Hard To Be an Expat, So Far Away at Christmas

Gracie -- my five-year-old smiling granddaughter

Excuse me, but I’m a little down. I miss my son and granddaughter.  And my mother.

Spending Christmas far away wasn’t easy, even if we did have a lovely dinner with new friends.

The good part was seeing my little Gracie’s three-story dollhouse via Skype. She showed us every floor at various angles before we said goodbye to her upside down smiling face. I could see inside her nostrils, I told her. She giggled and the conversation ended.

Then I spoke to my 96-year-old mother on the phone as a friend was helping her install a new computer.

“I’ll message you on facebook,” she promised before our talk was over.

I grew up with my mother’s stories of our pioneer relatives who moved from the Carolinas to Oregon in the U.S.

“Think of how strong they were to start a new life,” she would tell me.

Now I see what she meant.
*****

P.S. I miss my sisters, too!

Never Too Late To Learn a Lesson or Two

I met a French couple who’d been camping in southern Chile.

“Español?”

“Si,” he smiled.

We talked as my new friends shared their Patagonian photos of diving whales and ice-blue glaciers.

My high school Spanish teacher would be proud. I was USING what he had taught. I can close my eyes and see him. Moderate height, slim with coal black hair and a warm face.

“Speak from the front of your mouth. Blow air across your lips. Make a sound like this,” he’d demonstrate. He’d fold a sheet of paper into a fan, then jot down verb endings on each pleat. “Here’s a quick way to memorize conjugations.”

Mr. Mariani’s encouragement and patience worked well with high school students, but I remember it even now, as I use the language he taught me to love.

It’s never too late to practice what we began learning long ago.

***

Are you struggling to learn something new? Your thoughts?

Learning to use Chopsticks takes patience, and so does adjusting to a new culture, author says

Many from other countrie are surprised at the political marches that occur regularly in Ecuador. My opinion: We need to learn more about this active and successful process!

A COUPLE OF NEW FRIENDS are not making it here in Cuenca, Ecuador—at least so far. I like them and find they are interesting and fun. But I don’t think they’ve lived much in other cultures. I gauge this on their reactions to their new surroundings In their eyes, nothing seems to be going right since they have arrive.

Nobody said it was easy!

The electricity was off when "John and Karen" got to their new apartment late at night from the Guayaquil airport. Instead of going to bed and trying to solve it in the morning (after the person on duty couldn’t fix it) they went to an expensive hotel. When they returned the next day and learned the power switch in the basement was off, and just needed to be flipped on, they got mad and decided the apartment owner should pay for their night at the Ritz.

That reaction might work in the U.S. but it doesn’t work here. Things are not so sophisticated. This is a developing country and the trains don’t always run on time!

A trip to the grocery again made them angry when they were asked for a passport. “People were following me,” my friend stated, as he wondered why he had to show credentials to buy a loaf of bread.

“That’s just how it is done here,” I explained. “I don’t make the rules.”

And neither do any visitors. When we travel outside of our country and culture, we must accept that the values, social norms, and traditions in the U.S. may be very different from beliefs about "how things should be" in the country where we grew up.

As I sit here typing, I am personally angry over a small occurrence of health insurance fraud on a policy that I signed up for here. But I have to ask myself, how well did I check out the company? The broker? Did I let myself get Gringo’ed?

Further, I can’t get the public Internet company to commit to come to my apartment and install a new system. I am working from my bedroom where I can intercept reception from next door—while I am trying to market a new book, using twitter and facebook! What a pain.

I am not used to doing some of the footwork required to live here, and I realize this. I am not used to non-customer-driven-non-service! Becoming angry, however, just doesn’t work in this culture. Patience is sometimes rewarded. There also are some legal remedies to invoke, if necessary (but sometimes with unexpected consequence). Often, I forget my own advice when difficulties arise.

But if I am thinking straight, I find it works best to cut the losses and start over when up against a difficult hurdle, such as the problems with health insurance or Internet that I’ve encountered. It is at times like this I miss my home country.

When individuals move to another culture, they naturally carry their own background and life experiences with them, and these shape how they react and adjust to their new environment. For example, some will find a new culture (how people do things) easy to adjust to, while others may struggle significantly (like my two friends). "Culture shock" is a common experience that describes the feelings of confusion, stress and disorientation that occur when entering an unfamiliar culture. Of course, not everyone has the same reactions to cultural adjustment and may experience the symptoms of culture shock in varying degrees, and at different times.

Professionals who study this adjustment period say that common reactions include:

• extreme homesickness
• avoiding social situations
• physical complaints and sleep difficulties
• inability to concentrate
• becoming angry over minor irritations
• significant nervousness or exhaustion

Here are some things to know that might help

• Everything is relative to culture.
  For example people from different cultures may see how Americans behave as different and as “bad”. For some, the American communication style may seem too loud or direct. Take a lesson, and try to avoid labeling what others do as "good" or "bad" according to the culture you are from. Remember that there may be parts of a culture you dislike, but these are part of a broader social system, and make more sense inside that system.
• Be curious and open-minded.
  Adjusting to a new culture does not mean that you have to change your own beliefs or values, but it is important to respect those of other people. When you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation, try to think of it as a new adventure. See this experience as a new game, and be curious about the way things are perceived and done in this new place.
• Use your observation skills.
  Since you will run into new ways of doing things (rules and norms), observing how others behave can help you understand what is expected of you. It’s like watching someone use chopsticks before trying it out for for yourself! Pay close attention to both the verbal and nonverbal communication of others to get a better picture of what is going on.
• Ask questions 
  Ask for help when you need it. This is not a sign of weakness. In Cuenca, the moment a person asks for help in speaking Spanish, nearly every Cuencano reaches out in support. Understanding others and making yourself understood in a new language requires lots of rephrasing, repeating and clarification. It may be helpful to ask questions like "I believe you are saying... Is that correct?" Talk slowly and use hand gestures. In Latino culture, I find myself adding apologies more frequently. “Excuse me. Will you please speak more slowly?” (Disculpe. Por favor. Hable mas despacio.)
• It's ok to experience anxiety 
  Learning to function in a new environment is not easy. It is natural to feel anxious or frustrated sometimes. The key is to remind yourself that these feelings are normal and are likely to be situational and temporary.
• Know it’s okay to make mistakes
  Anyone will make mistakes while exploring a new environment. Look for the humor and be ready to laugh, while keeping in mind that others will probably make mistakes, too. If someone makes an absurd statement about your culture, it may be due to a lack of information. Use this as an opportunity to share information with others about yourself and your culture.
• Take care of your physical and mental health
  Be mindful about keeping a healthy diet and getting enough exercise and rest. Try to find an activity that you enjoy and make it part of your routine. Being physically active can help reduce your stress level, but if this doesn’t work seek help. Look for an AA, in you’re having alcohol problems for instance, or for depression and other problems seek a therapist who knows your culture (if talking to a friend does not help).
• Be patient - don't try to understand everything immediately
  It takes time to adjust to a new and different culture. Be patient with this experience and do not be overly critical of yourself or the people around you.

I hope my new friends start to adjust. And I hope to hell that the Internet company comes through and that the Insurance company pays its bills! Meanwhile, I have some good ideas for a backup!

It was the "damned gate" that caught my attention. (Surprising words from a Mississippi debutante trainer)

It took a year to create and write The Plan--and get it into publication. I came up with the idea many years ago, when living in Mississippi, but didn't have the needed time to really think about and develop the plot or complete the project until I retired and moved to Cuenca, Ecuador. 

This morning I was thinking about how this book came about. 
It’s a good story, in itself!

*****

The "damned" gate

I was a passenger in her car and we were on the way to Parchman Penitentiary. This infamous Mississippi Delta prison was where my psychologist husband worked, and we lived on the grounds. I’d met “Ella” in the small town of Drew. And she seemed like a nice lady. 

Actually, I’d found myself feeling sorry for her, since she confided she was on a third marriage. She was not particularly attractive, and as I would learn she probably went through a lot of his money. Not on frivolous things, but doctor visits—lots of those, for various ailments—but also on her hobby. She liked to help prepare young girls for their debuts.

-----

The Plan is available at Smashwords in various formats including Kindle and ibooks

-----

THE YEAR WAS 2004. There weren’t many formal coming out parties taking place anymore, she confessed, but it was still important for her house to be pretty, "just in case." Drapes are expensive no matter where you live, and she’d recently had to replace not only the living room window furnishings but her carpets. The girls would be coming to her house, if she was able to pick up a parent or two as clients this spring. Plus, she was in charge of her town's Culture Club. Another reason to spend money on her home and yard. The flowers had to look good, of course, because the club held monthly meetings in her home.

We’d just left the small town of Drew, and I noticed something to the left, just off the highway. A white metal fence, halfway open, with kudzu vines growing on it. A couple of tall pilings were behind the gate.

“What’s that?” I asked Ella. I was always curious about anything new or different that I’d spot in this unfamiliar region. Living in Mississippi was a new experience. We’d moved there from Nevada with no preconceptions and it turned out a fascinating place to be. A part of the country we’d never visited. In fact, when I first heard about our possible move, I thought the “Delta” would be down on the coast, but found it to be a stretch of land along the Mississippi River, from Memphis to Vicksburg.

“The damned gate? It was going to be a home,” Ella began.

Her cursing hit me by surprised. But I didn't react. I wanted to hear what else she had to say. I settled back in my car seat, ready for her story. But it was far shorter than I’d expected.

Brief, in fact.

“He was a bad man. A lawyer. He was murdered.

Damn, if I didn’t want to hear more. I always like a good story. But Ella said she didn’t want to talk anymore about it. I had to learn why. 

Ella dropped me off at our home, an old red brick house that wasn’t very far away from the gas chamber. Thank God it was not being used in those days. She didn’t want to stop for coffee. Had to get back because her cleaning lady was due to arriv, she explained.

I started that afternoon trying to learn who’d been murdered and why. It only took one call, to a Drew minister I’d recently met, to get the basics.

“That would be Cleve McDowell, the first black law student to enter Ole Miss. He got kicked out!”

The Reverend was a friend. He told me some of the Cleve McDowell story that day, but it took a few months to drag it all out. I had a feeling that I was the first person to learn the whole story, that is, as much of the story that is known. Of course I had to dig through old records, lie a little bit to some courthouse clerks, and track down other several older people to learn as much as I could

Cleve McDowell would be the main character Clinton Moore in The Plan. I changed dates and location but not much else, at least in the beginning of the book. I wanted to be as close as possible to the history. (Next, I’ll write about his friend who was also murdered (“Joe Means”) who is also based on a real person.)

Here’s a link if you want to read the nonfiction book, WhereRebels Roost; Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited. You can read it free online! It’s huge, and tells quite a bit about the civil rights history of the Mississippi Delta. Cleve McDowell's story is included.

AT LEFT, Cleve McDowell and Rev. Jesse Jackson (covered with cotton dust while campaigning in the Delta)

***

Have you ever lived in a place that was entirely different from where you were raised? The climate? The people? The food? What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them in a comment. Thanks. Susan

-----

The Plan is now available at Smashwords in various formats including Kindle and ibooks

-----

When You Retire, You Have Time To --

Retirement = Doing What You Want To Do

The tight bond between Clinton and Joe, two gay, black lawyers (one of them, married) is broken when Joe is reportedly found hanged. A suicide seems impossible to Clint, and Joe’s widow is acting cagey. Clinton Moore believes Joe Means was tortured and murdered, and that his and Joe’s shared obsession—investigating and fact gathering about cold case murders and assassinations—is the reason.

(short description of The Plan)

* * * * *

I've been doing what I love to do, all year long. Writing my book!

And now --

The Plan is out! I worked over a year on writing this book (as a retiree) and I am excited to share it with you. Real quick—here is how to get your free copy (this week only):

Go to this page

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/370902

Choose the download option.You will have a number of options, from a PDF file to something you can use on your Kindle, Apple or on your computer screen.

When you get to the checkout “basket,” use this code 

BR42M 

for your FREE copy.

I will appreciate your review! (Once you’ve read it.)

Thanks for your interest. It has been a wonderful journey writing this book and I hope that you enjoy the results. I am happy to share this event with you!!

Susan Klopfer 

What are you doing for retirement? Are you having fun? Please share your experiences here. Thanks, Susan

Walk Through the Central Park in Cuenca, Ecuador and You Might Hear Pan Flutes and Guitars

What a nice day for retirement expatting. We enjoyed some great music in the Central Park. It was quite a surprise as we walked downtown to hear the pan flutes, drums and guitars playing. A special Andean musical group had come out to sing and play.

