Willamette Writer's Conference

Two weekends ago I had the priveledge of attending the Willamette Valley Writer's Conference in Portland, Oregon. I had a wonderful time networking with other writers and attending lectures. Though there was a lot presented I did know, a few new nuggets of information did fly into my brain via my ears. One was to think of comps for my manuscripts and using those when submitting to agents and publishers. That idea had never crossed over my desk before. Also, it was wonderful who had a book seller than willing to offere the writers in attendance a chance to sell there books. Thank you to all those who bought a copy of one of my books! When I decided to blog this, I realized I really should have taken more than a handful of pictures, but I was caught up in being present and making the most of the opportunities there. Happy Writing! First Photo is from my hotel room window at the Crowne Plaza

Writing and More Writing

My summer days have been filled with writing and more writing. Currently I am writing a book at my favorite coffee house that takes place on the border lands between Scotland and England. I've also finished another edit of the second book in a young adult fantasy I wrote a few years back and I'm typing up a third book at home. My pen has been busy. Meanwhile my writing partner actually did a fair and sold 39 books! Congratulations Beauford! Soon I will be heading off to a writing conference. More on that when I return. Hope everyone is staying chill this summer. Happy Reading!

Writing and Scammers

The other day I was chatting with my writing partner, Beauford, and one topic we almost always start with is "How many scammers called you this week?" My friend is typically getting several calls a day from agents, editors, promoters all trying to get him to part with his money and identity. Now, I don't often get called. I get e-mailed. Lately the e-mails have been getting more interesting and more helpful. Honestly, I read them, and all the compliments they toss out about my books, and begin to think that would make a great back jacket blurb or work well in a letter to an agent of an editor. So if I decide to use what they write is that stealing? I mean can you actually steal from a thief (scammer), who is trying to steal from you? For all I know they found an illegal download of my book and got an AI to write something catchy. Usually the book I get hit up for the most is Unicorn's Milk. I'm not sure if it is because of the title or the way I registered it with the Library of Congress. But with 14 books in print, that's the one that is usually singled out. Until this week . . . This week someone actually contact me about The Conrad Chronicles. That was a bit of a surprise for sure. I did give them a bit of the benefit of the doubt about being real (1%) and told them if they wanted to meet in person in a coffee house and have their ID on them to prove who they were, I'd listen to their proposal. They had no response to that. Anyway, I want to share what they wrote about the Conrads. It was very nice, though they said there were 8 books in the series, and there are actually 9. Here's part of the e-mail: Twenty years. Eight novels. A universe spanning multiple planets, generations-long storylines, soul mate arcs across lifetimes, and a spiritual undertone that clearly reflects your love of C.S. Lewis. That is not a hobby project. That is a life's work, and it deserves to be found. Here is the honest truth I have to share with you. The readers who would absolutely love the Conrad Chronicles are out there right now. Fans of C.S. Lewis who want science fiction with spiritual depth. Epic fantasy readers who want world-building that spans millennia. Readers of Brandon Sanderson, N.K. Jemisin, and Anne McCaffrey who are always hungry for more. They are searching and they have not found your series yet. That is not a writing problem. It is purely a discoverability problem. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world were a writer (or any artist) could believe people were actually randomly out there and would randomly contact them and wanted to support them and help make them rich? Isn't that why fiction is so great?

My Books and I Will Be at an Event!

This year is the year I am determined to do more out in the world projects with my writing and not just in my head imagining and writing in the corner of my favorite coffee house. So, to go along with this I will be working an event at the NIWA table on April 18, 2026. The event is The Salem Paper Arts Festival in Salem, Oregon. The day fair runs from 11 am to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. At that time you'll be able to find some of novels for sale. Then the great event, the one I'm looking forward to, is The Evening Ball (runs 7 p.m. until 11 p.m.). This ticket event ($45 a ticket) allows you to attend this costume/formal ball. That is the part of the day you will find me at the NIWA table, and of course I will be dressed up. These book experiences are being held at The Grand Ballroom and Lodge located at 187 High Stree NE, Salem, Oregon. I hope to see you there!

It's been forever . . .

