Patricia Stoltey

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A to Z Challenge: P is for Psychic (and Annie Proulx and “(The) Prairie Grass Murders” by Me)

April 18, 2014 By: Patricia

Day P in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. I had a bad couple of days with the “N” brain freeze for book title and then almost forgetting to do the “O” post because I had a guest blogger scheduled the same day. I think I’m over the mid-challenge slump now and ready to carry on.

Today I’m featuring one of my all-time favorite authors.

And for the book … I couldn’t help myself. I slipped in a little blatant self-promotion. I’m going to make it interesting, though. I promise.

Featured Author:  Annie Proulx

I selected this author because I loved The Shipping News, cried when I read “Brokeback Mountain” in the Close Range: Wyoming Stories Short Story Collection .. and, in her bio, it says she lives in Wyoming (as well as Newfoundland).

The Shipping News won the Pulitzer Prize.for fiction 1994.

Featured Book:  (The) Prairie Grass Murders by Patricia Stoltey

My very first novel, an amateur sleuth mystery featuring 60-something Sylvia Thorn and her older brother Willie Grisseljon was fun to write because I used the Illinois farm country where I grew u to set a lot of the action.

What I wanted to do here, however, was show you the cover art for the many incarnations of this book. First there was the hardcover from Five Star.

And then the audio book from Books in Motion:

The mass market paperback for Harlequin’s online mystery book club:

And finally, thanks to the new popularity and ease of publishing an e-book:

That e-book cover was designed by a college student. I think she did a great job.

Word of the Day:  Psychic

I’m not psychic, as far as I know.

However, there’s a lovely lady who’s a member of Northern Colorado Writers who is a psychic. I attended one small group reading with her a couple of years ago, and then went about a year ago for a private session. She knew stuff about me and things happened during that session that kind of freaked me out.

I’m thinking about going back, though. I have a list of questions about a mile long. (And a couple story ideas.)

Have you ever visited a psychic?

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Category: Uncategorized

Comments

  1. Patricia Stoltey says

    April 19, 2014 at 9:05 am

    Trisha — Don’t you wish you could read every good book and author you hear about? I was really sad as a kid when I realized I could never read every book n the world.

    Hi Hilary — Psychics are fun to read about and talk to. I don’t have any conclusions yet.

    I was so pleased the novel won a Pulitzer Prize, Damyanti.

  2. D Biswas says

    April 19, 2014 at 7:38 am

    I found Shipping news hard to get into, but once I did get in, I found it hard to get out of. It has stayed in my system.

    Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2014, My Latest post

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

  3. Hilary Melton-Butcher says

    April 19, 2014 at 5:39 am

    Hi Pat – I’d like to read Annie Proulx’s stories at some stage .. how lovely seeing the reincarnations of your book .. and now your College friend’s take for the ebook .. fascinating ..

    Psychic – saw a murder mystery detective thingie last night on them – so not at all sure now. But interesting to read about ..

    Happy and blessed Easter – Hilary

  4. Trisha F says

    April 19, 2014 at 5:19 am

    I’m so bad – haven’t read any of Proulx. Even though we had an excerpt of the Shipping News in our year 12 final exams, and I wrote about it out of necessity – that was the first and last time I read any of the book! But I am going to double check it’s on my list – along with Brokeback.

  5. Patricia Stoltey says

    April 18, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    Hi Penny — Always good to see your paw mark on one of my posts. You’re already an internet superstar!

    Susan, I’m even afraid of ouija boards, so it was a big step for me to visit a psychic. I wasn’t sure “who” might show up.

  6. Susan Gourley/Kelley says

    April 18, 2014 at 7:22 pm

    That college student did do a fine job. Not sure I believe in psychics and pretty sure I’m afraid to test it.

  7. klahanie says

    April 18, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    Hi human, Patricia,

    Nice to note your featured author and book.

    And nothing wrong with a bit of um, self-pawmotion.

    I’m actually psychic. I stare into my doggy bowl and pawdict that I’m going to be an even more modest internet superstar!

    Pawstive wishes,

    Penny the cordial host of the Alphabark Challenge! πŸ™‚

  8. Patricia Stoltey says

    April 18, 2014 at 2:08 pm

    Prairie Grass is not as giddy as Desert Hedge, Dean, but I like it better.

    I know you’re open to psychics, and ghosts too. I’m leery of ghosts because I don’t understand what they’re up to.

  9. Dean K Miller says

    April 18, 2014 at 1:52 pm

    Silly me for reading Desert Hedge Murders but haven’t gotten back to Prairie Grass!

    And as you say…psychic? as far as you know…maybe you know more than you do?

    Yes, I’ve been, I’ve done, I’ve experienced some amazing things.

  10. Patricia Stoltey says

    April 18, 2014 at 1:39 pm

    Welcoe, Mardra. Thanks for cruising by on the A to Z journey. Having a psychic for an anniversary party sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll stop by and check out your posts over the weekend.

  11. Mardra Sikora says

    April 18, 2014 at 12:19 pm

    SO much covered here: Thanks for sharing your book covers that’s an interesting study in each medium. Speaking of medium…(HA!) We had a psychic come as “entertainment” to our 10 year wedding anniversary party. It was more novelty than belief and a great conversation keeper-upper. πŸ™‚

    Please check out our A-Z: http://roadwevesharedgzp.weebly.com/8/post/2014/04/pis-for-patience-plus-a-to-z-blogging-challenge-on-the-road-weve-shared.html

  12. Patricia Stoltey says

    April 18, 2014 at 9:15 am

    Thanks, Margot. P seemed like the perfect opportunity for a little BSP.

    Yes, Alex, you do.

    Madeline, I’ve always been a skeptic, so finding someone I trusted was the first challenge.

    Hi Mason, I think the progression of covers is fun. The requirements for an e-book cover are so different from hardcover and paperback.

    Thank you, Rachna.

    Trying to retrieve that forgotten information may be the reason some folks turn to psychics, Diane. For me, it was more about satisfying my curiosity.

  13. L. Diane Wolfe says

    April 18, 2014 at 9:07 am

    I’ve never visited a psychic. I think when one is young, there is this innate ability to know things and we lose it as we age.

  14. Rachna Chhabria says

    April 18, 2014 at 8:31 am

    I know the Prairie Grass Murders Author. She is a lovely lady.

    I have not met any psychics πŸ™

  15. Mason Canyon says

    April 18, 2014 at 7:47 am

    Patricia, your books were perfect feature for today’s post. Love the various covers. I’ve always wanted to visit with a psychic, but haven’t yet.

  16. Madeline Mora-Summonte says

    April 18, 2014 at 7:41 am

    I like seeing the series of covers.

    I’ve never been to a psychic but I’d be open to it. πŸ™‚

    Madeline @ The Shellshank Redemption
    Minion, Capt. Alex’s Ninja Minion Army
    The 2014 Blogging from A-Z Challenge

  17. Alex J. Cavanaugh says

    April 18, 2014 at 7:37 am

    I think I know that Prairie Grass author…

  18. Margot Kinberg says

    April 18, 2014 at 6:14 am

    Pat – I really enjoyed The Prairie Grass Murders. I’m glad you’ve featured it – I really am. As to psychics? I’ve never visited one. I think there are a few genuine psychics perhaps, but all of the crackpots and fakes out there have made it much harder for the few who may actually have what used to be called ‘the gift.’

Meet Patricia

I read, I write, I blog, and sometimes I do the laundry and cook. My 2014 novel, Dead Wrong, was a finalist in the thriller category of the 2015 Colorado Book Awards. Wishing Caswell Dead (Five Star/Cengage, December 20, 2017) is a historical mystery set in 1830s Illinois in the fictitious Village of Sangamon. The novel was a finalist for the 2018 Colorado Book Awards for General Fiction. Read More…

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