Odds and Ends

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....

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

Audible - http://tinyurl.com/briannaaudible

iTunes - - http://tinyurl.com/BriannaITunes 

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER IN LOTTAWATAH

Audible - http://tinyurl.com/dogdaysaudio

iTunes – http://tinyurl.com/DogDaysITunes

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT(S) OF LOTTAWATAH

Audible - http://tinyurl.com/holidayaudio1

iTunes - http://tinyurl.com/holidayitunes

UNDYING LOVE IN LOTTAWATAH

Audible - http://tinyurl.com/undyingloveaudio

iTunes - http://tinyurl.com/undyingloveitunes

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

My Summer TV!

By Evelyn David

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are you watching this summer?

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

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

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

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

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

Romances
Love Lessons - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords