Author: Becky

Some of my Thursday

Seriously, you can’t take me anywhere. Tonight, I was THAT person. I got to Murder By the Book for Dean James’s signing of his new cozy mystery Murder Past Due, written as Miranda James, in time to enjoy some conversation with him and get a hug from Johnnie beforehand. Then I turned the sound off on my phone. Only I DIDN’T! I must have forgotten that vital last step, “Set,” because in the middle of Dean’s story to a VERY good crowd, my dumb cell began to ring. Which meant I had to scramble in my purse and find the thing and turn it off–it took an eternity. Sorry Dean and readers. I’m a moron.

Still, it was a wonderful night, because that’s the only way Murder By the Book knows how to do an event.


David introducing Dean with accolades from other mystery writers.


Kinley and John, two members of the best staff you’ll find at any bookseller anywhere.


Dean had a gratifyingly large audience and a long line to get books signed. In addition to Murder Past Due, he signed his Trailer Park Mystery series (written as Jimmie Ruth Evans), and his short story in the Delta Blues collection. Delta Blues includes well-loved writers (James Lee Burke, John Grisham, Ace Atkins, Charlaine Harris, Suzanne Hudson, Bill Fitzhugh, Suzann Ellingsworth, Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly, Mary Saums, Lynne Barrett, Dean James, Les Standiford, Toni L.P. Kelner, and Carolyn Haines), plus new authors (Alice Jackson, David Sheffield, Nathan Singer, Michael Lister, and Daniel Martine), and contains an introduction by Morgan Freeman. A portion of every book sold will go to Freeman’s Rock River Foundation, an organization that promotes literacy and provides grants to assist schools.

One thing I’ve found concerning recent changes to my health is that I MUST EAT when it’s time to eat or I get…cranky. Very cranky. So I was not amused to get home to find someone’s car blocking the drive into The Compound. A simple phone call and my problem would have vanished courtesy of the HPD’s choice of a tow truck. Instead, through some eel-like maneuvering, I was able to get my car inside the gate. Then I left this poster on the offending vehicle’s windshield:

they wanted to go to work

The Hartford Distributors shooting occurred on August 3, 2010, in Manchester, Connecticut. A disgruntled employee accused of theft had been given the option of resigning or being fired. He signed resignation papers and while being escorted from the building, took a Ruger SR9 semi-automatic pistol from his lunch box and killed eight people, wounding two others, before taking his own life.

Those killed were:

Francis Fazio, Jr., 57
Douglas Scruton, 56
Edwin Kennison, 49
William Ackerman, 51
Bryan Cirigliano, 51
Craig Pepin, 60
Louis Felder, 50
Victor James, 61

The wounded were:

Steven Hollander, 50
Jerome Rosenstein, 77

Art and More Art

I’m excited because I just bought a piece of art, and I’m looking forward to its arrival. I’ve also got a piece on hold that I’m buying for a friend’s birthday. I can’t buy as often or as many pieces as I’d like, but it feels good to support creativity; it provides me or my intended recipient with something unique; and I know how great it feels when people buy my stuff!

Today I was putting some more work on my art pages when I realized that all the paintings I recently added had vanished. My web host must have had some kind of seizure. All is right again, and if you’re ever interested in seeing what’s new from me, on the left sidebar of my LJ home page, you can see links to One Word Art, True Colors, and a page of my other works.

It’s NOT TOO EARLY to pick out holiday presents, you know!

Last week’s Work of Art on Bravo was about opposites. I decided to shoot a couple of photographs (and thank you kindly, Kathy S, for being my model!):


(click here to see a larger version on a black background)

“Fists and Palms”

I shot tight fists versus open hands as a metaphor for opposites: stinginess and generosity. People speak of giving without expectation; I think such a quality is almost impossible for us. We clutch, we grasp, we want. We may not ask or expect to be repaid in kind, but we hope, perhaps for love, approval, friendship, gratitude, kindness, companionship, respect.

Often it seems the person who protests the most passionately that he or she gives without expectation most wants or needs repayment. A gift becomes an attempt at emotional leverage, and trust is replaced by fear of loss.

To see other contributors’ work, check out the Work of Art blog.

LJ Runway Monday: And Sew It Begins (PR 8:1)


Guess what?!? It’s a new season of Lifetime’s Project Runway! For me, that means a few weeks of stabbing myself with needles, hurling unruly bobbins across the room, and wondering what crazy misfire in my genetic makeup drives me to sew these challenges at 1:6 scale. But sew I will.

In the season opener, the contestants were gathered into a group with their luggage. Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn–that’s Tim in my user photo with me–told them to remove one wearable item from their suitcases. Most people would think, This probably means I’m about to have to destroy an item of clothing. Let me take out something I can work with but I’m willing to sacrifice. In other words, NOT a thousand dollar pair of Dolce & Gabbana pants.

But I digress. It was a great first episo—-mmmbbhft.


Heidi: Welcome to LiveJournal’s Runway Monday! I’m Heidi Klum, and this season, I, along with my cohosts Mattel Top Models Barbie and Summer, will be doing the talking. Becks is here to sew, not ramble on and post spoilers for those who haven’t seen the previous week’s episode.

Barbie: I’ll be helping Becks pick her model each week.

Summer: And I’ll be her muse. If one of her designs displeases you, it’s probably because she didn’t listen to me. She’s very stubborn.

Heidi: This also provides us the opportunity to model Mattel’s Barbie Basics little black dresses. Don’t we look great?

Barbie: Yes, we do. And I’ve chosen a stunning model to wear the first design of this season. She’s Collection 001, Model No. 08, but this isn’t Star Trek, so her actual name is Maia.

Heidi: To try to adhere to the show’s challenge, in which each designer had to hand over an item of his–

Summer: –or her–

Heidi: –own clothing for the person standing next to him–

Summer: –or her–

Heidi: –to use, we asked former LJRM designer Timothy J. Lambert to dig something out of his wardrobe for Becks to use as the basis of her design. She then had a few minutes to pick out any other fabric and notions she needed, and five hours to complete her design.

Summer: Finally, we advised her to choose wisely from the Mattel accessories wall.


Maia.
Timothy’s selection.
Lindsey modeling Timothy’s selection.

Heidi: Ready to see what Becks came up with?

Click here, please.