The Duke of Thanksgiving

Though my blog day is Friday, I always write it the day before, which means I am actually writing this on Thanksgiving. I know the weather is bad in a lot of places, but it was like heaven here today. Usually the beach is cooler and often with some clouds, but the air was as gentle as it was in the San Fernando Valley.

The restaurant we go to is right on the water. I mean right on. The only thing between the waves coming in and our window was a pile of rocks. We have been eating at this same location for thirty years through it has been different restaurants. Once, in the eighties I think, during a rough winter the waves came right through the restaurant which was called the Sea Lion at the time.

There was no chance of that today. The water was calm. It was so clear we could see Catalina well enough to make out the ismus called Two Harbors. Duke’s, the restaurant where we had dinner, is really a Hawaiian restaurant named for the guy who is supposed to have invented surfing. His first name was Duke, or maybe it was just a nickname. His last name starts with a K and had lots and lots of vowels. Usuallly their menu is heavy on fish, but for today they had a buffet with their take on Thanksgiving foods. That means there was ginger in the cranberry sauce and the rice dish featured jasmine rice (my personal favorite). As I have said, I’m a vegetarian so I passed on the ham, turkey and prime rib, but the array of vegetables was great.

The food was delicious but really going there is about the view. I turned my chair around and just looked at the ocean and up and down the coast. The highlights were seeing a bunch of dolphins go by and watching the windows in farawau Palos Verdes reflect the setting sun and twinkle like jewels. A low flying hellicopter went by. I mean really low. It was a life guard helicopter and I thought maybe there were looking to rescue somebody, but my son said they were just being “cowboys “ out for a thrill. Lots of birds went by. Mostly I couldn’t make out what kind except for the pelicans. Two people standing on paddle boards moved past the window and we debated if it was a dog, a child or a monkey sitting on one of the boards along with the paddler The consensus was that it was a child. The sunset turned the sky over Santa Monica a soft pastel blue with pink clouds. The sun seemed to linger just below the water for a long time as the lights came on inside and I began to see more of my reflection in the window than the view outside.

And then finally we left the restaurant and walked out into the inky darkness. The ride home through the canyon was dark and mysterious. Just empty mountains for most of the way.

And now a brief respite before I join my son on a middle of the night trip to the mall. Not so much to buy anything as much as for the whole surreal nature of it. I’m always up for something surreal, which is why next month it will be going to see the Rose Parade floats in the middle of the night as they line up for their early morning trek.

Creating Abundance

“Abundance is about being rich, with or without money.”— Suze Orman

Happy Thanksgiving!

Depending on your perspective, the holidays can either be a joyful time shared with family and friends or a dismal demonstration of unrealized expectations. The choice is yours. Abundance is everywhere, if you choose to look for it.

On this day of feasting and family, I'd like to share with you some quotes, breath practices, and meditations that can help you find abundance in your own life.

"Whatever we are waiting for -- peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance -- it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”—Sarah Ban Breathnach

Breath Practice:

1. Lengthen your inhale and exhale, making them approximately equal.
2. Remain at that lengthened breath for several minutes. With each inhale, imagine abundance in all its forms entering your heart. With every exhale, imagine those same qualities flowing through your body and taking root in every cell.
3. After several minutes, return your breath to a normal rhythm. Carry the energy of this breath practice to meditation.

Meditation Question: How can I invite abundance into my life, regardless of my material wealth?

“The universe operates through dynamic exchange…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.”— Deepak Chopra

Breath Practice:

1. Lengthen your inhale and exhale, making them approximately equal.
2. After six breaths at that lengthened breath, add a two second pause after both the inhale and the exhale.
3. Remain at this breath for several minutes. With each inhale, imagine abundance in all its forms entering your heart. In the pause after inhale, imagine abundance completely filling you. With every exhale, offer abundance back to the world. In the pause after exhale, imagine abundance both within and around you.
4. After several minutes, release the pauses, but continue breathing with a lengthened inhale and exhale.
5. After several more breaths, return your breath to a normal rhythm. Carry the energy of this breath practice to meditation.

Meditation Question: How can I create abundance in the lives of those around me?

