Five Things - November 4, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. The Petrified Forest was amazing! Every time we visit a National Park, we are in awe, and this one did not disappoint. Allow me to geek out for a moment… The land that is now the desert containing the Petrified Forest in Arizona was once wet and lush. Then, over two hundred million years ago, the wood from this forest washed into an ancient river system and was buried by a massive amount of sediment. Over time, the organic material broke down and was replaced with minerals like silica. The tree trunks are no longer wood, but gorgeous quartz in an stunning array of colors. If you ever have the chance, it’s worth a visit!

2. We are now in our winter home at an RV resort in Indio, California, just south of Palm Springs. Our site has great outdoor living amenities like a full kitchen, dining area, and sitting room, with screens to block out the wind, sun, and occasional rain as needed. We wanted to do a little bit of work on it, like put on a new roof with heat lamps, fans, and recessed lighting, and have it painted, so it’s a little bit of a construction zone at the moment. I can walk across the street to one of the pool areas, however, so that’s where I’ll be doing my homework until things are finished here. Not too much of a hardship!

3. Before we arrived here, we made a week long stop in Orange to see our boys and their significant others. It’s so nice to be close by! Even here in the desert, it’s only a ninety minute drive, and when we really miss them, we can take our house and pets with us and head out for a visit.

4. Ray and I spent Halloween in Disneyland. Although I really wanted to dress up as Dorothy so Daisy could play Toto, this wasn’t the year for costumes. Instead, we went on our favorite rides, had an ice cream cone on Main Street, and reminisced about our favorite Disney trips with the kids over the years. It was a much needed fun ‘date’ day!

5. “Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.” – Sharon Salzberg

Five Things - October 21, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. Save the date! I’ll be in RI for the Annual Rhode Island Author Expo on Saturday, December 7, 2024. In addition to signing all my titles, including the HORIZON trilogy and my Maggie Clare romantic suspense series, I’ll be moderating a panel titled ‘Pathways to Publishing’ and hosting a Kaffeeklatsch discussion on the pros and cons of using a pen name, aptly titled ‘What’s in a Name?’ I know it seems early, but the holiday season will be here before we know it. I hope to see you there!

2. We’re spending our last few days in Albuquerque. So far, we’ve enjoyed the balloon festival, had dinner at a fantastic farm to table restaurant that we found last time we were here, enjoyed another great meal in a fancy place in Old Town, and practice yoga at some amazing studios. Our next stop is the Petrified Forest in Arizona. We haven’t been to a National Park in a while, and we’re both excited to experience this one. I’ll post pics on my Instagram!

3. So the balloons… Instead of braving the crowds, traffic, and crazy parking, we woke up at the crack of dawn and went to a local brewery. They opened their doors and patio at sunrise, so we took Daisy dog, our travel mugs, and watched the balloons float across the morning sky from a barstool. It was really cool, and we didn’t even remember it was happening until we arrived. Just another reason to love New Mexico!

4. In school, we’re studying mysteries and thrillers, and I’m currently working on a mystery story! Mystery is a genre that intimidates me, quite honestly. While I have incorporated many thriller elements into my own romantic suspense novels, and I've written suspense-heavy science fiction, mystery is a bit of a different animal. So, I've been eager to dig into the reading materials for this module in hopes for inspiration. Well, inspiration is happening, due in large part to better understanding the mechanics of how to make a mystery work. I'll still be stressed until I work out the exact plot and resolution for my own story, but I'm getting there!

5. Vote, my friends. It’s a privilege many in this world still don’t have. “Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.” - Roald Dahl

Five Things - October 7, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. In class, we’re starting a section on mysteries and thrillers. While I’m quite comfortable writing thrillers with twisty plots and high stakes, I have to admit, I don’t know much about mysteries. I don’t really read them, and I’ve never written one. That’ll change by next month since our next creative writing assignment is a mystery, so wish me luck!

2. It’s October already! When we started this journey, I wondered if the fall would still be my most productive writing time, and I’m pleased to report that I’m writing all the time! Much of this can be attributed to school, where I have no choice but to make content, workshop it, and move on to the next thing. It’s a fast pace, but writing faster was one of my goals for 2024. I’m also trying to find a home for whatever I create in class, whether that’s a podcast, anthology, or expanding the work.

3. When I’m starting a new writing project, I’m totally stressed out until I have the infrastructure worked out in my mind. Before I know where a story is heading, including the major plot points and character arcs, I spin. For me, the heavy lifting happens in the planning. Last week, I had to write a synopsis for a novel I haven’t written yet. A synopsis, for those wondering, is a two page summary of the entire book, complete with the ending. Most writers would rather have a tooth pulled than write a synopsis. Anyway, since I loved the premise for my short story ‘Run, Harry, Run,’ which I wrote for my last workshop, I wondered if it would make a good full-length novel. Once I worked through this synopsis exercise, I decided that yes, it will, so I’m adding it to the pile of projects on my list for this school year! If you’d like to read the opening scene, you can check it out on my alter-ego’s blog post here: Short Fiction Fun!

4. We’re still in Nashville. All our repairs were finished, and we got our brand new windshield, but just as we were about to head out of town, no hot water! That should be fixed by today, and then we’ll continue our westward trek. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be in Albuquerque by Saturday.

5. “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape.” – Cate Price

Five Things - September 23, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. We’ve been in South Carolina for a few days spending quality time with family. Highlights from the week include many, many laughs around the dinner table, excellent barbeque, and a great day watching Clemson football. Growing up in New England, we just don’t do college football like this. The energy and atmosphere, and the sea of orange in a stadium that seats over 80,000 people, was something to behold. They also won by a lot, so that was fun!

2. We’re heading to Nashville next, and I can’t wait to experience it. After some repairs on the RV, we’ll have another full week to explore. I’m making my list of things to do, but if anyone has suggestions…

3. I have to read a novel per week for school. I love that I can curl up with a cup of tea and a good book and call it homework!

4. I’m writing this on Sunday night because tomorrow is a travel day, so it’s actually the autumnal equinox. I often use this day to remind readers that I wrote a book titled EQUINOX, which is actually the third book in my HORIZON science fiction trilogy. If you haven’t checked it out, there’s no time like the present, or the equinox, or whatever! Here’s a LINK just in case.

5. "It's the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!" – Winnie the Pooh

Five Things - September 9, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may remember that I had to write a short story to workshop at residency for grad school this summer? I ended up crafting a flash fiction horror piece titled “Monster,” a modern day Frankenstein tale with an AI twist. While I’ve written and sold two horror stories in the past, this is not a genre I gravitate towards, and I've never tried to write flash fiction before (a short story under 1000 words). Well, I’m excited to report that Tales to Terrify acquired this awful little gem, and it will feature on their podcast sometime in the next couple of months! I’ll include a link here when it’s out. If you’d like to have a listen to my other horror stories, you can find them here: Goodbye, Charlie (story begins at 18:40), and Lady in Blue (story begins at 16:39).

2. Fall is in the air! My alter ego discussed my feelings on apple pie, pumpkin spice, and productivity on the ‘Dear Maggie’ blog. You can read that post here: It’s Pumpkin Spice Season!. In summary, fall is my most productive writing time, and it’s a good thing because grad school is a lot of work. Of course it is. It’s grad school. But I am no longer a spring chicken, and doing homework late into the night is a thing of the past, so I’ve been even more obsessive about planning my time. The calendar, notebooks, and to-do lists are back in full force! Those who know me understand I live and die by my organizational system, but truly this keeps me sane.

3. One thing, among many, that I love about my work life is the flexibility. I can plan my days and weeks around my personal rhythm to maximize productivity. The downside to this is that sometimes I don’t totally step away for weeks. As this semester kicks into high gear, I’ve committed to taking at least one full day a week completely off from work, school, and all writing related things. Ray and I are back on the road, and there’s so much to see! When we started this journey, we’d rock into town, make a list of all the things we wanted to do, along with the things we needed to accomplish that week, and make a plan. Well, we’re back to that strategy. Last week, we spent a whole day at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, reading in our beach chairs and wandering the boardwalk. This week, we’ve already got tickets to the Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian in DC, and reservations at one of our favorite restaurants in Georgetown. Next stop after this, Kentucky and Nashville!

4. Last week was our 31st wedding anniversary! Yes, you read that right. 31 years! We spent it on the beach and enjoyed a relaxing day together (that day off I mentioned above). People ask how we’re doing now that we essentially live in a tiny, mobile home as big as the bedroom in our last house. My reply is that we are having a blast! I feel incredibly grateful to be on this journey, not just the one in the RV but the one through life, with my best friend, partner in crime, and biggest fan. We look back on what we’ve accomplished together and feel gratified. We look ahead at the future we’re building and feel excited. Mostly, though, we look at each other and know we are with the person we want to be with most in the world.

5. “I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Five Things - August 26, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. I can’t believe we’re wrapping up our last few days in Rhode Island! Next week, we’ll hit the road again and head to Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi to finish our tour of the eastern United States. We’ll also be stopping in South Carolina for a long weekend to visit family before starting our trek back west. Our intent is to stay at each spot for about a week so I have time for school and Ray has time to work.

2. Yes, school is back in session this week, and I’ll admit, I’m slightly intimidated by the size of the reading list and the amount of required writing, but I do love deadlines, so I’m ready to dive in!

3. As the summer winds down, and I have to get serious about school, I also need to get serious about my physical health. It’s great fun when life feels like a party every day, but I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I have a lot of work to do this fall and I need better sleep, so I’m implementing my plan for ‘dry September’ a week early. I’ll be the one drinking herbal tea on my Zoom meetings, LOL.

