REDWOOD WRITER SPOTLIGHT

It was a pleasure to be recognized by California's Redwood Writers Organization as the April Spotlighted member. There are over 250 in the group and many, many fine writers. To be spotlighted was a real honor.

MEMBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Meta Strauss

  BY STEPHEN BAKALYAR   

What are Texans like? Well, according to Meta Strauss, they’re fun. That’s right. Texans are fun! She knows of what she speaks. Reared in Houston, she has a large extended family spread all over the Lone Star State, and from them, along with the state’s unique culture, she gets much of her inspiration to write.

One thing for sure, Meta is fun. It’s clear from reading her book, Saving El Chico, published in 2015. Infused with Texana dialect, it tells of a fictitious small Texas town’s tribulations during a drought and the interactions of its lively politicians, businessmen, clergy, Native Americans, and especially the town’s women, the customers of Lulu Belle’s Be Lovely Boutique. The tale is packed with chicanery, romance, and humor. She is now writing a sequel, Thriving in El Chico, and rewriting some of her earlier work, using new skills and insights.

Meta says she didn’t write a single creative phrase until she moved to Sonoma in 2005. Now she tries to write every day. She believes she has benefited from her membership in Redwood Writers, attending workshops and classes. She is a member of two writing groups. I have been in these groups, have enjoyed listening to her read her short stories, and have watched her grow as a writer. I think Meta has a healthy perspective; she said she gets a big ego boost when she gets positive feedback from others but realizes that she is, most importantly, writing for herself, and any time she gets words onto paper, it is a success. She is hesitant to give tips to other writers, being relatively new to the craft, but she encourages those who enquire to “write something—write anything—that shares your life and personality with others.”

After her grandmother died, when Meta was four, a stack of her handwritten poems and short stories dating back to the late 1800’s was found in an old trunk. These remain treasures, glimpses into a life she never would have known otherwise. Realizing the importance of preserving personal stories for future generations, Meta wrote Stories for Emma, a family memoir, when she had grandchildren.

A life-long lover of Texas history, she enjoys reading about Texas, the western United States, and especially Native Americans. She told me, “If I believed in past lives, I would swear that I lived among The People who owned this land eons before outsiders arrived.”

While living in Houston, Meta was an active board member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) and a board member of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse. She has worked more than 30 years in the staffing industry, was Vice President of a supplemental staffing firm, then a partner in a retained executive search firm. She also owned an art gallery/framing business.

Meta’s short stories appear in the Fine Arts section of the Sonoma Sun newspaper, in the recently published anthology of the Sonoma Writers Alliance, and in Cry of the Nightbird, an anthology published by the YWCA. She will tour Texas this spring, promoting Saving El Chico. She is on Facebook. Read about her at Metawatch.blogspot.com.

OH BEAUTY!

Let’s all agree that some females arrive on earth looking better than others. When perky pointed noses and wide oval eyes were being handed out, some of us got in another line where the bigger, rounded buttocks and larger sized ears were being circulated. I don’t think the intention was for us not to be worthy of love, adoration and attention, but that God just wanted some variety. Simply observe the rest of creation where there are big mountains, little hills, great oceans, tiny ponds, roses and cacti.

Fellow women of the world unite! Starting today let’s stop competing with the movie stars, celebrities, models, and perceived-beauties of the world. The reality is, those of us who attempt to make ourselves look as good as those famous people won’t ever really catch up. No matter what we do to enhance our appearances, these fashionable icons will be a step ahead in the beauty game. Every time I think I’ve reached a fairly equal-look with my peer group, there is another product, service or process on the market.

I give up! They win! I say, get rid of the hair dye and Botox! Let’s throw our lash lengthening mascara wands high into the air in surrender and celebration of a new freedom. Together we can boycott the face-lifting, boob-implanting plastic surgeon’s offices and refuse to change lipstick colors each season. Let’s exercise to stay healthy and feel good, not to become hard-body muscular robots. I, for one, am willing to put away the multitude of uplifting face creams, eyebrow enhancers, and lip plumpers.

Even you earth mothers can join the movement. Oh, I know you have a cache of lavender and rose hip scented shampoos and conditioners. I’ve seen you pinch your cheeks a hundred times to get the rosy blush effect and then apply lightly tented lip gloss. Yes, ladies, throw those wooden handled, natural bristle hairbrushes in the recycled trash can and support this worthy cause.

Reminiscent of the bra-burning events of the 1960’s, we can hold community bon fire sessions to destroy lipsticks and facial masques. What a blaze these petrochemicals will make! Events could be held in conjunction with holidays so they can serve a dual function. We can have receptacles placed in strategic public locations for blushes and eye shadows, which can be recycled for school art department projects. At airports, in addition to having bins for dangerous sharp objects, there can be receptacles for collecting compact powders and eyelash curlers.

I accept that none of this will actually happen. Sadly, I will keep participating in the styling, coloring, skin-smoothing, body-changing rituals so I won’t scare myself when looking in mirrors.

However, I stand by my opinion that exchanging the same effort, time, and money it takes to “get gorgeous” in trade for something worthwhile, like feeding needy children or saving whales, seems like a grand idea and I suspect the Creator thinks the same.

Sonoma - Napa Fires....the beginning

 LATE SUNDAY,  OCTOBER 8, 2017

 

     The heavy rains of the past winter spawned a bumper crop of spring foliage. The unusually high summer temperatures had dried the grasses, brush, and trees to a potato chip crisp creating perfect conditions for what was about to happen.
     It started with the winds. They were significant; enough to make me stop watching Ozark, the television series and walk outside to see what was happening. Large limbs were dropping from the  oak trees surrounding my house. Like missiles, giant acorns were hitting my roof and driveway. I'd not seen anything like this since the hurricane seasons I experienced along the Gulf Coast, only this was a forceful, dry, hot wind.
     I returned to my couch and continued watching Ozark. The message scrolling across the television screen warned, "HIGH WINDS IN THE NORTH BAY AREA >>>FIRE DANGER."  Thirty minutes later the message read, "FIRES IN SONOMA AND NAPA COUNTIES>>>EVACUATIONS ADVISED IN SANTA ROSA AND SILVERADO."
     I was mildly concerned, until I smelled smoke and looked out my upstairs window to the east and saw the red glow across the mountain range that separates Sonoma and Napa Counties. This was serious and it was close to home.
     The photo above is not a good picture but the red glow indicates the edge of the massive fires, about twenty miles away. We later learned the winds gusted at 70 miles per hour. Power lines were broken and their sparks ignited the dry vegetation. The hot oxygen-filled air fueled the flames creating a fire storm that would envelop our beautiful farmlands; the grapevine lined fields and mountains of California's premier wine country. The flames would destroy entire neighborhoods in hours and more and more and more over the next week taking over 40 lives and the homes and businesses of hundreds.

GAMES BOOK CLUBS PLAY

WHICH ACTOR WOULD PLAY WHICH ROLE?

A book club suggested Saving El Chico would be perfect for a film, or television series. A number of readers have told and written me with the same comment. The idea is flattering and I agree the story, setting, and characters are entertaining, well suited for such an endeavor.

            This Houston group took the discussion to another level and played a game: “Which actor should play which role?” They sent me their choices for the entire cast. I list some below.  I’d like to hear your comments and suggestions…just in case Saving El Chico goes to Hollywood. 

To give your ideas, go to the comment section below this post.

JAKE JOHNSON, Cowboy foreman of Circle McP Ranch:

            Matthew McConaughey

            Harry Connick, Jr.

            Tim McGraw

            

           

BEA MCPHERSON, Owner of Circle McP Ranch

            Sandra Bullock

            Jennifer Lawrence

            Sarah Rafferty

SILVER CROW PARKER, Great-grandson of Quanah Parker

            Javier Barden

            Gil Birmingham

            Matt Damon

NICHOLAS GRAYSTON, CEO of H2O Engineering Firm former Dallas Cowboy

            Ben Affleck

            Gabriel Macht

            Jon Hamm

ETTA RUTH FOREMOST, Mayor’s wife

            Melissa McCarthy

            Shirley McClain

            Amy Schumer

ED HAWKINS, Owner of Ed’s Salvage Yard and Golf Course

            Jeff Bridges

           Tommy Lee Jones

            Billy Bob Thornton

            

           

           

           

           

Royal Oaks Ladies Club Event, Houston

Elizabeth Kidd with Meta

Valerie Koehler, Nancy Corkill, Meta

By Nancy Corkill

You may leave Texas, but Texas never leaves a native-born Texan.  Meta Strauss, with Texas blood surging their her veins,   moved to Sonoma, California, in 2005 and began writing short stories.  Her fellow writers in the Sonoma Writer’s Alliance encouraged her to expand her clever fictional pieces about Texas into a novel.  Voila, Meta’s first novel, Saving El Chico, was released in 2015.  This funny, character-driven book tells the story of a present-day small Texas down dying from drought.  Inspired by Meta’s mother’s home town, it’s a tale of courage, inspiration, imagination and laugh-out-loud humor of Texans determined to survive.

An enthusiastic audience of long-time friends and reading devotees welcomed Meta to a ROCC Ladies Association-sponsored author event at the Club on Friday, April 28^th.  Meta read from her work and spoke about her journey of maturing from a fledgling writer to novice publisher of her book.  Meta’s long-time friend Nancy Corkill, who was an early reader of Saving El Chico prior to its publication, was honored to introduce Meta to her Royal Oaks friends.

Valerie Koehler, owner of Blue Willow Book Shop, West Houston’s premier Indie book store on Memorial Drive at Dairy Ashford, graciously attended the April Club event.   Valerie arrived with copies of Saving El Chico and following her talk, Meta autographed her book as she met and spoke with attendees. 

Royal Oaks is full of readers!  The ROCC Ladies Association book group, led by Linda Botchlett, meets in the Ladies Locker Room the last Wednesday of each month.  Ladies who are members of the Ladies Association are welcomed into the group’s fun discussions of the book selected by members to be read, enjoyed and discussed.  The ROCCettes, founded in 2000, just as the community was being settled, continues to meet monthly in member-homes and always has a waiting list.  Liz Arend and Sarah Holm coordinate activities for the ROCCettes.  A third, smaller group is led by Aileen Hansen.  Meta was thrilled to attend both the ROCCettes and ROCCLA April meetings.

HOUSTON'S BLUE WILLOW BOOKSTORE EVENT

YOU'RE INVITED TO BLUE WILLIOW BOOKSTORE in HOUSTON.......

SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 3 PM

Meta will read from Saving El Chico, talk about writing, and sign books.

Learn about Nicholas Graystone.......

                              and Jake Johnson

and Silver Crow Parker AND the other characters from the story....... How will El Chico survive the drought and swindlers schemes?  Or, will El Chico survive?

GO TO THIS LINK FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE BLUE WILLOW EVENT:

Meta Strauss

What: Meta Strauss will share and sign her novel, SAVING EL CHICO.

 When: Saturday, April 29, 3:00 pm

Where: Blue Willow Bookshop, 14532 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77079

Admission: In order to go through the signing line and meet Meta Strauss for book personalization, please purchase SAVING EL CHICO from Blue Willow Bookshop. At the time of your purchase, we will issue a signing line ticket that indicates your place in line. Your book and signing line ticket can be picked up at the event.

About the Author:

Meta Strauss, a native Houstonian, thought she left Texas behind forever when she retired in Sonoma, California in 2005. She began writing short stories about her large extended Texas family and bigger-than-life home state. Some were true and others pure fiction. When the Texas tales became popular with friends, she was encouraged to write a novel. That was the beginning of SAVING EL CHICO. Strauss's work appears in a number of anthologies, in the Sonoma Sun Newspaper, and is featured on the Sonoma Writer's Alliance and on other web sites. She has won several awards for her short stories and often reads her work at local Sonoma events.

Ordering:

A limited number of autographed copies of this book will be available for purchase after the event. If you cannot attend the event, and would like a personalized copy of the book, please call us before the event at (281) 497-8675.

If you can't attend the event or need a copy shipped to you, you may call the store or add the appropriate book to your cart on our website. Payment type must be "CreditCard." In the order notes, add personalization details.

To place an international order, please email orders@bluewillowbookshop.com to obtain shipping details and to have items shipped to you. Staff will respond within 24-48 hours.

Event date: 

Saturday, April 29, 2017 - 3:00pm

Event address: 

Saving El Chico (Paperback)

By Meta F. Strauss

$16.00

ISBN: 9780692822920

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Ecom Press - December 13th, 2016

http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/event/meta-strauss