 I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From everyone who desires me ill. from Saint Patrick's Breastplate  Now, after I came to Ireland, tending to flocks was my daily occupation; and constantly I used to pray in the daytime. Love of God and the fear of him increased more and more, and faith grew, and the spirit was moved, so that in one day (I would say) as many as a hundred prayers, and at night nearly as many, so that I used to stay even in the woods and on the mountain (to this end). And before daybreak I used to be roused to prayer, in snow, in frost, in rain, and I felt no hurt; nor was there any sluggishness in me -- as I now see, because then the spirit was fervent within me.
-- Saint Patrick, Confessio
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 Happy Burns Night Day! Who's enjoying haggis, neeps, and tatties? I've been reading Robert Burns' poems and thinking of beautiful Scotland and its National Bard. Also known as Rabbie Burns, he was born to a farming family in Ayrshire, 1759. Surprisingly well-educated, he was a naturalist, anti-slavery, and a true romantic. He was also very proud of his country. He married Jean Armour in 1788. He wasn't always true to her, but they were married for the rest of his life. He was only 37 when he died in 1796. He was laid to rest in Dumfries, Scotland The first Burns Supper was in 1801, when some of his friends gathered together to remember the fifth anniversary of his death. Both poet and lyricist, he wrote in Broad Scots and Scottish English.  Ye Flowery Banks (Bonie Doon)
(Original version) Ye banks and braes o' bonie Doon, How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair? How can ye chant, ye little birds, And I sae weary fu' o' care! Thou'll break my heart, thou warbling bird, That wantons thro' the flowering thorn! Thou minds me o' departed joys, Departed never to return. Aft hae I rov'd by bonie Doon To see the rose and woodbine twine, And ilka bird sang o' its luve, And fondly sae did I o' mine. Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose, Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree! And my fause luver staw my rose -- But ah! he left the thorn wi' me. (Standard English translation) You banks and sides of bonny Doon, How can you bloom so fresh and fair? How can you chant, you little birds, And I so weary full of care! You will break my heart, you warbling bird, That flies through the flowering thorn! You remind me of departed joys, Departed never to return. Often have I roved by bonny Doon To see the rose and woodbine twine, And every bird sang of its love, And fondly so did I of mine. With lightsome heart I plucked a rose, Full sweet upon its thorny tree! And my false lover stole my rose - But ah! he left the thorn with me.  Kerry Blaisdell's latest book Burying the Dead launches in just a few days. I am SO looking forward to this party! Lots of great authors will be celebrating with her. Readers, too. There will be games, giveaways, and more! Join her FB readers group Kerry's Kindred Spirits asap so that you don't miss a thing. In the meantime, I've scored a great interview with Kerry. I thought it would be the perfect time to learn more about her writerly ways and literary background. But first, CONGRATULATIONS, KERRY! This is so exciting!  Literary You Welcome, Kerry! 1) What sort of books did you enjoy reading as a child? Did you have a favorite book or series? Oh, man – too many to list. 😊 I of course started with picture books (is that too far back? LOL!), of which The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf was my absolute favorite. Looking back, I can see that may have been because Ferdinand did the unexpected – he didn’t cave to stereotypes, and just did his own thing. Today, my books are filled with “surprising” characters, who may seem one way at first, but turn out to be something entirely different by the end. I also had an early love of scary stories, especially The Monster at the End of This Book, starring Grover from Sesame Street. If you haven’t read it, it’s a must-read. 😊 And mysteries – I read Nancy Drew books by the time I was in Kindergarten or First Grade, then moved to Trixie Belden, and very soon, Agatha Christie, Michael Bond, Ngaio Marsh – the list goes on. And, when I was about four years old, I demanded that my parents read The Hobbit to me. I thought it was going to be about a frog 😊, and my mother was convinced I’d get bored in a few pages, but instead I *loved* it, and we ended up reading all the way through the LOTR books. I also had an early love of historical stories, which were contemporary when they were published, such as the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and L.M. Montgomery’s Anne series. Both of those started my love of romance in stories, as well, and by junior high school, I’d started reading full on romances, as well as fantasy, sci-fi, classics (especially anything by Jane Austen!), and mysteries. I enjoyed many of the same series as a child. But not Lord of the Rings! WOW! I didn't read those books until high school! But my grandchildren and I totally agree about The Monster at the End of the Book. 2) What sort of books do you enjoy reading nowadays? Oh, man – too many to list. 😊 Really, I still read in all the above genres, but… I have very little time to read anymore. Wah!!! Teaching full-time while also managing a writing business/career doesn’t leave room for much else, especially during the school year. But I try to read fiction that’s new to me at least 3-4 nights per week, and right now, I’m on a YA Urban Fantasy kick. I have an idea for a series in that genre, and am reacquainting myself with it after a few years away. 3) Around what age did you realize that you liked to write? And when did you know that you wanted to write books? Too young to remember. Seriously – I used to dictate stories to my dad from a really early age. He would write them down for me on coloring paper, and then I would illustrate the stories. 4) What’s the first thing you wrote that you remember being proud of? One of the stories my dad wrote down for me was about a princess who got bored with the prince and ran off with the dragon instead. He made a little book with the coloring paper, and bound it with twine, and I illustrated the pages. I found it a few years ago, and then lost it. I’m hoping it’s somewhere in the house, because my dad died twenty years ago, and it was a beautiful memory of what a wonderful person he was. ☹ As for the story itself, it explains a LOT about my twisted, quirky writing style now! LOL That's so beautiful. Oh, I hope you find it. But what a wonderful memory. 