Thursday, August 19, 2021

The Eighteenth Issue

 



As Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead sang “What a long, strange trip it’s been!”   That sums up the action for the last month.  Seems like I just put the July issue on the board when it’s time for August.  How did that happen?   So for tidbits on writing, my latest projects (yes, like rabbits they have multiplied) an interview with an endearing character and some music, keep reading.  Time to get the party started.

Writing

          One component of writing that can be challenging, frustrating and ultimately rewarding is editing.  I’m a firm believer in the act of ‘just write, baby!’  Getting the words down in print or on the screen is the priority. There will be time later to make it pretty, to clean up all the nagging little grammatical and spelling errors, to address the redundancies.

          It’s part of my routine, especially when it’s been a while between writing sessions, to read what already been done. This gets me back into the mode, draws me back into the storyline. I’ve also taken to polishing the earlier work as I go, so when it gets close to being done, the work is in good shape. Then I’ll review, edit and tidy it up before letting anyone else even read the story.

          Years ago I was part of a writer’s group.  The idea was to share our efforts and get feedback.  One of the ladies who participated was hung up on the same three pages of her story.  Each time we met, she’d change a couple of words here or there. I kept encouraging her to move forward with the story.  She refused. “I’ve got to get this part perfect.” 

As far as I know, she never got past those three pages.

Just write, baby.  There will be time later to make it pretty.

 




Work In Progress

          The editor from The Wild Rose Press has been in touch, requesting some minor changes to “The Wayward Path” manuscript. We’ve traded a number of emails so far.  She did comment how much she enjoyed the story, which is always nice to hear.

          At the same time, I was notified by Melissa at Inkspell Publishing that the anthology “Once Upon A Summer” had reached the end of the contract. The eight authors involved had the option of taking their stories back on their own, or releasing them as individual novellas with Inkspell.  I chose the latter.

          That led to a mad dash to collaborate with the artist for a new cover and to reformat the manuscript.  With Melissa’s help, “Stealing Haven” is now it’s own book.  Here’s the cover.

 



          Now as the dust of all that activity settles, maybe I can get back to work on Jamie Four. 

 

Interview

A little change up is in order.  Instead of interviewing another author, occasionally I’ll conduct something in-depth with one of my favorite characters.  So it seems only appropriate that we shift the spotlight this month to Jamie’s best friend, Linda Davis. Some would say that she’s the voice of common sense and reason that helps keep Jamie in line.  Others might say she’s just along for the ride.

Here's what Linda might look like.




 

Tell us a bit about your relationship with Jamie:

(Sighs and then laughs) It’s a bit complicated.  We’ve been friends forever, since we met in the second grade. Jamie can be stubborn, determined and quick tempered, but she’s also the most loyal person in the world.

Care to share a little of your own background?

I teach history at a local high school. That’s something I’ve enjoyed for years. I’m passionate about teaching and always looking for new ways to get the students interested in the material.

How would you describe Jamie?

Sassy, determined, kind, lovable, beautiful, intelligent and talented. Mix in a little bit of smart ass and a good sense of humor. There’s more, but that’s what jumps to mind.

Jamie has described you as ‘drop dead gorgeous.’  Does that hinder your efforts with the students?

(laughs again) I don’t wear an evening gown while teaching, but no matter my outfit, my looks seem to keep the attention of the male students. Seriously, I usually dress to downplay my features, nothing too tight or revealing. But teenagers have active imaginations!

Tell us about your recent vacation:

It was supposed to be this relaxing little trip to the shores of Lake Michigan. An old family friend lives there and offered us the use of a spare bedroom. All I wanted to do was work on my tan, swim in the Great Lake and have a little fun. Enjoy some good food and maybe a little wine. Just me, Jamie and my dog, Logan. But while those ideas sounded promising to Jamie, she couldn’t resist getting…distracted.

Sounds like an ideal vacation. How did she get distracted?

          (lowers her voice an octave) It was a combination of ‘who’ and a ‘what’!  The ‘who’ was a guy interested in a little romance. The ‘what’ was a home invasion. That got her imagination percolating like an antique coffee pot. Or maybe it was the romance! (laughs) Or a combination of both!

Anything you’d like to share?

 Nope. I don’t want to spoil the story. That’s what “Stealing Haven” is all about. Although I will say that this vacation pre-dates her involvement with Malone.

Here’s an excerpt from “Stealing Haven”.  In this scene, Jamie and Linda are on their way to the beach when Jamie wants to follow up on something she saw the night before.

“Jamie, what are we doing?”

“I’m curious. That’s two nights in a row where we’ve seen someone running in the dark. Maybe there is something going on.”

“Why are you looking for trouble? We’re on vacation. Is this a way of diverting my attention from your misbehavior?” A wicked grin flashed across her face.

Ignoring her, I stood at the back of the house. The footprints were still visible in the yard. Randy had been right. There were no signs of activity near the building. But if they were running away from here, where did they come from? I turned around and faced the street, following the diagonal path. I could imagine someone racing between the two houses on the opposite side of the road. Curiosity got the better of me. We walked in that direction. Both houses were dark with no signs of life. I went between them to the backyards.

“Jamie, let’s go. The beach is waiting. Sun, sand, muscular lifeguards with tiny swimsuits could be looking for us even as we’re standing here.”

“There are no lifeguards on our part of the beach.”

“Maybe they’re on vacation, too.”

I was about to give up when something caught my eye. The back door to the house on the left, a quaint little cottage, was pried open. There were several gouges in the wood. Peeking through the window, I could see into the kitchen. The cupboard doors were ajar. Linda stood silently beside me for a moment. Then she moved around the corner. She returned, shaking her head in dismay.

“There’s a gap in the curtains on the side window. The place looks ransacked.” From her straw bag, she dug out her cell phone and a small piece of paper. I realized it was Randy’s business card from the other day. We walked down the driveway so we could find an address number. The look she gave me was less than friendly. “Only you, Jamie. Only you.”

Five minutes later, a police car pulled up in front. The uniformed officer had just begun taking down our information when another vehicle parked behind him. Jared stepped out of the car, drumming his fingers on the roof. But there were traces of a grin on his face.

“We gotta stop meeting like this. My wife is gonna get suspicious.”

“It’s not me,” Linda said innocently. “It’s her.”

He walked up the driveway. “Let’s hear how you two just happened to stumble onto this. Because it seems like the last thing you’d be doing on a vacation.”

Buy Links:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C51LR27

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/stealing-haven

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-haven-mark-love/1139986371

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1580300787

 

Music




Lately the incredible vocals of Al Jarreau have been getting a lot of play on my system.  During his career, which spanned fifty years, Al wowed audiences with his talent. Whether in R&B, soul, pop or jazz, he always delivered. That mellow voice led to over a dozen Grammy nominations. Jarreau claimed seven Grammy awards and was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame.

Here are my top five favorites from Al Jarreau.

Moonlighting: https://youtu.be/qZxLXuFfPvM

Breezin’: https://youtu.be/Z-99Vr3IH8Y

After All: https://youtu.be/YfWjAex7R9E

Mornin’: https://youtu.be/kzXNdLVZs3k

We’re In This Love Together: https://youtu.be/otVH5cv9z1A

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