Hello!
(or should I write HELLLLLLLOOOOOOOO – like a shout into a canyon???)
I know it’s been quiet here on Fall into The Story. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes reasons for that – from changing to a new platform to waging a battle against bot registrants to playing with/discarding all manner of new looks to the blog.
I figured since we’re all friends here, I’d invite you into the chaos while I attend to the final details.
A quick update: after Nora’s January post about visiting Nemacolin with family, she’s been deep in work. As usual, she finished the first In Death for 2024 in January. Now she’s deep in the weeds of the 2024 standalone (this year’s standalone, Identity, is out in a month. And the excerpt is here.)
Outside of work ,family events have taken up all her non-writing attention, meaning weekends have not lent themselves to updates. She did complete this year’s whole house purge AND Bruce went on his winter trip for the first time since 2020. (Nora reveled in a Home Alone that featured no mechanical breakdowns in the house.)
Nora, JoAnne and I returned to Nemacolin for a mini-girls spa week in early March. Kayla was able to join us for part of the time – it was her Junior year (!?!!) spring break. We had treatments, a paint night and did a puzzle – though nothing like the 2023 puzzle of cupcakes from hell. Thank goodness. And NO GAMES!!
Nora mentioned to me late last week that she was going to get her hands in the dirt and start The Garden. She’ll share more about that in an upcoming post.
In the meantime, we’re gearing up to attend The Kentucky Derby next week. Two weeks later I’ll be certain to share The Spa-Girls-Face-The-Stupid-Scoreboard™ posts. Then before you know it, it will be time for the 2023 Travelogue! Where’s Nora going this year? Well, I’m not sharing that right now, but I can say that she hasn’t been to this part of the world for over 30 years.
Basically, I have a publishing schedule in mind to carry us through the rest of the year.
We’re also transitioning Nora’s News to a different platform with the help of The Newsletter Ninja. If you are a subscriber already, you will receive an update email about the changeover. Since there are so many names on the list, it’s a slow roll out so be patient! If you haven’t received anything by mid May, let me know at LMReeth@gmail.com so I can forward to Tammy and Stacey. And if you’d like to subscribe go to the Nora Roberts or JD Robb websites, scroll to the bottom and subscribe in the box there.
My plan is to increase the newsletters to monthly. Nora will write the pre-publication ones, while I’ll fill in with other things of interest like audio excerpts or contest. Things that keep you in the loop.
In other housekeeping news, if you’d subscribed to receive emails any time there’s a new FITS post, unfortunately that list disappeared when I brought the blog over from InMotion to WordPress. Please re-subscribe so you get all the posts as they appear.
I’ve been waging war on bots in the user list here for a while. I know I’ve inadvertently erased real accounts in my effort to be rid of invaders. If you have a profile here, could you add your name to the profile? That way I know to keep you on the list.
What else? I’ve been taking photos on walks again. And I’ve been reading a lot this winter.
Which brings me to the final point in this restart post:
Besides Nora’s personal updates, discussion threads, cover reveals and excerpts, what else would you like to see here?
Photos of Nora’s garden just because?
What are you reading or quarterly book recommendation posts?
Share what you want to see post-wise in the comments.
Laura
I would really enjoy seeing what you and Nora are reading or authors you enjoy. I discovered Sarah Addison Allen after Nora mentioned reading her latest – I love her books as well!
Same here! And John Sandford and Alex Grecian 🙂
I agree!! Always looking for new authors to read!!
I would love to see garden photos, maybe even with info on what we’re seeing. I can tell by her writing that Nora clearly loves flowers, and she writes about many that I haven’t heard of or are not familiar with. I would love to learn more about them!
I think it would be nice to see book recommendations and pictures of Nora’s garden!
I would like to occasionally see a picture of Nora’s current most favored spot of the garden. I love my neighborhood gardens, but there is always a combination in each blooming season which grabs hardest at my heart, be it the color combinations, the balance, my grandmother’s favorite flower, just that “this is even more” element.
I always love hearing about the garden!!
I love to see the posts about the garden – I have severe Garden Envy!
Any book recommendations, travel news, garden, and the family. This is in addition to any news of Nora’s books.
All your suggestions sound great Laura. I’d love to be able to bring carloads of plants home from the nursery every spring, so I love to see what Nora has planted. I’d also enjoy seeing/hearing more about activities in Boonesboro. I also really enjoy the travelogues.
Always love the garden stories Nora posts, including the naughty dog and deer stories. Book recommendations from you and Nora are good too. So glad to see activity in the blog again! Was really missing all the posts from NR/JDR fans. My happiness is found in books and a garden!!
I enjoy all of your posts, even the cranky ones.
You inspire us…. To read your stuff!!! Thanks
I love to see more of Nora ‘s garden.
I wonder if her Canna Lily is still alive or if the deer have eaten them.
Book recommend is always a bonus.
Ooh as a writer I would love to know any tips or tricks from Nora about writing. It seems she’s a very intuitive writer but I’d still love to hear anything she can share I’ve watched all her YouTube interviews haha.
And definitely her book recommendations as others have said 🙂
I can sincerely say there are no tricks beyond putting your butt in the chair and doing it! Butt on the chair, fingers on the keyboard, mind in the story.
Every day.
That’s it.
Nora
Thank you very much I look forward to all the posts.
Enjoy travelogues, garden updates and book recommendations. Can stop worrying about the prolonged silence😉
I enjoy reading about all the trips, pics, Nora’s garden and etc. just keep doing what you do so we’ll.
Love Nora garden updates and travel adventures. Book recommendations as well
I’m *always* interested in seeing pics of Nora’s garden! Since moving to an apartment, I can’t enjoy creating and nurturing a garden like I used to, so I enjoy it vicariously through Nora.
Book recommendations, and hearing what others are reading is always interesting too.
Whatever else you and Nora want to share with us would be most welcome as well. 😊
All of the above plus serious discussions about censorship and what we can do.
Stay tuned. I’ll actually be on a segment of GMA’s Saturday Morning show tomorrow for a brief interview on this.
Vote, support your local library—and all libraries. Bay banned books. Those are my top thoughts.
I always enjoy any updates: garden, purging, baking/cooking sessions, rants (although bummed when they do have to happen), trips, books, books and more books. Thanks for the updates, keeping the blog posts and newsletters going. And thanks always for the vulnerability and writing, I always get excited for new books and updates!
Gardening, travelogues, cooking and book recommendations are all good options. Nora recommended some Stephen King books and I’ve been enjoying his books again.
I love it all! Book/author recommendations, pictures of things that brew inspiration, witty ponderings, etc. Happy to be here. 🌻
I enjoy all the updates–writing ones are dear to my heart as a writer, but I like all the others.
And fighting against censorship. That’s a big one for me as well, as a former teacher as well as a writer.
I could not get the Identity excerpt to play.
The link is fixed! Thanks for the heads up. You can click this link and go directly to the post: https://fallintothestory.com/identity-excerpt/
Laura
I love the garden pictures/news, maybe character signature dishes or drinks section from her books or even what you/Nora are reading and enjoying.
I would love to see everything you and Nora do and where you all visit. Thanks for sharing with us.
I love all the pictures and news . Love to know what you both like to read or what you are reading.
What is the link to the story after Seth’s story in the Chesapeake Bay series? I know I saw it somewhere but now I cannot find it. Thank you
Like so many others, I love the garden pictures, travelogues, and book recs. I would also be interested in dog pictures/news, any cooking that Nora is doing and workout tips ( since she always looks so fit and healthy! ) Maybe she could occasionally do a ‘NR Trending TV/Shows and Movies’ list.
I’ve been a NR/JDR fan for many, many years. We share a birth month and year! I like reading about what she is reading, love to see garden photos (never have had a green thumb and am envious), and any trip news. NR is one of my top authors.
Book recommendations and updates on upcoming books are very welcome.