5) Tell us about the creative force within you. What inspires you to write, to create? Anything, everything, nothing. I just write. I’ve always written, and not-writing is impossible. My father-in-law, who owned a used bookstore, said to me shortly after we met, “You’re either a writer or you aren’t.” I believe that wholeheartedly, and quietly think it to myself whenever someone says to me, “I want to write a book…someday.” That said, it’s hard sometimes (most of the time…), especially when I’m working on a new book, and trying to launch/promote the previous book, and those are two separate parts of my brain. I’m better at hyper-focusing on one or the other, so sometimes I have to make myself sit down and hammer out at least a few words, before reverting to “business” mode. 6) What’s your writing space like? I carved out a corner of my bedroom. I have a tiny desk, and I write on my iPad. I started doing that as an experiment during NaNo 2021 (National Novel Writing Month, where you try to write 50,000 words in 30 days). I really hate doing most things on the iPad, so I thought it would be less distracting, and I was mostly right! But I also discovered that I like the page-like view of the Word-for-iPad document, and it’s harder to constantly self-edit. I also put my writing Kanban board on the wall above my desk, and I have plotting boards on the wall next to me. I’m a very tactile and visual person (and a kinesthetic learner), and I discovered I like having physical sticky notes that I can touch and see and move around. It also helps me keep track of the myriad of details associated with an increasingly complex five-book series. And if I’m trying to get new words written, but have an idea for a future scene, or something I need to research, I can quickly sticky-note it, and then get back to actual writing, instead of going down an internet hole immediately. 😊  7) Do you have a favorite time of day to write? Any habits or little rituals that put you in a writing mindset? I’m more of a morning person, so I get up early. During NaNo 2021, I got up diligently at 4:00 a.m. every day and wrote for 2-3 hours before work. Now, without that pressure deadline, I still set my alarm early, but usually only get about an hour of writing in, due to the aforementioned promo/business stuff, and also my day job interfering with my writing goals. 😉 8) Time to talk about your latest release (rubbing hands together). But first, I confess to being really curious about the name of the series – The Dead – and the titles that follow. Can you tell us a little about that? How did you come up with the idea for the series? I’ve always been fascinated by the supernatural, especially ghosts and magical or mystical beings, psychic abilities, tarot cards, palm-reading – all the “woo” stuff. (But weirdly, I’m more of a practical/logical person on the surface – I just trust my intuition/gut, and believe there’s more to the universe than we really know!) My bachelor’s degree focused on early-early Arthurian literature, which introduced me to the Celtic concept of The Otherworld, and the veil between us and it. Then, my father-in-law died somewhat unexpectedly, and we took the kids (in 4th and 1st grade at the time) down to clear out his apartment and his bookstore. I had had this idea for a book about the assistant to the Angel of Death, Michael the Archangel, whose job it is to deliver souls up to St. Peter in Heaven, or down to Hell, as appropriate. So my heroine was going to be the gatekeeper to the gatekeeper of the Afterlife, so to speak, and would be “debriefing” the dead, before passing them on to her boss. So that’s where the first book’s title came from, and since I envisioned it as a series from the start, I thought “the Dead” should be the series connector in all the titles. But other than that, I had no idea what the actual story would be. As we were dealing with my father-in-law’s death, I set up a chair in his backyard and started typing, and somehow, Hyacinth and her adventures came out. I’d say that first book in the series was almost 100% an unconscious expression of what Jennifer Crusie calls “the girls downstairs.” 😊 Book two was also pretty much pantsed (not plotted), but by book three, I had so many plotlines and important details in the mix, I had to at least do some rough planning, to make sure I didn’t screw anything up! 9) Now let’s hear about Burying the Dead! Where to start? 😊 This was my NaNo 2021 book (see above). Between WAKING THE DEAD (book two) and DAMNING THE DEAD (book three), I struggled to write. I had a lot of things in my personal life just completely blow up and explode and shatter, and then the world imploded. WTD was released in summer 2019, and my life fell apart in November 2019, then Australia burned up in January 2020, and we all know what happened next. ☹ It was a rough time, but I managed to finally finish DaTD and get it to my editor mid-2021 (basically, it took me two years to finish it ☹), then floundered when starting BTD. So, NaNo was a way for me to get out of my own head and just write-write-write. And surprisingly (or not! 😊) what came out feels, to me at least, like the best in the series so far. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but let’s just say Hyacinth makes some big decisions and comes to some important realizations. And we find out some stuff about Eric’s past finally! 10) I comprehend that you’ve just recently published a book. Still, I can’t help but ask – do you have anything waiting in the wings? You betcha! Lots!! LOL! I am working on the *next* Dead Series book, RAISING THE DEAD. But I’ve also got a completed Historical Mystery I’m contemplating self-pubbing, and the aforementioned idea for a YA Urban Fantasy novel/series. And I have a completed Romantic Suspense novel that I planned to revise and publish in 2019, shortly after releasing PUBLISH OR PERISH (August 2019), but then… see “life/world exploding/imploding” above. Oh – and I’m starting to record The Dead books into audio! So, I’m super excited about that, but… “the time, it is lacking,” as Claude Rousseau says in book one. 