Enjoy Mysteries?

 

Second Avenue Players present:

My Monster vs Your Monster

By Mary R. Davidsaver

Friday, Oct. 4^th at 11:00 AM

CASI, 1035 W. Kimberly Rd, Davenport, IA

 

A little background for this play:

When I started working on my first novel, I knew nothing of writing on a large scale, that being more than 600 words. Nowhere near what was needed for a novel. I only knew it had to be a mystery.

Both things, delivering 70,000 coherent words and crafting an understandable mystery, presented learning experiences for me.

When I moved to the Quad-Cities in 2011, I signed up for Fall novel writing workshop with the Midwest Writing Center. It was a great experience, well worth the time and expense.

Afterwards, I was encouraged to join a writers’ group and tried out several local groups. (I’ve been with Writers’ Studio the longest.)

Fast forward to late February 2012 and MWC’s annual Iron Pen Contest, which is a 24-hr. writing challenge based on a prompt.

I went with the Fiction category and threw in everything I’d learned up to that point about the workings of the mystery genre, writers’ critique groups, plus a big dose of humor, and I won a first-place medal. It became the basis for a one-act play for the readers theatre group that makes its home at CASI.

 

Introducing our cast members for Friday's performance:

Mark Davidsaver as Marvin (Marv), a horror writer and Zombiephile.

Myrna State as Lois, a retired teacher hoping to write a memoir.

Larry D’Autremont as Harold, the beleaguered group leader.

Cindy Irwin as Beth, the newest member of the group.

Bev Dean as Sally, Beth’s friend and fellow writer.

Katie Britcher as a poet looking to expand her writing.

Jane Cranston as Georgette, a romance writer looking for a little love in everything.

The play begins as everyone has returned from a break …

Do come and enjoy!

Did I mention it’s FREE?!

Monarch Summary 2024

 

The butterfly season here in suburban Davenport, IA had a rocky start. I only found a handful of eggs and had limited success with raising adults. I released two adults in mid-July.

A long dry spell of seeing no Monarchs at all followed. No fertile females from May through most of July. Then in late July there was one female who gifted my small island of milkweed, garden and potted milkweed plants, with 31 eggs. I marked the precious leaves by clipping the tips. The next day I gathered 29 eggs. The missing eggs disappeared overnight. Of those 29 surviving eggs, I got 27 hatchlings.

Last year I found using floral tubes was the best way to handle large numbers of small caterpillars all at once. Worked for me this year as well.

Along with a shortage of Monarch eggs, I had to deal with a shortage of milkweed leaves. It was difficult, but I managed with a few donated plants and discovered that frozen milkweed leaves can be used when there are many hungry mouths to feed late-stage caterpillars. I was able to release 18 adults Aug 24-25.

Because of travel plans I asked a friend and fellow Monarch foster mom to tend to the last 9 chrysalises. They all made it. I then found 3 small late caterpillars and my friend took those in to feed and care for as well. They were all released by Sept 20th. So, this year's total for me was 32 adults. That number pales compared to the 85 adults I released in 2023.

Bouchercon 2024 Recap

 

Bouchercon 2024 was held in Nashville, TN at Gaylord Opryland Resort. Yes, one must resort to calling that place a resort. It was so much bigger than a hotel. When I said I wanted to go outside to see the water and light show my husband had to remind me that there was “no” outside, per se. The whole place is enclosed in more glass than the British Museum. It was a huge hot house for thousands of exotic plant specimens. Water flowed throughout: from a meandering river with waterfalls coursing down walls of rock, to shooting up out of a pool and made to dance to music, the sound of moving water was everywhere.

With maps in hand, we eventually got acquainted with our section of the immense place and found the meeting rooms for our panel discussions and the ballrooms for the larger events. We writers and readers had the place pretty much to ourselves from Wednesday till the young dancers, and their families, showed up, en masse, on Saturday. I can tell you that tap shoes make a lot of noise on indoor cement walkways.

