I’ll Fly Away #Musical Monday

My uncle Tony recently passed away. He was a lawyer, but one of my fondest memories is of him playing the guitar and singing. When I took up the guitar in high school, he gave me some pointers. After my grandmother passed, I sang “I’ll Fly Away,” and he accompanied me on guitar.

According to Wikipedia, “I’ll Fly Away” was written in 1929 by Albert P. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music Company in a collection called Wonderful Message. It was inspired by the 1924 ballad, “The Prisoner’s Song.” Frequently used in worship services, it’s the most recorded gospel song.

When I was working as a registered music therapist in a nursing home, a local church group ended its weekly services at the facility with this song. One of the residents asked to have it sung at her funeral, and her wish was granted.

So, when we were discussing what songs I should sing at Grandma’s funeral, I suggested “I’ll Fly Away,” and Uncle Tony offered to accompany me. I don’t have a recording of that. So, my guitar playing will have to do. Rest in peace, Uncle Tony.

By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. Thank you for reading. Stay safe, happy, and healthy, and may you always have positive experiences.

New! The Red Dress

Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books

When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.

Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.

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Anthology Portrays Life in the West #Friday Fun Reads #Re-Blog

Today is Friday. So, don’t let the title of the post I’m re-blogging confuse you. This is an oldie but a goodie from last year in which I’m reviewing a book that will help you see the west through the eyes of people who actually experienced  it.

 

Via Anthology Portrays Life in the West #Thursday Book Feature

 

By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. Thank you for reading. Stay safe, happy, and healthy, and may you always have positive experiences.

New! The Red Dress

Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books

When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.

Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.

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A Trucker’s Journey Ends #It’s Six-Sentence Story Thursday Link Up

I’d lost count of how many days I’d been on the road, but this was my last run. Afterward, I would retire. My wife Amy and I had waited a long time for this. The truck was empty except for my belongings and the roses I’d bought for Amy in the last town.

As the eighteen wheels rumbled around the bend and off the interstate, my favorite Kathy Mattea song came on the radio. I turned up the volume and celebrated because it was my song.

Now, it’s your turn. See if you can write a poem or story of no more and no less than six sentences, using the prompt word “bend.” Click here to learn how you can participate, or leave your piece in the comment field below.

By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. Thank you for reading. Stay safe, happy, and healthy, and may you always have positive experiences.

New! The Red Dress

Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books

When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.

Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.

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WordPress Users, Please Read and Share #Re-Blog

Those of us who use wordpress.com are gradually being switched to the new block editor. Fortunately, this hasn’t happened to me, and I hope it never will. I understand that for visually impaired bloggers like me who use screen reading technology, the new editor is not accessible.

Yes, I could email my posts and use Mark Down for formatting. But I’ve looked at Mark Down, and to me, it sounds complicated. Besides, with this method, there’s no easy way to preview a post before it goes live, which, in my opinion, is not a good thing.

Why can’t I keep blogging the way I always have, writing my posts in Microsoft Word, then copying and pasting them into the classic editor? Formatting is maintained, and adding images is quick and easy. I’m sure younger bloggers with good eyes would enjoy the new editor, but why can’t everyone have a choice?

If you use wordpress.com and screen reading technology, you should be concerned about switching to the new block editor. If you want to keep using the classic editor, please read and share this post I’m re-blogging. Also, please email the accessibility developer mentioned in the post. Let’s try to persuade WordPress to give us bloggers the choice we deserve.

 

Via UPDATE! WordPress Owners: Please Read | beetleypete

 

By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. Thank you for reading. Stay safe, happy, and healthy, and may you always have positive experiences.

New! The Red Dress

Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books

When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.

Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.

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Hurrying Through the First Draft #Open Book Blog Hop

This week’s question from blogger Stevie Turner is this. “Do you hurry through a first draft, or are you conscious of flaws as they go down? Has that changed over time?”

My policy is to write now and edit later. This applies to everything, not just books. The idea is to get the words and ideas down, then go back and organize them.

That having been said, my novels and memoir were written one chapter at a time. By the time I started writing my first novel, We Shall overcome, I’d met my late husband Bill. He was living in Fowler, Colorado, and I, here in Sheridan, Wyoming. When he expressed an interest in my writing, I emailed him each chapter after I’d written and edited it, and he offered suggestions and feedback. Since he wrote mostly computer manuals, most of his ideas were from a reader’s point of view, but I still found them helpful.

After Bill passed, I started writing My Ideal Partner, which tells the story of how I met and married him, then cared for him after he suffered two strokes. By this time, I’d joined a writers’ group that met once a week and critiqued each other’s projects. So, I had another outlet for feedback on my work. Members of this group also supported me through my writing of The Red Dress and my current young adult novel-in-progress, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, which is now finished.

Speaking of which, when I’m done writing a book, I put it aside for about a month, then go back to it with fresh eyes. I read through each chapter one or more times, depending on if I find any serious rewriting that needs to be done. Then, I read through the whole thing one more time. By this time, it’s usually ready for publication.

I don’t set goals for when books will be published. It would be nice to have Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me published in time for Christmas, since it ends during the holiday season, but I’m not going to rush it. As the song goes, “You can’t hurry love.” It’s the same with books. You can either have it fast or have it good, and I’m sure my readers appreciate it good.

If you’re an author, I’d love to hear how you write your books. Please let me know in the comment field below, or click the link above to learn how to participate in Stevie’s blog hop.

By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. Thank you for reading. Stay safe, happy, and healthy, and may you always have positive experiences.

New! The Red Dress

Copyright July 2019 by DLD Books

When Eve went to her high school senior prom, she wore a red dress that her mother had made for her. That night, after dancing with the boy of her dreams, she caught him in the act with her best friend. Months later, Eve, a freshman in college, is bullied into giving the dress to her roommate. After her mother finds out, their relationship is never the same again.

Twenty-five years later, Eve, a bestselling author, is happily married with three children. Although her mother suffers from dementia, she still remembers, and Eve still harbors the guilt for giving the dress away. When she receives a Facebook friend request from her old college roommate and an invitation to her twenty-five-year high school class reunion, then meets her former best friend by chance, she must confront the past in order to face the future.

***

My Books

My Amazon Author Page

Facebook

Website