Susan Buffum's Blog: Welcome to My World, page 20
July 6, 2016
Living at the Gateway to the Berkshires
Growing up I used to visit my mother's Uncle George and Aunt Celia in Pittsfield MA. I loved going to visit them because it was like passing into a different world. We had to travel through The Berkshires to get there. Sometimes we went over the Mohawk Trail and other times we headed out through Tolland and Becket to Great Barrington. At other times we just jumped on the MA Turnpike and drove to Lee & Lenox and then to Pittsfield. A fourth route was through Northampton, Leeds, and Dalton where the Crane paper factory is located (where the paper for US currency has been manufactured). Whichever way we went we saw beautiful scenery. And we grew up with an awareness of the music, literary and artistic culture of the Berkshires- from Arlo Guthrie and Alice's Restaurant, to Edith Wharton and The Mount to Norman Rockwell and his homey, feel good art that graced so many magazine covers. He used local people in many of his paintings. Lenox is also the home of Tanglewood- an awesome and beautiful music venue. The Berkshires have always been rich in culture.
I was born in Northampton, MA and spent a lot of time there while growing up. I witnessed its transformation from the city that all the rural farm town people traveled to for their hardware, clothing, shoes, pharmacy, medical and mail order needs to a funky, artsy, cultural mishmash with retail shops, restaurants and entertainment venues like the remodeled Academy of Music and the renovated Calvin Theater where I watched Disney movies as a kid. It's always been a college town (Smith College is right there and UMASS, Amherst College, Hampshire College and Mount Holyoke are all nearby.) The streets were jammed with street performers, and a variety of colorful characters. It still is a wonderful place to visit, to walk up and down the main street and visit the shops, boutiques and eateries.
When I moved to Westfield in 1973 downtown was still pretty vital. I remember going downtown with my parents for sidewalk sale days in July- going in all the shops. I used to go to the movies, walk up and down Elm Street and hang out with friends downtown throughout high school. Then Newbury's department store burned down leaving a gaping wound in the face of this city. Westfield's downtown became less vital with each loss of business, each closing until it was like a ghost town. I worked at Conner's, Inc. from 1993 until it closed in April 2007. It was a sad time because that store had been there for generations of shoppers and wore a number of different hats from bookstore, to camera shop, to office products, cards and gifts. Walking through the door, you felt like you were in a time warp- we knew all our customers by name and greeted them, chatted with them, gave them a little discount if they were a little short that day. We prided ourselves on customer service- something you don't get much of these days.
Over the past few years certain groups in Westfield have been working hard to revitalize the downtown area. Westfield has always been known as the Gateway to the Berkshires and we fell down flat on our face for a few years.
During the past year or two a lot has changed in Westfield's downtown as we've struggled to bring our city back from the brink of becoming a derelict downtown to a place where we can walk the sidewalks and feel pride once again in our picturesque little city at the base of the foothills leading into the Berkshires.
I'm fortunate to be a part of the cultural movement here in Westfield as one of this city's authors. I belong to a fledgling group that is getting its legs underneath it. The Articulture event at the end of April clearly showed that our community wants a music, art, and literary identity. We have a lot of talented people living here and in surrounding communities. We're working to harness that energy and talent and direct it into venues that will draw people downtown- a place where many people still believe there are dozens of empty storefronts and a lot of urban ugliness. The face of downtown Westfield is changing. It's not perfect yet, but dramatic changes have begun. Downtown has the potential to be vital once again. The hard work has started to get the community motivated to come downtown and sample the variety of food, and visit all the new shops- the book store, the art galleries, the music store, the store that showcases the talents of our artisans, the places where musicians are gathering. The esplanade in front of the Athenaeum has become a venue for lunchtime live music. The Farmer's Market on the front lawn of the Church of Atonement has also been showcasing live music while you buy fresh plants and produce from local farmers and growers.
Westfield may be the Gateway to the Berkshires where there has consistently been a lot of this type of art &culture in evidence, but we're going to keep ramping up the arts and cultural events here at the Gateway to the Berkshires and making Westfield a vibrant place to kick off a trip through the Berkshires!
Let the journey begin here!
I was born in Northampton, MA and spent a lot of time there while growing up. I witnessed its transformation from the city that all the rural farm town people traveled to for their hardware, clothing, shoes, pharmacy, medical and mail order needs to a funky, artsy, cultural mishmash with retail shops, restaurants and entertainment venues like the remodeled Academy of Music and the renovated Calvin Theater where I watched Disney movies as a kid. It's always been a college town (Smith College is right there and UMASS, Amherst College, Hampshire College and Mount Holyoke are all nearby.) The streets were jammed with street performers, and a variety of colorful characters. It still is a wonderful place to visit, to walk up and down the main street and visit the shops, boutiques and eateries.
When I moved to Westfield in 1973 downtown was still pretty vital. I remember going downtown with my parents for sidewalk sale days in July- going in all the shops. I used to go to the movies, walk up and down Elm Street and hang out with friends downtown throughout high school. Then Newbury's department store burned down leaving a gaping wound in the face of this city. Westfield's downtown became less vital with each loss of business, each closing until it was like a ghost town. I worked at Conner's, Inc. from 1993 until it closed in April 2007. It was a sad time because that store had been there for generations of shoppers and wore a number of different hats from bookstore, to camera shop, to office products, cards and gifts. Walking through the door, you felt like you were in a time warp- we knew all our customers by name and greeted them, chatted with them, gave them a little discount if they were a little short that day. We prided ourselves on customer service- something you don't get much of these days.
Over the past few years certain groups in Westfield have been working hard to revitalize the downtown area. Westfield has always been known as the Gateway to the Berkshires and we fell down flat on our face for a few years.
During the past year or two a lot has changed in Westfield's downtown as we've struggled to bring our city back from the brink of becoming a derelict downtown to a place where we can walk the sidewalks and feel pride once again in our picturesque little city at the base of the foothills leading into the Berkshires.
I'm fortunate to be a part of the cultural movement here in Westfield as one of this city's authors. I belong to a fledgling group that is getting its legs underneath it. The Articulture event at the end of April clearly showed that our community wants a music, art, and literary identity. We have a lot of talented people living here and in surrounding communities. We're working to harness that energy and talent and direct it into venues that will draw people downtown- a place where many people still believe there are dozens of empty storefronts and a lot of urban ugliness. The face of downtown Westfield is changing. It's not perfect yet, but dramatic changes have begun. Downtown has the potential to be vital once again. The hard work has started to get the community motivated to come downtown and sample the variety of food, and visit all the new shops- the book store, the art galleries, the music store, the store that showcases the talents of our artisans, the places where musicians are gathering. The esplanade in front of the Athenaeum has become a venue for lunchtime live music. The Farmer's Market on the front lawn of the Church of Atonement has also been showcasing live music while you buy fresh plants and produce from local farmers and growers.
Westfield may be the Gateway to the Berkshires where there has consistently been a lot of this type of art &culture in evidence, but we're going to keep ramping up the arts and cultural events here at the Gateway to the Berkshires and making Westfield a vibrant place to kick off a trip through the Berkshires!
Let the journey begin here!
July 4, 2016
Took A Holiday
I seldom take vacations or enjoy holidays, but this past weekend I decided to enjoy a holiday.
I am just not a happy person if I'm not being creative. I wrote on Saturday for a little bit, but then worked on edits of Black Knight Takes White Queen. Sunday, I ran a few errands, but spent the majority of the day reading and editing. Today, I helped John trim the shrubs along the front of the house, then baked a Quick Bread for Kelly that literally burnt black in the oven despite the LED screen reading just 350 degrees as it should. It filled the house with smoke, set off the smoke detectors, scared the cats and puzzled all of us. Tonight I had to use my rescue inhaler for the first time in five months because I suddenly started coughing and my chest felt tight- and this was long after the house had been aired out.
Joh roasted a chicken for dinner and the oven worked perfectly. He did move the stove out to clean under and behind it yesterday so he thinks he may have hit a touch button accidentally...but when I turned it on today everything looked normal- Bake 350 degrees F, and the screen read 350 degrees right along, not self clean or anything. It was just one of those weird things.
About 1/2 way through the reading and editing of the new book tonight. Then I have to go into the file and make all the corrections and changes. I'm also kicking around a new cover idea. I've never uploaded my own image to make a cover, but I have one I'd like to use. We'll see when the time comes to finish it. I like the cover it has now but Kelly says, "It's rather subtle for an urban fantasy with a lot of action in it."
Subtle.
Well, okay.
So- I did take a holiday. I didn't ramp up the writing like I normally would over the 3-day weekend. It made me feel like I was wasting something. Time? Creativity? Opportunity?
And my muse was in full pout mode besides.
Back to doing what I was born to do tomorrow- work all day, write all night.
Holiday over.
I am just not a happy person if I'm not being creative. I wrote on Saturday for a little bit, but then worked on edits of Black Knight Takes White Queen. Sunday, I ran a few errands, but spent the majority of the day reading and editing. Today, I helped John trim the shrubs along the front of the house, then baked a Quick Bread for Kelly that literally burnt black in the oven despite the LED screen reading just 350 degrees as it should. It filled the house with smoke, set off the smoke detectors, scared the cats and puzzled all of us. Tonight I had to use my rescue inhaler for the first time in five months because I suddenly started coughing and my chest felt tight- and this was long after the house had been aired out.
Joh roasted a chicken for dinner and the oven worked perfectly. He did move the stove out to clean under and behind it yesterday so he thinks he may have hit a touch button accidentally...but when I turned it on today everything looked normal- Bake 350 degrees F, and the screen read 350 degrees right along, not self clean or anything. It was just one of those weird things.
About 1/2 way through the reading and editing of the new book tonight. Then I have to go into the file and make all the corrections and changes. I'm also kicking around a new cover idea. I've never uploaded my own image to make a cover, but I have one I'd like to use. We'll see when the time comes to finish it. I like the cover it has now but Kelly says, "It's rather subtle for an urban fantasy with a lot of action in it."
Subtle.
Well, okay.
So- I did take a holiday. I didn't ramp up the writing like I normally would over the 3-day weekend. It made me feel like I was wasting something. Time? Creativity? Opportunity?
And my muse was in full pout mode besides.
Back to doing what I was born to do tomorrow- work all day, write all night.
Holiday over.
July 1, 2016
On Being a Self-Published Author
As a self-publishing author I wear many hats. My big sombrero is my author hat. From under this hat comes all the ideas, all the writing, all the imagination.
My green visor is my editor's hat. I wield a blue pen and work to fix the grammar, continuity, punctuation and any other glitches in the raw writing done by the author.
The beret is for the cover designer who needs to have an eye for color and graphics. The designer also needs to have some writing skill to create the back cover text that entices a reader to want to read the book.
The backwards baseball cap is reserved for the interior designer who creates the title page, the All Rights Reserved/Copyright/Disclaimers page, the Dedication and acknowledgements pages, the Author bio page. This interior designer stages the book to make it comfortable and inviting for the reader. The interior designer adds the headers and footers, the page numbers and makes sure the chapters start on the correct side of the open book pages. The interior designer also inserts page breaks so everything lines up as it should.
The publisher's hat is more like a helmet. If there're any issues with the book it's going to come down on the publisher's head. The publisher okays the book- when it's done and ready for the marketplace. The publisher hits the APPROVE button and it's a done deal.
The business manager wears a deadman's hat (sort of a shorter top hat) and chooses the retail channels for distribution, sets the retail price, writes the booksellers blurb about the book, selects the BIAS code, obtains the ISBN, fills out the TX copyright registration form and submits it with a check and two good copies of the book to the Registrar of Copyrights at the Library of Congress in a timely manner. The business manager also looks for opportunities for the author to be accessible to the public at meet & greets, book signings, readings, lectures and various events where the public might want to grab a copy of the book to read. The business manager also handles the financing involved-expenses and income- and pays the taxes.
Tonight I'm wearing the editor's visor as I wield my blue pen and tackle Black Knight Takes White Queen- the longest novel I've written and will self publish so far. I received the proof copy on Wednesday afternoon- which is always like seeing and holding your baby for the first time. I'm bonding with the book, liking what I'm reading so far, but also tweaking it as I read, blue ink marking all the changes and corrections to be made. It's going to be a lengthy process, but hopefully worth it in the end.
As a self-publishing author I get to do everything myself and have control of the whole project (okay, maybe that makes me look like a control freak, but it's actually more that I am a perfectionist perhaps? Or just distrustful of others to treat my book the way I want it to be treated? I'm not exactly sure.) All I know is that it's a lot of work, but it's joyful work done with a happy heart and a sense of having accomplished something that is uniquely mine. In the whole scheme of things it takes me about a month to write a book, and then another month to put on and take off the various other hats and get the book ready for it's public appearance. I can write a book and get it out there on my time schedule.
I like the freedom to create on my own that self-publishing allows. And though I've had a few publishing houses that offer self-publishing authors assistance contact me, I'm still reluctant to trust them with my work. (I was slow to switch from my trusty typewriter to the computer back in the early 1990's, too, but now I love it!) So- maybe one day, but for now, I like wearing all the hats because then the book is truly my own work from beginning to end.
My green visor is my editor's hat. I wield a blue pen and work to fix the grammar, continuity, punctuation and any other glitches in the raw writing done by the author.
The beret is for the cover designer who needs to have an eye for color and graphics. The designer also needs to have some writing skill to create the back cover text that entices a reader to want to read the book.
The backwards baseball cap is reserved for the interior designer who creates the title page, the All Rights Reserved/Copyright/Disclaimers page, the Dedication and acknowledgements pages, the Author bio page. This interior designer stages the book to make it comfortable and inviting for the reader. The interior designer adds the headers and footers, the page numbers and makes sure the chapters start on the correct side of the open book pages. The interior designer also inserts page breaks so everything lines up as it should.
The publisher's hat is more like a helmet. If there're any issues with the book it's going to come down on the publisher's head. The publisher okays the book- when it's done and ready for the marketplace. The publisher hits the APPROVE button and it's a done deal.
