Though I’ve lived on an acreage in southeast
Nebraska for 43 years, “home” to me will forever be the little farm in Antelope
County straight south of Niobrara.
Our family owned that homesteaded quarter of a
section for the longest, 50 years. I’m the oldest of seven and the younger
siblings don’t have the memories that the older of us do, so I agreed to sell
in 2006. Those wonderful pasture grasses, 80 acres of which were native, no
longer exist. Only a few trees border the ground that is now a vast cornfield.
But no one can take the memories. I’ve recorded farm and
schooldays of my youth on my website. http://www.loreepeery.com
I love this state of Nebraska and have set all my
stories here, except for an upcoming release. Courting Country is set mostly in South Dakota.
Road Trip to Deadwood: 2020 Canceled
As I write this in May, the nation is still mostly
shut down due to Covid 19. I was dreaming of a June author/reader event in the
Black Hills of South Dakota, set to take place in historic Deadwood during Wild
Bill Days. My hubby and I honeymooned in the Hills. From Mount Moriah Cemetery,
he snapped a picture that shows the venue in the background as it appeared in
the 1970s.
A writer is a writer. Writing happens once a writer
follows a compulsion. Writing can’t be forced. A writer is compelled to write,
no matter where, no matter when, and the results come from pen or keyboard.
I’ve been a vociferous reader since age four. I believe a reader can’t help but
read any more than a writer can’t not write.
The written word is as unique as a personality and
as complex as the individual mind that sets down those words. Such variety
fills the Deadwood Mountain Grand during Wild Deadwood Reads, now scheduled for
June 2021. The genres represented are as varied as the people who stand near
their signing tables. www.wilddeadwoodreads.com
Though I consider myself an extrovert, I’ve been
known to experience anxiety in new social settings. Thus, I opted to attend
2018 WDR as a reader. My presence was a no-brainer once I read that my publisher’s
authors of the Heart’s Haven series would be there signing. I certainly
surprised Delia Latham, Marianne Evans, Tanya Stowe, and Mary Manners. Meeting
other authors was an added bonus. Plus, I came home with some great reads.
For my WDR signing in 2019, I dressed without checking
the mirror. My kimono was askew until I removed it later that afternoon. That
extravert tendency I mentioned? I will whisper a gentle notice if I see
anyone’s wardrobe glitch.
As much as I enjoy the fresh air and history of the
Black Hills, as well as the scenery of South Dakota, Nebraska is my home on
earth. This country girl hopes to write as many more stories as possible set in
my beloved state, and am thankful Annette shares my homeland. I also hope my fictional stories appeal to adult readers who enjoy
stories written from a Christian perspective, focused on the romance. My
latest, Repurposed, should reach the
teenaged heart also. These publications include novels and novellas for women
and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and
Mystery/Suspense categories. I write of redeeming grace with a sense of
place. The Frivolities Series and many
others, including Christmas Extravaganza novellas, are from White Rose
Publishing. The book based on my father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, and a few other
self-publications, are available on Amazon. I am who I am by the grace of God:
Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend,
and author. Selections are available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref
I look forward to meeting Annette
and and other Nebraska authors personally one of these days, maybe at Wild Deadwood
Reads.
I’m not sure I can consider the spot where I live a
corner.My place is more like a spot
really. I’m not sure I’ll ever get this
140 year old house paid for.Every time
I turn around I’m attempting to make something new again.This year it’s updating the bathrooms.
I worked the real job
yesterday and then went to my girlfriends daughter’s wedding with some great
friends so today my plan is to clean my spot and to go somewhere to buy a new
lawnmower.Maybe two new lawnmowers if I
can get a deal.
One of my kids needed a lawnmower so we gave ours to her
with the intent of buying ourselves a new one.We weren’t in a hurry.Another of
our kids was storing his lawnmower in our garage so we used his.He used his the other day and it died of heat
stroke so, we’ll be off to see what we can do about getting a new one for us
and possibly a new one for him.
Before that, I have about 3 loads of laundry and a bunch of
stuff to pick up in the house because I’ve been really busy all week.The house looks like I was home for fifteen
minute increments.
I’m sure everyone’s
been there. Wake up. Go to work. Get home. Cook supper. Do something on the calendar. Get home. Go to bed. Repeat. I feel like it’s
been that way all week and my housecleaning suffered.
First Bailing Across the Street
First up, water my plants outside before they make the way
of the lawnmower in the heat.
Next is pick up the house and look for the best deal for
yard maintenance equipment.
Sometime, I’ll try and squeeze in some writing.I’ve been almost finished with the third
novel in my Packard Series for about 6 months now and my goal is to get that
ready to send out by Fall.
The first two from that series are out.Drive Thru, a story about a single mom trying
to make it all work and Intimate Flames, a novel about a fireman and a
convenience store clerk.
You can find both at lots of places online or here
Click on some of the links, I’ve got some of my remodeling
projects listed on HomeTalk-the link is in the sidebar.
Visit any of the other authors who help make this blog
successful by visiting the archives section and don’t forget to leave a comment
this week on my Nebraska section.
I’ll pick a lucky winner from the people who comment to win
one book of their choice from each of the three series I have published. Travis Pass Series is my 1800’s line which I
started to write first. Then I wrote my
Viveka’s War Series based around WWII.
My contemporary line, The Packard Family Series is what I’m working on
currently. I'll need a form of contact to find you easily. Either post that in your comment or email it using the contact information tab above.
Also, leaving a comment here, with a form of contact,
automatically enters you into the End of the Month Grand Prize Contest.
So, enjoy the day, try to stay cool and if you know of any
deals on lawnmowers, let me know!
Yep-it’s me.Creator
of 50 Authors from 50 States blog, writer, wife, mom, landfill worker, handyman-er-person.A Jill of all trades and master of
some.I can do a lot.I’ve only just discovered I’m able to change
faucets without making too big of a mess.Who knew that was possible until I YouTube-d
it. I YouTube a lot.
I have a regular job that I love, working in an office
doing, well, whatever my bosses request, within reason and I work at a bar on
Friday nights doing-same.I run this
blog.I write a lot in between—I’m just
finishing up my third novel in my Packard Family Series.Intimate Flames, the first, was a
finalist at EPIC.Drive Thru was second
in that contemporary series which centers on a family and also scored some
awards.Going Twice is the name I’ve
given the third book.I have plans to
write about all seven siblings from the Packard family.
When I’m not doing ‘D-All of the Above,' I work on the
family home.My husband and I purchased
a 120-year-old house from my Great-Grandfather’s estate way back in 1988 (that
rhymes! Who knew!) for nine thousand dollars and we’ve been plugging money into
it ever since.At first it was to keep a
roof over the heads of our four great kids but now it’s a labor of love.
About 15 years ago we replaced the cast iron sink and counter top
in the kitchen and this year, I
replaced the kitchen faucet myself!HA! HA!I paraded around the house saying, “HA!” for
several hours after finishing.I’d never
attempted faucet replacement before and was sure I’d have water
everywhere.YouTube guided me.If I’ve never attempted a project, I hit
YouTube and see if it’s possible for me even start or if I need professional
help.And yes, my family says I need
professional help. The old
cast iron sink is missed but and long gone but I love my new faucet.It’s got a pull down water sprayer!I know most won’t be as excited about that
as I am.Anyway, that’s phase-one in my
kitchen self-remodeling project.The
kitchen cupboards and counters are next—someday.
It takes me a while
to get to projects because I’m determined to accomplish the jobs by spending as
little money as possible.My husband
occasionally calls me a hoarder because of the things I collect for future
plans.A tin ceiling tile I pulled from
an old building a block away before the owner destroyed the structure about ten
years ago is piled in the attic of my garage and I’ve just now started to use
it.I redesigned my bathroom vanity and
used ceiling tiles for drawer fronts (and replaced the faucet—HA!)
For a couple years, I had a stack of Italian marble bricks
behind the shed.A truck driver told me a story of his family house and the fireplace inside.They sold the house to an eye doctor and the
doctor was tearing it down and I said, “What a shame all that marble is going
to be destroyed.”The driver gave me the
doctor’s phone number.I called the
doctor…and the doctor said…sure, you can go in and take that marble out of the
house.So I involved my son-in-law and we reclaimed.I drove home in a way overloaded pickup-think driving uphill 45 miles--
and showed my husband this awesome rock and he said, “I’m not helping you
unload that.”I moved thousands of
pounds of heavy rock myself and stacked it neatly behind the shed in wait for
that special fire pit project.
truckload of marble.
