Mary E. Trimble

Crossed Trails (Whiskey Creek Press) by Eunice Boeve is a fast-paced, skillfully crafted and exciting western.

After trailing a herd of longhorns from Texas to Montana, Joshua Ryder is determined to settle near the Pacific Ocean, a place where no one would know his father was a violent outlaw and his mother a prostitute.

In the spring of 1877, Josh begins his journey west when he encounters a Nez Perce woman and her newborn baby. The woman is unresponsive and unable to care for her new-born on her own. He feels obligated to do what he can and takes them to Virginia City, Montana. Knowing the town will not welcome an Indian woman, he finds a home for them with an old washerwoman, Jesse, who has met with an accident and is unable to work. In order to pay the woman for board, Josh takes on whatever work he can find. Their lives are further complicated when a little Chinese girl joins the make-shift family.

As their lives become entwined, Josh’s intentions to move on become more distant. With all these complications, he can’t in good conscience leave. Adding to their hardships, the old woman becomes ill and Josh must hire someone to take care of her, the Nez Perce woman and her child, plus the little Chinese girl.

As much as he tries to avoid admitting it, Josh is smitten with Jolene, the young woman he hires to help. But a relationship is impossible. He won’t subject her to someone with his past. In any event, if she knew about his parents, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

Along comes Eli, the old woman’s worthless grandson, and their world turns from troubled to dangerous. Josh is framed for a murder. He could run from the law, probably successfully. Or he could stay and face his accusers. But can he hide from his past? In either case, he’s bound to lose those he’s come to love.

Crossed Trails is a sequel to Ride a Shadowed Trail, though each book stands alone. Boeve provides the reader with enough of the first story’s details to enhance the threads of the second. Boeve is a gifted storyteller and knowledgeable about the times and mannerisms of the era.

To learn more about the author, visit www.euniceboeve.net

A Writers’ Platform

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Mary

(Picture Caption: From Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustration by Sir John Tenniel, 1865)

I used to think of a platform as a raised surface to stand on, a stage for public speaking, something to give the audience a better view of the speaker.

Today’s platform, at least in a writer’s sense, is really the same thing. It’s a way for people to see us, get to know us, to be recognized. For writers, a platform is a necessity, particularly with the decline of promotional assistance from publishers. Here are ways we as writers can build our platforms:

A website is a must for writers. People crave information about their interests. An attractive, uncluttered website offers readers a chance to get to know you, your work, and how to achieve the bottom line, buy your books. Adding links to other points of interest helps enrich your visitors’ experience, along with your Google ranking..

Videos have become a popular way to show your work. My husband Bruce recently created a video on the popular venue, YouTube, for my latest book, a memoir, TUBOB: Two Years in West Africa with the Peace Corps. In this video he featured many of the images and sounds of Africa. There was a learning curve, even for a computer savvy person like Bruce, but he found a free program to accomplish what he wanted to do. You can view the video here:

Social media such as Facebook and Twitter provide a way to reach out to the world. Facebook allows people to build connections, express identities and tell their unique stories. Many writers have a personal page and a professional page. This allows two types of contacts and helps to reach a wider audience. Not always, but on occasion a writer may want to link back to her website to emphasize a point, to share a video or a good review..

Twitter provides bite-sized updates on people you have chosen to follow or those who follow you. It’s another way to stir up interest in your passion, your book, or to open up your world to others’ ideas. The point is, social media provides an avenue of communication otherwise not possible.

Although there are other social media besides Facebook and Twitter, such as Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, most of us have to limit our time and energy to two or three types of social media. Each one is distinct with different benefits and abilities to engage and connect with others.

Many authors are finding a terrific niche in on-line sales. They’re reaching an audience they could never have tapped before.

