Yege! (Trying this one)

     So, I'm trying Yege medium roast mushroom coffee now. It's the 4th one on the list, but I love it. It's a good roast with a good flavor, and it doesn't have chaga, so there's another benefit for me. I'm sure chaga is awesome, but I don't want any potential kidney issues if I can avoid them. I'm good.  The coffee would be rather earthy if I didn't add creamer to it. I add half and half, but I can see people using other things. I also put a little honey in my second cup, because I have two in the morning.

    I haven't noticed any real weight loss, which makes me a little sad. I was truly hoping all the hype was real. I may have shed a pound or two, but nothing to sing about. I really wanted to wake up 10 days into it and be svelte, but no, that didn't happen.  I will say my hip feels a lot better. I don't have the terrible muscle pains in my thighs like I had three weeks ago -- that's definitely something that I can say is very different. I couldn't stand up without having to rub the tops of my legs and wait a few seconds before moving around.

    I've not had coffee in literally 3 weeks - but I don't miss it. I'm giving my coffee machine to Goodwill, even my cappuccino machine. It's going away tomorrow. More room for things I need, and less clutter. It's a win-win. I do not miss my coffee like I thought I would. I'm awake during the day, and I sleep well at night. I hope it all works out to be the best thing possible. If I like Yege, and I think I do, I may not even try others. It's relatively cheap and works well for what I want. 

    I buy all of my coffee on Amazon. I tried to find a brand or two at the stores this past weekend, but didn't see anything there. With Amazon, I can buy it and not have to pay shipping. I can buy a cheaper brand at Kroger, but it has chaga. Alas, I am OK -- no chaga for me. I tried Atlas, it was earthy - I ended up giving it to my friend who also drinks Yege. I just can't stand Atlas - nope. They sold me 2 bags for $37, I think, and it was on sale if I joined their little club. I wrote them within the first week, saying I didn't like it and wanted my money back - NOPE. 

    Don't believe their money-back guarantee. They want you to send back the product at your expense, which is more than they paid for postage. I would receive back $14.70 out of the $37 I spent -- no thank you. I literally had 1 cup and hated it. They can stuff it. I won't advertise for them; in fact, I'll do what I'm doing now, and tell the truth about their dirt-tasting coffee substitute. Don't believe their hype. I can only imagine that the other, more expensive brands may turn out to be just as bad. I won't say it because I haven't tasted it - but I won't taste them now, since I like Yege. 

    It's sort of like going to the pound to get a dog. You find one you love, you don't keep looking. Unless you're like me, and end up with seven or eight new dogs -- that could actually happen. I don't want seven or eight coffees. I have two. I have Joey and Yege. I love Joey too - and I drink it every third day or so. It has a sort of chocolate vibe to it - very nice. I make it for my 2nd cup when I have it -- just sort of a treat. It's nice. I didn't have any issues with it tasting differently because it was pleasant -- not dirt.

    So there you go - it works for me, but it could do so much more if it's helping others lose weight too. At least my joints feel better. It must be affecting the cortisol levels in my body; that's what's been making my hip and right knee hurt. I have really learned so much over the past month about how cortisol in the body can destroy tendons and make you feel much older than you are -- amazing!!  The mushroom coffee does stop that in its tracks.  It flares up a little, but not as badly as it was.

    I'll post again in a week or so to see if I'm losing weight or maintaining. I know I'm not gaining weight. The coffee does make you less hungry, and I don't crave snacks -- so maybe my weight loss is coming!! I hope so. I really do.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com 

Small Strip - Big Mess

     We have the most amazing real estate agent. She hasn't given me permission to say her name, but she's awesome. We found a great place and all seemed to be working in our favor. Every little detail was falling into place. It was really wonderful to see it happen and to know that we didn't have to do anything really to force this or that - it just came together; until it didn't. 

    I'll call her Ann. That's not her name, but I have to call her something when I write about her. Ann, the fantastic real estate woman, asked us if we knew whether the land had been surveyed. We didn't; it's not something we would know, but it is something that the agents know should be done. I say that; the good agents know that it should be done. Apparently, the agent who sold the property to the current owners didn't know this, and they got stuck royally! 

