@rosalindatweets........by Joyce Oroz

I just finished reading Rosalinda Randall's new book, "@rosalindatweets," inspiring conversation and spreading civility one tweet at a time. Lovely book, frank messages.

We think of ourselves as civil, sane and just people, but there is always room for improvement or at least a reminder of the values and manners our mothers and fathers taught us.
Rosalinda says that most of her tweets were inspired by her daily experiences. I say, she had an excellent up-bringing. This is a smart, savvy gal who knows her way around the work place, the home and school. Here are a few example tweets from her book of 300 tweets.

"An excuse is worse than and more terrible than a lie; for an excuse is a guarded lie." Alexander Pope

Please don't pick your teeth with your raffle ticket.

"He who knows how to be poor knows everything." Jules Michelet

No need to extend your pinky; it is considered pretentious.

Now, move over Emily Post because Rosalinda Randall knows how to say what you mean without being mean. She is spreading civility one tweet at a time. Dive into the conversation with a copy of "@rosalindatweets" available from Amazon.






http://www.amazon.com/RosalindaTweets-Inspiring-Conversation-Spreading-Civility/dp/1494212013/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388551465&sr=1-3&keywords=rosalinda+randall#reader_1494212013

Okinawa Moon.....by Arthur Oroz

A surge of pure joy zaps everyone in the room, Laura, Diane, Michelle and Gina. The women hold tight the preview copies of a novel written by their father Arthur Oroz. They are fixated on the back cover picture where their dad and his dog relax at the beach. They will remember the ham, the cookies, the music and the Christmas joy, but they will never forget the day Art surprised them completely with a book called "Okinawa Moon."  
I have inside information that the book, written several years ago, is about a group of GI's dealing with the Korean War plus a tragic incident near their base. The main characters are ground crewmen who repair and maintain the B-29s which are sent out

on endless bombing missions. Young GI, Montez and his best friends deal with fellow GIs who have a condescending, disdainful and imperious attitude toward the Okinawan people. These attitudes lead to serious trouble and Montez must make things right.
Stay tuned for news on when
"Okinawa Moon" will be available to the public. 

Andrea Currie Crafts.......by Joyce Oroz

Today I want to wish everyone a happy Christmas and a crafty new year.

To help make all your crafty wishes come true, I have a book--the book for the new or used crafter person. I happened onto THE CRAFTER'S BOOK OF CLEVER IDEAS by Andrea and Cliff Currie because I went to the doughnut shop to see my friends and while I was salivating over a plate of doughnut holes, a friend gave me a Christmas present. By the feel of the package I knew it was a book, but a crafter's book? OMG it is the neatest book full of awesome craft techniques for handmade projects. Believe me, the stuff in this book is nothing like the old days when the Brownie troop glued glitter to pine cones and Ms. Woolsey to her chair. Andrea and Cliff Currie actually know what they are doing and pass it on to you with clear instructions and great pictures. She shows you how to make resin eggs for your key chain--he makes resin bacon. She makes a tie-dye and glitter party hat--he makes a 32-bit party hat. He makes a color wash lazy Susan--she makes a bubbly serving tray. And so it goes. 
How would you like to make and then decorate a solar phone charger that hangs on the wall?
Andrea and Cliff Currie give you 25 fun projects with his and hers variations for a total of 50 unique gift giving and craft party ideas. Try clever techniques with a wide range of materials, including glitter, glass, felt and glue gun resin. Create everything from a cactus pal that'll hide your personal items to a magnetic dino board for holding all your messages. Pick projects to make at parties or throw your own shindig with the mosaic partyware, confetti popper and booby-trapped gifts! There's something for every occasion with plenty left over for crafting fun at home.

Look for Andrea on 

Craft-Tastic LIVE and her newest creative lifestyle blog Hand MAKE My Day. 

The Crafter's Book of Clever Ideas can be found on Amazon.

The end to this story is, I did not eat one single doughnut hole--but I did lust for them.

Merry Christmas!

Author Joyce Oroz: An Interview With Author Nanci Rathbun.........by ...

Author Joyce Oroz: An Interview With Author Nanci Rathbun.........by ...: Nanci Rathbun's sassy, spunky writing style is sure to tickle your funny-bone, pull you in and keep your attention until the mystery is...

An Interview With Author Nanci Rathbun.........by Joyce Oroz

Nanci Rathbun's sassy, spunky writing style is sure to tickle your funny-bone, pull you in and keep your attention until the mystery is solved. She knows what she wants to say and makes no bones about it. Now, lets celebrate Author Nanci Rathbun and her wonderful mystery, Truth Kills. 

Nanci, was there someone, something or an event in your life that set you on the road to being an author?

