Bury the Hatchet Blogfest

Today is the last day of EJ Wesley's Bury the Hatchet Blogfest, but of course with my attention to detail, I saw the date October 19 and thought that was THE day instead of the LAST day. But never mind. Better late than never, eh?

Anyway, the blogfest is part of his book release for Blood Fugue:

What's BLOOD FUGUE about?

Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, Jenny must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it. Blood Fugue, by E.J. Wesley, is the first of the Moonsongs books, a series of paranormal-action novelettes.

So the BLOGFEST theme... you've heard the metaphor bury the hatchet, yes? Well that's all well and good, but SOMETIMES what you REALLY want to do is Bury the Hatchet in someone's HEAD... you know... horror story style... So we are to share something that drives us to murderous intent... what is making us CRAZY IRKED.

As my husband said when he picked me up last Friday from work: “If I'd have had a gun, there would be five people dead right now.” (leading to the logical reason I won't keep guns in the house, but I'm thinking it is best he doesn't drive with a hatchet, too) THAT kind of thing.


So where do I want to Bury the Hatchet? (aside from opposite party politics which I am only skipping because it is just too obvious)...

The Answer? STATUS SNOBS.

People caught up in the idea that a person's value has to do with their address, car brand, pedigree or the alphabet soup after their name. The people who treat waitresses like crap because 'they are only waitresses' (I've been a waitress, so I KNOW people do this)

There is nothing I'd like more than to prove to these smarmy, arrogant SOBs that they aren't worth the gum on the bottom of said waitresses shoe (that their own pampered child threw on the floor). People are not of value because of their money, their titles, or their bloody blue-blood last name or family membership in some secret society. People are of value if they are kind, creative, intelligent, funny... I need to mention kind again, because I think that is at least twice as important as any of these other things. People are of value because of their DEEDS. Especially the deeds they do on behalf of people who need some help. (making rich people richer? NOT a good deed—I left the asses in advertising to themselves because I just couldn't justify this as a worthy existence... certainly not worthy enough to kiss a lot of butts over).

That doesn't mean I think poorly of people who are wealthy, educated (heck, I'm educated) or prominent society members. As we strive to better ourselves, these things can happen and I am all for striving. But we should never think we are better than other people because we have the good fortune to succeed. And NOBODY EVER should think they are better if they are just born into it.

She's doing it right

JK Rowling was on the Daily Show this week and she BRILLIANTLY and WONDERFULLY reminded us all that she was a welfare mom for about three years when she was first divorced and her books had not sold. She knows what it is like to be treated like a leech on society. And now that she is richer than the queen (literally) she is staying put in Britain to pay her 70% tax rate because that is what you do—you give back. Britain helped her, and now this is their due. She also donates millions and is involved in tons of charities--all her little books? Charitable donations of all proceeds.  That is how to handle success with class in my book.

Saved by a Murder!

I have been trying to analyze this SLOWNESS of my Cozy... the pace has picked up... I am solidly at 1000 words a day, but that is still slower than I write, typically... but Crikey, I think I've got it!

My story centers on a 'Little Miss' Pageant which, because the theme is gardening, I knew HAD to be held outside, so my first layer of research was which outdoor venue might be best in Roanoke... It was a fairly easy determination. Right downtown they have a gorgeous park with an amphitheater (though I'm having trouble finding what they call it—Ann Arbor has a park with one that they call a band shell), so Elmwood Park was an easy decision.

Patrick Henry Detailing

Next step... where will the contestants STAY... I thought I hit the jackpot... historically registered Patrick Henry Hotel sits RIGHT THERE, but when I looked it up, I found it closed in 2007... it was purchased and is being renovated for high end apartments (USELESS!) but the bottom two floors will be used for businesses and office space... okay THAT I can work with...

I went on to find my hotels and start my plans, then... I stumbled across a JACKPOT... A website called Haunted Virginia lists the Patrick Henry as HAUNTED!!! (no surprise really—you SAW that lady, yes?)

Haunted I can work with... and did, a little... but it was slow (remember how this started)... and my MURDER wasn't getting there... there was too much that had to HAPPEN first...

How could I infuse my mystery with... you know... MYSTERY?

DUH!? Why to haunters HAUNT? I can't believe I didn't think of this... local lore, dead people... MURDERED people, maybe? At least a couple of them (though there seems to be a lady in a room upstairs that just died there and refuses to leave)... but the folks on the ground floor... (4, if I am counting right) and the man on the second floor (where the office is that they are using for the blasted pageant, no less!)--you heard me—6 rumored ghosts in one building. It is supposedly one of the more haunted places in Virginia.

And OTHER than the lady upstairs, the lore seems to be lacking as to who these people are, giving ME the ability to write a little stumble upon mystery that precedes (and spooks everyone) before the MAIN mystery gets underway!

Man, I've had fun with this idea of writing the ghost layer—not that I will take this paranormal, at ALL... I just think spooked people (for real reasons) might decide to look into (and solve) an old cold case. I don't want to give too many details, as I don't want to do spoilers... but I LOVE the adrenaline that is started... It has certainly breathed new life into this endeavor.


Okay... so that is what I have, as last night (when this as written) I spent most of the evening at my son's 'next year planning' at school—he will be an 8th grader and so it is time to start thinking seriously (they have a couple classes offered for high school credit) and my time is short...


Any of you have 'Breathed new life' moments you want to share?
What about ghost stories?