In 1996, Miriam's House opened its doors and welcomed Washington, DC's homeless women with AIDS. 

Wouldn't it be great if we made sure Nowhere Else I Want to Be is published during Miriam's House's twentieth anniversary year?

We can do that with only 95 more pre-orders.

Please help me put this memoir into production by the end of January. 

Will you please consider ordering one more book THIS WEEKEND? Or, if you've already ordered ten (the limit) getting a friend or colleague or family member to order?

If you order, you'll receive this mug as a gift. And the satisfaction of helping the voices of women who are to often ignored to be heard.

Many people are talking about changes for the new year, but my internal clock runs on a different cycle. I start to think about what is passing from my life and what is to come next when the leaves start to change colors. While the trees are bare and you can see every fractal of nature in their branches, I'm deep in my own head, tending to seeds that won't sprout for a while.  It won't be for a few months yet that I'll come out of my head and maybe you'll see a little green here and there. Then it will be time to start over again! Who am I kidding? I spend most of my life in my head. I like it that way.

There are some writing seeds that have taken shape that you may start to see draft chapters of around summer. I've been swimming in a sea of Southern Gothic fiction lately: Cormac McCarthy and Flannery O'Connor, mostly. I've re-read Beloved and Song of Solomon byToni Morrison fit and even given  Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee another romp to consider whether it might have been called Southern Gothic if it had more care and feeding when Lee first took it up.  The subject matter is often gruesome, but it resonates with me as truth. Having grown up in the South, I see people I've known - many to whom I am related! - in these characters and I love to hate them. Words beget words, and the more I read the more I write. Got Down on my Knees is happening, slowly but steadily. 

And people are saying nice things about Wailing Wall on GoodReads and Amazon! I've also gotten emails from many people saying the story hit home for them: either from their own loss, addiction or parenting. There is no greater honor than knowing that this story has connected with so many people. Human connection, I'm convinced, is why we write. Let me hear from you, won't you?

~D

My dear Readerly Friends:

Fist, and most important: I hope you are looking forward to a peaceful and productive New Year.

Second and most exciting: We are very close! As of the moment I write this update, we need only 97 pre-orders to get to publication. I would love for the book to come out during 2016, twenty years after Miriam's House first opened its doors to Washington, DC's homeless women with AIDS.

So my goal is to get those 97 orders by the end of January. How?

1. The largest clinic in Washington, DC (Whitman-Walker Health) is holding a book event for me on January 19.

2. Whoever pre-orders during January 2016 will receive this mug (shipped when the book is published, one mug per order):

3. Tell your friends! Share this update on facebook and twitter and by email.

4. You have already pre-ordered, but maybe you'd like an excuse to get this lovely mug ... or make it a gift package (mug and book) to a family member, friend or colleague. In either case, pre-order another copy!

As always, thank you. 

Carol

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To "Encounters with Rikki" fans -

Merry Christmas!
The day I didn´t think would come has arrived - thanks to all your fantastic support my book will be published!!! It´s the best Christmas gift ever and I would like to send my deep gratitude to every single one of you. Now the editing starts, and I will keep you posted on the development and when you can expect to hold the actual book in your hands.

I wish you a day filled with love, laughter, and of course, christmas cookies!

Warm hugs,

Caroline

Hi everybody, 

hope you are starting to feel the Christmas Spirit all around you!

Short update: Yesterday Irish Cancer Society posted on my behalf on their Facebook page. 25% of the revenue will go to their research programme and they will help promoting it once it is published. I´m still deciding on a possible other organization to give to, suggestions are welcome. I´m now on 231 sold copies(it´s a bit time lag on the inkshares page but I get a report with the latest numbers), much thanks to your support! 

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and hope you get some valuble time to relax and enjoy the company of your loved ones. 

Take care of each other,

Caroline