HISTORY WITH A SIDE OF ICE CREAM

                                 Ice Cream with a history lesson topping.   

The summer sun is pounding down. Heat is shimmering off asphalt that's so soft the tar sticks to the bottom of your shoes. Add four hot, sweaty, and cranky kids to the mix. 

What are the parents to do but toss them in the car and head to Dairy Queen. The other three kids in the back of the station wagon, and me in the front between Mom and Dad. I got the best spot, this coveted spot, away from the pointy elbows of my siblings because I got car sick. Wink. Wink. 

This is where we learned the fine art of dealing with brain freeze as we gobbling down ice cream before it melted into a sticky mess.

To keep the air circulating in the non-air conditioned car, Dad would drive us around town. There were two places we always wanted to see. One was 'The Castle' overlooking Shoal Creek

 and the other was Bonnie & Clyde's hideout. 

Though my parents were quite young (7 & 9) when the Barrow gang came to town, they certainly remembered hearing all about the ruckus. These ice cream and history afternoons began my fascination with Bonnie & Clyde

(I compiled the following from the Joplin Historical Pages and Wikipedia. Note: It is because of this bust that the famous picture of Bonnie smoking a cigar and wielding a rifle became public.) 
      

                  Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow Hideout in
                                               Joplin MO
 
In April of 1933 the infamous outlaw lovers, along with other gang members: Clyde's brother, Buck, his wife Blanche, and William Daniel Jones, rented an apartment over a garage in Joplin, MO. Their plan was to use the place as a hideout after a series of robberies in the area. 

It wasn't too long until their furtive behavior aroused suspicions in the neighborhood and the local police were called. The cops,  suspecting bootleggers had taken over the apartment, were surprised to find the Barrow gang. A shootout ensued with the Barrow gang narrowly escaping. They left Police Detective Harry McGinnis dead and Newton Country Constable Wes Harryman fatally wounded.

Because the gang fled in such a hurry, they left behind many personal items. Though a large arsenal of weapons was confiscated, a camera may have been the most important and significant find. After the film was developed and released, the public got their first, intimate look at the couple.

These pictures thrust the outlaws into  national focus and fame.

Bonnie reputedly hated the picture of her smoking a cigar and was offended when newspapers dubbed her a 'Cigar Smoking Gun Moll.' It is said she regretted the gag picture so much, she once requested a hostage inform the press she didn't smoke cigars. 

The apartment survived the massive tornado that destroyed much of Joplin in 2011. Though it has been well preserved it is not open to the public.

REMullins



Amazon:
IT'S A WONDERFUL UNDEAD LIFE


It's been a rough couple of years for Cailey Kantor. Facing her first Christmas alone and bad financial news, she prays for an angel to fix her problems. Instead, a sadistic, sociopathic vampire, with the goal of starting a vampire war, attacks her and forces her to drink blood stolen from the Nosferatu Gabriel Blautsauger.
Gabe must complete Cailey's turning or she will die. In doing so he risks losing his yet unfound soulmate. But something about the lovely mortal speaks to his heart. Once her transformation is complete, he and Cailey find themselves embroiled in a battle that could cost them all they hold dear.
Faced with lies, abduction, and betrayal Cailey wonders if the vampire she is falling fangs over heart for is in it for love or if she's just a means to stop a war.

VAMPIRE IN THE SCRYING GLASS   

Rafe Blautsauger, vampire and enforcer, must put his feelings for the mortal
Morgan Maquire aside. The Nosferatu council who employs Rafe strictly forbids
their love. But he can't stay away from the beautiful woman who causes his blood
to beat with new life.Yet, she hides a secret, one he must expose in order to
protect her.
                            
Morgan keeps her unique gift of magic under wraps due to a spell gone horribly
wrong when she was young.  She is haunted by a nightmare where two malevolent
glowing red eyes stalk her. Can she trust the arrogant but oh-so-handsome Rafe
with her secret as well as her heart? Can he help her regain her power in
time to save the world of the living and the undead?
A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Vampire Metta Blautsauger is known as the family airhead and she works hard to keep up the façade. It’s the perfect cover as she goes from dispensing her own brand of justice as a vigilante to an agent for Orcus, the Nosferatu shadow agency.

Captured, tortured, and left for dead, she is forced to leave both the agency and Lucas O’Cuinn, the mentor she’s grown to love.

For the last century she’s struggled with regret and boredom. Then her life is given new meaning when four mortal ministers ask her help in stopping a human trafficking ring. If Orcus discovers her unsanctioned involvement, they will brand her as a rogue. The penalty is death. It’s only a matter of time before Lucas arrives—stake in hand.

Lucas O’Cuinn has waited ninety-eight years for Metta’s return and he’s run out of patience. It’s time she remembers she belongs to him.

Also may be purchased at The Wild Rose Press:
The Blautsaugers of Amber Heights Series 
IT'S A WONDERFUL UNDEAD LIFE
VAMPIRE IN THE SCRYING GLASS
A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Kobo


Barnes & Noble

Ice Cream Excerpts

July is Ice Cream Month. I don't know who decided that. It certainly wasn't me, because I worship ice cream for twelve months every year, but that's just me. I love it so much that ice cream often makes it into my stories. Here's two examples:

From ABRA CADAVER, available now. Holly is conducting experiments with Keane to see how much of his sense of taste has returned to him.

Holly wiped her finger on the towel

she’d brought from the bathroom. “Anything you

really would like to taste? Anything you crave?”

Good gods, yes.

He cleared his throat and focused on the words

necessary to compose an intelligent response to

Holly’s question. “That frozen stuff you eat

sometimes. Ice cream. You seem to really enjoy it.”

“I do.” She pulled him off the couch and dragged

him to the kitchen. Pointing to one of the kitchen

chairs, she said, “Sit.”

Keane did as he was told. Seeing the light in her

eyes, he would have done anything she asked.

Holly opened the freezer and scanned the two

shelves in there. “Cookie dough, maple walnut, or

mocha fudge swirl?”

“You have three kinds of ice cream?”

“I have six, but I’m only sharing a taste of one of

those three. A girl needs to be stingy about her

emergency ice cream rations.” She closed the freezer

door and hugged the refrigerator. She stepped back

and opened the freezer again. “What’ll it be, Keane?”

“Mocha fudge swirl, though I’m not sure I’ll

know what it’s supposed to taste like.”

“Excellent choice, and if it feels as if you need a

cigarette after tasting this ice cream, you’ll know

you’ve tasted it for real.”

Holly grabbed a spoon from a drawer and

scooped up a little mocha fudge swirl. Toting the

spoon, she walked to Keane at the kitchen table and

said, “Where do you want it?” She held her hands

out to either side of her as if offering her entire body

as a serving platter.

He had trouble swallowing, but he managed to

say, “I can choose anywhere?”

Holly nodded. “But hurry, or it’s going to melt.”
Buy at Amazon.

***

From Firefly Mountain, coming in October. Patrick has just cooked Gini a dinner so she wouldn't eat peanut butter crackers from her purse for supper.

Patrick took their salad plates to the sink when

they’d finished, and Gini liked how at home he
appeared in her kitchen.

He twirled spaghetti onto her dinner plate then

filled his own. The bright colors of tomato, broccoli,
carrot, and pepper fancied up the pasta, and he’d
drizzled a light pesto sauce over it all. When Gini
took a bite, she couldn’t stop the satisfied hum that
escaped her.“One brat, thoroughly loving this meal,” she
said.

“Better than crackers, yes?”

“Definitely.” Gini took a few more bites, wiped

her mouth, and looked up at Patrick. “Thank you.”

“No problem. It was easy to make.”

“Thank you for back at the hospital too.” Gini

focused her attention on the bottom of her glass as
she took a drink.

“Also no problem.” Patrick fiddled with the fork

in his hand. “It was easy to be hugged by you. And to
hug you.”

Gini gazed at him now and forgot all the rules as

she stared into his hazel eyes swirling brown and
green like running through a forest. He smiled and
dove back into his spaghetti. Gini resumed eating as
well and enjoyed the companionable silence that
hung between them, nothing but the sound of jazz on
a piano filling the kitchen.

When the food was gone and the dishes washed

and dried, Gini opened the freezer and took out a
container.

“I’ve got dessert covered,” she said. “You’re not

allergic to walnuts, are you?”

Patrick shook his head and leaned against the

counter next to Gini to see what she had. “Ice
cream?”

“Yep. Maple walnut. Made it myself.” She

dropped three rounded scoops into a bowl and
handed it to Patrick.

“Wow. Maybe you’re not the person I originally

thought you were either.”

“You mean maybe I’m not a brat?” Gini smirked

as she put the ice cream back into the freezer after
filling a bowl for herself.

“Oh no, you’re still a brat,” Patrick said, “but

you’re a skilled brat.”

For a great tune about ice cream, try Sarah McLachlan here.

That's got to be some serious love to be BETTER than ice cream! Come on! :)

What's your favorite kind of ice cream?

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

www.nighteternal.weebly.com

Summer, Treats and Dog Days by Brenda Whiteside

Several of this months topics sparked a thought. The first thought was to have some ice cream, which I am doing right now. Ice Cream Month? Ice cream deserves much more than just a month. And anyway, I prefer ice cream in the winter. My mom told me if you drink a hot drink when you're hot, you'll feel cooler. She's full of good ol' wives' wisdom like that. So maybe I prefer ice cream in the winter to make me warmer. But I don't think so. Drinking hot while you're hot doesn't work. 

Sunset over the orchard

I like Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month. Sunsets are usually very romantic. I say usually because sunsets are also very relaxing. It's a nightly ritual at our house. After dinner, we all seem to migrate to the back patio to watch the sun go down. Since there are several of us, including three dogs, romance really doesn't have a chance. This time of year, the sun sets equally over the vegetable garden and the orchard at our house. Arizona does get some magnificent sunsets which we can thank all the dust in the air for that. We've started the monsoon season too so there are usually billowing clouds for the sun to slant rays on, through and around.

My dog, Rusty, rolling in the grass

And speaking of dogs, The Dog Days of Summer Month has a nice lazy sound. I have always associated this term literally with dogs and being lazy in the sun. I know, clueless. So I looked it up. The star named Sirius (the Dog Star) in Canis Major is quite visible in the night sky in the summer between July and August. This is usually the hottest time of summer in the northern hemisphere. Dog Days are named for the appearance of the Dog Star on the eastern horizon. I think I like my totally wrong, unscientific and nonsensical definition better.

Happy July and all the reasons to celebrate!

Visit Brenda at www.brendawhiteside.com.

Or on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/brendawhitesid2

She blogs on the 9^th and 24^th of every month at http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com

She blogs about prairie life on her personal blog http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/