Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 16

Double Release Day plus #Giveaways!

Edith/Maddie here, celebrating the beginning of real summer north of Boston.

And I’m delighted to share today’s release day post with Jessie. MyMurder at the Rusty Anchor, the sixth Cozy Capers Book Group mystery, is out along with her Murder at an English Seance!

Here’s Jessie’s blurb: Hidden beneath her British reserve, Edwina has a secret: she’s finished her novel and is bravely mailing the manuscript to a publisher. Beryl also has a secret: as thanks for solving a case, the American adventuress has been gifted an airplane. After swooping over the fields and hedgerows of Walmsley Parva, livestock scattering beneath her, she flamboyantly lands the plane on the village green, prompting a startled Edwina to consider a stiff gin fizz.

Beryl’s aircraft is not the only disruption of village peace. Miss Dinsdale, a psychic medium, has started holding séances. After the church organist resigns to serve as musical accompaniment for the séances, the vicar’s wife hires the enquiry agents to expose the medium as a charlatan. Beryl is confident she can spot the fraud, having learned from Harry Houdini himself some tricks of the trade. The dubious Miss Dinsdale claims her spirit guide is an Egyptian princess whose mummy resides in a sarcophagus in the room. But the only body in the sarcophagus belongs to a murdered villager impaled with a dagger.

As the sleuths begin to investigate, Beryl discovers her plane has been sabotaged and wonders if there’s a connection. Whether in the air or on terra firma, Beryl and Edwina must go round a circle of suspects to divine the culprit . . .

And here’s the Rusty Anchor blurb: There’s deadweight behind the bar at the Rusty Anchor and it’s up to Cape Cod bike shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida to solve the murder. On a rainy July Monday, the chef opens up and finds a body behind the bar. It’s last call for Bruce Byrne, an elderly high school teacher who’s been around so long it seems like he taught everybody. With no end in sight to the rain, the Cozy Capers Book group has plenty of time to study the clues and sort through a roll call of suspects to determine who decided to teach Mr. Bryne a lesson. But with a killer desperate to cover their tracks, Mac and the group will be tested as never before . . .

Jessie: Launch Days are always such fun! I love spending time in the imagined worlds of my books, but it is also an enormous pleasure to share that space with readers. In the previous novel, Murder at a London Finishing School, the story took place outside of the usual setting of Walmsley Parva. It was nice to let my sleuths loose on a wider stage, but I confess, it is lovely to have them back home in their village where they are surrounded by friends, neighbors, and those who have come to feel like family.

I also took the opportunity to visit one of my favorite areas to research, mediumship and the paranormal. A few years I wrote two books featuring a clairaudient tarot card reader and have wanted to have the chance to feature a character that claimed to have that sort of power, as well as the ones who believed them, once again. Spiritualism and mediums were popular between the wars so this was the perfect chance to write another story along those lines.

Both Beryl and Edwina have grown and changed so much over the series and in this book I think that Edwina, in particular, has come into her own. Beryl finds new horizons to embrace as well. Simpkins, Beddoes, and Charles all are called to stretch themselves as well. I loved writing this installment of their intrepid adventures and hope that you will too!

Edith/Maddie: Congratulations, Jessie! When I started this series, my editor suggested the book title pattern – each book would have a murder in or at one of the businesses in town (plus the cottage Mac and Tim live in). I created the Rusty Anchor pub during Murder in a Cape Cottage, and I really, really wish I could pop in there for a beer this afternoon. It’s very loosely modeled on the Choate Bridge Pub in historic Ipswich, Massachusetts, where Hugh and I used to live. We could walk down the hill, have a platter of fried Ipswich clams with onion rings and a draft IPA, and walk home.

Murder in a Cape Cottage is set during the week after Christmas. One cold dark afternoon Mac is feeling worried and down when she runs into her mom on the sidewalk. Astra sweeps her into the pub, and they have hot toddies and a big plate of french fries. Doesn’t that sound perfect?

My fictional Rusty Anchor has a horseshoe-shaped bar, tables and booths, and a fireplace lit in the winter. An actual rusty anchor hangs at a rakish angle from a rod above the door outside, and neon beer signs light the windows. The bar itself is of maple with plenty of clear sealing so it’s impervious to dings and spills. Pendant lights hang above it. In Murder at the Rusty Anchor, Mac goes in one afternoon later in the week for a cup of swoon-worthy creamy clam chowder. Have I convinced you yet? Whether you are a pub-goer or not, I hope you love my new story.

Readers: Have you ever attended a seance or consulted a psychic medium? Jessie will send two lucky winners a copy of Murder at an English Seance. Where is your favorite place to pop in for casual food and maybe an adult beverage? Edith/Maddie will send two lucky winners copy of Murder at the Rusty Anchor plus a Cape Cod sticker and either a lobster or a lighthouse cookie cutter!

You Had Me at Hello — Welcome Back Judy Penz Sheluk

It’s always fun to welcome return guests back to the Wickeds and Judy is back with a new short story anthology, Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, that she edited!

Judy: There’s a great line, made famous by the movie Jerry Maguire, where Renee Zellweger says to Tom Cruise, “You had me at hello.” Selecting stories for a multi-author anthology can be a bit like that. I qualify the statement with “can be” because sometimes it’s the ending that seals the deal, and other times it’s a twist I didn’t see coming, or a character I found myself rooting for. But this post is about “having me at hello” and the three stories showcased here fall into that category.

Uncle Randy’s Money by Charlie Kondek

The Opening: Probably they were just men and women like you or I, but in my imagination and memory the desperadoes and sunflower maidens of the late ’70s and early ’80s strode denim-clad, slender and calibrated as dancers through the sidewalks and driveways of my childhood. Every man looked like an ad for leather coats and cigarettes, every woman like Linda Ronstadt or Toni Tennille, my parents, aunts, uncles, and their friends, including, or perhaps especially, my Uncle Randy. He was my mother’s brother, returning to Michigan after a long absence and amidst much murmuring because my grandfather their father was dying.

We know, immediately, that the narrator is going to take is time spinning this tale. The long sentences, the evocative and nostalgic descriptions of a simpler (or at least, different) time. What we don’t know why Uncle Randy’s been away for an extended time or (based on the title) what his money has to do with anything. And I really want to find out.

Hit-and-Run by Christina Boufis

The Opening: Marcy told no one. Ted insisted nothing had happened and there was nothing to tell. But this didn’t stop Marcy from imagining what she should have done, could still do. She could go to the police. Confess everything.

We can assume from the title there’s been a hit-and-run. And we can further assume that Marcy and Ted were involved as the hitters-and-runners. What we don’t know is why…or what Marcy intends to do about it. Because we’re pretty sure she’s feeling guilty. But is she feeling guilty enough to confess? Enquiring minds need to know!

The Hospital Boomerang by Kevin Tipple

The Opening: It was the damn beeping that woke me up. I opened my eyes, only to see the same crappy tile overhead that I had seen once before. A heart monitor and an IV drip machine beeped. I looked down my bed. Neither wrist was handcuffed to the rail of the bed. An improvement over my last visit.

Prisoner, patient, or both? The only way to find out is to keep on reading. I did.

Opening paragraphs. The best ones have you at hello.

Readers: Do you have a favorite opening that struck a chord with you?

Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense

Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk

Publication Date: June 18, 2024

Sometimes it’s about doing the right thing. Sometimes it’s about getting even. Sometimes it’s about taking what you think you deserve. And sometimes, it’s your last, best, hope. Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk and featuring stories by Christina Boufis, John Bukowski, Brenda Chapman, Susan Daly, Wil A. Emerson, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes, Molly Wills Fraser, Gina X. Grant, Karen Grose, Wendy Harrison, Julie Hastrup, Larry M. Keeton, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi, Bethany Maines, Gregory Meece, Cate Moyle, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Kevin R. Tipple, and Robert Weibezahl.

Find the book: www.books2read.com/larceny

About the editor: Judy Penz Sheluk is a former journalist and magazine editor and the bestselling author of two mystery series, several short stories, and two books on publishing. She is also the publisher and editor of four Superior Shores Anthologies. Find out more at www.judypenzsheluk.com

Opening Lines

Wickeds, write an opening line for the photo below!

Jessie: She took one last look at her fellow passengers as they began to trickle back from a day spent sunning on beaches and buying souvenirs they would have no time to regret. She grabbed her purse stuffed with four false passports and local currency. If the timing device on the bomb worked as advertised the ship would be at least a nautical mile offshore before it detonated. She, on the other hand, would be sipping a tropical drink at a beach bar and congratulating herself on another job well done.

Edith/Maddie: Jimmy calculated his chances of aiming the hook at the end of his tension wire at exactly the right balcony on the other ship. He knew the departing passengers would never glance up as he made his way across, but if he landed in the wrong stateroom, the housekeeper making the bed would have to die.

