 I am religious. Did you know? If not, that is my fault and more's the pity. It's actually a big part of who I am. I am not loud about it. I don't think I need to be. I'm not a preacher. But sometimes I am a little too private.
The thing is -- the main thing -- is that I am so religious that I would wish anyone else the same right, the same privilege. Mutual respect requires -- yes -- mutual respect. That is, so long as the beliefs don't harm others. I don't generally go around announcing, "I am religious." But when it has come up in conversation and I say just that, I've surprised an interesting variety of responses. More than once, someone has commented, more or less, "I hope you are referring to your faith and not just religion." Well, yes and no. I happen to love my religion. There is no perfect religious institution on earth. My chosen one is Catholicism. I am a Catholic Christian. But that's not really addressing their concern. By that comment, they are expressing the worry that I might be more interested in rules/laws/traditions than about loving God and being a good person. Of course, I am not. God is my foundation. I am Catholic. Christ is my light, my teacher, my hope. So many have given up on faith. People struggle through their days and lives without giving God a passing thought. It is inconceivably sad. In my faith tradition/religion/belief system, I find love, peace, guidance, and goodness. I find joy and hope. I wish everyone as much. Why am I telling you this? So that you know me better -- and just in case you need to consider it for yourself. Prayer, meditation...even just a thought to begin. The times are trying, and faith is a wonderful gift, a miraculous comfort. Wishing you joy and peace.
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 How about a little paranormal chill with your mystery? I'm proud to welcome Dr. Randy Overbeck, award-winning author of the Haunted Shores Mystery series. I'm in the middle of reading his latest mystery Scarlet at Crystal River. It almost has me sleeping with a light on! It's evocative, suspenseful, and sweetly romantic all at once -- an amazing combination! I invite you to more about the talented author, his books, and his podcast. Dr. Overbeck, thank you for joining us today. 1) What sort of books did you enjoy reading as a child? Did you have a favorite book or series? I was an early reader—my mother told me I was able to read by the age of three—and I read a little bit of everything, mystery, adventure, science fiction, poetry, and fantasy. 2) What sort of books do you enjoy reading nowadays? I’m a very eclectic reader today and have favorite authors in several different genres—thrillers, mysteries of course, stirring historicals and some science fiction. I’ve even been known to engage in a little romantic suspense from time to time. 3) Around what age did you realize that you liked to write? And when did you know that you wanted to write books? I’ve been interested in writing for as long as I can remember. During high school, I took a great Creative Writing class that really excited me and I thought I might want to try my hand as a professional author. Then my pull to serve kids as an educator hit me and I became a teacher and school leader for 40 years. Eve then, I never lost my desire to tell stories and become a published author. When my life gave me time to pursue it, I took advantage of it and, now five published novels and ten national awards later, I’ve been able to realize my dream. That you placed dedication to education and children above your dreams is truly inspiring. That you never gave up and have achieved your dream after years of dedication and service is even more so. How wonderful. 4) What’s the first thing you wrote that you remember being proud of? During high school I wrote a mystery short story that I thought was pretty good, but what did I know? 5) Tell us about the creative force within you. What inspires you to write, to create? Writing has always been a major part of my life and profession, as a teacher, a college professor and a school leader. So I’ve been creating and writing right up to and including a hundred plus page dissertation. When I had the time and chance, it was a natural move to turn my writing talent and skills to fiction. I find I have more stories within me that are simply begging to come out. I find I hardly have enough time to cast the characters in the worlds I’m creating. 6) What’s your writing space like? I’m very fortunate in that when my wife and I designed our new house about five years ago, I carved out a really nice office of about 150 square feet. It has an expansive L-shaped desk, a large screen monitor (for my older eyes), a printer, a file cabinet and a beautiful six-shelf bookcase—which is never big enough. There is even a bed if I decide I need to take a break. Perhaps, best of all, from the desk, I have a beautiful view through three windows of our neighborhood pond and the surrounding woods, which are absolutely gorgeous in the fall. It’s a space that very welcoming and inspirational.  What a great space! 7) Do you have a favorite time of day to write? Any habits or little rituals that put you in a writing mindset? Partly as a result of my habits as a district leader, I learned to take any time I was given to get my tasks done, In those days, there never seemed to be enough time and I always seemed to have plenty of distractions. These days, I’ve been able to continue that habit and seize any time I have a few minutes to write, edit and revise. I write while waiting while my car is worked on, while my wife is doing her physical therapy and while she is shopping. Most days, though, I start my day with 90-120 minutes of writing. 8) Time to talk about Scarlet at Crystal River (rubbing hands together). But first, how did you come up with the idea for the Haunted Shores Mystery series? Are there any interesting tidbits you’d care to share with us? For all three entries in the Haunted Shores Mysteries, I started with a great resort location, invented a mysterious cold-case murder, added in a little woo-hoo and tied it to a larger social issue. Then, for fun, I added a bit of romance with the arc running through all three novels. Scarlet at Crystal River is the third installment in the series and is set in a beautiful, old Florida town on the Gulf coast. (Yes, a real town.) The romance plays a larger part in this story as my protagonist, Darrell—high school social studies teacher and researcher and sensitive—and his beautiful wife Erin are off to celebrate their honeymoon during the Christmas holidays in the Florida sun. But problems develop when Darrell is stalked by the ghosts of two murdered Latino children who beg him to find justice. The investigation takes Darrell and Erin into the rolling heartland of Florida, full of massive farms and hundreds of migrant workers, trying to learn who these children were and what happened to them. Their inquiries lead them to a real world-famous artist, to school people working with migrant children to wealthy land owners and hard-working foremen as well as to an immigrant camp. Let’s just say the happenings produce a honeymoon unlike anything Darrell and Erin were expecting. It's a thrilling novel and I, for one -- especially given the chill factor and suspense -- especially appreciate the lovely romance! 9) You also have another literary outlet, your wonderful podcast Great Stories About Great Storytellers. I could listen all day. I have to say I especially loved the episode about Emily Dickinson, a favorite poet of mine since childhood. My podcast, Great Stories about Great Storytellers, shares the little-known back stories of famous writers, directors and poets listeners already know. So far I’ve revealed interesting, unusual and sometimes strange details about the lives, work and writings of such great as Charles Dickens, John Grisham, Walt Disney, Ray Bradbury and yes, Emily Dickinson. Each episode is quick listen, about 10-12 minutes, and listeners come away with interesting tidbits about some of their favorite storytellers. 10) I realize you are a very busy man! Still, I can’t help but ask – do you have anything waiting in the wings? Of course, I always have another project around the corner. I just finished proofing my latest work and giving the go ahead to the publisher. Cruel Lessons, the first in a new series I’m calling Lessons in Peril, is an amateur sleuth mystery about a dangerous new hallucinogen which falls into the hands of some young children (fifth graders) and end up resulting in their deaths. This series feature two middle-age protagonists, Stacy, an elementary teacher and Ken, a school administrator. These two are thrown together and risk death threats and prison to figure out who the drug pusher is before he (or she) poisons more children. Oh, wow! SUSPENSE! 11) Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? As you probably gathered, I’m a full-blooded educator and I believe teachers are real unsung heroes, especially with all they are expected to accomplish today. So it should come as no surprise that all of my stories, from thrillers to paranormal mysteries to my new amateur sleuth whodunit, are set in the realm of public school and all of the heroes of my fiction are…you guessed it, teachers. Just my way of saluting the incredible, unselfish and often unrecognized work done by great teachers everyday. That's wonderful. Where would we be without teachers? Cheers to you, Dr. Overbeck, and to educators everywhere. Thank you for sharing your time and mission with us. Wishing you all the best! And now, Scarlet at Crystal River!  From the Author: My Favorite Character My new release, SCARLET AT CRYSTAL RIVER, like the first two in the Haunted Shores Mysteries, is “a cold case murder mystery wrapped in a ghost story served with a side of romance, all set in a beautiful resort location.” Special thanks to the early reviewer who coined this perfect summation.) Also, like the first two entries, the murder (or in this case murders) are entangled with a larger social issue, this time the abuse of migrant workers and the whole debate on immigration. I thought it was important, then, to have a central character who was in fact a migrant and who could speak from an immigrant perspective.  I created Luis Alvarez, a twenty-something recent immigrant who helps my protagonist navigate the world of immigrant laborers. But since this character was far out of my personal experience, I needed to be careful to be sure my portrayal was accurate, neither patronizing nor derogatory. It was a major challenge. Needless to say, I had a good deal of assistance in everything from translation to dialect to culture. In the end, I’m satisfied and early reviews have spoken quite well of this character portrayal. I’m now waiting to see how my readers respond—to the story and Luis’ place in it.  Darrell and Erin head to Florida for a carefree honeymoon but, once there, are haunted by the ghosts of two immigrant children, who plead for help. 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. Only a pair of ghosts decide to intrude on their celebration. And not just any ghosts, the spirits of two young Latino children. Unwilling at first to derail the honeymoon for yet another ghost hunt, Darrell finally concedes when a painting of the kids comes alive, weeping and pleading for his help. When he and Erin track down the artist, they discover the children’s family were migrant workers the next county over. But when they travel there, their questions about the kids gets their car shot up and Erin hospitalized. Torn between fear and rage, Darrell must decide how far he will go to get justice for two young children he never even knew. Excerpt Darrell started, “Like I said back there, it’s complicated. We—” Erin’s side window exploded. The fractured glass shot slivers across the front seat. The sound of an explosion followed a beat behind. Erin screamed. Something stung Darrell’s right arm. He grabbed a cut on his skin and then looked across the seat. Damn. Erin’s arm was bleeding, bad. He couldn’t breathe. “Erin?” He stared at her for a second and then jerked his gaze back to the road and straightened the car. Something hit the rear window. Luis yelped. The glass shattered and a second later, another crack followed. Luis fell forward. Was he hit? Darrell’s gaze jumped from the road to Erin to the back seat. Luis had fallen to the floor. Darrell couldn’t see him. “Luis?” Erin called. No answer. Dragging his eyes from the road, Darrell shot another glance at Erin. Her entire arm was now turning red, the edge of her short sleeve wicking up the scarlet. The fingers of her left hand gripped tight around her right arm, the knuckles turning white. The blood still seeped through. Dragging his eyes from Erin for a second, he turned in his seat to try to look[…]”  About the Author 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 host 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 www.authorrandyoverbeck.com. One thing that is particularly special about Overbeck’s books is that they unabashedly tackle social issues within their plots. “Scarlet at Crystal River” forces readers to confront…the dangers of racism and xenophobia. ★★★★★—ReaderViews This is another masterpiece from Randy Overbeck. His excellent writing style has left me speechless for one more time. He writes in a way that makes you feel what the characters feel and you have no choice but to partake in the journey with them.”★★★★★—Ioanna’s Reviews, Greece
 I'm honored to welcome Author Dawna Coutant, who recently published Evil Alice and the Borzoi. Set in Hawaii, it sounds like a tantalizing mystery! She's going to tell us about it -- and we have a great excerpt -- but first let's become better acquainted with Dawna. Hi, Dawna! Welcome! Hi. Thanks for having me. I’m delighted to be here. 1) What sort of books did you enjoy reading as a child? Did you have a favorite book or series? My love of mysteries started young. I was a big Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden fan. I dreamed of having violet eyes like Diana Lynch (one of Trixie’s friends) But I had a cousin who introduced me to fantasy, The Hobbit and LOTR and Dragons of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. And I was enthralled by those too. 2) What sort of books do you enjoy reading nowadays? I adore all kinds of books! Mysteries of course, like Richard Osman, Thursday Murder Club Series, the Inspector Bruno series by Martin Walker, anything by Julie Mulhern (Poppy? Ellison? They are both great). But I’m also drawn to series with a paranormal approach like, The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews and The Daevebad Trilogy by Shannon Chakraborty. Other books I’ve read and loved in the last 6 months: Jane Smiley’s Perestroika in Paris, Jojo Moyes, Night Music, and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Sorry, that is probably a longer list than you wanted, but I LOVE to read! That's a great list! 3) Around what age did you realize that you liked to write? And when did you know that you wanted to write books? I enjoyed writing as a teenager. I was published in our Literary Magazine, The Luminary, at my school, Pinellas Park High School. I was Editor my senior year. I didn’t think I could write a book. It seemed overwhelming at the time. In college and graduate school, I put creative writing, and most of recreational reading aside. But once I was a professor, I craved fiction again. I returned to my escape into books, and dabbled with a notebook of ideas on stories I might write, one day. But it took another decade or two before I started writing Evil Alice and the Borzoi. The title came first, and the plot and characters followed. 4) What’s the first thing you wrote that you remember being proud of? A very short story in that high school literary magazine. Fifteen-year-old me was on top of the world! That makes me smile! You must have been so excited! 5) Tell us about the creative force within you. What inspires you to write, to create? My non-writing life deals with serious, sometimes tragic, situations. Writing fiction allows me to control my mental world. I can write a satisfying ending. I can make good win out over evil. And I always feel happier after I write. Somehow it refreshes and recharges me. 6) What’s your writing space like? Cluttered. I have a great office that I share with my dog. But I usually end up with a lot of notebooks, dog toys, papers with story ideas, my skis, and all sorts of paraphernalia stacked everywhere. I cleared away some of my clutter for this picture, so let’s keep my messy office a secret just between us.
