Archive for the '25 Years Ago Today' Category

25 Years Ago Today: Suburban Fantasy Author Sarah E. Glenn

Published on July 11, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I’d like to welcome Sarah E. Glenn, the talented author of All This and Family, Too, a novel that fits the categories of Gay and Lesbian, Suburban Fantasy, and Vampire Comedy. Sarah has a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kentucky. She’s held a number of entirely unrelated jobs since that time: art intern at the billboard company, NCIC operator for the Lexington Police Department, and teaching assistant for medical terminology. She likes to write mystery and horror stories, especially when they include a sidecar of funny.

Here is what Sarah was doing 25 years ago.

SARAH: 25 years ago, I worked as an NCIC operator and Reports Desk staff for the Lexington-Fayette County Police Department. During that time, I saw true-life tragedies and stories that would have given me a promising career as a stand-up comedienne. I also discovered something that really scares police:
Bats.
Our building was old and began its life as a department store. The city decided to make some improvements on the lower floors, and several ceiling tiles in our area were left open. One evening, a bat swooped down on the Reports Desk.
One moment, I had a counter full of officers needing help. The next… no one. They even slammed the door behind them, leaving me and my co-worker with the bat.

You know that old wives’ tale about bats in your hair? I think it sprang up because they buzz people. They zoom close, then veer off. We crouched at our desks, ducking as our little friend caromed off the supports.
I thought about calling to the back (911), but what good would that have done? I’d had police in the room moments ago!
One lone officer, stationed with us to take reports over the phone, was busy with a caller when the bat started buzzing him. He excused himself, put the phone on hold, and grabbed his nightstick. WHACK! Bat knocked out of the air. STOMP! Dead bat.
He turned to us: “I need to file a Use of Deadly Force report…”

Visit Sarah on her web site and blog.

Check out All This and Family, Too on Amazon. It tells the story of a vampire who moves into a gated community and discovers the true meaning of horror. Will she survive the experience with the mixed blessing of a loving but dysfunctional family?

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is an occasional feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Mystery/Thriller Author Douglas Corleone

Published on May 17, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

I’d like to welcome Douglas Corleone, the author of the Kevin Corvelli mystery series published by St. Martin’s Minotaur. His debut novel One Man’s Paradise won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. A former New York City criminal defense attorney, Doug now lives in the Hawaiian Islands where he writes full-time. Night on Fire is his second novel.

Doug’s character Jake Harper from the book Night on Fire is answering the question: What were you doing 25 years ago?

Jake: Twenty-five years ago today? Let’s see. I was a young buck of 42. In my prime, if you could call it that. I was working as an attorney in Houston, Texas. Defending capital murder cases, which in Harris County meant holding clients’ hands on their way to the gas chamber. Now they use lethal injection – more humane, or so they say.

Nowadays, prosecutors stand around the courthouse hallways, joking about the next inductees into the ‘Silver Needle Society.’ But back in 1986, my clients were getting the gas. Looking at my calendar, I see that I was indeed attending the execution of one of my clients twenty-five years ago today. A Mr. Samuel Lane.

I remember it now clear as day, poor ol’ Sammy being strapped into that chair in an airtight room. Sitting there, twitching, as sixteen one-ounce pellets of cyanide were dropped in a pan of sulfuric acid at his feet. Sammy thrashed a bit, his face turned purple. Took a good ten minutes for him to die. I don’t remember the facts of his case, of course. Don’t remember the facts of many of my cases from back then. But I remember my clients. I remember them living and I remember them dying. In those days, I used to have to drink myself to sleep at night. Still do, most nights.

You can read more Doug and his books on his web site.

In the meantime, check out Night on Fire on Amazon. Hotshot Honolulu defense attorney Kevin Corvelli narrowly escapes a deadly arson fire at a popular Hawaiian beach resort, only to land the prime suspect – a stunning but troubled young newlywed – as a client. If you missed it, you can also read Kevin’s Sink or Swim interview here.

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is a regular feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

Find the Clue in Twenty-Five Years Ago Today Excerpt 3

Published on May 14, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

This is the third and final in a series of excerpts from my mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, which has been creating quite a buzz on Amazon the past several weeks. My character Kris Langley, an editorial assistant for a small daily newspaper, compiles the 25 and 50 Years Ago Today column as one of her job responsibilities. It’s a job that I once held myself, many years ago when I began my writing career, and combing through the microfilm was a tedious task. Kris stumbles across a 25-year-old murder while researching her column, so her 25 Years Ago Today tasks are what set the whole story into motion.

