Dear Friends,

   The book indeed went to Washington State, and my friend printed it off!  She doesn't like reading text on the screen, it turns out.  So she edited it and sent it back to me.  The work commenced.  The first time, I ended up with a headache because my neck was so enraged by the angle I'd put it in.

   I'm on page 142 of approximately 245 (double spaced). 

   Thank you, Dolly!  Dolly appeared in my backyard when I was maybe four?  I always thought she was so much younger than me, but it turns out she is only three months younger.  From the very start of when girls begin to learn what they like doing the most, Dolly and I wrote.  We wrote a community newspaper, in fact.  One edition.  Given to the neighbor down the street who taught school.

   So thanks to Dolly's efforts, Marta and Cecelia are being improved.  The name of the book is "The Pileated Summer."  You'll see why when it comes out.

   So Happy Easter everyone.

   And please pray for Dolly.  She is ailing.  Her blood pressure spikes and then plummets.  She's been in the ER twice for that.  Plus, she has COPD and circulatory problems in her feet.  This is the woman who headed up a home for unwed mothers for FIVE years, repaired the roof, took the girls to their appointments.  It was a Catholic home, and Dolly isn't even Catholic! 

   So now she is reading the writings of Saint Mother Teresa.  Another woman who took on a huge task, and even in the darkness of doubt, she kept at it.  Never waivered.

   Thanks, readers.  You have been wonderful.

Karen

The Blog is Back!!!

   After messing with the blog for about 30 minutes, I FINALLY got the icon I was looking for -- the one that allows me to put up a new posting.

   The last post before this one was in February 2015.  The purpose for my absence was to work on a book about a woman named Marta and an angel named Cecelia.  And now I can tell you something wonderful -- the book is done.

   From that time in February 2015 to now, so many things have changed.  We moved a year and a half ago from the house we'd lived in for 28 years.  Talk about getting rid of stuff!  And then my beloved sister who raised me after our mother's death in 1961 died on July 4th, 2016.  She had been in declining health, but I don't think we are ever ready to say goodbye, are we?  But she was suffering greatly, and it was time for her to go to heaven.  And all the while, no matter what was going on, God would NOT leave me alone as far as the book is concerned. 

   Let me give you a sense of how crazy things were.  One day I went to my Holy Hour at the Chapel at SS Philip & James Church in Canal Fulton, like I usually do on Fridays.  On the bookcase, where there are always a few things set out rather than put away, what did I find?  A book about an Irish woman who saw angels.  Yep.  And the angel in my book is Irish.  On another occasion, a small book about angels appeared on the same bookcase.  It was a gem of a book with great quotes about angels.

   Then this past spring, my husband and I planned a little excursion up to Lake Erie and I emptied the coin jar to finance the trip.  Right away I saw a coin the size of a quarter that didn't fit in.  It was gold in color.  I immediately picked it up and guess what -- there was an angel on both sides of the coin.

   This past Christmas, I received FOUR angels.  One was from my grandson, who didn't even know I liked angels or was writing about one.  Another was from my granddaughter who does know I like angels.  Two were from my niece who might have known, but it was still uncanny.

   So where is the book now?  I sent a CD of the book to Washington state to my first friend.  We met when I was about four or five.  She is a writer herself and she has offered to take a serious look at the book.  Her first inclination is that she likes the main character a lot, but that we do have some work to do.  She says I have some old habits that need to be corrected.  She admits that she is a tough editor, but I want this to be great, not just good.

   And then there is the whole issue of getting published.  That is in the works right now.  I may have to self-publish because the whole Amazon revolution has turned the publishing world upside down.  The profit margin in book publishing has taken a dive, so publishing houses are reluctant to take chances on new writers.  I still feel like maybe I'm just a hack who is succumbing to the "vanity" press bug.  But God wanted me to write this book.  I have no doubt about it.

   And my promise to God was that I would write a book that would help people find their way to Him.  It has to get out there for that to happen. 

   So if you are reading this new posting, please say a prayer that I know what I am to do next.

God Bless You.

Karen