Tag Archive for: Murder Off the Books

Odds and Ends

/in /by

by Rhonda – the Southern Half of Evelyn David

Let’s catch up.

Amazing that it’s already February. Time is just
rushing by for me. The past twelve months have been so busy at both my day job,
my writing job, and my home life. I’m having a little trouble keeping up.  

In Oklahoma it’s been cold, cold, cold. Single
digits temperatures and multiple snow events. You’d think the outside weather
would inspire me to do some serious writing, but instead I just want to curl up
with a blanket, a cup of hot tea, and a good book. At heart I’m a reader first,
writer second. I’m very late to the party, but I just read Outlander by Diana
Gabaldon. I enjoyed it very much and I’ve purchased the sequel Dragonfly in Amber,
but have not had a chance to start it. 

While my favorite tv shows (Major Crimes and The
Black List) are either on hiatus or done for the season, I’ve become a big fan
of Netflix and my Roku. I’ve finished several British series – Waking the Dead,
Calling the Midwife, The Bletchley Circle, Island at War and a rewatch of Foyle’s
War. I’m working on MI-5. I think there are about 80 episodes of that series,
so it will take me awhile. Looking forward to new episodes of House of Cards,
produced in house by Netflix. 

Anyone watching the Winter Olympics? I’m planning
to watch the ice skating and maybe some of the snowboarding events. Have to
admit that I’m not as invested in watching as I was twenty years ago. Maybe I
just kept up with the athletes more. My co-author’s son, sports reporter Sam Borden, is in Russia covering the events. His blog about his adventure is very engaging. He’s almost as good a writer as his mother. I recommend you check it out.  

On the home front this past year there have been
roof repairs, new hot water heater, new washing machine and a few other things
I’ve put off doing/replacing. If I don’t get a new mattress soon, I’m going to
permanently cripple myself. Speaking of which, there is good news – not on the new
mattress quest but on the maiming myself point. Thursday night I thought I
broke my little toe on my left foot again, stubbed it against the corner of a
dresser, but now I think it’s just a bad bruise or sprain??? Any way my painful
limp has made way to cautious but mostly pain-free walking now.  

I did accomplish something this month. My 93-year-young
aunt has written a book about her life growing up in the 1930s rural Indiana.
I’ve formatted and published it for her. It’s her first book! It’s available in
both Kindle and trade paperback formats –The Laughing and the Weeping by Bettie
B. Dossett. Her delight in the physical act of holding the trade paperback version
reminded me of how I felt when Evelyn David’s first book, Murder Off the Books
was published. There is a certain special joy that is indescribable.  

The collective “Evelyn David” has been occupied getting our Brianna Sullivan Mysteries published in audiobook format. The
first four are available now at Audible (through Amazon) and iTunes. Our
wonderful narrator, Wendy Tremont King, has provided a delightful voice to
psychic Brianna Sullivan. The fifth book, A Haunting in Lottawatah, will be out
as an audiobook in the next month or two. Can’t wait for that one! Should work out really well in audio format.

Speaking of ebooks – I heard a news report about that 25% of readers now have access to ereaders or tablets. Amazing! Also there is something new coming – sound tracks for ebooks. Not someone reading the book for you, but a sound track! Music, sound effects, etc. Not sure if I’m ready for that. Although for our haunted house book – creaking stairs, rattling chains….

——————–

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
Lottawatah Fireworks – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

AUDIOBOOKS
I TRY NOT TO DRIVE PAST CEMETERIES

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER IN
LOTTAWATAH

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT(S) OF
LOTTAWATAH

UNDYING LOVE IN LOTTAWATAH


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)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back Kindle – Nook – 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

Green Trash Bins

/in /by
The saying goes that the devil is in the details. And
sometimes the details bring out the devil in otherwise normal human beings.

The question I bring to the loyal Stiletto Gang
readers is how much truth do readers of fiction expect? How much do they
deserve?

Recently my coauthor and I received a review at
Amazon from a reader who protested that we had failed to do adequate research
for our latest mystery MURDER DOUBLES BACK. She complained that we used the
wrong color trash bins in a scene set in a particular city. In great detail she
explained that she had lived in Arlington, Virginia for many
decades and not once had “green” trash bins been used in the area.
Apparently had we chosen just about any other color, the story might have
passed muster with her as the bin color had varied over time. But never green!

Honestly, when I read the review I was hard
pressed to remember any trash bins in the mystery. I knew it wasn’t a
significant plot point.  So doing what
any mystery writer would do in this situation , I opened the Word file of
MURDER DOUBLES BACK and did a search for the word “green.”

The software program brought up a list of
sentences with “green” in them. Whiskey, the Irish wolfhound in our
Sullivan Investigations Mysteries, sleeps on a “green futon” in Mac’s
office. I think we are safe there, although I confess I did not research futons
to see if any manufacturer produced “green” futons. If we get
challenged on it, I plan to say JJ, Mac’s assistant, reupholstered the futon in
the green fabric. JJ does a lot of things besides being a computer wiz and
detective-in-training. In MURDER OFF THE BOOKS, the first mystery in the series,
she renovated the Sullivan Investigations Inc. office by painting walls,
refinishing furniture, etc. I’m sure she could recover a futon if push came to
shove.

The next time “green” came up in my
search was in relationship to vegetables – green beans, green peas, green bean casseroles.
Yes, I’m making a note that for future books we should branch out – maybe add some
yellow squash, white hominy, and orange carrots. Although we probably wouldn’t
need to describe carrots.

Finally I found the object of our reader’s ire.   

Afternoons
in late December got dark early. Mac was glad he found the group home while
there was still light. It looked like most of the others on a block of tract
homes built in the 1950s. The house numbers were hidden by a large Christmas
wreath on the front door. There was a well-used basketball hoop attached to the
garage. Three garbage cans sat at the curb waiting for trash collection the
next day. Next to them was a green plastic container marked recyclables.


Busted. We never checked the color of the
recyclables bin in Arlington, Virginia. All I can say is that we
profusely apologize for offending the citizens of Arlington. And thank heavens
we sent Mac back home to D.C. right away without further ado or more erroneous
color choices.

(Note to self – Mac was the character who saw
“green” while visiting a group home residence. Is it too late to make
Mac color-blind? According to the reviewer “blue” would have been an
acceptable trash bin color for that town. No, maybe not. Surely that handicap would
have come up before in earlier books and after all, let’s get “real”
here for a minute, the mention of the trash bins was just made in passing. The
bins, green or otherwise, were of no significance to the plot.)

Of course Mac also visited West Virginia in this
book while chasing after a kidnapper. I’ll do another Word search, but I’m
positive we didn’t involve any trash bins in those scenes. Seriously, what do
you think? Should every detail in a work of fiction be researched by the author?
What is the reader owed?
 

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
______________________

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
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)

Zoned for Murder – stand-alone mystery

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Lights, Camera, Action

/in /by

By Evelyn David

Rhonda and I have been taking Hollywood
meetings since we wrote the first Sullivan Investigations mystery, Murder Off the Books. Of course, those meetings have been imaginary, but we prefer to
think of them as practice sessions for when we really do get “the
call.” Or another way to look at it, we create fictional characters and
settings for our books, what’s to stop us from creating fictional casting
sessions? In a perfect example of the mind meld of the collective Evelyn David
(as well as reflective of our ages), we both have always envisioned James
Garner, from the Rockford Files era, as Mac Sullivan.

But these fantasy casting sessions have taken on new meaning
over the last week because Evelyn David has gone Hollywood,
minus the sunglasses, plastic surgery, and actually, you know, going to California. We’ve
decided to release the three Mac Sullivan mysteries, as well as the first
Brianna Sullivan novella, as individual audio books. We’re looking for a reader
who can handle both male and female voices and capture the tone, pacing, and
humor we’ve written.

Not a job for the faint-hearted. Think about it. When Julia
Roberts played Vivan Ward, the prostitute with a heart of gold in Pretty Woman,
she didn’t also have to play Edward Lewis, handsome, tough businessman (Richard
Gere’s role), not to mention the sleazy business associate that Jason Alexander
captured perfectly. We’re asking one person to play detective, love interest,
and dog – and for the listener to instantly grasp who’s talking to whom, where,
and why.

And we love it. We’ve received several audition tapes of a
few pages of each book. Some actors nail it – and some have been instant
rejections. We think we’ve found the perfect reader for the Brianna book –
still struggling with finding the right one for the Mac/Whiskey mysteries (dogs
are so hard to cast).

Stay tuned.
 
All right Mr. DeMille, we’re ready for our close-up.

(Can you name the movie?)

Evelyn David
 
———————————-
 

 

Click the link below to find out how to get 10 free ebooks
(including Murder Off the Books by Evelyn David)
Note: limited time offer

http://tinyurl.com/BeachReadFree10

 
 
 
 

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
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

COMING SOON – MURDER DOUBLES BACK!

/in /by
 
 
 
It’s been a long time coming but if you listen carefully you can hear the sounds of an Irish wolfhound running towards you. Whiskey is back!
We’re celebrating the upcoming publication of our third book in the
Sullivan Investigations Mystery series,
MURDER DOUBLES BACK
with excerpts
from the first book – MURDER OFF THE BOOKS
and the second book – MURDER TAKES THE CAKE. 


“The gun should be right about there.” Edgar pointed
to a spot under a rose bush about a foot from where Mac was kneeling.

“Gun!” Mac’s voice was a little louder than he’d
intended, but the old man had failed to mention a gun before.

“What did you think we were digging for? Bulbs?” Edgar
cackled and then coughed.

“Shush. We don’t want to wake her up,” Mac warned,
glancing at the dark house, glad he’d left Whiskey in the truck.

The old man nodded, lowering his voice to a whisper. “It
was late, just past 11 P.M. on Saturday night. The brother drove up and instead
of going to the front door, he came around to the side of the house and started
digging by that bush. I saw him pull a gun out of his jacket, wrap it in one of
those knitted caps, and stick it in the hole. He covered it up real nice with
some of that cedar mulch you see there.”

“How did you see all that? The goggles?”

“Nah. Didn’t need them. The Wilsons‘,” Edgar pointed to his right,
“have one of those motion detector lights. When the brother walked across
the yard, it lit up.”

Mac looked towards the house the man had indicated. He didn’t
remember any light when Whiskey was busy stealing a ham on Sunday night.
“It must not be working now.”

The old man shrugged his bony shoulders. “Hasn’t worked
since the burglary. Think the thieves did that?”

“I don’t believe in coincidences. What happened after you
saw Thayer bury the gun?” Mac continued sifting through the loose soil and
mulch around the bush, trying to avoid catching his coat on the thorns.

“He left. Just got in his car and drove away.”

Mac leaned back on his heels. “Okay, I’ve found the hole
but nothing is here now. How come you didn’t call the police?”

“Did call–twice. They put me on hold–twice. I don’t have
enough time left in this world to be spending any of it on hold.”

Mac dusted off his hands on his jeans. “You didn’t see
anyone around later that night? Or how about the burglary on Sunday
night?”

Before the old man could answer, the lights in the house began
coming on.

“Let’s go,” Mac whispered, scrambling to his feet.

The sound of the back door opening panicked both men.

“Save yourself,” Edgar gasped, waving Mac towards the
nearby oak tree. “Get up there. I’ll divert her.”

Feeling as foolish as he probably looked, Mac climbed the tree,
hoping there were enough leaves left on the branches to hide him.

 
“Like I told you on the phone when I asked you to come in,
Mac left me in charge until he gets back tomorrow,” JJ announced to the
man and the Irish wolfhound sitting in front of her desk. “He’s in Boston checking out the
police corruption Bridget was involved in. We’re supposed to work on the turkey
farm murder and try to keep tabs on Bridget without being too obvious about it.
He also wants you to finish up that background check on Joshua Lasky.” 
Edgar and the dog stared at her. 
“What?” She didn’t need to ask why they were staring
at her. After Mac’s order to change her wardrobe, she’d visited a consignment
shop. Currently she was wearing a circa 1930s, knockoff, Chanel suit. Even
though she’d had to re-sew the seams, the old suit had still cost her more
money than she was comfortable spending–especially just to make a point. It was
black wool with gold metal buttons. She’d added a white silk blouse. Around her
waist she’d cinched a black leather belt to hide the fact the jacket was a
little large. The four inch heels were already killing her feet and it wasn’t
even noon yet. She’d left her jet-black hair in its normal spiked style, but
she’d replaced her large hoop earrings with fake pearl studs and a matching
double strand necklace. 
“You got one of those little hats with the black netting?”
Edgar asked, waving one gnarled hand across his eyes showing where the netting
would be. 
“Maybe.” She had seen one of those at the shop and
thought about buying it. But she wasn’t about to take fashion advice from the
old man. “Why?” 
“Widow’s weeds. You could get a job as an extra at O’Herlihy’s
when Mac fires you. You know, as one of those paid mourners.” He chuckled,
and then coughed. “They still have those?” 
“I don’t like you very much. If anyone is going to get
fired around here, it’s going to be you. You were the one who was supposed to
research Brian Crager. Instead, at the least, you let us get fooled by an
imposter and at the most, let a killer escape.” 
Whiskey barked and looked towards Edgar. 
“I’m not the one who signed up a dead client and traded the
services of this firm for a few turkeys and a percentage of nothing!” 
Whiskey turned towards JJ and whined.
“Hey, don’t you start too. Who drove you through your
favorite fast food place this morning?” 
“Now you’re bribing the dog so she’s on your side? Come
here, girl!” 
Whiskey looked from one to the other, then stood and walked into
Mac’s office. 
The door slammed. 
JJ and Edgar both jumped.
They looked at each other, then the door. 
“Did she just.…” 
“I’m not even going there,” Edgar mumbled. “Didn’t
happen.”
 

 

————————————

 
 

 

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

 

 


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

Moonlighting at the Mall

/in /by

Our first mystery, Murder Off the Books was published in 2007. It introduced three memorable characters: Mac Sullivan, retired D.C. cop and newly-minted private detective; Whiskey, his adorable canine sidekick, an Irish wolfhound who could tackle a cheeseburger and a murderer with equal ease; and Rachel Brenner, makeup artist in a funeral home whose clients never complained.

We followed it up two years later with Murder Takes the Cake, a sequel with a killer mystery, lots of laughs, and a nice touch of romance. We also published Riley Come Home, a short story featuring this delightful trio, set in the hard-edged world of purebred dog shows.

And then we moved on to a new series featuring psychic Brianna Sullivan, a distant cousin of Mac’s, and set in Lottawatah, Oklahoma. We’ve written seven Brianna novellas – with lots more to come.

But we missed Mac, Whiskey, and Rachel. And for this holiday season, we are delighted to bring them back in a new story sure to intrigue and enchant you. Moonlighting at the Mall finds Mac Sullivan as an undercover Santa Claus, determined to find the mall thief who is brazenly robbing local jewelry stores. He’s got more help than he wants. His girlfriend Rachel Brenner is very convincing as Mrs. Claus; septuagenarian Edgar is a less-believable Elf; and Whiskey steals the show as Rudolph.

We’re delighted to be back with the Sullivan Investigations crowd. They’re old friends of ours- yours too, we hope. Enjoy this holiday whodunnit with a mystery to confound you, humor to make you laugh out loud, and a romance that doesn’t need any help from mistletoe.

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

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

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Empty Nest

/in /by

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

Resolved: We Can Disagree without being Disagreeable

/in /by

The election is over. Thank Goodness.

I think what bothered me the most about this election, and in truth, election cycles over the last ten years, is what it does to me and my own behavior towards those with whom I disagree politically.

I don’t think there is much dispute, from either side, that there is a genuine lack of civility in politics today. Who’s to blame for this conduct is undoubtedly in the eye of the beholder. But it’s become the norm to vilify opponents rather than simply oppose their views. Gandhi implored us to “hate the sin, love the sinner.” But that concept has no place, apparently, in today’s political sphere.

All of which wouldn’t bother me nearly as much except for how it makes me behave. I find myself cheering when a self-righteous, holier-than-thou candidate is tripped up by his own newly-discovered failings. Take for example, Gary Condit. He was a Congressman, at the center of the tragic Chandra Levy case. He was eventually exonerated of any complicity in her death, but it was hard to feel much sympathy for the man. While serving in office, he never missed an opportunity to excoriate Bill Clinton, yet conducted an affair with an intern young enough to be his daughter. Aha, I thought. Karma has bitten him in his self-righteous ass. Should I be that happy at someone’s else’s moral failings?

But politics today has become a zero-sum game. The only way I win is if you lose – and lose spectacularly. And maybe I even get to rub your nose in it. Nyah, Nyah, Nyah. There is no room for the moderate, no place at the table for men like Henry Clay, “the great compromiser.” Nancy Reagan’s slogan of “Just Say No,” has been co-opted to “Just Vote No,” by the opposition, regardless of the merits of any particular bill. And like sheep following Bo-Peep, too many of our elected officials follow their chosen leaders right over the cliff.

The 112th Congress will take office on January 3, 2011. It can be a fresh start. Civility can — must — return to those hallowed halls, even while spirited debate is encouraged. And I need to practice what I preach — so would any Tea Party members like to come to tea?

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

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 – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book 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

The Brave New “E-Book” World

/in /by

Electronic Books? E-books. Have they arrived? I think so.

It wasn’t that long ago that electronic mail was new and strange – a novelty instead of a daily communication tool. Not anymore. I don’t remember the last time I wrote a personal letter. A note maybe to go along with a package. But a letter? Like it or not e-mail is the way of the world now. Just as I think e-books will be in less than five years. The number of e-books on the market is exploding. The number of e-readers (the devices and the people) is increasing every day. Publishing contracts today include electronic rights along with foreign and domestic print rights. Yep, e-books are here to stay…in one form or another. (Hey, I’m old enough to have lived through 8-tracks, cassette tapes, cds, and digital downloads for i-Pods – so I know nothing is forever!)

But not to be left behind on the e-book super highway, my co-author and I have recently published a short story collection – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries and a single short story – Riley Come Home at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It was quite a learning experience. And we are still trying to figure out some of the formatting tweaks. My co-author says that learning how to do a clickable “Table of Contents” has become a point of pride with me – not something that we absolutely have to include in our e-books. She’s right (she’s right a lot of the time but let’s keep that fact just between us). I admit that I have developed an obsession with figuring it out. (Yes, I know there are people out there making a living whom I could pay to do it for me – but what’s the fun in that?) I will conqueror the problem as I do most things – through time, trial, whining, and error. Lot’s of whining and error.

On the bright side, did you know that on-line bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders have their own software applications that can be downloaded free to your e-reader and/or your PC (desktop or laptop)? You visit their site, search for e-book software applications (if you don’t see an ad for one staring right at you when you arrive on site) and click on the download button. It loads itself and all you need to do is set up an account (if you don’t already have one there for all those print books you’ve been buying for years) and start buying e-books. You can be reading in seconds on your computer without actually purchasing a Kindle (although the current price of $139 is becoming very tempting) or a Nook (Barnes & Noble’s popular e-reader). You can also buy e-books for the Apple i-Pad from the on-line Apple store. Tony Burton, publisher extraordinare, has an on-line store, The Digital Bookshop. You can find lots of great e-books and print books there (including Evelyn David’s Sullivan Investigations mystery series).

And here’s another surprise – there are free e-books to be had. Free! Amazon and Barnes & Noble have free e-books offerings. All you have to do is download them.

Now be warned, my co-author and I aren’t giving away our books. (Are you kidding after all that blood, sweat, and whining?) But if you’re counting your pennies, buying e-books can save you money. Our short story collection, I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries is priced at $2.99. Riley Come Home is a mere 99 cents. The Kindle versions of Murder Off the Books and Murder Takes the Cake are $5 each at Amazon versus the very reasonable just over $9 price tag for the trade paperback editions.

So here’s my question? Have you tried an e-book yet? If not, why not?

Rhonda

(Oh, and if anyone wants to give me some tips about that clickable “Table of Contents” thing, I’d appreciate it.)

Update – The Chisholm Trail Book Festival

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Evelyn David (i.e. Marian and I) attended two book festivals this month. I went to the one in Duncan, Oklahoma on September 18 and Marian went to Toms River, New Jersey on September 25th. These events were wonderful opportunities for both of us to connect with old and future readers of the Sullivan Investigation Mystery series. I’ll let her tell you about the New Jersey event in upcoming blogs.

I attended The Chisholm Trail Book Festival in Duncan. This was my first trip to Duncan and it was about a 3 1/2 hour drive from my home in Muskogee. I arrived about 4 pm on Friday, the 17th and checked into a hotel near the event location. The sponsors of the festival had invited all the authors to attend a dinner that evening at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center. While waiting for dinner to be served, I avoided the sticky, 90 plus heat by touring the (fabulously air-conditioned) Heritage Center. The museum was a wonderful mix of prairie antiques and tv/movie memorabilia from iconic western films and series. One whole room was dedicated to Lonesome Dove, the book and tv miniseries. Large poster-sized stills from the mini-series covered the walls along with framed scripts and props. A flat screen television showed the movie in a continuous loop. I really wanted a Lonesome Dove coffee table book offered for sale in the gift store, but couldn’t justify the cost. (And believe me I tried!)

The dinner was traditional cowboy fare – barbequed brisket, beans, fried potatoes, slaw, and biscuits – served from a chuck wagon. Live music was provided as we ate on a covered portico. Most of the authors present were from Oklahoma and Texas, and I used the dinner hour to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. The majority of the authors attending were historical, biographical, or Christian writers. They were very kind to let a mystery writer sit among them.


The next morning I had an hour to set up my table. The sponsors of the event had arranged for teens from the local school to help authors unload their cars and cart the materials into the event center. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with this kindness. Four eighth-grade mystery fans helped me move boxes of books, framed poster, promo stuff, etc. from the parking lot to my assigned table. All of us had our hands full, so you can imagine how many trips it would have taken me to do it by myself.

A couple of hours after I settled in at my “crime scene”-themed table, I had to leave to present a workshop, “Clues to Writing a Mystery.” My audience was a mix of teens and adults, all interested in the nuts and bolts (or should I say knives and guns?) of writing mysteries. Marian, who had reviewed my handouts for typos, had warned me I had enough material for a two-day class. She was right, but I was happy knowing I wouldn’t run out of things to talk about.

While I was presenting the workshop, two of the young ladies who helped me earlier, manned my table, selling several books! I wish I had their help for all my events!

After lunch, which was sold conveniently right in the room where the book tables were located, I had a “mini-book-club” session. In other words, I read the opening scenes from Murder Off the Books. Reading aloud is not my favorite thing to do, but the audience was polite and clapped loudly when I finished a little early. They also asked lots of questions about publishers, agents, advances, and royalty payments. So maybe they weren’t so much into the plot and my oratory skills. Sigh. I didn’t mind though. I’m still new enough at this writing business to remember how confusing the publishing world was … uh is.

FFA guys (Future Farmers of America) showed up to help me pack up my table and load my car. They were great! In fact the whole festival was incredibly “pro-author.”

The 2011 Chisholm Trail Book Festival is already in the planning stages. For more information contact Lavon Strong at the Legacy Bank, 2100 N. Hwy. 81, Duncan, OK 73533.

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

The Chisholm Trail Book Festival

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This coming weekend I’ll be participating in the Chisholm Trail Book Festival in Duncan, Oklahoma. I’ll attend an author dinner on Friday night and then on Saturday I will present an hour-long workshop entitled “Clues to Writing a Mystery.” That afternoon, I’m doing a 20-minute reading from Murder Off the Books by Evelyn David.

Guess which part I’m the most nervous about? Yep, the reading aloud part.

I like hearing other people read short excerpts to me, but don’t enjoy the process myself. My mind tends to drift while I’m reading, wondering if anyone is listening, fearful if I’ll start coughing, worrying if I’ll butcher my own writing.

Teaching the workshop? Piece of cake! No, really. (Note to self – try to work in the title of the second Evelyn David book, Murder Takes the Cake.) I love talking about the process of writing, probably because it still seems like such a wonder to me. To start with a blank page and create people, places, and events that had only existed in my mind before, is such an emotional high. My plan is to cover the different types of mysteries: cozy, police procedural, romantic suspense, traditional, detective, etc. I’m also going to talk about plotting the mystery and creating characters.

Between now and Friday, I’ll be drafting some materials for the workshop and finding an excerpt from Murder Off the Books to read. I’m guessing about ten minutes of reading max and then leave the rest for discussion. Or maybe I’ll do a five-minute read, some discussion, then another short excerpt, then another round of questions to close it off.

I’ll have a 6-foot table to decorate. I feel a trip to Hobby Lobby in my immediate future. Wonder what I can come up with for a Murder Mystery theme?

If you’re near Duncan, Oklahoma on Saturday, stop by. I’ll put you to work manning my author table while I present my workshop.

Chisholm Trail Book Festival
September 18, 2010
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Simmons Center
800 Chisholm Trail Parkway
Duncan, OK.

http:/​/​www.chisholmtrailbookfestival.com/​index.html

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
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Interested in purchasing the mysteries I’ll be discussing?

New 2nd Edition Murder Off the Books trade paperback version available at The Digital Bookstore.

Need an E-Book version for your Apple iPad? Both books are available at the Apple iStore.
Murder Off the Books
Murder Takes the Cake

Murder Off the Books – Buy Kindle version of 2nd Edition

Murder Takes the Cake – Buy Kindle version of 2nd Edition