Local Authors' Marketplace

Today was a gathering of local authors sponsored by Maggie DeVries of Books Plus in Fernandina Beach, Florida.  It's always fun to catch up with other writers, hear how their next book is progressing, what shows and signings they've done, ideas on marketing, etc.  Even more fun than that is, of course, meeting readers!

I sat next to  Lt. Colonel Richard B. (Dick) Lewis, a WWII bomber pilot who has written Angel on my Wing, a true story of his 35 combat missions in the 8th Air Force  as a pilot with the 493rd Bomb Group in 1944.  What a treat for me.  I'm known as the Questionmeister and the poor guy endured all my queries.  His book is available at Books Plus, http://www.booksplusamelia.com/.

Spanish American War Reenactors

Once a month, Fort Clinch in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida has reenactors. They are usually dressed in Civil War period costumes.  Recently, they represented the Spanish American War of 1898.  As it happens, 1898 in Fernandina is the setting of my upcoming book Mark of a Man, the third novel in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie Trilogy.  I took over 200 photos, the best to use in MM's promotional video. There is so much history here.  Below are a few of the pictures of this beautiful place.


approaching Forth Clinch

                                       

soldiers posing

 

belt buckle

 

jail cell with daylight

 

 

 

"Fire!"

 

Red Cross nurses on duty

watching the gun demonstration

 

chow time

 

officers' dining

 

arch tunnel

 

drawbridge

Same Old Word

If I've commented upon this before, then just consider this re-emphasis.  Why is it so many people, famous and not so famous, are reduced to describing something that is great, wonderful, marvelous, fabulous, astounding, and/or astonishing by only one word? Yup, all "everybody" says these days is, "That's amazing.  It's amazing." And, "Amazing."  Just tune in your ears and listen.  No only do celebrities and commentators say it over and over in an interview, but now it has invaded the masses.  Sure, there was "cool, swell, great, the bee's knees, cool beans, right on." Those words have mostly come and gone, although there are still a few holdouts who particularly like the word swell. (I shall remain nameless.) But come on, folks.  It's time to pull out the old thesaurus and come up with another positive word besides amazing.  If I never hear it again, well, that would be amazing!

Goodbye Lie Diaries - A Wonderful Gift

Jane Marie writes:

 

I had to share. A new friend, Mirina, made this beautiful double-layered yarn cross for me. It's about nine inches long which had to have taken her hours and hours to create.  She told me she couldn't find blue tipped flowers so took a magic marker and colored the edges of all the blossoms to match the blue border.  It is a gift I  will treasure always.

 

***
1880s
Fernandina - Grandmother Peeper writes:

I make yarn crosses, too, but mine is crocheted and they's smaller.  I don't have no flowers on mine. Come ta think a it, that's a good idee. And the ribbon- I like that part. Who says this old dog cain't learn no new tricks.  Like the ant said ta the clock- If'n ya don't rest your hands, ya won't be able ta dust the table! Remember that.

Another Anniversary

Each September 11th,

 we recall with great sadness

the events of that tragic day.

Out of it has come a determination to

remember those lost

 and those who took them from us. 

 God bless the innocent always.

 

Once Upon a Time in America

 

Happy Grandparents Day



     In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared the first Sunday after Labor Day to be National Grandparents Day. So, today is that day!

      If you are a grandparent, enjoy your day. I hope you can spend it with your grandchild in some fashion, be it in person, by phone, Skype, etc. If you are a grandchild, contact your grammy and/or grampy if you can. They'll love it because grandchildren, no matter their ages, are baby angels on earth! Enjoy!

  

 

    

Refrigerator art is a forever treasure
 when created by a child who loves you.
 

 

Year of Living Graciously - September

Play with your pet, starting now.  Don't take for granted that your pet's ultimate joy is watching you and your life go by without being included. Spend some one-on-one time each day throwing a ball, tossing single pieces of kitty-crunchies out for fetching, etc.  You know what will make your pet extra happy, so do it!  It will make you happy, too.

Ingenuity?

