tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85371270760753282024-03-15T18:09:43.170-07:00Dana's Blah Blah BlogWriting and general musings Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.comBlogger301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-38599535366390565332024-03-10T11:04:00.004-07:002024-03-10T11:04:43.299-07:00Happy St Paddy's month!<p>As a genealogy nerd, I celebrate my Irish ancestors in March, and I have a number of them in my paternal and maternal sides from various counties in the northern and southern parts of Ireland. I also have a high number of Scottish ancestors from the Highlands, Midlands and Lowlands. I have green eyes, natural red highlights (though I was blonde as a young child), and I carry the red hair gene. I inherited lots of freckles too, which also means I sunburn easily. My paternal grandfather was nicknamed Red because of his red hair, though I only ever knew him with white hair.</p><p>If you add my Irish and Scottish DNA amounts together, they make up almost half of me. I also carry Viking DNA. Vikings settled in Ireland and intermarried with Irish people so these results weren't a surprise. The highest DNA location for the other half of me is Celtic Britain. I've always been fascinated by ancient Brits, like Boudicca, so maybe my DNA explains that too.</p><p>But this month, I focus on the Irish lineages of my family tree, the wearing o' the green, and eating more potatoes. I've been a vegetarian since high school so no meats for me. Hubby is the house chef and he makes some good potato dishes. He's making one tomorrow night for dinner. </p><p>So Happy St Paddy's month! Don't forget to wear green on the special day if you celebrate. I'm lucky that with my green eyes, I never get pinched. </p><p>On a side note - I'm on a publishing hiatus for a while due to personal reasons, but please check out my previously published books if you're interested in reading my work at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dana-Davis/author/B0033HDLVC">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dana-Davis/author/B0033HDLVC</a> </p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-90184292622027828772024-01-24T08:26:00.003-07:002024-01-24T08:26:38.596-07:00Get that yearly skin check<p>We thought all our medical troubles would be behind us in the new year but at my December skin check, a biopsy showed melanoma in situ. Thankfully, it was stage 0 so the surgeon was able to remove all of it and it hadn't spread to any of my organs. It took 2 surgeries though, one in Dec and one in Jan, and a month of me being on lifting and workout restrictions. </p><p>Not how I expected the first month of the new year to go. And now I have to go in every 3 months for years to come for skin checks. I'm not looking forward to that because I don't enjoy doctors' offices, but it's necessary. Even though I use a 50 SPF sunblock, I'm a pasty, freckled Scottish, Irish, British and Scandanavian descendant who carries the red hair gene and got sunburned as a child, so I'm a prime candidate for skin cancer. But ANYONE can get melanoma. </p><p>Here's to an uneventful remainder of 2024 for us, at least medically. I urge you all to get that yearly skin check. And don't forget the sunblock!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-28791288176790009292023-12-04T10:36:00.003-07:002023-12-04T10:36:36.120-07:00Happy Holidays!<p>I hope everyone is having a nice holiday season. After our historic record-breaking summer here in the desert, we're loving the cool weather. Unfortunately, our little fur baby was diagnosed with Valley Fever last month, a common fungal disease from our desert soil. She's on meds for it but we don't know how long, since we have get her blood tested every few months to see how she's progressing. And hubby is doing well and just hit his 6 months post cardiac surgery mark. We're so relieved for that!</p><p>I'm taking off work until after New Years and plan to read, watch holiday movies, make fudge, do jigsaw puzzles, play video games, and take lots of walks and hikes with hubby. </p><p>Until then, stay safe and warm and have a wonderful New Years!</p><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-56801904539244654242023-10-19T13:30:00.001-07:002023-10-19T13:30:16.935-07:00Happy Halloween!<p>Halloween is our favorite holiday and this year is extra special because hubby finished his last cardiac rehab session this week. Woohoo! We're so thankful for this milestone. I still can't believe I almost lost him. And because of a genetic problem that we never knew about. Right now, we're all about embracing the normal things in life. Like walks, meals together, work, and the holidays.