😉 I really need someone to pay me my full-time teaching salary, so I can stay home and write with my dogs. LOL! Audiobooks! That's exciting! I love listening to a great book while I take care of mundane tasks.  That cute little face! 11) Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? Nope! Pretty sure I’ve “talked” your ear off (written your eyes off??) already. 😊 Thanks so much for having me! Congratulations again! Kerry, thank you again for sharing your time and talent. Wishing you all the best! Thanks! You, too! 😊 Cheers! And now for Burying the Dead!  Sometimes, to stop the world from going to Hell, you have to work with Demons. Hyacinth Finch has one goal: Save her nephew Geordi from the Hell Demon who kidnapped him. But to succeed, she’ll have to work with his demon Mafia relatives, which she swore she’d never do. Worse, she’ll have to make another deal with the High Demons who murdered her. But Geordi’s life is worth it, even if she loses her own humanity in the process. Meanwhile, Hyacinth’s ghost boyfriend Eric is wasting away, after being ejected from his “borrowed” body. While digging in his past for something to make him fight for survival, she uncovers secrets that could destroy their relationship. Moreover, her feelings for Geordi’s demon cousin Jason are stronger than ever, though every morally impossible choice she makes drives him farther away. Can she save Eric and Geordi, without losing herself—and Jason—forever? EXCERPT from BURYING THE DEAD Now, as we approached the cemetery, I had to shift focus. We’d stopped at the hospital and found Bala much improved. Dito was embarrassed by his behavior, but she was so happy to see him that he managed an apology and they kissed and made up. Figuratively, but still. Jason didn’t act any different in front of her. After what we’d shared, I’d expected him to hem and haw a bit, but nope—nada. So maybe he’d told the truth about there being nothing between them. On his part, anyway. I couldn’t help noticing that Bala’s eyes cut to him often, but she always looked away before he caught her. Prior to the fight with Marchosias, she’d been a smartass, pressing my buttons and flirting with Jason at every opportunity. Now, she’d sobered. Her injuries were serious—the doctors had used the phrase “life-threatening” many times. So maybe the experience rearranged her priorities, making her realize what—or rather who—she really wanted. I didn’t know how I felt about that. My own feelings were confusing enough. But I was grateful for everything she’d done, trying to save Geordi, so if she loved Jason, maybe they should get a shot at making it work. She couldn’t be more messed up than me, and he deserved a chance at real happiness. Dito gave her hand a squeeze, then Jason leaned close and said something low in her ear that I didn’t catch. Her eyes widened, and she faced me. “Are you nuts?” Guess he’d told her the plan. “Maybe. If you have a better idea, I’d love to hear it.” “Nope.” Her gaze shifted to Jason and softened. “Be careful. Sharing your blood—your powers--with the Rousseaux’s in you—who knows what that could do.” “True,” he admitted. “But even I can’t see another way at this point.” She turned to me again. “He’s only doing this because you asked him to.” Jason cut in, “No, she didn’t. I offered.” Bala snorted. “Same difference. You’re doing it for her. Why?” The directness of the question showed she already knew the answer, and Jason reddened. “It’s…complicated.” “Yes,” she agreed. “It is. Have you told her the risks—like what could happen if you drain too much of your powers? Either into Stefan, or just from the process itself?” I frowned. “What does that mean?” “Nothing,” Jason said levelly, his focus on Bala. Something passed between them, and her eyes flickered black. Then her shoulders slumped and her irises faded back to blue. “Whatever. But she’s not one of us. Keep that in mind, while you’re doing her favors.” That stung, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t already thought about myself, and until I put out all the current bonfires in my life, I couldn’t focus on figuring out where I did fit in, so we said our good-byes and left. We found an unlocked supply closet, and I stood outside the door, while Dito went around a corner to stand watch there. Jason slipped inside to grab what he’d need for the blood draw, coming out again moments later, before anyone happened by. Something about it—the fact that he was stealing, from a hospital—gave me an attack of conscience, and I said, “You really don’t have to do this. Bala’s right. It’s too risky, and—” He took my hand, squeezing it. “Bala’s a worrier. It has nothing to do with you.” “Tell me what happens if you drain your powers.” “I won’t.” “But—” “I won’t. I’ll be fine. I want to help you, so will you just let me, for once?” I glared at him. “Stop being so damn—” He put a finger on my lips. “I swear to God, I’m not being nice. Niceness might be the last thing on my mind right now.” His thumb caressed the side of my mouth, and I fought to maintain control, to not lean into him and take what he so blatantly offered. “We have to go…” He blew out a breath and stepped back. “Fine. I said I wouldn’t press you. I just…I can’t help it, sometimes. I need you to know this isn’t a fling for me, and it scares the shit out of me. You scare the shit out of me.”  Meet Kerry Kerry Blaisdell is the bestselling and award-winning author of the acclaimed Dead Series, including DEBRIEFING THE DEAD and its sequels, which InD’tale Magazine recommends for “fans of shows like ‘Constantine’ or ‘Supernatural.’” She also writes award-winning Romantic Suspense (PUBLISH OR PERISH, a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist) and Historical Mystery. She has a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley in Comparative Literature (French/Medieval English), and a Master’s in Teaching English and Advanced Mathematics from University of Portland. Kerry lives in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her family, assorted animals, and more hot pepper plants than anyone could reasonably consume. To connect with Kerry online, join her Facebook Reader Group (http://bit.ly/kerryskin), or subscribe to her Very Occasional Mailing List (https://www.subscribepage.com/kerrysvoml) and get TWO free downloads! https://linktr.ee/kerryblaisdell Don't forget to join the RELEASE DAY CELEBRATION for Burying the Dead! January 16!  Happy 2023! Honestly? December did a number on me. In less than a month, my elder brother passed away, two family members were hospitalized, and we welcomed three beautiful babies into our midst. We celebrated the marriage of a lovely young couple. It’s not that each of those life events kept me personally super busy, but my emotions? All over the place. And now it’s 2023. It just goes to show how little control we have, lest we forget. It also reminds me of what we can control – our own behaviors, thoughts, reactions (at least up to a point). And guess what! I’m not here to preach right now. I just don’t have it in me. I’d rather share something funny that happened. It was actually awful when it happened and yet still funny. Saturday, New Year’s Eve, Joseph and I were busy during the day tidying up and preparing for a New Year’s Day family breakfast at our house. The last thing he did meal-prep-wise was to set the pressure cooker to cook fava beans so that we could have ful mdammas the next day. They could steam while we were getting ready for the party, and he would remove the pot from the heat on our way out. Well… when the time came and we were about to leave our bedroom -- he was already in suit and tie and I was in my cocktail dress -- we heard a strange sound, like a train coming through the house. It was very loud and I’m pretty sure that the house shook, although possibly it just felt that way... Anyway, we couldn’t imagine what it was. We ran from our room to see steam shooting straight up to the kitchen ceiling and mushrooming out. We couldn’t even see most of the kitchen, there was so much steam. We both gasped. “The pressure cooker!” I grabbed his arm, knowing one of us had to turn it off and not wanting either of us to get anywhere near it. Joseph took off his jacket and forged ahead. Feeling braver, I rushed to open the back door. What a mess. The kitchen ceiling and walls and counters and cabinets and floor and everything in between were all covered with fava bean water! At first, we weren’t sure if the ceiling had been burned. But nope, bean stuff. Good thing, but EWWWW! He changed clothes, I put on my slippers, and we worked for over an hour, cleaning up the worst of it. Then he changed clothes again, I changed footwear, and we left to welcome the new year with family, friends, and community. The next morning we still found “bean stuff” here, there, everywhere. Breakfast was a little late. But we raised our mimosas to the New Year. Oh, and we ate ful mdammas. Wishing you a year of love, laughter, and joy! Some people make the world so much better with their kindness, their generous spirits, their light. I am pleased and honored to be spotlighting the new work of just such a soul, Cadhla Logan. She has designed an absolutely gorgeous, lined journal filled with beautiful, inspiring quotes.  ‘Love, Cadhla’ is a new release from Mad Mountain Publishing. This 5x8in paperback edition consists of 500 Quotes formatted within a Celtic-style journal designed by Cadhla Logan. For the past eight years the Dublin, Ireland lass has worked with Irish Heath and Bog, an independent publisher with several Bestsellers in its catalogue, most notably the long-running Calendar For Writers Series. Cadhla primarily designs book covers and interiors, edits, and produces commercial animations. She also writes fiction and screenplays. Her book, Magdalene Mountain will be published in early 2023. ‘Love, Cadhla: 500 Quotes on Love and Kindness in a Lined Journal’ is a joint effort by Cadhla, her beloved Gran and, she adds, her cat, Mix. They live in Gran’s small cottage in North Dublin, just across from the Irish Sea. Collecting quotations has been a lifelong love of Cadhla. She reads widely and lists Akhmatova, Tolstoy, Balzac, and Zola among her favourites. Beckett is her most beloved Irish author. She has collected all of his books and plays. As for James Joyce, often the Irish writer so many think of immediately, the only work of his she found readable and loved was The Dubliners.  As for the book itself, it is meant to be a thought-provoking journal: read quotations from hundreds of books from over the years and write your ideas, feelings, either good or bad or a mix of the two…. it’s a book meant as a quiet companion, there when you need it. The format itself is eclectic, like the lass herself, quotes here and there amid the lovely, Celtic-themed pages. The cover is an amazing fantasy piece by Willgard Krause, an artist in Saxony she met online. Cadhla fell in love with the photo immediately and the artist graciously granted her permission to publish it. She redesigned the colouring to match her own style and the feedback has been tremendously positive… especially from Willgard! PARTIAL LIST OF AUTHORS INCLUDED: Balzac Beckett Yeats Malraux Baudelaire Forster Colette  FOREWORD: Like many children, I grew up within a difficult family. I tried everything to escape, physically and mentally. I remember thinking I must have the worst pain in the world to bear, trapped amongst these people with their quarrels, fights, accusations, hatred. Abuse seemed to know no end, my physical scars still visible on my face even today. But there were good days, those when I escaped into my books. How I loved moments of peace and life within those fantasy worlds and long-past times, how I wanted to be left there, far from the turmoil I could do nothing to make better, much less to end. The local library and a bookshop inside an elderly lady’s cottage, became my favourite haunts, my sanctuaries. I loved reading but I found it difficult to concentrate. Memorizing was almost impossible, but I started writing things down to read over again later… and this is how I came to love and collect quotations. A handful of words, like a magical faery dust, would instantly transport me back to my happy childhood escapes. The quotes within are some my life-long favourites, and Gran shares a few of hers with you. You will see several by the same authors, also, please note, we decided to not create an artificial length to each section. There is a randomness that reflects that of our own lives, having little time for reading, we always feel so grateful to find a few moments to spend with a book. This book is not meant to be read straight-through, but over days, weeks, months. We hope you enjoy our collection and, too, that these words perhaps will speak to someone and give them the comfort they seek and that they once gave me. It is never too late to craft yourself a safe and happy future…you just have to find the words to inspire the motivation you need. :> love, Cadhla, Gran, and Mix   Today, I’m delighted to welcome Author Randy Overbeck. Talk about suspenseful books! I have so many questions! But first, welcome Randy! Thank you for sharing your time. I really appreciate the opportunity. You know we authors are always glad to have an audience. Before we get to your writing and your latest release, Scarlet at Crystal River, won’t you tell us a little about yourself? Well, I’m a long time educator, serving children as a teacher, college professor and school leader for almost 40 years. For the past ten years, I devoted much of my time to writing , an avocation I’m finding I enjoy almost as much as I did helping children learn. My wife and I have been married for 50 years and we have three great kids (adults now) and are blessed with seven remarkable grandkids. Your books are adding up! You’re working on your fourth now, aren’t you? And it hasn’t taken you very long to write them. I stand in awe. Actually I’m shopping my fifth and I’m working on my sixth. My first published novel, LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND, was published in 2011. It is a thriller about a terrorist cell which takes over a high school and the teacher and volunteer who battle the intruders. More recently, I’ve penned three paranormal mysteries in my Haunted Shores Mysteries series, released in 2019, 2020 and 2021. And I’m shopping my fifth, an amateur sleuth mystery, which may well be the start of a new series. It all sounds amazing. You are prolific! Do you have a favorite time and place to write? Actually, I’m very lucky. I can write almost anyplace and almost anytime. I carry my computer with me and I squeeze in time anytime and anyplace I can—waiting for my car being worked on, sitting in a doctor’s office, grabbing lunch or dinner alone. But I’m quite blessed to have a great office to work in, with a huge L-shaped wooden desk, a large monitor (my eyesight is not as good as it used to be) plenty of research documents and a beautiful view out the wide windows. I find I do some of my finest work there. A perfect setup! You have a great, bookish podcast, too. Please tell us about it. It’s called “Great Stories about Great Storytellers” and in each episode, I share the inside story of famous authors, poets and directors. So far, I’ve profiled greats like John Grisham, Agatha Christie and Walt Disney. Maybe the best way to explain it is this. One of the reviewers called it “Paul Harvey’s The Rest of Story” for famous storytellers. But your readers would have to be a certain age to get the reference. Basically, I give the weird and unusual backstories most people don’t know about the famous storytellers they do know. The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts—Spotify, iHeart radio, Apple podcasts, etc. and I’m working hard to build my listener base. And now, for your books! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you through our publisher, The Wild Rose Press. You always encourage fellow writers, cheer us on, offer help… For someone with such a positive and sunny disposition, your books seem to be, well, bone-chilling! Ghosts! Murder! Eeek! How did you come to write paranormal thrillers? My first book in the series didn’t start off as paranormal. A few years ago, I was attending a writer’s conference and sat in on a session about ghost hunting. Skeptical at first, I was so taken in by what I learned that session (and the remarkable amount of research and scientific manner of the process), I decided I wanted to find a way to include a bit of “whoo-hoo” in my tales. Like everything else I write, I’ve done extensive research into ghosts and have included slivers of what has been documented about them in my tales. I’m only afraid of the dark after I’ve read something scary. Then, I’m turning on lights before entering rooms! Clearly, you’re not so easily intimidated. But does your writing ever keep you up at night? The writing yes, the subject no. Let me explain. My stories are a bit scary but not terrifying. I’ve worked hard to make the portrayal of ghosts as realistic as possible—which, based on the bulk of paranormal research that been done, tells us ghosts are usually not scary. (Apologies to Steven King and Dean Koontz). However, there are many nights when I lay my head on my pillow and my mind will not stop racing through language and ideas about my latest writing project. Most times I try to fall asleep figuring I’ll remember it in the morning—if it’s important. But there have been many nights I have to get up, get down on paper (okay, computer) what’s rolling around in my brain before my mind will let me go to sleep. Please tell us about your Haunted Shores Mysteries and especially about your latest release, Scarlet at Crystal River. SCARLET is the third entry in my series and was the most fun to research and write. In this story, Darrell Henshaw, history teacher and researcher—and ghost whisperer—and his new wife Erin have arrived in Crystal River, a beautiful old Florida town on the Gulf coast at the start of the Christmas holidays. They want only to have a great honeymoon, jog on some of the scenic trails, swim with manatees and enjoy seafood at the great local restaurants. However, the ghosts of two murdered migrant children have other ideas and haunt Darrell, asking for his help to find justice for them. Darrell, a man who has dedicated his life to children, can’t ignore them and begins researching what might have happened to the two kids. His research leads him to an amazing young artist, a mega-agribusinessman and eventually to a migrant camp. However, there are those who don’t want Darrell to discover the truth and will do almost anything—including murder—to keep their secret. I’m thrilled that SCARLET, like the first two in the Haunted Shores Mysteries series, has won three national awards and garnered scores of five star reviews. Oh, and did I mention, it’s a Christmas mystery, perfect for that reader who’s looking for a Christmas tale with a great deal of suspense, a bit of romance, incredible scenery and just the right amount of whoo-hoo. Before we go, would you tell us just a little bit about the book you’re working on now? We can keep a secret. My newest writing project is one unlike anything I’ve tried before. I’m working on a historical suspense (with romantic elements, probably) set during the Revolutionary War. Without giving too much away, I’ll simply say that the heroine is a teacher (of course) and that she will make a significant contribution to helping turn the tide against the British in the war. The writing is requiring an immense amount of research—which I love—and is a major challenge for me. I’m only about a third of the way into the tale but I’m excited to see where this leads. Stay tuned. We absolutely will stay tuned! Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Landing my BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE at Wild Rose Press has introduced me many talented young (and not so young) writers like you. I’ve enjoyed working with them and love the way we support each other. I’ve found WRP to be a great home for me, my hero Darrell and a few ghosts who came along for the ride. I agree. My experience with The Wild Rose Press has been wonderful. Randy, thank you for joining us today. Your books get such great reviews. I wish you continued success. Thanks, Anastasia for hosting me. I’ve been thrilled and humbled by the tremendous response my books have garnered and I’m delighted to have a chance to share my stories with my readers.  Dr. Randy Overbeck is a best-selling author of the award-winning series, The Haunted Shores Mysteries, each a cold case murder mystery wrapped in ghost story served with a side romance, set in a beautiful resort location. He is the author and voice of a new podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Thanks Still Go Bump in the Night” and “A Few Favorite Haunts” with audiences all over the country. More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website.  A cold-case murder mystery wrapped in a ghost story served with a side of romance all set in a beautiful resort location You get it all in the award-winning SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER. Christmas time, 1999. All Darrell Henshaw wanted was to enjoy his honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Erin in the charming town of Crystal River on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida. But his carefully laid plans go sideways when they discover a hidden painting of two young Latino children, which turns out to be haunted. Is Darrell willing to derail their entire honeymoon in this perfect, quiet corner of the world to unravel the mystery of the children's deaths?  Excerpt
Darrell ran harder, finishing the loop and circling back to Erin. She was so engrossed in her paperback he managed to sneak up behind her. He leaned and in and grabbed another long kiss. She kissed him back, smiling. “Now that’s better than a little fictional romance.” She got up and stretched her long legs. “You ready for some waves?” he asked. “If you’re up to it, let’s do a mile or so on the sand first.” “You’re on.” Darrell gave a gentlemanly wave of his hand. “I’ll race you.” Erin took off like a shot, and Darrell hurried after her. Since the beach was small, they covered the same ground Darrell had a few minutes earlier, passing the family sandcastle builders, another jogger, and the same strolling couples. As usual, she was quick, and he had to hustle to keep up, using some fancy footwork to sidestep sunbathers as they ran. When they got to the north end of the beach where Darrell had turned to double back, Erin headed for a little spit of land that strutted out into the water. He looked beyond and saw what she was headed for. Accelerating, he passed her. Ahead, at the far end of the beach, a pair of young kids, he’d guess about six, sat in the sand as the waves rolled over their legs. Their small hands busied with a primitive sandcastle. One had long, brown hair tied into pigtails, and the other had a full head of brown hair, unkempt and in need of a trim. He came up to them and stopped, Erin a few seconds behind. The kids wore street clothes, not swimsuits, but he didn’t think much about it. Then he noticed something about the young boy. His right leg was stuck out at a grotesque angle, as if it had been broken and never set. Both kids giggled at the gurgling water that rolled up around their bare feet and pooled in the makeshift moat they’d dug around their sand creation. The castle was crude, a nearly round construction with seashells sticking up like turrets. The two kids glanced up, caramel eyes wide and pleading with half smiles of white teeth. In unison, they said, “Ayudaños?” “Huh?” Darrell said. “Cute castle, huh?” Erin stared at the sand and looked up at Darrell. “I wonder who made it?” Her eyes roamed around the area. “Out here on this spit of land it isn’t going to last very long.” “Those kids—” he started, pointing to the pair. When he looked down, the sandcastle sat alone, the gulf water flowing around the construction and into the crude moat. His glance darted out to the waves, thinking they’d abandoned their work and ran into the water, even in their street clothes, though he wondered how the boy could have run. No girl or boy. Oh, God! The same two kids? “You vill have two visitors.” “What’d you say?” Erin asked, her gaze meeting his. The ghosts. Erin hadn’t seen them! Shit, he couldn’t tell her. Not now. Not here. “Nothing,” he managed around the lump in his throat and glanced back down at the sand. There at his feet, the crude sand construction they’d been working on, complete with the three blue seashells sticking out of the top, sat alone on the sand. He reached down and grabbed one of the small seashells as the prickle on his neck returned and sizzled. Then he sensed something else, something ominous. No, not ominous, malevolent. More of Natalia’s warning came back to him. “I see a malevolence, a great danger lurking nearby.” A big wave rushed in, rolling over their ankles and leveling the mound of sand, leaving the beach empty. As if nothing had ever been there. “¡Ayúdaños!”  Hooray! It’s here! September is finally here! Recently, I’ve noticed lots of references to “the ‘ber’ months”. I can’t help but laugh, but I must also admit, I love them.