I like to use reclaimed stuff for my projects whenever
possible so it took me a few years to collect enough materials to finish the fire
pit that started as the idea to use the rocks I collect from all over the
world.Big rocks, little rocks—I have
rocks from everywhere including USA, Nova Scotia, George Washington’s potato
field, the Vatican, Guatemala, Australia and Pompeii-so many countries!When I find out people are traveling, I say,
“Bring me a rock.”They do and I save
them for projects.One project,
phase-one of my backyard re-do, a fire pit.
Fall of 2017, I finally collected enough stuff to assemble my
fire pit.I started by using the
reclaimed marble to determine how big an area to cover.I laid some discarded landfill liner pieces
under the marble and, as luck would have it, I scored some crushed asphalt from
the highway job nearby.I smashed that
down on the liner to make a hard base.My friend Jazz hooked me up with a guy in a neighboring village who tore
down a chimney so I got bricks for free and then I found some excess rock for
fill.I selected certain rocks from my
worldly collection and made the actual pit using an old semi-tire rim instead
of fire brick.I made the end tables
from a marble coffee table I got for free with legs of the of antique block
from a shed we tore down at my mom and dad’s house. I purchased one thing,
mortar. I couldn’t locate any excess concrete at the time.My 4-year-old granddaughter, who I was
babysitting for a few days, helped me put it all together over the course of some vacation days. All it cost was a little harassment from my husband, effort and $80.
Phase-one of the backyard project turned out. I learned how to work with rocks
and cement. My granddaughter has an
actual knack for tooling around and my husband has stopped calling me a
hoarder. Just yesterday, he sat out and
enjoyed a fire which he started by using my “Fire-Pit Starters” made from dryer
lint, toilet paper rolls and wax from stinky candles I don’t like. That’s another reuse project I’ll have to
share someday. On to my next project!
In the meantime, you can find out more about my writing by
visiting my website and right here on my blog.Use the tabs above for purchase links and contact info.
Leave a comment with to win my offered prize this week.In your comment, pick one book from each
series: Travis Pass--1800’s Series, Viveka’s War-WWII Series and Packard
Family-Contemporary Series. I’m giving one
winner an autographed copy of ONE of each book from each series.That’s 3 free reads.Leave a form of contact in your comment or
just email me thru the contact tab if you’d rather and have a great day!
Garage sale season is on!It’s a great time of the year to score something I never knew I needed
for a price I never thought I’d get for that which I didn’t need!Or so my husband says.He forgets about my awesome plant holder I
scored, our fantastic basement furniture
I picked up, never mind the cast iron towel rods I now use as curtain
tie-backs or the 1959 dining room set I got for $400. Ever since my son-in-law
and co-conspirator, Danny, scored Italian Marble we pulled out of a
soon-to-be-demolished house and put it in my backyard which we will eventually
use to build fire pits, my husband hasn’t been on board.I have faith that once we get those fire pits
finished, he’ll be right back to sharing my enthusiasm for the used.
Here’s a little piece I penned about one of my favorite
pastimes here in Nebraska:
I am a Queen of Garage Sales, a self-bestowed title awarded
while fitting a used tiara from a long table of second hand items.The crown, fashioned of high quality, gold
tone plastic, studded with genuine artificial pink jewels priced at pennies was
purchased only until bartering the abdicating queen down.I wore it faithfully one hot Saturday
through my multi-family kingdom while knighting passersby with my long stemmed
daisy scepter plucked from the yard of a peasant.When my companion, the Duchess of
Second-hand, informed me in language un-befitting monarchs, how I reminded her of
the village idiot, I relinquished my crown to a five-year-old future princess
at the next processional stop.
Jumping in my coach, its giant cargo area fitting of a king
sized bed, Duchess of Second-Hand and I preceded a brigade of carriages touring
the kingdom searching for royal treasures.
I bestowed my prescience among one Lady’s lane. Genuine
silver plated platters lined buffet tables as I approached and asked, “How much
for this?”I held up a shiny engraved
platter that would serve well at the next royal ball.
“One hundred pence.” Lady of the fortress replied.
I examined the genuine silver plated piece and knew one
hundred pence was far too high a price to pay.“I offer ten.” I searched my satchel and paid in gold coins.
I found some fine antique bottles.They were glass, two feet tall, the undamaged
label on each bottle read, Windsor Canadian, and they were marked one pence
each.I knew those bottles were worth
far more than the asking price.I
considered my royal standing.Should I
pay the meager price for the antique glass whiskey bottles I knew came from
long ago pub advertisement and walk away with the usury of the day or tell the
merchant she was dramatically under pricing?Because I felt overly noble, I inquired, “My Lady-Do you know what these
are?”
“My Lord acquired those bottles during a charge to the
west.”
“Dear Lady, I am aware of these fine artifacts and, I will
be happy to purchase them for three rubles each, however, they’re worth much
more.I’ve seen them sold in a prior
kingdom.I will purchase them for the
price you ask but I’d rather see them sold for their worth.”
Lady of Lane immediately moved the bottles beneath a
tapestry and I immediately kicked myself with the point of my button up boot.
The Duchess and I continued on to the next stronghold which
led to a desirable wooden throne, two cathedrae and a side table with an
authentic faux wood top.Constructed
from original wine barrels and rich Corinthian vinyl in bright diamond shapes,
I knew the furniture would look delightful in the dungeon.I’d been searching the empire for just such
furnishings since we remodeled the castle.It would coordinate with my velvet portrait of the Spanish Queen sporting
a bright red costume with massive cleavage and the lovely pictures of tropical
parrots made from antique feathers, gifted from a visiting dignitary.
As I examined the trove, the merchant greeted me with a
smile fitting of a peasant wanting gold. “Are you interested in this collection?”
“Well, sir, I do take a particular liking to this except the
wood clashes with the royal architecture.”
“I’m asking two hundred and twenty five schillings.”
With the purchase of the priceless silver tray, the
procurement of the coronet I bestowed upon the new princess and the pence I
would need to refuel my carriage, I did not have the required price.“I offer you 180-that’s all I have.”
The merchant accepted my offer and my gold.
Just then, the Lord and Lady from across the way
arrived.“How much for the furniture,
Sir?”
The merchant seemed to frown at the thought he could have
haggled a higher price.
“Take your leave sir,
I’ve already purchased.But I could use
some help loading the throne into my carriage.”It felt bizarre asking for help with my
seized prize when I usurped Sir of Neighborhood from the purchase but the King
was at the castle, the Royal Children were enjoying the sun of the royal water
park, the merchant was far too into his years. I knew there was no way in
kingdom come that Duchess and I were lifting it on the carriage without a wench.
The weight was upwards of three horses, two sows and fifteen chickens.
Under great regret, Lady and Sir of Neighborhood, helped. I
did feel a bit of guilty as I whipped away in my metal horse. My redemption?I made a new ally in the Lady of Antique Pub Bottles.
Upon return to the castle, the King said, “You purchased
bowling alley furniture?”
“No Sire!This will
look lovely gracing our new dungeon.With that Billboard we pillaged from the Royal Grandmother, the picture
of the Spanish Bride and those dramatic feather Parrots, this cask furniture
will match our antiquities.”
“My Queen, you are a hoarder.”The King walked away from the carriage
shaking his head.
“Wait Sire!You have
to help me unload this.Its weight is
that of three horses, two sows and fifteen chickens.”
“It always is,” the king grumbled.
I summoned Queen Mother to view my treasures while the King,
still grumbling, looked on.Queen Mother
said, “What price did you pay?”
I relayed the terms of conquest.
Queen Mother said, “What vexes you King?I saw this very throne in another kingdom in
the empire of Iowa.It wasn’t in nearly
this fine a condition and the main throne alone was 300 florins.You got the throne, the two side chairs and
the table for a fine price.”
Her statement failed to stop the King’s harsh growl.However, as the Queen, I’ve given myself
amnesty to empire sales without objection of the King. If the royal urge
strikes, I scour domain publications for such opportunities and, if I'm not taking audience, I hop in the carriage to conquer another block.
