Eucalyptus Magic

In the East Bay Hills of the San Francisco Bay area, Eucalyptus trees dot the landscape. Some might say that they are a dangerous tree; highly flammable and easily breakable. But I love them. There is no better feeling than to inhale their heady aroma while strolling beneath them.

There is no rain here in the summer, and this year the wet weather came later than usual, at the end of November. A few days after the first soaker of the season, I noticed something odd - the wet eucalyptus trunks were striped in color. 

I had heard of Rainbow Eucalyptus and seen pictures of brilliantly colored tree trunks in tropical countries. But ours have never looked anything but shades of brown and grey. Suddenly, my trees had taken on a earth-toned rainbow appearance.

The following day I took a walk to get a closer look and take photos. It turned out the pictures from my cheap mobile phone came out better than with the expensive camera. My mistake. Wrong lens. When I returned the following week, just as I had expected, the fun colors had returned to their normal tones.

Whatever the reason - chemical reaction to the rain after an extended dry period, or a magical spell, it was a sight to behold. 

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

Copyright Floret Farms

Copyright Floret Flowers

My entire life, I have dreamed of living amongst rows and rows, and beds and beds of flowers. Brilliant colors, intoxicating scents, sharing the air with hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

I doubt I will ever actually achieve that dream, but fill the need to be surrounded by flowers by visiting nurseries. And then I found FLORET FLOWERS.
It has to be the most beautiful site in which to indulge the senses. If you really concentrate, you can smell the earth and foliage, and hear the birds.

Erin and family own this spectacular family farm, located in Washington State. It's a bit to cold and wet for me to ever consider living there, but I now am up for a road trip just to see their spectacular place. 


Not only does the site have beautiful photos, but they offer workshops and resources, and have free eBooks and mini-courses.

You can also purchase their book, Cut Flower Garden. It is a winner.

Thank you Floret Farms for putting joy into my day, every single time I pull up your site!

A Neapolitan Intrigue - Free Kindle Download

Download a free copy of A Neapolitan Intrigue, July 26 & 27.
Amazon Free Download


Present day Naples, Italy, and Berkeley, CA, circa 1969; what could possibly be the connection?

It's a question Letty will have to answer if she is to survive her recent retirement from the CIA and Interpol. 

Great summer read.  Mystery, Cozy Thriller, and a little bit of history.

Summer Solstice 2019

The longest day of the year. The Summer Solstice. A day of positive energy and glorious sunlight. That is, of course, if you do not live in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Once again, we awakened to sucked in fog and bitterly cold weather. So much for seeing the sun rise and pop through an ancient temple. There actually is a Sunstone at a local science museum, but they are closed at sunrise and no one there seemed to know what I was talking about.

Photo: garethwiscombe - Wikipedia 

Stonehenge. Now that would be incredible. Except that it is so packed with folks on the same mission that I think it might be hard to see and really enjoy.

Machu Picchu, in Peru, is another site. Intihuatana, the stone solar clock at the top of the mountain marks the event. A younger me would have relished that experience. I figure now, I most likely would keel over and drop dead from the lack of oxygen.

Intihuana - Wikipedia photo 

The ancient Mayan temple El Castillo, at Chichen Itza in Mexico, is the place to be for the equinoxes. I was there, ages ago, but not for the equinox. And now I hear you can't even climb up the temple which produces a shadow snake twice a year. I did scale the temple, and almost did not return.  I don't particularly like heights, especially when ascending ancient stone steps with nothing more than a chain to hang on to. Then I made it to the top, gazed out over the marvelous ruins and jungle, then glanced down the steps. My stomach did a 180. How was I ever going to descend all those steps which appeared to be at a 45 degree angle? Obviously, I did make it back down, walking backwards, stooped over, and hanging on to the chain for dear life.

Photo:Fcb981 -Wikipedia  

Maybe next year I will find an ancient site in which to witness the sunrise on the solstice. Or I could look into the Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice. That's only six months away. I don't know of any historical monuments, but there must be some.

The sun finally made an appearance, and I plan to enjoy every single minute of this special day.

What's Up with Amazon AU?

I published my first book, Murder, Jaz, & Tel Aviv, through BookSurge.  A few years later, they morphed into CreateSpace, and things just got better. I was now able to format everything on my own without paying for the service. Also, I was able to run free eBook giveaways. Then Amazon took over and things again changed. 

I didn't really mind that KDP started charging for running a free eBook giveaway. It never resulted in many reviews. Although I probably have around 1000 free downloads on various titles, I have received less than five reviews. Still it was a way to get some publicity. 

But now, the problem is with distribution of my paperbacks in the Amazon Australia market. With the exception of my first book, all of my titles have been available on Amazon AU at the US$ equivalent price.

When my latest, A Neapolitan Intrigue launched in March, it surprised me that the only way to purchase the paperback in Australia was through a UK distributor, at nearly double the US price.

It is my understanding that print-on-demand books are printed in the country where they are ordered. The US certainly cannot be the only ones with this technology. So why is it that my new book is not available for a reasonable price in Australia? 

Countless emails to KPD Publishing and Amazon, both US and AU, have left me baffled.

"Kate, as we mentioned it can take up to 45 days for the website to reflect these changes. However, we can't guarantee your book will be available through our Global Store."  

Huh? Why not?

"In your case Kate, your paperback is not being fulfilled by Amazon itself, it is only be offered by the third party sellers."  

Once more...huh?

"Again, Amazon is not directly affiliated with these sellers, and we do not control certain aspects of their Amazon product listing, including price, shipping, condition and delivery terms. Hence we can not force them to change the price or take any action on their copies."   

Amazon, I do not understand. You are the sellers. You set the parameters for printing a book. If it's not you, then who is it?

Should anyone have any idea what is going on, please contact me.

And a side thought: Why doesn't Amazon AU have an Author's Page available? I don't worry about that too much, but what a shame for my fellow Australian Independent Authors. 

Pebble Beach - U.S. Open: Nighttime Reading

After watching a long day of the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, this might just be the perfect read.

Set in Monterey & Carmel, the very same neighborhood as The Open, BAD ACCOUNTS, would be a good addition to that late night cocktail

Top notch accountant Pia might have suspected her bosses of cooking the books, but when you’re fifty-two and jobs are scarce, it’s easy to look the other way. Or it is until you find out that your employers might be managing the finances of a drug cartel, right there in your hometown. Stealing a few files to implicate her bosses seemed like a good idea… until Pia finds a gun in her front yard, apparently dropped by an inept hitman.

Maybe she should have listened to Brad and quit her job instead of absconding with the incriminating documents. But it’s too late for regrets now, and she’s a marked woman. Luckily for Pia, Brad puts his surfing on hold long enough to help get her out of town and down to Ocean Beach. Unfortunately, that might not be enough. Crossing the border into Mexico may be the only answer.

From Monterey, California all the way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, aging gangsters, bungling rent-a-cops, and an out-of-his-element hitman, thwart Pia’s every move. But with the help of a few surfers and their friends, she’s determined to not only stay alive, but to see the drug cartel shut down once and for all.  

More about "A Neapolitan Intrigue"

The historical backdrop of my new novel A Neapolitan Intrigue, takes place in Berkeley, CA, in 1969.

I have searched through the archives and found more photos from the events of May, 1969.  One photo in particular played an important part in plot development.  Any guesses? 

(All photos and stories are copyright protected. Please see sidebar for details.)

Provo Park 

City Hall 1969

Wildcelt.com, A stunning Fine Arts and Entertainment Portal, is featuring all of my books this month.

The site is filled with exquisite photographs ranging from fashion to museums. Wonderful articles abound. It is well worth a quick look - I can guarantee you will stay a while!

People's Park 50th Anniversary

It has been nearly 50 years since the People's Park protests in Berkeley, California. The National Guard took over the streets, along with law enforcement from throughout the state, all stemming from a small patch of University owned land.

Berkeley, CA 1969

Teenagers in Berkeley protested alongside university students and the city.
People's Park & 4 Teenagers     This article is included in the HeyDay Press upcoming book
The Battle for People's Park, Berkeley, 1969

And then there's the fictional account of Letty White, who also took part in the protests while still a student at Berkeley High School. (before the CIA recruited her.)

Release Date 25 March 2019

Ancient Roman streets, superb coffee, excellent clothes, and lush sea breezes; Naples, Italy has it all. Letty may just have found the perfect place to retire after a hectic life with the CIA and Interpol.

She’s enjoying her new life when, out of nowhere, a photo of her as a teenager in 1969 winds up on a dead body. How could the People’s Park protests of fifty years ago, in Berkeley, California have anything to do with her life now? And why are so many Russians after her?

It’s clear that the answers to her questions lie in the picture taken decades in the past. Her high school years of protests, sit-ins, and civil disobedience are so far from her life as a CIA agent, that she doesn’t know where to begin.  

Luckily, former agents and friends, Taylor and Jim, step in to assess the situation and protect her from an ever-increasing number of bad guys that are bent on doing her harm.

Hoping to get back to a restful retirement, Letty must revisit that long-ago life to figure out what in the world is happening now, half a world away. 

A Neapolitan Intrigue

Coming Soon:    A Neapolitan Intrigue 

Ancient Roman streets, superb coffee, excellent clothes, and lush sea breezes; Naples, Italy has it all. Letty may just have found the perfect place to retire after a hectic life with the CIA and Interpol.

She’s enjoying her new life when, out of nowhere, a photo of her as a teenager in 1969 winds up on a dead body. How could the People’s Park protests of fifty years ago, in Berkeley, California have anything to do with her life now? And why are so many Russians after her? 

It’s clear that the answers to her questions lie in the picture taken decades in the past. Her high school years of protests, sit-ins, and civil disobedience are so far from her life as a CIA agent, that she doesn’t know where to begin.  

Luckily, former agents and friends, Taylor and Jim, step in to assess the situation and protect her from an ever-increasing number of bad guys that are bent on doing her harm. 

Hoping to get back to a restful retirement, Letty must revisit that long-ago life to figure out what in the world is happening now, half a world away. 

Available on Amazon, 25 March 2019