This week, I’m hosting author, Lydia Ponczak.
Lydia T. Ponczak is a retired Chicago schoolteacher who is presently program director and host of a community cable television program. She is very involved in volunteer work in the community, for which she has received numerous awards. She claims being chosen first runner-up in a Ms. Illinois Senior Pageant was one of the highlights of her life, but the best highlight in her world is her fantastic son, Glen, and her unbeatable daughter-in-law, Joni.
Lydia’s pastimes include reading mysteries, polka dancing, and she has been known to pull the handle a few times at her favorite casino. She lost her precious son, Jeff, at a tender age, and recently she lost her favorite polka partner, Lee, her husband of many decades. She knows their essence remains at her side.
Lydia is busy writing a psychological thriller.
Renee on the Run
The gritty mystery, Reenee on the Run, is a stand-alone sequel to Who’s After Samantha? bringing back the best friends, who, in their fifties are in dire peril from a criminal kingpin they thwarted in their twenties, when Reenee pursued a Radio City Rockette career. The fast-paced mystery bounces back from the 1980’s in New York to the present time in the Chicago suburbs. The women’s husbands have no inkling of their wives’ involvement or the havoc about to explode in their secure lives. With hunky Deputy Chief David Kelly back in the picture, do marriages survive or crumble after the harrowing and wild experiences?
Here is a short excerpt:
“Happy New Year!” I held up my wine glass and toasted the cats at the stroke of midnight. Before they could meow their answer, an ear-shattering boom startled me. I spilled the large flute of Moscato over my hands and onto the new bedroom floor. The startled cats pounced on Darling Harry, asleep since 9 PM, New Year’s Eve or no New Year’s Eve. He sat up in bed like he was shot out of a cannon.
“What the hell was that, Samantha…damn kids shooting off fireworks…what time is it anyway?”
Before I could answer, he punched his pillow, rearranged his bedclothes, pushed the two cats off the bed and went back to his date with Mr. Sandman. Darling’s sleep remained more important to him than calming the fears about thunderous, unexpected noises heard by his more-or-less devoted wife of some twenty-five years.
Avoiding the cats that were now underfoot, slurping up the spilled wine from the hardwood floor, I rushed to the bedroom window. No mangled car greeted my anxious eyes; my baby greens spotted no kids shooting off fireworks or guns to celebrate the New Year. No aliens from outer space had parked their mother ship on the lawn.
What the heck, I thought. I got up on tippy-toes, looked down closer to the house, and caught my breath.
“Oh, dear, lord,” I whispered.
A man’s body lay sprawled across the front lawn. The moon shone like a spotlight on the blood that oozed onto the snow, which had fallen earlier in the evening.
Visit Lydia on Facebook or on her website: wwwlydiasbook.com. Reenee on the Run and her first mystery, Who’s After Samantha, are both available at libraries and through amazon.com.
Lydia and I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment.
Lydia–
Finished “Reenee on the Run” last night and managed to publish a review of the work on the Amazon site. Nice going! Hope to see you at the “second launch” in Oak Forest.
I’ll no doubt request an autograph inside my copy of your book.
JimKozicki
VictorTocwishAlly
Lydia – Your books are delightful, you are delightful, and this comment is just delightful!
Great job on SELF PUBLISHING your 2nd book. It is quite an accomplishment and anyone who knows you, you should marvel at your dedication, smarts, and good looks too! 😉
Delightfully enthused,
Someone Else’s Hunky Husband
Dear Someone Else’s Hunky Husband: Someone Else is so lucky to have a Hunky Husband! I always appreciate enthusiastic comments, especially from hunks. You remind me of Detective David Kelly and Restaurant Owner Rick, the hunky guys in both of my books. I hope you’re not my only male reader. Thank you loads for taking time out to reply.
