6/23/25 It's An Author's Life

Happy Summer Solstice. Unless you live in the mountains, the summer heat has arrived. At least it has here in Oklahoma. I haven’t even opened the window blinds in a week, and I’m a person who loves to let the natural light in. However, this time of year, it’s better to keep them closed to help keep the house cool.

I live in a brick 1950s Craftsman home with original windows. So, the brick retains the cool of the night to help keep it cooler for a while in the morning, but also the heat of the day, so by 9 or 10, for a little while at least, it feels warmer than it had all day. I don’t have central air, so anything I can do to help the window a/c units work less hard, I’ll do what I can to help. 

I am hooked on The Traitors, which is streaming on Peacock. I’ve watched all three seasons of both the US and UK versions, two seasons of the Australian offering, and have started the New Zealand one. Each version has its own host, and while they are similar in some ways, I prefer the US and UK versions. I think that these two hosts are dramatic in their own right. I may have said before that these contestants are cutthroat and so deceiving, it’s great to watch for me as an author since my current WIP is titled Deceitful Promises. Deception is the name of the game in The Traitors, and when it backfires, you may lose all the money in the end. 

The past two Sundays have marked the return of two of my favorite programs: The Chosen on Prime and The Gilded Age on Max (HBO). As for The Chosen, it is Season 5, and they have called this season The Last Supper. I was tearful at the end of the first episode, and I have a feeling this season is going to require lots of tissue. 

The Gilded Age, for those who don’t know, takes place in New York City during the 1880s. It’s all about the robber barons and new money vs. old money, i.e., the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers. This season delves into the effects of divorce for women in society, women’s suffrage, servants moving up in their status and becoming more than just a servant, and mothers bargaining their daughters to English aristocrats for titles. It’s a prelude to Downton Abbey, and there might even be a reference to a younger version of one of the Downton characters. Julian Fellows is marvelous when it comes to writing these historical dramas, as many of you who are Downton lovers know. 

That’s it for now. Have a great week! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I haven’t bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, others’ lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

May your ereader or bookshelf overflow with great books to read!

Maxine