This evening was spent watching a couple episodes of True Blood – season two. I’m watching them on Netflix so it’s going to take me a while to get through the season.  I was lucky enough to meet Charlaine Harris a few years ago in Chicago at the Love is Murder Conference. It was a couple years before the True Blood series appeared on HBO. In fact, she announced that HBO had picked it up at the conference. At the time, I hadn’t actually heard of Charlaine Harris mainly because I’d been more involved with romance writing than mystery.  That was about the time I took an about turn and decided to get to know the mystery genre.  Since meeting her there, I have read several of her series. The first one I was drawn to was the Aurora Teagarden series because it has a character in it who is a REALTOR, which is what I was at the time.  I have always wanted to write a series with a REALTOR so was curious about how she used the character in her series.  I then went on to read the Shakespeare series and the series about the character who can find the bodies of missing people by some kind of supernatural radar.  I liked all of those series especially the Shakespeare series that was named after a location, not the famous writer. I hate to admit it but I’ve only read the first three in her Sookie Stackhouse series that True Blood is based on. But each season as I watch the show, I always get the urge to go back and finish the series.  I will eventually. My problem is that there are so many books I want to read.

I have been writing, mostly my monthly article but I have been putting lots of time in thinking about what direction I want my story to go. I do plan to write tomorrow since my BFF Sara is out of town and we won’t be getting together to chat like we normally do on my day off. 

Speaking of my monthly articles in Women’s Edition – the July issue is out and it was an interview with Foust Family Dentistry in West Des Moines. It was a challenging article because though all of my articles are profiles for businesses that advertise in the magazine, I also need to add my own twist and I found it difficult to write about dentistry. Everyone knows what they should do, brush and floss daily. Surprisingly, I did find information about teeth and wellness so was able to add that information as a lead.  The other surprise was that the morning I stopped in to interview Dr. Foust, I ran into one of his patients in the waiting room. The patient was A.J., one of my writer friends, who attends a critique group that I participate in occasionally. A.J. graciously agreed to let me interview him for the article also. That made it a little more interesting. A.J. knew that I wrote but I think it surprised him to find out that I actually freelance.

My next article for the August issue was the one I’ve had the most fun with so far.  It was for a winery and I dragged Sara with me for a tour.  I’ll tell more about it next month but until then I thought I’d share a photo I took while taking the tour. 

As I said, it is getting late so goodnight for now.

Virginia

I have been busy but can’t really say I’ve accomplished that much.  Most of my time seems to be spent working.  Did enjoy an extra day off this week. I normally get Tuesday off but because of the holiday I got Monday off, as well.

Hate to admit but I think I’ve been fighting a little writer’s block.  Other than my monthly article, I’ve been finding it difficult to write.  I have had some personal issues that have zapped some of my energy so when I come home I really have to push myself to do anything.  A family member is gravely ill and so hubby and I have been dealing with that as best we can.  Time hasn’t been totally wasted, while driving to and from work I have been noodling with my story and think I may have a solution to some of the storyline that has held me up.  I have had that urge to sit down and write and plan to do so over the weekend.

Have been reading James N. Frey’s- ‘How To Write A Damn Good Thriller’. Have read some of his other books and picked this one up recently.  I think maybe that was part of my struggle.  I thought I was writing a mystery but maybe it is a thriller. After reading this book for a while, I realized that most of the stories I really like are thrillers. Maybe I was trying to jam a round peg into a square hole.  Will let you know later how this all goes down.

An update on the local scene as far as author events.  If you are in the Des Moines area this week – a friend, Mike Manno will be launching his new book, the second of his Parker mystery series at Beaverdale Books on the 14th at 6:30 pm.  I’m planning to be there. Was lucky enough to belong to a writer’s group so heard part of this story while he was writing it.  So looking forward to reading the whole thing now.

Will blog again soon, I promise.

Virginia

Des Moines is hosting the annual Arts Festival. What was cool about it is that it unfolded right outside the building where I work.  I usually slip away to the park across the street at lunch time so I got a close up look as it unfolded. Will miss the sculptures on display in the park and it did affect my ability to get to and from work but that’s okay, it made life a little more exciting this week.  Because my company is offering to let the public park in our ramp, I decided it might be easier to take a stroll around all of the booths before I went home last night. People started walking around yesterday afternoon before it officially opened at 4:00PM. There was a buzz in the air you could feel even in my climate controlled work area. I knew as I walked into work yesterday, I too would have to check it out.  By the time I got off work, crowds had gathered and the heat of the day was a little intense. It was enjoyable though just walking around looking at what the artists had to offer.  I’m not that knowledgeable when it comes to art but I know what I like and dislike.  Didn’t see anything I disliked but probably couldn’t live with everything on display.  Have to confess, didn’t spend any money but I did like the feel of an outdoor art museum. I liked the energy of all the people around.  There was a whole area I skipped with more booths and a second stage for entertainment. Rows of food and drink booths also gave it the feel of a fair.  If you’re in the area, do check it out. It is a great event and even if you don’t make a purchase, it could make your day.

Now today I do plan to write.  A little on my novel and a lot on my article for August for Women’s Edition.  This week is mostly research for the article. My interview will be next Tuesday, my next day off.  I will be interviewing the owner of Tassle Ridge Winery.  Will divulge more later…

Last week when I wrote about AVID, I forgot to mention that another author will be coming to Des Moines in September, Sara Gruen.  Sara is going to launch her book tour here Tuesday, September 7th at Hoyt Sherman Theater. The new book is ‘Ape House’.  She spent some time here researching at our Great Ape Trust.  Now I have to finally read, Water for Elephants.  I know it had good reviews and it was on my to be read list, so the time has come.

I’ve also been thinking about an ereader. I’ve done a little research on The Nook, Kindle, and Ipad.  If I do buy one, it will probably be either the Nook or Kindle. Mainly because of the price of the Ipad and that I’m not really a Mac person.  I like the Nook for the way it looks and the covers. I think they are cool. but I also like the Kindle for all the things it does, like being able to listen to some books while in the car as well as read, and that you can email your own Word docs to it and that if you don’t know a word, you can highlight it and use the dictionary to look up the meaning. 

I have so many books to read though that I am hesitant to buy one now.  I also wished it was compatible with the Nook.  Wish the two could play well together but then I also understand the marketing thing.  If anyone has a device already, please comment and let me know what you think of it.

Steve is working today so I have the house to myself but need to get some errands done so will write again, another day.

Virginia

AVID stands for Authors Visiting in Des Moines. It’s a program put on by the Des Moines Library that enables authors to speak and promote their work.  I think it’s one of the best events that Des Moines hosts. It starts every year in April and goes through June.  This years authors were Peter Hedges, Camille T. Dungy, Ivan Doig, David Lipsky, Peter Bognanni, Carolyn Jessop, James Grippando, Gail Sheehy, Nick Reding, and Claire Cook.  Some years I am lucky enough to be able to see all or most of them.  This year I only got to attend the Peter Hedges’ talk at Hoyt Sherman Place Theater on April 13th and Claire Cook’s talk this past Tuesday, June 15th at the Central Library downtown.  I had heard Peter Hedges talk before and just like his last visit it was a most enjoyable night. Mr. Hedges is from West Des Moines so he usually has a large crowd of family and friends there. I met my Ya-Ya sisters and we happened to sit behind his brother and an aunt and uncle.  Peter usually makes a few remarks about all those girls out there in the audience who wouldn’t give him the time of day in high school. He smiles big and says but look at me now. It always gets a chuckle.  Mr. Hedges does get emotional when he talks. I don’t know if he always does or if it’s just when he comes home to Iowa. Maybe that’s why I like his stuff. Anytime a writer can make me laugh it’s good and it’s also good when they can make me cry but it’s great when they can make me laugh and cry in the same book and Peter knows how to do that. ‘The Heights’ is his newest book. It’s set in New York and have to admit it is in my to be read pile so will tell you more once I’ve actually read it.

As much fun as that evening was, I have to say Tuesday night with Claire Cook was even more fun. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like I was one of the younger women in the room and trust me I am not young anymore but it was a good feeling. It was obvious the retirees love Claire’s writing.  If you haven’t read any of her books yet, you should give it a try. She is probably recognized most for the second book, ‘Must Love Dogs’ because it was optioned for a movie with John Cusak and Diane Lane in the lead roles.  Claire felt like a very down to earth lady and I enjoyed her little anecdotes about her writing career. She had a drawing for a miniature beach bag with a notepad inside. Really wanted to win it but I didn’t.  It took her a couple decades to finish a novel before she got the first one published when she was 45. By the time she was 50 she’d publised several books. She said one thing that made me stop and think. She said part of the reason it took her so long was that she thought she had forever and a part of her maybe was afraid of how success would change her life. But then she realized that if she didn’t get a novel finished, she’d never know if she could. That is exactly how I feel at this stage in my life. So maybe that was what I needed to hear. She is a very motivational speaker and would recommend going to see her anytime she is in town. She writes beach reads and most of her book covers reflect that. The one I read was Wild Women Walking Club and the cover on that one shows two pair of flip flops, blue and pink on a boardwalk. Her latest book is called ‘The Seven Year Switch’, about a woman who’s ex shows up seven years later. It sounded like a great read. She said it has a section about the character taking a trip to Costa Rica. She said she of course had to go, for research. I also loved her story about ‘Must Love Dogs’. She said her family was invited for opening night in Hollywood. She got to walk the red carpet and be interviewed by all the paparazzi. She said she told them, “Are you really the paparazzi, cause you’re not so bad.”  They also got to attend a party at a big Brentwood Mansion.  She said she had her daughter who was attending college, I think it was in Georgia, flown out for this party. She watched as John Cusack and Dylan McDermott both approached her daughter to introduce themselves.  Her daughter forgot her own name.

Well it is getting late and tomorrow is another work day. So hope this finds you all busy writing. Will post something again soon.

Virginia

I can’t believe it’s the middle of the year already. Time does fly when you’re having fun.  It has been a roller-coaster ride at work.  My first four weeks on the call center floor have mostly been positive with just a couple of difficult days in there. I enjoy helping people so guess that is why I do like what I am doing. It is constructive to be able to help people with questions about their policies, quote changes, do amendments, take payments and take care of all the requests we get daily.  I average about 30 – 40 calls a day so I do keep busy and it makes the day fly by also.  I will take a few calls and before you know it, it’s time to go home. 

Wish my writing was going as well. Still struggling with this story. Maybe I am too much of a perfectionist with my writing. I know that all writers have a first draft that is lacking, even multi-published authors do. I do let my inner editor do a job on me. I need to learn to shut it off while writing the first draft.  This week I will get some pages written. By my next post, I will have a page count to share.

I don’t seem to have the same problem with my article for Women’s Edition. It is assigned so I know what it is going to be about before I start. It is always an interview because all of the articles are profiles for advertisers in the magazine. The creative part of writing them is finding the right angle for the lead into the article. The middle is always information from the interview and then the only other creative part of it is the close.  I haven’t taken any journalism classes but I feel like I have a knack for this, maybe it is a natural instinct. I did this with the column I wrote over ten years ago for The Altoona Herald. It was called ‘Just Between Us’, after that infamous interview Connie Chung did that got her fired.  That column was a slice of life where I wrote about my family and life with a humorous slant.  My editor at the time said it reminded her of Erma Bombeck. I took that as a great compliment.

Well since it is getting late and tomorrow is another work day, I guess now is the time to lead this into a reminder to pick up the June Women’s Edition and check out my article in the Out and About section. It’s an interview with Dr. Gilbert at New Life Counseling. If you can’t find a hard copy, you can find it online at www.womensedition.comand click on the Des Moines section. Here’s what the cover looks like. 

Will post again later,

Virginia

My weekend was split with work.  I had Saturday off, worked Sunday, had today off and now tomorrow off so this has been enjoyable. First time with two days off in a row for a while and believe me, I was ready. 

Got up this morning, put on a pot of coffee, made a batch of brownies and relaxed with a book while they were baking.  Then took off for a walk around the lake.  Sunshine on the water and a few people fishing and good mornings from other walkers as I enjoyed the fresh air and water fowl.  Love watching the baby ducks and geese swim along or waddle along behind the mommas. Think I’ll walk around the lake again tomorrow.

I managed to get the first draft of my July article for Women’s Edition written Saturday.  Been tweaking it a little. Hopefully will have it polished and ready to send out in the morning.  I like to get it out before my deadline so I can have some time to work on my novel before my next assignment.  July’s article is an interview with B.J. Foust with Foust Family Dental Care in West Des Moines.  He is a very personable dentist and since my old dentist doesn’t accept my new insurance, I think I may have found myself a new one.  The day I met with him for his interview, I happened to run into one of my writer friends who’d stepped into the waiting room ahead of me for an appointment.  Since I always try to interview a client as well, I asked him if I could interview him as well.  After asking him my questions, I then met with Dr. Foust, he agreed that A.J. would be a good choice.  Love when I kill two birds with one stone.

Haven’t spent as much time with my novel as I had hoped this weekend and I am feeling a little guilty.  I’m meeting with friend Sara for lunch tomorrow, probably Macaroni Grill or Rock Bottom. We have both been trying to complete a mystery for about the same amount of time now.  We usually get together for lunch and then coffee and time to critique or chat about what we are doing at the cafe in Barnes and Noble.  There’s something about being amongst all those books that we both like. 

Since it’s past midnight and I do have a lot to do tomorrow I’d better call it a night.  Will write later this week.  Now that my cold seems to be getting better. Oh, yeah, that’s why you didn’t get a post last week.  Between sneezing, hacking, and coughing, I spent the week focusing on my real job and trying to get better. It worked because I’m feeling like maybe I’m gonna make it. 

Virginia

The third Saturday of every month is the one day I get to totally immerse myself in writing.  As I’ve said before, I belong to both Iowa Romance Novelists ( a local chapter of Romance Writers of America) and Sisters in Crime- Iowa (a local chapter of Sisters in Crime) and both monthly meetings happen on the same day. Now some people might think that is too much but I think it feels like a mini writer’s conference. I get to spend a whole day with writers, what could be better than that?

Our program this morning for IRN involved discussing the book ‘The Last Will of Moira Leahy’. I was one of the three people who actually read the entire book and from the way it sounded, I was the only one that actually enjoyed reading it.  I don’t have a problem with that because everyone has different tastes in reading. I read a wide range of books. I was surprised at the different impressions we had from reading the same book.  To me, this book felt a lot like reading Anita Shreve, Elizabeth Berg, or even Alice Hoffman because of the little bit of woo-woo factor in the story line.  Some people liked the beginning and some didn’t. Some liked the twin story line and others didn’t. I thought it interesting that one person who didn’t like the twin stuff was a twin herself. She didn’t feel it was authentic.  She mentioned several aspects of twin dynamics that I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. It made the discussion that much more interesting because of her personal experience of being a twin.  In the end, we all agreed to disagree which is fine, we have a diverse group of readers with lots of interests and our differences are what make us interesting.

Afterwards I met my friend Sara and her husband for lunch at Chili’s in West Des Moines, one of our favorite meeting places. After a leisurely lunch we headed on over to Smokey Row coffee shop for the Sisters in Crime meeting. This was our second meeting and it involved a little more business, electing officers and discussing future programs. I agreed to serve as Secretary for the next 18 months. After hearing that we only have to have two business meetings a year, I thought I could handle that.  Marylee is our President, Anita is Vice President and Laura is Treasurer.  Friend Sara and Cindy have agreed to help chair some committees. Because the organizational part of this venture is going to take a little bit of time and while we are still promoting for more members, we decided to ease into the program part of it so next month’s program will be about discussing the sub-genres and what makes a good mystery.  It’s nice to be part of an organization that is just starting up and I am thrilled to see so many people volunteer to do the things that need to be done to make the whole thing work.  We had two new members this month, Missy and our first male member, Steve who has a couple of his own mysteries coming out next year.  Steve is an old friend of Sara and mine.  

The day made me want to come home and write and I love when that happens.  I also decided to check out Mayhem in the Midlands, a mystery writers conference in Omaha, Memorial Day weekend.  Looks like Sara and I may get to join Marylee and Anita for the Saturday sessions, will know for sure once Sara has talked to her hubby.

Now I’m back to reading Murder at the Vicarage. Have to work tomorrow and if it is as slow as I suspect it will be, I should have time to make good headway with this book.

Virginia

For my second day on the job, it wasn’t bad. Didn’t have to do anything that I didn’t understand today. Had one call Monday that a team member had to walk me through the process. Involved deleting amendments and re-loading them, I think.  She told me I won’t have to do it again for a long time and I won’t remember how to do it then. Someone else on the team who has been there for some time told me she doesn’t get it either.  Well like I said, I understood everything today so that made it a much better day.  Didn’t hurt that I had a three hour workshop at the end of the day though.

Had one very strange call and one very nice one so far.  The strange one involved leaving a message on someones voicemail.  Can’t share the recorded message, it was really kind of sick but it did make me chuckle.  The good call was from an older gentleman who needed me to look at his policy and clarify something.  Afterwards, he asked me if I baked cookies also. I assured him I could if they came in a box.  He liked that response and promised to call back again some time. 

It has rained buckets all day. So thankful for the skywalks downtown.  It forces me to get some exercise while it keeps me dry.  By taking the skywalk, I walk about four blocks further than if I walked outside.

Didn’t feel like writing tonight so I watched a netflix DVD. I’ve been watching the Marple series. This one was Murder is Easy.  I thought it was a good storyline. I didn’t figure it out until the end and the pieces started going together.  Love this series. Not sure where it is filmed but it looks a lot like the settings used for Midsomer Murders.  Little picturesque English villages that always have a murderer in the midst. 

Still reading Murder at the Vicarage.  I usually read a little every day but today I just couldn’t do it.  I like to read in bed until I have to put it down and I think that is where I’m headed as soon as I finish this post. 

Thunder in the background and I really don’t like to be on the pc when it’s storming.  I would have been off here sooner but waiting for my pc to back up. 

Though I haven’t found time to write today, I have made notes about characters and story line just to keep in the story.  I will get back to it tomorrow. 

Got my next assignment for the July issue of Women’s Edition.  Have to call tomorrow to set up my interview.  I’m going to try to make my appointments for Tuesday morning, if possible.  Like to have some time to research and put it all together before my deadline.  This month my deadline is June 4th which allows me about three weeks.  Once I get the interviews and the research done it doesn’t usually take too long to write the article. I usually write the first draft in one sitting and then leave it for a few days, go back re-write and edit and that is about all I do before I send it out.  It isn’t the same as writing fiction but I am learning a lot about different subjects and businesses in the area. 

It’s getting late. I write again soon.

Virginia

Now that I work in a call center my days off are Saturday and Tuesday. Lots of grumbling from trainees but I kind of like having a day to myself.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been home alone.  Slept in a little and catching up with a couple loads of laundry and a little light reading with a cup of hazelnut coffee.  Its all good.  As soon as I finish this post, I plan to write a scene in my novel.  My story idea evolved from a scene in my head.  You’ve already heard it, the one where the woman comes home to find her husband dead in their bed after having been with another woman.  Since this is a mystery, I wanted a dead body early in the book but after playing with this story, I realize I need to set it up a little better so I am now writing a few scenes to set it up.  Though death isn’t ever a good thing, I need the reader to not feel too bad about this guy because he really isn’t very nice.

Starting next week, my friend Sara and I plan to start meeting on Tuesday afternoons to write and critique. I really am looking forward to doing that and I think that is pushing me to write more, another good thing. 

I finished ‘The Last Will of Moira Leahy’ over the weekend and will write down a few notes for discussion Saturday at my Iowa Romance Novelists meeting. We decided to read a first novel nominee and take it apart to see what works and how it could help with our writing. I really enjoyed this story partly because it had a touch of magik, kind of like Sarah Addison Allen’s or Alice Hoffman’s stories.

Currently I’m back to reading a little Agatha Christie, ‘Murder at the Vicarage’. Not far into this one yet but I like seeing how she sets up her mysteries.  While I read her books, I ‘ve been reading ‘The Agatha Christie Companion’ to see what that author has to share about each novel.

This coming Saturday will be a very busy day with Iowa Romance Novelists meeting in the morning and Sisters in Crime in the afternoon. I was assigned to pull up a list of mystery related conferences to share so will print off that list for the meeting today also.

Kind of glad it’s a little rainy out today because I have so much to do inside.  Just hoping the weather will change enough to allow me to get my flowers planted soon.  Another thing on my list for this week.

Well off to my writing…

Virginia

Most of my life I’ve found it difficult to live in the present.  I’ve spent years looking forward to better things to come.  I’m getting better at living each day but more often now I catch myself looking toward the past. I can’t say I think of my mother daily. At first, I did. There were times I caught myself dialing her number and then realizing she wouldn’t be there to answer the phone.  It’s been 27 years since her death and I know now she would have wanted me to let go, so no I don’t think of her daily but sometimes…

 Amelia Elizabeth (Benge) Anderson was born in 1913.  A slender blonde girl, she bore her first child at 16 and with a streak of gray in her brown hair at 41, she gave birth to me, her sixth child.  Her life was hard. She told me tales of suffering through the depression with small children and a husband who battled emphysema. Her struggle, survival, and struggle again with breast cancer started when I was four and ended when I was 29.  She taught me about the value of life and working for what you need; she pushed me out of the nest to work when I was sixteen after my father’s death left us struggling financially. 

 She faced life with a smile and a helping hand for others. No one ever knew when times were tough for her because she just forged ahead doing what she needed to do to make ends meet.  I can picture her weeding her garden and chasing down the chickens to dress. She canned her vegetables to make it through the winter.  When I was younger, she worked nights at a small café in Indianola cooking and baking pies so she could be home with me during the day. 

 On Sundays, my older siblings would come home for dinner with their families and she always had a big spread of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and her signature pies.

 She was a feminist before we knew what the term meant.  She taught me to be a strong woman and not to rely on someone else to take care of me.  She’d grown up in a family that loved music and though she didn’t play an instrument she was light on her feet and loved to dance.  I remember glimpsing her on the sideline as she watched me compete in the yearly solo festival with my violin. Her support was always there pushing me to do better and make a better life for myself. 

 At 66, she worried that she would succumb to her second bout with cancer before she would see a grandchild from me. That year I delivered Jennifer and though by then she had well over a dozen grandchildren and great grandchildren, already, I knew that Jennifer meant the world to her.

 I see my mother in my daughter with her independent nature that sometimes irks me as well as makes me proud. I know that though my mother died when Jenny was too young to remember her that I’ve been able to instill the love and values my mother gave me. 

 Jenny carried on my mother’s tradition of gathering together to share a meal by getting together last night to celebrate Mother’s Day with me. 

Happy Mother’s Day Mom; you were loved and your spark of life lives within my soul and within your grandchildren.