Anna Celeste Burke's Blog
August 11, 2017
The Real Poodle Springs
A Dead Mother
I don't know if of you're a fan of Raymond Chandler or not. He was one of the first authors to write Noir Mystery Detective Fiction. Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, was the epitome of the hard-boiled detective. Tame by today's standards, Farewell, My Lovely, Murder, My Sweet, and Double Indemnity [the screenplay on which he collaborated], and his other stories were considered dark and gritty, chilling even when he penned them. Part of the reason I enjoyed them was his no-nonsense style. The author, like his P.I., Philip Marlowe, pulls no punches. Marlowe often makes his point by taking the shortest route possible on the road to self-expression.
There's a surprising amount of description in Chandler's books. His jaded detective, Marlowe, takes the time to notice people and not just the dames. Here's his description of a shady cop named Blane in Farewell, My Lovely: “He was a windblown blossom of some 200 pounds with freckled teeth and the mellow voice of a circus barker.” More than a visual description, these words also instantly convey the man's character. Chandler pays attention to his surroundings, too. Here's a short quote from a story in Red Wind: A Collection of Short Stories. “There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot, dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch."
If you've ever experienced the incandescence of the Santa Anas, or the evening "blow" around here for that matter, you'll know what he means. Often here in the desert, as the sun sets, the winds rev up. The palm trees don't just sway, they jump and jive. I'm not so sure those summery evening breezes spell danger, but they do hint at intrigue--at something stirring deeper beneath the surface or just beyond your reach.
Chandler wrote about California, more about the rough and tumble city of Los Angeles than the tony retreats beyond the sprawl of LA. He does reference the desert in several of his books, though. Before Chandler died, he had written the first four chapters in a book set in and around Palm Springs. He called it Poodle Springs. Not a bad name for the place back in the 50s when the author was putting pen to paper and poodles were all the rage among the rich and famous. As it happens, a lovely French poodle finds its way into my sleuth, Jessica Huntington's newest adventure, A Dead Mother. I'm not sure where he would have taken his story because he died before he finished it. Unfortunately, someone else did.
I understand the desire for a book never to end, to have more books in a favorite series, or the wish that particular authors produced more. I'd love to read the "real" Poodle Springs. I don't like it when publishers pretend a dead writer's writing. There's something unseemly about having a ghostwriter swoop in, lift the pen from the author's lifeless hand, and use his or her name. A little spooky even if I were a believer that the spirits of dead writers roam free. Especially an ingenious creator of murder and mayhem like Raymond Chandler.
What do you think? Should dead writers keep writing or be allowed to R.I.P.?
Anna Celeste Burke
I don't know if of you're a fan of Raymond Chandler or not. He was one of the first authors to write Noir Mystery Detective Fiction. Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, was the epitome of the hard-boiled detective. Tame by today's standards, Farewell, My Lovely, Murder, My Sweet, and Double Indemnity [the screenplay on which he collaborated], and his other stories were considered dark and gritty, chilling even when he penned them. Part of the reason I enjoyed them was his no-nonsense style. The author, like his P.I., Philip Marlowe, pulls no punches. Marlowe often makes his point by taking the shortest route possible on the road to self-expression.
There's a surprising amount of description in Chandler's books. His jaded detective, Marlowe, takes the time to notice people and not just the dames. Here's his description of a shady cop named Blane in Farewell, My Lovely: “He was a windblown blossom of some 200 pounds with freckled teeth and the mellow voice of a circus barker.” More than a visual description, these words also instantly convey the man's character. Chandler pays attention to his surroundings, too. Here's a short quote from a story in Red Wind: A Collection of Short Stories. “There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot, dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch."
If you've ever experienced the incandescence of the Santa Anas, or the evening "blow" around here for that matter, you'll know what he means. Often here in the desert, as the sun sets, the winds rev up. The palm trees don't just sway, they jump and jive. I'm not so sure those summery evening breezes spell danger, but they do hint at intrigue--at something stirring deeper beneath the surface or just beyond your reach.
Chandler wrote about California, more about the rough and tumble city of Los Angeles than the tony retreats beyond the sprawl of LA. He does reference the desert in several of his books, though. Before Chandler died, he had written the first four chapters in a book set in and around Palm Springs. He called it Poodle Springs. Not a bad name for the place back in the 50s when the author was putting pen to paper and poodles were all the rage among the rich and famous. As it happens, a lovely French poodle finds its way into my sleuth, Jessica Huntington's newest adventure, A Dead Mother. I'm not sure where he would have taken his story because he died before he finished it. Unfortunately, someone else did.
I understand the desire for a book never to end, to have more books in a favorite series, or the wish that particular authors produced more. I'd love to read the "real" Poodle Springs. I don't like it when publishers pretend a dead writer's writing. There's something unseemly about having a ghostwriter swoop in, lift the pen from the author's lifeless hand, and use his or her name. A little spooky even if I were a believer that the spirits of dead writers roam free. Especially an ingenious creator of murder and mayhem like Raymond Chandler.
What do you think? Should dead writers keep writing or be allowed to R.I.P.?
Anna Celeste Burke
November 30, 2016
My Troubles with Santa
My trouble with Santa is nothing like the murder & mayhem Kim & Brien confront in their first two Corsario Cove Cozy Mysteries. Dead, deadly, and dubious Santas intrude on their honeymoon bliss in Cowabunga Christmas and Gnarly New Year.
Cowabunga Christmas
Gnarly New Year
My Trouble with Santa as a 5-year-old Snoop
Still, I've had my troubles over the years. I was a little snoop and soon figured out who set out those presents and ate the cookies. Could I keep it to myself? Oh, heck no! I felt duty-bound to share the news with my younger brother. He didn’t take kindly to that and outed me as the 5-year-old Grinch that I was, trying to steal his Christmas. As I recall, the adults defended the myth and my brother got to hang onto his dream of a real Santa a bit longer.
By the next Christmas, however, while the other children slept, I was downstairs working as a Christmas elf alongside my parents as they played Santa. A co-conspirator role was every bit as much fun as waiting for Santa had been. Knowing the truth was a bit of a relief too.
My trouble with Santa had started before sneaking down those stairs and catching my parents in the act. I was an anxious child and it worried me that I was going to end up on the naughty list rather than the nice list. Besides, how could Santa make it to everyone’s house in one night—even with a sleigh and eight reindeer? What if you didn’t have a chimney or the roof couldn’t hold the weight of a sleigh full of presents? On and on and on, the questions grew, night after night. Snooping had seemed to be a perfectly reasonable way to answer some of the questions in my confused mind.
Trouble with Santa from a 6-year-old Cynic
The trouble with Santa didn’t stop there. A few years later when a younger brother was told the truth about Santa by his little friend, he was upset. So was I! This mercenary six-year-old had revealed the truth along with a rather cunning bit of advice.
“Make sure your parents think you still believe in Santa because you get more presents that way.”
He went on to explain what he meant. As a "believer," he got presents under the tree from his parents before Christmas, but more from Santa on the big night! I have no idea if what he said was true or not. In any case, I doubt that strategy could have worked much longer.
My Biggest Trouble with Santa
The biggest trouble for me with Santa came much later when I had children of my own. Should I play along? Children love to play make believe—and so do I. On the other hand, we want children to learn to be truthful from the get go. I also love the truth and believe, like my character Bernadette in the Jessica Huntington series: “The worst kind of truth is better than the best lie.” My husband is even more filled with scruples than I am about stretching the truth.
What to do? We tried to find and convey the truth in the story of Santa. There is a celebrated saint behind that old myth—St. Nicholas. He was beloved because of his generosity and joyous spirit of giving. We figured that spirit is, in fact, the truth behind Santa.
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” as Francis Church wrote in his famous editorial published in the New York Sun back in 1891. He went on to describe all of the good things symbolized by Jolly Old St. Nick.
We tried to explain that it's the spirit of Christmas we celebrate each year in the story of Santa Claus. It's such a wonderful story, let's enjoy it! As it turned out, we never had much more of a conversation than that about Santa. Not until a 7-year-old Grinch wannabe divulged the truth to my kids [shades of my 5-year-old self back to haunt me].
“Santa’s not a real person, you know.”
“We know,” was their response. "Christmas is real. Santa's not, but it's fun to pretend." Something like that, anyway. Then they launched into a game of "You be Santa, and..."
In a secular and multicultural world, I still worry that Santa poses problems. Christmas excludes some kids, altogether, who don’t celebrate that holiday for religious reasons. What to do about Santa was also a big concern for their parents, as I learned when sorting out what to tell my children. A totally secular Santa is troubling sometimes, too. I worry that a Santa not rooted in a giving spirit pushes us toward the cynicism of that rascally 6-year-old.
What do you think? Do you have trouble with Santa? Did you believe he was real? How did you find out there wasn't really a Santa? What do you tell kids about Santa?
I’d love to hear from you. Find me on my website at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Cowabunga Christmas
Gnarly New Year
My Trouble with Santa as a 5-year-old Snoop
Still, I've had my troubles over the years. I was a little snoop and soon figured out who set out those presents and ate the cookies. Could I keep it to myself? Oh, heck no! I felt duty-bound to share the news with my younger brother. He didn’t take kindly to that and outed me as the 5-year-old Grinch that I was, trying to steal his Christmas. As I recall, the adults defended the myth and my brother got to hang onto his dream of a real Santa a bit longer.
By the next Christmas, however, while the other children slept, I was downstairs working as a Christmas elf alongside my parents as they played Santa. A co-conspirator role was every bit as much fun as waiting for Santa had been. Knowing the truth was a bit of a relief too.
My trouble with Santa had started before sneaking down those stairs and catching my parents in the act. I was an anxious child and it worried me that I was going to end up on the naughty list rather than the nice list. Besides, how could Santa make it to everyone’s house in one night—even with a sleigh and eight reindeer? What if you didn’t have a chimney or the roof couldn’t hold the weight of a sleigh full of presents? On and on and on, the questions grew, night after night. Snooping had seemed to be a perfectly reasonable way to answer some of the questions in my confused mind.
Trouble with Santa from a 6-year-old Cynic
The trouble with Santa didn’t stop there. A few years later when a younger brother was told the truth about Santa by his little friend, he was upset. So was I! This mercenary six-year-old had revealed the truth along with a rather cunning bit of advice.
“Make sure your parents think you still believe in Santa because you get more presents that way.”
He went on to explain what he meant. As a "believer," he got presents under the tree from his parents before Christmas, but more from Santa on the big night! I have no idea if what he said was true or not. In any case, I doubt that strategy could have worked much longer.
My Biggest Trouble with Santa
The biggest trouble for me with Santa came much later when I had children of my own. Should I play along? Children love to play make believe—and so do I. On the other hand, we want children to learn to be truthful from the get go. I also love the truth and believe, like my character Bernadette in the Jessica Huntington series: “The worst kind of truth is better than the best lie.” My husband is even more filled with scruples than I am about stretching the truth.
What to do? We tried to find and convey the truth in the story of Santa. There is a celebrated saint behind that old myth—St. Nicholas. He was beloved because of his generosity and joyous spirit of giving. We figured that spirit is, in fact, the truth behind Santa.
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” as Francis Church wrote in his famous editorial published in the New York Sun back in 1891. He went on to describe all of the good things symbolized by Jolly Old St. Nick.
We tried to explain that it's the spirit of Christmas we celebrate each year in the story of Santa Claus. It's such a wonderful story, let's enjoy it! As it turned out, we never had much more of a conversation than that about Santa. Not until a 7-year-old Grinch wannabe divulged the truth to my kids [shades of my 5-year-old self back to haunt me].
“Santa’s not a real person, you know.”
“We know,” was their response. "Christmas is real. Santa's not, but it's fun to pretend." Something like that, anyway. Then they launched into a game of "You be Santa, and..."
In a secular and multicultural world, I still worry that Santa poses problems. Christmas excludes some kids, altogether, who don’t celebrate that holiday for religious reasons. What to do about Santa was also a big concern for their parents, as I learned when sorting out what to tell my children. A totally secular Santa is troubling sometimes, too. I worry that a Santa not rooted in a giving spirit pushes us toward the cynicism of that rascally 6-year-old.
What do you think? Do you have trouble with Santa? Did you believe he was real? How did you find out there wasn't really a Santa? What do you tell kids about Santa?
I’d love to hear from you. Find me on my website at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
September 23, 2016
I hear a waltz...
I’ve written about the role that setting, characters, and food play in the three cozy mystery series I write. I didn’t realize until recently, though, how important music is as well. I was doing a blog talk radio spot when the host, Karen Vaughan, asked if I have a particular theme song for my character, Jessica Huntington. That’s when it dawned on me that I have soundtracks in my head for each series.
For Jessica Huntington, spoiled rich girl done wrong by her man, it’s the blues. At first, it’s the down and out, dirty-shame kind of blues that have her on an extended pity-party binge abusing her black AMEX card. It doesn’t take her long though to switch it up to rhythm and blues, ready to kick a hole in the clouds that hover above her. Can you say R-E-S-P-E-C-T? In adversity, this pampered diva discovers she’s made of tougher stuff—a bit of soul and a whole lot of sass.
A Dead Husband
Cue the surf music for newlyweds, Kim and Brien, in my Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series. Not a cloud in the sky for these two lovebirds, even when a guy falls into the swanky hotel pool from six floors above them. Nothing can stop “good, good, good vibrations” from inspiring these two as they set off together on a series of “most excellent adventures.” Surf’s up—always—as they take the plunge into the murky waters of murder and mayhem. Their fearlessness and impulsiveness give the local homicide detective the jitters. I imagine Detective Mitchum twitching like Inspector Clouseau’s boss in the Pink Panther movies. Kim and Brien aren’t to blame for “Twitchin’ Mitchum’s” antsy ways, but they don’t help.
Cowabunga Christmas
What I discovered as I answered questions on that radio show was that there’s more than one soundtrack running in my head for the Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series. One of the first things we learn about Georgie in Murder at Catmmando Mountain is how much she loves Jazz. Her Siamese cat yowls with a booming voice and she gives him the name Miles—as in Miles Davis—one of the coolest cats in jazz circles, for sure. Georgie and the handsome detective, Jack Wheeler, listen to other jazz greats like John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk as they get to know each other and explore their relationship.
Murder at Catmmando Mountain: Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #1
The title of Love Notes in the Key of Sea, Georgie Shaw’s second mystery, takes its name from a song. Not a jazz tune, but a song written for her by a lost love. The melody in my head is reminiscent of the theme from an old 1944 detective movie, Laura, where the cop falls for a murder victim after seeing her photo. Here’s the link to the theme song Theme from Laura (1944) - David Raksin just in case you’ve never heard it. The movie’s great, too, with some surprising twists.
The song I hear in my head isn’t quite so dramatic. It’s a sweet, wistful song written with more innocence by a young man in love.Love Notes in the Key of Sea is a haunting tune, literally and figuratively. It becomes more than an old memory when Georgie revisits the place where she lost him under mysterious circumstances. Someone is playing that song Danny Farrell wrote for her. Who? Why?
Love Notes in the Key of Sea Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #2
There’s still more music in this series. Georgie has also spent nearly three decades working for the cat at the Cat Factory. She’s Director of the Food and Beverage Division at Marvelous Marley World Enterprises, an entertainment conglomerate built on the success of Catmmando Tom, a cartoon cat. Marvelous Marley World has a soundtrack all its own. Just like Disney, an empire named for its founder and creator of an animated mouse he called Mickey. From the very beginning music mattered—Steamboat Willie, Mickey’s debut, featured the first fully synchronized sound cartoon.
Almost as soon as I began writing the first book in the Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series, a tune popped into my head. Like a jingle. One you might hear on radio or TV encouraging you visit and believe the magic.
“It’s a marvelous world. A Marvelous Marley World!”
That was only the beginning. A rush of Marley World inspired tunes engulfs me now when I work on that series. In this excerpt from Georgie’s 3rd mystery, All Hallows’ Eve Heist, she’s carried away for a moment by Catmmando Tom’s Anthem.
~~~~~
“I didn’t have to hear much of it for the rhythm and the rhyme to latch onto my brain.
You’re out tonight to have some fun, be on your guard to harm no one.
Catmmando Tom depends on you, to fight for good and all things true.
Defenders of the peace. Protectors of the weak.
A force unleashed to right the wrong. We raise our voices loud and strong.
Fighters against crime. We strike in the nick of time.
It continued in my head even though the strains of that song passed us by as we drove on. Before I knew it, I was thumping my knee in time with the familiar beat—ta-da-ta-da, ta-da-ta-da. It reminded me a lot of a childhood favorite—Teddy Bears’ Picnic—but more strident as sung by Catmmando Tom to rally his troops. A Wagnerian take on a kid’s tune.”
~~~~~
All Hallows' Eve Heist, Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #2
I find it a bit odd that I hear music when I write stories. It makes sense to me, too, though, especially for the Georgie Shaw series. Disney tunes played a big part as the soundtrack to my childhood. At eighteen, I went to work for Disney and those tunes were back in my life on a daily basis.
Musicals were still in vogue then, too. The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and Mary Poppins. Stories told against a backdrop of music. I sang in a choir and a small ensemble. My music director suggested I pursue a career in musical theater or opera.
Not too long after the Beatles turned up on Ed Sullivan, the soundtrack for my romantic life took a turn. At 15 I met a rock and roll guitar player in San Diego. At 17, I married him in Tijuana—not that police considered our wedding legit. It took me a couple of months to get out of the mess I was in after getting picked up as a runaway, but the music has never stopped. I still get serenaded, at times, when my husband picks up the guitar again. My favorite? His renditions of blues like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Joe Bonamassa, and fusion like John McLaughlin.
I suppose it’s not that odd, is it, that all those different musical influences find their way into my stories? They do pop up at unexpected moments. Oh, wait! I hear a waltz, don’t you? Max Marley has decided to make a live-action movie version featuring one of Marvelous Marley World’s beloved characters, the Lonely Swan Prince. The Prince has taken on the identity of a commoner. Dejected and alone, he’s befriended by a lovely shop girl who puts him to work in her father’s toy shop. Before you know it, she’s besotted by the sad, sweet man! Of course, at that point, she bursts into song. What self-respecting lead in a Disneyesque feature film wouldn’t?
“I hear a waltz…don’t you?” Kristina sings out. Our prince-in-disguise, not quite so sure, says nothing. Kristina swings into motion as she picks up her song, swirling about the room that’s suddenly transformed into a dance floor.
“I hear a waltz. I do.”
“A waltz that is meant for two.”
“A tune so enchanting it sets your heart dancing,
and your feet follow too.”
“I hear a waltz, don’t you?” The fascinated young man watching her suddenly smiles and replies.
“I do.” He sweeps her up in his arms and joins her in song and dance. And so it goes until the director of the film hollers, “Cut!”
Christmas carols and wedding bells also ring out in Georgie Shaw’s next mystery. With Detective Jack Wheeler at her side, Georgie soon becomes embroiled in a new round of intrigue. Let the three-ring-circus begin as trouble erupts on the movie set, Georgie’s boss “Mad Max” Marley breaks ground on New Arcadia, and insists on giving the bride away—his way! It’s going to be A Merry, Marvelous Marley World Wedding, coming soon!
So what about you? Do you hear music when your read or write mystery stories or any other books, for that matter? I’d love to hear what you think! Leave me a comment here or
join me at Desert Cities Mystery http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Reblogged from What Does Music Have to do with Writing a Best Seller?
For Jessica Huntington, spoiled rich girl done wrong by her man, it’s the blues. At first, it’s the down and out, dirty-shame kind of blues that have her on an extended pity-party binge abusing her black AMEX card. It doesn’t take her long though to switch it up to rhythm and blues, ready to kick a hole in the clouds that hover above her. Can you say R-E-S-P-E-C-T? In adversity, this pampered diva discovers she’s made of tougher stuff—a bit of soul and a whole lot of sass.
A Dead Husband
Cue the surf music for newlyweds, Kim and Brien, in my Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series. Not a cloud in the sky for these two lovebirds, even when a guy falls into the swanky hotel pool from six floors above them. Nothing can stop “good, good, good vibrations” from inspiring these two as they set off together on a series of “most excellent adventures.” Surf’s up—always—as they take the plunge into the murky waters of murder and mayhem. Their fearlessness and impulsiveness give the local homicide detective the jitters. I imagine Detective Mitchum twitching like Inspector Clouseau’s boss in the Pink Panther movies. Kim and Brien aren’t to blame for “Twitchin’ Mitchum’s” antsy ways, but they don’t help.
Cowabunga Christmas
What I discovered as I answered questions on that radio show was that there’s more than one soundtrack running in my head for the Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series. One of the first things we learn about Georgie in Murder at Catmmando Mountain is how much she loves Jazz. Her Siamese cat yowls with a booming voice and she gives him the name Miles—as in Miles Davis—one of the coolest cats in jazz circles, for sure. Georgie and the handsome detective, Jack Wheeler, listen to other jazz greats like John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk as they get to know each other and explore their relationship.
Murder at Catmmando Mountain: Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #1
The title of Love Notes in the Key of Sea, Georgie Shaw’s second mystery, takes its name from a song. Not a jazz tune, but a song written for her by a lost love. The melody in my head is reminiscent of the theme from an old 1944 detective movie, Laura, where the cop falls for a murder victim after seeing her photo. Here’s the link to the theme song Theme from Laura (1944) - David Raksin just in case you’ve never heard it. The movie’s great, too, with some surprising twists.
The song I hear in my head isn’t quite so dramatic. It’s a sweet, wistful song written with more innocence by a young man in love.Love Notes in the Key of Sea is a haunting tune, literally and figuratively. It becomes more than an old memory when Georgie revisits the place where she lost him under mysterious circumstances. Someone is playing that song Danny Farrell wrote for her. Who? Why?
Love Notes in the Key of Sea Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #2
There’s still more music in this series. Georgie has also spent nearly three decades working for the cat at the Cat Factory. She’s Director of the Food and Beverage Division at Marvelous Marley World Enterprises, an entertainment conglomerate built on the success of Catmmando Tom, a cartoon cat. Marvelous Marley World has a soundtrack all its own. Just like Disney, an empire named for its founder and creator of an animated mouse he called Mickey. From the very beginning music mattered—Steamboat Willie, Mickey’s debut, featured the first fully synchronized sound cartoon.
Almost as soon as I began writing the first book in the Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series, a tune popped into my head. Like a jingle. One you might hear on radio or TV encouraging you visit and believe the magic.
“It’s a marvelous world. A Marvelous Marley World!”
That was only the beginning. A rush of Marley World inspired tunes engulfs me now when I work on that series. In this excerpt from Georgie’s 3rd mystery, All Hallows’ Eve Heist, she’s carried away for a moment by Catmmando Tom’s Anthem.
~~~~~
“I didn’t have to hear much of it for the rhythm and the rhyme to latch onto my brain.
You’re out tonight to have some fun, be on your guard to harm no one.
Catmmando Tom depends on you, to fight for good and all things true.
Defenders of the peace. Protectors of the weak.
A force unleashed to right the wrong. We raise our voices loud and strong.
Fighters against crime. We strike in the nick of time.
It continued in my head even though the strains of that song passed us by as we drove on. Before I knew it, I was thumping my knee in time with the familiar beat—ta-da-ta-da, ta-da-ta-da. It reminded me a lot of a childhood favorite—Teddy Bears’ Picnic—but more strident as sung by Catmmando Tom to rally his troops. A Wagnerian take on a kid’s tune.”
~~~~~
All Hallows' Eve Heist, Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #2
I find it a bit odd that I hear music when I write stories. It makes sense to me, too, though, especially for the Georgie Shaw series. Disney tunes played a big part as the soundtrack to my childhood. At eighteen, I went to work for Disney and those tunes were back in my life on a daily basis.
Musicals were still in vogue then, too. The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and Mary Poppins. Stories told against a backdrop of music. I sang in a choir and a small ensemble. My music director suggested I pursue a career in musical theater or opera.
Not too long after the Beatles turned up on Ed Sullivan, the soundtrack for my romantic life took a turn. At 15 I met a rock and roll guitar player in San Diego. At 17, I married him in Tijuana—not that police considered our wedding legit. It took me a couple of months to get out of the mess I was in after getting picked up as a runaway, but the music has never stopped. I still get serenaded, at times, when my husband picks up the guitar again. My favorite? His renditions of blues like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Joe Bonamassa, and fusion like John McLaughlin.
I suppose it’s not that odd, is it, that all those different musical influences find their way into my stories? They do pop up at unexpected moments. Oh, wait! I hear a waltz, don’t you? Max Marley has decided to make a live-action movie version featuring one of Marvelous Marley World’s beloved characters, the Lonely Swan Prince. The Prince has taken on the identity of a commoner. Dejected and alone, he’s befriended by a lovely shop girl who puts him to work in her father’s toy shop. Before you know it, she’s besotted by the sad, sweet man! Of course, at that point, she bursts into song. What self-respecting lead in a Disneyesque feature film wouldn’t?
“I hear a waltz…don’t you?” Kristina sings out. Our prince-in-disguise, not quite so sure, says nothing. Kristina swings into motion as she picks up her song, swirling about the room that’s suddenly transformed into a dance floor.
“I hear a waltz. I do.”
“A waltz that is meant for two.”
“A tune so enchanting it sets your heart dancing,
and your feet follow too.”
“I hear a waltz, don’t you?” The fascinated young man watching her suddenly smiles and replies.
“I do.” He sweeps her up in his arms and joins her in song and dance. And so it goes until the director of the film hollers, “Cut!”
Christmas carols and wedding bells also ring out in Georgie Shaw’s next mystery. With Detective Jack Wheeler at her side, Georgie soon becomes embroiled in a new round of intrigue. Let the three-ring-circus begin as trouble erupts on the movie set, Georgie’s boss “Mad Max” Marley breaks ground on New Arcadia, and insists on giving the bride away—his way! It’s going to be A Merry, Marvelous Marley World Wedding, coming soon!
So what about you? Do you hear music when your read or write mystery stories or any other books, for that matter? I’d love to hear what you think! Leave me a comment here or
join me at Desert Cities Mystery http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Reblogged from What Does Music Have to do with Writing a Best Seller?
March 24, 2016
The Catastrophe of Sudden Wealth & Review of The Gamblers
Money, Money, Money...a catastrophe?
For those of us not born with black AMEX cards in hand, like my sleuth, Jessica Huntington, it may be hard to imagine what it means to be rich. That doesn’t keep us from trying. The fantasy that all our troubles will vanish if only a long, lost aunt or uncle leaves us a million bucks is commonplace. The size of Powerball and other lottery payouts around the country is a testament to the pervasive hope of winning big! Heck with the idea of waiting for that big gift from a distant relative—buy a lottery ticket or two or three instead. Never mind that lots of people have to buy lots of tickets to create enormous jackpots, making it harder for any single ticket holder to win. Despite the yearning to be rich, it turns out that wealth can be a burden. Sudden wealth has sometimes been described as “catastrophic" and for good reason.
Having met a real-life heiress while I was in college, I soon learned that wealth is no panacea for life’s challenges. That’s apparent in my Desert Cities Mystery series, as my protagonist, a 30-somethng daughter of privilege finds her well-planned life in the toilet. As she hurtles toward mid-life and a full-blown existential crisis, she has to come to grips with the fact that money can’t buy happiness, despite her overdependence on retail therapy. Nor can it save your neck when face-to-face with ruthless bad guys willing to do just about anything to make money.
My friend in college was beset by worries that she was unworthy of the money that made her life comfortable. At times, she feared the resentment directed toward her by those less fortunate. Her solution was secrecy. That might work well enough with acquaintances and casual friendships, but could be an impediment when it comes to finding love rooted in openness and intimacy, not secrecy. Could she ever be sure she was loved for who she was as a person and not because of her fortune, even if the love of her life was another member of the one percent? Ah, the woes of being a poor little rich girl! Still, her fears make sense given the open animosity often expressed about wealthy people. Ironic, given the widespread aspirations to become one of them!
My well-to-do friend had one advantage over many who find themselves suddenly wealthy. She understood money. At twelve, she began to attend family meetings where they discussed the ins and outs of the family business and managing their wealth. Money wasn't something we spoke about as openly in my family, in part because we didn't have much. Like most of us, I grew up without much knowledge about money, not even understanding the basics of budgeting, saving and investment.
Is it any wonder that in those fantasies about inheriting a million dollars from a distant relative, we're unlikely to grasp what a windfall like that means? As Thomas J. Stanley and William Danko point out in their book, The Millionaire Next Door, a million dollars doesn’t go very far at all. If we don’t blow through it, preserve the principle and take only the interest earned by investing that nest egg at 4 or 5% a year—that’s 40 or 50 thousand dollars in income. We don’t dare quit our day job if we want to maintain a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Want to buy a big house or drive a fancy car? That imaginary relative better drop 10 million on us instead of one!
Even ten million's not always enough to avoid disaster. Going broke is one of the most common catastrophes associated with sudden wealth. “Instead of finding themselves in the lap of luxury, 70 percent of people who come into sudden money are broke within a few years,” according to Ilana Polyak of CNBC reporting findings from a study by the National Endowment for Financial Education. Easy come, easy go, some might say. I bet it doesn’t feel that way to those who go from rags to riches to rags in the whirlwind created by a windfall. That’s true not just for lottery winners, but for celebrities and athletes who win big for a few years, live beyond their means, and fall into a hole once they’re no longer a hot item in Hollywood or healthy enough to play in the big leagues.
Even before they go broke, many who win big come to regard their winnings as a “curse.” Sudden wealth changes everything. No one escapes those worries my heiress friend had about her wealth just because they win it, or earn it, for that matter. Apparently, the suddenly wealthy all too often find themselves awash in solicitations from the suddenly desperate. Friends and family members, charities and pitch artists all rush in looking to score a bonanza from an off-kilter, newly-minted millionaire. Imagine finding yourself recast in the role of the rich relative now inhabiting your family members’ fantasies of being rescued by money?
Jack Whittaker isn’t the only lottery winner to say “I wish I’d torn that ticket up,” or something like that, once the honeymoon ended following the arrival of sudden wealth. In his case, he was robbed, sued, and lost his granddaughter to a drug overdose. Lottery winners frequently become estranged from family and friends, and incur a greater incidence of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce, and suicide than the average American. Not all that surprising since sudden wealth introduces new pressures and increases access to a host of temptations made more affordable by all that money.
The Gamblers by Christoph Fischer The Gamblers
If you’d like to read a well-crafted, award-winning fictional account of what it’s like to become suddenly wealthy, Christoph Fischer’s novel, The Gamblers does just that. The book provides a glimpse into the world of one lottery winner, a reclusive accountant, Ben Andrews. Rather obsessive, he’s fascinated with numbers, and not just in his profession. Ben is a gambler—believing his love of numbers can help him beat the odds. When a lottery ticket pays off big, almost overnight he’s a millionaire many times over. He keeps news of his winnings to himself, and unlike most of the suddenly rich, doesn’t go on a spending spree. At least not until he’s befriended by Mirco. A worldly-wise Russian gambler, Mirco has a taste for flashy suits, sexy women, and hot cars, and possesses a murky background. Soon after, Ben falls for a lovely woman, Wendy, a flight attendant he meets on an overseas jaunt.
Let the games begin as Ben’s windfall sucks him into a head-spinning, life-changing world of jet-setters willing to indulge themselves in all the things that money can buy—good and bad. What does all this mean for Ben Andrews? Will all that money change him? Can he trust Mirco or Wendy? I won’t say, but I will tell you that the story keeps you guessing until the very end.
What’s the moral of the story? To be honest, when it comes to money, it’s complicated. There is, in fact, some evidence that money increases happiness—to a point. More money seems to be associated with greater happiness [or less distress] for people until they report earning about $70-75,000. After that, the impact of earning even more increases happiness only slightly, or disappears altogether, depending on which study you read. In one study, researchers found that wealthy people spent more time worrying about money than those with less.
The happiness that money buys varies, too, depending on what you do with it. My flawed heroine, Jessica Huntington, loves playing fairy-godmother, wielding that black AMEX card of hers like a magic wand! As it turns out, investing in others can make you happier than splurging on yourself. Using your money to buy experiences also brings more happiness than buying stuff! Putting money in perspective helps too—learning enough about it to use it wisely, but not becoming overly preoccupied with it. After all, it’s the love of money, not money per se, that’s the root of all evil, according to that old proverb, right?
The Gamblers Giveaway
If you prefer mystery/thrillers with adult themes to the cozy mysteries I often feature on my blog, then I hope you’ll enter to win a copy of Christoph Fischer’s book, THE GAMBLERS. I’m giving away a kindle copy along with a copy of the first book in the Jessica Huntington series, A DEAD HUSBAND, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card. The Gamblers Giveaway runs March 24-April 15 on Rafflecopter. To enter follow the link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?
A Dead Husband
Christoph Fischer has a selection of fine books if you’d like to read more by this author. A talented storyteller, history comes alive in his works of historical fiction that feature deeply personal accounts of individuals caught up in epic historical events. To find out more about him and his books visit one of his sites!
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Christoph-Fisch...
FACEBOOK: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CFFBooks
WEBSITE: http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/
Want to read more about money and happiness
The Only 3 Things You Need to Know About Money and Happiness
http://time.com/money/3680465/happine...
Can Money Buy Happiness?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/art...
Why so many lottery winners go broke
http://fortune.com/2016/01/15/powerba...
Why Lottery Winners Crash after a Big Win
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpag...
Sudden Wealth Can Leave You Broke
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/01/sudden...
The Suddenly Wealthy Just as Quickly Broke:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...
FIND ME AT http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
For those of us not born with black AMEX cards in hand, like my sleuth, Jessica Huntington, it may be hard to imagine what it means to be rich. That doesn’t keep us from trying. The fantasy that all our troubles will vanish if only a long, lost aunt or uncle leaves us a million bucks is commonplace. The size of Powerball and other lottery payouts around the country is a testament to the pervasive hope of winning big! Heck with the idea of waiting for that big gift from a distant relative—buy a lottery ticket or two or three instead. Never mind that lots of people have to buy lots of tickets to create enormous jackpots, making it harder for any single ticket holder to win. Despite the yearning to be rich, it turns out that wealth can be a burden. Sudden wealth has sometimes been described as “catastrophic" and for good reason.
Having met a real-life heiress while I was in college, I soon learned that wealth is no panacea for life’s challenges. That’s apparent in my Desert Cities Mystery series, as my protagonist, a 30-somethng daughter of privilege finds her well-planned life in the toilet. As she hurtles toward mid-life and a full-blown existential crisis, she has to come to grips with the fact that money can’t buy happiness, despite her overdependence on retail therapy. Nor can it save your neck when face-to-face with ruthless bad guys willing to do just about anything to make money.
My friend in college was beset by worries that she was unworthy of the money that made her life comfortable. At times, she feared the resentment directed toward her by those less fortunate. Her solution was secrecy. That might work well enough with acquaintances and casual friendships, but could be an impediment when it comes to finding love rooted in openness and intimacy, not secrecy. Could she ever be sure she was loved for who she was as a person and not because of her fortune, even if the love of her life was another member of the one percent? Ah, the woes of being a poor little rich girl! Still, her fears make sense given the open animosity often expressed about wealthy people. Ironic, given the widespread aspirations to become one of them!
My well-to-do friend had one advantage over many who find themselves suddenly wealthy. She understood money. At twelve, she began to attend family meetings where they discussed the ins and outs of the family business and managing their wealth. Money wasn't something we spoke about as openly in my family, in part because we didn't have much. Like most of us, I grew up without much knowledge about money, not even understanding the basics of budgeting, saving and investment.
Is it any wonder that in those fantasies about inheriting a million dollars from a distant relative, we're unlikely to grasp what a windfall like that means? As Thomas J. Stanley and William Danko point out in their book, The Millionaire Next Door, a million dollars doesn’t go very far at all. If we don’t blow through it, preserve the principle and take only the interest earned by investing that nest egg at 4 or 5% a year—that’s 40 or 50 thousand dollars in income. We don’t dare quit our day job if we want to maintain a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Want to buy a big house or drive a fancy car? That imaginary relative better drop 10 million on us instead of one!
Even ten million's not always enough to avoid disaster. Going broke is one of the most common catastrophes associated with sudden wealth. “Instead of finding themselves in the lap of luxury, 70 percent of people who come into sudden money are broke within a few years,” according to Ilana Polyak of CNBC reporting findings from a study by the National Endowment for Financial Education. Easy come, easy go, some might say. I bet it doesn’t feel that way to those who go from rags to riches to rags in the whirlwind created by a windfall. That’s true not just for lottery winners, but for celebrities and athletes who win big for a few years, live beyond their means, and fall into a hole once they’re no longer a hot item in Hollywood or healthy enough to play in the big leagues.
Even before they go broke, many who win big come to regard their winnings as a “curse.” Sudden wealth changes everything. No one escapes those worries my heiress friend had about her wealth just because they win it, or earn it, for that matter. Apparently, the suddenly wealthy all too often find themselves awash in solicitations from the suddenly desperate. Friends and family members, charities and pitch artists all rush in looking to score a bonanza from an off-kilter, newly-minted millionaire. Imagine finding yourself recast in the role of the rich relative now inhabiting your family members’ fantasies of being rescued by money?
Jack Whittaker isn’t the only lottery winner to say “I wish I’d torn that ticket up,” or something like that, once the honeymoon ended following the arrival of sudden wealth. In his case, he was robbed, sued, and lost his granddaughter to a drug overdose. Lottery winners frequently become estranged from family and friends, and incur a greater incidence of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce, and suicide than the average American. Not all that surprising since sudden wealth introduces new pressures and increases access to a host of temptations made more affordable by all that money.
The Gamblers by Christoph Fischer The Gamblers
If you’d like to read a well-crafted, award-winning fictional account of what it’s like to become suddenly wealthy, Christoph Fischer’s novel, The Gamblers does just that. The book provides a glimpse into the world of one lottery winner, a reclusive accountant, Ben Andrews. Rather obsessive, he’s fascinated with numbers, and not just in his profession. Ben is a gambler—believing his love of numbers can help him beat the odds. When a lottery ticket pays off big, almost overnight he’s a millionaire many times over. He keeps news of his winnings to himself, and unlike most of the suddenly rich, doesn’t go on a spending spree. At least not until he’s befriended by Mirco. A worldly-wise Russian gambler, Mirco has a taste for flashy suits, sexy women, and hot cars, and possesses a murky background. Soon after, Ben falls for a lovely woman, Wendy, a flight attendant he meets on an overseas jaunt.
Let the games begin as Ben’s windfall sucks him into a head-spinning, life-changing world of jet-setters willing to indulge themselves in all the things that money can buy—good and bad. What does all this mean for Ben Andrews? Will all that money change him? Can he trust Mirco or Wendy? I won’t say, but I will tell you that the story keeps you guessing until the very end.
What’s the moral of the story? To be honest, when it comes to money, it’s complicated. There is, in fact, some evidence that money increases happiness—to a point. More money seems to be associated with greater happiness [or less distress] for people until they report earning about $70-75,000. After that, the impact of earning even more increases happiness only slightly, or disappears altogether, depending on which study you read. In one study, researchers found that wealthy people spent more time worrying about money than those with less.
The happiness that money buys varies, too, depending on what you do with it. My flawed heroine, Jessica Huntington, loves playing fairy-godmother, wielding that black AMEX card of hers like a magic wand! As it turns out, investing in others can make you happier than splurging on yourself. Using your money to buy experiences also brings more happiness than buying stuff! Putting money in perspective helps too—learning enough about it to use it wisely, but not becoming overly preoccupied with it. After all, it’s the love of money, not money per se, that’s the root of all evil, according to that old proverb, right?
The Gamblers Giveaway
If you prefer mystery/thrillers with adult themes to the cozy mysteries I often feature on my blog, then I hope you’ll enter to win a copy of Christoph Fischer’s book, THE GAMBLERS. I’m giving away a kindle copy along with a copy of the first book in the Jessica Huntington series, A DEAD HUSBAND, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card. The Gamblers Giveaway runs March 24-April 15 on Rafflecopter. To enter follow the link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?
A Dead HusbandChristoph Fischer has a selection of fine books if you’d like to read more by this author. A talented storyteller, history comes alive in his works of historical fiction that feature deeply personal accounts of individuals caught up in epic historical events. To find out more about him and his books visit one of his sites!
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Christoph-Fisch...
FACEBOOK: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CFFBooks
WEBSITE: http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/
Want to read more about money and happiness
The Only 3 Things You Need to Know About Money and Happiness
http://time.com/money/3680465/happine...
Can Money Buy Happiness?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/art...
Why so many lottery winners go broke
http://fortune.com/2016/01/15/powerba...
Why Lottery Winners Crash after a Big Win
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpag...
Sudden Wealth Can Leave You Broke
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/01/sudden...
The Suddenly Wealthy Just as Quickly Broke:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...
FIND ME AT http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
March 17, 2016
Magic, Mystery, & Sweets Mystery/Thriller #Giveaway
If you like a little magic with your cozy mystery, you're in luck this week here at the desert cities mystery blog. Meet Amelia Spelled, the main character in Morgana Best's story: Miss Spelled. In this fun cozy mystery, when we meet Amelia Spelled things are not going well. She gets dumped by her boyfriend, loses her job, and gets evicted all on the same day! Just when all seems lost, though, Amelia discovers a letter revealing that she's an heiress.
Whoo! That sounds great, but the devil is in the details. In this case mysterious details about her aunt's true identity, and the items Amelia has inherited. That includes two cats, a lovely old Victorian home with secrets, and a cake store. Egads! Cooking is definitely not Amelia's forte as this story suggests in the very beginning. Add to all of that the fact that Amelia discovers secrets about herself, gets mixed up in a murder, and is soon way in over head on many fronts.
All the magic, murder and mayhem unfolds in a light, breezy way that makes for an engaging read. Fans of cozy mystery that comes with a supernatural twist will want to put this one on their TBR. This is only book 1 in the series, so more fun to follow.
I'm going to give you a chance to find out how much fun by offering a GIVEAWAY including two kindle copies of Miss Spelled.
I'm also including two kindle copes of A DEAD HUSBAND, book 1 in my Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series. Jessica's no witch but she does have a black AMEX card she wields like a Fairy Godmother's magic wand.
And I'm adding sweets into the mix with 2 $10 gift cards for Brandini Toffee. That's a favorite among locals who live here in the area around Palm Springs where Jessica's adventures unfold. Giveaway starts Tuesday, March 15th, ENDS MARCH 31st
HOW DO YOU ENTER? Go to Rafflecopter March 15-31 @ https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?
FIND OUT MORE about other Giveaways & blog posts, news and books at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Whoo! That sounds great, but the devil is in the details. In this case mysterious details about her aunt's true identity, and the items Amelia has inherited. That includes two cats, a lovely old Victorian home with secrets, and a cake store. Egads! Cooking is definitely not Amelia's forte as this story suggests in the very beginning. Add to all of that the fact that Amelia discovers secrets about herself, gets mixed up in a murder, and is soon way in over head on many fronts.
All the magic, murder and mayhem unfolds in a light, breezy way that makes for an engaging read. Fans of cozy mystery that comes with a supernatural twist will want to put this one on their TBR. This is only book 1 in the series, so more fun to follow.
I'm going to give you a chance to find out how much fun by offering a GIVEAWAY including two kindle copies of Miss Spelled.
I'm also including two kindle copes of A DEAD HUSBAND, book 1 in my Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series. Jessica's no witch but she does have a black AMEX card she wields like a Fairy Godmother's magic wand.
And I'm adding sweets into the mix with 2 $10 gift cards for Brandini Toffee. That's a favorite among locals who live here in the area around Palm Springs where Jessica's adventures unfold. Giveaway starts Tuesday, March 15th, ENDS MARCH 31st
HOW DO YOU ENTER? Go to Rafflecopter March 15-31 @ https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?
FIND OUT MORE about other Giveaways & blog posts, news and books at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
March 7, 2016
The Soul of an Old Machine & Giveaway!
I’ve cried buckets of tears over the death of a cherished pet. Is it any surprise we mourn the loss of such companionship? Their lives are so intertwined with our own despite their short lifespans. I’ve come to expect that loss as part of the package of pet ownership and have grown more conscious of the limited time we have with them, although the claim on our hearts lasts much longer.
When my 8-year-old laptop computer became ‘sick’ last year, and then ‘died,’ this year, I was totally caught off guard. Like most of us who become dependent on technology, I try not take for granted the tasks my electronic servants carry out, but I do. At the back of my mind, I realized that I was pushing up against the limits of the ‘life expectancy’ for my computer. Still, I refused to face the fact that it was time to find a replacement.
Some of that refusal to face the facts was rooted in practical concerns. The cost of a new laptop isn’t a small thing. It’s not like buying a car, but it’s not chump change, either. Worse for a control freak like me, is the need to be sure I’m getting the best value for the money I fork over. That means, of course, that I spent months poring over articles in PC magazines and blog posts about the specs, as well as ratings and reviews by techies and users alike. By the time I had read through them and narrowed down my choices, the new year loomed with a whole new lineup of models available. It was back to the drawing board—almost like starting over.
In the meantime, my laptop had quit powering up—the receptor for the power cord had wiggled loose. Surely that was an easy fix, right? Wrong! Two weeks and a hundred bucks later, I got my laptop back from the store where I had left if for a diagnostic evaluation and repair. The replacement part had been installed, but there was still a ‘gremlin’ in there somewhere so even when powered up the laptop was misbehaving. Diagnosis: unknown gremlin. Okay.
Control freak gave way to the panicky writer as I tried to stay afloat. It wasn’t dead yet, and without a power cord, I could use it for a couple hours until the battery died and had to be recharged. My poor long-suffering husband allowed me to use his laptop to charge my battery. And, I borrowed his laptop when he wasn’t glued to it. Stop blogging, limit tweeting and posting on Facebook and elsewhere, and write enough to meet the deadlines looming. Months later, I’m still playing catch up.
The worst part of switching to a new laptop is all the time required to load software, transfer files [even with cloud backup], and learn the ins and outs of using a new machine. The time spent as a nomad, drifting between computers, leaving things on storage devices so I could drag my work along with me only made that worse. When the new machine finally arrived in January, the transition wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. On the other hand, it’s March and I’m not completely back up to speed.
Nor have I disposed of that old machine. Why not? It’s like a worn sweater, an old pair of comfy jeans, or battered slippers that are hard to throw away. It's just "stuff," right? When Tracy Kidder wrote “The Soul of the New Machine” in 1981, he called attention to the spirit infused into the machine by its creators as members of the tech team raced to produce it. Some of that same spirit must be infused into objects we use as consumers, too.
That laptop was the one I bought when I left my job. It became a symbol of freedom when I retired. It’s also the place where I wrote my first five fiction books as I launched my new avocation in retirement. Contrails in cyberspace left by a joyous flight into fiction writing. More tragic bits and pieces of my life were captured in the ‘soul’ of that old machine over the course of eight years. Some events that started as celebrations and ended in tragedy. Others inescapable and integral to the realization that life’s short, for pets, laptops, and people. My father-in-law’s last will and testament, pictures of him in his last few weeks of life, and photos of the honor guard at his gravesite.
My old laptop sits, like the flag we received to honor the passing of our “Pop-Pop.” That old machine on a shelf alongside diplomas, symbols of our past employment, pictures of pets, and photos from other treasured moments. Objects, not alive, but imbued with the spirit of life imprinted on them by memories of the moments they represent. I shed no tears for the soul of the old machine, but can’t quite let it go.
I am almost caught up with the backlog of writing deadlines. I'm not resorting to the electronic version of the "dog ate my homework" excuse. Gnarly New Year, book 2 in my Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series, should have been released late December. Hey, it's a Gnarly New Year all year long, isn't it? That's what my characters, Kim and Brien, will argue and I'm going to agree. I still have a number of features I want to write in order to share some of the great books written by great authors. I hope by next week I'll be back to writing a weekly post about a new Mystery [cozy or not] or Thriller. Stay tuned.
Cowabunga Christmas
Find me here on Goodreads or at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Check out the Rafflecopter Giveaway free books & gift cards, ends MARCH 31, 2016
When my 8-year-old laptop computer became ‘sick’ last year, and then ‘died,’ this year, I was totally caught off guard. Like most of us who become dependent on technology, I try not take for granted the tasks my electronic servants carry out, but I do. At the back of my mind, I realized that I was pushing up against the limits of the ‘life expectancy’ for my computer. Still, I refused to face the fact that it was time to find a replacement.
Some of that refusal to face the facts was rooted in practical concerns. The cost of a new laptop isn’t a small thing. It’s not like buying a car, but it’s not chump change, either. Worse for a control freak like me, is the need to be sure I’m getting the best value for the money I fork over. That means, of course, that I spent months poring over articles in PC magazines and blog posts about the specs, as well as ratings and reviews by techies and users alike. By the time I had read through them and narrowed down my choices, the new year loomed with a whole new lineup of models available. It was back to the drawing board—almost like starting over.
In the meantime, my laptop had quit powering up—the receptor for the power cord had wiggled loose. Surely that was an easy fix, right? Wrong! Two weeks and a hundred bucks later, I got my laptop back from the store where I had left if for a diagnostic evaluation and repair. The replacement part had been installed, but there was still a ‘gremlin’ in there somewhere so even when powered up the laptop was misbehaving. Diagnosis: unknown gremlin. Okay.
Control freak gave way to the panicky writer as I tried to stay afloat. It wasn’t dead yet, and without a power cord, I could use it for a couple hours until the battery died and had to be recharged. My poor long-suffering husband allowed me to use his laptop to charge my battery. And, I borrowed his laptop when he wasn’t glued to it. Stop blogging, limit tweeting and posting on Facebook and elsewhere, and write enough to meet the deadlines looming. Months later, I’m still playing catch up.
The worst part of switching to a new laptop is all the time required to load software, transfer files [even with cloud backup], and learn the ins and outs of using a new machine. The time spent as a nomad, drifting between computers, leaving things on storage devices so I could drag my work along with me only made that worse. When the new machine finally arrived in January, the transition wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. On the other hand, it’s March and I’m not completely back up to speed.
Nor have I disposed of that old machine. Why not? It’s like a worn sweater, an old pair of comfy jeans, or battered slippers that are hard to throw away. It's just "stuff," right? When Tracy Kidder wrote “The Soul of the New Machine” in 1981, he called attention to the spirit infused into the machine by its creators as members of the tech team raced to produce it. Some of that same spirit must be infused into objects we use as consumers, too.
That laptop was the one I bought when I left my job. It became a symbol of freedom when I retired. It’s also the place where I wrote my first five fiction books as I launched my new avocation in retirement. Contrails in cyberspace left by a joyous flight into fiction writing. More tragic bits and pieces of my life were captured in the ‘soul’ of that old machine over the course of eight years. Some events that started as celebrations and ended in tragedy. Others inescapable and integral to the realization that life’s short, for pets, laptops, and people. My father-in-law’s last will and testament, pictures of him in his last few weeks of life, and photos of the honor guard at his gravesite.
My old laptop sits, like the flag we received to honor the passing of our “Pop-Pop.” That old machine on a shelf alongside diplomas, symbols of our past employment, pictures of pets, and photos from other treasured moments. Objects, not alive, but imbued with the spirit of life imprinted on them by memories of the moments they represent. I shed no tears for the soul of the old machine, but can’t quite let it go.
I am almost caught up with the backlog of writing deadlines. I'm not resorting to the electronic version of the "dog ate my homework" excuse. Gnarly New Year, book 2 in my Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series, should have been released late December. Hey, it's a Gnarly New Year all year long, isn't it? That's what my characters, Kim and Brien, will argue and I'm going to agree. I still have a number of features I want to write in order to share some of the great books written by great authors. I hope by next week I'll be back to writing a weekly post about a new Mystery [cozy or not] or Thriller. Stay tuned.
Cowabunga Christmas
Find me here on Goodreads or at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
Check out the Rafflecopter Giveaway free books & gift cards, ends MARCH 31, 2016
February 20, 2016
Mystery/Thriller Monday Murder in Cuba/Happy Homicides 2 Giveaway
Mystery/Thriller Monday Murder in Cuba Review & Giveaway
February 15, 2016
Give her an inch, she’ll take a mile—thousands of them, in fact. With the opening to Cuba, Cedar Bay’s Kelly, is there in a flash. Courtesy, of course, of Kelly’s real-life author, Dianne Harman. The story, Murder in Cuba, was cooked up while Dianne Harman was on a visit there. You can find her blog posts about that visit at her website @ http://www.dianneharman.com/
Murder in Cuba is another fun, quick read by Dianne Harman, with glimpses of Cuba providing a backdrop to this lighthearted murder mystery. Vintage automobiles and other images described by the author, resonate with a place frozen in time since Cuba was last open to U.S. tourism. The natural beauty of this island nation also shines through in the story. There’s food, too, as in Kelly’s Koffee Shop and the other stories in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series. Murder in Cuba also features an introduction to, of all things, fly-fishing. It's an integral part of the story and part of the reason Kelly and her husband, Mike, journey to Cuba. When Dudley Samms, a fishing guide is found murdered, the story is off and running. Do Kelly and Mike’s friends belong on the quirky list of suspects? Did Carola or Jack kill Dudley? If not, whodunit? You’ll have to read this latest installment in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series to find out.
To help you do that, I’m sponsoring a Giveaway. Only one more day! Enter to win one of 2 signed paperback copies of Murder in Cuba from Dianne Harman. Enter to win at the Rafflecopter Giveaway @ https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?
That giveaway also puts you in the running to win one of two kindle copies of Happy Homicides 2: Thirteen Cozy Mysteries (Crimes of the Heart). Meet Georgie Shaw in Murder at Catmmando Mountain! For more information visit my website @ http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
February 15, 2016
Give her an inch, she’ll take a mile—thousands of them, in fact. With the opening to Cuba, Cedar Bay’s Kelly, is there in a flash. Courtesy, of course, of Kelly’s real-life author, Dianne Harman. The story, Murder in Cuba, was cooked up while Dianne Harman was on a visit there. You can find her blog posts about that visit at her website @ http://www.dianneharman.com/
Murder in Cuba is another fun, quick read by Dianne Harman, with glimpses of Cuba providing a backdrop to this lighthearted murder mystery. Vintage automobiles and other images described by the author, resonate with a place frozen in time since Cuba was last open to U.S. tourism. The natural beauty of this island nation also shines through in the story. There’s food, too, as in Kelly’s Koffee Shop and the other stories in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series. Murder in Cuba also features an introduction to, of all things, fly-fishing. It's an integral part of the story and part of the reason Kelly and her husband, Mike, journey to Cuba. When Dudley Samms, a fishing guide is found murdered, the story is off and running. Do Kelly and Mike’s friends belong on the quirky list of suspects? Did Carola or Jack kill Dudley? If not, whodunit? You’ll have to read this latest installment in the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series to find out.
To help you do that, I’m sponsoring a Giveaway. Only one more day! Enter to win one of 2 signed paperback copies of Murder in Cuba from Dianne Harman. Enter to win at the Rafflecopter Giveaway @ https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?
That giveaway also puts you in the running to win one of two kindle copies of Happy Homicides 2: Thirteen Cozy Mysteries (Crimes of the Heart). Meet Georgie Shaw in Murder at Catmmando Mountain! For more information visit my website @ http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com
October 12, 2015
Hijinks in the High Desert GIVEAWAY! Mystery/Thriller Feature: Murder and the Monkey Band by Dianne Harman
Murder & The Monkey Band: High Desert Cozy Mystery Series
Dianne Harman, prolific author of Amazon bestselling cozy mysteries, has a new series! Murder and the Monkey Band is book 1 in the High Desert Cozy Mystery series. I’m giving away two kindle copies—find out how to enter at the end of this post or go here!
There’s something about the Sonoran desert area, out here, near Palm Springs. It’s not just the physical beauty of the place, although that grabs me over and over again. There’s a mystique too. Some of that’s the legacy of an ancient history. Name places remain, created by native people that called the Coachella Valley home for thousands of years before it was ‘discovered’ by newcomers. The legacy of Spanish colonization, the hold on Alta California by an independent Mexico, and vestiges of immigration during U.S. westward expansion are also evident. Then there’s Hollywood, mid-century modernist architecture, and the trappings of great wealth that transformed that area as it became a premier resort destination.
That’s a scintillating mix of ingredients that makes the low desert here in the valley a fascinating setting for mystery fiction. My Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series isn’t the only set in and around Palm Springs. Sylvia Selfman’s Izzy Greene cozy series is set here and so is Albert Simon’s Henry Wright series.
The desert continues up into the high country, though—up over the Little San Bernardino Mountains and on into the Mojave Desert nearby. The high desert has its own history and a distinctive vibe that is wilder, more anarchistic and iconoclastic than that found here below. It’s the high desert in the foothills of the Little San Bernardino Mountains that is the focus for Dianne Harman’s newest cozy mystery series.
Murder & the Monkey Band, book 1 in the High Desert Cozy Mystery series introduces us to a new amateur sleuth. The story is off and running in a flash. Marty Morgan has recently made the move to the high desert when she finds herself drawn into a murder mystery. An appraiser, she’s called upon to assess the value of antiques and collectibles left by a wealthy woman killed in her own home in Palm Springs. Let the hijinks begin! The list of suspects grows as Marty and her sister, Laura, conduct the appraisal—not a simple task given the extensive and extremely valuable collections owned by the dead woman. I learned a few things about antiques and the process that goes on behind the scenes to evaluate precious items like the Monkey Band. The story of the Meissen porcelain collectibles is quite interesting apart from the role they play in the murder and mayhem.
This series has all the hallmarks of one of Dianne Harman’s well-received cozy mystery series: a likable amateur sleuth starting over in ‘midlife’; a small town populated by friendly characters with some unusual qualities like her sister’s ‘sixth sense’; good food [recipes included]; and a romantic interest for the protagonist who might just be ready to take chances as she starts her new life. It’s a quick, easy read to kickoff this great new series.
DIANNE HARMAN, IN HER OWN WORDS...
This is the FOURTH series produced by this prolific writer. I couldn’t resist asking her to share a little bit about her inspiration and writing process—here’s what she has to say!
My inspiration for the High Desert Series:
Many years ago my husband's uncle lived outside of Palm Springs with three other artists. There were four homes built around a central courtyard, kind of a compound. We visited several times, and I've thought about the uniqueness of it countless times. I was an art & antique appraiser for many years and the High Desert Series is a blending of those two things.
My Writing Process:
I write daily. I find that when I do that I can keep the story line straight. Although I have four series, I've retired the Coyote Series and rotate writing books between the three cozy mystery series: Cedar Bay, Liz Lucas, and the newest, High Desert. I have an iPad and take that with me. I try to write a couple of lines a day if I'm away from my main computer. We're going to Cuba in a couple of weeks and I doubt that I'll be able to write on the small island where we'll be. One thing I'm definitely planning on is writing a book with Cuba as the backdrop! Just haven't decided which series it will go in.
At times, keeping all the names and characters straight can be a challenge. I have a sheet of paper for each book with the characters’ names on it and anything else I feel is relevant. That way I can refer back to it so I don't inadvertently plug in a character from another book, which I did once. The only problem I've had with that method, and I can't write from an outline because I feel strangled, is that my new puppy took a paper from my desk on the book I was writing and shredded it! Now the papers go farther back on the desk when I'm not in the room!
Writing Tips:
As far as tips - just write. Like many people, I had a book in me, but didn't think I had the necessary credentials to write it. My husband gave me the book by Stephen King called "On Writing." He more or less says "Just Do It," kind of like Nike, and I did. I've never had so much fun! When I started I knew nothing about social media and was told to do twitter, Facebook, etc. I developed a web site and a mailing list. Like it or not, marketing plays a huge part and while most writers don't like to do it, it's a necessary evil. No one is going to look for my books under a rock. I've read that a reader doesn't buy a book until they've seen it at least seven times. That's a lot of marketing, but it works!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the books in Ms. Burke's series, The Jessica Huntington Series, are excellent. I know the area well and she writes about Palm Springs in such a way that you feel you're there. So saying, one of my top ten books that I've ever read is her book, Love A Foot Above The Ground. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about it. Utterly charming, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Thanks so much for having me and as you know, I'm a huge fan of yours!
THANK YOU DIANNE HARMAN [I’m blushing about the kind words]
GIVEAWAY!
It’s simple to enter! Two individuals will be randomly selected from those who leave a comment: “Dianne Harman” or “Monkey Band” on my website homepage by midnight SUNDAY October 18,, 2015. Enter to win at: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com.
Find Murder and the Monkey Band—available in Kindle and Paperback versions:
AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Monkey-B...
Follow Dianne Harman and find out about all the series she writes:
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:
http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Harman/e...
Web Site: http://DianneHarman.com/
Blog: http://dianneharman.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianneDHarman?lan...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianneharman...
Dianne Harman, prolific author of Amazon bestselling cozy mysteries, has a new series! Murder and the Monkey Band is book 1 in the High Desert Cozy Mystery series. I’m giving away two kindle copies—find out how to enter at the end of this post or go here!
There’s something about the Sonoran desert area, out here, near Palm Springs. It’s not just the physical beauty of the place, although that grabs me over and over again. There’s a mystique too. Some of that’s the legacy of an ancient history. Name places remain, created by native people that called the Coachella Valley home for thousands of years before it was ‘discovered’ by newcomers. The legacy of Spanish colonization, the hold on Alta California by an independent Mexico, and vestiges of immigration during U.S. westward expansion are also evident. Then there’s Hollywood, mid-century modernist architecture, and the trappings of great wealth that transformed that area as it became a premier resort destination.
That’s a scintillating mix of ingredients that makes the low desert here in the valley a fascinating setting for mystery fiction. My Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series isn’t the only set in and around Palm Springs. Sylvia Selfman’s Izzy Greene cozy series is set here and so is Albert Simon’s Henry Wright series.
The desert continues up into the high country, though—up over the Little San Bernardino Mountains and on into the Mojave Desert nearby. The high desert has its own history and a distinctive vibe that is wilder, more anarchistic and iconoclastic than that found here below. It’s the high desert in the foothills of the Little San Bernardino Mountains that is the focus for Dianne Harman’s newest cozy mystery series.
Murder & the Monkey Band, book 1 in the High Desert Cozy Mystery series introduces us to a new amateur sleuth. The story is off and running in a flash. Marty Morgan has recently made the move to the high desert when she finds herself drawn into a murder mystery. An appraiser, she’s called upon to assess the value of antiques and collectibles left by a wealthy woman killed in her own home in Palm Springs. Let the hijinks begin! The list of suspects grows as Marty and her sister, Laura, conduct the appraisal—not a simple task given the extensive and extremely valuable collections owned by the dead woman. I learned a few things about antiques and the process that goes on behind the scenes to evaluate precious items like the Monkey Band. The story of the Meissen porcelain collectibles is quite interesting apart from the role they play in the murder and mayhem.
This series has all the hallmarks of one of Dianne Harman’s well-received cozy mystery series: a likable amateur sleuth starting over in ‘midlife’; a small town populated by friendly characters with some unusual qualities like her sister’s ‘sixth sense’; good food [recipes included]; and a romantic interest for the protagonist who might just be ready to take chances as she starts her new life. It’s a quick, easy read to kickoff this great new series.
DIANNE HARMAN, IN HER OWN WORDS...
This is the FOURTH series produced by this prolific writer. I couldn’t resist asking her to share a little bit about her inspiration and writing process—here’s what she has to say!
My inspiration for the High Desert Series:
Many years ago my husband's uncle lived outside of Palm Springs with three other artists. There were four homes built around a central courtyard, kind of a compound. We visited several times, and I've thought about the uniqueness of it countless times. I was an art & antique appraiser for many years and the High Desert Series is a blending of those two things.
My Writing Process:
I write daily. I find that when I do that I can keep the story line straight. Although I have four series, I've retired the Coyote Series and rotate writing books between the three cozy mystery series: Cedar Bay, Liz Lucas, and the newest, High Desert. I have an iPad and take that with me. I try to write a couple of lines a day if I'm away from my main computer. We're going to Cuba in a couple of weeks and I doubt that I'll be able to write on the small island where we'll be. One thing I'm definitely planning on is writing a book with Cuba as the backdrop! Just haven't decided which series it will go in.
At times, keeping all the names and characters straight can be a challenge. I have a sheet of paper for each book with the characters’ names on it and anything else I feel is relevant. That way I can refer back to it so I don't inadvertently plug in a character from another book, which I did once. The only problem I've had with that method, and I can't write from an outline because I feel strangled, is that my new puppy took a paper from my desk on the book I was writing and shredded it! Now the papers go farther back on the desk when I'm not in the room!
Writing Tips:
As far as tips - just write. Like many people, I had a book in me, but didn't think I had the necessary credentials to write it. My husband gave me the book by Stephen King called "On Writing." He more or less says "Just Do It," kind of like Nike, and I did. I've never had so much fun! When I started I knew nothing about social media and was told to do twitter, Facebook, etc. I developed a web site and a mailing list. Like it or not, marketing plays a huge part and while most writers don't like to do it, it's a necessary evil. No one is going to look for my books under a rock. I've read that a reader doesn't buy a book until they've seen it at least seven times. That's a lot of marketing, but it works!
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the books in Ms. Burke's series, The Jessica Huntington Series, are excellent. I know the area well and she writes about Palm Springs in such a way that you feel you're there. So saying, one of my top ten books that I've ever read is her book, Love A Foot Above The Ground. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about it. Utterly charming, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Thanks so much for having me and as you know, I'm a huge fan of yours!
THANK YOU DIANNE HARMAN [I’m blushing about the kind words]
GIVEAWAY!
It’s simple to enter! Two individuals will be randomly selected from those who leave a comment: “Dianne Harman” or “Monkey Band” on my website homepage by midnight SUNDAY October 18,, 2015. Enter to win at: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com.
Find Murder and the Monkey Band—available in Kindle and Paperback versions:
AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Monkey-B...
Follow Dianne Harman and find out about all the series she writes:
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:
http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Harman/e...
Web Site: http://DianneHarman.com/
Blog: http://dianneharman.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianneDHarman?lan...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianneharman...
September 23, 2015
Mystery Thriller Feature! The Gordonston Ladies Dog-Walking Club by Duncan Whitehead
September 22, 2015
Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club, The
Talk about your desperate housewives!
The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club is an enjoyable read. It takes a wry look at suburbia, Savannah Georgia style. A neighborhood that hides it eccentricities well, prosaic Gordonston is anything but! For a place where everybody knows your name, and a good deal of your personal business, there sure are a lot of secrets. There’s intrigue, scandal, murder and mayhem brewing beneath a veneer of civility, tinged with a hint of old Savannah southern charm. The pace of the story, descriptions of the neighborhood and its inhabitants [all those happy pets running around at the dog park] are disarming, setting you up for a darkly humorous take on the way in which lives are so surprisingly interwoven. More six degrees of desperation than separation in this version of interconnectedness! The author will keep surprising you until the end—the very end for some who came to live in Gordonston. FIVE STARS!
What the author has to say about the book:
Little is what it seems to be in a leafy Savannah neighborhood as members of an afternoon cocktail and dog walking club mourn a neighbor’s death. Jealousies surface when friends vie for the widower running for mayor. An old woman with an infamous uncle plots to avenge a wrong. Memories haunt a once successful children’s writer. And a model has won the trip of a lifetime.
But a killer lurks and secrets unfold, as does a web of deceit. Is anyone really who he or she seems to be? A mysterious South American, a young Italian count, and a charitable nephew add suspicion and intrigue, as do an enigmatic organization linked to organized crime, a handsome firefighter, and three widows with hidden agendas. What’s a retired accountant’s secret, and why did a former showgirl really have plastic surgery?
The plot thickens, the Georgia temperature rises, and someone is destined for an early unmarked grave. The truth contorts to a climax that leaves readers breathless.
Find the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gordonston-...
Find out more about the AUTHOR:
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Whitehea...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/duncanwhitehead
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGordonsto...
Website: http://duncanwhiteheadauthor.com/abou...
Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club, The
Talk about your desperate housewives!
The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club is an enjoyable read. It takes a wry look at suburbia, Savannah Georgia style. A neighborhood that hides it eccentricities well, prosaic Gordonston is anything but! For a place where everybody knows your name, and a good deal of your personal business, there sure are a lot of secrets. There’s intrigue, scandal, murder and mayhem brewing beneath a veneer of civility, tinged with a hint of old Savannah southern charm. The pace of the story, descriptions of the neighborhood and its inhabitants [all those happy pets running around at the dog park] are disarming, setting you up for a darkly humorous take on the way in which lives are so surprisingly interwoven. More six degrees of desperation than separation in this version of interconnectedness! The author will keep surprising you until the end—the very end for some who came to live in Gordonston. FIVE STARS!
What the author has to say about the book:
Little is what it seems to be in a leafy Savannah neighborhood as members of an afternoon cocktail and dog walking club mourn a neighbor’s death. Jealousies surface when friends vie for the widower running for mayor. An old woman with an infamous uncle plots to avenge a wrong. Memories haunt a once successful children’s writer. And a model has won the trip of a lifetime.
But a killer lurks and secrets unfold, as does a web of deceit. Is anyone really who he or she seems to be? A mysterious South American, a young Italian count, and a charitable nephew add suspicion and intrigue, as do an enigmatic organization linked to organized crime, a handsome firefighter, and three widows with hidden agendas. What’s a retired accountant’s secret, and why did a former showgirl really have plastic surgery?
The plot thickens, the Georgia temperature rises, and someone is destined for an early unmarked grave. The truth contorts to a climax that leaves readers breathless.
Find the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gordonston-...
Find out more about the AUTHOR:
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Duncan-Whitehea...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/duncanwhitehead
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGordonsto...
Website: http://duncanwhiteheadauthor.com/abou...
September 15, 2015
Mystery Thriller Feature: Murder Takes a Holiday by Sylvia Selfman
September 14, 2015
MURDER TAKES A HOLIDAY: An Izzy Greene Senior Snoops Cozy Mystery
LOOKING TO JUMP START YOUR CHRISTMAS SPIRIT? Murder takes a Holiday will do just that. A quick, breezy read, the book features Izzy Greene, a senior sleuth with a great life--if she can hang onto it! This is one of several books in Sylvia Selfman's Izzy Greene Senior Sleuth Cozy Mystery series. It's a tasty treat to read along with a cup of tea, in a couple hours...maybe while taking a break from making you're holiday gift list and checking it twice.
Izzy is retired, living it up in the desert resort cities near Palm Springs. She has good friends, a kitty, and a man in her life--an ex-cop! Her golden years aren't always bright and shiny, however. Even when she's out on the glitzy Christmas party circuit, trouble drops in...right down the chimney. A dead guy at a Christmas party? Whodunit? Why? You'll have to buy yourself a little gift and read all about it.
Find the book on AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/MURDER-TAKES-HO...
Find out more about Sylvia Selfman and her other books:
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Sylvia-Selfman/...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sylvia.selfm...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sylviaselfman?lan...
CHECK OUT ALL THE BOOKS IN THE IZZY GREENE SERIES:
Murder She Typed (Book #1)
Murder By the Book (Book #2)
Murder Takes a Holiday (Book #3)
Murder Does Miami (Book #4)
MURDER TAKES A HOLIDAY: An Izzy Greene Senior Snoops Cozy Mystery
LOOKING TO JUMP START YOUR CHRISTMAS SPIRIT? Murder takes a Holiday will do just that. A quick, breezy read, the book features Izzy Greene, a senior sleuth with a great life--if she can hang onto it! This is one of several books in Sylvia Selfman's Izzy Greene Senior Sleuth Cozy Mystery series. It's a tasty treat to read along with a cup of tea, in a couple hours...maybe while taking a break from making you're holiday gift list and checking it twice.
Izzy is retired, living it up in the desert resort cities near Palm Springs. She has good friends, a kitty, and a man in her life--an ex-cop! Her golden years aren't always bright and shiny, however. Even when she's out on the glitzy Christmas party circuit, trouble drops in...right down the chimney. A dead guy at a Christmas party? Whodunit? Why? You'll have to buy yourself a little gift and read all about it.
Find the book on AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/MURDER-TAKES-HO...
Find out more about Sylvia Selfman and her other books:
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Sylvia-Selfman/...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sylvia.selfm...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sylviaselfman?lan...
CHECK OUT ALL THE BOOKS IN THE IZZY GREENE SERIES:
Murder She Typed (Book #1)
Murder By the Book (Book #2)
Murder Takes a Holiday (Book #3)
Murder Does Miami (Book #4)