4. Ray and I got to see Zac Brown and Kenny Chesney at Gillette Stadium this past weekend. While I am not generally a huge country fan, Zac is one of my favorites along with Chris Stapleton, who we got to see in Denver last year. Aside from expanding my musical palette so to speak, I use these country music concert opportunities to showcase my amazing collection of cowboy boots!

5. “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.” — G. Randolf

Five Things - August 12, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. I’ll be teaching an in-person class at Rogers Free Library on Monday, August 19th at 7:00 pm. The topic is one I love to talk about, and it’s a popular program I’ve hosted on previous webinars and discussed on panels. It’s titled ‘Editing: Soup to Nuts’ and here’s the blurb…

   For many authors, the editing process is a daunting one, but a well edited manuscript can mean the difference between a book that’s ready for the world and a document that sits in a drawer collecting dust. Let’s talk about the different parts of the editing process and how to successfully find and work with an editor. We’ll also spend time discussing the goals of a developmental edit and how to work effectively with beta readers or critique partners. Learn practical techniques that will help make the editing process efficient, effective, and satisfying!

   You can register HERE. Writers friends, maybe I’ll see you there!

2. We’re slowly checking off musical bucket list items as we travel the country, and I finally, finally got to see Green Day! The concert was at Fenway Park. We had great seats (thank you, Ray!), the band did not disappoint, and I got a cool new t-shirt.

3. Since returning to RI from residency, we’ve been doing ALL THE THINGS, from concerts, to dinner dates at our old favorite hang-outs, to Block Island, to time with family and friends. So far, it’s been a wonderful whirlwind of activity, but I may need a vacation from my vacation as I am no longer in my 30’s or even my 40’s. Not sure how it happened, but apparently I’ve been alive for more than half a century. This is shocking, even to me, but true. Taking a down day at a friend’s house yesterday and just chatting and sitting by the water was just what the old body called for. I may have to build a few more days like that into the schedule.

4. My shipment of school books has arrived for the fall semester, and wow, it’s a big pile! I had to clean out a couple of shelves to house all my new book babies, and they all look fantastic. Our focus in the fall will be the mystery, thriller, and romance genres. Not only will we be reading and analyzing novels from those genres, but we’ll be writing our own stories. It’ll be an adventure for sure.

5. “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” ― Paulo Coelho

Five Things - July 30, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may have noticed you’re receiving this on a Tuesday instead of Monday. It's been more and more challenging for me to get my Monday blogs up on time due to my school schedule and the fact that Monday’s are often travel days for us. With that in mind, I’m experimenting with posting on Tuesdays for the third quarter of 2024. We’ll see how it goes!

2. I’m back from my residency, and wow, it was everything I could have imagined and more! Our cohort is just an amazing group of people. We bonded quickly and spent nearly every waking moment together. The class workshops were positive, productive, and supportive. It was like having your best beta readers, who care deeply about you and your work, live with you for a week. I’ve never formally workshopped my writing before, and with this group, it was a fantastic experience. The rest of our days were filled with craft talks offered by the graduating class, readings from their theses, and faculty craft talks, which were superb. It was a lot of work, but so satisfying. I feel confident I made the right choice with this program. We all have a couple of weeks off before the more intense fall semester begins, so I may just sleep for a few days straight!

3. “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” - Brene Brown

4. I’m on a cleaning spree. While we’re stationary for a while, I have a list of all the cabinets, drawers, and storage spaces that needs sorting. Since I packed nearly everything I own for my trip to Colorado, unpacking provided the perfect opportunity to tackle the first project. I cleaned my clothes closets and drawers and produced a giant garbage bag full of stuff to donate. I don’t know how things accumulate so quickly, but living in such a small space, there’s only so much that can fit. My remaining clothes are now sorted by type of clothing and color, and it makes my little OCD heart very happy.

5. Sometimes, I forget what airport I’m flying into. It’s a strange phenomenon. Although I am going home, our home isn’t stationary. I remember when we started this journey, we marveled that when we shut the shades at night and our pets curled up on the bed with us, no matter where we were in the country, we were home. Being back in Rhode Island, where we actually owned a home for decades, I wondered if we would feel differently. I am pleased to say our tiny, mobile home still feels like home!

Five Things - July 15, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. We are officially in Rhode Island for the summer! In some ways, it feels like we never left, and in others, I feel a little displaced. It’s home but not really home anymore, if that makes sense? Regardless, summer is in full swing here, and since it’s the Ocean State, I look forward to lazy days on the beach, barbecues with family and friends, music, concerts, and lots of laughter. I know time is going to fly, so I’m attempting to live in the moment, soak up the sunshine, and enjoy it all – just as soon as I get back from residency.

2. Residency is almost here! I’ve completed the rather daunting reading list, caught up on all my assignments, participated in the summer online classes and discussion boards, and I am finishing up the short story due in a few days. I’m really excited to meet my cohort in person and dive into the coursework more deeply. I’ll let you know how it goes.

