Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 26

Robbie’s Inspiration – Blog Tour: Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates Book 3 by Robert White #readingcommunity #booktour

Picture caption: Banner for the WordCrafter Book Blog Tour for Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates: Book 3 featuring the book cover and yellow crime tape.Giveaway

Each stop where you leave a comment, you get another chance to win one of five digital copies, and one signed print copy of Northtown Angelus.

Are Women the Same as Men (in Mystery Fiction)?

Women comprise eighty percent of mystery fiction’s audience. Does that put male writers of mystery, especially hardboiled, at a disadvantage? The “right” answer is “of course not.” Then one might add a sop to all the tough female cops, detectives, and female private investigators out there. That’s called virtue signaling. The truth is that men are at a disadvantage in this prolific and diverse genre regardless. Let’s put aside the squeeze that women editors and agents in the big houses of NYC already possess. Add to that the overwhelming number of female bloggers. I have no statistics to offer, but I’ll put my house up for sale if I’m wrong. The numbers themselves wouldn’t be relevant if it weren’t for the bias.

What bias? I’m not talking about insane, off-the-wall depictions of homicidal violence. I’m talking about the knee-jerk reaction against it. The whiff of it alone is enough to make all those sanctimonious women bloggers with lacy curtains, unicorns, and flowers decorating their websites shun a request for a review from a male writer of violent fiction. Yet few women doting on cozies reject the caricaturizing of female protagonists in popular culture. It’s taken a long time for male writers to resist making their male protagonists Mickey Spillane knockoffs who bench press 300, beat up the bad guy, and seduce half-a-dozen women along the way. The danger of avoiding the stereotypes is that some male detectives become caricatures careening too far in the opposite direction—men as sensitive as hot-house plants,  weeping copious tears if a PETA letter arrives in their mailbox.

The women who turn a blind eye to biological males competing in women’s sports do the same. They want the caricatures, not the truth. And the truth is that (most) women cannot compete physically against (most) men in physical competition. Women are not as tough as men. That’s biology, the real biology, not Hollywood’s. That doesn’t imply they use sex to get what they want or have Mensa IQs.

It simply means that female writers, editors, bloggers should cut some slack to male writers who expose the violence of society in their story worlds. By the way, roughly half my novels and short stories feature women protagonists, antagonists. I’ve never had illusions about women as being possessed of the capacity for good or evil. I just know they can’t perform physical tasks at the same level as men. 

Picture caption: Promotional banner for Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates: Book 3 featuring the book cover and yellow crime tape.About Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates: Book 3

Johnny Dillon took his life. His wife Cora wants to know why. The Northtown cops don’t care; they closed the case as a suicide. The M.E. hasn’t got any answers for the discrepancies Ray Jarvi discovered in the autopsy report and from what Johnny’s wife told him about the days leading up to his decision to take his life.

This is the beginning of an investigation for private investigator Ray Jarvi, who follows a twisting path of corruption and vice in his rust-belt town on the shores of Lake Erie to help her find some resolution to the worst day in her life. Like a medieval play between warring devils and angels battling for a soul, he must deal with a variety of Northtowners who play one part or the other on his journey to find those answers. Getting past one obstacle only leads to another—and another. Before long, Jarvi does not know whom to trust. He realizes nothing in his town is what it appears to be and that there are some dangerous people who like it that way.

You can purchase Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates: Book 3 from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Northtown-Angelus-Raimo-Jarvi-Investigates/dp/B0CRQ66L4Y

Picture caption: Book cover for Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates Book 3 featuring a man with dark hair in a thick coat looking at the window of a building. The background is a harbour featuring small boats. About Robert WhitePicture caption: Robert White’s author photograph. Robert has white hair and a white beard. He is wearing a white shirt and the background is yellow.

Robert T. White writes from Northeastern Ohio. He has published several crime, noir, hardboiled novels and genre stories in various magazines and anthologies. He’s been nominated for a Derringer. “Inside Man,” a crime story, was selected for Best American Mystery Stories 2019. His second hardboiled p.i. series (after the Thomas Haftmann mysteries begun in 2011 with Haftmann’s Rules) features Raimo Jarvi in Northtown Eclipse (Fahrenheit Press, 2018) and Northtown Blitz (2020). British website Murder, Mayhem & More cited When You Run with Wolves (rpt. 2018) as a finalist for Top Ten Crime Books of 2018 and Perfect Killer in 2019. “If I Let You Get Me” was selected for the Bouchercon 2019 anthology and The Russian Heist (Moonshine Cove, 2019), another crime thriller, was selected by Thriller Magazine as winner of its Best Novel category. “Out of Breath” and Other Stories is a mixed collection of mainstream and noir fiction (Red Giant Press, 2013).

Find Robert White’s books on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-White/author/B001JP338Q

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reena’s Xploration Challenge #321: I am a Modern Woman, and Tanka Tuesday #poetry #photographs

I am a Modern Woman

I am a modern woman

I dance along the executive mile

Enter the ivory tower

My long ponytail swings

My ballet styled shoes dance

And my black net skirt swishes

I have been summonsed

To give some advice

Help untangle the mess

Created by arrogance

And lack of perception

***

I am a modern woman

I enter the board room

Lone rose among many thorns

I never say their way is wrong

I’m far to clever for that

Instead: If you do it that way

This will be the result

Is that what you intended?

The approach soon changes

Contracts redrafted

Mindsets shifted

***

I am a modern woman

I could smash the glass ceiling

Join the gloom on the top floor

Sit behind a heavy teak desk

In a black leather swivel chair

Swop my pink flowery pants

For a high power business suit

And my flat shiny shoes

For sensible low heeled courts

I could earn more money

The price: Giving up everything

That doesn’t make money

***

I’m a modern woman

I make my own choices

I didn’t have a family

To spend all my time

Trapped in board rooms

Eating biscuits and drinking coffee

While discussing old issues

Rehashed to look new

I have many hobbies

Work one of many interests

So, I stay on the second floor

They call me when they need me

This is my contribution to Reena’s challenge for International Women’s Day. Life is short so be careful what you wish for. Based on my twenty five years of observation, many high profile jobs are just not worth the personal sacrifices involved.

You can join in Reena’s challenge here: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2024/03/07/reenas-xploration-challenge-321/

Tanka Tuesday

For Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday, my fascination with the reproductive cycle of flora continues. This week, it was the palm trees that caught my attention and camera.

Palm Queens (Etheree)Picture caption: Yellow flowers on the palm tree

Tall

Straight backed

With outspread

Fronds interspersed

With orange flowers

The green palm queen dazzles

In her autumn finery

Attracting numerous insects

Which perform pollination duties

Ensuring the development of seeds

Picture caption: Palm tree nuts – I won’t tell you how I got this picture other than to say anyone watching would think I’m nuts – haha!

You can join in Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/05/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-24-3-5-24-part-i-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%e8%9f/

Robbie’s Inspiration – W3 poetry and Sunday Stills and 500 tiny friends #poetry #photographs

W3 poetry promptJane’s prompt guidelinesWrite a poem of three stanzas inspired by the phrase ‘A Wilted Flower’;Rhyming: Optional

You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/03/06/w3-prompt-97-weave-written-weekly/

I’ve written a puente poem. This form has three stanzas with the first and third stanza having the same number of lines and the middle stanza having only one line that acts as a bridge between the ideas in the first and third stanza.

Sleepless Wonder

Eagerly we awaited the birth of our oldest son

Soon to be parents, we were filled with anticipation

When he finally entered this world, our joy overflowed

Our baby fulfilled our greatest wish; made us a family

– but, our angel never slept –

Days and nights confused, he kept me awake

Singing, I walked him up and down the passage

Arms, back and legs aching, I wilted like a flower

Desperately deprived of sleep, I soldiered on

Sunday Stills – Rain

Terri’s challenge this week is rain. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2024/03/03/sunday-stills-rain-rain-go-away/

We haven’t been getting that much rain. We get short heavy showers but it is nowhere near enough.

Picture caption: It is raining but the sun is shiningPicture caption: Raindrops on roses500 new pets

Marsha wrote a fun post about inspiring pets which you can read here: https://alwayswrite.blog/2024/03/06/wq-163-march-6-the-inspiring-world-of-animals/.

My latest batch of 500 friends are starting to leave the nest. I’ve managed to keep this nest hidden from TC the spider killer for a while and they are nearly safe now.

They have eight legs a piece and they’re all called Miranda …

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog from MasticadoresUSA: The Modern Siren #poetry

Thank you to Barbara Harris Leonhard for publishing my poem.

“The Modern Siren” by Robbie Cheadle

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday, more about mielies #poetry #wildlifepictures

These poems are for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday challenge. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/27/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-23-2-27-24-part-ii-snow-becomes-rain-february-19-march-4-usui-%e9%9b%a8%e6%b0%b4/

My fascination with the mielie plants continues. I noticed this week that the ears do not appear in the same place as the tassels. In fact, the tassels and the beginnings of the ears appear at the same time but in different places. This led to some research and learnings. I am sure anyone who farms knows this, but I didn’t.

Male and female inflorescence (tanka)

Long yellow tassels

Contain flowers and pollen

Of male persuasion

Stalks, sheathed ears, kernels, and silk

Contribute the feminine

Male tassels of the mielie plantWind pollination (tanka)

Yellow male tassels

Tinged with pink; produce pollen

Which, when caught by wind

Pollinate the waiting silks

Of the female. Corn results

The female stalk, sheathed ear, and silk which later become kernelsLingering Heat (choka)

Overheated air

Collects in the green valley

Insidious gas

Invisible, vapourless

Sticky like syrup

Collecting like thick fluid

Inside waiting lungs

Slowing blood circulation

Limbs and head, slow and sluggish

In the valley alongside the Groot Marico RiverA herd of hot Cape buffalo making their way down to the riverLioness lazing in the shadeLion lazing in the shade. The only creatures that could get these lions to move on such a hot day are elephants. Lions are respectful of elephants.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday and fondant dogs #poetry #fondantart #dogs

Tanka Tuesday

I have two haikus to share for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday poetry challenge. The first signs of autumn are visible although it is still very hot.

Haiku 1

Like threads of grey hair

The first red leaves of autumn

Summer shows her age

Haiku 2

Red and yellow leaf

Indicator of autumn

Unwanted first sign

Haiku 3

Flowers, past their prime

Welcome a manmade shower

Revived by fake rain

Fondant dogs

I am sharing my fondant dogs as a tribute to Pete’s wonderful Ollie who passed earlier this week. Rest in peace, Ollie. You can read Pete’s sad news here: https://beetleypete.com/2024/02/25/sunday-musings-about-ollie/

Robbie’s Inspiration: Repost Treasuring Poetry – Poet and editor of MasticadoresUSA, Barbara Harris Leonhard, talks about poetry and a review #poetrycommunity #bookreview

Please join me at Writing to be Read for an interesting discussion about poetry with Barbara Harris Leonhard and my review of her inaugural poetry book. Thank you for hosting Kaye Lynne Booth.

A huge welcome to Barbara Harris Leonard, editor of MasticardoresUSA, and talented poet, to Treasuring Poetry. What is your favourite style of poetry…

Treasuring Poetry – Poet and editor of MasticadoresUSA, Barbara Harris Leonhard, talks about poetry and a review #poetrycommunity #bookreview

Robbie’s Inspiration – How to make a life-sized guitar cake #baking #cakeart

On request, I am sharing the process I underwent to make Michael’s life sized guitar cake. The cake was for his 18th birthday and I planned it in advance (I always plan everything in advance).

In advance

During my December holidays, I traced his Fender guitar onto baking paper. I also took a series of photographs of it so that I could examine the detail (without him glowering sullenly over my shoulder at my touching his prized possession).

I then baked three large rectangular cakes. I always use sponge cakes for cake modelling as they don’t crumble as much. I cut out my tracings and fitted them to the three cakes (2 vanilla sponge and 1 chocolate sponge). I then cut the cakes into the guitar pieces using a sharp knife. I froze the pieces wrapped in silver foil.

I then made a large amount of butter icing and coloured it a bluish purple. This I kept in the refrigerator for the 3 weeks until the birthday.

I made the decorations for the guitar using fondant or sugar dough. I buy the fondant and roll it out using corn starch to prevent it from sticking. I cut the fondant to the required shapes using my tracings for the guitar details. I then painted them using gold, silver, and black power food colour. I used edible quick dry fluid to mix the food colouring. I painted Smarties for certain knobs on the guitar and used fruit jelly sweets for other. You will have to work out what these are from the picture. I don’t know all the guitar bits and bobs.

Assembly

48 hours before I needed to work on the cakes, I put them in the fridge to defrost slowly. This way they don’t go soggy with moisture.

I then laid out the cake. As it was so big, I had to use four cake boards and I had to do a bit of recutting and modelling so that I could ice the cakes on each board separately and then assemble them on the table. If you look carefully at the laid out cake below, you will see the fresh cuts where the cake boards join. TC helped me do this in the most efficient way.

The next step was to do a crumb coat. I applied a thin layer of butter icing to each piece and then refrigerated them. Once the crumb coats had set, I applied a thicker icing coating.

Once all the pieces of cake on each cake board were iced, I carried them to the table and assembled them in a line to form a guitar. I then added the decorations using royal icing to ‘glue’ them in place.

This was the final cake.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Tanka Tuesday and photographs #poetry #pictures

You can join in Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/13/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-21-2-13-24-part-ii-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%a5-24/

Aiming High

(A nine-line chōka of 5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-7)

Reaching for the sky

Slender stalks of the mielie plants

Dark green and dusty

Growing higher and higher

Until they falter

Some support is required

Nature finds a way

Light green tendrils burrow down

Assisted growth continues

Micro poem

Heavy clouds stack up

Laden with summer rainfall

Sun salutes in pink

The morning after (shadorma)

Fragile globes

Painted with gold sheen

Shimmering

Glistening

Overnight rain gives morning

A gleaming greeting

Nature’s handcrafts (tanka)

Dainty spider web

Sparkling in late summer sun

Rainbow of colours

Highlights intricate details

Of remarkable craftwork

Robbie’s Inspiration – Reblog, Growing Bookworms: Meet prolific children’s book author, Janice Spina, and a review #growingbookworms #childrensfiction

Thank you to children’s book author, Janice Spina, for being a wonderful guest for my February Growing Bookworms post. Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Growing Bookworms – Meet prolific children’s book author, Janice Spina, and a review #GrowingBookworms #readingcommunity #childrensfiction