The prosperity hens pictured above symbolize prosperity in Indian culture, because any family fortunate enough to own a hen has a continual source of nourishment. Find your own symbol of abundance and keep it near as you get caught up in busy-ness of the holiday season.  Allow it to remind you of all that is truly important.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about her  yoga and dog-related mystery series, the Downward Dog Mysteries.

Thanksgiving 2014

It's that time of year again.  Already.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. 

I'm glad I'm not the only Killer Hobbyist to blog about that special annual event this year. It's a subject that's important to all of us.  It doesn't only signify that this year will soon end, but it's a wonderful event that we can spend with family and friends. 

I'm looking forward to it, as usual.  For me, it'll be a small but enjoyable event.  This year, my husband and younger son will be with me, and so will one of my neighbors.  Both my son and neighbor will be supplying some home-cooked dishes, so I'm mostly cooking a turkey and stuffing.  Nothing too strenuous on my part, but it'll be fun. 

I might even get some writing in before we eat.   If my dogs let me.  I'm sure the aroma of turkey cooking in the oven will drive them even more nuts, ensuring they demand going out and getting treats every few minutes.  Of course they do that even when I'm not cooking. 

I've lots to be thankful for this year.  I've had four books published in 2014: my Pet Rescue Mystery TEACUP TURBULENCE, two Harlequin Nocturnes UNTAMED WOLF and UNDERCOVER WOLF, plus my first Superstition Mystery LOST UNDER A LADDER.  Not sure how many there will be in 2015, but I've got seven deadlines looming in the next couple of years and I anticipate at least two 2015 releases. 

Even better, I anticipate some fun get-togethers with family starting in late December, with a pending visit from my grandsons and their parents early in the new year. 

As always, I hope you and your family--human and furry family members--have a wonderful holiday.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Some Shining Cherub's Wing

Epitaph of a Mason, Dr. George Farrington, who died in 1816, age 47:
Here lies beneath this monument
The dear remains of one who spent
His days and years in doing good,
Gave ease to those opress’d with pain,
Restor’d the sick to Health again
And purified their wasting blood.
He was respected while on Earth
By all who knew his real worth,
In practice and superior skill.
The means he used were truly blest
His wondrous cures will well attest.
Who can his vacant mansion fill,
Bourne on some shining cherub’s wing
To his Grand Master, God & King
To the Grand Lodge in Heaven above
Where angels smile to see him join
His brethren in that Lodge Divine
Where all is Harmony and Love.

Driving home from an all-day writers’ group meeting I heard an ad on the radio for a liquor that sounded great: RumChata.  It’s a cream liquor, like Bailey’s.  Now I like Bailey’s, and my husband likes hot buttered rum, and this sounded like the best of both.  So I stopped at a local liquor store and, once I recovered my breath at the price (we drink mostly beer), bought a bottle.  We each had a sample, over ice.  And we both agree, it is absolutely delicious!  So now we have our Christmas tipple, and have solved a couple of difficult present dilemmas as well.

Speaking of writers groups, I want to say again, they can be manuscripts’ best friends.  I read a new synopsis at my group this past Saturday and they had some really excellent suggestions for a polish it badly needs.  We also gave a prospective new member a tryout.  Fortunately, we like her and she likes us.

Thanksgiving is upon us.  We’re hosting a dinner with five friends – it was to be six, but one had to back out, so there will be seven of us.  I’ve been to some gatherings that were much larger, and they’re fun and exciting, but now I’m more comfortable with a number like eight or maybe ten.  I’m going to try something new in roasting the turkey: spatchcocking.  (Isn’t that a cool word?)  What it means is that I’ll get someone in my grocery store meat department to cut the spine out of the bird so he will open like a book and lie breast up in a big pan.  I will press down hard on the breast bone to break it so he lies even flatter, but I won’t (like some chefs do) dismember him.  The reason for this harsh treatment is to shorten the roasting time to something like 90 minutes.

Whatever your plans are, may they come to brilliant fruition!

Thanksgiving 2014

It’s less than a week to Thanksgiving. The days are short and though it doesn’t seem so here, winter seems to have made an early appearance in a lot of the country.

Thanksgiving is always an interesting holiday for my family since I am a vegetarian and they aren’t. To keep everyone happy we go out to dinner. For the past few years it has become our tradition to go to a restaurant at the beach. They have a buffet with turkey, fish and prime rib to please the rest of my family and rice, potatoes, vegetables, and salad for me.

