“I have a confession to make,” Peg said.
Ears perked up; chatter ceased.
“I have ‘t read a cozy since our last meeting,” Peg confided.
As it turned out, she discovered a captivating genre, on an audio book on CD in our city library. What arrested Peg’s attention? Saturn Run by John Sanford. It is far from a cozy; it is science fiction. The thing that really shone in this book was characterization. The characters were well-developed; the author spent a lot of thought and time on each one.
Peg enjoys audio books because she likes to listen while she drives and also while she is at home. She has not deserted cozies; she still likes them; but, each once in a while, we need a change of diet. What does she particularly like about cozies?
“I like mysteries with cats,” Peg said. “I like books that have to do with sewing or needlepoint; I like books that center around libraries.”
“Oh, Peg,” I interrupted. “In the book I’m planning, the librarian is a murder victim. Sorry.”
Jane read a nostalgic story about her childhood. Her true tale was “Roller Skate Adventures at My Grandma’s House.” Her grandmother lived in Mena, Arkansas and had a sidewalk in front of her house which beckoned to a little girl and her skates. Jane’s description of putting the skates on her shoes and tightening them with a key brought memories to all of us.
Jane’s skating journey took her past a large, dark building. To her, it seemed mysterious and intriguing. The big double doors were always open. An enormous fire burned inside. Mr. Peters, the blacksmith, wore a leather apron. His face glowed with residue and sweat from bending over the hot anvil. Although the man and his shop are no longer in Mena, their memory will be with Jane forever.
The wise sayings of her grandmother have stayed with Jane all these years. “Don’t ever say you don’t care,” her grandmother told her. And, when Jane was afraid her blouse or dress did not look quite right, her grandmother would assure her, “It would never be noticed on a galloping horse.”
Helen brought another writing triumph to share with us, “Changes in the Weather”, picked up by Vision magazine. This was about a harrowing trip she and her husband took into Yellowstone. They encountered snow, slick roads, and heart-stopping switchbacks. Helen compared the drive to the Christian’s walk through life. God takes care of us, no matter what dangers threaten us. He is our trustworthy Guide and Companion.
Sometimes Helen branches out into poetry and she did so yesterday. She read four poems, “Walking Safely”, “Going Fishing”, “God’s Love” and “Forgiveness”. We discussed forgiveness and how important it is to our spiritual as well as physical health.
Surprisingly, the Critters could not remember my book trailer for Grave Shift. So, Jane looked it up on YouTube.com and everyone was suitably impressed. I’ll include it here, in case you have forgotten too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj5RvBQSaNc And, if you, like Peg, like to listen to books, Grave Shift is now in audio.
Speaking of writers, I hope you read the comment by Josephine Montgomery on yesterday’s post. It was a vivid description. Josephine is an author too and you can find Fitzgerald Hall and A Summer of Deceit on Amazon.
So ended another critique with each of us Critters looking forward to next time.
Speak Your Mind