Since Kris and I know this, ahem, drudgery, so well, I thought it would be fun to start each chapter in the book with one of her 25 Years Ago Today snippets. I’ve included five of them below, but there’s a little twist. (If you’ve read my books, you know that I like twists.) One of these innocent-sounding snippets provides a clue to the mystery and there is one more hidden in the book.

25 Years Ago Today: Jennifer McGreggor wins the speech contest sponsored by the Fremont Women of Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Mr. and Mrs. George R. Mann of Fremont are honored with a surprise party for their 35th wedding anniversary.

25 Years Ago Today: Elizabeth Maxwell of Warren, a graduate of the St. Agnes School of Nursing, passes her state board exams.

25 Years Ago Today: A proposal is made to build a town swimming pool in Fremont.

25 Years Ago Today: Fremont High School History Club member Patricia Addison wins a state award for her essay on Greek Mythology.

I won’t tell you which one is the clue – you’ll have to read the book to find out! For a full selection of online retailers, visit the Store. And if you want to check out the other excerpts, here they are:

My Favorite Scene
Spice Up Your Night With A Little Romance
Chapter One

Spice Up Your Night With a Little Romance from Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: Excerpt 2

Published on May 13, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , .

This is the second in a series of excerpts from my mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Amazon rankings change frequently, but as of this writing, the book is #318 Paid in Kindle Store. It is also #2 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Historical; #12 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Romantic Suspense; and #13 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense. It also just made the Kindle Movers & Shakers List. I’ve been posting some excerpts to help get the word out about the book and hopefully bring it even further up the Amazon bestseller lists. You can read the first excerpt here.

This scene is between main character Kris Langley and the love interest in the book, Eric Soares. Kris is investigating the unsolved 25-year-old murder of Eric’s aunt, Diana Ferguson, a bar waitress and talented artist who died when was he was a child. Kris and Eric have a strong attraction.

Kris changed into a pair of his old sweats and wandered back to the living room. Wind rattled the windows, its shriek drowning out the television. She folded her arms around the sweatshirt, wishing the baggy pants fit better. She’d hitched them up as high as they’d go.

Eric handed her a pillow, his face inches away. “I wanted to apologize for that kiss the other day. I kind of sprung that on you.”

Her heartbeat rocketed in her chest. “You don’t have to apologize. I liked it.”

“Enough for another one?”

“Maybe. It was so long ago, I don’t remember.”

His mere presence overwhelmed her, made words fly out of her mouth. He turned her chin toward him and grazed his lips to hers. Her knees wobbly, she melted into his embrace.

They wound up against the wall, breathing heavy, clothing disheveled. Eric stepped back and cupped her waist. She knew he was waiting for a sign.

Kris straightened her sweatshirt and tucked a hair strand behind her ear. She had to end this before they made a mistake. “Good night,” she said with great effort.

If Eric was disappointed, he didn’t show it. She appreciated him even more.

“Good night,” he said. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the other room.”

“Thanks.”

He kissed her again and retreated down the short hallway to his bedroom. Kris stood frozen. She shouldn’t have come here. She wasn’t who Eric thought. She wasn’t who Nicole had thought, either. Kris found a movie on cable, preparing herself for a restless night.

***
Have you seen the book trailer which features Kris and Eric? (at least how I envisioned them!) Check it out below.

Read a Scene from My Mystery Novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today: Excerpt 1

Published on May 13, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

My mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today is making its way onto the Amazon bestseller lists this week and I thought this would be a good time to share some excerpts from the book, which is available in gift quality trade paperback and in multiple bargain ebook editions. Here is one of my favorite scenes below:

Cheryl came up behind Kris. Her voice sounded sad and tired. “Please don’t tell my mother too much, even if you’re making progress. I don’t want to raise her hopes.”

Kris glanced back at Irene, who hunched on the couch, turning the locket over in her hand. “I’ll be careful with what I say. My aunt would’ve been eager, too.”
“How was your cousin killed?”
“She was strangled, kidnapped by a neighbor while walking alone. We were twelve.”

