Summer starts on the homestead
June is Father’s Day, summer vacations, weddings, beach trips, and the warmth returning to life. F&S took the CBWs to visit the mermaids at Newport Aquarium, and Violet came back liking sharks?
The garden is planted, growing, and doing fine; most babies are toddling along on puppy or kitten feet, learning to be alive. Human babies are discovering why we keep shoes on most of the time: bee stings are not nice, and stubbing your toe is painfully nasty. I now have 8 different kinds of Band-Aids in my collection; we just added sharks and mermaids to the alpaca, rainbow, princesses, dogs, bugs, and car ones already in the medical drawer in the kitchen. Dan complains we haven’t got a normal Band-Aid anywhere, so I got some grown-up ones today.
Here on our mini-farm, I am regaining my energy from my recent illness. I saw the last specialist today, and he gave me the green light to slowly start using my arm again to build up my stamina and strength. For two weeks, I could hardly get up out of a chair. I am still unstable walking, but it’s getting better, and my brain fog has lifted. I still completed Craig Martelle’s SIA May writing challenge. I so appreciate folks like Craig, always giving a hand up or some good advice, and taking the time to be kind. May his tribe increase.
I published a book at the end of May about overcoming loneliness, and it will be on special this month. I am working on a new cozy mystery trilogy and a fourth memoir, since they are so well loved.
Our 4-year-old great-grandchild is starting dance classes next week. Penelope is learning to walk. Ember is growing like a fiery-colored, furry dinosaur. She is at that awkward stage: she eats too fast, trips over things, and runs into fences when she starts chasing rabbits. She has brakes, she simply hasn’t learned to use them soon enough. In seven more months, I remind myself, she will be a great dog. Right now, she is a forty-five-pound rocket with no guidance system. She was chasing a cat the other day and ran right into the grill of my car. How do you not see a car?
And so I come to the real purpose of this note: to give you, my readers and friends, first knowledge of the June specials. I hope you enjoy them while lying in the shade with a tall lemonade and some cookies on a lovely summer day. Back porch swings work well, too. Blessings and peace to all.
June 1-7 For the Love of a Child is a 99-cent download to start off the month!
A broken-hearted father builds a zoo to entertain his dying child and leave a legacy of her in the community. It was not his intention for it to become the experimental grounds for a sociopath, just a place for families to gather and bond. If you enjoy zoos, small towns, cozy mysteries, and exciting plot twists, you are going to love this series.
June 8-12 Our just-published new book, I Am Lost in the Air Conditioning: Overcoming Loneliness, is a free download on Amazon for just 5 days!
At this very moment in America, someone is going to bed in tears. Another person sits in a chair, staring blankly at a television screen or scrolling through social media, while their soul longs for genuine connection—a hug or a reassuring touch. Authentic, face-to-face relationships have become rare. Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. Emotional disconnection, isolation, and alienation are pervasive, contributing to physiological illness, depression, anxiety, and despair. With over 25 years of experience as a therapist, I have worked with many individuals who lacked someone to confide in and struggled to find meaningful relationships, leaving their lives at an impasse. I invite you to join me on a journey back to rational living, away from the artificial world many inhabit, and toward a renewed sense of humanity and well-being. This transformation will not occur overnight; it will unfold at your own pace and only if you are committed to making a change for your own benefit. As a Christian therapist, I have written this self-help book as a fifty-day devotional, drawing openly from Scripture and the wisdom of those who have endured significant challenges. I am confident that He can help you, and I believe you can help yourself as well. Prepare yourself for the journey ahead. The path may appear long and difficult, but ultimately, you will find a peaceful meadow filled with wildflowers and gentle breezes—a place to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. Most importantly, you will not be alone.
I Am Lost in the Air Conditioning: Overcoming Loneliness
June 14-21, The Multifaceted Mind will be a 99-cent download for one week.
Allyson the gatekeeper, was a high-functioning multiple personality raised in a loving home by professionals. Her various egos had their part in the family firm, from accountant to detective, from gardener to infant, from martial arts master to shy nerd; so many voices speaking at once with the gatekeeper to get their time in the sun. When a co-worker is found murdered in her garden, Allyson must find a way to clear one of her fractured egos of a murder charge. If you want to move beyond creepy mystery and into the just plain weird-out odd but possible tale, you have to get the Multifaceted Mind!
June 21-28 For only 1 week, Poison People: How a Christian Copes with Toxicity will be a 99-cent download on Amazon.
Master the art of identifying and deflecting the energy vampires in your life. There was a reason Christ called them snakes, whited sepulchers, and hypocrites; through the centuries, they have only gotten worse. From the Queen Bees to the Liars, the Imposters and the Con men, this book shows you simple ways to disentangle yourself from their clutches before they do you real harm. Arm yourself against manipulators with expert insights from a seasoned LISW-S. Shield your life from the toxic takers and reclaim your confidence with ‘Poison People.’
And to complete the month right, June 29-July 5 Quilting Can Be Criminal will be a Free download on Amazon
Between the FBI, Homeland, and the crime wave, will Brad and Casey break the quilt puzzle before the town and their wedding go up in flames?
And that’s it. Love to hear from you: drop me a line and have a great and glorious week; see you all under the imagination tree.