Update on the Spring Vegetable Garden, New Beginnings on the Focused on Story Blog

JQ's Books

Hello and Welcome 

to the Focused on Story Blog!

Spring has arrived!
Photo of Arboretum Park

What a wonderful feeling to have spring arrive. My son-in-law tilled up the garden last night. So GT has been out there most of the day. He's happy the soil turned up beautifully this year. According to our local weatherman, our county is in drought mode at this time, so the soil is pretty dry.

Garden in spring 2018

So far, GT has planted cabbage, broccoli and lettuce plants he started in Florida, the beet and radish seeds pasted on toilet paper, yes toilet paper, onions and peas. The new plants in the strawberry bed he planted last year are looking good.

I love gardeners. No matter how good or bad the previous garden was, they are always optimists, believing this year will be the best garden ever. Believe it!

"The garden is growth and change and that means loss as well as constant new treasures to make up for a few disasters."  May Sarton

Our sure sign spring is on the way--the blooming forsythia!

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With spring comes new beginnings, so I feel like freshening up my blog and adding a schedule of blog postings. Below is the plan for the next few months.

The IWSG Blog Hop is always the first Wednesday of the month. #IWSG Blog Hop

At one time, I participated in the Author Toolbox blog hop, but the hop has ended. So I added the topic, Tools for Writers, to my schedule for the second Wednesday of the month. I hope it will be helpful to authors to keep up on finding new tools for writing and using the evolving technology.

Third Wednesday will include a post from one of these topics--Marketing for Romance Writers Book Hooks, #MFRWhooks, Guest Authors/ Bloggers/Influencers

 

Fourth Wednesday will cover memoirs/life stories with guests who have a published memoir to share with you, tips on writing memoirs and reviews of memoirs I have read and enjoyed.

Fifth Wednesday, if the month has one, will be my writing updates or a topic I share about writing, publishing or marketing, travel and fun. I titled it Serendipity. According to the dictionary, Serendipity happens "when someone accidentally finds something good." I hope you will find something good on this blog!!

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PLEASE NOTE: In July, Blogger will no longer be sending emails from bloggers to their subscribers to notify them when a new blog article has been posted. I post every Wednesday on this blog, so if you don't get a notification from me, it's not because I have not posted. Please check-in on Wednesdays. I will also use Instagram and Facebook to announce new posts. (If I can figure out IG soon!!!) 

You may receive an email from me if you are a subscriber asking you to subscribe to the once-a-month edition of the Rose Courier.

You can keep up to date with me when you subscribe. It will arrive in your inbox automatically if you sign-up below. Thank you for your continuing support.

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Girls Succeed!
Empowering girls to dream big!

GOOD NEWS--The re-release of Girls Succeed! was April 15. The e-Book launched with a big bang, even making it into amazon's top 100 bestseller list in its category! I am driven to get this book into the hands of young readers. The fifteen amazing women who tell their stories of how they achieved their childhood dreams can inspire girls to work to make their dreams come true.

Click here to download your copy of Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

Click here to sign up to receive the updates, articles, freebies, photos and fun in the Rose Courier. 

Thank you.

Spring IS Coming, New Vegetable Gardening Guide, This Week

Garden quote--looking forward to Spring

Snowbound, blizzard beaten, blister shoveling Readers, this post is for YOU!

I'm right in there digging out, scraping off, and bundling up with you, if not physically, at least in spirit. I know what it's all about after living through Michigan winters. 

My graphic above is supposed to lift your spirits and let you focus on spring coming. Think about the spring flowers and leafy trees. Think about planting those garden beds and vegetable gardens.

Lilac bush

Spring WILL come. In fact I am so sure of it, I just released a short guide for Vegetable Gardening, Quick Tips on Vegetable Gardening: Starting Your Garden.

NEW Vegetable Gardening Guide

My husband, Gardener Ted, and I put together tips and advice for starting a vegetable garden drawing upon his lifetime experience as a gardener, greenhouse grower, and garden center owner. The booklet is only 24 pages long. The booklet is crammed with information you can read now and be ready to get a head start on your vegetable garden whether you raise veggies in a garden plot, container, raised bed, or vertical garden. 

Take a peek at some of the topics:

• Getting Ready for Gardening 
• Start Those Seeds
• Four Season Planning
• Don't Forget the Soil
• Toilet Paper is an Essential Tool for Gardening
• Cold Frames 

Dig right in to the pages and you'll be certain to be ready for gardening this spring. Take my word for it, Spring is Coming!!

If you would like a PDF copy of the eBook to read and review, please email me at JQRose02 at gmail dot com. 

Do you raise vegetables? Got any tips for gardeners? Please leave a comment below and tell us about your gardening experience.Thank you!!

This Week:

Thursday, February 19--The final entry in the series, Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing, is this Thursday. I have compiled a list of helpful writing websites suggested by my guests. Stop in as I share some of them with you. As a free gift, I'll send you the complete list.

Romance and Mystery Author on Writing series

Because this series was loaded with such valuable information, I plan to compile the interviews into an eBook this spring to share the authors' advice and new information with you all. 

Spring Gardening with a Greenhouse, This Week, Giveaway

Still waiting on spring? Yes, I can't wait till we see beautiful tulips in our yard. No color yet!
The sunny daffodils are welcome bursts of color in northern landscapes now.

If you are a gardener (or married to one like I am), you are chomping at the bit to get the garden going. My DH, Gardener Ted, is busy planting seeds in flats and pots hoping to get ahead of Mother Nature. No waiting for a seed to pop up in the garden, he'll be able to transplant the healthy seedlings as soon as heavy frosts are over...whenever that may be. He and the grandsons put up a greenhouse as soon as we returned from Florida in April.

The next day, it looked like this--

I must admit I'd never seen snow on the greenhouse, but then again, I had never seen snow on our deck furniture either!

Now he has the plants tucked in the warm greenhouse even if the overnight temps are 30 degrees. So keep your fingers crossed that warm temperatures will arrive soon, before the greenhouse has a ton of overgrown plants inside. I'll keep ya' posted. 

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This Week:

Thursday, May 1

Sweet romance author Helena Fairfax reveals her inspiration to be a writer. Helena is offering her award-nominated romance, The Silk Romance, as a prize to the winning commenter. Be sure to come back Thursday and leave a comment!

The Month of May:

Seeds of Inspiration Event guest authors:

May 1  Helena Fairfax
         8  Katie Carroll
       15 Susan Bernhardt

May 22--J. Q. Rose Birthday Giveaway!!