Marilyn's Musings

Though the Christmas season is upon us--it's a very different Christmas from those I had in the past.

Way back when my kids were little I started getting or making gifts way ahead of time. We didn't have much money and it had to stretch for five, plus I always gave my mom and sis a gift too. We usually went to my mom's for Christmas. Though one Christmas I was expecting my third child any day and everyone came from L.A. to our house in Oxnard.
When we bought a house in Oxnard, we usually stayed home and did our own Chriatmas. 
Later, when we moved to Springville and had our care home, I also got presents for my six ladies. It was so much fun to see them open their gifts. We had Christmas Eve celebrations at our home where we drew names because there were so many family members living nearby.
Later, my sister and her family moved to Las Vegas, so we no longer celebrated together. However, more members of our family moved to Springville, so we started a new tradition of hav…

This is the time to we should be counting our blessings. Actually, we should be thankful for our blessing all year round, but Thanksgiving is a big reminder to do that. I have a bushel of blessings I'm thankful for:

1. That I'm a Christian and have a loving church family including two family members who are pastors: son-in-law, grandson-in-law, and grandson.
2. A husband who still loves me after 68 years of marriage and that we're both in pretty good health considering our ages.
3. Five wonderful children--though one has gone on to be with the Lord.
4. Grandchildren and great grandchildren: Daughter Dana has 2 kids and 5 grandkids: Daughter Lisa had 2 kids, and 3 grandkids, and 5 great grands. (That means I have 5 great-greats!). Son Mark has one son, who has a son, and the son is expecting a child. He also has 3 stepkids--who have gone on to have kids though I've kind of lost track of them, I know they've all had kids. (Mark passed away.) Daughter Lori has 4 kids,…

False Light is the second book in the Claudia Riess's art history mystery series.
This newest art-world thriller Riess continues the evolution of the professional--and personal--relationship between art magazine editor, Erika Shawn, and professor of art history, Harrison Wheatley. 
Shawn and Wheatley attempt to crack the long-un-deciphered code of prankish art forger, Eric Hebbron (1934-1996), which promises to reveal the whereabouts of a number of his brilliant counterfeits. But what starts out as an academic puzzler leads to far darker mysteries in the clandestine world of art crime, culminating in murder. As the couple navigates this sinister world, both their courage under fire and the stability of their relationship are tested.
First book in the series: Stolen Light, and to be released in the fall of 2020, Knight Light.
The books in this series are available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.comhttps://IndieBound.org. and through independent books stores. 

Claudia Riess work…

https://www.facebook.com/events/426351174658554/
Party Time: 1 pm - 1 am - Eastern Time
12 pm - 12 am - Central Time
11 am - 11 pm - Mountain Time
10 am - 10 pm - Pacific Time

Party, Prizes, Mystery, Fun - Can You Solve the Clues Provided?

PACIFIC TIME Author Name
10:00 - 10:30 am Melissa Keir
10:30 - 11:00 am Julie Lence
11:00 - 11:30 am Kimila Kay
11:30 - 12:00 pm Marilyn Meredith
12:00 - 12:30 pm Lauri Robinson
12:30 - 1:00 pm Melissa Yi
1:00 - 1:30 pm Nicole McCaffrey
1:30 - 2:00 pm Kristine Raymond
2:00 - 2:30 pm Pamela Cowan
2:30 - 3:00 pm Wendy Delaney
3:00 - 3:30 pm Stephanie Berget
3:30 - 4:00 pm Kristin Holt
4:00 - 4:30 pm E.E. Burke
4:30 - 5:00 pm MK McClintock
5:00 - 5:30 pm Cissie Patterson
5:30 - 6:00 pm Amanda McIntyre
6:00 - 6:30 pm Anne Louise Bannon
6:30 - 7:00 pm C. A. Newsome
7:00 - 7:30 pm Claire Kane
7:30 - 8:00 pm Jordan Wood
8:00 - 8:30 pm Yvonne Rediger

When you’re writing a story, you form a lot of mental pictures. Your characters, the furniture, the people on the street. When you’re writing about real places, though, it helps to actually see the locations you’re talking about. If you’re geographically not close, photos and videos are a great help (Googlemaps, if nothing else). If you can visit a place in real life, though, you really should.
The first short story with Cornelia Pettijohn and Teddy Lawless was set in Cornelia’s home town, Fisher’s Mill. At one time it was an important stop for riverboats, and had even earned the nickname “Little Sodom.” In modern times, though, the town no longer existed. It had been absorbed into the area around Midway, Kentucky. We’d written some scenes with Cornelia’s farmhouse,  Mr. Scroggins’ “rustic cabin,” and Burgess’ Drugstore (none of them real locations). We had an important scene, though, in which the ladies needed to enter the town center after dark. Teddy used a cane, and it was importan…

Some people are practically born writing.  I’m that type—I started writing stories at a very young age.  Other people come to writing later in life.  Either way, you can be successful at it if you work hard and are committed to it.  Even people like me who spend their whole lives writing sometimes still take a long time to get published.  Here are five things to keep in mind if you want to be successful at writing:
 Figure out what you want to write and stick with it.  Many published writers are successful because they can keep readers coming back for more.  Readers like to know what they’re getting when they pick up one of your books so you should try to focus on one genre and really give it your all.  Pick a genre that you’re passionate about and stick with it. This doesn’t mean you can’t write in multiple genres. That’s why authors use pen names. You can write thrillers under one name and contemporary romance under another, but you should dev…