tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post7738848275984966524..comments2024-03-28T17:06:34.405-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Keenan Powell--Hemlock NeedleJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1591419805067932272019-01-25T15:08:07.976-05:002019-01-25T15:08:07.976-05:00Thanks, Reds, for hosting me. Karen in Ohio is the...Thanks, Reds, for hosting me. Karen in Ohio is the winner of this giveaway. Karen, please send me an e-mail: Keenan@gci.net. Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54135939924176045552019-01-25T14:42:42.675-05:002019-01-25T14:42:42.675-05:00Thanks, Marian! How haunting that image you descri...Thanks, Marian! How haunting that image you describe is! Now that you honored the muse, did the image fade away so you could welcome inspiration for your next book? Or did it just flow from book 1?Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27731762455062937692019-01-25T14:39:38.545-05:002019-01-25T14:39:38.545-05:00Thanks, Ellen! Your series is very painterly, if y...Thanks, Ellen! Your series is very painterly, if you don't mind me saying. I have a very clear idea of how everything looks: the Crozat home, Pelican, the antebellum dress Maggie has to wear, her classic little drop top, the Mardi Gras costumes, on and on.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69786636711018560452019-01-25T14:37:04.366-05:002019-01-25T14:37:04.366-05:00Thanks,Linda! What a treat that must have been for...Thanks,Linda! What a treat that must have been for you. The first time I flew over Ireland, my ancestor's home, I cried. Somehow I didn't think it would be there or look like how I pictured it. But, sure enough, there were forty shades of green.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86139265943295790942019-01-25T14:34:54.749-05:002019-01-25T14:34:54.749-05:00Thanks, Beth! Your niece must be a special person;...Thanks, Beth! Your niece must be a special person; that can be heartbreaking work. I used to quilt too but became frustrated when I couldn't find the color I wanted so I switched to painting. All my bed/couch size quilts have long since disintegrated but I still have some of the wall hangings. And the machines which I keep just in case.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42700241981046780672019-01-25T14:32:20.553-05:002019-01-25T14:32:20.553-05:00Thanks, Sally! Your grandma sounds like a very spe...Thanks, Sally! Your grandma sounds like a very special person. Mine made a dress for me for my first birthday that was oversized (more room to grow). I felt like a princess.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85239021304475991422019-01-25T05:22:51.081-05:002019-01-25T05:22:51.081-05:00Go, Keenan! I am a big fan of Maeve - so looking f...Go, Keenan! I am a big fan of Maeve - so looking forward to this next read. To your question, an image that, for some reason, struck me and stayed in my mind - a deserted schoolyard next to a shuttered parochial school that I drove by one day. I envisioned an old nun walking across the schoolyard in winter dusk. Couldn’t get the image out of my mind - so, of course, I had to write about it. Opening scene in my first mystery The Immaculate. Your experience with the photograph that inspired Evan and Esther resonates with me! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15338488144804742560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-60414018859662952652019-01-25T02:12:04.822-05:002019-01-25T02:12:04.822-05:00Congratulations! I loved your first book and can&#...Congratulations! I loved your first book and can't wait to read your second. And most of the images that don't go away with me end up in my series! (Don't enter me in the contest, I want to buy the book myself. Just stopped by to say hi!)Ellen Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03491931917758692660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-40809109929793002072019-01-25T00:44:41.385-05:002019-01-25T00:44:41.385-05:00The image that I retain is the first time (only ti...The image that I retain is the first time (only time!) I went to Denmark. That's where my grandfather was born and it was emotional to set foot on Danish soil! Congrats on this book! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)comLinda Heroldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09988385643154235201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18498625269226719572019-01-24T23:17:02.273-05:002019-01-24T23:17:02.273-05:00I know this is a non-responsive response, but I am...I know this is a non-responsive response, but I am so interested in reading your book because my niece has begun to work in the Emergency Department of a Native Hospital in Anchorage. She relates to me what she is learning about native culture, and it is fascinating to me. So different than the Southern Californian culture where I grew up. She encounters some difficulties as an outsider, but I think she finds more difficulties in dealing with and understanding corporate hospital culture. <br />As to ideas I can't get out of my head, I make them into small quilts. The challenge is simply to give myself the time to do it, to prioritize making those art quilts over making something "practical". Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11786511163919657885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90334732705483340632019-01-24T17:21:50.843-05:002019-01-24T17:21:50.843-05:00Your book sounds interesting. My maternal grandma...Your book sounds interesting. My maternal grandma was very crafty. She made me and my doll identical nightgowns with a flower embroidered on. Grandma could buy something at a bazaar and take it apart and figure how to make one like it. Myself I avoid taking things apart because I can't get them back together. Grandma knitted or crocheted a stole out of angora wool that looked like mink. I was there for my week in the summer and kept petting it while she was making it.Sally from PAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649707016754971847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42714606596417610122019-01-24T16:28:30.019-05:002019-01-24T16:28:30.019-05:00Thanks, Lil! What a wonderful image! What a talent...Thanks, Lil! What a wonderful image! What a talented kid. I couldn't help but stab myself doing cross-stitch sitting in front of the TV. And then the holes got smaller, so I quit.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68229674005655977972019-01-24T16:26:51.446-05:002019-01-24T16:26:51.446-05:00Thanks, Kathy, for your kind remarks. Alaska does ...Thanks, Kathy, for your kind remarks. Alaska does have a rich culture and I'm hopeful it will be preserved as we go forward.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7897987597978575202019-01-24T16:25:05.736-05:002019-01-24T16:25:05.736-05:00Thanks, Pat D for sharing your stories. Both of yo...Thanks, Pat D for sharing your stories. Both of your grandmothers sound like incredible women, each in their own way. I wonder if your paternal grandmother felt like she was the one who had to lay down the law. The early 20th century was a tough time to raise a family, for sure.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29164724889028714392019-01-24T16:22:00.408-05:002019-01-24T16:22:00.408-05:00Thanks, Deb and thanks for hosting me today. It...Thanks, Deb and thanks for hosting me today. It's been a hoot! You don't have to start with the first book. Like your series, there is an overarching plot arc but I think I explained it enough in the second book that you would be fine reading them in order or out of.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10940068501339351962019-01-24T16:19:59.359-05:002019-01-24T16:19:59.359-05:00Thanks, Marla! Having practiced criminal defense a...Thanks, Marla! Having practiced criminal defense and personal injury law, there are images in my mind that are better left unshared. They don't go away and I wouldn't want to burden another with them. I get it.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86700835734518888012019-01-24T16:18:54.052-05:002019-01-24T16:18:54.052-05:00Thanks, Julia! The image you described is so heart...Thanks, Julia! The image you described is so heartbreaking -- I can see how telling a story about it could be healing. Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9150006226770282822019-01-24T14:37:36.090-05:002019-01-24T14:37:36.090-05:00Your book sounds like a fascinating read. We were...Your book sounds like a fascinating read. We were travelling some years back and stayed in Sapa, in the northwest of Vietnam. The hiking was beautiful and the hill tribes in the area made for a an exciting trip. It is a market town and plenty of crafts were being sold. On one of our hikes we came across a young girl who looked like she might be 8 or 9 years old. She was doing cross stitch to decorate a piece of the locally made cloth. The striking thing for me was that she was riding a water buffalo at the time, as well as, watching over a few playing children younger than herself. She managed to do this on mountainous terrain, no less. I did not do anything with the image/memory than keep it.Lilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02000700030790662943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32164455476811040742019-01-24T13:49:04.088-05:002019-01-24T13:49:04.088-05:00I love certain settings and get comfortable in rea...I love certain settings and get comfortable in reading books with them, knowing my comfort zone will, well, give me comfort and pleasure. But, I am also willing to step outside of that comfort zone and try a new setting. I hadn't read an Australian setting since The Thorne Birds when I tried Jane Harper's The Dry in 2017, I was captivated with Australia. And now, Keenan, you're bringing Alaska to my attention, and I'm thinking this would be a good visit outside of that comfort zone of mine, too. I admit, too, that Alaska has been in my thoughts before as somewhere fascinating to visit. What draws me in especially about Hemlock Needle is the cultural richness at its core. Reading it won't just be a visit to Alaska, but it will be an introduction to the heart of a place, and, of course, a cracking good mystery awaits me, too. Thanks for visiting the Reds today, Keenan, and adding to my anticipated stories list. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64310528822648968532019-01-24T12:45:22.364-05:002019-01-24T12:45:22.364-05:00Alaska has to be a huge source of inspiration for ...Alaska has to be a huge source of inspiration for stories. As for grandmas, I've talked about my maternal one before: Texas lady, could plow with mules as needed, killed snakes with a garden hoe, cooked meals for everyone who showed up, and as I found out years later, was supremely lacking in self confidence. She was always concerned about what the neighbors would think. As for my paternal grandmother, I wasn't close to her. Part of that was geography. She raised her family, 4 boys, very strictly, or at least tried to. My dad was the youngest, born in 1919. I remember her trying to get my older brother to promise not to smoke; he was maybe 8 at the time? She seemed to save her warmth for everyone but family. When she died so many people sang her praises about her being a warm and caring person. With family she seemed to be all about rules. Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57542285992939404902019-01-24T12:05:05.275-05:002019-01-24T12:05:05.275-05:00Sorry to late to the party! I had to run into Dall...Sorry to late to the party! I had to run into Dallas first thing. Keenan, should I start with the first book?Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78832236656578957062019-01-24T11:26:42.990-05:002019-01-24T11:26:42.990-05:00How wonderful that you have so much personal exper...How wonderful that you have so much personal experience to draw from. There are many images that have stuck with me before. I won't go into details, but one was a pretty disturbing photograph I stumbled upon online while doing research for a book. I suppose that's one of the hazards of Google searches for us mystery writers.Marla Bradeen/Paige Sleuth, Mystery Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920956529695986188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78446608079593087152019-01-24T10:49:45.566-05:002019-01-24T10:49:45.566-05:00Keenan, HEMLOCK NEEDLE sounds fascinating, and I k...Keenan, HEMLOCK NEEDLE sounds fascinating, and I know what you mean by the power of a single image. I once stumbled over a small graveyard near an Adirondack area reservoir while out walking with a friend. It had multiple headstones for children, many of whom died within a few weeks of one another. The sight was powerful enough to fuel my third novel.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24824130320143633552019-01-24T10:35:01.937-05:002019-01-24T10:35:01.937-05:00Thanks, Lysa! You're so right: Alaska is a com...Thanks, Lysa! You're so right: Alaska is a complex place. How intriguing: a day at the office on the back of a camel in the Sahara. That must have been an amazing trip. Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85191551005812384552019-01-24T10:33:43.944-05:002019-01-24T10:33:43.944-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Keenan Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00020098622907001949noreply@blogger.com