January 13, 2013 by writesbooks

Love, Love, Love

This Blog by Cher’ley Grogg

Love is in the air. I know it’s not February yet, but in my world love is everywhere, especially with my oldest grandson who is getting married in February. It’s good to be around them and to remember stories of my own wedding and my children’s weddings.

I’m constantly asking for a little love for an article or a blog that I’ve written. That’s a different kind of love, but it comes from people who care about me. Even strangers become friends when we share things in common and sometimes that common thing is just a Facebook account or a Twitter account.

It feels good to be loved and it feels good to love, even if the love is a great like and respect. I know I’ll be looking for ways to express more love in the next couple of months.

Peppy Le Pew says, “ I am ze locksmith of love, no?” I always wanted to feel sorry for Peppy, but I just couldn’t. I always felt sorry for Penelope the little cat who accidentally got paint spilled on her, so she resembled a female skunk. Pepe Le Pew, was dilusional about his French amorous charms. Thinking himself irresistible constantly made creative attempts to poor feline, Here’s a blog about Pepe.

In “Stamp Out Murder” James, the main character, doesn’t realize he’s in love until he almost loses his love, Carolyn. This brings about a whole bunch of feelings that were knew to him. First he gets protective of her, He gets possessive of her and her attention. He wants to pamper her, He allows himself to get emotional around her and he tries to impress her with his strength and talents.Sometimes he doesn’t even know why he says or does the things he does, but that happens when you are in love.

Carolyn is going through her own set of emotions. She wants to know more about him, she wants to know everything about him from birth on. She wants to be respected for who she is, she wants him to know how smart she is. She wants to spend as much time as possible with him and she wants to feel protected and cared for. She keeps looking for signs that this is the real thing.

There are other people who have come into their lives and there will be more people coming into their lives in the next book, “Cancel Out Murder”. This is where their love will be tested.

When we survive the tests of time that’s when we have a lifetime of love.

Tell me something about the love in your life, human, animal or other.

Sta mp Out Murder”.

“T he Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

A related link:

On the Love Skunk (afrankangle.wordpress.com)

January 11, 2013 by writesbooks

Bright Birds, Bright Ideas, and Brilliant Memories

This post by Cher’ley Grogg

My Mom loved birds, she loved everything about them, she loved the vivid or subtle colors, she loved their sounds, she loved their nests, and the little eggs that hatched into little birds. I’m not someone who can tell one bird from another, but I know a few of them when I see them. I want to know more.

I fed my back yard birds this week, and ended up with a few that I had never seen before. These little creatures bought me great pleasure. Several times over the last couple of days I watched them peck away at the food. One day there was 5 brilliant red cardinals and one brown female with the orange bill and orange tuft on top of her head. I had blue jays, blue birds, wrens, a chick-a-dee and a red-headed wood pecker, among many others. I got some photos.

Whippoorwill Bird

Birds make me think of my Mom. When I was little, we’d sit on the front porch and she’d say, “Listen, they’re calling your name-Cher-ley` (accent on ley-kind of high shrilled).” I would listen and I could hear them calling to me. Dad always told me if I put salt on a birds tail I could catch it. My grandma said if children weren’t tucked into bed by dark the Whippoorwill bird would get them. She had a willow tree and when that bird would scream, “Whip you I will”, we’d all (my brothers, cousins, and I) would practically run over each other to get into bed.

From birds I draw inspiration.

In Stamp Out Murder and in my next book that will be coming out later this year Cancel Out Murder, every chapter starts with a description of a stamp, (maybe new, or maybe canceled) that’s worth a lot of money. Many stamps have birds on them. Can you think of a year where a bird was featured on a Stamp? Here’s a link to an Ebay page featuring bird stamps. And these stamps are now worth Eleven Dollars. Not a lot in the Stamp Collecting World, but a $9.00 dollar profit for the collector.

Birds calm my soul, God’s little gifts of joy to me. Is there an animal that has been a part of your growing up years? I lived in the country, so there are more animal tales I can tell about.

Sta mp Out Murder”.

“T he Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

A couple of related articles.

Blue Bird on Branch watercolor illustration for farmhouse cottage homes. (thepaintedcottagehome.com)
“Birds and Birds and Birds” – Walt Whitman (biblioklept.org)

November 11, 2012 by writesbooks

Your John Hancock

This Blog

by Cher’ley Grogg

William Smith was a prominent lawyer and he had just secured a magnificent deal for his corporations all he needed was the signature of the representative from the other business. He made a flaring motion as he presented the fountain pen to the businessman. He said, “Sign your John Hancock here.” He pointed to the X. The man leaned over and signed ‘John Hancock’. William thought, and this man is an executive, but aloud he said, “No, I mean sign your name here.” He pressed hard on the document.

“I did.” John Hancock replied.

He is remembered for his large, flamboyant signature on the Declaration, and so “John Hancock” became an informal synonym for signature. According to legend, Hancock signed his name largely and clearly so that King George could read it without his spectacles, but this fanciful story did not appear until many years later.

My signature is not flamboyant, but it is a lot bigger than it used to be. Do you think I’ve become more creative and my signature has grown with me? I don’t write nearly as much as I used to. I type. I still do poetry longhand but the rest of the time is typing or texting.

So how is forensics and signature analysis coming together in the digital age. A new program Topaz software presents segment timing, speed of signature data and the exact sequence of movements made by the author during the original signature execution.

In chapter Twelve of “Stamp Out Murder”, James finds a letter from Farm and Brook Nurseries, about selling apple trees to Nathaniel McKeel. This reveals the secret to one of the mysteries that is working within the novel. James is good with paper trails.

“Stamp Out Murder”.

There are some real adventures in “The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” too.

This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

October 28, 2012 by writesbooks

Employment

This Blog

Cher’ley Grogg

…

Past jobs teach respect, frugality, and management. Think about the first jobs people get after high school graduation. Sales people, stock boys or girls, waitresses or waiters, are the most common.

Things learned from these jobs were respect, loyalty, humbleness and the management of time and money. Responsibility played a key role in how a person lived their life. I worked as a waitress, which was a job I often reverted back to when I was in a pinch. Eventually, I bought and managed a restaurant.

An excerpt from “Stamp Out Murder”:

He didn’t notice the swinging door to his right or the young lady who came out it backwards carrying a bulky tray of drinks. James glimpsed something moving to his right, and he swerved to the left. He moved too slowly and caught the left elbow of the young lady as she turned. The tray full of drinks tottered and teetered. Liquids splashed. The woman moved the tray in circles with both hands supporting the bottom side. Bobbing her head and swaying her body, she steadied the tray. After she leveled the tray, she released a loud sigh.

Did I mention you had to learn acrobatic skills if you had worked in a restaurant? Alertness and gracefulness are added to kindness and not expressing your every emotion. In the restaurant business your livelihood depends on how another person envisions you.

A pasted on smile, James often used that expression to describe the people who worked at the Bed and Breakfast. Excerpt from “Stamp Out Murder”: The commotion brought Linda from the kitchen. She checked the coffee maker. She smiled at her guests, and motioned for Carolyn, to join her. “We have work to do in the kitchen.”

What do you expect from a person who is doing a service for you?

One time I spilled a whole pot of boiling hot coffee down the front of my shirt. I was on fire, but the restaurant was so busy there was no way I could leave. I put some ice on my chest and picked up my next order. I was 19 years old.

What was the first job you ever worked?

“Stamp Out Murder”.

There are some real adventures in “The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” too. This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans: Cindy Ferrell

October 14, 2012 by writesbooks

What’s Your Story?

This Blog by

Cher’ley Grogg

If you visited a town called Wanton in West Virginia you might overhear James and Carolyn as they walk through the thick woods. James is fascinated with his young lady who is multi-talented, yet extremely humble. She picks up a leaf and holds it up to the sunlight and whispers this poem called the Autumn Evolution.

Colors are brilliant
Evolution of autumn
Blown away too soon

At McKeel’s Bed and Breakfast, you’d also hear a famous storyteller spinning a yarn, which stems from a true story. Uncle Lionel drew a deep breath and his deep voice burst forth. “I’ve heard it and I know it’s true, there was a man found dead in Stink Creek. Now Stink Creek is in a part of the woods, not fer from a favo-right swimmin’ hole. West Virginia has a fair share of swimmin’ holes, you know.” With a twinkle in his eye, the big burly man got close to one of the lady guests and winked. “If’n you have a notion, you can go in the buff.”

Now you can imagine, she huffed and blushed. He had her attention and mine. “The man got pretty riled up because some young fellows tipped his outhouse every year about this time.” He swept his big hand towards the sky. “The moon was a- full. His shotgun was a-loaded with salt. He was fixin to teach these young bucks a lesson they’d never forget.” And they didn’t. They never forgot the wails of that there man as he slid over the hill, a-break’n his neck. When they pulled the outhouse off’n him he was still a’hold’n his shotgun. It’s said, and I know it’s true, if’n you go swimmin’ by the light of the moon, at the ole’ swimming hole, you can hear him awailn’ and it sounds like he’s a-slidin’ over the hill into Stink Creek.”

The big, burly man looked me straight in the eye and said, “ So the next time you want to protect your outhouse don’t fall asleep before the Moon is Full.” And I sure won’t.

If you’d like to hear another story from Uncle Lionel you can find it in the last part of Chapter Seven in

“Stamp Out Murder”.

There are some real adventures in “The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” too. This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

And please join me on my Facebook Fanpage, that’s managed by one of my most faithful fans:

September 29, 2012 by writesbooks

Spend a Bit of Time with Cher’ley Grogg

Cher’ley Grogg is the author of the mystery novel “Stamp Out Murder” and the YA novel “The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk”. She has won writing contests, been published in All Things Girl magazine, local newspapers, Long Ridge Writer’s Anthology, Crime and Suspense magazine and 34th Parallel Anthology. She freelances for several online magazines, blogs and research sites. She interns for WOW magazine and belong to Sisters in Crime, the Guppies, Crime and Suspense, West Virginia’s Writers Group, and Crime Scene Writers.

Cher’ley lives with her husband along the Little Kanawha River in West Virginia. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and mom to a fur baby- boxer named Lizzie. Along with her husband, Del, Cher’ley drives across American in an Eighteen Wheeler. Her hobbies are painting fine art and reading.

The most amazing feeling came over me when I first held my book “Stamp Out Murder” and even though not as strong, I had an amazing feeling when I held my second book “The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk“. I am working on the second book in my Stamp series, but it’s hard because promoting the first two is very time consuming. I love feedback and comments. It’s so thrilling to know that I wrote something that people pay to read, and that they truly love the books. As always I want to thank my readers and my fans. My favorite page is my Fanpage. I love a place to interact.

I have some other interests as well check them out on my Webpage–Cher’ley’s Creations: http://cherley.webs.com/ My trucking blog: http://youfedit.blogspot.com/ and the Stamp Out Murder blog http://stampoutmurder.blogspot.com/2012/08/coyote-four-legged-kind.html#comment-form