Tag Archive for: Evelyn David

Those Brits are Keepers

By Evelyn David

First, let me offer my congratulations to Lillibet,
otherwise known as Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee.
In today’s economy, anyone who can hold a job for 60 years is impressive.

I adore Great
Britain
and have been fortunate enough to
spend a fair amount of time there. I studied at Oxford
one summer; spent several months in London while
my husband did research; visited my kids when they’ve spent academic semesters
in The Big Smoke (aka London), Edinburgh,
and Glasgow.
And does it count that I love tea and collect teacups?

And then there’s my life-long fan crushes on British actors:
Richard Burton (I waited four hours in the rain to see him walk by when he
appeared on Broadway); Sean Connery who I would listen to read The Yellow
Pages; Maggie Smith who can be a wizardess or a dowager with equal ease; and
Helen Mirren who is convincing as both The Queen and a no-nonsense Chief
Detective.

 I’ve gotten totally hooked on a British TV series…and it’s
not Downton Abbey. It’s a quirky comedy/drama called Doc Martin and is best
described as a fish out of water tale about a surgeon, with a slight case of
Asperger’s and a fear of blood, who moves to a small village in Cornwall, falls
in love with the local schoolteacher, while hilarity and medical crises ensue.

Let me say upfront that the Brits know how to do television
series. The settings are always lush and for the most part, the cast is made up
of character actors who have steady gigs in a variety of shows. Part of the fun
is recognizing that the judge in MI-5 and the doctor in Midsomer Murders, is
now playing the village plumber/caterer in Doc Martin (Ian McNeice).

One of the reasons I think these shows are so successful is
because they have such short seasons – 6-8 episodes a year. In the case of Doc
Martin
, there was even a year-long hiatus between season 4 and 5 so the star
Martin Clunes and his wife, producer Philippa Braithwaite could take their
daughter on a proper holiday. And after a year’s absence, the opening episode
of Season Five continued the action on the same day as the previous season had
ended. Just a couple of hours had elapsed in Doc Martin country.

The British approach seems to be a more manageable pace. It
means that the writers, the actors, and the audience don’t get worn out by a
glut of episodes, usually 22 for an American series, which are often mediocre
because they’ve been churned out like soft-serve ice cream.

So may I offer a toast to Queen Elizabeth II, on this
momentous occasion. We’ll raise a cuppa and offer, Love Live the Queen!

Marian, the Northern 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 – NookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords

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)

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

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Make My Day

By Evelyn David

I talk a very good game. I’m the mother of four. I’ve given
that speech about you shouldn’t need outside validation to feel worthy more
times than Kim Kardashian goes to the tanning salon.

I know authors, actors, musicians, all insist they don’t
read reviews.  Kevin Bacon was absolutely
right when he said, ” I don’t read criticism of my stuff only because when
it’s bad, it’s rough-and when it’s good, it’s not good enough.”

And yet…

I obsessively check Amazon rankings and reader reviews. No
question that one small note of reproof is enough to put me in a depression so
deep that there isn’t enough chocolate on this earth to make me happy (and
believe me, I’ve tried). But conversely, there are times when the self-doubt as
a writer is also so strong that a complete stranger taking the time to post a
positive, yea, a glowing review, is enough to sustain me for at least 24 hours
before the doubt creeps in again.

ZONED FOR MURDER is our newest, full-length mystery and it’s
not set in any of the universes we’ve previously created. It’s a little more
serious with a higher risk quotient. It’s scary to create something different. Reader
expectations of who you are as a writer can force you into a mold that you
might be eager to break or maybe just expand. Sometimes it works. Ask Stephen
King, who can pen both Carrie and On Writing, with equal brilliance. And sometimes it doesn’t. Check with
Arthur Conan Doyle. He had to bring back to life a character he loathed because his readers demanded it and didn’t care to read anything else he wanted to write.

So the decision to try something new? Fulfilling as an
author; terrifying as a writer who needs…wait for it: outside validation that
she really is an artist, not just a pretender.

So forgive me for tooting my own horn, since I just finished
saying that I wanted someone else to blast it, but this review of ZONED FOR MURDER, from someone I
don’t know, gave me, if only briefly, the courage to write again. Because fear
can paralyze the creative juices.

“I fell in love
with the characters in this book, especially Maggie. I found this book
entertaining and spell binding.”
Then she adds, “I will recommend this books to my friends.”

