Trying to Keep My Sanity during #SocialDistancing #writerslife #amwriting #amblogging #fitness

As an author, I'm somewhat used to isolating myself...it's impossible to get a novel written, edited, and proofed otherwise.  But there's a very different feeling about it when the choice to go out is no longer available.  Especially since my other job--teaching classes at a gym--is often the thing that gets me away from the keyboard for a while every day.  Teaching group exercise doesn't just help keep me fit...it helps keep my mind healthy.  I teach a lot of different classes, and most involve my full concentration throughout the hour, which means I am forced to tune everything else out.  I literally cannot think about to-do lists, plot issues, or even big--sometimes devastating--problems that may be going on in my life.  If I let my mind wander, I forget to cue the intricate moves of step aerobics or lose the next part of a dance.  It's almost like therapy for me, and I always come out feeling better.  Before and after classes, I get to socialize with the members, many of whom are now good friends.  I've been teaching now for almost 30 years, and at the same gym the last 20 (!!!!), so my routine is firmly ingrained.  The longest I have taken off is a few weeks after having my kids.

Yoga by the bay last summer...
if only the sun would come out!

And now things have changed drastically, for me and our members.  I'm working hard to adjust and to do what I can to keep our fitness community active and connected.  So far what that includes is teaching classes in an empty room in front of a computer, using the Zoom app to allow members to join in remotely.  It's not ideal, but it's something.  

I do wish I was in the middle of writing a novel right now, but for me, writing a novel takes about a year, and I just finished Ghost Moon recently.  I've been kept busy proofing and line-editing, but now that I've signed off on the galley copy, it's just a waiting period until the book releases on April 15th (if you like steamy romance mixed with ghost mysteries, you can pre-order a Kindle copy now...and I have six other titles that are currently available to help keep readers entertained...my Amazon author page is here).  Usually I give myself a few months before diving back in, and I don't have an idea right now anyway...so at least I can write here on my blog, and do promotional work from home.

Speaking of promotion, I did organize an event that's coming up soon, and it might end up helping people pass time during this quarantine period.  On April 1st, I'll be sharing links to an audiobook "listen to review" event, where people can choose from over 30 titles in the Romance, Suspense, Paranormal, and Thriller categories and request a code to listen for FREE!  If you haven't tried audiobooks, now might be a good time.  I listen while I garden, fold laundry, clean, take walks, etc. - all things most of us may be doing a lot of in the next month.  This is an event through Story Origin, a free site that just requires an (also free) account to get started...find it here.  If you want to get my newsletter on April 1st with the audio promo details and link, you can sign up here or check back on my blog! 

Beyond trying to keep a fragile tether to my old schedule, I'm also trying to navigate having everyone home all day, when usually that's my time to write in solitude.  My high school son is home with no actual graded work assigned, and my college son is home for the remainder of the semester, due to begin online classes.  It's a lot of together time, but we've been taking turns selecting movies or shows to watch together.  I ordered a bunch of puzzles today, and most importantly, a puzzle board, so that our two cats can't flip the pieces from the table, which would result in the dog probably eating them.

Three adorable troublemakers...

Group texts with friends and family are a blessing...we're all trying to lighten each other's spirits daily with funny posts.  Social media is a double-edged sword--I enjoy the connection, but it's easy to get overwhelmed with the gravity of the situation and feel scared, sad, and helpless.

So, I'll gear up to release this next book, and spend time posting here.  Living on Cape Cod, there are many places to explore, and I hope to take advantage of that if the weather would just clear.  Our seasons pretty much skip spring. 

For anyone who needs some exercise inspiration, I've linked a list of my past Friday Fitness posts in the event they might help people.  In particular, Posts 1 - 3 offer suggestions on different exercises and training methods.

Links to a round-up of my fitness posts

Last but in no way least...I'm getting in more reading!  That's my favorite pastime and the reason I became a writer.  Of course, I hope readers will check out my novels, but since I'm an avid reader myself, I make an annual *completely unbiased* list of my favorite reads of the year.  Here's my list of Favorite Reads of 2019, which also links back to other years.  I read a variety of genres, so you'll find everything from nonfiction to legal thrillers to psychological suspense to horror to YA to...you get the idea.

Thanks to all who stopped by...I hope you're well.  Stay safe.  Be kind to yourself.  These are unprecedented times.  We'll get through it.

You know what else helps????  Wine!

My Favorite Reads of 2019 ~ #amreading #books #FridayReads #Kindle

Time for my annual round-up of my favorite reads of 2019!  As the term "annual" suggests, I do this every year, or at least I have for as long as I've been blogging.  I tend to get most of my book recommendations from suggestions, whether it's from a friend, social media, or a list, so I like to share my own list each January.

According to Goodreads, I read (and listened to) a total of 36 books this year.  Not too bad considering writing and editing my own books takes a lot of time.  I'm thrilled my own 2019 release, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, has made it onto best book lists or won awards this year at five different review sites!  If you enjoy romantic suspense and/or ghost mysteries, I hope you'll give it a try!  This title is now on Audible too.

