Whether the A/C is too cold or you're in the bitterness of winter, these are amazing for keeping you warm without compromising the use of your digits. I own four pair and use them ALL the time. They're the perfect gift for the writers in your life. Or for you. I mean, it's hard to turn the pages of a book if you're wearing mittens. 

You know how some people have weird/fun things in their office? Knick-knacks, organization hacks, that one reference book you wish you'd seen before... I have a ton of that kind of stuff. Things that bring me joy, things that are super functional, stuff that suits my personal aesthetic. I thought I'd share some of my favorite odds and ends in a series of posts about office supplies. 

And some of you are just like me. I know it. Where the very idea of walking into a stationary shop or office supply store makes you giddy. :-D So prepare yourself. 

There were a lot of different requests when I asked readers what they wanted from me, but most of them came down to one BIG suggestion: MORE Behind the Scenes features. Readers want character casting, you want to know what I'm reading, what I'm working on, and you LOVE photos of my dog. 

I obviously can't include everything all at once, but I can sure give everyone updates!
First of all, I AM putting up my personal favorite reads all the time on my Instagram account. If that's no fun for you though, know that I'll try to include more via the blog, too. 

Second, IZZIE. She's had a great week. She spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the countryside running around on a multi-acre lot. She chased horses down the fence line, met a new dog, and tried to babysit some chicks. Honestly, that was the cutest. She kept sticking her head in their little box and looking at us with this big puppy grin. We introduced to the chicks to her carefully and used all our "gentle" training words so she'd be kind. Worked like a charm. She adored them. (Pic below of her hanging with her horse buddies.) 

Third, ME. Okay. What's new with me? I'm in the middle of working on my next Regency romance... A Companion for the Count. And while the story is coming along well, I'm still nervous about getting all my chicks, er, ducks in a row with this one. Over one thousand people have pre-ordered this second book in my Clairvoir Castle series. That's a wee bit of pressure. But I'm sure it'll be great. Right? Right!

Fourth, ARTISTS. Did you know that I'm always on the lookout for artists taking commissions? Especially if the artists have shown interest in historical fiction or historical drawing techniques. Maybe you've seen the drawings on Instagram or received a postcard from me. I absolutely LOVE working with artists to visualize scenes from my books. Incidentally, if you or someone you know might be interested, drop me a line. I'll be sharing more artwork in a blog post very soon. If you want to see a couple of the works I've commissioned, click here for two scenes from Engaging Sir Isaac. Sneaky fact: If you order a paperback of this book, these two illustrations are actually in the book!
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That's about it for sharing today. But there will be more. 

Thank you for being here! Feel free to respond to this post with questions and comments. I LOVE THEM. 

My beautiful, thoughtful, wonderful author friend Arlem Hawks posted on her Instagram account her word of the year. She's done this several years in a row, and after the disaster that was 2020, I've decided I want to join this tradition. 

But I'm terrible at following rules and guidelines, so I chose two words. (I'm also indecisive.) The two words I've chosen are HOPE and LIGHT. I thought about it for a while. They're simple words, and they've been part of my life for a long time, so purposefully embracing them for this coming year felt like the right thing. 

I immediately set on two quotes for my words, too. 

Light, of course, reminded me of Victor Hugo's quote which I've put above, with a photograph of two of my children playing in the light and water of the Atlantic Ocean. 

My other chosen word reminded me of the Emily Dickinson poem: 

“Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314)BY EMILY DICKINSON
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

What would your words be?