Celebrating - Just Celebrating

Should I be glad or sad that I cannot think of anything specific to celebrate?  I choose the former of having too many little good incidences to be happy about.

I also thank all of my blogger-friends for their nice comments on my house. However, there sometimes comes a time when homeowners have to "pay the piper." Such as during this late winter ice storm a couple of years ago.

But it's all better now!

It could have been the house, rather than only the back deck and the heat pump (miraculously, it was not damaged once we heaved it back onto its slab). Although, at the time, the electricity was off for five days and I only had my fireplace to heat my large high-ceiling living room (not very well, I might add).

Celebrating My Hideaway

For today's Blog-Hop, I am celebrating that my sweet little house is getting power-washed and re-stained. As with everything around here, a good handiman is not easy to come by (nor any man, for that matter--but that's another story).

After a seven-year itch to move (again...anywhere with sun and sea), I am now quite content to be here; it is truly a writer's haven. Quiet and serene with beautiful scenery.

Authors and Their Soaring Successes

When not busy writing and reading, Author Christoph Fischer relaxes and plays with his Labradoodles. Of course, all of his dogs have to be literate enough to know when not to bother him.

Here, Molly critiques his first success: The Luck of the Weissensteiners.Of course, she gave it five stars.

Just Published - Another Soaring Success:

The Black Eagle Inn

The Black Eagle Inn is an old established Restaurant and Farm business in the sleepy Bavarian countryside outside of Heimkirchen. Childless Anna Hinterberger has fought hard to make it her own and keep it running through WWII. Religion and rivalry divide her family as one of her nephews, Markus has got her heart and another nephew, Lukas got her ear. Her husband Herbert is still missing and for the wider family life in post-war Germany also has some unexpected challenges in store.

Once again Fischer tells a family saga with war in the far background and weaves the political and religious into the personal. Being the third in the Three Nations Trilogy this book offers another perspective on war, its impact on people and the themes of nations and identity.

On Facebook: http://ow.ly/pAX3y

On Goodreads: http://ow.ly/pAX8G

On Amazon- US: http://bookshow.me/B00FSBW2L6

  

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he is still resident today.

Visit Christoph Fischer’s Author Pages:

On Amazon - US: http://www.amazon.com/Christoph-Fischer/e/B00CLO9VMQ/

On Amazon - UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christoph-Fischer/e/B00CLO9VMQ/

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590171.Christoph_Fischer

http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl

http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/

http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

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I urge you to check out Christoph’s otther novels as well as his interesting article on “Literary Self-Indulgence?” A couple of days ago, I posted this on my other blog http://devilwinds.blogspot.com/

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Celebrating the Month of October

October is a time of subtle change. As Summer yields to its more colorful successor, I celebrate the cooler mornings and, from my deck, watch the leaves turn golden, one by one.

This is also the month we must celebrate but also sadly mourn a great writer. The one who gave us the “Red October,” has left us. Tom Clancy will be missed.

Celebrating Perseverance

Today, for our Friday Blog-Hop, I am celebrating Perseverance.
It is an admirable quality, I believe; moreover, it works, as my cats have taught me. If I forget the time (writing madly, of course), they begin their assault to remind me that it is "yum-yum" time.
First comes a gentle rubbing around my legs, then a not-so-gentle nibble. And if that doesn't work, they change into the sitting-on-the-keyboard mode.
 

Pasha and Lilliput know what works with unresponsive owners: Perseverance.

Celebrating the Internet

Today, I want to celebrate the Internet.

Just think about it:
We find information, readers find books, writers find readers, and -- most importantly -- I am finding FRIENDS like you.
The Internet has opened up a whole new world for me - while I sit in my peaceful little country corner dreaming and writing about exotic places.

Celebrate with me, my Friends.

Agatha – The Fussy Librarian

This is Agatha. Yes, she is indeed fussy about where she rests her head. Warm laptops are a preferred spot, as is her leather couch. She is also fussy about reading books from talented Indie writers. And so are her owners.

They just opened up a new site. There, they conduct personalized searches for their readers’ preferred genres, alerting them via e-mail of the many great writings by participating Indie authors. Of course, they’ll have to find their own favorite spot to settle down to a good read.

Authors may submit books with a prescribed number of high-starred reviews.

Check it all out here: http://www.thefussylibrarian.com/

Let’s give Agatha and The Fussy Librarian a paw for great success with this effort to bring together fussy readers and great Indie books.

Celebrating Intuition

Do not ever dismiss that feeling you get when something sounds either too good, too strange, or too ...whatever.

Luckily, I had the good sense not to fall for a pith-helmet wearing charmer (well, at least after a while when his stories became too suspect). 

See blog post below.

True Story

Borrow a Golden Retriever, and you have an instant “chick-magnet.”

You laugh? I knew a guy who did just that. He usually also added a riding crop and sported a pith helmet. Why? Most likely he wanted to appear more dashing. Then he strutted about Mission Bay Park in beautiful San Diego. You’d be surprised how many rollerblading young women stopped to pet the dog, and matrons walking (their own) dogs started up an innocent banter.

It was just what Edward expected. Despite the temptation, he seemed only to be taken by the more mature women (once he had established that there was any kind of wealth associated with the lady).

But I don’t want to give the whole story of Edward, Con Extraordinaire, away. You may want to read about him here yourself: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BQZ1JY

Celebrating our Dreams

While we encourage our youth to strive and follow their hopes for the future, we also must encourage our seniors to follow their dreams. So many have sunk into their armchair—to wait for death.

I have never been happier. Retiring from an international lifestyle, I moved to a small community in Arkansas. I now follow my dream: To write serious fiction. About Ancient Egypt, to be exact.

The research was fascinating; the gained knowledge astounding. The result—to me, at least—was amazing once Khamsin, The Devil Wind of The Nile, swept out from the Sahara to storm through my pages. I became fascinated with ‘winds,’ and followed up with Sirocco, Storm over Land and Sea. My previous sailing experience comes in handy, as does my command of the English language.

Am I just another unknown on Amazon.com? Sadly, “good writing” does not sell in a culture that no longer wants to follow complex sentences and extensive vocabulary.

But to me, the communicative power of an idea, the descriptive beauty of good prose, and the spreading of knowledge, ideas and imagination is a wondrous achievement. To treasure and share these with my readers is my dream.

As I said: I have never been happier.