Patricia Gligor, Guest Author

This week my guest is Patricia Gligor, my friend and author of the Malone Mysteries, a series I really enjoy. Have you ever thought about walking in someone else's shoes? This post will let you do that. Welcome, Pat!

Imagine  This 

One of my favorite movies is the 1996 “A Time to Kill,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. 

In the movie, Jake Brigance, a young white lawyer, defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who brutally sexually assaulted his ten year old daughter. During the trial, it isn’t a question of whether or not Hailey committed the crime; several people saw him do it. What Jake hopes to do is to convince the jury that the case never would’ve made it to trial – if Hailey was white. A daunting task in the racist culture in Canton, Mississippi at that time. 

As the trial progresses, Jake tries everything he can think of to convince the jury to find Hailey not guilty but it isn’t looking like that will happen. Until the summation when Jake prevails upon the jurors to close their eyes and “Imagine this.”

Obviously, I can’t ask you to close your eyes so I’ll simply ask you to “Imagine this.”

You’re a thirty-two year old stay-at-home mom. You live on a quiet, tree-lined street on the first floor of a beautiful, old Victorian in a peaceful, family-oriented neighborhood with your husband and two adorable young children – a boy and a girl. You love the house and, most of all, you love your family. You’re living an idyllic life, right?

Wrong!

Your husband, an alcoholic, is drinking heavily and his behavior toward you is erratic. One minute, he’s the kind, loving man you married and, the next minute, he’s cold and cruel to you. You want to “fix” your relationship but you don’t know how. Your little boy is diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) but your husband refuses to believe it, which causes even more arguments in an already tense household. Your mother-in-law constantly pokes her nose in your business, always siding with her son, blaming you for everything and bringing more discord into your marriage.

To top it off, it’s the week of Halloween and there’s a serial killer murdering women in their homes in your neighborhood. Some of your neighbors have decorated their yards for the holiday but you hardly notice as you find yourself looking over your shoulder wherever you go. You’re nervous going out in broad daylight. But how do you feel about going out at night? Do you double and triple check the locks on your windows and doors before going to bed? Does every little noise startle you?

What you just imagined is a brief glimpse into Ann Malone Kern’s life. If you’d like to read more, you can order “Mixed Messages,” the first book in my holiday-themed Malone mystery series, in eBook format at http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4.

Patricia's Blog:  http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.gligor

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CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw's website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com  

Famous Like Dolly

A long time ago I saw Dolly Parton interviewed and I’ve never forgotten it. She said that way back when, she went to a recording company and told them she was going to be famous. She asked if they were with her or not. They were, and she is – famous, that is. Of course, I’m paraphrasing, but Ms. Parton’s enthusiasm is catching.

So right here, right now, I’m saying that I’m going to be famous one day. I hope. I sure can’t sing, and I’m no Mary Higgins Clark, but I definitely have my own style. Whew! Delusions of grandeur? I’m laughing at myself. No delusions, but a lot of hope and spirit. (Read to the end to find out what lesson I learned.)

Still paraphrasing, Ms. Parton said something to the effect that quirky people are many times the most creative. There ya go. I’m quirky, sometimes, although I prefer to call myself eccentric. Well, I probably just have some odd habits, especially when it comes to food. Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy chocolate. I also like nuts. However, I don’t like chocolate and nuts mixed together. My closet is color coordinated; all the blues together, yellows together, greens… Well, you get the idea. Maybe that’s not quirky. Maybe it’s compulsive?

Ms. Parton also said that she prays every day. We’re together on that one. So do I. There’s nothing more fulfilling than spending time with God.

Hmmm. Thanks to Dolly Parton, you’re learning more about me than I ever wanted anyone to know. I think she has a lot more self-confidence than I do though and she’s so down to earth. She’s an inspirational woman, whether she realizes it or not.

So I’m gonna be famous someday. I just hope it’s not for doing something ridiculous – like tripping in the grocery store and taking out an old lady in a wheelchair. Or being mistaken for a bank robber and going to jail until I can prove it’s a case of mistaken identity. Honestly, I don’t steal. I’m probably one of the most honest people you’d ever meet, except for those teeny tiny white lies many of us tell when we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. “Oh, yes, Edna. Yellow is definitely your color.” Yellow makes Edna look like an overripe banana, and a real friend would probably tell her, but I can’t stand hurting someone’s feelings.

How did I go from Dolly Parton to being famous one day to Edna looking like a banana? Maybe it’s part of the eccentricity; you know, the mind wanders. I’d prefer to believe that it’s just my brilliant mind leaping from subject to subject because I have so much to ponder and offer.

Back to Dolly. I admire this woman not only for her achievements, but also because she reminds me of someone with whom I could sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or a dessert, and with whom I could have a belly laugh. Doesn’t she have the sweetest laugh you’ve ever heard?

So, again, someday I’m going to be famous. And someday my wrinkles will miraculously disappear. Oh, I’m off topic again.

I’ll say this. I’ve never had more fun than when I’m writing a mystery, and that’s got to count for something. There’s nothing funny about murder, so obviously there’s some drama in my books. However, you’ll also find some humor between the book covers. I’d rather offer you a chuckle than add to your daily angst, and there's been plenty of that lately.

Well, Dolly made it and she’s famous, and she’s adorable, and she makes me smile. Maybe there’s still hope for me. I may not be adorable, but I do make a few people smile. There’s hope.

Until next time, do something adorable that makes people smile, and maybe one day you’ll be famous. If nothing else, at least you’ll be well-liked, and after all is said and done, that’s more important than being famous. (I may have just gotten my priorities straight - lesson learned.)

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

COMING SOON - One Adventure Too Many –A Sandi Webster Mystery

Taking a vacation can lead to an unexpected case for private eye Sandi Webster-Goldberg.

Taking a vacation with your menopausal mother, an eccentric aunt, a pregnant friend and her husband, and a flustered husband can lead to total chaos.

Pete Goldberg and Stanley Hawks take a leisurely walk in the country, only to discover an abandoned house. When Sandi, her mother, Livvie, and her Aunt Martha decide to explore, they discover that the house isn’t quite as abandoned as previously thought.

A young woman and her baby are hiding out from unknown danger. She needs help, and the three women are more than happy to oblige her.

Did You Catch that Mistake?

 

Note the face of innocence

 

I’m snitching on myself this week. I noticed one specific mistake each in two books I’ve written. Both times I called one character by another character’s name. Not being perfect, I’m sure there are other mistakes, too. Stuff happens, no matter how careful I am.

Because I write, proofread, fix and proofread again, it’s become a habit. When I read books by other writers, I tend to zero in on typos or mistakes. It’s very annoying to me. I just want to read and not notice things. I simply want to enjoy the story.

I’m reading a series right now that has many errors, but I won’t mention the author’s name because that wouldn’t be fair. Here’s the thing. The writer’s stories are so engaging and enjoyable that I don’t care about the mistakes. Just give me the story.

I’ve read books by Big Name authors and discovered errors, and they have editors who do great jobs, but sometimes things just seem to slip past us – or them.

I think writers, editors and readers often miss typos because they read the work as it’s supposed to read, not the way it actually does. Our brains have a way of doing that to us when we’re expecting a certain word or phrase.

Sometimes our brains work faster than our fingers while we type. It can be difficult to keep up.

Is it the end of the world if we make a mistake? No. Will a reader call us on it? Possibly. Can it be fixed? Certainly. However, if you’re as lazy as I am, you just hope no one notices. The thought of rereleasing a book makes me want to hide under the bed. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot; now my readers will start looking for errors. I can only say, enjoy the story, forgive the mistakes.

Any distraction can cause problems – the phone ringing during a crucial scene, the dogs barking, the mailman bringing a package to the door, even a sudden revelation or inspiration regarding a whole different scene.

So to all writers who know they’ve made a mistake, my heart goes out to you and I hope readers will be forgiving. We do the best we can, which isn’t always… Oh, the heck with it. Enjoy the stories you read as much as I’m enjoying the series I’m reading. I don’t care about the author’s mistakes. Just give me a good story.

Until next time, I hope you have a great week filled with good weather and sunny beaches.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Gin Mill Grill – A Sandi Webster Mystery is the latest in this series, and will be followed by a book as yet untitled. Sometimes the title is just out of my grasp, but it’ll come to me.