Canada 2019 – Part 4

July 7, 2019

We took our time getting ready the next morning after an exciting two days with the family. We were in for a nice surprise when we arrived in the dining room for breakfast. Another cousin, Lily-Ann Kenney had spent the night at the same hotel. (Lily-Ann had bid on and won one of the copies of our book.)

    

Lily-Ann Kenney

She lives in British Columbia and had driven her motor home to the reunion, intending to camp. However, she was stopped at a signal in Calgary on her way south, and the motor home stopped. She had to wait nearly two hours in traffic—with other cars racing around her—until help arrived. The repair person said he wouldn’t be able to get parts until at least Monday, or perhaps Tuesday. Lily-Ann just smiled. “Then, I guess I’ll plan on Wednesday.”

She inquired about car rental, and the prices were steep. But the repair many said he had a rental car she could use inexpensively. (She was determined to make it!)

Her son made reservations for her in Lethbridge for Saturday night and in Calgary for Monday and Tuesday. (I haven’t found out when she was able to get her motor home back.)

We had a great time talking during breakfast, and we finally stopped when they shooed us out of the room.

We said goodbye to her and then got on with our original plans for the day: to visit the town of Raymond, where my aunts were born. We already knew the ranch no longer existed, but we wanted to see the town.

What a cute little place—just a few blocks in each direction—with old homes and interesting buildings. Unfortunately, since it was a Sunday, everything was closed. I wish I could have seen the museum.

We drove out of town in several different directions, hoping we could get close to where the ranch used to be. A block or so beyond the town center, the paved streets turned into dirt roads. There is no ‘there’ there.

We later found out the ranch was much farther than we had explored. However, we knew there was a body of water somewhere near as we saw boats and other watercraft in driveways along the way.

Our final stop was the Temple Hill Cemetery. I loved it! It’s a charming spot on top of a hill, surrounded by trees.

We drove around checking each row for familiar names, and we found them.

Marinus DeLoss Lund and Mary Ellen Olsen Lund (center) surrounded by other family members - lots of them 

In addition to Lunds, we found several other family names we recognized from the previous two days. Once again, however, a misspelling… Marinus DeLoss’s first name is spelled ‘Merinus.’ All his records on Ancestry have the same spelling as his father: Marinus.

(My grandmother, Margaret Imelda McNamara Lund, is buried in the old cemetery at Mission San Gabriel in California. I hunted for a long time to find her. One reason it was difficult was her name is spelled with two ‘T’s’ on her headstone. I’m convinced people weren’t concerned about spelling in those days.)

The day before, we had seen a lovely portrait of Marinus DeLoss and Mary Ellen (Olsen). It has remained in the family and is treasured. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

Marinus DeLoss Lund (patriarch of the Canadian branch) and Mary Ellen Olsen Lund

My great-grandfather, Marinus, patriarch of the family (the one with the 23 children), was a very handsome man, even in his later years.

Marinus Lund

I have photos of all his children (except the two who died in infancy). Many of the boys were also handsome, and some were exceptionally good looking like their father. We all agreed Marinus DeLoss was one of these. He and Mary Ellen made a very attractive couple.

My dad inherited the Lund good looks. When I first saw the movie The Way We Were, I thought Dad looked a lot like a young Robert Redford. What do you think?

Henry LaRay Lund

Dad loathed having his picture taken, and we have very few of him. In addition, he died at thirty-seven, so there are none of him as he aged. (The first one above is his high school graduation photo. The one in the center is his work photo, and the last one is his army picture.)

After our trip down memory lane, we drove through the town of Lethbridge and spotted an IHop, so we decided to stop there for an early dinner.

We had intended to see Calgary the next day (Monday), return to the hotel, and then drive up to Banff the following day. However, my cousin, Linda, invited us to spend the night with her in Calgary. That way, we’d have a running start the next morning. (She also invited us to go to the Stampede with them on Tuesday because senior citizens were free. However, I don’t do too well sitting in the sun all day, so we declined.)

We went to bed early on Sunday night because we wanted to get an early start in the morning. The drive from Lethbridge to Calgary was still three hours.

More to come…

Canada 2019 – Part 3

July 6, 2019

After having met many of the family members the day before, I was anxious to meet more of them on Saturday. The unofficial starting time was 10:00 a.m., and we arrived a few minutes early.

Some of the campers were up and about, and we waved to them as we arrived. The building was still locked, so we waited for someone to show up with the key. Finally, Marilynn and her husband, Neil, got there, and we were able to stash our fruit tray in the refrigerator.

Marilynn Lund Broadhurst, Lorna Lund Collins, Linda Christensen Salmon

Marilynn and Linda were the two cousins on this branch who were the first matches I found when we had our DNA sequenced. Actually, Marilynn and I had communicated on Ancestry.com before that. Other DNA “cousins” showed up later, and I got to meet them, as well.

I had been in touch with Linda’s brother, DeLoss Christensen. He lives in Utah, and came to the reunion with his wife, Toni.

Toni and DeLoss Christensen

I think he and my brother somewhat resemble each other.

I was very happy to get to know him because we share a common concern. When we visited the Pioneer Cemetery in Spring City, Utah (where the Lund family settled when they arrived in the US) in 2012, the headstone for my great-grandmother, Mary Jane Ashworth Lund, was in three pieces. It appears an attempt has been made in the intervening years to stick it back together, but it almost looks worse now. DeLoss wants to contact a monument maker to either have hers and her husband’s (Marinus Lund) restored or to have them replaced. Off and on since 2012, I have tried to locate someone to do it without success.

Now that DeLoss is taking action to make it happen, I am thrilled. I told him if he needed additional funds, to contact me. More later about his intention to fund the project.

I had talked to several of my cousins about this project, and my cousin, Roger Royal was as enthusiastic as I to see it happen. Roger died earlier this year, and this seems like something I can also do for him.

Lunch was served: Alberta beef sandwiches with lots of sides: industrial size pans of potato salad, coleslaw, chips, raw veggies, and a variety of other salads as well as our fruit tray.

I also got to meet many of the other descendants of Marinus DeLoss.

Linda Christensen Salmon, Jeffrey Reed Salmon, LeRay Ralph Witbeck

I was especially glad to know my dad’s middle name was perpetuated in the family. The original spelling was like my dad’s: LaRay. However, as often happens, somewhere along the line, the spelling changed. LeRay told me there is yet another spelling somewhere in the family.

Marie Ralph Witbeck is the eldest of the cousins. LeRay is her son.

Lunch was enjoyed by all.

After lunch, the kids (and those who still felt like kids) enjoyed outside games: water balloon fight and human piňata.

One of the highlights of every reunion is the auction. DeLoss Christensen and Terry Lund did the honors. Family members donate crafts and other goods to be auctioned. This photo was taken after some of the items had been bought—including two hard copies of our book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park. We learned in past years the bidding sometimes became intense. (Are we Lunds competitive? You bet!)

DeLoss told me he had made an “executive decision” that some of the funds raised would be used to restore the headstones in the Spring City Pioneer Cemetery.

After the auction, desserts (a few of which can be seen on the left) were served. The Lunds are also great cooks!

We spent the rest of the time looking at pictures and other memorabilia. I had planned to share my tree on Ancestry.com with them, but there was no wi-fi. It seemed strange to find many stretches where it simply didn’t exist.

Terry Lund had salvaged the door from the family ranch before it was flooded. (The original ranch no longer exists.) He brought it to show us. In the photo with me are Linda’s daughter, Alita Salmon Laurie, and her husband, Evan Remington Laurie. Alita did her Mormon mission in Japan, so we had fun talking with her.

When we were cleaning up and getting ready to leave, Terry said we had to stop by his house, just a few blocks away, to see his “stuff.” His house should be a museum. His father and two others in the family were world champion rodeo riders. He has dozens of their silver belt buckles, several saddles and lots of other memorabilia. What a treat to see it!

DC Lund’s watercolor of the family ranch

Our trip wasn’t over yet, however.

To be continued…

Canada 2019 – Part 2

July 5, 2019

The first day of the reunion wouldn’t start until about 5:30 p.m. on Friday, so we had the morning to ourselves.

I had taken my Mickey Mouse jacket—my favorite piece of clothing. However, the zipper had been giving me a bad time, and it finally broke. The weather reports I had looked at a couple of weeks earlier had said it would be hot. By the time we arrived, the prediction was for cool weather with a chance of rain. So, I needed a warm replacement for Mickey.

We also needed to take a salad or dessert for Saturday’s meal, and I had discovered there was a Costco in Lethbridge, where we were staying.

After breakfast, we headed out to shop. We had free wi-fi at the hotel, so I programmed the address on my phone. While we drove to Costco, it rained. However, it had pretty well stopped by the time we arrived. We decided on a large fruit tray since it could be either a salad or dessert.

Then we went on to Walmart. It drizzled on the way, so in addition to some toiletries and a hooded sweatshirt with “Canada” on the front, we picked up a small travel umbrella. Larry had intended to throw one of ours into his suitcase, but he forgot. Of course, by the time we walked out, the umbrella was no longer needed. (We never used it…)

Since by then it was two o’clock, we were hungry and decided to find somewhere for lunch. We drove around until we spotted a breakfast/lunch place. What a find!

Cora had a terrific menu. Everything looked good. I ordered their veggie skillet: vegetables (with no mushrooms) covered with melted cheese and a bechamel sauce. Larry had the fruit crepe—a HUGE crepe! It was served on a platter, and the crepe hung over the ends. The fruit was covered in warm custard, and three huge mounds of whipped cream perched on top. He was a really happy camper. So was I. We had hoped to get back there before we left, but we never made it. Wish they had locations here in California.

We put the fruit tray in the mini-refrigerator in our room, and then headed out for the reunion at Centennial Reunion Park in Sterling.

Through the years, traditions had been established. The first was dinner on Friday night: hot dogs and watermelon, followed by “flap jacks.” I have always used this term to refer to pancakes, but the family also calls these “Navajo Fry Bread.” More about them later.

One of the first people I spotted was Marilynn, who had invited us. It was nice to see a friendly face. She showed us where to go. Even though the event was held in a park, it had a great building with large kitchen, dining area, and restrooms.

Several of the attendees and their families camped, and the park had facilities both for tents and RVs. I don’t camp. Last year, I even wrote a blog about why.

Larry helped set up the tables while I signed us in and introduced myself. Everyone wore nametags (thank goodness). Each of the members of DeLoss’s family also indicated which of his children they were descended from. I wrote my grandfather’s name, and had to explain the relationship several times. Larry just wrote “Lorna’s husband.”

The hot dogs were grilled, served with all the trimmings, and dinner began amid lots of visiting.

Later on, the bread dough was brought out and torn into pieces about the size of small pancakes, thinner in the middle and thicker around the edges. They were fried in lard. (The gals all swore this was the secret.) Several sauces were  available: maple syrup, honey, golden syrup (the best), corn syrup with cinnamon, and several others. Of course, Larry had to try them all.

The ladies kept making these until all of the dough was cooked. They decided not to bring as much dough to the next one! However, I think all of these treats were eaten.

Then a fire was built in the fire ring. Of course, marshmallows and toasting forks came out, and everyone ended up sticky.

Since the sun doesn’t set until around ten at night, the group didn’t start to break up until about then.

We returned to the hotel to rest and anticipate meeting even more of the relatives on Saturday.

To be continued…

Canada 2019 – Part 1

I have always known about the Canadian cowboys in my family. In fact I wrote about them on my blog. But I had never met them. My aunt had, however. She and her older sister were born in Canada when my grandfather moved his family there. My dad was born in Nevada not too long before the move.

My aunt told me she had attended a couple of the family reunions in Calgary  and said I should go sometime. But I never got around to it, and then my aunt died. 

A couple of years ago, we had our DNA sequenced, and guess who showed up—several of the Canadians. I have corresponded with them ever since, so I felt I knew who they were. This year, the cousin in charge of the reunion invited me to come. I had lots of questions for this branch of the family, and they were curious about the California branch, so I said we would attend.

My grandfather was one of twenty-three children—his, hers, and theirs. Grandpa was one of the thirteen by his father’s first wife, Mary Jane, and so was the head of the Canadian branch. Marinus DeLoss Lund was the third oldest. My grandfather, Henry Ramsbottom (an unfortunate name from his maternal grandfather) Lund was number nine. Grandpa was eight when his mother died. DeLoss (the family often called the children by their middle names) was seventeen.

Marinus DeLoss Lund family circa 1918

Parents in center: Marinus DeLoss Lund (called “DeLoss”) and Mary Ellen. Back row: Clark, Andrew DeLoss, Clatie Jane, Manila, and Arthur. On Marinus's lap is Hazel and on Mary Ellen's lap is Harold. Between the parents are Rozzel in front and Mary behind. Crystal stands next to her mother. Not yet born: Ersel (Bronc).

In 1902, when he was twenty-six, DeLoss moved to Canada. At the time, land grants were offered to anyone who would settle a parcel of land.

In 1919, my grandfather joined his brother in Canada. DeLoss had a ranch in Raymond and raised cattle. All of the family had been involved in the family ranch in Utah growing up (The Hat-L-Bar). Grandpa was a blacksmith as well as a carpenter and cowboy. I imagine his services were welcomed on the ranch in Canada (the Hat-L).

Both of my aunts were born while they lived in Canada. Not long after the younger one was born, they returned to the US and joined other family members who lived in California.

When the invitation came to attend this year’s reunion, I decided I couldn’t pass up the chance to see where my dad’s family had lived and to get to meet some of those relatives in person.

July 3,2019

On Wednesday, July 3, 2019, we left Orange County airport in the afternoon. After a layover in Salt Lake City, Utah, we arrived in Great Falls, Montana. The cousins had said it was a bit closer to Sterling, where the reunion would take place, than Calgary.

We arrived late, so we took a room at a hotel near the airport for the night. This was a good idea since we were tired.

July 4, 2019

By the next morning, we were rested. After breakfast, we set out for Canada.

The border crossing took nearly an hour—probably because of short staffing due to the holiday.

Before we left home, Larry had called Garmin and paid for the addition of the Canada map to his GPS. We crossed the border, and the GPS stopped working. Fortunately, I had also programmed the route to our hotel in Lethbridge on my phone, so we were able to use it to find our way there. The trip was made more pleasant because I had brought my iPod with over 20,000 of my favorite songs, and we listened to them on the road.

The three-and-a-half-hour drive passed through incredible farmland. It was easy to see why Montana is called “Big Sky Country.” The landscape runs directly to the horizon in all directions. The clouds in the clear, blue sky were gorgeous pillows of white marshmallow. The whole thing looked surreal.

Not long after we passed into Canada, storm clouds gathered. Several times I mentioned to Larry how much the vista looked like an Andrew Wyeth landscape. The crops were vibrant green and yellow (mustard?) as far as the eye could see. Right at the horizon, light shone below the clouds, illuminating the fields. Above, the sky was in shades of gray. The view looked more like a painting than reality. I told Larry if anyone painted it as it looked, no one would believe them.

We arrived at the hotel, checked in, and then went to a nearby Tim Horton’s for a bite to eat. These fast food places are ubiquitous in Canada. We weren’t too hungry, so the small meal hit the spot.

As we arrived back at the hotel, I discovered my purse was missing. I didn’t panic, but I was afraid I had left it behind. However, we returned to the restaurant, and my purse was still hooked to the back of the chair I had used. To celebrate, we ordered a ten-pack of “Tim Bits.” These are doughnut holes—just enough for a sweet bite.

Back at the hotel, we watched a little TV and then prepared for the first day of the reunion.

To be continued…

The World’s Most Expensive Flag - continued

Here is the follow-up blog my husband, Larry K. Collins, wrote about his beloved flag in 2012:

Previously, my wife, Lorna, blogged about my owning the world’s most expensive flag.

It’s true. Some forty years ago, in 1970, just after we moved into our first house, a person came to the front door selling American flags for some worthy cause. I don’t remember what the cause was, but I’m sure it must have been worthy.

A twenty-five dollar donation, and I became the owner of the flag, complete with mounting bracket, and two-piece aluminum pole topped with a nifty genuine plastic eagle. I reasoned, we didn’t have a flag and needed one for the house. It was a weak moment, I must admit.

On our next trip to the local drug store, Lorna pointed out the identical boxed flag sets on sale for $2.95. And for the past forty years, she has reminded me of my extravagance on every holiday: every Presidents Day, Forth of July, Memorial, Labor, Veterans Day, etc.

Because of the expense, I have endeavored to take very good care of my prized flag, carefully storing it at night and bringing it inside in inclement weather. And it’s lasted for more than forty years, far longer than just any old $2.95 flag deserved. Still, over the years it had become somewhat faded and thin in places.

Now, I have sad news to report. Yesterday evening, July third, I was shocked to see that the extended wing of the genuine plastic eagle had caught and ripped a one-foot gash parallel to, and between the twelfth and thirteenth stripes. Unfortunately, the material has become too thin and worn to accept sewing back together. I must conclude its time has come. It will need to be replaced.

I put it out on July 4, 2012 for the last time. I figured it deserved one last day in the sun before being officially retired.

I went on the Internet to discover the proper way to dispose of an American flag. Here’s what I found on USA flag site (usa-flag-site.org) and The Flag Keepers (flagkeepers.org).

There are several ways in which you may give your American flag the proper retirement without showing disgrace to this great country. If you would like to dispose of the flag yourself then the most fitting way is to hold your own, private ceremony. The U.S. Flag Code states, "The flag, when it is in such a condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferable by burning." After your flag has been burned, the ashes should be buried. If you cannot burn and bury the flag yourself, Flag Keepers will retire your flag in a proper and respectful ceremony for a price. Or several other organizations that will retire your flag are: VFW, American Legion, Boy or Girl Scouts of America, and Marine Corps League.

Since I’m not personally into burning flags and burying ashes, I will contact the Marine Corps for proper retirement. [The flag ultimately went to the local VFW for disposal. Lorna]

Also, while I’m on the subject of flags, I have a story told me by my cousin-in-law, Ron Walker. He was Director of National Parks from 1973 to 1975.

During his tenure as director, a park ranger was killed in the line of duty. Ron immediately directed that all National Park flags be lowered to half-staff. About twenty minutes later, his phone rang.

“Ron,” the voice said. “This is President Nixon.”

“Yes Mr. President” Ron quickly responded, all the while thinking. Why is the president calling me personally?

“Ron,” the voice continued. “I was just wondering why the flag on the White House is at half-staff.”

Then Ron remembered. The White House is also a national monument, and therefore subject to park rules. He explained the situation to the President.

“Fine,” Nixon responded, “I just wanted to know. Proceed.”

He hung up, and Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

While I have treated this blog lightly and with humor, there is a seriousness to it. My old flag itself is merely a piece of cloth, and dye, and stitching. It is not my country. It is a symbol of my country, honored for what it represents, not for some magic or inherent value. 

The new replacement flag will be just as much a symbol and just as honored as was the old one. However, the old flag has been part of our family for so long, through the bi-centennial, 9-11, births and deaths, and all the other events of our lives, both good and bad, for the past forty years. As I fold it up for the last time, I’m reminded of standing on a hill before my father’s flag-draped coffin and hearing the sweet tones of a lone bugle playing "Taps."

The World’s Most Expensive Flag – With the Genuine Plastic Eagle

This is another encore blog from 2012. Larry wanted to see it again. We hope you will enjoy it.

On every national holiday, we hang out our flag. Actually, we’ve been doing it since we bought it a couple of months after we moved into our first house in 1970. Someone came to the door selling flags, and Larry bought one for twenty-five dollars. He said it was for a good cause, but he couldn’t remember which one.

The next day I went to the local drugstore and saw the same exact flag on sale for $2.95. Since then, I’ve called it “The World’s Most Expensive Flag with the Genuine Plastic Eagle.”

Of course, we’ve flown it on every patriotic holiday since then, and often for an entire weekend or longer.

On the old house, it flew from a holder on the porch post. It was really convenient because we could stand on the porch, reach around, and drop it in the slot.

However, on this house, Larry mounted the holder between the windows on the second floor. That meant we either had to use a tall ladder to get to it from the outside or open the nearest window and lean out to get the post into the holder.

When we returned from Japan in 2001, we replaced all our windows with vinyl-clad energy-efficient ones because the old ones had aluminum frames, and many would no longer open due to damage from the salty sea air.

The stucco then required repair, so we removed all the termite-ridden wood siding and trim at the same time. After the house was tented and the repairs were made, Larry installed a new flag holder between the upstairs windows. The new holder doesn’t hold quite as firmly as the old one, but it works. And opening the window and hanging out is still required to install the flag. (We took one of the screens off as soon as the window was installed, and it remains on the floor behind the sofa to allow for quicker flag access.)

On September 11, 2001, I was very grateful to have had the world’s most expensive flag in the house. I put it out that day to show our love for our country and the solidarity we all felt. Many of our neighbors also displayed new flags, purchased for the occasion, during the ensuing days, but ours was first.

The old flag may be a bit faded now, but it has been well cared-for over the years. Larry reminds me that we’ve had it for forty-two years, and it’s still going strong. So maybe he didn’t pay too much for it after all when the cost is amortized. And, after all, it does have a genuine plastic eagle!

Happy 4th of July!

This is an encore of a blog from July 4, 2003. Thought you might enjoy seeing it again.

I’ve been thinking about one of the most memorable ones in my life. I happened to read it again today and wanted to share it with you:

Independence Day - July 4, 2000 *

Our last year in Japan, we invited a large group to our home to enjoy a traditional 4^th of July barbecue. Our California friends, Dave and Ruth, had just arrived for a visit, so it was also a chance to introduce them to our co-workers, friends and Japanese “family” including Misayo-san and Kazue.

The evening before, we had decorated the apartment using fans I had purchased in the US, embellished with a flag motif. With a red tablecloth and white napkins and accessories, it looked very patriotic.

While I was at work, Ruth made potato salad for the festivities. In addition, I had prepared baked beans, a green salad and brownies. We served assorted chips and other snacks, besides the customary hamburgers and hot dogs. Most of our guests brought additional snacks, sweets and desserts. We fired up the charcoal in the small barbecue we had purchased at the Price Club. Two of the Japanese guys commandeered the spatulas and became our cooks for the evening.

Many of the people who attended were Japanese and had never experienced a real “American-style” 4^th of July before. We played lots of patriotic music, and ate our meal on the balcony while enjoying the twinkling lights of Osaka at night. We lamented the absence of fireworks, but God had other plans. He provided a fabulous thunderstorm that no man-made pyrotechnics or laser show could begin to match. And He waited until we were finished with our barbecue before it began.

Most people viewed the heavenly display from inside, but our friend Casey insisted on remaining out-of-doors where he could get the full effect of the thunder and lightning.

Everyone enjoyed the party. Dave and Ruth got to meet our friends, and we were able to introduce the Japanese to a real “red, white and blue” Independence Day celebration.

Perhaps being so far away from home at the time, this particular holiday was especially precious to us.

We’re grateful for each one we get to celebrate, and for living in this fabulous country. Spending time elsewhere heightened our appreciation for America and its blessings!

So, celebrate in whatever way has meaning for you. Freedom is a hard-won privilege. Don’t ever forget it!

* Excerpt from 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park

©2005 Lorna Collins

California Crime Writers Conference – Part 2

 Today, I am writing about the second day of the California Crime Writers Conference 2019.

Day two of the conference was jam packed with lots of learning opportunities. Larry and I chose different workshops for the first period.

I went to the presentation on Your Author Website. I was pleased to see that we were doing everything the presenter recommended, thanks to our fabulous webmaster, our son, Toshi. Several years ago, he offered to redesign it. Actually, he begged to do it. I must admit my former quick-and-dirty one was terribly old-fashioned looking. The new one is beautiful, and we love it. He promised he’d keep it updated, and he has. I can’t ever thank him enough!

Larry attended the presentation on Creating Audiobooks. Since we have most of ours on audio, he wanted to know what we should think about. He discovered ACX/Amazon dominate the field. It takes about six hours for each hour of completed narration. You can either pay up-front or share royalties. (We always do the latter.) However, if you are a major author with lots of sales, paying up-front makes sense. (The cost is $200-$400 and can go up to $1000, based on the length of the book and the reputation of the narrator.)

We both attended the panel on Cozies on the Edge: Meeting and Subverting Reader Expectations. This one was fun because each of the panelists writes books which differ from traditional cozies. Yet they meet some of the criteria: the incident (murder, etc.) happens offstage and they usually feature an amateur detective. Several friends were on this panel, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The next one was on A Winning Team: Author, Agent, and Editor. Since we don’t have an agent, and I do my own editing (not just for our books, but for others), it was interesting. The takeaway for me was getting an agent mostly depends on luck and timing. In the age of self-publishing, it is no longer necessary to have an agent unless you are aiming for a New York publisher, and those are fewer and fewer all the time.

The keynote speaker at lunch was Catroina McPherson. She spoke about writing with passion. I totally agree with her. Authors should never write anything unless they are emotionally committed. She is a witty and totally enjoyable speaker.

After lunch, we attended a panel on Marketing Without a Budget. This one was especially interesting since we are both cheap. We have done many of the things suggested. (A few actually sounded pretty expensive.)

The last panel of the day was How to Build a Long Career. My takeaway was: keep writing. I’ll never begin to catch up with A.J. Lewellyn with over 300 titles! But we now have twenty published between us. Neither of us writes quickly. We do research. And we both “craft” our writing, analyzing each word choice and sentence. This takes time, and it’s time we are willing to spend to produce books we can be proud of.

Tess Gerritsen gave the final presentation: How to Find Your What If. She talked about where she gets her ideas. Some come from current events. She keeps newspaper clippings she finds interesting. Later on, something else may happen, and she realizes the two things can be woven into a cohesive story. She has also written books based on her dreams. She is a terrific speaker as well as a wonderful author.

The last event was interviews of Tess and Catroina by the organizers of the conference. It was nice to learn a bit more about them and their backgrounds.

We thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and plan to attend the next one in two years. This is one we highly recommend for mystery writers.

California Crime Writers Conference

We spent the past two days at the California Crime Writers Conference.

This one is held every two years, and we always enjoy it. We have attended several in the past. Why do we attend? Because we always learn something, and we get to see old friends we don’t see anywhere else.

For each Panel/Workshop session, several options are offered. It’s a regular smorgasbord of choices.

Since we write historical fiction, we chose “Bringing the Past to Life” for the first one. All of the panelists write in different eras, so the discussion was most interesting. Someone suggested looking for old maps as a resource. We’d never really thought about it, although we saw some doing the research for The Memory Keeper, and the book itself contains one. 

We already knew a couple of the panelists, but we met Rosemary Lord. She writes about the history of Hollywood, and did some voice-overs for one of my favorite movies, The Holiday. We’re now Facebook friends.

The next panel I attended was called “Killer Dialogue.” Anne Cleeland moderated a great group of authors. I so enjoyed some of their suggestions of how to make dialogue authentic and interesting, including using humor.

At lunch, Tess Gerritsen delivered the keynote speech on writing with emotion. We had heard her in 2005 at the Maui Writers Conference and enjoyed her both then and now. She talked about finding the thing you felt compelled to write about, but making sure you included the character(s) emotions. Since I have a short attention span, I keep finding different things I want to write, and some of the others move to the back burner. I know I do my best writing when I am fully engaged in the subject. And when Larry and I write together, I'm the one who writes most of the emotional scenes.

The panel on “Hallmark Mysteries” was fascinating. They had a producer, writer, and show runner for the channel. No surprises here. Their stories are formulaic (a single woman amateur sleuth—played by an actress too old for the part). How do you get your story made into a Hallmark movie? It’s really all a matter of luck and who you know. Sorry about that. However, they also pointed out that with so many places now producing content (Hulu, Amazon, Lifetime, Netflix, etc) the chances of your book or series being selected are much better than they were in the past.

On Saturday afternoon, they lined up quite a few “experts.” We then played a form of “speed dating.” The attendees sat at tables, and the “experts” moved from table to table. We each got to hear three different people, and their assignments were random. The first at our table was Scott Williams, the executive producer for writing on NCIS. He shared some terrific stories.

Next, we got to chat with Valerie Woods, who is a writer on the Queen Sugar series. She was fascinating. She is clearly someone who loves writing.

Last, was Cindi Parent CFO of Tule Publishing, a relative newcomer to the world of publishing.

The last event of the day was another keynote from Catroina McPherson. She was a delight. Born in Scotland, she has a terrific sense of humor. She titled her talk “Deep in a Bowl of Porridge.” She spoke about clues and how and when to insert them.

And this was only on Saturday!

My next blog will be on Sunday of the conference.