How would you notify others not to post flyers on utility poles? By posting a flyer on the utility pole, of course. MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD! takes a lighthearted swing at life's little funnies. If you've ever failed at sports, tried to burn the house down, or bumbled in public, you will relate to the situations in MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD as Jan M. Martin takes an irreverent swing at everything from Mother's Day to Christmas, Fairy tales, Amazon, and her kitchen timer. Chapters range from "Secrets of a Secret Shopper," where readers help guess the outcome, to "God has a Sense of Humor." This short, 100 page, lighthearted book of life's little absurdities is sure to tickle your funny bone with the author's (mostly) true experiences and comedy writing. Included in MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD are two children's stories, "Miss Mousie and Mrs. McGreggor's Closet" and "The Dentist Who Makes Pickles," several comedic poems and limericks, numerous quips, sight gags---even a recipe--demonstrating the absurdities of life. Adults are treated to the fictional adventure story "Treasure at Noon Creek," based on actual legends of the Graham Mountains near Safford, Arizona. MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD is appropriate for all ages.
About the Author: Jan M. Martin gained notoriety when she was featured on the front page of the newspaper for winning a national contest with her comedic poem about her messy kitchen. She still is fond of writing slapstick poetry on diverse topics such as Black Friday, Mother's Day, and her kitchen timer, which are featured in MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD. Jan has been writing since age 11 when she wrote 4-H reports for her local newspaper. She has won several national contests with her comedic poems about Eskimo Pies, fishing, weight loss, and other comedy. She is the author of two romantic mystery novels, HEIR OF DECEIT and IMPRESSIONS OF INNOCENCE, and a non-fiction short, MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD. As a Nutrition Educator and Tobacco Prevention Coordinator, her extensive research led to her devising an . . . um . . . unusual murder weapon for HEIR OF DECEIT. She also has been teaching religious education to high school students for the past 30 years. Jan and her husband researched in North Carolina for HEIR OF DECEIT, where they met with local people, including famous moonshiner, the late Popcorn Sutton, whom she features briefly in her novel, HEIR OF DECEIT. They visited the ancient Cherokee homeland, where they learned of the Cherokee culture, and a wealth of local traditions, folklore and ghost stories. Each place and tradition-even the ghosts-used in HEIR OF DECEIT are as genuine as she could craft them. Jan collected items for many years in anticipation of writing MY WORD THAT'S ABSURD! It contains many types of writing, from jokes to comedic limericks, to short stories to picture gags. Jan lives in southern Arizona with her husband, Brent. They are the parents of six children. She loves cactus flowers, saguaros, road runners and horned toads-oh, yes, and people. She enjoys cooking, teaching, and learning. She describes writing HEIR OF DECEIT as the most fun she's ever had. Although it is (mostly) not a comedy, she hopes readers can detect its tongue-in-cheek nature. Jan is a member and former chapter officer of the American Night Writers Association.