Mar 14
Late last week I emailed ARCs of My Dear One to volunteers. One reader has already finished (!), and another contacted me to tell me she’s loving the story–hates the steward–and what is up with the heroine’s formal speech? Short answer? She’s British. And daughter of an English peer. Rules of etiquette differ depending on …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/formal-is-normal/
Mar 07
In my last book review, I mentioned how I ended up angry, tossing and turning, instead of sleeping, after finishing the book. I want to expand on my reaction. As I mention in the review, I was drawn to the book initially by its cover. As a warm-blooded, heterosexual female, with an affinity for all …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/what-a-girl-wants-in-a-cover/
Mar 01
March break was second only to summer break when I was a kid, and only because it was a good six-weeks shorter in duration. And a whole lot colder. Especially on the Ranch. March didn’t just signal a break from school for me; it heralded a trip to BC’s interior to visit my aunt and …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/march-is-calving-season/
Feb 21
I started out a bit of a rebel. Mom says she put a harness on me one day when I was a toddler. I had a penchant for toddling off. Most toddlers do. Fearless, ignorant of danger and mobile, young children get into things—and out of places—they shouldn’t. So, on went the harness. For about …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/rebel-fear/
Feb 14
Following a luncheon date with a friend, I’ll call her R, I texted her a thank you; shared how much I’d enjoyed our visit. She concurred, and expressed how crazy it was that we met where we did, when we did, each of us ending up at the same location through circumstance–hers sad, mine out …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/fate-friendship-and-mud/
Feb 07
Have you read The Secret? I did. Years ago. And it resonated with me; the whole idea of creating the world you want through vision and belief. How else can you do it? When I sit down to write a one-hundred-thousand (plus?) word novel, I do so without certainty of what words I’ll use. Or …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/keep-going/
Feb 01
February is to me, what Wednesday is to the five-day work-week crew: Hump Month. My final blustery and icy hurdle, before spring melt. I just have to keep moving. Which isn’t always easy. But I have a few tricks that help me cope until warmer, brighter days arrive… Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. There is just something …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/hump-month-and-a-contest/
Jan 29
It’s a snowy last Sunday of the month. Where I am, at least. And I’m enjoying a quiet day watching the snow fall, while catching up on laundry. I’m also preparing to learn more about MailChimp and newsletter preparation. I don’t have a newsletter yet; I struggle to think of what I might include in …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/snowy-sunday-and-newsletter-musing/
Jan 21
Enjoyed a good discussion with one of my children today, regarding friends. Specifically, how to manage competing interests. One friend wants to do one thing, another something else, and another nothing at all; how to balance that to please the majority, while also remembering to prioritize personal well-being. Good question. And one I hardly feel …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/friends/
Jan 13
January is difficult for many people. Cold. Blustery. Short on daylight. It’s the trifecta of depression. Or SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder is no joke. It hampers some people’s ability to function. Insomnia. Fatigue. Apathy… I used to be hit hard every winter. My mood sank in direct relationship to the declining hours of sunlight. My …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.deborahsmall.com/staying-bright-in-the-darkest-month/
