tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73800396427832117302024-03-13T06:15:46.631-07:00Marja's Mystery BlogMarjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-66859137370730415352023-03-06T11:11:00.000-08:002023-03-06T11:11:36.145-08:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One day I was at the
grocery store, and I kept hearing someone whistling and sounding very cheerful.
It seemed that the whistler was always one aisle ahead of me. I finally turned
up another aisle, and there was a very little, very old woman, whistling “My
Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” and grinning from ear to ear. I stopped her and
told her that her whistling had brightened my day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This chance meeting
also sparked an idea for a story. <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Whistling-Sandi-Webster-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BVJHCPVD/ref=sr_1_2?crid=M6UQA9J53POD&keywords=marja+mcgraw&qid=1678129451&s=books&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C127&sr=1-2"><i>“The Trouble with Whistling”</i></a></b> was
hatched that day and it’s now available on Amazon.com.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4b2NVoVSwQpPT20ZWTC5GmKj6J2resfULR9wBoiLdFIuwvQn88BkYEiPHE_WMgtsWfO45P7aTsQN7Ie1eAN_fkQbvdKkuil-yinQ-yP06bcwd540M25iePS3CM3xn_uEv2phINePUubZBWOqMpvLwD0nLet5LzJFLwQRrGnDTWqb5HIUjImPSaSs1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2900" data-original-width="1900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4b2NVoVSwQpPT20ZWTC5GmKj6J2resfULR9wBoiLdFIuwvQn88BkYEiPHE_WMgtsWfO45P7aTsQN7Ie1eAN_fkQbvdKkuil-yinQ-yP06bcwd540M25iePS3CM3xn_uEv2phINePUubZBWOqMpvLwD0nLet5LzJFLwQRrGnDTWqb5HIUjImPSaSs1" width="157" /></a></div><br /><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sandi
Webster, P.I., is having a memorable week. The cases are piling up, and she has
an eighty-something woman, Tillie, and a teenage boy, Mike, suddenly left in
her care. All of the distractions have left her feeling clumsy and
accident-prone.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Tillie
seems to have a song to whistle for every occasion, and the young man, while
mature for his age, might be a liability. However, they both aspire to the same
thing; to go on ride-alongs with Sandi.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">While
investigating a burglary case, a man is murdered in the same neighborhood.
Should Sandi take on this latest case? Or are her hands full with burglars,
elderly victims and stalkers?</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">And
why would whistling be a problem? Afterall, it’s just a form of entertainment
for a happy senior citizen.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve been off the grid, in a
manner of speaking, for a while now. Between covid and the lockdowns
(thankfully mostly over), health and family issues, and moving across the
country, things haven’t been normal. It’s time for things to settle down and
get <i>back</i> to normal (whatever that is), for all of us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My daughter and I have moved
to Mississippi and I’ve found that I love it here! I don’t think I’ll ever
regret the move. Sometimes we have to make a change in our lives when led to do
it. And who knows? Maybe life in this beautiful, wonderful, slower-paced life
might lead to another story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The quieter life has given me
plenty of time to think and I believe it’s about time for Sandi and her
husband, Pete, to make a return trip to Wolf Creek. (<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Murders-Never-Sandi-Webster-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00DT6L6C8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=M6UQA9J53POD&keywords=marja+mcgraw&qid=1678129519&s=books&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C127&sr=1-4"><i>“Old Murders Never Die”</i></a></b>)
One of my older books was about Sandi and Pete being stranded in a deserted
ghost town where Sandi dared to solve an old murder. What if she returns to the
town and discovers another secret? It could be fun. I’ll have to give it a lot
of thought.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sandi solves current day cases,
as in the latest story, but she has the most fun and the biggest challenges
when someone approaches her with a vintage case that’s just begging to be
solved.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The characters I write about
are fun to work with and they seem to evolve into whoever and whatever they
want to be, without much help from me. Tillie was definitely fun to create, and
she reminds me of a number of seniors I’ve known throughout my life. Her
great-grandson, Mike, has been involved in mysteries with his parents in The
Bogey Man Mysteries. He’s grown into a mature thirteen-year-old who’s more
savvy than anyone gives him credit for.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you for joining me today
and for letting me tell you a little about <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Whistling-Sandi-Webster-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BVJHCPVD/ref=sr_1_2?crid=M6UQA9J53POD&keywords=marja+mcgraw&qid=1678129519&s=books&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C127&sr=1-2">“The Trouble with Whistling”</a></i></b>
and an idea for a new story. Life is good here in Mississippi and getting
better every day!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until next time, I wish you
good health and joy in your day-to-day lives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Sandi Webster Mysteries,
The Bogey Man Mysteries, and The Accidental Gumshoe Mysteries are available
from Amazon.com, along with a couple of standalone mysteries. I hope you’ll
check out some entertaining stories.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=M6UQA9J53POD&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C127&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">Click here</a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> to
take a trip to Amazon.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-19560083417523403092022-07-23T10:14:00.000-07:002022-07-23T10:14:08.025-07:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let me start off with
the book news. <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">“The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster Mystery”</a></b> is
free to download on Amazon from <b>7/23/22 through 7/25/22</b>. I’m offering
this book so that if you buy the new release, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><b>“One Night in May – An
Accidental Gumshoe Mystery</b>,</a>” you’ll know how the Sioux Simms story began.
By the way, the stories take place in 1920, and the second story involves seven
murders, and interestingly, they span about seventy years and the crimes aren’t
all related to each other.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFTdIlWVSRCvwJTLs6MdRaXn7B7UtGFfOD8qFxNSx6GRizGFSKhNqaVCNk77mqKfuhM9Zmak4cxy5zpx0LC5A2bHiYHMvnnTzgBLi7J_k6DjypEAQu0K1HnyEPTY2Ai7J-8SukW-SKPddMLioG1JuF11f0qAsT5cvrz_gfu2fTnl5_tXO70S_XWvY/s2048/Accidental%20Gumshoe%20Final_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFTdIlWVSRCvwJTLs6MdRaXn7B7UtGFfOD8qFxNSx6GRizGFSKhNqaVCNk77mqKfuhM9Zmak4cxy5zpx0LC5A2bHiYHMvnnTzgBLi7J_k6DjypEAQu0K1HnyEPTY2Ai7J-8SukW-SKPddMLioG1JuF11f0qAsT5cvrz_gfu2fTnl5_tXO70S_XWvY/w190-h271/Accidental%20Gumshoe%20Final_edited-1.jpg" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkuv8dlWny_kDzY3nNa0lt8TMPPHCCKyvtXoJm7NfViu6T4dkMXtUSG-4t4WeOrA_6Rg8NuNXJxNUmklA7fZg0mCCIwffCxtDvcKytJTlBseqzm_PwZP8hMMXUbMwXOhfQAvZb0-c0nPZiOwqMVmq93V8y6eIVvtq3pro_tSTbVmuqp0o_YyD1roE/s2500/One%20Night%20in%20May%20eBook%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="1635" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkuv8dlWny_kDzY3nNa0lt8TMPPHCCKyvtXoJm7NfViu6T4dkMXtUSG-4t4WeOrA_6Rg8NuNXJxNUmklA7fZg0mCCIwffCxtDvcKytJTlBseqzm_PwZP8hMMXUbMwXOhfQAvZb0-c0nPZiOwqMVmq93V8y6eIVvtq3pro_tSTbVmuqp0o_YyD1roE/w174-h266/One%20Night%20in%20May%20eBook%20cover.jpg" width="174" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve been off the grid, in a
manner of speaking, for a while now. Between covid and the lockdowns, health
and family issues, and moving across the country, things haven’t been normal.
It’s time for things to settle down and get back to normal (whatever that is), for
all of us.</span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My daughter and I have moved
to Mississippi and I’ve found that I love it here! I don’t think I’ll ever
regret the move. Sometimes we have to make a change in our lives when led to do
it. And who knows? Maybe life in this beautiful, wonderful, slower-paced life
might lead to another story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the meantime, I’ve had time
to think about some of the other stories I’ve written. For instance, my husband
and I visited a ghost town. There were plenty of visitors, and I found myself
wondering what it would be like if we were the only two in the town and for
some reason we couldn’t leave. And further, what if we discovered a mystery.
Hmm. This led to <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">“Old Murders Never Die,</a>”</b> where Sandi Webster and her
partner, Pete Goldberg, are stuck in a ghost town with not much to do but try
to solve a vintage murder.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The imagination can be such a
fun way to fill time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m a Humphrey Bogart fan and
my imagination took off again. What if Sandi met a Bogey look-alike? <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">“The Bogey Man”</a></b> was born and came to life when he tried to learn the biz from
Sandi. Of course, that’s the private detective business. This also led to a
five-book series starring the look-alike who – surprise, surprise – I call The
Bogey Man. Chris Cross, his wife and their young son always seem to be right
there when someone needs a mystery solved.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Back to Sandi, she enjoys her
work as a Private Eye and wouldn’t want to change professions for any other
line of work. Among other cases, the first one she solved was <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">“A Well-Kept Family Secret</a>,”</b> involving a relative who was accused of a murder in the
late 1800s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">She also ran into trouble when
her mother and stepfather bought a house in the desert in Arizona that hadn’t
been lived in for years. The interesting thing about this story,<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"> </a><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">“What Are
the Odds?</a>”</b> is that everything about the house really happened, including
the fact that a murder was actually committed in the real life house. The story
itself is fiction, but the things about the house are real. In real life, a
pile of boxes fell and knocked a hole in the garage wall. Behind that hole was
a… Well, you’d want to read the book to find out what was behind that wall.
There was even a tarantula migration on the property, both in the book and in
reality. The house provided so much material for a fertile imagination.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sandi solves current day
cases, but she has the most fun and the biggest challenges when someone
approaches her with a vintage case that’s just begging to be solved.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The characters I write about
are fun to work with and they seem to evolve into whoever and whatever they
want to be, without much help from me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now I’ve got to get back to
work on a new Sandi Webster story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you for joining me today
and for letting me reminisce about a few of the storylines. I’ll be back as
often as possible. Life is good here in Mississippi and getting better every day!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until next time, I wish you
good health and joy in your day to day lives.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Sandi Webster Mysteries,
The Bogey Man Mysteries, and The Accidental Gumshoe Mysteries are available from
Amazon.com. I hope you’ll check out some entertaining mysteries.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+Mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1YHHSXTXUGWC7&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Cstripbooks%2C105&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">Click here</a> to take a trip to
Amazon.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-21268525139907030512020-12-21T00:30:00.001-08:002020-12-21T00:30:02.014-08:00One Small Boy<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
has been such a rough year for so many people. I guess that’s kind of an
understatement. Hmm. No guessing. It’s an understatement. And now we’re in the
holiday season. Christmas will be so different this year in homes around the
world.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
usually post about writing, reading, and anything that’s related to those
activities. There are times when I set all of that aside and think about my
faith. This is one of those times.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Christmas
has been neatly deleted from schools, public buildings, stores and all types of
places, but the joy of the Lord is still in my heart. Someone might wish me Happy
Holidays, but I’ll always wish them a Merry Christmas. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
know not everyone believes the way I do, and that’s okay. Celebrate whatever
you want to in any way that pleases you – <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I’ll do the same.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you couldn’t tell already, I’m a Christian and I love the Lord with all my
heart. And I celebrate Him each and every day. I pray for people. I try to do
the right thing, but often fail miserably. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. I make
more mistakes and wrong choices than you can imagine, but I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i> forgiven thanks to the birth of one
small boy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Someone
might think, “But, hey! She writes murder mysteries. How could a Christian
write about something like that?” Well, there really are murders and there
really are mysteries. My intent isn’t to gross someone out, but to entertain.
While there is drama in my books, there’s also some humor. My characters, for
the most part, have heart. They’re just ordinary people who sometimes find
themselves involved in extraordinary circumstances. Although my books aren’t “religious,”
you will find some funny and lovable Church Ladies in a few of the stories. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">However,
this post isn’t about my books. It’s about hope, faith and peace, given
lovingly by our dear Lord.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hope
is a positive expectation that something good is about to happen any moment in
your life! Peace is what we need more of right now. And faith is knowing that
things are going to change for us because of that small boy’s birth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
what is the reality of Christmas? It’s about Jesus and the ways in which He’s
changed the world over the last two thousand years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Santa
can come to visit. He visited my home when I was a little girl, and he visited
when my daughter and grandson were small. But throughout the years, first and
foremost in our minds was the birth of Christ. Santa was just the frosting on
the cake, so to speak.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
hope you’ll keep coming back here to find out what little tidbit I’m talking
about from time to time. I’ll try to keep you entertained and we’ll talk about
writing and reading, and who knows what I’ll think of next.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until
next time, I wish you all a blessed Christmas filled with peace, joy and hope.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">P.S.
There’s one song that I usually only hear at Christmas that can make me cry, no
matter where I am. There’s a line that says, “Fall on your knees, and hear the
angels voices…” My heart soars and the tears flow when I hear that. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp59f4C0VRc">CLICK HERE</a>
to hear Charlotte Church sing the song that touches the very depths of my heart.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">CLICK HERE</a> to visit Amazon.com</span></p>
<p> </p>Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-31972010645186198082020-12-14T00:30:00.001-08:002020-12-14T00:30:00.993-08:00Old Cases, Cold Cases<p class="MsoNormal"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many
people are fascinated by old crimes. Think of Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper,
The Black Dahlia, and think about the infamous Lindbergh Kidnapping. You can
look back on them and wonder if things were really as they seemed. At one time
it was said there’s new evidence in the Lizzie Borden case that indicates
someone else killed her parents. Jack the Ripper? Do we really know, without a
doubt, who he was? Do we have all the facts about the sinking of the Titanic?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
is it about old, cold cases that fascinates people? From a writer’s point of
view, I think they’re somewhat easier to write about if the story is fictional,
or at least partly fictional. I took stock of my own books and realized that several
of my books involved crimes that took place in the past. It wasn’t something I
did intentionally, but after thinking about it I realize, in their own way,
cold cases are easier to write about – especially fictional old crimes that for
some reason must be solved today.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
try to include some humor in my books, and it’s more difficult when writing
about current times. There’s nothing funny about death, but you can find humor
in the people solving the case and circumstances surrounding the event,
especially if they’re trying to solve something from the past.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Does
it seem too coincidental when a protagonist finds old letters or clues that
have been hidden away for a century? It’s not, and I’ll tell you why.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
family has always loved taking photographs. My grandmother, thankfully, never
threw any photos away. They date back to the 1800s. I have family photos
galore. I have a relative who was in the Navy from 1904-1907. He took photos of
all kinds of things, from the officers on his ship to the Great Wall of China.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Something
unexpected happened. I was going through the family photos which fill a trunk,
and something caught my eye. In the midst of the family photos was an unusual
and disturbing one my relative took while overseas. It was a picture of a
firing squad shooting people – not the kind of thing you expect to find in
among pictures of Great-Great-Grandma. I can’t even imagine how he was able to
take it. There was an officer on horseback with troops standing nearby. You
could actually see the smoke coming out of the rifles, and… Well, I don’t want
to be too graphic. My point is, you never know what you might find mixed in with
family things. If I’d put that in a book, and the photo had significance in a
case, no one would believe it. By the way, I had an expert look at the photo
and according to him it involved foreign soldiers, not Americans.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cold
cases are different from current cases because you don’t necessarily think of
them in the same way. Old crimes are more like a legend, and in some cases,
that’s what they are. When telling the story, it’s almost like the crime is off
stage somewhere, not just across town.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
writing about old cases the author has to do research. The reader needs to know
what things were like in the “old days” to understand what those in the past
were dealing with in order to solve a crime.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With
today’s technology we can do a lot more with clues than they could back in the
day. Imagine trying to solve a murder in 1880, or even 1926. You’d have to rely
on circumstances much more than you would today. It could become very sticky.
Today you can look at DNA, fingerprints, videos and so much more. The technology
is mind-boggling.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So,
again, what is the pull to cold cases? They involve looking back in time
instead of looking over your shoulder. They involve more imagination. They
involve a lot of “what ifs.” Things aren’t laid out in an A-B-C easy to read
format.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do
you enjoy old cases? Do they stimulate your imagination more than current
crimes? What case, solved or unsolved, has kept your interest over the years?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until
next time, look ahead, but look back, too. See if you can figure out some of
the answers about Lizzie Borden or Jack the Ripper. Think about what you based
your conclusions on regardless of what crime you’re trying to solve, even if
you’re not sure you’re right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><b>CLICK HERE</b></a></span> to visit Amazon.com</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You
might enjoy reading about Sandi Webster’s Great-Great-Great Aunt Sioux in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Accidental Gumshoe</i></b></a>, or you might like to read about a deserted ghost
town in<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old Murders Never Die</i></b></a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABO0/_aHqvX9U3iMxIP7su7OuF2K_PK_NqwQSACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABO0/_aHqvX9U3iMxIP7su7OuF2K_PK_NqwQSACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VvdI9u4Y790/U--2xaGQvdI/AAAAAAAAAMk/vPMUAhZ17MoRcIvnbs869SEuiTDoWdbHwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/OMND%2Bcover_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1373" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VvdI9u4Y790/U--2xaGQvdI/AAAAAAAAAMk/vPMUAhZ17MoRcIvnbs869SEuiTDoWdbHwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/OMND%2Bcover_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-70755495601846997642020-11-23T00:30:00.001-08:002020-11-23T00:30:03.325-08:00Thanksgivings that Live on in Infamy<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thanksgiving
is going to be different this year. In fact, most of 2020 has been different
for many of us. With that in mind, I thought I’d write about some memorable
holidays past. Maybe you can relate to them and maybe you can’t, but looking
back over the years these things make me chuckle. Most of these stories are
from many years ago.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boWYnbDE6lU/VHI-clxEH0I/AAAAAAAAARY/Oy5tNROL3uAPdN3O74CH6V0PjTFyGeuXwCPcBGAYYCw/s300/Think%2BHam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-boWYnbDE6lU/VHI-clxEH0I/AAAAAAAAARY/Oy5tNROL3uAPdN3O74CH6V0PjTFyGeuXwCPcBGAYYCw/s0/Think%2BHam.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
remember one year when both sides of my parents’ families were coming to our house,
which was something we didn’t do often – too many people to feed. However, that
year we had more to worry about than the amount of food. About five minutes
before people started arriving, the plumbing quit working in the one little
bathroom at our house. There wasn’t a plumber in town who would come out on
Thanksgiving. Believe me, with that many people eating and drinking all day, it
was a huge issue. So, bless his heart, one of my uncles took it upon himself to
load up the car every couple of hours and make a quick run to the local bowling
alley. In those days everything except the bowling alley was closed on
holidays. That year I was thankful for many things, including my uncle and the
bowling alley.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
was another year when a great-aunt kept disappearing. In a way, this is another
bathroom story, but I promise this is the last one. Anyway, she made several
trips to the restroom. Later in the afternoon I made my way to my bedroom to
look for something. The restroom was directly across from my bedroom and my
great-aunt had left the door ajar. I was shocked to see her drinking perfume
out of a bottle and ran out to the kitchen to let my mother know there was
something wrong with my aunt. I mean, who in their right mind would drink
perfume? That was the day I learned what an alcoholic is and that she’d filled
her perfume bottle with liquor. It was also the day I learned why Auntie always
had dark rings under her eyes. No, she hadn’t been in any of the accidents she’d
told us about. Among other things I was glad to find out my aunt wasn’t such a
terrible driver. I’d been afraid to ride with her since there were so many “accident”
stories. I was thankful I had an understanding family who cared about her, even
though she had a problem. (She did eventually quit drinking.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of
course, the turkey was never done by the time everyone was ready to eat. “We’ll
give it another hour” was a common Thanksgiving phrase at our house. Four hours
later we’d sit down to eat. It was worth the wait though. The only time we had
black olives was on holidays. (As an adult I’m addicted to black olives.) I
remember picking up five and putting them on the ends of my fingers, and eating
them off of those appendages. They were a perfect fit. Of course, as I ate them
I had to listen to a lecture from my great-uncle about how I barely ate enough
to keep a bird alive. I was eating a little bit of everything else, so why
lecture me? Yep, he was the husband of the great-aunt who drank perfume. They’d
never had any kids and had no idea how much fun eating olives off your fingers
could be. (I’ve since taught the process of finger-eating to my daughter and
grandson.) That year I was thankful I had enough to eat, even if I didn’t have
a big appetite. I was also thankful that my great-uncle cared enough to worry
about my eating habits.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
was the year Grandpa was cutting the turkey and it slid right off the plate and
onto the floor. And no one remembered to buy black olives. My mother and my
aunt (different aunt) always made me laugh to the point of tears. They were so
funny together. And then Grandpa would turn off his battery-operated hearing
aid so he didn’t have to listen to Grandma talk about buying a burial plot. More laughter. Of course,
in the middle of everything the garbage disposal backed up. And my dad’s
head dropped to his chest. I wasn’t sure if he was praying or hoping the day
would end quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does any of this
sound a little crazy? Or maybe it sounds familiar. Well, I’m thankful for all
of my family and friends and for the memories. They kept the holidays colorful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Moving
on, I remember a Thanksgiving in more recent memory. My husband and I invited
friends over and, of course, wine was served. Even though I used a “cooking bag,”
the turkey wasn’t cooperating. It wasn’t quite done when we were ready to eat.
Well, we had a friend who considered herself a gourmet chef. Unfortunately, she’d
had a bit too much wine and decided to explain how to tell when a turkey is
done. “You shake the leg,” she said. “If it’s done, the leg will fall off.” Uh
huh. So every ten minutes Mrs. Chef opened the oven door and shook the turkey’s
leg. Sometime later that night we finally got to sit down to dinner. Mrs. Chef
had lost her appetite by then, but she found room for one more glass of wine. I
was thankful for the humor of the situation, and for the fact that we had
friends and family to invite to our home. I was particularly thankful that I
learned how to tell when a turkey is done. Right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
my memories don’t sound funny to you, well, I guess you just had to be there. I
hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving, even if it’s virtual, and that you’ll
have some of your own funny memories to share one day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Until
next time, remember that Christmas is just around the corner. Sorry, that reminder
is probably kind of mean. You haven’t even had your turkey dinner yet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a> to visit Amazon.com</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><i><b>The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster Mystery</b></i></a> is available on Amazon.com now. It’s
light reading, a mystery, and a lot of fun.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABO0/_aHqvX9U3iMxIP7su7OuF2K_PK_NqwQSACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="393" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABO0/_aHqvX9U3iMxIP7su7OuF2K_PK_NqwQSACPcBGAYYCw/w275-h393/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></p>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-30414165254788910442020-11-09T00:30:00.001-08:002020-11-09T00:30:04.736-08:00Fright or Flight?<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Halloween came and went quietly at the end of October. We
didn’t have any costumed visitors this year. However, the day did make me think
about fear. There were so many more hair-raising movies advertised on
television than I normally see, although scary movies seem pretty popular in
this day and age. Sometimes fear can actually be fun, if you’re reading a book
or watching a movie. In real life? Not so much.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I first started writing I created a book titled <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Secrets
of Holt House</i></b>, later rewritten and republished as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+McGraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mysteries of Holt House</i></b></a>.
I tried to think of what readers might like and came up with a spooky old house
(which was transformed into a boarding house), located in the middle of
nowhere, and I added secret passages and unexplained events and circumstances.
I thought it up, wrote it, and read it. It’s certainly not my best work, but it
isn’t bad. Here’s the thing. I received comments from readers that really
surprised me. The things that happened in that old house and in the secret
passages actually scared people. Who knew? I had no idea that I could cause
someone to lock their doors, check the windows and sit on the edge of their
seat.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyone who was around when Alfred Hitchcock’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=psycho&i=movies-tv&crid=2SLHQ01DVYM1H&sprefix=psycho%2Cstripbooks%2C254&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_1_6"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psycho</i></b></a>
was first released remembers the paralyzing fear that the shower scene caused.
Believe it or not, there are still women who take a bath instead of a shower
because of that movie.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1990, two Carol Davis Luce books were released, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Carol+David+Luce&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Skin
Deep</i></b> <i><b>and </b></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Stalker</i></b></a>. She kept me on the edge of my seat with those
stories. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Carol+David+Luce&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Stalker</i></b> </a>took place near the area where I lived at the
time. I think knowing the places she referenced made the story scarier, because
I could relate to the locations. Sometimes familiarity is all it takes. I’ve
never forgotten those books, so they definitely had an impact.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All kinds of things scare people. For some it’s snakes or
other reptiles. Big dogs bother others. Things that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">go bump in the night</i> will set some off because they represent the
unknown. I know one woman who won’t read even lighter cozy mysteries because
they make her so nervous. The subject doesn’t matter, but the unknown does.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote a post about animals in stories a while back and
mentioned dogs making great characters. Remember Stephen King’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Stephen+King+Cujo&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cujo</i></b></a>?
Dogs can make great villains, too. They aren’t all named Lassie and they aren’t
all heroes. I’ve had more than one canine set my teeth on edge, and dogs are my
pet of choice. Imagine witnessing a car accident where the vehicle ends up
being upside down, and you get out to see if you can help – and a woman climbs
out through a window followed by a vicious dog on a leash. That actually
happened to me not long ago. It was touch and go for a few minutes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ugliness, monsters, clowns, the unknown, surprise,
graphic violence; these are all things that can scare readers. However, the
list is a lot longer than these few things. Some fear heights, and an author
can set a scene where you feel like you’re right there on top of a thirty story
building with someone. Mountain driving, bridges, freeways and deep water are
frightening to some. What doesn’t give one reader the heebie jeebies will cause
another one to lose sleep. How about flying? Plenty of people are terrified of
airplanes and flying. My point is that like being on a roller coaster, fear can
be both terrifying and fun at the same time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thankfully, some writers can spice the fear with a little
humor. You’ll see that in some vintage movies. For instance, Abbott and
Costello, Bob Hope and Red Skelton add a little humor to their own movie fears.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My mother and I once watched a scary movie on TV from our
separate homes, but stayed on the phone while we watched because the movie was
too scary to watch alone. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What scares you? For me, it’s spiders and flying. Oh, and
twisted mountain roads. And… Never mind.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9734Go30-Lw/X6hX0STlNjI/AAAAAAAABQQ/fJ7WEImpQc0I6GYIfVdeGfn1spRXu93qACLcBGAsYHQ/s1267/Fear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1267" data-original-width="736" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9734Go30-Lw/X6hX0STlNjI/AAAAAAAABQQ/fJ7WEImpQc0I6GYIfVdeGfn1spRXu93qACLcBGAsYHQ/w151-h260/Fear.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><p> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Until next time, have a good week and I hope you conquer
your fears.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Marja+McGraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">CLICK HERE</a> to visit Amazon.com for the latest Sandi Webster Mystery.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBzXViF5sZk/X4ybfFuRzoI/AAAAAAAABOc/7HX12SXIwPYEjnGnnolR-O3uIkNojqqYwCPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBzXViF5sZk/X4ybfFuRzoI/AAAAAAAABOc/7HX12SXIwPYEjnGnnolR-O3uIkNojqqYwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p></p>Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-29392076471195714942020-11-02T00:30:00.001-08:002020-11-02T00:30:01.633-08:00Just the Facts, Please<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Recently I’ve been working on a family project including
family stories and legends. Sometime back I plugged in the name of a notorious
ancestor and what I found surprised me. I found two blogs about this man and
both were a figment of someone’s imagination. The information in the blogs said
that this ancestor was Italian and that he was a force in the Mafia in Old Los Angeles.
First of all, he wasn’t Italian. Secondly, although he wasn’t a particularly
stellar citizen and he was in a questionable profession, he was not involved in
the Mafia. This blogger hadn’t done his research but had, instead, made some
assumptions based on my relative’s surname. (Immigrants often changed their
names or changed the spelling when they moved to America, and this man was of
one of those.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I’m working on a book I do the best research I can
on nonfictional subjects. In <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Well-Kept Family Secret</i></a></span>, part of the story took place in Old Los Angeles. I researched
what was going on back in the day. I read newspaper articles, obtained
information from an archaeologist and used family history as a basis for the
story. The story was very loosely based on the above-mentioned relative. I
researched books dealing with the late 1800s and early 1900s. I even
interviewed a few people who’d lived through that time. Needless to say, the
interviews took place a very long time ago. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqxddCfs2VI/X59WHhSCl4I/AAAAAAAABPI/lpngXVoAwrg3XSFTTDBhVwQ4nyM6PX7vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s492/research.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="492" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqxddCfs2VI/X59WHhSCl4I/AAAAAAAABPI/lpngXVoAwrg3XSFTTDBhVwQ4nyM6PX7vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/research.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On another front, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">Old Murders Never Die</a> </i>takes place in a long-abandoned ghost town. In the
interest of accuracy, I researched everything from old cook stoves and washing
machines to the way people talked and lived. Thankfully, I received a comment
from a woman who works as a steward for ghost towns. She said I had everything
right except that the town would have been a lot dirtier. While that’s a good
point, I didn’t want my protagonist to spend the entire story cleaning while
stranded in the ghost town and trying to solve an old crime. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have a relative who came home from World War II and
became somewhat of a recluse, living in the mountains and only coming down when
it was necessary. He was actually one of my favorite people, and I was so used
to his lifestyle that it was years before I realized he probably had PTSD. That
realization brought on research for a book titled, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Silver Dollar Connection</i></a>. The men in this story are memorable.
Believe it or not, I was able to include some humor in the story. My relative
would have appreciated that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Readers are smart. They know the type of material they
enjoy reading, and it’s often something they have knowledge of, which is why
they enjoy it. If the writer gets it wrong, a reader may very well let them
know.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve read a few books where you simply knew that the
author was fictionalizing every word because they were so off the mark. It’s
not just history, but includes how a business is run, what terminology is used
in certain situations, whether it’s a gang member talking, a cop speaking or a
mother of twins bragging about her kids. Very few readers want to read a story
that has no basis, at all, in fact.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My latest book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Accidental Gumshoe</i></a>, was particularly fun to write. I had to learn about
slang terms from 1920 and how people dressed and thought. I needed to create a
character who would have fit comfortably into that era. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I try to include lightness or humor in most of my books,
and because of that sometimes things aren’t as realistic as they might be.
However, the basics are researched. Sandi Webster, my favorite protagonist, is
a private investigator. While a real P.I. wouldn’t be able to get away with
some of Sandi’s antics, there wouldn’t be a story if I didn’t fudge a little
(or sometimes a lot).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So there you go. Fiction needs to be combined with fact.
Don’t fudge with something that can be researched. An author should be as
accurate as possible while still telling a good story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now you have some idea why most writers research their
projects, sometimes even to the smallest detail.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Until next time, have a good week and check your facts
before making a statement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a> to look for my books on Amazon.com</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABO0/_aHqvX9U3iMxIP7su7OuF2K_PK_NqwQSACPcBGAYYCw/s2048/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABO0/_aHqvX9U3iMxIP7su7OuF2K_PK_NqwQSACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-20464953230321672982020-10-26T00:30:00.002-07:002020-10-26T00:30:04.089-07:00Hearing Voices<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Surprisingly,
one question that’s been posed to me numerous times is, “Do you hear your
characters’ voices in your head?” The answer is, of course. Although not
audible voices, every character I write about speaks to me at one time or
another. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Each
character has his or her own personality, and his or her own habits. Fictional
characters are just as individual as real people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Yes,
the characters talk to me. Sandi Webster tells me that she wants to be good at
her job, and she’s not always happy when I write that she’s bumbled her way
through a situation, or she overlooked something. She wants to be taken
seriously. I can’t blame her. I feel the same way. She also tells me how
frustrated she is sometimes. Sorry, Sandi, but that’s life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Livvie
Brewster, Sandi’s mother, is menopausal and when she talks, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">listen</i>, no questions asked. I always
hope she’s remembered to take her hormone pills. Martha Workman, Sandi’s aunt,
can be gruff and bossy, but as a retired school teacher she tries to be
tactful. Okay, she’s not tactful, and she’s outspoken. These sisters are often
pushy and take off in their own direction. Their voices can be loud and
demanding.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s
a bit different when male characters try to talk to me. They don’t always
understand the women in their lives. Peter Goldberg is an ex-cop and Sandi’s
husband and partner, and he was used to being in charge. He wants to protect
Sandi, and he can’t understand why she’s so adamant about being in control of
her own destiny. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stanley
Hawks is a meek and mild little man who works for Sandi and Pete and who hasn’t
experienced much in his life – that is, until he met and married Felicity, and
they had a son. All bets are off as he grows and learns. He talks to me about
wishing he could be more like “one of the guys.” I try to help him with his
wish.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
animals in my books can be especially fun to listen to, but they can be boring,
too. They mostly talk about eating, playing, pooping and sleeping. No surprise
there, but every once in a while they tell me they want to play a real part in
the stories. Bubba and Clementine can be pushy when the want to be, but they do
enjoy watching out for their people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There’s
a new character on the scene, too (The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster
Mystery). Sioux Simms is Sandi’s great-great-great-aunt. She was a teenager
back in 1920. Listening to her voice was a whole new experience since things
were so different in that era. The situations she gets into and the slang in
her speech made me sit up and pay attention.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
Bogey Man Mysteries is another series and a whole different set of voices,
including that of a young boy. He has to speak a bit louder when talking to me
because I’ve never had a son and I don’t always understand what he wants to say
or do. The dogs in this series are different, too. They have issues they show
me more than they tell me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Writing
about a bad guy or a victim is one of the hardest things to do. They speak to
me and say things I’d rather not hear – ugly things and sometimes sad things.
I’d rather watch the world through rose-colored glasses, and they won’t allow
that. It’s simply not a rose-colored world and they frequently remind me of the
realities of life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Do
you ever hear voices in your head? Sometimes they’re just memories or wishes.
Or maybe you should be writing a book. Think about it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until
next time, I wish you a week of rose-colored experiences and peaceful voices –
one can always hope for the best.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">CLICK HERE</a> to buy mysteries by Marja McGraw.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Just
released:<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><i><b> The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster Mystery</b></i></a> (Aunt Sioux can be
quite entertaining.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="380" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QeYPM7inE8/X5XQ1fJmpTI/AAAAAAAABOw/BMo9Sav20pQC-hcIv4rcZpxkWfNQJo9PQCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h380/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p></p>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-7762423364022382232020-10-19T00:00:00.014-07:002020-10-19T00:00:08.536-07:00Quiet Times<div><p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Quiet
Times is kind of a deceptive thought. We’ve all been going through a lot over
the past year. So much has been happening that I don’t need to share details.
We all know things have been different. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
know that I’ve been very quiet for a long time. Maybe it’s time to come out of
hiding, in a manner of speaking. Many of us have been stuck at home with only
occasional trips to the grocery store or the gas station. My daughter has been
working from home, so my daily schedule is different. Between us we have three
dogs, and I think it confused them, at first, to find that we were both home
all the time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So,
what have I been doing? I should have been posting blogs, but I haven’t done
that in a long time. Instead, I’ve concentrated on writing. It turns out it was
worth it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What’s
new in my world? “The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster Mystery” has kept me
busy and the research has entertained me. The gist of it is:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Sandi Webster is stuck
at home with an injured foot. Always the one to help out, her mother sends her
a box of old diaries written by her Great-Great-Great-Aunt Sioux, hoping she’ll
learn about their family history.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Initially Sandi is just
about bored to tears while reading what the weather was like and what her aunt
had for dinner on any given day. She’s ready to stop reading when she notices a
diary marked 1920, with a page marked.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Aunt Sioux’s father was
accused of murder, and Sandi’s seventeen-year-old aunt was determined to learn
who the real killer was with the help of her cousin and two male friends, and
eventually her mother. What she had for dinner is the last thing on her mind. </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sandi may learn where
she developed her interest in being a private detective and her passion for
solving mysteries. She may also learn that, of all things, a broom can come in
quite handy in some of life’s situations.”</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Maybe
subconsciously I figured if I was stuck at home, Sandi should be, too, but for
a different reason.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Some
months ago I received a box full of diaries that one of my grandmothers wrote
several years ago. I glanced through them and, honestly, they were pretty
boring. Aha! What if they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weren’t</i>
boring? What if someone was telling a story involving crimes and someone who
wanted to solve them to absolve her wrongly accused father? And I was off to
the races. It was time to have some innocent fun, or at least my main character
was about to have some fun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In
the midst of everything, my daughter brought home a one-year-old rescue dog,
another Chiweenie. Little did we know that Mya was pregnant. Not long after her
arrival, we dealt with the arrival of three of the tiniest puppies you’ve ever
seen. A lot of things were put on hold while we tried to keep things running
smoothly. My daughter was working from home, the puppies soon became great
escape artists, and my two big Labs wanted in on the puppy action while Mya
tried to make them keep their distance. It was like a zoo around here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Interesting
side bar: one of the puppies was white, which is rare for this breed of dog. He
was the only male, and we named him Bubba. If you’ve read any of my books, you
know about the fictional Bubba.</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-Tk7VnYBo0/X4ybBhUNLqI/AAAAAAAABOQ/t9B2ygykyeIeaxmM3x6PwgibKyhtR3gBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/Baby%2BBubba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k-Tk7VnYBo0/X4ybBhUNLqI/AAAAAAAABOQ/t9B2ygykyeIeaxmM3x6PwgibKyhtR3gBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Baby%2BBubba.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is 7-week-old Bubba with Sugar and Murphy</span><br /></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
found good homes for the puppies, and things finally got back to normal,
whatever normal is. I sometimes wonder if things will ever be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">normal</i> again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So,
if you’re looking for some entertainment while you’re stuck at home, you might
try “The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster Mystery.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ll
try my best to start posting again, and hopefully I can write about something
that will make you smile. I may do some repeat posts, and I might do some new
ones. It’ll keep me busy while I try to come up with a new story idea.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
hope you’re all healthy and dealing with your new life, and feeling positive.
Hmm. Maybe I’ll even do some blog cheerleading in the future. Life goes on, and
so must we.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until
next time, think some happy thoughts. My best wishes to all of you!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Marja
McGraw </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a> to order from Amazon.com</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1431" height="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iBzXViF5sZk/X4ybfFuRzoI/AAAAAAAABOY/sk-uJ21_K6U3TQkdUdI2rcAWBWAP030egCLcBGAsYHQ/w276-h394/Accidental%2BGumshoe%2BFinal_edited-1.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div>Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-7972853014688983352020-04-05T00:30:00.000-07:002020-04-05T00:30:03.620-07:00Trying Times<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Hi everyone!
I haven’t written a post in a long time, and with our stay-at-home days, now
felt like the right time. I sincerely hope you’re all well and that you’ve
found things to fill your time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I stocked up
on chocolate, so I’m happy. Too bad I didn’t stock up on toilet paper and
tissues. Has anyone noticed, in the middle of all the talk about hoarding
toilet paper, that the facial tissues have disappeared, too? Cleaning products?
Forget it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I know that
people are having a difficult time during the Covid19 pandemic. Some people are
feeling fear and panic. Wasn’t it Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, in his 1933
Inaugural Address, “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself?” Be cautious, use
your common sense, and live your life, even if it’s within the confines of your
own home. Read a book, watch television, play games or do whatever holds your
interest. I hear a neighbor outside mowing his lawn. I live in the far
northwest corner of the United States. It’s still cold here and I wouldn’t be
out mowing my lawn, but to each his own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Because of a
few health issues, I’ve made my last trip to the grocery store for a while. I’m
not willing to take chances so I’m using my common sense and staying at home,
looking for things to keep me busy. My writing keeps me busy. My housecleaning
keeps me busy, too, but there’s only so much you can do. So here I am, writing
a post after a very long time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I’m a firm
believer in humor keeping us going. My daughter has found several jokes online.
Some of them are dark humor, but I have to admit that they can still make me
laugh. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">One of my
all-time favorite movies is 1947’s “The Egg and I,” with <span class="algo-summary">Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. It’s entertaining and based
on the humorous memoir by Betty MacDonald. As a newlywed, her husband wanted to
start a chicken farm in Washington State. When she visited her family in
Seattle, she related stories of her adventures, or misadventures, on the farm.
Her sisters talked her into writing the book.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Once,
when visiting my grandmother, I saw the book sitting on her shelf and she gave it
to me. I’m afraid it’s been sitting on my own bookshelf since the late 1980s.
On a whim, I picked it up this morning and started to read it. I’m only a few
pages into the memoir and I can already see the humor in it. I have a feeling
when I sit down this evening, with the book, that I won’t be able to put it
down.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I
believe she wrote the book in 1945. In those days no one had ever heard of
political correctness. She’s honest in her feelings, and she’s funny. Set aside
the PC attitude and enjoy a good story.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">So
instead of watching a drama on TV, or reading a horror story, try picking up
something with humor. Look for the humor around you. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">One
of my dogs, Sugar, has a “thing” on her neck. It looks awful. I called the veterinarian
yesterday and they had me send photos of this “thing.” It seems she probably
scratched or cut her neck and it’s turned into a bacterial infection. I drove
to the vet’s office (and it felt so good to get out of the house) , parked, and
called them on my cell phone. They have a little table outside, by the front
door. A young woman stepped outside, set Sugar’s medications on the table, and
scurried back inside. I then left the car and picked up the package. Nothing
funny about this so far, right? </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I
brought home antibiotics and a spray for her neck. After I sprayed her neck, my
other dog, Murphy, was so excited and wanted to sniff what I’d sprayed on her.
Knowing him, he probably thought I did it just for him. One sniff and he made a
fast U-turn and ran out of the room. Oh, yes, the spray has a pungent odor. Murphy’s
reaction was one of those things you had to see to recognize the humor in it.
Sugar is probably thinking, “Spray me again so he’ll leave me alone.” He does
act a little pushy from time to time. By the way, Murphy is a very large Yellow
Lab trying to run on a hardwood floor. His exit was not graceful.</span></span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">My
whole point is, try to stay busy, use your common sense and look for something
that will make you laugh. At the very least, you want something that will put a
smile on your face.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">My
thoughts are with you all and I pray for all of us every day. God bless you and
I wish you good health!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">CLICK
HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">(Sorry,
but my website is a thing of the past. If I ever work up the courage, I may
build a new one in the future.)</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The
latest Sandi Webster mystery is titled, “No One Will Find Me” and you might
find a touch of humor as you get into the story. How do you combine a serial killer, suspense and humor? It can be done.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="algo-summary"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-43371706279070887862019-06-10T00:30:00.000-07:002019-06-10T00:30:07.304-07:00Not a Swan Song<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I started my
original blog in 2010, and I’ve blogged weekly since that time with few breaks.
It’s time to take a rest. I may be back from time to time, but probably not
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I appreciate
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the
meantime, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prudy’s Back! – A Sandi Webster</i></b> <i><b>Mystery</b></i></a> is now available in
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">People Lookin’ Half Dead– A Bogey Man Mystery</span></i></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
is reading and waiting to be read. Imagine one of the hottest summers on record
and homeless people with nowhere to go, and suddenly some of these people start
disappearing. Chris and Pamela Cross, as usual, jump right in the middle of
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for a quick visit to Amazon.com</span></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-41945656089923303672019-06-03T00:30:00.000-07:002019-06-03T00:30:00.831-07:00Foot-in-Mouth Disease<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (I tried to find an image for Foot-in-Mouth Disease, but it just didn't work out.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sometimes we
mean well but manage to do or say the wrong thing. I’m a frequent offender. No,
this isn’t a confession and, yes, it does have to do with writing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In real life
we often receive unexpected results when we offer a compliment. Let’s say you
run into an acquaintance at the grocery store and she’s got a new haircut. You
say, “I love your new hair style. Cute dress, too.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
acquaintance might have any number of reactions, including:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Waddaya mean
by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that?</i>”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Or</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“I hate my hair
and my dress doesn’t fit right. I hate my life. I hate everything.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Or</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Who invited <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> to join the Fashion Police?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With any luck
you might have caught her on a good day and she’ll say, “Why, thank you,” as
she pats her hair and smooths out her dress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Of course,
sometimes we say things and for some unknown reason the words come out of our
mouths sounding differently than we intended. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I might say, “Who
the heck does your hair?” meaning, I like your new style and I want to make an
appointment. Unfortunately, it sounded like, “Tell me who does your hair and I’ll
avoid her at all costs.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the Sandi
Webster series she has a partner (now husband) named Peter Goldberg. Pete is
100% Italian and not Jewish, but the story behind the name will be covered in a
future book. Initially, Sandi made an appointment to meet with Pete at a
restaurant because she needed help in her agency. When Pete stepped up to the
table where Sandi was waiting and introduced himself, one of the first things
she said was, “You certainly don’t look like a Goldberg.” Foot-in-Mouth Disease
at its finest.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Unperturbed,
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long partnership, friendship and romance.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve lived an
interesting life and have plenty of interesting stories. When someone tells me
a story, I often find myself reminded of an event from my own life and tell
said tale. No, I’m not trying to “one up” the other person – I just love
telling stories. It’s one of the reasons I became a writer. It also doesn’t
mean I’m a know-it-all. Again, I just enjoy telling stories.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How does all
of this relate to writing? The story about Sandi and Pete meeting is a good example.
People often say or do things without thinking first. It’s human nature – and it’s
honest. Our fictional characters need to be honest, too. I’ve read books where
the main characters were so perfect that I ended up putting the book down. They
come across as super-human and one-dimensional. Let your characters step on a
few toes. Sometimes in a mystery that’s what makes the other person blurt out
information the protagonist wouldn’t have found out otherwise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve often
put my foot in my mouth, and anyone who knows me can verify my affliction. I’ve
been known to backpedal when my comment hadn’t been intended as offensive. I‘ve
often offered unwanted advice, but I meant well. Just ask my daughter. No
excuse, but that’s me. And sometimes it’s Sandi.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Chris Cross,
from the Bogey Man series, often emulates Humphrey Bogart. I suppose he can be
annoying, but if you’re going to mimic someone you might as well do it up
right. His wife, Pamela, doesn’t seem to mind, and in his mind her opinion is
the important one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What all this
boils down to is make your characters real. Let your readers relate to them.
Let them have foot-in-mouth disease or let them be clumsy, but keep them
down-to-earth. Just don’t make them obnoxious. There’s realistic, but there’s
also the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ick Factor</i> to be considered.
Don’t overdo or exaggerate the realism with the exception of working toward
humor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you ever
put your foot in your mouth? Have you ever been on the other side and taken
offense when none was intended?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next time,
relax and enjoy life. Sometimes a comment is just a comment and there’s no
hidden agenda – unless you’re a fictional character and then all bets are off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">
</a><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Summer’s on
the way and so are heat waves. Check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery</i></b></a> and find out how Chris and Pamela Cross handle heat and missing
people.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Prudy’s Back! – A Sandi
Webster Mystery</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
will soon be available as an audio book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-42766276829558370102019-05-27T00:30:00.000-07:002019-05-27T00:30:07.549-07:00Standing in the Argonne Forest at the End of World War I - 1918<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In June of
1918 my grandmother was in an industrial accident and lost her arm from just
below the elbow. Not long after that, she married my grandfather. You might
wonder why I’m telling you this. In honor of Memorial Day I’m going to share
two letters with you that were written by a young soldier who was a pen pal of
my grandmother. I thought about editing them because there are a couple of
personal comments, but decided you might like to read them as written.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This young
man was stationed in France, and I’m presenting you with his letters exactly as
they were written – misspellings, commas, periods, no periods and all. These letters are a
small piece of history, and I’m thrilled that my grandmother never threw
anything away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Thanks to one
of these letters, for a brief moment I stood with a young soldier in the
Argonne Forest on Armistice Day on November 11, 1918. Yes, this is Memorial Day, and I’m remembering those who served our
country. David was one of them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“November 12, 1918</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dear Dolly,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I received your letter
yesterday and was very, very sorry to hear of your terrible misfortune. Peace
articles were signed yesterday and hostilities ceased at eleven oclock. We are
in the Argonne Forest on the ground that the Germans have just left and will be
glad to get back out of the lines again where you can see a civilian. And hope
to be on the way home soon. I consider myself very lucky to come out of this
great war as well as I am. The guns were firing yesterday right up till two
minutes to eleven. Last night we held a celebration of our own the air was ful
of star shells and rockets and flares which the Germans left behind. It was
like a fourth of July celebration.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tonight it is the same
when a star shell is up you can read a news paper by the light. Well I have had
a touch of gas in fact several kinds, tear gas, sneezing gas, clorine and
several kinds and been under shell fire a great bit and now it is all over and
every soldier has a big smile on his face. I must congratulate you on your
marriage and I hope you live happy and I wish you the best of luck. I must
close now as it is getting late so I will close now.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As ever your friend</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">D.B. Gordon</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Co.D 16<sup>th</sup>
Engrs. Ry</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A.E.F.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Second
Letter:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Consenvoye, France</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dec, 7, 1918</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dear Dolly,</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I received your letter
today and was much pleased to hear from you. I am sorry that I have not any
more pictures but if I ever get out of ‘No Mans Land’ and get back to
civilization I will have some more taken. I expect to get a furlough in a few
days as soon as the bunch now out get back. It must be rather dead at home with
all the churches, Theaters and everything closed. Things are worse than that up
here where we are all the towns and villiages are almost leveled and no civilians
are back here yet. I would like to get back in the S.O.S.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The French Girls are
very good looking and they are also very polite and friendly to us. If you see
a French farmer Girl on Sunday when she is dressed up you would think she came
right from Paris. And when you would see the same girl during the week working
on the farm you would not recognize her. France is a very beautiful country and
has a lovely climate similar to your state </i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">[Southern
California]</span> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in some parts. We have
had no snow here yet and it is quite warm during the day. Of course the rainy
season is very disagreeable to us as we have to be out in it all the time. This
part of the country that has been fought over there is nothing not a tree but
what is dead and most of them broken and the ground is so full of shell holes
that you cant go out after dark without falling in a couple of dozen of them
and most of them are full of water. There is thousands of German helmets around
here, we have one for a wash basin. I would like to bring lots of stuff home
but I am afraid we wont be able to carry heavy junk such as helmets. I have
lots of German buttons and decorations Well if I get my furlough I will send
you some cards. I must close now as it is getting late</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your friend,</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">D.B. Gordon</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Co D. 16<sup>th</sup>
Engrs (Ry)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A.E.F.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">P.S. This is German
stationary I am using that I picked up in a German hospital.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My
grandmother had several photos of military men, but I have no idea which one is
David, so I’m not including a photo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, I’m remembering military personnel throughout the years with admiration
and appreciation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-17735880264583327322019-05-20T00:30:00.000-07:002019-05-20T00:30:02.200-07:00Choices<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">From time to
time we talk about life getting in the way of work, and that’s what’s been
going on over the past couple of weeks. I caught the “Ick,” whatever that is,
but things are getting back to normal. Sorry to have deserted you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This week I’m
here to talk about choices in books. We have hardcover books in both regular
typeface and in large print. The same goes for some trade paperbacks and we
have regular paperbacks. Of course, we have ebooks which seem to be pretty
popular right now. I wonder what will come next. And, we also have audio books,
which is my subject this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-czVvI0owfxA/VDl9S5Yuq1I/AAAAAAAAAO8/M4fozuvpcJM4oLG0hE4K1dj0jHxouZr9QCPcBGAYYCw/s200/A%2BWell%2BKept%2BFamily%2BSecret%2BAudio.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KXwBw4z-J6w/XOHt3HSOBcI/AAAAAAAABKE/tJpudMlo1kQU8zfej0WnNosCgmkLoVSQwCEwYBhgL/s200/Bubba%2BAudio%2BCover%2BFinal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-czVvI0owfxA/VDl9S5Yuq1I/AAAAAAAAAO8/M4fozuvpcJM4oLG0hE4K1dj0jHxouZr9QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/A%2BWell%2BKept%2BFamily%2BSecret%2BAudio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1135" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cnmYIE6VNqA/XOHtrvxh0XI/AAAAAAAABJ4/M6lA8hO0LOsx7Vdmcr4C3sCH_80vnVYkgCLcBGAs/s200/Prudy%2527s%2BBack%2Bcover_edited-1.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"> A Well-Kept Family Secret</a></span></b></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bubba’s Ghost</i></b></a> (both Sandi Webster Mysteries) are available in audio format now,
and have been for a while. Coming up? <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prudy’s Back!</i></b></a>, another Sandi Webster
Mystery. By the way, the reason there’s an exclamation point in the title is to
indicate that it’s not about Prudy’s backside. It’s about her return. She was a
private investigator back in the forties and fifties, and she wants Sandi to
help her solve the unsolved case that meant the most to her. She just can’t let
go of it.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After a
narrator (in this case Viv Williams) puts the book in audio format, the author
must proof the product. That means listening to the narration while reading
along in the book. It’s time-consuming, but kind of a treat.<i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"> Prudy’s Back!</a></b></i> was released in 2009. After its release I moved on to other
projects and didn’t give it much thought. Now that I’ve proofed the story, I remember
how unique and how much fun it was to write. Sometimes looking back can be a
good thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Prudy was
based on a woman I met through someone my daughter worked with back in the day.
Well, she was based on her in that she was a P.I. a long time ago. Her daughter
remembered her wearing a long fur coat, cowgirl boots and smoking a long, black
cigarette. When I spoke to the woman she laughed because other than the boots,
her daughter’s memory was quite faulty. I liked the memory and presented Prudy
as the daughter remembered her mother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, why
would someone choose an audio book when so many other formats are available? Why
would someone want to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">listen</i> to
Prudy? Many people like to listen to a story while they’re on a road trip and
they certainly don’t want a story that will put them to sleep while driving. My
mother-in-law had vision problems and she loved books. Audio stories made her
day. I can think of several reasons to enjoy an audio book, like if you’re
working out you can listen, but those of you who enjoy them already know why they’re
your choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My husband
and I used to listen to audio books while we traveled, and I have to make a
confession. When the narrator was male, and he read female dialogue, it made me
snicker. It was simply difficult to take a male voice trying to sound like a
female too seriously. The reverse is true for female narrators. It’s a quirk of
mine, and I can’t help it. However, I thought Viv Williams did a pretty good
job of it with Prudy and the other characters, including the men.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, if you’re
looking for choices, you’ve got plenty in today’s market. I still prefer a
paper book, but I find myself reading more ebooks simply because of the
convenience (and the cost).</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Prudy’s Back!</span></i></b></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> should be released over the next two
weeks. I’ll let you know when it’s available.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the
meantime, I’ve been lax about promoting my books and it’s time for that to
change. I just need to come up with a new and unique idea. Yeah, like that’s
gonna happen. I’m not sure there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i>
any new ideas. Oh, well… Time will tell.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, give audio books a try. They make great gifts, too. Remember my
mother-in-law. She might have had vision problems, but her hearing was fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8">CLICK HERE</a> for
a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Remember, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=3BQOPSXTTP8XT&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C206&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery</i></b></a> is waiting for you. Think massive
heat and homeless people disappearing.</span></div>
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Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-17804637876121863242019-04-29T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-29T00:30:09.998-07:00Dialogue Style<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When you
write dialogue, are you mimicking anyone? Like yourself? The curious want to
know. Someone asked me about this today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5mpPuhOi30/VxPss8laatI/AAAAAAAAAk0/rfJjTGBgwIAXcp76HifIOjxBbNGWKaxSACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Thinking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="300" height="171" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e5mpPuhOi30/VxPss8laatI/AAAAAAAAAk0/rfJjTGBgwIAXcp76HifIOjxBbNGWKaxSACPcBGAYYCw/s200/Thinking.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I honestly
don’t think my characters’ dialogue is the way I talk. I generally try to think
of the character’s personality and fit the dialogue to that. Do I know anyone
with that type of personality that I can borrow from? Sometimes, but not
always. There are times I have to think about the average reaction.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There are
times that the protagonist in my books might use a word that I use, and that’s
to be expected. We generally create dialogue that’s familiar to us; that we use
or someone we spend time around uses. Do you spend time around teenagers? Their
dialogue might be quite entertaining.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hmm. That’s
not always the case. For instance, a bad guy probably isn’t going to say,
“shucky darn” when he’s caught. Well, I wouldn’t either. It’s up to the
individual author to decide whether he might cuss, yell, moan or whatever. On
the other hand, I suppose someone <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might</i>
say “shucky darn,” but I don’t know that person.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I have some
senior characters in my books and I’ve spent a lot of my life around seniors.
Well, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i> one now (I like to say
barely), but I’m talking about people in their eighties and nineties. They can
be quite colorful sometimes. My grandmother used to say, “I can pretty much say
whatever I want now and get away with it. People just attribute it to my age.” She
was ninety at the time. I have that same attitude about what I eat, not what I
say. Think chocolate. Give me time and I’ll probably come around to her way of
thinking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Keep the
dialogue real.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“I am going to the store to buy
several items. Would you care to accompany me?”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“I’m going to the store to pick up
some stuff. Wanna come along?”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Which one
sounds right? Either one. It simply depends on your character’s personality. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What about a
character who stutters? Let them stutter, but don’t overdo it. The grandmother
I just mentioned stuttered. We were very comfortable together and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sometimes</i> I’d finish her sentence for
her. If it turned out she was going in a different direction than I
anticipated, she’d just laugh and start over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What about a
mean or demented character? Can you create dialogue for that type of
personality? Sometimes it takes research. I know someone who lives in an
apartment building with some very mean-spirited women. She wouldn’t need to
research meanness. It’s right there in front of her.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Maybe that’s
what it all comes down to. Study the people around you, no matter where you
are. Some of the things you might hear in the grocery store are mind boggling. Yesterday
I was at the store and I heard a mother and her adult son in the next aisle. I
couldn’t see them, but the son just about broke my heart. He was mentally
challenged and he was sobbing, crying his little heart out, asking her not to
leave him. She was reassuring him that she wasn’t leaving him behind and he
should walk with her. She was patient, kind and gentle with him. That was the
gist of it, and it was eye-opening. You don’t hear an adult male react to
something like a small child every day. How did I know he was mentally
challenged? You could hear it in the dialogue and tone of voice. I never saw
them, and the male could have been a teenager, but he definitely had an adult voice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Remember the
things you hear. Write notes to yourself if you need to. Sometimes you don’t
have to take notes because some dialogue will stick in your mind forever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Anyway, keep
your dialogue in line with your character’s personality, age and gender. And,
again, keep it real.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, don’t purposely be nosy, but sometimes you can’t help overhearing
conversations, especially when someone is on their cell phone. They tend to
talk louder for some reason. Children often speak loudly, too, and I’ve heard a
few give away secrets just because of the volume.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Are you
looking for something new to read? Try <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery</i></b></a>. Think major heat wave and people disappearing, and you’ve got
an interesting and entertaining story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-89628725375079294062019-04-22T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-22T00:30:06.361-07:00Change of Pace<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve written
several posts about finding the inspiration for a story and I think it’s time
to move on. I believe it’s time to discuss reading, one of my favorite
pastimes. There’s no one quite like an avid reader. We live in our own little
worlds. Notice, I said <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i>. I love
sitting down with a good book, a glass of iced tea and something chocolate. So
read on from a reader’s point of view.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKh_zoznuZk/VPzL_zfLUNI/AAAAAAAAAWs/jujyxOAYLCAmmYkKXdviGQbmkN2RQxLxwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="205" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKh_zoznuZk/VPzL_zfLUNI/AAAAAAAAAWs/jujyxOAYLCAmmYkKXdviGQbmkN2RQxLxwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/Books.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I talk about
writing a lot on this blog, but realistically there’s another side to books. Surprise,
surprise, they’re meant to be read. I can talk about writing until I’m blue in
the face, but it doesn’t matter how much I talk if no one reads the books. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Readers are the most important part of the
book world.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Long, long
ago, I was in a rut. I had a set of authors whose writing I enjoyed, and I’d
read their books and then wait for the next one to come out. If no one was
feeling particularly prolific, or if they were working on something that was
time-consuming, I’d become frustrated. Believe it or not, I feel that way
sometimes; patience is not one of my virtues. And then it struck me that I didn’t
have to stick to my list. Who knew? There are a large number of new and fairly
new authors out there, and there are authors who’ve been at it for a long time
but haven’t received the break they need yet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So I started
branching out. Anyone who’s been reading my posts knows that my favorite types
of books are 1) mysteries, and 2) mysteries with some humor. Consider that we’re
talking about murder mysteries. In most cases the entire book can’t amuse you
because of the subject matter, although some writers do a pretty good job, but
I like one with at least a little humor in it. Why? There’s enough drama in
real life without adding more. Easy for me to say. I read plenty of books with
no humor, it’s just that I prefer something that can make me chuckle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve read
several authors who are new, or new to me. My whole reading world opened up. I
could list several authors here, but I won’t. I did that once and had someone
write to me saying they were insulted that I hadn’t included their book and
they thought I was playing favorites. I say “they” because I don’t want to name
names. Of course, that was a long time ago. I glanced at the list I’d made of
new authors and most of them aren’t new anymore. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What the
heck? In the future I might share the names of some new authors and their work.
Why not? Not all of them write with humor, but they still keep me interested and entertained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My point is,
broaden your horizons. Take a chance. Try some new (to you) authors. I always
say that word-of-mouth is the best advertising, so if someone mentions reading
a book they just loved, ask who the author is. If <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> read a book you just love, be sure to spread the word. And don’t
always judge a book by its cover, because sometimes they don’t represent what’s
inside. Is the title intriguing? Check out the description on the back of the
book before you decide to buy or not to buy. Open the book and read the first
few pages.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To add a
little confusion into the mix, don’t forget your tried and true favorite
authors. Just don’t sit impatiently and wait for their next book.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, here’s
my dirty little secret. My reading time has been cut way back. I won’t go into
why, but I miss my favorite pastime. One day soon I’m going to sit down with
the iced tea and chocolate, and read all day long.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, I wish you a week of new (to you) authors and enjoyable reading. Do a
search on the Internet for “new mystery writers.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Don’t forget
that <a href="https://www.audible.com/search?keywords=Marja+McGraw&ref=a_newreleas_t1_header_search"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Well-Kept Family Secret</i></b></a> and <a href="https://www.audible.com/search?keywords=Marja+McGraw&ref=a_newreleas_t1_header_search"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bubba’s Ghost</i></b></a> (both Sandi Webster
mysteries) are available in audio format.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And the
newest addition to the family? <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><i><b>People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Sandi Webster Mystery</b></i>.</a></span></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-87556987558139815812019-04-15T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-15T00:30:01.885-07:00Is a Sign Just a Sign? Or is it an Idea?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A friend once
sent me an email that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It was a sign, sort of,
and it said, “Awkward Moment: When you’re digging a hole to bury a body – and
you find another body already buried there.” As a mystery writer, how could I
let that pass? A germ of an idea took hold and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Awkward Moments – A Bogey Man Mystery</i></b></a> came to be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1076" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4OyyXzXpJ8w/U--3EDOh-lI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Ar4y3fOn38Q96TJeK83nFExYJIYxq99hQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Final%2BAwkward%2BMoments.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The same
friend send me another email that said, “Next time a stranger talks to me when
I’m alone I will look at them shocked, and just whisper, ‘You can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i> me?’” Good grief! I have to admit
there are times I feel like following that example, but I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I’m sitting alone and I’m quiet, I’m
usually thinking about a storyline.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I can’t use
every email for a story idea, but after my smile disappears, my brain kicks
into gear and ideas start forming. Sometimes ideas for stories come from the
most unusual places. If you’re a mystery writer, even a greeting card can start
the ideas flowing. A comment made in passing by a friend, or overheard at a
coffee house can inspire an entire book. It doesn’t take much more than a
fertile imagination. Well, that and a lot of research and grinding hours at the
computer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One of the
things I used to enjoy about the television show, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Castle</i></b>, was that something
would happen and he’d start spinning stories to fit the event, guessing about
what might have happened. Once in a while he was right, but often he was way
off base. This is something many writers do. Given a set of circumstances and
without having the entire story, they’ll find a scenario to fit the the
information they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> have.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I have a
character in one of my two series who’s addicted to chocolate. At some point
she’ll want to be involved in a chocolate mystery. When she was trapped in a
ghost town she ran out of chocolate and almost had a meltdown. I can relate to
that. Hmm. This might involve a trip to a chocolate factory. I wouldn’t want to
get my facts wrong, would I? I mean, research is research. This, happily, could
be very interesting research involving some taste-testing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At the moment
I’m mulling over Sandi Webster receiving a text message she didn’t want. A text
message that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> didn’t want set off
alarms – story-wise that is. I’ve begun to write notes to myself so I won’t
forget where I’m heading with the idea.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Someone
worried that by writing this post another writer might steal my idea. Let them.
There are so many possible scenarios that there’s room for all of us. Someone
might write a dramatic and suspenseful story, and someone like me might write
something with both drama and a little humor. Another author could even turn it
into a horror story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The life of a
writer is so much more than I ever thought it would be. It can be a very
solitary existence, but there are moments when we come together and share
ideas, and… Well, maybe we don’t share ideas, but we do share experiences and
stories. Mystery writers are, in general, very generous with their time and
support of each other, and I do believe we frequently march to a different
drummer. Yes, we even occasionally use clichés like marching to a different
drummer. If you prefer, you might say that occasionally we sing a little off key?
I do, anyway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Authors have
a lot of fun, aside from the hard work. Aren’t you glad they share their fun
through their books? We do our very best to entertain readers and each other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, think before you start digging a hole in the ground. You never know what
you might dig up. Although, I have heard of people digging up unexpected
treasures. Hmmm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Just a reminder: On The Books Page, toward the bottom, are some entertaining book trailers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s finally
here! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery</i></b></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Think extreme
heat and homeless people disappearing, and you’ll have the basis for the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KQ0Ri4zl2uM/XKphw1EMtAI/AAAAAAAABJY/RymCA5up5b40Y9MY_kic7tytjWvRsh4KgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/People%2BLookin%2527%2BHalf%2BDead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KQ0Ri4zl2uM/XKphw1EMtAI/AAAAAAAABJY/RymCA5up5b40Y9MY_kic7tytjWvRsh4KgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/People%2BLookin%2527%2BHalf%2BDead.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-69395875190329903902019-04-08T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-08T00:30:02.971-07:00Another One?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I’m happy to
say I recently completed my twentieth book, titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery</i></b></a>. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I’d have twenty
books to pick from, although I know a number of authors who offer more than
that. The book is now available in both ebook and paperback format, but enough
about the number of books.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KQ0Ri4zl2uM/XKphw1EMtAI/AAAAAAAABJU/hu1NOnMNDwUu0xbE8HqTFW4YC8p49ZVdgCLcBGAs/s320/People%2BLookin%2527%2BHalf%2BDead.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I moved from
Arizona to Washington State in 2015. Not long before I moved, during packing, I
hightailed it to a fast food restaurant for a takeout dinner. I sure didn’t
feel like cooking, and I’d already packed all my pots and pans anyway.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">I was waiting
for my food when a homeless man walked in. He was tall and extremely thin with
long hair. His skin was ashen, and so was his hair. He looked grey from head to
toe. Obviously he hadn’t bathed in a very long time. He slowly walked to the
counter and asked for a glass of water. He was soft-spoken and polite. The
young lady at the counter handed him a paper cup and pointed toward the water.
He thanked her and filled the cup. Remember, Arizona is hot and dry and water
is as important as food. I’m not going to tell you the rest of the story
because it’s not pertinent to this post, but let me say there was a good
ending. Oh, and I appreciate the fact that the young lady behind the counter
treated him with respect. That said a lot for her character.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Anyway, I’ve
never been able to forget this man. He was on my mind so much that I knew he
needed to be in a book. The title I’ve chosen, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead</i></b></a>,
doesn’t refer to the man’s appearance, but to a heatwave in Los Angeles. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It’s one of the hottest summers in memory and Chris and
Pamela Cross are gearing up to open their new supper club, Gin Mill Grill.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tillie Babcock, Chris’s grandmother, has moved to town and
she’s ready to take over – everything. She loves a good cause and wants nothing
more than to help a few homeless people come in out of the heat and gain a
second chance in life. Unfortunately, a few of these people are disappearing
right out from under her nose. </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Tillie’s insistence, Chris and Pamela now have a cause,
or case, of their own -- to find the missing people before it’s too late.”</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I could write about the plight of
the homeless here, but unless you never watch the news or read a newspaper, you
know it’s a worldwide issue, and I’m not here to preach about it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I generally try to include at least
a little humor in my books, and this one is no exception. How did I insert
humor in a book about disappearing homeless people? You’ll have to read the
book to find out. I’m one of those people who believes you can find something
humorous in almost any situation. Sometimes it’s the main characters and the
situations they find themselves involved in, and once in a great while a
homeless person might make you smile, if only for a second. No, there’s nothing
funny about being homeless, but even they sometimes have a sense of humor. (My
daughter told me the funniest sign she ever saw a homeless man holding up said,
“Bet you can’t hit me with a quarter.”)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So thank you to the homeless man who
wouldn’t let me forget him. I hope that at some point he had a second chance at
life.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the other side of the coin, there
was once a homeless man who started attending a writers group I belonged to in Nevada.
One morning I was the first one in the parking lot. An old van pulled in next
to me and it was the homeless man who started telling me about a story he was
working on. The story involved killing other homeless people and he went into
great detail about the killings. I found myself slowly taking steps so I wasn’t
hidden by the van.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another car pulled into the lot and
I took a deep breath and thanked him for sharing his story with me. He laughed,
got into his van and drove away. He never attended the group again, but as a writer
I couldn’t help wondering if there were homeless people buried nearby.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are two sides to every story,
but the man from the writers group didn’t make it into my book. Or did he?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Until next time, I hope you have a
good week and that your life is filled with blessings.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to visit Marja McGraw’s
website (Recently updated)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2">CLICK HERE</a> for a quick trip to
Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-1797353212129076562019-04-01T00:30:00.000-07:002019-04-01T00:30:06.595-07:00Amy M. Reade, Guest Author<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
guest this week is author Amy Reade. Of course I had to read the post before I
put it up, and let me tell you, you’re about to be entertained. (I also
realized I’ll probably never travel with Amy. Yes, I’m laughing.) Her latest
book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amy+m.+reade&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Trudy’s Diary: A Libraries of the World Mystery</b></a>,<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>will be available
on April 16, 2019. Read on and I hope this blog brightens your day like it did
mine. Welcome, Amy!</span></i></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></i><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k57LdR4xbVQ/V7C6uILhKsI/AAAAAAAAArA/eAPiJY56yvksfMLEVIxKuxTFCGyzFR7HACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Amy%2B%2BReade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k57LdR4xbVQ/V7C6uILhKsI/AAAAAAAAArA/eAPiJY56yvksfMLEVIxKuxTFCGyzFR7HACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Amy%2B%2BReade.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like
all of you, I love reading Marja’s blog posts every Monday. I don’t expect to
be able to match her for breadth and depth of topics and pure knowledge, but I
hope I can at least entertain you while I’m here as her guest, which is both an
honor and a privilege.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <i> (Thank you for the kind words! Marja)</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
you’ve read my books, you know that I love to set stories in places I’ve
visited and found fascinating. I wrote a book set on the Big Island of Hawaii
and three in the United Kingdom. I’ve also set stories in northern New York
(where I grew up—write what you know!); Charleston, South Carolina; Colorado;
and Washington, DC. I haven’t necessarily traveled to all these places
recently, but some of them made such an impression on me that I put them in books
long years after I visited.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I
hear someone say “I love to travel,” I’m always a little bit envious. I picture
people strolling down cobbled streets in Europe, sipping coffee and nibbling
croissants at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">al fresco</i> cafés in
Paris, lounging poolside at a tropical resort under a huge cabana complete with
cool towels and a frosty drink; or hiking against the backdrop of purple
mountains’ majesty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I love
to travel, too, but when I tell people that, what I should really say is “I
love to travel despite everything that goes wrong.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let me
explain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is
what traveling looks like for the Reade family: after the initial complaints
about where we’re going (these come from the children and it doesn’t matter
where we’re going), they resign themselves to leaving at the appointed date and
time. When that date and time arrive, one could be forgiven for thinking the
date snuck up on us like a thief in the night. We run around like so many
squirrels in a cage, packing, unpacking, repacking, making sure the kitchen is
clean and the beds are made (in case, God forbid, we meet with an accident and
someone has to come into the house to wrap up our affairs)…you get the picture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
we’re flying somewhere far away, I spend the first six hours of any trip crying
about how much I miss the dog. Wine sometimes helps, and sometimes makes it
worse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Upon our
arrival at our destination, one of the children throws up. It’s almost always
the same child.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At some
point during the trip, there is typically an injury or illness requiring
medical attention, or at the very least, photographic evidence so people will
believe us later. Once we went to Hawaii and all of us got pinkeye. Once on a
trip to Washington, DC, one of my children stuck his/her head through the bars
on the hotel window to yell “Hi, Dad!” (Dad was unpacking the car) and got
stuck that way. It took three people to get the child’s head back into the
hotel room. Once on a trip to Northern Ireland, one of the children went wading
in a stream that was on the property of our VRBO and got a nasty rash that had
remarkable staying power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Okay,
you may say, so you’ve had a few lousy experiences. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But what
you don’t realize is that this happens <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on
every single trip</i>. There was the time I was driving a rental car and I hit
the curb and the tire fell completely off, almost making us miss our flight and
making the car rental guy yell at me, which made me cry. Thank God for the man
who drove by and pitied me. He just happened to work for a tire store and he
was a crackerjack tire-fixer. He got as big a tip as I’ve ever given anyone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was the time one of our daughters (13 at the time) got stuck on London’s Tube
without a phone, while the rest of us stared in horror as the train doors
closed behind her. Luckily we were able to scream loud enough that one of the
train supervisors took pity on us and stopped the train. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
was the time we rented an apartment in a seedy neighborhood where parolees
could wave at us across a tiny courtyard. There was the time we rented an
apartment in another neighborhood where an actual rumble took place right below
our windows when Venezuela lost a game in the World Cup that night.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
here’s something fascinating: apparently this is genetic. One of my children
studied in England last year. On a late-semester trip to Amsterdam with seven
friends, she spent most of the weekend running from a crazed vacation rental owner
who had tried renting the kids a room in a house that already had seventeen
occupants and one bathroom. The kids spent the night on the floor of the
Amsterdam airport once they were able to escape the clutches of the rental
owner. Thank goodness I didn’t know about this until it was all over.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
despite all these stories (and so, so many more), I still love to travel. I
love to experience different places, cultures, foods, and customs. I can
remember a place fondly even if we had a dreadful experience there (I believe
there is a psychological term for this, something like “blocking”). I suppose
the negative experiences I have imprint themselves on my brain, helping me to
remember a place and the happy part of visiting. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; 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;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And home is always waiting, along
with the dog. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amy+m.+reade&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=amy+m.+reade&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KaMA50cAxFU/XJ_tGD6MOdI/AAAAAAAABI4/FaPBhZcTzDs55B96RrllsVYSVSYQMW2ngCLcBGAs/s200/Trudy%2527s%2BDiary.jpg" width="133" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Author Bio:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amy M. Reade is a cook, chauffeur, household CEO, doctor,
laundress, maid, psychiatrist, warden, seer, teacher, and pet whisperer. In
other words, a wife, mother, community volunteer, and recovering attorney. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">She’s also a writer. She is the author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trudy’s Diary, A Libraries of the World
Mystery (Book One: Library of Congress),</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Worst Noel (</i>Book One in the Juniper Junction Holiday Mystery
series<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">)</i>, The Malice Series (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The House on Candlewick Lane, Highland
Peril, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Murder in Thistlecross</i>),
and three standalone books, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Secrets of
Hallstead House, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor,</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">House of the Hanging Jade.</i> She lives in southern New Jersey, but
loves to travel. Her favorite places to visit are Scotland and Hawaii and when
she can’t travel she loves to read books set in far-flung locations.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; 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;">Her days are split
between writing and marketing her books, but uppermost in her mind is the adage
that the best way to market a book is to write another great book.</span> </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amy
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Website: <a href="http://www.amymreade.com/">www.amymreade.com</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/AmyMReadesGothicFictionFans">www.facebook.com/groups/AmyMReadesGothicFictionFans</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/readeandwrite">www.twitter.com/readeandwrite</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pinterest: <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/amreade">www.pinterest.com/amreade</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/amymreade">www.instagram.com/amymreade</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">~ * ~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to visit Marja McGraw's website</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">COMING SOON: <i><b>People Lookin' Half Dead - A Bogey Man Mystery </b></i></span></div>
<br />
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-55471590439216081112019-03-18T00:30:00.000-07:002019-03-18T00:30:05.023-07:00A New Week<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It’s a new
week and I have some new thoughts, which is actually a dual-edged sword. On one
side I’m glad I’m still sharp enough to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i>
new thoughts, and on the other side I never know in which direction they’ll
head.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I have a new
book coming out soon, titled “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead</i></b>.” It’s part
of the Bogey Man series. In the past I’ve included a gaggle of Church Ladies,
but for this one they’re out of town. Yes, even Church Ladies enjoy becoming
involved in a good mystery, and they’ll be sorry they missed this one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">That’s enough
self-promotion for now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Occasionally
I include guest authors on my blog. I’m an author, but I’m also a reader. What
better way to find out about authors and their books than to have them as a
guest? We can learn what motivates them and where some of their stories come
from. Just when I think I’ve got writers figured out, they come along and tell
stories which surprise me. Dorothy Bodoin, Marilyn Meredith, Patricia Gligor
and Evelyn Cullet are just a few authors who’ve visited.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I surprised a
few people when I told a story on someone else’s blog about having to search a
women’s restroom for a bomb without any training back in the 1970s, and I’ve
repeated the story here. Things were very, very different at that time. When I
worked in Personnel for a civil law enforcement agency, a job applicant
threatened to kill me because she didn’t get the job she’d applied for. It didn’t
matter that I hadn’t made the decision not to hire her and I didn’t have any
input. She told me to watch my back because she’d get me when I least expected
it. Okay, so I’m still here and she never went to work for the agency she’d
applied to, but good grief! All I did was administer a typing test. I’ve got a
lifetime of stories, and people wonder why I became a mystery writer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Authors have
lots of stories and if you’ll give them the chance, they’re more than happy to
share. Some of the stories are sad, and some are quite funny. All you have to
do is sit down and ask questions – and listen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As Chris Cross
(a Humphrey Bogart look-alike) would say, I want the skinny about mystery
writers and the capers they’ve been involved in. Give me the lowdown – all the
background behind the writer. Tell me where you’ve been and where you’re going.
I want it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Ever hear of
reciprocity? I sincerely believe that what goes around, comes around. So if I give
someone a chance to discuss themselves and their books, then on occasion
someone else will allow me to do the same, or they’ll pay it forward. It’s a
win-win situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the
process, I find new books to read and make new friends. How much better can it
get? Well, maybe my books could become bestsellers appearing on a bestseller
list, but if not, I’m still have a great time and meeting some outstanding
people.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So I’ll
continue to have guest authors visit from time to time and I’ll promote my
books, too. And on occasion I’ll do a blog about writing issues. I almost did
one about overused words this week, but I have to admit that I was bored with
it. Oh, well…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you’d like
to be a guest here, please let me know in your comments or email me at <a href="mailto:mystery@marjamcgraw.com">mystery@marjamcgraw.com</a>. I can’t
guarantee a spot, but I’ll do my best. Please remember this space is a mystery
site.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, do for others and just maybe they’ll pass it on and do for someone else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">
</a><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=2G49RZ9JSXG41&sprefix=marja+mcgraw%2Caps%2C246&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_12">CLICK HERE</a> for
a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">By the way,
here’s the completed new book cover:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvpsNp9AygY/XI7b4OcAW0I/AAAAAAAABIk/mdkuJ17K7lkcPXxV_EN0NCnfRao_8WvEwCLcBGAs/s1600/People%2BLookin%2527%2BHalf%2BDead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RvpsNp9AygY/XI7b4OcAW0I/AAAAAAAABIk/mdkuJ17K7lkcPXxV_EN0NCnfRao_8WvEwCLcBGAs/s320/People%2BLookin%2527%2BHalf%2BDead.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-49919507908628768852019-03-11T00:30:00.000-07:002019-03-11T00:30:03.362-07:00Please Join Me<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What if we
were sitting around my kitchen table, talking about writing? What would you
want to discuss? Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea? I’ve got cookies, too,
but then I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> have goodies in the
cupboard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’d be
talking about working on my new book cover. Much improved, but still in the
works. I strive for perfection, but I can’t quite get there from here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When you
finish your current story, what will you write about next? I have no idea what
I’m going to do. I have a book that shows the front page (only) of the Los
Angeles Times from 1881 to 1987. I’ve been looking at those pages, hoping
something will inspire an idea. Nothing yet. It’s interesting because many
times they write about a crime, but you only get part of the story since it’s
only the front page. “Continued on Page…” So many of the stories are still a
mystery when I put the book down. I think I have another book that focuses on
the 1940s, but I haven’t looked at that yet. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve often
talked about how things were simpler in years gone by, but while reading the
headlines, I’ve changed my mind. Yes, a lot of things were simpler, but crime
wasn’t. Some of the stories I’ve read were horrendous. I’m almost glad I didn’t
have a Page 14 to find out what happened in the end. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daylight
Savings Time started on March 10<sup>th</sup>. I wonder if I could come up with
an idea having to do with the time change. Sometimes things we take for granted
are actually things we can use for a story. Did you know that in Arizona the
time never changes? I liked that better than where I’m at now, which is
Washington State. Yes, the time changes here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We’ve all had
some weather that was out of the ordinary this year. Maybe that will inspire a
story for you. It rains way too often here, but the rain can actually be rather
calming.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you
worked on your genealogy? That task can provide some surprises, and often real
life surprises will inspire a story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have another
cookie. More tea? Coffee?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l4jTq4w4gpU/XIWzODNP_-I/AAAAAAAABIQ/Z2msPhSLMGoOdLQXgZCEVW0nJlv8OSb1wCLcBGAs/s1600/farmhouse%2Bkitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l4jTq4w4gpU/XIWzODNP_-I/AAAAAAAABIQ/Z2msPhSLMGoOdLQXgZCEVW0nJlv8OSb1wCLcBGAs/s1600/farmhouse%2Bkitchen.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Old Farmhouse Kitchen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’ve always
felt the kitchen is the nucleus of the house. I love the old farmhouses where
the family gathered around the table in the kitchen. A formal dining room is
just… Well, too formal for my taste. I enjoy a casual atmosphere. What about
you? I’ve always had a dream of living in an old farmhouse, but it’s never come
to pass.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I can
remember so many stories that were shared over the kitchen table. Confessions,
secrets, humor and heartbreak were all shared there, too. Maybe it’s more
comforting to sit in the kitchen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Back to one
of my first questions; have you decided on the subject matter for your new
story yet? I guess I’d better finish editing and publishing my most recent book
before I worry about that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Discussing
writing and everything that goes with it can be addictive. I had no idea until
I talked about writing so much that my husband’s eyes used to glaze over. Who
knew?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Oh, you want
to discuss marketing and promoting? I think we’ll have to leave that for our
next visit. You’re welcome anytime, you know. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Drop in
again. I look forward to visiting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, enjoy some time at your table with good friends. Talk about anything that
tickles your fancy, but don’t use silly phrases like I just did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">COMING SOON: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People
Lookin’ Half Dead – A Sandi Webster Mystery</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Think heatwave
and missing homeless people. Just a clue about the story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-41262143638655483302019-03-04T00:30:00.000-08:002019-03-04T00:30:00.200-08:00What Happened?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When you
finish a book, what’s the first thing you do? Sigh loudly and grin? Jump up and
down in your chair? Wave your arms in the air and act like an idiot? Or maybe
you just take a deep breath and breathe again. On the other hand, if you’re
like me, you do all of the above and forget everything you should be doing,
like writing last week’s post.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">People Lookin’ Half Dead
– A Bogey Man Mystery</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
is about to be edited and will be available soon. Right now I’m working on the
cover, which is a whole ‘nother story, but think hot summer with
record-breaking temperatures. And in the midst of the heat, homeless people are
disappearing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KK8pO8BFewg/XHx1xVz2jqI/AAAAAAAABH0/V_y8bXNLvdwWEt62K1nTnqV32-ugC-_LwCLcBGAs/s1600/People%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KK8pO8BFewg/XHx1xVz2jqI/AAAAAAAABH0/V_y8bXNLvdwWEt62K1nTnqV32-ugC-_LwCLcBGAs/s320/People%2B3.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Rough draft of the book cover. It will probably change. Well, yes, it will change.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Quite by
accident, and with the help of Chris Cross’s grandmother, he and his wife,
Pamela, become involved – again. Keep the heat in mind because it’s not going
anywhere, and neither are the people who live on the street – with the
exception of the few who are disappearing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There was a
young, tall, very thin homeless man whom I saw at a fast food place in Arizona.
He was so dirty that his skin looked ashen. All he wanted was a drink of water.
He was so soft-spoken and polite that you had to listen closely to hear him. I’ve
never forgotten him, and he inspired this story. I wish I could have known what
happened to him, but since I don’t, I gave him his own story. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There’s a
touch of humor in the book. Even homeless people can laugh at life sometimes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What about
the book cover? Have you ever looked at an asphalt street during the hottest
part of summer? Have you noticed the heat waves emanating from the asphalt? I
wish I could have found a photo like that to use for my book cover, but I guess
you can’t photograph heat waves. So I’m sticking with a very hot sun and a view
of the city from a distance. Simple authors create simple covers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Once the book
is released I’ll look at doing some promotion. I haven’t really promoted much
over the past few years. Oh, well… Life has changed and so have I.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The next book
will be another Sandi Webster Mystery, but I haven’t decided on the subject
matter yet. Another cold case? Maybe. Something current? We’ll see. I’ll be as
surprised as you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Back to the
grindstone. I can’t seem to get the cover quite right. At least it keeps me
busy while I try to dream up another escapade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What do you
do when you type The End at the finish of your story? Something exciting, I hope.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, I wish you a week of beginnings instead of endings. Maybe your personal
story is just about to begin, and I hope it’s filled with laughter.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">
</a><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=28F0UEADAMXID&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C247&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_8">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-78170835814247060132019-02-18T00:30:00.000-08:002019-02-18T00:30:04.446-08:00Look Up, Look Down<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When my
husband was in the police academy, something they emphasized was, “Look up,
look down, look all around.” That’s good advice for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anyone</i> investigating a crime, real or fictional.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you ever
played one of those Search & Find games on the computer? Some of the
objects you’re told to find will turn up in the most unlikely places. That’s
true in life, too. I recently lost my car keys. Thankfully, I had an extra set
of keys. I looked everywhere for those missing keys, including emptying out my
purse (which would frighten a mere mortal) and all of my pockets. I’d had an
appointment that day and finally decided I must have dropped them in the
parking lot without realizing it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I missed
those keys because there were other things on the keychain besides my car and
house key. The house key is another story. Whoever lived here before had
different locks put on every door. Lots of keys for lots of doors. But I
digress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">About two
weeks later I put on a jacket to wear to the store, stuck my hand in the pocket
and, surprise, surprise, there were the lost keys. I could have sworn I wore a
different jacket the day of my appointment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1DMKU5GGI4JTX&sprefix=Marja+Mcgraw%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_12"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old Murders Never Die – A Sandi Webster Mystery</i></b></a>, Sandi and Pete are
stranded in a ghost town. To the best of their knowledge, no one had set foot
in Wolf Creek for over a hundred years. Without much else to do, the two detectives
started looking things over and they discovered unsolved murders from around
1880. Thus began their desire to solve the old murders. As the pair began
searching houses in the town, they looked for clues, and Pete (an ex-police
officer) offered Sandi the advice my husband offered me. She looked up, down
and all around, and a few clues came to light after all those years. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xJ5W-rojkUc/XGnRJYx9mmI/AAAAAAAABHg/zo0inLRkZpgRJqDhwTqn3uJd8CD2BvL8ACLcBGAs/s1600/Hiding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="675" height="170" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xJ5W-rojkUc/XGnRJYx9mmI/AAAAAAAABHg/zo0inLRkZpgRJqDhwTqn3uJd8CD2BvL8ACLcBGAs/s320/Hiding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> This looks like a good hiding place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Between my
daughter and me, we have three dogs. Things disappear all the time. The little
angels just love to walk off with whatever is within their reach. Very
frustrating. The same advice works when looking for a lost slipper or sock.
However in the case of the dogs, it’s also advisable to look under rocks or
where it appears fresh digging has taken place.</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Readers,
including me, love secret rooms or passages. These things add to the suspense.
So when our protagonists see something that doesn’t look quite right, they take
a second look and generally, in a mystery, they’ll discover something
unexpected. How about a secret room that houses a mummy? (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1DMKU5GGI4JTX&sprefix=Marja+Mcgraw%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_12">Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery</a>)</i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When writing
a mystery, have a little fun. Close your eyes and picture the last place
someone might look for a clue, information, or a body. Of course, there are
times these places need to fall short of offering help. Don’t forget red
herrings. Also, don’t forget that not all mysteries include a death. The
mystery might include a missing person, or as in my case, lost keys. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Speaking of
keys, my grandfather had a key collection. Some of them were pretty old. I had
a very old trunk that was locked and no one could figure out where the key
might be. What’s the fun in calling a locksmith? I dug out Grandpa’s key
collection and after trying several of them, I found one that opened the trunk.
The case of the missing key? Solved, although I have a feeling that this might
have been a skeleton key that would open many things.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, whether
we’re talking about fiction or real life, remember to look up, look down and
look all around. If that doesn’t work, start checking pockets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you ever
lost something important and found it in a very unusual spot?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, take in your surroundings and look for the unusual or unexpected.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=marja+mcgraw&i=stripbooks&crid=1DMKU5GGI4JTX&sprefix=Marja+Mcgraw%2Caps%2C217&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_12">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-46652652190305767432019-02-04T00:30:00.000-08:002019-02-04T00:30:04.575-08:00Listen Closely<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m going to
tell you a funny story, and it actually has a purpose.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sm6BtQtJwSw/VHI_jStUnNI/AAAAAAAAARg/RpKgIp2UJ6cN_qg_OBj4--PnkmncrD-NgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/goofy%2Bsmile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sm6BtQtJwSw/VHI_jStUnNI/AAAAAAAAARg/RpKgIp2UJ6cN_qg_OBj4--PnkmncrD-NgCPcBGAYYCw/s200/goofy%2Bsmile.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After working
in civil law enforcement, my closest friend and I both went to work for a law
firm. Put in simple terms, in the early 1980s the attorney would dictate his
notes and the legal secretary would transcribe his dictation.</span>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We'd only worked there for a short time when my friend transcribed an attorney’s notes about a man who was killed in a fire which, of
course, isn’t funny. She was shocked when the recording stated that he’d been
having illicit relations with his power mower at the time of his death. Okay,
his power mower? We carpooled, and needless to say, we had quite a conversation
during the drive home that night. What on earth could a man do with his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">power mower</i>? I won’t even go into the
possible scenarios that were suggested.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The next
morning I was in my office when my friend walked in with an odd expression on
her face. When she arrived at her desk, the lawyer walked out of his office,
laughing for all he was worth. It seems the man wasn’t having relations with
his power mower, but with his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">paramour!</i>
I have to admit, it’s kind of an old-fashioned word and I didn’t know what it
meant. She had to explain it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">By the time
she left my office, we both had tears running down our faces from the laughter.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What could
this possibly have to do with writing mysteries? Everything, in some cases. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What if a
private investigator was hired to work on this case and he or she was given the
original, incorrect, transcription. How could the investigator approach a case
that involved someone making mad, passionate love to a power mower?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Even hearing a
name incorrectly might cause problems. In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marja+mcgraw&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C288&crid=2IVN4VZVH0FNU"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery</i></b></a>,
they took on a client named Eloise Nutcase. Really? Ms. Nutcase had a speech
problem. Her name was actually Eloise <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Neuchase</i>.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Hearing
something incorrectly might cause all kinds of issues in a mystery. I can’t
tell you how many times I’ve had to say, “I’m sorry. Would you please repeat
that?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It can really
be an issue if someone has an accent. When I was a little girl some new people
moved in next door. The girl next door was talking to me through the fence and
she told me there was a “spadder” on my arm. For some reason, all I could think
of was a spatula or a splatter. I’d honestly never heard a Texas accent before.
She was trying to tell me there was a spider on my arm and she finally curled
her fingers, turned her hand palm down, and made a crawling motion, after which
I shuddered and she reached through the fence and knocked the spider off. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One other
thing. It doesn’t matter if your book is dramatic or humorous, the
misunderstanding of a word can change the entire story. Of course, it might
lead to an interesting ending, too.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mysteries are
based on the facts as the protagonist knows them. A misconception can lead to
misunderstandings, horror, drama or humor, or just plain confusion. In most
cases, though, I think the protagonist would learn of their mistake long before
the end of the book. Although, you never know.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you ever
misunderstood a word or phrase someone has used and then had to backtrack to
resolve a situation? I hope, as in the situation I mentioned above, it had a
funny ending.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Until next
time, listen carefully. In a mystery, your life could depend on it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.marjamcgraw.com/">CLICK HERE</a> to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marja+mcgraw&sprefix=marja+mc%2Caps%2C288&crid=2IVN4VZVH0FNU">CLICK HERE</a>
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Coming Soon
(although don’t hold your breath while you’re waiting): <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People Lookin’ Half Dead – A
Bogey Man Mystery</i></b>. When Grandma Tillie moves to town and the first
thing she does is invite some homeless people in from out of the heat, Chris
and Pamela become involved in a case of missing people. Why would someone be
taking homeless people off the streets?</span></div>
Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380039642783211730.post-31127548936959592302019-01-28T00:30:00.000-08:002019-01-28T00:30:01.009-08:00The View from the Other Side<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Every once in
a while, Marja McGraw runs out of ideas for posts, so this week I’m giving her
a break and taking over. My name is Sandi Webster-Goldberg, I’m a private
investigator, and taking over is something I do often. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5pALwnpg1Ws/Vj_dV6u3whI/AAAAAAAAAiU/CV-7SN4s8SgQ02wUjRXkgoW6RUjRzfCCACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Sandi%2Bwith%2Bshadow_edited-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="198" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5pALwnpg1Ws/Vj_dV6u3whI/AAAAAAAAAiU/CV-7SN4s8SgQ02wUjRXkgoW6RUjRzfCCACPcBGAYYCw/s200/Sandi%2Bwith%2Bshadow_edited-4.jpg" width="53" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m not
altogether sure how Marja thought me up, but I once heard her say she originally
planned on basing me on a younger version of Sally Field. Well, I showed her.
Within the first chapter of the first book, I took on a personality of my own.
I didn’t want to be based on anyone but myself. </span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I later heard
her say she’d decided to base my menopausal mother on Sally, but as you can
read for yourself in the books, that plan fell short of the mark, too. My
mother is a one-of-a-kind. Why, she once took down a mugger while in the throes
of a mood swing. Poor guy – I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost</i>
felt sorry for him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As a P.I., I’m
proud of the work I do. I do a lot of work for insurance companies, but I’ve
also brought down a number of bad guys – some of them <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> bad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My life is
full. I have Pete, my partner and now husband, our friends Stanley and
Felicity, and I should probably explain that I hired Pete not long after I
opened my agency. In true fictional form, the business took off and I needed
help. We’ve had our ups and downs, but overall we make a great couple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stanley was
one of our first clients. He was being stalked, but I won’t go into that
because Marja has already written a story that will explain Pete’s and my
relationship with Stanley. When we met him, he was writing verses for greeting
cards, but now he works for us. Stanley met Felicity when Pete and I were out
of town and she stopped in to ask for help. They are the cutest, smartest and
clumsiest couple I know.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I have an
elderly neighbor named Dolly who owns a cat named Miss Kitty. I always feel a
little silly when I refer to Miss Kitty. Dolly is like the grandmother I never
knew, and she loves what I do for a living even more than her soap operas. She
hasn’t been in the last couple of books much, but she’ll be back soon.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I have a dog
named Bubba. He’s half wolf and half Golden retriever, and he’s, well, big. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Very</i> big. And he smiles frequently. The first
time he smiled at me he was a stray and I thought he was baring his teeth at
me. I almost called the dog catcher. However, it turns out that Bubba’s just a
big ol’ bear-sized lovable mutt. And he can be very protective when the need
arises. The latest addition to the family is a Chiwienie named Clementine, half
Chihuahua and half Dachshund. She’s quite a character.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnOwY8QILy4/Vx0mqVKX7iI/AAAAAAAAAlo/f1ajsxYw8agXurRMJ2Bf9Tr8f582A0_UwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/A%2BWell%2BKept%2BFamily%2BSecret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1127" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FnOwY8QILy4/Vx0mqVKX7iI/AAAAAAAAAlo/f1ajsxYw8agXurRMJ2Bf9Tr8f582A0_UwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/A%2BWell%2BKept%2BFamily%2BSecret.jpg" width="140" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VvdI9u4Y790/U--2xaGQvdI/AAAAAAAAAMk/vPMUAhZ17MoRcIvnbs869SEuiTDoWdbHwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/OMND%2Bcover_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1073" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VvdI9u4Y790/U--2xaGQvdI/AAAAAAAAAMk/vPMUAhZ17MoRcIvnbs869SEuiTDoWdbHwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/OMND%2Bcover_edited-1.jpg" width="133" /> </a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So far Marja
has exposed me to a hundred-year-old family-related murder, Bubba thinking
there was a ghost in the attic, a young woman being harassed by a bum, and an
eight-something year old woman (P.I. in the 1940s) who wanted me to solve a
cold case for her. As if that wasn’t enough, Marja brought the Bogey Man into
my life. I have to admit, he was quite a character. One of my favorite actors
is Humphrey Bogart and this guy was a dead ringer for Bogey. After that, Marja
sent Pete and me to a ghost town where we became stranded. Actually, that was a
lot of fun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfoXdh5UGhQ/Vx0UmBtZ5II/AAAAAAAAAlY/2RXXq2PBvGAt8LHtveA4ZosJH59tIJnCwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/The%2BBogey%2BMan%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfoXdh5UGhQ/Vx0UmBtZ5II/AAAAAAAAAlY/2RXXq2PBvGAt8LHtveA4ZosJH59tIJnCwCPcBGAYYCw/s200/The%2BBogey%2BMan%2Bcover.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jfoXdh5UGhQ/Vx0UmBtZ5II/AAAAAAAAAlY/2RXXq2PBvGAt8LHtveA4ZosJH59tIJnCwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/The%2BBogey%2BMan%2Bcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1082" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wt3zUHdY7oQ/WGG2tfI37WI/AAAAAAAAAxY/DOS1DpaM75sZ8VFxGkRayzj2KyMOyNQIgCPcBGAYYCw/s200/Great%2BCrime%2BFinal.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We helped my
mother and stepfather renovate an old house full of mystery to be used as a Bed
& Breakfast, we saved a billionaire with the help of my eccentric Aunt
Martha, solved a cold case in Battle Ground, Washington, where we now own a
vacation home, and we became involved in a cold case involving an old gin mill.
I could go on, but I don’t want to give away any secrets.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I can’t help
but wonder what Marja has up her sleeve next. I know my author is sometimes
frustrated with me. She wants to go one way and I want to go the other. She’ll
write a scene for me, scratch her head and rewrite the whole scene. Sometimes I’m
dizzy from all the rewriting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After all is
said and done, all I can say is that I think it’s very generous of me to take
over the blog this week. I hope Marja is busily writing me into another mystery
as I carry her load.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Like Marja
always says: Until next time, have a great week and enjoy a big chocolate bar.
We do have chocolate in common.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; 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;">Marja: Actually, I’m working on a Bogey Man
mystery right now (my 20th book), but Sandi’s latest case will be on the drawing board soon.</span>Marjahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.com15