Tag Archive for: Evelyn David

When All the World is Protesting….

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Is it just me or is everything in the world spinning and changing so fast it’s almost impossible to keep up? I’m exhausted.

Dictatorships are falling in large part to their citizens’ use of Facebook and Twitter to organize protests. Egyptians have toppled their government. The world is holding its collective breath as we wait for the next despot to be exiled, holding out hope that the end result will be better than the original. Libya? Bahrain? Iran? What country will be next? What will the world look like next year?

Proposed deep budget cuts in the U.S. federal government and state government services are going to affect all U.S. citizens. Congress is setting up for a government shutdown unless compromise can be accomplished. The protests in Wisconsin over budget cuts are only the first for state governments. The state agency I work for in Oklahoma is facing consolidation with another agency and massive budget cuts if our newly elected Republican Governor has her way with a Republican majority house and senate. I think her chances are pretty good! Citizens will have to decide if they really want the changes that are coming. Yes, elections have consequences. I’m just not sure everyone understood how the changes would affect them personally.

Because of my day job for a state agency I’m acutely aware that President Obama has just this past year geared up federal environmental agencies for a massive change in the interpretation of existing environmental laws. His new policies would open the door for direct federal enforcement of those new interpretations, ignoring state laws and programs. The result of the direct enforcement would be massive loss of jobs and industry. The states are pushing back, reminding the federal government that they can’t change laws or create new laws via policy statements. But so far they’ve turned a blind eye and deaf ear to our protests and attempts to reason with them. The whole issue is heading for court. In the midst of this battle, suddenly the President creates a new White House working group to protect jobs from unnecessary federal regulations. He wants to reduce regulations that stifle business. What the [insert appropriate curse word] is going on? The President needs to learn what his right hand and his left hand are doing.

Oh, by the way, Happy Presidents Day! Sigh.

Before the year is over we’ll know what government services are really important to us. The public libraries that survive over the next five years will do so because they find additional sources of funding and attract new users. They will have to add more digital content, e-readers, and many more computers. Public schools? I’m not sure what they are going to do. Class sizes will increase, teachers will be laid off, and kids won’t have desks, chairs, or books.

Brick and mortar bookstores are disappering. You might not be able to find a bookstore in your favorite mall. The local independents are hanging on by a thread. The publishing giants are rushing to accommodate the ebook revolution as authors self-publish their own books via electronic platforms at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords. I was speaking with a friend who collects first editions and autographed books. She wonders if the next generation will find any value in her old fashioned “print” book collections.

And of course on top of all the other turmoil, there’s the weather. Should I mention the crazy weather? Everyone has had some this year. This month Oklahoma went from a normal 6 or 7 inches a year to 20-some odd inches of snow in a two day span. Then the weather flip flopped with one town registering a -20 F. (actual temperature not wind chill) to a week later registering a very muddy 80 F.

I don’t know what everyone else is going to do, but this seems like the perfect time to escape to the more rational world of fiction. I’m going to read, write, and hope next year is, if not better, at least calmer.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Takeaway

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Ten days ago, I spent the morning at The Tuckahoe Public Library. It’s been months since I gave one of my library talks – and I’d forgotten just how much fun they can be. For authors, what could be better than to be with readers who both enjoy the mystery genre and are eager to understand the creative process? It’s an honor and privilege to share what I’ve learned in writing.

And inevitably, I learn as much, if not more, than my audience. They share their favorite books, as well as what they don’t like about books they’ve read and found wanting. This group of about 10 should get a special shout-out because they braved frigid weather and icy streets to come to this discussion. I found it interesting that only one person in the group had a Kindle, and in fact, another had been gifted with one and then re-gifted it to her son within a few weeks.

Even as Rhonda and I have been busy cannonballing into the deep end of the e-book pool, this was an important reminder that not everyone is so eager to give up the heft and feel of a print book. Yes, it’s undoubtedly generational. A recent New York Times article revealed that many preteens are now proud owners of e-book readers and that the market for YA e-books is literally exploding. Perhaps it will take longer for the older generation (and heck, I’m one of them!), to embrace the technology, but I suspect it will be sooner rather than later, if only because it means that the reader can enlarge the typeface of all books. If I were one of the publishers of Books in Large Print, I’d be worried about the future direction of my company.

The conversation that morning inevitably returned to the concept of collaboration. On a basic level, there’s always the question of mechanics.

Literally how do Rhonda and I write a story together? Does one do the rough draft and the other do the polishing? No, we each write scenes and pass the story back and forth dozens upon dozens upon dozens of times (and that’s just an estimate for a short story!)

Do each of us write certain characters? Nope, we both write all the characters. No one has a proprietary hold on Mac, Rachel, Whiskey, or Brianna.

Of course, the final question is always, when are the two of you going to meet. We used to joke that it would be on a very special Oprah, but now that Ms. W is going off the air, we need a new punchline (ideas are welcome).

When I speak to these groups, I always hope that the takeaway, beside maybe a few sales, is that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams – whatever they may be. Rhonda and I had each harbored a secret fantasy that we’d become mystery writers. Didn’t seem likely as the years went by. I’m not sure either of us would have had the staying power it takes to become a published mystery writer without the collaboration. That’s not a reflection of talent. Rhonda could write dozens of books on her own. But writing with a partner means showing up with something when you’ve said you would write the next scene, even if family and work demands are pressing. It means not wanting to disappoint someone else, even if you would be willing to disappoint yourself. Of course it also means having someone to gripe to when a rejection letter arrives; and someone with whom to shriek in joy when an acceptance or good review appears.

The Stiletto Gang is a diverse group of talented women. We write different kinds of stories but we share similar dreams. These library events remind me again just how lucky I am to be a writer, to be a co-author, and to have had the opportunity to pursue my dreams. Best wishes to all of you that your dreams come true.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David


Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series

I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series

Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake
– Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books
– Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Your Favorite Valentine

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by Evelyn David

The first valentine I ever received was from Charlie Riggins in first grade. It read, and I can still quote it in its entirety. “Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don’t smell, but you sure do.– Brianna Sullivan in Undying Love in Lottawatah

Do you remember your first Valentine’s Day card or gift?

Like Brianna, my first Valentine’s Day gift was in first grade. The teacher let all the kids exchange tiny Valentines. One special little boy gave me a ring that came from a gum ball machine. The fake stone separated from the setting before the day was over. Kind of like the budding romance. Another boy offered the actual gum ball and my affections shifted.

For centuries the idea of romantic love has been celebrated on Valentine’s Day. In the Middle Ages this Saint’s day was considered the optimum day to choose a lifetime mate. Today it is celebrated by the giving of cards, candy, and gifts.

Undying Love in Lottawatah is the fourth book in the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries ebook series. A novella-length story, Undying Love in Lottawatah continues the saga of psychic Brianna Sullivan who planned to travel the country in her motor home, but instead unexpectedly ended up parking her home on wheels in a small Oklahoma town. In Undying Love in Lottawatah, as Valentine’s Day approaches, Brianna is hired by the local police to help solve an arson/murder case. She’s also got family problems. The ghost of her great aunt keeps pressing Brianna to find out what happened to Harry, her long lost love. In her spare time the reluctant psychic tries to figure out her own love life and her relationship with Detective Cooper Jackson. Is he reason enough to stay in Lottawatah?

Do you send Valentine’s Day cards? Brianna has mixed feelings on the matter.

Anyway, my Momma always told me that Valentine’s Day was a made-up Hallmark holiday and I shouldn’t get swept up in the commercialization, yadda, yadda, yadda. To be honest, I often tuned out when my mother would get on her high horse about these issues. And let’s be honest, the woman absolutely expected a card and an increasingly expensive present when the made-up holiday of Mother’s Day popped up every May.– Brianna Sullivan in Undying Love in Lottawatah

___________________

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series

I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series

Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake
– Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books
– Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Saying Goodbye Gracefully

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by Evelyn David

I’ve always been intrigued by the paranormal (see our Brianna Sullivan series), so when Medium, a television series about a psychic who assists the Phoenix, Arizona police department debuted in 2005, I was quickly hooked. I followed the series from NBC, who cancelled it after five years, to CBS, who cancelled it last month. I looked forward to the series finale with a combination of sadness and anticipation of how they would wrap it all up. Sigh. What I got last Friday night was an unholy mess. *Spoilers Ahead*

Multiple time jumps, fake dreams, an airplane crash, a Mexican drug cartel, cars exploding, eight years of amnesia, seriously there wasn’t a cliché they missed. There were moments when I expected Bobby Ewing to come out of the shower and tell Alison that all her dreams were just that – dreams and not psychic revelations. Even the last few seconds in the episode where Alison joined Joe in the hereafter after forty-some odd years apart didn’t work for me – instead of satisfaction that the couple would be together forever, it just felt like the writers were pouring salt on a wound. I didn’t want to learn Joe died and missed his kids growing up. I didn’t want to know Alison had to spend more years without him than she’d had with him. I didn’t particularly want to know about the kids’ grandchildren. I’d much rather have seen another episode that showed the characters doing the things they’ve done for the last seven years – Alison dreaming her dreams and waking up Joe in the middle of the night, Joe struggling to earn a living, and the kids fighting around the breakfast table. I wanted more of the same. Even if the series was cancelled, I wanted to be able to keep the family alive – well and happy – in my imagination.

Which got me to thinking about how authors treat the last book in a series. Lesson learned: You need to put the same amount of energy and creativity into ending a series that you put into that first book – the book where you were trying to engage readers into wanting to see more. Finales need to be respectful of both the characters and the audience. Do it well, and readers are anxious to read new books and new series you present. Do it poorly, and the bitter taste can wipe out all your earlier hard work.

J.K. Rowling understood the Herculean task she faced in ending the Harry Potter saga. While some readers might quibble with the length and events of the seventh book, most were extremely satisfied that she not only gave a powerful climactic battle between the forces of good and evil (the recurrent theme in all seven books), but she also provided an epilogue that gave a glimpse into the future of the main characters that her audience had grown to love. She didn’t ignore the harsh realities of the world she had created, and in fact, killed off several beloved characters. But to her credit, she was respectful in her treatment of their deaths and their demises made sense in the context of the storyline.

Ending a series is never easy for authors or fans. Fans will always expect more than the writers can give. They don’t want the series to end so any ending is often less than satisfactory. Most authors love the characters they’ve created and the line between fiction and a place at the kitchen table is mighty thin. Both halves of Evelyn David talk about Mac, Rachel, Brianna, and even Whiskey the Irish wolfhound, as if they were extended members of the Dossett and Borden families. So when we decide, if we ever decide, that it’s time to bring a series to a close, we know what we need to do and what we absolutely shouldn’t do. In the meantime, we’re still enjoying their adventures and plan to continue plotting murder and mayhem with them.

Stiletto Faithful: what finales, in books or television series, did you think were handled well? Which sucked?

http://www.evelyndavid.com
——————
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Empty Nest

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I’m the mother of four, mother-in-law of two, grandmother of one, and as of last Friday, an empty nester. Sigh. The last baby bird has flown the nest. Daughter moved into her first apartment in the Big Apple. I’m thrilled and delighted for her new adventure. I’m worried about all the things Moms worry about when their baby girl lives anywhere but home. And yes, I’m sad because an era of Motherhood has come to an end.

Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but I see a difference from four years ago when we loaded up the minivan and took her to college, two hours away, and this move, when we loaded up the same minivan and took her to a high-rise apartment house less than 40 minutes away. Then, I knew that my home was her permanent home. School vacations, summers, would be spent here. Her room stayed intact, high school mementos still lining the walls, the Beanie Babies still safe on her bed.

Now she will visit us, but her apartment will be home. Her legal address. She’ll get a New York City library card even! I’m pathetic, I know.

The thing is, I actually know I’ll be okay. When we took her to college, hubby and I missed her like the dickens. But Murder Off the Books had just been published. Almost every weekend, and frequently weekday evenings, would be spent on the road promoting the book at signings and library events. And it was an adventure my husband and I shared. We called him my “roadie,” driving to the event, schlepping books, handling sales while I gave the speech, and then spending some of the money earned on a nice dinner afterwards. We discovered anew that we had a lot in common, more than just four kids and a house.

All of which leads me to the conclusion that I need to work harder with Rhonda to finish the next Mac Sullivan book, write more Brianna Sullivan mysteries, and enjoy my time with my number one fan (and I his), John Borden.

And just so I don’t get too lonely, daughter spent last night in her apartment, but is coming home this afternoon to get her hair cut, shop at Target with Mom and Mom’s credit card, and meet up with old friends.

The times, they are a-changin – and maybe staying the same too.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

——————
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Cost of “Some” Free Speech

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We try not to write too much about politics on this blog. One reason is that the members of The Stiletto Gang all have different beliefs. Even a blog post by “Evelyn David,” involves the views of two authors from two different parts of the country, from two different religious backgrounds, and from two different life experiences. Then when you factor in our readers’ beliefs, talking about politics is tricky. We don’t want to offend anyone, but sometimes remaining silent isn’t an option either. This post is from the Southern Half of Evelyn David – I will “own” these words.

Words have consequences. Whether we like it or not, we own our words as much as our actions. On Saturday I was trying to come up with a topic for today’s blog when the tragedy in Arizona happened. My first thought was that some of the heated rhetoric of the past year had finally exploded into violence. As I’m writing this, details are just being released about the 18 people shot, the six killed, and the gunman who was captured by those on the scene.

The best quote I’ve heard so far came from the Pima County Sheriff, Clarence Dupnik. He’s of an age and point in his career, that he can say what he really thinks, without worrying about the political consequences. The sheriff criticized the role of talk radio and television pundits in using over the top statements to push mentally unstable individuals to violence.

“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous,” the sheriff said. “And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”

I admit it. I don’t have a favorable view of Arizona after this last election cycle. Instead of debating facts and ideas, each side tried to vilify the other with increasingly distorted facts and rhetoric. And the news organizations and talk show hosts rebroadcast those messages in sound bites packaged to stir hate. Of course it wasn’t just Arizona politics that went off the rails, plenty of other states joined in. I’m from Oklahoma – the literal translation of “Oklahoma” is “land of the red men.” That name still fits but now it’s more for the state’s politics. I live in a very conservative state and I’m not that conservative by Oklahoma standards. More often than not I’m voting for the politician who doesn’t win the election. I usually cringe when I hear our U.S. senators speaking on behalf of Oklahoma. I think and say to those around me, “They aren’t reflecting my views – they aren’t representing me.” But even then, it would never cross my mind to buy a handgun and try to change the political landscape with violence.

It doesn’t matter what your political beliefs are, violence against those with whom you disagree is not justified or appropriate. Politicians and talk show hosts who inflame others into physical actions which injure or kill people need to be held accountable. Yes, it may be free speech. Yes, it may be the mentally unbalanced who are reacting badly. But real lives are lost. And the worst part of it all is that most of the individuals churning out the hate speech, don’t believe it themselves. They are pandering to the uninformed, the undereducated, the unemployed and those terribly frightened of the cultural changes occurring in this country.

Note to politicians and talk show hosts – once your words have been recorded and posted on the internet, even if you hit the delete key and clean up your websites in the aftermath of a shooting, your words are still out there. They will come back to haunt you.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

Movies that Delight and Inspire

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My criteria for a good movie has certainly changed from my angst-y teen years when there was nothing like a good Ingmar Bergman, “let’s examine death twelve different ways” flick, to entertain me and my friends. We were interested in “meaningful” films, although I tended to keep quiet about my secret love for Pollyanna. I would have lost all street cred in the “I’m a deep person, you can tell from the black clothes I wear and the significant movies I see” crowd.

As I got older, however, I more and more wanted escapist movies. I no longer wanted to walk out of a film more depressed than when I walked in. I didn’t want to be haunted by images of sad children or abused adults. One of the best things about having kids is that I no longer needed an excuse to see Disney movies. Even though I’m a card-carrying feminist, I have no problem with watching all those Disney princesses and the heroes who saved them. Bottom Line: I don’t need to spend mega-dollars on a ticket and a bucket of popcorn to be depressed. I can do that for free on my own time.

I am, therefore, delighted to recommend two movies I saw over the holidays. They were well worth the ticket price (which as an aside is now getting ridiculous), and the popcorn calories.

Top on my list is The King’s Speech. Wow, just wow. Colin Firth plays Bertie, second-in-line for the throne, who unexpectedly becomes King when his dissolute older brother, Edward VII, abdicates. Bertie, who takes the royal name of King George VI, is a stalwart, devoted husband and father, with a painful stutter (the result of child abuse by his nanny). England is on the cusp of World War II and desperately needs a leader who can guide it through the difficult years ahead. But Bertie can barely complete a sentence without a tortuous stutter. The story is about his transformation into an inspiring speaker, a result of the treatment he undergoes by the unorthodox speech therapist, Lionel Logue, played brilliantly by Geoffrey Rush.

This is a movie about the triumph of the human spirit, the friendship between two men from different walks of life, and the selfless dedication of men and women to a nobler cause. I walked out of the movie optimistic and energized. Bravo to Colin Firth (who, for me, is still the quintessential Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice), Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter whose portrayal of Bertie’s wife, Elizabeth, is in stark contrast to the role of Bellatrix LeStrange which she plays in the Harry Potter films. Her range as an actress is remarkable. Oscar nods are expected all around.

At the other end of the spectrum, and I’m sure it had a good moral to the story, but I was just too enchanted to focus on it, is Tangled, the latest animated film from Disney. The songs aren’t particularly memorable, and yet, on a cold winter’s day, the tale of an independent Rapunzel who joins forces with a bad guy with a heart of gold to find her true family, is just delightful. It’s not a movie I’d see a dozen times (like Aladdin or The Lion King), but like a good Hershey bar, it was sweet, without being saccharine.

I wasn’t particularly impressed by the host of previews I saw, but I no longer expect to have a long list of films I’ve got to see. I’m just pleased that these two were such unexpected pleasures.

Any other recommendations from movie-goers?

Evelyn David

——————
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Evelyn’s Holiday Movie Picks!

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Here are our all time favorite holiday movies. Please share yours.


Rhonda –

A Christmas Story – Ralphie gets his bb gun and his tongue stuck to a lamp post. What could be better?

While You Were Sleeping – Warm family Christmas movie with Sandra Bullock at her best.

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Great songs and characters.

It’s a Wonderful Life – Can’t do better than Jimmy Stewart, any time of the year.

Die Hard – okay, not a traditional pick, but a fun hero movie and it is set at Christmas.

Marian –

The Shop Around the Corner, 1940. Just watched it and it’s lovely. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, plus Frank Morgan who two years earlier was the Wizard of Oz. You’ve Got Mail was the modern remake, but not even close.

An Affair to Remember– 1957 – cheesy but good. Can’t go wrong with Cary Grant, Christmas and the Empire State Building

It’s a Wonderful Life – ’nuff said

White Christmas – Danny Kaye as the buffoon is marvelous, Rosemary Clooney sings like an angel, Bing ain’t bad, and who ever saw Vera Ellen after this movie?

Meet Me in St. Louis – worth it just for Judy Garland singing, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy 2011!

Rhonda and Marian
aka Evelyn David

http://www.evelyndavid.com
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The Sullivan Investigations Mystery Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – ebook series
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Tis the Season to be Jolly

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My co-author and I have very different holiday traditions. A couple of weeks ago Marian posted about Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. Now it’s my turn to tell you how my family celebrates Christmas.

Christmas was always one of the best times of the year when I was a child. When my grandparents were alive we would spend part of the holiday with each set. We usually ate two Christmas dinners!

My paternal grandmother was the most excited of everyone. She loved decorating cookies and opening presents. I’m not sure if everyone else opens presents on Christmas Eve, but that was absolutely the longest she could wait. So she’d urge the kids to begin asking our parents if we could open presents early and before you knew it, wrapping paper was flying. Santa, well Santa’s gifts appeared on Christmas morning. My brother and I pretended to believe in Santa at least a couple of years after we knew he didn’t exist. We didn’t really care, but we knew the big presents came with Santa so we BELIEVED. The other thing my grandmother loved was working crossword puzzles and word scrambles. In her honor, Evelyn David challenges you to play a holiday game! To win you’ll need to know Christmas related “stuff” and the names of Evelyn David characters.

Complete all correctly and e-mail results to evelyn@evelyndavid.com before noon Eastern time on December 21. One entry per email address. Get all correct and you’ll win a Brianna Sullivan Mysteries e-book or a Sullivan Investigations Short Story (winner’s choice of Kindle, ePub, or PDF version). We’ll post answers in the comment section of blog when we announce winners the afternoon of Dec. 21, 2010. (Note: if no one gets all the right answers, the one with the most right wins. In case of ties, all with the most answers correct will win.)

24-Hour Christmas Word Scramble

  1. (3 WORDS) KEWIENETGHSR

  2. (2 WORDS) BJLENIGLLES

  3. (2 WORDS) STAINUTAS

  4. (2 WORDS) REGAEMEIENSDR

  5. (2 WORDS) ERLSAFE

  6. (1 WORD) HUPDOLR

  7. (2 WORDS) AEGHWRENRET

  8. (2 WORDS) LSORLBYERIEH

  9. (2 WORDS) ASCETHRRIMSTE

  10. (2 WORDS) SEGAKCAPDEPPARW

  11. (2 WORDS) FLWNASLIGNO

  12. (2 WORDS) SAMTSIRHCYRREM

  13. (2 WORDS) NONMTLGEASASR

  14. (2 WORDS) POHHLIYSDAPAY

Clues – 3 Christmas songs, 2 phrases, 5 things found in home at Christmas, 2 things you can wear, 1 name, 1 weather event. Note: At noon Central time one correction was made to list item #9. One letter was deleted and another added.

Evelyn David Character Word Scramble
  1. (2 WORDS) CNAVILLUSAM

  2. (2 WORDS) REERENBNLEHCAR

  3. (1 WORD) YESHIKW

  4. (1 WORDS) SREKCINS

  5. (2 WORDS) JTLRNSARETUIJAN

  6. (2 WORDS) AEEFRDGRED

  7. (2 WORDS) LHJOEFERIHYF

  8. (2 WORDS) YHILREHONEELHTAK

  9. (1 WORD) GRIBDTE

  10. (2 WORDS) SBULNRLINVANIAN

  11. (2 WORDS) SJEAROCCPKOON

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com/

——————

Happy Holiday $$$ Giveaway

Win a $70 Amazon gift certificate from the Stiletto Gang! Just leave a comment on weekday posts starting on Friday, December 17 and ending Friday, December 31, 2010. Each comment earns you one entry per day. Following the blog and Tweeting about the contest can earn you another two! So that’s up to 12 chances to win! Winner will be drawn randomly on January 2, 2011, and announced on the blog on January 3, 2011. So happy reading! And good luck!

I’m Gleeful for Glee

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by Evelyn David

I’m not a teenager. Heck, at this point, even my kids aren’t teenagers. So what is it about Glee, the must-see TV show that has me glued to my DVR each week, humming top-40 hits that would be otherwise completely unknown to me, and scanning YouTube for videos of this ragtag group of fictional high schoolers? Yep, I’ve been bitten by the Glee Bug.

I was late to the party. I didn’t tune in until my daughter moved home after college and immediately revised the family DVR taping schedule. Sure, the Barefoot Contessa of cooking fame is still on the list, but she’s been supplanted in my affections by Glee, a weekly musical about high school outcasts who burst into song at the drop of a pencil.

It reminds me of those old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney musicals of the 1940s, where a group of kids with marvelous voices all lived on the same block and were forever breaking into song or chirping, “let’s put on a show.” In those movies, unlike the television show of today, you didn’t see the full orchestra playing backup. Here, a fun part of the conceit of Glee is that they show the professional musicians walking the halls of this high school to immediately back up any student who starts warbling. And Bob Fosse would swoon over the choreography on the show. In an interview I watched of the making of the show, it’s also one of the inside jokes that the best dancer of the group is the actor who is playing the part of a paralyzed teenager and confined to a wheelchair.

But for all the over-the-top humor, improbable plot lines, and subtle teasing of pop culture and its stars, the show has also shown a sharp insight into the concerns, interests, fears, and desires of today’s adolescents. Bullying, teen pregnancy, sexual orientation, the show has dealt squarely with all of these topics and more. It’s a modern day morality play – but with a hip-hop beat.

And as an added bonus, watching Glee lets me share something special with my daughter, an avid fan. It’s a doorway into her world, into a world that on the surface I have outgrown. It makes me feel younger, “with it” (which by using that phrase, automatically banishes me from the cool kids table).

I don’t know what will happen with Rachel, Finn, and the rest of the gang, but I’ll be checking in each week to find out.

How about you? Do you watch Glee? Why?

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

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Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords