Going....Going....G

This will be the last blog post I write in California.  As of Thursday, Fred and I will be on our way to North Carolina.  

It has been an extremely busy month--deciding what to keep and what to sell, preparing for a garage sale and then holding the two-day garage sale, then cleaning up after the garage sale, and between it all, packing, packing, and more packing.  We have sold or given away everything we don't want to take, which is about half our household; yet, we still have a lot of "stuff" left.  Where it's been hiding all these years I have no idea.

We're having a pod from Pack Rats delivered tomorrow (Wednesday) and we've hired helpers to come Thursday and load it.  When it's fully loaded and locked, we'll be on our way.

One thing I've learned, moving is not for the elderly.  We work half an hour and rest half an hour.  I look forward to the day I can stand up straight again without my lower back crying out in pain.  My arms and legs look like Fred got upset and punched me, but it's just from carrying what seems like hundreds of boxes.  

We're tired, exhausted actually.  And our tempers are short.  It's been hot and humid for over a week which hasn't helped our dispositions.  I haven't been able to sit down and write for I don't know how long and I really, really want to.

Two things keep us going.  The first is knowing that when we get in our vehicle Thursday afternoon, all the packing, all the lugging, all the reaching and bending, will be behind us.  We can finally sit for 2500 miles and enjoy the scenery with absolutely nothing to do.  The second thing is knowing that at the end of our journey there will be rocking chairs on a front porch waiting for us.  I long for those rocking chairs.  They are on the porch of the house my daughter and son-in-law are buying and have graciously allowed us to stay in while we look for a place of our own, somewhere in North Carolina.  

When we have an address and an email address, I'll let y'all know where we are.

In the meantime, we've both been treated to farewell events by so many wonderful friends here. It's going to be hard to leave people that have meant so much to us over the years.  Fred was born here and I've been in California for thirty years.  You make a lot of friends in that time. Heck, I had to say goodbye to my hairdresser today; she's been doing my hair for over twenty-five years.  For some silly reason, she refuses to move to N.C. with us.  

I'll see you on the other side, dear friends; on the other side of the country, that is.

Today's Quote:  To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone. Reba McEntire

Dare I Call it Incredible?

Our move to North Carolina is getting closer and closer.  We may be leaving California as soon as the end of this month!  Yikes!  

While I'm still in town, I want to share with you an incredible story.  The name of the book is, Dare I Call it Murder?  A Memoir of Violent Loss.  The author, Larry Edwards, is here with me today.  I have read Larry's book and have to say, it's not a story that you forget as soon as you come to the last page.  This story will stay with the reader for a long, long time. 

Let's get some basics out of the way, Larry.  Tell us a little about your personal life.  

I live in San Diego, California.  I'm originally from Kirkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle and the home of Costco.  I'm married to my wife, Janis; we have no pets, other than the birds, skunks, possums, raccoons, and rats that populate our back yard.  

How long have you been writing?

All my life. But I became a professional writer in 1983, working as freelancer and later as a staff writer/editor for newspapers and magazines.

 What type of writing do you normally do?

I have been a journalist for 30 years, and I did a stint in public relations, but the past few years I have concentrated on finishing this  book.

Give us a brief synopsis of Dare I Call it Murder?: A Memoir of Violent Loss.

I unmask the emotional trauma of violent loss as I ferret out new facts to get at the truth of how and why my parents were killed.  In 1977, Loren and Joanne "Jody" Edwards left Puget Sound aboard their 53-foot sailboat Spellbound, destined for French Polynesia. Six months later they lay dead aboard their boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with their 20-year-old daughter unconscious and bleeding from head wounds. 

The FBI named my younger brother as the prime suspect in its murder investigation, but federal prosecutors never indicted him, leaving the case unresolved. 
In Dare I Call It Murder?, I decipher a maze of contradictory witness statements and uncover new facts to get at the truth of my parents' deaths.  I also unveil the devastating impact the tragedy had on the survivors, not only at the time but thirty years later when a dispute over how to respond to a true-crime book by Ann Rule — which contained an inaccurate account of the case — ripped the tattered family even farther apart.

What prompted you to write this book?

The erroneous reporting on the deaths of my parents and the further splintering of my family after true-crime writer Ann Rule published an inaccurate account of the tragedy.

How long did it take you to write the book?

About 12 years, but I couldn't work on it full-time for both practical and emotional reasons.

Do you have a favorite line from the book?

"Based on the evidence lying before me, I believe I can reasonably conclude that Dad did not die by accident, that Mom did not take her own life."

Is it published and, if so, when and by whom?

Wigeon Publishing released the book on July 9, 2013. The book is currently an Amazon Best Seller in both Memoir and True Crime categories. The book won first place in the 2012 San Diego Book Awards, unpublished memoir category.

How can my readers get a copy of the book?

The book is available from several online retailers and will soon be in a number of bookstores in the Seattle and San Diego areas. For a full list of book sellers, go to the Where to Buy page of the book's website: http://www.dareicallitmurder.com/buy_the_book.html

What do you do besides write?

I am a professional editor and publishing consultant, providing services to other writers and independent publishers. I also am a semi-professional musician and play fiddle in a number of bands that perform old-time, bluegrass, and honky tonk music. In addition, I am a historical re-enactor, portraying a free trapper of the American fur trade era.

What’s next for you?

A 48-hour session of playing Free Cell (or until my eyes and/or index finger beg for mercy). On a more serious note (although I am serious about the Free Cell), I am currently occupied 8-12  hours a day marketing and promoting my book, responding to social media comments and email, and handling the various administrative  aspects of being an author with a newly-released book. Once things settle down a bit, I intend to finish a few short stories and complete a historical novel set on the American frontier.

Can you give some advice to would-be writers, or those who consider themselves writers?

Study and polish your craft. You're probably not as good as you think you are. You can always learn from others, improve, and become a better writer.

What do you wish you knew when you started your writing career? 

How to write well, and to know what I didn't know.

Thank you, Larry, it's been an honor to have you here with us today. I foresee lots of success with your book.

Today's Quote:  Every private citizen has a public responsibility.  Myra Janco Daniels