Monday, March 9, 2015

Simpler Times



Let me tell you why I read, not why I write. I enjoy being entertained, and I love a good mystery. Is that simple or what? If it contains humor? So much the better.



It used to be, in the “old days” when I had a job other than writing, you could find me on my lunch hour, on my breaks, and at home in the evening, reading.

The phone would ring and when I’d answer someone might say, “What’re you up to?”

My reply? “Shh. I’m reading. I’ll call you back.”

Okay, it wasn’t quite that bad, but yes, I was an avid reader. Now I’m a wife, a writer, a marketer and I do as much promotion as I can. Unfortunately, I haven’t done a lot of promotion lately. “Hey! Try that new book, How Now Purple Cow – A Bogey Man Mystery. It involves purple cows and elderly spies, along with the Cross family.” That’s my promotion for this week. Short and sweet.

There are so many authors out there with so many ideas. I attended a class several years ago that was being taught by an older man who made me feel that he knew things. He certainly knew more than I figured I’d ever know. He said there were only thirty-two types of stories that could be written, and that the key was to come up with a unique twist on an old theme. I don’t know if thirty-two is the right number or not, but I’m always looking for an author with a unique twist. So far I’ve found quite a few. His comments encouraged me to look for new and unique ideas for my own books, but that’s harder than it sounds.

Because of getting into “the business”, I’ve had the opportunity to read a lot of authors I’d never read before. I used to go to the bookstore and look for the same authors, over and over, and I loved it when they had a new book out. Now I find myself looking for new names, on those rare occasions when I even  look for a new book.

My To Be Read stack of books is out of control, as am I. I refuse to buy another book until I can whittle the stack down at least a little. Every time I finish a book, I have trouble deciding what to read next. I’ve talked about word-of-mouth being the best advertising, but it’s reached a point where I cringe when someone recommends a new book. I won’t tell you how often I give up and buy the recommended book.

Maybe I should put them in order by the date they were published. That won’t work. A title will catch my eye, or a cover, or a familiar name, and I’m sunk. I’ll pick up the book after I rub my hands together.

However, it all goes back to the fact that I have very little reading time anymore. I miss those days of read, read, read. I have a more interesting life now, but I still miss the reading time.

What am I saying? I’ve always had an interesting life. It was just different than it is now. Do I want to go back? Not really. Life is one change after the other, and that’s what sometimes keeps it interesting.

I’m not fishing, so please don’t mention my name, but I’d love to know who wrote the last book that really kept you reading. You know, the one you couldn’t put down. Just call me a glutton for punishment, because after you tell me, I’ll want to run right out and buy it for the To Be Read (TBR) stack. Just think. You might be helping someone else whose stack is nonexistent.

Until next time, from one reader to another, if you have a large TBR stack, don’t bang your head against the wall. It won’t help. Just pick one up at random and start reading.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

How Now Purple Cow – A Bogey Man Mystery is now available in both ebook and paperback versions.

What could purple cows and elderly spies possibly have to do with each other?

When young Mikey Cross discovers ceramic purple cows, a ring, and investigative notes left by a mystery writer popular in the 1950s, his parents’ and grandparents’ lives are turned upside down.

Pamela and Chris Cross become involved in vintage intrigue with trepidation and more than a little angst when they find out there’s an elderly assassin on the prowl and the situation isn’t quite as vintage as they thought.

The dead just may come back as the living when it’s least expected.

28 comments:

  1. Marja,
    I can't imagine my life without books and I don't want to. So many times, I've heard people say, "No. I'm not a reader." Boy, are they missing out!
    I finished reading "By Book or by Crook" by Eva Gates and loved it and, last night, I started reading Evelyn Cullet's "Romancing a Mystery." I'm already hooked!

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    1. I haven't read Eva Gates yet, but I have read Evelyn Cullet. Good suggestions, and thank you. Also, thank you for commenting!

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  2. I love reading new authors--and the old ones too. Like you, once you start writing, there's not nearly enough time to read.

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    1. It can be very frustrating, Marilyn. I have to wonder how many authors have this problem. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  3. Since I do my writing in the morning and reading in the afternoon, I have plenty of time to read. My problem is my eyesight, which now makes me take longer to read a book than years ago. I love this topic and I do have a TBR stack that is never ending. I just finished your Purple Cow, which was a fast enjoyable read. And now I'm reading Ed McBain's very first 47th Precinct novel. I've read many of them but not the first and so far it's the best of the lot. I love meeting these characters as they were first introduced. However, be warned--there's nothing cozy about Ed McBain.

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    1. I'm sorry about the vision problems, Pat. That would be worse than lack of time for me. And thank you for the recommendation. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  4. Thanks as always for an interesting post,  Marja...!

    I also LOVE to read since it's a source of immense happiness for me :-) It's true that these days family commitments and other responsibilities prevent me from reading as much as I used to before ...but still I do manage to take out at least half an hour every day to satisfy my craving of a good book :-)

    The last book that I read and that kept me fully engrossed and smiling was "Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves" by P.G Wodehouse. His writing is not to everyone's taste but every time I read one of his Jeeves and Wooster series ...I always end up smiling for days afterwards :-)

    However,  if you specifically want to know about a Cozy Mystery genre,  then usually any book in the "White House Chef Mystery Series" by "Julie Hyze" has an ability to captivate me :-)

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    1. I'm glad you get at least a little reading time, Ramla. It's better than no reading time at all. I appreciate the recommendations, too. I've read one Julie Hyze book and look forward to reading another. Thank you so much for commenting!

