Sneak Peek of LITTLE SHADOW MAN

What's a good way to celebrate Halloween?

How about checking out an (unedited) sneak peek for LITTLE SHADOW MAN?

This is my horror novella-in progress. 

Warning: It's dark and includes some bad language.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!


Excerpt:

Chapter One

September 17, 2000

There was no way in hell those things were real.

Two perfectly shaped mounds, like igloos of silicone.

They never moved, not even when Marlene sneezed. A cute, adorable sneeze of course. Not a loud, obnoxious sneeze with mucus or god-forbid...germs. No, the 1985 Homecoming Queen only produced precious little sneezes, followed by a giggle.

The two preposterous mounds on her chest didn't shift. Her upper body tilted, her head twitched. Just enough to make her cascade of golden silk sway and mesmerize every man in Solomon's Grocery Mart. But the mounds--nicely encased in a fitted work-out shirt with giant daisies in just the right spot--were immobile.

Jenny tried to look away, but to her shame, she was also mesmerized.

Even when Marlene shot her a look through narrowed eyes, Jenny still stared at the mounds.

How much did those mounds cost?

What would Jenny look like with a boob job like that?

As though she could read her mind--and boy would that be disastrous if it were true--Marlene leaned down close to Jenny in the check-out line and said, "Honey. Don't you know it's rude to stare?"

Jenny's face got hot and she finally looking away, glancing at the dirty floor.

"That'll be nineteen dollars and seventy-five cents." The check-out guy appeared to be talking directly to Marlene's chest.

"Oh dear. I'm a little short today." Marlene's grocery haul included fat-free yogurt and fat-free cookies and diet Coke and an enormous bag of broccoli, which Jenny was convinced was just for show.

People like Marlene Anderson didn't really eat food. They just smoked and popped pills, and occasionally got plastic surgery to keep up appearances. They also slathered on twenty-three pounds of make-up and false eyelashes.

"Uh...wha...what do you mean?" The check-out guy was starting to stammer. A pair of humongous tits could do that to a man.

"Mr. Solomon lets me charge it. Just put it on my account. I'm good for it." Marlene giggled.

The check-out guy glanced at old Mr. Solomon, dressed in head-to-toe polyester, with the tell-tale button popping open right over his impressive gut.

Mr. Solomon nodded at the check-out guy.

Marlene smiled at Mr. Solomon.

Mr. Solomon took a long, lingering glance at Marlene's plastic surgery-enhanced bosom, licked his lips, and then walked away.

What the actual fuck?

Marlene collected her groceries, neatly bagged in her Roxy totes, and turned to Jenny. She smiled at her, one of those pitying smiles.

Jenny took a large dose of satisfaction in the fact that Marlene's lips were chapped. Her burnt orange lipstick had gathered in the dry creases of her mouth.

Not so perfect after all, Miss Homecoming Queen!

"Please tell Jim I said congratulations. You must be so proud of him. Making town council is such an honor." Marlene tilted her head a bit to the side, as though she were trying to figure out what Jenny was all about.

The short, pudgy girl married to a local politician?

The awkward librarian with the blond jock?

How had it happened?

A cloud of perfume drifted down the grocery aisle from Marlene and assaulted Jenny's olfactory system. It was Poison, of course. The perfume that every 1985 cheerleader in Freeland, Massachusetts, swore was their secret weapon.

Jenny knew that scent well.

She herself didn't wear perfume. Why bother when you were a five-foot-tall, chubby suburban housefrau with stretch pants?

Expensive perfume wasn't gonna make a bit of difference.

But that scent was all too familiar.

It was the fragrance that greeted her every night when Jim got home late from work. Doused all over his rumpled white shirt and his shitty suit.

Poison.

Poison would be too good for the likes of Marlene Anderson.

Even though it was an un-Christian sentiment, Jenny hoped that when Marlene Anderson finally kicked the bucket, it would be painful.

Bloody.

And gruesome.

That would knock those mounds right out of place.

Happiest of Halloweens!

🕸HAPPY HALLOWEEN🕸

🕷Boo!💀

PeNnY WaTsOn

10 Reasons To Read THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES

Okay, girls and boys!

And elves.

And Yeti.

It's that time again.

That time when people start diving into their holiday reading!

If you have yet to discover the quirkiness of THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES by Penny Watson, here are some logical reasons to check out these books. 

Here we go...

10 REASONS TO READ THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES

1. The whole series is already complete. 5 brothers, 5 books. So you can binge-read the whole thing. Just like binging on Stranger Things. Only not Stranger Things. Stranger Things if it was about 5 brothers in the North Pole. 

2. The books are only 99 cents each. CHEAP DATE, BABY!

3. Also available in paperback if you prefer old-school.

4. As far as I know, this is the only holiday fantasy paranormal romance SERIES in existence. I could be wrong. But pretty sure I'm right.

5. Do you like elves? There are elves.

6. Do you like Yeti? Yeah, we got Yeti.

7. Do you like quirky twists on holiday legends? Santa is a marathon-runner.

8. Do you love stories with uplifting themes of generosity, family, kindness, redemption, love? THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES has got that covered.

9. Do you like sexy? This series is sexy. If you do NOT like sexy, you can skim those parts. Or cover your eyes and sing "LA LA LA LA LA" and skip that chapter.

10. Do you need a big heaping dose of happy endings? Pretty sure everyone needs that right now. This is an award-winning, bestselling, massively huge dose of happy.

You're welcome!

For more information about THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES, here is my bookshelf with blurbs, links, and quotes.

For even more information about the series, here is the series link.

What's the best way to get prepared for the upcoming holiday season?

Hang out with Nicholas, Sven, Wolfgang, Gregor, and Oskar Klaus.

THE KLAUS BROTHERS!

"Truly wonderful...full of magic, love, 

sacrifice, friendship, and family."

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNREAD

Watson Joyful Writing Month

November is coming up, and so is NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to complete an entire novel (the word count is 50,000 words) in one month.

This contest is about speed and productivity, word count and a firm deadline.

Some writers thrive on this, but for some people, it's a nightmare. Too much pressure. Causes anxiety. No joy in the writing.

To be honest, the whole concept of cranking out an entire novel in one month is extreme. I've done it in the past, with a holiday novella. Written in the fall, published for that Christmas season.

The job got done, but I was a machine. Not a lot of joy there.

I'd like to propose an anti-NaNoWriMo option for folks looking for something a little bit different, a little less stressful.

WATSON JOYFUL WRITING MONTH

WATSON JOWRIMO

What are the rules of this game?

There are no rules! Hee hee.

If your word count at the end of November is zero, that's okay.

If you get a couple of chapters done, that's okay.

If you spend a lot of time thinking and percolating about your next book project, that's great!

If you spend time with your family and/or traveling and/or going on hikes and/or visiting a museum...or any activity that "fills the well" of your creativity and inspiration, that's fabulous!

If you need some support, reach out.

If you are super proud of one sentence you wrote, share it.

If you write an entire novel in one month and don't lose your mind, fantastic.

Anything goes. No judgment, no prizes. Just a shared love of writing.

Also, puppy pics are an added bonus! *wink*

I will be posting sporadically on my Facebook page to check in with my writer friends. You can also add comments here with updates. Share your progress, your setbacks, your joy. Be proud of yourself!

Or, if you're an introvert and not into sharing, keep a private journal.

I give myself STARS on my daily planner when I have a good writing day or a good diet day or just a good all-around day! ✯✯✯

This is the ultimate low-stress, only-fun, be-joyful-about-your-creativity event.

Also, I would like to invite all creatives to join in, not just writers. Artists and crafters and musicians. Anyone turning their creative muse into magic.

WE GOT THIS! 

Keep in touch,

Penny/Nina

Writing News and Updates

Time for some updates about "The Great Experiment!"

I have broken away from Henry Miller's Writing Program. Although many of his suggestions are helpful, not all are a good fit for me.

He recommends working on one--and only one--manuscript at a time until completed. Normally, that was my process as well.

Since I am attempting a new genre with my story BLUE, I've had a pretty big learning curve. The whole process is new and different, and I found myself becoming frustrated and then stalled. I missed writing! I decided to make a goal for myself each day to write for 1-2 hours, even if it was a blog post, a journal, whatever. Just to get my writing-brain warmed up again.

Just for the fun of it, I started to write a brand new book. Then I started another one! The words were flowing, the ideas were popping! It worked great. And the best part was that all my issues with BLUE were also solved so I could tackle that one as well.

For whatever reason, I have discovered that working on multiple projects at one time really works for me. I have a menu to choose from in the morning...

1. Horror story (LITTLE SHADOW MAN)
2. Holiday YA (SWEET NOELLE)
3. YA paranormal fiction (BLUE)
4. Contemporary romance (THE HAPPY CAMPER)

Depending on my mood/inclination, I will choose one for the morning writing session, and then a different one for the afternoon. I'm sort of shocked by how well this is working for me. My productivity has shot up! Yee haw!

As you can see from yesterday's post, I am even creating poetry.

Feeling victorious!

So, what are these books? Well...surprise! Surprise! An idea that popped up last year for the Klaus Brothers Series took shape and became a YA holiday novella. Sara Pulver has created this precious family tree for the next generation. 

So many children!

The YA holiday fantasy is the story of Noelle Klaus, daughter of Nicholas and Lucy. Here's a sample pic for the cover of SWEET NOELLE...

I will be publishing my new indie releases under the name MYRICA PRESS. Here's a sample cover for the horror story, called LITTLE SHADOW MAN...

Expect a sneak peek for this story soon!

Another announcement...

I am thrilled to be participating in a book fair/signing at the Bellingham Barnes and Noble on Saturday, November 10. This book fair is raising money for the Friends of Hopkinton Public Library.

That's it for announcements!

If you'd like to be informed of releases ASAP, please sign up for my newsletter.

Thank you!

Nina/Penny

Poem for the Day

Woke up this morning at 5 am with this poem rattling around in my brain.

xoxoxoxoxox

Neen/Penny

OLD WOMAN'S REFLECTION...

20 Ways To Simplify Your Life

What's the most important thing you do to "simplify" your life? Are you trying to save time? Money? Make things less complicated?

I have figured out quite a few things that help me in my quest for a kinder, gentler, more simple existence.

Hopefully some of these tips will help you, too!


PERSONAL CARE


1. CLOTHES: THE UNIFORM

This one is a no-brainer for me because I don't care about clothes. At all. For those of you who do care, you may be horrified by this suggestion, but it's one of the best parts of my own personal system.

I have a summer uniform and a winter uniform.

For winter, I wear a white T-shirt and black pants. I layer that up with hoodies, cardigans, jackets, vests, etc. But the basic uniform is white T and black pants.

When I shop, I buy a bunch of the exact same item to simplify this process. So, I have about 10 short-sleeve white T-shirts from LL Bean, and 10 black pants (half are work-out pants and the other half are easy-wear black pants from J Jill).

My summer uniform is a white T-shirt and cropped linen pants. 

That's it!

Wearing a uniform makes shopping easy and dressing easy. I can get ready in the morning in under five minutes.


2. ACCESSORIZE

If you want to jazz up the uniform, accessorize. I have fun jewelry, cardigans, hair clips, etc.


3. BEAUTY REGIME

Soap.

Hee hee. I know. Crazy! But this is pretty much the extent of my beauty routine. I wear no make-up, or just minimal make-up for a night out. It takes a couple of minutes. That's it.

My soap is lemon-scented. I love lemon!

I only buy cruelty-free products for everything. Please look for the cruelty-free mark when purchasing beauty products.


4. HAIR CARE

I use various brands of shampoo/conditioner for white/gray hair--I'm not partial to any one product. I finger-comb out the snarls in the shower. My only post-shower hair product is hair cream--also various products, whatever works. If I don't use the hair cream my big curly hair turns into a frizz-ball!

I get hair cuts a couple of times a year. No more coloring appointments. This has cut down care, cost, maintenance, etc. I have embraced the white/silver/gray hairs!

My "hair styling"--if you could call it that--is either to let my curly hair down naturally, or to wear it twisted up in a clip.

Easy. Fast. Cheap.

I'M WEARING A BLUE T-SHIRT HERE! AHHHHH!

EXERCISE


5. WALK

I don't have a gym membership. Walking is the cheapest, easiest, most flexible work-out.

It's free, you can do it anywhere. You can squeeze it into any time of the day, while you are doing errands (walk to the post office), etc.

I'm pretty much obsessed with walking.


6. INDOOR EXERCISE

Okay, this is sort of embarrassing. If the weather outside is really icy or a blizzard or a monsoon or something, I walk in the house.

No, I don't have a treadmill.

I have a loop I do inside the house, from my husband's office, through the kitchen, through the living room, down the hallway, and back again.

I listen to music while I walk. The cool thing about walking inside is that I can stop and dance (I'M A 1980s GIRL!) or do strengthening exercises any time I want to and my neighbors don't look at me like I'm a nut.

Cheap, easy, no equipment necessary!



HOME AND GARDEN CARE


7. CLEANING TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN

This is probably the easiest (and most ridiculous) thing that has improved/simplified my household chores.

Make sure to run the dishwasher at night.

(Or, clean the dishes/kitchen at night).

In the morning you wake up with a clean kitchen. De-cluttering is one of the most important things to help with your mental well-being. Studies show that being surrounded by clutter in your home can greatly impact your anxiety and depression.

Turn on the music and wash the dishes. Even if you're tired!

By running the dishwasher at night, I wake up to a clean kitchen. I unload the dishes while my daughter gets ready for school, and then the dishwasher is empty and ready to be filled up during the day. Huge improvement on having dirty dishes collect all day causing more clutter.

Such a simple thing, but it totally improved my life!

I love the lemon-scented Mrs. Meyers products. I use 
the Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface every day cleaner with the lemon verbena scent. Also, the lemon verbena hand-soap.

Another helpful kitchen tip: I have a split sink, so I fill half the sink with soapy suds during the day. If I have pots/pans/anything that needs to soak, I throw them in there to make washing easier later. And the kitchen looks tidier without dirty pots all over the place.

Love the lemon-scented candle, too!

8. LAUNDRY

I start a load of laundry first thing in the morning before I go for my walk. It's ready for the dryer when I get home. This way, you get at least one load done per day.

Because I have back issues, I cannot carry super heavy laundry baskets. My new discovery (compliments of my college-age son) are these black collapsible bags. They hold a small load (not too heavy) and I can drag them around. 


9. BATHROOM

Have a little bucket of your cleaning products in the bathroom. Hide it in a cabinet or behind the toilet. I've found that if the cleaning stuff is where you need it when you need it, it gets used. If it's on the other side of the house in a closet, forget about it.

I have wipes, a bottle of Lysol spray, and Meyer's spray for quick cleans of sink, toilet, tub.


10. GROW USEFUL PLANTS

I highly recommend creating a kitchen garden if you have the space. I have a variety of herbs and fruits/veggies in our garden. It's wonderful to be able to step outside, trim a bunch of fresh basil, and use it while cooking dinner. We harvested bowls and bowls of fresh raspberries this summer. Having a kitchen garden simplifies your weekly shopping and opens up a whole new culinary world! 

Herbs are basically weeds. They are SUPER easy to grow. Some of my favorites include basil, mint, oregano, lemon balm, lemon verbena, edible flowers (like Johnny Jump-Ups and Nasturtiums), and chives. Favorite veggies include English peas, radishes, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplant, and hot peppers.

My kitchen garden is very low-maintenance. I hardly ever weed and let things get a little bit wild. Everything still tastes good!

We had an early summer batch and late summer batch. Yum!

11. GROW BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS/SHRUBS/TREES

One of my favorite things is to meander around my yard and collect flowers for a lovely (free) bouquet for the house.

Favorite plants include hydrangeas, ornamental grasses, peonies, herbs, flowering trees.

Bouquet picked from my front yard!

12. WEEDING

Worst part of taking care of the garden: WEEDING. Ugh!

My way of dealing with this...relax your expectations. It's okay if you have a few weeds in the garden. No one will die.

If I have the time/inclination to weed (ha!), I pick a small chunk to work on so I am not overwhelmed. Making small goals/tasks in the garden will keep the stress down.

You can also decrease the need to weed by covering spots with ground covers, herbs, mulch, etc. Simplify your life!


ORGANIZATION


13. Daily Planner

Some folks have a planner on-line, some use a cute little journal. I have washi tape, stickers, colored markers for fun. Whatever floats your boat! I use my journal for these things:

**Daily schedule, including appointments
**Food journal
**Exercise journal
**Inspiration for writing projects
**Morning start-up routine

What is the "morning start-up routine?" At the top of each day I have these things written on the banner...

MAKE BED...PILLS...CLEAN...LAUNDRY...WALK

I check them off as they get finished. Once these things are done, I'm ready to start my day. I always feel better mentally when the bed is made (our bedroom is on the first floor, so people can see it...no hiding the messy bedroom), the kitchen and bathroom are quick-cleaned, and laundry is started. For my health, I take my heart pills and go for a walk.

Five things done each morning. This structure helps with my peace of mind immensely.

14. LISTS

Some people hate lists. It adds to their anxiety. For me, it's the opposite. I have weekly lists (goals), monthly, yearly (long-term), and sheets for each member of the family. This helps me to keep on top of medical appointments for everyone, school/camp schedules, conferences, etc.

I also do a separate sheet for writing/publishing goals and a schedule for this.

I have all the sheets in a clipboard next to my desk.

I LOVE checking things off the list. BEST FEELING EVER!


15. STRUCTURE

Having a regular schedule can be a huge stress-buster. I used to do this for weekly dinners...Monday (chicken), Tuesday (pasta), Wednesday (quesadilla), Thursday (vegetarian), Friday (soup/salad/sandwich night), etc. It made grocery-shopping easier, and evenings more relaxed. I wasn't running around like a nut trying to plan, shop, and cook meals.


16. PRINTABLE SHOPPING LIST

To make sure your fridge, freezer, and pantry are stocked with all your favorites and go-to products, make a master list and save it on your computer. Print up a copy each week and circle the stuff you need to purchase.

It only takes about 15 minutes to create, and it will save you time and make you less forgetful.


17. SUNDAY CATCH-UP DAY

Sunday is catch-up day and prep for the week. This simplifies your weekly schedule and combats stress.

**Try to finish up all loads laundry. It's nice to start the week with a bunch of clean clothes!

**Clean out fridge and pantry.

**Plan meals. Grocery shop for the week.

**Do some meal prep. I will hard-boil eggs, make a few containers of chopped veggies for snacks/salads. Chop up fruit in containers for my vegetarian daughter. All this stuff makes weekly mornings flow better.

**Are you on a diet? Try this! I have a shelf in my fridge filled with healthy snacks so when you find yourself totally starved, you have healthy options ready to go. This shelf includes cheese sticks, hummus, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, containers of crunchy veggies, and buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping.


18. CASH-ONLY EXISTENCE

I've started this trend since my daughter enrolled in private school. If you attempt to use cash to pay for things (vs. credit cards), it will make you more mindful of each purchase. Do I really need this [fill-in-the-blank]? 

My husband and I are astounded by how much money we have saved this year. 

I still use my credit cards, but much more judiciously than I used to. 

Try this for a month and see what happens!


HYGGE


19. NATURE

I try to incorporate the Danish concept of "Hygge" (being cozy, happy, leading a mindful simple life) into my every day schedule. 

The  most important thing for me...nature. Favorite activity: walking in the woods. If I don't have time for this, I might collect flowers, visit a plant nursery, spend a few minutes looking at birds in the neighborhood, even weeding the garden helps! I just need to connect to nature for a few minutes to keep me in my zen place. This is simple, cheap, easy, and guaranteed to improve your emotional well-being. Those Danes know what they're talking about!

20. DAILY HYGGE

What's a simple way to ensure you are taking good care of yourself each day?

Add HYGGE onto your daily to-do list!

To combat the long to-do list filled with errands and chores, I make sure to include something on my list every day that is just for me, something that makes me happy. It can be a small and simple thing...splurging on a flower bouquet at the market, having coffee with a friend, a walk on the Audubon trail. It doesn't need to be expensive or complicated. It's simple self-care.


One thing I have noticed over the years...just when I think I have things figured out, something changes and my plans for simplification no longer work. You have to be flexible! Especially as your kids grow and change. That's the biggest adjustment.

Figuring out what works for you and maintaining a system can be a life-saver.

HAPPY SIMPLE LIVING TO ALL!

Best,

Nina