It is less about the food anyway. Us being together and gazing out at the Pacific at sunset is more the point. It isn’t that we don’t spend time together. Right now we are all working together. Not my writing, that I do alone. We are in the midst of a new venture with all the tension that goes with the beginnings of something.

On the upside, I am learning how to use new software. I am learning to make friends with Word, even though I still use WordPerfect for my manuscripts. It is a whole new world out there. No more getting copies made - now it’s printing from a digital file. And just because I have Word and Staples has Word, doesn’t mean that a file will appear the same. Finally I get the point of PDF.

I like the idea of doing something new. It’s all about growing, learning, and becoming instead of status quo and being. I like watching how at first something new is awkward and feels strange and then gradually it becomes familiar and then almost automatic.

I like rising to the occasion. Stepping out of my comfort zone. It is all a big adventure.

So what am I thankful for? Well, really so much. First and foremost is my family – that includes both humans and cats. I am grateful for all the people in my life now. I am thrilled that I wake up feeling good, wide awake and looking forward to the day ahead. I will never stop being grateful for my book deal with Berkley. Being able to write mysteries with yarn craft in them is like a super dream come true.

Personally, I don’t see the point of having only one day year to think about being thankful. Right along with celebrating, it belongs being an every day occurrence.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fitness, Yoga Style

Students often ask me if yoga is sufficient to develop overall fitness. Put more directly, if I practice yoga, can I cancel my gym membership?  I always cringe a little before answering. As a yoga studio owner, the answer that would benefit me most is an enthusiastic, unqualified yes.

Unfortunately, the true answer is probably not. Yoga is a valuable tool. It builds muscular strength, flexibility, and emotional wellness. It also develops an important component of fitness often overlooked in the West: respiratory fitness.

That seems like a lot, and it is. All of the above are necessary. But they are not the complete fitness picture. Western forms of exercise provide an important and missing piece: cardiovascular--also known as aerobic--fitness, which is an essential component of heart health.

Cardiovascular Fitness versus Respiratory Fitness

The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are separate yet closely related.

Respiratory Fitness (Pranayama, Asana, Respiratory Therapy)

• Increases the respiratory system’s ability to oxygenate cells
• Improves respiration rate, profusion rate and oxygen utilization at a cellular level

Asana and pranayama are excellent tools for impacting this--much better than Western aerobic exercises.

Cardiovascular Fitness (Jogging, Cycling, Zumba)

• Raises the pulse rate
• Strengthens the heart muscle and increases circulation

Yoga tools, including asana and pranayama, are not as well suited for this type of fitness as Western aerobic exercises.

Students often seem disappointed to learn this.  After all, the ancient yogis used yoga (almost exclusively) to develop health and mental wellbeing.  But those yogis lived in a different time, with completely different lifestyles. They lived very physical lives, practiced yoga, pranayama, and chant daily, and ate whole foods that were much less likely to cause heart disease than the overly-processed foods we consume now.

The typical American yogi, on the other hand is likely to work eight or more hours at her desk job, park as close as possible to yoga class, then go home to binge on potato chips while watching someone else chant on American Idol.  Heart disease is epidemic in our culture. Frankly, we’d be delusional to compare our lifestyles to those of yogis thousands of years ago.

All that said, yoga is an important part of mental and physical wellness.  I’d be the last one to minimize its benefits.  Just ask my grandmother who died of emphysema, my friends with asthma, or my clients with anxiety and depression.  Breathing is as important as life itself. In fact, breath is the essence of life.

Nonetheless, I still ride an exercise bike three times a week, and I wouldn't consider giving it up, in spite of my yoga practice.  I’ve never claimed that yoga is a panacea able to cure all ills—but it can do a lot.  Not just for the body, but also for the mind. I hope you’ll make it part of your wellness routine.


Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about her  yoga and dog-related mystery series, the Downward Dog Mysteries.

Bye, Bye, Bouchercon

In my blog last week I said I was back.  That was partly true.  I also mentioned that I was off to Bouchercon next.  So was I gone again?  Yes... and no. 

