Sept. 5, 2025 - Lights Out!

Yesterday, in addition to working on the materials for the upcoming YouTube video series about gluten free cooking, I spent some time working on the last of the illustrations for my children's picture book. I had hoped to have more time to work on them but it seems the Universe has other plans!

I want to finish the title page and I'm not completely happy with the child's illustration, so I've been working on those. I also want to do a couple of "action" pictures to add to the illustration portfolio. Then I'll be ready to pitch.

In addition, I was working on some research I did years ago about gluten free flours. Gluten free flours have a different chemical make-up than wheat flours which makes them react differently in cooking, but especially in baking. I want to be able to provide the information about the chemical composition of gluten free flours and what a person has to do to compensate for that when cooking. I'll share all the hacks and hints I've developed over the years to make gluten free food taste fabulous! Gluten free meals should not be a punishment that deprives you of all the things you love to eat - and it doesn't need to. I also want to create a list of definitions and a glossary of terms that are specific to gluten free cooking.

Unfortunately, my evening work session was cut short. We had severe thunderstorms with high winds that knocked the power out for more than 6 hours! Needless to say, not much got done. Fortunately, earlier in the evening I had a wonderful visit from my granddaughter and her family. It's always fun to get together for so many reasons. Family is extremely important to me. Recently, my granddaughter brought me a gift - adaptive chop sticks. I'll post a picture below. I have involuntary tremors and sometimes they make eating very challenging. She and I both love oriental food, including a variety of rice dishes. These new chop sticks will make my life so much easier! In the cooking series I will include a number of variations and hacks for Japanese food for people who don't want to eat raw fish or are allergic to seafood and shellfish like me.

Best wishes always...

P.S. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog! My intention is to keep followers up to date on my latest writing adventures. My current focus is on fiction genres including children's picture books and YA/NA historical romanticies. I'm also preparing to write an epic fantasy for the young adult audience. As a debut author I face all the challenges of breaking into the traditional publishing market. I need your interest and support to do so! Please consider following me here and on other social media platforms, which you can access on the Home page of my author's web site. I'll be adding more in the weeks to come so please check back from time to time as I add new non-fiction materials to my entries. Thank you so much, in advance, for following my blog. You are potentially helping me enrich the lives of future readers. I just need this break to attract my first agent representation! Your efforts will make all the difference! Thank you once again.

Adaptive chop sticks to compensate for my hand tremors - good for beginners too!

Japanese Food! Naturally gluten free...