My advice? Crank up your AC or swamp cooler, sit back, and read a book. Then, let me know what you’re reading.
I just finished reading Twist by Colum McCann. An Irish journalist is assigned to write an article about the underwater cables that transmit the world’s information through tiny fiber-optic tubes. The tubes break or are broken, sometimes intentionally and, like relationships, have to be repaired.
I also listened to The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. A famous painter shoots her husband and then never speaks another word. The painter’s refusal to talk casts her into notoriety, boosting the sale of her artwork. While hidden away at a secure forensic unit in North London, Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, is determined to get her to talk. He works to unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband but it takes him down a twisting path.
I’m not an expert in book promotion and marketing, but I was able to secure a few book signings since the release of Death in the Land of Enchantment. The experience has been uplifting. I’ve met many interesting folks and was reassured that people still read books, go to bookstores and often bring their families or dogs. And, I discovered that people love mysteries and they love New Mexico. Well not everyone. I did meet some sci-fi and fantasy fans but at least they are reading. I have a few signings lined up later in the summer. I’ll let you know when they are scheduled and maybe you can drop by.
I’ve finished the draft of my next novel, The Jumping Water (working title). If you haven’t read Death in the Land of Enchantment yet, spoiler alert: Louise Sanchez retired from the police force and Pascal Ruiz lost his detective position. The Jumping Water takes place in Taos, New Mexico during two momentous time periods — the 2020 pandemic and the summer of 1929, during Mabel Dodge Luhan’s reign as the doyenne of Taos.
While I promote the Death in the Land of Enchantment andlook for a publisher for The Jumping Water, I’m tossing around ideas for my next project, but more on that later.
I made Smoked Salmon Tart for brunch a few weeks ago (my sister was visiting). The recipe was featured in New York Times Cooking. I posted a scrumptious photo of the tart on social media and several people asked for the recipe. (If you haven’t already, please investigate [pun intended] my Instagram).
Human Authored is a project of the Authors Guild that allows an author to certify that their book is created by a human. “Human Authored” means that the text of the book was written by a human and not generated by AI, with the exception of minimal, trivial uses, such as AI applications that check spelling and grammar or for brainstorming or research.
March winds blew off and on with mid-month hurricane force gusts. The dust settled on every available surface and was so thick it obliterated the mountains and mesas. Growing up in the Washington DC area I experienced days of torrential downpours and fretted the rain would lead to floods rivaling Noah’s. Everything would be whipped out. The record breaking New Mexico March winds made me worry that there would be a repeat of the 1930’s Dust Bowl—the period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the prairies ecology and agriculture. Remember the Grapes of Wrath.
But now it’s April and although we will probably still get wind, I hope the showers will come to wash away the dust, replenish the land, and bring May flowers. While I wait, I am preparing for the launch of my second mystery novel, Death in the Land of Enchantment, on April 22, 2025. It is available now for pre-order online at Barnes & Noble (add website) and Bookshop.org (add website).
If you are not familiar with Bookshop.org, they are a nonprofit online bookstore that works to connect readers with independent booksellers worldwide. Since 2020 they have raised more than $36 million for independent bookstores. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores.Their platform provides independent bookstores with tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities.When you make a purchase at Bookshop, you can choose which local bookstore you want to support.
You can tell I’m on my high horse again—no not Soleil, my sweet Swedish Warmblood—but I want to give a SHOUT OUT for brick and mortar—as well as adobe—independent bookstores. Local businesses need our support. I know it’s easier—and I have been culpable—and cheaper (free shipping) to click Buy Now on Amazon, but consider where your money is going and who it supports.
You can rest assured that the mystery novel is authored by a human being. It has been certified as Human Authored.
I stuck to my guns (not literally) but I ignored social media for the month of February except for accidently clicking on Facebook once and checking my sister’s Instagram to see her photographs of Iceland where she is doing a two month artist residency.
If you didn’t bite the bullet (not literally) and quit social media in February, I hope at least you limited your time posting and scrolling.
For me, it wasn’t my wisest decision with my book coming out soon, Death in the Land of Enchantment. Like March, I need to come out like a lion and get the word out.
My book launch is April 22, 2025!
Pre-orders are available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Bookshop.org, and your local bookstore.
I am arranging signings and readings in a few local bookstores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. I’ll let you know the schedule or you can check my website for events.
Please support your local bookstore. I know it’s easier to click on Amazon, but if we want to have Brick & Mortar stores, we need to support them.
The Past and Future Weekends – books, books, books
This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. I listened in awe to many award-winning writers of both fiction and nonfiction—Percival Everett, Amy Tan, Colum McCann, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Gabrielle Zevin, Danzy Senna, Johnathan Eig, Michael Pollan, and Terry Tempest Williams. If you aren’t familiar with these authors, check out their work, they are amazing writers and story tellers.
This coming weekend, in case your beach plans fall through and/or you are up for a drive to the Westside or the Heights in Albuquerque, I have two book signings for Death in the Land of Enchantment. Stop by, say hi and have a biscochito.
My artist friend, Patti DePalma Slesinski, created an amazing map of Northern New Mexico for my novel, Death in the Land of Enchantment, which will be published in April.
I created a social media blurb to promote my new book but have to wait until March to post. I am taking a break from social media in February.
Maybe you heard of Dry January—Dryuary— abstaining from drinking alcohol in January. Well now there is FEBTOX (I made up that name) but the concept involves abstaining from social media in February.
This puts me in a pickle since I am supposed to amass followers and friends and promote my book on social media. But in reality, when I pick up my phone, click on Instagram, and scroll down the rabbit hole, I end up buying a cute pair of shoes. There has to be a better way to book promotions. Any ideas?
The Surgeon General’s Advisory described social media’s negative effects:
Anxiety
Body dissatisfaction (body image issues)
Depression
Exposure to bullies
Low self-esteem
Poor mental health contributes to the development of eating disorders.
Poor sleep habits
Self-harm
OMG!
If you plan to do a social media detox in February (or any time) there are key points to consider (according to AI)
Duration:
You will be abstaining from social media for almost a full month, which could allow you to experience significant changes in your habits and mental state.
Potential benefits:
Taking a break from social media can lead to reduced stress, improved focus, more present engagement in real-life interactions, and a better sense of well-being.
Challenges:
Initially, you might feel disconnected from others or experience withdrawal symptoms as you adjust to not constantly checking your social feeds.
If detox isn’t for you, consider dialing down. Making limits—time constraints.
Finally, ask yourself, are you engaging in social media or just a lurker like me, scrolling down, down, down lost in a rabbit warren.
Those of us who live or have lived in New Mexico are familiar with Luminarias. The origins of this tradition can be traced to 16th century Spain where small, controlled bonfires, Farolitos, were lit along routes to churches to help worshippers find their way to midnight mass.
In New Mexico, the tradition dates back three hundred years to the Spanish villages along the Rio Grande that displayed Christmas lanterns to welcome the Christ child. Although Luminarias are practically synonymous with the NM holiday tradition, in every celebration, whether religious or secular, they are symbols of warmth and light. No matter your faith or lack of it, you have to appreciate the history and tradition.
My family lives near Old Town and for years our home was always designated for Christmas Eve family gatherings. We served traditional New Mexican fare—tamales, posole, beans, enchiladas, and red and green chili. Afterward, we would bundle up and head out into the dark for the short walk to Old Town Plaza. The luminarias are simple (candles in a bag) but the effect of them amassed is stunning. I have to give a shout-out to the volunteers who help light the candles around the plaza. It is a labor of love.
For more information about the tradition, click on the Visit Albuquerque
The website includes a video and step-by-step directions for making Luminarias. I found it sweet but amusing. You get a lunch sack, put in sand, and a votive candle. Place it where you want it and light the candle with a long-handle lighter. It will burn most of the night. You can cheat and use flameless votives or tea lights, some even come with timers. But what’s the fun in that?
During the pandemic, my husband, who is an artist, painted the twelve days of Christmas on sandwich bags. We displayed them on our adobe wall and lit them on Christmas Eve.
My good friend Nancy went with me last week to the village of Arroyo Seco north of Taos to find and explore the cave. The cave has a prominent place in my next mystery novel.
Back in the day, Mabel Dodge Luhan and her husband, Tony Lujan, took artists and writers to the cave. D.H. Lawrence found inspiration after his visit in 1924 and wrote the short story, “The Woman Who Rode Away”. The cave was also the model for the Stone Lips cave in Willa Cather’s novel Death Comes for the Archbishop, published in 1927.
Some claim that there are mystical earth energies (geospirals) that exist in the cave. If you spend some time relaxing inside the cavern, you can feel the energy. Nancy and I definitely felt the energy.
I was told there is a special spot, where, if you stand still, you can feel the healing energies emanating from deep below the ground.
El Salto del Agua is a magical place and we didn’t want to leave.
Directions to El Salto del Agua Cave and Waterfall
The cave is on private land, part of the Martinez land grant dating to the early 1700s. Visitors are welcome but must pay the association’s entrance fee.
From Taos take highway 522 north and turn east onto route 150 to Arroyo Seco. Drive through the village (stop and check out the shops and gallery on your way back). Pick up El Salto Road at the end of town—the road ends at the trailhead. It’s a dirt road, which isn’t in great shape. When the road starts getting rough, you are getting close. At the trailhead, there is a box for the daily pass fee—$10 per person. The cave is at 9,000 feet elevation. It isn’t far to the cave, two-tenths of a mile, but the trail is a steady incline. After a tenth of a mile, take the right-hand trail. The trail winds through bushes and undergrowth.
Several years ago I was writing a mystery set in New York that involved a missing husband and some unscrupulous people, when I came across an article in the New York Times, “A Violinist’s Triumph Is Ruined by Thieves”. Frank Almond, a Milwaukee Symphony Concertmaster, was stun gunned in a parking lot after a concert and his 1715 Lipinski Stradivarius was stolen. Later that year, I saw an article, “The Stradivarius Affair,” by Buzz Bissinger in Vanity Fair, that featured the same crime. Intrigued by the audacity of the crime and felt the universe was telling me something. I switched gears and wrote a mystery, The Ghost Notes, inspired by the violin heist. I wasn’t successful in securing a publisher so set the novel aside. In 2019, I saw an announcement for the Tribeca Film Festival that featured a documentary, Plucked, about the theft of the Lipinski Stradivarius. Tribeca Film Festival
My father was a musician and during high school and college, I worked in his music studio—stringing many guitars. Not having my father’s ear, I wasn’t able to perfect the acoustic tuning technique, using the Tartini Tones, but loved watching my father fine-tune each instrument. The first owner of the Lipinski Stradivarius, Guiseppe Tartini, contributed to the science of acoustics, inventing the “Tartini Tones,” the auditory illusion sometimes referred to as Ghost Notes.
This YouTube video features a violinist explaining theTartini Tones
Violins are usually named after their first owner, but not the Lipinski. In 1715 Stradivarius sold the violin to Guiseppe Tartini, who later passed it on to one of his students, Signor Salvini. But Salvini after hearing Lipinski play, asked the man for his violin, smashed it to pieces against the corner of a table, and handed the Stradivarius to the shocked Lipinski. Finally, the violin had a home and a name. After Lipinski’s death, the violin passed through numerous collections until it ended in 1962 with Evi Liivak, a violin soloist from Estonia. When Liivak’s died, her husband, a concert pianist, refused to part with the instrument. But when he passed away in 2008, the violin was offered to Frank Almond, a Milwaukee Symphony Concertmaster. Almond after a concert was stun gunned in a church parking lot and his violin stolen. The instrument was recovered nine days later.
Guiseppe Tartini, and the Tones
Guiseppe Tartini contributed to the science of acoustics, inventing the “Tartini Tones,” the auditory illusion sometimes referred to as Ghost Notes. Often it is a low note perceived when the only sounds are high notes. It is useful in tuning a string instrument but some argue that it has an important role in the development of scales and temperament. This YouTube video features an explanation of the Tartini Tones.Tartini’s compositions were numerous and illustrated his passionate and skillful style of execution.
Lore has it that in 1776, Tartini had a dream about the devil. Tartini asked the devil if he knew how to play the violin and the devil said he believed he could pick out a tune. Thereupon the devil played a sonata so exquisite that Tartini thought he had never heard any music to equal it. When he woke, he tried to write the composition but never succeeded to his satisfaction. Il Trillo del Diavolo or The Devil’s Sonata, although is one of his best productions, Tartini believed it paled in comparison to satan’s.