    Ann had the survey pulled, but it was absolutely off. It wasn't anything like the land was being described, and it had a few "details" missing as well. The first detail was that the county had the house on 1.68 acres, not the 7.0 acres we were told went with it. That's a problem for me.  When we pulled the survey plot maps for the surrounding plots, it was apparent that there were 4 separate panels or plots and they totalled 14.40 acres, not 7, not 1.68. This was very concerning because we weren't about to buy a house in the middle of other people's property if they refused to sell it.

    

    It turns out that the current owners own about 80% of the 14.40 acres (they didn't even know that), and a good 5 acres of it has an oil company lease. The oil company is paying the previous owners, not the current ones, to use the land. The entire time, the current owners could have had the previous owners give them rent for the lease, but they didn't know they owned it. They wanted me to buy it without any guarantee that the previous owner would pay me to have the oil company pay them—so yeah, NO. If I own it, it's MINE, and if the oil company wants to stay on it, they can pay me. I get that it is a 99-year lease, but the owners SOLD that land (but kept the lease money). There's something fishy there!

    

    Well, we told Ann we could buy the land with the new survey giving us the property we want, not including the oil-leased area, but there was ONE more problem -- and as small as it may be, it was a huge deal. The land survey showed that the land between the street going to the oil company lease in the back, belonged to the previous owners or the current owners, they weren't sure, but it led through our land to the oil leased land, making it impossible for us to put our fences up in the front and on the far side where our horses would be. We'd have to use a one-lane drive to drive trucks pulling trailers down a very narrow strip where we couldn't turn around until we passed the barn!  Again -- NO!

    15-20 feet of land running south from the western ingress to the far south side belonged to someone else. If they wanted to put in a drive, they could. If they wanted to sell it, they could. If they wanted to block it, they could. They wouldn't mow it or keep it, but they owned it. NOPE.  Not happening. It's mine or it's not mine. I won't put in a short fence, share my land, or let others on my land. It's my damn land, or it isn't.  It may or may not be. I've asked them to replot it, do what they need to do, or we're pulling out of the sale. We have the right because they misrepresented their side.

    The good news is, we are fine where we are, and we will stay until we find the right place. If they can get the sellers to redo the survey ($5000) and sell it to us without any strings, we'll consider it. We won't offer more because we thought it was included to begin with. They can take the loss or try to sell it to someone else and be told no again. They'll have NO ONE buy the place under those conditions—unless they're really dumb. Our agent had our back, and she still does. We'll use her no matter what - but it may be in the spring instead of next month.

    It will happen. We'll find a good place. The right place. God is good.

PHOTO CREDIT: "Ann" but not really - it's from Adobe Stock.

God is So Good.

     God is always good. He's just always really good to us, and I don't mind sharing that information with anyone willing to hear me brag on my King.  Laura and I have been wanting to move to our own place for years; I mean, years! I haven't owned a house since 1996, and I only owned it for a minute before I divorced, and he took it out from under me - our judge was very partial to men; she hated women. Her record(s) reflect it. The fact is, however, I just never got out of the rut. I was either in debt and couldn't buy one, or I hadn't had my job long enough. There was always something stopping me from settling down and buying a home. That stops now. 

    About 11 years ago, Laura called me out of the blue after moving back to Oklahoma from Indiana, where we had been sharing a rented home. I also moved back and was renting again. She stated, rather than asking, that I needed a roommate. I didn't think I did, but it wasn't a question. She became my roommate, and she's been a really good one ever since. She's not interested in dating or getting married, and frankly, neither am I.  We're just two old biddies, I guess, one older than the other.

    Now, after finally finding permanent work (no thanks to Covid and employers who don't understand the value of honest and ethical individuals), I have a really good, steady, and wonderful job. I've been there for about 18 months, and I earn enough to buy the house I want, not just something I have to settle for. It's taken a very long time, but it is time now, and God had everything to do with it. We pray about everything, and He listens. He moves, and He works. We don't have to. We just have to use our brains and do what needs to be done - He opens the doors so we can pass through them - in His time.

    I have been steadily building my credit by paying off almost everything, except for my car. I keep that one going (revolving) so I have a good score on the credit reporting agencies. They allowed me to add all of my bills, including my rental history for the past 10 years, which has been nearly perfect, so that significantly increased my score. I am beyond the point where I need to be for a lender to say yes, and I'm heading toward the marks closer to the "best" or "excellent" credit range. I'm a solid "good" at the moment! It feels really good too! Really good.

    I can't say where we'll land just yet. I don't want anything to happen -- we haven't signed the papers yet.  What I will say is that it is in my favorite city, within city limits, but on an acreage. Although it has city water, electric, gas, and internet, it's far enough from the neighbors to feel as if I'm mostly in a rural setting. We'll say this, there are about 5 acres or more between me and any other neighbor, and 15-20 acres from those in the back-- and they're a business, so no worries there.

    The veterinarian is literally across the street from us! How convenient is that?  We're 3 city blocks from a roundabout that takes you into the city - with restaurants, doctors' offices, dentists, chiropractors, grocery stores, and more, less than a 1/2 mile from our doorstep. (The doorstep is a good 3/4 of an acre from the curb! I like that.)  I can fly my American flag and not worry. All of my neighbors have one too!  We'll have horses soon, and though we could probably get more dogs, we're going to stick with the four we have.

    We are both (Laura and I) cave dogs. We don't want a big house. We're far more concerned about the size and shape of the barn than we are about the house. The house is a 1,400 sq. ft. house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an office space for Laura, and a large extra space, including a two-car garage, for her gym and tack room. (My car gets to share it, of course, and I have the third bedroom for my office.) Laura gets the Master bedroom because its window faces the horses; she'll love that. We have a great fireplace so Santa can come down it if he chooses to, and the cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom are IDENTICAL to those my daddy made in houses out that way in the '70s. They could have been built by his hands, and I'm not just saying that.

    We're hoping they'll sell the mowers, tractor, and flatbeds with the house. We're offering $ for them. The owners are in their 80s and won't use them. We'll eventually have to demolish the barn and build a new one, but that's a while down the road. For now, we're focusing on the new fence for the dogs (an immediate project) and building two paddocks for our horses. This should be an amazing holiday season for us. We move on Thanksgiving Day!! You can't get more thankful than we are for this opportunity - God, and of course, Jesus, and the Spirit are simply too wonderful.  We feel as if we can finally breathe.

    

Photo Credit: Me (the acreage) 

Mushroom Coffee Update (09/29/25)

     It's been about a week and a few days, and I'm still really happy with the Pella low-caffeine coffee choice. I have to consider my future with the blend, however, because it contains chaga mushrooms. Chaga can, but doesn't always, affect a person's kidneys. I really never ever want to go through what I went through in 1990 - because believe me, I still remember the pain. I do NOT want another kidney stone. I do not.

    Because Pella and many of the other blends contain chaga, it makes it a little more challenging to find one that doesn't include this particular mushroom and is also tasty. I did try Atlas, and although it was supposed to be a great blend, I can't do it. I don't like the taste of it - nope. It was nothing like the ads were hyping it up to be. First, it was more expensive. You use more, and it has a very earthy taste -- by that, I mean it tastes like dirt.

    I had to get a subscription to get it sent to me quickly, but at least they let me out of that. I'm hoping they honor their 30-day refund guarantee as well. I was not a fan. They do send you a handy-dandy heavy metal scoop and a frother. I didn't open the frother, as I have one. If you are an Atlas fan, I wish you the best. If they don't want the unopened package, I'll give it as a gift.  If they allow me to return it all, I will.

    Next up is Joey. I have it in hand and will wait until tomorrow morning to drink it. If I don't like it, I'll let you know. After Joey is Yege. My friend has Yege and likes it. I think it has more caffeine than the others. One of the reasons I got the mushroom coffee was to lower my caffeine intake. I'm not going to replace one bad habit with another. I'm hoping Joey is good - but I'm not sure it's the same thing. It may be a cacao mix; at least I think it is.

