Mike Befeler's Blog, page 18

Reading Fiction or Non-fiction

Do you read fiction or non-fiction? I read both. Since I primarily write mystery novels, I read a lot of mysteries, but I also read many other fiction genres. I also enjoy non-fiction, particularly on a subject I’m trying to learn more about. I remember one author giving a cautionary note of not reading something very similar to what you’re writing at the time. This makes sense. My wife enjoys going to My Little Library book boxes in our neighborhood, so she’s always trading in and bringing interesting books to read. I also belong to three book clubs and read numerous good books I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. Finally, my best source is recommendations from friends. All of this provides me with a wide source of reading material.

Attitude Check

I’ve continued to work on a positive attitude after my knee surgery in February. I’m in a holding pattern with my knee that contains temporary parts. The orthopedic surgeon took fluid out of my knee to be tested to determine if the infection is gone. The results will be back in early June. If the infection is gone, I will have surgery in August to get permanent parts put in. I’d like to get this all over with but will have to be patient. On the positive side, I’ve done five book talks and signings in the last month: two non-profit fund raisers, two bookstores and a Rotary Club. I’m scheduled for a library presentation next month. I’m fortunate that it’s my left knee so I can drive.

Positive Sports Tradition

Our second son works in the children’s hospital that overlooks the football stadium for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. He told us about the tradition of “the wave” from the stadium. This is performed at the end of the first quarter, so my wife and I like to watch the end of the first quarter for Iowa home games. This tradition started in 2017. Initially, the Iowa team waved to the top floor of the children’s hospital where large windows allowed patients to gather to watch. As the tradition expanded, opposing teams and fans joined in to wave to the hospitalized kids. One source stated that the idea was born on social media: an Iowa fan suggested that the team should think of something to cheer up the children in the hospital. This is the most positive tradition in football and a joy to watch.

Watch Out When You Can’t Hear the Crickets

When we lived in Boulder, CO, there were times of the year when the crickets were noisy at night. When this kept me awake, I would try different sleeping position. On my back or right side of my head against the pillow they were loud. Then I tried putting the left side of my head against the pillow. The result: the cricket noise disappeared. This wasn’t some miracle. I found out during a hearing exam that I have a deaf zone in my hearing. It turns out this is the frequency of the crickets so the chirping was in the lost part of my hearing.

A Favorite Story

Here’s one of my favorite stories, The Tinderbox: two Native American braves were chosen to compete to be the next chief. The challenge was to be the first to arrive at the top of the Sacred Mountain at night and light a fire. They were each given an ember in a tinderbox to carry with them. They set off and halfway up the mountain the first brave encountered an old man, shivering in the cold. The old man asked the brave to let him use the ember in the tinderbox to relight his fire. The brave replied, “I don’t have time. I must reach the top of the mountain and start a fire there to become the new chief.” He left the old man. Soon after, the second brave encountered the old man and was asked to borrow the ember from his tinderbox. This brave wanted to win the competition but realized he couldn’t leave the old man to die of cold. He took the ember out of the tinderbox and used it to relight the old man’s fire. Once the fire was going, he took an ember out of the fire and placed it in his tinderbox. He realized he was behind in the competition but continued onward. Down below, all the people watched to see when a fire would appear on the top of the mountain. Finally, a fire appeared. It was set by the second brave. When the first brave reached the top of the mountain, his ember had burned out. The second brave still had a live ember from replenishing the old man’s fire. 

My Baby Has Escaped into the World

As of April 27, my latest mystery novel, Old Detectives Home, has officially been released. It’s been said that a writer has to love what he’s writing if he expects readers to love it. Once I got the idea for this novel, I had a wonderful time researching, creating quirky characters, writing a rough draft and then tuning it through numerous editing cycles.

It can be purchased in print or e-book editions:

Print:  https://amzn.to/3wWYo14

e-book https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WZ5H6S5 

I’ll be giving a presentation and signing at the following bookstores in Southern California:

Mystery Ink Bookstore 7552 Warner #101, Huntington Beach, CA, on Sat., May 7, at 1 PM.

Book Carnival 348 S. Tustin, Orange, CA, on Sun. May 15 at 2 PM

 

I’m also available to give presentations to book groups, libraries and service organizations via Zoom or in-person. Mikebef@aol.com

Omnipodge

My upcoming trilogy is set in a fictional town called Omnipodge on the coast of California below Monterrey. There is a new cast of characters in each book, but what ties them together is the place of Omnipodge. You’ll find a few crossover references to characters that appear in more than one of the books in the trilogy. You can think of Omnipodge as a state of mind, with mysteries to solve in each book. The first book in the trilogy, Old Detectives Home, will be released Wed. April 27. In the second book that will be published next April, The Last Gasp Motel, I transport a description of a Colorado town to California. That’s the beauty of fiction writing. I focus on interesting and quirky characters and plots that can keep the reader guessing.

Publishing Plans

I have a three-book contract with Encircle Publications for my Omnipodge trilogy. Here’s the schedule: Old Detectives Home to be published April 27, 2022; The Last Gasp Motel April 2023; and A Mystery Yarn April 2024. I also have a number of completed manuscripts that I will plan to get published. From the time I retired in 2007 until 2015 when we moved to Lakewood, CA, I had a very productive period, writing every morning (except when doing family activities). My wife is a night person and I’m a morning person, so I had each morning to write. Since 2015 I have only written one new book that I self-published in 2020, Coronavirus Daze. From our move until now I have focused on tuning some of my unpublished manuscripts. Currently, I’m working on a non-fiction book. More to come on this as it progresses.

The Importance of a Positive Attitude

I've learned in dealing with adversity that I have 4 alternatives: I can change my situation, change my attitude, suffer, or get out. As I'm recuperating from my third surgery on my left knee with one more surgery to go this summer, I've been testing these four alternatives. I'm not going to suffer; if it gets too bad I have pain meds. I'm not going to get out through suicide. But here are two small examples of changing the situation and changing my attitude.

Change the situation: I kept knocking things off my nightstand or misplacing them. Simple solution: I reorganized my nightstand and put some items in the drawer below.

 

Change attitude: when I first came home from the hospital my attitude was I HAVE TO brush my teeth and shave. Now my attitude is I GET TO brush my teeth so my mouth will feel fresh and I GET TO shave so I won't have a scratchy face. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’ve learned a positive attitude is key when dealing with adversity.

 

Getting Close to Publication Date

The first book in my Omnipodge Trilogy, Old Detectives Home will be released April 24. It’s always exciting to go through the launch of a new book. It’s now available for pre-order from Amazon:  

Old Detectives Home: An Omnipodge Mystery (Omnipodge Trilogy): Befeler, Mike: 9781645993438: Amazon.com: Books

Here’s a short preview: Imagine a retirement home populated with residents such as an aging Hercule Poirot and a dementia-suffering Sherlock Holmes and run by staff including Art Doyle, Dash Hammett and Dot Sayers. In this light-hearted spoof of the mystery genre, every character is either a namesake of a person from the mystery writing world or a character from a mystery novel. On anything but a dark and stormy night, a dead body is found. The staff managers find themselves unable to control the unruly old detectives. Mix in clues and red herrings galore as the cast of suspects investigate each other. Hold on to your rockers as the top detectives of all time reunite at Old Detectives Home to solve their most difficult whodunit—but first without killing each other.