MARK TWAIN BANNED

The NY Times had an article in last night's paper, written by Abby Goodnough, that told of our beloved Mark Twain having had a book banned in Charlton, MA 105-years ago. Hard to believe that anyone would ban a book by the author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn but in 1906, his book--titled "Eve's Diary"--was.

The ban was voted because of illustrations by Lester Ralph that showed a lovely and naked Eve wandering through Eden. The ban was lifted yesterday and two copies may now be borrowed from the library. There is also a modern day touch--an audio version has been produced for those still too shy to look at the illustrations.

The library will display an old edition of the book in a glass case, the centerpiece of an exhibit for National Banned Book Week.

According to Miss Goodnough's article, Twain called the trustees that banned his book, "the freaks of the Charlton Library." Today's library hopes to make up for the book's forced departure.

Bests,

Elise

My cozy eBook mystery is available at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Carina Press and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by Audible.com

NEW YORK NEW YORK

Today I'll be interviewing Willow, a calico cat who decided New York City was the placeto be.

"Willow, why did you choose New York? Weren't you afraid of being a little cat in a big city?"

"Since cats have nine lives, I decided to live mine to the hilt. I wanted to make it big in the big city. Like the song says, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere..."

"Wasn't there another cat who went to London to visit the Queen?"

"I don't want to get into politics but I happen to be a Democrat."

"Everyone is wondering how you managed the 1,800 miles between Colorado and New York. Did you hitch a ride? It's a long walk even with four paws. Or did you travel with some handsome Tomcat? and if you did, will we get to meet him?"

"A lady that will tell that will tell anything."

"Are you looking forward to going home?"

"It will be nice to see family and friends again. Of course, once you've been bitten by the travel bug, you keep getting the urge to see the world. Italy, France, Australia...who knows what tomorrow will bring."

"Thanks for visiting with us today, Willow. Have a safe journey home and wherever your travels may take you."

Bests,

Elise

My cozy eBook mystery is available at Barnes&Noble, Amazon, Carina Press and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by audible.com


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LAST NIGHT

A car alarm blasted the night air--I woke and peeked through the venetian blind to see a car flashing its lights. My block is dark with few streetlights but I could see a young man emerging from the car and running down the block. His movements were that of a lanky teen and he wore a hat reminiscent of one worn by the Dead End boys in an old movie I'd seen on television that starred Humphrey Bogart as a gangster. I believe it was called Dead End. The thief was fast and before I could reach the phone to call the police, he had disappeared from sight.

I went back to bed and perhaps ten minutes later the alarm sounded again. I got to the window and before he disappeared, I saw him halfway down the block with a bag dangling from his arm. An unmarked police car drove the wrong way down the street, stopped and two men wearing tee shirts with NYPD stenciled on the back ran in the direction the thief had taken. A minute passed before they were joined by several other cars.

A duo of officers began searching the car--the alarm sounding every time they opened or closed the doors.

I wondered why the thief had chosen that car--though it was dark, I had the impression it was old. Perhaps he knew the owner and thought the bag was filled with drugs. Why did he return when he knew the alarm would go off? How did the police get to the scene so quickly? Why did they search the car for so long a period? Could they have staked out my neighborhood? My block?

I'll never know the answers to my questions. Unless, unless I write a short story that will satisfy my curiosity.

Any theories?

Bests,

Elise

My cozy mystery eBook titled Scene Stealer is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Carina Press and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by audible.com


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eBOOK INNOVATOR

On Friday, Sept.9, an obituary in the New York times noted the passing of Michael Hart. He's the man believed to have created the first eBook when on July 4th 1971, he typed the Declaration of Independence into a computer and informed users that the Declaration could be downloaded. His undertaking became the oldest digital library--known as Project Gutenberg. Hart believed in the sharing of information and his goal was education and information. According to the Times, Hart first typed the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, the King James Bible and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" into the projects's database.

Most of the 30,000 books in the database are in the public domain except for a few that are reproduced with the permission of the copyright holders.

As a writer I have mixed emotions about free books. I find it an enormous help to research books in the public domain that can verify aspects of history, geography, etc. but the internet is rife with piracy as every writer knows and often a book with copyright is stolen without guilt by readers.

Opinions, anyone?

Bests,

Elise

Scene Stealer, my cozy eBook mystery is available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Carina Press and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by Audible.com

National Treasures and Pop Icons at the Library of Congress

My piece about The Library of Congress may be viewed on Page 67 in the online September edition of Recreation News. http://www.recreationnews.com/ The Library is celebrating the 60th anniversary of I Love Lucy, there is an addition to the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment introduced by Stephen Colbert, a gallery devoted to cartoons, illustrations, graphic novels and original drawings. The Library holds the nation's treasures including a recreation of Thomas Jefferson's Library.

Bests,

Elise

My eBook, cozy mystery Scene Stealer is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Carina Press and wherever ebooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by Audible.com