Marcia Coffey Turnquist

  Keaton with his beloved dog, Denny

  Looking for a great outing for your Memorial weekend? Take a Saturday drive out to Sweet Home, Oregon and enjoy a sunny day of half marathon events honoring fallen hero Keaton Coffey. Cheer the runners coming in, fill your belly with good food–and ice cream–and, if you dare, challenge yourself to a few pull-ups on the outdoor bar. It’s a beautiful, lush…

Musings on the brain

Billowing snow streamed fast as the wind from a sepia skyscape, snowflakes dancing and shifting in gusts the way they do, the way you’ve seen them. Only they weren’t falling against a night sky, but against my own eyelids, in my own, resting mind. After hours of snow outside and inch after inch of it piling up, I awoke one morning to the view of a blizzard– beforeI’d opened my eyes. My brain was…

Craig and Karen Potts

It’s been a rough year. My sister recently lost her husband, Craig Potts, father to their only son, Chris. And the pain is still raw. Craig’s death came just a few months after we lost our mother, Hazel: two dearly-loved souls passing in just three month’s time.

  Mother Hazel

  Though we’ll always have fond memories of their personalities and the years spent together, it’s…

Books for summer reading

I’ve combed through internet book sites and read dozens of reviews of recently released books to come up with the following list for summer reading. These are books that I would like to read based on online descriptions and, particularly, reviews from actual readers. What I’ve found in recent years, is that you get the best reviews not from book jackets or professional writers, but from real…

Tribute to a love affair

My sisters and I lost our mother last week, and my father lost his wife of nearly 66 years. I wasn’t going to write about it. The emotions are too raw; it seemed I would always be able pick up the phone and call her—“Hi, mom!”—or hop in my car and drive over there. Who else can love you, so unconditionally, like mom?

Now, as I move through each new day, I keep thinking: am I really, in this life,…

Sno Cone Blue sightings

Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, once said that she had yet to see a reader enjoying her novel out “in the wild,” but that she’d love nothing more than to be able to “tap someone on the shoulder and say, you know, how are you liking the book?” I second that! While I haven’t seen my book “in the wild” either, I have had a few close calls, the closest just last week: my husband, Ed, on the…

You’ve got (snail) mail

Imagine you open your mailbox, and inside, among the coupons and bills and glossy fliers is an envelope addressed to you. Not only is your name front and center, it’s written in trailing ink, with the subtle flaws of actual handwriting. The envelope is thin, but weighty enough, and you recognize the return address instantly: a friend, maybe a lover, or maybe an enemy. The rest of your mail…

Small victories and Annie Bloom’s

Do you shop at your local bookstore? If you want to support local businesses, it’s the way to go. I’m pleased to say that my novel is now in Annie Bloom’s, a beautiful, independent bookstore in Portland’s Multnomah Village. It’s a wonderful place to shop for books and cards and everything in between–now add to that signed copies of The God of Sno Cone Blue. (Psst–Don’t tell anyone, but the price…

Celebrities with mismatched eyes

David Bowie in his younger years

The world lost a musical legend last week with the death of David Bowie. Those of us who are old enough remember his music well: “Fame,” “Let’s Dance,” (Ch-ch-ch) “Changes” and “Space Oddity” (Ground control to Major Tom). Bowie (also called The Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust and a chameleon) is a rock ‘n’ roll icon, but it wasn’t until I looked back at his…

What am I thankful for?

I’m wondering if you know the feeling: you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, crazy busy getting everything ready–What time did I put the turkey in?–then finally, everyone is gathered, the potatoes are mashed, the gravy done, and you call the masses in to eat. But it’s only after everyone’s seated and halfway through their meals that you realize you forgot to give thanks. On Thanksgiving Day!I…

It takes a neighborhood to raise an author

Word of mouth here, a thumbs up there, either globally or from one street to the next, that’s basically what I mean by It takes a neighborhood to raise an author. My latest example? A full page review saying, “The God of Sno Cone Blue will tickle your funny bone, exercise your love for twist and turn mysteries and cause your mind to race with questions….” It’s written in Cedar Mill Living, a…

Looking for some good summer reading?

Here are a few books I’ve got my eye on. They come recommended by friends, book clubs I’ve visited with or from Amazon reader reviews, and they’re all pulling four and five star ratings. I’ve grouped them by genre (in no particular order) and also included links (the blue book titles) where you can purchase copies or read more about each selection.

If you have a recommendation you’d like to add…

Remembering on Memorial Weekend

  A funny story came up at the memorial for my cousins’ son, Cpl. Keaton Coffey (US Marine Corps). Though the story is not related to surfboards, this picture (with Keaton clowning on the far right) best illustrates the mood. A fellow Marine, Keaton’s roommate, repeated it to the hundreds upon hundreds packed into the church that day to honor a fallen hero. It was about a time when the Marine had…

Help me find the girl on my cover!

In all likelihood, she’s years older and has no idea she’s there. How cool would it be to find her on social media? Please share this–or if you recognize her, let her know I’d like to connect. I’d love to send copies of the novel to her, and if she’s willing, post an interview. Wouldn’t you like to know if you were on a book cover?

She modeled for the photograph and I bought the rights to use…

A California writer and former prosecutor reviews Sno Cone Blue!

The latest about my novel appears online at The Review:

…rarely have I  found a piece of literary fiction as compelling as The God of Sno Cone Blue, a B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree. As suggested by the title, the book is a masterpiece of visual imagery but it is also a penetrating commentary on the human condition. It is a showpiece not only in the quality of its writing but in the author’s…

Sno Cone Blue highlighted in another newspaper!

“The emotional tug makes it an ideal book club read,” says The Southeast Examiner, and the words ring true as I continue visiting with book clubs. (Drop me a line if you’d like to schedule a Skype or personal author visit.) As the article points out, the success of The God of Sno Cone Blue “has been largely through word of mouth.” And what better way?

I talked with reporter Midge Pierce in the…

KXL stories on Sno Cone Blue!

In case you missed it on Portland’s KXL Radio, here’s the audio of Rosemary Reynolds’ coverage. She filed two reports on The God of Sno Cone Blue.

On a personal note, both of my aging, fragile parents happened to be in the room listening with me when the first story came on the air. What a joy that was! Thanks, Rosemary, for making it happen.

The first story:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch…