How to Indulge in a Little "Me" Time

 

Are you lost in the shuffle of day to day living? At times that’s how it seems to me. Tasks such as grocery shopping, cleaning house and preparing meals often take precedence over “me” time.

I looked up the word self-indulgence and here’s what I found, “Eating whatever you feel like, even if it’s ice cream for breakfast; you just do what you feel like doing.”

One great way to indulge yourself is to kick back in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage or snack and with an intriguing mystery novel. Please enjoy the blurb and excerpt from book #3 in my Doc Holliday Mystery Series…

 

                                                          Lights…Camera…Murder!”

                                                                        Blurb

When a stuntman is shot while rehearsing a scene from cowboy hero Cody West’s newest movie, everyone considers his death an unfortunate accident. Veterinarian and amateur sleuth, Tullah Holliday, doesn’t hesitate to get involved. Her empathic senses tell her he was murdered. She suspects Cody West is the killer. As Tullah begins to put together the pieces of the case, West is stomped to death by a young stallion being trained as a stunt horse. Her life is endangered when she attempts to stop the horse trainer from shooting the stallion.

When two women confess to murdering the movie star, and also point the finger at a third accomplice, Tullah soon discovers the entire movie crew seems to have had a motive to kill him. Who killed Cody West—the horse or…



                                                        Lights…Camera…Murder!”

                                                                        Excerpt

I squatted over the body. The man’s arms were held against his chest. Clutched in his left hand was the neck of a broken bourbon bottle. His eyes looked into mine, but they were motionless. There was no need to check for a pulse. I touched my chin to my chest and whispered his name. Only the corral’s sullen silence and the patter of rain on my head and shoulders answered me.

“Damn. It’s…” Boyd stood over me and gagged. Once he caught his breath, he commanded, “Give me my rifle. That horse needs killin’.”

“Ella,” I yelled above the storm. “Call my dad. It’s Cody West, and he’s dead.” I also instructed her to back the horse trailer all the way down to the barn’s open outer doors.

My heart pitched with anger. “Mr. Boyd, I’m taking custody of both horses until the cause of Cody’s death is determined.”

His hands shot out. He grabbed me by both wrists and yanked me up. “Determined? The hell you say. It’s obvious that killer stomped Cody to death.”

So who killed Cody West? You’ll find the answer in Lights…Camera…Murder! Available in print and Ebook.

I also appreciate when readers leave a review. So, thank you in advance. I look forward to you telling me (in the comments below) if you guessed who killed Cody West (no spoilers, please) or did you have to read all the way to the end of the book to find out?

HAPPY READING!

Visit me on Facebook

Loretta

 

 

Once a Cowgirl Always a Cowgirl

 

Hello Readers,

          Loretta Rogers here sending special greetings to all of you. 

When I was a little girl my grandmother nicknamed me Cowboy Girl. Whether it was a carousel horse, a wild horse, or a plow horse, if it had four legs and a tail, you could bet your boots, I was going to ride it. I’ve worked cows, ridden in parades; barrel raced, and won a couple of ribbons participating in twenty-five mile endurance trials.  Although I hung up my spurs years ago, I’ve never outgrown my love for horses or the Old West.

September is not only my birthday month but, but how fitting is it that September is also National Cowgirl month. Just exactly what defines a cowgirl? “Cowgirl" is an attitude really; a pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head-on, lives by her own rules, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands; they speak up. They defend things they hold dear.

National Cowgirl month isn’t as widely known as some holidays, however, it’s very simple, and powerful. Women for years have made many historical contributions to the west and the cowboy culture. Some famous cowgirls include: Sandra Day O’Connor, before becoming a Supreme Court Justice, she was a little girl who rode horses, shot guns and grew up on her family’s generational Lazy B Ranch in Arizona. Phoebe Ann Moses Butler became known as legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley. More famously known as “Wild Horse Annie,” Velma Johnston spent decades of her life fighting to protect wild horses.

Written under my pseudonym L.W. Rogers, in my historical western mystery novel, Cowgirl Courage, Jenny Irene Morriston, lived up to the cowgirl code. At the age of eleven, Jenny executed the death-defying feat of breaking her father out of jail after he was wrongly accused of murder. Now, at the age of twenty-one, she has her mind set on an even more dangerous plan.

Just helping her father slip the hangman’s noose wasn’t enough: Jenny still has to clear his good name. So with newly short hair covered by a sweat-stained Stetson and a silver-inlaid gun belt wrapped around her waist, Jenny rides back to Rio Hondo, Texas…disguised as young gunslinger Jim Morris. Every breath, every movement, every word threatens to unmask her—and put a noose around her neck. Jenny’s only chance of discovering the true murderer and staying alive long enough to see justice done is to maintain her disguise. Her sole ally is her childhood friend Lucas. No matter how much it pains her, she must guard her identity even from him.

The closer Jenny gets to the truth, the riskier her charade becomes…until the only thing she can rely on is her courage.

While Cowgirl Courage is fiction, I hope you enjoy Jenny's perilous journey, and the emotions and fears she experienced because the tough-as-nails demeanor that each true western cowgirl possessed has laid the way for generations of cowgirls and women in general to emulate.

         Available in print and Ebook: https://amzn.to/2JId244

        www.lorettacrogersnovels.com

HAPPY READING!

Peter Pan Can Really Fly-Yes, No, Hmm?

 

Do You Believe Peter Pan Can Fly?

Hello, readers, Loretta Rogers coming at you live on a dark and stormy day. As I’m writing this, thunder is vibrating the house. I’ve taken precautions and unplugged my laptop to avoid getting zapped by lightning. However, it’s not the weather I’d like to discuss rather it’s a writing term called, “suspending disbelief.”

Suspending disbelief is temporarily allowing oneself to believe something that isn't true, especially in order to enjoy a work of fiction.

An example would be, knowing that Superman cannot, in reality, fly – and then pretending that you don't know he can’t. The storyteller tells the audience that, in this story, a man can fly. The audience suspends its disbelief and goes along with that premise.

In other examples, such as in the fantasy Lord of the Rings, we set aside the reality that such magical creatures do not exist so we can enjoy the movie while munching on popcorn. Let’s not forget the wonderful Disney characters that we’ve come to cherish such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Bambi. We know these characters can’t, in reality, talk, but for the sake of enjoyment, we willingly set aside this fact for a couple of hours of entertainment.

What does all of this have to do with my post? Recently, I tuned in to a FB conversation where readers were vehemently complaining that authors, and yes, they lumped all authors together, needed to fire their editors, hire professional editors, or perhaps stop writing altogether because they (the authors) needed lessons in writing. The complaint stemmed from the fact that readers were frustrated because in certain novels heroines could cook dinner, feed the kids, get them to bed, then dress for a party, and get it all done in twenty minutes. One reader went on to say that these type heroines made her feel inadequate as a woman, and a failure as a mother. WOW! So sad.

Some of the reader’s comments were much harsher than what I’ve shared. But, as an author, the comments did make me think twice about whether or not I am making sure that the setups in my novels are relatable; because as Samuel Tylor Coleridge said, “The key to making someone believe the unbelievable is to include human interest and a semblance of truth.”

I hope you enjoy this excerpt from FATAL PASSION, book #1 of my new Doc Holliday Mystery series. I’d really appreciate if it you would answer the question at the end of this passage.

            Grandmother sighed when she tossed the remaining three donuts in the trash. “If I were a betting person, I’d put my money on Beverly Rakestraw, and she had good cause. Apparently, Forest couldn’t seem to keep his pants zipped. Still infidelity is never a justifiable reason for murder.”

            I handed dad copies of the file. He cautioned me to stay alert, and I promised. I wrapped my arms around grandmother and whispered, “I’m sorry for making your angry.”

            She kissed me on the cheek. “It’s the situation that made me angry. Not you.”  She hesitated. “I’d almost forgotten. There’s another name to add.”

            Dad and I each gave grandmother an incredulous look. Together we said, “Who?”

            Dad quirked his mouth to one side. “Is this more gossip?”

            “Not exactly.” Grandmother’s voice was hushed as if the walls were listening. “I went to church to do my weekly confession, and before I went inside the confessional, I heard someone sobbing. It was Luanne. I must have caught her at a really weak moment because you know what a sour puss she is.” Grandmother heaved a dejected sigh. “I asked if I could be of comfort and that’s when she told me about her and Forest.”

            I nearly choked. “Luanne Sterns…the priest’s sister…that Luanne?”

            Grandmother nodded. “Luanne said in a weak moment she allowed Forest to visit her on more than one occasion, and sometimes they’d have a secret rendezvous at a secret location.”

