Debra Trueman's Blog
November 14, 2014
Living with Urban Wildlife
Living with the wildlife in Hollywood Park is such a joy, but sometimes it has its drawbacks. Two summers ago, the Hollywood Park Humane Society started receiving calls from residents about a buck with “something” entangled in his antlers. Living with urban deer, we see bucks wearing various forms of headgear - landscape netting, brush & limbs, Christmas lights – and the typical course of action is to take no action at all, as long as the buck can eat, drink and move about safely. However, this was not the case with the buck that affectionately came to be known in Hollywood Park as Ragtop.
The “something” that Ragtop had become entangled in was an entire volleyball net, including the poles. The net was wound around his antlers, head and neck, covering his mouth, with the poles sticking through the whole mess like Chinese hairpins. There was no way the buck could survive until his antlers fell off, and there was no way the net was going to work its way off on its own. Realizing we needed help, HPHS contacted Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation and Texas Parks & Wildlife for guidance, and after seeing photos of what we were dealing with, everyone agreed that we should attempt to free Ragtop of the net. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.
Over the next few weeks, TPW came out twice in an attempt to tranquilize Ragtop, but without success. Meanwhile we were getting multiple calls on a daily basis from residents concerned about Ragtop, whose health was rapidly deteriorating. Portions of the net had started to drape dangerously low and we were afraid the buck would get his legs caught up in the net and that he would break a leg or worse. While we were coordinating with WRR to come over, our worst fears were realized. It was just getting dark, when a resident noticed Ragtop with his legs entangled in the net, falling down and flailing on the ground trying to get up. And what happened next, and the way it all came together, is the stuff of legends.
The quick-thinking resident called the HPHS President, who called me and another HPHS Board Member. I remember getting the call, and the President saying “Ragtop is down!” and I grabbed my husband, a blanket, and a pair of scissors and we were out the door. The President grabbed her neighbor, and in less than five minutes, we met up with the other board member and her husband, and the resident and his wife. Between us, we had multiple blankets, 3 pair of scissors, and a couple of flashlights, and we converged in the yard where Ragtop was struggling. He would manage to get up and try to run, then fall down and flail around, and get up again.
By this time, it was pitch dark out. We chased him around for several minutes, and I was not optimistic that it was going to end well. Then all of a sudden, Ragtop went down and someone was close enough to throw a blanket over his head, and we went Steve Irwin on him. We piled on top of him, some of us lying across his body, others holding down his legs or holding his head still, while others worked to cut the net that was so tight in places that it was embedded in his flesh. It seemed like it took forever to cut him free. Once the net was removed, one by one, we carefully peeled ourselves off; then someone pulled the blanket off Ragtop’s head, and in a flurry of legs, he was back on his feet and in an instant was gone. The eight of us stood there for a couple of seconds, just looking at each other, stunned and not believing what we had just pulled off, and then we all started yelling and screaming, jumping up and down and hugging each other. After three weeks of agonizing over Ragtop, it was all over in minutes. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne and lots of tears of joy. It was magic.
You can find out more about my little town in two of my books that take place in Hollywood Park: Advice of Counsel and Family Counsel.
The “something” that Ragtop had become entangled in was an entire volleyball net, including the poles. The net was wound around his antlers, head and neck, covering his mouth, with the poles sticking through the whole mess like Chinese hairpins. There was no way the buck could survive until his antlers fell off, and there was no way the net was going to work its way off on its own. Realizing we needed help, HPHS contacted Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation and Texas Parks & Wildlife for guidance, and after seeing photos of what we were dealing with, everyone agreed that we should attempt to free Ragtop of the net. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.
Over the next few weeks, TPW came out twice in an attempt to tranquilize Ragtop, but without success. Meanwhile we were getting multiple calls on a daily basis from residents concerned about Ragtop, whose health was rapidly deteriorating. Portions of the net had started to drape dangerously low and we were afraid the buck would get his legs caught up in the net and that he would break a leg or worse. While we were coordinating with WRR to come over, our worst fears were realized. It was just getting dark, when a resident noticed Ragtop with his legs entangled in the net, falling down and flailing on the ground trying to get up. And what happened next, and the way it all came together, is the stuff of legends.
