The Castle on the Moon

My mother and father, my aunts and uncles, all enjoyed a game of poker. The stakes were low-no one in my family had money-but every other weekend they gathered around the dining room table and played their penny and two poker as if they were in a saloon in the big, bad, lawless West.
Dad, a careful player, played his cards “close to the vest.” My mother would bluff and often won which drove my father a little bit nutty. My uncle often expounded on the finer points of the game-which everyone ignored-and my eldest aunt would ask me to sit by her side to bring her luck, show me her cards and mutter, “Pooh, pooh,” before raising the ante.
My cousins and I would grow restless despite the chance to nibble on candy and nuts that had been placed around the table and would finally escape into the bedroom where we would take turns making up stories. A favorite was The Castle on the Moon.
Whenever the moon ripened and became full, I could see a castle that lived high on a cliff. It towered over the bottomless, sinister ocean that lay far, far below the overhang and sometimes I imagined I could see the princess-cold and friendless-as she wandered through the many rooms and chambers that held her prisoner.
When it was my cousin’s turn to continue the tale, he spoke of rescue. He would find a way to rocket to the moon, take his trusty sword and slither down a rope from the rocket to the castle where he would free the lovely princess we had named Genevieve. His sister, a few years older and a budding feminist turned the princess into a prince who would become King Gene and, being the grateful sort, crown her Queen of the Moon.
Some years later, when man conquered space, I was thrilled but, I must admit, disappointed. No castle was found on the moon. No trace of a princess or prince. No sinister ocean and no rock face. But my imagination still runs wild and I tell stories.
For more about me and my tales, please log on to http://www.elisewarner.com Scene Stealer, my cozy mystery, is available through http://www.barnesandnoble.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.borders.com. http://www.carinapress.com
and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version is available at http://www.audible.com

A Brighter Day

It’s good to be back working at my computer after a minor eye operation. Not the most frightening operation but for someone with a vivid imagination not the breeze so many imply. When the patch-a plastic oval with tiny holes that fits over the eye – was removed the morning after, bright light charged my now sensitive eye. The white paint on my apartment walls glared at me. A periwinkle shirt became a passionate purple. I could now tell navy blue from black and yellows were as bright as the sun at mid-day. I did receive a bit of a shock when I saw white spots on the windows; luckily before I panicked and called the doctor, I realized the white spots were just spots of dirt on windows that needed to be washed.
Now it’s catch-up time-the next chapter in a new novel, an article that needs to be tweaked, my neglected blog, Twitter and Facebook. Over 200 emails to be answered, submissions to be sent and leads to be followed but…I’m home.
For more information about me, please log on to http://www.elisewarner.com, http://www.twitter.com/elisewarner, http://www.Facebook.om/elisewarnerb
Scene Stealer, my cozy mystery eBook is available at http://www.barnesandnoble.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.borders.com, http://www.carinapress.com

Scene Stealer is available in an audio version produced by http://www.audible.com

Four Disasterous Dinners

DISASTEROUS DINNERS

Thanksgiving will be here soon. My favorite holiday and I remember the first dinner I made when I became a newlywed. Parents, hubby’s and mine, gathered in the dining end of the living room and hubby carried the beautifully browned bird to the table. I had been worried about my mother-in-laws opinion of my cooking. She had been cooking and baking since she was twelve when her mother passed away and she became the cook for her father, two working older brothers and a younger sister; a job at which she excelled.
My hubby flourished the knife, stuck the two-pronged fork (a set given as a wedding present) into our first turkey and began to carve. Halfway through dinner I realized I had never removed the giblets or the neck. They were still in the little bag stuck in the cavity. Fortune smiled-no one noticed.
The second misadventure happened when my hubby invited long-time friends from his dance class to dinner. It was spring and asparagus beckoned. I trimmed the stalks and rinsed but not enough-the sand remained. Ignored by all. It took a few years and many more dance classes before that dinner was mentioned. Hey-that’s what friends are for and it said dancers have iron stomachs.
Friday-in the days when Catholics just permitted fish-no meat allowed I invited two close friends for dinner and hubby spent hours extracting the meat from lobsters. I made a delectable salad and placed the bowl in the fridge. A few hours before dinner – horror of horrors – I opened the door of the fridge and placed a bottle of white wine on the same shelf. The bowl of lobster slid out of the fridge and smashed in fragments. Lobster, mayonnaise, celery and glass all lay in a shiny, glop of a mess on the kitchen floor. My poor guests had tuna fish that night.
Then there is the tale of Lasagna. Vegetable Lasagna with Marinara sauce – baked ahead and frozen. Misreading the directions, I baked the dish for one hour and served. Still frozen. I checked the directions. When frozen-bake for two hours.
Forget about my cooking and learn more about my writing – please log on to http://www.elisewarner.com My cozy, mystery eBook titled Scene Stealer is available at http://www.barnesandnoble.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.borders.com, http://www.carinapress.com

And wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced and is available through http://www.audible.com