It doesn't look messy to me! It's a gorgeous space. I looove that window! 7) Do you have a favorite time of day to write? Any habits or little rituals that put you in a writing mindset? My favorite time of day to write is late morning. After a couple of cups of coffee and I’ve read the newspaper. Unfortunately, life usually intervenes, and some critical task needs high priority, so my writing often gets pushed to late afternoon. Do I have writing rituals? Not really. I look over my outline and see which section I feel like writing that day, or if I left a section unfinished the day before I go back to finish that. If I’m really stuck I watch or go back to notes from a writing class. I’ve taken a ton of online classes, so going back to review those usually triggers something. 8) Time to talk about your latest release (rubbing hands together). But first, how did you come up with the idea for the series? Are there any interesting tidbits you’d care to share with us? I think the germ of the idea started on a visit to Guam, there was a case in the newspaper about a suspected murder. I scribbled down some ideas, but it was years later when I saw a painting in an art gallery and the ideas popped back into my head. My title came to me as I studied the painting and the rest of the plot developed from that. And no, I didn’t buy the painting, it was way out of my price range. 9) Now let’s hear about – Evil Alice and the Borzoi. Evil Alice and the Borzoi is a not-too-dark, but not-too-light traditional mystery set in Hawaii. Cleo Cooper, a cross-cultural psychology professor, is living the dream on the Big Island of Hawaii. With ocean-dipping weekends, she enjoys her dog, her job, and her boyfriend Ben - until the day she’s on a research vessel and a dead body is caught in the dragline. The police determine it is murder and set their sights on a gentle former student, Kai. It doesn’t take much urging from Kai’s auntie for Cleo to investigate. But Ben grows distant, and Cleo’s dog grows ill. A couple of accidental deaths later and someone makes an attempt on her life. What happened to Cleo’s life in paradise? Can she discover the true killer? Can she stop the killer before the killer stops her? That sounds fabulous! 10) I comprehend that you’ve just recently published a book. I know what that takes. Still, I can’t help but ask – do you have anything waiting in the wings? I do! I’ve got a finished draft and am fine-tuning revisions on Cleo’s second adventure. It will be based in Santa Fe, NM, so a completely different environment. But Cleo will stay in touch with her friends and Hawaii won’t be far from her thoughts. 11) Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? Hmm, I guess that I, like my protagonist, loves dogs. I’m currently raising a 9-month Old English Sheepdog. She is a sweetie pie but is a teenager in dog years, so we are having some trials and tribulations. But she has helped with my book promotion, (see my Instagram posts:) so I cut her some slack.  Such a cutie! Dawna, congratulations on your new release. Thank you for sharing your time, talent, and adorable puppy with us today! And now, Evil Alice and the Borzoi!  Paradise is shaken when the body of a young woman is dragged onto a university research vessel during a class outing in Hilo Bay. Cleo Cooper is shaken when she finds her favorite student is on the hook for the murder. Danger lurks on land and sea as Cleo and her friends are enticed to search for the true killer. In between paddling, swimming, and arguing with her boyfriend, Cleo discovers all is not what it seems on the Big Island of Hawaii. But will she figure out the truth before she becomes the next victim. Excerpt As I was musing ‘what ifs’, my eyes drifted to an intense mountain of a man in a red shirt so saturated with color I expected it to drip onto his jeans. The almost-to-the-elbow sleeves revealed ropey forearms the color of a dried kukui nut. The bones in his broad face, made me think of a tiger, not traditionally handsome, but arresting. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Almost as if he could feel my scrutiny, he turned his head and looked directly at me. My pulse quickened and I froze - an impala trapped in the gaze of a predator. I couldn’t look away. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his face. He knew the effect he was having on me. Embarrassment gave me the strength to jerk my eyes down to my feet. What the hell was wrong with me? Maybe low blood sugar? I didn’t eat much breakfast. I risked a glance back at him. Damn, he was still looking at me with his self-assured smile. He greeted my glance with a hint of a nod and turned his attention back to the speaker. Flustered, I too looked back at the speaker, but I couldn’t make out what the guy was saying so I went back to looking at the crowd, carefully avoiding the red-shirted predator. There were a lot of locals who I didn’t know, but I saw Rikki and Gina standing together. No sign of Kawika, Gina’s cop-husband. I would have thought the police would want to come to the funeral as part of an investigation now that they suspected foul play.  About the Author DK Coutant graduated from Davidson College with a Psychology degree, and applied her behavioral training at Sea World, training dolphins and whales. Realizing that scrubbing fish buckets might get old, she went back to school and earned a Ph.D. in Psychology. Her academic career began at the University of Southern Maine before DK made the jump to the University of Hawaii at Hilo rising to Department Chair of the Psychology Department. After many happy years in Hawaii, DK made the move out of academics to become a professional geopolitical forecaster for GJP, Inc ( https://goodjudgment.com/Inc ) and INFER ( https://www.infer-pub.com/). Evil Alice and the Borzoi is her first work of fiction published by The Wild Rose Press.
 Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker May 1 Glorious Saint Joseph,
You are the patron of all who work. Obtain for me, please, the grace to work conscientiously and to put devotion to duty before my selfish inclinations. Grant that I may work in orderliness, peace, moderation, and patience without shrinking from weariness and difficulties. I offer my fatigue and perplexities as reparation for sin. I shall work, above all, with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before me the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill-spent, of talents unemployed, of good not done, and of empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. Saint Joseph, please pray for us. Amen.  Today, I'm proud to welcome author Kathleen Jae! Her new murder mystery Island Times Three just launched yesterday and it looks SO GOOD! But before we get to the book, let's get to know this talented author a little better. Welcome, Kathleen! 1) What sort of books did you enjoy reading as a child? Did you have a favorite book or series? Thank you for having me, Anastasia! I adored the classics: Tom Sawyer, Black Beauty, The Wizard of Oz, Treasure Island, Peter Pan, etc. I also loved Scholastic Books—especially those about horses. I couldn’t wait until my book order arrived at school! 2) What sort of books do you enjoy reading nowadays? I don’t seem to have much time to read for enjoyment as I’m researching the sequel to my current book. When I do find time, I’ll read one of my vintage books on nature, decorating, cooking and home improvement I’ve bought at a local library book sale. 3) Around what age did you realize that you liked to write? And when did you know that you wanted to write books? My earliest attempt at writing was a comic book about a couple of birds called Pepper and Salt at age 10. Some years later I began writing for a local wildlife rehabilitation group. I rehabbed Eastern cottontails at the time and wrote stories for the monthly publication. Soon after, I became a reporter for the local newspaper and also wrote a semi-monthly column. I was allowed to write about anything I wanted, and it was then I thought I might want to write a book. I wrote it in longhand but never finished it (I still have the notebooks and from time to time pull them out and transcribe some pages). 4) What’s the first thing you wrote that you remember being proud of? I’m most proud of my first book, From Prompting to Shaping to Letting Go. It’s a memoir/biography of my daughter’s journey from her autism diagnosis to age 27. That is awe-inspiring. I get emotional making a scrapbook! 5) Tell us about the creative force within you. What inspires you to write, to create? I think it’s knowing I am able to actually write a book. For years, I thought it would be impossible to do. I thought I didn’t have the imagination or know-how. And even when I began my first novel, Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, I wasn’t sure how I would fill up the pages. I knew the beginning and the end—they never changed. I didn’t outline that book and wrote it in sequence. 6) What’s your writing space like? My husband finished off a room behind the garage, and I was going to use it as a painting studio, but I decided to focus on writing instead. It’s out of the way and quiet. Besides my desk and chair, I share the room with some books, my computer and a sofa. 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 up pretty early, but I can’t seem to start writing until mid-morning. I usually must down a few cups of coffee before I can plan out what I’m going to write or research that day. 8) Time to talk about Islands Times Three (rubbing hands together). But first, how did you come up with the idea for the series? Are there any interesting tidbits you’d care to share with us? I didn’t intend for Island Times Three to be a series. I had planned to write a book of short stories, and a historical story about a detective who helps a famous woman on a remote island was one of them. After I started writing, it was clear the story would need to be expanded to book length. In the beginning, Raymond was a 50-year-old, out-of-shape detective. I knew the story’s main location would be Sanibel Island, and I was going to incorporate the mosquito-control events that occurred there in the early ‘50s. I was also going to include something about buried treasure on the island, as some of the historical books I read alluded to this possibility. But after I talked with a local historian at the Sanibel Public Library, she convinced me no buried treasure existed, and I abandoned that plot line. I did, however, keep the plot historical as it takes place in April 1952.  9) Now let’s hear about Island Times Three. Raymond Gray is a Manhattan private investigator. He was a cop and detective for several years, and he owns a small agency near the East Village. He agrees to fly to Sanibel Island off Florida’s Gulf Coast to meet his newest client, Jane Girdlestone, who is staying with her daughter in a rented cottage. He learns his client is a famous Hollywood actress, and Raymond loses no time trying to find the blackmailer. The clues point to an elusive Cuban, but everyone is suspect, including Henry, the cottage’s caretaker. Raymond soon discovers the sparsely populated and remote island is the perfect backdrop to pull off a blackmail scheme—or worse! Wow! It sounds amazing! 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? Yes, I’m doing research for the next Raymond Gray novel in the series, with a working title of The Numbers Runner. 11) Is there anything else you’d like to share with us? I have two other books out, The Elanora and the Salt Mystery Study Guide for Teachers and Parents, and An Amazing Manatee* Journal. The Study Guide conforms to Florida Standards. Because the manatee is an important character in Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, I decided to create a journal showcasing this gentle creature. I checked these out! I will be introducing Elanora and the Salt Mystery to my grandchildren! Links are below! Kathleen, congratulations on your new release! Thank you for sharing your time and talent with us. Thank you for this opportunity, Anastasia! And now, Islands Times Three!  His job was to protect her. The island had other ideas. What’s a Sanibel? From the time he accepted the job from a woman vacationing on the remote island of Sanibel off the coast of southwest Florida, Manhattan private investigator Raymond Gray should have known this would be no ordinary case. For starters, someone with knowledge of the woman’s secret must have followed her, and when the suspects begin to multiply, Raymond must turn to his trusted secretary to provide essential information to keep the woman and her teenage daughter safe. As the suspects and clues evolve, the goon at the center of his investigation remains a constant, but the puzzling addition of a mysterious woman throws the case in a new direction. As Raymond struggles with the possibility that simple blackmail could turn into something even more sinister, he realizes that the isolation that Sanibel Island brings is the one thing the goons depend on—and it’s the kind of setting that could ultimately sabotage his clients’ rescue. Island Times Three is at once a mystery novel and a historical narrative. The sparsely populated and isolated island of Sanibel in the middle of the 20th century is the heart of the story, and Island Times Three introduces readers to Raymond Gray, a Manhattan private investigator. This combination results in a gripping tale of blackmail and murder! Excerpt A figure suddenly emerged from the bushes, and in the darkness, Raymond made out the silhouette of a man holding a knife over his head. Jane blocked his line of sight as he withdrew his revolver, and the lack of light prevented him from getting a fix on the target. “Jane! Run!” Raymond yelled again, and he was glad she ran in the direction of Bailey’s, as that caused the attacker to run past him. They were running away from him now, but once again the attacker was situated directly behind Jane, and Raymond’s heart started to pound when he raised his revolver and realized he couldn’t get a clear shot. He raced toward them and fanned to the left. Christ! If only I had some light—any light! He could just make out the man was closing in on Jane, and Raymond could do nothing but keep running to close the distance between him and the attacker. Forty feet…thirty feet… The parking lot was suddenly as bright as day, and Raymond stopped, aimed his revolver and pulled the trigger. Available at Amazon.  About the Author Island Times Three is Kathleen Jae’s second novel. She has been writing in one form or another for almost twenty-five years. Her greatest success story is her daughter, Katie, whom she refers to as “my hero,” and their journey is chronicled in Kathleen’s first book, From Prompting to Shaping to Letting Go: My Love Affair With ABA and How Being a “Bad Mom” Helped My Daughter With Autism Succeed. In past lives, the author has been a proofreader, editor, newspaper reporter and columnist, newsletter writer for a wildlife organization and writer of stage plays and screenplays. Two of Kathleen’s short stories made it to the finals of the 2017 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Award competition. Her first novel, Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, was a 2021 Page Turner Awards finalist. Books by Kathleen Jae: Island Times Three Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery Study Guide for Teachers and Parents An Amazing Manatee* Journal From Prompting to Shaping to Letting Go: My Love Affair with ABA and How Being a “Bad Mom” Helped My Daughter with Autism Succeed  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  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! |
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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