Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

military

Need A Break From The Holi-Daze?

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Kimberly A. Cook
Spec Ops Cat offers his holiday advice. Including letting me know it’s time to scram with the camera, so he can nap.

It’s official. The holiday crazies are here. At a time of year when life is normally hectic, between crazy weather and a quick-turn between Thanksgiving and the holidays, coping is required. No matter how I try to slow down the days, get organized, and stay on top of things; life happens.

So here are a few tips for my fellow crazed humans trying to survive this time of the year. Heads up. If you’re visiting Costco from now until New Years, it’s official combat shopping season in that arena. Be prepared, take your patience, and pack protein snacks.

At any point in the day, except while driving snowplows or piloting the space station; sit, stay, breathe, blink, repeat.

This is a hectic time for family pets too. Make sure you give them the required cuddle time to calm their nerves. And yours. A two-fer!

Making memories doesn’t require money. A visit and laugh with a good friend does make the world go round.

Everybody has hard times. Reach out to others you know who could use a boost. Positivity is catching.

Get some rest. I saw a USPS truck being towed away yesterday. Obviously it had given it’s all for the busiest season. Nap like a champ.

It’s okay to buy pre-made cookie dough. I have three rolls in my refrigerator right now.  Remember, Martha Stewart has 300 staff. We don’t.

As long as Christmas/holiday cards are mailed before or after the holiday, they count. Friends understand and are just glad to hear from you.

There are no calories in December. Just know they rollover to January, like a cell phone plan.

Cozy is a good four-letter word. Practice it.

We miss folks we have lost this time of year, so let’s revisit a favorite happy memory to be grateful they were in our lives.

The Winter Solstice arrives this weekend. Shortest day of the year? Done! We get another minute of light! Wear your Hawaiian shirts!

If you missed National Chocolate-Covered Anything day on Monday, feel free to celebrate late. It’s all good.

Need more light this time of year? I switched my light bulbs from soft to daylight in the bathroom and about fried my retinas. I may be seeing things I’d rather not, but my body thinks its Maui in there. Wear sunglasses if necessary. Who needs makeup?

Send good wishes and prayers for all the folks dealing with family and health challenges this time of year. And all the first responders and medical staff working to support them. There are angels amongst us.

Buy yourself a present. There are tons of cool and fun things at Dollar Tree. Like my pink paper clip holder in the shape of a mini to-go coffee cup. Cute, functional, and cheap. Three of my favorite words.

Hugs are power transfers from one person to another. Ask permission first when it comes to strangers.

Greet the bell ringers and wish them happy holidays. Thank them for their volunteer time. Give a buck or two if you can.

Take time for yourself. Even five minutes. Take a walk, watch the sunrise, or refill the hummingbird feeder.

Say a wish of gratitude for all our troops serving around the world and their families who support them, whether they are home or far away.

Keep an eye out for Santa. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is on the job clearing his air space. The NORAD Santa Tracker launches in six days.  Rudolph on point.

Hugs and happiness to all my blog readers. You guys are fabulous and extremely good looking.

Let’s gear up for 2020!

Right after I eat all the cookies and finish the eggnog.

 

“Need A Break From The Holi-Daze?” Copyright © 2019 by Kimberly A. Cook. Image Copyright © 2019 by Kimberly A. Cook.

Truly Thankful

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Getting ready to start my pumpkin pie baking and I wanted to send a quick thank you out to all our military service members, foreign service officers, and all their families serving around the world and across the USA. Of the many things I learned in the military, the big takeaway was we are one big crazy family in this nation of ours.

Everybody has nutty relatives, I think I am that person in my family, truth be told. We can’t agree on the best sports teams, beer, or how to hang the roll of toilet paper or raise the dog. We do like food of many different types with various hazardous spice levels. I think we can be called a “snack nation” for our love of sweets and junk food. Have you seen the holiday drinks at Starbucks this year?

Whether it’s pumpkin or pecan pie, light, dark or no meat, one thing is for sure; I am thankful to live in a country that is still a teenager in our young two-hundred plus years of development. And we all know how challenging trying to corral a teenager can be. Like dressing a cat. Who knows he’s going to the veterinarian. Requires metal chain mail.

I propose a toast of sparkling apple cider to our troops around the world, who keep us safe while we stuff ourselves with turkey, ravioli, or pizza as we watch football games or parades.

To our military service members, active, Guard and reserve – stay safe and know you are in our hearts today and always.

And whenever I think I’m having a bad day, I watch what some of our Marines were doing on Nov. 22 in Norway.

The Polar Plunge. Ice breaking training.

Bless Them All.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Happy Veterans Day To All Who Have Served

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George W. Tuthill, Army, Union, 1861-1865. My great-great-grandfather.

I come from a long line of warriors. On this Veteran’s Day, I would like to thank all who have

John Tuthill, Army, World War I. My Grandfather.

served in the United States military. Past and present.

All who have served in the National Guard, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and all working military animals. I also salute those in the Merchant Marine who have endured hardship and sacrifice to support us on the seas.

With the United States population estimated at 329,064,917 million, there are approximately 23,234,000 living veterans, of those 16,962,000 being war veterans.

That works out to roughly seven percent of the entire United States population, of which five percent are war veterans. Numbers change daily with worldwide conflicts and deployments.

On this Veteran’s Day, I’ve decided to share photos of my family citizen soldiers who have taken the oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

When you raise your right hand and take that oath, it is a solemn occasion. Three times I’ve felt the weight and responsibility of that oath settle on my shoulders.

To those serving on active duty and in the reserves today, I salute you, thank you, and look forward to welcoming you into the veteran family when your duties have come to an end.

For those of us who are veterans, we celebrate this day given to us by the service of those who have gone before us.

Betty Cook, Marines, World War II. My Mom.
James Cook, Army-Air Corps, World War II. My Dad.

Men and women of each generation step up to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Hats off to all who have dug deep and sacrificed to protect our freedoms.

I am here because of their legacies.

Happy Veterans Day!

Rod Tuthill, Marines, served during Korean War. My Uncle.

 

Gordon Hubbard, Army, served during the Vietnam War in Berlin. My brother-in-law.

Pumpkin Attack, Cinnamon Rolls Or Speedy Squirrel?

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Packer Farm Pumpkin Patch Hood River

Fall is officially here. I can’t deny it. During this time of year I have two distinct urges:

  1. Stay in my cozy warm bed in the morning and eat an entire pan of warm cinnamon rolls.
  2. Rush around like a squirrel on two double=espressos preparing for the winter zombie apocalypse.

The challenge is I’d look to do both at the exact same time. Does not work out. So far. And Spec Ops Cat refuses to deliver any type of warm food to my bed, so I must get up and feed him breakfast. And the time change is coming this weekend, so I have even greater incentive to linger in bed!

Last month I went on vacation for a week and had a hard time getting out of mosey mode. But I did since I was editing another book, Spec Ops Pig, which is now available on Amazon. Romantic comedy if you need a laugh. It’s the first book in the Matchmaker Cat series, starring our very own Spec Ops Cat, a spin-off from my earlier Vintage Veterans series, Mission: Purple Hearts.

Now I am editing the sequel to Mission: Purple Hearts. Whoever made up this schedule needs a firm talking to; that would be me. Dang it. So, I escape the computer when I can and head out into the wilds.

Earlier this month that included the Packer Orchards & Farm Place pumpkin patch in Hood River. There were rocking chairs in the orchards and the pumpkin patch! My kind of place. Photo above. It was a bit breezy. Bundle up time.

But now I need to get back to editing, so I leave you with this Happy Halloween video. This is one YouTube Channel I follow for research and enlightenment. Shawn Ryan’s Vigilance Elite Channel. He is a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor. Great guy. Pretty sure pumpkins were harmed in the making of this video. 

Happy Halloween!

 

 

Confessions Of An Author Tortoise

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Mission: Purple HeartsDreams do come true. I wrote my first romance book at age ten. This week I published my first romance novel, fifty-two years later. A dream deferred, but not denied.

Wanted to give you a quick synopsis of the years in between. In Junior and Senior High School, I worked on the school newspapers and took tons of writing and literature classes. Entered the Army with the idea of writing a book, so I kept notes, letters and continued my love of photography.  Getting out of the Army I used my G.I. Bill to attend community college. Seems the consensus of my two career choices of writer or marine biologist were not the largest job pools, so I chose a business degree.

Graduated in the middle of a recession, couldn’t get hired, worked temporary jobs. After six months decided, screw this, I’m going back to college. Since I had overloaded on coursework for my business degree, I still had four terms of benefits. Enrolled in the Journalism Arts Technology program at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, and earned my Associate Degree.

During my last term, my internship at The Gresham Outlook newspaper led me to apply for a job with the Newport News-Times on the Oregon Coast. I became the feature section editor and proceeded to write and photograph for eighteen months in what turned out to be an invaluable school of its own.

Next I moved on to Public Affairs Officer at the Portland VA Medical Center. While I built the first public relations program at the hospital, I enrolled in Dee Lopez’s beginning and advanced novel writing classes.  There I adapted my journalism skills into the fiction world, not an easy transition from “just the facts” of journalism to the “how does it make you feel” galaxy of fiction.

I met Cindy Hiday, my fellow aspiring student, and we became good friends. I joined Romance Writers of America and Willamette Writers, went to many local and national writing conferences. My first romance novel was titled Wings of Ice, about the world of Air Force Reserve Aerovac, which I’d joined in 1989. Because I wasn’t busy enough, obviously. But, still I wrote.

When my first novel was sent to Dee’s agent in New York, and I ended up being mobilized for Desert Storm, life got tricky. Romance publisher Silhouette requested my first and then second novels, but both were rejected with very nice letters. After a year of Desert Storm impacting my life state-side, I went to work for the feds again. Then I enrolled in Cindy’s novel classes, now an author herself, taking over from the retired Dee Lopez.

In Cindy’s course I saw the need for a writing class for my fellow veterans. Using Dee’s course as a guideline, I developed and taught Writing War Stories for three years at Mt. Hood Community College. Life is a loop. When I quit teaching, I wrote Do Bar Fights Count?, the non-fiction book on how I taught the class and self-published it in 2006. Before Kindle. It’s still on my Amazon author page in paperback. (June 2024 only used print books available, second edition in progress)

Right after that life got nuts on all levels. We had family challenges, I changed day jobs, and tried to save an aircraft carrier, the USS Ranger, to become a museum. All while working full-time, but now for a local government agency. In the meantime, I started a writer support group, because I really needed one. We still meet. And, I wrote when I could.

Fast-forward to December 2016, I retired two years earlier than I expected from the day job. I hear that happens to forty-one percent of us. It’s been a roller-coaster ride of helping move my Mom, clean and sell the family home of fifty-seven years, dig out my own house and try to figure out a new schedule. The fiction critique group Cindy and I started in November 2016 still meets and helped keep me honest on my writing and grounded. Plus there are fabulous snacks.

Along the way I’ve written one screenplay, (while taking several terms of Bill Johnson’s screenwriting class at MHCC) attended tons of writing conferences and classes, read volumes, kept working on my craft, and learned about the ins and outs of today’s indie publishing requirements. To make this book happen I’ve used at least nine different computer software programs, moved my legacy web site to this one, and almost threw my computer out my home office window. Many times. I refrained. Barely.

But this week I finally uploaded my first romance novel, my fifth one written, and pushed publish. I can’t even explain how good that feels to send my little book on its way. And you know the best part? After all the editing, proofing, beta readers, formatting, and business side of things is mostly set up, I can get back to the real fun.

Because to keep me kinda sane, I wrote two more books and they now need to be edited. Plus, it’s time to start the next book in the two series. I still consider myself a rookie fiction writer, but it is truly my joy, not a job. 

Don’t give up. Don’t deny your dreams, no matter how long they take. Grab life and hug it!

For the curious, Mission: Purple Hearts, a military romance, is available in ebook at  https://amzn.to/2YztBT7  You can get the free Vintage Veterans series prequel, Desert Devils, at https://www.kimberlyacook.com/signup 

How about those covers? I picked the artwork and my cover designer rocked it!

I may sleep with them. Seriously.

Desert Devils

March 2021 Update: And the quest continues. Since posting this about my first book, I have published three more fiction books with two more on deck, plus nonfiction on the way. My Amazon author page http://amazon.com/author/kimberlyacook

Since an indie author’s life resembles trying to tap dance while scrubbing the decks of a floundering ship in high seas, here are some things which have tried to impact my writer determination.

October 2019. Published Spec Ops Pig – The day I published this book my mom was delivered to my front porch after a neighbor saw her fall while on her daily walk. The concrete won. Mom was okay, after we cleaned her up. Hard to take down a former Marine, no matter the age. But keep your eyes open for ambush curbs.

March 2020. Pandemic lockdown. Right after we moved mom into assisted living. Trying to provide tech tv remote support from outside the building is not one of my best skills. But I’m good at delivering bags of stuff. Life is logistics!  

July 2020. Published Mission: Canine Hearts – I only check the news, social media, and turn on my cell phone after lunch. I carve nine to noon for writing time five days a week. Getting ready to upload this book, the news said the city the book is set in had blown up. That day. Again. Could not believe it. What are the odds? Hard to fathom more loss of life in that town. Said a prayer, then pushed publish, and moved forward.

September 2020. Wildfires hit and my entire family was on evacuation notice. Packing the car and preparing to flee screws up your writing schedule. We didn’t have to bug out, but the killer smoke inversion tried to make breathing optional. Humans need oxygen. Semper Parrot was delayed and Merry MisMouse, holiday book, bumped forward for the second year. It’s half finished! But the holidays keep getting jammed up.

December 2020. Published Semper Parrot – As far as I know, no parrots were impacted by this book’s launch. I’m getting a bit nervous about pushing publish these days. Who knows what havoc my books might unleash?     

February 2021. Massive winter storm power outage. Four plus days without heat, but plenty of outside ice. Balmy twenty-six degrees out. Launched an extraction mission to get my mom to my sister’s house, since they had gas heat. I will only own a Subaru. And my dad’s hard hat prevented me from a concussion when I got clocked with falling ice. Proper gear people!  

At some point, you just go with it. Flying vampire zombies must be next. One looks skyward and yells, “Bring it!” The Army and Air Force Reserve taught me valuable lessons. People first. Eyes on the mission. Zig. Zag. Gas. Go around. Evasive maneuvers.

But since I’ve broken every book marketing rule known to women, I march on. Perseverance. And a ton of Dove dark chocolate. Peanut M&Ms for backup. And cookies. Always cookies.

The only constants are change and chaos. To quote Marine slang; Semper Gumby – Always Flexible. Or something like that.

Now my marketing plan is to study the Ads for Authors course I bought last year to learn about Amazon ads. If the entire Amazon web site goes down, it’s not my fault. Caveat emptor. If they let me pay to use their system, I’m not responsible for what happens.

In the meantime? I keep writing. Because when the world gets too crazy, I can hide in fictional Hat River, Oregon. I find out what my characters are doing and how their lives are going. Writers escape inside their heads. So do readers. Stay tuned for more crazy.

Books ahoy!

February 2022. Published Mission: Disabled Hearts.  

October 2022. Where was I? Lost a lot of the last year when my mom went on hospice, then died in September 2021. (She hated the term “passed away,” so not using that!) A journey of grief and transitions is tricky, but one day at a time usually works. Writing was my anchor and therapy these past years, however editing was beyond me until earlier this year when I published Mission: Disabled Hearts. 

And because I never do what I’m supposed to, I wrote a book in a new connected series this year, which is with my editor. Because that was the book I needed to write. I should take Vegas betting odds to see if I finally get Merry MisMouse, the holiday book, finished this year. Who knows? Stay tuned! 

November 2023: Published Forbidden Biker, which I’ve come to call mom’s book. It started a new series, Moonstruck Makeovers, and I kept writing. I wrote it to avoid working on Merry MisMouse, truth be told.

December 2023: Finally published Merry MisMouse! Miracles do happen. Started writing this book in August 2019, and life kept shoving it past the next Christmas. For years! But finally, I prevailed. Note to self, write all future holiday books in July. 

December 2023: Published my first novella, Gingerbread Gorgeous, in the Single Santa’s Club series. Because I wrote this novella to also avoid working on Merry MisMouse. Which means I ignored all of my notes to myself and somehow published three holiday books in a row. I’m still digging out my office mess from that escapade.

July 2024: Getting ready to publish Mission: Runaway Hearts, due back from my editor any minute. Plus, I’m editing the Writing War Stories nonfiction writing book for veterans, published in 2006 titled Do Bar Fights Count? Give me chocolate! Shouldn’t I be writing a holiday book too? It’s July! And I am up to my eyeballs creating a streamlined series bible to keep track of all my characters in Hat River, Oregon, where ALL of my connected series are set. I’ve built an entire town, people, it’s a lot. In a fictional small town, not so far away…

November 2024: Published Mission: Runaway Hearts. Don’t ask me what happened to the fall. It was a blur. Pretty sure there were some tech issues which I have banished from my brain. 

December 2024: Published Chef Gorgeous. A holiday novella out before the holiday. Imagine. Miracles do happen! I must write the next one in July. Seriously. And since I can’t write a series in a straight line to save my life, next up is book two in the Moonstruck Makeovers series. Because I am not the boss of my muse. Plus, the series bible is turning into an octopus. And I am doing a fabulous job of avoiding the final edit on the nonfiction book. Romance books are so much more fun to write….

The adventure continues…     

 

“Confessions of an Author Tortoise” Copyright © 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 by Kimberly A. Cook. Cover images Mission: Purple Hearts ID 62380801 © Sashkinw at Dreamstime.com and Desert Devils ID 140447199 © Ag042d at Dreamstime.com  Cover Designs by Robin Ludwig Design Inc.

Memorial Day – Never Forget

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Last week I was watching a YouTube video where widows of service members were being brought together to make new friendships and heal. The Gary Sinise Foundation hosted their visit to Los Angeles, California.

One widow voiced the pain of all families and friends of fallen service members: their worst fear is their loved ones will be forgotten.

That is why this Memorial Day, pause and take time to remember, reflect, and respect the sacrifice of those who gave all when asked to by our country. This holiday is to show these families we will not forget their loss and their loved ones service, whether man, woman, or military working animal.

Let us also remember the families who still don’t have answers about the fate of their missing loved ones.

World War II  72,719

Korean War  7,661

Vietnam War  1,589

Cold War    126

Gulf Wars   5

El Dorado Canyon   1

Enjoy the holiday weekend, be safe, and never forget.