And guess what! Much as I respect the astrological calendar, I am ready to embrace the meteorological calendar for autumn’s sake. Do you know the difference? I just got it straight in my head. The astrological calendar divvies up the seasons according to equinoxes and solstices which, in turn, are based upon the Earth’s tilt. This year, the fall equinox begins September 22, at 8:04 p.m., CDT. The date/time varies from year to year, but only by a little. The meteorological calendar is based upon annual average temps and never changes. Accordingly, fall is September 1 through November 30. Winter is December through February. Shall I continue? Why not? Spring is March through May and Summer, June through August. Makes sense to me! So… Happy Autumn! Yahoo! For me, both September and Autumn mean gardening, travel, and holidays. The weather is great – neither too cold nor too hot. Tourist destinations are less crowded because school is in session. Colors are brilliant in both hemispheres. And then of course there’s pumpkin spice, soul-warming stews, soups, and chilis, new Hallmark movies, and so much more. My birthday is also in the fall, which gives me a great excuse to request trips large and/or small. I’m not really a terrible brat, and I don’t think I worry too much about my birthday, but, well, if it works… I just want to go someplace with cool, crisp air and gorgeous colors and my birthday month just happens to mean high autumn in lots of places. This year, my husband and I have an exciting trip booked, but I won’t talk details yet. It’s too soon. For now, for September, I’ll enjoy the ever-so-slightly-less-hot days, sow a fall garden, and begin switching things out around the house and garden to reflect a new season. And I just might daydream about our fall trip. Wishing you a beautiful September!  Ralk? Wun? Spralk? Sprun? I wonder if there is a name for a walk/run endeavor to start the day? Sprinting, probably? But that sounds too grand.
That’s what I’ve been doing, however. Short little bursts still, but they’ve gotten longer and faster these past few weeks. I’m loving it, too. It feels great. I’m wondering if I should add a few evening ones in, just to burn off the days’ indulgences and undue energy. Although, as I read long ago, “energy begets energy”. While our children were growing up – until they left for college – I spent a few hours a day at the gym several times a week – weights, yoga, pilates, and, less regularly, some sort of cardio experiment. For a while, I had private yoga instruction, too, and we always swam all summer. For me, it was just a normal part of an active lifestyle, as routine as brushing my teeth. When our sons left for college and we moved to a rural area where there were far less gym options, I wasn’t worried. I had country roads to run and ride my bike on, an exercise room in my house, and four acres of garden and yard to tend to. I stayed busy and active. But eventually, the gardening took precedence. Big job that it was, it wasn’t enough to keep up with my disastrous eating habits. To this day, I still eat like a teenaged boy – a wild, teenaged boy. When we moved to back to the suburbs, so many things were going on in our lives that my workouts pretty much ground to a painful halt. But I continued to eat what I wanted, when I wanted, and still enjoyed a glass of wine or two every evening. I love fresh fruits and vegetables and herbal teas. I also love fried foods, ice cream, Dutch gin and rosé. Lately, that hasn’t been feeling so good. My clothes all still fit. I’ve worn the same size for years and years. But take it from me, I’m not the same. For one thing, I’m weaker. Of course, I am. And there’s a heaviness around my waist that I can’t like. I’m not as flexible as I used to be, either. Anastasia, what have you done? Obviously, I don’t diet. I am also not of the “no pain, no gain” school. Absolutely not, although I can see where that would work for certain personalities. Well, then, what? It’s okay to be gentle with ourselves. I’m not out to impress anybody. But I should take care of my body so that I can fully enjoy what time I have left on this earth. More to the point, I would like to continue to have fun with our children and grandchildren and all of our loved ones. My family, by the way -- our children are sooo very fit. Our older son works in the fitness industry -- he's a guru, really -- and our younger son and daughter-in-heart are the most active people I know. My brother owns gyms! And all our family works out more these days, not less. No one nags me -- they are all wonderfully sweet and supportive -- but I'm pretty sure none of them expected me to ever NOT be physically fit. And I probably am reasonably fit. But I can do better. So... Modified… everything. I do modified pushup several times a day. I don’t sweat and I don’t hurt my joints. But now, a few weeks in, I can do more regular pushups. I can see that becoming a trend. I’ve begun lifting again – oh, what a blow to my ego. But my muscles seem to remember what to do. And my yoga practice – it’s probably the most challenging aspect because, damn it, I didn’t even realize how my shortened, lazy asanas were chipping away at my flexibility. This, I’m having a hard time going slow with, which is against yogic philosophy. Let go of ego. Breathe. Be kind to yourself. I really can’t imagine not having a yoga practice. Everyone, absolutely everyone, should. My walk/runs are beautiful. I love being outdoors early morning, always have. My sprint time is beginning to equal my walk time, although not always. So far, my longest, um, spralk is about a mile and a half. Hardly marathon material? Is that what you’re thinking? I’m grinning at the very idea. You’ve got that right! I’m drinking more herbal tea than wine these days, although ice cream, well… How can such creamy deliciousness be bad for you? I will have to leave it off my shopping list for a while. If you take anything away from this, my “confessions”, I hope that it might be some small encouragement. Little steps do make a difference. I’m feeling more myself again and more confident in my physical capabilities. Every little bit really does help. Cheers, friends! Wishing you joy! Silver Dagger Tour: Buried Treasure, Lost Worlds: A Search for Aztec Treasure by Hep Aldridge8/16/2022 Welcome, Silver Dagger Tours and Hep Aldridge!  