Thursday, August 16, 2012

Guest author Patricia Gligor: Novel Vacations


Patricia Gligor
I love to travel and I love to read mystery novels! Whenever I visit a city I've never been to before, I search for a local bookstore where I scan the shelves, looking for mystery/suspense novels by local authors. I do this for two reasons. First, I think it's important to support writers everywhere and second, because, when I come home and return to my daily life, I can open the pages and escape to the place I've just visited. It's a way to hang on to the "vacation" mode. For example:

In 2004, I visited Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, my favorite of the three. I found a bookstore on Martha's Vineyard and purchased a mystery novel, Murder on Martha's Vineyard, by David Osborn, a local writer. Back at home, I read the book and really enjoyed it. When I looked up the author, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he’d written more books in the series so I ordered them. I read all of David Osborn’s books and was able to “stay” on Martha's Vineyard a lot longer than my vacation time allowed.

In 2009, I went to Wilmington, North Carolina. I loved exploring the city. So much history! The old Cotton Exchange, which now houses several delightful shops, including a bookstore, intrigued me, as did the horse drawn carriages and the theater where John Wilkes Booth once performed. I bought two mystery novels by Wanda Canada, Island Murders and Cape Fear Murders. When I got home, I read both books and felt as if I were still sitting on a pier, gazing out at the Cape Fear River, watching the boats go by.

But, what happens if you can’t take a vacation this year? You’re certainly not alone! With the current economy and the sometimes demanding circumstances in our daily lives (illnesses, aging parents, small children, etc.), there are years when we have to “settle” for staying at home. Instead of feeling let down and deprived, why not go on vacation in your mind? Why not let your imagination transport you to places you’ve already visited and to places you’ve never gone before?

My vacation destinations this year have included another trip to Wilmington and the Cape Fear coast when I read Sin Creek by Susan Whitfield. I went on an archaeological expedition to Peru with William Doonan’s American Caliphate. I explored an old ghost town in Arizona with Old Murders Never Die by Marja McGraw and I journeyed to an isolated village on the New England coast with J.R. Lindermuth’s The Limping Dog. That’s just a few of the places I’ve “traveled” to so far this year.

Books can take you anywhere you want to go at any time of the year and you don’t even have to go through security at the airport or fill your gas tank.

By the way, have you ever been to Cincinnati? :)

A serial killer is on the loose on the west side of Cincinnati. Is it someone close to Ann? With all the mixed messages she's been getting, she can't be sure it's not.


Patricia Gligor is a Cincinnati native. She enjoys reading mystery/suspense novels, touring and photographing old houses and traveling. She has worked as an administrative assistant, the sole proprietor of a resume writing service and the manager of a sporting goods department for a local retail chain but her passion has always been writing fiction. Mixed Messages is the first novel in her Malone Mystery Series. She is currently working on the sequel, Unfinished Business.




Trailer for Mixed Messages


17 comments:

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

Liane,
I'm thrilled to be here today. Thanks so much for inviting me.

John Brantingham said...

Great post. I love that dream of being in another city. When it's hot like it is now, I like to read nothing but cold weather books for the relief. So I'm going to be off soon for some mysteries in England!

Anonymous said...

What a thoroughly wonderful post, Patricia. Like you, I love to travel and read mysteries, but for the life of me I can't figure out why I've never re-visited my favorite places with a book. That said, I plan to start. Now! Btw, did I mention what a great post this is?!

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

John,
I hope you have a great time in England!

Anne,
This is the first year in a long time that I haven't been able to go away on vacation. Thank God for books!

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

So wonderful to learn more about my good friend I've made here on the Net.

Marja said...

Excellent article, Patricia. And thanks for the plug. Books can take you anywhere, and with the economy being what it is, many of us are staying home. Great suggestions!

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

Marilyn,
Thank you! I love all the new friends I've made online.

Marja,
You deserve the "plug." I loved your book and I'm so glad that we've become online friends too!

William Doonan said...

Nice travelog, Patricia. You're giving me ideas!

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

Thanks, William! It's interesting how your book took me to Peru and my book brought you here to Cincinnati. Books can take us anywhere!

Liane Spicer said...

Welcome to Novel Spaces, Patricia! Thank you for being our guest!

Great post that hits close to home for me. I live in the Caribbean and, like John, when the heat gets overbearing I pick up something along the lines of Zero Trap by Paula Gosling. I get to feel the chill! Or when life gets burdensome and I can't get away physically, I pull out one of my 'Italy' books like A Thousand Days in Venice and make good my escape. When I find myself missing south Florida and can't afford to take a trip, any good Everglades mystery will do.

I'm always well-travelled - at least in my imagination!

Charles Gramlich said...

I well remember how much fun I had exploring bookstores in Boston when I was there.

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

Liane,
I can't imagine a life without books. Hard to believe that there are people who say they don't like to read. They're missing out on so much!

Charles,
It is fun to explore bookstores in other cities. You never know what you're going to find.

Sunny Frazier said...

Unlike Liane, I now refuse to read books where the plot involves snow. Hate the stuff, never want to see it again! Or read about it. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo gave me frostbite.

I write about the San Joaquin Valley, Right now we're hitting a string of triple digits, probably setting a record. People would be crazy to visit here, that's why I-5 exists so you can travel from L.A. to Frisco without stepping foot in the Valley. But, I do love it, even the heat. Today is a "cool" day of 105. Seriously. No worse than Vegas, but at least you can gamble there. Here, you just watch grapes shriveling into raisins. Not quite what you want to do on vacation.

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

Sunny,
I can relate! Cincinnati has had some whopping temperatures this summer and we're blessed with high humidity too. I'm a summer person but this is taking it a bit too far! The past few days though have been pleasant. A temporary tease?

Sally Carpenter said...

I never thought about using books for a "vacation" but maybe I'll do that. I can "see" the world with no jet lag or security pat downs. And yes, I've driven through Cincinnati several times.

Patricia Gligor's Writers Forum said...

Sally,
You realize the reason I asked that question, don't you? Hint. Hint.
But, seriously, if you're ever planning to drive through Cincinnati again, let me know. Maybe we can actually meet in person.

Eileen Obser said...

I love to travel and read about other places I have or haven't been. I keep journals when I travel and, like you, head for the bookstore wherever I am. I'm more of a non-fiction writer and reader, and I'll read the local papers in Maine, say, or Florida, or Alaska, then take them home with me. Sometimes books will inspire me to travel to THAT place, like Coming Into the Country by John McPhee made me travel to Alaska - and not on a cruise. Thanks, Patricia, for a great blog.