Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, April 13, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

Is Sheriff Zeb Hanks’ wife a cold-blooded killer, and is this the end?

“Only if I drop dead before I finish the next one. I have plans for probably six or so more books in this series,” remarked Spring Valley native author Mark Reps, speaking of what will—or won’t succeed “Native Deception,” the 13th book in his “Zeb Hanks: Small Town Sheriff, Big Time Trouble” book series that has captivated readers for nearly two decades and continues with “Native Deception” as his most recent contribution, this time placing investigative crosshairs on character Zeb’s wife, Echo Skysong.

He elaborated, “Basically, it’s about Zeb proving his wife, Echo, is not a cold-blooded killer. It has numerous twists and turns that involve local Graham County and San Carlos Apache Reservation characters and places.”

The synopsis of “Native Deception” reads, “Echo Skysong, Hank’s wife…[a] combat knife found with an unidentified dead woman’s body, makes her look profoundly guilty. Darker corners are turned when a world-famous Apache scientist, also an acquaintance of Echo’s, turns up missing. Proving Echo’s innocence is complicated when the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Indian Affairs (DIA) enter the picture and seek a scapegoat. Zeb’s team joins forces with ambitious San Carlos Police Chief Cocheta and steps to the very edge of his legal authority in order to find justice. The twists and turns in ‘Native Deception’ will keep the reader on edge to the very end. Readers of the ‘Longmire’ series or any of Tony Hillerman’s works will enjoy ‘Native Deception,’ the 13th book in the ‘Zeb Hanks’ series.”

Spring Valley High School Class of 1969 alum Reps has long balanced his career in chiropractic with writing compelling stories that capture the attention of his readers. He admitted, however, that “Native Deception” didn’t spring from his keyboard quite as quickly as the other 12 novels. “This book took a little longer than the others in the series to write. I’d say about 14 months from start to finish. It took a little longer, as I was working on several other books at the same time. One of them has a Spring Valley theme – it’s called ‘The Lot, 1961.’ The other book I was working on is called ‘Redemption.’ It’s also a mystery, but outside of the Zeb Hanks series. I have two baseball books completed, three other mysteries completed and a book of short stories, as well as one other work of fiction that is almost done.” And, he added, “Every book I have written takes at least six to nine rewrites. This one has some time-sensitive material, so as the story unfolded, so did some real-life events…it takes on a real-life, real-time situation in the world today. That required me to do some rewriting.”

Reps cited how he continued the Zeb Hanks series, sharing that the characters give him direction as to how to put his words together to become their actions. “With each book, all I need is a thread of a crime, and the rest follows naturally. I know these characters pretty well, so I know how they will react in a given situation. That makes writing them a bit easier and lots of fun. They’ve become friends in a manner of speaking. The better I know them, the easier it becomes to tell a story around them and through them.” The author went on, “I love Echo and Zeb, but this time, I concentrated more on expanding the character of former San Carlos Police Chief Rambler Braing, who is now deputy to Zeb Hanks with the hopes of returning to the appointed position of police chief on the reservation. Of course, there is always medicine man Jimmy Song Bird, whom I relate to personally. I like to write character and plotline as well as the twisty turns a mystery can take. I hope to teach the readers about the Apache culture either directly or indirectly, as well. I hope to stir the readers’ interest in the subjects I bring up in the books…as you will see in ‘Native Deception,’ Zeb Hanks’ crew has gone international in a big and important way.”

Challenges in writing for a sleuthing audience exist by the multitude, but thankfully, Reps is experienced at addressing his readers’ literary expectations. “Knowing the readership is a big, big deal. Amazon provides statistics to authors about age group, male and female reader ratios, and all kinds of other data, so I have to think of that stuff when I put in clues, reference time and place, et cetera. The stories are for the audience who reads them, and I do my best to give them what they want. I hope that I get better with each book. If my skills don’t continue to improve, there is really little point in continuing; I hope with each book to catch the reader un[1]aware and teach them something. So far, I’ve gotten great feedback, and people are genuinely liking the book very much.”

He acknowledged that if he could start the Zeb Hanks series over again, he’d have planned its trajectory long before he began typing. “I’d have plotted the stories so they could run in order more easily as well as fully develop each character over the 20 years that the book will span. Knowing the full potential of each character from the onset would have made writing all the novels easier. I would advise any writer of fiction to know their characters from start to finish and to write up their entire background stories before writing the first sentence of the first novel.”

By the time Reps puts the last punctuation on the final page of his final Zeb Hanks novel, he’s certain to have rounded out the traits of each character and cleared Echo Skysong’s reputation for good, but meanwhile, he’s contemplating what to do with the books that he’s written on other topics and how to publish them for readers’ enjoyment.

“I have finished a noir-style mystery with a 1940s feel to it– think Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in the movies from that era. It’s way different in style and language. It was a ton of fun to write, and it feels like a real page-turner. I am seeking out publishing houses for that one as well as the baseball books.”

Reps registered a request with his readers and potential readers of the Zeb Hanks series. “Please read them all from start to finish or from finish to start. They can basically be read in any order. Please go on Amazon and give the book five stars. The more 5-star reviews I get, the more Amazon will do to help the book get noticed by people who are unfamiliar with the book or the series.”

He concluded by stating that his writing career is ongoing and that “I will keep on writing books as long as people want to read them.” For more information on the “Zeb Hanks/Native” series, log onto Reps’ website at www.markreps.com, or find his novels on Amazon.

He concluded by stating that his writing career is ongoing and that “I will keep on writing books as long as people want to read them.” For more information on the “Zeb Hanks/Native” series, log onto Reps’ website at www.markreps.com, or find his novels on Amazon.

 

 

 

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, April 13, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

 

Tina Fabian speaks keratin, Aqua-Net, frillies and fluent tomboy.

Her childhood aspirations changed enough to make some of her current clients’ hair positively curl.

“I had all kinds of different things. I wanted to be an interpreter because I learned German, sign language, Spanish… and I thought I could interpret at Mayo Clinic; and I really like arts and drawing, so I thought I could become an architect; then there’s this. I’m creative, and my creativity pushed me into this. I wasn’t really girly – I was more of a tomboy, more into climbing trees than putting on frillies, but it’s just as fun,” stated Fabian, standing in the middle of her downtown Spring Valley salon, Hair by Tina, which she opened last August and is working to translate into a full-time occupation.

She was straightforward about her current salon proprietorship and how she came to occupy her solo Broadway salon. “I never intended on opening a salon. I was perfectly happy renting somewhere else, but for me to continue doing business, I had to open a salon. I rented a booth briefly for a year or two at Total Look from Dawn Cooper. I’d been looking and looking because where I was at in Stewartville, I didn’t want to renew, and they were selling the building. I was in a panic, and all of a sudden, it hit me…it was right there, and it worked out great. Before Total Look, I was renting from Makin’ Waves for a couple of years, had a booth there, and before that, I was managing at one of the largest salon franchises in the United States, so I’ve got about 13 to 14 years there at Great Clips and was management for about eight years.”

Before that came the translation of artistic skills from fine arts into the cosmetological arts. “Hair…I kinda am an artist. I like to draw, work in clay, build stuff. I did my sister’s hair for her senior pictures, and it looked good. I’m a licensed cosmetologist, so I’m trained in all the different things cosmetologists do…cuts, colors, perms, roller sets, men’s cuts, eyebrow and lip waxing, beard trims. I got my first job at a salon as an actual licensed stylist at First Impressions Hair Studio on the Corner of Civic Center and Broadway. Two of my instructors at cosmetology school owned that salon then, and I rented from them for a year and a half after school, and they taught me how to do tinting eyelashes, things like that. They decided to sell, so I walked into Great Clips, and ‘there you go.’”

She went on, “When I was across the way at Total Look, I was looking around, calling phone numbers on doors. I got ahold of here and [the owner] told me it would be ‘this much’ – which is a good deal because it has a full kitchen and access to a shared bathroom – and it all fell into place. It was exactly what I needed to do at the time. Everything fell into place.”

However, there was a pronounced calendar gap between the time that Fabian defined her life’s next statement and when she could officially open her own salon. “I didn’t have a place to go in between, so for a full month, Jenn Slifka let me rent a booth and chair at Chateau, and Alex (Slifka) came over here and hung my sign. We’re not in competition, because they do stuff I don’t. I’m really thankful for Jenn…she really stepped up.”

