tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85180642191015411102024-03-19T10:42:49.986-07:00BlogspotPalmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-7890356349498107442020-12-17T07:03:00.000-08:002020-12-17T07:03:52.051-08:00Pandemic Reading<p>One thing I have done during this pandemic is read.</p><p>Here are some of the books that I have enjoyed:</p><p>Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell</p><p>Zero Day by David Baldacci</p><p>Not a Creature Was Stirring by Jane Haddam</p><p>The Judas Gate by Jack Higgins</p><p>Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler</p><p>The Drop by Michael Connolly</p><p>The Heckler by Ed McBain</p><p>Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brooks </p><p>Reread North From Rome by Helen MacInnes<br /></p><p>Reread Thunder on the Right by Mary Stewart </p><p>Robert B. Parker's The Devil Wins by Reed Farrel Coleman</p>Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-65826875355750022482019-05-20T13:24:00.000-07:002019-05-21T06:50:59.931-07:00Strawberry Tail<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Patty, Mike, let's go for a walk."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This was the summer when I was four years old and my little brother Mike was not quite three.We were playing upstairs in our Oklahoma farmhouse.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I guess we better go downstairs," I said.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I liked playing upstairs with Mike but sometimes it got very hot there. So I was glad when Mother called and suggested that we take a walk.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Where are we going, Mommy?" I asked, running down the stairs.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"It's such a lovely day I thought a walk along the road a ways or maybe walk in the fields if the bull isn't around."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't like the bull and was afraid of him. "Will we see Strawberry Tail?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My mother smiled. "We might see him."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I loved Strawberry Tail. Yes, I knew that the bull was Strawberry Tail's daddy but that didn't make me like him. I liked Strawberry Tail's mother, though. Once in a while I got to sit on an upside down bucket in our ugly old barn and try to milk her with my father nearby telling me what to do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Mother took our hands and led us outside onto the porch that wrapped around the western and southern sides of our farmhouse. It was nice to come out and sit on the porch after the sun had gone down.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But it was early afternoon and just a little bit warm. Mother said it was a good time to go for a walk. Soon, she said, we would have to go early in the morning before the day got too hot.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we went for a walk in the woods, picking blackberries but today we walked down the path to the road and walked westward toward the farm of our aunt and uncle. We didn't always walk as far as their farm but sometimes in that direction.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Weeds grew along the side of the dusty road with little white wildflowers peeping through. The air smelled fresh and sweet except when the odor of fresh cow patties drifted by. Cows were grazing in the fields on both sides of the road and I soon spied Strawberry Tail.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Oh, Mommy, can I go pet him?" I asked.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"No, honey, can't you see his daddy over there?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I looked to where Mommy was pointing and saw that mean old bull looking at us. I knew I didn't want to crawl under the barbed wire fence if he was anywhere near us.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We walked on a while and finally turned back. Little Mike couldn't keep up as well as Mommy and I could. That was why we seldom walked on to Auntie and Uncle's house.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That evening after our father came home from work, I saw our parents whispering in the living room. I crept behind the stairs and tried to listen.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"But you know how fond she is of that calf with the brown and white stripes on its tail, the one she calls Strawberry Tail," my mother whispered.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My father whispered something back but I couldn't understand what he said. The only thing I was sure of was that they were talking about Strawberry Tail and I wondered why they would talk about him.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Suddenly they stopped whispering and Mother called out, "Patty, come here."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I left my hiding place and walked into the living room.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes, Mommy?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Honey, we have something to tell you.."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"What is it?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Daddy is going away for a few days. He's going to take most of the cattle to market."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"What is a market?" I asked.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My parents exchanged glances and then Mother said, "The cows are going to a new home. They're going to ride on the train."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Are all the cows going?" I asked. "Is that mean old bull going?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"No, honey, the bull stays and so will the milk cows."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Oh," I said, rather relieved. "Then Strawberry Tail's mother will stay."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Uh yes, honey, but Strawberry Tail will have to go." My parents looked at each other again with that serious look.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"No, no," I cried. "Strawberry Tail is my calf. He can't go. He can't leave his mommy."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"That's the way it is, honey, in the cow world," said my mother. "Sometimes when calves get to a certain age, they go to market."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes," said my father sternly. "Calves grow up faster than little girls."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"And," said my mother, "they go to market where people buy them and take them to their homes."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"But that's silly," I said. "Why can't they stay here at their real home?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I'll see that they get a bigger home," said my father.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">For the next several days, I pleaded and pleaded for Strawberry Tail to stay here with his mother. But on round-up day, I knew my father was going to take him.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Again I heard my parents whispering. But this time I could hear my father clearly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"By the time I get back, she will have forgotten all about that calf," he said.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I hope so," said my mother.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wondered why they wanted me to forget Strawberry Tail.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Every day that my father was gone, I worried and worried about Strawberry Tail. Mike and I would go upstairs and talk about the little calf. Mike didn't really understand but he knew I was sad. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Finally, one afternoon my father arrived home from the market. I couldn't wait to ask him about Strawberry Tail. After Mother greeted him at the door, she whispered something to him and then he called out to me.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I ran into his arms and asked about Strawberry Tail.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I took him to live with another little girl," he said.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Is she like me?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Yes, she's just like you."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My father hugged me and then called for Mike. For a few days, I continued to ask about the little girl who now owned Strawberry Tail. Finally convinced that he was happy in his new home, I began to think about him less and less.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Many years later, I remembered the calf with the brown and white striped tail that I had named Strawberry Tail and realized with great sadness what going to market really meant.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">However, I told my granddaughters the story but did not tell them the meaning of going to market.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One evening my son, his family and I went out to eat. We placed our orders and my son ordered veal. While he was eating, he suddenly asked, "Just what kind of meat is veal?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, I said, "Do you remember the story of Strawberry Tail?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He put his fork down and said, "I can't eat any more."</span></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-48633884405589757902019-01-16T10:50:00.001-08:002019-01-16T10:56:38.134-08:00Best Books of 2018<span style="font-size: large;">Although I only read 36 books last year, more than half were truly outstanding. Also, I reread some old favorites that were just as good now as in the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The top three best books of 2018 were:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. The Winner by David Baldacci</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Sleeping with the Enemy by Evelyn Anthony</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. A Wanted Man by Lee Child</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Followed by, in no particular order:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Jack and Jill by James Patterson</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. Honeymoon by James Patterson</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7.A Case of Need by Michael Crichton writing as Jeffery Hudson</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8. White Death by Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. Now and Forever by Jean Joachim</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10. McNally's Caper by Lawrence Sanders</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">11. Divided in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">12 The Sunbird by Wilbur Smith</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">13. Make Me by Lee Child</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">14.To Have and To Kill by Mary Jane Clark</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">15. Avenger by Frederick Forsyth</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">16. Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">17.Manhunt by Janet Evanovich</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">18. The Third Option by Vince Flynn</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">19. Endless Game by Bryan Forbes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">20. Secrets in Storyville by Patricia Gligor</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Books from my past that I reread with great pleasure and were even better today:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1, Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3.My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Decision at Delphi by Helen MacInnes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. The Venetian Affair by Helen MacInnes</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">. </span>Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-44734928413207478952018-03-07T07:43:00.000-08:002018-03-07T07:43:32.861-08:00Best Books of 2017<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Because of illness and my laptop crashing, I am late posting the books I enjoyed the most last year. I read more Agatha Christie novels than any other author. One reason is that my Kindle crashed and I read paperbacks from our apartment library and there were actually some of her books I had never read before.</b></li>
<li><b>The following books are in the order I read them, not in the order of whether I liked them best:</b></li>
<li><b>1. Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie</b></li>
<li><b>2. The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly</b></li>
<li><b>3. The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lilian Jackson Braun</b></li>
<li><b>4.The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie</b></li>
<li><b>5. The Mark of the Assassin by Daniel Silva--the first of his books that I've read and loved it!</b></li>
<li><b>6. Marnie Malone by Patricia Gligor--wonderful climactic scenes</b></li>
<li><b>7. Seldom Traveled by Marilyn Meredith--entertaining, intriguing and a great climax</b></li>
<li><b>8. Reread Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie</b></li>
<li><b>9. The Beach House by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge</b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-69806594639876400212017-12-31T16:44:00.000-08:002018-01-01T01:30:51.732-08:00Tributes 2017<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I always end each year with a list of authors who died. In 2017 three whom I admired very much left us: Colin Dexter, Robert James Waller, Sue Grafton.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">I always looked forward to Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse and have read all the books except the last one in which the character died. Somehow I keep putting it off. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Robert James Waller, the Author of The Bridges of Madison County, also died this year. I always admire an author who can capture the attention of a huge audience with a first novel. Perhaps that's every novelist's dream.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="userEdit" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">And last, just a few days ago, Sue Grafton died. Of the three, she inspired me the most. When she published her first novel in 1982, I was writing the draft of my first novel although it was not the first one I published. Grafton published an alphabet series that sadly ends with Y. One can only wonder how she was going to end the series. But her alter ego Kinsey Millhone will hopefully live on forever for readers who love a good mystery. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18pt;">I have not yet read W, X and Y. At least I can look forward to reading them.</span></div>
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-47308641036592762922017-08-03T07:06:00.003-07:002017-08-03T07:06:37.880-07:00The Life Span of a Cricket<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The
summer of 2001 I visited my mother at her home by Lake Texoma and she
suggested that I stay there and use her home as a place to come to
between my travels. Little did either of us know that I would stay
for nine years! I did travel but not as much as I had planned.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Sometime
in September of that year we heard a cricket chirping inside the
house and although we looked everywhere, including in the basement
and upstairs, we could never find it. And little by little, the
chirps came less frequently. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">One
day after we heard one sad little chirp, I said, “I wonder what the
life span of a cricket is. This one seems to be hanging on quite a
long time for such a small insect.”</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It
didn’t occur to either of us to look it up in one of Mother’s
reference books. The days went by and once in a while we would hear a
chirp and wonder where it was.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Gradually
we began to forget the cricket and life went on for us. One afternoon
I went upstairs and as I started to enter my bedroom, I heard the
cricket chirp loud and clear from the ceiling. I looked up and burst
out laughing.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mother
yelled from downstairs and wanted to know what was so funny.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
“<span style="font-size: small;">I
found the cricket,” I said.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
“<span style="font-size: small;">Where
is it?” she asked.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
“<span style="font-size: small;">It’s
on the ceiling but it’s not a cricket. However it is dying.”</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
“<span style="font-size: small;">So,
what is it?”</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
“<span style="font-size: small;">The
battery in the smoke alarm.”</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.38in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">(Just
for reference, eventually I did google crickets and the life span of
an adult cricket is three months.)</span></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-49013344652258898042017-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:002017-04-12T07:00:36.088-07:00The Civilization (A Short Story)<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The scientists were stunned. The
planet was much older than they could ever have imagined. There was
much discussion on whether to release the information to the public.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>“Command Center will protest
vehemently,” said one.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>“But we mustn’t let them
interfere,” said another. “They have prevented too much from
being known.”</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>“For the time being, until we can
figure out just what this discovery means, I think we should keep
this to ourselves. When we can definitely pinpoint the origin of
these things and what they mean, then we owe it to the people to
inform them,” said a third scientist.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The argument progressed for a while but
ended with a consensus that the discovery and meaning of the strange
black objects should be kept secret among themselves until they
figured out what they really meant.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The archaeologist who had discovered
the objects in a dig on this remote spot of the planet was called in
and informed of the decision. He immediately agreed not only with
the decision but also to work with the other scientists to discover
just what the significance of the black things were to an ancient
civilization. Carbon dating had confirmed that the objects were over
500,000 years old. No one had ever imagined that human beings had
lived so long ago, if, that is, human beings had indeed created such
objects. Yet, what other kind of being could have done so?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The archaeologist, Pacquer Dymshi, went
to his quarters in the scientific compound and studied the pictures
he had taken of the objects, which were stored in a locked,
climate-controlled, subterranean room. The bigger object had a square
window and strange configurations below it. The window was dark and
didn’t open onto anything. That an ancient civilization could have
built something so sophisticated was mind-boggling. But the carbon
tests had proved conclusive—they had tested over and over again.
There were lines leading from the big object to the small one and a
very strange tail-like appendage hanging loose from the big one.
Pacquer thought he knew what the lines and tail meant but that, too,
was incomprehensible. If human beings had lived on this planet
500,000 years ago, how had they had the sophistication to develop
such an idea? Surely, any human from that period of time would have
been more animal than human.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The other scientists soon summoned
Pacquer to the subterranean room and a more extensive examination
began, under the tightest security. Their secret must not be
revealed too soon. There had to be a gradual public instruction
regarding the discovery, preferably from the command center chief,
who could persuade the less educated populace to believe him and only
him, whenever a scientific discovery clashed with their beliefs.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>The scientists had to tread very
carefully in order to acquire and maintain the funding that they so
desperately needed from command center.
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Pacquer soon discovered that his theory
regarding the tail and the connecting lines was correct and this led
to even more astonishment at the breadth and width of the
accomplishments of a people who should have been very primitive.
Soon he and the other scientists were working the configurations and
to their utter amazement the window soon revealed pictures of a
civilization beyond belief. In fact there seemed to be a mixture of
civilizations with people and even strange looking animals of all
ages and both genders dressed in strange varieties of clothing. The
hardest thing, and perhaps the most important, was deciphering the
language of these ancient peoples. They finally settled on words
that were repeated over and over, which seemed to be the main focus
of the beings in the black object.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Months went by as the deciphering
continued. Pacquer and the others would sometimes leave the compound
and stroll around the remote area. It was an area that had been
chosen, not only because of the discovery of the black objects there,
but also because it was far from the other inhabitants of the planet
and command center. Pacquer looked out on the desert mountains and
thought of the pictures of the people and creatures in the window of
the big black object. These people appeared many times in front of a
strange-looking edifice but there were other pictures where they
seemed to be inside of it. Pacquer wondered how the black objects
came to be buried here in such a remote spot or had the terrain been
completely different back then? Could this have been one of those
exotic locales that had been destroyed by natural elements such as
earthquakes or of the shifting of the planet’s axis or had early
man participated in his own demise and that of his surroundings?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>He was soon back to work and the
deciphering of the words continued. The one phrase that was used
over and over seemed to Pacquer and the other scientists as the key
to deciphering the language of these strange people. However, it was
that often-used phrase that confounded Pacquer the most. Finally, he
thought he had it figured out but it appeared meaningless to him.
Why had these people and creatures insisted on such insignificant
words over and over again:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>“Can you tell me how to get to Sesame
Street?”</b></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b><br /></b>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-62615319982052734022017-01-29T12:35:00.000-08:002017-01-29T12:35:01.196-08:00Best Books of 2016<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In going over my list of
the 44 books (my goal was at least 50) that I read last year, I
discovered that there were 17 that I had given A+ or A++. They were
the ones that gave me the most reading pleasure—the “I can’t put
it down” award:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The A++ Books:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Cain File by Max
Tomlinson. I can’t say enough about his books—he blows my mind
with each book he writes. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">These Old Shades by
Georgette Heyer. This shows how varied my reading tastes are. No two
writers could be more different than Tomlinson and Heyer.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Guilt Trip by Ben Rehder.
His Texas novels reflect a murderous humor similar to that of Carl
Hiaasen’s Florida novels.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The A+ Books:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Indiscretion by Polly
Iyer. I met Polly in a Suspense/Thriller Promotion group and was
intrigued by the description of this book. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Buried for Pleasure by
Edmund Crispin</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Clammed Up by Barbara
Ross, a superb cozy mystery</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Shadow Priest by D.C.
Alexander</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Third Knife by Pamela
Boles Eglinski</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Unpredictable Love by Jean
Joachim, a terrific romance novel</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Rock with Wings by Anne
Hillerman, Tony’s daughter continues his characters in a different
but brilliant direction</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Too Late to Die by Bill
Crider, a new-to-me author whose books I will continue reading</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Powder Burn by Carl
Hiaasen and Bill Montalbano. Hiaasen never disappoints</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Pearl, The Red Pony
and Other Stories by John Steinbeck, I have avoided Steinbeck since
my high school days due to a teacher I didn’t like but a friend
gave me a book with his stories and now I’m sorry I avoided him for
so long</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lethal Dispatch by Max
Tomlinson</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The After House by Mary
Roberts Rinehart, an American mystery writer who came before Agatha
Christie</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Ritual Bath by Faye
Kellerman, although I’ve read her husband’s books, I had never
read hers. Now I will.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Vanished Man by
Jeffery Deaver, I haven’t read many of his Lincoln Rhyme mysteries
but look forward to reading more.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-78034260006508527232016-12-31T08:34:00.000-08:002016-12-31T08:34:11.321-08:00Tributes 2016<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2016 was a
heartbreaking year considering how many celebrities died, people who
gave so much of themselves by entertaining us. But my year ending
blog always deals with the authors whom I’ve read and died. And
this year only two authors fit that requirement: Harper Lee and Pat
Conroy. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There isn’t
anything I can add to all the accolades for one of the greatest
American novels, To Kill a Mockingbird. It is a classic and will
endure forever. It has been a long time since I read the novel and
it’s the movie I remember best. I was thrilled when Gregory Peck
won the Academy Award for his performance. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I only read
one novel by Pat Conroy, The Great Santini. And like Mockingbird,
it’s the movie I remember more than the novel and the performance
by Robert Duvall. But unlike Ms. Lee, Mr. Conroy left behind a
substantial body of work.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The deaths
of Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds touched me immensely.
I never read Ms. Fisher’s books and I don’t know if Ms. Reynolds
wrote any or not. The reason I mention them is that Debbie Reynolds,
my idol when I was a teenager, was the inspiration for a character in
three of my own books. In my Tiger Sister trilogy, she was the oldest
of six sisters and a rambunctious mischief maker who terrorized her
younger sisters. But Debbie Tiger got her come-uppance with a
surprise ending in one of the stories and would never have existed in
my mind or my books if Debbie Reynolds had never existed.</span></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-58022694436669341112016-08-22T10:19:00.000-07:002016-08-22T10:19:43.809-07:00Hooked from the Start—The Blurb, the Setting and Key Words<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">When
I first encountered the novel Disappear by Iain Edward Henn, the
blurb caught my attention immediately. A man had disappeared eighteen
years previously and his body suddenly appeared—looking exactly as
he had looked back then. That was a book I had to read! And read it,
I did, plus all of Mr. Henn’s subsequent books.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The
same happened when I came across Sendero by Max Tomlinson. In that
novel the main character is a woman called Nina caught up in a war in
Peru. She becomes an officer in Cuzco’s tourist police and goes in
search of her brother. But it wasn’t just the blurb that caught my
eye. It was also the Peruvian setting. I know very little about South
America as my own experiences take place in Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The troubles in Peru presented an alien world. And again I was hooked
and proceeded to read all the novels by Mr. Tomlinson, including the
ones not set in South America. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">But
there are key words that hook me also such as “tropical island”.
That kind of setting will always catch my attention. But I have been
burned by just buying a book because it’s set on a tropical island.
Romantic suspense on a tropical island becomes a must read but it
does pay to read the book’s blurb and reviews first. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Other
key words that intrigue me are “time travel”. Years ago, I read
House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier and I was hooked for life
with that genre. My own time travel mystery-romances were inspired by
that novel (these are still works in progress although one short
story has been published). And, of course, I had to read the recent
novel by Marja McGraw--Choosing One Moment: A Time Travel Mystery.
Time travel and mystery in one book? What more could I want?</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">A
blurb, an intriguing setting and certain key words will grab my
attention and the result is that I will buy the book, whether I know
the author or not. </span>
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br />
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-4794067119353939532016-07-25T08:19:00.000-07:002016-07-25T08:19:25.738-07:00Hooked by a Title<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The year was 1989, I lived in a small Texas
town and I perused the local library for mysteries to read. Suddenly one
afternoon I spotted an intriguing title <em>Death in Zanzibar</em> by M.M. Kaye,
an author I had never read. And a "faraway place with a strange sounding
name" could not be ignored.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fast forward to four years ago when I started a
blog series titled Hooked from the Start and the fifth and last blog dealt
mainly with first lines. I don't know why I put the series on hold but I did
mention that Part Six would deal with titles, especially Death in Zanzibar by
M.M. Kaye (M.M. stands for Mary Margaret). Obviously, I intended to continue the
series but life got in the way and I forgot all about it. Hopefully now I'm back
on track. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I am a great lover of mysteries and of far
away places and six of Ms. Kaye's books began with "Death in...." a faraway
place. I read most of those books in
1989 and read one right after another. Later I discovered that not all of these
titles originally began with "Death in" and must have been changed to indicate a
continuity of sorts. She and her military husband moved 27 times and she used
some of the places as inspiration for her novels.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> I learned, by reading her biography on Wikipedia,
that she was born in India and her father was an intelligence officer in the
Indian Army. Her grandfather, brother and husband all served in the British Raj,
which was the rule of the British Crown in the Indian subcontinent between 1858
and 1947. Death in Zanzibar was the first of her mysteries that I read and as I
said, I was hooked. The novels that I read next were all Death in a faraway
place: Kashmir, Berlin, Cyprus, Kenya, the Andamans. She wrote other novels also
but her most famous novel was The Far Pavilions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In 1989 a public library was my sanctuary to search for mysteries. And certainly a series that began with
"Death in..." suggested mystery. I discovered a lot of mystery writers that year
just from browsing through titles. Of course the Internet later made it a lot
easier to find mysteries or any genre, for that matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Part Seven in this series will continue not with titles or first lines but with blurbs that caught my attention.</span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-76588985895373834122016-06-19T04:01:00.000-07:002016-06-19T04:01:07.312-07:00A Tribute to my Father<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday,
June 18, my father, F.L. “Cotton” Chancey would have been 110
years old. My father loved to tell tales of family life on an
Oklahoma farm in the early 20</span><sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: small;">
century. Unfortunately, I didn’t write them all down. One was about
my grandfather when he was shot while riding his horse out in the
woods. A man who lived alone in the woods found him and nursed him
back to health, patching him up the best he could. Although the
“patching” was amateurish, my grandfather lived until he was 90.
There was more to the story but I can’t remember it.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The
story I do remember was told to me by my father on a long car trip.
It was about a time when he was quite small, maybe five years old. He
had to go round up the cows for the evening but while he was riding
his pony through the woods, a blizzard hit. He was completely lost. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
that story means more to me than all of the stories I’ve written.
In early 2001, I submitted it to a magazine for boys. Two weeks later
I received a letter from them. I knew that such a quick response
meant a rejection and with great sadness I opened the envelope.
Inside was a card that said my story titled </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Cotton</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">
would be published in the 2004 March/April Horse issue of Boys’
Quest Magazine. I couldn’t believe it. Tears streamed down my face.
This was my first acceptance from a major publisher! If only my
father could have lived to see his story in print. I had to wait
three years for the story to be published but those three years
passed quickly. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Of
course, I can’t tell the story here because, as far as I know, that
particular issue of Boys’ Quest Magazine is still available. But it
had a happy ending and it is still the most thrilling of all the
acceptances I have received since then.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-66438495606441246612016-05-09T07:45:00.000-07:002016-05-09T07:45:04.967-07:00Cha--a Tribute to my Mother<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-left: 1.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
(My mother's nickname was Cha--rhymes with chat. The following is a true story.)</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wake
up, Cha, let’s hurry so we can beat the others to the river. For
once let’s be first.”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ten-year-old Cha Kennedy
slowly opened her eyes and looked at her older sister.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It’s
morning already?” she asked. Then she remembered how she wanted to
be the first to jump in and swim across the Chikaskia River to a
sandbar on the other side.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">During the ride yesterday
from their home in Blackwell she had overheard her parents talking
about the spring rains and how they hoped that the river hadn’t
flooded. The family had arrived very late last night at Camp Phelps
Grove in northern Oklahoma and had not had a chance to check out the
river that ran in front of the cabins.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Springing into action,
Cha, accompanied by her older sister and little brother who was also
awake, crept out of the cabin with eager anticipation. Their parents
and little sister were still asleep. Once outside they saw that some
of the other vacationing kids had beaten them to the bank and were
staring anxiously at the water. Cha had a sinking feeling when she
saw how worried they looked. After all, none of them had jumped in
yet.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As
soon as the other kids saw Cha they began to challenge her to be the
first one to take the plunge. She wondered why they were picking on
her. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>They
should remember I’m not a good swimmer.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Come
on, Cha, you go first.”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Yeah,
see if you can make it across.”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cha looked at the river
and saw why they had hesitated. The river was higher than normal and
the racing current visible on the surface was quite intimidating.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The kids continued to egg
her on and she was tempted to jump in. Could she make it across? The
others seemed to think she could--or were they just goading her?</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As the taunting increased
she gave in and decided she could at least try. Surely the river
wasn’t so bad. She had swum in the Chikaskia many times before. She
plunged into the rapidly moving water—and was immediately swept
away.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Overcome with panic, she
began to scream. “Help! Help!” She gulped and sputtered as the
water washed over and around her, pulling and tugging her further and
further away from the shore.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The other kids began to
scream too as they ran along the riverbank following her. At least
one had the presence of mind to go for help.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mr.
Kennedy! Help! Cha can’t make it to the other side of the river!
She’s caught in the current—help!”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cha’s father
immediately stepped out of the cabin, surveyed the scene, pulled off
his shoes and jumped into the river. To Cha’s great relief he was
soon beside her. But to her distress he didn’t grab her and haul
her back to shore. Instead, he swam alongside her, firmly urging her
to swim onward.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She couldn’t believe
that he wasn’t helping her. Was he just going to let her drown?</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Come
on, you can do it,” he repeated over and over.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Disappointed and angry,
she had no other choice. She continued with all her strength and swam
downriver with her father beside her.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Despite
the pull of the rushing water, Cha, impelled by her father’s stern,
“You can do it,” struggled to reach the shore. She kicked her
legs and moved her arms furiously over and under, over and under,
with her father swimming alongside her continuously pushing her with
his words. “</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You
can do it! You can do it!”</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She
wanted so much for him to grab her and hold her as he swam to the
shore but he refused. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You
can do it! You can do it!</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> The
words became an echo inside her head as she frantically propelled her
body onward through the water. All at once she knew she could do
it—she had to.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And she did it—she
reached the shore by herself. But she was still angry with her father
for not helping her more. Standing up, she shook the water off and
looked around, ready to complain to him. They had swum quite a
distance downstream but they were safe. Suddenly she smiled, no
longer quite so angry with her father who, she realized, should have
been angry with her for so carelessly endangering herself.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">However, as he waded onto
the shore he said simply yet sternly, “I knew you could do it.”</span></div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Grateful
that he had not reprimanded her more, she thought to herself, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I
did it but I’ll never do it again.</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> By
the look on his face she could tell that he knew she had learned her
lesson.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin: 0.13in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">No one else went in the
river that day.</span></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-52437015593357610102016-04-26T07:18:00.000-07:002016-04-26T07:18:31.152-07:00GRAHAM CRACKER DILEMMA--a Tribute to my Mother<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This month and next month for Mother's Day I am writing about little incidents (among many) that occurred when I lived with my mother during the 2000s decade.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">About fifteen years ago my 85-year-old
Mother gave me a grocery list and I went to the grocery store to get
the items, one of which was a box of graham crackers. I was surprised
that of all the cookies that are available that she would want those
specifically. She and her companion Fred always ate a sweet snack every
night at 10:00, snacks that varied from snack cakes to ice cream to
cookies but I never realized that she was so fond of graham crackers.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
When I came to the cookie section, I
found that I was facing a dilemma of sorts. Should I get the more
expensive brand or go for the generic brand that contained twice as
many crackers? I also noticed that both kinds offered two choices:
honey graham and cinnamon graham. Finally, I decided on the generic
brand, figuring that a graham cracker by any other brand was still
the same and also the larger size box was half the price of the
smaller brand box. But which would Mother prefer—the honey or the
cinnamon? I finally decided that the honey was the traditional
graham cracker and Mother would prefer that one. (Please note that
this occurred before I had a cell phone so I couldn’t call her.)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
So, along with my other purchases, I
left the store with a generic brand of honey graham crackers, hoping
that Mother would like them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
When I arrived home I gave her a
detailed explanation on how I had worked through my dilemma of which
graham cracker box to buy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
To which Mother replied rather
nonchalantly, “Oh, they’re for Fred and he’s not picky.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
What? I had spent all that time worrying about a treat for Fred, her Cocker Spaniel?</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-80976924180448305942016-03-15T07:02:00.000-07:002016-03-15T07:02:09.794-07:00Loved the Book, Hated the Ending<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now that may
seem like an oxymoron but there are novels I loved until I got to the
ending. But the journey was so intriguing I still count some of those
books as favorites. I’m going to mention a couple without giving
the story or plot away—just simply state the book was a great read
in spite of the ending.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The first
novel that comes to mind is <i>House
on the Strand</i> by Daphne du Maurier. It’s a
time travel and the inspiration for my future time travel stories
featuring Dr. M.M. (Lynnie) Tiger, whose first time travel adventure
occurred in a short story in my YA book <i>The
Happy Tigers</i>. <i>House on
the Strand</i> was a book I couldn’t put down.
And although the protagonist was able to go back into the past by
taking a drug, my protagonist will go back by touching ancient
artifacts. The ending, however, was a downer but the fact I couldn’t
put the book down until I got to the end still puts it in my all-time
favorites list.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Another
novel I loved until the ending was <i>Sullivan’s
Sting</i> by Lawrence Sanders. This was a fun
read all the way through until I got to the ending., which was a
great disappointment but I still gave the book an A+. Sanders wrote
some series that were fabulous (and I always looked forward to the
sandwiches one of his protagonists ate). Other novels by him were
great disappointments all the way through. <i>Sullivan’s
Sting</i> was a fun read but, for me, the ending
fizzled.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">On an
opposite note, I have read novels I hated until I got to the end
where the ending was so good it made up for the rest of the novel.
One novel that comes to mind is <i>The Children
of Men</i> by P.D. James whose Dalgleish
mysteries I love. But this is a stand a lone. For me the first half
was beyond depressing but the ending more than made up for the rest
of the book. It was even made into an award winning movie.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And in
regard to my own writing, my novel <i>Who’ll
Kill Agnes?</i> has an unexpected and not so
happy ending. There were a few miniscule clues along the way but I
doubt any reader saw that ending coming. In fact, I, as the writer,
didn’t see it coming until I got to the end.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-16946358881295787822016-02-15T10:48:00.000-08:002016-02-15T10:48:08.882-08:00Interview with Mystery Author Patricia Gligor<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> My guest this week is mystery author Patricia Gligor. I have read four of her books in her Malone mystery series and am looking forward to the next installment. Welcome, Patricia, and tell us a bit about yourself.</span></b></div>
</div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My
name is Patricia Gligor (rhymes with “tiger”) and I live in
Cincinnati, Ohio. I grew up in a big, old house with lots of nooks
and crannies and a woods behind it as far as the eye could see, a
fertile ground for a young girl’s imagination. My favorite books as
a child were Judy Bolton and Nancy Drew mysteries and I started
“making up” mysteries to entertain my friends at a very young
age. So, I guess it was only natural that I would grow up to be a
mystery writer. I love a mystery! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1) </span></span><b style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">What
kinds of books do you like to read and is there one special book
that is your favorite overall?</b><br />
<b style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
read (and write) mystery/suspense novels. If I had to pick my
favorite book, which is also the book that influenced me the most as
a writer, it would be “Where are the children?” by Mary Higgins
Clark. </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">2) </span><b style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Who
are your favorite authors, past and present?</span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">My
favorite author is Mary Higgins Clark. I had the pleasure of meeting
her in person at a book signing in 2002. Not only is she a great
writer but she’s also a wonderful, kind person who took the time
to encourage me to “write that novel.” </span><span style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">There
are lots of other authors whose books I enjoy reading but the list
is too long to mention here.</span></div>
<b style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">3)
Are there any authors who have inspired you to write and, if so, who
are they?</span></b><br />
<b style="color: #4e4e4e; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">See
questions 1 & 2.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">4)
How do you choose your characters’ names?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
have a “Name your baby” book and I frequently use that to come up
with a name whose definition fits the character I’m writing about.
For example, my main character’s sister loves the ocean. I named
her Marnie, which means “of the sea.” And, although I’m not
really “into” astrology, I do give my characters birthdays based
on their astrological signs. My main character, Ann, is a Capricorn
(a mountain goat,) and she is loyal and persistent, qualities that
define her and are crucial to the story. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">5)
Are you a plotter or a “pantster”?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">A
plotter BIG TIME</span><span style="color: #1f497d; line-height: 100%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.
</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">Before
I begin to write,</span><span style="color: #1f497d; line-height: 100%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">I
create a chapter-by-chapter outline, listing what absolutely has to
happen in each chapter. The outline is subject to change, of course,
but I need to have a guideline. I think of it as a road map when I’m
taking a trip. As I drive, I may revise my itinerary a bit (take a
few detours) but I want to end up at my designated destination.</span><span style="color: #1f497d; line-height: 100%;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">6)
What kind of writing schedule do you have?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When
I’m in the midst of writing a book, I write every morning for three
to four hours. But it doesn’t end there. Throughout the day (and
sometimes, the night), an idea will come to me and I have to jot it
down. That’s why I keep a pad of paper and pen in every room, in my
purse and in my car. <br /> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">7)
How do you choose your titles? Do you have a title in mind before you
start writing or does something occur after you have begun to write
or after you have finished?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When
I first come up with the idea for a book, I seldom know what the
title will be. As the story develops, the title usually suggests
itself. For example, in </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mixed
Messages, </i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">my
first Malone mystery, Ann is receiving mixed messages from several
sources.</span><span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
like to use titles that have double meanings whenever possible.
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Unfinished
Business</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">,
the second book in my series,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">is a
perfect example of that.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">8)
Do you base your characters on real people or are they completely
from your imagination?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Most
of my characters have some personality and/or physical traits in
common with a real life person but they are each their own
“person.” Some are composites of several real people but
they’re ultimately figments of my imagination.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">9)
Have you used real life experiences in your fiction or is everything
from your imagination?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I
draw upon anything and everything when I write. Experiences I’ve
had, stories other people have told me. Somehow, it all comes
together at just the right time. The whole process constantly
fascinates me.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">10)
When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When
I was ten years old, I saw my “byline” on a poem I’d written
for my Sunday school magazine and I knew instantly that I wanted
(needed) to be a writer.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">11)
What books have you published and where can readers find them?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.19in; margin-top: 0.19in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’ve
written four books in my Malone Mystery series and I’m working on
the fifth. My books can be found online at Amazon and Barnes &
Noble and they can be ordered from your local book store. Here’s
the amazon link: </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4"><b>http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4</b></a></u></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">Questions
for fun:</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">12)
What is your favorite color?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
love all shades of turquoise, from aqua to teal.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">13)
Favorite flavor of ice cream?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Milk
Chocolate yogurt ice cream</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: #1f497d;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">14)
Favorite cookie and/or candy bar?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chocolate
chip cookies and Hershey dark chocolate candy bars</span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">15)
Favorite movie?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Double
Jeopardy</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
starring Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4e4e4e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">16)
Favorite TV show?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Castle</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>17)
Favorite place to write:</b></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At
home in my office in total quiet and solitude.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Patricia with her favorite author Mary Higgins Clark:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlu5eXEvrYxJ2zOU1Cd3sXVaDLkZX0g-FslJauzd_C-_x_gi0R1YX7JxY5HukC-5E9aTSO7ZaYqxZt8CEB2es5yDkeS_bZumv8Hiq92d3obceRYQl03IfXXS4nN5kf3wLePQM4UyWKQ3f/s1600/MHCandme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlu5eXEvrYxJ2zOU1Cd3sXVaDLkZX0g-FslJauzd_C-_x_gi0R1YX7JxY5HukC-5E9aTSO7ZaYqxZt8CEB2es5yDkeS_bZumv8Hiq92d3obceRYQl03IfXXS4nN5kf3wLePQM4UyWKQ3f/s320/MHCandme.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Thank you, Patricia for a most enjoyable interview.</span></div>
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-27850634433672955272016-01-12T06:44:00.000-08:002016-01-12T06:44:30.450-08:00New (to me) Authors of 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">One of the most enjoyable things about reading is discovering new authors. In the past my goal was to read at least 100 books (mainly novels) each year. I rarely made that goal. Nowadays my goal is to read at least 50. A lot of that has to do with my poor eyesight. In 2015 I read only 45 books and out of those only three were new authors to me. But I considered their books to be outstanding and I wanted to share my thoughts about them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">They are not necessarily new authors just coming out. I simply had never encountered their books before. The following is not a list beginning with the best of the three but the order in which I read these books. I find new books that are recommended by Amazon Kindle Daily Specials or offered as specials by sites such as Bargain Booksy or posted on the Facebook site Saturday Self Promotion Extravaganza for Suspense/Thriller Writers. And one was given to me. But I loved each one.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">1. Secrets in the Fairy Chimney by Linda Maria Frank. I loved this book so much I gave it a score of A++!!! It's a wonderful romantic, suspenseful tale of a dig near Istanbul, Turkey. The heroine and her soon-to-be fianc</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">é become involved with evil smugglers who have stolen artifacts from Iraq. Two precocious children, a brother and sister, are involved also. This is my favorite kind of novel--danger, intrigue, romance and an archaeological dig!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Cinders' Bride by Kathleen Ball. This is a romance novel, Book One in the series Mail Order Brides of Texas. This novel was a welcome change from all the murder and mayhem type books I usually read. However, there is violence, which appeared in the beginning of the book. The heroine goes to Texas as a mail order bride and is stunned (to say the least) that the man who bought her was not the rancher she thought he was. But a good-hearted rancher does come to her rescue. The research for this book was very impressive. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman who continues the series started by her father Tony Hillerman (one of my all-time favorite authors). This is a Chee and Leaphorn mystery with Bernadette (Bernie) now married to Jim Chee. It begins when Bernie and Joe Leaphorn leave a caf</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">é and he is shot. From there begins a search by Bernie and Chee for the person who shot him. The journey takes them through Indian country from Shiprock to Santa Fe. The climactic scene is one of the most terrifying I've ever read but Bernie overcomes all odds. It felt wonderful to be back in the world that the author's father created. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's a wonderful feeling to discover new authors and know that there are many of their books waiting for me to read.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-72602356438343956562015-12-29T13:34:00.000-08:002015-12-29T13:46:50.850-08:00Tributes: Ann Rule, E.L. Doctorow, Terry Pratchett, Colleen McCullough, Jackie Collins, Ruth Rendell<span style="text-align: justify;">It's that sad time of the year again--saying goodbye to the authors whom I've read and have left us in 2015. For some of these authors I have read only one of their books: The Thorn Birds by the Australian author Colleen McCullough, Loon Lake by E.L. Doctorow and Mort by Terry Pratchett. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I'm not sure how many of Ann Rule's books I read but I was always intrigued by her research into real life crimes and how she told those stories. Because I'm a fan of the mystery genre, I found her books fascinating in how they related to fictional mystery.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I read Jackie Collins many years ago and was impressed by her knowledge of celebrity lives. She went to California from England to live with her older sister Joan Collins but, after trying acting, she found her calling in writing scandalous, steamy romance novels, which were great fun to read. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">I read McCullough's The Thorn Birds and then watched the mini-series on television, which became the second most watched mini-series (behind Roots). She went on to write more novels.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Doctorow's tale is from the Great Depression when a young man finds himself alone and cold by a railroad track and sees a train go by with intriguing people inside two of the cars. He follows the track to an estate at Loon Lake. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Terry Pratchett suffered from early onset Alzheimer's Disease, which eventually took his life. Mort, the novel that I read, was a rip-roaring ride of satire through an imaginary flat discworld. In fact, he wrote an entire series titled Discworld. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;">Ruth Rendell was or still is one of my favorite authors. I have read quite a few of her Inspector Wexford mysteries. There was only one of her books, Master of the Moor, that I disliked intensely. That one was a standalone, which did not include Wexford. But at least I can look forward to reading many more of her Wexford novels. </span>Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-91271284528722937672015-11-24T06:37:00.000-08:002015-11-24T06:37:54.781-08:00Food in Novels?<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Since this
is the season to eat and be merry and let the diets begin in January,
I thought I might mention a criticism I received lately regarding
food in one of my novels: Death by Salsa. Of all the things one could
criticize me for, I thought that one was weird for this particular
book. Granted my characters in most of my books do seem to eat a lot
but I had no idea that there are readers who object to it. After all
eating is one of the enjoyable perks of life and fictional people
should enjoy it as much as “real” people.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But salsa is
a central part of the plot of Death by Salsa and the fact that my two
heroes spend most of their time looking for the best peppers, it
never occurred to me that a reader might object. But object she did
and complained about all the eating my characters did. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">When I read
her critique, I immediately thought of the culinary mysteries that
are so popular these days and that many of those authors publish
recipes at the end of their books. I also published recipes after
each book in my (Human) Zoo Trilogy: The Pig Farm, The Pool Lizards,
The Groundhog Lounge. Therefore I had no idea that eating was such a
sin in mystery novels. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And then I
remembered two of my favorite authors, Dick Francis and Lawrence
Sanders, whose main characters actually found time to eat. In fact,
Dick Francis gave me the idea for one of my favorite breakfasts: an
egg scrambled with mushroom soup on toast. And in the Deadly Sin
series by Lawrence Sanders, his protagonist is forever making
delicious sounding decadent sandwiches. I have even copied those down
and included them in my own personal recipe collection. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So will I
let the person who criticized me for having too much food prevent me
from feeding my characters in subsequent novels? Of course not.
Besides, she (or he?) gave me the idea for this little essay. </span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-47068650561600902352015-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:002015-10-26T13:26:13.895-07:00My Favorite Things<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it
comes to things I enjoy the most, I’ve been told that I’m
old-fashioned. What difference does that make? I’m the one enjoying
them, not my critics.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Over the
years there have been a lot of TV shows that I have liked but none
have come close to the enjoyment I’ve had watching Fawlty
Towers—over and over again. And I laugh and laugh each time. John
Cleese only made twelve episodes but, in my humble opinion, they are
twelve episodes of pure hilarious genius.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My favorite
movie is Charade starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. I haven’t
watched it in a long time but I can’t imagine any movie coming
close to the mystery and excitement of that movie, not to mention the
fabulous settings. Other favorite movies are The Seven Year Itch
starring Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe, Local Hero starring Peter
Riegert and Burt Lancaster, Bandits starring Bruce Willis and Billy
Bob Thornton. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My favorite
piece of music is Donna e Mobile from the opera Rigoletto by Verdi.
The song has become such a part of our popular culture that nowadays
it’s used to promote pizza! Other favorites are Jamaica Farewell as
sung by Harry Belafonte, Hey Jude by The Beatles and listening to the
Blue Tango played by almost anyone.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And then
there are my favorite books and too many to list but I will mention
the ones that have influenced my reading pleasure. I’m not sure how
old I was when I first read Huckleberry Finn, probably in the 5</span><sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: small;">
or 6</span><sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-size: small;"> grade but I
know I reread it in Jr. High and high school. A childhood favorite
was the original Peter Pan and unlike everyone else, my favorite
character in that book was Tiger Lily, simply because she was an
Indian. I have no idea how many times I read and reread that book.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Gothic
romance beginning with Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt and
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier was my reading choice for a while. Then
the Regency romances by Georgette Heyer captured my attention. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My Brother
Michael introduced me to Mary Stewart and, in a way, changed my life.
During my first year of teaching in Las Vegas whenever a new Mary
Stewart came out, I would call in sick and read the book. I also
discovered Helen MacInnes that year beginning with Decision at
Delphi. International intrigue became my favorite reading, especially
when a few years later I discovered Robert Ludlum. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And then
humor entered into my reading foray: books by P.G. Wodehouse, Carl
Hiaasen, Janet Evanovich, Elmore Leonard and Ben Rehder. But there
were standalones: Savages by Shirley Conran (hated the ending and not
too crazy about the beginning either but loved the pages between); A
Cluster of Separate Sparks by Joan Aiken; The House on the Strand by
Daphne du Maurier (I hated the ending of that one also but it
influenced my Vv Tiger time travels-still to come). And I loved all
of the books by Tony Hillerman. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And there
are many more old favorites too numerous to mention here. Besides, I
have already blogged about the ladies of the Golden Age of Mystery. I
am continuously discovering new favorites but that would be another
topic altogether.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">And
apparently books have always been my favorite things.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-6190458123008123872015-09-28T08:34:00.000-07:002015-09-29T09:27:24.988-07:00“The Characters Take Over”<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Many
authors say when they start to write a story that the characters take
over and dictate what happens. When I first started writing, I
thought that sounded ridiculous. I knew what I wanted to write. I
even had the last chapter or last paragraph worked out in my mind for
many of those stories.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">But
lo and behold, when I look back on many of my stories, the saying
seems to be true. Very seldom do I end up with the story I had in my
mind. I don’t know how it happens. I create characters and think I
know them but when I get inside their minds, something happens. They
become real, living people and don’t act or react the way I thought
they would. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">One
example of this is my short story Nicholas in my booklet </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Doorbell Rang</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">. Originally, I had intended for
Nicholas to be a rather unlikable guy and my lead female character was
going to kill him in the end. That didn’t happen at all. Whether
Nicholas turned out to be a likable guy, only readers can decide. But
the ending to that story was in my very humble opinion, the best I’ve
ever written. In fact, the story I wrote (or rather the characters
wrote) bore no resemblance to the story that circulated in my head
for years.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In
that same booklet, the three other stories also had twists and turns
that I had not envisioned when I was planning them. The first story
Margarita took root when I was in my twenties after living in Mexico
for a couple of years. When I finally wrote it years later, Margarita
herself completely fooled me as did characters I hadn’t imagined in
the beginning. Over all, the story is one of my favorites out of all
I’ve written.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In
my first published romance novel, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>A Caribbean
Summer</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">, I daydreamed about that story for
years, even before I went to the Caribbean where I lived for four
years. Nothing in my life happened that resembled that daydream. But
when I started to write it years later, again the characters became
real with minds of their own. And I let them dictate to me what was
happening. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">In
</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Chameleon Chase</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> I
had the beginning worked out but not the rest of the story. Luckily,
my characters took over and the book became one of my favorites.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">This
has happened over and over. But I feel lucky in that my characters
seem to be smarter than I am and can create stories better than those
in my head.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-54078315558135735422015-08-31T06:09:00.000-07:002015-08-31T06:09:10.985-07:00 How do Authors Get Their Titles?<br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>Obviously
I can’t speak for anyone else and usually my titles come out of the
blue. But sometimes I have a title for a book before I even start
writing it. This was the case for my first published book (not the
first written), The Pig Farm, also the first book in my (Human) Zoo
Trilogy. Not only were no pigs harmed in the writing of this book but
no pigs appeared either unless one considers the human kind. But
something happened when I lived on a real Caribbean island that gave
me the idea and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I also had the
titles in mind for the next two books in the trilogy: The Pool
Lizards and The Groundhog Lounge. No lizards or groundhogs appeared
in those books either but something or someone just happened to
inspire those titles.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My first
title choice for Amorous Ambush was Airport Ambush but that was a
ridiculous choice for a romance novel. And the ambush in the novel
was very amorous in my humble opinion. </b></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>While I
was writing my first group of Twisted Tales (Margarita, Phoebe, City
Girl-Country Girl, Nicolas), I hadn’t thought of any particular
title for the whole collection. After I read through all four of
them, I discovered something repetitious in each of them and, at
first, I was dismayed. In each book there was a pivotal scene where
the doorbell rang. And then it hit me—that should be the title of
the book. Never mind that many authors have used that title but
titles can’t be copyrighted. So, for Part One of Twisted Tales
(another common title), I titled the little book The Doorbell Rang. </b></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The
easiest title was Death by Salsa because it referred to two real life
friends who were arguing over who had the hottest salsa. I jokingly
said, “I could write a book with the title Death by Salsa.” And I
did.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>A
Caribbean Summer was a fantasy I had before I went to the Caribbean
where I lived for four years. Nothing in the book resembled anything
that happened to me in real life and I created the fictional island
of Palmaltas to replace the island where I had lived. </b></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>I can’t
remember when I came up with the title The Chameleon Chase. The story
began in my mind during the 1980s and 1990s but it was the only title
that could fit the story.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>And so it
goes. I may start with a title already in mind (such as The Pig Farm
or Death by Salsa) or eventually discover something that holds the
book together (The Doorbell Rang). Sometimes I write a story and
still don’t know what the title should be after I have completed
it. I wrestled with A Colorado Destiny for a long time before the
title jumped out at me. </b></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>But
titles are important and play a big part in how some readers choose
what to read. Many people look at The Pig Farm, The Pool Lizards and
The Groundhog Lounge and think they are for children. They aren’t.
Yet, those are the only titles that fit the stories. </b></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-51149182426842696992015-08-11T06:42:00.000-07:002015-08-11T06:42:06.265-07:00A Day in the Life of a Boat Owner<br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This week my son Jaime R. Hern</span><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">á</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ndez is my guest blogger. He tells a true story about adventures in boating.</span></span></div>
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What a day! Where to begin....<br />
My friend Sandra's dad came over with his new chainsaw and cut up all the dead branches from the storm we had last month. I mowed the lawn and restrung his weed eater. Then we worked on the boat and got it going. So our next logical step was to take it out for a test run (keyword here is test). We picked up uncle Bruce and headed for the Wayne B Stevens boat ramp but on our way we decided to get sodas and made the impromptu decision to go to the Curtis Lee Johnson boat ramp off San Juan instead (this will be not so great choice later).</div>
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We put the boat in and fired up the engine, no issues, she purred. So we got underway on our "test" run. We were in a no wake zone for a bit and basically trolled to the first bridge. No issues, we were loving the breeze and our drinks. Three old guys on the water living it up. Soon after the first bridge we throttled up a third and worked on trimming out the boat. After the next bridge we turned North and headed towards downtown Jacksonville. At this point we full throttled and did some more trimming. It was a blast! So much fun, I forgot we were TESTING the engine...</div>
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Next two bridges were a railroad drawbridge and a busy road near Ortega drawbridge. They lifted the railroad bridge but kept down the one near Ortega because we were small enough that there was no need. We went under, jumped when the cars flew over the metal grate and then opened the throttle wide as we headed towards St Vincents.</div>
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It suddenly dawned on me that we were "testing" the engine. A sick feeling came over me so I throttled down and turned the boat about. I said we should head back to the dock. Everyone agreed...</div>
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On our way back as we approached the first bridge I had to do circles while the boat ahead of me stopped for the incoming boat. They looked unsure of themselves so I completely understand why the boat ahead of me stopped. After the boat passed, we both continued on our trek back. I kept my distance as to not make a huge wake for the smaller boat ahead.</div>
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As we approached the second bridge on our way back I noticed two ladies on paddleboards, one standing and one sitting, trying to traverse the across the river. So I throttled down to kill my wake. I wound up shutting down the engine. And then it happened...</div>
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We were dead in the water. I could not restart my engine. The engine temp was increasing. My initial reaction was an overheated engine. So we drifted to let the engine cool. I noticed the current had us, so I broke out the paddle and made my way to an upscale marina. My thought was that we could moor, troubleshoot the engine and get some help if need be.</div>
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I soon realized the battery was draining from our troubleshooting and trying to restart the engine. I noticed the sun going down. I researched and found the nearest boat ramps were the original one I set out to and the one we actually used. They were far far away.</div>
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So I called SeaTow. WOW are they expensive if you're not a member. $300 and hour and the closest boat was in Julington Creek. There went that idea...</div>
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My next thought? Start waving down inbound boaters. You can not imagine how many people would not turn their head in our direction as I waved my hands like a mad man. I could see them looking at my out the corners of their eyes. I was blown away! Over an hour of waving people down.</div>
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I see a smaller boat coming down the river, two guys looked like they had been fishing. I start my waving and the younger one turns his head and looks right at me. I holler out "is there ANY chance you could tow us to the San Juan dock?" but he couldn't understand me. He turned to the older fella and then turned back at me. He crawled forward on their boat towards me as to indicate they were going to approach us. As they got in conversation distance I restated my request for help. The older guy said he could take us to the Wayne B Stevens dock. I said THANK YOU LORD, I will take you up on that offer. We threw him the line, made it taut and tied it off to our bow. His boat was small but had just enough horses to pull us all the way. As we got close to the dock about a half hour later I asked them if they had Google Wallet. They both looked at me as if I was speaking Russian. I explained that I wanted to pay them some money for helping us out. I explained how many people had ignored us. They both waved us off and said absolutely not. It was the right thing to do. Yeah I got choked up...</div>
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Pete called Sandra<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100006664334346" href="https://www.facebook.com/sandra.martin.96995238" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"> </a> to come get me and drive me back to the Curtis Lee Johnson boat ramp. She asked what happened and after her dad explained she said "bless his heart, he has been trying to get that boat going forever" LOL But to tell you the truth, I actually felt blessed at that moment. The help of these two strangers, Sandra and her daughter dropping everything to come get me. Pete and Uncle Bruce having such an awesome attitude about the whole thing. Bruce said he would do it again in a heart beat. And I would also and you know what? I will. Only this time I will already be a SeaTow member so my tow is free <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/lessonlearned?source=feed_text&story_id=10153496223599522" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #627aad;">#</span><span class="_58cm">lessonlearned</span></a></div>
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Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-62749077190379428762015-06-23T07:04:00.000-07:002015-06-23T07:04:33.930-07:00Life Without Cable TV<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
</span></span></span></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Television is my subject this month. Cable TV had
been my way of life for many years and I never dreamed I could live without it.
</span></span></span></span></div>
<span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="role_document" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I moved to Georgia two years ago, I didn't
want to pay to watch TV. There were other things I wanted to do, which
seemed more valuable such as writing, reading, socializing. My brother who has
lived in the state for many years suggested a flatbox antenna. I had no idea
what he meant but he set me up with one and, miracle of miracles, it worked
perfectly. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> But the catch was that the only shows I could get
were from the local stations or that was what I thought. But I soon discovered
MeTV (Memorable Entertainment Television), which I had seen previously in Texas,
and a channel that showed only movies from the past--nothing current. I got the
3 main network programs and thought that was all I needed. Unfortunately PBS was
the only local channel that didn't come in clearly and sometimes not at
all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> But then I discovered more channels
available showing "oldies but goodies". My first year here I watched the old
Hawaii Five-0 during lunch until a year later The Rockford Files replaced it.
That was all fine with me. Granted I can't keep up with the latest trends in
cable TV and there are some programs I truly miss but I do have other things to
do besides watching TV. There were other networks I got for free also such a the
CW, ION, Antenna, getTV. All of them showing reruns of both recent or
past popular shows and movies.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Recently 4 "new" networks surfaced--all showing
golden oldies from the past: Decades and COZI (both a combination of comedies
and dramas (some of the dramas are so ridiculous that they are hilarious), LAFF
(a combination of past sitcoms and movies--I'm hooked on Spin City right now.)
and BUZZR, which shows old game shows such as my favorite nuttiest show of
all The Match Game. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But do I watch them all? Good grief no! It's just
nice to know that they are there and I can find something entertaining in a free
moment especially if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to
sleep, I can turn on one of the above (especially the game shows of the 1950s
and 60s), be entertained for a while until I feel sleepy again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Works every
time.</span></div>
</span></span></span>Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8518064219101541110.post-69641554532416589782015-05-15T08:16:00.001-07:002015-05-15T15:39:22.539-07:00 Who is the Sleuth?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>From
Merriam-Webster:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sleuth:
Detective; someone who looks for information to solve a crime</b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Synonyms:
dick, gumshoe, investigator, operative, private detective, private
eye, private investigator, Sherlock, sleuthhound </span>
</b></div>
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<b><br />
</b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Must
there be a sleuth in mystery novels? This is something I didn't consider when starting to write mysteries. In fact, I wrote quite a few until I came across a writing group that discussed elderly female sleuths. And suddenly, I realized I didn't have any sleuths at all.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">In </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Who’ll
Kill Agnes? </i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Police
Chief Donovan is a blithering idiot and his assistant Metson isn’t
much better. But Donovan is hell bent in his ways and never follows
through on anything. He thinks he knows who the guilty party is and
never lets up on it. His wife, however, is the most intelligent
character in the novel and has a different take on the title character. </span></b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"> In
</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The Groundhog Lounge</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">,
Book Three of The Zoo Trilogy, Avery and Pam are sleuths of a sort who try to figure out who
the killer is but that’s all they do—just conjecture. In the
first two books of the trilogy (</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Pig Farm</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> and </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Pool Lizards</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">), Avery
narrates what he sees going on and misses a lot. </span>
</b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">But
in my standalone mystery novels, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Chameleon Chase</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> and
</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Death by Salsa</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">,
the reader goes along with the story and may (or may not) figure out the plots and whodunits. The private detective in <i>The Chameleon Chase </i>is rather a shady character himself determined to win a big fee. But does he solve the mystery?</span></b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"> And, should a sleuth always be the main character? </span>
</b></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Palmaltashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15842084844496531165noreply@blogger.com4