Kathy Lynn Emerson's Blog, page 70

Have Books, Will Travel . . .

Kate Flora: It’s summer in Maine. For many, it is the season of vacation, of ponds and lakes and oceans, of farmer’s markets, of tending vegetable gardens or picking berries. For writers, it is the season of libraries, book fairs, street fairs, and book stores, and a chance to meet readers and talk about the stories we tell and the process we use to tell them.

During the summer, I put a lot of miles on my car. Sometimes it can be exhausting, especially those long drives back to Bailey Island late at night when it seems that every road is under construction. But traveling to different parts of the state is a treat, too. I love all the different “Maines” that I get to see and appreciate the work that people put into organizing author events. A few summers ago, I vowed that eventually I would visit every library in Maine. I am slowly knocking them off my list, but Maine has so many libraries it’s going to take a while.

Here are some of the library and bookstore adventures from last summer, and early this year:

A wonderful mystery author “Death and Desserts” with sister writers Dorothy Cannell and Lea Wait at the Liberty, Maine library. If you aren’t familiar with “Death and Desserts,” it’s an event that features both crime writers and criminally amusing desserts. For this one, the library had gone all out to create a devilishly funny feast, and capped the event by drawing a chalk outline of Dorothy’s handsome grandson on the asphalt outside the library door. Not only is this a great library, but across the street, for tee shirt fans, is Liberty Graphics, where you can get Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine onesies for little readers. http://lgtees.com

Death and Desserts at the Liberty Library with Lea Wait and Dorothy Cannell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A trip to the Rangeley Library, a beautiful arts and crafts library with a gorgeous and beautifully tended library garden. If the pleasure of seeing that part of the state wasn’t enough, the library also arranged for us to stay at Highland Heath House http://www.highlandheathhouse.com a spectacular Bed & Breakfast overlooking Rangeley Lake, with gorgeous rooms, a marvelous view, and a gourmet breakfast. This was an amazing treat, since writers, while always assumed to be rich, are lucky if we make enough to pay for gas and bookmarks.

The view from the Highland Heath House

Rangeley Library garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A day at the Beyond the Sea Book Festival in Lincolnville, http://www.beyondtheseamaine.com where the bookstore owner, Nanette Gionfriddo both made us very welcome and provided a much appreciated chance for authors who generally live solitary lives at our writing desks to spend time together. We also got to enjoy view of Lincolnville Beach and meet readers from all over the country. This year, the event will be on Saturday, July 30th.

Susan Vaughan and Tess Gerritsen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In September, courtesy of the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, there was Murder by the Book, a Friday night and all day Saturday event with workshops and panels. The Jesup really knows how to throw a party. We writers got treated like royalty—with a wonderful Friday dinner and an overnight stay at The Bluenose Inn, http://barharborhotel.com a place with rooms so gorgeous I wanted to move there and never leave.

Crime scene tape makes an excellent necktie

Melinda Rice, Paul Doiron, and Bruce Coffin in Bar Harbor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course this past weekend, it was Books in Boothbay, a yearly summer bookfair. The best place to meet other authors, and readers. The books, as always, were provided by Sherman’s, lunch by Boothbay Harbor merchants, and the clever and energetic Jen Blood created a crime scene and a whodunit detective game for everyone to play. I seem to have been the prime suspect, owing in part to my shoe size, but I swear it wasn’t me.

There are many more summer book events ahead, so keep your eye out for Maine Crime Writers. Check out our weekend update. We’re everywhere. And if you can’t find us? Well, maybe it’s time to organize an event and invite us.

Happy Reading in Maine.

p.s. Tonight (Tuesday, July 12th) Jen Blood, Lea Wait, and I will be at the Belfast Library at 6:30. We’d love to see you there.

 

 

 

 

 

A Week Down East

John Clark sharing highlights from our week on the ocean in Perry. This was our third time renting Seawall Cottage, part of a group that are collectively known as Cobscook Bay Cottages.(http://www.cobscookbaycottages.com/) We like it because it’s comfortable, secluded and almost on the beach. All of the cottages have gas lights, hot water, refrigerator and stove. There’s no electricity and It’s nice to be cut off from technology once in a while.

Nothing better than a child discovering something new

Instead of Facebook, we had starfish, sea urchins, seals, loons, eagles and rabbits on the lawn. We also saw several deer including a fawn that couldn’t have been more than a couple weeks old. Beth gloried in all the trails she could hike while I collected interesting rocks and read 11 books.

One reason we like this vacation spot is because it’s central to many things we like to revisit. This time, daughter Sara, son-in-law Russ and granddaughter Piper stayed with us from Saturday through Tuesday morning. We spent most of Sunday enjoying Lubec, starting with the library book sale (I always get good stuff at their sale), then helping Piper find sea glass and shells before heading to Frank’s Dockside Restaurant for lunch. Their deck overlooks the channel between Lubec and Campobello Island and we saw several seals while enjoying lunch.

Can you imagine Reed or Popham this deserted on a July day?

Eastport on the 4th of July was packed, so much so that they brought in a nice bus from the International Park on Campobello to shuttle people from the airport to the waterfront. There were several airplanes to admire while waiting for a ride. Piper got a kick out of a two person ultralight. Russ got a bigger kick out of the antique cars on display on Main Street while Piper and I went out on the pier to watch the greased pole competition and tried to spot a whale. After a quick browse through the books at the Peavey Library sale, we had ice cream while enjoying the bike and carriage parade before returning to our vehicles. We had a picnic at Shackford Head Park, mindful of the fire ants which have taken over much of the wooded area there. On the way back, we stopped at a beach just before entering Sipayik to look for beach glass. We found plenty, but few pieces worth keeping.

Beth with an entire cove to herself

The area near Seawall Cottage was perfect for viewing fireworks. In addition to a clear view of the Eastport display, we could see two private shows to our south as well as a very loud and vivid one at a nearby home across a small inlet. That one, however, failed to deter a very hungry cloud of mosquitoes.

After Sara, Russ and Piper left, Beth and I headed for Campobello. Our favorite beach for finding sea glass and pottery is there and we’ve never been disappointed. If anything, we find too much and then have to spend considerable time triaging after getting home. We also had lunch at the island golf course before walking on the very long beach at Herring Cove where we took lots of photos, trying to capture waves and interesting rocks. We made one last stop on the boardwalk trails opposite FDR’s home before stopping in Lubec for more ice cream.

I love the reflection here. This was in Moosehorn.

Wednesday was a hiking day. We walked numerous trails through the southern part of Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge. While we didn’t see a lot of wildlife, only an eagle, we got to enjoy a couple kinds of ripe berries as well as lament the sad fate of several dozen turtle eggs that had been dug up and devoured by predators.

Thursday was very rainy and a perfect day to hole up and read while sitting by a wood fire. Friday tried to be a down day, too, but we kayaked with a seal while finding really interesting rock shapes. I used driftwood to create a loose frame that I filled with odd rocks just to see how it would look. I’ll let you judge whether it’s art or foolishness. In the process, I found a half dozen rocks that resemble designer shoes as well as one that looks like a basilica with a cross on top and am planning on using them for some sort of display.

Art, you say?

It was fun to eat good food, sleep with waves in the background and not think about what was happening in the ‘real’ world. If you’ve never been to this part of Maine, I encourage you to do so. I’d live there if I could.

I wonder if it will get worse if the marijuana referendum passes.

Weekend Update: July 9-10, 2016

Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by John Clark (Monday), Kate Flora (Tuesday), Susan Vaughan (Wednesday), Vaughn Hardacker (Thursday), and Jen Blood (Friday).

In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:

Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Maine Crime Writers Jen Blood, Jessie Crockett, Kate Flora, Maureen Milliken, Barbara Ross, Lea Wait, and alum Paul Doiron will be among the thirty-five authors signing their books at Books in Boothbay, Route 27, at the Boothbay Railway Museum. Sisters in Crime of New England will also be presenting “Murder in the Old Railway Chapel,” testing your deductive skills.

July 11, at 6:30 p.m., Vaughn Hardacker will be speaking at the Freeport Community Library.

July 13, at 3:30 p.m., Vaughn Hardacker will be speaking at the Fort Fairfield Public Library.

