MarilynMeredith

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