The quick-thinking resident called the HPHS President, who called me and another HPHS Board Member. I remember getting the call, and the President saying “Ragtop is down!” and I grabbed my husband, a blanket, and a pair of scissors and we were out the door. The President grabbed her neighbor, and in less than five minutes, we met up with the other board member and her husband, and the resident and his wife. Between us, we had multiple blankets, 3 pair of scissors, and a couple of flashlights, and we converged in the yard where Ragtop was struggling. He would manage to get up and try to run, then fall down and flail around, and get up again.
By this time, it was pitch dark out. We chased him around for several minutes, and I was not optimistic that it was going to end well. Then all of a sudden, Ragtop went down and someone was close enough to throw a blanket over his head, and we went Steve Irwin on him. We piled on top of him, some of us lying across his body, others holding down his legs or holding his head still, while others worked to cut the net that was so tight in places that it was embedded in his flesh. It seemed like it took forever to cut him free. Once the net was removed, one by one, we carefully peeled ourselves off; then someone pulled the blanket off Ragtop’s head, and in a flurry of legs, he was back on his feet and in an instant was gone. The eight of us stood there for a couple of seconds, just looking at each other, stunned and not believing what we had just pulled off, and then we all started yelling and screaming, jumping up and down and hugging each other. After three weeks of agonizing over Ragtop, it was all over in minutes. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne and lots of tears of joy. It was magic.
You can find out more about my little town in two of my books that take place in Hollywood Park: Advice of Counsel and Family Counsel.
August 13, 2014
Family Counsel - Now Available on Kindle
Book 2 of the Samuel Collins Series is now available on Kindle! This has been a bittersweet release. I had intended to publish Family Counsel at the end of June or early July, but my father suddenly became ill and then passed away six weeks later. I was my father's paralegal for 28 years, and his love of the English language inspired my writing career. He taught me the art of "turning a phrase" - the notion that the right word can transform a one dimensional sentence into something 3D. RIP Frank Manitzas!
Debra Trueman
Debra Trueman
May 26, 2014
New Release Out Soon
Just dropped off my next book to my Editor! It's called Family Counsel, and it picks up where Advice of Counsel left off. Catch up with old friends and neighbors from Hollywood Park, Texas, and meet some new ones, in this second book of the Samuel Collins series. Look for release in late June or early July. Debra Trueman
March 24, 2014
Another B-Day Celebration!
Samuel Collins and Oliver Griffin of Advice of Counsel have birthdays this week. In celebration, you can download Advice of Counsel free on Kindle on March 25 and 26.
November 16, 2013
99¢ Birthday Promo
I love birthdays and I'm counting down to mine! In celebration, I'm running a 72-hour 99¢ Kindle promo on Advice of Counsel, starting at midnight Nov. 18. If you're looking for a fun, light-hearted mystery romance, give it a try!Advice of Counsel
August 23, 2013
Small Town Makes Perfect Backdrop for Books
I love my little town. It is the perfect backdrop for a book, with its country-like feel and abundance of wildlife; its eclectic mix of generations; its firefighters that will respond to everything from a blazing inferno to a kitten in a tree; its police that will come over and get your kid out of a locked bathroom. It’s a town where everyone knows everyone’s business, a modern-day Mayberry. It is Hollywood Park, Texas, and it is a little parcel of heaven smack-dab in the middle of San Antonio, the 7th largest city in America.
Advice of Counsel takes place in Hollywood Park, as does its follow-up that I’m writing now, Evidence of Record. One reader concluded her review of Advice with the comment: “I already miss the characters and am dying to get back into this little neighborhood that the author created.” I had to laugh, because much as I’d like to take credit for creating such a great little neighborhood, it’s actually very real, and it’s the place I am privileged to call home.
I love incorporating actual events into my writing. A couple of years ago, we had an attack owl that was terrorizing residents, and last week, I incorporated that into a scene in Evidence. This week presented another great story to incorporate into the book. We have a garbage collector named Mateo who has worked in the Park for years. Residents know him by name, and love him because of his friendly smile and vigorous wave, his hard work, and his enthusiasm. We got wind this week that Mateo was going to be transferred out of the Park. The dozens of calls that Waste Management fielded from complaining residents were met with utter disbelief that a community cared who was assigned as their garbage collector. Apparently it was a first. What they didn’t understand, was the Mateo is very much a part of our community. In the end, we prevailed: Mateo stays! And that’s Hollywood Park. For book material, it just doesn’t get any better than that.
Advice of Counsel takes place in Hollywood Park, as does its follow-up that I’m writing now, Evidence of Record. One reader concluded her review of Advice with the comment: “I already miss the characters and am dying to get back into this little neighborhood that the author created.” I had to laugh, because much as I’d like to take credit for creating such a great little neighborhood, it’s actually very real, and it’s the place I am privileged to call home.
I love incorporating actual events into my writing. A couple of years ago, we had an attack owl that was terrorizing residents, and last week, I incorporated that into a scene in Evidence. This week presented another great story to incorporate into the book. We have a garbage collector named Mateo who has worked in the Park for years. Residents know him by name, and love him because of his friendly smile and vigorous wave, his hard work, and his enthusiasm. We got wind this week that Mateo was going to be transferred out of the Park. The dozens of calls that Waste Management fielded from complaining residents were met with utter disbelief that a community cared who was assigned as their garbage collector. Apparently it was a first. What they didn’t understand, was the Mateo is very much a part of our community. In the end, we prevailed: Mateo stays! And that’s Hollywood Park. For book material, it just doesn’t get any better than that.
July 26, 2013
Giving Back
Giving Back Promotion. For all downloads of either of my books, Advice of Counsel and Back on Solid Ground, from today through July 31, I will be donating 25% of the proceeds to my favorite animal welfare organization, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation of Kendalia, TX. Thanks for your support! Advice of CounselBack on Solid Ground
May 23, 2013
Local Coverage - Nice Feature Article
This is a feature article that my local paper did on me and my book earlier this month:
Art often imitates life, and life often imitates art. But when Debbie Trueman set out to write her first novel, she discovered that the relationship between the two is sometimes more complicated.
“I felt compelled to write 'Back on Solid Ground,'” the Hollywood Park resident said of the romantic thriller, which begins with the kidnapping of a young woman.
“Then, three months after I wrote it, a little girl was kidnapped from San Antonio and was dropped off near her home after being held for five days.”
As the case developed, Trueman was stunned to learn that details of the abduction closely matched details she had written: “The girl described a boarded-up cabin with bunk beds. A character in my book had been held in a hunting cabin with boarded up windows and bunk beds.
“Then a month later, a second girl was kidnapped by the same man, and the FBI was looking for them just miles from where my characters had stopped for gas. Something was going on when I wrote that book, but exactly what, I don't know.”
Much of Trueman's writing is inspired, or compelled, by her life experiences, she said. Born in Washington, D.C., she moved to Texas at five months of age, growing up in Terrell Hills and graduating from Alamo Heights High School.
For nearly 15 years, she has lived in Hollywood Park, where she has been active in local politics for more than a decade, including one and a half years on City Council. As she explained her decision to run for public office, “You might say I was compelled to do it. I couldn't sit back and watch people kill off our deer.”
The city also provided an ideal setting for her second novel, “Advice of Counsel,” which was published before “Back on Solid Ground,” but written after it.
“Hollywood Park is this quaint little bedroom community where everyone knows everyone else's business,” Trueman said.
“Our firemen and police even know the residents by name. It just lends itself perfectly for the backdrop of a book.”
And Trueman says she will return to Hollywood Park for her next book, “Evidence of Record.”
Trueman is a fan of the romance and mystery genres, and writes the kind of novels she enjoys reading. In “Advice of Counsel,” a lawyer falls for a suspected con artist, while the kidnapper in “Back on Solid Ground” develops a bond with his suspected target.
“Mystery romance is one of my favorite genres to write,” she said, “but first and foremost, there's got to be a good storyline. It can't just be the romance thing.”
A good storyline demands good characters, and for Trueman, watching characters come to life is one of the joys of writing.
“One of my favorite things about writing is the way the characters develop as the story unfolds,” she said.
“I never know who I'm going to meet along the way, because the characters take on a life of their own, which is really fun to work with.”
In the end, Trueman hopes her readers enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoys writing them. “My books are meant to be fun and entertaining,” she said. “I want readers to leave with a smile on their face and looking forward to the next one.”
“Advice of Counsel” and “Back on Solid Ground” are both available at Amazon.com (in both paperback and e-book formats), and can also be ordered through local booksellers.
Art often imitates life, and life often imitates art. But when Debbie Trueman set out to write her first novel, she discovered that the relationship between the two is sometimes more complicated.
“I felt compelled to write 'Back on Solid Ground,'” the Hollywood Park resident said of the romantic thriller, which begins with the kidnapping of a young woman.
“Then, three months after I wrote it, a little girl was kidnapped from San Antonio and was dropped off near her home after being held for five days.”
As the case developed, Trueman was stunned to learn that details of the abduction closely matched details she had written: “The girl described a boarded-up cabin with bunk beds. A character in my book had been held in a hunting cabin with boarded up windows and bunk beds.
“Then a month later, a second girl was kidnapped by the same man, and the FBI was looking for them just miles from where my characters had stopped for gas. Something was going on when I wrote that book, but exactly what, I don't know.”
Much of Trueman's writing is inspired, or compelled, by her life experiences, she said. Born in Washington, D.C., she moved to Texas at five months of age, growing up in Terrell Hills and graduating from Alamo Heights High School.
For nearly 15 years, she has lived in Hollywood Park, where she has been active in local politics for more than a decade, including one and a half years on City Council. As she explained her decision to run for public office, “You might say I was compelled to do it. I couldn't sit back and watch people kill off our deer.”
The city also provided an ideal setting for her second novel, “Advice of Counsel,” which was published before “Back on Solid Ground,” but written after it.
“Hollywood Park is this quaint little bedroom community where everyone knows everyone else's business,” Trueman said.
“Our firemen and police even know the residents by name. It just lends itself perfectly for the backdrop of a book.”
And Trueman says she will return to Hollywood Park for her next book, “Evidence of Record.”
Trueman is a fan of the romance and mystery genres, and writes the kind of novels she enjoys reading. In “Advice of Counsel,” a lawyer falls for a suspected con artist, while the kidnapper in “Back on Solid Ground” develops a bond with his suspected target.
“Mystery romance is one of my favorite genres to write,” she said, “but first and foremost, there's got to be a good storyline. It can't just be the romance thing.”
A good storyline demands good characters, and for Trueman, watching characters come to life is one of the joys of writing.
“One of my favorite things about writing is the way the characters develop as the story unfolds,” she said.
“I never know who I'm going to meet along the way, because the characters take on a life of their own, which is really fun to work with.”
In the end, Trueman hopes her readers enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoys writing them. “My books are meant to be fun and entertaining,” she said. “I want readers to leave with a smile on their face and looking forward to the next one.”
“Advice of Counsel” and “Back on Solid Ground” are both available at Amazon.com (in both paperback and e-book formats), and can also be ordered through local booksellers.
May 10, 2013
Local Coverage of My 2nd Book
I finally got some coverage from my hometown newspaper! You can check out the article here: http://www.mysanantonio.com/community...
Back on Solid Ground
Back on Solid Ground
April 6, 2013
Just Released 2nd Book on Kindle
I'm so excited! My second book, Back on Solid Ground, is up on Kindle. Haven't figured out how to put the link on my Goodreads account or to upload the cover, but here is the Kindle link. Paperback will be out in a couple of weeks.
http://amzn.com/B00C7W5HEI
http://amzn.com/B00C7W5HEI
