One holiday season, I was determined to stick to my diet, and using intense willpower, I did just that. But of course you know what happened.

By the time January rolled around, I was craving pumpkin pie or turkey stuffing or ANYTHING holiday-ish! But all the goodies were gone, and the menu was back to normal. Sure, I could have indulged in a bag of M&Ms or a quart of ice cream, but I wanted holiday, and holiday was eleven months away.

Lesson learned. After that, I decided in future holidays to indulge. I would always be able to make up for it at Weight Watchers in January, like everybody else in America.

There’s a metaphor in there somewhere. Something about stopping and smelling the roses, or not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. You decide.

Welcome New Members!

The pre-holiday season is big for craft fairs and harvest festivals, and I have a lot of fun designing the table layout, meeting people and selling books. This is a pic of the Hemet West two-day fair.

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I’m normally an introvert, but while I’m there, something comes over me. For five or six hours, I’m entranced by the crowd. I enjoy meeting them and talking about my books and the writing life. Sometimes I get a bit too enthusiastic. On Saturday, I got teary-eyed, telling one person about the origins of Dakota Blues: my mother’s Dust Bowl childhood on a farm in North Dakota. But it was from the heart, so I think it was okay.

At the fairs, I tend to get a lot of new folks joining my email list. So a big welcome to our new members!

At the Hemet West fair, a very nice woman talked with me about Dr. Christiane Northrup’s book, The Wisdom of Menopause, which I had enjoyed as well. She encouraged me to reread the first seven pages, saying it changed her marriage for the better. Unfortunately, I can’t remember who said this. If you are that woman, would you please reply to this email and tell me if you meant the intro or the actual first chapter? Because both were profound, and I want to blog about it in the near future.

BTW, did you all know there are only three species of mammals on the planet who go through menopause? Humans, an obscure breed of pilot whale, and this:

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Anybody got a Motrin?

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GUEST INTERVIEW with MARIPOSA CRUZ

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Author Mariposa Cruz

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Romance author Mariposa Cruz has a new novella coming out where the main characters are fully adult people looking for a fresh start.

With her marriage and dance studio wiped out by divorce, Becca Collins reluctantly agrees to teach Two Step lessons at a country bar. Carson Quill isn’t thrilled about spending his Saturday nights playing guitar in a local dive, but a certain dance instructor with long legs and dark curls caught his eye. Does love have a shot in a bar called Last Chance?

I was delighted to be able catch up with Mariposa recently. I asked her what inspired her to become a writer.

“I’ve always loved to read, and I’ve been filling notebooks with stories since I was a kid. During high school, my best friend and I collaborated on a story featuring our friends and classic horror movie monsters. We literally passed a notebook back and forth, driving our friends crazy with hints about certain plot twists. We took turns reading the finished story to them at a Christmas party, and I’m happy to report we’re all still friends.”

Who are your favorite romance characters (besides your own?)

“Two of my favorite romance characters are from the first romance I ever read, Bryony Ashley and her lover from Mary Stewart’s Touch Not the Cat. Bryony has a telepathic connection with a man she’s known since childhood. The idea of having a psychic connection with someone, yet not knowing his identity, intrigued me. When Bryony’s father dies unexpectedly, she returns home to learn the truth about his death and discover the man she’s loved all her life.”

Tell me what inspired Lovestruck Two Step.

“I intended to end the Rhythm & Romance series with Wedding Tango, until a dancer friend of mine mentioned her senior club hosts dances with live music. Our conversation got me thinking about a two-man band in a dive bar…”

What is your favorite romantic locale?

“I love the Nā Pali Coast located on the northwest side of Kaua’i, the oldest inhabited Hawaiian island. It’s accessible by an extremely arduous 11-mile hike. For me, the best way to see this gorgeous stretch of unspoiled coastline is by boat, either as a daytime snorkel trip or an evening dinner cruise.”

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?’

“I also write women’s fiction as Susan Winters, and my Create on the Side blog features interviews with folks who balance their creative endeavors with working fulltime. My Mariposa’s Musings blog has interviews with romance authors as well as classic movie reviews.”

Lynne again: I hope you enjoyed learning about a new midlife author. I appreciated Mariposa’s taking the time to share her thoughts with us, and she invited me to be interviewed on Mariposa’s Musings today as well. So I hope you’ll click over there and see my side of the conversation.

ANNOUNCING NEW AUDIOBOOK!

What would you do if you stood to lose everything you’d worked so hard for, all your life? Would you fight? Would you risk everything?

Well, you know Karen.

California Blues is a novella-length look at Karen’s life before she launches into the North Dakota part of her story. The audiobook is narrated by the smooth and upbeat professional narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya.

Just comment below and tell me you want a free audiobook download code.

And the ebook price is reduced! For a short time only, California Blues is available for only $.99. Click here to get your Kindle copy.

Click here to listen to an audio sample of California Blues on Amazon.

And as always, you can find the rest of my novels here.

May you have a blessed and delightful Thanksgiving!