Coming in 2016.....New Books

Book News:

Coming this Summer is Book 11.  I know, hard to believe.  But this will be my first book published in two years.  I didn't take time off (well, sort of), and I will have four books coming to Smashwords.com before the end of the year, with "Three Doors of Time" published later this Summer.  This will have three stories, including the first one with Miss Lulabelle Lavinia LaFontaine getting up to tricks with her Senior Detective Agency!!  I think we will be seeing more of her in the years to come.  I'm not about to kill her off now that she's become so famous!

Next will be the three books in my Sanderson Series, "Death Across the Pond", "The 'Ghost' in Bolton Hall" and "Murder and Pasta Don't Mix" bringing up the fourth book.  The first novel in the series, "Northwoods Forest Mystery" has already been made into an eBook (available on Smashwords.com) and all four are still available through Amazon.com in paperback format if you are interested.

Then, " A Window in Time: The Marlinspike Murders" will finally get published.  My aim is to get it finished by the end of 2017, as there is a TON of research to do, as this is also an historical novel and details must be correct.  Do you like 1779 and Whitby, England?  Good, because you are going to see them in this book.

So, if you are so inclined, wander through my books on Smashwords.com and pick up one or all of them.  They aren't expensive, but I'd sure love it if you did!!!  And...you can read them on your eReader, your laptop or computer...even your phone.  Fun, huh??

Come to the Water Update

St. Paul the Apostle Church in Davenport, Iowa, began a Grief Recovery and Healing Ministry called Come to the Water in the Spring of 2015.  It was designed by Robert Wamer, as his Master's Thesis at St. Ambrose University, but it turned into much more than something on paper.  Our first ten-week program went beautifully and now we have started our next series with some of the first participants coming back, along with new people.  It meets on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM for about 90 minutes and is a welcoming, safe, loving Christian environment to help all of us deal with a loss, whether that be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or a relationship, the loss of health or something similar.  All are welcome to join us for the ten weeks.  This is a Scriptural-based program, but the denomination doesn't matter.  Please come if you are interested or send me a message at OldAuthor65@aol.com

An update:  We have successfully completed our Fifth Session with many of our original participants coming back.  It has been an amazing journey so far and it keeps getting better.  Many of us had never been exposed to some of the suffering folks deal with, especially suicide and more specifically, teenage suicide.  This is something which is pervasive in society today and for most of us, it has never touched our lives.  Now we know much more about it and it enables us to be more understanding, more empathetic to those whose lives this tragedy this has impacted.

Now we see so many hearts healed of the pain of grief and the inability to cope with such a heavy burden.  This ministry is humbling - and healing, not just for the participants but also for those of us who are companions on their journey.  We are, after all, Wounded Healers, as author Henri Nouwen has expressed in his book, "The Wounded Healer."  We have all suffered loss in some form and sometimes we have found it difficult to cope.  Often there has been no one to talk with about it, no one to listen.  And we need that to heal.  Through this program, even we have learned more about our own healing and our ability to listen, understand and feel.  We have learned how much God loves us and is here for us even through the darkest hours of our lives.  And we have truly become a family - someone who is there to listen, to support and even to have a laugh with.  And a family who does not judge or condone - a family who lets you talk and cry, then cry some more (as we cry with you).  We are here for the healing to begin.

It is said 'it is better to give than to receive' but in this case, I think we receive much more in the bargain, even though we aren't looking to receive anything.  Simply knowing we have been on this journey, listening to the hurts of our brothers and sisters and perhaps helping them work through often deep seated feelings, even from years of pain and anguish over the loss of someone or something - we find they are blessings upon blessings we never expected.

Please join us.  Bring a friend who might be hurting as well.  We are here to listen and to let you express your grief in whatever way you need to.  Christ is in our midst and He shows us how much He loves us.

Book News

Book News from Author Hugh Ashton

 

 

My friend Hugh Ashton, has written another fantastic book, entitled Leo's Luck.  I must tell you, his work is somewhat eclectic, always fascinating and great fun to read.  His published works can be found here:  HughAshtonBooks.info and the latest, Leo's Luck on Amazon at :  http://autho.it/B00ZAB5FKY?d.  His biography and web page are here:  http://221beanbakerstreet.info/author.html

 

Hugh has been my friend for several years and in that time, I have witnessed his prolific writing talents entertaining audiences worldwide.  When you get the chance, check out all the books he's written and you will see just how great they are.  If you love anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, you will find it here.  Do you love ferrets?  Just add your pipe, tweeds and deer stalker and settle in for some great reads.

 

 

 

And now, just more from me!

 

St. Katharine's School Graduation 1966

St. Katharine's School Graduation 1965

 

These are the fun memories we all have of graduation ceremonies here at St. Katharine's School.  I thought I would show you two of the years.  Okay....where am I???

 

 

 

This is St. Katharine's when it was a school.  It has certainly changed!!  Those glass front doors are strange.  They must have been a remnant of when it was a nursing home.  I would love to have that little tree in front of my apartment now.  The bottom photo is before the "renovation" took place and the property looks very sad, indeed. 



 

Now we do the best with the old gal.  Does anyone have a couple of million to sink into it??

 

That's about it for now.  "Misdirection" is coming along well.  Over 47,000 words so far and publication is still scheduled for later this year.  Then the next three in the works can be finished.  One crime/comedy, one love story and one very unusual mystery, spanning three centuries, but solved in the past....1779, 1967 and 2016.  Fascinating stuff.





In the Garden of Springtime 2015

 

In The Garden of St. Katharine's

 

Here we are again in Springtime at St. Katharine's Senior Living in Davenport, Iowa.  The photos are taken from in front of my apartment and this year we have had a fantastic display of colour.

 

 



 I thought it would be a good time to give you all an update on what's going on in my world - and do it with flowers!!!

I really love this photo.  These tulips were on their last blooming legs, but looking at them more closely, I could see some very interesting detail.  It was a windy day, so I am pleased they held still enough for me to take the photo!

 

 



Tiny Grape Hyacinths popped up in here - among the Creeping Charlie!!  So adorable!

 

 



 Right now, I'm working on five novels, but concentrating on a spy/crime mystery which has the working title of "Misdirection." Set in a contemporary world, it brings in espionage, stolen artwork and murder.  This is a tough one to write, as loads of research must go into this one and that takes time.  Locations for this fictional novel are Minnesota, Berlin, Germany and potentially the UK.  So far I have 90 pages written (1 May 2015) and will double that in the coming months.  Hopefully it will be published sometime later this summer.

Another two novels are in the works, one a murder mystery with a comedic twist and a love story, both set here at St. Katharine's.  You'll get a glimpse into the old school and how we maintain our sanity (or lack thereof) now that it's a senior living apartment complex.  Those of us who are graduates will get loads of chuckles and tears from the pages and I bring back a favourite character, Miss Lulabelle Lavinia Lafontaine (from the Sanderson Series).  She's up to her old tricks again and she's as hysterical as ever.  Yes, I know I killed her off in "Northwoods Forest Mystery" but she keeps popping up all over the place, so why not bring her back in her own story line?  HA.

This is Jade's corner of the living room, dust and all.  The lamp is clean now, but I probably should have dusted it before I took the picture!

 



My parish of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Davenport, Iowa, has started a Grief and Healing Ministry called Come to the Water.  Our first ten-week program went beautifully and now we have started our next series with some of the first participants coming back, along with new people.  It meets on Thursday evenings at 6:00 PM for about 90 minutes and is a welcoming, safe, loving environment to help all of us deal with a loss, whether that be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or a relationship, the loss of health or something similar.  All are welcome to join us for the ten weeks.  This is a Christian program, but the denomination doesn't matter.  Please come if you are interested or send me a message at OldAuthor65@aol.com.

 



I am looking forward to the remaining Spring and upcoming Summer.  I'll post some new photos once I can get out and about.

 

May you all enjoy a great time of year, filled with the rebirth of our lands and living waters.

 

Peace be with you.

 

Healing from the Pain of Grief.

I am reminded of the many people who have traveled through my life over the past sixty-six years. Many have been family, some have been friends.  A few were simply acquaintances and most were loved.  Each time someone I cared deeply for died, I felt the pangs of grief and loss, mostly for myself.  But as I became older, knowing they were now with God, it made the loss turn into joy for them and gave me a loving memory to cherish.

When Mick died last year, the shock was palpable.  Although he was in England, I felt the event as if he were right next to me and in a way, he always was, even before we met one another. Through the seizures, the dementia and all the problems in between, Mick and I were always linked and that was by faith. This is the last photo he took - his first and only "selfie."  I'm happy to have it now.  His countenance changed over the years (as all of ours do) but in this I see many things.  I see a man who is struggling with frustration but also a kind, loving man who couldn't quite put all the pieces together. Sometimes we are brought together by God to help one another and this is such an example of God's Grace.  For in this, we helped one another throughout our marriage and I see just how necessary love and understanding, plus selflessness can be.

We read in 1 Corinthians 13, v. 4 "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not boastful, it is not inflated, it is not quick tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrong-doing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things,, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails."  And the last line of this chapter is, "So Faith, Love and Hope remain, these three, and the greatest of these is Love."  This quotation is from the Catholic Study Bible.

This verse is read at at weddings and anniversaries and it's so very true.  Love should always be gentle but strong and a positive influence in our lives.  And it's this gentle spirit which stays with us throughout Eternity.  And when someone we love (and who has loved us) passes into the next realm, the love remains forever for both of us.

There are times in our lives when we have had to take care of a loved one with dementia or cancer. The road is often relentless and long, plus there are so many struggles through the illness.  As caregivers, we become worn out from the constancy of it. When this journey is over, we often feel drained and unable to cope. Sometimes the emotional pain we feel as we watch a person slip away is too overwhelming for us to bear. Often we repress it and never really deal with it until it becomes our own gnawing cancer which is spreading throughout our heart and our soul. And we try to fix the problem by making wrong choices, such as abuse of alcohol, spinning a revolving door of sex, gambling, smoking, excessive eating - and so many other dangerous choices and we continue doing it over and over again.  How can we deal with all this pain without all these things?  There is a way.

A pastor speaking on TBN recently said 'our souls need to be nourished, so we should marinate them in the Word of God.'  I found that statement quite profound.  We become so wrapped up in our own pain and often guilt, we shove these bad choices into the gaping wound left by grief, pack it tightly and try to continue living, but these things darken our souls and eventually fester into a life we never hoped to live and we continue living in sin.  But by feeding and nourishing our souls through the Word of God, these life-giving words of Scripture replace the hurt, sadness and guilt of loss we are trying to subvert with negativity. The light of God shines through the darkness of our hearts and souls to bring us the Good News and it helps us to understand the journey doesn't end here.  It ends in Heaven and those we love are there, living in Eternal Life through the promises Jesus gave us.  By His stripes we have been healed.

There are many times we are judgmental.  We pick apart someone because they aren't acting in accordance with our own sensibilities. It's a human failing we all have.  I know it's one of my own faults which I am trying (with God's help) to correct.  But there are other segments of our emotions which can be gentle, supportive and kind.  Many times we have no words to say to someone who has just lost a loved one.  Most of the times the words are blurted out of our mouths inappropriately, although we meant them to be kind and gentle - and weren't.  'Oh, I know how you feel', or 'Don't worry, you'll get over it.'  There is no time limit on grief and we all handle it individually.  The loss of a parent is a different loss than that of a spouse or that of a child.  A grandparent feels the loss of a grandchild far differently than the parents do.  Nonetheless, it's all grief, sadness and overwhelming pain.  What we CAN do for someone is to be kind.  Be there to listen.  Let this time of support be about them, in their loss and not about you.  If the pain is too overwhelming, perhaps professional counseling is needed.  There is definitely no shame in this type of help.  Because the seed of grief is often planted so deep, it takes someone who knows how to pull the seed out from its darkness and remove it, allowing love to grow in its place.  We always have those memories, but we cannot allow the pain to fester and rule our lives.  The person we lost wouldn't want us to live in loss, but in love.

The Cycle of Life continues through death and grief.  God shows us His Grace through love and understanding.  His Word is our guide to help us through this painful chapter of our lives.  And by the suffering we have had in our own lives, we can use that to help others.  Henri J.M. Nouwen's book, "The Wounded Healer" is a favorite of mine.  In it, he tells us we can help others using our own suffering as a guide.  Through our own wounds we can help heal others.  By simply being there for someone going through grief and loss, listening, not challenging, we offer ourselves as Wounded Healers to help those whose lives have been broken - heal.  Come, Holy Spirit.

Goodbye Mick

Goodbye Mick  - I miss you more.

March 1950 - June 2013

 

This is the last photograph we took in 2012.  Just one fun Sunday goofing around at the flat in Wisconsin.  Mick passed away on Saturday, June 1st in our flat in Oldham, England from a massive heart attack.  He didn't show any signs of heart problems and he was looking forward to getting the flat set up, ready to go when he could bring me home for our retirement.  Needless to say, this is a very difficult period for the entire family.  His funeral was at Holy Family in Hollinwood on the 21st of June and attended by family and some of our friends.  Burial was in Moston at the family plot in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

 

 

This photo was taken outside our flat in Wisconsin during summer of 2010.  We loved it there.

 

 

 

This photo was taken in Portmeirion, Wales with Mick's brothers Kevin (left), Austin (middle) and Mick (right).  We had such a great time there.  It was May of 1997 and Mick still had his beard.

 



This photo was taken in Medjugorje in 1998 on our  honeymoon.   We loved the outdoor café close to the church.  Their coffee was fantastic!!

 

To say we are all in the Twilight Zone is an under statement.  But I know for a fact Mick is fine, enjoying his new journey and in a place he longed to be..... We often talked about Heaven, trusting in God and knowing this was our goal.  He has made his presence known to me in many ways and I can sense his joy and happiness. Now he can look after all the people he loved in Heaven and pull a pint with Jesus, which he often said he would do one day.

 

He was certainly an original...gone but never forgotten....until the next time....I miss you more.



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.