Thursday, October 28, 2010

Ghoulies, Beasties, and Ghosties

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!

~Scottish Saying or an old Cornish prayer

Halloween, it seems, is as much for the adults as it for kids these days. No longer can parents send their children out into the cool October night to trick or treat around their neighborhood. These days, it is essential for an adult to accompany a child on his/her rounds of the neighborhood lest there be a predator lurking. No longer can the kid rush home to begin tasting their treats. Most parents these days go through the kids’ goody container to ensure that each piece of candy is securely wrapped - anything that isn’t tightly wrapped is tossed into the garbage can. Gone are the days of homemade goodies for the wee ghosties and ghoulies.


We adults perpetuate Halloween because it gives us permission to buy lots of our favorite candy - and, of course, eat it when the kids don’t show up at our door. Some of us take most (but not all) of it to the office to share with our co-workers so we won’t eat the whole thing. I have a friend who wants to save her coworkers from themselves so she doesn’t take any left over candy to the office, instead she freezes the bags (she loves Milky Ways) telling herself that she’s also saving herself from herself. Somehow, though, within a few weeks, a check of her candy-less freezer tells the story.


I have to admit I love answering the door to the wee ones. I love seeing the tiny Darth Vaders, Polar Bears, and ballerinas. The kids positively strummed with excitement at being ghosties and ghoulie, at being out at night, and at all that candy they’re getting. One three-year-old knocked on my door last year, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what she was. When asked, she told me she was a birthday cake complete with blue writing. I recently ran into her mother in the local park, I asked what the now four-year-old wanted to be this year, and I was told that she was going to be a good witch. I hadn’t known that good witches have yellow hair and wear purple, but now I do. You’ve got to admire the imagination behind the homemade costumes.


If truth be told, I miss the excitement of being out there myself.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Your Dreams


Sarah Louise Delaney (September 19, 1889 - January 25, 1999) and her sister Annie Elizabeth “Bessie” Delaney (September 3, 1891 - September 25, 1995) wrote a book, The Delany Sisters’ Book of Everyday Wisdom, that was published in 1996 four days short of Sarah’s 110th birthday and Bessie would have been 105.


pastedGraphic.pdf pastedGraphic_1.pdf

Bessie Delaney Sarah Delaney

You’ve got to admire people who pursue their dream no matter when it comes to them or how long it takes them to begin making their dream come true.

For reasons of their own, many people postpone trying to make their secret dreams come true. They’re too busy, their kids are too small, they don’t have money, their husband/wife won’t like it, etc., etc. There are as many reasons not to pursue a dream as there are dreams.

The people I admire are the ones who strive to make their dreams come true when everyone is telling them that their dream is the impossible dream. The woman who decides to go to law school in her forties while her kids are still in high school. The man in his sixties who knows he can be a novelist who sits down one day and opens a new document and begins telling his story.

Not all of us have the courage to begin nor do all who try to make a dream come true succeed. At least, though, they will not go to their grave wishing they had given the dream a chance to come to fruition.

What if the Delaney sisters had decided they were too old to write that book? What if they said no one is interested in the wisdom of two old women. The world would be a less wise place without having read their thoughts.

Dreams are something everyone has. Some make those dreams come true, others die regretting that their dreams remained just that - dreams.

What are your dreams? Are you making them come true?


Thursday, October 21, 2010

Staring in the Rearview Mirror


I saw a woman the other day who I first met two years ago. She is in her late 20s, a single mom with three kids under 10 years old, works two jobs, and attends a local university. She also attends a once-weekly Torah class at her synagogue. I so admire this young woman for wanting a better life for both her kids and herself.


The first time I met her, she looked exhausted. When I asked why, she told me that she had had to work on her day off and that same evening had to go to her second job. I asked when the last time she’d had eight hours sleep, she said, “I don’t remember.” At that time, I didn’t know about her kids or the university.


When I caught up with her the other day, I asked why she’s doing all this, all at once. She said because she wanted her children to “understand that circumstances are no reason to give up.” Her own mother, she said, was also a single mom, who had joined the military to ensure that her children would not go hungry or unschooled, told her not to think that giving up was the only way out of a difficult life. She said that every time she thought about quitting school or giving up, the words of her mother would come back to her.


My friend lamented some bad decisions she’d made while she was in her late teens/early 20s. Decisions that she is now paying the price for. I told her we al make bad decisions at one time or another - some people do it early in their lives while others of us wait until later, and, in some cases, much later in life, to do it. I pointed out that we all made the best decision we could at the time with the information we had at that time. Looking back, we can see that it was, perhaps, not the wisest decision we ever made, but it was right at the time. She said she hadn’t thought of her “bad” decisions as being the right ones at the time.


My young friend told me, with a shy smile, that she wants to write a book some day. “Not now,” she quickly amended. “Maybe when I get my degree in five years.” Once again, she’s looking into the future, not regretting the past.


As my best friend told me, if you keep staring in that rearview mirror, you’re bound to have an accident because you’re not watching where you’re going.




Tuesday, October 19, 2010

What's in Your Notebook?

Several agents and writing “experts” tell us that we should carry a notebook with us at all times to jot down those random ideas that only occur to us upon waking in the middle of the night or when we’re walking the dog or driving down the road.


I’ve carried a notebook for years. Actually, I’ve carried dozens of notebooks - I haven’t filled dozens of notebooks, mind you, I’ve only carried them around with me. I currently have two notebooks.


Blogger Jogger

One notebook I named “Blogger Jogger” - it is meant for snippets that might trigger future blog posts. The problem is there are as many times when I’m without it as there are when I take it with me. The blog post ideas that I come up with when I’m without the notebook are seem more numerous than the number I come up with when the notebook is close to hand. For some reason, I think those ideas I have when I am notebookless are more interesting than the ones I’ve jotted down. Why is that, do you think?


Awesome Notes

The other notebook is on my iPhone. That app is called Awesome Notes. The thing about this app that I love is that it allows me to create individual folders. So I have a folder called “Blog Ideas,” another called “Book Ideas,” and yet another called “Books to Read,” among others. The idea is to write down those random ideas for future books, future blog posts, and books that I want to read. I also have a folder called “Research” that I write down interesting facts I come across - with the idea that you never know when you’ll need a random fact or two.


The good thing about Awesome Notes is that I always have my iPhone with me. I have found that I have some really good ideas as I drive along the byways and freeways. Unfortunately, I can’t entered them into Awesome Notes without, I’m sure, causing a wreck or two. So as with Blogger Jogger, Awesome Notes is rendered useless.


I have found the notebook idea to be highly effective. What I haven’t been able to figure out is how to remember to take the notebook with me or how to use Awesome Notes while driving.


Recording Devices

My best friend suggested that I use a recorder to make notes. I’ve tried several recording devices over the years, which work better than trying to write something down in impossible situations, but I’m still a hazard when I drive and try to activate the recorder. I guess I could get off the freeway, but that doesn’t occur to me until afterwards. I try to remember the brilliant idea until I get to my destination, but there are way too many distractions, i.e., the idiot who cuts me off because he can’t stand being one car behind or the pedestrian who steps out from between parked cars to jaywalk instead of going the extra 50 feet to the crosswalk. I usually listen to NPR and while I’m trying to remember my own brilliant idea, I’ll hear someone else’s brilliant idea and off I go thinking about what I just heard and there goes my idea flying out the window.


New Invention Needed

Someday, someone will invent, if they haven’t already, a small device that will clip to my blouse, like a iPod Nano, that is voice activated. So when that clever idea comes singing into my mind, I’ll be able to repeat it immediately into the device and save it for all time. Of course, I’ll also capture me singing along with the Goldie Oldie radio station (not a pretty thought, I can assure you), cursing at the stupidity of the driver in front of me, or talking back to one of the guests on the Diane Riem Show on NPR. Yes, I know there are voice activated recorders on the market. I had one once. The issue with them, though, is finding it while I’m driving or, if I remember to put it on the passenger seat, grouping around for it. By the time I found it, the idea was long gone.


What’s Your Solution?

What do you do to remember that absolutely brilliant idea that flits by at the most inconvenient time?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Women Sleuths 1801-2010 Part 4

I’ve divided the genre into the five following categories:

  • 19th Century Sleuths (1801-1900),
  • Early 20th Century Sleuths (1901-1969),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1970-1989),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1990-1999), and
  • Early 21st Century (2000-2010).


I don’t claim that this is a comprehensive list, but if you’re interested in the genre, it will give you a place to start reading.


I’ve divided the list into four parts to be posted on October 5, 7, 12, and 14.



Early 21st Century - 2000 - 2010


Amateur Sleuths

  • Brodie Farrell is a "finder" of lost objects by British author Jo Bannister (debuted 2001)
  • Lena Jones is a private investigator and former policewoman in a series by American author Betty Webb (debuted 2001)
  • Molly Murphy is a private detective in 19th century New York City in a series by English author Rhys Bowen (aka Janet Quin-Harkin) (debuted 2001)
  • Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic vampire hunter in a series by American author Charlaine Harris (debuted 2001)
  • Olivia Beaumann is an amateur sleuth in an Australian culinary series by Goldie Alexander (debuted 2002)
  • Ruby Murphy is a museum worker and accidental investigator in a series by American poet and author Maggie Estep (debuted 2003)
  • Sonya Iverson is an amateur investigator in a series by Australian fashion journalist Elsa Klensch (debuted 2004)
  • Debra Morgan is a police detective in a series by American author Jeff Lindsay (aka Jeffry Freundlich) (debuted 2004)
  • Nea Fox is a private investigator in a series by British author Amelia Ellis (debuted 2005)
  • Thóra Gudmundsdóttir is an Icelandic lawyer and detective by Icelandic author Yrsa Siguroardottir (debuted 2005)
  • Harper Connelly is an amateur murder investigator in a fantasy series by American author Charlaine Harris (debuted 2005)
  • Patricia "Paddy" Meedhan is a Glasgow journalist and investigator in a series by Scottish author Denise Mina (debuted 2005)
  • Lisbeth Salander is a computer hacker and private investigator in a series by Swedish journalist and author Stieg Larsson (debuted 2005)
  • Anna Travis is a Detective Inspector in a series by English author Lynda La Plante (debuted 2005)
  • Hailey Dean is a prosecutor by American author Nancy Grace (debuted in 2009)
  • Miranda Corbie is a private investigator in San Francisco, California in the 1940s in a series by Kelli Stanley (debuted 2010)


Police Detectives

  • Denise Cleever is an undercover agent in a series by Australian author Claire McNab (aka Claire Carmichael) (debuted 2000)
  • Lindsay Boxer is a police detective in the Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson (debuted 2001)
  • Jane Rizzoli is a homicide detective in Boston in a series by American author Tess Gerritsen (debuted 2001)
  • Rhona MacLeod is a forensic scientist in a series by Scottish author Lin Anderson (debuted 2003)
  • Laura Caxton is a Pennsylvania State Trooper turned vampire hunter in a fantasy series by David Wellington (debuted 2006)
  • Anna Cameron is a sergeant in a series by Scottish author Karen Campbell (debuted 2008)
  • Nikki Heat is a homicide detective in New York City in a series by American novelist Richard Castle (debuted 2009)

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Women Sleuths 1801-2010 Part 3

I’ve divided the genre into the five following categories:

  • 19th Century Sleuths (1801-1900),
  • Early 20th Century Sleuths (1901-1969),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1970-1989),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1990-1999), and
  • Early 21st Century (2000-2010).


I don’t claim that this is a comprehensive list, but if you’re interested in the genre, it will give you a place to start reading.


I’ve divided the list into four parts to be posted on October 5, 7, 12, and 14.



Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives - 1990 - 1999


Amateur Sleuths

  • Kay Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Examiner for Virginia in a series by American author Patricia Cornwell (debuted 1990)
  • Anna Southwood is an amateur sleuth in a series by Australian author Jean Bedford (debuted 1990)
  • Phryne Fisher is a wealthy aristocratic detective by Australian author Kerry Greenwood (debuted 1991)
  • Virginia Kelley is an amateur detective in a series by author Nikki Baker (debuted 1991)
  • Hannah Wolfe is a private investigator in a series by English author Sarah Dunant (debuted 1991)
  • Temple Barr is a public-relations consultant and amateur detective in the Midnight Louie series by Carole Nelson Douglas (debuted 1992)
  • China Bayles is an herbalist and ex-lawyer in a series by Susan Wittig Albert (debuted 1992)
  • Nancy Clue is an amateur detective and lesbian in a parody of the Nancy Drew series by American author Mabel Maney (debuted 1992)
  • Dame Frevisse is a Benedictine nun in 15th century Oxfordshire by British author Margaret Frazer (aka Gail Frazer) (debuted in 1992)
  • Deborah Knott is a judge in a series by American author Margaret Maron (debuted 1992)
  • Kate Shugak is a former investigator for the Alaska District Attorney in a series by American author Dana Stabenow (debuted 1992)
  • Goldy Schulz is a caterer and amateur sleuth in a series by American author Diane Mott Davidson (debuted 1992)
  • Anita Blake is a vampire hunter in a fantasy series by Laurell K. Hamilton (debuted 1993)
  • Bo Bradley is an amateur investigator featured in five novels by American author Abigail Padgett (debuted 1993)
  • Ann Lindell is a police detective in a series by Swedish author Kjell Eriksson (debuted 1993)
  • Anna Pigeon is a park ranger and amateur sleuth in a series by American author Nevada Barr (debuted 1993)
  • Cassie Swann is an expert bridge player and amateur sleuth in a series by British author Susan Moody (aka Susan Donaldson) (debuted 1993)
  • Sister Fidelma is a lawyer and nun in 7th century Ireland by British author Peter Tremayne (aka Peter Beresford Ellis) (debuted 1994)
  • Sophie Greenway is the detective in a culinary mystery series by American author Ellen Hart (debuted 1994)
  • Robin Hudson is a "third-string correspondent" and amateur investigator in a series by Canadian journalist and crime novelist Sparkle Hayter (debuted 1994)
  • Stephanie Plum is a New Jersey bounty hunter in a series by American author Janet Evanovich (debuted 1994)
  • Mary Russell is an amateur detective in a series by American author Laurie R. King (debuted 1994)
  • Sydney Sloan is an amateur sleuth in a series by American author Randye Lourdon (debuted 1994)
  • Melanie Travis is a school teacher and amateur sleuth in a series by American author Laurien Berenson (debuted 1995)
  • Jane Whitefield is an Native American amateur sleuth in a series by American author Thomas Perry (debuted 1995)
  • Alexandra Cooper is a Manhattan prosecutor in a series by American author Linda Fairstein (debuted 1996)
  • Dido Hoare is an antique bookseller and amateur detective in a series by Canadian crime novelist Marianne Macdonald (debuted 1996)
  • Emma Victor is an amateur sleuth in a series by American author Mary Wings (debuted 1996)
  • Temperance Brennan is a forensic anthropologist in a series by Kathy Reichs (debuted 1997)
  • Tess Monaghan is a private investigator in Baltimore in a series by American journalist and author Laura Lippman (debuted 1997)
  • Rei Shimura is an antiques expert and amateur sleuth in a series by English-American author Sujata Massey (debuted 1997)
  • Madeline Bean is a Hollywood caterer and amateur sleuth in a series by Jerrilyn Farmer (debuted 1998)
  • Blue McCarran professor and amateur sleuth in a series by American author Abigail Padgett (debuted 1998)
  • Precious Ramotswe is a Batswana private detective in a series by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith (debuted 1998)
  • Meg Langslow is an amateur investigator in a series by American author Donna Andrews (debuted 1999)
  • Sonie "Sunny" Randall is a private investigator in a series by American author Robert B. Parker (debuted 1999)


Police Detectives

  • Marti MacAllister is an Illinois police detective in a series by American author Eleanor Taylor Bland (debuted 1992)
  • Gemma James is a Scotland Yard detective in a series by American author Deborah Crombie (debuted 1993)
  • Kate Martinelli is a police officer in San Francisco in a series by American author Laurie R. King (debuted 1993)
  • Eve Dallas is a New York City police lieutenant in a series by American author J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) (debuted in 1995)
  • Delia Peabody is a New York City police detective in a series by American author J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) (debuted in 1995)
  • Rachel Walling is an FBI agent in a series by American author Michael Connelly (debuted 1996)

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Women Sleuths 1801-2010 Part 2

I’ve divided the genre into the five following categories:

  • 19th Century Sleuths (1801-1900),
  • Early 20th Century Sleuths (1901-1969),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1970-1989),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1990-1999), and
  • Early 21st Century (2000-2010).


I don’t claim that this is a comprehensive list, but if you’re interested in the genre, it will give you a place to start reading.


I’ve divided the list into four parts to be posted on October 5, 7, 12, and 14.



Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives - 1970 - 1989


Amateur Sleuths

  • Cordelia Gray is a private investigator by English author P. D. James (debuted 1972)
  • Melinda Pink is a magistrate and climber in a series by British climber and author Gwen Moffat (debuted 1973)
  • Amelia Peabody is an archaeologist and amateur sleuth in a series by American author Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Mertz) (debuted 1975)
  • Sharon McCone is an amateur sleuth in a series by American author Marcia Muller (debuted 1977)
  • Jemima Shore is an investigative reporter and amateur sleuth in a series by Irish author Antonia Fraser (debuted 1977)
  • Sarah Kelling is an amateur investigator in Boston in a series by American author Charlotte MacLeod (debuted 1980)
  • Anna Lee is a private investigator in a series by English author Liza Cody (debuted 1980)
  • Kinsey Millhone is a private investigator and former policewoman in a series by American author Sue Grafton (debuted 1982)
  • VI Warshawski is a private investigator in Chicago in a series by American author Sara Paretsky (debuted 1982)
  • Ellie Haskell is an amateur detective in a series by English author Dorothy Cannell (debuted 1984)
  • Emily Hanson is a geologist and amateur investigator in a series by American geologist and author Sarah Andrew (debuted 1984)
  • Penny Wanawake is a model and amateur sleuth in a series by British author Susan Moody (aka Susan Donaldson) (debuted 1984)
  • Doran Fairweather is an antique dealer and amateur detective by English author Mollie Hardwick (debuted 1986)
  • Mrs. Pargeter is a widow with a shadowy past who solves uncanny mysteries in a series by English author Simon Brett (debuted 1986)
  • Carlotta Carlyle is a private detective in a series by American author Linda Barnes (debuted 1987)
  • Bonnie Indermill is an office temp and amateur investigator in New York City in a series by American author Carole Berry (debuted 1987)
  • Loretta Lawson is an amateur investigator in a series by English journalist and author Joan Smith (debuted 1987)
  • Daphne Matthews is a forensic psychologist in a series by American author Ridley Pearson (debuted 1988)
  • Kat Colorado is a private investigator in Sacramento, California in a series by American author Karen Kijewski (debuted 1989)
  • Jane Lawless is a restaurateur and amateur sleuth in a series by American author Ellen Hart (debuted 1989)


Police Detectives

  • Sigrid Harald is a police lieutenant in New York City in a series by American author Margaret Maron (debuted 1981)
  • Judy Hill is a policewoman in a series by British author Jill McGown (debuted 1983)
  • Kate Delafield a police detective in a series by American author Katherine V. Forrest (debuted 1984)
  • Elizabeth McPherson is a detective in a series by American author Sharyn McCrumb (debuted 1984)
  • Carol Ashton is a Detective Inspector in a series by Australian author Claire McNab (debuted 1988)
  • Barbara Havers is a policewoman in a series by American Elizabeth George (debuted 1988)
  • Clarice Starling is an FBI agent in two novels by American author Thomas Harris (debuted 1988)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Women Sleuths 1801-2010 Part 1

While doing research for a completely different topic, I ran across an author who I’d never heard of and who wrote about an amateur sleuth in the late 19th century. As often happens with me, that eventually led me to wonder when the first professional woman detectives were introduced and who had written about them. The following list is the result of that piqued interest.


I’ve divided the genre into the five following categories:

  • 19th Century Sleuths (1801-1900),
  • Early 20th Century Sleuths (1901-1969),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1970-1989),
  • Late 20th Century Sleuths & Police Detectives (1990-1999), and
  • Early 21st Century (2000-2010).


I don’t claim that this is a comprehensive list, but if you’re interested in the genre, it will give you a place to start reading.


I’ve divided the list into four parts to be posted on October 5, 7, 12, and 14.


19th Century Sleuths - 1801 - 1900


  • Valerie Brinton an amateur sleuth determined to prove her husband innocent of murder by British author Wilkie Collins (debuted 1875)
  • Amelia Butterworth is a nosy society spinster who assists the New York Metropolitan Police Force in a series by American poet and author Anna Katherine Green (debuted 1878)
  • Violet Strange is a debutante and amateur sleuth in a series of stories by American poet and author Anna Katherine Green (debuted 1878)
  • Irene Adler is an opera singer and amateur sleuth in the short story “A Scandal in Bohemia” by Arthur Conan Doyle (debuted 1891)
  • Loveday Brooke is an early "lady detective" created by Catherine Louisa Pirkis (debuted 1894)


Early 20th Century Sleuths - 1901 - 1969


  • Molly Robertson-Kirk is the head of the "Female Department" of Scotland Yard in short stories by British author Emma Orczy (debuted 1910)
  • Constance Dunlap is a reformed thief and detective by American author Arthur B. Reeve (debuted 1911)
  • Tuppence Beresford solves crimes with her husband Tommy in a series of novels and short-stories by Agatha Christie (debuted 1922)
  • Maud Silver is a retired governess turned amateur sleuth in a series by British author Patricia Wentworth (debuted 1928)
  • Beatrice Adela Lestrange Bradley is an elderly private detective and polymath psychoanalyst in 65 novels by Gladys Mitchell (debuted 1929)
  • Nancy Drew, “girl detective,” was created by American author Edward Stratemeyer (debuted 1930)
  • Jane Marple is an elderly amateur investigator in a series by English author Agatha Christie (debuted 1930)
  • Harriet Vane is detective novelist and amateur sleuth in a series by Dorothy L. Sayers (debuted 1930)
  • Hildegarde Withers is a school teacher and amateur slueth in a series by American author Stuart Palmer (debuted 1931)
  • Dol Bonner was a private detective in “The Hand in the Glove” and several Nero Wolfe mysteries. She was created by Rex Stout (debuted 1937)
  • Bertha Cool is a private investigator in the Cool and Lam series by American author A. A. Fair (aka Erle Stanley Gardner) (debuted 1939)
  • Trixie Belden is a girl-detective starring in a multi-author series created by Julie Campbell Tatham (debuted 1948).
  • Honey West is a private investigator in a series by G. G. Fickling (aka Gloria and Forest Fickling) (debuted 1957)
  • Charmian Daniels is a detective in a series by English author Jennie Melville (aka Gwendoline Butler) (debuted 1962)
  • Kate Fansler is a literature professor and amateur sleuth in a series by American professor Amanda Cross (debuted 1964)
  • Christie Opara is a police detective in New York City in a trilogy by American author and former police detective Dorothy Uhnak (debuted 1968)