Well, Friends, you remember last month I talked about all the men I hugged at OWFI, Dan, Dusty, Chuck, Jon and Wayne to name just a few. I've calmed down considerably since last month and have hugged no one, not even Velda's husband while he was here with her. You do remember that I had mentioned a retired military officer entering my life?

Oh, my, we can just forget about that. I think I've been thrown over because I didn't offer the hospitality of the house (for a place for him to live, I mean.) I offered to reserve him a motel room and I even offered to visit him there should we decide upon such a move, but that wasn't what the old boy wanted. Huh uh, huh uh. He was looking for a home, Jackie King suggested. One that didn't cost him anything, perhaps? She may be right.

Anyway, who takes rejection better than a hardened writer, I ask you? "Dear John" letters are common stuff in our lives, as many of you know.

In truth I did tell him there was no room at this inn. Only one bedroom and one bed which I was using. The rest of the place is dedicated to a sea of papers and books and three computers and three printers.

The truth is, I need to spend more time with my work and less in never-never land. I've put an August 1st deadline on finishing that CONFESSING FOR MONEY book which you've heard so much about in these pages. That is much more exciting news than stories of the possibilities of love among the geriatric set, isn't it?

CONTEST, CONTEST, CONTEST

I will send a disc containing the novel SALLY to the two people (or more if there are tied guesses) who get closest to the date and hour at which I finish the CONFESSING FOR MONEY manuscript. Send in your estimations, my friends. I hope the book will be fun to read. I've drawn cartoons for the thing. Hope that adds to it.

Of course, my cartoons are just not the equivalent of Dan and Phil's cartoons for the Chicken Writer. I'm no artist, neither a draftsperson do I be, either. I admit to the reputation of being a smart alec and seeming a bit wild in the head, however. Those items may prove helpful in the cartoon business. What do you think?

ROMANCE, ROMANCE, ROMANCE

The romance group is still living and breathing at my house once a month. That should be enough of the man-woman connection for anyone. I'm reading and line editing all their final chapters for this meeting coming up. Those are the chapters where the hero and heroine commit to each other forever. Lots of love and sex there, my dears. Very neat too. They all fit into a drawer and for the men in those pages I don't have to make conversation nor cook breakfast nor wash their socks. I sure like that. I tell you there are some good writers in the group. The class is free to anyone who wants to attend, the only requirement being that participants are members of the Tulsa NightWriters.

JULY COMING UP

I'll see you in July with a much more exciting newsletter, one hopes. Best wishes and plenty of romance to each of you, even if only within the pages of a book.

Love Peggy