Posted by: Author | April 4, 2014

Friday Facts- April 4, 2014- The Pony Express

The Pony Express was a mail service – it ran in the western part of this country with a starting point of St. Joseph, Missouri. It across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains to Sacramento, California. They used horses and a series of relay stations to travel with the mail, newspapers and other items to California and back to Missouri. It was needed when so many people flocked to California when the gold was discovered there in 1848.

The first trip of the Pony Express began on April 3, 1860. Letters were delivered in 10 days as opposed to the longer periods required by stagecoaches. The cost was $5.00 per half ounce ( $133.00  in today’s money).  The riders earned $100.00 a month as pay ( $2,200.00  in today’s money) – this was when most workers made less than $1.00 a day ( $26.60  in today’s money).

There were 120 riders, 400 horses and 184 stations where fresh horses were mounted to continue the mail’s journey.

Happy Anniversary to the Pony Express yesterday.

By William Henry Jackson -in the Library of Congress

By William Henry Jackson -in the Library of Congress

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Posted by: Author | April 2, 2014

Wordless Wednesday

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Posted by: Author | March 31, 2014

Tuesday Tales- April 1, 2014- Hug

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The word this week is hug. I actually had several places in this story where the word hug was used but this one was the most fun so I’m sharing it. Check out the other tales here. This is a continuation of Til Murder Do Us Part. I have added some photos of where the hero and heroine are in this scene. These are pictures of my hometown.

Margot pulled off one shoe and rubbed her instep. Dreading putting it back on, she took off the other one and scraped the bottom of her feet on the concrete. It was nice to be outside in the warm air. She enjoyed it for a while and about the time she decided to make that call to Mitch, a car pulled in to the parking area.

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Richard Higgins stepped out of the driver’s side and stalked over to where she sat. Before he could open his mouth, she said, “How did you find me?”

“Are you nuts?” he asked, then held up his hand as she opened her mouth, “no, wait. Don’t answer that. Of course you are.”

“What the hell is your deal? You can’t talk to me like that.” She stood. The concrete pebbles poked her in the feet. It wasn’t as comfortable standing on it as running her aching arches across it.

“I can and I will. What were you thinking to go into Murdock’s house like that? You could have been killed.” Richard grabbed her in a kind of hug. Not really a hug, more like an I’m grateful you didn’t die on my watch embrace—one that hurt—a lot.

“Let me go. I’m fine.”

He released her.

She spun her arms in the air. “See. I’m in one piece. Nothing happened.” She stopped. “Wait one second. Did you follow me?”

“No. I didn’t. I was—”

“You were what, exactly?”

“Good Lord, I’ve been interrupted all day by women. I swear, I’m going to quit talking to anyone of the female persuasion.”

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Posted by: Author | March 31, 2014

Book Event- Atlanta, Ga

I was at a book event in Atlanta this past weekend and had a great time chatting to readers and hanging with some author pals. I even sold some books!!

Here I am in all my glory. LOL!

 

atlanta.

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Posted by: Author | March 28, 2014

Friday Facts- March 28, 2014 – Eric Idle

One of my favorite Monty Python actors is Eric Idle and he happens to share a March 29th birthday with my #2 son. Obviously, they weren’t born the same year. LOL

I watched Monty Python as a kid/teen and made sure my kids got exposed to it as well. It was so much fun- silly, irreverent and kind of inane but we all loved it. My kids still quote dialogue from The Holy Grail and recall the songs from the show. We did our own silly walks, too.

One of my fav. skits with Eric Idle was the spam one: you can see it here. and don’t forget another favorite Monty Python skit/song the lumberjack song here.

There’s also a movie Mr. Idle did  with Robbie Coltrane a few years ago that was really fun- it was called Nuns on the Run. Check it out for a giggle if you need one!

Happy birthday Mr. Idle and #2 son tomorrow.

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Posted by: Author | March 26, 2014

Wordless Wednesday

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Posted by: Author | March 24, 2014

Tuesday Tales- March 25, 2014- Picture Prompt

Today on Tuesday’s Tales we’re working with a picture prompt. I’m still working on the story based in my hometown. Check out the other stories here. 

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Margot walked into the living room and sat. She took her time scoping out the layout and the furniture. The room was opulently furnished with white leather sofas. The end tables and coffee tables were of a bronze metal and there were some pieces of art on the wall made of metal as well. One was surrounded by ornate scrollwork. The room was a little too stark for her taste but she recalled Paul’s taste did run to the modern end of the spectrum. Her sister used to bemoan the fact that her husband didn’t like her antique quilts and hardwood furniture she’d inherited from their grandmother.

Curious to see if any of the knick-knacks or other items had survived from the time of her sister’s marriage to Murdock, Margot peered at the various items on the mantel and side tables. Her heart hammered again at the thought of him catching her in his house but here she was and she intended to at least check out the part of the house she was allowed to see.

As Margo glanced around, she noticed toward the rear of the room, in a dark corner, a spiral wooden staircase. A very similar one to the one her sister died on. She half-rose from her chair as if compelled to investigate the area.

Before she could take a step, Margot heard a door slam shut from the direction of the kitchen and a male voice calling out.

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Posted by: Author | March 21, 2014

Friday Facts- March 21, 2014- Who Shot J.R?

418561_Dallas-the-TV-show-Actor-Larry-Hagman-as-JR-Who-Shot-JRWho remembers this? The Who Shot J.R. Episode?

My mom watched Dallas every week when it was on the air in the late 1970s and early 80s. I didn’t watch it but I do remember the frenzy that the episode called A House Divided caused. That episode ran on March 21, 1980 and the whole summer, people were talking about who they thought did it and if J.R. was actually dead. It really was a brilliant cliffhanger and marketing ploy.

Our local tv station ran a contest for people to write in their take on who would have done it. Now, mind you, I didn’t watch the show but I wanted in on that fun so one day I sat down with my mom and she went over who the characters were on the show and how they were related to J.R.

Using that info, I wrote my scene and guess what? I didn’t win the contest but I did pick the right villain. LOL! I love solving mysteries and I was chuffed when I learned that my theory was right on November 21, 1980 when the episode called Who Done It? aired. (There was a delay in the new season due to a strike by the actor’s guild.)

It was a fun summer of t-shirts asking the question of who shot J.R. as well as betting parlors taking wagers and lots of contests all over the USA asking the vital question. Larry Hagman was even offered a bribe but he didn’t know either.  The catchphrase was used in the political campaigns that summer and the Queen Mother in England even wanted Hagman to tell her the answer.

The episode still stands at the number two highest rated television episode right behind the finale of M*A*S*H and it started a trend that lasts to this day for cliff-hanger episodes at the end of the season for a show. Brilliant!

Don’t we as authors wish we could find that particular brand of magic that enthralled the English speaking world that summer of 1980?

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Posted by: Author | March 19, 2014

Wordless Wednesday

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Posted by: Author | March 17, 2014

Tuesday Tales- March 18, 2014- Nudge

Today’s word for Tuesday Tales is nudge. This one I thought would be a piece of cake and as I got ready to write it, I started a new section of the story thinking the word would be used in about three paragraphs. WRONG. It was almost five pages before I used it. These characters seem to be way more talkative than the average ones. Yak, yak, yak.

This is the contemporary story named Til Murder Do Us Part.

Check out the other tales here

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As soon as she was gone, Margot said, “To get back to our conversation, I haven’t ever been married but I think I understand the concept of intimacy.”

“In a clinical, medical way?”

“Why do you say it that way? You don’t know anything about me or my past or the way I think.”

“You said you’re a doctor. I think you look at a lot of life in a sterile way. That’s what I’ve observed in the time I’ve known you. Guess what? I have news for you. Life is messy and doesn’t always work the way we want it to.”

“Look, obviously you have formed an erroneous opinion of me and maybe I’ve done the same for you. It seems you wanted to talk to me about something since you invited me to breakfast. Shouldn’t we get around to whatever that was and forget the personal opinions of each other?”

Sarah returned with their food and placed a plate in front of each of them. The waitress didn’t say a word but she grinned at Richard.

Once Sarah walked away, Richard pulled out his notepad. “I made a few notes last night after copying some articles I found on the internet. I read through the reports I could find online and it seems to me that some things in both deaths could still use some investigation. I know you said you wanted to see the autopsy report on Jill Sikes but I also think we need to get the crime scene photos from both your sister’s case and Ms. Sikes’. I’m going to give my chief a nudge to see if he can make some calls to the other police departments or sheriff’s offices and get our hands on these items. I’m going to have to convince him it’s likely we’ll find something to move forward on. Do you have any ideas how I can do that?”

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