Remember Veterans

 

On a writing note, if you like to read military romances here are a couple of authors we recommend. Karen Foley and Catherine Mann. All their books are available on Amazon.

C.D. Hersh–Two hearts creating everlasting love stories.

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.

They are looking forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life.

Social Media Info:

This
past June (2026) I lost one of my dearest friends. The sad, truthful fact is
that we’ve never met in person. Allow me to explain. We were virtual BFFs from
the get-go when we were introduced through our now defunct publisher, Musa
Publishing back in 2011. Her pen name was Sloane Taylor, and we were as
opposite as you can get. She wrote erotica, and later penned five seasonal
cookbooks. I wrote for a young adult audience, specifically time travel
adventures and teen psychic mysteries. Different? Absolutely. But we connected
in a way that I can’t even articulate. It was just a strong feeling that we
belonged in each other’s lives. We were soul mates, writing in distinct genres,
for the same publisher, and it was like the Universe conspired at the right time,
in the right place so that we would conveniently connect.

The
owners of Musa Publishing asked Sloane to load and schedule the publisher’s
blog when an author submitted a post. She accepted, and was excellent at the
task, yet some authors tagged her the ‘Blog Dragon’ as Sloane was a no-nonsense
kind of gal. But it was her sense of humor that brought us together, and kept
us laughing, up until the day she passed away. Our fifteen-year journey
together saw many changes in our publishing world, seeing publishers, as well
as authors, come and go. We started an amazing group of writers, at first
called The Wenches of Words, then
later, Authors Moving Forward. The group
is still ongoing, though a little smaller in numbers now, and missing its ‘fearless
leader’, as we had nicknamed Sloane. I’ll continue to post her various recipes
that she’d formatted for the group until they run out, with the hopes that her
legacy will live on for years, especially on the global dining tables.

With
Sloane’s passing on, this brings me to an important question for all authors
out there. What should,
no must, authors do for their loved ones while they are
still alive? First, and foremost, you need a legal Will (a no-brainer in my
mind) to direct where the royalties will go after the author has deceased.
Second, draft up a Letter of Final Instructions for your lawyer to provide to
your executor. What’s that you ask? It’s a document to your heirs to pass along
your passwords, contacts, and any information they may need to help them with
your writing business and affairs. The first step should be to contact your
publishers if you went the traditional route.

This
Letter of Final Instructions is basically a list of contacts to help make the
process of seeing to your deceased loved one’s affairs and wishes, as easily
and painlessly as possible. This letter should include the following contacts:
Publishers, Literary Agent (if you have one), Accountant, Lawyer, Life
Insurance Agent, Web Designer (if you have one), Online Banking information,
and a list of passwords for your email, social media accounts, and any utility
accounts you have. Don’t forget your Online information, such as: Website link,
Blog link (if you have one), and Social Media links (Facebook, Amazon Author
Page, etc.) so your executor or heirs can get into them, and if necessary close
them. Hopefully, my friend Sloane made sure that everything was in order after
she passed away.

When
someone who was important as Sloane was to me passes on, it makes you think
about what they’ve taught you throughout the course of the relationship. It
really didn’t take much thinking. Sloane Taylor taught me how to be brave, to
be courageous, and stand up for myself. She didn’t play small, and reminded me
that I shouldn’t either. However, the biggest lesson she relayed was that the
gift of humor shines through, even in gravest of circumstances. God Bless you,
Sloane! May we enjoy our favorite adult beverages on the heavenly veranda when
the Divine timing is right again.

Note to Authors: November is Make
a Will Month in Canada. It’s an annual campaign to encourage adults to draft or
update their legal wills. It is my hope that you find the above information
useful, and will take the appropriate steps to see that your wishes are carried
out.

Cheers, and as
always, thank you for reading my blog! 

This
season, let the magic of fall and these captivating to-do activities and YA
novels remind you that every girl has a witchy power within her.

Host a
Glam Pumpkin Carving Night
Gather friends (your modern coven!) for pumpkin carving with a mystical twist.
Carve glowing stars, crescent moons, or symbols inspired by family curses and
hidden magic found in Disenchanted. Sip spiced cider or herbal potions
while chatting about fate and star-crossed first loves. Then light those carved
pumpkins and feel the Disenchanted magical vibe.

Curate
a Witchy Playlist
Build the ultimate fall soundtrack with moody indie tracks, ethereal vocals,
and empowering anthems. Think songs about breaking curses, slow-burn romance,
and standing in your power under the moonlight. Play the music while enjoying
the dark magic and high stakes drama in Bewitching Hannah.

DIY
Spell Jar
Create a beautiful, personalized spell jar with herbs, crystals, glitter, dried
flowers, and written good intentions. Focus on protection, confidence, or
attracting positive energy (and maybe a touch of romance). This hands-on magic
echoes the ancestral power and deeper mysteries in Koush Hollow.

Which
activity are you trying first? Drop a comment below and tell us which book
you’re most excited to pair it with! ✨

AMAZON BUY LINK 

Leigh
Goff is a
published YA author. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland and a
member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
(SCBWI). 

Born and
raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Florida with her husband, enjoying
the sun, sea, and a little puppy dog.

I
often joke with my hubby when something goes wrong, saying “It must be Mercury Retrograde”. But, there’s something to this
period of three and a half weeks, which happens three times a year, that asks
us to literally slow down or crap is gonna hit the fan sooner than later. When
Mercury is in retrograde motion, the planet appears to travel backwards (goes retrograde),
and asks us busy humans to pause and do some heavy-duty reviewing. Fat chance,
right? Wrong.

Mercury
possesses a trickster energy, and in retrograde motion this sly fella can be
the unseen force that trips us up. For example, we can experience any of the
following: being on ‘slow mo’, bad reception, slip-ups, disorganization, stops
and starts, lost and found, U-turns, revisions and changes, connections with
the past, trick or treat, mixed messages, messages not getting across, things
getting lost, or lost in translation, travel being delayed, plans collapsing,
communications breaking down, equipment and technology failing. Yeah. I’ve
blamed Mercury retrograde on a few of those things.

If
you feel as if your writing life has been stuck in Mercury retrograde for a
long time, you’re not alone. This go-slow or best-laid plans changing up is
irritating and frustrating to say the least. But if you look at the BIG
picture, you’ll come to understand that the process of Mercury retrograde is
divinely inspired to get a message to you. The interruption is geared in such a
way as to disrupt your daily life so you can hear that message. Call it a
wake-up call or Divine intervention if you like, it happened to throw you off
kilter so that you can receive it. Whatever ‘it’ happens to be for you. Even
your computer crashing will give you some space and time to look into what’s
really going on. And sometimes you find that the truth does hurt, but it always
sets you free.

If
you’ve been stuck in your writing life—especially when it comes to marketing
your books—adjust the narrative and start to take baby steps. Become the
observer, instead of the one in the driver’s seat. Ask, what has worked in the
past, and what hasn’t? Mercury retrograde is actually a catalyst for awareness.
Out of the unknown void, the space, comes new insight. Knowing you must move
away from an old activity or pattern of behavior is your ‘AHA’ point of
understanding why you’ve been so stuck. Then, if you examine where you’re going
and what’s happened, you get to the gold: a moment of truth, realization, and
recognition. You finally receive the missing piece of the jigsaw to help you
move forward.

So many positives can
come out of Mercury retrograde (in your personal and writing life) if you view
it as a natural cycle of punctuation, a necessary break in the proceedings in
order to retrieve vital information. We must all learn to be patient in these
times, and use it for planning, reviewing, fixing, pivoting, thinking, and
strategizing about what we want to do when we can step forward again. Then,
once Mercury is back on track and moving forward again, you will be too. Do you
pay attention to when Mercury retrograde shows up in your life? If so, did you
receive its message or ignore it? Would love to read your comment. Cheers, and
as always, thank you for reading my blog! 

Happy Thanksgiving from my virtual writing
abode to all my Canadian family and friends! If you’re looking for something
different to serve on your harvest table this Thanksgiving, I’ve got just the
thing that will add a little zing to your celebration, and is a healthy,
low-fat version of a family favorite with an Italian flair. With a prep time of
ten minutes and cook time of fifty minutes, this tasty Italian-Style turkey
meatloaf will be ready in one hour, five minutes to serve at a small family
gathering. Expecting a crowd? No worries. Just double or even triple the
ingredients. If there’s any leftovers to be had, then this makes for easy meal
planning for the upcoming week. Cheers, everyone!

What
You Need:

Cooking spray

1 pound ground turkey

1 egg

¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to
taste

¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 cups tomato sauce, divided

What
You Do:

PREHEAT oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare a
baking dish with cooking spray.

MIX turkey, egg, bread crumbs, Italian
seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl; shape into a loaf
and put into prepared baking dish.

BAKE in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Spoon about half the tomato sauce over the loaf and continue baking until the
meatloaf is no longer pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes more. An
instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160° F
(70° C). Rest meatloaf 5 to 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

WHILE the meatloaf rests, warm remaining
tomato sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; serve with the sliced
meatloaf.

SUGGESTED sides include your choice of
pasta (penne is perfect) and tomato sauce, garlic bread, and your preferred
salad (Caesar would be a great addition). Don’t forget to serve your favorite
wine to add to the party!

Once you’ve digested your Italian-Style
Thanksgiving feast, and your guests have retired for the evening, why not bring
the rest of the wine to a cozy spot in your home or cottage, and settle in with
a good book? May I suggest a visit to mysterious
Fairy
Falls, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in
time with The
Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, either series will immerse you into other
cultures, and different worlds. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Here’s a glimpse
of the premises of both my young adult series:

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be
Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil
Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring
order back into the world, one mission at a time.

Children are the key to our future. And now, they
are the only hope for our past.

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic
Mysteries…

In the small, quiet tourist town of Fairy Falls, a
new-to-town teen, an unlikely hero who possesses an unusual psychic ability, is
drawn into a mystery and is tasked with uncovering corrupt truths that threaten
the town’s future.

Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.

Buy Links:

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book 3

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book 2 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book 1 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Legend
of the Timekeepers, Prequel Buy
Links:

UNIVERSAL
BUY LINK
׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

Mysterious
Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:

Lost & Found, Book One Buy
Links:

PANDAMONIUM
PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

Blackflies
& Blueberries, Book Two Buy
Links:

PANDAMONIUM
PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