Happy Mother's Day 2025 The Sunday Post!

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

This year we get a real treat of a Mother's Day. It's going to be sunny and in the 70s (low 20s Celcius). My plan for the day is to go for a run, write 1,000 words in Your Mr. Brightside and enjoy carryout from a favorite local restaurant. Still working on dietary adjustments from having diverticulitis, I probably won't enjoy a nice crisp glass of white wine. I'm also planning to get some reading in. I won't be doing anything with the garden because I need soil and plants and someone needs to put together the new raised bed we got. That someone is not me. 

Do you have any plans for this Sunday? 

If you need more free books on your TBR here is the link to the small-town romance free book promo I am part of this month:
https://books.bookfunnel.com/freesmalltownromancereads/7iz7fven21

What are you streaming?  I am really enjoying "Friends and Neighbors" on Apple TV. Jon Hamm, the main character, does things each week that put him closer and closer to completely imploding his entire life and it's very interesting to watch. 

Here's a picture of me and the hubs with our youngest back in 2022. Since then I decided I'd rather pay to have my hair colored than to live the grey hair life. And our youngest is finishing her third year of college!

Free Small Town Books to Add to Your E-Reader!

 

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This is one of the many small-town romance novellas you can get for free this month! My novella Surprise Party is part of the free book promotion. Here is the link to check out all the books: 

https://books.bookfunnel.com/freesmalltownromancereads/7iz7fven21

I'm taking advantage of this promo to stock up on summer reads. May is here and I'm ready for summer loving!

If you get any books through this event, please let me know!

Mother's Day is coming up this weekend. I am hoping we have lovely weekend weather and I can spend some time outside gardening. It's time to add another raised bed to our front yard. How will you be spending your weekend? 

Talk About Escalating Quickly #TheSundayPost

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

I've had a craptastic time since I last posted. After Easter, I took myself to the ER because I thought I might have appendicitis. I didn't have that, what they found instead was diverticulitis. I've known I had diverticulosis for years, but I've never had a diverticulitis infection. I was admitted to the hospital and put on antibiotics. The recovery after the hospital has been exhausting. I am feeling a million times better now, and I'm still not at 100 percent. I'm also feeling my way around what foods are OK to have. I'm on a low-fiber diet for now, which turns out to mean I can't eat almost all the fruits and veggies I love. 

In mid-June I have to go get a colonoscopy to make sure the infection is gone and that nothing else is wrong. I guess it's good to get the follow-up and have biopsies taken and everything. However, the whole process is anxiety-producing. The weather around here has been more March than May, so at least I'm not stuck recuperating indoors while beautiful weather is outside. 

I did learn that if I am stuck in the hospital, it's easy to read a 500-page book. So there is that. In fact, if I ever go to the ER again, I'm bringing at least three books. I had two books at the hospital and I could have read another one. Physical books work best in this context. 

Garden update- the peas are growing!!!

How was your week? Read anything good? Stream anything interesting? I watched Last Breath which is streaming on Netflix or Hulu and was interesting. Diving stuff fascinates me because there is no way I would dive.

The Sunday Post - Hoppy Easter!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates! I think I might like Easter dinner better than Thanksgiving--and I love Thanksgiving dinner. Yesterday I went to a book fair and picked up more local books to read! Yay! One is a very spicy romance and one is about labor negotiations. I also picked up some candles. Can you ever have enough candles? I say no. 

Today I am hoping to be able to find the time to finish reading my latest Amnesia April book. This one is so good! Tracey Livesay writes so well! 

Upcoming I am going to a big mostly all romance author and reader event. I'm getting nervous about my little giveaways. I have stickers for people who buy my books. And I have some pens to put on the table for people to take, but I need to attach my business cards with twine. Just need to actually get them ready! 

On the streaming channels, I started watching North of North which is comedy on Netflix about a town in very very very Northern Canada. It starts off with a woman who wants more out of life. 

In the garden, my snap peas are about an inch high. Yay! And I planted some lettuce seeds this week so we will see what happens, fingers crossed they don't freeze before they start growing and when they grow that they don't get eat by rabbits!

What are you watching or reading? 

That Funky Time Of Year - The Sunday Post

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

It's that time of year when you don't know what the heck to wear. The day can start off mild, and then by the time you are ready to leave work, there can be a snow shower. I'm hoping snow is done for the year. According to my weather forecast, this week should be light jacket weather. It's also time for the "Is it allergies or is it a cold?" game, which I do not like to play. 

How is spring shaping up for you?

This weekend, I finished reading Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman. This is the latest installment in the very long Alex Delaware series. I read the ebook. Usually, I only do the audios. I love the narrator, and I think he enhances my enjoyment of the series. My rating for the book is four stars. A good book in my opinion.

Streamingwise I watched the first three episodes of Black Mirror. The first episode is very sad. We also watched G20 starring Viola Davis, which was fun, and "One of Them Days" starring Keke Palmer and SZA which was wonderfully funny and fun! I would watch that again, and I hope they team up and do another buddy comedy. 

What have you been watching, reading, or listening to? 

Free Books and The Flu -The Sunday Post April is Here!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

I started the week enjoying my last few days of Spring Break. On Monday, finished March by getting done with a bunch of author work and housework. Tuesday was municipal election day here in  Illinois and I volunteered at the polls for a great candidate running for a local school board. She didn't win, I hope she decided to run again, as a teacher, she would be a great addition to that school board. Wednesday was my wedding anniversary, we didn't do much, but we had already gone on a short road trip over the weekend.

I told my husband we could extend our anniversary celebration to this weekend and go downtown for the Hand Off protest. I even had a sign idea ready to make. Then on Friday, day three of being back at school, after lunch, every part of my body ached, and I was suddenly tired. When I got home I took my temperature and confirmed I had a fever. I went to bed and slept on and off until Saturday morning. The fever is gone now, but I'm still exhausted and have a headache and congestion. My Google research says I have the flu, and I think that is right. Ugh. I'm glad I had the flu vaccine, as I've had the flu without the vaccine before, and that was awful. This is just crummy. I'm pretty sure I caught this from a kiddo I work with because they were home sick on Wednesday and then came back on Thursday, but they were obviously still sick. That's the downside of working with preK kids, there are always sick kids and there isn't a good way to not catch cooties. 

The other day I shared a free book link. My novella, Surprise Party, is part of the giveaway. There are lots of romances, but also mysteries and thrillers available. 

Here is the link if you are looking for a new author to read or some quick reads: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/7rfrm7oowk

What we watched this week: We finished The Residence, two big thumbs up from me. I love the quirky detective, and that it all took place in the White House. 

This month I've decided to read books with amnesia in them. Call it my amnesia April. Do you have any recommendations for me? 

What I'm reading:

And then something completely different. A haunted house story...

No Fooling! Get Some Free Books!

 I'm participating in a free novella/book giveaway for the entire month of April. There are over a hundred different books in the event.  My novella Surprise Party is one of the many books you can pick up. Here is the link so you can browse to your heart's content! I'm adding a bunch to my TBR--they're novellas so quick reads!  THE LINK: https://books.bookfunnel.com/aprilleadmagnetliftoff/izf2tzzz9z

I hope you enjoy any and all books you get. Tomorrow I return to school, but we only have three days of school this week, and then it's time for another weekend! Wahoo! I hope the weather is unseasonably warm on Friday and Saturday.  I will also be happy if it just doesn't snow. I don't like April snow, but April showers are fine!

Don't get fooled today! Happy April Fool's Day! 

Spring Break Wind Down - The Sunday Post

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

It's a good thing I have a day job. Over spring break, I spent more than my typical paycheck on nonessentials!  To be fair, I was taking care of replacing things that were falling apart, like my running shoes. The facial I got also fits in the things falling apart territory. And I got the opportunity to spend time with the middle kiddo and his partner. We went out to lunch, and I treated, of course! 

I was part of a boozy book fair last Sunday, and I bought almost as many books as I sold. I've already read two of the books I got. Sugar's Cookies is a quirky, laugh-out-loud spicy novella, and Returning Home is a violence-packed mafia thriller. Two very different books! Next up, I'll be reading a romantasy from the same event. 

On the TV front, we finished "Reacher" season three. Have I mentioned that my plan for the summer is to have a "Reacher" summer where I read all the books?  I started planning for summer by putting the first three books on hold at my library. I'm going to do as many audiobooks in the series as possible. So if you see me out and about with headphones on this Summer, I'm spending time with Reacher. 

Do you have summer reading or viewing plans?

Five More School Days Until Spring Break!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Yes indeed, it's the final stretch before our school district is off until April 2nd! My fingers are crossed that the weather will be free of snow. This week we had some unseasonably warm weather and I wouldn't mind that weather popping back in when I'm on break. I'll be getting some things done during my break including:

For life maintenance: Two doctor appointments (routine follow-ups) 

For self-care: A facial and a massage!

For the writing life: I'm doing two boozy book fairs. One on the 23rd- to kick off my break, and one on the 29,-to wrap up my break. And a podcast recording this week as well!

I'm also looking forward to the show from Shondaland called The Residence and it looks like it is going to be fun. I love a closed-room mystery and the cast is stacked with great actors! 

What are you reading this week? I'm continuing on my Alex Delaware kick. I'm currently listening to this one:

Procrastination Post

 

I should be drafting my book right now, but instead, I'm writing this procrastination post. Writing is hard! 

When I am drafting a book, chores can suddenly become more appealing.  Look how clean my house is, yes I've only written 146 words today. Can you relate?  And this weekend I'm going to lose an hour due to the time change!  I'm being overly dramatic of course. 

Speaking of dramatic. If you have Hulu, you've got to check out the show Paradise starting and produced by Sterling K. Brown. It's really good! A unique story with some good twists. 

We have 11 more days of school until Spring Break and then we are down to the final quarter of school. I recently had the idea to read the Jack Reacher series this summer since I enjoy the TV show. I didn't check to see how many Reacher books there were. Turns out there are 28 books. How nice for me! This is going to be an action-packed summer break!