It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Jan 5

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you enjoyed your holidays. Were you able to relax a bit? Like many, I return to work today. Granted, my schedule is more flexible than others, but I've appreciated having some time to refresh and restore my tired body and soul. 

Here are some recent photos: 

Gifts from one of my real estate clients

Spent a wonderful amount of time

in the kitchen

Travis took over my new basket

Dwight likes my wrapping supplies

Between Christmas and New Year's, I was able to catch up on reading and blogging. 

My review of this Advent devotional by Cynthia Ruchti appears here.

My review of the seasonal romance, Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason appears here. 

I am halfway through reading the I Heard The Bells Christmas novella collection by the Fab Four authors. 

I also started Hooked by Cailtin Rother. 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

I downloaded a Kindle freebie a couple of days ago. Doesn't Write Me a Ghost Story by Phillipa Wozniak sound good? 

Myrtle Glubber came to the Hawaiian writers’ retreat looking for sunshine, snacks, and some lighthearted mystery—not an actual corpse.

Instead, the seasoned sleuth and her steadfast sidekick Stanley are swept into a chilling mix of island folklore, ghost stories, and a suspicious group of mystery authors who may be hiding more than plot twists. Before the workshops even begin, a murder shatters the tropical calm, and Myrtle finds herself at the heart of a real-life whodunit. Trapped on the island by a washed-out bridge and surrounded by writers with shifting stories and shady motives, Myrtle must rely on her instincts—and Stanley’s quiet support—as the danger creeps closer. A thoughtful retired detective offers help and history, but even his steady presence can’t protect them from the rising tension… or the next murder.

Can Myrtle unravel the tangled mystery before the killer strikes again?

Rich with ghostly legends, sly humor, and an older heroine who’s still got it, this paranormal cozy is a page-turner for anyone who believes murder and mayhem don’t retire when you do.

Buy this Myrtle Ghost Story today—because on this island, the spirits are restless, and the killer has a deadline.

Upcoming Events

Hooked by Catilin Rother - January (Review)

Tender Dreams, Harsh Reality by John Beilharz - Jan 26 (Interview)

Artsy Rambler by Evy and Rich Journey - Feb 3 (Spotlight)

Winter's Season by R. J. Koreto - Feb 13 (Spotlight)

Hook, Line, and Murder by GG Calpo - Mar 2 (Interview)

Agatha Christie, She Watched by Teresa Peschel - Apr 15 (Review)

Christmas Year Round

At my Christmas blog, I posted my final Christmas... in the news segment for Christmas 2025. I'm thinking of ideas for what to replace it with until Christmas news is plentiful again. You can check it out here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

I shared some of the children's books that are currently on my Kindle. Check them out here. I also linked to my New Year's Day post at Christian Children's Authors. You can find that here.

Laura's Little Houses

My top five favorite episodes from the eighth season of Little House on the Prairie are posted here. 

That's it from me this week. Wishing you a blessed 2026! 

Interview with J. E. Weiner, Author of The Wretched and Undone

 

J. E. Weiner is a writer and novelist based in Northern California. Her debut novel, The Wretched and Undone, is a searing and genre-bending Southern Gothic tale set in the heart of the Texas Hill Country and inspired by real people and actual events. The book manuscript was named a Killer Nashville Top Pick for 2024 and a Claymore Award Finalist for Best Southern Gothic. 

Weiner’s previous work has appeared in the literary journals Madcap Review, Five Minutes, HerStry, and Chicago Story Press, as well as the recent grit-lit anthology Red-Headed Writing (Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2024). Weiner is a founding member of the Pacific Coast Writers Collective, and while living and writing in blissful exile on the West Coast, her heart remains bound to her childhood home, the Great State of Texas. 

Learn more about J. E. and her writing at her website: www.jeweiner.com

Follow her on social media: Facebook: @J.E.Weiner  | Instagram: @jeweinerauthor

When did you begin writing? 

There is a Russian idiom “to write into the drawer” (zapisat' v yashchik), which, I think, best captures how all of this started. Over the years, I have always kept journals–or really just scraps of paper stuffed into notebooks or desk drawers–capturing strange and humorous encounters, snippets of dialog eavesdropped, and observations formed as a result of chronic people-watching. The idea for this story emerged over time and over many trips to visit family in the Texas Hill Country. I kept telling my husband that someday I wanted to write a novel about Bandera, the self-proclaimed “Cowboy Capital of the World,” and its history. He finally forced my hand, signing me up for a Stanford Continuing Studies course titled “How to Start Your Novel and Keep It Going.” I wrote the first chapter of The Wretched and Undone in the spring of 2018 and haven’t looked back since. 

Do you write during the day, at night, or whenever you can sneak in a few moments? 

With a hectic day job, finding the time and headspace to write has proven to be my greatest challenge. At a moment of particular frustration, I remembered when my mother was writing her Master’s thesis while teaching full-time and raising young children. She would wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning every day and write for two hours before we all woke up, and then use whatever energy she had left in the evenings to edit. I have adopted a variation of that approach. I spend a good part of every weekend writing generatively and editing in the evenings during the week. 

What is this book about? 

The Wretched and Undone is a love letter to the Texas Hill Country. It is a story–as quirky and funny as it is tragic–about a place and time few people beyond the town of Bandera know much about. It is both a hard-nosed telling of brutal truths about a difficult time in American history, lifting up voices often silenced and lessons still not learned from the past, and a poignant saga that explores the tensions between the protection of family and community (found and otherwise) and the struggles of individuals to chart their own paths and reconcile their own fears, joys, failures, and successes. Ultimately, this is the story of the resilience, but not the infallibility of the human spirit. 

What inspired you to write it? 

One icy winter night while visiting my sister on her cattle ranch on the outskirts of Bandera, Texas, she shared the story of a “woman in white” who often came to call, drifting across the fields and hills or imploring sleepy guests for help. That ghost drew me to this story, and the ruggedly beautiful Texas Hill Country drew me to the place. It was only a matter of time until the trained historian in me uncovered the complex and fascinating history of Bandera and the region. The intrepid pioneers who crossed the Atlantic on a cramped steamship and endured a 300-mile trek by oxcart from the Port of Galveston to Bandera on the eve of the American Civil War had no idea what awaited them at the tough and morally ambiguous crossroads in the history of Texas and the United States. Ghosts? Cowboys? Times of troubles? This was a story that needed to be told.

 Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride? 

Bumpy, for sure, as it is for all new writers. The barriers to entry into the traditional book publishing market are nearly impossible to overcome without a perfect alignment of the right agent, the right publishing house contacts, and the right project at the right time. However, with challenges also come opportunities, and the democratization of the publishing industry in recent years has allowed newcomers like me to break through. That said, the bar is also ever-higher in these emerging publishing lanes. There is no lack of great stories that need to be told, but the stories (and the writing) also need to be great. 

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere? 

I would have waited a beat longer to begin submitting my manuscript. When you type “The End” on the final page of your draft, the reality is it is just the beginning. 

What is up next for you? 

I am on to my next novel, a story inspired by the still-unsolved murder of eight men at Tragedy Tree in Bandera County in 1863. 

Order The Wretched and Undone: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Jan 13

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.    

Welcome back to Monday! Missed posting last week because my schedule was crazy. Listing photos for my upcoming listing, a listing consultation, showings, meetings, and then we left Friday for Wilmington. Drove through a bit of snow on Friday night, but we made it there safely. We flew home yesterday, and a more regular schedule is taking over now we are beyond the holidays. 

Anyone other than me still have their Christmas decorations up? Since they went up so late this year, I didn't want to take them down right away. But I am in the mood for something a little different now. Not sure what I will do. Working on making life simpler, I'm hoping to go through some of the old stuff before I pack the decorations away. 

Breakfast at First Watch

Despite the cold weather, the pool fountain was running

Blueberry ricotta waffles at Blueberry's Grill

Saw this in the Lil' Princess' kitchen

(not sure which of the girls bought it--she lives with three others--but loved it right away)

Came home to a dusting of snow

In my reading world, I took two books with me to Wilmington, but I only ended up reading on the plane ride home. 

Loved everything about this devotional. Look for my review soon.

I am finished this audiobook I bought on Chirp. Hope to have my review posted soon. 

I've been reading this one. It's good. Find it interesting that there are so many points of view. 

I also started this one. 

I finished this book from one of my favorite authors. Also own the second book that continues her story after marrying Hap. Need to read that as well. 

I had downloaded this one from NetGalley this fall, but had issues with my shelf. Finally, have access to it and started this one.

These two are next.

Upcoming events:

• Review of Ghosting Academy by LS Delorme - Feb 3 (Review)

You can read the latest Christmas news at the Christmas Year Round blog. This week, I shared my last Christmas... in the news segment of the season. It is about the Castle Noel event for Hurricane Helene survivors, the next journey for this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and a special Christmas treat for elephants at the Berlin Zoo. You can find my post here.

That's about it from me. Lots going on this week. Still plan to share my bookish goals for Top Ten Tuesday tomorrow. Looking forward to checking in at your blogs today. Enjoy your week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Apr 22

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.   

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.   

Happy Monday and happy Earth Day! Our company participated in a local clean up day over the weekend. I, however, was in North Carolina to see the Lil' Princess dance in the UNCW Dance Company's annual showcase. We are driving home now. 

Work has been busy--thankfully--so not as much blogging last week. I did, however, post a review of Good Leaders Ask Great Questions by John C. Maxwell over the weekend. You can find it here.

As far as reading goes, I finished this one. Great ghost story! Look for my review at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection coming soon. 

I also finished this book. Hope to have a review posted here this week. 

I need to start this one. The author recently signed a contract for the next book in the series, so I need to get a move on. 

I need to finish this one for an April 25th review. 

I need to read this one for a May review. 

I am enjoying this book. 

I also need to start this one for a May 31st review. Little problem: I've lost the book in my house. I know it came in, so if I don't find it soon, I will buy a copy. 

I would really like to continue with this series after I catch up on review books. 

Added some new books to my eBay shop here. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• It Will Have Been So Beautiful by Amanda Shaw - Apr 25 (review) 
• My Career Journal by CareerTuners - May 1 (review) 
• Be Resilient in Your Career by Dr. Helen Ofosu - May 16 (review)
• Mastering Your Scenes by J. A. Cox - May 17 (review)
• I Will Ruin You: The Twisted Truth Behind the Kit Martin Murder Trial by Emilio Corsetti III - May 31 (review)

 

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Nothing this week as far as I know, but looking forward to this one when it comes out. I pre-ordered it as soon as Dean announced it.

An illuminating, insider’s journey through the world of Little House on the Prairie and beyond, from Dean Butler, who starred as Almanzo Wilder, the man Laura “Half Pint” Ingalls married—on the iconic show still beloved by millions of fans as it reaches its 50th anniversary.

Cast just before his twenty-third birthday, Dean Butler joined Little House on the Prairie halfway through its run, gaining instant celebrity and fans’ enduring affection. Ironically, when the late, great Michael Landon remarked that Little House would outlive everyone involved in making it, Butler deemed it unlikely. Yet for four decades and counting, Butler has been defined in the public eye as Almanzo Wilder—a role he views as the great gift of his life.

Butler had been cast as a romantic lead before, notably in the made-for-TV movie of Judy Blume’s Forever , opposite Stephanie Zimbalist. But Little House was, and remains, one of the most treasured shows in television history. As the eventual husband of Laura “Half-pint” Ingalls—and the man who would share actress Melissa Gilbert’s first real-life romantic kiss—Butler landed as a central figure for the show’s devoted fans.

Now, with wit and candor, Butler recounts his passage through the Prairie , sharing stories and anecdotes of the remarkable cast who were his on-screen family. But that was merely the beginning of a diverse career that includes Broadway runs and roles on two other classic shows—Moondoggie in The New Gidget and Buffy’s ne’er-do-well father, Hank, in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Coming of age during a golden era of entertainment, Butler has evolved along with it, and today enjoys success and fulfillment as a director and producer—notably of NBC Golf’s Feherty —while remaining deeply loyal to Little House.

The warmth, heart, and decency that fans of Laura and Almanzo fell in love with on Little House echo through this uplifting memoir, a story, in Butler’s words, about “good luck, good television, and the very good—if gloriously imperfect—people who made it so.”

That's it from me. Hope you enjoy your week!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday - Feb 6

Welcome to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? and Mailbox Monday.   

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.     

Welcome to the first Monday of February. Hope you had a great week. Lots going on here with work and family life. Spent a day and a half in various forms of training. Worked on getting organized and planning for my mother-in-law to relocate here. Tried not to freeze body parts off. Lost trees in the woods, but mostly only branches to pick up other than that. It was way worse in other places and some lost power for longer than we did.

Sunday, our trail was sunny and much warmer on our morning walk.

Over the weekend, one of our local groups held a danceathon to support three western Mass charities. Rick's Place  in Wilbraham was one of the recipients. This organization, whose board I am blessed to sit on, offers free grief support to children and their families. 

In my reading world, I finished this audio book. You can find my review here.

I am also 26% through this wonderful latest installment of Charlotte Hubbard's latest Promise Lodge novel. Since adding the Netgalley app to my phone, I tend to use it more and aren't as shy about requesting new titles. 

These two are next. 

Upcoming virtual book tours:

• Dead Heat to Destiny by J. B. Rivard - Feb 7
• Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard - Feb 20
• Kiss My Boots by Jennifer Learmont - Feb 23
• The Code by Sean Keefer - Mar 6
• Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman - Mar 13

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

These two arrived on Friday. They are the last of the books I ordered with my B&N gift card. I so rarely read anything lighthearted that I felt it is time to make it happen.

I also grabbed a few books from an estate sale. I enjoy David McCullough. It is also good to have books I can use for research purposes here since I tend to write historical fiction. 

I also grabbed a Kindle freebie on Sunday that I simply couldn't resist.

Abigail Sutton’s beloved husband walks out one night, doesn’t return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of a long ago crime. It’s made her sympathetic to the missing and their families. Starting her new life, Abigail moves to small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna’s younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.

But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play. Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why…but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer.

Doesn't Scraps of Paper sound fabulous? 

I am off to stage a property this morning, but I will check in with everyone later today. Hope it is a good one!