GinnyJC you are the winner of Murder in G Major. Watch for an email from Alexia!
Sherry here and I’m so happy to welcome back Alexia Gordon! Look for a giveaway at the end of the blog! Execution in E (love the title) comes out on March 24th so there is time to preorder this book — the fifth book in the Gethsemane Brown mystery series. Here’s a bit about the book:
Romance is in the air. Or on the ’Gram, anyway.
When an influencer-turned-bridezilla shows up at the lighthouse to capture Insta-perfect wedding photos designed to entice sponsors to fund her lavish wedding, Gethsemane has her hands full trying to keep Eamon from blasting the entire wedding party over the edge of the cliff.
Wedding bells become funeral bells when members of the bride’s entourage start turning up dead. Frankie’s girlfriend, Verna, is pegged as maid-of-honor on the suspect list when the Garda discover the not-so-dearly departed groom was her ex and Gethsemane catches her standing over a body.
Gethsemane uncovers devilish dealings as she fights to clear Verna, for Frankie’s sake. Will she find the killer in time to save Frankie from another heartbreak? Or will the photos in her social media feed be post-mortem?
Thank you to the Wickeds for having me back as a guest.
Execution in E, the fifth book in my Gethsemane Brown mystery series releases on March 24. This time around, Gethsemane and friends have to deal with a social media influencer-turned-bridezilla who descends on Dunmullach with her entourage in search of Instagram-worthy wedding photos. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the groom-to-be turns out to be the ex-fiance of Frankie’s current girlfriend. They had a horrible breakup, one so bad, she becomes the prime suspect when the groom is found dangling from Carrick Point lighthouse.
I juggle writing mysteries with my day job, which requires a lot of travel. I spent sixteen of the past twenty-five weeks on the road for work. My most recent trip kept me away from home for over a month. During this time, I also had to promote my podcast, schedule guests, promote pre-orders for Execution in E, and consult with my agent on my next manuscript. As much as I love to travel, after all that, I arrived home exhausted. Like Gethsemane, I’m task/work-focused and sometimes I forget to take care of myself. I’m trying to do better. If I want to keep writing mysteries, I need energy to do so. So, I took a minute to stop and think what I could do to refill my mental well. Here’s what I came up with:
- Get some sleep. My travels took me to at least six different time zones. Between that and crazy airline schedules, regular sleep went the way of the dinosaur. So, yesterday, I turned off my alarm and slept until I woke up on my own—twelve hours after I lay down. I felt more refreshed than I had in weeks.
- Have a good meal. Eating well on the road is trickier than quantum physics. Between hotel restaurants and grab-and-go at the airport, my diet resembled a pre-adolescent’s. When I got home, too tired to cook, I ordered delivery. (Yay, delivery apps!) Okay, I confess, what I ordered wasn’t the most nutritious meal in the world but it was a meal I could sit down and enjoy at a leisurely pace. Being able to take the time to savor my food left me feeling full and satisfied.
- Listen to music. As my travels were work-related, I spent most of my time in meetings and seminars. I spent my “down time” preparing for the next meeting or briefing. I didn’t have much time to relax without having to think about and plan for the next day. When I got home, I queued up the Spotify playlists and lost myself in the music. I felt calm and better able to focus.
- Read a book—for fun. After more than a month of reading stuff I had to read, pulling up a floor cushion and opening a book I wanted to read felt close to heaven.
Share some of your self-care tips? What do you do when you need to recover from too much of anything or to keep yourself from running down? Comment for a chance to win a copy of Murder in G Major.
BIO: Virginia native, physician by training, author by passion, I write the award-winning Gethsemane Brown Mysteries. Book 5, Execution in E, publishes March 24, 2020. I’m a member of MWA, SinC, ITW, and CWoC. I blog at Missdemeanors.com and with the Femmes Fatales (femmesfatales.typepad.com/my_weblog/) and host the podcast, The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon. Find me on social media (Facebook: AlexiaGordon.writer, Twitter: @AlexiaGordon, Instagram: DrLex1995) and visit my website (www.alexiagordon.net) to sign up for my newsletter.
My best methods of care are right here in the room with me: my two hounds, cat, and husband. Even better when we all walk together.
I can only imagine how grueling that would be, Alexia. I crave a long brisk walk in the fresh air when I’ve been cooped up and sitting for too long. I’m looking forward to that today after getting back yesterday from a much shorter and less grueling trip! Can’t wait to read the new Gethsemane.
I’m a fan of long walks in brisk air–if only it would warm up from Arctic to brisk
In the winter, a long, hot bubble-bath is my ticket to relaxation. Or sitting in front of a fire with a cup of tea and a good book. In the summer, an event in the sunroom with tea and book are good. All scenarios include my dog lying nearby, in close enough range for an ear scritch.
Congrats on the book!
I like the fire with the cup of tea
When hubby was employed plus we worked several extra jobs to make ends meet and worked a huge garden, I was a homemaker, caregiver to my folks as well as doing the yard maintenance and anything else folks needed help with since I “didn’t work”. After months of this hectic schedule and feeling so run down you don’t know if you can put one foot in front of the other, we would schedule a couple days (usually from Friday night to Sunday evening so as not to miss work) and unplug, turn off phones and just communicate with each other. Although we both love to cook, it was nice to let someone else do it as well as the clean up. Our one rule was no discussion of work, problems or finance on our very brief and infrequent relaxation jaunts. It really does make a difference in your attitude and work ability when you are good to your body – regardless of what that is to you. We would come back with a can do attitude and ready to face whatever was thrown at us. Someone told me a long time ago that if you don’t take care of yourself then you can’t be of any help to anyone else.
Now, thankfully, we are retired and don’t have to answer to anyone but ourselves. All the years of work finally paid off with dividends. We still find that it’s nice to unplug, turn off and get away. We have both found the love of photography. So now our little trips usually are based on where we can go to see some new or beautiful sight or spot an elusive critter so we can try to capture that moment in a photograph. Life is good!
Congratulation on your upcoming release of “Execution in E”. Thank you for the wonderful chance to win a copy of “Murder in G Major”. Both sound fabulous and are now on my TBR lis.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Like Edith, a walk in the fresh air is always a curative for me! Even if it’s a short walk between meetings! A neighbor once told me that, on a crazy trip to Italy, she was fascinated by the Japanese tourists who seemed to pull into their own Zen space every so often in the midst of chaos all around them. She figured, if they could do it, so could we. So I try on every walk– long or short– to claim my inner calm and serenity and let it center me and renew my spirit even a little. It helps! 🙂 –kate, writing as C. T. Collier, The Penningtons Investigate.
Welcome back! I’m amazed by watching your travels on Facebook. A good cup of tea or some deep breathing go a long way for me! Congratulations on the new book!
As much as I love travel, it’s nice to stay put for a little while
Listening to music and walking are my ways to de-stress. I adore Gethsemane and can’t wait to read Execution in E!
I like to get outside for a walk
Welcome back, Alexia and congratulations on your upcoming release. Of course you must keep in fighting shape so you can keep writing! My days as a road warrior are long past, but I remember how grueling it could be. Here in Key West I like to reward myself at the end of each writing day with a dip in the pool.
Lying on my sofa with the heated vibrating pad on high. And, of course, reading a cozy mystery. It helps to have a snuggly cat on me, too.
Execution in E sounds like a get addition to my TBR pile.
My hat is off to you. Travel is fun, but trying to juggle all that while traveling for work? Yikes!
I like to sit on the couch with a nice cup of tea and either watch a comedy (sitcom usually, like Frasier) that mskes me laugh. Having my cats around and purring helps a lot, too!
These all sound like great self-care tips!
When I come home after traveling, I like to get plenty of sleep and spend a day or two relaxing and spending time with my cats.
I have enjoyed this series and look forward to this book.
I listen to my oldies music.
Welcome to the Wickeds once more, Alexia! What a whirlwind of travel you’ve had! I like to unwind by knitting while listening to one of my favorite podcasts. I also do a brain dump onto a blank sheet of paper with a favorite pen in order to calm my mind. There is always so much to do when I return from a trip that it really helps to get my thoughts out where I can see them!
I wait for the days when it is warm enough to sit out on the screen porch with a cup of tea and a good mystery and just feel the trees that surround the back of my house. There’s something restorative about nature – just seeing the trees, hearing the leaves rustle, and watching the usual flock of wild turkeys as they come through on their daily rounds.
Take a walk, read, listen to music or meditate.
Welcome to the Wickeds! I can’t imagine all that traveling–my self care tip is to listen to podcasts! Just downloaded yours, can’t wait to listen.
Hope you enjoy it! Lots of fun guests coming up
For me it’s: talk to my mom, relax and read, cuddle up with my cats, watch a feel good movie or tv show, talk to my son!