Blogging provides an excellent venue for marketing our work. I was a reluctant blogger, but once I started I realized it opened a new world of communication for me. I can write about anything that interests me, knowing that some of what I blog about will interest others, too. I vary my topics, interspersing book reviews, health tips, pieces about travel destinations, topics relating to my own writing, such as research, or even writing tips. My blog is mine to do with as I please. As my list of readers grows, so does my reputation. Interviewing others on your blog and being interviewed on other blogs also widens your reach. Making meaningful comments on others’ blogs is another way to reach out.

Newsletters are an excellent way to stay in touch with readers. It has been my observation that writers either blog or send out newsletters. It would be hard for me to imagine having time for both. Newsletters are great for bringing people into your life with up-to-date information on what you are doing.

Media publicity such as local newspapers, radio and television, are rich sources of promotion. Right after I received my first shipment of Tubob, I sent our local newspaper a press release and followed up with a phone call. The editor asked for additional information and a copy of the book. From the resulting article, I could tell the reporter had not only read the book, he referred to material from my website.

Some people feel this type of promotion should be done well before the release of a book, even as long as six months. In my experience, I have found it works better to have the book in hand. We live in a fast-paced society and people demand instant gratification or they lose interest.

Printed Material, such as business cards, bookmarks and postcards, give people a tangible reminder of who you are and helps to showcase your work.

Personal appearances are a powerful way to be noticed. Setting up a table to showcase my books at arts and crafts shows, fairs, retail store events, local festivals and speaking engagements bring me the biggest sales. The problem with this is that it isn’t practical to go too far from home unless you are funded. Within a reasonable distance from home, book stores, libraries, community centers, and specific clubs aimed at your genre, would love to have speakers, either on the topic of writing or specifically about your book, such as its required research, or even what you learned from writing your book.

With a variety of low-cost or even free aids, writers can build a platform to reach readers who otherwise would not have noticed us. Through a well-designed website, videos, social media, blogging, newsletter, media publicity, printed material, and personal appearances, our interests and our creative works can be shared all over the world.

Book Review: Broken for You

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Mary

Broken for You (Grove Press) by Stephanie Kallos is a beautifully crafted debut novel, a story of repair, healing and redemption

Elderly Margaret Hughes lives alone in the Seattle mansion where she spent her childhood, surrounded by valuable antiques her father collected. She can identify each object and spends her days alone, caring for her house and its precious contents.

Wanda Schultz, although able to capably function professionally, is nursing a broken heart. Her only goal in life is to find her boyfriend who has left her to “find himself.” Abandoned as a child and now as an adult, she clings to the idea of what never seems possible to her, a solid relationship.

Margaret learns she has a terminal illness and forms a plan to take in a boarder. Wanda, who, after her boyfriend left, is living at the YWCA, takes up residence with Margaret. Although their relationship is formal at first, they soon form a bond.

The population in the mansion increases as one person after another finds their way to Margaret’s home, each contributing a vital role. Although on some level Margaret knows where many of her antiques came from, she is suddenly faced with the horror and guilt that they had once been possessions of European Jews and confiscated by Nazis. The household bonds in their determination to do the right thing by these stolen treasures.

This novel is many things, but primary are the importance of family and the power of forgiveness. The many irresistible characters Kallos has woven into this memorable tale all have a story, but eventually their paths lead to the same destination.

Raised in Seattle, I loved the setting and could picture the author’s vivid sense of place. Kallos furnishes just the right amount of detail, so that readers not familiar with Seattle will have an understanding of the area.

Broken for You is a moving, endearing story of survival and triumph.

Book Review: Stone Heart’s Woman

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Mary

Stone Heart’s Woman (Wild Rose Press Publication) by Velda Brotherton is a finely crafted historical romance. Brotherton’s vivid descriptions quickly bring the reader into the thick of the story, whether it’s a passionate love scene, or a stark, frozen landscape.

Seriously injured in battle, Stone Heart, the son of a Cheyenne woman and George Armstrong Custer, painfully makes his way to what appears to be an abandoned sod house.

