Franklin D. Murdock, America’s Man of Vision

Special broadcast honors his contributions and wishes him well
Normally it’s the inspirational words of the venerable author and poet himself you hear on BlogTalkRadio at 6:30 EST on Tuesdays, but for several weeks now he’s been recovering from an undisclosed illness. Producer Miranda Spigener and Joyce Lest (“Momma Joyce” of Messages of Hope on the same network) have been filling this space to keep the prayer chain open toward his recovery.

This week, as one of the few people to have heard him speak in person, I was invited to join them.

I first met Franklin Murdock two years ago. We were both attending the massive and chaotic Book Expo America, BEA we call it, an international convergence of publishers, publicists, writers, media, celebrity authors, and every salesman even remotely connected with the industry. It’s held in the cavernous Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Mr. Murdock, in his 90s and all but blind, had made the arduous flight all the way from LA. Fortunately his granddaughter, a darling girl also named Mary, came with him.

What’s really neat is that the home where he lives in LA also operates a home in Battery Park, which is sort of  near the Javits Center, and they agreed to assume his care while he attended the BEA.  

It was the last day of the Expo. Mr. Murdock had gone to rest up for a press meeting to be held at the home later on. I stayed behind with Miranda and Nick Delarosa to help break down and pack  up the VerveStar booth. Since my own meeting was to be after Franklin’s at another location, I decided to just tag along with them.

Franklin Murdock with granddaughter Mary at the BEA

Well, we finally collapsed into a cab with all our stuff, and headed for Battery Park.  I didn’t know what to expect of a place called Battery Park. The name conjures up crumbling ramparts with rusty revolutionary war canons, or worse, an AC Delco factory. But it was absolutely gorgeous – tree-lined boulevards, classic red brick buildings, and a lost cabbie who showed us quite a bit of it.

Inside the home it was all dark, polished wood, Persian carpeting, mirrored walls and stylish floral arrangements. Really lovely.  We wandered down a labyrinth of corridors until we found the conference room. Mr. Murdock and Mary were waiting for us. There was also a nice gathering of residents and staff. The kitchen had even put out a pretty tray of fresh fruits and veggies.

Frank has a very commanding voice, and when he stepped to the mike he was instantly in control of the room. When you realize he couldn’t really see us, that’s pretty remarkable. All he actually sees are blurry figures about 10 feet in front of him. Nevertheless he looked right at us – definitely making us a part of it.

I wish I’d taken notes instead of just sitting there in an enthralled stupor. As I recall he began with his more technical achievements with the Douglas Aircraft Company and later with the A4 Skyhawk. He described in detail I can’t remember the many engineering projects he either headed or was closely involved in. But because I have a number of relatives who were military pilots, that certainly held my attention. It really blew me away to know he was behind the HUD – or heads-up-display so vital to pilots today. What he did led to the iphone and all the other gizmos in our lives today.

Then, just as in his last broadcast before being hospitalized, he went into his childhood. I’m so amazed at the memories he recalls so vividly. He didn’t go into the detail then that he did on the radio. He went on to his working years, confessing how absorbed he was in his career to the detriment of family life. By the time he got to the way God touched him and called him to inspire others I was completely ready to hear it. He closed with that wonderful prayer he shared on his last broadcast. In fact, he handed out copies of it to us afterward.

Please get well soon, Mr. Murdock. We’re all ready to hear more!

Writing BFFs: Elle Newmark and Seré Prince Halverson

Let me interrupt my series on fellow VerveStar authors to tell you a sweet story.

A few years ago I ran into an uproarious and informative article called “Better Late Than Early” by Elle Newmark. I was so impressed that I had the audacity to write her a fan email. And she answered! She was, in fact, packing for a research trip to India when my note popped up. We’ve had a few brief exchanges since then, especially after I read her novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief (now retitled The Chef’s Apprentice). I reviewed it (here) as well as on Amazon and B&N. It was amazing. It’s a thoroughly researched, deliciously detailed, story of intrigue set in 15th century Venice.

Happily, I am now on her mailing list and was duly advised when The Sandalwood Tree, set in 1940s India, was released. I hadn’t quite finished it when I had to leave for New York and the BEA.

From my motel room I dashed off an enote asking Elle if she would be there. She responded:

I've never gone to the BEA but I have a dear friend who I believe is there right now. Her name is Seré Prince Halverson, her book is The Underside of Joy, and her publisher is Dutton. If you meet her tell her Elle says Hi. She's a great writer and genuinely nice to the bone.

Thus, basically an unknown to them both, I set out to do just that. I found Seré’s table in the Book Expo’s autograph section and got in line. Elle was right. She was indeed warm, unpretentious, and wholesomely pretty. Feeling a bit awkward, I blurted: “I have a message from Elle Newmark.”

Seré froze and her eyes widened. She actually teared up a little. Oh, dear. “Elle says ‘Hi’,” I continued lamely, “I had an email from her last night saying you were here.”

They weren’t just friends. They had known each other and written together for years and years. They were “sisters in writing,” Seré said. By the time I left, clutching an autographed copy of her book, I was nearly moved to tears myself. I’ve never had an experience like that – being a living link between two busy besties. Great feeling.

I promise to review both wonderful books in this space in very soon.

Yes! I Did Meet Jane Lynch!

Thursday, May 26, my last day at the BEA (Book Expo America) was long and hectic. The next day I flew home. Also long and hectic. So please forgive the lapse in time.

That morning (Thurs) there were four of us VerveStar authors at the booth. I managed to embarrass them all by shrieking “There she is!” when tall and picture-perfect Jane Lynch strode along the aisle toward the Uptown Stage.

She flashed a big smile. “Yes, here I am!”

Somehow I, a notorious klutz, scrambled over all the materials stacked around and under the table and emerged intact with my camera. She came right over to me, swung an arm around my waist and we turned to face a series of flashes. Husband and I are both big fans of hers. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I murmured something about how much I enjoyed everything she ever starred in. She gave me a gracious nod and was off to her speaking engagement.

By then I was aware that a crowd had formed, all of them busy sending pics to their entire contact list.

Around noon, Nick and Miranda arrived from a press meeting to announce that our press releases were now racing over the wires. We then proceeded to set up the cappuccino machine. Sort of. The machine seemed more bent on emulating Old Faithful than producing a trendy brew. After Housekeeping’s third visit to our booth, Miranda got it under control. By the time crowds started gathering for Jane Fonda’s turn on the Uptown Stage, it was turning out delicious shots of foamy hazelnut cappuccino. It proved to be a great way to attract a meet ‘n greet. (At right: VerveStar publicist Miranda Spigener, infamous coffee machine, author Jahnavi Foster)

At 3:00 The BEA was officially over. Time to strike the set. We were down to three by then: Nick, Miranda and me. We worked feverishly away, barely finishing in time to make it to Battery Park for Murdoch’s presentation.

Franklin Murdoch, I must explain, is the 90-year-old author of The Best is Yet to Come. He flew in from LA, aided by his great-grandaughter (above in background). When he wasn’t at the booth, he was at a nursing home in Battery Park owned by the same company as the one in LA. It was in one of their meeting rooms that VerveStar arranged his press meeting. Too blind to see his audience, he nevertheless held us enthralled. But ya know? That’s a whole nuther post. Stay tuned.

I’ll close at a nice quiet Japanese restaurant where we finally called it a day. Whilst sipping miso soup, Nick checked on my press release. It had gone out on Reuters, AP, and others I can’t recall off hand. Subscribers to these news services choose the items they wish to feature. By that time (7:30 PM) 268 had picked me.

On that happy note, we struggled back to our respective motels with a cabbie who didn’t know New Jersey. But that’s yet another story.

I Saw John Lithgow! And a few others…

John Lithgow was actually yesterday. He presented his latest book on the Uptown Stage, which is right next to our booth. He gave a great talk, delivered in his most engaging manner, and he was mobbed afterward. Matt Kimple, a fellow VerveStar author manning the booth with me, leaped up and joined the fray. The kid’s a real freak for 3rd Rock from the Sun. Flushed with triumph, he returned with a phone full of bad pictures and an autographed book.

Now it’s Day Two at the BEA at the Javits Center in NYC. Celebrity authors are everywhere. This morning I unexpectedly found myself face-to-face with Dee Wallace. For a moment I just sort of froze, then fumbled for my phone. “Excuse me,” I stammered as I clicked away, “I’m a fan.” She was very warm and willing to talk to me. Even asked my name.

Michael Moore had the stage today. Of all his projects, the thing I remember most is a segment he did on his TV show called “Johns for Justice.” In fact, I think of it every time I’m in a public place like the Javits Center where long lines are persistently queued up at women’s restrooms. After a spot-on commentary about this chronic situation, he went around the country with a long, flatbed truck outfitted with a double row of port-a-potties so women wouldn’t have to wait. I wish he had that thing parked here now!

Matt spotted Florence Henderson earlier. Took a pic with her and sent it to his mom. Apparently she was a big fan of The Brady Bunch.

Then there’s this character in a gold lamé suit, a tall crown on his head, and a huge clock hanging around his neck. He’s walked past several times now with an entourage. I didn't take a picture because, after all, lots of folks do weird things to promote their books at the BEA. I'm using a photo found online. But the last time he walked by, Matt was here. “Do you know who that is?” he breathed in awe. I didn’t. “It’s FlavaFlav!”

“Oh, my goodness!” I suitably acknowledged, then quickly texted my son-in-law who runs The Guitar Center in Montgomery. So far he hasn’t responded, so if you don’t know who FlavaFlav is, there’s nothing more I can tell you.

Stay tuned to see who I see tomorrow…

Will I see you at the BEA?

Only a few more days now! The VerveStar folks, Nick Delarosa and Miranda Spigener, are leaving Friday to set up Booth # 4885. As I run through the ranks of literary blogs, I find quite a few of you gathering your stuff to go.

There will be five of us debuting at the VerveStar booth this year: Mary Odle Fagan (that’s me!), Coco Mayor, Matthew Scott Kimple, Franklin Murdock, and Jahnavi Foster. My big media day will be Wednesday, but I’ll be cruising the Javits Center the rest of the time seeing how many of you I can find.

Tending to all the details just for my part makes me wonder how on earth Nick and Miranda are getting it together for all five of us. Sometimes I find emails that were sent at 4 AM! Sure hope they at least get some sleep on the plane. Can’t thank them enough for their Herculean efforts.

See you in NYC!

The Things that Comfort Us – until we actually eat it

Here I sit in the Kroger parking lot, wastefully running the car’s AC while I eat a piece of Italian cream cake. Can’t help myself. For more than a week now I’ve been doing the thing that depresses me most: clothes shopping.

A fashionista I’m not. We writers tend to be a cloistered lot, after all. We hole up in isolated comfort to hack away at our craft. But when you’re preparing to face the media at the BEA (Book Expo America, you’ll remember) it behooves one to fake a little sophistication.

So I stand there in the merciless glare of overhead fluorescent lighting, my reflection wincing back at me as I try on one hopeless outfit after another. For three weeks I’ve been starving and exercising. How could I still be so much bigger than when I shopped for our cruise in 2006?

At one point I resorted to ordering from a plus size catalog. I don’t know how so many plus size companies found out I was gaining weight, but these days their catalogs strike my mailbox at the rate a three per week. So, all right, why not? Beats a department store dressing room. Well, today the first item arrived: a smartly styled summer-weight shirt jacket in a dusty pink and black print. Perfect. Except that it billowed around me like a circus tent. WHY? I measured myself carefully and ordered according to their sizing chart. And the same size at Macy’s was too tight. Sigh.

As it happens, the UPS store where I returned said garment is right next to Kroger. In a fit of pique I decided to check out their oops-we-baked-too-much discount rack in the back. I always do that when I’m down. Sure enough, an overlooked Italian cream cake, subdivided and packaged by the slice, was there to greet me. Dozens of nut chips were snuggled into the finely textured layers. Frothy cream cheese frosting generously enfolded it. Oh, yes.

On my way to check out, I stopped by the bakery department. “Do you have a small plastic taster fork?” I asked. “This has to be gone by the time I get home.” After more hilarity than it was worth, the ladies did indeed produce a little white spoon. And here I sit.

Was it worth it? Only while I was actually eating it. Because I’ve behaved myself for a protracted length of time, the toothsome delicacy is now a cloying, nauseous lump in my stomach. I’d head straight for the Pepto Bismal when I get home, but that would alert Husband to my indiscretion. Eat and learn, folks…

I might actually see JANE LYNCH at the BEA!

When publicist Miranda Spigener texted me that Jane Lynch would be at the Book Expo America in NYC I got very excited. She’ll be appearing on the Uptown Stage at the Javits, right across from the VerveStar booth! How perfect is that?

No, I haven’t been following Jane on Glee. I liked her best when she was typecast all over TV Land as a psychologist. She was so perfect in that role: always unflappable no matter how outrageous the confessions of her patients, and always ready with an acerbic one-liner.

Her credits are way more varied than that, of course. In one show I found her singing with a country music group. Only now have I learned she’s a regular voice on Phineas and Ferb, of all things, and even did a gig on Shrek. And I LOVE her commercials. A limo cat? Seriously.

No doubt she’s enjoying Glee much more than shrinking for the stars, most notably Two and a Half Men. For one thing, it’s catapulted her into well-deserved celebrity. For another, well…why keep trying to analyze Charlie Sheen?

You rock, Jane!

So…we’re getting ready for the BEA again…

The international Book Expo is getting ready to happen. Actually, it happens several times a year in various places – Frankfort, London, Beijing, etc. – but the last week of May it happens at the Javits Convention Center in NYC. Hence, BEA, meaning Book Expo America.

The VerveStar partners started preparing months ago. They scored booth number 4885, an enviable location on a corner across from the uptown stage. (You’d have to see the five-foot-long diagram of Javits’ main floor to appreciate that…)


Last year I found the BEA to be the most seriously non-productive fiasco I could ever imagine. Just scroll back forever to last year’s posts and see. But THIS year I’ve got a new publisher, world class publicists Miranda Spigener and Nick Delarosa, and Booth 4885 to report to. I gotta believe that THIS year it’s gonna be different!


And THIS year I’m taking a hint from my son, who went to NY on business a couple of years back. The trick, it seems, is to stay across the Hudson in New Jersey where prices are somewhat more reasonable. There’s a ferry that goes from Weehawken directly across to the Javits. And there’s probably also a bus that would kindly take me through the Lincoln Tunnel and deposit me within a couple of blocks of said destination. And instead of running the gamut of Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak, Priceline, Hotwire, etc., I’m trying Southwest Airlines. So far they’ve offered the lowest fares to both LaGuardia and Newark Int’l.

So if you’re thinking about the BEA, or New York City in general, stay tuned. When I get this all worked out, you can profit from my traveling discoveries!

It’s about Blogging…and Montgomery

Greetings from Baton Rouge! It’s our stopover between Montgomery, Alabama and Houston, Texas. After a weekend with my daughter’s family, four very bright but hyper kids, there’s no way we can make the 12-hour drive in one go.

But the road trip isn’t the entire reason for my inattentiveness of late. It’s BEA (Book Expo America) time. My preparatory task was to go through a lengthy list of literary blogs, both to familiarize myself with what’s Out There, and to get a sense of How It’s Done. If anyone Out There is reading me, you know that’s long overdue!

Oh, my friends, there’s some brilliant stuff Out There. You meet kindred souls in your genre. You learn about industry trends. You absorb a wealth of How-To’s. You view an exciting panorama of new releases and wonderful classics. You can read, read, read!

Now I shall seriously digress.

Did you know that Montgomery has an AA baseball team called the Biscuits? Saturday night found us in the stands of venerable Riverwalk Stadium with hundreds of jubilant locals. Evan Longoria was rehabbing there and the place was packed. Actually, it’s always packed. It’s not that the Biscuits are a winning team so far this season, it’s the spirit of Montgomery.

There’s an event between each inning: a local dance troupe, a Boy Scout knot-tying competition, a pop quiz. My 15-month-old granddaughter was even recruited for a baby-crawling race.

Railroad tracks run along left field, and the mayor has declared that if a batter hits a passing train, Hizzoner will stop the game and present said player with a thousand dollar check.

There’s a lively organist that keeps the crowd stomping and clapping and yelling “Charge!” And whenever a foul ball soars out of the park, the sound of breaking glass and a car alarm blares from the sound system. Best of all, this particular game ended with a spectacular fireworks show.

Yep. Next to surfing blogs, I like Montgomery best.

The Times Square Holiday Inn (Further adventures at the BEA)

So I told you the hotel experience was a whole nuther post. Well, here it is.

If you read the preceding, you know the main problem was air conditioning – as in too much of. See, down here in Texas, we can set the ol’ AC anywhere we want it. Given the cost of energy, that’s usually above 70°. But in NY, if you find 70° either too chilly or unconscionable: tough. If you try to set it above 70°, the heat comes on. I’m not kidding.

Now begs the question: how does Con Ed support the jillions of New Yorkers seeking relief from their steamy streets if the thermostat must read 70° or else? C’mon, people!

The maintenance guy found me wrapped in a blanket beating my head against the thermostat. I found the maintenance guy polite, professional, well-spoken, well-muscled, and altogether gorgeous. And he did get the AC to shut off.

At the time, I didn’t know that was the only option.

It took about 10 minutes for that hermetically sealed little room to become a stifling sweatbox. I turned it to a conservative 76° and tried to coax it to come on again. Nothing.

I called the front desk. Did I want maintenance to come back? Uh, let me think. First, I’d have to get dressed again. Second, how many trips could Adonis make without coming to the reasonable conclusion that grandma was just lookin’ for eye candy? And we were getting into the wee hours by now. So no. Just tell me what to do.

So the front desk suggested I reboot the unit. That is, unplug it from the wall, count to ten, and plug it back in. I did. It started back up. I collapsed back into bed.

It shut off.

I got up and rebooted the thing again. This time it stayed on nearly 15 minutes – long enough to discover it was belching forth heat with a vengeance.

I called the front desk. And THAT’S when I learned the 70° rule. So I hung up, rebooted yet again, and dutifully set it back to 70°. Thus, by 4:00 in the morning, I finally got to sleep.

Next morning, I stumbled down to the complimentary breakfast buffet. I was amazed to find a very Southern offering: biscuits and gravy. No one but me knew quite what to make of it. Then I spotted something I’d never seen before. Ever the adventurer, I picked up the tongs and dropped one on my paper plate. Analysis showed it to be an omelet: artificial egg folded around artificial cheese. Sort of like a taco. Very clever. And actually rather tasty, too. Thus fortified, I struck out for the BEA (Book Expo America) at the sprawling colossus known as the Javits Convention Center. See previous post.

But wait. I’m not through with the hotel yet. Killing time at 3:30 AM waiting for the airport bus, I noticed this diagram by the elevator:

What? The Holiday Inn Express is only 4 little rooms per floor? But it’s 36 floors high! How the heck does the building stay standing? I mean, try that with your grandkids’ blocks sometime!

No, it wasn’t all bad. About 6:00 that second evening, the news of SuperBowl 2012 ran through the lights on Times Square. It was fun to hear the excitement of the crowds. They even had fireworks.

Other than that, I gotta tell ya: suddenly Houston’s looking pretty good!

Book Expo America

If you were there at the BEA, please comment! The experience, except for a few pleasant visits at the booths, was mega non-productive for me! I want to know what it is that authors can accomplish there. For the most part it just seemed like a hard-sell event – a pitiful and demeaning exercise for authors hawking books like used cars.

First is the intimidation of New York City in general, and the Javits Convention Center in particular. See what I mean? The building is overwhelming even against that awesome skyline:

And when you walk up to it, it’s even worse:

I walked for MILES around that place - finding very few of the booths listed on my BEA Planner. The map was impossible to follow since it would’ve had to be enlarged 500X to allow for legible text. And that would have made it…let’s see what my calculator says here…about 6’ x 3.54’. Moreover, only three of the thousands of exhibitors displayed their booth number. Without an annotated map, it was impossible to see if it was one of the 84 I wished to visit. Unfortunately, see, I’d arranged my list in order by booth number rather than alphabetically – assuming (silly me!) the spaces could readily identified.

There were no places to rest on the main exhibition level. The few places on the lower floors were always taken. The food and restroom lines snaked around endlessly.

It would have been miserable even if I hadn’t been up to 4 AM that morning wrestling with the hotel room thermostat.. But that’s another post.

I finally called it a day somewhere around 4 PM. It was the hottest part of the afternoon, and I’d dressed to match my book covers: Black, set off by a flowing red print scarf. That, plus the tote bag carrying 4 books and multiple packets and brochures, made a grueling 8-block walk to the hotel on already wretched feet.

But I made it all the way back to my frigidly air conditioned room – only to find it being cleaned. Sigh. Back down in the lobby, I snagged the one remaining muffin left from breakfast and washed it down with equally leftover coffee. While eating, I called the airport shuttle for a pick-up time. What? 3:30 AM?? For a flight leaving at 7:00? OMG. Suddenly my meager repast seemed providential indeed.

LaGuardia, as compared with other terminals, is as dirty and crowded as the rest of New York. At least, the rather limited part of it I saw. The only food concession open at 5 AM just had a tray of brownies out. That, plus a very expensive bottle of water, was breakfast. Don’t get me wrong. It was an exceptional brownie. Just not my usual fare. It was supplemented 2 ½ hours later by airline coffee and pretzels.

There were more pretzels and coffee on the second leg between Atlanta and Houston. Actually, since I didn’t know they’d changed the gate number of that flight, and therefore missed it, I might have hooked up with some real grub. But by the time I’d walked back across Atlanta’s interminable terminal to the gate of the next flight out, I was too angry and exhausted to care. When my husband picked me up, I forced him to head straight for one of our favorite restaurants where I pigged out big-time. Then I went home and slept for the next two days.

Like I said, if anyone had a positive experience at the BEA, please tell me about it!