Category: Writer’s Notes

Information and opinions from fellow authors covering monthly topics such as Contests, Conferences, Mentors, and Writing Clubs. Even seasoned authors learn something here.

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Writer's Notes

December is About Giving

By Thonie Hevron

December is about gifts. Christmas, Hanukah, Three Kings—however you celebrate this season, it’s often done with gifts. My original idea was to have authors write about their gifts, whether it’s a talent they were born with, a life change because they received a gift, a skill they were able to learn, gifts are meant to be given. Authors often write about their gifts.

Decades ago my sister-in-law gave me a horse. Talk about a life changing event!When hubby and I decided to move to a larger home, it had to include enough land to support a horse. Years later, when we moved to the Eastern Sierras, my new horse had enough energy that he wore me out. I had to decide whether to sell him or quit smoking. No brainer. I quit smoking (after 26years-man, I loved that horse!).

All of my books have some mention of a horse. I can’t help it. I love horses and passed that trait on to my protagonist. Gardeners talk about azaleas, chefs write mysteries about quiches, and so on. I mention horses.

But now, I have another gift to tell you about: several yearsago, my husband offered to treat my writing career as a job. I’d work on my stories and he’d take over running the house, laundry and cooking. What a deal! I didn’t pass it up. I wrote my three books over those years. Then, in July of 2017, he fell ill. Without getting into details, roles changed. I became the caregiver. He was sick enough that he couldn’t be left alone. The doctors sent him home from the hospital to either get better or…

Fast forward to today. He’s not fully recovered but he is significantly healthier. I know he feels better because he kicked me out of the kitchen. He’s been doing laundry for a month or so and I now can leave him without overly worrying.

So, his recovery is my gift. Maybe re-gift is more accurate as he’s given it before. But the bottom line is that I’ve been given a second chance. I have a fourth novel to finish and now he is helping me do it.

But there’s a catch. During all those months when I couldn’t work on my novel, I spent time on my blog. I posted police stories from several retired and active duty cops every Sunday. On Fridays, I posted guests expounded on pre-set themes. My post was always the first Friday of the month, theirs followed. Anyway, this has become so labor-intensive that I can’t get back to my novel. So, I’ve decided that this incarnation of “Writer’s Notes” must retire in its current format. I’ll still happily accept guest posts but won’t be assigning themes and won’t be tied to two posts a week. The cop stories will continue as it is my mission: to show the public but especially writers that these are living, breathing people behind the badges. With luck, maybe they will even inspire a story in you.

My gift to you is a place where you can read about the heroes who keep us safe. Your gift to me has been your readership. It is with sincere gratitude I thank all my guest authors from the past eighteen months. It’s been great fun meeting you, making new friends, but now it’s time to knuckle down and finish that novel. I’m fortunate to have a publisher who has committed to publish it—and re-issue all my previous novels.

Time for Thonie to get to work.

By Force or Fear, Intent to Hold, and With Malice Aforethought
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Writer's Notes

Thankful: Stephen Brayton

Brayton book coverBy Stephen Brayton

So, it’s November and that brings to mind Thanksgiving and that brings to mind a shift in people to a more gracious attitude. Gratitude for the many blessings in their lives. My sister will do a “I’m thankful for….” Facebook for every day in November.

I don’t do that. Not that I’m not thankful, but to think of thirty things? Lol. Just kidding.

Okay, so I thought about this for a while to come up with my list of things for which I am thankful. (Uh, a while comprising an entire energy sapping five minutes. I think I need a nap.)

Let’s get the basics out of the way: Family, friends, employment, health, automobile, finances.

I would like to turn the thankful list to writing and fitness related things because, while I don’t want to do a BSP (blatant self-promotion), I would like to give a bit of it in relation to the craft of writing. I also want to include a bit of thanks to the martial arts world.

1.     I’m thankful the Lord has given me the ability to write and to continue to learn the craft.

2.     For writer friends who are honest with critique (and that means praise as well as where I need improvements).

3.     Thanks to NeoLeaf Press for accepting my friendship, two of my books, and four short stories for an anthology.

4.     I’m thankful to the Lord for giving me health, the ability, and the skills to train in martial arts and to be able to continue my growth.

5.     I’m thankful to the American Taekwondo Association for providing me with opportunities and friendship.

6.     Thanks to all my students present and past for their support.

7.     Thanks to all my readers who purchased my books.

So, the lucky seven. I’m sure there are many more things, large and small, for which I’m thankful. I think the main thing is, I’m grateful to those people who attend the book shows and conferences where I’m allowed to set up a table to sell books and talk about my writing. Whether you buy, take a business card or postcard, or just peruse the offering, and to those who read my blogs and to those who take time to comment I appreciate your few minutes. To those people and those who continue to support, train, and assist with my martial arts training as I prepare for the next goal in July of 2019-testing for 6th Degree Black Belt,

Thank you. You keep me going.

 

Stephen L Brayton 1Links:

Alpha: https://www.amazon.com/ALPHA-Mallory-Petersen-Stephen-Brayton-ebook/dp/B07H9N15GP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540763215&sr=8-1&keywords=alpha%2C+brayton

Beta: https://www.amazon.com/BETA-Petersen-Stephen-L-Brayton/dp/1728931584/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540763243&sr=8-1&keywords=beta%2C+brayton

 I.O.W.A.: https://www.amazon.com/Iowas-Original-Writers-Anthology-2015-ebook/dp/B01958Z1HY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540763272&sr=8-3&keywords=stephen+brayton

Death of the Demon Machine: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Demon-Machine-Tricia-Andersen/dp/1521911525/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1540763272&sr=8-4&keywords=stephen+brayton

Chills Down Your Spine: https://www.amazon.com/Chills-Down-Your-Spine-Halloween-ebook/dp/B07JB5W4ZZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540763327&sr=8-1&keywords=chills+down+your+spine

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.brayton

 Twitter: @SLBrayton

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-brayton-63396011/

 Blog: www.braytonsbriefs.wordpress.com

 Book Review Blog: http://www.braytonsbookbuzz.wordpress.com

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Writer's Notes

Thankfulness: Jackie Zortman

Zortman coverJackie Taylor Zortman

Even though I missed posting this before Thanksgiving, I am thankful to Thonie for giving me this slot the day after. If you could see the disarray my house and life are in right now, you’d be amazed that I can still remain thankful, in spite of all the challenges.

As I write this, our neighbor, who is a contractor, is working on repairing a small porch outside our TV room door that has almost fallen down over last winter. It’s been up there since 1991, so I can’t complain. Living in the Colorado mountains at high altitude means we often have wet, heavy snows that take a toll on wooden structures from time to time. All the local carpenters are so busy at this time that none of them want to take on such a small job. Therefore, I am super thankful to have Rod fixing that while the weather is still warm, sunny and gorgeous and before the snow flies this year. He’s a great neighbor, as is his wife, Karen and we are blessed to have them so close.

On Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, we are having new carpet installed throughout the house. So, today we have moved all the small things, antiques and electronics that they will not move. In our chalet-style home, everything either has to be moved up a flight of stairs or down one. I am very relieved that task is now over. Our home looks as though we are either coming or going. I am thankful that at our age (my husband is 80 and I’m not far behind) we are still physically capable of doing such tasks.

I am thankful to have had Billie Johnson as my very first publisher and am sad to know she recently passed away. She taught me so very much about the book business and published my first two books.  Both of them turned out beautifully and she was so easy to work with. All of the former Oak Tree Press authors pitched in to help one another when any one of us presented a problem via the list-serv. Nobody was ever jealous or competitive. We OTP authors all became friends, some very close friends, and most of us remain in touch today.

When Billie’s illness prevented her from publishing our books, in stepped  Mike Orenduff of Aakenbaaken & Kent (A & K). I am so very thankful that he immediately agreed to publish the second editions of both my books, as well as my manuscript for my latest and, at that time, unpublished book, SNOW ANGEL. Many A & K authors today are from Oak Tree Press and are able to remain together.

Mike did an excellent job on my book SNOW ANGEL, designed the cover and published it quickly, all things considered in his busy life. It’s available as both a Kindle and paperback on Amazon and also as a paperback on Barnes & Noble. I learned that covers greatly influence book sales and love both of mine as created by Mike.

I have connected to author friends with various other houses who are well established and successful and will jump in to help in any way possible. That’s a special gift and I am thankful that I have met and grown to know and love each one of them.

Toss in my wonderful husband, Richard, my three children, five grandchildren and the latest and greatest gift of all, our very first great-granddaughter with her beautiful blue eyes, quick smile and happy personality and you have a huge basket of things for which I am extremely thankful and forever will be.  Like Thonie, there have been some bad times through it all and I truly feel that Divine Intervention helped us get through those horrible weeks and months. But we made it and I am thankful for that huge blessing.

I hope we all have a wonderful holiday season and much success in 2019. Thanksgiving means we will put the Christmas tree up, so that’s what I will do next, hopefully on new carpet and with a strong and sturdy porch outside. Let it snow! God bless us every one.

~~

Zortman headshot by AmyAUTHOR’S BIO FOR JACKIE TAYLOR ZORTMAN

Jackie Taylor Zortman is the author of non-fiction book We Are Different Now, first place award-winning fiction novel Footprints in the Frost (Detective Max Richards Book 1) and award-winning novel SNOW ANGEL (Detective Max Richards Book 2). She has written numerous short stories and articles for various publications for the last 26 years.

She is a Charter Member of the Public Safety Writers Association and the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. A contributing author to the anthologies Felons, Flames & Ambulance Rides, American Blue, The Centennial Book of the National Society of Daughters of the Union and Recipes by the Book, Oak Tree Authors Cook.  She also writes poetry, genealogy and history and has won 10 writing awards.

She lives in a bustling quaint tourist town high in the mountains of Colorado with her husband and Siamese cat. When the deep snows of winter blanket the terrain surrounding her home, it becomes the perfect spot in which to write.

 

 

SHORT BLURB-SNOW ANGEL by Jackie Taylor Zortman

In this second Detective Max Richards book, he and his sister inherit their mother’s estate and find an old forgotten and dusty wooden box on a shelf in her bedroom closet. It reveals a secret about her they never knew and connects them to an abandoned Victorian house in Colorado where Max and his wife already own a remote cabin. During the Christmas holidays, they fly to Snowflake to investigate the abandoned old house. Following their tire tracks in the snow, the local police chief introduces himself and quickly becomes part of their tight-knit circle of friends.

What was that hidden secret and how did it change the lives of her children and lead them in directions they never dreamed they would follow?

Find out at: http://amazon.com/dp/193843644X

 

or    http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781938436444

 

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Writer's Notes

Writer’s Notes-Gourmet on a Hot Plate

From Thonie, Hal, Ed, Mikey and all the contributors to this blog: Happy Thanksgiving!

The shopping season is upon us. Looking for something for that hard-to-buy-for chef on your gift list? For a unique idea, check out this fun post from Writer’s Notes guest Judy Alter.

J Alter cover jpeg

By Judy Alter

How did I end up in a tiny kitchen?

When I was in my thirties, I lived what some might think the dream life—in a big but charming old house in a good neighborhood, with a surgeon-husband, four adorable children, and a station wagon in the drive. I cooked a lot, for large crowds, so we remodeled the kitchen. I had six gas burners in my stove, a huge island, a marble slab for rolling out dough. I think the only thing we lacked was a wine cellar.

So how did I go from that to a four-by-six kitchen with only a hot plate, a toaster oven, and a huge refrigerator? It’s a long story that involves divorce, those four wonderful children, and a writing career. Along the way I wrote two cookbooks—Cooking My Way through Life with Kids and Books and Texas is Chili Country—and contributed to two others—Love, Bake, Write and We’d Rather be Cooking.

dangerous driver
Dangerous driver

Encroaching age and hip surgery that left me unable to walk unassisted dictated that I move into a tiny cottage (my remodeled garage/guest quarters) while my daughter, her husband, and son moved into my house, just yards away. Zoning laws forbid the installation of a stove or a dishwasher, and limited counter space made a microwave and other fancy electric cooking appliances, like an InstaPot, impractical. So I learned to cook all over again.

 

My debut with the hot plate was comical. My daughter and I decided to sauté a lamb chop. We put it in the special pan that came with the hot plate, pressed the desired temperature and waited. Nothing. She poked it, held her hand over to feel the heat. Nothing. Then we finally saw the start button. I have since learned that I can use any flat-bottom pan with the hot plate. Welcome back to my iron skillet.

In slightly over two years I adjusted to my new kitchen. One friend who came frequently for lunch professed to be amazed at the meals I turned out—he particularly liked the chicken pot pie. I entertain often—no more big dinner parties, but lots of happy hour get-togethers, some lunches and light suppers.

And now I’ve written a cookbook about it: Gourmet on a Hot Plate: Tiny Kitchen Tips and Recipes. No suggestions for that Thanksgiving feast, but lots of recipes for casual suppers and cooking hints from my mom. Do you always put a pinch of sugar in tomato-based sauces? It rounds it off.

J Alter cover jpegGourmet on a Hot Plate is available in print or ebook form from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Hot-Plate-KItchen-Recipes-ebook/dp/B07JC75FC5/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542413378&sr=1-1&keywords=gourmet+on+a+hot+plate and as an ebook from Tolino, Playster and Scribd with other ebook platforms to come.

