Tag Archive for: Evelyn David

Wearing Cinderella’s Slippers


This
is my first post for The Stiletto Gang. I feel fortunate to be asked to
join the group. Already, the other posters have sent me warm
welcoming messages, which I very much appreciate. A grand thing about the writing community is the support offered and received. Maybe there is an enabling factor that urges authors who work so much in
solitude to reach out to others who aspire to follow their path. An
overwhelming generosity of spirit flows from writers who have made
their mark to those toiling to achieve success.

From
looking at past posts, I see that I’ll be filling a spot long held by Evelyn
David, one of the founding members of the blog and a very prolific writing team
of Marian Edelman Borden and Rhonda Dossett
.
I’m humbled by the opportunity and know I have large shoes to fill. And, I’m
grateful to my fellow posters for handing me Cinderella’s slippers.
I just hope I don’t lose one or, if I do, that it’s returned by a prince!
As
I considered my first message, I kept thinking about shoes. Shoes often seem to
have been used in literature to define women. Consider the epic battle that
ensues when Dorothy gets the witch’s ruby red slippers. Yet, eventually, those
shoes become the vehicle that transports Dorothy home, on her own power.
When
I was young, after school, I would wait in my mother’s classroom while she
attended teachers’ meetings. I would listen to the footsteps coming down the
hall and learned to recognize hers returning.
Later,
when I went out into the workplace, I saw women navigating the sidewalks in
high heels, their staccato tapping emphasizing their focus and determination as
well as their rushing to the next appointment. The sound of their steps signaled
a giddy assurance that they were in the right place and making important
contributions through their work.
When
I visited New York City, I walked along the streets, feeling a stronger
connection with the place as my sneakers trod its thoroughfares. I had read
that Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, who loved to travel, adored having
someone stop and ask her for directions in a location she was visiting, because
that made her feel as if she were part of the place. I remember my own thrill
when I advised a tourist on a New York street corner. A sense of belonging is
so reassuring.
I
guess my favorite shoe image comes from To
Kill a Mockingbird
, when young Scout realizes Atticus is correct in
telling her we never truly understand a person until we have a chance to walk
in his shoes. To me, the scene where Scout stands on Boo Radley’s porch envisioning
all that had happened in their town through his eyes is a truly powerful piece
of writing.

So,
thank you, Stiletto Gang, for including me among your posters. Thanks for your
encouragement and for believing in me, a short story writer who strives to be a
novelist. And, thanks for providing this forum for those of us who love
mystery, romance, suspense, thrills, and good writing.

A legislative attorney and former law librarian,
Paula Gail Benson’s short stories have been published in Kings River Life, the Bethlehem
Writers Roundtable
, Mystery Times
Ten 2013
(Buddhapuss Ink), and A Tall
Ship, a Star, and Plunder
(Dark Oak Press and Media, 2014). Her next short
story, “Moving On,” will appear in A
Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman
, an anthology due to be
released by Mozark Press in November or December 2014. She regularly blogs with others about writing mysteries at
http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com. Her personal blog is http://littlesourcesofjoy.blogspot.com,
and her website is http://paulagailbenson.com.

Circling Back to the Beginning

By Evelyn David
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost seven years since
we began The Stiletto Gang. In Evelyn David mystery terms, that’s four books
and eleven novellas. Hard to find the words to say how important it’s been to
us to be in such a warm, supportive community of mystery lovers: authors and
readers. You’ve cheered for us when we’ve had good news to share, listened to
us when we felt the need to rant, and been there when the going got tough. But
the press of family and day jobs has seriously cut into our writing time, so we
made the painful decision to cut down on some of our obligations. This is our
last regularly scheduled blog for The Stiletto Gang.
In that first blog, we drew upon the wisdom of Carolyn Hart,
mystery writer extraordinaire. As she explained, “In my books, the good
guys always win.” So true for us too. Perhaps more than ever, in the
craziness of the real world, we need a space where we know that good triumphs
over evil. So we end as we began. Our wish for you all: a world where the men
are good looking; the women are brilliant and beautiful; the dogs are loyal and
loving … and where the good guys always win.
With much gratitude,
Marian and Rhonda, the collective Evelyn David

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past CemeteriesKindleNookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah KindleNookSmashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of LottawatahKindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Fireworks – KindleNookSmashwords
Leaving Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)
Book 4 – Leaving Lottawatah (includes the 11th Brianna e-book and some special features.)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords



Mind Over Murder – KindleTrade Paperback


Zoned for Murder – KindleTrade Paperback


Audiobooks 
I TRY NOT TO DRIVE PAST CEMETERIES

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER IN LOTTAWATAH
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT(S) OF LOTTAWATAH
UNDYING LOVE IN LOTTAWATAH
A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH
MURDER OFF THE BOOKS
MURDER DOUBLES BACK

Trust Yourself

By Evelyn David

My son got married a week ago. His bride is everything I could hope for. It was a beautiful wedding, held outdoors in a gorgeous setting (see photo left). It rained five minutes before the ceremony was to begin, but stopped fairly quickly. The hotel staff dried the seats and a rainbow emerged just before the bridal procession began. Blessed indeed.

During the dinner, my son gave a brief speech that left me close to tears. He thanked his bride’s parents for the warm, loving welcome to their family, then turned to thank my husband and me. Surprisingly he made special mention of an event that had happened 20 years earlier.

It was his first time at sleep-away camp. He was scheduled for a four-week session, but on Parents Visiting Day, two weeks in, he said he hated it and wanted to come home. We spent several hours trying to convince him to stay, and finally agreed that if he still hated it in a week, we would pick him up. He thought that was fair and to be honest, since even he acknowledged that he was actually enjoying himself at least some of the time, I felt sure that he would decide to remain the last two weeks. But seven days later, he called to say he wanted to come home and my husband duly drove two hours each way to retrieve the reluctant camper. A deal was a deal.

I got a fair amount of criticism from other parents when I told them the story, but my gut instinct was that this was what our son needed. Conventional wisdom about making him “tough it out” didn’t fit my child. So I was especially touched when in his wedding speech, our son talked about the love and support we’d always given him, including he laughed, picking him up from camp.

What does all this have to do with writing? It’s to trust your instincts when it comes to your characters and the stories you have to tell. Ignore the conventional wisdom about what works and what doesn’t, what’s currently popular and what’s not. Create the world that works for you. You know YOU best. Believe in your talent, creativity, and determination, even when, or especially when, faced with criticism or rejection.

Trust your gut. Who knows? You might even get thanked later.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

———————

 Kindle e-book – http://tinyurl.com/ZonedK

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past CemeteriesKindleNookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah KindleNookSmashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of LottawatahKindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Fireworks – KindleNookSmashwords
Leaving Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)
Book 4 – Leaving Lottawatah (includes the 11th Brianna e-book and some special features.)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords


AUDIOBOOKS 

I TRY NOT TO DRIVE PAST CEMETERIES
THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER IN LOTTAWATAH
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT(S) OF LOTTAWATAH
UNDYING LOVE IN LOTTAWATAH
A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH
MURDER OFF THE BOOKS
MURDER DOUBLES BACK

Hot, Bothered, & Feeling a Little Constrained

– by the Southern Half of Evelyn David

Today was Evelyn David’s turn to post a blog here at The Stiletto Gang. Most of you are aware by now that “Evelyn David” is the pen name for two of us. We try to take turns writing the Evelyn David blog, but I have to admit that usually Marian ends up doing it. But this week, I’m determined to hold up my end of this partnership.

Blog Topics –
It’s difficult for any writer to know if, or how many, personal thoughts and opinions to share with readers. The general rule of thumb is to avoid anything of a serious nature or anything that could possibly be controversial. No overtly religious posts. No partisan politics. Which, as everyone knows, can now encompass just about everything. Health care? No. Border security? No. Military? No. Foreign relations? No. The last thing an author wants to do is alienate his/her readers. Of course you also don’t want your readers to think you live in a fantasy bubble and have no thoughts on anything beyond your next novel, food, favorite television shows, and vacation spots.

