Here is your assignment! Choose one of the artworks contained herein, and write a poem inspired by the artwork. Simple enough, right? There’s just one catch–you may not use the word cat anywhere in your poem, including the title. Other feline terminology is acceptable. Do let us know which work you have chosen in your post.
Picture caption: Book cover for Paradise on the Pike
Today, I am delighted to welcome talented author, Sarah Angleton, to Roberta Writes with a post about her new novel, Paradise on the Pike.
Guest post: Sarah Angleton
Paradise on the Pike is a historical mystery set in Hagenbeck’s Zoological Paradise and Trained Animal Circus on the grounds of the 1904 World’s Fair in St Louis. By 1904, Carl Hagenbeck was already a well-known name in the animal trade, as a pioneer of more humane zoo design and gentler training methods. He brought those things to the Fair, which has been identified by some historians as the largest human zoo in history, where thousands of indigenous peoples from all over the world were on display.
The novel explores this uncomfortable parallel and the complexities of the uglier aspects of a world’s fair also defined by its awe-inspiring displays of industry and wonder. In the following scene, protagonist Max is beginning to question the quick, possibly racially motivated, assumptions made by detectives in the investigation of a murder at the Animal Paradise. The scene also incorporates a historical account included in a biography of Hagenbeck animal trainer Reuben Castang, in which Lizzie the elephant makes a surprise visit to Cheyenne Joe’s Cowboy Bar just outside the fairgrounds:
An apology half formed on Max’s tongue, stopped only by the simultaneous shift of every saloon patron’s attention toward the wide swinging doors as a large, gray elephant stepped inside Cheyenne Joe’s.
Max joined the others in turning toward the door where Lizzie struggled to slide her bulk through a doorway constructed with room enough for a cowboy to enter on horseback, but evidently designed without the consideration of an elephant’s requirements. From behind her boomed a sharp command from Reuben Castang. “Lizzie, crouch!”
With remarkable coordination, the elephant pushed her head forward and stretched her thick legs, dropping her back so she could inch her way through the frame as a cat might slink under the bottom edge of a fence. The cowboys sitting closest to the door whooped and jumped up to pull tables and chairs out of the way. At another word from her trainer, Lizzie settled on her belly in the empty space. Walking in behind her, Reuben carried a large piece of red and white checkered cloth that he luffed like a great sail over the top of the animal’s back, doing his best to smooth it over her as it fell.
“Joe!” Reuben called, stretching out a hand to indicate the recently displaced cowboys. “Drinks and sandwiches for the gentlemen at the elephant table. It’s all on Lizzie.”
Cheers and guffaws filled the saloon as the cowboys slid chairs back up to their unusually gracious hostess and attempted to balance their drinks on her back. Reuben took a bow, in complete command of an audience with much lifted spirits.
Max chortled along with them, glad for his accusatory comment to be so amusingly overshadowed. He turned to Lorenz and said, “Not a bad elephant show for a white Englishman.”
Lorenz shook his head and stood. With mirth on his lips, he lifted his mug in a toast to Reuben. “Never underestimate Reuben Castang. I should know that better than anyone.”
Lorenz reclaimed his seat and drained the last swallow of beer from his mug, before saying, “Look, Max, I wouldn’t worry too much about this murder business. The police have less evidence against Inesh than they have even against his tiny sister. And maybe there’s something to this gangster theory. They’ll be free again before you know it.”
“What do you mean they’ll be free?” Max asked, his question nearly swallowed by the noise of the boisterous crowd as Lizzie, apparently tired of playing the role of picnic table, stood to send food and drinks spilling to the floor.
Fearing the distraction would prove too great, Max repeated his question. Lorenz shrugged and ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “I’m sure there’s nothing to it at all, but they arrested Shehani, too.”
Max couldn’t speak. The muscles of his neck clinched, forcing waves of pain through the back of his head where the information he’d just received should be processed but instead was being violently rejected.
“Why?” It was the one word he could manage at last.
Lorenz failed to notice the question, absorbed as he was in Lizzie’s antics. The elephant shook off the last remnants of sandwich stuck to her hide and turned to squeeze her way out the door.
“Oh, God in heaven.” Lorenz pushed back his chair and slithered out from behind the table. “There she goes.”
Lizzie had managed to wiggle outside and bellowed a loud trumpet that faded as she ran farther away, Reuben scrambling behind her into the night.
The Blurb
1903
Twenty-year-old Max Eyer is still reeling from his father’s recent death when a mysterious stranger’s offer to buy the family farm outside of Hamburg, Germany presents to him and his mother an unexpected opportunity to make a fresh start in America.
Welcomed by his uncle’s bustling family in St. Louis, Max finds employment on the grounds of the upcoming 1904 World’s Fair, where he is hired as a zookeeper at Hagenbeck’s Animal Paradise on the Pike. Max’s enchantment with the trained animals shows, ostrich rides, and water sliding elephants is rivaled only by his fascination with Shehani, a beautiful Sinhalese woman who captivates the crowds of fairgoers by dancing among the lions.
However Max’s paradise unravels when a grisly discovery leads to an accusation of murder against the woman he loves. His efforts to uncover the truth may save her, but in this fantasy land of the fair where palaces are temporary, animals roam free, and people are on exhibit, will his own dreams be shattered by an ugly reality?
Sarah Angleton is a storyteller and history buff who has degrees in both zoology and literature and still isn’t quite sure what she wants to be when she grows up. A Midwestern girl at heart, she spent a brief time living and writing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest before settling near St. Louis where she currently resides with her husband, two sons, and a very loyal dog. She is the author of Launching Sheep & Other Stories, a humorous look at history from the perspective of everyday life, historical thrillers Gentleman of Misfortune and Smoke Rose to Heaven, the historical family saga White Man’s Graveyard, a Paradise on the Pike, a historical mystery set in the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.
This month I’ve featured African painted wild dogs for my In Touch with Nature post. They are highly endangered so seeing them in the wild during our January bush trip was a real treat. They have very large and interesting bat-like ears which enable them to hear very well.
Detective Inspector Walter Button is called upon to investigate a violent burglary that takes place at the stately mansion called Ardwick House, in the centre of Manchester. Button’s Victorian police team have become known for investigating ‘flash houses’ and their associated killings and violence. These public houses, amongst other establishments, are implicated in a crime wave of fencing stolen goods – a big problem for many big towns and cities throughout England.
The ongoing investigation of the Ardwick House burglary takes its toll on Button and Kathleen, his wife. His step-son Josh is the young copper on patrol in Ardwick Green and the first to be alerted by broken glass at the rear of the mansion. As events proceed, a number of other knotty problems and plots come to the surface; not discounting two dead bodies, a secret business plan and pressure from the inspector’s superiors. How does all of this involve the adult sons of the original partners and iron foundry owners, David Fraser and Mitch McCallum? Can Button disentangle it all to the satisfaction of his senior officers and before he loses his wife forever?
My review
Seeking Truth at Ardwick House is the 5th book in the Quarry Bank Tales series, all of which I have read and enjoyed in order.
Inspector Button is back with a complex murder and burglary at Ardwick House, home to wealthy industrialist, David Fraser. The butler is found dead on the floor, his head bashed in, and surrounded by pieces of Lord Fraser’s prized art collection from the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome. Unfortunately, Inspector Button’s young stepson, a recent addition to the Ardwick Green, Manchester police force, is seriously injured during the incident. When Button’s wife, Kathleen, learns of the injury to her beloved son, she blames her husband and moves out of their home.
Poor Inspector Button, he also adores his stepson, and must investigate the murder/robbery while worrying about Josh’s recovery and his wife’s rejection of him. Button is such a wholesome and good person that I felt really sorry for him in this difficult situation. Nevertheless, he continues with his investigation and a second body is discovered, hidden in the stables at Ardwick Green.
As the mystery unfolds, the complicated relationships between David Frazer, who is planning to retire, his two sons, his investment partner, Mitch McCallum and his two sons, is unveiled. There is a lot going on in both the House of Frazer and the House of McCallum. There is also bad blood going back years and years. In addition, there are disgruntled and dissatisfied employees in David Frazer’s household.
This is an intriguing plot albeit complicated, with lots of twists and turns. You cannot cruise through this story, but need to read with attention to keep up with the plethora of characters and all the intricacies of their lives and involvements in the storyline. I really enjoy a good brain cell work out and I always get it with this author’s historical novels. I like the way characters from the previous novels are woven into the storyline. If you haven’t read the other books, you’ll miss this and it won’t matter, but if you have read the earlier novels, it is a really nice touch.
Congratulations to the author on another well researched and engaging book.
These are photographs of the door to the outside shower in our chalet at Ivory Tree Game Lodge. You can join in Dan Antion’s Thursday Doors challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/04/11/alumni-doors/
Picture caption: Bath and outside shower including the door to the showerPicture caption: A close up of the shower and door
South Africa is in mid-autumn and our green is fast disappearing. My poem thus addresses the yellow of autumn with the remaining green. It is a double American cinquain (2/4/6/8/2 x 2)
Life cycle
Yellow
Autumn colour
Of African bushveld
Perfect camerflage for tawny
Lions
***
Cubs hide
Among green shrubs
Life’s blood of buffalo
Big predator’s favourite food
Cycle
As always, I am inspired by South Africa’s amazing wildlife. Here are some photographs of the animals on which this poem is based.
Picture caption: Lion cub (juvenile) among the yellow grassesPicture caption: Lion clubs sparring. What a privilege it was to watch them.Picture caption: Young lions have an abundance of energyPicture caption: In case you were wondering about Mama Lion – here she is. A flat cat in the veld.Picture caption: Cape buffalo grazing. “Do you like my smart mud coat?”Picture caption: Cape Buff considering me and my cameraPicture caption: “Okay, I’ll pose. After all, I am a splendid fellow.”
Kim’s d’Verse challenge is as follows: Your challenge today is to write a poem about your own metaphorical box. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about a relationship, but I would like it to be autobiographical, free verse, and in three stanzas similar to those in Clarke’s poem: the first stanza describes the box; the second what is in it; and the third where you keep it, with a summarising list in the final two lines.
Picture caption: Book cover of Stand UP or Sit Out: Memories and Musings of a Blind Wrestler, Runner and All-around Regular Guy by Anthony R Candela, featuring a pair of glasses
What Amazon says
In this memoir, Anthony Candela, a self-described “all-around regular guy,” traverses a lifetime of challenges. Some of these are accidents of birth, like his poor eyesight and slow trek to blindness, and some are of his own making, like choosing to compete as a scholar-athlete. Infused with lots of New Yorkana, a touch of California, and a few related historical references, this memoir conveys that in any environment, life does not always follow a prescribed course.
Moreover, as humans, all of us are imperfect. This includes people with disabilities who are often thought of as transcendent beings, but who should also be regarded as “all-around regular guys.” Just like the rest of the human race, they often strive imperfectly to get through life. In his descriptions, the author hopes that readers will understand a little more about the nuts and bolts of running and wrestling, not to mention skiing and scuba diving. The ups and downs of coping with life and progressive loss of eyesight and, by extraction, disability in general will be clearer. Readers will come away with a fuller appreciation of the ways people deal with challenges. In the end, we all have a choice whether to stand up or sit out.
The story related in these pages will occasionally give you cause to chuckle or even shed tears of sadness or joy. Above all else, it will enlighten you about why things happen the way they do. Ultimately, this memoir increases our understanding of what it means to be truly human. Perhaps after reading it, we will be kinder and gentler to each other. Most important, perhaps we will take it a little easier on ourselves.
My review
I had read some of Anthony (Tony) Candela’s blog posts prior to purchasing this book so I was already familiar with his style of writing. Tony’s frank approach to writing about his slowly deteriorating eyesight and his ultimate blindness is interesting and revealing, as a result, I was keen to read his memoir.
Tony’s story starts with the details of the tunnel vision and reduced vision he was born with, and an overview of the overarching diagnosis for his condition which was complete blindness. He talks about the reactions of his parents to his genetic condition which also presented in his youngest brother. When I read this section, I thought about how difficult it must have been for his parents to adjust to the knowledge that not one, but two of their three children had inherited an eye disorder. Tony’s parents rose to the challenge and did their best to give Tony a good education and the same opportunities as his sighted peers. Tony became involved in wrestling at school and, together with his coach, found ways of overcoming his disability. This being said, Tony suffered some difficulties in socialising with his peer group and was a lonely child and teenager.
The book moves on to detail Tony’s academic achievements at college and his difficulties and successes in the work environment. He was fortunate enough to meet a few lovely women who helped him through different phases of his life and helped facilitate some of his sporting achievements. Tony has been quite frank about his thoughts and feelings as he traversed life and faced challenges. He pushed himself very hard in order to achieve and maintain a high level of academic and physical achievement and to show the world that despite his poor vision, he was a regular guy.
I found this memoir to be very insightful into the practical difficulties faced by people with tunnel vision, which I didn’t know much about, and limited vision leading ultimately to blindness. The book was also quite revealing about the assistance and support that was available to sight disabled people during Tony’s younger days (in the 1950s) and how this has changed over the course of his life. I also gained a lot of knowledge about life in New York City.
Blindness aside, Tony led an interesting life with numerous career achievements and dabbling’s into a number of sports including skiing, long-distance running, and triathlons. The overlay of his visual disability makes his life story all the more interesting.
Picture caption: Banner for Award-Winning Crime Writer Sue Coletta illustrating all of her books
Today, I am delighted to welcome prolific crime writer, Sue Coletta, to Roberta Writes with a post about her new eco-thriller, Savage Mayhem.
Over to Sue
Picture caption: Book cover for Savage Mayhem showing a burning American buffalo skull
Thank you for hosting me today, Robbie! I appreciate your kind invite to help me share the news of my latest eco-thriller, Savage Mayhem. The opener of Savage Mayhem starts where the previous novel left off. Regardless, every book in the Mayhem Series can stand alone. I write them that way, so readers don’t have to read eight novels to understand the ninth.
In this excerpt, Shawnee hasn’t yet puzzled out why Mayhem is furious with her grandfather. Hope you enjoy it.
“Mourning Dove,” Shicheii called through the screen, using my traditional Diné name, “please accompany him. He’s much too heated to go alone.”
And so, I careened down the stairs. Caught up to the Caddy as it reversed out the driveway, my arms waving above my head for him to stop.
Idling with the tail end in the road, the driver’s window zipped down. “Cat, please pack. If I don’t warn Running Bear before Killzme moves in, he could lose Carolyne and the kids.”
“I know. I’m coming with you.” I scuttled around the back bumper to prevent the Caddy from moving. When I slid into the passenger seat, I reached for the door handle, but he gunned it before I grabbed hold. “Gimme a second, will ya?”
He stomped the brake. The Caddy lurched forward, and my face slammed off the dashboard, my fingers feeling for missing teeth. Not that he noticed, hawkeyed on the road ahead. The passenger door snapped shut on its own. Again, he accelerated. And “accelerated” didn’t mean a slow, steady increase. Hell, no. The force pinned me to the passenger seat, my fingers clawed into the armrest.
“Though I enjoy a good death ride as much as the next girl”—I added plenty of snark—“I’d rather not crash. How ’bout you?”
No response, but the blue lit dashboard illuminated a slight smirk. The Caddy slowed somewhat. Not a lot, but enough to loosen my grip.
Minutes dragged on for days. Trees’ silhouettes whizzed past my window, the headlights tunneling through the darkness. Palpable anger radiated off him, lessened only by the deep lines of concern etched in his forehead.
In a soft voice, I said, “What’d Shicheii do?”
His icy stare landed on me, piercing gray, almost translucent, the intensity strangled my voice box. All I could do was point to the road ahead. Let’s not forget who’s driving.
Book description
Amidst the wild and unforgiving landscapes of Yellowstone Park, join Mayhem, a fearless Apache warrior and champion of the Natural World, and his partner and protégé, Shawnee, as they race against the clock to protect an American Buffalo herd from the ruthless Killzme Corporation.
With a massive bounty on their heads and an army of killers on their trail, Mayhem and Shawnee must use all their cunning and survival skills to outsmart their enemies. They will risk it all to preserve the sacred lineage of the Innocent Ones.
There is no line Shawnee and Mayhem won’t cross.
Even murder.
As the danger intensifies and the clock winds down, will they be able to save the herd? Or will this be the mission that finally breaks them?
Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”) and is a Resident Writing Coach at Writers Helping Writers.
Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series books 1-3, psychological thriller/mysteries, Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction, Pretty Evil New England. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers, the Mayhem Series books 4-7 and continuing.
Sue’s appeared on the Emmy award-winning true crime series, Storm of Suspicion, and three episodes of A Time to Kill on Investigation Discovery. Learn more about Sue and her books at https://suecoletta.com.
This April, for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), Murisopsis is running an “Around the World” poetry forms scavenger hunt (you should join us there!), and, as such, she is using one of these international forms for our W3 prompt this week!
roberta-writes.com 