“SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR

Christa Nardi 

Effects of Television in Childhood and our Adult Lives

Much of the media over the years has focused on violence on television and aggression in children. Social learning and modeling are well documented, but there are other ways in which television affects our lives, and my interest in mysteries.

For years, we gathered around the television and watched Perry Mason. I think it was Sunday evenings and it was one of the “family” activities my sisters, mother, and I enjoyed – one of my fonder memories in fact. Perry, Della, and Paul. I own some of the original hard cover books, as well as paperbacks, and CDs of the first 2 seasons.

Did you know they have the first four seasons on MeTV? Yup, recorded on TIVO. After the series, came the 2-hour movies and I recorded them (VCR) when they replayed years later. One of these days, I will convert them to CD. Somehow the attempt to replace Perry with someone other than Raymond Burr didn’t have the same appeal.

Some of my other favorites included Mike Hammer, Mannix, Jessica Fletcher, Magnum PI, Dan Tanna, Ironsides, Columbo, Rockford Files, Hart to Hart and the original Hawaii 5-0. Later of course all the Law and Orders, all the CSIs, Criminal Minds, Castle, Rizzoli & Isles… I think you get the point. With all the mystery series I watched and loved, it’s no wonder I liked to read mysteries and still do… but that’s another blog stop. Also not a surprise that I chose to write mysteries.

An excerpt from MURDER AT COLD CREEK COLLEGE: 

From Chapter 1

I nodded and then checked the next open door. Unfortunately, it was Max’s office. I knocked. He swiveled around, his black hair somewhat uncontrolled and in need of a cut. I must have startled him. His brown eyes opened wide.

“Sheridan, you wouldn’t believe. I‘m ready to get this experiment going, and somehow the materials I ordered haven’t come in. Terra told me I didn’t have enough money in my account, and that’s not right! I don’t know what her problem is,” was his opening tirade. Max was the other experimental psychologist in the department. He was by far the one most interested in research .

“Yeah, well, Terra and Ali do the books. They would know. Maybe you didn’t figure right what you had in your lab account. I bet they can give you a full accounting,” I suggested. Max tended to have these tantrums a lot. He was relatively young and had come to Cold Creek straight from graduation the year after me. He had big dreams of doing enough research to get to a better university.

“You doing okay otherwise – you know with the rec center and all,” I asked.

“Oh, I gave up on the rec center last year. Too crowded. I joined a private club where I don’t have to deal with the students. At the rec center, they always tried to talk to me. Are you looking for a place to work out?” he asked, oblivious to the excitement on campus. But that was not unusual for Max. Unless it was going to directly affect him, he didn’t seem to know about it. Now, if he had wanted to work out today, he might have been more interested.

“Uh, Max, someone died at the rec center this morning,” I offered as gently as I could.

Jumping out of his seat, he proclaimed, “I knew it, I knew there were safety problems. I knew those students would wreck something! See what I mean?”

“Max, someone was murdered. It wasn’t an accident,” I added. I wondered at the fact that he hadn’t asked the obvious question of who? It was certainly the question I wanted answered.

“Oh. Well, it better not get in the way of my lab work. I’d love to chat with you Sheridan, but I have work to do,” he responded. With that, he sat back down and turned back to his computer. Good thing or he would have seen me shake my head in disbelief. It was also probably a good thing that he did research with rats or mice, examining their use of cues, learning, and such. He sure didn’t seem interested in people and didn’t always pick up on social cues. I made my way back to my office with a wave at Kim. I also quickly let her know that it wasn’t Jim, Doug or Max who was murdered.

BIO

Christa Nardi is and always has been an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery/crime authors over time, but mystery/crime along with romance and scifi/fantasy are her preferred choices for leisure reading. Christa also has been a long time writer from poetry and short stories to the Cold Creek series, Christa has joined many other reader/writers in writing one genre she enjoys reading – the cozy mystery. The series started with Murder at Cold Creek College; Murder in the Arboretum is the second in the series. Murder at the Grill is expected to be published in November 2015. Christa Nardi is a pen name for a real life professor/psychologist from the Northeast who is well published in nonfiction and technical venues.

Check out Christa’s books:

Murder at Cold Creek College

mystery, women sleuths, cozy

Murder in the Arboretum

mystery, women sleuths, cozy

Buy Links:

http://smarturl.it/MColdCrk

http://smarturl.it/MArb

 Follow Christa:

Twitter handle: @ChristaN7777

Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/christa.nardi.5

Website address: christanardi.blogspot.com 

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