3. One of the fun things about this grad school program is the discussion board conversations we’ve been having online. We recently had one on vulnerability, something I’ve blogged about many times in the past. I’ll share my small part of the conversation here as I think it’s relevant to all creative types.

   We are not our work, but creative work can feel more personal to us, closer to our hearts. Even when writing genre fiction to entertain our readers, there is still something of ourselves woven into it in a way that's different from other types of work. Layer onto this the fact that in the writing/publishing field there is a very real intersection between art and industry, and that space can be uncomfortable. I've learned I need to behave differently, and think about what I'm doing differently, when I'm creating vs. when I'm working on the business side of things. When I'm writing, I do so with discipline but also with the heart of an artist. I am creating. It's my process. It's my art. I want it to be the best it can be, but I am not thinking about my agent, the publishing house, the current trends, marketing, promo etc. Not yet. But I will think about those things, and I will have to shift my mindset. Rejection is part of the process. Bad sales are an opportunity to learn more about the market. A bad review might have a nugget of truth worth thinking about, or it might be an opportunity to remember my work isn't for everyone. It's always a choice to take things personally, to be upset, angry, frustrated when things don't go as we'd hoped, but it's also a choice to show up and do the work professionally, to be open to learning, and to keep creating.

4. The short story I’m working on is a creepy horror piece. I don’t write a lot of horror but every once in a while the dark side of my brain latches onto an idea, and I can’t let it go. Sinking into that space is a little unnerving, but there’s also something very satisfying about writing outside my comfort zone. I have to share this piece at residency, and I honestly don’t know how it will be received, but I do feel like it will be an opportunity for me to grow as a writer, and that’s the whole point of my new endeavor.

5. "We may never be strong enough to be entirely nonviolent in thought, word, and deed. But we must keep nonviolence as our goal and make strong progress towards it." - Mahatma Gandhi

Five Things - July 2, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may have noticed you’re receiving this on a Tuesday instead of Monday. It's been more and more challenging for me to get my Monday blogs up on time due to my school schedule and the fact that Monday’s are often travel days for us. With that in mind, I’m experimenting with posting on Tuesdays as the third quarter of 2024 begins. We’ll see how it goes!

2. Speaking of school, the summer session is in full swing! We’re currently in our reading period for Fundamentals of Genre Fiction, meeting weekly for the Common Read, and by residency, I’ll have finished drafting a short story to workshop. I’ve written and sold many short stories over the years, but working without a specific prompt or theme had me pretty stressed out! Fortunately, I spent Dallas Fan Expo with two of my best writing pals, and I talked through an idea with them until it felt solid enough to run with. Writing is often a solitary endeavor, but the experience of being a writer isn’t. Having a supportive community of creative friends and colleagues makes all the difference.

3. Ray and I are finishing our official tour of New England, and we’ll be in Rhode Island for the rest of the summer by next week. While we’ve both spent plenty of time in each of these states, our rule is that we have to spend the night in the RV in order to put the corresponding sticker on our map, hence the whirlwind, slightly exhausting tour of the Northeast!

4. July 1st marked the first day of the second half of 2024. At the midpoint of the year, I make it a habit to review what I’ve accomplished and what I still have on my professional to-do list. Just as importantly, I try to assess my personal health and well-being. At the moment, I have a nasty cold, so my head is a little foggy, but I’ll be spending time this week reflecting, course-correcting, and prioritizing for the second half of the year. It’s a solid practice, and one I highly recommend!

5. “May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” — Peter Marshall

Five Things - June 17, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. First off, wishing a happy thirtieth birthday to our beautiful daughter-in-law, Leslie! We couldn’t have chosen a better partner for our son, or a kinder, lovelier person to join our family. Two days after her birthday, our third son, R.J. turns twenty-two. A while back I wrote a birthday post for him which you can read HERE, and all those sentiments still apply. He’s an amazing kid who is turning into an amazing adult, and we are so proud.

2. A few reflections from Dallas Fan Expo… I’ve been signing books at these sorts of events for about seven years now, and I definitely feel all those seven years, mostly in my lower back! The weekend was exhausting, but it was also invigorating and inspiring to meet people who share a love of science fiction, fantasy, and pop culture. It was also fantastic to hang out with my bestie writer pals for an entire weekend. We filled the room for our panel, met dozens of aspiring writers and gamers, ate incredible bbq, and laughed until our faces hurt. All in all, it was another successful adventure, and we look forward to Chicago Fan Expo next year.

3. Ray and I just spent a fun couple of weeks in Ohio. Yes, that’s correct, Ohio. Ray has cousins there we love to see, and we both used the convenient and easy John Glenn Columbus International Airport for travel. Even if this weren’t the case, this is one of those times when, because we are in our RV and we can’t always stay in the big, metropolitan areas, we have to find these cute little towns to drop anchor. Delaware, Ohio was just adorable, and the surrounding towns of Westerville and Dublin equally as charming. A good time was had by all!

4. Yesterday, we visited Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. It was pretty cool to be standing in a place we all read about in our history books. With both feet in West Virginia, and while overlooking the exact spot where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac, you can throw a stone and hit Maryland on one side of the water and Virginia on the other. It’s a truly magical spot.

5. Today we arrived in South Jersey, so we’re officially back on the East Coast! We’ll be darting up through New England later this week and then hanging out in little Rhody from mid-July until after Labor Day. We’re really looking forward to spending time with family and friends in the next few weeks! Happy almost summer everyone!

Five Things - June 3, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. Dallas Fan Expo is right around the corner! In fact, I’m sorting through my table swag as we speak. Since we’ve been on the road, I haven’t attended nearly as many in-person book singings or events as I have in years’ past, so I’m really looking forward to hanging out with my fellow science fiction and fantasy writer pals, meeting new fans, and otherwise soaking up the atmosphere unique to Comic Cons. I’ll be moderating a panel on Saturday at 11 am titled, “A Hero, an Antihero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar,’ where we’ll have a lively discussion on character development. If you’re in the Dallas area June 7-9, come say hello!

2. School started last week! Our first class mostly focused on reviewing the course syllabus, meeting classmates, and navigating our way around the technology we’ll be using for the following few years. Nonetheless, it’s happening! I’m really back in school, and I love it already!

3. You may have noticed I’ve stopped posting our travel schedule at the end of each blog. Lately, we’ve been taking shorter hops as we trek back east, and we’ve also had to be a little more flexible with our plans. It got to be too complicated and time consuming to update the schedule here, however, I can share our general plan along with a few of our longer stops over the coming months. We’re here in Columbus, Ohio until June 14th. We hop around New England for a bit, then spend July 2-10 in Portland, ME before setting up camp in Rhode Island for the rest of the summer. I’ll be flying out to residency in Colorado from RI at the end of July. Looks like a fun summer!

4. For the first time in our travels, I had a small melt-down when we pulled into a site. It had been raining, our plans had to change last minute due to some necessary repair work on the RV, and I’d been driving more than not for a few consecutive days. Exhaustion won out and I had a good cry in the middle of setting up. I’m pleased to report, the cry was cathartic and the feeling passed quickly.

5. We’ve seen and done some amazing things while on the road. We’ve explored National Parks, visited small towns and big cities, muddied up our Jeep off-roading, and so much more. Missing our Rhode Island community has been one of the only difficult things about our nomadic life, but we’ve also been able to spend time with family and friends around the country that we might not have had a chance to see otherwise. In Kansas City we watched a Royals game with a long time work friend, and I got to hang out with writers I’d met years ago at my very first World Con. In Wisconsin, we barbecued with friends who we’d previously known only virtually. In Ohio, we’ve been spending time with family, and Daisy dog is even having a sleep-over at a cousin’s house due to some complicated work travel for Ray and me. We’re making the most of our time, for sure, even as we miss our beloved RI community.

Five Things - May 20, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. Over the last ten days I’ve had a whirlwind of travel, and not in the RV. First, I flew to my sister and brother-in-law’s place in Folsom to spend Mother’s Day with my parents who were there visiting. A fabulous time was had by all. We ate, we drank, we laughed, and we got to spend some really memorable quality time together. Then, I flew to Portland to help our daughter move in to her first ever apartment. That was wonderful, but needless to say, I need a vacation from that particular vacation. Finally, I flew back to Chicago to meet up with Ray, who proceeded to fly to the west coast for work the next day. When life moves at this kind of pace, I sometimes wake up in the morning with no idea where I am or what day it is! Yesterday, after driving Ray to the airport, I went to a hot yoga class, sorted and organized my work tasks, and then cuddled up on the recliner with a good book for a reset. Hopefully, this will be a productive and less hectic week, and I will at least remember where I am when I open my eyes in the morning!

2. While I was in Sacramento, I tagged along with my sis and bro-in-law to a Pearl Jam concert, and wow, it did not disappoint. I’d been listening to a compendium of their work from the last several decades, and I downloaded their new album, Dark Matter, to get familiar with the new stuff. On the plane from Sac to Portland, the guy next to me noticed my concert t-shirt and was all excited because he’d just seen them as well. We chatted and laughed like swooning teens, which we obviously were not.

3. “Music is the soundtrack of your life.” - Dick Clark

4. Although Ray and I have been camped outside Chicago for almost two weeks, we haven’t been able to do much here due to our individual travel, but we did get to spend one day together in the city with Ray’s cousin at a Cubs game. The last time we visited Wrigley Field, our oldest had just finished boot camp, and he had around six hours of liberty to spend with us. After taking him out to dinner, we opted to hang out at a baseball game for the afternoon. He was in his dress whites, and I behaved like a nervous mama worrying about potential mustard and beer spills! We still laugh about it. As we watched the game this past weekend, I couldn’t help but reflect on all that’s happened between then and now. COVID shut the world down. Ray had a serious medical issue that rocked our world. Our son in the Navy deployed for seven months. He got married. Our youngest two children left for college. We sold our home of twenty years and bought an RV. One of my college roommates died. Ray and I crossed the country and traveled up and down both coasts. I wrote more books and applied to graduate school. Honestly, I never could have predicted or imagined most of these things. When I reflect on it all, I’m reminded that each moment is precious, worry is pointless because we can’t even fathom all the things we might worry about, and love and family transcend time and distance. Okay, I’m officially finished waxing poetic!

5. Dallas Fan Expo is right around the corner. I’ll be there June 7-9 signing books at booth A307. You can also catch me moderating a panel titled, “A Hero, an Antihero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar…” The program schedule will be coming soon. If you’re in the area, stop in and say hello!

Five Things - May 6, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. My first semester of school starts next month! It’s the summer semester, which includes residency, and I’ve registered for my classes, paid my tuition bill, and booked my travel plans. Grad school has been a long time coming, and I can’t wait to get started!

2. I had to get a new laptop last week. The screen on my old one wasn’t behaving and the battery wouldn’t hold a full charge, all signs of imminent failure. I didn’t want to wait until the last minute, but never in my experience purchasing and setting up new laptops has the process ever gone smoothly. Usually, I get home thinking I’ve asked the Genius Bar guy all my questions, but then it turns out my office suite is outdated and my spreadsheets look like gibberish, or my calendar events aren’t showing up, or my contacts won’t synch, or a whole bunch of files are hiding somewhere and I can’t find them, or every single application is logged out. I may sound a bit jaded, but after hours in the store, I’ve never come home and had a smooth transition. Well, I am pleased to report, I approached this mission with a very detailed list of ALL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS, and now everything works. I’m almost afraid to say it aloud for fear the laptop gremlins will hear, but it's true. All is well in my tech world, at least for now.

3. We’re leaving Kansas City today, and it was definitely a fun stay! We caught a Royals game with a good friend of ours, and when Ray had to travel for work, I convinced my bestie to get a last minute plane ticket and come explore KC with me. Per usual, we had a great time. We ate some delish barbecue, found a great yoga studio, and binge watched Netflix. A writer friend of mine lives here, and he took us to his favorite spot, a really cool Irish pub with live music. We also crashed his weekly writer’s group gathering, after which we ended up closing down another bar. Kansas City is the site of the very first World Con I ever attended, so I have a soft spot for this city, and it didn’t disappoint!

4. A not so fun thing about the midwest – tornadoes. They’ve been touching down all around us. We left Nebraska just a day before a big one hit a few miles from where we’d been staying, and we’re heading into more unsettled weather. In these places, we have our animal carriers out and ready, we’ve located the storm shelter, and we keep the stuff we need for a quick exit all in one place. Hopefully, we won’t actually have to make a run for it in the middle of the night with four cats and a dog, but you never know!

5. If you are in the Dallas area, I’ll be signing books all weekend at Dallas Fan Expo June 7-9 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. I’ll post my full schedule soon, and maybe I’ll see you there!

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

Five Things - April 22, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. You may notice that this week’s blog doesn’t show our itinerary. As we head east for the summer, and then cross back to the west coast for the holidays, we plan to be a little more fluid with our travel plans. I’ll be starting school and will need time to work, we have some repairs scheduled for our moving house, and in general, we’re more comfortable being flexible.

2. Arkansas was much prettier than I expected! Rolling hills, green fields, flowering trees, and of course, the Ozark lakes. We spent a week at Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas side, and it was lovely. Definitely a place we’d vacation, but it was a bit isolated for us while we were trying to live our day-to-day lives. The nearest ‘town,’ and I use the term generously, was about forty minutes away, so it was a challenge to grocery shop, exercise, or pretty much do anything besides work and enjoy the scenery. Like I said, lovely if we were vacationing, but a long week otherwise.

3. Over the last few days, we’ve stopped in Arkansas, Kansas, and Nebraska, and now we’re heading to Kansas City, MO for a few weeks. My thoughts on middle America - there are a lot of cows and fields. A lot. However, I’ve been to KC a few times for book events, and Ray and I have a good friend who lives there, so I remember enjoying the city quite a bit. We have dinner plans, a date to watch the Royals play, and I’ve already found a yoga studio and a hair salon I’m hoping to hit up. It seems I’m more of a city mouse at heart!

4. Last week was my orientation for grad school. It was great to have everyone from the program in the same room, virtually of course, and hear from instructors and students alike. I’ve already made my travel plans for residency this summer and set up my school email account. It’s starting to feel real! I suppose when we write out that first tuition check, it’ll feel even more real, LOL.

5. Wind is my driving nemesis. I am comfortable driving this beast in rain or snow, over tight mountain passes, and up and down hills, but the wind is a challenge. As I write this post and get ready to pack up for our trek to Kansas City, the breeze is blowing. Yikes! She handles well, and I know intellectually that a good gust won’t blow us off the road, but it’s still really nerve-wracking. Wish me luck!

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

Five Things - April 8, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. We’re here in Fredericksburg, Texas for the eclipse, and it’s pretty cloudy. There are still a few hours before the moon starts inching its way across the sun, so I’m hopeful for better visibility. Fingers crossed!

2. At the end of the week, we’ll be heading out of Texas to finish our trek northeast on our way to New England. I’m excited to explore parts of the country we didn’t get to the last time we crossed the continent. Next week, the Ozarks!

3. I can’t believe the first quarter of the year is behind us already. At the start of each new quarter, I review my intentions and goals for the year, evaluate, and refine the specifics for the next few months. Much of my professional focus for the year so far has been on building my alter-ego Maggie Clare’s brand and finishing the final three books of a seven book romantic suspense series I started working on during COVID. I still need to be pretty aggressive with my writing schedule, but I’m pleased with my progress so far. Tomorrow, subscriber’s to Maggie’s newsletter will get a sneak peek at the opening chapter for one of those books. If the steamy stuff is your jam, you can follow me at msmaggieclare.com. My blog ‘Dear Maggie’ runs on alternate Mondays and is a fun, playful Q&A where I answer everything from why Maggie Clare is my pen name, to my favorite book boyfriends, to how I feel about bad reviews. Have a look!

4. My first summer session of grad school is just around the corner! I have a new student virtual orientation next week, and pretty soon I’ll be booking my flight to Colorado for the residency. It’s starting to feel real!

5. Dallas Fan Expo is also just around the corner. I’ll be there from June 7-9 with a few of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy author pals signing books and otherwise making mischief. Stay tuned for more intel on our panel schedule and booth location. If you are in the Dallas area, please stop by and say hello!

Five Things - March 24, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. We’re still in Austin! After a quick trip to Dallas to get some work done on the RV, we decided to head right back. Ray had some business travel, and my bestie planned to join me while he was away, but our spot in Dallas didn’t give us the warm fuzzies. One of the perks of life on the road is changing your plans last minute, so because Austin is such a fun spot, and I feel more comfortable here, we opted to move things around a bit. When I asked Amy, literally the day before her flight, if she could change her ticket, she did so with enthusiasm. A high school friend of ours lives near Austin, so in addition to being in a cool spot, we knew we’d get bonus girl time together…

2. And girl time rocks! It totally feeds the soul.

3. Supernatural fans, you’ll appreciate this…Amy and I had pizza and beer and listened to the house band at the Family Business Beer Company, co-owned by Jensen Ackles of Supernatural fame. While there were no famous sightings, and no sign of Baby the Impala, I did get a really cool new hat!

4. Last week, the vernal equinox officially marked the beginning of spring on planet Earth. Even in these southern latitudes, I’ve felt the effects of winter’s shorter days, and I am very pleased to be on the other side of that. Unrelated to Earth’s tilted axis but still noteworthy, did you know I wrote a book titled Equinox? It’s actually the third book in my Horizon science fiction trilogy, so you might want to check out the others first. If you haven’t had a look, here’s a link: HORIZON TRILOGY

5. "Women's friendships are like a renewable source of power." - Jane Fonda

   "A good friend knows all your best stories, but a best friend has lived them with you." - Unknown

   "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." - Bernard Meltzer

Our itinerary, subject to change:

March 10 - April 5: Austin, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

Five Things - March 11, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. We hit a pretty good snow squall driving out of New Mexico, and I have to admit, that was not on my bingo card for March! I grew up driving in the snow, though, so I was not intimidated, and the RV handles really well in most weather conditions. The only thing that ever makes me nervous while driving is wind, and the little spring squall wasn’t all that windy. Despite the unseasonable wintery weather, we really love New Mexico. This second pass through was shorter than the first, but still magical. We woke up every morning to hot air balloons drifting across the blue sky, had dinner at a great farm to table restaurant, and I got to practice at a terrific yoga studio. New Mexico still gets high marks in all categories!

2. Last week we traveled from Vegas to Winslow, Arizona, through Albuquerque, New Mexico, to land here in Austin, Texas for SXSW. It was a lot of driving, but also a lot of fun. I got to check off Meteor Crater from my bucket list, and Ray and I stood on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, and it was such a fine sight to see! Back to Meteor Crater… I’ve seen it from the sky, but to stand at the edge and imagine the moment of impact, the incredible amount of energy that must have been exchanged, was awe-inspiring, and, from a geological time perspective, the impact happened like a minute ago! Really, really cool stuff.

3. We’re here in Austin for SXSW because Noah, kid #2, is performing stand-up comedy at the festival. We’re super excited for him and really proud, despite the fact that sometimes we are the focus of his jokes.

4. This week, my alter-ego, Maggie Clare, will write the final chapter of another book. At the end of any project, I always feel a profound moment of relief that I can actually still do this thing. And by this thing, I mean tell a story start to finish, complete with a plot and characters and everything. You’d think by now, I’d be confident in that ability, but not so. With every book, I have a moment somewhere in the middle where I feel like I’ve lost the plot and I question why I ever thought I could write in the first place. When I finally hit the end, all that insecurity disappears, at least temporarily, and I’m inspired to keep going.

5. U2 at the Sphere was amazing. Bono is a legend. That is all.

Our itinerary, subject to change:

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

Five Things - February 26, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. Ray and I took Daisy hiking at Red Rock Canyon. I’ve been there once before, but every trail provides a different experience and view. This time, we put Daisy in a carrier and did a relatively moderate hike. When they say ‘moderate’ they do mean it. It may have only been 2.2 miles, but elevation and rocky terrain make for a fun journey. Check out my Instagram to see some gorgeous photos of the day. We really never get tired of seeing the country like this!

2. Okay, so we’re in Vegas, and when Ray booked us here, I grumbled a little. I’ve had fun in Vegas the two times I’ve been here. Great food, great shows, great hiking (see above), but I can only tolerate so much of the noise and spectacle. Ray could live here. We’re very different people, as anyone who knows us can attest, but I have to admit, I am having a really good time. Our home base is an RV resort that’s just beautiful. The site itself has a fantastic outdoor living space, complete with a bar, fireplace, sink, grill, and cool night lighting. The pool is toasty warm, the hot tub bubbly, and the people super friendly. We’re also a few miles outside the strip, so we don’t have to deal with any of it unless we want to. We’ve had one fantastic dinner and show night at Caesar’s Palace, and our big splurge happens next weekend when we’ll see U2 at the Sphere. Sometimes, it’s the places I’m not sure about that turn out to be pleasant surprises!

3. The mobile cat groomer is coming today, and just in time. I never realized how much difference it makes to have them regularly bathed and clipped. Living in such close quarters with our furry friends means our furniture gets, well, furry. I’ve been told it’s their undercoat that sheds apparently, and a good grooming takes care of that for about six months. Who knew?

4. Related, when the animals get a deep cleaning, so does the RV. Today, I am taking the comforters and chair covers to the laundry on-site. We have a washer and dryer on board, but they aren’t big enough for our king sized blankets and quilt. Most RV parks have laundry, and I love the wireless app that connects to the machines, turns them on, adds funds, and alerts you when your load is finished. It’s the little things!

5. As the end of February approaches, I’m pleased to say that for once in my writing career, I am on target with my goals. I’ve been working on my alter ego Maggie Clare’s romantic suspense series, with the intent to finish the final three books before school starts in June. My ‘writing sprint’ technique seems to be getting the job done, and I’m hopeful all three will be ready for the editor by the end of May. Fingers crossed!

Our itinerary, subject to change:

February 16 - March 4: Las Vegas, NV

March 4 - March 6: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 6 - 9: Albuquerque, NM

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

Five Things - February 12, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. We’re in Palm Springs now, and wow this place is pretty! It’s mostly desert, but snow capped mountains ring the low, flat, sandy terrain, and the sky is just the brightest blue. Our National Park tour continued with a visit to Joshua Tree, and per usual, we were in awe. We’re only here for another week, and Ray is traveling for most of it, so we’re definitely planning a return trip!

2. Did I mention my husband is traveling this week, so I will be all alone for Valentine’s Day? Please send pity and chocolate.

3. It’s birthday season in our family, which is always fun, although I don’t think we’ll see any of the kids on their actual birthdays this year. Noah, kid #2 just turned 26, which is significant as this is the age when he gets kicked off our insurance policy. Adulting, as they are all learning, is sometimes not as much fun as it should be.

4. However, one of the really fun things about having adult children is watching them pursue their passions and become these really cool, interesting people. Noah, the kid referenced above, is a stand-up comedian and writer. He was invited to perform at SXSW in Austin, Texas this March, and we’ve rerouted our trip to be there for the festival. So excited!

5. I have another ‘sip and sprint’ virtual meet up tonight, and I’m really looking forward to it. As I explained on my last post, the idea behind a writing sprint is to block out any distractions and then write as much as you can in a short amount of time, which is how I’ve been structuring my writing time lately. I’m making good progress, but this kind of group enthusiasm, accountability, and encouragement is something I’ve missed since we’ve been on the road. These little get togethers with my future classmates also make grad school feel real. Just a few more months…

Our itinerary, subject to change:

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 4: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 4 - 8: Albuquerque, NM

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien