Auntiemwrites Crime-Mystery Author M K Graff

Whatever holiday you celebrate, this time of year is always a mixed bag. The delight and the sorrows that accompany any major event are all here in a time of high expectation, and sometimes, regret.

So many of us have been dealt a harsh break, whether it’s the death of a loved one from Covid or other illness; the loss of a job or even a business; or the inability to perform and carry on as we have previously enjoyed our lives. It would be easy to be depressed. Many are.

But I’m here as a voice in the bleak midwinter to remind us that while we sometimes have to sift through tons of negativity to find one nugget of joy, it does indeed exist. Joy is always there, in the smallest detail or the biggest smile. Joy remains a beacon in the dark night, although at times we need strength and courage to see it.

I know a young woman in the UK whose parents were my close friends; they died within a year of each other. I’ve known E since she was in her teens and watched her blossom from a shy, indecisive child to a strong young woman with a loving partner. Now in her early 30s, she helped her father through the loss of her mother, and then soon after, became his caregiver and kept him home as they dealt with the cancer that took his life. She described to me crawling into bed beside him as he failed, to feel his warmth one last time. Exhausted and sad, she dozed off. When she woke, he was gone. She was sad, and probably on many days overwhelmed, yet she said to me, “I must keep my face turned to the sun.”

When my husband and I both had cancer diagnosed within a month of each other last year, I teased him that in thirty years of marriage, I knew we enjoyed doing things together, but this was carrying things a bit too far! There were days of indecision and fear, but ultimately, we’ve had more days of feeling blessed. Blessed that ours was found early and without spread. Blessed that our treatments, while uncomfortable and with side effects that still plague us both, are not as severe as those we’ve seen others go through. And we’re still here, looking for joy in the smallest parts of our day.

I was watching the news today and there was a story of travelers on a plane becoming combative over wearing a mask. Only a few minutes later, I came across a video someone sent me that said, “You need to watch this.” It showed a young boy opening a Christmas present, a photo of the foster family he’s been living with. Then he read out the letter that came with it, which I paraphrase here: “This is our family as we were before. Now we would like you to become a true member of our family; our son and brother. Would you like that?” This young man burst into tears–and so did I.

That simple act of love changed that young boy’s life forever. Those are the stories we need to focus on. I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but this year I will try avoid negative news and seek out more joyful heartwarming stories that warm my heart, while I turn my face to the sun.

Happy New Year to you and those you love~

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From humor author Jan McCanless, a memory for Labor Day:

 Hooked on a  Feeling
                                                                                     by Jan mcCanless

     One of the news magazines I subscribe to had a blurb this week about Lake  Leelanau, in the upper peninsula of Michigan.  That’s the place my family went to every summer;  my dad couldn’t take the summer heat of Florida, and went in search of cooler temps. He found it in northern Michigan. The article went on to tell about the delicious cherries found in the area, that every roadside stand had fresh cherries, and on our way up to our cabin, we would often stop by the side of the road, and watch the cherry pickers. This was before we had tv, so we had to watch something!  They were so good! There is nothing quite like Michigan cherries.

     Then, the article went on to describe the huge sand dunes at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Park. They were like mountains to me, huge things, and the challenge was to see how easily you could climb one. Not an easy task, since you sank down into the sand a little bit, and the higher you went, the tougher it got. But once at the top, oh what fun to slide down, never mind the mouthful of sand one got on the way. It gave a terrific feeling of freedom and exhilaration.

     We generally stayed until the Labor Day weekend, when  it was time to go home and start a new school year.  That was not fun or exhilarating – – -to me. 

     To this day, I enjoy outdoor adventures, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching the summer Olympics this year.  I can’t help but admire the athletes and their prowess at these games. Imagine the work and practice it took to get there.  I wonder if they had as much fun as I did sliding down those sand dunes.

      Looking at the divers and swimmers really was enjoyable, and i can just imagine myself doing a graceful swan dive off the 16′ board into that beautiful, clear water.  Okay, so I thought I would try it, I mean, how hard could it be anyway ? I just pretended in my mind I was sliding down that huge sand dune toward the bottom.  

     You ever do a belly flop off a diving board?  I’m here to tell you, it ain’t fun! For one thing, it hurts like the dickens; for another, a snootful of pool water is not cool.

     Back to the Olympics.  I am so proud of team USA for their outstanding performances, and every time I hear the National anthem played, and see our flag raised, I get goose bumps on top of goosebumps.  I am definitely hooked on that feeling, and haven’t had so much enjoyment out of sports since sliding down that sand dune—even if my brother pushed me.

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Word Refiner

This week Mark Schultz (and Grizz) from Word Refiner will be asking me questions about writing and my process.

Mark has an extraordinary eye for edits, does reviews, and these lovely, thoughtful interviews. Grizz ferrets them out. We are talking about THE GOLDEN HOUR, the fourth Nora Tierney English Mystery.

You can read Mark’s review of the book and our interview as the week progresses at: http://www.wordrefiner.com.

In other news, the fifth Nora Tierney mystery should be in print by September. Covid and cancer have caused many delays, but it looks like we’re on track for then. With fantastic early reviews coming in, and with gorgeous cover blurbs from Nicola Upson, Margaret Murphy, and Anne Cleeland, this one is my personal favorite of the series.

But then I say that about each newly finished book!

Stay cool and read~

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Marni is thrilled that her newest Nora Tierney English Mystery, THE EVENING’S AMETHYST, has gone off to the copyeditor. With another round of edits this spring, it’s looking like this fifth in this series, set in England, will be in print late May.

At least, that’s what she’s been told, if the Covid gods allow it!

In the meantime, Marni will be moderating a panel March 6th for the Suffolk Mystery Author’s Festival, from 10-11 AM. Do sign up for this FREE event with interesting panels, reading recommendations, and more. With the topic “Somewhere in Crime: Global Mysteries,” Marni will be talking with Catriona McPherson, Sara E Johnson, and Wendy H Jones. Don’t miss it!

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Change is coming to Auntie M Writes Crime Reviews.

A little thing called breast cancer has Auntie M’s attention right now. While her prognosis is excellent, she needs time to rest, to get used to her new normal, and to fiddle with preventative drugs. Her stamina has taken a hike!

For the moment, look for Auntie M in Twitter under @GraffMarni. She’s still reading, and occasionally will tweet the cover and a few lines of a good book she’s read. Any energy between naps goes to reading and her own book for the foreseeable future.

She’s working (slowly) on revisions to her new Nora Tierney English Mystery, The Evening’s Amethyst. The fifth in this series finds Nora settling into life in Oxford, when a grad student falls to her death from a stairwell at Exeter College. The dead young woman was a friend of Nora’s stepsister, Claire Scott, who found the body. The title is from a Robert Louis Stevenson poem that has resonance to the victim. No pub date yet, but updates here and there.

In the meantime: Stay safe and healthy, get your vaccine, and keep reading!

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