My latest addition...no, not edition.

My newest addition to the Scriptorium is an eight year-old rescue cat named Jade or "JJ" as I nicknamed her.  Her former 'person' had passed away and she was placed in a local shelter in September.  I'd put her name and several others on my favorites list and she was the only one left when my sister Deb went over to look at those on the list.  She fell in love with Jade and brought her home to me.  That was three weeks ago and since then, we have learned about each other and become friends.  Even though she is eight, there is still plenty of kitty in her, so playtime is always something special  Today we are building a cardboard fort!!  (Well, boxes stacked on top of each other really.)

Here are a few photos of Miss Jade.

She knows who she is and what she wants - and that's usually to climb on something or fly through the air onto her chair so it rocks.  She was drinking tea from my mug but I had to put a stop to that because she would get sick from it.  Now she is exploring cabinets and tends to climb inside to see what's there.

Jade is a very pretty light gray tabby with green eyes, hence the name Jade.  Her before person trained her well, because she will sit when told to, shake hands when "encouraged" and knows the sound of a treat bag being shaken.  She does not, however, enjoy my being on the computer at length, because that cuts into her play time.  But we'll work on that.  And she loves to snuggle in my arm and be a better door than a window when I want to watch television.  She does, however, love to watch the cat segments on America's Funniest Videos.  Maybe I should get her a kitty video?  Perhaps her former person had one just for her to watch, I don't know.

Jade does like "Last of the Summer Wine" tv shows, though.  I think she likes Compo best. So as the time goes along, I'll find out more about her and she about me.  She is great fun to have here and my new little love.

Three new books are almost finished but I am behind by three months due to moving.  My time has been very limited for work, but that will all change once I'm finished unpacking.  From 220 cartons, down to about 15 now.

That's it from the Scriptorium for now.....stay tuned for the new books when they are published.

We are almost finished packing.  This is going to be an amazing move, back to where my literary "career" began - in the English Department of St. Katharine's School:  in 1965.

Now I am going back to school - literally.  I am returning to live in my old school, which has been turned into senior apartments and mine is what you see in the photograph.  I am in the Library.  My wonderful place of refuge as a young person.  And it's right below what was the English Dept. led by Miss Maude May Craigmiles.  She had two PhDs and three Masters Degrees.  I've never known anyone like her.  She would always say, "Take out a piece of paper which you will not hand in."  That was so funny to me!  But she was such a stickler for proper spelling, grammar, syntax, etc., that it transferred to all of us who would become involved in the literary world.  I can be classified as a 'grammar nazi' - and I know several of us who are.  And it's all thanks to this very lovely woman who taught us well.

So this is where I am being planted and I will bloom...I trust the soil will be fertile.  I have 18 books to complete now, with three almost ready to drop.  Very excited!!!  Stay tuned for all the latest from The Scriptorium at Cambria Place, a/k/a St. Katharine's School...and now St. Katharine's Senior Apartments.

And I have a porch!!



A new Slant on things...or Slainte....

Autumn has almost faded into oblivion for us here in the Upper Midwest and thoughts turn to Winter, hot chocolate and a roaring fire.  It's an excellent time to read a good book, too.  Whether you have a digital eReader or just your computer, a good one is "Seven Doors of Time" by Karin Ficke Cook...herself.

Inside the pages of this little marvel are seven stories - all different.  There is even a scary paranormal one!  But the story I am focusing on right now is called, "19th Floor - Mid-Century Modern" which is a contemporary story about high school memories, lost loves and cruel deceptions.

Often our past catches up with us and in this instance that's exactly what happens to the main characters in this offbeat love story.  It takes place in the hometown of a single business woman from the Midwest who has done well for herself as an attorney but she's failed miserably at love.  Certain events interfere with her so called "happiness" and not only does she feel stirred by past memories, but also by a strange "new" man in her life.  But just who is he?

We have such interesting characters in this story and you'll fall in love with every one of them - except for one.  But you will have to read the book to find out.  Come along to Kylemore Abbey in County Galway, in Connemara, Ireland.  And jaunt up to County Mayo at Westport.  This is almost a travel log in itself.  You will certainly never be bored!
 

 The photos of Ireland are ones I took when I was there last.  I didn't have a digital camera at the time and these are all from 35-mm film.  Next time I hope to use a decent digital - unless I can't part with my 35-mm SLR....you know purists!

Unfortunately the International Girls School is now closed, but you can still tour through the house and grounds as you always could.  This is a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it as part of your western Ireland vacation.

There is nothing better than to watch the Atlantic Ocean waves crash against the rocky shoreline, creating foam as the water recedes and fills tidal pools with the tiniest of sea creatures in their own microcosm.  It makes one feel very small indeed!

The house on the right is where I will be living after November 15th.  This is Saint Katharine's Senior Apartments, formerly St. Katharine's School, in Davenport, Iowa - where I attended High School.  Part of the complex has been repurposed for senior housing and my flat will be on the ground floor in what used to be the Library - what a perfect place for me to live.  And I am also working on another book - this one is a romance mystery about the historic house and school.  It will be quite factual in detail, but the story is, of course, purely fiction.

Whether you love history, crime, mystery or romance (or the occasional time travel), "Seven Doors of Time" has the gamut.  Check out this link, www.smashwords.com/books/view/66076 ( hopefully it works okay) and you can see a little bit of the first story, "The Fault Lies Beneath" - which is an environmental story about earthquakes - among other things!

 And finally.......

Find yourself along a lazy Irish road where the only traffic jam is a herd of sheep going somewhere!  If you want to get around them, all you have to do is yell out the window, 'mint sauce' and they'll scatter!!

Relaunch of First Book!

It's finally here.  My first book, Northwoods Forest Mystery now in eBook through Smashwords.com.

I wrote my first novel in 2003 in response to a request from my Mom's group for fiction that didn't contain the gratuitous sex or extreme violence we often see in today's books.  I decided to give it a try and "Northwoods" was my first attempt and it literally launched a new career for me.

I learned just how much I didn't know about the publishing business.  It has changed over the years and every man and his uncle seem to have a book in publication.  But I wanted mine to be different.  I wanted an easy read, something fun but also something with meaning and this book began it all.

The book was finally published in 2005, although it only took six weeks to write.  Countless hours of editing, restructuring, etc., and it still wasn't right, but I thought I could correct things down the line if I still wasn't satisfied.  Wrong.  That would have cost a mint.  Two years and over 300 rejections from publishers and agents later, I finally got the first in a four-part series published.  I learned about rejection, heartbreak and fortitude.  My advice is if you want to write a book, fine.  If you want to publish it?  Learn your craft.  Get your education and make sure you understand grammar, punctuation, tense, structure...learn it all before you even think of publishing.  This is where you earn your dues - through diligence, hard work and perseverance.  Yes, you get knocked down but you must get right back up again.  Do your research, listen to other authors, get yourself known in the community.  The easy part is writing the book.  The hard part is doing the marketing and publicity.

Death Across the Pond is the next book coming up for eBook status, probably at the beginning of next year.  I lost my disc, so this baby will have to be input manually and it takes time.  This is my photo on the cover, taken in Princeton, Iowa at the old quarry.  We had only about five minutes of good light when we were shooting and this is one of the best pictures from that shoot.  I love it and will use it again on a different cover.

This is the second book in the series and shows much more depth to the characters, their experiences and tests to their faith...their faith in God and in one another.  As the books go on, the people become a little darker.  They delve into a more complicated character structure and into the human condition.  I like the way the main characters develop as they experience more together.  And the introduction of new central characters adds another dimension - much darker and twisted.

And the good thing is I learned how to write properly.  Gone were the college days in English class...now is the meat and potatoes of actually writing for a living.  And this is such a different and unique perspective.  I've often said my mind is so fertile, I could grow enough crops to feed a nation!  Or at least grow a forest.  And it never stops.

The third book in the series, The 'Ghost' in Bolton Hall, takes place in part in Bolton-by-Bowland, a real place in the northwestern portion of Lancashire, England.  And there really was a Bolton Hall.  The photograph on the book cover is actually Bolton Hall.   I chose this village because it is one of the most beautiful in all of Britain and there have been other books set there, so why not?  I got the assistance of their Parish Council and the stage was set for the deepest mystery yet.

We meet the new character of Michael DuMonde - the 'The Ghost' - an international assassin who is thrust into the lives of main characters Roan and Shauna Sanderson.  You meet him in the second novel, but only briefly and here, the 'Ghost' takes on his depth.  Suffice it to say, now we have some real mysteries..lots of questions but no answers.  And this is where the psychological twists begin and deepen, making this man a broody, vicious killer.

The last book in the series, Murder and Pasta Don't Mix is even deeper, but with humorous segments.  Now we are dealing with murder, new central characters and a lot of British humor...with some Italian giggles as well.  This is a real combination of worlds and they all come crashing in on Roan, Shauna and crew, culminating in our beloved Franco finally showing he isn't the buffoon we took him for.

This novel is difficult to put down.  Every time I read it, I can't seem to get enough of it!  I hope you will enjoy all four of the books in this series.  I am also contemplating adding a fifth book - possibly in a couple of years when the rest of my projects are finished.  People keep asking me to do another one, so just maybe I will!!

You can find Northwoods Forest Mystery at Smashwords.com and although the book is no longer in printed form, you can probably still find some on Amazon.com or other retailers.  The other three can still be found at PublishAmerica.com.  Eventually all my books will be in both forms...digital and print.  Those are the best of both worlds.

Now is the time for autumn leaves, smells of cinnamon and cocoa. This is my favorite time of year.  Being a September baby, I love anything dealing with the earth and I become more alive as each day goes on.  I hope all of you will enjoy this time of year with your families and take in all the planet has to offer.

A new eBook - The Fault Lies Beneath

I'm sneaking in a new blog for May...just in time.  And today, I announce another eBook.  But this is a little different because this is the first story contained in my original eBook, Seven Doors of Time.

This has been downloaded more than any other book I've written so far and this particular story features as the first story.  But because it is longer, 'The Fault' can stand on its own and is a contemporary story about a subject we have all been made aware of through the media.

While this is a fictional tale, it explains about much of the science being Global Warming, new global information about the shift in our climate, and some of the repercussions from that shift.  We've all seen the tsunami that impaled Japan last year and the devastation it caused.  And from what our climatologists tell us, the same thing has the same potential on the Atlantic side of the world, only this would be far greater and impact countries with boundaries along the Atlantic - which includes the Eastern Seaboard of the US.  And what would happen to the United States if the New Madrid Fault split our country in two through a behemoth earthquake?  Could that actually happen?  Probably not, but given what the world has and is experiencing now, who knows?

Soon another book will be joining the listings on Smashwords.  Northwoods Forest Mystery is the first book in my Sanderson Series (of four books) which was originally in print through PublishAmerica.com.  But in the coming months, it will be published as an eBook and eventually the entire series will follow.  'Northwoods' has been combed through, checked for grammar and spelling, added to and refreshed for its new format.  As soon as I am able to publish it, I will make the announcement.  An entirely new audience will be able to follow Roan and Shauna on their adventures in the Northwoods of Minnesota, onto Europe and Ireland.  If it's possible to fall in love with characters, I suppose I have with this bunch...and I hope you will, too.

You can find the listing for The Fault Lies Beneath at: https//www.smashwords.com/books/view/167634 and you can sample the story.  Cost for this eBook is $1.99 with over 36,000 words.  I have also reduced the price of four of the five other eBooks books by reducing their prices by $1.00 each.  The Town Gray Built is only $.99 so I couldn't reduce that!!  You can't even buy a Happy Meal at McDonald's at these prices!!

As we approach Easter...

This photograph was on Facebook this morning and I had to share it.  We are always looking for craft ideas and here's one I particularly like. It's easy to make and has a deep meaning for those of us who live for Christ.

You and your kids can make this in no time.  It's a saucer from a plant pot, dirt, gravel, a small pot for the cave (along with a stone to place in front of it) and twigs for the crosses.  Plant the dirt mound over the small pot, place the gravel around the front and you have a wonderful and meaningful centerpiece for the family.  Spread the "hill" with grass seed - which should come up in less than 10 days (don't forget to water it, too).  And finally, place the crosses on top.  Anyone can make this.  What a great project to share God's message of Resurrection, Faith and Hope.

As all of you know, I adore kittens and this photo caught my eye.  Of course, it looks like my darling Tyler Jalen, but it also reminds me of Spring with all the flowers popping up, the trees blooming (it would be nicer without all the pollen though) and the promise of a new season of growth.    How can you not love that little face?

Hyacinths are such a beautiful flower and smell so sweet.  They will soon pop out of neighbours' gardens along with other flowers and trees which add their growth in the Spring.  If we had a garden here, I'd certainly plant some of these, along with my daffodils and roses for the summer.  It may sound silly, but when you do take the time to 'smell the roses/flowers' you see just how wonderous these simple things are in your life.  As we grow older and all the glitz and glamour of "things" dims, the most natural treasures are in the mundane - the every day.  We grasp each with new vigor and enjoyment.  Life's joys are so simple - just like flowers.

When I sit on the hillside looking out over a lake in the Lake District in England, I am always astonished at how tranquil it is.  Little has changed over the years and I reflect on how much I have changed.  At least I hope I have.  I have new interests as I get older.  Retirement is a good sorter and you find new things to make you happy.  A view such as this one, makes you take stock of those new interests and perhaps gives one a new sense of peace - I'd say, a renewed peace.  No wonder Beatrix Potter got so much enjoyment from the Lakes - her inspiration.  It's mine, too.

But here, looking out from Grandad's Bluff in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I am also reminded of where I live now.  This is a beautiful city with enormous vistas for the enjoyment of everyone who visits.  The Mississippi River - or just the "River" to those of us who grew up along its banks - can be seen in the distance, along with the bluffs and the Coulee - the land between the bluffs.  It's where Minnesota and Wisconsin seem to be one state - not divided.  The eagles and hawks soar as if taking off from an unseen runway, gliding on the air currents as they provide sentry duty to those of us below.  (Of course, they could be looking for lunch, too!)  And just like the Lakes in England, La Crosse has its own beauty to share.

Spring is here across the globe.  Just like these plants, we have a chance to change - to grow more fully into the life we have been given.  We have the opportunity to stop for a moment and look at everything around us. We have the chance to say thank you or I love you, rather than simply texting it or tweeting it. Seasons are short and they get shorter as we grow older, so never forget to say the things we need to say and so often forget to do.  Never take these simple things for granted for they can be gone in an instant.  Enjoy your Spring!

March Madness

Cliffs of Dover

You've heard of the stock market crash - the economic crash?  Well, the Cliffs of Dover at Crab Bay in Kent, England had its very own crash.  The winter thawing and water pushing into the chalk cliffs are thought to have caused the monumental fall of tonnes of the cliffside.  What a mess.
 Fortunately no injuries, other than to the cliff itself.  Many people enjoy walking along the cliff tops and this is sad, indeed.

Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, Ireland

 And now it's time for us to celebrate St. Patrick and what, in our house, is a national holiday! Mick and I are both of Irish heritage and on this very special day, we celebrate it more than others.  My confirmation name is Bridget/Brigid, one of the other saints of Ireland.  To the right is Croagh Patrick, a place of pilgrimage to Catholics from all over the world.  Climbing it in bare feet is not uncommon, as it is done as a symbol of penance.  It's rugged, steep and very difficult to attain.  At the top of the very large hill (not really a mountain, but close) is a chapel and I think the aid station to assist those who have been injured.  This is not a place for the faint hearted - or faint of faith.  Perhaps some day I'll climb it.

West of Ireland in Connemara

This is a beautiful photo of the west coast off Connemara in County Galway.  The Atlantic Ocean crashes against the rocks here - sometimes in gentle waves and often in gargantuan rollers!  It's one of my favourite places to be, photograph and enjoy.

Here again is another photograph of Ireland with the Twelve Bens in the background.  Okay, I'm passionate about the West of Ireland and could easily live there year 'round.  Maybe that will happen someday!!

And now the Student Chapel at Kylemore Abbey.  Unfortunately the school is no longer functioning but you can still tour through the Abbey and grounds, which includes the chapel.  This is well worth the time and offers fantastic photo ops.

St. Bridgid/Bridget of Ireland was a contemporary (kind of) of St. Patrick.  When I was asked to name my patron saint when I was received into the Catholic Church, my original patron saint (for the Anglican Church) was Katharine, but I really admired Bridget for her tenacity and honesty.  She might have been a feminist of her time and she didn't suffer fools but went about her ministry with gentle forcefulness, great faith and vision.  So Bridget was chosen and it seems to match me perfectly.  Her Saints' Day is February 1st.

County Cork, Ireland.  What a perfect photograph.  What more can I say?

Do the Happy Dance as we celebrate the Irish heritage (in most of us).  Raise a glass to St. Patrick and St. Bridget - and enjoy your corned beef and cabbage, a pint of Guinness and good fellowship.  Slainte!!

From the Scriptorium: Snow in Britain but not Wisconsin

From the Scriptorium: Snow in Britain but not Wisconsin: I'm always fascinated when I see photographs of home, especially those which feature animals or flowers. This one makes the sheep look down...

Snow in Britain but not Wisconsin

I'm always fascinated when I see photographs of home, especially those which feature animals or flowers.  This one makes the sheep look downright frozen in place!

Here in Wisconsin, we would normally have several feet of snow on the ground right now, but the goofy weather patterns have our snow melting instead of falling.  What was a lovely winter scene is now reduced to brown grass and gritty, dirty frozen slush.  Our local ski festival had to cancel all but the last day of competition due to poor snow conditions.

Over in West Yorkshire, this photo shows a typical winter scene.  Not that much snow (in my humble opinion) but starkly beautiful none-the-less.  But just a few inches of snow snarls up traffic, shuts roads and creates a lot of ice.  Britain, after all, is an island and subject to the sea effects.  You'd think all the salt in the water would keep the ice off the roads, but NO!!

This is an incredible photo.  You can certainly see the power of Mother Nature in this frozen waterfall.  We have pictures like this here in the States, but I found this quite powerful.

In 2010, this was the scene from our back door.  It was a rollickin' good winter with lots of snow and plenty of icicles.  This one was especially fun to watch grow but Mick finally had to take it down because it was actually very dangerous. 

Climatologists tell us that as we progress through this decade, our weather here in Wisconsin will slowly turn into the same weather patterns as Southern Missouri.  I hate to think how hot it will be there! Summers can hit over 100 degrees here already, so I suppose we need to see to our air conditioner maintenance!!

This is an aerial view of St. Mary's Church in Horsham, UK.  My guess is those are people down below and not headstones.  Are they sliding down to the church hall for tea and biscuits after services?  Certainly looks cold there, doesn't it?

I'll end my wintry tale with a photograph of a bridge in York.  Lovely, isn't it?  Reminiscent of Central Park in New York City.  Perhaps all park bridges look like this in winter, perhaps not.  It only serves to remind me that no matter where you go in this world, there is always something beautiful about it.

Thanks to the BBC News for these photos.  Most are pictures taken by local folks who have captured some great scenes.  I only wish I could have been one of them!!  Good on ya, folks!!

From the Scriptorium: Book It!

From the Scriptorium: Book It!: Why all this stuff about my books? Well, I'll tell you. When I became more disabled with my Post Polio, I knew something had to change in ...