New Friends

This greeting card I made reminds me how we
may come from all over the world, but we meet
near the crystal blue waters
 surrounding Amelia Island, Florida and
our Goodbye Lie World. 

No pics this time of my new friends I met at today's book signing, but I wanted to say hi to those whose names I remember. Hello Minnie, Jason, Diane, Linda, Mary Jane, Kathy, Pat, Linda, Joie, Lea and Annie. I forgot lots of names but as you get to know me, know I am the founding member of the 3 Second Memory Club. No rules, no meetings, and no dues. And every time I meet you, I'll ask if you want to join the club. If you say, "You already asked me," then sorry. You're over qualified because you remembered. Names aside, thank you to everyone and welcome to our Goodbye Lie World where Love, Lace and Laughter Reign!

Family Beading Expert

NEWS FLASH:

spokesbear & star of her own teddy bear short stories,
 Martha Bear®, of http://www.marthabear.com/,

shown modeling beads, beads and more beads

 "Oklahoma City, OK – March 18-20, 2011 - The International Gem & Jewelry Show at the Oklahoma State Fair provides an exciting opportunity to shop the best selection of jewelry at the lowest prices available. From $5.00 to $500,000 – there is something for everyone!

The show features one-of-a-kind jewelry creations, exotic gems, beads, pearls, exquisite fine jewelry, estate collections and much more. People of all ages will find deep discounts and an amazing variety of beautiful jewelry to compliment this winter’s fashions. We offer convenience, selection and value, all in one place.

FREE* BEADING CLASSES:

by Beading Expert Nancy Kamp

 (that's Jane Marie's sister!!!)

Learn from the Best!!

 Class Schedule:

Bead Stringing: Friday - 1:00, Saturday - 11:00, Sunday - 12:00
Earrings: Friday - 4:00, Saturday - 12:30 and 3:30, Sunday - 1:30
Rings: Friday - 2:30, Saturday - 2:00, Sunday - 3:00

*Classes are free with the purchase of a materials kit."

For more info, see Nancy's Beading Diary, http://www.greenlightwrite.com/beadingdiary11.html , scroll down to entry of March 11, 2011.

Best Door Hanger EVER

E-BOOK $4.95 Amelia Island's VELVET UNDERTOW

Games We Play plus Bonus Game Idea

I was thinking about all the different games we played as kids. Many of them were with my sister, Nancy. Many were with the neighborhood kids and cousins. No matter who played, we had a good time. Remember any of these?

Clue - That's why I think Nancy is so smart- because she always beat me at Clue. I'd guess one card in the secret envelope and she'd guess all three.

Monopoly- Aw, yes. I think part of my problem was concentration. I do remember the eons of time it took to play that game. Somebody finally just gave up and ran out of money or it got late and they had to go home to bed. Some people kept their money in neat piles under the edge of their board. Others, like me, tossed it in a pile and then when they had to pay up, the other players whined as they searched for the exact change. "Come on. Hurry up. It's my turn."


Those houses and motels. Oh, the motels. Did you ever step on one of those little green houses in your bare feet in the summer time or a jack or better yet, a pile of jacks? Don't forget the little ball. That sucker only bounced high when you missed it and it rolled away, under the stove because we played jacks in on the kitchen floor in the winter and summer because everything else in the house was covered in rugs.

Racko - I enjoyed Racko, an easy game because all you had to do was be able to count.

BONUS GAME:

Play "dominos" with paint chip samples! 
Recyle/reuse



Erector sets- Nancy got one. As I think back, perhaps Santa brought the erector set for Daddy. We girls would screw together a house or two or make a cart with wheels but our father would build bridges for "our" train set and towers and airplanes. He was limited only by the shortage of parts, certainly not his imagination.

Etch-a-Sketch - I was good and still am with the Etch-a-, where you twist your hands in opposite directions or the same direction, whatever it takes to draw lines. Must be why I can play handbells, tap my foot and chew gum at the same time to this day. I'm so proud.

Wood Burning - I made lots of "plaques' and either Nancy or I left our mark on the hard wood floor in our upstairs bedroom. Thank the good Lord, we didn’t permanently brand ourselves or burn down the house!

Slap Jack- The card game where you – Well, I don't remember the rules exactly, but I do remember the pain. You're supposed to slap the pile of cards in the middle of the table, but instead you accidentally or more like on purpose, slap your sister's hand and one or the other of you pulls back a bunch of rosy knuckles.

Feet fights- On those freezing cold winter days when we'd come in after playing outside until our lips turned blue, we'd divest ourselves of our wet garb, depositing it in the bathtub for our sainted mother to deal with. In order to warm our iced tootsies, Nancy and I would have a kick fest in front of the floor register, no blood or bone, but it could be brutal to see who got the best seat for the heat.

Indian Leg Wrestling- The result was a torn inner thigh tendon. Those of you who know what Indian wrestling is, know what tendon tearing is, too. Oh the memories!

Rock Collection- Santa brought a couple into our house over the years. My favorite rocks were those that sparkled or looked regal, like granite and rose quartz. Then there was mica. That stuff was made of thin, thin layers of translucent rock I'd peel off/chip off until nothing was left but crumbles and a blank spot in the collection where the mica formally lived.

Silly Putty- I liked to press that stuff on the colored Sunday funnies transferring the comics to the putty. I'd pull the putty, stretching the pictures out of shape until the putty snapped in two, leaving a straight flat edge where it split. That's where the fun began. I'd go to the end of the couch, sit on my feet, hold it up to the table lamp, and, with my mother's best tweezers, pluck the protruding errant hair it had picked up over time from falling on the floor, landing on sweaters, dust, etc. Hmm. Sounds rather strange, doesn't it. Apparently, I was a weird kid.

Checkers- The rules we played by, official or un, said if you could move your checker around wherever you wanted, but if you lifted your finger from it for the length of one grasshopper leg hair, and that's not much, then changed your mind about your move, your competition would bust you, saying, "No fair. You took your hand off it." You knew they were right but, man, you hated to give in and go along so you naturally had to say, "Nah-ah." Then you could give it. And "King me!" was always hollered loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. Am I right?

Bug Off- I was the queen of this one. My kids got it for Christmas. Comprised of plastic flies and swatters, I was the fastest and swatted the most flies. I beat the kids when they were little and I beat them when they were adults. Nee-nee-nee-nee-nee. Hey, they had to learn they couldn't win every time, didn't they?



Those are just some of the games I remember and I haven't mentioned the fun outside. I'll save more for later. Until then, remember your own good times and have a chuckle. Oh, don't forget to tell your kids about how you spent your weekends and summers having fun without electronics. They'll listen because much of it will be completely foreign to them!



Colorful Me

Here's an easy and fun thing to take snapshots ( <--let's keep this word alive) from ordinary to extraordinary. All you have to do is alter the color in your photo software program. This is how I, the queen of limited computer skills, do it.

1. Take a digital face shot of yourself or anyone who might appreciate your keen eye for color mixing.  You can have someone take the photo of you,with your face washed/in full make up and your hair combed, you can extend your arm and shoot the shot yourself or you can set the self timer and stand in front of the camera. Remember, the beauty of digital is you can take as many pictures as you want and they're free. Just delete the less than attractive shots. (Don't forget - off center is perfectly fine.  Check out commercials and interviews on TV and notice how many are off center!)

2. Transfer the best photos to you computer. Be sure and  save the original picture and start playing with  a copy in your photo software program.


3. Here is where the fun begins. You will probably find choices like: adjust exposure that includes brightness and contrast.  There may also be adjust color that has color temperature, tint and saturation..  My software has bars you move to the right or left for maximum or minimum result.  Slide back and forth and see what wonders you achieve!

You may like yourself with green hair or a pink halo around your entire face. I did a couple of my daughter and she has them on Facebook.  In one, she has red highlights in her blond hair and another her eyes are a bright teal blue with golden leanings in the background.  My husband, Bruce, liked my "blue face" so much, I gave him a framed  copy and he took it to work with him to show everybody.  He mentioned how several of his co-workers were taken with the frame more than my picture but then, clearly, they aren't the art lover he is.

With very little effort, you can create a thing of beauty at the same time removing all your wrinkles.  How can you go wrong?

Hugs and blisses!

Jane Marie

Eccentric?

I often carry the following, all at one time: two purses (an everyday purse and an evening bag), one of those recycled grocery bags that holds things like snail mail to read, my spiral notebook listing stuff I have to  do, coupons (usually expired), stinky perfume and the receipt to return that stinky perfume, a sweater with one button missing, stale sugarless gum, a snack/water bag and my beloved laptop in its own handy-dandy carrying case with a luggage tag which reads, Are we there yet? Some say I'm eccentric. I say, I'm ready for anything and I'm building upper body strength.  :-)

Bruce, my husband, just commented: So which purse will you take with you to the looney bin when they cart you off?

Valentine

Only we, two, know the depth of our love -then, now and always.

They're Not All Gems

Since my freehand cutout of a scallop-edged Valentine ended up looking more like a moose head than a heart to me, I created the inspirational verse as captioned below: 

I  Moose You

Actually, she's kind of creepy, isn't she?  

Another Lucy Moment by a True Sports Fan

   Congrats to the Packers for winning the Super Bowl!
   Now here's the real exciting part of the story! I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Why the Steelers? Because I'm from Erie, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh is in Pennsylvania. Hence, I'm a fan. If I’m honest, that's about the extent of my sports knowledge. Don't get me wrong. I am clued into a few important distinctions in the world of sports, like a baseball is small and round and hard and there is stitching on it and if certain players sign it and you catch it in the stands, you can keep it or sell it on e-bay and make your next car payment. I also know that a football has two pointy ends.
   With this in-depth knowledge in head, I was feeling the spirit. So this morning, I told my sweet husband, Bruce, that we should wear Steeler colors today. Being Sunday, he asked, "To church?"
   "Sure," says I. "So long as it's tasteful, we'll be fine." Actually, there was a man wearing a Steeler jersey to church last week, so I thought colors would be lovely.
   It was chilly in church and I kept on my coat during the service. When it was over, I went over to the man, who was again wearing the jersey. I opened my jacket to show him my colors and said, "I guess you know who I'm rooting for." He looked at me and it wasn't until I told him I'm from Erie, that he smiled. We chit-chatted about the glories of Pittsburgh, which included my 6th grade field trip there, and  we parted hoping good things for our team.
   Now those who know me know I think of myself as quite the "artiste." Hey, I can paint palm trees on coasters, and flowers on Secret Pebbles™, and draw doll faces on fabric. I've won ribbons in our local county fair after all. I tell you this so you'll realize what a grand eye I have for color.
   So in the afternoon, Bruce and I made a mad dash to the big city of Jacksonville to buy frames from my art. As we stood in line, I looked around thinking how people are too up tight, too easily embarrassed. So much so, they don't have the courage to wear their favorite team colors on such a big football day as this.
   Bruce, too, is looking around which prompted his whispering to me. "I hate to say it, but I don't think our black and red are the colors of the Steelers." He nodded toward a man waiting in line behind us who was wearing a Steeler jersey. It was indeed black, but the second color was not red. It was yellow.
   Oh, you might wonder why Bruce didn't tell me it was yellow and black, not red and black this morning. I asked him that very question. Being a Joplin, MO boy, he said, he kind of thought the red was wrong, but since he actually wanted Green Bay to win, he didn't think much more about it.
   Did I mention I am the founding member of the very popular Three Second Memory Club? Perhaps I should start a second club. Would anyone like to join me in the new No Attention to Details Club? Red, yellow, 210, 220 (Mr. Mom), pre-med, pre-law (Animal House)…

Making the MARK - Origin of a Hymn

Since I wrote the rough draft of Mark of a Man several years ago, natrually, I did plenty of research then. As I reread the manuscript, I find it necessary to double check many of my facts throughout the novel, just to be on the safe side.  To that end, I list all my questions in a file I cleverly call MM Questions. I've got five pages or so thus far. Again I say, time consuming,  but very necessary.

Question:
I want Miss Ella, matriarch to the Dunnigan family, to play Eternal Father, Strong to Save on the family's pump organ. (Sorry, can't tell you why.) Was this hymn written by 1898 when the story takes place?

I found the answer here :  Naval History and Heritage Command http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq53-1.htm  Thank you to them!


"Eternal Father, Strong to Save": The Navy Hymn
The song known to United States Navy men and women as the "Navy Hymn," is a musical benediction that long has had a special appeal to seafaring men, particularly in the American Navy and the Royal Navies of the British Commonwealth and which, in more recent years, has become a part of French naval tradition.

The original words were written as a hymn by a schoolmaster and clergyman of the Church of England, the Rev. William Whiting. Rev. Whiting (1825-1878) resided on the English coast near the sea and had once survived a furious storm in the Mediterranean. His experiences inspired him to pen the ode, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." In the following year, 1861, the words were adapted to music by another English clergyman, the Rev. John B. Dykes (1823-1876) , who had originally written the music as "Melita" (ancient name for the Mediterranean island of Malta). Rev. Dykes' name may be recognized as that of the composer given credit for the music to many other well-known hymns, including "Holy, Holy, Holy," "Lead, Kindly Light," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," and "Nearer, My God to Thee."

The hymn, entitled "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," is found in most Protestant Hymnals. It can be more easily located in these hymnals by consulting the "Index to First Lines" under "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." The words have been changed several times since the original hymn by Rev. Whiting was first published in 1860-61.  Lyrics below:

Eternal Father, Strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

O hear us when we cry to thee,

for those in peril on the sea.


*Making the Mark - Mark of a Man is saga #3 of Jane Marie Malcolm's historic series, The Goodbye Lie, set in the 1880s on Amelia Island, Florida. This blog will periodically chronicle the evolution from rough manuscript to finished novel.

Hollywood Hearts

You can't top this for a clever comeback:

 "Oh, go peel an eel!"

Who said it? Barbara Stanwyck to Henry Fonda in the 1941 flick The Lady Eve.

From Gable to Crawford to Lucy to Dumbo read more Hollywood Hearts fun articles on our Gracious Jane Marie website at http://www.greenlightwrite.com/hollywoodhearts.htm.

What Is This?

Any guesses?

Scroll down and I'll tell you.

Keep going.

Almost there.

It's Button's nose, our calico kitty!

Look What I Found

I get Google alerts. Here's one I found for my historic novel, The Goodbye Lie at http://renewcredits.com/list/v2545535993i/vlo51754576.

"The Storms on Florida’s Amelia Island Bring Romance and Murder

As the tornado in 1882 swept through the seaside town on Amelia Island, Breelan Dunnigan, an aspiring writer, got caught up in the whirlwind and ended up in New York City. Fact? No. Fiction? Yes. It’s the beginning of a heart-breaking romance and unexpected adventure in Jane Marie Malcolm’s most recent novel, “The Goodbye Lie” (ISBN 0974918229, Greenlightwrite.)

Immature and impulsive, much like the teens of today, Breelan pays the price that is high and her life is never the same. Her escape to New York City brings new love, however, when she returns to Florida, her life turns upside down. Strong family bonds and values are soon pitted against passion, jealousy and murder."

Thank you renewcredits.com. I'll take it!

Making the MARK - BEGIN

I got to thinking about how many times readers ask me questions as to how I write, when, where I get my ideas, my research, etc. To that end, I have decided to include occasional blog updates as to the progress of Mark of a Man, my third historic novel, set in 1898 on Amelia Island, Florida. So, this is the way I write a novel, dear readers. I hope you find it interesting. 

I’m in the process of editing the finished story. That means, I’m reading the entire novel for the second of many times. As life interrupts me, as it should, and I have to shut down the computer for the day, I type BEGIN to indicate where  in the manuscript I am to resume the next day. That next day, I do Control F for Find as I look for BEGIN. Click, click, click , I scroll down until I find the spot I left off. What I’ve discovered is there are far too many uses of the words begin, beginning, begins. Therefore, I have to go back and change/reword all those dreaded RWs (repeated words). Time stealer, but oh so important!

Stay tuned …

All in One Piece

For my friends out there who want to know the status of my third historic novel, Mark of a Man, in my historic Goodbye Lie series, I am happy to report I have combined the five sections of it into one manuscript and have gone over it twice so far. I usually change, tweak and hone a story a couple dozen times. That means it will be a while before it's ready to release but rest assured, that's the plan because #4, Sand and Sin, is also finished (the basic novel) and waiting in the wings.


Since I wrote it several years ago, it's fun to return to the story of Pat Dunnigan, the only son of Miss Ella and Michael on Amelia Island, Florida in 1898.  Always in trouble for his pranks, his reputation is that of a good natured but irresponsible and spoiled man in his early twenties.  Not interested in marriage, he much prefers to party thus resulting in difficulty holding a job. Expelled from schools, his father has found the need to fire him from the family ship building business as well.  And so it goes ...

Ice-a-Dopes

Yup. Just call us Ice-a-Dopes. Why? Because over Christmas, a better part of my family went from Florida up to Pennsylvania and on into Canada in the dead of winter to see Niagara Falls.  My brother and I were the only ones in our clan who had seen the Falls since our hometown is Erie, Pennsylvania. Visiting "ye ole homestead" near Lake Erie, we were just too close not to cross the border.

Can you say, "Ten degrees?" Remember, blood does thin considerably when you move and live down South, as I have for a good number of years. So while ten degrees used to be tolerable in my former life, those days are gone. We all could have won an Oscar for our interpretation of Chevy Chase in the Vacation movie, where he rubber necks at the Grand Canyon, the same thing we did at the Falls.  Believe me, Niagara Falls is a thing of wonder and we did see it, all of it, the America and the Canadian Falls, but mostly from the sanctuary of the Skylon Tower, http://www.skylon.com/, located there.



"Big burr, little burr, burr, burr, burr!"

Niagara Falls as seen from Skylon Tower http://www.skylon.com/



We recommend you visit Niagara Falls. The best time is spring, summer, and fall when the flowers are blooming and you don't need a nose warmer. We all forgot to wear ours. 

