I am officially traveled out...

 Okay.  I clocked three trips from the end of June to the beginning of August.  First, there was a journey to South Carolina to see my wonderful grandkids.  

A few weeks later, near the end of July, we attended Shore Leave in Pennsylvania.

Less than a week after I got back from Shore Leave I flew to Las Vegas for a four day Anthology Workshop.  Stayed in Vegas almost a week and staggered back home with a decent case of jet lag.

The Anthology Workshop was intense, informative, and fun.  While there I sold two short stories that will come out in anthologies next year.  I got great feedback on my writing and caught up with friends I hadn't seen in a while.

Now I am home and not wanting to get on a plane anytime soon.  I'll drive to Lakeland, Florida for a gaming event (about 1 1/2 hours away) but that's it.  Just call me a homebody.

Until November.  Then it's back to the grandkids.

Hopefully I'll be recovered by then.

Summer marches on...

 As I type this, I am between two trips.  Don and I got back from Shore Leave on Tuesday evening, and this upcoming Sunday I will be winging my way to Las Vegas for a writing workshop.  My suitcase has not been fully unpacked: I took out t-shirts and dirty laundry and added clean underwear and t-shirts about writing.  I'm a long way from pre-trip panic, but stay tuned.

Shore Leave was a great deal of fun.  Below is a picture of my table at Meet the Pros, where convention goes had a chance to meet writers and maybe even buy books from us.  I shared the table with my wonderful cowriter Rigel Ailur.

Looking at my calendar, if i continue to write at least 250 words/day, I will hit the 1,500th day on August 6th.  I am bemused at the fact I've kept this streak up this long.  It has meant writing when I didn't feel like it or I didn't have a lot of time or I was tired.  

I plan to celebrate somehow.  I will be in Vegas but will probably get some decadent dessert that night.

More on the workshop later this month.  Try to stay cool out there.

We're nearing the halfway mark of 2024...

 Things are gaining steam here at the Ware household.  I am looking at three different trips this summer, two with my husband Don.

The first trip later this month will be to visit my most adorable grandchildren in South Carolina.  Don and I always enjoy the time with our oldest son and his family.  John and his wife Amanda are gracious hosts and the grandkids are a delight.

The second trip is about a month later and sees Don and I heading to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the convention .Shore Leave., a scifi/fantasy event that is a lot of fun.  Because I've written a Star Trek short story that was published in an anthology (Strange New Worlds 10) I am a guest author at the event.  I will be speaking on some panels and participate in "Meet the Pros," an opportunity for fans to say hi and maybe buy a book or two.  If you are in the area, I hope you come say hi.

Before leaving Pennsylvania, I will make a pilgrimage to the town of Hershey, as a good chocoholic should.

My last summer trip takes place in early August.  I will be attending a writing workshop that I am currently writing stories for.  The Anthology Workshop ran a number of years before Covid, and the creators have finally decided to bring it back.  It's fun and nerve-wracking all at once, if you can imagine having your work critiqued in front of over thirty other writers by eight editors.  I'm so looking forward to it and seeing old friends.

That's my summer.  What about yours?

Greetings From South Carolina!

As I type this, I'm sitting in my oldest son's home visiting him, his wife, and two perfect grandchildren.  Don and I will be here a few days spoiling aforementioned grandchildren and enjoying time with their parents.

I plan to keep my streak going while I'm here.  It may be slow, but I will get words in.  I already know my upcoming column will be about this trip, so that makes planning easier.

I have a few projects in various stages, but nothing coming out before April or May.  Will let you know more about them as those dates get closer.

In the meantime, I will take time to enjoy a break from the routine.

Rollercoaster

 First, the good news.  The book signing earlier this month went off very well.  I sold a few books, made some contacts, and enjoyed interacting with readers.  Thanks to Gaylin Thomas for her preparation and encouragement.  Thanks also to my husband Don, who cheerfully carted books to and from the museum.

I still have a few books left.  They include two of my collections, Five Female Gumshoes and Seeking Refuge and other Bible Stories; my two latest novels Seek and Ye Shall Find and Death on the Air; and my first collection of columns from 1998-2000.  

If you would be interested in getting a signed copy sent to you, email me at laura@laurahware.com for prices.  First come, first serve.  I would prefer to be paid via Paypal but we can discuss alternatives.

That's the good stuff.  The bad?  For days I've been struggling with my main laptop, which has, for reasons I don't quite comprehend, decided to no longer run Office apps.  They will start off okay and then a box will pop up informing me the program has run into a problem and must close.

I have run a virus and malware scan on the system.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled Office several times to no avail.  It has taken up more of my time then I like and I'm uncertain what the solution is (all Microsoft haters please do not tell me to abandon the apps).

So the past week or so has been a rollercoaster.  Despite the computer problems things are looking up - in a few days Don and I leave to take a cruise around the Hawaiian islands.  Look for pictures on Facebook and possibly here.

Until next time, have a great week.

Shore Leave!

Hey readers!  Letting you know I will be attending Shore Leave this upcoming weekend (July 6-8) in Maryland.  As a guest author (how cool is that?) I have a bio listed in the site here.  Below are the panels I'm a part of.  I hope I see you there!

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Fri. 7-8 pm, Salon F)
This prequel depicting Han Solo as a younger man hasn’t met expectations
at the box office. Why not?
Laura Ware (M), David Harten Watson, Susan Olesen

Meet the Pros (Fri. 10 pm - midnight, Hunt/Valley Hallway)

Avengers vs. The Justice League (Sat. 12-1 pm, Salon F)
It’s the end of the world. Whom do you trust to save it? The panel will cover comic books, cartoons and movies.
John Coffren (M), Peter David, Laura Ware, Derek Attico, Michael Jan Friedman, TA Chafin

Outside In by ATB Publishing (Sat. 2-3 pm Salon E)
Meet the contributors to these essay collections on the likes of Doctor Who, Star Trek, Buffy, and more.
Laura Ware (M), Bob Greenberger, Amy Imhoff, Derek Attico, Lorraine Anderson, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Joseph F. Berenato 

Heinlein's Five Rules of Publishing (Sat. 4-5 pm Salon E)
Robert Heinlein wrote five basic rules of writing that are easy to remember but hard to actually carry out. A discussion of said rules and their application.
Laura Ware (M), Phil Giunta, Jim Johnson, Lorraine Anderson, Dayton Ward

Indie Publishing 101 (Sun. 10-11 am Salon F)
The basics of indie publishing and why you should give it a go.
Jim Johnson (M), Laura Ware, TJ Perkins, Andrew Hiller, Valerie Mikles, Kim Headlee 

The Scariest Thing in Washington, DC

The scariest thing in Washington, DC isn't crime.  I never felt in danger from anyone while I've been here and it's been a few days.

The scariest thing?  Their escalators.

These things are EVERYWHERE.  Especially around the Metro.  If you are lucky, there's an elevator available you can use instead.  Otherwise, you are stuck.

This is very bad for me.  I HATE escalators.  This is no mild dislike.  I loathe them with a passion.  Especially down escalators.  I am always afraid I'm going to pitch forward on one of those.

I can mostly handle up escalators, though I don't like them.  But some of the escalators around here are LONG.  Throw in I am afraid of heights and you'll understand why that might pose a problem for me.

I am fortunate that my family is patient and understanding of this phobia.  On one of the long escalators they surrounded me so I felt protected going up.  When I had no choice but to use a down escalator not once but twice on this trip Don didn't laugh at me but stood in front of me and cheered me on as I gripped the handrail with both hands.

In time I could probably overcome this fear.  But for right now, my attitude is, "down with down escalators!"

On the Road

I am in Alexandria, Virginia as I type this.  I'm here with my husband, youngest son, and his wife.  Together (along with the kids' dog Hobbes) we plan to check out Washington DC for the next few days.

This is primarily a fun trip, though I might indulge in a little research in case I ever want to set a story in this area.  Today we explored Old Town in Alexandria, visiting a number of shops.

Tomorrow we'll head to DC proper.  I will try to post stuff as we go, but I might do a column on the trip so I will hold back some details for that.

Stay tuned!

Monday Musings on Tuesday: Out of Town

I meant to post yesterday, but I am currently in Lincoln City, Oregon attending a writer's conference and ran out of time and energy.

I will be here until early Monday, when I will return to Sebring and what passes for normal in my life.  I expect to be a lot smarter when I get back then I am now.

It's great to meet new people and renew relationships with old friends.  And Don is with me, getting a glimpse of this aspect of my writing life..

I'll have more to say about all this next week.  Until then, back to the workshop!

Guyana, Day 7

It's hard to believe that today is our last day in Guyana!  Don taught his last set of classes this morning.  Afterwards, we were presented with some small gifts to thank us for coming here.  We were very touched.  The brethren asked us to try and return again.  I think Don and I would like to do so if God is willing for it to happen.

We took a quick tour of the area before getting back to the hotel.  There are several congregations that meet in this part of the country and Anil showed us where other congregations meet.  One is near a major sugar cane business.  We saw cane and the factory where it is processed.  Also some rice fields.

Right now Don and I are trying to clear out our email and pack - we have to be ready to leave at 1 AM!  We are going to try to get a little sleep before then.

Last night I used Skype to call a friend in Georgia.  We managed to chat for a half hour despite the wonky Internet.  It's amazing what technology enables us to do these days.

While I'm glad we've been here, I also look forward to going home.  I do love the United States and my friends and family there.  Also, I haven't had chocolate the whole time we've been here - I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms! 

I hope you've enjoyed my little reports of Guyana. 

Guyana, Day 6

Tonight for a change Don and I went to a Chinese restaurant across the street from our hotel for dinner.  The food was excellent.  Don had stir-fried vegetables and chicken, and I had chicken in garlic sauce.  We had to change some of our US dollars for Guyanese money before going there.  The current exchange rate for US to Guyanese is 1 to 200 - that means our meal was over $4000 in Guyanese money!

Today I taught my last classes for the women.  I will miss my Christian sisters here when I leave.  They have good hearts and are eager to learn about the Bible.  My lessons took less time then we expected - I had hoped for more discussion than we had.  But the ladies appeared to get something out of my teaching, and for that I am grateful to God.

Tonight Don and I watched a television program some of the brothers here have.  It was very well done and we are excited that they are using this avenue to reach out to the community.

Tomorrow will be our last full day in Guyana.  It has gone by very quickly.  I hope you've been enjoying these little posts of mine about our trip!

Guyana, Days 3 and 4

Greetings again from Guyana!  I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday - the Internet was particularly wonky last night and I didn't get started trying to post until late.

On the plus side, Don and I learned yesterday how to coax warm water out of the shower.  Before that, we've been taking cold showers, a chilling experience.    The trick is to turn both on the cold and hot water taps.  Let them run, and volia!  You have at least a warm shower, maybe even a hot one.

Yesterday Don taught three lessons on the godly man, the godly husband, and the godly brother in Christ.  The lessons went well.

Today was my turn to teach.  A large number of women sat in my classes on the godly woman, the godly wife, and the godly sister in Christ.  My lessons turned out to be short, and we finished early.  But they were well received by the sisters here.  An adorable six year old girl even participated in the sessions, sometimes answering the questions I asked.  I got the ladies to laugh a few times and even though I was nervous I think God used me to reach out to them.

The days have a sameness about them.  We get up and have breakfast then wait for Anil to pick us up.  We drive over to the church building and Don or I teach until around 12:00 - 12:30.  Anil brings us to his home afterwards, where his wife Camille serves us lunch.  We relax, tallk for a while.  Anil has a Magicjack on his computer, and we are able to call home and check on things there.  Afterwards, we go visiting in the area, and then Don and I are back in the hotel room by early evening.

Right now I'm not doing a lot of writing - I'm tired when we get back to the room and sometimes just want to get a few things done and go to bed. 

That's all for now.  Tomorrow I will be writing my column, which may well be on my trip here.  Hopefully the Internet will cooperate and I will be able to email it to the paper.  Until tomorrow!

Guyana, Day 2

Today Don and I worshipped with our brothers and sisters at the Inverness Church of Christ. It was wonderful to sing with them and take part in the worship service!


Don taught the Bible lesson and also did the sermon. We ran late due to transportation issues, but people didn't get upset. Don did a great job (no surprise as far as I am concerned) and will teach three classes tomorrow. I don't have to teach until Tuesday, when I will conduct classes for the women.

Afterwards we had lunch with Anil and his family. They are very gracious people who welcomed us into their home. Anil has been our chauffeur for the trip and I truly appreciate that, since in Guyana you drive on the left side of the road and that would be very confusing for Don and me!

After doing some visitation, Anil drove us back to the hotel where we grabbed dinner and are now winding down from the day. The weather has been cooler than usual, which has been a blessing for us.

Anyway, that's a summation of day 2. Hopefully I will be able to post about day 3 tomorrow!

Guyana, Day 1

Don and I arrived in Guyana, South America, last night around 9:30 PM.  We are here in the country to conduct a leadership and family seminar for a congregation we help support.

Looking at my passport, I realized it's been 5 years since I traveled to Guyana.  It is the first time I've done so without a mission team - it's just Don and me.

Anil, the preacher we support, met us at the airport and drove us to our hotel in New Amsterdam.  We arrived here at the Little Rock Suites at about 1 AM, which is one reason I haven't updated sooner . 

Today was a day of rest and goofing off before things start up tomorrow.  Don and I spent it setting up the room (it's smaller than an American hotel room so we had to place our luggage carefully so we don't trip over it) and trying to get on the Internet.  We have DSL here, but it's not stable, so sometimes we have to try to do things multiple times.

I did get to email family and let them know we got here okay.  I also made a few notes about Guyana for a novel I'm planning to write that will be set here. 

I don't know if I'll be able to post every day, but I'm going to try to keep this updated as a good exercise for me and maybe to increase traffic here.  Anyway, if you have any questions,, ask them, and I'll do my best to answer them.