Five-Star Reviews for A Chance to Say Yes

Wonderful news! A Chance to Say Yes, my novel of romantic contemporary fiction, recently received two five-star reviews. The Midwest Review of Books and reviewer Charles Ashbacher each posted a five-star review on my book's page at www.amazon.com. The reviews are linked to my website, too, at www.tinamurrayauthor.com. I am elated, encouraged, and grateful. SMILE OF THE DAY: Today is my birthday. FORTUNE COOKIE LUNCH: It is darkest before dawn. :)

Speaking to the Marco Island Book Club

This Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, I will be a speaker at the Marco Island Book Club in Marco Island, Florida. I will be talking about my path to publication as a writer and beyond. For further information, please contact Amy Kaufman at (239) 393-1390. My friend Chris Wruk is a member of this group. I look forward to seeing everyone there. SMILE OF THE DAY: Yesterday I watched a young man present a bouquet of orange roses to a young woman he barely knew. Fortune Cookie Lunch: To love and to be loved are blessings.

The Loft Symbol Explained

Because I am teaching a class on Nov. 18 that involves a discussion of The Da Vinci Code (please register at http://www.artinlee.org/), I have been familiarizing myself with Dan Brown's latest blockbuster novel, The Lost Symbol (http://www.danbrown.com/). The main character is the same in both novels, Dr. Robert Langdon. The stories are related. Fortunately, I found a handy-dandy study guide that helps to explain the underpinnings of The Lost Symbol. It is entitled Unlocking Mysteries with Solomon's Key: A Guide to Understanding the Secrets to Solomon's Key and Other Legends. It is published by TD Media. I am fascinated by art history and love to read about it, especially when the information is given in an entertaining format. I have a B.A. in art from The University of Miami (Florida) with an art history emphasis. Sometimes, I wish I had taken up art history as a career, although I don't know how in the world I ever would have chosen an area of specialization. It's all interesting! Anyway, The Lost Symbol is a huge bestseller. If you are reading it, or are interested in learning more about it, I recommend this guide, which is written in magazine format. In fact, it may be available online. I haven't checked. SMILE OF THE DAY: Yesterday evening, as the sun set, I looked up at the eastern sky. There I beheld a golden full moon hovering, in an indigo sky, just above the horizon. It seemed alive, a quivering, organic orb, mellow yet magnificent, peaceful yet regal. It rose slowly, radiantly--the eternal feminine, pulsating with subtle power. The Eagles sang, "Witchy woman, she got the moon in her eyes." Roundness--circularity-- is female. Could this be the reason, perhaps, why men won't wear polka dots? Another mystery solved. Fortune Cookie Lunch: Angles are among us. When you find them, cherish their presence every day.

Good News for Writer-Friends

Good afternoon. Well, it's almost afternoon. This time change thing gets to me. Regardless, I can report several positive happenings today in the lives of some of my friends and fellow writers. Lynnette Hallberg and Heather Burch, both members of the Southwest Florida Romance Writers (http://www.swfrw.org/) have reported in. Lynnette just signed the contract for her third romance novel, and Heather finaled in a contest. Other friends, including Sandy Lender, Robert Dean Bair, and Joyce Wells had successful book signings at Barnes and Noble's local author book signing on Saturday. The event was well attended. I chatted with my publisher, Robert Gelinas and his wife, Joanna, as well as with authors Dr. Molly Barrow, Jean Harrington. I touched base, too, with Jessica and Felicia of BN, about participating in the next local author signing, which will occur in March. I'm ramping up my book signing schedule, as well as working hard on my sequel. SMILE OF THE DAY: My plumbago is blooming. Or should that be my plumbagoes are blooming? Not sure, but I do know that I have three pretty little plants right outside my front door that are alive and kicking. Not one, but two are producing clusters of five-petaled, blue-lavender flowers! Orginally, I had purchased four plants. One passed on quietly, but the three remaining plants are doing quite well, thank you. I love the color and delicacy of the plumbago flowers. They dance in the breeze as if they are waving hello. FORTUNE COOKIE LUNCH: You can put tap shoes on an elephant, but that doesn't mean it can dance.

Do You Enjoy Discussing Art and Writing?

If you're interested, please register for the class I'll be teaching at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009, 7-9 p.m. I will be leading a discussion about the role of the artist in three works of fiction. These works are The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. You can register online by going to http://www.artinlee.org/. It should be fun and stimulating. I hope to see you there. If you do register, you might want to familiarize yourself with those three novels. That will make it easier for you to join in the discussion and give your own thoughts and opinions. I'm looking forward to teaching the class. I hope to see you there! On another note, via Facebook, I received some wonderful tips on writing from fellow ArcheBooks author John DeDakis, http://www.johndedakis.com/. If I can figure out how to do it, I'll post a link to the page he sent. John works for the CNN show The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. He is the senior copy editor, a true professional. His advice about writing is the real thing. SMILE OF THE DAY: When I moved into my current residence, I inherited a small, gray, part-time cat. The former resident had dubbed him Nudger. I shortened it to Nudgie. Nudgie is a neighborhood cat, He drops by every now and then for a nosh. Lately, he's been meeting me at the car when I pull up. He ambles quietly up and sits down and waits for me to notice him--no fanfare. He only speaks when spoken to. I like it that he meets me. He's a good, sweet boy. It's nice to have a little cat bud. It's been a while. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Cruising

CRUISE NEWS: I gave been invited to attend a luncheon and ship's tour aboard the Noordam ship of the Holland America cruise line. The ship will be docked in Port Everglades on Nov. 11. I am seriously looking forward to this. I hope to have more Cruise News in future blog posts. I have been invited to particpate in a cruise-related venture for writers. Keep your fingers crossed, and I'll keep you posted with updates. This could be the start of something grand. SMILE OF THE DAY: A small boy whom I did not know offered me a Cheetoh from his bag. He was adorable. I was touched by his spontaneous generosity. He was accompanied by his mom and large number of brothers and sisters. How heartwarming to see the results of such a sturdy, nuturing type of love.

Life on the Internet

"I love your smile of the day - it truly does give me a smile as Itoddle off to bed. I'm looking forward to the next one. NBR" That's what my a friend of mine wrote me yesterday in an email. I am delighted she liked my first anecdote. I appreciate the comment. Today was eventful. Writers Jane Sutton (The Ride), Nancy Koerner and I met with Internet radio entrepreneur Joseph Dobzynski of http://www.radioearnetwork.com/, which is based in Sarasota, Florida. He invited us to assist the start-up of a Naples, Florida-based radio program. it will feature authors in round-table discussions as well as interviews with individual authors. He bought us coffee at the Coconut Point Starbucks. We had an informative conversation. I was pleased to be included in this endeavor. I would LOVE to be an interviewer. This could be my opportunity. It will be an opportunity for local authors to parcipate in the discussions and interviews, for a nominal cost. SMILE OF THE DAY: Last night I had a four hour conversation with my close friend, Tivo. I told him I had been listening to YouTube rock music videos as research for the novel I am writing, A Wild Dream of Love. Today he emailed me an incredible digitally psychedelic, endless-loop video of Break on Through to the Other Side by the Doors. I tell you, it is riveting. It made my day. Thank you, Tivo!

Redecorating My Blog

Since I am now updating my blog daily, I decided to redecorate. I love this new template. The clouds and blue sky evoke feelings of hope and well-being. They suggest a beneficent cosmos. I like the look, and I hope you like it, too. FYI, hree of my friends have book signings coming up at the Barnes and Noble in Naples, Florida. I hope you can attend one or all. Sandy Lender will sign copies of her new release Choices Meant for Kings on Halloween morning, October 31, 2009. Robert Dean Bair will be signing his books on the day. M. B. Weston will be signing her new novel Out of the Shadows at BN on, I believe, November 7. You can find out the details by phoning the Barnes and Noble in Naples. If I find them out in time, I'll post the hours on this blog. SMILE OF THE DAY: I saw a young girl doing cartwheels around the floor the other day. Tall, with slender ebony limbs, she wore crimson shorts and white sneakers. As she circled the floor-- hands, feet, hands, feet--I marvelled at her agility. More than that, I envied her her abandon. I have noticed, many times, that children live inside their bodies much more easily than do adults. Children explore their own physical abilities gleefully, enthralled by self-discovery. They hop, jump, dance, twitch, run, sprint, and play-pretend as a matter of course. Adults seem to have lost this spontaneous love of their own physicality. They participate in sports, they attend dances, but they don't seem to revel in being alive the way children do. Feeling down and don't know why? Do a few cartwheels and reconnect with your own inner spirit of joy.

Rock'n Research

While doing research for the novel I'm writing, A Wild Dream of Love, I have discovered the world of YouTube music video. On www.YouTube.com, it is possible to view performances by many music icons of the past. It's amazing to me that all this is available at the click of a link. The ghosts of pop stars past sing and dance forever and ever inside our computers. By watching the videos, you can sense a bit of the atomosphere, the aura, that surrounded particular events or celebrities--Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and others. What a treasure chest. I also discovered clips of living performers. Charlotte Church is amazing, as is the Welsh National Anthem, which is what I originally discovered on YouTube. It led me to the rest. Of course, in my lifetime, I have been to numerous live concerts. I have been known to write a song lyric or two, a practice that will be brought to light in A Wild Dream of Love. I hope you will enjoy this book as much I am enjoying writing it. Celebrity and romance embrace again in A Wild Dream of Love, the sequel to my novel A Chance to Day Yes. The focus is slightlly different, but the stars of my stories continue to be movie star Heston Demming and those in his constellation.

Celebrity: Why do we think it is important to be important?

As I write A Wild Dream of Love, the sequel to my novel A Chance to Say Yes, I am more and more fascinated by the idea of celebrity and its impact on our culture. The life and recent death of popular-music icon Michael Jackson is a case in point. It is amazing to realize how many lives can be impacted by one individual, one whom most of his fans don't know personally and will never know on a personal level. What does such an indiviual bring to the lives of his followers? Is it okay just to be a regular person? Why does the cult of celebrity matter to us? What does mean to us? Does nothing matter but popularity? Because it translates into sales and money? Or does it always? Some very famous people have died broke. What does it mean to be center stage? The focus of the Public Eye? Is it about fashion? Style? In my books A Chance to Say Yes and A Wild Dream of Love I am writing about the interface between the celebrity and the unknown individual--how it can happen, what happens when it happens, and the effects of its happening. Of course, one of the main answers--in my stories--is romance. But there is a lot more going on that just love and lust --granted there is a lot of that. In my stories, however, I explore, within the context of contemporary fiction, a number of celebrity-related issues. Please join me in this exploration by reading my books, avaiable from Amazon.com and fine booksellers everywhere. If they are not in stock, they can be ordered easily. Please visit my website at http://www.tinamurrayauthor.com/. Thanks! Oh, yes, and I've just joined Twitter. Please follow me if you'd like: www.twitter.com/tmurrayauthor. I'm already on Facebook. Friend me at www.facebook.com/tinamurrayauthor.

Back to the Future as a Blogger

Hello to anyone reading this blog post. Many months have passed since I posted a blog entry. My novel about celebrity, A Chance to Say Yes, has been published for more than a year. I am writing the sequel, A Wild Dream of Love, in which I continue to chronicle the story of movie-star Heston Demming and his satellites and offspring. The Higher Power, however, seems to have decided I needed lessona in humility, and that's what I've lived through lately, on a personal level. Actually, I believe it may be happening on a national level, as well--IOW, not just to me. A lot has happened in our world in the past year. A lot of it stuns me, although, looked at in real terms, it's predictable. I see so many people suffering, yet being unable to solve their problems because they don't or can't discern the source of their problems. So, they resort to magical thinking, hoping their problems will be taken away. I, myself, am certainly one who avoids dealing with problems, but I can see them. I believe I am a vicitim of my own kind of magical thinking, however. For one thing, I keep on believing that there is audience out there for stories that enlighten as well as entertain, stories that invite one to reflect on large issues and contemplate reasons and solutions--and, yes, even the proverbial meaning of life. Am I wrong? Is that exactly what most people want to avoid? I understand people's need for escape and renewal. I just hope that sometime, somewhere, somebody steps up who can engage the national mind in regenerative discourse. I have seen life from many positions on the game board. From my humble stance today, I see a lot that concerns me. What I don't see is a lot of truth-seeking. These days, many seek to befuddle because that's the done thing, the peceived path to System success. Are there no mystics, no visionaires left in the world? Are they all on meds now? Are they all addicted to video games? Are they all out getting make-overs? I'm just asking the questions. Guess I'm in a mood.

Please visit my new web site

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit my new web site at http://www.tinamurrayauthor.com/. Use the News link to read about my latest activities and appearances. Purchase copies of A Chance to Say Yes by clicking the Books link and then the Buy link. Also, please stay tuned for updates about my coming sequel A Wild Dream of Love. These will be posted on the Books page, too. Thanks! Tina

Happy 2009

Hello, Thanks for checking in with me. I hope you are having a great new year. Lots has been happening with me. Yesterday I did a book signing at the Barnes and Noble on the south Tamiami Trail in Fort Myers, Florida. I signed alongside authors Jaime Rush, Karna Small Bodman, Linnea Sinclair, and Barbara Meyers. We had a great time. Thanks very much to Julie and the staff at Barnes and Noble. On Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, we will be signing at the Borders in Naples, 2-4 p.m., and the Bornders in Estero, Florida, 5-7 p.m. Author Marty Amprose will join us. Please drop by to say 'hi.' The Naples Borders is located on US 41 just south of Immokalee Road. The Estero Borders is located in the Gulf Coast Towne Center, which is near an I-75 exit, but I'm not sure which one. Also, I have some exciting news. I now am working with a PR-firm called Ascot Media (http://www.ascotmedia/), which is located in the Houston, Texas, area. My wonderful "team" of publicists includes Trisha Stevens, Monica Foster and Cindi Crislip. They are working hard to help me promote my novel A Chance to Say Yes. Last week I was a guest on Jay Caldwell's radio show, which is broadcast on WJON in St. Cloud, Minnesota. I enjoyed talking to Jay very much, and I appreciate his having me on his show. On Thursday, Feb. 26, I will be a guest on a radio show hosted by Cliff Roles in Sarasota, Florida (http://www.cliffroles.com/). Cliff will be giving away copies of A Chance to Say Yes to his listeners. This is exciting stuff! Furthermore, I'd like to thank Drew Smith's mom, Mary Lou, for writing to say how much she enjoyed reading A Chance to Say Yes, that is is a "great read." To Ann Panton and Marcia, who keep asking for the sequel, I want you to know that I am working on the first sequel to my book A Chance to Say Yes. The sequel is called A Wild Dream of Love. Time frame for release is year's end. See ya later...!