Friday's Film Adaption: The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald

Summary:
When Betty MacDonald married a marine and moved to a small chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, she was largely unprepared for the rigors of life in the wild. With no running water, no electricity, a house in need of constant repair, and days that ran from four in the morning to nine at night, the MacDonalds had barely a moment to put their feet up and relax. And then came the children. Yet through every trial and pitfall—through chaos and catastrophe—this indomitable family somehow, mercifully, never lost its sense of humor.

A beloved literary treasure for more than half a century, Betty MacDonald's The Egg and I is a heartwarming and uproarious account of adventure and survival on an American frontier.

Film
Newlywed city slickers decide to give country life a try as chicken farmers.

Release Date: March 21, 1947 (Los Angeles)
April 24, 1947 (New York City)
May 1947 (U.S.)
Release Time: 108 minutes

Cast:
Claudette Colbert as Betty MacDonald
Fred MacMurray as Bob MacDonald
Marjorie Main as Ma Kettle
Louise Allbritton as Harriet Putnam
Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle
Richard Long as Tom Kettle
Billy House as Billy Reed
Ida Moore as Emily (the old lady)
Donald MacBride as Mr. Henty
Samuel S. Hinds as Sheriff
Esther Dale as Birdie Hicks
Elisabeth Risdon as Betty's Mother
John Berkes as Geoduck
Victor Potel as Crowbar
Fuzzy Knight as Cab Driver
Isabel O'Madigan as Mrs. Hicks' Mother
Dorothy Vaughan as Maid
Banjo the Dog as Sport
Uncredited players include William Bailey, Hank Bell, William Desmond, Teddy Infuhr, George Lloyd, Sam McDaniel, Howard M. Mitchell, Eugene Persson, Beatrice Roberts, Hector Sarno and Dorothy Vernon

Awards:
Academy Awards
Marjorie Main - Best Actress in Supporting Role - Nominated

Author Bio:
A longtime resident of Washington State, Betty MacDonald (1908-1958) authored four humorous, autobiographical bestsellers and several children's books, including the popular Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books.

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Marie Bartek and the SIPS Team Series by Robin Murphy

Series: Marie Bartek & the SIPS Team #1-4

Author: Robin Murphy

Genre: Mystery, Psychic Suspense, Paranormal

Sullivan's Secret #1
Summary:
Dr. Marie Bartek’s life has been perfect as the local veterinarian on Sullivan’s Island, SC, until her ability to see spirits returns after eighteen years. After confiding in her best friend and realizing their interests in the paranormal, they organize a paranormal investigation team called Sullivan’s Island Paranormal Society, SIPS. Marie learns to channel her ability through the help of one of the team members, who is a medium, but not before learning the spirits are trying to warn her about the murders taking place on Sullivan’s Island. Sullivan’s Secret captivates the reader with murder, suspense, and the world of the paranormal.

Secret of the Big Easy #2
Summary:

While visiting New Orleans for a conference, Marie Bartek and her friends decide to stay an additional week to do some sightseeing and investigate a few haunted places.

Their vacation turns into something else when Marie has a vision of a woman being tortured and murdered, and decides to contact the police. They soon learn that the woman she saw in her vision has actually been murdered, and after she has another similar vision, Marie and the SIPS team is dragged deep into the investigation.

Are the killings cult sacrifices or something else? Will Marie and her friends be able to figure out what is going on?

Federal City's Secret #3
Summary:
In the third book of Robin Murphy's paranormal mystery series, Dr. Marie Bartek and the Sullivan’s Island Paranormal Society investigate hauntings and spirit activity in the heart of Washington, DC.

Marie develops new nuances with her psychic abilities, bringing more depth and intrigue into their ghost investigations, but this lands the SIPS team in the middle of the mafia, politics, secret societies, and murder.

Through the help of a spirit, Marie discovers that the mafia doesn't take kindly to strangers taking what isn't theirs. This story will captivate the reader with murder, suspense, and the world of the paranormal.

Secret of Coffin Island #4
Summary:
Dr. Marie Bartek and her fiancé, Police Chief Cory Miller, have finally tied the knot. Their wedding festivities are interrupted, however, by the discovery of a headless corpse.

While criminal investigations are Cory's milieu, Marie and her team of psychic researchers have been instrumental in solving mysteries in the past, and she has already received visions that seem to pertain to the mystery at hand. After suffering a fatal heart attack, her mentor and friend Myra has continued her mentorship from the other side, and Marie takes comfort in her presence and guidance.

Once again, Marie uses her psychic ability to lead the police in the right direction. Are there pirates amiss killing those who betray them by decapitation? And is Captain Kidd's treasure really buried on Sullivan's Island?

Sullivan's Secret #1

Page 2

Just before making the cut, Marie spotted a shadow of a little boy out of the corner of her eye. He looked to be six in age and was staring back at her. She immediately closed her eyes hard and tried to push the spirit out of her head. When she opened her eyes, the little boy was gone.

Page 11

Her eyes stared motionless into infinity and bulged while her skin was gray and red streaked. Most of her hair had fallen out and her mouth, lips and tongue were swollen. Found floating face down was the description Chief Cory Miller received during the five a.m. phone call Sunday morning that woke him out of a deep sleep.

Secret of the Big Easy #2

Page 65

Marie dropped to her knees and the decaying room disappeared when she heard Cory and Gale’s voice yelling for her to open her eyes. As she did, she saw everyone staring back at her while her head rested in Cory’s lap. “What happened? And why am I on the floor?”

Page 107

The brilliant moon created a glow through the trees upon the marble altar. He stood at the end of the altar between her thighs and held the dagger in his hands raising it up toward the sky catching the reflection of the moon onto her breast. Carefully he whispered his praise and sacrifice for Beelzebub and set the dagger down between her parted thighs as the golden inverted pentagram swung from the chain around his neck.

Federal City's Secret #3

Page 74

There was a thud of an outside door opening and Kelly immediately decided to play possum as she quickly got back into her original position and closed her eyes. If nothing else, she may be able to fool them into thinking she was still unconscious and catch them in an unguarded conversation. As she heard the inner door open she tried to slow down her breathing and hoped they didn’t hear her heart pounding out of her chest.

Page 112

“Speak to me in English demon and yes I know this will work. Go away, Seducer! The desert is your home. The serpent is your dwelling. Be humiliated and cast down, for even though you have deceived men, you cannot make a mockery of God. He has prepared Hell for you and your angels.”

Secret of Coffin Island #4

Page 1

The ocean waves pounded out a rhythm that soothed your soul as its spray danced in the air with the seagulls. Crystal-like sands glistened in the sun as the sea slowly melted away the shore. With each ripple of water the sand eroded away the remains of the coffins revealing headless skeletons facing west. Tiny sand crabs scurried in and out of the chest cavities and nibbled on century old plankton and bacteria. The smell of decay mixed with salt gave out a sulfur-like odor even too putrid for the beach animals to ignore, while the sound of a sword sliced through the air. . .

Page 30

He stopped his wagon at the edge of the smelly green dumpster and dragged a concrete block that was lying on the other side of the lot to the edge of the bin. He stepped up on the block and shoved the lid up on the top and winced at the pungent stench emanating from inside. He carefully gripped the first plastic bag and heaved it inside and grabbed the frame to keep from losing his balance. As he bent down to grab the next bag he noticed his hands were covered in a red sticky substance.

He wiped them off on the bag, but his curiosity got the best of him as he placed both hands on the frame of the dumpster and slowly pulled himself up to look inside. There staring back at him were maggot filled eye sockets and what appeared to be the remains of a head.

Author Bio:

Robin Murphy, of Sharpsburg, Maryland, serves as the Administrative Associate assisting with student admissions, registration, financial aid, and business processes for the Masters programs in the Graduate Studies and Continuing Education departments at Shepherd University.

Robin attended Penn Highlands Community College and is a graduate of Long Ridge Writers Group. She was inducted as a member of Phi Theta Kappa Society, an International Scholastic Order of the Two-Year College in 1997, was nominated to The National Dean’s List in 1998, and received the honor of “New Executives 2000” by the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce.

Robin is an Amazon best-selling author and a paranormal mystery and travel writer. She is a speaker on author platforms, self-publishing, and marketing, and recently became the sole-proprietor of Rookie Writers Solutions. Robin has over thirty year’s experience in the administrative, graphic design, desktop publishing, writing, and self-publishing fields.

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Sullivan's Secret #1

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Secret of the Big Easy #2

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Secret of Coffin Island #4

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Love in Oahu Series by Aubree Lane

Series: Love in Oahu #1 & 2

Author: Aubree Lane

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Cover Design: The Graphics Shed

Early One Morning #1
Summary:

Under the guise of saving her best friend’s marriage, Annie Harper catches the red-eye out of LAX to Oahu. Less than twenty-four hours after hearing Marissa wanted to kiss their old high school crush, Annie sails away with the handsome owner of the Erika Rose excursion boat. She only meant to keep Terence Javier from locking lips with Marissa, but the moment she learns his little girl needs an advocate, Annie brings her friend back into the fray and destroys the remnants of Marissa’s anniversary vacation. 

Caught between two women from the mainland, Terence Javier finds himself at a crossroad. Ten years ago, he had the dubious honor of having his high school photograph drooled on by Annie and Marissa’s choir class. If not for his daughter and the ensuing custody battle, he wouldn’t have given either woman more than an appreciative glance. When Marissa’s credentials check out, he has little choice but to accept the savvy lawyer’s offer of help. Knowing he’s walking a tightrope, Terence prays he can purge the beautiful Annie from his mind and keep the balled fist of Marissa’s jealous husband away from his nose.

Winter in Waianae #2

Summary:

Escaping San Diego and a difficult home life, eighteen-year-old Brittany Sutherland shows up unexpectedly on her sister’s doorstep. Annie Javier and her family welcome the teen with open arms. It is blue skies and fair sailing until tragedy strikes. The young woman suddenly finds it difficult to trust Annie’s pledge of devotion.

~~~

They come in with the dolphins and leave with the Winter Solstice. When Brittany and her new love, Grady, share an ocean adventure with a pod of spinner dolphins, the believers in the family rejoice. The prophecy handed down by the matriarch of each generation is about to unfold, but the longest day of the year is almost upon them. Will the saviors infuse luck and love upon the young couple, or will Brittany and Grady lose everything they worked so hard to achieve?

Early One Morning #1

He had to get rid of her quick. He saw how she looked at him. The last thing he needed was to get involved with some tourist looking for a wild time, especially one he couldn’t trust. He was only human, and if they spent the next week alone in the close confines of the Erika Rose, there was a good chance something would happen. He drained the last of his orange juice and made a decision.

“Let’s just call this whole thing off. I’ll return your money, and you can go back to your hotel where you’ll be much more comfortable.”

Annie grabbed his arm, “I didn’t say I wanted to go back.”

He was surprised by her strength and had to pluck her pinching fingers off his bicep. “Look, I need to be with my daughter. I miss her, and we only have a few more weeks before she has to go home. I made a mistake taking this job, so I’m rectifying it.”

Winter in Waianae #2
Brittany saw the gleam in Grady’s eyes and knew he had something planned. Well, let him try, she thought. Her body had grown strong and quick with all the manual labor she performed, and her mind had never been slow. Just like Annie, Brittany spent as many hours as possible away from her house and the abusive parents who dwelled within its walls. The friends she hung out with were a rowdy bunch whose only interest in life was getting high and having fun.

For the most part, Brittany passed on the highs and focused on the fun. It had been sorely lacking in her life, and she’d been desperate to make up for lost time. Brittany was the jokester of the group. One prank after another was played on her unsuspecting pack of loveable oddballs.

Grady’s ploy to lure her deeper into the warm tropical water was obvious. As a San Diego native, Brittany wasn’t a stranger to surf and sand. A rip current boiled a few feet behind Grady. If she could somehow get him into it, he would be whisked out to sea.

A devious grin formed on her lips. She wanted to keep a poker face, but the smirk wouldn’t go away. Her scheme was probably just as apparent as his, but she didn’t care. Grady wanted to play, and she was prepared to beat him at his own game.

She opened her arms for a hug and Grady stepped willingly into her web. He danced her closer to the churning undercurrent. Brittany threw her head back and laughed. They both had the same thing in mind.

Author Bio:

Aubree Lane lives in the beautiful foothills of Northern California with her husband, two wonderful sons, and a super special peek-a-poo, named Tanner. When not managing the pooper-scooper, Aubree enjoys warm sand, hot sun, and the cool waters of the Pacific.

Her motto: Write Until Your Butt Hurts, and Your Eyes Are Crossed.

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Early One Morning #1

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