Sheriff's Report

We are now almost at the end of the first month of the New Year and, unlike my predecessor, I feel I am obligated to give a "State of the Safety" speech. Even though there's not much crime going on in our town of Harts Corner, Texas, there is always some mischief around. Last year was most unusual with the uncovering of drug runners and several murders so I won't even discuss that long story here. What I will touch on are a few events, both serious and humorous, that might give a clue to our citizens of what's right and wrong with this town.

We're not growing in population, that's for sure. I don't know if that's bad or good. We lost two citizens to murder, one to suicide, and two to the prison system. And we gained one--yours truly. That's not the way to grow a town. But we haven't given up hope. Harts Corner is still a great place to live in, raise a family, and share the community of friends. Maybe strangers would just upset the apple cart.

The community doesn't have a lot of money but the county helps out by being in control of law enforcement, the court system, and the roads. When it comes to help for individuals, these people circle the wagons and protect each other. Would that change if we had newcomers, "outsiders" as the old folks around here call folks not born and raised here (that includes me)? Or will we one day really need to rely on a larger population to pay our bills?

If I went through the log-in of dispatches I wouldn't find anything really serious since all that other stuff. Cows broke the fence down again and are in Cora Skaggs vegetable garden. Ranger is ordered to fix the fence and keep it fixed or face confiscation of cattle, sale, and retribution to Cora.Teenagers spray painted the barn on the old Tate place--again. Rounded up the usual suspects, made their parents pay for red paint, and Jewel Tate saved money on a paint job. Stolen stop signs at the exit and entrance ramps to the freeway. My deputy and I eventually tracked them down (by a tip from an angry girlfriend) to the bedroom wall of a high school senior. With agreement of his parents, he physically replaces the signs and relinquishes his driver's license for three months.

Well, you get the picture, don't you? Not much heavy duty stuff. I have to appear in traffic court now and then, and I see a reminder that I have to be in court next month for the trial of some yokel from Tyler who attempted to rob the Blue Moon Cafe. That should be a hoot. When my sweet, red-haired Mary Margaret Butler, gets through giving her testimony, the jury will convict. That is, if the poor fella doesn't decide to plead guilty when he gets sight of her; she swings a mean broom, has a left hook, and promised to shoot the guy in his family jewels with his own gun if he moved while waiting for the cops (me and my deputy).

I'm hoping for a year of as much quietness as we can manage. And if nothing gives Mary Margaret a hint of wrong doing and she doesn't go chasing around following clues, we'll do just that. Folks, could you sort of help me here? If MM comes poking around, asking odd questions, or you see her tiptoeing across your back pasture, would you give me a call so I can nip in the bud whatever she things she's doing?  

Miz Barbara's Recipes

Miz Barbara gave a small neighborhood open house right before Christmas. Everyone ate, drank, visited, ate, drank, visited and then hit the dessert table. But it was the "real" foods, if you can call appetizers that, that people seemed to enjoy more than anything.  These two foods are something like Mary Margaret Butler would serve if she had the more-modern ingredients.

Miz Barbara wants to share them with you in case you're having a party one day and need a couple of quick, easily prepared, standbys.

Barb's Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

1-10-oz. frozen chopped spinach, drained well

1 pkg. Knorr's Spring Vegetable Soup Mix
1 small can of water chestnuts, chopped fine
1 8-oz container sour cream

Mix all ingredients together; chill for at least one hour.

Fill round bread with dip; serve with favorite crackers. (Or you might want to skip bread and serve with crackers.)

 

Swedish/Stroganoff Meatballs

 

Ingredients:

Bag of party-size meatballs

 

Jars of Alfredo Sauce (number of jars depends on how many meatballs
you are serving—I used two jars with 40 small meatballs, for example.)

1 to 2 packages (McCormick's) Beef Stroganoff Sauce Mix

1 to 1-1/2 cups sour cream

I thaw/brown meatballs on cookie sheet for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Put meatballs in large crock pot preheated on low.

In large saucepan, combine jars of Alfredo sauce and packages of sauce mix. Heat until very hot, but not boiling. Pour over meatballs.

 

Cook on low for one hour, or on high for 30-minutes.

 Right before serving, stir in sour cream.

(These are out-of-my-head recipes and a little difficult to put down a recipe. Enjoy!)

Miz Barbara's News

The author of "Aunt Lutie's Blue Moon Cafe" is here to announce (drum roll, please) that this marvelous book will be out this month! I'm going to throw a party at the equivalent of Aunt Lutie's Cafe when I have that first copy in my hand. But that's long after all the promotion has begun.

Do any of you non-writers understand how difficult it is for an independent press book to find the market that you and your awesome publisher know is out there? It is the hardest work that the author will ever do. You think writing a book is the hardest part, putting those well-described characters into the just-right scenes, and the rewrites, editing (did you know how much wasn't invented yet in 1966?), and more proofreading. That is not an easy task, you must know, but it is a lot of fun to get the story onto paper. To actually complete an entire book is a monumental task, one to be very proud of. But, again I will say, it is not the hardest part of this process. G

Getting your book into the hands of a whole lot of readers is mind-boggling.

Of course, when I first found Mockingbird Lane Press (www.mockingbirdlanepress.com) and they accepted my book for publication, I practically yelled out the news to anyone who would listen--friends, family, students, members of groups I belong too, even my neighbor who has supported my writing career by having me speak/book sign at every organization she belongs to. I also began to contact the news media. So much has changed in the area where I live that I wasn't sure how much of this source was viable any longer. It turns out my local newspaper, now the only newspaper in this large California county, is no longer accepting book reviews from authors. And, their reviewer/reporters are assigned by management what books they will review--only from the Best Seller list. Does that mean, I give up on the San Diego Union Tribune with it's multi-millionaires owner who has gobbled up all the newspapers in the area? No--they will get a press release anyway. But I'm also digging for other newspapers that will be receptive.

My address labels for postcards/press releases/letters are ready. The postcards, bookmarks (you have to purchase a book to get one!), and business cards are ordered. As soon as I get a definite release date and know orders can be taken, I will hit the road, talking circuit, phones to contacts, and go online to all of those forums, social media outlets, newsletters, etc. where I will offer a shot review of this book with ordering information--and, yes, a lot of those mean I have to put out money to advertise. Yes, dear writer, you must spend money to get people to read your book!

Does it sound daunting? Is it going to add up to a lot of hours spent away from writing that next book in order to promote this one? Yes and yes. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. Some people who never heard of me will purchase and read this book. Will I make money? Surprisingly but realistically, I am not expecting to make any money from the sale of this book. Not for my personal use anyway. If I pay for those postcards/bookmarks/business cards and the advertising I will feel like I've made a fortune.

When you get a chance, buy one of my books, please. Or you might see me standing on a street corner somewhere with the cover hanging around my neck and a nearby car trunk filled with my intriguing tale of murder in a small town.