I’ve always been a voracious reader and was fascinated as a child with the Nancy Drew mysteries.  In my teens, I read Mary Stewart and other romantic suspense writers.  In adulthood, I moved into the mystery genre: Dorothy L. Sayers, Elizabeth Peters, Caleb Carr and Charlaine Harris are among my favorites.  As you can see, I’m an eclectic reader!  I’ve also read a lot of average and just plain bad fiction.  No need to mention those by name, but I always thought, when reading a clunker: This could be good if …  I always itched to try it myself.

But I was a single mom and full-time employee, falling asleep with a book on my chest at night.  There was no time or energy for writing.  After my kids were grown, with high anxiety but a real inner sense of determination, I registered for a writing class at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha.  It was led by a woman who later became my writing coach, mentor and friend – Kathie Giorgio.  Without Kathie and her studio, AllWriters’ Workplace and Workshop, I’d probably still be reading others’ work and thinking, I could do that!

What do you like about writing and what bugs you about it?

I love the way that a world comes alive in my imagination and moves onto a page where others can read it and share it.  But I have to be honest – it’s hard work!  There are days when the words flow and days when it takes me two hours to write ten sentences.  Sometimes the characters take on a life of their own and do things I didn’t imagine, and sometimes I sit and stare and think: what’s next?  what’s Angie gonna do now?  The process is a lot like pregnancy and birth: there’s pain and dedication needed to bring a manuscript to the point of delivery.  But when you hold it in your hands and send it out into the world, it’s just an amazing sense of accomplishment and joy.

I get frustrated with writers who don’t discipline themselves to learn the tools of their trade: grammar, punctuation, spelling, plot and character development – these are not optional!  Too many writers rush to self-publish without adequate editing.  It’s very hard for me to read a story – even a good story – when it’s riddled with mistakes. 

Please tell us how long have you been writing books and what other writing you do?

I took classes at AllWriters’ for almost a decade and started my recently published mystery novel, Truth Kills, about seven years ago.  (The date is a bit nebulous, because every time I get a new computer, it changes all the file dates.)  I had a very short one-page romance published in Woman’s World magazine some years ago.  While my novel has a romance undertone, straight romance is really not my genre.

Nanci, tell us about your protagonist. Is she a lot like you, other than your beautiful white hair? What are her assets and weaknesses?

Private investigator Angie Bonaparte (boe-nah-par-tay, please – she’s Sicilian-American and doesn’t appreciate the Napoleonic pronunciation) lives and works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She’s a fifty-something woman, divorced, fit, stylish and a bit of a hottie – under her professional outfits, she’s wearing sexy lingerie.  Angie has a degree in library science and loves to dig for the facts.  She’s not very trusting, due to her philandering ex-husband’s betrayals.  Her son and daughter are grown, with kids of their own.  Almost every Sunday, the whole family gathers at Angie’s papa’s house for a meal.  Papa had Mafia connections, which makes Angie’s new relationship with an MPD homicide detective a bit problematic.  Angie is a bulldog when it comes to ferreting out the truth.

She and I do have things in common, but no one would ever accuse me of being a clotheshorse or stylish, nor am I as dedicated to fitness as Angie.  As for the underwear … no comment.  We both broke away from careers to follow another dream.  Angie went from librarian to private investigator.  I went from IT project manager to seminary and am an ordained minister who writes mysteries.  Angie is ambivalent about religion; I had that same experience as a young woman in my thirties.  There are moments in Truth Kills when Angie or others make spiritual observations, but the novel is not Christian fiction.  Friends who’ve read the novel tell me that my voice comes through in Angie.  I guess we’re both a bit sassy.  I like to think we’re both compassionate.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I moved from Wisconsin to Tennessee in January of 2013, to be closer to my granddaughters, Lydia and Lucy – oh, and my son Matt and his wife Sarah, too!  I love spending time with the girls, reading to Lydia, who is almost two, and cuddling Lucy who is almost five months.

I also love the interaction of working with other writers.  The Murfreesboro Writers Group is a source of good critical interchange, fun and laughter.  I’m not currently serving as a pastor in Tennessee, but I enjoy worship and engaging in church activities with others at Murfreesboro’s Central Christian Church (CCDC), which stretches my theological thinking as we grapple with current trends and writers together.  I sometimes go back to Wisconsin to visit family and friends, and there I have the joy of preaching at Fox River Congregational Church in Pewaukee.

Please tell us where we can find your books---and anything else you would like to say--such as a website or blog.

Truth Kills is currently available in both paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon.  It will be on Barnes and Noble starting in November, and other venues such as GoodReads as soon as I find the time to build my profile. 

