From Inside My Book Fort - David Magayna

I am tickled pink to have my good friend David Magayna here visiting the book fort today.


Annabelle wants to know, "Where's Marcie?!"





David has been hanging around the mystery community for a while now. He wrote “The Sounds of Mystery” audio book review column for Mystery News and for several years reviewed for Deadly Pleasures.

David served on the Bouchercon Board for over six years, spending two terms as Chair. He’s been around so long his hair has turned grey while we weren’t paying attention. He continues to volunteer for Bouchercon.

David has hosted authors at library events, has lead a mystery discussion group, and enjoys being an advocate for the mystery genre and its purveyors of thrilling crime fiction.

He’s recently joined the board of the Annapolis Shakespeare Company. In today’s entry, David combines his love for crime fiction and theater (especially Shakespeare). He hopes you enjoy The Macbeth Murder Mystery by James Thurber.

Bouchercon 2016 - New Orleans

Wisteria by Peter Makuck

When the trees reach a gauzy green
before peak leafage, it begins to appear

dangling down like a nest for some
fantastic bird, ten to thirty feet above

ground, color ranging from purple
to a light lavender, unseen for a year.

And if the color doesn't pinch attention,
its fragrance will, filling your car

on that first warm day when you drive
with windows down on a country road.

Some cluster like bunches of grapes,
or hang like light-blue lanterns left

by someone who knows we need them,
or swaying censers, their sweet balm

filtering inward, making everything new.

   --Peter Makuck, 

       Mandatory Evacuation: Poems

From Inside My Book Fort - - - "Still Life" by Louise Penny

It's another snowy day here in Meat Camp.  

Perfect for spending some time inside my book fort reading.

Today Annabelle and I will be reading from Louise Penny's first novel, "Still Life."

Enjoy!

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The residents of a tiny Canadian village called Three Pines are shocked when the body of Miss Jane Neal is found in the woods. Miss Neal, the village's retired schoolteacher and a talented amateur artist, has been a good friend to most of the townsfolk, so her loss is keenly felt. At first, her death appears to be a tragic accident--it's deer-hunting season, and it looks a stray hunter's arrow killed her. But some folks are suspicious, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Montreal Surete is called in to investigate. Accompanying Gamache are his loyal assistant Beauvoir and Yvette Nichol, a new addition to Gamache's team. The trio soon finds that the seemingly peaceful, friendly village hides dark secrets. The truth is both bizarre and shocking, even to the jaded Gamache and his team. This is a real gem of a book that slowly draws the reader into a beautifully told, lyrically written story of love, life, friendship, and tragedy.

2009

National Puppy Day

Missing sweet, sweet Harley on this day, and every day.

Annabelle - just 'cause

From Inside My Book Fort - - - Lesa Holstine

I am so pleased to have one of my very favorite people here visiting me in my book fort today.

And Annabelle is very happy to see her Auntie Lesa!

Is there anyone in the book world who does not know my friend, Lesa Holstine?

She's well-known, loved and respected in the mystery community, but also in wider literary circles.

Lesa can be found on Twitter every Thursday from 12-1 PM ET, participating in #AskaLibrarian, as librarians suggest books for eager readers. 

She's the author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interest (7th ed).

She is the long time Mistress of Lesa's Book Critiques. 

She's also the blogger for The Poisoned Pen bookstore, www.poisonedpen.com. 

In her "spare" time, Lesa reads and reviews mysteries for Library Journal's monthly "Mystery & Suspense" column.

AND, the woman loves to travel.

(She's a delightful roomie.  We've shared rooms at the Bouchercon hotels in Raleigh and New Orleans, and in an apartment in Paris - who knows where next?!).

Now - ta da . . .

Here's Lesa (and Jinx) reading one of her favorite passages -  Enjoy!

Annabelle rocking 'n rollin' in the snow

While I've pretty much stayed inside while watching the snow today, Donald and Annabelle have romped and played outside.

Looks to me like Annabelle enjoys the snow a wee bit.

Harley would be so proud.
  

Robert S. Levinson, R.I.P.

The mystery community says goodbye to yet another.

Robert S. Levinson was one of a kind.  An integral and unforgettable member of the mystery community.

He was kind and funny and knew everyone, including more than a few Hollywood greats.

He was, in addition to being an author, a newspaperman, a publicist, PR man, producer.

For an amazing list of Bob's clients just look here - http://www.robertslevinson.com/bio_2016_03.htm

He will be missed by many.

I didn't know Bob well, but I always loved his stories and was honored to able to get him to post at Meanderings and Muses.  Here 'tis - Enjoy.

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2011/07/lights-camera-levinson-by-robert-s.html

Random snow pics around our place in Meat Camp, NC - 3/12/2018