Murder at Maple Ridge

 A New Year's Eve that Kate would never forget!

https://tinyurl.com/wmkwmvf

Kate Morgan loves a good mystery. She’s an avid reader and she recently finished writing a murder mystery. The story takes place at the fictionalized version of Maple Ridge, the real life home of Chad Hollingsworth, the man Kate has been dating for the past year.

Chad has invited Kate to his parents’ annual New Year’s Eve party where Kate will meet the other members of his family. On the drive to Maple Ridge, he tells her, “I have to warn you. When the Hollingsworth family gets together, there’s always a lot of drinking and drama.” He has no way of knowing there will be a murder.

In a strange twist of fate, there are numerous similarities between Kate’s manuscript and what actually happens. Kate is determined to separate fact from fiction by figuring out the identity of the killer. But she soon discovers that solving a murder in real life is a lot harder than figuring out whodunit in a mystery novel.

A Christmas Mystery

The Westwood Strangler is dead. Or so everyone believes.

Ann Malone Kern is busy preparing for her favorite holiday. She’s especially looking forward to her sister’s annual Christmas visit. But, several things threaten to ruin her festive mood.

The National Weather Service issues a severe winter storm warning for the Cincinnati area, predicting blizzard conditions, and Ann worries that her sister and her new boyfriend won’t be able to make the drive from South Carolina. 

Then, a woman is found strangled in Ann’s neighborhood and everyone, including the police, assumes it’s the work of a copycat killer. However, when two more women are murdered in their homes, the police announce their conviction that the Westwood Strangler is responsible. 

When Ann hears the news, the sense of safety and security she’s worked so hard to recapture since her attack on Halloween night, shatters. If the intruder who died in her apartment wasn’t the Westwood Strangler, who is?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JC9M3HQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i6

Gratitude is an Attitude

Thanksgiving has traditionally been a day to celebrate all the things for which we are grateful. One day, out of three hundred sixty-five days in a year, when many families sit around their dining room tables, hold hands and tell, one at a time, what they’re grateful for. Which is great but. . . .

What about the other three hundred sixty-four days? We’re all busy living our lives; we can easily get so caught up in work, writing and/or other responsibilities that we take things and people for granted. We forget to stop to appreciate all that we have and to be thankful for our many blessings. We need to remember that each day is a gift, a present. 

Do we get up in the morning, thankful to be alive? Are we determined to make the most of each day or do we slog through life, bitter and complaining? Do we notice all the little things that go wrong in our day or do we focus on the ones that go right? 

There’s so much beauty in the world. Do we take time to appreciate and enjoy nature? Do we tell the important people in our lives how much they mean to us? Do we stop to give thanks (and credit) to others who encourage and support us? 

I think of gratitude as an attitude we should strive to possess and express every day, not just on Thanksgiving. In our complicated world, often, the simplest words can have the greatest meaning. The following lines, from a poem I learned as a child, sum it up. “Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you, God, for everything.”

"The Notorious Noel Caper" by Sally Carpenter

Bowling for all abilities

By Sally Carpenter

Within cozy mysteries, all the characters seem to be in perfect health. They never get colds or sore throats or headaches or break their arms or suffer any maladies. They have 20/20 vision and good hearing. Occasionally a grandparent might use a cane. Characters who use wheelchairs are showing up more, but are still the exception.

In my Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series, I added a major secondary character who is blind. I have poor vision, so this type of character hits close to home. Celeste Farmington, Sandy’s sister, first appeared in the third book. “The Cunning Cruise Ship Caper.”

It’s fun to view the world through her eyes, so to speak, and be aware of how she moves, speaks and reacts. I had a blind friend in college, so I use him as a reference to how Celeste acts.

She has a fold-up cane, but she doesn’t always use it. She isn’t at all like the blind character in the W.C. Fields movie who swung his cane around inside a store and breaks the merchandise. Celeste has darks glasses, but doesn’t always wear them.

Celeste feels uncomfortable in crowds, and hasn’t fully mastered good social skills. As a result, she can be blunt and demanding. But she’s sweet and her family loves her.

Despite her challenges, I’ve tried to find ways to work her into the stories. My latest book, “The Notorious Noel Caper,” opens with Sandy taking part in a celebrity charity bowling tournament. I couldn’t work Celeste into the scene—could I?

A little research proved that blind people can indeed bowl.

The American Blind Bowling Association Inc. was established in 1951. It’s open to legally blind individuals, including those with limited vision. The association maintains teams, leagues and tournaments with prizes.

Blind bowlers use the same standard lanes as sighed people, same rules, balls and scoring. The only difference is the use of a handrail, comprised of metal tubing, that stands about waist high and runs the length of the floor from the approach to the foul line. The rail is moveable, and is weighed down with bowling balls at the base.

The blower holds the rail with one hand and the ball in the other. The rail serves as a guide to keep the bowler in a straight path as she takes her steps to the foul line.

A sighted person assists by keeping score, calling out the numbers of the fallen and standing pins, and sometimes giving suggestions on how to throw the ball. However, the assistant never touches the bowler while she’s bowling or throws the ball for her.

Videos of blind blowers can be found on YouTube; simply type in “blind bowlers.” Bowling is one of the few sports in which blind people can participate, and those who do love it.

So, Celeste accompanies her brother to the tournament and joins her blind team mates, the Bowler Babes. Her presence adds a nice touch to the scene, gives Sandy someone to talk to, and demonstrates that blind people can live full, rich lives.

I’m giving away a free story to readers who sign up for my mailing list. Go to sandyfairfaxauthor.com and scroll down to the “Get My Story” button.

Sally Carpenter is a native Hoosier living in Southern California. She’s worked as an actress, college composition instructor, jail chaplain, movie studio page and is now with a community newspaper. She’s the author of two cozy mystery series, Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol (five books) and the Psychedelic Spy (two books), both with Cozy Cat Press. “The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper” was a 2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel. She has short stories published in three anthologies. You can reach her at facebook.com/sally.carpenter.54. 

To purchase “The Notorious Noel Caper,” go to https://www.amazon.com/Notorious-Caper-Sandy-Fairfax-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09CN1W7V1/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2MBYN26X5IDY7&keywords=notorious+noel+caper&qid=1634786090&sprefix=notorious+noel+%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-2

A Halloween Mystery

It was the week before Halloween, shortly after I'd moved into a new apartment. I went for a walk in the neighborhood and spotted an old Victorian. I've always loved old houses so I stopped, gazing up at it. And I wondered what those walls would say if they could talk.

Intrigued, I wanted to find out more about the house and the area so I went to the Cincinnati Historical Society and immersed myself in research. The more I learned, the more certain I was that I wanted to write a mystery novel that took place there. 

I continued to take walks in the neighborhood, always with my camera. Little by little, I began to come up with plot ideas and the characters who would live in my fictional version of the house.

So, that's how I came to write Mixed Messages, my first Malone mystery. Proof that you never know where an idea for a book (or a series) will come from.

Once Upon A Time

 When I was a little girl, my mother used to read bedtime stories to me. Every time she read “Once upon a time,” I knew I was about to be drawn into a good story. I settled back against my pillow, confident that, no matter what happened to the characters in the course of the book, at the end all would be resolved and I would hear the words “And they lived happily ever after.”

Those were fairy tales but they made a lasting impression on me. Starting with Mixed Messages, the first book in my Malone mystery series which takes place at Halloween, I put my characters in some dangerous situations and gave them lots of problems, but I’m confident readers will be satisfied when they finish each book. Because it is a series, some things carry over to the next book but, by the end of Marnie Malone, the fifth and last book in the series, all loose ends are tied up. 

Once upon a time, a family of four lived in an old Victorian on the west side of Cincinnati - where a serial killer is attacking women in their homes.

It’s the week of Halloween and, in addition to worrying about a maniac on the loose, Ann Malone Kern struggles with several personal issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her west side neighborhood, is in jeopardy. Her husband is drinking heavily and his behavior toward her is erratic. One minute, he’s the kind, loving man she married and, the next minute, he’s cold and cruel.

Ann dismisses a psychic’s warning that she is in danger. But, when she receives a series of ominous biblical quotes in addition to the love poems someone has been sending her, she grows nervous and suspicious of everyone, including her own husband.

As the bizarre and frightening events unfold, Ann discovers a handmade tombstone marked with her name, pushing her close to the edge.

          Will Ann be the Westwood Strangler's next victim?  

If you enjoy character-driven, family-oriented mysteries, you can read about and/or order the Malone mysteries at: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007VDDUPQ or you can click on a book cover on the right side of this page. Happy Reading!

Dance to the Music

Yesterday I saw (and shared) a cartoon on Facebook, which gave me the idea for this post. It read “If you want to eliminate stress, turn off the news and turn on the music.” Great advice!

Many years ago, I made a commitment to myself to be happy and I’m determined to do everything I can to honor that commitment. No matter what! So, if that means missing out on the latest plane crash, mass murder or other tragedy, so be it! Terrible things have always happened and, unfortunately, they probably always will. My knowing about them won’t change that but it could put a damper on my day and my spirit.

 I don’t want any unnecessary stress in my life. Like most people, I have enough challenges in my personal life, things that could and would steal my joy - if I let them. I don't need to take on any more.  None of us knows how long we’ll have on this earth and I want to make each day the best I can make it. Here are five things I do every day.

1.      I start each day with a prayer, thanking God for all my many blessings. I look out my window and thank Him for the beautiful world He created.

2.      Then, I turn on the radio to my favorite station. Some days I dance and other days I don't but the music definitely lifts my spirits.  

3.      Throughout the day, I do my best to see the good things and the good people around me ( I am blessed with a supportive family and good friends who are always there for me) because I’ve learned that, if we focus on the positive, we’ll attract good things and good people but, if we focus on the negative, well, you get my point. Some days are easier than others.

4.      When a negative thought comes to me, I do my best to replace it with a positive thought because I know that what I think will dictate how I feel. That includes finding humor, smiling and laughing, wherever and whenever I can and taking things one day at a time. 

5.      I read! I love a good mystery and, when I immerse myself in the world of the fictional characters, my problems and the world’s problems disappear, at least temporarily.

If we want to be happy, each of us has to do whatever it takes to be (and stay) positive and we each have our own way of doing that.  What works best for you?

If only. . . .

 How many times have you said these words? “If only. . .”

“If only I had more time. . .”
“If only I had more money. . .”
“If only ___________.” You can fill in the blank with whatever you chose.

Well, you get the idea. The point is that, when we use the term “if only,” we’re wishing things were different than they are. I’m pretty sure that most, if not all of us, have uttered the phrase at one time or another. Reality is not exactly the way we want it to be so we wish for it to be different. And then we'll be happy.
  
When I was a little girl, I looked forward every week to watching Walt Disney Presents on TV. I loved all the segments, especially the Davey Crockett episodes (Fess Parker was my first love) and the Mickey Mouse Club. My favorite part was the beginning of the show when Jiminy Cricket sang, “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires, will come to you.” 

Back then, I had a habit (still do) of saying, “I wish. . .” And my father would always respond, “Wish in one hand and you-know-what in the other and see where you have the most.” In other words, don’t live in the Land of What Isn’t. Live in the Land of What Is.

As an adult, every time I hear myself say, “If only” or “I wish,” I think of Dad and I have to smile. His was great advice but something I have yet to master. Because, sometimes, I’m not all that keen on reality. Which, I'm sure, is one of the reasons I’ve always loved fiction and why I knew, at an early age, that I wanted to be a writer. 

