Halloween 2023 and NaNoWriMo

Halloween / NaNoWriMo / Pond Investigation Mysteries / Writing

I hope you all had as much fun as we did celebrating Halloween this year. So many children! I spent the evening in the booth, greeting trick-or-treaters and sharing personalized fortunes. For school-age kids: “You will have a major sugar high tomorrow! Be nice to your teachers.” For one young boy, I predicted what he was about to say. I kept his candy hidden and told him, “You are about to say, ‘Wow, that’s a full-size candy bar!’” When I plopped the full-size candy bar into his hand, he said those words exactly. I swear! Either I am the real deal or I’m great at giving out candy on Halloween. You decide.

Halloween is followed by November’s National Novel Writing Month. It was difficult, but I dragged my tired carcass out of bed, started the coffeemaker, and picked up my favorite purple metal pen. A little more than an hour later, I had one thousand (and eight) words written in my notebook. I’m thankful for the prep-work I did over the summer, which is making writing the first draft of my third Pond Investigations Mystery book easier.

Welcome Autumn!

Editing / Halloween / Writing

It’s that time of year when everyone enjoys the cooler temperatures and changing of the colors of nature. Not in Texas, but you know, elsewhere. While the temperatures have dropped to below the triple digits, it’s still a little toasty. To inform the rest of the world: you can, without a doubt, tire of sunny, clear, blue skies. Trust me.

At our house, we’re preparing for our annual Halloween fun and festivities. This always means a Halloween party for our daughter and her friends. This year’s theme: Zombies! Decorating our front yard is time-consuming, but oh so worth it. Over the years, we have made tombstones and coffins (you read that right). This year we plan to intersperse the tombstones with ghost inflatables and a fresh addition: an inflatable hearse. There’s even a fog machine to add an extra little ambience. We’ve worked hard at it, but we’ve finally achieved my husband’s lifelong dream. We’ve become that house. The house that goes over-the-top with Halloween decorations and gives out full-sized candy bars.

On the writing front, I have completed the outline for book three of my Pond Investigations Mystery series. I still find that hard to believe. Book three! Now it’s time to let the outline rest. Tomorrow I pick up the first draft of book two and begin editing. I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to polishing book two into another fun mystery for my readers (and future readers) to enjoy.

Happy Fall, Y’all!

Jenni

Top Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

Foam tombstones with green lighting, inflatable ghosts, and coffins.
Halloween 2022 Photo © R. Standridge

Chapter by Chapter…

Editing / Pond Investigation Mysteries / Writing

I’m getting there, slowly but surely. The mantra of ‘take it one chapter at a time’ repeats in my head as I work. Oddly, writing my book longhand was easier for me than typing directly into my computer; I’ve found that the opposite is true for editing. Strange. I wonder why?

I’m still working my way through my first draft. It’s intriguing to watch the story become stronger, clearer.

While I edit, I’m making use of a suggestion from my husband: I’m dropping seeds that lead into the next book. In this first book, I’m referencing a fundraiser my protagonist will be a part of during book 2. It’s so exciting to know, without a doubt, that I will write a second book – and a third, and a fourth… I am a writer!

Have a fantastic day!

Introduction

Pond Investigation Mysteries / Writing

Week of February 21, 2021

I hope everyone reading this has finally thawed out and has full access to heat, electricity, and safe drinking water. BRRR! That was a cold week!

Now that my favorite pen, which is metal, no longer needs an hour to warm up before I touch it, I’m back to work on my first mystery novel. Would you like to read my elevator pitch? Here it is:

San Antonio Psychic Detective Mysteries

Elizabeth Susan Pond loves her beautiful, historic city of San Antonio, Texas where she works as a private investigator with a secret. Liz was born with Extra Sensory Perception and uses it as a tool to solve her cases, but she refuses to tell her clients or advertise herself as a psychic detective because she doesn’t believe in psychics. Her favorite hobby: busting charlatans.

I’ve always enjoyed anything to do with the paranormal or mysteries whether it be a book, movie or television show, which makes this book extra enjoyable to write.

And the research. Love it! We’ve been to San Antonio many times and always leave looking forward to our next visit even as we drive out of the city. As I look through photos from our trips it is easy to see many places to base an intriguing mystery.

About

Jenni Stand

Jenni Stand lives in Texas and is finally working on achieving her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. Her reading and writing tastes span the genres from classic fairy tales, science fiction, romance, thrillers, and mysteries. Growing up, Jenni read any mystery she could get her hands on, whether it was Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, or The Hardy Boys. Plus, the eighties was the best decade for some of the best mystery series on television.

After years of trying to write a book without success, Jenni was one of the earliest students of Ellie Alexander’s Mystery Writing Masterclass. Since joining, Jenni wrote her first book, Mad Money & Murder: A Pond Investigations Mystery. She has already written the first draft of the second book in the series titled Death is in the Cards: A Pond Investigations Mystery. Jenni is now plotting book three of the series titled Sage’s Bluff.

She is also an Affiliate Member of the Mystery Writers of America.

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