Issues –
I believe that it’s becoming harder and harder to have open discussions about issues because people have become so polarized in their opinions – and I’m no exception to that problem. I have some strongly held beliefs and I do have a tendency to “judge” others when their beliefs differ from mine on some fundamental topics. But I try very hard not to express that judgment or allow it to prevent me from continuing to “hear” what the other person is saying. I know that if I try hard enough I can find common ground with just about anyone. The collective “Evelyn David” absolutely can. Between the two of us we have a wide range of opinions, politics, religious experiences, education, and lifestyles. I live in a very “red” state – Marian resides in a “blue” one. We manage, without too much push and pull, to get along despite, and maybe because of those differences. No matter your beliefs, you have to admit that being around people who constantly agree with everything you say or do (as comforting as that can be) is boring.

No Labels –
I can, with all confidence, tell you that although I’m a Democrat, I vote Republican about half the time. I’ve never voted a straight party ticket in my life. I don’t want a political party telling me what to think. I don’t need talk show hosts spinning the news. I believe in God, but not so much in organized religions. I like some federal programs and despise others. I support states’ rights but am continually embarrassed by some of my own state’s elected representatives. I believe in being responsible for yourself, supporting family and taking care of your own first. I believe in the death penalty as a concept, but find it too problematic in practice. I believe we have to protect the environment, but not at the loss of individuals being able to support their families. I want clean air but I also want affordable electricity. I think we need to spend more money on public education, subsidize daycare for the working poor, make sure that each community has a public library, ensure equal pay for equal work, establish a fair minimum wage, and we should find a way to make college affordable for everyone who wants to attend. I believe the President of the United States should do his/her job and follow the law. I believe Congress should do theirs and follow the law. And it’s probably time to consider whether or not Supreme Court appointments should be for life – or maybe just consider a better way of determining who gets to sit on that highest bench in the first place. There are at least a couple there now who I wouldn’t trust to water my plants over a long weekend.

If I’ve offended anyone by telling you my opinions, I’m sorry. Next time I’ll be back to talking about mysteries and fictional worlds where problems can be solved with careful plotting.

Check out our new mystery – MIND OVER MURDER. It’s one of our best.

———————————–

MIND OVER MURDER by Evelyn David

The last time the police knocked on psychic Valentine Zalmanzig Cohen’s door they ignored her advice and the wrong man ended up in prison for murder. Five years later the knock comes again. Another couple killed in the same house. A copycat killer? Or has the original killer struck again? The police are willing to consider that perhaps they’d been wrong, but is Val willing to risk her marriage, career, and maybe even her life to try again?

Kindle
Nook
Smashwords
Trade Paperback

Mind Over Murder

By Evelyn David

Frank Herbert, the science fiction author, once said,
“Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The
sleeper must awaken.” 

While the two halves of Evelyn David aren’t moving into
writing sci-fi, we did make a conscious decision to try, for our newest
project, something entirely different. It’s not that we don’t love Mac Sullivan
and gang, and adore Brianna Sullivan and her whole crew in Lottawatah. And of
course, we are positively cuckoo crazy about Whiskey and Leon, our
canine stars. 

We even started a new Mac-Rachel story, and we’ll get back
to it, but about a third of the way through we hit the proverbial brick wall.
The Southern half sent the Northern half, the first two chapters of a book we’d
begun a few years ago. Bingo! We started writing, like a house on fire (or in
this case, two houses afire). The scenes unfolded so fast that we could barely
keep up. 

New characters, new setting. What has stayed the same is our
love affair with mysteries – and this one is a doozy. MIND OVER MURDER will
thrill you, chill you, delight you. As always, there’s a healthy dollop of
humor, because, well, that’s us. There’s also a terrific romance because we’re
suckers for a good love story. 

Nothing bad ever happens in Seamont, New York,
a quiet village 20 miles outside The Big Apple. Nothing, except for the brutal
murders five years earlier of Lee and Vera Chang. But the local police made a
quick arrest and life returned to suburban normal in Seamont. Except Valentine
Zalmanzig Cohen knows differently. She knows, without a shadow of doubt, that Alex
Fletcher, the man sentenced to life in prison, didn’t kill the Changs. Val is a
psychic. But the local cops don’t want anything to mess up their slam-dunk
case. 

Five years later, when the Bermans, a middle-aged couple who
had just bought the Chang house are also brutally murdered, the police come
knocking at Val’s door. Is it a copycat killer? Has Fletcher hired a hit man to
mimic the crime so he can appeal his own conviction? Or is there a serial murderer
loose in quiet Seamont?  

Val doesn’t want to relive the gruesome murder scenes that
cloud her mind, but she wants to stop this killer once and for all. Things go
from bad to worse after a brutal attempt on her life results in the loss of her
psychic abilities. Val discovers that when all is said and done, she has to
rely on her wits to save herself before the killer strikes again.  

Evelyn David and Valentine Zalmanzig Cohen invite you to find
out whodunnit and why in this
spine-tingling, roller coaster of a ride, new mystery. 

MIND OVER MURDER will be available for sale in late June.
Thanks for all your continuing support and encouragement. You make it possible
for us to take on new challenges. 

Marian and Rhonda, the collective Evelyn David
—————

Evelyn David’s Mysteries 

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past CemeteriesKindleNookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah KindleNookSmashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of LottawatahKindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Fireworks – KindleNookSmashwords
Leaving Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)
Book 4 – Leaving Lottawatah (includes the 11th Brianna e-book and some special features.)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords


EVELYN DAVID AUDIOBOOKS 

I TRY NOT TO DRIVE PAST CEMETERIES
THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER IN LOTTAWATAH
THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT(S) OF LOTTAWATAH
UNDYING LOVE IN LOTTAWATAH
 
 
A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH
MURDER OFF THE BOOKS
 
 
MURDER DOUBLES BACK

Princess Power

By Evelyn David

I’d love to know the genius at Disney who one day turned and said, “Hey, let’s market the young heroines of our movies. We’ll call them all Princesses, whether or not they have any royal pedigree. Little girls will go crazy for them. No need to actually see any of the films. Kids will demand the dolls, the accessories, and of course the CDs so they can play the songs on endless loops. We’ll sell the costumes for each princess so that not only on Halloween, but year-round, Belle, Ariel, Sophia, Jasmine, and now Elsa and Anna, can run wild in the playground.” I assume that whoever came up with this concept won Employee of the Year since he or she made Disney a boatload of money.

Adorable granddaughters will be visiting in a couple of weeks. The oldest will turn four in June so we are in the midst of serious Princess-dom. She has seen three Disney films.

Cinderella, but the family rule is to skip the first part where the Dad dies, the Mom being long gone (standard Disney procedure to get rid of the parents early). The evil Stepmother and Stepsisters are referred to as “mean girls.”

The Little Mermaid which prompted no questions about the physiology of mermaids or the accent of the crab. I might point out that the only crabs I’ve ever known have come from the Chesapeake Bay and would speak with a Bawl-mer drawl.

Frozen which despite the fact that she knows all the songs, will sing Let It Go at the top of her lungs with very little prompting, she found the actual storyline a little confusing. Having seen it myself, me too.

I’ve read and even support many of the objections to the Princess Culture. Marriage is usually for political purposes (Jasmine) or to rescue you from poverty (Cinderella). None of the girls, save Belle, are interested in education or books. Heck, it’s okay to abandon your loving family and change your physical appearance in order to get your man (Ariel). Love is usually at first sight and there’s no need to actually get to know your intended. No long engagements and certainly no living together either. And of course, there is the crass commercialism of the whole enterprise.

So why am I, proud, unapologetic feminist, buying my granddaughter a Belle dress for her birthday?

Because indulging that fantasy is no worse than my three sons playing Star Wars 24/7 when they were growing up. None of them opted to become Jedi Knights. If we’re talking commercialism, I personally could have built the Death Star with the amount of money I had invested in Star Wars toys.

And then I remember my daughter, age 3, playing with Barbie and Ken. I’m not sure why, but she had created a story about class elections. She announced that Barbie was running for Secretary, although seriously, I don’t know that she knew what the class secretary did. I immediately jumped in and said that “Barbie can be the President. Barbie can be whatever she wants to be.” My daughter, even at that age had a remarkably developed ability to roll her eyes at her Mom’s grand pronouncements, said quite patiently, “But Barbie wants to be Secretary. She doesn’t want to be President.” Maybe in her mind, Barbie got a new laptop computer if she became Secretary of the class.

But the point is that my daughter didn’t grow up to be Barbie in any of her incarnations. And I don’t think my granddaughters will opt for Princess-dom as their career choice either.

What I do know is that it’s okay to let little girls play princess, while also making sure that they get other messages of female empowerment too. So yes, I’m buying a Belle dress, but I’m also offering a box of Magna-Tiles, with which to build incredible creations. Maybe even a castle.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

Leaving Lottawatah

Leaving
Lottawatah by Evelyn David is the eleventh book in the Brianna Sullivan
Mysteries series. A novella-length story, Leaving Lottawatah continues the
spooky, yet funny saga of reluctant psychic Brianna Sullivan who planned to
travel the country in her motor home looking for adventure, but unexpectedly
ended up in a small town in Oklahoma.

Things are
messy in Paradise. The happily engaged couple of Brianna Sullivan and Cooper
Jackson are anything but. Angry words set Brianna and Leon, her bulldog
companion, off on a road trip, but it’s hard to run away from home if everyone
wants to come with you. Before she can leave town, Brianna is unexpectedly
joined on her travels by Sassy Jackson, her maybe ex-future mother-in-law, plus
Beverly Heyman and daughter Sophia, both still grieving over a death in the
family. Destination: A Psychic convention in America’s most haunted hotel. But
they haven’t reached their destination before Brianna is confronted by two
ghosts demanding help in capturing the serial killer who murdered them decades
earlier. Even more worrisome, another young woman has gone missing. It’s up to
Brianna and her road crew to stop the serial killer from striking again.
Brianna has hard questions for the spirits surrounding her, and for herself.
Does she want to marry Cooper? Is it time to hit the open road again and leave
Lottawatah behind? Or will the ghosts of her past continue to haunt her
wherever she goes?

Kindle

Nook


Smashwords 

Trade Paperback

Reminder – A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH, the fifth book in the Brianna Sullivan series, is now available as an audiobook. Once again narrated by the fantastic Wendy Tremont King, A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH proves that ghost hunting can be deadly.

  
A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH
Nook 

We’re Baaaack

By Evelyn David

I don’t usually count on inspiration in my work. I count on the belief that if I show up, keep my butt in the chair, hold a potato gun to my head, and make myself sit there, something writerish will happen.
I’ll get some words down on paper, or the on screen.
They will suck.

