Vacation Report

Well, we closed down the cottage today, loaded up the van and dragged our stuff back home again until Spring. It was a cold week, but the colors got better and better as the days progressed.

The good thing was I enjoyed shopping, going to dinner, going to the casino, and doing book signings. The bad thing was my cold dogged me most of the week. I did lots of sleeping in between doing things. I noticed lots of other people seemed to have colds also. Even tonight, the weatherman has one. It has to be a new strain, I guess, because they say once you have a cold you can't catch the same one again. Or is that a myth?

Anyway, I finally got the better of the germ by Friday when we went to visit WJJQ again in Tomahawk, WI. I'll be doing another interview there again in the Spring and a book signing at their local bookstore, Cover to Cover. Such is the life of an author - always looking for ways to get my books noticed. I'll be posting some pics later this week after I get kind of organized.

Pics and Podcast From My Interview at WJJQ

If you have some extra time while doing
dishes or some other chore around the house,
I invite you to listen to part or all of the
podcast from my radio station interview
last Friday, May 8.

You may learn some things about
me you didn't know before.

It was so much fun being actually on WJJQ
92.5 FM, the station I listen to all the time when on vacation, also the one that got me hooked on
country.


Many thanks to Mark Everett, the morning host, for suggesting the interview and also for doing such a great job of asking just the right questions and putting me at ease. He's the one standing in the back of the picture below. Phil Richard, the morning host that follows Mark on weekdays on the right.


Also, thanks to the station owner, Gregg Albert, who allowed the interview and also helped set me up in Studio B.



Here we are in Studio B

To access the podcast, go to http://wwww.wjjq.com/FORUM58.m3u

Book Signing Today/Saturday in Tomahawk, WI

Although vacation is winding down to a close (leaving Sunday for home), I have one more fun thing to do.

Today, which is Saturday, I'm doing a book signing at Cover to Cover, in Downtown Tomahawk, Wisconsin from 11am -1pm. Yesterday, I was interviewed by Mark Everett, the morning host of WJJQ FM, the local radio station. We talked about my books and the book signing at Cover to Cover.

After the interview, we stopped off at the book store, spoke to Dawn, the owner, and took a few photos, one with Dawn. Many times on the day of book signings it gets so crazy it's hard to get photos done. It's a cute store, as you'll see from the photos.

I also got word that on our next trip, on the Saturday after Memorial Day, I'll be able to do a book signing at a flea market sponsored by Arbor Vitae Fire Department in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin. The great thing is I can get a spot in the Pavilion (won't need to bring my own tent) for only $15.00, so it's definitely worth that tiny investment. Also, it's a spot not hard for me to get to.

So, my vacations are turning into working vacations, but that's okay, because I'm having fun with this kind of work. What about you? Do you have any book signings or events lined up during your vacation?

Live & On Streaming Audio at WJJQ Today

I'm in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, at the WJJQ FM Radio Station this morning 92.5 on the dial in Wisconsin, also streaming live at http://wjjq.com/ from 9:35 to 10am.

The morning host, Mark Everett, is interviewing me about my books, Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams, and my upcoming book signing on Saturday at Cover to Cover in Tomahawk, Wisconsin from 11am to 1pm.

Hope you can hear some of it, and if you're in the area, pleaese stop by the book signing.

Thanks,

Morgan Mandel

Country Music Rocks!

One thing led to another when I blogged Put A Girl in It at Make Mine Mystery about including romance in mysteries.

From that, a lively discussion started on pumpupyourblog listserv about whether or not Reba sang in Put A Girl In It with Brooks & Dunn. So, as proof I dug up a link from Youtube where she did sing with them at an awards show. If you click Put A Girl In It above, and go to the second song, there she is!

Anyway, one thing led to another and we started sharing country music likes and dislikes. I've taken the discussion public here, so everyone can share.

Anyone who's read my blogs before knows I'm obsessed with country music. At home I wake up and go to sleep to US 99.5 FM, America's Country Station. On vacation, it's WJJQ from Tomahawk, Wisconsin. In fact the Tomahawk station is what really got me hooked on country. One summer the hit was Passionate Kisses and the DH and I would laugh everytime it came on and we sang loudly along. Way before that, I enjoyed Glen Campbell and some of the other country singers, but wasn't quite as much into the country scene.

GAC is a great TV station for background music when I write, despite the fact I sometimes have to leap up to watch a favorite video.

Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw (when he's not singing depressing songs), Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, and so many more are my favorites.

What about you? Do you like country? If so, what got you started? Do you have favorites? Please share.

At the Radio Station by Morgan Mandel

Morgan with Mark Everett

While we're on vacation near Minocqua, Wisconsin, my husband and I enjoy listening to WJJQ FM, from Tomahawk, Wisconsin.

The morning man, Mark Everett, is one of our favorites. He adds personal touches to his program by announcing birthdays when people call in. We get up early on each other's birthdays and call so we can hear the announcements more than once.

Tuesday, we took a trip to the station and brought along my mystery, Two Wrongs, and my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams, for Mark to read. He let us into the broadcast booth. It was fun sitting in the On the Air room in the hot seat with the headset on, pretending I was going live.

Mark suggested an on-the-air author interview some time soon. Due to calendar conflicts, the earliest we could settle on was next Spring. I'm looking forward to the broadcast when I can share a bit of my author world with the station's listeners.

Morgan Mandel

http://www.morganmandel.com/