Catherine Dilts
  • About Catherine
  • Catherine Dilts - Blog
  • Short Stories
  • Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library
  • Survive Or Die
  • Rock Shop Mystery Series
  • Map

Sasquatch, Or a Herd of Elk - You Decide

5/25/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I used to dabble in photography. I still have the camera my father gave me when I was in high school. It uses actual film. Nothing digital about it.

Unfortunately, I have gotten lazy. I only use my cell phone camera. It's an older model phone, with a poor quality camera. 

The specks in the mountain pasture are elk. Although based on the quality of the photo, I could as easily claim they are a family of Sasquatches. You'll just have to take my word for it. They are elk.

0 Comments

Stopping to Smell the Flowers - Or Not

5/22/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Stopping to smell the roses means slowing down to enjoy life, especially if you've been spending too much time in the fast lane. I've been talking in my last few blog posts about pausing to celebrate writing success.

During these COVID-19 days, I've also been spending a lot of time outdoors, walking and hiking. 
Many scenes from nature distracted me from the tension of a world gone crazy.

I enjoyed admiring these delicate pink and yellow flowers. Smelling them meant getting a little too close to the spines. You might stick your face into a rose flower to inhale its delicious scent, but cactus flowers demand social distancing.  

0 Comments

Seeing the Positive Part Two

5/20/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture





Climbing mountains is a process. You prepare, you plan your route, you hike until you're certain you haven'y got any more to give, physically. You keep going, and eventually reach that peak. The return trip is only easy in comparison to the climb up.

Writing a novel is much the same process, but it's an entirely mental game. 

I love the process in both situations. Reaching the top of the mountain is an amazing experience, but hiking the trail through forest, field, and tundra is what appeals most to me.

The journey of creating a story is what I enjoy when writing a novel. There is great satisfaction in facing a blank page and filling it with a story. I even enjoy the revision phase once the draft is completed.

I don't linger when I achieve the goal. This is a character flaw I'm working to change. I have come a long way since my first novel publication in 2013. I need to remember where I began, and recognize where I'm at now.

Today is a celebration of my write-to-hire experience. This was a new mountain to scale, writing stories to fit into an existing story world. The Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library is an adorable cozy mystery series. I was privileged to write two novels in the 24 book series: Ink or Swim, and A Thorny Plot.​

Annie's Publishing trusted me with their story. I had a blast writing about Watson the cat and his human companion Faith Newberry. 

0 Comments

The 3rd Degree

5/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I'm excited to be interviewed in the national newsletter for Mystery Writers of America, The 3rd Degree. I share the stage with short story authors R. T. Lawton and Manuel Ramos. The interview was conducted by award-winning author Suzanne Proulx. 

If you're a member of MWA, you can read the article in the May 2020 issue.

0 Comments

A Hiking Mystery - Locks on the Gate to Nowhere

5/8/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
My husband and I went for a 6 mile hike on the Santa Fe Trail, a setting that inspired my first published novel. The mystery today is not in my story. We've noticed a gate, detached from any fencing, standing solo in a field. It has been there as long as I remember.

What's new is the addition of a lock. And then another lock. Over a dozen random locks. 

Locks on the gate to nowhere. 

I probably won't write a story about the gate. The image is visual art, offering a moment to reflect and ask, WHY?

Picture
2 Comments

Seeing the Positive

5/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
My day job is with a company that encourages employee wellness. We took a voluntary Optimist Test. I tried my best to answer honestly, and not outguess the intent of the questions. The results were interesting.  

​I fell almost exactly in the middle of the scale between optimist and pessimist. That felt accurate. I tend to get caught up in the process of growing the flowers rather than stopping to admire them. 

In light of this personal insight, I realized I need to reflect on my publishing journey. The process is what I live for, but I need to enjoy the fruits of my labor as well.

In 2013, the first novel and the first short story I sold were both published. Seven years ago. Since then, I have sold eight more short stories and five more novels. 

Today's post celebrates the publication of my Rock Shop Mysteries. The three novels are available in e-book and paperback formats. The terrific covers are the work of artist Deirdre Wait. To learn more about her career as a graphic artist, check out this blog article. To learn more about my novels, go to the Rock Shop Mystery Series tab on this website.

0 Comments

    Subscribe to this blog:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.