July 12, from 6:30 until 8 p.m., Kate Flora, Jen Blood and Lea Wait will be speaking at the Belfast Library in Belfast, Maine about (fictional) crime in Maine.

July 16, at 3 p.m., Barbara Ross and Lea Wait will be talking about their and other Maine mysteries at Mainely Murders Bookstore, 1 Bourne Street, in Kennebunk, Maine.

An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.

And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. Contact Kate Flora: mailto: kateflora@gmail.com

Weekend Update: July 9-16, 2016

Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by John Clark (Monday), Kate Flora (Tuesday), Susan Vaughan (Wednesday), Vaughn Hardacker (Thursday), and Jen Blood (Friday).

In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:

Saturday, July 9, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Maine Crime Writers Jen Blood, Jessie Crockett, Kate Flora, Maureen Milliken, Barbara Ross, Lea Wait, and alum Paul Doiron will be among the thirty-five authors signing their books at Books in Boothbay, Route 27, at the Boothbay Railway Museum. Sisters in Crime of New England will also be presenting “Murder in the Old Railway Chapel,” testing your deductive skills.

July 11, at 6:30 p.m., Vaughn Hardacker will be speaking at the Freeport Community Library.

July 13, at 3:30 p.m., Vaughn Hardacker will be speaking at the Fort Fairfield Public Library.

July 12, from 6:30 until 8 p.m., Kate Flora, Jen Blood and Lea Wait will be speaking at the Belfast Library in Belfast, Maine about (fictional) crime in Maine.

July 16, at 3 p.m., Barbara Ross and Lea Wait will be talking about their and other Maine mysteries at Mainely Murders Bookstore, 1 Bourne Street, in Kennebunk, Maine.

An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.

And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. Contact Kate Flora: mailto: kateflora@gmail.com

Another Wedding in Maine

by Barb, looking forward to Books in Boothbay this Saturday

Kate and Briana in first grade

Four years and a bit ago, I wrote about a wedding in Portland, Maine. The post was about a lot of things including a very special bride and groom, but fundamentally it was about two little girls who met at nursery school, recognized something in each other, and stayed friends from that day to this, despite time and distance.

My daughter Kate had flown back from her year living in London especially for Briana’s wedding. At the time, Kate had little idea what the next chapter of her life would hold. She’d been working on her Masters in Creative Writing at London Metropolitan University–a fun, time-off sort of year–when inspiration struck. She wanted to teach writing at the college level. Kate had accepted a place in the MFA program at UMass Boston, but everything else was a blur. She had the summer to finish her master’s thesis, find a place to live, get some sort of part-time employment, and find a life in Boston after college years spent spent in Durham, New Hampshire, followed by five years working in Manhattan, and then school in London.

Kate and Briana at Briana’s wedding

None of us knew on that day that Kate would finish her thesis that summer  and graduate from London Met with distinction, then  three years later graduate with her MFA, and love living in South Boston and then in Jamaica Plain. None of us knew she’d get a job teaching composition and literature at Mount Ida College. And definitely none of us knew that on the exact same weekend, four years later, she would also get married in Portland, Maine.

But that’s exactly what happened. Kate met Luke, and they fell in love, and through a series of twists and turns, they found the wedding venue of their dreams at the Portland Company. They picked the weekend before Memorial Day for a variety of good reasons–four years exactly after Briana and Nick’s wedding.

Briana’s daughter helps the bridesmaids get dressed. Photo by Abby Lorenz.

This time, Briana stood up for Kate and signed her marriage contract as a witness. And maybe most fun of all, Briana and Nick’s two-month-old daughter was along for the ride.

Sometimes we don’t know how things are going to turn out. And then they turn out exactly the way they should.

 

 

The bridesmaids. Briana far left. Photo by Abby Lorenz.

Briana comes down the aisle with Luke’s brother Hansen. Photo by Abby Lorenz.

The ceremony. Photo by Abby Lorenz.

Briana witnesses the marriage contract. Photo by Abby Lorenz.

Briana and Nick at the reception.

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It’s summertime in Maine and the readin’ is easy

If it’s summer, it’s reading season! Actually, if you’re like me, any time is reading season. Or, with pesky things like work getting in the way, want-to-read season. But there’s something about summer, especially if you live in Maine, that gives you that extra push to pick up a book (or tablet, or Nook, you get the picture).

