Curves and Arc-Angels

Hello, thanks for checking in. First of all, I'd like to thank Annette Stillman, owner of The Beach Book Nook in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, who hosted my most recent book signing. Greetubgs to all the nice readers I met there. Also, I want to thank the ladies at Curves in Naples, Florida, who have been and so very supportive of me and my novel A Chance to Say Yes, especially Trainer Krista and Owner Gail. On another note, I want to let everyone know that I, along with fellow ArcheBooks authors Sara Williams, Sand Lender, and Jane Sutton, will have a booth at the Southwest Florida Women's Expo in Northport, Florida, on Feb. 20, 2010. We will be selling and signing copies of our novels. Sara Williams writes mysteries set in Hawaii and Florida. Sandy Lender writes fantasies. Jane Sutton writes contemporary fiction. (Jane may not be able to attend the Expo, but we will have books of hers for purchase.) Sara, Sandy, Jane, and I are calling ourselves The Arc-Angels. I invite you to come to out and experience the Women's Expo, which should be a dynamite event. I hope to see you there. By the way, I am eliminating Anonymous posts to my blog because some people have been leaving inappropriate comments on my blog. Smle of the Day: I recently subscribed to a free newsletter called The Writers' Alliance, which is put out writer Garrison Keillor (I'll have to check the spelling of his last name!) of Praire Home Companion fame. It's a daily newsletter that offers information and insight into the lives of well-known writers, past and present. Please google it if you're interested in writers and writing. FORTUNE COOKIE LUNCH:The issue isn't what you're saying. Mostly, it's the way.

Book Signing Tomorrow at The Beach Book Nook

Please drop by The Beach Book Nook tomorrow, Saturday, January 30, 2010, between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The address is 7205 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, Florida. I'll be doing a book signing there. It's a great little shop with a very nice owner, Annette. I hope to see you there and sign your new copy of my novel A Chance to Say Yes. Next Saturday, February 6, 2010, I will be in downtown Fort Myers for the Art Walk. I'll be sharing a table with mystery author Sara Williams, www.sarawilliamsnovelist.com. I have a ton of things lined up. I'll post them as i can. Have a good one! SMILE OF THE DAY: Recently, a man said to me, "If I was as pretty as you, I'd be smiling all the time." Well, you'd better believe his comment DID make me smile! Fortune Cookie Lunch: He who climbs the tall tree has the right to the fruit.

Happy New Year, 2010

I am thankful to have made it through the Noughties, as the British say, and into Twenty Ten. I hope you, too, have a rosy outlook and hope for a better tomorrow. Obviously, I have not been blogging every day, as I had hoped I would. A lot is happening, however, which is the main reason I can't keep up with blogging. Yeah, yeah, blah, blah...Actually, I am very involved in completing my current novel A Wild Dream of Love, the sequel to A Chance to Say Yes, my first novel, which I am still actively promoting, by the way. I have several book signing events scheduled for this winter and spring. As I get the info together, I will post the whens and wheres. For example, I'll be signing at The Book Nook on Fort Myers Beach, Florida on January 23, 2010. Among other events, I also will be signing copies of my novel A Chance to Say Yes at the Southwest Florida Women's Expo in Northport, Florida, February 20, 2010. I'm taking a booth there with fellow ArcheBooks authors Sara Williams, Sandy Lender, and Jane Sutton. We are billing ourselves as The Arc-Angels. (Get it?) We're going to do readings from our books! Too much fun! Okay, wait, I need more details before I can mention more signings! Please stay tuned for further blog posts. Smile of the Day: Today I spoke by phone to one of my old grad school apartment-mates who lives in Spain. Her daughter found me on FaceBook and set up the phone call between me and her mother as a King's Day gift for her mom. What a lovely daughter! What a thoughtful thing to do! It was a nice holiday treat for me, too. I enjoyed catching up with my old friend from U Miami days. Fortune Cookie Lunch: Your power is in your ability to decide.

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.