GOOGLE BLOG & MALWARE

Greetings Friends,

First off, let me announce that "Tanglewood Plantation"  will be on *SALE* (Kindle version) beginning December 24, 12:00 a.m.  (EST) thru Dec. 27, 11:00 p.m. for .99 cents! 
From 12:00 a.m. December 28 until 11:00 p.m. December 30, the sale price will be $1.99. 

January 1, 2014, the price will revert to the original of $2.99. Load up on sale books for your Christmas vacation, or pre-load that Kindle gift for your friend or loved one! 

* * *

I am still trying to work out my 'redirect' virus on this site.  Very frustrating!  I followed all the instructions with Google and still the 'redirect' pops up.  This virus seems to  be on the blogsite only and not on my computer. I will keep trying!

In the meantime...Tanglewood III is moving along; slowy, but moving. I'm amazed (am I really?) at the amount of research that is required to write this story.  The saving grace is that I spent time in New Orleans last summer and have a bit of a handle on it visually.  I must say, New Orleans is a fascinating place, historically and in modern times as well. Please bear with me, as I do my very best to fill my stories with authentic facts!

This time of year is a busy one for all of us so I wish to YOU, my readers, a wonderful, safe and Happy Holiday Season.

***I do hope I will have this site back to normal (no virus!) soon.***

OH NO, MALWARE!

READERS BEWARE!  DO NOT CLICK ON LINKS ON THIS BLOG!

I'm sorry to say that there is a nasty little 'redirect' virus on my blog site.  I'm trying to rectify the issue, so please be patient and come back and see me soon. For the moment, until you see further information, do NOT click on links.

My apologies,

Jocelyn Miller

HOLY TURKEY GOBBLER IT'S T-DAY ALREADY!

 Sometimes the fingers fly across the keys, and sometimes they move as if stuck in the sludge - or, perhaps they don't move at all. This is commonly known as 'writer's block'. I would call it a complete and total creative mind shut-down. Helloooo! Is anyone out there? Summer? Captain? I know they're in New Orleans but they seem to have forgotten to communicate with me. They can't continue without my direction, which I would be happy to give  if only they would call out my name!

So, I wait. I wait for them to break down the barrier that has temporarily separated us and in the meantime, I wonder how in the world we got from Halloween to Thanksgiving so quickly? It's a mysterious blur in my mind; the speed of life is gaining on me, friends. All of a sudden it's hustle-bustle turkey time and there is no shortage of it here;  the mind  wraps around pumpkin pie and turkey dressing and cleaning the house for company while  Summer Woodfield and Captain Ruiz are left standing on Royal Street in New Orleans ignoring me. A conundrum. BUT, this too shall pass!

In the meantime, I do wish you all the very best of Thanksgiving holidays. Despite the woes of our world (of which there are many) we are truly blessed to live in the land of the free.  This Thanksgiving, please remember the thousands of folks in the Philippines who have lost loved ones, along with their homes a belongings. Reach out and help in any way you can.

BOO!

Halloween is upon us, my friends. Time flies, and this month it flies on a witch's broom. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, but like you, this month has been extremely busy, and for once I have forgone the decorations of spider webs, spooky lights and knick-knacks--- all the things I'm usually busy having fun with this time of year.  Oh well, I'm off to other things, such a writing.

Oh yes, Summer Woodfield is a busy lady.  She has a lot on her plate at the moment and I do so enjoy traveling with her and her friends. On this trip, she has a new acquaintance whom I get the biggest kick out of, and I hope you will too.

BTW, this month I embarked with my cohorts on our annual ghost hunt.  What fun! We didn't find any ghosts but we had plenty of laughs and a few educational stops which included:

Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia

Cape May, NJ
Finns Point National Cemetery
Fort Delaware in Delaware Bay

Have you been to a deserted fort at night?  It will give you the shivers!

So It's back in the saddle for me. I know, I keep saying this, but keep in mind that it does take time to write a good story and I'm working hard at it! 

GEORGIA BACK ROADS STOLE MY HEART!

The back roads of Georgia are an eye-opener.  How wonderful to  travel along a two-lane road witnessing in person the history and  subsequent demise of the old south, the south of my favorite novels of old; Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone with the Wind', Faulkner's endless earthy tales of steamy summers & steamy people. Carson McCullers' 'The Member of the Wedding', to name a few.  I have always been enchanted by stories of the south and now I have driven back roads of Georgia! The cotton fields were abundant; fields and fields of snowy white bursts painted the countryside. Abandoned and deteriorated cabins and boxy country stores--reclaimed by layers of vegetation--created Kinkade photos of the reverse order --- not the cozy Hallmark - sweet - cottages of unreality, but the gritty truth of poor counties, a poor people, a hardscrabble life in the backwoods. The lazy rivers bordered with  ancient trees, their  branches draped gracefully in Spanish moss, are enough to make the coldest heart stop and stare in awe, and friends, this heart (not in the least bit cold) stopped and stared in awe a'plenty.

Ideas...ideas...ideas. They roll  and tumble through my head. I'm sorry to leave the South behind; the back roads, the cotton fields, the ramshackle, foliage covered cabins that once upon a time someone called 'home'. I love it...I remember it.

But now, I must tuck away these beautiful snapshots of Southern Georgia and concentrate on Summer and Captain Ruiz!!! Yes, New Orleans!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Here we are, zipping down the Civil War trail headed for Georgia and my beloved research. This is actually the fun part of research --  seeing and being at the places where my stories will either visit or take place -- love it!  The weather is gorgeous. The trees haven't quite changed into their fall colors, but they're working at it.
After the 'fun' part of travel and experience comes the hard part of actually writing; but I look forward to that is well.

As a friend says, "It's a good day that you don't wake up with a tag on your toe...". all's well with the world, folks, despite what the news says.

This post is short, but the road calls...

GOT GEORGIA ON MY MIND...

How is it that an author can be writing one book while having another story whispering in her ear?  Oh, this next one wants to be written, just like Tanglewood Plantation bugged me until I sat down at the computer and began the story. Some stories cling like leeches and don't let go until they're fat and happy.

Tanglewood III; oh yes, there is a III and final episode in the misadventures of Summer Woodfield is on its way, having passed the Fort Jefferson-research-hump at this point. It's truly amazing that once a particular mind-boggling mountain of research is out of the way, the path lay ahead and we fly like on a Slip & Slide--for a while, anyway-- until we reach the next mountain of research. Summer is now back on track and the rest of her adventure (and mine) lies ahead.

So what's with Georgia? Hmm, can't really give the details, but Georgia is definitely on my mind and I have scheduled a research trip there for early October. Camera, check. Voice recorder, check. Spirit of adventure, check.

Stay tuned, friends!

ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO BACK

Oh my, what happened to July? Time truly is passing at the speed of light and yet I feel as if I'm still at square #1. RESEARCH, folks. The bane of the writer; all time consuming, mind boggling, and sometimes quite confusing.

First off, I started the post-New Orleans trip with some rather extensive surgery which recovery has slowed me down some. Oh, but these motors don't stay down for long and I'm chugging along; not at full speed yet, but I'm working on it. I may be a snail at the moment, but I'll catch up to the hare.

Ever heard of Fort Jefferson, a fort built on a spit of an island in the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico? You can take a tour there (by boat) from Key West, and perhaps some of you have been there. It is, in fact, where Dr. Mudd was incarcerated after being convicted as a conspirator in the assassination of President Lincoln. Let's just say Fort Jefferson has me in check-mate at the moment.  The National Park group down in Key West has been so very helpful in my research. They've bent over backward to help me get a grip of  the construction and life at the fort. Very helpful folks. And just what does this have to do with the price of rice at Tanglewood Plantation?  Just everything, at the moment! Oh, but this is all secret stuff, so I can't give away too much information.

*By the way folks, good and interesting show to watch on Discover channel:  http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid

Keep tuned..... 

AND THE ADVENTURE BEGINS...

Greetings friends and readers,

Can you believe we are now mid-summer? It's scientifically proven that the older we get, the quicker time seems to pass. It's our metabolism and there isn't a darn thing we can do about it.  So, with time passing at the speed of light, this author must coordinate her head and hands to hit the keyboard and get back to work.  I've concluded two research trips to New Orleans this summer and still have reading to do regarding research, but how wonderful to experience the French Quarter, the Trolleys, the French Market, the Beignets , the riverboat Natchez, the Mississippi and New Orleans in general, in person.

I do so wish I could step back in time with Summer Woodfield, and walk the streets of the French Quarter in 1864 in a hooped skirt and bonnet. In a way, I will be doing just that as 'Adventure in New Orleans' progresses.  In my imagination, I can picture the narrow streets a'clutter with a modge-podge of people, black, white, French, American, Spanish; the seamen, the soldiers, the hookers oh my! Imagine the parade of lives, the characters who have walked those streets, lived, loved, laughed and cried, as the decades and centuries pass.  This is my fascination---what passed before, and I will bring this to you, my readers, as Summer experiences New Orleans in the midst of the Civil War, on a mysterious time-travel quest that has her mind-boggled as to the reason she has fallen into this particular journey.  Stay tuned!

THE BIG SLEAZY - WOW!

Nawlins, definitely one of a kind.  This author has returned after a wonderful, interesting, jaw-dropping week in southern Looosiana, and what a pretty state it is! The plantations, the Spanish moss (naturally), the accents, the bayous, the kind folks, the food...it all blends perfectly to create a fabulous and memorable journey. Thank you, Nawlins and Francisville for a fabulous time!

Of course, it wasn't all play and no work.  Don't think for a minute that this author dawdled in the French Quarter without recording the architecture and history of this unique city-within-a-city. It was indeed a fascinating journey, but so many stops were on my list that I didn't get to the Civil War/Confederate Museum.  Next stop! Yep, I return to New Orleans at the end of the month and will complete the list so that I can spend the next few months creating the conclusion to the adventures of Summer Woodfield of Tanglewood Plantation.  I'm psyched! Stay tuned, the adventure continues!

BTW, it was such fun to spend the night at The Myrtles in Francisville, LA and meet one of my readers and her daughter.  Greetings, my friends and fellow ghost hunters; it was a pleasure to meet you!

The Myrtles Plantation, Francisville, LA

Love the Lavendar!

OFF TO THE BIG EASY

This is it, friends and readers; off to the Big Easy this week. My bags are packed and I'm ready to go~(60's songs were the best!). Off to New Orleans for the sights, smells, history and total experience; an experience that will guide my hand in writing the final episode of Summer Woodfield's misadventures in the mysterious dimension of time-travel.

 Often, I wonder why it is I'm so infatuated with the Civil War era and I've narrowed it down to Scarlet, Mammy, Prissy and Rhett. It was 'book before movie' for this avid reader and that was many, many years ago. From page one, I was in love--in love with the clothes, the characters, the slaves and...the Spanish moss!  Oh yes, Spanish moss is close to my heart! It's a beautiful work of art that lends visual magic to any southern setting. Let's just say there ain't no 'Southern' without the moss. Long may it live!

With high hopes and great anticipation I begin the week ahead. My high-tech tools will charge today to be at the ready for any and all things that will lend history and detail to Summer's final chapter. With an empty bag tucked into my suitcase, I go, and with a full bag I return; a bag of history, maps, details, visions, photos, notes and memories. Armed to the gills!

Thanks to my readers for their reviews of my stories. It is very difficult to please everyone's tastes in literature and, yes, I am deflated when I have disappointed a reader's expectations. Let me assure you that I spend much time in research and 10 times as many hours in writing, rewriting, editing, cutting and in general, just trying to put together a entertaining yet true-to-history story.  For me, the story is an adventure as well; it is new, it is the road less traveled, and I am grateful for  every day that I can sit with that first cup of coffee and a blank page--an empty canvas-- just begging for the journey to begin.

Many more tales to tell!

A BIG BEAUTIFUL WORLD!

Greetings from the Chesapeake. This author returned one week ago (exactly) from a visit to beautiful Italy, Croatia & Slovenia and honestly, it has taken me this much time to recuperate. I was very near a state of zombiism (is that a word?) for the first 3 days, but the bonds of jet-lag have released and I'm free to return to normal. Amen.

