Kaye Barley muses...

HALLIE EPHRON: Today it gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome Kaye Barley, our dear "Oh, Kaye!" who has blogged once a month for us since... forever... and is now stepping away from that regular gig. Fortunately, she agreed to come on as a guest.

Kaye, I “met” you via your blog, Meanderings & Muses. I know you started blogging ages ago (2008??)—tell us when and what got you started?  And where is it taking you these days?

KAYE BARLEY: In a very round-about way, I think Meanderings and Muses came to be because I quit smoking.

Evelyn David, author(s) and member of The Stiletto Gang asked me to write a blog piece about that. That was during the summer of 2008 (and I am still smoke free – yay!).  Then in September of that year, JT Ellison asked me to write a piece about how theinternet might be a “Virtual Montparnasse” for the blog Murderati.

Then I attended my first Bouchercon in October.  How could I not want to write about that?  I couldn’t wait to share that experience along with some pretty awesome pictures.   Talk about Fan Girl – that was me.

All these things seemed like fun things to share in my own blog, hence Meanderings and Muses was born.  But I wanted it to be about more than my ramblings about my own life.

After floundering around for a bit and after running the idea by several author friends I decided to try out an idea just to see if it would fly, and boy did it ever. I sent out invitations to some author friends asking if they’d be willing write a piece for yet another blog - about whatever they cared to write about.  Every invitation was met with a “yes.”

In January 2009 the author spotlights were kicked off by my dear friend Pat Browning.  I was a huge fan of Pat’s work, especially her essays.  She had a way of writing that was so comfortable.  Readers felt like they were sitting down for a cup of coffee and a chat with a close friend while reading Pat’s pieces.  Perfect for the atmosphere and ambience I hoped to have at my own blog.

What started as the 2009 Meanderings and Muses Dream Team of about 12 authors – one a month – grew to two authors a week (sometimes three), every week, in 2013.

By this time, many of the contributors had participated every single year. And I was beginning to get requests from people who wanted to come play.

But it had turned into more than I had hoped and was becoming more like work than fun for me. So at the end of 2013 I thanked all the guests one final time. 

Guests being a delightful mix of bestselling authors, mid list authors, unpublished authors, regional authors, poets, publicists and publishers, bloggers, friends of the mystery community and readers who read a bit of everything.  I was even able to convince my husband to write a piece and wasn’t the least bit surprised when the number of hits kept rising and rising and rising.

Meanderings and Muses author spotlights made its mark in the mystery world.  I’m always going to be quite proud of that.  How could it not with a line-up including...

 Avery Aames Megan Abbott Patti Abbott Victoria Abbott Suzanne Adair Ellery Adams Riley Adams Michael Alatorre Tasha Alexander Lou Allin Beth Anderson Patty Anderson Susan Anderson  Donna Andrews Maggie Barbieri Donald Barley Wendy Bartlett  Cara Black Rachel Brady Peg Brantley Duffy Brown Pat Browning Brenda Buchanan Julia Buckley Robin Burcell Lucy Burdette Alafair Burke Tony Burton Sarah Byrne Bill Cameron Dana Cameron Chester Campbell Lillian Stewart Carl Cathy Lee Carper Toni McGee Causey Diane Chamberlain Joelle Charbonneau Laura Childs Jane Cleland Stacey Cochran Mark Coggins Jeff Cohen P.J. Coldren Meredith Cole Reed Farrel Coleman Alan Cook Thomas H. Cook E.J. Copperman Gary Corby Shelley Costa Cleo Coyle Elizabeth Spann Craig Bill Crider Deborah Crombie Lonnie Cruse Evelyn David Hilary Davidson Krista Davis Mark De Castrique Vicki Delany Deni Dietz Nan Dillingham Julie Dolcemaschio Alice Duncan Carola Dunn J.T. Ellison HallieEphron Linda Fairstein Nancy Peterson Farina Robert Fate Gerrie Ferris Finger Barbara Fister Jen Forbus Barbara Fradkin Shelly Fredman Leighton Gage Kate Gallison Kaye George Shane Gericke Gina Gilmore Debra Ginsberg Chris Grabenstein Andrew Grant Judith Greber Beth Groundwater Carolyn Haines Tim Hallinan Denise Hamilton R.J. Harlick Rosemary Harris Libby Fischer Hellman Sara J. Henry Sasscer Hill Beth Hoffman Judy Hogan Lesa Holstine Julie Hyzy Coco Ihle Roberta Isleib Dean James Nancy Lynn Jarvis Craig Johnson Larry Karp Toni L.P. Kelner Dana King Vicki Lane Bob Levinson N. J. Lindquist Mary Jane Maffini Victoria Maffini Morgan Mandel Margaret Maron Nancy Martin Ashley McConnell Jenn McKinlay Marilyn Meredith Jenny Milchman Celia Miles Robin Minnick Donna Moore Bobbi Munn Tim Myers Patricia Neeley-Dorsey Radine Trees Nehring Kris Neri Scott Nicholson Doris Ann Norris Karen Olson Mike Orenduff Alan Orloff Ann Parker Bronson L. “Bo” Parker Brad Parks Sandra Parshall Louise Penny Twist Phelan Dee Phelps Neil Plakcy Jonathan Quist Cornelia Read Mary Reed Gillian Roberts L.J. Roberts Chris Roerden Carolyn Rose S.J. Rozan Janet Rudolph Sandra Ruttan Hank Phillippi Ryan Karen Schinder Brandon Seidl L.J. Sellers Sarah Shaber Deborah Sharp Zoe Sharp Andi Shechter Clea Simon Joanne Campbell Slan Ben Small April Smith Sylvia Dickey Smith Alexandra Sokoloff Robin Spano Earl Staggs Kelli Stanley Patricia Stoltey Niki Strandskov Pari Noskin Taichert Marcia Talley Kathleen Taylor Pattie Tierny Elaine Viets Miranda Phillips Walker Robert Walker Kathryn Wall Mary Welk  Melinda Wells Jeri Westerson Molly Weston Shirley Wetzel Leslie Wheeler Sharon Wildwind Michael Wiley Simon Wood Nancy Means Wright Elizabeth Zelvin

Meanderings and Muses has gone through a lot of changes and now it’s become a place for me to do an occasional book squeal, share some of my photography, share a piece of poetry or art I’ve stumbled across. A place where I share stories and pictures about friends and family, and political rants. 

It’s a place I lean on and love.  And I have no idea what might show up there on any given day.

HALLIE: Whoa! That's some list!!

One of your “muses” was surely Harley. A corgi, AKA Harley Doodle Barley.  (And BTW I love the idea of that little energetic dog being named after a motorcycle.) He’s inspired you, your blog, and your writing. Tell us how.

KAYE:  Oh, Harley.  I miss that funny little dog every day of my life.  He would have taken this new kid, Annabelle, in hand and given her a good talking to.  He was a joy, a tonic, a mischievous little soul.  And he did “inspire” us to write a book with him – all about him, of course.  It sold quite well, and still picks up a new sale every now and then.

HALLIE: Tell us about Boone, your home in the North Carolina Mountains, and how it shapes your literary life.

KAYE: Boone.  Talk about a love/hate relationship!  

I adore our little house on the edge of the wilderness and I adore our neighbors.  This area of the North Carolina mountains is beautiful.  We have a small group of neighbors who are like family.  There’s nothing I enjoy much more than shopping in our little downtown area where we have some outstanding shops and galleries and a few good restaurants. 

I’m afraid, however, what I love most about it is slowing changing and disappearing.  

Developers love lopping off another mountain top to toss up another group of cheaply built houses/condos/apartments.  They’re starting to ignore their own rule about building height.  The university is taking over the sweet downtown area and housing prices are ridiculous, meaning many of the service people will be living outside of Boone and driving in to work.  One of the largest employers, Appalachian State University, doesn’t believe in raises for staff, and I could go on and on and on.  You may have seen Boone on the Rachel Maddow Show during a segment of voter suppression. 

North Carolina, in general, has been a challenge in recent years. It shapes my literary life in that I always find things here to photograph, to contemplate, and to write about.  It’s a dichotomy I’m constantly exploring.

HALLIE: Please, share with us your wish for the new year, and what books are on your bedside table…

KAYE: In semi-permanence on my bedside table are a couple of books by Pat Conroy including his cookbook which has some of the loveliest essays he’s written.  Also, his “My Reading Life,” and “Lowcountry Heart.”  

Additional permanent book residents include Rick Bragg’s “My Southern Journey,” and Neil Gaiman’s “The View From the Cheap Seats.”  I love essays and poetry for bedtime reading.  The books of poetry on that messy bedside table right now are Mary Oliver’s “Devotions,” Christopher Buckley’s “Star Journal,” and Ntozake Shange’s “Wild Beauty.”  The novel I’m reading is Dawn Tripp’s “Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O’Keeffe.”  Next up is Tahereh Mafi’s “Whichwood, a companion to her “Furthermore” which was pure magic.  And my oh so cherished Kindle Fire so I can have any book I might have a hankering for at any hour of the day or night.  Push a button and “POOF!” there it is.  More magic!

As far as the coming year goes, Donald has joined me as a retired person so we hope to just relax and enjoy time together.  We’re both nesters, so being at home is always nice, but we’re also looking forward to doing some traveling.  He’s agreed to go to Paris with me next September and we’ve already booked a small studio apartment on the Ile Saint-Louis for a week, followed by a train trip to Amsterdam where we have a hotel room booked for 3 nights.  Between now and then, just to make me quit talking obsessively about all things Paris, we’ll be making little day trips to Asheville and other places we enjoy that are close by, and a trip to beach is always on the agenda.

 
HALLIE: Are you working on a new book?

KAYE:  I’m working, sporadically, on two manuscripts.  One is another Whimsey novel in which I’m trying to tell Olivia’s story.  But, it feels like I’m just retelling the story of Whimsey, so I’m not happy with it.  We’ll see where it, and if, it goes.

The second is a novel which takes place in a small mountain town.  It’s a little darker.  One has to be careful not to poke at and peek under some fairly harmless looking rocks.  I’m having a whole lot of fun with this one, truth be told.  But I am a very slow writer, for which I have stopped thrashing myself.  

My favorite writing is creative non-fiction essays, so I find myself doing a lot of that, along with some short stories.

HALLIE: Kaye, we’re going to miss you as a regular contributor to Jungle Red, so I hope you’ll come back often as a guest.

KAYE: Hallie, being an Honorary Red for five plus years has been an honor.  It’s been fun and of course I’ll come back as often as allowed.  I thank Hank for the initial invitation which was a huge and fantastic surprise and I thank all the Reds for their friendship and support.  It’s a pretty amazing group of women I’ve been hanging with, I must say. 

HALLIE: Ending with a quiz for our readers, who have gotten to know Kaye over these last years. One of these is TRUE about Kaye… which one is it?

1. She danced on stage with Bruce Springsteen in Atlanta.

2. She sang on stage with Willie Nelson in Atlanta (just one short chorus of "On The Road Again").

3. She was on Atlanta TV getting a kiss from a camel.

4. She was part of the peanut gallery for the Howdy Doody Show.

5. She was on Atlanta TV helping Paula Deen make Shrimp & Grits