The latch on the gate into our courtyard is broken again. All the pieces are there but it doesn’t line up or something technical like that. Because of either the myriad of visitors we have to stately Martha Manor or the ocean wind banging the gate shut and bending the latch, it is now time to replace the closure. Over the years, my husband Bruce has cobbled, excuse me, repaired many a latch.  Being a mechanical mastermind, as he likes to refer to himself, this time the solution requires no grease, no hammer, no screwdriver, no saw and no ax. This time he uses a spatula! Yes, insert the spatula under the latch and lift. Easy as that!

 

In the event the spatula blows off the top of the nearby column where he keeps it for easy access, then he suggests you come prepared with your own spatula in hand. To prevent the flapjack flipper from falling into the bushes or the visiting kitties, Oddie or Odette, from carrying it off for a hearty breakfast of their own, I mentioned he, Bruce, might attach it to a piece of yarn. Not being his own idea, he is considering it. Having the sense of urgency of a glacier, Bruce is otherwise occupied with the repair to the torn holes in the plastic shower curtain liner. You know, where the shower curtain rings go through to hang the thing on the rod. We are now up to three torn holes as he ponders the answer. From the grapefruit knife to the rubber squeegee, whatever he comes up with, I proudly declare, "I recognize a genius when I see one!”

 

We Were Lucky

Last Sunday, we watched the news for info about Tropical Storm Isaac.  We didn't know which side of Florida the winds would carry it.  We are blessed yet again.  Northeast Florida is spared.  Now  Issac has turned hurricane and we worry for our seashore compatriots in Louisiana and parts west on the Gulf Coast. We wait to hear they are all safe.  As with everything, prayers is the best comfort.

As we watched and waited for Isaac-

Red Flag warning flies over our Main Beach - "No Swimming"

The birds face into the wind as they wait, too.

Our portion of the Atlantic Ocean stirred.

 

 

God bless the Gulf Coast.

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Breelan

2012
Fernandina Beach, Florida

Jane Marie writes:  I saw on Facebook that it's National Brothers Week. If you have a brother, like I do, then you are truly blessed. What a great idea to tell the world you love your brother, but more importantly to tell your brother!  Love you tons, Bobby. We're proud to claim you as an honorable man and sailor who is the patriarch of our Harkins family.

Bob aka Bobby Harkins

***

1880s

Fernandina, Florida

 

Breelan Dunnigan writes:  National Brothers Week sounds wonderful to me. I have a baby brother. He is my one and only brother and his name is Jack Patrick Dunnigan.  He is grown now and likes us to call him Pat, so we mostly do.  Having no one to compare him with, he is a good brother, I think.  Yes, he's a scrapper and is often in trouble, but he also always fesses up, even if he isn't the culprit. Why he took the blame for me when I ate the last fried chicken leg Peeper was saving for herself.  Had it been Aunt Noreen's chicken leg, she would have been all over him. Not Peeper. She loves Pat so much, it was like he had done her a favor.  She thanked him "fer akeepin' her from gettin' a belly ache from the grease of it." I think Pat just might surprise everyone and do great things some day. We can always hope so, anyway. 



 

Jack Patrick aka Pat Dunnigan

                                                              
(Breelan and Pat Dunnigan and Peeper are players in the historical Amelia Island Goodbye Lie Trilogy set in 1880s Florida. - www.GraciousJaneMarie.com )

Four Freedoms

When we can, we like to take the road less traveled (http://www.netpoets.com/poems/life/0406007.htm), as the poem goes. And so we visited Madison, Florida, only 90 miles west of Jacksonville.  We found their town square and I snapped some pics of this wonderful statue of four angels back to back, each representing our four freedoms. It was dedicated to World War II B-17 pilot, Colin P. Kelly, shot down just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1941, President F. D. Roosevelt talked about these four freedoms in his annual State of the Union address to the nation. This sculpture is a wonderful way to depict them.
  

Freedom of Speech

 

Freedom from Fear

Freedom from Want

Freedom of Worship



Spanish American War Medals!

My friend, Bill Conger, and I were talking about the Spanish American War of 1898 because my next novel, Mark of a Man, is set in the same year. He casually mentioned his grandfather, Edwin Holter, had served in that war AND Bill had his medals! The first medal pictured below can be seen on the cover of Mark of a Man in the last photo of this blog. What a treat to even touch such treasures, let alone photograph them. Thank you, Bill! 

