Patricia Stoltey

Author

Here Comes the Snow…Again

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Another spring snow is on its way, so the buckets and pots are in place over my daffodils. The low gray clouds edged over the first line of hills this morning so I couldn’t see the hilltops. Now the gray is everywhere, a steady drizzle hinting at the amount of snow we may get later …Read More

Bits and Pieces

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What I’m Reading I finished Stephen J. Cannell’s On the Grind last night. This morning I began reading Vanished by Joseph Finder. This is one of the novels I bought at Bouchercon 2009 in Indianapolis last fall, right after I participated in the small group discussion with the author. I won that opportunity as part …Read More

There’s Still Time to Register for the Northern Colorado Writers Conference

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This growing writers’ conference is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, at the Hilton in Fort Collins, Colorado. The opening keynote speaker is Stephen J. Cannell, the mastermind behind the classic TV series Rockford Files, The A-Team, and others. He is the author of the Shane Scully mystery series. Cannell’s address is …Read More

How to Relieve Stress: Eliminate the Stressor

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I should rethink the phrase “eliminate” the stressor. As a writer of mystery and suspense, I could be accused of suggesting a reader “kill” the stressor. If the source of one’s stress is a human being, for instance, my advice would not be socially acceptable. Speaking to and about writers, however, I suspect most stress …Read More

I Confess — No Snowman

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It’s not that I didn’t try. I couldn’t get a ball of snow to pack hard enough for rolling. I thought the snow was wet and it would be easy. It’s windy, but not unbearably cold. I was sure the relative warmth would keep the snow sticky. Nope, not at my house. I should never …Read More

As Predicted — The Winter Storm is On Its Way

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I mentioned in an earlier post that my crocuses were blooming and the tulips and daffodils were up. Now those daffodils have big buds about ready to bloom. And, as predicted, we have a winter storm warning for Northern Colorado. Between this evening and tomorrow night, we could get between 6 and 12 inches of …Read More

Do Everything Different Day

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Horrors! The schedule is topsy-turvy. My husband got up extra early this morning to keep an appointment. Husband got up and wife (me) stayed in bed. Last one up makes the bed. I had to do that chore this morning. Husband took an early shower, so I stayed in my pajamas until he left. I …Read More

Being a Writer Is Like Falling Down a Lot

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I had a tendency my whole life to stumble and fall. Literally. Always compensating for my bad knees, I’d crash to the ground after stepping wrong on a pebble, rather than risk throwing my knee out (as I called it back then). The first serious knee incident came in 7th grade when I brazenly challenged …Read More

Serendipity — I Know It When I See It!

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Whoa, the weekend went by in a flash. I didn’t intend to completely ignore my blog, but I was on a roll with those revisions–just having too much fun to stop. My novel is a standalone suspense, the tentative title now changed to Dead Wrong. This is my third tentative title, so anything can happen …Read More

Is It Friday Again Already?

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Dang! Except for my internet duties and one big errand I need to run, today through Monday will be all about novel revisions. I’m feeling good about the book and haven’t run into any gross plot errors (at least not yet) that would slow me down. I still think I’ll have a finished novel by …Read More