World Walking

Book Review: TULAROSA

2012-01-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

TULAROSA The first Kevin Kerney mystery

Michael McGarrity

W.W.Norton, 1996

ISBN 978-0-393-33399-2

Kevin Kerney, Santa Fe chief of detectives, was wounded in the line-of-duty due to the carelessness of his partner, Navajo Terry Yazzi. Three years later, he’s still battling back from the wounds and from resentment toward his former partner. However, when Terry begs Kevin's help in finding his lost son whom the army says has gone AWOL, he agrees to look for the young man. Sammy, after all, is Kevin’s godson, too. The trail leads Kevin into mortal danger yet again as he follows scant leads. Mostly, he finds a cover-up by the army officers who should be helping, except for Captain Sara Brannon. Together, they discover an international band of smugglers who’ve found a treasure in Civil War loot on the White Sands Missile Range. Murder is the smuggler’s favorite way to keep a secret.

Though written several years ago, the story still seems up-to-date, as though it could be happening right now. Description of setting is excellent, the characters, even secondary ones, are fully realized, and the plot itself provides for real page-turning excitement.

Winter Newsletter

2011-11-30T18:39:00.001-08:00

Holiday greetings, everyone.

My gosh, has it really been THAT long since I sent a newsletter around? The last was on July 31st, and now Thanksgiving is already behind us and Christmas rapidly approaching. I haven't even begun my shopping. In fact, I've barely thought of Christmas! I imagine there are among you several who are all prepared. (Ready Envy here)

In my last newsletter, I wrote about the Cherry Bounce I made with Green Bluff Bing cherries. The time is drawing nigh when it's ready for sampling. Sure looks good, I can tell you that. A beautiful color. I need to put it in a pretty carafe before gift giving.

Also in my last letter I showed a picture of the beautiful addition to our family, Houdini. Well, he's still a Houdini, escaping to somewhere if he so desires. Odd that he can just disappear before our very eyes as he's getting to be a big boy. Justin says he doesn't believe we have a cat, although he doesn't see a reason for the litter box, if not.

Oh, for those of you with cats....a clerk at Petco passed on the best tip regarding litter boxes, so I'm telling everyone too. Don't bother with regular litter. It's expensive and starts stinking almost immediately. Instead, go to your nearest Aslin-Finch outlet and pick up a 40# bag of horse stall bedding. If you change the litter once a week, the bag will last about five weeks or so, (depending on number of cats) it doesn't scatter over the house on the cat's feet, and, since it's made of little wood pellets, it absorbs odors. Best stuff ever! And it's a very good deal. Only $5.99 for the 40# bag.

Anyway, here are a couple pics of Houdini. At eight pounds already, it looks like he's going to be a pretty good-sized cat. He loves to get in the cupboard and sleep in my big soup pot. Or go into Gary's bathroom and curl up in the sink. Hey! I never said he wasn't a little weird.

There's not much new on the writing scene. I'm still plugging away on the contemporary mystery. Slow, but I think it might be pretty good. I've got an apocalyptic fantasy out making the rounds, along with the fifth Boothenay Irons book, titled Gone Rogue. I hope it can find a good home. And I'm waiting for production to begin on the third China Bohannon book, Three Seconds to Thunder, due out early next year. Of course Nimble, the Bedlington terrier, is in there.

I'm judging in the First Novel category for the Western Writers of America Spur Awards. I've had 21 entries so far, and look for many more before the contest closes on December 31st. Oh, my poor eyes!

Joyce Nowacki, a writer friend of mine, and I are sharing a booth at the East Valley High School Winter Craft Fair this coming weekend where we're selling (I hope) our books. If you get a chance, drop by and say howdy. Don't forget, books make excellent gifts, and if you're getting someone a Kindle reader (love mine) or Nook or any of the many other reading devices, why not load it up with my books? They're available at all the main online dealers. Here's the gen on the craft fair.

December 3 - 4, 2011

East Valley Arts & Craft Fair

East Valley High School

15711 E. Wellesley Ave.

Spokane Valley, WA

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. each day

Hope to see some of you there.

And now, it's back to writing and planning our booth display.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Carol

Smoking Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

2011-11-25T15:26:00.001-08:00

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I can't say as this is a mystery, although it's shelved as a mystery at my library. I always enjoy the story while I'm reading a Stephanie Plum, but I find I forget the plot almost as soon as I close the book. I hate to say that while I no longer buy this Janet Evanovich series, I do still check them out from the library.

View all my reviews

2011-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Summer Newsletter

2011 Summer Edition
C.K. CRIGGER'S NEWSLETTER

Here's a pic of the newest Crigger family member, Houdini. After Lily died in February, we said we weren't going to get another cat, but who could possibly resist this little green-eyed white Persian? Not us. Anyway, a house seems incomplete without a cat. Houdini has decided Jingle is his mommy, not that she's always pleased by his attention, and since she just had surgery, we have to watch him. Meanwhile, he holds his own against Tomasella and Roper just fine.

It's cherry season on Greenbluff, and Gary and I have made two trips to pick Bings, Rainiers, and pie cherries. Do I love pitting cherries? No, but... Part of the problem is that last year just as the season ended, I found a recipe for Cherry Bounce. For our first picking I used vodka and made a batch. Then I read a recipe that uses bourbon, so I had to go pick more cherries. Darn that Martha Washington anyway! But I only made a jar of it. She made the stuff by the barrel. Can't wait for Christmas for a taste.

This month Gary and I are celebrating our anniversary. Our son Justin is throwing barbecue for us, but the best part is that he and Wendi are getting married on that day also. Kind of cool. At least we won't forget each others anniversary.

My old laser printer--such an antique workhorse--isn't compatible with my new computer system, so I broke down and bought a 4-in-1 this week. Good grief, one needs to be a genuine geek to work the thing! But I love that it's wireless and that the only cable I have running to the Mac is the power cord. Love my wireless network, which I set up all by my little old self. The router and cable modem are in another room hooked up to the old PC, so I don't even have to look at them. Hah!

Now to writing stuff. First of all,I'll be selling TWO FEET BELOW and my other books at the Rockford Farmers Market next Saturday, August 6th, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. That's in Rockford's city park right along the highway. Hope to see some of you there.

I've been hitting the guest blog circuit promoting TWO FEET BELOW. Here are links to some of my thoughts on writing and such if you'd like to take a look.
1.http://www.paulapetty.com/paulas-coppers.html

2.http://wwwthouhtfulreflections.blogspot.com/2011/06/discovering-ck-criggers-newest-novel.html

3.http://www.cncbooks.com/blog/2011/06/30/inspiration-and-writers/comment-page-1/#comment-74064

Just got a great review for LETTER OF THE LAW after all this time. It's from a lady who seems to read a lot of romance--erotic romance at that--so I'm tickled she likes my absolutely NOT erotic stuff.

Book Utopia: Letter of the Law by C.K. Crigger

Great news! The third book of my China Bohannon series (1890s bookkeeper turned sleuth) has been accepted by Oak Tree Press. The title of this one is THREE SECONDS TO THUNDER. Not sure when it'll be out, but I hope you'll keep your eye peeled for it. Well, I expect I'll announce it here, too, probably several times.

Meanwhile, I'm about ready to shop around an apocalyptic novel, as well as another fantasy. I keep picking at the plots though, so who knows when I'll be satisfied with them? I thought they'd both be done ages ago. I'm actively working on a contemporary mystery, so I'm keeping busy and out of trouble.

I've also agreed to judge for the Western Writers of America Spur Awards again this year. I'll be looking for the Best First Novel. Hope there are lots of entries.

That's it for now.
Carol

www.ckcrigger.com
TWO FEET BELOW (China Bohannon western suspense)

2011-07-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Free western novel offered.

I've just put my previously out of print western novel, THE WINNING HAND, up for free via the Smashwords website. You can get Kindle editions there, too. This offer is good through July 31. Enjoy.

Carol

http://www.Smashwords.com/books/view/56460

2011-07-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

There's a new post on my "Adventures of Miss China Bohannon" blog. To read about some of the technology China uses in 1896, go towww.twofeetbelow.blogspot.com

Carol

www.ckcrigger.com

2011-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

There's a new post on my "Adventures of Miss China Bohannon" blog. To read about some of the technology China uses in 1896, go to www.twofeetbelow.blogspot.com

2011-05-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

MOM: I Wish I Knew.

My mom's been gone more than twenty years, her life cut short by pancreatic cancer. I'll always believe being downwind of the nuclear experiments at Hanford played a large part in her early death as a great many women of around her age died close to the same time. Of course, our government has always denied the possibility so that's that.

Anyhow, she went too soon, especially since her parents and her grandparents all lived into their 90s. One of her brothers made it that long, too, but the other, like Mom, died early, also like her, of cancer.

But tomorrow is Mother's Day, and here in the flesh or not, I wish I could talk to her. I wish I could still send her the card I'd picked out for her. I selected two that year in a flush of optimism, and saved one. Sometimes I look at it and think of her. In fact, I think of both my parents often--more often now than when I was younger and I long for a real, meaningful conversation. My dad, although he kept a few heavy secrets from his children as we grew up, was still more open than Mom. Sometimes, as he got old, he even went so far as to say he loved me. Who would've guessed?

See, I can't remember my mom ever saying she loved me. Not once. I don't remember a hug or a kiss. Did she? I wish I knew. I hope she did, I think she did, but she just didn't find it easy to say. I don't tell my kids I love them often enough either. But I do, with all my heart and soul. I hope they know. I think they do.

Never once, as over those months it took her to die, did she say she was scared. She never said she hurt. She never said she was angry. She never said she'd miss us and that she wished she could stay with us longer. Did she tell my dad these things? I wish I knew. If she did, he never told us, but in the years before HE died, he made certain his estate was in order, that everything was set up for all of the children to share equally, and he made it--I hesitate to use this word but--he made it easy for us.

As much as I wish I knew things like this, would I ask her now, if given the chance? All I can say is, I don't know.

One of my best memories of Mom concerns my own son when he was around four years old. I won't go into the incident, but suffice it to say, in what she did that day, she also taught me a lesson in strong, level-headed compassion and I bless her for it.

My mom loved to read. Would she be proud that I'm an author? She never particularly encouraged me, but in the end, I didn't need anybody else. Maybe that's the gift she gave me, when you think about it.

She hated wind, loved roses, was afraid of horses. She tolerated hound dogs, but I'll bet she would've liked my troop of little dogs. She really loved her cats. She liked to eat and stay up late. I think she liked Christmas and having us around. I think she got lonely out on the farm because she never got over her fear of driving and so she didn't--not after she about put me and my little sister through the windshield when Delaine was about two. And so she was stuck, dependent on the goodwill of others when it came to going anywhere.

Anyway, happy Mother's Day, Mom. Whatever I am, you helped make me that way, for better or worse.

2011-04-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Easter Newsletter

Happy Easter, everyone. Here's hoping the sun is shining where you are, and that flowers are blooming.

Gary has the garden worked up (in between rains) and we're champing at the bit, ready to start gardening. We're planting three kinds of spuds this year, Yukon Gold, Red Norland, and purple (I forgot the variety). Seems forever since I had really good produce.

Over the last three horrible winters, many of my roses died, so I'm having to replace those, too. Gads! Has anyone noticed how expensive roses from Jackson & Perkins have gotten? I've had to go for bare root oldies from Lowes, I'm afraid.

A lot has happened in my writing life since my last newsletter. Two Feet Below has now been released by Oak Tree Press, and my Kindle edition of Three Stories From the Northwest, (Western stories, Aldy Neal's Ghost, Henderson's Horse Deal, and Ask Parrot) has gone live on Amazon.com. I'm currently busy formatting Three Stories and The Winning Hand to publish on Smashwords.com for e-readers other than Kindle.

I'm also shopping around an apocalyptic novel, and the fifth entry in the Boothenay Irons--Gunsmith series. This is the nerve-wracking part. Are either of them any good? Will a publisher want to take a chance on publishing them? Erk! Please cross your fingers for me.

I've set up a blog page for China Bohannon, my bookkeeper turned sleuth from One Foot on the Edge and Two Feet Below. I try to add posts on this'n that now and again. Check it out for the photos of Bedlington terriers that owners of the breed were kind enough to send me. China has a Bedlington, you know, who has earned a place in the stories. The link to the blog is below.

Meanwhile, to promote my new release, I've been appearing on various blogs. That's always fun. And I need to do a launch party forTwo Feet Below although I'm not quite sure how to go about it. The first real sale day set up so far (I plan on lots more) is at the Rathdrum Farmer's Market on May 7 at the Rathdrum, Idaho city park. Hope it doesn't rain. Rain and books don't fit well together, aside from the fact I'm easily frozen.

If anyone needs a speaker for a group, please let me know.

This coming Tuesday, April 26, I'll be at Auntie's Bookstore in downtown Spokane with several other authors. Our stories are in the new mystery anthology from Dark City Books and we'll be reading from our work. The book's title is Spokane Is Still Deader Than Dead; my story is The Whereabouts of Miss Nellie Thistlewaite.The reading is from 7 - 9 p.m. Hope to see some of you there.

Here's hoping the Easter bunny brings you lots of chocolate this Sunday. Don't know if you want jelly beans. According to the new movie, HOP, the bunny poops those out in flavors like watermelon. Who knew bunnies were so talented?

Best of the season.

Carol

www.ckcrigger.com

TWO FEET BELOW (2nd China Bohannon western suspense)

2011-03-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a copy of my spring newsletter. If anyone would like to be put on my mailing list, please let me know.

Spring is coming folks, no matter that it's snowing outside my window just now. The tulips are a couple inches high, a few bright yellow crocus are blooming, and the nurseries say they'll have seed spuds in next week. Yay!

I'm a little later than planned with this newsletter because in late January I had to buy a new computer. Between Best Buy and my husband, I was persuaded to go Mac, this time. Oh, yeah. It's got some very nice features. Got some weird ones, too. For instance, I have a terrible time updating my website, and I can no longer connect to my AOL chat groups. Oh, woe is me.

I have been so fortunate as to acquire three books in the last week. 1) Pecos Valley Revival, by Alice Duncan.

2) Strong at the Break, by Jon Land

3) Got No Friend Anyhow, by Peggy Ehrhart

All three look great and I can't wait to get to them. I've got a batch to review for Roundup Magazine first.

We've recently learned my husband has diabetes, type 2. Getting that man out to walk is impossible, and the diet thing is hard,too. Anybody have good ideas on how to manage that? Meanwhile, I have low blood sugar. Hmm. And never the twain shall meet.

Santa Gary did bring me a Kindle for Christmas and I'm loving it. When I'm having a low vision day, I can touch a little button and hey, presto! the font increases in size. Consequently, I bundled three of my out of print western short stories into one file and published it as a Kindle book. Only 99 cents, if anyone would like to give it a try. If you type in my name on Amazon.com, my books come up. In a few days, since they're still processing the file, you'll find it there under the title, THREE STORIES OF THE NORTHWEST.

Bad news, for anyone who knows me. My little writing buddy, Lily, had to be put to sleep on February 7th. Our house is lonely without her, even with the three dogs, but she just couldn't overcome the hyper-thyroidism and wasted away. She lived 16 years, 7 months, and 9 days, bless her heart. Sometimes it's hard to type, I'm so used to bowing my arms around her as we sat at the keyboard.

My friend B.J. Campbell and I are taking the plunge yet again and corroborating on a booth at the Central Valley H.S. Spring Craft show taking place this weekend. Here's the scoop:

CK & BJ's Story Shop, presented at Central Valley Spring Craft Sale, features FREE RESOURCES FOR WRITERS of Fiction & Non-fiction. CK Crigger brings her western suspense novel, One Foot on the Edge, for signing. BJ Campbell signs her Non-fiction, North Idaho outdoorsman adventure,CLOSE CALLS: The True Tales of Cougar Bob. In the Story Shop, both authors offer Free Critique of 1-page double-spaced manuscript. Writers, come in and Talk Shop. March 12 (9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.); March 13 (9:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M.), 821 S Sullivan Rd, Spokane Valley, WA.

I hope some of you might come visit our booth (#66) and find some bargains at the other craft booths as well. It should be fun.

Meanwhile, I do have a little more writing news. One of my short stories will be in Dark City Books 2011 anthology titled, SPOKANE IS STILL DEADER THAN DEAD. Due out in April, my story is "The Whereabout of Miss Nellie Thistlewaite."

Also, TWO FEET BELOW, the second book in my China Bohannon series, has gone to print. I'm not just sure when it'll be released, but should be soon. Here's the back cover blurb. This one features a character from my first western, Liar's Trail. Sawyer and Gincy Kennett, long married now, have need of a good detective or three and the Doyle & Howe agency answers the call. And of course, Nimble, the Bedlington terrier, makes an appearance.

Smart and sassy 1890s bookkeeper turned sleuth China Bohannon is a magnet for danger. Assigned to office duties in the Doyle & Howe detective agency, she lands smack in the middle of the detective’s latest murder case when a suspicious character tries to bribe her—and she takes the bribe! In an adventure that is destined to go downhill from there, China is thrown overboard from a steamboat into Coeur d’Alene Lake to drown. Escaping that, she’s arrested on charges of prostitution in the wild mining town of Wallace, Idaho. Worse, her handsome boss, Gratton Doyle, doesn’t see eye-to-eye with her when it comes to determining the leading suspect. Proving her point takes getting shot when, bloodied though unbowed, China wins a fight more suited to skid road loggers than a proper Victorian lady.

Cover picture is below.

Guess that's it for now. Hope to see some of you at the craft show this weekend.

Carol

www.ckcrigger.com

2011-01-23T14:03:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny?

One of our newspaper features editors grubs into the archives every day and uses an item that was news fifty, seventy-five, or one hundred years ago. As a western/historical +writer, I love the older stories. Yesterday's feature announced the first American-born Chinese had registered to vote. Did he get respect, for his courage if nothing else? Not to speak of. In those days, the newspaper reporter felt free to make fun of the man, glossing over his citizenship by using pidgin English. Yeah, for shame. However, what struck me as serendipitous on my end was that in my fifth Boothenay Irons time-travel tale, I used this very ploy, and had gone over that scene in the manuscript the night before. No big deal. Just kind of odd.

2010-10-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the blurb for my latest release. This is an expanded version of the book that was a 2009 Spur Award finalist in the audio category.

Letter Of The Law by C. K. Crigger

ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-755-7 (Electronic)

ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-761-8 (Paperback)

There’s only one person in town brave enough to step in and take over for the sheriff when he’s shot, and that’s his wife.

Diggett Monroe’s gang of outlaws is set to overrun the town of Endurance, Idaho, and claim it for their own. They start by ambushing Sheriff Pelham Birdsall, leaving him for dead, lying in a pool of blood.

But Birdsall, thanks to his young wife Delight, doesn’t die, and as she strives to get him back on his feet in time for the inevitable, swiftly approaching showdown, more and more of the sheriff’s duties fall on her shoulders. Can Delight, assisted by an unlikely deputy—a former prisoner and the only man willing to step up and help—and a three-legged dog, find a way to vanquish the outlaws and save the town?

Order at:

http://www.amazon.com/Letter-Law-C-K-Crigger/dp/1602727619/ref=sr_1_10?s=books

http://www.amberquillpress.com/

2010-10-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Big Deal Over Halloween

Okay. I don't understand it. How did Halloween become such a big deal, almost a rival for Christmas? At the same time that adults have taken over with their costumes and parties, the kids' celebration (although what the hay they're celebrating escapes me. Bah, humbug!)has abated. Many of them are relegated to puny parties at the mall or in a church basement, with schools no longer allowing festivities. Trick or treating, so we're told, is so dangerous children can't be allowed to leave home without bodyguards.

Life has sure turned around from when I was a kid. TV news stations have been reporting that around 50% of the population spends between 35 and 50 dollars for a Halloween costume. A whole bunch spend over $100. Can you believe it? To dress up like a hooker or a political party figure or a hotdog for a few hours on a single night? I think they're nuts. Surely in these hard economic times money could be put to better use, like buying my books! (Check my list out at http://ckcrigger.com/) LETTER OF THE LAW was released this month in print and e-book.

When I was a kid, we had a party at school. About an hour before school released for the day, we'd all retire to the restrooms where we dressed up in whatever we could find at home for a costume, parade around the school so everyone could see us, then end up in our home room for punch and cupcakes decorated with candy corn that the room mothers brought in. It was fun, even though I always went as a gypsy. As a country girl whose mother never drove, the only time in my life I ever went trick or treating is once when my older sister and I walked the mile or so to my grandparents. Grandma made the best darn doughnuts! I don't know how, osmosis maybe, but she always seemed to have them or some other excellent goodie available.
I never do.

Anyway, I enjoy the kids, especially the little ones, who knock on my door on Halloween night. It's so much fun to see their costumes, and while I may never have had the same experience, I enjoy buying them a candy bar. I just wish I could better plan the quantity I need to buy so I'm not left with bags left over. I don't need it! But some years we have 30 come around and some years we have ten. No rhyme nor reason.

I must say my dogs don't care for Halloween night and the door bell ringing and a bunch of strangers disturbing their nap time on my lap, but I take care they're safe, too. My bichon has her leash on, and the other two spend a couple hours in their crates. I take no chances with my "kids".

Take care and have fun, ya'll.

2010-10-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

Newsletter—Autumn

From the desk of C.K.Crigger

I’m running behind on sending out my periodic newsletter. In my own defense, I’ve been busy with the edits and galleys of LETTER OF THE LAW, now available in print as well as in audio. The e-book version is up and running on the Amber Quill Press website, and will be ready to order in paperback around mid-month.

As if that wasn’t enough, I also prepared and delivered a mini-workshop on creating Taglines, Hooks, Blurbs, and Query Letters for the Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers group. Good feedback coming in on that one, and I have a presentation planned on Plotting the Novel for Idaho Writer’s League in November. If anyone belongs to a group in need of a speaker, I’m available. Check out the list of topics on my website. http://ckcrigger.com

I expect to begin edits of the second China Bohannon historical mystery/suspense series very soon. It’s contracted to Oak Tree Press. OTP is a new publisher for me and I’m expecting great things.

Have you all had your yearly flu shot yet? Better get at it. I got mine at the Albertson’s (Savon) pharmacy in Millwood on Friday, and the fellow that gives the injection is quite deft. Didn’t hurt at all—until later.

If you read the bestseller lists, I’m sure you’ve noticed the Stieg Larsson books (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest) have been on the NYTimes list, Amazon’s list, and just about every other list you can think of for more than a year. Finally, having heard pros and cons about the books, I finally took the plunge and read them. I enjoyed the series greatly, although I’m not sure I think they deserve quite all the hoopla. Perhaps the fact the author passed away right after delivering the books to his publisher influenced a sympathy audience. Although I thought the books worth my time, I must admit there were whole sections on Swedish politics, as well as repetitive parts that I barely scanned. When the story focused on Elizbet Solanger and Blomqvist, I was riveted. I do recommend them.

By the way, does an Oprah’s Book Club sticker influence you? I tried a couple of her picks and didn’t finish either one. I find I demand something going on in the books I read. Give me intriguing, personable characters and some real action every time. Your mileage may differ.

I’ve been asked what I’m writing now…Well, I’ve returned to the Gunsmith series. Without revealing anything of the plot, Boothenay is comparing an Asian man she meets, circa 1910s, to the way a caricaturized Charlie Chan speaks in the movies from the 40s, which is pigeon. Or so I thought. Those movies were old when I saw them a long time ago and so, even with this small detail, I was drawn into another layer of research. You can find Charlie Chan movies on the Internet, so then I got caught in a trap of my own making. Who can resist spending an hour to two watching…er…researching that kind of stuff? Not me.

Anybody besides me still harvesting tomatoes? I’ll soon have to pick everything left on the vine since we’re already late on our killing frost, and then I’m going to preserve them. I never can stuff anymore. Usually I just slip the skins and freeze tomatoes, but last year I found a recipe that soft dries them in the oven. Slice the ‘maters, place them on parchment paper, sprinkle with olive oil and a little kosher salt, and dry at low heat for a couple hours. You can even use these in salads! If anyone wants the complete recipe, shoot me an email ckcww@aol.com and put Dried Tomato Recipe in the subject line.

I expect I've nattered on long enough.

Later everyone. Stay well.

Carol

2010-10-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

On Public Speaking

I have a dickens of a time working up my nerve to speak publicly. Horrible thoughts run through my mind. Here are a few of them....

What are you doing, you fool? What makes you think you have anything worth saying? Can you even remember what you're supposed to be speaking about? How does your hair look? Are your hands noticeably trembling? OMG! Did your Spanx just roll up around your waist?

In my saner moments I do know I've learned a lot about writing over the years, and am willing to try to pass some of it on for others' benefit. Can I remember what I meant to say? Well, I have notes. Reading notes is better than staring blankly, totally mute, into a sea of faces, isn't it? My hands may certainly be trembling--I'll just tell everyone my Parkinson's has gotten worse. That's the ticket. (Yes, my doctor says I may be in the beginning stages, but I've had no tests. Don't want to know.) My hair? Oh, to perdition with it. I've had crappy hair all my life. And my Spanx? It'll force me to watch my posture and stand up straight. Then it'll be fine.

I'm speaking to a fairly large group this coming Thursday on the subject of taglines, hooks, and queries. My nerves are already getting to me and yet, I'm looking forward to it. What a person of contradictions I am.

This isn't my first venture into public speaking. I've done smaller women's groups and libraries, but, aside from making a pitch to the Western Writers of America folk and persuading the group to come to Spokane for the 2005 convention, it is the biggest.

Please, wish me luck. I'll try not to make an ass out of myself.

2010-06-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you, little one. This is my kitty's sweet sixteen birthday, and although she'd gotten terribly thin and scant of hair--considering she's a Persian--along with arthritis in the hindquarters, she keep sleeps at the foot of my bed, keeps me constant company as I write, and even wants to play occasionally. She's always been an indoor cat, which I am convinced has kept her alive all these years. We're visited by coyotes and red-tail hawks where we live, a constant worry for outdoor cats.

I'm feeding her chicken breast nowadays along with her dry "beans", hoping it'll put an ounce or two onto her tiny frame.

My allergist tried to talk me into getting rid of her, because I test allergic to cats. Well, phooey on that. We bonded on the way home when I got her, and nothing has changed. She gave me hives for the first three months after adoption, but I finally developed a sort of immunity, and haven't had hives since.

Love her to pieces and hope she's with me many more years.

2010-06-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

My daughter-in-law graduated college last night, a product of SCC's School of Nursing. I just want to state right here in front of God and everybody, how much I respect and admire her accomplishments. She never received her high school diploma via the regular route, but earned her GED about the same time her classmates were graduating the old-fashioned way. Years have passed since then. She and my son have four children, with all the work that entails. Sometimes, hearing what goes on in their lives I can't help but think of a particularly out-of-control soap opera. But with all that, she wore the gold cords and sashes denoting scholastic excellence (3.5+ grade point throughout the 5 1/2 years), plus she was her class representative at the pinning ceremony, which she organized, creating a power-point slide show of the school years, creating and printing the programs, decorating the space, arranging the cake and punch gathering afterward, and writing and delivering three separate speeches. This woman is a force to be reckoned with, a human dynamo, a role model for all women, young, middle-aged, or...er...older. Congratulations, Angela.

2010-04-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

History Lesson

Our local newspaper is in the habit of running a short history factoid on the the weather page every day. On Saturday they ran one that stated so much dust became airborne over Kansas and Iowa on April 10, 1935 that schools and the highway were closed. Many of the horrific consequences of the dust bowl were blamed not only on an aberration in the climate, but also on misuse of the land.

FYI, I am a farmer's daughter. No, I've never driven cat (a Caterpillar tractor, which were used in our area during the "old"days. Now farmers use wheeled tractors.), and the only time I drove the Johnny Popper (a John Deere wheel tractor) I drove it into the ditch. Even so, as a child, farming became ingrained within me. Part of my soul. It still is.

I hesitate to date myself, but I remember bringing projects home from school during the 50s that advocated good farming practices. In our tiny rural school system, even the girls were taught about crop rotation, the need to summer fallow to conserve moisture, and to plow around a hill, not up and over, to prevent erosion. Smart new farming methods became the norm. I can't imagine such a thing being taught in today's schools, can you?

Next time you take a drive and see the fields burgeoning with crops destined to feed the world, spare a thought for the farmer and his dependency on climate; too much rain, not enough rain, rain at the wrong time. Too cold, too hot, too windy. The lessons learned from the dust bowl years will surely prevent such a catastrophe from happening again, but I, for one, appreciate a reminder now and then.

2010-04-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here's my spring newsletter...

Happy Spring, everyone. Seems like it's been a long time getting here.

The hubster and I got to talking about how we miss the spring wild flowers, buttercups, bluebells, and what we used to call Easter lilies, but which I think are a kind of wood violet. Anyway, after seeing an article in the paper about swans and mallards out at the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, we piled in the 'Ru and drove out there. No swans or ducks, or even a measely deer, but we did find buttercups and bluebells. Did our hearts good. I've attached a couple of pictures in case you might like to see them.

Last newsletter I had a little health tip that brought a good response. Here's one on strokes that some of you may not have seen, and if you have seen it before, a reminder never hurts. I keep a Post-it on the side of my computer tower so I don't forget.Three years ago this month Gary had an episode, although the docs said his was a TIA. Whatever, the symptoms were nearly the same, except he lost consciousness. Anyway, here are the STROKE IDENTIFICATION SIGNS:
1. Can the affected person smile?
2. Can s/he talk and say a simple sentence?
3. Can s/he raise both arms?
4. Can s/he stick her/his tongue straight out without it falling to one side or the other?
The good news is that even with these symptoms, provided the person gets help within three hours, a total reverse of damage is possible.

My western novel, THE WINNING HAND, went out of print from the publisher, so a few weeks ago I asked for and got a reversion of rights. I tried my hand at reformatting to Amazon Kindle specifications, and now the book is available as a Kindle E-book on Amazon. The url is http://tinyurl.com/ygvd2hn. As it happens, I have a box of the print copies from Behler Publishing yet to sell. Anyway, I've had an historical novel, suitable for age twelve through adult, stuck away for years and intend on putting that one on Kindle too. I'll have to concoct a cover for it first, a chore for an artistically challenged old broad like me.

No Kindle? Well, me either, although I'd love one, but Amazon conveniently gives away reading software to download onto your computer, your iPhone, or Blackberry.

Also, after a year and a half, the Western Writers of American anthology is promised for May. The title is still Roundup! Great Stories of the West, but it'll be for 2010 instead of 2009. My story is called LEFT BEHIND. The book will be available through any bookstore.

I've worked up a new presentation that I think libraries, service clubs, readers groups and even schools might enjoy. It's a group workshop that will guide participants through plotting a novel, developing characters, and writing a query to hook agents, editors, and readers. Should be fun even for non-writers. Contact me if you have a group interested.

Here are the titles of a few books I've read lately that really struck my fancy. TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG by Connie Willis, an innovative time-travel with a murderless mystery that'll have you laughing out loud. (Of course I'm fond of time-travels. I'm working on the fifth Boothenay Irons Gunsmith book right now.) WHAT REMAINS OF HEAVEN by C.S. Harris, a Regency mystery with excellent characters. A BAD DAY FOR SORRY by Sophie Littlefield, a funny but serious...hmmm...not sure what to call it, suspense novel comes closest, I guess, but the middle-aged woman protag is someone I sure wish I'd invented. WHISKEY KILLS by Johnny D. Boggs, one of the new kind of westerns that everyone should enjoy. This is his second book using a reservation policeman back in the bad old days. Just won a Spur Award, and well-deserved.

I don't want to keep you too long, so will bring this to an end.

Enjoy the blue skies (when we have them), the green grass, and the spring flowers.

Until next time,

Carol
www.ckcrigger.com

2010-01-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

I just received a new review of my 2008 Eppie Winner, Black Crossing. My thanks to Book Utopia! Here it is:

Friday, January 22, 2010

Black Crossing by C.K. Crigger
TITLE: Black Crossing
AUTHOR: C.K. Crigger
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill
LENGTH: Novel (roughly 62k)
GENRE: Western
COST: $7.00
When Marshal TJ Osgood rides into Black Crossing for his first day on the job, he’s greeted by the swinging body of a seventeen-year-old boy arrested, tried, and sentenced just the day before. He’d been accused of timber jumping, but his friend – TJ’s new deputy – claims he was innocent. So does the dead boy’s mother, but the man they’re all pointing fingers at not only owns the town, but is the man who sought TJ out and gave him a job. Now, TJ needs to find out what really happened, and set the story straight…

Every time I read a western, I ask myself, “Why don’t I read more of these than I do?” And I don’t know the answer to that. Because I quite often walk away from a finished book in this genre with warm feelings and a smile on my face. This book was no different.

The plot itself is not anything wholly original. Osgood is the new marshal in a town controlled by someone corrupt, and ends up caught in the middle of freeing the town from his tyranny and the man with the power to destroy him. At forty, Osgood is almost past his prime as a lawman, and his body is rebelling. He was shot in the leg just prior to coming to Black Crossing, Idaho, and that hobbling in many ways acts as a metaphor for what holds him back throughout the story. He’s made mistakes, and is unwilling to make those kind of mistakes again, a trait that’s hugely admirable and makes it very easy to empathize with him. It also places him in the underdog position, so even though he’s the one with the badge, he’s the one the reader holds his breath for throughout the story, time and time again.

His characterization isn’t the only well-rounded one. By far, the majority of the cast becomes a realistic individual almost from the moment they’re introduced. There’s Benny Tompko, his naïve but moral deputy. There’s Ione Gilpatrick, the mother of the dead boy, who has a fierce spirit and sense of honor that shine off the page. Even the minor character of Magda, Benny’s mother and a feminine presence to counter so many of the men, is warm and inviting. If I have any complaints about the characters, it would only be that the evil guys lack the same sort of depths the good guys do. However, I fully recognize this is a western trope, and so I was far more forgiving of this during the course of my reading.

The prose itself has a quiet intensity that keeps the action focused and the forward momentum strong and even. I didn’t care for the author’s propensity to turn “whoa” into a verb, as in “He whoaed his horse…” but aside from that niggle, I breezed through this. There is rarely a lag in the pacing, and while there are some romantic elements introduced to the story, they are very minor. They add just enough interest for those readers who might want that kind of emotional depth, without becoming the focus for any one of the characters to distract the readers who might prefer this based on its genre. I wouldn’t mind revisiting the town of Black Crossing again, if the author ever chose to pick it up again. Some of its residents almost felt like family when I turned the last page.
Readability
9/10 – A quiet intensity to its pacing keeps this going along
Characterization
8/10 – Some of the secondary characters aren’t quite as rich as the leads, but there’s a rustic realism to almost everyone that adds to the charm.
Plot
7/10 – While not wholly original, there’s enough action and likable characters to keep the forward momentum strong.
Entertainment value
8/10 – I cared enough about everyone to want to see this through to the end.
World building
9/10 – There’s grit in every scene.
TOTAL:
41/50

2009-10-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging all this week at Novelspot. Come on over and see what I've got say about my path to publication.
How I came to be in print Novelspot

2009-07-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

July Newsletter--Drawing for a Book

July Greetings…

To celebrate summer, my favorite season, (I’m a Leo, so of course it is) I’m giving away a couple copies of my new historical suspense, ONE FOOT ON THE EDGE. Simply e-mail me with EDGE in the subject line and I’ll enter you in the drawing. Entry time runs from July 15 – August 15. Jing, my bichon frise on whom the dog in the story is based, will set her paw on the winning names. And while I’m hoping for a short review, I certainly don’t demand one. The first chapter is up on my website at www.ckcrigger.com and click on excerpts.

I’ll soon be updating my website, with info on a couple Internet radio shows I’ll be doing this month. Maybe you can tune in.

Also, if any readers/women’s/library/service groups in my area (you know who you are) are in need of a speaker, contact me via email and we’ll set something up. I do talks on Turning Fact into Fiction, Talking Western, Nuts and Bolts of Preparing Your MS for Publication, and Every Book Needs a Dog.

Until next month…

Good luck on the drawing.

P.S. I haven’t found a great new cake recipe lately, but I made a heck of a good Blueberry Cream Pie from a combination of a couple old receipts. That’s old-timey talk for recipes, but you probably knew that.
.
Carol

2009-06-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

June Newsletter

Things have been a little slow at my house these past couple months. I've been working hard at revising my audio title, LETTER OF THE LAW,(2009 Spur Award Finalist in audio) for submission to print publishers. I'm adding new scenes to the story and sharpening (I hope) some of the dialogue. It'll soon be ready and I'll begin the querying process again.

Meanwhile, I have a two book signing events for ONE FOOT ON THE EDGE set up in June. The first is Saturday, June 13, at the Spokane Valley Hastings. 15312 E. Sprague, from 1 - 3 pm. Hope anyone who is within distance can drop by. The second will be Saturday afternoon, June 27, in the Spirit Lake, Idaho coffee shop. Joyce Nowacki is setting this up for me and I don't have all the details yet, so if anyone would like the information a little nearer the date, please email me. (ckcww@aol.com)

Along with the many reviews I write for Roundup Magazine (the publication of Western Writers of America) I've posted a new one on my book review blog, but in case you don't read blogs, here it is.

The Outlander
By Gil Adamson
HarperCollins 2008
Hardcover, 390 pages
ISBN 978-0-06-149125-2

This is a story that, from the blurb, I expected to belong in the western mystery genre. And it does. Sort of. Yet it’s not really genre fiction at all, but rather a weird combination of literary novel, western, suspense (I wouldn’t call it mystery), romance, with a study of mental illness and a lesson in the healing power of love thrown in for good measure. Did I say weird? Well it is. But the whole thing works in a story that grew on me until I was completely mesmerized. Adamson is certainly an auth or who deserves the accolades that come her way.

Briefly, the plot is thus: A bewildered young woman is running away from a murder—and she is the murderess. The brothers of the man she killed are following her, determined to bring her back to hang. The widow (as she is named throughout the book although we do finally discover her name is Mary) flees into the wilderness, stealing just enough supplies (and a horse) to stay alive. She hears voices and sees things that aren’t there, doesn’t know what’s real and what is not. The people she meets along the way are, for the most part, as confused about their own existence as she is. Most are kind to this poor muddled woman, certainly eccentrics with an unexpected generosity of spirit. The man she killed? Her husband. I think he had it coming.
You may want to read The Outlander more than once. I know it’s going on my keeper shelf.

I've been in cooking mode lately, although I've let my sourdough starter lapse. I'll begin a fresh batch later, when I feel like baking bread again. What I did discover was an excellent recipe for a small pudding cake, one that I don't feel so bad about throwing half away because two people can't eat a whole cake. Here's the recipe, which I found the S-R newspaper.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake with Dark Chocolate Rum Sauce
1 1/4 C sugar, divided
1 C.flour7 tablespoons cocoa, divided
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 C. milk
1/3 C. melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 C. hot water
1/4 cup dark rum
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 3/4 C sugar, flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend in milk, melted butter and vanilla. Pour into an 8" by 8" ungreased pan.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 C. sugar, brown sugar, and 4 tablespoons cocoa. Sprinkle over cake batter. Pour hot water and dark rum over the top. Bake 35 minutes.
Yummy with a dab of Butter Pecan ice cream on top, but you can use whipped cream.

I'm not going to make the Western Writers of America Convention in Oklahoma City this year, so it's apt to be a very dull year, travelwis e. I'll hope for Knoxville next June. Meanwhile, I have a couple internet radio events planned for July, so I'll do armchair--or office chair--traveling for now. If anyone would like to know how to connect to the events, let me know and I'll give you the connection. Have a happy summer, everyone. If anything new comes up, I'll post it on my website at http://ckcrigger.com/ See you next time.

2009-05-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

BOOK SIGNING DREAMS

After months—nay, years, of waiting for the release of One Foot on the Edge, it’s here at last. Time to relax and enjoy the process, right? Har! Not on your tintype. Now comes the real work, trying to make a few sales.

So I set up a Mother’s Day event at a busy grocery store. (It helps to have contacts within the store, in case you wondered.) I’ve got plenty of copies of my book on hand, a table, business cards and speaker brochures, bookmarks and a couple of good pens. I’ve even decided what to say when I sign the books—provided somebody actually buys one. I’m ready to rock, right?

Then why, last night, did I have such an awful time trying to sleep? A horrible dream kept plaguing me, running over and over in a never-ending loop. The store of my dreams didn’t remotely resemble the actual place. I only recognized one person there. They’d placed me way down a dark aisle where they were remodeling and no patrons allowed to go. They’d asked me to bring goodies to eat, so I baked sourdough bread in a flat pan, and put it over a layer of asparagus. The asparagus was raw and the bread soggy. I was so embarrassed! And then the dream ended.

I sure wish someone could tell me the significance of that dream.

2009-04-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

BOOK TALK AND A BIT OF A RANT

Recently, one of my cousins recommended a book she thought I'd enjoy. She was right, although it's not the kind of book I usually read. I'm more of a genre kind of girl, and go for the stuff that'll entertain me, pure and simple. I'm not looking for the meaning of life in my reading. I don't like anything too sad, since I think there's enough of that in real life already. Reading, to my mind, should not be depressing.

Therefore, it comes as a bit of a shock that I got through Lost Nation at all. Written by Jeffrey Lent, and published in 2002, the book is a historical set in the northeastern part of the USA bordering Canada, in the 1830s. I don't think I've ever read a book where I could feel the character's hunger, their cold and heat and all other sensory perceptions, including pain, so intensely. The politics of the day, which is a theme running throught the book, is expertly woven into the plot. This is also a love story, a romance, but it keeps you guessing as to who are the lovers. There's much of the day-to-day, but the story never lets down into boredom. Most literary books move so slowly (my opinion) I lose interest, but not this one.

While I'm inclined to give Lent's other books a try, I do have one rather large gripe. I just do not understand why a few literary authors are allowed to ignore convention and create their own punctuation. All it does is curtail the flow of words and make the reader work to make sense of the story. Reading, to my mind, should be effortless, with one's mind free to ponder the meaning and intent within the words. I've never read a genre book that allowed this. Two other authors that come to mind are Charles Frasier (Cold Mountain) and Cormac McCarthy (The Road). What are these writers trying to prove? Do they believe that when their publisher allows them this latitude that they're somehow showing superiority? I don't think so.

2009-04-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

April Newsletter

Greetings everyone. Last time I sent out a newsletter was around Valentine's Day, and here it is Easter already. I do have a few items I hope you'll finding interesting. First business is a picture of Jingle. I've showed off the two little kids (Tomasella is a matted mess at the moment with an appointment to get her hair done tomorrow) and my best little friend is a bit jealous. I promised her this month it's her turn. Here she is.

We've been entertained this winter by deer coming into the field on the other side of our 6' chain link fence. Every evening just before dark 7 - 9 deer parade past. The dogs know exactly what time to start looking for them so they can make some noise. Which is fine. That's one of their jobs. However, a few weeks ago one young deer somehow got into the yard overnight, then was trapped by the fence. Unaware of the predicament, Gary let the dogs out for their morning ablutions and of course, the first thing Tomasella saw was that a deer had invaded her space. She took off after it with Roper, all three pounds of him, on her heels. They chased the deer back and forth while the poor thing tried to jump out of the yard. It hit the fence twice before finally managing to escape. It's a wonder Tomasella wasn't killed as the deer ran over her, but she came out from under its hooves unscathed. Jingle, wise little lady that she is, sat on the deck and watched.

On one of my regular blogs, the author posed a question I found intriguing, and thought you might too. She asked, "If you were unjustly arrested, what fictional private eye/investigator would you choose to save you?" Well, not Stephanie Plum, that's for sure. Maybe Elvis Cole. I'd put my trust in Sheriff Walt Longmire, because from what I can see, he's nothing like the Spokane Police. Whew. Stop me before I go on a rant on that subject. But Walt is thorough, sees beyond the obvious, and never quits until he gets at the whole truth. He also has some darn good people helping him, including a dog named Dog. Works for me. I'm rather fond of Will Thomas's Victorian detectives, too.

Gray Dog Press, a publisher based in Spokane, has begun a quarterly regional magazine named SpokeWrite, which features fiction, essays, poetry, book reviews and art. The inaugural edition has gone on sale at most local bookstores, including Aunties and the Hastings locations, or can be ordered directly from the website, http://www.graydogpress.com/. I've got both a short story and a book review in the magazine. Here's hoping Gray Dog Press can make a success of the new publication.

In mid-March I learned my latest audio book, Letter of the Law, became a 2009 Western Writers of America Spur finalist in the audio book category. Letter of the Law is published by Books In Motion. http://www.booksinmotion.com/.

I've been working hard on the galleys for One Foot on the Edge. The book, a historical/mystery/suspense, should be out soon. I'll probably send an announcement when it's available. I'm so stoked to finally have the book see the light of day. Hooray, hooray!Here's the back blurb:
The gay 1890s aren’t always. Gay, that is. Sometimes life is dangerous, especially if you’re next on someone's murder list.

In 1896, there aren’t many career choices for a young lady. China Bohannon has fled one bad situation, and is looking to start her life over as a strong, independent woman in the wild and woolly town of Spokane, Washington. Convincing Gratton Doyle to take her seriously as a bookkeeper is hard enough, and when it comes to working as an investigator in the Doyle & Howe Detective Agency, it’s well-nigh impossible.

But what if China is able to solve a murder case no one, including the city police, wants to take on, that of a young girl found dead, her body thrown in the river? If she can avoid being the next murder victim, will Gratton hire her then? There’s only one way to find out.

As part of my promotion for the new book, I'd love to visit libraries, book clubs, or anyone else who needs a speaker for a meeting. Heck. I'll even do parties. I have several topics I can speak on. If you know someone who might be interested, let me know and we'll work something out.

That's all for now. Have a nice spring, everyone.

Best,Carol

http://www.ckcrigger.com/

2009-02-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

Doggie Dental Work:

Are our pooches important to our happiness? Yes, they are. Seems we end up spending more money on our three furry friends than we do on ourselves. The little kids need toys, our two girls need regular grooming. They all need their health check-ups. Vet bills have reached the point where we're thinking pet insurance would be a good idea. Today, for instance, Tomasella is in having the last of her baby teeth removed. She's reached the big seven--months, that is--with several still in her mouth. Poor baby has a bad overbite already, and doesn't need extra teeth cluttering up the works. Wonder if they have doggie braces. Well, maybe that's going overboard. It isn't like she's going to pass any of those faulty genes on, since she's been spayed. So, except for her own safety and comfort, who cares. Her funny little face is seriously cute regardless of whether her teeth are straight.

2009-02-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

January/February, 2009 Newsletter. To sign up, send an email to ckcww@hotmail.com

Greeting to you all.

I hope your new year has started off well. Mine has, except for a diagnosis of glaucoma in one eye. I'm a walking advertisement for having your eyes and teeth checked on a regular basis, so any icky stuff can be caught early. We've added to our family again, and a tiny boy Pomeranian has become brother to our two girls, Tomasella and Jingle. If you think Tomasella is a cutie, which she is, how about my guy, Roper? (And an update on Tomasella since she got a haircut.)

I spoke too soon when I lamented the dirth of Spur entry books in my last newsletter. The end of December saw boxes full left on my front porch, and my mailbox crowded. I ended up with 51 books. A few were disqualified by things like copyright date or having been previously published, but I still have a great bunch of books from which to draw my favorites for a Spur. The problem is going to be narrowing down the list. This is tough stuff.

Have any of you kept lists of your favorite books of 2008, as I mentioned last month? I'd begun keeping a list, then the scrap of paper got lost amidst all the junk on my desk so I've had to dredge through my memory. I know I've forgotten some I wanted to mention at the time, but here are the ones I remember in no particular order:

Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson... a western mystery

Blue Heaven by C.J. Box...a mystery set in Sandpoint.

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn...a Victorian mystery

The Black Hand by Will Thomas...a turn of the century mystery set in England

Winter Study by Nevada Barr... another mystery

Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris...a vampire story

Dead Silver by Neil McMahon...a western mystery

Killstraight by Johnny D. Boggs...a western

Soldier's Farewell by Johnny D. Boggs...a western

Baby Shark, Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues, Baby Shark's High Plains Redemption,

all three by Robert Fate...mysteries with a seriously kick-butt heroine set in the 1950s.

I know there are more; I just can't think of them now. Think I've got that senior's disease--what was it again?

Valentine's Day will soon be here, so I'm including two pertinent lists from Jessica James, author of Shades of Gray, posted on Amazon:

Top Five Reasons Why Guys Should Give Books as Gifts

5: She can't connect with a new sweater like she can with a book.

4: Hey guys, they're easy to wrap!

3: They come in all sizes, shapes and colors--what could be easier?

2: It's cheaper than a romantic getaway but can produce the same result.

1: Books are gifts of love and joy--and can create everlasting memories.

Top Five Reasons Why Girls Should Give Books as Gifts:

5: They're easy to store--on coffeetables, bookshelves, nightstands or countertops.

4: They never go bad no matter how long they're stored--and they can be used quickly or savored over time.

3: Books can teach, educate, entertain--and distract him from football.

2: It's a small investment that can return dividends for life.

1: Books are the perfect gift of enjoyment that don't require him to leave his chair.

With all the snow we've had this winter--and more is coming down as I write this--I decided to use the weather as inspiration in a story I just sold. Gray Dog Press, publishers of SpokeWrite, a new regional journal of art and writing, is seeking submissions of short fiction. I told my cousin, Sue Ellis, about the notice, thinking her writing is more suited to arty type magazines than mine. Of course her submission was accepted, her writing is unique. Anyhow, I had a story outside my usual genres percolating in my head and wrote it up. Yay! Looks like I'll be doing some book reviews of local author's books for the magazine, too.

Meanwhile, I've heard nothing new on the release date for One Foot on the Edge.

That's it for this time. Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll. Be sure to tell your nearest and dearest you love them.

2008-12-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day! I'm setting a new record, but since this blog is supposed to primarily be about writing, I thought I'd better get back on track.

Letter of the Law is my latest book release, which came out earlier this fall. This one is in audio, published by Books In Motion. http://booksinmotion.com/ LETTER OF THE LAW By C.K. CRIGGER

A western set in a fictional town in North Idaho, here's the blurb:

Diggett Monroe’s gang of outlaws wants to take over the town of Endurance, Idaho. To this end, they ambush Sheriff Pelham Birdsall, leaving him for dead. But Birdsall, thanks to his young wife Delight, doesn’t die, and as she strives to get him back on his feet in time for the inevitable showdown, more and more of the sheriff’s duties fall on her shoulders. In this, she is assisted by an unlikely deputy and a three-legged dog, but in the end, it takes all of them to vanquish the outlaws.

As an historical aside, a sheriff’s wife was often called upon to provide meals and other amenities for prisoners in her husband’s jail. In return, depending on the prisoner’s character and his crime, he might chop wood for the stove or do other chores. Neither the sheriff nor his wife was paid extra for prisoner provisions or for her work.

Read By Rusty Nelson

Approx. 7.23 Hrs.

7 CD'S Rated PG

Eastern Washington and northern Idaho have been innundated with snow this month. We've set a new record for most snow in a single month. with more falling and predicted to continue over the next two days and into the new year. All that white stuff is piled high, I assure you. Darn good thing for 4-wheel drive pickups!

Anyhow, aside from the fact the year had previously been darn short on moisture (and this snow is dry so it takes a lot) the beauty of the snow, the depth, and the cold, all lend themselves to becoming fuel for a writer's fire. Is that a mixed metaphor or something? No? Just confusing?

I'm currently writing a story that takes place at least partially in the winter. This is one way to set the mood.

This picture was taken only after the first week. It's gotten much deeper!

2008-12-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

Four months have gone by without me blogging here. The subject of my August 4th post took a lot of life out of me, although the overwhelming sadness is better now. For one thing, I started taking 5-HTP, a serotonin supplement which has helped ease the depression and SADD even during these cold, dark autumn and winter months. I had terrible reactions to prescription anti-depressants, so this has been a God-send to me.

Also helpful has been inviting a new puppy to live at our house. Tomasella joined us in October and has really livened up our old place. She's urged my older dog to come out of mourning, too, so she's been a winner all around. It doesn't hurt that she's cuter than cute can be. She's a hybrid (they're calling mixed breed doggies either hybrids or designer dogs nowadays) of Maltese and Shih Tzu. The breeders call her a Shima. Nice.

2008-08-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

After my last post, I'll admit to having a rough time dealing with the aftermath of losing our little dog. I'm usually a person driven to always look forward. These last few weeks have been anything but usual. One thing that has helped is writing for a couple of blog sites. On Novelspot I did a week's worth of blogging about writing and how it came to be so important to me. Check this one out at http://novelspot.net/node/2479 You can also find it at Digg - All News, Videos, & Images and leave comments if you like.

Next, I wrote a piece on forest fires, both in the present day perspective, and from the historicial perspective. You can catch this one at Western Historical Happenings: Firestorm in the Inland Northwest I'd love it if you'd leave comments.

2008-08-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

Fancy Dancer Crigger, 7/4/1996 – 8/4/2008

Little dogs are supposed to live longer than this, damnit. Twelve measly years aren’t nearly enough time. We can only hope her years were happy, if a dog knows such things. She always seemed happy, doing her Pomeranian dance for us, demanding we should pick her up and love her, asking for a treat, greeting a visitor, or wanting to go outside and play.

And love her we did, at first sight.

In the autumn of 1996, we answered an ad. The people placing the ad had to move, they said, and they couldn’t take their dogs with them. They were selling their last litter. So we went to take a look. Three or four puppies came to greet us.

“Oh, look at that one,” my husband said. “That’s the one I want.”

“She’s a runt.” The seller tried to interest us in one of the others, but we’d already decided. We had no children to torment a tiny baby. She’d be safe with us. When we first brought her home, she was small enough to pass through the spaces in our chain link fence. We paid $200 for her, a great bargain considering the love, loyalty and pure joy she’s given us these last twelve years.

She almost got called Sparkle—the 4th of July connection, you see—but the dance characteristic of her breed sold us on Fancy. Later my husband nicknamed her Stub. Again, you can see why, but I always called her Fancy. She, wise little critter, answered to either—when she took the notion.

It didn’t take long for her to learn to tell time. At three o’clock every day when I walked in the house from work, she was waiting for me in front of the door. Every single day. “She goes over and lays down about ten minutes before you’re due,” my husband told me. One of the first words she learned was “Mom.” Gary would ask her that and she always looked at me. She knew. Just as she knew her “dad.”

She shared her home with Lily the cat, who is fourteen and has seniority in the house, and with Jingle Dancer, who turns eight in December. Jingle, when she came, was dominant dog, taking Fancy by the ruff and leading her around when the girls needed—or wanted to go out. Little Fancy never seemed to mind, bless her valiant heart. And now Jingle misses her sister desperately, crying and looking all over the house and yard for her.

Fancy slept every night in a crate beside Gary’s bed. It was her place, where she felt safe. The only time her space was violated was once when the cat went in and the two of them got shut in together. Fancy complained until we took a look and discovered the crowded quarters. Was there a fight? Heavens no. Both the dog and the cat are lovers, not fighters.

My dad was still alive and living in his home when we got Fancy. She even christened his carpet a time or two. We often took her with us to visit with him even later when he was living in assisted care. I think he was always amazed that such a tiny dog (being a hound man, himself) actually was a real dog. Now she’s another link gone to those days as he passed away in 2000..

Fancy’s health started a drastic slide after her mishap with the pond in the winter, and that was probably caused by her failing eyesight. This final spiral has gone fast. Oh, so fast. We weren’t prepared. On her last full day she lay and slept until noon, not even coming for treats, even though her appetite was last to go. Later, I walked with her, very slowly so she wouldn’t fall down too much, and talking so she didn’t get lost. We made a shortened circuit of her back yard and I picked three raspberries for her.

The veterinarian came to our house. She was gone in seconds while Gary held her and I petted her head. Later, the people from the crematorium came to pick her up. We’ll have her ashes back with her picture and her tiny paw print on the casket.

For her, to the best of our knowledge, it was time to let her go. For us, it’ll never be time. She’ll always be in our hearts.

2008-07-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

If you check back to my winter posting about the Pom in the pond, you'll see how badly our little dog scared us. My husband and I, being empty nesters, consider our critters our family. More than pets, the dogs and the cat are our treasured companions. If only their life span matched ours!
I don't know if the cold dousing Fancy endured did something with her or not, but she's taken a nasty turn for the worse, health wise. She's grown progressively blind. Suddenly, she lies around and pants with a horrible distressed sound. First she had one back leg go wonky, then a week or so later the other. The problem moved to one of her front legs, and now affects all four. She collapses when I lift her to her feet, which she can barely, and not always, do herself. She piddles on the floor, seeming to have no control.
Of course she's been to the vet--several times, with a few phone calls in between. Poms often lose their eyesight, so that wasn't our greatest concern. She's lived in this house and roamed this yard all of her twelve years, so she knows her way around. It was when the problem with her leg appeared, that we took her in. The vet did blood work and took x-rays. "She has as a little arthritis," he said, and prescribed prednisone.
It didn't help.
When the problem worsened, we took her in again. More blood work was done--nothing showed up that looked so terrible. "Perhaps," the vet said, "she's just getting old."
Old? She should have more years than this! Twelve is not enough for our little friend, and yet, today, I took the step of circling a number in the phone book. It's for a vet who will come to our house when the time comes that her suffering is too much for any of us, the dog , my husband, or me to bear. I'll hold her and pet her and hope she won't be scared.
But not yet. Not today. Please--not tomorrow.

2008-03-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

2008 EPPIE WINNER

What a rush! I just found out that my novel of the American West, BLACK CROSSING, has won the 2008 Eppie Award (given out by the EPIC organization) in the Western/Historical category. Writing a book can be a lonely business as I can spend months at the keyboard with little or no feedback. Consequently, it's a big deal to me when independent judges validate my writing, and I thank them. For a complete listing of all the winners and finalists, go to:

EPIC--Electronically Published Internet Connection

I'm extending my offer of a free download of my Western Americana short story, HENDERSON'S HORSE DEAL. If you want to read it, shoot me an email at ckcww@aol.com.

2008-02-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

Read An E-book Week (March 2 - 8) is coming up, and I wanted to post something about it. There's been a lot of controversy on the DorothyL list this past week about e-books, especially in regards to Amazon's Kindle reader. Most people on the list have stated a preference for print, but I can definitely tell electronically published books have turned some kind of corner toward acceptance. Each format has something to recommend it. Who can resist the feel, the smell, the purely sensory enjoyment of a paper book? Not me. On the other hand, they are expensive, and collections can become a problem space-wise. (You should see my basement. Yikes! Books are stacked and shelved all over.) This is one of the best things about e-books. They're stored on dedicated readers, like the ebookwise from Fictionwise.com, or the new Kindle, your trusty old PDA, or of course, your computer. I believe you can even get them for reading on your telephone! Hundreds of books can be stored in no more space than a paperback, and carried with you wherever you go. How great is that? E-books are readily available from many online vendors, and they have the added bonus of being less expensive than the print version.

If you haven't tried an e-book, you should. Maybe you'd like to try my Black Crossing: A Novel of the American West which is available electronically and is a finalist for an Eppie Award this year. The winner will be announced during Read An E-book week.

My books are available both in print and as electronic books, including the Kindle, for which I'm very grateful to my publisher. Check them out at Amazon.com or the Amber Quill Press website.

As a special deal during Read An E-book week, I'll give away a download of my western short story, Henderson's Horse Deal, to anyone who e-mails me and asks. Put the title in the subject line.

To read more about Read An E-book Week, check out http://www.domokos.com/supporters.html

Am azon.com: Aldy Neal's Ghost: Books: C. K. Crigger

Amber Quill Press, LLC - The Gold Standard In Publishing!

2008-01-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

Letters to the editor (newspaper, The Spokesman-Review) are always so entertaining. Some who write in make a lot of sense; others sound like their brains just fell out. There was one today dissing Al Gore with his "false alarm" about global warming. The thing is, due to La Nina conditions, the Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho area has been getting above average snowfall. So far, we're actually ahead of the moisture count this winter season by a substantial amount. What a relief...if only it doesn't all dry up and blow away due to an early thaw in the mountains. You see, we can't really store the water for later on. Run-off does just that--runs off into the rivers and eventually out to sea. This snowy season doesn't mean the summer isn't going to be long, hot, and dry, just as it's been for the past several years. I'm old enough to have marked the changes in our weather, so different now than when I was a kid. And even my children see a difference.

I've got a story about our snow problems, and no, it isn't about snow men, snow shoveling, snowed in, or snowy roads. However, it is about snow.

Our tiny Pom loves her giant water-dish, (see first pic) which is actually a 3 1/2 foot deep koi pond. She won't drink out of the nice fresh bowl of water set out for the critters in the house. Nuh,uh. Gotta have her stinky pond water. The thing is, after our 13 inches of fresh snow on top of the 4 - 5 inches we already had, her access to the pond is pretty well blocked. But, being a Pom (stubborn, demanding, self-centered little varmints) she was determined to have her drink. To make this overly long story short, she fell in. And there she sat, fortunately, though forlornly, positioned on top of the pump, which kept her from sinking in over her head.

She'd gone outside after my husband fed her, he went to sleep, and when I came up from my basement office a while later he woke up and asked if I'd let Fan in. "Nope," says I, "but she hasn't been barking." Uh, oh. Suspicious. I went outside and called her. Nothing. Going back inside, I searched the house. Nothing. By this time, one of my greatest nightmares started forming in my head. I slid across the icy deck until I could look into the pond. Sure enough, there she was, just her little head peeking out. Taking my life in my hands (I'm telling you--there is NO place to stand around the pond) I managed to avoid sliding in myself and plucked her off the pump. The poor little thing was so cold and so scared. We sopped up as much water as possible with bath towels, dried her with the hair dryer, and my husband cuddled her in a blanket on his chest for a couple hours. She's right as rain, now, but you know what? The little idiot is right back trying to get to her water dish.

Moral of story? Keep an eye on your pets, just like you do your kids.

Gawd, I'll be glad when winter is over.

2007-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

HOW TO GET YOUR BOOK READ

Here's a great article regarding the motivation which drives book buyers. I hope you'll read the whole article, but here are the ten main points in a nutshell.
1. Word of Mouth
2. Book Groups
3. Influential Book Clubs
4. Author (Having read and liked previous work by the author.)
5. Cover Art
6. Instore Marketing (having and end of aisle placement is good.)
7. Winning a Contest or Prize
8. Have a Great, Eye-catching Title
9. Reviews (Name recognition, you know.)
10. Newspaper Serializaton (This one is for the Brits, although I like the idea.)
And here's the site for the whole article.
BBC NEWS Magazine 10 ways to get you to read a book

2007-09-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the cover for my new Amazon short. It's a twisty little mystery set in the old west, about a man who robs a store. The best witness is an old dog--but who'd think to ask Parrot?

Want a link? Here you go. Don't forget...Amazon shorts are only 49 cents.

Amazon.com: Ask Parrot: Books: C.K. Crigger

2007-08-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

I'm a member of the online Dorothy L mystery reading forum. Over the course of this past year I've found some great new (at least to me) authors, and have been enjoying their work very much. Some of their books I've reviewed on my blog site. http://www.ckcriggersbookreviews.blogspot.com/
The other day, when the subject of what DLers are reading came up, I put in my two cents. One of the authors I've found via the forum is Craig Johnson, whose Wyoming based mysteries are my new favorite reading material and I mentioned so on DL. Well, imagine my surprise to receive a personal email from him this morning thanking me for reading his books, and letting me know the next in the series will be out in March. Can't wait!

I must say I appreciate Mr. Johnson taking the time to write. What a fine gentleman he must be. Good relations with the book buying public? Sure. But certainly something most writers don't do. I'm impressed.

2007-08-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Selling Books

Promotion, for me, is the hardest part of writing. I look at all the advice out there and, in most cases, give up before I've started following any of it. Too time consuming! However, I've read that publishers expect you to spend as much time promoting as you do writing. I don't know. Seems kind of upsidedown to me. Another consideration is that promoting doesn't come cheap. Many of the best places to advertise/promote have substantial costs involved. Author Buzz is one example, and yet, if I ever make it with one of the larger publishers, I think I'll give them a try. Several of the freebie things--Myspace and etc.--have proved confusing to me, although one of these days I'll give them a second go. The first didn't work out too well.

Anyhow, here are a few things other writers have found useful. Some I also utilize, some I haven't yet, although I have good intentions.

1. A website is absolutely essential. If your budget allows, have a paid site without advertising. Other people's ads look chintzy and detract from your message. The site doesn't need to be fancy. The simpler it is, the faster it loads, especially for anyone still on dial up.

2. Your promotional efforts should drive people to your website (newsletters, blogs, mailings, your email signature, etc.) Have your webaddress on everything! I saw a sticker in a car window today that had someone's Myspace address in three inch high letters. I think I'll try it--could be Myspace, website, blog address. Just get a contact out there.

3. Your website needs to be updated often. Try to write a helpful little article--sort of like this message--every couple of weeks.

4. Your website should make it easy for casual drop-ins to buy. Don't make anyone have to leave your site in order to look for your book elsewhere. If your book is sold at Amazon, you need have links to your book's Amazon page. Ditto the publisher's page or any other sales venue. If your book is in brick and mortor stores, tell everyone which.

5. Talk to people about your book. This is hard for me, but it helps if you have a one sentence sales pitch that gives a short synopsis. Some of your promotional dollars should go to make bookmarks with your cover, that short synopsis, where to buy, and of course, your website on it. Give them to everybody who will accept one.

Hope any of this helps. Now I'm off to take my own advice and order some bookmarks for Black Crossing, my new release from Amber Quill Press.

2007-07-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a fascinating piece of information. Granted this seems harder than we can imagine, but if a student of that day were wafted in time to the here-and-now, one wonders how s/he would cope.

Only an 8th Grade Education

What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895...Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895
Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications. 3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of "lie,""play," and "run." 5. Define case; illustrate each case.6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation. 7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic. 2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. for tare? 4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals? 5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent. 9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus .3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.4. Show the territorial growth of the United States 5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas . 6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)
[Do we even know what this is??]
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals 4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?) 5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup. 8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vei n, raze, r aise, rays. 10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ? 3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?4. Describe the mountains of North America 5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco .. 6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each. 8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. Gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" new meaning.

2007-07-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

My newest book of the American West will be released from Amber Quill Press in August, 2007. Look for it from the publisher, Amazon.com, most other online book sellers, or order from your local book store.

Old Marshal Blodgett was that rarity, a completely honest man, and they shot him in the back for his pains. Isaac Gilpatrick witnessed the killing and, after his mother was threatened with death—or worse—was intimidated into remaining silent. But the guilt he carried wore at Isaac’s nerves until he could bear it no longer. He vowed to put the information into the new marshal’s hands.

Unfortunately, Marshal TJ Osgood was late arriving in town. He found Isaac silenced for good after a crooked judge ordered him hanged. Now it is up to Osgood to sort out the truth, protect Ione Gilpatrick, and bring the culprits to justice. That’s if Ione doesn’t beat him to it.

2007-07-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

Newspapers should be accurate, right? The writing sharp, short, informative, with perfect grammar, couched in professional terms.

Then imagine my surprise when this headline caught my eye: Police search for two cars in gunfight. Really? Cars have guns now and are fighting? It seems so, because the story goes on: A gun battle between two cars broke out Thursday night on H... Avenue between H..... and P....streets, popping a parked car's tire but apparently not injuring anybody.......

No kidding! I'm not going to tell you the newspaper involved. I sometimes write for it myself and don't want to screw up a paying market, but the this story is just too good not to share.

2007-07-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

Lest writers forget, there are three major components of book marketing:

1) Advertising - which is anything you pay for to place your image or book.

2) Promotion - bringing attention to your book in the form of bookmarks, t-shirts or displays.

3) Publicity - the free part of book marketing and the most effective.

The key to selling books is publicity. Learn how to generate your own and book sales will follow.

2007-07-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know if most writers are concerned with this, but five of the big six New York publishers are foreign owned. They are:
1) Random House, Inc., a division of Bertelsmann AG which is a German Corporation and is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher.
2) The Penguin Group, also referred to as Penguin Putnam, is owned by Pearson of the United Kingdom, and is the second largest publisher in the United States and Canada and the largest in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and India.
3) Simon & Schuster, Inc., is the publishing arm of Viacom, the only major American trade publisher.
4) Harper Collins, a subsidiary of the News Corporation Limited is an Australian company and has annual revenues of over $1 billion.
5) Hachette Book Group USA, formerly the Time Warner Book Group Inc., is now a French corporation.
6) Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings, headquarters in Germany.

No wonder it's harder and harder to get published by the big guys. Thank God for the mid-size and smaller presses.

2007-06-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is an article I found interesting--something for all of us who are published by small presses to push for. This excerpt is, in my opinion, the most pertinent part of the article, but I've included the link to the whole thing.

>>Store Pre-Sells Local Author's NovelBack Pages bookstore in Waltham, MA is trying to pre-sell the 1,000-copy first printing of local author Jon Papernick's first novel WHO BY FIRE, WHO BY BLOOD from Canadian publisher, Exile Editions. The store has exclusive US sales rights until the book is picked up by an American publisher. Since May 21, they have presold over 230 copies. The book will be published in late September. Store owner Alex Green tells the Boston Globe, "If I can prove to a publisher that a 1,000-square-foot bookstore in a suburb of Boston can presell an entire print run before it's released, then maybe American publishers will take a second look." <<

And here is the link to the whole article.
Adventures in old-time bookselling - The Boston Globe

2007-05-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Someone sent this to me and I found it so funny I have to repeat it here. Hope ya'll enjoy.

This is Hysterical--A Must Read!!

The Ellen Show was on and she read this submission to a contest from a viewer:

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well, we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick.. LOVES IT. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind.

And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

2007-03-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

What a rush! I am so pleased to be on the list of Western Writers of America Spur Awards honorees. Here is the complete list of winners and finalists. Check out the short fiction category for yours truly.

2007 Awards Official List

Best Western Long Novel
Winner:
The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook, Viking/Penguin Publishing
Finalists:
The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig, Harcourt, Inc.
Augusta Locke by William Henderson, Viking/Penguin Publishing

Best Western Short Novel:
Winner:
The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman,Harper Collins Publishers
Finalists:
The Adventures of Johnny Vermillon by Loren D. Estleman, Forge
The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers by Delia Falconer, Soft Skull Press

Best Original Paperback Novel:
Winner:
The Horse Creek Incident by Dusty Richards, Jove Books
Finalists:
Deserter by Paul Bagdon, Dorchester Publishing
The Lawless Frontier by Randy Denmon, Pinnacle Books

Best First Novel:
Winner:
Broken Trailby Alan Geoffrion,Fulcrum Publishing
Finalists:<
Elsie’s Business by Frances Washburn,University of Nebraska Press
The X-Indian Chronicles by Thomas M. Yeahpau, Candlewick Press

Best Western Nonfiction - Historical
Winner:<
Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West by Hampton Sides, Doubleday
Finalists:
Jay Cooke’s Gamble by M. John Lubetkin,University of Oklahoma Press
Getting Away With Murder by Bill Neal,Texas Tech University Press

Best Western Nonfiction - Contemporary
Winner:
Copper Chorus: Mining, Politics and the Montana Press, 1889-1959 by Dennis L. Swibold, Montana Historical Society Press
Finalists:
River of Memory: The Everlasting Columbia by William D. Layman, Uni. of Washington Press
Riding Pretty by Renee M. Laegreid, University of Nebraska Press

Best Western Nonfiction - Biography
Winner:
Crazy Horse: A Lakota Life by Kingsley M. Bray, University of Oklahoma Press
Finalists:
John Sutter: A Life< by Albert Hurtado, University of Oklahoma Press
Black Gun, Silver Star by Art T. Burton, University of Nebraska Press

Best Western Short Fiction
Winner:
“Comanche Moon” by Dusty Richards, Amazon Shorts/Amazon.com
Finalists:
“Aldy Neal’s Ghost” by C.K. Crigger, Amazon Shorts/Amazon.com
“Inner View” by Christine Granados in Brides and Sinners in El Chuco, Uni. of Arizona Press

Best Western Short Nonfiction
Winner:
“Forced into the Rockies: The Rise of the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous Era” by Kerry Oman, Annals of Wyoming
Finalists:
“Why is this Man Forgotten” by Paul Hutton, True West
“No More Snowstorms, Tears or Dying” by John D. McDermot, Wild West

Best Western Juvenile Fiction
Winner:
Geronimo by Joseph Bruchac, Scholastic Press
Finalists:
The Hart Brand by Johnny D. Boggs, Thomson Gale
Teresa’s Journey by Josephine Jo Harper, Texas Tech University Press

Best Western Juvenile Nonfiction
Winner:
Bleeding Kansas and the Violent Clash Over Slavery in the Heartland by JeffC.Young, Enslow Publishers
Finalists:
A Brave Boy and a Good Soldier by Mary M. McAllen Amberson, Texas State Historical Association
Sarah Winnemucca by Natalie M. Rosinksy, Compass Point Books

Best Western Drama Script (Fiction)
Winner:
Broken Trail by Alan Geoffrion, AMC
Finalists:
Desolation Canyon by D. Fitzsimons,Hallmark Channel
Wild Heart by D. Martin and M. Gabourie, Hallmark Channel

Best Western Documentary Script (Nonfiction)
Winner:
Gold Rush by Michelle Ferrari, American Experience WGBH/PBS
Finalists:
Jesse James by Mark Zwonitzer, American Experience WGBH/PBS
Annie Oakley by Ken Chowder, American Experience WGBH/PBS

Storyteller
Winner:
Tatanka and the Lakota People by Donald F. Montileaux, South Dakota State Historical Society Press
Finalists:
Frog Brings Rain by Patricia Hruby Powell,Salina Bookshelf, Inc.
Shep: Our Most Loyal Dog by Sneed B. Collard III, Sleeping Bear Press

Poetry
Winner:
Across the High Divide by Laurie Wagner Buyer, Ghost Road Press<
Finalists:
Adobe Odes by Pat Mora, University of Arizona Press
Lessons for Custer by Thomas Madden, Wordcraft of Oregon LLC

Audiobook
Winner:
Healing Shine by Michael Johnson, Season of Harvest
Finalist:
Summer Snow by Stan Lynde, Books in Motion

The office of the Spur Award Chair would like to announce the close of the 2007 Spur Awards competition.We are pleased to report receiving a total of 436 submissions broken down by category as follows:

Short Novel-54
Long Novel-28
Paperback (mass market)-35
First Novel-31
Biography-19
Historical Nonfiction-39
Contemporary Nonfiction-42
Short Fiction-67
Short Nonfiction-41
Juvenile fiction-18
Juvenile Nonfiction-10
Storyteller-17
Drama Films-3
Documentary Films-9
Poetry-18
Audiobook-5

2006-11-24T15:09:00.000-08:00

BSP definitions--in my two most recent professions, BSP has figured in an important way. In the medical profession, BSP stands for buffered saline with phenol. In the writing profession, it is Blatant Self Promotion. I'm going with the latter today. It's about time I let people know about my latest release, a western titled, The Winning Hand. Great for people interested in the historical Northwest, it makes an ideal gift.

Never bet more than you can afford to lose...

Caroline Pruett should've heeded that advice, because once she lost her stake, there was no going back. Or was there? Desperation has clouded Caroline's judgment, for when she loses King, her thoroughbred stallion, to Micah Sutton in a poker game, the first thing she does is steal him back. The adventure is not quite a success, however, and after accidentally shooting Micah, Caroline and King are on the run.

Micah is a hard man to kill. He's out to catch Caroline and retrieve his horse, but now there's another complication. Seems there's more than one horse thief in the Okanogan country and the girl isn't the only one after King. Who'd ever thought he'd have to team up with a wildcat like her?

2006-10-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Requiem for an aged friend Part II
February 21, 1990 – October 3, 2006
Set free to chase squirrels and water bushes.

When a dog turns sixteen, its life is no longer counted in years; time turns into months, weeks, and even days. In the sixteenth year, seventh month, and twelfth day, Blade’s time ran out.

Although Justin put it off as long as he could, the fact was Blade’s quality of life had degraded to the point of pain. Blind, deaf, and crippled with arthritis, his kidneys gave out. A neighbor, who kindly kept an eye out when Justin was at work reported on the next to last day that Blade spent a lot of time crying. This was it.

As planned, the vet came to the house. A simple injection allowed Blade to die peacefully in his own home, held in his master’s arms.

The coffin, after these many years in storage, seemed too cumbersome. Instead, Justin wrapped his friend in the worn, familiar sleeping bag. He dug a three or four foot deep hole by his patio under the big old trumpet vine where Blade often nested. Next year brilliant orange blossoms will shed onto the grave.

2006-09-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Memoirs of strangers

I love reviewing books, really I do. Even the ones that don’t reach out and grab me. It’s the challenge, I suppose. I’m constantly testing myself to see if I can be nice, but still get the point across that such-and-such particular book could be better or didn’t turn my crank. That’s not always the book’s fault, I admit. I have likes and dislikes, and favorite genres same as everyone else. As a reviewer, my job is to be unbiased.

Books I like are harder, because I have to make sure I don’t enthuse over them too much. However, when I say, “highly recommended,” or “this one gets my highest recommendation,” there’s no doubt this one did turn my crank, and that the story will linger in my memory. I hope anyone to uses my review will feel the same.

The outlet for my reviews precludes me being too critical—the reviews are a courtesy for members of an organization I belong to—but oh, what I wouldn’t give to be able to honestly tell the author he/she needs a severe editing, that too many typos have survived the edit and crept into the manuscript, or that the dialogue doesn’t say anything, or that most adult readers don’t require constant repetition. How do some of these books make it into publication? I’ll never understand.

That said, a memoir came into my hands a few weeks ago. All the little nit-picky gripes listed above do NOT apply. The book is well-written and well-edited. I still don’t understand why it came to be published.

Granted, memoirs are not something I read by choice, therefore, I’ve been dragging my feet on doing the review. My feelings about memoirs are that they are self-indulgent outpourings that don’t mean crap to anyone except to the one who wrote it. Boring! Authors always seem to start the story at their birth (or in one case I know of, before—yeah, right!) and begin with how terribly their mama treated them. I’m nearly always left sympathizing with the mother, if I manage to relate to anyone. This particular book seems worse than most. I’ve never heard of the author, (although that doesn’t mean much) so his life doesn’t even titillate my curiosity about a famous personage. I’m still trying to figure out why the publisher thought the book would sell. Well, maybe memoirs do, I don’t know. Not to me, I can tell you. I’m about halfway through the book and wondering, who cares? Yeah, and I still have to write a “nice” review.

I will grant memoirs as a record of family history are great for the family involved. In this case, publication probably means enough copies for the kids and grandkids and maybe sisters and brothers and such. I wish someone had done as much for me on my family history. I sometimes think I should write things up for my kids, but then I wonder if they’d give a damn.

2006-08-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

Requiem for an aged friend

For all his adulthood, Blade has been a part of Justin’s life. February 21, 2006, Blade will turn sixteen, and on February 28, 2006, Justin will turn thirty-seven. Justin is in the prime of life; Blade has come to almost the end of his. It’s just not fair to be a dog, and not last long as your best friend.

In 1990, Justin was doing well. He had a decent job, a new Chevy 4-by-4 with affordable payments and a yen for a new pal. He decided to buy a dog, someone to ride shotgun in the pickup. The Northern breeds attracted him. The family had had a well-beloved Samoyed in previous years and he knew the upkeep required with that breed. After doing a little research, he found what he figured would be the perfect companion. He bought a Siberian Husky, a nice, medium-sized dog noted for a good temperament, one that likes to be active, perfect for long hikes in the mountains, but not one to eat him out of house and home.

From the moment the breeder went into the ramshackle pen, called, “puppy, puppy, puppy,” and four of the hyper-active little cusses came tumbling out of a hut, it was obvious which one was meant for Justin. A spark leapt between them, Justin’s attention drawn over and over to this particular pup with one brown eye and one blue. And in proof, on the way home (about 30 miles) the helper Justin brought along to take care of the pup while he drove, was unnecessary. Blade knew who he belonged with. He slept with his head on Justin’s lap the whole way.

That was the peaceful time. It took a little longer to discover Siberians are stubborn, bone-headed escape artists that will eat whatever they catch (good mousers and ground-squirrel hunters) and if the opportunity jumps up and knocks them in the head, will even devour catfish, guts, spines and all—without so much as a tummy ache to show for it. In fact, about the only thing ever to bring Blade low was corn cobs, a nasty experience that required a trip to the vet.

The six-foot chain link fence surrounding Blade’s yard was transformed by rebar at the bottom edge, where it met a cement strip already marking the borders which helped prevent digging. The rebar became necessary when Justin found the dog, like a mouse, was able to squirm through an opening just big enough to push his snout through. While his slim figure, retained all the years of his life, has probably added to his longevity, it also helped make him a crack escape artist. Fast, too. Justin could watch him wriggle under the gate, and before make he made it to the pickup to give chase, see the dog running up the hill a half-mile away. Coyotes had their dens up there, a source of constant temptation to a dog like Blade.

A fence around the garden became mandatory, since anything freshly planted was promptly dug up, examined, and discarded. Flowers, shrubs, small trees—all were fair game. Sometimes Blade didn’t even wait to see them planted. He’d sneak them off behind a gardener’s back. Such is the Siberian Husky. Aggravating? Oh, yes. Faithful companion? You bet. You always forgive your best friend.
Blade has always loved his job of riding shotgun, and the sound of his pickup was always the best way to round him up. Life is an adventure to a dog. Camping, hiking, boating, joys to be shared with his master.

But now those times are over. Mostly Blade lies on his sleeping bag in the corner or curls up in a nest he’s dug outside. He can’t make it onto the bed anymore, unless Justin helps him, and has to be carried outside in the mornings to do his business. Until he’s warmed up a bit, his hips don’t work and he can’t manage the steps. His bowels are a little unreliable, although he still has a cast iron bladder. He’s almost blind and quite deaf, although he still enjoys his food. The end is coming. Justin knows it.

Sixteen years and counting. The companion of Justin’s youth, witness to the happiness of his marriage, and constant comforter when the marriage crashed and went bad. Good times, bad times. What will he do without his dog?

About four years ago when Blade reached the age when most larger dog breeds pass on, Justin acquired the perfect-sized box and stored it in his garage. It will, when lined with Blade’s old sleeping bag, become a coffin. He has a place picked out to bury the dog, but won’t tell anybody. It’ll be between the two of them. He hopes Blade dies in his sleep one of these days, a gentle passing, but if not, he’ll call a vet who makes house calls and ask the vet to ease Blade’s transition into death. He’ll hold him then, his best friend, until the end.

2006-08-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it time you quit smoking?

You’ve been saying you’re going to do it for days, months, years, maybe even decades. Take your pick of the time frame. Most of us who’ve quit did the same thing. For my husband it was decades. For me, years and years.

If this admission makes you feel disheartened, as though quitting is well nigh impossible, think again. All my previous statement proves is that anyone can quit. Even diehards who’ve been sucking smoke into their lungs for thirty or forty, or more years.

By the way, it makes me laugh when I hear people talk about the smoking habit, a ridiculous euphemism for something a great deal more serious. Smoking is NOT a habit. Smoking is an addiction just as much as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin or alcohol. We might as well get that out in the open and be done with it. Some people say smoking is even harder to quit than those other drugs, in part, I suppose, because it’s something you do several times a day. And since nicotine doesn’t make you high, you’re not aware of its effects until they start to wear off. Then, oh yes indeed, you’re aware something is missing. You’ve got a hole in your chest where your lungs ought to be and you need another fix. How easy it is, just to light up another and make yourself comfortable again.

So quitting sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Impossible, maybe? Well, it is daunting, but it’s not impossible. As someone who successfully quit March 20, 1990, I’m here to say it IS possible—and it won’t kill you, either. Ask one of the other millions of people who’ve quit. Ask my husband, who freed himself from his addiction on November 8, 2002. Ask both of my two sisters.

By the way, I’ve heard so many people wail and make excuses like, “But I enjoy smoking. Cigarettes taste so good. I can’t have my morning coffee without a smoke.” To which I say, “Horse pucky!” I might have said that, too, at one time, until I figured out that I was lying to myself. Cigarettes don’t taste good. What they do is ease that uncomfortable pressure on your lungs they caused when you first got hooked and has been with you ever since. The reason you think you can’t have your coffee without a smoke is the same thing—old man addiction kicking in with another lie. Of course you can have coffee without a cigarette. Believe it! But my last point is the real biggy. Do you also enjoy being relegated to the back forty when you have to have a smoke? (Love those icy winter winds.) Do you feel compelled to lie to potential employers when they ask if you’re a smoker, smoking being one reason they won’t hire you? (The whole insurance and sick pay thing, you know.) Do you enjoy the stench on your breath and skin and clothes and in your house which even visitors to your home carry away with them, let alone your poor children and your pets? Don’t you just love the expense? This is all before I even get started on the health thing. So what is there, really, to love? Ummm, let’s make a list.

That’s what I thought. Nothing. You enjoy smoking? Really? C’mon.

But don’t think me entirely unsympathetic. I’ve been there. I’m convinced there is no one who wouldn’t quit in a heartbeat—if only they could. Well, people, you can quit. You really can. Believe in yourself. Believe you have the strength of mind to beat this addiction, because you do. Everybody does. You just have to want it. And you have to be ready.

You have to be ready. This is the whole secret to quitting. Everything else is just mechanics, although I’ve got some hints to help you through the hard days. Unfortunately, you see, just because you’re ready doesn’t mean it’ll be easy, although for some, it is. For my husband, it was. For me, it was not.

So okay. You’ve decided those little buggers are not going to run your life anymore. You’re going to be able to sit through a movie without getting antsy. You’ll be able to visit at non-smoker’s homes without having to stand on their back porch every half hour—if they’ll let you. You’ll have a bunch of bucks to spend—or save—you’ve never had before. Finally, and this one deserves a great big “Whoopee”, you’ll be free.

A word or two or four here on nicotine patches, over-the-counter pills, or even prescription drugs. YOU DON’T NEED THEM! Why on earth would you want to trade one addiction or crutch for another, especially as costly as they are. These things are not without risk. Nicotine patches, especially if you sneak a smoke while using them, can be poisonous. Hey! That’s just what you need. A double dose. I know one person who had a terrible reaction to one of the prescription drugs—I can’t say which one—that put him in the hospital for a few days. I say, leave all that stuff alone. Cold turkey is the way to go. If you suffer a little along the way, it’ll serve as a good reminder never to go back to smoking once you’ve quit.

Stop the presses! I read in yesterday’s newpaper about some new vaccines (Chantix, NicVax) due to be approved soon by the FDA. Apparently the drug immunizes people against the nicotine rush. Hopefully they’ll work better than the patches and etc. which, to say the least, are not always effective. One thing for certain. You can bet the vaccines will be expensive.

But all is not a downer. I’m going to give you a few hints that will help. First though, be realistic. Quitting is not easy. Withdrawal is tough. Once you’ve quit, you’ll deserve a big reward. Use some of the money you save by not buying cigarettes.

Okay. Here we go. The nitty gritty helpful hints.

A timeline: It gets worse for about seven days. At that point, most of the nicotine should be out of your system. Take one day at a time. Sometimes you may take one hour at a time, but do it. When you get through that first hour, start another for a short term goal. You can do it. You bet you can. There are only twenty-four hours in a day. Anyone can do that. The first three weeks are the toughest. Then every day becomes easier. For some lucky people, just that first week is hard. Maybe you’ll be one of them. My husband was. Use bio-feedback and convince yourself your luck is holding.

Super hint: Don’t cheat. Not even once. Not one cigarette. Not one puff. Preferably, don’t even smell them for a few days, then they’ll stink to the high heavens. Why torture yourself by having to start over again? Use your head. Be stubborn. You can do it.

Helpful crutches: Some things that hurry the nicotine out of your system.
1: Exercise. The more vigorous the better. Get those lungs pumping. If you can’t go for a long, brisk walk or a run or a swim, (whatever you like to do. Hoops for all I know.) then run to the restroom at work and do some jumping jacks. Anything to fill the hollow spaces in your lungs. Sometimes even deep breathing will help, especially when you’re a few days out from your last smoke.
2: Drink lots of water. You need it to flush the impurities out of your system. I personally found the colder the water the better. Normally I’m not much of an ice water person, but in this case, I found it helpful. And do make your drink water. Nothing else works as well. NO BOOZE.
3: Eat low calorie munchies. Leave the ice cream, cookies, candy, potato chips and all that junk alone. Yikes. You don’t want to balloon up like the Michelin Man! Do keep a good supply of cut-up fresh veggies or fruits handy. I found veggies worked better, and best of all were baby carrots. Maybe the beta-carotene helped. I don’t know. I’m not a scientist. I’m just a former smoker.
4: Get lots of sleep. I’ve heard some people say they wished they could’ve slept through the whole thing. Not possible, I’m afraid, but the more sleep the better.
5: Wait the process out. Keep busy. Plan on painting your house, inside or out. Clean the closets, the oven, the frig. Dig up a new flower bed. Go window shopping. Volunteer somewhere that’s non-smoking.
6: Believe in yourself. You can do it.

One more thing, and this is in direct opposition to what the so-called experts tell you. They say to tell family and friends. My advice is to keep your intention to quit to yourself. If you don’t succeed this time (although if you’re ready, I have faith that you will) all you will have done is psychologically made it more difficult to try again. Once you get the junk out of your system and the addiction tamed to a manageable level, then you can tell people. At that point, their encouragement will be helpful, or if they are not so encouraging, you can flat out ignore them.

One, one more thing. You will never be able to smoke even one cigarette, just to see if you’re truly free. Don’t try it. Once you’ve quit, you’ve quit.

And that’s it. You’ll make it through. Keep thinking of the benefits. And never, ever, not even once, let down your guard. Good luck.