Grave Consequences Has an Expected Date of Birth

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

I’m so excited to finally have a tentative date for publication of my first novel. The thing is, it isn’t carved in stone so I can’t share it with you yet. If you’d like to be one of the first to hear the date and if you’d like to be on my launch team, sign up for my newsletter and you’ll be among the first to know.

Don’t know what a launch team is? Some authors call it their street team or their dream team. These are people who agree to help you get out word about an upcoming book or event, such as a book signing. For the most part, I’ll be doing all the work, you agree to share memes I’ll be making with everyone you reach, spread word any way you can. Plus, I would greatly appreciate it if you’d pray for me and for this book. If you can do nothing but pray, believe me, that is huge. This book isn’t going anywhere without God there to guide it.

A New Year, A New You

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

It’s hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone. Three of our kids left for home on the twenty-seventh, the fourth left on the twenty-eighth. It’s been a long time since we’ve had all our kids and grands here for Christmas. 2015 was the last year for all of them to be at our home. They have no idea what a gift their presence is to their Dad and me.

As I write this, it is our youngest son’s birthday and the new year is two days away. As I look at our sons, daughter-in-love, and our granddaughters, I wonder what the new year will bring for all of them. We discussed plans during their visit and I can tell you that a lot of change is ahead for each of them. But isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

My Hometown - The Place To Be For Christmas Fun!

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

I think all of us are proud of our hometowns. Like many of you, I was born in one town and moved to another when Daddy’s job changed. I still have relatives in both places. The town I remember, the one in which I have the fondest memories of my childhood and youth, is Andalusia, Alabama.

To say I was blessed to have such a wonderful place in which to grow to adulthood is an understatement. The people who surrounded me were simply the best. I had such wonderful teachers and the best friends. In fact, my best friend and I still keep in touch. We may not see one another often, but when we do, it’s as if we’d just left for a moment or two. Dianne, I love you, girl.

A Priceless Gift

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen the same post repeatedly on social media. It’s a good reminder and goes something like this—Hold people close and remember to hug, say I love you, do today all those things you think you will get to do later. Later may not come for some.

That is such a profound truth. My family and I know it all too well. I have several dear friends who know, as well. You know who you are and know that I am holding you in my heart today, and always.

You Did It! NaNoWriMo 2019

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Do you remember when I wrote the post about deciding to participate in NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month? That's where you write 50,000 words in thirty days. In other words, you write a novel. In case you missed my Facebook post, I did it. I’m so excited about having accomplished that. I wrote 50,134 words in twenty-five days.

When I first made up my mind to join the group, they had been at this for four days. I had to play catch-up. Also, maneuvering all the techie things that went along with making that decision almost did me in. Yes. I almost quit before I wrote the first word.

But I hung in there. I sat down almost every day and wrote the words that came to my mind. And I did it. And so did many, many more of you.

With A Thankful Heart

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

The older I get, the more quickly the year passes. It seems we just observed the Fourth of July and here it is, Thanksgiving. Here’s the kicker—Christmas is less than a month away. As usual, I haven’t purchased the first gift. Heavy sigh.

But, this week, we celebrate Thanksgiving. Two of our four sons will be with us this year. One is our married son who will have our lovely granddaughters with him, along with his beautiful wife, our Daughter-in-Love. It is always so good to hear the laughter of our two granddaughters filling our home. And, it’s such a blessing to see two of our boys communicating with one another as grown men.

Those are only a few of the things we are thankful for this year. 

Giving Thanks--Generation to Generation

By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams

Y’all know that one of my favorite things is genealogy. Finding my ancestors has become not just a hobby, but a life-long quest for my sister and me.

Sis and I talk every day, first thing in the morning, which for us is usually somewhere between eight and nine. I am not an early morning person unless I have to be. Of course, we always talk about our kids and our grandkids, and in her case, her soon-to-be eight great-grands. Wow!

Another thing you know about me is that this November, for the first time, I am participating in NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, the object of which is to get fifty-thousand words written—a good start for a novel. I got a bit of a late start, but I’ve managed to have somewhere around forty-thousand words in book two of my Charlotte Graves series, when you add my NaNo words to my already-written words.

But, while I’ve been writing a novel, many of you have been writing about things you are thankful for. I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts. Among those of you doing this is my niece, Shelly Foshee. She is my sister’s daughter-in-love. Shelly is an amazing woman, one whom I wish all of you could know. She is daughter, wife, mother, and now, Nana. Add to those, student, nurse, teacher, mentor, intercessor, prayer-warrior. You get the picture. Busy.