Martha Bear wearing her knitted nose warmer.  Find Jane Marie's directions for making your own at http://www.greenlightwrite.com/nosewarmer.htm!

Happy to See You 2011!

Jane Marie & Barbra, daughter

JOYOUS FRESH ANNUAL! WELCOME 2011

(Dreaded) Annual Letter Is Back!

Yes, 2010 has been a hot and hootie, rootie tootie kind of year for us.  Here are a few of the details of our year:

• Father needs thumb surgery. Mother says the arthritis bump on his digit looks like a dog’s nose. Mother sees art in everything because she owns a paintbrush.
• Mother recently heard about Jane Marie's new 3 Second Memory Club. She desperately wants to join but Father is concerned they might not accept her. He thinks she’s over qualified because she remembered the name of the club.
• Father revealed his first pick-up line to Mother. “I’m wise beyond my leers.” Uncle Knuckle always did say Mother and Father were meant to be. Knuckles kin are very sensitive to matters of the heart.
• Daughter would like to be a novelist or composer. She can’t spell or read music but she has the titles for her future projects all ready to go. Her first murder mystery will be about a serial slasher. She’ll call it By the Light of the Slivery Moon. She also wants to do a Broadway musical about the life of Attila the Hun and call it Night and Day, You are the Hun. She’s so excited to get started, she’s already got a pad, a pencil and a kazoo. Talk about ambitious! 
• Mother entered her framed painted doll faces in the local fair. She didn’t win but the sheriff in town wants to hire her as a sketch artist. He says her dolls look like fugitives. Father is telling his friends they can get  free portraits if they rob banks. Mother is concerned. She’s afraid she’ll get carpal tunnel if she develops a clientele.
• Spew, our vomiting cat, licks the toilet bowl brush to clean his tongue. Father considered doing this until he realized the brush was too big for his mouth.
• Son-in-law washed his car.  He also found his phone.
• Mother massages her feet by rolling them back and forth over marbles in a shoebox. Mother is a health nut, you know.
• Uncle Knuckle went to the store by himself.
• Daughter is in training to run her first marathon. Father thinks that’s silly. He can get there faster by car.
• Father had emergency back surgery. Don’t worry. He is able to walk -- almost. He still needs crutches. Mother has hired a carpenter to secretly shorten each crutch tip an inch per day. Her goal is for him to stop relying on the crutches. Father, however, thinks he’s getting shorter. By next week, he’ll be crawling. He’s fine with it though. He’s sure he’s somehow found the Fountain of Yutes. Oh, Father is also planning his 152th birthday party.
• It rained.

Happy New Year from Amelia Island, Florida!

Randolph, the Red Nosed Rodent

Meet Randolph, the Red Nosed Rodent and his family of like-looking chocolate cherry rodents. Make your own quick and easy mousies and they will be the hit of any party. Yummo!  Go to ourr  website for the recipe: http://www.greenlightwrite.com/chocolatemice.htm and enjoy!

A Frosty of My Own!

We often walk to church. It was cold today and required a jacket.  As we entered the vestibule, an usher said to my husband, "Bruce, in that jacket and scarf, all you need is a top hat and pipe and you'll look like Frosty." And so we did and he does.  Meet my very own Frosty!                   





Former Fernandina Beach Mayor Bruce Malcolm can be seen reading to the children at the local library.  This time, Santa joined the fun!

Merry Christmas!

Waste Not That Candle

I love those expensive fragrant candles.  I dislike wasting the last bit of wax left unburned in the bottom.  It's easy to save the last of that wax and recycle/make your own candles that will burn for several more hours.  (To be honest, I haven't yet timed how much longer but we are talking hours.)

Remember, our family motto:  No space unfilled.  No cent unsaved.

For each candle you'll need:

remnants of candle wax in glass jar or jars

a store-bought wick (several feet sold in a package in craft stores) 

1 clean tuna or cat food can per jar candle (take care not to cut yourself on the inside top edge)

scissors

pencil

small sauce pan

tongs

pot holders

Follow the easy steps below:

Over low heat, melt the last of the wax in the original candle jar in a pan of water on the stovetop. 

 

While the wax is melting, cut a 3" to 4" length of wick. 
Wrap one end of the wick around the center of a pencil. Center the pencil with wick on top of the clean can, letting the loose end of the wick touch the bottom of the can.
Using tongs and pot holders to retrieve the hot jar from the water, pour the melted/scented wax into the clean
  cat food or tuna cans.

 

Let the wax cool about an hour. Remove the pencil and your new mini-candles are ready to burn.
You may pain the outside of the cans or decorate them if you wish.

Enjoy,

Jane Marie

RomanceatHeart.com Interview Questions #9, #10 and #11

Thank you to Romance at Heart Magazine. http://romanceatheart.com/interview/janemariemalcolm.html  Here are my answers to their next 3 questions about my Goodbye Lie series.


- How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?

I will never tell. I will say that some of the goofy scenes MIGHT be patterned after my personal "Lucy moments." I'm always writing about those crazy times in my GraciusJaneMarie.com newsletter (read my Gracious Jane Marie Newsletter archives at http://www.greenlightwrite.com/newsletterarchive.htm ) and now in my new Gracious Jane Marie Blog Blog Blog at http://graciousjanemarie.blogspot.com/ .

- When did you first think about writing?
Here is the quick version. My husband lost his job. We were going to move from our home in Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida. I was heartsick. I was working at the local Christmas shop in our delightful seaside Victorian historic district. I thought writing a book would be a good way to remember our little town. When completed, I would put it in my daughter’s hope chest for future generations. So, since I love Victoriana and romance and mystery and suspense, I asked myself how hard could it be to write a book? That was 4 books in the series ago. (All 4 are written with Mark of Man and Sand and Sin coming as soon as they are edited.) Before I could begin writing, a man in a yellow slicker raincoat entered the shop selling his catch of the day, fresh shrimp. He had craggy skin, although he was probably only in his 40s, gorgeous blue eyes like those of a husky dog and auburn curls for which any woman would kill. When he left, I said aloud, "Jane Marie, you have your first character, his name will be Catfish, and he's going to be in your book.” And he is, in The Goodbye Lie!  (PS We returned to Fernandina two years later!)


- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?
Between one and two years what with the inclusion of life, death and politics (my husband was mayor of Fernandina Beach, Florida) plus keeping up our 800 plus page website and newsletter/blog blog blog and making all the tie-in crafts, etc. Rest assured, writing is my first love, after God, my family and my country.

Where Do Secret Pebbles™ Go?

Everybody loves Secret Pebbles™ because the secret in the pebble is what the giver and the recipient share.  I got to thinking. Who can say they didn't have Secret Pebbles™ in 1889, the year in which my historic novel Amelia Island's Velvet Undertow is set. So, just before my manuscript went to press, I wove Secret Pebbles™ into the story in four places.  The last place I tied in the pebble in, I was literally typing and crying, I was so moved.

So moved, too, are those who find the same sweetness and "ahhh" factor in Secret Pebbles™ that I do as I hand paint each of them, and we're talking hundreds and hundreds.  I've heard many a loving comment as to where they will end up.  Here are only a few fine examples that touch me:



The customer picks a verse and a pebble
 and it all goes into a clear ziplock bag,
then a white organza drawstring gift pouch.

• I'm going to have my 50th wedding anniversary.  They are throwing me a party and I want to give a Secret Pebble to both my bridesmaids."
• "I'd like you to paint 100 Secret Pebbles™ in my daughter's high school colors, green and yellow, for  favors for her Sweet Sixteen Party!"
• A returning customer said, "A few months ago, I told you my husband and his son weren't speaking. He gave a Secret Pebble™ to his son and now they're talking!"
• "My neighbor watched my cat for me."
• "As a thank you, I put a Secret Pebble™ on the pillow of my dinner hostess to find after I leave." What a great idea. I now do this.-jmm
• "My friend has cancer."
• "I'd like a cross and angel verse for my sister who is going through a job loss.  She needs to be reminded she's not alone.
• "My son is depressed because he'll be in boot camp during the holidays and I want him to know he's in our hearts."
• "I need six for my girlfriends.  We may be in our 50s, but we're having a slumber party.  I want to put one on each of their pillows as a surprise."
• "My friend is 92 and she lost her son.  I want to give her a pebble that doesn't remind her of her sadness, but that lets her know we all care about her."  The giver settled on the may angels watch over you verse.
• "My husband is serving in Afghanistan and I want a red, white and blue heart for his pocket."
• "My friends and I are going to Ireland next year and I've been looking for something to give all of them. A green heart or rose would be perfect."
• "Can you paint hearts in peach and white for my wedding reception favors?"

As you can see, the reasons for giving Secret Pebbles™ are many and varied.  Those heartfelt reasons only increase my love of the pebbles and make me want to paint more!



To order Secret Pebbles™ for your special occasion, contact me at graciousjanemarie@yahoo.

RomanceatHeart.com Interview Questions #6, #7 and #8

Thank you to Romance at Heart Magazine. http://romanceatheart.com/interview/janemariemalcolm.html Here are my answers to their next 3 questions about my Goodbye Lie series.


 -Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?
Certainly they do. I would be foolish not to listen to the fans. Having said that, if they want me to unite say, Carolena with the ax murderer two houses down the street--Well, I might and I might not. No tellin'. Where would the fun be if I didn't give readers lots of surprises? I know I've done my job when I hear a reader say, "I never saw that coming!"


- Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?
Folks have been very kind so I have lots of favorites, really. One is because it surprised me. It concerns the race of one of my characters. I wrote it one way and several folks have told me they think she is another race. It is because of her dialect. You will have to guess just who it is ...


- Why did you decide to write romance novels?
Because you are supposed to write what you like to read. I'm a girl and I like romantic things.

235th USMC Birthday

My husband, Bruce Malcolm, a former Marine, with friend Cal Atwood, an Iwo Jima Marine,

at the USMC birthday celebration in Fernandina Beach, Florida

Thank you all military men and women. 

We are grateful for your protection.

Basketball Boy

Husband, Bruce, and I spotted a basketball hoop and stand at our local Barnabas Goodwill store. We thought it would be good for our grandgirl, Ava.  Forget the fact that Ava is just now able to sort of catch a ball. Her Grammy and Grampy, that's Bruce and me, are always looking for fun physical activities for her to do, be they three years down the road or ten.  That's what her parents have a garage for, right? - to hold all the treasures we find and foist off on them.

So we cart the thing home in my Gracious Mobile, unload it and examine what we bought a bit more closely.  The good news is the plastic square post on which the hoop is attached is adjustable and can be raised from 4 to 5 to 6 feet.  The bad news is that once the hoop is raised, there is no way to lock  the pole and hoop in place.  Some sort of wedge or something is missing.  Whatever shall we do? We'll take every tool out of the garage and fix it!

And that's just what we did.  Let's start with the small square. Bruce, manly-man that he is, determined he should dismantle it in an attempt to line up the holes he would drill through which we would insert the dowel to support the pole from collapsing. After assessing the square was of no use in this particular case, my assignment was to reassemble the square-thingie. All was going swimmingly- I mean I got the metal ruler almost into the bubble-level part and was about to turn the screw to secure it when my fingers slipped and several little pieces-parts flew into the air to then disappear into the sand and leaves on which we stood.  You see, we were balancing the plastic pole with the non-detachable hoop on the cement crib wall that surrounds our outdoor trash can. Why  not in the garage on the saw horses?  Because the saw horses are lower than the cement wall and we both have bad backs and we'd have to bend over and- you get that part. 

There I was, jammed beside the garbage can and the wall unless I was on the other side  reaching across my white climbing rose, dodging its thorns.  Hey, someone had to support that pole and hoop at all times.  Did I mention the gabage crib is surrounded/hiden by miniature orleander bushes.  They are quite lovely and full of blooms right now, all five feet of them.  (That's miniature? Perhaps less fertilizer next season?)  Oh, Bruce is allergic to orleander and as he's searching for the perfect spot to drill the hole in the pole for the dowel, he's scratching his forearms that are becoming speckled with hives.  Hey, don't feel too badly for him. They  weren't bad hives, but hives, none the less.  Don't forget the part about him being a manly man.

Okay.  He, me, we drill one hole on one side of the square pole.  We must naturally drill another hole directly across from  the first hole to keep the dowl straight.  A brainstorm erupts at that moment. It is from me and Bruce, I can proudly declare, is most agreeable to it.  Refer to the first photo below to see the rubber band. That was my suggestion. We slid a rubberband up the pole to where it crossed that first hole in the middle, eyeballed it and drilled on the opposite side. Perfect. We repeated this process until all holes are drilled.  

Next we need to saw the dowel to the proper length. (Oh, I got the dowel for free from our local grocery story. A big cloth banner of a shrimp hung from it and I use that banner to cover my table at book signings in the summer sometimes.)  Good thing the dowel was 4 feet long because after measuring once and cutting wrong twice- we are easily confused.  It should be: measure twice and cut once - Anyway, we got 'er done!  The proof of it is Bruce in the second picture below, dunking the used basketball we gave a dollar for, that holds air for almost 32 minutes!  We do love a deal!  

Note rubber band for leveling, hive-bestowing oleander bushes & thornywhite rose the other side of the trellis.

Note the stripes are worn off the used basketball.  Hurry and dunk it, Bruce.  You only have 13 minutes more of air!

Miss Baby Angel Wins a Ribbon!

I entered my Beautiful Dreamer, Miss Baby Angel, for judging  in the October 2010 Northeast Florida Fair and won a red ribbon and $2 award! - And I don't even know any of the judges!

Beautiful Dreamer - meet the girls



Miss Ruby



Gracious Gallery 



Miss Lime





My new online store called Gracious Gallery at http://graciousgallery.efreeme.com/ReportStore?category=all  is here.  Available are my  pencil on cotton framed fabric faces. My  husband, Bruce, named  the first girl Beautiful Dreamer.  I liked it so that's what I call them.  Each is a Miss, too.  Here you can see Miss Ruby, Miss Lime and Miss Coral. Click on the link above and meet the rest of the girls,  Miss Starling,  Miss Lula, Miss Plum and Miss Cotton.  I've kept Miss Felice at our house, Martha Manor.  She sits atop our mantle enjoying the funtastic goings-on in our parlor.  Where will you put your Beautiful Dreamer? Your vanity, the night stand, the guest room, the nursery? So many places, so few girls, so get yours. Extremely limited quantities.  Oh, did I mention, Beautiful Dreamer will be featured in Mark of  Man, the third novel in my Goodbye Lie historic series set on Amelia Island, Florida in 1898? 

 Hugs and blisses,

Jane Marie   

Miss Coral

Romance at Heart Interview Questions #3, #4 & #5

Thank you to Romance at Heart Magazine. http://romanceatheart.com/interview/janemariemalcolm.html  Here are my answers to their next 3 questions about my Goodbye Lie series.

- How do we find out about you and your books?
To learn details about The Goodbye Lie series, I invite everyone to visit my 800-plus page website, www.GraciousJaneMarie.com, where we celebrate heart and home with roses, recipes and romance – and have contests, too!!! The site has over 50 tie-in articles, recipes, The Goodbye Lie Jewelry Collection honoring the female characters in the series (http://www.greenlightwrite.com/jewelrygbl.htm ), and crafts to keep The Goodbye Lie experience alive between novels.
For a personalized autographed copy of my books and a free recipe from The Goodbye Lie series –
send an email to graciousjanemarie@yahoo.com.

- How may readers contact you?
My email is graciousjanemarie@yahoo.com. I am also on Facebook  at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Jane-Marie/35558229108.

-How many readers/fans contact you?
Never as many as I like. I have heard some say they don’t want to bother a writer. Please do. Writers love to hear from readers. Sure I'm busy. Isn’t everyone? Still, I try to personally reply to all those taking time from their lives to reach out to me. Not to respond would be less than gracious.

-to be continued ...

Beautiful Dreamer

I told my grandchild, Ava, I would make her a dolly from all my crafting scraps. She could pick out the material for the dress, the yarn for the hair, etc. We were so busy having fun during her visit, I forgot all about the doll. So did she until she was on her way home. She called from her car seat, "Grammy, we forgot to pick out my dolly dress!"  Oh no!

Well, I asked her what color dress and hair she wanted. Ava told me pink with polka dots and blond. "Okay, baby girl," said I. "Let me see what I have."

30 days later, Ava opened the package I sent her and this is what she pulled out. Her two in one handmade dolly, she came to name Madeline.  (Her hair of sparkling yellow yarn is made curly by wrapping it around a knitting needle then heating it in the oven.) Flip her over for napping and over again to play with in the day. Scroll down to meet Madeline, awake and asleep!

day-time friend

 Love is embroidered on dress





colored pencil drawn face on cotton fabric
40 year old white lace was purchased for a penny-a-yard 35 years ago
short hair



drawn shoes



night-time companion
with drawn stars and moons
white ruffle is from 30 year old pillow



embroidered star burst neckline on nightie
long hair

Madeline since has aquired a ladybug on her day dress and each time we meet, Grammy, that's me, will add another trim.  Ava, Madeline and I like it!
 

The Goodbye Lie's Sugar & Spice Nuts

Make your own Sugar and Spice Nuts featured in The Goodbye Lie, set on Amelia Island, Florida in 1882 -where Little House on the Prairie meets Gone With The Wind ...

♥ Sugar and Spice Nuts ♥

Served at the Fort Clinch Dance in the period suspense novel, The Goodbye Lie by Jane Marie, these nuts are a treat for any occasion.

12 ounces whole pecans (almonds or unsalted walnuts will work in a pinch)

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Grated rind of two oranges

Pinch of cloves

Mix all the ingredients in a heavy skillet. Simmer over medium-high heat. Stir constantly for 5 minutes or until water evaporates. Pour nuts onto 2 cookie sheets sprayed with non-stick spray. Separate them quickly with

fork & let cool. Sugared nuts may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. They may be kept at room temperature about 2 weeks.

The Goodbye Lie recipes, crafts & more available at www.GraciousJaneMarie.com.