The second Angie mystery, Cash Kills, will be out in 2014.  I’m nearly finished with the first draft and hope to finalize it by next April.

My website is nancirathbun.com.  Readers can find the latest on my books and appearances there.  They can also send me email from the web site.  I’m on Facebook – look for “author nanci rathbun.”  I tweet very irregularly, but feel free to follow me at @nancirathbun.

Thank you, Nanci for letting us share your busy world of writing, preaching and family. We love our CCP writers!

Refreshingly Eclectic........by Joyce Oroz

What does "the little shop around the corner" mean to you? A little store you went to when you were a child, and the grocer gave you a free malt ball candy every time you shopped the narrow aisles with your mother? Was it a music shop where you saw the perfect instrument you dreamed of playing, or the pet shop with a two dollar live bunny in the window that you were saving for? Was the store charming and loaded with cute little collectibles, stationary and art supplies?

Yes, I'm leading up to something. There is a shop/gallery in my town, Aromas, where anything goes.

 A huge skeleton of a steer's head hangs on the wall alongside an acrylic painting of a raspberry colored flower. Painted gourds share space with an antique vase, metal boxes from India, collage place mats and a large assortment of knitted caps. A treadle sewing machine has stuffed animals and knitted scarves piled on it. Flower arrangements sit next to Christmas decorations and jewelry of every kind. Hand carved Santas share space with pinch pots, greeting cards and books by local authors. 

Here is a clue to identifying this colorful shop. Five colors of tee shirts in all sizes are decorated with a picture of the Dragonfly Gallery on the back. Who would have guessed?
Tomorrow, December 14th the Dragonfly Gallery will come alive with Christmas music and the smell of hot cider. Folks will have the opportunity to buy handmade earrings for $5.00 a pair--ready made or pick the beads you want and watch the jewelry take shape before your eyes. Grace Laurin will have her pliers ready.
From beads to books, the gallery has it all.

 Local author, Giselle Rocha will be signing her new book, A Dark Sky. It is a fantastic teen book--well written with a lovely cover that Giselle designed and produced herself. A great Christmas present!
Don't forget to stop by the Dragonfly gallery, 380 Blohm in Aromas Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 for music, refreshments and conversation. See you there!  

California Heads North......by Joyce Oroz

Checked my garden today. Dead and dying plants everywhere. They cry out to me to give them warmth, they say I lied when I said it's never cold in California. Their little buds have shriveled, their leaves grey and glassy. My heart goes out to them, but what more can I do? I went through every tablecloth I own, covering their delicate leaves and rotting flowers. Most of the cloths are red. Now there is color in my garden, lumpy drapey red checkered cloths everywhere. So this is what it's like to live up north or in the northeast. I wonder if Santa has to go through all this trouble just to have a few bright little geraniums around. Shame on me. I was California callused. I didn't understand real weather until it came to my flowerbeds. 
15 degrees! Twice!

This morning was better--a cheery 22. I wonder how Josephine's marigolds are doing.  

The Day Before Christmas.....by Joyce Riley

Among my family and friends 
my cousin Joyce never pretends.
She writes poems from her heart
every one true and smart.
If her Christmas poem makes you smile
maybe she ditched the truth for awhile.
          After all.........
It's fun to know the turkey's view
of hungry people like me and you.

The Day Before Christmas

                                       By Joyce Riley

‘Twas the day before Christmas.  
Momma was fretting 
About the tom turkey 
our Poppa was getting.  
Poppa had told us, 
“It’s a bonus, you see.”

“The biggest and freshest is promised to me.”

The oven was hot and the dressing prepared.

Christmas Eve was the night we gathered and shared.

And, Grandpa, with checkers, and Grandma with shawl

Had arrived at the house with presents for all.

Our sweet aunt, Loretta and fat Uncle Neil

Were delivering pies to add to the meal.

More aunts and uncles and cousins, galore,

Hugged us and kissed us as they streamed through the door.

But, Momma was fading. Her smile was contrived.

For, Poppa and turkey had not yet arrived.

Then, out in the front yard there arose such a roar,

Momma threw off her apron and ran to the door.

Poppa was standing with a slight, tipsy wobble

Holding a turkey, which still had its gobble.

Momma fainted and so, we took her inside.

Poppa just followed with his bonus and pride.

Momma awoke, ‘though her head was still rocking,

In time to see Tom eating candy from stockings.

Poppa asked her forgiveness.  Momma heeded his plea.

“At least, my dear husband, the turkey was free.”

That night, when we ate, Grandpa offered this blessing:

We thank you, dear Lord, for hot dog’s and dressing.”

Said Tom, as he left with his wings in full flight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Thank you, dear cousin Joyce Riley

Sharon Rose Mierke......by Joyce Oroz

   cozycatpress.com

Author Sharon Rose Mierke lives in a small community in Manitoba, Canada. She and her husband have four children and four grandchildren. They spend some of the winter in Galveston, Texas, which has become their second home. Ms. Rose writes the Parson's Cove Cozy Mystery series. The four books include Slip and Go Die, Perplexity on P 1/2, Calamity @ the Carwash, and her latest, Save as Murder, published
by cozycatpress.com. Her book, Virtual Enemies is also a mystery. The very talented Ms. Mierke has written a very successful historical fiction book, Sarah's Valley, published under the name Sharon Mierke.
It gives me goose bumps to interview such an accomplished writer.  

Here is wonderful Sharon in her own words.

Sharon, what made you decide to be a writer?

My mother was a writer and poet so it seemed the natural course for me to take. As a child, I remember the excitement she experienced when she had a story or poem published. I always thought that some day, when I found the time, I would become a writer.

What do you like about writing and what bugs you?

I love creating characters! Your imagination knows no bounds. What bugs me? - Not being able to type fast enough to keep up with that imagination.

Do you write anything other than novels?

As most writers, I started out with short stories. After having several published, I decided to launch into novels. I have never really enjoyed reading short stories so I found it quite frustrating to write them. I guess I have too much to say!

Is your protagonist anything like you?

I definitely hope not; however, I am sure we are somewhat alike. Mabel Wickles tends to be outspoken and can be quite judgmental. She does have some endearing qualities though - she has a soft spot for cats (as do I) and if she makes a friend, she keeps that friend for a lifetime.

 What do you do when you are not writing?

We are blessed with four wonderful grandchildren and we have a large back yard - need I say more? I also do volunteer work every week, spending time with two amazing women. One is 98 years old and as sharp as a whip; the other, is a young woman just over from China. I read the Bible to my elderly friend and teach English to the other. She is definitely learning English faster than I am learning Chinese!

Where can we find your wonderful books?

You can find my books on amazon.com or check out my Sharon Rose page at:

http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Rose/e/B00BL8HTZY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Grace and Giselle--Artist's of the Month.......Joyce Oroz

 A special pre-Christmas celebration

Grace Laurin and Giselle Rocha are sharing Dragonfly Gallery’s “Artist of the Month” title for December. Grace is ten-years-old, loves to draw horses and make earrings and necklaces. Giselle is twelve-years-old, loves to draw, paint and write. Grace has created lovely pieces of jewelry and Giselle has created an 85,000-word novel and designed and created the book cover. These two sweet girls, bubbling over with talent, will be meeting and greeting folks at the Dragonfly Gallery, 380 Blohm, Aromas, Saturday, December 14^th from 2:00 to 4:00pm. Dark Sky, a novel by author Giselle Rocha will be for sale.

Grace’s necklaces and earrings will make wonderful Christmas gifts.

Giselle Rocha wrote A Dark Sky in response to a challenge from her seventh-grade English teacher. It was a fun, silly adventure riddled with errors and corny jokes until the project turned into something more serious—her first novel. Giselle lives with her parents, sister, and kitty in Salinas, CA.

Dark Sky

A LEGEND—once thought of as nothing but an old fairy tale—is about to come true. On the 500th anniversary of King Taizkehwa’s fall, the tyrant shall break out of his stony prison to take back his kingdom—and his queen—once and for all. Desperate to escape the clutches of her former husband, Queen Genevieve seeks out the kingdom’s only hope: six young people who hold the power of the purest magic in their hands. Kristen, the only one of the six to be found, suddenly finds herself thrown into a fantastical dream and nightmare of war, magic, pegasi, dragons, betrayals, secrets, and newfound love.

Grace Laurin loves nature, and has saved many a lizard, beetle, bug, from death. She draws horses and dragons and works in her “fairy garden.” When Grace turned one-year-old she made it clear to her parents that she loved horses. She happily takes riding lessons, mucks out the stalls, and mentors younger riders.

Don’t forget to come and meet the girls Saturday, December 14^th and see all the new and wonderful items at the Dragonfly Gallery, 380 Blohm Ave., Aromas. 2:00 to 4:00 pm with refreshments. See you there!

Do You Know This Man?........by Joyce Oroz

Does anyone know who wrote this snippet of life after 40? Please give me your best guess.     

     

I turned sixty-nine-years-old today. I’m waiting in my car at Monterey Bay Junior College to take the CBEST test which starts at 9 am. The test should take four hours. Sitting in my car at eight-thirty looking at young students/prospective teachers walking to the test location. I feel slightly foolish sitting here, retired with grey beard, taking a test so I can teach at a Community Adult School. Need to have my head examined—how can I pass a test when I haven’t taken one in over thirty-five years and I’m getting senile. It’s hard to remember my daughter’s names so I call them one, two, three and four in order of birth. Well, at least I can remember numbers. It’s time for the test.

      It’s cold walking to the test site. There must be hundreds of students out here. I saw several old geezers, but none as old as I. More waiting. The tan colored desk/chair combo is too small for my large stomach which is bulging slightly over the desk. Unfortunately, I’m in the front row. We were assigned seats by number and all these slim young people must be enjoying my stationary position: I can’t turn my body; it’s hard to breath with the desk cutting into my belly; and I feel out of place and old. The tall girl next to me turned her entire body in the chair, probably to make me feel bad.

      Christ, if we wait any longer, I’m going to have to go pee again—it’s hell being an old veteran with an enlarged prostate in a classroom with teenyboppers. Papers were distributed for completion. I was bored and anxious so I did it wrong. The instructions were to complete some lines, then pull the stick-um paper apart and paste to another form. I stuck the paper to the wrong form, then tore it trying to unstick it. It was humiliating! I felt like I did when I was ten-years-old in class and peed in my pants because the teacher said we couldn't go to the bathroom until we finished our paper.

      Finally, we took the three-part test and when I finished, I went home to sulk and berate myself for trying to compete with young people.

      Five weeks later I got my score. I passed all three sections. I guess I hadn’t lost all my brain cells due to age and my misspent youth drinking alcohol and wenching in the service. Oh well, we must serve bravely when called.

 Maybe Gina knows his name......

A Rose Named Violet......by Joyce Oroz

Like many people I have a garden full of plants, many given to me by friends and relatives. Some of the givers have passed on, but the plants remain. The flowers remind me of people I will forever remember and miss. It’s a happy remembrance, as I look into radiant new petals, pistons, thorns and such, remembering how close we were.

Almost fifty years ago my favorite great aunt, a VERY special lady named Violet, gave me a rose bush. It was a “Sutter’s Gold” tree rose. Its buds were yellow, but as they opened the color turned gold, then orange and then redder as it matured, ending with pink just before the petals fell. The extreme beauty of Sutter’s Gold is second only to its fragrance—one of the best smelling roses I have ever run across.

From the beginning I had a fear of losing this special rose. What if I didn’t water it enough or feed it correctly? To ease my fear, I planted cuttings from the bush and raised the baby bushes with care. Over the years I moved from one town to another to another, but everywhere I went I replanted my Sutter’s Gold and started new little baby golds. That is, until my last move eight years ago when the grand old lady did not survive the move. She had been dug up too many times.

My Aunt Violet had passed away and then, sadly, my link to her was gone.

One day my friend, Marlene, and I were Christmas shopping in Morgan Hill. She asked me where I used to live, so I drove her over to the house we had lived in. Two six-foot Sutter’s Gold rose bushes stood proudly near the front door. Even though it was late fall, end of rose season, one rose remained on a bush I had raised from a cutting many years ago. My first thought was, Violet. The second was, how can I get a clipping?

This story probably has a happy ending. The owner of the house happened to be in the front yard. I told him I used to live there and painted all the murals in the house—five out of the seven murals are still there. I asked for two clippings. He gladly brought out the clippers and I went home with my two clippings wrapped in wet paper towels, and from there they went into water for the night. The next day I dipped them in Tomi’s enzyme powder and pushed them into wet earth.

Stay tuned to see if these little babies grow into beautiful Sutter’s Gold rose bushes named Violet.

Barbara Jean Coast......by Joyce Oroz

Today I am happy to introduce a spunky couple of writers, Andrea Taylor and Heather Shkuratoff, who share the pen name, Barbara Jean Coast. They have co-authored  STRANGLED BY SILK, a retro-cozy mystery published by Cozy Cat Press. It is the first novel in the Poppy Cove Mystery Series, set in fictional Santa Lucia, Ca (eerily similar to Santa Barbara) circa 1950's/60's. Now I will share the visit I had with these interesting authors. They have kindly taken turns answering my questions.

 Was there someone, something or an event in your life that set you on the road to being an author?

HS:  I've always been a reader and love pretty much every genre.  Cozies have a special appeal to me with their sense of place, rich characters and details.  I have always sewn, from the age of seven (first garment was a yellow tube top for Barbie) and carried on to become a professional seamstress with my own design shop.  My part in the Poppy Cove series came to me from the idea of telling the story about a dress shop and its people.

AT:  I remember always making up stories, usually as plays and mysteries.  As soon as I could pick up a pencil, I wrote stories, poems, dialogues.  I read the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and played at being a sleuth myself.  It was only natural to want to develop characters and stories I could return to time and again.  That's where I find that writing a Cozy is really ideal for me.

What do you like about writing and what bugs you about it?

HS:  I love telling the stories, painting the pictures of words and characters through descriptions and being able to create a visual presence with words.  What I don' like is when the words don't come, or when the mundane elements of real life take over the time that I would like to spend writing!

AT:  I love the research, character development, plotting and then getting into a flow with story.  What I don't like is when I feel I've lost the plot and the ideas aren't coming.  Also when I am on a roll and other parts of my life have to be seen to.

How long have you been writing books and what other writing do you do?

HS:  We've been writing this series, shaping the ideas, developing and plotting the stories out for ten years!  We came across a piece of paper on June 14th of this year at the bottom of this wooden crate that we had been using that was dated June 16th, 2003.  It was all about the main series plots and ideas.  It was amazing to see it come to fruition.  During that time, in the beginning, we had set it aside for a year or two, just casually talking about it & then we decided to see it through.  Then we stuck in, finished writing, re-writing, put it aside a bit, then went back to it and went through the process of submissions to get published, with the usual hopes upped, dashed, persevering and then happily published. 

AT:  In addition to working with Heather on our Poppy Cove Mystery Series, I have been writing my own blog about creativity and a poetry blog for just over a year.  I have also written many articles about fashion, childcare and current events.  I am working on a project that is set in the 1800's that is not a mystery set in Chicago and Istanbul.  I have many more ideas and time periods I'd like to write stories about.  I love creating worlds.

Tell us about your protagonist. Is she a lot like you? What are her assets and weaknesses?

HS:  Our two protagonists -- Margot Williams and Daphne Huntington-Smythe, maybe reflect the qualities we'd like to possess.  Margot's more introspective and contemplative with a secretive, private and slightly mysterious side to her background, whereas Daphne is more flirtatious, free-spirited and an open book.  We'll develop more about them as the series moves on about their pasts and futures -- we have details about those girls!  I guess I'm more like Margot and Andrea's more like Daphne.

AT:  I really enjoy our characters and feel that my own sense of fun has come out more since we've been playing with these two girls and our Barbara Jean alter ego as well.  My carefree nature takes over at times and when that happens, I write better.
What do you like to do when you are not writing? 

HS:  When I'm not writing, I'm reading, studying art courses (worked through history, modern and now on contemporary), love sewing and working on my sketching skills.  I also love to cook and eat (!), traveling, walking, yoga and meditation to balance out my busy days.

AT:  When I'm not writing, I enjoy reading poetry, fiction, non-fiction, anything I can get my hands on.  I am actively involved in the Goodreads community and Pinterest. I love baking, cooking and traveling.  I also study courses of interest such as history and English literature.  To fill my well of inspiration in life walking, running, yoga and meditation help.  I also enjoy listening to music such as opera, pop, jazz and classical.  The cello is my favorite instrument to listen to.  Two of my favorite cellists are Yo-yo Ma and Zoe Keating.

Where can we find your book---and anything else you would like to tell us about--such as a website or blog.

HS and AT:  You can find STRANGLED BY SILK on Amazon and Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Strangled-Silk-Poppy-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00B8YKKBG/ , as well as Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Chapters, and Indiebound to name few, in both paper and e-book formats.  We have a blog:  http://welcometopoppycove.wordpress.com/ , tweet:  https://twitter.com/BarbaraJCoast , and Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/bjcoast/ .  A website is in the works, but finishing the second book in the series is more of a priority at the moment.  You're all welcome to drop by Facebook anytime and "friend" Barbara Jean Coast and "like" Poppy Cove Mysteries.

Toodles, from Barbara Jean aka Andrea & Heather

Thank you, Andrea and Heather for giving us a look into your busy lives.

Free Beetles Books..........by Joyce Oroz

Writers write books so that they can sell books, at least that’s the obvious conclusion most people draw. Actually, I write books to entertain people, make them laugh and lift them up out of the daily routine. Murder is up-lifting? Depends on how you look at it. I like to concentrate on good verses evil as Josephine puts miles on her truck and

annoys her suspects until they cry “uncle” and fess-up.

Tomorrow I am trying something different, not dangerous or dopey, just different. Amazon Kindle will be giving away my newest book, Beetles in the Boxcar. I had fun writing this one. Four different love stories blossom as murder and chaos are happening all around Josephine and her Aunt Clara.

