Rhubarb: An Uncommon Vegetable

Okay, I'm downright confused. I admit to being a Yankee. A Yankee living in West Georgia. But, what is it with Southerners?? They've never tasted (and in some cases, never heard of) RHUBARB?!?!

I wrote, what I thought was a very poignant memoir about my grandmother. She not only tended an amazing garden filled with tomatoes, corn, cabbage, well, all the typical Southern Indiana garden stuff...she also grew rhubarb from which she'd make the best rhubarb pie this side of the Mississippi.

I decided to read my story, remembering rhubarb pie... to my critique group. When I'd finished reading, I quietly took my glasses off and sat there, expectantly, waiting for the critiques to roll.

The first question took me by surprise. No, surprise isn't strong enough. It was jaw dropping.

"What's rhubarb?"

Tell me I didn't just hear that. What's rhubarb? Do these people come from some cave-dwelling society? Some never-before-seen culture that hasn't cut into a golden crust and pulled out a forkfull of the sweet/sour mushiness that is rhubarb?

Please, people! Tell me that someone out there has, at the very least, heard of rhubarb! That's all I want. And, don't...I repeat, DON'T tell me about your great-aunt's strawberry-rhubarb pie. That's just wrong.


* Rhubarb's Appearance In America:

Early records of rhubarb in America identify an unnamed Maine gardener as having obtained seed or root stock from Europe in the period between 1790-1800. He introduced it to growers in Massachusetts where its popularity spread and by 1822 it was sold in produce markets.

K.C. Oliver: Interview

My guest today is K.C. Oliver, author of Pretty Pretty, a YA novel about Holly Gates and Quinn Hunter, eighteen-year-old best friends who land the job of a lifetime…they think.

MARY: Welcome, K.C. For those who might not know, would you please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your life in Canada?

K.C: I was born and raised in Manitoba; smack dab in the middle of Canada. With everything from prairies, to small mountains, to a desert, to northern tundra with polar bears, Manitoba has it all. I share lodgings with my hubby, my two children, a zany cat named, Xena, and an amazing betta named, Timbit (yup, I love Tim Hortons!). I could use a cup of Timmies right now…

MARY: Sounds like you have an interesting life! Probably full of "writing material!" The setting for Pretty Pretty is a spooky hotel in Hawaii. How did you get the idea for the book, and did you personally research the location?

K.C: Hi Mary, thanks a bunch for the invite. =D

The idea for the book bounced around in my mind for quite some time and it centered on a scene that is now the prologue for the book. The entire story was built around that prologue.

I wish I would have been able to personally research the location in Hawaii! Instead, I had to rely on books, the internet, e-mail and phone calls to gather all the information needed for Pretty Pretty.

MARY: I hear ya. What did we do before the Internet? When I read Pretty Pretty, I wondered if either Holly or Quinn are patterned after the author.

K.C: There is a little of me in both characters; both Quinn and Holly have my humour.

MARY: Speaking of humor, I couldn't help noticing your gargoyle muse. Does he have a name? And, when and how did he first appear?

K.C: My lil muse doesn’t have a name yet. I really should hold a contest to name him. He has been my little side-kick for as long as I can remember. Every time I write; there he is! I have always felt that my stories literally write themselves; like someone is whispering in my ear and I am just there for my typing skills. Though, I have to admit, the green slime on my keyboard is a lil much to put up with at times.

MARY: Green slime and all, another spine-tingling tale, Sleep, My Pretty, is in the works. Can you give us a preview? Will this be an encore for Holly and Quinn? If so, will the girls be older?

K.C: Sleep, My Pretty is another Quinn and Holly story that has been a long time coming. It has gone through some major rewrites. In this adventure, Quinn and Holly are caught in the sites of a serial killer. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has never been so deadly. The girls will be the same age, as the story picks up right after they return home from Hawaii.

MARY: Sounds like another great thriller, K.C.! Have you always been interested in "things that go bump in the night," or did this writing passion grab you as an adult?

K.C: I have always been interested in spooky stories; first Nancy Drew, then R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series. I also read adult fiction thrillers as well. I was destined to write the scary stuff.

MARY: Finally, is there anything funny you can share about yourself that your readers and fans might not know?

K.C: I love to dance! The radio is always going in my home and I have been known to break into dance, busting some really wacky moves. It cracks my kids up.

MARY: Thanks for visiting! K.C. Oliver's website is: http://kc-oliver.tripod.com/

Pretty Pretty is available through Amazon, Fictionwise E-books, all independent bookstores and her publisher, Quake.

K.C: Thanks for the great interview, Mary!

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Blow me down! It's "Talk Like a Pirate Day!" ARRRGHHHHH! It snuck up on me! Captain Buzzard Jack LaBuse, herrrre!


In honor of me earlier adventure with those scurrvy dogs, Cynthia and Gus in Curse of the Bayou, I'm invitin' all ye mateys to send in yer favorite pirate phrases. I'll be a postin' on me blog. Savvy?

And, just in case you're not sure how to "Talk Like a Pirate," here are some key words ye be a'wantin' ta remember.

Ahoy! - "Yo!"
Avast! - "Check it out!"
Aye! - "Yes."
Arrr! - "That's right!" (often confused with arrrgh...)
Arrrgh! - "I'm VERY miffed."

If ye want t' visit the "official site," here 'tis.


Talk Like a Pirate Day

So, weigh anchor. Hoist the mizzen. It's a terrrrrific day!

Toni Lo Tempio - Bound By Blood and Ebony

My guest author is Toni Lo Tempio

Born in New York City, Toni began writing at an early age and reading even earlier. “As a child I would rework the endings of stories when they did not suit me.” In 1995 she joined the staff of a pulp magazine, SUSABELLA PASSENGERS AND FRIENDS, as a feature reporter, winning their Margaret Sutton Award for Distinguished Reporting in 1998. She has written over 200 articles for this magazine in the space of 10 years. Toni currently has two novels out from Whiskey Creek Press: BOUND BY BLOOD and EBONY.

Mary: Welcome, Toni. Could you tell us a little about your latest book?

Tony: It's called EBONY, from Whiskey Creek Press. Up until this week is was #2 in sales on the Fictionwise site for horror e-books, which I found kinda exciting! Below is a summary:

Reporter Jess McCall seems to have it all – a great career, money, fame - but what the intrepid reporter really desires is to finally mend fences with her younger, wild-child sister Amanda. When Amanda suddenly disappears, Jess reluctantly returns to her hometown of Ebony to investigate. There her efforts are stymied by the uncooperative Chief of Police and Amanda’s employer, a respected pillar of the community. Undaunted and unconvinced by their blasé attitude, Jess delves deeper into the circumstances behind Amanda’s disappearance, an action that partners her with Frankie Marshall, a reporter with secrets of his own.
A series of other odd disappearances prompts them to wonder if Amanda’s might not be linked as well, and they begin an inquiry that soon uncovers, among other things, their attraction to one another, a realization complicated by the appearance of Jess’s ex-boyfriend. Old passions take second place to the drama unfolding around them, and they find themselves drawn deeper into an investigation that leads them to an abandoned factory in the woods just outside Ebony. There, they find they must confront undead horrors and the insane madman behind them in order to save Ebony…and themselves.
Mary: It sounds intriguing, Toni! Do you have a mentor? Someone who has inspired your writing?

Toni: I'd have to say Stephen King and John Saul. I love the horror genre and consider them to be two of the people who have inspired my style. Also J.D. Robb.(note I said J.D. Robb, and not Nora Roberts. While I don't care for Nora Roberts books, I absolutely love her alter-ego's!)

Mary: You mentioned that you "started writing to prove a point." What point?

Toni: The point that yes, even without a BA or a Master's degree in English, if you have talent and determination you can make something of yourself.

Mary: Do you have a current project?

Toni: I'm currently finishing up a satire on soap operas, and I'm shopping a paranormal mystery about a soap opera writer to some agents.

Mary: Can't wait to read that one! Finally, is there something funny you can share about yourself that your readers might not know?

Toni: Yeah, my fingers are double jointed. I can twist them like a pretzel! (However, I wouldn't' recommend it!)

Thank you, Mary. Readers are all invited to visit my website, www.freewebs.com/toni1953, for more news on my books and current happenings.

Working on Book Four: The Magician's Castle

Mary - working on Book Four, Cynthia's Attic series.

Turning Over A New Leaf with Kerul Kassel

Kerul Kassel is a coach. A procrastination coach who has helped thousands of people around the world deal with this, sometimes, destructive issue. She is CEO of New Leaf Systems. Get it? Turning over a new leaf? Stop procrastinating!

She is also a writer and the author of Stop Procrastinating Now. Her latest book, Productive Procrastination will be released later this year.

MC: Welcome Kerul. First off, I'd like to apologize that I'm so late with these questions! Guess I'm in desperate need of your guidance. I'm a first-class procrastinator. Were you? Is this why you decided to help others stop this destructive habit?

KK: I’ve certainly done my share of procrastinating, though I was raised by an “anticrastinator,” someone who is obsessed with getting things done right away, which is not always a good thing, and often annoys a lot of other people. Of course, procrastinating annoys other people, too, when they’re depending on you to follow through!

MC: If I were to ask for your help as a procrastinator, where would you begin?

KK: I’d ask you to tell me the three things you’re not doing that are bothering you most. Chances are that one or two of them you’re right to be putting off, based on my experience with hundreds of people’s procrastination issues. There are plenty of things that aren’t important or worthwhile enough to pursue. I call that Productive Procrastination. If we came across a destructive procrastination situation, I’d ask you how you’ve attempted to address it, then create some new strategies to help motivate and inspire you to follow through.

MC: I noticed that you offer "live" workshops, but also do a number of radio/Internet appearances. Which do you prefer?

KK: I like each of them for different reasons. Radio appearances are fun because radio hosts usually have snappy, upbeat personalities, and it’s a blast to interact with them. Live workshops allow me to help people in more depth and really connect with folks on an individual basis. The workshops are more time consuming, certainly, but I like variety. And it’s good to get out of my office, considering much of my work I do on the telephone.

MC: I was intrigued by one of your topics: Wanna be happy? Be selfish. I have a feeling I could benefit from this. Could you elaborate?

KK: Many of us, and most women, put aside our own needs, wants, and self-care to help others, often whether they need it or not! We’ve been taught that self-sacrifice is noble and good and being selfish is bad. I talk about being SELFISH (all capital letters, as an acronym) in a good way, paying attention to Self care, Eliminating tolerations, Letting go of what doesn’t serve, Fun, Integrity, Sustainability, and Healthy habits, rather than selfish in a small way (insensitive, irresponsible, greedy, or arrogant). We must take care of ourselves first so we have the energy and positive motivation to help others. If we don’t, we end up resenting others, getting burned out, and living for others instead of ourselves. We become a shell of who we could be, we set a poor example for our children, and we end up stressed, harried, and angry at ourselves. That’s not a happy way to live.

MC: We can get a great idea of the professional Kerul Kassel, but can you give us a snippet of your personal side?

KK: Gosh, where do I start? I have no human kids, but I do have 2 horses and 2 dogs (all girls), and I try to spend as much time with them as possible. I’m a nut for the environment, so much so that I just spent a huge wad of cash on a photovoltaic solar array to provide about 1/3 to ½ of my electricity usage; I’m such an energy miser that I’m sitting here in the dark typing. It’s a challenge to operate in the dark and I enjoy those kinds of little challenges. I got married later in life and my husband and I have been married for 15 years – he does the housework and I work. I’m pretty organized and productive, but I do have more than one pile of magazines I haven’t gotten to read, and projects that have been waiting for me to complete them. All in good time.

MC: And, finally, can you tell your readers and fans something funny about you that they may not know?

KK: Oh, God! You’re asking me for something funny?! My sense of humor has just completely left the room. Can I answer that one tomorrow?

Kerul Kassel's New Leaf website:
www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com/book
Stop Procrastinating Now is also available at Amazon.com