Bread and Butter Murders 08

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: We left off last time with Polly preparing for the final doses of arsenic to do away with her husband. She didn't realize her nine-year-old son was curious as to what she was doing as she laced her husband's brandy. Family friends who came by to stay by their poor friend Henry in his illness had no clue he would never get better.


AND NOW THE SNIPPET:

 According to Andrew Davis, Polly laid on the lounge all night next to her husband’s bed and got up often to wait on him. She waited on him not to be a dutiful wife, as it appeared to all, but to make sure Henry continued to get his doses of arsenic laced brandy and tea.

At three or four in the morning, George offered to go again for the doctor if Polly wished him to do so. Polly said that if he thought a doctor would do any good she wanted one called. In the middle of the night, George Lester went once again to fetch Dr. Townsend for his ailing brother-in-law Henry. George immediately went back to the farm after speaking to the doctor. Townsend grabbed his medical bag—for all the good it would do him—and drove his buggy up to the Hoags. Henry was at death’s door when George got back, and by the time Dr. Townsend got there it was too late—Henry was already dead.

***

 

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her.

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 

The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, an 1850s true crime co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD in both soft and hard covers, as well as Nook, Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. Due for release in On April 1, 2014. 

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Bread and Butter Murders 07

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: We left off last time with Polly preparing for the final doses of arsenic to do away with her husband.The dialogue below is taken from the description of Albert's testimony against his mother at the trial. Albert was a few months shy of his tenth birthday at the time of the murders.

AND NOW THE SNIPPET:

Polly removed a small folded piece of paper from out of her bandbox, poured part of the contents of the paper into the brandy, and shook the bottle. She then returned the paper to its hiding place behind the clock. Julia was wrong—Polly had known all along where the paper with the arsenic had been.

Albert asked his mother, “What are you putting into it?”

“Salaeratus,” answered Polly.

“What did you put it in for?” asked Albert.

“To sweeten it,” she answered.

Albert knew there was something not quite right about this; the salaeratus, was kept in the buttery in an oyster can, not a piece of paper.  Polly wrongly assumed that Albert wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing.

 ***

 

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her.

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 

The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD in both soft and hard covers, as well as Nook, Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. Due for release in On April 1, 2014. (Had to wait til 4/1 due to scheduling conflicts.) Below is a picture of the hardcover.

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Bread and Butter Murders 06

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: We left off last time with Henry deathly ill again, and the medicine from the doctor, not working. Two neighbors, Selah Vosburg and Mrs. Bugby, pay a call on Henry to inquire to his health. Polly was the only one home caring for her husband at the time of their visit. (Side note: I explain earlier in the story the similarities in some of the symptoms between cholera and arsenic poisoning.) 

Any quotes are exactly as they appeared in trial testimony.

And now the snippet:

 Selah recalled, “She told us about his vomiting, thirst and pain in his head. We saw Polly give him something to drink and put a wet cloth on his head. She said Henry was subject to spasms and called it Cholera Morbus. I saw nothing peculiar in Henry’s appearance, except one of his ears, which seemed black, as if blood had settled there. Don’t recollect Henry himself saying he had Cholera Morbus.”

Here is where the difference in symptoms of cholera and arsenic in the system first become evident—the pain in his head and skin discoloration was the result of arsenic poisoning. Henry himself did not tell them he had cholera morbus; it seemed as such at the beginning, but as he worsened, he knew that’s not what he had.

This is the first instance, which we know of, where there were witnesses to the fact that Polly had been alone with Henry—now was the perfect time to begin the completion of the final act. 

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her.

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 

The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. Due for release in March 2014.

Thought I'd show you the jacket cover I designed for the hardcover edition. (Got a free hardcover from LuLu, participants choice as to manuscript, for doing NaNoWriMo.) So might as well sell those too now that it's done. :)

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Bread and Butter Murders 05

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: Henry seemed to be on the road to recovery after his illness. Polly, Henry and the children appeared to get back to their normal routine. That was until Henry went out of town and Polly was found in an intimate position with with his apprentice in the shoe shop, Matthew Bardwell. Oddly Henry's illness returns, and this time he knew he was dying. Julia mentioned below is Polly's sister. And now the snippet.

Supposedly Julia was present during a conversation between Henry and Polly concerning what he wanted her to do after his death. Julia claimed in testimony, “Henry called Polly up to bed and told her to get Matthew Bardwell and have him attend the shop and make up the leather; he said it would be the only way she could get a living. Polly objected, as people would talk. Henry said if Matthew did not like to board at the house he could board at the tavern. He did not think he would get well; while he still had his sense he would tell her what she ought to do. He told her to sell her crops to pay the rent with.”

The fact that Henry would come up with the idea to have Bardwell in the shop, after all that had happened, is ludicrous. To think that Polly would care if people would talk, based on what she had already said and done, is equally unbelievable. This plan was not of Henry’s making. It was contrived by Polly and backed up by Julia in defense of her sister.

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND WRITING WARRIORS!

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 

The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. Due for release in February 2014.

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Bread and Butter Murders 04

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: Last time we left off with Polly's sister Julia insisting it was Polly's husband, Henry, who wanted the arsenic to kill rats, not Polly. Julia also testified that it was Henry who mixed the poison in the meal and Polly was outside at the time and had no idea where Henry put the rest of it. We know this was not the case as Henry was sick for several days, Many friends came to visit him until they thought he had chorea. And now the snippet.

Henry was sick for ten days before he felt any better. Selah Vosburg testified he went to visit Henry only once for fear he had cholera morbus again and he knew it was catchy. Selah said he had known Henry for a long time and had never known him to be sickly, although he saw nothing odd in Polly’s behavior to make him suspect her of any wrong doing.

All had said they saw no lack of attention on Polly’s part towards her husband. It is our opinion that Polly did poison her husband, but not enough to kill him yet. She wanted all to believe that she was a devoted wife. Polly also wanted everyone to believe that Henry was a sickly man and would always be so. When she finally killed him no one would suspect a thing.

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 
The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with a new cover, fresh edits and new info. Due for release in February 2014.

Read More

Bread and Butter Murders 03

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: At the first trial, Polly's sister Julia tried to cover for her. Julia said it was Polly's husband Henry who who asked Polly to go to druggist to get the arsenic for the rats. In part of Julia's testimony for the death of Henry, she tells how Henry allegedly mixed the poison to kill the rodents. We know by last week's snippet this was not the case. The druggist and his wife both testified that Polly purchased it twice, and Henry didn't want it in the house. Henry would die three months later. 

Text in quotes is from actual testimony. 

And now for the eight sentences.

According to Julia, Henry then asked Polly for some meal. "He went upstairs, asked me for the meal and some water, which I gave him. He mixed the most of the arsenic with the meal and water in a basin. He put it between the lathing and the clapboards upstairs. Polly went out into the garden at this time, I think. He put the rest on top of the clothes’ cupboard, at the west end of the house," stated Julia.

We have only Julia's word for this incident taking place. Notice too, that she conveniently places Polly out in the garden while Henry was supposedly doing this, thus implying that Polly could not have seen where Henry put the remaining arsenic.

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 
The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with fresh edits and new info.

Read More

Bread and Butter 02

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

SETUP: The Hoags moved onto the farm and away from Alabama Center in  April of 1856. At the end of May, Polly went to the Center to see Dr. Samuel Bateman, who was also a druggist, and purchased a half-ounce vial of arsenic on the premise to kill rats. By this point her husband Henry was suffering on and off with bouts of illness. Polly had alleged to people this was due to an accident but she was already poisoning her husband. Polly returned a couple weeks later to the Batemans to replenish her supply.

Anything in quotation marks is from actual trial testimony.

....and now for the snippet.

Calista, Dr. Bateman's wife, testified, "Polly came to my house early one morning in June, she wanted to get into the office to purchase some rhubarb, and some arsenic to kill rats or mice who were destroying her clothes and bedding. She said she had some in the house before, but had mislaid or lost it.  She was going to mix it with some bread and butter and put it between the lath.  She said her husband did not wish her to buy it, for fear of accident. Said the mice were so thick that she couldn't live in the house,"  Calista continued, "I put up a half an ounce of rhubarb for her at the same time I gave her a small vial of arsenic. I then inquired to the health of her family."

Mrs. Bateman said Polly's response was that her husband concluded to farm for a while and thought it would be harder for him, and she did not believe he would live a year. She then told Calista that Henry had been hurt by a cultivator, which struck against a stone, and hit him in the pit of his stomach and that Henry had vomited blood and had not been well since.  

***
As a side note, rhubarb was used in the 1800s and before as a laxative or for digestive problems.
***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

**** 
The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski in 2000. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. with fresh edits and new info.

Read More

Bread and Butter 01

Hoag Family Plot - Alabama Center Cemetery, Alabama, NY

Well I'm not so sure how non-fiction is going to work for Sunday Snippets but let's give it a go, shall we?

SETUP: (Alabama, NY) In November of 1855 Polly Hoag had her fortune told when her and her husband Henry attended an election party at the Alabama Hotel. She was told two members of her family would die, and she would not be one of them. Henry decides he wants to give up being a shoemaker and try farming. This meant they would be moving away from the conveniences of village life, her friends ... and someone else. We will begin in the spring of 1856 (which is somewhere in chapter 2).

As time passed, Polly's hostility towards moving to the farm increased.  Mrs. Potter testified during one of the trials that Polly had told her and another woman, Delia Avery, that she was sorry she ever got married.  Polly also relayed to the women that she wished she was clear of her husband and children. She did not care how she got clear of them, nor how soon; and that if it was not for them she could go anywhere she had a mind to.  Polly told the ladies that she would not care a bit if Henry should die; if he moved on the farm, as he was not healthy, he wouldn't live six months.

Why was Polly protesting so much? Henry would not find out the real reason until right before the move. The answer would not come from Polly, but from her then nine-year-old son Albert.

***

BLURB:

In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

****

The above excerpt is from Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch, a book I co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski. We are re-releasing it into the modern world of POD and Kindle, etc. It has had an edit make over and new info added. The copies of the first edition which we printed through Morris Publishing in 2000 are still available. You can see it over on the right in my blog. I did a mock up for the new cover below. What do you think?

Stay tuned for the release date of February 2014. Anyone have tips on how to do a blog tour let me know!

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Milk Carton Murders 33

SETUP: The three girls whose twenty plus-year-old remains washed up in coffins at Wiscoy Creek have been identified as Lisa Appleton, Rachel McKenzie and Samantha Briggs. Samantha was a foster child at Dave's house when he was a kid, and it was the last place Dave seen her alive. His dad Hal is one of the suspects. Dave and Investigator Pepper Black are at the police station going through boxes Dave pulled from their attic. One is a box of old foster family files (that Dave's dad believes will help clear him) and a couple boxes of old photographs from the right time period and before. Dave's dad, Hal, also worked in the print shop at the dairy, the supervisor being Charlie Smythe. Below Dave and Pepper are going through photos to identify them.

She  reached her hand in the box, pulled out a photograph and held it up. “Aw, look at how cute you were as a boy—although a bit glum—when was this taken?”
   
Dave glanced over at the photo. “Not sure—looks like I'm three or four maybe? I’m sitting on the stool in the print room office where we were the other day.”
   
“Oh yes, I remember you and Charlie Smythe saying your dad brought you to work with him when you were little.” She looked again at the photograph of Dave, then at the back, and stopped.
   
“Something wrong, Pepper?”
   
“What, no,” Pepper said, with a weak smile, "just trying to look close at all the photos—match them up right." She put his picture in the "gone through" pile and changed the subject.

***

Sorry the end of that snippet was rather abrupt. Pepper says something right after, changing the subject, but it would have gone way over the sentence limit.

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

I'm being a NaNoWriMo rebel and using the goal stats to get my back title, as they say, Kindleized. Is that a word? If not it is now. It's an 1860s true crime called Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch (co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski). It needs a go over to fix some typos and punctuation. I see things now that I didn't 13 years ago when it was first published. Wish me luck and good luck to all of those on the last week of NaNo!

*** 

BLURB:

When three small coffins are unearthed near the Wiscoy Creek during a routine dredging operation, it’s the last thing DAVE ROBERTSON, of the Lamont Weekly Times, expected. Pinned to the skeleton’s clothing are pictures from milk cartons of missing girls.

