What’s Up Wednesday

A couple of writer-friends have been doing What’s Up Wednesday, and it looked like fun, so I thought I’d join in!

What’s up Wednesday is a weekly blog-hop created by sisters Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk, intended to help writers keep connected. Click on either link for more information and to sign up, if you want to join in!

So, here goes:

WHAT I’M READING

Quite a few things.

(a) For business: I’m doing research for a novel involving fraudulent mediums, so I’m up to my ears in books by famous magician and fraud-debunker James Randi. It’s fascinating stuff.

(b) For pleasure: I’ve been devouring the Odelia Grey books by Sue Ann Jaffarian. Cozies are a guilty pleasure of mine, but there’s nothing guilty about the pleasure of this series. It’s well-written–which is rare enough in cozies–but also insightful and gently, pleasantly boundary-breaking.

I’ve also just finished re-reading Mummy Dearest by Josh Lanyon. I re-read quite a few of Josh Lanyon’s books every year–and by “read,” I generally mean listen to on audio while I run, though I did break out the e-reader for Mummy Dearest. Why do I like this one so much? I guess because it’s sweetly goofy, and more than a little like a Scooby Doo episode. Always makes me smile. Also, I was re-watching The Chamber of Secrets the other day, and realized that my mind had put Gilderoy Lockhart’s face on the body of Fraser Fortune while I’d been reading Mummy Dearest, which is why the actor looked so familiar. Was VERY pleased to see that there will be a second book in this series, btw, as well as a fourth in the Holmes and Moriarity series.

WHAT I’M WRITING I just turned in the draft of Fool’s Gold to the publisher, and have finished first edits of the eight stories that will appear in Death and a Cup of Tea. Am currently in the process of outlining the aforementioned book about the medium. For once I don’t have a clue for a title.

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

I’m rediscovering music. When I write, I need absolute silence. It’s a drag, but if there’s any sort of noise, especially the kind involving a logical structure like lyrics or a tune, I can’t concentrate. But I’ve recently switched from audiobooks to music for running, and it’s like a whole different kind of workout. Actually, it is a whole different kind of workout. I’ve gotten bored with just running two miles, turning around and running back, so I’ve started mixing it up with a bit of Step. You remember Step? It was a thing in the late ’80s and early ’90s. So basically I’m running up and down stairs at a nearby park, and using the curbs as a prop. And doing it to ’80s new wave music. I know it looks dangerously close to Prancercise, but it’s fun, I’m “glowing” like a “lady”, and I’ve doubled my time and distance in terms of steps–7 miles yesterday! Have also switched from straight-ahead running to what I like to call “low gear running”—that is, high frequency with low forward momentum. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll patent that.

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

I’m making cannoli tonight, y’all! Cannoli!