Darnay Road launched today. I am so happy to see these three come together. I have added an epilogue to Darnay Road. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed creating them.

Diane

Tomorrow is the launch of my new book Darnay Road. It starts out in 1963, spanning ten years in the life of Georgia Christine. At ten years old, she and her best friend Abigail May are mystery solvers. They get to the bottom of things like–what is inside the altar at their Catholic church? Rumor says the bones of the saints. Climbing that holy gate and entering the forbidden area so they can take a look means the threat of eternal flames is not greater than their curiosity.

It’s not different when they meet Easy and Cap, the brothers from the other side of the tracks. Those two may live on Scutter, the most down-and-out street in town, but they are always in the road riding their beat-up bicycles. And when someone dies on the tracks behind Abigail’s house, the mystery surrounding them deepens.

But so do their friendships. When Abigail moves away and Cap is no longer around, it’s as natural as breathing for Georgia and Easy to step in the gap toward one another. But Easy is in trouble and even a dedicated-mystery-solver-turned-teenage-problem-solver is limited in what she can do. When Easy has to leave will their friendship just be a sweet memory or can Darnay Road stretch long enough to keep them connected even if that gap becomes an ocean?

Stir-fry is a great way to eat. There are decisions here as I’m inventing my own recipe by approaching it in seven categories.

1. Choose a protein–beans or meat or fish. Prep it by cleaning, cutting, possibly marinating.

2. Vegetables–how many varieties? Prepare by washing, slicing or dicing.

3. Fruits? Pineapple often works as do tomatoes.

4. Carbs-noodles, rice, quinoa, etc.? Pre-cook and have ready.

6. Sauce-soy, hoisin, BBQ, fresh ginger marinated in white or red wine, or a concoction of your choice? Endless possibilities. What kind of flavor do you want here. You can pile some needless calories with your choices so be aware.

7. Seasonings and/or fresh herbs-salt, pepper, garlic, and countless others

You can have each thing waiting on its own paper plate, or wax paper, or if you’re ambitious, its own dish. Using the same skillet, wok, or griddle you can cook each thing individually in oil (my favorite), or broth, or a little water, and put them together at the end and add sauce and herbs and heat through. Of course you can be as versatile as you’d like and leave out any of the categories.

Here is a favorite combination: Chicken and shrimp with chopped onions, mushrooms, green pepper, bean sprouts, and pineapple, with brown rice, a little soy and hoisin, and fresh cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper.

The sky is the limit on what works together. So what combination would you like?

Question from Rebecca Garver:

I am happily married. I have four children. My life is busy, but it’s happy … mine. I know I’ve shared a lot on how I grew up, all the homes I experienced, good and bad. One of my foster families are just … really incredible. I still have contact with them and love them dearly, and I know they feel the same. I’ve been thinking about asking them if they can adopt me. Now, I’m sure to the world this may seem strange or odd … but to me it would mean permanent … belonging. They’ve given me no indication that I didn’t belong already, but I wonder about making it permanent. I guess my question is whether or not this seems like a natural, reasonable thing to ask for … or if I should just leave it alone. I know that they love me regardless, they’ve proven that already. I am not of their flesh, but they love me as if I were … and this would be exclusively for me … not that it wouldn’t bless all of us, because I think it would … I don’t know, I was just curious how this could be perceived.

Dear Rebecca,

I’m thinking of the wonderful story The Wizard of Oz. Of course our dear characters the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man all had something they desperately wanted because of a sense of missing something vital. For the lion it was courage, yet he proves in the story he has courage, he just doesn’t believe it. For the scarecrow it’s a brain, though we see he is brilliant in the things that matter, and as you know the tin man needs a heart, yet he has so much heart he won’t step on the bugs on the road because he’s sure he is heartless. Each of them have, in spades, what they think they lack.

But…what I appreciate is that you know you do not lack love. You are rich in family. You have made sure of it. That experience growing up, tough as it was, taught you what mattered. And while you state clearly that you know you are rich in love and family, adoption, or the discussion of it at least, could take the strength and the victory you found together way back there to the here and now in a celebratory way. You could have washed up on the beach of bitterness, but you did not. That took some intentional partnership between a daughter and her parents, some intentional swimming for a better shore. And you wish to put the icing on the cake by binding yourself to them legally in the role of daughter.

If you do this to fill the ache of the past I would say you have already filled the ache by the woman, the wife, and mother you have become. It is evident. You do not lack love and you are LOVEABLE.

If you do this to celebrate what they gave, to acknowledge it, the seed-corn they put in your hand that you have taken and along with your dear husband planted, watered, cultivated into a grand family, I say go for it and respect it.

So talk to them about it. I think that’s where the question can get settled.

While waiting for my new four-day career of advice columnist to take off I’ve got a new idea –

Never marry someone… you wouldn’t go into business with.

Never marry someone…in the hopes you can fix them later.

Never marry someone…you love but don’t always like.

Your turn?

Never marry someone…

Okay, here’s the deal. I told you on my FB yesterday that two things were broken, my dryer and my new coffee maker. Well someone said beware, these things come in threes. Well the third thing to break was me. I got up this morning and yikes I could hardly move. Turns out I was ‘out of line.’ So now having been lined up I have to rest.

I told you earlier I’m launching a book Saturday. Darnay Road. I had an idea that between now and Saturday I’d like to put my Counselor hat on and be an advice columnist. So for the next four days leading up to the launch, I would ask anyone who is interested to send me your question and I’ll try to answer. This isn’t about me, it’s about you. I’ll just be your mama, or your big sis, or your Aunt Jodie or something. I ask that kindness prevails. Kindness.

Here’s the thing, I reserve the right to not have an answer, thereby not responding, or to edit the question to fit the blog. I will ask you to email the questions to dianemunierauthor@gmail.com and keeping your name out of it I’ll repeat your question and answer here. Use an alias and I’ll do my best to protect any private info.

By participating you agree I can post your question and that this is for information and entertainment only and I am not liable for anything resulting from my advice. All advice given will come thoughtfully and with good intention. My opinions are just that and you can take or leave them. And you understand I am in no way substituting myself for professional, in person counseling.

Okay. Open for business. I hope I don’t starve. But I love scaring myself on a regular basis. And when I have to rest I get tons of crazy ideas. Okay, I’ll shut up. Waiting.

I have entered the self-pub arena like a lot of you out there. This Saturday I am launching my third title, Darnay Road. Many of you are familiar with this story as you were with me in its development. You know I treasure you as readers. Why? Because my tried and true readers get what I’m trying to do. What am I trying to do? Have a true voice. I am not expecting to be loved by the masses. I’ve never sought that. To me, that is a tough place and it always seems you must give up your true self to be loved by many. I am looking for those who get me. I know I’m different. I am different in life so why wouldn’t that show up in my writing?

I know, it’s adolescent to think you’re different. But I am old enough to know my approach to life is in a more narrow category. And here’s the kicker. If I were a blood type I would be universal. I am not held out of any one social group. I fit well with most and it’s not because I have adaptability on some high level. Rather, it’s because I am genuinely interested in people. That’s all. I love and respect people. I believe they are worthy of that until they teach me otherwise. And I do that with an openness based on knowledge. I’m not naive or in denial. I have seen too much. But I stay open. I think that’s the secret to eternal youth. Stay open. Being right is not enough. Being right is a lonely old road. Stay open. Keep giving of yourself. Keep loving.

A huge thanks to my blogger friends for featuring Finding My Thunder this week.  I am thrilled to have this book on the virtual bookshelves.

I never reveal all I know about a story.  I hope you can read between the lines.  Give me your theories privately and you might get an answer!

Thanks again to those who have featured the Finding My Thunder blog blitz:

Jess Molly Brown

The Hoarding Readers Corner

Denise Leora Madre

Lindsey Gray

Jedi Girl

Just a quick reminder that Finding My Thunder will be published this Saturday on Amazon.  If you haven’t done so already, Pre-Order Here!

Finding My Thunder will be published on Amazon Saturday, March 28th. The book is available for Pre-Order Now! My available books can be seen at www.amazon.com/author/dianemunier The road to publication has been truly exciting so far and I all I can say is thank you,  thank you, thank you.