Fun Find

     Whilst visiting local Amelia Island antique shops, I came across this wonderful iron star.  A light spray of  coral paint and sealer against the weather, I added a bit of glitter, too. It now hangs on our front gate.  I love it!

10 Books About Amelia Island Includes Our Goodbye Lie Series

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Amelia Island's GOODBYE LIE Series in paperbacks and E-books HERE

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     I am so pleased to share this post from The Arbor Company Blog. Of the ten books featuring Amelia Island, Florida, there are six in the non-fiction genre, three mysteries and one romance.  That romance is my Goodbye Lie series!  The ever-unpredictable characters in the novels, our Critter Crew and I want to sincerely thank Melissa Sloper, Executive Director of The Lakeside at Amelia Island retirement community, for including us.  

The Lakeside at Amelia Island is a lovely retirement community operated by The Arbor Company.  Located at 649 Amelia Island Parkway, Fernandina Beach, Florida, 32034, call 904 274-4953 for information.

Toss or Treasure It? plus Goodbye Lie Diaries - Miss Ella

     There are two kinds of folks. Those who look at the roses pictured above and say something like, "Why do you keep those old dead flowers?"  Then there are those, like me, who say something like, "I adore dried flowers.  Their muted shadow of what once was brilliant color can't dim the memories they hold."  What do you see?  Dead or dried flowers?  Trash or wonder at the beautiful sentiment they represent? - jmm

The Goodbye Lie Diaries - Miss Ella Dunnigan

   (*Miss Ella is the beloved matriarch of the Dunnigans in the historical romance/suspense Goodbye Lie series set on Amelia Island, Florida.  Wise, patient, kind and a wonderful cook, she leads her bunch, including her husband, Michael, toward and to the real treasures of life, family.) 

Buy e-books or paperbacks from The Goodbye Lie series here

 

*Miss Ella

Circa late 1800s

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Miss Ella writes:

     Dear Jane Marie,

        Being a rosarian, I agree when you say roses or any flower for that matter, in a dried state, evoke sweet memories.  There is many a book in which I have pressed my flowers. With the art of living occupying my time, I readily admit to a gentle thrill upon discovering a dried blossom between the pages of a beloved novel or book of verse. It is then I visit the memory the faded bloom evokes. Such a sweet blessing this is.

                                                           With regards of great warmth,

                                                                                  Ella

Buy e-books or paperbacks from The Goodbye Lie series here

      

Fall in Love, Again and Again and Again

 

 The best love stories continue long after you've turned the last page ...

- Jane Marie

The Goodbye Lie Series

 The Lure, The Love, The Legend

    Set in north Florida in the Victorian seaside town of Fernandina on Amelia Island in the late 1800s, the Irish-American Dunnigan family has four adult siblings and each is very different from the other. Their individual stories will take you back to a time where honor and treachery face off, where customs and social graces govern. The results will sometimes shock you, sometimes surprise or anger, touch or tickle you. Your roller coaster of emotions, powered by the reading of the novels, may stimulate and exhaust you. But you'll come back for more, once you discover The Goodbye Lie, Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow and Amelia Island's Mark of a Man. 

Don't say you weren't warned!

 E-books and Paperbacks HERE 
VICTORIAN SOUTHERN FICTION
Oh, the LURE, the LOVE, the LEGEND... 
of THE GOODBYE LIE
 historical mystery-romance series
 set on Amelia Island, Florida
 in the late 1800s

*****

P.S.  Someone sent me the photo of the lovely rose heart pictured at the beginning of this post.  They didn't know the source, so neither do I.  If anyone can tell me, please email graciousjanemarie@yahoo.com and I will happily and speedily credit that source.  Thank you,  jmm

Hands of Love plus Goodbye Lie Diaries-Entries by "The Girls"

Present Day
Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida

     To me, this is a perfect picture of love.  It came about when I saw my Bruce's hand print on our blanket where he had straightened the bed covers, smoothing the wrinkles in the nap. Like a refreshable Etch A Sketch, our granddaughter, Ava, and I have drawn pictures in this same nap, at our annual Grammy Camp. And so it came to me to place my hand on this most impressionable blanket, along side that of my dear husband's.  I had to photograph the result and share with you other romantics out there.  💑  Jane Marie

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*The Goodbye Lie Diaries

Late 1880s

Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Breelan

Breelan writes - At the sight of this powerful image, romance with the man I love fills my entire being.

Carolena

Carolena - To discover his hand print and then compliment it with your own, tells a story of love for a lifetime. 

Marie

Marie - Ahh ...  I want a good man of my own ...




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     The Goodbye Lie Diaries on this blog are written by the  The Goodbye Lie series characters, themselves, and what characters they are! Set in the late 1880s on Amelia Island in north Florida, these girls are siblings in the Irish Dunnigan family. Each sister has a distinct personality and look and each has a novel telling her own story as part of the series.  Read the tales of the Dunnigan girls as follows: 

Breelan- The Goodbye Lie
Carolena - Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow
Marie - Amelia Island's Mark of a Man
             (brother Pat shares this novel)

   The Dunnigans welcome you to their family. Hang on tightly! There's a whole lot of bouncin' goin' on!
                        -Jane Marie Malcolm (author and close friend to the Dunnigan clan)

Treat Yourself for Valentine's Day

     Discover Amelia Island, Florida's romantic   Goodbye Lie series  - We think you'll love the lure of it when you experience the romance then remember the legend of it all ...  (Available in e-books and paperbacks most everywhere online or order it in your local book store.)
     The Goodbye Lie, Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow and Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, all part of the historical romance/mystery/drama/comedy series, are where the written road delivers you into the antics-filled and angst-ridden lives of the Dunnigan siblings, inside and out of their small island town of Fernandina.  

Breelan and Waite and Trip's story circa 1882

 from Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida to

New York City and back.

Carolena and Grey's story circa 1889

from Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida to

Charleston, South Carolina to Johnstown, Pennsylvania and back.

Pat and Angelica's story circa 1898

from Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida to

Erie, Pennsylvania to the waters of Cuba and back.

Buy e-books and paperbacks here --Goodbye Lie series 

Bear Advice

CareStaf's Mike Bear
is a fine looking bear and
so health conscious, too.

  He's a busy fellow and that includes
posing with his tissue for this shot. 

     'Tis the cold and flu season again.  Take a tip from our friend, Mike, the  Kansas City Carestaf* bear, on how he stays healthy.  His Mama Bear taught him and he listens to his mother like all bearlings, children and adults should.
     P.S. Mike has no medical training, so take or leave his advice.  Your fate is in your paws/hands.  However, we must add that he likes to listen to hearts with his toy stethoscope, so that qualifies him for something. Oh, yes, that qualifies him as a stuffed toy.

Mike Says:

• Don't touch your face.
• Don't rub your eyes.
• Hold your breath when someone coughs or sneezes.
• If necessary, touch elbows in greeting when someone is ill. Don't shake hands.
• Spray disinfectant on door knobs, inside and out.
• Polish television remotes with fresh disinfectant wipes.
• Polish all phones with fresh disinfectant wipes.
• Wash those paws/hands.
• Dry your hands with paper towels, not a community cloth towel.
• Bundle up in layers to go out.
• Wear a hat out in the cold.
• Layer your clothing, inside, too, if your thermostat is set low to save electricity.
• Don't touch your face or lips.  I know I wrote that already, but it's the number one thing Mama Bear says.

     By the way, Mike Bear is friends with our Martha Bear, ursine spokesbear for this blog and Gracious

Martha Bear sitting in her

official Bear Chair

wearing her official uniform

Jane Marie. Martha also makes cameo appearances in Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie series. 

The Goodbye Lie Series

*CareStaf - Dennis and Peggy Brown opened CareStaf in 1991 and still own and operate the company.  Their commitment to high clinical standards has made CareStaf a recognized leader in supplemental staffing and home health care.  (Peggy Brown is my sister, as well, so  please permit me to brag about her and her wonderful hubby, Dennis.  - jmm)

.     

2017 Annual Christmas Letter

Somebody else's Christmas Cactus

     Here is another of our annual appalling          

appealing family Christmas letters.  Hope your year was filled with events and quotes as great as ours!

 

Mother tried out for the community theater production of Little Mermaid.  She will play the coveted role of seaweed.

 

Auntie instructed Son to put up the trellis for the wedding ceremony.  He readily agreed, adding, "What’s a trellis?"

 

Uncle asked, "Who was the last one to brush?"  “Brush what?” came the reply in unison. That happened in May.

 

Father warned: "Don't go in there.  He's got The Crud and he'll take us all down with him."

 

The doorbell rang. "Who ordered this kind of pizza?  I hate mushrooms so I ain't paying.  Granny, it’s for you."

 

"Who wants a white Russian?"  “I don't, but I'll take a furry Frenchman."

 

Uncle Tree-tree talks into the TV clicker and replaces the batteries when he can't change the channels. It keeps him busy and away from the garbage can.

  

It rained so hard the apple pie was good.

 

Father cut the grass and his toe nails, in that order. 

 

Cousin Skin bought a ticket and wore a sneaker.

 

The pool was not cleaned this year.

 

“Anybody got any TUMS?”

 

A feather was on the sidewalk.

 

Ants carried off the cat food.

 

Mother sewed on a button then removed the blood stains with her spit.

 

Brother got a new one.

 

The cat coughed up a pickle.

 

The timer on the sprinkler got reset.

 

The oven burned the chicken. 

 

The repairman made two trips to plug in the toaster.  He wears a uniform and is Father's nephew.

 

Friday's newspaper was thinner than the bacon.

 

Sometimes we didn’t dry the dishes.

 

The stairs still need watering.

 

The chimney smells funny.

 

Merry Christmas
from all the crew and characters at
Gracious Jane Marie and
Amelia Island Novels Blog

Quick Beef Stroganoff

     I heard somewhere, "It is better to wear out than rust out."  And I agree, but our lives do often seem hectic and we may forget a thing or two. (That's why there are sticky notes in my world. )

     One thing we must remember to do is feed the family- like they would let us forget?  So, I am always on the look-out for quick and easy recipes that are delicious.  This Beef Stroganoff has been around our house for a couple of decades. Give it a try! 

Quick Beef Stroganoff

Brown and drain any grease:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Garlic powder to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely (optional)
• Flat noodles or pasta            

Add, stirring over medium heat until hot clear through:

• 1 can “healthy” mushroom soup (regular is fine, too)
• 1 cup regular, non-fat or light sour cream
• 1 three ounce can of mushrooms, drained (or larger can if you love mushrooms) - fresh mushrooms taste even better, but should be added with the onion so they can be cooked through
• 2 tablespoons ketchup           
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Serve over flat noodles or pasta.

P.S.  This recipe was first posted on my Gracious Jane Marie website a long while ago.  It's so good, I thought you might like seeing it again or discovering it for the first time.

Enjoy!
            Jane Marie

Another "Lucy" Moment- Where Are My ...?

     I confess.  I have always and am always misplacing two things.  Beginning in childhood,  I remember

asking my mother, "Where are my shoes?"  That continued into adulthood.  Now I ask my husband, "Where are my shoes?" plus "Where are my glasses?"  I wear cheaters/readers, whatever you may call them.

     One day I was alone in the house, scurrying about, as I usually do.  I don't walk.  Why?  I can't say for sure, but one advantage is you burn calories, another is you get to where you're going faster and, thereby, can accomplish more things. Win, win, right? 

     So there I am, asking Abby, the spokesdog for this blog and my writing companion,  and myself, mostly myself, "Where are my glasses."  I always keep a spare pair in every room, or try to.  I often manage to find several in a pile.  Case in point ... When I happened to pass a mirror, I caught a near blinding reflection of something glinting off the sun.  I figured out it was the four pairs of glasses I had hanging on the neck of the sweatshirt I was wearing. I had to laugh as this one.  I took a selfie to prove what a dumb bunny I can be. (Refer to the picture above.)  

     Hey, perhaps we can spin this to read how my powers of concentration are so great, I don't know everything I do while I'm doing it.  Naw.  That can't be right because I am a great multi-tasker.  Just ask me. 

    Save yourselves, my dear readers. Your hostess here is silly, screwie and leaning hard toward being nuts.  But as I tell people, it's happy in my world and that of our  fictitious and beloved Dunnigan family on Amelia Island in the late 1800s. It must be happy in yours, too, because you're right here with us. Happy is a better thing.  Let's keep it that way!

Fernandina Shocker

      May I recount a recent incident for you? Permission or not, I shall. There I am signing my historical romance books, aka, The Goodbye Lie series in e-book and paperback, on Centre Street in our charming downtown Fernandina, Amelia Island. Perched on the deck outside Sea Jade's old Florida souvenir shop, I am introducing my novels to new friends.  This is much fun for me and I hope for them as well. But wait, something tears our attention away from the topic of great literature. What is it that we spy across the street? Oh, cheese and crackers, where are binoculars when we need them? It looks to be some sort of partially clothed pointy faced creature, its appendages  bare.  Bold as I am, I volunteer to chance impact with the automobiles barreling toward me at 15 mph or whatever the excessive speed limit is that the law has set.  Do remember, those tourists can have feet of lead. A rowdy bunch, they even sip water directly from bottles.  What would Aunt Noreen think of such crass behavior? 
     Upon arrival on the sunny side of the street, I, once described as the prattling princess, am left speechless. My discovery is less than life threatening, dare I admit? Yes, I dare. My discovery is, well, comical for it is merely a pig playing a trombone. Good times.
    

The Pig aka Eric Wheeler of the Fernandina High School Band

Aunt Noreen is a sometimes less than beloved player in The Goodbye Lie series set in Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida in the late 1800s.

Perfect Romance-Hollywood Hearts

If you've never seen Barbra Streisand in the 1970 On A Clear Day You Can See Forever movie, you are missing one of the most ultra-romantic songs ever sung or filmed. Play the video in this post and you won't be disappointed. While the movie is often silly, as it is meant to be, about a character with ESP (extra sensory perception) who has past lives, the tasteful love scenes are spectacular.  This particular song,  Love With All The Trimmings, has lyrics that would inspire Cupid, himself! Add the lush surroundings and her over-the-top costuming, plus the memorable melody and that equals perfect romance, in my book (The Goodbye Lie -hahaha).

Read the lyrics to Love with All the Trimmings:

My dearest love who existed in a dream
Till this evening when a wave came and swept me out to sea.
None of the loves that you have known
Could prepare you for the love raging everywhere in me.
For all the arms that have covered you

The hands that have touched you

And the lips you have lingered on before,
Added together would be less than an olive
In the banquet of love I have in store.
Love seasoned to entice,
Love with all the trimmings filled with spice,
Love flavored to your whim,
Served piping hot with all the trimmings.

Ooo... For I'll decode every breath and every sigh,
Till your every lover's wish
Is fulfilled before it's made.
Toss in some jealousy and doubt
Should it be required,
Not to rest till there's nothing more desired,
Thus loving as I do,
Never, never will you ever be untrue.
Having love with all the trimmings
Waiting home for you ...

There is another wonderfully rich romantic song I will post, but at a later time.  I don't want to overwhelm your heart ...

First on Broadway, then adapted for screen, On a Clear Day was directed by Vincent Minnelli with Barbra Streisand, Eves Montand and, yes, Jack Nicholson.

Thank you to YouTube.

#BarbraSteisand, #OnAClearDay, #romance, #romanticsong, #lovesong, #tasteful, #sensual, #romancenovel, #AmeliaIslandRomance, #drama, #series, #Irish