Again, as I mentioned, it was sort of in my backyard--Long Beach, California.  I did in fact take the L.A. Metro there but only once, the first day I attended.  That worked out fine, but since I had to change trains and they both were locals, it took 1-1/2 hours to get to Long Beach and another 1-1/2 hours to return that evening.  That was fine on Thursday since L.A. traffic would have taken me as long as that or even longer.  But I stayed overnight in a nearby hotel on Friday since I had a couple of parties to attend on Friday night and my panel on Saturday morning was at 8:30 AM.  Commuting didn't sound very feasible.   

I also decided to drive on Sunday, when traffic tends to be light.  It did in fact take me about half of the 1-1/2 hour commute time each way to get to and from Long Beach.  The conference panels started at 8:30 AM again so I didn't have to leave quite as early as if I'd taken the Metro, and I returned home sooner to start writing again after my second hiatus in a couple of weeks.   

My recap?  Loved it!  Got to see lots of writing and fan friends I seldom see as well as some locals.  My panel Must Love Dogs and Cats was tremendous fun, and we had a good turnout despite the early hour.   Got to sign lots of my books afterward, too. 

I also met with editors from my two mystery publishing houses, Midnight Ink and Berkley Prime Crime, as well as the Midnight Ink publicist.  I got to sign and give away galleys of my first upcoming Barkery and Biscuits Mystery BITE THE BISCUIT, which will be a May 2015 release.  Parties?  Yes!   And I even got to see my dogs during a couple of the event's evenings, when I didn't stay in Long Beach.  Oh, yes, I saw my younger son, too, upon my return one night.  He'd stayed with the dogs the prior night when I wasn't there. 

The panels I attended were fun, but I unfortunately missed one program that I'd been really hoping to see: the cadaver dog demo.  Sigh.  A friend sent me some photos, though, and I'll buy the narrative CD. 

Did I enjoy it?  Absolutely!  Will I go to next year's Bouchercon?  Unfortunately, probably not.  It's in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the opposite coast from me.  And since I'm already signed up for at least three conferences next year I suspect I'll be pretty much conferenced out by then. 

But maybe another one sometime in the future.  I'd look forward to it! 

How about you--do you attend conferences about books?  Which ones?

Deer Abbey

A slightly less felicitous Burma Shave rhyme:

Shaving brush
All wet
And hairy
I’ve passed you up
For sanitary
Burma Shave

Good news and bad news on the MRI:  There is nothing wrong with my brain, except I’m getting old.  And old isn’t fixable.  So halleluia – and durn.

Yesterday afternoon I went out to the Old Log Theater to watch a rehearsal of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and had a brief interview with the new owner of the place about the mechanics of auditions.  This was all in aid of the novel I’m preparing to write.  Funny - and great - how "I'm writing a novel" opens many doors!  It was interesting to watch, they fuss about things I would never have thought of, such as how to get off a crowded stage without brushing against a fellow thespian, and how others in a scene can encourage the audience to follow an actor’s movement or mood or action or speech.  This was a dress rehearsal, the play opens tonight.  After, they all sat down on the stage and brought out notebooks and the director went over every single scene, reading comments he had written down – amazingly picky comments, including lots of positive feedback and some suggestions to improve a speech or movement.  I was surprised at how much emphasis is placed on movement.  It has to seem spontaneous, but can’t be clumsy or confusing - or obviously calculated.  I learned a lot I can use in the book.

I have rejoined the Society for Creative Anachronism after many years.  It’s mostly because there is a plan getting underway by a local company to make a movie of my first published novel, Murder at the War – they’re going to use the title it was changed to when it came out in paperback: Knight Fall.  The novel is set at the SCA’s biggest annual event, The Great Pennsic War.  We want to film most of it at an actual War – but maybe not the Big One, but a smaller one that takes place in Wisconsin.  Pennsic (which takes place in Pennsylvania) has doubled in size since I wrote the book and the logistics could be very complex and difficult.  Meanwhile, I'm back to being Mistress Margaret of Shaftesbury, Abbess of Deer Abbey.  Nice!

Better Than Pills

It’s been one of those weeks. In addition to KNOT GUILTY coming out last week, my family’s business has taken a new direction and I am working with them. There was a lot of stress as we got things together to put on a seminar.

Once again it was crochet to the rescue. When I just needed to chill, I worked on the one skein of yarn I bought at the Vogue Live Knitting show a few weeks ago. It was a simple pattern which made it verge on meditation to work on. Better than pills or a glass of wine, it took the edge off and let me slip into a nice relaxed mode.

And the bonus at the end was I had a finished cowl!

I really like cowls. They interfere less than scarves. Scarves, like necklaces, swing forward when you bend. Cowls stay put, add some color and depending on the yarn, can add some warmth. And since they are smaller than scarves, they work up faster. It’s sort of win-win all the way around.

Ahimsa in Life--Lessons from the Tasha-Dog

Ahimsa—non-violence—is one of the most important concepts in yoga. In fact, the Yoga Sutras say it’s not just important; they say that ahimsa trumps all. In other words, when in doubt about what to do in any situation, act with ahimsa above all else. But ahimsa’s not as simple as choosing not to slug your neighbor when he annoys you. Ahimsa means non-harming at all levels: actions, communications, intentions—even thoughts.

I don’t always succeed, but I’ve tried to live this way since long before I took my first yoga class. One memorable incident happened around third or fourth grade. I tearfully convinced my grade school science teacher to cancel the planned grasshopper dissection so I could release the small, winged creatures back out into the field. I’m pretty sure the grasshoppers were happier about my success than the school groundskeeper.

Fast forward 30 years and enter one willful, stubborn, and impossible-to-potty-train puppy.



I fell in love with Tasha the moment I saw her, even though she was only three weeks old. I gushed as I told the breeder all of my plans for the “soon-to-be-mine” puppy. Holistic vets, positive dog trainers—I even asked if Tasha could be vegetarian. The breeder’s expression changed from interest, to concern, to outright disbelief.

When I finished, she said, “I can’t sell a puppy to you. You’re too nice to own a German shepherd. This dog will walk all over you, and you’ll return her to me, ruined.” I begged her to reconsider. She did, but only after handing me a list of requirements: specific training books, Western vets, and high-meat dog foods. Then she sent me home and told me to come back when I could prove my worthiness.

Five weeks later, I returned, carrying a dog crate and looking my toughest. I threw around terms like prong collars, leash pops, and human pack leaders. Convinced she’d converted me, she sold me my dog.

Unfortunately, Tasha never read those training books.

She was smart as a whip, but had no concept of bladder control. I followed all the rules in the books. I tethered her to me; I took her out every hour; I carefully watched for the circling and sniffing they promised would happen.

It never did.

Tasha was a trickster. Her favorite trick was to wait until I went to the bathroom. Then she’d immediately squat just out of reach and do the same. I’m not sure who spilled more urine on our bathroom floor—her as she squatted, or me as I tried to grab her.

I e-mailed the breeder and followed her advice. I threw toilet paper rolls at my puppy; I rattled coins in jars; I sternly scolded her each time she was “naughty.” My tactics weren't quite up there with shock collars, but they weren’t exactly ahimsa-like, either. The only thing that changed was Tasha. She had the same number of in-house accidents, but now she cringed, waiting to be punished, after each one.

This lasted a week; then I came to my senses. I tossed out the training books, stopped calling the breeder, and followed instead what I knew in my heart. Instead of punishing Tasha when she did wrong, I gushed with enthusiasm when she did right. The change was immediate. My puppy changed overnight from frightened and cringing to boisterous and happy. Perfecting her potty training took much longer, but I could live with that.

Over the years we’ve dealt with issues much more serious than soiled carpeting, but my training approach has stayed true. I treat Tasha with praise, love, and a complete lack of violence, in actions, words and vocal tone.

Tasha grew into a wonderful dog, but she wasn’t the only one changed. People noticed the shift in me, too. Since I’ve lived with my dog, people tell me I’m kinder; my interactions with others, more patient. Tasha taught me more about ahimsa than the sutras ever could.

Vets and trainers tell me that Tasha’s trust in me is impressive. Strangers walk by us, yelling at their own dogs while jerking their leashes. Then they stop and tell me they wish their dog was as well-behaved as mine. People even yell from the distance, “You two are so good together!” And they’re right. But only because I followed the yoga teachings instead of a well-meaning dog breeder.

My challenge to each of you is to examine your interactions with others—both human and animal. Notice your actions, communications, and thoughts. Try to act with more compassion—more ahimsa.

You may not change the behaviors of those around you, but you will definitely change yourself.

