Holidays

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National Chocolate Chip Day

Attribution: J.R. Cotner

No, this is not a food blog but today I thought it appropriate to turn it over to a delicious treat, a cookie to be exact. The chocolate chip cookie is a classic American treat that consists of a soft, chewy cookie dough studded with chocolate chips, and today May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day in the USA. This delicious holiday pays homage to the popular cookie, which is loved by many. It was invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield in the 1930s at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. Since then, the chocolate chip cookie has become an iconic dessert enjoyed by people of all ages.

What does this have to do with books and writing, you may ask? Here are three delicious novels that mention the holiday or the chocolate chip cookie:

“Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder” by Joanne Fluke: This cozy mystery is the first book in the Hannah Swensen series. The story revolves around a small-town baker named Hannah Swensen, who finds herself investigating a murder that takes place during the annual Lake Eden Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest.

“The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder” by Joanne Fluke: Another book by Joanne Fluke with a similar title, this is the first book in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries series. Hannah Swensen, the owner of a cookie shop, becomes entangled in a murder investigation after one of her customers turns up dead. The story features delectable descriptions of cookies and includes recipes for chocolate chip treats.

“The Lost Art of Mixing” by Erica Bauermeister: While not solely centered around National Chocolate Chip Day, this novel explores the interconnected lives of various characters, including a pastry chef named Chloe, who bakes a mean chocolate chip cookie. The book delves into themes of love, loss, and the joy of food, with occasional mentions of chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate chip cookies provide a delightful backdrop in these novels for those who enjoy both literature and delectable treats. Enjoy the celebration!

Enough writing for the moment. I’ve made myself hungry.

Enjoy National Chocolate Chip Day!

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April Fool’s Day

“Work? Why, cert’nly it would work, like rats a-fighting. But it’s too blame’ simple; there ain’t nothing to it. What’s the good of a plan that ain’t no more trouble than that? It’s as mild as goose-milk. Why, Huck, it wouldn’t make no more talk than breaking into a soap factory.” Huck Finn’s friend, Tom, trying to convince him to work for him by painting a fence on April Fool’s Day.

No one seems to know the origin of April Fool’s Day. Some believe it started in ancient Rome, where people celebrated the festival of Hilaria on March 25th, a day of merrymaking and pranks. Other sources suggest it may have originated from the spring equinox, a time of rebirth and renewal, when people would play pranks to celebrate the changing season.

The most popular theory, however, is that April Fool’s Day originated in France in the 16th century. In 1582, King Charles IX of France adopted the Gregorian calendar, which shifted the start of the new year from April 1st to January 1st. Some people resisted this change and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st. These people were mocked and tricked by others, and the tradition of playing pranks on April 1st became widespread.

As in Huck Finn’s day, modern April Fool’s Day is celebrated around the world, with people playing practical jokes on each other and the media often publishing fake news stories for the occasion.

Here are three popular novels that mention the April Fool’s Day celebration in case you’d like to check them out:

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain, a classic novel.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee: In one scene of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the Finch children play an April Fools’ Day prank on their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley.

“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown: This bestselling thriller features an April Fools’ Day prank played by the antagonist, who uses a fake phone call to lure the protagonist, Robert Langdon, into a trap.

 

 

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Author Event This Saturday

nightbirdbookslogo

I will be attending the latest Local Author Event Day this Saturday, December 5th, 2015 from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Nightbird Books store, 205 West Dickson Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet local authors, purchase great signed edition books for gifts, and support our local small businesses.

From Nightbird Books:

We are inviting our local authors into the store on December 5th to give you a chance to meet writers in our community and pick up some great autographed holiday gifts. Because of smaller space, we will have two shifts. The first is from 10:30 to 1:00 and the second from 1:30 to 4:00. This is always a fun event so I hope you can join us.

Participants include:

Sybil Rosen, John Walsh, Tom McKinnon, Susan Holmes, Jack Cotner, Carolyn Guinzio, Vance Clement, and Edmund Harriss from 10:30 to 1:00

and Denele Campbell, Radine Trees Nehring, JB Hogan, Paul Williams, Alexander Margulis, and Martin Jardon from 1:30 to 4:00

 

I hope to see you there!

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Jack Friday Sales Event!

Happy Holidays colorized Pen and Ink copyright noticed

Forget Black Friday sales events. On this blog it’s Jack Friday.

Actually, it’s a sales event that goes beyond just this Friday featuring the Kindle editions of both my short story collection and my Celtic murder mystery novel. They’re  on sale now through December 5th for just $0.99 each. From December 6th through December 23rd they will be half their usual listed price.

Grab a copy for yourself or purchase for family and friends.

 

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Winter Holiday Lights Are Going Up

FayettevilleSquareHolidayLights

The square in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas has been cleared of the summer Farmers’ Market and is once again making ready for the annual Lights of the Ozarks, a virtual festival of lights and winter celebrations. It is one of the area’s most popular and colorful holiday events and one I always enjoy attending.

Here’s more on the event from our local online newspaper Fayetteville Flyer:

 

Lights of the Ozarks, the annual holiday light display on the Fayetteville square, kicks off with a parade and lighting ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.

Fayetteville Parks and Recreation crews spend over 3,000 hours decorating the Downtown Square each year with nearly a half-million LED lights for the annual Lights of the Ozarks display.

The event will include holiday-themed floats created by area clubs, organizations, and local businesses. The parade will start at the Fayetteville Public Library and make its way up Mountain Street and around the square, and then down Block Avenue and Dickson Street before circling back to the library along West Avenue.

In addition to the over 400,000 LED lights in the display, Lights of the Ozarks also includes nightly carriage rides, camel and pony rides, hot chocolate and coffee vendors, and other activities. The display will remain lit nightly through Dec. 31.