It's rock painting season. I'm seeing more cleverly painted rocks on the trails. I've been leaving my own creations to contribute to the fun. 

Seen on the trail - happy face and strawberry.
Left on the trail - lizard and ladybug.

Some authors thrive on the excitement and crowds at conferences. Others - like me - are hardcore introverts who are stressed by rooms full of strangers. I share my thoughts on the Writing from the Peak blog with the Pikes Peak Writers. 

"I had attended PPWC off and on for nearly twenty years. Once I became published, other authors insisted participating in conferences was essential. You had to keep your name out there. Visibility, baby. Be seen.

You’ve got to work that conference. Schmooze. Mingle. You know – those things introverts just love to do. Not. So I tried. I got on panels, as a participant or moderator. I signed books. I networked in my own feeble, socially awkward way. And I left conferences drained."

How can an introvert actually enjoy a writers conference? How do you avoid conference burnout? Read my survival suggestions here.

A totally different trail from our usual. We visited friends on the Western Slopes. This crane was in a park in Delta, Colorado.

​I love walking or running in new places. The scenery, wildlife, and just the feel of a different location is invigorating.

Today I appear on suspense author Donnell Ann Bell's blog for her Help from My Friends Friday feature. Donnell writes gripping thrillers, while I write cozy mysteries. Even though our genres are quite different, she thought her readers would enjoy learning about the unique world of Writer-for-Hire.

I describe how I received my first assignment, and how this business works. Where does creativity enter this equation? Is a write-for-hire contract worth it?

(My experience with Annie's Publishing may be entirely different from that of other authors.) 

I love the great covers created by Annie's Publishing. My newest novel for their Museum of Mysteries series has been released.

Rotten to the Encore follows the curator of the Reed Museum of Art and Archeology, Scarlett McCormick, as she discovers more than she expected in a reclusive old woman's collection.

The inside jacket blurb:
"Reed Museum curator Scarlett McCormick is no stranger to drama, so she's eager to act when theater troupe leader Bettina Grassley asks her to examine an inherited Greek amphora she suspects might contain human remains. However, Scarlett is left waiting in the wings when the priceless vase is whisked away by handsome FBI agent Luke Anderson, giving credence to Bettina's theory. Intrigued, Scarlett agrees to assess the contents of Bettina's entire inheritance from the eccentric Mildred Southam-Parker."

​