A Gift From Me to You

As writers it is important to stretch ourselves beyond what we normally write. This is something I learned in a great critique group in Omaha NE, where we would always start our meetings with a short class on some form of writing. This is where I was encouraged to write poetry, although that is not my medium of choice, and I learned how to write with more conciseness.

For one of our class assignments, we were asked to write a short story based on some classic fairy tale or nursery rhyme. I decided to use Goldilocks and The Three Bears and put a modern twist on it. The result was my short story "The Visitor" which I published myself on Kindle. It is free today through Tuesday, so if you enjoy short stories you might want to snag a copy. If you don't own a Kindle, there are all kinds of Kindle apps for computers and iPhones and all kinds of smart phones.

A to Z Challenge - S is for Saturday Morning Breakfast

Every Saturday morning my husband and I go out to breakfast. We started doing this about 25 years ago and do everything in our power to make this time just for each other.

When my husband was traveling as a consultant, he got into the habit of going out to breakfast on Saturday mornings because he didn't want to sit in the apartment alone for another meal. Sometimes he was gone for months at a time, and it got pretty lonely for him.

Since we both like breakfast out a lot, we decided to keep the pattern even after his consulting stopped and he was home.

So this morning I am keeping this short and sweet and going out to breakfast with my husband. I hope you have something fun to do this Saturday.

A to Z Challenge - R is for Rocks and Rabbits

Continuing from yesterday's post about quartz, I thought I would write about some of the other rocks in my gardens. They are everywhere. I have some ringing large circular flowerbeds around trees. Some are in a raised flowerbed that was built to keep the dirt from washing away from the side of the house. And some are nestled among my azaleas.

Some of these rocks have traveled many miles to get here to East Texas. I started collecting them when we lived in Omaha, NE, and would visit friends in South Dakota. They have a large farm and when David plowed, Jan and I would walk behind and pick up the large rocks dug up by the plow. A necessary farm chore in places like that. Every time we visited, I would bring home several large rocks and smaller stones.

Pudding Stone

Visits to Michigan and my niece's farm would follow a similar pattern, except there I did not do the work of picking up the rocks in the field. My niece always had a few she had set aside for when Aunt Maryann came to visit, and those went home with me to Omaha.

When we were moving back to Texas, we were moving on our own dime and my husband said no way could we afford to pay to move those rocks and stones. Moving companies charge by the pound.

My husband is not as attached to things as I am. He did not understand what those rocks meant to me, but one of my son's did. So Michael drove his truck from Austin to Omaha, and he and I drove those rocks to our new place here. Every day I can go out and walk around our property and see the rocks and remember where they came from.

One of the special rocks is a pudding stone from Michigan. For seasoned rock pickers, which includes my mother, my sister and I, finding a pudding stone at the farm or at the lake is quite exciting. They are not very common, and I had to fight my sister and mother off to be able to bring that one home.

Green-Striped Rock

The stone with the green striping was found at the lake in Lake City, Michigan. I saw just the top peeping out of the dirt and begged my nephew to dig it out with his pocket knife, which he did after just a bit of muttering about did I know how hard that was going to be. He told me next time to bring a shovel.

My youngest daughter, Dany, can tell us all about our rocks and what minerals are in them. She earned a degree in geology, and when I told my mother what Dany was studying, Mother asked what that was. The simple answer, "She studies rocks."

"Oh, she's another rock picker. Well, she comes by that naturally."

Yes she does.

A to Z Challenge - Q is for Quartz

I knew the letter "q" was going to be a real challenge in keeping with my nature theme. I could have written about Quebec, which is a province in Canada, and in comprised of land and people and animals and plants. They all fit in the category of nature, and Quebec is a beautiful place to visit.

However, I decided to write about quartz after I worked in my flowerbeds this morning and saw the quartz one of my daughters brought me from Tennessee.

Often small bits of quartz are mixed with other minerals, and that is what is seen most often when the sun glints off of something shiny in a dark rock. I have a few like that in my rock collection, and maybe I'll write more about that tomorrow. But these few pieces my daughter gave me have big chunks of pure quartz.

The ideal crystal shape of quartz that can be used for making jewelry and hardstone carvings is a six-sided prism terminating with six-sided pyramids at each end. Well-formed crystals typically form in what is referred to as a bed, and you can see the two large pure pyramids in my piece of quartz. I don't know what type of mineral the pyramids are "bedded" in, but it looks a little like cement to me. I'd have to ask a geologist, which I just might do the next time our youngest daughter comes out. More about her tomorrow, too.

This other picture is of pure quartz, and I found it on Wikpedia. Quite beautiful, don't you think?
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Before I go, I want to thank all who have been visiting my blog so far. I really appreciate all who have stopped by and left comments, and even those who have stopped by and not left a comment. I also want to acknowledge my new followers and say welcome to my place. I hope you enjoy your visits.

A to Z Challenge - P is for Pat Rosemoor

Breaking from my theme again. Since I have guests frequently on Wednesdays, I thought I should go ahead and let them have their spot. Today I have Pat Rosemoor, author of more than 90 books. She is fascinated with "dangerous love" – combining romance with danger. She has written various forms of romantic and paranormal romantic thrillers, even romantic horror, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills. Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from RT BOOKreviews, and in her other life, she teaches Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing, credit courses at Columbia College Chicago.

Today she is going to share her experience doing research for her latest book, Skin. I was most interested in what she had to say since I did research for my mystery, Stalking Season, which is coming out in November at a gentleman's club, too. Although I think my experience was more tame than hers.
                                   
GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

Thinking there was safety in numbers, I made sure I didn’t go alone on my trip to a gentleman’s club as research for my latest book, Skin. In addition to my husband, I recruited a couple of other writers and another’s husband.

We had no idea what to expect.  Dark and seedy, perhaps? Poles on every table for table dances? Old strip club atmosphere?

To our surprise, the place looked like the night clubs I’d been to eons before. It was beautifully decorated, and the bouncers wore tuxes, the hostess and waitresses evening gowns. Along the walls were semi-private areas with luxurious booths for groups. But apparently those had been reserved ahead of time. We got to sit in the middle of the main floor at a long table with strangers. A little odd, but okay.

Many years ago, when I was in my early twenties, a group of us went to a couple of Rush Street strip clubs to see what they were like. Women weren’t allowed to be naked then. The wildest thing they did was twirl tassels that covered their nipples. But like everything else in the world, that certainly changed. In Chicago, “exotic dancers” have to wear g-strings if the club serves drinks – otherwise they can dance nude. This club served drinks, so they did have to wear g-strings, but that didn’t seem to matter to the sheer sexuality of the acts. Even more intense were the personal lap dances – and here I’d been sort of relieved there hadn’t been any poles on the tables.

It was really eye opening to see the intensity of the men who hired the woman for lap dances. And eye opening to see just how far those women would go for their tips. Men were not allowed to touch them, but I saw more than one woman whip both naked breasts into a man’s face while she was imitating the sex act straddling him.

The night took an amusing turn, however. The woman in our group, who was alone, had already been hit on by the hostess, who’d asked her if she wanted “company.” Of course, not being into women, she’d said no. That didn’t stop two of the lap dancers from soliciting her for dances. We all had a laugh about that one. And then the next act on stage started.

A more mature dancer, also a well-known “adult-movie” actress, did an old-fashioned strip routine, eliminating one piece of clothing at a time, including thigh-high stockings that she rolled down her legs and then threw then out into the audience. Wouldn’t you know it – one of those stockings landed in my single friend’s diet coke. With a loud “eeeooowww” that got more laughs, she slapped it out of her drink. And then the guy next to me asked if he could have it. My friend said go ahead, and we all gaped as we watched him pick it up, smell it, then stuff it in an inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Eeeeooowwwwwwwwww!

An amusing end to the evening, one we all enjoyed. And one that provided me with a lot of ideas to create the gentlemen’s club setting for Skin.

I’ve said it many times – there’s nothing like personal research to make your story come alive :)                     

A to Z Challenge - O is for Oysters and Ostriches

Not that they have anything else in common other than sharing the letter "o" in their name, but I have always found them interesting for various reasons.

When I was a child I had a hard time imagining a bird that didn't fly. I also had a hard time imagining a bird the size of an ostrich. Then I heard about it's cousin the emu. Both birds are huge, flightless, and can run at maximum speeds over 40 mph. The ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any living bird (extinct elephant birds of Madagascar and the giant moa of New Zealand did lay larger eggs).

Ostriches primarily eat plant matter and live in nomadic groups that can contain up to fifty birds. When threatened, the ostrich will either hide by lying flat against the ground, or will run away. If cornered, it can attack with a kick from its powerful legs.

Ostriches and emus are raised for their feathers, hides, and for meat. Here in East Texas, in fact here on my little ranch, people raised emus as livestock about 20 years ago. When I tell folks in town where I live, they often say, "Oh, yeah, where the emu farm was."

Getting a pearl out of an oyster

I'm not sure what the fascination was with oysters when I was a child. Maybe because I thought it would be cool to find an oyster with a pearl inside. If I could somehow get myself to Hawaii, or Japan or some other area where oysters were harvested, I could join the divers who hunted for pearls.

I had an adventurous spirit and vivid imagination as a child, and I practiced holding my breath under water, knowing divers held their breath for a long time. When I made it to three minutes, I thought I was ready.  Unfortunately, I had no way of getting from Michigan to Japan.

The largest pearl-bearing oyster is the marine Pinctada maxima, which is roughly the size of a dinner plate. Not all individual oysters produce pearls naturally. In fact, in a harvest of three tons of oysters, only three to four oysters produce perfect pearls. This has led to more pearl farms, where farmers culture a pearl by placing a nucleus, usually a piece of polished mussel shell, inside the oyster. In three to six years, the oyster can produce a perfect pearl. These pearls are not as valuable as natural pearls, but look exactly the same. In fact, since the beginning of the 20th century, when several researchers discovered how to produce artificial pearls, the cultured pearl market has far outgrown the natural pearl market.

I have a strand of cultured pearls that once belonged to my mother-in-law. Despite my childhood fascination with pearls, I am not the pearl-wearing type, but I treasure this single strand that was a gift from a special lady.

The pearls in this picture are not mine, but this is what mine look like. I also have a half of an oyster shell like this that I use to hold rings.

The first two pictures are courtesy of Wikipedia, which is where I also snagged the facts. This last picture I purchased from iStock for a possible book cover.

Book Review - Skin by Patricia Rosemoor

Again, two blogs in one day. And here I thought I'd have trouble doing one a day for the A to Z blog Challenge. Long before I decided to join in the Challenge, I invited author, Pat Rosemoor, to be my Wednesday Guest this week. I also told her I would post a review of her book the previous Sunday, which I obviously did not do, so I thought I would make that up to her today.

Skin
Patricia Rosemoor
E-book and Paperback
2012 Release

Lilith Mitchell has never forgotten the little sister she left behind when she went to college to escape an abusive step-father and a mother who didn't seem to care. She thought Hannah would be safe. But she wasn't. So Hannah ran away from home to do god-knows-what and Lilith does not want to contemplate.

Now, some years later, Lilith has a good job as a paralegal and has spent countless hours and countless dollars looking for her sister, only to find her dancing at a gentleman's club.

The sister's have an awkward reunion, but before Lilith can begin rebuilding a relationship with Hannah, the young woman is kidnapped by a killer. This is a particularly nasty killer who enjoys torturing women before turning them loose on his hunting preserve to become his next kill.


After Hannah disappears, Lilith decides to take her place as a dancer in the club to try to draw the killer out. Local law enforcement wants her to leave the investigating to them, but she is determined to do whatever it takes to save her sister.

Both women are strong and courageous, and one can't help but root for them when the danger is high. This is a fast-paced book with a lot of plot twists and action.

Patricia is going to be my guest on Wednesday, and will share some of her experience doing research at a gentleman's club. Please do come back and make her feel welcome.

A to Z Challenge - N is for Nuts

In trying to come up with something to write about for today, I was having trouble thinking of something from nature that started with the letter "n". The general term "nature" didn't prompt any wondrous words, so I said, "Nuts." As in, "Nuts, I can't come up with anything to write about."

Then I had one of those "aha" moments, so today's post is brought to you by nuts of all kinds.

A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants. Did you know a nut was a fruit? According to Wikipedia, a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts, but biologists only consider a a few of them to be true nuts. Nuts are a composite of the seed and the fruit, where the fruit does not open to release the seed.

Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and wildlife, and recent studies have shown great benefits from eating nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, which can lower serum LDL cholesterol concentrations. The fat in nuts is unsaturated fat, so that is actually a good fat for people to consume.

Many nuts are also good sources of vitamins E and B2, and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium. It is healthier to eat raw nuts because they lose the healthy oils in the roasting process.

Walnuts are the king of beneficial nuts. When eaten raw, walnuts can have as much as twice as many antioxidants as other nuts. No wonder my father lived so long and had no heart trouble. He ate lots of nuts all year long  and always preferred them raw.

Pecans

Here in Texas, we eat a lot more pecans than walnuts or almonds, although a few of the latter in a nice bowl of Blue Bell ice cream works for me. The pecan is the  only major tree nut that grows naturally in North America and is considered one of the most valuable North American nut species. I didn't know that. I just like them because they are handy. In the fall I can go to my neighbor's and pick up a handful whenever I want. In the spring I eat fresh plums off her tree. 

Do you eat a lot of nuts? What are your favorites?

A to Z Challenge - M is for Monarch

For my nature theme, I thought I would focus on the Monarch butterfly today. I have always loved these butterflies, and when I was a child, our yard in Michigan teemed with them in the spring and summer. I didn't learn about the great migration until years later and was amazed that these delicate little creatures can travel hundreds of miles. The Monarch is famous for its southward migration from Canada to Mexico in the winter, then a return north in the summer. This migration can span  the life of three to four generations of the butterfly.

Here in Texas we would see the butterfly en masse in early spring, but not so much any more. The milkweed, which is a major attraction for the monarch, has been disappearing along with the butterfly. HERE is an excellent article that explains some of what is happening to this beautiful little creature. We are definitely slowly killing our planet.
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Yesterday's Friday the 13th Mystery Event was a lot of fun. I met so many new friends on various sites all over the Internet. What a wonderful way to meet people without having to leave home. I am pleased that my book made it to the top 10 best-seller list for suspense on Amazon, thanks to all the folks who downloaded the book. Many of these books, including my One Small Victory, are free again for today, so tell your friends there is still time to get some good books for their Kindle. All of these are from award-winning authors who have first published with major publishers.

1. Darker By Degree by Susan Branham and Keri Knutson - A missing girl. A mysterious break-in. A brutal murder. 

2.  Diary of Murder by Jean Henry Mead -  Dana Logan's wealthy sister, Georgi, dies and Georgi's husband claims it was suicide. Dana knows her sister would never take her own life and sets out to prove it was murder, with her friend, Sarah Cafferty. 

3. Ghost Island by Bonnie Hearn Hill - Is Aaron a dream, or is he something much more deadly? Livia Hinson has just begun a Seminar at Sea when a storm hits their boat. Now, she is stranded with the other students on an island off the coast of California. NOTE: For some reason this book is still listed at $2.99

4. Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion: A Kiki Lowenstein Short Story by Joanna Campbell Slan - When a customer’s daughter is falsely accused, Kiki Lowenstein foils a nasty plan to ruin the girl’s reputation. 

5. One Small Victory by Maryann Miller - the story of one woman's courage. Suspense novel by Maryann Miller, based on a true story of a woman who infiltrated a drug ring and helped bring down a major distributor in her small Texas town. Don't discount what a mother can do to protect her children. 

6. Rock & Roll Homicide by RJ McDonnell - The 1st novel in the Rock & Roll Mystery Series finds PI Jason Duffy helping the widow of a slain rock star after she climbs to #1 in the police suspect charts. 

7. Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba - After starring on a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship, personal trainer Cassidy Novak discovers that she has attracted a stalker. Can she trust Zach Gallagher, the gorgeous newspaper photographer assigned to follow her for a local series? 

8. Southeast Asian Quartet by William S. Shepard - Mystery, suspense and murder in Southeast Asia in the style of Somerset Maugham, these four tales evoke Singapore, Borneo, Malaya and Indochina. Draw up a chair at the Raffles Bar and join us.

9. Taken by Debra Lee -  Welcome to the fictitious little town of Watery, Pennsylvania where the district attorney’s personal secretary, Mary Murray never planned to become a single mom or a suspect in her infant’s disappearance. 

10. The Four Last Things by Timothy Hallinan - Hired to follow a young woman, private eye Simeon Grist becomes mired in murder and a million-dollar religious scam in The Four Last Things, the first in a series of highly-praised LA private-eye novels written in the 1990s by 2011 Edgar nominee Timothy Hallinan. 

11. When a Man Loves a Woman - Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Alina Adams - Can a man and woman ever truly be just friends? What about if one of them is married? What if one of them suddenly isn't anymore?  

12.  Willowtree by Mike Bove - Bruce DelRano, retired postman, golf and food nut, finds a body near the golf course. He believes the murder is connected to others and involves his Apache friend. Together, they stay a step ahead of the police in trying to solve the cases. 

13. Whispering by Gerrie Ferris Finger - Will Cleo Snow admit to making love with charming World War I fly-boy Graham Henry to clear him in the disappearance of an island woman who claims he plans to marry her? Will Graham compromise Cleo to clear himself?

A to Z Challenge - L is for Llama and Luck

In keeping with my theme, I'm going to write a little about the llama. The spelling of the name has always fascinated me. How many other words start with a double letter? That might be an interesting Internet search sometime.

The llama is a South American relative of the camel, though the llama does not have a hump. These sturdy creatures are domestic animals used by the peoples of the Andes Mountains. (Their wild relatives are guanacos and vicuñas). Native peoples have used llamas as pack animals for centuries.

Here in Texas some people have started raising llama's for shearing. Their wool can be used for fabric, rugs and rope, and some are raised as livestock.We have a few llamas down the road from us, but they seem to be more "pasture ornaments" than anything else. I have never seen anyone shear them, and since they are still there, it is obvious they have not been raised for meat.

Now for the "Luck" part of the blog. I have joined with 13 other mystery authors for a special Kindle Select promotion offering 13 books for free this weekend. These are back-list, or new, books from authors who have been published by the big 6 publishers in New York, as well as some respected smaller publishers of quality mysteries. Don't miss this Kindle exclusive opportunity to discover these 13 new authors and brighten your Friday the 13th.

1. Darker By Degree by Susan Branham and Keri Knutson - A missing girl. A mysterious break-in. A brutal murder. 

2.  Diary of Murder by Jean Henry Mead -  Dana Logan's wealthy sister, Georgi, dies and Georgi's husband claims it was suicide. Dana knows her sister would never take her own life and sets out to prove it was murder, with her friend, Sarah Cafferty. 

3. Ghost Island by Bonnie Hearn Hill - Is Aaron a dream, or is he something much more deadly? Livia Hinson has just begun a Seminar at Sea when a storm hits their boat. Now, she is stranded with the other students on an island off the coast of California. NOTE: For some reason this book is still listed at $2.99

4. Kiki Lowenstein and the Purple Passion: A Kiki Lowenstein Short Story by Joanna Campbell Slan - When a customer’s daughter is falsely accused, Kiki Lowenstein foils a nasty plan to ruin the girl’s reputation. 

5. One Small Victory by Maryann Miller - the story of one woman's courage. Suspense novel by Maryann Miller, based on a true story of a woman who infiltrated a drug ring and helped bring down a major distributor in her small Texas town. Don't discount what a mother can do to protect her children. 

6. Rock & Roll Homicide by RJ McDonnell - The 1st novel in the Rock & Roll Mystery Series finds PI Jason Duffy helping the widow of a slain rock star after she climbs to #1 in the police suspect charts. 

7. Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba - After starring on a hit game show set aboard a Tall Ship, personal trainer Cassidy Novak discovers that she has attracted a stalker. Can she trust Zach Gallagher, the gorgeous newspaper photographer assigned to follow her for a local series? 

8. Southeast Asian Quartet by William S. Shepard - Mystery, suspense and murder in Southeast Asia in the style of Somerset Maugham, these four tales evoke Singapore, Borneo, Malaya and Indochina. Draw up a chair at the Raffles Bar and join us.

9. Taken by Debra Lee -  Welcome to the fictitious little town of Watery, Pennsylvania where the district attorney’s personal secretary, Mary Murray never planned to become a single mom or a suspect in her infant’s disappearance. 

10. The Four Last Things by Timothy Hallinan - Hired to follow a young woman, private eye Simeon Grist becomes mired in murder and a million-dollar religious scam in The Four Last Things, the first in a series of highly-praised LA private-eye novels written in the 1990s by 2011 Edgar nominee Timothy Hallinan. 

11. When a Man Loves a Woman - Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Alina Adams - Can a man and woman ever truly be just friends? What about if one of them is married? What if one of them suddenly isn't anymore?  

12.  Willowtree by Mike Bove - Bruce DelRano, retired postman, golf and food nut, finds a body near the golf course. He believes the murder is connected to others and involves his Apache friend. Together, they stay a step ahead of the police in trying to solve the cases. 

13. Whispering by Gerrie Ferris Finger - Will Cleo Snow admit to making love with charming World War I fly-boy Graham Henry to clear him in the disappearance of an island woman who claims he plans to marry her? Will Graham compromise Cleo to clear himself? 

The other good luck promo has a lot of free books being offered for today only. These are in a variety of genres from mystery to romance to fantasy and many others. No matter what your reading tastes are, you can find a book or two or three to load into your e-book reading device. Not all of the books are limited to Kindle, so this is a great opportunity for Nook owners as well. Here is a link to the page where you can find all these books listed. There are over a hundred, so have fun.

A to Z Challenge - K is for Kingfisher

Azure Kingfisher

Following my nature theme, today I thought I would write about a bird that has always fascinated me, even though I have never seen one in real life.

I've always thought that kingfisher was an unusual name for a bird and I wondered why they were called that. Perhaps because they eat a lot of fish? Although they do eat other things, like lizards.

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

One won't find kingfishers in North America. Some species are tropical, with most of the others living in Europe and Australia. Some of the birds are known as river kingfishers, some as tree kingfishers and some as water kingfishers. They are small to medium sized brightly colored birds, and all have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. Like some other birds, they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground.

Kingfishers are generally shy birds, staying away from people, but people have always been fascinated by the little birds, possibly because of the bright coloring and some of their behaviors. 

For the Dusun people of Borneo, the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher is considered a bad omen, and warriors that see one on the way to battle should return home. Another Bornean tribe consider the Banded Kingfisher bird of good omens. 

The Sacred Kingfisher, along with other Pacific kingfishers, was venerated by the Polynesians, who believed it had control over the seas and waves.

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Starting tomorrow for Friday the 13th, a group of 13 mystery authors have banded together to bring some good luck to readers. We are offering our books free for the weekend for the Kindle. My suspense novel, One Small Victory is just one of the books. For a complete list of the books click HERE

A-Z Challenge: J is for Jean Henry Mead

 It's a bit of a stretch to make this fit my theme of nature, but Jean is a human and we humans are part of nature, so..... Please help me welcome Jean to It's Not All Gravy today as Wednesday's Guest. Jean has just released a new book where I have an article included. She is a gracious interviewer and supporter of her fellow authors.

First, tell us a little about yourself, Jean.
I’ve published 17 books, nearly half of them mystery/suspense and historical novels as well as children’s mysteries. I began my writing career as a news reporter and freelance photojournalist fortunate to win some state, regional and national awards. I’ve served as a news, magazine and small press editor and have been published nationally as well as abroad. I was also a correspondent for the Denver Post, so interviewing people comes naturally.

What is a typical writing day like for you?
I’m up around six and arrive at my computer with a cup of tea in one hand and a bowl of oatmeal in the other. I check my email and sales reports, then launch into one of my writing projects. Around 10 a.m., I take a break for more tea and a load of laundry or other household chores, before returning to the computer until noon. After lunch I repeat the process until it’s time to prepare dinner. I write fulltime and am currently working on the fourth novel in my Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series, Gray Wolf Mountain as well as a Wyoming historical, No Escape: The Sweetwater Tragedy. I’ve also got another children’s mystery on the back burner.

What was the first thing you ever had published?
A newspaper story about my Tatoosh Islands adventure, which took place just prior to my first newspaper job. It was my first trip on a plane and it belly-dived onto the runway because the landing gear was stuck, which stranded me in Stockton, California, for six hours in the middle of the night until another plane arrived to take passengers to the Seattle-Tacoma airport. There I boarded a single-engine plane no bigger than my car to fly over the Olympic Mountains in air turbulence. The airline lost my luggage so I had to wear my brother’s Coast Guard uniforms on the small weather station island that he was in charge of at the time. The fog horn blew all night, keeping me awake for a week, and then we were fogged in the day I was supposed to leave. Two days later a Coast Guard cutter came to pick me up, with my luggage, and five minutes into the voyage back to Neah Bay, Washington, a wave swamped the boat and I looked like a drowned rat when I boarded the small plane for the flight back over the Olympic Mountains. I can laugh about it now, but it was a nightmare at the time.

What is the most unusual or interesting research you have done for your books?
I don’t think it’s that unusual but I drove a 38-foot motor-home and towed my car around the
Southwest, including over the Guadalupe Mountains, following my husband and our employees for six months to fulfill a contract. During that time I listened to truckers on my CB radio and wrote my second and third Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense novels, Diary of Murder and Murder on the Interstate, based on that experience. My two 60-year-old widowed amateur women sleuths travel the West in their motor-home, placing their lives in danger while solving murders. The books are laced with humor and a little romance (including a lovesick sheriff who inhabits two novels in the series).

If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be an anthropologist because I enjoy reading about ancient people and their customs. Or an artist or interior decorator because I love dabbling in oils as well as colors and design.

Where do your stories begin? With character or plot?
Definitely characters. My plots grow organically from the characters who people my books. I know my Logan & Cafferty protagonists so well that I sit and listen to their conversations and type as fast as I can to keep up with the dialogue. When you’re in the writing zone, or muse, there’s no happier high than when the story flows and your endorphins peak.

What else would you like to say to the people who will read the blog post?

That I wish a book like The Mystery Writers had been in print when I was struggling to learn to write fiction B.C. (before computers). The sixty bestselling, award-winning and mid-list authors offer great advice for novice writers as well as those of us who have been writing for years. I’m happy that I was able to incorporate most of the interviews from my Mysterious Writes blog site into the book, along with some valuable articles of advice. The Mystery Writers is my fifth interview book.

