Listening is Also Research by Saralyn Richard

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I first started researching the 1900 Storm, the deadliest natural disaster ever to hit American soil, when I was 15 years old. In those pre-Internet days, research meant going to the library, reading books and other primary source materials (some of which was on microfilm and microfiche), and taking copious notes in spiral notebooks.

At the time I was burning to write about a family secret that I knew would be book-worthy, and I would be the best person to tell it. I thought of the premise as MY STORY, and I nursed and nurtured it over the years. In the 1980’s when I got my first computer (a tiny-screened Mackintosh), I began writing, but 100 pages into the manuscript, the computer died, taking the story with it.

Fast forwarded past a very busy career in education and eight books written and published, and I decided it was time to return to this story. By now, so many wonderful books were written about the 1900 Storm, that I decided to set the novel five years later. Turned out that the Galveston of 1905 was an exciting time, filled with optimism and state-of-the-art science and engineering, and a wave of immigration that brought energetic, clean-living workers to the island to help with rebuilding.

I spent time in person and online with the Galveston and Texas History Center at the Rosenberg Library, and I read lots of books and journals about the building of the seawall, digging of canals, raising of the grade, and building of boardwalks to give people access to the houses being raised.

I happened to include something in my monthly newsletter, asking subscribers to send me names of family members who lived in 1905, as well as any storm survivor stories they knew. The response was incredible! Within days I had more than fifty vignettes and names of real people to go with them.

Often, when I went to a restaurant in town or a public event, people would stop me to tell me another storm survivor story, and I realized I had opened a channel for people to share. The stories were tragic and uplifting at the same time. The grief and loss were excruciating, but the rebound extraordinary. A friend’s grandparents had two babies swept from their arms in the rushing tidewater, never to be seen again. But the babies’ parents went on to rebuild their lives and have three more children.

I found that listening to the stories immersed me in the time and place in a way that “book research” never could. And I included a lot of the stories in the manuscript of PORT OF DESTINY: A Victorian History, Mystery, & Romance.

The book was released on September 1, and I realized that, rather than being my book, it is OUR book. The story of three immigrants could be the story of every family in America, unless it is descended from indigenous people.  The book’s little stories add more than local color to the story. They tell the tales of resilient and brave people, and the forward-thinking island that wouldn’t be destroyed.

Listening to stories made our book much more authentic. I’m really glad I did it!

Do you have a storm survivor story to share? It’s not too late to add to the collection. Sign up for my newsletter at https://saralynrichard.com, and I promise I’ll listen.

Three immigrants. Two disappearances. One murder. And a love story that defines them all.
When Rosa’s brother vanishes from hurricane-ravaged Galveston, she turns to his best friend, Nathan, to help her uncover the truth. Together they are swept into the mystery that swirls around her immigrant family in a city rebuilding after the devastating 1900 storm. Just as Nathan’s feelings for Rosa blossom, Chana enters the picture. Bold, resilient, and with a conflicting love interest of her own, she forces them to make the most important decisions of their lives.

Presidential Humor…

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This post is dedicated to the fearless leaders of our country who have wittily (or not) contributed memorable public statements to be celebrated on National Presidential Joke Day.

Yes, it’s a real thing that comes around every August 11 to commemorate attempts at humor coming from the mouths our Chief Executives, past and present.

Funny, Not Funny?

Although humor was invented millennia ago, the inciting incident for this celebration actually occurred in 1984, when Ronald Reagan was about to launch his regular weekly radio address to the nation. As he frequently did before the broadcast went live, he warmed up his voice with something humorous. Only this time, the feed was already live.

“My fellow Americans,” he intoned in his best Presidential voice, “I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes.”

Scrambling to avoid the unleashing of a real-life War of the Worlds, news outlets removed the remark before their broadcasts aired, but it remained on the recording for posterity. It is said that Reagan’s poll numbers dipped for a time after word of his oopsie got out, but at least the Kremlin recognized a joke when they heard it.

George W. Bush was funny without even trying, as evidenced by the several books of humor written about his gaffes.

His speeches even gave birth to a new literary term, Bushisms, that refers to his frequently error–prone speech. Examples include “They misunderestimated me,” and the classic, “Is our children learning?” He was given a Lifetime Achievement award in 2008 for “services to gobbledygook”  by the Plain English Campaign.

Going back in time, we have Herbert Hoover, who once quipped, “Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.” Not sure I’d laugh at that one.

Jokesters in Chief

The best humor, seems to me, comes from presidents who know how to laugh with their audience. Abraham Lincoln was a true quipster. Once accused of being two-faced, Honest Abe is said to have replied, “If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”

Bob Dole, who wrote a book about Presidential humor (or lack thereof), cited the reason for losing his bid to be Vice President as this: “I didn’t show enough leg.”

In modern times, presidents leaned more and more on speechwriters to insert humor where needed.

At his last White House Correspondents’ dinner, the beleaguered Bill Clinton said he felt sorry for Republicans because they only had seven months left to drive him out of office.

“So little time, so many unanswered questions, he quipped. “For example, over the last few months, I’ve lost ten pounds. Where did they go? Why haven’t they presented them to the independent counsel? How did some of them wind up on… the host of Meet the Press?

If you tuned in to the video of the latest Correspondents Dinner, you might wonder if the current occupier of the White House employed writers at all, or if he was simply putting his own riff on the sterling prose they’d dutifully prepared for him. Based on the facial expressions and body language of his writing staff and other attendees, they  looked like they’d been stricken with food poisoning.

Some presidents just aren’t born jokesters. According to Bob Dole, while  Founding Father John Adams was known as lacking a sense of humor, he was “a sharp-eyes satirist.” But his son, John Quincy Adams was “often cranky and full of insults.”

Several writers have written about dealing with their employers’ public utterances. Liz Carpenter, who spent her White House years as Lady Bird’s secretary told this story about Lyndon Johnson. after his writers sent him what he considered too “highfalutin” because it contained several quotations by Aristotle. According to Carpenter, Johnson snorted, “Those folks don’t know who Aristotle is,” where upon he replaced the attribution with “as my dear old daddy used to say to me…”

I have a feeling there were some head-shakes and slapped foreheads in the Writers’ Room when the staff heard that one.

Which President do you think was the funniest?

 Gay Yellen’s award-winning writing career began in magazine journalism. She later served as the contributing editor for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), which debuted as a New York Times “Notable.” Her Samantha Newman Mystery Series is packed with suspense and laced with touches of romance, heart, and humor.  Available on Amazon or to order through your favorite bookseller.

Photos are official White House images

 

Book Clubs, By Saralyn Richard

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I’ve been thinking a lot about book clubs, and I’ve known a lot of them over the years. Big ones, small ones, literary ones, social ones, online ones, in-person ones. I’ve belonged to a few, myself, but in recent years I’ve attended mostly book clubs where my books were being discussed.

And even those have been varied. Some are book review clubs, where the audience has not yet read the book, but would like to hear about it in anticipation of reading. One of these has been in existence for over 75 years and is still going strong.

Some are into dressing up like the characters in the book and decorating the room with artifacts from the book.

 

Some are serious readers and love discussing the book using Socratic questions.

 

More than a few serve meals and like to model the menu after the foods mentioned in the book.

Many of them are in farflung places and meet online, or they meet in person, but stream me into the fun. These are no less exciting and fun.

I feel so fortunate when I’m invited to lead or participate in a book club meeting. It’s an honor to be able to discuss my book with readers in an intimate setting, where all questions and answers are enlightening and welcome. Getting to know my readers makes the writing of the next book more exciting, as well. Since I have a sharper image of who is reading, what they like, and how they think, I can communicate better with them.

All in all, I think book clubs are the best “invention” since—well, you know, books, themselves. How about you? What is your book club experience like?

 

Saralyn Richard is a multiple award-winning author of seven mystery novels, a children’s book, and numerous short stories, poems, and essays published in anthologies and magazines. Her works include the Detective Parrott Mystery Series, the Quinn McFarland Mystery Series, A Murder of Principal, and Naughty Nana. Saralyn is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, and she has taught literature and creative writing to high school students and adults through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Saralyn and her husband live in Texas in the house she grew up in.

Life in the Cracks

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I had an entirely different topic planned for today’s post until I learned that this date marks a celebration of “life in the cracks” for at least one community in California. I think it’s actually something we all should celebrate, especially these days.

It’s the Festival of Life-in-the-Cracks Day!

Time to celebrate the first signs of Spring that bring us fresh crops, fuzzy little ducklings, and even sprouts of greenery that rise up through our cracked sidewalks.

It is a day to celebrate rebirth and renewal, a day to appreciate the beauty of life anywhere you find it.

There’s something about new greenery popping up and out all around us that offers us a mental boost. Given the current state of the world, we could use a reminder to celebrate life. No matter how bleak the outlook, here comes Spring to remind us that things can change for the better.

Here comes the time to plant seeds, stroll through the woods, or simply bask in the sun.

In our park’s family garden, spring has definitely sprung. Cabbage, okra, tomatoes, figs, and apple blossoms abound.

Bees are buzzing, flowers blooming, and crops are bursting with life. Just to be surrounded by it all can lift our spirits.

With the world in turmoil, I can’t think of a more timely celebration than Life-in-the-Cracks Day. It calls to mind the encouraging message in Leonard Cohen’s beautiful Anthem which shares the wisdom that—even when life feels like there’s a crack in everything—remember this: it’s how the light gets in.

I’m no Pollyanna, but I am so very, very eager to mute the bad news and turn myself toward hopeful things right now. Here’s to a bright, refreshing Spring for us all!

How about you, friends and readers… Are you ready for a brighter day?

Gay Yellen’s award-winning writing career began in magazine journalism.  She later served as the contributing editor for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), which debuted as a New York Times “New & Notable.”

The Samantha Newman Mystery Series is packed with suspense and full of romance, heart, and humor. Available on Amazon or order through your favorite bookseller. 

 

Would You Take This Advice?

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As the calendar turns, it seems like we’re bombarded with suggestions about how to improve our happiness and well-being in the new year. Much of this purported wisdom comes from professional gurus, some from ordinary folks, and some—heaven help us—from chatbots. A meme I recently came across suggested that we had to invent artificial intelligence because we are running out of real intelligence. But I digress…

The New York Times columnist, Melissa Kirsch, asked her readers to share the best advice they got in the past year. A few ideas were practical, such as: “Don’t think harder, breathe deeper.” Or, “Baby steps still move us forward.” Or, “Always have a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge.”

And others seemed less helpful, such as “You don’t need to tell everyone everything that goes into making the chicken soup.”

I’m guessing that one was from a chatbot.

If you take advice from TEDTalk gurus or best-seller book lists, you’ve probably come across the podcaster Mel Robbins and her blockbuster “Let Them” theory. At its core is this message: Don’t waste your energy worrying about people and situations beyond your control. Let them be stupid, mean, or just plain wrong, and get on with your life.

I received similar advice years ago. After venting my frustration over a personal relationship, an older and wiser woman of few words, responded, “When you argue with a fool, there are two fools arguing.” She saved me from allowing an untenable situation to ruin my life. It’s been a lesson I’ve returned to time and again.

When our family doctor retired, we thought we’d lost his gentle, humorous counsel forever. But he recently reappeared as a columnist on The Buzz, a local publication that’s often fun to read. On New Year’s Day, he cited a university’s report showing that less than ten percent of resolutions are kept, and almost half are abandoned before the end of the month.

The good doctor’s believes it would help if we promised ourselves to do something less boring than lose weight or exercise more. “Why not resolve to do things that you really secretly want to do,” he asks, like “eat some chocolate every day?” Wise man.

Still, the urge is strong at New Year’s to look inward for ways to improve ourselves. My own resolutions tend to revolve around my writing career, which puts me in mind of the main character in my Samantha Newman Mystery Series.

Samantha is too headstrong to worry about any personal shortcomings, even though they often lead her into dangerous territory. When she sees an injustice, she dives headfirst into fixing the situation. So far, she’s survived relatively unscathed. But will she make it through another dicey situation?

We’ll see. In the meantime, let’s all cut ourselves a little slack.

Have fun, be well, and no matter what… have a great year!

Gay Yellen began her award-winning writing career in magazine journalism. She also was the contributing editor for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), which debuted as a New York Times “Notable.” Her Samantha Newman Mystery Series is packed with suspense and laced with touches of romance, heart, and humor. Find it on Amazon or through your favorite bookseller. 

 

Book Clubs by Saralyn Richard

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One of the many tasks an author tackles when she has a new book released is to develop a list of discussion questions for book clubs. While I enjoy every part of researching, writing, revising, publishing, and marketing a book, creating discussion questions is one of my favorites.

Years of doing lesson plans, creating assessments, and interacting with students around the literature they’ve read have given me the tools.  I also helped teachers develop higher level questions when I was an administrator. And, for the trifecta, I took Junior Great Books training, which helps leaders craft Socratic questions that have more than one right answer and whose answers prompt more questions. All of these gave me excellent experience in working with book clubs.

Before I get into details, I must say that no two book clubs are alike. In fact, even the same book club can differ from its last session with a different book, a different leader, a slightly different crowd, or a different context for discussion. For example, I just returned to a fabulous local book club that had discussed my book, BAD BLOOD SISTERS, a year ago, and this time they were discussing MURDER IN THE ONE PERCENT. A different book, a different series, and this time there were men in the group. Furthermore, the person who hosted the second session turned it into a party to simulate the elegant party in the book. The whole atmosphere was charged with festivity, and, although I had prepared higher level discussion questions to go with the book, no one wanted to hear them. Instead, the readers had questions of their own to ask me. I was cool with that. I wanted everyone to enjoy the discussion, and I wouldn’t want anyone to leave empty-handed, with unanswered questions.

Two days later, I had the first book club discussion of the new release, MRS. OLIVER’S TWIST. I sat down to prepare the questions, and that old familiar sense of joy flooded through me. I loved writing the book, and I would love setting the platform for discussing it. What would I want to revisit? The characters? The plot? The setting? The theme?

I crafted between fifteen and twenty questions, printed them out, cut them into strips, folded them neatly, and placed them into a jar. When it came time for the discussion, I led with a five-to-ten-minute talk about the inspiration for the book, and then opened the floor for questions. Everyone had to take a turn asking or answering a question. If a person didn’t have a question to ask, she could pull a question from the jar. She would read the question and take the first crack at answering it. Or she could pass and let someone else answer it.

At the end of the evening, everyone had contributed to the discussion several times, and everyone went home happy—including the book’s author!

I’m always amazed at what comes from readers at book clubs. My philosophy is that the book belongs to me when I’m writing it, but it belongs to the reader once it’s published. So I don’t claim to have all the “right” answers, and I enjoy hearing different responses.

Sometimes I attend these book clubs in person, and sometimes by FaceTime or Zoom. Either way, it’s an honor and a joy to be invited to discuss my book with a new group.

How about you? What is the most interesting, unusual, or fun book club meeting you’ve ever attended?

 

 

Saralyn Richard is the author of the Detective Parrott mystery series, the Quinn McFarland mystery series, A MURDER OF PRINCIPAL, and the children’s book, NAUGHTY NANA. If you’d like to invite Saralyn to your next book club or organization meeting, contact her at saralyn@saralynrichard.com.

Rabbit Holes & Root Beer

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Help! I’ve burrowed down another rabbit hole, and I’m stuck in a warren full of of too many possibilities. So deep am I into the research for my next book that I lost track of time. Which is to say, I almost forgot to write this post.

With no plan for what to post today, I turned to a holiday calendar for inspiration. Maybe this date in history would spark and idea. Boy, did it ever, though it sent me burrowing even deeper.

Turns out, today is National Black Cow Day. Curious as to why we should celebrate dark bovines, I clicked and learned that today’s Black Cow hoopla is all about a drink I’d always known as a root beer float—that delicious concoction of vanilla ice cream melting inside a tall, icy glass of root beer.

Okay, I thought, a fun subject, but not meaty enough to write about—until I read more, and discovered sassafras.

Sassafras is an incredibly fun word to say out loud. (Try it!)

It’s also the original ingredient in root beer, first marketed in America in the 19th century by Philadelphia pharmacist Charles Hires. But that’s not what kept me deep inside that rabbit hole.

When I discovered how important sassafras was to native tribes across the eastern half of what became America, I had to read on.

Here’s why: Attentive readers of my Samantha Newman Mystery Series may recall a mention in Book 3, The Body in the News, of the discovery of a possible ancient Native American campsite on Carter Chapman’s Serenity Ranch. With the idea of that as a plot point in the next book, I’ve been researching indigenous people who may have once inhabited the region.

Cornell Botanic Gardens

Who were these people? What did they eat? What tools did they use? Were they peaceful, or warlike? What might they have left behind at the campsite? I’ve already done a ton of research based on those questions, with more to go. And, to that, I now add this question: Did sassafras trees grow on their land?

Today I learned that every part of the sassafras tree was used by Native Americans from the east coast to west of the Mississippi into Central Texas. Roots from which root beer flavoring is derived were used as toothbrushes. An emetic made from bark was used in purification after funeral ceremonies. Leaves, rubbed onto bee stings, wounds, cuts, sprained ankles, and bruises, were thought to have healing properties.

Ground Sassafras/Cornell Botanic Gardens

Timber from the sassafras tree was used in construction, furniture making, and—when explorers learned of its utility— shipbuilding. By the early 18th century, sassafras became the second-most exported American product, right behind tobacco.

I could tell you everything I’ve learned about sassafras and the possible tribes who may once have hunted on what’s now Carter Chapman’s Serenity Ranch in my books, but I’m running out of time to get this posted.

Also, I have to get back to my research.

bittersoutherner.com

But I’ll leave the foodies among you with one more sassafras fact: its leaves were also dried and pulverized for use as a thickening and flavoring agent. If you’ve ever had true Cajun gumbo, you’ve enjoyed the flavor of filé, made from ground roots or leaves of the sassafras tree.

All of which makes me hungry for some gumbo right now. Maybe I’ll chase it with a few frosty swigs of a root beer float.

Happy National Black Cow Day to you, and may your day be full of fun adventures, down rabbit holes or wherever you roam.

Gay Yellen is the author of the award-winning

Samantha Newman Mystery Series including:

The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News!

Why Reading Out Loud Is Good for You

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Over the weekend, a series of New York Times articles about the pleasures of reading aloud sent me thinking backwards and forward again. Backwards to my earliest memories of listening to my Mom or Dad read Horton Hatches the Egg or some other wonderful classic to me.

Those lovely moments are imbedded deep in my bones. I’m certain my love of reading was born in those happy times.

The article stated that reading aloud benefits both the reader and the one being read to. Whether you read to a child, or a sick person in need of a distraction, it is an act of kindness—love, really—that provides a rare, intimate connection as you experience a story together.

Which brings me to another memory.

A few years back, my husband spied a 135-chapter, 615-page edition of Moby Dick lurking on our bookshelf. I’d slogged through the book in high school English class. If ever a book begged for an abridged version (I thought back then), Melville’s was a good candidate.

So I was amazed when my spouse took the book to bed with him. I figured he’d be snoozing by Page Two. But, no.

“This is amazing,” he exclaimed. “The writing is great. I feel like I’m there! Can I just read this part to you?”

Thus began a new nighttime ritual. And through his enthusiasm, the story, the characters, and the descriptions in a book that I’d found tedious and old-fashioned in my teens came alive for me, too.

I loved falling asleep to the sound of his voice as he read Melville’s words.

It turns out that grown ups enjoy hearing stories spoken out loud. An entire audiobook industry seem to be alive and well these days, and apparently some people actually enjoy falling asleep while listening to them.

The NYT piece also reminded me of my left-over to-do list from years past for my Samantha Newman Mystery Series. Only Book 2, The Body Next Door, is currently available in audio, which you can buy or sample for free on Amazon.

The first and third books do not have audio versions. This is due to: 1) a change of publishers, and 2) a voice artist who is no longer available, which means that Samantha’s “voice” would change for each book.

Producing audio books is a time-consuming, expensive effort, and I have another book or two to write.  And before you suggest an AI generated voice solution, I’ve heard a few samples, and they sound a little creepy to me. I’m still wrestling with the issue.

(Readers and and authors, I’d love to know what you think I should do about audio for the other two books. Please comment below.)

I’m a wholehearted fan of reading aloud, even if you’re only reading to yourself. Extra points if you do, because reading aloud burns more calories and tones up your lungs and voice muscles.

Like most things in life, reading a book can be even more fun when you share it with someone you love.

Gay Yellen is the award-winning author of the Samantha Newman Romantic Mystery Series, including The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News. She loves talking to book clubs and from readers! You can contact her here. 

 

 

 

Life’s Little Instructions

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As we complete another rotation around our sun, some of us like to make resolutions for things we’d like to accomplish in the coming year. There are lots of lists out there to guide us: new diets to try and exercise regimens to tackle. New books to read and buckets of travel options to consider. Or, perhaps we just want to work at developing a new and improved version of ourselves.

The list of 95-year-old William Snell that has been circulating across social media lately seems about right, although I wonder if he meant to number them in order of their importance. At times, his suggestions feel like sly digs at people who make such lists in the first place.

After all, while singing in the shower can truly be a mood enhancing exercise, should it really be first on the list—and followed closely by the caution to never turn down a homemade brownie?

I also ponder his #18 admonishment. Of course, at the Gang, we work to keep our stilettos (and our prose) well-polished. But maintaining shiny shoes in winter can be a challenge for those in northern climes. And in summertime, do we really need to shine our flip-flops?

Yet I heartily agree with #29. Dogs absolutely make make us better humans. And though I can’t remember the last time I waved at kids on a school bus (#33), I always wave at them when the zoo train comes around. Hopefully that counts.

I’m not exactly sure what Mr. Snell intended with #38. Life as an exclamation? Unfortunately, we can’t ask him about it. A Google search turned up no information beyond what’s on this weathered document, or exactly when the list was first written. But I hope he had a good life.

Still, if you’re looking for a few suggestions on how to live a pleasant life in 2025 and beyond, most of these tips might provide a good starting place. Especially #37.

Cheers!

Which “little instruction” would you take to heart for 2025?
Feel free to list your own tips in the Comments section below!
Gay Yellen is the author of the award-winning Samantha Newman Mysteries *
The Body Business***The Body Next Door***The Body in the News!***

Burning Your Zozobra

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While one half of our nation rejoices this week and the other half wonders what went wrong, here comes Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukah, when we’re all thrown together at friends’ parties and family reunions. Finding common ground where we can stand together may be difficult as we tiptoe around each other’s feelings after the election.

Four years ago, it also felt like our national unity had frayed, both physically (the pandemic) and culturally (we vs. them). Back then, I wrote a guest post for Jungle Red Writers about a new word I’d learned from an article in The Conversation. This week, our local newspaper reprinted the original essay.

The word is zozobra.

In Spanish, it means “anguish, anxiety, or gloom,” which many of us suffered from in those fear-ridden times.

https://burnzozobra.comI’ve recently heard that in Santa Fe, New Mexico there’s an annual Summer Festival in which they burn an ugly zozobra in effigy as an attempt to chase the gloom away.

And yet, barring a truly effective alternative to lighten our national funk, what better time is there than Thanksgiving to remind us of what’s truly meaningful in life? For me, that includes friends and family (regardless of political differences), the health that still sustains us, and a sense of purpose that keeps us engaged in the world.

Yes, bad things happen every day, and sometimes they happen to us.

But what if we try to minimize the complaining and instead, focus on the positive things we can do to make life better for ourselves and others.

It helps to practice gratitude for the small things that bring us joy.

I am grateful for family and friends, and for being accepted into a writing community where colleagues honor and respect one another, where we share our ups and downs in the wacky world of publishing. To my Stiletto sisters, and to Sisters in Crime and beyond, I would be bereft without your continued friendship and support.

And to our readers! Thank you for reading!

We’re all in this together, come what may. Tomorrow is World Kindness Day. Maybe we could start with that.

Or, if you’re not quite ready to let go of your anxiety, you could plan your very own Zozobra Festival and exorcise the beast.

What are you grateful for today?

Please tell us in the comment section below.

 

Gay Yellen is the author of the  award-winning Samantha Newman Mysteries, including The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News! 

Now available from your favorite bookseller. Readers and book clubs, please contact me at GayYellen.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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