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Publishing Books by Karen GoatKeeper and Dr. Richard E. Rintz

Home of karengoatkeeper.com

Site News

As far as I know, all the links are in place for purchasing print books not available from Amazon through PayPal. I’m sure there is more I need to do, such as the PDF links. I should get to these next week.

Books published through Kindle (Amazon) are still available through Amazon. This includes all of my novels and Ducks Love Hats. The eBooks are still available as well.

If you click on the Print Buy button, it will take you to the proper place to make your purchase. If you have a problem, contact me through the Contact KDP page.

Red Morel Mushrooms are for Dinner
Although some kinds of red morels are considered toxic, the ones found in the Ozarks are not and reputed to be good.

One of Dr. Rintz’s books is now a pdf. It will be listed soon. This is “Discovering the Floral Biology of Ceropegia.” It will be $25.00. For now, please contact me.

The number of picture book reviews moved over is nearing 200 both new and from my archives. They can be accessed here.

Gold Dragonfly
Dragonflies are usually flying around. Even when they are resting, they are nearly impossible to get close to. My zoom pictures are often out of focus slightly, but not this time.

Missouri politics is heating up. It’s not what I normally put on my site. However! Conservation sites and state parks are wonderful public places. They need money to keep these open to everyone. Please vote yes on Proposition 1 this August.

Also in August: There is the proposal to eliminate the income tax and go to a sales tax: Proposition 5. Unless you are rich, this is moving you from a tax with deductions and exemptions to one without these. I can’t afford a minimum 13% sales (income) tax. Can you?

Then there is Proposition 4. We increased Medicaid using an initiative. Now they want to change the rules so we can’t do things they won’t. Vote No! on this one too.

"The Little spider" page
A page from “The Little Spider” looks simple. It took two hours to create. The book price doesn’t include my time.

Although I did take an hour or more, the print links are done. I do have a button for the PDF versions for Exploring the Ozark Hills, Waiting for Fairies and The Little Spider, but haven’t linked it yet.

There are probably acknowledgement pages, thank you pages and ? to customize on PayPal. I will get there, I hope, next week when I again have an hour or more to spend on it.

This Saturday’s Substack post is discusses writing a science activity book and centers on “The Pumpkin Project”.

Spiny Yellow Lettuce
Usually considered a weed, this wild lettuce likes it hot and sunny. A patch came up at a friend’s house and I got all my pictures except the flowers. This was a lucky picture as these flowers open early and close long before noon. Only this sprig was still open.

My Writing

This is a fifth Friday. I thought of a High Reaches post, but got distracted by the goats. I will try to get back on track next week.

There is a new Writing News post on reading history.

The garden post will be easy this month: My new VERY monster squash!

watching tadpoles grow up
Tadpoles grow fast in the rain barrels. After a couple of weeks, these are getting ready to start growing legs.

Writing three posts a week takes one whole day, if I know what I plan to write about. Organizing the pictures takes more time.

That should leave me three days to write novels and draw picture books. At least I finally have a good plan for the picture books.

Succession planting in my garden can lead to overcrowding
Sugar pie pumpkins aren’t supposed to have huge vines. My vines didn’t read those comments. They have filled the space allotted and are busy expanding up the fence to the tomatoes, across the pathway, wherever they can sneak off to when I’m not looking.

General Comments

Kingpin and the last kids will leave in less than two weeks. It doesn’t feel real, yet it does.

By this time next year, only my old goats will still be in the barn. Why next year? Kingpin has been busy planning for possible December kids.

I’ve seen the groundhog. Either it can eat the trap tomatoes without setting it off, or the chipmunks are helping.

Most of my garden is not to the groundhog’s tastes, it seems. The long beans needed extra protection.

Squash puree for soups is in the freezer. Now comes tomato sauce and broth, hot packed this year.

I have several writing deadlines. My 2026 goals are to finish Life’s Rules, Ship 18, Ship 19, the gardening essays and two Opal and Agate picture books. Is this doable? At least, I will try.

at fourteen, Nubian doe Drucilla is old
In the past four years, Nubian doe Drucilla as gradually lost weight. Her frame is still strong, but she no longer looks filled out. Notice how her tail is now hanging downwards showing her social status has declined.

I am presently reading “A Nose for Justice” and “Jazz Funeral”. There are more picture books, “Burton is NOT going to School” and “Do Like a Duck Does” this week.

You can keep up with my reading and reviews on Goodreads. As I finish each book, I take the time to write a review on Goodreads. Regular book reviews are on this Goodreads page (I lost it?!). Picture book reviews are on my new Goodreads page. Many reviews remain on the blog as I transfer only a few each week. It would be nice if those reading my books would do the same.

Play Time for Nubian buck kid
The goat kids are getting big and love to graze. However, they still love to run and jump. This old stump is so inviting.

Finding My Substack

This week’s post is about a writer’s approach to writing: Pantsing or Plotting?. The book under discussion is “Dora’s Story“.

This is under karengoatkeeper. As the site gets more organized, I will add a link to it.

About GKP Books

I normally sell books through Kindle and Smashwords as their sites are secure. Some books are only available through me for the time being. Please use the Contact GKP page.

Some eBooks (notably “Pumpkin Project and “Exploring the Ozark Hills”) are too large or complicated for the other sites. These are available as PDFs from me. Please use the Contact Me page.

All of the links should be working. If you find one has decided to go on vacation, you can contact me through the Contact Page.

Nubian doe High Reaches Rose calling me.
Nubian doe High Reaches Rose is very demanding.

Thank you for Stopping By

Keep checking back as the topics on the two posts change every week, weather permitting. Impassable roads can delay things.