Happy Holidays!

Somehow, we are here. It's the eve of Christmas Eve, it's been snowing heavily all day here in Bend, and my mind has been racing around for hours like the flurry of flakes outside, going over lists, thinking about recipes and store lists, and trying to figure out what to get my cat.

But as I sat watching the snowstorm, I took a few deep breaths (Abby Craig style) and thought for a long, long time how incredibly lucky I am. And while I have a long list of lucky things in my life, the success of the 44 series is, of course, up there at the top.

Thank you all so much for being great fans of Abby and Jesse and Kate and Ty and for making this one of the most magical years ever.

To you, my friends, I wish you the happiest of holidays, the best of Christmases, the brightest of New Years. May you be surrounded with love and joy and plenty of sweetness, this week and in the year to come.

Best and Warmest Wishes~

Jools

44 BOOK SIX is here!

Happy December, everyone!

44 Book Six is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Other distributors to follow.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I am eternally grateful for all your enthusiasm and support. Thank you, thank you, thank you and enjoy!

-- Jools

Happy Thanksgiving!

44 Book Six is scheduled for release in just 10 days, on November 30th. Until then I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!!!

Hope you all are having a fantastic Halloween!
Jools

The Great Pumpkin Patch

I had a chance to get out to Terrebonne this weekend, a little town not too far away from Bend that sits in the shadow of Smith Rock (a place where Ty likes to rock climb) and has a few great pumpkin patches. It was a windy, cold, spectacular day, perfect for pumpkin hunting. Blue skies turned to gray skies and then back to blue again without a drop of rain, the air crisp, atmosphere amazing.

My hands froze as I took pictures, lost in a field of dead sunflower stalks. After an hour or so, I got down to business and started picking and hauling piles of pumpkins to the scales, where a lady who had seen it all before eyeballed the group and charged a flat fee.

I was tempted by the crazy hamburger smells floating through the farm, but it was cash only at the stand so I headed back to Bend, to 10 Barrel (another Ty hangout), where I used my debit card for an excellent brew and snacks.

 

Hope you all are having festive orange days this week, with plenty of pumpkin plans in the works :)

Jools

Working Hard....

Just a quick post to say that I'm working hard over here, focused and very excited about 44 Book Six and the new series. I've had a few emails asking about the release date for both....Book Six will be out in November sometime (I'll keep you updated on the blog here, but if you'd like you can email me at Joolssinclair@msn.com to be added to the notification list). The new series will be out at the end of the year, or the beginning of January.

The leaves here in Bend have ignited and are spectacular this week....I'm going out on a quick camera shoot tomorrow and will post some pictures soon after that.

I was at Ten Barrel sipping a brew the other day, staring at the "Pray for Snow" signs posted all around. I might try this approach this year, meeting the snow season halfway. I usually meet it only a quarter way, that is I love it until we're in the depths of January with foot of the white powder outside and more on the way. Then I am California dreaming...

Anyway, happy weekend everybody~Hope you are all buying lots of pumpkins and having a fantastic October so far!

Jools

Last Days of September...

Hi, Everybody!

In an effort to celebrate the last few days of summer and to get some fresh air into my lungs (Bend has been swamped with intense smoke from wildfires this month), I headed to the Oregon Coast for a little fun and relaxation....

If you look closely, you'll find me up there in the middle keeping warm and taking a long nap after chowing down all week on Mo's clam chowder and garlic cheese toast.....

 

 

When in Rogue!

Well, back to work over here. Hope you all had an excellent week as well!

Jools

Happy September!

F

First off, thank you to everybody who has written this summer! I've received so many fantastic emails these last few months and have loved it :) It's a thrilling time to be a writer and getting to know fans from all over the world is one of the very best things about this business...

I was excited too that a few weeks ago 44 made it to the number 5 slot in the "free books" in the UK!

Some have written asking about the release of Book Six. I don't have the exact date yet, but it'll be out in November. Also, my new series will be out in late December. I have a list going of people who would like to be notified when those books are released, so if you're intested in being on the mailing list, just drop me a line and let me know (joolssinclair@msn.com).



It was a pretty quiet August over here. I took a little time off, taking it easy and trying to do things that didn't involve the computer and thinking....I wasn't completely successful (just about staying away from the computer..), but at least I got a little rest.

Here in Bend, September and October are the best. The days are warm (instead of hot) and filled with those big blue skies that Abby misses seeing. The fragrant pine and juniper trees fill the air. The nights are cooler, hinting at what's to come. It's a very magical time of the year here and there's nowhere I'd rather be.

This past week, I've been wandering the wildflower fields behind Old Mill (on the street next to the amphitheater, if you're in town and want to take a look). I plan on spending a lot of time over there this month, soaking in the sun, listening to the bees, and taking plenty of pictures.

These flowers are right around the corner from the river and park where Ty and Abby went paddleboarding in Book Five. It's a good place to hang out.

Hope you all are finishing up a restful, fun Labor Day weekend!

Jools

44 Book Five Now Available

Book Five Update...
44 Book Five was available on Amazon yesterday for a few hours, then it wasn't (ghost in the machine?). Anyway, it's back now. That was easy. Here are the links for... Amazon , Amazon UK,  Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords. I'll let you know when it hits Apple and Sony. Thanks everybody for your patience and hope you all have a great weekend!
Jools

44 Book Five Update

Due to circumstances completely beyond within my control, the publication of 44 Book Five has been pushed back a few days. The new release date is Saturday, August 4. I profusely apologize for any frustration or disappointment this may cause and ask for your understanding and forgiveness.

Jools

Coming Soon... 44 Book Five

44 Book Five should be available sometime August 1st...

Hacked! and Other News...

First off, just a quick note to say that my Jools Sinclair email account was hacked yesterday. So if you received a rather strange email from me, I am sorry! I spent the morning sorting it out, and it looks like everything is fixed now. My apologies also for any inconvenience it may have caused...
 
Onto something more fun....

44 Book Five will be available on Amazon and BN on August 1. It takes place in the summer, one of my absolute favorite seasons here in Bend. Speaking of....the city is sure crowded this week....I'm thinking it's all the excellent beer being brewed up that's bringing everybody in...

Last week, I did manage to pull away from the computer and headed up to Sparks Lake for the first kayak trip of the season. It was spectacular!  Once I finish Book Five, I plan to spend a lot of days up in the mountains... kayaking, daydreaming, and hiking. Can't hardly wait......

But until then, it's back to Abby and Co. Hope you all are having a great July!

Jools  

Last Days of Spring....

It's been a beautiful weekend here in Bend....sunny skies, a warm sun, nice breezes. Hope you all are having a fun Sunday and Happy Father's Day!

Jools

Florence!

Florence is on my mind this morning because I just bought tickets to see her show here in Oregon next month. I can't wait!

I've been listening to her music quite a lot lately. As I mentioned in another post, Florence and the Machine was playing non-stop in the background as I wrote 44 Book Four and it appears that the same thing is happening as I write Book Five.

I love the song "Blinding." Here's a link if you want to listen.....

I love the lyrics too, especially these:

No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone
No more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden
No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love
No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love
No more dreaming like a girl so in love with the wrong world    ---Florence + the Machine

Hope you all are having a great week~

Jools

When Sunday Nights Are Good...

This is a random post about watching a lot of television, but I had so much fun last night that I had to share.

First off, at about three in the afternoon yesterday, I found out about the Adele television special on NBC. Wow, lucky find~she was amazing!

 

Then I watched the season finale of Game of Thrones, which was fantastic! I loved those incredibly intense scenes, like when Daenerys, Mother of Dragons, searched for her dragons in the House of the Undying and found her dead husband and baby in a tent, and the White Walkers in the snow. I was happy too that Tyrion Lannister was still alive after the battle last week. Wow! This series has it all...myths, heros, demons, suffering and triumph, love and loss. It's going to be really, really hard to wait a year for the next season.

The fun of the evening didn't stop there...a quick refreshment break and I was back on the sofa....
 
Madmen was next up and awesome, as always. After last week's shocker with Joan and Peggy, the writers refused to let up and put us through another heartbreak at the very end of the episode.

And finally, I topped the night off watching Veep with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. It was nice to see a comedy after all the drama of the evening.


I confess that I'm a little sluggish today, with a slight headache and wobbly vision. But the evening of indulgence was well worth it...

Hope you all are having a great week~

Jools

P.S.  I did a few interviews with some of my favorite writer/blogger friends last week, so if you'd like to check them out, here are the links:

http://allisonkarras.blogspot.com/

http://deborahjhughes.com/

Thank you!!!

Thank you everybody! It's exciting to see so much interest in the 44 series. I love writing about Abby and Kate and Ty and Jesse and Bend, and will keep writing about them all as long as they have exciting stories to tell. If you haven't already done so and would like to, I would so appreciate reviews on Amazon or BN! And thanks SO much to those people who have already left them :)

I've had some people ask me about the next book in the 44 series, so I wanted to announce here that 44 Book Five is scheduled to be released August 1.


I also wanted to mention how much I love Florence+the Machine and how her music really influenced Book Four. During the last few weeks of writing it, Florence was singing non-stop over here. I'm a huge fan, completely addicted, and can't wait until July to see her live.

A lot of her music is perfect for the 44 series. Here is a clip of Seven Devils, which belongs with Chapter 26 of Book Four.


On another note, I managed to get out on a short hike in the Badlands earlier this week. Ty and Abby hike there in Book Four. It's not too far from town, but is always pretty empty. It's so beautiful and lonely, and is a great place to think.

Hope you all are cooking up fun plans for a great Memorial Day weekend! My big wish for these next few days is to be done with snow once and for all. Yesterday and this morning slushy white blobs were falling from the sky.

Have a great, long weekend!

Jools

Book Four Update

Here are the links to Forty-Four Book Four on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Thanks for all your excitement, patience, and understanding! Happy Mother's Day weekend!


Jools

Book Four Coming Soon!

Forty-Four Book Four is just a few days away. This Saturday, to be exact. Until then here's the cover...

Quick Trips are Good....

I read something a little while ago about the importance of having fun. I don't know if it's the lingering snow or the amount of time I've been sitting at the computer lately, but this last week I've been feeling a little, well, unfun, so I decided it was time to stir things up and take a small trip.

So on Monday, the fam and I left the High Desert for a few days and went down into the "Valley," over to Portland, to see Kathleen Edwards play at the Aladdin.

Kathleen Edwards was absolutely amazing! It was the kind of concert that you walk away from feeling lucky that you were there, a part of something that was really special. She sounded incredible, her music and words were beautiful, and her passion was stunning. It'll be a night I'll always remember.


She played one of my favorites, A Soft Place to Land, a song that must be included on the 44 soundtrack. If you haven't heard it yet, go here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vV1J3cQnj0


We also were able to go to two fantastic restaurants while in Portland. The two are connected, owned by the same guys and WOW, they were both excellent! Before the concert, we stopped by Toro Bravo for dinner:

Above is the Sherry Chicken Liver Mousse that would make even Hannibal Lecter cry. That was just one item we all shared....

And then, the next morning, breakfast at Tasty N Sons...

If you're in the Portland area and are interested in going to either of these restaurants, make sure to get there early or bring some patience as both places are popular and crowded. We arrived at Toro Bravo ten minutes after it opened and got the last table.

It was a great trip. And when we got home, there was even some more fun as we watched the Barcelona game. It was a big one...playing AC Milan for a spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Barca won, and I know it made Abby happy.


Well, it feels like the fun trip worked. I came home happy and refreshed and am ready to dive right back into Book Four (which will be released next month around Mother's Day).

Hope you all are having a great week and have some fun plans brewing!

Jools

That's Entertainment...

Wow, things have gotten way fun over here lately, one of the reasons being that some of the best shows have returned this week! So who cares if it's snowing in April! Here's a list of some of my favs of the season...and why you'll find me glued to the screen lately~

Mad Men
I love this series for a lot of reasons, although the snappy, witty dialogue is what I love best. I was so excited that after a 17-month hiatus it returned last Sunday night... and the brief scene of Peggy dancing at Don's birthday party alone made it worth the wait.

"One day you're on top of the world and the next some secretary is running you over with a lawn mower."
  --Joan


Game of Thrones
I have to admit that it surprises me how much I love this show, as I'm not usually a huge fan of fantasy. But it's fantastic and I can't wait to see what happens in Season 2, which begins tonight. 

"As impossible as it seems, there was once a time I was unaccustomed to wine."
--Tyrion

Justified
Amazing show. Excellent characters, storylines, dialogue, and humor. Raylan and Boyd play off each other so well. Season 3 started up a little while back but if you haven't already, jump right in!

"I hope you enjoyed your stay, and you never forget who packed your bags."
--Boyd Crowder




Downton Abbey
 I've arrived a little late in the game on this amazing show, having only discovered it a few weeks ago. But within that short period of time, I finished up both seasons and now find it painful that I will have to wait until January 2013 to continue.


 "What is a weekend?"
--Lady Grantham


Hope you all are having a great weeke....well, Sunday!


Jools

Well, Not Quite Yet....

 

This was the same chair I was sitting in just a few days ago, sipping coffee in the sunshine and thinking about summer.
Oh well.
Happy spring!
Jools

Last Day of Winter

I love the first day of spring, even though here in Bend it often means gray skies and cool weather. That first day feels important though, that we all made it through something. Maybe it's because I've been through some real crazy winters here, like last year. Once in a while, I really like those insane winters, especially if I can hunker down and write. Last year as the snowfall was breaking records, I was writing the first 44 book and all that white powder I watched pile up outside really helped me create the atmosphere in the book.


This year has been practically the opposite. Except for a few dramatic snowstorms, our winter has been mild, with a lot of blue skies. We've even had some warm days where I was able to sit out on the deck and sip coffee. My kind of winter...

But even with the mild weather this winter, I'm still really happy to welcome spring and even happier to be putting the snow shovel back in the garage.

On another note, 44 Book Four will be out in early May sometime. I don't have the exact date, but I'll know soon. Thank you to those who have asked! I love writing this series and it's a thrill that there are fans out there waiting for Book Four.


Happy last day of winter everybody, and hope you all are having a great week!

Jools

On The Road With Abby and Jack

As I was finishing up Book Three last month, writing about the Puget Sound, I decided that it was time to take a little vacation. I still had quite a lot of work ahead of me, so as the days and hours went by the idea became an obsession. I wasn't sure where to go, but I knew it was time to take a little break from the computer and get out of town for a week or so.

And then it came to me. Why not go up north like all the characters did in Book Three? I've always liked it up in the Puget Sound area and used to go up there quite a lot. And even though it's a little chilly this time of year, I realized that it was the perfect place for a little vacation.

So last week, we made our way up to Seattle and then on to Orcas Island (about 113 miles from the city).

Up above is the Space Needle, as Abby might have seen it from the backseat of Jack's truck. And down below, fresh ingredients from Seattle's Public Market, probably a place where Simon would like to go every day....

I thought that I may have seen that small, expensive island on the ride over to Orcas Island, but I'm not sure. There were some large beautiful houses on the islands we passed and possibly a "guest" house as well.

Abby would have been pretty happy to have found this, even though it was closed for the season...

A pizza that Simon would have been proud of served up at Roses in Eastsound on the island....

Back to the mainland.....

And then back to Bend!

Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend~
Jools