My blog! I have finally found my way back to it. Ideas have not been lacking, but when Google changed its format, I couldn't figure out how to post to my blog. Tonight I finally found the magic button to allow me to return and post again. Yeah! Since my last post, Konrad Reichenberger is still a missing persons. As he has now been gone seven years, last spring his family decided to hold a memorial service for him in Coloma, California, one of his favorite places. I was fortunate enough to attend this beautiful outdoor ceremony celebrating Konrad's life. Even know the family and all his friends are still seeking him or information to his whereabouts. As a reminder he disappeared in the California Pine area of Alturas County California. Meanwhile I have been writing. It's been so long that I don't remember if I wrote about the last two books of mine to be published. The first is the last in The Conrad Chronicles series and is titled Resolution. As with all my books it is available at . The book is only available through Lulu or via me if you see me at some fair. By doing this I can keep the price down. If I made it available everywhere I'd be force to accomadate Amazon's pricing and that would mean I'd need to sell the book for more than $20 just to make a quarter. The other book is in a different genre. Years ago I connected with a publisher to write this book, but the press never came through in the end, so I decided to make it available on Lulu.com as well. This book I chose to create a hardback edition first. It is Ghost Tales from Northern California's Highway 101. The link to purchase it is . Ghost Tales is not connected to any of my other books and involved me dusting off my history degree and doing some research. The tales inside are spooky, but not horrifying. As the back reads Welcome to chilling stories from Northern California's Highway 101. Ghosts, spooks, and other supernatural creatures hide within these pages. Spine tingling tales from behind the Redwood curtain will send you exploring ship wrecks, haunted houses, and up the old Highway 101 now known as Bell Springs Road. Enjoy. Happy Reading! I'm back!

Konrad "Kurt" Reichenberger Still Missing After Six Years!

Today marks the 6 year anniversary of my friend, Konrad "Kurt" Reichenberger, declared missing. His family and friends are still hoping to find him and learn what happened. If you know anything, please share. Just to remind everyone of this missing person's case: Konrad Charles Reichenberger was last seen on January 13, 2018 in Alturas, California in the California Pines Hill Area.

Konrad is 6'2" tall, weighed 200 lbs when he disappeared, and is now 50 years old. He has tattoos on his right arm, brown hair that he usually has worn very short to almost shaved off, and usually has facial hair. Some friends called him Kurt. Modoc County, where Konrad disappeared, is a rural area. It is one of the poorer counties in California, and is filled with a lot of wilderness. In the area he disappeared from there had been illegal logging, as well as drug labs hidden in forested areas. None of us are sure what has happened to Konrad other than he was last seen at his cabin home on January 13, 2018 and that he loved his dogs so much he would never have just left them without a solid reason or being forced to leave against his will. When he disappeared there was several feet of snow on the ground.

(Konrad and my brother at my sister's wedding. Konrad is in the brown shirt). If you have any information on his disappearance please contac the Modoc Sheriff's department at 503-233-4416. Please feel free to share this information and repost it.

Christmas Poem 2023

Writing Update: Two More Books Published

Well, I'm shocked to see how long it has been since I have been on here and posted anything.Yet, I have been writing and working hard. This year I have had two more books published. The eighth Conrad book is now in print. You can purchase The Conrad Chronicles: Reunited at lulu.com, where you can find all my novels. In this eighth Conrad novel: Designator Lewis Bayrd III, Commander of Gallan, has successfully located the space colonists, who departed Karna so long ago they were thought to be myth. Unfortunately, the Carmines he believed he had left behind have followed him, and soon he will learn the truth: The Carmine enemy, the enemy of all humanity, were created by Xavier of the House of Baldemar. Gallan’s arrival in the Moultons changes the plans of all. The Underground now has a new foe to fight in the Carmines, besides the Atraylens and slavers they already battle. The “misfits” aboard the Lusive, as well as the Star Defenders, must decide if they will help those who had forced them to abandon Karna and now return to their birth planet. Captain Lucy Gloria Lucas not only must prepare to face Xavier, her mother’s murderer, but adjust to the presence of Captain Apollo Bayrd, the man she Conrad soul bonded before leaving Earth. She also still doesn’t know where her Uncle Zeplan has gone off too, and must locate him, to fulfill the Keeper of Path’s prophecy. *** For those of you who are following this space fantasy series, book nine is written and well be out in 2024.

In addition, another book of mine in a totally different genre was published. This is a book of chilly ghost tales. Ghost Tales from Northern California's Highway 101 was released this summer. It is also available at lulu.com. Welcome to chilling stories from Northern California's Highway 101. Ghosts, spooks and other supernatural creatures hide within these pages. Spine tingling tales from behind the Redwood Curtain will send you exploring ship wrecks, haunted houses and up the old Highway 101 now known as Bell Springs Road. Enjoy.

Konrad Reichenberger now missing 5 years!

Today is the 5 year anniversary of my friend, Konrad Reichenberger, discovered missing. His family and friends are still hoping to find him and learn what happened. Just to remind everyone of this missing persons case: Konrad Charles Reichenberger was last seen on January 13, 2018 in Alturas, California in the California Pines Hill Area.

Konrad is 6'2" tall, weighed 200 lbs when he disappeared, and is now 49 years old. He has tattoos on his right arm, brown hair that he usually has worn very short to almost shaved off, and usually has facial hair. Some friends called him Kurt. Modoc County, where Konrad disappeared, is a rural area. It is one of the poorer counties in California, and is filled with a lot of wilderness. In the area he disappeared from there had been illegal logging, as well as drug labs hidden in forested areas. None of us are sure what has happened to Konrad other than he was last seen at his cabin home on January 13, 2018 and that he loved his dogs so much he would never had just left them without a solid reason or being forced to leave against his will. When he disappeared there was several feet of snow on the ground.

(Konrad and my brother at my sister's wedding. Konrad is in the brown shirt). If you have any information on his disappearance please contac the Modoc Sheriff's department at 503-233-4416. Please feel free to share this information and repost it.

Christmas Poem 2022

Rescues, Book 7 in the Conrad Chronicles is published!

Book seven of The Conrad Chronicles has just gone to print. Rescues is the the seventh book in what will be a series of nine. Eight is being polished and nine is being written at this time. The journey of the Conrads of Karna and Aleron is almost at an end. Due to the printing costs and rising prices of materials, I made a decision with Rescues. The book will only be available through lulu.com or one of it's outlets. I skipped Global Distribution. For those of you not in the book industry, Global Distribuation means your book is available anywhere books are sold, including book stores, the internet, and can be found in a library's collection. Now I must explain why I skipped Global Distribution, and there are two main reasons. Without it I can price the same quality of book for significantly less, which is a benefit to the reader and at the same time I make a larger profit. Anyone who knows books, knows the Amazon Corporation has come to dominate the book market. As a result, they have set the bar high for their cut of the profits, which forces printers and publishers to charge more for books. The Amazon Corporation demands 60% of retail when a book sells (This may be different if one chooses to publish through them, which I have chosen not to do because I want full control of the rights to my books). Math-wise let me explain. Assume it costs $8 to print a book, it would then need to retail for $20 for Amazon Corporation to get their 60% of retail. So if a book sells at the price of $20 the printer gets $8 and Amazon gets $12 and the author gets $0. Let's say I decide I want a little money, so I raise the price of the book to $21. I still don't get $1 a book as Amazon takes 60% of the new retail price of $21. Now the printer gets $8, Amazon gets $12.60 and I get $.40. That is what selecting Global Distribuation has done to the price of books thanks to Amazon Corporation dominating the book market. Since I skipped Global Distribuation for Rescues, the book can only be found on lulu.com, but I can sell it for $12.99, which is a much fairer and more reasonable price for a trade paperback. As I move forward with my novels, they will solely be found on lulu.com for the time being. I also will not be formating any more of my novels as e-books because I have discovered that Google Docs has several of them available there in large segments (about 2/3 of each book in random pages) and has done this without my permission. I was very disheartened when a friend uncovered this and informed me. That is my current writing update. Happy Reading!

Konrad Reichenberger is still missing 4 years later

This past week my friend Konrad Charles Reichenberger has been missing for four years. His family and friends are still hoping he will be found. Just to remind everyone: Konrad Charles Reichenberger was last seen on January 13, 2018 in Alturas, California in the California Pines Hill Area.

Konrad is 6'2" tall, weighed 200 lbs when he disappeared, and is now 48 years old. He has tattoos on his right arm, brown hair that he usually has worn very short to almost shaved off, and usually has facial hair. Some friends called him Kurt. Modoc County, where Konrad disappeared, is a rural area. It is one of the poorer counties in California, and is filled with a lot of wilderness. In the area he disappeared from there had been illegal logging, as well as drug labs hidden in forested areas. None of us are sure what has happened to Konrad other than he was last seen at his cabin home on January 13, 2018 and that he loved his dogs so much he would never had just left them without a solid reason or being forced to leave against his will. When he disappeared there was several feet of snow on the ground.

(Konrad and my brother at my sister's wedding. Konrad is in the brown shirt). If you have any information on his disappearance please contac the Modoc Sheriff's department at 503-233-4416. Please feel free to share this information and repost it.

The Conrad Chronicles: Recollection is at the Publisher!

With joy I announce that book 6 of The Conrad Chronicles is now being printed and I am awaiting the proof copy. This is the one book in the series you can read without reading any of the other books before or after it. It is a stand alone story that connects to the series, and will help any reader understand the The Conrad Chronicles in full, yet it can be enjoyed without the others. In fact if you skip chapter 1 and the last chapter you can pretend it has nothing to do with the series (but then what is the fun of that?) Here's the back jacket. On a quest to discover more about her Conrad heritage and her mother's murderer, Captain Lucy Gloria Vasilis seeks out the ancient being known as The Keeper of Paths. While sitting around an otherworldly fire, The Keeper of Paths draws Lucy's spirit into the past, to a life she never knew she had lived. Once more she lives her life as Evette Mardon, thrust into the ancient court life of Godstone Castle on the planet Karna, where her life quickly becomes entangled with Prince Lukiel, the Duke of Fallan, and heir to the kingdom of Gallan. Her father’s and the king’s disapproval are merely thorns compared to the obsession Clovis, the Duke of Rostin’s son, thrusts into their path. Her first life now revealed, Lucy Lucas is forced to sort the pieces and is left with one burning question: how is this knowledge going to help her stop Xavier of the House of Baldemar, her mother’s murderer and a full-fledge Conrad, from destroying the planet Karna, the Moultons, Earth, and all she loves?