    What I have noticed, and it's only been 10 days, is that I'm not eating as much as I was. The mix does help curb the desire to eat - whether that's a good thing or not, I'm not sure. I know that by lunchtime, I only eat two-thirds of what I used to eat, and at dinner time, it's about the same. I'm not using or abusing sugar - but I never really did anyway. I am able to watch my intake, and I'm thinking good things will come from it. I'm really hoping to lose 40 pounds by Christmas.

    I have three months to lose the weight, and if I don't, I won't freak -- just be a bit disappointed. I want the drink to be both an aid to my focus and a support for my weight management. Both claims have been promised through various advertising; we'll see if they're able to keep their word or not. I do feel energized, but then again, I was never not energized. 

    There is one thing that I have noticed, and I love it — absolutely love it — and that's that my hip pain is virtually gone. It's not completely gone, but it's significantly less than what it was. I am taking less ibuprofen, and I'm drinking more water as well. I drink about 2 cups of mushroom coffee a day, and I take a daily mushroom supplement with the same type of ingredients, only in pill form. I can actually say, with confidence, that my hip is feeling significantly better than it did before.

    Back in July (over two months now), I stopped going to the chiropractor.  I think he did the initial realignment that I needed, and then I began exercising my hip, and now I'm using mushroom coffee to help regulate my cortisol levels. I am 100% convinced that the reason my hip was hurting so badly is the level of cortisol in my body -- with the mushrooms doing their natural thing - that may change. I'm hoping it changes. Again, I'll keep you posted. I promise.

Photo Credit: DrinkJoey.com 

Looking for my Next Horse

     I have to be honest, when I gave up my last horse, a big, gorgeous quarter horse named Casper, I truly believed I was getting out of horses. The best thing about horse people, I always say, is their dogs. The one thing that drove me out of wanting to own a horse wasn't the cost - that was a close second. The first thing, the number one reason I gave up horses, was the damned horse people you have to deal with when you don't own your own place and have to board with others. If you've never experienced it, save yourself time, money, effort, and all the lame headaches you can possibly imagine. Horse people are that bad - and more.

    When you board at a facility, you have to go by their rules, and it doesn't matter how petty or silly those rules may be. If you're paying them to keep or watch your horse, you have to deal with the type of BS you may never have imagined - but it's real. We have boarded at over ten places over the years, and though one woman's place was 100X better than most, she wasn't perfect either. She was petty at times, and had people working for her who were convicts and drug users -- and they were around MY horses! No, thank you.

    Well, Laura and I are about to buy a place that has enough acres (not a lot) to do what we want to do. She wants to train a couple of horses, and I just want to ride. I don't want to pay someone $400+ to care for my animal, and I don't want anyone telling me that what I'm doing is wrong, incorrect, or not right. I'm sick and tired of their way being the only way, just because they own the ranch or boarding facility. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to slap the various owners and their children, friends, and kin for either riding my horse without permission, letting someone else do so, or something as lame and dangerous as smoking in the barn.

    I can't tell you how many times Laura and I have been at a boarding facility and found underaged kids having sex, partying, drinking, and smoking dope until all hours of the night, and again, around my horses! I can't tell you how many times we've had tack stolen, even when we locked it in our own private lockers - literally having the locks cut off and the owners shaking their heads as if they weren't aware that it was happening. 

    I can't tell you how many times the toilets weren't working at a barn, or they didn't have one to begin with, and we had to cut our horse time short so we could drive to the nearest restaurant to use the facilities. It's really that stupid at times. We've had to park in certain spots because the owners didn't like the color of my car! We've had to share our feed when others didn't have any. We've had to wait an hour for the arena because there was a party going on, or a lesson that went long, or an impromptu lesson that was paying the barn owner $$$ so we didn't get to use the facility we paid to use! The list goes on and on - medicines stolen, and so on. 

    Now, things are different  - THANK YOU, JESUS!  We will have our own place. We won't have to pay anyone; it's part of the package. We won't have to drive 12 miles to get to the horses; we can just step out the back door. We don't have to worry about shelter; we won't have to worry if they're being fed, or fed on time, or fed enough, or fed too much. We have lived through it all!  Now...it's our turn. Again, this couldn't have happened without prayer and God's good grace.