I love Anne Lamott. Her book on writing, Bird by Bird, captures perfectly the reality of being an author: the good, the bad, and the very ugly. First drafts, Lamott aptly points out, are by definition crappy. Out of the first 100 words written, you might like 10 – but that’s 10 more than you had before. Maybe you’ll like 15 of the next 100 words.Maybe not. But you make progress only if you actually write. And that my friends, is a point I had sadly forgotten.
What I should have remembered is what Thomas Edison once said: Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. And to quote one more truth from Mr. Edison: I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
All of which may help explain what the two halves of Evelyn David have been doing since last Fall. Besides struggling with one miserable snowstorm after another; juggling work and family responsibilities; and celebrating some happy events in our lives – we’ve also been circling around a story that we couldn’t quite nail down for months. And sometimes, the circling meant just plain ignoring it. Instead we chatted on Facebook; wrote blogs; played Scramble with Friends; ate chocolate.
Now the snowstorms, the work responsibilities, the family demands, even the chocolate, are all reasonable excuses for why we haven’t written much more than grocery lists for the past three months. I can even rationalize that taking time off has given us a perspective on this story that was much needed. No doubt you often have to step back to see the big picture, what can be fixed, and what needs to be dumped pronto.
But 10 days ago, after a weekend of celebrating my son’s engagement to a lovely young woman, and then bidding a tearful farewell as another of my sons and his family moved to Paris (Yipes), I finally sat down, reread the story, and chatted with the Southern half. What had in November seemed impossible to finish, suddenly didn’t seem too hard at all. The kernel of the story was, pardon my pride, fantastic. And I discovered, dare I say it, it was fun to write again. I laughed out loud at some of our scenes. I fell in love, once more, with the world of Brianna Sullivan. I had missed her future mother-in-law Sassy Jackson, her best friend Beverly Heyman, her hunky fiance Cooper, and perhaps most of all, her bulldog Leon, despite his wonky digestive tract.

We had to rewrite, tweak, edit, revise, delete, and then write some more. But the end result, LEAVING LOTTAWATAH, is the story we always wanted to tell. For us, the essence of storytelling is compelling, believable characters. We think you’ll find a new depth to Brianna Sullivan, psychic extraordinaire. We delve deeper into the life she has created for herself in the small town of LottawatahOklahoma. There a murder mystery to die for (pun intended) and humor to make you laugh out loud.

Leaving Lottawatah
Leaving
Lottawatah by Evelyn David is the eleventh book in the Brianna Sullivan
Mysteries series. A novella-length story, Leaving Lottawatah continues the
spooky, yet funny saga of reluctant psychic Brianna Sullivan who planned to
travel the country in her motor home looking for adventure, but unexpectedly
ended up in a small town in Oklahoma.
Things are
messy in Paradise. The happily engaged couple of Brianna Sullivan and Cooper
Jackson are anything but. Angry words set Brianna and Leon, her bulldog
companion, off on a road trip, but it’s hard to run away from home if everyone
wants to come with you. Before she can leave town, Brianna is unexpectedly
joined on her travels by Sassy Jackson, her maybe ex-future mother-in-law, plus
Beverly Heyman and daughter Sophia, both still grieving over a death in the
family. Destination: A Psychic convention in America’s most haunted hotel. But
they haven’t reached their destination before Brianna is confronted by two
ghosts demanding help in capturing the serial killer who murdered them decades
earlier. Even more worrisome, another young woman has gone missing. It’s up to
Brianna and her road crew to stop the serial killer from striking again.
Brianna has hard questions for the spirits surrounding her, and for herself.
Does she want to marry Cooper? Is it time to hit the open road again and leave
Lottawatah behind? Or will the ghosts of her past continue to haunt her
wherever she goes?

Kindle

Nook


Smashwords 

Trade Paperback


So please Enjoy, Enjoy! It’s good to be back! And we’re not planning on taking any more hiatuses. Snowstorms or not, we’re writing!
Marian and Rhonda, the collective Evelyn David

P.S. We’re also delighted to announce that A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH, the fifth book in the Brianna Sullivan series, is now available as an audiobook. Once again narrated by the fantastic Wendy Tremont King, A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH proves that ghost hunting can be deadly.

  
A HAUNTING IN LOTTAWATAH
Nook 

P.S. Special shoutout to our friend Meg Mims. Check out her blog: www.megmims.com/musings

Odds and Ends

by Rhonda – the Southern Half of Evelyn David

Let’s catch up.

Amazing that it’s already February. Time is just
rushing by for me. The past twelve months have been so busy at both my day job,
my writing job, and my home life. I’m having a little trouble keeping up.  

In Oklahoma it’s been cold, cold, cold. Single
digits temperatures and multiple snow events. You’d think the outside weather
would inspire me to do some serious writing, but instead I just want to curl up
with a blanket, a cup of hot tea, and a good book. At heart I’m a reader first,
writer second. I’m very late to the party, but I just read Outlander by Diana
Gabaldon. I enjoyed it very much and I’ve purchased the sequel Dragonfly in Amber,
but have not had a chance to start it. 

While my favorite tv shows (Major Crimes and The
Black List
) are either on hiatus or done for the season, I’ve become a big fan
of Netflix and my Roku. I’ve finished several British series – Waking the Dead,
Calling the Midwife, The Bletchley Circle, Island at War and a rewatch of Foyle’s
War
. I’m working on MI-5. I think there are about 80 episodes of that series,
so it will take me awhile. Looking forward to new episodes of House of Cards,
produced in house by Netflix. 

Anyone watching the Winter Olympics? I’m planning
to watch the ice skating and maybe some of the snowboarding events. Have to
admit that I’m not as invested in watching as I was twenty years ago. Maybe I
just kept up with the athletes more. My co-author’s son, sports reporter Sam Borden, is in Russia covering the events. His blog about his adventure is very engaging. He’s almost as good a writer as his mother. I recommend you check it out.  

On the home front this past year there have been
roof repairs, new hot water heater, new washing machine and a few other things
I’ve put off doing/replacing. If I don’t get a new mattress soon, I’m going to
permanently cripple myself. Speaking of which, there is good news – not on the new
mattress quest but on the maiming myself point. Thursday night I thought I
broke my little toe on my left foot again, stubbed it against the corner of a
dresser, but now I think it’s just a bad bruise or sprain??? Any way my painful
limp has made way to cautious but mostly pain-free walking now.  

I did accomplish something this month. My 93-year-young
aunt has written a book about her life growing up in the 1930s rural Indiana.
I’ve formatted and published it for her. It’s her first book! It’s available in
both Kindle and trade paperback formats –The Laughing and the Weeping by Bettie
B. Dossett. Her delight in the physical act of holding the trade paperback version
reminded me of how I felt when Evelyn David’s first book, Murder Off the Books
was published. There is a certain special joy that is indescribable.  

The collective “Evelyn David” has been occupied getting our Brianna Sullivan Mysteries published in audiobook format. The
first four are available now at Audible (through Amazon) and iTunes. Our
wonderful narrator, Wendy Tremont King, has provided a delightful voice to
psychic Brianna Sullivan. The fifth book, A Haunting in Lottawatah, will be out
as an audiobook in the next month or two. Can’t wait for that one! Should work out really well in audio format.

Speaking of ebooks – I heard a news report about that 25% of readers now have access to ereaders or tablets. Amazing! Also there is something new coming – sound tracks for ebooks. Not someone reading the book for you, but a sound track! Music, sound effects, etc. Not sure if I’m ready for that. Although for our haunted house book – creaking stairs, rattling chains….

——————–

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past CemeteriesKindleNookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah KindleNookSmashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of LottawatahKindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Fireworks – KindleNookSmashwords

AUDIOBOOKS
I TRY NOT TO DRIVE PAST CEMETERIES

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER IN
LOTTAWATAH

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT(S) OF
LOTTAWATAH

UNDYING LOVE IN LOTTAWATAH


The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books KindleNook Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookTrade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back KindleNook – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords


Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

Permission Granted

By Evelyn David

One of the things I’m finally realizing, and sadly it’s
taken me way too long to reach this conclusion, is that I need to stop
apologizing for being me. I certainly have given that lecture more times than I
can count as my kids were growing up. Encouraging them to be independent; “own”
their accomplishments; have their own opinions; acknowledge their fears – and never apologize for their
emotions. But I can talk the talk better than I can walk the walk. I’ve spent
way too much time hiding or putting on a brave face or making fun of myself for
my own preferences and fears.

Now one can say, fake it until you make it. And that’s
certainly true in many situations. But in this particular case, I’m talking
about experiences in life that are optional. Or in my case, I’m talking about
fear of flying. I hate it. The only way I get on an airplane and not make a
total fool of myself is by taking drugs.

And I do that. Several times a year, I have to fly. If the
distance is at all drive-able, I always opt for car over plane. No need to tell
me that the risk of an accident in a car is so much higher than air travel. I
know all the stats and they are meaningless in the face of fear. But in order
to see my sons, one of whom lives in Seattle, the other soon to live in Paris – I’ve got to fly.

But here’s the part that I’m finally realizing. I don’t have to like it. I don’t have to get over it. Sure, it might be
nice if I did, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.  I finally came to terms with: “This is
who I am. I have other stellar qualities I hope, but if I have this particular
fear, stop trying to tease me about it, talk me out of it, or point out how
silly it is.” Most fears aren’t logical. If they were, we’d all be
bungee-jumping off Mt.
Rainier
.

Do you have a fear which others think silly? What, if
anything, have you done about it?

By the way, did I mention that I am scared to death of
snakes? There I said it!

Marian, the scaredy-cat half of Evelyn David

Evelyn David’s Mysteries 
 
 
Audible    iTunes

Audible    iTunes
 

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past CemeteriesKindleNookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah KindleNookSmashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of LottawatahKindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Fireworks – KindleNookSmashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords


Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords

 

Whew! It’s Over (for now)

By Evelyn David

So the good news is my guy won.

Local elections were held last week. I thought there was a real
difference between the two candidates, so had no trouble pulling the lever for
my guy. Although sadly, with electronic voting, there is no actual
lever to pull; no curtain to hide behind as I make weighty decisions. I’m old
school and quite frankly, standing at a little kiosk to color in an electronic
ballot too closely resembles taking the SATs. To finish off the event, I fed my
ballot into what was the equivalent of a bank ATM.

But what the days leading up to the election taught me most
was the desperate need for election reform. This was a county-wide election.
The area population is a little less than a million. The ads and signage must
have felled several forests. But what drove me absolutely insane were the
robo-calls. Day after day I’d receive multiple calls, all for the same
candidate. I kept begging to be taken off the list – to no avail.

I was sorely tempted to sit out the election as some form of
protest – but good citizen that I am, that wasn’t an option. Eliminating my
landline wasn’t an option either. I prefer the sound quality of my landline. I
have caller ID on some of my phones – but not all, so there were times when I
grabbed the phone without first checking to see if I recognized the caller.

If it’s this obnoxious and intrusive for a local election, I
shudder to think about the barrage of TV, radio, Internet, and mail ads, not to
mention the constant phone calls for the mid-terms in 2014 and the Presidential
election in 2016. As my mother, the original Evelyn would say, OY.

The Do Not Call registry never covered political phone
calls. To be honest, the DNC registry is a bit of a joke anyway. When it’s not election
season,  I’m getting constant calls for
new credit cards (no thank you) and to change my electric provider (also no thank you).

You can’t physically invade my home without my permission. You can’t
harass me on the street. I can block spam from my inbox. But phone calls on
behalf of democracy in action, seems like I just have to grin and bear it. But
you can bet “my guy” is getting a letter offering my congratulations
– and instructions to never call me again.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

—————

 

Evelyn David’s Mysteries 

Audible    iTunes

Audible    iTunes

 

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past CemeteriesKindleNookSmashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah KindleNookSmashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of LottawatahKindleNookSmashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- KindleNookSmashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Twister – KindleNookSmashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – KindleNookSmashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle NookSmashwords
Lottawatah Fireworks – KindleNookSmashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Book 3 – Lottawatah Fireworks (includes the 8th, 9th, and 10th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery series
Murder Off the Books KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake KindleNookSmashwords Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back KindleNookSmashwordsTrade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- KindleNookSmashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – KindleNookSmashwords


Romances
Love Lessons – KindleNookSmashwords