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L. C.'s Ramblings
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3-22-07 issue
#1
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On
Wrinting WHY
CASEY HAD TO DIE Woo-ee. My first hard
cover. So how does that make me
feel? Thruthfully? I’m as nervous as an alien watching Men in Black. My inquiring mind wonders if there will be
enough people who are willing to pay the price of a hard cover. Those of you who already purchased Why Casey Had to Die or plan to
purchase it, God bless you. But regardless of sales, writing the book proved to be a blast. First of all, I combined something old (a
cold case) with something new (geocaching.) “What in the world is geocaching?”
you ask. Prior to 2000, the United States Department of Defense developed a
satellite navigation system known as Global Positioning System (GPS.) Intended for military use, the government
scrambled the signals, thus limiting the civilian’s accuracy use. On May 1, 2000, President Clinton announced
that the scrambling would be turned off. Two days later, David Ulmer celebrated by filling a bucket with
trinkets and a log book for people to sign.
His other instruction read, take something out, put
something else in. Ulmer hid the bucket in the Sounds like a fun and easy
activity, right? I thought so,
too. I mean, you’ve got the
coordinates for the exact location, how complicated could it get? Armed with the thrill of the quest, some friends of ours, my husband,
and I set out to find our first geocache. We arrived at the designated place and
began to seek the treasure. An hour later, we continued with our search. “It’s got to be here. The coordinates say so.” I pointed to the surrounding desert
area. Everyone agreed and we continued
with our grueling quest. Forty-five minutes later—still treasureless—we
decided to quench our thirst and rest in the little shade the hot, The father nodded. My heart went out to the kids.
They were going to be disappointed, but being the wise person that I
am, I decided to keep quiet. Less than ten minutes later, we saw them again, this time heading
toward us. The boys wore smiles
visible miles away. “They each
took a dollar out of the geocache,” the
father explained. I swallowed my pride.
“So you found the geocache?” “No, I didn’t want to interfere with their fun. They found it.” Bummer. That summarizes our first geocaching
experience. We eventually did find
that geocache—two hours later—and have
gone to unearth at least one-hundred more.
We’ve done virtual as well as physical geocaches. We’ve found them in far away places
ranging from Tahiti to That’s the beauty of this outdoor activity. Geocaches are
found everywhere in the world, whether they’re hidden in small towns or
large cities, out in the desert or in the forest, or by the sea. They’re placed in mountains, plains,
fields, and yards. Geocaches
come in all levels of difficulty. Some
require strenuous climbing. Others can
be found without ever stepping outside the car. Some geocaches
are covered with rocks. Others are
hidden in trees, placed under bridges, or otherwise cleverly disguised. I took all of these ideas into consideration when I realized my
character, retired detective Harry Bronson, would go geocaching. Since I’m not writing How to Have Fun with Your Family but a
mystery novel instead, the geocache had to have a
greater significance. Consequently,
Carol, Bronson’s wife, is kidnapped. The kidnappers send Bronson searching for five geocaches. Each will reveal a hint that when put
together in the proper order would lead to Carol. However, Bronson has a time limit. If he doesn’t find her within five
hours, she will be killed. As I geocache throughout the No way am I allowing my character to have an easier time than
me. Nor should he have more fun. I remember a time while geocaching
in the I left that scene
out. |
In this issue: On Writing Why Casey Had to Die Signing schedule Murder Must Air Schedule This issue’s Special Offer LATEST NEWS So how do I feel about this honor? I’m assuming that I’m still asleep and one of these days I’ll wake up and find out it was all a dream. This much I can tell you. I’m going against the giants of the field. Competition is fierce. If you want to root for me, please cross your fingers.Heck! I need a lot more than that. I need for you to cross your toes, nose, ears, & legs too! Saying a small prayer certainly can’t hurt! Awards will be presented after the banquet. Yeah, sure, I’ll be eating!
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HOW TO STOP RECEIVING L.C.’S RUMBLINGS If for any reason you
want to stop receiving this newsletter, all you need to do is contact me at lchauthor@yahoo.com
and put on the subject line, CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION. I will cry a river, refuse to eat for a
month, and go sleepless, but I’ll still like you! If, on the other hand, you know someone who would like to
start receiving this, let me know and I’ll add them to my list. |
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Mystery Writers of
America has asked me to host their talk show.
It’s a monthly show that airs live. To listen, all you need is a phone. Check out my website for details. April 10: 8 PM Central:
Topic: Edgars and Agathas. Special guests: Cornelia Read (Best First
Novel, Edgar,) Paul Levine (Best Paperback Original, Edgar,) Julia Spencer-Fleming
(Best Novel, Agatha,) Hailey Lind (Best First
Novel, Agatha,) and Sandra Parshall
(Best First Novel, Agatha.) May 8: 8 PM Central:
interview with John Helfers, acquisitions editor
for Five Star Mysteries June 5: 8 PM Central:
Topic: Succeeding at the Bookstores.
Special guests: Kris and Joe Neri, from The
Well Read Coyote (Sedona) and Ray Hengst, from Remember
the Alibi ( |
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SIGNING, SPEAKING SCHEDULE April 7, April 7, April 9, April 10, Mobile: Murder Must Air, live show, 8 PM Central April 12, April 19-21, April 28, May 4-6: May 12: May 8: Murder Must Air, 8 PM Central time |
THIS
NEWSLETTER’S SPECIAL OFFER |
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HAVE
A SUPER DUPER DAY! |
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