    My next horse will likely be my last one. I've wanted that for so long, but life wouldn't let it happen. I could get another AQHA, but that's not what I'm focusing my attention on necessarily. I am looking for a very broke, gentle, sweet, quiet, easy-moving horse who, if she or he want to, can smell every last flower along the way while we stroll through and across the land. We don't have to be in any hurry - just the two of us (unless Laura joins us, of course).  I'm really pretty excited about it.

    I've been searching Craigslist for teenage horses with more whoa than go, and I'm hoping to find one closer to me, but I'm okay with paying for transport for the right mount. I'm not opposed to searching the entire United States to find one. That's why God made U-Ship! It ends up being about $2 per loaded mile, which is not a bad thing. There are individuals who offer to bring the horse so they can meet the person buying their animal, and that's OK too. I will be the best when it comes to treating and spoiling my horse - but then again, I could end up being the worst too, because I treat and spoil my horse.

    If the one I end up with is anything like Casper, or Reagan, or if God was really sweet to me, and gave me another one like Hero -- I would be on cloud nine. It will likely be a gaited horse to accommodate my age and knees; something like a Standardbred, Tenn. Walker, or Moutain Horse. I'm ready to dust off the old tack, lose 30-40 pounds before the end of the year, and make this the best adventure ever -- I'll keep you posted. Giddy-Up!

Photo Credit: Me.  AQHA Bedtime Hero - my heart horse.

"Shadow" (the Next Book)

     I've decided to take a few weeks off from writing and focus solely on the house - not this house, not the one I'm currently living in, but the one we're going to move to. Laura and I are looking at a place, and I'll tell you more about it after we've signed the papers. I don't want anyone coming in and swooping it out of our clutches! We'd be so devastated if that were to happen. We really want this particular place, so we're being really shush-shush about it. However, it does mean that I'm taking a break from writing to use my weekends to plan the move in its entirety. I'll start the new book, "Shadow," first thing after the new year begins.

    "Shadow" is a take-off of an old story, one we've all heard about. It's about justice, setting the record straight, but the way it's handled isn't exactly legal -- in fact, it's not legal whatsoever. It's murder. Several killers who have been acquitted by various juries in the country have been found dead. Mostly in the Southwest, but one or two up in Colorado and Wyoming. Their executed bodies hadn't gone completely unnoticed.

    When Nick Posh accepts the assignment to get to the bottom of it all, he's surprised to find that sitting judges, prosecuting attorneys, and even law enforcers are behind the contract hits. It won't be easy for him to work the case without tipping off those who are involved; his very life could be at stake. One of the most intriguing cases of Posh's career for sure; one where he's destined to make enemies and lose friends. 

    I won't be able to start until January, but I'm gathering information now to bring in a few cases in history where the issues Posh will be dealing with have already occurred in real life. I like to bring a little reality into my fiction when I can. It helps to make the book work - and it makes it easier to write too.  I must admit that when I created the cover, I had to laugh - I used a lamppost for the cover - and I love it; but then I realized I had used a similar type of light fixture (sort of) for the cover of "Stratford". It's a sconce, but still! Oh well! I love it.

    "Shadow" will be the first book of the year. I will write four Posh books in 2026, and possibly one drama — it's going to be a good year!  In 2025, I wrote "Stratford", "Dion", "Cask", and "Amicus Curiae", and I still have 2.5 months to go, so I think I can do 5 in 2026. 

Photo Credit: Me

Mushroom Coffee -- A Real Taste Test

     You can't go anywhere online today without seeing ads for one or the other brand of mushroom coffee. It's become such a thing that I decided to pay a little more attention to the advertising to see if they were going to blatantly lie about the overall effects, or if they'd stick to the truth; you know, that mushroom-infused water would suck if someone were to crush mushrooms up and make into a powder so you could make instant coffee with them.

    There are at least ten to twelve popular brands of this stuff, so you know they are either all owned by the same companies and compete against one another, still able to rake in the money on all sides, or there's something big brewing in them there woodlands!  The latter is the case, and it's really pretty good, too.

