Hot News Flash! Writer Joyce Mason Website

It’s complex, dense, deep, and fun. It’s a web site years in the planning. It’s joycemason-dot-com!

If you wonder about life's mysteries, your purpose and special gifts ... my new website is for you.

Discover my many other facets as a writer. My memoir-writing baby boomer persona is just one. Joycemason-dot-com will be home to everything else I write besides this blog, starting with my body of literature that has proven timeless for decades on astrology, dreamwork, and other symbol systems. If there is one thing that joins all my writing, it’s this: I play the symbols. I see signs in commonplace occurrences as well as the moon, stars, and meaningful coincidences.

There are articles, old and new, and links to my writings on other web sites. I look forward to introducing current readers of Hot Flashbacks to my other works. I also hope to reconnect with many old friends and clients who knew me when these topics were on my front burner—and when I still did individual astrology charts and other spiritually oriented consultations. You’ll find links to other people whose works or products help me share what I’ve learned in the Symbol World. The last tool in my medicine bag from my former practice, Inner Growth Work, is flower essences. Who knew a few drops of a tincture taken under your tongue a few times a day could transform emotions?

There’s an expanded bio, information on books and publications already in print or online, and previews of writings in progress. You’ll discover my poetry—my first genre, also symbol rich—and my genres I call M-in-M’s for short—memoir, inspiration, and mystery.

But the mystery of my new site? Don’t let it linger! Why haven’t you clicked on that link yet? Or this one?

Thanks to all my Cool Insighters who check it out, and if you find it’s for you, I hope to be seeing you in both my cyber “pads” often.

Join me for the fireworks! And let’s crack open some champagne.

Edgar Allan Poet

“Quoth the Raven, ‘Nevermore.’”
--Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven

The title of this post followed me home like a lost puppy. I knew it was a message from my GPS—God Positioning System—telling me I was supposed to go somewhere with this idea fragment.

As the poster girl for Follow Your Inner Guidance, I trusted and allowed myself to get sucked into the adventure. Here is what I’ve pieced together, so far.

Tracking the Mystery
Edgar Allan Poe was indeed a poet, among other things. I never knew he was credited with creating the detective-fiction writing genre, one I dabble in. (I like to say I write M-in-M’s for memoir, inspiration, and mystery.)

Mostly, he wrote a lot of dark, macabre stuff—also a lot about mourning. Not only have I experienced a lot of losses in the last year; I also realized this week how much I miss writing poetry. It was great to reconnect with some poets at a recent writers’ conference and to get reacquainted with my own poems. I wrote many of them in the ‘70s, when a number of them were published in various literary journals. I was into the local poetry scene, enjoyed reading my work at coffee houses, and taught in the Poetry in the Schools program.

I even met my first husband at a poetry reading. He was an angry heckler. When I moved into his building a few months later—a big surprise to us both—he was so nice to me, I didn’t even recognize him as the awful guy from that night. When he copped to it, I thought he had to be kidding. Love is blind.

Back to my visit from the muse bearing the nagging words in my head, “Edgar Allan Poet.” I suspect her point was stop mourning and start celebrating poetry again. How did I get to “nevermore” when it came to poems? I used to be ravenous about the genre. Heaven knows, I can always be reached by wordplay if all else fails or I have accidentally turned off my GPS.

Maybe I’ll start on the road back to poetry by sharing one of my poems from my archives with you. I found a more recent one (only 10 years old instead of 30). It even has a boomer theme. Here goes:

Poem by Joyce Mason

To My Childhood Friend at 50…

Where did the time go …
the bus stop …
old neighborhood …
avoiding Fran in the cafeteria …
dances at the ‘Y’, raging hormones, neuroses… acne?

Adolescence merged maturity,
not so much an off-ramp as an artery,
just another turn in the road,
a road not taken by most of us at heart
(we’re called baby boomers):
Mid-youth
gray hair
menopause.

Did you get your card from AARP?
Did you think you’d see the day?
Yet there is a freedom here:
a time to re-evaluate
to quit worrying over meaningless things
to know that we won’t be
in this bottleneck forever …

… and that, too, is a godsend.

Now, for the dreams not realized:
we still have time to catch up
without killing ourselves.

Before we go:
a book for me,
the starring performance for you …


… but above all, knowing
that if life is measured
by the friends we choose
and love we gain
we’re on the expressway
together
in the car pool lane.


Quote the Maven, Evermore
It’s clear; I still love poetry. Lots of people don’t, but poetry is all around us—songs, jingles, prayers, an especially good comeback. Some precocious pearl that pops from the lips of a child. Poetry all.

I’d love to hear your comments on poetry and things poetic—even if it’s only poetic justice. It doesn’t need rhyme or reason.

Think about this, too. Have you have said “nevermore” to certain passions of the past? Is it time to reconsider?

Bookmarks

Our book launch and signing on March 29 at Borders was a resounding success for Capital Crimes: 15 Tales by Sacramento Area Authors. We had a steady stream of guests, enthusiastic chatter, coffee, tea, cookies, laughs, and a lot of interest in our local Sisters in Crime chapter. Thanks to all who stopped by and took home a copy of our short story anthology. Twelve of the fifteen authors were able to attend this first in a series of events to debut our book to the public. Who are we and what do we write about? Everything from dark to comical in mystery genre. Check Lulu for a chance to preview.

Locals have four more opportunities to purchase Capital Crimes locally and meet the authors:

Underground Books in Sacramento, on Saturday, April 12, 2:00-4:00P
located Next to Starbucks, Corner of 35th and Broadway

Central Library’s booth on Wednesday, May 7, 11:00A– 1:00P at the Farmer’s Market in Cesar Chavez Park between 9th & 10th and I/J Streets, across the Library

Roseville's Martha Riley Library on Saturday, May 31, 1:00-3:00 pm
1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville, next to City of Roseville Sports Complex

Elk Grove Library on Saturday, June 7, 11:00A – 1:30P
8962 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove

I will attend all the signings except for Underground Books, which I cannot make due to another commitment. Catch me on a panel at the Roseville event with five other authors and editors talking about our writing process and how we created our crazy quilt of crime capers set in our own backyard.

If you live in or within driving distance Sacramento and are interested in having the Capital Crimes chapter of Sisters in Crime at a signing in your neighborhood, contact me: hotflashbacks@gmail.com. If you know someone at a book store or library, all the more likely that we can arrange it.

Meanwhile, Capital Crimes, the book, can be purchased online at these sources: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Lulu.

Finally, thanks, again, to all our readers for your support! Especially those who brought friends, flowers, and your smiles to an exciting day for a book debut.

***

Photo by Jaci Muzamel: Capital Crimes authors Juanita Carr (L), Robin Burcell (C) , and Joyce Mason signing one of our books (R) at the Borders Book Launch in Sacramento.