Nina Blakeman's Blog, page 5

2017 Alabama Writing Workshop

I’m excited to be attending the Alabama Writing Workshop on Feb 24 in Birmingham. A one-day writers conference. Join me http://alabamawritingworkshop.com.

Sincerely, Nina Blakeman

Goodnight 2016

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Excerpt from The Blow-up Man:

Todd and Faye were relieved that the night was over, being comforted to see the blue hue emitted from their house as they drove up the street. Outside, the Christmas lights were strung along the roofline and eaves, on top of the bushes and trees, and lining the driveway and path that led to their front door. The lights didn’t blink, but lit a constant, deep, ethereal glow over the Craftsman home.

 

Order your copy of The Blow-up Man today, available at Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or http://www.outskirtspress.com/theblowupman. Looking for an eBook? The Blow-up Man is also available in Kindle, Nook, and iBook editions.

 

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

It’s West Texas cold! Good day to read The Blow-up Man.

Home Sweet Home No. 19

I’m looking forward to be at the Swisher County Museum, December 3 from 10-12 for a book signing. If you have someone on your list this year that has everything, I bet they don’t have a signed copy of The Blow-up Man, Readers’ Choice Award Finalist. The museum is located at 127 SW 2nd, Tulia, Texas. See you there!

Home Sweet Home No.18

Oh, the beauty of a small town…

 

 

Happy Veteran’s Day!

As a proud mother of a veteran, I wanted to acknowledge my son Tony and all of those that have served our country. This last Tuesday, it was my privilege to work as a Presiding Judge in one of the polling places in Swisher County. I’ve done it a couple of times, but never such a contentious election with people turning out in record numbers to vote. I got up to the voting center at 6:00 a.m. with flashlight in hand (it had to be ready to open at 7:00 a.m.). As I was unlocking the door, right on my heels, was an inspector from the Office of the Secretary of State. It was a LONG day, but things went fine and the voters minded their P’s and Q’s. It was definitely a memorable election, but we need to remember all those that protect our freedom and the right to vote!

Well, I Guess I’ll Just Keep Writing!

Home Sweet Home No. 17

Oh, the beauty of a small town. Now depending on how cynical the reader is, some might think that this post might have a negative connotation. After all, isn’t the small town notorious for having nothing to do and everybody gets into everybody else’s business? But this post isn’t like that at all.

My story begins to unfold about nine o’clock last night. Scot and I were about to watch the early news and start settling down for the night. The phone rang. It was the Tulia Police Department. The woman on the other line told me that they had my purse. Apparently, I’d left it at The Asian Wok. That was where my husband and I had an early supper. The staff thought I’d return for it after I realized I had left it. But frankly, I was about to bed down for the night without even realizing my faux pas. When I hadn’t returned for it, someone at The Asian Wok dropped it off at the police department.

So, Scot drives me up there. After all, who drives up to the police department with no driver’s license? Also, I didn’t have my keys…they were in the purse. On the drive into town, Scot teased me, “Here we go, into the night, to bail your purse out of jail. What if they searched your purse for drugs, only to find your asthma inhaler?”

“Ha, ha,” I mumbled back. He parks in front of the station, and I go in. A friendly woman turns the purse over.  Everything was there—cash, credit cards, iPhone, the keys to my SUV and house…and yes, the inhaler.

We are driving home, and Scot’s cell phone rang. It was the hospital. He’s not on-call—that comes the next day. He wants to get home and make an early night of it. He may not get much sleep for the next 48 hours. The call slips to voicemail. In the garage, he checks his messages. It was someone working the evening shift. The message said, “Dr. Blakeman, I just wanted to tell you that the police department called. They have your wife’s purse. It was left at The Asian Wok earlier.” We both busted out laughing.

So, when I say, “Oh, the beauty of a small town,” I mean it, sincerely. I want to thank all those who looked to see that I got my purse back—the staff at The Asian Wok, Tulia Police Department, the night-shift worker at Swisher Memorial Hospital, and of course, Scot.

With all the bad stuff the media pumps into our living rooms, know that good people are alive and well in Tulia, Texas. I’ll close this post with a short clip of a peaceful scene with a hummingbird taken in my backyard, a few miles outside the town.

P.S. For those that haven’t had a chance to visit my new website for The Blow-up Man, here’s the link

http://outskirtspress.com/webpage?isbn=9781478766629#details. Be sure to like it!

Go Pack Go! No. 1

Well, tomorrow is the big day—the Hall of Fame Game where the Packers play the Colts. Those of you who saw the back cover of The Blow-up Man know that I’m a fan of the Green Bay Packers. Here’s a picture of the line-up at the Blakeman house:

My husband Scot will tell you, if I see a perfect stranger in Packer attire, I’ll introduce myself with a hearty Go Pack Go! Once I had lay-over in Chicago, Bears country. At my gate, in the midst of all the people, I saw a gentleman sitting down with an open chair beside him. Across the back of his cap read PACKERS. Once seated, I showed him a picture of Jordy Nelson that I had on my phone…instant friends. As preseason kicks off, the Packers have their concerns: Jordy’s other knee, Lacy’s weight, and the whole Olivia Munn thing (the girlfriend of Aaron Rodgers). Is she breaking the Rodgers’ family apart? Will the Rodgers’ family accept Jordan’s fiancée, Jo-Jo, from the Bachelorette? This is a lot to process.

Being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is former quarterback, Brett Favre. Last I heard of him, he had supposedly sent pictures of his wee-wee to a reporter, Jenn Sterger. Some people just have too much time on their hands. Where will I be on Sunday night at 7:00 pm CST? I’ll be watching ESPN.  Go Pack Go, Nina B.

Home Sweet Home No. 16

Hello everyone! I know it’s been a while, but I’ve been enjoying the summer and I hope you have, too. I’ve been traveling, visiting family, and of course, writing. In fact, this last Tuesday, I just finished the first half of the sequel to The Blow-up Man. I’ve told readers that my country place, outside Tulia, Texas, was the inspiration for The Blow-up Man’s creepy, dark Dolce place, and that was true. But this summer, beauty is reaching out in just about every direction around here. I wanted to take an opportunity to share some of it with you. Be sure to check out the little marigold that found a place in the concrete walkway. I didn’t have the heart to pull it. Talk to you soon, Nina B.

P.S.  I wanted to thank everyone who came out to my book signing. It was a blast!