Mrs D’Antino: I deeply appreciate your effusive and complimentary comments! I should hire you as my publicity agent! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your good wishes and flattering remarks. You’ve made me blush! I hope you enjoy “Reenee on the Run” as much as I enjoyed writing it. I am busy on Book 3 which will not be part of the series, but a dark psychological thriller. I scare myself sometimes when I reread scenes to edit! As for the cover, both book covers were created by my brother, Carl Tocwish. Thank you for asking. And as we polka enthusiasts say, “Hoya, hoya!!”
Ms. Ponczak,
I have been following your career closely and it only seems that the sky is the limit for you! From your sparky personality on your cable show, to the outstanding volunteer work you do for your hometown of Oak Forest, and your flourishing career as an author, us Chicagoans can’t wait to see what is next! Could it be that Hollywood will be calling You next? And to just add more icing on your already fabulous and I must say delicious slice of life, I hear through the Bridgeport grapevine, which has now extended to the entire South West suburbs, that you are QUITE a Polka dancer too! Is there anything you can’t do well?
I adored your first title:
Who’s After Samantha
And now your 2nd, could it be possible, even more fabulous book is out:
Reenee on the Run
When I heard your second title was released, I ran, like your heroine Reenee, to Amazon.com to purchase the book!
Here’s to an infinite amount of continued good talent, happiness and FORTUNE to come your way. Can’t wait for the 3rd book!
Onward blessings and good karma to you!
Xoxo,
Mrs. D’Antino
Ps…who is your cover artist? His work is fantastic! 😉
Can you believe it, Jeanne! Is Twitter far behind? So glad you liked Reenee’s story.
Keep Pjil – I like that name better -sounds prehistoric.
Thanks to you both for visiting me on this blog.
I hope you will get a copy from Amazon.com, Eva, or catch me at a stoplight. I always have 6,272 books in my trunk! Thanks for zipping into the blog.
Wow! Two days!! You were on the run as fast as Reenee. Thanks for your lovely comments!
I’m having a post launch at Acorn Public Library in Oak Forest on December 4
at 7 PM. Hope you can make that one and thanks for taking time out to read the blog entry!
Caryle: I hope the book brought back happy and fond memories of being a Radio City Rockette….but no danger like Reenee got into! Thank you for your encouraging comments.
Cleo: Thank you for your comments! I hope you’ll let me know how you are enjoying “Reenee on the Run.” I have a post launch coming up on December4 at 7 PM at Acorn Public Library in Oak Forest and I’d be happy to see you there!
Lydia’s on the computer!! Nice interview. Loved Reenee’s story. Keep that series going!
Lydia, All this Hi-Tech stuff,WE need you back on the Cable Commission.
Next thing you will be telling us to get your apps so we can connect to your Streaming
Audio Book. Just kidding.Let us know when you have your own Blog.
Holly: I’ll be thrilled to see both of you at the launch! Hoya, hoya!!
Gene: HUH????? Funny!! I do not speak computer language!
Lydia, I am sorry my husband and I missed your book launch for “Renee on the Run”. We will be sure to see you for the post launch at the Acorn Public Library on Dec. 4th, to purchase a copy of it. Enjoyed “Samantha on the Run” and look forward to reading your new book.
Holly: I’ll be thrilled to see both of you at the launch! Regards to Dom. Thanks for viewing the blog
Lydia, I’m about sixty pages into Reenee on the Run and I love it! You are an amazing woman and I treasure your friendship. “Aint no mountain high enough” for you Lydia!
Joan: Thank you!!! I am looking forward to being at your launch as you display your colorful, interesting children’s books with the beautiful pictures. Are you still baking those wonderfully delicious pastries?
Thank you, Evelyn, for allowing me to be a guest author on your blog. I am honored and grateful to be a part of your ambitious endeavor!
Sounds like I terrific story, and thanks for sharing!
Marja: What a pretty name! I’ll have to name a character after you in my next book. Hope you get a chance to read “Reenee on the Run.” Thank you for your comments.
I’m so pleased to have you as a guest author on my blog this week, Lydia. Congratulations on the successful book launch for Reenee on the Run. It looks like a great mystery.