Life's Adventures

Of late, my adventures haven't gotten much past my laptop. Editing two books for clients and two books of my own has kept me glued to my chair. 

But I did get hung up this morning, when I had no choice but to do a little dusting. From my vantage point and in the early morning light, it was all too obvious that I could've written my name in the dust on the fireplace mantle. 

My adventure in dusting brought me to some of my favorite nooks and crannies...which in turn did bring to mind past adventures and precious memories.

The photo is at my very first book signing in St. Paul, Minnesota, 2010. All my friends showed up and most of the St. Minnesomeplace in Paradise Parrotheads. I'll never forget the thrill. The decorative ink well and feather pin were a gift from my sister she'd purchased while in Alaska. Okay...that's a trip...Minnesota and Alaska all on one shelf.

Bear with me here for my trip down memory lane. The white ceramic oval was a gift to me from a dear friend in North Carolina who is no longer with us. We shared a love of wineries. The orangutan came from the Phoenix Zoo. And the photo is of myself and two siblings with our sons. We all have only children and all boys. The photo was taken our first year on the farm in Paulden, Arizona...an experiment you can read about if you click on Tortuga Flats Farm in the index of this blog. 

The bedspread holds no memory of any trip. But the photo above it was taken in Germany, decades ago. FDW and I did a fair share of motocycle trips back then. This particular one was Frankfurt, Germany.

I'll end with one last trippy favorite spot of mine. The cloth flower came from my granddaughter when she was three. The wall art was a Christmas gift from FDW one year. We opened gifts at Mom's...she wasn't impressed with this one. But I was...it's trippy!

The Next Book

Although I'm a mystery/romantic suspense author, I decided to try my hand at writing for children. This was the result of a conversation with my then eight-year-old granddaughter. One morning, on the way into town to get donuts, Sadi expounded to me about how special her new puppy was, a blue nose Pit Bull, although he might be a blue Staffy. She also related her knowledge of the bad rap these dogs receive and why. An idea popped, and she was soon bouncing on her seat while eating her chocolate iced donut. We could write a book about Max and all his wonderful characteristics. As the months marched on, the idea took shape, expanding and twisting with imaginative tales. 

The Sadi and Max Chapter Books are directed at children ages six to ten. Sadi wanted to offer books that kids might be able to read on their own, but if not, a parent could read to them and help them learn to read. She also wanted to make it clear that the bully breed dogs can be loving family dogs. It's all in the treatment of them. She wanted kids to have fun with the stories. I think we accomplished what she set out for me.

We published the first book, sadi and max Have the Best Christmas in the Entire World, last year in time for the holidays. AMAZON BUY LINK

I've just published the second of her stories. I have no idea how many there will be—that depends on Sadi. When this project started, she was an eight-year-old. Now, at eleven, she’s growing up, evolving, and although her passionate love for dogs will never change, the amount of time she’ll spend with Nana weaving stories might.

sadi and max to the Rescue is available right now in print. The eBook version will release on March 19th. AMAZON BUY LINK

Yay for spring break! Sadi has a whole week to play with Max, the puppy she got for Christmas. But something is bothering her playful dog. When they bump heads, and Sadi hears a voice, could it be Max, and will anyone believe her? 

Max is happy to be part of the family. He loves his humans and the two old dogs that are now his sisters. But he left another sister at the rescue home of Talia Wagger. He knows his sister Rosie is still there and lonely. He has to find a way to get her adopted. If only his little human Sadi could understand him… 

A neighbor who needs help and a puppy who needs to be adopted are all part of the adventure in this latest Sadi and Max book. Now that they can understand each other, Max has mischievous plans, but he’s also a puppy with a big heart—he enlists his little human on a mission to rescue.  

Sadi Belle is a dog-loving young lady who attends grade school in Arizona. Practiced in the art of caring for and playing with her puppy and dogs, she loves to weave tales involving them. Her vivid imagination and big heart are evident in the stories she creates for Brenda to write. 

Brenda Sue writes in Arizona where she shares a home with her fishing husband and rescue dog, Amigo. She enjoys traveling and spinning tales with her granddaughter. She is an award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery under the name Brenda Whiteside. 

 FIND BOTH BOOKS HERE