Everything Old is New Again

This is my first blog post as part of the Stiletto Gang. I’m excited, thrilled, and honored to be asked to be part of this wonderful group of awesome writers.

I lived in Memphis, Tenn. (Home of the Blues/Birthplace of Rock and Roll) for about 18 years before returning home to Charleston, South Carolina in 2016. When I moved to Memphis, I did group sales at a family entertainment center. We were members of a local association called Metro Memphis Attractions Association. Being a part of Double M Double A helped me acclimate quickly to the area and visit all of the historic, entertainment, and educational attractions. I’d been a tour guide in Charleston, so this was right up my alley.

In Charleston we pride ourselves on being the first to do and have most everything, you know like the first female newspaper publisher, first golf course, first municipal college, first museum, the list goes on and on. For my entire life I thought we invented the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain. Imagine my surprise upon visiting the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis and discovering that the former owner of the mansion started The Pig.

My favorite Pig cup.

Clarence Saunders opened his first Piggly Wiggly grocery store in 1916. Before then, shoppers would hand clerks a list and the clerks did the shopping, while the client waited for their order to be filled. When Saunders opened his store in Memphis, Tenn., it was the first true self-service grocery store. He laid out his store in a sort of loop that allowed for a greater variety of items to be visible and bought. Saunders received his patent for the self-service shopping in early 1917. 

Saunders may or may not be surprised to see his concepts still in use since he was a forward thinker. However, here we are in 2020 back to shoppers sending in their lists to clerks who do the shopping for them and bag up the items, leaving the customers to only ensure they have proper payment when picking up their groceries and or having the groceries delivered directly to their door. 

Saunders only had a couple of years of formal schooling and he became self-educated via reading. Which segues into the correlation of grocery shopping and bookstore evolution similarities, somehow, for me at least. 

Amazon has only been around since 1994 but is the giant of the bookselling (and everything else) industry. Jeff Bezos has put many an independent, and quite a few big-box brick-and-mortar stores out of business. And yet, in the Charleston area we have five independent bookstores: Blue Bicycle (downtown Charleston), Buxton Books (downtown Charleston), Main Street Reads (Summerville), Itinerate Literate (North Charleston - it used to be a bookmoblie store, hence the name), and The Turning Page (Goose Creek). Plus, I recently had someone tell me that an independent bookstore will open just over the Cooper River bridge in Mt. Pleasant in the near future. Take that Amazon! (just kidding)

I enjoy visiting and purchasing from independent bookstores. I dig their energy, their book signings, coffee talks, helpful staff, and book clubs. 

Itinerant Literate hosts "Get Lit Bookclub" where you dine at a local restaurant and the small plates of food incorporate the meals present in the book, plus you get a serving of wine with each course. They sell out monthly. 

Buxton holds book talks in their store and in conjunction with the Charleston Library Society next door to them. Buxton is home to Tour Charleston where all the tours are book-based. (Full disclosure: I occasionally give their ghost tours.)

I’m excited to write books and have signings in these local stores. I'm truly hopeful they all succeed. 

And when I plan ahead, a rarity indeed, I love ordering my groceries online. 

Have you noticed this trend of returning to the way we were? In what other ways are we going back to the way things were done once upon a time? 

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You can find out more about Clarence Saunders and the museum collection at www.memphismuseum.org, and the Charleston Library Society at https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org. 

To learn more about Charleston, SC independent bookstores visit https://bluebicyclebooks.com, https://www.buxtonbooks.com, https://www.itinerantliteratebooks.com, https://mainstreetreads.com, and https://turningpagebookshop.com. You can find a book-based tour at www.tourcharleston.com. 

WILL THE HANDSHAKE GO THE WAY OF THE ALABROSS

By AB Plum

When was the last time you shook hands?

BCVD? (Before the COVID-19)?

Even before this latest virus became pandemic, most of us shook hands almost reflexively. We meet new people, old friends, business acquaintances, our doctors and multitudes of others. Out come our right hands.

Before I broke the scaphoid bone in my right hand six months ago, I took pride in my firm, steady grip. My high-school debate coach drummed into us—especially the girls—how this non-verbal gesture gave us power before we ever spoke a word to make our case. Limp, half-hearted handshakes gave our opponents one up on us, he insisted.

And if we lost?

Since we'd probably meet our opponents in another debate, shake hands like a winner.

Other mammals don't shake hands. Since they generally have an olfactory sense superior to us, they sniff. Some anthropologists think sniffing led to handshaking. At least one study has shown that many of us after extending our hands in greeting, put a hand near our face.

C'mon, you say. Why not scratching our nose? Wiping our eyes? Clearing hair off our face?

Chemosensory signaling it's called and takes into account the above points but still theorizes "People constantly have a hand to their face ... and they modify their behavior after shaking hands." If you're interested in more science on the subject, check here.

Etiquette about duration, placement, who offers a hand first, too strong, too weak, men with men, men with women, different cultures, passing on viruses—all these factors and more lead to anxieties about shaking hands.

A few fun factoids about the history of this powerful body language:

When did handshaking begin?

No one knows for sure; the origins are murky.

Some claim handshakes came about to dislodge hidden weapons in the earliest times.

We have a visual depiction from the ninth century B.C. between an Assyrian and Babylonian ruler.

Homer refers to handshakes in both the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Ancient Greek funerary vases and gravestone showed handshakes.

Likewise, ancient Romans offered handshakes as signs of friendship and loyalty.

The Quakers may have influenced giving handshakes over bowing.

Victorians made the handshake popular with manuals on the etiquette of how, when and where.

What did one British Olympic Association's head doctor advise athletes about handshaking in 2012?

Don't … shake rivals' hands for fear of picking up a bug in the highly stressful environment of the games and having performance adversely affected.

How long was the handshake between Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong-Un last?

13 seconds.

What is the longest handshake recorded (according to Guinness World Record)?

10 hours. 

Why didn't George Washington shake hands?

He wasn't king, but he seemed to think nodding in public was a more appropriate behavior than the handshaking of "common" people.

What U.S. Presidential candidate studied how to shake hands?

John F. Kennedy—ever aware of those TV cameras.

What Presidential candidate gave his wife a fist bump at an election rally?

Barack Obama—a gesture greeted with plenty of negative comments from TV pundits.

Conundrums about shaking hands:

In mixed company, shake the women's hands first or not?

What about with "seniors"? Who initiates?

With children, shake their hands? At what age to begin?

What about holding hands or elbows afterward? For how long?

What is acceptable in lieu of a handshake? Fist bump? High-five? Wrist claps? Elbow bump?

Given handshakes are laboratories for germs, will they go the way of the albatross?

***********   

AB's next release, maybe in July, has several characters shaking hands. She's rethinking that body language since COVID-19 will be a part of the setting. The good news for her is that daily solitary walks require no social interaction. Not even with her alter ego, Barbara Plum.

Read the latest Ryn Davis mystery now available.

Check out her website to sign up for her newsletter or to contact her. She does reply.

Stayin' Alive

Aggie entered the living room carrying a silver tray covered with rumaki and a shot glass filled with toothpicks.

She presented the tray to Aunt Sis who waved her away, then Gordon who helped himself. “I’ll take two.”

Aggie turned to Jerry, and the first inklings of a problem reached my ears. Claws on hardwood, advancing at a rapid (where’s the bacon?) rate.

Pansy burst into the living room and effortlessly launched herself over Gordon and Sis’s couch, a blonde streak with a singular focus.

She cleared the sofa and slammed into Aggie.

Aggie fell forward. To her knees. With her head half-buried in Jerry’s lap.

The tray flipped, covering both Aggie and Jerry in bits of bacon-wrapped water chestnut.

Pansy used Aggie’s back as a launch pad, and joined Jerry on the chair, hindering Aggie’s attempts to remove herself from between Jerry’s splayed legs.

“Pansy! Stop! Sit! Naughty dog!”

Pansy ignored me.

As for Max, he stood in the doorway. His doggy eyes wide with we’re-in-serious-trouble.

Pansy danced on Jerry’s lap and snapped up bacon as if she’d never get another chance.

“Get off!” Jerry, now a desperate soprano, shoved the at-least-sixty-five-pound dog.

Aggie thumped onto her hiney.

Pansy fell too, but she landed on her feet and noticed Aggie’s bread bowl on the coffee table. Not bacon but toothsome. She grabbed it in her teeth.

“No!” I wailed.

She swung her head my way, and the dill dip flew in a perfect white arc.

Dip splattered Gordon, Aunt Sis, and the needed-to-be-recovered-anyway couch. Jackson Pollock with a fully loaded paintbrush couldn’t have covered them more completely.

“Ellison!” Aunt Sis sounded remarkably like Mother. Get-that-damned-dog-under-control-this-instant like Mother.

Swallowing a hysterical giggle, I waded into the fray, grabbed Pansy’s collar, and pulled her away from my guests. “Bad dog!”

Pansy ignored my scolding and swallowed the empty bread bowl. Whole.

I don't know about you, but lately, I need a laugh. Perhaps that's why Stayin' Alive is my funniest book to date.

Ellison's latest mystery released on February 25th.

Springtime. Love is in the air. So is murder.

When Ellison Russell, reluctant finder of bodies, chairs a gala in conjunction with the museum’s Chinese funerary exhibit, she expects disaster. So, she’s not remotely surprised when a body turns up.

Ellison is willing to leave the investigation to the police till an attempt is made on her life.

Now she’s juggling evading a killer, her aunt’s overly-amorous beau, her dog’s new love interest, and Mother’s displeasure.

With bodies piling up, if Ellison’s not careful, staying alive might be impossible.

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Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders and the Poppy Fields Adventures.

She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean--and she's got an active imagination. Truth is--she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.

Turning to Other Writers for Inspiration

Turning to Other Writers for Inspiration by Linda Rodriguez (originally published on The Stiletto Gang-November 4, 2016)

Periodically, I get a little burned-out from working too long and hard without a break. I start to face resistance when I sit down to write. I have developed several techniques for dealing with this, but the first one I always try—and one that usually works—is to turn to what other writers have written about the trials and tribulations of writing.

So I look at what other writers have written about resistance, about finding themselves reluctant to sit down and write, even when that's what they most want to do. Many writers have written about this topic because this state is one that every writer finds herself or himself in sooner or later. As I go down the long list of writers who have written about this miserable place to find yourself, the first thing I encounter is a very wise statement from science fiction writer, Kameron Hurley.

"If I quit now I will soon go back to where I started. And when I started, I was desperate to get to where I am now." – Kameron Hurley

I realize, as I read, that the problem at bottom is always fear, no matter what else is also involved. Yes, I'm tired and need a little break and some recreational reading or activity that will help restore and replenish my well of creativity, but always, lurking for moments of exhaustion and weakness, is the writer's bane, fear. And I find a great writer there before me, as well.

"The work is greater than my fear." –Audre Lord

So, for the next time you find yourself burned-out and exhausted and coming up empty when you sit down to write here are more helpful quotations from writers about the process.

“Discipline is simply remembering what you want.” – Judith Claire Mitchell

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” – Louis L'Amour

“Work is the only answer.” –Ray Bradbury

"A word after a word after a word is power."–Margaret Atwood

"The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” — Terry Pratchett

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying. ,,, This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us." – Steven Pressfield

Have you got some favorite quotations from writers that help you in such a situation?

Linda Rodriguez's book, Plotting the Character-Driven Novel, is based on her popular workshop. Her Skeet Bannon series featuring Cherokee campus police chief, Skeet Bannion includes Every Hidden Fear, Every Broken Trust, and Every Last Secret. She also is the author of several books of poetry. Linda has received critical recognition and awards, such as Malice Domestic Best First Novel, International Latino Book Award, Latina Book Club Best Book of 2014, Midwest Voices & Visions, Elvira Cordero Cisneros Award, Thorpe Menn Award, and Ragdale and Macondo fellowships. Her short story, “The Good Neighbor,” published in the anthology, Kansas City Noir, has been optioned for film. Find her on the web at http://lindarodriguezwrites.blogspot.com.

People Watching Opportunities

by Sparkle Abbey

As writers we love watching people. Sitting back and looking for something that might spark an idea for a character or storyline. The clothes someone is wearing, a subtle hand gesture or facial expression, a speech pattern, any and all of that can inspire our characters. And conversations, too. Not that we'd ever eavesdrop...

At their core, people are fascinating. And when they get together, whether it's a political caucus, a run on supplies at the hardware store, or a packed sports arena, those places they gather become prime people-watching territory. Here the political candidates, their staff, and the news media have all moved on. But now we've got a swim event with top-ranked Olympic swimmers in town and high-school basketball tournaments are in full swing. Hotels are packed, parking is at a premium, and we find ourselves with even more opportunities to observe and make notes.

There were the patient ones who waited in long lines, chatting quietly or on their cell phones. The elderly woman who grabbed the last hand sanitizer off the shelf looked like she'd just won the lottery. The guy who attempted to pay to get out of the parking garage with a credit card but was in the cash-only line was not feeling so lucky.

Over the past few weeks, we have definitely refilled our pool of creative ideas. And it isn't even time for the Downtown Farmer's Market or the Iowa State Fair, which takes people watching to a whole other level. We can't wait!

What about you? Where do you people watch?

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don't tell the other neighbors.) 

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

The Craft of being a Wordsmith by Juliana Aragon Fatula

Red Canyon Falling on Churches Poetry Award, High Plains Book Festival, Billings, MT 2016

1995ish, Denver, Colorado Su Teatro headshot for DOD tour with Latin Locomotions.
 If I knew then, what I know now...

March 4, 2020

These are some of my favorite quotes on writing by Ernest Hemmingway:

"When people talk listen completely. Don't be thinking what you're going to say. Most people never listen. Nor do they observe. You should be able to go into a room and when you come out know everything that you saw there and not only that. If that room gave you any feeling you should know exactly what it was that gave you that feeling. Try that for practice. When you're in town stand outside the theatre and see how the people differ in the way they get out of taxis and motor cars. There are a thousand ways to practice. And always think of other people."
       
"I haven't seen Gertrude Stein since last fall. Her Making of Americans is one of the very greatest books I've ever read."

"Am very ashamed not to have written. Was over-run by journalists, photographers and plain and fancy crazies. Was in the middle of writing a book and it is a little like being interrupted in fornication."

"You see I'm trying in all my stories to get the feeling of the actual life across--not to just depict life--or criticize it--but to actually make it alive. So that when you have read something by me you actually experience the thing. You can't do this without putting in the bad and the ugly as well as what is beautiful. Because if it is all beautiful you can't believe in it. Things aren't that way. It is only by showing both sides--3 dimensions and if possible 4 that you can write the way I want to."

"I believe that basically you write for two people; yourself to try to make it absolutely perfect; or if not that then wonderful. Then you write for who you love whether she can read or write or not and whether she is alive or dead."

"Then there is the other secret There isn't any symbolysm. (mis-spelled). The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The shark are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know."

Dear Reader,

This post will be about the craft of writing a novel. I’ve been writing poetry for decades but I’m working on my first novel, a romance mystery about two private investigator sisters named L.A. and Eva Mondragon.

I enjoy reading mysteries but to tell you the truth, I never imagined I’d write one, yet here I am 54979 words and 202 pages into my first novel, The Colorado Sisters.  My characters are Chicanas from Colorado and have a unique perspective on life in the Chicano community. I have spent years crafting this first novel and reading about the craft of writing by master writers. I’ve read a variety of authors from this genre and especially enjoy writers of color who write mysteries.

I’ve learned valuable skills from other writers by reading their novels, but books on writing give precise tools needed for the specific genre. My favorite is Stephen King on Writing because he’s one of my favorite authors but also because he is an excellent teacher with an incredible sense of humor.

I value the expertise in Linda Rodriguez’ book, Plotting the Character Driven Novel. I go to her book often for the gems that make her books so interesting. Her book helped me more than any other because it is a short handbook that you can carry with you everywhere and whip it out and study when you have a spare minute to read. Her list of books by writers on writing is the list I used to research and study. 

I highly recommend both of these books for the novice writer who wants to learn from the master writers. Both Stephen King and Linda Rodriguez list several other books about writing and I have listed those here for you. I’ve read all of them and I’ve singled out my favorites.: Carolyn See, Making a Literary Life, Dorothea Brande, Becoming a Writer, Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones, Annie Dillard, The Writing Life.

I majored in English and minored in creative writing. I studied with professors from Colorado State University of Pueblo and became part of the writers crowd on campus. I added dates to my calendar to attend coffee houses, bars, and bookstores for literary events. I attended readings by guest writers and workshopped with several of these and joined a circle of writers that have mentored me along my journey. I learned from each of them and networked with them on social media and by email.

I became a published poet because my independent study professor asked me to write and submit my manuscript to a publisher. He suggested a small press in Denver, Ghost Road Press and encouraged me to send them my work. If not for that push, I might not have ever been published. I had no confidence in getting a contract, but to my surprise the publishers wanted my poems.

I graduated in 2008 and by 2009 I had my first book of poetry, Crazy Chicana in Catholic City. With this bit of confidence, I began working on my second book of poetry. This next book was published because one of the editors from Ghost Road Press moved to another press, Conundrum Press. She asked me to join her and a few other writers and move to the new press. I met the new publisher, Caleb Seeling, for dinner, and he asked if I had any more poetry and I told him, “I happen to have a manuscript with me.” I whipped it out of my bag and handed it to him. He published my second book, Red Canyon Falling on Churches, as well.

The confidence of being published gave me the nerve to write my second book of poetry, Red Canyon Falling on Churches and being published by a second press, Conundrum Press, gave me the guts to hand him my second manuscript. I had never been given a rejection, but I have since received several. It’s part of the process. Not every press will want to publish your writing but if you don’t submit, you will never know.

My chapbook, The Road I Ride Bleeds, was published by a writer that I workshopped with after being published. It was a short-lived experiment of the Sexy Bitches, Women Who Write Whatever the Fuck They Want, Writers Workshop. Out of that collaboration one of the writers asked me to submit my poems to her Casa de Cinco Hermanas Press in Pueblo, CO.  And my first chapbook of poems was printed. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. The artwork and cover are one of my favorites. I owe these writers, editors, publishers, professors, a debt of gratitude. That is why I help new writers get started. I know it takes a village.

I asked master writers I networked with in college lots of questions. I interviewed them for my blog and became acquainted with their story.  I attended writing workshops to learn more about the craft of writing.

I met Sandra Cisneros, author of House on Mango Street, at a fund raiser at Rawlings Library in Pueblo. I handed her a copy of my book, Crazy Chicana in Catholic City, the first edition. She asked me to sign it. I did. The next day at her reading at the Rawlings Library in Pueblo, Colorado she saw me in the front row and asked me about my book. She told the audience she had read it that night at the motel and she was going to buy copies for her friends for gifts. She asked if I had any books with me. I told her I had a box of books in my car in the parking lot. My dear friend and librarian, Leslie Fitzgerald, at the Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences ran downstairs and hauled the books up for me to sell next to Sandra Cisneros at her book signing. Sandra changed my life that day as my professors, fellow students, and the community watched in awe as she praised my little book of poems. The Pueblo Chieftain ran an article on the event and mentioned my name and book.

Afterward, she asked me to apply to her writing workshop, Macondo. She told me to keep trying if I didn’t get accepted the first year because they only selected a few writers each year. I was accepted on my second application and became a Macondista along with hundreds of master writers in the U.S.

I remember the book blurb Sandra generously gave me and told me to use on my book. “Your writing makes me want to write poetry.” When my first book was republished as a second edition, I added her blurb to the cover. She gifted me a valuable review of my book in just a few words and her name.

I attended the Associations of Writers and Publishers, AWP, in Denver, Colorado and met several writers. Mi comadre, Linda Rodriguez, took me under her wing and I’ve never forgotten her generosity and encouragement. We only met once but have kept in touch and now I’m part of her group of mystery writers, the Stiletto Gang. She introduced me to a great community of women mystery writers, and they keep me informed about writing competitions and workshops.

I’ve been blessed with opportunities to meet and work with master writers in several genres but the writer who influence me the most is the Chicana Icon and activist, Denise Chavez. She critiqued my first draft and made me take a good look at my style. She offered me invaluable advice and helped me smooth the rough edges. But most importantly she taught me how to critique other aspiring writers, with honesty, and no non-sense feedback. There is no better way to learn how to write, than to ask a master writer to read your novel and give you feedback. They know their craft and you can learn from them if you listen to their advice.

This is how I became a writer. I read books by authors I loved and by authors suggested to me by other writers. I read books on writing by master writers. I attended writing workshops with master writers, but also with student writers, and local authors. I took seriously the craft of writing and gave myself self-imposed deadlines to finish projects. I revised, edited, and asked other writers to critique my work and I learned every time I rewrote my work.

One piece of advice from Sandra Cisneros, don’t write a good book, write a great one. I hear that quote in my head and ask myself, is this book great, or just good? And then I set out to make it great.

I remember Denise Chavez telling me in a writing workshop, that’s bullshit, now tell the real story. And I rewrite the story and tell the truth.

Stephen King has great advice on writing. I studied his book, wrote in the margins, highlighted, tabbed pages, and reread his book three times. I did the same with Linda Rodriquez’ book on writing. I keep them nearby so I can go to them whenever I need a refresher course.

In conclusion, I’ll add that one of my favorite writers, Ernest Hemmingway, has a great book on writing filled with quotes from letters he wrote to other writers. Stephen King gave the same advice as Hemmingway, say it with as few words as possible. I try.

The last thing I will tell you is this, I teach writing workshops and I workshop with other writers because that is part of the philosophy of the Macondo Foundation, to help other writers who are marginalized. I read their unpublished poems and manuscripts and offer suggestions and give feedback because I support and encourage other writers who are struggling as I did in the beginning. This is the way I keep my skills honed, by helping others, and in turn, I learn from each writer I help.

The opportunities to participate in Book Festivals, Writing Workshops, and Book Signing Events with other writers has to be the best part of being a writer. For me, the socializing with people who understand what being a writer takes, dedication, isolation, passion, goal-oriented, competitive, energetic, and thick-skinned.

I've only won a couple of writing awards but having people give you money, an award, and applause while praising your work has to be the second best part of the job. But being invited to speak, or teach, or workshop with students and fans makes me feel complete and satisfied to have chosen the life of being a writer and giving to the community of writers. But to be honest, as a performance artist, I live for the stage and the mic and the audience laughter and tears. Reading a poem or telling a story to a live audience is medicine to my soul.

Think about the ideas I've presented and write me a comment if you have questions or feedback. I delight in chatting with my readers. It helps me to grow as a blogger to hear your questions. Thank you for taking time to read my post and let's all just give peace a chance. One World. One Love.

The Rewards of Writing

by Kathryn Lane

As authors, we often say we write for the love of writing, not for the pursuit of money.

Did I say money?

Most authors have day jobs to earn a living. A few lucky ones do make enough to devote themselves full time to storytelling.

For me, more than remuneration, the reward I cherish most is knowing my writing resonates with readers. Soul compensation, I call it. Those emails from fans telling me how a character, a setting, or a plot point impacted them.

Since I pen international mystery thrillers, I hear from readers in various countries. My latest novel, Revenge in Barcelona, has brought more comments than any other book. Fans send photos of their vacations in Barcelona and tell me how the unfolding of suspense in locations they’ve visited brings back wonderful memories for them. Others tell me they’ve never been there and now, after finishing my novel, they “must see” Barcelona.

Fans have also sent newspaper clippings describing the late Antoni Gaudí’s buildings. Or recipes for a seafood casserole with Romesco sauce—all mentioned in my novel.  

Visiting Barcelona is about architecture. Especially Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia and other landmarks, like Parc Güell. Gaudi’s masterpieces have kept me returning almost yearly since I first traveled there thirty years ago. Upon leaving my corporate finance job to write fiction, I knew Barcelona would make an ideal setting for a mystery. Needless to say, my novel stages action around Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, a church I’ve seen transformed from the original four towers, ignored by the world, to the twelve towers visited by 4.5 million tourists annually. Upon completion of the colossal central towers, Gaudí’s vision of eighteen towers will come to fruition.

A reader of Coyote Zone, my mystery set in Mexico, sent an email recounting her delight upon finding a mention in the story of the late Leonora Carrington—her mother-in-law. During my corporate years in Mexico City, I discovered Carrington’s artwork. When this prolific British-born artist, who lived in Mexico, passed away in 2011, the British news called her one of the last of the world’s Surrealist artists with links to André Breton, Man Ray, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró. My love of Carrington’s art is the reason I included a mention of her.

The fact that I never met Leonora, nor her daughter-in-law, makes her daughter-in-law’s comment more delicious to savor.

My first novel, Waking Up in Medellin, brought an email from an Argentine enthusiast on the sport of fencing. He was thrilled to see I’d woven the sport into the story.

Contemplating my rewards for creating fiction is fun. But reality sets in. For most authors, the art of storytelling is a deeply entrenched passion. The secret is in figuring out how to make it pay the bills.

Contact Data
https://www.kathryn-lane.com
https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlanewriter/

Biographical Data

Kathryn Lane is delighted to be part of The Stiletto Gang. Originally from Mexico, she was an artist in her early years. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation. She left the corporate world to plunge into writing mystery and suspense thrillers. In her stories, Kathryn draws deeply from her Mexican background as well as her travels in over ninety countries.

Photo of Sagrada Familia Basilica is of a painting by Mary L. Soeldner

The Joy of Waiting

By Debra Sennefelder

I've done self-care unconsciously for a long time but I never really knew it was self-care. They were things I enjoyed doing and they had a bonus of helping clear my head and lowering my stress level. The activities I found most beneficial were workouts, my skincare rituals and making time to bake/and or read. I'm realizing now that it's important to intentionally make time for self-care rather than let it find you. 

Engaging in self-care activities can sometimes be challenging because we're all on tight schedules. We're juggling work, family, volunteering and probably a side hustle. So finding the time to give ourselves a much-needed break and recharge our batteries is almost impossible. I know. I felt the same way in January.

I had three crushing deadlines and a puppy who still needed close observation (it's amazing how much trouble she could get into) when I finally gave myself permission for a break. The opportunity to meet a friend for lunch presented itself and I accepted. I told myself going out to lunch would be a nice change from whipping up a protein shake and also a good thing for our puppy because she needed to get used to being home alone.

But since I wanted to be as efficient as possible, I ran a couple of errands before lunch and got the restaurant ten minutes early. I ordered a coffee and pulled out my phone to read. It had been weeks since I had the chance to read for pleasure so those ten minutes were greatly welcomed. I checked my watch and saw it was one o'clock and my friend wasn't there yet. I continued drinking my coffee and enjoying my book. Ten minutes later she showed up. Turns out, her medical appointment ran late and she apologized.

I told her she had nothing to be apologize for and I meant it. I got twenty minutes of quiet time where I didn't have to think or write or play tug of war. No, I was able to read. Not only did I get to read, but I also got to decompress and let my racing thoughts (I find that when I'm writing a book my mind is constantly churning over ideas and dialogue snippets) settle.  It was magical. 

Normally I'm irritated when I have to wait. I make it a point to be on time so when I have to wait for someone I do get a little annoyed. But that January afternoon I found the joy in waiting. I also found that self-care doesn't have to be an hour-long workout or a soak in the tub, it can be sitting quietly in a restaurant focused on a book.

Do you have a favorite self-care routine? What helps recharge your batteries?

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.