It is a fact of life! If you don't exercise, unfortunately the sands shift south, and as the years keep clicking by I'd like to keep my "sands" as much in tact as possible, thank you very much. So, I commit myself to exercising at least three times a week.

However, being a writer, my time is my own to schedule, so sometimes that self-imposed exercise date at 9:00am turns into noon or even later. I mean, first I have to scan all of my e-mails, don't I? What if the publisher wants something? Gotta be right on top of that. And, I'm writing a new Silver Sisters mystery with my sister Phyllice. What if she desperately needs feedback or comment on the last chapter I sent her of VANISHING ACT IN VEGAS? Oh, yeah, the final edits for the print edition of SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS are almost finished, too. What if the editor needs another change?

Of course, after checking all of my messages, I have to answer all of my friends out there, don't I? And it wouldn't hurt to read through those chapters or edits I worked on until three in the morning.

Nest, a headline on AOL or Yahoo catches my eye. Gotta read that one and find out what's going on in the world, be it world-class earth-shattering news or juicy gossip. Whoops, before I know it, it might be almost time for lunch. Fuel for the furnace, you know.

Okay, I've run through all the excuses. Here's the reality. Actually it's only 9:40am here in L.A. Not bad. Almost the time I would have finished exercising if I'd been true to myself.

The edits on SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS await,but they're not going to change at all in the next half hour. I have chapters to go through for my novel THE DEVIL'S DUE, currently being finalized. They beckon to me, too, but...I know...I know...they'll still be there to be worked on after I wipe the sweat from my brow! Getting a little desperate now. My friend's manuscript--I promised to read it, got to work on the Sisters in Crime newsletter, and how about all of the other projects just waiting to be noticed?

Rats! I've run out of excuses. Time to turn on the DVD and do those exercises. Then, with my mind as sharp as a keenly-honed blade, my writing life resumes.

Cheers...

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.silversistersmysteries.com
A CORPSE IN THE SOUP - BEST MYSTERY AUDIO BOOK-USA BOOK NEWS
Available in every format you can think of
SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS - Now in Audio-Coming soon in paperback,
Kindle and e-book
Visit me on the web

Today was totally dedicated to writing. This morning I had breakfast with two of my friends from the world of writing, and we discussed various presentations we are going to polish for talks to several types of groups including libraries, seniors groups, organizations and writers' conferences. We've appeared on panels together during the past few years, and really have a good time bantering back and forth for the benefit of the audience.

Fortified with a nice blueberry scone and (gulp) too much coffee, this now wired writer was ready to attack our editor's marked up galley for the paperback of the latest Silver Sisters comical crime caper, SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS. Whooee. The audio book was released in March, and now the time is drawing near for it to be in print. Several hours later, now crosseyed, my whites a blazing shade of red, I wrapped up the last of the requested changes for the first fourteen chapters. That gives me time to work on other projects before the next batch of chapters arrive, including the newest Silver Sisters adventure, VANISHING ACT IN VEGAS.

I worked on another of my manuscripts last night until around 2:30 am. But you know what? I love it. My books and stories are either in print or close to going into print and that's what I care about. As an "accidental writer"--you see, I never started out to be one--I love sharing how that came about with people who ask, "When did you know you wanted to be a writer?" Well, for starters, I was an interior designer at the time. When I saw my first magazine article in print in a prestigious magazine, the bug grabbed me.

Here are a few pictures from last month's trip to Holland:

ONE OF THE CANALS IN AMSTERDAM
PART OF THE SEA WALL IN ZEELAND. THIS IS AN AMAZING SYSTEM--THE SORT OF THING WE NEED IN NEW ORLEANS. WE TOURED THE PUMPING STATIONS AND LEARNED HOW THE WHOLE SYSTEM WORKS.

Wow! How time flies. It's been quite a while since I've posted so it's time to catch up. Here's a photo of me at the incomparable Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam...one of my favorite places in the world!\


I spent a month in Europe from the middle of April to the middle of May and had a great time. However, it started with a river cruise from Amsterdam to Brugges, Belgium and the disaster everyone fears when traveling--particularly if you'll be gone for a long time--ALL of our luggage was lost. You know, that helpless feeling that invades your soul when you know every bag has come down the chute and not one of yours is in sight. The thin shred of remaining hope that maybe the folks in baggage claims can help you.

Well, that shred disintegrates when it's obvious that no one in the baggage claim department seems to know what' going on. Because we traveled on two different airlines, the proverbial right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing.

Last time I checked United and US Air were supposed to sort of be under one umbrella. The only good thing was that the Dutch baggage agent spoke English, as do most Europeans, but what he had to say wasn't encouraging. It seems that the two airlines basically don't communicate with each other even though each can access the other's computer notes. His caution was, "The notes are from United, so I can't say if they're accurate or not. I think your luggage is in Philadelphia. It should be here tomorrow because there's only one flight a day."

Not so bad. We could wing it for one day, by buying spare underwear and a few sundries at the airport before we went to the ship. WRONG! The next day the luggage hadn't come nor was there any sign of it anywhere. "Bad news," said Michael, our helpful cruise director, "the airline said there was no flight from Philadelphia to Amsterdam today, so they think your luggage is still in Philadelphia...or maybe Chicago. GREAT! At dinner, I became known as "the lady in the striped sweater whose luggage is lost." The passengers really didn't pay that much attention to my husband's attire being the same as the day before.

The following day, having run out of clean underwear, besides enjoying sights we were in search of a store to replenish our supply, and maybe buy a teeshirt or two, just in case. Once on the ship, our choices would be limited. I bought a cool AMSTERDAM teeshirt, figuring that if the luggage turned up when we returned to the ship, I could use it as a sleep shirt. NO LUGGAGE.

By now, I was getting a bit unglued. We'd lost the chance to buy real clothes, because we were leaving Amsterdam for the small village of Hoorn. I implored Michael to get in touch with the airline and let me speak to them. The conversation was circular with no conclusions ever being reached except that no one really had a clue where the luggage was. I asked if he could call United directly to find out what their notes meant. His answer? "United baggage services is in Mexico and I doubt they would know as much as me, here in Amsterdam. I think your luggage will probably be sent tomorrow, from Philadelphia...or Chicago."

Resisting the urge to throw the phone, I said in measured tones, "Why didn't you tell me there was no Sunday flight when the luggage was lost on Saturday? Then we could have purchased clothing at the airport." I don't recall exactly what he said, because I was red-hot by then. My laptop charger was also in the luggage, so no laptop of my own. Ugh. A writer unable to use her laptop. I had a thumb drive with me, but had used up all available battery power on the plane. Michael took pity on me and said he would lend me one for an hour, and after that would have to charge five Euros an hour to use one of the ship's.

When I went to the reception desk to return Michael's laptop, lo and behold the woman on duty said, "Good news. US Air called and they're sending your luggage right over. They promised it would be here before we sail at 6:00." I glanced at my watch. It was 4:30. At 4:00 the agent told me it was in Philadelphia...or Chicago. Well, I wasn't going to argue. Maybe the gods would smile upon us and the luggage would arrive. And it did...from Barcelona! Go figure.

More on my travels later. As for now, I'm back to writing the next Silver Sisters funny mystery, doing book festivals and signings while wearing my Amserdam tee shirt!

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.silversistersmysteries.com

At the beginning of the week, we received our author copies of the newly re-issued A CORPSE IN THE SOUP from our new publishers, L&L DREAMSPELL. It isn't up on Amazon yet, but can be purchased directly from the publisher. It will be on Amazon as soon as they load it.

http://www.lldreamspell.com/ACorpseintheSoup.htm


Then at the end of the week, our new SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS audio book was released by Books in Motion, Inc. A comical new Silver Sisters crime caper. Same thing as A CORPSE IN THE SOUP. It isn't up on Amazon yet, but can be purchased from the publisher directly. It will be on Amazon soon.

http://www.booksinmotion.com/SEVEN_DEADLY_SAMOVARS_By_ST_JAMES_AND_BRADNER_p/-978-1-60548-290-3.htm



Phyllice and I are still walking on air!

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.silversistersmysteries.com

The cover of A CORPSE IN THE SOUP will be changing radically as of March 14, 2009. That's because we have a new publisher, and the new edition will be released on that date.

Silver Sisters Mysteries are funny, zany escapades and the cover from our previous publishers did not shout "funny". This edition will also have an excerpt of the new SILVER SISTERS COMICAL CRIME CAPER---SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS. Audio book release is expected by the end of March (Books in Motion) followed by the paperback, e-book and Kindle by the end of August.

This will be the new style for our Silver Sisters Mysteries covers. Just take one look at the chef on the left, and there's no question that something is afoot. The chef whose face is in the soup is not lapping it up--he's dead. But who killed him and why? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out.


Several libraries across the country already shelve the book with the ISBN number of our old publisher. The new edition, published by L&L DREAMSPELL will be available on Amazon soon or can be requested at bookstores or libraries by using the following ISBN number:

978-1-60318-120-4

Our audio books will continue to be published by BOOKS IN MOTION. If you want to request this award-winning comical crime caper on CDs,

the ISBN number is 1-59607-857-X -- it was named Best Mystery Audio Book by USA Book News !

When SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS is released as an audio book by Books in Motion you can bet I'll post the cover and an excerpt.

What is the secret of those fancy Russian teapots? This time the whole family really gets into the act--The Silver Sister twins Goldie and Godiva are aided and abetted by their 80-year-old mother and uncle, Flossie and Sterling, (former vaudeville magicians) as they set traps for the bumbling but dangerous Dumkovsky brothers. Goldie received the wrong shipment of samovars at her antique shop in Juneau, Alaska. But now the Dumkovskys are even killing people to get them--why?

WATCH FOR RELEASE DATES or check our website:
www.silversistersmysteries.com
MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.morganstjames-author.com

Everything has been moving at a whirlwind pace, but it's time to take a deep breath, smell the coffee and do a little catch-up.

I'm always balancing so many balls in the air, I know one day one of them will probably hit me on the head! The wonderful Amazon Shorts Authors anthology, THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW, was released last month and is doing very well. If you haven't already gotten your copy, you should. I was privileged to be one of nineteen authors whose stories were chosen for this eclectic collection of short stories. Everyone sees the same thing, but when the author's imagination steps in, the result is nineteen unique stories and a multitude of places, times and genres.

On March 14, our new publisher L&L Dreamspell will be releasing the new edition of our award-winning Silver Sisters adventure, A CORPSE IN THE SOUP, this time with a cover that says, "FUNNY BOOK!" It will also feature an excerpt from the second Silver Sisters comical crime caper, SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS, due for release this summer in all formats including paperback, audio and electronic. Work is progressing on the third book in the series, VANISHING ACT IN VEGAS.

As always, I'm also working on three other books, two with collaborators and one on my own.

Here was the high point of my day yesterday. I received a call in the morning from a woman who was the organizer of a party I'd attended. Their organization is going to sponsor a launch party of SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS after it is released. She was speaking to the restaurant manager about the possibility of having it there, when apparently our waitress overheard the conversation. According to the woman who called me to tell me the story, it went something like this: "Morgan St. James? You mean, the author Morgan St. James was here? I've read her Chicken Soup for the Soul stories and they really touched me. Helped me though some rough times. I wish I'd known she was here." Of course, the woman got her phone number, and I left her a nice message.

It is so gratifying to know that your stories mean something when that very something might be what gets them through the day. I always get comments on how the Silver Sisters mysteries make people laugh, and how much they love the characters. A few people have told me they feel like they'd love to sit down and visit with Goldie and Godiva, our twin protagonists who are as different as Goodwill and Gucci, or with Flossie and Sterling, their eighty-year-old mother and uncle who are former vaudeville magicians.

But then there are the people who tell me, for example, that "Shopping for Dancing Shoes," in Chicken Soup for the Shopper's Soul made them cry because it could have been their parent, or the inspiration they received from "Measuring Miracles by Leaps and Bounds," in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating People Who Make a Difference. Those are the comments that inspire me to write more stories that are true in addition to the fiction I enjoy so much.

For a true, VERY FUNNY STORY that couldn't have been filled with any more laughs if it was fiction, check out my Amazon Short, THE SECOND TIME AROUND. There are lots of books with that title (should have checked before I chose it) so you'll have to search for mine. I've included the cover to make it easire to find.
Keep checking back. You can always send me comments on write2morgan@aol.com.

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.silversistersmysteries.com
www.morganstjame-author.com
A CORPSE IN THE SOUP
Best Mystery Audio Book 2007-USA Book News

The World Outside the Window by Anthony Waugh

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the result of nineteen Amazon Shorts authors having a vision and creating an incomparable anthology. It is a wonderful read and let's you see what different stories nineteen creative writers envision working with the same information.


View all my reviews.

This post is a little off-beat for me. It is a tribute to President Obama and two old friends who would have been so proud.

We are now two-thirds of the way through the first month of 2009 and, of course, today was momentous. I took the day off from writing and watched the innaugration and some of the festivities before and after. I was both joyous and sad.

It is amazing to think that we have come so far in what seems like a long time, but in the big picture,really is not that long at all. As Barack Obama said today, fifty years ago his father could not have been served in many restaurants. When he said that, two friends came to mind. One passed away two years ago and I don't know if the other is alive at this time.

The one who passed away was my dear friend and former business partner, Jim Scott, a unique fellow if ever there was one. Jim and his wife laughingly called themselves beige people and he would kid around saying that they were sitting on the color fence. I met Jim when I applied for a job with his company. First I met his partner,a nice man, but decided that I didn't think the job was for me. Before I left, he introduced me to Jim, an elegant, articulate man with a twinkle in his eye. We connected immediately. I went to work for them and about eight months later, Jim and I formed a marketing and promotion company. Jim passed away about two years ago from brain cancer and I still feel the loss.

Here is where he fits into the story. He told me he descended from a family with, as many former slave families, Jefferson Davis in his blood line. He even showed me an ancient photograph of his ancestors with Jefferson Davis' family. As a free man His grandfather started a restaurant on his back porch in Goldsboro, NC and eventually it moved into the main house. The ribs were so outstanding, that dignitaries came to sample them. His grandfather, Adam Scott, even cooked for President Roosevelt. But as President Obama said, Mr. Scott could not have walked into a white restaurant and be served. Nor could Jim's father. He said that because his mother was light, if they were traveling she would go into the hotel and book the room. Then the rest of them would sneak in.

That brings me to my other friend. He was a senior engineer who was passed over many times for promotions with one excuse or another, but the real reason was color. Eventually the company realized what a gem they had and recognized him with promotions they should have years before. He and his wife were the best friends someone could have in a time of need. When I had marital problems that led to divorce, and bodily threats, they invited me to bring my son to the city that they had recently moved to as the result of another promotion. "We have room and it bothers me to have you in fear. You can live with us and I'll get you a job. Take a few months, and give yourself a new start."

Well I didn't do that. I toughed it out and managed to survive. But I always thought about happier times, before my divorce, when we had asked them to take a trip with us. With the grace that was so much a part of them, they declined. So I foolishly pressed it. I really wanted to enjoy the time with them. Finally, he looked me in the eye and said, "We will go anywhere in town that we can with you, but we can't travel with you to the city (unamed) that you want to, because simply put, we can't stay at the same hotel. It's segregated. Head slap time. I hated that he had to say that to me.

So, congratulations, President Obama. I supported you all the way and a new era has just begun. My friends would have been so proud!

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.morganstjames-author.com
www.silversistersmysteries.com

Well, there are only a few more hours left in 2008, and what a year it has been! We have had more unfortunate happenings than most years, an unusual presidential campaign, an historical election, scandal, record snow in Las Vegas, a new grandchild in England, and the list goes on.

I received a Christmas letter this week that actually moved me to tears. I make no secret that I'm against the Iraq war. A friend I worked with several years back is an officer in the Navy reserve. I haven't heard from him lately, and through his wife's Christmas letter found out that he was mobilized and sent to Iraq in April. He will be there until next April. His wife's letter was called "I spy." It began with "I spy a soldier," and detailed events through the year in the eyes of a military wife and children of a husband sent to a far off land. It was so poignant in its simplicity that I finished reading with tears streaming down my face.

I've worried that was what would happen for a few years now. He's a fellow in his thirties with three small children. This post is dedicated to my prayers for his safe return, and the safe return of all of our brave men and women engaged in this disasterous war.

I also pray that our country will get back on it's feet as the unique country that we once were and will be again, and that our new president will be able to carry out at least a portion of the things on his agenda. I wish for the political parties to stop slinging mud at each other and pull as one to restore our prestige.

I wish adequate health care for our citizens, jobs where a living wage can be earned and the preservation of family units.

We all have our own aspirations and hopes for the coming year, and with a positive can-do attitude we can help 2009 to be a happy, prosperous year.

Thanks to everyone who has visited our site this year and purchased our books. Look for the new Silver Sisters comical crime caper, Seven Deadly Samovars, in 2009.

MORGAN ST. JAMES

It's always exciting to me when I know that the release of a new book isn't far off. So I'm doubly excited right now. First of all, I got the word that the second Silver Sisters Mystery, SEVEN DEADY SAMOVARS, is now with the narrator, so the audio book should be released in the first quarter of 2009 as planned. If you read A CORPSE IN THE SOUP, you know all about our zany Silver Sisters and their equally zany mom and uncle. If not, rather than elaborating here, I invite you to visit either of my websites. www.silversistersmysteries.com or www.morganstjames-author.com. Our books are stand-alone although they're a series, but it would be fun to read A CORPSE IN THE SOUP before SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS is released. You can also check your library. Several across the US have the book in their collection - generally the MP3, but also paperbacks and CDs. If you want to see if they'll order it, use the ISBN numbers on the Silver Sisters site.

Hey, live dangerously. Visit both websites! They are packed with information about our books and my real life sister and co-author Phyllice Bradner, and of course, lots about me and what I'm doing. On the Silver Sisters site, you'll find a PDF of Chapter 1 of A Corpse in the Soup, an interview with the twins' 80 year old mother, an audio clip from the award winning audio book, reviews and lots more. So, drop by.

A very sweet short story I wrote, entitled SAYING GOODBYE TO MISS MOLLY, will be part of a wonderful anthology of short stories in all genres that have common threads. THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. This unique collection was written by 19 authors who are part of the Amazon Shorts books. We all have at least one story on Amazon Shorts. This book was the dream of one of the authors, more picked up the ball, a publisher hopped on board and when it comes out, it will represent authors all over the country who didn't know each other and pulled together a fantastic book. Again, the link is on our website.

Last but not least, we are clicking along writing the third Silver Sisters book, VANISHING ACT IN VEGAS, and I love being back in the swing of writing with Phylllice again. We have so much fun as sisters when we create the adventures and characters that our phone conversations go on for hours. After all, I live in L.A. and Las Vegas and she lives in Oregon.

Cheers. Think about giving someone who loves funny mysteries A CORPSE IN THE SOUP for Christmas. If you have a friend or relative who is sight impaired, the audio book is perfect.

My story, "Saying Goodbye to Miss Molly," will be part of a new anthology entitled, "The World Outside the Window."

Before I say any more, the release will be in January 2009, but it's available for pre-sale now. Here's the link for all of the information -

http://www.rjbuckleypublishing.com/amazonanthology.html

This is a boook that started with an idea from one Amazon Shorts writer, Lana M. Ho-Shing, who was joined by E. Don Harpe. Don ran with the ball so to speak and before you knew it, Lana and Don recruited seventeen other authors of Amazon Shorts to contribute a story. I was fortunate to be one of this great group of writers.

We were given several things that could be used in our stories, but we could write in any genere we wanted to as long as the guidelines were adhered to. The result - a unique collection of short stories ranging from sci fi to romance to mystery. You name it. There is even one where the window was in an office building in the Twin Towers on 911.

I thought I was going to write a mystery, but all of a sudden as I sat at the computer, Miss Molly popped into my head. I wrote and wrote as though she was dictating her story and the result was a sweet story about an old woman in her nineties recalling the love of her youth.

As of January The World Outside the Window will be available on Amazon and in many bookstores across the country. If they don't carry it, you'll be able to order it. For now, if you want to be one of the first to have a copy please visit the RJ Buckley Publishing site above.

Our publisher, Rebecca Buckley, took the book on its final journey from manuscript to publication. There is something for everyone in The World Outside The Window.

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.morganstjames-author.com
www.silversistersmysteries.com

Today there was a story in the California section of the L.A. Times entitled, "TACA Passengers in a Fog after 9-Hour Flight Diversion. TACA International Airlines Flight 670 was diverted to Ontario Airport because LAX was fogged in, and the passengers were kept on board for nine hours.

Apparently the dispute over why the 193 passengers were not allowed to disembark was explained as a claim that airport officials didn't want the passengers from San Salvador to go through their customs vs the statement from Ontario Airport operator Los Angeles World Airports that the passengers never asked to exit the aircraft. The article mentioned that usually aircraft forced to land at Ontario refueled and waited until it was safe to take off.

Guess what? Unless the rulings and procedures have actually changed since October 17, 1989 I don't think anyone was going to be able to get off that plane without a major challenge of the airport policies and procedures. On October 17, 1989 I was in the same situation at Ontario, but fortunately only for three hours---non nie. I found out first hand about the rules at Ontario Airport. Two conditions existed that caused all of the planes to be diverted to Ontario. There was an earthquake in San Francisco that caused the Nimetz Freeway (880) to collapse and the airport to be closed and extreme fog in many California cities. It is memorable to me and ties into this subject for two reasons.

ONE: I was on the upper deck of that freeway, the one that collapsed, the week before. Talk about fate.

TWO: On October 17, 1989 I was on a flight coming back from Dallas to LAX. We were almost on the ground when the plane veered up sharply, jostling people in their seats. The pilot said that the runway literally disappeared before his eyes as the dense fog rolled in. We headed for Ontario Airport.

There we stayed marooned on the plane on the tarmack for over three hours with no one saying anything to us other than the fact that we couldn't disembark because of airport rules. This is where the similarity begins. According to the spokesman, way back in 1989, airport rules forbid the disembarking of passengers not scheduled to land at Ontario because they did not have the facilities to handle it. We weren't even an international flight requiring customs.

Things got very ugly because there was no air conditioning to circulate the air, no potable water to drink and no real way to calm the irate passengers. For example, one woman had a small baby clad in only a diaper and she had run out of fresh diapers. The baby was screaming, she had no way to heat a bottle, and was threatening to force her way off the plane. People started to chant that they were prisoners.

I had been fortunate to be upgraded to first class, and if a man seated near me wasn't a very famous singer of the time, he was definitely his double. The poor man was beside himself, threatening legal action if he couldn't get off the plane. It didn't help. All of us were trapped. Just outside the window we saw so many stranded planes it looked like an aero-parking lot. It seemed like every plane from San Francisco south had been diverted to Ontario because of fog or other circumstances. Scores of buses lined up taking on passengers from the various flights as we sat there. No one told us anything except saying that the demand had outnumbered the available buses and we would just have to wait.

Finally our time came, and at once everyone demanded to know what was going on. The bus driver said, "Well, you know the combination of the massive earthquake in San Francisco and the fog at all the local airports has really caused a mess." Almost in unison, the weary passengers said, "Earthquake??" Of course, we had no way of knowing that at almost the same moment our pilot tried to land at LAX a massive earthquake hit San Francisco, crippling the city.

The man I thought was a celebrity wound up sitting next to me on the bus back to LAX. He was really mad, but as we talked, he calmed down. By the end of the ride he'd told me he was an entertainer (gave me a name I never heard of--one I suspect wasn't his real name) and that he loved having breakfast on Sunday's at the Omlet Parlor in Malibu. Having lived in Malibu myself, I agreed that it was a great place.

When we got to LAX, his limo was waiting and he asked if he could give me a ride. I thought that was nice, but declined, and said I'd take a taxi. He very graciously carried my bags to the taxi stand and said he'd enjoyed meeting me. Don't think I didn't consider going to the Omlet House for breakfast the next Sunday and hanging out to see if my new acquaintance turned up. But like many things we think about, I didn't.

Today I researched a definition of the disembarkation policy at Ontario California Airport. Here it is, and my thought is that we have another case of a spin of circumstances in the wind. It looks like the TACA flight wasn't treated any different than another flight in that situation. I do think that after several hours, however, something could have been done. The three hours I experienced was no walk in the park! Nine had to be a living nightmare.

PER WIKIPEDIA:

Thanks to Ontario's long runways (runway 8L/26R is longer than any of those at LAX), it is often used as an alternate landing site for large aircraft when LAX is inaccessible due to weather conditions or other reasons. It is a particularly important alternate airport since there are many trans-Pacific flights headed to LAX which may not have enough fuel left after the long journey to reach other major airports. However, due to Ontario's relatively small customs facilities and limited options for connecting flights, such rerouted flights typically do not disembark passengers in Ontario. Instead, the airport is usually used to refuel the aircraft, which then take off again for a short flight to LAX once landing conditions there have improved.

Generally I have nothing to do on Thanksgiving but eat turkey and stuff myself. Well, yeah, there's complaining about eating too much and gaining weight, but that's a discussion for another day. Thanksgiving has always been my cousin's opportunity to shine.

My gig is Christmas. It's been that way for years. She does Thanksgiving, I do Christmas. This year my cousin's husband hasn't been feeling 100% and last week she asked me if we could trade holidays, just for this year. Sure. No problem. Except that my place in Marina Del Rey has a kitchen the size of a closet. A very tiny closet. No counter space and barely enough room for two people.

My home in Las Vegas is a different story. A WONDERFUL kitchen, and I love entertaining there. Ever since we've had two homes, I've usually been able to convince the family to make a trip to Las Vegas. Not exactly the over the river and through the snow of songs, but suffice to say it's over the hill and it's a good idea to hit the 15 freeway before a Friday afternoon.

So, with that said, yesterday morning I started the day by thinking I would have to rearrange furniture to set up an extra table. Then I realized that this year we wouldn't have the normal number of guests and lucky me---I wouldn't have to move one piece of furniture. Things were looking up. Next came kitchen logistics. And, I do mean logistics! When you have about five feet of counter space and enough pots, pans, platters, a big turkey, a salad bowl the size of a trampoline, and all sorts of side dishes to prepare, the juggling, balancing and stacking act is amazing. The biggest concern is making sure the turkey doesn't fall on the floor while being stuffed, and nothing goes down the garbage disposal by mistake. I did learn that it's easier to juggle a sixteen pound turkey than a twenty-eight pound one.

Having dealt with this postage stamp sized kitchen for five years now, I've gotten pretty good at balancing things on the stove, the sink, a plank spread between them and any other flat surface I can find. The thing that's the pits is that I usually have to turn down any offer of help because we might need a crowbar to pry at least one of us out of the tight space. Well, I guess a really skinny guest could help, but when my husband and I try to pass each other, one of us is likely to get stuck.

I was a woman with a mission. I wanted everything to be ready to go when the guests arrived. Fifteen minutes to finish the yams, dump the salad in the the huge bowl and mix in the dressing, reheat a few dishes and viola --dinner is served. Believe it or not, everything went as planned, right down to a beautiful golden turkey. My frustration vanished in a millesecond amid hugs, kisses and calorie laden cakes. One cousin brought a huge package of chocolate truffles to die for. How can you feel frustrated with all of that chocolate within easy reach?

Throughout the evening, we regaled each other with tales of zany things that happened during our childhood, stories from the years when we were young parents and now the tales of being empty nesters. For the first time in as long as any of us could remember, this year the only young people at the table were my cousin's son and his wife. My three and their spouses were miles away in New Jersey, England and Australia. My cousin's daughter is out of state working on a PhD, and neither of her brother's adult kids were able to come. So there we were. The smallest holiday dinner any of us could remember. But we will remember it, and I was so glad I offered to do the dinner instead of letting the tradition of getting together, at least on major holidays, ebb away.

Back when my Mom was alive, and a portion of her large family lived nearby, every holiday dinner was a major production with a cast of anywhere from twenty-five to forty. Slowly the elders have passed on and my cousins and I have seen our children move away to other cities, states or even other countries. Our kids have always known their friends were welcome, and sometimes we've had a strange array of guests, but that's always made the dinners more interesting.

However, for one reason or another, this year there were only eight of us at the dinner table. Looking at each face, as we exploded with laughter and good will, I realized how important it is not to let these times of bonding fade away.

Next year---Christmas in Las Vegas---and we'll invite friends who don't have anywhere to go to join our crazy holiday feast. They can even bring their friends.

Hope your holiday was a time for joy. MORGAN

As Thanksgiving draws closer, I realize that for the very first time none of my children (adults now) will be at the dinner. In fact, this year we will have the smallest dinner we've ever had -- only eight to ten people.

I was extremely fortunate to grow up in a large loving extended family, and even when we only seemed to get together on holidays, there was always a rollicking good time. Some of those memories have inspired scenes in the Silver Sisters Mysteries that I write with my sister Phyllice Bradner.

Years ago, a typical holiday dinner was at least twenty-five people, often more. As a child in Chicago, where the majority of my mother's large family lived, the numbers could hit forty or fifty. Imagine that.

This year, my youngest son has moved to New Jersey with his new wife, my oldest son has moved to Australia with his wife and my daughter, her husband and two grandchildren live in England. Only my grandaughter lives in accessible distance now, and I don't see her as often as I would like to.

Our Thanksgiving dinner this year will consist of two cousins and their spouses as well as two of their offspring. There is a possibility of a second cousin and her son which would bring the number to ten. That doesn't dampen the spirit of the day, and I certainly want to take this space to do exactly that: GIVE THANKS.

I am grateful to have a loving family and a husband who understands me and encourages me every step of the way. I am grateful for three beautiful grandchildren, three wonderful children and their spouses. I've had an amazing life, with more ups than downs and terrific life experiences to draw upon in my writing. I've traveled nationally and internationally, met people of all faiths, ethnicities and been fortunate to experience their lifestyles in some instances.

For example, about ten years ago my husband and I traveled to Morocco. Our guide invited us to his home for a Moroccan-style meal and to meet his family. We had a wonderful time, ate with our fingers and stayed in touch with the family for years. The point is that because my husband and I are the type of people who want to learn about others, we share our customs and beliefs when asked, but don't expect everyone to be just like us. I am grateful that we have never stopped learning.

I am grateful for the bond that has grown between my sister Phyllice and me. We were sisters who barely knew each other because she moved to Alaska when she was only twenty and remained there most of her adult life. Our dear mother was our conduit. (She lived to be almost ninety-seven, and is the subject of "Shopping for Dancing Shoes," my story in "Chicken Soup for the Shopper's Soul") Phyllice and I rarely actually spoke to each other.

So, I am grateful that we found our common bond when we started writing together. We've developed a very fun series of mysteries in the Silver Sisters, were fortunate enough to have A CORPSE IN THE SOUP named Best Mystery Audio Book of 2007 by USA Book News, look forward to the release of SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS next year and are busy at work on VANISHING ACT IN VEGAS. But what does this series really mean to us?

It means that we are reliving so many pleasant childhood memories in the characters that we pluck from family events, recreate attributes of friends and people we've met along the way in other characters, share some of our multitude of life experiences in situations we create and through all of this have become the closest set of sisters you could want to find. We've discovered that we love each other very much, and now that Mom has left us and is no longer our conduit, we are so grateful to have each other and a way that we can laugh together, share so much and treasure each other even though we live in different states.

This is a long post and I haven't even scratched the surface of the things I remember as Thanksgiving approaches. I know that life is not as good as mine is for so many people, and that said, I am also grateful that late in my life I learned to listen, reach out and try to make things better for many. That was due to meeting Rick and Virginia Hawthorne, the wonderful couple about twelve years ago who became the subjects of my Amazon Short, "Miracles Happen on Horseback," and "Measuring Miracles By Leaps and Bounds," in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating People Who Make a Difference.

Prior to meeting this couple, whose love for everyone radiates like a brilliant beam of sunshine and touches whoever they meet, I might not have written some of the things I just have. I was far more self-centered and more about me --- sort of like the Godiva character in the Silver Sisters, but not quite that selfish. (That's why I know what she thinks and how she'll act.) I quickly discovered that Rick and Virgina exist to help others, to give handicapped children and young adults a better quality of life and never think of what they need themselves.

So as a final line, I am grateful to have met and written about Rick and Virginia Hawthorne. Read "Miracles Happen on Horseback," and check out their website, www.valleyviewvaulters.com

I realize today that I could probably write a short book about everything that has happened to me in my life, good and bad, and why I'm grateful it all turned out like it did. Fortunately as I said, my good experiences have outweighed the bad and the disasterous (and there were some real humdingers in that department.) I've always considered myself to be like those blow up clowns with the weighted bottoms. Knock them down and they only pop back stronger.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Give thanks for what you do have, don't dwell on what you don't have or current problems if that's possible, and I know from experience, sometimes it isn't possible. Sometimes it seems like you've been dealt a really dirty blow, and you have, but for at least one day try to enjoy what's positive in your life.

MORGAN ST. JAMES
www.silversistersmysteries.com
www.morganstjames-author.com
SILVER SISTERS MYSTERIES
Available on Amazon or click links on our website

I would think that with the election over, the heat about Sarah Palin's outrageous clothing fiasco would be dying down. But no. Today she said she never asked for the clothes, just a Diet Coke or two. If I were her I'd like to calm things down, too, but maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.

I normally don't talk politics on this site, but when I heard that comment, a picture popped into my head. After all, I am a writer. Can't you just see the RNC aides dragging Sarah and her brood into Neiman's and Saks, kicking and screaming, shouting that all she wants is a Coke. Yeah. I'd have a hard time with that, too. Then, pushy handlers that they are, they whip out credit cards and force her and her family to try on and buy designer outfits or suffer the consequences. See what I mean?

Now, I can understand some of it. After all she spends a reasonable amount of time in Juneau. I've been there many, many times because, of course, my sister and co-author, Phyllice, lived in Alaska for over thirty years. For those of you who are fashionistas, you gotta know that the main choices are Gottshalks, K-Mart, Fred Meyers, Costco and if you are expecting Nordstroms, Bloomies, or Macys---forget it. They used to have a store named Damon's, but it went out and was replaced by Gottshalks. There are some department stores besides Gottshalks in Anchorage. There is Nordstroms, J. C. Pennys, Sears, Burlington Coat Factory and I forget what else. It's not New York, but there are far more choices than in Juneau.

I remember one time when Phyllice and I arranged a "Sisters Retreat" in San Francisco. All Phyllice wanted to do was shop. She was almost like a shark in a feeding frenzy, scouting out all the choices.

Maybe that's why Sarah has been moving government services from Juneau to Anchorage. Maybe she's a little homesick for Wasilla and Nordstroms.

Anyway, that's my political commentary for today. Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama and his Vice President Joe Biden for what all the pundits say was well planned, well run campaign. Amazing what expert planning and organization can do. Even when the opponents look down on experience as an organizer, who had the last laugh?.

I've been on lots of author's panels, but this is the first time I'll be a panel member discussing "Tricks of the Trade," followed by acting as moderator for "How Female Authors Treat Their Men." I've been having fun researching authors on the panel I'm moderating and developing questions. I found out that being a moderator isn't as easy as it seems when you're the one answering the questions.

I found that once I visited websites of the authors and read reviews of some of their books, I really had a wide choice of things we could discuss. There are so many ways to create characters you love, hate, laugh at, envy, desire-- the list goes on and on. But then you have the question of whether a woman can think like a man while developing their characters. A whole bunch of authors have sold lots of books discussing the difference between the way the genders think.

The event is being held in Henderson NV, which is almost like an extension of Las Vegas. If you live in Henderson, I didn't say that. I just want to give people who don't know the city an idea of where it is. Henderson is east of the 15 freeway.

This is an all day event featuring twelve authors who are members of Sisters in Crime in other cities. Why? Because up until now, Nevada was one of the few states that didn't have a chapter. I teamed up with Pamela Main and Debbie Mitsch of a very cool bookstore named Cheesecake & Crime and the three of us got the ball rolling to establish the soon-to-be-launched Southern Nevada Sisters in Crime chapter. If you aren't familiar with Sisters in Crime, it's a international organization of mystery and crime writers, wannabe writers, booksellers, publishers, agents and reader/mystery fans. So you don't have to lock the doors and hide the jewels. We're just in pursuit of our first love --- mysteries.

If you're in the area it's on Saturday, November 8 from 9 am to 4 pm at Cheesecake & Crime, 10545 Eastern Ave., Henderson NV. Details are on their website, www.cheesecakeandcrime.com or mine, www.silversistersmysteries.com. Also check it out if you're interested in finding out about becoming a member.

Here we are at November 5 already with a new President-Elect who will live in the pages of history way beyond the term of his presidency. Congratulations to Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

I confess. I was an ardent Obama supporter and my husband and I even became part of an amazing on-line photographic gallery by fantastic Photographer Maarten De Boer entitled "I Am Obama." We are currently number 60, 61 and 62 of 500 black and white photographs of the diverse demographic that composed the Obama voter base.

http://www.maartendeboerphotography.com/iamobama

During the campaign I became a political junkie, addicted to watching MSNBC, CNN and posting on blogs all over the web. Everywhere, it seems now, but on Live Journal. So, now I'm back to my Live Journal and have found, because of all of the posts I did on other sites during the campaign, that I really love doing somewhat irreverent commentary on a variety of subjects. Who knows, maybe someday I'll pitch doing a column along with writing fiction. Anyway, that's the new face for my Live Journal page. Sharing commentary on anything that pops into my head.

I finally finished my manuscript for DANCING WITH FATE, a touching story of perserverence, survival and retribution when seventeen-year-old Sandra Barton is kidnapped, raped and left for dead. I'm currently am looking for an agent and publisher for it.

SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS, the second Silver Sisters Mysteries book is in production and we look forward to release in first quarter 2009, I've gone back to working on my government fiasco Nine-to-Five meets The First Wives Club style comedic novel with my co-author. Both of us lived through a government scam/fiasco that was just too good to pass up. It was the inspiration for WELCOME TO PARADISE. By the way, in the book Paradise will be a Federal Prison. Hah. Not quite Paradise I would say.

Anyway, keep coming back to check this out because I promise my blog will be filled with fun stuff. As for me today, I'm just gonna kick back and recover from overdosing on politics.

Remember you can read or listen to A CORPSE IN THE SOUP, the award-winning first Silver Sisters book co-authored with my sister, Phyllice Bradner. Or you can read my stories in Chicken Soup for the Shopper's Soul, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating People Who Make a Difference, and Writers Bloc II. For a quick fix, try an Amazon Short for only 49 cents. You can choose from The Second Time Around, Miracles Happen on Horseback, What Happened to Mandy Blake or Eight Surefire Ways to Tell a Jewish Mother. All available on Amazon.

See you 'round the corner.

MORGAN

Okay, there's lots of hype about Alaska right now. Some of the references to small town and unusual attitudes is right on. My sister and co-author of the Silver Sisters Mysteries, Phyllice Bradner was a resident of Alaska (both Anchorage and Juneau) for over thirty years, married into a political family and was a political print specialist who worked on campaigns of governors, senators and state financial reports. She has received four Alaska Press Club awards. So she knows a little something about Alaska.

For those of you not familiar with the Silver Sisters Mysteries, they are a comedic crime series featuring identical Baby Boomer twins Goldie and Godiva. Goldie is an aging hippie who owns an antique shop in Juneau and Godiva is a spoiled Beverly Hills widow who writes a syndicated advice column. These wisecracking twins have help from feisty elder-sleuths Flossie and Sterling Silver, their eighty-year-old mother and uncle who are former vaudeville magicians.

Although A CORPSE IN THE SOUP touches on some scenes in Alaska, most of the action taking place in California. The twins and their sidekicks lead the reader on a zany chase from Hollywood to South Bay in search of the real killer. The audio book was named Best Mystery Audio Book 2007 by USA Book News.

The next book, SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS, currently in production, takes place largely in Juneau, Alaska, with lots of authentic-style local color provided by Phyllice. Characters like Taku Ted and Ollie Oliver are reminiscent of people Phyllice knew while she lived there. Look for colorful descriptions of local attractions and customs as well, when Goldie receives the wrong shipment of samovars from Vladivostok (yes, from Russia in close proximity to Alaska) and a spree of murder and mayhem finds the sisters tracking bumbling but vicious Russian thugs.

Visit our website www.silversistersmysteries.com to find out more and for links to purchase A Corpse in the Soup. Seven Deadly Samovars will be out late this year or early next year. Watch for it.

I was interviewed on The Michael Dresser Show on August 20 and you can listen to it by visiting my personal website - www.morganstjames-author.com. Just click on the INTERVIEWS AND MEDIA tab.

We had a great time bantering back and forth. Michael lived in Fairbanks, Alaska for 25 years and my sister, Phyllice Bradner, my co-author of the funny Silver Sisters Mysteries, lived in Alaska for longer than that. What I haven't mentioned before, is that my oldest son, Scott Goodkin, went to University of Alaska at Fairbanks. He brought honor to the university by being named a member of the USA Today All-Scholastic Team the year he graduated. Members were chosen from the top graduating students across the entire United States.

Since most cozy mysteries take place in small towns, we can probably call our latest Silver Sisters Mystery, SEVEN DEADLY SAMOVARS, (due out as an audio book late this year)a cozy mystery as well as a funny mystery. Much of it takes place in Juneau. Population thirty thousand may not sound that small, but when you live in cities whose populations number in the millions it seems small.

Michael and I discovered that we had some other parallels as well. We were both born in Chicago and moved to California as teenagers.

When you move to another city as a young teen, it's easy to lose contact with those who were your friends. I was no exception. Last year I was fortunate to re-connect with the person who was my best friend in elementary school. She comes to California several times a year, and when we get together now it is as though no time has passed. In reality, we hadn't seen each other since we were twenty!

That led to making contact with some other transplanted Californians who also were in our class. Last Saturday, we got together for lunch, if you can call it that. It lasted three and a half hours and we could have yakked for another three hours.

Don't let old friends slip away. Make the phone call, or send the e-mail or letter. You'll be happy you did.

MORGAN ST. JAMES
Visit my other website: www.silversistersmysteries.com