Quarantine Writing
Like many of you, dear readers, I love to read. I enjoy all forms of said entertainment, whether it be book, short story, novella, magazine/news article, the occasional medical journal/study, and even those too few pithy social media posts that leave you with a grin on your lovely face.
Right now, in my new mama mode, reading books feels like a bit of a pastime. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got the books. They’re beginning to pile up quite idyllically (and with that seemingly industrious look) on my night stand. I’ve started several books on my Kindle. I’m progressing through those a little more quickly than the physical books, but truth be told, between holding a handful of baby (who’s now in the wondrously curious grabby, supersonic crawling stage of ten months old that requires constant attention), making sure said baby is feeding enough (whether it’s the precious mama/baby time together or the ever increasing adventure of trying new foods for himself), keeping the house in order (which frankly amounts to crossing basic necessary chores off the list daily, making my bed because it makes mama feel like she’s somewhat productive, and turning the dryer on for the fourth time in a row on the same load because I just don’t have time to fold that right now…), making sure all the seven fur babies have their various (and sometimes demanding) needs met in the way of food and pets, and cooking/keeping healthy meals on the family table, reading has taken a back burner. So has writing. And a great many of the other things that I would once upon a time have done to fritter away the day.
I’m not venting or upset about this development as the pros of my current norm definitely outweigh the cons. I’m just giving you an update as to why it’s been quiet at Whiskers on Kittens. We’re just getting used to our new normal here.
That being said, while I’ve been juggling all the new things of motherhood and trying to figure out where my personal writing journey finds itself in all that newness, there have been authors who’ve been able to use their time in a far more industrious way literarily speaking.
Today, as I’ve stashed away a few minutes to jot this down, I’m sharing a few of my favorites with you.
I’ve written about Beatriz Williams books from the inception of Whiskers on Kittens. Her book A Hundred Summers was the first giveaway here on the blog, and as fate would have it, her book Her Last Flight was the last book given away on the blog. Suffice it to say, Beatriz Williams is one of my favorites.
After I won an ARC of Her Last Flight and gobbled it down swiftly given how difficult it’s been for me to set aside reading time, I found myself wanting more of Williams. (This is not unusual for me when it comes to her work.) I wanted something new. Something that I didn’t already have sitting on my bookshelf (which is pretty much everything she’s published, aside from her romance novels under Julianna Gray which I couldn’t get from the library because… quarantine).
But thankfully, during the imposed lockdowns, Beatriz Williams has been making hay while the sun shone (as the saying goes). While contending with all the new and trying things that comes with an universal quarantine such as the ordinary day to day things that have changed from homeschooling to living on top of each other, Beatriz Williams has also managed to juggle the release of her newest novel, a virtual book tour, writing her current upcoming offerings whether for a new stand alone or Team W, AND, most excitingly, a new blog series that is absolutely diverting.
Offered in episodes, Beatriz Williams has published a vignette on her website called The Library Passage. Given the short story I published here on my blog, Through a Bookcase Darkly, dealing with a secret passage discovered in a library in a mansion in Scotland (phhh… that was a mouthful), I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a passage found in a library. And, dear reader, this literary foray did precisely what Beatriz Williams hoped it would:
“This is hardly vital service, but it’s what I do, it’s what I have to give you, and so I thought I might try to just write something new, right here on my website, for you to read when you need a diversion from this mad alternative universe in which we’ve found ourselves.”
So, if you’re looking for a something to take you out of the surreal reality we find ourselves in, this might just be the thing for you. Brew yourself a nice pot of coffee or tea, slice yourself a piece of pumpkin bread or a crunchy biscotti, and have a yourself a comfy seat. The Library Passage is waiting for you and it will leave you thoroughly entertained.
If you’re looking for other books and short stories written by Beatriz Williams or under her pseudonym Julianna Grey, check out the links below for my suggestions:
Another author whose work has been featured here on Whiskers on Kittens is Lauren Willig. If you’re unfamiliar with her books, I encourage you to check her out. You can start with any one of her stand alones. Or there is her fabulous Pink Carnation series.
If a book series housed under the title Pink Carnation sounds froufrou to you, have no fear. While there is the odd flouncy of frippery and farce, these novels are well constructed, well written, and well loved by a plethora of intelligent minded people. So, while you may find yourself laughing aloud at parts, you’ll also have those spine tingling moments when you grip the book in anticipation, as well as those times when you just find yourself smiling at the beauty of a woman who knows how to place a literary allusion with aplomb.
That being said, Lauren Willig concluded her Pink Carnation series in 2015. For me, it was a bittersweet affair. However, I always held out hope that Willig would revisit it. And while I cannot speak to any specifics when it comes to a new Pink book on the horizon, she has whetted our appetites by posting an all too brief vignette on her website aptly titled Pandemic Pink (go ahead and swoon at her brilliant alliteration).
Pandemic Pink finds the Pink Carnation series’ modern heroine Eloise contending with all the trials of the COVID pandemic that a great many of us are familiar with. I must say, hanging with Eloise again, reading her clear voice, encountering her natural humor again has made me want to reread the entire series once more, for old time’s sake. (As if my TBR pile wasn’t already brimming…)
If you’re not familiar with Lauren Willig, please explore the links below to read about her Pink series as well as her stand alones. And, if you’re just wanting to kill some time, I encourage you to check out her Facebook page as well as her website. She’s got fantastic book recommendations and diverting fun activities, too.
Dean Koontz’s Facebook and Instagram Pages
Now, about those pithy social media posts that you look forward to. One author who has quite hilarious content that is well written and, at times, thought provoking, is Dean Koontz. I’m a huge Koontz fan. While I appreciate his complex and thrilling plot lines, I find the longer I read his works, that I value his actual writing more and more. He is superb at his craft. An absolute master. And because he’s a master, he’s worthy of study.
Just a little taste of some of the fun things on his page. This one answered the question for me as to why cats are so obviously absent from his writings. It would appear, it’s with good reason.
I love to read his descriptions as he correlates the most beautiful comparisons to create the mood and atmosphere. He is brilliant with allusions. And when it comes to expressing the truths he holds dear, no one writes as tenderly and precisely as he does.
As his novels always deal with weighty matters, it might be easy to assume that Mr. Koontz has a sober and serious disposition. However, from his Instagram and Facebook posts- which are never too lengthy- you can see that he possesses a truly witty nature, too. In fact, sometimes he downright hilarious.
So, if you’re just needing a momentary diversion, a few snatched seconds while you lock yourself in the bathroom away from the kiddos or find a darkened closet to call your own for that much needed alone time, put up his IG feed or Facebook page and give yourself a morsel of a treat.
As I’ve written about him several time throughout the course of this blogging journey, check out the link below to learn more about my favorite reads by Koontz.
Now, dear readers, what morsels have you encountered during this quarantine journey? Please share in the comments below or pop over to my Instagram or Facebook page and leave me a note. I love suggestions.
