NEW RELEASE - Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles - Available Now!

The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles continues in 2023 with the 10th book in the series. Author Linda Pirtle has just released the first mystery of the year for the crime series and it's a doozy! 

Last year, Pirtle's entry into the series was with The Dewey Decimal Dilemma. It was a fun, cozy involving a strange mystery centered around dogs and murder. Book 10 brings us back into the world of the town librarian, Caroline McCluskey along with some of her closest friends who fashion themselves as a group of amateur private investigators. 

Here is the blurb describing this fun cozy mystery:

 Lately, Magnolia Bluff, a quiet little community in the Texas Hill Country near the Burnet Reservoir, has seen too many gruesome murders. In Linda Pirtle’s The Dewey Decimal Dilemma, Caroline, the town’s librarian, found the body of her friend Terresa Brown in the alley which separated their Victorian homes. Terresa was only the first to be targeted.

Six months have passed since Caroline McCluskey’s friend, neighbor, and fellow Standard Poodle owner, Esther, disappeared while visiting the Magnolia Bluff Public Library. Left behind were her new crimson hat and her dog named Adam. Neither the local police nor the FBI have been able to find her. Caroline temporarily adopts Adam. She plans on reuniting him with his owner.

In Pirtle’s The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma, Caroline, sleuth extraordinaire, has grown weary of waiting for the authorities to solve the disappearance of her friend Esther. She organizes a group of friends and creates a mystery club called The Round Table. Caroline, along with Magnolia Nadine, LouEllen Mueller, and Daphne Leigh, are determined to find their missing friend.

Looking for clues, the women become cat burglars when they break and enter Esther’s house. Their search is interrupted when they hear voices of two men who have also entered the house. The words diamond stock certificates and the words she still won’t talk even though we stole her dog for her tells the members of the Round Table that Esther is still alive.

However, where is she being held and by whom? Why would anyone think that Esther, a retired school teacher, could own stock certificates in a diamond mine? Daphne, owner of the Head Case Salon, gathers an important clue. Alas, someone finds out about it, and Daphne becomes another victim. Will the Round Table members be able to rescue Esther from her captors before they, too, become the next victims?

To purchase or read for FREE w/Kindle Unlimited click here: The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma

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The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles is a unique multi-author crime fiction series that began in 2022. The 9 books released during the first year were so well received that the authors decided to continue the series into 2023 and beyond. 

The award-winning writers who pen the stories for this little town in the Texas Hill Country are as diverse as the books they've contributed to this superb series. But all have one thing in common. Our love for a good mystery. 

The authors responsible for last year's books turned out 9 page turning mysteries that were full of murder and mayhem. Some were cozies and some a little grittier. All taking place is the same small town, centered around some of the same people and businesses, yet all uniquely different stories.

If you missed any of the books published last year, now's a great time to catch up as we enter into 2023. But that doesn't mean you can't start with Linda Pirtle's new and wonderful cozy mystery, The Dog Gone Diamond Dilemma. Wherever you begin, just be prepared for a fun ride into a town whose population continues to shrink due to its murder rate.

Catch up on the series by clicking here: First 9 MBCC Books

Video Trailer: MBCC YouTube Video

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

Meanwhile, you can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

 Meet Scott McHenry and Tony Razzolito aka The Razzman 

If you read my post from January 12^th, you got to meet Vinnie Gabrianno from my PI series, The Razzman Mystery Crime Files. This time I’d like to introduce you to the Razzman himself and his partner in the gumshoe business, Scott McHenry. But instead of just me telling you about these two characters, I thought I’d let them speak for themselves. So, what follows is part of a recent conversation I had with them when I got the chance to sit down and interview the fellas about how they got into the PI biz:

 Me: Hi Scott. I wanted to thank you and Tony for allowing me this interview time. Speaking of which, where is the world’s greatest PI, anyway?

Scott: First, thank you for having us. We are deep inside our current murder investigation, so it’s nice to take a break and just talk. He should be along in a minute. He texted to say he was picking up some sandwiches and a six-pack of beer for us. And I’m gonna forgive you for calling the Razzman the world’s greatest… you know I trained him, right?

Me: Yes, Scott. I know you trained him. In case it slipped your mind, I write the stories. But while we’re waiting for him to show up, I’ve got to ask-- What’s the obsession you guys have with all the food? It seems like you’re always eating when you, Tony, and Vinnie get together.

Scott (laughing): Well, you can blame Vinnie for that. He’s the one that started it by always bringing pizza or sub sandwiches, other assorted snacks, and of course, beer, every time we wanted to hash through the clues about whatever case we were working on. It’s kind of become our thing. Now it’s weird if we’re not eating or drinking whenever we get together. And that happens now even when it’s just me and the Razzman.

Me (looking over Scott’s shoulder): Here comes the Razzman now. Hey Tony, come on in and pull up a seat. What did you bring us?

Tony (passing out the grub he brought along): Meatball subs for everybody… and some nice cold brewskis. I went to a new family-owned Italian sandwich and pizza joint that’s close by. They recently opened and they add that kiss of Brooklyn love to all their recipes. I know you’re gonna love it. Go ahead. Eat up… or as the Italians say... Mangia!

Me (taking a bite and smiling): Wow, this is good. Vinnie would be proud.

Scott (laughing): Vinnie’s the one who turned him on to the place.

Me: So, Vinnie approved, then. Okay, guys, tell me about how you got into the PI business and what type of cases you usually take on?

Tony: Well, I met Scott a few years back when I was investigating my wife’s murder back in my hometown, Syracuse, NY. I wasn’t actually in the PI game at that time. I was an out-of-work appliance salesperson. Without giving away the whole story, my wife and I were going through some rocky times. To the point that we were constantly at each other’s throats. I was out of work and really wasn’t too focused on finding another job. It was hard on her. I see that now. Anyway, we were fighting again, and she went out to a club with a friend of hers to blow off some steam. That was the last time I saw her alive.

Scott (Seeing that Tony was getting a bit choked up): I’ll take it from here, buddy. I used to be a cop, and I went through the academy with a friend of Tony’s. I had left police work to start my own business as a private investigator and moved to North Carolina. Joe, that’s Tony’s friend, made the introductions when it became obvious that the killer had a connection here in Charlotte. So, the Razzman and I got together and pursued the bad guys.

Tony: Once that case was wrapped up, I knew I had to make a fresh start somewhere. Scott offered me a job as a jr. investigator so I moved to Charlotte and joined his firm, McHenry Investigative Services. He helped me get my PI license and taught me the ropes. Eventually I bought into the business and now co-own the firm.

As far as the type of cases we work, our bread and butter is the cheating spouse stuff. Never a shortage of those type of cases. But we’ve also been involved in a few high-profile murder investigations over the years as well. Those are the cases we like to share with our readers.

Me: You’ve come a long way, Tony, and folks can read about your journey through that first case in your first book, Dead is Forever: A Tony Razzolito PI Story. 

I understand that since moving to Charlotte you’ve gotten your life back together.

Tony: Well, it took about five years from that first case to becoming a co-owner, but I learned a lot in that time period. And not just about how to be a damn good investigator, but also how to be a better person to my friends and family.

Scott: Yeah, the Razzman has definitely experienced some personal growth since I first met him. He’s in a steady relationship, and he’s been a good friend to me over the years. Especially during the period when my father passed away. I don’t know if I would’ve come out of my depression if not for the Razzman.

Me: I agree. I see how confident Tony has become with himself over the series. That confidence has helped him to build inner strength that has helped his PI career as well as his relationship with you, Scott, and of course, with his girlfriend, Karen.

I think the readers would be interested in hearing a little about the case you’re working on now.

Tony: Our current case has been frustrating to the both of us. A rookie sensation for the Charlotte Hornets basketball team was murdered and left in the alley behind the arena where the team plays.

Scott: It’s been frustrating because the murder might tie back to a previous case we worked on a year ago. Our connection at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department hired us to help her detectives look into the shooting. Detective Cahill—he’s one of the detectives—is convinced that both murders were committed by the same person.

Tony (scoffing): I’m still not convinced the two deaths are connected. Cahill’s a horse’s ass and probably doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but we’re working all the angles just in case.

Me: Sounds interesting. When can we expect to read all about it? I know you’ve got some readers that are waiting patiently for your next PI adventure to hit the bookstore.

Tony: I can’t tell you the exact date just yet since we’re still sorting through all the clues. But we should have this case solved sometime in March.

Me (in between finishing the last of my meatball sub): That's awesome and not that much longer to wait. 

This really is a great sandwich. What’s the name and where in Charlotte is this new Italian eatery? I need to check it out.

Tony (smiling): That’s my little secret for now. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you can read about it when the new book comes out.

Me: Is it part of the mystery?

Tony: Only by way of trying to guess what kind of pizza Vinnie will bring to one of our debrief sessions—you know he’s gonna bring some of those real deal Brooklyn inspired pies to one of those meetings.

Me (laughing): You're right about that! Listen guys, this has been fun. I've enjoyed sitting down and having this chat with you and I'm looking forward to the release of the next book. What's the title?

Tony: It's called, Best Served Cold: A Tony Razzolito PI Story.

Scott (rolling his eyes): There you go again; putting your name all over the title. No wonder everybody thinks you're the world's greatest PI.

Me (still laughing): Come on, Scott. You know the stories couldn't be written without you. You're an integral part of the series.

Tony (grinning at his partner): Yeah, Scott. We both have equal roles in the series.

Scott: Okay smart guy, how about we put my name on the title, then? A Scott McHenry PI Story has a nice ring to it.

Tony: Sorry, the cover is already done.

Scott: Okay. The next one, then...

Tony: Scott, let me explain someth...

Me (cutting them off before this turns into a real fight): Okay guys, time's up. Gotta go. I appreciate you both giving me some of your time today. 

Scott: This isn't over, Razzman. We'll pick up this discussion later. Maybe get Vinnie's opinion.

Me (Speaking louder than the two of them so maybe they'll get the hint): I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my blogpost. And of course, your thoughts and comments are always welcome.

Meanwhile, you can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

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Until next time...😎

 The Power of a Critique Group

Until recently I'd been sort of a lone wolf when it comes to sharing my writing during the beginning and middle stages of a draft. Of course, I have four beta readers in my corner that I rely on to read the book once I've completed the draft, but very rarely along the way. I send them my work and they check for content issues, holes in the storyline, misused or misspelled words... stuff like that. And I do have one writer friend that I've trusted for years to help me shape things as I go along in the draft phase, but he's not always available. That's really been the extent of it. That is... until recently. 

 A couple of months ago I was asked to join a new writing critique group that was forming. I'd never been a part of an organized critique group before. I'd considered looking into joining one through a local writer's group in Charlotte, but most of those were either mixed genre or genre specific groups that were not in my wheelhouse. Since I write mostly private investigator / mystery / crime fiction, I shied away from what was available locally, since I wasn't familiar with the writers or their level of expertise in my genre. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have been able to learn and grow as a writer in one of the local critique groups, but if I was going to join, I wanted it to be with writers that understood mystery and crime fiction and the tropes within the genre where I hung my hat. I wanted to learn from veteran writers that write what I write and would make me have to up my game. 

The other three writers in the group I was recently asked to join all had experience writing mysteries and crime fiction. I knew who all the participants were, and I was already familiar with their work. I respected their experience and talent and felt that joining the group would be a good move for me. I also felt good that there were only four of us in the group. It would give us the opportunity to spend more time per person really digging into each other’s work. More time equals more quality, in-depth feedback from each of us, for each of us.

We started meeting in November last year and through their suggestions, I've already learned to be better aware of where I might’ve been cutting corners without realizing it. And that is what's been most important to me—learning to be more mindful of how I put my story together. A better word or words to make a sentence read more fluently, what, where and when to add or subtract from a scene to make it more powerful, the concept of less is more when being descriptive--in other words, cut down on the needless fluff so you don't pull the reader out of the story, and much more. 

Being a part of a critique group with writers I consider better at their craft than I am, has been a very enlightening experience to say the least. I look forward to our sessions every month and leave the table feeling refreshed, excited, and ready to apply whatever suggestions came out of our time together to my story almost immediately. I’ve never felt better about a WIP than the ones I’ve been working on with the group. 

The experience I've had so far has been very positive. A writer's critique group should be just that--a critique group. I feel very fortunate to be part of a group with writers that are interested in helping each other grow and improve. No one joins one of these groups expecting it to become a writer's criticism group. That just defeats the entire purpose of why the group was formed in the first place. The POWER of a critique group is found in each participant's ability to offer positive feedback designed to help the writer whose work is being read and critiqued. If done right, everyone can discover and learn new ways to improve their writing even when simply listening to the feedback given by others to their peers in the group. 

I feel the power every time our group meets. The only thing I would change is that I wish I'd joined a critique group earlier in my writing journey. But better late than never. If you're a writer who is currently enjoying the fruits of a positive critique group experience, I hope you realize how lucky you are. If you're a writer that has yet to feel the power a critique group can bring to your writing, I highly recommend that you seek one out that suits your writing needs and give it a try. But don't compromise--hold out until you find the right mix of writing talent that you believe will provide the best outcome for you… then jump in and get ready to feel the power.

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

Meanwhile, you can find my books here: The Razzman Mystery Crime Files

Until next time...😎

 

 

 Meet Vinnie

Vinnie Gabrianno is one of the on-going characters in my Razzman Mystery Crime Files series. He started out as somewhat of a minor character in the first book, Dead is Forever, and I thought when I wrote The End on the last page of that story, that Vinnie's involvement in my series would also come to an end. 

Boy was I wrong! 

Vinnie just couldn't stay away. He found himself making another appearance in book two, Deadly Passion. He was still somewhat of a side character, but with a bit more to say. He's a complicated guy with a questionable past. He was born in Brooklyn, NY in the eighties and, like all native Brooklynites, his love of good pizza runs deep. He had a tough upbringing and at times found himself on the wrong side of the law. His mom was a stay-at-home mother raising four boys while her husband had a hard time keeping a job. Vinnie, being the oldest, felt neglected while his mom raised his younger brothers. It forced him to grow up fast and out into a tough world while he was still a teenager. It's also the reason that even though as an adult, he's a man who likes to present a tough guy image to the world he has a soft spot for underprivileged kids.

His love of food started to really come through in Deadly Passion. He also began to add some comic relief, something that can help even out the tension in a murder mystery. My main character, Tony Razzolito, is usually the one egging Vinnie on, while Scott McHenry, Tony's partner in the PI business, plays the straight man. 

By the time book three, Dirty Air, was released, Vinnie had become a solid fixture in helping Tony and Scott solve the crime and mystery of that story. We get to see a little more of Vinnie's tougher side in this book, which keeps the question alive as to whether or not he has ties to the mob. 

One of the interesting discoveries for me as this series has evolved is that I tend to put the three crime fighting investigators into scenes that involve a lot of time eating and drinking. They're usually at a restaurant or in the office with plenty of grub while they go over their notes and theories on who the bad guys are. It's also when most of the shenanigans between them take place. When the book reviews started mentioning Vinnie as a character that stood out and that they liked, I knew I would have to expand his role in my upcoming book four in the series. Vinnie is introduced into the storyline sooner and with more scenes involving his unique way of investigating. I also decided that if his role is starting to expand, I needed to give a bit more of his backstory to the reader. I've included a sneak peak of the cover and an excerpt from the upcoming book four, Best Served Cold, that will give you a good idea of how Vinnie got to be, well, Vinnie.

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From Best Served Cold: A Tony Razzolito PI Story (Excerpt from chapter 12):

Vinnie Gabrianno enjoyed the finer things in life. Tailor-made suits, expensive jewelry, gourmet food, finely crafted imported beers, and Brooklyn pizza. He was born in 1980 and raised in the 80s and 90s as part of an Italian American family in Bensonhurst, a neighborhood on the southwest side of Brooklyn in New York City. His family didn’t have a lot of money—his dad always seemed to be involved in some get rich quick scheme that never worked out, and his mother had her hands full raising Vinnie and his three younger brothers. As the oldest, he felt forced into growing up fast, since his parents often left him on his own. This ultimately pushed him out into the harsh streets of the city. As a teen, he got caught up in the gang life. He was in and out of the juvy court system so often that it actually started to help his reputation for being someone that could keep his mouth shut. No matter the reason he was in front of the judge, he never ratted out his buddies, and that gave him street cred. He eventually caught the eye of Angelo “The Shark” DeLuca, who had ties to the Columbo crime family. DeLuca was mainly into bookmaking and loansharking, thus the nickname, and took young Vinnie under his wing. Seeing their son getting mixed up in a life of crime was hard on his parents. But the extra money he brought home helped keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, so they reluctantly looked the other way.

   When Vinnie was twenty-two years old, his friend and mentor, Angelo DeLuca, was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to life in prison. One week after they locked DeLuca up, they found him hanging in his cell. That was the wake-up call Vinnie needed to straighten himself out. He relocated to Florida to get away from the only life he’d known as an adult but moved to North Carolina after only a couple of years. He found the Florida weather a little too volatile for his liking and ended up settling in Charlotte, which he thought provided him with the best of everything he wanted out of his new life.

   He still dabbled a bit, taking a job here and there, but nothing close to what he had been involved in back in his Bensonhurst days. Nowadays, he divided his time between coaching youth baseball and soccer, along with occasionally helping McHenry Investigative Services.     

   He’d been offering his expertise to Scott ever since they’d met during one of Scott’s first PI cases. Of course, they were on opposite ends of the playing field on that investigation. But it had all worked out and Scott and Vinnie had been friends and part-time colleagues ever since.

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I hope you enjoyed this introduction to Vinnie Gabrianno. A tough guy with a warm heart. He's just one of the reasons to check out The Razzman Mystery Crime Files😎

You can find my books here: Razzman Mysteries

 

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

New Year - New Projects - Renewed Passion

So, here we are at the end of the old year, and as I write this, we are just hours away from leaping into the new year. But this year, there is a big difference for yours truly as we move into 2023. I am now semi-retired and have more time to write. I'm not going to belabor the semi-retired part of this since I've already written about that in previous posts. What I would like to say, however, is that this time, with this crossover to the fresh, new year, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. In the past, I felt like I always had good intentions when it came to what I wanted to accomplish in each new year. I would create this list of what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it, and the timeline I would get it done within. I would make promises and commit to self-imposed deadlines that turned out to be unrealistic for one reason or another. Like I said... good intentions. But like the saying, the road is paved with good intentions, I always seemed to fall short of my own expectations regarding what I wanted to accomplish.

I had a pretty good 4th quarter in 2022. I stopped working full-time and now only work part-time a couple of days and a few hours a week. I joined the Charlotte Writer's Club here in my hometown, I was asked to join the Underground Authors, which included an invitation to write a book in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series, I joined a writer's critique group, I've made tremendous progress on book 4 in my crime fiction/PI series, counting this one, I've written ten blog posts in 2022 which is one more written than in the previous three years combined, I finally had the courage to submit one of my books for an award and actually won an award in the crime fiction category, and last, but by no means, least, I've been able to ramp up my grandpa time with my three adorable grandkids. Overall, the last few months of 2022 was the most productive time period of my year and also turned out to be a time for me to begin to redesign some things. I've redesigned my schedule, my health habits, and my attitude. Quite frankly, I think I've become a nicer person. Something that happens when you are able to finally take time to breathe and work on yourself.

So here are some of the things I will aspire to accomplish in 2023: 

The tough stuff -

The biggest personal challenge I have to overcome in 2023 has to do with the mindset I've had about my own mortality since my dad passed away back in 1997. He was just 64 years old when he died. I have dreaded 2023 arriving for years as it is the year that I turn 64 years old. It might sound silly, but until I turn 65 years old in 2024, and am still breathing, it will more than likely continue to weigh on me. Of course, there are some key differences between my dad and me when it comes to our health and wellness. My father died of throat and mouth cancer related to the fact that he was a heavy smoker for almost his entire life and worked at a factory/foundry breathing in all the crap that kind of job had to offer in every eight hour shift he worked during his almost four decade run with them. He was also not one to consult his doctor for anything. Rather, he would try to self-diagnose with a medical dictionary spread out on the dining room table. He lived in an era where men would rather die than admit weakness by going to see a doctor. My family loves to remind me, by pointing out that I have had none of these same issues. I've never smoked and have never worked in a job that was possibly dangerous to my health. And, I suppose, because of what I witnessed with my father, I have regular yearly checkups and will consult a doctor anytime something is clearly off. Still, the closer I get to my birthday, the more it pops into my thoughts. But, I have supportive people around me, so I will get through it and beat my mindset into submission.

The good stuff -

I get to spend more time spoiling my grandkids than I did last year

I will have no less than two new books published in 2023. That's two more than in 2021 and one more than in 2022. 

I'm working on an idea for a serial on Kindle Vella (probably the second half of the year)

I'll be participating in some book readings throughout the year as part of the Charlotte Writer's Club

I will read and review more Indie Author books this year than last year

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All-in-all, I am looking forward to the new year. I am more passionate about my writing than I have been in years, I'm feeling better than I have in the last few years, and I can't wait to see all the good things (and a little of the not-so-good) things that 2023 has in store for me.😀

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

You can find my books here: Joe Congel/Amazon

 

 Random thoughts on my writing life: Three words I live by ...

Never. Give. Up. These three words, when looked at separately, are really not that compelling. But when put together, they become one of the most powerful phrases this writer needs to hear. They become the first part of a sentence that, when I add the word ‘writing’, conveys a thought that reminds me of why I wanted to write in the first place. How many times have you had a great idea for a short story or a book only to let the evil thoughts inside your head cause you to procrastinate or, worse yet, totally give up on breathing life into that great idea? It’s happened to me many times. I have a huge file on my computer stuffed with unfinished great ideas. Ideas that I gave up on for one reason or another.

Recently, I took some time to visit that file just to see what was in there. It had been accumulating for so long I’d forgotten much of what was inside. As I read through the partially written stories and the pages that had just a germ of an idea typed on them, it reawakened me to the possibilities of what I truly had. Some thoughts squirreled away in this file weren’t half bad. Others needed some work before they would reach that status. All were ideas that, at one time, I believed could blossom into amazing works of art. So why didn’t they? The simple answer is that I gave up on them. When attempting to form those ideas into actual stories that someone or even I would want to read became hard, I let those aforementioned evil thoughts stop me from trying. The minute it became frustrating, I would put it away for another day. A day that never seemed to come. I allowed everything and anything to delay getting back to writing. Not because I didn't enjoy it. I did. I still do. Writing is one of the most cathartic things I do in my life. When I am writing and it’s going well, it cleanses my soul. But writing isn’t an easy process. If someone tells you it is, they’re lying to you. It takes careful thought to string the right words together to form a good story. And that takes time.

I hear other writers talk about all the stories trapped inside their heads that they have to get out through their writing. They say they have a strong need deep inside to write no matter what.  Honestly, that’s never been me. I came to this writing thing late in life. When I was younger, I thought I was going to be the next great cartoonist to hit the Sunday comic pages. The first time the thought of becoming a writer even crossed my mind, I was almost 40 years old. I didn’t really act on it until I was 58. But once I started, I have not been able to stop. That doesn’t mean that there haven't been times when I was ready to pack it all in and leave writing behind. But even though for me, the process of writing can be exasperating and sometimes aggravating, I enjoy the challenge. I’m also a slow writer. It seems to take me forever to get the words the way I want them on the page. And after everything is finally just the way I want it and I’ve put it out there for all the world to see, it can be extremely disappointing when it feels like the world doesn’t want to see my masterpiece. 

The last couple of months have been eye opening for me regarding my writing habits and my frustration level because of said habits. I’ve had a lot of things that legitimately got in my way over the last few years--medical issues, family issues--but that has all passed, and those things are no longer obstacles. And now that I’m semi-retired and have more time, I’ve tried to ensure that I have specific time carved out for writing. But I came to be a writer by choice. It was never a calling for me, so if I let it, that disappointment and frustration that occasionally hits all of us, would be an easy-peasy reason for me to quit. But I’ve realized that I don’t want to quit. That, dare I say it, can’t quit. Who knows? Maybe I just think that writing was a choice I made and perhaps it’s been my calling all along and it took me 63 years to recognize that fact.

I now have a sticky note taped to my computer that says Never give up! as a reminder for whenever I feel discouraged or frustrated. That little note can help keep me on track. Simple words. Strong words. Helpful words.  

I’m currently knee-deep in crafting my fourth Razzman Mystery Crime Files series book. It’s titled, Best Served Cold: A Tony Razzolito PI Story and is slated to be published in the first quarter of 2023. I have pretty much completed Top of the Third: A Trio of Tony Razzolito Short Stories but have it on the back burner to marinate for a while longer. I’ve also started writing a book for the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. That book is to be released in September 2023. More on that later next year. I've also started to rework and combine a few of those filed away “great ideas” into a project as yet to be determined. I’m glad I didn’t just delete that file full of abandoned thoughts, unfinished stories, and ideas. I love being a writer. It feels good to not give up. 

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As always, thoughts and comments are welcome😎

You can find my books by clicking here: JoeCongelAuthor 

Until next time...  

  Is having a Muse necessary to be creative as a writer?

A Muse is defined as someone or something that inspires one's creativity. But is having a Muse really needed to be creative? Some will say they are not the creative genius behind their writing, but rather the grateful recipient of ideas provided by their Muse. Perhaps from another person in their life that inspires the creative energy or a specific location or place that sparks the imagination and gets the juices flowing.

The power of a Muse can be undeniable. But is that power something we have inside of us already? Is a perceptible sense of self and creativity something we could tap into without the help of an outside influence? Possibly. Maybe even probably on a good day. But believing that a Muse is the reason for anything that causes success in our writing life also comes along with a built-in excuse for when things aren't going so well. It's easy to blame writer's block or anything else preventing us from manifesting great ideas on our Muse for not showing up that day. And that may be where the real power of a Muse lies--the ability to take the pressure off ourselves for not being able to spend quality time on a writing project when the creative portion of our brain is not cooperating. "It's not me, it's the Muse," helps keep us from feeling like we’re the reason why, on some days, the writing may seem substandard to us. Blaming the Muse for not showing up can even help lessen the anxiety and pressure we feel when not producing in spite of a looming deadline. We don't feel so inadequate about our work, or lack of, if our Muse is at fault for not joining forces with us that day. 

Having a Muse in your corner can help keep your project moving forward. My personal Muse is more of a feeling of tranquility I get when sitting on my back deck taking in the beautiful scenery nature provides right in my own back yard. It's also new to me. I came upon my Muse by chance. It took a bit of time for me to recognize this feeling was actually fueling my imagination. I had never given the idea of having a Muse much thought until recently. Since I am now semi-retired, I find myself enjoying that scenery every morning before I sit down at my computer. Watching the deer and rabbits grazing or even the simple act of two birds singing to one another from two of the many different trees that surround the yard, puts me in the right frame of mind to dive into whatever project I'm currently working on. It helps open the creative pores allowing the words to flow out of me and shape themselves into the story I'm writing.

So, is having a Muse necessary to be creative as a writer? I'm still not sure if it's a necessity, but what I do know is that an awful lot of creative people in many different artistic fields, including writing, count on a Muse to help them stay focused on doing their best work. And, as it turns out, I am one of them. 

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As always, any comments or thoughts are welcome😎

Meanwhile, click on my link to see what kind of stories my Muse helps to inspire: Books by Joe Congel

Until next time...