SLEEPING IS FOR SISSIES (Or Those Not Invested in a Can't-Put-Down Book)

Let’s start the morning with a quick quiz. Pencils ready? Let’s go.

Which of the following statements best defines the term “Book Hangover”:

     A)  That feeling of sleep deprivation from staying up too late reading a book you can’t put down.

    B)  The Inability to start a new book because you’re still living in the last book’s world.

     C) That moment when you finish a book, look around an realize that everyone is just carrying on with their lives as though you didn’t just experience emotional trauma at the hands of a book.

     D)  Difficulty entering the reality of everyday life after spending the last 48 hours fully immersed in an amazing book.

A WALK ON THE BEACH with Yours Truly!

It seems only fair if my fellow Mutt Mysteries authors reveal a little about themselves on this blog, that I do so, too! So, today I’ve “interviewed” myself. Read on to learn more about me, Jayne Ormerod, and a few of my favorite beach things. And a bonus at the end, in lieu of a bio I’ve included memories of my childhood Christmases. 

What’s your favorite beach to visit? Being a military spouse, I have spent most of my adult life living within a flip-flop’s throw of the ocean. (There was that two-year tour in Memphis, TN. Yes, the military has some offices in Millington. Go figure.) But since I’m not much of a sitter, I like a beach with some action, so I have to say the rocky shores along Easton Bay in Newport, RI. Cliff Walk makes for a fabulous stroll, with the water breaking below you and the ostentatious mansions on the other. My all-time favorite Cliff Walk experience was a snowy New Year’s Eve. We were the only ones crazy enough to be out there in that weather, and the icy snow made the rocky path very slippery. But it was absolutely magical.  

Beach Chat with Jayne Ormerod

Fifteen questions in five mintues....GO!

Name:  Jayne Ormerod  

Book you are reading right now:  Murder, She Wrote, The Fine Art of Murder by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

Preference, print or ebook: Print!

Beach Read: THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK, a Nancy Drew Mystery Story, by Carolyn Keene

Original 1930s cover, no dust jacket

While working on a guest blog post this week I had to dig deep to pinpoint the exact moment I realized I wanted nothing more in my life than to become a mystery writer. That defining moment occurred when I was 10 years old and read The Secret of the Old Clock, the first in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, 1959 edition. This motivated me to revisit the source of my inspiration, so I curled up in a cozy chair in a sunny spot and read the classic, only this time it was the original text of the 1930 version.  I felt like a little girl again. 



1930's edition dust jacket
cover art by Russell H. Tandy



Book Title: The Secret of the Old Clock

Author:  Mildred Wirt Benson, writing as Carolyn Keene

Genre:  YA Mystery Adventure 

Format:  Hardcover

Pages:  210

Publication date:  1930 (I read a 1991 reprint of the original)

Publisher:  Applewood Books

Favorite Passage:  Long after his daughter had retired, Carson Drew sat by the fire.  At last he, too arose.

          “It wouldn’t surprise me if Nancy has stumbled upon a real mystery,” he told himself, as he snapped out the electric light and turned toward the stairway.  “Perhaps I shouldn’t encourage her to dig into it, but after all it’s in a good cause!” 

Beach Read Rating:  5 (out of 5) Beach Umbrellas

Review: I remember twice in my life when my beliefs were shattered.  First as a child when my friend Barrie told me there was no Santa Claus, and second as an adult I found out there was no Carolyn Keene.  There were actually eight writers of the original 32 stories (and many more for the more than 500 ensuing Nancy Drew books and associated spin offs), This was all the brain child of Edward Stratemeyer who formed a syndicate for the series books for children (including Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins and Tom Swift series), wherein he’d develop the plot then send it out to ghostwriters to complete the manuscript.  The ghostwriters were contractually obligated to never reveal themselves as the author.  Fellow Ohioan Mildred Wirt Benson wrote 23 of the original titles, earning her $125 for each book, never to collect a single penny in royalties.   

          And all that adds to the mystery of these mystery books.  But that's another topic for another day. 

          But if you want to take a trip back in time on the heels of an adventurous young girl, you won’t find a better way to spend a delightful afternoon than with your old friend, Nancy Drew, Girl Detective! 



1959 edition



Cover blurb:  In this first of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. Her search not only tests her keen mind but also leads her into a thrilling adventure.

Beach Bling: Beach Hats

Remember, while a day at the beach is good for what ails you, too much sun can be bad for your health, so you’ll want to protect yourself from those warm and relaxing--yet deadly--rays.  Yes, there is sunscreen with SPFs as high as 110 (seriously, I have some…) but a floppy hat can add an extra layer of protection as well as make you look like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.  And a wide-brimmed hat can allow you hide if the person you are following turns to see who is following them. (Remember, I write mysteries, so this shopping research has to double as writing research so I can deduct it as a business-related expense!)

If you are a one-stop shopper, then your only stop need be http://www.villagehatshop.com/hats-sun-protection.html.  They have hundreds of styles/colors to choose from, all reasonably priced.  Some are more functional than fashionable, such as this Columbia Bora Bora Cachalot Ball Cap:

But if fashion is more your thing, check out their cute Tilley Hat, which might be a little fancy for a romp in the surf but is the perfect accessory to the cute sundress you have picked out for the beach wedding you’ll be attending (and everyone should attend a beach wedding at some point in their lives.  SOOOOO romantic!) 

While completely impractical for a day lying at the beach (because your arm would get sunburned and tired from holding it on top of your head so it doesn’t blow off in the merest whisper of a breeze, not to mention the risk of becoming airborne a lá The Flying Nun) the Woman’s Shapeable is the perfect hat for divot-stomping should you stop at a Polo Match on your way home from your day at the shore (that’s a Pretty Woman reference for those of you who missed it…).  Check out this one from http://onlineshoessale.com/product/9778_Coolibar-UPF-50-Womens-Shapeable-Poolside-Sun-Hat-.html.  Not only is it stylin, it offers a UPF (that’s Ultra Violet Protection Factor offered by fabric) of 50+. 

But if your hat needs tend towards under cover work (be it surreptitiously checking out the guns on the hunky lifeguard or trailing an FTA--that’s Failure to Appear--like bonds agent Stephanie Plum), I gotta go with something from the Fedora files, like this one from Nordstroms http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/womens-hats (matching trench coat optional):

While I’ll admit the “fascinators” sported during the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate were (for lack of a better word) fascinating, they have zero functionality when it comes to beach wear.  After all, it’s about protection from the sun.  So if you take the 110 SPF lotion and add it to the 50+ UPF of a hat, you’re at 160+ protection.  But you’re on your own when it comes to calculating how long that means you can safely lounge on the beach.  (Higher math was never my strong suit.)

Hope to see y’all at the beach soon!  I’ll be the woman wearing this Toucan Collection Poppy Clotch. (It doesn't have much of a UPG rating, but it makes me feel like Nancy Drew--the 1930s version! I LOVE IT!)