My
horoscope for today says I should “Study the nature of people today.” I
interpret this to mean I should be more observant of my surroundings. This
is good advice that has worked well for me in the past.
In
1998, I decided to “become” a writer. After writing a few short stories, I started
my first novel. An entirely new world opened up as I learned to see past the
superficial façade of scenery and society, a very slow process for me. My
reward for continuing to search and research was an accompanying symphony of
sounds, changing colorless events into neon-flashing experiences.
 |
Blood Red Hibiscus
at Queen Kapiolani Gardens in Waikiki |
Everything
didn’t immediately and perpetually start coming up roses, or a profusion of hibiscus.
I suffered my share of what life offers all of us in our turn. Last Saturday, a
close friend since 1969 died. He, and the multi-hued colors he added to the
world, will be sorely missed.
My
stories reflect some of life’s unsolicited offerings of fate. Not as a means of
purging myself of uncomfortable memories; after all, we are made of memories;
but to explore how the process of forging steel applies to life.
As
a result, I look at people in a new light, not to judge but to enjoy. I hear
the words they say as they mean to say them, filtered through their
experiences, not through my own. All of this helps me to flesh out my stories
while creating entertaining and multi-dimensional characters and plots.
In
bite-sized excerpts, A Slice of Life introduces you to my writing, my
protagonist’s interactions with life, and the people who share her experiences.
The following excerpt includes a slice of protagonist Pepper Bibeau’s back story.
A
Slice of Life: Excerpt from FOR EVERY ACTION
In this diner scene, Pepper holds a
conversation with Toby, a Chicago homicide detective she meets during an
insurance investigation that leads to murder.
“Ursula was proud of her heritage,” I said. “It’s sad
to think prejudice might have played a role in her death.”
Toby sighed and we retreated into our own thoughts
until restaurant activity intruded. As customers left, more arrived to place orders
for the fresh catch of the day.
“What about your relatives, Pepper?” Toby asked. “Do
they live in Chicago?”
“Just Uncle Fred, my mother’s brother.” I pointed
toward the ceiling. “He owns this apartment building.”
“Fred Cane still owns this place?” he asked.
Surprised Toby even knew of my uncle, I didn’t correct
his pronunciation of the family name. Ka-ne, two syllables, was the Hawaiian
word for male, and the name of a Hawaiian god.
“How do you know my uncle?”
“It would be more accurate to say I know the building.
Or at least remember it was set up for demolition back in the 50s until some
guy got it dumped on him as a sales bonus.”
I smiled at Toby’s description of the windfall Uncle
Fred had received.
“With the riverfront Marina Towers absorbing available
tenant interest in the area,” I said, “Uncle Fred suspected the company had
written off the building as a bad investment.”
“He did a good job of turning it around.”
“His on-site management attracted financially secure
tenants, and later he used the Chicago property as collateral to purchase
coastline properties around the country. He still oversees the rental units
personally.”
“And you?” Toby asked.
His topic-hopping caught me off guard again. I took a
moment to collect my thoughts.
“I live in Wisconsin,” I said. “I travel a lot for
insurance investigations.”
“Wisconsin your home state?”
“More of an adopted state. My father’s family settled
in Wisconsin. Dad was in the military, stationed in Hawaii during the late
1930s. He and my mom met in Honolulu.”
“And she was Hawaiian?”
“Yes. Well, hapa.” I almost laughed at Toby’s look of
confusion. “It means part, part Hawaiian. She married my dad on the Big Island
in the spring of 1940 and I was born in Honolulu the following year.”
“Hawaii to Wisconsin, quite a leap.”
Whether he meant the weather, the culture, or just the
distance, I had to agree.
Thank you for joining me today. The first novel in
the Pepper Bibeau Mystery Series,
FOR EVERY ACTION, is on sale at Amazon.com for 99
cents.
If you have already read and enjoyed one of my
novels, I would greatly appreciate your time
and effort in writing a book review for Amazon
and/or Goodreads.
