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Showing posts from January, 2007

Getting over the flu or something

For the last two and a half weeks I've been plagued with a cough and runny nose. Finally, I think I'm beginning to recover. Thanks goodness, I have a full calendar ahead. Though I've done a bit of writing on my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree book, not nearly what I'd like. I did work on the ghost writing project I've been assigned to and I think we're near the completion of it. My copies of Fringe Benefits are on the way, so it's time to gear up for the promotion of that one. I need to set a date for the launch, I have the place, just need to find a good day for the flower/gift shop where it's going to be held. Fringe Benefits is for sale on my website now. Anyone who wants a preview copy can go ahead and order one and I'll get it off to you as soon as it arrives. Next Wednesday we'll be leaving for Seattle and Left Coast Crime. I'm really looking forward to it as I know a lot of my good writing friends will be there. The down side to that is w

Book Trailers

I've just had two book trailers done. For Calling the Dead: http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=NOc9WQMnRWA For Wishing Makes It So: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1YCwl8vHeg Sure is fun! Can't say that the characters look like the characters in my mind, but it does give you a good idea of what the book is about. Marilyn

Planning for the Future

I've spent most of the day working on my calendar. I can assure you I'd much rather be working on the latest in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, but to make sure I don't double book anything, it was time to make sure I had everything down that I've committed to already. There are some things that are nearly overlapping and will take some figuring out to see when we ought to leave, if we can drive or should fly. I have two major complications. In the near future, another of my grandsons is coming to live with us. This one is twenty and has a rough life. We just moved one out that was twenty. At the end of May, right after Mayhem in the Midlands, we'll be picking up my 97 year old mom, who will be 98 in June, and she'll be living with us for awhile too. I know my husband didn't picture his retirement years as being quite so full of people. That's what we get for not selling our big house after we quite caring for the developmentally disabled women. And no

The Creation of Deputy Tempe Crabtree

Readers often ask how an author came up with a character. Though I do make character charts, when I first imagined Tempe, I knew she was a widow with a small son, that she was Native American, and a resident deputy in a small, mountain community, and that she needed a new man in her life. The first book I wrote with Tempe as the heroine is The Choice . The second book is Guilt by Association . The fact that Tempe is Native American has no real importance in either book. By the time I wrote Deadly Trail , Tempe had grown into a different person and if you read Deadly Trail , you'll learn that her interest in her heritage is awakened by a fellow Indian, Nick Two John. The main setting of Deadly Trail is an Inn fashioned after the Springville Inn in the town where I live, though there are some distinctive differences. I really liked those first two books--which weren't published yet--so I changed the heroine's name and the settings in both books. I self-published The Choice a

Thoughts on New Years Day

New Year's Day 2007 I wrote this once, then decided to update to the new blog and somehow everything I'd done before disappeared. Story of my life, I always have trouble learning new things. Instead of resolutions I decided to review the good things that happened last year, and what I'm looking forward to in the coming year. The good things: Lots of quality time spent with family. A new great-grandbaby arrived with the name of Lola Marseilles and we realized that makes the 12th great. Wow! My middle daughter, Lisa, and I went on a cruise with my sister's entire family and my 97 year old mom. There were 35 of us in all and we had a blast. Hubby and I went on my 55th Eagle Rock High School Reunion Cruise and it was great fun. We all got reaquainted, dressed like pirates to solve a mystery and remembered the gentler time when we grew up, not unlike Happy Days. We also attended several writing and mystery cons were we made new friends and enjoyed those we've met before.