Joyce Lionarons

Retired professor of Medieval Literature; author of The Homiletic Writings of Archbishop Wulfstan (Boydell & Brewer), The Medieval Dragon (Hisarlik), editor of Old English Literature in its Manuscript Context (U of West Virginia P), author of the Matthew Cordwainer and Gavin Rownt medieval mysteries.

Avatar is a photo of a woman (me) in her 70s. Deep pouches under her eyes and short hair that miraculously never turned gray. Header is a photo of a manuscript of Wulfstan's Sermo Lupi ad Anglos.

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joyce@hcommons-social.mostr.pub

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Last Notes

2026-10-31 00:57:15 UTC

#3GoodThings (to counter my last post)
1. The Informant, my new Rownt novel, is selling well today.
2. Theo has been cuddling sweetly on my lap for the past few hours.
3. Daylight Savings Time will finally end tomorrow night and it will be light in the mornings again.

2026-10-30 12:02:36 UTC

Good morning!
I decided I wouldn't try to walk this morning or tomorrow morning. I'm tired of going out in the dark, and in two days mornings will be lighter, at least for a while. So you get a photo from an earlier day today.
It's my mother's birthday. Had she lived, she would be 110 today. I still miss her and think of her often.
I'm still irritable and antsy. I think it's because two years ago I was so certain Kamala would win and we would be rid of Trump for good, and I was so wrong.
The next few days for me will be all about self-care. I need that right now.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-30 10:07:47 UTC

#WordWeavers 30: What tiny detail about your world or a character will probably never matter to the plot, but you created it anyway?
Cordwainer's small black cat, named Isolde because of her white front paws. She appears in most of the books, but has never mattered to the plot and probably never will.

2026-10-30 01:49:27 UTC

I just got an email from the IRS telling me all about the wonderful tax cuts Donald Trump has given to working Americans. Pure propaganda meant to influence voters in the midterms. I am livid with anger.

2026-10-29 22:08:09 UTC

My niece just got a letter telling her that her Medicaid was cancelled, even though the cuts don't start until after the midterm elections. The letter began, "Courtesy of Donald Trump, your Medicaid coverage will end..."
Most people will not get such a letter unless they live in Washington state like she does, but remember that the Republicans' big cuts in Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs that help people are scheduled to begin right after the election.
Vote. Maybe some of that can be stopped if the blue wave is big enough. If it isn't, people like my niece will have no health care at all.
#USPol #Medicaid

2026-10-29 20:03:40 UTC

May he rest in peace.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/29/arts/television/patrick-stewart-dead.html

2026-10-29 12:12:10 UTC

Good Morning!
As Halloween approaches, we're reaching peak Jack-o-lantern season in my neighborhood. Most of them have been chewed on by squirrels or deer, but they're hanging in there. Several neighbors have given up and gone for plastic instead.
#Today I hope to write. I got very little writing done yesterday. I was just too antsy to settle in and do it. I cleaned up outside in the flowerbeds and on the porch, did laundry and some other chores instead. I'll see how today goes.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-29 11:53:05 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 29. How do you feel about alliteration?
I love it in poetry, especially in early medieval poetry. I love it in clever titles. In prose, if it's done subtly and well, it's fine. Too often it's overdone.

2026-10-29 11:49:14 UTC

#WordWeavers 29. Which character would you trust to take care of your pet for a week? Which character would be banned from coming anywhere near it?
Agytha. She didn't want Cordwainer to keep the cat, complains about him feeding it from the table, and would swear she doesn't like it. But she would still take care of it better than anyone else.
I don't think I would need to ban any of my characters from coming near it.

2026-10-28 12:21:47 UTC

Good morning!
Posting a bit later than usual mostly because I walked a little later than usual this morning. More trees in my neighborhood are turning color, and more flowers are blooming that usually wouldn't bloom this late. I saw clematis blooming this morning, and lots more of the yellow irises. But I only took photos of the trees.
#Today I'll be staying home, trying to write, definitely reading some more. I can feel my anxiety rising as election day draws nearer, and it's making me cranky and having an effect on everything I try to do. All I can do at this point is keep on keeping on.
Have a good one, my friends.
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2026-10-28 11:39:03 UTC

#WordWeavers 28: Your antagonist and MC are forced to work together toward the same goal. What could drive them together?
The realization that they both want the same thing, but have very different ideas as to how to obtain it.

2026-10-28 11:33:52 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 28: Do you hide 'secrets' in your works?
I wouldn't say secrets. The occasional verbal homage to medieval or medievalist writers, but not in every book.

2026-10-27 20:10:38 UTC

Well, the good news is that I just checked and my new prescription insurance which will start working on January 1 when my current insurance plan is cancelled does cover the meds my doctor prescribed.
So I'm just going to have him send the prescription through again after the first of the year. I've been getting along okay so far and I can do it for another couple of months.
Thanks to everyone for your comments and concern.

2026-10-27 18:23:41 UTC

Well, damn. My insurance won't pay for the meds my doctor ordered for my arthritis pain. American health care is so broken.

2026-10-27 11:38:19 UTC

Good morning!
It's Tuesday brunch day and I'm skipping my early-morning walk, partly because I'm hoping not to hurt so much in the restaurant and partly because I just don't want to walk. I've been having a big case of the "don't wannas" recently.
I rescheduled a dermatologist appointment that was supposed to be tomorrow because I don't want another doctor appointment this month. And I don't want to go get another bone density scan or another colonoscopy. And I've skipped writing a for a couple of days because I don't want to do it right now.
Now I need to figure out what I do want to do. I'm not sure. Just keep on keeping on, I guess.
Have a good one, my friends. Here's a photo from a while ago.
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2026-10-27 09:38:17 UTC

#WordWeavers 27. What location in your story would you most like to visit? What location would you absolutely avoid?
My stories are set in (medieval) London and York, and I've visited the modern cities and lived in each for a short time. I'd like to visit the medieval ones, but alas, time travel has not been possible.

2026-10-26 19:01:53 UTC

Last night I dreamed I was rereading LotR for the umpteenth time (in reality, I've probably read it 20-30 times, and taught it along with all the adjacent medieval texts several times).
In the dream there was a new section I'd never read, maybe 100-200 pages long. It was very good and I was looking forward to seeing how it looped around to the familiar text again. But I got distracted by something else in the dream couldn't finish reading.
I hope I dream it again tonight. I might. Do other people have serial dreams that continue over several nights in a row?
#dreams

2026-10-26 14:16:48 UTC

Home again. The doctor was not very concerned about my blood test results, although he said he wanted me to repeat the A1C in three months. With all the measles in my area, he's adding in the test to see if I am immune from childhood since I never had the vaccine, but am old enough that I was exposed to measles repeatedly.
And he's prescribing a new med for my chronic stomach pain, and pain-relieving patches for my arthritis. Fingers crossed they work.
#Today

2026-10-26 11:35:17 UTC

Good morning!
#Today is my "wellness" visit with my PCP, the one where you're not supposed to talk about anything except the little questions and tests Medicare sets out. Luckily, my doctor uses it to talk about whatever we want to, and we will discuss my recent blood test results and my chronic pain (again).
And then home again for my regular chores and writing.
Hurrah for Serbia and Brazil, and may the US follow their example!
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-26 11:20:01 UTC

#WordWeavers 26. Share a moment from your WIP when a character says one thing but means something completely different.
When they reached Saint Martin’s Lane, Thomas cleared his throat and said, “Megan will be wanting me at home, Master. Give my love to Agytha.”
What he means is: "I know I pissed you off, but I'm not going to back down because I told you a truth you needed to hear. Are you going to forgive me, or shall I leave?"

2026-10-26 10:33:22 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 26 What's something you accomplished this month that you weren't sure if you would be able to?
TBH, I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish The Informant, the Gavin Rownt book I just self-published. It's the book I started a couple of years ago and set aside because I couldn't see how to make it work.
It was difficult all the way through. And then it was done.

2026-10-25 23:40:42 UTC

Hurrah for Serbia! And go Lula!

2026-10-25 16:32:25 UTC

Well, I have finished drafting a prologue and a first chapter of the new Cordwainer novel. Now I need to think a bit about what will be in Chapter 2.
#AmWriting #Today

2026-10-25 12:07:00 UTC

Good morning!
Another cold early-morning walk at 33F (1C). Today will be a little warmer than yesterday was, with a high temperature around 65F (18C). Only one other walker was out this morning, and we waved at each other in the dark.
By the time I was getting home the sun had risen and I got another photo of the beautiful maple tree from a different direction.
#Today will be another day of writing and chores and reading in the recliner chair. I love retirement.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-25 11:51:50 UTC

#WordWeavers 25. What is something your MC believes everyone knows about them, but nobody has actually noticed?
Cordwainer is certain everyone knows that it is harder and harder for him to walk long distances on his bad hip, that as he gets older he tires more easily and needs to rest more.
But no one has noticed this. To them, he's just the Coroner, the one they trust to investigate unattended deaths and to find the truth, no matter how difficult it might be.

2026-10-25 11:32:20 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 25. Tell us about inspiration from an unlikely source.
I was inspired to write my Cordwainer novel Blood Libel by the neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville several years ago now. I wrote the whole thing in incandescent rage. I still think it's one of the best books I've written.

2026-10-25 11:29:38 UTC

Oh, FFS. The first thing I see this morning is a DM from a man wanting to follow me because he "saw my profile and thought I was so interesting and nice" or some such twaddle. His profile begins: "I want a woman who..."
What? He thinks it's a dating site? I don't think I've ever blocked anyone quite that quickly.

2026-10-24 13:52:21 UTC

Despite having two cat trees and a scratching pad, Theo has pretty much destroyed my furniture, so I bought a cat blanket to cover the worst of the damage to my couch. I think Theo likes it.
#Caturday
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2026-10-24 11:56:32 UTC

#Wordweavers 24: Which character would survive the longest if suddenly dropped into our world with no money or identification?
Hugh. He survived alone on the streets of York as a child with nothing. He could do it again if he needed to.

2026-10-24 11:46:33 UTC

Good morning!
The frost was on the punkin this morning, as James Whitcomb Riley once said. Or it should have been since it was freezing (32F, 0C) for my walk. I looked, but I didn't see any pumpkins with actual frost on them, even though there were lots of pumpkins and all the cars in the parking lot were covered in frost.
Now I'm home and warming up with hot coffee and oatmeal. #Today will be a writing day, with not much else on the agenda. I hope I can get some writing done.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-23 19:17:56 UTC

I'm reading Exit Party, by Emily St. John Mandel, who also wrote Station Eleven. It's incredibly bleak, giving two separate possible futures for us, "us," being primarily the USA, although some of it extends to Europe. She's such a good writer that I will finish the book, but it's really depressing.
#AmReading

2026-10-23 11:53:01 UTC

Good morning!
Another day, another walk. Cold and clear for the walk, a cool and sunny day to come. I walked past three deer lounging under a tree. Only one bothered to stand up when she saw me, and she didn't run. Our deer are very complacent.
I have to go to the pharmacy for a prescription today, and then I'll try to write. I can see where the story is taking me, and I hope I can do it justice.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-23 10:05:52 UTC

#WordWeavers 23: What rule – legal, cultural, magical, social, or otherwise – does your MC regularly break?
Cordwainer is an elderly curmudgeon who isn't good with polite lies or false appearances to make others more comfortable. He follows the law as best he can, but will break rules to achieve justice for the dead if he feels he needs to.

2026-10-23 09:56:37 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 23: How do you make sure you deliver on your writerly promises?
Writerly promises? I'm not sure what those are. I just try to write the best story I can, each time I write.

2026-10-23 09:55:14 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 23 - Our next featured creator enjoys hiking. Do you enjoy being outdoors, and if so, does it have an impact on your creativity?
I don't really hike, but I do walk, every day if I can manage it. It has a huge beneficial effect on my mental health generally, and that boosts my creativity.
I've fought chronic depression all my life, with therapy, medications, and lifestyle changes, one of which is exercise. I can't be creative if I'm depressed. Walking lifts the depression.

2026-10-22 11:56:11 UTC

Good morning!
Cold morning again for my daily walk, but it's supposed to turn into a nice day with temperatures in the 60s F. I'll spend the day as usual, writing, reading, some chores. And I'll have my weekly phone call with my sister.
Life goes on, no matter how awful the news is, and I try to enjoy as much of it as I can and do what I can to make my life and others' lives better.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-22 10:09:23 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 22. Our next featured creator enjoys making maps. Have you ever made a map?
No. Maps of medieval York and London are readily available online, and I use them instead.

2026-10-21 17:08:45 UTC

As I read through the posts on my feed, I'm realizing more and more how much the addition of the word "fuck" or "fucking" weakens the impact of what is being said. Without it, there is a strong statement. With it, the post becomes the whine of an adolescent and need not be paid attention to.
Hmm. It didn't use to be that way. It is now.

2026-10-21 16:03:43 UTC

Almost 1000 words written of a new Cordwainer book. They will need to be heavily revised, but I got the basics of the scene down. It was difficult to write because just the thought of what goes on in it is upsetting to me. It's necessary for the story, though, so I wrote it.
That's enough for #today.

2026-10-21 12:09:35 UTC

#WordWeavers 21: Your MC wakes up with the ability to read minds for 24 hours. Whose thoughts do they most want to hear? Whose thoughts do they least want to hear?
If this happened to Cordwainer, he would probably want to hear the thoughts of whatever killer he was trying to find at the time. He would probably not want to hear the thoughts of the people closest to him like Agytha or Hugh. That would be an intrusion of privacy.

2026-10-21 12:03:20 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 10/21: How do you make your works approachable?
I try to make certain that any medieval elements that might not be self-explanatory get explained within the text somehow. Otherwise, I don't really think about it. My books aren't difficult.

2026-10-21 11:53:28 UTC

Good morning!
I'm getting up later and later as the sun does the same, and walking later and later since I don't want to walk in full darkness. I'll be so happy when we finally get on standard time again and I wish we could just stay there.
All my neighbors are putting out pots of mums in various colors. I usually buy some as well, but I haven't gotten around to it. Then again, the summer flowers in pots on my porch are still blooming, and I normally get the mums when the summer flowers die.
#Today I'll do some laundry and maybe even start writing a bit of a new Cordwainer book.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-20 21:51:20 UTC

Well, my blood test results came in. Not as good as I'd hoped, but nothing to be overly alarmed about. I'll see what the doctor says when I see him on Monday.
Getting old sucks.
#Today

2026-10-20 11:59:25 UTC

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig. The thing about getting to the lab just when it opens is I get close parking and there's no wait. And since I can't eat before the test, I get home in time for breakfast.
More housecleaning today, and then I'm going to write all my notes for a new Cordwainer book. And start reading something new. I finished The Rouse yesterday. I'm still not exactly certain what happened at the end.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
Here's a photo from yesterday.
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2026-10-20 10:53:17 UTC

Good morning!
Normally I'd be walking right now, but instead I'm getting ready to go get a fasting blood draw at the lab. Fingers crossed my blood sugar stuff is good this time.
I really hate having to drive rush hour in the dark, but that's this damned late daylight savings time.
#Today

2026-10-20 09:39:07 UTC

#WordWeavers 20: Which two characters in your story understand each other the least?
Still answering from The Informant since I don't have a WIP right now. I'd say Lord Bohun and his son Sir Humfrey. The elder doesn't see why his son cares nothing for the court and its politics; the younger can't see why his father thinks its so important.

2026-10-19 20:23:42 UTC

Somebody hacked my (android) phone, I guess, because suddenly the screen showed a message -- not in any app -- saying that an automatic payment would be processed soon, with a timeline counting down. I couldn't see how to get rid of it. There was a button saying "dismiss" and I clicked it. The message disappeared.
Do I need to be worried? I don't see how anyone could get a payment of any kind from my phone. Neither my credit cards nor my bank is linked to any of the apps on it.
Tech people? What say you?
#PhoneHack

2026-10-19 15:11:35 UTC

Well, I got the hardest part of the housecleaning done: I vacuumed. I hate vacuuming. My vacuum cleaner is too heavy and it's old and parts have fallen off it. The wand part is stupidly difficult to use. My back hurts during the vacuuming and after it's done. Even getting down on the floor to scrub the toilet and bathtub is easier.
But it's done now, at least for a while. I think I'm just going to read for the rest of the day.
#Today

2026-10-19 14:40:13 UTC

The worst habits of Philadelphia drivers. All absolutely true. It's a gift article, so you should be able to read it.
I remember seeing someone in Canada pulling one of these bonehead moves once, and I said out loud, "Philadelphia driver." When I caught a glimpse of the license plate, I saw I was right.
https://share.inquirer.com/GWfeQO

2026-10-19 11:55:10 UTC

Good morning!
Another cold morning for my walk at 35F (1C), but with clear skies and no wind it was really quite pleasant. The rest of the week will be a bit warmer, they're saying.
#Today I'm staying home and housecleaning and reading. I might jot down a few notes for a new Cordwainer book -- I have an idea in my head that wants to come out, but I'm letting it simmer for a bit. This writing business never lets you rest...
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-19 11:30:25 UTC

#WordWeavers 19. What does your MC keep that they probably should have thrown away years ago?
The sword he fought with in Gascony many years before. The balance is off, it won't keep a decent edge, and he saved for and purchased a very good sword that he uses when he needs one. But Rownt just can't bring himself to get rid of the old one.

2026-10-19 11:24:40 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 19 Tell us about some unwanted critique you've received.
Someone posted a review saying I should kill off Cordwainer and let Hugh take over, because Cordwainer is such a grumpy, unlikeable character.

2026-10-18 12:34:32 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 18: Talk about a time you had a revelation.
The biggest revelation was when I first realized I could really write a novel. I knew I could write decently, but I thought I was unable to come up with a coherent plot. And then I did it.

2026-10-18 12:32:39 UTC

#WordWeavers 18 Share a line from your WIP where a character is lying. Do they get away with it?
Rownt cocked his head to look at him. There was something in the vowels as William spoke that caught his ear.
“Are you French?” he asked. “I would have thought you English by your name, but your voice says otherwise.”
William reddened. “Nay, Master, I was born in Lincolnshire.”
“You do not have a Lincolnshire accent.”
“Nay, I suppose I do not any longer. I’ve lived in London and Westminster for a long time, but I’ve never been to France.”
He does not get away with it, although Rownt lets him think he has.

2026-10-18 12:06:01 UTC

Good morning!
I had to dig out my winter hat and gloves for this morning's walk: 36F (2C), clear and cold. The deer huffed and snorted at me to go away and let them get on with mating season, the ducks chased each other around the pond, quacking and grumbling. I go out in the dark, but it's light by the time I get back.
#Today is a day for relaxing, maybe an errand, maybe some housecleaning. I hope people buy the new book, and I hope those who do like it.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-17 20:45:17 UTC

The Informant: A Gavin Rownt Medieval Mystery
Westminster and London: 1252. When a wealthy wine merchant is found dead in the garden of one of King Henry III’s counsellors, Gavin Rownt is summoned to investigate the murder, making certain that neither the London or Westminster authorities do not hear of the death. For the murdered man is not merely a merchant. Rownt’s investigation takes him into the murkier side of thirteenth-century politics, where spies and informants work for their noble masters, even if each master serves the same king.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNDKJY2Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1BCED040309X0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3M7PFlViMVu3Pms2H_nC0A.IpL6WQW8auMptwiMtFc3H-vAKH_B5nCv-G3BsMsIenU&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+informant+lionarons&qid=1792269810&sprefix=%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1

2026-10-17 20:34:57 UTC

And it's available right now!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNDKJY2Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2R860QHS74XTV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3M7PFlViMVu3Pms2H_nC0A.IpL6WQW8auMptwiMtFc3H-vAKH_B5nCv-G3BsMsIenU&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+informant+lionarons&qid=1792269254&sprefix=the+informant+lionarons%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1

2026-10-17 14:57:23 UTC

I guess I won't do laundry today. Someone else is using the machines. #Caturday
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2026-10-17 11:54:20 UTC

Good morning (second try)
I just tried to post a morning greeting with a photo, but when I added the alt text and clicked to say it was finished, the whole thing disappeared. More problems with my instance that I'm not happy with. Rewriting my post, albeit much shorter than the original.
A cool, breezy morning walk with puddles in the street but no rain. Some confused flowers blooming much too late in the season.
#Today I hope to finish proofreading The Informant. We'll see.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-17 10:00:52 UTC

#WordWeavers 17. What is the worst possible first impression someone could get of your MC? Would it be accurate?
That because he is a swordmaster, Gavin Rownt is also a bloodthirsty thug. That would be wrong.

2026-10-17 09:48:46 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 17 ~ What are the defining traits of your niche in your genre?
Set in the Middle Ages, a murder mystery. But I set my mysteries, for the most part, among the commoners in the medieval cities rather than among the nobility with their manors and castles.

2026-10-16 17:17:31 UTC

#FungiFriday #Mushtodon
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2026-10-16 12:00:03 UTC

Good morning!
I was feeling grumpy on my walk this morning: even at 7 a.m. I was too warm in my sweatshirt, which is just wrong for mid-October. It was still dark when I started out, which is why I hate Daylight Savings Time. I passed children waiting in the dark for the school bus, again, just wrong.
And then I came across a Halloween display put up by one of my neighbors and it cheered me up and made me laugh. I came home feeling much better.
It struck me as I got home that my neighborhood is changing, for the better IMHO. When I moved here 20 years ago, it was pure white bread suburbia. Now we're multicultural. The kids waiting for the school bus were black. The man with the Halloween decorations had a strong Indian or Pakistani accent. I see women wearing saris and salwar kameez, other women wearing hijab. I think this is a good thing.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-16 09:53:47 UTC

#WordWeavers 16. What is one choice your MC made for the right reasons that ended up having terrible consequences?
This isn't part of the current WIP's plot, and right now I can't think of an example from my other books.

