Liz Flaherty's Blog, page 28

Jumper Cables and Blue Butterflies by Liz Flaherty

Friday

I haven't had a very good week. Nothing wrong, exactly, just some upheaval, a decision I didn't want to make, and a sad anniversary. We all have weeks like this, don't we? They're when we cry in the shower, forget anything's cooking until the smoke alarm goes off, and stub our toes on...nothing. The floor can be as flat as a griddle and it will still trip you up! You've read about my broken nose, but...yeah, that's how it happened. 

So, today I got my nails done. My neighbor, Bev, was in th...

For the Love of Grace by Nancy Fraser #WriterMonday

Ghosts of New England: Last Light Point
Book #3
For the Love of Grace
by Nancy Fraser

Fall, 1941

Grace O’Hearn and her father have lived in Last Light Point since before the ’29 stock market crash that took so much from so many. Still, somehow, they managed to keep afloat, often lending a hand to those in dire need.

Now—many years later—things are finally picking up again. So much so, the tavern is a much-coveted piece of property. When Grace’s father is brutally murdered, the main suspect is a prop...

Like the Blue Jay by Liz Flaherty

I found this the other day. While I know when I wrote it, I don't actually recall doing it. It was a rough time--the pain in my neck shoulder was intense and I wasn't in all that good of a personal place, either. It's the only thing I've ever written that was ever influenced by...what, substance use? Although the Percocet was legal, and I took it comparatively sparingly, it made me as well as my writing voice different. Something I find odd is that I'm using this today to avoid writing about pol...

Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder by Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell

 

It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.

Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.

Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel...

Waxing Gibbous by Liz Flaherty

It was a dark and stormy night...no, really, it was. I thought I saw the moon hanging clear and pale orange this morning, but when I went to take a picture of it, I can't find it. I don't know how you lose the moon, but I appear to have done so. Thinking I had imagined it, I looked up the moon's phase today and found this: 

"Today, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous, with an illumination of 79.37%. It is currently 10.33 days old on Saturday, April 1, 2023. The moon is currently located in the const...

Smoke and Mirrors by Kathryn Hills #WednesdayattheWindow

Ghosts of New England: Last Light Point
Book #2
Smoke and Mirrors
by Kathryn Hills

Sometimes when you knock on heaven’s door. . .the dead answer back.

Autumn, 1867

Willow Pinch lives life on a razor’s edge in world of deception and disguise. By day she hides in plain sight as Will, a servant boy. Nights are spent as a table knocker, aiding so-called spiritualists in duping townsfolk into believing loved ones speak from the grave. That is until the ghosts of Last Light Point unmask her before the onl...

Stop and Smell the Roses by Darlene Fredette

One day last week, during my book tour with Trickster, I had a guest spot where I talked about working with a group of writers on the Mortar and Pestle series. I tried to jump ship a couple of times, but they pulled me from the deep waters. I’m happy they did as I made some new friends, and I wrote a story I absolutely love.
As much fun as the collaboration was, it may be my last writing project with and without a group. I’m seriously thinking about retiring my writing cap. I’ve considered retiri...

Ghosts of New England by Lisa A. Olech #WriterMonday

Ghosts of New England: Last Light Point

Book #1
The Pirate’s Promise
by Lisa A. Olech

Autumn, 1728

The Crowe’s Nest Tavern was located in a very fortuitous place. If you were condemned to hang in Execution Square, they were your last stop!

Everly Crowe along with her father and two sisters ran The Crowe’s Nest Tavern that was rumored to be slightly haunted, although Everly never believed in such foolishness….until she did.

John Beckett was a pirate, or not. Forced upon the account, he’d lost his b...

Joe, Dr. Suess, and an Ikea Couch by Joe DeRozier

I was going to write a post this this week...no, really, I was. But then I read this essay by Joe DeRozier and decided it would be a good Saturday morning for me to just sit back and enjoy. I hope you do, too, and I hope you let me come back next week after reading this. Have a great week and be nice to somebody. - Liz

I was sitting on the mini-couch in my wife's Pipe Creek kindergarten class while perusing Dr. Seuss 's Hop on Pop. For just a second, I smiled as I fondly reminisced about the days...

Strange Places by Liz Flaherty

 "It's not my job to be mad at you." 

The quote above came from "Ask Amy," an advice column in the Chicago Tribune. It was totally unrelated to anything in my life. It was also just about the coolest thing I've read in a long time. 

I was going to write the column on that, but I'm not going to bother, just as I'm not going to be mad at people whose opinions and actions I can't do anything about. It's pointless and it's not my job. 

Instead, I'm going to smile and wave when I see you, open the door ...