    My co-worker and I decided to experience this thing together. He bought his brand, and I bought another one because I wanted one that said it had low or no caffeine. I'm not a caffeine drinker now; I gave it up about a month ago. I gave it up because I had terrible belly aches, cramps, and even a sort of higher or noticeably higher jitter level than I had in the past. There was a time, maybe 10-12 years ago, that I could (and would) drink a 4-shot cappuccino in the morning and think nothing of it. Those days are gone!

    My co-worker bought the Yege brand of mushroom coffee, while I opted for the Pella brand, which has a lower caffeine blend. They are all powders. They are all instant coffees, which, to be honest, I was 100% against as well - call me a snob; I was one. I would not ever drink Folgers, but my co-worker loves it. I was really worried about the taste of the mushroom coffee, even if it was deemed better for me, because I can't drink bitter or nasty cheap coffee blends; I just can't, he can.

    I bought the Pella, and today was the first time to try it. I didn't want to make it after 3:00 p.m. when it arrived yesterday, so I waited.  When I opened the packet, I was really surprised by how small the scooper was. It's really small -nothing like I would have expected; I think it's less than a teaspoon, to be honest. I could maybe pack a teaspoon of powder into it, but it wouldn't all fit. It's that small. I don't mind. That means it will last longer. The package says it has 60 servings in it.

    Deciding the scoop was simply too small, I added a little more to my 8-9 oz of hot water - and used a little spinning frother thing to mix it up. His brand sent him one I think. I had one already, and it worked wonderfully.  Now, I don't drink coffee plain; I never have. I don't add sugar, but I have to add half and half, so I did. Then, the moment of truth came -- would it be good or not? 

    I lifted the cup to my nose and gave it a good sniff. I didn't detect anything mushroomy at all - it actually smelled like the Green Mountain decaf I drink, so that was good. I brought the brim of the cup to my lips and took my first sip. I let it sit there for a few seconds. I stared at the dog, who by now knew something was up - I hadn't walked over to my couch yet. She waited for me. I took another sip, and then a third, and had to admit that the Pella Mushroom coffee I was drinking was really very good tasting - it did not, did not, did not, taste like a bag of powdered fungi.

    I was simply and very assuredly blown away by it. I know I'll keep drinking it. I have every intention to do it, and every intention of giving up coffee-coffee altogether - which, in my world, is bonkers, absolutely nutters. I will, from now on, drink mushroom coffee.  Now, I will say that I will likely try to find another blend that is decaf because Pella has chaga mushrooms, and they could present an issue with my kidneys. It hasn't - but I don't want there to be any chance of it. I did more research today, and since I have had a few kidney issues in the past, I'm going to play it safe.

    And now, for the benefits of mushroom coffee!! I'll paraphrase, but you can Google it. 

• Stress and anxiety relief (almost instantly)
• Cognitive thought and focus enhancement
• Immune system support - antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory - rich in polyphenols 
• Improved gut health - prebiotics help with digestion
• Weight management - not necessarily weight loss

    Now you know. You can Google it, use the AI function for a deeper dive, and know that at least one person likes the taste, but I bet there are millions. Also, it may help to know that I prefer teas with an earthy taste over black teas; it's a personal preference, and black tea contains caffeine.  I'm hoping that this choice has come just in time to help heal my hip joint and my knees from all the pain I've experienced in the past six months. I'll keep you posted.

    Pella, the lower caffeine blend, was $19.99 on Amazon, but my friend paid $27. I get up to 60 servings with Pella, and he gets only 30, so his is literally 2x as much as mine or more. It's something to think about. They are both ranked online as being in the top 5 best brands, which is pretty cool. Neither of us knew that when we picked our blends. We found out afterwards. This is his first time owning an electric kettle, which didn't surprise me. Americans are significantly behind in that area. I've owned it for years!

    

    Well, that's about it. I'll post once a week about the mushroom coffee and see if I've lost weight, felt better, gotten sick, or what! I think it's important that people know the truth before trying something new - and as always, if you need to, please consult your doctor before trying mushroom coffee. It couldn't hurt to get their opinion; they know you pretty good!

