On Pens and Needles: April 2026 Newsletter
Spring Greetings, Friends !
If you’re receiving this newsletter for the first time, welcome! I promise not to deluge you; my goal is to communicate once a month and only with updates that I believe will be of interest.
In happy news, my novel, Stones River, is one of three finalists for the 2026 Independent Book Publishers Association Book Awards, in the Romance category. The three books (the other two are Leda Pearl’s Love Biscuits by Arlon Jay Staggs and Love in the Key of Summer by Zariah L. Banks) are wildly different in subject and style; it'll be interesting (!) to see which the judges choose. I'll find out at the Awards ceremony on May 15th in Portland, OR.
Whether I win the gold or not, I'll come away with a silver medal to put on the book cover. But more gratifying than that is the joy of having my work recognized by such an influential organization.
Stones River also recently received some lovely praise from Foreword/Clarion Reviews, who called it a "riveting romance novel. . . About honoring soldiers, their traumas, and the descendants who carry their stories forward," and from Kirkus Indie Reviews: "In Jones' supernatural historical novel, the ghost of a soldier from the American Civil War seeks the aid of a contemporary woman . . . A compelling meditation on history, empathy, and how the past is remembered.
In other happy news, I'm hard at work on Book II of The Sentinel Heart Trilogy, of which Stones River is Book I. Soldier's Joy is slated to come out in September of this year. Until pub date, the e-book is available for pre-order at a discount here Soldier's Joy pre-order.
I need to sing the praises of my mentors, The Radish Farm Writers' Group. They've been pushing me hard to amp up the tension and conflict in this new book, and, hating tension and conflict as I do, I've been resisting. After our last meeting I sulked around for half a day and all of a sudden saw that "The Rads" (as we call one another) were, as always, right. I dove back into the manuscript and added a big fight, a breakup, a new love possibility for the heroine, a traumatic confession, a shooting . . . . Now we'll see what Rad changes they'll urge me toward next.
One thing's for sure: in the lonely business of writing, we writers need one another.
Knitting is my respite from the stress and uncertainty of writing -- not that it always goes smoothly, but it's not soul-shredding the way writing can be. If I mess up, I just rip it out and start again with no inner turmoil.
This project, below, was unusually problem-free. It's the Geometer Pattern by Lotte H Löthgren. The sweater is made of 100% worsted wool and I'll have about two days a year to wear it here in temperate Tennessee. On winter visits to our New Jersey family and New York friends, however, I'll be glad for its insulating properties!
Modeling my new creation at Chattanooga Yarn Company
I'd like to give a shout out to my other mentor, knitting teacher Dana Chadwell, owner of the Chattanooga Yarn Company where I go once a week for knitting instruction, the company of a hilarious and supportive group of friends (knitters need one another too), and an always well- stocked bowl of energizing Atomic Fireballs.
Till next month, friends, be well!
Warmly,
Mimi
P.S. If you've read Stones River and are moved to post a rating and/or comment on Amazon or Goodreads, I'll be forever grateful!
***
IN MEMORIAM: RUBY
August 1, 2013 - March 14, 2026.
Tireless hiking buddy, writing and knitting encourager,
mind and mood reader, confidante . . .
My soul dog.
