Confessions of a Drive-by Photograper

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"You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, then you find out who they really are." Joss Whedon

I confess I enjoy taking photos while driving. Not to worry, because it's my superpower. As I was doing another drive-by photo shoot, I reminded my eldest son who was in the passenger seat to never text and drive and never under any circumstances should he take photos while driving. Don't judge me.

Welcome to Hannibal where storms brew over the Big River.

(The road ends in the Mississippi River.)

One of my favorite buildings

Sadly, I never featured this neglected building in my AtoZ posts. It's one of those creepy, abandoned places you would find on an episode of Supernatural. I would give ANYTHING to explore this forgotten piece of history. The spire has a metal architectural globe attached, and I imagine that's the exact spot where my MC siphons his powers from storms collecting in the atmosphere. Writing urban fantasy has taken root in my brain.

Marion County Courthouse

I recently spent an entire day (that I will never get back) inside the courthouse. And I wasn't even allowed to have a phone! No pictures. And no, I wasn't wearing an orange jumpsuit, although the chain gang did arrive while the court took a short recess. I was rejected for jury duty, the only time I jumped for joy at receiving a rejection.

How goes your MC's journey? You're not going too easy on him, are you? Are you putting up roadblocks and obstacles, making his journey full of potholes and detours? Throwing a few storms in the mix, forcing him off the road? Giving him jury duty? Now, that's pushing it a little too far.

All photos were taken while driving. No children, animals, or vehicles were harmed in the process. The Twain on Main Festival is this weekend. Tune in Monday for Twain sightings!

MAY #IWSG: Detours

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Detours:

If you followed me on the AtoZ blogging challenge this past month, you may remember my obsession with trains. I don't think any of us deep down would admit we like taking detours. If you're like me, I pride myself on getting from point A to point B as fast as I can. Sometimes I can be heard yelling at passing trains (and my kids) to hurry up. Sometimes I can be seen carrying five grocery bags, a gallon of milk, a twelve-pack of diet Coke from my car to my house to avoid making more than one trip.

A few years back, I was traveling on scenic highway 79, about a mile past the Mark Twain Cave, when I came across a train derailment. The accident had happened a few days prior (I later heard about it on the news). The twisted wreck of carnage strewn everywhere will always remind me of my love/hate relationship with trains. Of course, I had to get out of my car to explore the damage. The heaps of sleeping metal giants lay on their sides, toppled over. No other cars or people were present. It was as if I walked on to a movie set while everyone was on break.

My son must have gotten bored and sent me this pic.

The cause of the derailment, flood waters. The Mississippi River runs parallel to highway 79 and a set of train tracks. Some moron drove the train through the flooded tracks that had since receded when I came on the scene. I'm sad to report I have no pics of this disaster.

Sometimes we need a detour or a complete derailment to get our attention. One day last fall, I made a major decision to set aside my mystery series. I thought I'd write contemporary fiction forever. After much research and reading, I started writing my first urban fantasy, which consists of incorporating fantasy elements in an urban setting where magic isn't the norm. I'd never been compelled to write in this genre before. I don't know why, because I love sci-fi, paranormal and fantasy in books, movies, and T.V. series.

The day I decided to take a detour was one of the best days of my life. I've challenged myself to not write the usually tropes: demons, dragons, vampires, werewolves, etc. My goal is to bring something unexpected to the UF market.

Don't be afraid to take risks, take another route, try something new! Were you ever forced to take a detour or have you suffered a complete derailment in your writing? Did you get back on your feet, find your way again? Thankful for the detour? 

AtoZ Challenge: Z - From A to Z at the Library

 


Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.

I've saved the best for last, the place where you can find books titled from A to Z. The Hannibal Free Public Library was built in 1845, Missouri's first tax free supported public library.

Hannibal Free Public Library

Now that the challenge is officially over, I'm ready for a break from blogging. You will find me near the Mississippi taking photos and yelling at my kids, "Get down from there; you're going to get hurt!" Good luck to everyone's writing endeavors. I've enjoyed the variety of blogs: book reviewers, writers, gardeners, travel junkies, movie junkies, 80s junkies, math junkies, and puppy enthusiasts!

 

Enjoy the view...

If you want to keep current with each other's blogs and are sad to see the AtoZ Challenge end, you can always join Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group. We post the first Wednesday of each month. We discuss our fears, our triumphs, and, well, our insecurities. I'll see you next Wednesday!

AtoZ Challenge: Y - Why You Should Visit Hannibal, MO

That's my boy!

Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.

Here's one more reason to visit Hannibal: FOOTBALL! Hannibal High School is home to an aggressive football program with 8 wins and 3 losses this past season and many trips to state over the years. Football starts early in the pee-wee leagues, then introduced to the school system in seventh grade. You better love the sport by high school.

This year, my son won an epic award: Hannibal Football Player of the Year. I was in tears. Two summers ago, he broke his arm during wrestling camp. After two plates and thirteen screws, he has made a full recovery. He was in a cast for over three months. Now, you understand why I am so proud of him! I decided to post his picture because he's in the newspaper here every week during football and wrestling seasons. WGEM out of Quincy, IL has highlighted his victories several times.

Hannibal High School built in 1896 and still in use!

Mark Twain spoke at Hannibal High School's commencement ceremony on May 30, 1902, in this very building. As I was taking this pic the other day, my second son yelled out the car window, "Mom! Get back in the car. They're going to call the police on you."

Empty bleachers before the game

Hannibal sunsets...

The craziest weather happens during fb games

Do your kids make you proud? Do they ever embarrass you? Are you pumped that tomorrow is Z-Day?!

AtoZ Challenge: X - Extras and Exciting Times

Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.

Photo: Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce

Extras:

Pictured above are the finalists for the Tom and Becky contest, posing with my friend Lindell Shumake, a state representative here in Missouri. He lives with his family in Hannibal. Each summer five Tom and Becky couples are chosen. One day last summer, my daughter met one of the couples in Java Jive. She was thrilled when Becky handed her a tiny cloth bag filled with a mini chalkboard, a marble and a plastic apple.

Because of the amount of festivals, events and tourists in Hannibal, we have lots of extras. You can never have too many pairs of the famous literary sweethearts to greet our guests.


Exciting times! More festivals/events: 


June - August - Hannibal Cavemen Baseball

June 19-21 Juneteenth Celebration

July 3-5 60th Annual National Tom Sawyer Days (Don't forget the fence painting contest.)

July 4- Hannibal Cannibal 10k/5k walk/run

November 30- After the Steampunk Festival and the Harvest Folklife Festival, we will be celebrating Twain's 180th birthday. There's going to be a mustache contest!  And cake!

Christmas in Hannibal is a magical event with living windows in the downtown area and a Victorian Festival of Christmas.

I told you we have a ton of festivals. Now go groom your mustache and buy a present for Twain's big birthday. What's your favorite small town festival or big city event?

AtoZ Challenge: W - #WCW - Becky Thatcher

Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.

#WCW or Woman Crush Wednesday is a popular hashtag on Instagram. #MCM stands for Man Crush Monday. Pretend today is Wednesday. I wanted to feature Becky Thatcher, Tom Sawyer's crush in Twain's book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain's sweetheart lived across the street from him and became the inspiration  for his classic novel. As a young boy, Twain walked Laura Hawkins to school, gave her sweets, and showed off, performing death-defying stunts and somersaults. (Maybe he knew parkour?) Twain always adored Laura. Even at the age of eighteen, he was still crazy in love with his "Becky Thatcher."

Becky Thatcher house

Do you remember your first crush? Grade school, middle school, high school? In the eighth grade, I had a friend. We shared a love of baseball and sat next to each other in class. I don't think you ever forget your first crush. I was a scrawny runt, an eighth grader who looked more like an eight year old, well, maybe more like a ten year old. Anyway, his older sister and my older sister were bff's, so we were really good friends.

I shouldn't have been surprised one day when he turned around in his desk, forgot what he was going to say, regained his composure and asked me to his football banquet. My insides were giggling with excitement. Of course, I said yes! At that moment, I think I was more nervous than he was. The boy who asked me to my first formal event and bought me a wrist corsage will forever be my first real crush. No, I didn't marry him, but I did marry my college sweetheart.

Do you remember your first crush? Do you ever write personal experiences and feelings in to your novels like Twain did?

AtoZ Challenge: V - Vintage

Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.

This is probably in the running for my shortest post this month. The last few letters are quite the challenge. But seriously, AtoZ Challengers, it's the weekend! Without further ado, I present some vintage buildings in Hannibal. Vintage is a fancy word for very old. Have a great weekend!

The Star Theater

Apartment building on Main Street

My son was eyeing this place, like a parkour dream.

Brownstone near the Mississippi

One of my favorite houses in Hannibal

New restaurant on Broadway - the Big Muddy BBQ