Beach Music

Casa de Ormerod got a new toy last week...the new SONOS wireless sound system.  This in turn exposed us to PANDORA!  I imagine all of you are way ahead of me on this music phenomenon but as usual when it comes to new technology we are the last ones on the bus. But I just gotta say the expansive playlist offered by Pandora is a pleasant relief from the 65 (give or take) tunes that hubby's i-pod played on a never-ending loop. Now I type in a song I like and a whole line-up of similar songs fills the airwaves.  Yesterday an old Beatles tune came on that I have a particular fondness for (I used to play it to summon forth the writing muses...now I just eat chocolate...) and an idea hit me, so I re-worked it just a bit.  So with apologies to the Fab Four, here's my spin on an old classic.  Sung to the tune of "Paperback Writer"

Title: “I’m a Beach Writer”

Song: 

Dear cozy reader, will you read my book? 
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's based on a murder along the shore 
And I need a sale so that I can say, “I’m a beach writer.” 
“I’m a beach writer.”

Beach Writers: June Starter Sentence

<<Once again, over at East Beach Writer's Guild we were challenged to write a few paragraphs based on a starter sentence.  The May one was right up my alley!  Here is mine.>>

I was lying in a pool of blood...or some sort of red liquid substance.  Hard to tell by the meager light of the moon filtering through the thick canopy of pine trees.  All I know is that my backside was soaking wet and when I lifted my fingers to see what’s what, blood-red fluid dripped from my pinky. 

Beach Review: VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES

Stumbled across this review on the Virginia is for Mysteries on the Barnes and Noble page:

"The next time you explore Virginia’s landmarks, you’ll be looking for dead bodies under bushes, on gravestones (not under them), at the beach, even in the trunk of your own car—if you dare to read these mysteries. These stories by fourteen members of Virginia’s chapters of Sisters in Crime speak in a variety of engaging voices. I have to admit to playing favorites—my top three (in the order they appear in the book) are: “Justice Delayed,” by Maria Hudgins, “Death Comes to Hollywood Cemetery,” by Vivian Lawry, and “Best Friends Help You Move the Body,” by Jayne Ormerod. Even if you read only these outstanding stories, you will have gotten more than your money’s worth." ~Anonymous

Beach Life: Something Fun for a Rainy Day

Trivia question:  What TV show premiered December 16, 1972 and featured a not-so-young mystery-writing sleuth?  If you said Murder, She Wrote, you would be off by almost a dozen years. (Jessica Fletcher made her screen debut September 30, 1984.)    

Guess again…

The Nancy Drew Mysteries?  Right decade (1977) but Nancy was a teenager--and not a writer.

Give up?

Beach Writers: February Starter Sentence

My local beach writers group inspires us to write every month by proposing a starter sentence and we finish the thought. It's interesting to see how many different directions one idea can take us.  If you'd like to read my fellow writer's musings, click here. 

”Flight 142 for Cleveland is now boarding…” 

Holy hell. When the stewardess said those words, the Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza I’d nibbled at 30 minutes earlier turned into a ball of cement in my stomach.  What in the world was I thinking going back to Cleveland?

To a homecoming event, no less? 

Beach Story: Wine Down...

She came through my line with a glass of wine in her hand and looked at me through booze-bleary eyes.  She grunted, then tossed back the dregs of her pinot noir.  “Celebrating tonight,” she said as in way of an excuse of her poor wine-drinking etiquette.  “My husband died today.”  She looked forlornly at her empty glass.  “Truth be told, I killed him.” 

She plucked a crab cake off my proffered tray and stuffed it in her mouth while turning and heading for the bar.

Beach Read: Happy Valentine's day

Ahhh, 'tis the day of l'amour.  And in honor of that I'm re-posting a short story, which was actually my first paid writing gig back in, oh, maybe 10 years ago. That was back when I aspired to be a romance writer, not a mystery writer, so don't expect any dead bodies in this one!  But I still like the story, a lot.  And hope you do to!  

THREE LITTLE WORDS

Carole wasted no time in placing her order.  “I’d like a piece of Triple-Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake, please,” she said.  “Wait…on second thought…make that a double.”

          After the waiter bowed and left, Carole glanced at the handsome man seated across the table from her.  “What?” she asked.

Beach Writers: January Starter Sentence

If it weren't for Starter Sentences, I'd have no sentences at all!  So at least I'm writing a little something every month.  This was written while I sat without Internet access at a car repair place...they didn't have the part on hand so had to send out for  it and so 2-1/2 hours later I had a working vehicle AND a short story, of sorts.  Enjoy!

          “The forecast calls for snow…”

I hit the power button on the remote control, effectively muting meteorologist Don Slater before he could give me any more bad news.  It seemed Mother Nature wasn’t on my side for the biggest day of my little life.