Happy New Year 2013

A Penny Saved A Murder Earned is now available http://amzn.to/VuO44B

 My new murder mystery A Penny Saved A Murder Earned is available now at Amazon for your kindle http://amzn.to/VuO44B

now available at Amazon

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

                                      MerryChristmas                                           

and to those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas 

                                     Happy Holidays                                           

         May your holiday be merry and may you have lots to eat and lots of family gathered round with plenty of love.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my followers, and writer friends who celebrate today

I hope that your day is lovely, filled with love, plenty of food and family.

Lest We Forget and a Debt Unpaid

Lest We Forget

I remember reading history

Like stories in a book

Of men who went to war

Soldiers giving their young lives

To save us from the multi-hordes

Who sought to overcome us

And take our way of life

They were words on pages

Until my father spoke

Of sacrifices his brother made

To save us from the enemies harm

The lonely boy, his mother busy

Working hard for the war effort

Long hours his mother toiled

Positioning airplane rivets

In the planes design

The time and skill his sister gave

Nursing soldiers in the field

I saw the pain they suffered

Their faces lines revealed

The pride of their duties too

The trials they went through

My father's words brought all alive

As he told me of his brother’s death

His mother’s grief and then her joy

When his brother was resurrected

The pain he felt for others

Who would never come home

It gave me pause to think

And thank the soldiers

Who fought so hard

To save our country

From all the enemies’ harm

Thank you seems not enough

But it’s all I can say

As the sun goes down 

And the taps do play

Thank you soldiers

We remember your sacrifice

Everyday.

A Debt Unpaid

Your eyes bright, shiny and new

You heard the cry, the battle song

The proud, the brave, the few

The trip was quick, the journey long

As the battle raged on, and on

You endured much and became wan

You suffered weather, land, friend, and foe

Still you moved forward, a tough battle to hoe

Your decisions made by faceless men

No compromise did they send

You did your duty and sought to win the war

As all around you the casualties began to soar

Many soldiers paid, a considerable sum

That we might breathe the air of freedom

You laid down your young lives

So we could have no battle and strife

We honour you because you fought

For the peace we sought

Your country owes you greatly

We should honour you most stately

Your sacrifice we can never repay

So we honour you this and everyday

We remember, let the memory never fade
That we owe a debt, never ever repaid.

©Sheilagh Lee November 9, 2012

I won #TuesdayTales week 58

So I get to be a judge this week for week 60. Here is the link to my story Cerise. http://glitterword.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/tuesdaytales-58-cerise/

scroll down to Sheilagh Lee the seventeenth comment below.Under the picture of the child in a dunce cap.

I'd love to read your stories, so please check into Stevie McCoy's blog http://glitterword.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/tuesdaytales-60-forlorn/ next Tuesday October 2nd  for my secret word and contribute your story maybe you too will be a winner.

Three Word Wednesday- Moonlight Becomes Her

Three Word Wednesday- Moonlight Becomes Her

Hinge; noun: A movable joint or mechanism on which a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes, or that connects linked objects; verb: [ with obj. ] attach or join with or as if with a hinge; [ no obj. ] (hinge on) depend entirely on.

Lethal; adjective: Sufficient to cause death; harmful or destructive.

Need; verb: Require (something) because it is essential or very important; noun: Circumstances in which something is necessary, or that require some course of action; necessity; the state of requiring help, or of lacking basic necessities such as food.

Moonlight Becomes Her

   My family didn’t go out during a full moon and a blue moon. My mother would treat it like someone had died covering the windows with black paper and the mirrors with black crepe. She said the moon rays were lethal. I just thought she was a little unhinged. The children in the neighbourhood would laugh and point fingers at my mother, but her need to keep the shafts of light out would make mother continue to turn out the lights and not let the moonlight enter our house. I pleaded, I begged, but every moon I was locked in a darkened room. 

   Time went by and I grew older. I went to school an outcast, bullied, because my house was the creepy one, that once a month covered the windows with black. I had no friends no one wanted to come to the crazy lady’s house.

    Allowed only to go to the library and school, when I was fifteen I rebelled. I ventured to a bowling alley. Mother would have been angry if she knew; but I didn’t care. At the bowling alley I saw a boy about my age.He was red haired. His hair long and curling unto his shoulders, he was tall and muscular.His looks compelled me to smile. The boy answered my smile, with one of his own and came over to me and began speaking to me. I was thrilled. We spent the evening together just talking about anything and everything. 

    Paul became my secret boyfriend. He even seemed to take my mother’s peculiarities in stride, though he could never came to my house. Paul planned a huge birthday party for my sixteenth and I was thrilled that he cared so much. Then I discovered the blue moon fell on my birthday. How could I get out of my room? Mother would lock me in until morning. I couldn’t say I was going to the library. I placed tape across the window lock hoping I could get out that way and offered to cover my window myself with the black paper.

    I heard my mother turned the lock on my bedroom door, I knew the moon would soon start rising. I pulled the black paper away from my window and saw the start of a streak of light beneath a cloud. I crept across the field next door, and the clouds pealed back allowing the moon to rise. It was glorious in its beauty. The moonlight started to bathe me and felt more alive than I had ever felt in that radiance. Painful but yet somehow exhilarating I felt my clothes ripped from my body and I was naked, My limbs started to grow .My black hair then started to grow long, mixing with a grey blue, which covered my body. I knew I had changed into what I wasn’t sure until I saw Paul before me.He too had changed.He had red fur and was an animal like me.

Paul spoke to me softly “This was your first time. It does get easier but you have done well.”

“What are we?” I asked simply because I needed it voiced.

“We are werewolves. We are of the clan Macdonald. I recognized you as one of us. Your mother’s insistence on keeping the moonlight out kept you from turning. ”

“This is what mother prevented. Poor mother.”

“Your mother is not a werewolf, she doesn’t understand. Though she may have done you a good turn. Legend says that a werewolf born on the blue moon, is stronger and will be a mate to a great leader and help him lead.”

“You think I’m this werewolf?”

“Yes I do.” Paul answered. “Come now it is time for you to learn the ways of a werewolf.”

     We ran over fields and through the nearby forest we hunted deer and took them down filling our need to feed. The sun would soon be up and Paul took me back to my house. I turned back into my human self and slipped through my bedroom window. Fixing the black paper on my window, I hinged the window and threw on a nightgown, falling asleep in my bed.

I awoke to shaking.

“You stupid girl, Cara. You went out didn't you? I tried so hard to protect you from your father’s curse. Take your things and go and don’t come back. You aren’t welcome here anymore werewolf. Find your father’s family and go there. This is the last place I saw them in.” my mother said holding out a piece of paper.

     I went to Paul instead. He took me to my paternal grandfather. I live with him now and he teaches me about the life of a werewolf. Grandfather said he had been searching for me for years. He told me that at birth I was betrothed to Paul. I didn't know how I felt about that but I knew continued to date Paul. I loved him.

     It is my eighteenth birthday today. Today I choose to marry Paul. He will be my mate. I am a werewolf and Paul who is the packmaster’s son will be my husband. We have been picked to help our people. Paul will lead and together we will protect the other innocent werewolves of our pack. The werewolf children are vulnerable and we will protect them; not but putting black paper over their windows but by letting them be themselves. We will protect them from themselves and those who would harm them.

©Sheilagh Lee September 12, 2012

Three Word Wednesday-Memories of the Western Fair

Banter; noun: The playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks; verb: Talk or exchange remarks in a good-humored teasing way.

Duty; noun: A moral or legal obligation; a responsibility; (often duties) a task or action that someone is required to perform; a payment due and enforced by law or custom, in particular.

Element; noun: A part or aspect of something abstract, esp. one that is essential or characteristic; (also chemical element )each of more than one hundred substances that cannot be chemically interconverted or broken down into simpler substances and are primary constituents of matter. Each element is distinguished by its atomic number, i.e., the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms; • any of the four substances (earth, water, air, and fire) regarded as the fundamental constituents of the world in ancient and medieval philosophy; • one of these substances considered as a person's or animal's natural environment.

                                              This is me at age twelve flagging cars into our yard

                                 Memories of the Western Fair

       Do you remember that feeling, when you are a child and you hear that you are going to the fair? I do every year, when they announce the fair is opening in my hometown; I get as gleeful as a child remembering all the fun, I’ve had over the years.

      When I was young we lived near the fair and even flagged cars into our yard when the fairgrounds parking overflowed. Cars would park on the front lawn and the backyard for a dollar. Anywhere we could fit a car one was parked. After the money was collected by filling every spot, and we fulfilled our duties, my mother and father would give us enough to go to the fair and enjoy all the rides games and entertainment every day. It was often very little, or free for children to enter the fair.

    We take our ready cash and enjoy grandstand shows, and rides. We would savour the candy apples, their sweet chewy candy layer, melting in our mouths and then we’d reach the apple and enjoy the tart flavour of that too. Or appetite not yet satiated, we move on to the other delights. There were pogo dogs (hotdogs coated in cornmeal and flour and deep fried). Then there were the elephant ears, (also deep fried) pieces of pastry dough coated in cinnamon and sugar. There was the caramel corn, hot and fresh. Melt in your mouth corn syrupy goodness, on lovely popped corn. Then the candy floss, fluffy spun sugar, which dissolved in your mouth almost as fast as you put it in, and left you wanting a drink probably some orange drink you could only find at the fair to wash it down. 

   We’d then go on rides as children do and not throw up, purely out of sheer willpower. We ride the Holiday bounce and the Himalaya and comment on how similar we felt they were. We ride the Ferris Wheel and even though we were afraid of heights, it wouldn’t bother us. We’d look straight across and see the city of London, spread out in front of us and banter about how beautiful it was and what structures we saw. Sometimes we'd use our tickets to play the Birthday game and put down a ticket and invariably win a stuffed animal. We were very lucky at this game. We were in our element gamblers who were winning. Then we would walk towards the buildings. 

     We look in wonder, with great interest at the tables and displays set up to sell products in the buildings. People would ask us to enter draws to win things but we'd ignore them and pass on to see the London free press booth and the other booths that interested us. This building after all was where we could receive free stuff from people selling their wares. We’d walk up and down the aisles getting stickers and plastic bags with balloons, pens, magnets, erasers, colouring pages we’d pretend we weren’t too old for and rulers. To a child we believed we’d hit the jackpot. Free stuff we could enjoy not boring adult giveaways. 

    Tired but before we head for the Grandstand to watch free shows of big name acts like Chuck Berry or Bill Cosby, we would get some Maple leaf fudge.This was usually chocolate with nuts as it was my mom’s favourite and we’d take that home to share. Last but not least we visit the barns and see all the animals that reminded us of the farm we once had. We see the chickens, the cows, the pigs and the horses.

      Then as the time for the grandstand show neared we’d take our seats and see some of the best music acts or circuses that came to the Western fair. As the Grandstand act ended we head home, happy and ready for tomorrow's parking after school. Those were fun days.A little work and a lot of fun.

      Today parking is free (they built more parking) and the grandstands cost money; how things change. Western Fair, oh such memories. What are your memories of fairs when you were young?

P.S.  City council has issued and edict that anyone parking on a front lawn will receive a $55 dollar ticket this year.Not sure if they mean just the car driver or both the car driver and the homeowner. Apparently there is never enough parking?


©Sheilagh Lee September 5, 2012
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New projects on the go

Jason MacIntyre over at The Farthest Reaches is a friend, author and reader who tagged me in a challenge to share a bit about what I'm working on. Thank You Jason, it's a great opportunity to share insight about my current work and what will be out later this year. So the rules are simple. I have to:

First, answer 10 questions about my current work-in-progress.

Second, tag five other writers and link their blogs so we can all hop over and read their answers.

Here are the questions:

What is the working title of your book er books?

I’m in the process of finishing editing a Murder Mystery -A Penny Saved A Murder Earned 

while also writing  and editing “A Tiger’s heart Wrapped In A Player’s Hide’ the sequel to my paranormal novel  Love’s Labours Won.

Where did the idea come from for the book er books?

 For my murder mystery ‘A Penny Saved A Murder Earned ‘- I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan and I love murder mysteries. I wanted to write about a family who stick together even under the adversity of a serial killer.

For my paranormal-“A Tiger’s heart Wrapped In A Player’s Hide’- I just love to imagine the things you could do if you had special abilities that others didn’t.

What genre does your book fall under?

Crime/Murder Mystery

and Paranormal

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

this is who I envision For-“A Penny Saved A Murder Earned “-

                   
Lily Kelly-Brooksfield-
Stephanie Gatchet    
                                                         Rose-Brooksfield-Maddie Hasson        






  Amelia Kelly-Chrishell Stause                                                                     

Carol- Banks- Paulina Gerzon

Detective Emmett -Rogers-Geoff Stults

                                                   

Grandma Katha- Marj Dusay

uncast yet -Lily’s husband and others

“A Tiger’s Heart Wrapped in a Player’s Hide” I envision 

Demetrious Blackstone -Forbes March

Darius Blackstone-Trent Garrett

Sarah Maidenstone-Mariah Buzolin

Aunt Iva--Michael Learned

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book/s?

“A Tiger’s heart Wrapped in a Player’s Hide’- Demetrious is fighting an unknown powerful force who seeks to take down the Blackstones; while Sarah is kidnapped and discovers yet another relative she wasn’t aware of.

“A Penny Saved A Murder Earned “-Serial killer targets family whose members dwindle; will they found out who or succumb to the killer?

Will your books be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About three months of eight hour days or longer for “A Penny Saved a Murder Earned”

“A Tiger’s heart Wrapped in a Player’s Hide’ is not yet completed. The ideas are taking a little longer with this book.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Joan Kilbourn murder mysteries by Gail Bowen, for “A Penny Saved a Murder Earned”

House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast for “A Tiger’s heart Wrapped in a Player’s Hide’

Who or What inspired you to write this book er books?

My sixth grade teacher Mr. Smith who told me that I could tell a story people wanted to hear and I felt the need to write these stories.

What else about your book er books might pique the reader’s interest?

“A Penny Saved a Murder Earned” is about families and how adversity can make them have even stronger bonds.

“A Tiger’s heart Wrapped in a Player’s Hide’ is also about family and how bonds can be made even without sharing the same blood.

I challenge

1.)Rob Pruneda http://sharkbaitwrites.com

2.)Jodi Langston http://jodilangston.blogspot.ca/

3.) Nicole Wolverton  http://nicolewolverton.com/

4.)Wakefield Mahon http://www.wakefieldmahon.com

5.) Cara Michaels http://caramichaels.com/

to tell us about there WIPS and/ or books answering the questions above.

The Versatile Blogger Award

As a recipient of this highly exalted award, I am required to fulfill certain duties:

1. Nominate 15 bellow bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award.
2. Display the Versatile Blogger Award (see picture above) with pride.
3. Thank the blogger who nominated you in the post with a link back to their blog.
4. Share 7 completely random (and hopefully true) pieces of information about yourself.
5. Include this set of rules.
6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs, tweeting them, or sending smoke signals. Whatever floats your pirate boat.

My list of nominees can be found at the bottom of this post.

Thank you so much Rob (Sharky) Pruneda  http://sharkbaitwrites.com

1.) I love books and reading.I grew up on tales of history, folktales and family lore, so I have lots of stories to tell. I also love to listen and read others stories as evident here on this blog.

2.) I  love music it's as dear to me as books. I won singing awards in my youth before surgery in my thirties altered my abilities.

3.) I am loyal to a fault but if you disappoint me and cross me you lose my trust usually forever.

4.) I love Elephants and collect Elephant figurines. My daughters have given me Elephant beanie babies.

5.)My one daughter is a librarian, my other a news broadcaster/reporter. Both have artistic abilities.

6.)My husband is my best friend,We've been married since our youth for 33 years.

7.)I am technologically challenged.It takes me more then once or even thrice to learn new devices and programs.LOL

The fifteen bloggers I nominate are 

1.) Susan Helene Gottfried (West of Mars) http://westofmars.com
She gives  writers so much information and tips that help us with our novels and is really supportive.

2.) Amberr Meadows   http://www.amberrisme.com/
I love her travel blog it's like going to all those places.

3.) Kimberly Kincade http://kimberlykinrade.com/

4.)Steve Umstead (Paginations) http://steveumstead.com/

5.) Mary  http://maryinhb.blogspot.c

6.) Shelley Munro http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog

7.)  Patricia de Hemricourt   http://www.epublishabook.com/2012/07/24/book-review-hexed-by-kevin-hearne/#

8.)  Lynette Labelle   http://lynnettelabelle.com/blog

9.) Rob Pruneda- I know he gave me this award but his blog is a great read why haven't you checked it out yet go there now  http://sharkbaitwrites.com

10.) Michael Rivers http://michealrivers.com/

11.) Alice Audrey http://www.aliceaudrey.com

12.) Jae Rose some of the most beautiful thought provoking touching poetry I have ever read http://jaerose-jaerose.blogspot.ca/

13.) Siobhan Muir http://siobhanmuir.blogspot.ca

14.) Berowne http://www.savagereflections.blogspot.ca/

15.) Altonian  for wonderful stories that keep you wanting to come back for more.   http://scandicsequences.blogspot.ca/ 

The book cover of 'A Penny Saved A Murder Earned'

This is the long awaited cover of my new book 'A Penny Saved A Murder Earned' being epubbed either the end of this month or early September.

A Penny Saved A Murder Earned is the story of Lily, Kelly and her family. Lily Katha, Amelia, as well as Lily’s adopted daughter Rose Brooksfield feel like they are under a curse; but appears to be the work of a serial killer that people around them having been falling like dominoes. Amelia’s parents and siblings, Amelia’s husband and son, and Lily’s first husband all have been targeted by a killer. Now as Amelia’s store clerk, a homeless man, Lily’s present husband the Mayor, and Lily’s mother-in law are targeted. Lily and her cousin Amelia are suspected by the investigating officer Emmett Rogers. Lily and her family must fight the impulse to blame the curse and get to the bottom of who is causing all their woes before the killer targets them.

Update to Sad seal story

The surviving seal is not Peanut who was 18 years old but Peanut's daughter, 12-year-old Nunavut. Nunavut now resides in the St. Louis Zoo and is thriving.

Happy Independence Day

to all my American Readers on Wednesday JULY 4th

                    Happy Independence Day

                      Have fun and enjoy your celebration.

Happy Canada Day

I know it's not Canada Day until tomorrow but with it being on a Sunday that means we can party all weekend right? I hope you all have a great weekend and to all my Canadian Blog followers 
                                           
                Happy 145 Canada !

Update to the Slippery the Seal Story

fromCTV Youtube clip

Obviously as I said in the last story the seal wasn't Slippery (he's long gone) but others we had were off to St. Louis. Atlantis,Cri Cri, Nunavut and Peanut are the names of the seals .Sad news apparently the seals were traumatized by the move to St.Louis in the air conditioned truck and two of the four seals have died .One other is ailing and being treated in Indianapolis. Mayor of London Ontario Joe Fontana has said twelve year old Nunavat, and eleven year old Atlantis have died. Cri Cri who is nineteen is ill.CriCri is being treated for severe exertional or capture myopathy,it us a (disease of the muscle) a non infectious disease of muscles characterized as damage to muscle tissues brought on by physiological changes, usually following extreme exertion, struggle and or/ stress. Peanut seems to have weathered the fourteen hour trip with no ill effects.


Update Cri Cri passed away this morning June 13
Rip Cri Cri, Atlantis and Nunavat.

(Credit to Kaitlin Lee-CJBK reporter for  tweet of story and update information.)

People who inspire others to be even better

    When I was in grade nine I went to a high school where I knew no one. I remember coming in the doors and not even knowing where to find my classes. I was shy and probably seemed standoffish because of it. Let’s face I was not a cookie cutter person either. I was quirky and didn’t quite fit in. It was on the second day of school, I met Rose.

       Did you ever have one of those friends, that when they came in the room it was better for it? That was Rose. She was one of those people, that other people were drawn to like bees to honey. She was kind and inclusive of all. She showed me where things were in the school and became my friend as well as introduced me to her sidekick Lucy(who also became my friend). School was better with Rose in it.

       We were both in music and choir and she had the most beautiful operatic voice you’d ever hear. The teacher thought with lessons she could certainly be an opera singer, but Rose had other plans to what she wanted to do.  Rose wanted to continue helping people.  When I ate lunch it was with Rose and her friends who became mine. She made my high school experience and my life better just by being in it.

       At the end of grade nine, she was the one to encourage me to ask out the boy I liked, to the Sadie Hawkins dance (where the girls ask the boys) even though she also liked him. She knew that we liked each other, that is how giving she was. The night was fun despite the fact that my date broke his leg six weeks before and had just gotten his cast off (but that’s another story).We lost  touch when he moved away. A year ago he got in touch through Rose, and we remain friends.

     Rose was fun and told many a joke. She made everyone smile. Faces would light up when they saw her.

All through high school she was one of my closest friends. So much so that when I married after school, she came to my wedding and then was there for the birth of my first child. Life got busy and I lost touch with her though I heard she married and moved out of province and then suddenly she was on Facebook. It was like there was no gap in time we talked regularly; although sometimes two weeks would go by or even a month we’d talk about our lives our children. She loved her husband and felt like I do about mine, that he was her soul mate and best friend. She was so proud of her son and daughter. We talked Wedding details leading up to her daughter’s wedding, as I had just gone through a wedding for my daughter. Distance didn’t matter. She lived on the opposite side of the country and I really didn’t have the funds to visit though I wanted to. We just continued to talk on Facebook chat and in messages, sending each other pictures and often reading their messages I heard her voice from school in my head.

A week and half ago she posted her last message to me on my birthday.

“Happy birthday sweetie-pie! You're the best! Good health, happiness and God's blessings for you on your special day”

        I will treasure those last words forever, as two days later she died, though I didn't know until yesterday. They say that people live on forever in words and deeds, and if that is true, then I know my dearest friend will live forever in our hearts. for she was all things, a wonderful loving wife, and mother to two wonderful individuals, a mother -in-law and the dearest most  loyal friend a person could ever have.Anyone who ever met her would consider her their friend.

        My dear friend Rose you will be missed, my heart breaks and tears flow from my eyes, selfishly knowing I will not see your lovely face for awhile;I know someday I'll see you again.Until then dear friend  I love you and I will always speak of you.

RIP Rose July 29, 1959-May30,2012

(Rose at graduation)

For Rose because she was our Angel.