MarilynMeredith

  This is not an  up=to=date recipe book for camping. it is a collection of the recipes I and my girls cooked on many camping trips. The girls always had the major part of putting the mels together. As a group, we camped in Rose Valley way above Ojai, campgrounds at the beach and other mountains, we camped with many other groups in a school's playground, on the baseball field on the Seabee base, and at a state park. We camped at n unimproved campground in Santa Paula, and many times at Camp Cielo in the Santa Barbar mountains. We did one exciting back packing trip in the Las Padres National Forest. Amazon.com: Camping Recipes for a Big Family and Large Groups eBook : Meredith, Marilyn : Kindle Store The ebook is free on Kindle from August 5 through  August 9. Marilyn

 Yes, another free e-book. This time is my camping cookbook. This book will be free from August 5 through August 9. It has the recipes I used when I was a Camp Fire Girl leader--also used them when we went on a camping trip from California to Maryland and back. The recipes can easily be cut down or increased. When camping with my girls, we cooked over a camp fire-on the cross-country trip, used campfires and a camp stove.  These are not gourmet recipes--just easy and taste good. There are also fun anecdotes and camping tips. With the girls, we camped in tents--or just on the ground without a tent. We did most of this camping during the '60s. Have fun reading it. Amazon.com: Camping Recipes for a Big Family and Large Groups eBook : Meredith, Marilyn : Kindle Store Marilyn

  Isn't this a great cover? In case you don't know, it's great blue heron. It's the symbol of the supernatural element in INTERVENTION. For many years, a great blue heron would visit our front yard and dine on the gophers. Sadly, it hasn't been around for a long time.  The great blue heron has a special meaning for Native American Tempe Crabtree. If you haven't read it yet, mark your calendar for June 24 when INTERVENTION  will be free on Kindle from then until June 27. Marilyn

  On Monday, June 24, INTERVENTION, #3 in the Tempe Crabtree mystery series will be free on Kindle.  The last day is June 28. This is a fun book in the series with lots of unique characters. I drew a lot on the movie world way back in the '50s. Being star crazy, I chased movie stars to get autographs, read all the movie magazines, and the Daily news which always carried gossip about the different stars. My father worked at Paramount Studios and except for very few, had little use for the actors and actresses he observed at work. I heard interesting tidbits from him too, though it didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the screen stars. In a way, he was to blame because he took us all to the movies most Friday nights.  Amazon blurb: While Deputy Tempe Crabtree and her minister husband, Hutch, spend a romantic weekend in a mountain lodge, an unexpected blizzard takes out phone and electric services. Among the other guests are some folks from the film industry. When a guest disappe...

  Starting June 24 and going through June 28, INTERVENTION,  one of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series will be free on Kindle. This one is set in a mountain lodge high in the mountains.  The idea came from visiting Camp Nelson in the mountains above Springville where I live. The lodge in my story is called Tapper Lodge and it only has similarities to Camp Nelson because for the story the lodge had to be much large to house all the characters. And yes, because it's Tempe Crabtree mystery, there is some Indian mysticism. Marilyn.

  INSPIRED   The Story   Some fascinating and incredible women have inspired me. None, who by the way had a physical beauty, but surely an inner beauty. Being inspired and inspiring others provides us with shared strengths giving us opportunities to be more than we are as one. Those who inspire us, in the process, influence us by their intellect, accomplishments, and wisdom. Eleanor Roosevelt and Golda Meir have been two of my role models. Author Gertrude Stein and many other good writers have influenced me. These are people who dared to go beyond the ordinary. They were not willing to accept the limitations society or family set upon them.  If we are fortunate, there are also those in our lives who inspire us, expressing belief in us. I’ve had a few such people in my life, encouraging me to never give up my dreams and ambitions. I decided long ago to keep at a safe distance people who are angry, jealous, and mean-spirited. Really. Who needs them? Who made them ...

  To get free from May 6-through 10 Amazon.com: Murder in the Worst Degree (Rocky Bluff P.D. Mysteries Book 10) eBook : Meredith, F.M.: Kindle Store This is my favorite book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. One of my favorite characters, Officer Gordon Butler,  has a major role in this book.   Some of the suspects are old Seabee buddies of the victim who meet regularly at McDonald's for breakfast==just as many old veterans do in McDs across the country. When my husband was still alive, we often went to McD's for breakfast and visited with a group of vets. Hope  you'll take advantage of this sale. Marilyn writing as F.M. Meredith

  To buy: The Astral Gift - Kindle edition by Meredith, Marilyn. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. After writing to fictionalized family historical novels, this was my first mystery. The story is about a woman who was sexually molested as a child and  used astral projections to escape. As an adult, some of her roommate's escapades bring back the astral projection. This time she has no control over when it happens, and she witnesses things she doesn't want to see--including murder. A romance surprises the heroine, but it comes with more problems. Though I had someone tell me I must've experienced astral projection to write about it in such a convincing manner, but no I have never, nor do I want to. The closest I've come to it is in a dream, which I think had some influence on this tale.  There's a lot about a day care center, something I did have a lot of experience in a place similar to what I describe in THE ASTRAL GIFT. If you decide to ...

This tale began as a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, but didn't quite have the right feeling for the series.  However, it was a fun book to write and deserves readers. This one was inspired from what I learned about a long-ago flood in Springville, that took out a bridge that connected people living in the mountains to the rest of the world. (We've  had other similar floods here in our area, but this one stranded folks for quite a long time.) I had fun creating the characters, and to be honest some are based on people I've met. However, what happens is completely made-up. I love the house imagined for this story.  I hope you'll give this tale a try. Official blurb: While investigating a murder, Leslie York, the resident deputy of the mining town of Copper Creek, finds herself stranded on the wrong side of the creek when it turns into a raging torrent. Others driven from their homes by the flood gather, but one of them turns up dead. When Leslie begins to suspect the vict...

  This is another book that started out to be a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, but by the time I was finished, I knew it didn't fit. It was far too much a supernatural Christian story with touches of horror. To be honest, i really like this book--might even read it again myself. It's one that I had to write. When you read it you'll see the elements of my Tempe Crabtree series peeking through. At one time I watched all the horror movies--think Exorcism and Rosemary's baby--plus many of the later ones that had overtones of the devil. I know they all had a great influence on me.  Blurb:  Resident Deputy Jessica McGuire’s day starts much the same as usual, but when she jogs by the old family cemetery, she discovers the grave of a baby dug up, and the skeleton is missing. Not much later, Pastor David Tanner reports the theft of a hand-carved redwood cross from his church. Next, a baby goat is reported stolen, and one of the pastor’s cows is discovered mutilated in the field....

The first in the Temp Crabtree mystery series.   I've been doing a lot of reading lately and I've noticed the importance of endings. In a mystery, the mystery needs to be solved, and all the plot ends tied up. If it's a series, there can be ongoing plot threads such as relationships not yet resolved that will continue on in the next book. But for goodness sake, please give us a solution to the mystery. Don't leave it hanging.  I once quit reading a best-selling mystery writer because at the end we still didn't learn who-dun-it. On the next page the reader was informed to read the next installment in the series. I never bought another of the writer's books.  Recently read a fairly compelling mystery, but in the end the bad guy got away. He was a really horrible murderer, multiple victims, and no remorse. Ugh!  Not what I expected or enjoyed. In other genres, I expect an ending that in some instances will give me pleasure, maybe even make me smile.  Endings a...

 I haven't been able to use this blog for some time.  My computer died and I had to have it fixed. And of course, when something like that happens, it takes a lot of fiddling around to get everything the way you want it. I've been trying to fix my email. It got upgraded, and with every upgrade, I have trouble figuring out how to do things. I've been doing a bit of promoting for my latest, HOW I SURVIVED MY CHILDHOOD. And when I say a bit, it has been just that. I did have a fun signing at Staffords Chocolates, a great place. They had a table prepared for me, plus chairs. Besides their wonderful chocolates, they have coffee, tea and special drinks. Friends I hadn't seen for a while stopped by and purchased books and visited.  Okay, now we'll see if this posts. Marilyn

 I've been so busy I've not been writing new posts. But my desktop computer broke down and put an end to the work I was doing. I'm using my little computer now, but everything is small, I'm not thrilled with it. Hopefully I'll get my desktop back soon. The hero at OCSNET is putting in a new harddrive and getting my stuff back via Carboniate. Since I'm leaving on a short vacation early Monday morning, I can't  get my computer until a week from tomorrow. However, the vacation will be wonderful. Lisa, Henry and I are going to see daughter Dana and her hubby Mike, and we'll also get to see granddaughter Genie and her hubby, Mark, and great grandson, Garrett. Also, one of my Camp Fire Girls is going to drop by for a visit.  I've had my Camp Fire Girls on my mind a lot lately.  Until next time, Marilyn

For a long while I was unable to access this blog. Why, I have no idea. As for making up for lost time, I'm not going to do that, it would take far too long. Suffice it to say I've been busy. I finished my childhood memoir, HOW I SURVIVED MY CHILDHOOD, and now that I'm done, I'm remember all sorts of things I should have put in there. I did write about my dad making me a bicycle when no bicycles were for sale because of the war, but I forgot about the scooter he made when I was five. It was great. It had a front with handles, and I could hang onto it while I scootered all over.  Besides the first camping trip to Yosemite, our family went there many times until we switched to Bass Lake. Other things keep popping into my head.  I've had to figure out ways to promote my new book, but I can't do all the traveling I once did. This will be the first year I haven't attended the PSWA conference.  I am having a book signing in Porterville on March 9, from 1-3 in the ...