Fabian took care to upcycle anything she possibly could to furnish her shop responsibly, speaking “thrift” whenever she had occasion to buy secondhand or repurpose items that would suit her business, including a snazzy pair of vintage hairdryer chairs with plastic cylinder drying bonnets–the kind seen in the movies–and to use wisely anything that was given to her, such as the dressing table that now serves as her styling station, and most importantly, referral information for Total Look clients who might be interested in getting their hair cut and set by someone familiar.

“When I started, I didn’t have any clients, which is hard, but I don’t want to live my life thinking ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda.’ I wanted to be my own boss, but I thought it would be weird to be alone, but I’m not alone because my clients are here–business is slowly building, and I’m glad that it’s gradually growing–and they’re special, let me tell you that. They’ve been amazing– they’ve spoiled me. I have a whole new family.”

Her services vocabulary, as she previously noted, ranges from family haircuts to eyebrow maintenance and beard trims, things that she enjoys doing for clients because they improve appearance and boost confidence. Fabian is deciding still whether she’d like to take appointments for wedding parties’ hair, but she may if she has a proper consultation session with the wedding participants prior to the work being completed. “I do women’s cuts, senior ladies’ shampoo and sets, perms…it’s not necessarily your old-school salon. A lot of men feel out of place, like the vibe is weird. Here, I’d like to have a larger male clientele because a lot of it is a male-dominated business, but there’s not a lot of options, so men go to Rochester, and guess who’s cutting their hair in Rochester? They might as well stay here. For guys’ haircuts, I offer a shampoo and a hot towel for their face. It’s not just ‘sit down and go’ when they’re done. For ladies, they get a shampoo and their hair styled up, so why not the guys? I want people to feel comfortable and not out of place. I think I’ve got a good combination of masculine and feminine sides.”

The words that define Fabian’s reasoning for managing a busy schedule–one that she hopes will soon be less divided by holding down another job at a Rochester hair establishment–are that she simply likes witnessing what happens to someone’s disposition when they’ve gotten the conversation for a perfect curl or beard shaping down and the work is finished.

“People feel better when they get their hair done, and it’s when they make comments about how good they feel.”

 

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

Original article published in the Mower County Independent, Thursday, April 6, 2023.   Reprinted with permission and gratitude.

By Gretchen Mensink Lovejoy 

 

Launch with Friends @ Your Library.

“Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library Launch Party! Thursday, April 13 at 7 p.m. at Your Library, 121 W. Jefferson Street, Spring Valley. Meet and greet Friends of SVPL board members, discuss and submit ideas for improving library facilities, programs publicity and funding; discover volunteer opportunities at your library; enjoy refreshments, and help choose a logo for our organization,” enthusiastically declared an invitation poster for the Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library (SVPL), or Friends of SVPL, the group preparing to officially organize at SVPL this month to provide helping hands, new ideas and general support to SVPL staff and patrons through a wide menu of volunteer activities and opportunities.

Idea chef Sarah Hansen explained why she put the heat under a pot of concepts to form a library friends organization, saying, “The public library, like a public school, is an important service and asset to a community. While the public school has a variety of support groups within the community, the library has not had a convenient way to access public support. A ‘friends of the library’ group will be the link between the library and the community to promote library services and meet the library’s needs. The library needs support for programs and services. Volunteers can assist with programs, regular housekeeping and special projects. Fundraising efforts will launch special events and startup efforts of new programs to serve Spring Valley and the surrounding area.”

She added that the coalescence of individuals around a flame of cooperation and collaboration will be beneficial to the library as an institution that meets people of all kinds. “The organizing of the Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library creates an opportunity to support library excellence. The people of the community can serve right here with ideas, time, and dollars. These investments will be seen in efficiency and variety in the Spring Valley Public Library.”

The Friends can mix up ingredients that library staff cannot do and do not have time to manage anyway. “As a member of the Minnesota Association of Library Friends, this group has access to support materials as well as grant funds that are not available to others in the library system. As a 501(c)3 charitable organization, donations are tax deductible. And as a group of volunteers, our varied skills and interests convert directly to agility in serving the needs of the library as they come up and all year long.”

She pointed out that “the Spring Valley Public Library is functioning now,” but that “the staff has been cut by half in less than ten years.” She added, “As a cost-saving measure, the custodian position was eliminated, and those duties have been added to the librarians’ duties. Decreased library staff has led to decreased library hours of service. Though declining, the library is functioning, but it is not excellent. Library excellence is the goal of the Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library. An excellent public library, like excellent schools and excellent public works, marks a community that supports growth—for the individual and the whole community.”

