Happiness Sprinkles: Things Worth Smiling About this Month
My favorites from January
I’ve improved the quality of my audio recordings by sitting inside a tent made of a blanket over myself, my computer, and my mic. This helps reduce echo. The things I do for you! This is how you know I really love you.
Anyway, hello, lovelies!
Near the end of each month, I’m going to do a roundup of random things that have made me smile. I hope these little sprinkles of happiness bring you a moment of joy as well!
Happiness Sprinkles: Things Worth Smiling About
The origin of the name “happiness sprinkles” comes from my husband, Tom, who is the biggest sweetheart and loves to shower my face with tiny kisses (which he named “happiness sprinkles”). So it’s fitting that the first happiness sprinkle I offer you is this photo that he sent to me to make me smile—two carrots hugging:
photo credit: Avant Gardens on facebook This comedic cooking channel on YouTube will have you laughing so hard, you’re crying. We spent close to an hour the other night just watching video after video:
I just discovered these delightful crochet kits for beginners. Of course, Tom has already gone off-script… He gave his penguin a fashionably offset mohawk. (Or it could be a penguin-shark hybrid. We’re not sure, but it doesn’t matter because he’s cute. Also, Tom named him Melvin.)
My husband improvised a mohawk on his crocheted penguin. Jelly cats - I’m not going to explain more… You really just need to see this for yourself. It’s impossible not to grin. https://youtube.com/shorts/GmXuIAXXtlo?si=rcAjNeiYSe1Ck5Kg
To close out January, I leave you with this recipe that my mother-in-law Doris made when our extended family all bundled up together in Minnesota a few weeks ago. I am obsessed with these salmon bowls, and they are so easy to whip up. They’re called “spicy” but you can really tone it down to whatever level you like; I’m kind of a spiciness wimp, so I’m proof that you can make this mild and it’s still insanely delicious.
Photo source: Bon Appetit Magazine I really loved sharing these Happiness Sprinkles with you. I can’t wait to see what smiles February will bring us!
Book Update: What I’m Working on Now
Recently, I read through the zero draft of “Kindness book” and I noted several gaps in the story—mostly places where I had skipped writing something because I wasn’t sure how the plot was supposed to go or how a character was supposed to feel.
So now I’m taking those notes and writing the missing pieces. Sometimes it’s just a paragraph, but in other instances, I need to write entire chapters to bridge the gap.
This is the slow and steady process of building a first draft. The zero draft is the bones, and now I’m filling the rest in. I used to hate the early drafts because I didn’t know what was going on, but now I’m learning to sit in this part of creation and appreciate the fun of the discovery phase of writing.
Reading: What’s on my Nightstand
Natasha Pulley is one of my favorite historical fantasy authors, and right now, I’m reading her novel The Bedlam Stacks. Set in 1859, it’s about an ex-smuggler who’s recruited on a mission to the magical depths of the forests of Peru—a mission which has killed everyone else who has attempted it.
According to the Chicago Review of Books, this story “reaches across the years and miles to reflect on the nature of time, myth, magic, and above all, what makes us most human.”
It sounds right up my alley. Plus, I’ll read anything Natasha Pulley writes. I can’t wait to dig in!
Buy my latest novel!
“Cleverly imagines the epilogue Romeo and Juliet didn’t get to have, and how curses can be blessings in disguise.”—JODI PICOULT
Book and Movie Release Calendar: 2024
March 5th - Damsel movie tie-in paperback edition
March 8th - Damsel movie releases on Netflix
May 7th - The Hundred Loves of Juliet summer paperback edition
July 30th - One Year Ago in Spain - NEW RELEASE
You Suck at Cooking might be the best gift any author has ever given me via email. The only downside is my productivity over the next 2 days will plummet 😄 Also YES to Natasha Pulley - good stuff all around.