I will admit, I am slightly envious of Dale M. Courtney, brave author of Moon People. Dale's book has spawned 133 Amazon reviews that challenge each other for creativity with lines like "I feel as if I have been unbound from the restraints put in place by a dozen English teachers."

"There's no such thing as bad publicity" has been attributed to P. T. Barnum. While authors crave good reviews, not every story appeals to every reader. But seriously, I'd prefer reviews that don't attempt to out-snark each other.

Have you ever had someone ask for your opinion, and when you gave it, you got the impression it wasn't appreciated? I wonder whether Dale reads his reviews and weeps, or laughs all the way to the bank...

Writers tend to be sensitive about their work. They want to know what you think, then bristle, cry, or sink into depression if you don't deliver high praise. Yet we depend upon opinions - in the form of reviews - to create chatter that will get our books in front of more readers.

I am excited to have "met" some readers through Goodreads who want to begin reviewing books. This is such an incredibly important aspect of publicity for an author. Reviews represent a reader's genuine reaction to our work. When posted on Goodreads, a website, a blog, or a heavy hitter like Amazon or Barnes and Noble, reviews can stimulate sales.

If you look up big name authors on Amazon, they may have hundreds, even thousands, of ratings and reviews. Lesser known authors scramble to get a dozen. There is some computer or mathematical magic that happens when authors receive attention. Momentum builds. The more people read and review, the more people read and review, and on and on.

I encourage you to rate and review books. Why?

• You might think your comments won't make a difference. They do!


• You might not know what to say. Give your honest impression. "I liked this book because..." There was a cat on the cover. The main character rocked. You can't stop thinking about the story. A funny line got stuck in your head like a song virus. Or maybe there was something you didn't like. I did say honest! 


• You might find posting your first few reviews to be awkward. It does take time and energy you might rather spend reading that next book in your TBR stack. But my experience is that Goodreads and Amazon make reviewing easy. If you really enjoyed a book, and you want more of the same, write an encouraging review. You have influence!

I wish a special blessing this holiday season for all the reviewers out there! And especially ones who take a chance on new or unknown authors. Also, I wish authors like Dale M. Courtney all the best as they blaze new and unique literary paths!

In many ways, this was a terribly difficult year. My husband lost his mother, suddenly and unexpectedly. They were very close, and it was a severe blow. Instead of having space to mourn, he had to jump into elder care for his father, who was adrift without his wife of over 50 years. 

Several years ago, Donna inspired us to host our first Thanksgiving gathering at our house. It has become tradition. I know Donna would be pleased that we're carrying on. We'll hold our memories of Donna close as we gather for the Thanksgiving celebration this year. 

Five things for which I am thankful in 2016:

1) I am thankful that I have the back yard space to garden, and even more so that I am not reliant on the produce to live. I love gardening, but I'm nowhere near self-sufficiency. 

2) I am thankful that I rediscovered the joy of running, thanks to my daughters, to coach Judy Fellhauer, and to the Women's Fit Team.

3) I am thankful the recent election did not tear my family asunder. While we had polar opposite views on several topics and candidates, we shared a similar vision of America's future. Winners, please don't gloat, and losers, please don't pout!

4) I am thankful I get to write. I feel fortunate to have been published. Thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to purchase my work, read my stories, and write reviews!

5) I am thankful for the vision of our forefathers and mothers who set aside great chunks of American wilderness to remain unspoiled for future generations. I'm also thankful for the chance to explore untouched areas, and witness grand old trees that made me think of Tolkein's Treebeard.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives. Is there something in particular for which you are thankful?

Sunday evening at sunset, third season rifle elk hunting ended. Thirty minutes before sundown, we finally saw elk - a cow and a calf. We had bull licenses. Score another season for the elk! My husband was disappointed, but I'll admit I still had fun!

As you may guess from the photo, the mornings and evenings were cold. The middle of the day was pleasant. We started out bundled up, and peeled off layers as it warmed up. Then we put those layers back on as the sun set.

Our son-in-law went hunting with us, for the first time in his life. He was amazed by the complicated rules and regulations involved. Our first outing, we saw a young buck. Right sex, wrong species.

​The secret about hunting is that you have an excuse to roam about the wilderness, doing fun things like climbing mountains and tracking animals. I'm not sure I could even pull the trigger if I had a chance to take down an elk.

This year, we found some isolated spots where we didn't see another human. No elk, either, but they left evidence of their presence. Our son-in-law became adept at tracking deer and elk. Our last morning, my husband came across large tracks. We had most likely startled the big bull. We followed his trail through the dense pine forest, but never saw him.

I guess the question is, do I like hunting, or do I just like hiking? That's tough. I would have to conclude that hunting and extreme hiking - like climbing 14ers - have a lot in common. Both participants rise hours before dawn to get to either a trailhead or a choice game area. Both tote heavy backpacks crammed with water, food, and survival gear. Both push themselves to the physical and mental limit. My days of climbing 14,000 foot mountains may be over, but I can still handle the smaller mountains we encountered in our search for elk.

Yes, I realize hunting is controversial. Before you judge, check out the Hug a Hunter campaign.

Will hunting make it into my future fiction stories? I hope so. I would love to share the experience!

Congratulations to the winners of my Goodreads Giveaway! Your copy of Stone Cold Blooded is in the mail.

​I am thrilled to have received my first review of Stone Cold Blooded from Mark Baker at Carstairs Considers.

I've been sharing inspiration from real-life that made it into scenes in my Rock Shop Mystery series. Today's photos are from the annual Denver Mineral, Fossil, Gemstone and Jewelry Show.

When I attended the show in 2014, I was stunned by the price of a slab of rock containing a giant fossilized turtle.

This year's trip, I noticed new pricey fossils, including a crinoid, a marine animal, valued at $150,000. Part of what amazes is that the fossil is that expensive, and the other part is that it is sitting on an aisle at the mineral show, and not under lock and key. Although it may not be necessary to lock up a three foot by five foot slab of rock!

While reality sparked ideas in my novels, I invented twists to suit the story. For example, at the Denver show there is no auditorium and no lectures take place. That's the beauty of writing fiction. I get to make things up.

What is valuable to a fossil collector may seem bizarre. Maybe you can reconcile yourself to the fact that someone will pay good money for old skulls and bones. But poop? Seriously?

There is an entire website dedicated to fossilized excrement - the Poozeum. One very expensive coprolite went to auction with an expectation of earning eight to ten thousand dollars.

​Customers come to the Rock of Ages rock shop to purchase coprolite in book one. I'll admit it. Yes, I do own a coprolite. At a recent book signing, my granddaughter enjoyed waiting until someone touched the sample, then telling the victim, "You're touching dinosaur poop."

As you're reading that next great book, you may wonder where the author found his or her ideas. I'll bet they were sparked by a little reality combined with a lot of imagination!

There is still time to sign up for a chance to win a copy of book three in my Rock Shop Mystery series, Stone Cold Blooded, on Goodreads! The drawing will be held November 6.

Today I am sharing a photo of an animal that inspired a scene in the second novel in my series, Stone Cold Case. 

The Abert's squirrel comes in a variety of colors, but all share long, tufted ears. I have seen them in the city of Colorado Springs. Last summer, we watched Abert's squirrels playing in the trees outside a friend's cabin in the mountains. I snapped a few photos of the camera shy animals.

In Stone Cold Case, Morgan Iverson and rock shop employee Delano Addison take auto mechanic Gerda to the prospector's dugout where Morgan discovered a body.

Gerda threw her arms in the air and jumped back a step.

“Ahh!”

An Abert’s squirrel popped out from behind the flowers, clutching something in its little paws. Morgan fumbled for her camera, but she was too late. The squirrel’s shimmering black fur and tufted ears disappeared up a Ponderosa pine.

“What did that rodent have?” Gerda knelt in front of the ring of stones and brushed her hands through the elephant head flowers.

“Maybe someone dropped a granola bar,” Morgan said. “There’s a wrapper over here.” She picked up the foil wrapper and stuffed it in her jacket pocket.

Gerda plucked something from the dirt, then stood. “This is not food”

Colorado holds plenty of inspiration for the observant writer. The black variety of the Abert's squirrel is one little gem I am happy to share.

Take a look around! Is there something exciting in your world that you've been taking for granted?