The business manager wears a deadman's hat (sort of a shorter top hat) and chooses the retail channels for distribution, sets the retail price, writes the booksellers blurb about the book, selects the BIAS code, obtains the ISBN, fills out the TX copyright registration form and submits it with a check and two good copies of the book to the Registrar of Copyrights at the Library of Congress in a timely manner. The business manager also looks for opportunities for the author to be accessible to the public at meet & greets, book signings, readings, lectures and various events where the public might want to grab a copy of the book to read. The business manager also handles the financing involved-expenses and income- and pays the taxes.
Tonight I'm wearing the editor's visor as I wield my blue pen and tackle Black Knight Takes White Queen- the longest novel I've written and will self publish so far. I received the proof copy on Wednesday afternoon- which is always like seeing and holding your baby for the first time. I'm bonding with the book, liking what I'm reading so far, but also tweaking it as I read, blue ink marking all the changes and corrections to be made. It's going to be a lengthy process, but hopefully worth it in the end.
As a self-publishing author I get to do everything myself and have control of the whole project (okay, maybe that makes me look like a control freak, but it's actually more that I am a perfectionist perhaps? Or just distrustful of others to treat my book the way I want it to be treated? I'm not exactly sure.) All I know is that it's a lot of work, but it's joyful work done with a happy heart and a sense of having accomplished something that is uniquely mine. In the whole scheme of things it takes me about a month to write a book, and then another month to put on and take off the various other hats and get the book ready for it's public appearance. I can write a book and get it out there on my time schedule.
I like the freedom to create on my own that self-publishing allows. And though I've had a few publishing houses that offer self-publishing authors assistance contact me, I'm still reluctant to trust them with my work. (I was slow to switch from my trusty typewriter to the computer back in the early 1990's, too, but now I love it!) So- maybe one day, but for now, I like wearing all the hats because then the book is truly my own work from beginning to end.
June 27, 2016
Just Write
One of my best friends is going through a rough time in her life right now. Years ago she aspired to be a writer. I read some things she'd written and it was all really good. So, tonight, while chatting with her on the phone, I noticed that she seemed restless, aimless, adrift on a rough sea. Se needed a lifeline, an anchor- something to snag her and keep her from crashing onto the rocks. She was having difficulty moving forward in her life again after a set-back. I said, "Hey, you can write, so just write something."
We talked about writing for twenty minutes or so and she mentioned that she still has Stephen King's book On Writing in her personal library. I said "You must have kept it for a reason." She had no idea where to start writing so we kicked ideas around and chose a happy memory/moment from her life as a starting point. Something light. Her grandfather was a firefighter and always had great stories to tell when she was younger (much like my grandfather was a truck driver and always had great stories to tell!). He's gone now (so is mine).
I said, "Well, your life is chock full of material, just pick one small thing to write about tonight and consider it a baby step back into writing. You can't be a writer if you're afraid to just write. Like me, she has comma issues. I offered her the services of Kelly who fixes all my comma drama without making it a trauma for me. I also mentioned that's what editing and proofreading are for. Just write raw material and worry about fine tuning it and fixing grammar and punctuation issues after. Get the basic writing done however it wants to flow out of you...the polishing comes later.
I'm hoping she'll be sending me something later via email that she's written tonight. I'm anxious to see what she can come up with.
Writing is good therapy.
We talked about writing for twenty minutes or so and she mentioned that she still has Stephen King's book On Writing in her personal library. I said "You must have kept it for a reason." She had no idea where to start writing so we kicked ideas around and chose a happy memory/moment from her life as a starting point. Something light. Her grandfather was a firefighter and always had great stories to tell when she was younger (much like my grandfather was a truck driver and always had great stories to tell!). He's gone now (so is mine).
I said, "Well, your life is chock full of material, just pick one small thing to write about tonight and consider it a baby step back into writing. You can't be a writer if you're afraid to just write. Like me, she has comma issues. I offered her the services of Kelly who fixes all my comma drama without making it a trauma for me. I also mentioned that's what editing and proofreading are for. Just write raw material and worry about fine tuning it and fixing grammar and punctuation issues after. Get the basic writing done however it wants to flow out of you...the polishing comes later.
I'm hoping she'll be sending me something later via email that she's written tonight. I'm anxious to see what she can come up with.
Writing is good therapy.
June 26, 2016
So How Does the Daughter of an Author Celebrate Her Birthday?
She goes to bookstores, of course!
Today is Kelly's 25th birthday.
My sister and brother stopped by last night. Since his birthday is the 29th we celebrated Kelly's birthday and his birthday when she got home from the Connecticut Trolley Museum where they had ice cream cake for her and then a special surprise. She was allowed to operate the biggest, heaviest trolley the museum owns- car #303 which is rarely on the tracks! A picture taken of her operating this car with a huge grin on her face is now her profile picture on facebook!
She received a gift card to Barnes & Noble last night that was burning a hole in her pocket overnight. We had a couple errands to run here in town, so did those- and saw that the new Bookclub Bookstore & More was open today. We went in and quite happily poked around. While I talked to Jessica about a future meet & greet the author and book signing event (possibly late October/early November) Kelly found a book on historical Worcester, MA (she lived there for four years while attending Worcester Polytech). So that was a great book score for her! I found two books I want to read while there also.
After picking up iced coffees (it was 91 degrees this afternoon!) we headed to Holyoke to Barnes & Noble where she was looking for books in series that she follows. I saw the new Charlie Davidson novel (10th Grave) by Darynda Jones sitting on the shelf- the same book that is supposed to be released on Tuesday that I pre-ordered from Amazon! Other followers of her series have been finding the book already on the shelves at their local B&N stores, too! I was surprised to say the least.
Anyway- Kelly found a book for me called Massachusetts Book of the Dead-Graveyard Legends and Lore by Roxie J. Zwicker for my collection of graveyard art and cemetery lore books (there was a grave robber active in Springfield, MA who once stashed a corpse in Westfield between 1826-1830! He was taking it to a medical school in Pittsfield.) I also picked up the new Victoria Thompson gaslight mystery, Murder in Morningside Heights, and a book by Rinker Buck called The Oregon Trail- A New American Journey about his modern day travels by covered wagon along the path of the old Oregon trail. Kelly was able to find one book in a series that she's reading, not a huge book score by any means! When we got home she ordered a couple books she wanted online.
So, overall, we had a great book finding adventure on her birthday...and now I'm about to start a new novel that my muse has directed to the forefront of my brain since completion of the previous one on Friday...Yeah- it never ends!
Today is Kelly's 25th birthday.
My sister and brother stopped by last night. Since his birthday is the 29th we celebrated Kelly's birthday and his birthday when she got home from the Connecticut Trolley Museum where they had ice cream cake for her and then a special surprise. She was allowed to operate the biggest, heaviest trolley the museum owns- car #303 which is rarely on the tracks! A picture taken of her operating this car with a huge grin on her face is now her profile picture on facebook!
She received a gift card to Barnes & Noble last night that was burning a hole in her pocket overnight. We had a couple errands to run here in town, so did those- and saw that the new Bookclub Bookstore & More was open today. We went in and quite happily poked around. While I talked to Jessica about a future meet & greet the author and book signing event (possibly late October/early November) Kelly found a book on historical Worcester, MA (she lived there for four years while attending Worcester Polytech). So that was a great book score for her! I found two books I want to read while there also.
After picking up iced coffees (it was 91 degrees this afternoon!) we headed to Holyoke to Barnes & Noble where she was looking for books in series that she follows. I saw the new Charlie Davidson novel (10th Grave) by Darynda Jones sitting on the shelf- the same book that is supposed to be released on Tuesday that I pre-ordered from Amazon! Other followers of her series have been finding the book already on the shelves at their local B&N stores, too! I was surprised to say the least.
Anyway- Kelly found a book for me called Massachusetts Book of the Dead-Graveyard Legends and Lore by Roxie J. Zwicker for my collection of graveyard art and cemetery lore books (there was a grave robber active in Springfield, MA who once stashed a corpse in Westfield between 1826-1830! He was taking it to a medical school in Pittsfield.) I also picked up the new Victoria Thompson gaslight mystery, Murder in Morningside Heights, and a book by Rinker Buck called The Oregon Trail- A New American Journey about his modern day travels by covered wagon along the path of the old Oregon trail. Kelly was able to find one book in a series that she's reading, not a huge book score by any means! When we got home she ordered a couple books she wanted online.
So, overall, we had a great book finding adventure on her birthday...and now I'm about to start a new novel that my muse has directed to the forefront of my brain since completion of the previous one on Friday...Yeah- it never ends!
June 25, 2016
Book has a Title
I was up late last night uploading the book file, designing a cover, writing the back cover copy, etc. of the new urban fantasy/romance novel that now has the title Black King Takes White Queen. It's about a black arts practitioner (warlock) whose evil witch sister sends a demon to kill their father, and him, but he escapes. He texts a white witch, the younger sister of his on-again off-again girlfriend to come pick him up. She's drawn into the war between him and his sister who wants control of a treasure he's now the guardian of. It's the longest novel I've written. I ordered the proof copy tonight. I'll be tweaking it again after Kelly and I do a final read through of the proof copy, marking it all up (she uses purple ink, I use blue ink). Once I'm finished with the proof copy (all corrections & changes made to the file copy) it will be gifted to a random friend who becomes the official first reader and outsider reviewer...and then, if no additional issues are found by that friend, the file is uploaded, the book is approved and it becomes available on Amazon and other bookseller sites within two days. It was over 500 pages long in size 12 font so I knocked it down to size 11 which brought it into the upper four hundreds in length.
So- some progress has been made. The book is written, has been edited and corrected twice, the file has been uploaded, the book cover has been created, the ISBN number has been assigned, the BIAS code has been selected, the text that will be online on the bookseller sites has been written, book release channels chosen, and the proof copy ordered. Then it's back to putting on the editor hat for the final read through, making the last tweaks and corrections...and then a novel is born.
And already another novel is emerging in my head...guess my muse has never heard of such a thing as taking a vacation!
So- some progress has been made. The book is written, has been edited and corrected twice, the file has been uploaded, the book cover has been created, the ISBN number has been assigned, the BIAS code has been selected, the text that will be online on the bookseller sites has been written, book release channels chosen, and the proof copy ordered. Then it's back to putting on the editor hat for the final read through, making the last tweaks and corrections...and then a novel is born.
And already another novel is emerging in my head...guess my muse has never heard of such a thing as taking a vacation!
June 24, 2016
No Treats
I ran out of cat treats for the boys the other day. There hasn't been any time to run to the store to restock. I am about as full of guilt as a pet owner can get for "neglecting" my cats!
Ever see the movie Puss N Boots (the off shoot of Shrek movies)? Well, Riley Beans can make those big sad, soulful pleading eyes! He's killing me!
Although this is Kelly's 25th birthday weekend, you can be sure I'll be at the store buying a packet of cat treats for those two lovable mooches!
And lending a cat carrier to Missy, a co-worker, who is adopting a cute cat of her own tomorrow from the cat rescue shelter where our two cats were adopted from. Way to go, Missy! The cat is a cutie!
Ever see the movie Puss N Boots (the off shoot of Shrek movies)? Well, Riley Beans can make those big sad, soulful pleading eyes! He's killing me!
Although this is Kelly's 25th birthday weekend, you can be sure I'll be at the store buying a packet of cat treats for those two lovable mooches!
And lending a cat carrier to Missy, a co-worker, who is adopting a cute cat of her own tomorrow from the cat rescue shelter where our two cats were adopted from. Way to go, Missy! The cat is a cutie!
June 23, 2016
Still No Title
I'm into the last 25 pages of my big edit of the new novel. I thought I'd be paring it down during this process, but the word count has gone in the opposite direction with all the tweaking here and there, making it all more cohesive. It's nearly 155,000 words. (The second longest novel I've written. Life Skills was in the 133,000 word count range. And we're not going to touch Medina with its whopping 400,000+ word count- a real romance epic but that is still on a back burner awaiting a major overhauling! Maybe when I retire!)
I can't even begin to conceive of a name for this one. Kelly's suggested a few possible titles but nothing that's really made me say, "That's the one!"
I learned a new word though- telestic. (It's a real word, you can google it.)
Kelly's out on the deck juggling with her devil sticks. Revere is watching her from the back screen door- desperately trying to convince her that he could be outside with her, really...all she has to do is open the door...silly cat!
Gorgeous summer night- enjoy!
I can't even begin to conceive of a name for this one. Kelly's suggested a few possible titles but nothing that's really made me say, "That's the one!"
I learned a new word though- telestic. (It's a real word, you can google it.)
Kelly's out on the deck juggling with her devil sticks. Revere is watching her from the back screen door- desperately trying to convince her that he could be outside with her, really...all she has to do is open the door...silly cat!
Gorgeous summer night- enjoy!
June 21, 2016
Book Signing Last Night
Had a great time at the Agawam Public Library for their READLocal event. Ten of eleven local authors showed up. The tables were arranged in an open-ended rectangle around the library's community room with refreshments at the "open end."There was seating for visitors in the center area plus a display of their summer reading program featured books.. Partners Restaurant provided fresh fruit, a veggie platter and dips, crackers and cheese, and cookies. There was also a delicious punch.
I took My Magical Life along and had fun talking to everyone who attended the event- and it was well-attended!. I heard a lot of stories about black cats (but, like my late black cat Fantomas, none of these peoples' cats could talk like Jazz either!!)
I think I brought home more books than I sold (haha!)because for the first hour during set up we could meet the other authors, chat with them about their books and buy their books...and there were a lot of great books featured there last night. I brought home books by UMASS history professor Gerald W. McFarland (A Scattered People-An American Family Moves West) because part of this book takes place in Southwick and Westfield-where I live, two books by Robert T. McMaster (Trolley Days and The Dyeing Room) as these books are set in Holyoke, just over the mountain from where I live- and I'll watch for Noah's Raven that will be released this coming fall), and Life's Garden by V.C. Russell (poetry) to name a few. I already had Marcy Robitaille's book but got to meet the man from Southwick, MA who got her late daughter's heart via the Organ Donor program. I also had a lively conversation with fantasy author Matt Norris who was there with his huge first novel Wars and Rumors of Wars. I was seated next to Linda Cardillo of Longmeadow, MA who had The Unseen Road with her. I also had a chance to meet Gail Olmstead, Tim Parker, and Jacqueline Sheehan.
A big thanks to the Agawam Public Library, Wendy McAnanama and her staff for organizing this event. They were very helpful, very friendly, and well-organized.
I took My Magical Life along and had fun talking to everyone who attended the event- and it was well-attended!. I heard a lot of stories about black cats (but, like my late black cat Fantomas, none of these peoples' cats could talk like Jazz either!!)
I think I brought home more books than I sold (haha!)because for the first hour during set up we could meet the other authors, chat with them about their books and buy their books...and there were a lot of great books featured there last night. I brought home books by UMASS history professor Gerald W. McFarland (A Scattered People-An American Family Moves West) because part of this book takes place in Southwick and Westfield-where I live, two books by Robert T. McMaster (Trolley Days and The Dyeing Room) as these books are set in Holyoke, just over the mountain from where I live- and I'll watch for Noah's Raven that will be released this coming fall), and Life's Garden by V.C. Russell (poetry) to name a few. I already had Marcy Robitaille's book but got to meet the man from Southwick, MA who got her late daughter's heart via the Organ Donor program. I also had a lively conversation with fantasy author Matt Norris who was there with his huge first novel Wars and Rumors of Wars. I was seated next to Linda Cardillo of Longmeadow, MA who had The Unseen Road with her. I also had a chance to meet Gail Olmstead, Tim Parker, and Jacqueline Sheehan.
A big thanks to the Agawam Public Library, Wendy McAnanama and her staff for organizing this event. They were very helpful, very friendly, and well-organized.
June 19, 2016
Remembering Grandpa & Dad Today
There were a number of influential men in my life growing up, but my maternal Grandfather and my Dad were the ones I can match my various qualities and traits to.
My maternal Grandfather was 99% Italian, 1% Greek. He was one of 11 surviving siblings (I believe four of his brothers died in infancy). He had many jobs, according to family history, from fudge maker in a candy shop to numbers runner. He was a truck driver for Kendall MIlls when I was growing up, driving a company truck back and forth between the two mills in Griswoldville and Colrain just above Shelburne Falls, MA. He lived in a house on the side of a mountain across from the mill in Griswoldville. The row houses where my mother and her brother had been born had been torn down to add on to the factory by the time I was born. My sister, brother and I spent a lot of time at Grampa's house when we were young because Mom was always in the hospital for her numerous health issues (multiple miscarriages, gallbladder surgery, diabetes). He was a larger than life figure for me although I grew up to be taller than him by the time I was a teenager. He would get up at 4:30AM to make coffee and have his breakfast and putter around before walking down the mountain and across the street to the factory for the 6AM whistle. Gram would make his lunch and a thermos of Postum and drive us down in the station wagon to deliver it to him at eleven o'clock. He would usually be sitting on the tailgate of his truck waiting for us, but sometimes we had to wait for him to come through the screen door out of the factory where he'd gone to wash up. He always had a story to tell us as he ate. Then we'd run around to the front of the factory to the village post office to get the mail out of the little wooden box with the window that let us see if there was mail inside. Sometimes we had to go to the cage window to get a larger piece of mail or a small package from the woman behind the bars. She knew us all by name even though we didn't really live there!
Grampa took us hiking and berry picking on the mountain, popped an acre of Jiffy Pop on the stove in the shed-enough to fill enormous plastic bags he brought home from the mill! He was in bed at 7:30PM. We went to bed at 8PM. Lying diagonally across the hall in bed we could hear his Big Ben alarm clock tick-tocking.
He lived to age 91, so got to meet his great-granddaughter. She was still a toddler when he'd take her for a walk to the mailbox now at the top of the steep hill at the end of his long driveway. She'd come back holding his hand, clutching the mail in her other little chubby fist chanting the words he'd taught her, "All checks, no bills!" He got a kick out of that! And she still says, "All checks, no bills!" when she happens to be the one to bring the mail in. It always makes me smile.
My Dad was a first generation American, the middle son of Polish immigrant farmers who mat in Suffield CT in the fields there, married and moved to Hatfield, MA where they farmed and helped other area farmers harvest their potato and onion crops. Dad had some good stories from when he was young. He stayed back in school the first year because he couldn't speak English. His parents spoke Polish at home and the farmers spoke Polish in the fields. he had to learn English, and he did. He never missed another year of school. He was 11 years old when he learned how to drive the farm truck. He was 13 years old when he was driving the truck, saw the town police officer coming and dove into the back seat, leaving the car driverless! It came to a stop, thankfully! His best story was when he and a couple friends skipped school, saw the truant officer coming and ran into the house, hiding under the kitchen table. The officer came to the door and knocked. My Dad cried, "Nobody home!" The truant officer said, "Well, 'Nobody''s going to be in school tomorrow, right?" To which my Dad replied, "Yes, sir!"
Dad was a happy-go-lucky guy with a kind, generous nature. He'd give you the shirt off his back. He was a big kid. His older brother was 12 years older than him. His younger brother passed away at age 2. Mom always said Dad was spoiled rotten as a kid, but I don't think he was. He lost his Dad in 1942 due to a bowel obstruction. The portrait of Joseph Adamcik (Adamczyk originally, but it was changed when they immigrated here) that hung on the formal parlor wall behind the French doors in the farmhouse now hangs on my dining room wall, with a small portrait of Grandma Adamcik and a full figure Army portrait of Uncle Pete who served in WWII. My Dad is also hanging in the dining room beside his and Mom's wedding picture.
I get my easy going nature and sense of fun from my Dad. I get my ability to tell a story from my Grandpa.
I loved them both so much...and I miss them both.
Remembering two great men today on Father's Day.
My maternal Grandfather was 99% Italian, 1% Greek. He was one of 11 surviving siblings (I believe four of his brothers died in infancy). He had many jobs, according to family history, from fudge maker in a candy shop to numbers runner. He was a truck driver for Kendall MIlls when I was growing up, driving a company truck back and forth between the two mills in Griswoldville and Colrain just above Shelburne Falls, MA. He lived in a house on the side of a mountain across from the mill in Griswoldville. The row houses where my mother and her brother had been born had been torn down to add on to the factory by the time I was born. My sister, brother and I spent a lot of time at Grampa's house when we were young because Mom was always in the hospital for her numerous health issues (multiple miscarriages, gallbladder surgery, diabetes). He was a larger than life figure for me although I grew up to be taller than him by the time I was a teenager. He would get up at 4:30AM to make coffee and have his breakfast and putter around before walking down the mountain and across the street to the factory for the 6AM whistle. Gram would make his lunch and a thermos of Postum and drive us down in the station wagon to deliver it to him at eleven o'clock. He would usually be sitting on the tailgate of his truck waiting for us, but sometimes we had to wait for him to come through the screen door out of the factory where he'd gone to wash up. He always had a story to tell us as he ate. Then we'd run around to the front of the factory to the village post office to get the mail out of the little wooden box with the window that let us see if there was mail inside. Sometimes we had to go to the cage window to get a larger piece of mail or a small package from the woman behind the bars. She knew us all by name even though we didn't really live there!
Grampa took us hiking and berry picking on the mountain, popped an acre of Jiffy Pop on the stove in the shed-enough to fill enormous plastic bags he brought home from the mill! He was in bed at 7:30PM. We went to bed at 8PM. Lying diagonally across the hall in bed we could hear his Big Ben alarm clock tick-tocking.
He lived to age 91, so got to meet his great-granddaughter. She was still a toddler when he'd take her for a walk to the mailbox now at the top of the steep hill at the end of his long driveway. She'd come back holding his hand, clutching the mail in her other little chubby fist chanting the words he'd taught her, "All checks, no bills!" He got a kick out of that! And she still says, "All checks, no bills!" when she happens to be the one to bring the mail in. It always makes me smile.
My Dad was a first generation American, the middle son of Polish immigrant farmers who mat in Suffield CT in the fields there, married and moved to Hatfield, MA where they farmed and helped other area farmers harvest their potato and onion crops. Dad had some good stories from when he was young. He stayed back in school the first year because he couldn't speak English. His parents spoke Polish at home and the farmers spoke Polish in the fields. he had to learn English, and he did. He never missed another year of school. He was 11 years old when he learned how to drive the farm truck. He was 13 years old when he was driving the truck, saw the town police officer coming and dove into the back seat, leaving the car driverless! It came to a stop, thankfully! His best story was when he and a couple friends skipped school, saw the truant officer coming and ran into the house, hiding under the kitchen table. The officer came to the door and knocked. My Dad cried, "Nobody home!" The truant officer said, "Well, 'Nobody''s going to be in school tomorrow, right?" To which my Dad replied, "Yes, sir!"
Dad was a happy-go-lucky guy with a kind, generous nature. He'd give you the shirt off his back. He was a big kid. His older brother was 12 years older than him. His younger brother passed away at age 2. Mom always said Dad was spoiled rotten as a kid, but I don't think he was. He lost his Dad in 1942 due to a bowel obstruction. The portrait of Joseph Adamcik (Adamczyk originally, but it was changed when they immigrated here) that hung on the formal parlor wall behind the French doors in the farmhouse now hangs on my dining room wall, with a small portrait of Grandma Adamcik and a full figure Army portrait of Uncle Pete who served in WWII. My Dad is also hanging in the dining room beside his and Mom's wedding picture.
I get my easy going nature and sense of fun from my Dad. I get my ability to tell a story from my Grandpa.
I loved them both so much...and I miss them both.
Remembering two great men today on Father's Day.
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