Happy Reading!

Writing and Life Update

Clearly, I haven't been as vigilant at blogging as I plan (2 posts a month). The one before this was supposed to be published back in February, but when I logged on today I saw it wasn't, so I clicked published and now it is posted 6 months later than planned. Currently I am polishing up Recollections for publication (aiming for October), typing up Conrad book 8 and writing book 9. Being I received my vaccine, I have returned to writing at my favorite coffee house a couple times a week, though I have taken to sitting outside were delightful little birds hop around. Nothing more or fancy going on at the moment.

Writing: Interview and New Book Published

Despite the ice storm I wrote about last blog, much else has been occurring. Just prior to the storm I was interviewed about my writing on Work it Wednesday with Tita Freytag.  You can watch the 35 minute interview via the link below. I had a great fun doing it as it has been a few years since I've been interviewed on my writing  and thoughts on how to write.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAiSb43X5Ms&feature=youtu.be

In addition, the fifth Conrad book has now been published and is available for purchase. This one is titled The Conrad Chronicles: Regrets. You should be able to purchase it anywhere you regularly purchase books or you can can it directly from my publisher at the link below.

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/heather-hobson-and-charles-berton/the-conrad-chronicles-regrets/paperback/product-dp95k4.html?page=1&pageSize=4

As this book as some intense content, I recommend it for only those over 18. I also have it marked as such with Lulu, so if you don't find it right away, you might to click on the over 18 link they have on the side of the screen.

Happy Reading!

Ice Storm

Yesterday we had an ice storm the likes of which I've never seen in my years of living in Northern California and Oregon. Our yard now needs major clean up and we count ourselves lucky that we only lost 8 feet of wooden fence do to a fallen limb. One neighbor's roof was damaged. Another had damaged cars that were buried under limbs. Trees and limbs are everywhere. A cable line even fell across our driveway. I was so glad my car was in the garage and that it wasn't a power line.

We did lose power and were originally told we would be without until Sunday or Monday, but fortunately it came on early this afternoon. Glad we have a fire place, but not so happy with having an instant heat water heater. Ice showers are not fun.

Here are some photos and a video.

Lilac tree bent over from ice storm.

Ice Storm February 13, 2021, Oregon

Apple Tree after ice storm.

3 Years Now Since Konrad Charles Reichenberger Went Missing in California

Three years ago today Konrad Charles Reichenberger went missing. He was last seen on January 13, 2018 in Alturas, California in the California Pines Hill Area.

Konrad is 6'2" tall, weighed 200 lbs when he disappeared, and is now 47 years old. He has tattoos on his right arm, brown hair that he usually has worn very short to almost shaved off, and usually has facial hair. Some friends called him Kurt.

Please remember that Modoc County is a rural area. It is one of the poorer counties in California, and is filled with a lot of wilderness. In the area he disappeared from there has been illegal logging, as well as drug labs hidden in the forested areas. None of us are sure what has happened to Konrad other than he was last seen at his cabin home on January 13, 2018 and that he loved his dogs so much he would never have just left them without a solid reason or being forced to leave against his will. When he disappeared there was several feet of snow on the ground.

His family and friends really want to find him or at least find out what happened.

If you have any information on his disappearance please contact the Modoc County Sheriff's department at 530-233-4416.

If you can help spread the word he is still missing, that would be appreciated also.

A Quiet Christmas

Many people told me they were having a quiet Christmas and meant that as they were staying home. For several years now I've done all my Christmas Day's at home with my husband and dogs. With dogs, there is never a quiet Christmas. The morning always starts off with the dogs tearing into their own stockings and goes on from there.

This year Boomer got fascinated with one of my gifts that gurgles, coos, and moves. He wasn't sure what to make of it, though he has finally accepted Baby Yoda (Grogu).

Happy Almost New Year!

Boomer wondering what that thing is

Boomer and Baby Yoda  meet on Christmas morning

Christmas Poem 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you be enjoying your day with good company and good eats no matter how big or smaller your Thanksgiving is.

Squirrel taking a peanut butter-bird seed pine cone hanging for the birds. He eventually gnawed it free and took off with his Thanksgiving treat.