Imagine planning a special birthday weekend at a charming castle, complete with a Murder Mystery event, only to find yourself caught in a real-life drama right outside your window. That's exactly what happened to my husband and I on what was supposed to be a romantic getaway filled with adventure and celebration. As we settled into our hotel room, our peaceful solitude was shattered by the haunting sound of a woman's sobbing. At first, we were unsure of what to make of it. Was it a scene from the Murder Mystery unfolding prematurely, or something far more serious? The woman's cries grew louder, and then came the chilling declaration: "I'm going to kill myself." My heart raced with fear and uncertainty. Should we intervene? Call for help? The situation felt surreal, like a scene from a suspense thriller. Frantically, I reached for the phone to call the hotel reception, eleven back-to-back calls, but no one answered. Panic began to set in as we contemplated the worst-case scenario. But just as we were about to take matters into our own hands, the scene outside took an unexpected turn. We heard a man’s low voice. Then the woman shouted, “I might as well kill myself, I do everything else you tell me," her words slicing through the night. A couple, presumably the source of the commotion, emerged along with another woman. Their presence diffused the tension, and within moments, the three were gone. Relief washed over us, but the incident left an indelible mark on our weekend. Despite the unsettling start, we excitedly participated in a Murder Mystery dinner. Little did we know, the bizarre encounters were far from over. From a broken Jacuzzi, to a flooded bathroom, a malfunctioning toilet, and even a lopsided bed, it seemed as though every twist and turn tested our patience. But amidst the chaos, there was laughter. My husband and I found solace in each other's company, turning the mishaps into memories we will recall for years to come. As we recounted the events to the hotel manager, we couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. And then we all laughed as I proclaimed “and this all happened on MY birthday.” As a writer, I couldn't help but see the potential for a gripping Murder Mystery inspired by our weekend escapades. After all, truth is often stranger than fiction. Who knows, perhaps one day you'll pick up a book and recognize the echoes of my unforgettable birthday adventure. In the end, our weekend may not have gone according to plan, but as we reflect on the bizarre events from this weekend, we’re reminded that life's greatest moments often begin with the unexpected. So, here's to embracing the twists and turns, and finding joy and laughter in the most unlikely of places. As for us, we'll always look back on my birthday weekend with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. It's not every day you find yourself caught in a real-life Murder Mystery, complete with runny pancakes and a broken Jacuzzi. But then again, that's what makes life so wonderfully unpredictable. I love planning and attending Murder Mystery parties. Have you participated in a Murder Mystery event? I'd love to hear about your experience! Enjoy your day and week! If you haven’t read “UnMasked” the first book in the "UnMasked" series you can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, a few libraries and select Indie Bookstores as well as my website. I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information about events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/
0 Comments
It's December - Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Blessed and Healthy New Year to everyone! As 2023 comes to a close, I wanted to share how my daughter’s real-life photography project inspired the ending of “UnMasked.” Our middle daughter was enrolled in a high school photography class and had an outdoor photography assignment. Inspiration struck when she and her sister were walking around our high school's outdoor track. As they talked and exercised, she had the idea to shoot photos of her sister's feet as they walked across the finish line. Several photos later, she selected the photo she named “Crossing the Finish Line.” As you can see (above) it’s a lovely photo. My daughter received an A on her assignment and I was the proud recipient of the ONLY copy of this photo. I carefully placed it on my office bulletin board before finding a black picture frame to showcase the telling black and white photo. As I wrote “UnMasked”, I was analyzing different endings for each of the three characters. One day when I was in deep thought, I glanced up and saw the "Crossing the Finish Line" picture on my bulletin board. Instantly, I knew I'd found the perfect ending. I realized that despite the many difficult parts of the Pandemic, the Blake and Clarke family had indeed successfully crossed the finish line. Now I just had to include Kylie's take on the picture. If you’ve read “UnMasked," the final epilogue by Kylie describes what she learned during the Pandemic and what this picture represents to her. If you haven’t read “UnMasked” you can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, a few libraries and select Indie Bookstores as well as my website. I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information about events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/ Like many people, I dreamed "someday" I would write a book. Someday I would have the luxury of time and the ability to completely focus and lose myself in amazing story-lines. I dreamed of creating characters and locations so realistic and authentic that you wanted to befriend them and live in their warm and inviting presence. I would "someday" write in a multitude of genres; from family sagas to thrillers, mysteries, and self-help and Christian books. For many years, whenever I'd get the itch to write I would be stymied by my long list of to-do items. I would laugh as I contemplated my busy schedule. I remember working a full-time job, leading a non-profit and trying to ensure that my three children were fed, getting to their various doctor and medical appointments, and that I had time for friends and other family members as well as quality time with my husband. And somewhere in the midst of this long list, I would figure out how and when to TRY to get seven hours of sleep. Until the Pandemic, my busy life seemed to continually get in the way. When we received our stay-home order, something reverberated inside me and I said, "Not this time. This time I was finished with the word someday. I was going to write." I managed to complete my novel "UnMasked" and helped shepherd and publish a resource guide for families with children with special needs and complex medical conditions. I finally stopped living in the land of "someday." My advice to would be writers is to release the words that are ruminating inside you by putting them on paper. And the only way to get the words out, is to put your butt in your seat and begin writing. Don’t worry about having picture perfect prose. And don't let perfectionism keep you from your dream of becoming a writer. The biggest thing I've learned is that in order to get the words out I have to either put my butt in a seat, or hook up my iPhone with a headset to record my thoughts. Once I've gotten my initial ideas out, then begins the challenging work of editing. So, if you’re like me – you need a little push to get going. If you’ve dreamed of writing a book it’s time to gather up your thoughts and ideas, put your butt in a chair and start writing. Make today your “someday”. You can do it! If you haven’t read my multi-award winning novel “UnMasked”, you can purchase it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and select Indie Book stores. I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information about events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/ This morning I woke up, feeling kind of blah. My To Do list seemed endless and the beautiful fall weather was beckoning, encouraging me to go outside and enjoy the day. As I dressed, I noticed a sparkly chemise carefully folded and put away in my closet. It was exactly what was needed. Instead of saving my outfit for a special occasion, I decided to get my sparkle on. Witnessing the expressions on my husband and two daughter’s faces was well worth the effort. One daughter’s eyes widened, but instead of commenting, she told me about some issues at her college, while my other daughter raised an eyebrow and asked, “Where are YOU going today.” The silent rest of the sentence being, “…dressed like that?” My husband’s reaction was the best. At lunch time he swooped into my office and upon seeing me, immediately said, “WOW! Don’t you look all sparkly and nice.” One of my first activities on my sparkly joyful day was to write a social media post for Instagram and that’s when I realized today - August 29th is the 11th week that my book, “UnMasked” has been out in the world. Yahoo! Now my sparkly outfit was even MORE appropriate. My book baby is eleven weeks old!! Today was a good reminder of the importance of being clear about what brings you joy and making sure you’re taking the time to have sparkly opportunities to nurture your soul. For too many years my life was crazy busy as I dealt with educational, insurance and medical issues. My writing dream was shelved, something to save for another day. I would write someday. One day when I had more time. Only someday never seemed to happen. I couldn’t seem to find time to write, an activity that filled me up and was actually a form of self-care. When the Pandemic came, I decided it was time. So I wrote in the creases of my day, grabbing moments here and there and especially between eleven at night and two in the morning. The last eleven weeks have been filled with lots of fun book events AND I’ve also made sure that I found time to start outlining additional book ideas and worked on my second book. I’ve loved getting lost for several hours in the creative process of writing. Some nights I’ve had to force myself to go to bed, there are nights that I believe I could stay up all night writing…. I’m still working on being a grown-up and going to bed at a reasonable time. For those readers that have texted, phoned, private messaged and one even said – I’m giving “UnMasked” a 4- star review because I want the rest of the story...I have good news. There will be a book two! Book Two will give a more robust picture of Patti by sharing parts of her early life as well as finalize the unresolved conflict between Patti and Jen. I decided that each of the main characters, Patti, Jen and Kylie need to have more of their individual stories told. “UnMasked” couldn’t end with one book, because we knew that at SOME point Patti and Jen need to address the elephant in the room. I’m innately curious and I know that I will often feel a sense of loss when the story is not complete. So the big announcement for today is “UnMasked” is book one in the four part "UnMasked" series. If you haven’t read “UnMasked”, you can purchase it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and select Indie Book stores. I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information and events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/ One of the biggest inspirations for the lake house for "UnMasked" was my family's beach house on Walloon Lake in Petoskey. As July 4th approaches I find myself re-living so many wonderful memories. My parents, siblings and our families would travel to our family beach home each July 4th week to celebrate the summer and my mom's July 4th birthday! We all LOVED the family tradition of experiencing fireworks from atop a hill with the sky magically lit up across the Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Charlevoix skyline. We'd purchase sparklers, head to the Dollar Store for treats and at dusk we'd order a take-out pizza and sit in our folding chairs watching the brilliant colors explode against the dark sky amongst our frequent gasps and oohs and ahhs. Depending on the weather, we enjoyed the outdoors during the day, from early morning walks to boating and or swimming and visiting area beaches and galleries and shopping as we explored the cuisine in down-town Petoskey and the surrounding area. One of our favorite night time activities was playing board games. The kids eagerly anticipated the moment when my husband would explain the rules of his latest game. Each year my husband (like Ben in "UnMasked") brought a new game on vacation, with the intent of sharing his love of gaming with our family. He'd show us how to play, plus we would bring all our old favorites where we'd fight for supremacy. One memorable summer, my husband helped create Dungeon and Dragon characters for all the kids as he introduced them to the game. One of my nephew's had a character named MuMu and for the next year my nephew had a new nick-name. My nephew MuMu was always up for an early morning walk and he was an expert at making perfectly roasted marshmallows. Several nights during our week's vacation we would have a fire and roast marshmallows and make s'mores. MuMu was patient and would take his time creating a perfectly toasted, lightly browned marshmallow. My dad and I would jockey for position, encouraging MuMu to give us the perfectly created marshmallow. Our summer beach house was a large log cabin with four bedrooms for the adults and a large loft area filled with bunk beds for the kids. Here's a picture of the inspiration in Northern Michigan for UnMasked," as well as a picture of the lake, taken from the side of the house.
When I began envisioning the places of "UnMasked" one of the first areas that came to mind were some of my favorite cities in northern Michigan; places I'd known and loved every summer since I was a baby. My family would visit Petoskey, Charlevoix and Harbor Springs. My grandparents had retired to Charlevoix, so sometimes we journeyed there during the fall and winter as well. My earliest memories involve looking for Petoskey stones along the Lake Michigan Shore, eating my favorite coconut cream pie at the Petoskey Jesperson's restaurant, (unfortunately now closed after more than 100 years of business) and yummy fudge and coconut ice cream from Kilwin's Fudge Shop. Summer was when I took long walks with my grandparents and enjoyed the many area beaches. Our family would gather around the dinner table with my grandparents and sometimes with extended family as we enjoyed meals together. Up north was synonymous with freedom from chores as well as the extra luxury of more opportunities to read. Usually on our second day of vacation, my grandpa would take me to the Charlevoix library and fill my arms with a huge stack of books. He encouraged my deep love of reading. It was my favorite time of year! When people ask why does "UnMasked" seem so real, it seems so real because I wrote about places that I know and love, using creative fiction. Creative fiction is a way of incorporating real life events into your story. Here are some pictures from Charlevoix that we took during our fall anniversary trip. There are scenes from places you will recognize in UnMasked." The area near the beautiful Charlevoix South Pier lighthouse is so gorgeous that I knew I wanted to include this location in "UnMasked." I could easily picture the Clarke family home on a hill overlooking the beach and lighthouse. The sunset from the pier is always lovely; in this picture I've captured the cement plant which you see off to the left of the Charlevoix lighthouse. Behind my husband and myself is the beach with the playground and swings with beautiful sand and the Charlevoix South Pier lighthouse. Members of the Clarke/Blake family are able to see this "view" from the Clarke family lake house. My experiences in Northern Michigan were a strong inspiration for the vacation fun the Clarke/Blake family experienced in "UnMasked". I can close my eyes and I'm back in Charlevoix visiting my grandparents. Or I'm in Petoskey with my parents and siblings or checking out the wonderful fireworks in Harbor Springs over the fourth of July. Other memories involve visiting with my husband and three young children and watching them experience the beach and all the amazing things to see and do in northern Michigan. Other times, I'm a college student going out with friends and having a blast in one of my favorite places in the world and yes it really does feel like yesterday.
I'd love to hear from you. What are some of your favorite memories and things to do in northern Michigan? "UnMasked" is available on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/fCkRf8z or you can link direct to Amazon from my homepage and can also order on Barnes & Noble. I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information and events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/ I made the decision for Mark Blake, the youngest child from “UnMasked” to have autism for three reasons. First, I’m the parent of a child that has high functioning autism who was severely compromised with immune issues and a lower form of functionality. Our child went through years of medical treatments and was in and out of school from second through eighth grade due to their immune system. We were the family that looked under every rock, and physically consulted with or visited doctors and specialists from thirty-nine states in our quest to help our child. Secondly, I’m very familiar with the fact that each person with autism can present completely differently from the next person with autism. I wanted to write a REAL book that described some of the experiences of families that have a child or children with autism. Because our family has LIVED it, what I write is real and authentic – not something I’m writing because I think my book needs a neurodivergent character. A few years ago I read a novel about a young man with autism that was miraculously healed when he started singing in a theater program. As I read the book, I had to keep putting it down as I seriously wanted to scream. The novel was fiction and so out in left-field that I wanted to contact the author and ask her WHERE she'd gotten her fictional idea. I wanted to ask her if she knew anyone with autism. Due to my extensive experience with autism, in my home, with friends that have children with autism and working with our non-profit, I was pretty convinced she was just checking the box and putting a neurodivergent character in the book. And finally, I wanted this book to challenge people to think outside the box and realize that recovery is possible. We’re living this in our home – and I’ve seen MANY families recover or dramatically improve their child’s health and diagnoses. Thanks to a tremendous amount of therapies and medical interventions our child has graduated from high school, works part-time, drives and owns their own vehicle, and will be starting a year-long career training program this summer. We're looking forward to a happy future where our child will be able to live and work independently. It took years of work and a lot of sacrifice. It’s a dream come true. And isn’t that what we all want, a child that is healthy and living their best life? "UnMasked" is available for on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/fCkRf8z or you can link direct to Amazon from my homepage and can also order on Barnes & Noble. I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information and events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/ Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash In "UnMasked, the matriarch of the family, Granda Patti is a complex character. She and her husband Joe have three adult children - Jen age forty-eight, Clint age forty-four and Lori about to turn forty. Patti’s quick to tell others, “According to my husband, Joe, I'm a young, sexy-looking grandma… I may be seventy-three, but I look and act much younger.” Before the pandemic, Patti was a sparkly ball of energy – like a hummingbird, she never seemed to be still, flitting from one activity to the next. Patti and Joe winter in Florida and she relishes her social standing in her St. Augustine, Florida community. In her daily life she feels pressure to conform to the societal norms of her generation and subsequently places massive pressure on her friends and family, especially her children. Her expectations are endless and yet, underneath it all is a vulnerable woman. Patti is a complicated personality. She has a past and secrets that she doesn't want to share. The pandemic and resulting lock-downs and stay-at-home orders result in some significant changes to her life-style. What does a very BUSY retired lady do when suddenly in her words, life "is about as exciting as watching paint dry." "UnMasked" chronicles the love and family drama of three remarkable women as they grapple with what really matters. Because it’s written in the first person, you have the chance to understand and be part of each character’s inner thought process. You’re able to see multiple viewpoints and understand their opinions and WHY they did certain things - EVEN if it’s an opinion or an action you don’t necessarily agree with. "UnMasked" will be released on June 13, 2023 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/fCkRf8z I’d love to hear from you. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information and events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at https://www.juliecadman.com/ Jen is sandwiched between her many responsibilities as a wife, mom, employee, warrior mom, and friend as well as daughter to aging parents. She’s Ben’s wife, Kylie’s mom, and Patti’s daughter. But who is she REALLY? Does anyone know her and see who she is, her struggles and all she has on her plate? Who is Jen Blake? Jen is a warrior mom on steroids. She’s a person that doesn’t give up and keeps driving forward as she faces numerous challenges…challenges that would break many people. Much like the energizer bunny, she keeps going and going, focused on her family. Jen is a woman that is tired. She is stretched incredibly thin and as a result she’s exhausted. She has a few more pounds than she’d like on her formerly athletic frame and is a fierce advocate for the family she loves so very much. She’s a woman that desperately needs and craves self-care. Jen is quick to say, “I’m kind of over being the last person in the family to get my stuff done.” But she also realizes much to her chagrin, “I’m always at the bottom of my to-do list.” She is caught between total exhaustion and needing to do just a couple more things. Mom guilt is real and she feels like she isn’t doing enough for her family. Yet, if she were to analyze her day and the time she spends helping her immediate and extended family it would be hard to continue having this mind set. To me, Jen typifies many women. She is every woman that juggles multiple responsibilities and manages to do an amazing job. She is living the sandwich generation. Still taking care of her family and home responsibilities while sandwiched between the needs of her older parents. I hope you love and enjoy her character as much as I do! Pre-orders for "UnMasked" are coming soon, with a book launch date of mid -June. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman/ And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information and events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at www.JulieCadman.com I initially began “UnMasked” by focusing on the spunky, outspoken 16-year-old, Kylie Clarke. Her character is rich in her ability to share her viewpoint and perspective on her life during the Pandemic. Kylie is ticked off and just wants things to go back to normal. She excels in the ability to speak her mind and let everyone know how she feels and shares what is going on in her life. At only 16, her maturity level is pretty amazing. Especially, since she is often trapped between her mom, Jen and her grandmother, Granda Patti. In March 2020, at the beginning of the Pandemic, students in our community were sent home on a Wednesday while our school district figured out on-line learning. Our two daughters were scheduled to find out what sports team they had made - either JV or Varsity - that Thursday and Friday. We thought we'd soon be back to school, only to have the in-person school date moved to the following school year and all sports and activities canceled. Our students were never told what sports team they would’ve made. Life as we knew it changed dramatically, literally overnight. Experiencing this with my teens gave me a front-row seat to evolve the story-line and select lacrosse as the sport that Kylie loved and desperately wanted to play. The sport lacrosse was a close parallel to one of the Kylie’s in my life. The teenager, Kylie, was a representation of my two daughters and a few other teens. I was living with multiple versions of Kylie and intimately knew this character. After filling out a personality overview for Kylie, she came alive and was screaming to tell her story. Kylie was angry. She was furious. She had to wait to get her driver's license, couldn't see her friends and desperately wanted to play lacrosse with her high school team. Kylie felt like NO ONE understood her and what she was going through. (Said, no teenager ever, right?) Kylie is a lovable, snarky teen that is not afraid to share her point of view. I’m blessed to know MANY Kylie’s in my life. I hope you love and enjoy her character as much as I do! Stay tuned, as pre-orders for "UnMasked" are coming soon, with a book launch date of mid -June. Here are the ways to connect with me: Instagram @Julie.Cadman1 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieCadman/ And you can sign up for my newsletter to receive information and events and upcoming contests – on my author’s page at www.JulieCadman.com . |
AuthorJulie Cadman is a former automotive and health care executive, turned writer. She co-founded the non-profit, Healing Complex Kids, where she helps special needs families. She and her husband live in the Midwest with their son, two daughters and their Goldendoodle Kerby. To learn more about me click here. |