</p><p>On a sad note, the Bewitched facade that was used in the TV show got torn down last week, along with all the other iconic TV homes on that street. I saw a video of the destruction and it really crushed me. I loved that show and wanted to be Tabitha when I was little. Yes, I have all the DVDs to keep me company but I never thought they would destroy the facade in my lifetime. Hubby got me on a private tour of the "house" several years ago, and I'm so grateful I got to see it in person before it was gone.</p><p>As for my writing progress, I'm working more on my latest fantasy novel right now because that character has been harassing my thoughts lately. Yes, we writers really do talk to our characters. Hey, we're never truly alone that way. And it feels good to have that normalcy back in my life again after such a chaotic year.</p><p>I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween. May the holiday be bewitching!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-33081504345564149002023-09-24T09:49:00.003-07:002023-09-24T09:56:39.230-07:00Happy fall!<p>Fall is finally here! It's been a trying year for our household but things are starting to get better. Hubby is more than halfway through his cardiac rehab and all his weight restrictions have been lifted, which means he can do more stuff around the house. He's very happy about that. Well, we both are.</p><p>Now that my caregiving duties for him are over, I'm finally starting to get back to a more stable writing schedule. I won't be finished with the next novel by the end of the year, though, not with everything we've been through, so late 2024 is the new goal. And there are two more in queue after this one.</p><p>I also whittled down my social media and blog accounts from 13 to 7. Trying to keep up with that many was creating more stress than productivity in my work life, especially since we also have marketing campaigns to keep track of. Hubby did marketing in his career so he helps with that. Now that he's better, he's taking on the bulk of it, which leaves more writing time for me. It's been a learning curve going from a traditional publisher to indie but I love the freedom.</p><p>Our disabled senior dog needs a lot of care but she's doing well and we have a great vet who works with us. She's been with us just over 10 months now and has settled in nicely. This year was hard on her too, with us going back and forth to the hospital then appointments and PT, but she's a trouper! </p><p>After a historic heat record-breaking summer, the weather is starting to cool and we are getting outside more. It feels good to be getting back to a more normal life again.</p><p>I wish everyone a wonderful fall season and lots of good reading!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-29101760342355613132023-08-09T09:19:00.001-07:002023-08-09T09:19:30.699-07:00Yet another emergency<p>Well, 2 weeks ago we found ourselves back in the emergency room and found out that hubby needed his gallbladder removed. That was only 8 weeks into his recovery from open heart surgery, so not ideal but it had to be done. His gallbladder surgery was last Friday and he's once again on lifting restrictions but at least he's feeling much better. We hope this is the last bad luck thing we have for a very long time. </p><p>We're looking forward to our favorite holiday - Halloween! We've been in a terrible heat wave this summer here in the desert and October always brings cooler temps. October is also when hubby will be completely healed and well into his cardiac rehab, which had to be postponed with this latest surgery, so we'll be able to do more fun things.</p><p>With all we've been through, this year has been pretty much been a wash as far as my work, so I'll be doing a lot of catching up over the next year or so to get my writing back on schedule. I currently have 3 novels in the works, as well as 2 series that are hounding me for attention.</p><p>I hope all of you are having a much better year. And if you're in one of the heat wave areas, stay cool and hang in there!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-30227213422811326212023-07-18T08:22:00.000-07:002023-07-18T08:22:01.334-07:00What doesn't kill you...<p>Hubby is recovering nicely from his bypass surgery and made it past the crucial 4 week period, which is a huge relief. He starts cardiac rehab soon and in another week or so, he'll be cleared to get back to his normal life. This year has hit us with crisis after crisis and I truly hope we're at the end of that.</p><p>My writing was put on the back burner while I was caregiving and I plan to get back to it starting next week. I have 4 novels and a couple of series that are waiting for my attention so I'll be busy for several years.</p><p>We're from Los Angeles but live in Arizona and the heat has been unrelenting with no monsoon rain to cool us down. We lived here 14 years in the past and spent a lot of time in Palm Springs and Vegas, so we're used to heat, but we're breaking records all over the place nowadays. With hubby's condition, he can't be out in the heat, so we're using the room we converted to a dance studio during the pandemic a lot more now.</p><p>If the old adage, <i>what doesn't kill you makes you stronger</i>, is true, we should be wearing superhero capes by the end of the year. Cheers to everyone going through something intense right now. Hang in there and get lost in some good books. </p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-34516055155104301132023-06-13T08:26:00.005-07:002023-06-13T08:32:19.453-07:00Life always has its own plans<p>Well, I'm pretty much healed from my February car accident. Just some bruised bones left that take a while. Unfortunately, hubby was admitted to the hospital last week and had quadruple bypass surgery last Saturday. I've been running on adrenaline and little sleep since then but he's doing well and should be home in a day or two. I'll be caring for him and doing his portion of the chores for 2-3 months, until he's healed enough to do things on his own again. He takes care of himself and is not even 60 years old yet so we were in no way expecting something like this. But heart problems run in his paternal side so I guess it was inevitable. </p><p>Needless to say, this has put me behind on writing, yet again, but I'm determined to catch up this summer. At least as much as I can. No matter how careful we are about planning things, life always gets its own way. 2023 has not been kind to my little family and we're looking forward to just getting through to the end of this year and moving on toward a brighter future.</p><p>Keep reading!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-17760473036675775862023-04-10T08:54:00.002-07:002023-04-10T08:54:33.233-07:00Serious car accident<p>I've been MIA for a couple of months because I've been recovering from a serious car accident that put me in the trauma center with life-threatening injuries back in February. I'm still healing but am back to some of my regular activities, though not in full capacity yet. It was the other driver's fault and luckily for me, I survived and they had insurance. Sadly, my 18-year-old pristine car was totaled so I've been using hubby's car to get around until we can afford another one for me. Driving has been stressful because I'm nervous someone else will t-bone me again at any moment. It will take a lot longer for the mental healing than the physical stuff. I'm just grateful no one was riding with me at the time. I sure do miss my car. They don't make them anymore so I'm really sad about that.</p><p>Also, our little senior rescue dog was diagnosed with heart disease and cataracts in March, in addition to her IVDD that we've been dealing with since we adopted her in November. She's in early stages for both so we should have a lot more time with her. We simply have to make adjustments as she gets further along in her illnesses and give her the best life we can until the end. She's come very far since November and wags her tail a lot and comes to us for pets and comfort now. I built her a window seat out of a patio storage box, plastic garden fencing (to keep her from jumping on and off), and a foam cushion. We bought a ramp for her to get up and down and she seems to really enjoy looking out the window and sunning herself.</p><p>I'm currently working on 3 novels, with another one percolating in the background of my crazy mind. Seems the accident shook up the need to get a lot more stories out before I'm dead. My characters seem to agree, because they've been hounding me in shifts.</p><p>I hope everyone is having a wonderful spring. Everything is in bloom where I live and I'm enjoying the warm breezes and birdsong while I work. Here's to the rest of our lives with no car accidents for me and mine. Fingers crossed and knock on everything wood!</p><p>In the meantime, you can find all of my previously published novels at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dana-Davis/author/B0033HDLVC">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dana-Davis/author/B0033HDLVC</a></p><p>Happy Spring!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-77733580458506894152023-02-06T09:15:00.001-07:002023-02-06T09:15:11.631-07:00February flew in fast!<p>January was somewhat of a blur and February flew in fast. We knew our senior rescue we adopted in November 2022 had pain issues - We were told it was arthritis and that she would cry out when picked up or when getting up and down from her bed and didn't like to snuggle. Why she wasn't on any pain meds is beyond me so we took her to see our vet immediately. Turns out she has IVDD (disk disease). The poor baby! It's been 3 months of adjusting our home to a dog with disabilities, as well as adjusting meds with our vet to find the right dosages that work for her. Thankfully, she's mobile so she can walk around the house by herself and do her business without assistance, but there are several things she's not allowed to do with her disease so we have to stay on top of that. We also have to manage her pain and inflammation during flare-ups and our vet is great at helping us with that. Luckily, we kept the stroller we used with our previous senior dogs and she loves stroller rides. </p><p>Now that the 3 month adjustment period is over, she has settled in, gives us lots of tail wags, and trusts us a lot more. We're more in tune with her condition and what she can and can't do, or more like should and shouldn't do. Trying to slow a dog down when she's finally feeling good after a long time in pain is like trying to harness a tornado. Once we got her pain under management, she turned out to be a lovable, silly, singing dog who loves pets and attention. We're working hard to keep here there. </p><p>Not much new on the writing front as I've been focused on the new fur baby. In December, I decided to take a work break and stop pressuring myself to get everything done at once. The perfectionist in me is still having a fit about it but I'm learning to ignore that part of me when I need to. The break has helped my stress levels, as have nature walks, workout classes and craft projects. Hubs is a mellow fellow, unlike me, but he has his stress outlets too, so we're both hanging in there. Here's to 2023 being a much better year this side of the pandemic.</p><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-60274110031553198382022-11-16T09:02:00.004-07:002022-11-16T09:02:46.186-07:00New senior pup! Happy Holidays to us!<p>Hubby and I will be extra busy this holiday season. We've missed having a fur baby around and adopted a senior pup on Saturday. She came with health issues, as many rescues do, but hers are treatable, unlike our previous hospice rescue. We have a wonderful vet who is helping us get the right treatments for her. We're into the day 4 mark and she is already getting more comfortable with us and our routines. We're learning her personality, which is quite mellow and loving, though I suspect more of it will come out as she starts to feel better and gets to trust us fully. </p><p>Our first senior rescue that we picked up at a local shelter, crossed the rainbow bridge almost three years ago. She loved people and adapted to us right away. She had some separation anxiety, as they all do. And she was extremely well-behaved, except when she saw another dog. Then she did what we called the Linda Blair Exorcist thing. Our trainer said it was fear aggression most likely from being taken from her mother too early and never socialized as a puppy. Humans' fault, never the dog. It took over a year, but with positive reinforcement and the help of our trainer, we got her to tolerate one dog, a friend's senior golden, and though she would never tolerate any other dogs, she eventually calmed down on her walks and realized we would keep her safe. Though, we never went anywhere without treats in our pocket. We adapted her outings to this issue and she gave us six years of unconditional love and snuggles. I still miss her every day. </p><p>As anyone who has adopted knows, the first few days with a new pup is tiring, because it's an adjustment period for everyone. Puppies are a lot more work than older dogs, another reason to love the little seniors! When they're sick or have abandoment issues, it means a bit more care for the humans in the household, but they're extremely grateful when someone adopts them and totally worth it. This is our third senior rescue. Our second was a hospice situation, which was also rewarding because she wasn't alone in her final days.</p><p>Since we work from home, we're the perfect household for a senior that needs some extra care. Our new baby doesn't have any issues with other dogs, but her physical problems mean she can only do short walks. We have a stroller from our previous seniors and she loves it already. She also loves car rides, so that means we can take her just about anywhere with us. We live in a very dog-friendly city, which makes our lives easier too. </p><p>I took the week off from writing to focus on our new family addition and to help speed up the bonding process. Like babies, dogs take work on our part, some needing a little extra, but seniors are wonderful and have a lot of love to give, so happy holidays to us!</p><p>I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season and a safe new year.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-64049203374947405902022-10-11T08:54:00.007-07:002022-10-11T08:54:47.491-07:00Happy Halloween month!<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">October is our favorite month here in the desert because our high temperatures start to drop from the 100s </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">into the 80s. Plus, Halloween is my favorite holiday. We've got all the decorations up and ave been watching Halloween movies, like Hocus Pocus and HP2. We'll soon watch Buffy and Bewitched Halloween episodes. October also reminds me of some jobs I worked between Hollywood acting and dancing gigs back in the 1980's. Gigs aren't guaranteed to last for a long time, and getting the next one can sometimes take a while, so we often worked other jobs to pay the bills. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">S</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ome weren't very memorable or were downright awful, but two companies, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">American Greetings and Joseph Markovits,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> were my favorites, just behind my Waldenbooks (I met my husband there) and my library page days. I don't need a lot of management when working and prefer jobs that I can do alone or with very little interference from others. Probably why I became a writer.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Markovits was a huge artificial flower company, and AG, well you probably know they make cards, wrapping and decor items. Markovits is long gone but AG is still around and seems to be doing well. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back in the day, I was allowed to take some retired items from both companies, and I still have a few of them that we use to decorate our current home and for various holidays. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I took care of the flower arrangements at the Markovits showroom so corporate customers could see the products when they came to town. I was a merchandiser for AG, which meant traveling to various stores to refill cards and put up current displays. The Halloween stuff was my favorite, of course. Nostalgia is a strong mistress, especially as we get older and the world changes around us, and I'll always have fond memories of those two companies, especially around the holidays.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you're looking for Halloween reads, please check out my Desert Magick series with witches, ghosts, mediums and more at </span><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Desert%20Magick.html">http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Desert%20Magick.html</a></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Have a safe and fun Halloween!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsptC4-xxN_f-CrbketEZ7KLHCfFRq3FyCewl_JZ95IuN770LJ0UOy3pPrN6uE3nRkUBvCXvuzVEol23jQhvb4V6NX8N8leRc3d5v1IZ7FwSWznG4P9r7rKxIYIg1vx6ikBXgy-eW-goyyQ1dTALgs0Ar-YqsX7K53NvGHBcdhRGGAwZ10wC3BOj6/s1000/banner%20Desert%20Magick%20series%20new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1000" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsptC4-xxN_f-CrbketEZ7KLHCfFRq3FyCewl_JZ95IuN770LJ0UOy3pPrN6uE3nRkUBvCXvuzVEol23jQhvb4V6NX8N8leRc3d5v1IZ7FwSWznG4P9r7rKxIYIg1vx6ikBXgy-eW-goyyQ1dTALgs0Ar-YqsX7K53NvGHBcdhRGGAwZ10wC3BOj6/w541-h217/banner%20Desert%20Magick%20series%20new.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-30815114501017910202022-08-23T11:44:00.001-07:002022-08-23T11:44:23.653-07:00New low price on my teen adventures!<p>With most of the home repairs done, I can now concentrate on finishing my next novel. I have 2 wonderful writers groups that I'm a member of now, as well as a new critique group. Writing is a solitary job so having other writers to chat with and offer support and friendship is a wonderful outlet, even for those of us who are introverts. Or maybe especially for us introverts.</p><p>In the meantime, my teen novels now have new low prices, so if you or anyone you know enjoys books for the tween/teen set, be sure to check out this web page <a href="http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Teen%20Adventures.html">http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Teen%20Adventures.html</a></p><p>The new pricing includes my teen sci-fi adventure, Quest for Freedom</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHj_ap8h4HO1jQVHdpuXsG1OQrfxBnPNWFCE3IJpLBAjnYEnsAbiCW_5TE3Xp-cWSF4kNtJ0hU7Fc_24xNhCrXH1ZBXq2K7sCSEwFIMawoQAUcS3yt6lOtBd0qFDjcnITotFs3l2T1sQsM3xUVtFAKXMKssYFVZb1Z55l9shv39i0TbvtfpbSFSur/s1080/BookBrushImage%20Quest%20ad%20with%20qr%20code.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHj_ap8h4HO1jQVHdpuXsG1OQrfxBnPNWFCE3IJpLBAjnYEnsAbiCW_5TE3Xp-cWSF4kNtJ0hU7Fc_24xNhCrXH1ZBXq2K7sCSEwFIMawoQAUcS3yt6lOtBd0qFDjcnITotFs3l2T1sQsM3xUVtFAKXMKssYFVZb1Z55l9shv39i0TbvtfpbSFSur/s320/BookBrushImage%20Quest%20ad%20with%20qr%20code.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoy and happy reading!</div><br /><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-90931205442583553252022-07-10T10:24:00.000-07:002022-07-10T10:24:00.823-07:00Dog days of summer<p>We recently adopted a hospice dog and spent her final days comforting her and letting her know that she is loved. That was hard on us to say goodbye, but we're so glad we could do that for her. I highly recommend it if you have the time and money to care for a fur baby in need.</p><p>I'm back to writing on a regular schedule this week, and we're down to one repair left on our home for this year. Next year, we plan to put in a pool or a swim spa, which will allow us to enjoy the summer heat and stay cool outside. We're both looking forward to that! Hard to believe we've been in this house almost a year now.</p><p>This is the really hot time of year in Arizona so we've been walking early in the mornings before the triple digit temps start, riding our stationary bike, and playing Wii sports. I also take an in-person dance class, which is a great way to stay cool and get exercise, in addition to online classes and Zoom writers meetings. We do a lot of cooking together and play Scrabble while we watch our beloved Dodgers play on TV. We're both homebodies and it's nice having a somewhat normal life again. </p><p>Enjoy your summer and I hope everyone is staying safe and hydrated. </p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-11350371184581223562022-05-29T10:30:00.003-07:002022-05-29T10:30:50.739-07:00Moving, traveling and writing, oh my!<p>What a whirlwind we've been living in the past 7 months! We moved from Oregon back to Arizona to be closer to our SoCal family and other relatives in this area of the country. We've been doing repairs to our forever home since we moved in, which has been an experience with all the delays in getting materials. We still have a couple of items to tend to but we took a break a couple of weeks ago and went on a trip to visit relatives for the first time since before the pandemic hit. Travel is always stressful for me with Meniere's Disease and flying after several years of no travel was an added stress, but everything went smoothly and we got back a week ago, then entertained guests for a week here. I didn't have a vertigo attack, which I'm so grateful for! It's the little things, right?</p><p>We're staying low-key this holiday weekend and I will be getting back to my regular writing schedule on Tuesday, which I'm stoked about. Since moving, I've joined some writing groups that survived covid, as well as signed up for in-person dance and exercise classes. Things are still crazy in this world but getting back to something that feels normal helps a lot right now. I have two books coming out over the next couple of years so I will be very busy writing, editing, and workshopping those, and I really cherish being around other creatives. In fact, I feed on that creative energy, even though I'm an introvert. I'll post updates on the new books as they get closer to publication.</p><p>I hope everyone is staying safe and sane. Be excellent to each other!</p><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-87804726950204560212022-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:002022-04-05T15:08:01.333-07:00It's my birthday month!<p>Just in time for my birthday month - my award-winning novel, Superstitions, has a new low ebook price! So much has happened in the world the past couple of years that it's nice to have the company of books, isn't it? I don't know about you, but books saved my and my husband's sanity during these trying times. We're both avid readers. In fact, we met and started dating while working in Waldenbooks back in the day. For those of you not old enough to remember, Waldenbooks was a popular mall bookstore. There was no internet back then so paperbacks were our favorite go-to reads and we had a LOT of books when we finally got our first place together. We still read paperbacks and have them on our bookshelves, but we tend to read more ebooks these days. I love having multitudes of worlds on one device and my Kindle Paperwhite is my best friend. Besides hubby, of course. </p><p><br /></p><p> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077ZM16DM/">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077ZM16DM/</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZvkkqes_tT1L-iDgY5UnpsYe8aYfaJVp2kx_3bJsB9CqZ058Oy-jV3bbCpnTdc57_QygLMK6-fzjj6oUejF7k93ZB-9hiTSuI8LK27bmB-ADk566dNKVAD4GORJ_vMLdNgraG6pCuSsngJc5DgNSz5epkjr0sJkt97zH1xFcgwynpQbDL53SizsJ/s300/BookBub%20ad%20Superstitions%20low%20price.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="300" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZvkkqes_tT1L-iDgY5UnpsYe8aYfaJVp2kx_3bJsB9CqZ058Oy-jV3bbCpnTdc57_QygLMK6-fzjj6oUejF7k93ZB-9hiTSuI8LK27bmB-ADk566dNKVAD4GORJ_vMLdNgraG6pCuSsngJc5DgNSz5epkjr0sJkt97zH1xFcgwynpQbDL53SizsJ/s1600/BookBub%20ad%20Superstitions%20low%20price.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-86244628176772092402022-03-10T11:23:00.005-07:002022-03-10T11:23:56.552-07:00Happy St Paddy's month!I just realized I haven't posted in 2 months. We're still doing much-needed repairs on our new home and trying to get them all finished before summer so we can get back to a normal life again. With all the crazy stuff going on in the world, normal is something we crave. I'm still plugging away at the next 2 novels, which is always a challenge with the house stuff going on.<div><br /></div><div>That said, it's March, which means spring will be showing off very soon and flowers are already starting to bloom around us. Plus, as a descendant of Irish immigrants, and here are a lot of us, the wearing o' the green is always a fun day! We make a fun veg version of a traditional Irish dish or dessert on St Paddy's Day. And the entire month, I focus my genealogy research on my Irish ancestors, as well as my Scottish lines, since the two intermingled quite a bit in the past. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a young child, my great-grandmother convinced me that a leprechaun lived in the bushes outside her house and I would spend hours looking for the little guy. I think the adults just wanted time to themselves but I loved exploring the bushes, flowers and trees on her property. She had fruit and nut trees that I could climb and I would pretend I was in a forest and make up stories in my head. A precursor to my eventual writing career, I suppose. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stay safe! Happy March and Happy St Paddy's Day!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.danadaviswriting.com/">http://www.danadaviswriting.com/</a></div>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-80485737723370756722022-01-04T17:38:00.000-07:002022-01-04T17:38:04.383-07:00Happy New Year! <p>Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe celebration. We stayed in and ate popcorn, watched a movie, and played games. We are all settled in the new home now and are very happy to have warmer winters again. We're looking forward to the time when it's safe to travel abroad again. We read, stream movies, play games, and have a dedicated workout room to help us ride out these crazy times, but our last vacation was 10 years ago to The Netherlands, so we are more than ready to go someplace.</p><p>I'm plugging away at my next 2 novels and we've been doing much-needed repairs to our new home. This house is over 20 years old and we bought it in original condition so it needs some work. We love having nature trails outside our door, which helps us stay sane. Nature is the best soother, especially during stressful times, so I highly recommend getting out in nature or even a nearby park.</p><p>Living in historic times is never easy but we'll get through this eventually. Stay safe out there!</p><p><a href="http://www.danadaviswriting.com/">http://www.danadaviswriting.com/</a></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-11943041159695699192021-11-04T13:28:00.005-07:002021-11-04T13:28:50.041-07:00A Crazy Summer and Fall!<p>This has been one crazy year for us. Over the summer, we made a big decision to sell our Oregon home and move to Arizona, so that's what we've been working on the past 4 months. The perfect AZ house came on the market just as we started looking and we were lucky enough to get it. We made the big move last month and are finally settling into our new desert home. The Oregon coast is beautiful but way too cold and isolating for this Southern California couple. We're happy to be back to warmer winters and a short flight to our SoCal hometown. </p><p>My writing has been interrupted many times the past few years with family obligations and big life changes, and I'm anxious to get back to a regular writing schedule again. I have 2 novels scheduled for release by 2023 with more to follow so I will be busy in the months ahead. I hope everyone had a nice Halloween. Stay safe!</p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-50029748005400574092021-07-24T15:19:00.000-07:002021-07-24T15:19:02.115-07:00I'm still here, just busy!<p>I haven't posted anything in a while but I'm still hanging in there. Now that the weather is nice, we've been finishing up some outdoor renovations and landscaping and taking full advantage of the sunshine. I'm writing 2 new novels so that's also keeping me very busy. Not sure about publication dates, yet. </p><p>In the meantime, several of my currently published books have hit Amazon's various best seller lists. All of the books are available for purchase through Amazon and are free for KU members. </p><p>Enjoy and stay safe this summer!</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dana-Davis/e/B0033HDLVC/">https://www.amazon.com/Dana-Davis/e/B0033HDLVC/</a></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-51405506822842443752021-05-18T11:28:00.001-07:002021-05-18T11:28:11.299-07:00Latest interview is up!<p>Copyright Alliance interviewed me back in 2016 and I was invited for another interview this month. If you're interested in reading it, along with interviews from other writer and artists, here's the link:</p><p><a href="https://copyrightalliance.org/creator-retrospective-part-one/">https://copyrightalliance.org/creator-retrospective-part-one/</a></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-7872669444992343822021-04-07T14:34:00.000-07:002021-04-07T14:34:13.086-07:00It's my birthday month and I'm giving away a free Kindle book!<p>Starts tomorrow! </p><p><span class="py34i1dx" style="background-color: #242526; color: var(--blue-link); font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="b2c8h-1-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span class="py34i1dx" style="background-color: #242526;"><span data-offset-key="b2c8h-1-0"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: var(--blue-link); font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVg0wFpRaGgqlFhghf8wHvC-DrA0Vc_W5orEE-9F76h530lFSCz-1p-w4-NL1OtwrcBS20ouF58FNW8-1ex3nUDmfqpbILh0W92i3Ueomt83kd7eZXSjolKXdIy98N7m7eiwTRBdvuBVE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVg0wFpRaGgqlFhghf8wHvC-DrA0Vc_W5orEE-9F76h530lFSCz-1p-w4-NL1OtwrcBS20ouF58FNW8-1ex3nUDmfqpbILh0W92i3Ueomt83kd7eZXSjolKXdIy98N7m7eiwTRBdvuBVE/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F3JFQ2N">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F3JFQ2N</a><p></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-37793877781832708752021-01-01T15:51:00.001-07:002021-01-01T15:51:10.268-07:00Happy New Year and a free book!<p><span data-offset-key="1tnqt-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141d26; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true">Happy New Year! 2020 is finally over! I'm celebrating with a free Kindle book to all my readers near and far. </span></span></p><p><span data-offset-key="1tnqt-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #141d26; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true">Special offer starts tomorrow! </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #512892; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="1tnqt-1-0"><span data-text="true">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BO9857U</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #512892; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="1tnqt-1-0"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkRouCznr62u5ad0SakSHbSPmQetrHecHovn1ajXZgKZcdl1JUDD-2a_l-OUqST645VCWKj7WkuFNb2Fn84maasFx1qnYlvN_qRj2FTd4qjX0Pd3mUwdavZZASQr-e0nMALQnLpDispo/s1080/Quest+new+year+free+promo+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkRouCznr62u5ad0SakSHbSPmQetrHecHovn1ajXZgKZcdl1JUDD-2a_l-OUqST645VCWKj7WkuFNb2Fn84maasFx1qnYlvN_qRj2FTd4qjX0Pd3mUwdavZZASQr-e0nMALQnLpDispo/s320/Quest+new+year+free+promo+ad.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span data-text="true"><br /></span><p></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-17163101293390191472020-12-13T17:39:00.004-07:002020-12-13T17:39:51.348-07:002020 is almost over!<p>It's been a couple of months since my last post and I hope everyone has been staying safe and sane. What a crazy year it's been! Living in historical times is never easy.</p><p>I thank all of you essential workers for putting yourselves at risk to keep the rest of us alive. To those who have lost family and friends to the plague (sadly, I personally know a few who fall into this category), my heartfelt condolences. 2020 has traumatized our entire world on one level or another and keeping each other safe is so important right now. </p><p>I just want to wish everyone a safe and sane holiday as we move toward the new year. And may 2021 bring successful vaccines and an end to the suffering. Stay safe!</p><p><br /></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537127076075328.post-34652921582310751022020-10-30T11:48:00.000-07:002020-10-30T11:48:02.139-07:00Free Kindle book through Halloween!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wwp_teaMsRjyXCgxcTgNjjTHiKSHVWJWdUTJuGZlOtlPZrydA0h7-D8meusbPmJcJDytUhiVDpF3SH7SU41YyMEuLbG2_b4hfeWan8v5_cKzOP8W2JBg11-qQ1imyJAYHP74nsiJhLc/s1080/Desert+Magick+Halloween+free+promo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wwp_teaMsRjyXCgxcTgNjjTHiKSHVWJWdUTJuGZlOtlPZrydA0h7-D8meusbPmJcJDytUhiVDpF3SH7SU41YyMEuLbG2_b4hfeWan8v5_cKzOP8W2JBg11-qQ1imyJAYHP74nsiJhLc/s320/Desert+Magick+Halloween+free+promo.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Free through Halloween! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077ZM16DM">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077ZM16DM</a><p></p>Dana's Blah Blah Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097791597413958886noreply@blogger.com0