My Books · My Thoughts · Panama

From Sick to Furnished: In One Week!

We went from sick to furnished this week! Amazing what a week will do—the first part recovering and the last filling our house of furniture!

John, our dear neighbor, took us to the clinic and we saw a doctor immediately. We both had a flu that was going around. The prescription: a shot in our butts for three days! I had a sinus infection too. So that day went by in a fog because of still being sick.

Once again, John took us to the clinic for our shots. It burned! Low energy for sure! That night, I blew my nose really hard and something in my ear popped. Then it really hurt! I was afraid I burst an ear drum.

Thankfully our last shot. She mixed three different bottles together! Afterwards, I talked to the doctor again, and she examined my ear. Yes, I had an ear infection but I didn’t burst the ear drum, thank God! She gave me antibiotics, so I knew I would be on the mend.

Because we were feeling somewhat better, we did go to David to shop more. First, we went to Conway’s which John says is similar to Target and bought households goods. We found a TV stand, kinda of retro looking. I found a computer desk I really liked —Lin liked it too, but they only had one, so we ordered one and kept shopping. For lunch, we stopped at TGIF’s restaurant and had a delicious lunch. Then we went to a lamp store and bought five lamps—one for the living room, two for our bedroom and one for each of our computer desk. After that, we went to another furniture store and found a great desk for Lin and a file cabinet on wheels for me—whew!

This started the delivery part of the week for us of all the shopping we had done. First, my desk came in and our TV stand.

I had a brainstorm. When we were in the last furniture store, they had several desks connected for two people. It was one unit with two desks back-to-back. So, that gave me an idea! Instead of placing our desks along the wall, we put them back-to-back under the only window in the room. Lin can look out and see the back yard where he plans to put bird feeders. I can look out and see the common yard area of the compound we are in. It’s a win-win situation for both us, and we get to look at each other! Ah!

Our desks facing each other
Our desks facing each other

We had two deliveries scheduled, so I wondered how they would happen—overlap? Problems with timing? No, one came earlier in the morning with Lin’s desk and my file cabinet. We did position our desks facing each other and love it.

Then the big delivery came a little later: our two rocker-recliners and loveseat for the living room, the kitchen table and chairs and our mattress. This house is small and all this furniture immediately filled it up. The recliners take up a good portion of the living room, but the rocker sold me on the recliner. We may have to renegotiate some extra space so we can move our TV down because the loveseat blocks it a little.

Kitchen seat - sick
Our Kitchen Set

We chose wisely with the kitchen set—two sides are collapsible, so it fits nicely in a corner.

So, we had to improvise for a base for our queen-size mattress. We’ve been sleeping on twin beds, so Lin pushed them together and the delivery guys put the mattress on top with extra room on the twin bed frames. We plan to have our landlord’s friend make us a base for the mattress, but that will take time. Also, it gives me a step up onto the bed.

That evening we watched TV from our rocker-recliners, relaxed and enjoying the comfort. Since we got the TV, we had been watching from chairs to a outside table set—my body tired of it pretty quickly.

I reestablished some of my regular routine by attending my CoDA (Codependence Anonymous) meeting via Zoom from Albuquerque, but I had a problem. Apparently because of the ear infection, my hearing hasn’t regained 100%, so I had trouble hearing different people speak. But it was great to see my friends!

Then John and I went grocery shopping at a couple stores in Boquete. It was a fun outing and I’m learning more and more about groceries here.

After my grocery shopping trip, that afternoon I connected on Zoom with three friends I knew in a church in Loveland, Colorado thirty+ years ago. We started this monthly tradition during the pandemic and have kept it up. Again, I so enjoyed seeing my friends and updating them on our health and experience. We also have a wonderful time of sharing our current life experiences, a little politics and what we are reading. Our God is center to our sharing.

During the evening, I shared pictures with two friends in Albuquerque that I had decorated the entry way with years ago at the Albuquerque Square Dance Center. The new board has plans to take the pictures down, and these two wanted the photos. Then I finally had time to work on my new book, Time Measured Out, which is book #2 in my Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry series. I have starting laying it out in Vellum, the app I use to format my books. For the rest of the evening we relaxed and kicked back and watched Notre Dame’s football game.

Again, I used the internet and attended my church in Albuquerque at Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church on Facebook Livestream.

Then I got ready for the Denver Bronco game. But I tackled (no pun intended) a major task we had been avoiding for the time we’ve been here—doing the laundry. We were sick; it seemed daunting; the instruction was in Spanish. For me, today was the day! I worked on the washer, translating the Spanish instruction panel and figured it out. First load started.

Washer & dryer - sick

Then I tackled (ha, ha) the dryer and figured it out much quicker than the washer. Yahooo! Two weeks of clothes done.

I continued a weekly Bronco season tradition—I texted my girlfriend in Albuquerque during the game who shares my passion for the Broncos. The Broncos’ game shocked me at the end! The Indy field goal kicker missed the goal—yahoo! I ran into the other room to tell Lin. While I was gone, the refs threw a penalty flag which moved the ball up and he made the second attempt! We lost!

Sick to start the week, a mostly furnished house now and feeling better! I enjoyed lots of regular life events this weekend. So things are looking up!

I NEED YOUR HELP: My book, Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? has made it to the second round in the AllAuthors.com book contest. Please go and vote at https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/19939/


My Newest Books


Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook


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Audiobooks · Book Production · Book Promotion · Christmas · Goals · My Books · My Thoughts · Sexual Abuse · Writing

Setting Goals as I Face the Third Quarter of Book Sales

Make it Happen - set goals

Goals get us there! I’m facing the third quarter of the year and the sales of my books has plummeted because I’ve focused on moving and recovering from the dog attack.

I know the power of setting goals. When I was the computer coordinator for Washington middle school back when the internet was new and we as the staff pulled the cable throughout the building to get connected, the computer committee had our beginning meeting of the year.

I said, “Let’s brainstorm what we want for our school. The rules for brainstorming apply: anything goes.”

So my futuristic committee listed things completely out of our budget. I watched amazed—yes, I caught the fever and threw my two cents in too!

After the meeting, I formulated the ideas and presented them to the principal. Then she and I presented them to our legislator (who just happened to have been the principal at Washington middle school before he got into politics).

Outlandish goals, futuristic goals, realistic goals? We received funds from the state for everything on our list! That lesson has stayed with me for decades. I’ve often said, “Goals pull us along. Goals get us there!”

So, as I face the third quarter of the year, September is the lead and planning phase as I move into October, November & December,

So, the goals I established today appear too ambitious, too much, outlandish, but I’m going to sure them anyway.

1st Goal: Work on my second poetry book in a series of five and published it

Just today, I got the final draft back from my editor, so now I have to read through it for corrections. She said there weren’t many. Then I import it into the publishing program I use, Vellum. Next, I need to email readers on my email list to be on my ARC (Advanced Reader Copy ) Team to read it, write a blurb I enter in the print of my book and write a review in exchange for a free .pdf copy of the book. I have the description in the works. After the book is laid out, I can get the cover down because they need the page count to correct an accurate cover. I’ve used 100 Covers .

Hopefully, I will launch this book late October, early November. I will let you know! If you want to be a part of the ARC team for this new book, email me at larada@laradasbooks.com and I will send you a copy of the new book.

2nd Goal: Revise my autofiction book on being an incest survivor and healing

Because of all the flurry around the Epstein files, I talked to my therapist about being an “Advocate for Survivors.”  In the midst of this conversation, as an incest survivor, I remembered I had written a book about this, almost ten years ago. Who cares? I have it!

In 2016 I joined NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to commit to writing about 1600 words a day, ending up with 50,000 at the end of the month. The results of the presidential election that year really spurred me on—I was devastated by the results.

Because of that dedicated, concentrated time, I wrote a 50,000+ autofiction. So, what is an autofiction?

Jane Friedman, a leader in the publishing industry says: “Short for autobiographical fiction, autofiction uses elements of autobiography and fiction to examine decisive aspects of the writer’s life. The writer then melds these realities with fictional plot elements, characters and events in a way that often reads like memoir or autobiography. With the lines of fact and fabrication blurred, readers are engaged in wondering what’s real, what isn’t, and how they can figure out which is which.”

https://janefriedman.com/the-how-when-and-why-of-writing-autofiction

Because of this, when I finish book #2 of the poetry series, Time Measured Out, I will focus on revising the autofiction and get it to my editor who has already heard about it. Then I will return to my poetry series.

3rd Goal: Continue with the Click Ad program for my Christmas book

In April 2024, I bought Steve Pieper’s Click Ad program to create profitable ads on Facebook doing click testing and had worked my way through most of the lessons, ready to promote my Christmas book. I bought it because my book coach did a webinar with Steve. Also, his reviews and results blew me away!

Christmas is coming, so this would be a great time to go back to whatever lesson I’m on and finish it. I may have to redo a couple of the ad copy. I’m excited because many authors have had good results with Steve’s program.

4th Goal: Energize my back-list sales

I have nine books (soon ten), three cookbooks and three audiobooks just sitting there for ready to buy, but I have to have a plan to promote them. I have multiple competitors in each area, so I have to work at this.

Here’s my action plan to be implemented in September and beyond:

BOOK TITLEPROMOTIONDATERESULTS
This Tumbleweed Landed October 
When Will Papa Get Home? October 
Let Me Tell You a Story October 
Is My True Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey October 
A Time to Grow Up:  A Daughter’s Grief Memoir November 
Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better? November 
Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo November 
Is My True Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey November 
Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir December 
Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry December   
Is My True Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey December 

We will see how the plan goes. You can see it’s real sketchy now!

5th Goal: Do an audiobook for my 1st book in my poetry series

I love recording audiobooks—reading my own words out loud is magical. So when I finished Was It a Dream? and published it, the recovery from the dog attack consumed me. I couldn’t stand up at the mic in my make-shift recording studio (my walk-in closet) that long—too physically taxing. Also, I was on heavy pain medication and publishing an audiobook has many intricate steps. I have used Derek Doepker’s program, Audiobooks Made Easy. This program spells out exactly what you have to do and Derek is great support if you have any problems.

Lin & Larada at Garden Place in Boquete, Panama - Set goals

As I sit here and lay out this plan, I step back! In the midst of all this, I have a move to Boquete, Panama and am starting a new life there, so I’m writing these goals out to remind myself—I am an author no matter where I live. I have the last quarter of 2025 to get my book sales going.

Also, because of the recovery of the dog attack, I lost a year of promoting my books, so I am way behind!

Will I accomplish all these goals?

Maybe yes, maybe no, but seeing them in black and white make them concrete! Easily, I can carry any no fulfilled to first quarter of 2026 and add to the list.

All this talk of promotion made me think, “Have you bought one, two or all of my books?” Let’s start here with promoting them. Go to my Author’s Page on Amazon where you can get them all!

Keep scrolling and you can see links to my audiobooks. I only sell my cookbooks directly until August 30 through my Etsy Shop, Larada’s Reading Loft.


My Newest Books


Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed Audiobook

Let Me Tell You a Story Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook


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Marshall Flippo · My Books · My Thoughts · My Writing

My Writer’s Corner: What Do I Toss?

Toss paper

What do I toss today? My writer’s corner in our loft is in total upheaval. We’re packing to move and my computer desk and bookcase next to it held what I thought were my writing necessities and a few other incidentals. But really? Let’s look.

I opened up so many of my old writing journals and found poetry and ideas written years ago, but I didn’t finish many of those journals! What a waste! Probably twenty or thirty years ago, I decided to print my writing and had a spiral binder full, but now many of those poems and stories are all in books! So I tossed them, but I kept some poems I need to add to my new poetry series: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry.

Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo's cover - toss

Proudly, I have a copy of each of my paperback books—a hardback copy of Flippo’s, Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo just for him. He wanted hardbacks, so I created hardbacks. In fact, it’s the only book I’ve written that has a hardback.

In which packing box will they end up in, I don’t know, but I remember opening the boxes with those original copies and bursting with proud! That first touch on the cover, then the flip through the pages and seeing my words in print overwhelmed me with joy.

A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter's Grief Memoir cover - toss

I remember one major mistake I made in A Time to Grow Up: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir. I forgot to have a copyright page, so I printed it up immediately on label-like paper and stuck it to the back of the title page! What a disaster that could have been.

Let Me Tell You a Story cover - toss

Today I thumbed my way through first drafts of each of my books with notes and revisions. I tossed them today. Why keep them? However, I did keep everything pertaining to my dad’s 75th birthday book, Let Me Tell You a Story, dating back to 1993. For some reason, I just couldn’t let go!

Occasionally, I have loved looking back at the first drafts of my books, feel the 8 ½ sheets of paper in my hands and marvel at the changes suggested by my writing group or editor. That’s one of the magical pieces of writing a book—the suggestions that turn into something magically. But, no, I closed my eyes and tossed all of them.

My motto this year because of this move is “Let go,” and it continues to come up! I dreaded packing up the my book stuff because I loved it so, but I decided now was the time!

What an amazing historical square dance library I have from writing Flippo’s biography! I have an amazing collection of books he mentioned when we were talking. In that collection, I have kept Bob Sumrall’s Do-Si-Do and Square Dancing Is Easy by Sam Justin in the cellophane wrappers they came in.

I gathered the following books and used them as resources:

  • Betty Casey, Dance Across Texas, University of Texas Press (1985).
  • Betty Casey, The Complete Book of Square Dancing [and Round Dancing], University of
  • North Texas Press (2000).
  • Bob Osgood, As I Saw It, Humbug Enterprises (2017).
  • Bob Sumrall, Do-Si-Do, (1949).
  • Jim Mayo, Step by Step Through Modern Square Dance History, (2003).
  • John W. Jones, Square Dance Fundamentals, Jones Street USA, LLC, (1970).
  • Lloyd and Dorothy Shaw, Lloyd Shaw and the Cheyenne Mountain Dancers.
  • Lloyd Shaw, Cowboy Dances, The Caxton Printers, Ltd. (1949).
  • Richard Severance, A Step in Time: The American Square Dance, (2018).

These books will remain in a box in storage and kept for sure.

Stan Jeffus scanned the pictures and articles in the scrapbooks Neeca made for Flippo and sent me a CD. What a resource that was! During our weekly talks, Flippo had the actual scrapbook, and I had Stan’s scanned pictures and articles in front of me on my laptop. So, we went through them together miles apart. They worked as sparks to our conversations with Flip telling stories connected to the picture or the article.

Also, this bookcase housed other stuff. I loved going through old photos—where did the time go? What fun Lin and I have had! Cruises, trips and more. I did toss some of the photos but kept any I felt I needed. I found one treasure I had already scanned—my granddad burning cactus during the depression and drought of 1934 because cattle could eat it then. Here it is!

Laurence Horner burning cactus - toss

To toss or not? I cleared out my computer desk. The bookcase next to it still has one and half shelves full. As I’ve wandered through my eleven-year writing career today, I almost choked up at all my writing—nine books! I never would have believed that twenty years ago I would have nine books and another on the way!

Let go!


My Newest Books


Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook


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Marshall Flippo · My Books · My Thoughts · My Writing

Can a Legend Be Forgotten? Keep Flippo’s Memory Alive

Marshall Flippo - legend

Can a legend be forgotten in five years? Can a square dance legend’s name be erased from the memory of dancers? Only if we let that happen, and I will not let it happen as long as I can sit at a computer and type!

What attributes identified this legend, Marshall Flippo to me?

A young Marshall Flippo in the Navy - legend

For one thing, when we met face-to-face the first time in Tucson, Arizona on October 27, 2017, Flippo spoke of his family then immediately told me about quitting school his senior year and joining the Navy at seventeen. His Navy career spanned four years in the South Pacific. After hearing his vivid description about the end of the war and all his experiences, I realized he had given the reader in this book a sizable birds’ eye view of what happened.  

Because I knew him later in life, his raspy Texan twang identified Flippo to me. When I wrote the book, I tried to capture his language for the reader because it certainly added a flair to the telling. Listening to his earlier recordings, Flippo had a clear, identifiable voice.

Often at a dance when we visited him, I enjoyed his outlandish sense of humor. In fact, when I was writing his biography, I can’t tell you how many people told me their favorite “Flippo Story,” and often it included humor.

While researching his biography, we only met face-to-face twice. I had forty hours of recorded interviews with Flippo. Often “our date” was on Tuesday at 1:00 PM. Lin, my husband, has said he knew I was talking to Flippo because of the laughter.

In fact, he wanted to start his book with a variety of different pieces. We finalized on a tribute to those who had helped him get started with his calling—and then his dirty joke a caller’s wife told him. When he shared it with me, Flippo chuckled and said, “Now you clean it up so we can add to the book.” So, I did!

If you attended any After Party at a dance festival where Flippo called, you experienced another demonstration of his sense of humor—hilarious skits! He loved to take on a persona and play it up to the max! You can see it in the following pictures:

Here’s a link to a trailer of his skits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8u90uFCL4w

One of my favorite song he pantomimed was “I Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore.” How hilarious and fun!

Looking back over his many recordings, his amazing choreography and calling entertained thousands of dancers. When I was writing the book, I shared a chapter with my writing group one Monday. Marty, an astute writer asked, “Does Flippo do his own choreography?”

Shocked, I sat for a moment and replied, “I have no idea.” Flip (a nickname for him) and I had our weekly interview date on Tuesday, so I asked him the next day. This opened up a gigantic discussion, and he told me how he choreographed “The Auctioneer,” his premiere hit. He spoke with enthusiasm and joy! It was quite a feat—want to know how he did it? His choreography became a whole chapter, Chapter 20—Flippo’s Choreography.

Listen to a sample of The Auctioneer!

After all his involvement in CALLERLAB, he received six awards for his calling and participation in this organization he helped start!

So, have you forgotten him? Has this legend died in your area? Your square dance club?

Just Another Square Dance Caller - legend

Before the pandemic, I had lots of pre-orders for the book, Just Another Square Dance Caller: Authorized Biography of Marshall Flippo, but square dancing stopped in 2020. Festivals were canceled—places I planned on selling his book—Indio, California. CALLERLAB convention canceled

In 2021, specifically, I thought our festival in Albuquerque, Hot August Nights, was a go, so I loaded up on both formats—hardbacks and paperbacks. BUT IT WAS CANCELED! So, I ended up with surplus inventory!

In 2023, I went to the CALLERLAB convention in Reno, Nevada to sell his biography. I can’t tell you how many younger callers when asked if they knew Flippo, said, “No, who was he?”

Because Darryl Lipscomb helped at a booth next to mine, he retold a sad conversation with Flippo after he retired. Flippo told Darryl that once he retired, dancers and callers would forget him in a short time, three or four years. He retired in 2016. By 2023, it had happened. Therefore, I sold very few books there, so disappointing!

Being the eternal optimist, I returned to the CALLERLAB convention in Dallas, Texas the next year. Okay, Texas was Flippo’s home state, so come on—wouldn’t he still be known. Yes, more people knew him there, but still a vast majority had no interest in him, his book or the history this book chronicles.

Sadly, I have put out several major sales on his book over the last two years, and the response has been stunning—no sales! Some people buy his book on Amazon, but I’m talking about the copies I have.

So, here I am continuing to honor Flippo. When we started this project, he had one major request, “Don’t make me a hero!” This humble stance is exactly who he was! He never saw his position in the square dance world of mentoring many of our fine callers today. When the CALLERLAB began, Flippo was one of the original eleven, and he repeatedly supported the organization his whole career. Also, he began calling in the heyday of square dancing and continued into his late 80s, moving from live music, to recorded music to using a computer! So, this biography stands as a history book, too.

If you haven’t bought a hardback or paperback copy of his biography, now is the time. If you already have a copy, how about buying one for a friend. I have a special offer going on right now—

If you already know how captivating Just Another Square Dance Caller is, here’s your chance to share that experience! I have a limited surplus of Marshall Flippo’s authorized biography, and I’m offering the first 10 buyers an exclusive deal:

✓ 25% OFF both hardback and paperback editions

✓ FREE SWAG included with your order

✓ Perfect gift for square dance enthusiasts, music lovers, or anyone who appreciates American folk traditions

Whether it’s for a dance partner, family member, or friend who’d appreciate Marshall’s incredible journey, this is your opportunity to spread the story at a significant discount.

Limited to first 10 orders only. Easy payment through PayPal or Square.

Ready to share Marshall’s legacy? [Order now at laradasbooks.com or contact me at larada@laradasbooks.com before these discounted copies are gone!


National Audiobook Month is almost over! See my audiobooks listed below! All are sale this month for your listening pleasure!

My Newest Books


Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook


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