The adventures continue…  In 1521, the Aztec empire fell to Spanish Conquistadors in bloody genocide. The Aztec ruler, Montezuma, was murdered, and his treasure… disappeared. Legend says the treasure was spirited away by Montezuma’s elite Eagle warriors, headed for an unknown desert location in the southwest of what is now the United States. It has never been found. Dr. Colten X. Burnett and the Risky Business team have a lead. Will the unexpected map they now have in their possession guide them to the long-lost treasure in the land of the Mescalero Apache? Join this bold, inimitable team as they face new dangers and uncover secrets that the mountains and deserts of New Mexico hold as they search for the lost Aztec treasure.  **Don't miss the other books in the series!** Sunken Treasure, Lost Worlds The Risky Business Chronicles Book 1 Goodreads * Amazon Sunken Treasure, Lost Worlds: Revelations The Risky Business Chronicles Book 2 Goodreads * Amazon Sunken Treasure, Lost Worlds: Encounter The Risky Business Chronicles Book 3 Goodreads * Amazon   Hep Aldridge is a certified scuba diver, cave diver and amateur archaeologist whose main area of interest is Pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas. He has led or been part of archaeological expeditions to Mexico and Honduras, making discoveries that have been reported in National Geographic Magazine. Hep's related interest in space, and space exploration and "things unknown" was fueled by his father who worked for NASA. While living in New Mexico, he began to question the many strange and unexplained things he saw in the night sky in the mid 60's, and also developed an interest in lost treasure that has stayed with him his whole life. The combination of these diverse interests led to the genesis of the Risky Business Chronicles, Book One, his first novel of a three-part series. Hep is an Air Force veteran and resides on Florida's Space Coast.     Happy August 9, Book Lovers! The day is ours! I do love books. It's a strangely emotional attachment. We've moved a lot and replaced possessions many time over. We even got rid of a piano once, only to buy another later on. But I am loathe to let my books go. In fact, I've mentioned to Joseph several times that if we do ever move again, wherever we go and however much we might downsize, I would want to take my books with me. And I've noticed that our elder son Bashir, while leaving almost everything behind in his various moves across the country, has also held onto his book collection. And he's remarked upon it -- that he just can't let go of his books. And I'm so very proud that our younger son Raji and daughter-in-heart Julia have books all over their home and that their little ones -- our dear little grands -- are great readers. God bless them. You see? Emotional... In wishing our children and grandchildren well, I wish them an enjoyment of books and I'm thankful that they appreciate them. If you know me, you know that I love ebooks and audiobooks just as much as hard and softcovers. There's room enough in my heart for all. I'm not one to wax poetic about the smell of books, the tactile pleasures of holding a book in your hands, turning pages... In fact, I prefer an ereader under a wide variety of circumstances. But not only is there more to a book than its cover or even its content. They can remind us of loved ones, of good times, of weathered storms, and that we can always learn. And always hope. I'm a big fan of coffee table books, especially well-written ones. I enjoy gifting them when I find one that focuses on a loved one's hobby or passion. For myself, books are amongst my favorite souvenirs, which goes back to reminding me of a happy time. There are some types of books that are just better as soft or hardbacks. Cookbooks, for example -- oh, there are so many gorgeous cookbooks. I prefer them to online sources, although I certainly appreciate both. Books with beautiful illustrations, travel and gardening books, certain how-to books -- I prefer these as hard/softcover volumes. I also like to have very important books like the Bible in hardback. Prayerbooks, so personal to me... I like to have favorites in both ebook and bound. We have plenty of bound volumes. But there is a lot to be said for ebooks. I absolutely love them. I appreciate that they can be stored on multiple, connected devices. I can carry my library of around 1000 ebooks times two in my purse with ease -- one library in my kindle and the other on my phone. To be clear, I do understand that the library is on "a cloud" somewhere -- and that's even better. It's safeguarded. As I've already mentioned, I'm not very sentimental about the tangible attractions of hardbacks, although I have to admit that my bookshelves would look pretty empty without them. But my point here is that I find it easier to read a novel on my kindle, especially in bed or by the pool or at the beach. A kindle is also much more convenient for travel, especially when I hope to read more than one book on a trip, which is often. And the access to more, more, more and instantly is wonderful! And then there are so many free ebooks introducing me to great, new-to-me authors. It's fabulous! And allow me to confirm for you -- audiobooks are books! Yes, they are. And listening to an audiobook equals reading a book. It's not the same as watching a movie based on a book. Whether you are reading or someone is reading to you, you are still getting and interpreting the words from printed matter. It's not a short or altered version of the author's words. It's ALL the words and if you don't know some of them, you'll have to learn them. If I'm not working at my computer, or eating, or sleeping, I am probably not sitting down. I am so glad to be able to listen -- and I listen to a lot. I guarantee that I know those books just as well through listening as those who read them themselves. This brings me to an important point, more than all the rest of my philosophizing. Those who might not have the best eyesight or leisure time to sit down and read a book but take the time and/or effort to listen have effectively read those books. The words -- from the printed material -- resonate all the same. And you can get distracted either reading or listening, so don't bother going there. It offends me that anyone should think themselves so superior as to deny a book lover the satisfaction of declaring they've read and loved a book just because they chose a narrated version. Whoops! Getting angry over here! And I shouldn't. It's National Book Lovers Day, after all. Enjoy your books, you lovers, and let everyone else enjoy theirs! Happy reading!  |
A Little of This, a Little of ThatKeep me away from the wisdom that does not cry, the philosophy that does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children. – Gibran Khalil Gibran Archives
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