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CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Pine County Mysteries 

Dean L. Hovey

When the body of a missing cheerleader is found in a ditch, the local police turn the investigation over to the Pine County sheriff’s department, fearing that the girl’s relationship with the son of a local politician could compromise their objectivity.

Upon arriving at the scene, Sergeant CJ Jensen quickly finds herself embroiled in the politics of the girl’s murder and kidnapping. Calling in Pam Ryan to assist with the investigation, the two veteran officers dig into the girl’s obvious relationship with the politician’s son. 

While the boyfriend’s shaky alibi seems paper thin, their interviews with the victim’s friends have them questioning other aspects of her life. A missing laptop computer piques their interest, making them think the murderer’s motive may be buried in her on-line activities.

 

Review Snippets

There is drama, humor and compassion blended perfectly. – Linda J.

I don't know how you keep coming up with these great tales, they're intriguing, scary, funny and hold my attention... Can't wait for another story in Pine County. -Kathy W-B

Enjoyed the twists and turns of this mystery and I learned something new. The officers of pine County are interesting characters and they work together to solve three murders. Two young bodies and a tax collector have little in common. Finding the small thread takes time and energy. This is an enjoyable book and well-written. - Janet W.

Mr Hovey keeps the facts of an investigation very accurate and the characters highly enjoyable. My wife frequently asks what I’m chuckling about. – Greg P.

 

Sunrise Interrupted by Eden Monroe

 

https://bookswelove.net/monroe-eden/

 

In Sunrise Interrupted, actress Alexandra Martel sees her dream come true when she’s cast in the major motion picture production of Retribution. But even a dream come true has its fair share of ups and downs. Such as a dreaded intimate scene that her straight-laced grandmother is understandably not in favour of:

“ ‘Alexandra sighed. “Sorry, I guess intimacy coordinator is the more accurate term. These scenes are very technical, Gram, and take a lot of preparation. An intimacy coordinator is part of the overall team. I’ll admit I’m nervous about doing the scene, so the intimacy coordinator is trying to help me become more comfortable with it.’

‘Don’t get too comfortable with it for heavens sake, you’ll be making a habit of it.’

‘I know it’s hard to understand all of this stuff, Gram, but the end goal for everyone is to make the movie the best it can be. The director and I have already discussed the whole thing. He’s walked me through exactly what will happen. It’s a nude scene, but they have things in place for when….’

‘Things such as what, pray tell?’ her grandmother demanded, cutting her off.

‘Gram….’

‘Alexandra, I’m clearly over eighteen. Tell me.’ “

The entertainment industry is a source of fascination for most people, so I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some fun facts about show business. Let’s start with the first professional stage actress. According to guinnessworldrecords.com that was Margaret Hughes (Hewes) of the United Kingdom. On December 3, 1660 she appeared as Desdemona in Thomas Killigrew’s version of Othello, The Moor of Venice. It was staged at the Vere Street Theatre (a former tennis court) in London, UK.

As you know, many playwrights are also authors, and many authors are also playwrights.

Such is the case with literary giant Agatha Christie who gave us Mousetrap, the two-act play that has become the longest running stage production in London’s West End. It opened in November of 1952, and is nearing its 30,000^th performance.

The first modern celebrity as we understand that word to mean today, was French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).

The golden age of radio began in 1920, and for many it was the only home entertainment medium. There were any number of popular shows, but according to smithsonianmag.com, the most memorable radio broadcast was The War of the Worlds. Adapted from H. G. Wells’ novel of the same name and narrated by Orson Welles, it was featured on October 30, 1938 on a Halloween episode of his Mercury Theatre on the Air. Orson Welles would go on to direct and star in Citizen Kane in 1941, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Director and Best Actor for that same motion picture. Citizen Kane is considered by many as one of the most influential movies ever made, with similar praise for Orson Welles himself.

Moviemaking began with the silent era in 1888 (legacybox.com), and the first film actress was a Canadian-American performer by the name of Florence Lawrence (1886-1938). (She also designed the first automobile turn signal and brake signal). The first film actor was Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) who was originally from the UK. As a side note, Chaplin is the only Hollywood Walk of Fame honouree featured twice for the same star.

The most expensive silent film ever made was Ben-Hur (1925) at almost $4 Million dollars, and the cost to see a movie during those early years could range anywhere from ten cents to twenty-five cents.

As the talkies arrived and moviemaking upped its game, the salaries likewise began to climb. The first film star to receive a guaranteed minimum of $1Million dollars per year was Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle.

The first film actress to sign a $1 Million contract for a guaranteed minimum salary for a single movie was Elizabeth Taylor, appearing in the title role of Cleopatra in 1963.

Today’s salaries are astronomical by comparison, and the five highest paid actresses in the world in 2024 (fincash.com) are: Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Sofia Vergara and Scarlett Johansson. For the men in the same category (also fincash.com) it’s Dwayne Johnson, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Will Smith and Ryan Reynolds.

In terms of the cost of motion picture production today, one of the least expensive movies ever made was The Blair Witch Project at between $35,000 and $60,000 (initial outlay). According to recordhead.biz, the project later received “between $200,000 and $750,000 from Artisan Entertainment for post-production” and grossed $248.6 Million worldwide.

On the other hand, the most expensive modern-day movie according to collider.com was Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), which officially holds that record at $533 Million, and went on to realize more than $2 Billion dollars at the worldwide box office (the-numbers.com).

As for the age of actors appearing in movies, I went to opposite ends of the spectrum to find Ronald LeRoy Overacker (Baby LeRoy) who in 1933 was under contract in the motion picture industry at just six months of age (imdb.com). His grandfather had to sign the contract on his behalf because his mother at sixteen was also too young. At the other end was Jeanne Calment (imdb.com) “who recalled selling coloured pencils to Van Gogh.” She made a brief appearance in the movie Vincent and Me in 1990 at the age of 114, thereby making her the oldest actor ever to appear in a movie. Her documented lifespan was 122 years.

And of course television has long been an integral part of the entertainment industry.

General Hospital is the longest running televised soap opera in American history, celebrating its sixty-year anniversary in 2023 (variety.com). Also in terms of popularity, I plucked the following from cbs.com, America’s Most Popular TV shows of all time, ranked: (1) Jeopardy (2) Tom and Jerry Cartoons (3) The Flintstones (4) The Bugs Bunny Show (5) Sesame Street (6) I Love Lucy (7) The Jetsons (8) The Twilight Zone (9) The Golden Girls, and (10) Wheel of Fortune.

The top five most popular television actors of all time, in order (screenrant.com) are: Bryan Cranston, James Gandolfini, Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore, and Alan Alda.

And lastly, a few compelling insights into the entertainment industry in the US at least, (Los Angeles has the title of Entertainment Capital of the World) as set out in the Gitnux Market Data Report 2024 (gitnux.org):

• “Los Angeles County employs 24,000 actors, including extras.
• 54.3% of actors are female, while 45.7% are male.
• Nearly 31.9% of actors have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Less than 15% of actors hold full-time jobs in their profession.
• SAG-AFTRA membership includes over 160,000 actors, broadcast journalists, and other media professionals.
• The acting profession has an expected growth rate of 3% from 2019 to 2029.
• Actors have a median hourly wage of $20.26.
• There are approximately 63,000 actors working in the United States.
• 85% of actors are unemployed at any given time.”

 

https://www.bookswelove.com/monroe-eden/

 

Spring Fever

My Mozart

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April--again! There is something special in the air at the end of this month, and it isn't just pollen. I've always felt a kind of "thinning of the veil" between the worlds as we approach May Day. The sun is higher in the sky now and this year we've had a lot of rain too, so there are flowers galore. We have never been big on lawn cultivation, so the bright green of the new grass is dotted with golden Dandelions, wild violets, white-blooming wild mustard and the purple flowers of Creeping Charlie and other "weeds." 

My proper gardens are full of bulbs--Tulips, Daffodils, and Trout Lilies--most of which are done now, but the Bleeding Hearts, Spanish Bells, Sweet Woodruff, Wild Anemones and a riot of Columbines in different shades are just beginning. It's like Carmina Burana--"Floret, floret, silva nobilis..." as the trees leaf out in the brightest, tenderest green of the year.

This is also the time of the year, when, forty plus years ago, Mozart took over my life, initially through becoming reacquainted with his music through the film of Amadeus. Listening to music has always occupied a good part of my leisure time, but, over the years, I've found most pop music looses its punch quickly. On the other hand, great classical music (and some divine Jazz) can stand millions of iterations, at least inside my particular head. That spring, David Bowie, one of my teenagers' favorites at the time, sang Blue Jean, which had a chorus of: "Somebody Send Me..." 

Mozart, as it turned out, was that "somebody" and he set me off on years of research, library-and-used-bookshop haunting, and obsessive day dreaming, which culminated in my very first novel, My Mozart. This was, fittingly, the story of a impressionable teen female musician, The Magic Flute's first Pamina. Her name was Nanina Gottlieb, and in this story, she completely loses her mind over the genius who is her adored Maestro. 

For me, this overwhelming urge to write was both a blessing and a curse. A curse because years of gainful employment passed me by, while I studied, listened to Mozart's music, dreamed and wrote and re-wrote that book. The blessing part was more than a little surreal, because my heroine spoke to me, a thing which has never happened so dynamically either before or since. Even before I sat down to write, there was Nanina, chattering away, making my fingers itch to grab a pen or hit those keys. 

She kept me awake night after night, sharing her story. She demanded I get up and take, what was, literally, dictation. I began to believe she was real, a ghostly visitor with a long pent-up truth to tell. Naturally, confirmation of this suspicion began to appear everywhere, even within the opera, where Nanina's character sings passionately that she must always speak the truth: "The truth, the truth, even if it be a crime..."  

Mozart's statue in Vienna

Perhaps, I sometimes think, I was kidding myself. As I look back now, I sometimes wonder about my own sanity during that time, however, another discovery I made late during my  researches had the final say.  

"Most painfully affected of all by Mozart's fatal illness was Fraulein Nanina Gottlieb..."

From Joseph Deiner's Memoirs, related at Vienna, 1856

 

~~Juliet Waldron

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Prized Collection, Or Clutter? By Connie Vines #Collections, #Why I Collect #BWL Insider, #Collection, #Author Hobbies

 Like most authors, I collect books, newspaper clippings, writing supplies, and notes from workshops I've attended.

 

I'm also a big fan of Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang.

However, this collection was not of my own doing. I walked into the school office holding my coffee in a mug, an image of Snoopy at his typewriter. 

Of course, someone asked if I liked Snoopy, and I said yes. That was a huge mistake. Why it became an undying topic of conversation, I do not know. Students gave me stickers, adults gave me books, and my children bought me a lunch pail to take to school. I was also selected as a chaperone during the end-of-the-year field trip to Knotts Berry Farm. Why? Yep, you guessed it--Camp Snoopy!

(This is only a peek at my gifted treasures).

Unlike those who may consider my collectibles clutter. I decided to look into the reason people collect items. 

The psychology behind the reason for collecting:

What is the personality of a collector?

 Collectors tend to have above-average financial resources and better levels of education. Their personalities are characterized by High Openness and low Neuroticism (anxiety, depression, self-doubt).

Is collecting stuff a coping mechanism?

Those who collect may have suffered abandonment issues as children or feel that they lack control over their own lives. By gathering and curating objects, they can reverse that feeling. In particular, those with few mementos of their childhood might compensate by holding on to anything they can.

➤ I found this interesting. My father was a career Naval officer. This meant frequent relocations. This also meant he was deployed (submarines) each year for 9 months or longer. (Three years of sea duty, then 3 years of shore assignment. 

So, are you a collector?

Or is clutter your nemeses?

Please post and let me know if you are a collector. 

Please visit the BWL website for new releases, story snippets, and more information.

Happy Reading?

Connie

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

 

The magic of sound shaping the universe - by Vijaya Schartz

Find these and more on my page on the BWL website HERE
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Sound is a vibration we can perceive, but all vibrations emit sounds. Some of them too high or too low on the scale for us to hear. Although, some animals hear a wider range than we do. Sound is everywhere and sound is powerful.

Vibrations create everything, and according to modern science, the solid matter around us is made of atoms that vibrate in perpetual motion. Change the vibration rate of the atoms and you create a different matter. Outlandish? Not really. People do it every day in their kitchen. By heating food too much you burn it. Through the process of heating, you changed the vibration of the atoms in the food, and turned it into charcoal.

Ancient writings say the universe was created through the vibration of sound. In the beginning was the WORD (sound). Interestingly, the planets emit audible vibrations different for each one, so does our sun and all the stars.

Our bodies are made of vibrating atoms as well, even if we do not feel it. But there is a way to experience it. Boost the volume on that sound system and you can feel the base pounding throughout your body. Get close to a rumbling waterfall, and you will feel it in your bones.

According to the ancient Greek, music is a gift of the gods and has been called mathematics in action. Music also has the power to transport us, alter our moods, even elevate our spirits. I remember having out of body experiences while listening to Gregorian chant in church as a child. I was floating high under the arches, disembodied, free, I was flying through the air. It was a wonderful feeling.

The Native American tribes use drums and chanting to create a trance-like state in which to get insight, wisdom, prophecy, a connection with the natural forces of the universe, and higher spiritual understanding.

Monks in India and Tibet chant for hours each day, creating a vibration liable to elevate their soul, body, and spirit to a higher level of spiritual understanding. Temple chanting in India uses the power of mantras special words with spiritual power, like Ohm… In these traditions, mantras have sacred and transformative powers. There are even places where the sound of the mantra never ends and is reverberated by the earth and the sky.

Vijayanagara in India is a sacred place with temples dedicated to musical sounds. Each temple column emits a different sound when struck, to create sacred music that could lift the gods’ vimanas (spacecraft). According to their traditions, the gods were aliens who came to earth in spacecraft, and lived and taught the people and waged great battles in the sky and on other planets.

Lifting spacecraft through chanting not scientific enough for you? Think. Magnetism and infra-sound technology can counteract gravity. And in labs in every country, scientists are studying sound to develop antigravity technology for future space exploration.

All in all, we are made of vibrations that can be altered by sound. We should work on sound research to help all the people on Earth have stress-free, happy, peaceful, harmonious lives… and explore the universe.

You can also explore the universe in my books. I recommend the Azura Universe, with the Byzantium Space Station series, the Azura Chronicles, and the Blue Phantom series. 

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Enjoy!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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