Woohoo! We survived the summer. And I mean that literally since a gas can exploded on my husband and me. I’m back at my desk, and although I have to set my alarm for 6:00 each morning, I’m ready for a routine. I spent most of the summer on our boat and visiting friends and family. I still haven’t finished unpacking, my house is a mess, and we’re about to start construction on a screened porch. However, I feel good about the day. Unlike my summer schedule, when everyone in the house sleeps in, I got up early this morning and started on laundry. I even prepared some Cajun red beans and rice in the slow cooker. (So yummy!)

I always listen to music while driving long distances. I wish I could listen to audiobooks, but that would put me to sleep. It has to be music, and it has to be music I’m in the mood for at the moment. This summer called for a lot of driving, and I spent most of it listening to the soundtrack for the Alissia Roswell Series. (You can find the songs for each book on their Pinterest boards.)

Some of the songs describe Alissia in general, while most of them go with certain scenes. At the moment, I have three songs for Unexpected Legends, and when I hear them, I clearly visualize the scenes I plan to write. Like the book itself, the scenes are intense. Wish I could share the songs with you now, but it’s not time and gives away the mood of the book. I usually release a Pinterest board a couple of months before the release of each book.

I’ve heard from some of you about Unexpected Beginning and am loving the feedback. If you get a chance, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It really helps.

It’s been a wild summer! From the end of May until the end of July, I lived out of my suitcase, and although I enjoy traveling, I’m so happy to be home. There’s just nothing like sleeping in my own bed and sipping on my favorite hot teas throughout the day while sitting at my desk (or outside when it’s not so hot). I also miss my own cooking and am burned out on eating out. I haven’t ground my own flour since May, and my body needs it. I feel really unhealthy right now and need a detox.

We left a few days after the children got out of school and returned a week before they begin again. Everyone in this house is ready for a sense of routine–even if it means waking early to the sound of an alarm.

We left our sailboat in South Carolina, where it’s about to get pulled from the water. We’re having it delivered to Mississippi on a truck instead of trying to sail it home. We bought it in Florida, and the weather didn’t cooperate for us to try to sail it home over the summer. Here’s a tour of it, if you haven’t seen it already.

As for the gas can exploding on us, the boat isn’t damaged, and my husband is recovering from surgery. I came out with only minor burns, and the children weren’t even on the boat with us. I’ll do a blog post on it soon, as I want everyone to know the dangers of those red plastic gas cans. We came out VERY blessed!

Alissia’s adventure continues! One more book in the series, and you’re going to love it. I should have everything unpacked and be ready for work at my desk on Tuesday when the children go back to school. I expect life to return to its normal chaos with more house renovations and our usual daily activities. Until then, I have a messy SUV to clean and a massive pile of unpacking to do. Oh, and I guess I need to take the children school shopping as well.