Thirty-four years and counting. Tom is my soul mate. He inspires me, challenges me, supports me, and makes my life a happy one. Here's a big hug for the man who has made me a better person. I love you, Tom Mullen!

Spice Cat is so happy that my books are on Kindle and NOOK. Now... I have more time for him... and he always wants a lot of my time. It's not enough to be the kitty cat in my books; he wants it all! Cat lovers—you know what I'm talking about. We love our critters!

Kindle Users

Now available on Kindle!

Click on title:

What You See

South River Incident

A Crying Shame

Middle River Murders

Greene County Killer

Death on the Bella Constance

All About the Money

To get a new signed personalized hardcopy of one of my books ($24.95 each or check the package deal) go to my web site: http://www.aftonridge.com/.

What I do for fun.

Raising chickens is fun. Everyone needs something. The small grey chicken that's eating kale from Tom's hand lays blue eggs. Honest. When we were told about the blue eggs, I had my doubts. I've heard of green eggs, but I've never seen one. Blue eggs? Now that's a new one on me.

Look at Sally. She, too, was thrilled to hear the news, but all she had to say was, "Show me the money! I want a new chew toy!" 
Note: Sally is my son's new puppy. Normally, she's a spitfire, but I think I bored her with talk about my books. All she wants is a bone.

All About the Money video

I'm trying out the updated version of blogspot. Let's see how well it works.

Black Bear. I'm going to call him Max. He's my new friend. He must be. He keeps coming back to visit. We're not really close. At least he weighs a lot more than I do. You go, Max!

Mullen takes the 50’s road to a new career Alex Carrier, Journalist
    When Ann Mullen retired in her early 50’s, she hadn’t quite decided on which road to take in her new life. She and her husband had already spent summers and vacations building their dream home in Greene County, VA. Their children were adults and her husband had moved his work to their new location.
    “I often think about the different paths we take,” says Mullen, “and all the little life-changing side streets along the way. I look at how different people’s lives are in comparison to each other and wonder what paths they must have taken to reach this point.”
    Although writing was a completely different career path for Mullen, it shared some similarities with her first. Mullen used her degree in machine technology to work in the engineering center of Phillip Morris. Her job included rebuilding machines to make them work better, faster and meet the demands of the consumer. Now, she builds stories and works to make the characters, location and plot mesh together, and lead to a conclusion that satisfies her readers’ demands.
    Mullen had never thought of becoming a writer before moving to Greene County. “I don’t know what sparked the idea of becoming a writer,” says Mullen. “In college, it was all I could do to write a short story for a class. It once took me two days to write a letter to the editor.”
    “When we moved here, I wanted the freedom of not needing to work,” she admits. “But I look back and wonder what would have happened if I had never set down that first day and starting writing that first book.” That first book, What You See, became just one in a series following the life and relationships of Mullen’s main character, a fictional female detective named Jesse Watson. All About the Money, the seventh novel in the series, was released in June of this year.
    “My stories are not about real people but they are based in Greene County,” Mullen stresses. “In my sixth book, some of the characters go on a cruise, but the story still comes back to something local. The characters come from Greene, Charlottesville and Central Virginia.”
    It is Mullen’s characters as much as the Greene County location that keeps readers coming back for each new addition to the series.
    “The series is just a long story about characters developing relationships. People are introduced. Some stay and some go,” explains Mullen. “In each book I try to introduce a few good characters that readers will really like and not forget. I have developed a whole population I can pick from and add to.”
    “Each book is just another chapter of the story, and just like life, I keep adding on. I don’t see a time when this series will end, but I do see a time when I might go on to another set of characters and write two or three books, and then merge both series in some future event. We’ll see.”
     Like the books she plans to combine someday, Mullen found herself merging her new career as an author with an additional career as an independent publisher. “I just set down and started writing, and had no idea of what I needed to do—what really happened after the writing,” admits Mullen. “Getting the book published turned out to be as much a job as writing the book itself.”
    In the end, Mullen started her own publishing company. Although the plan has proved successful, it has not been without its own set of problems. “For me, it was a step by step process while walking blind,” she explains. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I made mistakes with my first book and it cost me money. But I learned a lot that helped me when I published my second book.”
    Seven years of experience, missteps and lessons learned as an independent publisher have led Mullen down an unexpected road in her journey.
    “For several years, people have been suggesting I do consulting so I could help others,” says Mullen. “Then I had a woman approach me about helping her publish her book, and the time seemed right.”
    “There are thousands of independent publishers,” states Mullen. “It’s not that hard to do if you know what to do, how to do it and how to avoid making mistakes that cost you money and don’t improve your product.”
    As a writer, publisher and now consultant; Ann Mullen is just one example of what many Baby Boomers are discovering themselves. The journey through life is filled with unexpected turns, side streets and new paths. For Mullen’s avid fans, they just enjoy the journey through mayhem, murder, mystery and, of course, Greene County.
    To find out more about Ann Mullen, go to her website at www.aftonridge.com where you can also read about the her characters and Greene County, get her books and even check out some of Mullen’s short stories.

*Ann pictured signing a book for one of her readers, Gloria, at Massanutten Resort.

Finally! My web site www.aftonridge.com has a new look. Check it out. It took a while, but I think everything is A-okay. Web design isn't for the sqeamish! If you find an error, please let me know at aftonridge@aol.com. Thanks! A new page will be going up soon. Watch for What's New? for details on my next book, All About the Money. Happy reading! Ann

It's that time of year!

Christmas is coming!

Thanks to all my readers for their support. I hope your holidays are happy ones spent with family and friends. Be safe, and keep your eyes on my web site for my new book, All About the Money, due out in the spring. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Warm Regards, Ann Mullen

~SAFE~

Safe (Services to Abused Families, Inc.) is there to help families, women and children who have been exposed to abuse. On Sept. 25, from 7-9 p.m. at the Prince Michel Winery in Madison County, Virginia, you can help SAFE protect those who are suffering. Come and participate in an evening filled with lots of good food and wine, silent and live auctions, and I will be there with other authors who will inform, hopefully entertain, and sign copies of our books. We want you to join us on the frontline to protect and defend families who need you. Visit www.friendsofsafe.com to buy tickets, or to give a donation. My husband, Tom will be there with me as always. Thank you for your support. Ann

~Cats and their funny ways~

I finally got Spice Cat to stop drinking out of the toilet, but now he has found his water source some place else. I guess I could lock all the bathroom doors. What's wrong with his own water bowl?

Don't have a snow plow? Make one of your own!

Introducing the Pallet Plow!

This is how Tom and I handled the snow. Friday, Feb. 4th, we got another snowfall (17 inches) the 4th one since Christmas. I, (the inventor in the family), came up with the idea of tying two pallets together and then draging it around the driveway and yard. And it worked! I have to give Tom credit with the idea of adding two large, cut pieces of a tree that he had cut down a while back (but hadn't split yet). Adding the logs gave the two pallets the weight we needed to hold them down. Then, using a heavyduty rope, we tied the pallets to the back of our 4Runner SUV and started the drag. And... it worked like a champ! We thought our Pallet Plow might clog up behind the 4Runner, but it didn't. You'd be amazed at how well it worked! There is one drawback to the Pallet Plow--you can't back up. Ha... ha... laugh out loud!

~Speaking of which~

No, the pic you're looking at isn't the result of the melting snow we had a couple of weeks ago, but is the flood we had Monday, Jan. 25th. We woke up to flooded roads and impassable bridges. In this photo there's a road and a bridge under all that water. As my new friend, Margaret (who always looks at the possitive side of everything) would probably say, "Well, that's just part of living in the mountains!" We love it!

~~Ann's Advice~~

December 19th will be a day most of us will remember for some time to come. It started snowing on Friday and by Saturday we had eighteen inches of the white stuff on the ground. What a glorious sight! I loved it... even though it meant there would be no birthday dinner for our 28 year old son, and no traveling to Newport News to see our family. We would miss my mother's Christmas party. As a matter of fact we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. But that was okay, because we were finally going to have a white Christmas! That kind of made everything all right. Excited? Yes, we were. My husband and I were like little children. We went out and played in the snow with our dogs as we watched the snow fall. We even mustered up the courage (and energy...at our age) to build a snowman! It was wonderful. Well, the snow hung around until I had gotten so used to it that I forgot how dangerous it could be. I had trudged through it, played in it, and even drove my 4Runner around the driveway—just for the fun of it. The fun ended the afternoon of December 30th when I slipped on the ice trying to get out of my monster-sized truck. If anyone had been watching, I'm sure they would've have laughed at the sight of me slipping, sliding, and then flopping out of my SUV. I know I would have--at first. But when I hit my head on the running board, and finally came to rest on the ground, it was no longer a laughing matter. I lay there for a few minutes trying to figure out if I were alive or dead... or just injured. Fortunately, I survived the incident. But not so many would be that lucky. Several days later, I read about a young man who had taken a spill on the ice, and then died the following day. More tales of falls soon surfaced, and that's when I realized how lucky I had been. Snow is beautiful, but it's also dangerous. No matter how invincible you think you are, you're no match for the ice underneath it. When you least expect it, you, too, could become a victim of nature's magic. So, what I'm trying to tell you is, don't let your guard down, and don't take chances. Dress appropiately for the weather. Shoes really matter. I was wearing snow boots when I fell, and later I thought about the few times I went out wearing tennis shoes. That was a recipe for disaster. Never, ever wear tennis shoes in the snow! Enjoy the snow, but most importantly, be safe!

