Of Bairns and Wheelie Bins
What, exactly, do "barmy," "grafter," "bothies," and "porkies" have in common? If you need to ask, then you ought to be reading this quick and light-hearted guide to understanding what our favorite British detectives are saying while investigating and solving crimes across the pond!!
Ideal for fans of Midsomer Murders, Vera, Shetland and more, this insightful and essential list of quirky British words and phrases is designed to help every American fan of British detective fiction who longs for a SECOND set of subtitles to interpret the slang and idioms that turn up in the FIRST set.
The author, a former prosecuting attorney for the State, had for years found herself flummoxed by unfamiliar phrases like "fly tipping" and "on licence" while watching her favorite British cop shows and mysteries. Torn between the desire to pause the action to consult Google every time she was stumped by things like "belts and braces" and "digestive biscuits" or to just keep watching and hope that things would become clear later, she created this helpful guide for others in the same linguistic boat.
A rollicking good laugh...and an incredibly useful one, to boot! Available as an e-book in Amazon's Kindle store. Buy it now, or read it for free with KindleUnlimited!
What, exactly, do "barmy," "grafter," "bothies," and "porkies" have in common? If you need to ask, then you ought to be reading this quick and light-hearted guide to understanding what our favorite British detectives are saying while investigating and solving crimes across the pond!!
Ideal for fans of Midsomer Murders, Vera, Shetland and more, this insightful and essential list of quirky British words and phrases is designed to help every American fan of British detective fiction who longs for a SECOND set of subtitles to interpret the slang and idioms that turn up in the FIRST set.
The author, a former prosecuting attorney for the State, had for years found herself flummoxed by unfamiliar phrases like "fly tipping" and "on licence" while watching her favorite British cop shows and mysteries. Torn between the desire to pause the action to consult Google every time she was stumped by things like "belts and braces" and "digestive biscuits" or to just keep watching and hope that things would become clear later, she created this helpful guide for others in the same linguistic boat.
A rollicking good laugh...and an incredibly useful one, to boot! Available as an e-book in Amazon's Kindle store. Buy it now, or read it for free with KindleUnlimited!
FINNIGAN the LIONHEARTED is now LIVE!!
Coming just in time for for the holidays and perfect for stuffing stockings, exchanging gifts and reading by the fire!! The third adventure of Finnigan the Circus Cat and his friends is now available for order on Amazon and through your local bookstores.
When the tent circus unexpectedly pulls into little Beechville, Wisconsin, absolutely nobody could be more excited than Finnigan the Circus Cat and his two "circus mouse" pals Leroy and Maximillian!
All three are still living "under the radar" in the small but charming Farnsworth Circus Museum--Leroy and Max because they're mice, of course, and Finnigan because he's still being kept as a big secret from most of the Farnsworth family members.
While Leroy and Max--and now the high-flying Finnigan--have grown up surrounded by vintage wagons and posters and steeped in circus history and tales of adventure, they never imagined that their wildest dreams would actually come to life! And so they set off to explore the sparkling Big Top for themselves, hoping to wangle an audience with Finnigan's heroes, the big circus cats.
As they navigate the Midway and the Big Top, the trio encounters danger and adventure, and befriend an elephant named "Tiny." And their encounters in the lions' den yield valuable lessons about courage and kindness, lessons which will be put to the test before the Grand Finale sounds!
Coming just in time for for the holidays and perfect for stuffing stockings, exchanging gifts and reading by the fire!! The third adventure of Finnigan the Circus Cat and his friends is now available for order on Amazon and through your local bookstores.
When the tent circus unexpectedly pulls into little Beechville, Wisconsin, absolutely nobody could be more excited than Finnigan the Circus Cat and his two "circus mouse" pals Leroy and Maximillian!
All three are still living "under the radar" in the small but charming Farnsworth Circus Museum--Leroy and Max because they're mice, of course, and Finnigan because he's still being kept as a big secret from most of the Farnsworth family members.
While Leroy and Max--and now the high-flying Finnigan--have grown up surrounded by vintage wagons and posters and steeped in circus history and tales of adventure, they never imagined that their wildest dreams would actually come to life! And so they set off to explore the sparkling Big Top for themselves, hoping to wangle an audience with Finnigan's heroes, the big circus cats.
As they navigate the Midway and the Big Top, the trio encounters danger and adventure, and befriend an elephant named "Tiny." And their encounters in the lions' den yield valuable lessons about courage and kindness, lessons which will be put to the test before the Grand Finale sounds!
Finnigan and the Lost Circus Wagon
FINNIGAN, his best “circus mice” pals Maximillian and Leroy, and Boomer—the strangely silent family dog--return in this sequel to the award-winning FINNIGAN THE CIRCUS CAT. Rescued as a tiny kitten by eight-year-old Lucy Farnsworth and smuggled in secret to the family circus museum, Finnigan is now all grown up with a natural flair for the flying trapeze. However he’s still flying “under the radar” in the barn which doubles as the museum because Lucy’s father is deathly allergic to cats.
The arrangement works just fine for everyone…until two shady characters show up with plans to find and steal a treasure that’s hidden in a broken down old wagon recently dropped off at the museum.
While Finnigan and his friends set themselves to the task of finding the treasure first and scaring off the crooks, they find it’s becoming harder and harder to keep Finnigan’s presence a secret, particularly where Lucy’s sharp-eyed little brother is concerned. And to top things off, Leroy must swallow his pride and misgivings to go undercover as A RAT to discover more about the unsavory strangers.
Inspired by a real life “rescue kitten” and filled with narrow escapes, sleight of hand (or tails, as the case may be), charming illustrations by the author (several drawn from vintage circus wagons), and circus history from the Golden Age of circus parades, FINNIGAN AND THE LOST CIRCUS WAGON will charm young readers and the grownups who love to read with them.
FINNIGAN, his best “circus mice” pals Maximillian and Leroy, and Boomer—the strangely silent family dog--return in this sequel to the award-winning FINNIGAN THE CIRCUS CAT. Rescued as a tiny kitten by eight-year-old Lucy Farnsworth and smuggled in secret to the family circus museum, Finnigan is now all grown up with a natural flair for the flying trapeze. However he’s still flying “under the radar” in the barn which doubles as the museum because Lucy’s father is deathly allergic to cats.
The arrangement works just fine for everyone…until two shady characters show up with plans to find and steal a treasure that’s hidden in a broken down old wagon recently dropped off at the museum.
While Finnigan and his friends set themselves to the task of finding the treasure first and scaring off the crooks, they find it’s becoming harder and harder to keep Finnigan’s presence a secret, particularly where Lucy’s sharp-eyed little brother is concerned. And to top things off, Leroy must swallow his pride and misgivings to go undercover as A RAT to discover more about the unsavory strangers.
Inspired by a real life “rescue kitten” and filled with narrow escapes, sleight of hand (or tails, as the case may be), charming illustrations by the author (several drawn from vintage circus wagons), and circus history from the Golden Age of circus parades, FINNIGAN AND THE LOST CIRCUS WAGON will charm young readers and the grownups who love to read with them.
Finnigan the Circus Cat
Introducing FINNIGAN THE CIRCUS CAT!!, a new "chapter book" series!
Maximillian and Leroy are two circus mice cousins who think they’ve got it made in the shade at the old, shuttered Farnsworth Circus Museum. There are no dogs around, there’s a safe path to the full pantry in the old house, and the barn is full of dry hay and old circus wagons to hang out in.
But when a new generation of Farnsworths move in, things start to shake up. And when eight-year-old Lucy Farnsworth brings home a tiny rescue kitten and hides him in the barn because her dad is allergic to cats, Max and Leroy need to think fast if they’re going to be able to stay.
With the help of Boomer—the strangely silent family dog—Max and Leroy take the new kitten under their wing and show him the ins and outs of living at the museum, and flying “under the radar.” Along the way, they all come to realize that the family that you make can be just as important as the one you came from. And when Leroy finds himself in deadly peril, it is Finnigan the Circus Cat who saves the day!
Inspired by a “real life” rescue kitten and illustrated by the author, this book will delight, in the traditional call of the circus ringmaster, “Ladies, Gentlemen, and Children of All Ages!”
*** Ask me for a PDF REVIEW COPY to look over for your classroom or library!
Introducing FINNIGAN THE CIRCUS CAT!!, a new "chapter book" series!
Maximillian and Leroy are two circus mice cousins who think they’ve got it made in the shade at the old, shuttered Farnsworth Circus Museum. There are no dogs around, there’s a safe path to the full pantry in the old house, and the barn is full of dry hay and old circus wagons to hang out in.
But when a new generation of Farnsworths move in, things start to shake up. And when eight-year-old Lucy Farnsworth brings home a tiny rescue kitten and hides him in the barn because her dad is allergic to cats, Max and Leroy need to think fast if they’re going to be able to stay.
With the help of Boomer—the strangely silent family dog—Max and Leroy take the new kitten under their wing and show him the ins and outs of living at the museum, and flying “under the radar.” Along the way, they all come to realize that the family that you make can be just as important as the one you came from. And when Leroy finds himself in deadly peril, it is Finnigan the Circus Cat who saves the day!
Inspired by a “real life” rescue kitten and illustrated by the author, this book will delight, in the traditional call of the circus ringmaster, “Ladies, Gentlemen, and Children of All Ages!”
*** Ask me for a PDF REVIEW COPY to look over for your classroom or library!
When the Shoe Fits...
"Mary's latest collection of essays is a frolic through reality and there isn't a person alive who doesn't need that!" Kris Radish, author of "The Shortest Distance Between Two Women"
From soccer mom to prosecuting attorney. From body cast to the back seat of a Harley. From sneakers to stilettos. The journey hasn't often been easy...but it's never been dull!
When a hard fall from a tall horse landed Mary T. Wagner—then a freelance writer and a soccer mom with four young children—in a body cast for three months with a broken back, she didn’t take it as a sign to ease back on the throttle. Instead, she changed careers, went to law school, took a job prosecuting criminals, and bought her first pair of spike heels. And THEN she started writing again.
More than a dozen national and regional writing awards later, Wagner has compiled this "best of" collection of her inspiring and empowering essays from her first three books, and added a few more for good measure. Wagner's earlier books, Running with Stilettos, Heck on Heels and Fabulous in Flats, earned recognition for humor, inspiration and memoir, and their kudos included both an Indie Excellence Award and a silver IPPY. Her legal experience has been similarly eclectic, ranging from handling speeding tickets to arguing cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court…sometimes in the same week!
In essays ranging from Turbo Dating—the Year in Review to Riding Pillion, The Limoncello Diaries and Angels in the Snow, Wagner’s signature writing style combines humor, insight, and grace under pressure. Whether reflecting on subjects as diverse as motherhood, the view from the back of a Harley, the impending loss of a parent or the therapeutic effects of a post-divorce bonfire, Wagner’s inspiring and empowering essays resonate with universal experiences of love, life and reinvention. A must-read for any woman who’s asked herself “is there at least one more dream I can reach for?”… and then answered “YES!!”
Now available in paperback and e-book format on AMAZON, with Discussion Questions at the back of the book.
***If you are a book reviewer, contact me at runwstilettos (at) yahoo (dot) com for an electronic or paperback Review Copy. And DITTO for book clubs who would like to do a "test drive" first!
Heck on Heels, the full-color edition!
A few years ago, when I published "Heck on Heels," I took advantage of a promotion by the publisher to include images along with text. That first edition, in 2010, went to print with fairly tiny black and white nature photos at the beginning of each chapter.
While the book went on to win an INDIE EXCELLENCE Award for "Inspiration," it was entirely on the strength of the essays. But I never stopped thinking of the potential the book would have as a "portable serenity zone" if I could somehow combine my words with color photographs. That led to the Kindle edition in 2012...but then, not everybody prefers e-books.
So here, at long last, is the full color edition of Heck on Heels, combining all the original essays with my nature photographs in full-page size. Since the color edition is a bit pricey due to the production costs, I'm still keeping the Kindle and black-and-white editions on Amazon. But here is a preview of a few of the photos inside...enjoy!!
A few years ago, when I published "Heck on Heels," I took advantage of a promotion by the publisher to include images along with text. That first edition, in 2010, went to print with fairly tiny black and white nature photos at the beginning of each chapter.
While the book went on to win an INDIE EXCELLENCE Award for "Inspiration," it was entirely on the strength of the essays. But I never stopped thinking of the potential the book would have as a "portable serenity zone" if I could somehow combine my words with color photographs. That led to the Kindle edition in 2012...but then, not everybody prefers e-books.
So here, at long last, is the full color edition of Heck on Heels, combining all the original essays with my nature photographs in full-page size. Since the color edition is a bit pricey due to the production costs, I'm still keeping the Kindle and black-and-white editions on Amazon. But here is a preview of a few of the photos inside...enjoy!!
Resting Places, the Gallery Tour!
An artistic collaboration intersecting Remembrance, Nature, Love and Death.
"Resting Places" is the name of the art exhibit originally staged at Inspiration Studios in West Allis, Wisconsin in October, 2014, showcasing the atmospheric graveyard photos taken by author Mary T. Wagner at various small rural cemeteries around Wisconsin with the vibrant, abstract acrylics and watercolors by Wisconsin artist Erico Ortiz. The paperback and Kindle companion books feature color reproductions of all of the artwork in the exhibit.
The pair first noticed parallels between their diverse works when they compared one of Wagner's earlier photographs of driftwood on the Lake Michigan shoreline with Ortiz's "Sand Sculptures" acrylic, which he had painted at about the same time. The idea of "mirroring" each others artistic creations in a gallery exhibit soon took root, with Ortiz's colorful and interpretive paintings serving up rich and imaginative symbolism to Wagner's poignant and detailed photographic storytelling among worn tombstones and other relics of both history and affection.
An artistic collaboration intersecting Remembrance, Nature, Love and Death.
"Resting Places" is the name of the art exhibit originally staged at Inspiration Studios in West Allis, Wisconsin in October, 2014, showcasing the atmospheric graveyard photos taken by author Mary T. Wagner at various small rural cemeteries around Wisconsin with the vibrant, abstract acrylics and watercolors by Wisconsin artist Erico Ortiz. The paperback and Kindle companion books feature color reproductions of all of the artwork in the exhibit.
The pair first noticed parallels between their diverse works when they compared one of Wagner's earlier photographs of driftwood on the Lake Michigan shoreline with Ortiz's "Sand Sculptures" acrylic, which he had painted at about the same time. The idea of "mirroring" each others artistic creations in a gallery exhibit soon took root, with Ortiz's colorful and interpretive paintings serving up rich and imaginative symbolism to Wagner's poignant and detailed photographic storytelling among worn tombstones and other relics of both history and affection.
"You can look at it as finally abandoning the last of the feminine
'rescue' fantasies. Or maybe it was just a dose of latent pioneer spirit coming
to the surface. Though Davy Crockett never had one of these. (Of course, Davy
Crockett never had a pair of leopard-print stilettos in his closet either. Or
so we hope.) Either way, I bought a chainsaw..." (Excerpt from “Chain
Reaction”)
After a long fall from a tall horse put journalist and soccer mom Mary T. Wagner in a body cast for three months, she didn't take it as a sign to ease up on the throttle. Instead she changed careers, went to law school, became a prosecutor, and bought her first pair of spike heels. By turns funny, touching, courageous and enterprising, this award-winning and inspiring collection of essays is a wide-open window into one woman's mission to give every day her best shot...in fabulous shoes. “Whatever the subject, this author’s humor and resilience shines through… Time and again, Ms. Wagner shows her mettle and proves that she is not faint-of-heart... Her words touch your heart, tweak your spirit and make you smile.” BellaOnline.com |
"There's a guilty pleasure I just have to confess. Not that there isn't already a list. Belgian chocolates. High heels. Coastal Georgia. The movie "Gladiator." But this is a chapter, and a phenomenon all it's own. I'm a grown woman over forty...and I like the Taylor Swift song, "Love Story." There, I said it. Out loud." (Excerpt from "The Romeo and Juliet Song")
Just add coffee…and sigh! Adding a portfolio of beautiful nature photographs to her Indie Excellence Award-winning collection of inspiring essays, author Mary T. Wagner again takes her readers on a tour of ordinary moments viewed with extraordinary grace. Whether reflecting on the view from the side of a dormant volcano or enjoying the cleansing effect of a good bonfire after a post-divorce garage cleaning, these essays again conjure what one reviewer called “life writing at its best.” “Watch out...Mary T. Wagner will pin you right where you sit with her stilettos until you read all of her wonderful essays-and you won't even mind the heel marks!" Kris Radish, author, A Grand Day to Get Lost, Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn, and other titles |
"My son looked at me and my accoutrements with skepticism through narrowed eyes. This would be the son with the tattoo between his shoulder blades, the hand-rolled cigarette, the assortment of earrings, the riot of curls that—at the right length—give him a jaunty, Viva la Revolución Che Guevara vibe. “Mom," he said, "you look like you're ready to break into a chemical plant.” From out of the mouths of babes. (Excerpt from "Sisterhood of the Chop Saw")
As though adjusting to courtrooms, spike heels and a chainsaw after forty weren’t enough… Fabulous in Flats starts with the author's hair-raising introduction to running a chop saw, an endeavor lending itself more to flat shoes and safety goggles than stilettos. Whether wearing a rhinestone tiara and a recycled mink at a Viennese Ball or embracing her inner "mother tiger" at her son's hospital bed, Wagner brings a wry and real commitment to living her best life ... every day. “Mary's writing is honest, which is the best thing I think writing can be. Her humor, sincerity and attention to detail make her a writer for anyone in need of a good story. Heartfelt and witty, her pieces move to the beat of a woman-who-knows marching in stilettos. Brilliant!” ALYSON LYON, co-founder of Chicago’s “Essay Fiesta” |