Cheryl heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. I remember reading about that. It happened locally, didn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I know you’re a terrific writer. I couldn’t have been happier with the business story. I’m just concerned about my mother.”
“I understand,” Kris said. “I won’t let you down.”

She trudged out to her car and brushed off her windshield. She waited behind the steering wheel as the defroster warmed the interior. Not knowing Diana’s whereabouts must have tormented Irene. Kris’s family had agonized over Nicole’s disappearance. As one day blended into the next, Nicole had seemed further and further away.

Finding her was worse.
Kris had learned a new phrase that May, a litany that surged back into her mind, drumming to the beat of the windshield wipers. If only.

If only it hadn’t rained the afternoon Nicole had disappeared.
If only she hadn’t climbed into the car with Randolph Coltraine.
If only Aunt Susan had been home when Nicole called for a ride.

Kris swallowed the metallic taste in her mouth. If only I didn’t trick her.
She chose the long route home, driving fast. She hadn’t driven in New York and had forgotten the thrill of a climbing speedometer. Her first week back, she’d landed a speeding ticket.

Kris skidded onto the Fremont State College campus, her tires kicking up tufts of snow. She passed dorms, tennis courts and the library before parking in front of the deserted baseball field. White trees cast shapeless shadows across the broad expanse of snow.
A chunk of ice slid off the roof, hitting the front window. Kris jumped, her hand to her heart.

“No one’s out there,” she murmured, gazing into the woods. “Not now.”
But once.

Beyond those trees, Diana had lain dead.
Police had crowded the scene, their search over.
Middle-aged reporter Dex Wagner had scribbled in his notebook.
Twenty-five years ago today.

12 of the Most Well-Known Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology

Published on April 28, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Since my adult mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today features a subplot revolving around Greek Mythology, I was thrilled when talented writer Alexis Bonari offered to write a guest post about the most well-known Greek gods and goddesses. Many of the below gods are mentioned in my book and I can attest that this article is a wonderful primer about “Who’s Who” on Mount Olympus. Enjoy the article below. Interspersed with the text, you’ll also find some images from the Twenty-Five Years Ago Today book trailer.

Although the worshipping of Greek Gods and Goddesses was more common thousands of years ago, the fascination of Greek Mythology is still popular in today’s culture. In ancient Greek Mythology the Greek Gods were responsible for both creating and ruling the world, and not only did each God and Goddess come with their own name, they also had their own characteristic and purpose as well.

Alexis Bonari

Here is a list of the 12 most well-known Greek Gods and Goddesses in ancient Greek mythology:

1. Zeus (King of the Gods)
Zeus was considered to be the most powerful of all of the Gods in Greek mythology. Although his sole purpose was to control the weather, he was also known to hold power over the sky and was the God to look to as “the arbiter of justice.”

2. Hera (Goddess of love and heaven)
Hera is historically known as being the wife of Zeus, however she was also responsible for not only the heavens and the earth, but also nearly every aspect of existence as well, such as the seasons and the weather.

3. Poseidon (God of the sea)
Poseidon typically had a negative connotation in Greek mythology because he was always associated with raping women or harshly punishing his enemies, however he was also responsible for making the land fertile and helping sailors who were lost at sea.

4. Demeter (Goddess of the bountiful harvest and the nurturing spirit)
Demeter was considered to be the most generous of the Goddesses, and was known for her kind service of giving the gift of harvest and making the soil fertile.

5. Ares (God of war)
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera, and was commonly associated with civil order and manly courage.

6. Hermes (God of the roads)
Hermes was another son of Zeus and usually served as his personal assistant and even messenger, and was also known for not only being an excellent communicator but also being very persuasive as a negotiator as well.

7. Hephaestus (God of fire)
Hephaestus was another son of Hera and Zeus, but was known as being the “lame God” because he was born a cripple. (Legend has it that Hera threw him from Mount Olympus when he was born and fell for nine days before landing in the ocean).

8. Aphrodite (Goddess of love and beauty)
Aphrodite is often depicted in art as a perfect, eternally young woman, and was also known as being very vain because of her sexual attractiveness.

9. Athena (Goddess of wisdom)
Athena is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, and thanks to her kind and modest character she was loved by nearly everyone. She was also known for being a peacemaker as well as being watchful, intelligent, and rational.

10. Apollo (God of music)
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and although he was known as being intellectual and prophetic he is also known as representing the sun (even though he is not originally a sun god).

11. Artemis (Goddess of hunting)
Not only was Artemis considered to be the goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild animals, she was also the goddess of childbirth and was known for protecting young girls before they became old enough to marry. (Similarly Apollon, her twin brother, was known to be the protector of young boys)

12. Hestia (Goddess of home and hearth)
Although Hestia is considered to be the first born of the Olympian gods, she is also often called the last born because legend has it that her father swallowed all of his children and then “regurgitated” them in reverse order. Hestia had originally asked Zeus to be the goddess of the hearth, and was known for keeping Mount Olympus hearth lit at all times.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and researcher for College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching scholarship thank you letters and writing about saving money for college. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

25 Years Ago Today & Giveaway: Book Marketing Guru Lillian Brummet

Published on April 11, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Today we have Lillian Brummet joining us with an inspiring story about writing against all odds. Lillian is an award-winning author, book marketing guru, owner of the award winning Brummet’s Conscious Blog, and both the host and executive producer of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. Lillian and her husband Dave are the authors of Purple Snowflake Marketing, a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. Lillian says that with the proper knowledge, authors can develop the ability to market their books based on their budget limitations and their personal strengths. The appendix section offers more than 900 direct links to places where writers can network or query for promotion opportunities.

Lillian will be giving away a copy of Jump Start for Writers, a 20 page e-book which offers introductory information on how to prepare for a book’s release. Topics include accelerated publicity efforts, working with other writers, time management skills, a list of common new writer questions, and recommended resources. Deadline for the giveaway is April 16 at 11:59 EST. To enter, leave a comment with your email address below. Here is what Lillian was doing 25 years ago:

LILLIAN: At 16, I had already been on my own for three years and was still shaken from the experiences in taking one of my stepfathers to court. I was living with a beautiful and daring boy (think Tom Cruise, but blonde) – my first love. We met in the park where my high school was located through a mutual friend. She saw the sparks and pushed us together, and together we stayed for three tumultuous years. I clung to his love like nothing else – Somebody Loved Me!

Then, one day I just realized this wasn’t a healthy relationship and that the only way to go about this new life was to be alone, with myself, for a while – that “while” ended up being a year. I began to see that there was a way to let go of the pain of my childhood, the shame and self-loathing from the abuse and neglect I experienced.

Self-help books became my life-blood – I read every free book I could find, from private or library shelves, trying to find a way out of the pain and confusion. Just when I began feeling a bit lonely for a relationship, Dave came into my life – he was the drummer for a house-band at night and a supervisor of a warehouse at night, while I was juggling school and work – so the first couple years of our dating was kind of like high-fiving at the door. (She laughs)

Today I have the honor of living a life that makes a difference – that helps accelerate this conscious living movement we are seeing grow and spread across the planet. The joy this brings me is indescribable – but when my feet hit the floor in the morning, I’m eager to head to my office.

Thank you for joining us, Lillian! For more information on Lillian, visit her web site: www.brummet.ca or drop by her daily blog: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com. There you can learn about titles including Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd; Trash Talk, where readers will learn how they can impact the planet; and Towards Understanding, a collection of 120 poems on society, the environment and overcoming trauma. You can also purchase the books at her store.

Writers, remember to leave a comment and your email address to enter for the ebook copy of Jump Start for Writers.

25 Years Ago Today: Win A Kindle Download Or Book From Suspense Author Ellis Vidler

Published on February 21, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 35 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

I’d like to welcome Ellis Vidler to my blog today. Along with Jim Christopher, Ellis is the co-author of The Peeper, available on Amazon. Upon retiring from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Jim Christopher turned his energies to writing what he knows best—crime. Then he met Ellis Vidler, a published author, and they began collaborating on a suspense novel. “After forty years of police reports, I like the freedom of fiction. You create characters, plan the crime, and then go about solving it.” Ellis is also the author of Haunting Refrain, published by Silver Dagger.

Ellis is giving away a gifted Kindle download or print copy of The Peeper to one lucky winner. (winner’s choice) To enter, leave a comment below with your email address by Saturday, Feb. 26, at 11:59 p.m., EST. Specify which you would prefer, Kindle download or print book.

