Anniversary and Friends

 

Why it’s Important to have Friends

August 24, 2021, a group of friends and I met via email. We are all published authors and live in different areas making it difficult to meet in person. At one time, we all belonged to a now defunct writers’ group and were looking for a way to stay in touch, not only to discuss our works in progress, or to bounce story ideas off each other, but to be supportive when life gets in the way. After much discussion, we decided to form a private FB group; and because we are all writers we agreed to call ourselves “Pen Dames,” and to also create the Pen Dames Blog to share our knowledge of writing and other thoughts with the public.

Today, August 24, 2022, we celebrate our one year anniversary, not only as Pen Dames, but, more importantly, as long-time friends. I’ve pondered the question: Why is it important to have (good) friends? I hope you’ll indulge me while I share my thoughts with you:

1. Friends do a lot more than give you a shoulder to cry on; they also have a positive impact on your health. Friendship decreases feelings of loneliness and isolation.

2. Friends help us set and maintain goals whether those goals are finishing a novel, starting a new novel, or beginning a diet and exercise program, or simply suggesting books to read.

3. Friends give us emotional support when we’re going through tough times. It’s always nice to have a shoulder to lean on.

4. We all have self-doubts and insecurities every now and then. Supportive friends can help you feel more confident by offering praise and reassurance. They'll shine a light on just how amazing you are and how much you have to offer others.

5. Spending time with friends can help reduce stress without being judgmental. As the song goes, “we all need a friend to lean on.”

6. Friends help us grieve when we lose that special someone whether it’s a spouse, a family member, or a beloved pet.

I’m thankful for my Pen Dame friends. If you’ve visited our blog, then you’ve met us, but if this is your first visit, then I’d like to introduce you to these wonderful ladies:

Flossie Benton Rogers

Katherine (Kathy) Eddinger Smits

Jennifer Taylor

Linda Tillis

You can click on each of their names on the right side of this blog to read more about them and the genres they write.

As we move through life, we find that there are many things out of our control. We can’t choose our parents, our genetics, or control the things that happen in the world around us. One thing that we can control is who our friends are, and when we choose good friends this decision can make our lives so much richer and beautiful.

By the way, please join me in wishing Pen Dame, Linda Tillis, a very special Happy Birthday.

                                               HAPPY 1st ANNIVERSARY

                                                           PEN DAMES!

                                               I look forward to many more years of friendship.

                                                        Loretta C. Rogers

 

 

 

 

 

How to Indulge in a Little "Me" Time

 

Are you lost in the shuffle of day to day living? At times that’s how it seems to me. Tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning house and preparing meals often take precedence over “me” time.

I looked up the word self-indulgence and here’s what I found, “Eating whatever you feel like, even if it’s ice cream for breakfast; you just do what you feel like doing.”

One great way to indulge yourself is to kick back in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage or snack and with an intriguing mystery novel. Please enjoy the blurb and excerpt from book #3 in my Doc Holliday Mystery Series…

 

                                                          Lights…Camera…Murder!”

                                                                        Blurb

When a stuntman is shot while rehearsing a scene from cowboy hero Cody West’s newest movie, everyone considers his death an unfortunate accident. Veterinarian and amateur sleuth, Tullah Holliday, doesn’t hesitate to get involved. Her empathic senses tell her he was murdered. She suspects Cody West is the killer. As Tullah begins to put together the pieces of the case, West is stomped to death by a young stallion being trained as a stunt horse. Her life is endangered when she attempts to stop the horse trainer from shooting the stallion.

When two women confess to murdering the movie star, and also point the finger at a third accomplice, Tullah soon discovers the entire movie crew seems to have had a motive to kill him. Who killed Cody West—the horse or…



                                                        Lights…Camera…Murder!”

                                                                        Excerpt

I squatted over the body. The man’s arms were held against his chest. Clutched in his left hand was the neck of a broken bourbon bottle. His eyes looked into mine, but they were motionless. There was no need to check for a pulse. I touched my chin to my chest and whispered his name. Only the corral’s sullen silence and the patter of rain on my head and shoulders answered me.

“Damn. It’s…” Boyd stood over me and gagged. Once he caught his breath, he commanded, “Give me my rifle. That horse needs killin’.”

“Ella,” I yelled above the storm. “Call my dad. It’s Cody West, and he’s dead.” I also instructed her to back the horse trailer all the way down to the barn’s open outer doors.

My heart pitched with anger. “Mr. Boyd, I’m taking custody of both horses until the cause of Cody’s death is determined.”

His hands shot out. He grabbed me by both wrists and yanked me up. “Determined? The hell you say. It’s obvious that killer stomped Cody to death.”

So who killed Cody West? You’ll find the answer in Lights…Camera…Murder! Available in print and Ebook.

I also appreciate when readers leave a review. So, thank you in advance. I look forward to you telling me (in the comments below) if you guessed who killed Cody West (no spoilers, please) or did you have to read all the way to the end of the book to find out?

HAPPY READING!

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Loretta