Dave is stunned to find that one of the girls is Sally―a foster child his parents had cared for through the Friends of Foster Families (FFF) program. Cold case files reveal the girls disappeared over 20 years ago. Knowing his house was the last place he saw Sally alive, he can’t help but suspect his dad.

How can he write the biggest story of his career if his father turns out to be the killer? If the voice in his head would shut up and let him remember, he might figure it out before he loses his mind and his dad is charged with murder.

Full blurb and snippet recap here.

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Milk Carton Murders 32

SETUP: After the meeting with the Underwoods, and Dave's stint at church when the Underwoods show up (and some other stuff I can't tell you), Pepper calls him to meet her at the Lamont Cafe'. They are discussing the case. Remember the Boy Scout pine wood derby car Dave made as a kid when Samantha was a foster child at his house? Some of you asked if it was important, I said yes. It seems a little piece of balsa wood was stuck inside the stuffed dog that was in the coffin with Samantha, a toy Dave had won at the county fair and given her over twenty years ago. Pepper speaks first and tells him there was something carved into the soft wood. They have already figured out there is some connection to the Friends of Foster Families Program or the Wiscoy Dairy where many of the suspects involved in the foster program worked.

 Pepper flipped through her pad. “On one side it said, ‘Sammy Briggs August 22, 1987’, and underneath it, ‘Remember me. September 28, 1987.’”

“The August date had to be the week of the fair,” Dave surmised,  “probably the day I gave it to her. The September date is after she left us, way after. Do you think that was her last day?”

“If not the day, than close to it,” Pepper agreed, “and she might have guessed something was going to happen. What she carved on the other side was even more unsettling."

Dave squelched the other voice in his head from coming to the forefront of his mind. “I almost don’t want to know, but go ahead.”

Pepper looked up at him. “It said—the milk man is evil.”

***

I accidentally deleted my last post of The MCM, and along with it went all your wonderful comments. Although I retrieved the post from my history, did a copy/paste to redo the post the comments are gone forever. My apologies to those who took the time to leave them, and if I missed getting to your blog in return.

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

I'm being a NaNoWriMo rebel and using the goal stats to get my back title, as they say, Kindleized. Is that a word? If not it is now. It's an 1860s true crime called Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch (co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski). It needs a go over to fix some typos and punctuation. I see things now that I didn't 13 years ago when it was first published. Wish me luck and good luck to all of those on the last week of NaNo!

*** 

BLURB:

When three small coffins are unearthed near the Wiscoy Creek during a routine dredging operation, it’s the last thing DAVE ROBERTSON, of the Lamont Weekly Times, expected. Pinned to the skeleton’s clothing are pictures from milk cartons of missing girls.

Dave is stunned to find that one of the girls is Sally―a foster child his parents had cared for through the Friends of Foster Families (FFF) program. Cold case files reveal the girls disappeared over 20 years ago. Knowing his house was the last place he saw Sally alive, he can’t help but suspect his dad.

How can he write the biggest story of his career if his father turns out to be the killer? If the voice in his head would shut up and let him remember, he might figure it out before he loses his mind and his dad is charged with murder.

Full blurb and snippet recap here.

Read More

Milk Carton Murders 31

SET UP: Last week Dave Robertson (my MC) tagged along with Inv. Pepper Black to question the Underwoods. Shelia Underwood seems a bit nuts and her husband answers the questions about their time as foster parents, his job at the carton plant at the dairy and Shelia being a case worker for the Friends of Foster Families over two decades ago. Dave finds out that Randy (who works with him at the newspaper) is their adopted son. He never knew as their last names are different. Dave figures Randy is going to be pissed at him come Monday for dragging his parents into the investigation of the 20 year old case of the three dead girls. This scene is Sunday when Dave goes with his dad to church, something he doesn't normally do, and low and behold Randy is there with his parents. We're skipping the almost brawl in the church isle. :)

As always, the words in italics is the "other" voice in Dave's head.

Dave’s dad leaned over to him and whispered after they had been seated, “This is the first time I’ve seen the Underwoods in church in … well … I can’t remember how long, several years anyway.”

What do you think, Davy---came to atone for their sins?

Dave gave his head a shake to clear the thoughts. “I didn’t realize that," he whispered back, “but then again, I don’t always make it here with you.”

