Hello Readers!
For the first time ever (I think), book character interviews book character! My friend and fellow mystery author, Lois Winton, has her main character, Anastasia Pollack, interview Gabrielle Dorian’s best friend and business partner, Kate Goldstien, on her blog, Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers!
Maybe you’re already familiar with Anastasia’s mysteries? If not this will be a great opportunity to find out about her and get to know Gabrielle’s biggest fan and faithful sidekick better in her first interview! Read it at the link below:
https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/2025/03/an-interview-with-kate-goldstein-from.html
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I apologize for that. I’ve been dealing with surgery, recovery, and those lovely viruses that are going around. Funny thing about me, I hate sharing my difficulties. I’m told constantly to be transparent and authentic with my readers, but my German roots go deep, I guess, and I was raised to not whine and to guard my vulnerabilities. That said, I wouldn’t b
e here without you.
So, here I am, being vulnerable. Some of you may have read my first book, Loved So Much It Hurts: Purpose In The Pain, and know that in 2009 I was diagnosed with a tumor in my sacral nerve root. The tumor was successfully removed, but nerves were affected in the process. As a result, I have been living with and trying to manage chronic pain. Not fun.
When you add surgery or even a head cold to already existing pain, you get a true test of endurance. Especially when you’re homebound. I’ve had to miss many quilting events, and I miss my friends, and I also missed our first rabbit show for spring, Exciting things are happening in my family’s lives, including my only grandbaby growing like a weed, and I just get to hear about it second hand. It’s so annoying.😠
Thankfully, many really positive things have happened since the first of the year that have been like a shot in the arm for me, such as Dreams and Illusions keeps winning awards. I think I’m up to 14 or 15? The latest have been a gold medal for the Global Book Award, the BREW Fiction Book Excellence Award, and the Spotlyts Story Award.
Dreams and Illusions has also had some amazing editorial reviews, which you can read two of them at the links below:
https://thechrysalisbrewproject.com/2024/10/29/book-review-dreams-and-illusions-by-rebecca-olmstead/
https://spotlyts.com/2025/02/25/spotlyts-story-awardee-dreams-and-illusions-by-rebecca-olmstead/
These things really lift me up when I receive them, along with the knowledge that this sickness is building my immune system, and that this is all part of God’s plan. All reviews lift me up, really. If you’ve read Dreams and Illusions and haven’t written a review I would love, love, love to hear what you thought. You can leave your input at the bottom of my book page on Amazon and on GoodReads (links below). And Thank You to all of you who have already!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199288593-dreams-and-illusions
I was doing very well on my revisions for Dreams and Deceptions until I caught this cold and my eyes and brain wouldn’t work together. 
Hopefully, I’ll be over it soon. In the meantime, I thought I’d send along a short story for your feedback. Sort of a warm-up exercise. If you are not on my ARC Team you don’t have to reply, but I would love to hear what my ARC Team thinks. This story has nothing to do with the Gabrielle Dorian Mystery Series, but it’s a fun diversion. You can send your feedback to contact@rebeccaolmstead.com. Here’s the link:
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/5xuylchesp
I appreciate you all so much for hanging in there with me! Thank you all so much! And as I get back to work on revisions, please enjoy this first-time ever interview with Gabrielle’s spunky best friend, Kate Goldstein, and please send your feedback to my good friend, Lois, and check out her books as well!
https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/2025/03/an-interview-with-kate-goldstein-from.html
Happy Reading!
Rebecca