tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85771443229168229262024-03-12T19:32:46.799-04:00Patricia Gligor's Writers ForumFor readers and writers of mystery/suspense novelsPatricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.comBlogger441125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-84698377867031420942022-04-26T10:30:00.001-04:002022-04-26T10:30:00.201-04:00The Malone Mysteries<p> </p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3098424812707513651" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 630px;"><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JnLlWLmbvaI/YTOLRJU4bbI/AAAAAAAAEck/sKNMBeNqlEEZgNrSff_FoLFS5zCDWvKsACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Final%2BMM%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1384" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JnLlWLmbvaI/YTOLRJU4bbI/AAAAAAAAEck/sKNMBeNqlEEZgNrSff_FoLFS5zCDWvKsACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Final%2BMM%2Bcover.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="216" /></a></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Mixed Messages: A Malone Mystery (The Malone mystery series Book 1) </span></a></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">by</span><u><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #007185; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb;"><span style="color: #007185;">Patricia Gligor</span></a></span></u><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A serial killer on the west side of Cincinnati is attacking women in their homes, terrifying the residents of the normally peaceful, family-oriented neighborhood where Ann Malone Kern and her family live. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But Ann pushes those fears to the back of her mind as she struggles to deal with several personal issues. Her primary concern is her marriage which, like her neighborhood, is in jeopardy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When a series of bizarre and frightening events take place and Ann receives both threatening notes and love poems, she feels like she's living in a world of mixed messages. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">On Halloween night, a man forces his way into her apartment. Will Ann be the Westwood Strangler's next victim?</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xnH3DbM5SUc/YTOLh5kGquI/AAAAAAAAEcs/_OeQEyEzEtABG3GiO25lSFILCP591npywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/UB%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xnH3DbM5SUc/YTOLh5kGquI/AAAAAAAAEcs/_OeQEyEzEtABG3GiO25lSFILCP591npywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/UB%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="213" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Unfinished Business (The Malone mystery series Book 2) </span></a></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">by</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Patricia Gligor</span></a></span></u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Westwood Strangler is dead. Or so everyone believes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kqxn20pPBes/YTOLro7xFwI/AAAAAAAAEcw/6BGhtf31Fc4vr-1Wng-BtCMIdMqybUI2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DD%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kqxn20pPBes/YTOLro7xFwI/AAAAAAAAEcw/6BGhtf31Fc4vr-1Wng-BtCMIdMqybUI2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DD%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="213" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Desperate Deeds (The Malone Mystery series Book 3) </span></a></span></u></b><b><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">by</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Patricia Gligor</span></a></span></u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">As Ann Malone Kern starts her new business as an interior decorator, the temperatures have risen, tulips and daffodils are in bloom and there’s a feeling of endless possibilities in the air. She has no idea that her world is about to be turned upside down.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The day before Easter, Ann wakes up to discover that her young son is gone. Frantic, she searches the house and the yard but there's no sign of Davey. Desperate, she and her husband, David, call the police but their ongoing search continues to turn up no leads. It appears the little boy has disappeared into thin air.<br /><br />Another child, Kelly Kramer, has been missing since December. Where are the children? And what, if anything, can Ann do to get her son back?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jW7tCWqZ944/YTOL7XPU-fI/AAAAAAAAEc8/VN3Y4i8k3vkNibNV_C0SrWR0u7yk1XgkACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MI%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jW7tCWqZ944/YTOL7XPU-fI/AAAAAAAAEc8/VN3Y4i8k3vkNibNV_C0SrWR0u7yk1XgkACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MI%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <b><u><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Mistaken Identity (The Malone Mystery series Book 4) </span></a></span></u></b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">by</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/page/edit/8577144322916822926/3098424812707513651" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Patricia Gligor</span></a></span></u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ann feels like she’s in Paradise as she digs her toes into the soft, white sand and gazes out at the ocean. She’s looked forward to this vacation in South Carolina for a long time and all she wants to do now is bask in the sun, resting and relaxing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">But Ann’s peaceful vacation is disrupted when she goes for a solitary walk on the beach and something shiny catches her eye. She’s horrified when she discovers the body of a young woman with a gold locket twisted around her neck. And, she knows who the locket belongs to.<br /><br />Ann feels an obligation to discover the identity of the killer and to see them brought to justice but, in the process, she places her own life in jeopardy. </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqFfz_B_HYc/YTOMEgITRdI/AAAAAAAAEdA/Jk9wlDYS6VwOhV6Tt2kD3OUPV1DWDdtXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Marnie%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqFfz_B_HYc/YTOMEgITRdI/AAAAAAAAEdA/Jk9wlDYS6VwOhV6Tt2kD3OUPV1DWDdtXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Marnie%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFNYSXR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i6" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Marnie Malone (The Malone Mystery series Book 5) </span></a></span></u></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-Gligor/e/B007VDDUPQ?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vu00_tkin_p1_i6" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Patricia Gligor</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Someone is stalking Marnie.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">As an attorney, Marnie Malone has made enemies through the years and she’s received her share of verbal threats. But no one has ever acted on them - until her last week at Cliburn & Reeves. However, in spite of the threatening phone calls, black rose on her desk and other ominous messages, Marnie refuses to be intimated.<br /><br />But when it becomes apparent that the stalker knows where she lives, Marnie becomes nervous and apprehensive. Sam is out of town on business and she’s alone in the big, old farmhouse with strange noises in the attic, creaking floorboards and someone watching her from the woods.<br /><br />As she tries to determine the identity of the stalker, the list of men who have grudges against her grows longer each day. Is the stalker someone from the past or one of the men on her list? And, how far will he go?<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>To read the reviews for the Malone mysteries and/or to order: </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007VDDUPQ" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007VDDUPQ</a></b></div><p><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><div><i><b> </b></i></div></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-12040805720956586072022-04-01T09:00:00.034-04:002022-04-01T09:00:00.233-04:00A mother's worst nightmare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">“In this third in her Malone mystery series, Gligor ramps up the suspense and offers a host of suspects to keep the reader flipping pages to see what will happen next.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">J.R. Lindermuth, author of the <i>Sticks Hetrick mystery series<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">“The worst possible thing anyone could image, happened to Ann Kern, the protagonist in Desperate Deeds, the third in the Malone Mystery series. Her child went missing. Ms. Gligor kept me reading well into the night to find out what happened. Her character development is so true to life that I could feel everything Ann did as she searched for her son. The suspense kept me tense and guessing throughout the novel, until I finally let out a breath at the end.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Evelyn Cullet<i>, </i>author of the</span><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> Charlotte Ross mystery series</span></i></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp7ZX28EMRZzF1jWq7DLm7G-pGLMDhNt9asYweeMhFcJrWC-75JNjFcqQRDaPcliXSGQd5PLYFr_BV4wawvE5mjIjDzIeEyZAI8SaPbWpx-mKGMcGeJP-L7FzQEyrAXAKTAN9Exq2iQbQykDUYH5fRYlGYxLp0Diqdx02PVQxronJDj7CHYxuwgPH/s2700/DD%20cover%20final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp7ZX28EMRZzF1jWq7DLm7G-pGLMDhNt9asYweeMhFcJrWC-75JNjFcqQRDaPcliXSGQd5PLYFr_BV4wawvE5mjIjDzIeEyZAI8SaPbWpx-mKGMcGeJP-L7FzQEyrAXAKTAN9Exq2iQbQykDUYH5fRYlGYxLp0Diqdx02PVQxronJDj7CHYxuwgPH/s320/DD%20cover%20final.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/ydbvjzq5">https://tinyurl.com/ydbvjzq5</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As Ann Kern starts
her new business as an interior decorator, the temperatures have risen, tulips
and daffodils are in bloom and there’s a feeling of endless possibilities in
the air. She has no idea that her world is about to be turned upside down.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">When Janis Riley,
a woman for whom money is no object, contacts Ann to redecorate her house, she
is elated. But the initial visit with her first client leaves her with mixed
emotions. Why did Janis react so strangely to seeing a photo of Davey, Ann’s
six-year-old son?</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">But Ann has bigger
problems. Her husband, David, a recovering alcoholic, has lost both his mother
and his job and Ann worries that he’ll start drinking again. To add to her
concerns, their next-door-neighbor, Dorothy Baker, is severely depressed but
Ann’s efforts to help her are rebuffed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">Ann is terrified
when she wakes up the day before Easter to find Davey gone. Another child,
Kelly Kramer, has been missing since December. Where are the children? And
what, if anything, can Ann do to get her son back?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-21281357909468803112022-03-16T09:00:00.000-04:002022-03-16T09:00:00.230-04:00When Writers Can't Write<p></p><p style="line-height: 200%;"></p><p style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">First of all, this post is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>about writers' block. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Instead, I'm going to write about those times in all
writers' lives when LIFE gets in the way of our writing. Raising small
children, caring for an elderly parent and moving to a new home to
name a few. The list goes on and on. Many times, we’re able to continue to
write in spite of our circumstances. But, even if we can’t, we know that things
will eventually turn around and we’ll get back to our writing.</span></p><p style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">But sometimes that's not what happens.
Sometimes, our inability to write is permanent, which is what this post is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> about. </span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">There’s no other way to
say this so I’ll just say it. I have cancer and my oncologist told
me in mid-January that my condition is terminal. There’s nothing else medical
science can do for me. He gave me “months” to live. A hard pill to swallow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p>I had plotted my tenth
book, the fifth in my Small Town mystery series, and written several chapters
when I got the news. After the initial shock of my diagnosis settled down a bit, I made
up my mind to make the most I could of each day I had left and to continue to write - my way of taking a break from reality. But,
after several tries, I realized that I had to accept the fact that it wasn't going to happen; I wasn't up to it physically or mentally. That, unless God granted me a miracle, <i>The Legend </i>would be the last book I would ever write. Another hard pill to swallow.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Because being a writer is who I am. I don't write for money or fame. I write because my books aren't just mysteries to me; they're family sagas with what I consider to be important messages. My goal has always been to entertain, educate and, hopefully, enlighten readers. Every author hopes that their books will live on long after they're gone and I'm no exception.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span>My fervent prayer is that God will grant me a miracle. </span><span>But, even if He doesn't, I accept His Will. I have had a blessed life with family and friends who've always loved and supported me. I've traveled to every place I really wanted to go and, although my dream was to become the author of </span><i>one</i><span> mystery novel, I've published </span><i>nine</i><span>. I couldn't ask for more than that and I'm truly grateful. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">So, even though I'm not able to work on my book, I continue to take things one day at a time and to do my best to make each day the best day I can make it. Some days are easier than others. I ask that you please include me in your prayers.</span><br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p><p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-6070830937353217922022-03-01T09:00:00.042-05:002022-03-01T09:00:00.250-05:00St. Patrick's Day<p> <span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">As far as I know, I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in my veins but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">Ann Malone Kern, the main character in my Malone mystery series</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">, is of Irish descent as is her husband, David</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;">. Like me, the Kerns live in Cincinnati, a city where the Irish played an important role. Next to the Germans, they were the largest group of immigrants between 1840 and 1910. </span></p><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cincinnati was a major destination for immigrants from Ireland who left their homeland because, due to the potato blight and resulting famine in their country, they couldn’t pay their mortgages and they were starving. Many were poor, spoke English with a brogue and were Roman Catholic with large families. Some came with nothing more than a few pieces of clothing.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">The city offered many opportunities for work on the riverfront, digging for the Miami and Erie Canal and on railroad construction. Although most had hoped to become farmers, with no money and desperate to feed their families, when they arrived in the Queen City, many Irish took jobs that were dangerous and unskilled with low pay. </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqD4lPjTsXI/T2NE5rzdP-I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/3VqSxB3SJE4/s1600/scan0005.jpg" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqD4lPjTsXI/T2NE5rzdP-I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/3VqSxB3SJE4/s320/scan0005.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Through the years, the Irish have contributed greatly to our city’s growth and culture. During the Civil War, the Irish formed several militia units, which became the core of the Ohio 10<sup>th</sup> Regiment. Later, many became policemen and firemen, some were prosperous in industry and others were active in politics.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today, we have The Irish Heritage Center of Greater Cincinnati. The IHC was founded to promote the Irish Culture through the study of customs, dance, education, film, genealogy, history, language, lectures, literature, music, mythology, poetry, social interaction, song, sport, theater and the visual arts.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> “May the road rise up to meet you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">May the wind be always at your back.