Monday, June 16, 2008
 

A Final Note After the Hostage Situation


Hello, all, Bailey here. I'm sorry we've been away from the blog for so long. As you can imagine, we've needed time to rebuild our lives after the tragedy, both emotionally and physically.

All of us Scenes and Beans posters are coming along. Some are still healing physically. We have been very busy restoring Java Joint, as the interior was devastasted by bullets. The counter and the space around it has been replaced, along with the stools. Walls have been repaired. John and I have had a lot of help from townspeople, and of course, from the Scenes and Beans folks.

Wilbur wants you to know he likes his new stool even better than the first one. (He says he didn't want the first one back anyway after a certain man chose to sit on it.) As for S-Man, he's signing his contracts for the two-book publishing deal. With all the media attention after the horrible events here on Memorial Day weekend, his first book, Starfire, has received plenty of buzz already. I know you all will enjoy reading it when it's published.

I am not going to comment directly on the events. You all have read the papers and seen the news. There is little left for us to say. This post is a more personal one for you, our friends, who've been reading this blog for almost two years now. We have enjoyed you so much. We've loved meeting those of you who made the trip to Kanner Lake and stopped by Java Joint to say hi. We want you to know we will forever treasure the online friendships we've made here.

But after what happened, I'm sure you'll understand that we no longer feel we can post on Scenes and Beans. Does that mean if this blog didn't exist, the hostage situation may never have happened? I don't know. Perhaps the three men who were so desperate would have come anyway. Or perhaps they would have chosen to go somewhere else, and other people would have paid the horrible price for that decision. We only know that despite what did happen, God was with us. In the darkest of moments, He was there. We clung to him that afternoon, and we cling to Him now and thank Him for bringing us through.

As you know, the thousands of comments that came in after our last post taxed our blog. Many of you tried leaving messages on previous posts before the blog finally crashed. When we got the blog up and running again, I had to delete all those messages. (Of course there were some from that horrible day that we would have deleted anyway.) Please know we read your kind words and notes of prayer, and were so heartened by all of them. Thank you, thank you for your concern for all of us.

I will be leaving Scenes and Beans up for now, although comments have been turned off so the thing doesn't crash again. Maybe from time to time you'll reread some of the stories we've told you over the past two years. And we still hope you will come visit us in Kanner Lake. Although much has happened to our quiet little town in the past two years, we all sense that we're about to enter a quiet time again. Good thing. We need some rest. :)

Blessings and love to all of you.

--Bailey and the entire Scenes and Beans crew

Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, May 19, 2008
 

A Java Joint Celebration


We are all so proud of S-man for selling his novel! Plus a sequel!

The Scenes and Beans bloggers are going to have a special celebration for our star author this Saturday at 8:00 a.m. at Java Joint. What a great way to start Memorial Day weekend--by witnessing S-Man signing his contract.

The book business seems so slow, doesn't it? We have to wait until next year for Starfire to be published. We'll have another huge party then for sure. The whole town will be invited for that one. In the meantime we look forward to this weekend.

Three cheers for S-Man!


Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 8 comments links to this post
Thursday, May 15, 2008
 

News of a Lifetime

Shnakvorum Rikoyoch (Greetings, Friends). S-Man here with the news I've been waiting on for a long time. My science fiction manuscript, Starfire, has sold to a major publisher. As if that's not enough, my agent managed to get a two-book contract for me. I'll be starting the sequel to Starfire right away.

The timeline as it now stands: Starfire will be published around May next year, with the second book following around January of 2010.

I'm so overwhelmed I can hardly believe this has happened. I've been working hard on writing for a number of years now, as you know. This feels like a dream. If it is, I hope I keep on sleeping.

Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me along the way. I'm going to need more of it. Now I have to come up with a second book ...

-- S-Man


Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 6 comments links to this post
Thursday, May 08, 2008
 

Chasing Eva--Part 3


So there we were, Bev, Eva Longoria, and I, sprawled on the sidewalk.

Red-faced and nearly beside myself with fluster, I managed to shove my hefty body to my feet. I held out my hand to Eva (Bev could manage to get up on her own). "Oh, I'm so sorry! Oh, oh! Are you hurt?"

Eva untangled herself from Bev, assuring me she was fine. Bev said the same. I pulled Eva up, and Bev tottered to her feet, glaring at me with the darkness of a tempest storm. Boy, I did not look forward to being alone with her. We brushed the dirt off our slacks. My elbow smarted something terrible.

Next thing I knew, a blond-haired man was standing beside us, eyes wide. "Amanda!" He was looking at Eva. "What happened? I've been waiting for you in the car."

Amanda?

Amanda looked at the man, then at me. I looked at her, then at Bev. Bev just kept glaring.

Eva (Amanda?) grabbed onto Blondie like a drowning woman just thrown a lifeline. "I'm fine. I guess. I was just . . . getting acquainted with some of the locals."

Finally, I found my voice. "Amanda?" I squeaked. "You mean, you're not Eva Longoria?"

She laughed. "Oh, everybody says that. It's not the first time. But no, I'm Amanda Bellingsworth, a seamstress from Montana, here on vacation." She gave me a look. "Sometimes the mix-ups can be more dangerous than others."

Amanda. A seamstress. Not Eva. I'd chased her, knocked her down. Well, with the help of a fool dog. She was going to think I was totally nuts. She'd think the whole town was nuts. At first I couldn't think of a thing to say. Then once I opened my mouth it wouldn't shut again. I said something about how lovely it was to meet her and I hoped their vacation was wonderful, and really, Kanner Lake wasn't a town full of a bunch of idiots, it just looked like it, and I just knew my friend Bev was going to lay into me the minute we were alone . . . I'd have kept right on blabbing if Bev hadn't clamped her hand over my mouth.

"She IS crazy," Bev declared to Amanda. "It's ALL I can do to keep her in line." Bev pursed her mouth at me and grabbed hold of my arm. "We'll be going now." And with no chance for another word, she stalked away, pulling me with her.

I looked back over my shoulder to give Amanda and her man a tiny little wave. She shook her head at me, and they went their way, and we went ours. Bev didn't let go of my arm until we were in Java Joint. Even then she threatened to chain me to my chair at our table. We drank our coffees in silence.

Four days later and Bev's still mad at me. Probably because Wilbur won't stop teasing her about it. ("Chasing an actress, who'd a thought?") He's always looking to bring Bev down a peg or two. Anyway, would somebody out there tell her to lighten up? And Wilbur to shut up? Although it'll be a miracle if either one of them listens.

-- Angie

Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
 

Chasing Eva--Part 2


So there we were, Bev and I, trotting down the sidewalk to catch actress Eva Longoria. I tell you--that Bev protested the whole way. You'd have thought I was pulling her along to feed her to the lions.

"This is ridiculous!" she wheezed. "The things you get me into. And just what do you expect to do when you catch up to her?"

Well, she had a point. What do you say to one of your most favorite actresses?

Anything. It didn't matter what. I was just dying to meet her.

It didn't take long to catch up. Good thing I've lost so much weight. I just pulled Bev along. Eva paused to read a poster outside a shop window. It was then or never, so I called out to her.

"Yoo hoo! Hello there!"

She turned around, looking very flustered. Staring at us as if wondering if she was supposed to know us. I skidded to a halt and thrust out my hand. My tongue got all tied up. "Hi! Hello! I'm Angie. This is Bev. I'm dying to meet you. Angie's not, but she came along--wait, I didn't mean that. Of course she wants to meet you too."

Eva's eyes bounced from me to Bev and back. Slowly, she took my hand and shook it once. Then let go in a hurry.

"So how do you like Kanner Lake?" I gushed. ""We just love you here. I watch you all the time." A strange expression flitted across her face.

"You do?"

"Yes, yes, I just think you're so beautiful, and the way you stand up to that rat Albert on the show--"

Out of nowhere, a red blur bounded down the street. I knew at once it was Thelma Grady's Irish setter, Josie, loose again. Thelma lives just two blocks from downtown, and that crazy, overly friendly dog wriggles under the fence every chance she gets. Josie spied me and headed straight for the three of us at full speed.

"Aahhh!" Eva howled.

I stepped in front of her, protector of actresses that I am. Bev was left to fend for herself. Josie plowed into me with a vengeance, licking and barking happily. Well, my goodness, that dog knocked me clear off my feet! I fell into Bev, and Bev fell into Eva, and before you know it the three of us were sprawled on the sidewalk like Dominoes. Josie's tail went a mile a minute as she pranced right across Eva, then that idiot dog took off to find another victim of her excitement.

Oh, my! Eva Longoria, on the sidewalk--because of me! I thought I'd die of humiliation. Turned out, that would have been nice, given what happened next.

-- Angie

Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 1 comments links to this post
Monday, April 07, 2008
 

Chasing Eva--Part 1



Angie here. Oh, my goodness, I have to tell you what happened. Embarrassed myself nearly to death, and now Bev's hardly speaking to me!

Bev and I were over at Simple Pleasures, looking at those beautiful oil wick candles Sarah has, when this woman walked in. As I lifted a jar to my nose, inhaling the deep berry fragrance, the woman sidled past me toward the back. I set the candle down and noticed her ogling a bracelet out of the corner of my eye. Dark hair, brown eyes, high cheekbones. She wasn't the usual sort of T (that's what we call tourists at Java Joint), but she looked vaguely familiar.

I whispered to Bev, "You see her before?"

Bev glanced at the woman, then shrugged. "Looks like that TV actress on Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria."

She said it so calmly, as if such a thing happens every day. Well, I just happen to LOVE Eva Longoria. And Bev was right--it was her!

I grabbed Bev's elbow and pulled her toward Eva. "Oh, my, oh! We HAVE to go say hi." I was so excited, I could hardly breathe.

Something beside us crashed to the floor. I swiveled to see a picture frame and all its glass shattered. Sarah hurried from behind the counter and lifted the frame. Bev apologized, saying her arm had hit the frame as I pulled her along. She gave me 'the look' as Sarah went into the back to fetch a broom.

"I'm sorry. I'll pay for it," I whispered real fast. I was barely thinking. I was just dying to talk to Eva.

Bev glowered at me. "You certainly will. In more ways than one."

Sarah came back, a whiskbroom and a dustpan in hand. She began sweeping the pieces up and Bev brought the trashcan over. I had to help, or else I'd look completely uncaring. So I set to work furiously, and the next thing I knew, the bell over the door tinkled. I looked around. Eva was getting away! I pulled a twenty out of my wallet.

"Here." I thrust it at Sarah. "This ought to cover itSarah pushed it back to me. "The frame's only $15.99."

But I couldn't wait around to hear the rest of what she said. "That's Eva Longoria!" I cried. "I've watched her for years on TV, and I'll just die if I don't meet her!" I grabbed Bev's arm, and before she knew what hit her, we were scooting toward the door. "Keep the change, Sarah, we'll see you later!" I shoved open the door.

Of course about that time Bev dug in her heels. "I will NOT pursue an actress down the street like some mindless groupie; I don't care WHO she is."

Eva turned the corner out of sight. Oh, no! What if she got into a car and drove away?

"Bev Trexel," I whirled on my friend, "if you don't go with me, I'll never let you hear the last of it. Do it for me, if not for yourself!"

Well. Bev's lots of things, but most of all, she's a good friend to me.

"The things you get me into." She shook her head, then huffed mightily. All the same, she set out with me to catch Eva. She never would have done it, though, if she'd known what trauma was coming.

-- Angie


Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, March 06, 2008
 

An Agent Enters the Picture


Shnakvorum Rikoyoch (Greetings, friends).

After being quiet on this blog for a long time, I have amazing news. Last month I signed a contract with a literary agent for my novel Starfire. That agent is now sending the manuscript around to major publishers.

The above three sentences sound so factual. So easy. But how hard it has been getting to that point! I have written this novel, then rewritten and rewritten some more. First rewrites were of my own doing. Then when I finally decided it was ready to send to agents, I found a number of them interested, but I needed to do more rewriting at their request. I didn't know I could ever grow tired of my own novel, but after looking at its pages so many times, that's exactly what happened.

The day I signed with the agent was a major day of celebration around here. I showed up to Java Joint the next morning--with no laptop. That's right. I came just to enjoy the coffee and my friends. I figured I deserved some time off of writing. But half an hour after arriving, I didn't know what to do with myself. I found myself gazing at my table longingly, wishing for my computer. I must be a real author. Either that or I'm crazy.

(Wilbur says he knows the answer to that question.)

I will keep you posted about what happens. Unfortunately now it's another waiting game while editors look over the manuscript. My agent says I have a good chance of selling it, but I'm not getting excited about anything until I see my name on the dotted line of a publishing contract.

All right, maybe I'm a little excited ...

--S-Man

Posted by ~ Bailey Truitt @ 7:00 AM 5 comments links to this post