Cozy Mystery Administrator’s Observations

Starry Night’s Debbie Macomber on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family Show

October 21, 2013

Here’s a quick note to let those of you who are Debbie Macomber’s fans know that she will be on the Hallmark channel’s Home & Family show tomorrow, Tuesday, October 22. I know this is short notice, but better now than never.

I am currently writing a post about the Home & Family show, so I will keep this brief. It airs from 9:00 to 11:00 AM (Central), obviously on the Hallmark channel.

Debbie Macomber is on the Cozy Mystery site, even though she is not a mystery author. I know a lot of you follow her books. (I believe I added her to the site after watching the first of the two Mrs. Miracle Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. Mrs. Miracle in 2009 followed by Call Me Mrs. Miracle the next year. >>> Can you tell I enjoy her Christmas movies?)

Debbie Macomber will be talking about Starry Night, her 2013 Christmas novel. I don’t know how they plan on interviewing her, but a lot of the time, on this show, they have the guest for the day stay with them the entire two hours. We’ll see what they do tomorrow!

One Deserted Island, Two Authors, Lots of Series, Lots of Pseudonyms…

October 8, 2013

So, while on our trip up to Colorado Springs, my husband and I had a lot of time to talk while driving the 1,800 miles (including there and back again). Some of the time we talked about books, authors, series, those types of things, sort of like when our children were small and we would play “What am I?” types of games.

Let me say, before I pose the following question we talked about, that I am utterly spoiled by my Kindle. Taking all sorts of mysteries, a whole lot of authors, and even games in one tiny, little “book” is incredible. But, my husband posed this question to me:

You’re on a deserted island, you don’t have a Kindle (or Nook, ETC), you have only two authors’ books, who would those two authors be?

Of course, my first question was: Is each of the authors a single-name author, or can I lump all of that authors’ pseudonyms and series into that authors’ books? So, here is the revision of this question:

You’re on a deserted island, you don’t have a Kindle, Nook, or any other library-type of reader, you have only two authors (each author is allowed all of his/her pseudonyms and/or series), who would those two authors be?

***** ***** *****

I went through all of the authors who you all said you would want to take with you to a deserted island. Here is the list:

Susan Wittig Albert

Donna Andrews

Amanda Ashley (aka Madeline Baker)

Jane Austen

Donald Bain (aka Jessica Fletcher)

M.C. Beaton (aka Marion Chesney)

Kathleen Brooks

Charles Dickens

Michael Dibdin

Doris Miles Disney

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Diana Gabaldon

Peggy L. Henderson

Reginald Hill (aka Patrick Ruell)

J.A. Jance

Harry Kemelman

Mercedes Lackey

Mary Lasswell

Joyce and Jim Lavene (aka J. J. Cook & Ellie Grant

Donna Leon

Barbara Mertz (aka Barbara Michaels & Elizabeth Peters)

Louise Penny

Ellis Peters

Terry Prachett

Nora Roberts (aka J.D. Robb)

J.K. Rowling

Dell Shannon (aka Lesley Egan & Elizabeth Linington)

Alexander McCall Smith

I hope I didn’t miss anyone!

Back in Texas

October 5, 2013

I just thought I would post a quick entry to say that I’m back home. Our trip out to Colorado Springs was particularly nice since I was able to meet all three of my mother’s care-givers. Each has her own particular strength. As examples, one of them enjoys taking my mother out and about, while another is particularly nurturing.

Even though it is easier to visit because I know she is well-taken care of 24/7, it’s still difficult to see her after having been away for several months. Unfortunately, there have been many changes. I remember my mom as a vibrant, active, social , life-of-the-party type of gal.

I feel a tremendous guilt when I leave her. I have asked her many times if she would please move to San Antonio, but Colorado is her home.

Nine Hundred Miles, but Who’s Counting?

September 24, 2013

I’m busy getting ready for another trip up to Colorado Springs. My sister has visited my mother two times since I went out the last time, so it’s my turn to hit the trail.

Our son will be taking care of our house, so at least I don’t have to worry about that. But as usual, there are a lot of things to get done before we leave in a few days.

We have been very fortunate that my father thought to buy long term care for my mother many years ago. A few years ago I was able to hire an agency to come in for a few hours two days a week to take her to doctors’ appointments, shopping, etc. From there, the hours and days have increased. She now has someone with her all of the time. This has certainly helped assuage my guilt about not being able to talk her into moving down here. (Her response to that is always that we should move up there to take care of her. When I remind her that would mean we would have to leave our home and not be able to live near both our son or daughter, her response is always that we could visit them.)

Here I go again >>> off topic!

I wish time hadn’t passed so quickly, and that we were getting ready for the four of us (my husband, son, daughter, and me) making our yearly summer trip up to Colorado to visit my father, mother, and younger brother. We would always leave early in the morning so that we could stop by late afternoon. Our son and daughter always looked forward to swimming in the hotels’ pools. We would wake up the next morning, really early, so that we could make it to Colorado Springs as early as possible, since both our son and daughter couldn’t wait to see Gramps and Maya, Uncle Stephen, and Aspen (my dad’s Cocker Spaniel). Our yearly trips would always include a trip to up to the Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, putt-putt golf, swimming at the neighborhood pool, and barbecues. In short, fun!

Our trips these days are very different, in many ways. Time has a habit of changing things whether we want them changed, or not.

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