Prior to leaving this country, I arranged with my cell phone company an international data plan so that I could post blogs and photos from my travels. Well...the best laid plans... In my head, all should have been accomplished with the flick of the stylus. Where did it all go wrong? Not only could I not post, I couldn't even connect to the internet! Ah the mysteries of technology--or perhaps human blundering? It remains to be seen. ATT and I are bound for a little chat.

Next up?  New Orleans for research! Oh yes, New Orleans, the home of Captain Ruiz. As you well know, I do believe in research before (and as) I write, so off to New Orleans for the feel, the smell, the experience, the history.  New Orleans did play a big part in the Civil War era and I eagerly anticipate a visit to the Louisiana Civil War Museum, as well as strolling the streets and familiarizing myself with the old city, itself.

Big events coming up in the Tanglewood Plantation trilogy. Summer Woodfield still has an adventure or two left in her, and won't she be surprised!

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE...

Greetings to my friends and readers. I do want to thank my readers for their wonderful input on my stories. It is so very helpful to me, and very encouraging as well.

In a few days I will be off to Italy. If I can manage to be as smart as my smart phone apps, I will attempt to post a few pictures from Italy, Croatia and Slovenia.  Wish me luck! Ye gads, what it takes to keep up with technology; and I thought writing a novel was difficult!

When I return, I will continue with Tanglewood III, Adventure in New Orleans.  Yes, New Orleans! As you well know, Captain Ruiz hails from that city, and there is quite an adventure awaiting Summer, as well as many surprises.  Just what does Captain Ruiz have to do with Tanglewood Plantation?  Oh, you will see, my friends...you will see in due time! 

In the meantime, I wish you all a very happy Spring time.

Sunset on the Chesapeake

SPRINGING INTO A NEW SEASON

Greetings Readers, and a Happy Spring to you all!

My apologies for taking so long to add a new post; March came in like a lion and bit me on the you- know-what. The rat race continues for the rest of this month, but then, it is Spring and we are all hopping forward into the new season and busy as all get-out.

Stories!  Oh my, I must corral these little devils. There are three new stories thriving in the internal and mysterious innards of this machine I am so fondly attached to (i.e.), the computer. I love each and every one of them, but only one can hold my undivided attention. This writer cannot imagine completing more than one story at once. The concentration it takes to pull a tale together can be incredibly overwhelming, requiring much thought and, as you've heard me harp on about, much research.

I thank my readers for their reviews on amazon. Reading how you feel about my stories helps me in determining in which direction to direct my typing fingers. Because it takes so darn long to write a good story, I want to be sure I head in the right direction. In the previous post, I mentioned that I didn't want to beat a dead horse in creating a Tanglewood III, but those characters are speaking to me, and very loudly, too. Summer Woodfield does have another adventure up her sleeve - another trip back in time to the days of hoops and harrowing adventures. Hmmmmm...

WHAT'S IN A NAME..and other business

'Izzy Pratt of the Chesapeake' has been on my mind, but more in a need for changing her surname than in creative story telling. It turns out that Izzy Pratt's surname must be changed because in real life,  'Pratt' is a big name in Baltimore. Because Izzy Pratt's tale involved the Chesapeake Bay, which includes Baltimore...well, you can well imagine the confusion it could bring if a Pratt family member happened to read Izzy's tale and wondered if, somehow, the author (me, of course) was involving them in a story of fiction.  Hmmm.  That could be quite ugly considering the adventures for which Izzy is bound. Put on the brakes! Izzy is temporarily on the shelf. Drat! When this author comes up with a name, it is (honestly) the way the character introduced her/his self,  so for me, this is a conundrum. 

REVIEWS:  Yep, back to reviews again, which I have posted previously that I do read and find very helpful.  Reviews for "Tanglewood Plantation II, Adventure in the Everglades" are very mixed.  It seems that the readers (you!) either love it or hate it. Much research went into this tale, and it  certainly is not a story that was tossed together like salad and beamed up to Amazon. Thankfully, that is not my style. Instead, I spend many hours researching places and events; my goal, to be historically correct.  The 'other-worldly' aspects of Tanglewood are brought upon by my interest in the paranormal and the fact that I am totally enthralled with the idea of traveling back in time to meet my ancestors.If you think on it, the fact that you, my reader, are even on earth and reading my book, is because your ancestors were strong enough over the eons to survive obstacles that you and I might find insurmountable.  Therefore, you have been created because of their endurance...fascinating!

There are many ideas rolling around in my head for a third and final sequel to Tanglewood Plantation, but I honestly cannot say if it will happen. We all appreciate the fact that sometimes sequels can be like beating a dead horse.  In the meantime, While Izzy is on vacation, and Summer, Guy and the gang (that includes the dashing Capt. Ruiz) are discussing what to do about a Tanglewood III, this author is not sitting idle! I am writing my friends, but shhhhh, the subject is a secret!

RESEARCH! OUCH!

Greetings friends & readers.

 RESEARCH: "careful, systematic study and investigation in some field of knowledge". (Webster).  I know I've mentioned the tediousness of research before, but if a person wants to write historical novels, they absolutely must do their research.  How easily we glide through pages of a favorite book not thinking at all of what lay behind the pages; the 'before' book, the 'back story'.  Oh,  there is a back story, and especially in anything that has the word 'historical' attached to it.

This author has stepped out of her comfort zone, that being the Civil War era.  Much research went into Tanglewood Plantation and Tanglewood II (as I endearingly call it). But to step backward from the 1800's to the 1600's is a giant leap! Think of this: What was the fashion of the day? We can easily find what the blue-bloods wore, but what did the peasants wear? What kind of underwear did both sexes wear beneath their clothing? How did people speak? And, as for ships that sailed the seas, what did they look like both outside and in? How many sailors were necessary to run a merchant ship? What did they wear? What are the proper names for the rigging and sails of a seventeenth century vessel? How did Native Americans dress in the new world? What were their villages like? Etc...etc...etc....

We all remember the pilgrims, the first Thanksgiving, the reciprocal gathering of Englishman and native, smoothing the way before the big take-over and smothering out of native culture.  It was a far different story south of the Mason/Dixon line; it was not a religious group (who were also early colonist), but hearty, adventuresome and brave souls who came to reap the treasures of a land yet discovered; groups who came not for religious freedom, but for pillage  and plunder. This second group is very appealing to me, for here is the real grit and guts of America.

In conclusion it all boils down to this: this author, who very much slept through history class in high school, has jumped deep into the pool of historical knowledge, finding it very exciting.  At this rate, I will be very, very smart by the time I leave this earth and what good will it do me then?  

A WORD ON REVIEWS

Well, it's about time I lifted my head out of the sand and got back to blogging.  Whew, Florida turned out to be a whirlwind and I am glad to be back on Chesapeake Bay. From here, I will begin a new story, a new adventure for which direction I eagerly await to follow.

REVIEWS.  Just to let you know, I do read the reviews left on amazon.com regarding my books and I take them to heart.  Good or bad, pleasant or painful, I listen to your words and learn...yes, I learn from them. Naturally, I am jubilant at good reviews, and bad reviews cut to the heart.  But I do listen and remember so that when I begin my next story, I feel I can make it that much better. So thank you readers, thank you for taking the time to read my books and share your thoughts.

And speaking of stories...here I go again. The stack of research is piling up; the engine is revving. Izzie Pratt is beginning to speak to me. Like Summer's ghosts in the attic, Izzie Pratt is my ghost in the attic and she's beckoning me to follow....

TANGLEWOOD II - FINALLY AVAILABLE!

Whoa...what a long haul! I'm proud, happy, and relieved to present "Tanglewood Plantation II, Adventure in the Everglades", available now from www.amazon.com in KINDLE VERSION!  It's been a trip, and I sure hope you enjoy the trip Cherry of Magnolia and Summer Woodfield take together in this follow-up to Tanglewood Plantation. As always, it is fun for me to create these stories and adventures.  I write what I like to read and I certainly did enjoy both the writing and reading of this dynamic duo.

 Please enjoy, and don't forget to leave me a little note once in a while!