Namaste

Tracy Weber

Come visit Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, and check out Tracy Weber’s author page for information about her  yoga and dog-related mystery series, the Downward Dog Mysteries.

I'm Back!

Did you miss me?  Maybe not, since my latest trip took me away from home after my Wednesday blog post and here I am again.

This was a short but busy trip.  I started out in New York City, where I had a delightful meeting with my Harlequin editor.  The next day, I attended the Baron Mutual Funds shareholder meeting... and was delighted that the main surprise entertainer this year was Sir Paul McCartney! 

Then I headed south toward Virginia, where I attended the first Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival.  It was held jointly by the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, the Suffolk Public Library and the Suffolk Division of Tourism, and it was great fun!  About a dozen mystery authors were invited, mostly cozy writers.  We got to meet local readers, sign books, read from our books, and participate in a delightful panel.  This hopefully will turn into an annual event, and I'd love to go there again. 

I'm home now but not for long.  Next weekend is Bouchercon, but it's a lot closer--in Long Beach, this year.  In fact, I intend to take the L.A. Metro there for some of the conference's days.  There, I'll be on a panel called Must Love Cats and Dogs--appropriate, don't you think?  It's about putting pets into mysteries.  I also hope to meet with some of my editors there. 

Maybe I'll tell you more about it when I post at Killer Hobbies next week.

Tin-Pan Banging

Very famous and common epitaph from the 18th Century (I found it myself on an 18th Century gravestone in the Van Slyke family cemetery, a private cemetery adjacent to their farm in upstate New York, and it triggered a lifelong interest in epitaphs):

Behold O Man, as you pass by,
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, you soon must be,
Repent, prepare to follow me.

The origin of the epitaph dates back to Edward the Black Prince, son of King Edward III of England (1330 – 1376), who died before his father, leaving a young son to become King Richard II.  For a history of the epitaph, including several versions, go here: http://www.vastpublicindifference.com/2010/02/remember-me-as-you-pass-by.html

The MRI last Thursday was interesting – and noisy.  The machine they use now has a much bigger diameter, lessening the claustrophobic feeling of the earlier ones.  One other nice thing: they put a helmet on me to guide the rays of the thing, and it came equipped with periscope mirrors, so instead of staring at the blank rounded ceiling of the machine, I could look out past my raised knees to the technician behind a tinted window operating it.  I also got a big pair of earphones that played classical music at me, but which was constantly interrupted by a wide variety of thumping, brrrr-rupping, ding-brrrrr-ding-brrrring, fast rapping, tin-pan-banging and other noises that lasted from a few seconds to a couple of minutes.  The tech tried to warn me of each noise through the earphones but had her mouth too close to the microphone so most of what she said sounded like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons.  The procedure lasted about forty-five minutes.  The nurse had a clever way of helping me sit up when it was over: she stood beside the table and took my right hand with her right hand and had me grasp her right shoulder with my left hand.  Then she took a step back and voila! I was sitting up. 

I’m hoping to get the results this week.  I hope, if there is something wrong in my brain, it’s fixable.

Winter arrived with a bang Monday morning in Minneapolis.  A few inches of wet snow fell overnight, melting into slush on landing on the roads, where cars tramped it down and it froze, then it snowed some more, making driving very hazardous.  My drive home from my early morning water aerobics class, which usually takes fifteen or twenty minutes, took nearly an hour.  Later the snow turned to sleet, falling as tiny pebbles of ice, twickety-twickety on windows and car roof.  I was surprised that the big snow plows were not in evidence on my trip to or from the pool.  Normally, three flakes fall from the sky and they roar into action, scraping the roads’ surfaces and spewing ice and salt in all directions.  More snow fell overnight and they’re out with a vengeance this morning - and it's still snowing, but very lightly..

Happy Veterans’ Day!

Can It Be November Already?

Another Halloween is done. Our neighbors outdid themselves turning their front yard into a mini town of terror. I didn’t go down the street this year, so all I saw was what was still in the entrance to their yard the next morning – a giant shopping cart filled with naked baby dolls. The shopping cart was definitely a prop from some movie as they have a connection to one of the studios. The front yard had rows and rows of naked baby dolls hanging from a wire. I guess there theme this year was dead babies.

We had over 300 trick or treaters, all served up candy by me. Somehow my family all disappeared when the bell started ringing. There were some interesting costumes. A kid came as a bush. There was another with a big round Jack head like the TV commercials. A number of adults showed up in costume - with trick or treat bags. I guess you are never too hold to need some mini snickers bars.

I did my panel at the Agoura Hills library. I’ve come a long way since I first was on an author panel. I used to worry about my mind going blank when the moderator presented us with a question. Then I realized something by watching other what some authors who will go unnamed, did on panels. They didn’t worry about the question and just said what they wanted to say no matter what.

It’s kind of like what politicians do.

That was my plan this time. I don’t even remember what the question was now, but I talked about going to Writers’ Police Academy and the horrible murder photos a Fort Worth homicide detective showed me. I talked about the real situation with the crocheters and knitters. I thought I’d made it up that crocheters were the poor step sisters in the yarn world, but then I’d learned it was true. I mean, really, a yarn store that has to put a sign that says “Crochet Friendly” in their window?

I will admit I do still get nervous, but not very. The Agoura Hills event was particularly nice for me as there were actual fans of my books who came.

After a few chilly days, it seems like summer has come back. It is easy to forget that it is November. Another year gone whirling by.

And how was your week?

Killer Readings

Hi all! Today's blog will be a short one and in honor of fellow Midnight Inker and friend, Nina Milton, who recently launched her second book, Unraveled Visions.

Is this a great cover or what?

 

Check out this video of Nina reading from Unraveled Visions at Foyles Bookshop in Quaker's Friars, Bristol. If you are interested in the book but don't live on that side of the pond, no worries. The book is available through bookstores across the US, and of course, on Amazon.

I present to you a  video of Nina Milton! http://youtu.be/DFbAy4hdAAA

 

Until next week...

Tracy Weber

 

 

Pretend It's Tuesday

An early Burma Shave sign (1932):

From New York Town
To Pumpkin Holler
It’s half a pound
For half a dollar
Burma Shave

Here it is Wednesday and I didn’t post an entry on Tuesday – got the days of the week mixed up, I guess.  Tuesday I had to be at my post at Precinct 12 as an election judge at 6 am, and didn’t get home until after nine pm.  I was exhausted and so didn’t get up to go to water aerobics this morning – which kind of threw off my clock or calendar or something.  I beg your pardon, both for missing my day and for posting on Wednesday evening.

So perhaps it isn’t surprising that tomorrow, Thursday, I am going to a clinic to have my head examined – literally.  I’ve been having lapses for some little while, one or two of them serious.  For example, I went to a lively musical both for pleasure and as research for the next Betsy mystery.  But when I woke up the next morning I could not remember anything about it for about fifteen or twenty minutes.  I knew we’d gone out to Excelsior, but not why.  For another example, I have been unable to complete a coherent plot outline for that same mystery novel.  I have an outline, sort of, but when I go to write it down, I mix up the characters and repeat scenes and point only to one suspect instead of two or three.  I’m still myself, I can drive and shop and stitch and cook and tell jokes and converse intelligently with no more than my usual having to pause and search for the right noun.

But I’m a little frightened.  Be thinking of me Thursday.

Launches of Fun

As I mentioned last week, my second physical launch party for my first Superstition Mystery LOST UNDER A LADDER was last weekend at the Flintridge Bookstore in La Canada Flintridge, California.  The first one had been at Mystery Ink in Huntington Beach.  I had a lot of fun at both parties!  Why?  Because even though I went with a program in mind, including a reading, I really enjoyed interaction with my audience members both times. 

 

At my second one, the crowd wasn't huge either, but nearly all the attendees were friends whom I knew from different situations and for different reasons.  Some were writing friends but not all of them.  Some I'd met only recently and others I'd known for a while. 

And because the group wasn't too large I had an enjoyable discussion with them about my book and its theme and characters, and we talked a lot about superstitions. 

Many of the attendees bought copies of LOST UNDER A LADDER, and I had the fun of signing them. 

Afterward, most of us adjourned to the coffee shop that's part of the store and indulged in--what else?--coffee, as well as some pastries.  I happily treated.  After all, it was my book launch. 

Do I have any more launch parties planned?  No, but I still have a lot going on in addition to writing, including Bouchercon, some other event and library appearances, and more. 

And it's all fun!