Mandatory Sex Practice by Stuart R. West

Now that I have your undivided attention with that title (sorry, sorry, sorry, etc...), please allow me to explain...

Clickity-click for laughs and mystery fun!

Recently, my awesome mother-in-law sent us a post-holiday card. Within it was a personalized message to me.

"Stuart," it read, "you better start practicing your sex--will expect entertainment in the nursing home."

Huh.

After I rolled my tongue up off the floor and tucked it back into my mouth, I reread the card. Yep. Same thing.

What the...

The ramifications of the note were mind-boggling. And not even a bit cryptic. Kinda an order from her.

Which begs the question: what in the world have my wife and her mom been talking about? Furthermore, what does my mother-in-law mean by "practice?"

I suppose I could use a little boning up on my sex technique. But honestly, I'd rather not have my mother-in-law as teacher.

And what kind of nursing home are we talking about here where sex is used to entertain the crowd? I imagine the facility has quite a long waiting list. (I'd better get signed up now.)

After the fireworks in my head fizzled out, I took a closer look at the note. "Stuart," it read a bit differently this time, "you better start practicing your sax..."

Ooooooohhhhhhh...... Okay. That's better.

Which is my long-winded way of getting to the point. Often (okay, rarely), people ask me where I get my ideas. Nothing's funnier than real people in real situations. This will undoubtedly end up in one of my Zach and Zora comical mysteries as do many people I meet or situations I hear about.

I'm always on the look-out for comedy gold. I mean, you can't make half of this stuff up. At restaurants, I listen. My wife calls it eavesdropping. I call it "artistic license." She also warns everyone we meet to be careful because you could end up in one of my books. Duly warned!

So...have you heard the one about the dumb male stripper and his sharp detective sister working together to solve murders? No? Well, you're late to the party! Click here already for the first book in the series! 

My year in Books Janet Lane Walters #BWLPublishing #MFRWAuthor #Books #Romance

Another Year

Every July, I sit and try to decide what I’ve accomplished during the past year. For many people, their year begins on January 1^st but mine begins on July 17^th. So I decided to look at what I’ve accomplished as a writer. Not talking about big bucks earned but about the books I’ve been able to write.

 

Forgotten Dreams will be out soon. It’s part of a series and I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I last wrote a book in this series. I believe that was 2015. How did I wait so long but that’s because there were so many other books pushing at my boundaries. There are only 7 books to write in this series so perhaps I’ll concentrate on them this coming year.

Murder and Mint tea came out in audio this year and I was pleased to see this. The book was one of my first and has done well for years. Glad to see it has a new life.

 

Finished up the Island of Fyre series and was a fun book to write since there were four dragons. I’m kind of partial to dragons especially when they talk.

 

This was the first of the ones published during my past year of writing. And finished a series Opposites in Love

Hosting a Teddy Bear Picnic, by J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends
Short-listed for Best Young Adult Book 2018 at The Word Guild, Canada 

I've never been to a Teddy Bear picnic. In fact, I didn't know there was such a thing. But when imagination is rampant and your two granddaughters are visiting from Ottawa for a week - well then, everything and anything that is entertaining comes into play.

The imagination of a child is beautiful to behold. Unfettered, it is limitless. Witnessing the unfolding of ideas gives me great joy and is a powerful reminder to tap my own imagination when it comes to writing. The adventures that take place in the playground of your mind can be shifted to real life. Ask any child and they will show you how it's done.

So our Teddy Bear picnic adventure began with a dress code: stripes. Paddy, the name of our big teddy, was too big to carry so we carted him around in a stroller. He was dressed in a striped shirt too. A light lunch was prepared (PB&J wraps, granola bars, grapes) and we headed outside and took a walk through the trails on our property. We had to stop regularly to give the bears a 'drink' of water. Of course, the girls had to have a drink too. We pretended the bears could talk and we held silly conversations with them. I stepped back in time and became a silly kid too.

Their visit became a refresher course for me in the art of creative thinking.

Sometimes we have to pretend our minds have no boundaries.

Because imagination is not just for kids.

J.C. Kavanagh

The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2)
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll

Novels for teens, young adults and adults young at heart

Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com

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