The Latest

 Hello once again.

Still busy.

Still taking our furbaby for chemo; although, this may soon come to an end as she is not responding to any of the chemo protocols they have tried.

Our future move is still on track. A building project we had done is now complete. Still more to do to our new space before it's ready for us.

 I have so much "stuff" to sort through before we move. 

I will be getting rid of a lot of the items I used for events.

All books I have left will be dropped in a donor box.

I will try to sell the framed photos; otherwise, the photos will come out of the frames and packed away until I can find another venue in Virginia to sell them.

I hope to find time to continue working on several stories I have but, you know how it goes.

I'm not getting any notifications from Kindle that anyone has bought any of my books recently, so this is not encouraging. Thus, if I do continue, it will be by pre-orders only.

Not sure if this site is even worth continuing as I don't see any visitors. I will think on it.

Until the next time, "sit back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my stories."TM

Life Gets in the Way

 As I do not see any comments on this blog, I won't apologize for being gone so long.

As the title says, life events have taken over my writing and posting. 

Since my last post, I've lost my father, mother, two brothers-in-law, a former father-in-law, a couple of aunts, and our wonderful old doggy-gal. 

We're currently dealing with chemo treatments for our german shepherd. This treatment is done once every other week but takes most of the day to travel there, get treatment, and travel back. 

We are also in the process of planning a future move. 

I still continue to walk mornings when the weather permits. Average walk is 5 - 6 miles, 3 days a week. Still take pictures during those walks.

This year will be my final Artfest participation. Haven't produced any new books recently because of the subject matter. If and when I get back to it, I'll post information here since the website has been discontinued.

Until then, "sit back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books."™

 Hello once again.

Lately, I have been taking a lot of pictures during my husband and my morning walks. We've been going to a local walking/biking trail with plenty of color: wildflowers, water, animals, and insects.

Since I am a member of our local Arts Alliance, I've recently been submitting a few of those photos for consideration when the Alliance has Temporary Gallery displays around the Tri-County area.

I currently have one permanent one purchased by the Community Bank of Tri-County - Charlotte Hall; two pictures in the temporary gallery at the Community Bank of Tri-County - Waldorf branch. 

My life is still busy, but I will try to post updates about the submissions here. If you are interested, you can view many of my photos on Flickr, just type in the name Patricia Harrington.

Another year gone

 Hello. Yes, again, I am late putting words down on the Blog.

A lot has happened in the last couple of years and I've lost my inspiration for sitting down and getting into a story. Updating the blog and my website have also been hit hard by life events, as well.

In the next few years, my husband and I will get underway with plans to relocate to another state, which again will affect my writing time. Therefore, when I finish working on several of the stories that are waiting for me to get back to them, I will only do pre-orders. Or they can be purchased from Amazon. 

There it is. Sorry, it's been a long while since I updated you.

Guess I should say, until the next time...whenever that may be. 

Until then, "sit back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books."™

Hello all!

Sorry I haven't updated this in so long, but life has gotten in the way...again.

I have recently discovered that Vista Print has changed things on my website, so the domain name has changed, as well as the layout. I'm not happy about that but, regardless, I've updated the above link. Now all of my printed, marketing material is out of date. UGH!

Thus, I have a lot to do to prepare for the 2020 CCAA Artfest in LaPlata, Maryland in June...and none of it will include getting another book finished and printed in time.

I will need to set aside time to write this new link information on some my business cards, which BTW, were just recently ordered.

Okay, need to get busy, so until the next time, sit back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books.™

Hello All.

I'm finally getting around to posting something.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas/New Year's Eve.

I've still been busy with home projects and helping parents and father-in-law. Also, this year, I had to deal with signing up for Medicare and Social Security.

Currently working on two new stories. 

The 5th and final book on Janie's Got series is in the works, as well. 

Beautiful Soul is about what some people will do when blessed with a financial windfall. It's in their soul to be caring and sharing.

Going to be Murder will be a romance/murder story. Two Mystery Shoppers discover the body of a friend. One has her eye on the sexy deputy; the other, has her eye on the smart and good-looking veterinarian. They both have their eyes on a dead body.

I will be attending the annual Artfest in LaPlata, Maryland on June 8. I don't expect these books to be done by that time; however, I will have post cards to hand out.

Hope to see you on June 8. Stop by and check out my table.

Browse the many eclectic booths. Hang around and listen to the music. 

Until next time, sit back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books.™

2018 is coming to a close

Good Day Happy Readers.

