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

Home of karengoatkeeper.com

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For now all of Dr. Rintz’s botany books, Exploring the Ozark Hills, My Ozark Hills, The Pumpkin Project, Love of Goats, Waiting for Fairies, The Little Spider (listed by a bookseller), City Water Project and Goat Games must be requested through my Contact Page. It is working as far as I know. Payment arrangements are through PayPal.

one of two Savoy cabbages
Alcosa cabbage makes a nice little head surrounded by crinkled leaves.

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.

The Buy Print buttons now link you to the Contact GKP page.

Titus Benton had a popular table
Down the way from my booth was a table set up by Titus Benton for his book “65560”. It attracted many people. Next to him was Matt Ankney with his first book “Spooklight”.

While at the Rendezvous at the River, I spoke with other authors about Substack. Evidently many authors are joining this site.

I have set up an account. Now I have to find out how to manage it and what kinds of posts I will put on it. Social media is foreign to me.

Mule Bonita starting to jump
Bonita looked at the barrier at the mule jumping competition as she listened to her owner and the crowd urging her on. She decided to try jumping over the barrier.

The problem with joining Substack, is having yet another post to write once or twice a week. And I will need to find time to interact with other authors on the site.

Time is my enemy. This is especially true during garden planting time. Then there is kidding time.

Writing time is important to me. It’s hard to write when the never ending ‘to do’ list keeps growing and growing and growing. Help!

summer squash Zephyr
Surprisingly, summer squash doesn’t like really hot weather. It is frost sensitive and likes it on the hot side of warm. This is Zephyr squash, a hybrid between yellow and acorn squashes.

My Writing

The problem with not working on a draft for several months, is getting back into the story. For me, that means reading it from the beginning.

I’m enjoying reading the first part of Life’s Rules. The question is whether or not it is too calm, boring maybe? I hope not.

lonely goat
Nubian doe High Reaches Rose evidently didn’t notice the other goats ran off. She was probably in the barn and didn’t see them turn a race off. Rose is about twelve years old.

Another interesting balancing act is reading through and editing the Carduan Chronicles: Ship Eighteen. Until I get past the reading part and start to write, I seem to be able to do both.

Time is the enemy.

milkweed sprouts are a lawn mowing challenge
Usually the mower cuts the grass before the common milkweed sprouts appear. This year they were early and the grass towers over them. The yard has sprouted stakes marking them. The grass and other weeds continue to grow. Lawn mowing is delayed, but not forgotten.

General Comments

Raccoons or not, my garden is getting planted. Two got caught. I’m not sure if there is another one with a favorite pastime of tearing up my cardboard pathways.

There is an opossum. It loves marshmallows and has gotten trapped two or three times now.

Possums are annoying, but don’t seem to do a lot of damage in the garden. releasing one and encouraging it to leave the garden is frustrating. this one even runs by an open gate.

My Nubian doe Spring is still standing around, no kids.

There are finally cabbage and other greens ready to harvest in the garden.

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.

walking fern
Walking fern likes to grow on big rocks tucked among the mosses. Even though the fronds aren’t lacy, it has the usual fiddleheads. The fronds have long tips that reach out across the rock. Where they touch down, they root thus ‘walking’ the fern across the rock.

I am presently reading “Raising Hare” and “Burn Master’s House” . There are more picture books, “Surprising Sharks” and “The Old Witch and the Wizard” 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. Picture book reviews are on my Goodreads blog. It would be nice if those reading my books would do the same.

Finding My Picture Book Reviews

My picture book reviews are on my Goodreads blog. This seemed the only way to do them. Usually there are three new ones on Tuesdays and Fridays.

I am very hesitant to add any outside links to my website. So you can find me on Goodreads under Karen GoatKeeper.

Indian Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush is a new Dent County Flora entry. It was a surprise find. Like poinsettias and dogwood, the brightly colored flower parts are not really flower parts, bu fancy leaves called bracts. The green tube sticking out of the bracts is the real flower.

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.

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.

Nubian buck High Reaches Kingpin
Nubian buck Kingpin is now a teenage goat and totally girl crazy. He is big enough for the girls to notice.