Not only did she like it, but that critical word-of-mouth
campaign that marks the success or failure of most projects – this wonderful
lady was happy to participate.

Stephen King, whose books terrify me, the Northern half, but
absolutely delight the Southern half, is a wise writer. I respect him enormously. He
explained why he writes, “The answer to that is fairly simple—there was
nothing else I was made to do. I was made to write stories and I love to write
stories. That’s why I do it. I really can’t imagine doing anything else and I
can’t imagine not doing what I do.”

Ain’t it the truth?

I don’t know if Stephen King reads reviews. I suspect not.
He also said, “If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check,
if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light
bill with the money, I consider you talented.” And perhaps for him, the
check is validation enough.

But for me, I need more. Maybe I should work on that, but in
the meantime, whether it’s to an author with a new book, or to the plumber who just
fixed your leaky toilet, taking a moment to compliment someone on a job well
done may be just the thing that makes a stranger’s day.

Marian, the Northern half

———–

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

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Good Grief in Lottawatah

Excerpt from
Good Grief in Lottawatah
Vol 8
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series

Chapter 1 –
“The Dead Make a lot of Noise.”

In case you missed the front page story in Friday’s Lottawatah Herald or didn’t visit the
Shear Artistry Hair Salon on Saturday or failed to listen to local radio host
Mutt Jeffrey’s call-in segment this morning, let me tell you the big news that
has this small Oklahoma
town abuzz – I’m engaged to Lottawatah Police Detective Cooper Jackson.

Yes, engaged to be married. I know, you never thought I’d make
such a big commitment. Frankly, I’m a bit stunned myself. And before you can
ask, no I’m not pregnant. Cooper proposed to me while I was in the hospital in Tulsa, recovering from a
gunshot wound I received in early November. Granted I was on heavy drugs at the
time and the memory of actually saying yes to his offer of marriage is still a
little fuzzy, but I’m sure this is the right decision. I’m almost positive.

“Brianna? Is that you? Come on back to my office, I’m on
hold with a casket supplier.”

I realized I was standing just inside the Myers Funeral Home,
the door chime still ringing. Today was the first day of my new job. Doc Joseph
Myers, mortician, fisherman, and as needed, coroner was my new boss. I had no
clue what my employment entailed. Of course I’ve spent most of my life without
a clue. I’m Brianna Sullivan and I’m a psychic. And yes, I should have a clue.
And no, that’s psychic spelled with an “ic” not an “o.”

***

It’s noon now. I’ve been on the job four hours. Okay,
three-and-a-half since I was late. Cooper dropped me off at his friend Denny’s
garage. My vintage Mustang convertible was road worthy–barely. Denny had been
working on the car off-and-on for almost a year. The good citizens of
Lottawatah had finally chipped in and paid my outstanding balance at the garage
as sort of a reward for my actions in finding a missing child or maybe as a
reward for exposing a murderer in their mist. Either way, I was happy to have a
second set of wheels to drive around town. My other mode of transportation is
Matilda, my 30-foot motor home. I love Matilda but I don’t like driving her
around Lottawatah. Right now she’s parked out at Lake Eufaula
and I stay there when I’m not keeping Cooper company at his apartment in town.

Doc Myers, who said he had already made a house call (yes,
that’s what you think it is),  showed me
around the funeral home before he left for his regular Monday lunch at Tiny’s
with his Lodge buddies. I’m not sure which Lodge or even if there really is a
Lodge anymore since I think this lunch has probably been happening since before
I was born.

But back to my job-I was given a nice desk, a chair on rollers
that spins, a phone with two lines, and a desktop computer that I haven’t yet
figured out how to turn on.

Doc told me my title was director of sales and public outreach.
As far as I can tell that means I answer the telephone, take messages, and
serve coffee and Kleenex to family members when they come in to pick out
caskets and make funeral arrangements.

“Good Morning, Myers Funeral Home. How can I help
you?”

“Are you going to the apartment during your lunch hour to
walk Leon?”

“Hello to you too, sweetheart. Is the magic already
gone?”

“Brianna, I’m at the scene of a three-car pileup with a
fuel spill. I don’t have time for magic.”

“Yet you took the time to worry about Leon‘s bladder. I’m touched.” Leon
was the bulldog I had inadvertently inherited. He has a grumpy disposition, a
sensitive digestive tract, a penchant for chewing on leather couches, and I was
devoted to him. Cooper less so.

“Right. Just take care of your dog. I don’t want any more
accidents to clean up,” Cooper said. “And don’t forget to call my
mother and set up a dinner.”

I hadn’t forgotten. I was hoping something would happen to
prevent me making that call. Maybe a natural disaster. Hey, we get a lot of
those in Oklahoma.
Last year there were two ice storms, a blizzard, a flood, three tornadoes, a
drought, and then 60 one-hundred degree days in a row. Just when I thought I’d
experienced all that Oklahoma
had to offer; last month there was an earthquake that knocked down an old brick
tower in the Miner’s Memorial Park, located in the center of Lottawatah. Odds
were that something else would happen if I could just delay making that call.

“Cooper, there’s a lot of static on the line. I didn’t hear
that last part. See you tonight!”

“Brianna, call–”

Okay, yes, I admit it. I hung up on him. He doesn’t understand
that my relationship with his mother is unpredictable. A couple of months ago,
she really hated me. Then hate sort of morphed into grudging tolerance. When I
was in the hospital, she was very kind. I thought we were really bonding. Then
the engagement happened and Sassy Jackson chilled up fast.

“Could I get a moment of your time?”

Startled, I glanced up. The elderly man in front of me was polite,
but not alive.

“Do you have an appointment?” Okay, I knew the answer
to that question before I asked it but really, I was going to have to set some
boundaries or the walk-ins would run me ragged. And of course there was Leon‘s
bladder to consider.

“My viewing is tonight and I wanted to warn you that my
wife and my brother will probably get into a shouting match if you don’t keep
them separated. He thinks she only married me for my money.”

“How long have you been married?” I was guessing he’d
married a younger woman and his family hadn’t approved.

“Fifty years come June,” he answered, sitting down
uninvited on the chair in front of my desk. “But my brother isn’t one to
change his mind. He’s been waiting for Emma to leave me, so he could say I told
you so.”

Fifty years was a long time. I don’t know if I could conceive of
living with Cooper for fifty years. What would we find to talk about after all
that time?

“I’ll make a note for Doc.”

Before I even finished my sentence he was gone.

I grabbed my purse and the set of keys that Doc Myers had given
me. I had an hour for lunch and about a dozen personal errands to run. I didn’t
have to be psychic to understand that having an 8-5 office job was going to
interfere with my normal routine.

Just before I walked out the front door, I stuck my head in the
three viewing rooms and let everyone know that I’d be back by one.

According to Doc, the viewings were generally set from 3 to 7
pm. Doc assured me that he’d handle the after-5 stuff. People in Lottawatah ate
early and liked to be home in front of their television or in bed before it got
dark. So the evening visitors were few and far between.

Today, although it was barely noon, there was already quite a
crowd gathering in one room. I could try to run them off, but these visitors didn’t
pay much attention to clocks, policies, or locked doors.

Not only the living attend funerals.

__________________


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

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

A Fish Out of Water

By Evelyn David

We pay a lot of attention to where we locate our mysteries. The Sullivan Investigation series, featuring the incomparable Mac Sullivan and his faithful sidekick, Whiskey, are set in Washington, DC. Truth be told, the Northern half of this writing partnership, went to school in our nation’s capital, and then lived there for several years following graduation. When we wrote about Dupont Circle as “the physical embodiment of one of Dante’s circles of hell,” I recall with regret and frustration, trying to navigate around the area, especially since my first job was located at One Dupont Circle – oy!.

So when we first began the Brianna Sullivan, paranormal mysteries, the Northern half encouraged the Southern half to place these whodunnits in her home state of Oklahoma. She agreed but passed on setting the stories in Muskogee. Instead she proposed Lottawatah and you’ve got to agree that it is the perfect, melodic name for a fictional town that’s got more ghosts than people. Lottawatah is actually the name of a road, whose exit marker can be found on I-44, near the very real Lake Eufaula which we mention frequently in the stories.

Then we wrote Zoned for Murder and set it in Milford, New York, a fictional town based on the real villages that the Northern half knows outside of the Big Apple.

But whether it’s Washington, DC, Lottawatah, Oklahoma, or now Milford, New York, the common thread is that the main characters are like fish out of water. Not sure of their place in the world, even when they’re still living in familiar surroundings. For Mac Sullivan and Maggie Brooks, they still live in the same town, but they feel out of place as “home” has changed. Mac is a freshly-retired ex-cop, newly-minted private detective. He no longer knows the exact layout of his life. Maggie Brooks is a recent widow and her home, as she envisioned it with loving husband, doesn’t exist anymore. She’s got to create a new home for herself and children, even if they stay in the same house. And Brianna, who has no permanent roots, who has been traveling the country in a mobile home, hesitantly begins to create a life for herself in Lottawatah, a place she could never have imagined would feel like home, but in fact, has become just that.

All our stories are classic whodunnits, but in each, the characters, much like the authors, are on a journey to find home. And what we’ve learned – as our characters also do – is that home is a state of mind as much as a place.

Where’s home for you?

 Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David
________________

Zoned for Murder – KindleNookSmashwords

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Zoned for Murder

by Evelyn David

Zoned for Murder was published last week. It’s our first mystery in the Sound Shore Times Mystery series.

Former Newsweek reporter Maggie Brooks has two kids, a dead husband, a mortgage to pay, and a lot of competition when she tries to get back into the shrinking newspaper business. Landing a job with a local paper, she’s bored to tears covering bake sales and Little League games. But when a developer tries to build an outlet mall in a neighboring town, what starts out as potentially a great clip for her resume, suddenly turns dangerous and ugly. Someone will do anything to block the mall’s construction. Dirty money, nasty politics, and shady land deals abound as Maggie pursues the scoop that might jumpstart her career. When murder is added to the mix, she realizes that meeting her deadline might be the last thing she ever does. Read Maggie’s byline as she rebuilds her career, dips her toes into a shark-filled dating pool, and investigates a small New York town Zoned for Murder.

_____________

from Zoned for Murder:

Thinking back on it later, I realized that the explosion didn’t happen at the exact moment I took the photo, but at the time it seemed liked it.

The warehouse floor erupted into a cloud of smoke and flames. Lumber was burning. I could smell the odor of gasoline. And worst of all, I realized that I wasn’t alone in the loft.

Someone shoved me. I fell forward against the railing, my upper torso hanging over the rail. I could feel, but didn’t see, somebody rush by me, leaping off the stairs. By the time I righted myself, the wooden staircase was obscured by smoke and no longer a safe escape route. It crossed my mind
that no one except my attacker knew I was in the loft. Sean probably thought I’d left by now.

My camera was still hanging around my neck but I’d managed to drop my purse, with my cell phone inside, somewhere. I wasn’t sure if it had gone over the railing or if it was on the loft floor somewhere. It was getting harder to see as the smoke rose, along with my panic.

I retreated to the back of the loft area. I’d remembered a small window in the metal wall. Someone had thought to put it in to allow some natural light and ventilation. The window wouldn’t offer me much more than a source of fresh air; it had to be a 30-foot drop from the window to the parking lot below.

The window was jammed shut. I grabbed one of the large buckets of paint and threw it against the glass. The first time it bounced off the window, leaving only a few cracks. The second time the frame gave way and the whole window fell out.

“That’ll work too.” I stuck my head out the window. I was seeing the back parking area. It was empty. I could hear sirens, but all the action, if there was any, seemed to be happening at the front of the building. I needed to get someone’s attention.

All at once I could hear my cell phone ringing. I held my breath, got down on my hands and knees, and followed the sound. By the grace of God and Verizon, I found my purse lying near the top of the stairs. I grabbed it and rushed back to the window.

Caller ID indicated God was using Gene to do his bidding. Not exactly an angel, but I was in no position to be picky. The connection was not the best but I could make out his angry words.

“What’s taking you so long? I don’t care what your excuse is, if you’re not here in ten minutes, you’re fired. I’m on a deadline!”

“Yeah, me too. Could you call 911 and tell them your ace reporter is stuck in the loft of Sean O’Neal’s burning warehouse?”

_____________

Zoned for Murder – KindleNookSmashwords

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

The Clock is Ticking

By Evelyn David

This week is BIG!

Today our new mystery, Zoned for Murder, has been published in all e-book formats. It’s the first book of a new series, The Sound Shore Times Mysteries. Join us for the exciting new adventure we’ve created. Zoned for Murder has a killer story, compelling characters, and humor to make you laugh out loud.

Here’s a quick synopsis. Former Newsweek reporter Maggie Brooks has two kids, a dead husband, a mortgage to pay, and a lot of competition when she tries to get back into the shrinking newspaper business. Landing a job with a local paper, she’s bored to tears covering bake sales and Little League games. But when a developer tries to build an outlet mall in a neighboring town, what starts out as potentially a great clip for her resume, suddenly turns dangerous and ugly. Someone will do anything to block the mall’s construction. Dirty money, nasty politics, and shady land deals abound as Maggie pursues the scoop that might jumpstart her career. When murder is added to the mix, she realizes that meeting her deadline might be the last thing she ever does. Read Maggie’s byline as she rebuilds her career, dips her toes into a shark-filled dating pool, and investigates a small New York town Zoned for Murder.

Jean Rigod, avid mystery reader and reviewer, got a sneak peek at Zoned For Murder, and thrilled us when she wrote: What I truly loved about this new series was its complete believability. Maggie rings true as a reporter, friend, mother, and romantic interest.

We’re doing a blog tour this week and spreading the word far and wide that Evelyn David’s got the goods that will intrigue you, delight you, and make you want to know what happens next to Maggie Brooks (and it’s BIG in book two).

Along with all the book hoopla, this week is also BIG because on Friday, April 6, it’s first Seder for the Northern half, Good Friday/Easter weekend for the Southern half. In other words, BIG holidays coming up too. So in addition to sharing the good news about Zoned for Murder, one half of this writing duo will be making (BIG) matzoh balls, while the other half is dyeing eggs. We create these worlds of murder and mayhem, but each of us also lives in real worlds of mayhem (no murder so far, but the Northern half gives fair warning that matzoh makes her reallllll cranky).

Stiletto Faithful, in honor of our new book and the upcoming holidays, please share your favorite Passover or Easter memories and traditions.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David and the one making matzoh balls

_________________

Review –
“With a solid foundation at its mysterious core, Zoned for Murder offers fans of fast-paced, traditional mysteries everything they are looking for: strong characters, tight plotting, and a conclusion that left me stunned. If you like strong female protagonists with imagination and ingenuity to spare, look no further than Maggie Brooks, a small-town journalist with big-time investigative chops. Evelyn David has done it again with a mystery that touches on universal themes such as family, betrayal, and love.” – Maggie Barbieri, author of The Murder 101 Mysteries

_________________

Win a Free Copy – Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a free download of Zoned for Murder from Smashwords (all e-book formats are available there). One winner will be picked at random. Be sure to leave a contact email in your comment or drop us an email at evelyn@evelyndavid.com so we know how to send you the 100% off coupon code for the download.

_________________

Zoned for Murder – KindleNookSmashwords

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Sheldon’s a Nerd, but Now with 50% More Nuance

By Evelyn David

I’m invariably late to the party when it comes to discovering television shows. Generally I watch the news and cooking shows. But in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been catching reruns of The Big Bang Theory. The basic premise revolves around four geeky, brilliant science nerds, who love Star Trek, video games, and physics. A beautiful blonde moves in across the hall, a wannabe actress who’s paying the rent by being a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory. Hilarity ensues as the two worlds collide, intersect, and eventually mesh.

I started with reruns of the fourth season and it wasn’t until the last few days that I caught the pilot episode. I was astonished at the differences in each of the main characters. In the first episode, they were drawn so broadly, with each one representing a different stereotype, that I almost wondered if I were watching a different show.

What has happened is that over the last five years the caricatures have morphed into characters. As a writer, I understand that sometimes an author uses shorthand to describe in broad strokes the essentials of a character. Sex and the City, another show I caught after it had ended, also had four characters. In this case, the writers used costumes from the very first scene to telegraph who each character was: Miranda, the lawyer, in grey tailored suits, white blouses, and faux ties; Samantha, the sexpot, in outfits designed to tell you all about her without saying a word; Charlotte, the preppy pretty girl, in traditional designer wear; Carrie, the offbeat writer, in tutu and mile-high Manolo Blahniks.

Julia Spencer-Fleming, the award-winning mystery author of the Rev. Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne series, said, “Ultimately what’s important about the books I write and the books I read are that they create a recognizable, believable world with characters I want to spend time with.”

Rhonda and I have had fun creating the characters and worlds of our two series. In Washington, DC, you’ve met private detective Mac Sullivan, his furry sidekick, Whiskey, his maybe-sort of girlfriend Rachel Brenner, makeup artist in a funeral home, and the supporting cast of Jeff, Edgar, and others. They’ve each got their quirks, but hopefully they’re all grounded in enough reality that you can recognize them as the folks that you know in your real life. In a world, far, far away, but also grounded in reality, is the small town of Lottawatah, Oklahoma, where psychic Brianna Sullivan, flatulent bulldog Leon, and hunky Deputy Cooper Jackson, live and solve murders and resolve ghostly disturbances. Despite the woo-woo stuff, Brianna still has the same boyfriend problems that beset all women, still needs to do laundry, pick up after her dog – no matter how strange the circumstances, our hope is that you can identify with and enjoy the cast of characters we’ve created.

Next month we’re introducing a brand new group of memorable characters in Zoned for Murder, the first book of the Sound Shore Times mysteries. We’ll be talking about this nonstop in the weeks ahead, but our hope is to make the town of Milford, NY, and the character of reporter Maggie Brooks, welcome guests in your home.
Enjoy!

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

————

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Replacement Pizza

Choosing a blog topic is not easy for me.  I’ve been thinking for a couple days about what might be interesting or fun to write about. And I have to admit to coming up dry. I’ve got the television turned on, looking for ideas. Watching “Finding Bigfoot.” I’ve always been fascinated with that subject ever since I was a small child looking at the Patterson film of “the” or maybe “a” creature tromping through the woods. Something very mysterious about unknown creatures and the search for them, and everyone knows I love mysteries.

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m pondering topics – other than Bigfoot.

I’m a little rusty at writing a blog, two times out of three, my co-author Marian writes the blog. But this time it’s my turn and she’s busy with other things.

Hang on a minute. Be right back.
Sorry about that. I had to answer the front door and pay the pizza guy for my delivery. I got a large, thin crust pepperoni and pineapple pizza with extra sauce. (I got the large because there was a sale on the large, plus I can eat the leftovers for breakfast.) I also ordered two bottles of 2-liter diet Pepsi for pretty much the same reason. The delivery guy forgot to bring the second bottle. Sigh. He’s going to the nearby grocery store to pick one up. I feel a little bad about that – he’ll probably have to pay for it out of his tip. But again, maybe next time he’ll read the order more closely and get bigger tips. I’m probably doing him a favor. Right.

As I take the first bite of pizza and consider what to write, I discover that instead of “extra” sauce I got “no” sauce. Double sigh.

I don’t like complaining, but I can’t eat this pizza.  I waited tables through college and worked part time at Wal-Mart on the weekends for years – I know about people who complain just to complain. I know how hard service people work for very little compensation. I normally don’t send stuff back.  But I would really, really like to have what I paid for.
So, hold on just another minute please, while I make the phone call.
I’m back. They’re sending another pizza. They offered me a free pizza next time or another pizza now. Since I ordered the pizza because I was hungry now, I declined the future pizza gift certificate which wasn’t really a “gift” certificate since I paid for it already.

Anyway, order guy said it will be about half an hour, so I have time to chat with you.

Have you noticed that there seems to be a growing problem with service people getting food orders correct? Especially fast food orders? I’m beginning to think it’s a reading comprehension problem. I ordered my pizza via the internet, so the store had the order in writing. The receipt I signed when I paid the delivery guy had the correct items listed including the extra sauce and the “2” sodas – but neither the delivery guy nor the person who made my pizza – read the order correctly. What are the odds? You’d be surprised how often they get it wrong.

Even going through McDonald’s drive through for my week-day morning Egg McMuffin and coffee, it’s a toss-up (see how I avoided using the appropriate curse word) of what I’ll get in the little white paper bag and paper cup. Once last week I got an Egg McMuffin without the egg. And in my coffee (here’s where my co-author starts laughing), I like 4 Equals and 4 creams in a “large” plain, fully caffeinated coffee. Only 3 times out of 10 do I get what I order. Usually they short me Equals. Sometimes they leave out the cream. Or I get the “We’re out of large coffee cups, do you want a medium?” Of course I know that won’t work out right. How do I know how much Equal or Cream I need for that size cup? And how much of each will they actually put in? Maybe 3 each? Three would require less math. I know – I should just find somewhere else to get my coffee. But I still have hope. McDonalds has good coffee.

But back to my premise. When there was more human interaction and less computer generated orders, you were more likely to get exactly what you ordered. True or False? And when you find you didn’t get what you ordered, do you send it back or just complain in private?

Doorbell is ringing. My replacement pizza is here. Sigh.

I’ll probably tip the delivery guy. Sigh. I’m such a pushover.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

p.s. – the replacement pizza had the normal amount of sauce on it – not the extra I ordered. I guess I’m just going to have to switch to frozen pizza – or maybe make it myself. No, probably not.
____________________

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Are Fountain Pens Obsolete?

By Evelyn David

I recently was given an iPad. I feel like the coolest Grandma in the world. As hip as my twenty-something daughter.

When my husband and I were looking for a cover for the iPad, he asked if I wanted one that had a built-in, traditional keyboard, rather than use the touchscreen of the iPad. I declined. I actually don’t think I’ll be writing any Brianna stories on it. I see the gadget more for email exchanges on trips, web searches, reading, and of course, all the games. I’m already in a Scrabble match with a complete stranger from Australia.

But as I was writing thank you notes for this marvelous gift, composing the words on my computer, I realized that I had made the complete transition. I can’t “create” without a keyboard. Writing the notes in longhand is part of the legacy of childhood and good manners. But finding the right words before I put pen to paper has to be done on a computer.

I can remember learning to type on a manual typewriter – and thinking that an electric one was nothing short of a technological miracle. But it was when we got our first computer that I discovered the real miracle. Word processing, with the cut and paste option, made revisions, if not a snap, then at least, manageable.

No longer was I burdened by the concept that those pearls I had crafted, word by word, would be lost forever if I decided to cut a paragraph, scene, entire chapter. Instead, I could neatly cut the offending words out of the paragraph, save them, and even use them in another book, if that’s what I wanted.

When I told the Southern half of Evelyn David my idea for a blog, she joined in the Hallelujah chorus. “I don’t think I would have started writing without the computer. I can think fiction and type at the same time – can’t write long hand and think fiction. Total disconnect.”

How about you? How dependent are you on your computer for your writing?

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

__________

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

The Spirit Moves Me

By Evelyn David

Excuse me.

This blog is a bit all over the place, but I assure you that it’s all connected – though maybe just in my head.

Fellow Stiletto Gang member and person extraordinaire, Maggie Barbieri, has been raving about the positive effects of acupuncture. Intellectually, I’ve always believed that there is value in alternative medicine, especially in conjunction with traditional Western treatment. For the past six months, my normal level of general anxiety has been inching up, impacting on my daily life. Plus I have a litany of other small physical ailments that have also begun to take a toll. So I made an appointment with the acupuncturist.

In the middle of the Big Apple, with buses and trucks roaring by, horns honking, people crowding the sidewalks, on the ninth floor of a skyscraper, there is this tiny oasis of peace. Quiet except for the trickle of a small fountain, I felt calm just walking into the waiting room. Quite the contrast to my normal blood pressure spike when I enter a doctor’s office.

The acupuncturist was as kind and gentle as Maggie had promised. I have but two things to say about the treatment. First, the needles don’t hurt, not even a little bit, not even a smudge. Second, I had listened with a whole lot of doubt as the therapist explained the basic underlying concept of acupuncture, with the emphasis on what each of the organs of the body do to our “chi.” She described how our liver and kidneys hold the key to anxiety and that she would be placing needles on my back above each of the organs. But to my shock, about halfway through the treatment, I could feel a current going down each leg. I imagined it was my anxiety passing out of my system. There was no electricity attached to the needles, it was simply the sensation I was feeling.

Now let me add another layer to the whole experience. The acupuncturist placed the needles and explained that she would leave the room and wait in the hallway, but would come back in ten minutes. To my surprise, she never left. At the end of the treatment, she asked if I prayed to a female version of God. I said I didn’t (all those years of religious school has left an indelible impression of a male figure). She apologized and explained that she strongly felt the spirit of motherhood in the room and it told her not to leave.

I was somewhat confused, but feeling so good, that I immediately made an appointment for another visit. I felt like I was finally taking control of getting back to me.

As soon as I described the experience to my husband, he started to laugh and then immediately, so did I. Of course, there was a spirit of motherhood in the room. Hasn’t she always been there to protect me even if she has been gone from this earth for 23 years? My mother’s spirit has visited me twice since she died, both times to make sure that I was alright. Surely she would be there (and approve) of my taking a course of action to feel stronger, more in control.

I know I write paranormal mysteries, and joke constantly with the Southern half of Evelyn David, about not believing all this woo-woo stuff. What I do believe in is the power of the original Evelyn – my Mom who has never let a little thing like death stop her from protecting her child, even if this child is now a Grandma!

May you all find peace.

Marian

__________

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

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books KindleNookSmashwords
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords