Amy Corwin's Blog, page 8

Catching up and JASNA

Got back from the Malice Domestic conference where I had a great time rubbing shoulders with all kinds of truly wonderful mystery writers, and I've spent the last few weeks just trying to catch up! There's always so much going on in the spring.

In fact, I don't think I'm the only one behind. The farmer planted the field in front of us with oats but hasn't harvested yet, and we noticed that one of the storms we had earlier in the week knocked most of it down. :( But maybe he was just going to plow it under? Or forgot.

However, the birds seems happy with it, particularly the Blue Grosbeaks.

And just last night we picked some of the first plums of the season from the trees in our back yard! Hard to believe. The crop isn't huge this year, but it's tasty as ever and I think I might look up a recipe for Plum Kuchen as a treat for my husband. I've been spending a lot of time in the garden, trying to get it in order (without much success). Gardening here consists more of killing things than planting--we're totally overrun with smilax, poison ivy, Virginia creeper, horse feather, dog fennel and other garden thugs who think they can take over the place. Unfortunately, they are often right, and they do. So I've got my normal spring crop of poison-ivy rash but I haven't given up the fight.

On June 9, 2012, I'll be heading back up to Maryland for the Jane Austen Book Fair! I can't wait. I'll be bringing along a selection of my own books, but I'm really looking forward to grabbing up a few books by the other authors there.


Here's a bit about the book fair:


Author Readings and Book Sale to Celebrate Jane Austen
AT BOOK FAIRBETHESDA, MD – Seven authors of modern works inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novels will read, discuss, and sign their books at a Book Fair sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) - DC Metropolitan Region, on June 9.  Five of the authors are from DC/MD/VA.Highlighted works of nonfiction include Jane Austen:  A Life Revealed, by award-winning biographer Catherine Reef; The Jane Austen Guide to Life:  Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman, by Lori Smith; and The Jane Austen Handbook:  A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World, by Margaret C. Sullivan.  On the fiction side, the authors’ styles and settings are diverse:  Ava Farmer’s Second Impressions continues Austen’s plots and uses her language; Amy Corwin’s A Rose Before Dying combines mystery and romance in a Regency setting; Janet Mullany’s Jane Austen: Blood Persuasiontakes a paranormal turn, and Diana Peterfreund’s For Darkness Shows the Stars sets an Austen plot in a postapocalyptic future. 
Immediately following the author discussions, the used book sale will open, offering biographies, literary criticism, collectible editions of Austen’s novels, and British history, culture, and travel books, as well as fiction by Austen’s contemporaries and modern authors writing in the Austen spirit. 
The Book Fair is free and open to the public.  It will take place on Saturday, June 9, from 1 to 4 pm at Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD.  (This activity is not sponsored by, associated with, or endorsed by Montgomery County Public Schools or Montgomery County Government.)  Information is available online at www.jasna-dc.org or by calling (301) 926-3117. 
JASNA is dedicated to the appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing.  JASNA is a nonprofit organization, with approximately 4,000 members (more than 350 in DC/MD/VA), of all ages and from diverse walks of life.  The local chapter sponsors lectures, tours, discussions, and social events throughout the year.  The national website is www.jasna.org.Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

Escaping Notice is FREE!

For April 20 and 21 only, Escaping Notice, a Regency romantic mystery, is free! This is the fourth book in the Archer family series, but never fear, you don't need to read them in any particular order and they all contain the adventure, romance and lighthearted fun, along with a murder or two that you've grown to love. In fact, I may have to dream up a few more long-lost relatives and write a few more books for this series--I never expected it to be this popular. I guess everyone likes a laugh or two.

So what's this one about? Here's a brief blurb and excerpt. I hope you enjoy it.

Blurb

The murderer made his first mistake when he tried to kill Hugh Castle, the Earl of Monnow. His second mistake was killing Hugh's younger brother, instead. 
Wrestling with grief, Hugh is determined to discover why he was the target and get justice for his brother's death. When everyone assumes he drowned along with his brother when their sabotaged boat foundered, Hugh fosters that belief to trick the elusive killer into revealing himself.

But Hugh doesn’t count on running into two others also desperate to escape notice by assuming false identities. Helen Archer lost the fabled Peckham necklace at a ball given at Ormsby and risks censure and shame if she doesn’t find it. Young Edward Brown only wants to escape his unpleasant guardians and go to sea like his hero, Admiral Nelson. When the three meet, Helen and Hugh discover they are both going to Ormsby and hatch the perfect plan. By masquerading as servants, they can gain access to Hugh’s grand house and accomplish their missions in secret.



However, Edward objects for purely practical reasons. He wants to go to sea, not to Ormsby, and he definitely doesn’t want to spend his days polishing boots as a pretend servant. But the young boy's objections are overruled.
The adventure begins.
Excerpt
In this scene, Helen, Hugh, and Edward have been accepted into the household as new servants. Hugh and Knighton Gaunt, an inquiry agent Hugh hired to help him investigate, are breaking the news to Hugh's aunt that the earl's boat sank with Lionel and presumably the earl on board. Hugh is still hoping he was wrong and that Lionel somehow survived, but in his heart, he knows his brother perished at sea.
Unseen by the others, Helen entered the hallway. She stood hesitantly a few feet away from the tense cluster. As if sensing him, she looked in Hugh’s direction. When he caught her eye, he shook his head. She transferred her gaze to the floor.
Symes was the first to notice her. “You there,” he said. “Did you bring Miss Leigh’s brandy?”
“Yes, sir.” She held out a small glass filled with amber liquid.
“She’s had a terrible shock.” He waved her forward.
She handed the glass to Miss Leigh, who grabbed it and swallowed the contents in one gulp, causing her to go into a paroxysm of coughing. Helen eased the small glass from her hand and put an arm around Miss Leigh’s thin shoulders.
“May I help you upstairs? You should lie down.” Helen’s puzzled gaze flew first to Mr. Symes and then Mr. Gaunt, but both ignored her. “Come, Miss Leigh, you should lie down.”
Face red and damp from coughing, Miss Leigh leaned on Helen’s arm, and allowed herself to be led away.
When Gaunt placed his hat on his head in preparation to leave, Hugh slid quietly through the library and out of the French doors into the garden. He headed towards the front drive, hoping to cut Gaunt off before he departed. Halfway around, he met his quarry. Hugh waved and led him off towards a small copse of trees where they could not be seen from the house.
“What have you discovered?” Hugh asked, turning abruptly as he rounded the bole of a large oak.
“It’s early, yet,” Gaunt remarked. “They have collected the debris from the Twilight, however. And the constabulary of Burnham-on-Sea has instituted an investigation.”
“Any sign of Lionel?”
“Not yet. I’m sorry.”
Hugh ran a hand through his hair, glancing once over his shoulder in the direction of Ormsby. “Why did you not warn my aunt that Lionel is most likely dead? She may not see it as a kindness when she finds out.”
“You’ve presented me with a bit of a problem, my lord. According to your story, you were the only one who knew your brother went out with you on the Twilight. It would be impossible for me to know, or tell anyone, that Lionel is most likely drowned. Without his remains, how would I know unless you had told me?”
“Yes, but damn it, when she does discover it —”
“I’m sorry. However, there is no easy way to do this; no way to spare her feelings  ̶ or those of anyone else.”
“There is no sign, then, of Lionel?”
“No. As I mentioned, it’s possible that he survived —”
“No,” Hugh said, feeling the waves battering him, tearing him away from the foundering boat and his brother. The unbearable, unforgiveable lightness when he had lost his grip on Lionel. “No. I realize there is no proof, but he could not have survived. Eventually, we’ll have to reveal that Lionel is dead.”


Thanks and enjoy!Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

Jack Russells, or is that Jane Russells?

Folks may wonder why I’ve been a tad quiet lately, but it’s because we have a new member of the family: a Jack Russell Terrier named Miss Daisy May. Or a Jane Russell, as my husband says. We adopted her from a friend of my husband’s who did not want her anymore. She’s a year old and had been boarded in a kennel.
We’ve had her for a week now.
Why am I telling you this? Well, you see, we’d been warned against Jack Russells, just like we were warned about adopting one of our other “children,” a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Molly.
Prior to this, we’d only had labs (and chows and other strays) and as everyone knows, labs are “easy.”
How did this all come about?
Well, my husband decided he wanted to give me a Jack Russell for Christmas, but when the breeder heard that we also had two cats, he refused to give my husband a dog. So, we figured it was just one of those ideas that would never take root. You see, we have a bad habit of adopting strays and right now, our menagerie consists of:
A chocolate Labrador Retriever named Rowdy—the result of an accident with a chocolate lab female one of our friends owned. Rowdy is 128 lbs and a totally loveable giant.
A Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Molly—a big girl at 90 lbs and s sweet as can be and absurdly smart, although she freaks outif you say, “No!”
An orange cat named Psycho—a male, stray cat who is totally psycho. He has absolutely NO sense of self preservation and we found him on our porch one day, sleeping while the dogs barked like crazy at him. Nuts. Completely.
A tortoise-shell cat named Cricket—a female stray who decided to live with us despite the fact that she totally hates all dogs. She tolerates Rowdy, though. Every critter on earth loves Rowdy. I’ve had serious concerns at times that someone would “walk off” with him just because he’s just so cool about everything.
Enter…Miss Daisy May. Yes, despite the breeder’s warning, my husband’s friend decided he wanted to get rid of her (he’d inexplicably called her Stripe, which reminded me of that evil Gremlin so we renamed her). We brought her home a week ago.
Here’s how it went.1st hour: The cats freaked and disappeared upstairs. Molly hated her. Rowdy fell in love with her initially, but soon cooled. I imagine his internal thoughts went:“Wow! Cool! A sweet, nubile female…wait. What is this? Where’s the rest of her? Okay, maybe she’s not really my dream come true. Okay. Whatever. I’m over it.”
But Miss Daisy May took one look at Rowdy and her internal thoughts must have been something like: “Wow! Cool! Tall, dark and handsome! I love you!” She proceeded to curl up in his bed, next to him. She slept with him the first night. She continues to adore him, despite his general attitude that She Does Not Exist.
Miss Daisy May also learned how to open the front door and come inside. The other dogs generally come in through the back door because their combined weight can pop open the door unless it is locked. They then gallop through the house and out the front door. Miss Daisy May is the first one to figure out how to get back inside from the front door.
Day Two: Psycho decided he’d had enough hiding. He sniffed at Daisy. Daisy sniffed at him and wanted to play, but Psycho is too old and didn’t appreciate it so he abandoned the idea and hid again.
Interesting note: Miss Daisy May seems to be housebroken, even though the owner told us she was not. At least she goes outside and we’ve seen no evidence of going inside.She and Molly have made friends and spent an hour chasing each other around the front yard.
Also, after taking the pack for our twice-daily walk, Miss Daisy May has decided she’s a retriever because she goes right into the pond along with the other dogs. Oh, and we’ve discovered she’ll actually retrieve. Cool.
I’m teaching her to sit.
Day Three: the cats have come out of hiding, realizing that Miss Daisy May isn’t going to up and die the way Cricket wants her to. Cricket hates her, but then Cricket hates all dogs. Psycho is willing to play for a few seconds before he has enough and abandons playtime for a quiet nap. Psycho is back to sleeping on my lap and is willing to share it with Miss Daisy May. There’s still a bit of sibling rivalry, but since they both end up asleep, it’s working out.
Miss Daisy May is getting better about sitting, and we’re enjoying playing fetch with her.
At the start of another week: We can say that as usual, despite conventional wisdom, things have worked out. We have cats and dogs living together. We love them all. They more or less get along.
How do we do it?
I admit, we’re lucky. We have 20 acres, 17 of which are wooded/swamp. We have a pond and 1 acre fenced for the dogs. We walk the dogs twice a day about a mile (it’s a mile round trip to the mailbox) and we’re good about exhausting the dogs.
The key really is exhausting the animals before they come inside.
The biggest enemy is boredom so when the animals get antsy, we toss them outside. They have an acre fenced in to mess around in, and when it's hot, we leave the back gate open so they can go to the pond.
A week after adopting Miss Daisy May, she’s settled in beautifully. She is giving Miss Molly much needed exercise and acting as a heating pad for Mr. Rowdy’s old bones. Psycho is asleep on my lap right now, with Miss Daisy May at my side as I write this. Once again, we’ve flouted the conventional wisdom that you can’t have Jack Russell dogs and cats. But then, our Jack Russell also swims and retrieves, and I intend to teach her some tricks.
It’s quite a menagerie, but a happy one.Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

Free for Two Days: The Vital Principle

To celebrate the release of my latest Regency romantic mystery featuring the irrepressible Archer family, Escaping Notice , my book The Vital Principle is free for two days on Amazon.com. I hope you'll pass the word and check it out! The Vital Principle has been a great flagship novel for me and continues to sell well.

Here's a brief blurb about The Vital Principle, along with a small excerpt.

The Vital Principle ASecond Sons Inquiry Agency MysteryOn sale for FREE from March 30-31, 2011
BackCover BlurbIn 1815, aninquiry agent, Mr. Knighton Gaunt, is asked by Lord Crowley to attend a séancewith the express purpose of revealing the spiritualist as a fraud. The séanceends abruptly, however, and during the turmoil, someone poisons Lord Crowley'sbrandy. Appalled that murder has been committed under his very nose, Gaunt isleft to investigate not only fraud, but murder. Suspicion turns first to thespiritualist, Miss Prudence Barnard, but as Gaunt digs deeper into the twistedhistory of the guests at Rosecrest, he discovers more deadly secrets.Inevitably, long-time friends turn against one another as the tension mountsand Gaunt is challenged to separate fact from fiction.

EXCERPT
In this scene, inquiryagent Knight Gaunt is questioning Miss Prudence Barnard, a spiritualist he washired to expose as a fraud. While he doesn't quite believe she murdered theirhost, he's not entirely sure she didn't, either, and she's not making it easyfor him.

"May came from the right, however. Past the dowager and LordCrowley."
"Question her, then."
"Rest assured, I will. And the others came around the table fromthat direction, as well." He glanced at her again, remembering the details."You assisted the dowager, didn't you?"
"I don't remember precisely, but I supposed I might have."
"She was standing a yard or so away from the table. And you stoodin front of her with your back to the table?"
Her expression tightened. "Then you do remember. Although I'm sure you believe I was close enough toLord Crowley to pour a few drops of Prussic acid into his brandy. That is whatyou're insinuating, isn't it?"
While her accusation was true, he couldn't actually picture herdoing that. He had closely observed her the previous evening, waiting for herto try some trick. If she had approached Crowley's snifter that closely, heought to remember it.
"If you wish to admit—"
"I do not."
He nodded. It would have been extremely difficult for her tocarry around a bottle of Prussic acid without either pockets or a reticule.
Of course, he intended to verify the lack of pockets or reticulewith Miss Barnard's maid and the other lady guests. One of them may havenoticed.
"If you'd just ask the dowager—" She stopped and then addedhastily, "But don't bother her now. She's not well. It's been very difficultwith first her husband dying and now her son…." She ended awkwardly and glancedaway, turning to focus on the sewing basket and magazine. Then her gaze flashedto his. He could see a sudden memory leap into her mind as her expressionchanged.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I was wrong." Her dark brows scrunched briefly. "I—"
"What?"
She shook her head.
"What did you remember? There's no point in holding back.Ultimately, I'll discover the truth."
This earned a small, tight smile. "You're frightfully conceited."
"Yes." A smile twisted his mouth. "Now what did you remember?"
"I—it's probably nothing."
"Will you stop equivocating? If it's something odd, I can assureyou there were enough people in the room to help confirm it. There's no pointin being coy."
"Is that what I'mbeing? Coy? How unusual." Shecertainly had a talent for sweetly stated sarcasm.
"I'll hold whatever you tell me in confidence. I'm reputed to bea reasonably fair man."
"As long as women aren't involved. And it conforms to your ideaof the truth."
"Undoubtedly." He held her gaze.
She flushed and pushed at the magazine on the table with herfingertips. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. You do rather have a reputation,however, for distrusting women. Although I'm sure you must have an excellentreason."
"I assure you, I don't dislike women."
"As long as they stay comfortably in their place? And aren'tcharlatans? We mustn't forget how important absolutehonesty is."
"As long as you answer my questions truthfully, I'm completelyimpartial."
ABrief BioAmy Corwin is acharter member of the Romance Writers of America and recently joined MysteryWriters of America. She has been writing for the last ten years and managing acareer as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry.  She writes Regencies/historicals, mysteries, andcontemporary paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murderand mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is ahighly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.Amy's booksinclude the two Regency romances, SMUGGLED ROSE, and LOVE, THE CRITIC; threeRegency romantic mysteries, I BID ONE AMERICAN, THE BRICKLAYER'S HELPER, andTHE NECKLACE; and her first paranormal, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR.
Join her anddiscover that every good mystery has a touch of romance.




Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

Escaping Notice has been Released!

Escaping Notice is out! Escaping Notice , aRegency romantic mystery in the Archer family series is now available.
First we had The Necklace , where Oriana Archer found the Peckham necklace, a family heirloomwith something a little extra, a curse. Anyone who wears the necklace isdoomed. And for a while, it seems that may be true as Oriana is almost hung formurder after she discovers the necklace.
Then came I Bid One American where Oriana's brother, Nathaniel, becomes the Duke of Peckham andthe curse seems to continue when he's accused of murder after the body of adebutante is found in his carriage.
The Bricklayer's Helper was the third story, featuring Sarah "Sam" Sanderson, anotherirrepressible member of the Archer clan, who was in hiding after the death ofher family until the killer realized she was alive.
Now, in Escaping Notice , Helen, Oriana's younger sister, has lost the cursed Peckhamnecklace again and goes in search of it in the company of Hugh Castle, the Earlof Monnow.Escaping Notice BlurbA frog in a teapot, alost necklace, and a sabotaged boat: incongruencies that lead an unlikely heroto investigate a chilling murder in Regency England.
Discarded by his betrothed with a parting sally that "beingan earl does not excuse being a bore," Hugh Castle, the Earl of Monnow, joinshis brother on a short cruise, hoping to forget. But a storm capsizes theirboat, and despite Hugh's desperate efforts, he can't save his brother's life.Then he finds evidence amongst the wreckage of sabotage and realizes he wasnever meant to return to dock. Someone intending to murder the earl killed hisyounger brother, instead. Angered beyond reason, Hugh travels to London toenlist the aid of the Second Sons Inquiry Agency in finding his brother'smurderer.
Helen Archer attended the Earl of Monnow's ball inexpectation of celebrating his betrothal, but the event seems destined fordisaster. She arrives late, the earl makes no announcement, and Helen managesto lose the fabled Peckham necklace her sister reluctantly loaned to her.Unwilling to admit her carelessness to her sister, Helen rashly decides toreturn to the earl's estate and retrieve it in secret.
When his aunt threatens to send him to his cruel uncle, theEarl of Monnow, Edward Leigh-Brown decides he's had enough. He's going to jointhe navy and follow in Lord Nelson's footsteps to become a military hero. Butfinding his way to London is a lot harder for a young boy than it seems, andhe's soon lost. When he bumps into Miss Helen Archer at an inn, he's more thanhappy to accept a ride in her carriage, even if she seems determined to escorthim to an inquiry agency to help locate the family he doesn't want located.When the three meet in London at Second Sons, Helenimpulsively decides to accompany Hugh to the earl's home, disguised as servantsto pursue their secret goals. Hugh hopes to uncover a killer, Helen hopes tofind her necklace, and Edward just hopes he can find the opportunity to escapeagain.
But an adventure none of them anticipated awaits them, andHugh must hurry to identify who wants him dead before their deception ends inthe death of another innocent.