United Spanish War Veteran's medal

At the top are a sword, rifle, cannon and anchor which represent the different branches of service. There are 13 stars and stripes on the ribbon.  USA, Philippine Islands, Cuba and Porto Rico are along the edges of the cross. (Puerto Rico was spelled Porto in 1898.)    On the back in the center is the word UNITED and initials of each direction are on the edges of the cross.                Spanish Campaign Army Service medal A sheathed bayonet is on the front and it says "For Service in the Spanish War."  This was given to military who served at least 90 days but never saw battlefield action.

The back has the Great Seal of the United States with a horizonal bar for engraving if desired.

Military Order of the Serpent medal

Founded in 1904, the Military Order of the Serpent was an honor society for

Spanish War veterans.

Cover of Mark of a Man
with actual Spanish American War medal

Thank you to http://www.spanamwar.com/medals.htm and http://www.ssawv.org/NationalSon_Vol_3_No_3.pdf where I found out all about the medals.

A Visiting Neighbor, But Who?

This is either O.D., for Out Door kitty, or ODETTE, the female version. 

They are our two new friends and we can't tell them apart.

 They've adopted us!

No Space Unfilled

Our family motto is No Space Unfilled. 

 Looks like our kitty, Button, abides by the same motto. 

August- Year of Living Graciously

August - Go to a flea market and find a treasure!

Goodbye Lie Diaries - Another Peeperism

1880s
Fernandina on Amelia Island, Florida

Grandmother Peeper

Grandmother Peeper, player in Amelia Island's GOODBYE LIE Triology writes:

If'n you are one a them folks who's so pig headed, ya won't change your ways fer nothin' or ya always dun somethin' one way and, by wingle, you won't never do it no other way, well, my friend, you are what I call a rut-stucker.  Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am. You are stuck in a rut. Ain't nothing' ta be proud of. Don't be like that Aunt Noreen.  Why Noreena is such a rut-stucker, she still wears that same smelly perfume which I'm aguessin' she must make herself out in the barn cause it smells like...like what she finds in the barn. How poor Clabe ever got close enough ta her ta produce two children is beyond my knowin'. That man must have a stopped up smeller, is all I kin think. So Noreena is a rut-stucker fer certain!  And who ever wants ta be like her is crazy. So just don't be.

St. Mary's GA part 2

I continue a brief summary of things we did on a trip across the Florida border into St. Mary's, Georgia. (See blog dated July 8, 2012 and read about our Gone With The Wind room at the Goodbread Inn where we stayed.)

Most of what we visited was on Osborne Street, the main drag of historic St. Mary's. We toured Orange Hall, a massive (9,500 square feet) three story Greek Revival  mansion with Doric columns. See sign below. There are four rooms on the main floor (a front parlor for the ladies, a second front parlor for the gents, a study and a dining room). The second/top floor was originally four bedrooms with the family gathering in the wide hall at the far end of the stairs. The basement was comprised of the servants quarters, a wine cellar and the kitchen. Knowledgeable docents tell tales of the place which is furnished with period antiques.  The entrance fee is $3 per person. No photos were allowed to be taken inside or I'd have some here to show.

sign in front of Orange Hall

Orange Hall

When we travel, we try to find an old church to attend.  Built in 1808, this treasure was non-denominational and named St. Marys Church.  Horace S. Pratt, a Presbyterian minister arrived into 1821. With 29 people, he formed a congregation and in 1828, the Georgia Legislature officially pronounced it the First Presbyterian Church of St. Marys.  The ground floor was a public school.  We heard a story that pirates managed to somehow get a horse up into the bell tower. The animal was none too happy with his reins tied to the bell, so his every movement rang that bell. The town folk came running to the church to see why the bell was ringing while the pirates robbed their homes and shops and ships! By the way, the family of Horace's first wife built Orange Hall, which is right across the street from the church!

Presbyterian Church circa 1808

inside Presbyterian Church

We took a Doodle Bug (long golf cart) tour, $5 a person, around town.  We saw this arched tree below.  Pretty cool.

fallen tree rooted on both ends in front of house, making natural arch

The Cottage Shop is a pretty place on Osbourne Street, an easy walk from the Goodbread House in which we stayed. Filled with charming antiques and gifts, including my Goodbye Lie series novels (shameless plug). You'll be graciously welcomed by Felicia MacDonald. 

Felicia MacDonald

The Cottage Shop

2015 Osborne Road # A

Saint Marys, GA31558-9164

912 882-9171

Origin of...

I was reading some literature about Boston and it mentioned room and board. We all know that refers to a place to sleep and food to eat, but what was  interesting is the board part.  In the early days, a family and/or guests would sit on benches along either side of a long wide board used for a dining table. That explains the origin of board. I also found that the father would sit in a chair at the head of the table.  Thus we have the title chair man of the board!

Making the Mark- Atlantic Telegraph Cable

Yes, dear readers, I'm still researching and double checking my facts for the upcoming Amelia Island's Mark of a Man, book #3 in my Amelia Island's Goodbye Lie trilogy.  When will I make an end??? Hopefully sooner than later.  What I found interesting today was that the first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed 1866 and it is sometimes called the Victorian Internet!

Being unschooled in this matter, I wonder how many spools of cable one ship could hold?  How many supply ships would have to feed the main ship laying the cable?  How was the weather? How deep did it have to go to rest on the ocean's floor? ( 2 miles deep) How long was cable across the Atlantic? ( some 2000 miles long.)  How much research was done to find the best path across the ocean? You can find some of these answers at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-transatlantic-telegraph-cable-completed and http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F20E11F638551B7493C4A91783D85F4C8584F9. This is only some of the info out there just waiting to be read.

It is fascinating questions like this that take me from my mission, which is to complete the final edit of Mark of a Man.  Please believe me when I say I woke on my story every day because I love doing it!  And, most of all, please be patient.  Thank you!

Nait It!

I have two 3 inch nails in the wall where I hang clipboards.  The nails are just through the sheetrock and not into studs, so in short order, they get pushed almost flush into the wall when I hit them with the clipboard.  So how to I keep the nails from getting pushed all the way into the wall? I wrapped a rubber band around the center of each nail.  Now only an inch and a half goes into the wall, leaving another inch and a half sticking out and awaiting the clipboard.  While it might not be pretty, it sure is practical.  I'm so proud!

PS -  Clover, Dunnigan family friend and hired hand, uses this same trick in Amelia Island's MARK OF A MAN in 1898. And here I thought I was the only clever one. I did some research and found that rubber bands were patented in 1845 in England. Since this novel takes place in 1898, it could happen...

 



Clover



 

St. Mary's, GA

We've lived near St. Mary's, Georgia for many years and until recently, we never spent any longer than an afternoon there. Since it's so close to Amelia Island, Florida, less than an hour north over the state line, we decided to go to a bed and breakfast.  I searched the internet and we found The Goodbread House http://www.goodbreadhouse.com/mainstreet.html, circa 1870.

The Goodbread Inn circa 1870 and decorated for July 4th

 I chose this particular inn because each of the rooms has a different movie theme.  From The Rhett & Scarlett Suite, The Guinevere & Lancelot Suite, The Gabriel & Evangeline Suite to The Gable & Lombard Suite, The Lucy & Ricky Suite and Bogie & Bacall, you can guess which I chose.  Since I'm a Windie (Gone With The Wind fan),  we stayed with Scarlett and Rhett.  The room was lovely and spacious and covered with red (scarlet) roses, magnolias and framed pictures of the Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh and music boxes, books, a doll, figurines, etc. The walls were red in the bedroom and the wallpaper in the bath was a soft green and white floral print, reminiscent of Scarlett's green sprig dress in the opening scene of the movie.  Our walk in shower was curtained with burgundy drapes.  The topper to the decor was a bowl of peaches- Georgia peach/Scarlett- get it?  Very cute!

enter here

 the world of Gone With The Wind

Georgia peaches

A breakfast of fresh pancakes, whipped cream, stewed peaches and a fanned strawberry made for pretty presentation at the antique table the next morning.

note the tea cup table lamp

If  ever you are in the area, stop by for a look-see or overnight stay.  The inn keeper will make you feel most welcolm (my particular spelling of this word for it rhymes with my name Malcolm).

Goodbye Lie Diaries- July 4th

1880s +
Fernaninda

Aunt Noreen

Aunt Noreen writes: I am exhausted. What with letting my husband, Clabe, drag me all the way downtown to watch the watermellon spitting conest, hear the children's kazoo concert and listen to the Fernandina Comminity Band, it's been a long day.  They tried to get me to participate in the cake walk but by that time, I was drenched yet glowing, always glowing, dear diary, from the heat and how shall I say this? My posterior was tender due to having sat so long on the wooden bench.  I write this entry submerged in the cool of my bathwater. With dread, I am expected to ride to the beach tonight, to the Strathmore Hotel, and watch the fireworks shot over the ocean.  While I do not need anymore of this silly celebration, I will attend and I will also remind the family what a good sport I am despite my aching body.  What I must endure for the sake of harmony is...is...well, it's nearly unendurable. And I pray that old hag of a do-do bird, Peeper, will be watching the fireworks from the Dunnigan front porch.  If she's there, the last of this day will be all the worse because she will bombard me with sarcastic and crass comments. I hope she stubs her big toe and is laid up for a week.  That will keep her off of me for a time, too short a time, but as this stage in our daily confrontation, any moment apart from Peeper is a time of pleasure for me.  Now where is my favorite peacock feathered fan?  That will my blue, my dress is white and my ruby ring will complete my tri-color patriotic outfit.   Perhaps I will add a red rose to my white lace picture hat. As I look out the window, I don't see where Miss Ella's buggy is back yet from town. I'm sure she won't mind if I send Clabe over to snip a few of her roses.


Aunt Noreen is a featured player in Amelia Island's Trilogy, The Goodbye Lie series set in the 1880s +. She lives next door to the Dunnigan family and is the archenemy of Grandmother Peeper and self-appointed judge, jury and denunciator  of the Dunnigan siblings, Breelan, Carolena, Jack Patrick aka Pat and Marie. Queen of the gossips, Aunt Noreen is disliked by most of the Fernandina town folk. She, however, is unaware of this and deludes herself into thinking she's as well respected and beloved as her brother, Michael Dunnigan, architect, shipwright and owner of Aqua Verdi Passenger Line.

***

1880s +
Fernandina


Peeper

Peeper writes: I'm atakin' a little respite here in the parlor until everybody else gets back from the 4th a July fun downtown and at the docks. I come home with Clover a bit early since it's so dang hot out. What a grand day it's been.  Acourse, Noreena was along. Why does she have ta drag her sorry self everywhere I go? Whist I love ahearin the band and the kiddies sing and play, she's agrousin' about this and that and there ain't no let up, short a stuffin' a rag in her big mouth. Maybe she won't be agoin'  ta the beach tanight fer the fireworks. Ifn'  she's there, I been athinkin' a things ta zap her with, like her face is so round, the boys could use it fer a beach ball.  And her singin' is so awful, the Navy could hire her to open her trap and pierce the eardrums a the enemy so they couldn't be ahearin' their orders ta fire at us. Now that's a good one.  She'll be ahatin' that.  Just the way I like it.  She's as useless as wings on a rock.

Peeper is a featured player in Amelia Island's Trilogy, The Goodbye Lie series set in the 1880s +. The adopted grandmother to the Dunnigan family, Peeper is known for her elixir-fixers and loved for her kindly ways by all except Aunt Noreen, or Noreena, as Peeper calls her. Aunt Noreen and Peeper share a mutual dislike of each other, bordering on un-Christian, but not quite, or so they think.

NOTE TO READERS: Players such as Aunt Noreen and Peeper are able only to view Jane Marie's diary entries and their own, so readers and other players in the stories are, in this case, safe from Aunt Noreen's wrath and Peeper's retaliation.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

AMERICA!

Year of Living Graciously - July

Rearrange a bookcase, adding pretty and/or unusual objects you have and turning books this way and that to make it look completely different!