Tuesday, December 31, 2019


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2020

The only thing I truly hope for 2020 is that it will be better than 2019. Mind you, I don’t harbor much hope, but maybe a faint, dim glimmer of the stuff.
 
At least, perhaps, I won’t have to have too many more surgeries in 2020. Of course, the X-rays say my right hip is currently functioning with no cartilage in it, so maybe that’ll have to be replaced, but I can probably handle that. Three surgeries in one year is at least two too many. Take it from one who knows. The third surgery, which was a bowel resection, really took the stuffing out of me, both literally (8” of my guts are gone) and figuratively (don’t think I’ll ever salvage my energy). Even if energy never returns, I hope to heck I can recapture my writing mojo, because I’m pretty sure I can’t support the two hounds, one semi-hound, the Chihuahua and the mixed terriorist and me on nothing but social security.

Then again, both SHAKEN SPIRITS and SCARLET SPIRITS came out in 2019, which is cool:
 


 


Moreover, ePublishing Works, is republishing all my Mercy Allcutt books, which I think is mighty nice of them. They’re giving them absolutely beautiful new covers, and it tells you right on the cover which book in the series it is. If you click on this link and scroll down the page, you discover where to get all the Mercy books (and the Daisy books, for that matter, although SCARLET SPIRITS isn’t up there yet):
 

In the next Daisy book, EXERCISED SPIRITS (which should be re-titled, but I think it’s too late), Daisy and Harold will be picking out china and flatware patterns for when Daisy and Sam tie the knot. So far they’ve picked out Daisy and Sam’s everyday china, which is Spode Buttercup:
 
As for more formal occasions (during which I have no idea who’ll cook for them, unless they borrow poor Aunt Vi) they haven’t quite decided, although they’re leaning toward Wedgwood Florentine. This is mainly because Sam will probably think Buttercup is to flowery and prefer Florentine as a more masculine pattern. On the other hand, Sam’s relatively easygoing these days, so maybe he won’t care:
 
Can’t even fathom how to choose flatware patterns yet, but I’m sure Harold will think of something, if I can’t.

My winner-picking wiener dog, Bam-Bam, has selected the following winners of SCARLET SPIRITS:

Stephanie Cowans (by golly, Steph and I used to dance and sing together!)
Jackie Stieghorse
Jean Patton

I’ll get the books mailed to the wieners as soon as I possibly can. As of today (the 31st of December, 2019) I can’t do more than one thing per day w/o taking a nap afterward. I’d really appreciate some energy returning sometime soon.

At the end of January, I’ll be giving away copies of any old book you want, providing I have a copy. Therefore, if you’d like to chance to win one of my books, please send me your name and home address at alice@aliceduncan.net. If you’d prefer an e-copy, please let me know which kind of device you use. Thank you!

If you enjoy the Daisy and Mercy books, or if you’re just fascinated by the 1920s (as I am), please feel free to join Daisy Daze. I love Daisy Daze. Iris Evans and Leon Fundenberger founded the DAISY DAZE Facebook page. On this page, people post all sorts of historical stuff about Pasadena, sewing machines, automobiles, buildings, fashions from the 1920s, houses in which the people in the books might live, stars of the silent screen, and lots and lots of other historical (1920s-era) stuff. It’s fun, and if you’d like to be a member, check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/905100189878318/ .

If you’d like to visit my web page, here’s the link: http://aliceduncan.net/ . If you’d like to be Facebook friends, please go here: https://www.facebook.com/alice.duncan.925

That's it. Thank you!