MJ Magazine March 2015: Created By Authors for Authors

Astor Prime Meat Market

Address: 1117 Astor Ave., Bronx, NY 10469

Phone: (718) 882-1177

Owner: Michael

C&C Coffee Shop and Deli

The best food in the Bronx at reasonable prices.

Address: 2438 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10469

Cuisine: Spanish, Italian, and American Cuisine

Catering available for All Occasions

Phone: 347 346 9824/ or 25

Owner: Carlos Ramero

Central Plaza Diner-Restaurant

1686 Central Park Ave.

Yonkers, NY

Telephone: 914-779- 8030

Voted the best diner in Westchester County. Outstanding services, food that is freshly prepared. The varied menu gives diner’s many different delicious choices to choose from. Serving sandwiches, breakfast, American food, casual attire and a great place to take kids any time of day, this diner is one of my favorite places in Westchester.

Providing catering for all occasions and associations. Reasonable prices and plenty of parking. This diner is open all year round and has a menu that suits the culinary delights of all diners.

Cornucopia Ristorante

935 Saw Mill River Rd.

Ardsley NY 10502

914-479-5700

Hours: Tue - Sun: 11:00 am–11:00 pm

Find them on Facebook

Five Star Dining in an upscale setting. Chef Steven and his staff have created the perfect ambiance and menu in this unique location. With a staff and service equal to that of any restaurant in Manhattan, guests receive outstanding service, food made to fit their culinary tastes and desires. From unbelievable appetizers, to salads that are expertly created and made to order for each guest, to entrees that are mouthwatering and spiced to perfection, his restaurant deserves high marks over all the rest. Italian in cuisine yet other dishes that fill this eclectic menu that will keep diners coming back for more.

The Chef and owner of Cornucopia, Stephen Sciepura, is a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. A life long Yonkers resident, he has worked as the head chef at various country clubs in Westchester and cooked for various corporate and private clients including Vanity Fair magazine and the founder of Artista Records, Clive Davis. He has owned other eateries in the area including Picassos Cafe in Eastchester.

Enrico’s Bakery – Hartsdale

Address: 214 East Hartsdale Ave., Hartsdale, NY 10530

Hours: 6:30 am - 8:00 pm

Phone: 914-723 0340

Owner: Joseph Floriano

Frankie & Fanucci’s Wood Oven Pizzeria

Welcome to Frankie & Fanucci’s Wood Oven Pizzeria. We are all about simple. We make an uncomplicated, thin-crust pizza charred in an 800° authentic, wood-burning oven. We use fresh mozzarella, direct from Brooklyn, imported Italian tomatoes and fresh basil. We hope to see you soon.

Frankie and Funucci where the service is FIVE STAR and the FOOD is outstanding. Salads that are fresh and make to order and pizzas that comes out of the open piping hot.

Hartsdale’s answer to create restaurant dining.

Gennaro’s Pizza

Address: 759 Central Park Ave, Scarsdale NY 10583

Phone: (914) 472-6329

Owner: John

Go Greenly

Now open in Scarsdale serving: Fat Free Fresh Frozen Yogurt, the Best Smoothies in Westchester. Banana/Pineapple and Blueberry/Banana are the best! There are so many choices, frozen yogurts and toppings. It is a yogurt lover’s haven for healthy treats.

Address: 1088 Central Ave. Scarsdale, NY 10583

Phone: (914) 713 8693

Hartsdale Hair Studio

Address: 4 E. Hartsdale Ave., Hartsdale, NY 10530

Hours: Mon - Sat - 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday’s 10:00am - 2:00pm By Appointment

Owner: Evelyn

Phone: 914-437-7811

John’s of Arthur Avenue Restaurant and Pizzeria

1 South Central Avenue

(Between S Washington Ave and W Hartsdale Ave/E Hartsdale Ave)

Hartsdale, NY

Pick-up or Delivery

Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday –Saturday, 12:30 p.m-9:30 p.m. Sunday

The menu at John’s of Arthur Avenue includes Italian favorites like Terranova Cheese Ravioli from the Bronx, Margarita Pizza, Penne Ala Vodka, Pepperoni Garlic Bread and much more to tempt the culinary palettes of both adults and children.

Their signature Stadium Pie is the largest in Westchester County at 24 inches!

Their Gramma pie — a thin crust, pan pizza with crushed tomatoes, basil, homemade mozzarella and olive oil — is another crowd favorite.

Choose from appetizers, Naples style pizza, Little Italy Specialities, the Athur Avenue Pasta Shop, Hero Sandwiches, Pizza by the Slice, Sicilian Pizza, Calzones and Arthur Ave. Style Pizza. There is also a kid’s menu and lunch menu. For the health conscience person watching his or her weight, there are also made-to-order salads to suit your individual needs and tastes.

Come in and feast on a large or small pie, a salad and even dessert while you enjoy family-style dining. Or, stay in and use our free delivery service.

John’s of Arthur Avenue also does catering!

Owner Jim and his staff will welcome you with a warm handshake and smile every time you dine with them, or call 914-402-4201 to get started with your first order for delivery. Either way, be sure to tell them that Fran Lewis, editor of MJ Magazine and the Host of Book Discussion on Blog Talk Radio, sent you.

Luigi of Italy

Address: 804 Allerton Ave, Bronx, NY 10467

Phone:(718) 655-4700

Owner: Tony

Memories of Marcia

Going to Stormville

We spent many Sundays attending flea markets, but one sticks out above all the rest. We decided to trek up to Stormville because I had never been there before. It was hot, dusty, and really not the right day to spend in the sun. But, flea markets were MJ’s favorite things to do on a Sunday and I was going to venture there with her. Arriving at Stormville, the first hurdle was to find a place to park, hopefully not in the sun. The mission was almost accomplished as we found something but not entirely out of the sun. Trekking up the dirt road and finding our way to the many vendors, I realized and so did MJ that we both needed to use the facilities, of which there were none. Well, I shouldn’t say none: Outhouses. Never again! Early in the morning it was not too bad, but as the day progressed…you don’t want to know.

That done, we began looking at the many wares of the different vendors. The rule was that you went up one aisle and down the next, and had to see everything…you could not bypass even one. I was looking for Raggedy Ann dolls to add to my collection, and some big books for my reading groups in school. I was impressed with my bargaining skills and got two great dolls and several books for a great price. Of course, my sister whispered in my ear what she thought I should settle for as the price of the dolls, thinking I might need some help.

Walking further up the fourth or fifth aisle I spotted a Shirley Temple doll, and here is where things go, you might say, hilarious…or maybe you won’t. I have a great sense of humor and my sister could be sarcastic and even try to get my goat, so to speak. I saw the doll and commented to the vendor that I never had one and might want to purchase the one she had. It was in mint condition, and I love Shirley Temple.

My mom would allow us to watch old movies when growing up, and Shirley Temple movies were really great. My sister said — and I did not remember this at all — that she had a Shirley Temple doll as a kid because she did not want a Raggedy Ann. She said for all to hear that I did not get one because I was adopted and my parents liked her better. She said it with a straight face.

At this point I knew, or I thought I knew, that this was not true, but she went even further and said that we didn’t even look alike. At the time I had black hair and was overweight. She was always taller, thinner, and had blonde hair. My mom was light but my dad was dark.

If my dad was alive I might have called him to ask him to verify this, but instead I called my mom, who must have been in on this with MJ and confirmed what she’d said. I turned around and told the vendor that I did not want the doll, but would take more Raggedy Anns. I blew off what she’d said and never mentioned it again.

Till this day I guess I will never know the truth. My birth certificate verifies that I was not adopted, even though they both claim that I was. Somewhere out there, there must be another one with the truth, but I cannot find it. True or false, who cares? She was stuck with me anyway and I, for one, am glad.

This month’s theme

This month’s theme is wars — ones we and others in our lives have all fought. My sister fought many wars in her life, and I will share some of them with readers this month.

My sister always felt that she was not as smart as everyone else because she did not have a college diploma. All her life many people would remind of her that. But when things in her office needed to be accomplished — the building fund needed to be run, the books had to be done, or the payroll checked — it was she who did it all. With a degree in business from Nancy Taylor and hands on experience, she was brilliant. She just never believed it.

Read on! — Fran

Dedication to Marcia Joyce

Susan Ross

Marcia Joyce was a unique and special person. Marcia and I were born three weeks apart and we developed more like a sister relationship even though we were cousins. Marcia’s mom, Ruth, and my mom, Tova, were sisters and inseparable. We lived in the same building on the same floor and attended the same schools. Being an only child, it made it more fun to have someone to hang around with, and it felt like I had my own sister. Marcia and Fran have always been close to me, and growing up we went everywhere together.

There are two special memories that come to mind. One is going to Coney Island and eating the famous Nathan’s Chow Mein Sandwiches. Yes! Chow Mein Sandwiches. The second memory is when Marcia decided to write me a check for one million dollars! When I asked if I could cash it, she stared at me in disbelief and said, I would wait a while and hold it if I were you! Still holding on to it till this day! The two of us cracked up over this, and many times down the road we would laugh about the check and pray that someday I could cash it.

Growing up with Marcia and Fran was an adventure to say the least. Coney Island was great and we used to make our own records, pretending that we could sing. It was great hearing our voices on the records, and my Uncle Doc would announce us as if we were Diana Ross and the Supremes.

Later on when my mom became ill and we knew her time was short, she spent her last days in Hospice. Marcia and Fran were there all the time and I was never alone. The emotional support was invaluable. When Marcia was in the hospital on life support I was there with Fran every day. Not knowing what caused her to collapse draws heavily on me and Fran till this day. Closure is not something either one of us have because of not really knowing what happened to Marcia or why. Marcia will always be in my heart and I will always call her my sister.

Writer’s Workshop is new section designed to help new authors understand how to create story lines that are fast-paced, interesting, and credible. This section will also host articles designed to help authors who are writing murder/mysteries understand how a police investigation is run and how different agencies work together at a crime scene, articles on how to write a courtroom scene and how to write opening and closing arguments and what the job of a jury is and the proper courtroom procedures. The goal of this section is to show authors how to create a proper setting so that readers feel like the story they’re being told might actually have happened.

10 Things That Red-Flag a Newbie Novelist

Anne R. Allen

Beginning novelists are like Tolstoy’s happy families…they tend to be remarkably alike. Certain mistakes are common to almost all beginners. These things aren’t necessarily wrong, but they are difficult to do well — and get in the way of smooth storytelling

They also make it easy for professionals — and a lot of readers — to spot the unseasoned newbie.

When I worked as an editor, I ran into the same problems in nearly every new novelist’s work — the very things I did when I was starting out.

I think some of the patterns come from imitating the classics. In the days of Dickens and Tolstoy, novels were written to be savored on long winter nights or languid summer days when there was a lot of time to be filled. Detailed descriptions took readers out of their mundane lives and off to exotic lands, or into the homes of the very rich and very poor where they wouldn’t be invited otherwise.

Books were expensive, so people wanted them to last as long as possible. They didn’t mind flipping back and forth to find out if Razumihin, Dmitri Prokofitch, and Vrazumihin were, in fact, all the same person. They were okay with immersing themselves in long descriptions and philosophical digressions before they found out what happened to Little Nell.

The alternative was probably staring at the fire or listening to Aunt Lavinia snore.

But in the electronic age ... not so much. Your readers have the world’s libraries at their fingertips, and if you bore them or confuse them for even a minute, they’re already clicking away to buy the next shiny 99-cent book.

Whether you’re querying agents and editors or you’re planning to self-publish, you need to write for the contemporary reader. And that means, leaving out the parts that readers skip as Elmore Leonard said.

Agents and readers aren’t going to want to wade through a practice novel. They want polished work.

All beginners make mistakes. Falling down and making a mess is part of any learning process. But you don’t have to display the mess to the world. Unfortunately, easy electronic self-publishing tempts us to do just that.

But don’t. As I said two weeks ago, it takes the same amount of time to learn to write as it did before the electronic age.

Here are some telltale signs that a writer is still in the learning phase of a career.

I’m not saying these things are wrong, they’re just overdone or tough for a beginner to do well.

1) Show-offy prose

Those long, gorgeous descriptions that got so much praise from your high school English teacher and your critique group can unfortunately be a turn-off for the paying customer who’s digging around for some kind of narrative thread or reason to care.

People read novels to be entertained, not to fulfill the needs of the novelist. If you’re writing because you crave admiration, you’re in the wrong business. The reader’s right to a story — not the novelist’s ego — has to come first. If there’s no story, no amount of verbal curlicues will keep the reader interested. Give us story first, and then add embellishments — but not too many.

Also, even though it may be really fun to start every chapter with a Latin epigraph from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, unless it’s really important to the plot, this will probably annoy rather than impress readers.

Ditto for oblique references to Joyce’s Ulysses or anything by Marcel Proust. People want to be entertained, not take a world lit quiz. (And yes, I went there myself. Originally, every chapter title of The Gatsby Game was a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nobody cared.)

2) Head-hopping

Point of view is one of the toughest things for a new writer to master. Omniscient point of view is the hardest to do well, because it leads to confusion for the reader. A lot of beginners write in omniscient because they haven’t mastered the art of showing multiple characters’ actions through the eyes of the protagonist.

Be aware that third-person-limited narration (when you’re only privy to the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist) is the norm in modern fiction (with first person a close second in YA.) If you use anything else, your writing skills need to be superb or you’ll leave the reader confused and annoyed — and you’ll red-flag yourself as a beginner.

3) Episodic storytelling

I think nearly every writer’s first novel has this problem. Mine sure did. I could never end it, because it didn’t actually have a single plot. It was a series of related episodes, like a TV series — the old-fashioned kind that didn’t have a seasonal story arc.

Critique groups often don’t catch this problem, if each episode has a nice dramatic arc of its own.

Every piece of narrative has to start with an inciting incident that triggers all the action in the story, until it reaches a satisfying resolution at the end. It’s called a story arc. If you don’t have a story arc, you don’t have a novel. Instead, you have a series of linked stories or vignettes. Novel readers want one big question to propel them through the story and keep them turning the pages.

The writer who blogs as Mooderino has a great post on why we want to avoid episodic narrative, even though it worked with some classics like Alice in Wonderland.

4) Info-dumps and As you Know Bob conversation

When the first five pages of a book are used for exposition — telling us the names of characters, what they look like, what they do for a living, and details of their backstories — before we get into a scene, you know you’re not dealing with a professional. Exposition (background information) needs to be filtered in slowly while we’re immersed in scenes that have action and conflict. This takes skill — the kind that comes with lots of practice.

Another big clue is info-dumping in conversation, often called as-you-know-Bob. It goes something like this: As you know, Bob, we’re here investigating the murder of Mrs. Gilhooley, the 60-year-old librarian at Springfield High School, who may have been poisoned by one Ambrose Wiley, an itinerant preacher who brought her a Diet Dr. Pepper on August third….

Thing is, Bob knows why he’s there. He’s a forensics expert, not an Alzheimer’s patient. Putting this stuff in dialogue insults the reader’s intelligence, since nobody would say this stuff in real life. (In spite of the fact you hear an awful lot of it on those CSI TV shows.)

5) Mundane dialogue and transitional scenes