Howdy all! Happy Fall!
Just got in after watching some afternoon high school band practice. There isn’t anything like Elvis Presley’s Burning Love played by the kiddoes! Ha, got you humming, didn’t I?

Brr! It was crisp and breezy and I forgot my fleece blanket. Good thing I snagged a jug of cider at the local apple farm stand on the way home yesterday. Heated spiced cider with a smidge of cloves and allspice along with cinnamon sticks for stirring and a sack of donuts for dipping. House smells great and I can’t wait for a mug of cider and a plate of dipping donuts.

But that isn’t the best part. I have a guest stopping by today for a chat. All the way from the Carolinas, no less. This is a busy time for her so I was happy to catch her between big family events like a vacation and welcoming a grandbaby into the world. Better than the best of five-star reads.

Debbie is a devourer of books and a friendly member on GoodReads and further into the Jane Austen lovers community. She is a supporter of authors and readers alike through her on-line presence and insightful reviews. I love it when she shares her thoughts on what she reads and puts out her most recent reads so I can pick through and find some goodies amongst them.

And I do believe that’s the doorbell…
Greetings, Debbie!

So lovely to meet you, Sophia! *HUG* It’s perfect that our virtual visit was scheduled this month, because I do miss the fall foliage. It’s so beautiful here! And it’s an honor to sit with you on your plush, comfy sofa. I always love reading your interviews. It’s sure different to be on this end of the process! Ah, yes, come soak up the fall while you're here. Ha! It's fun to put people in the hot seat, um, hot sofa.

How are things down in your neck of the woods?

Woods?

I live in a beach town – Myrtle BEACH, baby! Even though the Carolinas ARE known for its fir trees, I live only 10 minutes from the shore and my house mostly has palmetto trees around it. Not a very woodland-type environment.

Did you have a good time on your vacation? See any wild life or have any surprise adventures?

As for our vacation, there’s nothing to report because we cancelled it at the specific request of our son, who surprised us by wanting us at the hospital when his wife went into labor. We knew his mother-in-law would be around and had expected the new parents would prefer not to get inundated with family for a week or two… you know, attempting to be the cool, understanding in-laws even though we were chomping at the bit to see our first grandchild. Obviously, we were VERY happy to change our plans. They’re in North Charleston, and the hospital is only about an hour and a half south of us.

It was very exciting sharing the experience with Evan, even from the waiting room. And our new grandson, Samuel, is adorable, of course. I love watching Evan interact with him. Verra nice! Vacations come and go, right? Grandbabies being born, chance of a lifetime!


Debbie with little Samuel


Are you busy with any autumn activities?

Oh, yes. Extremely busy. Walking along the beach, or even better, sitting on the beach listening to the waves and reading my kindle. In addition, my husband Kurt and I get out on the golf course whenever we can. There’s a fall golf league for couples that we joined. You know, the usual autumn stuff!

This is Debbie being busy on the beach. Just kidding, Debbie! Do you think she's reading JAFF/Austenesque on that e-reader?

But seriously, we’re retired, and we just moved from Eastern Pennsylvania in 2013 to the warmer climate down here. It was total serendipity when our son and daughter-in-law moved so close by just last year. Of course, we’re also busy as new grandparents, and we scoot down to North Charleston whenever we can.

I’ll bet you noted all those leaves in my yard. That’s for tomorrow- me, my trusty rake, and my audio book. Haha! I think you’re not allowed to burn them anymore, with all the air pollution concerns. Pity. That was always a favorite feature of autumn when I was growing up on Long Island, NY. Love the smell of burning leaves!

Speaking of audio books, are you a fan of audios? If so, do you have a favorite narrator or favorite audio book?

You know, I’m really not. I think they’re great in some situations, but the only time I listened to one all the way through was about 20 years ago. It was on cassette, narrated by David Ogden Stiers. I don’t even remember the title, just that it was a novel set in Rome during the Roman Empire. I was driving from Eastern PA to CT by myself, and I knew it would help pass the time and keep me awake and alert better than anything else.
I tried an audio book again recently-- one of Georgette Heyer’s. I just couldn’t get into it. The narrator was very good, but it was so much slower than reading it silently myself and I honestly couldn’t keep the characters straight.
I must need to see the names in print for them to register in my head properly. Sort of like the difference between being introduced to someone in person and then forgetting the name 2 minutes later unless he/she is wearing a name tag! I get that. I do alright for some audios, but others with many characters or lots of details get me confused. And I thought audios were slow, too, until I realized I could increase the speed setting and now I listen to them at 1.5 times the regular and that works much better.

Now that was audios, but in general, when did book love begin for you?

Oh, golly! When DIDN’T I love books? It feels like I was born reading. I have a strong memory (one of those odd moments embedded in my brain for no particular reason) of being a second grader in the schoolyard during our after-lunch recreation time. I was walking backwards reading a Nancy Drew book Nancy Drew, sigh....I so wanted to be her as a kid. while a friend was walking forward facing me and talking to me. (Awfully rude of me, wasn’t it?)

Has there been a particular book that has been read and re-read and loved to pieces by you?

Aside from Pride and Prejudice (I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read that), my other reading obsession is with all the Harry Potter books. I’ve read them multiple times, too. It’s so impressive how J.K. Rowling blends adolescent coming-of-age with mystery and paranormal. Somehow, she makes it all work so well as a series as well as within each individual book. I could have bet money on knowing your answer to that question. I knew you adored Pride & Prejudice and devour so many wonderful sequels, variations, and mash-ups for it.

But what made you love it? And has your love for it evolved or changed at all? Personally, I’ve grown more aware of the background social customs and those quirky secondary characters when at first it was Darcy and Lizzy that captured my early attention.

The first time I read Pride & Prejudice I had to immediately RE-read it. I mean, as I started it, I first thought it was going to focus on Jane and Bingley. After a little bit, I was saying to myself, “I know Jane is supposed to be the heroine, but her sister Elizabeth seems a lot more interesting!” Of course, eventually I figured out Elizabeth was the heroine. But it seemed like Wickham was going to be her love interest. Then, when Darcy proposed, I was absolutely, totally shocked. Never for a moment suspected that would happen.
And then Darcy’s LETTER!! OMG! It just blew me away to realize how wrong Elizabeth and I had been about everything. And I could go on (and on and on and on…), but it was just the most surprising book I’d ever read with the most satisfying ending ever.
When I was done, I had to start it over again to read more closely now that I knew where it was going.
And, yes, my love for it has evolved because, the more I examine it, the more I appreciate what a truly brilliant and ground-breaking book it is. The use of limited third person, the structure, the economy of writing, the humor, all the letter-writing (and letter-reading!), the dialogue, the well-defined characters, and, yes, the clever misdirection leading to the surprises—Genius! Pure genius!

Let me pause for a bit and bring in the goodies.
I have heated spiced cider and donuts or, you know, I can sneak my husband’s secret stash of Chips Ahoy from on top of the fridge with a glass of milk. I leave him to think he’s still a bit of a mystery to me after all these years.
Oh, thank you! You’re such a wonderful hostess! How kind of you to share your donuts. I’d feel guilty stealing your hubby’s Chips Ahoy, though. Put ‘em back, Missy!

Hey! I’ve got an idea! I grabbed some apples at that apple farm. Howz ‘bout we cut them up, mix in some cinnamon and brown sugar, throw them in a pan and bake them? That’s another fall favorite of mine: baked apples. Now you're talking, sister!

YUM! I appreciate the offer for the spiced cider, which does smell heavenly. As it happens, though, I brought a thermos full of steamy hot chocolate, which is my personal go-to drink when it’s nippy out as it is today. If you would care for some, there’s plenty for you, too, and that’s something else we can dip the donuts into! Don't mind if I do. Thanks! Hot Chocolate is my favorite cold weather drink.

Is your hubby a secret stasher or maybe he’s the Sherlock who finds your stashes?

I’ve usually been way too sneaky for my Sherlock hubby to find my secret stash, although I don’t keep one around the way I used to. About 12 years ago, I was really overweight, started having back problems, and realized I was likely to develop serious health issues if I didn’t get my binge eating under control.
Fortunately, around the same time my church started a healthy lifestyle support group that included nutrition education, encouraging food journaling and sensible exercise along with weekly meetings, relevant Bible study and prayer partners. It was really, really hard work but very rewarding. In about a year, I lost 60 pounds and I’ve kept most of it off ever since.
My weight does fluctuate, but now I take advantage of www.myfitnesspal.com to get myself back on track when my scale goes up beyond a certain point. Way to go, Debbie! Your commitment and hard work made it happen. Thanks for sharing this personal victory.

Changing the subject a little, I understand that you and your husband share a special and rewarding career in music.
By the way, I had a chance to go over to your website and click through your demos and his (click on his picture if you want to listen to his demos).
You guys are sensational.


Debbie and Kurt performing as part of Rubaiyat band

Can you share a bit about BrownSound Music and your own personal career in music?

Thank you so much! I can’t talk about my own music career without including my husband. Kurt is a tremendous electric guitarist, as talented as the majority of well-known rock guitarists, and more versatile than most of them, too. (I must mention that he is also the sound engineer for every song on the web links.)
I have been so blessed to have worked with him throughout my professional singing career starting with our marriage in 1977.

When he and I first met in college at a mixer, my school activities in high school and college had been in choral groups and musical theater, so I was comfortable singing in front of an audience.
However, music wasn’t my field of study. If I could go back in time, I’d major in it and study music theory. I still don’t know chords, though I can read sheet music from the couple of years of piano lessons I took in elementary school. But I never ever expected to sing professionally and certainly not in a rock band. I didn’t even listen to much rock and roll.
Kurt still jokes that he brought me over to the “dark side” by turning me into a rock and roll singer. It was something we could do together that we both enjoyed.




Debbie & Kurt in Alter Ego band

In the late 70’s and early 80’s, we were performing together in cover bands (meaning we “covered” popular music), playing gigs 2 to 6 nights every week. That was our only source of income, and we even bought our first house as full-time musicians.


Rubaiyat band


In 1985, we decided to settle down and start a family, so we got out of the music business. When our son was older, around 2003, we began another band together, performing only on weekends.

Within only the past few years, I also went back to singing serious choral music. I got to perform in a chorus with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra (in PA) in 2012, including doing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Now I’m doing concerts with the Long Bay Symphony here in Myrtle Beach as part of the Carolina Master Chorale. Last season we performed Brahm’s Ein Deutches Requiem, and we’re working on Pirates of Penzance later this season. As one who loves classical music, I’m soaking it all up and enjoying every second.

Kurt and I made our debut as a duo, BrownSound Music, about 7 years ago when I started feeling like I was a bit too long in the tooth to keep singing rock in bars.
He plays acoustic guitar and I play keyboards (badly, but it’s adequate!). We also have a drum machine and special digital units linking our microphones to his guitar that allow us to harmonize with ourselves- the two of us can sound like as many as six voices if we so choose!
Our repertoire is pretty diverse: everything on the light side from Joni Mitchell and Billie Holliday to quasi-rock arrangements of Janis Joplin and old Jefferson Airplane.
We had modest success with the duo in PA, but it takes time to establish a following in a new area and we haven’t marketed ourselves too aggressively since we moved to Myrtle Beach.

Now Kurt and I are each doing other things musically, although we perform as BrownSound Music whenever those opportunities arise. There’s no one I’d rather make music with!

BrownSound Music: http://www.brownsoundmusic.com/index....

Carolina Master Chorale: http://www.carolinamasterchorale.com/

Here’s a link to a bunch of us in the Carolina Master Chorale singing the National Anthem on 8/20/2016 at the local minor league ballpark (I’m on the right end):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSg_w...

Any special music gigs for you, recently?

This Sunday, September 25, the Carolina Master Chorale is performing music by Debussy, Strauss and Borodin with the Long Bay Symphony. I always love when we get to sing with the full orchestra! (Our choral rehearsals are with piano accompaniment.)

Can you tell us about your new DooWop singing opportunity?

As for my new doo- wop project, again, I have to credit Kurt. He came across an ad placed by a group of four older men in an established singing group, called Forever Doo Wop, looking for a female singer who could handle both lead and harmonies. Knowing this would be a perfect fit for me, my dear husband encouraged me to audition, and I got the job!
It’s all music from the 50’s and 60’s. We’re accompanied by karaoke instrumental recordings and add all the vocal parts ourselves.
The guys are originally from the New York/New Jersey area, and they each grew up, very literally, singing doo-wop on street corners and in the subways. We have a great blend of singing voices and each of us gets opportunities to sing lead with the others backing. I’m reviving some Motown tunes (such as Respect and Dancin’ in the Street) that I loved singing in bands 30 years ago.
The group has a faithful and enthusiastic group of followers, most of whom are in our older age bracket. I’m still cramming to learn all the music.


Debbie singing with her new Doo Wop group

I am a music lover and if I’m not listening to books while doing my chores and errands, I’m listening to music. Frequently, I’ll even find myself distracted by a song when I’m reading because something about the story calls it to mind.

You know, with all the music I work on, I prefer quiet when I’m not actively learning songs. No radio, iPod or CDs… just blessed silence and my kindle or computer, thank you very much.
And Kurt is the same about not listening to music without his guitar in hand, only he’s a TV-watching junkie. Sports and cop shows for him.


GoodReads pals Debbie and Sheila had the opportunity to get together though they live miles apart. Books can bring people together and make friends out of strangers.


Sofa Starters
Red or Yellow? Red. I go for the bold!
Pie or cake? Ha! I LURVE cheesecake, which is more like a pie than a cake IMO. I do love apple pie, too. (Couldn’t you tell from the baked apples?) Ergo, pie!
Hawaii or Scotland? Scotland. My husband and I both have a hankering to see the land where golf was born. (Isn’t THAT just too stereotypical of an old married couple married almost 40 years?!)
Mary Bennet or Margaret Dashwood? Gotta be Margaret Dashwood. Mary gets kinda annoying, doncha think?
Stuck in traffic or cornered by a solicitor? Actually, I’m mostly patient in traffic, especially since I’m retired and rarely have to rush to get anywhere, so that’s an easy choice. On the other hand, I get incredibly uncomfortable with solicitors, whether they want me to buy something or to donate money, and I avoid them as much as possible.
Math or History? Hmmm. This is harder. History, I guess. I don’t really like either, but at least I UNDERSTAND history!!
Cowboys or Cops? Definitely cops. I have tremendous admiration for them and the difficult job they do. Although I do love horses. *snapping fingers* I know! A mounted policeman would be perfect. A cowboy cop! Yep, that’s the ticket!

Debbie, thanks so much for stopping by. You're a hoot in person. :) I had a good visit and I wish you a safe trip back home.
Oh, this has been delightful, Sophia! Thank you again for inviting me. You’ve made me feel welcome and comfortable- from the setting and the exchange of favored fall treats to the nice softball questions you lobbed in my direction. *BIG HUG* Keep up the great blogging!