A mysterious box is delivered....

RO: Last Saturday started like any other. I forced myself to work out and embarked on the endless round of minor chores which alway seem to need doing - dropping off at Goodwill, heading to the hardware store and dry cleaners and then I let myself get happily sidetracked by a tag sale.

When I got home, there was a cardboard box on my doorstep, about three feet by one and a half feet. Scribbled on the box in blue magic marker were the words "these are the plans for your house. I thought you might like them."

I should back up a bit and say that my husband and I never met the woman who sold us our house fifteen years ago. The house wasn't even for sale but my husband fell in love with it one day as he was jogging and dragged me back to see it. I was convinced we'd get arrested for trespassing, but we didn't. Anyway, the owner's brother orchestrated the sale for his sister who by all accounts was a colorful, i.e., eccentric character.

And now we have this box of plans and blueprints dating back to 1948. Some of them are very cool and show the house before its numerous additions. Others show proposed changes in the 80's which never materialized but are amazingly close to things my husband and I are considering doing.

I haven't gone through the whole box yet - there are dozens of plans. What if there is an underground room I don't about? A secret panel in the basement? Something that was razed for unknown reasons... hmmm, so what think? Should I scrap the beginning of the as yet unnamed book four which takes place at a flower show and write this story instead? Where would you take this story?

JAN: I don't know, I'm intrigued by murder at the flower show -- but if I were going to write this one, there would definitely be a secret underground room with both dead bones and a LOT of money in it.

HANK: Misdirection. That's the key. After much searching and speculating, the plans are nothing. But! There's something written on the back of the plans. Or! One of the pages is mistakenly mixed in from somewhere else. And THAT takes her to the real mystery.

RO: Ooohh, you gals sound like mystery writers. I took a writing class with Stuart Kaminsky once and he started us off with a story line and we each had five minutes to sketch out what happened next. So, JR readers..you find a mysterious box of house plans on your doorstep with a cryptic note. What happens next? At the end of the week, I will pick my favorite story line from JR's readers and send the winner a signed copy of The Big Dirt Nap.

Hallopalooza Winners...

canyonson - Royal Flush, Rhys Bowen

DarcyO - Prime Time, Hank Phillippi Ryan

Helen Kiker - A Confidential Source, Jan Brogan

Librarymom - Preaching to the Corpse, Roberta Isleib

Riss - Bibliophile's Devotional, Hallie Ephron

Penny Tuttle - Pushing Up Daisies, Rosemary Harris
Winners should contact the author whose book they've won by ckicking on our pictures above and visiting our website. Congrats and thanks for playing!!

Autumn Leaves

RO: A few years back (in the days when I had time for such pursuits) I made a fall CD. Just a collection of music that either reminded me of autumn or back to school. Yes, there was a summer cd and a winter one as well - I said I had time.

Anyway it included songs like Van Morrison's Moondance, Frank Sinatra's Autumn in NY (his version of the Summer Wind made the summer playlist), Lou Reed's cover of September Song (not as mournful as Walter Huston's, but nice and edgy) and at least fifteen versions of the Autumn Leaves.

Everyone from Edith Piaf to Chet Baker to the Modern Jazz Quartet. I realized I had more versions of that song than anything else in my collection. More than Sleigh Ride and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, its two closest rivals. More than St. Louis Blues and Tenderly, my two dark horse candidates to supplant the titleholder.

So my question is what's on your playlist, ipod, turntable, cassette deck? What do you have more of than anything else and is there anything that you particularly like to hear at this time of year?

ROBERTA: I am so bad about keeping track of music. I still haven't managed to get my computer to sync music with my iphone so I can't listen while I'm walking. But I know what dominates my playlist, summer winter spring fall, Patsy Cline. I love her music and the film that Jessica Lange starred in as Patsy: Sweet Dreams. Ro, you'd never have time now to make a CD like that, but what a nice idea!

HALLIE: Oh, Roberta - my kids have forever tortured me about the thing I have for Patsy Cline... I fall, to piec-ezzz... I also love Patty Paige. I've always been a sucker for country, so Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash are on my playlist. Performers who are still alive: The Dixie Chicks - when I'm feeling pissy I particularly like to listen to "Goodbye Earl."

RO: Okay...we should start practicing Walking After Midnight for next year's something or other show because I definitely have the Patsy chip, too.

RHYS: I got an ipod Touch for my birthday last month and I've been having fun uploading stuff to it. Mostly classical music to keep me calm and relaxed when my flight is delayed, but also the soundtrack of Mamma Mia and my favorite Beatles songs that always manage to make me feel happy.

HANK: What is it about Patsy Cline and JRW? She's a special favorite of mine, too. (You want me TO forget (to forget) PRE-tend we NEVER met!) And Ro, I think Autumn in New York is just the same song as Moonlight in Vermont.

I made a "tape" (anyone, remember?) of song to "run" to (anyone? remember?) and I loved it--It included Jump, and then "Might as Well Jump" and then a song by the Cars (which one?), and then Born in the USA. And more power songs--White Rabbit. Running on Empty. Dancing Queen. I forget what else, but I loved it. A Walkman (anyone? remember?)eventually ate it.

Another day, I was blasting Carmina Burana on the walkman, and was ice skating to it, got overconfident, and splatted badly.

RO: You know how to ice skate? Dang it woman, is there anything you can't do? I used to go every Friday night to hang out with my pals but mostly remember drinking hot chocolate and hanging on to the railing.

HANK: If I had to choose? Ella Fitzgerald. Ella sings Cole Porter or Rogers and Hart. Any day.

RO: Tapes..yikes. I made what I called an anti-road rage tape for driving. I still have it. Mostly classical, some jazz. Impossible to curse out the guy who just cut you off when you're listening to Rampal/Bolling's Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano.Yes, I have Cardio CDs too. These days my cardio playlist starts with Lovely Day by Bill Winters.

And we wish you all a Lovely Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYi7uEvEEmk&feature=related

Come back tomorrow when we announce the winners in the Jungle Red Hallopalooza drawing and later this week for visits by Liz Zelvin and the legendary Carolyn Hart!

Hallopalooza Time!

This weekend Jungle Red Writers is delighted to participate in a Hallopalooza, sponsored by The Stiletto Gang. If you're starting here, please go back to the Gang's blogsite to read the beginning of the Halloween mini-mystery. Then you will follow the clues on each of the blogs to solve the mystery at the end for a grand prize. You may also enter comments along the way to win other great prizes! (Right here, win signed books from the Jungle Red Writers!) Good luck and have a spooky good time...


Clue #2: "I was hoping to speak with Mr. Howard before conducting any other interviews." Milla frowned at the petite man wearing a court jester costume. He'd just informed her that G. Winston Howard was otherwise occupied.

She glanced at her notes. He was Walter Jester, possibly the victim's last dance partner. "How well did you know Miss Jordan?"

He shrugged, the tiny bells sewn on his costume tinkling. "Very well. I facilitated her work for Mr. Howard."

"Facilitated?" Milla's pen hovered over the lined page. "You mean your job was to run her errands?"

"Yes." Walter blinked several times. "I didn't mind. It paid well."

She could tell from his tone he was lying; that he had minded. He'd minded very much. "What will you do now?"

He smiled. The bells tinkled again as he answered, "Her job."

Next Clue Location: http://meanderingsandmuses.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to comment on this post to enter your name in our drawing!