Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Tennessee)

May 27th and 28th. We continued on to Tennessee to visit my friend, Carmen Amato. She is the author of the Emilia Cruz Detective series and the Galiano Club Mysteries.

I swear Lawrie has taken over my Google Map lady whom I refer to as Miss Google. Lawrie always liked the 'interesting routes' and in the last two days Miss Google has picked out a route that leads us along the narrow, winding, country roads - totally avoiding the interstate freeways.

I had a blast driving through the countryside, but occasionally my co-pilot would huff at me! "Just stop and let me pee, for pity's sake!"

We spent two blissful days just hanging out with our friends and the various critters in Tennessee.

No driving. No sightseeing. Just chilling.

Bear, aka Polar Bear

Hazel - with a wolfie-smile

Getting the chickens all in a row!

Llamas fascinated by Sparky

Moving on up ... Treasure Isla #13 on the Mexico Writers Sunday list

The Sunday list from Mexico Writers: Treasure Isla Book #1 of my Isla Mujeres Mystery novels hit #13 on the list. All five of my Isla Mujeres Mystery novels made the top 100. Thank you everyone for your support. Cheers from Lynda and Sparky (AKA The Sparkinator)

‎Mikel Miller‎ to Mexico Writers

36 mins

Lots of jiggle in the Oct. 20 Sunday snapshot of 100 top paid Kindle sales rankings by members of Mexico Writers. Nice jumps by Catherine Marenghi, Dv Berkom, Ioan Grillo, Lynda L. Lock, Joseph Toone, Sabrina Devonshire, Dianne Romain, Mark Statman, Bonnie Lee Black, Phyllis Porter Rauch, Ron Mumford. and Maya Frost. Congrats to all!

1. House of Broken Angels – Luis Alberto Urrea

2. Dreamland – Sam Quinones

3. Just A Happy Camper (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 11) – Jinx Schwartz

4. Glad Farm: A Memoir – Catherine Marenghi

5. A Killing Truth: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

6. Hetta Coffey Collection Boxed Set Books 1-4 – Jinx Schwartz

7. Just Follow the Money (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 9) – Jinx Schwartz

8. Just Add Water (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 1) – Jinx Schwartz

9. Bad Traffick: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

10. Baja Get Away – Jinx Schwartz

11. Just For The Birds (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 10) – Jinx Schwartz

12. El Narco: Inside Mexico’s Criminal Insurgency – Ioan Grillo

13. Treasure Isla (Isla Mujeres Mystery Series Book 1) – Lynda L. Lock

14. Dakota Burn: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

15. The Devil's Highway: A True Story – Luis Alberto Urrea

16. Just Pardon My French (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 8) – Jinx Schwartz

17. Millionaire Expat: How to Build Wealth Living Overseas – Andrew Hallam

18. The Hummingbird's Daughter – Luis Alberto Urrea

19. Cargo: A Leine Basso Thriller – DV Berkom

20. The Body Market: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

21. Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats (Janet Blaser, Author; with Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Kerry Watson, Judy Whitaker, and 23 others)

22. Gangster Warlords – Ioan Grillo

23. Just Different Devils (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 7) – Jinx Schwartz

24. Millionaire Teacher (2ndedition) – Andrew Hallam

25. The Lady in Gold – Anne-Marie O'Connor

26. Leine Basso Thrillers Box Set (Books 1-3) – Dv Berkom

27. Just Deserts (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 4) – Jinx Schwartz

28. Just Add Trouble (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 3) – Jinx Schwartz

29. Rain of Gold – Victor Villasenor

30. San Miguel de Allende Secrets: Day of the Dead with Skeletons, Witches and Spirit Dogs – Joseph Toone

31. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul – Deborah Rodriguez

32. Absolution: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

33. Taken (Elite SEALs Book 1) – Sabrina Devonshire

34. Mary Magdalene: The Life and Legacy of the Woman Who Witnessed the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus – Gustavo Vazquez

35. The Santa Muerte: The Origins, History, and Secrets of the Mexican Folk Saint – Gustavo Vazquez

36. The Lost Books of the Old Testament – Gustavo Vazquez

37. The Everything Craps Strategy Book – Larry Edell

38. A One Way Ticket to Dead: Kate Jones Thriller #7 – Dv Berkom

39. Dark Return: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

40. Queen of America: A Novel – Luis Alberto Urrea

41. Trouble Isla (Isla Mujeres Mystery Series Book 2) – Lynda L. Lock

42. Serial Date: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

43. Just the Pits (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 5) – Jinx Schwartz

44. Just Needs Killin’ (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 6) – Jinx Schwartz

45. The Trumpet Lesson – Dianne Romain

46. Into the Heart of Mexico: Expatriates Find Themselves Off the Beaten Path – John Scherber

47. Millionaire Teacher (1stedition) – Andrew Hallam

48. Our First Lady Pope – Victor Villasenor

49. The Apocryphal Gospels: The History of the New Testament Apocrypha Not Included in the Bible – Gustavo Vazquez

50. The Shadow Queen – Sandra Gulland

51. The Nag Hammadi Library – Gustavo Vazquez

52. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing – Ted Conover

53. Just Add Salt (Hetta Coffey Series, Book 2) – Jinx Schwartz

54. Poet in New York: A Bilingual Edition – Pablo Medina and Mark Statman

55. Beyond Rain of Gold – Victor Villasenor

56. Russian Mojito (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7) – Carmen Amato

57. The Routes of Man – Ted Conover

58. Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans – Alan Riding

59. Pancho Villa: The Life and Legacy of the Famous Mexican Revolutionary- Gustavo Vazquez

60. The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. – Sandra Gulland

61. Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico (Book 1) – Terry L. Terry L Turrell

62. Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea

63. Big Brown: The Untold Story of UPS – Greg Niemann

64. Jamie’s Muse – Bonnie Lee Black

65. 43 Missing (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 6) – Carmen Amato

66. Fairy Tales: The Origins, History, and Interpretations of the World’s Most Famous Fairy Tales – Gustavo Vazquez

67. The Mission Walker – Edie Littlefield Sundby

68. Unlikely Warrior: A Jewish Soldier in Hitler’s Army – Georg Rauch & Phyllis Porter Rauch

69. Diablo Nights (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 3) – Carmen Amato

70. The English Speaker’s Guide to Medical Care in Mexico – Monica Rix Paxson

71. Hat Dance (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 2) – Carmen Amato

72. The Last Deception: A Leine Basso Thriller – Dv Berkom

73. King Peso (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 4) – Carmen Amato

74. Pacific Reaper (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 5) – Carmen Amato

75. Cuisine and Empire – Rachel Laudan

76. First Stop in the New World – David Lida

77. Troubled Sea – Jinx Schwartz

78. The Secret Wife – Janice Campbell-Paul

79. Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide – Jim Johnston

80. The Art of Ritual: Creating and Performing Ceremonies for Growth and Change – Sydney Metrick

81. The Risotto Guru: Adventures in Eating Italian – Laura Fraser

82. Finding Your Soul Mate, God's Way – Ron Mumford

83. Terror Isla (Isla Mujeres Mystery Book 5) – Lynda L. Lock

84. Land of Mountains – Jinx Schwartz

85. The Global Expatriate's Guide to Investing – Andrew Hallam

86. Yucatán Dead: A Kate Jones Thriller (Kate Jones Thrillers Book 6) – Dv Berkom

87. Burro Genius – Victor Villasenor

88. The New Global Student – Maya Frost

89. Quixote: The Novel and the World – Ilan Stavans

90. The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 1 – Dv Berkom

91. The Art of Political Murder – Francisco Goldman

92. In the Time of the Jacarandas – Michael Hogan

93. The Hidden Light of Mexico City – Carmen Amato

94. Kabul Beauty School – Deborah Rodriguez

95. Baja Legends – Greg Niemann

96. Native State: A Memoir – Tony Cohan

97. Temptation Isla (Isla Mujeres Mystery Book 4) – Lynda L. Lock

98. Tormenta Isla: Isla Mujeres Mystery #3 – Lynda L. Lock

99. Rich Notary, Poor Notary (Home Based Business Book I) – George Puckett

100. Cliff Diver (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 1) – Carmen Amato

A multitasking ninja living in paradise

I'm a multitasking ninja, park ranger, and zookeeper all rolled into one. There are dozens of free-roaming, but demanding critters that inhabit my small bit of Isla Mujeres. They have come to expect food, water, and a secure place to live. I am their humble servant.

Geek the Kitchen Gecko

Geek the Kitchen Gecko, who lives behind the fridge, gives me a loud chuk, chuk, chuk greeting every morning when I turn on the coffee maker. Geek doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, except he likes a shallow dish of clean water.

