1/26/26 My Author Life

I don’t even know where to begin. What started off as a quiet and usual week of weather turned into a massive snowmageddon storm for most of the country. Here in Oklahoma, the snowstorms are over, but the frigid air is hanging on for a few days. We are blessed not to have had the sleet and freezing rain like so many others. Prayers going out to those who got hit with freezing rain across the southern states. 

My son, Parker, drove over yesterday and shoveled out my driveway. If he hadn’t, it would have taken me a lot longer to get it cleared. My drive is a small hill, and my footing isn’t as sure on snow as it once was. After 15 years in Oklahoma, this Wisconsin girl has lost all sense of how to deal with winter and all that it entails. My hope is to get out today at some point, just to get the TB moving if nothing else. 

School was called off today, so all the kiddos are safe at home, where I’m sure at some point a few might venture out to their backyards. As for Miss M, I know she’ll stay inside and either play games or watch movies on her phone. 

I am looking forward to the warmer temperatures that are on the way for the rest of the week, especially at night, so I can turn all the faucets off in the house. They’ve been “dripping” since late Friday afternoon to prevent the pipes from freezing. 

I think I suffered from brain freeze, not the kind you get from ice cream either, all weekend. I didn’t accomplish any writing or getting my business records in order for my tax appointment this week. However, I’m feeling a bit more with it today, so there’s still hope. 😊 

Well, my friend, it is time for me to start engaging my brain here at Quillcote and get those thinking things done. Stay safe and warm, my friend. 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

01/19/26 It's An Author Life

Amazing, isn’t it, how one little thing can make you forget what day it is? That’s me today. It’s MLK day, and I totally dismissed the fact that it is Monday since there is no school or mail today. So here I am, scrambling to give you a peek into what the last week has been for me. 

Not a whole lot happened this past week, but I’ll give you a quick snapshot. 

Saturday was the month CROW lunch and meeting in OKC. There were 8 of us for lunch at SanMarcos on SW 59^th St., and they were very busy. The food was great, the staff friendly, and the company at the table even better. Once we all filled our bellies, we headed down the block to the Almonte Library for our monthly meeting. Fellow CROW member, MarkJones, led a presentation on writing slow-burn tension versus sudden shocks, and how those techniques work across genres. After Mark’s program, we had our usual business meeting to discuss upcoming programs for 2026, the status of the NEST writing competition, and financials. 

Sunday was my church’s quarterly meeting and potluck. Dang! There was so much food that I never did get to sample a little of everything. I may be biased, but First Lutheran Church does have several marvelous cooks and bakers in our little family-friendly congregation, where the children are starting to outnumber the adults. After lunch, the quarterly meeting went off without a hitch, with several items on the agenda voted on and passed. 

Well, my friend, it is time for me to start making preparations in Quillcote for the arctic blast and wintry weather expected this weekend. Stay safe and warm, my friend. 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

01/12/26 It's An Author's Life

We are all creatures of habit, aren’t we? I know I am more so in my retirement years. I have a routine every morning that sometimes hampers me from doing anything that starts at 8am. I know weekdays are when I pick up my granddaughter from school. I set aside the evenings for working on my latest book, which I am currently so far behind on. I have time set aside for household tasks (i.e., laundry, cleaning, paying the bills). Then again, there are times when I have the urge to do something that isn’t on my schedule, and I do it…If it isn’t too early in the morning. Hahaha 

The past several weeks have been dedicated to getting things in order after the holidays. After getting the Christmas tree down, packed up, and put away, I couldn’t sleep the night of January 6 (the last day of Christmas) and kept thinking about moving furniture. So, I got up a little after midnight (which was January 7) and moved the furniture around my living room. Well, it was just putting things back to their usual places. After 45 minutes, I took two ibuprofen and slept like a rock the rest of the night. 

I am so proud of my community, which can be critical of what is happening in and around town, for coming together the past week in the search for a missing 12-year-old boy. It took a little over a week to find him, but with the help of the United Cajun Navy on the last couple of days, he was located near his home on Sunday, where he was hiding. His mother and stepfather are both in jail awaiting charges. There are so many unanswered questions, but for now, he was found safe and is currently in state custody until a suitable family can be found for him. Continuing to pray for this boy as he puts his life back together with the help and love of those around him. If you are interested in learning more, you can find the story on Facebook and any news station in the Oklahoma City area.

Even though it may get into the 60s today, it’ll still be cool enough at night to keep the heat on in Quillcote. I know you are wondering who or what Quillcote is. As 2026 began, I decided to give my home a new identity that defines the household. I did a search asking if and what people named their homes. Quillcote came up, and after following the link, I decided I would also call my home by that name. The original Quillcote was the home of author Kate Douglas Wiggin in Maine. I also found out Quillcote means “home of the pen,” so I asked ChatGPT to give me a tagline and logline based on that definition. I absolutely love what it came up with, so I made this design on BookBrush:

Well, my friend, it is time for me to open the front door and welcome the day into Quillcote.

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine

12/22/25 It's An Author's Life

Merry Christmas from my home to yours!

 

May your Christmas be filled with love, peace, and happiness. Until I see you in 2026, have a safe New Year's Eve.

Forever grateful for your love and support each week when I post bits and pieces of my life as an author.

Maxine

12/15/25 It's An Author's Life

It seems that we’ve all survived the arctic blast. We got one even here in Oklahoma, that of course didn’t match what was going on in the upper half of the US, but for us here in the Sooner State, it was dang cold. And in true form, the weathermen are predicting temps in the 70s on Christmas Eve. No wonder everyone around me has been sick with the roller coaster temps. 

Attended the CROW Christmas party on Saturday. I love my writing tribe so much. While several members had other commitments, we had fun playing Dirty Santa, and there were many yummy things to eat that if anyone went home hungry, it was their own fault. I’m looking forward to 2026 with this multi-genre group of authors. 

How many of us are looking at those New Year's resolutions? I know I am and the most important one is to eat healthier, be more active, and get out more. Not to mention my writing schedule as well. I’ve already made the first step in finding a group where I live to help me with the first item on my list, which will lead to the next two. 

Now that I’ve got the last load of laundry in the dryer, I still need to get a few things accomplished. Stay warm and safe wherever you are and 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 have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

12/8/25 It's An Author's Life

It’s time to regroup and reclaim my space. LOL 

Another week was exhausting for me. My granddaughter, Miss M, spent 99% of the week with me, which includes taking to and picking up from school and staying overnight Monday through Saturday while dad trained a new manager on second shift. Whew! That was a long sentence. 

Keep in mind that I live alone, not counting Simon, and have established somewhat of a routine. It’s nothing to have that routine disrupted for a short period of time, but to have it disrupted for that long is well—disruptive. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Miss M, and she’s very self-sufficient. I think it’s more the fact that there’s someone else in the house for that length of time that throws me out of whack. Luckily for me, it doesn’t happen very often. 

Did you manage to grab the Grinch socks from McDonald’s last week? I don’t know what I was thinking when I took Miss M to McD’s after school on Tuesday, the 2^nd, when they went on sale. We waited in the drive-thru line for a bit of time that felt like eons, and for the bargain price of $25 for two Grinch meals, we finally scored a pair of red and a pair of green ones. Miss M prefers the red ones but also claimed the green ones.

Christmas movies have kicked into high gear since the first of the month. I do have my favorites and look forward to watching them at least once, if not twice. And now that I grabbed the special Black Friday special for Disney+, I get to watch a number of my favorites anytime I want. Plus, those Hallmark favorites are in the cloud on my DVR and just a click away as well. Do you have a favorite you watch this time of year? 

I got a bit more done on my current WIP, but not as much as I would have liked. This book is part of a series/collection set in a small fictional town in northern Wisconsin (my home state). The word count that is required is 17K to 30K, and I’m sure my story will fall somewhere in there. Not sure where it’ll lean closer to as it all depends on what my characters are telling me and how much. I know that sounds strange to non-writers; this author is pretty much character-driven and when they talk, I listen. The first in the series will release on January 1; all books in the series will be in KU and can be found at this link: Mystery on Lilac Lane (16 book series) Kindle Edition. I hope you check them out. 

As you know, I’m a football fan. And while the Wisconsin Badgers are in a long rebuilding phase, the Green Bay Packers are at the top of their game. They beat the Chicago Bears and took over the top spot in the NFC North division. I’m not always verbal when watching the games at home because when I yell, it scares Simon, so I tend to cheer silently while my body responds in glee. How do you cheer for your favorite sports team at home? 

Well, I’m not getting anything done around here, unless you count writing this weekly posting, so I’d better get my body moving out of the chair and get a few things accomplished. Stay warm and safe wherever you are and 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 have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

12/1/25 It's An Author's Life

Well, Old Man Winter has made his mark. My friends and family in Wisconsin were hit by a major snowstorm over the weekend, while here in Oklahoma, Jack Frost has blown in. While the temps will be in the 40s and 50s during the day, they will be in the 20s and 30s at night. Jack stays on the north wind blowing cold on us all while we’re sleeping. 

It was a quiet week for me, with not much getting accomplished. My son came over and cooked Thanksgiving dinner. Pot roast with potatoes and carrots, followed by pumpkin pie for dessert. I set it up buffet style on the dining table, we used paper plates, and used TV trays while watching the Packers/Lions game. 

Did you go out shopping on Black Friday? I ventured out in the morning to grab a few things from the grocery store; other than that, I avoided the stores. I’m not up for that kind of craziness these days. If you were brave enough to fight the crowds, I hope you got the deals you wanted. 

Advent started this week, which means the Wednesday night service will continue up until Christmas. Miss M will be here overnight this week again, as dad works second shift, training a new manager, so she’ll be going to church with me on Wednesday night. 

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and your tummies filled with good food and drink. 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine

11/24/25 It's An Author's Life

“Tradition. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as a fiddler on the roof!” 

Can you guess what I saw over the weekend? Our local community theater put on a production of Fiddler on the Roof, and it was fabulous! The old movie theater that houses the Chickasha Community Theater was packed from the first performance on Thursday night through the last performance Sunday afternoon. As if I couldn’t get enough of this story and music, I found and watched the 1971 film on YouTube. 

My youngest granddaughter spent last week with me. Her dad (my son) had to work second shift and didn’t want to come at midnight to pick her up, then wake her up for school in the morning. This week, she’s off for Thanksgiving and is spending a couple of days here, but going home when dad gets off. While my daily routine was adjusted for a few days, I don’t mind because one day she’ll not have as much time for us old people. LOL 

I made homemade mac and cheese last Saturday. I’m not a fan of it (grew up eating way too much of the boxed stuff), but this wasn’t too bad. It was done in time to watch the Wisconsin Badgers beat Illinois at home. It was Senior Day at Camp Randall (which was a Civil War training center), and I am happy they could end their last home game with a win. 

Speaking of traditions, do you have your tree up yet? I put mine up last week, but it isn’t decorated, and I’m fine with that this year. At night, it’s a nice soft light in the living room. What are your holiday decorating traditions? Are traditions meant to change each year, or stay absolutely the same? 

This year for Thanksgiving, we are planning on a pot roast for dinner. Traditionally, I usually have a turkey roasting all day, and the table is set, including designated places for all the sides. I don’t think I’m even setting the table this year; instead, we’ll use TV trays and sit in the living room to watch the Packers/Lions game. With only three of us around the table, I don’t see any reason to go way out for holiday dinners anymore. I know you’re thinking, “Oh, that’s so sad,” when in fact it’s practical. Ninety percent of our family is in Wisconsin, with the other 10% on the West Coast. What’s going to be on your table this Thanksgiving? 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week and Thanksgiving with your loved ones! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

11/18/25 It's An Author's Life

Yes, I’m a bit late with this posting. I manned the Chickasha Area Arts Council art store yesterday, so I wasn’t able to get this out on time. Nevertheless, here it is. 

Today is release day for Deceitful Promises, a Letters to Santa story, available on Amazon on both KU and print. It is actually the first in a series I hope to add to each year in time for the holiday season. Here’s a sneak peek for you: 

1889 Post Land Rush 

In the untamed territory of the Unassigned Lands, where dreams clash with harsh realities, a tale of love, secrets, and unforeseen alliances unfold. And where promises are made, promises are broken. 

Secrets, misunderstandings, and unforeseen circumstances test their resolve, challenging Kit in his search for a bride, Lydia in her desire to be more than a servant, and Clara in her quest to bring a criminal to justice, face their deepest desires and find the true meaning of love amidst the festive Christmas season. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the Fall fresh air in if you can; it won’t be long before our homes are buttoned up tight to keep the cold winter wind out! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

11/10/25 It's An Author's Life

What do A Christmas Story and a 50’ leg lamp have to do with a small town in Oklahoma? In the documentary Fragilé, independent film director Reagan Elkins spent 5 years of his life making this film, and I can say it is awesome after watching it with friends on Sunday afternoon! It centers on one man’s vision to revive his hometown as a thriving community just off the interstate, complete with a major tourist attraction, and the opposition he faced. I have some thoughts on the reasons for the opposition that I’ll keep to myself, but if you watch this film, I think you’ll know what I mean. Like the logline says, “how a giant leg lamp nearly tore a small town apart.” 

I got to listen to and see one of my favorite tribute bands on Friday. Journey of a Lifetime played once again at Legends Pubhouse & Venue. With two general admission tickets in our hands, my friend Carlotta and I got one of the last tables available, and we were there almost 2 hours ahead of showtime! While the table was off to the side of the stage, we had a great time. After all, we wanted to hear the music of Journey and weren’t much concerned about actually seeing the band. 

Since we were there so early, we ordered a pizza and wings, plus drinks. Not only was the pizza great, but the wings (which I’m generally not a fan of) were tasty. I saw a couple of my other friends – Anna (who gifted me the tickets) and Angie – who came over to say hello. They were lucky enough to have reserved tables. The dance floor was packed and everyone had fun. If you ever get a chance to see Journey of a Lifetime and you love the music of Journey, I highly recommend you do. 

Oklahoma weather and Mother Nature are playing around again. The heat has been on in the house over the weekend, as it was getting colder at night, and it dropped into the 20s this morning. However, in just a few days, it’ll be back in the 70s for highs and 40s/50s for lows. Thankfully, the sun shines and the sky is blue, while those of you back home in Wisconsin dealt with a bit of snow over the weekend. 

And wasn’t that Badger Football win awesome! It brought tears to my eyes watching the players stay on the field as the fans left their seats and rushed the field. The win against Washington was won with heart and grit, the boys never giving up and Coach Fickle finally seeing and feeling love from the Wisconsin fans, who can be harsh—myself included. All of this while the snow was falling in Camp Randall on the UW-Madison campus. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the fresh air in if you can; it won’t be long before our homes are buttoned up tight to keep the cold winter wind out! It's coming sooner than we think.

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

11/3/25 It's An Author's Life

Here it is, the Monday after Halloween, and there isn’t a candy bar in my house! Yes, I’m sad. No one to blame but myself, as I didn’t even buy any, and only one knock at the door (even with my porch light off). It was a beautiful night for the trick-or-treaters, and I’m sure they all got more sugar in the buckets than their parents would want them to consume. I’m sure you remember those days when your bucket was gone through by mom to make sure there weren’t any opened packages of candy and all fruit was inspected. I hope times haven’t changed, and Mom is still checking that candy. 

Yesterday afternoon, I pushed the publish button! Deceitful Promises is officially uploaded and ready for you to start reading on November 25. It will be available on Kindle Unlimited starting then as well as in print. There are several people to thank for their assistance, expertise, and for always being there as this story was started and stopped, and changed more than once per the characters whose story they entrusted me to tell. 

I guess the holiday season is fully upon us. Hallmark and Great American Family have Christmas movies on 24/7. The stores have completed putting out their holiday displays and merchandise, tempting us to buy something new to decorate our homes with. I miss the days when we looked forward in anticipation to the day after Thanksgiving, when the toy and Christmas sections were revealed, and we got up before the crack of dawn to grab that limited quantity gift our little one wanted so badly. And when our parents, and we once we became parents, came home with the Sears Christmas Catalog and manned with a pen, went page by page through it, marking everything we wanted under the tree. We thought it was how Santa would know what we wanted in case we couldn’t get to see him at one of his store visits. Yes, gone are the days of Christmas mystic. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the air in if you can; it won’t be long before our homes are buttoned up tight to keep the cold winter wind out! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

10/27/25 It's An Author's Life

Like so many people I know, I was a bit under the weather last week. I think a lot of it had to do with the ups and downs of the weather here in Oklahoma. One day the a/c is on. The next day the windows are open and the pollen is flowing through the house, but I love having fresh air in the house regardless. 

Last week was a bit busy. Thursday night was appreciation night at the Chickasha Library for the Friends of the Library. Friday night, I helped Angie set up the common room for the event on Saturday. 

Saturday was the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library Fall Local Author event. There were 19 authors in attendance, and the support from the Chickasha community was awesome despite the rain and the college football games. 

Deceitful Promises is with my editor and is available for pre-order now through Amazon. Work continues on Art of Deception (seems I have a theme with these last two books LOL). I am writing a prologue that was suggested by one of the members, which was an awesome idea. However, once I write that, I may have to rewrite a few areas to complement the prologue. Such is the writing life! If it isn’t the characters telling you to change things, it’s your trusted fellow writers/authors. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week, and that your Halloween is sweet and spooky as well.

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

10/13/25 It's An Author's Life

What can I say? It was a very quiet and uneventful week. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? 

Today we celebrate not only Columbus Day, but also Indigenous People’s Day. I’m a Wisconsin native where several Native American tribes/nations covered close to 100% of the state at one time. It is the same here in Oklahoma, the place I now call home. Whichever you celebrate, give thanks and remember the trails that were blazed before you came to be. 

The Friends of the Chickasha Public Library is in the midst of their fall used book sale. I grabbed a few children’s books for my great-granddaughter last week while I took my turn in monitoring the event on Thursday. The “suggested” price for books is hardcover $1 and paperback $0.50, although books can be purchased with a donation, which a number of people opted for. During my 2-hour stent, I witnessed several people dropping their donation into the box and leaving with a box or two filled to the top. Sharing the gift of reading is so important for our young people, so if your local library has a used book sale, please go and pick up a few books. AND if your area is involved with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, be sure to sign up your little ones up to 5 years old. It’s free! 

Fall is taking its time to arrive here. We have only had a handful of days where the temps were either at or below the average. Usually by this time the a/c has been off for a while, and I am looking forward to happening again. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the Fall fresh air in! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

10/6/25 It's An Author's Life

Have you ever been excited about getting a package delivered only to find out that something isn’t working right? Yeah, me too. In fact, it happened last week when I had a new printer delivered. I got it all set up, ink cartridges in, only to discover that the ink cartridge return jammed. Now, the best thing about this is that when I called support at HP, we went through all the steps to see what was up with it. And in the end, I have a new replacement printer arriving today, complete with a return box and label to send back the defective one. 

I haven’t had a new printer in I don’t know how many years, maybe 3, which might be long for a printer. HP has this great All-In-One program where you can get a new printer and ink automatically sent to you when needed. I already had the instant ink for the older printer, and by adding a few dollars more, I got a new printer plus the ability to replace and upgrade it every couple of years. That’s a win-win in my book! 

The road crew finished my street bright and early last Tuesday morning. It is so smooth to drive on that it feels like glass. I’m grateful for all the work the crew did and the speed in which they did it. 

Fall feelings have arrived in Oklahoma. The question is how long will the “cold” front will last? A cold front here in the fall is to be in the low 80s/high 70s for temps. I’ve been able to turn off the a/c for a few days at a time and look forward to turning it off completely until next year. Like I’ve always said, nothing like fresh air filtering through the house. 

I’m getting closer to uploading the final edited version of Deceptive Promises for the November 25, release date. Between working through the suggested edits and critiques, I’ve been working on my April 2026 release. After which I’ll start on the November 13, 2026, release (a Friday the 13^th story), which will be paranormal in nature. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the Fall fresh air in! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

9/29/25 It's An Author's Life

It was a very busy weekend again! The 17^th Annual Rock Island Arts Festival was held Friday and Saturday, along with the Oklahoma Food Truck Competition. For me, that means working a couple of booths on Friday and Saturday, as well as manning the Chickasha Area Arts Council’s Arts Shop for several hours on Saturday.

The Friends of the Chickasha Public Library had a booth promoting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, as well as having several book-related items for sale.

There were hundreds of people lining the blocks of downtown Chickasha from the Chickasha Leg Lamp on 1^st Street all the way down to 7^th Street on both days to check out the 90+ vendors selling their product, deciding what to taste from the 30+ food vendors for the competition on Saturday, pulling up chairs to listen to live music at both ends of Chickasha Avenue, and families bringing their little ones down to play in the sand pile and/or get their face painted by members of CAAC. The weather was perfect for a day coming out to support local small businesses.

Also held on Saturday were two other annual events: Rock Island Bike Ride and Together We Heel Walk for domestic abuse. Both of these Saturday morning events are always well attended by the Chickasha community.

I took yesterday to relax and recover. The organizers of this annual event are to be congratulated for another fabulous year! Looking forward to 2026. *Photographs are copied from Facebook.

Now that a new week has started, there’s nothing better than having road work begin on your street. My street needs it badly, and thankfully, it will only last for a day. But the short inconvenience will be well worth it. Luckily, I only need to go out this afternoon to pick up my granddaughter from school; the city has indicated the streets being worked on will allow local traffic. Let’s hope so.

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the fresh air of fall in!

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think.

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

Maxine

9/22/25 It's An Author's Life

A murder of crows gathered this past weekend! Yes, it was the Central Region of Oklahoma Writers (CROW) retreat weekend. There were 6 of us (Alicia, Anna, Jon, Krysta, Tianne, and me) spending the weekend at an Airbnb rental in Oklahoma City, with Mark joining us on Saturday for the day. It was a weekend filled with fun writing exercises, merriment, and camaraderie after dinner both Friday and Saturday nights, sitting outside around the fire pit. 

I think the most interesting exercise was when one of us wrote an opening line for a story, passed it on to the next person, who wrote the second line on a different slip of paper, then passed the line they wrote on to the next person, who wrote the third line, and so on until the person who wrote the first line has the last line written. The story is then read aloud, starting with the person who got the original first line. The story started out sweet and innocent and ended up deadly! Here is the story that was BEAST! 

Line 1:         The light and airy scent of lilacs wafting through the old wooden screen door filling the gallery was a sure sign the quiet streets of Wisteria would soon be bustling with people.

Line 2:         The train arrived and the circus was in town.

Line 3:         Stacy watched the doors open whispering under her breath “No clowns, no clowns.”

Line 4:         She entered the tent; it wasn’t what she thought, it was much worse.

Line 5:         Targo, the geek, his head on the dirt packed ground next to his body; bloods spewing from his neck, like so many chickens that had been a part of his act.

Line 6:         The irony of it all hit him, and he smiled, it would have been a full-blown laugh if he’d still been in one piece—but without his heart or lungs, the weak grin was all his severed head could manage.

Line 7:         His smile quickly turned to a horrified grimace when he realized where he was—on the 10^th yard line of the high school football field. THE END 

We also practiced Drabble Writing. In our folder were two pictures to choose from to write a story about with a beginning, middle, and end that was 100 words long. It really makes you tighten your writing, that’s for sure. I feel like this would be a great exercise for use in the classroom. 

Saturday night was Crowtionary (our version of Pictionary), and as always, it is a blast to watch authors draw while their author teammates try to guess the book title. There are always CROW published author titles mixed in with the likes of Mary Poppins, Water for Elephants, etc. 

Now that the fun is done, it’s time to get down to business. I have a new book to write! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

9/15/25 It's An Author's Life

You know those Oklahoma mornings that I wrote about last week, being crisp and cool for several days? Well, it was a false fall for sure. It’s back up in the 90s for the next week or two, the a/c is back on basically to handle the humidity in the house, and more rain in the forecast. Good news is no 100s until next year! 

I worked all week on my new book. As of this past weekend, I have finally completed all my characters' pictures and their backstories. Of course, nothing is really written in stone when it comes to writing fiction simply because stories can take unexpected turns. 

Went to a country music album release party on Friday night! Local artist, TJ Wicks, has an album coming out today on Spotify so check it out. Shared a bucket of wings and a sheet of fries with Carlotta and Jeff, Jacob, and David at Legends Pubhouse and Venue. TJ and his parents are former members of my church, and we all got to meet TJ’s little boy and his wife. It was great fun and even greater music. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the fresh air in! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine

9/8/25 It's An Author's Life

The Oklahoma mornings have been crisp and cool for several days now. I love it when I can open the windows and doors to let the fresh Fall air in through the screens. Simon is loving it as well, finding his perch in his favorite window is once again available for him to keep an eye on the neighbor. My a/c is off until next year when the heat of Oklahoma begins to build again. 

I was up early, for me, on Saturday morning. Headed to Lawton, OK, with my friend Carlotta to attend the LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League) Fall Festival at Holy Cross. It is a time when Lutheran women get together to recognize accomplishments over the past year, to talk about various charities, and to get together for fellowship. This is my second year attending, and while I tend to grumble a little about going, I find that in the end I enjoy it. 

Now for some writing news! I finished writing the draft for Deceptive Promises! It is now in the hands of my beta reader, the marvelous Sharon. It’s currently up for preorder at Amazon with a publication date of November 25, 2025—just in time for the holiday season. It will be available in both ebook and print. If you are a KU subscriber, you will be able to read it for free!!! 

Also, I started the next book on Sunday during the Packer game. I got the binder for Art of Deception started with the necessary information needed to begin writing. After the game, I started writing chapter 1! The book is part of a series set in the fictional town of Wisteria, a small tourist town in northern Wisconsin. My book will be released on April 30, 2026, and be up for pre-order in late February 2026. But more on that later. 

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! Open those windows and let the fresh air in! 

I can never thank you enough for continuing to read these snippets into my life as an author. I hope I have not bored you too much with them. 😊 After all, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

9/1/25 It's An Author's Life

Labor Day weekend, aka the last camping weekend of the season. At least it is in my home state of Wisconsin. The two biggest weekends for camping there are Memorial Day and Labor Day. Whether you tent camp or have the comforts of an RV/camper, I hope you’ve enjoyed the last hurrah of summer before fall really sets in. 

And speaking of fall, it’s finally football season! While pre-season is over for the NFL, the season has started for college football. And while it wasn’t spectacular, my Wisconsin Badgers have a win under their belts. Coach Fickle is in his third year and let's hope the term “the third time is the charm” is true this season and the Badgers return to their winning ways. 

Are you grabbing those deals and steals this weekend? This could be the last big sale on some items before those tariffs kick in and we, the consumer, start paying for them. I’m waiting for the savings to start for the upcoming holiday season. 

I got a publication date for Eternally Yours! Yes, it’s a little more than two years out, but that’s okay. I’m looking forward to seeing the cover, doing the edits, and bringing new life to this older story. So, watch around this time in 2027 for more information. 

Well, back to work. I am 95% done with Deceitful Promises, and plan to have it done by the end of the week. Of course, that’s if life doesn’t have any surprises for me like it does sometimes. LOL 

Have a great week! Get your pumpkin spice beverage; I have mine next to me this morning, and open a good book to lose yourself in. 

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, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine 

8/25/25 It's An Author's Life

Wow! The first full week of school, and the stomach bug is running rampant per the HS counselor. I had to go pick up Miss M from school Thursday morning with stomach cramps (not those kinds of cramps) and slept most of the day until Dad (my son) picked her up after work. He picked up some OTC medication and kept her home on Friday, although she did spend the day at my house. As of Sunday, she was feeling a lot better and is back at school. Now all Dad needs to do is get her flu shot, and she should be set for the rest of the year—hopefully. 

The Chickasha Area Arts Council (CAAC) first annual book signing on Saturday was good considering that it was the last day of the fair and that the downtown area isn’t known to be busy on Saturdays. All 6 authors, including myself, sold and autographed books. Since I’m on the CAAC board, I believe we are going to discuss moving the event next year to the spring and advertise it as a CAAC Summer Author Event, and have it on a weeknight from 5-8. That way, people who work downtown will be able to stop by. 

I’m so excited!! Just this morning, I accepted a publishing contract for my erotic time-travel, Eternally Yours, with Rowan Prose Publishing! It will be published sometime in 2027. This title was on my backlist from back in the day when erotica was a hot ticket. I’m so happy that it has found a home with RPP. 

Well, back to work. This next book isn’t going to write itself! LOL 

Have a great week! Get your pumpkin spice beverage and open a good book to lose yourself in. 

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, other people's lives are never as glamorous as we may think. 

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

Maxine