Mari Sloan

74, Female

Sun Valley, California

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:: Atlanta--now Southern California
About Me:: After fifty years in Georgia I fell in love and decided to start my life. This required moving to the West Coast and marrying a maniac, the best thing that ever could happen for me. Now I'm a spare time author, a poorly paid, full-time resident counselor for an asylum of salespersons (which disquises itself as a furniture store) and the proud mother of a Maine Coon cat.
To talk further come hang out in The Beaufort Falls Chatroom, advance notice required. Paste the following address into any nonAOL web browser.
http://client11.addonchat.com/sc.php?id=296711
Let me know in advance and I'll open it up and dust it out. :-)
I Am A:: Reader, Writer
Website:: http://www.beaufortfalls.com
Books And Authors I Like:: Christa Faust (She's why I'm here!), Sue Ann Jaffarian, Steve Brewer (Another smart-aleck Southerner), John Elder Robison, some (but not all) Clive Barker, Dean Koontz (Odd Thomas series), Denise Hamilton (Eve Diamond)
Movies And TV Shows I Like:: Monk, Law and Order (Any episode, any year, any version), nothing really spectacular...Criminal Minds, Fringe, Person of Interest.

Comment Wall:

Morgan Mandel

Hi Mari,
Snow is pretty, but it sure gets in the way! Glad you enjoyed it when you were visiting. Oops, they're mentioning a chance of snow around Thanksgiving. Glad I don't have far to go for my turkey dinner.
Morgan Mandel

Nov 19, 2007
Morgan Mandel

The grass is always greener on the other side..In my case, the lawn is usually whiter.
Morgan Mandel

Nov 19, 2007
MysteryDawg

yep, we're in the same area. I grew up in Westlake. Looks like I need to check out your book.

Nov 19, 2007
Todd Robinson

Thanks, Mari. I'll tell ya, I never learned more about the writing craft than when I started up the webzine and was forced to deal with upwards of 40 short stories a month. I felt that I learned more from the crap than I ever did from the classics. From the Greats, all I could do was try to emulate - at the expense of my own voice. Reading the crap, I recognized my own faults and learned to dodge them (well...most of the time).

Glad to make your acquaintance.

Dec 2, 2007
Donna Carrick

Hi, Mari -- great space! I enjoyed reading your blog and watching your book promo video. Inspiring to hear you started your life at 50 -- it's never too late. But how do you find time to write with all that California Sunshine going on? Up here in the Great White North we get at least 4 months of perfect writing weather every year - ha ha. Happy writing!
Donna Carrick - www.donnacarrick.com

Dec 3, 2007
Todd Robinson

Yet when I miss a wrongly placed comma, I lie awake nights. I just finished the copy-edit on the first Thuglit anthology and was thoroughly horrified at what I'd missed over the course of a year.

The horror... the horror....

Dec 5, 2007
Mari Sloan

Try over the course of seven years and 10 or 11 rewrites! AKKKKK!

Dec 5, 2007
Lawrence Kelter

I hope you'll take a peek at my work. I think Chalice's a blast, and hope you will too. Sorry for the late reply; been traveling for business. Looking forward to lots of great chatter.
Larry

Dec 7, 2007
Jeff Sherratt

Hi Mari,

It's good to see your here. I know we'll be seeing each other at our LA SinC meetings in 2008. Is it going to be a great new year, or what?

Jeff Sherratt
THE BRIMSTONE MURDERS

Dec 25, 2007
Kelli Stanley

Thanks for the kind words, Mari, and thanks for the add! :) And herding cats would be even tougher with a Maine Coon!! ;)

The book (and video) look great, btw--and I'm looking forward to meeting you in LA at some point (I was there for the No Crime Unpublished conference--phenomenal!)

Happy New Year, and take care! :)

Kelli

Dec 31, 2007
Kelli Stanley

Thanks, Mari, I'd love to see you in Pasadena! I really like LA, and hope to get down there a couple of times pre-book launch. I'm planning a book tour in the southland for Fall/Winter.

Stay in touch, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

Jan 2, 2008
Katie

I already in SinC and their group Guppies for us never before been published. They're great. Especially Guppies. One of these days I'll finish a book (I hope) I start out fine, think of these great characters, a great story, and then start writing. I usually get about 1/3 into the story when I think - wouldn't they be better as this... or maybe the plot should be...... AAACCCKKK!!!!!!

Oh well, there is still hope. Thanks for the name of the book. I need all the help I can get right now.

Jan 2, 2008
Sarah M. Chen

Hi Mari. Thanks for the invite and maybe I'll see you this Sunday in Pasadena. btw, i LOVE Christa Faust. She's a hoot and the coolest chick ever!

Jan 2, 2008
Michael Allan Mallory

Hi Mari,
Thanks for the the invitation. Great coon cat! I have a pure bred Maine Coon. He's lying next to me right now. They are characters! I'm a fan of Sue Ann Jaffarians, as well. She's a friend. So you spent New Year's Eve in Australia? Cool! That's someplace I'd love to go.
Cheers,

Michael

Jan 3, 2008
Michael Allan Mallory

I stand corrected about the Australia reference. Your coon cat is a beauty. Mine is the standard taupe color. I got him from a breeder, which is how I know he's pure bred. Buddy is now 14 years old. I finished "Holy Pail" three weeks ago. The last third of the book really moves along. I met Sue Ann at Bouchercon 2006. She's a spark plug. I took a photo of her hugging Marilyn, the co-author of my book. It's on our website: www.snakejones.com. Look under photos.
Cheers,

Michael

Jan 3, 2008
Michael Allan Mallory

You ARE lucky if you get a hug from Sue Ann every month! Say hi to her for me at your next SinC meeting.

Michael

Jan 4, 2008
Kelli Stanley

Thanks so much, Mari!! :) Hope everything is well in Westlake, and that gorgeous specimen of feline is soaking up some attention! :)

Take care, and be well!

Kelli

Jan 18, 2008
Kelli Stanley

The weather has been gorgeous ... sunny, blue skies, cold, clear and crisp. Not too much wind since that small typhoon we weathered a couple of weeks ago. :)

Glad Spooky isn't spooked by it! :)

Take care, and talk to you soon--

Kelli

Jan 19, 2008
Michael Haskins

Mari, thanks for the comment and support. I hope you'll come by when I sign Chasin' the Wind at Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oakes. Call Heidi, the owner, in April and ask when I'll be there. My plan for S.Cal is mid to late July. Hope to see you there and thanks again for taking the time to read my blog and write.

Jan 19, 2008
Neil White

Thanks for the invite. I was trying to be balanced about Youtube. I see that you just went for it! I admire your stance.

Jan 20, 2008
Neil White

I've moved the patio comment to where it was supposed to be. I was replying to people by commenting on my own page rather than on the page of the intended recipient. I'll get used to this. It did look a bit of a strange declaration in isolation! I think I can hear sirens in the distance.

Jan 20, 2008
Shayk1951

Well, Hi, My Other Favorite California Girl! Thanks for adding me as a friend, but you know you're more than that. :-D

Shay

Jan 20, 2008
JackBludis

Thinking about your furniture store experience: when you say "Now I'm a spare time author, a poorly paid, full-time resident counselor for an asylum of salespersons (which disquises itself as a furniture store)" I think of the Mamet Play "Glenn Gary, Glenn Ross."

Feb 1, 2008
Mark Stevens

Don't know if you enjoy outdoor sorts of mystery / thrillers, but thought I would pass along the suggestion of Antler Dust. Great reviews and it's fairly reasonable now (used) on Amazon. Just looking for readers! Cheers, Mark
Also: www.writermarkstevens.com

Feb 11, 2008
Mark Stevens

Thanks for the connection and I certainly hope things go well for you! I think some of us take our eyesight for granted. We probably take LOTS of things for granted, come to think of it. Take care,

Mark

Feb 11, 2008
carole gill

thank you. I love your quote about marrying a maniac. I actually did. My first husband! totally certifiable! but second is an angel at least.
the puppies are great. so cute but so much work!

Feb 13, 2008
carole gill

you and your family (including the cat) sound great! you have a nice maniac. it makes all the difference. by the way, i love your page. just checked spooky out. He's lovely!

Feb 13, 2008
Merrill Young

Huge, groveling apologies.
I just saw your comment buried I on my page from Dec 31.
Not rude, just vague......
Just finished being a student again at ripe age of 52. Glad you like the tunes- I'm a bit slow, but can strill boogie.
BTW I'm the proud servant of 2 siamese/manx X cats

Feb 14, 2008
Merrill Young

Can't type though- apparently.
Or spel.......

Feb 14, 2008
L.J. Sellers

Just saying Hi
I am also employed full-time (as an editor), in addition to being a novelist. It makes me jealous of all these other writers who seem to have more time to network than I do.
Good luck with your writing.

Feb 17, 2008
L.J. Sellers

Keep me in mind if you need a good fiction editor in the future. I have a great for fonts and layout, as well.

Feb 17, 2008
Margaret

Aw, shoot! I was hoping you would think it was me. Maybe I could have gotten by with it, except for the sunglasses.

Feb 25, 2008
Michael Haskins

Mari, I sent the bookstore a press pacakage, again, last week and I am going to call tomorrow, before leaving for SleuthFest, and see if I can get a signing. Will let you know. Hope to see you there, if I make it. Do you know Heidi? Give her a call in support, if you do.
Thanks,
Michael

Feb 28, 2008
Michael Haskins

Mari, thank you. Hope to meet you in July.
Michael

Feb 29, 2008
Brian L Porter

Mari,

Nice to meet you. Thanks for adding me.

Brian

Mar 23, 2008
Margaret

Mari, I'm happy as a lobste4r swimming in wine that you introeuced me to Crime Space. These people are great! My one regret is that I can't read all ofr their books at once. I wonder if the doctors could give me "fly-eye" implants....

Mar 24, 2008
Alison Bruce

Hi Mari,

Thanks for the feedback, we had great fun making this and hope we'll find the budget to do another sometime, Alison x

Mar 27, 2008
Alison Bruce

Hi Mari,

that's good to know, we don't know many other couples that do it like this, we run a b and b and share childcare so I get time to write and he gets to work on his band.
At least when you spend this much time together you know you won't be one of those couples that only realise they don't like each other when they retire! Good luck with everything you're working on, Alison x

Mar 28, 2008
Beth Groundwater

If I come out to LA in the future, I'll be sure to try to swing a visit with the LA Sisters in Crime. My husband's folks used to live in North Hollywood, but since they passed away, we haven't had as many reasons to visit.

Aug 7, 2008
Kelli Stanley

Mari, I just found your incredibly sweet message (for some reason, my spam filter was seizing my Crimespace stuff) ... you are an ANGEL! :)

I am so looking forward to seeing you, and I'd love to have lunch with you, except for the fact that after Mysteries to Die For I'm scheduled for another signing in LA at The Mystery Book Store. :(

I'm bummed. But at least we'll get to hang out!! :) I'll bring you something extra special, too. :)

Take care, and I'm so glad we get to do a happy dance! :)

xoxo

Kelli

Aug 30, 2008
Kelli Stanley

I've been meaning to send you two a card, Mari -- meeting you and your husband was the highlight of the trip!! :) I miss you both, and you will be at the top of my list to email when we get back to LA. :)
I'm on a deadline with my book (gotta finish it this weekend) ... and getting ready for Bouchercon. But we'll connect up soon!
Thanks again for the friendship, support ... and being you! :)
xoxo

Sep 20, 2008