Happy Easter!

 Wishing you a basket full of happiness! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 May you always have more reasons to be grateful for than you can remember. 

Sam and Jason something

 hahahahahahahahahahaha.

Oh my gosh.

So this was a spot I was holding for a little Sam and Jason...not exactly a coda and not exactly for Halloween. But a little something with Jason and Sam. 

I got the idea from my friend Steve Leonard. It's called THE RETURN and it starts thusly:

“I can’t believe you thought I was dead.”

Ethan was laughing, but there was that slightly defensive note in his voice that Sam remembered. His light, restless gaze avoided Sam’s, and Sam remembered that too.

“Hell, yes, I thought you were dead.” Sam did not want to recall the horror of the thing in that shallow grave. The thing that had been wearing the tattered rags of Ethan’s red plaid shirt and rotted jeans with the smear of viridian on what remained of the frayed hem.

If not, Ethan? Who? Who had been buried in that grave wearing Ethan’s clothes?

“And that you’d tell my dad!”

Sam’s attention jerked back to Ethan. “Why wouldn’t you tell him if you were still alive?”

“If I was still alive?” Ethan gaped.

Yeah, he was right. That was a strange thing to say. This was Ethan. So why was he resisting the idea? Why didn’t he want to accept what was right in front of him? This was more than a relief, so much more than good news. This bordered on miraculous.

So why that unsteady but persistent flicker of unease?

Would he have known him if he’d passed him in the street?

Yes.

He’d have known Ethan anywhere.

Sure, he had changed. He was older. Mature. A man. There were little flecks of gray in his unruly eyebrows, same as his father. Silver threads in his soft, dark hair. He still wore it the same: soft waves springing up from his forehead. He was thin. There were crow’s feet around his blue eyes; his fine boned face had a weathered look, and it wasn’t all from painting outdoors in hard sunlight.

--------------------------------------------

Needless to say, I forgot all about holding a space on my blog for it! 

It's not quite done. I'll share it here next Halloween. ;-) 

Sorry for the confusion. 

Happy Easter!

 

Happy New Year!

 2021, no lie, I am glad you see you dead and buried.

Here's to 2022! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 No question this was a rough year, so it's good to take a day to celebrate all there is to be happy about and grateful for--from the little things like remembering the whole jellied cranberries for my dad, to the big things like having more than enough to eat, a roof over our heads, people I love who love me back. 

I hope you have a wonderful day--and that every day brings you lots and lots to to be grateful for.

Happy Halloween!

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

HAPPY EASTER!

 

The Five Things I Look for in a Mystery-Romance

 

Valentine's Day is Sunday, so I thought I'd do a little post on what I look for in Mystery-Romance. Because we're all readers, even those of us who are also writers. 

So here's a bit of backstory. I'll admit right off the bat that it took me a really, really long time to settle down, and by the time I did finally marry I was, well...experienced. In the ways of the heart.  Or so I thought. In fact, I'd pretty well run the gamut of romantic tropes: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, blind date, office romance, secret admirer, partners who were too young for me, partners who were too old for me, light, happy flirtations and passion bordering on obsession. 

I pretty much thought I knew all there was to know about love and relationships.

And then I got married.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA

You know that old Judy Collins song?

I've looked at love from both sides now

From give and take and still somehow

It's love's illusions that I recall

I really don't know love

Really don't know love at all

Marriage changes everything, including, in my case, my taste in reading. So what I look for in a mystery-romance might not be what everyone looks for. It might not be what YOU look for. But, for better or worse, here are The Five Things I Look for in a Mystery-Romance--AND if you know some writers out there who can supply these five things, feel free to mention them in the comment section below.

1 - Setting. NO, HEAR ME OUT! 

You know, Hallmark is onto something with all those quaint and cute towns (all in Canada, according to the SO) where love lurks around every corner. But that's not what I'm talking about. Some settings are inherently unromantic: war zones, prisons, outer space. I'm not saying romance can't happen there--there are terrific love stories set in all those places--but it's not what I enjoy. I don't need a cozy setting, but I don't want a war zone either. 

I want the story to take place in believable and interesting surroundings--and bonus points if the setting is appealing. I like the setting to feel real because I have to believe in a world in order to lose myself in it. 

2 - Grown ups. 

I'm not talking physical age so much as emotional age. I wasn't ever a silly teenager. I was either "unusual" or "weird," depending on whether you liked me. So while I don't mind reading about twenty-year-olds, I want to read about twenty-year-olds I can identify with. Which is probably very few twenty-year-olds. This is a roundabout way of saying I CANNOT BEAR CHARACTERS WHO ACT LIKE EMOTIONAL ADOLESCENTS. 

I don't mind characters who make mistakes, make bad judgment calls, do stupid things--we ALL do stupid things, things we regret. (Especially under pressure.) But I don't want to read about people ruled by their emotions, unable to channel their emotions, unable to think about anything but their emotions. I'm not saying there aren't such people in the world, but I don't want to spend time with them. I do not want to read about a cop at a crime scene who is unable to focus on anything but how HAWT his new partner is. But that's just me.