I know it's been a long while since I posted anything.

In truth, I haven't been doing any writing. I'm still working on home projects, crochet projects, and dog training/vet visits. I've also been doing a lot of reading, hoping to hone up my skills.

One other thing that has occupied a lot of time has been trying to help my mother understand and navigate her aunt's estate and what will happen. She is not the executor, but the law firm that is is suspicious. What happened to her and her siblings and her aunt's estate is criminal IMO. I will be posting more details about this on my other blog: MOO (My Opinion Only). Let's just say that a will isn't any good in some cases.

Having said all this, I am hopeful that I can get back to several stories that have been gathering cyber dust, in the coming year.

Until the next time, sit back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my book™

After 2018 ArtFest

Well, here it is again that I've discovered how long it's been since I last wrote here.

Seems I've been super busy since retirement; so many things that need to be done and so little time. Or maybe I'm not doing so well with managing my time. My writing as taken a back seat to life.

I have been doing some reading and making afghans for family, and hats for cancer patients. And jotting down story ideas when they hit.

I recently attended the annual ArtFest in LaPlata, Maryland. It was a good day, but overcast and hot enough to get sun burn on my shoulders. I'm never sure how that happens as I spent most of my time under the canopy; except for trips to the restroom or food/drink vendor.

Here's a shot of my table and tent taken by another writer:

I'm happy to report that I had a repeat customer from last year. Gwen bought the first book in the Janie's Got series and was looking for the second one. I offered her a deal if she wanted to buy all three (Janie's Got is a four-book series), which she was happy to accept. 

I sold one Hooked to a member of our writing club.

One thing I'm not too happy about is that my Bugs on the Windshield isn't selling well. I was really excited by the idea when I wrote it; thought it was a unique (throw-back) concept of how it came about.

They ended the event a bit early so vendors could leave before the storm hit, which was good because the storm was a doozy.

That's all for now. Until the next time, Kick back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books!™

OMG! My last post was March and it's now October.

I knew it had been a while since I posted here, but had no idea it had been that long.

It's been a busy summer. I've done a few events, one being the annual LaPlata Artfest, but mostly I've been taking care of things around the house, training and walking my German Shepherd pup, taking a gun course, visiting or helping nieces/nephews and/or parents.

I also had "kick back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books" trade-marked. Which means all new market material will have to have that added.

Still a lot to be done, however, I'm powering down on those for the winter and will get back to writing. Plus, researching other market venues. This is the type of thing one has to deal with when becoming an Indie writer. I love having control over my work, yet, when it comes to marketing and expanding my fanbase, I feel overwhelmed.

And, if I could afford to hire a maid, I'd have more time to dedicate to all of the above.

Nice! I notice that I've been writing this blog since 2009. I'll try to do better in 2018, on all accounts.

Until next time, kick back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books ™.

Janie's Is Out!

Hello Bloggers and Bloggetts.

It is official: Janie's Got It Good, book four is now on Amazon and Kindle. My order has arrived in time for my next events.

The first event will be at the Wade Community Center in Waldorf, MD., on April 1, 2017.

And, again this year, I'll be at the ArtFest in LaPlata, MD., on June 10th, from 11 - 5. Rain date: June 11. The ArtFest is a great event; they have musicians, crafts, arts, food, and so on.

Plus, this year I will be adding some art projects I did over the winter.

Each is a small canvas painting, which would add a bit of color to your book shelf or mantel during the Christmas holiday.

Put June 10th on your calendar and come out and see what there is to see.

Until the next time: kick back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books.

Hello Everyone.

It's a new year and I'm still busy, mostly, still home projects.

The weather is warming fast; soon it'll be time to do yard work.

Haven't had many opportunities to do sales for Bugs on the Windshield. I hope to get back to the annual ArtFest in June. I've had good feedback on the book, which is a good feeling. Just wish I could get people to leave good comments on Amazon or wherever.

I've made a slight change to my website title, instead of just Books by I've added Kick Back Books (I did a search for any websites by that name and found none) by. I wanted something that would indicate the easy reading nature of my books. I've also added, "Kick Back, put your feet up, and get lost in one of my books", to further clarify.

I still have much to do, one being to finish Book 4 of Janie's Got series. The proofing has been done, I just need to make a few changes and then it'll be ready to go.

That is all. Until next time, keep reading.

An important note to my readers

I wanted my readers to know that Amazon is pricing several of my books at a "minimum" price.

Example: Janie's Got It Bad is priced at $8.90; Witchy Tales: Gale Warning is priced at $8.50, and Hooked Too is priced at $8.65.

If you have a reader, they are available on Kindle for $2.99. Plus, you may order them directly from me for $8, which will include postage.

If you would like to order directly from me, please send me an email at pharrington326@gmail.com.

Until the next time, read on!

Bugs on the Windshield

The first order of Bugs on the Windshield has arrived.

Signed copies are available from me for $7.

It is also available on Amazon and Kindle.

I hope you enjoy this thriller, which is a departure from my normal romances.

If you do, I would appreciate feedback, here or on Amazon.

Thank you.

October already

Hello Bloggers and Bloggets.

I've been busy with home projects and have finished two books. Well, one and re-written/finished one that was written several years ago.

I finished Bugs on the Windshield and here is an advanced look at the cover:

Let me know what you think.

I have ordered the proof and once it gets the "all clear" from my proofreader, I can get it on Amazon and get a big order placed.

I also finished Janie's Got It Good, book 4 in the series (and possibly the last), which is now with the editor. I'll be preparing the cover while I wait for the edits to finish.

On October 29, 2016, the Life Journeys Writers Guild will be hosting a LJWG Big Quarterly Author’s n’ Things Showcase Party event from 2 - 5 p.m. at the Blue Crab Stadium in Waldorf. This is open to other vendors, so come on out and see what's available. Think Christmas gifts.

Remember to check out my website for book lists and new news.

That's all for now. Until the next time.

Good news

Hello Blog world!

Wanted to share some good news with you.

I recently received an email from the library telling me that, "your book, Janie's Got It Bad has been selected to be one of our featured books for the August 20th Local Author's Reception at Waldorf West Library at 2 pm".

This is, both, exciting and scary for me. I know that the library will highlight my book on their website and in the flyers; however, I'm not sure what else will be required. I've been attending this event for 4 years, I think, and never hoped...but maybe now my name is getting out there and this means the public will demand more of my writing.

Need to get busy. Plus, I will have to spruce up my biography and get a good publicity shot of myself and work up an 'elevator speech' to present at the reception. 

At the same time, I'll continue working toward getting Bugs on the Windshield done in time for the Virginia Book Festival in 2017.

2016 Local Authors Reception

Summer is officially here...it's HOT!

Wanted to take a moment and update a couple of things that have come up since my last post.

The Local Authors Reception at the Waldorf West Library is coming in August. I have registered to attend again this year. I will present Janie's Got It Bad, Book 3, which is the latest in the series. Even though it has been out for some time, I was unable to do sales events last year. I will have copies for sale as well as offering a 2 for 1 sale on Janie 1 & 2.

As I said in my last post, I was working on another story that had been waiting for me to get back to it. Well, since then, a different story came to mind and I am now working on it as often as I can. This is a really different story; a thriller I'm calling "Bugs On The Windshield". Here's a short synopsis:

Shelly Rhymes was a hard woman. In her 42 years of life, she’d lived a lifetime of hell. Raped at fourteen; forced to have an abortion because she couldn’t bear the thought of giving birth to her own cousin, she ran away at fifteen, living on the streets.

Jack Daniels was his real name; given, courtesy of her favorite drink, by his drunken mother. He didn’t give much thought to a mother dead long ago, like the bugs on his windshield. Sometimes, in the lonely hours before dawn, he thought of her and his life. He owed much of what he was to that drunk. 

I've recently became aware of a Virginia Book Festival that is scheduled for March 2017. I really want to attend this event. One of the conditions for entry is that your book must be published in 2016 or early 2017, and we must submit two copies with the registration due by October 2016. This means I must finish this story quickly if I am going to get it edited and published in time.

Other than trying to get "Bugs On The Windshield" done in time, I'm wondering if I would be better off trying to finish "Janie's Got It Good", Book 4 of the series, as it is mostly written; it just needs tweaking and editing.

My heart and mind are focused on Bugs On The Windshield", as if there's an urgency to get it done, anyway. Besides, if I fail, I will try again the following year.

A final thought before I close: I have to check with the Festival to see how I can register by October if the book won't be published until late 2016 or  early 2017. Hmm, good idea!

Until next time...Read.

Time for update

On Saturday, June 11, 2016, I, again, participated in the annual Charles County ArtFest.

This was one of my best years for sales. I was very shocked and pleased.

It was a hot day, one of the hottest so far this year. Even though we were under a canopy covering and had a breeze, it was hot. I was upset that all of the food vendors available this year only had water and sodas, which we had our own. It would have been nice to have had lemonade stands or flavored teas available as before.

