Meet Dale Thompson (AKA Pat Dale) Guest Author

There were some great comments for C.K. Volnek and it was a pleasure to host her here. The drawing for the free gifts is done. The winner is:


Rosemary Gemmell


She will be getting her choice of either a custom made tee shirt or a free copy of Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island when it is released in September. Congratulations to our lucky winner and thank you all for the comments. Rosemary will be notified so she can decide on her gift. 

Today and all this week I am hosting Dale Thompson aka Pat Dale. He is a very unusual writer and I think you will be as charmed with his answers as I was when I interviewed him. He is also giving away a free book to the lucky winner of the commenter's drawing. So please leave him a comment or question and I know he will be happy to answer it.


Interview with Dale Thompson(AKA Pat Dale)

Thank you for being my guest.


1. First of all, which name do you like to be called, Pat or Dale?
I like to keep folks guessing. Actually, my first name is Louis, but just don’t call me late for dinner.


2. How did a music teacher become a writer? What made you want to be a writer?
Good question. I was a prodigy with my trumpet, and almost made it into a service band. A broken tooth kept me from my audition, and so I became an electronics tech in the Air Force. Later, I majored in music with a minor in English. My English profs tried to convince me to write fiction, but I saw a hot music career beckoning and went that way. Years later, I sat down one day with an idea for a novel. Three months later, I had a 130K monster staring me in the face. I haven’t stopped writing since.


3. Where do you live and does this influence your writing?
I live now in Missouri, but I’ve written novels set in various states where I resided at one time or another. And, yes, my environment plays a big part in how I write my tales. I’ve set stories in Colorado, northern Nebraska, Mississippi, and all over the scenic state of Missouri.


4. You have written in several genres including tween. Which genre is your favorite? Why?
Oh, that’s a tough one. I started writing mainstream but changed to write several romantic comedies. Romantic suspense intrigued me, and that led to my current WIPs, mystery. I have to say, though, that my romance work still creeps into the darkest, grittiest stories I pen.


5. Please take us through a typical writing day for you.
When I’m hard after one of my books, I start early in the day and do not check eMail until I’ve hit a rest spot; sometimes three or four hours later. My normal output is 1,000 to 1,500 words a day, though I’ve written as much as 7K in a good day. When my brain kicks in, I hang on for dear life and hit the keys as fast as I can. When my brain doesn’t kick in, I delete whatever dribbled onto the screen and write it off. (see #8 below)


6. Do you ever use people you know in your stories? If you do, how do you deal with it?
Yes (he he) but please don’t tell them! Seriously, I do use characteristics from many persons who’ve influenced me one way or another. That monster book I referenced above was inspired by a waitress in a café I frequented. Her hair was magnificent, chestnut brown and glossy long wavy locks that were her crowning glory (literally). Her name was Molly, and I named my character that. Normally I keep more separation between reality and fiction in my work.


7. Who has influenced your writing?
William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, among the classic writers played a part in helping me craft a style. Among contemporaries, Robert B. Parker, though I do not try to emulate his inimitable style of prose, and Lisa Jackson, whose mysteries I find fascinating.


8. Are you a “pantser” or a “plotter”?
Oh, boy. Here we go! I’m a definite pantser, and I have a theory on this that some folks will not appreciate. I wanted to be a painter in my youth, but my work resembled ‘paint by numbers’ if you’ve ever done that. That, to me, is what plotters do. I know, I know; there are lots of excellent plotters who have fantastic books to their credit. I still maintain that those books could have become ‘classics’ with a bit of ‘pantsing’. It has become something of a cliché to say that our characters write themselves onto our pages. I’ve had that happen, and had several books completely revolutionized by details I’d never have pre-plotted.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! LOL


9. Please tell us the path to publication for your first book.
Long. Crooked. Treacherous. Rife with danger! Sounds like one of my mysteries, right? The first book I thought I had a publisher for, finally got published seven years later. I had an editor who loved my book. We met at a conference after she’d read it, and she confirmed that a contract was on the way. Unknown to me, at that same conference, she had an interview with a different publisher and took a great offer, leaving me and no telling how many other writers in the lurch. Her new home didn’t publish the kind of book I’d written. Years later, an unknown but promising editor bought it and brought it to publication, along with two other romantic comedies. That wonderful lady now has her own publishing company and I’ve found a great new place to send my work. Oh, her name? Well, it’s a secret but her first initial is Lea!


10. Do you have an agent? Do you think authors need an agent?
I do not have an agent. I’d like to have found one when I really needed her, but the one who picked me up had a bad habit of submitting my work along with another writer, and sending her results on scraps of paper. I swear, that lady was the world’s worst when it came to saving the forests.
Because the world of publishing has gone through such a massive change, I think it is less necessary to have an agent now. Having said that, I would love to have a good publicist. I can write, create fascinating characters and plot points, build believable settings for the most amazing tales, but I can’t promote my own work worth a ____ (fill in the blank).


11. Tell us if you have any other books ready for publication? What are they and when will they be available?
Yes. My middle grade ZACH’S AMAZING DREAM MACHINE is coming out from Muse in September. A crazy novella, OUT OF THE BLUE is due out in November, my family saga THE EVIL WITHIN comes out next January, and the first in a new mystery series, St. Louis Blues Mysteries, TOCCATA makes its debut next April. I have another romantic suspense novel A PERFECT STRANGER, to be released by Awe-struck Publishing late this year as well.


12. Are you working on any WIP’s?
Currently, I’m hard after the second in the St. Louis Blues series, BLOOD LUST, which will reach readers next August. I have another mad-cap romantic comedy, LAST COWBOY IN TEXAS and a wild dog story MUST LOVE LARGE DOGS in the works. And that monster book I mentioned, is now ready as a two book set, but hasn’t found a publisher yet. Saving the best for last…LOL.


13. You have three books published with MuseItUp Publishing. How can people find these books? Besides the Muse Bookstore, where can people find your books?
All my Muse books mentioned above, along with, SLEEPING WITH HER ENEMY and DANCE WITH THE DEVIL can be found at: http://www.museituppublishing.com
My romantic comedies, GOLDIE’S BEAR, FOR THE LOVE OF HATTIE, and DON’T BET ON IT are at: http://www.redrosepublishing.com
My international romantic suspense, A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND and my psychological suspense, CROSSED LINES, can be found at http://www.whimsicalpublications.com


14.Are you going to be having any book signings or blog tours? Please let us know where we can find you. Do you have a blog and a website?
Don’t I wish. Our local bookstore, the one where I’d long since befriended the manager, is going out of business. I’m in a fairly small town and miles from urban centers, so I guess I’m whistlin’ Dixie on book signings for now. I have an idea though, and I’m working on it. I’d love to do a blog tour if somebody will tell me how. Remember, be nice to your elders, but you can teach new tricks to old dogs.


One last note on my name. Pat is my life partner of forty two years and counting, and is my biggest fan and harshest critic. Without her, my writing would never have matured, so I felt it proper to honor her in my pen name. Ah, those romantic Irish rogues’ll get you every time. Cheers, all.


Here are the links you provided:


patdale@charter.net
http://www.patdale.net
www.patdalesblog.blogspot.com




Zach’s Amazing Dream Machine.

Blurb:
Zach Mason, a precocious seventh grader who idolizes his grandfather Gentry, writes interesting short stories for his English teacher but gets into trouble by insisting they’re true. Enrolled in entry level college classes, Zach puts his brain to work to convince his teacher and classmates his stories are true. The result is Zach’s dream machine. After contending with pal Wally, nemesis Kenneth, and sister Liz, Zach learns something about life when his scheme goes awry. He’s up to his eyebrows warding off one intrigue after another, including a sneaky science teacher who tries to steal his handiwork.

Excerpt:
“That’s better,” our seventh-grade English teacher said. “I’m pleased we have enthusiasm for our short stories. But, we must not lose sight of the fact that they’re only stories. And,” she glared directly at him, “we must remember to show courtesy and respect for each and every storyteller. Isn’t that right, Kenneth?”
He nodded and turned away, staring out the window. I gave her a big smile, my eyes reflecting admiration for her. I’d always thought she was a pretty lady, but now my favorite teacher glowed like an angel who’d just come to my rescue.
She turned to me and said, “As for you, Zachary, I’ve told you before, you must stop claiming that your stories are true. Three times, if I’m not mistaken, I’ve told you this, and still you persist.”
So much for angel to the rescue. I glanced down at my desk when she put her hand on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, but she only tightened her grip on me.
“You have a remarkable grandfather, Zach. I realize that. I think we all do. But he couldn’t have possibly experienced all the wi — uh, rather unusual things you’ve told the class in your stories about him. No one person could have done all that.”
I stared up at her, wanting her to understand. “But he did. Really. I’m not making this stuff up, Miss Sorensen.”
“That will be quite enough, Zachary Mason.” Her voice had gone stern, telling me I’d better keep my mouth shut. “I am very impressed with your storytelling ability, though, something you no doubt acquired from your illustrious grandfather. These are valid short stories and will be graded as such. In fact…” Her smile came back. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you turn out some day to be another Mark Twain.”
***********************************************************************

