THOUGHTS THAT BREATHE...and gasp and wheeze!

This title was the name of my newspaper column back in the day when I practiced journalism without a degree for a weekly newspaper out of Fairbury, Illinois. Though the job as Editor for the Livingston Citizen (covering all of the county) required that journalism degree, the publisher told me "we're desperate." So going on my writer resume of a sold romance novel, several farm magazine articles (with humor), and a breading making article, I was hired. Fast forward a few years, I reminded that publisher of her "desperate" remark after I had won several Illinois Press Association awards for their foundation newspaper, The Blade. She smiled.

When writing a weekly column was added to my list of duties, I created a character: Marian Migraine. As with her name, she was my thorn in the side, my pain in the ass with her blatant, uncouth remarks. But I'll never forget being stopped on the street one day by a couple ladies, one asking, "How's Marian doing?"

They liked her. Maybe they liked the fact she threw jabs at me, despite her being "my best buddy." Of course, I wanted readers to laugh. Reading about Marian once in a while sat better than my occasional controversial topics. I found it astounding that some readers took my opinions as actual news and wondered where my "facts" came from and didn't I know better?

So at times within these pages, depending on how life is proceeding, you may hear from Marian Migraine.

Please write here! I'd love to hear from you. Ask me what you like about my journalism experiences or writing in general. I'm currently working on Book 2 in the Carrie Romanelli, Investigative Report, mystery series. Down the line I may sell some of those pre-published pages, hopefully pull you in to the character and her crime solving adventures. In the first book, "EXPOSE`", she doesn't so much solve the crime but ends the bad guy.

I'll check in next week!

AND READ MY BOOKS!