Time Has Whooshed By! by Paty Jager

It's a sad but happy goodbye to the other authors on this blog and to the readers. I've been a Genreista since Sarah and Judith started the blog. It has been a fast 14 years! 

This has been a place where I introduced myself and many of my writing friends to you. I also shared my books and my change of genres as I wrote

I believe I've talked about all 60 of my books at some point during the journey of posting on this blog every month, and sometimes twice a month on certain topics.

I started as a member of this blog when I became an Indie Author. At the time, I had 10 books at a small press and was nudged by many of my fellow writers to go Indie. The main reasons I picked to go Indie were to be able to say what was on my covers and to be able to put books out faster than one a year. I can write 3-4 books in a year, and I wanted them to come out in a more timely manner than a publishing company can do. 

When I started here, I was writing and publishing Western Romance. Then I wrote an Action Adventure/ Romantic Suspense trilogy, and I decided that I was ready to write the genre I truly wanted to write and had tried to write when I wrote my first novel- a murder mystery. 

After 32 books and 7 novellas in the western romance genre, I switched to murder mystery and now have 36 murder mystery books published. 

Coming out in June will be book 7, Crapshoot, in the Spotted Pony Casino Mystery series. This book has a cool cover thanks to my cover designer. 

Here's the working blub: 

A Fentanyl death.
A missing woman.

Dela Alvaro, head of the Spotted Pony Casino security, and Heath Seaver, a Umatilla Tribal Detective, join forces with the FBI to find Dela’s missing basket-weaving instructor and put a stop to a lethal drug flowing onto the reservation.

The investigation turns deadly when an undercover FBI agent goes missing and the drug cartel’s girlfriend is out for Dela’s blood.

Then in July, I'll have book 1 of my new cozy mystery series releasing at my Christmas in July event on my Facebook page. I'll be giving out gifts and talking with everyone about the interesting sidekicks my main character Andi Clark will work with. The series is titled Cuddle Farm Mysteries. 
Book one is Merry Merry Merry Murder. Think of the Christmas song Carol of the Bells and the title will be playing in your head all day long! LOL Here is the blurb for that book.

In the close-knit town of Auburn, Oregon, Andi Clark’s therapy animals bring comfort to the community, especially during the holiday season. When a young girl seeks solace from Athena, Andi's therapy dog, after witnessing an unsettling scene behind the sleigh, it marks the beginning of a much darker holiday.

As the town gathers for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, a scream shatters the festive atmosphere. Cocoa, Andi’s loyal Border Collie, pulls her toward a chilling sight: a woman standing over the lifeless body of the girl's mother, strangled with Christmas lights.

Determined to help the grieving girl and her town recover from the shock, Andi, her therapy animals, and her niece, a county deputy, take it upon themselves to investigate. As they uncover secrets and untangle clues, they stay one step ahead of the new sheriff and worry that the killer lurking in their midst could be someone they know.

If you want to stay up to date on what I'm doing, you can find my twice-a-month posts on my blog; Writing Into the Sunset, or once-a-month posts on my Mystery blog; Ladies of Mystery. This blog has 9 other Mystery authors who also blog monthly and we have Mystery/Suspense/Thriller guest bloggers 2-3 times a month. 

Another way to discover what I'm up to is to get my monthly newsletter. It not only tells you what I'm writing and where you can find me, I give away a mug a month. https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Or pop by my website and see what I have to offer in print, ebooks, and audio. You can also purchase all of those directly from my website. https://www.patyjager.net

Thank you, Judith and Sarah for a wonderful time on Romancing the Genres. 

In the comments, tell me which of the new covers you like best and your name will go in the drawing for your choice of one of my books. 

Happy Reading! 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of murder mystery, western romance, and action-adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes in eastern Oregon, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Authors I Can Count On by Paty Jager

Most of the authors on this blog this month are writing about the authors they go to when they are looking for a good read. 

Over the years, I've come across many authors that when I see a book by them, I purchase it. I don't always get it read due to time constraints, but I have enjoyed other books by them. By purchasing one, I feel like I'm at least saying, "Keep writing." 

Back in the days of small children and until they were teens, I had four Nora Roberts books I read several times. The MacGregor Christmas and several of the other books in that series, and her Born In series: Born in Ice, Born in Fire, Born in Shame.  For whatever reason, those books drew me to them over and over again during that time. 

Before that anything by Agatha Christie and Dick Francis. I read every book by those authors that my local library had. Then I started the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton. Those books and watching a talk show about a woman who wrote a book about how to be your own private investigator started me writing mystery books. Only to ditch them when I could find no constructive help in writing them. 

I loved LaVyrle Spencer's historical romance books. I read several of those more than one time. For a while, I enjoyed the Stephanie Plum Mysteries by Janet Evanovich.

I like books with a hint of humor, that show me another time or culture and that keep me turning the pages. Lately, I've discovered that in Sujata Massey's series A Mystery of 1920s India. I purchase each one of her books when they are available. Another series that I've been collecting and reading is by Alexia Gordon. She writes the Gethsemane Brown Mysteries set at a school in Ireland. 

Currently, I am reading two mystery books by Native American authors and while they are intense, I am enjoying them. One is Never Name the Dead, written by D.M. Rowell. I met her at the Left Coast Crime conference I attended last month. The other book is Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie R. Rendon. This book is a page-turner, but I've needed breaks from it. The emotion and the atrocities in the book make me need to give it some space. It is heartbreaking to think there are people in this country who fear stepping outside their homes. 

Reading for me has always been about being entertained and learning something. That can be about a culture, a setting, a profession, a struggle. I'm all about learning and expanding my horizons. 

What are some of your favorite books and why?  

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 61 novels, 11 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. This is what Books a Plenty Book Reviews has to say about the Gabriel Hawke series: "The blend of nature tracking, clues, and the animals makes for a fascinating mystery that is hard to put down." 

Website https:www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Sunshine and Music Speak to Me by Paty Jager

Sunshine has always been my pick me up. I love the brightness. The light that grows plants, makes you warm, and gives you a feeling of life. 

Flowers grown this summer

Where I grew up the winters are long. Not as long as in Alaska but the cold and snow can come as early as November and not fully leave until May. Growing up I couldn't wait for May and finding the first buttercup. When that happened it was a pretty good chance the sunlight and warmth was there to stay through the summer.  

Buttercup

I wake with the sun. If it's not until 7 am in the winter, that's when I get up. If it rises at 5 am in the summer, that's when I'm up. I love the brightness, the cheerfulness of the golden rays that warm the earth. 

If it is a cloudy or overcast day, I turn on all the lights in the house. I like bright even if it's artificial. My husband would have all the lights off in the house when he watched television. I turn the lights on. I don't like sitting in the dark. It's dreary. Life is too short to be dreary. 

The other thing I do to cheer myself up is turn on music. I love cleaning the house while dancing to 80s pop and any other upbeat music. It's even better when I know the song and can sing along. Up-tempo music is the best way to put me in a good mood. Especially if the sun isn't shining. 

Music can set the tone for my day. Some days I listen to Cher. Some days Abba. Other days it's the Pentatonix. I also listen to Kenny G and various other artists who are popular now. I like any music that has a beat or that is soothing. I don't care for Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, or Hip-hop. Those just make my jaw clench and my head hurt. 

The other music I love is birds chirping or singing as well as the low of cattle and the nicker of a horse. Even the howling of coyotes after dark can make me smile. I don't want to be near them but their calls and songs are part of what makes them who they are. 

Nature sounds are better than music. The gurgling of a stream, the roar of a waterfall, the patter of rain, and the mesmerizing lull of the ocean waves rolling toward the land--all are soothing to me. 

White River Falls

Have you stood in a forest and listened? The leaves rattle. The tree limbs and trunks creak and scrape. The bushes scratch together and rustle. The thump and rustle of animals walking through grass and brush. The animal calls, the rocks sliding. The music of nature is pleasant and mysterious. 

So hearing how I love sunshine and music, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you that I love the outdoors. As soon as the weather grows warmer and the ground dries up enough I don't slip on mud or slide on ice, I am out walking every day. Enjoying the sunshine and nature's music. 

You can purchase my audiobook Stolen Butterfly, book 7 in the Gabriel Hawke Novels for $2.99 for a limited time. 

You can find links to my website, Kobo, and Chirp here: https://indieaudiobookdeals.com/

Missing or Murdered

When the local authorities tell State Trooper Gabriel Hawke’s mother to wait 72 hours before reporting a missing Umatilla woman, she calls her son and rallies members of the community to search.

Hawke arrives at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation and learns the single mother of a boy his mom watches would never leave her son. Angered over how the local officials respond to his investigation, Hawke teams up with a security guard at the Indian casino and an FBI agent. Following the leads, they discover the woman was targeted by a human trafficking ring at the Spotted Pony Casino.

   

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 60 novels, 11 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Author’s Guild, Alliance of Independent Authors, and NIWA.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Facebook – Author Paty Jager

An Angel gave wings to my writing by Paty Jager

The first RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference I went to was only two months after I'd signed up to be an RWA member. I'd received the magazine in the mail and saw there would be a conference with writing classes in Seattle WA. I showed it to my hubby and said, I wanted to go. He told me if I could come up with the money, he was fine with me going. 

I saved up the money and registered. 

I had only been to one other writers' conference and it had been in New York and put on by Highlights for Children for writers of children's books. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the other writers and made friends with author Dayton O. Hyde, but I also learned I wasn't cut out to write children's books. 

I went into the hotel with determination even as I slowly moved closer and closer to the walls as the crowd grew larger. I finally found the line to check in and fumbled through that process. As I returned to the wall to check out the things I received and figure out what my next step was, a woman walked over to me with a big smile on her face. She introduced herself as Janet and said she was there with some friends from the Spokane chapter. "Was this my first time?' 

Nodding, I said, "It was and I wasn't sure where to start. But I was one of the finalists for the contest."

Janet said, "Stick with us and we'll take you around." 

And that's what she did. That whole weekend, she sent me to the workshops I needed, came to my room and read my contest entry, and told me it was good. She made my first conference comfortable for me and I went back to that same conference every other year for many years. 

The last time I talked to Janet, she wasn't writing anymore. But she was pleased I had become published.

I'm proud to say that I now have my 60th novel published! 

Wolverine Instincts is #13 in the Gabriel Hawke Novels.

In the heart of the wilderness, the hunter becomes the hunted.

Gunshots shatter the quiet of Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, drawing Oregon State Trooper Gabriel Hawke into action. Following the sound, he stumbles upon a shredded cage, the sharp musk of a wolverine, and a dead hiker.

Tracking footprints through the rugged terrain, Hawke uncovers a second victim. It’s clear—he’s hunting a killer who’s hunting humans.

With Dog by his side, Hawke’s search leads to two brothers, one gravely injured. Enlisting the help of pilot Dani Singer, he gets the injured man to safety before returning to the wilderness.

Teaming up with a reclusive, disabled veteran who knows the Eagle Cap as well as he does, Hawke pieces together the killer’s twisted game. They suspect a poacher—one as ruthless and elusive as the wolverine he’s still chasing.

In a deadly wilderness where survival is the only rule, Hawke must outsmart a predator who knows no bounds.

Universal buy link: https://books2read.com/u/m2yARG

Direct buy link on author's website: https://www.patyjager.net/product/wolverine-instincts-ebook/

If Janet hadn't taken me under her wing, helping me navigate that first conference, and giving me confidence, I may not have hung in there and even published one book. But because of her kindness and push, I am a published writer and I reach out to new writers to help them understand publishing, writing, and what it entails to be an author. 

Thank you, Janet! 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 60 novels, 11 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Author’s Guild, Alliance of Independent Authors, and NIWA.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Facebook – Author Paty Jager

Relax and Unwind by Paty Jager

It's the beginning of a new year. I always find it invigorating to know I have another year to entertain myself and my readers. I've lived 12 years longer than my mom did so I tend to celebrate each year, month, day, and hour I have on this earth. 

One of my favorite places to go to relax, unwind, and yes, write, is the Oregon Coast. The sound of the waves, the smell, and walking on the beach all rejuvenate and relax me. I usually go twice a year for a week at the coast to work on projects, enjoy friends, and walk the beach. 

My hubby isn't a beach person. He'll go and stay with me for a night or two but then he's had enough. but he know that I enjoy it so he tells me to take a week and enjoy myself. He knows that writing and the beach are two of my favorite things. 

It doesn't matter to me what the weather is like. I enjoy a stroll on a sunny day as much as I do on a windy or rainy day. The waves sound different, they burst into the air or roll in lazily. It doesn't matter to me, I find the different sounds and swells interesting. 

While I only do that twice a year, I use walks on the ridges and hills on our property for my relax and unwind time. I like being in nature, taking photos, and enjoying the fresh air, blue skies, and plants. 

I usually walk every day after I feed my horse and the two shop cats. But if the ground is slippery with snow, ice, or just greasy from too much rain, I don't walk. I took a couple of falls last winter and don't want to do that again. I usually get up unscathed but it jars my head and that shakes up the crystal in my head and I feel yucky for a couple of days until the crystal settles. 

The walks are good for my soul as well as my health. Most days I walk two to four miles depending on the route I take. some days it's mostly flat and some days it's a lot of uphill climbing. My little dog likes to go with me, and has learned how to navigate around the sagebrush with her leash. 

I have to keep her on a leash so she doesn't get too far away. We have large birds of prey that might think she's a rabbit and coyotes who could snatch her up. 

Walking, being in nature, and breathing in the scents of the area are my favorite things to do to relax and unwind. 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 50+ novels, 11 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Whew! Where did the year go! by Paty Jager

I can't believe it's December already! I'm on the last few chapters of my latest book with the hope of having it ready to release by the end of January or early February at the rate things have been going lately.

I like December, the last month of the year. Usually, it is a clean-up month. Clean up all the things that I didn't get to the rest of the year. This year is no different. Finishing up Wolverine Instincts, finishing getting my website set up to do direct sales, doing a final push of promoting my audiobooks, and just enjoying family and life. 

Wolverine Instincts is book 13 in my Gabriel Hawke novels. It is set in 
August in the Wallowa Mountains of NE Oregon. It has been many years since I trekked in those mountains. I tend to use maps, Google Earth, and hiking books to help me make sense of where my character goes and what he sees. These last few chapters will tie up the mystery and hopefully find peace for a secondary character that I didn't know about before I started the book. It's the tiny little surprises like this secondary character that I can now see having a future with another secondary character that makes me wonder how my mind came up with him and this happy ending. 

Usually, a murder mystery happy ending is the villain or bad person getting their comeuppance. That happens in this book but there is an added feel-good moment to the end. 

I'm the most excited about the coming year because I will have my website set up so that readers and listeners can purchase my ebooks, print books, and audiobooks from my website. This is a big deal for readers and listeners to stay connected to me and my books. I like that I can give extra freebies to the people who purchase through my site and I can make special deals without having to change the prices all over the internet. I can't wait to start this newest endeavor. 

I have all of my mystery books in audio. I've been working hard all year to get a foothold on sales to people who like audiobooks. Who knew that I would have to connect with people in a different way to get their attention about my audiobooks. Thankfully there is an author who has been working at getting her audiobooks in front of listeners and she now helps other authors. I'm so glad I came across her early this year and have been implementing the things she has found helpful. 

I'm looking forward to spending time with my family both here in SE Oregon and the ones in NE Oregon. Now that we have a house in NE Oregon that we plan to retire to, we can go up there and spend time with my brother and his family and our oldest daughter and her family. Not to mention hanging out with some of my writer friends in that area as well. 

Yes, while this may be the last month of the year, it is the best month for me to clean my desk and office and get ready to start a new year in 2025. 

Several of the Ladies of the Ladies of Mystery blog came up with an ezine, Cavalcade of Books, to showcase our books. Some have sales going on now through Dec. 31st. Hop over to the link below and take a look at the mystery books. https://bodiebluebooks.com/ladiesofmystery

Have a fabulous holiday season whichever holidays you celebrate this month! 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of murder mystery, western romance, and action-adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. This is what Books a Plenty Book Reviews has to say about the Gabriel Hawke series: "The blend of nature tracking, clues, and the animals makes for a fascinating mystery that is hard to put down."

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Life has been Good to Me by Paty Jager

This month is about being thankful. There is so much in my life that I am thankful for. My husband, my family, my friends, my health, my pets. 

My husband has always been supportive of my writing and hasn't balked when I say I'm going to the coast for a week to write, or I'm going to Montana to research, or I want to travel to Europe for a month. He just says if you can make it happen, go ahead. He knows that I am happiest when I'm writing. He acknowledged it early in our married life before I had even realized it. He has even been indulgent in my need to have horses in my life. 

I will help my family in any way I can, and they me. I have a good rapport with cousins, siblings, nieces, nephews, and in-laws. I've gained respect for and from my mother-in-law. I am proud of my children, now grown adults with families who I like to be around. My oldest daughter and a granddaughter recently joined me on my trip to Europe. They let me have the best bed and room at the places we stayed and watched out for me. My granddaughter pulled me onto the train when we nearly missed it and my daughter kept us safe as we walked around the countries. 

My friends... where to start- I have the couples and women I met through my children's years in grade school. Some I've lost touch with but I remember fondly. Others I've stayed in touch with. Then the members of the Salem chapter of Romance Writers of America. I've again lost touch with some and maintain relationships with others. And the writers I met at National RWA conferences. So many that I met, admired, and grew to know. Through writing, I have met so many in-person and online people who have enhanced my life in ways they may never know. Then there are my closest friends. The ones I go to for advice and commiseration when something upsets me. 

I'm lucky to only have to take vitamins and herbs to keep my health in check. I'm still able to ride a horse, go for walks, and keep up with my grandchildren. Many of my friends and family aren't so lucky. 

Having pets helps to keep me going. I love watching Nia run and play outside and in. She is our entertainment most of the time. She and Harlie bug me every morning until I'm ready to go out and feed my horse and the cats in the shop. they love their walks and so do I. The animals keep me getting outside no matter what the weather is like and that is good for me. 

I am most thankful for the ability to tell a story well enough that people want to purchase my books. When I first started writing, I never dreamed others would want to read what I wrote to entertain myself.

Right now I have a new book in my Spotted Pony Casino Mystery series out- 

Down and Dirty

Book 6

Spotted Pony Casino Mystery

The Spotted Pony Casino’s head of security, Dela Alvaro, receives a late-night call that takes her to a deserted walkway along the river. After confronting a woman babbling about love and bodies being buried, Dela stumbles over a corpse and discovers her knife covered in the victim’s blood.

Dela and Tribal Detective Heath Seaver find themselves working with FBI Special Agent Quinn Pierce when the murder seems to be connected to a drug cartel. Dela nearly becomes the victim of a hit-and-run while someone is trying to frame her for the murder.

Proving her innocence has Dela interviewing past acquaintances and members of a drug cartel, all while trying to decide if the woman she met the night of the murder is truly crazy … or the killer.

Buy link:   https://books2read.com/u/bagQ66

And I'm proud to say I have a story in the Windtree Press Anthology- Imagine 

Imagination. It is a word that conjures up so much and can cover so many emotions. In this collection of nine unique stories and a poem, you will cross centuries, hang in suspense, chuckle and perhaps even laugh, and wonder did the character imagine that or not. Dari LaRoche starts this anthology with a poem that explores what sparks the imagination as it moves between conscious thought and the sublime, reflecting the beauty that surrounds us.

In Metro Takes a Road Trip, Susie Slanina returns to the adventures of a dog named Metro discovering new places and talents. In The Watching Game, Lisa de Nikolits crafts a story that explores invisible friends, suspense, and the power of suggestion. Diana McCollum’s story, Son-ja’s Journey, explores the story of a lost child who wanders into a Native American tribe’s camp and is raised as one of their own.

Pamela Cowan’s story, Mars, moves away from earth to outer space in her futuristic tale with a twist about a young man coming of age. Back on earth, Mary Vine provides a story of romance, suspense, and humor in Grandma Harper’s Imagination. Maggie Lynch pits fantasy against reality in Sky Painter, as a young girl develops unusual talents.

Another Life, by Paty Jager, provides a conundrum for the reader to unravel whether a battered wife and a dead husband is a tale of delirium or truth. In Project I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Anna Brentwood and Colton Long pen a cautionary tale of artificial intelligence that begins in the 1980s. Kimila Kay closes out the anthology with Rattlesnake Ravine, a suspense novella that plays with imagination versus truth and the consequences of having to choose only one side.

buy link https://books2read.com/u/booxnR

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of murder mystery, western romance, and action-adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

photo: by Paty Jager of the Steens Mountain

Plant Slayer by Paty Jager

I love plants. I love the varied and vibrant greens, the many colors of the blossoms, and the different shapes of the petals. And the scents. Some are heavenly and some not so much.

My house would be filled with plants if I could keep them alive.

Growing up my mom and grandma had gorgeous flower beds, huge gardens with tasty vegetables, and house plants that took over. I wanted to have all that wonderful plant life around me. But I’m lucky if a plant lives for six months to a year! 

I love plants but I have a tendency to forget they need to be watered. They aren’t like kids or animals who make noise when they're thirsty. Someone should invent a water alarm that you can set for the type of flower and when the soil is too dry it makes a beeping noise. Then, I would respond and water the plants as they need it.

Even when I’m trying to be good about watering plants, I lose them because I overwater. Yes, the above gadget would be perfect for me and my poor plants. I do have a Norfolk pine that I’ve had since my oldest daughter’s bridal shower. We gave six-inch Norfolk Pines as gifts at her party and I kept one. It is now about four feet tall and over 20 years old. But it has been a fighter. There were a few times when I thought I would lose it. Either from lack of water or the wrong spot of the light it needs. It is my longest-living plant.

My second longest-living plant is a cactus that traveled from Montana in a piece of farm equipment. Hubby hauled a baler from Montana. I was standing beside the piece of haying equipment admiring it for his benefit and glanced down. In a small pocked of dirt, in a turned-up piece of metal, sat what looked like a small piece of cactus. I dug it out with a spoon and put it in a pot. After a few years it was large enough to plant outdoors. This is what it looks like now. 

A friend gave me a start from one of her house plants when we moved into the house we live in now. That was ten years ago. It’s alive but it has had several reincarnations during that time and it is just now acting like it might be blooming.

I love peonies. I have 5 of them that I split off from one that had grown in the yard where I grew up. It is probably a heritage peony because I know it was in the yard when I was young. It may have been there when we moved into the house when I was 2. That is over 60 years ago.

I have been trying to grow a wild rose that my daughter kindly gave me a start from hers. It has yet to bloom and it keeps getting yellow leaves. Hubby says it’s because it’s dry but I water it every day and when I checked the moisture in the soil, it was wet. Sigh!

My garden this year consists of a great crop of leaf lettuce, one tomato plant, and something either squash or cantaloupe, I’m not sure which because something keeps eating the vegetable that comes on. It never gets more than about marble size before it’s eaten. So I have yet to determine what is growing. I didn’t plant it. At least not this year.  I had 5 spinach plants come up. One pea plant and it was eaten.

My petunias are doing so-so. The poppy seed my daughter gave me from her plants and I sprinkled in my planters did great! I’m saving the seeds off of it and plan to sprinkle them around my peony plants to see if they will grow there next spring.

The plant my daughter gave me last year for Mother’s Day is doing well in my bedroom window.  I do need to take the dead brown leaves off of it. It didn’t get watered when I was gone during the hot weather and some of the leaves died. But the plant continued to bloom and grow. It’s a keeper!

Now those are all the plants that I kept alive. I'm not mentioning the empty pots in the garage or the ones that don't look like they will make it through fall let alone the winter. 

How about you? Can you keep plants alive? What is your favorite plant?

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of murder mystery, western romance, and action-adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Aging the Ups and Downs by Paty Jager

 

Aging as many say, isn’t easy. It is for your body as it slows down. Things you’ve done your whole life become harder to do, your memory starts slipping, and unaccounted for aches show up.

My 90-year-old mother-in-law tells me continually, “Don’t get old. It’s not fun.” This is a woman who has been a hard worker her whole life and who can’t sit still. She has to have her hands doing something. She still knits socks for the local retirement home, makes baby afghans she gives away to anyone who wants them, she mows her yard, and likes to put puzzles together.  She buys yarn at the thrift stores because it’s much cheaper than at the stores. People even give her yarn, because she enjoys knitting and crocheting. But she struggles with not being able to do everything she would like to do.

My hope is to have all of her energy when I’m her age!

I have things I want to do but then I think about them and I decide maybe it’s not a good idea. I don’t ride my horse as much as I did. In the morning when I go down and feed, I’ll tell my gelding, Jan, “I think we should go for a ride today.” But later in the day, the thought of catching and saddling him feels like more work than the enjoyment would be.  I need to feed with my boots on instead of my sneakers and catch him while he’s in the corral and ride. But then I feel like I’m being a slacker from my writing. I spent most of this year getting back into writing 4 books a year and preparing my audiobooks to sell on my website.

Me riding Jan last summer. 

This past year, I’ve spent more time at the computer with writing, researching, marketing, and promotion than I did last year. And that’s part of why I haven’t ridden my horse. By the time I finish the writing things, I don’t feel energetic enough to ride.

But I do enjoy going for a walk right after I feed in the morning. The dogs enjoy it as well. The early morning walk gets my brain working and I feel more productive on days when I walk.

As I age, I’m not as much help to my hubby. He calls on me, every once in a while, to help him lift or move something. I’ve found my upper body strength isn’t what it was, and I really don’t want to lift heavy things anymore. Because then I’m sore for several days. He’s still strong but he also has noticed his energy level waning.

With age comes decisions. I plan to keep writing at least until I’m 80. If my mind will continue to work. Hubby has one more year of his semi-retirement. He has been managing an alfalfa ranch for a dairy the last ten years and told them next summer is his last summer to do it. They have put the place up for sale. They know they wouldn’t find another person who would take care of it like it’s his own as hubby has.

We’ve also been discussing selling and moving into a small town where we would be closer to medical facilities and easier to travel to town and to see family. With his full retirement, we hope to travel.

While I’m not scared or sorry to get old, it’s something my mother didn’t get to enjoy. I do hope I am a happy old lady and not a crabby one. 

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 59 novels, 11 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

One...Two...Three...and a pre-order

 

This month the theme is "My favorite commercial." At this time in my life, I dislike commercials.  After watching shows on Public Broadcasting and not having commercials interrupting the flow of the show and then streaming shows without commercials, I now get irritated with them. 

But as a kid, my favorite commercial was the owl and the Tootsie Pop, which around Halloween you see the commercial now and then. I don't know why but the way the owl says, "One...Two...Three... always makes me smile. 

I'm happy to say that book number 6 in my Spotted Pony Casino Mystery series is up on pre-order with a release date of September 6th. 

Down and Dirty

The Spotted Pony Casino’s head of security, Dela Alvaro, receives a late-night call that takes her to a deserted walkway along the river. After confronting a woman babbling about love and bodies being buried, Dela stumbles over a corpse and discovers her knife covered in the victim’s blood.

Dela and Tribal Detective Heath Seaver find themselves working with FBI Special Agent Quinn Pierce when the murder seems to be connected to a drug cartel. Dela nearly becomes the victim of a hit-and-run while someone is trying to frame her for the murder.

Proving her innocence has Dela interviewing past acquaintances and members of a drug cartel, all while trying to decide if the woman she met the night of the murder is truly crazy … or the killer.

Pre-order here: https://books2read.com/u/bagQ66

I came up with the idea for this book when I was checking out the River Walkway in Pendleton, OR. I came across the bridge, you see on the cover and below, and thought what a great place for my main character, Dela Alvaro to come across a body at night. Once that took root, I came up with why she would be there late at night and how she could be pulled into the murder. But the fun twist came when I met a woman who intrigued and scared me at a book event. 

This woman captured my writer's curiosity and as soon as she walked on, I began writing down all the details of our meeting to use it in a book. I just didn't realize it would be the book I was writing. In a way, I believe I put her in the book to make her seem real and not so scary. I won't lie, after talking to her, I was a bit shaky and felt like a fool because I was scared. Unfortunately, the other person in the booth with me had been on the phone and didn't hear the woman's rantings or see how she transformed. 

That's all I'll say about her. You can either pre-order the book and wait to read about the "scary" woman on September 6th or check out my blog post on the Ladies of Mystery blog on Aug. 12th. On that post I talk about my encounter with the "crazy" woman. 

ABOUT Paty Jager

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 59 novels, 11 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Summer Fun! by Paty Jager

Summer has always been my one of my favorite times of year. When I was younger, I was always sad when the school year ended. It meant I wouldn't see my friends until my birthday in June and then again not until I went back to school in September. We lived 12 miles from town. That doesn't seem like a lot now, when I live 40 miles from town, but when I was a kid, only my parents went to town every day to work and my grandmother who lived with us would go to town once a month to get groceries. When she went to get groceries, I could go along and return library books and get more. But we weren't allowed to play with friends. And we couldn't call and just talk to them because we were on a party line. 

But in June, I could call and invite them for a sleepover on my birthday. 

The best part of summer was spending days up in the orchard, playing in the irrigation ditch that watered the trees and the garden vegetables. There was also hiking over the hill and swimming in the river at what we called the "sand bar." 

But the best part of summer was riding my horse over the hill, across the river, and up the mountain that was on one side of the canyon where we lived. I loved the solitary rides, just me and Junebug, my mare. Some days I'd saddle her up and wear jeans and boots, other days, I'd ride bareback, with my bare legs and feet dangling at her sides. When I didn't have a saddle, I'd lay back, my spine in line with hers, my head resting on her rump. She'd walk along the old log roads, and I stared up at the dapple light shining through the cottonwood leaves and boughs of the pines and firs. Those days I remember with great joy!

Other times, I would go to my solitary place on a strip of land between the Lostine River and the South Fork ditch. There under a cottonwood tree, surrounded by ferns, I'd draw and write stories, or read a book. 

There have been many days as an adult that I've wished for a few of those summer days again. I ride my gelding sporadically these days. neither one of us is young. I have to feel like saddling him and using up hours of the day that I could be writing or taking care of the business of writing. Where I live now there isn't running water near us to cool my feet or listen to the murmur as I am creative. 

Riding my gelding, Jan. 

But I do enjoy your treks this time of the year up the Steens Mountain to see the wildflowers in bloom. And I do get out on a horseback ride now and then with my daughter and grandkids. Hubby and I are trying to do more two and three-day trips with our camper to see more of Southern Oregon. 

These are wildflowers I found in Montana on a research trip.

This summer I am judging at more county fairs than I have in the past few years. So I will be traveling around eastern Oregon judging 4-H and Open Class static exhibits in August. I like doing that. I see the state and meet people. 

I hope you all have a wonderful summer! It is one of the best times of the year, as long as the weather doesn't get too crazy hot! 

You can purchase the first three Shandra Higheagle Mystery audiobooks in a box set for $0.99 through July 10th at Indie Audiobook Deals, along with other great deals from other authors! https://linktr.ee/indieaudiobookdeals

Paty

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 58 novels, 10 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and Western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the Western lifestyle, she lives it. 

Website: https://www.patyjager.net

Blog: https://writingintothesunset.net/

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2IhmWcm

Instagram - @patymjager

YouTube - @PatyJager

Facebook – Author Paty Jager