Aiden Conner, deserted by her financ , is run out of town in the dead of winter as a “loose woman.” After walking a distance and nearly freezing, she seeks shelter in a run-down soddy. To survive she must build a fire in the pot-belly stove and goes out to collect wood. When she returns, she finds a fierce blonde-haired Indian.

At first, Stone Heart speaks only his native tongue, having made a vow that he would never again speak the language of his father. It becomes clear that in order to survive, Stone Heart must accept the help of Aiden to treat his wounds. Likewise, Aiden needs his help to survive the wilderness.

Stone Heart is filled with hate for his father who betrayed the Cheyenne. His people have been forced from their land, starved and slaughtered. He lived with his mother until he was twelve, then sent away to be educated in white schools, passing as a white boy. He knows both worlds and has returned to live the life of a Cheyenne to do what he can for his people.

Aiden wants only to return to the safety of her family in the East. But once Stone Heart speaks English and they converse, they find a passionate attraction. But it appears to be a hopeless love–they have opposite goals and neither wants to interfere with the other’s plans.

A gifted story teller, Brotherton weaves an unforgettable tale. Stone Heart’s Woman passionately describes the plight of the Indian and the ensuing terror on the frontier.

To learn more about the author, visit www.VeldaBrotherton.com

Writing TUBOB: A Dream Fulfilled

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Mary

Well, it’s about time. What I had fantasized about for so many years–writing about our two years in West Africa–has at last become a reality. What took me so long? I wonder that myself. I guess in my mind it was such an overwhelming experience, so personal and heart-felt, I wasn’t sure I could put it adequately into words.

For me, it’s easy to make up a story. I’ve done it since I was a little kid. My older sister taught me. I’d beg her to tell me a story and she finally said, “Mary, make up your own story. Think of something you’d like to hear or read, and tell yourself a story.” That first time, she gave me an opening sentence and I took off from there.

Along the way my need to tell stories became three novels, all contemporary western, all well received: Tenderfoot, McClellan’s Bluff, and Rosemount.

But to tell something that’s true, that represents our own heart-felt and hard-won experiences, is different. For some reason I couldn’t get past the idea that it wasn’t a “story,” it was true to life, sometimes painfully so.

Sure, I could write little snippets and I did write about a few experiences on my blog with favorable results and encouragement to write a book. But these were usually positive experiences, and our two years in Africa were not all positive. They were often grueling, discouraging, even scary. But are we glad we did it? Absolutely!

Finally, I decided I would have no peace until I at least tried to write the story about our Peace Corps experience in The Gambia. We had asked our families to save our letters to them. I couldn’t stand the duplication of effort to keep a journal and write home. This was before email, so all our letters were either hand written or typed (I had sacrificed space and weight to take a manual typewriter).

I sorted through all the letters written by both of us, putting them in date order. I began to see I needed to have some sort of index so that I could avoid volumes of data entry, so I created a computer index with various subjects: names, Bruce’s work, my work, animals, etc., and referred to a coded recipient and the date. Soon, I had 42 pages of categorized key words. And I had my inspiration. I relived those years, remembered the sweat and tears, and the joys. Despite the elapsed years, thanks to our letters home, I could recount details that would make the story real to readers.

It took me two months to go through and annotate all the stacks of letters. In January, 2012, I began to write my memoir and wrote straight through to May. Editing and proofing is another matter, but I enjoyed that part, too.

I had worried that I might offend some people we knew in Africa. In most instances, I use actual names for real people. But in a few cases, I have changed the names to avoid hurt feelings or embarrassment. In a couple of instances, in the interest of clarity, I have combined characters.

Bruce took hundreds of 35 mm pictures while in The Gambia. We had mounted the slides in trays and every once in awhile we viewed them or shared the pictures and stories with others. Once I could see an actual memoir in the making, we invested in the equipment necessary to convert the slides into digital form. Bruce spent countless hours selecting and editing the pictures so that we would have meaningful images for the beginning of each chapter. Bruce also designed the book’s cover, using his artistic talent to make a cover representative of the story.

So, finally, we have produced an honest recounting of our two years in The Gambia with the Peace Corps. I have made every effort to be objective, and to fairly and honestly tell the story of our time in a third-world country.

Perhaps I needed to wait 30 years so that I could be more objective. Surely, I have gained in wisdom and global awareness in that time. We have never been back to The Gambia, but I hear from people who have and they report not much has changed. Electricity does not reach many homes, people still haul water from a well, many of the struggles remain the same. Education is more available. With the Internet, Peace Corps volunteers now have better communication with family and friends back home. That would be a huge improvement and eliminate many of the anxieties we felt.

Some lessons I learned remain. You take the bad with the good. You live in the moment. And in the bad times, remember that “this too shall pass.”

TUBOB: Two Years in West Africa with the Peace Corps is available at local bookstores, Amazon.com, or through my website, www.MaryTrimbleBooks.com

Book Review: The Proof is in the Poodle

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Mary

The Proof is in the Poodle: One Veterinarian’s Exploration into Healing by Donna Kelleher, DVM, gives readers a chance to explore alternatives to traditional treatment for ailing dogs, cats and horses. Kelleher seeks to treat the whole animal, the physical, emotional and spiritual facets of their lives.

In her youth, Kelleher works on Saturdays with Iris, a neighborhood healer. Gardening with Iris, Kelleher learns the healing qualities of plants, how to preserve them, how to prepare them to make teas or salves. From Iris, she also learns that public opinion isn’t as important as following your heart.

While attending Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Kelleher becomes aware of certain practices that are contrary to what she believes would be better, more effective healing treatments. She finds the common practice of dispensing chemicals repugnant, of euthanasia as being a choice too easily taken.

Kelleher becomes further trained in veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic medicine and becomes a member of the Veterinarian Botanical Medical Association. Using these skills along with those she learned from Iris, her childhood mentor, she finds ways to holistically treat animals without pharmaceutical intervention.

Not everyone will agree with Dr. Kelleher’s views. Eking out another week of an old dog’s life may be difficult for many to grasp. But to cure a disease with herbs rather than with chemicals that often introduce harmful side-effects, may make sense to many.

The Proof is in the Poodle: One Veterinarian’s Exploration into Healing offers well-founded viewpoints on healing. Whether or not you’d want to take this path, the small volume offers enlightened opinions on healing and treating the whole animal. The book is written with humor and heart.

To learn more about Donna Kelleher, DVM, visit www.wholepetvet.com

Obesity: It’s Time to Act

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Mary

It’s a national problem. Look around and you’ll find obese and overweight people outnumbering the healthy and fit.

The statistics are grim. About 34 percent of kids 2 to19 years old in the U.S. are obese or overweight. One third of adults are obese, another third overweight.

What’s the difference between obese and overweight? Overweight means a body exceeds the recommended weight for height and bone structure. Generally, obesity in adults means 100 pounds over their recommended weight. Childhood obesity occurs when a child is well above the normal weight for his age and height.

A serious problem with childhood obesity is that it puts the child on the path of adult obesity and introduces associated diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Childhood obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression.

Genes play a role, but DNA in humans has not changed in the last generation. The American lifestyle and eating habits have changed.

What can be done? How can we reverse this trend? Adults need to take the lead, not only to promote a healthy lifestyle for themselves, but for their children as well.

Following are ideas to embrace a healthy lifestyle:

– Think in terms of a healthy life style, rather than the negatively perceived “losing weight.” Do not restrict food, instead have a variety of healthy foods available. Avoid labeling foods “good” and “bad,” but rather emphasize that protein and calcium will give strength in sports performance. Fresh fruits and vegetables will give luster to skin and hair. Walking and/or running will make your legs shapely.

– Kids, and adults, will eat what’s in the pantry and refrigerator. Stock only healthy foods. Keep a bowl of fruit handy on the kitchen counter. A parent’s example is stronger than anything you can tell a child. Don’t expect a child to reach for an apple when he sees a parent munching on potato chips.

– Make meals count. Eat at the dinner table, not in front of the TV or in the car. Be mindful of what you eat. Make family dinners a pleasant event and a time for sharing thoughts. Prepare dinner plates in the kitchen to ensure balanced meals. After everything on the plate is eaten, allow second helpings of favorites. Serve the family’s favorite fruits and vegetables more frequently, giving everyone a say in what is served.

– Health experts suggest covering half the plate with fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables will satisfy appetites better than snack foods.

– Educate the family on healthy food. A diet soft drink isn’t a healthy choice, even if it has fewer calories. Praise family members and friends when you see they make healthy choices.

– Don’t use food as a reward. Instead reward yourself and your children with some fun time out that involves physical activity.

– Become physically active. Walk, play ball, swim, join a health club. Try to do something physical for at least an hour a day. Children should spend even more time with physical activity. Limit time in front of a TV, computer or cell phone.

As a nation, we must act on this unhealthy overweight epidemic. I often see people buying cases of soft drinks, giant packages of chips, super sized bags of candy. This trend must stop or we’ll have a nation crippled by our eating habits. Change won’t happen overnight, but it’s imperative we start NOW.

Book Review: The Egg Rocker

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Mary

The Egg Rocker by Jack Gunter takes you from tranquil Camano Island, WA to the jungles of South America, with hair-raising stops in between. The fast-paced novel is the second in the Wally Winchester Adventure series.

Wally Winchester makes a winning on-line bid on an antique chair, an egg rocker and he naively plans to go to South America to pick it up. As it happens, his live-in partner, Rae Roberts, a professional photographer, has a photo shoot assignment from National Geographic in Chile, so they travel together. Wally leaves Rae in Chile and drives a rented truck to collect his treasured chair from South America. The chase is on.

Wally picks up the chair, but then is drawn to other antiques, European artifacts stored in old barns or run-down shops in unsavory parts of various towns. Later, Wally is joined by an old friend, a recently retired Russian who worked for a United Nations agency recovering stolen national properties. Together Wally and Yvgeney scour shops in the South American countryside, seeking antiques. Along the way, Yvgeney’s investigative background begins to surface, revealing alarming facts.

The story maintains high-pitched excitement as the two antique dealers weave themselves into a web of underground intrigue. When they finally return to Camano Island, their troubles aren’t far behind.

The author, a well-known northwest artist, is also an antique collector, so speaks with authority on the subject. His sense of humor, together with his knowledge of antiques make for a fascinating read. The three book series, Original Finish, The Egg Rocker, and Mother of God, all deal with mystery and intrigue. They’re meaty, complex mysteries that provide scary moments with plenty of laughter thrown in.

To learn more about the author, visit www.JackGunterArt.com.

Sixty Miles of Beauty: Oregon’s Central Coast

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Mary

One of the most beautiful coastlines in the world can be viewed along Oregon’s Highway 101. The amazing variety of sights include broad, sandy beaches, high, sheer cliffs, craggy shoreline rock outcroppings, historical lighthouses, majestic forests and gigantic sand dunes, all connected by architecturally impressive bridges.

State and private parks abound for RVers and campers, or hotels, motels, condos, and bed & breakfast establishments for those who don’t care to haul equipment. Over the years, we have visited most of the coastal parks and have our favorites. On our last trip, we concentrated on Oregon’s Central Coast which stretches 60 miles from Lincoln City to Yachats with Depoe Bay, Newport, and Waldport in between.
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We camped north of Newport at Beverly Beach State Park where getting to the beach is a breeze. An attractive arched walkway leads visitors under the highway and onto a wide, sandy beach stretching from the Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the headlands of Otter Rock. Brave souls surf; beach combers find their treasures along a shoreline known for its fossils.

The park’s interpretive programs and the displays found along nature trails teach visitors about bats, beavers, cocoons and salmon migration. Close by, whale watching is popular at several spots including Depot Bay, Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint and Yaquina Head.

Stopping at a Visitor Center is worthwhile for tips on what to see and do in the area, to purchase books or souvenirs, or talk to the knowledgeable people behind the counter.

We like to make a State Park our headquarters and branch out from there to explore. The seaside towns are fun and we spent time in several. Newport is one of our favorite places and is home to the famous Oregon Coast Aquarium and Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center. Each unique little town offers its specialty and the drive between them is always spectacular with ocean views.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse, visible to the south of Beverly Beach State Park, is a must-visit. Its 93-foot tower is the tallest on the Oregon coast and stands 162 feet above sea level. Completed in 1873, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse beacon is visible 19 miles out to sea, flashing its unique pattern of 2 seconds on, 2 seconds off, 2 seconds on, 14 seconds off. The adjacent Yaquina Head Interpretive Center helps visitors appreciate the rich history of the area.

The town of Florence, Oregon, south of the park and situated on the bend of the Suslaw River, is the gateway to the spectacular Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The area is popular among off-road-vehicle riders, but also has areas closed to all but foot traffic.

Five bridges cross channels along Highway 101: Yaquina Bay in Newport, Alsea Bay in Waldport, Siuslaw River in Florence, Umpqua River in Reedsport, and Coos Bay in North Bend. Four of the five bridges were built in 1936 and were designed by Conde B. McCullough, Oregon’s master bridge builder. The bridge McCullough designed for Alsea Bay had to be replaced in 1991, but the new bridge pays tribute to McCullough by incorporating an arch, which was a hallmark of his bridge designs. An impressive little free museum, Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center in Waldport, offers good information on Oregon’s McCullough bridges.

The Oregon Coast is a satisfying, exciting destination, whatever your preferred lodging might be. Oregon’s coastline is often referred to by North, Central and South Coast. Each is unique and beckons, “Come, stay awhile.”

Book Review: The Inheritors

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Mary

The Inheritors, a novel by Judith Kirscht’s (New Libri Press), offers thought-provoking views of challenges and conflicts between nationality, class and race.

Alicia Barron attends the funeral of her dearest girlhood friend, the friend’s husband and their child who were killed in an automobile accident. Although once as close as kin, she finds herself an outsider now, not only to this family, but even to her own mother. This animosity dates back to Alicia’s college years when she participated in the violent Vietnam War demonstrations.

Raised Latino, Alicia never knew her Chilean father who was killed in Korea before she was born. With her dark hair and eyes, she never suspected she was anything but Latino. Even when asked, her mother didn’t share information about her own background, but simply lived in the moment. Alicia and her mother were a pair without history, without relatives, but still, her mother insisted, were a family.

After a long absence, Alicia has returned to the working-class Chicago community where she was raised and she teaches at the same elementary school she attended. Alicia and fellow teacher Ricardo Moreno are in love and share many of the same interests.

Alicia inherits an old, run-down mansion, an estate left by a Chicago industrialist whom she eventually discovers was her grandfather, her mother’s father. She learns that her mother was the daughter of an Italian woman and a white father. Delving into her past, she discovers a line of women who fought and overcame the battles of nationality, class and race.

When she shares her discovery with Ricardo, he is upset and wants her to reject her gringo roots. Their love is threatened and Alicia must decide what path she will take. Should she investigate further and work with her new status? Or, should she follow Ricardo’s desire and pretend she never made the discovery?

The Inheritors is a well-researched book, written about bias, though without bias. It was an eye-opener to me to learn views of some Latinos who live in a diverse, industrial city like Chicago, at least how it was in the 1960’s and 1980’s. Kirscht handles flashbacks smoothly, giving plausible reasons for misunderstandings and conflicts. This is an important novel that reveals views from a fresh perspective.

The Inheritors is currently available as an ebook and is scheduled to be published in print in the fall. To learn more about the author, visit www.JudithKirscht.com.