Enjoy that turkey. I’ve got great ideas for the leftovers!

In addition to her cookbooks, Judy Alter is the award-winning author of adult and young-adult fiction and nonfiction, primarily historical works about women of the American West and contemporary mysteries set in Texas.

Follow her at http://www.judyalter.com, her blog http://www.judys-stew.blogspot.com, or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/judy.alter or

https://www.facebook.com/Judy-Alter-Author-366948676705857/.

Be part of her ongoing cooking adventure at http://www.gourmetonahotplate.blogspot.com, where she encourages discussion and welcomes recipes, comments, and questions.

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Writer's Notes

Giving Thanks Day

McE graphic

HiResCoverTUWS

Giving Thanks Day

By Madeline McEwen

First up, I must come clean and admit that I am a Brit, an expat blending in with my American surroundings—I hope.

Second up, as unlikely as it may seem, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday even better than my birthday, although to date that isn’t a national holiday.

Third up, initially I wanted to share a list of things for which I am thankful, partly because I love lists and also because then we might find common ground. However, rarely does a list make riveting reading, although my list of thirteen side dishes, served annually, makes my mouth water with anticipation.
Instead, I have chosen to share a mere three thoughts, nuggets from the jumble of rubbish in my head, which may strike a harmoniously thankful chord … or not.
1. Any time a little gloom threatens to mar my existence, I can glance through the window at the dazzling Californian sunshine, cloudless skies, and my gloriously sustaining, higgledy-piggledy garden.
2. Whenever I am overwhelmed by the complications and circumstances in the world of disabilities and autism, I can escape into a fictional world of my own creation where my characters submit to my dictatorship.
3. I am grateful, many times a day, because the cost of Tetley tea bags is affordable and allows me to feed [or drink] my addiction without too much of a guilty conscience.

Here is a fun link in case you’re worried your list-making obsession is getting out of hand. https://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/signs-youre-a-list-maker
Wishing that your Thanksgiving is at least half as great as mine or at most, your best yet.

McE graphic 2

~~

author headshotAuthor Bio

Madeline McEwen is an ex-pat from the UK, bi-focaled and technically challenged. She and her Significant Other manage their four offspring, one major and three minors, two autistic, two neurotypical, plus a time-share with Alzheimer’s. In her free time, she walks two dogs and chases two cats with her nose in a book and her fingers on the keyboard.
Link to Kirkus Review:-

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/madeline-mcewen/tied-strings/
And best quote from above:-

A pleasant diversion and a perfectly sized puzzle for PBS Mystery! fans. Kirkus Review

“Highlighting a unique spot on the spectrum.”

Here is the uni-link (universal Amazon link that sends people directly to their country’s Amazon):

http://getbook.at/TiedUpwStrings

http://www.madelinemcewen.comhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00Q41VUFI

https://twitter.com/#!/MadMcEwen

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Writer's Notes

Guest Post: What I’m Thankful for as a Writer

tangled web front cover jpegBy Marilyn Meredith

Though I’ve always written from the time I was a kid, I didn’t really get started on the submitting, getting rejected and re-submitting merry-go-round until later in life, I’ve had much to be thankful for—and I’m going to start with that first book that I sent out to a publisher.

1. The used portable typewriter my mother gave me. (This was in the days long before computers, copying machines, Internet and emails. I retyped that first 500 page book many times.)
2. My first computer and the dear man who sold it to me and taught me how to use it. (This was in the days of the real floppy discs.) I bought several computers from him and he continued to teach me the intricacies. And I am so thankful for all the time computers have saved me since.
3. The first critique group that listened to my historical family saga and pointed out that I knew nothing about point-of-view. I had no idea what they were talking about.
4. The Internet and email. I’m sure I don’t have to explain why.
5. My mentor, Willma Gore, who was in my 2nd critique group for many years and taught me so much about writing.
6. All the publishers (good and not so good) who took a chance with me. I learned from all of them.
7. The critique group I’ve been in for years and all the members along the way who have taught me so much and helped me make my writing better.
8. My son-in-law, the police officer who got me interested in police work and took me on my first ride-along. And all the law enforcement offices and mystery authors who’ve become my friends since that time—especially those who belong to PSWA.
9. All my writing friends who have given me so much encouragement along the way, including fellow members of Sisters in Crime and MWA.
10. Mike Orenduff of Aakenbaken and Kent who is republishing all of my Rocky Bluff P.D. mysteries, including this new one, Tangled Webs.
11. And to those mystery writers who had a great influence on me long ago like Agatha Christie and Ed McBain.

A special thank you to Thonie for hosting me today.

