Martha Geaney's Blog, page 9
November 2, 2019
What are you doing for the next hour?
“The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”
William Wordsworth
That poem “The World is Too Much With Us” has been a favorite of mine since high school. I’ve muttered those first two lines to myself many times throughout my life. Always wondering if I’m following my heart…doing what feeds my soul.
This month is National Novel Writing Month (otherwise known as NaNoWriMo). Taking the advice of a writing colleague, Valerie Willis, I decided to signup this year. Now, the goal is to write 50,000 words in one month which sounds gargantuan until you do the math. It comes out to somewhere around 1600 words a day. For me that equates to about four hours a day which is an amount of time that I don’t usually have at my disposal. So….I’d decided that this wasn’t for me.
But then I received the NaNoWriMo kickoff email from Anne Lamott. She wrote a wonderful book about writing several years ago: Bird by Bird. Her email challenged everyone to put aside one hour a day to write. It can be any kind of writing, a journal, a blog, a novel, play, poetry…So, that’s my goal this month. At least an hour a day. Some days that might mean 200 words; other days it might just be 50.
But that hour is not a waste of my power. It gives me the perspective I need to care for the people in my life; to do the things that I am responsible for.
So, my question to you Dear Readers: What is it you want to do with an hour a day? What feeds your soul? What gives you power? Do it. Take an hour. And, let me know how it goes.
In the meanwhile, keep the love going,
Martha
October 26, 2019
The Cottages Left Behind
Yesterday my Facebook author’s page featured a cottage in Ireland. Today, Bill and I went to see the Downton Abbey movie. In the very last scene of the movie, Charles makes the observation that 100 years from now Downton Abbey will still be there. The picturesque cottage on my Facebook page and Charles’ declaration caused me to recall a conversation with my mother, many years ago, in which she noted, with sadness, the empty cottages, some still intact and some just a crumbing pile of stones in Ireland. Homes from which many left to find work and life in a another country. Homes where the family line has extinguished.
I guess this may be one of the reasons why some of us, me included, feel a deep connection to where our family comes from. Our roots. It’s one of the themes in my Star O’Brien mystery series. Star longs to find her mother or at the very least what happened to her. She’ll never believe her mother abandoned her. In her search for her mother, she hopes to find herself and ultimately feel firmly rooted in who she is.
Isn’t this what we are all looking for? Is it what we all hope for?
In the meanwhile, keep the love going,
Martha
October 19, 2019
Rainy Days
“But peace and quiet were the last things we were to have.”
Narrator in “The Moving Finger”
Raining here today in Florida-one of those peace and quiet days. It’s the kind of day I like because we’ll be indoors so there’s lots of time for writing. I’m working on the synopsis for Death at Ashford Castle. The cover design project kicks off on November 11 and the designer wants the synopsis as input to her work.
[image error]A rainy day on the walk around Loch Corrib, near Ashford Castle.
I also love rainy days because I get to catch up on reading. Today it’s Agatha Christie’s The Moving Finger. I love the Miss Marple novels. Although Star O’Brien is no Miss Marple, Star does get pulled into some murder cases.
What are some of your Miss Marple favorites? I’d love to hear from Star’s fans.
In the meanwhile, keep the love going.
Martha
October 13, 2019
The Mystery Genre ain’t Easy
Ideas are easy. It’s the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats.
Sue Grafton – Author of the Alphabet Series
I had the privilege of attending two writing workshops this weekend. On Saturday, Valerie Harris, (www.willisauthor.com) presented a two-hour workshop about how reader expectations of a genre drive things like writing style, story themes, cover design, and the overall look and feel of a book. Valerie’s presentation was amazing.
Then on Sunday, I was at the Citrus Crime Writers (a Florida Chapter of Sisters in Crime) meeting. I’m a member. Yea!! Today’s guest speaker was Luci Zahray, also known as “The Poison Lady”. What’s your poison? Strychnine? Arsenic? Let’s just put it this way….I wouldn’t want to eat anything Luci baked. (JUST kidding). But Bill was with me and he didn’t want the pumpkin zucchini bread I baked tonight. Oh my! Is it the zucchini or something else?
[image error]Here I am enjoying “The Poison Lady’s” Presentation
It was a fun weekend. All in pursuit of becoming the best mystery author for Star O’Brien’s fans. I’m thankful to everyone involved: Valerie, Luci, and the Citrus Crime Writers for sharing their love for writing and reading. I hope you all had a great weekend too.
Keep the love going,
Martha
October 10, 2019
My Newsletter has Popped!
Just thrilled that my first newsletter for Star O’Brien fans is out the door. I hope you love it. Let me know what you think!
And, if you haven’t already subscribed, you can visit my web site, www.martha-geaney.com, and sign up for the next one which will probably pop just before my next book in the series, Death at Ashford Castle, is published.
In the meanwhile, keep the love going,
Martha
October 5, 2019
What do you want to know?
It’s Saturday. The day I usually spend some time writing a blog post. So…here I am wondering what you, my readers, would like to hear (or know) about today. Most of my writing time this week has been spent on editing the second book in my Star O’Brien series. It’s probably the third time, I’ve been through the book. There are still some chapters/scenes to add to the book’s mystery timeline. I know some of you are waiting to read what’s happening in Star’s life but I want to make sure everything about the book is top-notch.
I’ve also been doing some thinking and research about what to include in my newsletter. So far I’ve identified the following categories to include in the newsletter: a snippet of background information about Star from the Star O’Brien bible, pictures of real places that will be in the second book (exclusive to the newsletter), maybe snippets from my blog pages (in case someone who signed up for the newsletter doesn’t read the blog). What do you think? What would you like to read about in the newsletter?
I’m getting started on this post a little late today. Our Schipperke, named Turlough, started coughing yesterday afternoon. We took him to the vet early this morning. He’s on a short course of cough med and antibiotic to clear it up. He was sick during most of August with a cough also. He’s still a puppy, just eighteen months old. Right now, he’s resting on the dining room floor. We are trying to keep him from barking or running along so that he can rest.
[image error]I call this picture of his tail “question mark”. Isn’t it beautiful?
[image error]This is me and Turlough in May when we were visiting Blairstown, NJ.
That’s all for me this week. I hope you all have a great week.
Keep the love going,
Martha
September 28, 2019
To Ireland with Love
Bill and I are back from our ten-day trip to County Mayo, Ireland. It was a wonderful week…got to see many of my cousins and launch Death on Clare Island: A Star O’Brien Mystery on that side of the Atlantic. I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of friends and family. Star’s story takes place in County Mayo, Ireland. And, many of the places in the book are real. Here are some pics from the trip.
[image error]French Hill, featured in the series, is a real place.
[image error]The view from French Hill Cottage.
[image error]Curry’s In Westport where Star and Lucia have coffee.
[image error]That’s me….having lunch at Curry’s.
[image error]Family and friends at The Castle Book Shop.
If you haven’t already done so, sign up for my newsletter.
I’ll be sharing some unpublished pics and info about the next book in the Star
O’Brien series. And, extra bonus, you’ll get a map of Clare Island to follow as
you read along in the first book.
Keep the love going,
Martha
Castle Book Shop is the Best!
[image error]Cousins and Friends…I love them!
[image error]David and his crew created this amazing welcoming display for the event.
[image error]The Castle Book Shop on Castle Street, Castlebar, County Mayo
David and the crew at The Castle Book Shop hosted the Irish launch of Death on Clare Island: A Star O’Brien Mystery Series on Friday, September 13th. What a great group of people and place! I’ve visited the store during my many trips to Castlebar; oftentimes to pick up a mystery book to read while on vacation. And now here I am with my own mystery series. The book shop also hosts a web site that features books (fiction and non-fiction) about County Mayo. You can check it out here: www.mayobooks.ie. (My book is on it!) Here are some pics from the event. And, if you have time, go on over to the Castle Book Shop on Facebook and show them some luv with a like.
Keep the love going,
Martha
August 29, 2019
Wow! Midwest Radio in Ireland Live Interview
I want to sincerely thank Tommy Marren, host of the
Tommy Marren Show on Midwest Radio for hosting me on his show yesterday
morning. Also, a huge thank you to Ciara Mannioin, also at Midwest, who
coordinated the entire event. If you’d like to listen to the interview, here’s a
link to the audio file.
I’m looking forward to listening to Midwest when I get to Ireland next week. In fact, as soon as I can I usually tune the car radio to Midwest to keep me company on the drive from Shannon to Castlebar. I’ve mentioned in other posts that there’s no television in the cottage. I always look forward to listening to Midwest in the morning and then again in the evenings. The opportunity to get away from the wall to wall television here in the US is a restful component of my vacation.
Thanks again to Midwest Radio for your hospitality and
demonstrating once again Ireland’s and especially County Mayo’s warmth and
welcoming spirit.
Keep the love going, Martha
August 6, 2019
Céad Míle Fáilte
Ireland: Land of a Hundred Thousand Welcomes. This
lrish saying is something I’ve seen and heard countless times since I was four
years old. That’s when I made my first visit to Counties Mayo and Cork with my parents.
Over the years I’ve traveled to Ireland many times and have had an opportunity
to experience the warmth and welcoming spirit of the Emerald Isle.
For me this saying has a deeper meaning. My mother
left Ireland when she was sixteen years old. Fortunately, she’s had an
opportunity to return many times. She and my father even lived there for a few
years after they bought a cottage. But
my mom was the only one of her siblings who left Ireland. So, for me and my two
brothers growing up in New York and New Jersey, it was a special treat to go to
Ireland. What a welcome! The excitement of meeting aunts, uncles, and cousins.
It didn’t matter how many times I went to Ireland; the welcome was always
there, always fresh.
People here in the US would often ask “Aren’t you
afraid to travel alone?” Me, “no”. Not when my trip took me to French Hill,
Castlebar, County Mayo. There was family to see. Tea to be brewed. (Oh, as much
as they love me, they wouldn’t want me to brew the tea…too weak), brown bread
and butter to eat. It doesn’t matter where you go in Ireland…someone will
always welcome you. There will always be a cup of tea (cupán tae) if you need
it.
In September I will be in Castlebar for the launch of
my book Death on Clare Island. I will be interviewed on Midwest Radio
and hold a book reading at the Castle Book Shop on Castle Street. I’m excited
about all of this but the most amazing part of it all: how welcoming and
hospitable the radio station and book store owner is. I called and explained
who I am and what I’d like to do. And they said “Yes.” They welcomed me and
will accommodate my schedule and wishes. This is the sense of openness and
community I’ve witnessed in this land of a hundred thousand welcomes throughout
my life.
Several years ago, I published a journal article about how to create and live in community. It takes trust, respect, love, and the idea of liability for each other. Yes, we are all individuals but I believe our sense of being also comes from our relationships with others. Those relationships often shape who we are, our spirit, and our mind.
I guess for me all the welcomes, the cups of tea, the love, the support, and understanding for someone who pops into the country once in a while has been a core part of who I have become.
Star O’Brien, the main character in the Star O’Brien
mystery series also experiences this welcoming spirit when she arrives in Ireland.
I hope that as time goes on, Star will also find that she is part of an amazing
community.
Keep the love going, Martha
