Blew Past a Couple of Milestones...

 At the end of June I hit two milestones and forgot to mention them.

First, "Laura's Look" is officially 25 years old.  That's a lot of columns and a lot of patience and grace from the Highlands News-Sun.  My thanks to them for continuing to run it.

I'm working on a special way to celebrate this 25th year.  Stay tuned for more information.  For now, if you'd like to read the earliest columns, you can pick up "Laura's Look: 1998-2000" at Amazon:

The second milestone has to do with my writing every day.  At the end of June I passed the three year mark.  That's three years of putting word down every single day, with no breaks.  I'm kind of proud of that streak and hope to continue it for some time to come.

I'm hoping to share some big news at the beginning of August.  Stay cool, stay safe, and I'll see you then.

The First Half of the Year is Done...

 Where did the time go?  It feels like the past six months have flown by without stopping to catch its breath.  Yet here we are, the beginning of July.

Looking at my writing stats for the year so far, I managed to eke out 100,484 words.  That number could be better - I wanted to be at 150,000 by now - but it's still a respectable number for me.

Notice I said, "for me."  Not for you, not for Stephen King, not for any other writer.  Comparing myself to others on this and other aspects of writing would simply make me crazy and discouraged.  

I am going to try to push it some the second half of the year.  While I have trips planned, none are of the magnitude of the Hawaiian cruise.  I can goose the writing a little bit and get more done.

As far as the publishing side of things, I've gotten out a short story collection and two novels, one of which is book 5 of a series I cowrite with fellow author Azure Avians.  I'm sort of on track with this, wanting to get seven things published this year.  I'm currently working on a project for another column collection and have a couple of books I'd like to get published before the end of the year.

What goals do you have looking at the rest of 2023?

By the way, I will be attending Shore Leave in Hunt Valley, Maryland this upcoming weekend.  Below is my schedule for the panels I will participate in.  If you're in the area, I'd love to see you.

Finding My Groove

 One bad thing about being on vacation for almost two weeks is I've lost my writing groove.  While I managed to write every day, it continued to be less than five hundred words more often than not.

It didn't help this week I got two pieces of bad news that impacted my mood and writing.  One night I started to cry from fatigue and sadness.  I had people to get me through it, and I did eke out a few words that night.  

I also have a number of things I need to get done.  It's sometimes hard to pick what to do from all the choices.  I hope I can pick one and focus - just a matter of which one.

Let me finish this blog post by wishing all dads a Happy Father's Day.  Wish I could call my dad and talk to him.  Make sure you call yours.

Aloha!

 Don and I got back to Florida a couple of days ago after spending nearly two weeks in Hawaii.  It was a marvelous time and great to get away for a bit and see something new.

We cruised around the islands, ate too much good food, and bought a ton of souvenirs.  It was a lot of fun and worth the jet lag we're both experiencing.

And, to my amazement, I kept up my writing streak of at least 250 words a day.  The count was often closer to 250 words than 500 words, but the fact I wrote despite fatigue and numerous distractions is a win.  Credit goes to Don, who made sure I got to the laptop even when I wasn't feeling it.  He knew I would be glad he did.

Hoping your summer is kicking off to a good start.  Until next time!

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.

A Book Signing

 On Saturday, May 6th, I will be at the Peter Powell Roberts Museum of Art in Avon Park, Florida (310 W. Main Street) from 2-4 PM.  The museum is on the second floor of the Avon Park Community Center and has elevator access.

I will be there to say hi and sign books.  Not only will I have copies of my latest novel, Death on the Air, I will have other books available as well.  There will be light refreshments served.

If you live in the area, I hope you drop by to say hi!

Quick update

 I just wanted readers of this blog to know I will be on a local radio show Friday, April 28th, at 8:30 am (Eastern) to talk about my latest novel, "Death on the Air."

If you live in Highlands County, Florida and wish to tune in, you'll find WWTK at am730 or fm 730.

Live outside of the listening area?  No problem.  Click here to listen online.

It promises to be a lot of fun.  Hope you'll give it a listen!