     

3 - Communication. 

Since I'm a communicator by trade, I guess it's no surprise I like characters who communicate. But it goes beyond that, because how we communicate with others reveals who were are. 

Communication reveals a lot about our emotional maturity--but also it reveals a lot about how successful we're going to be (in a variety of areas). If you can't ask for what you want, you're not going to get it. If you can't make your case to someone, again, you're not going to get what you want. If you're a bully and a jerk, you might get what you want, but someone will spit in your cup. So... ?  It's my observation that most problems between people are communication problems. Even smart, articulate people have trouble communicating when ego or hurt feelings or pride gets in the way. So I like stories where communication--good or bad--plays a role. When a guy who has trouble saying what he feels, actually finally says what he feels? That melts your heart. When a guy who never cries, cries? That melts your heart. When a guy who always says what he feels, is too hurt to speak? That melts your heart. 

But you have to establish these communication patterns for these things to register. 

What I don't like in a story is when people (not necessarily the protags) fail to communicate the obvious and necessary things. You know, the sheriff fails to mention the serial killer has been released earlier that day. OR impossibly stupid misunderstandings between lovers which I call BUT DARLING, SHE'S MY SISTER syndrome.

4 - Romantic gestures. 

*Sigh* We all love romantic gestures.

Romantic gestures are how you know things are moving along and people are falling in love. But what makes a gesture romantic really depends on the character. Flowers from a guy who sends everyone flowers, is lovely, but flowers from a guy who has never sent flowers? More romantic. Flowers to a guy who has never received flowers? More romantic. It all depends on the characters and their history. In some circumstances, Character B taking Character A's car to the shop to get his brakes checked can be super romantic. Especially if B previously cut A's brake lines. I'M KIDDING. 

Heck, switching dishes in a restaurant can be romantic. ;-) I love spotting those meaningful gestures in a story--and very often, the smaller and subtler, the more meaningful. I love to be surprised by one character doing something original and thoughtful. 

5 - A Good Mystery. 

It should be obvious, right? 

I am astonished by how often a Mystery-Romance is AT BEST romantic suspense (I do love good romantic suspense though--that's another post). Making your character a cop or a PI does not mean you've written a mystery. The cop or PI would have to actually SOLVE an intriguing crime through detective work for the story to qualify as a mystery. 

If I buy a book based on the promise that it will have mystery and romance, I EXPECT mystery and romance. I will disappointed if the book does not contain these things. I'm not saying the mystery has to confound me, but it has to keep me interested and entertained. Once you've seen and read as much crime fiction as I have, it's no longer about who the culprit is, it's how fun can the author make this game.

Anyway, that's my want list. Who can you recommend?  

By the way, the SO tells me we are celebrating our FOURTEENTH wedding anniversary this month. So maybe I do know love a little. ;-)  

Happy New Year!

 

Only a night from old to new;

Only a sleep from night to morn.

The new is but the old come true;

Each sunrise sees a new year born.

Helen Hunt Jackson, "New Year's Morning"

Merry Christmas!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

Wishing you every good thing today and always. 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 It's been such a very weird year. The kind of year where it you really have to concentrate on all there is to be grateful for in the midst of all there is to be worried about. But one of the advantages of focusing on gratitude is it helps with anxiety and depression. 

So here are five things I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving Day. I invite you to share your own five things in the comments below. 

FIVE THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR RIGHT THIS MINUTE

1 - Food and shelter (the basics, yes, but so many do not have these basics, so I am truly grateful that I do not have to worry about food and shelter. In fact, the only danger is that I take these things for granted. I don't ever want to take these things for granted.)

2 - That my depression, anxiety, creative ennui (?!) has lifted and I am eager to get back to work--and excited about the stories left to tell. 

3 - That everyone I love is still alive. Friends and family I most care about are so far still safe. Watching the terrifying numbers on the news each night, that is no small thing. I am deeply, deeply grateful for the health and safety of everyone I love. That includes those of you showing up today to read this post--I am very grateful that you're here and you're hanging in there. 

3a - Also the promise of a vaccine on the horizon. I'm very grateful for that.

4 - Chocolate. In fact, a veritable stockpile of chocolate. Some people panic over toilet paper. My fear was we would not have chocolate when we needed it most. ;-)

5 - The Marlowe and Spenser Comedy Hour--which turns out to run 24 hours a day. Our little four-footed kooks have provided cuddles and kisses and many, many laughs during some stressful hours. Also their need for routine has kept us on schedule.

Whatever you have to be grateful for, I hope the coming days are brimming over with it.

Happy Labor Day!

 Wherever, whoever, whatever. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are keeping us afloat--and the rest of us notice and appreciate it.

Happy Easter!

Now that I'm past the age of Easter bunnies and egg hunts--and my nieces and nephews are past the days of Easter bunnies and egg hunts--Easter has mostly meant a celebration of spring and family.

Usually my family would be getting together today for Easter dinner. There would be drinks and talk and more talk and more drinks and a very delicious dinner. We all live about five minutes from each other, so it is beyond weird not to be able to be together today.

The SO and I haven't prepared an Easter dinner in years--actually, never. My middle sis does Easter. My youngest sister does Christmas and Christmas Eve. I do Thanksgiving and 4th of July. But today we're cooking. And today we're resting and relaxing and focusing on being grateful for all that we have--and not dwelling on what we don't. We are keeping a good thought for the spring.

I hope you have a lovely day, whether you celebrate a particular holiday or not, and that the spring brings you a bundle of joyful days and happy moments.

Happy St. Paddy's!

It's a quiet day today. We are, er, Celebrating in Place. ;-)  I'll be working, the SO is playing his favorite Irish bands and bringing me Irish coffees when he thinks of it (one more coffee and I won't be sleeping for a month).

I'll just leave it with this very lovely poem by one of Ireland's most famous poets, William Butler Yeats.

Lake Isle of Innisfree

 I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;

Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am an inveterate reader of women's magazines--I make no apologies for that--and I notice that there are many many articles now days about how Valentine's Day has become some dreadful thing that leaves people wounded and wanting.

I think some of these wounds are self-inflicted, but okay. Back when I was single and emotionally restless, Valentine's Day was generally stressful. There were years I received gifts from multiple romantic interests (none of whom I actually loved) and there were years I felt invisible and uncherished by everyone but my family and dog (the funny thing is those years were not as stressful as the others!).

Before I met the SO I went through a period where I basically swept all emotional entanglements from my life and took a break from romance. I did a huge amount of writing during that period--in fact, a lot of the stories I started back then ended up being books I later sold (including the first two Adrien English novels, The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks, and I Spy Something Bloody). Anyway, that was one of the happiest Valentine's Day of my entire existence. I didn't care that there were no lavish bouquets arriving for me at work for everyone to see. I didn't care that I wasn't going to get dressed up and go to an expensive restaurant. I rented (yes, physically walked into a video rental store--we did not have streaming in days of yore) a couple of classic film noir films I had been wanting to see, made a super nice meal for myself (it was the first time I ever cooked a lobster tail), bought a nice bottle of wine and had a quiet, relaxing and very satisfying evening on my own. I believe I may have ended the night with a third glass of wine and a bubble bath.

A couple of years later I met the SO and that was that. GOODBYE SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH. Kidding of course. But I kind of think that there was a connection between not actively wanting anyone in my life and finding the person I was going to spend a huge chunk of that same life with.

So if I was going to give advice to someone secretly fretting about the state of their Valentine's Day, it would simply be to say that there's a difference between being alone and being lonely, but if you are lonely, it's still better to be lonely on your own than lonely with the wrong person. There's nothing lonelier than that.

ALSO, love will slow you down. Not that I regret love--there's much to be said for loving and being loved--but you can get a lot more writing done when you're single. ;-)

Happy New Year!!!!

Wishing each and every one of you every possible happiness and success in the New Year! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

My sisters and I trade off hosting the holidays (I get Thanksgiving and 4th of July) so this is always a super busy time of year for me--remind me NOT to schedule a book before Thanksgiving again!

I'm a bit more adventurous than my sibs, so if it was up to me I'd experiment more with the meal and the traditions. I mean, I too am a traditionalist, don't get me wrong, but part of the fun of being a traditionalist is creating your own traditions.

Anyway, every year it's cheese plate, Grandma's stuffing, Martha Stewart's cheese potatoes, Martha Stewart's herbed turkey (the SO is a rebel and adding brining to the festivities -- in fact, he's in the kitchen right now cursing over the fact that the turkey is too large for his chosen vessel), corn, cranberries, green salad, Crescent Rolls (why????????) and a LOT of very good wine and then comes the Sees Candy, the Marie Callendar pies (pumpkin, lemon meringue, chocolate), more very good wine, whatever cocktails people are in the mood for -- I discovered Pineapple Upsidedown Cocktails this summer!!!) .

I sound ungrateful because IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME but you know what? That's something to be grateful for right there. The boringness of a reliably delicious and bountiful menu, the presence of my much-loved family, shelter from the storm (it's going to be freezing temps tomorrow with a chance of snow). In short, the traditional kick-off to another hectic and happy holiday season.

Fingers crossed. Because how incredibly lucky we are to take these things so much for granted, we're even a little bored by them. I've been guilty of it too--I AM guilty of it too. Never again. Not with the world as it is.

Except... This is not the day to fear what may come. It's the day to celebrate now, what you have to be grateful for this moment, this meal, this harvest, this year, your life so far.

Wishing you an abundance of things to be grateful for today and always.

Happy Halloween!

Happy New Year!