I hope you will join the Archer family adventure as it swoops through Regency England with a chuckle and a toast to love eternal!* * * * *For those who enjoyed the blog on The New Death and Others, the fantasy noir by James Hutchings, you might be interested to know that it is FREE right now! So if you're curious and want a copy, be sure to check it out.* * * * *Happy Reading!AmyFiction Writing and Other Oddities

An interview with K.J. Dahlen, author of Bones

BonesBy K.J. DahlenInterviewWhy did you decide towrite?I love to read and one day I noticed all the books I wasreading ended the same way. I wanted something different and  I thought I could do it, so I picked up a penand began to write my own stories.
What is the bestthing (or worst) that has happened to you because of writing? I love seeing my books on a shelf. My books are in fivedifferent libraries and when I take another book in I love it when thelibrarians tell me the readers are waiting for the next book!
How much research doyou do?I really don't do a lot of research. After all, it's calledfiction for a reason. Most of my books are pure imagination. 
 What's your favoritemethod for researching? Most of the little research I do I do on theinternet. You can find anything there.
Do you have afavorite theme or message for your readers? I like to keep my readers on the edge of their seats,waiting to turn the next page. If I can do that then I feel I've done my job asa writer
When do youwrite/what is your writing day like?I turn my computer on as soon as my husband leaves for work.I have found my best writing time is early morning when my mind is fresh and Ihave nothing else to do.
What is the bestadvice someone has given you about writing? The worst advice?When I first thought about being a writer my husband told meto go for it. He encouraged me to try. That's the best thing anyone could say..At least try it
How do you approach anew book? Outlines? Just an idea?I usually outline my ideas  but the book may not stay in the outline. Mycharacters sometimes take the story off in their own direction.
How do you developyour characters?I make them as real as I can. I give them characteristicsthat everyday people would have. My characters have to be as real as I can makethem. I give them faults as well as values that we all have
Who are your favoriteauthors? Have any authors inspired you or influenced your work?I enjoy so many authors it's hard to pick just a few. Someof the authors I enjoy reading are friends of mine that are just now gettingnoticed as authors. McKensie S Hart is one, Bruce Sarte is another. Sandra K isanother.  I enjoy John Grisham, James Pattern,Janet Dailey, plus a whole lot more.
What makes a greatbook in your opinion?A book that takes me along with the story. If I can imaginemyself in the place of one of the characters in the book that's what makes agood story to me.
If a reader took awayone thing from your book(s), what would you like that to be?I want my readers to become part of my stories. I want themto feel the same tensions as my characters feel and at the end feel the samesatisfaction.
Do you have any tipsfor aspiring authors?Never give up on your dreams to become a writer. It may takea while to get to where you want to be but hang in there. I think a writer justhas to find the right place for their works.
Where do you seeyourself as an author in five years?Hopefully making money from my writing. I'd like to be thenext J.K. Rowlings JWishful thinking I know but it's a dream
Where do you see thepublishing industry going in the next few years and where do you see yourselfwithin this industry?I think everything will eventually go digital, which in myopinion will be a shame. I feel there is nothing better than holding an actualbook in your hand but now days most people want convenience.
Brief Bio Kim lives in a small town (population 495) in Wisconsin. Fromher deck she can see the Mississippi River on one side and the bluffs, whereeagles live and nest on the other side. She lives with her husband Dave and dogSammy. Her two children are grown and two grandchildren and for that fact shefeels blessed. She loves to watch people and that has helped her with herwriting. She loves to create characters and put them in a troubling situationand just sit back and let them do all the work. They surprise even her attimes. They take on a life of their own and the twists and turns become astory. She found she liked mystery/thrillers the best. She likes to keep herreaders guessing until the very end of the book.
Her next book coming out is in March 2012, titled Fall fromGrace. 
BLURB :Whena threat against America comes to the surface, retired  Homeland Securityagent Lincoln Hawks is brought back to help put down the threat. He findsthe group he's after is  the same group that murdered his wife and daughterfive  years ago. Can Lincoln stop The Ghost Crew before they destroy America?
Thisbook is being published by Bucks County Publishing. She is also published byRogue Phoeniz Press, Solstice,  andAvalon.  Email: kjdahlen1@yahoo.comWeb site: www.kjdahlen.comI am on facebook and twitter as kjdahlen
   Bones BlurbWhenhuman bones are discovered in a cave just outside of town, it's up to SheriffMax Reardon to find out who the bones belonged to. But someone in town doesn'twant the bones identified and they go to great lengths to try and stop Max'sinvestigation.
They break into Max's house and try and destroy the evidence and when thatdoesn't work they frame Max for murder. Can Max clear his name and bring themurderer or murderers to justice?
ExcerptThe boys said the opening was straight up from the dam belowand a little left of the big oak tree. What they failed to tell him was whichbig oak tree. The whole hill was littered with oak trees right up to the baseof the cliff.
It had taken him the better part of an hour to find theopening. There had been a lot of hillside to search. The boys had told him theyleft an old t-shirt to mark the opening, but Max hadn't found the t-shirt. Somesmall animal or the wind must have carried it away. He hoped he had the rightentrance this time.
He'd found a couple of other openings in the rock face thathad led him nowhere. This opening appeared to be the one the boys haddescribed. According to the boys, this small cave led to a cavern with thetreasure. Max hoped it led somewhere.
His hands and face were scratched up from pushing bramblesand brush out of his way. The thought had also occurred to him that the seldomvisited, rocky part of the side of a cliff just a little ways north of the townMax was sheriff of, might be just the spot to run into a snoozing wolf or worseyet a rattlesnake. He heard something scramble out of his way a couple oftimes, but he hadn't heard the symbolic rattle of the snake so whatever remainedhidden from his sight wasn't a snake. He'd tried to make enough noise to wardoff unexpected company and hoped he hadn't sounded like a complete idiot in theprocess. If anyone had spotted him, they would have thought he was drunk in themiddle of the morning and that would never do for a sheriff.
The flashlight he held in his hand did little to penetratethe utter darkness that surrounded him. The cave walls and floor were slimywith what Max didn't even want to hazard a guess and it smelled even worse. Itsmelled like something crawled in this narrow opening and died. The boys whofound the cave might think this little venture was "neat", but Maxdidn't. He'd lost his sense of adventure for little games like this a long timeago. He couldn't believe he was here now.
The boys had been in this cave a couple of days before andhad found what they thought was an Indian burial place. They had been reluctantat first to tell anyone of their find but eventually told their dads. As aresult, Richard Crabtree had brought his son, Timmy, to see him. Max could tellthat Timmy hadn't wanted to tell anyone about his secret place and Max hadn'tbeen all that interested in the boy's tale. Most of it was just the imaginationof a ten year old. It wasn't until Timmy mentioned the skeletons that Maxbecame interested.
Max knew enough about the local tribes in Wisconsin to knowthey didn't bury their dead above ground in forgotten caves. The boys told himthat they hadn't seen or found any other Indian artifacts and Timmy waspositive someone else had robbed the cave of all its treasure. As sheriff, Maxfelt bound to check out their story. If there were skeletons in there, he hadto find out why. * * * * *GiveawayKim will be giving away a $10 Amazon gift certificate, plus a chance to work with her on developing an idea for a new book, if you leave a comment. So be sure to follow the tour and leave comments. You can find dates for all of her tour stops at:http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/01/virtual-book-tour-bones-by-kj-dahlen.html.  

Enjoy!
P.S. I have to say that I really love the cover for Kim's book, Bones.
  

Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

The Philip Dolly Affair

CollegeLeadership Crisis: The Philip Dolly Affair
By JannM. Contento & Jeffrey Ross (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2011)
An interview with the authors, Jann Contento and Jeffrey Ross
What made you wantto write about college life? Jeff:  Wehave always been intrigued by community college work life and the Campus Novel genre.We were aware very little community college fiction exists. We have writtenseveral academic articles about certain "challenging" community college issues.At some point, we decided that fiction, comic fiction, might be a better way toarticulate our "contrarian" views about the community college experience.
How much researchdo you do?  Jeff:  Jann did an extensive amount of research onthe middle section—which deals with Argentine political intrigue of the 1960's.He really wanted to get our novel's "shadow world" done correctly—and it showsin the finished product.
What was the mostinteresting thing you discovered when you were doing your research? Jann:  The mid-20th century academic,political, and Cold War ideologies dramatically reinforced the obviousintellectual contrast observed in current American community college culture.Research efforts also exposed a variety of themes which conveniently addedconversational dynamics to our characters.   
What's yourfavorite method for researching? Jann:  Ienjoy history, especially exploring primary source documents and biographies.My research methods include both traditional (library visitation, archivalsource analysis) as well as accessing digital internet source documents.However, I experience great satisfaction paging through aged paper copy, wheredusty fragrances of reborn images offer timeless words with freshinterpretations. 
When do youwrite/what is your writing day like?  Jeff:  I need to write in the middle of distractions—when I have other thingsto do—during a busy day. I am heavily influenced by process pedagogies—Ibelieve in numerous drafts over numerous days. I don't like white noise, music,TV, or human discussions in the background when I am writing—day or night.   Jann: I prefer writing in a relative state ofpeace and quiet, usually in the morning. Often, ideas, themes or qualitativedescriptors bounce around in my head throughout the later part of day andevening. Daily image chaos seems to work out best in a restful state.
What is the bestadvice someone has given you about writing? Jeff:  Probably the best advice I received(indirectly from my Virginia Woolf Seminar professor, Dr.  E. H., years ago] was to view writing [fictionwriting and poetry] as art—not craft. I am not interested in writing in clearlyformulaic modes (mysteries—romance— vampires—wizards--- sciencefiction—westerns, for example). So much of that has been done—and donewell—that I cannot meaningfully contribute to the corpus.  But "experimental" campus novels? Well, I amquite comfortable in this style.  And Ibelieve fervently that satire is an art form.
Jann: I have toagree with Jeff in viewing fiction writing as art rather than craft. I havereceived plenty of advice from good intended sources, however misguided. MyAmerican Literature professor often reminded her students of the gloriousinequality of talent and the necessity of intellectual exercise—bestdemonstrated through writing. I readily revisit her holy guidance.
How do you developyour characters? Jeff:   I rely onstereotyped notions used purposefully. You, gentle reader, may assign negativeconnotations to the use of stereotypes—I don't. You have all had teachers,professors, and bosses that fit certain "types." I work heavily at providingdetail-rich descriptions of such entities—and I think you will clearlyrecognize people you "know" in the Phil Dolly Affair.
 Jann:  Iattempt to create recognizable, yet illusive character types whose purpose isoften disguised by ambition. Sketches are developed in aggregate initially;then, as situational events arise, characters are further dissected tosubstantiate their appearance.
Who are yourfavorite authors? Have any authors inspired you or influenced your work?  Jeff: My favorite authors fit into certaingroups, I suppose. I am quite fond of 19th century AmericanTranscendentalists [and Poe], of late 19th- early 20thcentury writers such as Hugo, Frank Norris, Hardy, Proust, Woolf, and Joyce, of19th century British Romantics, and quite a few 20thcentury American writers such as Zane Gray, Edward Abbey, Thomas Pynchon, LouisL'Amour, William Faulkner, and especially writers of the Southern Gothic likeFlannery O'Connor.
 My list of favorite poets is legion—in noparticular order—Wallace Stevens, Shelley, Wordsworth, Donne [latter dayDonne], Roethke, AR Ammons—just not the masses of MFA project-generated poemsof the last 20 years!
What makes a greatbook in your opinion? Jeff: One that contributes, one that helps make theUniversal Puzzle more clear, one that almost always requires a hermeneuticcircle for meaningful analysis. I'm not really interested in books just forentertainment—even the great western writer Zane Grey was working on constructsof social democracy, primitivism, and the Power of the West in healingcivilization's corruptive effects. 
Jann:  Lasting message. A great bookoffers and narratively presents worthwhile questions by artistically presentingimages and positioning reader reactions and participation beyondintention.  
If a reader tookaway one thing from your book(s), what would you like that to be? Jeff: Thateven the typical daily community college experience can be elevated into "art." 
Jann:  Hopefully a gregarious laugh and alasting lesson beyond the staged community college stetting.
Do you have anytips for aspiring authors?  Jeff: ThomasHardy wanted to be a poet first—and a novelist second. I suppose that is mydream, too. And I might recommend that aspiring authors should try to work outtheir ideas in poetry, first. Jann:  One should consider a conscious disciplined approach,foster courage, and regularly express respectful skepticism. 
Where do you seeyourself as an author in five years? Jeff: I suppose I would hope my fictionwriting helps me become a better poet. I would like to be able to smoothlyarticulate my ideas through poetry within the next five years. Jann: I hope Iam provided an opportunity to critically examine social/behavioral eventsthrough fiction. I would also like to improve personal habits which assist progressin poetic writing.
Where do you seethe publishing industry going in the next few years and where do you seeyourself within this industry? Jeff: Hard to say. Technology has empowered themasses to produce text [which is probably a good thing]. I'm afraid I may getlost in the shuffle. Or ignored. Remember when Jack Nicholas was shouting "Youcan't handle the truth!"? [I think it was in A Few Good Men.] I'm afraidwe may be offering a kind of truth in PDA the happy masses won'tacknowledge.
Jann: I hope youngreaders will more fully embrace literature and help progress diverse offeringswithin the rapidly changing publishing industry.
Brief BioJann M. Contento has a broad range ofexperiences in higher education including student affairs administration,athletics, and institutional research. He is currently working in a communitycollege setting and has co-authored several articles on leadership and collegeculture.
Jeffrey Ross is an Op Ed writer, rockabilly musician, and former full-timecommunity college teacher. He has had four "Views" pieces publishedon InsidehigherEd.com since 2007, has authored and co-authored several op-edarticles on community college identity, purpose, and culture, and has recentlyhad several pieces published on the Cronk News higher education satirewebsite.
Online Presence and Social Media Links Face book Info Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/College-Leadership-Crisis-The-Philip-Dolly-Affair/109780632466832?sk=info  Getting to Know Phil Dolly Bloghttp://copperfieldcommunitycollege.blogspot.com/
Twitter Account @SalinasChickhttps://twitter.com/#!/salinaschick  Jeffrey Ross Creative Efforts  Home Page on Web Eden (Music and More)http://jeffreyross.webeden.co.uk/  Jeffrey Ross Open Salon Blog—other poetry and essays http://open.salon.com/blog/slipdoc/popularity  
The Philip Dolly AffairWhile community colleges arecurrently receiving heightened attention, this novel provides abehind-the-scenes analysis of many whispered truths, those simmering butunspoken workplace behaviors, issues, and machinations every worker (Everyman!)will recognize. A humorous and biting read with a clever mix of satire,political intrigue, failed romances, and tragic-comedy, this novel will openyour eyes to the truth about community colleges …
 An Excerpt-

Emmie Seemy, EdD, Chair,Communications
Dr. Emmie Seemy seemed likeable enough. At 64,she could have retired several years ago. But the job, Reading Professor ANDChair of Communications, gave her substance and meaning. Her days at CCC werepleasant--her faculty seniority afforded her a bit of eccentricity that wasaccepted by both her younger colleagues and senior administrators.
Dr. Seemy's signature motto at the bottom of heremails read
Never Quit! Never Yield!Never Give Up!
She didn't really trust anyone, though, and keptan eye on all correspondence, meeting minutes, and the activities and behaviorsof everyone around her.
Dr. Seemy was quite a character, that's for sure.She wore [very large] black framed glasses with sequin designs embedded throughoutthe thick frame and ear pieces. She dyed her hair jet black and kept it in a60's era beehive. Dr. Seemy typically wore old-fashioned rhinestone cocktaildresses [even short ones that showed her age-knobby knees].
Her clothes always smelled like smoke andperfume-- that hot, rich, blanketing Las Vegas smoke and Shanelle Number 5perfume odor permeating gambling houses and strip hotels in the 70's…..
She drives a Lincoln--an old 83 Lincoln still interrific shape [except for dog hairs on the back seat].
Dr. Seemy used to have two great big dogs, large,spit-drooling Dobermans she would bring to school with her. They would loungein her office and were quite the topics of discussion around campus--the dogswere loved and hated, admired and feared. Students generally liked the greatbeasts, but then, Castor, one of the pooches, bit a student named Gerald Ladmo.The college settled for an undisclosed amount out of court. She had to boardthe dogs after that, instead of bringing them to CCC.
Dr. Seemy had smoked for decades--and quit onlyafter it came down from the hill that smoking was no longer legal. Shehad smoked Virginia Slims through a long, black sequined cigarette holder--whengrasping the cigarette holder, and leaning forward in her chair, she had theaura of a 30's or 40's Hollywood actress--poised, debonair, and strangelydistant.
Give-Away
The authors will begiving away a novel-companion e-form [PDF] "chapbook" of poetry "voiced" by oneof the novel's characters, panish Professor Jack Frost, to one randomly drawn commenter. Follow the tour and leave your comments; the more you comment, the better yourchances of winning! The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/12/virtual-book-tour-philip-dolly-affair.html


Be sure to follow the tour and leave a comment to win!



Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

Exercise, when is enough, enough?

A recent "good health" issue of a magazine made me write this blog, so blame them. They had readers submit their exercise and other "good health" related questions so "experts" could provide answers. And one letter in particular caught my attention because it was one I could have written myself. Unfortunately, the answer was frankly irresponsible.


So I decided maybe it was time to provide a responsible response even if I'm the only person who sees it. At least it will make me feel better.


The letter was from a reader who had a question about exercise. She had an exercise routine, but it was exhausting her, and she wondered if she would gain weight if she cut it down to something that didn't leave her so exhausted. The magazine answered that not only should she not cut down, but she should step it up.


Step it up? What? Are you crazy? Can you spell "lawsuit?"


Are you trying to kill her or those around her?


At a minimum, I expected the response to be that the woman should see her doctor. I literally could not believe how callous, flippant and irresponsible the reply was.


I've been in the letter-writer's shoes. Let me tell you my story, right after I point out some obvious fallacies with the whole exercise myth.


While it's true that everyone needs to be active, it's also true that if you're hoping "exercise" will stave off death, well, you're wrong. You will die. Everyone dies and if you don't die from a heart attack or stroke, it's likely that cancer or one of any number of diseases will get you. Get over it. 


The next myth is that with enough exercise, you can eat whatever you want. Why yes, it will, for a little while. Then you're going to get caught in a loop. If you wish to continue eating the same quantity as you age, you're going to have to step up your exercise routine, just like the magazine said. You can start with 20 min. but that soon becomes one hour. Then two hours. Then three hours. Then...well, at what point do you realize that you're exercising 24 hours a day and have to cut back because you actually need a real job? Or life? Or at least one hour of sleep? 


It's ridiculous. In fact, I would argue that "exercise," as opposed to leading an active life, is ridiculous. You can't keep "stepping it up". At some point, you have to realize a couple of things: you're going to gain weight as you get older or you're going to have to eat less over time (reducing your supper/dinner/last meal of the day is a really good way) if you want to stay thin. Although, frankly, I prefer pleasingly plump to concentration-camp thin. But that's just me.


Anyway, I'd now like to talk about my story as a case study showing why that magazine's response was so irresponsible. 


Twenty years ago, I decided to lose at least 10 lbs. I started an exercise routine.


It was exhausting, but I figured it would get easier as time went on. I lost the 10 lbs and then some, but I was also eating virtually no dinner. An average dinner consisted of a single cob of corn or a small "appetizer-sized" salad.


I recently looked at a picture from those days and I looked like a stressed-out prisoner on low-rations, but whatever. I was thinner than I'd ever been since middle school. I felt awful, but according to society, I was doing all the right things.


My days were spent in an exhausted daze. I had to stand during business meetings because if I sat down, I fell asleep. I couldn't watch TV at all or go to the movies because I fell asleep. I couldn't hold a conversation with anyone unless I was standing. I didn't have more energy as exercise enthusiasts claim, I had less. Each day was a struggle. My life was a complete misery. Everything was an effort because I didn't have an ounce of energy for even the simplest thing. I just gritted my teeth and told myself that life was meant to be hard and you just had to deal with it.


Most days, when I finished exercising, I collapsed, red-faced and sweating on the floor. After a few minutes, I'd stumble into the bathroom and collapse again in a trembling heap. Some days it was so bad, I'd literally vomit. Then I'd drag myself into the shower and struggle to get to work on time. I drank coffee to try to stay awake. I could not sit because if I did, I fell asleep. I'd stand up every five minutes at my desk just to keep going. 


However, since I took a train to work, at least that was okay because if I fell asleep, I didn't endanger anyone.

Five years into it, I was preparing to get married and as I went in for my gown fittings, I noticed I was slowly gaining weight, mostly because I was actually eating a dinner occasionally that wasn't just a few pieces of lettuce. The seamstress assured me I'd lose weight due to stress, but in fact I didn't. Mostly because I didn't feel that much stress (I'd made a decision, it was--and still is--the right decision, and I didn't see what there was to stress over). Anyway, I slightly increased my exercise routine, although it ultimately didn't do any good. 


The shit hit the fan after I married and moved to the country. I had to drive to work. I struggled to stay awake behind the wheel each day, but I had several accidents due to almost falling asleep. The final one ended up with me driving into a canal. I survived and realized one thing: my life was more important than a few pounds--which the exercise wasn't keeping off, anyway. And what about the lives of others? What if I had run into a car with children inside? The thought made me sick with horror.


So I stopped.


Yes, I gained a few pounds. But I thought back to another time in college when I was thin, healthy, and had energy and realized the difference: that when I was at University in Scotland I didn't exercise. But I did walk everywhere.


Walking...yes.


Now, I walk the dogs several miles a day. I mow the lawn using a walk-behind mower (not riding, even though we have 3 acres of grass and 15 of woods). I park as far away from the store as possible.


In short, I LIVE. I don't exercise, I live and do normal, physical activities as part of my life. I'm awake, alert, and alive.


Sure, I put on a few pounds. But I was also gaining weight when I was exercising after I went back to eating a normal dinner. For me now, the answer is what it always was: stop eating seconds at supper and take another walk with the dogs.


Will I ever go back to exercising?


No. I want to be awake and alert when the next hummingbird comes to the feeder. I want to have energy and joy in my life instead of constant, draining misery. I want to be able to go to the movies with my husband and actually see the ending.


What should that magazine have told that lady?
1) Get an appointment with your doctor to make sure you don't have a serious medical condition.
2) Stop exercising and starting living.


That's it. Just live, be active, and be happy.Fiction Writing and Other Oddities

An Interview with Anna Maclean

I'm very pleased to have Anna Maclean with us today as a stop along her virtual book tour. She writes historical cozy mysteries, which is right up my (and I hope your) alley.Please be sure to leave a comment as Anna is giving away a wonderful gift basket to a randomly drawn commenter and you don't want to miss out!Why did you decide to write?    I don't think I ever decided.  It was justalways there.  I love stories and I began telling stories to myself in theform of daydreams when I was very young, and as soon as I could hold a pencil Ibegan writing those stories down.  Of course I loved Little Women as agirl, and when the opportunity came to write mysteries using Louisa May Alcottas an amateur sleuth I jumped at the chance! How much research do you do?    Usually, quite a bit.  Libraries are myfavorite place to be, and there are great libraries in my town, so I can go infor the day and kind of camp out in the aisles and at the worktables.  Ican't think of a happier, more exciting place to be than a good library.Wait.  I forgot.  A café table in Paris is pretty good, too. What was the most interesting thing you discovered when you weredoing your research?           For Louisa and the Crystal Gazer, I researched 19th centuryspiritualism and found great, great materials, including one dusty old volumethat described how to make spirit paintings (using paint that was invisiblewhen dry) and how to make trumpets fall out of the ceiling.  Can't wait tohave my next dinner party and really camp it up with ectoplasm! What's your favorite method for researching?           Reading journals and diaries.  Louisa kept some great journals! Do you have a favorite theme or message for your readers?            My favorite message: life is wonderful, life is a mystery, and never, ever letanyone stop you from exploring as much of the mystery as possible. When do you write/what is your writing day like?           I like to write first thing in the morning, before I've had to clean up afterthe cats, pay bills, plan dinner, take care of day job things (I alsoteach.)  There's a wonderful moment when I first wake up, when somethingjolts my imagination out of the blue, literally, and it takes me to a new placein the work.  That doesn't happen any other time of day, for me. What is the best advice someone has given you about writing? Theworst advice?           The best advice I ever got, and I got it early, thankfully,  was never toread or think about how hard it is to get published.  Just write, and hopefor the best. Writing is a dive off the really high board, and while itrequires skill and willpower, it also requires a certain recklessness. The worst advice I ever had?  I can't remember it, so obviously I didn'ttake it!  How do you approach a new book? Outlines? Just an idea?           I can't stand outlines.  I'm very methodical in some ways – I have to havea tidy desk and a few rituals: coffee on one side, a little Buddha on the otherside of the keyboard – but when it comes to ideas and working on a book, acertain chaos is very productive.  Again, it's that dive off the highboard.  At some point, though, usually at the 2nd or 3rddraft, I do make an outline of what I have and see if the plotting is makingsense, and where the holes and problems are. Who are your favorite authors? Have any authors inspired you orinfluenced your work?           Oh, so many.  Daphne du Maurier,  Anya Seton,  Mary Lee Settle,Ann Patchett, Ian McKewan, Roman Gary…I read hundreds of books a year and thishas been going on for a while, so do the math.  But what all the authorshave in common: they tell a great story, and do it with great skill, sometimeseven a touch of genius.  And their work has great humanity, it makes youfall even more in life with the world and people, not less. What makes a great book in your opinion?           See the above! Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?           Don't let anything stop you. Write the book you want to read, write it to thebest of your ability. Where do you see yourself as an author in five years?           At my desk in the early morning, with a cup of coffee on one side of thekeyboard and a little Budda on the other side, puzzling out a character and aplot. Where do you see the publishing industry going in the next fewyears and where do you see yourself within this industry?           This is where I'm supposed to hold my head and moan, right?  Admittedly,It is frightening what is going on.  Sales are down, little bookstores arebeing swallowed by sharks.  It's hard to find good news.  However,that said,  in a way I see us going back to more of a 19thcentury style of publishing, where people write what feels important to themand then they find a way of getting their work into book form, even if it meanspaying the printer yourself…as long as you get the work into the hands ofreaders, perhaps on a smaller scale than we had in the last 100 years of masspublication.  And this could be a good thing, could be a greatthing.  Technology also means that essentially anyone who wants to publish,can. There may not be a whole lot of money, but that's always been thecase.  And sometimes there is a whole lot of money.  But I've alwaystold new writers that if what they really care about is getting rich theyshould just play the lottery.  If you care about getting your work outthere – this can be done.As for technology replacing books, I just can't see thathappening. Books, when you think about it, are already a perfect technology:portable, easy to read and no problems with downloading and saving! Brief Bio Anna Maclean is themystery nom de plume for Jeanne Mackin, the author of several novels:  TheSweet By and By (St. Martin's Press), Dreams of Empire (KensingtonBooks), The Queen's War (St. Martin's Press), and The Frenchwoman(St. Martin's Press).   She has published short fiction and creativenonfiction in several journals and periodicals including  American Lettersand Commentary and SNReview. She is also the author of the Cornell Book ofHerbs and Edible Flowers (Cornell University publications)  andco-editor of  The Norton Book of Love (W.W. Norton).  She wasthe recipient of a creative writing fellowship from the American AntiquarianSociety and her journalism has won awards from the Council for the Advancementand Support of Education, in Washington, D.C.   www.Annamaclean.net www.facebook.com/annamacleanauthor  "Louisa May Alcott makesa wonderful narrator, whether observing the foibles of those around her oraddressing the reader with gentle humor…Fans of historical mysteries will findmuch to enjoy here."                                     The Romance Readers Connection "Macleans latest cozy isentertaining and has a fascinating mystery and a healthy dose of humor. The author's attention to historical detail adds realism and depth to thispage-turner."                                    Romantic TimesFiction Writing and Other Oddities

Review of The New Death and Others

The New Death and Others By James Hutchings
Let me start by saying that I loved this book, but it's hardto describe exactly what it is because it doesn't really fit neatly into yourstandard fiction genres. But please, don't let that dissuade you from checkingit out. I'm mortally afraid that I'll turn potential readers off by reviewingit and my poor attempts at trying to describe exactly what it is. But imagine,if you will, that Saki (H. H. Munro) didn't die in WWI and decided to rewriteOvid's Metamorphosis and a few Lovecraftian short stories. Many of the storiesand poems in this collection had Saki's sly, often acerbic and dark, wit and adefinite mythological/phantasmagorical slant. The book is a fascinatingcollection of short stories, poems, and tiny vignettes, each small fantasyending with a Saki-esque twist. There is, quite literally, something foreveryone, as long as you have a rather mordant and morbid sense of humor.
The author describes it as dark fantasy and it is that.There is definitely a Greek myth feeing to the stories, but they tend to bemuch more amusing that the typical myths. And it isn't all fantasy. Or rather,I guess it is, but my favorite story in the collection was The Adventure ofthe Murdered Philanthropist that literally had me laughing out loud. I wasreading it in bed and my husband thought I had lost my mind. When I picked upthe book the next night to continue, he looked at me, sighed, and said, "You'renot reading that again, are you?" I was clearly disturbing his fifth reading ofone of his books on the Civil War. Or else he was aggravated that he wasn'thaving as much fun reading his book as I was reading this one. Get over it.
Anyway, The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist was anew Sherlock Holmes-type story, except a lot more fun, complete with murder anda brilliant consulting detective. Just to give you a taste, there is one pointin the story where one of the characters is described as the sort who makeslarge contributions to the RSPCA. Then there was a footnote defining the RSPCAas The Royal Society for the Practice of Cruelty to Atheists. That footnoteinduced one of the moments that disturbed my husband so much: I broke outlaughing. Okay, maybe you had to be there, though I'm glad you weren't becauseour bed isn't quite that large.
So there were stories like The Adventure of the MurderedPhilanthropist (I would have bought the book just to get that story—it was thatgood) which continues the Sherlock Holmes tradition; Under the Pyramids, basedon an H.P. Lovecraft story; The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune, based on a story byRobert E. Howard; The Garden of Adompha, based on a story by Clark AshtonSmith; and many, many others.As I said, there is quite literally, something for everyonewho has a sense of humor. It is difficult to convey just how much I enjoyed thevarious stories. I'm not much for poetry, but I did enjoy a few pieces justbecause of the wry humor.
I loved this book. I just wish I could convey a better feelfor this collection. If you enjoyed stories like Saki's The Open Door or TheGreat God Pan, then you will adore The New Death and Others. I hope I'veconvinced you to give it a try.
Just don't read it in a setting where they're likely to callthe men with the long-sleeved, white jackets if you start laughing insanely inpublic.
Where can you get it?The New Death and Others is available for the Kindle at: http://www.amazon.com/New-Death-others-ebook/dp/B005Q8Q8DY/ 
Happy Reading!Fiction Writing and Other Oddities