Of course, like it or not, we all have to deal with reality but sometimes we need a break. When I read a good novel or work on writing one of my own, I escape to another place: the Land of Fiction, a truly remarkable place.

Book and/or movie?

I think most authors dream of the possibility that one or all of their books will someday be made into a movie or a TV series. I mean, think about it. Imagine seeing the characters and the story you created on the big screen or, more likely these days, on television. What a thrill, right? Not to mention the money you’d be paid for the movie rights. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? The fact is, I think it just might be. 

Off the top of my head I can only think of two instances where I read a book, later watched the movie and was pleased with the casting choices and the way the producers adhered to the storyline. The Godfather and Gone with the Wind. I’m sure there are lots of others but, for me, they were the exceptions because most movies I’ve watched recently, which were adapted from novels I’d read, did NOT stay true to the book. And, to be honest, that bothers me.

For example, I love the Hallmark mystery movies and I think, overall, they do a great job producing them. I especially enjoy the movies based on books I haven’t read because watching them is my introduction to the characters and the story.

However, some of the ones I’ve watched - where I had previously read the book/s - were disappointing. Why? Because there were too many discrepancies between what the author wrote and what I was watching. In some cases the producers omitted elements of the novels that I believed were crucial to the plot. And, in other cases, their choice of an actor/actors was lacking. The actor simply was not like the main character or supporting character I’d grown to love and care about. So, for me, the movies lost a lot of their appeal.

Well, you might ask, doesn’t the author have a say in choosing the actors and approving the script? From what I understand, they do and they don’t. In other words, although their opinions are requested and sometimes honored, the producers have the final word.

Authors:

Now for the big question: If you were offered the opportunity to have your books made into movies, would you accept?

Readers:

Given the opportunity to read the book or watch the movie – or both – which would you choose?

It takes a village

Everyone knows that it takes an entire community of people interacting with children, supporting and encouraging them, in order for them to thrive. Well, the same principle applies to books. It takes a village to effectively promote a book. But what exactly does that mean?

There are over two million books published every year. Over 300,000 in the U.S. alone. Stop to think about that for a minute. Of course, that includes fiction and non-fiction and I don’t have the statistics by genre. Still, imagine how many mystery novels are released in a twelve month period. Now, picture one book lost in that sea of books. The bottom line: an author can’t successfully promote his or her book alone. We need your help.

So, as a reader, what can you do? Here are a few suggestions: 

1. If you read a book and love it, spread the word. Tell everyone you know about it. Because the most effective means of promotion is word of mouth.
2. Write a positive review on amazon and Goodreads. I know this sounds like a lot of work but, believe me, once you do it, you’ll see how easy it is. A lot of readers have the mistaken impression that writing a review is similar to writing a book report. It isn’t. One or two sentences telling what you enjoyed most about the book can make all the difference in the world.
3. Purchase a paper copy of the book you enjoyed and give it to a reader on your shopping list. An avid reader will love nothing more than receiving a book for Christmas or their birthday.
4. Follow your favorite authors on amazon and Goodreads. That way, you’ll get a notification whenever they publish a new book.
5. Take a chance on a new (to you) author. It’s fine to read the novels by Big Name authors but you’re missing out if you don’t give small press and self-published authors a chance. Not all writers can be a Mary Higgins Clark or a James Patterson but we all have stories to tell that you just might love.

The Trash Harem by Marilyn Meredith

ABOUT THE COVER FOR THE TRASH HAREM

 

Deciding what should be on a cover is always something the author and/or the publisher must decide.

Since the title of my new Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery is The Trash Harem, yes, it does refer to trash containers, the idea of one on the cover didn’t appeal.

One of the threads in the plot involves an old oak tree on property belonging to the Pechanga Indians. If you’ve never heard of this tribe of native people, they are located in the Temecula area (very southern California) and own the very popular, Pechanga Resort and Casino.

The Great Oak, called Wi’aasal, is over one-thousand years old making it the largest naturally grown, coastal live oak tree. The huge trunk is over twenty-feet around, and the largest branches touch the ground, and it is over one-hundred feet tall. This oak tree still produces acorns.

The native people revere this oak tree whose canopy sheltered many generations. It is legendary and holds spiritual significance.

At one time, the land this magnificent tree grew on belonged to the author Erle Stanley Gardner. Both the tree and Gardner play significant roles in this mystery.

The editor, Lorna Collins, and I felt a depiction of this special oak tree would be the perfect choice for the cover—and Larry Collins did a great job creating it.

Marilyn Meredith

Official Blurb for The Trash Harem:

Deputy Tempe Crabtree has retired from her job in Bear Creek when friends, who once lived in Bear Creek and attended Pastor Hutch’s church, ask her to visit them in Temecula. The husband, Jonathan, is a suspect in what might be a murder case. The retirement community includes many interesting characters, any of whom might have had a better motive than Jonathan. There is also a connection to Earle Stanley Gardner as well as the Pechanga Old Oak. What is a trash harem? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

To purchase The Trash Harem

https://www.amazon.com/Trash-Harem-Tempe-Crabtree-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B096KZDPH8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Trash+Harem+by+Marilyn+Meredith&qid=1622899167&s=books&sr=1-1

Marilyn Meredith’s Bio:

She is the author of over 40 published books including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, and writing as F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. She’s a member of two chapters of Sisters in Crime and the Public Safety Writers Association.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith

 

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Patricia Gligor (rhymes with "tiger") and I'm a fiction writer. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and have for most of my life. I grew up reading Judy Bolton and Nancy Drew mysteries and knew, from the time that I was ten years old and had a poem I'd written accepted for publication in my Sunday School magazine, that I wanted to be a published author when I grew up.

Well, I've been grown up for some time now. I've spent my whole life writing and I did have three short stories published locally at one point. Unfortunately, although I tried from time to time to market my writing, I didn't focus on the publishing side of things. Through the years, I attended numerous writing classes, seminars and writers conferences but I let "life" get in the way of pursuing my dream of becoming a published author. I'm not willing to do that anymore.

Which brings me to why I started this blog. Quite simply, to network, to get my name out there because that seems to be the path to publication these days. Also, I'm interested in hearing from other writers. After all, we're all in this together and I believe that we need to help and encourage one another. I'd love to hear from you.

Since writing this post ten years ago, I've written and published nine mystery novels. If you haven't yet read my books, just click on the book covers on the right side of this page to read more about them and/or to order your copy/copies.

Until next time, Happy Reading!

The Writing Process

The writing process fascinates me. I recently published my ninth mystery novel and I’m still in awe of how bits and pieces from my life and lots of other sources come together to form a book. Sometimes, it’s easy to figure out where ideas come from; other times it’s not. When an idea comes to me seemingly from “out of the blue,” I look up and say, “Thank You,” because I believe in giving credit where credit is due.

My favorite part of writing is creating characters. People and psychology have always fascinated me. My Malone mysteries have been described as “character driven” and my  Small Town mystery series is also character driven. A house may have been the inspiration for both series but the characters quickly became the most important element to me.

So, how did I come up with the characters for my four-book series? Like all of writing, it was a process. 

Kate, my main character, is based on someone I once knew who was the single mother of a young daughter. But that’s where the similarity ends. The two women are nothing alike in appearance or personality.

The rest of the characters are figments of my imagination but I know they each include characteristics of people I've known.

In Secrets in Storyville, Kate’s parents and grandmother are hiding a secret. They, Kate's daughter, the people Kate works with, several of the town’s residents and the man Kate meets and falls in love with all play a role in the mystery.

 (If you'd like to read more about one of my books and/or you'd like to purchase it, click on the book cover on the right of this page.)

I hope you enjoy getting to know the characters in Secrets in Storyville, the first book in the series, as much as I enjoyed creating and writing about them and that you will go on to read the rest of the series.

Until next time, Happy Reading!