A few times when he has tried to catch a drip from the kitchen tap it has resulted in a traumatic drop into a slippery sided enclosure with no traction for his Velcro-like feet. Rather than chase a panicky lizard around the sink, or fish him out of Sparky's water bowl I have settled on leaving a saucer of water on the kitchen counter - just for him. 

King of the Beach - Thomas the Cat 

Occasionally I pull the fridge away from the wall and vacuum his house, taking care not to suction him up with the poop. In return for our acceptance of his requirements Geek the Gecko does his best to eliminate mosquitoes and ants. 

Before our famous seventeen-year-old Thomas the Cat passed away in April of 2016 there were a succession of kitchen geckos who had a brief and tension-filled existence. Lawrie and I intensely missed our Tommy, but the surviving household geckos had a disco party in celebration of his passing.

Boo - black with dark orange undertones

Boo, the mini-black-jaguar who started dropping in last fall for food and pats hasn't shown an interest in eating Geek, yet. 

Maybe she knows that Geek has been mentioned in three of my mystery novels. Perhaps she is hoping that if she is kind to him, I will include her in a novel.

Stumpy the Iguana is about 15 years old 

While Geek patrols the interior of the house, the larger lizards inhabit rocky burrows outside. There is a herd of about twenty five iguanas that mooch bits of fruit, veggies, and left-over pet food. 

They are similar to beach dogs, keeping a watchful eye on movements at Casa Rosa, Casa Feliz, our house Casa K’aay Há, Casa Maravilla Caribe, and Punta Piedra. Any indication that someone might be willing to feed them, and the whole group will converge in a scurrying mass hoping to be the lucky one who gets the piece of mango, or papaya. They like to leave the boring broccoli or celery bits for the night-time beach-cleaning crew, the hermit crabs.

Hernando - I think ...

The free-roaming hermit crabs number in the hundreds. They are probably the most labour intensive of our outdoor zoo critters. They require a daily supply of fresh clean water in dishes shallow enough to be accessible to small creatures, an assortment of scraps to dine on, and a steady supply of new shells to move into as they outgrow their current domicile. Hermit crabs don’t create their own shells and must find larger homes on average every six months. Only certain shapes meet their requirements for comfort and accessibility. 

Hermit crab using a Pond's Cold Cream jar

The black and white turbo snail shells are their favourites, but the hermit crabs are in direct competition with tourists who also collect the beautiful and increasingly rare shells. Over the years I have purchased hundreds of substitute shells for the hermit crab shell exchange program at our crab-i-tat. The crabs take one – leave one.  I usually mark the purchased shells with red, orange or bright pink nail polish so that I can identify our frequent visitors.  And of course, since they are regularly swapping shells it is virtually impossible to recognize a particular hermit crab. You can never be certain of who you are chatting with!

Regular visitors 

Then there are the birds that visit every afternoon for a drink of clean water and a feather-cleaning bath. Soon after we moved here in 2008 we swept out the natural indents in the coral rocks just in front of our house. The birds quickly learned to rely on us for fresh water, happily congregating for a few minutes of social time in the late afternoon before heading to their roosting spots for the night. Even the iguanas, crabs, or passing cats and dogs drink from the pools.

Sea turtle nesting attempts - September 2019

And giant sea turtles, did I mention those? Okay, I don't feed them, or provide houses, or even fresh water for the sea turtles, but it is fascinating when the nesting mamas come into the yard and make a heck of a mess. Even Lawrie, who loved a nice smooth beach, wouldn't grumble as he raked over their excavations.

As for my almost famous divo Sparky, he is a pampered, but lovable, brat. His idea of a perfect day starts with a sunrise golf-cart ride and a swim in the ocean. When we return home he likes to be served a small breakfast and then he snoozes under my desk while I work on another novel. 

At lunchtime Sparky enjoys a light snack followed by a mid-day walk on the beach. Late in the afternoon he will start bumping me with his nose to remind me that he would like another cart ride before cocktail time. 

When we return home we move to the upper ocean-side deck to enjoy our evening treats; wine for me, and a small snack for him. 

By seven in the evening he's sound asleep. In the morning he'll wake me up at o'dark-hundred to begin his day all over again. 

Being a ninja zookeeper at this house is tough gig.

~

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance!

 5.0 out of 5 stars

5.0 out of 5 stars

You won't be disappointed! #5 is a success in the continuation of the Isla Mujeres Island series.

September 3, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

Lynda has once again written a great story of fiction that engages your reading experience with your mind too become real as life. For those of us who love Isla Mujeres and our favourite places on the island reading this series is like being transported to Isla and becoming friends with the characters and being involved in the story. Congratulations to Lynda, my favorite island writer.

  

A writer's life - it's all fun and games until ....

“That was fabulous. When’s are you releasing the next one?”   

I recently published the fifth novel in my Isla Mujeres Mystery series, Terror Isla, and had enthusiastic fans asking the next day when #6 was due. 

I took it as a very nice compliment!

I admit, I have posed the same question to many of my favourite authors such as Carmen Amato, Jinx Schwartz, A.E. Howe, Dawn Lee McKenna, and Nick Russell.

I can almost hear their teeth gnashing in the background. “For pity sake, I just published that book. Let me take a breath, get some laundry done, or at least walk my dog.”

“Yeah, yeah. Your break is over, now get back to work.”

You are keeping me awake! Go to sleep, please.

I recently stayed awake until two in the morning reading the latest A.E. Howe, Investigator Larry Macklin novel Spring’s Promise, and then realized his next release wasn’t due until the winter of 2020; that’s more than a year!

Sparky huffed when I groaned aloud, waking him from his beauty sleep.

I was dead tired from reading so late that when I tried to put a travel lid on my morning coffee, I neglected to notice the height of the foamy milk. I shoved on the cap and was promptly sprayed with warm milk and hot coffee. What a great start to the day.

But really, I am in awe of prolific authors who are committed to their craft, producing numerous books with entertaining story lines, quirky characters and page-turning plots. It’s a tough gig to keep inventing new and believable scenarios for a cast of well-known and at times demanding, egotistical characters. Fictional characters have been known to rebel and change the story-line without the author’s consent. It’s happened to me – more than once.

However, these authors know how to craft a great story and don't seem to take any flax from their characters.

Carmen Amato has a winning series featuring Detective Emilia Cruz in Acapulco Mexico, plus three stand-alone thrillers. She recently released book #7 Russian Mojito. Here's the link: Carmen Amato Russian Mojito Detective Emilia Cruz

“Survivor of a deadly cartel ambush, Detective Emilia Cruz returns to Acapulco to recover from the trauma. Before she can catch her breath, however, her penniless stepfather is kidnapped.”

Jinx Schwartz a fiery redhead from Texas recently published book #11, Just a Happy Camper, in the Hetta Coffey series. Click on this link: Jinx Schwartz Just a Happy Camper

“Hetta Coffey is a sassy Texan with a snazzy yacht, and she's not afraid to use it. She's cruising Mexico's hauntingly beautiful Sea of Cortez when she gets a job offer, she can't refuse.”

A.E. Howe lives in and writes about Florida. He just launched book #13 in the Investigator Larry Macklin’s series. Here's the link to the new book: A.E.Howe Springs Promises Larry Macklin Mysteries

“Excitement is in the air at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office as the date approaches for investigator Larry Macklin’s wedding to his long-time love, Cara. But fate has other plans and Larry soon finds his personal life taking a backseat to an odd duo of murders.”

Howe also has a humorous new series; The Baron Blasko Mysteries about a vampire living in a basement. I haven’t tried these yet, but they are on my list.

Dawn Lee McKenna is another amazingly productive author who by my quick count has somewhere around twenty or more books, featuring characters in three separate series; The Forgotten Coast Suspense, The Still Water Suspense, and most recently The Dismal Florida Suspense series. 

Wow! Just wow. Just one click and it's yours: Dawn Lee McKenna Dismal Florida series

But in this group of my five favourite authors, I think the prolific award has to go to Nick Russell, who has at least twenty-five novels published. He has two very successful series; Big Lake, and John Lee Quarrels. I love ‘em all. His latest Sweet Tea and Jesus was fabulous, and he says he is close to releasing another book. The man is a writing machine. Click here to discover fun reads: Nick Russell John Lee Quarrels series

When a hidden gunman ambushes D.W. Swindle in the driveway of his own home, leaving the Somerton County Sheriff barely clinging to life, every one of his deputies and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are on the hunt for the attacker. .

I aspire to be as successful as these folks. I am planning to publish book #6 in March of 2020, but Sparky and I are still discussing the story-line. 

He wants his contract renegotiated after what happened to him in book #5 Terror Isla. 

 Here's the link to my newest novel: Isla Mujeres Mystery Terror Isla

To make matters worse friends Betsy Snider and Tony Garcia just gave me this t-shirt. There is a cute photo of my divo dog and the words Sparky's Staff printed on the back. Yep, that's me. The staff.

Cheers from paradise

Sparky and his staff