I should give a shout-out to Dangerous Currents too...my steamy second-chance Romantic Suspense made it into Cape Cod's 2019 In Season Magazine as a book store recommended read!

For this post, I usually pick five to seven books I really enjoyed and separate them out by genres, and link prior years as well at the bottom.  I should note that while I read many genres, I'm primarily drawn to Gothic, dark, and atmospheric stories.  Not particularly surprising since I write eerie ghost mysteries, but in my novels, I like to balance out the spooky with romance...which by definition, to be published as a romance, must have a "Happily Ever After" for the two main characters.  But since I have lots of books on this list that are not romance, I'll point out that HEAs are not guaranteed for the other genre listings! 


I'm leaving out the Romance genre this year, because my policy on these annual posts is that I cannot know the author of a book I choose, or have any relationship other than being a fan of his or her work...I don't want to pick amongst friends or have any bias for this blog series.  That said, I'll note when a title had romantic elements.

Historical Fiction: White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey

Set in Hitler's Germany, this book contains not just elements of fascinating historical fiction, but also romance and suspense.  Franka is a German citizen and a member of the Nazi resistance, hiding out in her family's summer cabin in the Black Forest.  When she finds an injured Nazi airman, her medical training and her innate compassion compel her to bring him to the isolated cabin.  Without going into spoilers, the external conflict between the main characters is unique and intense, with life-threatening consequences for each of them as they struggle with whom to trust with their secrets.  The desire to learn each character's past, along with the chillingly suspenseful scenes, kept the pages turning rapidly.   

Legal Thriller: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

The premise of this book is a trial following a fatal explosion at a privately-owned alternative-medicine treatment facility.  Who was responsible, and was it murder?  A lot of people have described this book as something similar to what would happen if Celeste Ng (author of Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You) wrote a legal thriller, and that feels accurate.  It blends mystery, courtroom drama, and family secrets and dynamics while also exploring subjects like caring for special needs children, adapting to America as immigrants, and marriage and parenting.  A lot is packed into this novel, along with beautiful, emotional writing.  

Psychological Suspense/Horror:  Here to Stay by Mark Edwards

It's nearly impossible to look away as a newly married couple's life spirals into a horrific disaster when the wife's family comes to stay for a short visit.  As the title suggests, the visitors actually have no intention of leaving, and the situation goes from bad to worse as mysteries surface, tragedies occur, tempers rise, and a once-peaceful life and home become unrecognizable.  A dark and twisty thriller.

Historical Fiction:  The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The trope here is familiar...something happens in the present that uncovers a past mystery, and the story is told in dual timelines as secrets are uncovered.  While I've read a lot of these as a fan of historical fiction, this one stood out.  The main character in the present, Alice, faces daily struggles with her family, including her autistic son, as she also tries to spend time with her terminally ill grandmother.  As her grandmother tries to communicate her dying wishes, Alice begins to unravel the threads of the past, in a journey that takes her to Poland.  In alternating chapters, readers are immersed in Alina's coming of age in Nazi-occupied Poland and the horrors that she and her family and friends endured.  This story is full of hope and heartbreak, love and loss, strength and perseverance.     

Young Adult Dystopian: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

This is a YA post-apocalyptic thriller, and I tend to be a fan of survivalist type stories.  A group of kids ranging from 1st graders to high schoolers become trapped in a superstore (think Target or Walmart) after a series of disasters.  The story hooked me right away, but I have to say one of my favorite things about this book/series is that *both* my sons (age 18 and 21) read it--quickly--at my suggestion, and let's just say it's very difficult to get them reading at this stage in their lives.  I've dedicated posts to finding books for boys in the past, and I'd add this in a heartbeat.  This is a 3 book trilogy and I'm excited to get to the next in the series.

Nonfiction: Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas

This is part memoir and part case-studies, and completely fascinating to anyone interested in profiling killers, criminal psychology, and true crime.  Fair warning--the subject matter dictates some very gruesome and disturbing imagery...it would be difficult to describe the crime scenes and the behavioral markers without some graphic details.  As an author who incorporates bad guys and serial killers into plots, this also served as an amazing reference book as well as a unique look inside the development of profiling.  John Douglas was one of the founders of the FBI's modern profiling unit, and the character of Jack Crawford in Silence of the Lambs is based on Douglas.  Throughout 25 years with the FBI, Douglas was involved in some very high-profile cases, and the methods he developed helped find and convict serial rapists and killers.

Psychological Suspense: The Housemate by C.L. Pattison

A thriller set around two old friends who invite a third roommate to share their London flat to keep expenses down.  Strange and mysterious things begin happening, and this book has a "Single White Female" vibe.  I listened to the audio version and the narration was top-notch.  


There you have it, seven titles I really enjoyed from five genres.  Now, I want to hear some of your favorite reads...feel free to comment below!  And check out the links to some prior years for more recommendations.  Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading!

My Favorite Reads 2012

My Favorite Reads 2013

My Favorite Reads 2014

My Favorite Reads 2015

My Favorite Reads 2016

My Favorite Reads 2017

My Favorite Reads 2018