<br />May the sun shine warm upon your face;<br />the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,<br />may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><b>Happy St. Patrick’s Day!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-6131886580468796512022-02-01T09:00:00.007-05:002022-02-01T09:00:00.292-05:00My most memorable Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcDINmHRXOaBzFLdGwp6QPSKkIOCmROE4HVy2axuGdUYDn-f4UEVp7UP4SWPNhWXrUPmlrFlUKfWEumBKg3ZlBk-PWlu9Tc4E7qP5wLy_BtHyh4wg4ejO9kYa5wA69EiXW75uONRBBsxWvudNynNwZwUiIR8nIVXWN0bdILrTK4DAWruP-7thHVDp0=s2700" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcDINmHRXOaBzFLdGwp6QPSKkIOCmROE4HVy2axuGdUYDn-f4UEVp7UP4SWPNhWXrUPmlrFlUKfWEumBKg3ZlBk-PWlu9Tc4E7qP5wLy_BtHyh4wg4ejO9kYa5wA69EiXW75uONRBBsxWvudNynNwZwUiIR8nIVXWN0bdILrTK4DAWruP-7thHVDp0=s320" width="213" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/vgp8f78">A Valentine's Day mystery</a><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">I originally posted this in February 2012. But, in honor of Valentine's Day, I'm reposting it. </span></i></span></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The other day, I overheard someone say, “I hate Valentine’s Day! It’s just another Hallmark holiday.” I hope that person reads this post because, well, no, it’s not!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span></span><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif"; font-size: medium;">There are many legends surrounding the origin of Valentine’s Day and the identity of St. Valentine, but the fact remains that valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages and written valentines began to appear after 1400. The oldest known valentine, still in existence today, is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife, while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London after his capture at the battle of Agincourt. I could be wrong but I don’t think Hallmark was in business back then!</span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span></span><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";"><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">I</span> love Valentine’s Day! In fact, it's my favorite holiday. There’s something so special about it. You can almost feel the romance in the air whether you’re romantically involved on that day or not. I’ve had some wonderful, memorable Valentine’s Days. Through the years, there were candlelit dinners and gifts of candy, flowers and jewelry. But, as much as I enjoyed and appreciated those celebrations, they pale in comparison to the Valentine’s Day when I was six years old.</span></span><br /><span></span><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">My first Valentine’s Day party! Our first grade classroom was decorated with hearts, which we’d cut out of red and pink construction paper and pasted on lacy, white backings. We ate pink and white frosted cupcakes and heart shaped cookies. Then, we passed out our Valentine’s Day cards with images of kittens, puppies and cupids. I can still remember how excited I was when I opened the cards, especially the one from Stevie Thompson. I had such a crush on him!</span></span><br /><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">At the end of the day, as we walked down the front steps of our elementary school to head home, Stevie called out my name. I stopped and turned around. And then, he walked up to me, kissed me on the cheek and took off running down the steps. I think I floated all the way home. Happy Valentine’s Day, Stevie, wherever you are!</span></span><br /><span></span><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif"; font-size: medium;">What was your most memorable Valentine’s Day?</span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif"; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif"; font-size: medium;"><b>Happy Valentine's Day!</b></span></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-69809477724344480892022-01-01T09:00:00.000-05:002022-01-01T09:00:00.219-05:00Why I love being a writer<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I've always
loved to read and I've spent countless happy hours with my nose stuck in a
book. I'd say "it doesn't get any better than that" but it does.
Because creating a story and the characters who will live that
story is the ultimate joy for me. I love being a writer! </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">So, here it is early January in Cincinnati. Now, keep in mind that I
am NOT a winter person. Looking out the window across from my desk as I type
this, I see bare trees, gray skies and a dreary landscape. And, it's cold out
there. But, like reading, writing offers me a way
to escape. When I close the drapes and immerse myself in my
current WIP (work in progress), </span><i style="color: #222222;">Murder at the Mine, </i><span style="color: #222222;">which will be the fifth novel in my Small
Town mystery series, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">everything changes.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background: white;">Suddenly, it's a hot and humid August day at a gem mine in North Carolina and
all of my senses are evoked. I can feel the sun beating down on my head as I
trudge up a hill, shovel and bucket in hand, along with my main character,
Kate, and her f</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">iancé</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, to dig for emeralds. Perspiration drips down my face and
I swipe at it with the back of my hand. I’m no longer in Cincinnati; I've been
transported to another place. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222;">
<span style="background: white;">But escape isn’t the only reason I love being a
writer. God has given each of us a dream and I thank Him every day for
making my dream come true. The art of creating gives me the opportunity to share
bits and pieces of my life and experiences with my readers – without revealing
what is based on fact and what is solely a product of my imagination.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Imagine this. Five writers sit at a table. I
give each of them the same list of characters and the same plot and I ask them
to write a story using that information. I'm sure you know
what will happen. Each writer will write a totally
different story in a totally different way. They'll each use their own
imagination and their own voice to do that and the end result will be
five stories that have little resemblance to each other.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Why? Because, like our fingerprints and our DNA,
each of us is unique, one of a kind, and our writing styles will
reflect that. Each writer pulls from his or her own experience and
knowledge to create a story that no one else could possibly write. And, it
isn't just about the experience and knowledge we each have. It's also about our individual
perceptions of and reactions to those things, all of which makes the art of
creating a beautiful and exciting adventure. </span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br />
The books we write are pieces of us. There's nothing more satisfying to me
than creating a story (and the characters who will live it) that
is unlike what anyone else on the planet has written or could
write. I wish I could say that everyone who reads my books will <i>love</i> them
but, of course, that's not true because our reading
tastes differ too. Some people will enjoy and appreciate my
books and others won't. But I write them in my own
distinctive way, the only way <i>I</i> can.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">I've heard that, when you find the thing
you're most suited to do in life, you'll feel as if you've come home. When I
write, I'm home.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-22418651726097539252021-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:002021-12-26T09:00:00.249-05:00Murder at Maple Ridge<p style="text-align: center;"> <b>A New Year's Eve that Kate would never forget!</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEh35Y1E3rGzsBwVEKu4ak6Qu_p2AXRb4zGIYkrEsnPKE-U5iqMC6rbXgcAz3_gBcKU_-njuSD6hBA1w8dFxE5gtYf8uWySmlA_DhjzxoDAGZVVcsTFBKYEtKu6G2I_fl8XEnf3TAYSZXJVPTmL9XLHlHhSso2BqoWbMMm3tOE-mTX30bat-HBdH7K=s2738" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2738" data-original-width="1838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEh35Y1E3rGzsBwVEKu4ak6Qu_p2AXRb4zGIYkrEsnPKE-U5iqMC6rbXgcAz3_gBcKU_-njuSD6hBA1w8dFxE5gtYf8uWySmlA_DhjzxoDAGZVVcsTFBKYEtKu6G2I_fl8XEnf3TAYSZXJVPTmL9XLHlHhSso2BqoWbMMm3tOE-mTX30bat-HBdH7K=s320" width="215" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/wmkwmvf">https://tinyurl.com/wmkwmvf</a></b></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-15032335664622730462021-11-26T09:00:00.017-05:002021-11-26T09:00:00.228-05:00A Christmas Mystery<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Westwood Strangler is dead. Or
