Sharon Dunn

Author of romantic suspense & humorous mysteries

Border Collies are borderline

by

His name is Bart and he is crazy…or maybe he just has lots of energy.  When we got Bart at the shelter as a eight week old puppy, the man handling the adoption explained that border collies not only have lots of physical energy but they have to use their mental energy. Bart likes to run patrol around his sheep pen (aka our house) and keep track of his sheep, which is no easy task since his sheep keep leaving the house. He’s comes close to speaking English and knows lots of words and phrases like “Get in the house” and “Cheese”.  He’s got the puppy dog eyes look down pat and knows that placing his chin on my leg and looking up at me is guarenteed to get my attention. We don’t know much about Bart. His mom and him were found abandoned in a house when he was a puppy. We don’t know if he had other brothers and sisters. Don’t know if he is purebred border collie though he certainly looks like it and acts like it. I did manage to teach him to stop nipping at my heels when I walked. Perhaps my favorite thing about him is how he seems to be tuned into the moods and emotions of everyone in the family. He knows when someone is sad or upset and he has lots of love to give and kisses to make us feel better. yes, it does take a lot of energy to keep up with him, but I can’t imagine my life without him.

                                                              Bart as a puppy with my son

New Love Inspired Romantic Suspense–Broken Trust

by

My new book Broken Trust comes out on March 6, 2012.  It takes place in one of the most interesting parts of the world, Eastern Montana.  My husband is from Eastern Montana and I have always wanted to set book in this area. This part of the state is ideal for a suspense setting becasue of the remoteness ( a thousand places for a fugitive to hide) and there is this interesting blend of good down to earth people and people who live outside the law.

 

Menopausal Moments: The Spice Issue

by

I used to be one sharp witted cookie. Honestly, I could keep the kids’ schedules and what I needed to get at the grocery store for a week’s worth of eating in my head. Didn’t need to write anything down, didn’t need to make lists.

Menopause hit and I became a space cadet. Can’t remember anything. I forget people’s names. Forget what word I’m going to say in the middle of a sentence.

Now when I go to the grocery store, I can’t remember what I have in spice cupboard. I become convinced that I am out of Thyme, so I buy some. The other day I was looking through my spices. I have like three dry mustards and three chili powders all purchased in the last six months. Nobody needs that much dry mustard. There is just not that many recipes in the world that require dry mustard.

Getting older is so much fun. Maybe it should be called Mental Pause instead of Menopause.

Kindle: my review

by

I’ve had my Kindle since before Christmas. I’m not a technophobe. At the same time, I’m not the person who stands in a long line to get the next generation of whatever.

Given that, here is what I love/ don’t love about my Kindle.

Love. That it is take care of some of the issue of shelf space for books in our house. We are a family of readers who have a hard time parting with books. We simply cannot buy another bookcase.

Love. All the cheap and free books I have downloaded. As if my second mystery series (Bargain Hunters mysteries) didn’t reveal it, I’m a coupon clipper and deal seeker to the core. Books at bargain prices makes my heart go pitter patter.

Love. As a writer I love that e-books are giving good writers the opportunity to bypass the gatekeeper publishers and get their books directly to the reader

Not love. Although I have downloaded fiction and non-fiction, I think for me the Kindle works best for fiction, something you read all the way through. Perhaps it is just my study style, but if I read a non-fiction book for the purpose of taking notes and tearing the book apart, it seems to work best if the whole book is visually in front of me and I can flip back and forth. The Kindle has a feature for highlighting and taking notes, but that doesn’t seem to help me digest the info in a non-fiction book.

not love. The explosion of e-books is a double edged sword. Yes, some good writers can reach the readers directly, but it also means there is that much more junk out there for readers to sort through

Would I recommend the Kindle to another reader. You betcha