Hansen whipped into the discussion the implications of not having a library that functions well. “The lack of a library in a rural area indicates a decrease in basic facets of community that are attractive to its members, both current and prospective. The library is an entry point for newcomers to our community. As a service of city government, a library provides access to services of all kinds. Librarians answer questions for new residents regularly – ‘Who do I contact about zoning in my city or county?’ or ‘My Internet isn’t set up yet. Do you have computers I can use?’ and ‘Are there any clubs in town? Where do they meet?’ The library is also a resource to current members. As a community-accessible space without expectation of making purchases, the library hosts a variety of people on a regular basis doing puzzles, handicrafts, and board games. The community support within the library enriches the lives of its patrons. Without a welcoming library, Spring Valley loses a valuable source of support and enrichment.”

She observed that while there exist numerous people with the capacity to volunteer–even as they doubt themselves being able to add to the literary and community souffle–the talents and abilities of area residents are beyond their own imaginings.

“Spring Valley and the surrounding community is home to organizers and supporters of all sorts. Over the years, the community has proven to rally and support what matters to them. The library matters.” Furthermore, Hanson stated, “Our mission is to support library excellence through advocacy, public relations, fundraising and volunteer services. Expect to see cleaning crews, library properties workdays, publicity about the programs and services of the library, Book-It–a themed 5K run/walk unlike others we have seen, ice cream at Wednesdays on Broadway–featuring Kappers’ Big Red Barn dairy ice cream, social media, newspaper and other publications to raise awareness of the needs of the Spring Valley Public library, special classes and programs open for donators, and more. Fundraising events are already in the planning stages. When we have our launch party, we will be putting names and ideas together to get things rolling. We have already made plans to be present at Wednesdays on Broadway, selling high quality ice cream. Volunteers are gathering ideas for the Book-It 5K run/walk that is unlike any others hosted in our area. Book sales are a standard for friends of the library groups, and we have some ideas for that, also. That’s just a start of the ideas we have for keeping the FUN in FUNdraising.”

Hansen, who’s very enthusiastic about giving her local library a better chance at serving its patrons the excellence she feels they deserve, elaborated that the library staff and board essentially give suggestions for the friends group to use as its membership ices the cake. “We are a group designed to support the library board and library staff. Service when, where and how the library needs it is the only way to be as a Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library organization. Expect to see us working–both behind the scenes and out in front on projects like the summer reading program, special events and speakers, seasonal cleanup projects, promotion of library events, and advocating for the library as a HUGE asset to our community.” She said, “Meeting needs toward an excellent library experience for all patrons is very rewarding. We’ve been able to do that some already–Spring Valley seems to really enjoy coming together to meet goals–this is gonna be great!”

And once things are cooking, she’s certain that plans for an even bigger smorgasbord will evolve. “In the course of the next couple years, I hope that, with the help of this fantastic board of directors and officers, this group will grow to be a strong, contributing organization within the community. It is designed to serve in strong ways to bring about permanent changes toward library excellence. This will improve not only Spring Valley, but the entire surrounding community served by the library.”

Oftentimes, what’s happening behind the kitchen door goes unseen if one is just out for lunch with friends, but launching with friends is an entirely different affair, according to Hansen, noting that there is also a difference between being a library board member and a Friends board member. “People from the community are ready to go with this. They have been unaware of the funding needs, the staffing cuts, and the increased duties designated to the library staff. But, now that a group is organized to mobilize and inform, people are asking more and showing up to lend a hand. We’re pretty excited as a board. The majority of the officers and directors on the board have not ever held an office of any kind. We are community members and library patrons. We saw a need that was not being met and decided, ‘I need to do something.’ And here we are. Joining with others, we plan to do big things. We seek excellence for our library.”

Hansen concluded by offering an address for donations to be sent for the Friends to use for the betterment of the entire library recipe. “Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library receives its mail at the library, 121 W. Jefferson St., Spring Valley, Minnesota, 55975. I can be contacted via e-mail at FriendsSVPL@gmail.com.   And, you can always drop us a note at the library. One of the board members is there nearly every day during open hours. I would be glad to talk to anyone about the Friends of the Spring Valley Public Library.”

 

 

Courtesy of the Mower County Independent, 135 E Main St. LeRoy, MN 55951, (507)-324-5325

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