I know I'm looking forward to reading more about this unusual boy.:) Again, thank you Dale for being my guest and hope all my readers will want to read more too!!

Until the next time, thank you to my new readers and of course, thank you to the readers who continue to follow my meanderings.:)

One last thank you to the too many to count birthday wishes I received yesterday on Facebook! Hearing from all of you made me feel very special. My birthday is over, but I will treasure all of those beautiful messages.

My next guest on the blog will be Nick Giannaras at the end of this week and on my radio show, which had to be canceled from last week and will be on the usual 4th Thursday of the month, August 25th at 3PM Central Time and 4PM EST are going to be: Eric Luper and ComedyWriterMr.J. This should be a great show and I am looking forward to speaking with Eric Luper and Mr.J again. Eric was a guest on this blog last year. You can read about him here. Have fun, it's summer!!!

Poems for last week and this week and a peek at radio show guests

Vivian Zabel - publisher

4RV Publishing. My guests on

Red River Writers Live Tales from

the Pages on Thursday, June 24th.
Janie Franz - author of The Bowdancer series
Hear her on Red River Writers Live Tales from

the Pages on Thursday, June 24th.

This has been a very busy month for me. My husband's condition has pretty much occupied most days. He is a little better and more focused, but still he requires a great deal of attention. This month has been taken up by doctor's visits for him. He is set to go up to Boston in July to see not the top specialist but his second. The head of my husband's medical group is talking to the head of Massachusetts General to see if they can move it forward a little bit.

I can't believe that summer is coming next week! I am not ready for it at all, but I am going to try to get out to the pool. It sits there outside my window taunting me with happy people relaxing and enjoying themselves and making fun noises. But that will require buying a bathing suit, which is probably an entire blog post in itself.:)

I'm not here to write much, but I did want to post my poems from last Wednesday and my poem for this Wednesday's prompt. I have also been busy thinking about subbing my YA novel and I think that is going to happen this week! Yes, I am finally going to send it out and keeping my fingers crossed that this time it will be accepted. My luck has to change soon!!!

Meanwhile, here are the poems:

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Prompt from Poetic Asides website was choose 3 things you can see from your computer or laptop and write a poem about them:

new table, Betty Boop nurse doll, Balzac statue

In the course of events
a new table doesn’t compare to
winning the lottery or the joy of your
child’s first step

But for us the event, uncelebrated
as it was, brought a quiet happiness
replacing the trepidation we all felt
at mealtimes balancing paper plates
on knees while the Balzac statue
looked on safe on its temporary kitchen bar home

And the Betty Boop nurse doll, who had
survived inside the hermetic glass seal
of the antique china cabinet while smoke
invaded the place we used to call home,
must watch as a man twists in the vice
of his own body’s war upon him.

copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

More from my laptop

They traveled long distances
from their original home where
their angelic faces were painted
with delicate strokes – in perpetuity
dangling on the stone wall with goats
at their feet, maybe siblings or perhaps
close childhood friends. Such innocents
whisked from the chaos soon to come
in their homeland and carried across the
ocean to rest for years secure in a Queens
apartment. Bundled in cotton batting or
within old discarded pantyhose they journeyed
across the country, from Cortland to West Covina
Vestal to Buffalo resting at last in Queens again
chipped,diminished by the jostling of unconcerned
movers Long Island to Westchester plunked into
moving boxes until the last move when my numb
fingers wrapped them once more while I with breath
held prayed all would survive.

Steadfast they stand a shelf above a transparent preditor,
one who should be roaming verdant wilderness takes center
position on the first shelf its jaws closed
My birth stars dictate the symbol; form the core of my being.

Next to it viewed in profile its massive distinctive head
modeled from sand, painted black it had aged with white
spots ruining the smooth black fantasy. It’s haunches flat on the
shelf – perpetually guarding us all proud as the living model

These artifacts retain the loving
touches from gentle fingers
absorbing a family’s life.

(Hummel figure, glass lion, Newfoundland statue)

copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Prompt: Write a poem about being stuck.

Blocked Words

The words sit like polite guests
waiting for the moment to spring from my fingers
But that doesn’t come and instead they remain
in my brain unable to move until the right
order brings them forth

Meanwhile hands sit on the keyboard
while patient words bide their time
becoming unsettled and floating
Awaiting the moment when the right
sentence arranges itself

The first sentence, remains stuck
glued in the recesses of my cerebrum
Over run by Bthe clog of thoughts
surrounding it like the hair that
Keeps the water from draining

Recriminations, guilt, remorse
refuse to allow that fledgling sentence
to form – bullies disrupting the calm
Pain, distress and aggravation loose
themselves on the helpless words

that courageously form a line and storm
past the word bullies as the first sentence
appears and fingers bring it to life.
copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Before I end this I wanted everyone to know about my June show for Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages. I am going to have as my guests Janie Franz, who has visited here before as a guest author and finally Vivian Zabel publisher of 4RV Publishing. I always love having a guest that I have interviewed beforehand like last month with Eric Luper. Next Thursday's show should be great, because Janie's new work in the Bowdancer series is being published. Vivian will be talking about whether she is open to submissions and sharing a little bit of her list with us. 4RV Publishing publishes almost all kinds of genres. If you are interested in learning more about Vivian and 4RV this is a don't miss show. Vivian has a few books she has written that I'm sure we will be talking about on the show.

Until the next time thank you to any new readers. I'm so glad you decided to visit here. Also thank you to the readers who continue to come here to read my meanderings. Another giant hug to all the wonderful people who have sent me their thoughts and prayers and hugs. You are all the best and your support helps me so much!!!

Welcome Guest Author Eric Luper!

Today I am welcoming Eric Luper as our guest author. Eric has been the subject of an Examiner.com article and was recently my guest for April on Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages. He is the author of three YA books, The Big Slick, Bug Boy, and his new book, Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto.

About Eric Luper

Eric Luper has lived in Albany, New York since 1999. Before that, he hopped from town to town depending on where he was going to school or working. As an English/Creative Writing major at Rutgers College, Eric tried to escape his literary destiny by going to chiropractic school. Soon he discovered that, although he made a great doctor, his heart was somehow wrapped around putting words onto paper. more

The following is basically the conversation Eric and I had Thursday, April 22nd on the Blog Talk Radio show, Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages. Anyone who would like to hear our voices please tune in and listen to the archives.

The Interview with Eric Luper

Barbara: It says in your bio that you have lived in several places. You grew up in Springfield, NJ. Lived in Merrick, Long Island, New Brunswick, NJ and finally Albany, NY. Which was your favorite place to live and why?

Eric: There are good things and bad things about every place I’ve lived, but I’d have to say that location matters less to me than the people I associate with. I’ve been blessed with great friends and that can make even the most boring place interesting.

Barbara: What one thing changed your mind about just being a chiropractor?

Eric: Chiropractic care and writing occupy a different part of my brain. Likewise, they satisfy different hungers within me. I like doing both and cannot imagine what life might be like without writing.

Barbara: You came to writing late. What made you decide to become a full time writer? Did you have a mentor? Who was it?

Eric: Technically, I’m not a full-time writer since I still have my practice, but it’s likely I put in as many hours at the keyboard as a full-time writer. My mentor would have to be Mr. Frank Hodge. Frank used to own a children’s bookstore here in Albany NY. Not only did he give me a harsh dose of reality when I showed him my first stab at childrens’ writing, but he always put the right books in my hands to illustrate what he was trying to teach me.

Barbara: Did you start by writing short stories or novels? Are any of these early pieces published?

Eric: I wrote mostly short stories and one novella in college, but when I started writing in earnest it was novels all the way. Short stories are a tough sell and it’s nearly impossible to make a living writing short stories for childrens’ magazines. I do have a few articles published in Highlights and Weekly Reader though.

Barbara: How long did it take you to publish your first novel? Would you take us through the process?

Eric: After a five-year stretch of rejections, I started fresh and wrote BIG SLICK. The book took me around 5 months to write and a few more to polish and it was accepted on one of my first submissions. Farrar, Straus and Giroux was great through this process and we had the book edited and ready in a rather short time. The novel came out in 2007.

Barbara: Bug Boy is about the racing world and explores what it was like to be a jockey in the thirties. Why did you decide to write about this?

Eric: My eyes were opened to the topic when I read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. During the Depression, children were sold into the horse trade. They were used and abused, many being beaten or traded from stable to stable like commodities. In researching the subject, I discovered that not much has changed over the decades when it came to the living and working conditions of track workers. BUG BOY quickly became a passion project; the research was maddeningly addictive.

Barbara: Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto caught me and held me the whole way through the book. Did you base this character on anyone you know or maybe on yourself as a teen?

Eric: First of all, thank you. SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO is something of a departure for me and something I consider to be quite risky. The reception I’m getting for it has been quite encouraging. Humor is not an easy thing, especially when dealing with heavy subject matter. I think all of my characters represent a facet of me in one way or another, so, yes, Seth is partly me. However, he’s also partly someone else. But if you’re asking me if I’ve based him on anyone I know or used any real-life situation for the book, the answer is no.

Barbara: What is your writing process? Do you have a specific routine?

Eric: I tell people that I write between the raindrops. With two kids, a business, and working full-time, it’s rare for me to have blocks of time to write. The concept of a regular writing routine is unthinkable. Likewise, I tend to think on my story for long periods of time and then write in bursts of inspiration rather than trudging through a specific word count each day. I’m not an outliner and I find I make lots of wrong turns before I find the right one. But that’s okay; It’s just how I create.

Barbara: What was the reason you decided to have your first book signing for Bug Boy at Foxwoods Casino?

Eric: I love to support my independent bookstores, for sure, but I think it’s also important to find signing venues whaere you’ll find a higher concentration of people with interest in your subject matter. Foxwoods not only has the largest race betting parlor in the country (which was perfect for BUG BOY) but it’s also the home of the World Poker Tour poker room (which was perfect for BIG SLICK). And it was a wildly successful signing!

Barbara: Tell our listeners something that is not in your bio about you.

Eric: Gosh, that’s a hard one because I rewrite my bio so often. I’m not sure I ever mentioned that I spent 5 months traveling through Europe after college and spent a good amount of time volunteering on a reconstruction project at a medieval castle in the Loire Valley in southern France. I learned so much about history and masonry while I was there. It was fascinating.

Barbara: Do you have any plans for another novel? Who will publish it and when will it be published?

Eric: I have plans to keep writing as long as I can see my computer keyboard! After SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO, which releases on June 8th, I have a middle-grade novel coming. Currently, the title is JEREMY BENDER VS. THE CUPCAKE CADETS and it’s sort of Bosom Buddies meets the Girl Scouts. That one is slated for release sometime in 2011 with my current publisher Balzer + Bray (an imprint of Harper Collins).

Barbara: What are your plans for future book signings and book events? Please tell our listeners where and when they will be.

Eric: I had a book signing at the Hudson Children’s Book Festival on 5/1 in Hudson, NY. Check it out at www.hudsonchildrensbookfestival.com. (Unfortunately this is coming out after the weekend.)

I also have a signing coming up at Book Expo America (BEA) on Thursday, 5/27 at 10:30am. I’ll be signing hardcover copies of SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO. I can’t wait for that one!

Then, the official release of SETH BAUMGARTNER’S LOVE MANIFESTO will be at The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza here in Albany on Saturday 6/12 from 3 to 5pm. I’m doing a dual signing that day with author and friend, Coleen Paratore, who will be signing a few of her books as well!

Be sure to check my website (www.ericluper.com) or my Facebook page for any additional information. I’m usually pretty good at updating things and announcing things.

Thank you for visiting Eric. Anyone who would like to ask Eric a question please leave your comment here. Eric will be available to answer your questions through the weekend. Anyone who leaves a comment or question will be in the drawing for an ARC of Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto. Of course Eric and/or I will respond to your comment too.:)

Until the next time, thank you to my readers and welcome to my new readers! Since April is over I am no longer writing a poem a day, but I will be writing a poem a week on Wednesdays. I haven't decided if I am going to post those or not. My thanks to everyone who commented and helped me to choose the 5 poems to send for submission. Here they are:

Empty

Memories
Pochahontas
Self – Portrait
Letting Go

Wish me luck! I am up against so many talented poets that I don't think I have a chance.:)

Poems for Day 19

Picture for Taunting Shadows from: http://www.erasofelegance.com/arts/gallery/fisher/fisher.html

Picture for Strong from: www.aintitcool.com/ node/38090 l

The prompt for today was Two for Tuesday and you had to write a poem about looking backward and/or one for looking ahead and never looking back. I have been posting my poems on both this blog and on Poetic Asides where Robert Lee Brewer, an excellent poet, gives a prompt each day of April. You can post your poems in the comments there. Robert Lee Brewer has been nominated for Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere and you can go to Blogging Poet.com to vote for him. Once you read his work and see the extent of what he does I am sure you will see why he qualifies for this honor. The good thing about voting on Blogging Poet.com is that you don't need to join anything and you can comment too. This is rare for any website these days.

Here are my poems for today:

Taunting shadows

I close my eyes

Your love surrounds me

a pillow against the world

Your chest was my resting place

as your arms encircled me and

held me close. The feelings for you

so strong they propelled me

beyond my comfort zone to you.

Tore me from my parents

onto a subway train at midnight

to flee to your open arms.

We chained ourselves to each other

with our love and now as I look back

I realize the hypnotic state

could not have lasted, yet in my mind

though it had disintegrated years before

I kept myself open to you.

Years ago you were a young

wanderer crazy for adventure who took each

situation in a gulp and carried me toward

places I didn’t want to go with your charm

And I clung to you for you were my glue.

Your hazel eyes on mine were all I needed

Bathed in their warmth my day was complete

I see these shadows from my past haunting me

Taunting me with their truths no longer there

I beat my fists against your invisible wall and

mourn the loss of the radiance of your smile

the circle of your arms as I stand here in the cold

wondering where did those times go.

copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Strong

Bombard me with your worst

I ricochet trouble as it happens.

Send your bullets flying at me

I won’t flinch

If trouble wants to find me it will

need to strap on its arsenal

My body is soft but inside I am

granite

You underestimate me think my soft

voice and demeanor can be breached

Pummel me with fist of iron

Walk on my fingers

Slam your heel into my gut

with a mystery ailment weakening

my husband day by day

You can’t stop me

My path is plotted and I will see you

at the top with my published book in hand.

Copyright 2010 by Barbara Ehrentreu

Thank you to my faithful readers. I appreciate your continuing to read my crazy meanderings even though we have had technical difficulties. Those are starting to clear up now I hope. Also welcome to any new people. Please leave a comment. I try to respond, but sometimes I just can't. Also, please do not spam me. I hate those codes, but since I did get one spam comment on my last blog, (which I had to delete) I might have to put in security.

On Wednesday, April 21st I am going to be on Red River Writers Book Club with host Fran Lewis. I will be one of the people asking questions of the author for the month, Stephen Tremp, who has written a novel dealing with the idea of worm holes, Breakthrough to Covert. Please tune in to listen at 12PM Central time. Stephen's novel is a non-stop adventure with a spy hero, chase scenes, and fascinating scientific technology simplified for easy reading.

Then on Thursday, April 22nd on my Blog Talk Radio show, Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages, my guests will be Eric Luper and several writers from that wonderful

group Milspeak. There is another anthology that is available now with the writings of these great service people. Eric was the subject of one of my Examiner.com articles. He will be discussing his new book, Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto.

Passover Thoughts

Passover cupcakes from Crumbs from: http://thedailytruffle.com/2010/03/unleavened-passover-cupcakes/

It's kind of hard to have a seder without a table. But we did make an effort. No we didn't go through the Passover story, because we'll do that tomorrow night. So I went for making a brisket for dinner. We had to eat on our laps, but we used real plates and not paper (This makes it a real occasion.) I used a Kosher wine to braise it in and my new Slow Cooker - Crockpot. It was a great recipe and I got it on the internet. Everyone loved it.:)

**************************************************************

Cut to the next night:

We left plenty of time to get to Manhattan from Stamford. But when we got outside the weather was so bad we wondered why we were going anywhere at all. Rte. 95 seemed okay and we moved through the various feeder highways until we got to the Saw Mill River Parkway. Just the name should tell you that there might be a problem with this highway during a rainstorm. It is almost always closed for flooding. I wonder why.:) The river runs parallel to it and overflows its banks almost constantly. We got onto it and it was deceptively empty. Thinking that it was that people were avoiding it due to the weather we pressed on and drove at a pretty good pace until we hit a huge traffic jam. There seemed to be no reason for it, but there was one of those arrow trucks pointing to the left. I thought it was only moving us over a lane, but when we got to the source of the arrow we saw orange cones across the entire roadway both North and South. The stream of traffic showed us that we were going to be stuck in this mess if we went that way. So of course, we didn't. We just went back onto the other side of the road, which was open, and we found our way to another of the ways to get to Manhattan.

The thing about living up here is that there are so many ways you can get to Manhattan. What you want to do is avoid unnecessary traffic usually going toward the George Washington Bridge. It's inevitable that you will run into traffic somewhere on your route no matter which way you go. There are always accidents that will slow down traffic and tonight was no exception. My husband said to me, "Call your brother and tell him we'll be there any minute." But he didn't account for the the accident on our right that slowed traffic. By that time we were about an hour late for the seder and we still needed to get off the highway and go cross town.

The good part is that we did get there and we did have a seder tonight. We don't follow the whole traditional way, but we do adhere to some traditions. It's not like when we went to seders at my mother's house or when we went to my aunt's house later. Those were more formal with hordes of children and adults. One seder in particular stands out in my mind.

I had been living in Buffalo, NY for a few years since my husband was going to Law School and I had a job teaching there. We had just decided we wanted to try having children and I wanted to go down for Passover and see my family. My husband couldn't get away, so he stayed up there and had a makeshift seder with his friends involving fish sticks and other non-seder items. Being with my family was lots of fun and I remember spending time with my dad alone. He seemed a little less energetic than usual and I worried about him. On the night he took me to the airport as he was getting my suitcases out of the trunk he hit his head and I got a strange vibe - as if this were the last time I would see him. A few days after my visit I got an early morning call from my mom telling me that my dad had passed away. In his typical feeling that he didn't want to bother anyone he had gotten up in the middle of the night to change his pjs, since they were soaked and then lay back down in bed. He never woke my mom to tell her something was wrong. Instead she woke up and found him unresponsive. My husband and I caught a plane to NY to be with my mom and family and for my dad's funeral.

Jewish people have a custom called "sitting shiva" after the body is buried and for days afterwards you stay in one house and all you can do is sit, talk or eat. You are mourning, so it isn't fun. In fact, it is the opposite of fun, though there is sometimes a party atmosphere. People bring food over and send food all the time. You find that there is no place to put anything and if you are the ones sitting shiva you are responsible for serving the food and keeping it fresh. Usually the principal mourners do not do much work. You sit on cardboard boxes or straight chairs when people are there. But you have a lot of time to eat, too. I kept eating and eating and was always hungry. I thought something was wrong. So when I got back to Buffalo I checked on it and found I was pregnant.:) My dad wasn't there to share my joy, but I had given him an indication that I might be getting pregnant that last night that I saw him. Unfortunately, this baby was not to be, and it would take seven more years until I got pregnant again.

But every Passover I think of him and wish that he could be here to enjoy my two grandchildren and my brother's three. We always remember him in some way at every seder. This year we talked about how he used to follow the seder to the letter including the parts where you have to wash your hands and say a blessing. My mother is gone too, and it's been years since we lost my dad. Yet they both remain with us. Tonight my brother made my mom's matzoh balls. He knew her secret and I wondered how I could have missed it. I won't tell, because that is what a secret is.:)

My children will probably not observe the holiday as we did, but at least they will know their tradition and see the progression of family that brought us to where we are today.

One other thing. If you missed ordering the Passover cupcakes from Crumbs you can get them until April 20th. But they are not Kosher for Passover. Who cares? They are delicious and much better than any of the ersatz cake you can eat from anywhere else. At least they don't have any flour so if you aren't really observant dig in and enjoy.:)

Until the next time, Happy Passover to all who celebrate it and good luck with eating the matzoh. I made matzoh brie today and plan to make a few new recipes that are definitely not the usual Passover fare. Can you believe lasagna with matzoh?

April is bringing a guest author, Eric Luper, author of Bug Boy, who will be here to tell us all about himself and his new book coming in June, Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto. I will also be reviewing it soon. Eric is going to be on my April show too. More about that later. If I don't get back on, Happy Easter to all those who observe that too.