Laws that's a head of hair, wild messed up hair - here baby there mama, everywhere stickin up haaa-uauah-aiirrrr

Wake up - oh, went to sleep with Tender Graces at my bedside - I am reading it, pretending it is the first time to read this book. What a strange and wonderful experience, although I keep thinking, "oh wait, I should have..." or "oh, that doesn't sound right..." or "Oh, too abrupt ending to that chapter!!!!" or "Oh, 'is' is supposed to be 'was' in that sentence" or "That sounds like a children's book....dang!" or "how will they like this? huhn not sure..." or "I like that....Did I write that? I did!"(laughing) The other books you can see - one is OCEAN magazine - but what is that one that looks backwards? I can't tell, even when I go back to the room and look at the books for real...what is that backwards book - you can enlarge the photo by clicking on it -- what is that? weird!

(PS - I figured it out - see if you can! the first one to figure out what the backwards book is, I'll send them a copy of Tender Graces and a bonus book of my choice...)

Good gawd! Took a look at myself in the mirror - I must have spun around in my sleep all night - although I slept pretty well. Good Lord! look at that hair!

Time for a walk.....oh the sun is shining...standing on my porch taking in a deep breath - snap goes a photo. Book Signing Day will be perfect weather it seems! yay!
and the little log house from the bottom of my driveway! All cozied up in there....soon the leaves will hide it more...hurry leaves! If you enlarge the photo, you can see a big ole orb shining!


little log house from across the creek, across the cove- can you see it hidden there? I wrote on the photo to show you about where it is. GMR and Fat Lazy Labrador and I are standing looking down at our place. You can see a few other houses in our cove. Here, there.

Back home - too jittery to eat. This is the only thing that tempts me: cheese, banana, grapefruit juice, vitamins - huhn erk....meanwhile, Good Man Roger is in the kitchen slaving away to make gourmet goodies for my booksigning tonight -- Bless Him! And Christly L. Bishop of Sugar Buzz (and the photographer who snapped my author photo) is baking a special cake and some lemon squares...ohhhhh~ Wish yawwwll could be there.

I'll be back with more photos of Signing Day - tomorrow.

Also....I've read every one of your comments and they are making me laugh, cry, smile, feel happy happy, excited.....Thank You All! MUWAH! Don't forget to send me a photo of you with Tender Graces, but be sure to let me know if you don't want it posted - I'm going to put all this in a memory box or scrap book....

Now, back to work on VK Book 2.

Take me home, or curving roads...to the place I belong! Mountain Mama; I am home....

Home. All the snow melted before I arrived and it has warmed up enough to open the door. The breeze blows the chimes and the creek rushes -- oh home on my mountain cove at Killian Knob!

Last night, our old fat raccoon came calling to the squirrel feeder. She was early --as very old people who go to cafeterias do. Oh, what am I saying? I am like an old country granny sometimes as I eat my dinner at 4'o'clock--while watching Golden Girls (when they are on).

I have so much to do, but last night I slept the sleep of one who is so exhausted they just drop down, drop far down, drop long way down, drop deep into the far reaches of nothingness of sleep. I know I dreamed at some point, but do not remember them. Far far far down I fell. Deep and heavy. I woke only two or three times. This morning when I woke, I was disoriented....where am I? What? Who? When? How? I rose from my bed, the morning sunshine slipping through the windows - and my legs were actually shaky. I blinked. I put on my robe and shuffled to splash my face with cold water. In the kitchen, I poured cup 1 of Deep Creek Blend. We later took a mountain walk to clear my head. It is still a bit swirly, but better.

I hope to get by to visit you today, but if you do not see me today, you will tomorrow. I thank you thank you for still coming by even though I have not been round your places -- please know it is only because of circumstance of the novel and travel and etc.....soon, I will have to work on the second novel draft (oh thank gawd it is partly written already!). What a problem to have though, right? *smiling* -- what a problem to have....ah.

Later my friends. Thank you to all you who have pre-ordered Tender Graces - *muwah* -- and thank you for all your kind words. and for visiting. and for commenting. For everything you do.

(And later I'll tell you some good news I have -- I'm rushing now. )

Oh train, train...get me on outa this pile..oh traiiin traiin....get me on outa this pile

TENDER GRACES is at the printers. It is out of my hands now.

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TG review copies are going out or have been out (eek eek!), and those will be coming in *gulp* I hope they love it....but I'm prepared to put on my Big Girl Panties and Deal With It if not.

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The Rose & Thorn newsletter is almost done. (If you want to sign up, go HERE ). It actually usually goes out on the first of the month, but it will be delayed this month by a day or two.

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One book review written: The Maggie Valley Trilogy (Kerry Madden)

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One book review drafted out: No Room for Doubt (Angela Dove) --

......and friends, I drafted this out whilst in the waiting room waiting for Good Man Roger to have a cancer cut out of his chest! It had grown big. We didn't even now it was a cancer - it was a red spot. Friends --my good friends - always always check out something you aren't sure of - have a dermatologist see it. That spot's been there a long time, just growing away. Fortunately, it wasn't the "bad" kind of skin cancer and once it's out, it's gone. It's out but he has a huge cut sewn up. And more than 4 hours spent in the dermatologist office as they cut out, checked in the lab, cut more, checked it, then sewed him up. CHECK OUT THOSE SPOTS ON YOUR SKIN! That's my public service announcement. Remember, it was "only" a red spot!

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One novella next reading for review: Illegitimate (Adnan Mahmutovic)

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The Tender Graces manuscript is now off the floor, and...well, now it's on a chair *laughing*

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And for my Night Time Reading (I always set aside time at night to read - what's on TV anyway? I have a few faves, but not many), I am reading a novel now by a Big Time Author, published by a Big Time Publisher - and, well, here I am worried about mistakes in my debut novel by a small indie press-- and here in this novel I'm reading, before I get to 110 pages, there have been four "bumping out of the story" mistakes - not typos, but the ones where the character is doing something and then suddenly a couple paragraphs later, they are somewhere else or doing something else or whatever; they forgot to move the character from one thing to the next properly. So, it happens to even Big Time Authors in Big Time Published Books! (This is verging on the sloppy, though - hope there aren't many more of these!)

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The mail is all gone through and dealt with and the dining table now has something nicer on it.

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Two small WNC county libraries I found to donate TG to! Let's donate to our Libraries - books, our time, money - we never know until we ask what they may need. I hope to donate some of the Tender Graces books to libaries with small budgets. Oh, it's selfish of me to do it! I just love the idea of my book nestled in a library with other books! At night they'll have a party, books of old and new....oh!

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Ecetera misc stuff I have to do...

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Chug chug chug chug chug ....I think I can I think I can I think I can: up the hill I go....one thing at a time.

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And waiting for me is the draft of the second Virginia Kate Novel - titled right now "The Unexpected Places" -who knows what title it will end up with! how exciting! and cover! and and...wait hold on -- getting ahead of myself. But, I do need to soon soon very soon close myself up and start work on Book Two of the Virginia Kate Sagas (and don't worry - each book stands on its own, you can read one or all 3---as it stands now there are planned 3---; it won't matter - I wouldn't do that to readers, *smile*)

Now, I need to get to work -- what are you doing today? What goal are you working towards? What do you need to "get done and out of the way" so you can get to something you know you will love to do, but will be a heckuva lot of work!

What has the day in store for you?

cartoon image from:

PS! I just found this! At The New Author --- I went by to do my reading and there it was...I am overwhelmed once again.... Brian at Eazy Cheezy is supportive, kind, and full of positive energy --thank you Brian!

http://members.pioneer.net/~mchumor/00images/5047_train_cartoon.gif

These here are a few of my fav'0'rite things, and they make me feeeeel realll glaaaaaad

My friend Mike made this "wolf's head" arrowhead necklace just for me and I adore it. His wife Tanya is a photographer and one day I'll ask her if she'd like to post some of her beautiful photography here. I believe if you click on the images, they are larger so you can see better.


Fat Lazy Labrador Jake sleeping

morning through my bedroom window and the sun catcher not quite catching the sun

My wolf painting we bought in Waynesville, at the Blue Owl on Main Street. Go see them if you are in WNC!

my "totems" and if you look closely, you'll see Fred the Spider who has taken up residence and whom I leave there and say hello to when I think about it. These came from Asheville's Woolworth Walk - worth the Walk. Except the round bowl shaped item came from a friend who lives in Australia!

My hornet's nest taken from Muse Trail Level Two - abandoned hornests nest - and GMR put it in our living room - I kept it on the limb it was on and he was able to put it up like this, how I wanted it.... so I can see it every day. It's over our television console. Lovely...to me anyway! A part of our mountain.

My rocks in the bowl didn't turn out, so next time. My books were blurry - so next time. They would have been right here:....

And, my good friends "The Hart Theater Regulars" Mark, Christy, Francis, Charles gave me this after my Good Old Girl Kayla, Fat Dog, died....*sob* -- I love this tribute....

and of course, my deep creek blend coffee in one of my favorite mugs sitting on the salt container that I also love. Deep Creek Blend is roasted at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Waynesville: if you are in the area, go there and get some.

So, every so often, I will have a "these are a few of my fave things...." What about you? what are your favorite things? If you post pics of them on your site, let me know and I'll go look! Happy Morning all!

NOTE FROM OUR ANGIE GUMBO WRITER!!!! "I need your thumbs up vote today and tomorrow, and appreciate your continued voting. The contest ends tomorrow night...so please visit this link today and tomorrow and click on the thumbs up under GUMBO WRITER---> " http://bloginterviewer.com/education/gumbo-writer-aka-angie-ledbetter

I gots a joy joy joy joy up on Kilian Knob, up on Killian knob to-dayyyy

I'm peeping in quickly! Tommorrow I'll have a guest blogger: I have one more peek at Tender Graces before it's out of my hands ....eek! I can't change any of the text and all that, this is just to make sure the things we caught and listed were fixed. If there is anything else in there, well, consider it Human Error .... thing is, you'll know me now and you'll read it and say, "Hey! Here's one of Kat's unfound errors! I found one I found one!" then you can email me and we'll laugh about it....haw! Um, I think we'll laugh...hmmmm....teehee.

Then, I also have to finish The Rose & Thorn newsletter; get my next book review done, and etcetera.

This morning, I was walking Fat Lazy Labrador Jake in the cove at Killian Knob and as I turned the curve in the road where the creek stays on my right, I passed where the water rushes down from the mountain into the creek and I felt a sudden Joy....as sudden as the wind that came tearing down the ridge and across FLLJ and me - the wind pounded my face and I laughed because it didn't hurt at all-the wind laughed too - The sounds of the singing creek, the rush of the water runoff from our recent rains, the wind washing over us and blasting through the still-bare trees with a roar, the spring birds that had earlier woke me (oh, I recognize the ones who have been gone and now returned!) -- all of this brought up my sudden joy.

I thought, as I rounded that curve, how lucky I am. Farther down, I glimpsed the distant Smokies - awe awe awe awe awe-some Grandfather and Grandmother mountains. There are ancient souls here - I feel them sometimes; I see them in orbs and once the Shadowman came to visit me; I am not afraid of them, in fact, they comfort me. (Which reminds me - while I was sitting by Frank in the hospital, I saw something pass over him - it was misty and had no shape, but it was SOMEthing -i t passed right over him....and then a few days later while Tommy was lying in the emergency room, I saw an orb race across the room and arc over him and then away---imagination? lights playing tricks? my exhaustion? our brother? our granny? someone else? I don't know, but I know I saw something).

So, I am feeling lucky and awed and wonderful and it struck me that No Matter what happens with Tender Graces, I am still loved and wanted and so very lucky to live where I live. If you took away my writing life (oh, I can't imagine that - but let's entertain it)...if Tender Graces weren't being published, if I'd never published anything, if I was "just" this Mountain Woman living in my little cove at Killian Knob, walking Fat Lazy Lab Jake, being loved and spoilt rotten by Good Man Roger, hearing and seeing all the things I do, well then, my good friends, that is a pretty dagum wonderful life, isn't it? That is the Dream Life I once dreamed about when my life was in disorder and pain. I am blessed? lucky? whatever you want to call it, this is a wonderful life I live.

I smile. I enjoy. I appreciate. What a lovely place. I give you my peace and serenity this morning. Yes, I must get to work, but I start my work with a feeling of joy - for how lucky am I? Not only do I have my little log house and my little life here at Killian Knob, but my novel IS being published, and I do have some little things out there published, and people ARE enjoying my work and my fur is being rubbed off so that I feel loved.

Namaste. *muwah!*

And I said to myself: what a wunnerful world, unless it stops spinning or the sky falls or the stars quit burning or the sun hits the moon or....

Osondu's Booksellers is sponsoring a Book Signing Party for TENDER GRACES at the bookstore on April 17th! How exciting. It'll be from 7-9pm and there will be champagne and food. The cut-off is fifty people. She has ordered enough books to accommodate that number. If you are in the Waynesville North Carolina area, call Margaret and reserve your spot! I'd love to see you there.

Now. This is where Kat Magendie begins to fray at the edges and starts blinking into the headlights and her stomach tumbles around like an old-timey ferris wheel gone mad. Because Kat starts worrying, "What if hardly anyone shows up? What if I'm standing in the bookstore trying to pretend it doesn't matter that only a couple of people show and there are all those books sitting there and the food congeals and the champagne un-bubblefies." Then, Kat will have to grab the champagne and upend it and pour it down her throat and glub it down and drown out her sorrows...oh geez.

This is just some of the terror of realizing your dream. But, even saying that makes me hit myself upside my pea-head: one thing I can't stand is whiney writers - not wine-y writers, those are okay - WHINE-Y writers! I mean, all the time I dealt with rejection and another writer realized his/her dream and if he/she whined about it? Well, that just made me mad! SHUT UP, I'd think - you are getting your book published...sheesh!

Okay, Picture It: You write the book; long hours alone and neglecting family and friends. You suffer rejection time after time. Finally, that glorious day comes and you find someone who loves your book and even says, "we are proud to publish this book..." Oh! Oh! The heavens clear, the skies blaze with sunlight and moonlight all at the same time, the birds start singing like on a Disney movie, all is right with the world! And, you live happily ever after, right? All worries gone, right?

Well, not for this old girl. Do NOT get me wrong: this is a wonderful problem to have. These are wonderful problems to have and I am grateful and I recognize this is HOT DANG YAY TIME; because these "problems and anxieties" mean I am realizing my dream of having You hold Tender Graces in your hands - I can't tell you what that means to me (I am trying to tell you, but words won't for a change - you'd have to see the sincerity in my eyes, feel the warmth radiating - the hope you will love Virginia Kate and all the others: Micah, Andy, Miss Darla, Bobby, Rebekha, Mrs. Mendel, Amy and Mr. Husband Campinelle, and even love Katie Ivene and Frederick, and love to hate mean old Aunt Ruby, and despise Uncle Ar-vile. The thought of all those hands holding the weight of my words overcomes me ...truly...the gratitude is realized upon awaking and before sleeping and all in between - know that.)

So, the Dream is arriving, or has arrived, but all those anxieties slip in under the skin and slide around anyway, because that's what they do, that's their job!

You may remember this one: What if I only sell four books -- well that one was proved wrong! Bellebooks said that pre-orders are coming in DAILY! They are happy and that makes me happy! SO THANK YOU ALL; If I could send individual thanks, I would - believe me. So, I can lay that particular anxiety aside for now -- I've sold more than four books. I won't EVEN start thinking: "Hmmmm, NYT bestseller list? ...hmmmm, what about....." nope not going there.

What if no one comes to my first booksigning party?

What if no one comes to any of my booksignings - and how many should I do? and are booksignings really even done anymore? and where should I have them? and should I do "virtual blog tours?" and etcetera etcetera etcetera

What if I get a bad review?:::What if no one else reviews it?

What if there is a HUGE error in the book I didn't find?

What if the sky should fall? what if the earth should stop turning? what if a big black hole should suck me up and I'm lost forever and my molecules are ripped apart and a gamillion pieces of me rain down on the earth and no one even notices it is a gamillion pieces of me raining down and I soak into the earth and weird flowers come up with my pea-head on them (um, what? okay, Kat, take deeeeep breaths - go do some yoga girl; you're losing it....teeheeheehee).

What I'm trying to say in my weird way is: Dreams coming true are wonderful, but full of their own stresses -- good stresses, "bad" stresses....If you are like me, you begin to attach THINGS to yourself that perhaps you should not. I should instead go back to the original feeling of accomplishment that I'd written a novel, and then that feeling when BelleBooks said, "we want to publish Tender Graces...." and then the wonderful feeling of my friends and family (my blog friends and family included) telling me how happy and proud of me they are: that's the thing right there -- that, and the original feeling of YOU holding my book in your hands and loving the language, the words, the characters....ahhhh, now I feel much much better. Deep Breath: done.

I always want to say "writers are weird" but I realize it's probably just Me that is weird and the writer part is only the excuse I use for my eccentricities....haw!

*MUWAH* .... (now, on to work on The Rose & Thorn newsletter that I've been neglecting and is due to go out soon! It will distract me from my weirdness for a while....haw! Here's where you can sign up for the newsletter. And, I need to do a review for Kerry Madden's Maggie Valley Trilogy. And I want to visit you all again. And what else....la la la la tee dah! I really do love my life! *BIG FAT GRIN*)

Pea-headed Kat Boops workin' on the weekend....

