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Showing posts from December, 2015

Act Two - the crisis

This is the fourth part of my blog on the three act structure.  Act two begins with the crisis for the protagonist. This is an emotional moment where the reader can clearly see the impact of the trigger on the main character's flaw. The last piece of act one was the trigger. It's the event which pushes our protagonist into the crisis and sets the stage for change to commence. The character cannot grow without this ingredient and without growth the reader would get bored. What's worse than someone who never changes? I have known people like this who lament their circumstances but keep doing the same thing over and over and wonder why the outcome is never different. Eventually everyone gets tired of this person because he or she never hits that crisis which forces the change. Whereas much of act one can be plot driven the crisis is all about the character and the story. Here's an example of where crisis might push someone in a new direction. Think about a gambler who

Book Review - Crooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor Sissel

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a mystery and there is a dead body but it's not a cozy. Lauren, the main character became addicted to prescription pain killers after having an accident in which she was almost paralyzed. She and her husband run a business in what appears to be a small town, where their name is well known. We meet Lauren when she is struggling with her addiction, severe memory loss and she is trying to piece her life back together. She feels as if she needs to prove that she is clean to everyone, especially her husband and sister. A second storyline runs through the novel about the sister, Annie, of a young man, dealing with his own issues of mental illness, and his disappearance. Annie struggles to get by and has isolated herself from people in order to prevent becoming hurt. The paths of the two women ultimately cross in the search for Annie's brother. When the truth about  what happened to him is revealed it shakes both of their

Lost and Found - Lucky aka Gizmo

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I wanted to share the story of "Lucky".  I had been feeding this little guy on our back porch for almost two weeks before I could catch him. I literally spent hours trying to find his family. I posted flyers, searched the internet and posted his pictures on every lost pet website I could find. I met a few of my neighbors and made some new friends in Arizona in the process. Finally, on the day before I was going to give him to a wonderful woman who offered to take him, his family found me. They had been out of town and he escaped through a loose window screen.  Bad kitty. At any rate, Lucky (aptly named by me because he picked the right house to mooch off), also known as Gizmo, went home - only to return the next night for another stay at Hotel Keller. He was returned again and his family found and blocked his escape route.  I'm so glad that he didn't come into contact with a coyote on his travels. We fell in love with his sweet personality and almost kept him exce

Jayne's Restaurant Reviews - Eddie V's

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As chance would have it I dined at Eddie V's twice in a short period of time. Once in San Diego for a full dinner and once in Scottsdale for happy hour. Both experiences were delectable. I hadn't been to this restaurant in a very long time.  In fact, it's been so long I couldn't remember anything about it. The Scottsdale restaurant moved from it's old location at DC Ranch to the newer and more popular Scottsdale Quarter. If you read, L.A. Keller's account of my life in Menu for Murder, you will know that the Quad as it's now referred to, brings back unhappy memories of a murder. In general I try my hardest to find street parking, or if I've had a great week, I will valet. No chance of being caught on the top floor of the garage running for my life! The restaurant has subdued lighting, lots of nice bar seating and live music. I started with the Crab and Corn Chowder which was delicious. Creamy and hot it was a fabulous combination. I then had the Ic

Egg Nog - time to celebrate the holidays

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Truth be told, I don't like egg nog. It's creamy milk and raw eggs combination makes my stomach churn at the thought. However, despite my aversion to this drink it does sing out for the holidays so I'm giving you two recipes. One the standard time tested version and one sparkling non-alcoholic. Egg Nog 6 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 teas salt 1 cup run 1 1/2 teas vanilla 1 quart light cream or milk dash of nutmeg for garnish Beat eggs until light and foamy Add sugar, salt and vanilla Add rum and cream/milk Stir well Chill Pour into a glass and sprinkle the top with nutmeg. Makes 12 1/2 cup servings Sparkling Orange Egg Nog 1 quart orange juice chilled 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 eggs 2 tab sugar dash cinnamon dash ground cloves 1 pint vanilla ice cream 16 oz ginger ale dash of nutmeg for garnish Beat eggs until light and foamy Add 2 cups of the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, and spices and stir well Chill Just before serving add ice cream and remainin

Inspiration is it fact or fiction

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Do you ever wonder as you read a new book what inspired the author to create the characters? When considering mysteries, especially those with murder, do you ask yourself what kind of person loves to find new ways to murder the bad guys? I can't speak to anyone other than myself on this topic, but I suspect many authors are the same. It's our every day lives that inspire us. Any event or person may incite a storyline in my mind which may then wander on to the pages of my next book. It may be something as innocuous as a person I pass by on a hike or as dramatic as my favorite cowboy bar in Cave Creek, Arizona burning down. As an author I try to absorb the life that happens around me like a lazy cat laying in a spot of sunshine. I bask in it, stretch my mental limbs out and relish every moment to be recalled later when I'm sitting down at the keyboard. A person who is especially rude or obnoxious may kindle a new murder victim (yes, keep that in mind if you are around mys

Book Review - Murder To Go (Food truck Mysteries Book 1) Chloe Kendrick

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This is a cozy mystery based about a young woman who inherits a food truck from her deceased Aunt.  Maeve Kinkaid, appears to have absolutely no restaurant or cooking background whatsoever when she takes on this task. For those of you who know me, that is a huge pet peeve and in the real world a recipe (forgive the pun) for disaster. Maeve has a surly chef, Lander who seems to do all of the work, except making coffee and even that uses his secret coffee bean mix. When the competitor is beheaded in his food truck, Maeve gets to occupy his prime spot on the street. Her business flourishes but that all makes her look guilty.  This is the first of many places where I found the story line unbelievable.  How much strength does it take for a person to cut off someone's head? She meets the detective on the case and there is some attraction to him as well as to her surly chef. We never really understand the relationship between any of them because they seem to dislike her as much as lik

Great Mystery Reads from 2015

The Washington Post has compiled a list of great mysteries or thrillers from 2015. In case you haven't already read all of these, I'm including five here for you to add to your 2016 reading list. Listed below each book is the back cover description. A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George Inspector Lynley Book 19 The unspoken secrets and buried lies of one family rise to the surface in Elizabeth George’s newest novel of crime, passion, and tragic history. As Inspector Thomas Lynley investigates the London angle of an ever more darkly disturbing case, his partner, Barbara Havers, is looking behind the peaceful façade of country life to discover a twisted world of desire and deceit.   The suicide of William Goldacre is devastating to those left behind who will have to deal with its unintended consequences—could there be a link between the young man’s leap from a Dorset cliff and a horrific poisoning in Cambridge?   After various issues with her department, Barbara Hav