Even Nesowadnehunk Stream in Baxter State Park is a perfect place to read in the summer in Maine.

Maybe it’s the longer days and the need to be outside. We get so few months here when it’s pleasant out, when those of us lucky enough to have a nice porch or patio can use it, or a beach nearby, or a tree to sit under. The days last so much longer and the livin’ (and readin’) is easy.

And the fun thing about summer, too, is that the Maine Crime Writers community (as well as all our writing friends), emerge from our dark writer’s garrets, blink in the unfamiliar sun and get out there and meet the readers. Not that we don’t do that in the winter, too, but again: snow, short days, cold. Ugh.

This Saturday features one of the delights of a reader’s summer in Maine: Books in Boothbay.

The event, sponsored by the Boothbay Public Library and held at Railroad Village in the town, features more than 50 writers, including some who blog at this site. The writers’ organization Sisters in Crime New England (some of us on this blog are members) will not only have a booth at the event where you can meet some of your favorite writers, but a mystery for readers to solve. I’m proud to say I’m one of the suspects in the murder of Eunice K. Stoneheart. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that if I did it, it’s because she had it coming.

While Books in Boothbay (which is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday) is a lot of fun, you don’t have to go to an event like that to meet your favorite writers or discover new ones.

Many of us participate in events throughout the state. Monday, Kate Flora, Dick Cass, Vaughn Hardacker and I had a Meet the Maine Crime Writers booth at the Belgrade Fourth of July gala, and had a great time meeting and talking to readers.

Meet the Maine Crime Writers booth at the Belgrade 4th of July.

Libraries across the state host writers year-round, but ramp it up in the summer. You don’t have to be a regular patron of a library or bookstore to attend a reading or event.

How do you find these? This blog’s weekend update frequently lists what’s going on, as does the Maine Writers and Publisher’s Alliance. Most of the state’s libraries have websites that publicize their events, as do your favorite author’s websites. Newspapers, too, are great resources. My paper, the Morning Sentinel of Waterville, as well as its sister paper, the Kennebec Journal of Augusta, and mother paper, the Portland Press Herald, not only list events daily, but also have a community calendar on the web.

We all know summer is awesome and summer in Maine is extra-awesome. Make it even better for yourself by checking out some of our state’s great writers. You won’t be disappointed and I guarantee you they will appreciate it.

Maureen Milliken is the author of the Bernie O’Dea mystery series. No News is Bad News, the second in the series, was released last week. Follow her on Twitter: @mmilliken47, on Facebook at Maureen Milliken mysteries and check out her website for events, book news and to sign up for updates, maureenmilliken.com. Thanks for reading!

A Day in Kennebunkport

(Today we begin an occasional series to introduce our readers to some of our favorite parts of Maine, our “A Day in . . .” series. We hope you’ll follow our perambulations and be tempted to explore some of these places yourself)

Bruce Coffin: Several months ago, following a twelve year hiatus, my wife and I returned to the Captain Lord Mansion nestled within the picturesque village of Kennebunkport, ME. This was our seventh stay in the former sea captain’s residence turned B & B.

We discovered the inn in the mid 80s when I was still relatively new to the police force. Back then I worked quite a lot of overtime to supplement our income. One of the outside details was providing plainclothes security during business hours for a local high end jeweler. Endless hours of watching customers come and go, checking for furtive movements, gestures, glances or anything out of the norm indicating they were up to no good. During the down time, when there were no customers, I read, everything in the store. I read about mining expeditions, gemology, travel, sales, even the inside labels sewn to my suit jacket. I tell you, this was one action-packed detail. One of the periodicals regularly displayed on a table in the lobby was the Conde Nast Travelers Guide. The official travel magazine for the masses. It was fun to imagine jetting about the globe, visiting strange new places, that was if money hadn’t been in such short supply. It was in this most prestigious of travel mags that I first discovered the Captain Lord. I was instantly captivated by the glossy professional photos taken at the inn. Each of the rooms ornately decorated and furnished with antique beds, Queen Anne dressers, and claw foot tubs. All of this and we wouldn’t have to fly to New Delhi to get there!

Straightaway, I began planning our weekend adventure. By weekend of course I mean middle of the week. Rookie cops don’t get weekends, not in the traditional sense. The upside was that the Captain’s rates we’re better during the week, likewise was the choice of rooms. As soon as my shift ended I drove home and called the inn. From a landline. Come on now, this was the 80s. There were no cellphones, no email, and no internet.

From the very first, we fell in love with both the inn and its locale. Staying there was quite literally like traveling back in time. We even found ourselves adopted by Aggie, the inn’s official tiger cat. The owners were very gracious hosts and seemed to genuinely enjoy chatting with the guests. Breakfast was a splendid array of homemade muffins, yogurt, granola, fruits, and egg based casseroles. There was something for every palate.

Our days were spent seated in the warmth of great room in front of the large brick fireplace, or driving along the York County coastline, or strolling among the various shops and eateries of Kennebunkport.

Many things have changed over the past thirty years. Aggie is no longer haunting the inn, although perhaps in spirit. The real wood fire in the great room has been replaced by gas. But the rooms continue to be regularly updated and the inn retains all of its charm.

Sadly, one of our favorite K-Port dining locations, Windows on the Water, is gone. But good restaurants still abound in the village, Federal Jacks, David’s, Allison’s, Hurricane, and a brand new favorite, Ports of Italy. Perhaps the best thing about Kennebunkport is that everything is within walking distance.

If you haven’t visited this jewel of Maine’s southern coast, it’s high time you did.

Celebrating the THIRD of July … And a New Beginning

Lea Wait, here. And I have nothing against the Fourth of July. In fact, I have my own way of celebrating it — an annual viewing of my all-time favorite musical,  1776. When I was raising my children in New Jersey every Fourth of July we would watch that movie, eat Chinese food and then listen to a band concert and watch fireworks, both on the grounds of a nearby Veterans’ Hospital. A wonderful way to remember what July 4th means.

But in our family the third of July is also a very special day.

When I was in my late twenties I wanted very much to be a mother. I would tear up at the joyful news that another of my friends was pregnant. I knit baby blankets and sweaters for new arrivals. I collected baby clothes for orphanages and adoption centers abroad.

For two years I spent Friday nights volunteering with abused children between the ages of six and twelve who were living temporarily on one floor of the New York Foundling Hospital. I gave baths and read stories and took children to Central Park. I saw the results of abuse, and I heard the laughter of children who were survivors. Most of all, I realized that the children I got to know needed even more love and understanding and hope than younger children.

I was single, and I began thinking about adopting an older child. The guy I’m now (MANY years later) married to, and was then dating, took pictures for my first home study. I was twenty-eight.

Skipping a lot of details, my first daughter arrived home from Thailand in March of 1977. I was thirty, and she was almost five years old. She was tiny and beautiful. She also had night terrors and tantrums. But I had hope. Time and love would make a difference. Only a month after she arrived I applied to adopt another child. It had taken several years to adopt Alicia and I wanted her to have a sister.

In April of 1978 my agency called. Would I be interested in adopting an eight-year-old girl who was in Korea? My answer was immediate. YES. I spent that afternoon driving from my office in Piscataway, New Jersey through heavy traffic to my local agency, on the upper east side of New York City, to see a picture of my daughter-to-be. The picture was a small, blurred, black and white image. I propped it on my small dashboard on my way home and somewhere along the way decided her American name would be Caroline, after my grandmother.

Caroline, Alicia & Lea, July 3, 1978, Kennedy Airport

After my adoption and Immigration paperwork was completed the agency in Korea said they’d try to send Caroline to me before September, when her school year would start. They’d try, but they couldn’t promise. Many children were ahead of her in the queue.

Her sister-to-be and I built bookcases in what had been my study and would now be her bedroom, and hung Korean and United States flags on her bulletin board on either side of a “Welcome Home” sign. I perfected my kimchi and contacted a Korean pediatrician.

My job required travel that summer, so I scheduled it as early as I could, and planned a vacation in Maine with Alicia.

I was at my office Friday afternoon, July 1, when the call came. A measles epidemic had hit the orphanage where Caroline was staying. All of the children scheduled to fly to their new parents were sick, but, because she was older, Caroline had already had measles. She’d be using a ticket intended for another child, and arriving at Kennedy Airport late July 3 … at least two months ahead of schedule.

July 3 was a windy, rainy, night. I was too nervous to drive. My sister’s boyfriend drove Alicia and I to the airport. The roof of his car leaked. I was too excited to care.

3 weeks later, on a boat trip in Maine

It was immediately clear that Caroline was ill. She was weak and scared. She refused to speak to anyone, even in Korean. (She didn’t speak English, of course.) Her pediatrician said she was severely dehydrated. (I later learned she’d thrown up on her first flight, out of Seoul, and then had slept the rest of the long trip. The woman who escorted her had focused on the babies she was bringing to the States, and hadn’t woken Caroline up to make sure she had something to drink.)

In any case, Caroline was home, and within a few days was feeling better. Two weeks after her arrival she and her new sister and I vacationed in Maine. And she was ready when she entered second grade in September.

In our home we celebrate arrival dates as well as birthdays, and the next July 3 there were fireworks. Caroline thought for several years that they were to celebrate her homecoming! But, fireworks or none, July 3 would always be an important date for her, and for me.

Caroline, a couple of years ago

I never dreamed when I took Caroline home that first July third, so weak she could hardly stand, that eleven years later she’d join the United States Army. She served overseas and stateside in a MASH unit, married a wonderful man she met while they were both serving, and, both now out of the Army, they now lives in Virginia with their two beautiful daughters, ages fifteen and sixteen. They’ll be visiting Maine at the end of July.

It won’t be July third, but it will be a time for more memories, and more celebrations.

Lea Wait writes the Mainely Needlepoint and Shadows Antique Print mysteries, and historical novels for children. As a single parent, she adopted four older girls who’d been born in Asia; she now has eight grandchildren. She invites you to friend her on Facebook and Goodreads and to check her website for more information about her and her books.

 

Celebrating the 4th of July

Belgrade 4th of July 2015: Lea Wait, John Clark and Kelly McClymer

Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett here. When I drew July 4th as my next blogging date, I wasn’t sure at first what to write about. Last year I spent the day selling books with several other Maine Crime Writers in Belgrade Lakes. Fun, but tiring. Kate Flora, Vaughn Hardacker, and Maureen Milliken are doing that this year, so if you’re in the vicinity, be sure to stop by. One year, when my cousin Moira was visiting, we invited the in-laws over and had a cookout on our back deck. But to tell you the truth, most years we don’t do anything special. We tend to avoid parades, and although I enjoy watching fireworks, I get nervous if they go off close to the heavily wooded area where we live.

That said, when I was writing the proposal for what became Kilt at the Highland Games (in stores July 26), the title I started out with was Kilt on the 4th of July. Setting it on this patriotic holiday was nixed by my publisher’s sales department. I’m still not entirely sure why, but I’ve learned not to argue. The main reason I wanted that setting was so I could have fireworks to cover up the sound of a gunshot. Solution: add fireworks to the annual (fictional) highland games taking place in Moosetookalook, Maine at the end of July.

But I digress. What I really want to write about is how a curmudgeonly, eccentric, semi-hermit like myself is likely to celebrate the day. Staying home, obviously. Perhaps doing a bit of writing, even on the holiday. Reading—of course! It’s likely there’s a Red Sox game on TV. And what else? How about a movie with a 4th of July theme?

Out of curiosity, although I already had a couple in mind, I went to Google for lists of 4th of July movies. Such lists were plentiful, but a bit odd. For one thing, they weren’t limited to Independence Day itself. All the ones I looked at broadened their definition to “patriotic” movies rather than movies that were 4th of July specific. A list of ten from Forbes in 2012 put Jaws at #4. Well, it does take place as the town prepares for Independence Day festivities. #1-3 were Rocky, Independence Day, and The Patriot. ABC News in 2013 didn’t rank by number but their list of eight included Miracle (the U.S. ice hockey win at the winter Olympics—um, stretching it a little!), National Treasure, and Frost/Nixon. A 2015 list from Entertainment was also eclectic, including Captain America: The First Avenger, Top Gun, A League of their Own, Saving Private Ryan, and Forrest Gump. Boston.com, also in 2015, listed thirty titles, including Air Force One, All the President’s Men, Apollo 13, Die Hard, and The Bridge on the River Kwai. That last one seems an odd choice. Most of the characters are British!

The actual 4th of July appears to be missing from most of these selections, with the exception of the one movie that made every list I looked at: Independence Day. That was the first one I thought of. Invaders from outer space attack earth, humans go into battle on the 4th of July, following a speech by the U. S. President that ranks right up there with Henry V’s on St. Crispin’s Day, and the world is saved. What’s not to love? Since there’s a sequel in theaters now, I expect some intrepid souls will go see that today. As a semi-hermit, I’ll wait till it comes out on DVD.

What struck me as even stranger than the inclusion of titles like The Bridge on the River Kwai and Die Hard (set at Christmas) was the absence of what has to be the quintessential 4th of July movie. Where was 1776, that superbly-cast musical account of how the Declaration of Independence was written? Its freeze-frame ending on the 4th of July as the Liberty Bell rings in the background is about as patriotic as you can get.

So, what films are on my list of top patriotic movies to watch on Independence Day? I’m going to put 1776 first and then go with three I own on DVD, have watched multiple times, and will quite possibly watch again today: Independence Day, National Treasure, and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Other suggestions, anyone?

Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett is the author of over fifty books written under several names. She won the Agatha Award for best mystery nonfiction of 2008 for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries and was an Agatha Award finalist in 2015 in the best mystery short story category for “The Blessing Witch.” Currently she writes the contemporary Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries (Kilt at the Highland Games ~ July 2016) as Kaitlyn and the historical Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries (Murder in the Merchant’s Hall) as Kathy. The latter series is a spin-off from her earlier “Face Down” series and is set in Elizabethan England. Her websites are www.KaitlynDunnett.com and www.KathyLynnEmerson.com

Weekend Update: July 2-3, 2016

Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson (Monday), Lea Wait (Tuesday), Bruce Coffin (Wednesday), Maureen Milliken (Thursday), and Barb Ross (Friday).

In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:

from Kaitlyn Dunnett: The ebook of The Scottie Barked at Midnight is on sale for $2.99 from Kindle and iBooks (and probably others). Since the paperback won’t be out until the fall, this is a real bargain compared to the cost of the hardcover.

WINNERS: The winners of the drawing for Advance Reading Copies of Kilt at the Highland Games are David Plimpton and Marilyn Lugner. Congrats to you both.

On Monday, July 4th, Maureen Milliken, Kate Flora, and Vaughn Hardacker will be sharing a table at the Belgrade Lakes Fourth of July extravaganza, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 78 Main St. (right next to the gyro stand!), in Belgrade Lakes village. Be sure to visit us at the Meet the Maine Crime Writers tent!

From Barbara Ross: Next Saturday, July 9th from 9:00 to 1:00 come see Barbara Ross, Lea Wait, Kate Flora, Jessie Crockett Estevao, Maureen Milliken, Brenda Buchanan, Bruce Coffin, Paul Doiron, and a host of other New England mystery authors, as well as children’s authors and authors of every kind, at Books in Boothbay at the Railway Village in Boothbay.

And also part of Books in Boothbay, our own Jen Blood has teamed up with Sisters in Crime to stage a murder scene. You can read about it on Jen’s June 15th post: http://mainecrimewriters.com/jens-posts/murder-at-the-old-railway-chapel

Good news about Maine Crime Writers alum, Sarah Graves: Sarah’s DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE is the start of a “Death by Chocolate” series to be published by Kensington, but in it she returns to Eastport, Maine, picking up where she left off with A BAT IN A BELFRY and writing about the same characters as in her earlier series. Now the emphasis isn’t on home repair, but rather on a new venture, a waterfront chocolate shop, The Chocolate Moose, and the mystery of who killed the local health inspector.

Finally, thanks to the graphics skills of Barbara Ross, Maine Crime Writers have (or is that has?) a gorgeous new poster for our events. Which we unveil here for the very first time:

 

An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.

And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. Contact Kate Flora: mailto: kateflora@gmail.com