2009

At this time of year, I think it's perfectly normal to look both back and forward, thinking of the things we've accomplished, the goals yet to be met, the blessings that have come into our lives as well as the blessings we hope for.

Some search for professional success, others for good health or happy relationships, or perhaps you're looking to find the path to your dream.

I wish for you in 2009 all the joy, peace, love and success that will bring you great satisfaction and the energy to offer a hand to the next person in line.

Happy, happy New Year to one and all!

It's Time to Celebrate

It's the time of year we get to spend many hours with family and friends, enjoying the camaraderie of intimate evenings for two, dinner with those we hold near and dear and gala events with plenty of guests. It's one of the best seasons for those who love to socialize!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or Solstice, I wish you great joy and happiness in the time you spend with those you love.

And because we celebrate Christmas, I'll take this moment to say Merry Christmas!

Libby

A Time to Give Thanks

It's a time of year to consider the bounty we enjoy in industrialized nations. When we have to lease rental space to contain the overflow of stuff we have, it is an embarrassment of riches. And we're all guilty of letting accumulation outweigh thankfulness sometimes.

Many, many people are very generous--giving to those less fortunate, offering a hand up to those who want to change their lives, organizing fund raisers in their communities, giving hope to those who've been so challenged they've forgotten what it is to look to the future with anticipation.

This year there are more financial challenges for so many with the global economy being fragile. But this is a time to be generous with our gifts -- a kind word, a genuine smile, letting someone ahead of you in line, paying for a coffee for the guy behind you at the drive-thru, dropping off a bag of dog or cat food at the local shelter...all cost nothing but time or a very few dollars.

No, we can't change the inequities in the world with the snap of a finger, much as we might wish to. But we can choose to help someone close to home -- and maybe someday our embarrassment of riches will be in blessings.

Reading an EBook

A few years ago, there wasn't much choice available if you wanted to read a non-traditional book. I had one of the original Rocket eBooks and I loved it. But, alas, parts became hard to buy. Since I edit also, I opted for an iPaq Pocket PC so I could read for pleasure, or work on a manuscript and sync back to my computer. Eventually, it's battery wouldn't recharge, and you know how hard it is to find batteries for technology more than a couple of years old!

I can read on my laptop, although it is a little less transportable than either of my first two readers. Now there are Kindles (available at this point only in the US right now) and the Sony eBook Reader (already with a new version), the eBook Reader from Bookwise and coming soon a new reader from Plastic Logic. I can also download and read on a Palm device, mobile phone of some kinds (like iPhone), and I'm not sure about the new netbooks.

There are plenty of options to the traditional book, although many still like it. I find, especially with a hard cover, that my hands will ache after holding a book for a while, and reading in bed with the light on is a worry for me since my SO has to get up quite early each weekday, so a backlit reader device is a good bonus for me.

Time to look around for a replacement!

Remembrance Day

November 11th is a day to stop and remember that we live in a free country because others were willing -- and are still willing -- to protect and preserve our way of life. Thousands of men left families, friends and loved ones behind. Many didn't return; some returned injured in ways from which they never recovered. We thank them for their service in Europe, Korea, the Pacific and North Africa.

Today, young men and women stand on the wall that protects us from terrorists who would do us harm. We thank them for their service around the world.

There are also those who stand as peacekeepers, giving democracy and freedom a chance to grow. We thank them.

Take a moment today to say thank you to someone who keeps our country safe and free...today and yesterday.

A Short Excerpt

People have asked about my upcoming Race to Win, so I wanted to give you a short excerpt. Meg has been working in Florida and got a call her grandfather had been hospitalized with a heart attack. This is what happens, after she visits him in hospital, when she gets to his Thoroughbred operation.

Meg’s head was pounding by the time she turned into the driveway to Forrestholme, her grandfather’s three hundred acre “homestead.” A state of the art broodmare operation, Forrestholme had a foaling barn, two separate mare barns, a stallion barn, artificial insemination lab, hundreds of acres of pasture, an indoor riding arena, a training track and a custom designed, four-bedroom stone home. He had worked hard to attain his dream, and now, like a cold shadow over it all, there was something seriously wrong.

Meg rounded the final bend in the driveway and stood on the truck’s brakes. With a scattering of loose gravel, the pickup skidded sideways and Meg had to do some quick steering to keep from sliding into one of the huge maples that lined the drive. Less than a foot from her front bumper loomed a twelve-foot high wrought iron gate. It was closed and locked. From its top, two video cameras panned the driveway area, and at the bottom to the left of the gate, an intercom stood silently, its unseen operator waiting to grant whomever approached entrance or exile.

She stared, frozen in stunned shock, for a moment or two. That fence had not been there when she had left for Florida in between Christmas and New Year’s. But it was very definitely there now. Putting the pickup in reverse, she straightened it out and angled up to the intercom. As she rolled down her window and leaned out to figure out how to call its control center, the intercom coughed to life as a nasal voice challenged her.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s Meg,” she said slowly. “Meg Forrest. I live here.”

There was a momentary pause before the disembodied voice responded coolly, “I’ll open the gates. Drive through slowly and straight up to the house. Don’t get out of your truck and don’t deviate from the road to the house.”

She could only stare at the intercom.

With a clank and a thud, the double wrought iron gates began to swing open in front of her. Meg put the truck in gear and started through the opening. As soon as she cleared them, the gates swung back into place. Something was definitely weird. Meg looked around as she started slowly towards the house. The tall fence extended in both directions as far as she could see, curving off around the house and down past the barns out of her sight to the pasture areas. She checked the broodmare barn automatically. Noting the lights still on, she started to turn down the lane leading to the barn when she remembered her directions to go straight to the house.
It’s still my farm to go where I want. And I think I’ll just check out the ladies on my way to the house. With that rebellious thought, she quickly twisted the truck’s wheel to the left and headed to the broodmare barn.

After easing to a stop in front of the main entrance to the mare’s barn, Meg turned off the truck and was about to step out when she happened to glance to her right, up the grade toward the house. Racing at full speed, eyes pinned to the truck, were two of the largest Dobermans Meg had ever seen.

By the time she’d registered their existence, they were at the side of the truck. Silently, they sat beside the driver’s door and fixed her with cold stares. No barking, no jumping, and definitely no tail wagging was going on here. More than a little rattled, Meg shoved the key back into the ignition, started up the truck, and turned for the house. She glanced in her rearview mirror and, sure enough, the two Dobes were trotting up the driveway behind her.

What the hell is going on here?

By the time she got to the house, Meg was furious. The last time she’d looked, Forrestholme had been their property. She was sure her grandfather would have mentioned it to her if he had sold it, so she was mystified by what was going on here. When she put the truck in park at the house, Meg was in no mood for the Dobermans. She leaned on the truck horn until someone ran out from behind the house. She kept on sounding the horn until the man hurried to the window of her truck.

“What’re ya doin’, lady?” The man had the look of an ex tackle on a professional football team. “Are ya tryin’ to get the dogs all ticked off?”

“Am I supposed to be worried about your dogs?” Meg’s tone sliced at the man’s arrogance. “I suggest you get those dogs back in their cages or kennels or wherever they live, and I suggest you do it now.”

Accustomed to obeying orders, the guard gave a quick whistle and a couple of hand signals. The dogs obediently trotted off behind the house with their handler following. As soon as they were out of sight, Meg wearily shoved open the truck door and climbed down onto the interlocking stone driveway. She pushed her hair back and straightened her shoulders. Time to beard the lion in his den.

Posting on Make Mine Mystery

Today, I blogged on Make Mine Mystery at www.blogspot.com/makeminemystery about the settings in mysteries. Please, drop by, check it out and comment.