    

Photo Credit: Serious Eats.  (My brand and my friend's brands aren't even in the picture. There are a lot of choices!) 

My Next Ten Books

     I may have mentioned it before, but my plans have plans. My notes have notes. I try to be more than just organized. I try to stay focused by having all my plans numbered, categorized, and ready to go, just in case something happens. It's been that way since I can remember; I hate being caught unprepared or without a clue. I don't like surprises; I never have. I want to be so in control of my next moves that I'm never shocked at what I'm about to do. That doesn't always work out for me, and sometimes I'm devastated, but even then, I try really hard to bounce back as quickly as possible.

    All that being said, I finished fluffing and stuffing my 20th book, my 12th novel, and I sent it up to be published. It will come back in a week, and I'll go through it one last time before making it available to buy. Over the next few weeks, approximately 10-12 weeks, I'll review my other books and explore ways to correct them now that I have more AI tools at my disposal. I'd love to correct "Faith Walks" as well as "Of Kilted Pleasure", "Murder Book", "Pinball", and "Edinburgh" for sure. I'll likely do all of my books, but that's the order I'm going for at this time.

    Speaking of order - and I just did; I'm happy to announce that I have created a list (a plan for my plan) of the next 10 Nick Posh books that will be written in the upcoming two years. I've also decided to stop writing romance books and dramas and instead focus on releasing as many Posh books as possible. I love keeping the characters around in my head - so giving them too much time off could prove to be a bad thing. God only knows what they'll get themselves into if I don't keep a watchful eye on them all.

    Alistair Posh has already decided to attend school in London rather than to continue his studies in Oklahoma. He's a citizen of both the UK and the United States. After taking entrance tests, he's been awarded a hefty scholarship, so he'll be busy until he's a little older. Then, I'll be sure to check in on him from time to time. He's in good hands; his cousins attend the same school. He will be called, written to, and heard from; don't worry, he's OK.

    The book titles that are coming are as follows, and yes, in this order:

• Shadow (1934)
• Kingdom (1934-35)
• Stollen  (1935)
• Dance (1935)
• Cold Justice (1936)
• Boom (1936)
• Outside the Oath (1937)
• Deadline (1937)
• Death Mask (1938)
• Target (1938)

I'll try to write the first 5 in 2026 and the last 5 in 2027. It's not too hard to crank out a book every 2.5 months, but it's not easy either. I hope I don't get burned out or slowed by something, but if it doesn't happen, it won't be because it wasn't planned! That much I can guarantee you.

    Shadow is next. It takes place in the US with help from the UK; Posh will find himself uncovering intentional assassinations of murderers who have been given a pass by the corrupt judges sitting on benches taking bribes from politicians who need their snipers and drug runners on the streets. It gets ugly, but he'll have plenty of help from the old standbys, and probably a few new names you've not read about -- not yet anyway.

    

Photo Credit: Me. Each notebook, except one, has the notes for two of the Posh books. "Shadow" has its own book. 

Amicus Curiae -- Processing for Print

     My 20th book, "Amicus Curiae," has been sent up to be processed for print. What that means is, it will be slapped together and made into a book. I submitted both the manuscript and the cover. My work isn't done, however. When Ingram Spark receives it, they'll make it into a printable book format and let me know the proof is ready for approval. I'll download the file, review it, and then approve or deny it. I'm pretty sure I will approve, but there have been times when I had to say no because I had made a mistake (or twelve) in the design.

    This time, I went over the interior three or four times while I was writing it. I went over it again just now, and though I've done all that hard work, when it comes back to me in printed form, I know I'll find even more mistakes. The cover should be fine. The book is 312 pages. I said it was 316 to allow some wiggle room in the cover template. When they send it over, I'll review it to ensure everything is properly aligned, not upside down or backward. 

    The way it works is simple. I sent up the manuscript and cover, and they put it together. They ask me to approve it, and when I do, I request a single copy to be printed and sent to me. This allows me to review it and identify any corrections I might have missed while staring at the computer screen. Looking at it as a book is so much different than looking at it on the screen. The texture, the physical book itself, and the font appear significantly smaller in real life than they do on my computer. I definitely need my glasses!

    When I review it, I find grammar, spelling, and spacing issues that I missed. Sometimes I see entire blank pages! I did take care of that, actually - I discovered how to view the book in thumbprint format before sending it up - makes all the difference in the world. I wish I had known this a few books back! I seriously did not know I had that option in Word. I do! I do have that option. I imagine there are more options that I still don't know about. At least I have Grammarly on my side.

    So, it will be a day or so before I am able to approve it. I will order it, have it expedited to me, and I'll correct it. The book should be available for print and purchase on Amazon around October 1, and I'll follow up by paying for the eBook to be produced shortly after. That's the only thing I can't do for free, really -- the cover and manuscript (Canva and Adobe) have small fees associated with them, but I paid over $2700 for a book to be published once, and they only allowed me to make a certain number of corrections. When I paid for the editing, it didn't work out for me. I'm so so so happy to have Ingram Spark on my side now.

    I'll keep you posted. It feels really good to send one up, but it's sad too, because it means the story came to an end. This one, I can spoil a little bit and say, the good guys win. You knew that, right? 

Photo Credit: This is what Crit Waters looks like, the young man accused of murder. (I used Adobe Firefly to create the image)

The Steel Tongue Drum (in 432Hz)

     It could very well be that because I am weird, or odd (I don't always know the difference), I have purchased for myself a blue steel tongue drum for the heck of it. Now, I also bought a smaller one, and I think it's black, but there were several colors in the offering. I can't remember which one I selected. It's OK either way; I am not loyal to one color over the next. The blue one was prettier to me when I saw it, so I know I ordered that one. The blue drum is larger, about 11 inches, and the smaller one is only 4 or 6 inches; it fits in my hand.

    Why a tongue drum? Well, that's a good question. While I was growing up, I was always interested in the sounds that were being made by drums, be that the sound of large bass drums being hit during a concert, or even the handheld conga drums that you'd see a kid carrying around in the early years of my life, the 1960s and the 1970s. Kids were always doing something to make noise somehow, and some of those kids had congas. I loved it. I never owned any, but I loved listening to them

    The Celts (my people) are well known for beating on deer skin drums, as are the patriots who came over and carried on their military traditions. Drums are an intricate part of every corner of my life in one way or another. The steel drum, though, isn't a deerskin or anything synthetic and plastic; nope, it is what it says it is, a steel drum.  These little instruments are both inexpensive and marvelous. They make the deep hollow sounds you hear in meditation videos. They don't clang or clink; they sing.

    When struck, the notes bloom, lifting into the air surrounding your head with tones so clear and soft. Each "tongue", the U-shaped cuts in the metal, has its own voice. It's own note. They give you little stickers to put on them so you can learn them; you can remove the stickers when you've mastered their positions, and if they come with engraved numbers, you'll never have to worry about that. It's a cheap and fun, very beautiful way to relax, think, create, and just hang out with yourself or someone you love.

    It's a soft-sounding instrument; the vibrations are like individual lullabies resonating through your body. If you strike the instrument harder, the tones crash, like waves or thunder, overlapping with each other, and the sounds harmonize as they lift and fall together. The metal, in this case, steel, gives it a crystalline sound - sustaining through several seconds of measured tone before deminishing and disappearing; unlike a wooden drum that will thud. The sound echoes. 

    Believe it or not, the steel-tongued drum is a relatively new instrument, having been developed over the past twenty or so years. It was inspired by the ancient instruments of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, but nothing like it has been found any earlier than 2000; before that, it was literally something else. The steel-tongued drum isn't going out of style anytime soon; every percussion instrument has its purpose, its place, and its punctuation on its audience(s).  I love the tones. I don't aspire to be a guru, but I hope to learn quickly and enjoy it more than watching TV or YouTube videos. 

    Something tells me I would benefit more from learning and creating music than from staring at the computer screen watching crime shows. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my current thought. I'll see how it turns out and let you know. At least, with the little one, I can take it with me and have something to do if I get stuck somewhere and have nothing to do -- I always have music either in my head or in my heart; but now I'll have it at my fingertips too!

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com