so everyone believes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">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.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--n8jv10zR24/YXgWHCx-rzI/AAAAAAAAEfA/NkOKnCo68JEc6uaHWvVnj2njFlllH1W8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/UB%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--n8jv10zR24/YXgWHCx-rzI/AAAAAAAAEfA/NkOKnCo68JEc6uaHWvVnj2njFlllH1W8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/UB%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JC9M3HQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i6">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JC9M3HQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i6</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-88429570181792479862021-11-07T09:00:00.015-05:002021-11-07T09:00:00.222-05:00Gratitude is an Attitude<p><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">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. . . .</span></p><p></p><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">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. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">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? </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">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? </span></span></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"></div><div style="line-height: 32px;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think of gratitude as an attitude we should strive to possess and express <i>every</i> 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.”</span></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-13082280707184358122021-11-01T09:00:00.003-04:002021-11-01T09:00:00.232-04:00"The Notorious Noel Caper" by Sally Carpenter<p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ve5slocyvPQ/YXVakFUuWzI/AAAAAAAAEew/zSNxI79DgjYJyQu2xJCPp5-8-svqkHLuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/final%2Bfront%2Bcover%2BNotoriousNoelCaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ve5slocyvPQ/YXVakFUuWzI/AAAAAAAAEew/zSNxI79DgjYJyQu2xJCPp5-8-svqkHLuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/final%2Bfront%2Bcover%2BNotoriousNoelCaper.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></p><p>Bowling for all abilities</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By Sally Carpenter<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">A little research proved that blind
people can indeed bowl.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I’m giving away a free story to
readers who sign up for my mailing list. Go to <a href="http://sandyfairfaxauthor.com">sandyfairfaxauthor.com</a> and
scroll down to the “Get My Story” button.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-9B6NLB4eg/YXVaDEspGuI/AAAAAAAAEeo/SpbTiOOV1Qgyxtl2bG8ysbBYJGNbmMzoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1666/Carpenter%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1666" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-9B6NLB4eg/YXVaDEspGuI/AAAAAAAAEeo/SpbTiOOV1Qgyxtl2bG8ysbBYJGNbmMzoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Carpenter%2Bphoto.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">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 <a href="facebook.com/sally.carpenter.54. ">facebook.com/sally.carpenter.54.</a> </i></p><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">To purchase “The Notorious Noel
Caper,” go to <a href="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">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></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-16831393338291575082021-10-13T10:30:00.001-04:002021-10-13T10:30:00.208-04:00A Halloween Mystery<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIK7WgeWwvk/YWblp86jyiI/AAAAAAAAEeM/m6ElyA8sRwIrndeGpT3IoPkb8rQ_rMWDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Final%2BMM%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1384" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIK7WgeWwvk/YWblp86jyiI/AAAAAAAAEeM/m6ElyA8sRwIrndeGpT3IoPkb8rQ_rMWDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Final%2BMM%2Bcover.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">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.</span></p><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 48px;"></span><span style="line-height: 48px;"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5OvzdUS_RNE/WAjEHYUSefI/AAAAAAAADUE/cYg68pFySSQjkD99bshaA8J_c1tjCQehQCLcB/s1600/Old%2BVictorian0002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5OvzdUS_RNE/WAjEHYUSefI/AAAAAAAADUE/cYg68pFySSQjkD99bshaA8J_c1tjCQehQCLcB/s320/Old%2BVictorian0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"></td><td class="tr-caption"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmOlj5_VAhE/WAjShhjptvI/AAAAAAAADUc/B-6Qdzo4lgstVp7toJM-sJ0_4gJWYy6iQCLcB/s1600/Scan0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmOlj5_VAhE/WAjShhjptvI/AAAAAAAADUc/B-6Qdzo4lgstVp7toJM-sJ0_4gJWYy6iQCLcB/s320/Scan0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XuQfaBgmKwk/WAjSlqFBm2I/AAAAAAAADUg/EnL23SgcJigAbVsCfkbpEF0qsRdcs4EAQCLcB/s1600/Scan0004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XuQfaBgmKwk/WAjSlqFBm2I/AAAAAAAADUg/EnL23SgcJigAbVsCfkbpEF0qsRdcs4EAQCLcB/s320/Scan0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5UlOzZSp1-8/WAjSoer4sRI/AAAAAAAADUk/vNvY5UPujIY81jD_Of4MPYF5LS8-dHEDgCLcB/s1600/Scan0006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5UlOzZSp1-8/WAjSoer4sRI/AAAAAAAADUk/vNvY5UPujIY81jD_Of4MPYF5LS8-dHEDgCLcB/s320/Scan0006.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 48px;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 48px;"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 48px;"><i></i></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">So, that's how I came to write</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Mixed Messages,</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">my first Malone mystery. Proof that you never know
where an idea for a book (or a series) will come from.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><br /></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-13533404669364981732021-09-26T10:30:00.004-04:002021-10-05T15:15:58.982-04:00Once Upon A Time<p> <span style="font-size: large;">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.”</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those were fairy tales but they made a lasting impression on me. Starting with <i>Mixed Messages, </i>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 <i>Marnie Malone, </i>the fifth and last book in the series, all loose ends are tied up. </span></span></p></div></blockquote></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3enFnnJSwo/X3HxksJPn9I/AAAAAAAAERU/bk2goC5HvzEZc54i2tqD6s8NaJDim3rywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Final%2BMM%2Bcover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1384" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r3enFnnJSwo/X3HxksJPn9I/AAAAAAAAERU/bk2goC5HvzEZc54i2tqD6s8NaJDim3rywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Final%2BMM%2Bcover.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"></p></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">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.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the bizarre and frightening events unfold, Ann discovers a handmade tombstone marked with her name, pushing her close to the edge.</span></span></p></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Will Ann be the Westwood Strangler's next victim? </span></span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you enjoy character-driven, family-oriented mysteries, you can read about and/or order the Malone mysteries at: </span></span><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007VDDUPQ">https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007VDDUPQ</a> </b><span style="font-size: large;">or you can click on a book cover on the right side of this page. Happy Reading!</span></p></div></blockquote><p><br /></p></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-32678065916958112992021-09-12T09:00:00.007-04:002021-09-12T09:00:00.241-04:00Dance to the Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yWP-OYevZ9E/YTzCyKpiXcI/AAAAAAAAEd0/qOQBJKILXTUqiUYJE-v2y4-81Uc0NqygACLcBGAsYHQ/s506/dance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yWP-OYevZ9E/YTzCyKpiXcI/AAAAAAAAEd0/qOQBJKILXTUqiUYJE-v2y4-81Uc0NqygACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/dance.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">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! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">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.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>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.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 63.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 63pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 63.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 63pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 63.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 63pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 63.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 63pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 63.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 63pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">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?<o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-34200439632067499812021-08-29T10:30:00.001-04:002021-08-29T10:30:00.232-04:00If only. . . .<p> <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">How many times have you said these words? “If only. . .”</span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">“If only I had more time. . .”</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">“If only I had more money. . .”</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">“If only ___________.” You can fill in the blank with whatever you chose.</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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.</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I was a little girl, I looked forward every week to watching <i>Walt Disney Presents</i> 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.” </span></span></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlPn64DAND8/YSuRlRMBAKI/AAAAAAAAEbs/U-ivTg7S_SgqklLdWEndozwEaO7ikgB9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s285/If%2Bonly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="285" height="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlPn64DAND8/YSuRlRMBAKI/AAAAAAAAEbs/U-ivTg7S_SgqklLdWEndozwEaO7ikgB9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/If%2Bonly.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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.</span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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. </span></span><br /><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span><span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">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.</span></span></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-59725490131483196602021-08-19T13:30:00.001-04:002021-08-19T13:30:00.205-04:00Book and/or movie?<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">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. </span></p><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apazPAKLGl8/W3gery5-iaI/AAAAAAAADzY/u36afkqAYZc0VoyBWsouKbvpPCehtNHvQCLcBGAs/s1600/51-b3XhJQqL._AC_US327_QL65_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-apazPAKLGl8/W3gery5-iaI/AAAAAAAADzY/u36afkqAYZc0VoyBWsouKbvpPCehtNHvQCLcBGAs/s200/51-b3XhJQqL._AC_US327_QL65_.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KkxoPTcm5II/W3gewOoeJkI/AAAAAAAADzc/ExgGrT2_hw8FT5v_aVdMoWVnLfQX6_hbACLcBGAs/s1600/51D6ehbwihL._AC_US327_QL65_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="327" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KkxoPTcm5II/W3gewOoeJkI/AAAAAAAADzc/ExgGrT2_hw8FT5v_aVdMoWVnLfQX6_hbACLcBGAs/s200/51D6ehbwihL._AC_US327_QL65_.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="200" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">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. <i>The Godfather</i> and <i>Gone with the Wind</i>. 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.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">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 <i>haven’t</i> read because watching them is my introduction to the characters and the story.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">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 <i>not</i> 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.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">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.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Authors:</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Now for the big question: If you were offered the opportunity to have your books made into movies, would you accept?</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Readers:</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Given the opportunity to read the book or watch the movie – or both – which would you choose?</span></span></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-18103399035607026712021-08-09T09:00:00.012-04:002021-08-09T09:00:00.200-04:00It takes a village<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8T1XRMoMLRo/YQk5DcziliI/AAAAAAAAEbg/QJRJ7zmh_KMZOZyw8R_o5k6LdV9jsnN2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s499/It%2Btakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="499" height="147" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8T1XRMoMLRo/YQk5DcziliI/AAAAAAAAEbg/QJRJ7zmh_KMZOZyw8R_o5k6LdV9jsnN2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/It%2Btakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></span><div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">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?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">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 <i>can’t</i> successfully promote his or her
book <i>alone</i>. We need your help.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span><span>So, as a reader, what can you do? Here are a few suggestions:</span></span><span><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span><span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
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<![endif]--></span></span><br /></span><ol start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow your favorite authors on amazon and Goodreads. That way, you’ll get a notification whenever they publish a new book.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span><span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></span></span></li></ol></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-46734270259310084532021-08-08T09:00:00.004-04:002021-08-08T09:00:00.197-04:00The Trash Harem by Marilyn Meredith<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LK-RxvjBwqo/YQgKf1u9JQI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/NGCOJWufkHgWlgngJJ8bzGXL0jf-PZR9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Marilyn%2Bin%2BVegas%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1872" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LK-RxvjBwqo/YQgKf1u9JQI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/NGCOJWufkHgWlgngJJ8bzGXL0jf-PZR9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Marilyn%2Bin%2BVegas%2B1.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ABOUT
THE COVER FOR <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">THE TRASH HAREM<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Deciding what should be on a cover is always something
the author and/or the publisher must decide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since the title of my new Deputy Tempe Crabtree
mystery is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trash Harem</i></b>, yes, it does refer to trash containers, the
idea of one on the cover didn’t appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The native people revere this oak tree whose canopy
sheltered many generations. It is legendary and holds spiritual significance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Marilyn Meredith <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tNfEtb2hQDk/YQgK4bvnQ0I/AAAAAAAAEbY/oFZ3-O-Nd7EXOu7V08d-lEjBBhwpdyAogCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BTrash%2BHarem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="2048" height="231" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tNfEtb2hQDk/YQgK4bvnQ0I/AAAAAAAAEbY/oFZ3-O-Nd7EXOu7V08d-lEjBBhwpdyAogCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/The%2BTrash%2BHarem.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Official Blurb for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trash Harem</i></b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To purchase <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trash Harem<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="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">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</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Marilyn Meredith’s Bio:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Webpage: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://fictionforyou.com/">http://fictionforyou.com/</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Blog: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/">https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Facebook: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith">https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.meredith</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-3799421503308180792021-07-29T09:29:00.001-04:002021-07-29T10:43:32.772-04:00<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKtts3XvnnE/YQKrb_tPP_I/AAAAAAAAEa8/2cZ6B38wmCMv6plDf5dXMtkPPd7fwJihgCLcBGAsYHQ/s195/Tiger.GIF" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="195" height="169" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKtts3XvnnE/YQKrb_tPP_I/AAAAAAAAEa8/2cZ6B38wmCMv6plDf5dXMtkPPd7fwJihgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Tiger.GIF" width="195" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">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.</span></p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">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.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">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.</span><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>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.</i></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">Until next time, Happy Reading!</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-34262324869507057322021-07-18T09:00:00.039-04:002021-07-18T09:00:00.196-04:00The Writing Process<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">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.</span></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">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.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">So, how did I come up with the characters for my four-book series? Like all of writing, it was a process. </span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIFJVV6yUAE/YPMzuRgASqI/AAAAAAAAEaw/n2_5BJvDBiMUUTZA68sqyDISAaqcQlLHACLcBGAsYHQ/s2519/SIS%2Bbanner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="2519" height="234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qIFJVV6yUAE/YPMzuRgASqI/AAAAAAAAEaw/n2_5BJvDBiMUUTZA68sqyDISAaqcQlLHACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h234/SIS%2Bbanner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">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.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">The rest of the characters are figments of my imagination but I know they each include characteristics of people I've known.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">In <i>Secrets in Storyville, </i>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.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"> </span>(If you'd like to </span></span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">I hope you enjoy getting to know the characters in <i>Secrets in Storyville, </i>the first book in the series,<i> </i>as much as I enjoyed creating and writing about them and that you will go on to read the rest of the series.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif;">Until next time, Happy Reading!</span></span></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-50829578854198942622021-05-16T09:00:00.012-04:002021-05-28T10:39:53.575-04:00New Release!<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMws0LmY-FI/YJU1RCadvLI/AAAAAAAAEX4/mwM1Mbzxvn0r43qfjcghmclua8YHaYZ7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Final%2BTL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMws0LmY-FI/YJU1RCadvLI/AAAAAAAAEX4/mwM1Mbzxvn0r43qfjcghmclua8YHaYZ7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Final%2BTL.jpg" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/d6djw36f">https://tinyurl.com/d6djw36f</a></b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Kate Morgan is helping her best friend, Beth, decorate for
her parents’ fiftieth anniversary party at the Storyville Inn, which was formerly
the Prescott mansion. While there, they learn the details of the legend
surrounding the inn. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the late eighteen hundreds, Elise Prescott disappeared
from her home without a trace. Although there was speculation that her husband
murdered her, there was no proof to substantiate the allegations. Now, ninety-five
year old Ellen Prescott, Elise’s granddaughter, is obsessed with proving her
grandfather’s innocence and clearing her family’s name before she dies. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When Ellen turns up missing and then is found dead in the
woods behind the inn, the coroner rules it an accidental death. But her
granddaughter, Jennifer, doesn’t believe that’s true. She asks Kate and Beth,
who are fascinated with the legend and always eager to solve a mystery, to help
her prove that her grandmother was murdered and to find her killer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-5636860547500688072021-05-10T09:00:00.054-04:002021-05-10T09:00:00.218-04:00Twelve Days in the Territory<p> <i>I'm pleased to welcome good friend and fellow writer, J.R. Lindermuth. John's novel, "Twelve Days in the Territory" was released on May 5th and I'm eager to read it. </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXSlHi_gziw/YJGR7pYjKEI/AAAAAAAAEXg/vNV8zKThTy0NjR8Wl5JgVraNGSbQXX3MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s300/JR%2527s%2Bphoto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="181" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IXSlHi_gziw/YJGR7pYjKEI/AAAAAAAAEXg/vNV8zKThTy0NjR8Wl5JgVraNGSbQXX3MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/JR%2527s%2Bphoto.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background: rgb(253, 253, 253); color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: rgb(253, 253, 253); color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">J. R. Lindermuth lives and writes in a house built by a man who rode with Buffalo Bill Cody. A retired newspaper editor, he is now librarian of his county historical society where he assists patrons with genealogy and research. He has published 19 novels and two non-fiction regional histories. He is a member of International Thriller Writers and a past vice president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society.</span></p><p><b style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;">Readers (and writers) often have misconceptions about
women of the past.</b></p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Victorian stereotypes, fiction, film and scant
attention to history color these opinions. We know women didn't have the vote
in the past, often couldn't own or inherit property and were bound to obey
without question their husbands and fathers. But, even if totally true, it doesn't
mean women couldn't be strong and resourceful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">True, it took a long struggle for women to achieve the
vote, and we still can't say they've achieved full equality. In the 19th
century, most women here and abroad lived in a world of class, formal religion,
social strictures and structured family life. Despite these restrictions, there
were many women who bent the rules and did things others considered radical.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We see in the bible and other early writings, in
Shakespeare and in contemporary novels how women used their wiles (psychology
as well as physical charms) to get their way with men. They may not have been
able to own property, but many definitely could dominate and even punish a man
who did them wrong. And many were capable of achieving things on their own.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">History shows us some of the most effective and
bravest of spies in the Revolution and the Civil War were women. In the 1840s,
Margaret Fuller dedicated her life to a revolution aimed at freedom for women.
She made her living giving lectures in a time when it was illegal for women to
do public speaking for pay. She beguiled men like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel
Hawthorne. Edgar Allan Poe said society consisted of men, women and Margaret
Fuller. Later there was Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman), an inventor,
businesswoman, charity worker and (most famously) a journalist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Martha, the young woman taken hostage by outlaws, in
my latest novel, <i>Twelve Days in the Territory</i>, believes she'll be rescued by
her uncle, the sheriff, and Will, the man she loves. But, in the meantime,
she's also doing something about her situation. She's leaving a trail for Will
and her uncle to follow, she's paying close attention to the conversations of
her captors, and she's taking advantages of opportunities for escape. Then
there's Lucinda, Craw's woman. Despite living with outlaws, she's a Christian
and intent on passing her faith to her children. She also makes sure other
women in the camp are treated with respect while pursuing her goal of changing
Craw's ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEnO_ExtDW8/YJGSp-pc_GI/AAAAAAAAEXo/oIQQWrs5kI8nG-EFTyusIg80jrXLbhqEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Twelve%2BDays%2Bin%2Bthe%2BTerritory%2B%2BJRLindermuth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YEnO_ExtDW8/YJGSp-pc_GI/AAAAAAAAEXo/oIQQWrs5kI8nG-EFTyusIg80jrXLbhqEgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Twelve%2BDays%2Bin%2Bthe%2BTerritory%2B%2BJRLindermuth.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 16.96px; font-weight: 700; text-align: left;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ys2ssvd8">tinyurl.com/ys2ssvd8</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here's a blurb for </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Twelve Days in the Territory</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">:</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Will Burrows, a mild-mannered school teacher, is the only man in town who volunteers to join Sheriff Gillette in pursuit of outlaws who have taken Martha Raker, the sheriff's niece, hostage and fled into Indian Territory in the fall of 1887.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Gillette doubts Will's suitability for the task, but the young man who has been courting Martha insists he must go. Yet even Will has doubts about his qualifications and harbors a secret which raises his fears of what they'll face in the Territory.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Martha, a strong-willed young woman, will show courage and tenacity in the will to survive, confident in the belief she will not be abandoned by the man she loves or by her uncle.</span></p><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">All three will face trials the like of which they've never known before and they soon discover Crawford McKinney, the outlaw holding Martha is the least of their troubles.</span></p></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-88001942399902233592021-05-07T09:00:00.040-04:002021-05-07T09:00:00.210-04:00A Gift of Rainbows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3o5WteajTLo/YCE2C5CamII/AAAAAAAAEVg/TVrmBPl3hv8BpkINqXngpalROzdZgYG-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s743/Rainbow%2Bacross%2Bsky.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="743" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3o5WteajTLo/YCE2C5CamII/AAAAAAAAEVg/TVrmBPl3hv8BpkINqXngpalROzdZgYG-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Rainbow%2Bacross%2Bsky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">When we lose someone we love, we feel an almost overwhelming sense of loss. There's a hole in our life that no one else could ever fill. That person is gone and we miss them so much. So, </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">even though we know our loved one is in a better place, </span><span style="font-family: times;">we grieve. But eventually, we stop focusing on how badly we feel and we realize how blessed we were to have had them in our lives. When we think of them, we're finally able to smile because we have so many wonderful memories.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: times;">My mother went to be with The Lord two days before Thanksgiving. So, this is my first Mother's Day without her. But, instead of dwelling on that, I decided to do something to honor her, to thank her for all she gave me. She was always there for me. Always.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Mom taught me so many things, gifts I will treasure and carry with me forever. One tangible gift was a small, round crystal, which I hung in my window. Whenever the sun is out, it catches the rays and creates several rainbows on my bedroom wall. Every time I see them, I think of Mom and smile.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Mom was very artistic and she loved to paint. When my brother and I were packing up her things, I found three watercolors, which I framed on one of the walls in my apartment. Some days, they still bring a tear to my eye but, mostly, they make me happy.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YA01vy30Lfw/YCA0YWGzFgI/AAAAAAAAEUM/XuZ6CNNNe8E8znt8I1ldj1UxSUn5hgZpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Mom%2527s%2Bpaintings.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YA01vy30Lfw/YCA0YWGzFgI/AAAAAAAAEUM/XuZ6CNNNe8E8znt8I1ldj1UxSUn5hgZpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mom%2527s%2Bpaintings.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Through the years, Mom and I spent a lot of time together. We went shopping, to yard sales, took day trips and went on several vacations, including two trips to North Carolina to go gem hunting.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_KXnXozHx0/YCA77FFRX4I/AAAAAAAAEVM/euu8VY9YygQRFysj8R19eXfsj_RxBr3owCLcBGAsYHQ/s1785/NC%2BMom.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1785" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h_KXnXozHx0/YCA77FFRX4I/AAAAAAAAEVM/euu8VY9YygQRFysj8R19eXfsj_RxBr3owCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/NC%2BMom.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Mom loved her Welsh Corgi, Bosley, and, believe me, no dog ever had it so good. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uOajAoL7d68/YCA8hJHx8TI/AAAAAAAAEVU/PEwAltcuXXAqhU-F2ppH3nS-g2ueh8t9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1785/Mom%2Band%2BBosley.jpg" style="clear: left; font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1785" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uOajAoL7d68/YCA8hJHx8TI/AAAAAAAAEVU/PEwAltcuXXAqhU-F2ppH3nS-g2ueh8t9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mom%2Band%2BBosley.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Mom was my biggest fan and always went to book signing events with me. She crocheted the bookmarks on the table.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ksFpkeeuh8/YCA1BfAgyqI/AAAAAAAAEUc/Ws-qJ91MgM4StYspQR9JvMZazgWitiJxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Mom%2Bat%2Bbook%2Bsigning.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ksFpkeeuh8/YCA1BfAgyqI/AAAAAAAAEUc/Ws-qJ91MgM4StYspQR9JvMZazgWitiJxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mom%2Bat%2Bbook%2Bsigning.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span></p><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Mother's Day, Mom.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oP8c3sQo7s4/YCA09qJtpMI/AAAAAAAAEUY/TOJWyAusqUQr4FofGVMsacWrDEMG2E16gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Mom%2Band%2Bme.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oP8c3sQo7s4/YCA09qJtpMI/AAAAAAAAEUY/TOJWyAusqUQr4FofGVMsacWrDEMG2E16gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mom%2Band%2Bme.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-58021072004236947222021-04-18T09:00:00.069-04:002021-04-18T09:00:00.182-04:00Escape to Storyville<p>Reading is the best way I know to escape reality. If you're feeling the need to escape - and I think most of us are these days - I have a suggestion. Escape to Storyville, a small, fictional town in southwest Ohio where there are no Big Box stores, only family-owned businesses, traffic is never an issue and neighbors look out for neighbors.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onGQzl9a13U/YHs9M7FKFDI/AAAAAAAAEW8/S_fIQDmPg00VEwjJk9Bj3reptB0ffG4WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Secrets%2Bin%2BStoryville.jpeg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1380" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onGQzl9a13U/YHs9M7FKFDI/AAAAAAAAEW8/S_fIQDmPg00VEwjJk9Bj3reptB0ffG4WwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Secrets%2Bin%2BStoryville.jpeg.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/y4ledcgp">https://tinyurl.com/y4ledcgp</a></b></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">Kate Morgan, a single
mother, lives in the small town of Storyville, Ohio where she grew up. A
want-to-be author, she works as a sales clerk in the town’s only department
store doing what she describes as “a job a monkey could do.” Although she’s
bored with her job, she’s reluctant to consider making any major changes in her
life. However, she’s about to find out that change is inevitable.</p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">When Kate’s
ten-year-old daughter, Mandy, tells the family she plans to do a family tree
for a school project, the negative reaction of Kate’s parents and grandmother
shocks her but also arouses her curiosity. Why are they so against Mandy’s
project? Surely her family is too “normal” to have any skeletons in their
closet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">Kate decides to support
her daughter even if that means defying her parents. As she searches for the
truth, she discovers some long buried secrets that, if she decides to reveal
them, will change her life and the lives of the people she loves - forever.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TWWt2XDOvY/YHs-JQHylRI/AAAAAAAAEXE/Nca8dhgI_uwSl6u6QzITu5ZfOUaWhcVyACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MAMR%2BFinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7TWWt2XDOvY/YHs-JQHylRI/AAAAAAAAEXE/Nca8dhgI_uwSl6u6QzITu5ZfOUaWhcVyACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MAMR%2BFinal.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/wmkwmvf">https://tinyurl.com/wmkwmvf</a></b></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span color="windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">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.<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OvYWeqNiSNk/YHs-tyELR3I/AAAAAAAAEXM/7bPvrkenvQQ8Mfi5Z_DRfEzHD14PbVfMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Cover%2B-%2BOOTW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OvYWeqNiSNk/YHs-tyELR3I/AAAAAAAAEXM/7bPvrkenvQQ8Mfi5Z_DRfEzHD14PbVfMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cover%2B-%2BOOTW.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/ybgn8myf">https://tinyurl.com/ybgn8myf</a></b></div><p class="MsoNormal">Kate Morgan, a single mother raising her eleven-year-old
daughter, Mandy, in Storyville, Ohio, feels like she’s finally getting her life
together, both professionally and personally. Her first mystery novel is about
to be published and she and Chad Hollingsworth are engaged to be married. She’s
looking forward to a bright future. Until the past comes back to haunt her.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Eleven years ago, a string of home invasions took place in Kate’s
hometown, threatening the safety and security of the elderly residents. The burglaries
stopped abruptly – until now. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">And, eleven years ago, Bobby Benton, Mandy’s father, left
town, never returning – until now. The police consider Bobby a person of
interest in the crimes and, for the sake of her daughter, Kate is determined to
figure out the identity of the perpetrator in order to clear his name. However,
she quickly discovers that’s easier said than done.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>The Legend, </i>the fourth book in my Small Town mystery series, is due to be published in June 2021.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-6898184916482582392021-04-05T09:05:00.000-04:002021-04-05T09:05:00.215-04:00A rose by any other name. . . .<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BE5FFKWhGs4/YF5TjCQZShI/AAAAAAAAEWk/5cpll-lmtTQBlS1aZ_3I7Kx0wyJkvJTeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Rose.jpg" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BE5FFKWhGs4/YF5TjCQZShI/AAAAAAAAEWk/5cpll-lmtTQBlS1aZ_3I7Kx0wyJkvJTeQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Rose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>When I choose names for the characters in my novels, I want to use names that suit the image I have of them in my mind. I’m not talking about physical characteristics, although they’re important too. I’m talking about personality traits, including the little idiosyncrasies that make each character a unique person. </span></span><p></p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The process is interesting and fun. Lots of times, I’ll use a name that I associate with someone I’ve known. That can be a positive or a negative thing. For example, when I chose the name for the main character in my Malone mystery series, I decided on “Ann” because the personality and qualities of that character reminded me of my Aunt Ann, a kind and gracious woman. On the other hand, when I decided to name Ann’s mother-in-law “Louise,” I did so because someone from my past had that name and, let’s just say, she was “difficult” to deal with. </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometimes, I want to use a name simply because I like it. I have a third cousin named “Marnie.” I liked the name the minute I heard it. Although I’ve known her mother all my life, I didn’t meet Marnie until a few years ago, long after I decided to use her name. In my series, Marnie is Ann’s older sister, an attorney who lives in South Carolina. Here’s an excerpt about her from <i>Mixed Messages</i>: “Marnie said that the ocean gave her something nothing else could: a sense of peace and serenity; that she felt closer to God there than anywhere else.” </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I often look up names in my “Name Your Baby” book to see if the meaning of the name accurately describes the character. I'm not sure what I'd do if the name didn’t “fit” but, fortunately, the names I chose for my series have worked out so far. Here are some of the names I used in <i>Mixed Messages</i> and <i>Unfinished Business</i>. (Check out the definitions for Ann, Louise and Marnie in particular.)</span></span><div><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ann – Graceful one or <i>Gracious</i> one</span></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">David – Beloved one or Friend</span></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Marnie – From the <i>sea</i></span></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Olivia – Olive tree or olive branch; symbolic of peace</span></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lawrence - Laurel-crowned</span></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bernard (Bernie) – Bold as a bear</span></span></div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 26.4px; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Louise – Famous <i>warrior</i>-maid; famous in <i>battle</i></span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br /></div>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8577144322916822926.post-17648833115035251002021-03-28T10:00:00.009-04:002021-04-04T08:05:31.059-04:00An Easter mystery<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C4m9lrl8ges/YEeZPPb2wNI/AAAAAAAAEWE/ziLOQIBn8KwPFNt6ad4JvqjL1xQul5I7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DD%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C4m9lrl8ges/YEeZPPb2wNI/AAAAAAAAEWE/ziLOQIBn8KwPFNt6ad4JvqjL1xQul5I7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DD%2Bcover%2Bfinal.jpg" /></a></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/ydbvjzq5">https://tinyurl.com/ydbvjzq5</a></b><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;">As Ann Kern starts
her new business as an interior decorator, the temperatures have risen, tulips
and daffodils are in bloom and there’s a feeling of endless possibilities in
the air. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><b>She has no idea that her world is about to be turned upside down.</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;">Ann is terrified
when she wakes up the day before Easter to find her young son, Davey, gone. Another local child,
Kelly Kramer, has been missing since December. Where are the children? And
what, if anything, can Ann do to get her son back?</span></p><br /><p></p>Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com2