            “Grandmother, she isn’t even remotely attractive. What would entice Forest to sleep with her?”

            “Only he knows that and he’s dead. Anyhow, apparently Forest said all the right things about loving her and them having a future together, and made a bunch of false promises, all to get inside her bloomers, and then he laughed at her, called her ugly, and said he bedded her because she was always mooning over him and he felt sorry for her. She needed to confess her sins but couldn’t at least not to her brother. So, in a moment of desperation, I became the substitute.”  Tanti glanced around. “Here’s the thing, after spilling her beans, Luanne got bull stompin’ mad and the things she threatened to do to Forest, well, let’s just say, were pretty drastic. Of course, I didn’t take any of it seriously. She was a woman scorned and blowing off steam.”

There you have it dear readers, did I set up the scene so that I suspended disbelief to your satisfaction? Under the circumstances, would Luanne, or any woman, confess her sins to someone she barely knew, other than her priest, especially if she were overly distraught?

Thanks for dropping by. I’d love to hear your comments.

Loretta C. Rogers, Pen Dames

By the way, grab your copy of FATAL PASSION, available in print or Ebook at Amazon.com in the US and UK, as well as other online stores.

 

 

 

You Can't Win if You Don't Enter

 Kentucky Derby and Church Hill Downs

Novels by award winning authors and lots of prizes. Your horse could be the winner.

The winner will be announced May 16th.

 

                                 INTERVIEW WITH KATHERINE SMITS

 

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Pen Dames. Today I’m interviewing the talented and mysterious Katherine Smits. She’s a gifted author who writes intriguing and passionate books in a unique setting.

 

Kathy, you write captivating stories about mermaids and mermen. Can you share with us how you got interested in them?

 

I learned to swim at Weeki Wachee. At the time, it was a private tourist attraction in Florida on the Gulf Coast. Now, it’s a state park with the deepest freshwater cave system in the country. There’s a natural first magnitude spring, and no one knows how far down it goes because the bottom has never been found. Young women performed underwater ballet using an air hose and wearing mermaid tails. The first time I watched the show from the underwater theater, I was hooked. I’ve never stopped loving mermaids, and when I decided to write my first book, I knew it had to revolve around the merfolk.

 

Before you, I’d never seen a book that’s set in Tarpon Springs, Florida. What inspired you to use that for your setting?

 

Tarpon Springs is a unique town with a large population of Greek immigrants who moved here for the sponge diving industry starting in the 1880’s and their descendants. I grew up there, and I love the town. I’m not Greek, but I always wanted to be, so maybe I can claim honorary membership.

 

 

From the four books you’ve written, do you have a favorite character?

 

Wow, what a hard question! I love all my characters. I’ve lived with them for years, and they seem so real to me. Nik from Water Dreams and Water Desires showed up first in my brain, so she’s the one I know the best. I “found” her apartment in Tarpon Springs, and I’ve been to all of the places where she went in the book (including a little hut on stilts a mile out in the Gulf of Mexico). I admire Athenia from The Sea Witch and the Mage and Siren Descending for her strength and talent. Then, there are the men. The awesome Water Dreams cover shows Nik and Bas in the water at night under a full moon. Bas is a swoon-worthy merman (or Nerei, as they call themselves), and his character arc brings him a long way from being the worst possible choice for Nik to becoming her ideal mate. Thorne is an alpha male with a strong sense of right and wrong who doesn’t abandon Athenia even when she betrays him in the worst way. He’s amazing. Nope, I can’t choose. I love all my characters, including the villains.

 

When did you start dreaming about mermaids and what motivated you to write about these mythical creatures?

 

Mermaids inspired me from a young age. I think I was about six or eight years old when I started going to Weeki Wachee for swimming lessons. I always pretended I was one of the mermaids when I was there. It helped me learn to swim. I wanted to be one of them, but I was never a good enough swimmer or able to hold my breath long enough, so I never tried out.

 

Where do you get your inspiration?

 

I’m a little unusual in that I often get my inspiration from places. First, I discover a location which would make a great setting for a book. Then, the characters who would live there come to me, and the plot derives from their interactions.

 

Writing isn’t the only thing you and I have in common. We both love to dance, but you dance on a horse. Can you talk about your love for dressage and how you got into it?

 

I was one of those horse crazy girls who collected horse statues and mooned over pictures of horses, but my parents adamantly refused to buy me a horse. I vowed someday I would own one. When my daughter begged for riding lessons at about age eight, we both started together. It’s a passion we have shared ever since. Dressage emphasizes riding in harmony with the horse, and that’s why it’s known as Dancing with Horses. The horse is your partner and together you complete a graceful pattern or ‘Test”.

 

How does it feel when you and your horse are dancing?

 

Horses are amazing partners. When I manage to move with the horse, it’s the greatest feeling of freedom and lightness I’ve ever experienced. I wish I were a better rider and could find that effortless partnership more often. My horse is retired now due to chronic lameness issues, but she loves her life on a farm in Ocala, and I visit her every week. I’ll include a picture of me with my horse. Her name is Corrin Castle, and she’s an Irish Sport Horse who was imported from Ireland. She has a passport! I was riding another horse twice a week before Covid-19, but now I’m social distancing, so I can’t ride. I hope a vaccine comes out soon, so I can get back to it.

 

You also clog, which sounds like a blast!

 

Though I can’t ride, I dance with my clogging team four days a week outside on the instructor’s driveway. Clogging is a form of dancing developed in Europe by workers who danced during their breaks in wooden shoes which made a distinctive tapping sound. Some of them brought the style to this country, and it evolved into what we do today. Though it is sometimes compared to tap dancing because the shoes have taps, it is quite different.

 

You were a social worker, working on behalf of veterans. Does your former career help you with your writing, and if so, how?

 

Absolutely! The training and clinical work help me craft believable characters with real life problems.

 

Any advice for aspiring authors?

 

Read a lot and write a lot. Practice, practice, practice. Also, establish a social media presence, including a web site, as soon as possible. Many publishers now want a marketing plan along with submissions, and the more social reach you have, the more likely they are to offer you a contract.

 

You have some good news. Congratulations! Can you tell me about your newly contracted book?

 

Witch Trial Legacy will release in 2021 from Foundations Books.

 

She must break an ancient curse before everything she cares about goes up in smoke.

Sybilla is a nurse gifted with the ability to heal with her touch but cursed with visions of future tragedies she cannot prevent because no one heeds her warnings. With help from the mediums of the spiritualist town of Cassadaga, Florida, she learns she is descended from both the first person executed for witchcraft in this country and the man who accused her. 

Conn Ahern is an Iraq war vet dealing with pain and PTSD while working as a paramedic and struggling to save the ranch his grandmother founded. He’s an atheist who wants nothing to do with the people of the town.

When Conn and Sybilla meet, sparks fly, but not always in a good way, and their relationship fans the flames of jealousy and revenge in someone who doesn’t want them together.

During a séance, her ancestor’s spirit reveals what Sybilla must do to rid herself of the curse and save Conn, but the price may be too high.

Wow, it sounds amazing. I can’t wait to read it.  Thanks so much for joining us today, Kathy.

 

 Katherine Eddinger Smits Bio

 

Katherine Eddinger Smits holds a master’s degree in social work.  For 20 years, she assisted veterans and their families until she retired to pursue her writing obsession.

 

Now she brings clinical training and experience to her stories of mermaids, mages and magical creatures. Within the context of fantasy and romance, her novels explore real-life issues of self-acceptance, body image, relationship dynamics, fears, and phobias. Mystery, suspense, and a little sex add spice to her books.

 

Katherine and her husband divide their time between Florida and West Virginia. Their children and granddaughters live in Virginia.

 

Besides writing, Katherine is a blogger, mom, Mimi, dressage rider, and clog dancer.

 

Sign up for her quarterly newsletter and receive a free short story! Newsletters always include contests, freebies and fun.  http://katherineeddingersmits.weebly.com/

 

 

 

 

Books by KATHERINE EDDINGER SMITS:

 

1.     Water Dreams, Love’s Siren Song, Book I

2.     Water Desires, Love’s Siren Song, Book II

3.     The Sea Witch and the Mage, Sirens Series 1

4.     Siren Descending, Siren Series 2

5.     Witch Trial Legacy (2021)

 

 

 

Facebook Author Page:

 https://www.facebook.com/Katherine-Eddinger-Smits-1570871886468704

 

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katherinesmits

 

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/katherinesmits/_saved/

 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kathyeddingersmits/