Nancy Bartholomew

 

The day the first Sierra Lavotini novel, The Miracle Strip, came out... 

 

 

About two months ago I started this blog so that the people who read my novels would have a way of finding out more about me, my writing and the writing process in general.  An unexpected surprise has been the upsurge in mail I've been getting about my Sierra Lavotini "Strip" series.  The support is so wonderful and so deeply appreciated! 

When Tom (see his comment below) wrote me today and asked if anyone else was wondering about Sierra, I thought it might be a good idea to share a few of the lovely notes I've received.  He also wanted a bit more of "Landing Strip," which made me think maybe I ought to post a page of some of my current Works in Progress, too.  What do you think?

In the meantime...here are those comments- 

 

Tom says: 

Subject: Bring Back Sierra, PLEASE!!!
Message: Ms Bartholomew: I have just finished re-reading the original set (you'll pardon the expression)of Strip books...I have also just finished reading your So, About Sierra blog...
I don't know how many people, if any, have been asking for the return of Ms Lavotini, but I am definitely in the class picture...
I am sure that you can extend upon your paragraph in that blog...at least, I hope so...Come on, Nancy...It's been too long...PLEASE!!!

 

From Robin:

Subject: sierra lavotini
Message: Hi,  I just found the sierra series and plowed through them at record speed.  I love her life and now I am left hanging not knowing who moose really is.  Any idea when Landing strip may be published or is that not ever going to happen?

From Cindy:

Subject: sierra
Message: Thank you for sharing Sierra with us. She is absolutely one of my favorite characters, she's just a riot. I hope one day soon I'll see her on the bookshelves again.

From Jennifer-

Subject: Your Cheatin Heart
Message: I just finished reading Your Cheatin Heart & loved it so much I ordered Stand By Your Man.  Is there any other books that go with those?  You're an amazing author.  I can't wait to read more of your books.  Please let me know about the series.  Gotta read them all....

From Julie-

Subject: SIERRA #5
Message: What is Sierra's book #5 called?
Has it been published?
I love the Sierra series.  I think St. Martins press sucks!!

 From Carol-

I also own all the Stella's and the Sophie.  Thanks for making me laugh.  My husband loves Sierra too.  I hope St. Martin's comes to their senses.  Could we start a writing campaign to get them to see reason?

Carol

From JJ-

Subject: best writer ever
Message: Thank you for returning my e mail...Please tell me you are writing another Sierra Lavotini mystery..the last one  (Strip Poker) left me wondering what happens next...I know that's  what it was supposed to do..Please let me know what you are writing..and when it is coming out........jj

 

 

From Michelle-

 Subject: what happens to sierra?????
Message: ok i just discovered your strip series and i am dying to know what happens to sierra after the last book.   when can we expect the next book or is the series done?  what happens after uncle moose calls her?

 

From Joe-

 Subject: Sierra Lavotini
Message: Any chance that Sierra might come back in another story?
I really enjoyed reading your stories about her.
Thanks.

 From Kim-

Message: Hi, I just started reading your books and I am hope you are going to do another Sierra Lavotini book. I just finish this last one in two days!
I just order some more of your books on amazon.

 

From Rachael- 

Subject: Your books..
Message: Hello Nancy,
My name is Rachael and I am a huge fan of your Sierra Lavotini Series. I was very upset to see there aren't anymore books out in this series. When will a new book by you be coming out? Are you still writing? If you have time to write me back, I would be so happy. I just would love to know what is going on with your books and such. Thanks.

 

From Sheila-

 

 

Back in the day, before kids, before major responsibility came my way, I would squirrel away all my vacation days and take 2 long weeks off to "Evaluate my Life."  I had a 20 year plan.  Really.  With goals that could be measured by the month, the year, five years on up to 20 years.

I did not take into account the wisdom that comes with time and age.

This probably explains why I don't have a house in L.A (Lower Alabama a.k.a Panama City Beach, Florida) with a private landing strip for my own airplane.  Thank God for that!

The first week of my 2 week retreat, I would spend frying myself to a cinder on the beach and drinking wine spritzers on the roof-top deck of my boss's beach house.  But the second week signalled the time of introspection and reevaluation.  I had goals for everything- my career, my personal life, my friendships.  No stone was left unturned.

This week away, up here at the cabin, felt like a miniature version of those old escapes.  I still have goals.  I still reappraise them and evaluate my progress, just not with the rigidity of my youth.  I was, however, able to hear the sound of my own inner voice again.  I did write- almost 50 pages- of something new. 

But I covet the old days of 2 week chunks.  I love the bliss of this place. The thing that comes with time and age is the knowledge that one day, all too soon, I'll have a lot of time alone.  My boys will be grown, with lives and families of their own.  So the good stuff, the memories and treasures, for now they're at home, in town. 

I'm big on being with my family in the moment, savoring every single bit of that experience and hoarding it for my motherhood retirement.  

That, and the taxes MUST be done... 

 As dawn breaks, so begins the day...

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Another rainy day in the holler.

I look at it this way- it's like having a soaker hose everywhere and that's a good thing for the gardens and the surrounding land.  We need this little savings account of water.  Later in the Summer we'll long for a stretch of days like this.  So it's all good.

Maggie wasn't about to miss out on her walk- even if it was drippy wet and cold out.  She insisted.  So this is her before

And this is her apres-walk...

 

She was worthless the rest of the day...but I've got 25 pages of new book. 

 

It is still raining! I'm not complaining, mind you, just amazed. The back creek is more full than I've ever seen it.

I've been noodling around, to the tune of about 14 pages. Here's the first paragraph. Would you want to read on?

Every family has its skeleton in the closet. Every good Italian family has a house full of closets and a graveyard’s worth of skeletons. Take my family for example, the Capresis. You would think, with us being a, shall we say “connected” family, a la Tony Soprano, we’d be hiding our Sicilian heritage behind a façade of legitimacy. But no. Nobody in the Capresi family bothers trying to hide what almost every cop and A.D.A in the Philadelphia area already knows. That’s not the source of our family’s shame. Aunt Rose is the one whose name must not be spoken aloud.