As we approach the Fourth of July holiday here in the U.S., it’s the perfect time to share my thoughts on a book that is a bit out of the genres I usually review. But in case I haven’t mentioned it before – I LOVE to fly, especially in helicopters and particularly in the old Bell models.
While the majority of the world knows about Air Force One (the President’s plane), little is ever heard about Marine One (the President’s helicopter). That changes with Col Ray ‘Frenchy’ L’Heureux’s recent book release, INSIDE MARINE ONE: FOUR U.S. PRESIDENTS, ONE PROUD MARINE, AND THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING HELICOPTER.
INSIDE MARINE ONE is not a training or technical book about the operating or capability aspects of this majestic helicopter. It’s not a book filled with gossip, military secrets or insider tidbits. It’s a book about a young boy’s love of flying that lead him to become a pilot who served not one, but four U.S. Presidents - - George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
The book follows L’Heureux from high school to college where he came to join the Marines to pay for flight training. From there he became a member of Bravo Company. It was when he encountered HMX1, the squadron that flies the President in Marine One, that things changed for L’Heureux. Through hard work and determination, L’Heureux became a part of that elite group, going on to even command it.
INSIDE MARINE ONE is L’Heureux’s story, not that of the prestigious helicopter. It’s his story of dreaming big and achieving that goal. His pride in the Marine and serving his country is greatly reflected in the book, along with his dedication to his work, and his lifelong love of flying.
There are a few antidotes sprinkled throughout the book about the various First Families and L’Heureux’s interaction with them. He especially notes how then President George W. Bush introduced him to mountain bike riding and several outings with him.
This is an inspiring story about a young boy’s dream and how far it lead him.
Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter by Ray L’Heureux and Lee Kelley, St. Martin’s Press, @2014, ISBN: 978-1250041449, Hardcover, 224 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
Side Note: Here’s a bit of background on both L’Heureux and his co-author Lee Kelley.
COL. RAY “FRENCHY” L’HEUREUX joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1980. In 1991, he joined HMX1 flying Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In 2006, he became Commanding Officer flying Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He retired in 2011 and lives in Hawaii.
LEE KELLEY is a writer, former Army Captain and Iraq war veteran. He is the author of three books including A Life Well-Built and has written for The New York Times. He lives with his wife and three children in Utah.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy flying? If so, which do you prefer – planes or helicopters? Did you know about Marine One?
*This post contains affiliate links.
Sharing books is one of the many pleasures of blogging. Today I have two different types of books to share with you. Both are great reading/listening material for the summer.
Nothing buy bad luck seems to be the order of the day for florist Cara Kryzik, owner of Bloom, a Savannah (GA) floral shop specializing in weddings.
Narrator Kathleen McInerney does a superb job of giving distinct voices to each of the characters. Her cadence is perfect and her mannerisms will draw you in. Her interruption of the dialect enhances the author’s delightful story.
While at first glance everything seems to be going smoothly for Cara, it’s really falling apart behind the scenes. She owes a huge debt to The Colonel (aka her father) and he wants his money now. Her shop/home needs major repairs including the AC fixed immediately and her land lady won’t return her calls. Her usually trustworthy assistant, Bert, is acting strange. And just as she’s getting ready to go put the finishing touches on a wedding, her golden doodle, Poppy, runs out of the shop.
When Cara finally tracks Poppy down, she’s on the end of a leash being led by Jack Finnerty, who claims the dog is his dog, Shaz. They both call the police and are told to work it out themselves. Cara has to get to the wedding – it could keep her business afloat awhile longer. Seeing the man apparently cares for his own dog, Cara leaves determined to get her dog back as soon as possible.
Running into Jack at the wedding was the last thing Cara needed on top of everything else. Jack, a master carpenter specializing in restoring historic buildings, turned out to be the best man and brother of the groom. As the two clash over just about everything, tiny sparks begin to ignite between them.
Just as it seems Cara’s bad luck may be changing, her world drops out from under her. Cara is determined to keep her business going no matter what. The floral business isn’t all rosy when there’s a thorny competitor in the mix.
While you may guess where some of the story is going, it’s like a train wreck and you can’t (don’t want to) look away. You want to be wrong or at least find out how justice is served and happiness is found.
SAVE THE DATE draws you in and makes you feel the characters’ highs and lows. The author’s rich, beautiful descriptions of the location and surroundings brings it all to life. The protagonist is someone readers/listeners can relate to and cheer for. Brides-to-be may even get a few wedding ideas from Cara’s brides.
This is a charming and enjoyable story with ups and downs that will have you crying and laughing. It’s filled with humor, romance, friendship, and hope. A great story for the summer or anytime you want to enjoy the wonders of flowers, brides and love.
Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews, Performed by Kathleen McInerney, Macmillan Audio, @2014, ISBN: 978-1427239402, Unabridged, 11 Discs, Listening Time: 14.5 Hours
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this audio book was sent to me by the author’s publicist. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
Sometimes secrets are buried deeper than we realize. In author Elaine Faber’s BLACK CAT’S LEGACY, the protagonist (Kimberlee Larsen) discovers secrets from her past she had long forgotten could now jeopardize her future.
Kimberlee and her daughter, Amanda, end up at Fern Lake by accident, fate or unknown desire. Fern Lake is the scene of her father’s cold case murder. Meanwhile, true-crime author Brett Clarke has also arrived at Fern Lake in search of his next big novel. They both cross paths with Dorian Dilman, a determined detective.
The trio work together to find out the truth as Kimberlee’s past returns to claim her. The three have assistance from an unlikely source, the resident black cat named Thumper. Having knowledge from his ancestors, Thumper watches over Kimberlee helping with clues where he can.
This intriguing murder mystery moves at a steady pace with twists to keep you guessing. The characters are well-developed, realistic and for the most part likable – there’s always got to be an unfavorable character or two.
The author mixes murder and mystery with the right amount of romance and a touch of paranormal for a well-blended tale. The setting is mesmerizing and quickly pulls you in.
BLACK CAT’S LEGACY is a fascinating tale of suspense with romance and supernatural undertones that will hold your attention to the very end. This is a great start to a promising series of mysteries, compelling characters, and innovating plots.
Black Cat’s Legacy by Elaine Faber, Elk Grove Publications, @2014, ISBN: 978-1940781020, Paperback, 284 Pages
FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the author. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope I’ve entice to you to check out these amazing novels. What’s on your reading list at the moment?
*This post contains affiliate links.
I’m excited today to welcome author Megan Abbott to Thoughts in Progress to talk about her latest release, THE FEVER.
Megan had been scheduled to visit with us earlier this month, but due to her hectic physical book tour wasn’t able to stop by until today. To celebrate the release of her book, she’s giving away one copy to a lucky visitor to Thoughts in Progress. Please see the end of the post for details.
First, here’s a brief summary of THE FEVER …
The panic unleashed by a mysterious contagion threatens the bonds of family and community in a seemingly idyllic suburban community.
In the idyllic community of Dryden, Tom Nash is a popular high school teacher and the father of two teens: Eli, a hockey star and girl magnet, and Deenie, a diligent student with a close-knit group of friends-who are all horrified one day in class when Deenie's best friend, Lise, is struck by a terrifying, brutal, and unexplained seizure.
As Lise clings to life in the hospital, the seizures systematically infect more teenage girls, one by one, sending the entire town into terrified, questioning chaos. Is there a dangerous virus at work? Is it something in the school itself? Are the girls faking it? Who or what is to blame-and who will be next?
As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security.
Please join me now in welcoming Megan as she discusses the real-life inspiration for this book – ‘The Fever Behind The Fever.’
In January 2012, I was watching the Today Show when this teenage girl appeared on screen. In her hoodie, with her nervous smile, she looked like the All-American girl. But something was wrong. When she tried to talk, her words were broken up by these barks, her head jerking left to right.
“I was always so active,” she was saying, “Everyone was always so happy to be around me. I just don’t feel like myself anymore.” She was one of 18 girls, all in Le Roy High School in upstate New York, who were afflicted with these sudden tics and motor disorders over the course of several months. Watching them, and their terrified parents, I couldn’t look away. I started writing The Fever that very week.
From the very start, I had a clear idea how I wanted the novel to unfold—and what the cause behind the mysterious symptoms would be—and it was quite different from the way the real-life case unfolded. I built the story around one family, the Nashes, and around a complicated knot of female friends of my own creation. But watching the unfolding in Le Roy definitely helped me. It reminded me, throughout, how high the stakes were for the afflicted girls, how upsetting and destabilizing it was for the community. To see young girls stricken one after another and not understand why—the palpable fear and anger never left my mind. Nor did the face of that first teenage girl, the panic in her eyes.
Just a few months ago, long after I finished THE FEVER, I talked to Dr. Jennifer McVige, the neurologist who treated many of the Le Roy girls, and the experience was quite moving. Ultimately, the girls were diagnosed with conversion disorder and mass psychogenic illness—very real disorders that are psychological in origin (caused by stress, anxiety or trauma) and with very real, involuntary symptoms. But they were all getting better despite everything they’d been through, and it was inspiring.
In THE FEVER, the real-life case is just a jumping-off point. It became a way for me to tell a story about families and teenage girls and hysteria in a small-town—a story I’d been wanting to tell, in one way or another, since I was a kid reading Shirley Jackson stories and Nathaniel Hawthorne. But I think many of us who heard about the Le Roy girls, saw them on the news or read about them in the newspaper or in the New York Times magazine, were similarly affected.
It struck a lot of nerves, but the question is why? I wonder if it’s because it reminded us of how vulnerable we all feel, how (despite scientific advances) mysterious the mind truly is, how complex the lives of teenage girls can be (particularly those under stress or recovering from trauma or turmoil) and how the culture at large still tends to want to minimize them, not take them seriously. It’s hard to be a teenage girl and maybe never harder than now.
These thoughts shuddered through me as I wrote THE FEVER, and continue to do so. As much as we think we’ve made life more efficient, that we have a greater grasp on how to be a parent, how to protect our children, that science now dispels myths and there’s a pill for everything—something can still happen, as it did in Le Roy, as it does in THE FEVER, to remind us the world is still an enigmatic place, filled with surprise and challenge and mystery.
Megan, thank you for sharing this look at how THE FEVER came to be. It’s intriguing how real life gives away to fiction sometimes and you’re so right about terrible things still happening despite all of our advances.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Megan Abbott is the Edgar Award-winning author of six previous novels. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Salon, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Believer, Los Angeles Review of Books, Detroit Noir and Queens Noir among other places. She received her PhD in literature from New York University.
She lives in New York and recently served as the John Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi. Currently, she is working on the screenplay for her novel, Dare Me, soon to be a major motion picture.
For more on Megan and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This giveaway is for one print copy of THE FEVER. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Monday, July 7.
To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Megan Abbott’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).
Thanks so much for stopping by during Megan’s visit. Had you heard about the case involving the Le Roy High School girls before?
*This post contains affiliate links.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It’s a delight to welcome USA Today bestselling author and Edgar Award nominee Alison Gaylin to Thoughts in Progress today to talk about her latest release, STAY WITH ME, the third installment in her Brenna Spector series.
In this latest installment of the Brenna Spector Novel of Suspense, STAY WITH ME (on sale June 24, $5.99, Harper mass market paperback), Brenna’s entire world is turned upside down as she faces her most deeply personal case yet... the disappearance of her own daughter, Maya.
Brenna Spector is a prisoner to her past; she has perfect autobiographical memory—hyperthymesia—which allows her to recall in vivid and remarkable detail every moment of every day of her adult life. Yet, she lacks that clarity when it comes to her childhood, leaving her still trying to unravel the mystery of her sister Clea’s disappearance twenty-eight years ago, when Clea was seventeen.
In STAY WITH ME, her growing obsession with finding out what happened to Clea starts taking a toll on her own teenage daughter, Maya, who’s been growing more and more secretive. Then, when Maya goes missing, Brenna fears her worst nightmare has come true.
As Brenna relies on her P.I. skills to find her daughter before it’s too late, evidence surfaces showing a possible link between Maya’s disappearance and Clea’s. But could a case three decades earlier really be connected to her daughter? Or is someone hoping Brenna will play along in a twisted game that there is no hope of winning… or surviving?
By the end of STAY WITH ME, Brenna’s entire outlook on life is changed, and the mystery of her long-lost sister Clea is finally solved -- but at a devastating price.
Please join me in welcoming Alison as she graciously answers questions.
Mason - Where do you do most of your writing and do you have any writing related rituals or quirks like certain music to listen to or a favorite beverage to drink?
Alison:
I have an office in my home, though sometimes I like to mix things up and bring my laptop to a coffee shop. Either way, my writing beverage of choice is coffee. (I drink it black.)
Mason - Looking back over your latest release, STAY WITH ME, where there any more surprises than when you finished the other two installments in the series?
Alison:
Oh, there are so many surprises in STAY WITH ME, it's hard to give a plot summary without spoilers! Besides being the third book in the Brenna Spector series, it's the third in the "Clea Trilogy," so I tried to write a final installment that's both surprising and satisfying. It was fun to write, but also very hard!
Mason - Who inspired you to write?
Alison:
My mom teaches memoir writing. And my dad, a hospital administrator, was a voracious reader who loved mysteries. So when I was growing up, reading and writing were pretty much impossible for me to avoid.
Mason - What advice would you give to a new author wanting to write in any of the various genres available?
Alison:
Focus not on what you think is going to sell, but on telling a good story. Young readers are just as discerning as grown-ups (possibly more-so) and nobody likes being pandered to.
Mason - In writing the series, did it become more difficult to write each installment or did the process flow easier as the series came about?
Alison:
Good question! I think it gets easier with each book in a series. I feel like I know the characters better than when I started, which makes it easier to plot stories. But boy, writing is always, always hard.
Mason - Are you currently working on any new projects readers can look forward to reading?
Alison:
Yes! I'm currently working on an adult standalone suspense novel called WHAT REMAINS OF ME for Harper Collins -- about a 17-year-old girl who commits the "murder of the century" in 1980 and spends 25 years in prison -- only to be accused of another brutal killing five years after her release. The action shifts back and forth between 1980 and 2010, with both mysteries unfolding at the same time, so it's a challenge to write. (Plus, I get to listen to a lot of cool old songs to get in the mood!) It should be out next year, in hardcover.
Alison, thanks for sharing this look at the writing life with us. Your current project sounds as intriguing as STAY WITH ME.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
ALISON GAYLIN is the author of the Edgar-nominated thriller HIDE YOUR EYES, as well as its sequel YOU KILL ME and the standalones TRASHED and HEARTLESS, and the Brenna Spector series AND SHE WAS and INTO THE DARK.
A graduate of Northwestern University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Alison lives with her husband and daughter in upstate New York.
For more on Alison and her writing, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
In addition, you can see Alison on tour in the coming weeks at the following locations:
July 10, 7 p.m.: River Road Books in Fair Haven, NJ. Event with Megan Abbott.
August 1, 7 p.m.: Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY. Event with Wendy Corsi Staub.
August 2, 2 p.m.: Westport Library in Westport, CT Event with Wendy Corsi Staub.
August 9, 7 p.m.: Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs, NY. Event with Wendy Corsi Staub.
Thanks so much for stopping by today during Alison’s visit. Do you enjoy novels that tug on your heartstrings, while they scare you to pieces with suspense and intrigue? Or do you go more for novels that just tug on your heartstrings?
*This post contains affiliate links.
I’m delighted to welcome author Amanda Lee here today as she makes a stop on her virtual blog tour for her latest release, THREAD END, the seventh installment in her Embroidery Mystery.
You don’t have to be an embroidery expert (or even like to embroider) to enjoy this charming series. As part of Amanda’s tour, she’s stopping by to talk about KILIM. In addition, thanks to Amanda and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a print copy of this cozy murder mystery to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for details.
Here’s a brief summary of THREAD END:
Embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer is about to have the rug pulled out from under her....
Marcy can’t wait to see the new exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles, including beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to terror when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped up in a most unusual fashion.
The victim appears to be a visiting art professor in town for the exhibit. Did someone decide to teach the professor a lesson, then attempt to sweep the evidence under the rug? Along with her boyfriend, Detective Ted Nash, Marcy must unravel an intricate tapestry of deception to find a desperate killer.
Now please join me in welcoming Amanda as she talks about ‘Stop! You’re KILIM Me!’
One of the most challenging, and yet most fun, things to research when I’m working on a new embroidery mystery is the various types of embroidery. I look for something that relates to the story at hand but also something that hasn’t been mentioned in one of the books yet. Naturally, Marcy does her fair share of needlepoint and cross-stitch, but often her customers come in looking for something new…or old, as the case may be.
In the case of THREAD END, there was an antique textile exhibit coming to Tallulah Falls. I began researching antique textiles and found all different kinds—tapestries, kimonos and other garments, quilts, and kilims. I learned about the different patterns incorporated in kilim rugs and the regional differences in various kilims.
I learned how antique textiles are cared for and displayed. Large ones are sometimes mounted on stretchers like oil paintings. However, this can stain the fabric and stitches, so it’s best to frame and mount them on fabric-covered acid-free boards with a window mount to keep the fabric away from the glass. My research suggested that antique textiles should often be taken off display, wrapped in acid-free materials (never in colored tissue or newspaper), and stored in a dark dry place.
For THREAD END, I also had to research essential oils. Whenever another character, even a minor one, has a business, hobby, or even conversation about something, the author has to know something about the subject. As a result, I now have three small bottles of essential oils.
I also learned about Cezanne. Did you know he hardly ever signed or dated his paintings? Or that he had four specific periods of work—a dark period, an impressionist period, a mature period, and a final period? I was kind of sorry he didn’t have a delightful period, a sunny period, a carefree period, or anything in the least bit happy and cheerful period.
I’m happy to report (though probably not as happy as my husband) that my research did not inspire me to buy any fine art or antique textiles. Nor have I taken up weaving to make my own kilim…yet.
I needed to figure out what other types of exhibits might be housed in the Tallulah Falls Museum, and I had a lot of fun researching that! The story I tell about A. C. Gilbert of Salem, Oregon and his toy “atomic energy lab” is entirely true! I’d have loved to have known Mr. Gilbert. I think that guy must’ve been a blast to hang out with.
I also run across some wonderful people while I’m researching. For THREAD END, I got to “meet” Pam and Nancy of The Prairie Schooler, Inc. I’d run across some of their projects online and thought Marcy would love to sell them in the Seven-Year Stitch. I wrote them, and they happily agreed to let Marcy include their products in her shop.
Research can be a blast! Just don’t get so caught up in it you neglect to write your book! 
Amanda, thanks for joining us and giving this insight look at your research. It does sound like it was lots of fun and informative.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Amanda Lee is a pseudonym Gayle Trent is using for the new cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who owns an embroidery shop. The series is set on the Oregon Coast and features Marcy Singer, a spunky, thirty-something, entrepreneur who is handy with a needle.
Marcy Singer left her home in San Francisco, along with the humiliation of being left at the altar, in order to move to Tallulah Falls and realize her dream of owning her own shop. She takes along her faithful companion, a one-year-old Irish wolfhound named Angus O’Ruff. She makes many new friends in Tallulah Falls, but she also makes a few enemies. Thankfully, her best friend Sadie MacKenzie and her husband Blake run the coffeehouse right down the street from Marcy’s shop, the Seven-Year Stitch; and Detective Ted Nash always has her back.
Gayle also writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again.
Amanda/Gayle lives in Virginia with her family, which includes her own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff.
For more on Amanda/Gayle and her writing, visit her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This giveaway is for one print copy of THREAD END. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and due to the holiday will end Sunday, July 6.
To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Amanda Lee’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).
Thanks so much for stopping by today during Amanda’s tour. Had you heard about kilim rugs before? Have you ever tried your hand at embroidering?
*This post contains affiliate links.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It’s a pleasure to welcome author Patricia Skalka here today as she makes a stop on her BreakThrough Promotions Virtual Blog Tour for her new release, DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY, the first book in her new mystery series.
This is an intriguing murder mystery published by Terrace Books/Trade imprint of University of Wisconsin Press.
Patricia will be joining us to talk about her writing life. Thanks to Patricia and the lovely PJ at BreakThrough Promotions, I have a copy of DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY to giveaway in celebration of the release. Please see the end of the post for details.
Here’s a brief look at DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY …
Six deaths mar the holiday mood as summer vacationers enjoy Wisconsin’s beautiful Door County peninsula. Murders, or bizarre accidents? Newly hired park ranger Dave Cubiak, a former Chicago homicide detective, assumes the worst but refuses to get involved. Grief-stricken and guilt-ridden over the loss of his wife and daughter, he’s had enough of death.
Forced to confront the past, the morose Cubiak moves beyond his own heartache and starts investigating, even as a popular festival draws more people into possible danger. In a desperate search for clues, Cubiak uncovers a tangled web of greed, betrayal, bitter rivalries, and lost love beneath the peninsula’s travel-brochure veneer. Befriended by several locals but unsure whom to trust or to suspect of murder, the one-time cop tracks a clever killer.
In a setting of stunning natural beauty and picturesque waterfront villages, Death Stalks Door County introduces a new detective series, “The Dave Cubiak Door County Mysteries.”
“Who would have guessed that so many dark secrets and sinister deeds lurk beneath the surface of Door County’s idyllic communities? A very satisfying read, and the arrival of a fresh, talented voice.” — Patrick Somerville, author of This Bright River
Now please join me in welcoming Patricia to Thoughts in Progress as she talks about ‘My Writing Life.’
Books were a luxury my working class family could not afford. We had a dictionary, a Bible, a couple of old readers from my father's elementary school days and the occasional tattered, hand-me-down Golden Books. I learned to associate words with stories from the nursery rhymes my mother recited and the comic section my father read to me from the Sunday newspaper. When my older brother came home from school with Dick and Jane, I was hooked.
At seven or eight, I started writing my own stories. Equipped with nothing more than a limited vocabulary, a large imagination, a sharp pencil and a tablet of lined paper, I sat at the kitchen table and neatly put down my thoughts. To me, writing was like magic; the intangible-- thoughts, memories, ideas -- made concrete and real.
Before writing DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY, my debut mystery, all of my work was nonfiction. I wrote and ghosted books and magazine articles. I was a Staff Writer for the Reader's Digest for a number of years and though there's a huge difference between writing for a magazine like the Digest and writing fiction, I learned many useful skills. Like listening to people, what they said and what they were trying to say. Like searching for the exact word I needed to convey a thought or emotion. Like organizing my thoughts and knowing what I wanted to say before I started to write. Like discipline, because a missed deadline meant a late paycheck.
When I'm working on a book, I write daily for a minimum of four hours, five to six days a week. Sometimes I'll write for six hours a day but that's pretty much the upper limit. Although the writing time varies, it's always in a chunk. Early morning to noon or mid-afternoon to evening. I set a daily goal. Number of words or specific scene to be completed. If I reach the goal, I give myself a pat on the back; if not, I analyze why -- was I distracted, had I been overly ambitious, did the scene require more thought and detail than I'd realized.
If I run into a wall of genuine writer's block, I move to a different scene or chapter to keep the words flowing and to stay connected to the story. While I'm writing, I don't have much trouble avoiding Facebook and email but find that phone calls are most distracting. So I screen them and only answer if I recognize the caller and suspect the call is important.
I don't really have a favorite author. I read different writers for different reasons. Jean le Carre for complexity, Donna Tartt for the sheer joy of her way with words, Kate Atkinson and Martin Cruz Smith because I adore their protagonists, Joyce Carol Oates for inspiration, Russell Banks for the raw power he brings to the page, Patricia Ann McNair for the rarified beauty of her short stories, Francine Prose for her wit and intelligence, Jane Hamilton for the unadulterated honesty of her work, Mary Oliver for the simplicity of her vision.
There's no question that writing is hard work but now that DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY has been published, I look back and remember only the joy that went with the process. The pain, the doubts, the revising all fade into the shadow. The magic that I experienced as a child at the kitchen table endures.
At the moment, I'm between books. I've completed the final draft of book two in the Dave Cubiak Door County mystery series and am taking a bit of break before jumping into book three. I have one page synopses for four more but need to decide which makes the most sense in terms of Cubiak's growth as a character. In the meantime, I have a stacks of books to read and flowers to plant on the deck.
Patricia, thanks for joining us today. It’s always a treat to learn more about an author’s writing life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A lifelong Chicagoan, Patricia Skalka is a former Reader’s Digest Staff Writer and award-winning freelancer, as well as one-time magazine editor, ghost writer and writing instructor. Her nonfiction book credits include ON OUR OWN, the true story of two pioneering, local nurse practitioners.
More on Patricia and her writing, visit her website and her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
This giveaway is for one print copy of DEATH STALKS DOOR COUNTY. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Wednesday, July 3.
To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Patricia Skalka’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).
Thanks so much for stopping by and joining Patricia for her visit. Do you enjoy mysteries where the officer in charge has his/her own personal issues they are dealing with?
*This post contains affiliate links.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I’m delighted to welcome author Adrianne
Lee back to Thoughts in Progress once again for the Launch Day Blitz for
DELICIOUS,
the second installment in her Big Sky Pie series.
DELICIOUS hits
bookshelves today in the form of Mass Market Paperback.
Here’s a brief
synopsis:
Workaholic Nick
Taziano is the proud owner of a successful marketing company in Montana. But his
career takes a backseat when he learns his dad plans to remarry his ex. Nick
fears she'll break his heart . . . again. And he doesn't like being reunited
with her obnoxious daughter-until the all-grown-up beauty kisses him at the
engagement party. The kiss might be a mistake, but once he tastes Jane's lips,
nothing-not even her famous blueberry pie-compares.
A promising chef at Big
Sky Pie, Jane Wilson never, ever wanted to see Nick Taziano again, but he's just
been hired to do the pie shop's marketing. How's a girl supposed to bake the
best pastries in town when he's a constant reminder of their steamy chemistry?
His chocolate eyes and sexy dimples heat up the kitchen-and every part of her
body. Jane has no room for a man in her life, yet sometimes the most delicious
dishes don't follow the recipe . . .
This is another installment in the laugh-a-minute
series that will have you craving scrumptious pies as you fall in love all over
again with the characters from Adrianne’s Big Sky Pie stories.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR:
Adrianne Lee lives with her husband of many, many
years on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula in Washington State in a pole barn
building her husband transformed into an upstairs apartment with a shop below
for his hot rods.
Adrianne creates her stories on her laptop, in her
recliner with her adopted cat, Spooky, curled between her calves, snoozing.
Over thirty years of summer vacationing in the Flat Head Lake area near
Kalispell and Glacier Park has given her a love for all things
Montana.
For more on Adrianne and her writing, visit her
website and connect with her
on Facebook and Twitter.
DELICIOUS is available at
Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and Amazon.
EXCERPT …
Now here’s an excerpt from DELICIOUS
for your reading pleasure.
Andrea hadn’t really asked for
more whipped cream, but Jane figured she’d better bring some with her just in
case BiBi was still in the kitchen when she returned. Although she hoped her
assistant would be gone by then. The chill air brushed her bare arms as she
stepped deep into the room and started walking to the Sub-Zero. A creak sounded
behind her. She spun to see the door closing.
Jane swore. The music and crowd
noise was barely discernible thanks to triple insulated walls, but it was too
cold to be in here for more than a couple of minutes in a sleeveless sundress,
apron, and sandals. She grabbed a container of Reddi-wip from the Sub-Zero and
hurried to the door. The knob wouldn’t turn. She tried again. It was locked. Was
this a joke? Recalling BiBi’s mean girl comment, she decided it might not be.
She banged on the door. “This isn’t funny, BiBi. Let me out! BiBi!”
BiBi didn’t answer. And Jane
realized that no one would hear her over the music and voices or through the
soundproof walls. It wasn’t so cold she would freeze to death. It wasn’t so
airtight she’d lose oxygen, but she was stuck here until someone realized she
was missing or came looking for her. She gave the door a couple of good whacks,
then hugged herself against the cold as a tear rolled down her cheek.
She turned back toward the room
and saw the Devil standing there, looking as annoyed as she felt. Her heart
almost stopped. “Why didn’t you tell me you were here?”
“I didn’t want to startle
you.”
“Too late.” Her heart was
thudding beneath her hand pressed to her chest.
He seemed to notice the tears on
her cheeks. He set his camera equipment on a shelf and started toward her. “Ah,
don’t cry, Pain. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Did you lock this
door?”
“Me? Hell no. I was near the
back wall photographing some fresh strawberry and cherry flats for the
blog.”
“Swear on your father’s
life?”
He looked as though her request
was ludicrous. “Seriously, why would I lock us in here? Oh my God, you’re
shivering.” Nick tugged off his white dress shirt and draped it over her bare
shoulders.
His body heat lingered in the
shirt, along with his citrusy scent. Jane hugged the shirt to her, her gaze
fixed on his bare chest. She shivered. Nick seemed to mistake it for the cold.
She let him reach for her, pull her into his arms, and dry her tears. The
yearning she couldn’t deny filled her so full that she thought she’d
explode.
“Oh, God, Jane, don’t look at me
like that…please…or I won’t be responsible—” He swallowed hard and tried to
release her, but her mouth found its way to his…
“Is like knowing what pie
is-a your favorite, Nicola. The taste, she lingers on-a your tongue long after
the last little bite is-a gone, and you can no wait until you have-a some more.
Then-a you know. Is the one.”
And Jane was the taste he’d
longed for, the one he couldn’t get over. His heart’s favorite flavor. His body
knew the second her lips met his, the kiss speaking to some primal part of his
being, telling him that this was the woman. His woman. His
mate.
Music seemed to surround them,
not the country beat the DJ was playing, but violins and harps, a love song as
enchanting as the ages. Nick felt swept up in it. Desire flared through him, a
wildfire, sizzling his blood, burning every thought that wasn’t Jane from his
mind. He swept her to him, his arms filled with her wonderful curves, his body
instantly hard and thrumming, his breath coming quick and sharp, like his
heartbeat.
He reached into her hair, and
soon, loosened pins fell through his fingers, the French braid unknotted, and
Jane’s satin curls bounced free, smelling like lilacs after a spring rain. The
chill in the room stole across his naked back like a cool breeze, and Nick
pulled Jane closer, fearing that she might be too cold still, but everywhere he
touched felt toasty, inviting him to touch more.
He couldn’t resist. His hand
slid beneath her filmy dress and up her sleek legs to snag on a flimsy bit of
silkiness, his fingers moving it aside to find the nest of dense, damp curls,
finding the center of her passion. She reacted with a soft, sweet squeal…his
name on her lips spiking his need higher, her hands on his back erasing all
memory of chilly air. He deepened their kiss, pleasuring her again, finding his
enjoyment linked with hers. The greater her bliss, the greater his.
Hmmmm, now did that tempt your reading taste buds?
Hope so. I can’t wait to see what else happens. Thanks so much for stopping by
today. Have you ever gotten locked in a walk-in cooler?
*This post contains affiliate links.
