by jphilo | Aug 7, 2025 | See Jane Ride!, Sturgis rally
Hiram and I returned from vacation a week ago. Since then the mountains of laundry have been scaled, the mail and bills are under control, and I found time to reflect on the summer of 2025’s top ten greatest hits. You’ll find the bare bones of the list below. To read the fleshed out version click on the link to my August newsletter over on Substack. Now on to the bare bones of the summer of 2025’s top ten greatest hits:
#10: Our Little Lime Punch Hydrangea
#9: The Joni & Friends Retreat in Lexington, Nebraska.
#8: Back-To-School Shopping Stocking Stuffer Shopping
#7: July Rains
#6: The Gracie Allen
#5: Arthritis Relief
#4: Colorado Peaches
#3: Sweet Corn!
#2: BLTs
#1: We Missed the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Along with fleshing out the summer of 2025’s top ten greatest hits, the newsletter will fill you in on what’s happening during the rest of the summer and in early fall. If you like leave a comment about what you consider to be the summer of 2025’s top ten greatest hits for you and your family.
by jphilo | Jan 11, 2024 | Mystery Update, See Jane Ride!, Sturgis rally
Do you want to help name a few characters who will appear in an upcoming West River Mystery? To be clear, I’m not talking about See Jane Dig!, the next book in the series which will be released in October of 2024. The characters in Dig! already have names and the first draft of the manuscript is with the editor. What I am talking about is the fifth in the series, See Jane Ride!
I know, it’s confusing. Thank goodness I like working ahead. Here’s the scoop on progress so far:
- Brainstorming for Book 5, See Jane Ride!, is underway.
- When brainstorming, ideas matter more than spelling. Be gentle regarding the brainstorming clip above.
- See Jane Ride! takes place in July of 1978.
- The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will be woven into the plot. So will a few bikers.
- Sturgis rallies from the mid-seventies to mid-eighties were in the tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands the event now boasts. Tens of thousands are still a lot of people in a town of under 10,000. Believe it or not, rallies were wilder and crazier back then than they are now.
- Some of those tens of thousands meandered into Harding County when we lived there. A few will wander through Tipperary County in See Jane Ride! also.
You’re invited to suggest names for the bikers who show up in the story. They’ll be big, beefy people (perhaps two men, though a man and a woman would be more interesting.) They’ll wear leathers and bandanas. That’s as far as my imagination will go until the two bikers are named. It’s hard for me to fully envision them until then.
They need names soon so I can write their character studies before meeting with my editor on February 14 to workshop the plot. (In honor of Valentine’s Day, a cherry pie will be in the oven. Dessert is good motivation for any task and the best way to celebrate a holiday.)
So I ask you again, do you want to help name a few characters for Book 5 in the series? If so, you can leave them in the comment section or click the contact button at the top of the page and send your ideas via email by February 1. I can’t wait to read your suggestions!
