Friday, May 31, 2013

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

By Nancy Jill Thames

How many of us Christians struggle during the week to keep our thoughts on things that are noble, pure, and  lovely? What about things that are excellent or praiseworthy? I for one watch a maximum of 10 minutes of news (only because I eat lunch with my hubby), and episodes of PG-13 or lower rated miniseries on Netflix. Bible study gets about 10 minutes of my time, and the rest is spent writing and social networking. Great - probably doing a fair job on keeping my thoughts in check. 

But with all the choices of books available, one has to ask which ones allow me to have my cake (entertainment) and eat it too (keeping my faith in check). Behold the Christian Cozy Mystery!

The subjects we authors use may be broach sinful situations (murder, adultery, greed, blackmail, etc.), but nearly always the heroine offers help to those people who desire change. Besides, we don't cloud our minds with graphic situations. What a win-win situation! We readers get to enjoy mystery and suspense along with experiencing examples of faith in action. I'm good with this! What about you? Hope you enjoy your weekend!


See you in my books!
 ~Nancy Jill 
Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place for her Chocolate Cream Pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers Guild and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales. CONTACT INFORMATION jillthames@gmail.com



 Nancy Jill is busy working on Book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London.

Enjoy Book 1 MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY for free!
Amazon Paperback $8.09
 Kindle FREE!
Barnes and Nobel $8.99/Nook Book $2.99
FREE on Smashwords and Kobo!




Thursday, May 30, 2013

Hey, A Writer's Got To Eat. Cooking For One Person.

My sister, who I often refer to as the second coming of Betty Crocker, is a very good cook. In some ways better than my mother, who was really good as well. At one get together she was complimented on her cooking and she said something very profound.
"I like to eat."
Well being on my own  cooking is a unique challenge. Cooking for one person may sound easy, but face it, in the world of recipes I think everyone forgot that single people like to eat too. Face it, most  recipes are made to feed a small army. What's that I hear you ask? Can't you just cut it down? You ever try to half an egg?
Now eating out is great, but it gets old real quick and it is expensive when you only have one income. Also cereal, cheese and crackers and frozen entrees are nice once in a while, but sooner or later (usually sooner) I want something a little more substantial.
Okay just to be clear, contrary to popular belief in my family, I am not totally hopeless in the kitchen. However, what I do know about cooking is the few things I picked up from my mother, years of watching the Food Network and High School Home Economics which was a long time ago. Never you mind just how long ago that was. Also I am not a trained nutritionist. I do not count calories nor do I know how much sodium, fat and other items are in what I cook. I do try to keep it as healthy as I can.
Anyway, I have come up with five simple rules (I may think of more later) regarding cooking for one person, which are as follows:

1) The dish in question will require as little labor and prep work as possible. I know the more you put into it the better, but sometimes I just don't feel like it.
2) Leftovers are fine, for one or two extra servings. However, I do not wish to eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week and my freezer space is limited.
3) It must be as inexpensive as possible with very few "one-time" ingredients. Hey I'm a one person income. Wasting food and stuff that sits in my pantry for long periods of time are not in my budget. As soon as I figure one of those out.
4) One pot dishes whenever possible. Side dishes are just extra work (see Rule #1).
5) It must taste good. Yeah, I know, duh.

Okay here is my first real success in creating a recipe. Yes I created this recipe. I find that hunger, not necessity, is the Mother of Invention. Although I admit there was a little, okay a lot, of trial and error involved. 

I call it - Easy Beef Stew For One, With Leftovers.


Before I  give you the recipe a few things you will need to know.

First about the meat. I use stew meat, just stew meat. A friend of mine mentioned using rib eye, but this is going to be cooked in a slow cooker on low for 9 to 10 hours. I don't think a good cut of meat like that is going to make it without dissolving into many pieces. Also, rib eye violates rule number 3! The long cook time is also why I don't bother to trim the stew meat. Trust me, everything is going to be tender after that much time in the pot
Also I'm not going to give you an actual amount of meat to use. Why? Two reasons. First, the meat packing people at the supermarket do not pack meat for one person. Most of the time, no matter what you buy, you're going to end up splitting it up and re-wrapping it yourself before putting it in the freezer. What I do is get the lowest amount I can then I split it into equal parts depending of the type of meat. Second, personal preference. You might like more meat in your stew than I do. However, since this is a recipe for one person, I wouldn't suggest the whole package in one stew.
Vegetable leftover. Now you will notice that I use half an onion and the optional one half of a potato. Optional because although I like stew and I like potatoes I don't like them together, Don't know why, I just don't. However, most people do like potatoes in stew so I gave the option. Now I hate giving a partial perishable ingredient because I hate waste, but it's a small stew. However, onions and potatoes are used in a lot of things so there shouldn't be any waste. Just plan on using them in another dish.
Okay so here's how you actually cook the stew.

Ingredients:

Stew Meat
1 can of 14.5 oz. Beef Broth
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Flour
1/2 of a medium onion (I use yellow, but I don't think it matters)
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots, or one carrot and 1/2 of a potato (or a real small one if you can find it)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1 Tablespoon of Salt Free Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1 Bay Leaf (Bay Leaf is always in stews I do not know why)
Your bread of choice
Slow Cooker (I use a two quart crock pot, but that's because that's what I have)

Before you start cooking chop all of your vegetables into thick chucks. How thick is up to you, but don't worry about it being perfectly sized. It's cooking for 9 to 10 hours, everything is going to cook!
Put the stew meat into the crock pot. Measure out 1/3 cup of the beef broth. In a skillet combine the olive oil and flour and cook over medium heat until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup of beef broth and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour mixture over the meat. Pour in the rest of the broth (I hate having partial beef broth sitting in my refrigerator, remember rule #3!) Add in the spices and the vegetables. Give a quick stir. Set the slow cooker on low, put on the lid, and cook for 9 to 10 hours. By the way while it's cooking leave it alone! It's called a slow cooker for a reason.
Once the stew is done, take out the Bay Leaf and throw it away, then dip the stew into a bowl (however much you want) take a piece of your favorite bread for dipping purposes. Mom liked corn bread and I'm a sourdough girl, but whatever kind you like is fine.
I usually manage to get three generous servings out of this. One for dinner, one for lunch the next day, and one to put in the freezer for that day I just don't feel like cooking.
Yes cooking for one can be a challenge, but in the now immortal words of my sister, I like to eat.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Mystery Solved!

You know what's a mystery to me? How my house can get so messy when the kids are at school all day! I drop them off at 8:30 (or 8:20 if I'm on time) and I don't pick them up until 3 (or 4, depending.)

They spend the whole afternoon doing homework, playing video games, and fighting with each other. I don't remember the last time I saw them take out a toy--AND play with it. I mean really, when do they make these messes?

For example, we have a cushioned bench under the picture window. The dog (Dr. Watson) likes to sit on it and stare mournfully out the window while we are gone. I would stare mournfully too, because in addition to the couch cushion, he's lying on top of two kiddy laptops, three paperbacks, a backpack that lights up when you touch it, a stack of papers from school, a sample sized bottle of hair detangler, my embroidery scissors and pin cushion (that's where those went!), a pink chicken purse, Fun With Ballet in library binding, a hairbrush, a hat, and a mechanical pencil.

Their rooms are no better. (You don't look surprised.) Dave Ramsey wants us to teach them about money so they have their childrens' version of the envelope system and all they have to do to earn their commission is take their laundry to the laundry room, keep the books off of the floor (they are the daughters of an author, after all,) pick up the debris, and feed their pets (one feeds the dog, the other the chicken and ducks.) It's really not onerous work.

The girls were tasked with making their floors "clean enough to vacuum" this evening. As I walked passed one door I over heard my eldest moaning, "It's just too hard."

Well, yes. I said to myself. Why do you think I am making YOU do it? I don't have the time to clean that mess up!

I was an awful mess as a kid too. My mom managed to keep the house nice and clean. She did some after school babysitting when I was little so she even had more kids making a mess than I do, but...she didn't have the internet. I'm thinking if she had had the internet she wouldn't have kept such a clean house.

So maybe the mess isn't such a mystery...between authors groups, keeping up with industry news, negotiating things like audio books and editors, planning marketing campaigns, and eventually getting around to writing fiction, I don't have much time for little things like laundry, dishes, or general tidying up...;)

Once I made a joke to another mom about how I was a terrible housekeeper. This woman looked me square in the face and said, "Oh, I believe that!" which goes on the long list of rudest things people have ever said to my face.

She might be right.

But who wouldn't prefer pursuing their dreams with passion and zeal to finding all of Polly Pocket's teeny tiny accessories?

I wouldn't!

So in a way, Jane Adler, the detective of my Plain Jane Mystery Series is the anti-Traci. I make my dreams come true instead of cleaning my house, and she cleans houses to make her dreams come true. And the mystery she has to deal with isn't "Where did all this junk come from?" but "Where did this dead body come from!"


Good, Clean Murder is available everywhere fine eBooks are sold--and the next Plain Jane will be out soon too, that's why this house is still such a mess!










Traci Tyne Hilton is an award winning author and playwright from Portland, Oregon. Her newest book
Good, Clean, Murder won the Mystery/Suspense category in the Christian Writers of the West Phoenix Rattler Contest, and was a finalist in the Write Integrity press Books of Hope contest. Traci has a BA in History from Portland State University and lives in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest with her husband the mandolin playing funeral director from Kansas, their two daughters, and their dog, Dr. Watson. More of Traci's work can be found at tracihilton.com

Monday, May 27, 2013

Shepherd In The War Zone

Dear Friends,

I hope you are all enjoying Memorial Day with family picnics and games, building lovely memories together. But there is something else each one of us should remember and meditate on--the reason we celebrate this day.

Memorial Day is a United States Federal Holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor marks its end.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in National Cemeteries. (WIkipedia)

My co-author of Babes With A Beatitude--Devotions For Smart, Savvy Women of Faith Dannelle Woody wrote the following devotion (page 27). I thought I would share it with you as it seemed appropriate.


Shepherd In The War Zone

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own--John 10:14

The news report showed a snippet of a reporter's footage from a war zone--a simple shepherd leading his sheep alongside the road. Above him were billowing black clouds. On one side were tanks, and on the other, ground troops dodging incoming gunfire. Yet the shepherd never looked to the right or to the left. Instead he just kept moving his sheep very calmly to their destination. The sheep followed and did not wander off the very narrow path before them. Two or three feet in the wrong direction would have surely led to their demise.

Dannelle Woody
What a compelling reminder of how Jesus our Shepherd protects and leads us through some tough battles. Sometimes we wonder how we will ever survive our trials, how we will ever make it through to the other side without serious life-threatening wounds. But just as the shepherd in the newscast led his sheep successfully through a war zone, how much more will your Shepherd lead you through your own battle, unharmed by the Enemy!

Beatitude Check

What an image to consider--innocent sheep being led by a shepherd through a war zone. But that's us, isn't it? Jesus Christ, our Shepherd daily guiding us onto safer ground. Let Jesus lead you today. Listen closely for His direction before you take another step.

Linda Kozar

Friday, May 24, 2013

BETTER THAN ROYALTIES!

 By Nancy Jill Thames
The struggles of being an author simply fly out the window upon receiving five-star reviews like the one I got today. Margie Jessie of Washington, USA - thank you for taking the time to comment so favorably on my books. Here's the review:
5.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Half Moon Bay, May 22, 2013
By 
Margie Jessie (Washington, USA) - 
This review is from: Murder in Half Moon Bay   (A Jillian Bradley Mystery) (Kindle Edition)
Paperback $8.00
Kindle FREE!
Nook Book $2.99
FREE on Smashwords and Kobo!

This is the first time I have read any Nancy Jill Thames writings. Thoroughly enjoyable. She holds your attention and your interest with the twists and turns, makes it hard to put down . Jillian Bradley truly comes to life with her partner (and adorable dog) Teddy. The descriptions of the areas and people makes them all real.
I have purchased more of her books and I know I will enjoy each one as I did the Murder in Half Moon Bay.



HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!




See you in my books!
 ~Nancy Jill 
Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place for her Chocolate Cream Pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers Guild and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales. CONTACT INFORMATION jillthames@gmail.com



 Nancy Jill is busy working on book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London.



Thursday, May 23, 2013

Vacations Cost Too Much No Matter What You Do

Yes, I had a vacation from my day job. As always it was too short and I have to go back to work next week.
So what did I do?
Well first off I should probably let you know that I am not a traveler. Never was, never will be. Don't try to talk me out of it, many have tried, and failed.
So my vacations tend to turn into a staycation where I usually end up doing what everyone does on their vacations...
SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY!
How you may ask did I manage to do that and stay home?
Well everyone decided to start having sales on stuff I needed. Clothes, shoes, electronics, you name it they had it on sale.
Note to self, DO NOT take vacations near major holidays!
I really hate that. Not because I overspent or bought stuff I neither liked nor needed. Case in point:

Adorable Jacket down from $99 to $25 after sale and coupons
One thing about being cheap, I can work a sale. Okay, so it's purple, again. I like purple, it fits me, it looks good, and it was a DEAL!
Still I hate to spend money. I know it's necessary at times (I do like to eat) and I got really good deals, but still...I don't like to spend money because I always end up feeling guilty. Why? Because I SPENT MONEY.
It's a sickness. I blame The Great Depression.
No I am not old enough to have lived through it, but my mother and my father both did. Basically they came out with two differing attitudes.
Mom - Save everything because everything could be gone tomorrow.
Dad - Spend everything because everything could be gone tomorrow.
Confusing huh? No wonder I have spending money issues.
Still I got a lot of quality stuff I needed, at prices I could afford, including one BIG ticket item. I think I'm traumatized for life on that one, because I hate to spend money. Have I mentioned that?
Maybe I need therapy. Oh wait, that costs money.
Great, I'm cheap and neurotic.
Excuse me while I hide my credit cards from myself and try to forget where I hid them.



Mystery writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a Christian Mystery Series. A California native, she loves to "surf" the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories with just a bit of whopper in them. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she uses liberally in her plots. She loves to embroider and knit and is a big fan of the old Scooby Doo cartoons.

Current E-Books
THE REBOOT FILES:  The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghost.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013


Deborah Malone

 The Road to Publishing (Part One)

1.      Finish That Novel:  Finish the book. Publishers are not really interested in ideas. They want to see that a would-be author has the skill, the stamina and the discipline to finish the job. After finishing your book set it aside for a couple of weeks then go back to it and start editing. Hire an editor if necessary. Two books I’ve found invaluable for my writing: “Write in Style” by Bobbie Christmas and “Goal, Motivation and Conflict” by Debra Dixon.

2.      Researching Publishers And Agents:  Study books that are the same genre as your book and see who their agent/publisher is. It is usually listed in the front of their book. Look for publishers on-line and study their guidelines for submissions. Find out what they are looking for. There are also books that are helpful to find publishers such as: “Christian Writer’s Market Guide” by Sally Stuart and “2012 Writer’s Market” by Robert Lee Brewer. Note: It is necessary to have an agent for big name publishers. If you do not want to go this route please do not forget the small presses. Please do your homework and check out small publishers or self-publishing companies. If you go this route a book you will want to read is: “Stress-Free Marketing” by Renea Winchester.

3.      Write A Synopsis And Query Letter: According to Kaye Dacus at www.kayedacus.com  you should first and foremost familiarize yourself with the kind of synopsis your targeted publishing house requests. Most will want a “normal” synopsis (about one doubled-spaced synopsis per 10,000 words of your novel.)  - Your query letter is your introduction to an editor/agent. You do not want to immediately label yourself as a “newbie” or an amateur when they open the envelope. Spend time learning the correct way to write a query.

4.      Prepare Your Proposal: The proposal is where you really brand yourself as a writer. It’s where you show the agent/editor that you’re so much more than just 100,000 words of a story written down on paper. It’s where you show them you understand the industry, you understand what they’re looking for, you know who your competitors are, and you realize that 80% + of the marketing for a published author is done by the author.

5.      Send Out Queries:  Be sure and follow the guidelines of the publishers you’ve researched. Send only what they’ve ask for – do not add anything unless they’ve requested it. It is important to not send any photographs or illustrations. Do not use fancy paper or elaborate fonts. These are the marks of an amateur, and will only hurt your chances. (www.mythicscribes.com)

6.      Be Prepared For Rejections:  You will receive them. Most of the rejection letters will be in form letter style. Do not let this get you down. Keep sending out the queries. Every author has a story to tell about the rejections letters they accumulated before being published. Consider a rejection letter as a sign you are writing. How many people can say they’ve even received a rejection letter? Keep writing and persevere. The writers who persevered are the ones who are now published.

7.      Continue Writing:  Don’t stop writing. The more you write the more you improve in the craft of writing. It will help you find out if you are able to write more than the “one hit wonder.” It might be that it will be your second or third book that gets published so don’t sit idle while waiting to hear from those publishers.
 
 
 
Author Bio: Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in Dahlonega, finaled in the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest! Deborah was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year in First Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads.” She has had many articles and photographs published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin Jackson. She is a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association. As a current member of the American Christian Fiction Writer she has established a blog where she reviews Christian Fiction.  
 
 

Monday, May 20, 2013

Before We Graduate--by Linda Kozar


On Friday, we attended our oldest daughter's graduation from college. She received a degree in Psychology from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. My husband and I and both our moms attended. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation and excitement!

I'm not the tearful type, usually so I was unprepared for what happened next.

Before the ceremony started, video recordings of a lot of the students played on a couple of Jumbotrons and my eyes started going all misty on me. Young men and women thanked their parents for making financial sacrifices for them and for sticking with them through the years, being there for late night phone calls, for angst about tests and teachers, breakups and heartbreaks.

I began to think about all those young people, including my own sweet daughter, just starting out and how they each have the opportunity to impact the world in a positive way.

We cheered as our daughter walked across the stage, clapping loud and proud!

But halfway through the ceremony something happened.

They announced that a mother and sister would be receiving a degree postumously for a young woman.   Her mother and sister approached the stage. The auditorium hushed to silence.

Poised on the verge of a promising life, this young woman would never walk across that stage, never engage in her chosen career, never fall in love and marry or give her parents a grandchild to bounce on their knees.

Tears began a slow roll down my cheeks.

Not one of us knows the number of days allotted to us. Before we graduate from this life, we must make the most of every day. We must share the love of Christ, lend a shoulder to those who are grieving, bring both physical and spiritual nourishment to those who have need and bring God glory.

Have a blessed week my friends--
Linda

*Want to read what happened when we got home from graduation? Read my story about the little birdies: http://bookishdesires.blogspot.com



Linda Kozar is the co-author of Babes With A Beatitude—Devotions For Smart, Savvy Women of Faith (Hardcover/Ebook, Howard/Simon & Schuster 2009) and author of Misfortune Cookies (Print, Barbour Publishing 2008), Misfortune Cookies, A Tisket, A Casket, and Dead As A Doornail, (“When The Fat Ladies Sing Series,” eBooks, Spyglass Lane Mysteries, 2012). Strands of Fate released October 2012 (Hardcover/Ebook, Creative Woman Mysteries) and her nonfiction title, Moving Tales, Adventures in Relocation, released in 2013 (Indie-Published). She received the ACFW Mentor of the Year Award in 2007, founded and served as president of Writers On The Storm, The Woodlands, Texas ACFW chapter for three years. In 2003, she co-founded, co-directed and later served as Southwest Texas Director of Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband Michael, married 24 years, have two lovely daughters, Katie and Lauren and a Rat Terrier princess named Patches.

Represented by: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Agency

Member of: CAN (Christian Authors Network), RWA (Romance Writers of American), WHRWA (West Houston Romance Writers of America), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), Writers On The Storm, The Woodlands, Texas Chapter of ACFW, Toastmasters (Area 56) The Woodlands, Texas, The Woodlands Church, The Woodlands, TX.

Linda Kozar is the author of six books. Her latest, titled “Moving Tales, Adventures in Relocation,” is a collection of stories from people who experienced the good, the bad and the ugly when they moved. www.lindakozar.com  http://bookishdesires.blogspot.com

Friday, May 17, 2013

You Can Do This!

By Nancy Jill Thames

Like to solve puzzles? 

To publicize the launching of Book 7 "THE RUBY OF SIAM," I'm offering a free paperback or download to the first person able to match first sentences to their book. Each book has the Search Inside feature on Amazon.com, so take a peek and go for it! Good luck!




1. Caroline was playing innocently in her own front yard with her new puppy when the car struck her down.  

2. The invitations had gone out a few days ago to three of my dearest friends in the world.   

3. Daisy Larsen bustled.   

4. Warmed by the fire, Teddy had fallen asleep on the sofa.  

5. Madison looked about nervously toward the back of the house, hoping and praying that no one would notice their departure.  

6. The gun discharged during the struggle, and the bullet struck his heart.  


A. "FROM THE CLUTCHES OF EVIL"
B. "WAITING FOR SANTA"

C. "THE GHOST ORCHID MURDER"

D. "MURDER IN HALF MOON BAY"

E. "PACIFIC BEACH"

F. "THE MARK OF EDEN" 

To win, leave your answers in a comment and follow the site.  Thank you for playing! 


See you in my books!
 ~Nancy Jill 
Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place for her Chocolate Cream Pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her own personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers Guild and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales.


 Nancy Jill is busy working on book 7 "The Ruby of Siam" a mystery taking place in London.
CONTACT INFORMATION




Thursday, May 16, 2013

What's Your Favorite Fairy Tale?

When The Frog Won't Kiss The Princess You Know There's Trouble in Fairy Tale Land
What's your favorite Fairy Tale? I know it's a silly sounding question, but I have a good reason for asking. I need some ideas to stea...I mean to gather some inspiration from.

I'm blocking out my new novella series, The Law of The Lands. Yes it was going to be short stories, but I'm a writer, I change my mind all the time so best get used to it. Anyway, I've got to do something while I wait for the Beta readers to finish The Great Scarecrow Invasion, and the movie to start, and getting Chasing Lady Midnight ready.

I know, I'm demented. It's the way God made me, just go with it. Less headaches that way.

So I'm looking for some fairy tales  Although my main storyline will be my own characters, there will be solving of mysteries involving fairy tale characters. Slightly fractured of course. How's that for a cozy mystery idea? Agatha Christie must rolling in her grave.

I'm looking for some that might not be so commonly known. I mean we all love Snow White, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty, but let's face it they've been done to death. When Cinderella becomes a Zombie Slayer, and Sleeping Beauty a Vampire Slayer (I'm not kidding check it out on Amazon sometime) it's time to move on to other fairy tales. Although I do reserve the right to have the these characters make cameo appearances, such as Peter Pan and Captain Hook.

Don't groan I've already written the scene, I"m using it!

I've definitely decided on Snow White and Rose Red. Different Snow White, who knew there were two? Well I did, but I'm a writer knowing that kind of thing is part of what I do. Also I'll be using the Jabberwock from Through The Looking Glass. I know, technically it's a poem not a story, but close enough!

Random thought: Why is the poem called Jabberwocky but the monster in it Jabberwock?  Sorry, my mind wanders sometimes.

Anyway got any favorites you want to share? I'd love to hear your favorites.



Mystery and adventure writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a Christian Cozy Mystery Series, and a superhero story called Chasing Lady Midnight. A California native, she loves to "surf" the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she uses liberally in her plots. A big secret from her past, which is not so secret anymore, is that she used to a major comic book geek. Nowadays she loves to crochet, but she is still a big fan of the old Scooby Doo cartoons.
Cindy posts on her own blog called Short Mysteries and Tall Tales at http://shortmysteriesandtalltales.blogspot.com as well as The Cozy Mystery Magazine on http://cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com
Her Facebook Authors Page is located at http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale/219184744858421