So, It's Been a While...

For those who have been dropping in now and then to see new posts, I've finally provided what you were waiting for.😆Truthfully, the gap between posts has been longer than I anticipated. Nineteen months, as a matter of fact. So, what have I been up to that kept me away for so long? I'd like to say it was just me being lazy, but the truth is a little more complicated than that.

For several years now, I've been agonizing over the idea of getting total knee replacement surgery. I've had bone-on-bone osteoarthritis in both of my knees for quite some time, and it's progressively gotten worse over the years. I spent many of those years trying different creams and ointments to help soothe the pain. Some worked for a little while, but most were nothing but a big waste of money. When the creams that did give me any relief stopped working, I graduated to getting various types of shots in my knees. Everything from hyaluronic acid gel to PRP to cortisone. And the shots were effective. They gave me a new lease on life. I could move around more easily and walk further distances. It was as if I had my old knees back again. But the relief only lasted for a few months, and then I would have to get the shots again. The only problem with that, however, is that over time the shots became less and less effective, until it got to the point where I'd get the shot and the pain would only be gone for a few days, if that.

Last year I finally decided to get the surgery. It was a big step for me. I'd never had any type of major surgery in all my 67 years of living. Sure, I'd had my tonsils out as a kid, but this was major surgery, with real downtime and powerful opioid painkillers attached to it. It took me a long time to come to terms with that fact. The strongest painkillers I'd ever taken up to that point were Tylenol or Advil. 

I made the decision to go under the knife in January 2025 and had the surgery in October. I spent the months in between stepping it up in the fitness department. My doctor had "suggested" that I lose some weight before I had the surgery. I knew that was coming since over the years my weight had been up and down, and at the time I'd made my decision to get my knees replaced, the weight was up. Up more than what my doctor wanted it to be and more than I was comfortable with it being. And now I had the perfect incentive to get my ass moving again. I felt driven. I was getting too old to carry the amount of extra weight I had allowed myself to gain, and since it would also be better for and less stressful on the new knees, I knew it was time to start slimming down. It was hard work, but I dropped 60 pounds before the surgery.

So, I had all my ducks in a row - my head was in the right space, I had lost the weight, I moved my bedroom downstairs in my house to make recovery easier, and my family was there to support me through it all. What could go wrong?

The surgery went well. I went to all my physical therapy sessions and worked hard while I was there. My recovery was going smoothly, and the drugs were doing their job keeping my pain in check. I moved from a walker to a cane to walking without help fairly quickly. Was there an ungodly amount of discomfort, suffering, and stiffness throughout it all? YES! 

What I didn't anticipate was how long the recovery would take. I knew what my orthopedic doctor told me - he said it would take up to a year to really fully recover. But given how quickly I advanced through the physical therapy exercises, I thought I would beat the odds and achieve full recovery much sooner. 

I was wrong.

I am coming up on a year next month, and my knee is finally feeling somewhat normal again. I didn't think I'd ever get the feeling back in my kneecap, but the numbness is slowly going away. I still don't feel comfortable kneeling down on it, so I don't. I'm hoping that changes, but for now, it's too weird a feeling when I put pressure on it from kneeling. But I can bend it without any pain, and I can walk up and down stairs like a normal person. I just didn't end up beating the odds on the recovery time. 

And while all that was going on, I somehow managed to write two books for the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. Blood is Thicker than Money came out last August, and you can preorder The Clock Strikes Dead now. It's being released later this month on September 22nd.

Click here to learn more about: Blood is Thicker than Money

Click here to learn about and preorder: The Clock Strikes Dead

All-in-all, it was a long and arduous process, but also very satisfying in the end. So much so that I'm gearing up to have the second knee surgery done in February. Maybe I'll beat the odds for recovery this next time around.

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 Learn more about the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles and the authors behind the series by going to our website: undergroundauthors.com

You can find all my books here: JoeCongelAuthor

As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

Think of Writer's Block as Just a Roadblock You Can Drive Around

At its core, writing can be a visceral experience. Even though it can be extremely hard at times, the profound sense of intimacy felt from getting words onto paper explains why many of us continued writing into adulthood after beginning as children. There is a freeness in arranging one's thoughts into a story. Your story. Whether it's while sitting in front of a computer, or hand written inside a private journal for your eyes only, or on a post-it note or maybe even a cocktail napkin to blossom into a novel later. 

It's a fact that inspiration hits when you least expect it, often during activities completely unrelated to writing. There are days I will have my latest work in progress pulled up in front of me, and I'll stare at it blankly while cursing the very day I first thought writing a book was a good idea. But I've been doing this long enough now that I understand it's a temporary setback. It's a roadblock I can simply drive around. How, you may ask? All I have to do is literally anything else, and the ideas will begin to flow once again.

Writers look at the world differently. And because of that, I believe writer's block doesn't really exist. Oh, I believe a lot of us feel stumped at times. And I know occasionally, finding the right words can be difficult. But I also think we allow that stumped feeling to manifest itself inside our mind. We let the idea that we cannot come up with an idea or solution to our writing problem expand inside our brain, leaving no room for anything else. In effect, we let that moment in time freeze us in place. We start to question our creativity. Imposter syndrome creeps in. And before we know what happened, that moment turns into an hour, a day, a week, a month, or even longer. 

As soon as I recognize the signs, I stop staring at the computer screen and walk away. I know that doing anything else, being anywhere else, could spark a brand new idea for a story or give me the answer I need on how to fix that chapter, paragraph, or just a sentence that has nagged at me since I wrote it a week ago. I leave my house and go to where other people are. I eavesdrop on the conversations of complete strangers. I wonder why the guy sitting in his car eating a burger he bought at a fast-food restaurant drove to a grocery store parking lot to consume his food. Why not go inside the grocery store and buy something better for himself to eat since he's right there? Is he not supposed to be eating the burger and doesn't want to be seen at the fast food place? Is he hiding from his wife or girlfriend... maybe his boyfriend? Or is he a criminal hiding from the police? Or hiding from something or someone more dangerous? Perhaps he's not hiding at all and is making a statement for all of us to see. But what could that be? The possibilities are endless. What's his story? More importantly, can I invent something ominous or fun, or whatever else, for my story, using his situation? The situation I will make up for him.

The answer is usually yes. Thus allowing me to clear the roadblock that was temporarily preventing my creative flow. I'm sure other writers use a similar method to get past their own obstacles. The real message here is when you find yourself rolling up in front of a creative roadblock, get out of your chair, away from your computer or whatever you use to write, and go do something unrelated to writing. Don't let your mind fill up with all the reasons you think may have stopped the flow of ideas. We as writers too often get in our own way and can't see the clear path beyond the roadblock. It's a simple message—stop thinking about it, drive around it and never give up.   

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As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

Available Now! Justified Homicide by Kelly Marshall * Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, Book 30

Award-winning author Kelly Marshall recently released her third contribution to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. Justified Homicide exploded onto the literary scene on November 20th and has been going strong ever since. In this, the 30th book in the series, Madison Jackson finds herself embroiled in a legal battle because of actions she took to save her baby and protect her family.

Marshall, like all the other Underground Authors, offers a unique perspective on Magnolia Bluff, Texas, and its small-town shenanigans. Her latest story masterfully combines thrilling suspense with the heartwarming charm of Magnolia Bluff's residents. This is a griping mystery/thriller that will leave you with bloodshot eyes from reading late into the night.

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Kelly Marshall has a knack for writing and is especially skilled in the art of crafting an engaging mystery. She is the author of the award-winning Winston and Strom mystery series, as well as several standalone novels. 

She always knew communication would dominate her life. She just thought it would be as a writer creating best-selling novels. But life took a left turn and instead she ended up in broadcasting school in Colorado. She spent the next thirty years playing music, interviewing people, and doing love song dedications. She had a ball, but after thirty years, she hung up her microphone and decided to follow her first love... writing.

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Here is the blurb from the book👇

Madison Jackson is shot on her wedding day. Bleeding out as she fades into unconsciousness, Madison Jackson wonders what will become of her child if she dies.

When she regains consciousness, Madison is convinced the assassination attempt is because she was once the wife of an infamous Mexican cartel boss. Her long kept secret about the manner of his death is now public knowledge and she finds herself on trial for murder.

Madison's new husband hires the best legal defense money can buy, but is it enough to keep her from spending the rest of her life behind bars?

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Order your copy of Justified Homicide by clicking here👉 JH.Book 30

Check out Kelly's Website ⇩

👉 KellyMarshallBooks👈

Read Kelly's Blog ⇩

👉KellyMarshallWriter👈

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You can check out all the books in the

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series here👉 MBCC Series

 

Plenty of good stories - Plenty of good reading

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As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

James R Callan's new Magnolia Bluff book, When a Sure Thing Fails, is available NOW!

Award-winning author James R Callan has a new book out, his second set in the world of Magnolia Bluff, a small town nestled in the Texas Hill Country. When a Sure Thing Fails is the twenty-ninth installment in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series and it's a winner! 

Eula Moore thought she was helping a man who'd had too much to drink find safe passage back to where he was staying. Instead, she finds herself waking up in the backseat of a car, tied up and she's not quite sure why. So begins a story filled with suspense, some humor, and plenty of bad guys.

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, James turned to his first love--writing.  He has written several novels in his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, including the Sweet Adelines Mystery series, the Crystal Moore Suspense stories, and the popular Father Frank Mystery series. He's also the author of four non-fiction books. Solid storytelling combined with characters you want to spend time with has kept his readers coming back for more year after year.

In addition to his writing, Callan also speaks at writing
conferences and teaches writing workshops in Texas, Mexico, and online via Zoom. He and his wife split their time between homes in northeast Texas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

You can learn more about James R Callan and his writing by clicking over to his website here ➤ jamesrcallan.com

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Here is the blurb for the book:

Seventy-eight-year-old Eula Moore is kidnapped on the first day of her vacation in the Texas Hill Country town of Magnolia Bluff. Knocked out by ether, she is transported to a cabin deep in the forest.

Eula is determined to escape, yet realizes she is miles from any town. But escape she does, and when she reports the kidnapping to the police, the detective notes she was not hurt, she did escape, and no ransom was paid. He says, "No harm; no foul."

Incensed by this, Eula decides to find the kidnappers and see justice prevail. She has only the first names of the kidnappers and doesn't know where she was imprisoned. With the aid of her granddaughter, Crystal, they track down the kidnappers. 

But things are not as simple as the kidnapping. Now, Eula and Crystal may have to deal with Four Fingers, a vicious, dangerous man, wanted for multiple murders and other crimes. 

Eula has no choice. She can easily walk away and leave all this behind. But can strong-willed Eula, even at age seventy-eight, leave things unresolved?

Click on the buy link here to discover how Eula survives: When a Sure Thing Fails

Make sure you grab your copy of what will surely be an awesome reading experience!

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You can check out all the books in the

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series here: MBCC Series

 

Plenty of good stories - Plenty of good reading

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As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

For Boys who Struggle with Darkness by Richard Schwindt is available NOW!

Award-winning author Richard Schwindt's newest Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles book is now available. For Boys who Struggle with Darkness is the twenty-eighth in the series and Richard's third offering overall. 

His protagonist, Clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Kurelek is not your average fighter of crime. But as anyone who is familiar with Magnolia Bluff knows, the police force is not always the best option when it comes to solving crimes that involve anything more than a traffic ticket. This time around Kurelek is dealing with emotions caused by the recent beating, during a home invasion, of his best friend while also having to cope with the return of a former colleague who he helped put behind bars for murder.

Richard is no stranger to writing engaging mysteries, having done so with his The Death in Sioux Lookout trilogy, his Tony Price paranormal detective mysteries, and the unforgettable paranormal mystery, The Death of Brenda Martin. Any of these are well worth your time as a reader. Richard tells his stories in such a way that he will hook you in and keep you intrigued and interested from the first page to the last. 

Richard Schwindt is a social worker and therapist who lives in Kingston, Ontario. He not only writes wonderful works of fiction but has also penned several self-help books. His work is funny, provocative, and meant to entertain or provide help when you need it. He's been short listed twice in the international 3 Day Novel Contest. He won the outstanding book (self-help category) and Book of the Year (3rd) in the 2016 Independent Authors Network Book of the Year Awards for Emotional Recovery from Congenital Heart Disease. 

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Here is the blurb for the book:

When Clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Kurelek's elderly best friend is savagely beaten in a home invasion, rage pushes him to the limits of his emotional control. After nearly choking a woman abuser to death in O'Garas bar, he turns his attention back to the new students at Burnet College, and his pregnant wife, Sue. But his anger - and the sociopathic attackers - don't go away. Locked out of the investigation by the Magnolia Bluff police department; Mike goes rogue, enlisting the help of friends, family, and two troubled young women with their own reason for vengeance.

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Order your copy of For Boys who Struggle with Darkness by clicking here: MB Book 28

Find the entire Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series here: MBCC Series

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Fun Fact ➤ Richard is also an accomplished painter - he works in watercolor & acrylics

Learn more about Richard, his books, and get a look at more of his paintings here: richardschwindt.ca

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As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

The Ransom Enigma by Breakfield and Burkey

One of the most scorching months of the year is August, making it the perfect time to release the scorching hot new Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles book from the award-winning author team, Breakfield and Burkey. The Ransom Enigma is the twenty-seventh book in this fun to read crime fiction series and is available Tuesday August 20, 2024.

For those of you familiar with the writing duo's Enigma Series, you already know you're in for a high-tech ride. The Ransom Enigma is their third entry into the little town, dubbed by one fan of the series as "The Murder Capital of the World", Magnolia Bluff, Texas. 

This time around, JJ and Jo are celebrating the completion of their summer home by inviting all their friends and residents that they've met since first visiting the Texas Hill Country a few years ago. They chose Magnolia Bluff as the place to build their vacation paradise because it offers beautiful weather, gorgeous views, an inviting lake, and plenty of room to stretch out, relax, and go horseback riding. It also provides the privacy needed for an in-demand technology guru and his supermodel wife to fall off the grid whenever their work lives become too stressful.

But murder and mayhem seem to follow the couple whenever they're in town, and this time is no exception.

Right now you can grab an ebook copy of The Ransom Enigma for a mere 99¢ by clicking here: Ransom

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Here's the blurb from the book:

Jo and JJ Rodreguiz finished their vacation dream home in Magnolia Bluff. To celebrate their accomplishment, they invite the town residents to their homewarming.

Emails are sent. Lily Offers to provide all the side dishes to compliment the barbeque. Chief Tommy Jager bartends until the last guest leaves. The teenagers act as servers. Guests dance outside until the wee hours. Toasts are made to honor JJ and Jo's dearest friends. Max the Labrador will clean up the crumbles.

After the last guest departs, JJ finds a housewarming gift addressed to Jo. She excitedly opens it and gasps with dismay. Someone left behind not a present but a blackmail letter. Jo crumbles into tears, fearing they must sell and never return. Her outraged husband swears to kill the wretched blackmailer. Unfortunately, the Chief of Police cannot unhear the threat.

• Two days later, the police find JJ unconscious next to a dead man.
• Who will help navigate this investigation?
• Who knows the blackmailer?

All the world's problems rest on her shoulders as her greatest love lies in a coma.

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I am looking forward to reading about JJ and Jo's latest turmoil in Magnolia Bluff. The little town with a proclivity for murder. Just like all the books in the series, you can read this as a standalone. However, just like any series, reading the books in sequence enables you to uncover all the hints in each story, which helps you grasp the individuality of the town's characters and how they interact throughout the series. 

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You can find out more about Breakfield and Burkey's books, contests, FREE stuff, as well as snippets of their stories, book trailers, and audible sections by visiting their website here: The Enigma Series

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You can check out all the books in the

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series here: MBCC Series

 

Plenty of good stories - Plenty of good reading

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As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

Is Summer Over? I Hope Not!

How is it August already? Incredibly, we are more than halfway through the summer. A local weather newscaster this morning told the viewing audience not to worry, there are only fifty more days left of summer. Fall is on the way, he said. I couldn't believe it. Summer just began, how could there be so little of it left? I even went to my calendar and counted the days for myself. I counted forty-six days, so it's ending even faster than the weather guy is promoting on his TV show. 

The part about his comment that really hit me, however, was the way he said it. His tone inferred that we are all just sitting in our homes huddled around the air conditioner waiting for the first leaves to tumble out of the trees. That we're looking ahead fondly to the idea of crisp air and the temperatures that cause that chill in the air.

Now, I for one, still have a lot on my summer agenda. I am not quite ready for the muted brown and orange colors that represent the fall season. I'm still enjoying the summer Olympics. There are still parties to be had out by my pool, drinks to be guzzled by the lake, and cook outs that play the sweet sounds of the fat and juices popping and dripping off a nice steak, or a mouthwatering burger as they hit the hot coals beneath. I'm heading up to my hometown of Syracuse in a couple of weeks to visit with family and attend one of the best state fairs in the country. There will be plenty of sun, fun, and food while I'm there. They know how to enjoy the summer season in central New York. There's so little of it, they have to savor every moment.

This year, summer officially ends when the sun sets on September 21st and rises on September 22nd signifying the true beginning of the autumn season. Although for me, the summer season ends in October on the last day of the World Series, signifying the end of MLB for another year. When the boys of summer are done, then so be it, bring on the fall.

The problem is that all of the retail world starts celebrating the fall season in mid-August. They break out all the pumpkin spice stuff and start stocking their shelves with Halloween candy, costumes, and decorations. Don't misunderstand me--I love the fall season. I just want to celebrate it when summer is actually over... not before.

When I was a kid, the new school year didn't begin until after Labor Day. My grandkids went back to school this week. In August. In the middle of the summer. As much as I agree that our children need a good, solid, education, I think that starting the school year in early August is a bit much. Our kids also need to be able to play and explore and grow outside the confines of the classroom. Once their time in school ends and they are full-fledged adults, they will have plenty of time to work during the summer. Why rob them of the sweet pleasures of childhood by taking a month away from their summers? But I digress...

We wait all year long to be able to let our hair down and cut loose a little bit during the summertime. Why rush it to end? Why drive a steamroller over the beautiful sights, sounds, and smells of summer? In a way, by rushing toward the fall season during the summertime, aren't we actually also rushing away our lives? I'm not a young man anymore. I do not need the world pushing against my back to take me out of summer and into fall. Let me meander over when the season arrives in its own time. Then I'll be all in and enjoy all the pumpkins, apples, cider, and Halloween candy one man can stand. Just not pumpkin spice drinks. Sorry... not a fan.

The summer is rushing by fast enough on its own. Let's not help it.

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As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome. 😊

You can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