Monday, September 21, 2015

Music Monday - "I Hear A Symphony" by The Blossoms with Darlene Love


I found this video by chance. "I Hear a Symphony" was a big hit for the Supremes (1965). It has always been one of my favorite of their songs.  This cover, from about the same period, has The Blossoms, with lead singer Darlene Love, performing the song.  It is from Shindig, a 1960's variety show that I have only heard of.  I looked up Shindig and found it aired 1964 - 1966, and The Blossoms were regular musical performers on the show.

The Blossoms were a girl group that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1954.  The group evolved, and there were a number of different women included over the years.  The most famous group was Fanita James, Jean King, and Darlene Love (pictured above).  They sang on their own, and also worked as back up singers (for The Ronettes, Shelley Fabares, Marvin Gaye, and more).  

Here's a short video of The Blossoms.  What do you think?   I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.

Author Interview - Second to Nun by Alice Loweecey

Second To Nun
(A Giulia Driscoll Mystery Book 2)

Cozy Mystery
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Henery Press (September 22, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1941962930
E-Book ASIN: B010BUDQVI
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Synopsis
The Other Side has hired Driscoll Investigations. The owner of Stone’s Throw Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast insists that a tarot reading told her to hire Giulia to evict the family ghost. Since the ghost is cutting gas lines and flooding cellars, Giulia and her husband Frank head to the B&B to discover the real perpetrator.

The client also has a family legend: A highwayman who stole a pile of gold. Giulia has a pile of suspects, including a psychic the client hired to conduct weekly séances. So much for romance with Frank at this getaway.

Instead, Giulia’s juggling arson, creepy clown dolls, and the psychic going all Exorcist on her. Then the ghost tries to push the client off the lighthouse and throw Giulia down three flights of stairs. It should’ve known better than to mess with an ex-nun. Giulia has connections and she’s about to use them.

Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), humorous murder mysteries, book club recommendations, private investigator mystery series. 

Books in the Giulia Driscoll Humorous Mystery Series:
  • CHANGING HABITS (prequel short story)
  • NUN TOO SOON (#1)
  • SECOND TO NUN (#2)
  • NUN BUT THE BRAVE (#3) July 2016


Birdhouse Books Interviews Alice Loweecey 

Birdhouse: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? 

Alice:  At age 9 I wrote a small poem about going back to school. The bug bit me then and never left. Fortunately, I shredded all my angsty teenage poetry. I’m so pleased my teen years were pre-Internet. 

Birdhouse: What was your favorite book as a child? 

Alice:  Let’s Pretend, by Nila Mack, illus. by Catherine Barnes. It’s a book of fairytales that were expanded and used for a 1940s radio program of the same name. The writer was skilled enough to make each one memorable and the illustrations were lush. I reread that book at least 50 times. I got lost in it.  I’ve unearthed my mother’s copy and will be rereading it again tonight. 

Birdhouse:  What is your writing day like?  Do you have any interesting writing quirks? 

Alice:  Work, home, supper, laundry, THEN writing. We have a pond next to our deck with a small waterfall and 9 koi. Writing by it is like a mini-vacation.

My biggest quirk is my fountain pen addiction. I have one for each book I’ve written, but I can quit any time. I swear. Really. 

Birdhouse:  What was the most surprising thing you learned while creating this book? 

Alice:  Treasure hunters are True Believers. The websites are filled with people who are convinced that one more map, one more trip, one more search with metal detectors with unearth a fortune. From stashes of stolen diamonds or gold coins or bars, they believe. Some have quit their jobs to search 24/7. It’s rather eerie. 

Birdhouse:  Who are your favorite authors? 

Alice:  HP Lovecraft, Tracy Groot, CS Harris, Kazuya Minekura, KA Stewart, Dickens. I am eclectic.
Birdhouse:  What are your favorite fictional (book or movie) depictions of nuns?
Alice:  Bahahahaha! Don’t have one. I don’t do nun movies. They give me flashbacks, even after all these years. 
Birdhouse:  What is your next writing project? 

Alice:  I’m finishing up the next Giulia Driscoll mystery, Nun but the Brave. Doomsday preppers and many online dating sites are involved. That was some eye-opening research.
About The Author –
Baker of brownies and tormenter of characters, Alice Loweecey recently celebrated her thirtieth year outside the convent. She grew up watching Hammer Horror and Scooby-Doo Mysteries, which might explain a whole lot. When she’s not creating trouble for Giulia Falcone-Driscoll, she can be found growing her own vegetables (in summer) and cooking with them (the rest of the year). 

Author Links:
Website: www.aliceloweecey.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alice.loweecey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceLoweecey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4166880.Alice_Loweecey

Purchase Links:
Amazon B&N