Marilyn, who writes the RBPD series as F. M. Meredith

Blurb: Too many people are telling lies: The husband of the murder victim and his secretary, the victim’s boss and co-workers in the day care center, her stalker, and Detective Milligan’s daughter.

Link: : https://tinyurl.com/yabj9z9f

Marilyn in Vegas 1Bio: F. M. Meredith who is also known as Marilyn once lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff. She has many friends and relatives in law enforcement. She’s a member of MWA, 3 chapters of Sisters in Crime and serves on the PSWA Board.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com
Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com
Facebook: Marilyn Meredith
Twitter: @marilynmeredith

Though I’ve addressed this before, in case you ever wondered why I write police procedurals this answer is on John Wills blog: https://jwillsbooks.com/blog-posts

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Writer's Notes

Thankful: LITTLE THINGS

cover for sadieBy Barbara Wallace

Raise your hand if you’re having a challenging year.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like everyone I know is having a rough 2018.  Job issues, health challenges, family problems. The other night a friend commented that we’ve seen each other almost as much as often wakes this year than at girl’s nights out.  Even if you aren’t having personal crises, there’s all the bad news going on in the world itself.  Seems like everyone is angry, bitter and yelling at one another.

As one of my friends said, it’s hard to stay positive.

And yet, despite the bad energy and personal crises, I find myself feeling incredibly thankful this November. For starters, I’m here to be thankful. I made it through eleven months of stress without needing a straitjacket. 

I have a roof over my head, a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee on my table and a husband who voluntarily folded the laundry yesterday.

But there’s more.  The sun rose. The changing foliage in my neighbor’s yard is a sight to behold. I have a pair of cats to snuggle while reading.

I watched my son marry the love of his life. I have a husband who puts up with writing deadlines and is strong enough to ask for help when he needs it. I have friends who listen to me when I whine about the stress in my life, and I was lucky enough to be holding my mother’s hand when she passed away.

There are so many little things in this world that we take for granted that, when added up, remind us that there are a lot of good things to appreciate in our lives. Even during the bad times.  For example, as tragic and stressful as it was to watch my mother die of dementia, I thankful I was able to be there for her.  Just as I’m also thankful for the friends and family who were there for me.

By now you’ve figured out, I’m one of those schmaltzy people who believes in looking on the bright side. For those of you who prefer bitterness, I’m sorry. For the rest of you, I hope you have many little things in your life for which you can be thankful and that 2019 brings many more.

PS: While I’m being thankful – thanks to Thonie for hosting me today and letting me be schmaltzy. 

 

Bio:

BWallaceBarbara Wallace is an award-winning romance author who has recently branched into cozy mysteries.  Her debut mystery, THE SUBURBS HAVE SECRETS, was published in 2017.  Look for the sequel BACKYARDS HAVE BODIES in early 2019. 

You can read more about Barbara at http://BarbaraWallace.com

 

 

cover for sadie

THE SUBURBS HAVE SECRETS

Blackmail and Murder and Lies – Oh My!

When Sadie McIntyre gives a drunken Marylou Paretsky a ride home on a rainy night, little does she realize it’s the last time anyone will see Marylou alive. The following morning, Marylou is found dead at the bottom of her staircase, the victim of foul play.

Who killed Marylou? Was it her philandering husband? His lover? Or one of the residents Marylou was blackmailing? In a town where everyone has a secret, the list of suspects is endless.

To make matters worse, Sadie is hiding her own secret. One that, if discovered, could shoot her to the top of the list!

Can Sadie find Marylou’s killer before her secret becomes public? Or will the killer find her first?

Where to buy The Suburbs Have Secrets: 

Amazon:   

 https://www.amazon.com/Suburbs-Secrets-Sadie-McIntyre-Mystery-ebook/dp/B075KNQ833

 Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-suburbs-have-secrets-barbara-wallace/1127626753?type=eBook

 iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/do/book/the-suburbs-have-secrets/id1324881854?l=en&mt=11

 

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Writer's Notes

Guest Post: The Biggest Plus of Being a Mystery Writer

tangled web front cover jpegBy Marilyn Meredith

#1 is those I’ve met along the way. I’ve had some great conversations with some of the big names like David Morrell whom I had the privilege of introducing at a writing conference, Dennis and Gayle Lynds whom I met at a small writing conference years ago and ran into several times after that. Mary Higgins Clark whom I met at the same small writing conference the next year and again at an MWA Edgar cocktail party in New York. Ian Rankin who I sat with (along with his publisher and agent) at a Bouchercon luncheon, Nancy Pickard who I joined on a panel with one other person at a conference. Lee Child who I was with on a panel and had a great conversation later in an elevator, Jan Burke whom I’ve met several times and had a delightful conversation with her and her husband in an airport. And William Kent Krueger who I’ve met several times and count as a friend.

However, the friendships that I’ve made with fans and other mystery writers are at the very top of my list. One of these, of course, is my hostess today, Thonie Hevron. I met her and many others at the great Public Safety Writers Association Conference.

Among those is John Schembra whom I met long ago when PSWA was still the Police Writers Club and have had many discussions with him since then. Michelle Perin Callahan, who is now the president of PSWA, has been a friend since PSWA reorganized and had its first conference.

I can’t really name all the author friends that I have in PSWA because it would take up too many pages. Just know that I revere all these friendships.

And of course there are all those friends I’ve made through Sisters in Crime—especially the Central Coast bunch. I’ve known Sue McGinty the longest, but Barbara Hodges comes in close. She and I championed eBooks long before anyone believed they’d become a real item. Victoria Heckman and I braved being roommates in Alaska and have a deeper bond because of it. Madeline Gornell and I were also roommates at a conference and acted like teens at a slumber party.

Gloria Getman and I became friends when she attended a writing class I taught many years ago, and I still see her often at the Tulare Kings Writers group. Lorna Collins became a friend through Epicon and we’ve been close ever since. There are so many more who’ve enriched my life and I cherish.

However, I don’t want to forget the fans of my books who have been one of the main reasons I keep on writing. Top on the list is Sheri Smith who came to a winetasting and music event where I was selling my books. She’s even appeared in one of my books at her own request. Some of my fans prefer the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, and others favor the Rocky Bluff series. When I still attended the big mystery cons I met some great readers who became my fans, and now they are friends on Facebook, along with some new fans I’ve picked up along the way. It’s so great when one of them asks me when the next book is coming out.

Marilyn, who writes the RBPD series as F. M. Meredith

Blurb: Too many people are telling lies: The husband of the murder victim and his secretary, the victim’s boss and co-workers in the day care center, her stalker, and Detective Milligan’s daughter.

Link: https://tinyurl.com/yabj9z9f

Marilyn in Vegas 1Bio: F. M. Meredith who is also known as Marilyn once lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff. She has many friends and relatives in law enforcement. She’s a member of MWA, 3 chapters of Sisters in Crime and serves on the PSWA Board.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com
Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com
Facebook: Marilyn Meredith
Twitter: @marilynmeredith

Join me tomorrow at https://kefintipplescorner.blogspot.com/ where the topic is Preparation for What Should be Next.

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Writer's Notes

Thankful: In So Many Ways

Thankful and dressageBy Thonie Hevron

This image doesn’t do justice to the volume of thankfulness I carry in my heart. Hubby and I found it at a local store and I “felt” it so deeply, we mounted it on the front of our house, next to the entry door.

I cannot lie: I’ve had some challenges this year. Last year ended with the mister feeling so poorly that he couldn’t do anything but sleep eighteen hours a day. At the Thanksgiving celebration, I saw the concern on everyone’s faces at the sad shape my once vigorous husband was in. By April of this year, he was in ICU. For thirteen days, my kids rallied around their dad—and me. My daughter, Melisa, said, “Dad’s in the best hands possible. We can’t help him, but we can help you.” It still makes me puddle up when I think of it. On his birthday, April 20th, the docs said he must go home. He wasn’t improving in the hospital and they could do no more for him. By then, the kids and I were collecting ideas for hubby’s funeral.

The mister came home, remained in bed for a week or so. Then, something happened. We choose to believe it was God’s intervention; you can believe it or not. His meds were the same, his diet was better than in the hospital, but he was still emaciated (he lost 30 lbs. in the first 2 weeks of his illness). It’s like a light switch was flipped. He began to improve. Slowly, slowly, all the miserable symptoms disappeared, weight re-gained. Finally, after four months, he was healthy enough to endure a surgery for tumors. The story improves—as does his health. He won’t be running any marathons soon (he never did before…) but he’s much better. In fact, the cardiac procedure he was scheduled for yesterday was canceled because the EKG showed no need for surgical intervention! A miracle.

We both feel like we’ve been given a chance to reclaim our lives. I didn’t know how my world could be rocked until I faced a future without my best friend. It’s been humbling and inspiring. I’ll go over my word allotment if I count all my blessings but I’m going to do a few:

  • Last month, I picked up my new story, Felon with a Firearm, and have been working on it. I’m about 2/3rds done with the first draft.
  • Hubby suggested a housekeeper twice a month to free me up for writing. That’s working nicely, I must say.
  • I have a new publisher (for whom I am thankful), Aakenbaaken & Kent (A & K), a small press out of Georgia. He’s contracted to re-publish all three of my titles as well as the new book. Look for this in 2019. Yay!
  • We have health insurance and have paid a pittance to what hubby’s medical bills were.
  • We have the best kids, and friends, sisters (and brother-in-law) ever for holding my hand in hospitals in four counties.
  • We live in a lovely home in the town we feel most connected with—love the weather, accessibility to so many travel amenities, medical, entertainment, proximity to friends and family.
  • In short, we have everything we need and much more. This is why I’m thankful.

 

November is always busy as I do craft fairs and book events. This November will not be any different, but I know Thanksgiving at my sister’s house will be a joyous occasion.

Enough about my thankfulness. Let’s hear from other authors about their thankfulness. Marilyn Meredith is featured twice this month, the 7th is related to her Tangled Webs book release —also from A & K. Marilyn’s Thankful theme on November 12th. Barbara Wallace will post on November 9th, Madeline McEwen on the 16th, Jackie Zortman (another A & K author) on November 23 and the last (but not least) installment on Thankfulness is Stephen Brayton on November 30th.

Don’t forget to look in on Sundays for Just the Facts, Ma’am, stories from the street. As an author, they will stimulate your imagination but give you the real feel for what police officers feel.

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Thonie’s November Appearances:

S Rafael Holiday-Craft-Fair.pngNovember 3rd, Saturday: See Thonie at the San Rafael Goldenaires Annual Holiday Craft Fair. Historical novelist Jeane Slone will also be there. The Fair features handcrafted items from over 60 vendors. Hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. at 618 B Street, San Rafael.
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Fall Craft RP p1November 17th and 18th, 2018: Thonie will be at the 3rd Annual Fall Crafts and Vendors Fair at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1 DoubleTree Lane, Rohnert Park. The event is free and will be open from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M. both Saturday and Sunday. Books will be for sale.
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39th RP CraftFaireLogo.jpgThe Rohnert Park Holiday Faire at the Rohnert Park Community Center, 5401 Snyder Lane, has become an annual tradition for Thonie and historical fiction author Jeane Slone. This year’s event will be on November 23 and 24th (the weekend after Thanksgiving). Be sure to check out their book table and do your other holiday shopping, too! This event is free and starts at 10 A.M. until 4 P.M.

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Categories
Writer's Notes

Suspension of Disbelief: Niles Reddick

Reading the Coffee Grounds COVER“Writing about Difference”
by Niles Reddick

In a recent article on writing about the concept of difference for the anthology Southern Writers on Writing, I point out that of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of things all around us on a daily basis, it’s that which is uniquely different that registers on our radars the most, and that difference is what I tend to focus on when I am developing a character, describing a place, telling a story, or writing dialogue. It’s analogous to Coleridge’s fusion between the factual and the fantastic. The difference is the fantastic and the detail of the story is the factual.

One of the first stories I published was about one of my aunts who collected road kill and made art. It became crystal clear for me that I had a different sort of relative than most, an aunt who not only hacked off deer legs to use for legs of a table, but skinned dead rattlesnakes to make belts, used the snake bones to make jewelry, and removed a raccoon skin from a fresh kill along the interstate to make a toilet seat cover, just to name a few. One of her strange beliefs was about peroxide. The chemical make-up of peroxide has an extra atom of oxygen compared to the make-up of water, and she believed we needed the extra oxygen because of all the pollution in the world. So, my aunt put it in her tea, which caused it to fizz. At family reunions, all of the relatives who drank the tea were getting extra oxygen, except me. I feared for my life and felt guilty for not sharing my insider knowledge with them, though none of them ever got sick or died.
In the example of my aunt, it her difference in character and behavior, but with other stories, it’s the story itself. I recently wrote a small flash fiction piece titled “Wet Nurse” that was based on my paternal grandmother who I learned had been a wet nurse in a small rural community in the South. Cousins confirmed she had not only served as a wet nurse, she had also healed herself and others by using afterbirth. She had healed her own ulcerated leg by wrapping it in afterbirth when none of the prescribed pharmaceuticals worked. They said she kept afterbirth in a jar in the refrigerator right next to the jug of milk when she needed it for herself or anyone else.

A humorous account of my maternal grandmother was when she and her sister smoked marijuana for the first time in their mid-eighties while at the beach. They’d heard it would help their eyes and tried it. My grandmother said to her sister, “I don’t feel a thing.” She got up from her rocking chair on the porch of the beach house and fell flat on her face and began laughing. Then, her sister, said, “Honey, are you okay?” Then, she began laughing, too. I never asked where they bought marijuana and couldn’t believe they had drug connections.

My writing does not always reveal family anecdotes. I have adapted fictitious variations of historical stories that highlight difference. In my last novel Drifting Too Far from the Shore I used the ancient literary device known as nesting (story within story) to call attention to some rather brutal tragedies. In one, a lynch mob in Southern Georgia murdered Mary Turner, a pregnant African American female, and her unborn fetus in the beginning of the twentieth century. The lynch mob took her to a nearby river, where she was hung upside down in a tree. Her belly was split open and her living fetus dropped to the ground, where they stomped it, poured gas on it, and burned it. Mary Turner also had her clothes burned off while hanging in the tree and being riddled with bullets.

Another example from that novel was about Hispanic migrant workers who were murdered just a few years ago. Women were raped and men were beaten to death by drug-crazed thugs who knew that the migrant workers kept all their wages in cash and with them. The laws in place would not allow the migrant workers to have bank accounts.

I am appreciative to have my own misfit island of family, friends, and experiences that allow me the opportunity to capture the concept of difference in writing. Whether it’s my dad giving away used Pizza Hut pans as wedding gifts, the lady at the cleaners giving me someone else’s clothes and insisting they’re mine, or seeing someone read a book while driving eighty miles per hour in eight lanes of traffic in Atlanta, I will always capture that which is different in prose.

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Niles Reddick head shot

About the Author

Niles Reddick’s collection Road Kill Art and Other Oddities was a finalist for an Eppie award; his novel Lead Me Home was a national finalist for a ForeWord Award and a finalist in the Georgia Author of the Year award in the fiction category; and his novel Drifting too far from the Shore was a nominee for a Pulitzer Prize and a Pen Faulkner award.

His work has appeared in several anthologies: Southern Voices in Every Direction (Iris Press), Unusual Circumstances (Pocol Press), Getting Old (KY Story Press), Happy Holidays (Kind of Hurricane Press), Dis-or-der (Red Dashboard), Flash! A Collection (The Fictional Café), and in Short Story America.

Author of over hundred and fifty short stories published in literary magazines and journals all over the world, Niles and his family make their home in Jackson, Tennessee, where he serves as the Vice Provost for the University of Memphis, Lambuth. His website is http://nilesreddick.com/

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Early Praise for Reading the Coffee Grounds
“The forty five stories in this collection are set in the Southern U.S. The terrain they cover, however, is universal. Reddick, with an acute eye for detail, depicts childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, old age and death with compassion and wry humor. Family tensions at a grandmother’s funeral, a swimming pool closing rather than admitting non-whites, and the effect of a company merger on employees are just a few of the stories in this accomplished collection that will resonate long after reading them.”
-Sandra Arnold; Christchurch, New Zealand; author of A Distraction of Opposites, Tomorrow’s Empire, and Sing No Sad Songs.

“To read Niles Reddick’s work is to travel across literary lines. At times, we laugh; other times, we cry, smile, and bite our nails in anticipation. This is clearly the prose of a fearless master, and we should treasure such a voice.”
-Mathieu Cailler, Hollywood, CA; author of May I Have This Dance?, Loss Angeles, Clotheslines, and others. His website is: http://mathieucailler.com/

“In his collection Niles Reddicks’ brilliance involves unmasking the oddities of the every-day world with a caring eye for detail, and a truckload of love. These stories are funny, sad, and powerfully wise.”
-Meg Pokrass; London, United Kingdom; author of The Dog Looks Happy Upside Down, Cellulose Pajamas, My Very End of the Universe, and others. Her website is: http://megpokrass.com/

“Niles Reddick’s stories are grounded in empathy with everyday people trying to get on in life. There is poignancy here – and humour, a sense of the absurd, and some darkness. A thoroughly enjoyable and impressive collection.”
-Peter Blair and Ashley Chantler; Chester, England; Directors, International Flash Fiction Association: http://www.chester.ac.uk/flash.fiction
Forthcoming events: Niles Reddick will appear at the KGB Bar and Literary Club in New York City; Novel bookstore in Memphis TN; Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN; the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN; Short Story America festival in Beaufort, SC; Pulpwood Queen’s book club in Nacogdoches, TX.

For booking information, contact The Robinson Agency at: 800-782-2995 or Contact@TheRobinsonAgency.com