Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2021

 

I discovered John Scalzi’s books first and his blog, Whatever Scalzi, much later. I don’t know when he started giving his blog over to other writers, publishers, and artists for a Whatever Holiday Gift Guide, but it has been a great opportunity and a nice gift all on its own.

I’ve submitted posts the past two years. It’s a late start for me, but sometimes that’s just how it goes. Last year, I went with Charities. I directed readers to the Bishop Hill Colony Store and the Bishop Hill Heritage Association. They both work to preserve the history & culture of the 1846 Swedish communal society.

This year I read and followed his rules for posting and came up with this entry for Non-Traditionally Published Books. Park Square Crafts Press definitely qualifies.

 

 

 Thank you for this opportunity, John.

 

“Shadows Over Bishop” Hill has recent Knox college graduate and amateur sleuth Shelley Anderson back in action. She must deal with arson, kidnapping, and a wild nighttime chase along Henry County, IL backroads as she follows a trail of shady money deals to find out who killed her best friend’s fiancé. It’s a cozy mystery with humor and an attitude.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Over-Bishop-Hill-Mystery/dp/0578908255/

https://bookshop.org/books/shadows-over-bishop-hill-mystery/9780578908250

 

 

 

 

Last Thoughts on Radio Time

I’m amazed at how used to video I’ve become during the pandemic. At one point in my RADIO interview with Don Wooten for WVIK, he asked a question about the cover of Shadows Over Bishop Hill and I held up the book cover. It was a head-slapping dumb moment. He was asking about the blood. Again, I should have my regained my composure and used the moment to say the blood was more symbolic than an actual representation of action within the novel. Cozy mysteries don’t deal with huge amounts of violence and, therefore, what bloody scenes there are, tend to be described in minimal detail, they are not dwelt upon.

If holding up a book that couldn’t be seen by the audience wasn’t bad enough, then I had to go on and mention the background with the obsolete currency of Bishop Hill that my cover artist, Kaitlea Toohie, had partially obscured and toned down. But I must excuse myself because I was so happy with how close the cover art came to meeting all my expectations. I wanted to use the blood-red trail on the book cover to draw attention, make it eye-catching.

This radio-time faux pas made me think about my relationship with audio books. When I’m listening to an audio book, I often find myself wishing I could see the words. I’d like to read along and take in how the author crafted the sentence. Linger over the experience for longer than the mere moment of each spoken word.

I think that goes to the difference between a “magazine read” and “reading like a writer” as explained to me in a past novel writing workshop I took back when the Midwest Writing Center had its office in the Bucktown Center for the Arts in Davenport. Our instructor, Amy Parker from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, told us you do the first type of reading for pleasure, while the second helped build an awareness for the craft of writing. Studying how other writers solve the problems of constructing sentences and such will build confidence and strength in refining one’s own skills.

Something I continue to pursue daily. 

*Scribble is a weekly radio feature hosted by Don Wooten and Rebecca Wee at noon Saturdays on WVIK 90.3 FM Quad Cities and 95.9 Dubuque. The hosts “muse about writing, poetry and the craft.” All books are fair game for lively commentary. Book reviews are welcome. Contact information: contactscribble.1014@gmail.com

*Midwest Writing Center is “the only organization in the Quad Cities dedicated solely to the literary arts.” Writing is often a solitary task, it’s good to find kindred spirits and help along the way. For more information go to: https://www.mwcqc.org/

Radio Time for Bishop Hill (Part 2)

 

Now that I’ve recorded my second Scribble* interview at WVIK in Rock Island, I have had time to think, and ask, what do I wish I would have included? My answer: Stories. I wish I’d talked about my use of stories within the story.

When I laid out the basic plan for the second novel, Shadows Over Bishop Hill, I knew I wanted to include some invented stories to develop the background and to move the plot along. I just hadn’t a clue about how readily they would proliferate and evolve.

First up was a depression era saga of bootlegging types loosely based on John Looney of Rock Island fame. I ended up using more than one version of this tale, since a story can change after it gets passed along from person to person, generation to generation, before settling in with a self-serving type of opportunist.

Then I included a spooky yarn my husband crafted for our children when they were youngsters. It was left rather incomplete as I tried to remember more of it and failed. However, what I had still paired nicely with my story of a shadowy figure looking for buried treasure on moonlit nights. That one formed a nice link to a central theme about money.

Crafting an all-new story around Bishop Hill’s obsolete currency took time, but it came together nicely with some other plot points involving money-making schemes within the time frame of the book. (Being a less than perfect planner, or a pantser in NaNoWriMo terms, isn’t all bad.)

Of course, I had to continue the colony-era love story I put together for the first book, Clouds Over Bishop Hill. This time it involved a major shifting about in character roles, as in who would become a victim and to what degree.

I wasn’t sure if I should have used all these stories, that maybe I was over doing it. Then I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. After that, I was pretty sure I was on the right track.

I wish I’d seized the opportunity to discuss all this with Rebecca Wee, a teacher of creative non-fiction at Augustana College. She might have found it interesting. Or not. But that would be in the nature of a having a conversation and joining an ongoing discussion.

 

*Scribble is a weekly radio feature hosted by Don Wooten and Rebecca Wee at noon Saturdays on WVIK 90.3 FM Quad Cities and 95.9 Dubuque. The hosts “muse about writing, poetry and the craft.” All books are fair game for lively commentary. Book reviews are welcome. Contact information: contactscribble.1014@gmail.com

Radio Time for Bishop Hill

 

I recently recorded my second Scribble* interview at WVIK in Rock Island, IL. It has not aired yet. However, my memory of it tells me I need to fill in some holes, those few blank spaces where I didn’t offer enough explanation.  

For instance, my answer to the fundamental question: Where can readers find my new book, Shadows Over Bishop Hill?

I can’t recall exactly what I said, and I do know I got “marydavidsaver.com” in at one point near the end of my answer, but I think I missed the opportunity to elaborate on the importance of mentioning my website.

Earlier this year I decided, for better or worse, I would not mail out my books on my own. Amazon was my primary book source for online orders. But I wanted a more personal touch for my region of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. I wanted to make use of local independent booksellers and in doing so I would support them, promote them; therefore, we could help each other. I spent months making the rounds and placing my books. I posted those businesses on my website.

They are:

The Artsy Bookworm, 1319 30^th St., Rock Island, IL, is a new business that’s found a home in a lovely house near the Augustana campus. It features used and new books, art, toys, gifts, yarn, and community events. It has a gallery atmosphere with creative inspiration on every wall and around every corner. Be sure to ask for their local authors’ section.

Wordsmith Bookshoppe, 235 East Main St., Galesburg, IL, is another new business with a renovated space near the Knox campus. It’s bright, airy, and well stocked with reading material, gifts for all tastes, and is very welcoming to local authors. They can even accommodate online shoppers at: https://bookshop.org/shop/wordsmithbookshoppe

Prairie Arts Center, 203 Bishop Hill St., Bishop Hill, IL, located in the Colony Blacksmith Shop is situated across from the centrally located state park. The large brick building is an old standby for me, practically a second home at one time. It’s renovated upper floor contains antiques and collectables, while the spacious first floor is filled with arts, crafts, and a book nook set aside for local authors. I’m honored that my books have a place on the shelves.

The Colony Store, 101 West Main St., Bishop Hill, IL, is a venerable colony-era brick building that, like others, has seen many uses over its long life. It’s the “candy store” to many children. Other folks can appreciate the old-fashioned feel of a general store with a serious Swedish flavor. Where else could my Bishop Hill based mysteries share shelf space with Stieg Larson’s crime novels?

The Brewed Book, 1524 N. Harrison, Davenport, IA, is in a building finishing up an ambitious expansion project. Visitors will find friendly faces and shelves filled with new and used books. The espresso machine is waiting to make everyone feel welcome and energized. My books share space with other local authors near the front door, over the piano.

River Lights, 1098 Main St., Dubuque, IA, is another bookstore in a vintage brick building. This one is on an easy-to-find corner overlooking the Mississippi River’s collection of casinos and museums. It offers an intimate shopping experience and a wonderful showcase for my books.

Prairie Lights, 15 South Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA, is an iconic landmark for the Iowa campus and for me. I’ve come for readings from favorite authors, such as John Scalzi; and on interesting topics, such as the history of Buxton, Iowa. I’ve stopped by for lunch and latte. Now I can drop in to check on my Bishop Hill books, and perhaps meet some friends and relatives.

As I worked on this project, placing my books next to those of other local authors, I became aware of how often I recognized names of people I knew, had met, or worked with through the Midwest Writing Center*. It’s a testament to how vital that non-profit organization has become to our region. A resource, in fact, to so many of us who embrace the written word as authors; writers, at all levels of engagement; and readers, of all manner of genres.

 

*Scribble is a weekly radio feature hosted by Don Wooten and Rebecca Wee at noon Saturdays on WVIK 90.3 FM Quad Cities and 95.9 Dubuque. The hosts “muse about writing, poetry and the craft.” All books are fair game for lively commentary. Book reviews are welcome. Contact information: contactscribble.1014@gmail.com

*Midwest Writing Center is “the only organization in the Quad Cities dedicated solely to the literary arts.” Writing is often a solitary task, it’s good to find kindred spirits and help along the way. For more information go to: https://www.mwcqc.org/