Guest blog with Mary Martinez

Hi folks. Today I asked a dear friend of mine, Mary Martinez, to guest blog. So without further ado…

Here's Mary-

Lindsay, thank you for inviting me to Nights of Passion, I'm very excited. I hope I don't bore everyone to tears! I'd like to chat a bit about myself—one of my favorite topics, just kidding—so you know me a little.

I have lived in Utah my entire life. I'm old so it's been a long time. I grew up on a 40 acre farm, with horses, cows, dogs, chickens and peacocks. Yes you heard right. And those little buggers woke me up every morning at dawn screaming 'Help'! As a child, I wondered what they needed help with?

I had a pet bull named Curly who died from some mysterious ailment. A few months later,  after dinner one evening,  I found out what that was. The butcher, I didn't eat beef for a very long time because I was afraid it was my beloved pet. I personally think that is child abuse. But back then on the farm, that was just something everyone did.

Now I live about fifteen miles from downtown Salt Lake City, home of the 2002 winter Olympics, now that was fun. But that's another story. I have 6 kids (mine and my husband's) and we have seven grandkids, five boys and two girls. We have a house full every holiday, not to mention once a week at Papa and Nana night. As you can imagine I have a very full life, and many ideas come from such a family.

Lindsay asked me to give the top ten things of several subjects as an idea to post on. I've picked writing. Without further ado, here are my top ten favorite things about being a writer and writing (One being the best):

1. I can tell stories… Make them up as I go!

2. I love being in the house with the music blaring while I chat with the friends in my head.

3. Everything or everyone I come in contact with, is a potential story line.

4. I have control, well not really, but I can suggest how the plot goes and I hope the characters follow my lead.

5. Research, I can get lost in learning new things about the world. Or the world I'm creating.

6. Although I do not particularly care for edits, it's where I can change things that aren't going right. You know when you read a book and you think, if I were the author, I would have had them do this… When I edit my own work I can do that, make it better—or more to my liking.

7. I love meeting other authors all over the world and calling them my friend.

8. I absolutely love going to writing conferences, meeting my writing idols and learning new things.

9. Call me silly, but I love to query, then the suspense of when I'll get the rejection, but hoping I'll be surprised with a request.

And last, but not least, it's really cool to have my own web mistress.

 

If you're an writer what is your favorite thing? If you're a reader, what do you enjoy most about your favorite authors?

I think I may have forgotten to tell you, if you leave a comment, you have a chance to win my new novel Classic Murder: Mr. Romance. Lindsay will be putting the names in a hat and drawing a name for the winner. Good luck!

 

Here's a bit about my new release that will be out January 2011 from BookStrand Publishing in electronic format in later in the spring in print.

Classic Murder: Mr. Romance

Unedited Blurb:

Adam enjoys a lifestyle most men only dream of; then one morning he wakes up to the morning headlines blaring, "Another victim falls prey to Mr. Romance. Who is next?" he realizes his way of life is not only frivolous, but deadly.

Dubbed Mr. Romance by New York society for his romantic adventures, Adam Fernando Russo loves women. Lately he realizes how lonely it is coming home to an empty house; can he settle for only one woman? After he makes a list of qualities worth giving up his desirable existence, suddenly recipients of his coveted attention mysteriously fall prey to a murderer.

The murders seem unrelated with one exception; all the victims have recently returned from a fabulous weekend rendezvous with Mr. Romance.

Adam's assistant, Katie Sinclair, knows Adam is innocent with airtight alibis. The police are at a loss so Adam and Katie work together to discover the link between the murders. As luck would have it, their plan to prove the murderer is copying classic Cary Grant movies goes astray just as Adam realizes his perfect woman has been by his side all along.

Here is the link to the excerpt and trailer: http://www.marymartinez.com/mrromance.html#video

Here's a few places you can find me:

Web site: http://www.marymartinez.com/

My Garden Blog: http://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com/

Mysteries and Margaritas: http://www.mysteriesandmargaritasblogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mlmartinez33

Twitter: http://twitter.com/marylmartinez

Before I sign off, I'd love to share with you a family tradition, when I was young that is. It's a recipe handed down from my great-grandmother to my mom, and she always made it for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Potato Dumplings

6 medium potatoes—boiled with skins on

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 cup flour

½ cup cream of wheat

1 tsp. nutmeg

Bag of croutons

Peel potatoes when cool. Put through ricer or mash. Add beaten eggs, salt, flour, cream of wheat and seasoning.

Pat into shape in hands. Place 8 or 10 croutons into center of potato mixture. Shape into balls and roll together. You should be able to hear croutons roll around in dumpling.

Roll in flour lightly. Place into rolling, boiling salted water, cover. Boil until they rise to top of water.

Remove the lid. Simmer about 15 minutes more until cook thru to center. Drain. Serve with brown gravy or turkey gravy.

Please enjoy the holiday season, Lindsay and the rest of you on Nights of Passion, thank you for having me as a guest. 

Thank you Mary. It was great having you here and Season's Greetings to you and your family.

Filed under: romance