Progress by Diane Burton

My last post was such a downer. February was a downer month. Here it is March and, WOW, what a change. Having a pity party (about lack of progress) should never last a whole month! So, I’d like to share what’s changed.

Thanks to wonderfully supportive writers, like you all, the Insecure Writers Support Group, and friends, I feel lifted up and raring to go. My work-in-progress, a romantic suspense that’s had a variety of titles, is coming together. I only wrote 7,000 words in February. Since my goal was 500 words/day, I was behind about 7k. Talk about depressing.

Already this month, I’ve written 3,000 words, and feel great about that. I also had a visit from my Muse (LOL) and came up with what I think is a great title: Numbers Never Lie. Being fellow writers, you know that feeling. I felt like a grinning Hannibal Smith rubbing his hands together and saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Isn’t it (ironic) funny how something as small as a title can change our attitude? That and sunshine. February around the Great Lakes produces gray skies. When I was a kid, one of the Detroit newspapers ran a contest: guess how many minutes of sunshine in February. My mother’s estimate was 7,000 (292 hours; 10 days). Mom’s estimate was too high. We love living near Lake Michigan. The beach, the water. Summer is wonderful. February isn’t.

For the past four years, we’ve gone out to Arizona to visit our son and his family. Not so this year. They moved here. As much as I love them living close by, we don’t have an excuse to leave Michigan in the winter. I told Hubs next year we’ll find some place to go, family or not.

Speaking of family, we’ve seen a lot of the grandkids this year. At least, once a week we see the twins (now 4 months old) and Toddler Girl plus the two older kiddies. Hubs is helping the older two prepare their cars for Pinewood Derby. Grandson’s Cub Scout troop insists this is a family event so granddaughter is participating, too. On another note, we went to Number One (agewise) Granddaughter’s orchestra concert. She plays violin. So proud of her musical talent. And we attended grandson’s karate promotion. He earned a yellow stripe on his red belt. Although he’s eight, he’d determined to earn his black belt be the time he’s twelve. Such determination. Proud grandma here!

I’m chugging along on Numbers Never Lie. My plan is to release it before summer. Here’s the tentative blurb:

A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie. 

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that—an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack leave behind?

I’ll be back on the 30^th and update you on my progress. BTW, I share snippets from Numbers Never Lie each weekend on the Weekend Writing Warriors' hop.

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. She blogs here on the 16th and 30th of each month.

Enough of the Dystopian Angst: What’s your good news? by Rolynn Anderson

Candidates for political office need to tell us how bad things are so their plans for fixing the nation’s problems sound brilliant.  But as this conceit plays out, we might conclude conditions in the country couldn’t be more dire.  You know that’s not true, as do I.  Worse are the politicians who would ask us to return to the 50’s/60’s/70’s when turmoil described our world, civil rights strife and the Viet Nam War, to name two potboilers.

The world is a better place today than it was a fifty years ago.  Heck, even the ozone hole has diminished in size.  Here are some other factoids (I have all the sources for these stats…if you want them, let me know!) :

After rising by 126% between 1960 and 1970 the 2010 violent crime rate is the lowest since the 70's at about 1/3 of 1973's. The violent crime rate under Reagan was 65% higher than today. The overall crime rate is half of what it was in 1990.  Since 1960, the average number of police deaths per year fell by 25% when compared to the last eight years. Poverty in America has fallen by 22% in the last 60 years. Average life expectancy has increased by 11 years (16%) since WWII.  Today's child mortality rate is about one-third of 1960's. Inflation adjusted income per person has increased by 122% since 1960. US manufacturers produce more than twice as much as they did in 1980, but the kinds of manufacturing jobs have changed. The average inflation adjusted price for gas today is just $0.11/gal more than 1981. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has increased by 249% since 1960.

For me, as a writer, my good news-two books coming out this year.  Even better, my books emerge among a wealth of wonderful writers who have learned the ins and outs of small press/indie publishing to get their treasures out to readers. The big six have lost their monopoly on what readers get to enjoy.

We're in the HEA business, after all...what good news can you bring to the 2016 table? 

Six Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance

http://www.rolynnanderson.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson