Chapter 23 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

I've written a couple of chapters since updating this blog, and have several more planned in my head. Good long drives are useful to me in that regard, and I've had a couple of those lately.

I'm hopeful that the writing bug will continue to infect me, and I'll proceed at a faster pace than I have been for the past few months.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 23:

    “Why did they find the body here?” I asked. “I mean, if there are so many places it could get hung up?”
    “Probably two reasons,” Alex speculated, looking thoughtful. “The river widens out, so the current does diminish. I’ve been told that’s why the town was built here in the first place. The river could be forded before there was a bridge. But also, there are people here. We saw it and called the police. Shane actually pulled it, him, ashore.” Alex stared into the distance, obviously recalling the unpleasant experience.

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon

Chapter 21 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

Things seem to be coming together in my head to make this book flow, but it's really hard to make blocks of time to write with two jobs. It's a dilemma!

Nevertheless, I've managed to produce a new chapter for each meeting of the West Side Gang writers' group, and I'm up to Chapter 21.

Almost at 35,000 words for the MS.

I've got a satisfactory number of confusing threads going on in the story, and if I can pull them all together at the end, this should be a good read. Let's hope you all agree, when I actually produce the entire book!

In Chapter 21, we learn more of the details of an infamous local crime from a newspaper article saved by the meticulous curator, Cora Baker.

Here's an excerpt from the Cherry Hill Herald in Chapter 21:

    Only six weeks later, on October 8th, appearing to shop as usual at Volger’s, after Nora had paid for a few sewing notions, Heinrich Volger demanded to inspect her basket which was lined with a gingham cloth. Beneath the cloth he found a set of fine linen napkins, a tin of tooth powder, sheet music for I’m Always Chasing Rainbows, and several handfuls of loose horehound candies. He valued the items at a total of $6.87. “Those napkins were made by Mrs. Ethel Radcliffe, and were worth a dollar a piece,” Volger explained to the Herald. “That’s what made it so dang provoking. Ethel don’t make those fine linens for the store, but once in a while.”

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon

The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp Moves Up in Smashwords Ranking

The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp is now in first place for short, free downloads of mysteries featuring women sleuths, at Smashwords. OK, so it's a rather narrow category. I'm still happy. It's been sitting at #2 for over a year, but it has finally taken a step upwards! Hooray for steady downloads from new fans.

The book is really a short story, and second in the Anastasia Raven series. Its overall rating at Smashwords is 4.5 out of 5 stars with six reviews. Here's one from someone I don't know at all, so there's no "review for a friend" going on with it. "I don't normally like shorter books/short stories but this one was so well developed that there was nothing short about it. Excellent story. Love the people of Cherry Hill. Can't wait for more"

See The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp.

Chapter 18 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

This book is proceeding at the pace of a greased snail. I realize that. I'm hoping at some point my ideas, time, and enthusiasm will reach a critical mass and I'll be able to take off and write more than one agonized chapter at a time.

Tonight I didn't finish in time to go to the West Side Gang writers' group. Since I had some modest momentum going I decided I really had to stay home and actually write. The chapter struggled along, sentence by sentence, but at last it reached a satisfactory ending, revealing one more piece of the puzzle.

Almost at 30,000 words for the MS now.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 18:

    She glanced sideways at me, and set the cup down on the table. Her blunt, work-worn fingers tapped impatiently on the edge of the saucer. “I know that Jerry was not the only potential buyer for the old school. This sudden interest in that dump, and then learning it’s the location of the Jared Canfield murder is quite peculiar, don’t you think?”
    I jumped on the opportunity to change the subject. “Do you know who else wanted to buy it? I do think that’s strange.”

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon

"Salmon Sea" Selected for a Broadside

Ludington Art Fair (photo by JHY)

Have you ever heard of a broadside? Neither had I, except in the obsolete sense of a newspaper-like poster used to disseminate news or advertising in pre-Civil War times. However, I guess they have really caught on some places as a way to get art and writing out to the general public.

One of the West Side Gang leaders thought they would be a good offering to have at the Ludington Art Fair. We had to submit poems for inclusion, and I had one make the cut. They had art work added, and were printed on good quality paper.

The poem of mine that was chosen is named "Salmon Sea." I'll be sending it to everyone on my Mail Chimp List for free, when I reach 50 subscribers. Have you signed up?

Chapter 16 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

This book is looking like it will certainly be the longest in the series so far. The story seems to still be growing in complexity, and I'm at 27,000 words.

I like the current twist it's taking. Don't want to give too much away, but I think I'm succeeding at developing multiple suspects to keep the reader guessing.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 16:

    Lying at an odd angle on top of the carton was a plain piece of computer paper with printing on it. I grabbed a tissue from the packet I kept clipped to the visor and picked it up.
    The note wasn’t hand written, but was printed in a plain font in large capital letters.
    “YOU AND YOUR RICH BOYFRIEND BETTER STAY AWAY FROM THAT OLD SCHOOL IF YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR YOU. LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER GUY. A FRIEND.”

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon

Chapter 15 - Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp

I haven't made much progress on the newest Anastasia Raven mystery for quite a while. But today I got back on track. Re-read everything I have to date, and wrote the next chapter.

Took it to West Side Gang this evening, and for the most part they liked it. Some thought there was too much description in one place and others liked that section particularly well. Some didn't like how much I have to use dialogue to give the reader information. Another said "O.K. as dialogue."

These differences of opinion don't bother me at all. What they do is further convince me that a book will never sink or float on just one paragraph. In the end, when the book is an entity, not broken into chapters that a group hears one at a time, weeks apart, the balance between description and dialogue will sort itself out, and if it needs major editing (slashing) I can do it.

Meanwhile, here's a sample of Chapter 15:

    “Why are you so jittery, Ana?” Adele continued. “I’ll tell you what I think. You’re dating him!”
    “Not really.”
    “’Not really!’ What does that mean? I saw the way he was looking at you in the car. There’s certainly something going on between you.”
    I couldn’t tell Adele the whole truth. She’d blab it all over. “We did go out for dinner. He wants me to help him plan a community event.”
    “Hell’s bells. You don’t expect me to believe that do you?”

You can find the first three Anastasia Raven Stories at Smashwords or Amazon