cruise

We’re Back!

/ authordianemhow / 10 Comments

Absence makes the heart grow founder. That’s what I’ve heard. I hope that’s true because I’m eager to reconnect with all of you. It has been quite a while but I did promise not to fill your inbox with too many posts.

So, who are we? Well, me of course, and you’ll have to keep reading to find out who else.

I had some exciting writing news this year when Writers Digest informed me my essay Threads of Life, was awarded Honorable Mention in the Memoirs/Personal Essay category of the 93rd Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. There were 3,571 submissions in this year’s competition, spanning 44 countries! I was pretty pumped.

A few days later, I learned my last novel, Burning Embers Book One, Spark to Flame, won second place in best fiction in the Missouri Writers Guild Annual Contest. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, the eBook is free for those with Kindle Unlimited. It is also available in paperback. Here’s a link https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Flame-Burning-Embers-Book-ebook/dp/B0CJDBBGJS

Although I’ve spent most of the year writing, I did manage to squeeze in a two-week trip to Europe. What an amazing and educational journey! My daughter and sister-in-law joined me and we flew to Rome where we spent a few days touring the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s square. Of course, we also walked inside the Colosseum! Wow!

From Rome, we boarded a Carnival cruise ship which took us to Kusadasi Turkey, four ports in Greece (Mykonos, Santorini, Athens, and Katakolon) and then onto Messina Sicily, Pompei Naples, and back to Rome. Here’s another pic from Santorini.

Five hundred and eighty-eight steps to get to the top. Fortunately, they have a cable car too.

I could fill this newsletter with dozens more photos from my trip, but instead, I want to stay focused on my big news. The “We’re back” part of my title.

Fans of The Dahlonega Sisters voiced disappointment when the series ended. Well, guess what? Mutzi, Marge, and Rose Ellen are returning in a new series titled Skipping Stone Lodge, New Beginnings.

You are the first to hear about it and if you read further, you’ll get a glimpse of the beautiful cover. Here’s a little hint what the story is about.

Chuck Hansen is ready to pay it forward. Only three years earlier, fresh out of prison and stuck in a downward spiral, his long-lost sisters Rose Ellen, Marge, and Mutzi appeared, giving him hope and a new life. Chuck is determined to repay their kindness and prove to the town of Dahlonega who he really is. His sisters rally to support him when he proposes creating a peaceful sanctuary called Skipping Stone Lodge.

But one impulsive decision to help a troubled young man puts Chuck right back where he started—behind bars. In a flash, everything he’s worked for is on the line. Can he count on his newly found sisters to help him rewrite his future, or is this one mistake too many?

Here is the cover. Wouldn’t you love to spend a little time there? I’d never want to leave!

My original release date of November 1, 2024, may be delayed until December 1, 2024, but I’ll keep you informed.

If you’ve read this far, please take another minute to leave a reply. Even a thumbs-up keeps me motivated and might win you a copy of Spark to Flame!

Thanks for following me and giving me a reason to continue writing. I’d love to hear what has kept you busy all summer. Drop me a line on the blog or on Facebook! I always take time to respond.

Diane

No After Cruise Blues

/ authordianemhow / 5 Comments

I did it!

My first cruise and my first time outside of the USA. No fear. Just fun!

Recently, my daughter and I set sail for the Eastern Caribbean. What a fantastic experience!

Carnival Celebration

Laura impressed me with her travel knowledge and skills. If it were up to me, I’d still be standing in the wrong line at the airport trying to figure out how to get my luggage tags. She guided us quickly through a maze of travelers via the short TSA line and to our gate.

We arrived in Miami a day early to reduce the worry of a flight delay or cancellation. She’d arranged transportation from the hotel to the port the next morning , and before long, we were herded along with 5,000 other cruisers onto the ship. She’d selected a wonderful ocean view stateroom with a balcony.

The launch party certainly set the mood. Music, dancing, Caribbean Coladas-and a fun-loving cruise director.

I trailed my daughter like a little puppy the first two days afraid I’d get lost and never see her again. When I wasn’t trying to remember which of the nineteen decks held our room, the lido, and of course, the casino, I was challenged with figuring out forward, aft, port, and starboard.

All the walking helped offset the some of the weight gain from visiting the dozens of the food venues. Of course we had to test them all – well, most of them. We did splurge on the Fahrenheit 555 Steak House and Bonsai Teppanyaki, a Japanese steak house. So worth it!

Our first port stop was at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic where we experienced monkeys up close and personal at Monkeyland Punta Cana. It was a little unnerving as they climbed all over me, but I didn’t freak out and they were cute.

The following morning we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Even though it was hot and humid, Laura and I hiked two and a half miles uphill to one of the historical forts. https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

Later that evening, we set sail for St. Maarten island and when we woke the next morning, we were already in port on the Dutch side ruled by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The other side is the French Republic. We spent the day browsing through shops, wading in the pristine waters, and lounging under an umbrella sipping cold beer.

The Celebration ship is the largest in Carnival’s fleet. At capacity, it can accommodate 6,5003 passengers plus 1,735 crew members. The enormous size impressed me as we passed numerous smaller cruise ships along the way. However, when we docked in port at St. Maarten next to the largest cruise ship in the world, Wonder of the Sea, I had to laugh.

Hopefully this is the first of many new experiences I’ll enjoy in this chapter of my life. I’m keeping an open mind and kicking fear to the curb! Meanwhile, stay tune for news about The Dahlonega Sisters. Coming soon!

I’d love to hear about your adventures. Drop me a line!