SMALL TOWN SATURDAY

Welcome to Gossip Central, aka the Stargazer Boarding House

News travels fast in a small town. In Halo, Miss Ettie Jensen feels it's part of her duties as owner of the Stargazer Boarding House to keep folks up to date on the happenings around town.

In this excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, Miss Ettie and her sister, Zora, inform Marly of the latest news, unwittingly setting in motion the circumstances that result in the accidental marriage between Marly and Dawson.

Marly sat at the supper table of the Stargazer Boarding House and appeared to listen politely as Ettie Jensen filled her in on the lives of Halo's citizens. In truth, Marly's mind was too busy going over facets of the Midassen case to really hear much of what Ettie said... 

"Did you hear Charlie and Bigsy Dalton stole a gorilla costume from the Assayer's Office?" Ettie's sister said. 

"The last business in the building was a costume shop," Ettie explained to Marly before turning back to her sister, Zora. "I suppose Dawson took them to jail and fed them before going to Audrey's meeting." 

"Well, Bigsy has been looking a little thin lately. I'm glad Dawson is watching out for them both." Zora helped herself to a second piece of pie. The eighty-something-year-old woman had eaten as much supper as Marly's six-foot plus brothers did, yet resembled a tiny bird pecking at morsels of food... 

"Do you know how long the deputy's meeting will last?" Marly asked. Maybe she could get him to go with her first thing in the morning. She could go without him, of course, but Marly had grown up in a rural area not far from here. Folks guarded their privacy zealously, sometimes with a hair-trigger shotgun. If Claudia deGras had indeed sold her baby, she would not be pleased to see Marly. The deputy would provide a much-needed presence of authority if the woman wasn't cooperative. 

"Depends on whether Beth can sweet talk Dawson into walking her home." Zora chased down a bite of pie with a giggle. 

"He will, you know," Ettie stated. "He's such a nice boy." 

"The deputy is on a date? I thought you said he was in a meeting." Marly wadded her napkin in her fist. 

Ettie and her sister glanced at each other again. "Well, after the meeting he'll walk Beth home--" 

"Where is this meeting?" Marly pushed back her chair. What was Dawson Browning's game? Had he warned Claudia deGras away while Marly wasted her time chatting with two old ladies? 

"The barber shop," Ettie said. "But I don't think--" 

"Thank you." Marly grabbed her coat on the way out the door...


**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel

WELCOME GUEST BLOGGER: DR. VERONICA ESAGUI

FOCUS ON SERIES

Starting today and each Thursday during April, I am welcoming other authors as guests to the LEGACY blog. Since so many readers enjoy books in a series, these guest authors will be telling us about the series of books they have written. 

I'm delighted to have Dr. Veronica Esagui as my first guest author. 

AUTHOR BIO

She is a chiropractic physician, and the internationally and critically acclaimed author of The Scoliosis Self-Help Resource Book. In addition to maintaining a successful practice in West Linn, Oregon, she hosts The Author’s Forum, a television talk show featuring authors, publishers, editors, and others involved in the production of books. She is a member of The Northwest Association of Book Publishers, Pacific Northwest Literacy Alliance and the recipient of the NABP Member of the Year Award. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Northwest Annual Book Festival, The Northwest Writers and Publishers Association, (NWPA) and Papyrus Press LLC, Publishing Company. 

ABOUT THE SERIES

The name of my series is Veronica’s Diaries. (They are not intended for anyone under 15 years old because of mature content.) When I first began writing my diaries I purposely wrote in Portuguese, my native language, so I didn’t have to hide them. Writing was my daily escape, and sometimes “stabbing words on paper” was what kept me strong. It cleaned me from inside out, very much like going to confession. Owning that freedom of expression was to me an open invitation to put aside all preconceived ideas of what was taboo and to write only the truth. Soon I was amazed to discover that by writing a past event of muddy waters it suddenly became crystal clear. This is one of the many benefits of writing non-fiction. 

The people and the stories portrayed in my diaries are all true as to my recollection when I began writing in Portuguese, Saturday, April 26, 1986, in Howell, New Jersey. Upon translating them to English, I kept it as it was written, but I have changed some names to protect the not so innocent. 

There are a total of five books:

The Journey of Innocence, Braving a New World, and Awakening the Woman Within have been published and are available in bookstores, Amazon.com and directly from www.veronicaesagui.net. 

Angels Among Us and The Gift are scheduled to be released at the end of 2012. 

Verónica’s Diary - The Journey of Innocence (1944-1962) Describes in the most candid manner the first eighteen years of Veronica’s life growing up in Portugal, until a pre-arranged marriage with her cousin brings her to the USA in 1962. 

REVIEW: “I laughed at all the childhood perceptions I'd forgotten. I recoiled at the sad hardships this young girl endured, and I melted at the beautiful experiences that touched her to the soul. I too am an author, and I must say, I was blown away by this beautiful, beautiful manuscript!"    ̶  Susan D. Kalior, Live the Mystery

Veronica’s Diary II - Braving the New World (1962-1988) Follows Veronica’s trail blazing accomplishments as a music teacher, performer, news reporter, owner of three music centers, playwright, theatre director, producer and owner of the only American dinner theatre in the world in a Japanese Restaurant.

REVIEW: “This is more than a story about the struggles of a new wife and mother in a strange country. It is a glimpse into a creative, loving, understanding, sometimes frightened, but always gentle, human being, overcoming challenges that would have knocked many of us out of the game. A great read and even greater inspiration.”    ̶   Jean Sheldon, Flowers for Her Grave

Veronica’s Diary III-Awakening the Woman Within (1988-1994) Her children are now grown up; her ex-husband is still her friend but her lovers don’t fit the role model of the romance novels she used to read as a young girl.

REVIEW: “Having read the first two volumes of Veronica’s Diary, I was eager to read the third book of the series. As before, the twists of speech and syntax, due to the translation from Portuguese to English, give a feeling of intimacy long associated with diaries. But this is not a catalog of daily events; it is the story of a woman’s remarkable character as she explores a new freedom in her third stage of life."     ̶   Alice Lynn, Scattered Pieces

Soon to be released:

Veronica’s Diary IV - Angels Among Us (1994-1996) Experiencing the darkest days of her life, Veronica is thankful for the angels along her path, some of who were still exorcising their ghostly past as they strived to earn their wings.

Veronica’s Diary V-The Gift (1996-2003) A stranger follows Veronica into a supermarket and hands her a small piece of pottery, insisting that the gift is meant only for her. She accepts it. Veronica’s rich life experiences as a time traveler have taught her to recognize that her quest for happiness has finally been granted.

EXCERPT 

The following is an excerpt from Veronica’s Diary – The Journey of Innocence

Spring of 1951.  The Magic Room, as described by Veronica when she was seven years old. Her brothers’ names are José and Max-Leão. 

It was José’s birthday this weekend and Papa and Mama played with us. Papa told us he was going to take us all on a fun trip. The room where Max-Leão and I used to sleep is now empty. We both sleep in what used to be the guestroom. José continues to sleep in our parent’s room in case they have to rush him to the hospital during the night because of an asthma attack. 

Papa made a big secret over our mystery trip. It was going to happen inside the empty room and only one of us could go in at a time, with Papa as the leader and Mama as his assistant. José was the first one to go in with his eyes covered by a scarf. The door closed behind them. Max-Leão and I sat on the hallway floor waiting nervously for our turn. José came out still with his eyes covered and laughing. We were no longer scared. I was next. Mama put the scarf over my eyes and Papa told me I was not allowed to peek, as he held my hand. And into the room we went. It was very windy. 

“Feel the wind blowing?” I heard Papa saying, “It’s a storm!” 

I wondered where the wind could be coming from since it is a room without a window. 

“Yes, yes,” I said a bit skeptical but very happy and excited. 

“Soon, it’s going to start raining,” said Mama, adding, “Feel the rain, on your face?” 

“Yes, yes,” I said once again wondering how the weather elements had got inside of an empty apartment room. “It’s wonderful,” I said, deciding to just enjoy it and go with it.

“Here is an umbrella, hold onto it,” said Papa, as he put an umbrella in my hand. 

“Verónica, put it over your head, it’s raining in the garden.” I heard Mama’s voice.

“The sun just came out, give me the umbrella back.” I heard Papa as he added, “Hold my hand and let’s go up the steps climbing high towards the moon. Be careful. Don’t trip. Wow, you have reached the moon, now jump off, down to earth. It’s okay I’ll catch you.” 

I was a little scared about that, but since it was all imagination nothing could hurt me. I could tell that Papa was holding me in the air. I moved my arms like the wings of a bird, and I had to laugh as I landed softly on the ground. What a trip! I found myself out of the room. 

“Okay, now its Max-Leão’s turn,” and Papa took off the scarf covering my eyes. “You can watch how this is done, if you promise to be very quiet,” he said.

I promised to be good and not to say a word. Once again I entered the magic room. This time my eyes were wide open and looking for answers. The room was empty except for a wooden ladder in the middle of the room. Next to it was our old metal garden water can, Papa’s rusty, green fan and his big black umbrella. I had to smile, I was so happy to find that the mind can create anything with the help of sound, a touch, and the love of my parents. For a few moments, there was magic.

(The Journey of Innocence has twenty illustrations by artist Jamie Westfall Mansilla.)


You can find out more about Veronica at her Web site <http://veronicaesagui.net/>

Thank you, Veronica, for being my guest today!

VWEDNESDAY WANDERINGS: JACKSONVILLE, OREGON

Today, we're visiting a "bigger" city in Oregon. Jacksonville is sited in the southern part of the state and is designated a "National Historic Landmark town." Its population is a bit over 2200--much larger than the tiny fictional town of Halo in my LEGACY series, but could definitely offer pointers on how to make the most of a small town's ambience. 

It's been many years since I visited this wonderful little town, but I still remember falling in love with a Victorian house on the hillside. You can see a photo of it at <http://www.city-data.com/city/Jacksonville-Oregon.html>. It's on the top row of photos, the last one on the right. 

Though only a bit over 2200 in population, this town boasts events that would make larger cities envious. They claim a Chinese New Year's day parade, Britt Music Festival, Historic Jacksonville Trolley Tour. Jacksonville has also developed miles of Woodland Trails with an abundance of wildlife and wild flowers. You can also download and listen to tours online. 

Nearby is Crater Lake, wineries and orchards, Mount Ashland Ski Area, and much more. The Chamber of Commerce Web site <http://www.jacksonvilleoregon.org/> has lots of information on the surrounding area. 

Also of personal interest to me was finding Sanctuary One at Double Oak Farms, a "care farm" that not only rescues abused and neglected farm animals and pets, but works in conjunction with local schools and agencies to give children a farm experience or to help heal individuals with health and mental health issues, and much more. You can find out more about them at <http://www.sanctuaryone.org/about.html>.

So take an online tour of Jacksonville, Oregon, and find out how much there is to do in a small town!

AUTHOR NOTES

Happy spring! According to the calendar, spring arrived on March 20. The next day, the snow began. LOL! No, I don't live in the mountains or in Alaska. I have lived in Western Oregon all my life and don't remember snow accumulating this late in the year. Snow is pretty when I'm sitting inside warm and dry, but the beautiful pink blossoms of my star magnolia tree have gotta be shivering!

March has really outdone itself this year with changeable weather! But at least that has given me a lot of computer time to write and to connect with readers online. When the sunshine finally breaks through, I think I will have a bad case of spring fever and will want to be outside digging in the flowers in my yard. (The photo of the daffodils was taken BEFORE the snow came. :)

How's the weather in your part of the world? Is it spring where you are? Or are you moving into autumn? Or do you live where the weather rarely changes?

MONDAYS CAN BE CHALLENGING...

DAWSON FACES SEVEN CHALLENGES FROM MARLY'S SEVEN BROTHERS
Challenge #3 from Thomas

Not wasting any time, the seven brothers spirit Dawson off to a topless bar, where Thomas has arranged another challenge.

**The lights flashed and drums rolled, calling attention to the pole located in the center of the stage. A whisper of fog rolled up from the floor and curled toward the ceiling. A tiny, elfin woman clad in wispy streamers materialized as a genie from a lamp.  

The woman who had asked to dance for him, Dawson realized. 

Her gaze caught his, smoldered in invitation as her body swayed sinuously closer, closer to the edge of the stage. If Dawson had straightened his arm, he could have touched the silver slipper on her foot. She bent toward him, moving her hands in sensuous invitation. In response to the slight shake of Dawson's head, the woman turned, shook her g-string-clad derriere and strutted toward a more willing customer.  

"She had you marked, Dawson." Collin's comment drew the attention of all the brothers.  

Their hooded gazes waited for a response. Dawson shrugged. "I'm a married man." 

His comment brought loud guffaws and another round of drinks, including one set in front of Dawson that he didn't touch.  

When they left the bar, darkness had claimed the sky. Stars sparkled between clouds outlined in moonlight as they drove to another bar. The brothers claimed a pool table and racked up the balls. With every shot Dawson made, Thomas glared at him and took another deep drink from the bottle on the table.  

After a couple hours, Johnny drifted off with a woman. A short time later, Collin called it a night. "Do you concede, Thomas?" 

Lifting one eye open, Thomas gave a jerky nod.  

"Concede to what?" Dawson asked.  

"The stripper was Thomas' challenge to test your faithfulness to Marly," Collin said.  

"I figured it was a challenge." Dawson allowed half a smug smile. "I just wasn't sure which of you would pick such an obvious one." **

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel

COME TO DINNER AT TALLIE O'SHEA'S

Welcome to Tallie's! Today we're going to watch an informal volleyball games among the O'Shea siblings. I'd suggest sitting on the sidelines for awhile, out of range of that chaos I mentioned last week.

**Although careers had scattered Marly and her brothers to different locations across Oregon, the standing Sunday dinner at Tallie's brought them home again. 

She pulled into the parking area stretching the length of the house. Seven vehicles sat side by side on the pavement, meaning all her brothers had already arrived. Marly 

squeezed her Jeep between Collin's new four-wheel drive pick-up and Patrick's older model sedan. Collin had saved for several years to buy the shiny black vehicle and had taken a ribbing from Patrick about the sins of materialism. As a priest, Patrick declared the well-worn, brown sedan fit his pious life-style, including begging Collin to fix its frequent breakdowns. 

In spite of the near freezing weather, Marly could hear shouts and huzzahs from the courtyard in back of the house. Part of their Sunday ritual was a game of basketball or volleyball, in spite of Tallie's standing rule that she refused to drive anyone to the emergency room for injuries sustained in "friendly" competition.  

Carrying a bolt of drapery fabric her mother had asked her pick up in Portland, Marly walked to the old farmhouse. Tallie claimed she was bored now all her children but one had moved out, and even Jeremiah was gone most of the time since his shifts at the firehouse kept him away for three days and nights at a time.  

As she pushed open the front door, Marly called out, "Hi, Mom."  

The savory smells of roasting turkey and apple pies drew Marly to the kitchen. She kissed her mother on the cheek as Tallie stirred a pot of simmering soup. "Brought the fabric you wanted."  

"Thank you, dear." Tallie waved a spoon toward the back of the house. "The boys are already playing volleyball." 

"Yeah, heard them as I came in. Think I'll go see how many bruises they have."  

"Fifteen minutes until dinner," Tallie reminded her.  

Hoots of hellos greeted Marly's arrival amid the testosterone-charged game already in progress. Three of her brothers wore navy blue T-shirts with the words "blue legacy" across the back; the other four men were shirtless. 

"Rotate Marly in," Thomas shouted.  

"You take her 'cause she's too short to spike the ball over the net." Laughter accompanied CJ's teasing comment.  

Marly rotated in and served, bouncing the ball off CJ's head.  

"Geez, Marly," Johnny razzed her. "The only way you can beat the competition is by knocking them out?" 

She aimed the next serve at teammate Johnny, but he expected it and dodged out of the way with a grin.  

The other team served, but Marly missed returning the ball over the net.  

"How would you like to spike the ball?" Johnny whispered. 

"No short jokes, or I won't miss next time." 

"Be ready. I'm going to lift you on my shoulders on their next serve." 

As he did so, Marly smacked the ball straight down onto the cement courtyard between two unsuspecting brothers on the other side of the net. 

"Unfair!" came the chorus of protests. 

Afterward, any semblance of rules disintegrated. Two brothers lifted a third to form a pyramid and spike the ball. One brother pulled down the net to let the ball bounce over. They had descended into predictable chaos by the time Tallie rang the bell announcing dinner was ready. **

** Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel

SMALL TOWN SATURDAY

MEET SHERIFF REID WESTON

Charming. Handsome. Politically ambitious.  

Deputy Dawson Browning, the hero of PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY,  has known Sheriff Reid Weston since adolescence. At a time when Dawson felt the loneliness of being a social outcast, Reid became one of his only friends. 

Together, they got into mischief, discovered girls, and both became lawmen. However, Dawson has concerns that Reid is letting his political ambitions interfere with good law enforcement. 

When integrity counts, on which side of the law will Reid come down?

***

"Who's the sexy redhead in town?" Sheriff Reid Weston sat in Dawson's chair and examined his buffed nails.

In addition to Reid's disappearing act after the debacle on the prescription drug case, his attitude and reference to Marly O'Shea scraped on Dawson's nerves like spurs on a horse's flanks. "A child welfare worker looking for a birth mother."

"The Midassen case?"

"That's the one."

"Didn't we close that when Swaggerty died in the mine cave-in?"

"It's closed."

"Then get rid of her. I don't want any more trouble before the primaries."

"We need to talk about politics and police work." Dawson leaned against the desk and crossed his booted feet.

"Like it or not, old buddy, they go hand in hand."

"Not when someone could have been killed." 

"We pulled too many pranks as teenagers for me to buy that righteous attitude, Dawson." 

"We're not teenagers any more. Some of the stuff we did was just plain stupid. We were lucky to escape with our backsides intact." 

Reid chuckled. "The good old days. Who would have imagined we'd end up as cops?" 

"We have a responsibility to the people of this county--" 

"Come on, Dawson. Do you believe that crap?" Reid's feet hit the floor as he jerked to a stand and pointed to his chest. "I have a responsibility to myself. Numero uno. Did any of them lend a hand when my old man beat the crap out of me? I drove myself to the hospital more often than not." 

"Bill and Audrey Chambers gave me a home," Dawson said. "Stood up for me." 

"Yeah? Well, you were lucky. I survived because I finally beat my old man at his own game." 

Dawson considered his friend. As close as he thought they had been, Reid sometimes hinted at secrets. Something dark. "Then stick to the politics and let me do the police work." 

"Yeah, yeah. Now, enough of this serious talk." Reid slapped Dawson on the shoulder. "How about a drink before I head home?" 

"Still on duty." 

"Yeah. You've become a straight shooter." Something like regret flickered in Reid's eyes before he walked out the door. 

Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations to: Naomi Baltuck!

She is the fourth winner from my Virtual Blog Tour. 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment. Your names will also go in a drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com. 

FOURTH AND FINAL STOP OF VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR

I'm wrapping up my Virtual Blog Tour at Sugarbeats Books today, talking about authors and books that have had a significant effect on my life, including the book that started me on the journey to be a published author. Hope you stop by and share a laugh!

WEDNESDAY WANDERINGS: SMALL TOWNS IN OREGON

DETROIT, OREGON

Mt. Jefferson rises above Detroit Lake. (Oregon State Archives Photo No. marD0026a)

This week we're visiting a small town on the western side of Oregon: Detroit. Yes--Detroit, Oregon. This is a nostalgic visit for me, as I worked at nearby Detroit Lake State Park the summer I was twenty years old--a few years back. LOL!

During my online visit, I was delighted to see the beautiful new Lodge at Detroit Lake <http://www.lodgeatdetroitlake.com/index.html>. There weren't many guest accommodations in the area during the summer I lived there--mostly campgrounds. I felt lucky to rent an available studio apartment almost on the shore of the lake. 

Detroit's population of 279 is the weekday and off-season population. On weekends during the summer, the population swells into the thousands as tourists from nearby Salem and Portland, as well as other places, flee to this beautiful recreation area. 

The lake that provides much of this recreation was created when Detroit dam was completed in 1952, with a 3000-acre reservoir filling behind it. The original unincorporated town of Detroit was moved to its current location and incorporated that same year. 

One of the oddest sights I saw when working at the State Park was during the off-season when the reservoir wasn't filled. The mountains in this area are covered with a thick carpet of fir trees, which were cut down to stumps before the reservoir formed. The lake that is beautiful blue water during the summer is reduced to the North Santiam River running through a desert of stumps in the winter.

If you want to learn more about the building of the dam, you can check out this link <http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/detroit_dam/>. The Oregon State Parks Web site also has info about the area <http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_93.php>. Or you can visit the Web site for the Detroit Lake Recreation Area Business Association <http://detroitlakeoregon.org/index.cfm>. 

This is beautiful country!

AUTHOR NOTES

Well, I looked back at my notes from last week so I didn't repeat what I said and thought, "I'm doing the same this week." Write, revise, promote. Gah! I don't want to be a boring author! LOL!

Actually, I kinda like "boring" in my personal life. A day without a crisis makes me happy and productive.

Now that launch day promotion has settled into less hectic days, I've returned to a schedule of writing first--before I become caught up other demands--well, except feeding my doggies. :)

Amazing how that one step has eliminated most of my crabbiness.

I hope you all have something you do for yourselves that makes you happy!

Now that my day's writing is done, I'm going to take an armchair journey to another small town in Oregon to share with you tomorrow. See you there!

MONDAYS CAN BE CHALLENGING...

DAWSON FACES SEVEN CHALLENGES FROM MARLY'S SEVEN BROTHERS
Challenge #2 from Patrick

Dawson's challenges from Marly's seven brothers for the privilege of being her husband continue with Patrick, aka my-brother-the-priest. Not just a physical challenge, but an emotional one as well. 

**"There's an old Irish custom that might be of help in this situation." Patrick stood, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "When a man expresses an interest in an Irish lass--you are interested in Marly, aren't you, Mr. Browning?" 

"Very much so." Dawson wondered what trick this seemingly easygoing priest would pull out of his vestments. 

"Irish custom states when a man declares his intent to court a lass, he must meet certain requirements from the lass' immediate family." 

"You're all adopted and we're not Irish," Marly stated. 

"Ah, lass, you wound me." Patrick placed a hand over his heart. "We are family in action and Irish in all ways that matter." 

"Spare me the theatrics." Marly rolled her eyes. 

"The right of refusal belongs not to the lass, but to the prospective groom." Patrick turned to Dawson. "Arise, my son." 

Slowly, Dawson stood, feeling like a small child caught stealing from the church plate. The wily priest's intent, he assumed. 

"For the honor of courting this fair lassie, you will be required to meet a challenge from each of her seven brothers--" 

"No." Marly stood and placed herself squarely between Dawson and her brothers. 

"What are the challenges?" Dawson nudged Marly to one side so he could see around her. 

"I will make my own decision of who I will and will not marry." Marly fisted her hands on her hips. "You are not going to engage in some display of testosterone with me as the prize." 

"You're not acting like much of a prize, little sister."  

The brothers laughed. 

"You're every inch a prize to me," Dawson spoke quietly to Marly. 

"Then you agree?" Collin asked.  

"Dawson, you don't know what these barbarians are capable of." Marly clutched Dawson's arm.  

"I can beat these wimps at their own games," Dawson declared. 

Marly groaned as interest stirred among her brothers. Their eyes lit with excitement as the rumble of their conversation grew louder…

"Patrick?" Collin turned to the last brother yet to state his challenge. 

Patrick rubbed his lower lip thoughtfully for a moment before he spoke. "Celibacy." 

Damn, Dawson thought as the other brothers broke into grins and laughter. He wished Patrick had passed on his challenge too. 

"This is none of your business." Marly stood up, scowling fiercely at her brothers. 

"The period of celibacy shall last until Mr. Browning has passed all the challenges to our satisfaction," Patrick stated. "In the meantime, one of us will stay with Marly at all times." 

"Then you'll sleep outside," Marly stated. 

Ignoring his sister's comment, Collin spoke loudly over the noise of the other brothers. "Dawson, for the honor of marrying Marlena Catherine Alexandria O'Shea, do you agree to meet these challenges as they are presented?" 

"It will be my pleasure." Dawson shook hands with each brother.**  

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel

SUNDAY DINNER AT TALLIE'S

When the O'Shea siblings were young, Tallie started out St. Patrick's Day with a breakfast of green eggs and ham, baked up some green bread and spread it with mint jelly. Then they read the popular children's book. Not necessarily connected to anything Irish except all the food was green, and Bernie and the kids thought it was great fun. 

Bernie liked to spin tales about their Irish ancestors--though the kids were all adopted so their ancestry wasn't exactly known. Patrick especially related to things Irish and developed a very convincing Irish brogue.

Sunday dinner was traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage--with limeade as the beverage when the kids were too young for ale. (Author's note: I know this is the day after St. Patrick's Day, but wanted in an Irish household, every day is a tribute to things Irish! By the way, this isn't Tallie's recipe, which remains an O'Shea family secret. :)

Dublin Corned Beef and Cabbage

(from http://www.ireland-information.com/irishrecipes/index.htm)

Serves 8

5 pounds of corned beef brisket

1 large onion with 6 cloves embedded

6 peeled and sliced carrots

8 new potaotes, peeled and cubed

Some dried thyme

A bunch of Parsley

2 Heads of Cabbage, quartered

Sauce: half pint of whipping cream

3 tablespoons of prepared horseradish

Boil the beef, onion, carrots, potatoes, thyme and parsley in a pot of water. Simmer for 3 hours. Remove sediment and the thyme, parsley and onion. Add the cabbage and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked. Remove the meat and divide into pieces. Remove and season the cabbage heavily with black pepper. 

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

With a name like O'Shea, this family has to have some Irish heritage, right?

How much Irish depends on which sibling is talking...

** "You're all adopted and we're not Irish," Marly stated. 

"Ah, lass, you wound me." Patrick placed a hand over his heart. "We are family in action and Irish in all ways that matter." **

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel.

Patrick, aka my-brother-the-priest, embraced the Irish heritage, whether real or in spirit. And mom, Tallie, fixed green eggs and ham for breakfast, along with a reading of the popular children's book. Not sure Dr. Seuss was Irish, but eating green was fun for the siblings when they were young.

Sunday dinner was corned beef and cabbage (recipe tomorrow with the "Dinner at Tallie's" blog) along with green beer for the adults and limeade for the younger ones.

And, of course, Patrick would offer a traditional Irish blessing like this one, which is one of my favorites:

May the roads rise to meet you,
May the wind be at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations to: MomJane!

The third winner from my Virtual Blog Tour. 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment. Your names will also go in a drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate at the end of my tour. 

THIRD STOP OF VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR

Today, I'm blogging at MWVRWA with the fun and witty ladies of the Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers of America. Please join me there or ...

Join the heroine of PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, caseworker Marly O'Shea, who is guest blogging at As the Pages Turn, talking about the precautions she should have taken to stay out of trouble after arriving back in her hometown of Halo, Oregon.

First on the list is "Keep your taser in your purse and don't threaten the deputy who is supposed to help you." Could it get any worse? Join us and find out!

WEDNESDAY WANDERINGS: SMALL TOWNS IN OREGON

I grew up in a small town in Oregon (population 1200 people). Though I moved to the city many years ago, I carried a number of small-town expectations with me. 

When the LEGACY series was forming in my head, a small town seemed like the natural setting for these courageous characters with a strong sense of community.

However, no actual small town fit what I had in mind, so the fictional town of Halo came into being. I fictionalized characteristics from a number of small towns and made up other Halo "facts." :)

And I thought it would be fun to share information about real small towns in Oregon that have provided inspiration for me through Wednesday Wanderings.

My fictional town of Halo is located in the mountains of Eastern Oregon's old gold mining country. There are a number of ghost towns in that area, as well as towns still populated, like the city of Sumpter <http://www.historicsumpter.com/index.html>. Their Web site says, "The year-round population of Sumpter is approximately 191, consisting of 190 very nice people and one 'old grouch'."

The restored Sumpter Valley Railway offers rides pulled by steam locomotives on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. One of the gold dredges used to mine gold is now part of a state park, called the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area. The area also is becoming more popular for winter sports such as cross country skiing and snowshoeing. 

If you can't go there in person, I hope you enjoy an online visit to this small town in Oregon!

FROM THE AUTHOR...

Did I survive launch day for my LEGACY series? Yes, quite well, thank you!

I'm now spreading the word that the first book of this series, PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, is available, with more books to be released every two months during 2012 and 2013. So I'm also busy writing and editing the later books of this series.

I hope you enjoy the LEGACY series, as well as related information on this blog and on my Web site. I plan to add more information as the series continues, so if there is something in particular you enjoy or would like to see, let me know. I'll toss it in the creative hopper and see what comes out. :)

MONDAYS CAN BE CHALLENGING...

DAWSON FACES SEVEN CHALLENGES FROM MARLY'S SEVEN BROTHERS
Challenge #1 from Johnny

From the time boys noticed adolescent Marly, her seven brothers seemed to have a sixth sense when she was attracted to a guy. Usually, the Buttinsky Brothers--as Marly called them--could scare off potential boyfriends without saying a word. Just a solid wall of overprotectiveness and dare-me looks. However, Dawson didn't back down. He took on the challenges with enthusiasm and determination.

**As Marly's body melted against Dawson, his mind registered the snick of the lock downstairs being picked. He cursed. "Someone's breaking in. I'll get my gun." 

"Much as the thought appeals to me, it's just one of my brothers." 

"Well, well, little sister, you have found yourself a whole passel of trouble this time." Johnny O'Shea stood on the top step. His normally smiling face surveyed the state of Marly and Dawson's undress with a frown.** 

And so began Dawson's challenges with Marly's seven brothers. Youngest brother, Johnny, wasted no time getting down to the business of protecting Marly's honor, even if she didn't want it protected.

**...Johnny stared at Dawson for a moment, then slugged him.  

The pain from the blow radiated across Dawson's face. Damn, the kid packed a wallop, but he hadn't chosen his defensive position very well. The cocky bastard stood at the top of the stairs. But only momentarily. Dawson hit him low with a tackle that sent them both tumbling down the stairs.  

In the background, Dawson heard Marly shriek--or maybe it was curse.  

Dawson rolled to his feet as soon as they hit the bottom of stairs, only to find Johnny O'Shea had bounced up into a boxer's stance, fists raised to protect and jab. Dawson grinned as a surge of testosterone shimmied through his body. He hadn't beat the hell out of someone for a long time. And Johnny wouldn't be a pushover. It would be a good fight.** 

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel

COME TO SUNDAY DINNER AT TALLIE O'SHEA'S

I'm blogging today at the Rogue's Angels' blog, so thought I'd run a recipe similar to one Tallie O'Shea might prepare for her family.

Tallie enjoys cooking. Good thing since she had eight children and a husband with a healthy appetite, as well as many guests who join them for traditional Sunday dinner. So Tallie doesn't save roast turkey for holidays. She fixes it on "regular" Sundays too--one of the ways this extraordinary mom makes every day special. 

The first time we join the O'Shea's for Sunday dinner, Tallie is roasting a turkey and baking apple pie. 

At the risk of sounding egotistical, I never quite understood why many people think roasting a turkey is so difficult. Start with a good turkey, and when the timer pops up, it's done. LOL!

OK, not quite so easy. My mom taught me to cook with a dash of this and a taste of that. So I'm not great with recipes. To make things easier for those who like to follow a recipe, I looked on the Internet for a good roast turkey recipe. 

Appropriately, there's one called "Mom's Roast Turkey" at <http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_roast_turkey/>. 

I especially like several of this lady's suggestions for roasting a turkey, including:

--Be sure to take the neck and giblets (heart, liver, gizzard) out of the cavity of the turkey before roasting. And don't cook the stuffing inside the turkey as this will increase the cooking time.

--Rub butter or olive oil all over the outside, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. 

--Cook the turkey breast side down on a rack with a separate pan beneath it to catch the drippings. Saves trying to pour the drippings out of the pan after the turkey is done without either lifting the turkey out or dumping it on the floor. 

She also recommends how to clean up the turkey before roasting and had a lot of other good suggestions, but I'll let you look for yourself if you're in the mood for roast turkey.

Before or after you enjoy your Sunday dinner, I hope you stop by to say hello at the Rogue's Angels' blog!

SMALL TOWN SATURDAY

MEET MAYOR AUDREY CHAMBERS…

Retired school teacher and Mayor of Halo, Audrey Chambers is determined to recreate an Old West mining town to help provide jobs so Halo's young people--like her son--will stay in town. In spite of her political and entrepreneurial ambitions, Audrey is very much a mom. She and her husband, Bill, have been surrogate parents to Dawson since he was fifteen.

** "Dawson!" 

He turned toward the sound of the urgent voice, seeing Audrey Chambers, mayor of Halo and his surrogate mother since he was a teenager, hurrying down the sidewalk toward him. The woman had the energy of a teenager packaged in a grandmother's body.  

She walked into his outstretched arms for a hug and patted his belly. "Have you eaten supper yet? You're looking a bit thin." 

He didn't bother to tell her his supper had probably been eaten by Bigsy before he and Charlie let themselves out of jail. "Beth brought over something. Did Reid send patrols through while I was on the drug case?" 

A snort conveyed Audrey's opinion of the sheriff. "I should have rapped that boy's knuckles more when he was in grade school. Only saw a patrol car once a day and didn't even stop to talk to anyone. Bill took care of things." 

Audrey's husband, Bill, was as quiet as Audrey was energetic. Like her, he had lived his entire life in the area. When he retired after thirty-three years working in the national forest lands blanketing the surrounding mountains, he didn't even consider living anywhere else. 

"I need you for a meeting at the barbershop." Audrey tugged at Dawson's arm. 

"Meeting about what?" 

Audrey lifted a finger to her lips. "It's a secret." 

"Not for long in this town." Dawson followed her, ignoring the rumble of his stomach. "I thought you were on the outs with Stanley Alvord." 

Another snort from Audrey bounced the corkscrew gray curls framing her face. "You can't be mayor and conduct a decent feud. All this negotiation mumbo-jumbo. Sometimes I'd rather be a steamroller." 

…

"Well, we can start now since we have the downtown property owners assembled." Audrey's introduction gave the reason for Alvord's inclusion.  

Audrey and Bill owned most of the buildings in town, except Beth's café and Alvord's barbershop. If this meeting concerned her favorite topic of making Halo more than a dot on the map, she would need the cooperation of both Beth and Alvord. Dawson settled into one of the red vinyl chairs to see what tactics Audrey would use to bring Alvord around to her way of thinking. **

**Excerpt from PICTURE PERFECT LEGACY, copyright Genie Gabriel.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Congratulations to: Marybelle!

The second winner from my Virtual Blog Tour. 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment. Your names will also go in a drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate at the end of this tour. 

SECOND STOP OF VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR

Please join me today at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews on the second stop of my Virtual Blog Tour, where I talk about five things you'd probably never guess about me.

PLEASE JOIN ME AT SHY WRITER'S BLOG TODAY

Hi, all! Today I'm the guest  of writer Rebecca J. Clark at Once Written, Twice Shy, also known as the Shy Writer's Blog.

Yes, I'm an introvert at heart and happily hang out at home with my doggies, writing and forgetting what day of the week it is.

But I also love to talk about writing and to share stories too, so sometimes I emerge from my "cave" to blog (like today) or visit with other writers and readers (online and in person) or announce winners to contests (each week this month).

So please stop by Shy Writers Blog if you have the time and say hello.