Tag Archive for: Evelyn David

New Year’s Resolution

/in /by

By Evelyn David

A few weeks ago I cooked a brisket, which I sliced and then froze.
It was my opening salvo to get ready for the holidays which begin next Sunday
evening with the celebration of Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish New Year. It’s not
exactly like December 31. No Waterford
crystal ball drop, no Dick Clark (RIP) countdown to Midnight. But it does have
that same sense of a fresh start.

But before I begin 5773, the year in the Jewish calendar, I
like to look back over the previous 12 months, give thanks for my blessings,
recognize the lessons learned, apologize to those I’ve offended, focus on areas
of improvement, and set goals for the future.

It’s that last one that has me thinking. Recently I wrote a
blog about our summer vacation and titled it, “Always Better in the Retelling.”
It’s how we all now laugh uproariously at the trials and tribulations of past
family vacations. But I’d like to change that for the future. Not the laughing
part or the shared family memories. But instead, my hope for the New Year,
besides a most fervent one of good health for family and friends, is both
complicated and simple.

I’d like to learn how to enjoy the moment when it’s happening
– and not just after it’s finally over. Too often I allow my fears and
insecurities to overwhelm me and preclude me from being fully immersed in what is happening. My mind is going a mile a minute, instead of slowing down to admire the passing scenery so to speak.
Or sometimes I find myself so caught up in the minutia of preparing for the
holiday or family celebration, that I’m too tired or too busy to enjoy it once it’s here. Or at times I realize that I’m missing my loved ones who have died so much that I fail to savor those around me.

In short, I don’t want to enjoy life by looking at and then enjoying the
videotape (real or figurative) – but rather learn to focus and appreciate the “right now.” I don’t want to live so much in the past or project so far into the future that I
miss the present. It’s a journey for sure, but I begin it in 5773.

I wish for each and every one of you L’Shana Tova, which
means “For a Good Year.” May it be filled with health, happiness,
family, friends, and joy.

Marian aka The Northern Half of Evelyn David

 
 
 

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Trade Paperback (exclusive to Amazon for 90 days)
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

 



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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Excerpt from Summer Lightning in Lottawatah

/in /by

by Evelyn David

from Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Book 9 of the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series

______________

“Cooper?”

The apartment door was ajar. “Cooper?”

I was yelling his name, partly because I was afraid, partly to
make myself heard over the thunder and the barking dog I clutched in my arms.

I reached inside and flipped the wall switch. Nothing. The power
was out.

“Cooper?”

Leon
struggled against me and managed to escape. He disappeared into the blackness
of the apartment.

Lightning flashed and for a few seconds I could see the living
room.

Cooper was standing in the center of the room, staring down at
something on the carpet.

The next flash of lightning revealed it wasn’t a something on the
floor; it was a someone.

“Cooper? What happened?” I took a few steps into the
room, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I felt something brush past my
leg. “I’m calling 9-1-1. Are you hurt?”

“Be sure to tell them he killed me.”

The raspy voice came from beside me and it wasn’t Cooper’s.

Instead of dialing 9-1-1, I started to call the Lottawatah
Police Department directly. Obviously paramedics weren’t going to be needed.

***

I didn’t finish my 9-1-1 call. Turned out Cooper’s landlady had
heard the gunshot and called the cops. A couple of seconds after I saw Cooper the
room was filled with flashlighted first responders and police officers. It felt
like the storm had moved inside the apartment.

Thunder kept booming, the sound waves shaking the apartment
building. I was standing just inside, near the open doorway. The rain was blowing
in from behind me. Except for where the beams from the moving flashlights fell
or when the lightning flashed, the room was pitch black. I kept trying to focus
on the location where I’d seen Cooper. He didn’t seem to be there anymore. He
hadn’t said a word since I’d entered the apartment. The whole scene had the
quality of a nightmare. I was ready to wake up.

Officers in raincoats circled me as though I wasn’t there. I ventured
a few steps farther into the room. That was a mistake. I was finally noticed,
my invisibility cloak deactivated.

The officer I often jokingly refer to as Barney Fife physically removed
me from the scene. He took hold of my arm and pulled. He wouldn’t even let me
look for Leon
before rushing me through the pouring rain to his patrol car. It wouldn’t have
taken me long to find Leon, the bulldog was probably hiding in the closet,
buried under whatever dirty clothes that Cooper had tossed on the floor last. I
tried to explain that to Barney Fife. I tried to tell him that I needed to
bring Leon
with me, but he ignored me. I guess I’m lucky I wasn’t put in handcuffs.

To punctuate the surreal quality of the scene, Barney Fife put
on flashing lights and a siren for the few deserted blocks to the small town police
station. Without a word, he locked me in one of the two sparsely furnished
interview rooms. I noticed that the police station had electricity. Apparently
the power outage didn’t extend to Main
Street. Maybe the boom I heard wasn’t a gunshot,
just a blown electrical transformer.

No. That was just wishful thinking. It was a gunshot. I was sure
of that. And there was a body on the floor and a ghost talking to me, although
the last fact would probably not be admissible in court.

My clothes and hair were soaking wet from the rain. The wooden
chairs were just as hard as I remembered from my first visit to the Lottawatah
Police Station just after I arrived in town.

I sat there, staring at nothing in particular. My thoughts were
jumbled. I didn’t know if Cooper had been hurt. Had someone tried to rob the
apartment? Had a criminal come after Cooper seeking revenge? Who had been in
the apartment?

I pushed my dripping hair out of my face. I noticed my hands
smelled like the wet dog I’d recently handled.

“Do you want some coffee?”

Chief Harlan Bell was standing in the doorway. How long had he
been there? I hadn’t heard him come in. Was I losing my mind? How much time had
passed since the shooting? Minutes? Hours? No, not hours.

“Is Cooper okay? Will you tell me what’s going on?” I
asked the question but knew I wouldn’t get an answer. The man didn’t like me in
the best of times. This certainly wasn’t the best of times.

“Beverly
is bringing you some dry clothes. Did someone read you your rights?”

“Am I under arrest?” Surely by now Cooper had
explained to his boss what had happened. And whatever that was, it must have
been self-defense. And besides, why would I be under arrest. I hadn’t killed
anybody. I didn’t even own a gun.

Chief Bell just stared at me. I noticed he had a plastic cover
over his Stetson. I didn’t realize they made rain covers for cowboy hats.

“Is that a new hat?” It seemed I couldn’t process more
than one thought at a time. Is this what shock felt like?

He shook his head. “Old hat. Do you want a lawyer?”

I needed something, but it wasn’t a lawyer.

“I think I’d like that coffee now.”

To read more purchase a copy of Summer Lightning in Lottawatah
Kindle – http://tinyurl.com/briannav9K      
Nook –  http://tinyurl.com/briannav9N

Smashwords – http://tinyurl.com/briannav9Smash

Also for a limited time only the first 4 ebooks in the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series are being offered as a boxed ebook set for only $5.99 (half of what buying the books separately would cost).
The Ghosts of Lottawatah

Kindle
– http://tinyurl.com/LottawatahGhostsK
Nook – http://tinyurl.com/LottawatahGhostsN


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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Trade Paperback  (exclusive to Amazon for 90 days)
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Always Better in the Retelling

/in /by

By Evelyn David

Every summer, when my boys were little, we’d head to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware,
for a week of sun and fun. Back then, Rehoboth was a little less honky-tonk, a
little more family friendly than neighboring Ocean City, Maryland.
But to get to this little isle of paradise meant traveling down the New Jersey turnpike
(designed by the devil himself when the traffic is heavy) and then take Route
13, which at the time was a two-lane road. In other words, travel on a slow-moving
parking lot with three kids under ten who have been stuck in the car for hours
and it is no one’s finest hour. That particular summer, the final two hours
stretched to four, and when we arrived at our rental, we were underwhelmed to
be sure. We expected Tara; we got slightly
better than a worn-out trailer.

It had three tiny bedrooms, but oddly enough, the living
room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath were on one side of the house with two
small bedrooms on the other. Running down in between was a screened porch. In
answer to why I didn’t know this before plunking down a week’s rental – the
Internet wasn’t what it is today and there were no virtual tours. The backyard,
which I envisioned as a place for outdoor games post-beach, had been planted with
succulents so it was the equivalent of trying to play catch on a field of
cacti.

The house was hot, humid, and had a strong mildew odor. But
it was two blocks to the beach, so hubby gamely unpacked the car, and we headed
off for all that fun in the sun. The late afternoon sky was a little dark, but
nothing too ominous, but I should have picked up the hint that all was not well
in paradise when the lifeguards blew their whistles and signaled by touching
their calves, that no one was to go further out into the ocean than about two
feet. Still, the two older boys raced into the water and the little guy, then
not quite two, ran to catch up. Hubby sprinted after him just in time to see
him knocked down by a wave breaking on the shore. He scooped him up, carried
him up to our blankets, and the kid promptly threw up all over us.

We headed back to the house. Using the outdoor shower to
remove the ton of sand we had collected in our 15 minutes on the beach,
involved walking over the succulents, to a chorus of screams, and rinsing off
in ice cold water, accompanied by more screams. Dinner was the usual affair of
complaints about the food and I was more than happy when we’d put all three of
the kids to bed. I couldn’t take much more of this fun. And then the skies opened up.

By opened up, I mean the end of the world, apocalypse kind
of storm. Thunder, lightning, hail, driving rain, tornado-like winds – all
traveling down that screened-in porch. Within seconds, all three boys were
flying into our bedroom and hurling themselves into our bed.

So I did what any logical mother would do. I calmly
announced to my husband that I wanted to go home. I’d had it with vacation.

And my husband did what any logical man would do. He
calmly announced that he had just driven seven hours in a car filled with
mini-terrorists, had paid a small fortune for this place in paradise, and there
was no way on earth that he was getting back in the car the next day to repeat
the adventure in reverse.

It was not our finest moment.

So we settled down to sleep, all five of us in the bed.

And the next morning dawned early and bright. Hubby and kids
headed out the door for the fantastic fresh donuts available scarcely a block
away. Later we strolled down to the beach and built sand castles, jumping the
mini-waves at the shore’s edge as the water was still rough. We had a beach
picnic (the crunch in the peanut butter was from sand), flew kites, walked the
boardwalk, played arcade games.

And we built a treasure trove of family memories, including the one
about the indoor hurricane the first night in Rehoboth.

Vacations are rarely hassle-free. I often felt like I was
the social director on a rocky cruise ship trying to make sure we didn’t run
aground. But when I look back on those days of disasters and triumphs, when I
hear my grown kids howl at the recounting of those family vacations, I wouldn’t
trade one second. Well, maybe the vomiting, but that always elicits such laughs
in the retelling, so maybe not even that.

Share your favorite vacation disaster – and memory.

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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Trade Paperback  (exclusive to Amazon for 90 days)
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Behind the Scenes at the Olympics

/in /by

By Evelyn David

I’m a proud Momma for lots of reasons. I have been blessed
with four wonderful children, two incredible daughters-in-law, and the most
enchanting (brilliant, funny, gorgeous, and every other superlative)
granddaughter in the world. I count my blessings every single day.

Son number two is a writer. We often talk about the process,
the ups and downs of the business, the exhilaration of a piece well-composed,
the depression when you can’t even find the words to construct a shopping list.
Sam is, without a question, my favorite writer. I say that as his mother, of
course, but also as a pretty discerning reader who recognizes smart,
insightful, funny, emotionally-connecting writing when I see it.

The news that Sam would be part of The New York Times
Olympic coverage was exciting. But it meant being away from home for more than
a month, which gave him pause. As he asked, would Riley, now age two, be driving
by the time he came home? This is the age where the changes are coming at breakneck
speed and he doesn’t want to miss a one.

For Sam, his favorite sports writing is never about the
score, it’s about the people. Take this piece on the twist of fate that
propelled Mariel Zagunis to be the American flag bearer at the Olympics, and
the intertwining lost dreams of Nigerian Jacqueline Esimaje-Heath. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/sports/olympics/us-flag-bearer-made-most-of-golden-opportunity.html?ref=samborden
 

Or the challenges that Muslim athletes are facing at the
Olympics as they balance the rules of Ramadan and the physical demands of
training and playing.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/sports/olympics/ramadan-poses-challenges-for-muslims-at-the-olympics.html?ref=samborden

What struck me is that, like Sam, mystery writers never know
when a supporting character will suddenly step up and take over the page. When
we first began writing Murder Off the Books, Rhonda and I had a clear idea of
whodunnit. We wrote an elaborate backstory for the character that only stopped
short of suggesting that the individual was not all that different from
Hannibel Lecter (Silence of the Lambs). And then we started writing our book.
The character morphed into someone we liked so much that the backstory was
trashed and the killer became someone else.

Writers always have to be on the alert for the
“sleeper” – be it the athlete who seems to emerge out of nowhere or
the murderer who leaps out of the pages, to everyone’s surprise.

Sam will be in London
for another few weeks. We’re following his stories closely, beaming with pride,
and considering a murder mystery set at the Olympics!

 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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Trade Paperback  (exclusive to Amazon for 90 days)
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Time Flies When You’re Having fun

/in /by

By Evelyn David

I love Mark Twain. I was thinking of writing a blog on
procrastination and found his thoughts on the matter: Never put off until
tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

Of course, finding clever quotations is one of my favorite
forms of procrastination, so there you have it.

When we first began The Stiletto Gang (five years next
January!), I wrote a blog about playing Free Cell, http://tinyurl.com/freecellblog. It
was all about procrastination, guilt, and the writer’s spirit.

You’ll be glad to know I haven’t played Free Cell in at
least three years.

But have you ever played Lexulous? It’s a Scrabble-type game
and I justify playing it by saying it improves my vocabulary. The problem is I
now know a plethora of new words (and by the way I knew the word plethora
before playing Lexulous) – but I have no idea what they mean. Za? Wo? Xi?

Anyway, I was feeling guilty again (and we all, by all I mean family,
friends, and even complete strangers, agree that Guilt is Marian’s middle name).
Tempus Fugit, etc.

But then I had this conversation with a friend which
suddenly made my playing Lexulous not only perfectly acceptable, but in fact,
part of the creative process. She explained that when she confronted her husband about his playing Backgammon online (and I do think that is a classier game than Lexulous), he said that while he plays, it may look like he’s wasting time, but actually it frees his mind to wander and see things in new, creative ways. She assured me that since I was a “creator,” I too had permission to play Lexulous for hours at a time.
Okay, she didn’t actually suggest that I could play for hours at a time — but it did give me the permission I needed to indulge in a little wordplay. It’s probably how War and Peace got written.
I then got to thinking about the larger issue. Why did I need permission in order to procrastinate? Was I worried that people would think I was a goof off? (And the answer is yes, I was worried about that). But generally speaking I’m not frustrated by the pace of my life. I get the important things done. Sure I’d like to write a new mystery in four weeks, but to a certain extent, I can’t push my whodunnit muse until she’s ready to move. Yes, sometimes it helps to put something down on paper, anything, and then revise. Sometimes it’s just the spark you need to get things underway. But often, you need time, uninterrupted time, to let your mind explore new, exciting ways to create devilish murder and mayhem.
So if you see me tapping away at my computer, it may indeed be the next Brianna or Maggie or Mac mystery — or it could be me letting my mind wander.
What’s your favorite form of procrastination?
Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David 

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Trade Paperback


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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Lessons from the Road

/in /by

By Evelyn David

The vacation was wonderful. But I’m happy to be home. The
place where the shower has real water pressure, the mattress already has lumps
in the places I like them, and I have access to a refrigerator for a midnight snack
that doesn’t cost $20. Forgive me if I sound a bit like Dorothy when I say
“there’s no place like home.”

We traveled over 2,000 miles, all the way to Halifax for the
enchanting Tattoo, a cross between a military exhibition, complete with gunfire,
and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. This year’s dual theme was a commemoration of
the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, as well as a
celebration of the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen
Elizabeth II. A little schizophrenic, but they made it work.

Actually the Titanic was a major theme throughout Halifax, the city where
they brought the victims of the ship’s sinking. We even ate dinner in a
restaurant that had been converted from the funeral home that had been used in
1912. You could order items from the First Class Menu that had been served on
the ill-fated trip (which seemed a tad morbid). We passed and settled on fish
(actually fish was the theme of the vacation, as we only ate items from the sea
for the entire 10 days).

We wandered through Canada, gorgeous landscape
everywhere. We visited every historic site my husband could find (the family
calls him a Kamikaze tourist). But a couple of chance encounters stuck with me,
reminding me again of the journey we all make in life.

To set the scene: We’d taken a three-hour ferry ride that
included whale watching on deck with sea spray everywhere; driven with the
windows open for hours at a time; and there had been a heavy mist in the area
for two days. Result? I know I’ve used the metaphor before, but I resembled a
Chia pet, an unkempt one at that. I had an unexpected break in the tour
schedule my husband had plotted out for us and decided to treat myself to a
salon visit.

I love tea and collect teacups. Was it serendipity or just a
crazy coincidence that the hairdresser had a tattoo of a teapot with a stack of
teacups running down her arm? She was young. She came from a small village
about an hour outside of Halifax,
and loved living in the “big city.” I’m from New York, a metropolis of 8 million, so I
know from big cities. She was now living in a municipality of less than
400,000, but since her hometown had less than 1,000 residents, it’s all
relative. She needed to move to the “big city,” she explained, because
there was no future where she was from.

But she had one regret. A major regret. She’d promised
herself that she’d visit New York City
before she was 21, and her milestone birthday was in just a couple of weeks,
with no money for the trip. Living in a “big city,” you know, is
expensive. Specifically she wanted to come to New York
and stay at the Chelsea
Hotel, where Bob Dylan,
Janis Joplin, and Iggy Pop used to stay. She reminded me it was the hotel where
Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, was found stabbed
to death. Doesn’t sound like the typical Holiday Inn to me, but it broke her
heart that the hotel had closed before she could get there.

And I smiled because she doesn’t know that there are second,
third, and fourth acts in life. There will be other Chelsea Hotels,
and if she doesn’t get there by age 21, with the drive she has already shown to
leave her small town behind and move to the big city, I had no doubt that she’ll
get there in time.

A few days later, we were in Digby,
Canada, a small town of
under 20,000, where the ferry for Saint
John departs four times a day. We had about an hour to
kill before we were due to board and so looked around for somewhere to have a
“cuppa.” Couldn’t resist the small restaurant called Mag Pyes Bakery
Shoppe and Café (spelling correct) since I often refer to my darling daughter
Maggie as Magpie. Plus according to Trip Advisor, this place was a gem. There
was tea served in a ceramic pot, china teacups, and a strawberry cheesecake pie
that was to die for. In a vacation replete with memorable meals, this afternoon
delight ranks near the top.

Owner and chef Margaret Grey chatted with us, while I tried
not to lick the plate. She told us that she had grown up in the area, gone off
to the big city, Toronto,
with her husband and worked for 20 years in marketing. She then saw an ad for a
bed and breakfast for sale in Digby (http://www.holdsworthhousebandb.com),
and just down the street from the B & B that they fully restored, was a small
restaurant for rent. Her comment to her husband summed it up” “Why
not.” Margaret and her second act dream was what I wanted to tell the
hairdresser from Halifax.
If you don’t get your dream at 21, you can have another dream at 40, 50, or
more. The important point was to keep dreaming.

Before leaving Canada, we stopped at a local
supermarket. I bought the brand of tea that I drank at Mag Pyes (King Cole,
produced in the maritime provinces of Canada, http://kingcole.ca/) I’ve already started
scouring the Internet for a recipe for strawberry cheesecake pie. I suspect
it’s a specialty of Mag Pye herself.

As for dreams and imagination, I brought mine with me on
vacation and they’re even more fired up now that I’m back home.

Sweet dreams to all.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

————————–

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Trade Paperback


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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Closer – Close to the End

/in /by

Tonight, the first of the last six episodes of The
Closer airs. The TNT detective show is a classic ensemble show with quirky
characters who work together to solve a crime each episode. Even after seven
years, the show has a fresh, modern feel with interesting camera angles,
well-thought out costumes, and the use of music giving some crime scenes a
“music video” element.

I’ve watched the show from the beginning.  Brenda Leigh Johnson is the main character.
In novels, she would be the “point of view” character. In the first
episode she appears in the Los Angeles Police Department as the new
“Deputy Chief” of a major crimes unit. Originally from Atlanta, and CIA-trained, Brenda
has a reputation as a Closer – in other words, she gets confessions that lead to convictions

Conflict is built into her appointment – the
detectives who report to her resent an outsider coming into the department and
grabbing a coveted supervisory position, others in line for the job feel
cheated and work to undermine her, and her new boss, Assistant Chief Will Pope who
was someone with whom she’d had an affair some years back while working in
D.C., is less than helpful in smoothing her transition. It took several seasons
for her to establish good working relationships with her team of detectives –
trust came very slowly.

Over seven years Brenda has done what any good
character does – she’s grown and changed based on experiences that the audience
has shared with her. She married her FBI friend Fritz and we attended the
wedding and the not so smooth ever after. She learned to drive in L.A. and find her away around, much like she learned to navigate the L.A. Police Department. We became acquainted with her foibles
– her use of chocolate to self-medicate during times of stress, her oversized
purse (a security blanket substitute in my opinion), and her distain for sugar
coating the truth. We learned to like her, but it wasn’t automatic.  A loner, she never wanted a pet but was
forced to take one that came with a dead hooker’s house. Finding affordable
real estate in L.A. was a problem so as soon as the crime scene tape came down,
Brenda moved in. She fed the cat but refused to name it – her attempt to keep
from getting attached. It didn’t work. Over the years “Kitty” gave
Brenda the unconditional love she craved. When the cat neared the end of its
life, Brenda finally admitted just how much emotion she’d invested in the animal.

The next six weeks will be interesting. Will the
“mole” in the department be revealed? Will Brenda continue to deal
with the fall-out from the “Shooting Newton” murders and her role in
the murder of the killer? Will she and Fritz decide to have children? Will her
father recover from his thyroid cancer or will that be the reason for Brenda
leaving L.A.?

I can’t
believe I’m the only one who’ll be sorry to say goodbye to Brenda Leigh
Johnson. The character, along with the actress who played her, broke a lot of
glass ceilings in the female detective realm. She solved crimes while dressed
in designer heels, flouncy skirts, sweater sets, and wide brimmed hats. She was a good shot, but never overpowered a suspect physically. She really did “fight like a girl” and only survived by outwitting her opponents and with the help of her team. Brenda did the best she could with what she had.

I guess it’s too late to invite her to join the Stiletto
Gang.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

————————–

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Trade Paperback


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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Independence Day

/in /by

By Evelyn David

I’m a creature of habit. Maybe it’s age, but I get comfort
from the familiar. I’m not a total fuddy-duddy, but nobody is going to confuse
me with a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants adventurer. Me and Amelia Earhart would
never be confused.

Which is why I am all the more grateful to my grandparents
Mendel, Michael, and Eva, none of whom were born in this country and all of
whom had the courage and independent spirit that brought them here (Rachel, my other
grandmother, was born in the U.S.).

I’ve been thinking about all the remarkable immigrants who, over the
last three centuries, ventured to this land because it offered hope for a better life. As we approach
the Fourth of July holiday, let me take a moment to get sentimental, patriotic,
and thankful, all in one blog. I can be as critical as the next person about
the failures of our society. Do we have problems in this great nation of ours? You
bet. Can we do better? Definitely, but as Winston Churchill said, “…democracy
is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”

My grandparents left Russia
and Lithuania
with little more than the clothes on their backs. They left behind their
parents, knowing full well that they’d never see them again. Their leap of
faith to embark on a great adventure into the unknown actually dwarfs what
even Amelia attempted 75 years ago.

So while I may be a bit of a stick in the mud, I’m eternally
grateful and humbled that I come from a proud line of pioneers.

Please share your American story…and God Bless this great
nation of ours.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Trade Paperback


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
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

/in /by
From the cat who literally swallowed the canary (and then threw it up on
your aunt’s antique Persian rug) to the dog who ran away, we at the Stiletto
Gang put our collective heads together and thought: what could be better than
walking down memory lane with thoughts of some of our favorite–and
not-so-favorite–pets? Join us for the next two weeks as we reminisce about the
animals we loved and those who loved us.

By Evelyn David

Let me tell you a little about Snickers, the Irish terrier who
made us dog owners. She was from a line of champions. That didn’t matter to us. We had, however, deliberately chosen the breed because they were
hypoallergenic. Put my husband around most dogs and his eyes swell
shut and he develops a throbbing headache. So it’s reasonable to ask, why did
we get a dog in the first place? Our second son, then six, was deathly afraid of all
animals, but especially dogs. We thought having a puppy would help him overcome
his fear. (It worked.)

Neither my husband nor I had ever owned a dog before so our
expectations were primarily based on watching years of Lassie episodes. I
thought Snickers would follow me from room to room, come when called, rescue me
if I fell down a well. Instead, we got a dog who clearly considered us her
intellectual inferiors. Don’t get me wrong. She was a sweet animal who, when I
had a baby a few years later, was as gentle as a lamb around this new interloper
who pulled ears and tail. She never so much as growled at us no matter what the
provocataion, but there was always a certain distance, a sense of independence.
She was the first to dash out any open door. We would chase after her and she
would race ahead, stopping occasionally to look back to see if we were
following. Once when we couldn’t find her, having scoured the neighborhood
calling her name, offering treats, we returned to find her sitting on our front
porch, with a look of disdain that we hadn’t been able to keep up with
her. We incorporated a similar scene in our mystery ZONED FOR MURDER.

I realize just how independent Snickers was, now that we
have Clio, another Irish terrier. Clio too is sweet, but to be honest not too
bright. At 40 pounds Clio believes she is a lap dog. She is happiest when
stretched across one of us, with her belly being scratched. Snickers just
wasn’t that kind of dog.

When Snickers was 13 years old, she had arthritis, was going deaf, and was slightly blind. Our vet, the kindly Dr. Thorndike told us, Snickers had outlived “most of her classmates.” Still I was unprepared when one
morning, Snickers had a stroke before my eyes. She lost control of her legs and
bladder. I rushed her to the animal hospital and Dr. Thorndike gently told me
that the time had come for us to be loving pet owners. He predicted that
Snickers would have more strokes over the next few days and be increasingly in
pain. We couldn’t let that happen. We made arrangements to have her put to
sleep the next day, after the kids said their goodbyes. It was a long and emotional
night, but Snickers seemed comfortable and had regained limited use of her
legs. She ate very little, slept nearly round the clock.

Despite her independence, Snickers was, from the day we met
her, fiercely protective of her family. So she was that last morning. My husband
took off time from work to go with me to the vets. I carried Snickers out to
the driveway and put her down to open the car. She stretched out on the
concrete for a moment until a sanitation man came to the back of the house to
get our trashcans. I watched as Snickers drew herself up, on shaky legs, and
then barked with a clear message, “This is my family. I’ll protect
them.”

I reassured Snickers that all was fine – but she watched, growling softly, until the sanitation man had left the area. We
lifted her into the car and she settled back down to sleep.

The selfless, devoted, protective, let me say noble
character of Snickers taught me a lot about parenting. She loved without
question, if on her own terms. She was the fierce defender of this family and
asked nothing more than kindness, food, and shelter in return. We got so much
more.

Dogs, like people, come in all shapes, sizes, and
temperaments. But what they give to their families is the unconditional love
that each of us needs. How lucky we were to have Snickers in our life.

Thanks
old friend.

Marian

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Trade Paperback

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

My Summer TV!

/in /by

By Evelyn David

Remember when summer
television was a vast wasteland of reruns! Not so much anymore.

With all the cable
stations available, the competition for viewers is tough and in order to compete
many networks now offer shows that air new material in the summer months.

Some of my favorites
have returned this month, more next month.

Rizzoli and Isles is airing new episodes. Often it’s just too cute
for words with the junior high “girl buddy” theme, but out of loyalty
to the brilliant novels by Tess Gerritsen, I watch. Lorraine Bracco is
excellent as “Jane’s” mother. She’s probably my favorite character on the tv series.

Falling Skies is returning for its second season. Aliens have taken
over the world and Dr. John Carter from ER fame, okay Noah Wyle is famous for other
roles now, but he’ll always be Dr. Carter to me – anyway he’s leading a group
of survivors who are fighting back. Special effects are well done and the
plot’s interesting. Last season ended with Dr. Carter about to be sucked up
into an alien spacecraft.

For light fun, I enjoy
USA Network’s Royal Pains. Nothing
like spending the summer in The Hamptons seeing how the other half vacations. Great
scenery and likeable characters.

If the temperatures get
too hot, there’s always Ice Road Truckers.
I lived in Alaska for a couple of years and I enjoy the show for the scenery. I
also liked watching trucker “Lisa” compete with the guys, but for
some reason she’s not back this season. The series probably won’t have the same
appeal for me.

My favorite, The Closer, is back in July with its
final six episodes. The star, Kyra Sedgwick, has decided she’d “closed”
enough cases and is headed back to New York and husband Kevin Bacon. Not sure
how the writers are going to end “Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson’s” employment
with the LAPD. My bets are either with a pregnancy or a long overdue return to
visit her parents in Atlanta. The rest of “Chief Johnson’s” squad
will immediately, as in the hour following the final Closer episode, become the ensemble cast of the new spinoff series,
Major Crimes. The incomparable
actress, Mary McDonnell, “Stands With a Fist” from Dancing with Wolves and more recently of
Battlestar Galactica fame, headlines
the new show. I think it should be a great addition to TNT’s network, if Mary’s
character, “Captain Sharon Raydor,” can manage to get out from under
the shadow of “Chief Johnson.” Only time will tell.

Anyone planning to watch
the new Dallas? I will if only for
the nostalgia factor. When I was in high school the marching band played the
theme from Dallas at all our football games. “Who shot J.R.?” was the
first cliffhanger I remember my generation talking about for an entire summer.

I’d write more but I
this is shark week on the Syfy channel. Jersey Shore just got attacked by
red-eyed albino sharks and I’ve got to see how the movie ends.

What are you watching this
summer?

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords