Val Muller

The Electronic Wordsmith

Fantastic Friday: Good, Old-Fashioned Service

August 26, 2016 No comments

I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from my Fantastic Friday posts. It’s not because each week has not been filled with something fantastic, but I had the opportunity to spend two weeks at the beach, followed by a hectic first week back at school–where I changed classrooms and took on a new course, so lots of moving and planning involved. I’ll come back and revisit some of the “Fantastic” in the coming weeks.

For today, I want to share my experience with my camera. I have a 6-year-old digital SLR camera that I recently, um, dropped in the sand.

(It wasn’t my fault; my six-month old had just mastered sitting and was about to face-plant in the sand. I had to choose to save her or the camera from the grit. Turns out I should have saved the camera–sand became one of her favorite foods over vacation!)

20160813_191629

Panorama from vacation (Val Muller)

Anyway, after hearing about my camera woes, a photographer friend suggested that I needed to get my camera professionally cleaned.

Immediately.

Or else.

So I searched around and found the manufacturer’s services to be cumbersome and expensive. I searched for physical camera stores, but they were few and far between. Finally, I followed the recommendation of a local friend and brought the camera in to a shop, expecting to have to leave it for days or weeks and pay a small fortune for a cleaning. I knew it was probably easy to clean a camera, but I assumed anyone would be willing to take my money for easy work.

Not so.

When I stepped into the camera shop, I saw a customer engaged with one of the employees. I figured he must be special. Maybe he knew someone. So I walked up to the next available employee and explained that I needed to drop my camera off for cleaning. I explained the situation.

He took a memory card and took a picture with the camera, noting that the sensor was not dirty. He checked the flash. It worked. Then he examined the body and admitted there was some sand. But instead of charging me for a cleaning, he showed me a few simple tools (one I already owned and one cost $6), explaining how easy it was to clean the body myself.

Even still, he proceeded to clean most of the camera for me–free of charge.

And then, when finished, he moved the parts around and cleaned them again until we heard no evidence of gritty sand.

But what I really appreciated was the way he cared about the camera. It was so “old-school”–someone who truly cared about his trade. He cared more about the camera than about making a sale. I walked out with a clean camera, a $6-dollar tool, and the knowledge to clean the camera from now on–and signs to look for when my camera would need a more intense cleaning.

I hesitate to name the camera shop because I don’t want this to sound like an advertisement, but if you’re in the northern Virginia area and are in need of camera advice, I don’t think you could go wrong with Ace Photo. We live in a throw-away culture and one in which it’s difficult to find people who truly care about their field. It’s always a refreshing change to find someone who takes pride in keeping things working–and helping others to do so as well.

Fantastic Friday none

Flash Fiction: No Phone Restaurant :-(

August 25, 2016 No comments

Welcome to the Spot Writers. This week’s prompt is “no phone restaurant,” and the post comes to us from Val Muller, author of The Scarred Letter, a tale of bullying, secrets, and sticking to the truth no matter the consequences. You can learn more at www.ValMuller.com.

 

No. Phone. Restaurant. 🙁

By Val Muller

 

The texts were flying in almost faster than Sammie could process them.

Rachel: They’re gonna send me to FL for the summer.

Amy: Why FL?

Rachel: To live w my Gma

Amy: The churchy one?

Rachel: YES!

Rachel had finally done it. She’d told her parents about Rob, and they were freaking out beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Sammie barely noticed the glowing sign advertising The Seafood Shack as the sedan slowed—but darn it! Why were they so close to the restaurant already? The electronic drama unfolding in her hand was much more engaging. As Sammie’s mom pulled into the parking lot, Sammie jumped in on the conversation:

Sammie: What good will Florida do?

Rachel: Gma will keep me away from Rob 🙁

Rachel: And send me 2 church

Amy: They can’t own you.

Rachel: No

Rachel: But they’ll cut me off if I don’t obey

Sammie: Cut you off?

Rachel: Car insurance, tuition for next year, stuff…

Sammie: Sucks.

Rachel: Said guys in their 20s are off limits.

Rachel: Ive never seen em so pissed.

Amy: What does Rob think?

Rachel: That’s the thing. He wants to break up.

Rachel: Or.

Amy: Or what?

Rachel: Or me move in with him.

Amy: What!

Sammie: What!

Amy: Dude!

Amy: What about college, tho?

Sammie: And if you live with him?

Rachel: Mom n dad would literally disown me.

Rachel: Not sure how long I’ll be here.

Amy: What u mean?

Sammie: What? Where?

Rachel: My parents r looking for me.

Amy: R U running away?

Sammie: Where R U?

Rachel: I’m hiding in the woods can u get me?

Sammie looked up. Her mother was eyeing her from the front seat, her eyebrow cross. “We’re here, Sammie, in case you didn’t notice.” She cut the engine, and the doors clicked to unlock.

Sammie forced a smile.

“Be nice, Sammie. Be polite to your grandmother. We talked about this, remember? No phones in the restaurant.”

“For my birthday,” Grandma said. She turned around from the passenger seat, and the excitement in her face melted when she saw Sammie’s phone. “Oh,” she sighed.

“Sammie.” Mom sighed, too. Like mother, like daughter.

“I know we talked about it,” Sammie said, “but I think I may have to pick up Rach. See, she—”

But Grandma chimed in. “In my day, we respected the people we were with. We didn’t have cell phones constantly distracting us. It’s just plain disrespectful. I don’t know what the world is coming to…”

Sammie risked a glance at her phone. She looked back up quickly. “Sorry, Grandma.”

She turned to put her phone away but couldn’t help looking down. The texts were flying in again, already scrolling off of the screen.

Rachel: And when they find me, they will take my phone.

Rachel: I’ll srsly never see u guys again!

Amy: I don’t have a car

Amy: Sammie, can u get her?

Rachel: I’m scared.

Rachel: They’re gonna take my pHone.

Rachel: They said no contacting anyone over the summer while at Gma’s

Rachel: Seclusion.

Amy: OMG, that’s like…

Amy: They’re gonna get ur Gma to brainwash you!

Amy: You’ll become all churchy like her.

Amy: You’ll marry a preacher’s son or something

Sammie looked up. Two generations of angry eyes glared at her from the front of the car. Mom’s lips moved in slow motion. “Turn. The. Phone. Off.”

Sammie glanced down just long enough to type three words.

Sammie: No. Phone. Restaurant.

Then she powered down her phone even as a barrage of texts came flying in. She exited the car and joined her mother and grandmother. Then she trudged on to Grandma’s birthday dinner sequestered from the teenage drama unfolding in the electronic ether of her now-dormant 4G network.

It would be a long evening.

* * *

The Spot Writers—Our Members:

RC Bonitz: http://www.rcbonitz.com

Val Muller: https://valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Tom Robson: https://robsonswritings.wordpress.com

 

Young lonely woman on bench in park

Young lonely woman on bench in park

Have you read The Spot Writers’ first book? Check out the just-released Remy’s Choice, a novella based on a story we wrote a while back. It’s available at Amazon  for only $1.99 e-book and $5.99 print.  Remy, just out of a relationship gone wrong, meets handsome Jeremy, the boy next door. Jeremy exudes an air of mystery, and he seems to be everything she’s looking for. While Remy allows herself to indulge in the idea of love at first site, she realizes she’s the girl next door according to her boss, Dr. Samuel Kendrick.

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Writer Wednesdays: Creating a Fictional Town

August 24, 2016 1 comment

Today I’m pleased to welcome guest author Judy Penz Sheluk with some advice for writers.

Judy Penz Sheluk: Creating a Fictional Town

WJudy_Penz_Sheluk[1]hen I started writing Skeletons in the Attic, I wanted to create a fictional town that readers could believe in. I also wanted my protagonist, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable, to be a fish out of water. I decided to make Callie a single woman born and raised in the city—Toronto, in her case—who’s forced to move to the town of Marketville.

Here’s a recap of the basic premise:

Skeletons_in_the_Attic_Front_Cover[1]Callie isn’t surprised to learn that she is the sole beneficiary of her late father’s estate: she’s the only child of two only children, and she hasn’t seen her mother since she walked out on Valentines Day, 1980. What does surprise her is that she’s inheriting a house in the town of Marketville—a house she didn’t know existed—and the condition attached to the inheritance: move to Marketville, live in the house, and find out who murdered her mother.

Callie describes Marketville as “a commuter community about an hour north of Toronto, the sort of town where families with two kids, a collie, and a cat moved to looking for a bigger house, a better school, and soccer fields. It didn’t sound much like her…” and while she’s not keen to move there, she doesn’t have a lot of choice.

As a former city girl, also born and raised in Toronto, I can remember feeling much the same way about the town of Newmarket, which is also a commuter community about an hour north of Toronto. Nevertheless, my husband, Mike, and I bought our first house there in the late 1980s (houses in Toronto being outside of our financial means). Newmarket and the surrounding area have seen considerable development since then, but I can still remember my mom saying, “They have houses that far north?”

Newmarket_Main_Street[1]

Noose_cover[1]Mike and I moved again in 1990 to the neighboring—and even smaller—community of Holland Landing, which served as partial inspiration for Lount’s Landing in my novel, The Hanged Man’s Noose. Lount’s Landing’s Main Street, however, was inspired by Newmarket’s Main Street. That’s the great thing about being a writer and fictionalizing a setting. You can pull your favorite things from one place and put it in another! In the case of Marketville and Lount’s Landing, I’ve also taken the liberty of making them much more “small town” than they actually are.

One of my favorite things about Newmarket and the surrounding area is the Nokiidaa Trail system, which follows the East Holland River and links the communities of Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury/Holland Landing. I’ve had the pleasure of running on those trails many times, and I decided to let Callie, my protagonist in Skeletons, enjoy those same trails:

I could have done a lot of productive, potentially case-solving things on Saturday; ‘could have’ being the operative words. Instead, I gave myself permission to take the day off from sleuthing and carpet removal to explore the twelve-mile paved trail system that ran through the center of Marketville. According to the Town’s website, the trail followed the Dutch River and passed through parks and green spaces, past wetlands and historic cultural sites, and had links to trails in two surrounding towns. It sounded like a runner’s paradise.

Nokiidaa_Trail[1]Nods to real locations aside, both my novels are works of fiction, and the characters, places and events are figments of my imagination. Having a trail to run along while I dream them up: priceless.

 

Bio: Judy Penz Sheluk’s debut mystery novel, The Hanged Man’s Noose, was published in July 2015. Skeletons in the Attic, the first book in her Marketville Mystery Series, was published in August 2016.

Judy’s short crime fiction appears in World Enough and Crime, The Whole She-Bang 2, Flash and Bang and Live Free or Tri.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers and the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Judy now lives in Alliston, Ontario, a small town even further north of Toronto, with her husband, Mike, and their Golden Retriever, Gibbs. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews other authors and blogs about the writing life.

Find Judy’s books on Amazon: amazon.com/author/judypenzsheluk

 

 

 

Writer Wednesdays none

Flash Fiction: Waves of Madness by Cathy MacKenzie

August 18, 2016 No comments

Welcome to the Spot Writers’ weekly flash fiction post. This month’s prompt is “into the void.” Today’s post comes from Cathy MacKenzie. Check out the teen anthology she recently published (under her imprint, MacKenzie Publishing), 21 stories by 21 writers, titled OUT OF THE CAVE. Available on Amazon and Smashwords.

***

 Waves of Madness

We bare our breasts

before diving into the depths.

 

In the dark it’s warm, yet we are chilled.

It’s the plunge that does it.

The suddenness sucks our breath

until the cold overtakes and numbs us

and we think we’re warm.

 

We spread our arms

and embrace vast waters as if flying

through layers of billowing silk

on a hot summer’s day.

 

Or maybe it’s our bodies

unwrapping from layers

of inhibition and shame

while floundering through waves

treacherous and thunderous.

 

There’s no life preserver

and we think we’re drowning,

even want to drown

to avoid suffocation by seaweed.

 

We see sharks,

forcing ourselves to stretch our arms

and kick our legs .

 

We hold our breath without swallowing,

taming tides crushing our hearts,

and when we drink the sea we spit it out

so we don’t choke.

 

We swim another lap

and another and another

before waves shroud us forever,

thankful we took the plunge

because it was all we knew to do

other than die and disappear.

 

We want to live and

keep our families safe

but waves of madness grip us all in the end.

 

***

The Spot Writers—Our Members:

RC Bonitz: http://www.rcbonitz.com

Val Muller: https://valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Tom Robson: https://robsonswritings.wordpress.com

 

***

Young lonely woman on bench in park

Have you read The Spot Writers’ first book? Check out the just-released Remy’s Choice, a novella based on a story we wrote a while back. It’s available at Amazon  for only $1.99 e-book and $5.99 print.  Remy, just out of a relationship gone wrong, meets handsome Jeremy, the boy next door. Jeremy exudes an air of mystery, and he seems to be everything she’s looking for. While Remy allows herself to indulge in the idea of love at first site, she realizes she’s the girl next door according to her boss, Dr. Samuel Kendrick.

 

 

Catherine A MacKenzie, flash fiction, poetry none

Writer Wednesday with R. David Fulcher

August 17, 2016 3 comments

This week, I am pleased to feature guest author David Fulcher, who has written some flash fiction for us to enjoy.

df2David Fulcher is an author of horror, science fiction, fantasy and poetry.  His major literary influences include H.P. Lovecraft, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allen Poe, Fritz Lieber, and Stephen King.
His first novel, a historical drama set in World War II entitled Trains to Nowhere, and his second novel, a collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories, Blood Spiders and Dark Moon, are both available from www.authorhouse.com and www.amazon.com.  His work has appeared in numerous small press publications including Lovecraft’s Mystery Magazine, Black Satellite, The Martian Wave, Burning Sky, Shadowlands, Twilight Showcase, Heliocentric Net, Gateways, Weird Times, Freaky Frights and the anthologies Dimensions and Silken Ropes.  His passion for the written word has also inspired him to edit and publish the literary magazine Samsara, located online at www.samsaramagazine.net, which has showcased the work of writers and poets for over a decade.

David Fulcher resides in Ashburn, Virginia with his wife Lisa, a native of Stony Brook, Long Island, and their rambunctious cats.

The Huntress
by R. David Fulcher

Samuel Gray studied the dripping wax of the candle as it burned low. The hour was late, and little sound reached his loft high above the Baltimore Harbor. He loved this time of night, for only late in the evening would the harbor winds fully blow away the smell of the fish markets on the street below.

df1He was the grandson of the late Dorian Gray, that unfortunate soul bound precariously to his own portrait. While the lavish lifestyle of his grandfather was not present, the love of art was readily evident. Paintings covered every wall from floor to ceiling, and stacks of them leaned all about his large wooden desk, as if somehow additional wall space would appear from the ether.

Although his years numbered only thirty, he carried the demeanor of a much older man, and this impression was reinforced by his reclusive nature. While many of his peers were consumed by gambling and drink, Samuel was content to simply study his collection of artwork until the small hours of the morning.

It was during one of these reflective moments that the accident happened. It would have been considered a minor event had it not altered the course of all that was to follow. Samuel had fallen asleep when his elbow slid across the surface of the desk, knocking over a can of red paint that spilled on to a picture leaning there.

With a gasp of dismay Samuel awoke, grabbed the canvas and threw it on the desk to review the damage.  He hadn’t had the opportunity to review this particular painting before, and was struck by its raw beauty. The piece was called “The Huntress,” and featured a woman riding a white horse. She wore a silver crown adorned with leaves and rode the horse side-saddle as she blew on a golden hunting horn. She had green eyes, red hair and pale skin.

A streak of red paint flowed diagonally from the base of the painting across the horse and the figure. The picture was ruined.

“Don’t fret,” a voice called across the room.

Samuel bolted to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process. The woman from the picture was reclining on his bed. He rubbed his tired, bloodshot eyes and she was still there.

“About the painting I mean,” she continued. “Don’t fret. You have set me free.”

“Are you real or am I mad?” he asked.

The woman laughed, the sound like tiny bells chiming. “I am one reality, just as I was another reality when frozen in that portrait. Now let me paint you.”

Not sure if he was dreaming, Samuel replied, “Me?  There is nothing special about me at all!  I am simply an artist, nothing more.”

“Must I persuade you?” she asked, rising as softly as mist from the bed. She stepped over to him, her forest green tunic rustling like the breeze from the open window. Once at the desk, she knelt down and kissed him. Her breath was like autumn leaves and moss, and her lips like fresh strawberries.

He felt dizzy, and she laughed again, that laugh that seemed to descend from all of the cherubim in heaven itself. She took his hand and guided him to the bed. Laying him down, she whispered softly in his ear in an ancient tongue while stroking his brow. He swore he heard the night music of crickets and toads in the distance but suspected that his senses deceived him. He was wonderfully sleepy.

Hastily pushing things aside, the lady moved over towards an easel, canvas and paints in front of the bed. She hummed a strange sing-song tune as she worked. Although Samuel tried to get up and put an end to this foolishness, his limbs were heavy and did not respond.

“I’ll be done soon,” she promised him.

Later that night, no one noticed the pale lady in the green tunic as she left the apartment and disappeared into the harbor docks. Several days later after receiving no word from Samuel a family member insisted that the police break down the door.

Samuel was gone, but there was a new portrait the wall. In this portrait a man having Samuel’s likeness sat at a desk staring with a haunted expression at a picture of a white horse.

David Fulcher’s most recent book is entitled The Lighthouse at Montauk Point and Other Stories. It is available on Kindle here.

He is also writing an online series about the historic Dracula entitled Vlad the Conqueror hosted on Channillo.

Twitter:  @rdfgoalie

Website: www.authorsden.com/rdavidfulcher

flash fiction, Writer Wednesdays none

Writer Wednesday: “The Grip” in Out of the Cave

August 3, 2016 1 comment

Today I’m pleased to announce that my short story, “The Grip,” appears in MacKenzie Publishing’s new anthology, Out of the Cave.

out of the cave front“The Grip” is inspired by my wanderings as a kid at Cranbury Park in Connecticut. The park used to be Gallaher Estates, and the Gallaher mansion is still there (and available for renting). Several elements about the park fueled my Spooky Side. If you scroll through the pictures on this site, you’ll see the spooky old tree that we used to play on (which inspired my forthcoming novel, The Man with the Crystal Ankh, the first in the Hollow Oak series). So many people had carved their initials into that tree over the years, and one day as a little girl, I asked my dad why. He said something about there being “bad” people, such as “teenagers” who “do bad things late at night” at Cranbury Park. He didn’t go into details, but he didn’t need to: my kid imagination was as powerful then as it is now.

In “The Grip,” a little girl and her babysitter go wandering about a similar park, and they discover a small cabin that is known to be a hangout for teenagers and delinquents. When they venture inside, they get more than they expected. You can view the book’s Facebook page for teasers from all of the stories.

An afternoon of babysitting turns spooky when Megan takes young Olivia to the abandoned cabin at the edge of the woods at Galahad Estates. It was supposed to be a fun afternoon hike until Olivia squeezes through the cabin window. When she climbs back out, the darkness surrounding her seems contagious.

As a primarily young adult writer, I was excited to hear that there would be a young adult horror anthology. I can’t wait to read the rest of the tales!

out of the cave back cover

 

Writer Wednesdays none

Flash Fiction: Into the Void by Val Muller

July 28, 2016 1 comment

Welcome to the Spot Writers’ weekly flash fiction post. This month’s prompt is “into the void.” Today’s post comes from Val Muller, author of the YA reboot The Scarred Letter, a tale about bullying and standing for the truth when the rest of the world wants to live a lie.

Into the Void

Val Muller

He glanced up in the dancing candlelight. HISTORY AND MECHANICS OF ROMAN AQUEDUCTS glared down at him. The way the light flickered against the red hardcover was almost an indictment. He had blood on his hands.

Or, in them, rather.

He shook off the guilt and paused while another generator started down the street. Then he stuffed another cheese puff in his mouth and started a new round of Gem Craze on his phone. Of all the things left to him, it had to be Gem Craze. Of course it couldn’t be a game that required the Internet.

The Internet was dead.

Along with every other modern comfort.

He shifted his feet, knocking the stack of now-empty portable cell phone chargers. He was on his last one. And now his low-battery indicator came on, dimming his screen.

Probably four games left. Three if he made it past level 12.

Outside, an explosion sounded in the distance. He told himself it was probably a generator starting, but he knew it was more likely a gunshot. Water was scarce these days. The experts were right: three days was all it took for society to collapse. There were still those with generators, of course. People would still run their well pumps for weeks. Months, even. Hell, there were probably preppers out there who could last years.

But the majority of society? They were done for. Water couldn’t operate without electricity, and the blast had taken out all the major devices. Power plants were dead. Transformers were dead. Only the small electronics survived. Useless ones.

Unless you were a history-geek-computer-nerd named Rellington. In this new world, Rell would no longer be the misfit he was in life. He would be sought after, bribed, wined-and-dined (on bottled water and canned goods), and praised until he chose loyalties and shared his genius. With his knowledge of Roman engineering, he could orchestrate the building of non-powered water transportation systems. With his knowledge of science and basic electricity, he could construct simple devices—transformers, generators—that could carry society through the estimated ten years it would take to restore all power plants to working order. A decade he would be sought after. A decade.

At least that’s what the estimates said before all the television stations went dark.

But here he was, playing Gem Craze for going on forty-eight hours now. And why?

He thought back to prom. How many girls had he asked, and all of them politely declined. Their faces all blushed when he asked them. And there he’d worked himself the courage to ask in front of everyone, hoping his bravery would be rewarded.

At least they weren’t rude.

And then there was the instance of every single time he tried to keep a conversation going. Most people talked about stuff like clothes or politics. Who spoke of computer programming systems or the reliability of Pliny in communicating details about ancient society?

His online dating profile always caught him a few first dates each month, but they never moved beyond that. Because, really, no one wanted a nerd.

Until now.

But how would he handle it? All those people looking at him to help them, all those people who would now see his embarrassing knowledge as lifesaving. How would he handle the attention?

He stuffed another cheese puff into his mouth. Maybe he could just hide in his living room until everything settled. It would be easier to waste away into dust than…socialize.

His screen beeped. Five percent battery. Phone was critical. This was the last hand of Gem Craze until the generators were fixed.

That is, until he went out and helped fix them.

He lowered his feet from the coffee table and stood from the couch, brushing cheese puff crumbs from his Doctor Who shirt. He smiled. I’ll be like The Doctor now, he thought. The savior of humanity.

At the front door, he heard voices. Lots of voices. People were out there talking, talking over each other, trying to figure this thing out. He cleared his throat and practiced what he would say, but only a squeak came out. His phone beeped in his hand one final time, powering itself down. Rell returned to the living room and grabbed his copy of HISTORY AND MECHANICS OF ROMAN AQUEDUCTS. Then he blew out the candle and hurried out the front door before he lost his resolve and forced himself into the void that was his duty to fill.

 

The Spot Writers—Our Members:

RC Bonitz: www.rcbonitz.com

Val Muller: https://valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Tom Robson: https://robsonswritings.wordpress.com

Young lonely woman on bench in park

Young lonely woman on bench in park

Have you read The Spot Writers’ new book? Check out the just-released Remy’s Choice, a novella based on a story we wrote a while back. It’s available at Amazon for only $1.99.

Remy, just out of a relationship gone wrong, meets handsome Jeremy, the boy next door. Jeremy exudes an air of mystery, and he seems to be everything she’s looking for. While Remy allows herself to indulge in the idea of love at first site, she realizes she’s the girl next door according to her boss, Dr. Samuel Kendrick.

 

flash fiction none

Fantastic Friday: Encouraging Kids to Read

July 22, 2016 No comments

If you haven’t already read the post over on my Corgi Capers blog, I’m happy to share a very cool podcast I discovered recently.

CORGICAPERS1_VMULLER_FINALThe podcast is called Lu and Bean Read. Lu and Bean are two young girls who were having trouble finding a podcast to listen to about stories for kids. Their entrepreneurial mom decided to help them start their own. Now, they review books via an online podcast. They feature author interviews and have even opened up the opportunity for other kids to send in book reviews to be featured on the podcast. It’s a great opportunity to get more kids involved with reading. I would have loved the chance to listen to kids my age talking about books—not to mention the chance to record my own book review.

I’m honored that I had the chance to be interviewed about my kidlit mystery series, Corgi Capers. You can listen to the podcast (here), during which I talk to Lu and Bean and also read two of my favorite chapters from the book. If you have kids, or if you love kid books, it’s worth your time to check out the site.

If you haven’t read the Corgi Capers series yet, you can find the books in paperback, or the ebook edition is only $2.99 by visiting the Amazon links below:

Corgi Capers book 1: Deceit on Dorset Drive

Corgi Capers book 2: The Sorceress of Stoney Brook

Corgi Capers book 3: Fire Halls and Curtain Calls

Fantastic Friday none

Writer Wednesday with Christy Diachenko

July 20, 2016 1 comment

This week, I had a chance to interview Christy Diachenko. Her newest book, Nolle Prosequi, has just been released, and it looks like she’s woven in personal experience, fiction, and faith to create her tale. As I learned in the interview, she hopes to entertain while also helping others through the lessons she’s learned in life.

Tell us about yourself:

13702492_10154462856941004_1706737489_oI am Christy R. Diachenko. I’ve been an avid reader since I learned my ABCs. I’m currently a full-time Administrative Coordinator for the County of Greenville in South Carolina. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio and Television and worked in radio for nearly a decade. Later, I wrote radio advertising copy on a freelance basis for several years. In addition to writing, I’m a voice over artist and have narrated and produced numerous projects, including three published audiobooks. I’m also a fine arts photographer, and I love capturing God’s amazing creation on my memory cards. I love animals and always weave them into my stories – they are a vital part of my life! My first novel, Broken Promise, was published by Dancing With Bear Publishing in 2014.

Tell us about your most recent book.

13699377_10154462855376004_1065029922_oThe title is Nolle Prosequi. No one would ever suspect. Lizzy Godfrey is strong, confident and a survivor—or is she? When she meets handsome, favored politician Tucker Bates, she feels a stirring in her heart she never expected to experience again. But when their possible romance fizzles before it starts, Lizzy tumbles into a world of self-doubt. Then a brutal murder forces her to face feelings she thought were dead and buried. Can Lizzy’s brokenness be turned into something beautiful? Can she continue to forgive? Will she ever truly understand that God values her as a precious daughter?

What is your “day job”?

I’m the manager of the Criminal Records Division of the Clerk of Court’s Office.

Who is your favorite character in your book, and why?

Tucker – because he allows his life to be led by God and did not give up on Lizzy, even when he did not know what the future would hold or if she would ever learn to trust again.

Are any elements of your book autobiographical or inspired by elements of your life?

Yes – too many to list here! Suffice to say, many of Lizzy’s struggles have been my own. It is my hope that Nolle Prosequi, while being an engaging story, will also warn women of the dangers of abusive relationships. I also hope the story will encourage abuse survivors that there really can still be abundant life in Christ, even after enduring the unthinkable.

What’s your favorite scene or location in Nolle Prosequi?

The ski trip on Whitby Mountain. I went on a day ski trip when I was in high school and always thought staying nearby and getting to play in the snow for a week would be so much fun 🙂

What book or author has been most inspirational for you, and why?

Karen Kingsbury. I feel like her characters are real people out there who I just haven’t met yet. They struggle with their faith, their circumstances, and their relationships just like I do. And Karen always points her readers to God.

If you were to be stranded on a desert island, what non-survival item would you bring along that you couldn’t live without?

Perlier Hand Lotion! One of the shea butter varities 🙂

If you’re not already a fan, you can find Christy all over the Internet:

croseenterprises.com

www.facebook.com/CRDfan

https://twitter.com/CDiachenko

https://twitter.com/NolProsNovel

 

 

Writer Wednesdays, writing none

Fantastic Friday: Capitalism

July 15, 2016 No comments

This week, 7-11 gave out a free small Slurpee to all customers. Then, Chick-Fil-A celebrated the next day with “dress like a cow” day. All customers who dressed “cow-like” were given a free entrée.

Without trying to be too political for a Fantastic Friday post, I wanted to celebrate the wonders of capitalism. I know that sometimes our system of “crony capitalism” rubs people the wrong way (as it should, when certain businesses are given favors by corrupt government officials and politicians). But while I was on a road trip the other day, I listened to an NPR story about what’s happening in Venezuela, about how the instability in the country is forcing talented young folks to leave if they are able. Their socialist economy has collapsed, and people cannot secure even basic essentials. In some cases, people are so desperate for food that they wait in line even while witnessing a murder—because they cannot afford to lose their place in line.

Juxtapose that with two businesses in the course of a week vying for customer business by giving away goods. Here’s a picture of the small 7-11 parking lot, which is never crowded. This time, I had to park in a lot next door because there were no spaces left.

711-license plates blurred

Are all the customers who received a free drink or a free entrée going to return and patronize those businesses? Probably not. But you can bet a good deal of them will (I’ll be one of them, but I love Chick-Fil-A’s lemonade and sweet tea so much that sometimes I dream about them!).

I’m building a gate in my back yard, and it’s amazing that I can go to Home Depot and secure a handful of various-sized screws and bolts (not sure which I’ll actually need) for a relatively inexpensive cost, along with a bag of pea gravel, a square, various sizes of wood, and several other odd but available items. All there for me at a moment’s notice. And on the way home, if I get hot or thirsty, I can stop at any convenience store or drive-thru and purchase a beverage for a dollar or two and a minute of my time.

It strikes me that capitalism—pure, unadulterated, free market capitalism—is the most hopeful type of economy. It puts faith in human beings who want to serve others the best they can and rewards them—monetarily—for doing so.

20160712_180907The employees at Chick-Fil-A were all friendly and seemed happy to be there, enjoying looking at customers’ strange cow costumes. And the customers were all happy, even despite a line that wove to the end of the restaurant. When we saw how long the line was, my family and I could have easily gone down the street to McDonald’s or KFC, but everyone in line was friendly, and the employees succeeded in moving the line along in record speed—even though most of the items being ordered were free. In exchange, customers gladly spent extra money to add items to their free entrees.

I believe it was John Stossel who mentioned on one of his shows that a capitalist economy is the only one where you will have both customer and vendor say “thank you” to each other—because in free market capitalism, it is truly a system that works to the mutual benefit of both parties.

When humans are left alone, they strive to please each other to mutual benefit and mutual pleasure. And that’s something to celebrate.

Fantastic Friday none
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