Flowers And Festivities

/ Diane Henders

It’s FINISHED!  Woohooo!!!

I wrote “The End” on Book 13 this week, and I hope to have a title and cover soon.  And wow, did it ever turn out to be a long book!  Now let the editing begin…

My brain is temporarily drained of words, so for this week’s post I decided to ‘say it with flowers’. These are photos from our garden and from Milner Gardens and Woodland, where the rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, and magnolias are putting on a show.

Happy spring!

A tulip after the rain

 

Tulip love in our garden

 

This is our baby rhododendron “Baden-Baden”, only a few inches off the ground.

 

…and this is how we’re hoping it might look someday.

 

These anemones are almost finished.

 

…and these ones are just getting started.

 

More anemones with a fat seed head in the foreground.

 

White rhododendron at Milner Gardens

 

White rhodo closeup

 

Almost there…

 

Rhodos at Milner Gardens

 

Beach view from Milner Gardens with a purple azalea. Ahhhh…

 

Camellias at Milner Gardens

 

More camellias at Milner Gardens

38 thoughts on “Flowers And Festivities”

  2. Congrats on finishing writing your book and now the fun part begins, editing. My step mother has written a book about growing up in Nazi Germany during WW2…she asked me to be one of her “informal editors” ahead of the professional editor….it’s a process for sure I found out….my best to you!! Great pictures of spring…so beautiful in your quadrant of the world!

    Like

    Reply

  3. Congratulations! What an accomplishment to write one book let alone 13! my brain feels empty just thinking about it. The flowers are stunning, particularly as I gaze out on my brown lawn. Well at least it isn’t a snow bank.

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks, Amber! I’m excited to get Book 13 off to my beta readers/editors! I’m already into the final edits, and hope to be working on the cover art this weekend. Woohoo! 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  6. I thought that the first pic was very appropriate for your comment “temporarily drained of words” but loved all of them. We were working out in the garden yesterday and I noticed the wind whispering thru the trees for the first time in a several months (since the leaves have come back out on them).

    Good to hear that we we will soon be able to find out what our favorite “bookkeeper/assassin/spy” is up to.

    Like

    Reply

    • LOL! I felt exactly like that tulip when I was finished: droopy and sweaty. The tulip is much more attractive than I in that condition. 😉 And isn’t it lovely to hear leaves again? Ahhhh…

      Like

      Reply

  9. Woohooo!  Can we sign up on an order list yet?

    Love the flowers.  Today it is 25C here and still a small amount of snow left in our yard. 😛

    Shirley

    Like

    Reply

    • 25C, wow! Your snow won’t stick around long at that temperature. We hit about 20C today – just a perfect day.

      I don’t have the preorders up for Book 13 yet because I don’t have a release date, but I’m hoping to get that nailed down within the next week or so. Stay tuned! 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  10. I love flowers! I love pictures of flowers! So much color and softness, and happy butterflies and bees…~sigh. It won’t let me put a picture of my flower bed here but it’s all kinds of crazy colorful! Makes me happy. Almost as happy as the thought of book 13 being done!! YAH!!! I’m rereading 1-12 in preparation. Can’t wait! 😃 I hope you get to relax a little and enjoy your garden now. Thank you!!

    Like

    Reply

    • Thanks, Michelle! That’s awesome – I’m so flattered that you’re re-reading the series! You made my day! 🙂

      And I wish there was a way to upload your photo here – I’m imagining how beautiful your garden must be. *happy sigh*

      Like

      Reply

  11. I see from your replies to the comments that you’ll still be very busy, just a different kind of busy, after finishing book #13; nevertheless, one milestone is behind you and that has to be a huge feeling of accomplishment!

    The flowers are wonderful. My own garden is so puny I think I might go into shock if I ever saw that many flowers at once in person 🙂

    And that is the tiniest, cutest rhododendron I’ve ever seen! Why is it that anything “baby” is always so cute?

    Like

    Reply

    • I don’t know; but I was delighted that it put out even a few flowers – it’s so tiny! I see lots of new growth coming on it, so maybe by next year it’ll be a leggy teenager… or at least a toddler. 😉

      Like

      Reply

  14. You do realize that out here in the center of the continent that there are only the first hints of something green starting to show? There is still snow in the woods. I just look at your pictures and sigh longingly.
    Congratulations on completion of #13!

    Like

    Reply

  15. Congratulations! Wow, that’s great news! You THO rock, thithta!!

    Beautiful display, too. And I get the whole ‘fried brain’ thing, too. This is finals week. Need I say more? 😉

    Sometime this summer, I’ll most likely get Book 1 out. Still gotta make arrangements for a cover and such, but I’ll get it done. Book 2 should follow fairly soon thereafter. Book 3 still needs a couple of minor additions…or some minor subtractions. Funny how that works, huh? 🙂

    Like

    Reply

    • Yep, I know what you mean. Sometimes the subtractions are the most important part. But hey, congratulations! Getting Book 1 out is a HUGE milestone! You rock, too! 😀

      Hang in there during finals… you can do it… just a few more days…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thanks, Beth! I’ll definitely squeeze in some time in the garden, and a nice cold beverage on the deck. Ahhhh…

      But my vacation will be measured in hours, not days – as soon as a book goes to the beta readers I have to put on my “production” hat. This week I’ll be working on the title, cover art, and blurb, and then I’ll figure out a release date and start setting up preorders. No rest for the wicked… 😉

      Like

      Reply

  17. Glad you finished the book. Question though will book 12 be released in paperback?

    I’m chilling out as I almost had a breakdown a couple of weeks ago, I’m good just taking it day by day.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Oh, no! Keep chilling – your mental health is the most important thing you have. I hope things settle down for you soon and you’re able to get back on an even keel.

      I’m so sorry for the LONG delay on the Book 12 paperback! I had to choose between getting Book 12 out in paperback or finishing Book 13, and I chose Book 13 (the new baby always gets the most attention). 🙂

      Book 12 will definitely be released in paperback, and so will 13. The paperback editions have been on hold while I sort out which supplier to use. I’ve been doing print-on-demand for the earlier books but I haven’t been completely happy with it since it makes the paperbacks so expensive. I’m hoping to come up with a better solution for Books 12 and 13, and that will be my top priority after Book 13 is released in digital format. Stay tuned!

      Like

      Reply

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.