 by Charlene Bell Dietz Margaret Brent Book, 2 nd Edition Published by Artemesia Publishing Publishing Date: February 20, 2024 ISBN #  9701951122805 Brief Description of  The Spinster, the Rebel, and the Governor Murderous rebels and bigoted gentlemen can’t prevent spinster Lady Margaret Brent from wielding her power to defend Maryland settlers from plunder and obliteration. Lady Margaret Brent, compelled to right wrongs, risks her life by illegally educating English women, placing her family at risk. She fights to have a voice, yet her father and brothers exclude her from discussions. Worried the kings men may know of her illegal activities, she flees to the New World where she can enjoy religious tolerance and own land, believing she will be allowed a voice. Once in Maryland, she presents cases in provincial court where she’s hired as the first American woman attorney, but there she uncovers perilous actions, prompting her to build a fort to shield those wi...

Now that it's done and in the hands of the editor and publisher, other memories are popping up. About hair. When i was little, sometimes Mother wrapped my hair in socks to make my hair look like Shirley Tempe's hair. I don't think it ever did. From some of the pictures taken of me back when I was a kid, I don't think I ever went to a beauty parlor for a haircut.  By the time I was in junior high, I put my hair in pin curls every night. Hair wrapped around a finger and fastened to the scalp with a bobby pin. Didn't make for comfortable sleeping. And sometimes my hair looked good and sometimes not. Did this all through high school too. I think most of the girls did the same, unless they got a permanent. One I cut my own bangs way too short, Instead of lying down, the bangs stuck straight up. Mom figured out a kind of comb-over with my side hair which hid the crazy bangs until they grew out a bit. Should have mentioned my dad didn't curse like some others, but he h...

During the night I remembered Gay, a fellow author and our many adventures. We met via email and she asked me to be her roommate at an Epicon--Epic was an online organization for e-published authors, and the conference was being held in Bellingham, Washington. This was the first time we met in person. Her husband had sent her flowers and I thought the room smelled like a funeral parlor.  We hit it off friend wise--a friendship that has lasted many years.  One night I'd been invited to dinner by a young true-crime writer. We dined across the street. In great detail, he described several gory murders. The waiter was not thrilled about coming to our table. It snowed during the conference. Gay and I are quite different. She's very attractive but never seemed to notice the attention given to her by men. She's extremely well-educated. and far more intellectual than I am. Her husband was merely months younger than I was. They never watched TV shows, only the news and educational p...

 For some reason I've been thinking about many of the in-person book signing I've done. Old friend Robin Gorley set up several. I remember doing one in a Ventura hotel that was truly nice. Another she arranged was at a county fair in Santa Maria. I don't remember  how many days that was, but the room we stayed in at a hotel  had problems with the shower. It finally got fixed. We ate our breakfast and supper at a great little Mexican restaurant across the street. I did a wonderful one at a now defunct Borders book store in Visalia, and ended up teaching a writing class there.  Had a great book signing for my first book, TWO WAYS WEST, at a Barnes and Nobel in Fresno years ago. My granddaughter set one up for me at a Walmart in Sonora, a mountain community, also for TWO WAYS WEST that was wonderful. That's where I learned that you never could tell who might buy your books. A group of bikers came in and I gave them my pitch and several bought copies of my book. Had seve...

 How can it be? Another year already.  I had fun yesterday with some of my great=great grands. Granddaughter Melissa invited me to come to the church--fellowship hall only place big enough for us all--for gumbo and our usual game of Estimation. This used to happen at my house, but the family has gotten too big. Gumbo was great, loved the crab legs. The great grands who were there and their kids: Brandon and Cymone: Asher, Achilles, and Aurellia. (probably not spelled right.) Not sure about the u .  Carolyn and Tyler: Avyanna, Jerimiah, and Elisha. Missing was Aaron and Lyndsy: Chloe, Samuel and Grace. We ate and played Estimation. I had a side game going on with Jerimiah. He'd come racing down a ramp and we'd shake hands when he reached me.  Aurellia, who in the past looked at me like I was the Wicked Witch of the West, brought me plastic forks and knives. I think that is a break-through. All had fun. And we're off to the New  Year. Marilyn

Excuses, I have plenty of them. I'm guessing some has been because of missing my husband, but I have been able to get some things done, mainly working on program designs for people who want to open residential care homes in California. Doing this brings in some spending money--which i can surely use. I'm planning a book sale on Saturday, December 9 at the Springville Baptist Church in the Fellowship Hall from 1 to 3. (The church is off 190 on Bogart--only one way to get on Bogart, and the church is at the top of the hill.) I'll  have copies of both  series including the latest. And yes, they'll have sale prices. and and Every book is $10, Hope you'll stop by and say "hi." Marilyn