Guest: Nancy Gideon ~ You've Got a Friend in Me! 99₵ Sale @NancyGideon

I had to laugh when I saw the title of Nancy's post. Last Saturday, the boys (4 yo twins) and I watched the original Toy Story. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed that movie, especially Randy Newman's song, "You've Got a Friend in Me." Nancy Gideon & I are long-time friends. We met when I joined Mid-Michigan RWA back in the early 1990s. We both lived in the Kalamazoo area at the time and often rode together to meetings. Since then, we each moved away, but our friendship has endured, cheering each other's successes, commiserating together, and kicking each other's butt (mainly her kicking me) to keep writing. (BTW, I wrote the above before reading Nancy's post. I'm thrilled at her words.)

You’ve Got A Friend in Me! And I’ve Got a Sale for You!

Thanks, Di, for letting me invade your blog again to shout to all within print reach that I have a book on sale!

For those who don’t know, Diane and I have known each other for decades (we started writing when we were children!). She often credits me with giving her the push to publish. I say she was well on her way but needed a well-meaning shove (her books are TOO good not to get into reader hands!). She’s been with me through the majority of my career, listening to my woes, sharing my highs, and digging me out of my lows. She’s a Writer Friend. Everyone should be so lucky. Writing is hard. Writing is solitary work. Writing makes you doubt yourself, your goals, your talent, and sometimes your sanity. Every writer needs that someone standing outside their circle of Woe Is Me to slap some sense back into them. I’m not saying Di actually smacked me, but she did, I probably deserved it!

When we writers put someone in our Writer Friend Zone, we expect a lot from them. They’re always eager to read our rough drafts (even when they don’t have time and never read in your genre) and will kindly tell you if it stinks. They encourage you when you get rejections. They cheerlead you through that sprint to finish your W-I-P when you think it all looks like dreck and want to quit. They’re hungry to get their hands on your next chapter. They aren’t afraid to tell you when you can do better, reach higher, to stop whining and just write it down. And they say it with a smile.

I remember when she cornered me out in the hallway during a break at one of our Mid-Michigan Romance Writers of America meetings to give me the best compliment ever by telling me she’d bought one of my vampire romances even though she’d never read paranormal and really never wanted to. But she bought it because I wrote it and she wanted me to sign it . . . and then she read it, and loved it! No author ever gets tired of hearing that, but the biggest compliment was opening up a whole new realm of reading matter to an avid writer . . . who now writes fantastic Sci-Fi romance!

Words matter. Her compliment made me walk on air. Her assurances fueled my confidence. And when she struggled, I couldn’t wait to reciprocate. Because that’s what Writer Friends do. Others can pat you on the back and pretend to commiserate, but only someone who has crawled through the mucky trenches of self-doubt that they’ll ever finish a book or publish a book or have someone other than family buy their book can really understand this quirky profession we chose. And their faith is manna from Heaven, each and every time.

Writers share openly and eagerly -  of their time, their talent, their contacts, and their heartaches. And that’s what keeps us going, whether we be working on that first attempt or our fiftieth. Someone is counting on us, someone who has walked the walk, someone who believes that the reason we write is because we can’t NOT write. Thank goodness for those someones!!

So when Diane invited me to visit to hype my book being on sale, I was thrilled to grab the chance to say “Hey, buy my book!” And also thrilled to say, “Buy my friend’s books, too!!”

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/36nELUV

Nancy Gideon is the award-winning bestseller of over 70 romances ranging from historical, Regency, and series contemporary suspense to dark paranormal and horror, with a couple of produced screenplays and non-fiction writing books tossed into the mix. 

Newly retired from 20 years as a legal assistant, she feeds a Netflix addiction along with all things fur, fin, and fowl, and dotes on her grandguy. She’s also written under the pseudonyms Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West, and Lauren Giddings.

Nancy Gideon on the Web:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group

Monday Morning Musing: The Super Bowl

 

Football is not my game. When Hubs watches--college football, usually--I read or play computer games. Except when it comes to the Super Bowl. Do I watch the game? Sort of. I watch the commercials. 😊

Am I alone?

Last night, we went to our son's. While he and Hubs watched the game, our daughter-in-law and I critiqued the commercials. Most were meh, some stood out.

The Budweiser commercials usually rate pretty high with us. But we agreed that the wounded Clydesdale, while heartwarming and memorable, was too short. 

Doritos commercials are always worth a good laugh. No exception last night.

So did the Toyota truck commercial with the Joneses. Of course, it helps if you recognize all the drivers. You know you're getting old when you have to ask your son who people are. 

Still, my all-time favorite car commercial is the boy dressed as Darth Vader who tries to use "The Force" to start his dad's car, while Dad, in the kitchen, uses his remote. 

Sometimes, the thought-provoking commercials are the ones to remember. Ty Burrell buying everything he sees until he's broke was the point of the Greenlight commercial.

I googled the commercials to see if I missed any memorable ones, which is kind of contradictory, isn't it? I couldn't believe how many commercials I didn't remember seeing. I mean, we were with family. We talked. I played with the kiddos. But, sheesh, I missed a lot. Obviously, not memorable.

How about you? Game or Commercials? Your favorite/memorable?

#WeWriWa ~ THE CASE OF THE WEDDING WRECKER: Murder?

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thanks to everyone who stopped by last week. I really appreciate your support. 

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This follows immediately after last week's snippet. Police deputy Dawson (aka Deputy Dawg, Alex's nemesis since 2nd grade) interrupted the wedding ceremony by arresting Nick for murder.

Snippet:

Murder?

I couldn’t speak. Pop and Nick’s dad made up for it.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Tony Palzetti demanded as he leaped over Maria’s feet to get out of the pew. In four strides, he stood next to Nick. Maria stumbled then followed him to the altar.

“You’ve got to be out of your mind.” Pop, a tad slower than Nick’s parents, jumped up and raced to flank Nick on his other side.

And a little more: 

Dan Hoesen, chief of Far Haven PD, strode up the aisle to us. He pushed his way between the Pops. “Deputy?”

The congregation shuffled and murmured at this development.

“Th-There’s some mistake,” I managed to squeak out.

“No mistake.” Deputy Dawg twisted Nick around and handcuffed him. Right there on the altar.

“Mommy, why’s that man putting handcuffs Uncle Nick?” Dottie’s oldest son called out. With both his parents at the altar, Trey and his siblings sat in the first pew with their grandmother.

"Yeah, why?" hollered his brother. Their grandmother tried to hush the boys.  Then, toddler Emmy started to wail.

“Explain yourself,” the chief ordered.

“You couldn’t have waited until after their vows, you idiot?” Maria smacked the deputy on the arm with her purse.

Dawg whirled around and glared at her. “I can arrest you, too, for assaulting an officer.”

Father Jack made futile gestures. “Folks, please settle—”

“Deputy, what is going on?” Chief Hoesen grew red in the face. Nobody was listening to him. He raised his voice. “What do you mean murder?”

The congregation stilled.

“He killed Mike Amerson,” the deputy declared.

I heard a gasp behind Nick. Todd’s face had paled. Mike Amerson was his stepfather.

 

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

Monday Morning Musing: Winter Olympics, Athletes, Galaxy Quest

Are you watching the Olympics? As I wrote on Friday, I like the Winter Olympics better than the Summer ones. I grew up in Michigan, a cold weather state. Not as cold as North Dakota or Minnesota. Still, we get our share of below zero temps, as well as snow. Lots of snow.

Last night, we watched the women's moguls. Holy cow! The bouncing and jolts to the knees and hips made me wonder how soon the women would need knee and/or hip replacements. Am I the only one who thinks those thoughts?

I remember hearing that Mary Lou Retton, the Olympic gymnast from the 1980s, had a hip replacement at 35. What pain she must have been in to undergo surgery like that. In researching for this post, I discovered she was born with hip dysplasia, a condition that was aggravated by gymnastics. 

My thoughts went to other athletes who've had to undergo surgeries to repair the results of accidents or wear-and-tear on joints, tendons, etc. Then, they return to the sport. Why would they put themselves through that?

On Mary Lou's website, the first thing you read is a quote: "Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It's our goal in life to find it and keep it."

It makes a lot of sense then that once someone has found their goal they keep driving themselves to attain it. 

Last Wednesday, I shared a book I'd read by C. Lee McKenzie, Shattered. It's about a skier who'd qualified for the Olympics, only to have her spine crushed in a freak accident on the slopes. She was never able to walk again. Not only did she lose her spot on the Olympic team,  she lost her purpose in life. Amazingly, she found a different way to ski. She had to get back on the slopes.

I've never discovered a goal I wanted so badly I would do anything to achieve it. Getting a book published is pretty close. I've been at this for almost 30 years. I've been discouraged, supported, and elated many times over. And I keep at it. So, maybe I have found a goal worth working hard for. But, once I sold my first book to a publisher, even though I'd achieved my goal, I kept doing it again. A new story, more disappointment (my publisher suggested that my heroine should be pushed out an airlock--guess she didn't like her), more efforts, more stories.

Remember the movie Galaxy Quest? "Never give up, never surrender." That's what athletes do all the time. That's what we all do for something we really want.

#WeWriWa ~ The Case of the Wedding Wrecker: Stop!

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, where writers share snippets from their work-in-progress or new release. Thanks to everyone who stopped by last week. I really appreciate your support. 

I'm sharing snippets from the 4th Alex O'Hara cozy mystery, The Case of the Wedding Wrecker. This follows immediately after last week's snippet.

Snippet:

I was so lucky. This day couldn’t be more perfect. When Father Jack told us to rise and the congregation to sit, Nick squeezed my fingers. Time for our vows.

Jim and Todd removed the kneelers then stood to the side.

Putting his hands on my bare shoulders, Nick turned me to face him, our profiles to the congregation.

“I, Nicholas Anthony Palzetti take you—”

And a little more: 

 

The outer church door slammed open and heavy footsteps drew everyone’s attention. Oh my God. Deputy Ron Dawson. What in God’s name was he doing here? I sure didn't invite him. Neither did Nick. More thoughts raced through my mind. It had to be a major emergency, or he would’ve contacted Chief Hoesen, who was sitting in the middle of the church, on the aisle. He'd reached out and squeezed my hand as I walked past. What could possibly—

“Hold it,” Deputy Dawg called out. “Stop.”

Murmured exclamations and rustling sounded throughout the church. As he marched up the aisle, his booted heels rang out as did the jangle of handcuffs on his utility belt.

“Excuse me, Father.” Deputy Dawg, my nemesis since second grade, nodded then announced in ringing tones, “Nicholas Palzetti, you are under arrest. For murder.”

 ~~~

All along you knew something was going to happen. Now, you know. BTW, that is the end of Chapter 1.

Be sure to check out the other WeWriWa authors. Stay safe and have a great week.

  

My Favorite: Winter Sport

As I write this post, I'm watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. I love the winter games, much more than the ones in summer. The athletes bring so much excitement, talent, and enthusiasm to the audience.

I enjoy watching most of the events. My favorite is figure skating. When I was a kid, my mom would flood a low spot in our backyard (sometimes in the front) so my sister and I could ice skate. We lived on acreage so we had a big yard. It didn't take long for the ice to form since the low spot wasn't very deep. 

My sister was always better at it than I was. Like my heroine in the Alex O'Hara mysteries, I'm a klutz. When God was handing out coordination, He skipped me. 😀 Definitely a lack of balance. Still, I had fun skating around our makeshift rink. My sister would skate on one foot and do spins. While I spent a lot of time on my rear.

As I watch figure skating on television, I admire their poise as the athletes fly into the air and land so easily on one foot. The dancers bring an extra dimension to the ice. A fluidity. The pairs skating shows the tremendous strength of the men as they throw their partner in the air, and the trust the women have that he will catch her.

I'll watch the games over the next couple of weeks and remember the fun my sister and I had.

#IWSG & C. Lee McKenzie's Shattered and Review

 

Here we are in February already. Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the February 2 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery!

Last month, I wrote that one of my goals for this year is to ramp up my blog. I've done that! I resumed Monday Morning Musing; welcomed guests on Thursdays (with today's exception); and began Friday Favorites, where I share my favorite movie scene, recipes, books, etc. I'm having a lot of fun doing so.

While I'm doing well with the blog, I haven't been as faithful to my WIP. I am sharing snippets from The Case of the Wedding Wrecker, every weekend with the Weekend Writing Warriors (#WeWriWa). I'm just not progressing the way I want to on the story itself. 

I did have a breakthrough on Monday. The story is written in the 1st Person, from Alex O'Hara's point of view. In order to get the details straight, I wrote a side piece in the villain's POV. I'll probably use some of it when that person tells what happened to the police, and Alex, of course. So, I feel like I got something done.

With cases of covid omicron increasing in our area, I'm not comfortable being around a lot of non-family people. So, I've temporarily stopped going to our local writers' group. I miss our leader (our own Jean Davis), the other writers, and their encouragement, but I have to protect myself and my husband. I know I'm not alone, but I'm upset that we're going on 2 years of our lives being disrupted by the virus. All of our family are vaccinated except for the 4-year-old twins, who just got their MMR shots. They were so excited because they thought they were getting covid shots. 😊

For a special treat, I'm hosting our own C. Lee McKenzie with info about her book, Shattered. My review is at the end.

C. Lee McKenzie has a background in Linguistics and Inter-Cultural Communication, but these days her greatest passion is writing for young readers. She has published five young adult novels: Sliding on the Edge, The Princess of Las Pulgas, Double Negative, and Sudden Secrets. Not Guilty is her most recent one.

          Sometimes she likes to jump into the world of the fantastic and when she does, she writes for the middle-grade reader. Some Very Messy Medieval Magick is the third book in the time-travel adventures of Pete and Weasel, with Alligators Overhead and The Great Time Lock Disaster being the first two. Sign of the Green Dragon, a stand-alone, takes the reader into ancient Chinese dragon myths and a quest for treasure.

          When she’s not writing she’s hiking or traveling or practicing yoga or asking a lot of questions about things she still doesn’t understand.

For more information on Lee and her writing, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at her Website. 

Blurb: 

Courage put Libby Brown into the final selection for the Olympics, but betrayal crushed her spine and her chance at the Gold. Now she has two choices, use her courage to put her life back together, or remain shattered forever.

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Betrayal-C-Lee-McKenzie-ebook/dp/B09JYYJG7V/ref=sr_1_1

 

Smashwords: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shattered-c-lee-mckenzie/1140389252?ean=2940165059940

 

Evernight Teen: https://www.evernightteen.com/shattered-by-c-lee-mckenzie/

 

 Excerpt:

      I knew hearts didn’t stop beating until you died, yet I was certain mine had just stuttered to a halt. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs refused to expand. My throat went dry. I’d planned most of my life for this one year. I’d worked out, built my strength, gone to ski camps, kept at it until I’d made it through the selection process—until I’d almost made the US Olympic slalom team. I had my passport. I’d packed my bags weeks ago. Now, my mother was telling me I couldn’t do what I’d lived for all these years?

     My heart kicked in and air filled my chest. “Shut up! Shut up!” In my mind, I screamed, but that’s not the way I heard my voice. Shut up sounded like a whimper.

      “Libby, stop.” Dad was back, his hand on my shoulder, his face filled with pain. “Please, stop.”

     His calm presence and the terrible sound of his plea brought me up short.

     I gulped back the ragged clutch that filled my throat. “Why? Why can’t I ski with my team?”

     Then I glanced down. Mom was lying across the foot of the bed. She was lying across my legs, and I didn’t feel the weight of my mother’s body.

 

My Review:

At first, I was hesitant to read this story. I thought it would be a real downer. Turns out I was wrong. Yes, Libby is injured. Very badly injured. An accident (or was it?) shatters her spine and her hopes of making it to the Olympics. She goes through the stages of grief, as she mourns the loss of her career. Yet, there is hope for her. The title should've clued me in. Courage. Libby's courage drags her from the darkness of despair to the light of hope. She doesn't do it alone. Doctors, therapists, and new friends help her on the road to recovery. Harley, a new girlfriend with a wicked sense of humor, plays a big role in helping Libby figure out her new life. (BTW, I loved Harley.) I'm so glad I read Shattered. Ms. McKenzie makes Libby come alive. I hurt for her and cheered for her as she worked her way through disappointment to triumph.

 

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

I hope you're staying safe and warm. See you next month.