by Sandra Murphy & Sue Ann Jaffarian

We have something a bit different this week, a review of a travel book written by mystery author Sue Ann Jaffarian, along with a fun guest post by Sue about traveling in an RV. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

I Sleep Around by Sue Ann Jaffarian, the humorous memoir of a nomadic writer
Review by Sandra Murphy

After 13 years, Sue Ann Jaffarian retired from her job as a corporate paralegal. She’d just turned 66. The next day, she sold her car, started a new life as a full-time nomadic writer, and left her former life behind.

Giving up apartment living, most possessions, and living in an RV, isn’t a decision to be made lightly. Three years before her retirement date, she began to explore her options. Never a camper, the idea of being both mobile and at home seemed the right choice.

After a five-day test run, she discovered she did enjoy the RV, even when some of the chores were unpleasant. It’s not a lifestyle for everyone but with planning, it can be just the right fit. Months before her official retirement, she downsized, gave up her apartment, and lived in the RV, taking the occasional short weekend trip as a further test of RV living.

There are RVer clubs online, making acquaintances available to answer questions which can range from how to fix a sticky valve to what camps are to be avoided, which businesses welcome overnight stays, or sights to see. For a writer, mobile living also allows time to set up near water, a favorite view of hers, and, inspired, write like a mad woman.

One thing that’s needed is a home base, a place to receive mail, to license the RV, to vote. She chose Texas but there’s too much to see and do to spend much time there (plus it’s hot!) She found a primary physician, verified her Medicare would be accepted in most other states, has a permanent address for paying taxes, and likes the central location.

An avid sightseer, she’s been to the Corn Palace, visited Mark Twain, Popeye, and Superman, followed the Pork Tenderloin Trail, attended RV rallies, accepted house and pet sitting jobs, and met bison bodyguards who aren’t shy about letting drivers know to stay put until the herd is off the road. Most importantly, she’s learned to trust her judgment so if a camping area or business parking lot gives off a bad vibe, she moves on.

Sometimes people ask, what are your plans for giving this up at some point? She has no plans. This life, while different than most people have, is hers for life.

What she’s written before and since becoming a nomad:
Dead Woman Driving Serial Novel (10 episodes), Odelia Grey Mystery Series (12 books), Odelia Grey Short Stories (one), The Ghost of Granny Apples Mysteries (six), Granny Apples Novellas (six), The Zelda Bowen Novels (two), The Madison Rose Vampire Mysteries (two), The Winnie Wilde Romance Series (three) and three other short stories.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s the editor for the upcoming Yeet Me in St Louis, an anthology with stories from twelve St. Louis writers. Her own short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, and anthologies such as The Perp Wore Pumpkin and I (Almost) Died in Your Arms. ‘Lucy’s Tree’, published in The Eyes of Texas, won a Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She lives in St. Louis with Ozzie the Westie Impersonator and his sidekick in crime, Louie the Cat.

RVING IN THE GOOD OLE SUMMERTIME
By Sue Ann Jaffarian

Recreational Vehicles seem to go hand in hand with summer. But it’s not all easy living. There are special challenges traveling in an RV or camper van in the summer.

Weather is the biggest consideration in RV travel, no matter what time of year. Just last month I had to change my travel plans because of widespread storms and flooding. One day in June, I would have been trapped for a few days had I not raced out of a flooded area before they closed roads. Even though I made it, it was very stressful. Other summers, my travel plans had to be revised due to heat waves. During high temperatures, I will gravitate toward campgrounds with electrical plug-ins to run the AC more efficiently. Or I will revise my route and head to areas with lower temperatures until things cool down.If it’s winter and a big freeze is coming, I also get out of there. I can do that. My home has wheels.

Sue Ann Jaffarian

For many RVers, one of the biggest challenges in the summer is keeping our pets comfortable and safe. RVs can get very hot in the sun. Camper vans quickly become ovens. In the summer, you have to plan everyday errands like grocery shopping and laundry around the weather. Also excursions like hikes and museums. I travel with a cat named Moxie. I tend to do my errands early in the morning before the sun has time to cook the van. I love it when there’s cloud cover while I’m doing errands. Still, I keep windows open, a ceiling fan running, and a small fan going. In the summer, I also tend to do more grocery pick up than spending time running around in a store. I am constantly looking for shade when I need to park. There have been times when I’ve wanted to go to lunch after errands, but don’t because I’m worried about Moxie. Although I can run my generator and AC while doing errands, I don’t like doing it often. It’s very noisy. Moxie hates it. And if for some reason the generator shuts down, the AC cuts off and my cat is in danger of becoming a roast beast.

Another downside of RV travel in the summer are the crowds. With kids out of school and people taking vacations, often some of the best campgrounds and national parks are full, especially on holidays and weekends. It’s the same with popular attractions. Many campers reserve popular spots six months in advance. Even free camping areas around national lands and forests can be crowded. I generally have good luck finding spots, but I have learned to be very flexible.

Finally, summer wouldn’t be complete without bugs. Black flies, mosquitos, ticks, and other biting bugs are plentiful in the summer, as well as insects that don’t bite but are annoying. One year my cat caught and ate a stink bug that had made its way into the van. It was no fun dealing with the cat vomit and stench that followed. Just as every location has their specific bugs, every camper has their favorite inspect repellent or deterrent. You find what works for you and you use it whether you are hiking or sitting at a picnic table. Inside my van, I use one of those tennis racket style zappers to rid my tiny home of insects. Believe me, there is something very satisfying about an annoying mosquito frying on the zapper’s grid.

So, you ask, why would anyone camp in the summer after reading the above? Because it’s fun. The sun is shining. Days are long. People seem more relaxed. Even though I’m retired, I still find summer special. But in full disclosure, my favorite time to travel is in the fall.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win an ebook copy of I Sleep Around, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “sleep” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen June 27, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Sue Ann Jaffarian is the author of several mystery series, as well as other novels and short stories. She is a full-time nomadic writer, traveling the US while living in a camper van. She is also a free lance writer for Winnebago’s WinnebaGoLife Blog and sought after as a motivational speaker.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.