Setting sail with author/publisher Ann Mullen

By Alex Carrier

    In an economy that is sending many Americans down the path toward creating their own businesses, Greene County resident Ann Mullen has a good head start –a 10 year head start. Since moving to Greene County with her husband and family in 1999, Mullen has lived a second career as both writer and publisher of her Jesse Watson mystery series.
    “I had never thought of being a writer until we made the move to Greene County,” admits Mullen who retired from her job in the engineering center at Phillip Morris before moving to Greene. “My husband started it by suggesting I write my dreams in a journal. Then I entered a short story contest and the book followed.”
    While Mullen enjoyed the process and got support from family and friends after finishing her first book, the publishing world was not as receptive.

    “Once I wrote my first book, I decided I wanted to have that book in my hand,” explains Mullen, “but all I got from mystery publishers was rejection. When you have exhausted all your avenues, most people just give up but some of us are headstrong and won’t give up.”
    Mullen credits much of her inspiration to become her own publisher to Dan Poynter's “Self-Publishing Manual.”
    “It was the best book to use as a guide,” says Mullen. “He explains everything you have to go through. After my experiences with publishers and hearing stories from other writers, I decided that if my only option was to use a vanity press or do it myself, I would do it myself. I would have complete control of everything.”
    “Once I made up my mind, I started my own company, paid my dues, paid my fees, and took all the other necessary steps to becoming a publisher,” explains Mullen. “You can’t win or lose if you don’t try.”
    Mullen tells other entrepreneurs her bottom line truth. “One of the problems with self-publishing is that all the money is going to come out of your pocket,” warns Mullen. “Expect to put out a hefty sum to pay others for the work they do so you can create a quality product. It’s all about the money – which is the title of my next book.”
    Mullen warns would-be writer/publishers to be willing to invest a lot of time as well. “It is a full-time job,” she admits. “You’re writing, dealing with proofreaders, layout, graphic designers, printers, marketing, and bookkeeping, while trying to keep your readers happy.”
    “It can be done,” stresses Mullen. “I have had my own form of success and a lot of that is because of my readers. They have gotten behind me and kept me in business.”
    Those readers/fans will be happy to know her sixth book “Death on the Bella Constance” is now in print. This time, her main characters take a cruise to Bermuda but, as in all good mysteries, the trip turns into a working vacation as bodies start piling up on this “cruise to die for”.

    Mullen invites anyone interested in self-publishing to contact her.

    “I had people who helped me through the process,” says Mullen. “I want to help others if I can.”

    Those wishing to contact Mullen or looking to purchase any of her books can do so online at http://www.aftonrige.com/ or by phone at 434-985-1957.

This article's first print was November 9, 2009 in the Greene County Record where you can read Alex Carrier's weekly column. To read other articles about Ann Mullen be sure to visit http://www.vgreene.com/.

All I wanted for Christmas was to have a white one, and boy did I get my wish! For three days I didn't see a car on the road where I live, nor did I venture out. Tom and I built a snowman, drank plenty of hot chocolate, and sat by the fire. What a wonderful time of the year! I hope everyone had a great holiday and will have a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Spice Cat---my fearless snoop companion---had to take a break away from his prowling around to get his rabies shot which was offered at the VoTeck Center in Stanardsville. Once a year, Ret. Veterinarian Dr. John Hayes offers his time to vaccinate local cats and dogs (at only the cost of the vaccine). No appointment. No office visit charge. This is a real blessing for folks who have several animals! Spice wasn't crazy about getting a shot, but he loved the attention he got from Carol Sarginger---another outstanding Greene County volunteer (GCWC). I think my husband Tom had as much fun introducing Spice Cat to everyone as Spice did when they lavished their praise on him. He loves to be told how handsome he is.

As most of you can tell, I'm not one who blogs very often. So, if there's anything you would like to know just email me at aftonridge@aol.com. As far as MySpace, Twitter, or the rest of the many stops on the internet highway are concerned... it's all I can do to keep up with Blogspot. If you email and want me to be added as a friend, please don't take offense if I don't respond. I have tried many times, but I always got lost in the maze. For those of you who have already ordered my new book, Death on the Bella Constance, thank you so much! And if you haven't, now would be the time to do so. Christmas is just around the corner, and what a great gift idea for the reader in your family, or for a friend. Why not introduce them to the Jesse Watson Mystery series? You may now order by phone at 434-985-1957 using your bank or credit card--- and I will be the one taking your order, so you don't have to worry about security and confidentiality. I will safeguard your card number as if it were my own. (Please--don't email me your credit card number! You know how not-so-private email is.) Thank you and I hope you enjoy my new book! Warm regards, Ann Mullen

Photo taken by Alex Carrier at the Blue Ridge Cafe in Ruckersville, VA, one of the many local places mentioned in my books.