The Story Behind the Story: A Man Called Rabbit

Have you ever wondered where an author gets his or her idea for a story? The stories in  Apparitions: Twisted Tales and Yarns by Jimmy L. Capps and Linda Capps Fisher are based on family yarns of strange happenings, dreams, nightmares, personal experiences, or imagination.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to share the stories behind the stories in Apparitions. ~ Linda

“A Man Called Rabbit” by Linda Capps Fisher

(excerpt)

Rabbit kicked the door open and pointed the gun at the men sitting at the table. “This is a stick up. 

Take off your shoes and britches. Lay face down on the floor.” Rabbit mimicked John Wayne to disguise his voice and lend authority to his words.

Their slowness irritated him, so he prodded them with threats. “I don’t want to kill nobody, but I will if I haff to. You!” he yelled at a young man with fiery red hair, “Put the money in this gunny sack.”

Rabbit barked more orders, and the boy gathered up pants and shoes tossing them off the porch and into the ravine below.

###

The idea for the fiction story, “A Man Called Rabbit,” began with memories of a friendly neighborhood poker game.

We lived in the Ozarks, twenty miles from nowhere. Neighbors were sparse and miles apart by way of dirt, potholed roads. There wasn’t much to do for entertainment, so the men gathered occasionally for a game of poker.

It certainly never occurred to anyone at the game that somebody would have the audacity to burst in and rob them. In the first place, guns were commonplace and everyone knew how to use them. The place was hard to find down unmarked country road and only a limited number of people even knew about the games. No one who lived in the hills had much money, and it certainly wasn’t a high stake game.

To think that a robbery could happen so close to home made an impression on my young mind. Unlike in my fictional story, the robbery was reported, but the crime was never solved. Who knows, it may have been the man called Rabbit.

Read “A Man Called Rabbit”  in Apparitions, available in Kindle and print versions on Amazon.  

Apparitions: Stories Behind the Stories--The Light on the Ceiling

Have you ever wondered where an author gets his or her idea for a story? The stories in  Apparitions: Twisted Tales and Yarns by Jimmy L. Capps and Linda Capps Fisher are based on family yarns of strange happenings, dreams, nightmares, personal experiences, or solely based on imagination. 

Over the next few weeks, I plan on sharing the stories behind the stories in Apparitions. ~ Linda

“The Light on the Ceiling” by Jimmy Capps

(excerpt)

We were staying the night at Pap and Granny Whittier’s. It was cold outside, and a bunch of the old folks had gathered up at Pap’s house; they did that back then. We were all sitting around the wood stove as they told stories, each trying to out-lie the other. After “hoop snakes” and “baby stealing panthers” had their run, the subject of the “ghost light” came up.

I remember at the time, I wasn’t eager to hear about any ghost light, but what could I do but listen? I couldn’t change the channel, and I was too scared to go into another room.

As they explained it, the ghost light showed itself the night before someone in the family was to die.

###

We grew up hearing stories about our Grandpa Whittle seeing a bright light before deaths in the families. In this story, Jimmy captures the feeling that we had as kids hearing the about the spooky light. It was one of the stories Grandpa told that scared us, but we begged him to tell us..

Sometimes the light was on the ceiling, but I remember one story when Grandpa and my uncle were coon hunting and the light shined down on Grandpa. The light scared my uncle because, although he’d never seen it, he knew about the light. “I thought Poppie was going to die!” he told us. He asked Grandpa to move, but as my uncle told it, the light moved with Grandpa.

Grandpa wasn’t scared, just sad. He knew there were be a death in the family.

Jimmy weaves a fictional story on the basis of a “ghost light” written in the style our Grandpa and uncles spun the yarns of our youth. The story is told in two parts: Jakes’s story and Sis’s story.

Read “The Light on the Ceiling” in Apparitions, available in Kindle and print versions on Amazon.

Who Likes a Good Ghost Story?

I'm excited about my latest book project. My brother Jimmy Capps and I both like to write ghost stories and for several years, I've been floating the idea of a ghost/paranormal book. He has sent me his stories and now I'm combing through mine.

We hope to have the book finished in time for--you guessed it--Halloween.

Stay tuned for more info as the project progresses.

Writing Distractions

I've had a lot of writing distractions over the years, but the one I have now is beyond crazy. I have two cardinals attacking my office window on a steady basis. Instead of just looking at the relaxing lilac bush, I'm constantly hearing a peck, peck, peck as first the male cardinal attacks his reflection and then the female. I've tried putting more objects on my window ledge, but that doesn't seem to slow them down. Sometimes when I have the light on in the room, they falter for a while.

The first day I took pictures. Little did I know I would have countless opportunities to take them. Go away birds! It's so hard to concentrate.

Happy Writing in the New Year

Well, have you made one of those writing resolutions? Is this the year you vow to finish your novel? How about submitting your work on a regular basis? Writers have several options for meeting their writing goals.

With the four book projects I juggled throughout most of the year, my writing went by the wayside. In 2013, I made great progress on my unfinished novel, but in 2014, I abandoned the project. Will this be the year, I get back in gear and finish that darn thing? I hope so!

I enjoyed editing That Mysterious Woman and working with the talented authors in the book. In my opinion, it is the best Shaker book to date, and it had some fantastic predecessors.

I'm not editing Well Versed this year. Hopefully, that frees up a block of time to work on writing. In 2014, I didn't write much. Somehow I found time to write a short essay and submitted to Chicken Soup for the Soul. My story "Under Control" was accepted for Thanks to My Mom. I'm looking forward to the anthology and sharing a story that gives my mom the credit she deserves for keeping Jim company when he couldn't stay alone.

Happy New Year, writers, and wishing you a year of successful writing.

Merry Christmas!

May Your Christmas Season Be Filled with Joy and LoveFrom Harold and Linda, Mozark Press

Alzheimer's Association Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures 2014

Mozark Assisted Publication: 30 Years of Cultivating Soils, Souls & Minds

30 Years of Cultivating Soils, Souls & Minds, is the result of contributions from many people. The contributors are Master Gardeners of Greene County (MGGC) volunteers, leaders, and individuals who were at one time Master Gardeners or who continue to be a Master Gardener in other locations. Much of the material in this book was documented in the original Chapter newsletters, The Grapevine, and in minutes from Board meetings and general membership meetings as well as numerous personal interviews. The Grapevines were skillfully “untangled” to give readers a true picture of the rich history of this volunteer organization.

Master Gardener programs are offered by the University of Missouri Extension is a partnership between the University of Missouri and the United States Department of Agriculture in cooperation with local governments and local people. The Board of Curators of the University established the Extension Division in 1910. Ever since then, University of Missouri Extension has been helping people make their lives better.

This Anthology includes history dating back to the Civil War time and gives great detail about how the Dial-A-Gardener volunteer service was born and later became the skeleton for developing into a Master Gardener program.

Three University of Missouri Extension specialists have coordinated the Master Gardeners of Greene County Chapter since inception in 1984. Open the pages of this book and read about the development of the Chapter under the capable coordination of John Lower, Gaylord Moore, and current coordinator Patrick Byers. The reach of the programming of these three specialists has been greatly expanded by the service of the Master Gardeners of Greene County.

Read further and learn about this service. Demonstration gardens have provided a “living laboratory” of horticultural expertise shared with the public. Drought tolerant plants, herbs, ornamentals, fruits, vegetables, turf - all are displayed and described. The Hotline, the “go to” source for all things horticultural, annually assists over 1500 gardeners. Volunteer-organized and executed displays, presentations, workshops, tours, and writings reach thousands more of our citizens with science-based, locally relevant information.

