Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

romance authors

Happy May Day Everyone

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A bee hard at work in the azalea. Nature keeps working. That always gives me hope.

Just returned from a walk around the neighborhood on this warm, lovely afternoon. Wanted to take a posey picture to share with you. Sun is always a big deal here in Oregon and today is a bonus day of eighty-degree weather. May always heralds the true start of moving from spring to summer for me. Flip flops and naked toes are on the horizon.

While I can’t decide whether to do some mixed media art or take a nap right now, I’ve been doing a fine job of avoiding my current work in progress, Forbidden Warrior. I’m twenty-seven chapters in and this couple are having deep conversations and surprising me with things I didn’t know about them. While some romance authors strictly dictate what their couples do, I give mine a little wiggle room and they go rogue every time. That’s the fun part!

My obsession with Jane Austen continues as I discussed in my last post and now OPB/PBS is airing the short series Miss Austen on May 4 at 9 p.m. Why did Cassandra Austen, Jane’s sister, rush to locate the letters Jane wrote to her friend Eliza after the author’s death? What could have been in those letters that Cassandra wanted kept secret? Intrigue! Can’t wait.

Then there is my new HGTV fetish Castle Impossible, set outside of Paris with a young couple working to renovate/save a massive French chateau. This is home improvement on steroids. Plus, I don’t have to lift a brick, paint brush, hammer or timber and still get to visit beautiful France. 

Another way to celebrate May first is Lei Day, a state holiday in Hawaii. The people of the islands celebrate the love, friendship, and spirit of Aloha symbolized by the lei. The flowery necklace is a symbol of the Hawaiian culture, their connection to the land, the people, and the Aloha spirit. Whether made from flowers, leaves, shells, seeds, or other natural objects, they are a way to demonstrate love, caring, and welcome.

I’ve enjoyed wearing flower leis on my visits to Hawaii. I even keep fabric ones on my dresser mirror to remind me of my island times. This morning, I switched out my Easter decorations for a Hawaiian summer flare in the house. Complete with Cabana Boy pillows!

Wishing you all a very happy May Day.

The Aloha spirit is a wonderful thing to embrace and spread.

Aloha!

 

 

Romance Books? Especially In Pandemic Times

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When last we chatted, my goal was to get my next book out pronto. Nothing happens fast during a pandemic, except transmission. Bollocks!

But with dogged determination, lots of cookies, and too many donuts in the house, my new book is out. Only about seven monthsMission: Canine Hearts behind schedule. I’m giving myself an A for effort. Because I could write like a wild woman in lockdown, but not edit. Brain fade, fog, or avoidance. Let’s assume all three.  Then family medical issues, not Covid. Focus can be a challenge. Right?

Please check out my new book, Mission: Canine Hearts.

Enough marketing. Back to our regular programming.

It seems, for some unknown reason, I can upload pictures again. Priceless! Through the power of procrastination, somebody in WordPress-land fixed that debacle from several months ago. Thank you so much. I hope it lasts. So, to celebrate before I lose that capacity again, let’s look at some pics!

@#$%^ Spoke too soon. I have to make my pics smaller. Argh! I’m sure it’s a pixel issue. Let me hunt down the frozen chocolate donuts first.

In that case, let’s look at some videos! This Oregon Zoo video made me howl a few weeks ago because it is exactly what’s been happening in my fiction critique group Zoom meetings. Someone’s tech is always going sideways. For no rhyme or reason, but we plow on. And look a lot like these humongo Hornbills in front of the webcams. Either Claudia’s smoke alarm beeps when we meet, never at any other time, or we can’t see Cindy.

She has tried to get us to see her face. Halfway through our last meeting, Cindy’s face popped up from a black screen and startled the rest of us. I’ve had to hack in from the main web site when the prior meeting email worked fine. Such are the times we live in. I like everyone’s creativity and the willingness to adapt.

Soapbox alert. The Army and Air Force taught me that masks save lives. Mine and others. Whether it’s a gas mask or an oxygen mask, they work. It’s an educational moment to be standing in the gas chamber in Army basic training. You can feel your skin crawl when they pop the gas. You learn to trust your mask in the chamber.

Then they make you take off your mask to really appreciate it. You have to repeat your name, rank, and something else unimportant, to keep you inside long enough to take a fine whiff of chemicals before getting permission to leave. Very educational.

Our scientists, healthcare personnel, and essential frontline workers have become our modern day fighter pilots, like in the movie Independence Day. As ground support crew to them, our cloth face masks are one crucial tool to fight this global enemy and support our new pandemic fighter pilots. Mask up America!

Off my soapbox. Where was I? See, this is what happens during these times. Squirrel!

I’d like to close with a few items I’ve been doing to keep me from going nuts. (And I bet you think it’s not working!) 

  1. Taking walks.
  2. Listening to Great Meditation on YouTube
  3. Following The Minimal Mom on YouTube to help edit out the clutter in my home.
  4. Watching way too many YouTube videos.
  5. Major League Baseball. (I’m an NFL gal, but I’m enjoying their efforts. Calms me down.)
  6. Giving myself a break. If we only get one thing done a day, bloody brilliant!
  7. Taking flower pictures.
  8. Laughing with friends on the phone and on Zoom.
  9. Filling up my local Goodwill with donations.
  10. Writing things in my After Pandemic To Do booklet.
  11. Being grateful to write the stories of my heart.

Hope you are all healthy, safe, and coping. Hugs to all. We are in this big earth SUV together, so let’s quit fighting in the backseat and get along.

Moving forward together is the best way to defeat this damn virus. Onward America! 

We’ve got a lot of work to do.

Right after I chomp on a frozen chocolate donut.

Blessings.  

And because we need it. The Red Panda cub at the Oregon Zoo!

 

 

Pandemic Puttering In Place?

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Thought I’d revisit some favorite Oregon spots we can’t go to right now. This is near Boiler Bay, just north of Depoe Bay. Inhale the sea air!

Welcome to the Middle Ages. This is what happens when new viruses hatch. It’s the ultimate game of keep away.

Hope you all stay safe and distant from each other, try not to wash the skin off your fingers, and don’t breath anyone else’s air.

Given my military and medical disaster background, wanted to offer a few ideas.

If you have shelter, stay there.

Now is the time to inventory your food. Frisk the pantry. Not only does this let you know what you have, but there are bonuses. A friend of mine found a purse she was missing.

Inventorying Spec Ops Cat’s canned food, I found my rum! Score. Gonna need that at some point. I did have to pour out the expired (2007) bottle of Baileys on St. Patrick’s Day, no less. But even I can’t drink chunky Baileys. Zombie apocalypse? I’d chew it. For sure.

I suggest an Indiana Jones adventure if you’ve got a refrigerator freezer or one in the garage, like I do. I checked online to see how long a frozen turkey is good. There is one hiding behind the blueberries. I’m afraid to look at the date on the tag. But, good to know all your assets.

Inventory your technology. Thought my power computer got hit by malware last week, but it checked out okay. In the meantime there are five computers in this house, I think. Most can be used as boat anchors. I bought a used Apple from my friend Carol, to help with manuscript formatting. But I’ve never used an Apple. My tech doctor told me not to start now. I believe he is heading my phone calls off at the pass.

For gold bonus points on the tech inventory, try to locate the matching manuals too. HA!

And now I have all the time in the world to fix all the online tech issues I’ve got with my web site redesign, my WordPress photo upload issue, and trying to remember how to use Instagram.

Which are all reasons why I am actually getting some writing done. Avoidance and procrastination. A two-fer!

Normally I enjoy being home and puttering in place as I call it. PIP. Now we’ve upgraded to Pandemic Puttering In Place, so PPIP.

Since I have a lot of boxes in my house from clearing out my mom’s apartment the end of February, plus my own boxes of papers to sort, I can keep busy for months. Then there are all my hoarded craft supplies.

Used some of my craft paint to make a big sign to wave at mom through her window at the Assisted Living Center. Because we got her moved in just in time for a pandemic lock down. That’s how my family’s luck rolls.

But the staff is doing a great job of keeping her safe and trying to entertain everybody and keep them fed, medicated, and active. Lessons we can all take to heart.

So, since I can’t add new photos to this post yet, I’m going to use old ones and make up new captions. Because I can.

But I wanted to leave you with some fun and calming videos to watch in your spare time. And to possibly save the hair of some parents who now have to teach their kids. All the time.

The Oregon Zoo staff is working hard to take care of the animals while the zoo is closed. But even a flamingo needs a hug. I have not seen an order for flamingo distancing yet. So they’re good.

If you want to go to the beach from your couch, this week the Oregon State Parks is live streaming whale watching on the Oregon Coast from Depoe Bay from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT through March 29th on YouTube live. Depoe Bay is one of my favorite places on the planet. We had our family beach house there for twenty-five years. World’s smallest harbor located between Lincoln City and Newport. Plus, I Iived there when I worked as a reporter and photographer on the Newport News-Times newspaper. 

If you miss the live stream during the day, you can watch the reruns! Four hours of glorious coastal waves and fabulous Park Rangers giving whale info every day. So park the kids in front and go for it. They even sighted a pod of orcas yesterday! (Time stamp 3:28:20)

In the meantime, I am going to try and find my Scooby Doo postage stamps, which have been missing for eighteen months in this house. Luckily, they are forever stamps. 

P.S. And for those of you who might enjoy ebooks, Amazon KindleUnlimited is free for two months! You could read my two romance fiction books for free! The next book in the Vintage Veterans military romance series is almost ready to go. Doing my best to concentrate and get that out there.

Stay safe, stay inside, stay sane.

Clean if you must.

And eat chocolate.   

Hugs from Oregon!