1. To Have and To Hold
This book is now with the proofreaders, so we’re in the final stretch. This puts me on time in having it up in March.
2. I have an idea for a third (and final) Dave and Mary Larson book.
However, before I proceed with thinking of what to do with it, does anyone know of an injury that could possible render a man impotent temporarily? Temporarily being the key here. Yes, poor Dave. I don’t think he’s too happy with me for injuring him.
In light of the fact that I just finished To Have and To Hold and have Dave and Mary fresh on my mind (along with Eye of the Beholder which I reread twice to compare notes to see if I goofed anywhere in To Have and To Hold), I am thinking I better get on the third book while I still have it all in mind. It’s easier than having to go back and reread the two books a year or two from now. If this idea works (I’m going to work on it for a few days), then it’s going to be put on the Works in Progress list soon and will be given a top slot.
3. Status of works in progress…
The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife – This is going surprisingly well. Sure, I put in “How do you enjoy the sites in London” by mistake (proof I’ve been online way too much), but otherwise, no glaring errors seem to be emerging. At least no one has pulled up to an estate in a limo. 😉
Her Heart’s Desire – I’m at the part where Rick and Sally are getting married. Fortunately, his parents will be arriving soon and won’t be too happy. Yay for conflict!
Mitch’s Win and Bound by Honor, Bound by Love – All I can say is having sick kids and not feeling so great myself hasn’t made it easy to hit word count goals. Some days are better than others, but I’ll admit the good days tend to go to The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife and Her Heart’s Desire, which are the two books calling to me at the moment. So the order I thought the books would be published might not work out. But hey, as long as books do get written and published, that’s what counts, right? 😀
4. I’m thinking of what book to post next on my story blog.
Anyone want to chime in on which one they’d like to me to post on my story blog? I’m putting a poll below and you can vote on the one you’d like to read.
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
Poor Dave! LOL Maybe something really rough is going on in his life…mentally? I know that CAN make it difficult for a man to stay focused enough to keep his “solider” standing at attention, though most guys don’t want to admit to it. If his manhood literally got bruised, as in a blunt force to the crotch area, that would leave him temporarily out of the game as well. Maybe he was riding a horse and something happened? If the horse bucked and he came down on the pommel of the saddle wrong…well ouch isn’t even the word for it!!! I used to own a horse. This can and does happen. I’ve got titanium plates in my arm from the last time my horse decided to dump me. I’d owned her for ten years when she did this. Horses, even ones you know, can be unpredictable! I’ve also had some “fun” injuries from getting kicked by horses. I horse kick to the crotch…OW! Then again, maybe he was working on something and he accidentally got his manhood squished…hmmm.
I don’t know…just throwing some ideas out there. Thinking of ways to incapacitate your character, shouldn’t be this much fun, but it is! LOL Poor Dave! Sorry Dave!!!! 😉
Since you’re familiar with horses (sadly, I’m not), is there a way he can get injured where he’s unable to walk (at least without the assistance of a cane) temporarily? I was thinking that the injury makes it so he has to stay inside so he can’t do his chores like he used to. So at first, I’d like to have him stuck in bed but be able to gain back his ability to walk. What do you think of a UTI? I was thinking at one point, he gets impatient and is able to walk with crutches or something so he (like an idiot) goes out in bad weather to fix something to be useful, but he ends up sick (maybe pneumonia?), and is it likely he could get a UTI from that which could limit his sex drive and render him temporarily impotent? I’m not sure how realistic any of that is so any advice would be great.
I hate to kick the poor guy in the crotch. Someone sent an email mentioning a broken penis, but “major ouch” I can’t do that to the guy. LOL
Now it could be that his injury and being unable to do the work could make him feel useless so his impotency could stem from the emotional basis of not feeling useful anymore. I have heard stress at work can impact a man’s ability to maintain an erection.
Though Dave is very upset by this, I’ve wanted to do something with a temorarily impotent hero for a while now, and this plot seems to fit.
Being around horses has left me on crutches on more than one occasion! Gesh! I was once riding a buddy’s horse, and got kicked twice in the knee, just below the left kneecap, by a different horse. It was so quick! Boom! Boom! The horse I was on, got too close to this other horse, Snow, and they were NOT friends. I was still in the saddle at the time. Snow, wasn’t aiming for me. He was aiming for the horse I was on. Nothing permanent, but I had to stay off my leg for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t walk without some sort of assistance and I sure didn’t feel very romantic while I was in pain. I’m not sure if a guy would feel all that romantic if he couldn’t put weight on his leg, and especially if he couldn’t put weight on his knee. It would make certain sexual positions out of the question and there’s NO WAY he could do any chores without causing himself further injury. EVERYTHING around a barn seems to revolve around heavy lifting.
UTI? Hmm…I’ve had a few of those over the years. I don’t know what they’re like for a guy, but for me, they were EXTREMELY painfully, as each time I’ve had one, it also infected my kidneys. I’m allergic to sulfa, which is what’s usually prescribed for a UTI, so that complicates things further. Thank God for modern medicine! I wouldn’t have healed up without it.
Thank you for sharing all of that. I hope it’s okay if I use a horse to go after the one Dave is on to explain how he falls off. I like that scenario since it’s not carelessness on his part and something he wouldn’t be able to control. It would also put him with others who could take him home and another to get the doctor. I can’t see a woman carrying her husband into the house, and I do think, “You don’t want to make an injury worse by moving it.” I’m not a medical expert, but I did take a health class in college and they stressed not moving the injured part of the body. That is the extent of my medical knowledge. LOL
Have you tried 100% Cranberry Juice for UTIs? I had a couple in the past and drank a ton of the stuff because I heard it worked and wanted to test the theory out. It actually worked for me. Ewe on the kidney thing. I passed a kidney stone in the past and was told I have another one in the other kidney. I was told to drink Cranberry Juice and lots of water. I wish I could say I’ve been good about doing that, but I slip and end up drinking soda (something that’s not good for me and my weight anyway and probably not good for the kidneys). I am horrible. I finally ditched the soda habit for the hundredth time so guess how long this will last? I keep trying, but when I stress out, I get a soda because I don’t drink and I don’t smoke.
Anyway, I think I’ll go with the emotional reason for Dave’s impotency, and like you said, being injured won’t put him in the mood for romance anyway. So it fits perfectly. Thanks for all the great help!
Depression alone can render a guy….well, unable to function. If Dave is already struggling with being bed ridden, then having to watch his wife and children rely on and enjoy the help of another man in “his teritory” could definately be a problem. Just a thought – Shelley
I’m thinking of going that route. It makes the most sense for the plot. I hope one of the scenes in the book will be when Dave wants to play checkers or cards with Isaac (who’ll be about 10) but Isaac will choose to go outside and Dave will see him helping the farm hand. That’ll be hard for him on a lot of levels, and when he feels useless in helping Mary out (or when she asks him to get out of the kitchen because he’s in her way–not that she’s trying to be mean but when my husband is trying to “help” me in the kitchen, it actually makes more work for me), then I think it’ll all build up where he does get depressed. I also love the “territory” angle a lot!
No problem! Glad to be of help. 🙂 Let me know if you run into a horse related question. My family had four horses, and a mule. Some of the best times of my life! 🙂
Take Care!
Thanks, Juli! I appreciate that! 😀