Rhys on Black Friday

 RHYS BOWEN:  It's Black Friday. So who has just returned from standing outside Best Buy or Target since four this morning? 

 Uh, not me. Not now. Never.  At least, I confess John and I once got caught up in Black Friday, before we knew better Many years ago when money was tight we did go to Fry's electronics and bought several Christmas gifts at greatly reduced prices. Then when we went to pay for them we saw that the checkout line went around the whole four walls of the store. We put the stuff back and said nothing is worth that amount of inconvenience. We've never been back since.

I suppose Black Friday was a bigger deal before the internet. The only occasion when parents could score Christmas gifts for their kids at a price they could afford.  Now so many things are advertised at Black Friday prices online that it's easy to get bargains without leaving the house.  I remember from my childhood the whole spectacle of the January sales in London. Prices stayed the same all year in those days until January when all the winter items suddenly were reduced. Women (never men, you notice) would line up outside Selfridges and all the big department stores. They opened on the dot of nine and the crowd of hysterical women surged forward, not caring who they trampled underfoot, grabbing stuff they didn't really want just to get it before someone else did.  

My family never went to the sales and only watched it on the TV news that night. I suppose we've never been that much into stuff. We now have two large TV sets, but only because our kind children have bought them for us. I've never owned anything by Gucci, Prada or any of those.  Correction: when my first YA novel came out, back in 1980, I got a small box at Christmas time from my publisher, Bantam. I put it under the tree, thinking it would be a plastic something because it was so light. When I opened it on Christmas morning my jaw dropped open when I saw the Tiffany box. Inside was a silver heart that said, "We wish they all could be California Girls" (the title of my book).  It's one of the nicest gifts I've ever received.

Actually I have a story about Gucci. We were on a flight and John was sitting across the aisle from an older woman, fashionably dressed. When we landed he got up and said, "Would you like me to get your bag down for you?"

    "It's the Gucci," she said, waving a dismissive hand.

    My British aristocrat husband said, "Madam, I have no idea who or what a Gucci is."

    She was speechless!

So if you didn't go shopping today and the weather is fine do what I'm going to do and get out into nature. Go and breathe fresh air and relax after all that turkey and pumpkin pie. You'll find the trails and parks are empty because everyone else is shopping!

But do tell if anyone scored bargains today! I love hearing about others successes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

 RHYS BOWEN:  Since it’s Thanksgiving Day and those of us in the US  are busy with turkeys and stuffing and pumpkin pies, I thought we’d have a quick convo in which we state three things we are thankful for this year:

If you are like me the year has been one of ups and downs, of worries and uncertainties. But also of special moments of joy and contentment. So I wlil start:

I am thankful for:

1: Is obviously my family. They are the best. My kids and grandkids are loving, caring, funny and make my life a joy. They step in every time we call to say something in the house isn’t working properly or I need to be picked up from the airport. They gather on any excuse, sit around the table laughing. I can think of nothing more perfect than my family gathered, sharing a meal.

2. I'm grateful that John got to go to England this year, As many of you know he had a real health scare last fall and I worried he’d never be able to travel again. But we made it to England, a niece drove us around. We stayed with his sister and almost all the family came to visit. It was really special.

3. On the writing front my historical novel Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure has done very well and has really touched a nerve with many people. And I just learned that it has been named one of Audible’s best fiction titles for 2025. So that makes me very happy as the narrator was fabulous. Barrie Kreisnik. She’s the best.

Now: How about you:

LUCY BURDETTE: Great topic Rhys! It’s been a hard year so it makes sense to stop and assess what we’re thankful for. Like Rhys, I’m grateful for my husband, and the rest of my family. I wish everyone lived closer but we treasure the time we share when we get together. 

I’m grateful for my interesting life as a writer, even though it sometimes feels grueling:). That means I’m so glad to have my writing pals and my reading friends including all of you! I’m grateful for books and writers too!

JENN MCKINLAY: Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! I’m going to skip the obvious–my adored family, for which I am grateful everyday, and my dear friends, who make me laugh and keep me sane-ish, and my readers, who are so incredibly discerning and supportive and obviously brilliant and without whom I’d have no career–and stick to random gratitudes for this year. Okay, that got long, we’ll make it 1.

2. I’m grateful for K-Dramas. Both Hank, who recommended The Extraordinary Attorney Woo back in 2022, and Julia, who wrote this excellent blogpost https://www.jungleredwriters.com/2024/04/my-kdrama-krush.html last year, got me watching them and, honestly, in this endless horrible 2025 newscycle from hell, K-Dramas have become my reward for thugging through another day. 

3. Being in my fifties. Despite the many horrors of this decade–menopause, loss of loved ones, knees that lock up, jowls, etc–it is also the decade where I feel free for the first time in YEARS! I’m talking free like a little kid. Now that Hub and I are freebirding, since the Hooligans have been moved out for a couple of years, I can eat cake for dinner if I want, stay up all night, blow off my chores, or take up any weird hobby that strikes my fancy. I don’t generally do any of that, but I could if I wanted to and that freedom is so delicious. 

HALLIE EPHRON: Family, family, family. I have fabulous daughters and a stellar pair of grands. Add a pair of grand-cats. And sisters whom I adore. I never appreciated how special a functioning family was until recently. I’d add gratitude for Reds and our readers. I look forward to checking in every morning and see who’s up and at ‘em. And for the many writers I’ve connected with over the years through my teaching - so great to see them write and thrive. 

Now I’m tearing up…

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN I am so grateful to be able to read all of these!  You all are so dear. Yes, as I get older I am grateful for every day, for health, and the stars and tulips and birds, for still being able to think and see and imagine and remember things. 

(Most of the time, and if I can’t, I can eventually.)

To be able to read. And consider things. And have perspective.  And know how to do some things and to get better at them.  For my darling family, near and far, and watching them all grow and flourish and be nimble. And gosh, I get to be a writer. Amazing.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m a big fan of daily gratitude, and I agree with Hank that looking at the world around us and noticing things is one of the best practices you can do to improve your outlook on life. 

So what, specifically, am I grateful for this Thanksgiving? My new grandson “Paulie” who continues to look like a tiny wise guy, but we love him just the same. Family, of course, and my friends, who have held me up with so much love and encouragement and hospitality and help this past year. I’m grateful for the wonderful pets I share my life with - yes, even the $15,000 cat.

And I’m so grateful for my readers who have stuck with me despite years of not having a new book. Now that there is one, I continue to be overwhelmed by how many people love Clare and Russ and the citizens of Millers Kill. I know there are writers who wouldn’t have a career after two lengthy gaps between publishing, and I’m so, so thankful that I do.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Yes, as above, family! I am so grateful to be able to watch my darling granddaughter grow up. She is such a delight, funny, smart, and kind. I'm grateful for health, even with aches and pains– every time I have to fill out a medical questionnaire and get to check "no" on everything I DON'T have! Reading, absolutely, the joy of my life since childhood. How lucky are we who read??? And I am grateful not just for books but for audiobooks. After my hearing loss scare back in '24, every day I am thankful to be able to listen to a book.

And I am so thankful for this community and for my JRW sisters. What a blessing you all are.

AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU.

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Whether the Weather

 RHYS BOWEN:  It’s fall, start of the rainy season in Marin County, California.  I’ve just returned from an event with Julia and Jenn at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, where it rained every day I was there. Yes. Arizona. Supposed to be warm and sunny. Who knew?

Anyway, the weather now becomes headline news on the TV. I’m sure in other parts of the States (I’m thinking Julia in Maine) there is weather news every day, unless they say "It's going to be cold" until April. But in California all summer its going to be foggy at first then sunny. Or sunny and then sunny for the whole summer. Boring.

Now the weather men are getting quite excited, and dramatic. This is when they come into their own.  They say, “An atmospheric river is heading toward Northern California.”

I grew up in England. You can’t scare me. What is an atmospheric river in California is Wednesday in England. “It’s starting out dry but we may have some rain later.”

Unfortunately even England this fall has had what might be described as an atmospheric river. There has been bad flooding in various parts of the country, but this is abnormal. Normal weather throughout the year in England is if it’s fine early it will rain later. I remember vacations in Wales, taking miserable forced strolls along the sea front with the wind whipping at my raincoat, and that was August. I remember Wimbledons being rained out.  It rains a lot.

I always thought that the easiest job in England was TV weatherman. They are hardly ever right and every day they can say “It may rain later” and even if it doesn’t nobody bothers. And they never get fired.

The main topic of British conversation is the weather. Standing at a bus stop you’ll hear: “Good morning. Nippy for the time of year, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but the frost is good for the cabbages.”  (the other main topic is gardening.)

“It’s been milder than last November, hasn’t it?”

“It certainly has. My begonias bloomed until a week ago.”

That, my dears, is the extent of English small talk.

The only thing they can’t handle in England is snow. A few flakes land and buses stop running, children are kept home from school, trains are hours late. I’ve Canadian friends who laugh themselves silly. I do remember the great freeze of 1963 when the snow lay on the ground for several months, but it hasn’t happened since. I hear it’s snowing this week. Maybe it will be the great freeze of 2025.  It will give everyone something to talk about.

How about where you live? What is the attitude to weather there? Do you take it seriously?