tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29611586464912432882024-03-05T12:23:07.681-05:00havingfunwithoutyou...Quilting, Mystery, Family, Fun, fiction, writing, applique, piecing, Ohio, Grove City, Quilting retreats, antique quilts, quilt shops, books, gifts, Mary Clark, Diana Forrester, Lynn ThompsonDiana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-64358714297063126532013-07-28T11:59:00.000-04:002013-07-28T11:59:32.903-04:00Timeless Star arrived and is for saleI still cannot figure out how to get a picture transferred to this blog. I'm going to get a lesson. Timeless Star arrived from the printer last week. It has been a terrible chore getting it to this stage, but it is and it's for sale. Order from DoubleDPress.com web site. Then please let me know what you think. This is a bit different format than Guild in the Granary.<br />
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The summer is winding down and I'm not ready. My garden is a mass of weeds. I have harvested a couple of zucchini(sp) squash, a huge amount of garlic and a nice lot of greens: romaine, kale and collards. I'm still back the beginning of June and we are already entering August. <br />
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I am working on promotional materials and everything else. Special thanks to Susan Brunner for her help with this. She is a marketing fool and has helped me tremendously.<br />
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The Grove City Writer's Group is in the midst of its Summer Scribbles writing contest for middle and high schoolers who live in Southwestern City School District. Cash prizes will be awarded<br />
at the Summer Sizzle concert in downtown Grove City on Friday August 16 at intermission<br />
(about 7 pm).<br />
<br />
I am finishing up editing and rewriting on Where have all the Flowers Gone? which is a memoir of the first year after the death of my son. This is so much harder than I ever imagined and I miss him so much. I am grateful to have three other children and four wonderful in-laws. <br />
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Yesterday I made a small batch of apple sauce for the little boys. Surely they will love it. Peeling apples is one of the worst jobs in the kitchen. I didn't make much because I didn't want to peel any more. I am lazy, I guess.<br />
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Again I'm going to promise to do better with this blog. Do you think I will?Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-88415162040197944932013-06-15T09:56:00.000-04:002013-06-15T09:56:22.381-04:00Timeless Star due soon!After more than three years of disorganized waiting, our new book, is to be delivered this month - expected date June 29, 2013. I am excited to say the least. Serious business has been happening in my life as some of you know. We've had two deaths and three births in the family in the time of serious change to our structure. These things have prevented most sane activity.<br />
<br />
When my children were growing up and some problem preented itself, the line was: "well, nobody died and nobody's pregnant. How bad can it be." We have surpassed our limit in the past three years and I truly do hope we are set for a while. No more momentous changes, PLEASE?<br />
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<strong>TIMELESS STAR</strong> features the ladies from the Guild in the Granary who were introduced in our first book <strong>THE GUILD IN THE GRANARY</strong>. Two of the ladies go to a two-week-long quilt retreat in the hills of southern Ohio. There is death and distruction, bad tempers and love affairs, humour and a sheriff named Brain as part of the new story. You are going to love it.<br />
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The book will be available for purchase as soon as we receive it from the printer. Please order at our web site DoubleDPress.com. The books are $14.95 plus shipping and <strong>tax </strong>OR 2 books for $25.00 plus shipping and tax. <br />
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We are scheduling shop and guild visits for the upcoming season so contact us if you'd like us to visit your guild meeting in Ohio or your quilt shop. We present a fun program with prizes and itrems of interest to your patrons and guild members.<br />
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My garden looks great. I may even get out and take a picture. The garden at the farm looks less good and somebody ate all the green beans. I hate picking green beans so maybe God is being good to me by makiing certain there are none for me to pick. I love my garden until mid July and then I abandon it to the weeds and its own devices. I am having special fun with it this year. <br />
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I have been quilting a bit. I sent or Major General Deborah Ashenhurst sent five quilts to children in Afghanistan who my son told me hadn't the clothing to stay warm in the cold weather. I am grateful to her for getting the quilts into the hands of kids who need them. I have finished up three other quilts that have been laying around - unfinished- for a while. I have three more that need to be finished. I am grateful to be getting these little piles of stuff finished up. <br />
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Do not misconstrue this info. I'm still awfully disorganized, but I'm working on it and can even see where I am making a bit of progress.<br />
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I have two, maybe three, more books in the hopper and have to get myself moving on those and I have started the research for a third Guild in the Granary story that will have a civil war re-enactment as the backdrop of the story. I have attended one re-enactment where I met Annie Oakley, a blacksmith who is giving classes in the fine art of blacksmithing in my area, and a guy named Kenny who sold me a bow and arrowes. It was fun.<br />
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Stay tuned for wheneveer I get back here to let you know what is going on with <strong>TIMELESS STAR</strong>, the writing and everything else.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-22189619178027507712013-04-08T17:47:00.001-04:002013-04-08T17:47:43.136-04:00A Year Has Passed!!!A Year Has Passed!!!<br />
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We observed the one year anniversary of my son's death this past week. I am blown away by the kindness and attentiveness of his fellow soldiers. We ran into them at his grave in Wellston, three car loads. We heard from them on Facebook, people sent us flowers and cards and wished us well. This is the sort of thing that causes me to believe there is so much good out there in the world. <br />
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My heart is broken that six more Americans have died in Afghanistan. Life is dicey folks. Let's enjoy it while we can. Let's love one another and have lots of fun and share what we have. It is the only answer.<br />
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Jamie and I have made corrections and changes to the manuscript of Timeless Star. Today I went through the final section again and made more edits. I have to do a better job of this the next time. There are still corrections I could make in wording and we are too far into the process to do that. At least that is my opinion.<br />
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I have signed up for Techy Tuesday at my local library. Hopefully I will learn to work with pictures. I am looking forward to this and hope I am not so far gone that I can't learn to do this.<br />
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Thank goodness I am here today doing the blog. I really am trying to get some order back into my life.<br />
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See you next week.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-42564428390458150612013-04-01T10:39:00.000-04:002013-04-01T10:39:16.024-04:00Happy Day After EasterApril 1, 2013<br />
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I'm giving myself a special dispensation since yesterday was Easter. We had a great day. After church we had an Easter egg hunt with Kyleigh ( 6 years old) and her two , under-two cousins having their first go at an Easter egg hunt. It was such a joy to see these kids get the hang of it. Evan kept dumping his basket and having to stop to retreive all the eggs again. Tucker kept setting his basket down and leaving it behind. Oh what fun.<br />
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In the midst of it some stupid squirrel who lives in my yard grabbed a green plastic egg and took off for the tree tops. I think Jamie's sister, Harmonica, got a photo of the little bugger in the top of a tree. It was such fun. There was no quiltiing, no writing, no laudable activity of any kind. <br />
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I am getting mulch for my new back yard flower garden today or soon. Keirsten is working for Ohio Mulch and is taking care of it for me. I am ready to get outside and do spring. Lord have mercy, it has been a long winter.<br />
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Jamie and I are work on the final proofing of Timeless Star and probably will not finish that up this week. We are observiing the first anniversary of our dear Shawn's death. I still don't believe it. <br />
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Have a good week and I really am trying to keep up with the blog.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-48140504111122835502013-03-25T10:55:00.000-04:002013-03-25T10:55:31.876-04:00Last Snow of the season - I hope!March 25, 2013<br />
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New snow on the ground this morning and I hope it is the last of the season, but at the same time it is achingly beautiful. The world is frosted white and pure for as far as my eye can see. I love it even though I'm tired of it and ready for spring. <br />
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I've decided Ivy and Esther needs to act as an addendum to Timeless Star. It is the back story for the Timeless Star quilt. I've never quite seen anything like it in a novel but I think there is no rule against it. An addendum, I mean. Jamie will get the book formatted and it will be ready to send off to the printer. Oh happy day!<br />
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So, we have to plan our sales program for Timeless Star and I am starting to think about the next book. It is going to be about Caroline and Always in Stitches taking part in a Civil War re-enactment. I am excited about learning the ins and outs the re-enactors go through behind and before the scenes. Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-76285848489549742712013-03-25T10:52:00.003-04:002013-03-25T10:52:34.639-04:00All about change . . .March 25, 2013<br />
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Not the kind of change you carry around in your purse, but the kind that occurs in your head. <br />
I have decided Ivy and Esther needs to be an addendum to Timeless Star. I don't think I've ever seen a novel with an addendum, but I don't think there is any rule against it. So . . . we are going to do it.<br />
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Jamie has to format the story and make a few corrections in the first (already formatted) section of Timeless Star, then we will send it to the printer. Oh happy day! <br />
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We have been at this off and on for four years. It is time to be done with it and get it out there where people can read it. I'm excited about that. <br />
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I've found a man who is willing to take me with him to some re-enactor week ends so I can find out what goes on behind the scenes and in front of the scenes before I start to write. I hope to be ready to write when the fall comes around again but I plan to enjoy summer in the mean time. I have such big plans for my gaarden and swimming and time at Dickie's lake and the farm. I don't want to let the summer get away from me again.<br />
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I also have a book abut the loss of my son that I have been working on all year. Haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with it. But I am thinking about it and will decide soon. I might try getting it pulished or I might just have it printed up for the family. I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking about it.<br />
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Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-84805152517703624462013-03-17T11:20:00.001-04:002013-03-17T11:20:59.826-04:00Happy St. Patrick's DayMarch 17, 2013<br />
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I have to be the worst blogger in the history of the Internet, but I am persistant and I'm back again.<br />
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April 4, 2012 my son was killed in Afghanistan by a twelve year old suicide bomber. It has been devastating to the entire family to lose him. We are trying to move on but it is very hard. We miss him. He left a wonderful wife and a (now) nineteen month old son behind. War is indeed Hell.<br />
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Life does go on and we are trying to move along with it, keeping him in our hearts each day. <br />
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Writing and my family have helped me survive this loss. I have a wonderful, new grand daughter who is eleven weeks old. Her parents have named her Shawnessy in memory of her uncle. She is a joy and so are the rest of my grand children. God loves them and so do I.<br />
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So... <strong>Timeless Star, </strong>our second quilting novel will be going to the printer in the next couple of weeks. Jamie, my daughter-in-law and I have finally gotten it together to put the ISBN number and the bar code on the cover. <br />
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You are going to love this book. It is a mystery featuring the Quild in the Granary ladies and a few nes folks. Agnes and one of the young shop girls go to a two week quilt retreat where bad guys wreak havoc and generally mess up the weeks for the retreat-goers. Again somebody dies. I think ervery mystery should have a body. Don't you?<br />
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Mary Clark, our partner in Crime, has been sick for months after a routine gall bladder surgery became un-routine. Her intestinal track was accidently damaged and she has been healing for months. We have called a meeting to get all of us back into the saddle again.<br />
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The next quilting novel is going to involve Civil War re-enactors so I'm planning to spend some time this summer hanging out with them - re-enacters I mean to learn the lingo, etc. I'm looking forward to this and I can promise you there will be a body in the story. Beyond that who knows. Writiing is all about spinning straw iinto gold. We will all have to stay tuned to see what CAroline and the ladies from the guild get into this time.<br />
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Our writer's Group is growing like crazy and we will soon be starting our fourth <strong>Summer Scribbles</strong> writing contest for middle and high school writers. You can see the details on the Writing Group web site so aptly handled by Liz Thompson. The address is <a href="http://grovecitywriters.wordpress.com/member/websites">http://grovecitywriters.wordpress.com/member/websites</a> . Check it out. <br />
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I am trying to get organized and move on with my life and my writing. It has been a long winter and I like most peoppleiin central Ohio am looking forward to spring. I have onion sets ready to go into the garden and lots and lots of work to be done in the yard. Ye Gods!<br />
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My goal will be to blog every Sunday and see where that takes us. Cross your fingers for me.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-33365051772718616082011-09-21T09:41:00.000-04:002011-09-21T09:41:40.660-04:00TIME MARCHES ON!I cannot be the only person shocked by being past the middle of September. I am doing almost anything to keep from actually writing something. I had a really good idea for a new cast of characters and a new series - sort of. I am still working it through in my head. I don't know how it will come out. Not at all if I don't get something on paper.<br />
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Mary, Jamie and I are meeting today. Everything is going soooo slow for me. Not that I am a great big help at getting things done. Mary is busy at selling off her shop. Jamie is busy with little Evan, Darlene is busy recovering from a heart attack. I am sort of lost and alone and cannot find my direction.<br />
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Our Welcome to the World party is this week end. Official welcome of little Tucker into the world and the family. I hope we have a good time. I hope lots of folks come to eat hamburgers and hot dogs. I'll get back to you about this.<br />
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I am missing book signing opportunities. I haven't got the sweet potatoes dug at the garden yet. I am barely stumbling along. Pray for me. Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-22005842469471231582011-09-15T11:08:00.000-04:002011-09-15T11:08:21.139-04:00BUSY WEEKMy next job is to learn how to deal with photos on the computer. I have not learned to do this yet. I need to know how it's done. I'm going to ask my daughter in law to teach me. Seems like all the my kids kknow how to do this and I don't.<br />
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I am trying to put together a sheet for the writer's group and I can't adjust the size of the photos the way I want to. I just hate that.<br />
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The 2011 Summer Scribble contest is officially over. We had a little reception at the library board meeting, thanks to the library board. All the winners showed up and that was really nice. Next year we are doing another book to sell and the picture Janet took of all of them will be the cover. This has turned out better than I imagined it would. This was our second year and we went from 17 entries the first year to almost 50 this year. Who knows what will happen next year. It feels good to encourage upcoming writers.<br />
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We are getting very close to sending our new book to the printer. Then we will have to get a book signing tour in operation. I like going out and seeing the ladies. Quilters really are cool people. I'll also have to get busy working on the next book. I have ideas for two. One about the girls during the Civil War and one about an encampment by Civil War re-inactors. I will have to get my rear end into the seat and actually start writing to get that done.<br />
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It's very cool this morning. I think fall has snuck up on us. I spent the night doing the night feedings at my daughter's house so she and her husband could get a full night's sleep. Guess which two folks didn't get a full night's sleep --- grandma and the baby. He's such a sweet little thing and I don't even mind being awakened by him.<br />
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My son turned himself over to the Army today. He will be gone for most of a year - part of that time in Afghanistan. His wife, his 9 week old son, and the rest of the family will miss him. We love him and we need him to be here. We are doing the best we can.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-63967287021918689732011-09-12T18:34:00.000-04:002011-09-12T18:34:42.339-04:00THE TROUBLE WITH WRITING<br />
is that there are so many much easier things to do. I am finishing up my gardens. Clearing them out and hopefully getting ready to be readier in the spring than I was this spring. I have only two more things I want to "put-up" this year. Apple butter, which my friend Patti is going to help me with, and Apple Jack which I have never done before. Oh, I also have to dig sweet potatoes and onions. My garden was better than last year but not spectacular yet. I am working on it.<br />
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My dear friend Darlene is out of the hospital and at her son's house recovering from the heart attack she had lastt week-end. Boy, I was afraid she was going to die, but she didn't thanks to The John McConnell Heart Hospital at Riverside. They truly saved her life and I am grateful.<br />
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My son is being deployed - eventually-to Afghanistan and he is leaving us this week.We all hate to see him go. Besides us, he is leaving a wife and seven week old baby here with us. We all will be fine and I will be glad when his deployment is over and he is home for good. <br />
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I couldn't watch all the 9-11 stuff on TV during the week end., I couldn't believe it when I saw it the first time. I am not yet ready to see it again. My son said he wanted to watch as much of it as he could so it would all be fresh in his mind when he gets where he is going. The world is a strange and dicey place. My daughter and I are going to change our eating habits while he is gone. We have a year to do it.<br />
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I will get serious about the writing when I get my head above the water that seems to be gaining on me.<br />
Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-9633842958479063892011-09-02T13:48:00.002-04:002011-09-02T13:48:56.961-04:00BLOGGING IS LIKE DIETING. I CAN'T SEEM TO STICK WITH ITBoth babies are born. You have no idea how hard this is on the grandmother. Boith are perfect and beautiful. Evan Thomas Hannon and Tucker Allen Chaffin. I am having trouble getting the names right. The babies may have to learn to answer to either. They are perfect and wonderful and I love them both.<br />
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Kyleigh is five and has started to kindergarten. Oh she is a sweetheart and got a yellow mark already ( this is not good) Green is good. I asked her what she did and I could have guessed without one hint. Talking during rest time. I know that has always been against school rules, but she doesn't.<br />
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So I'm wrapping up the gardens. We had a bumper squash crop and a half bushel of potatoes. Boy, are they good. This is our biggest potato crop so far. I am very pleased. We haven't dug the sweet potatoes yet. That will be on the next trip to the farm.<br />
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My fiftieth class reunion was this summer. I had a great time. Some folks who have not showed up in the past came to this one. There must be something magic about the fiftieth. I seriously wonder where the time has gone.A blink of time has passed. It is shocking. It is stunning. Pay attention and try tending to every minute. It gets away fast.<br />
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We have passed the one year anniversary of my husband's death. It has been much harder than I ever imgined it would be. It got worse the closer we got to the actual day he passed. I relived the past year and what was happening each day that time last year. <br />
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Seems like I have been behind all year and I'm hoping to catch up this next year. Wish me luck.<br />
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This blog is supposed to be abut the reading and writing that goes on in my life. Other stuff, too, but I'm trying to chronicle the experiences I have as I try writing things that matter to me. I have decided not to publish <strong>BUYING THE FARM AND WHEN DUTY CALLS</strong> for sale. I took them to Staples today to have copies made just for the family. We will take them to the farm and have them as part of our family history.<br />
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<strong>TIMELESS STAR</strong> is nearly ready to go to the printer<strong>.</strong> That will be a big day. It is the second quilting novel and I think people are going to like it. We have had some problems getting it to press but it really is coming soon. We will be setting up signings at guild meeting around central Ohio like we did with Guild in the Granary. We also have a new web site www://doubledpress.com where you can order the books that we have available for your reading pleasure.<br />
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I will try very hard to get back to you next week. Stay tuned.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-29072354393119239992011-05-26T11:48:00.000-04:002011-05-26T11:48:51.327-04:00Coming Back ....AgainWhere does the time go? I'm trying again to get back to the blog. The sun is finally shining in the Midwest. T<br />
he storms have been dreadful this week. My thoughts and prayers go out to the folks who have lost so much.<br />
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I am getting ready to welcom two little grand babies. Oh, how wonderful this is. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the little fellows. That is what we are doing this summer. Having grandbabies. Both little boys:<br />
One to be born in July and one in August. Joyful, joyful!!!<br />
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Some writing going on here. I'm trying to adjust my posts and format as I am associated with a new publishing company called Double D Press. I can't seem to get this done. It's been so long I forget how to do it. I will have weekly ( I hope) posts for you about how things are going. You do not want all the gory details of the change. . . trust me. But we are getting ready to move forward under new management. We'll see how it goes.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-67430773010707410692011-05-26T11:36:00.000-04:002011-05-26T11:36:52.720-04:00havingfunwithoutyou... McDiggs Publishing: Here I am again!<a href="http://havingfunwithoutyou.blogspot.com/2010/06/here-i-am-again.html#comments">havingfunwithoutyou... McDiggs Publishing: Here I am again!</a>Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-65561415244081411862010-07-14T21:45:00.000-04:002010-07-14T21:45:47.976-04:00Life is intruding on my plans! I'm back witih a short message. I have written chapter two of Ivy and Esther. I am interested in what is going on. Anybody besides me have to write the story to know what is going to happen? Presidnet Lincoln has called for Union soldiers and they are passing through Wilkesville on their was to the war. Esther is going to sneak out and go see the troop trains. This is going to cause all sorts of problems for both Esther and Ivy. I can hardly wait to see how it turns out.<br />
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I just read <strong>The Widow of the South </strong>which was excellent. I have recommended it to my book club ( the one at the library) and maybe they will decide to read it. I want to recommend it to anybody who is reading this blog, too. It is a war story and a love story and human story and it is very well written.<br />
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It's hard to believe July is half over. I am starting to harvest from my garden. Still only one red tomato but they are going to come oon with a vengence in a few days. <br />
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My husband is doing okay. He ate a bit better today and didn't sleep all day long. These are good signs.<br />
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I'll get back to you.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-57015170873986639692010-07-11T17:38:00.000-04:002010-07-11T17:38:42.238-04:00I'M BAAAACK!This is the quilt I made for my grand daughter's new big-girl bed. I got another picture up on here but I had a lot trial and error involved. Yikes! I have to improve at this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfq54wQ-Qy0C8BKrsJfr32ty1yqjR9Oh_Cuyi-nAqXEq10TmF7hGafCgsy5-Nijyt-KPn2HetVaxjweg4FlSzdPoKNK-OIdQEm8l54OIRBZ6iliusAr9dTyZhBxTWH_qspwgOlUJ6G4P1a/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfq54wQ-Qy0C8BKrsJfr32ty1yqjR9Oh_Cuyi-nAqXEq10TmF7hGafCgsy5-Nijyt-KPn2HetVaxjweg4FlSzdPoKNK-OIdQEm8l54OIRBZ6iliusAr9dTyZhBxTWH_qspwgOlUJ6G4P1a/s320/019.JPG" /></a></div>Life sure is interesting. We have to get up in the morning to see what is going to happen that day. I have started actually writing a new book. I'm calling it Ivy and Esther in my head, not sure what the title will turn up being. It centers on two young girls during the years of the Civil War. These young girls are based on what I know about my children's great great-grandmothers. One was the daughter of an Indian squaw and a white man. The other was the daughter of a town doctor. I have the barest of information about these women and so will have to make most of it up.<br />
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I have done a lot of research on the civil war era but there is so much to know. I am concerned about making some horrible mistake that will make me look like a dummy but I will forge on. The story takes place in southern Ohio before and during the time of Morgan's Raid through the southern Ohio area. I am very interested in these two girls and what they get up to. The doctor's daughter has diabetes and the squaw's daughter becomes her companion. The relationship between the girls in intersting to me and or course what was going on with the war as a backdrop. <br />
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I have one chapter written and am encouraged. <br />
<br />
In the meantime my husband is not feeling so well. He fell off the toilet and cracked his head on the cupboard on Friday. I know, it's almost funny, but it scraped the skin off his forehead and since he is taking blood thinners we had to get his brain checked out. It was a long morning in the emergency eventhough when we arrived there was not a single person in the waiting room. Not one. I couldn't believe it. Ended up he was a bit dehydrated and was given IV fluids.<br />
<br />
So that's what I'm doing for fun this day. I'm not going to explain about my failure to stick to my proomise to write every week. I'm just going to try doing better. <br />
Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-12050172880304097162010-06-16T17:02:00.001-04:002010-06-16T21:57:41.441-04:00Here I am again!It's been a big week. There is more to writing than writing. My friend Darlene and I went to a book signing at the South Lebanon Quilt Show on Friday. Oh my God was it hot and humid. It was a wonderful show with the life quilting works of . We were privileged to meet her when she came into the show. She is delightful and 80 years old. A very beautiful woman.<br />
We sold some books and met some wonderful people. We met Peggy Logue who was also selling her book called Skin in The Game which is about the year her nineteen year old soon spent in Iraq as a US Marine. I am particularly interested in this becasue my son and I are collaborating on a book about the year he spent in Kuwait and Iraq. <br />
<br />
I am also very excited to have received a review of Glory from the Midwest Book Review. I am including it here so you can see what a complete stranger had to say about the book. I am very excited that they liked it. You can find it at <a href="http://www.midwestbookreview.com/">http://www.midwestbookreview.com/</a> if you don't want to read it here.<br />
<br />
Glory Pruitt has just spent two months holed up after her husband died<br />
of a heart attack. In another woman's bed. That is the first of several<br />
shocks she is about to receive. The roughly 2.5 million in assets from<br />
their business have disappeared, and her husband has been sending<br />
flowers to a number of women in town. Camden, Ohio is a town full of<br />
pedigrees, and its insulation begets snobbery that Glory doesn't really<br />
understand. But the shadows are full of menace, and it is up to Glory to<br />
put it all together:<br />
<br />
I I .<br />
"My front door was unlocked when I arrived home. I couldn't remember<br />
ifl'd locked it before I left for Studs Unlimited or not. It seemed like I'd<br />
left days ago and anything was possible. I pushed it open and stepped<br />
inside.<br />
'Anybody here?' I called out.<br />
My voice echoed in the stillness. For a moment I stood quietly, listening<br />
for an answer. The silence in the house was heavy, artificial. The<br />
drawers of my desk were open and papers were strewn across its top. I<br />
knew I hadn't left it that way. I fingered through the papers and saw the<br />
mail was still there where I'd left it and felt a shiver crawl up my back. I<br />
didn't know if it was seeing the envelope from my mother's lawyer or<br />
something else. I wondered if Kate might have stopped by to have<br />
another look at the desk."<br />
<br />
Forrester's talent is that she sets up scenes guaranteed to make the reader<br />
want to scream out at Glory to be careful. Glory's character is someone<br />
who has been sheltered her entire life and suddenly has to function on<br />
her own in the midst of an evil presence determined to bring her down.<br />
Forrester carefully paces the story so that Glory has to either adjust or<br />
literally die, which makes for a hair-raising spine tingler of a mystery,<br />
and one that the reader simply can't put down. GLORY is a winner.<br />
<br />
Shelley Glodowski<br />
Senior Reviewer <br />
<br />
Isn't that nice? Don't you just love it? I do.<br />
<br />
We have a book signing in Port Clinton, Ohio on June 23 and a signing at the Logan Antigue Mall on June 26 from 1-3. Quuilters are busy here in Columbus this week at the NQA show. I am not going to make it down. My family is taking first priority at the moment. My husband is very ill.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-67558166623655199862010-06-09T10:16:00.000-04:002010-06-09T10:16:03.997-04:00Two weeks in a Row<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZWvWW-6oaJTAanjIjj-IbAMY7BC8gbSmeS7st-dtkyE4WZBxR_NuhiBwxhm6dNGo4jaI3j7d3ZWUO1uz0NkrB_z24CJzh34dINiVDRhwWCIC9lkM54lQ-9CAmRkVtiHLKIMno_yhG_hh/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZWvWW-6oaJTAanjIjj-IbAMY7BC8gbSmeS7st-dtkyE4WZBxR_NuhiBwxhm6dNGo4jaI3j7d3ZWUO1uz0NkrB_z24CJzh34dINiVDRhwWCIC9lkM54lQ-9CAmRkVtiHLKIMno_yhG_hh/s320/008.JPG" /></a></div>I'm very proud. I got a picture put up all by myself. This is my grandaughter and her dog, Gus at our farm. I made the dress and hat. I love this child in a way even I cannot believe. <br />
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The point of this blog is to tell you about my writing experiences but I haven't had any this week so I will talk about something else. My husband has a stage 4 gastric cancer. The entire family has been dealing witih this almost two years now and we are getting to a harder part. It takes all our energy some days. I think Bill (my husband) is depressed. He doesn't feel good, that is for sure. He has lost his appetite and had two embolisms in his lung last week. so now he is on blood thinners and the dosage is not yet adjusted. This morning he had a bloody nose. It did stop but his INR is too high and needs to come down.<br />
<br />
He is not the best patient in the world and I am not the best caregiver. We have fun around here. I had him eat advacado which he does not like this morning. That will help with his vitamin K intake. I told him to think of it as medicine. I have to call the Zangmeister Center and find out what they think we should do. A lot of my time is spent in this sort of activity, so no writing gets done. Bear with me.<br />
<br />
I am going to a book signing on Friday in South Lebanon, Ohio. This will be interesting to me as it is my first experience as a vender at a quilt show. Hopefully we will sell some books. I still have a lot of them in the garage. I will let you know how it goes next week.<br />
<br />
I am still thinking about the civil war book I want to write next. My main characters are named Ivy and Esther. They are ten and fourteen. Esther is ill, gravely ill, as a matter of fact. Her father is a doctor and he suffers over not being able to help her. The year is 1862 and the Civil War is raging down south and threatens to spill over into Ohio where Esther and Ivy live. See, it sounds interesting, don't you think? I have to schedule some time to work on it. I want to begin to find out what's really going on. That is the main reason I write. It is the only way I can find out what the story is. <br />
<br />
Check back next week and see how things are going. I'm relly pleased I got a picture up all by myself.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-62869471522219067932010-05-26T10:07:00.001-04:002010-05-26T11:19:15.665-04:00Only a week has passed!<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybt54eoL544U10Q5jIJ3rSvb7leWO2YlAW-XuCZIejEPAMOZrjEJoDt5WUGuYqalvHSxPNlHhHM6jTJxqox9Cgni7Y7oEy2VYdaEWtDVMEyW_5nxcCQsBnpe3j6_nU5h7N9QUDHZmCzn8/s1600/yellow+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybt54eoL544U10Q5jIJ3rSvb7leWO2YlAW-XuCZIejEPAMOZrjEJoDt5WUGuYqalvHSxPNlHhHM6jTJxqox9Cgni7Y7oEy2VYdaEWtDVMEyW_5nxcCQsBnpe3j6_nU5h7N9QUDHZmCzn8/s320/yellow+flower.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Only a week has passed and I am blogging again. So far I am keeping my word. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have to learn to do photos. Tht is the reason for the flower. Mary showed me how to do it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It will take me a few times to get the hang of it. I want there to be soomething interesting for you to read, so I'm not limiting myself to writing about writing or quilting oro just life in general. I'm going to be </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">writing about all of that, probably all mixed up together and tell you what I am doing and learning as I </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">go along.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the things I do is lead a book club. It started at Always in Stitches quilt Shop and from the </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">book club we decided to write a book, which we did. That book is The Guild in the Granary and it is</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">available for purchase at McDiggspublishing.com.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then we publlished Glory which I wrote all alone and it is also availabe for purchase. It has nothing to do with quilts.I am working on a couple of other booksthat may be published in the future. Nobody really knows for sure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway the book club met on Monday. We had a field trip to the Gantz Farm herb garden which is located in one of the city parks in Grove City, Ohio where we are from. It was very interesting and we appreciate the city making the efforts it makes on behalf of the citizens. The book for the month <strong>was The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen</strong>. Most of the group like4d this book but we didn't get to rate it. The meeting was sort of as mess because pre-schoolers were having end-of-the-year activities at the park. It was hard to hear and we didin't get to have much of a discussion. Sometimes things don't work out that well. Monday was one of those days. We broke up early and will try to do better next month. Next month out book <strong>is The Castle of the Flynns by Michael Raleigh</strong>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-72188261297106185812010-05-19T14:16:00.000-04:002010-05-19T14:16:14.717-04:00Starting Over!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Glory! It has been getting great reviews!<a href="http://mcdiggspublishing.com/images/Gbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://mcdiggspublishing.com/images/Gbook.jpg" wt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>I find it helpful to start over every now and then. I mean begin again with my life. I don't know how it got from November to May without my posting a message but it did. Glory is out and response to it has been very good. I gave a copy to our library, because they have no money to buy books, pay staff or do much of anything else and there are reserves on the book. People have to wait in line to read it. I am so excited about this I can hardly stand myself. <br />
<br />
We have been to a couple of book signings with Glory and the stack of boxes in my garage is shrinking. This is good news.People like this story. It is the story of almost any small town and it's people. I want you to read it and let me know what you think.<br />
<br />
I am making a pledge to blog once every week into the future. Mary is going to help me put a picture of Glory up. I hope I will learn to do this myself eventually. I didn't say how long the blog would be so I'm going to stop now and gather my thoughts before I do this again. I have been advised to talk about other things going on in my life, besides just my writing so I plan to do that. Tell me how I'm doing. Please? I get nervous when I am all alone.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-38110526968095116972009-11-19T09:00:00.001-05:002010-05-26T11:19:15.684-04:00Book signing in ColumbusMary and I went to a quilt signing at Columbus S Quild on Tuesday evening. Again it was fun. There was a lot of interest in the way we managed to write the book. Most everybody agred with me that Sleimer was not a good last name for a love interest for one of Caroline's girls. I felt vindicated for saying, "We can't use that name. It's dreadful. <br />
<br />
We sold some books and met more great quilters. This guild has a man. Is he the cat who ate the canary in a bunch of women? We went to dinner before the meeting and Rita bought my supper though she barely knows me. I love it. There was an H1N1 innoculation sight next door to the quilt meeting and the parking was brutal. Mary is a member of this guild and that makes things extra nice. Jan wasn't able to go with us becasue she was visiting family in Chicago. We missed her and I have to say sort of screwed up her part of the program. Sorry Jan.<br />
<br />
We asked the guild members to vote on our potential titles. Well three of them. I couldn't remember one of them so we couldn't ask about it. Results were 9 votes for Star-crossed quilt, 3 votes for the Timeless Star and 1 vote for the Timeless Star. Some of the other suggestions were Star Everlasting, Magically Pieced Star, Threads of History, and Stars and pieces. One quilter saud she didn't like any of the suggestions and thought we should keep working on it. The input really does help us decide.<br />
<br />
Glory should be arriving from the printer in the next couple of weeks. I have a few pre-sales on my list and will be having a signing at the Always in Stitches Christmas Open House on Sunday December 6. I am excited about this. <br />
<br />
We are having some problems with getting our second book on the page. We are to Chapter 19 and not sure what direction to go. We will try to resolve it soon and get moving again. Jan and I may start working on a quilting story that takes place during the Civil War soon. It is going to be really fun to write. I'll let you know when we get it started.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-66362914168554073022009-11-08T20:58:00.000-05:002009-11-08T20:58:10.234-05:00Book signing in Marysville We had a great book signing at LoneStar Quilting in downtown Marysville on November 5. It's a great new shop that opened in September. It is a great little shop in a used-to-be bank. Can yo believe I bought some fabric? Don't know yet what I will do with it but I'll think of something. Mary had to get back to Columbus for the Kids N Kamp auction at Ohio State so Jan, my husband and I had supper at Old Bag of Nails. I love Old Bag of Nails so that was a treat. Then we went to the Union County Quilt Guild to do their program and to sign books for their members. We met another great bunch of quilters and had a wonderful evening. Thanks to all who shared the fun with us.<br />
The more quilters I get to know, the more I like quilters. The Union County ladies have a finish it challenge going on. Did you ever hear of such a thing. They actually get points for finishing projects that have fallen by the way side. I was impressed and we got to see some great finished work at the meeting.<br />
We also got to share the cover for Glory which is at the printers right now. This was the first viewing of the cover and I am very happy with it. I hope you all will like it too. The book should be ready for release by January 1. We are excited about that. It will be available through McDiggs web site and from Amazon. <br />
We are still working like crazy on the sequel to The Guild in the Granary. We are ready to really name the book. One of the ladies at the Union County Guild suggested we let readers have a chance to help name the book, so we are going to try that. So how about voting on the title you like or thinking up something we haven't thought of yet.<br />
Our suggestions are: A Timeless Star<br />
A Star in Time<br />
The Antique Star<br />
The Star-crossed Quilt<br />
Send us your votes and suggestions and we will consider all of them. I promise. <br />
<br />
I will have a few advance copies of Glory at Always in Stitches Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 6 from 2 to 4 pm. I will be signing books while they last. They are going to make great Christmas gifts for your reading friends. Price is $14.95 plus tax. Hope to see you there.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-66274098040882265632009-10-27T12:38:00.000-04:002009-10-27T12:38:32.029-04:00I have been writing a while I decided to look online and see what work of mine might still be there. I found only two stories remaining and they are from the last century. Sounds like a really long time ago doesn't it. In the Rose and Thorn Ezine I have a story called <strong>Jessie's Angels. </strong>The story was inspired by my mother-in-laws angel collection. I had fun writing and I think wrote two versions of it. The other story I found on<strong>-line</strong> was <strong>Private Services </strong>in La Petite Zine. This story was inspired by my mother-in-laws ashes being delived by mail to my husband and me in a box much smaller than I expected. Her wish was to be spread among bushes at a neighborhood live theater in the area where she lived. <br />
I really like the short story form. When done properly it is like a diamond. Compact and brilliant moving toward one conclusion and only one conclusion. It lingers in the mind after it is read causing the reader to think about what happened and why. I've won several writing competitions with short stories and am proud of that. They are little slices of life that touch another person.<br />
McDiggs is finished with Glory which I told you went to the printer. I will have several weeks before the finished product comes back and sales can begin. While I have a little down time, I'm going to begin working on a book my son and I are co-writing - or maybe you'd say we have already co-written it. My son was in Kuwait and Iraq last year. We each kept a diary and I kept the letters and emails we wrote back and forth. I hope a compilation of these things will help other families deal with the many circumstances of millitary deployment. In fact, I'm going to work on that right now.Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-7140701202751631742009-10-26T21:14:00.003-04:002009-10-26T21:21:17.207-04:00<em>Hey Everyone!</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Today the Always In Stitches Monday morning bookclub met and we had a discussion regarding the title of book # 2. We are thinking something with the word Thread.... We want to have a title that makes you want to grab the book, and also describes what the book is about. Expect to hear some of the ideas very soon! Have a great week! - Mary</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-90589867767809754272009-10-21T18:04:00.000-04:002009-10-21T18:04:45.393-04:00Glory going to printer!!! Wahoo!<strong>Glory</strong>, my mystery story, is going to press sometime in the next week. I am excited. It is a mystery story about what bloodlines mean to some people. It's set in a small Ohio town and is full of really great, funny characters. I am excited to get a completed copy into my hands. It is scheduled for a January release. My website is under construction. I will let you know when I have an address you can visit.I wrote this book all by myself, while Mary, Jan and I collaborated on <strong>Guild in the Granary</strong>. Jan has done all the preparation of the manuscript and Mary tells me she is reading it. I will post the cover when I get a copy. My good friend Nancy did the cover. She is a professional and I will post her business name after I ask her if she minds.<br />
<br />
It is a beautiful day today in Ohio. I have my first go at running the leaf blower. It's not that hard. I also pent the morning at the Fall Festival at my three-year-old grand daughters day camp. Oh my, these little ones can run the legs off their grandmothers. I am pooped.<br />
<br />
I wonder if there is anyone out there. Somebody write me back, please, so I know I'm not alone. I'm a learner at this and need reassurance. Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2961158646491243288.post-48418975339881411462009-10-17T20:36:00.001-04:002009-10-21T17:52:23.340-04:00We had a Book Signing in Portsmouth, OhioMonday we traveled to Portsmouth, Ohio for a booksigning. It was a beautiful day. Mary drove her new car. I am a very nervous rider and Mary has a tendency to be very casual about her speed and looking where she is going. It worked out okay. She was very considerate of me. We made it there and home safely. This is always a great concern to me when we go out into the world.<br />
<br />
First we went to Lil's Quilt Shop where we sold twelve books. I met a wonderful children's writer who came into get an autographed copy of our book. Her name is Pollyanna and she writes children's books. Don;t you love it? I did and her, too. We were at Lil's for two hours. I bought fabric and a set of 600 thread count sheets for $24.99. What a deal and I just started thinking I needed some new sheets. The staff was wonderful and helpful. We made some samples they are going to display and offer their customers. It's a darling shop.<br />
<br />
We had supper at a micro brewery in town. I bought beer to bring home but we didn't drink because we still had a program to do at The Down by the River Guild. Food was good and I know the beer would have been, too, if we hadn't been on a sober journey. <br />
<br />
We decided quilters are the nicest people. Every where we go they welcome us and are so pleasant to us. We did our little talk about the Guild in the Granary and how we came to write it. Jan brought her rat. You have to read the book to understand that. It is available on McDiggs Publishing website. We got to see a wonderful Boy Scout quilt made for scouts to raise money and we sold a bunch more books. I think total for the day was twenty-seven books. We are happy with that and know we are not Jonathon Kellerman.<br />
<br />
We also learned that the lady ( I can't remember her name) who started quilt barns in Adams County, Ohio, to honor her mother, is ill. I was so sorry to hear that as I enjoy the barns all over the State of Ohio. There are people doing good things every where but it is the others who make the evening news. Doesn't seem quite right does it.<br />
<br />
We met at Always in Stitches on Wednesday to hash out some concerns with our second book. We had to go back to the drawing board and beef up our suspect list. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, but I think you are going to like it when we get finished. I am trying to figure out this blogging business. Bear with me. Diana!Diana Forresterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02657816197689153667noreply@blogger.com0