Carolyn Haines's Blog

Dear Friends and Readers,

It will come as no shock to you that October is my favorite month of the whole year. And for a lot of reasons. My latest Sarah Booth mystery released Oct. 15, and I’ve been really busy promoting the book and having fun at signings.

My dear friend Hope and I visited the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway Museum

I had a fun Zoom call with Paula Munier—we both have books out this month—and we got to chat a little about books, writing, and things we love. I also made a flying tr...

Dear Friends and Readers,

Well, Francine threatened to blow the Gulf Coast away, but we managed to dodge the worst of it, even New Orleans is okay. Some of the good news is that I had hurricane guests—Barbara Nye and Cheryl Gee. Barbara lives in New Orleans and Cheryl, who is our beloved Kiwi, was visiting Barbara when the storm turned East and targeted NOLA.

The only thing to do was buy more wine and have my friends over to stay. Barbara has a little dog named Rosceaux—who is almost as naught...

Dear Friends and Readers,

No, I’m not a crab or a lobster, I am just one poor sweltering Southern person. And August has been a truly brutal month, weather wise. Yesterday lightning struck east of my place, but the white light was so brilliant that I was momentarily blinded. Ugh. Dangerous storms from the over-heated earth, and now the tropics are also producing potential hurricanes. Keep fingers crossed for everyone!

I am finishing the first draft of DOGGONE BONES. I hope you will like the s...

Dear Friends and Readers,

I am losing my mind with sick animals right now. Lily had surgery to remove two cysts and two growths. She is obsessed with getting to her stitches. Ack! She has a cone, but she is very, very sly. The two cysts removed from her back are fine. But the growth on her back leg and tail have been a real challenge. Send her some energy to BEHAVE! And not drive me to drink.

Castor the 15-year-old cat with diabetes and IBD, is refusing to eat his prescription food to try to k...

Dear Friends and Readers,

It’s May and the temps are in the mid to high 90s already. It’s going to be a hot summer—so it’s good to have Sarah Booth to read so you can stay inside and stay cool!

I had a terrific book signing with my “Uncle Brother” Dean James and my buddy Mandy Haynes at the Haunted Book Shop in downtown Mobile, AL. Dean writes as Miranda James and Mandy is a super fine short story writer—so we had plenty of books and stories to share. The audience was lively and fun, and my co-s...

Dear Friends and Readers,

April is concluding and May is going to be a crazy busy month! It’s my birthday month, and I’ll be 71. Hard to believe—until I look in a mirror. But I have no complaints; I am what I am and I ain’t what I ain’t. (See John Prine song at conclusion of newsletter!).

May 23 I have my official book release party at the Haunted Book Shop from 5:30-7:30. Please stop by. It’s going to be a blast. My friends Mandy Haynes and Dean (Miranda) James will be there signing their books...

Dear Friends and Readers,

April is almost here—along with Easter and the fun of hiding eggs and eating chocolate candy! Spring is my favorite time of year, followed by fall. I’m not a big fan of the Alabama heat and humidity. But with the warming weather, life is getting busy! This past month has been wild and wooly with a lot going on.

The Mobile Literary Festival, organized by author Jodie Cain Smith, was a full day of fun with panels and helpful writing and selling information. It is always a...

Dear Friends and Readers,

Mardi Gras is done. Fat Tuesday is over. We’re in the time of Lent. While the temperatures are still cold, it is clear that Spring is on the way. I don’t mind winter. In fact, I like the cold weather as long as it doesn’t get down to pipe freezing. But I’m ready for Spring.

My front lawn is covered in dandelions. They are happy little flowers to me, and one of the first sources of food for bees—so please don’t kill them. Allow them to bloom and help the eco-system. I we...

Dear Friends and Readers,

I have certainly had a lot of practice learning how to live with loss, and one of the mainstays of my growth has now moved on to the next challenge. Ms. Velma Dossett Brown died at the age of 96. She was a part of my life for over 40 years.

I met Ms. Velma when I started working in the PR office at the University of South Alabama. She ran the “snack bar” in the basement of the administration building. Her BLTs and tuna sandwiches were legendary. Coffee, at that time, wa...

Dear Friends and Readers,

Today is Kwanzaa, a holiday I had never heard of in my childhood—but I am a fan of ALL holidays. Kwanzaa sounds a lot like a holiday that was celebrated in rural Mississippi call “camp meeting” or “homecoming.” A gathering of friends and family to celebrate and give gifts and memories. I don’t celebrate many holidays these days. As most of you who are older and have lost family will understand, the weight of the past is hard to drag in the present.

But I have a secret w...