Solow hopes you will take advantage of this special “free book”offer between Wednesday, November 13^th and Sunday, November 17^th, read the book and get hooked on the Josephine Stuart Mystery series. Nothing bad will happen to you if you start with the last book first and the first book last. But if you really are a "first to last" kind of person--you need to start with Secure the Ranch and work your way up to Beetles in the Boxcar. 

Chapter Three

I slept soundly for a couple hours Sunday morning after a night of tossing and turning. Feeling a lick on my cheek and whiskers tickling my chin, my eyes reluctantly opened. I looked into Solow’s droopy and permanently bloodshot peepers.

He whined impatiently.

“Need to go out?” I pulled on my robe, stepped into slippers and trudged down the hall to the kitchen. As I let Solow out the back door, I heard the rustle of paper.

Clara sat at the kitchen table flipping through the phone book, her reading glasses perched on the lower half of her nose. She looked up and smiled.

“Morning, Auntie. What are you doing?”

“I’m working on a bus schedule and I just finished looking up the Gianelli boys and their addresses. I pondered Joey’s death all night and came up with one idea … murder. It’s the only explanation. I sort of finished off your ice cream while I pondered.”

We were a lot alike, my aunt and I, including the extra fifteen pounds we each carried around. Thankfully my pounds were twenty-five years younger and firmer than hers.

“I understand, Aunt Clara. I came to the same conclusion. Very unsettling, but ice cream always helps to sooth my nerves. What flavor of ice cream would you like me to buy?”

Author Stephen Kaminski.......by Joyce Oroz

STEPHEN KAMINSKI is my subject for today. He is the author of the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series published by Cozy Cat Press. The first two cozy mysteries in the series are "It Takes Two to Strangle" (2012) and "Don't Cry Over Killed Milk" (2013). Stephen is the winner of the 2012 Reader Views Literary Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region. He's a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School, has practiced law for over a decade, and currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel to a national non-profit organization. Stephen is a lifelong lover of all types of mysteries and lives with his wife and daughter in Arlington, Virginia.

Stephen, you are obviously well-educated and prepared to write. Was there someone, something or an event in your life that set you on the road to being an author?

The most significant impetus for me becoming an author was lazy summer days in Michigan during my youth. I grew up in a rural area and spent countless hours reading – everything from the British spy novels of Ken Follett and Jeffrey Archer to mysteries by Agatha Christie and Lawrence Block. I’ve always read between twenty to fifty books a year.  The love of reading set me on a path to becoming an author.

What do you like about writing and what bugs you about it?

I love the escape -- as an author, my characters can live lives filled with excitement and intrigue and they can say things that I’d never have the nerve to say in public.  For two hours a night, I can bring my imagination to life.  What bugs me? Marketing – it takes a lot of work and isn’t my favorite thing to do.

How long have you been writing books and what other writing do you do?

I’ve been writing books for two and a half years.  The only other writing I do is legal in nature (for my position as General Counsel to a national nonprofit organization).

Please tell us about your protagonist. Is he a lot like you? What are his assets and weaknesses?

Damon Lassard is a thirty-one year old ex-Japanese league baseball player who has moved back to the States to be near his widowed mother in the cozy community of Hollydale, Virginia just west of Washington, D.C. Due in large part to a lucrative advertising campaign for a Japanese chewing gum company, Damon spends his days as a volunteer – at the local branch library, as the Hollydale citizens association president, and in the most recent book, with a community crime solvers group. He’s single and involved in a bit of a love snarl with his best friend Rebecca and the breathtaking local weather girl Bethany. His greatest asset is also his greatest weakness – he can’t help getting involved with murder suspects. Of course, this trait helps him solve crimes as an amateur, but it also gets him in trouble with the authorities.

Stephen, what do you like to do when you are not writing?

I enjoy traveling, playing soccer and tennis, and spending time with my wife and seven year-old daughter.

Where can we find your books---and anything else you would like to say--such as a website.

Here are the best links to find my books and a link to my “Damon Lassard” website:

http://www.amazon.com/Takes-Two-Strangle-Detective-ebook/dp/B009F0TE0I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378300308&sr=1-1&keywords=stephen+kaminski

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Over-Killed-Milk-ebook/dp/B00EV45NAS/ref=sr_1_2_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378300322&sr=1-2

 

www.DamonLassard.com

 Here is a typical review of Stephen's "Don't Cry Over Killed Milk"

".... intelligent, powerful, gritty mystery with brilliant prose and an eye for vivid detail. Stephen Kaminski is a murder mystery extraordinaire."

Thank you, Stephen for giving us an inside view of your world. Happy writing!

Beetles in the Boxcar.........by Joyce Oroz

Yippee-yahoo!! My newest mystery novel, 

Beetles in the Boxcar, is available on Kindle.