The sun was out, beautiful white clouds were overhead, and we really had fun watching locals and tourists come together to enjoy this wonderful music. Some bravely danced as the music played!

I had to shoot my video from behind the band, since I'm too short to shoot over the crowds. But here they are, playing some great music. Looked this music up in Wikipedia and learned --

Andean music comes from the general area inhabited by Quechuas, Aymaras and other peoples who lived roughly in the area of the Inca Empire prior to European contact. It includes folklore music of parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. 
Andean music is popular to different degrees across Latin America, having its core public in rural areas and among indigenous populations. The Nueva Canción movement of the 70s revived the genre across Latin America and brought it to places where it was unknown or forgotten.

All that I know, is that I love the sound. It's fun to listen to the musicians. One day not so long ago, Fred and I took a bus ride into the Andes and stopped in Seraguro, where we listened to a group of flute players entertain the local crowd. It was amazing,
-----

With the notable exception of the Otavalan craftspeople and merchants of northern Ecuador, no other indigenous Ecuadorian community has maintained its ethnic identity like the Saraguros.
Centered around the town of Saraguro, 80 miles south of Cuenca, the Saraguro nation, which numbers between 25,000 and 30,000, has maintained an enduring presence in the rural areas of the southern Ecuadorian provinces of Loja, Azuay and Zamora Chinchipe; some say it dates back 500 years, others say for much longer.
Although they have established a strong crafts tradition, the Saraguros are best known to the outside world for their distinctive appearance. They dress in black, women in home-woven pleated skirts, men in knee-length trousers. Both wear matching ponchos, often with shawls with orange and red accents, and white felt hats. Both men and women keep their hair in a long, single braid.

-----

By the way, the book cover was shot in Seraguro. I fell in love with this public painting on a wall near the bus depot!

THE PLAN

Just another fun day of retirement!

Here is my good news: the book is at the formatters and I'm due to have it in my hands tomorrow. Then I'll need a day to do some more quick work and it should be up at Smashwords by the weekend.

I hope to have it in readers' hands by Sunday! Wish me luck!

Susan

Preview - Just for you. The Plan (Prologue and Chapter 1)

Am I retired? I don't know. I live in Ecuador and have friends who've retired. We have an easy life. Lots of places to go and things to do. BUT -- 

I have to confess that I love writing books. This last one took a full year to birth. Far longer than I'd planned or imagined. My eyes are a little more blurry. In the past year, we've moved to this country, lost a sweet dog, watched our granddaughter play soccer via Skype, and have acquired a taste for South American foods.

Well, The Plan is out of editing and is with the "formatter." This means my new murder mystery thriller (with shades of paranormal and historical fiction) will be out by the end of the week. But I wanted to share a little bit with you before then. Here's a link to the prologue and Chapter 1. I hope that you enjoy the read and send me comments.

Yes. I am retired. But there is no way that I will quit writing. I hope that in your retirement, you find something wonderrful ad fun to do, too.

Here it is! http://ebooksfromsusan.com/blog/peek_preview

Please enjoy!

Susan

Awakening to Retirement in the Andes

Door to Andean Church, outside of Cuenca

It has been a year we've been "retired" in Cuenca, Ecuador. I put the word in quotes, because honestly, it hasn't felt like being retired (whatever that means) at all.

We've been busy. Fred is seeing some patients and writing a book, and I've been WORKING HARD writing my book, The Plan. The best part about our first year has been meeting such wonderful, interesting and fun people.

Recently, we took a Sunday with four new friends (years younger than us!) to visit a small fishing lake and village in the Andes. It was a beautiful, warm sunny day, and when we dropped down into lower altitudes, we didn't need our jackets that we'd so carefully packed.

 Traveling by bus with our friend, Kathryn McCullough (an author!)

Taking photos of us taking photos!

Here's a quick video from our trip. I invite you to see for yourself what retirement can be all about.

Oh, be sure to click on the bottom right of the Youtube screen to enlarge the video. (When you mouse over the four characters the words full screen will pop up.) The Esc. key brings you back here.

The words on the bottom of these photos are from a poem, Awaken, that was written in Ecuadorian Quichuan, a lanaguage spoken by 2.5 million people! As I watched the parents interact with their children, it reminded me a little of this poem.

Enjoy!

Susan

Nothing Has Changed: 'Scientists' Refuse to Listen to Valid JFK Story; COPA Loses Face in Battle

Judyth Vary Baker, conspiracy author, and a scientist

By Susan Klopfer

(Note: Since I first posted this story, COPA has not budged. This usually scientific organization holds by its guns, and won't let Judyth Vary Baker speak. She has one of the best stories to tell, but the tape stays on her mouth. Baker is hosting her own program during the celebration week that includes a tribute to her former boyfirned, Lee  Harvey Oswald. Baker has taken some offense at the following article, but I have decided not to make changes. I believe that my description of her and my assessment are valid. She is the auhtor of a tremendous book, Me and Lee, that I highly recommend. Susan)

I want to address a recently reported decision made by the Coalition on Political Assassinations, or COPA. Listed among speakers for the upcoming November 22-25 Dallas conference, is Judyth Vary Baker. This author of Lee and Me, a well-documented account of her romance with Lee Harvey Oswald, has much to offer on the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But Baker was told last week there is “no room” for her at the meeting.

COPA is known for its scientific approach in helping us learn more about the JFK assassination. Among the group are many bright academics who also are typically cautious of taking political risks—tenure must be at the back of one’s mind whenever presenting academic papers on controversial issues, such as this. For example, I would hate to be a history professor at Purdue University this year! If you don’t know the story, this prestigious university’s new president once tried banning the works of a famous and liberal historian in high school text books. But he didn’t stop there.

Dozens of Purdue University professors recently questioned his commitment to academic Freedom, and in an open letter to President Mitch Daniels, they’ve said they are more troubled by his continued criticism of Howard Zinn's writings since becoming Purdue's president than they were by the emails he sent as governor more than three years ago. 

Judyth has something more than “just data” to offer at this important fiftieth anniversary event. She has a first-hand story that is significant. She slept with the man who has been blamed for killing the president. She does not believe Oswald is the villain he’s been made out to be by the Warren Commission and all of the investigators from the FBI, intelligence agencies, and even the compromised U.S. press. You know, journalists like Chuck Todd who don’t believe it is their duty to ask questions when politicians lie to the public. She believes Oswald even tried to save JFK’s life.

Judyth is not a quiet, cautious person. She can appear flaky. She types in all caps—shouts online—when she gets attacked. She acts frantic when she’s called names. Sometimes she says things that make her Facebook followers upset. Some ask if she’s in her right mind. I think of several other assassination conspiracy writers who have been targeted for shunning because they sometimes appear to lose control. Does this behavior make them wrong? Or are they reacting to continued attempts to harass and censor?

Whenever a “Judyth” is banned from speaking in important arenas, one has to ask if the organization’s membership truly reflects its stated goals. Stated less politely, has COPA’s leadership been compromised by some who do not want truth to be known? Could there possibly be some influence by CIA or FBI or military assets doing their job by making sure people like Judyth are silenced? If you answer no, I have a bridge to sell you. This happens frequently and all of us can think of people and situations that must be questioned.

Judyth is an easy target; she’s easy to rattle. Years of hiding out in foreign countries, fearing she is a potential target and the loss of her family have taken their toll. Maybe she suffers from PTSD. Would you suffer, under these bizarre circumstances?

COPA needs to invite this significant author to speak; otherwise this organization could go the way of Purdue University when it comes to teaching and reporting history. Thank God there are professors at that Indiana institution willing to speak out on free speech. Willing to defend a brilliant mind from the likes of a TeaJadist ruler.

COPA has nothing to lose by letting Judyth Vary Baker speak on this fiftieth anniversary; the organization has everything to lose if Judyth is banned.

So, I double-dog-dare COPA to invite Judyth as a major speaker this November. Otherwise I am right about all of the above (and more).

*****

Susan Klopfer, MBA, is a graduate of Hanover College and Indiana Wesleyan University. The former journalist and Prentice Hall acquisitions and development editor, is the author of three nonfiction books on Mississippi civil rights: The Emmett Till Book; Where Rebels Roost, Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited; and, Who Killed Emmett Till. Her new book, The Plan, is set to be published at the end of September. Learn more about this novel at http://ebooksfromsusan.com

Just pubished a retirement/travel article in an online magazine, and want to share.

http://retirementandgoodliving.com/finding-a-best-friend-forever-in-ecuador/

Judyth Vary Baker was forced into early retirement from life.

Can you imagine going into hiding as your early retirement plan? Recently I read a great true story about a woman who really hasn't been allowed to have a typical life -- the kind of life where you develop a career, marry and raise a family and then retire with your husband. It started out fine for this unique woman. She was a superstar science student on her way to academic success.

Everyone wanted her to join their special programs, including several shrewd and manipulative people who ultimately made a disaster of her life. Here's quick review of her book, Me and Lee.  Better read it fast, because another powerful book is on the way!

*****
Me and Lee --
Review By Susan Klopfer

Can you imagine being a top, young scientist headed for academic excellence and then having your entire world turned upside down by people who don’t know or care about you?

I love true stories about brave people and Judyth Vary Baker's Me and Lee is one of the best such books I've read. Her intimate story of how she became involved with Lee Harvey Oswald is chilling.

***
Buy Judyth Vary Baker's Book at this Link
As a Nookbook
Amazon Kindle
Judyth Baker's website
***

I've read nearly every JFK assassination book published, but this one is different. Judyth takes readers through her dramatic life journey, starting when she was a young academic woman on the rise and was pulled into important scientific projects by government agents. Very quickly she was used by  shrewd men and women for their gain in the strangest of conditions.

But then this young science star met a handsome, kind man who she quickly fell in love with, and had to watch as he was destroyed by a system that shows no love of humanity. Me and Lee is both a love story, and an intriguing spy novel. I challenge any JFK assassination conspiracy skeptic to read Judyth Vary  Baker’s book and then tell me that  Lee Harvey Oswald was a heartless robot who killed the president. Great reading. Every page kept me spellbound.

If you plan on seeing the newest movie coming out on JFK, I hear it is far from true. Better to buy this book and learn the true story. Why is this book so believable? Judyth includes pages of documentation. She is a brilliant researcher and knows what is needed to support her facts.
***

My Big Adventure - Writing eBooks as an Expat

The Plan: Murder, Mystery Conspiracy eBook Publish Date Set For September. 

I am almost done! The Plan is with the copy editor, and should be ready by the middle of this month. I have to admit that as a retired person, I’ve been working awfully hard. But I don’t think I would be happy doing NOTHING! I am happiest when writing, and now I have more time to follow my dreams, and in such a beautiful location. I highly recommend “expating.” Here's what our week looks like:

In the next hour, Fred and I are going out to lunch with a couple of soon-to-be expat friends from Arizona, who are planning to come back to Cuenca to retire next year. We actually have a busy schedule this week —three lunch dates, a raw foods cooking class with Susan Schenck, a trip to the organic market and on Sunday, helping our friend Don Colón move his restaurant to a new location on the Central Square. Colón is a character in my book. This chef once hosted a television cooking show in Quito, and is a fun person to be around. He saves the beautiful lady, at the end! (of course).

THE PLAN is an alternative fiction novel based on the real lives of two Deep South, gay black lawyers. The bond between Clinton and Joe (one of them, married) is broken when Joe is reportedly found hanged. A suicide seems impossible to Clint, and Joe’s widow is acting cagey. Clinton Moore believes Joe Means was tortured and murdered, and that his and Joe’s shared obsession—investigating and fact gathering about the cover-up of various murders of civil rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,and President John F. Kennedy—is the reason for Joe’s death. Clinton believes he is next on the list, and that solving Joe’s murder is his only chance of survival.

When he discovers Joe’s wife has been spirited away as an expat to South America, Clinton sends his trusted legal assistant, Mollie Johnson, to Cuenca, Ecuador for the adventure of her life. She joins forces with journalist Sara Mercury, and together they take readers into the high Andes to bring home the widow, Tara Means. Filled with civil rights and alternative history, hopefully to titillate the most sophisticated conspiracy theorist, this is my first foray into thriller fiction; my goal has been to write a book that is thought-provoking and a fun read!

Reader will discover ties to the Ku Klux Klan, Militia, Neo Nazis, Chile's Colonia Dignidad, NSA, FBI,CIA and the assassinations of two famous civil rights leaders and President John F. Kennedy keep the pace moving in this historical fiction thriller novel, first of a crime action adventure and mystery series.

***

See more at: Ebooks From Susan

***

My advice —Stay with the story. It's fast and furious, offers a paranormal subtheme, and includes a high-speed car chase in the Andes with Colón at the wheel. I promise you'll be surprised.

The story opens in New York City, when a friend of Clinton Moore, a history professor and crime sleuth reads news of an upcoming trial in Chile. One of his own colleagues disappeared in a South American CIA-supported torture camp, Colonia Dignidad, and he plans to travel to Santiago, to aid his friend's sister who will be testifying.

THE PLAN moves to the Mississippi delta, as Clinton Moore lays out the story of why he and his friend have been murdered. But then, it is on to Cuenca, Ecuador as a talented paralegal tries to save the wife of her (now) dead boss’s dead best friend!

Does Mollie Johnson have a ghost of a chance finding Tara Means? Perhaps she does, when a compromised but passionate journalist, fired from The Dallas News for writing too many JFK assassination stories, tries to help, with interference (good and bad) from an Embassy attaché, a flirtatious Cuencano chef and a very old CIA asset with ties to the assassinations AND to Colonia Dignidad!

Are you looking for adventure and mystery? THE PLAN is based on a true story, and is a work of historical or alternative fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either come from my imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY CATEGORY

—Historical Fiction

—Alternative Fiction Novel

—Mystery Novels

—Crime Thriller

—Action and Adventure

ISBN-10:  0-9826049-7-1

ISBN-13:  978-0-9826049-7-7

THE PLAN - an alternative history adventure and mystery novel - is set for publication in September of 2013. - See more at: Ebooks From Susan

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases; Parallels Trayvon Martin: Download free mp3 files from Who Killed Emmett Til...

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases; Parallels Trayvon Martin: Download free mp3 files from Who Killed Emmett Til...: Please drop by http://ebooksfromsusan.com and listen to (and download) f ree mp3 files from Who Killed Emmett Till? There are four exce...

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases; Parallels Trayvon Martin: Download free mp3 files from Who Killed Emmett Til...

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases; Parallels Trayvon Martin: Download free mp3 files from Who Killed Emmett Til...: Please drop by http://ebooksfromsusan.com and listen to (and download) f ree mp3 files from Who Killed Emmett Till? There are four exce...

Found a great vet in Cuenca, Ecuador: will treat emergencies!

Dr. Javier Gallardo, Cuenca, Ecuador veterinarian

We had a vet emergency on a Sunday night. Tried calling every vet listed with 24 hour emergency designation and either they didn't answer, or would not come in.Then we found a phone number for  Dr. Gallardo. He said to come to his clinic, where he met us and treated our dog. He was wonderful! We will use him for both pets, and highly recommend.his services. He speaks very little English but uses a Spanish translator on his PC and this worked fine for us.

His phone number is 2816869 or 0987232618. He was featured in a news story at http://www.eltiempo.com.ec/noticias-cuenca/120811-veterinaria-gallardo-con-nuevo-local/

It's like this: I love my animals more than most people. It scared the heck out of me when my new, little rescue dog got so sick, and I couldn't help her. Cheryl ate something BAD on the street and started getting very ill, late at night. So I was so thankful to find this nice vet!

The Plan Starts in New York City, Moves to the Mississippi Delta, and Winds Up in the South American Andes of Ecuador

A sunset in the Andes of Ecuador

I am so close! The Plan is in final editing stages. From here, it goes to a formatter, and then to Amazon! The cover has been designed, and it's fantastic. I am so excited to be about to share this book with  my friends. Here's the basic summary:

A sunset in the Mississippi Delta

The Plan is A MURDER MYSTERY, HISTORICAL FICTION THRILLER that opens in New York City, but quickly moves to the Deep South. The bond between Clinton and Joe, two gay, black lawyers (one of them, married) is broken when Joe is found hanged. A suicide seems impossible to Clint, and Joe’s widow is acting cagey. Clinton Moore thinks Joe was murdered, and that his and Joe’s shared obsession, investigating and fact gathering about the cover-up of various murders of civil rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and of John F. Kennedy, is the reason for Joe’s death. Clinton feels he is next on the list, and that solving Joe’s murder is his only chance of survival. When he discovers that Joe’s wife has been spirited away to South America, he sends his trusted legal assistant, Mollie, to Ecuador to check it out. (See more at: http://ebooksfromsusan.com.)

Got to get to work,, though. Thanks for stopping by!  Susan Klopfer