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.

Choices

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.

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.

        

 

 A Well-Kept Family Secret and Bubba’s Ghost (both Sandi Webster Mysteries) are available in audio format now, and have been for a while. Coming up? Prudy’s Back!, 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.

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. Prudy’s Back! 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.

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.

However, why would someone choose an audio book when so many other formats are available? Why would someone want to listen 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.

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.

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).

Prudy’s Back! should be released over the next two weeks. I’ll let you know when it’s available.

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 are any new ideas. Oh, well… Time will tell.

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.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website

CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

Remember, People Lookin’ Half Dead – A Bogey Man Mystery is waiting for you. Think massive heat and homeless people disappearing.