Today being the 4th of July has caused me to reflect upon all the many, many 4ths I have enjoyed in the past. Like birthdays, most of the 4ths I have lived through blur together now, or are completely lost to memory, but one in particular stands out for me, and that is the Bicentennial.
Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (I suppose that a person could live through more than one centennial event, but could one remember both of them, that is the question?)
In 1976, I was newly married and living in Lubbock Texas. We went downtown on the day and joined the crowd for the Independence Day Parade. I love parades, anyway, to the extent that I almost always tear up when I hear the drums and first catch sight of the flag corps, and of course this parade was spectacular in that already-spectacular Texas fashion.
Several local businesses were giving away free cake and hotdogs. The crowd around the tables was rather like a monkey riot, what with people grabbing free food hand over fist, and Don ended up with one whole hot dog and one that had been ripped in half. Both were squashed, and just delicious.
This brings to mind other memorable anniversary dates. Many years ago, we returned to the Western Hemisphere on a Polish ocean liner, the Stefan Batory, after several months Europe. We sailed across the Atlantic and right up the Saint Laurence Seaway to Montreal and landed on Canada Day, July 1, for a wonderful welcome home.
Three days from today, on July 7, is the third anniversary of the launch of my first novel, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming. The joy of the occasion was dampened by the fact that my mother, who had been instrumental in the research for the book, had just died a few months earlier. Besides, I was so nervous that I practically had an out-of-body experience. I’ve launched two other books since then, and I have to say that thus far it hasn’t gotten a whole lot easier.
I always wanted to write novels, and I love the writing. I’ll tell you a secret, Dear Reader. Sometimes I wonder if the rest of it is worth the pain.
And now for the news : I’ve joined another writer’s blog, at least on a trial basis. It’s called Fatal Foodies (http://www.fatalfoodies.blogspot.com), and the bloggers are mystery authors whose novels feature food. I love the concept. I’m doing Saturdays, just as I do for the Type M 4 Murder blog. I figure I might as well get it all done on one day.
As mentioned in my last entry, I’ve decided to post excerpts from my novels. Thus far, I have posted excerpts from the beginnings of The Old Buzzard Had It Coming and from Hornswoggled. Click on the “About This Book” link under the cover images to the right.
This Sunday, July 6, I’m hosting Hannah Davidson on the Type M 4 Murder blog. She is witty as can be, which you might have guessed if you’ve read her wonderful novel A Vickie Hill Exclusive. Have a look.
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