The reader will also note significant events and developments in the Chapter history. The Master Gardeners of Greene County have hosted the Missouri Master Gardeners State Conference three times, in 1998, 2006, 2013. And with style – the most recent conference attracted over 400 attendees who went home afterward with a greater appreciation of horticulture, Ozarks-style! The Chapter was a founding partner in support of the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center and enjoys a close relationship with the many gardens and groups associated with the center.

In between the lines of this book are years of dedicated service – intellectual, physical, sometimes sweaty, always with style! This book is dedicated to the many volunteers of the Master Gardeners of Greene County who have served our citizens so well.

If you enjoy gardening, volunteering or history, you will certainly find this book an outstanding read.

That Mysterious Woman -- Great cover and entertaining stories

My long awaited copies of That Mysterious Woman arrived today. I must say the cover is stunning and the stories are entertaining. It was my pleasure to edit these stories.

Some of the stories have a paranormal flare—“An Aura of Death” by Carolyn Mulford, “The Disappointment of Heaven” by David Aycock, “Trompe L’Oeil” by Steven Clark, and “Rearview Mirror” by Sharon Woods Hopkins.

Humor is evident in several of the stories including—“The Damn Diva” by Kari Wainwright and “Bob, Old One Eye, and the Pirate Queen” by Cathy C. Hall.

Daughters solve mysteries in “Sins of the Daughter” by Donna Volkenannt, “Wishing for Ignorance” by E. B. Davis, “The Photograph,” by Susan E. Thomas, and “At Storm’s End” by Harriette Sackler.

Husbands and wives vie for the upper hand in “Trophy Wife,” by Frank Watson, “Sauna” by KM Rockwood, and “Deception at Mallard Cove,” by Linda Fisher.

Retribution always has a place in mysteries, and revenge is sweet in “Remember Me?” by Georgia Ruth, “Triumvirate” by Suzanne Lilly, “The Hot Buns of Fate,” by Jennifer Jank, “The Butterfly Dress,” by J.D. Frost, and “Moving On” by Paula Gail Benson.

Watch as clues sprinkle the investigative path as amateur detectives analyze information in “Bess Harding, Mystery Queen” by Karen Mocker Dabson, “Pickled” by Edith Maxwell, “Dictation of Death” by Lisa Ricard Claro, and “Yolanda Karp Finds Her Inner Sleuth,” by Martha Rosenthal.

Stories fraught with twists and turns include “The Zookeepers,” by Eileen Dunbaugh, “Trial Run” by Mary Ellen Martin, “Cups” by Mitch Hale, “If Not for the Dog” by Rosemary Shomaker, and “All Dressed Up” by Caroline Dohack & Jodie Jackson, Jr.

Each author brings a particular talent to his or her story in the anthology. That Mysterious Woman is a great read!

That Mysterious Woman: “Rearview Mirror” by Sharon Woods Hopkins

  

Sharon Woods Hopkins, author of “Rearview Mirror” said:  

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this cover and so proud to have a story included with so many great authors in this brand new anthology from Mozark Press.

Dusty Shaunessy loved her classic car and didn’t trust just any mechanic to take care of her treasured 1965 Mustang. She thought Hector Fernandez of Best Mechanic Garage would be honest and not try to take advantage of her like other mechanics had. Dusty was pleased with Hector’s work on her car until he mentioned he had replaced her broken mirror. She knew the mirror wasn’t damaged, and wondered why Hector was lying to her.

She asks him to just remove the new review mirror and put the old one back in. The handsome Hector insists she keep it and try the buttons.  Is the rearview mirror magically dangerous? How will Dusty handle the power of the mirror?

Excerpt from “Rearview Mirror”:

Hector leaned in through the passenger door window and caressed the new mirror. “There is no charge, Señora. I do this for you. You are a special lady with a special car. The mirror, I already have. Look at it. It is beautiful, no?”

It was indeed, a fine, new mirror, same size as the old one. In fact, it looked identical. No, wait. Not identical. There were buttons along the bottom. “Yes, Hector, it is beautiful.”

“Like you, señora.” His dark eyes flashed.

That Mysterious Woman: “At Storm’s End” by Harriette Sackler

Everyone loves a mystery! Mozark Press has released the fourth Shaker of Margaritas anthology, That Mysterious Woman. The authors in this Shaker edition used their imaginations to produce stories of a mysterious woman involved in a wide array of circumstances.

Harriette Sackler, author of “At Storm’s End” said: “So happy to be part of this terrific venture.”

In Harriette’s story, “At Storm’s End,” Marcie drives home through the torrential rains of a hurricane and discovers her mother missing from her apartment. Marcie’s mother is widowed and has turned to alcohol for solace. Could this have something to do with why she is missing?

Marcie and her friend Seth check every apartment in the building, and Marcie checks with hospitals, and the emergency shelter.  Marcie calls the police to report Mrs. Freeland missing, but with all their personnel busy with the hurricane, they cannot come until the storm passes.

Has Mrs. Freeland wandered off in a drunken stupor? Has her mom suffered an accident, or is something more sinister the reason for her disappearance?

Excerpts from “At Storm’s End”:

The living room appeared as it always did. Several glasses and a half-empty bottle of gin littered the coffee table, along with a disorganized array of newspapers and magazines. Marcie didn’t doubt for a minute that her mother had ordered enough liquor from her favorite store to get her through the storm.

Marcie spent the night, pacing, crying, and wondering if her mother had slipped beyond alcoholism into even more serious mental illness. After her dad’s death, she’d moved them down to the beach, hoping that the slower pace of life and beauty of the surroundings would lift her mother’s spirit. But no such luck. Marcie had consulted with mental health agencies, and even met with an attorney to try to find a way to get Alice into treatment. But, since her mother wasn’t considered incompetent or dangerous, there just wasn’t anything to be done.

That Mysterious Woman: "Remember Me?" by Georgia Ruth

Twenty-seven fiction stories are included in That Mysterious Woman. Here's some words from author Georgia Ruth.

Georgia Ruth said: “I am very impressed with your selection of stories. I think this will be a great holiday gift for many readers. Thank you for inviting me to be part of it.”

Georgia’s story “Remember Me?” reminds us all of the angst we feel at that all important class reunion. We want to impress our fellow classmates with our successes, but what if in our quest for youthful looks we had a devastating plastic surgery experience? What if the doctor was a former classmate? What if instead of fixing the problem, he ignored the calls and was perpetually unavailable? This happens to Shelley in “Remember Me?” With her stress weight gain and a ruined face she is unrecognizable to even her closest friends.

To find out how she uses this anonymity to her advantage read “Remember Me?” in That Mysterious Woman.

An excerpt from “Remember Me?”:

The lights were low, but I saw the name Alice Elizabeth Tripp. I couldn’t remember her. Probably nobody else did either.

I hid in a corner of the bar with my new persona, sipping my whiskey, a watcher out of bounds. I used to be the one creating the action. Classmates emulated me, eavesdropped on my conversations. No more of that. Inside my packaging, I was now invisible.

“Have you seen Jordan? She looks so different, almost svelte.” My old cheerleader friends cackled in a nearby clutch, smiles perky, pom poms sagging in their halter tops.

That Mysterious Woman: "Trial Run" by Mary Ellen Martin

Authors are reviewing their stories published in That Mysterious Woman. Some of them read all the stories in the book.

Mary Ellen Martin had this to say: "I really, REALLY enjoyed reading this book. I believe this is the best one yet, and I am extremely proud to be part of this project, and humbled to be included with so many incredible and accomplished authors. You and your team should be proud, as well. Thanks so much for your hard work!"

Mary Ellen Martin’s story “Trial Run” explores retail stores’ battles against shoplifters. Sometimes shoplifters are so clever they defy catching. Repeat offenders especially frustrate security teams.

Jeanine, new at her security job, is determined to catch the illusive Dawn Larson. Surveillance tapes show her taking makeup, but when Jeanine and her boss, Matt, stop her, she doesn’t have any stolen merchandise on her. To learn the clever plan Jeanine uses to attempt to catch the defiant and illusive thief read “Trial Run” in That Mysterious Woman.

An excerpt from “Trial Run”:

“See?” the girl said. “I told you I didn’t take nothin’. Can I go now? And who’s your boss, by the way? You’re gonna lose your job, fat ass.” She smiled smugly. “This is the last time you see me. At least until you ask me if I want fries with my meal.”

Everybody loves a mystery! Our fourth Shaker of Margaritas anthology, That Mysterious Woman, includes twenty-seven mysteries.

The collection began with a callout for mysteries featuring a female protagonist. We asked for cozies, soft-boiled mysteries, suspenseful tales, capers, or whodunits with a strong emphasis on character, plot, and good old-fashioned storytelling. And our authors delivered! We received a record number of submissions and had the difficult task of paring down the stack to the best of the best.

An anthology includes authors with different writing styles, which makes watching the story unfold more unpredictable. Isn’t that one of the reasons we read mysteries?

The authors in this Shaker edition used their imaginations to produce stories of a mysterious woman involved in a wide array of circumstances. Stories cover murder, retribution, paranormal activity, thievery, strange disappearances, deception, and other surprising situations.

Wondering what authors are included in this edition?  Here is a list!

David K. Aycock

Paula Gail Benson

Steven Clark

Lisa Ricard Claro

Karen Mocker Dabson

E. B. Davis

Caroline Dohack

Eileen Dunbaugh

Linda Fisher

J. D. Frost

Jodie Jackson Jr.

Mitch Hale

Cathy C. Hall

Sharon Woods Hopkins

Jennifer Jank

Suzanne Lilly

Mary Ellen Martin

Edith Maxwell

Carolyn Mulford

KM Rockwood

Martha Rosenthal

Georgia Ruth

Harriette Sackler

Rosemary Shomaker

Susan E. Thomas

Donna Volkenannt

Kari Wainwright

Frank Watson

Update on the Status of That Mysterious Woman, and the Publisher's Status

Hi Everyone! I extended the deadline to August 10 and then got married on the 16th. I married Harold Ream, my longtime friend and business partner at Mozark Press.

We were married at Forsyth and spent a week in Branson. For a nanosecond I considered taking the stories along with me to finish reading them. Then, I decided that wasn't the ideal way to start a marriage.

Since then,  I have been working on two other projects, trying to move, and helped organize our Walk to End Alzheimer's. (It was Saturday, and a great success!)

The deadline extension brought a flood of entries and I haven't had a chance to read all of them yet. I'm excited about the quality of the entries and believe this will be the best Shaker book yet!

Okay, I realize it is time to get off my butt and get cracking on "That Mysterious Woman."

Thanks for your patience!

Linda Fisher, Mozark Press

Deadline Extended to August 10 for That Mysterious Woman Anthology

Deadline Extended to August 10! Mozark Press seeks fiction stories for an upcoming anthology, A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman. For this anthology, we are looking for mysteries with a female protagonist. Send us your cozies, soft-boiled mysteries, suspenseful tales, capers, or whodunits with a strong emphasis on character, plot, and good old-fashioned storytelling. Payment of $20. See complete guidelines at www.mozarkpress.com. 

Submissions Open for That Mysterious Woman Until July 25, 2014

A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman
Mozark Press – Call for Submissions
Submissions Deadline July 25, 2014
$20 Paid for Stories Published in Anthology

Mozark Press seeks short mystery fiction for A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman. For this anthology, we are looking for mysteries with a female protagonist. Send us your cozies, soft-boiled mysteries, suspenseful tales, capers, or whodunits with a strong emphasis on character, plot, and good old-fashioned storytelling.

What’s in it for you?
 If your story is selected for the anthology, you will be paid $20 upon publication.
 Authors whose work appears in the book will be given a one-time opportunity to prepurchase
books at 60% of retail price + postage.
 You will receive a free copy of the book with your story in it if you pre-purchase a minimum of one copy at the author’s discount.

Of course, you don’t like rules, but we have a few:
 Stories must be between 2000 – 3,500 words.
 Only previously unpublished works will be considered.
 Keep the story clean—consider a PG rating.
 No poetry.
 Must be written in English.
 One entry per person.

Electronic submissions only, subject line: “That Mysterious Woman” email to publisher@Mozarkpress.com.
 Twelve point, Times New Roman, double spaced.
 Send title page and story in a single Microsoft Word document attached to email.
 On the title page, give your name, contact information—address, phone number, and email address–word count, a short bio (150 words or less) written in third person, the title of the story, and first line of the manuscript.
 No identifying information on manuscript, but do provide story title and page numbers in header or footer. (Also, be sure to include the title and first line you put on the cover sheet.)

For the best chance of success:
 Proofread. Typos and grammatical errors will send your story to the bottom of the pile.
 Read your work aloud to see how it flows.
 Start with action.
 Use conversation to move your story.
 Don’t get hung up on back story. We want to know what’s going on now.
 Have a critique group read your story.

To help the editor:
 Do not use styles—with fancy formatting. You wouldn’t believe how hard they can be to remove!
 Use one space following the period at the end of a sentence. (I learned to type with two and you can break the habit with practice).
 Use paragraph indents.

By submitting to the anthology, you give first publication rights to Mozark Press for print and electronic publication if your story is selected. You also give Mozark Press permission to publish excerpts for publicity or on the publisher’s website without further compensation. You certify your story is original, unpublished, and written by you. If selected, your story will be published unless you send a written withdrawal within thirty days of the submission closing date. Payment will be made upon publication. Stories withdrawn shall not be eligible for payment.

Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology. Impartial judges will select the stories eligible for publication. The judges’ and publisher’s decisions are final. The publisher reserves the sole right to cancel the project if not enough qualified entries are submitted to justify publishing the anthology. Publication will be late fall 2014.

Would You Like to Contribute to That Mysterious Woman?

We have received some great stories for That Mysterious Woman, our upcoming "Shaker of Margaritas" anthology. I know there are many, many more mystery writers out there who have fantastic stories to tell. The deadline is July 25.
 
A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman
Mozark Press – Call for Submissions
Submissions Deadline July 25, 2014
$20 Paid for Stories Published in Anthology

Mozark Press seeks short mystery fiction for A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman.
For this anthology, we are looking for mysteries with a female protagonist. Send us your cozies,
soft-boiled mysteries, suspenseful tales, capers, or whodunits with a strong emphasis on
character, plot, and good old-fashioned storytelling

visit www.mozarkpress.com for complete guidelines.

Master Gardeners of Greene County Plan Chapter Anthology

We met with Lola Fry, historian for the Master Gardeners of Greene County to discuss plans for their History Anthology. The anthology is planned to commemorate the Master Gardeners 30th Anniversary. Lola is gathering articles from their archives and stories from their members.

Mozark Press is delighted to help with this project. Target date for publication is December 2014. Just in time for the holidays!


About the Master Gardeners:

Master Gardeners are trained volunteers with gardening backgrounds ranging from hobbyist to professional, from beginner to experienced, from young adult to senior citizen. The common bond is a love of gardening, learning and sharing. After training, Master Gardeners serve as a resource with University of Missouri Extension to give county residents research-based answers to their gardening questions. The primary purpose of a Master Gardener is to volunteer, but members rate camaraderie and learning opportunities as important reasons for participating. To become a Master Gardener, call 417-881-8909

That Mysterious Woman--Have You Submitted?

Have you been working on a story for That Mysterious Woman? This will Mozark Press's  fourth Shaker of Margaritas anthology. We have already received some terrific stories, and we would certainly love to read yours!

Submissions end on July 25th. For information and complete guidelines visit www.mozarkpress.com.

Linda Fisher, Mozark Press