Learn all about me and my work on this blog or visit my
website for more information. http://annettesnyder.atspace.com/
I’m offering a prize to someone who leaves a comment.One lucky winner will get a signed copy of a
novel of their choice from my book list, a Keep Nebraska Beautiful Tote and a
Spa Bath Basket.Leave a form of contact
in your comment to win!You can find
all my books right here, visit my website with the link above or use the easy
click tabs up top!
_______________Tony V. Sweeney Says:___________________
In the winter, it’s best to stay inside, warm and dry, away
from snow and below zero temp.That’s
when I do a good portion of my writing. It’s a great deal quieter then, also.
Then I transport myself to the planet Felida and indulge in some deep space
hi-jinks with my favorite space opera hero, Sinbad sh’en Singh. I’ve just
completed the last novel in the series The Adventures of Sinbad, which was
released on June 15 by Class Act Books.
Sinbad’s world is a far cry from Lincoln, Nebraska, but
occasionally he has the same problems as mere Earthpeople do.
With the onset of warm weather, the city of Lincoln gets
busy…road-work, renovations, landscaping…all has to be done before the weather
turns back to winter and temperature extremes prevent outside work. At present,
there are 24 road projects going on in Lincoln, a good many of them around the
capitol, a block from where I live.This
occasionally makes it difficult to get anywhere. Our apartment building is
being re-painted and trees are being cut down and replaced with decorative
boulders and ornamental native grasses and shrubbery.
No garage sales here, or people tending their gardens or
flower beds, but the hum of riding mowers from landscaping companies fill the air
as does the buzz of power tools, with an occasional yap of a dog as he and his
master go for a walk around the capitol.
A few blocks away, one of Lincoln’s beauty sites, the Sunken
Gardens, is now in full-bloom with hundreds of plants and flowers, as well as a
swimming pool-sized koi pond complete with cattails and waterlilies. Across the
road from it, a 12-foot memorial fountain flows with water into an even larger
pool. This and the capitol building itself will be filled with both townies and
visitors once the weather stabilizes.
That’s when it’s time to abandon the keyboard for a while
and get outside into the sunshine!
Tony writes sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and
western adventures with romance thrown in. So far, she has around 72 novels
published as well as numerous short stories. She also writes romances under the
pseudonym Icy Snow Blackstone. Check out her video trailers to learn more about
her books onFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvsweeney
Follow her on Twitter: @ToniVSweeney to stay in the loop.
All entries in The
Adventures of Sinbad are available in paperback from the publisher’s
website, www.classactbooks.com As
well as on amazon.com.
From my acreage front porch I see a rock and flower
garden to the left with a field in the background. Out front are more flowers
and rocks. To the right are trees. Beyond our driveway is a short jaunt to
Lincoln.P.S.The “garden” picture is a few years old. This
year’s corn is higher than my waist. My dad used to say it’d be a good crop “if
corn was knee-high by the fourth of July.”
As of March 1, 2017, the state of Nebraska is now 150
years old. Since we live just outside the city limits to the state’s capital,
access to Lincoln’s festivities is a short drive for us.
One afternoon we toured the Nebraska History Museum.
The highlight for us was perusing the work of artist Todd
Williams. I wanted to stay on that floor and view each painting a second time.
I grew up on a farm in Antelope County, so alphabetically, we found the painting
of the Neligh Mills right away. My husband is from Grand Island, which is in
Hall County. He exhibited patience. If his home county was York, he would have
wanted to start the tour at the bottom of the alphabetical display.
Lincoln is rich in its offerings of entertainment, no
matter what your interests. The arts, family fun, history, sports,
entertainment, the vital Haymarket area, and we even have the National Museum
of Rollerskating.
In June, Annette mentioned the writers in Mississippi.
Nebraska has a wealth of writers as well. I just discovered Nicholas Sparks was
born in Omaha.
A lifelong Nebraskan, Christian author, I have lived
most of my life in the country, where I feel grounded in my sense of
place. I learned to read when I was four and have devoured books since. I
value one-on-one time with my grandchildren and love time spent with other
writers. I cling to the word over-comer and the knowledge I have victory
in Jesus. When I consider being set apart as a child of God, I am humbled. My Frivolities Series and other publications are available at Pelican
Book Group http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
I'm offering one lucky winner a print copy of Touches of Time. Make sure to leave a form of contact so I can reach you if you're the winner!