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    2. Ramia, P.G. Wodehouse is one of my favorite authors. I love the Bertie and Jeeves series--they keep me laughing for days, even after I have read the book!

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    3. Ramla, I've read all the Wooster and Jeeves novels, and also all of Julie Hyzy's White House Chef novels. I just love them and Julie has even signed of of her books for me.

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    4. Hi Palmaltas and Evelyn,

      It's great to meet fellow fans of P.G Wodehouse :-) I even enjoy most of his Stand Alone novels ...but the team of Jeeves and Wooster is especially hilarious...! :-)

      @ Evelyn, glad to meet another fan of Julie Hyzy as well :-) And wow...! A signed book sounds great :-)

      @ Marja, I am glad that you also liked Julie Hyzy's book. By the way, as you know that I also enjoyed your book "The Bogey Man", and am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series :-)

      I guess I am fortunate to be able to get even half an hour every day to read ...but considering the amount of books I want to read ...even 24 hours a day would be too less...! :-)

      Well, it's really fun checking out your blog posts every week, Marja :-) And though I don't know most of the other people who comment here ...but it seems to me that you have a wonderful group of friends ...and somehow reading their comments every week has sort of made me think of them as friends as well...! :-)

      All the best,
      Ramla Zareen

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    5. Thank you, Ramla! You've been so very supportive. There are a number of people who comment that I don't know, but I'm beginning feel like you're all old friends. That's half the fun of doing the blog. I hope that somehow you find more reading time, and I hope I do, too. : )

      And welcome to the world of writers and readers!

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  5. I can't imagine a life without reading. My parents, grandparents, and their parents were all great readers (and I have the old books to prove it). The challenge is always to find time to read after writing my quota for the day, but it can be done. But there's never enough time for all the books I want to spend time with.

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    1. I understand, Susan. I came from the same type of family, all readers -- at least the women were. Books are like old friends. I hope we can all find more reading time. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  6. Book has been a part of me since before the 1st grade, so before I was six? When I was younger I used to read all the time, sometimes 2 books in one day. And although finding time to read now is hard, I also can't imagine my life without it. Also, like you, I like finding new things to read and latest books by authors I've enjoyed. All that's left for me is to finally put a dent in my TBR list.

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  7. LOL Lidy, If you're anything like me, it's going to take a long time to put that dent in the TBR stack. I hope you're successful because the books give us so much enjoyment. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  8. Great blog, Marja. Once during each series of writing workshops that I run, I ask everyone what he or she is reading. Actually, I want to make sure that they ARE reading. Writers should read, as we all know. I'm a memoirist and I love reading personal stories. I just finished Devotion by Dani Shapiro and am rereading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. As for mysteries, I have Jules Feiffer's new graphic novel, Kill My Mother, at my bedside. Jules was my professor twice (MFA program, for Humor & Truth). I highly recommend it to my mystery writer friends!

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    1. Thank you for the suggestions, Eileen. I recall you talking about a memoir at an author event and you'd included some humor. My kinda book. : ) Thank you so much for commenting!

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  9. Lately I've been reading Helen Macie Osterman's The Emma Winberry Mysteries. They're an interesting look behind the scenes at opera houses. Her main characters are supernumeraries. Which means, they're kind of like movie extras, but they're onstage during the operas. I wouldn't mind doing that I love opera. I'm really into these stories. They're fun to read, even if you're not into opera.

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    1. These sound like fun books, Evelyn. I appreciate the recommendation. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  10. There's a physical stack and an electronic stack and no time...!!! Great post.

    Madeline

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    1. Thank you, Madeline. I'm in the same predicament. Thank you for at least taking the time to comment. : )

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  11. Marja, instead of way too many books in stacks, I have way too many books on my Kindle (plus quite a few in small stacks.) It is definitely not true that writers write because they need something they'd rather read.

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    1. Good point, Norma! I hope we can provide something to entertain readers, but I also want something to entertain me. Thank you so much for commenting!

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  12. glad I ran across this blog post since I too am an avid reader and have books stacked next to my night stand as HIGH as my night stand. Hard to read everything AND write too. One thing I've turned to to help me out is audio books and I wear ear phones listening whenever I do anything mindless (like dishes, watering, driving), but still so many good books aren't audio or I can't access audio of them at the library so still I read, slowly but surely. Anyway, nice to meet you.

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    1. We used to listen to audio books when we traveled, but we haven't done any traveling in some time. I'm still reading books. What's really frustrating? When I'm reading a book I don't want to put down and I don't have enough reading time. Oh well... It's good to meet you, too, Gay, and thank you so much for commenting!

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  13. Great post. I'm an avid reader, too; always have been. And I love a good mystery, which is why I've joined this group. Lots of good suggestions. I went to your website, and both series sound interesting.

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth. And thank you for visiting my website. I hope you'll come and visit again. I appreciate your comments!

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