Jean Henry Mead Tells Us About A Spunky Virtual Tour & Her Own Books

The cover on the left is from a A Village Shattered, first in my Logan & Cafferty series.

On the right is Murder on the Interstate, my recent release and third novel in the series.

The series features my two 60-year old amateur women sleuths traveling the West in their motorhome solving murders. They  change their home base in the first novel from central California to central Wyoming (as I've done).

The Mountain photo is taken from the deck of our retirement ranch house (where we now live) in Wyoming's Laramie Mountains at 6,800 feet.

And now, here's something about the exciting, Spunky Virtual Tour - 

When fifteen mature mystery writers get together online to party—the oldest in her eighties—you have the makings for holiday fun, with more than 60 books to be given away.

The “Mystery We Write” Virtual Book Tour is planned for a two-week run from November 25 until December 9. Fifteen tours will take place concurrently on a rotating basis, with the writers hosting one another on their blog sites. Sound confusing? It could be if Anne K. Albert wasn’t coordinating the schedule, which can be found on my blog site: http://jeansblogtour.blogspot.com/

The tour has been in the planning stage since August, with the writers working on writing their articles and answering interview questions as well as collectively deciding the details of the tour. Among the writers are Tim, Hallinan, Marilyn Meredith, Michael Orenduff, Jinx Schwartz, Earl Staggs, Beth Anderson, John Daniel, Jackie King, Ron Benrey, Alice Duncan, Pat Browning, M.M. Gornell and Wendy Gager, all of whom will be offering writing advice and tidbits about their books and lives. There will even be pictures of their writing work spaces.

They’ll also be drawing names to award their mystery novels to visitors who leave comments and their screen names. So, if you enjoy the intrigue of mysteries and suspense, there’s a good chance of winning at least one book while getting to know the writers and how they operate.

I hope you’ll check out the schedule on my blog site and visit some, if not all the sites, listed. We all wish you the best and happiest of holidays!

For more about Jean Henry Mead, you're invited to visit:

http://www.henrymead.com/

Please welcome Jean here by leaving a comment below.

Spunky Senior, Ginger Simpson, Has Just the Right Fit

I suppose being called a "Spunky Senior" isn't a bad thing.  I took me a long time to readily admit that I'd reached senior citizen status, but now I happily accept it because it does come with perks.  I get a check on the third Wednesday of every month, and my medical care, at least for the time being, is awesome.  The best part of being my age is having a grandson I cherish, but then if you know me, you've already heard about Spencer.  He's what keeps me "spunky."

I love to write, and I hope it shows in my work.  My upcoming release, Just the Right Fit, happens to be about a more mature heroine, and hopefully shows that romance is possible at any age.  I like to think that all my heroines are spunky, young and old, because if you're just living life day to day and not enjoying it, then you're missing out.  Here's a little teaser from Just the Right Fit, which is coming soon to Muse It Up Publishing (http://www.museituppublishing.com/):

Carolyn held an expensive walking shoe in her hand under the guise of inspecting it, but the gaze from the corner of her eye remained fixed on the handsome, mature salesman arranging a display across the room. The heat of his occasional glance served as a magnet, pulling her attention to him. She couldn’t ignore him if she tried.  He definitely was new—not the kind of hunk a gal forgot.

She shopped this specialty store whenever she needed new shoes, even though the prices were outside her restrictive budget.  One couldn’t put a tag on comfort, yet a pang of guilt stabbed at her as she thought of all the other things she needed: new tires, Freon for her car air conditioning, even a new bra.  Something had drawn her here today, but this was the first time she’d run across something much more interesting than footwear. Even at sixty-four and long past being a giddy schoolgirl, she hadn’t forgotten the feelings of an emotional roller coaster.

Countless years had passed since she’d been on a date, and the urge to flirt gnawed at her, but she’d forgotten how.  Back in the day, she would have had no qualms initiating a conversation and exchanging numbers, but her youth had sailed away, leaving her nothing but insecurities from a failed marriage and the string of bum relationships that followed.  Early retirement, forced by a situation with an intolerable boss, and the onslaught of legal matters, denied benefits, and health issues had taken a toll on her sanity.  Maybe she was crazier than she thought to believe anyone would find her in the least bit interesting.

She released a loud sigh and carried the single shoe back to a seat, waiting for service.  How could she get so excited over someone she didn’t even know? She stared into her lap and prayed for composure from the flush creeping up her neck. Maybe she should’ve shopped for a bra today instead.

“May I help you?”  The timbre of his voice matched the broadness of his shoulders and made her jump.  His tall silhouette blocked the light filtering through the front window, and her dipped chin seemed frozen in place.

She forced her head up.  “Y-es, I-I…” The words she sought lodged behind a lump in her throat. 

“I assume you’re holding the shoe you’re interested in.”  His smile dimpled his cheeks and displayed white, even teeth.

 An air of charisma hung about him while she felt caught up in a bubble of ridiculousness. She forced a smile and with trembling fingers, handed him the shoe.  “Yes, size seven please.”

Why in the world did this man have such an effect on her?  Could the draw be the splashes of gray at his temples?  It couldn’t be the slight limp she detected when he walked through the curtain to the storeroom.  But there was something—definitely something.  She thrummed her fingertips on the chair’s arm and fidgeted in her seat, waiting for his return—almost dreading the feelings he stirred and unsure how to handle them.

“Here we go.”  He appeared through the split material in the doorway with a beige box bearing the familiar logo of the footwear she’d learned to love.  With one hand, he hiked up his khaki slacks before kneeling in front of her. He removed her left shoe, his grasp warming her heel when he slipped off her worn pump.

*****************************

Hope you enjoyed this snippet.  Muse initiated the "Persephone Line" specifically for mature main characters.  Just so happened that my friend, Caryl, shared her experience with me at the right time and prompted this sweet romance.  I'm a true believer in love.  Having a husband who is ten years my junior keeps me feeling young and on my toes.  I joke about nagging him more to make him age at a faster rate, but reality is I need to adjust my attitude and act more his age than my own. Although no one seems shocked when I tell them I'm sixty-five, I hope they silently think, "Gosh, she sure doesn't look or act it."  Okay, so I can dream, can't I?  Sadly, they card everyone who buys alcohol here in Tennessee, and I find it highly annoying now when in the past I would have been flattered.  You'd think the age spots on my hands would be proof enough.  *lol* Age is just a number, and in my mind, I'm still twenty.  From one "spunky" senior to another...happy reading, and may your romance stay young and healthy forever.

Spice Up Your Life with Ginger

Ginger Simpson

http://www.gingersimpson.com

http://mizging.blogspot.com

Spunky Nemo James - Musician, Outdoorsman and Author



Nemo James



Born and based in England, Nemo James worked as a professional musician and singer/songwriter for more than 30 years. He now lives in Croatia with his wife Federika and their cat Jutko who is becoming intolerable following his rise to fame on Youtube.

Among other pastimes, Nemo gets enjoyment from outdoor activities. Here's what he says about them:

I suppose I am very lucky in finding that I get a lot of enjoyment out of some of the most mundane pastimes and there is no shortage of those where I live now. Yesterday I had to untangle 12 years of untamed growth of a huge grape vine and a climbing rose. 

 I have no idea what I am doing so I just hope I see them again in the spring.

I then took the boat out fishing and to my delight caught some squid to make a delicious lunch today washed down by some home made wine.  I have to complete a website to advertise our beautiful new apartment at the top of our house with an amazing view of the sea. That was last winter’s project. DIY in such a big house is endless. I have to start on a complete refit of our bathroom but have been putting it off until the weather turns bad but amazingly it is still like summer here in Croatia. I don’t have the heart to work inside when the sun is shining. I am even going to have a go at making crumpets as you can’t buy them here.

Having spent most of my life frantically pursuing one professional project or another I have decided to devote this winter to myself and get down to the long put off tasks of teaching myself bridge and becoming fluent in this impossible Croatian language.  I am also toying with the idea of starting a “karate for the over 50s” class which would be great exercise during the winter months when there is no swimming. The trouble is knowing the people here I suspect I won’t get anyone interested unless I offer free cheese and wine with every lesson.

It seems Nemo James already leads a busy life, but also on his plate is a new book, all about the hidden life of musicians. Here's what he says about it:

In Just A Few Seconds I wanted to write about what life is like for the 99% of musicians that don’t become rich and famous but still earn a good living often working for the rich and famous. The most interesting stories I have to tell are not about backing artists like Tom Jones and Cliff Richards or playing at private parties for Sheik Yamani or the Aga Khan but stories about holiday camp epidemics, strippers with flatulence and being the cause of US military personnel being Court Martialed. It is amazing how music is such a huge part of everyone’s life and yet so little is known about the ordinary working musicians who supply that music.

Visit Nemo James at his website http://www.nemojames.com/

Find Nemo James at his tour page at Pump Up Your Book

Watch his videos at You Tube

If you care to drop by, Nemo James will also be a guest on Friday, October 28, 2011 at http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/, where he'll expand about his life as a musician and his new book.

Spunky Max Elliott Anderson Interviews a President And Travels the World to Film



Max Elliott Anderson



I’m one of those people who will probably never retire. I felt this way long before the economic downturn and it’s primarily because I like to stay as active as possible. And I guess I’m one of those typical Boomers who never expected, or intended to get older. But I’m also a realist.

In a short period of time, I signed up for Medicare and my wife began taking early Social Security. Oh my goodness, what’s going on here? And on top of that, we’re going to become first-time grandparents in a couple of more months.

My life has always included film, video, and television commercial production. I love marketing and promotion. Many of those opportunities have also diminished with the economy, but I’m always interested in the next production. One of the most interesting experience I've had was a private, one hour video interview with President Ronald Reagan as he visited his boyhood home for the last time here in Illinois. My work has also taken me all over the world. I shot Liam Neeson's first feature film, Pilgrim's Progress.



Max Elliott Anderson
Speaking in Warsaw



Two recent productions included live streaming video. The first one covered the National Table Tennis Championships. An interesting event there included an exhibition between US and Chinese members of the original Ping-Pong Diplomacy teams. A few months later, I worked on a similar production covering the National Show Ski Championships. In that case, this link will take you to that material. http://waterski.teamusa.org/video  If you can imagine, I stood behind a video camera for more than 22 hours over two days, in the rain, hot sun, and survived it.

I also know of many situations where people dreamed of retirement, reached that goal, and died. I don’t believe we were wired to come to a stopping point like that. I admire people who do retire but then find other nearly full time activities to keep them sharp, vital, and involved.

PS. One of the attached pictures is of me shooting a film in a remote area of New Guinea, 50 miles from headhunter who lived up river. I'm the one wearing the yellow and blue-striped shirt.

Max Elliott Anderson

Books for Boys Blog http://booksandboys.blogspot.comMy Youtube Videos http://www.youtube.com/user/Maxbooks100#p/u
Author Web Site http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/index_1.html

Please leave a comment for Max about his busy and adventurous life.

Spunky Senior, Mike Befeler, Visits Hard Rock Mines



Mike Befeler



Living in Colorado, I enjoy hiking during the summer and snowshoeing during the winter. On weekends I often go along the east side of the Continental Divide on various expeditions. This summer I had an opportunity to visit a number of old mine sites as part of an organized tour of hard rock mines. Our first stop was Caribou, a once thriving mining community of several thousand people at the end of the nineteenth century, now home to exactly zero human occupants.

Our next stop was the Cardinal mill, in operation during the beginning of the twentieth century.

Bluebird Mine Bunkhouse



From here we went to the Bluebird mine. The picture is of the bunkhouse that was also used in the 1966 movie, Stagecoach.



Wallstreet Mill

 Our final stop of the day was at the Wallstreet assay office and abandoned mill from the beginning of the twentieth century. Investors from New York provided the financial backing, but the mill went bust after a few years of operation.

Although these mines and mills are now abandoned, they contribute to an interesting history of the region and are well worth visiting.

Mike Befeler, Author of Senior Moments Are Murder, Retirement Homes Are Murder  http://www.mikebefeler.com/, http://www.mikebefeler.blogspot.com/

Please welcome Mike to our blog by leaving a comment.

Spunky Vacation

Spunky Seniors blog is taking a vacation while its owner is on vacation. More spunky blogs coming your way starting Oct 13.

Cruisin' With Spunky Senior, Mona Risk



From the Nile Cruise



Cruises are becoming the most common way to see the world and unwind in an enjoyable surrounding. My husband calculated that it was cheaper to board a ship from Fort Lauderdale and go on a week cruise than pay airfare, hotel, restaurants and entertainments.

Carnaval offers good family rate and you see a lot of children on Carnaval ships, especially around school holiday.



Royal Caribbean’s latest creation is a humongous ship called Oasis. Friends told us they felt they were in a fancy hotel with a huge market area, but they lost the special pleasure of the ocean view from every corner as many lounges are set in the middle of the ship. In addition, with so many people on board the service lacked the VIP treatment offered on smaller ships.



My favorite cruise line is Princess. We cruise with them over ten times in the Caribbean, Mediterranean Sea, South America, and Polynesian Islands. I highly appreciate their accommodations, shows and food. Beside, they have special accommodations, wider rooms and bathrooms in addition to wheel chairs for senior citizens and handicaps. Their frequent cruisers are often upgraded to better rooms or suits with vase of flowers, fruits baskets and drinks set in their rooms to greet them.



The Royal Palace in Budapest



Two years ago, we discovered the River Cruise lines: Memphis, to cruise the Nile River in Egypt and visit the monuments of Luxor, Karnack and Abou Simble—what a magnificent treat. And two weeks ago, Avalon to cruise the Danube from Bucharest, Romania, to Vienna, Austria. We also visited Bulgaria nd the Black Sea, stopped in Belgrade, Serbia, and Budapest, Hungary, an unforgettable trip I blogged about twice on www.monarisk.blogspot.com



During one of our cruises, we met a woman in her seventies who lives ten months a year on a cruise ship. She sold her house and her car, and explained that on a cruise ship she doesn’t have to fix her room, or prepare her meals. She enjoys movies and performances without having to drive to a theater. She has plenty of books to read, a laptop to connect with the world and makes friends with other travelers. The doctor on board knows her well and takes care of her little problems. Sometimes she joins a tour and visits a new place. Twice a year she spends a month at her children and goes through all her medical checkups, buys her supply of medicine and reserves the next cruise. She told me she was writing her memoirs.

Would you be able to live on a ship?

If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances.

I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with passion.

http://www.monarisk.com/