The mass was the usual Catholic format. Now if it was a Born Again worship service, Dave would expect Sheila Underwood to jump up and run to the front hysterically asking for forgiveness, to be saved, and Father Bart would whack her on the forehead to cast out her demons, but no such luck. The sermon was on keeping the children on the path to God–couldn’t get more appropriate than that. It was almost, dare he think, predestined that the Underwoods–the black sheep–would decided to come back into the fold on the day the sermon was about children. Did they understand at all that they had set those children on the path to God in the wrong way? Most likely not.

***

Poor Dave, huh? He can't decide if his dad did it, or the Underwoods, or heck, maybe even himself as his mind has blocked things from his past---and then there's that voice. Whew. 

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

I'm being a NaNoWriMo rebel and using the goal stats to get my back title, as they say, Kindleized. Is that a word? If not it is now. It's an 1860s true crime called Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch (co-authored with my friend, Ellen Bachorski). It needs a go over to fix some typos and punctuation. I see things now that I didn't 13 years ago when it was first published. Wish me luck and good luck to all of those doing NaNo!

*** 

BLURB:

When three small coffins are unearthed near the Wiscoy Creek during a routine dredging operation, it’s the last thing DAVE ROBERTSON, of the Lamont Weekly Times, expected. Pinned to the skeleton’s clothing are pictures from milk cartons of missing girls.

Dave is stunned to find that one of the girls is Sally―a foster child his parents had cared for through the Friends of Foster Families (FFF) program. Cold case files reveal the girls disappeared over 20 years ago. Knowing his house was the last place he saw Sally alive, he can’t help but suspect his dad.

How can he write the biggest story of his career if his father turns out to be the killer? If the voice in his head would shut up and let him remember, he might figure it out before he loses his mind and his dad is charged with murder.

Full blurb and snippet recap here.

Read More

Milk Carton Murders 30

SETUP: How about we take a look at some of the other suspects, shall we? Shelia Underwood was a foster parent 20 years ago and later, a social worker—who seems a bit nuts now. Her husband Jeffery worked in the print shop with Dave's dad Hal at the dairy. Dave hates Shelia but he really doesn't remember why.

Dave and Investigator Pepper Black are at the Underwood's house to ask some questions about the cold case of the remains of the three girls found at Wiscoy Creek. The girls were part of the Friends of Foster Families program. Dave is allowed to tag along with Pepper if he keeps his mouth shut (the reason is explained earlier in the story). Shelia sits in a chair staring out at the yard through the French doors, her husband Jeffery besides her. Dave is standing next to Pepper who speaks first.

“I’m working on a cold case and I’m hoping you can help me with it.”

“A cold case—a cold case of what Miss Black? There’s no alcohol here if that’s what you mean," Mrs. Underwood snapped, "not with the children in the house, if you’re implying we’re up to something.”

Mr. Underwood signaled them, and whispered, “Please excuse my wife, she hasn’t been well.”

“Children ma’am? Well I am here about some children, but they're ones that died about twenty years ago,” said Pepper, keeping her focus on Shelia.

“I don’t understand Miss Black---how can we help you with that?” asked Jeffery.

Sheila tilted her head and stared at Dave a moment, her words spat out like venom, “Why is that boy here? Never listened, always hiding. He was such a bad boy, that one was."

***

The link to the other Weekend Writing Warriors is here. You're bound to find something to pique your interest.

The Sunday Snippet writer's on Facebook are here. Between the two there is something for everyone. Thank you for any comments you leave me. Much appreciated!

*** 

BLURB:

When three small coffins are unearthed near the Wiscoy Creek during a routine dredging operation, it’s the last thing DAVE ROBERTSON, of the Lamont Weekly Times, expected. Pinned to the skeleton’s clothing are pictures from milk cartons of missing girls.

Dave is stunned to find that one of the girls is Sally―a foster child his parents had cared for through the Friends of Foster Families (FFF) program. Cold case files reveal the girls disappeared over 20 years ago. Knowing his house was the last place he saw Sally alive, he can’t help but suspect his dad.

How can he write the biggest story of his career if his father turns out to be the killer? If the voice in his head would shut up and let him remember, he might figure it out before he loses his mind and his dad is charged with murder.

Full blurb and snippet recap here.

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