2026-10-15 20:53:18 UTC

I've been thinking all day about what a tipping point Nov. 3 really will be if (and friends, it really is a big if) the Democrats make the huge gains we hope for. Because if that happens, one of two things will eventually follow:
1. They will be seated and we just might be able to begin to resemble a democracy again.
2. The orange menace and his henchmen will refuse to let them be seated and the US will become a truly autocratic state.
Neither of those things will happen on Nov. 4, of course: there will be all sorts of arguments and chaos no matter what, but the results of the midterms will point one way or the other. I'll admit it. I'm afraid.

2026-10-15 13:20:28 UTC

Cat people, I have a question.
How hard is it to bring a second adult cat into a household, especially if the first cat is semi-feral and not entirely socialized?
My next door neighbor is moving out of the country in a few months. Her sister was supposed to take her cat, but now it looks like that won't happen. I've brought new kittens in with adult cats before, but never a new adult, and never with a cat like Theo.
Should I try it? Her cat is male, about 4 or 5 years old, and a total sweetheart.
#Cats #CatQuestion

2026-10-15 12:15:52 UTC

Good morning!
Cool, not horribly humid morning for my walk. I was taking photos of whatever leaf color I saw, then suddenly realized that what I was photographing was poison ivy. Oh well, it's still pretty.
Today I'm staying home and continuing my proofreading, maybe doing a load of laundry. I shouldn't need to do anything else much until I finish it. Whew.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-15 11:47:51 UTC

#WordWeavers 15. What piece of backstory did you invent just for yourself that readers may never learn?
Gavin Rownt's tragic love story that happened when he was very young, as well as his horrible relationship with his brutal, sadistic father.

2026-10-14 11:37:27 UTC

Good morning!
#Today I've skipped my walk again, this time because I have an early doctor appointment this morning -- nothing to get excited about, just the last follow-up to check on my foot that got infected one more time. My foot is just fine, and I expect the appointment to be a waste of my time, but there we are.
Then two more appointments in a week or so -- "wellness" visit and dermatologist -- and I should be done with doctors until the next round in March. Sigh. Getting old sucks.
What I need right now is several days with no appointments, no broken appliances, no distractions so that I can finish proofing and formatting the book. Fingers crossed that I get those days after today.
In the meantime, here's a couple of photos from my walk yesterday.
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2026-10-14 10:45:37 UTC

#WordWeavers 14. If your MC could ask their future self one question, what would they ask?
Nothing profound. Gavin Rownt might ask if he ended up staying in London or if he found his way into a position of training a nobleman's men at a countryside castle.

2026-10-14 09:49:39 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 14 - How do you feel when a show that is non-musical inserts an episode with a musical number?
As with everything, this can be done well or badly. I've seen shows where it irritated me and others where it charmed me.

2026-10-13 17:11:15 UTC

I'm old and grew up without a lot of fancy technology, so it still amazes me that I can get a phone call, answer it and talk, then hang up while I'm driving in my car and my actual phone is zipped securely inside my purse.

2026-10-13 12:09:09 UTC

#WordWeavers 13. What is something your MC would risk their life to protect but would struggle to explain why?
I can think of many things Gavin Rownt would risk his life to protect, but I cannot imagine him having a hard explaining why.

2026-10-13 11:50:16 UTC

Good morning!
#Today is Tuesday brunch day, and even though I'll hurt sitting in the restaurant later, I went out for my walk since I missed it yesterday and probably will tomorrow because of an early doctor's appointment.
Cool, foggy morning with 99% humidity. Argh. But every day there's more color in the trees and I love watching the leaves turn.
And then back to start proofreading Chapter 5 of the new Gavin Rownt book.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-12 19:58:59 UTC

It has turned into a beautiful, sunny day outside, with a temperature of 71F (21C). I have all my windows open, and up until an hour ago I was working on the book.
Then the flu decided vaccine to hit me hard with fatigue: I can hardly keep my eyes open. Luckily, being retired, I can just lean back and close my eyes and fall asleep. Talk to you guys later....
#Today

2026-10-12 11:08:56 UTC

Good morning!
I'm skipping the walk today. I just hurt all over this morning and don't have the spoons to do it. It's gray and cloudy out there, but they say the sun will come out this afternoon. Maybe I'll feel better then. I'll give you a photo from a different gray day a few weeks ago.
#Today I need to mail postcards and finally get my flu shot. I don't get it at the same time as the covid vaccine because I had a frightening reaction to doing that two years ago. I meant to get the flu jab last week, but then there were those furnace problems. Today's the day.
I'll get another 10% off coupon for doing it and will do a big grocery shop to make the coupon worthwhile.
And then back home to proofread this book one final time.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-12 09:44:29 UTC

#WordWeavers 12. Which relationship in your story changed the most from what you originally planned?
The relationships stayed the same, although a number of plot elements changed. To say which ones would involve spoilers.

2026-10-12 09:42:54 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 12. What do you specialise in, prose-wise?
Does this mean genre or specific aspects of prose? In genre, medieval mystery. Otherwise, I think I'm best at writing dialogue, though I wouldn't call that "specializing." I don't really understand the question.

2026-10-11 16:34:49 UTC

I hereby declare the editing of The Informant, my new Gavin Rownt Medieval Mystery, finished. I still need to do a final proofreading and formatting, but I shall hope to have it for sale very soon.
#Writing #Today

2026-10-11 11:58:14 UTC

Good morning!
The remnants of Isaias have reached us and we will have rain all day and into tomorrow morning. Having purchased a new raincoat and new waterproof shoes to walk in, I decided it was silly for me to stay in just because it was raining, so I went on out for my walk.
I saw no one else out there except three deer who seemed surprised to see me. My shoes kept my feet dry and a little too warm, which bodes well for wearing them when it gets colder.
Now I'm back and getting ready to work on the book again.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-11 11:37:15 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 11: What's a turn of phrase you've 'inherited' from someone else?
Saying, "you have the right of it" instead of "you're right." I don't know if it's a British-ism or an archaic turn of phrase, but it sounds like it ought to be medieval, so I have my characters say it. I inherited it from another historical fiction writer.

2026-10-11 11:35:09 UTC

#ScribesAndMakers 11. Is there a word whose meaning is benign that still grates on you for some reason?
"Journey" when used in a context like "your writing journey." I'm not a journey. I'm writing. Sheesh.
Oh, and "mindfulness" because the people who talk about it always sound so smug.

2026-10-11 10:40:20 UTC

#WordWeavers 11: Share a passage where the setting is doing as much storytelling as the characters.
Every surface that was not covered with bits of parchment, inkwells, quills, and writing knives was occupied by an instrument or machine ... Ore knew some were used to calculate the rising and setting of the planets and the locations of the fixed stars, others to calculate the times for the canonical hours when the bells called those in monastic orders to prayer.
Some of the instruments had, Ore believed, medical uses, though to his layman’s eye they resembled instruments of torture. Probes and speculums, forceps, lancets, and fleams, along with images on parchment and vellum showing the organs of the body along with the astrological correspondences of each. Yet Ore could not so much as guess what some of Matthias’s devices were intended to do. He suspected some had been devised merely for entertainment in a quest to discover just how complex an instrument could be.

2026-10-10 17:57:35 UTC

I spent today writing a potted history of the thirteenth-century rebellion of the Gascons against Simon de Montfort and the events that followed it up until the Battle of Evesham. I don't think my readers truly need to know all that to read The Informant, but a lot of them might be interested or just want to know what happened after the week in 1252 that the novel covers.
This book is slowly getting there....
#AmWriting #Today

2026-10-10 11:55:28 UTC

Good morning!
Achy walk this morning and only 43F (6C). I almost didn't go out. But I was rewarded by a beautiful sunrise and more trees turning color for fall. The geese were gone from the pond, but I saw a pair of ducks instead. I stopped for a moment to talk to a man walking two huge dogs. I'd seen him before a couple of times, but we'd never spoken. It turns out he walks them for an 83 year old woman who lives near me but who can no longer walk enough for her dogs.
And now, back to editing. I hope all my friends who were in the path of Isaias are safe and well.
#Today
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2026-10-10 11:46:03 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 10. Do you have a guiding principle as a writer?
Not that I can articulate. OMG, I'm an unprincipled writer.

2026-10-09 12:00:35 UTC

Good morning!
46F (7.7C) for my walk this morning. More trees starting to turn color, more fall decorations from my neighbors, another red sunrise. I was surprised to see a pair of geese in the pond; I thought they'd all flown south.
I have an errand to run this morning, then it's back to the (expletive deleted) book. I want to be finished with this one, but there's still work to be done.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on. And if you're in the path of Isaias, stay safe!
#Today
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2026-10-09 11:30:03 UTC

#WordWeavers 9. Your MC finds a letter addressed to them that was never meant to be delivered. Who wrote it, and what does it say?
Gavin Rownt would never know. Like the overwhelming majority of people in the 13th century, he's illiterate.

2026-10-08 22:55:32 UTC

I don't want to live in this country any longer. I want nothing to do with it. This is just sick.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-livestream-army-execution-fort-hood-shooter-pentagon-official-says-2026-10-08/
#SnuffFilm #Hegseth

2026-10-08 16:42:30 UTC

So today the orange pedophile is sending emails to all the Medicare users congratulating himself for sending the $90 to help pay for the $2400 cost. He thinks it will make us vote for the Republicans. Nope.

2026-10-08 11:57:06 UTC

Good morning!
Now that my furnace is fixed, I won't need it for a few days as the weather warms up again. I just needed a heavy sweatshirt, not a jacket, for my walk this morning, and this afternoon I may be able to open the windows again.
My neighborhood appears to be becoming infested with ghosts as the spooky season progresses, but so far they all seem friendly. Ghosts and pumpkins.
Another day of working on The Informant. I didn't get much done the past two days because of the furnace hassle, and I hope to make up for it #today.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-08 10:37:10 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 8: Tell us about someone who supports you on the sidelines.
My sister Linda, who beta reads everything I write. We live on opposite sides of the country, but she's still my best friend and supporter.

2026-10-07 18:38:38 UTC

Well, that was simple. The repairman is already gone. The problem was a safety switch inside the gas furnace that should have been on, but somehow got bumped by the previous tech so that it was in between "on" and "off."
Being in between registered as "off." So while the motor inside the furnace turned on like it was supposed to, the gas line was shut off and nothing ignited, which kept the fan from coming on automatically. I could still turn the fan on, but of course nothing had heated so the air coming from the registers was cold.
You probably didn't need to hear all that. It's fixed now and I don't need to pay anything for the service call. Hurrah!
#Today #FurnaceRepair

2026-10-07 11:49:10 UTC

Good morning!
Clear skies and 37F (2.7C) for my early-morning walk. This bodes well for more leaf color soon and I was warm enough in jacket and gloves. And then I saw a woman out walking her dog, wearing short shorts and a tank top. No, that's not right. She was wearing what looked like underpants and a camisole. I don't even want to know.
My house is cold since the maintenance tech apparently broke my furnace. Fingers crossed that the repair person (1) is not the same tech and (2) comes this morning and not this afternoon or evening since they refused to tell me a time and can show up as late as 8 p.m.
#Today I'll do laundry and work on my book and wait for the repair person.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
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2026-10-07 09:54:27 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 7. Does your editing process tend towards addition or reduction?
More towards addition. My writing tends to be underdeveloped. I don't spew words onto the screen; I write slowly and deliberately, each sentence taking the plot forward. Then I need to go back and put in descriptions and transitions and all the stuff the reader needs to follow the bare sentences I wrote.

2026-10-06 22:19:08 UTC

I'm cold and unhappy, so I need to think about #3GoodThings
1. I did a lot of work on my WIP today, and I believe I made it much better.
2. I don't need to go anywhere tomorrow, so I can be here when the heating person comes to fix the furnace, and I can work on my WIP while I wait.
3. Trump's $90 bribe appeared in my bank account today and I donated it to the Democrats.

2026-10-06 17:45:23 UTC

It's up to 59F (15C) outside, but my house is still quite cold inside. Tomorrow morning will be 41F (5C) outside, and I'm going to be cold in here. I am not happy with the heating company.
Maybe I should bake something in the morning tomorrow.

2026-10-06 12:34:02 UTC

Dammit. My furnace isn't working right even though I had the thing inspected and maintained a week ago. And they can't send anyone out to look at it until tomorrow.
One thing after another. At least it's not terribly cold.
#Today

2026-10-06 12:01:53 UTC

Good morning!
Bright sunny morning, but only 43F (6C) for my walk. I wore a jacket and my ear-warmer headband and was fine. More trees are turning color, more neighbors decorating for fall and Halloween.
Last night I got the feedback from my beta reader, and today I have nothing I need do except work on my book. I hope I can get a lot done.
Have a good one, my friends, and keep on keeping on.
#Today
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2026-10-06 11:39:14 UTC

#WritersCoffeeClub 6: What might an inattentive reader miss in your work?
The obvious-to-me clues as to who the killer is. I kind of count on people missing them.