That is all background atmosphere to the serious business of “Murder and Mayhem in Music City,” the official title for this conference. There was a chosen theme song for each panel. Dan’s was “How Deep is Your Love.” Mine was “Taking Care of Business.” Prizes were given away to those who could answer questions about each song. Prizes meaning books. Books and more books were given away at every opportunity. It was heaven for avid readers and retired librarians.

I explained in blog posts on https://marydavidsaver.blogspot.com/ what my three main promotional objectives were: being on a panel; make an attractive donation for the silent auction; and advertise for The Discovery Zone, a new event on Friday night.

The panel went well. I don’t think I embarrassed myself. My prize packet, Jodie Toohey’s book of marketing basics and a pad of invoices, went to a very appreciative young woman.

My collection of Bishop Hill related foodie items found a good home with a woman from central Illinois who had been to Bishop Hill. She wanted the cookbook and the Lingonberries. The Gevalia coffee would be a no brainer. I hated to part with Lori Morressey’s handmade basket, but it was the perfect size for the presentation. Same with the “Just here for the Pie” T-shirt. I will have to look for another on my next visit, which will be Ag Days at the end of September.

That leaves the Discovery Zone adventure of being walking billboards for three days. At least two people had the courage to admit that they were influenced by our spectacular customized T-shirts. Everyone else, and there was a good size crowd, probably didn’t realize they had been influenced by our promotion. They were too busy enjoying the free food. We got eleven dollars in cash donations, which was a minor miracle in a cashless environment. I think the indoor river held most of the available spare change as people made their personal wishes. I had promised to match donations up to the first one hundred dollars. I kept that promise and rounded the total up for the Nashville Public Library Foundation.

Like most shy people I’ve needed time to decompress, relax, and recharge after getting back from a busy six days. I’ve been sitting outside, the real outside, surveying my backyard and appreciating being home.

All in all, it’s like the Swedish saying:

Borta är bra. Hemmet är bäst.

Away is good. Home is best.

MY DISCOVERY ZONE CHARITY FUNDRAISER

 

“Not the Usual Suspects” seemed like a good idea for a promotional link between my next book in the Bishop Hill Mystery series and Bouchercon’s chosen charity, The Nashville Public Library Foundation. The idea is a variation on bidding to name a character in an author’s next book. Here I’ve picked two portraits from the collected work of Olof Krans, a Swedish folk artist with extensive ties to the Bishop Hill colony and figured that asking people to vote on their fictional fate with their pocket change would be fun and painless.

I thought of the many positive angles: The Discovery Zone, as a new event, would gain some notice; I’d get some attention for my panel appearance and my books; but the biggest deal for me would be Bishop Hill getting some much-needed attention at a time when Illinois state funding is once again on a downward spiral and state-owned historical buildings are suffering from neglect.

Picking the portraits was easy enough. My husband helped out by choosing Peter Helstrom, a cantankerous looking former schoolteacher. I chose the more mild-mannered visage of Olof E. Krans, the artist’s grandfather, who had the potential to add to a backstory I was working on.

Dreaming up inventive ideas to advertise the whole enterprise was fun … and potentially embarrassing. We made up t-shirts imprinted with our chosen portraits with the caption “SAVE ME” on each, we basically turned ourselves into walking billboards for the three days leading up to The Discovery Zone premiere.

All this is brand new for me, so whatever happens or doesn’t happen will make for an interesting discussion at the Taking Care of Business panel on Sunday morning. It might keep me awake and attentive.

The catch, there’s always one, do people carry pocket change any more?

I’m going to have to explore the donation opportunities of Zettle, my credit card reader. It might become an important resource since Gaylord Opryland advertises it is “cashless.” Just one more prepping step to do before checking in for the Bouchercon Conference next week.

Bouchercon Silent Auction 2024

 

    My Bishop Hill food-themed collection for the Bouchercon Silent Auction uses items that go along with my Bishop Hill Mystery books, well sort of, I must be honest; the t-shirt came first.

    I could not resist the “just here for THE PIE” sentiment because the Bishop Hill Pie Diet was a real thing for my friends and family.

    At one time there were five restaurants in Bishop Hill, and we could count on five variations on Swedish meatballs and rhubarb pie. It was difficult being a shopkeeper on a slow day and staying sharp until the 5pm closing time. Back then when 3pm came around the debate would start with “Where to today?” The Bishop Hill tea rooms stayed open after the lunch crowd left just for that mid-afternoon rush.

    To go with the t-shirt, I chose a handmade basket by Lori Keller Morrissey and began looking for foodie items that would represent the past and present Bishop Hill.

    Bishop Hill began as a communal society in Henry County, Illinois in 1846. Those Swedish immigrants, like German immigrants, liked their beer. Both groups had problems with prohibition. I know that the Swedes made near beer and probably kept the harder stuff on hand for medicinal purposes.

    I included the VASA Cook Book, 1981, for its historical importance. I checked it and found no recipe for near beer. Yes, for Swedish egg coffee and for a couple of drinkable somethings that were yogurt based. It was simply and disappointingly lacking in pie recipes.

    I did find Gevalia coffee and Ligonberries for the basket. That was a victory.

    But still, we newer pioneers will always love our Bishop Hill Pie Diet and will, sadly, make do with whatever is at hand.

Taking Care of Business Panel Prize Pack

 

    Book Marketing Basics: The 5 Ps a book by Jodie Toohey, a local author in my neck of the woods (eastern Iowa & western Illinois). Active in the Midwest Writing Center as a past president and frequent workshop leader, she went back to school for her MBA. I’d be willing to bet that book marketing and promotions were high on her agenda even then.

    Her book came out in February 2019, and I bought my copy in November of that year. I’m sure it was dated even then. The publishing world was changing so fast that keeping up with new platforms and the new possibilities they offered would be impossible for a printed book. Which is why this was the only marketing book on my bookshelf when I went looking for information for the panel “Taking Care of Business.”

    I read through this and saw that basics count as much today as yesterday. This is why I wanted copies of Toohey’s book. Anyone can read through this work for ideas to try, for directions of pursuit, and come away with the encouragement to find innovative solutions in today’s world of global marketing.

    My personal story here involves my first efforts of going out into the field armed with my pitch for placing my first Bishop Hill Mystery book in area stores and shops and being successful. I was quite pleased but unprepared for the business manager’s request for an invoice. She wanted an invoice with duplicates no less. I was caught off guard and had to make wimpy excuses while I desperately tried to think of a way to finish the sale. I drove twelve miles to the nearest town and was lucky enough to find what I needed at a Walmart. I was saved and learned a valuable lesson: Prepare to Succeed. That would be my suggestion for a sixth P should Toohey update her book on marketing basics. I’ve included a pad of invoices with carbonless copies in my prize package for that reason.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

 

“TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS” is the song title of the panel I’ll be part of on the bright, sunny Sunday morning, at 8 am no less, on the last day of the Bouchercon International Writer’s Conference. I’m preparing to get myself and my Bishop Hill Mystery books noticed with the following promotions:

1.                The panel moderator wants prizes for the audience members who can name the band behind the song title. Got that covered with Book Marketing Basics: The 5 Ps by Jodie Toohey. I have a story to tell. Hint: it involves another P.

2.                I’m donating to the Silent Auction. I’ve amassed a food themed collection of Bishop Hill items to go along with my books. I have a story for that one, too. Hint: it involves pie.

3.                My husband and I will turn ourselves into walking billboards advertising my table in The Discovery Zone along with my Bishop Hill related promotion for charity donations. Yet another story. Hint: it calls for cash.

Will any of this work out? Hard to say. I will certainly have things to talk about for my panel. Which will be a huge improvement from my last Bouchercon panel appearance.