Peg Herring, Mystery Author

I went on YouTube for some reason the other day and happened to notice a file with my name. When I clicked on it, I found that someone was offering a free PDF of my second Simon & Elizabeth book, POISON, YOUR GRACE. On YouTube. Really? In addition to surprise, there was a hint of satisfaction: Someone liked the book enough to steal it and offer to share it with others, (although it's weird to offer the second book of a series). On the other hand, there's disbelief. People are that crooked? After I put in all the work to write it, my editors slaved over the edits, and my publisher fronted the money to see it in print, someone steals it? What did I do? I turned it over to the legal department at Five Star and forgot about it. Life's too short to get all crazy about people who have no integrity. Somewhere inside their shrunken little souls, they know how sad they really are.

Heaven knows you've got other things to do, and some people growl if you "sit around with your nose in a book" (or in modern times "staring at a screen"). My dad, usually a patient man, would get irritated with me when I  (a) brought a book to the dinner table ("But it was at a really good part, Dad!"), (b) failed to get dressed until noon on a weekend because I was reading, or (c) sat upside down in a chair with my legs up the back and the book on my chest. (What can I say? At thirteen, it really was comfy.) Here are some reasons that reading is an important part of my day, every day. Reading connects me with other places, other people. I learn from books, even fictional books, about how the world works, how people live, feel, and think. Reading takes my mind off other things. Reading helps me relax and get ready to sleep . Conversely, reading helps me wake up and serves as a step toward action in the morning. Reading gives me lots to talk

1. A British waterproof overcoat 2. A unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs free 3. A swimsuit that generally consists of a tank-style torso top with high-cut legs 4. A knitted jacket or button-front sweater created to keep British soldiers warm in Russian winters 5. A hat with a wide brim to shield the wearer from the sun's rays . Answers: 1. The Mackintosh is named after its Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh. 2. A leotard is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs free. It was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). 3. Maillot is the fashion designer's name for a woman's one-piece swimsuit, also called a tank suit. 4. The cardigan , named for James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War (1854). 5. The Stetson hat is named after the founder of the John B. Stetson Company.

 Since I haven't even got a release date for Killing Despair , I'm waiting. I thought you might guess some songs about the process while we wait...and wait. 1. " ___ of Waiting" by the Kinks 2. "Slow-___" by Pee Wee King  3. "I'd Wait A ____ Years" by the Grass Roots 4. "___ Won't Let Me" by the Outsiders 5. "It Must Be ___" by Vikki Carr Answers: 1. Tired  www. you tube.com/watch?v=Hz64hWng2vM 2. Poke   www.youtube.com/watch?v=J68XhyH97BA 3. Million  www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbD_yGOhSb4 4. Time  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRdTgWX4J0  5. Him  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3qNTPSiWo