Like many authors I’d rather write stories about other people who have more exciting lives but since you’ve come to visit, I thought you might be a bit curious about me.

I live atop a hill overlooking some of the best scenery you can imagine, the majestic Rocky Mountains to the west, the open prairie to the east, and the downtown Denver skyline to the south.  On a clear day, I can look out my living room window and see Pikes Peak ninety miles away.  I never understood the appeal of living in one place forty or fifty years…until now.  It’s the house I never dreamed I wanted.  Full of character and life.

It cultivates my vision and creativity.

I’ve been happily married 31 years to the one and only blind date I ever agreed to–well, my boss at that time who set us up did strong-arm me.  I had planned a three-day fishing weekend in the mountains with my family and I really didn’t want to pack up my favorite pole and cut it short.  What can I say?  I love to fish!  Of course, my mother convinced me to drive back down the mountain.  She pointed out, as good mothers with unmarried daughters tend to do, that if I didn’t like the guy it was only an hour drive to get back to the campsite.  I could be back on the river by dawn.  Too bad she never saw me again.  At least, that’s her version.

He cultivates my belief in romance and a happily-ever-after.

I have three wonderful children who make me proud on a regular basis and, at last count, I’m the doting grandma of six beautiful grandchildren with another one on the way.  I revel in the noise and chaos that ensues when we’re all together at the dining room table or on the back lawn catching up and simply enjoying each other’s company.  Add two demanding dogs, one lonely canary, about twenty noisy zebra finches — silly things just won’t stand in a line and be counted! — you’ve captured my everyday life in a nutshell.

They remind me of what’s important in life.

I’ve been in the business world more than thirty years, the last twenty as my own boss.  I love to fish and camp, but I also live for reading, gardening, crafts and cooking.  I wrap all of this around my writing career, speaking engagements, and sharing of the craft of writing.

And this is where I live…in the world of complex characters that become as real to me as my friends and storylines that may contain more than a little bit of murder and mayhem.

Welcome to my official blog on WordPress! For those of you who’ve joined me from MySpace or read my newsletter Musings where I’ve shared my thoughts for years, thanks for following me here so we can continue our chats. If you’re joining me for the first time, I hope you enjoy your visit.

Please visit regularly as I share bits and pieces about reading, writing, and anything else that strikes my fancy. In other words, I don’t intend to bore you with the litany of “me”. I’m interested in a number of things and would like to share those interests. I want to get to know you, too.

I will post at least three times a week.

• Monday Musings – Let’s talk reading and writing! In addition to my thoughts and musings, I’ll occasionally host guest authors and professionals with their own insights into the book industry.

• Wacky Wednesdays – Articles, fun trivia, photos, whatever catches my eye. It’s a big world out there and I love to share my interests with my readers.

• Friday Fixin’s – Looking for something new to make for your family? Want to cook from scratch and save money? Each week, I’ll share a new recipe from my extensive personal cookbooks with you. A little help in the kitchen gives us all time to read more of the books we love!

If you have a recipe you’re willing to share, give me a shout at kldocter@yahoo.com. Feel free to send articles of interest, too. No guarantees I’ll post all of them but I’m interested in hearing from you, my readers, and will post what I can.

Looking forward to chatting with you. Have a great day!

Karen