Hello, there!
I've been absent here for quite some time, and you may notice some changes.
After 10 years of blogging, I have changed the name of the blog to reflect my author name. I thought it was about time. Nevertheless, taking a step away from blogging these past few months has been very good for me. I've revamped and recalibrated and have been able to focus on writing my books, as I've just finished writing and am now editing my fifth novel, tentatively called The Letters in the Books. Probably my most challenging story to tell thus far, it focuses on four main characters who are down on their luck and an empath who pulls them all together. The novel is set entirely in Annapolis, and as you can probably imagine, I'm pretty excited to get it out there in your hands.
In late January, early February, both my husband and I became ill with the virus. We recovered pretty quickly, and actually worked throughout our illnesses at home. Since we are both working remotely, we were able to take good care of ourselves and got through it.
Teaching my college classes from home has had its pluses and minuses, but I can sincerely tell you that I miss seeing the students in person. In the fall, I will be back on campus for three of my four classes.
During this time, I've also joined a writer's group, and am incredibly happy to be a member of it. There are five of us in total, and we all write romance/contemporary fiction, so working with them and reading their work has been a pleasure. I love connecting with other writers and seeing how they work and what motivates them. Additionally, we are all going to contribute to an anthology of stories that will come out in early 2022. I'm writing a short story, and am already 6,000+ words into what may end up being a 15,000-20,000 word contribution to that collection.
Last weekend, my husband and I took a trip to Boonsboro, where prolific romance/mystery writer Nora Roberts lives. She has invested so much into the town of Boonsboro, and she and her husband own the Inn BoonsBoro, the gift shop, the bookstore, the gym in town, and her sons own the two restaurants. I'll fill you in more about it after the piece I wrote about it is published in a local publication.
So, you can see, I've had a long hiatus, but how are you all doing? What's been filling your time during this pandemic? I'll have to share a piece soon about all the television shows my husband and I have watched that we've enjoyed. One thing's for sure: the pandemic surely has made for convenient "together time," has it not?
Be well, and I'll write soon,
Stephanie
