Author name: Sayling@@Away

Having grown up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and as one of the first guides at Plimoth Plantation, Thanksgiving has a special place in my heart. Working in the Pilgrim village, standing in reproductions of the crude homes in which the Pilgrims first lived, I could not imagine the hardships of that first bitter winter, when nearly half of their small band of 102 intrepid travelers (only 37 were Separatists) died from disease and deprivation. Try to imagine what it would be like to set off in a small, creaky ship on a vast ocean, leaving everything and everyone you have ever known, not knowing if you would even survive the trip, just to be able to worship God freely and in your own way. The first Thanksgiving was a three day feast celebrated with the Wampanoag Indians, who contributed significantly to their survival. As written by Edward Winslow, one of the 53 surviving Pilgrims, and later governor of the Plimoth Colony: “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.” I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and may you be “partakers of our plenty.” And remember those who are less fortunate than we. 0 0

Tom Clancy died today, too young at 66. He was a towering author of technically detailed espionage and military thrillers spanning three decades. I was particularly impressed with his character Jack Ryan, with whom I was in love even before Hollywood’s depiction with the likes of Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Alec Baldwin. The guy knew how to write a thriller, and I had a hard time putting down the books before I came to the end. What impressed me the most was his ability not only to tell a story, but to keep it relevant to the current time, moving seamlessly from the Cold War to the current problems in the Middle East. I suspect his novels didn’t attract a wide swath of women readers; they are of the sort that appeals to men. Clancy himself presented as a macho type with aviator glasses. But my father, who was an omnivorous reader, introduced me to his books and said I would like them. I did. But then, almost everything my Dad recommended, I liked. Imagine reading The Odyssey at age eight. I did and liked it. His last book, Command Authority, comes out on December 3rd. I’ll probably pre-order it. 0 0

On this most auspicious day, I suspect people remember just where they were when they first heard the news of the attack. I know I do. I also remember the ensuing events, and the wars which we fought. On this day, I honor the memory of all the people lost on that day and the service men and women who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a military mother, I deplore all wars and yearn for peace, but recognize that the world is not perfect and we need our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, to protect our freedoms and country which is “the shining city on the hill.” 0 0

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Craig Johnson, the author of the series of Longmire mystery books I recommended several weeks ago, last Saturday at the Bookmark book fair in Winston-Salem. Johnson is a memorable character, one of those people who seem a bit larger than life, electrify personal interactions and occupy the entire room when they are speaking. He spent time with each person for whom he autographed a book, taking time to chat about this and that. Personable, funny, a great story teller, he made me laugh until my sides hurt with his tales of how people have experienced his books, the people on whom the various characters are based, and how he views the world. Johnson is clearly excited by the popularity of his books, but has retained a down to earth personality and an eagerness to connect with his readers. I also had the honor of meeting his wife, Judy, on whom the character of Deputy Victoria Moretti is based. She is the female version of her husband, approachable and fun to talk with. Now I need to take a trip to Longmire Days in Buffalo, Wyoming, the town which became Durant, the seat of Absaroka County. I heard that a lot of people descended on that town for Longmire Days this past July, not only to meet Johnson but also the cast of the TV show based on his books. Now if they only had a rodeo there at the same time, my happiness would be complete. 0 0

Okay, I’ve been very remiss at blogging lately, but I have a good excuse – a knee replacement, which left me very tired and just managing day to day for a while. I am heavily into PT now and walking with a cane, which means more energy! So I’m beta reading a friend’s book and back to working on mine, the second in a Rhe Brewster Mystery series. In the meantime, while my mind and body are catching up, I want to recommend two blogs I visit on a regular basis: Scribbling in the Storage Room by Elizabeth Hein and Sylvia Writes by Sylvia Villalobos. Elizabeth is a member of one of my critique groups and blogs about writing, offering great links and advice. She has recently published her first book, Overlook, which demonstrates her real skill for writing about women. Overlook, a novel about housewives who live in a housing development built around a man-made lake, is rife with social commentary, snarky and back-stabbing relationships, and yes, even some violence. I loved it. Worthy of Oprah’s book club. Sylvia is a new friend whom I met through blogging. I recently read a flash fiction piece she published in Pure Slush; she is a phenomenal writer. Her blogs are so worth reading; she asks profound questions about writing and blogging and makes thoughtful and perceptive observations of the world around her. Even though I am not doing such a great job at blogging myself, at least I can recommend a couple of women who are! 0 0

I have rarely encountered a series of books that I enjoy re-reading, especially in my favorite mystery genre. But lately I have found myself re-reading the Longmire series by Craig Johnson. I discovered them last year when Longmire became a new series of A&E, and I decided to read the books to see what the fuss was all about. The first volume hooked me and I raced through everything he had written. Now that I am re-reading the books, I like them even more, kind of like slipping on an old comfortable pair of slippers. Johnson is an interesting and talented writer, combining a wonderful ability to delineate memorable characters with write brisk, intelligent dialogue, and to create word poems of the beauty of the part of Wyoming where the stories are set. His mysteries also contain more than a soupcon of Cheyenne lore and mysticism and some chuckle-worthy humor. His main character, Walt Longmire, a crusty recent widower, has been the Sheriff of Absaroka County for 26 years and solves crimes the old fashioned way, with thought, intelligence, and consideration for the people of his county and the nearby Northern Cheyenne Reservation. He has an uneasy relationship with his daughter Cady, “the Greatest Legal Mind of Her Time,” who is a lawyer in Philadelphia. His best friend and right hand man is Henry Standing Bear, aka “the Cheyenne Nation,” an erudite man with whom Walt served in Vietnam and who now runs the Red Pony Bar and Grill and serves as Walt’s interface with the people of the reservation. I highly recommend reading two shorter books by Johnson, which he wrote to fill in, and elaborate on, the relationships and characters: Christmas in Absaroka County and The Messenger. Both books are full of warmth and humor and deserve more than one read. 0 0

I’m facing a period of healing (bodily) which leaves the mind at sixes and sevens. Having a routine helps, with small daily goals, including time for writing. With so much mental space unclaimed, the things people send me seem to have more of an impact. My sister-in-law sent me the following quote from Francine du Plessix Gray. “I write because in the act of creation there comes that mysterious, abundant sense of being both parent and child; I am giving birth to an Other and simultaneously being reborn as a child in the playground of creation.” Don’t we all have a little of creation in us? 0 0

Finally, after what has seemed to be an interminable length of time, Death in a Red Canvas Chair is out both on Kindle and paperback.  I’m having some surgery on Monday, so not much time for marketing, but I do hope whoever reads my blog with try the book. I welcome reviews – I can take it! 0 0

For many years I passed a dogwood and cedar on my way to and from home. There are lots of dogwoods and cedars along this road, but these two had grown intertwined.  In the spring the white blossoms of the dogwood popped against of the green of the cedar.  In summer, they offered two shades of green, and in the fall the burnished copper of the dogwood leaves and the red berries sparkled against the cedar branches.  In winter, I imagined the cedar protecting the dogwood, wrapping it with its branches, keeping it safe and warm until spring.  The two trees seemed like a married couple, husband and wife, complementing and protecting each other over the years. Finally, one day in late summer, I drove by my favorite trees and gasped. A road crew had come by and cut down the cedar.  It was gone.  The dogwood, forlorn and also damaged, stood, drooping.  It lasted through the winter but in the spring, the blossoms were few and the leaves were sparse.  It was as if its spouse had died, and it no longer had the will to live. Finally, toward the end of that year, the dogwood fell. Maybe I’m just getting old and sentimental, but I shed a few tears for those trees. 0 0

I came to the sort of end of a chapter in my book today and realized I hadn’t a clue how to really end it. As a matter of fact, endings of chapters have always been a problem for me. How to write a pithy sentence or two that would lead to the next chapter. Then I thought about feedback I’d gotten from my Early Birds critique group and realized that sometimes the beginnings of chapters were also difficult. So I’ve been looking critically at a couple of mystery writers I love – Craig Johnson and David Baldacci – to see what they do. The beginnings are generally a simple declarative sentence or a bit of dialogue, written to grab the attention of the reader.  The endings are generally something  brief, a thought or a bit of dialogue presaging things to come or commenting on a previous event. I need to work on this, clearly, with the emphasis on the endings.  More rewriting. BTW, Craig Johnson has a new book out:  A Serpent’s Tooth.  For those of you who have never read his books, try one. He is the author of the Longmire series, which has recently been filmed for A&E.  His books are so much better, but the person playing  Longmire, the sheriff  of the large Wyoming county of Absaroka, is an Australian Actor named Robert Taylor who is a perfect fit.  What is so great about Johnson’s books is his descriptive narrative of the beauty of Wyoming and its powerful weather, as well as the complicated relationships Longmire has with Henry Standing Bear, his best friend and member of the Cheyenne Nation, his daughter Cady, and the members of his small police department. The dialogue is crisp, interesting and more than occasionally smartly amusing and intelligent.  If you want to start with some oddly wonderful short Longmire stories, read Christmas in Absaroka County. So what do you all do to create a good chapter beginning and a better ending? 0 0