Music, music, music!

Music - everyone loves it. Back in 2004, as a new widow, I decided to buy my first MP3 player. iPods were VERY expensive so I picked up some off brand at Walmart, not sure how much I would even use it. I remember calling my son to ask where and how to get MP3s to play. Eventually I figured it out and even discovered some indie artists that I liked, thanks to their free offerings (enticement to buy more from them).

It wasn't long after that I made the decision to get an iPod Nano. It was a first generation one but I really liked the earphones on a hanger, great for walking. That little Nano has lasted me since 2005 but recently I've noticed the battery life waning, often finding it discharged (when I was sure I had turned it off) when I need it.

Many are moving to music on their phones but I prefer the small size of the Nano. Fortunately, for me, Apple hasn't completely phased out their iPod line. I compared prices at Amazon and found the pretty much the same price. BUT, on the Apple site, I could get my new iPod in RED. Woot!! Added bonus was free engraving on the back so I opted to add "Carpe Diem", the same thing I have on my iPad mini.

The Nano arrived shortly after we returned from our cruise and I quickly set it up. I love the fact that it's touch since I am used to that with my iPhone 4S and iPad Mini (the old one was the swirl wheel). I fit 99% of my music on it and, most importantly, my favorite playlists.

Since I often use music when writing, I have a playlist that works for me. Mostly instrumental (so I don't sing along...LOL).

• Soundtrack from "Copper", a now cancelled TV series
• Soundtrack from "Defiance", a now cancelled TV series
• Geoffrey Castle: The Deep Well Sessions Vol. 2
• Geoffrey Castle: Mist on the Mountain
• Geoffrey Castle: Streets of Inwood
• Katori: Hello (featuring Caitlin Cardier) - single
• Lindsey Stirling: Lindsey Stirling
• Rodrigo y Gabriela: Rodrigo y Gabriela (ripped from CD)
• Rodrigo y Gabriela: 9 Dead Alive
• Rodrigo y Gabriela: 11:11

Oh, one side note - I tend to buy music from Amazon and not iTunes, when I can. Then just store it all in iTunes. Personal preference.

Do you listen to music as you work (whether writing, crafting, sewing, painting, whatever)? If so, what do you listen to?

Lost in the 50s Tonight

I was chatting the other day via email with a new friend. I mentioned that the great weather this past weekend brought to mind the song, Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer. I didn't remember who sang it but the tune was stuck in my head. He wrote back that it was Nat King Cole who happened to be one of my mother's favorite singers.

That got me to thinking about growing up in the 50's and being exposed to my parent's music - not necessarily what we were forced to listen to in the back seat of the car (groan), but those delicious slices of Americana from that era.

Our record player resided in our combination den, sewing room, reading room and downstairs sick room (all three kids slept upstairs). Since I was the oldest of three and the only girl, I often lost myself in reading and music and the den was my favorite indoors spot (outdoors was high up in a pine tree in the woods across the street).

A couple of songs stick in my mind to this day:

• Doris Day and Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)
• Tex Ritter and The Red Deck of Cards
• Patti Page and (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window
• Tennessee Ernie Ford and Sixteen Tons
• Gale Storm and Ivory Tower
• Gogi Grant and The Wayward Wind

A special favorite of mine was The Old Philosopher by Eddie Lawrence. I'd play it over and over and over. Anyone who has ever heard that song will never forget it.

Hiya folks.
Ya say ya lost your job today?
Ya say its 4 A.M. and your kids ain't home from school yet?
Ya say your wife went out for a corned
beef sandwich last weekend - the corned beef sandwich came back but she didnt?
Ya say your furniture is out all over the sidewalk cause ya cant pay the rent and ya got chapped lips and paper cuts and your feets all
swollen up and blistered from pounding the pavement looking for work?
Is that whats troubling ya fellow?

REFRAIN

Well lift your head up high and take a walk in the sun with dignity and stick-to-it-ness and ya show the world, ya show the world where to get off.
You'll never give up, never give up, never give up...that ship!

Ah yes, lost in the fifties tonight - your turn!

Top Ten Songs of 1950-1969

AUTHOR INTERVIEW ~ Al Mosier: Writer and Composer

How long have you been writing?
AL: Since I was in elementary school, but I didn’t start seriously trying to write novels until I hit my forties.

Have you written any we might have heard of?
AL: Well, there was Gone With The Wind, Tom Sawyer, and The Hound of the Baskervilles... No? Seriously, like any author, you write some things as learning experiences before you get something publishable. I have a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea sequel tucked away in a drawer and have done some new Sherlock Holmes adventures as well. Those will probably never see the light of day! My first published book was Making Meghan in 2008.

Tell us a little about The Van Gogh Affair.
AL: Sure. It’s a mystery story with a Fine Arts theme. When a priceless Van Gogh painting is stolen, it's insurance investigator Alexander Dean's job to retrieve it. Dean is partnered with the museum's head of security, Lindsey Derringer, a move that he finds frustrating as well as challenging. It's an uneasy partnership that changes to one of mutual respect as the case progresses.

How did you come up with the idea?
AL: I had the two central characters already developed and was searching around for a plot to put them in. It so happened that my wife, Beth, and I took a trip to Paris last September. After visits to the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay, we decided to visit the Opera Garnier. We got lost and somehow the fine art aspect popped into my head while we were walking. From Paris, we took the high speed train to Amsterdam where they have that remarkable Van Gogh museum. That gave me the artist. By the way, you’ll find both Paris and Amsterdam figure importantly in the book. Can I write the trip off as a business expense?

You were a public school music teacher, right?  Why art and not music? 
AL: Right.  I taught elementary music in Reading, MA for twenty-one years. I’ve always loved visual art --some of my best friends are art teachers-- researching for the book gave me some great opportunities to visit museums, both local and international.  Besides, it would be difficult to steal a Beethoven Symphony, don’t you agree?

I guess it would at that.  How can people get your book?
AL: I’m so glad you asked that! The Van Gogh Affair has just been released for Kindle, so it’s available in that format from Amazon.com. If you like the feel of a real book in your hands, you can get the paperback version from lulu.com. Just type ‘Alan S. Mosier’ into the search box and it will bring you right to the page. My other novels, the next two books in the Dean & Derringer series and Making Meghan, are there as well.

Making Meghan? Another art novel? 
AL: Nope, not even close. I can’t really tell you too much about it without giving away a major plot point. I can tell you that it’s part thriller, part social commentary with a big serving of romance. It’s the story of a twenty-something man who unwittingly becomes involved with a clandestine government research project. I think its resolution is thought provoking.

Sounds interesting! Any words of advice to aspiring authors? 
AL: Keep writing. The more you do, the more you’ll learn about the craft. I’m learning every day I write. Choose good models. I love the way Robert B. Parker (Spenser series) writes dialog. I keep his style in mind as I write my own. Read, read, read!! Books are so amazing. The internet is great, but books are so much more satisfying. Here’s an important one. Write what you know. Don’t write about something you know nothing about. It never works. Trust me!

You’ve recorded a CD too, is that right?
AL: Yes! It’s called Child’s Play. It’s aimed at elementary aged kids and reinforces important messages about dedication, environment, self-esteem, and the importance of friendship. These are all songs I wrote for my students.

Thanks for your time and I hope you do well with the book.
AL: Thanks, nice of you to say that.  I hope people that get a chance to read The Van Gogh Affair enjoy the story. I certainly had a great time writing it.

---

Al Mosier loves to travel.  He’s been to Paris, London and Venice, but feels most at home on any island in the Caribbean with a name that starts with Saint. Above all, he likes a good mystery and is a former member of THE SPECKLED BAND OF BOSTON, the Boston branch of the national Sherlock Holmes society.

Al is a founding member of THE PARROT HEAD CLUB OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS, a Jimmy Buffett fan club. He is the creator of a a previous novel, MAKING MEGHAN, a mystery/thriller.  He has also recorded a cd of original music called CHILD’S PLAY, character building songs for children that he wrote for his students during his years as a music teacher.

THE VAN GOGH AFFAIR, combines the worlds of Mystery and Fine Art, two of Al’s favorite things and is available at Amazon (ebook) and Lulu (print)

Al lives outside of Boston with his wife Beth.

Music - Headphones - Earbuds

I've always used earbuds, disliking headsets as they took me back to my long distance operator days. Yes, I was a long distance telephone operator way back in the dark ages - 1965 - when I lived in Miami, FL for about six months. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the job, it was the fact that they messed up my hair. I admit it. [giggle]

Then came Walkman, portable disc players, MP3 players and now smartphones and tablets. I want to listen to music more often but find that traditional earbuds 1) hurt my ears fairly quickly and 2) fall out a lot. I know there are sport/workout earbuds that will help with #2 but no matter how many brands and styles I've tried over the years, I can't get rid of #1.

Thus I am moving back to a headset or headphones, whichever term you prefer. They seem to be more comfortable and I no longer care if my hair is mashed....it's less than 2 inches all over, it's always flat. I don't want to spend a lot of money, my hears aren't that sophisticated. I'd prefer something under $50. I did buy this set only to discover that they sit on my ears and I quickly return to reason #2 for not liking them.

I've looked over headsets in stores and they are all in blister packs, no tryouts allowed. By reading closely I now know I need an set over the ear headphones. Okay, looking at photos I'm not sure if they will really go fully around my ear, cupping it inside. I think that's what I need. Of course they might still press my glasses against my head and hurt....sigh.

Does this all seem too difficult to you? Sure does to me. Am I on a "Mission Impossible"? Jeesh! So here is my wish list:

• Comfortable (guess that means covers the ear for me)
• Adjustable (makes no sense otherwise, I have a small head)
• Portable (would really like ones that fold up to a smaller size)
• Good sound (not an audiophile but do like my bass)
• Compact (I know, picky, but dislike bulky)
• Noise reduction (not a must but a definite plus)
• Relatively inexpensive (like I said, I'd prefer under $50)
• Colorful (I'm so not a black kind of girl)

If you have any recommendations or comments, I'd love to hear them!

Getting my axe on....

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One of my guilty pleasures is watching the antics of Ax Men on the History channel and my favorite character is Shelby Stanga (and his pup Willy) from the swamps of Louisiana. If you've never watched the show, it involves a "competition" between different logging companies in different locations around the country. They use varying methods of operation from the more traditional, to the old fashioned (horses/oxen), to the specialized (river/swamp) and high tech (helicopter). We've watched all but the first season and we still enjoy the high action/adventure and often silly actions.

But, like the loggers, it's time for me to start chopping. Not my novel, it's still in the first draft. This time around it's my blog list. Over the last three years it's grown from a couple dozen RVing blogs well over six hundred, covering a wide variety of topics: RVing, motorcycling, computers, software, gadgets, photography, simple living, personal motivation, handcrafts and writing.

During the April A to Z Challenge I added over 100 blogs and then during my first Insecure Writers Support Group date, I added another 20 or so. I even sorted many of the blogs from their categorized folders into "Must Reads" and "Quick Reads" (meaning, mark all read). Then factor in finding another half dozen weekly through blog hops, blogger award posts and other references.

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So I think it's well past time for me to dig out my ax and start chopping down this kudzu list of blogs before it takes over my life entirely!

For the next couple of weeks, I may not be commenting as much on your blogs, but I will try to read every day. I still need to squeeze in some writing time. Then there is the drive from MD to TN (hubby will drive the RV, I will drive our pickup, Scooby). We're trying to cram in all the last minute family time before we hit the road, too.

And last but far from least, I have to prepare for and then ENJOY the four days of CMA Music Fest in Nashville early next month.