Again, I shared the space with The Life Journeys Writers Guild as in previous years. We had a lot of activity and managed to meet and talk to a number of people. Besides myself, there were two other authors and their book(s).

Two notable sales for me were: first, a gentleman stopped and started asking about the Janie series (1-3) and Hooked and Hooked Too. He wasn't put off that they are romances, and loved the larger print. Then he asked me what kind of deal I would give him if he bought all 3 Janies. I laughed and told him I had never had to consider that. But, doing a quick calculation, I told him what I would do. Then, he asked for a deal for all 5 books. Again, I laughed and we came to an agreed upon price and he did buy 5 books.

The second was a lady who had stopped by earlier with two of her friends. She came back to purchase Hooked 1 & 2. As I was preparing to sign them, she asked the same thing the gentleman did, except she wanted all 6 (Janie (1-3) and Hooked 1 & 2, and Witchy Tales: Gail Warning. I gave her pretty much the same deal as I did the man.

So, in total, I sold 14 books. In addition to the above sales, I sold the last copy of Witchy Tales, and a special offer on Janie 1 & 2.

What a grand feeling. I hope they enjoy them as much as I did in writing them. I was happy to have to order a few more copies of Janie 3 and Witchy Tales to put back into inventory. Plus, today, I printed more of my book description post cards handouts. I'm ready for the next one, whatever that might be.

Back for Quick Update

I have been busy with home projects and hadn't realized how long it's been since I posted here.

Still have several more projects to get done, but I did manage to get some writing time.

I actually went back to Janie 4, which BTW, had been mostly written a long time ago. I just have to re-write to make it match the previous books in the series.

Marketing this past year has not been successful. Mainly, due to my lack of time. With preparing for retirement, fighting the company over insurance premium increases, searching for better rates, helping family, attending to home repairs, and training a new puppy, I have just not had the time to devote.

Thankfully, being a member of the Life Journeys Writers Guild (new name, same game), I get to stay in the loop about what's going on in the writers world.

I do have plans, to start adding some craft projects to my long-term plan. I do have to get organized and make space for inventory and work space; maybe this winter.

We have had a lot of rain so far in 2016. I'm ready for some sunshine and warm temps.

Until next time.

Thanks to all who visit my page.

Getting Back into It

Been working a couple hours, every other day on the new story. Deciding on the characters and their names, and how they will interact with Kitty. 

I am going to do my best not to rush this one. I want to delve deeper into this character. I like the gist of the story so far and what I plan to happen; however, as with most stories, the characters decide for themselves as they evolve. This may be a romance, or a near-romance; I haven't decided yet.

At some point, I will return to Janie, Book 4, which I hope to have ready by the end of the year. In book 4, the timeframe is during the holidays and I'd like to get the book ready by then. As with books 2 & 3, most of 4 was done several years ago, but will have to be re-worked since changes were made to the previous books. 

Also, at some point in the future, I want to break away from romance, every now and then, and may have to decide whether to go with a pen name. I have worked hard to find my fans and do not want to lose them by changing the author's name. 

A lot to think about as I work on Beautiful Soul and home projects.

Until next time.

Happy New Year and more

Hello to all who read my blog.

Hope everyone had a safe and joyful holiday season. Let's hope the new year brings blessings, prosperity, and happy times.

As you know, I've been on recess for several months to take care of other things. I've promised myself that once January arrived, I would get back to writing. Today is that day.

For right now, I've dedicated Tuesdays and Thursdays to writing. I have to have a schedule, otherwise, I would let life get in my way.

As I get back into the swing of things, I'll make an extra effort to update my blog more often.

The story I will begin work on will be called "Beautiful Soul", which will be about Kitty Langford, a practicing nurse from northern Virginia who moves to Ashland, Virginia after the breakup with her fiancé. When she moves to Ashland, she is in an uncertain place in her life. The breakup has left a hole in her that she isn't sure she can repair. Her maternal aunt and her husband had left her their home when they both died within months of each other over a year ago. At first, she seeks the home as a refuge while she searches for herself and her future. Yet, when she first gets a look at the neighborhood, she believes she, and her relatives, have gotten her all wrong. The town is small and quaint; she's used to the hustle and bustle of northern Virginia. And the house is in need of repair as much as she is. But she decides to stay and see how the house, and herself, will look after some TLC.

Stay tuned for more to come. 

And, as always, thank you goes out to those of you who support me and other indie writers.