Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody! Hope you are having a great week!

Jools

Wow!!!

Thank you all so much for making the 44 series such a huge hit these past few weeks! It's been quite the thrill having people read about Abby and Kate and the Mortimer Brothers and Bend~ Since Thanksgiving almost 100,000 people have downloaded the free Book 1 and Book 2 is selling really well.

Also, thanks to all those who have left reviews on Amazon, Good Reads, and BN and those who have written to me. It means a lot :)


Book 2 is now available on Apple and it's also in paperback.


Anyway, not too much to report in the way of Bend news, although I did attend the Christmas Parade and have been taking a lot of night walks this past week to check out local Christmas light decorations. It's crazy how mild it's been here, although as I write this on Sunday afternoon, it feels like snow is in the air.

I did get a a chance to go on a little hike up along the Deschutes River earlier in the week. It was a beautiful, mild morning, with deep blue skies and no ice on the trail. We walked up to Lava Island Falls Take Out, the spot where summer rafting companies pull off the river. It's also a central scene in 44 Book 2.

I'm putting the final touches on a play list for the series that I will post soon. One of the songs is Mazzy Star's "Into Dust"...I especially love listening to this while reading Chapter 35 in Book 1.

Thanks again everybody! Hope you all are having a great Sunday and are getting ready for the end of the year celebrations.
Jools

44 Book Two now available

44 Book Two is now live on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Happy last day of November and happy reading!

44 Book Two coming soon

A quick update on this very Black Friday... The release of 44 Book Two is just days away. In the meantime, here's the cover...

Writing Down the Bones and a Few Other Things...

I haven't posted in a while because I've been writing and being that I tend to scatter easily, I was careful not to lose the words in my head to a blog post, as they needed to go into 44 Book 2 instead. But today has been a good day of editing and I'm right on schedule. I'm excited about Book 2 and it will be out by the end of November.

It's funny about writing. There are so many interesting and magical parts of it. There's the thinking part, and I have to admit that's one of my favorite parts because I can take my brain with me anywhere and call it "writing."I can go for a walk or out on a snowshoe, or even on a glorious autumn hike where I'm able to get those ideas flowing.

Then there is the physical work of writing that requires long hours at the keyboard hammering out the first few drafts, trying to figure out the story and the characters.


But then there's the next part: The Magic part. The part where something starts helping the writer with the story. Helps the book along. It's an amazing time in the writing process, and I only can get to it after putting in lots of hours. But when I arrive, the story takes over, the characters start speaking to each other effortlessly, the plot works itself out. Something reminds me to slip a scene into chapter 3, take a name out chapter 12. It's a magical thing, this part of the creative process, and I always feel very lucky to be caught in it.

Anyway, just some thoughts from this blurry-eyed writer on a windy November day here in Bend.

I'm posting a few pictures, too, of my lovely little city. I had to go downtown a few days ago to do some research and brought my camera along.

Happy creating to all,

Jools

Progress Involves Risk....

“You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”

- Frederick B. Wilcox

Favorite Tree

Happy Friday!
Jools

Fright Night 2011

Happy Halloween!
Jools

Ghosts and Spirits

There is nothing better than a good ghost story. The kind that gives you goose bumps, chills, and sends your heart thumping so hard you hear it in your ears. The kind that leaves you on the edge of your emotions soon after it starts, because you know it's coming. Something.


A few nights ago, I watched "Woman in Black" for the 20th time. Okay, I don't know if that's exactly right, but I do watch it every Halloween and sometimes once during the year. It's a 1989 production starring Adrian Rawlins. It's a very old-fashioned kind of ghost story and really awesome.The kind that is subtle but scary as hell. Maybe it's so good because, well, it could be real.

I love this movie. It's hard to get a hold of (luckily I have an old taped copy that's lasted all these years) but if you are lucky enough to be able to, do it!


So when I found out they were remaking it with the Harry Potter actor, I was a little worried at first. It's such a classic and and I don't want them to ruin it. But I've seen the trailer and it looks pretty good. It won't be out until February, and I will be there, wrapped in goose down, for opening day.


On a side note and a strange Bend connection, before we had decided to move to Bend, we visited a few weekends to look at houses and the area. We noticed that a local theater group was putting on the production of "The Woman in Black." We couldn't believe it! It was an extremely obscure movie and there it was. One of our favorites. We bought tickets, loved the play, and considered it a sign post.

Anyway, I raise a glass of spirits and wish you all a most excellent Halloween this year! 
Jools

Best Fall Ever, Man

It's really been the best of the best of autumns here in Bend this year. Luckily, I was able to spend a few hours yesterday in the glorious sunshine, walking around Awbrey Butte and Northwest Crossing taking pictures. 

I remember that last year by this time Bend already had a weekend of snow with more on the way.Yesterday it was 70 degrees and blue skies. Lucky us!

Pumpkins rule! Even with warts, er, I mean goose bumps....

Well, back to writing. On an exciting note, 44 Book 2 will be done in early November and will be on Amazon and BN soon after. Thanks again to the people who have written asking where the second one is. It's on the way.....

Hope you are having an excellent Monday!
Jools

Happy Wednesday....

Demons, Clowns, and Zak Bagans...Welcome to Hell!

Reading.....Good.
Scary Story Reading.....Better.

Looking for some great, fun horror novels for kids?
Then O.Penn Coughin's new book series, Welcome to Hell, is a must!
Three books so far and they're all GREAT reads!

Kissed by a Clown
Demon at my Window
Being Zak Bagans

Happy Frights!

Jools

Autumn in Bend

Autumn is just the best here in Bend. The colors, the smells, the feeling of change all mixing together, making it a real special time...
Here are some recent photos I took on walks, including one where there's a nice "dusting" on the mountains, reminding me that if I want to get one more hike in this season, I had better get up there soon.

Hope you are having an excellent Wednesday!
Jools

"No more yes. It's either HELL YEAH! or no."

"No more yes. It's either HELL YEAH! or no."
--Derek Sivers

Season of Horror

It was a good weekend over here in Jools' Land! Decorating, shopping, and celebrating, all related to the Season of Horror!


We started our horror movie viewing and last night we saw Exorcist 3, a gruesome, surprisingly good movie that features George C. Scott (Gorgeous Cat). If any of you have seen Exorcist 2, you know why I use the word "surprisingly." But this movie really delivers in the creeps and chills department. I love the story too, picking up 15 years after Father Karras is hurtled from the window and tumbles down all those stairs in Georgetown.


It's an old movie, 1990, and completely underrated (probably due to the fact that Exorcist 2 is really, really bad). It's a good, solid film and if you are a fan of of Damien and The Devil, it's def a must see.

Also, it's not nearly as intense as the first one, which in my book is a good thing. Although, word of warning, there's some serious horror involved here...the "nurse scene" is a classic.



On Thursday, I'm going to write a bit more about scary "must see" movies. I like a lot of the old school and off-the beaten-path horror movies, so maybe you'll find some gems that you haven't seen yet. Stay tuned!

See you Thursday for some more ghoulish delights and hope you're having a amazing autumn Monday, wherever you are!
Jools

"You've Got to Find What You Love."

"You've got to find what you love." ---Steve Jobs

Beginnings....

“Your work is to discover your work and then, with all your heart, to give yourself to it.” – Buddha

Season of the Orange

Hope you're having a fabulous Friday!
Jools

44 at Bend Library

There's no money being made, there's no fame, no interviews, no guest lectures, no invites to writers' conferences, no hors d'oevres on shiny silver platters, no parade, no key to the city.

But damn, 44 is now available at our local library here in Bend and this really makes me happy!

Hope you're having a great Wednesday, wherever you may be~
Jools

Plenty of Pie

I'm with JA Konrath on the pie debate.
There's plenty.
But it's up to the writer to come to the table with a hungry heart, wild mind, and a plate.
Bon Appetit, wherever you are~
Jools

Happy Monday

"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls."
Joseph Campbell
 

Sunday, Sunday....

I love Sundays. And Sundays in autumn, man, now we are talking good times. 
Today, in celebration of fall, I'm writing and cooking. Writing because I'm on a deadline and cooking dinner because it's time to celebrate the new season. Cornish hens, potato/yellow pepper/sweet potato feta bake, and an apple tart.

Better get working...
I took this picture when we were hiking up the Green Lakes Trail last week. I'll have a post on it soon with more pictures of my favorite hike in Oregon :)
Hope you are having a fabulous Sunday, wherever you are!
Jools

Happy Fall, Y'All....

Summer is officially over, which means for us here in the Jools' household, the Halloween Countdown has begun!
Hope you're having a fabulous fall day, wherever you are!
Jools

September!

Sometimes I'm just too darn lazy to add my own ending to a movie. In fact, most of the time I don't like to. After investing an hour and a half or so, I want to be told what happens. Heck, it's not my story! Tell me how it ends!
Case in Point: Meek's Cutoff. I really liked this movie about some families heading west on the Oregon Trail and getting lost, but it needed an ending.
Beginnings and endings are important.

 

Anyway, I took these photos a few days ago around Old Mill and figured they paired nicely with my thoughts after watching the movie last night.
Hope you are having some fabulous last days of summer! Yaw!
Jools

Beautiful Day...

Wow! It was such a great day here in Bend and I was lucky enough to get out and play in it for a while! I grabbed my camera and strolled by the river, got lost in the thousands of wildflowers over by Old Mill, and buried my toes in the grass at Riverbend Park. Pure Bend magic...
Hope you're enjoying a beautiful September day, wherever you are!
Jools

Feel it Coming in the Air.....

I love September. I love it for a lot of reasons, mostly because it's a month that changes. From summer to fall, from hot to warm to cool, from lazy days to busy days.

Okay, another reason I love September is because it's my birthday month and I really do love my birthday. At least, most years I do. I usually spend a part of the day reflecting and projecting, thinking about the happenings of the past year and the dreams of the coming one.

Last year, one of the most exciting things that happened in my life was that I started writing books. I was finally able to quiet my restless mind and sit with my thoughts for long periods of time and write. Although I've always written articles and columns and short stories, this was the first time I was able to write novels. And that's something I've always wanted to do. This was so huge and the funny thing now is that looking back on it, it really wasn't that huge at all. At some magical moment last year, it just became the next logical step. And now, poof, I write books. It's just what I do.

This next year, I plan to continue. I have plans to finish the 44 trilogy and maybe even extend it on. Book 2 will be out sometime in October. (My sincere apologies for Book 2 being a little late.And thank you to those who have written wondering where it is!). I also have a few other ideas as well.

Speaking of cool presents (right? birthdays and all) I got a new digital camera this last week and I absolutely love it! I have high hopes that it will pump some new life into this blog.

Hope you are having an excellent Saturday~


Namaste,
Jools