Here’s an interview between Ellis and the cop from The Peeper, Sam Fullerton, set 25 years ago…

February 1986. Ronald Reagan is president, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters has just been released, and Regina is capturing hearts with “Baby Love.” Halley’s Comet is streaking across the sky like an omen. I hope it means good things are coming. I’m immersed in my first creative writing course since college. And a character named Sam Fullerton is taking shape in my head.

EV: So you’re a free agent, fresh out of the Marine Corps. What are your plans, Sam?
SF: I don’t know yet. I’m thinking about becoming a cop.

EV: Why? I’ve read that law enforcement consists of long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Does that appeal to you?
SF: No, ma’am, but I believe in the rule of law and defending people. Old fashioned maybe, but that’s the way I see it. Someone has to stand up for the victims.

EV (closing eyes, hand to forehead): Oh, dear. I see another knight in shining armor.
SF: What? Are you some kind of fortune teller?

EV (eyes still closed): Uh-oh. The armor begins to tarnish, dark thoughts bend the knight. It is he who needs saving . . .
SF: Ma’am, are you all right?

EV: Yes, don’t worry. I have these moments when the future opens to me. Open yourself to people who care. Twenty-five years from now, you’re going to need them.

You can find out more about The Peeper on the following web sites:
http://www.ellisvidler.com
http://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com

Check out The Peeper on Amazon. Three damaged souls face weakness and murder, love and redemption on a small campus. Elliott, the lonely young man who makes “friends” through dorm windows. Sam, the world-weary cop who has to overcome his past, and Kay, the rookie, who’s finding her way in a harsh world.

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is a regular feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Blues Mystery Author Peggy Ehrhart

Published on February 14, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I’d like to welcome my guest, fellow Sister in Crime Peggy Ehrhart. Peggy is a former English professor who lives in Leonia, New Jersey, where she writes mysteries and plays blues guitar. She holds a doctorate in Medieval Literature, and her publications include a prize-winning nonfiction book. Her short fiction has appeared in FMAM, Crime and Suspense, Flashing in the Gutters, Spinetingler, Crime Scene: New Jersey 2, Murder New York Style, and several other venues.

As a guitar player, she performs regularly with the Still Standing Band. Her blues mystery, Sweet Man Is Gone, was published by Five Star/Gale/Cengage in 2008. The sequel, Got No Friend Anyhow, was published in January 2011. I love Peggy’s story about what she was doing 25 years ago as it involves Greek mythology, which is one of the subplots of my own mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Here is Peggy’s anecdote:

PEGGY: When the call came, my mother-in-law grabbed the first thing she could find to write on: a paper bag. She was babysitting and she handed me the message when I got home from the market.

“The acquisitions editor called,” it read in her careful script. “They want your book. Call him.” And there was a number.

One of the happiest days of my life—and a huge relief. What if my ten years of work had gone for nothing? But no—my first book had found a home. The acquisitions editor who’d called was from the University of Pennsylvania Press.

An odd home for a mystery novel, you might be thinking. But my first published book wasn’t a mystery. It wasn’t even fiction. It was a weighty tome called The Judgment of the Trojan Prince Paris in Medieval Literature.

It dealt with the medieval retellings of the Judgment of Paris myth. Paris was the Trojan prince who stole Helen from her Greek husband Menelaus, thus launching the Trojan War. But his claim to Helen stemmed from an earlier episode. The goddesses Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera requested that he judge their beauty, awarding a golden apple to the winner. Aphrodite bribed him with the gift of Helen, he gave her the apple, and when he claimed his prize, the angry Greeks attacked Troy. Homer tells the rest of the story in the Iliad and the Odyssey.

That book was an unusual preamble to a career writing mysteries—but maybe not. The Judgment of Paris was so popular in the Middle Ages because it was interpreted as a story in which a young man chooses his destiny. Aphrodite stood for a life devoted to the senses, Athena for a life devoted to the mind, and Hera for a life devoted to possessions.

Shortly after my Judgment of Paris book appeared in 1987, I too chose my destiny. Academia was great and I’ll never be sorry I spent all those hours in the library. But it wasn’t enough. In 1989 I bought an electric guitar and formed a blues and rock band, and shortly after that I started work on my first Maxx Maxwell blues mystery.

Read more about Peggy on her web site. Check out Got No Friend Anyhow on Amazon. The book is the second adventure for blues-singer sleuth Elizabeth “Maxx” Maxwell. As Maxx pursues the killer of record-producer Rick Schneider, the reader is taken on a ride that keeps pages turning in classic whodunit style all the way to a dramatic and unexpected climax.

For newcomers: The 25 Years Ago Today column is a regular feature on the Mysteries, Murder & More blog, inspired by the novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today.

25 Years Ago Today: Science Fiction Author Jaleta Clegg Recalls the Challenger Explosion

Published on January 29, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

One of my Bestseller Bound friends, science fiction author Jaleta Clegg, has shared a touching post recalling a day that shook up the whole country. I remember being in seventh grade, coming back from lunch. I saw the tear-stained face of my science teacher and knew something was very wrong. When I heard about the Challenger explosion, a sick feeling twisted the inside of my stomach. The anniversary just passed. Do you remember what you were doing?

Here is Jaleta’s memory. Jan. 28, 1986

It was a cold January day, although the sun shone bright through the windows. I sat on the couch in my mom’s living room, surrounded by silk flowers–red roses, white daisies, and gardenias. My wedding was less than three weeks away. I twisted flowers with ribbons and florists’ wire while I watched the shuttle launch prep on tv.

I’ve been a space junkie ever since I can remember. The night sky has always fascinated me. The stories, the science, but most of all, the travel. Science fiction was and is my genre of choice. I snuck out of bed at 4 am to watch the first shuttle launch. I waited through the interminable countdown with baited breath until the clock hit zero, the engines ignited, and the Columbia rose into space. I watched a shuttle launch live in 2006, a miracle considering I live in Utah and with eight kids, our budget was too tight to squeeze in a trip to Florida. Through the generosity of friends, my husband and I made it. The launch went off on schedule, picture perfect.

Back to the Challenger launch. This was not the shuttle’s first launch. The media circus surrounding it came because of one astronaut: Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher slated to become the first teacher in space. All sorts of special lessons were scheduled to be broadcast from the shuttle to schools across America. School children everywhere watched the launch live, just like I watched from my seat on the couch.

The countdown reached zero, the engines ignited, the shuttle rose into the air on a column of smoke.

And then the unthinkable happened. The shuttle exploded. In an instant, Christa McAuliffe and her fellow astronauts were gone.

I stared in disbelief at the tv as the news people replayed the horrible scene. How could this have happened? A cold snap compromised the rubber in one small gasket. The first teacher in space was gone. A nation watched, horrified, as the events unfolded.

Twenty five years later, Christa McAuliffe has touched my life in ways I could not even have imagined then. A local school teacher, who ran shuttle simulations in his sixth grade classroom, had a dream that blossomed into a full-blown center with starship simulators that take children on trips far into the galaxy and into a future full of danger and intrigue and aliens. I went ahead with my wedding, ending up with eight wonderful children and twenty five years of memories of my own, good and bad. I graduated from BYU as a teacher in 1992. My teaching certificate sat in a drawer until 2002. Recovering from a bout of cancer left me feeling I needed to do more, give more.

I walked into the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center on an April morning in 2002 and told Victor Williamson, the creator and director of the center, that I wanted to become a volunteer. He got a panicked look in his eye, looking to his staff as if to say, who is this crazy woman and why is she in my office? Fortunately, one of the staff knew me from my college days and vouched that I was not as crazy as I sounded. I volunteered that summer, working as a camp cook. I was offered a paid position that fall, as a teacher for the daily field trips. I am now the planetarium director, curriculum specialist, costumer, story consultant, office assistant, and still camp cook. We touch the lives and imaginations of thousands of children each year at our center.

To borrow a quote from Christa McAuliffe, “I touch the future. I teach.”

Her spirit lives on through her legacy from that fateful accident twenty five years ago. She touched my life then and she still touches it today.

For more information on the Challenger, start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster

For more information on the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center: http://www.spacecamputah.org

For more information on my writing and ramblings: http://www.jaletac.com

Jaleta Clegg is the author of Nexus Point. When Captain Dace crash lands on a primitive planet, she finds herself on the run from villagers who are sure she’s a demon and the Patrol, who’s sure she’s a smuggler. Accused of piracy, facing death or worse at the hands of those who should be rescuing her, she must find not only some way to survive but also escape. Unfortunately, the world has other plans.

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