In Memory

Friday I attended the Celebration of Life for Christine T. Jorgensen (1941-2024). I met Christine during my first Colorado Gold conference in 1994. She was incredibly gracious, poised, and welcoming to a wannabe writer like me. Christine was one of the founders of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and its first president. Over the course of her writing career, she published seven mystery novels.

 

I didn't know her very well and it was both enlightening and inspiring to hear anecdotes of a full life from her husband, children, and friends. An interesting writerly detail was that she had a thirst for cocktails and could hold her own when it came time to partake in the booze. Christine was born September 12, 1941, in Champagne, Illinois. With the start of WW2, her father was called up, serving later in the Philippine campaign, and the family moved to southern California to be closer to him before he shipped out. After college, Christine worked in family and child support services in Chicago and Denver. A voracious reader, she was drawn to writing, initially trying her hand with romance novels until her critique group noted that a romance story does not typically have a murder. Even if it did, seven dead bodies in one book were too many for the genre. With that advice, Christine turned her attention to murder mysteries, eventually penning five in the Stella the Stargazer series, followed by two stand-alones. Any one of us would be lucky to be so fondly remembered.

To read her obituary, click here Christine T. Jorgensen.

Double Binds

A couple of weeks ago my oldest daughter participated in a dressage event. She and her horse, Roslyn, are a really elegant combination. A number of family members attended, the weather was perfect. It was delightful day, and doubly enjoyable because attending this show rather than something else was an easy choice.

We have a close and supportive extended family. It's one of my biggest blessings. However, I've noticed over the years the time I spend choosing between conflicting events keeps growing. There's hardly ever just one thing going on.

On June 2, Colorado Humanities Council will announce the winners of the various categories for the categories for the Colorado Book Award. I'm a finalist (Fractured Families) and am in awe of the abilities of the other two finalists in the mystery category. I know them both--Barbara Nickless (Dead Stop) and Margaret Mizushima (Hunting Hour)--through my local Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America chapter.

But I have a conflict. There's a wonderful birthday party planned for one of my best friends. I can't possibly go to both. The choice is clear--I'm going to the awards ceremony--but still, I really regret not having the ability to be in two places at once.

Writing double-binds keep multiplying. All the conferences are so attractive. I want to go to Western Writers of America this summer, but my granddaughter's graduation party is on the last day. I'll leave the conference early (Billings, MT) and drive non-stop to get back to Aurora.

If I go to Western Writers can I afford to go to Colorado Gold? I hear it's a wonderful conference and it's sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. It's close, too. Driving is preferable to flying because of all the stuff I end up taking. Books are the pits to manage and some events require several different kinds of clothes.

And talk about multiplication, how did I end up joining so many organizations?

Everything sounds so appealing. I want to do everything and go everywhere.