The Nineteenth Issue

 

September!  A time to enjoy the changes Mother Nature has in store for us. Here in The Mitten, as many natives refer to Michigan, we’ll be experiencing the wonders as leaves turn colors, the air gets a little cooler, the arrival of caramel apples, cider and donuts. The days will get shorter. It’s time for football in all it’s athletic splendor.  So here’s my take on writing, my latest work in progress, an interview with another author, and music.  Yes, there must be music. Time to kick this one off.

Writing

          A few years ago, I facilitated a writer’s workshop that morphed into a writer’s group. We would meet twice a month and discuss different aspects of writing. Each participant was encouraged to bring something they’d written that would be read aloud. Constructive criticism was encouraged.

          One fellow would always sit back, listen to the others and then ask, “How long did it take you to write that?”  It gave me the impression that he expected you to slave over the four or five pages that had just been shared for at least several days.  When he tried his standard question on me, I asked “Why is that important?”

          I explained that in addition to my time spent at the keyboard, I will often be thinking about the story while I’m driving or on a walk, doing yardwork or working out.  Yes, I can indeed multi-task!

          He was baffled. “But that’s not actually writing!”

          To paraphrase the late General Norman Schwarzkopf,  “That response is bovine scatology.”

To me, it’s all about writing.  All thoughts about the story, whether actually typing out the scene and the dialogue or working out details in my head, are part of it.  There are some authors I know who are able to set aside a specific time each day, whether it’s an hour or ten, to focus on their writing.  I’m lucky to squeeze in an hour or two most days on the computer.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not working on segments of the story outside of that time.

          As I told the pesky participant, “It’s all writing.”

Work In Progress

          The fourth novel in the Jamie Richmond series continues to evolve. A few new twists have found their way into the story.  More interactions with Malone, Linda and Ian continue to help flesh out the subplots.

Two characters who have been frequent players in the Jefferson Chene mysteries have weaseled their way in here as well.  This must be what happens when I leave an imaginary door open and they just wandered in.

And to complicate matters, I’ve had the urge to dust off an old novel and see if I can bring that back to life with a little editing and updating.  Notices about new publishers seeking manuscripts have caught my eye.  Maybe this other story will appeal to them.

Time will tell.

 

Author Interview

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to another writer who is part of the Inkspell family. Our tribe continues to grow.  Let’s find out more about Phyllis Cherry.

Welcome, Phyllis.  Tell us a little about yourself

I recently retired from a career in the hospitality industry and living the dream in Florida with my husband of thirty-nine years. Our children are grown with children of their own. This year we welcomed our first two great-grandsons. Discovering the ability to own my own time is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

Any favorite hobbies?

Travel, both at home and abroad continues to be my favorite pastime, and there are still places I want to explore.

Reading is my favorite pastime. In grade school we swapped comic books, series like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys as well as fantasy and folk tales, mystery and romance. I joined a several writer’s groups hoping to learn the secrets of writing and publishing a book.

How long have you been writing?

 My first attempt to write a short story was a disaster, ripped apart by my critique group leaving me in tears. I didn’t write anything for a long time afterwards but continued to be a member of a few writing groups.

I wrote several food and travel articles for trade magazines and newspapers and self-published two books. I signed my first contract for publication with Inkspell Publishing in 2019. White Feathers Academy was published in May 2020 and the sequel, Mystery at Camp Esther, is scheduled for publication in October 2021.

Are you able to write full time?

 I don’t have the discipline to be a full-time writer. My favorite part of the process is developing the story, plotting the chapters and scenes, and getting to know the characters. Of course, the story and plot continue to change during the writing and editing, or when an unexpected character shows up.

Is there a particular genre that you write? 

My two published books are Young Teen and Young Adult. My self-published book, The Preacher Lady is a Coming-of-Age Romance.

Do you use friends or family as characters in your books?

No, I like my friends and family too much to use them as characters.

Has anyone in your life influenced you or encouraged you to pursue your interest in writing?

I've had friends along the way who knew I wanted to try a new career. A few years ago, I met Desiree Holt, a wonderful friend and best-selling author. She gave me great advice, answered my questions, and has been a mentor to me as well as other want-to-be authors. 

What aspect of writing would you like to improve on?

Revealing the character’s feelings using descriptive body actions.

Is there anything you must have while you’re writing?

Black coffee or green tea always.

How did you decide on your story’s plot?

I’ve been thinking about a mystery involving a summer camp for a long time. The camp is a great setting for this story. It’s all about the young angels first mission to Earth and the dangers they face.

Tell us about your latest work.

Mystery at Camp Esther is scheduled for release October 2021.

Halo’s life changed the day she flew up to study with the angel academy. Now she has wings of her own, and so does Midas, the big golden dog and her best friend. They are ready for their first real mission--a dangerous one that could cost them everything.

Arriving at Camp Esther, Halo and Midas become the target of a killer after helping an injured man. But they are determined to fulfill their mission, even if they are not sure what it is.  Could it be helping Marie, a lonely teenager confined to a wheelchair?

Marie’s dreams often come true and foreshadow the danger surrounding Halo and Midas. Things are further complicated when Halo questions the sincerity of Marie’s new crush. Could he be the person who hurt Midas? Halo doesn’t know who to trust.

At the camp, accidents, sabotage, and death threats happen, and everything points to the new girl and her dog. Someone wants them to fail their mission and will kill to get rid of Halo and Midas. Will they survive return to White Feathers Academy as failures, or will this mission cost them their lives?

Here’s an excerpt:

Shortly after we returned to our cabin my wrist link buzzed. “Hi this is Marie Lee. I hope it is alright for me to call you.” I heard her sweet soft voice, but before I could say a word, she continued to talk.

“I would like to be your friend. Do you have many friends?”

“No, I’m new here,” but she kept talking before I could answer her question.

“How old are you? I’m sixteen. I don’t have any friends either. I like to sketch things and I have a blog.”

“What’s a blog?” I asked quickly, before she had time to interrupt me again.

“It is a secret blog. A lot of people read it. Do you have a computer?”

“No. Maybe Miss Bird will let me borrow hers. How do I find your blog?”

“It’s easy. I’ll write the web address down for you, but you can’t share it with anyone,” she emphasized. “The real creator of Free Marie is a secret”. She lowered her voice to tell me “Sometimes I see things at night while I’m asleep.”

“You mean like a dream?” I wanted to know.

“No, I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell.  Sometimes I dream things that are about to happen or see people who lived a long time ago.”

“Like a ghost?” I asked, but she interrupted again.

“Sometimes I draw things while I’m still asleep and I don’t remember drawing them at all. It’s scary. I’m afraid to tell father or Topps because they might think something is mentally wrong with me and make me talk to a doctor about seeing things. You won’t tell anyone my secrets, will you?” She talked without stopping to take a breath. I had trouble following her conversation.

“Did you see something today?” I asked.

No. Sometimes the things I dream happen later, but I saw something new last night. I sketched it on the board as soon as I got up this morning. Please don’t tell anyone.”

“Will you show it to me?” I asked. Then I heard Mr. Lee’s voice say “Bedtime Marie. Goodnight.” It sounded like he was speaking from another room in the house.

“Goodnight, Father.” She clicked off and a few seconds later the message light on my wrist link lit up.

“My website is FreeMarie@Leespot.com. Open the tab on the computer to see last night’s sketch.

Buy Links

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FN72QSM

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mystery-at-camp-esther

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1140140486

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1584858005

You can learn more about Phyllis and her books on these links.

Facebook /phyllischerrybooks

https://www.phyllischerry.com

 

                                          Music

Variety has been rocking my speakers for some time now. One popular act is Brian Setzer. This founder of the Stray Cats has spun his tunes for years, even building up to a nineteen-piece band that breathes fresh life into those old classics from the swing era.

Setzer has won more than 3 Grammy awards and received the Gibson Guitar Lifetime Achievement Award for his innovative style.

Here are my top five favorites. 

Jump Jive and Wail: https://youtu.be/aHWcN5YxuYc

Rock this Town: https://youtu.be/0RxBHRZpIdg

House is Rockin’: https://youtu.be/heclluJwOzU

Let’s Shake: https://youtu.be/xQaSBw_LEtM

In the Mood: https://youtu.be/pUWP8d930mg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

The Seventeenth Issue

 

It’s that time again, for another glimpse into my efforts at creativity.  You might discover where a writer gets their ideas (Ha!) how easy it is to plot out your story, (Umm) or where and when a story takes place (Hmm). Or it could be none of the above. That’s part of the fun.  As in the past, this month will include a bit of my efforts at writing, a glimpse at my latest project, an interview with another author and of course, music.  For as Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”.  With that in mind, let’s rock!

 

Writing

          Somebody asked me recently about whether or not vulgarities belong in stories.  I considered it for a second and said ‘It depends. Who your audience is can be major factor in that decision.’

 I don’t write for kids or young adults. I’ve had many different jobs over the years, from truck driver to collections specialist, to restaurant manager to human resources professional to college professor and more.  In most of those roles, I worked with adults. Many of them considered swearing or the use of vulgarities to be part of their common, everyday language.  Everyone understood it. So it’s only natural for me to include some swearing in my stories.

There are times when a vulgarity is the perfect way to convey a mood, along with the dialogue. It also gives your readers some insight into the characters. Which can make them realistic to your readers.

In “The Wayward Path” Jefferson Chene has several meetings with a priest from his childhood and two Dominican nuns from a local Catholic school.  These interactions keep Chene in line.  Yet when he’s among his fellow detectives at a squad meeting, it’s natural for him to drop the occasional ‘F’ bomb.

Some writers prefer to refrain from using vulgarity. That’s their choice and I totally understand it. But it’s part of daily life for me. A recent conversation comes to mind, with a woman who is quite a bit younger than me, and she was swearing up a blue streak.  Then she caught herself and blushed.  “Hope I didn’t offend you,” she said.

All I could do was laugh and think of how Pappy Cantrell would have reacted. “Ain’t nuthin’ ah ain’t never heard afore.”

 

Work In Progress.

The Wild Rose Press, which has published the first two Chene mysteries, requested the full manuscript for “The Wayward Path”.  Now I’m trying to keep busy, working on another project while the editor reviews it.  Hopefully, they will enjoy it and want to add it to the catalog.

Meanwhile, the story line for Jamie Four continues to grow. The main plot and a subplot are developing. A crossover scene keeps gnawing at my brain, so that will be written soon. It may turn out that more than one character from the Chene series makes an appearance here. We’ll see how that goes. 

Jamie can be very demanding.

                                           Author Interview

          However did authors connect with one another before the advent of social media?  Over the years I’ve met many at art festivals and author events and through my publishers.  I’ve also developed connections on several social media outlets.  Which leads me to Michelle Hollstein, this month’s guest.  To call her a prolific writer would be an understatement. The fact that she writes in several different genres just proves she’s likely to have written something that will appeal to you.

So let’s get to know Michelle.

 

 

Where are you from?  I live in beautiful Oceanside, California with my two children and my two spoiled kitties. Before moving to San Diego County just over eleven years ago, I lived in the desert near Palm Springs for eleven years.  My Aggie Underhill cozy mystery series mostly takes place in Palm Springs and my new Science Fiction/Horror series, Fatal Reaction, takes place in San Diego County.  I have a lot of fun using both areas in my writing.

Any favorite hobbies?  I love to paint with acrylics.  My degree is in Art Studio with a concentration in painting.  I also love to sing.

How long have you been writing?  I’ve been writing for about 17 years.  I was working as an administrative assistant and when work would get slow, I decided to write.  Once I got started, I couldn’t stop. 

Are you able to write full time or do you also have a job/career?  Unfortunately, over the years, I’d been writing part time for fun around my work schedule.  In the future, I hope to be able to write full time and make a career of it.

Is there a particular genre that you write? 

The first book I’d written was Fantasy.  I was feeling inspired after reading Harry Potter.  Since then I’ve written Fantasy, Science Fiction/Horror, comedy, cozy mysteries, paranormal mysteries, erotica and beginning painting books.

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite?  Writing is an escape from reality for me and I love it.  My least favorite aspect of writing is editing.    

What aspect of writing would you most like to improve on? My grammar.  I have a habit of writing how I speak.   

 What have you learned the most from being in the writing business?   There are going to be people that love your work and those that hate it.  Unfortunately, you can’t make everyone happy.  I believe that it’s important to write what you enjoy and try not to think of those people that won’t like it.

How did you decide on your story plot?   A scene pops into my head and I go from there.  I never have an outline or know where my book is going to go.  I just have fun with the story and write whatever comes to mind. 

Describe how this method works best for you. Outline or ‘seat of the pants’? 

Always ‘Seat of the pants.”  I love letting my imagination run wild and I’m always amazed when the story eventually comes together at the end.

Let’s take a closer look at one of the books. Here’s a bit about “Something’s Fishy” An Aggie Underhill Mystery.

Join Aggie as she flies with her best friend Betty to Palm Springs where a $200,000 fish is stolen, an actress is kidnapped, and a man is murdered. Naturally curious, Aggie can’t help getting involved. Despite numerous warnings from her daughter to mind her own business, Aggie takes matters into her own hands.

 

Excerpt

 

Aggie frowned.  “I’d say this woman is what you’d call a neat freak.  Look at the room; it’s immaculate except for the bed.  So was the rest of the house.  Spotless.”

“She’s right,” Lance said.  “Tiffany makes her bed first thing every morning.  Always.  She does it as soon as she gets up.  She doesn’t even have her coffee first.  She’s a bit compulsive.  Everything and everyone must always be perfect.” 

Both Aggie and Sarah looked at Lance.  Aggie raised an eyebrow at him.  She’d detected a hint of bitterness.

Realizing the attention he’d drawn to himself, Lance felt he’d better explain and sighed.  “Tiffany and I have been dating.  It’s been an on-again, off-again sort of relationship.”

“I see,” Aggie said.  “And what are you as of now?”

“We’re off again,” Lance said, and then stared down at his hands.  “We had a little falling out.”

Aggie stared at him waiting for more of an explanation.

“That’s all,” Lance said, shrugging.  He left the master bedroom and peered into the spare bedroom across the hall.  It appeared to be untouched.  He then pushed open the door to Tiffany’s office.  Aggie and Sarah followed him.

“May I ask why you’re off again?” Aggie inquired.

“Mum!” Sarah snapped, embarrassed by her mother’s nosiness. 

Lance stood in front of the large oak desk.  A screensaver bounced across the computer screen.  He turned and looked at Aggie.  “I don’t think my personal life is any of your business.”

“Mum,” Sarah said, putting her hand on her mother’s shoulder.  “We should probably get going.  I don’t think we should be snooping around.  What if Tiffany comes home and finds us in her house?  I know I wouldn’t like it.”

Ignoring Sarah’s comment, Aggie watched as Lance turned his attention to the desk.  He stared at the bouncing screensaver.

“I’m sorry,” Aggie said.  “You’re right.  Your relationship is none of my business.  I’m just trying to help.”

Lance shrugged his shoulders again and sighed.  “She runs an online dating service,” he said.  “That’s where she makes her money, setting people up.  They pay her to use the website to meet other people.  She personally matches them up.”  He chuckled nervously.  “She’s so busy matching people up, yet, she won’t give up the site for me.  All her time is spent talking to eligible men looking for a woman.”

Lance turned to face Aggie.  “I’ve always worried that this obsession with her business of hooking people up would lead to something like this.  There are a lot of crazy people online.”

“I met my husband online,” Sarah said.  “It’s not that bad.” 

Aggie and Lance stared at her.

“Sorry,” Sarah said, shrugging.  “I was just trying to help.”

Aggie pushed past Lance and pulled out the chair from the desk.  She sat down and grabbed the mouse.  With a few quick movements, the screensaver disappeared.  The computer pulled up a web page called Heart’s Desire.  A photograph of a beautiful woman with long blonde hair was at the top right of the screen.  She was dressed in a seductive red dress and blowing kisses.  Red hearts emerged from her collagen filled lips and flew across the screen. 

“That’s Tiffany,” Lance said.

“Oh, I see,” Aggie acknowledged.  She now knew why Lance was leery of Tiffany’s career choice.  Tiffany was a very beautiful woman.

Beneath Tiffany’s photo were boxes.  They prompted customers to fill out the form with information about themselves, and then Tiffany would personally match them up with other singles within her database that fit their desires. 

“Tiffany’s site is different from the other online dating sites because she reads the files on each of her clients, and personally talks with them about their desires and fantasies.  She then hand-picks the matches.  She feels a personal touch is what makes her site so popular.” 

“And you don’t approve?” Aggie asked.

“I feel she gets a little too involved with some these people,” Lance said.

“What do you mean by too involved?”

Lance frowned.  “I think she becomes a little too close to some of the clients.  Their relationships seem to be more of a priority to her than our relationship.”    

“Is her computer always left on?” Aggie asked, wondering if the website had something to do with her disappearance.

“Yes.  It’s always on.  She also has a separate phone line for her office.  That way her business is always at her fingertips,” Lance said.  “I’m going to check out the rest of the house and have a look around.”

“Maybe we should call the police,” Sarah said as soon as Lance left the room.

“No.  Not yet, dear,” Aggie said while searching the drawers of the desk.

“Mum, this is creepy!  We don’t know these people!  And you shouldn’t be going through her things!”

“Nonsense,” Aggie said, pulling open the bottom left-hand drawer.  Inside was a bunch of files in a variety of colors.

 

Just follow these links to learn more about Michelle. 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004FSAF7Q

Audible Author page: https://www.audible.com/author/Michelle-Ann-Hollstein/B004FSAF7Q

www.MichelleHollstein.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mhollstein/

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/Michelle-Ann-Hollstein-Author-Page-172084432819333

My books are available as Kindle ebooks, audiobooks and paperbacks 

In honor of being interviewed, I’ve set up some FREE Kindle ebooks to share with all of you.  I hope you enjoy them!

Something’s Fishy, An Aggie Underhill Mystery; Awakened Within, A Vienna Rossi Paranormal Mystery; and Book of Dreams, The Niburu Chronicles will all be available as FREE Kindle ebooks Monday, July 19^th through Friday, July 23^rd.  Enjoy!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084LYMZX5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051BBHF0

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PJHBP4K

 

Music

 

Billy Joel has long been a regular on my music list and his variety of songs have spanned generations. For more than fifty years, Joel has been writing and performing.  He frequently has concerts at Madison Square Gardens in New York City.  Nominated more than twenty times, Billy Joel has won 5 Grammy awards, was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Center Honors.

During his tours, it’s not uncommon for Billy to conduct a Q & A session with his audience. You can see the results of one such event in the first video.

Picking just five favorites was a challenge. But here’s my list.

NY State of Mind:  https://youtu.be/htZnpnoHGgY

Keeping the Faith:  https://youtu.be/ph7oZnBH05s

Only the Good Die Young.  https://youtu.be/ERWREcPIoPA

We Didn’t Start the Fire: https://youtu.be/eFTLKWw542g

River of Dreams: https://youtu.be/hSq4B_zHqPM