Fright or Flight?

 

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.

When I first started writing I created a book titled Secrets of Holt House, later rewritten and republished as Mysteries of Holt House. 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.

Anyone who was around when Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho 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.

In 1990, two Carol Davis Luce books were released, Skin Deep and Night Stalker. She kept me on the edge of my seat with those stories. Night Stalker 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.

All kinds of things scare people. For some it’s snakes or other reptiles. Big dogs bother others. Things that go bump in the night 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.

I wrote a post about animals in stories a while back and mentioned dogs making great characters. Remember Stephen King’s Cujo? 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.

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.

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.

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.

What scares you? For me, it’s spiders and flying. Oh, and twisted mountain roads. And… Never mind.

 Until next time, have a good week and I hope you conquer your fears.

CLICK HERE to visit Amazon.com for the latest Sandi Webster Mystery.

 

Quiet Times

 

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.

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.

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.

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:

“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.

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.

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.

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.”

Maybe subconsciously I figured if I was stuck at home, Sandi should be, too, but for a different reason.

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 weren’t 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.

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.

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.

This is 7-week-old Bubba with Sugar and Murphy

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 normal again.

So, if you’re looking for some entertainment while you’re stuck at home, you might try “The Accidental Gumshoe – A Sandi Webster Mystery.”

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.

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.

Until next time, think some happy thoughts. My best wishes to all of you!

Marja McGraw  

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Trying Times

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One of my all-time favorite movies is 1947’s “The Egg and I,” with 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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

My thoughts are with you all and I pray for all of us every day. God bless you and I wish you good health!

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

(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.)

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.

Not a Swan Song

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 often. It’s time to concentrate on writing and life in general.

I appreciate the comments people have left over the years and I hope some of my posts entertained the readers. Thank you for your support, and I hope my books continue to entertain you, too.

In the meantime, Prudy’s Back! – A Sandi Webster Mystery is now available in audio format.

People Lookin’ Half Dead– A Bogey Man Mystery 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 things, which the help of Chris’s newly arrived grandmother.

Until next time (whenever that might be), keep on reading and remember that Life is Good!

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick visit to Amazon.com

Foot-in-Mouth Disease

 (I tried to find an image for Foot-in-Mouth Disease, but it just didn't work out.)

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.

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.”

The acquaintance might have any number of reactions, including:

“Waddaya mean by that?”

                        Or

“I hate my hair and my dress doesn’t fit right. I hate my life. I hate everything.”

                        Or

“Who invited you to join the Fashion Police?”

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.

Of course, sometimes we say things and for some unknown reason the words come out of our mouths sounding differently than we intended.

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.”

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.

Unperturbed, Pete asked her what a Goldberg should look like. That was the beginning of a long partnership, friendship and romance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Ick Factor to be considered. Don’t overdo or exaggerate the realism with the exception of working toward humor.

Have you ever put your foot in your mouth? Have you ever been on the other side and taken offense when none was intended?

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.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Summer’s on the way and so are heat waves. Check out People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery and find out how Chris and Pamela Cross handle heat and missing people.

Prudy’s Back! – A Sandi Webster Mystery will soon be available as an audio book.