Sherry: I watched the crowds stream towards the island. Before anyone got on the water slide, it would become a tower of terror.

Liz: I wonder which person’s room out of this cadre of merry travelers I’d left the body in.

Barb: Without turning my head, I looked as far right and then left as possible. How long would I last if I swam for it? The big man at my side pulled in tighter, bumping my shoulder, as if I needed to be reminded he was there. We walked on, against the throng, him in his dark suit and tie. I wondered what the chattering holidaymakers made of us.

Genre Hopping With Debut Author Jennifer Moorhead

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Jennifer Moorhead whose debut thriller Broken Bayou comes out on July 1st. I’m reading it now (it is a June Prime Reads book) and wow, it’s one of those books that has an undercurrent of dread that keeps me turning the pages!

Name: Jennifer Moorhead

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

What drew you to the genre you write?

It’s the genre I read. I love thrillers. I love true crime. I love mysteries. I cut my teeth on Stephen King and Dean Koontz in high school and after that I was hooked. I also grew up in a home with storytellers. My dad loved telling ghost stories to me and my sister when we were kids so, as an adult, I’m drawn toward stories that are creepy and twisty.

What sets your book apart from what is out there?

The setting for one. I grew up in Louisiana and I love the setting it offers. It’s a character to me and it lends itself to my plot as well. Also, my protagonist is a child psychologist and I think exploring a crime story through her professional eyes sets Broken Bayou apart from others out there.

Do you write a series or standalones? Why?

This is my debut and it’s a standalone. I have three other standalones that are standing alone in my attic. Ha. I like standalones because they offer me a fresh story every time. For me, part of the fun of writing is discovering new stories with fresh characters.

What are you currently writing?

In complete contrast to my previous answer, I’m working on a companion book to Broken Bayou. It’s not a sequel. The story is new but it’s told from the perspective of a character I know, one from Broken Bayou. I’ve never done that before but this character kept talking to me and telling me they had a story to tell. So I listened and now I’m hooked.

What are you reading right now?

I’m listening to The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins and it’s delicious.

Do you have a favorite quote or life motto?

Can’t never could.

When my girls read this they will laugh and roll their eyes. That motto was the bane of their existence in middle school and high school.

Favorite writing space?

I have two actually. One is my office which is a private space just off my kitchen that has a great view of the lake on our land. The beauty I see through that window is inspiring. My other space is the kitchen counter. Sometimes I feel the need to be in a busy space and not so shut off. My personality is the same way. Introvert one day, extrovert the next.

Favorite deadline snack?

Dark chocolate and sea salt caramels from Whole Foods. Every bite is like a hug.

What do you see when you look up from writing?

No matter which space I’m writing in, I always look up to see two needy Goldendoodles watching me, impatiently waiting for their walk.

About Broken Bayou: Dr. Willa Watters is a prominent child psychologist at the height of her career. But when a viral video of a disastrous television interview puts her reputation on the line, Willa retreats to Broken Bayou, the town where she spent most of her childhood summers. There she visits her aunts’ old house and discovers some of her troubled mother’s belongings still languishing in the attic—dusty mementos harboring secrets of her harrowing past. Willa’s hopes for a respite are quickly crushed, not only by what she finds in that attic but also by what’s been found in the bayou.

Bio:

Jennifer graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Geaux Tigers! She has written and produced three indie short films that each made top 20 at the Louisiana Film Prize and were awarded at festivals around the world. She lives in Louisiana with her husband, two needy doodles, one very un-needy shelter kitty, and a plethora of farm animals. Her grown daughters are off creating their own life stories. When she’s not writing, she’s photographing the swamps and winding trails in her backyard or she’s on a tennis court laughing and providing job security for her coach. You can learn more about her at her website.

Good Intentions

Another great quote on good intentions this one by Iris Murdoch: “No good would come of all these fine intentions.” Wickeds have you written a character that fits this quote? Or do you have a favorite book that addresses this?

Julie: I do love this idea for character motivation. Someone who tries to lead with good intentions, but it all goes sideways. Are they really good, or are they busybodies who are bad with boundaries? Are they inept, or are they evil? It’s giving me a lot to think about. Amelia Peabody in Elizabeth Peters’ series personifies this quote. She tried to do good, but often causes trouble.

Liz: I think all three of my protags would say this fit their lives! Getting involved in murder investigations, even when it’s to help yourself or someone you love, always brings its issues. But I think despite the rocky middle, they usually find their way to a solution and growth as a person, so it usually all works out in the end.

Edith/Maddie: I agree with Julie and Liz. Something always goes sideways when an amateur sleuth starts poking into the who and why of a homicide. In my Cozy Capers Book Group series, the various members of the group also help out, which only complicates things. But they do mean well!

Barb: Bill and I have an expression, “It’s never about the dishes,” which means when I fight breaks out at a family party about doing the dishes, it is never, really, about the dishes. In Clammed Up, the first Maine Clambake Mystery, the protagonist, Julia Snowden returns to her hometown to save her family’s failing clambake business. Her brother-in-law, Sonny, fights her at every turn. It turns out that Julia’s white knight attitude doesn’t sit so well with Sonny, who has been there in town all along, dealing with her father’s illness, her mother’s long mourning, and keeping the clambake afloat. In Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door, Jane is desperately trying to find her missing neighbor and repair the broken relationships between her neighbor and her parents. Finally, Jane’s best friend points out that maybe it’s Jane’s estrangement from her own son that she should be putting her energy toward. It’s not that no good will come of them, but In both cases my heroine’s have fine intentions, but aren’t seeing the bigger picture.

Sherry: In the Chloe Jackson books, Chloe goes to Florida with good intentions to help her friend’s grandmother. Nothing goes as Chloe envisions it and she ends up lying to people. And while she thinks she’s there to help people, the end up helping her too.

Readers: How about you?

Summer Reads

Ah, summer when we supposedly have more time to read. Is that true for you Wickeds? What are you currently reading and what are you looking forward to?

Liz: I have SO MANY BOOKS to catch up on that I have no idea where to start. I’m finishing up this great find called Midnight on Beacon Street, a debut by Emily Ruth Verona that’s very suspenseful and creepy – so good. Next on the list I have an arc of Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop, the first in a new series by Emmeline Duncan that I’m super excited about. And also The General’s Gold by LynDee Walker and Bruce Robert Coffin!

Julie: Liz, LynDee and Bruce’s books are on my Kindle. They are joined by Rachel Howzell Hall’s What Fire Brings, Rob Hart’s Assassins Anonymous, and Delia Pitts Trouble in Queenstown to name a few. I devour books in the summer, and can’t wait to also reread some old favorites.

Jessie: Julie, I’m intrigued by the title Assassins Anonymous! As for me, I’m currently reading Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman and Seafaring Women by David Cordingly. I also plan to reread some of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books as a delicious summer beach read!

Edith: Ooh, I want to read Delia’s new book, too. I’m currently reading last week’s guest John Copenhaver’s Hall of Mirrors. SO good. Next up is Rob Osler’s Cirque du Slay, and then Jaqueline Winspear’s last Maisie Dobbs (sniff), The Comfort of Ghosts.

Sherry: Edith, I just picked up The Comfort of Ghosts for my mom. She’s so sad the series is ending! I just finished Fall by Tracy Clark. It’s one of those mysteries that kept me guessing. It’s him, it’s her, it can’t be that person, they are too obvious. I loved it. I started reading Broken Bayou by Jennifer Moorhead who is our guest on Thursday. It’s a June Prime Reads book. I’ve only read three chapters, but Jennifer makes you feel things! And I’m also looking forward to Trouble in Queenstown.

Barb: After I posted about the Thursday Club my mother belonged to, in the blog comments, Sherry and April recommended the book …And the Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It’s a sprawling, 1000+ page book, covering the years 1868 to 1932. It was originally published in 1982 by a small university press, when Santmyer was 87 and already living part-time in a nursing home. By complete chance the novel was discovered by an executive in the movie industry, which led to it being republished by Putnam, being a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection, and becoming a national bestseller. Conceived as an antidote to Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street, which Santmyer thought too negative about small-town life, the book is a deeply immersive journey through a period of US history often forgotten. It is also frequently problematic and has a narrative style that is both clever and vexing. I so wished I was reading it with a book group, because I desperately wanted to discuss it with others.

What about you, readers? What are you reading and looking forward to?

Life-long Friends

Jessie: On the coast of Maine where the weather is heartbreakingly gorgeous!

After nineteen novels, I have noticed a few themes or situations I revisit again and again. One of the most frequent is supporting relationships between women. During the course of my career, I’ve written about sisters, aunts and nieces, cousins, and dear friends. The book I’m working I’m finishing up right now explores several different kinds of female relationships, including mentors, mothers, and employers.

Stories come from somewhere, of course, they do. For me, the friendships and kinships I’ve enjoyed with other women have been an enormous part of what makes life worth living. I have been so blessed to have sisters, a mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. I have loved aunts and friends who are older and far wiser than me. I cannot quantify the value of my female writing friends, including my beloved Wickeds.

This week, my mind has turned to friends who are more like the ones in my Beryl and Edwina novels. As I write this I am chomping at the bit for the arrival of two of my dear friends whom I first met in middle school. They are due to arrive on the coast of Maine for a few days of camaraderie and memories, both old and new. I am almost embarrassingly excited to see them.

There is something about old friends that cannot be replicated. I have been privileged to meet a number of people who have felt like we have known each other for eons. But somehow, there is still magic to being in contact with those who remember you when the world still felt new and all was possible. Who else can tell you, with complete sincerity, that you look the same as you did at twelve?

I’m lucky to have these women in my life. Our paths have been different, but that only makes things richer, and more interesting when we gather at least once each year. And I feel I owe them a debt of gratitude when it comes not only to friendship, as well as for inspiration. My characters, Beryl and Edwina have known each other since their formative years too. They took divergent roads, but have maintained a strong and meaningful connection. I am not sure that I could have written the eight novels in that series without such a rich well from which to draw.

I hope that all of you, our readers, have new, old, and fictional friends who are as valuable to you as my soon-to-arrive visitors are to me!

Readers, do you have old friends who you are thankful for in your lives? Writers, do your relationships impact your novels?

A Wicked Welcome to John Copenhaver *giveaway*

by Julie, springing in Somerville

I am delighted to welcome John Copenhaver back to the blog today! He is a wonderful writer of historical mysteries, and a great member of the crime writing community. I can’t wait to read the second book in his Nightingale Trilogy.

Chasing a mood

by John Copenhaver

I didn’t begin writing historical fiction because I have a great love of history. That’s not to say I don’t have deep respect for historians, especially those who explore beyond traditionally accepted narratives about a time, place, or type of people. As a gay man, I’m aware of how misunderstood the histories of LGBTQ+ people have been—and, frankly, continue to be. However, that’s not why I was drawn to write about post-WWII America and, more specifically, the 1950s in my new novel, Hall of Mirrors.

The truth is, when I write, I’m chasing a mood. It’s lush, dark, and claustrophobic. Think of the shadowy, rain-slick streets in your favorite film noir, such as The Killers (1946) or Out of the Past (1947). But it’s also shimmering with color, a baby blue satin dress rippling in the breeze, cherry blossom petals blown from a tree by an approaching storm, like imagery from a Douglas Sirk film. I love movies and, as a writer, have a cinematic style. I think in scenes and imagery, as much as in characterization. Like my favorite films, I want to create a definite mood in the reader’s mind that connects to a central theme: how surfaces deceive and how the moral absolutes they often offer us are, well, more complicated than they first appear.

Historical framework and fine detail help establish a period’s culture—its aspirations and anxieties, and its triumphs and disgraces. The glossy superficiality of the 1950s covered up deep and unacknowledged trauma caused by the Second World War and heightened by the looming threat of atomic annihilation that brought on the Cold War.

It’s true. In fiction, we need to convey a historical period’s social and political dimensions. It’s a requirement of the subgenre, I would argue. However, we also need to employ imagery that accumulates to create a distinct mood because it’s the mood that communicates how historical facts translate into emotions, and emotions all too often run the world. As a writer of historical fiction, I was drawn to the post-war mood because it resonates with digital media’s glossy and deceptive surfaces and with my journey to make myself seen in a straight-biased world. I was chasing a mood that once suffused mid-century America and is again with us today.

What mystery novels have you read that have unforgettable moods? What was it about the mood that has stuck with you? I’ll send two commenters a copy of Hall of Mirrors, U.S. only.

Bio:

John Copenhaver is the award-winning author of Dodging and Burning and The Savage Kind and is a co-founder of Queer Crime Writers. He co-hosts on the House of Mystery Radio Show and is a faculty mentor at the University of Nebraska’s Low-Residency MFA. His new novel is Hall of Mirrors.

Hall of Mirrors blurb:

When a popular mystery novelist dies suspiciously, his writing partner must untangle the author’s connection to a serial killer, in award-winning John Copenhaver’s new novel set in 1950s McCarthy-era Washington, DC.

Buy link:

https://johncopenhaver.com/order-hall-of-mirrors

Socials:

Instagram: @johncope74

Twitter: @johncopenhaver

FB: @johncopenhaverauthor

TikTok: @johncope74

Website: www.johncopenhaver.com

Curiosity Saves Me

by Julie, loving the weather but sick of pollen in Somerville

Sherry recently recommended a BBC Maestro course to me. Harlan Coben’s course is on writing thriller. Now, I’m not a thriller writer. Not sure I want to be necessarily. But I was curious, so I bought the course and spent an afternoon listening to it. Talk about time well spent! I learned a few things and got inspired.

I still teach arts administration courses to theater students. And every semester I teach I spend hours reading books and articles, and thinking about both what the students need to learn, and what has changed in the field. Is there a better way to talk about this? What are the new skillsets students would find most helpful. Now let me be clear; I know the subject very well. But being curious, and continuing to learn, makes me a better teacher. FWIW, I found a book about producing circuses that may be the text for the semester, so it pays off in different ways.

When I wrote the Clock Shop series I loved learning about clocks and watches. And I did a ton of research about them both. Very little of that showed up on the page, but my curiosity helped me understand the passion of a clockmaker. Which is not unlike the passion of any other artist. The work is hard, so the passion has to fuel you.

Because of my Harlan Coben experience, I’m diving into curiosity this summer. I’m rewatching From the Earth to the Moon, and doing side research into the space program. Which is leading me to read more about Katherine Johnson. And had me put The Astronaut Wives Club on my teetering TBR pile.

I’ve also had two conversations with people about the partitioning of India recently. I know enough about the subject for a gloss over, but I don’t know the stories. I’ve started reading articles about the subject, and suspect I’ll read more. There are lots of wonderful books set in India during the 20’s, the period before, and adding those to the mix is a great way to add more depth.

And don’t even get me started on the notes I’ve been jotting down on con games based on getting my paperwork in order. Is it odd to think about saving for retirement and scamming people at the same time?

I believe that curiosity is going to save me. My brain will stay active, my sense of humor will be engaged, my conversation starters will be fabulous, and my involvement with the world will have more layers of understanding and intersectionality.

Readers, what journeys has curiosity taken you on?

Good Intentions

I love this quote by Neal Shusterman: “But remember that good intentions pave many roads. Not all of them lead to hell.” Wickeds, is there a time when you had good intentions and they turned out better than you thought they would?

Julie: What an interesting question! And what does it say about me that I had to think about this for a while. I had a good intention of running a half marathon ten years ago, and it worked. But only after the long road of training and mentally being prepared. Good intentions are never enough, are they? Work combined with good intentions–that works.

Edith/Maddie: Funny – the first thing that came to mind is when I intend a certain card to be turned in my afternoon game of cribbage with Hugh. When it comes up, I feel so smug and powerful – when actually the card turn was random. Like Julie, many moons ago (well, 26 years ago), my running buddy and I finished a half-marathon, except we then said to each other, “I guess Boston is next.” We trained (and trained), got charity numbers since neither of us would ever be fast enough to qualify, and we finished the entire Boston Marathon in 5:16. It was and will be my only marathon, but it left me with a lifetime feeling of accomplishment.

Sherry: Heck I feel like I should continue the exercise theme. The closest I ever got to a marathon was doing an eleven mile walk that was in conjunction with the Big Sur marathon which is on the Pacific Coast Highway. The scenery was stunning and my feet were sore. But really being published turned out better than I ever dreamed. I just wanted to publish one book and am so grateful I had the opportunity to write two series.

Jessie: I have to admit that I am not good at anything to do with medical stuff. Needles, hospitals, etc… I am not at my best. But, several years ago one of my sons needed me to play nurse after he had a serious surgery. I started to pass out when the actual nurse at the surgical center began explaining what my role would entail. Despite the rocky start, the time with my son, and the way I was able to be of service turned out to be very special for us both.

Barb: I find my best experiences with good intentions are when I show up for people in the literal sense. Go to a friend’s gallery opening, a favorite author’s book launch, watch a relative’s kid perform in a play or musical or go see an old friend’s band play a club. Don’t worry about, “Am I a close enough friend to show up at her mom’s funeral?” Just go. I have almost always walked away thinking, “That was the right thing to do. I am glad I did that.”

Readers: Did you have something turn out better than you dreamed?