,

I love wildlife. I respect their space as much as possible as a clueless human, and I expect it to respect my space. This squirrel has not. Not one little bit. Heavy sigh. Action will have to be taken. Perhaps I’ll write a thriller about the squirrel who chewed the wrong thing. Yup, that's the corner of my western cedar deck. With the price of wood, this means war.

If you just want to jump on the book promos and skip my next tale of woe, you have my permission. But you’ll miss out, and you can’t say I didn’t warn you. It is April Fool’s after all, and I may have hidden something within.

Do you remember the “Sunscreen” song? You know the one where we’re told to wear sunscreen. No? Well, google “Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen,” then come back here. Go on, we’ll wait.

Good, you're back. As many of you know, I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, way back in the days (1970s) when teen girls would add a bit of iodine to their bottle of baby oil, slather up, and lay out soaking up the sun for hours. My parents added a master bedroom onto the back of their house that featured a flat roof with white rocks. I bet you can see where this is going. Yep! We would climb up the fig tree with our towels and baby oil and get even more sun reflected off those rocks.

I moved away from Texas in 1986 and became a Midwestern landlubber, so I believe my skin has fared much better than many of my classmates who remained in Texas and spent even more decades in the sun. Regardless, I have had my share of worrisome spots. My dermatologist has frozen several and biopsied two. One was just a benign spot; the other was actinic keratosis—precancerous. I sat up and paid attention since my mother died of melanoma.

The dermo suggested a full-face treatment with a topical drug called Efudex. After reading up on it and joining a FB group of people using it (yes, I do that sort of thing), I decided to take the other option—Photodynamic therapy, or PDT—since the recovery time is way less and there are fewer systemic side effects. While I don’t react negatively to all medications, I’ve had my share of unpleasant encounters.

I had my first of three PDT sessions on Monday, and the first day wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great, but tolerable. Tuesday was my “face is on fire” day. By Friday, I looked a bit like a snake shedding its skin, and my skin felt tight, but that’s it. The hubs said I look like I’ve been fried in bacon grease. Yes, he’s still alive. I will spare you the pictures. Ha!

Even at this stage of my life, I hate wearing sunscreen. (Reply to this email and tell me your favorite sunscreen and I’ll enter you in a special mystery drawing) I hate putting it on. I hate feeling sticky. I hate that so many include perfume, which I’m allergic to. And I hate that it doesn’t wash off my hands after I rub it on, and I invariably get it in my eyes. There are probably hundreds of sunscreens, but finding one that doesn’t have added fragrance is a nightmare. Oh, and that isn’t sticky, or contain ingredients harmful to the environment. We have a pool, and I usually stay in the shade when we’re out there. But this year—after having my face fried like bacon three times—perhaps I will follow the words of wisdom in the song and wear sunscreen … because I already miss my knees. (If you don’t know what knees have to do with sunscreen, you didn’t do your assignment at the start of this email.)

Now, onto an introduction to Pat Wahler, and below that some promos.

I have the great fortune of living in an area with many wonderful writers. I knew Pat Wahler long before reading I am Mrs. Jessie James. We both belong to Saturday Writers in St. Peters, Missouri, an absolutely phenomenal organization. If you read Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, you’ve probably encountered her work since she’s been a frequent contributor. I thought it would be fun to interview her so my readers might discover a new “must read” author.

Pat Wahler is the author of Western Fictioneers’ Best First Novel of 2018 and Walter Williams Award winner, I am Mrs. Jesse James; along with a three-book contemporary romance series and a Christmas collection of short stories. A frequent contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies and Sasee Magazine, her work has also appeared in Reader’s Digest, Storyteller Magazine, and other regional and national publications. Click here to continue reading.

Click here for Pat’s historical fiction promo, which includes a drawing for a free Kindle Paperwhite.

Elemental Tales can be downloaded for FREE until April 4, 2022. If you haven’t read it, click here to be entertained by 11 longer short stories by 11 authors in multiple genres. If you have read it, please give some book love and leave a review—Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub are excellent places.

If you’re in Kindle Unlimited, this is the promo for you—click the picture to fill up on Spring Romances for every taste.

Clean and Wholesome Romance Reads

Shattered Characters

And more Kindle Unlimited Romance

And finally, some books to check out:

Oh, good, you're still here. What's your absolute favorite thing in the whole world? Drop me an email, and I'll add you to that super secret giveaway.

If you love reading an author, the best way you can show them besides buying their books is to review the books you read. Review it on any (or multiple) retail outlets and make an author's day.

Thank you for reading and supporting me.

Jeanne ("Tex") Felfe

Author of Bridge to Us, a second chances romance.