01.21.2025

We Camped for SIX Weeks…

When I was a little girl living in Huntington Beach, California my father, an engineer, received a sabbatical from work.
For some reason, my parents, Jim and Bette, both decided it would be a splendid idea if they took four kids and two dogs camping up and down the California and Oregon coast for six weeks.
Yes, SIX WEEKS.
In a big blue tent.
With sleeping bags.
One dog, Frisky, tried to bite people, the other, Alphy, tried to bite other dogs. They weren’t very pleasant.
Some people might say my parents lost their minds ever so slightly…
CLICK ON THE LINK to read for free on Substack.
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01.21.2025

What a Literary Mess

How not to read a book: Choose a book to read that everyone loves, NY Times best seller, with high rankings.
Read part of the book. Find that you’re totally not into it. Persevere anyhow to 45% read on your kindle.
Force yourself to read it over the holidays when you SHOULD be reading a book you love, that is light and sweet, and that you can read at night to quiet the celebrations and all the cooking and cleaning you did.
Stop reading the book entirely because reading this book makes you NOT WANT TO READ AT ALL. Take a short break. THEN decide you really should read the ending to find out what happens. Start at 85% on the kindle.
Realise you don’t know enough after reading from 85 – 90% to understand what’s going on and BACK UP (AGAIN!) to 60%. Try to make sense out of confusion until 70% of the book is read.
Lose track of the characters and have no idea who this new person is on the page and wonder what in the world is going on.
BACK UP a third time to 50%. Read it through to the end, slowly, because, again, you’re not that into it. Lose time reading a book you would love which is so frustrating.
Be really mad if you get hit by a bus tomorrow and you’ve spent all these hours reading a book you don’t like that much.
Ask yourself WHY IS THIS BOOK SO LONG?
Finally get done, sigh with relief, lean back and know that you are “literary-free” now and find two more SUPER FUN books to read and find your reading joy again.
Yep. Don’t read a book like I did – backwards and upside down. Put it aside. Pick up another one. Off ya go. Happy 2025 to you.
And no. I’m REALLY not talking about my own books. I promise. BUT, if you don’t like them, you should put them down. I hope, hope, hope that doesn’t happen.
(Only on Amazon.)
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01.07.2025

Starting to Write Again!

I’m starting to write book two of “Ten Kids, Two Lovebirds, and a Singing Mermaid.”
The blue journal is the first journal, the second journal is pink and says, ironically, BRIGHT IDEAS.
I hope I have some bright ideas. I DEFINITELY need those…

“Ten Kids” is set in the neighborhood I grew up in for 10 years in Huntington Beach, California, on Deauville Drive. It’s not based on my own childhood, but I threw a lot of my childhood into it.
Happy 2025!
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01.01.2025

Happy New Year!

From my house to yours, Happy New Year!

Wishing you and your family a healthy, laugh-filled, book-filled year.

Peace.

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12.20.2024

Happy Holidays, Good Luck, You Can Do This

Hello everyone,

Click on the link to Substack, below, if you would like to read a short and sweet article about the holidays.

Here’s the start…

Hello all,

I wanted to take a moment to wish you peace and joy this holiday season with no family fights involving flying mashed potatoes or pecans used as weapons.

Those types of holiday dinners are so unpleasant. And messy!

For those of you visiting in-laws or family members who make you think you need a straight shot of tequila or five to survive, I wish you good luck. Remember, this too shall end.

Just make sure it ends without you dancing on top of a bar like a crazy banshee because of that tequila and finding your sorry self on You Tube.

Be this person instead…

https://open.substack.com/pub/cathylamb/p/happy-holidays?r=kayfq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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12.04.2024

GIVEAWAY ON SUNDAY, DEC 8TH

GOOD BOOKS. GOOD VIBES. HOLIDAY CHEER & GIVEAWAYS GALORE!
I’m part of a HUGE DAY OF GIVEAWAYS and want you to join in the fun and a chance to win books from over 50 authors. My Book Friends is hosting their annual SEASON OF GIVING BOOKAPALOOZA on Sunday, December 8th! Join My Book Friends today and then mark your calendar.
I’ll be giving away a copy of my two newest books – RUTHIE DESCHUTES OHARA HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES and TEN KIDS, TWO LOVEBIRDS, AND A SINGING MERMAID.
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12.03.2024

Books for Desperate People

Two books for people who desperately need to laugh while visiting their in-laws during the holidays.
Ho ho ho!
Available only on Amazon.
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11.11.2024

Thinking…

I’m at the beach so I can think.

I’m outlining book two of Ten Kids, Two Lovebirds, and a Singing Mermaid.

Thinking can be hard.

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10.16.2024

Two Books, 19 Years Apart

After many rejections, my first book, Julia’s Chocolates, sold in 2005.

My last book, Ruthie Deschutes O’Hara has Ulterior Motives, came out in September.

Ruthie is number 15. It’s been quite a ride.
THANK YOU, I truly mean this, THANK YOU for reading my books. I am grateful.
Only available on Amazon.

 

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10.15.2024

The Writing Life

I have to write.
Some people have to make art or compose music or do yoga or sing.
I have to write.
Writing holds me together, it holds my life together. It’s my work and it’s my escape and it’s a joy and it’s a bad literary puzzle.
I knew I wanted to write when I was sixteen. My high school had a newspaper and I would read articles by classmates older than me, smarter than me, and certainly more engaging and cool, as I was about as awkward as an iguana.
I was in awe of their writing skills, and in awe that their names were actually in the paper…
CLICK ON THE LINK TO SEE MY NEWSLETTER ON SUBSTACK.

https://cathylamb.substack.com/p/the-writing-life?r=kayfq

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