Thursday, September 4, 2025

Randomness...

 Recently finished reading Rage by Linda Castillo. (#17 in her Kate Burkholder series):


I love this series! Kate Burkholder grew up Amish, left the faith when she was 18, and is now the Chief of Police in Painter's Mill, Ohio...the town where she grew up. She straddles both the English and the Amish worlds as she tracks down murderers and solves crimes. Her husband, John Tomasetti, works with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. They make a great team, and this is another excellent mystery in this always suspenseful, well-written series. (Though I do agree with Rachel@Waves of Fiction, Kate really does need to learn to wait for backup!)

Went to see the movie SKETCH on my birthday and thought it was very creative and fun, and surprisingly suspenseful. 

My glad things from August:
  • A Rufous hummingbird hung out in my backyard all August--I guess my yard is a stop on its fall migration. Rufous hummers are so colorful...and so territorial! The one in my yard kept chasing away the Black-chinned hummingbirds from the feeders, even though there was plenty of food for all.
  • Bought a new computer so I could upgrade to Windows 11, and managed to get it up and running without any huge problems. (A decided feat for non-techie me.)
  • My sister and I have been revising our KindleVella story, Ghosts of Grayhaven. (Some of you might remember reading it.) Since KindleVella is now defunct, we're going to release it on Kindle this fall. 
  • Bought some books for my birthday. Now I just have to find room for them on my shelves. Funnily enough, it's not a problem I mind having. 
  • Project Runway, one of my favorite reality TV shows, is back. While I don't love all the overly dramatic personalities, I do love seeing the fashion they create.
  • My African violet is blooming again! 
  • And I heard a Western Screech Owl outside my window last night and again this morning. Any day with owls in it is a good day!



27 comments:

  1. Very happy Lark that you and your sister will be releasing Ghosts of Grayhaven on kindle in the fall. Any thoughts about also releasing your Christmas story on kindle which I also really liked.

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    1. We are planning on revising our Christmas story next and then hopefully releasing it on Kindle this Christmas. Fingers crossed.

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  2. I read "Sworn to Silence," the first in the Burkholder series, many years ago and was so revolted by the graphic descriptions of the rapes, tortures and murders of young women that I never picked up another of her books. I don't think I'll start now. On a happier note, I'm hoping to get a visit from a Rufous this fall and I sometimes go out in my backyard at night to listen for owls; I haven't heard a Screech Owl lately but hope lives on.

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    1. Some of Castillo's mysteries do get a little dark. And I hope you get lots of Rufous hummingbirds coming your way. :D

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  3. Those are all good things to be glad about.

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    1. I try to look for the positives...though sometimes all I can focus on are the negatives in life. It's something I'm trying to change about myself, but it's a work in progress.

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  4. Hope you had a lovely birthday! Buying books as a birthday treat for yourself sounds perfect :)

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  5. I'm excited that y'all are releasing Ghosts of Grayhaven on Kindle. I really enjoyed it when I read it in Vella. I've been curious about Sketch, so I'm glad to hear it was fun. :D

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    1. I thought Sketch was very cute! And I so appreciate that you read Ghosts of Grayhaven when we first put it out. Thank you. :D

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  6. Haha! Yes, Kate does need to learn to wait for backup! I still enjoy the series even so. I like reading about the Amish culture. I'd love to visit one of their stores someday. Hummingbirds are so fierce and territorial! I had a bunch of them come through our yard when I lived in Southern California because we had honeysuckle growing out of control on our hillside. I planted the same vine up here this summer because I see them around but it doesn't seem like they get much from my flowers up here. Not sure. Happy birthday, Lark! Yes, trying to squeeze in books on your bookshelf is a happy problem! :)

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    1. I love Castillo's Kate Burkholder series! Every mystery has been so good. I don't have honeysuckle in my yard, but I do have a trumpet creeper. And I put out a couple of hummingbird feeders each spring and summer to draw more hummingbirds in. :D

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  7. Happy Birthday Lark! I love owls and it must be really cool to hear out your window. A good omen too. I think I'd always call for backup -- being a chicken.

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  8. Rage sounds good, and now I'm curious about the Amish elements. Very cool that you have an owl nearby! I don't think I've ever seen one.

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    1. I keep hearing it in the early morning hours, but haven't spotted it yet. I have seen other Screech owls where I live though. Which is very cool. :D

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  9. I love the quote at the bottom of your post my friend. I agree with that. We must appreciate, respect and grateful for what we already have whatever it takes

    Happy weekend

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  10. I love the Kate Burkholder series too and enjoyed this new book for sure. I agree that Kate does need to try to wait for backup - ha! Happy belated birthday! Hope you are doing well. I love the quote too.

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    1. Thank you. Kate is such a great character, but you'd think she would have learned by now to wait 5-10 minutes for backup to arrive. ;D

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  11. That sounds like an interesting premise for a book. I don't think I've read a book where someone used to be Amish and now has a job like that one. I think I would like this.

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    1. It's such a good series! I love the Amish community setting.

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  12. Happy belated birthday, but sounds like it was a good one :) Inquiring minds want to know what books you have added to your shelves ;)

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    1. Well, I bought Romancing the Grump, Absolutely Not in Love, and Loyally Luke, the Ravenwood Trilogy by Morgan L. Busse, two of Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series, and a couple other favorite romances. Probably bought too many but I was in one of those' I don't care I must buy some books' kind of mood. ;D

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  13. Happy Belated Birthday. Glad to know you were able to treat yourself to some books on your special day.

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