Beetles is more than a murder mystery, it’s an adventure and a love story. Unfortunately, Cozy Cat Press was unable to publish this book in paperback form because it is over 96,000 words--my fault for having too much to say. This newest bombastic exercise in creative writing is as much about Josephine's Aunt Clara as it is about my favorite sleuth and her dog, Solow. Together, they manage to get into twice as much trouble. 

I am currently working on a new book in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series and hope to finish it in a few months. I’m 104 pages into it and having a ball. Like Beetles, it has a lot of action.

The Beetles in the Boxcar project was extra fun for me because I painted the picture for the cover. 

Tomi Edmiston not only edited my book, but she finished the cover with the appropriate lettering.

I hope you will enjoy Beetles in the Boxcar, get hooked on the series and go on to read my first four books, Secure the Ranch, Read My Lipstick, Shaking In Her Flip Flops and Cuckoo Clock Caper. Happy reading everyone!!

The handsome fellow on the left is Solow, an important nose--I mean character in every Josephine Stuart mystery.

Pat Hanson--Invisible Grandparenting.......by Joyce Oroz

 Today, I am happy to report that Author Pat Hanson is the Dragonfly Gallery Artist of the Month for November 2013

At 68, Pat Hanson, Ph.D. www.invisiblegrandparent.com, is a veteran health educator, new thought spiritual thinker, public speaker, workshop facilitator and writer, who’s been on the faculty of M.P.C and the Osher Life Long Institute (OLLI) @ CSUMB. She is a columnist for the magazine: Crone: Women Coming of Age.

The Dragonfly Gallery at 380 Blohm, Aromas, will celebrate Pat's new book Saturday, November 23rd 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm with a reading at 3:00. Meet the lady behind the book, join the conversation and enjoy the refreshments.

Here is an interview with Pat Hanson:

  

Pat, please tell us how and why you decided to write a book. Is this your first book?

I was already teaching Human Sexuality in 1974 in NYC when Erica Jong's Fear of Flying first came out and I'd had some of the same experiences she had. I said I can write a bestselling book like that.

How long have you been writing?

Since 5th grade ... and of course in academia for decades, but as a 'final career" studying writing and freelancing professionally? dreaming of the day it could provide a living "ha!" ... about 20 years. I got $25 and a free book for a Christmas story in a Harlequin Anthology last year, and the column I write for the new magazine "Crone: Women Coming of Age" www.cronemagazine.com is only $50 on a a good year.

Who inspired you, Pat, and do you belong to any groups that inspire your writing?

Erica Jong, Henry Miller, Joseph Campbell .. many other classics that I'm too old to remember ..

I've taken and taught writing circles at CSU Monterey Bays Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) .. and have studied with some marvelous teachers: Luis Valdez, and Jack Grapes in LA.
Ellen Bass in Santa Cruz.

Please tell us where you live and what do you like to do in your spare time?

I just moved to Aromas 6 months ago and love it. It's just what we former Fort Ord residents wanted: warmer, lighter, a view and a community. LOVE IT.

I'd love to do stand-up comedy : an unfinished dream.

When I give myself permission to be still, I do tai chi. I also am a member of three Toastmasters clubs. And I love to just hang out with my husband and 'significant equal' of 20 years.

Where can we find your work? (blogs, website, etc.)

www.invisiblegrandparent.com (The About Me section)

www.cronemagazine.com

Facebook PatHansonPhD and Patricia Hanson

AND first memoir: Invisible Grandparenting: Leave a Legacy of Love Whether You

can be There or Not will be available from Amazon after Nov 1st.

There are millions of Invisible Grandparents who because of personality conflicts, custody issues, distance, or consequences of choices made long ago, have no way to pass values and memories to those who mean the most to them. Born of one woman’s quest to become part of the lives of two grandchildren she has been kept from seeing, Invisible Grandparenting provides a blueprint for “virtual grandparenting.” Using letter writing as a primary tool, it is a handbook for communicating tangible and intangible gifts to our young ones, if we could. Discover how to transcend invisibility, heal separation
and transform negative energy to forgiveness.

A booksigning and reception for Pat Hanson’s just released book:

INVISIBLE GRANDPARENTING :

Leave a Legacy of Love

Whether You Can Be There or Not

WHEN: Saturday, November 16^th, 2013

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Refreshments, Music & Book Signing

3:30 p.m. Reading.

WHERE: Vista Room - The Park Lane: An SRG Senior Living Community

200 Glenwood Circle – Monterey, CA 93940

 Questions: phanson@csumb.edu  831-601-9195

Thank you Pat and good luck with your book!