(photo taken of signs of spring at Lake Junaluska as I walked the other morning...ahhhhh)

I am peepin' my pea-head in here to say hello very quickly before getting back to work. I am reading the galley proof of Tender Graces and to do that I have to actually read it "word by word" --which means I can't read as I would normally. It's verrrryyyy sloowww but, if I don't do it that way, I won't catch errors that are hiding in there. Bellebooks does their reading of it, the author does hers, and I am having Good Man Roger read it as well. And, despite all of our efforts, I just know there will be a mistake or two in there - erk! It won't be because we didn't scour Tender Graces with Eagle Eyes, more than once. I did visit you all the other day, hope I didn't leave anyone out, and if I did, call me on it! Until I make this deadline, though, I'm going to be locked in this room and working, um, teehee, er, except I am here right now and I need to be there...so, I'll make this quick. Please continue to bear with me for not visiting and posting as I usually do.

I so appreciate Gumbo Writer Angie Ledbetter and Brian Mongold of Eazy Cheezy (click and read if you haven't) for being my Guest Bloggers. THANK YOU!

Also~! Brian of Eazy Cheezy interviewed me on his "Ten Questions..." series: he made me feel like a celebrity....teehee. If you haven't been by there and read, well, here's the link: Kat's Interview with Brian.

I do have this news: My book will actually be in at least one library in East Baton Rouge! Okay, maybe that doesn't sound so exciting, but it is to me! I love and adore libraries and am so excited. And, my local indie bookseller just ordered a very nice number of books so we could have a book-signing party - complete with champagne! and she's making this signing "reservation only" -wow! If you are in the area, let me know if you'd like to come...*smiling* -- if you have an indie bookseller you love in your area, let me know about it: that's what I'd love to do, have signings at indie's, at least where I can.

I send you a big ole Hug and Kiss - *MUWAH* -- send me positive vibes that I'll catch all those errors and make my deadline!

And for those who've pre-ordered, I want to take a moment to say I thank you...I am humbled and honored: THANK YOU~!

(PS -Hey, for you girls - I bought some Okay Pro-X cream in a tube - I splurged - I'll let y'all know if it is worth the extra bucks I paid for it!)

This is a few of my favorite things...

[At least one of my little envelopes with mountain thoughts was torn asunder and some of the contents lost to the winds! Oh sigh. But, now I wonder who will find the cherokee tear and buckeye - where were they lost and who said, "hey, what's this?" picked them up and put them in their pocket? ]

(Photo taken from my porch)

Last night the coons came, not caring of the winds and rain. There were three of them: two small ones and then Boo Boo. Boo Boo, named just because one night I just called out "oh boo...hey boo boo~!" and it stuck, is an old fat raccoon with lots of gray. I love her. Two young ones were perched on the squirrel feeders - (imagine it is like we are in a treehouse where we are level with the middle or near-tops of some trees, not the ground). Boo Boo was on the railing. Soon, we heard the squabbling and laughed when we saw Boo Boo on the feeder - she'd chased those young coons away and took up her spot!

As I was sitting here, I leaned back and the sun caught my left eye...this time of year, the sun is over the far right ridge, and it will make its way back to the left. From where I sit, If I look slightly to the left, I can see those distant mountains out my window. I am in a leather chair with the laptop perched. My coffee cup filled with Deep Creek Blend, black, is on a coaster that sits upon a small table that looks like stacked books. There is a pen/pencil holder that looks like books. There are shelves full of books and rocks and photos and pieces of small bark and interesting vases or vessels and some small gifts from friends, and et-cetera.

I have a soft throw over my legs. Fat old labrador Jake is snoring. There is a rug with natural fibers we bought at World Market and on top of the rug is a cow-hided ottoman. There are books and books and more books. Our ceiling fan is rustic, so is the small lamp on the book table. There are many things I love in this room where I work. I am in here many hours. There are bookmarks - for I love bookmarks. Another small table that looks like a book. I see out the door a piece of the hallway leading to the rest of the little log house, and a framed piece of art we bought long ago that is filled with jazz images. If I turn my head farther to the left, I see the ridge across the cove. But closer, I see two of the rocking chairs on our porch right outside the two windows. While typing this, Sun has already moved away from my eye but still leaves its glance on the porch, and on the wood window blinds.

What do you see as your write this morning? What surrounds you?