Thank you, Maryann, for the invitation to your site.

NOTE: The Mystery Writers is a collection of interviews and articles that features Sue Grafton, Lawrence Block, J.A. Jance, James Scott Bell, Julie Garwood and other bestselling, award-winning and mid-list authors. I am so honored to be included in the book with so many authors whose books I enjoy and respect. The writing advice in the book is invaluable for novice and veteran writers alike, regardless of the genres they work in.

Jean is very busy on the Internet. You can find her at the following places: 

Website  Mysterious Writers Blog   The View From My Mountaintop (where you can read about the Tatoosh Islands)    Murderous Musings  Make Mine Mystery   Facebook   Twitter @JeanHenryMead

A to Z Challenge - I is for Iguana

In keeping with my nature theme, today's post is about the iguana. I could have waited until the day for the letter L, as iguanas are lizards, but I like saying iguana better than lizard. Doesn't the word just roll off your tongue?

But I digress. Here is what I learned about iguanas in my research.

Iguanas are characterized by a row of spines running down their back to their tail, called a dewlap, and a third "eye" on their head. This eye is known as the parietal eye, visible as a pale scale on the top of the head. Behind their neck are small scales which resemble spokes, known as tuberculate scales. These scales may be a variety of colors and are not always visible from close distances. They have a large round scale on their cheek known as a subtympanic shield.

Iguanas have excellent vision and can see shapes, shadows, colors and movement at long distances. Iguanas use their eyes to navigate through crowded forests, as well as for finding food. They use visual signals to communicate with other members of the same species. Iguanas are often hard to spot, as they tend to blend into their surroundings due to the color of their scales.

These lizards don't just live in the wild, however. According to Christine Hancock from the Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital in California, iguanas are one of the most popular reptiles kept as pets. "This animal (sic)can grow anywhere from 4-6 feet in length, reaching a maximum weight of 10-15 pounds. On average, they live 12-15 years in captivity, however they can live up to 20 years if taken care of properly. Iguanas come from a hot and humid environment, therefore, they are more active during daylight hours. They can become territorial and will not hesitate to use their strong and powerful jaws, nails, or tail."

Iguana's are not to be confused with geckos. Geckos are unique among lizards in their vocalizations, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. There are close to 1,500 different species of geckos worldwide and many others likely yet to be discovered.

Many species are well known for their specialized toe pads that enable them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces, and even cross indoor ceilings with ease. In warm regions of the world some species of geckos are welcome guests inside homes. When he was in the Air Force, my husband had one inside his barracks in Guam, and everyone was happy to have the lizard there to combat the mosquitoes. 

Geckos come in various patterns and colors such as purple, pink, blue, and black, and are among the most colorful lizards in the world. We see the one pictured here most often in the summer. They run along the top rail of my deck, and sometimes I have seen them snapping up a few mosquitoes. Thank you very much.

What about you? Do you have iguanas or geckos where you live? Ever had one for a pet?

(photos courtesy of Wikipedia)

A to Z Challenge - H is for Horses

Most of you who have been following my posts this month probably guessed I would choose horses for the subject of the H post. I could hardly leave Banjo out after writing about all the other animals at "Grandma's Ranch."

Banjo is the third horse I have owned. I started with an American Saddlebred when I was 19. He was a beautiful big horse that I bought from the man who owned a riding stable where I worked  for a short time after high school. His name was Turk. The horse, not the man.

Turk was an amazing horse that could work under English or Western tack, and he won Best of Show at the Michigan State Fair the year after I sold him.

My second horse was Buck, named so because he did like to buck people off. I got him as a green-broke horse when I was pregnant for our third child. For a few weeks I worked with him on the ground and could even put the kids on his back and lead them around, so I thought he was ready for someone to mount him. My husband preferred that I not do that, for obvious reasons, so he volunteered. Buck promptly bucked my husband off, much to the delight of the kids. "Oh, look, Daddy's a rodeo cowboy."

My husband was far from delighted, and even more so when a seasoned horse-woman caught Buck, led him to my husband and said. "Get back on."

I didn't hear my husband's response, but I'm sure it is not printable here. The woman said, "If you don't get back on, the horse won. You never want to let the horse win."

So my husband did get back on and let the woman lead him around just long enough to show the horse who was boss.

I had a similar experience when I first got Banjo. The first time I rode him, he was fine, but the second time I mounted him, he decided to rear. He went straight up, and for a moment I thought we were going over backwards. Luckily my daughter was there, and she was able to grab the horse as he came down and hold him until my nerves settled down.

My impulse was to bail. After all I am a lot older now than when I used to like to ride horses that gave you a little rodeo before they settled down. Those horses always had a lot of spirit, but I am too old to risk any more broken bones.

Still, I remembered what that woman told my husband those many years ago. So I had my daughter lead us around. Then I called a trainer who worked with the horse and with me until I could show Banjo who is boss. He still thinks he is, but I know better.

Happy Spring Holy Days

Wishing all my friends and followers a very happy holy day for the Spring Equinox. So nice that Easter and Passover are the same weekend this year.

We celebrate Easter at our house and I thought I would share this with all of you.

All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny! Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. There's no such thing as too much candy. All work and no play can make you a basket case. A cute tail attracts a lot of attention. Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits. Some body parts should be floppy. Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans. Good things come in small, sugar coated packages. The grass is always greener in someone else's basket. To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey. May the joy of the season fill your heart. AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!   Happy Easter!

A-Z Challenge - G is for Goats

Today's post is brought to you by the letter G.

I'll admit it. I like goats. Not as much as my friend Tracy Farr, who has written a whole book about goats, but I have enjoyed my goats. So have some of my grandchildren who loved to come and feed grandma's "doats."

Banjo, Lucy, Millie

One of my first encounters with a goat was when our oldest daughter was about three years old and we took her to a petting zoo. She was so excited to get a bottle and go into the enclosure to feed the young goats and sheep. Problem was, one of the goats kept wanting to eat the tassel on our daughter's hat. She bonked the goat on the head with the bottle and said she was done.

It's not surprising that her kids are not the ones who were so excited to feed the goats. Although to be fair to that daughter, she does inquire about my animals when she calls.

When I first moved to our little place in the country, I made the mistake of getting a billy goat and a Barbados Ram. They were both so cute as babies, but grew up to be most difficult to deal with, so I sold them and got a Nannie goat. We named her Lucy for no particular reason other than it was the first name that came to mind. When Lucy runs to the fence to get a treat, she does a little prance step that almost looks like dancing.

She runs to the fence often. In fact, every time I go out the back door she dashes over to see if I am bringing out a treat.

Not long after we bought Lucy, we decided to get her a goat companion, and we named the new girl, Millie. Again, not for any particular reason.

The first small animals were acquired to first clear the back three acres of brambles and brush, and boy did they. It looks like a park back there now. But I also got them to be companions for my horse. Since they are all herd animals, they do prefer company than being in a large fenced area alone.

Food? Do you have food for me?

Millie died last year of a snake bite, so that left me with one goat and one horse, which has been fine all winter as they are both in the back pasture together. However, when the horse gets moved to the front pasture for the summer, that would leave Lucy alone, so I got her a new companion; a little lamb, Marie. I did not name her, my neighbor  did. She was one of twins whose mother died after giving birth, so my neighbors hand-raised the two lambs, one male and one female. They named them, Donny and Marie. I didn't ask my neighbor why.

Could you make the goat leave me alone?

Right now, Lucy is not real happy about Marie being there. Lucy is a bit of a pig, so if Marie comes by Lucy's feed dish, or Lucy's hay, or the green stuff I have pulled and thrown over the fence, Lucy chases Marie off.

I hope she gets over it soon. I will be moving the horse to the front by the end of this month. The grass is looking good out there.

A-Z Challenge: F is for Frog

I've always liked frogs. Not so much to eat, although I know frog legs are enjoyed by many people. I'd rather have them alive and living on my property to help control bugs.

Here are just a few facts about this little amphibian.

Most frogs are green and are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes, bifid tongue and the absence of a tail. Frogs are known to be exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance.

Due to their porous skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but do move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds, or lakes, and their babies, tadpoles, have gills and tails so they can live and develop in water. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.

Out in the country, that call can be heard at dusk from the various cattle pools around us, as the males and females make plans to meet up.

My favorite frog, of course, is Kermit, and here are a few facts about him I did not know.The earliest version of Kermit first appeared in 1955, but he wasn't yet a frog -- he was more of a lizard-like, abstract character. Jim Henson explained that at first Kermit was just a simple puppet that covered his hand. Kermit was referred to as a frog by Johnny Carson in 1965, but didn't officially become a frog until the 1971 special "The Frog Prince." 

Kermit's signature song, "Bein' Green" was written in 1970 by Joe Raposo for  Sesame Street, and has since become an American standard.

Here is a link to the song if you would like to pause a moment and enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpiIWMWWVco The song truly does have a wonderful message about tolerance.

To visit some of the other bloggers taking part in the A-Z Challenge click HERE

A-Z Challenge: E is for Egrets

Until I decided to write about this bird for today's post, I did not know there were so many different Egrets, although I did wonder when I saw my first Cattle Egret and asked my farmer neighbor what it was.

"An Egret," he said.

Hmmm, I thought. Didn't look like the Egrets I saw in the zoo. But I wasn't about to challenge my neighbor. I was the newcomer to these parts and I knew my place.

Now I also know more about Egrets.

Great Egret

The Great Egret is a large bird with all-white plumage that can weigh about 2 pounds and has a wingspan of five and a half feet to seven feet. It is a bit smaller than the Great Blue or Grey Heron, but it does belong in the Heron family. Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill and black legs and feet.  Males and females are identical in appearance; juveniles look like non-breeding adults. The Great Egret is not normally a vocal bird; at breeding colonies, however, it often gives a loud croaking cuk cuk cuk.

Snowy Egret

The Snowy Egret is about half the size of the Great with shorter black legs and distinctive orange feet. Both species sport elaborate head, chest and back (red) plumes during mating season, their bills and lores turn reddish and their feet orange. Snowies eat crustaceans, fish and insects. 

Cattle Egrets are smaller than Snow Egrets and have  orange-brown patches on their head, back and breast, yellowish legs and feet. They "walk like Egyptians," with a characteristic head dart at each step like many smaller birds, and they eat insects, but do not always hang out with cows. Although the ones I see here, do.

This is a picture I took of the egrets lunching with the cattle in the hay meadow across from my place.

A-Z Challenge D is for dogs

This post is brought to you by the letter D. While my dog has center stage here, I am doing my regular gig at The Blood Red Pencil Blog today. We are talking about the little fixes that can improve your book. Come on by if you have a moment.

When Poppy found out I had written about the cats again, she let me know in no uncertain terms that it has been a long time since I wrote about her.

Poppy and John

Poppy and Orca

Poppy is a mix between an Australian Shepherd and a Border Collie, both herding dogs, and she really likes to harken back to her heritage and herd whatever is handy. That usually ends up being the cats.

We have had the dog for five years and she has been friends with every cat who has lived here. She and John were great friends and would play out on the deck together quite frequently. She also liked to play outside with Orca. When we lost both cats overnight last fall, I think Poppy missed them as much as we did.

Since we have the new cats, Poppy has started to play some with Harry, but her heart does not seem to be in it. Not like it was with John or even the little Shadow Kitty we had for a short time. Poppy let that kitten romp all over her and they really had a good time.

What Poppy does love best is chasing the ball. If someone will throw the ball, she will run forever, or until the arthritis in her hip acts up. She also is my walking companion in the mornings and is very patient when I stop to take a picture or pull some nice green grass for my horse.

It didn't take a scientific study to tell me that having pets is good for one's health.

A-Z Challenge - C is for Cats

I know it doesn't take a lot of imagination to come up with C Is For Cats, but I simply could not pass up the opportunity to write about my cats again. Mostly because they are here. All the time. Right here. Walking all over my desk and keyboard.

Sometimes they will leave me alone and sit to look out the window. Lots of birds feed in the yard out there and nothing attracts a cat like a bird. Or maybe a mouse. A real one or a computer mouse. I like it better when it is the real one.

Harry, wishing he could get a bird

Since we have lost so many cats to rural predators, we have decided to keep our current four cats inside most of the time. Most of the time is the operable phrase, as two of them love to escape. Harry and Daisy really, really want to go explore the great outdoors. Daisy because she has already spend some time outside and knows what adventures lie there, and Harry because he would love to experience just one of those adventures.

Please, oh please let me out.

Daisy came to us by accident. Literally. She had gotten out of our neighbors house one day and would not come back. The neighbor lost track of her and she ended up in my barn one day after being injured. My neighbor was not interested in taking her back, so we have kept her. I couldn't stand the thought of her becoming coyote lunch while she was recovering from her injuries.

Daisy still likes to escape, but we usually can get her back in after a little while. Recently she escaped close to our bedtime, so I spent an extra half-hour trying to find her. I really did not want her out for the whole night. When she finally came running in just as I was letting the dog out, she brought a rabbit in with her. Turned out the rabbit was still alive and when I caught the cat, she dropped the rabbit, who then ran back into my laundry room.

Hubby got up and helped me corral cats and lock them in the sun room, while we tried to find the rabbit. No luck. It had hidden somewhere in the laundry room. By now it was an hour past our bedtime, and I was exhausted, so we decided to leave the back door open - it is in the laundry room - and hope the bunny would just go out during the night. And hopefully nothing would come inside.

That appeared to work. So far. No dead rabbit stinking up my house.

Visit some of the other bloggers participating in the challenge and see if they came up with something more clever for the day. Maybe someone actually wrote about being clever. A full list of the bloggers who have accepted the challenge can be found HERE

A-Z Challenge - B is for Bats

It is day two of the A-Z Challenge and hence we have the letter "B". I feel like the Count on Sesame Street. "Can we have a 'B'?"

A creature who has been much maligned is the bat. They have been classified as dangerous in many books and movies, purported to attack people and carry rabies, yet they are some of the most harmless creatures in the world. While they can carry rabies, like any mammal, the incidence of rabies among bats is not nearly as high as once thought.

My author friend, Dee Stuart, whom I mentioned yesterday, wrote a book Bats: Mysterious Flyers of the Night, and that was my first introduction to the truth about these creatures. They do not attack people. They are frightened when people enter a cave or other dark area where the bats are roosting and they will then fly out in a crazy cacophony of wings. That may appear to be an attack, but it is not. Bats also exit their lair en-mass at dusk to find feeding grounds, and that wild exit can appear threatening.

Bats can  be very beneficial when it comes to controlling mosquitoes and other insects. Some cities have started using bat houses to encourage bats to roost and feed in specific areas. That sounds like a better solution than spraying more chemicals into the air and poisoning our environment.

So let's try to be friends with the bat. Shall we?

A-Z Challenge - A is for Aardvark and Armadillo

I'm doing the A-Z challenge this month along with many other bloggers. You can find a complete list on the official A-Z Website under the tab 2012 A to Z Challenge Signup List. All of the participants will go through the alphabet for the first 26 days of the month and do a blog piece about a word that starts with that letter. Today we have the letter A, and I decided to write about two funny animals.

When I went on Amazon to find a book about Aardvarks, I was surprised to see how many there are about this funny little animal, all with the same or very similar title. The most recent is by Simon Drew, an English author. His A is for Aardvark  was published in 2010. It is a clever book that shows children, via the pictures and the text, a bit about this interesting animal that eats bugs. Since some kids like to eat bugs, the appeal is evident.

That made me think of  other small animals with funny names and amusing characteristics. Some years ago a writer friend, Dee Stuart, wrote a charming book, The Astonishing Armadillo, about a creature who also likes to eat bugs, as well as a bit of dirt. More appeal for the younger set who doesn't mind tasting a bug or two. Folks in the Southwest are familiar with this creature that carries his armor on his back and doesn't seem to get how to cross the road without getting squashed, despite that armor.

There are a lot of jokes about the armadillo. "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

"To show the armadillo how to do it."

Bada boom!