Cozy Mystery Monday - Witch Way to Murder

Welcome to the first installment of "Cozy Mystery Monday." As I mentioned in my previous post, I love a good mystery and like them even better when not bogged down in detailed accounts of sex or violence. That tends to get in the way of the whodunit. My intention here is to introduce my readers to as many of the witchy/paranormal/magickal cozies as I can find. I'll discuss each book in a series separately as the writers worked hard on each and deserve proper recognition for every story they share.

I've decided to start with Witch Way to Murder, the first book my all-time favorite witchy series, the Ophelia and Abby Mysteries. It is a seven-novel series about Ophelia Jensen, a small Iowa town librarian and reluctant clairvoyant, and her grandmother Abby McDonald, a wise woman with powers passed down through many generations. They use their gifts to solve crimes and protect those they care about. In this first story, Ophelia is still emotionally crippled by a tragedy from four years past, shutting out everyone for fear of hurting someone or getting hurt herself. That all changed when Rick Davis strolls into town claiming to be a chemical salesman, asking tons of questions about several recent petty crimes, including theft of anhydrous ammonia. Shortly thereafter, Ophelia stumbles onto a dead body and the investigating begins. I don't want to go into too much detail because every part of this story was a joy to discover without having it spoiled. What made this stand out for me over other series was the protagonist's struggle with her abilities and her trust issues. She never once shows disrespect for her grandmother's magick. She only fears letting herself embrace what she can do after she feels her gifts failed her (as she believed it did in the tragedy four years earlier). The story never felt forced and all of the secondary characters were believable and (mostly) likeable. It's also nice when law enforcement is not portrayed as bumbling idiots, forcing the protagonists into action.The answer to whodunit was well-plotted and not immediately obvious, at least not to me. Most importantly, the magick was handled very well. No silliness, no gimmick, no wand waving and shooting out a spell. Just respect. I appreciate when an author can pull that off.

Favorite quote: When asked if she is not Wiccan then what is it, Abby responds, "It's hard to explain. Some might call it sympathetic or white magick, but I think that's too simplistic. It's a seeing in your mind, looking beyond the physical. It's an understanding of nature and the world around you. Every thing, every place, has energy, a power--some more than others. I'm just a conduit for that power, to pull it inside me and send it back out. The power isn't me. It's there with or without me."

Five smoking guns for a great plot and five wands for the respectful magick. Oh, and a bonus for Ophelia's cat Queenie and her dog Lady and not making romance a huge factor in the story. (the ratings system will have handy icons soon)

Cozy Mysteries of the Magickal Variety

I’ve always been an avid reader and mysteries were my first love. I started like most kids, with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Then I found the best (IMO) mystery series for young adults of the time, the Three Investigators Series. The three boys from working class families were easier to relate to than Nancy’s upper class lifestyle. They were smart, resourceful, and expected to be home for dinner. They were my kind of protagonists. Over time, my reading tastes expanded to include science fiction, fantasy, and the occasional literary title. Then a co-worker introduced me to the Cat Who Series by Lilian Jackson Braun and my obsession with cozy mysteries was born. They have a slow-paced, charming quality I need after hours of retail work.

For those who aren’t aware of them, cozy mysteries “are a subgenre of crime fiction in which sex and violence are downplayed or treated humorously, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.” --definition courtesy of Wikipedia. The main character is usually not in law enforcement and the murder doesn’t happen on-stage. The most popular series have a theme of some sort, such as Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mysteries, Monica Ferris’ Needlecraft Mysteries, and the aforementioned Cat Who Mysteries. Name a hobby and there is probably a cozy series to go with it. There are also lots of them with magickal or paranormal themes. These are my preference right now. Well, that and cats. I'm a sucker for cats. One fairly new series (6 books since 2011) combines the two with a pair of magickal cats. One can walk through walls and the other becomes invisible in the quest to find out whodunit. Naturally, those are high on my list of favorites. Next week, I start a regular series of posts talking about magickal/paranormal cozies, one book at a time. So join me on the 19th for Cozy Mystery Mondays where I'll introduce you to "Witch Way to Murder," the first book in the Ophelia and Abby Mystery series.

Do or do not. There is no try.

Gotta love that quote. For a fuzzy green muppet, Yoda was a pretty smart guy. :)

Every new year I make resolutions; blogging more, getting the online business in order, getting past roadblocks in my genealogy, writing my cozy mysteries. And every year I fail do any of it. Bragging about all of my big plans seems to just make me feel like a loser when I can't follow through. My results from NaNoWriMo 2014 are a prime example. I committed to 50k words knowing that much writing is beyond my capabilities for now. It'll take more experience as a writer to be that prolific that quickly. I don't intend to quit trying. The blog still needs posts. The stories must be written. Ancestors are waiting to be found. I simply won't make public proclamations about my intentions. Better to do what needs doing than talk it to death. I look forward to reporting my many successes instead.

The first thing I've done is merge my two blogs back into one. Trying to separate business and personal only made it twice as hard to accomplish either. And it made me feel like I was trying to be two different people. My spirituality informs everything in my life, so I don't really need to keep things separate. I only need to be myself and accept that not everyone will agree with my opinions. Second, I managed to survive another holiday season in retail with my sanity intact. The key was to stop letting the day job be so important to my self-worth, to stop letting it occupy so much of my life away from work. I don't plan to be at that job forever, only until I create something better for myself. In the meantime it pays the bills and gives me access to lots of books. My roomie recently helped me realize a way I already express my spirituality without even knowing. I have ancestor magick. Not in the aspect of literally speaking with the dead but through my genealogy. I've been working on improving my affinity for finding lost family hidden in historical records and honoring them properly. Goddess helps me in unexpected ways, such as the aforementioned access to books. Just last week we got in this book I can't wait to read. "Discovering more about our forebears and identifying inherited traits can help us realise our potential and assist us in overcoming obstacles that may be holding us back. As we learn about our ancestors, we can reclaim who we are, discover our creativity, and find our true soul path." This sounds absolutely fascinating and right up my alley. It was my need to connect with someone like myself (and a huge album of old family photos with names and dates) that started the search for my roots. It would be even better to connect on a spiritual level, to feel a connection beyond names, dates, and locations. Why do I feel an immediate connection to my maternal great-grandmother? Do we have more in common than basic genetics? Why don't I sense any real connection to my paternal line?

Okay, enough for tonight. I'll be back when I have progress to report. Or something important I need to share or vent. You never know what the day holds.

Where Has My Country Gone?

I wonder sometimes if it even existed. Is our ideal of what America is supposed to be some sort of hoax? Growing up, did I only see what I wanted, what white America wanted me to see? History can be toned-down or blatantly altered for someone's agenda. Cops are killing children and getting away with it. That doesn't jibe with what this country is supposed to be about. The decision in Ferguson was infuriating and still so hard to accept. The events in Cleveland are shaping up to be just as asinine. How do two grown-ass men kill a twelve year old child, a baby, and still sleep at night? How do thousands of Americans get online and demonize that same child, call him a "thug" or an "animal," and blame him for his own death? He was a child at a park playing with a toy gun. Let me stress that one more time because I don't think some people are getting it. HE WAS A CHILD!!!

Naturally there are people criticizing the fact that he had the toy and that it was altered to look more real. For as long as I've lived, kids have played with toy guns. And when they play with those toys, what is the most likely game? Cops and robbers, if I recall from my childhood. We all wanted to be Adam-12 or CHiPS. Never did we want to be the robbers. Kids are raised to believe that the police are the good guys, the ones to protect us. So it's only natural that kids will want to emulate their heroes, to be the one to beat the bad guys. Tamir was growing up with heroes like this, honorable men and great role models:

  

We try to teach children these days that they can be whatever they want as long as they work hard and get an education. We show boys like Tamir that it is possible for black men to achieve positions of authority and earn respect. Then when they do what kids do and emulate those same heroes they pay for it with their lives. He was probably at that park with his toy gun in hopes of finding another kid willing to play with him. He wasn't threatening anyone. He wasn't putting anyone's life in danger. He had no clue to expect adults to see him as a true threat. He was a child out to play for the day. Why else go to a park?

The part about this whole situation that is the most disturbing is the lack compassion from the cops after they shot him. They knew the gun was fake (or at least no longer being wielded by a "suspect"). They could tell by then it was not an adult. They were no longer in immediate danger since the 911 call only said one person possibly with a gun that was "probably fake." Instead of rendering some sort of medical aid, they hid behind their squad car and waited almost four minutes for a nearby FBI agent to respond and begin helping the boy. Let me put it to you this way.

Put yourself in Tamir's place. You've just been shot twice in the stomach, an unbearable pain like you've never felt in your life or could imagine possible. You're lying on the ground, probably crying and probably begging someone to help you. He might've called out to the cops. He might've even cried for his mother. He was only a CHILD after all. Imagine the absolute terror it must've been to hope for help and have to bleed out because the only people nearby can't be bothered to try to stop the bleeding or at least offer some kind of comfort. His last few moments of consciousness would've been of pain, fear, and confusion. That situation is unfathomable. More so for a child. My heart breaks for that poor child. I can't begin to understand exactly how horrible his last moments must've been. I wouldn't wish that on a grown man much less a child. No matter who was at fault or who gets or doesn't get blamed, no child should be forced to endure something so heinous, so very cruel. Rest in Peace, Tamir. You were a precious child who died entirely too soon because people fear and hate what they do not understand. And they respond to such hatred and fear with violence.

If imagining for yourself how terrible his last moments were does not elicit an emotional response, try imagining a cop doing that to your child. Imagine your little baby bleeding, hurting, and alone. Maybe that will help others to see Tamir Rice as the child he was and not some suspect to be dealt with using maximum force. Maybe more people can admit that these cops screwed up and should pay the consequences of taking an innocent life.

Slow going

3277 / 50000 words. 7% done!

Circumstances conspired against me today in getting the word count needed. But I won't give up. It just means busting ass to get caught up. It can happen. It will happen. For those who might want to add me as a buddy or just check my progress when I forget to post, here I am on the NaNo site. Off to sleep for a few hours. Then writing commences again.

NaNoWriMo has begun! and Epic Blog Fail

Once again I'm going to attempt to write 50k words in 30 days. I haven't won the challenge yet but I feel good about this year. Instead of trying to write one long story, I'm going to attempt several short stories, hoping to come through the month with a nice anthology. I'll post a word meter regularly so everyone can see how I'm progressing (see below). So far, I have 1711 words going into Day Two. Starting Monday I'm on vacation for a week so I can pad the word count for later in the month when retail hell ramps up for the great consumer holiday known as Christmas. Ugh! Hate working retail at Christmas.

1711 / 50000 words. 3% done!

I haven't been able to stick well to the Pagan Blog Project this year. It's really a failing on my part. I always try to write something that hasn't been done before, which is virtually impossible, so I scramble to find something that fits the letter of the week. When I can't do it, I just don't write. No blog post at all because there are no unique topics to cover. Stupid, huh? So from now on, when I have something to say, I'll say it. If it fits in with the letter of the week, then BONUS! I'm a champion at making excuses for why I don't finish things. But they're beginning to sound pathetic even to my ears. Starting next year, I plan a book review series specifically on witchy or paranormal cozy mysteries. They used to be hard to find but publishers realize we witches spend money too. So why not take advantage of that by letting the witches, psychics, diviners, and ghosts be the protagonists of the story. Some are kinda cheesy but fun. A few of the better ones (written by actual Pagans) are a true delight. Eventually I will introduce my own Pagan cozy mystery series.

Be back very soon with updates on NaNo and to share whatever my heart needs to say.

Job as Obstacle

I've spent so many years working in retail, bookstores primarily, that I've allowed that to define not only what I do but who I am. When I first got a job as a bookseller at a Borders, that was a wonderful thing. I could say, "I am a bookseller," and feel proud, like I was contributing something helpful. I was imparting knowledge, sharing the joy of stories. That is no longer the case.

Between as-yet unfounded fears over e-books killing print and trying to compete in too many alternate markets (mostly online), I'm watching a job I loved implode slowly and painfully. That imploding has had a dramatic effect on my own well-being. I've come to realize I put too much of myself into what I do to earn a paycheck. And worse, I've also used that job as an excuse for not accomplishing more. I am so afraid of leaving my safe yet miserable rut.

Will I be able to find another job in this unstable economy? Can I afford another pay cut starting over at a new company? Am I even capable of doing anything other than retail? My mind is so certain that the answer to all of those is no that it overpowers the heart that slowly shrivels and dies, desperate for a risk on something better. Those negative feelings work their way into the rest of my life, especially my magick. We all know it is hard to build energy for proper work when you feel drained or depressed. And when you can obtain the energy, the thoughts going into that work will affect the outcome, for better or worse.

On the up side, I've started a home study course in genealogy. Working on some ancestor magick will help that along and maybe boost my confidence. On the down side, the course can take months to years depending on how much time I can devote to learning proper research (including trips to out-of-state libraries and archives). I need to leave retail before that is done if I intend to keep my sanity intact. And retail schedules don't generally include weekends off or pay sufficient to travel regularly. So, I'll do what I have to do, what I've always done; tackle one hurdle at a time and hope I can survive to see my big plans come to fruition. Right now, that is surviving the worst part of the year at a used bookstore (the summer selling season) or starting over somewhere, anywhere else.