to shrink. Another day, and it might all be gone.

Karen, I already put it off way too long. Now it's what I need to do so I can get back out on our wonderful walking trails.

Happy New Year, Eileen. Neck and lower back issues plague writers a lot. I guess our bodies weren't made to spend so much time hunched over the keyboard.

JazzFeathers said...

Hi Patricia :-)

I've just found you on the A to Z blog and I liked one of your comments there, so I've headed over here to see what you are up to.
I lot, I'd say ;-)

I wish all the best with your surgery, though I'm sad to hear you won't do the challange. This will be my first year and I'll tell you the truth, I'm already freaked out that I won't be able to do it. But I'll try anyway.

I don't write thriller and mystery, but I enjoy reading the genre. You're plans for the next few months sounds fun :-)

Patricia Stoltey said...

Greetings, Sarah! Thanks for stopping by. I'm very disappointed to have to sit this one out. Hopefully I'll be able to spend a little time visiting some blogs before the challenge is over.

If you read the genre, you might just find a few new authors this quarter with my guest lineup.