A Gulf Shores Christmas & More

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. We went with a friend and her son to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a couple of days for Christmas. It wasn't hot, but pleasant enough in the 60s. It was not crowded at all and it was an enjoyable time. We ate good food, spent some quality time together, and got to be away for just a bit.

However, for me on a personal level, being at the beach is healing and refreshing to my spirit. I hope that I am not sounding selfish or anything, but if we ever have the financial resources, I would love to have a beach house. It doesn't have to be big or fancy, but somewhere that I can see and hear the waves from a deck and can walk to the sand from the house. I don't know if I would even want to rent it out because I would just want it to be our own place that we can go to when we feel like it and wouldn't have to worry about other people touching our stuff, having to pay for cleaning services all the time, etc. And in that sense, we could make it truly "ours" with stuff we like and care about, comfortable furniture, nice artwork and decorations because no one else would be messing with it. I don't really care where the beach house is, but preferably a warmer climate location and not at risk of being gone in the nex ten years because of climate change. Oh, to have a beach house to go to whenever we feel like it!

What else? Did I ever mention to everyone that I finally finished watching White Collar? Anyway, if not, I did and I like that show a lot! When the reboot comes out, I guess I will have to find a way to watch it because I want to see Neal (Matt Bomer) and Peter (Tim DeKay) reunited. Currently, I have started watched The Guilded Age and it is fascinating to me to see how the ultra rich lived in New York City in the 1880s. Obviously, it was a bit excessive and the show does a good job of showing other aspects of society even though it is mainly focused on the uber wealthy like the Russell family. The character Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) is the most intriguing to me because she is this woman who I want to hate, but at the same time can't make myself hate her because deep down I feel like she's a good woman (even though I am only in season 1). I also love the character Agnes van Rhijin, who represents the "old money" of New York City at the time, played by Chrsitine Baranski, which is in direct opposition of Bertha Russell in her family, the "new money." The show also has had some unexpected but very interesting plot moves that I have enjoyed. So there you have it, when I do have time to watch TV (which is not that much), The Guilded Age has became my newest interest.

I managed to read two novels this month: I Think We've Been Here Before by Suzy Krause (which I believe I discussed in my last post) and What the Light Touches by Xavier Bosch. I enjoyed What the Light Touches, which was the story of Barbara living in 2008 who meets Roger and discovers something about her grandmother's life during WWII and then her story in 1940s Paris under Nazi occupation. In some ways, I have to say it was more enjoyable than I expected and would recommend anyone to read it who is interested in historical fiction especially around WWII. I also liked the characters and how there was a certain level of mild suspense that made you keep reading till the end.

The Zumba Class sales since I released the paperback have started out modestly but at a steady pace. I also have one 5-star review, which is cool, but have no idea who gave it to me. I am ever hopeful that my novel can find the audience of just one person or a few people who have some sort of influence who read and enjoy it, write a great review, and recommend it to others. I only need one person to discover my novel for it to make a big difference!