Allison Cesario Paton's Blog: Mrs. Bundle Mystery Series set in Vermont , page 5
January 25, 2012
Excerpt from MRS BUNDLE'S MAINE VACATION....from Mrs. Bundle's cat Cracker's perspective...
Excerpt from MRS BUNDLE'S MAINE VACATION: from Mrs. Bundle's persnickety cat Cracker's perspective:
Consumed with boredom, Cracker had endured the drive as best he could. Painfully long, it was. He blinked, the queasiness still lingering. And all that starting and stopping!
Shifting in his close quarters, he closed his weary eyes, recalling with similar pain the next part of the journey. As the impressive Portsmouth Bridge had come into view, they had crossed over the wide expanse of the Piscataqua River into Maine—at last!! The volume of pre-weekend tourist traffic streaming northward into Maine had made his head spin like a windmill. Huge trucks and cars—bigger and more ferocious than before—screamed past their little green Volkswagen Beetle which, with no room to spare, had been packed to the gills—including the handy roof rack above—stuffed and tied down like a trussed turkey.
Ultimately, they had arrived at their destination: Portland. By now, he was exhausted. But they weren’t done yet. With Junie stored safely away in the parking garage, they had schlepped (another one of Mrs. Balshemnik’s fitting words) all their vacation possessions to the Casco Bay Lines Ferry waiting area, and finally boarded their ferry called Machigonne II (from the early Abenaki Indian name for the Portland Peninsula meaning “knee”, he had learned), one of a fleet of five ferry boats used to shuttle people and goods from one island to the next.
Terrifying!
The noises and the sounds were so foreign to a farm cat from the little world of North Pillson Corners: people yelling, seagulls squawking, large metal gates and platforms banging and clanging!
Ugh…he cat-groaned, life on the sea is so very….uncivilized! He sighed resignedly and adjusted his sore body. Nevertheless, it’s the price that I must pay to accompany my mistress on her summer adventure. Anxiously, his drier-than-usual pink tongue darted out, stroking his already sleek ebony fur.
Consumed with boredom, Cracker had endured the drive as best he could. Painfully long, it was. He blinked, the queasiness still lingering. And all that starting and stopping!
Shifting in his close quarters, he closed his weary eyes, recalling with similar pain the next part of the journey. As the impressive Portsmouth Bridge had come into view, they had crossed over the wide expanse of the Piscataqua River into Maine—at last!! The volume of pre-weekend tourist traffic streaming northward into Maine had made his head spin like a windmill. Huge trucks and cars—bigger and more ferocious than before—screamed past their little green Volkswagen Beetle which, with no room to spare, had been packed to the gills—including the handy roof rack above—stuffed and tied down like a trussed turkey.
Ultimately, they had arrived at their destination: Portland. By now, he was exhausted. But they weren’t done yet. With Junie stored safely away in the parking garage, they had schlepped (another one of Mrs. Balshemnik’s fitting words) all their vacation possessions to the Casco Bay Lines Ferry waiting area, and finally boarded their ferry called Machigonne II (from the early Abenaki Indian name for the Portland Peninsula meaning “knee”, he had learned), one of a fleet of five ferry boats used to shuttle people and goods from one island to the next.
Terrifying!
The noises and the sounds were so foreign to a farm cat from the little world of North Pillson Corners: people yelling, seagulls squawking, large metal gates and platforms banging and clanging!
Ugh…he cat-groaned, life on the sea is so very….uncivilized! He sighed resignedly and adjusted his sore body. Nevertheless, it’s the price that I must pay to accompany my mistress on her summer adventure. Anxiously, his drier-than-usual pink tongue darted out, stroking his already sleek ebony fur.
December 31, 2011
The Supersized Mrs. Bundle "Bundle"
All five Mrs. Bundle Mysteries can now be purchased in the 'SUPERSIZED BUNDLE BUNDLE': Autographed, with gift tags! Email me at bundlepublishing@yahoo.com for details, or go to the website www.mrsbundle.com and purchase. Have a great time reading the series---it's a hoot! Thanks to all the fans who appreciate the North Pillson Corners way of life.
November 28, 2011
Excerpt from the latest: MRS BUNDLE'S MIDNIGHT MYSTERY, CHAP. 13
It was Walter Andersen calling from next door. “Clay and Carl just come in from the barn all mystificated. They said you got a passel of menfolk up there. What’s going on?” He didn’t wait for an explanation. “Said besides the Sheriff, you got Royal, too. And is that Duke Driscoll’s truck up there?”
By now, Mrs. Bundle was running short on patience. Could anyone keep a lid on their own private business in North Pillson Corners? “Walter, hi there! Yes, they’re all here. I had a small accident down the road. Nothing major. Royal’s seen to Junie, and everything is fine.”
“Hold on a minute. Seems there’s more to this. Weezy Bunton says she heard----”
“Walter, that’s all I can say right now.”
“Say now, just a dite tetchy today, ain’t ya?”
“I’m sorry Walter. I don’t mean to cut you off. There’s quite a lot going on---not all pleasant, if you get my drift.”
“Need the boys to come up?” He yelled out, “Carl! Clay! Come on over here! Lettie needs---”
“No! Walter, please! Tell them I’m fine. I don’t need any more men right now, thank you. I’m handling it all myself.”
“Oh, poppycock! You sound flustrated as all get-out. Kinda quingy, are ya?”
She didn’t have time today for Walterisms---the unique way in which Walter brutalized the English language. “I’m neither frustrated nor out of sorts. As usual, everyone’s making too much of things.”
“Ain’t that the pot calling the tea kettle black! Are you still comin’ down later for Sunday dinner? You know Miss Bossy-boss,” (his nickname for ten-year-old Erin), “is in charge of makin’ pumpkin pudding, and little Petunia,” (the nickname for his other ward, four-year-old Aineen), “is putting in her own ingreedy-mints.”
It occurred to her that the only way to satiate his curiosity was to give him a job. “Walter, I can’t come today. But I do need something, something you can do.”
GO TO WWW.MRSBUNDLE.COM TO ORDER YOUR COPY....
By now, Mrs. Bundle was running short on patience. Could anyone keep a lid on their own private business in North Pillson Corners? “Walter, hi there! Yes, they’re all here. I had a small accident down the road. Nothing major. Royal’s seen to Junie, and everything is fine.”
“Hold on a minute. Seems there’s more to this. Weezy Bunton says she heard----”
“Walter, that’s all I can say right now.”
“Say now, just a dite tetchy today, ain’t ya?”
“I’m sorry Walter. I don’t mean to cut you off. There’s quite a lot going on---not all pleasant, if you get my drift.”
“Need the boys to come up?” He yelled out, “Carl! Clay! Come on over here! Lettie needs---”
“No! Walter, please! Tell them I’m fine. I don’t need any more men right now, thank you. I’m handling it all myself.”
“Oh, poppycock! You sound flustrated as all get-out. Kinda quingy, are ya?”
She didn’t have time today for Walterisms---the unique way in which Walter brutalized the English language. “I’m neither frustrated nor out of sorts. As usual, everyone’s making too much of things.”
“Ain’t that the pot calling the tea kettle black! Are you still comin’ down later for Sunday dinner? You know Miss Bossy-boss,” (his nickname for ten-year-old Erin), “is in charge of makin’ pumpkin pudding, and little Petunia,” (the nickname for his other ward, four-year-old Aineen), “is putting in her own ingreedy-mints.”
It occurred to her that the only way to satiate his curiosity was to give him a job. “Walter, I can’t come today. But I do need something, something you can do.”
GO TO WWW.MRSBUNDLE.COM TO ORDER YOUR COPY....
November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving Excerpt from MRS BUNDLE'S HAIR-RAISING ADVENTURES.....
MRS BUNDLE'S HAIR-RAISING ADVENTURES: An Excerpt from "The Tomasi Block"......
Thanksgiving Morning
The early dawn’s sun was bright and cold against Junie’s windshield as Mrs. Bundle made quick time on the winding back road leading to Norwich, a half-hour drive northeast from North Pillson Corners. A slight dusting of snow blanketed the rolling hills of the Upper Valley.
She had decided to go, even though she wasn’t really feeling that great. She harrumphed impatiently. All that armchair sleuthing had really gotten to her! She had woken with a nasty crick in her neck; her shoulders and upper back were tight and sore, the creakiness settling into her bones with the oncoming cold of winter. She’d stretched but couldn’t seem to shake the discomfort. However bad she felt, her hands clutched the steering wheel in anticipation.
There was a familiar murmur in the depths of her mind. You’re on the right track, Letitia; keep going! Dear Arthur’s encouraging voice pushed her onward. She smiled at her tired reflection in the rearview mirror.
If she hurried, she would take care of her business and make it back in plenty of time to head down to the Andersen’s where, following tradition, she, Jack, and Cracker would spend their holiday. She had organized all her Thanksgiving dinner items; they sat in a big basket on the kitchen counter ready to scoop up in the event she arrived back at the last minute. As usual, her contribution would be a delicious assortment of olives, the jellied cranberry salad, the double chocolate chip cookies, and the makings for her raspberry trifle (always a favorite).....
HERE'S TO A HAPPY THANKSGIVING FOR EVERYONE!Mrs. Bundle's Hair-raising Adventures: Peril on Skitchewaug Mountain and Other Tales of Mystery
Thanksgiving Morning
The early dawn’s sun was bright and cold against Junie’s windshield as Mrs. Bundle made quick time on the winding back road leading to Norwich, a half-hour drive northeast from North Pillson Corners. A slight dusting of snow blanketed the rolling hills of the Upper Valley.
She had decided to go, even though she wasn’t really feeling that great. She harrumphed impatiently. All that armchair sleuthing had really gotten to her! She had woken with a nasty crick in her neck; her shoulders and upper back were tight and sore, the creakiness settling into her bones with the oncoming cold of winter. She’d stretched but couldn’t seem to shake the discomfort. However bad she felt, her hands clutched the steering wheel in anticipation.
There was a familiar murmur in the depths of her mind. You’re on the right track, Letitia; keep going! Dear Arthur’s encouraging voice pushed her onward. She smiled at her tired reflection in the rearview mirror.
If she hurried, she would take care of her business and make it back in plenty of time to head down to the Andersen’s where, following tradition, she, Jack, and Cracker would spend their holiday. She had organized all her Thanksgiving dinner items; they sat in a big basket on the kitchen counter ready to scoop up in the event she arrived back at the last minute. As usual, her contribution would be a delicious assortment of olives, the jellied cranberry salad, the double chocolate chip cookies, and the makings for her raspberry trifle (always a favorite).....
HERE'S TO A HAPPY THANKSGIVING FOR EVERYONE!Mrs. Bundle's Hair-raising Adventures: Peril on Skitchewaug Mountain and Other Tales of Mystery
November 17, 2011
The Supersized Mrs. Bundle "Bundle"
All five Mrs. Bundle Mysteries can now be purchased in the 'SUPERSIZED BUNDLE BUNDLE': Autographed, with gift tags, in time for the HOLIDAYS! Email me at bundlepublishing@yahoo.com for details, or go to the website www.mrsbundle.com and purchase. Have a great time reading the series---it's a hoot! Thanks to all the fans who appreciate the North Pillson Corners way of life.
November 7, 2011
Mrs. Bundle Travels far and wide...
A big "Thank you!" to all the fans who have Mrs. Bundle's mysteries in their life....from Ohio, to Wells, ME, to Holden, MA, Levittown, NY, and beyond...fun time meeting fans at the Gulfport Art Walk and Ybor City Saturday Market
November 1, 2011
What a pleasure it was to meet readers at the St. Petersburg Pier!
Thanks to all who came to get a Mrs. Bundle mystery. It was a pleasure to be there. The staff at the St. Petersburg Pier are fabulous: thanks to Susan Robertson, Advertising/Promotional Coordinator; Concierge Rick Janka; Scott in Security; and all the rest.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-Bu...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-Bu...
October 29, 2011
See you at the St. Petersburg Pier Today 10am.-1 pm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-Bu...
Looking forward to a fun time meeting Mrs. Bundle fans today. Come get an autographed copy of one of the five Mrs. Bundle mysteries!
www.mrsbundle.com for online orders!
Looking forward to a fun time meeting Mrs. Bundle fans today. Come get an autographed copy of one of the five Mrs. Bundle mysteries!
www.mrsbundle.com for online orders!
October 19, 2011
Preorders now available: MRS BUNDLE'S MIDNIGHT MYSTERY: The Case of the Springfield Shock Jock
Go to www.mrsbundle.com to order your copy! In this fifth novel, it’s raining men---and Mrs. Bundle finds it quite intrusive! “Hambone Fever” has hit the airwaves and taken Windsor County by storm. A critical midnight shooting leaves Mrs. Bundle with only three clues and a “good conscience” conundrum that she must deal with long distance---and without the help of her slippery client, Rufus “Hambone” Rydell. Choosing to ignore old and trusted friend Sheriff Will O’Malley’s firm warning to stay far, far away from this case, she harnesses the peculiar attention and support of a compellingly handsome aviator and bravely faces a dark nemesis bent on destroying her and Cracker. With the assistance of her dearly departed husband, Arthur, and two Southerly feminine “kindred spirits,” Mrs. Bundle can, with a bit of luck, find her way back to all that’s “Fantastical!”
October 5, 2011
Mrs. Bundle's Midnight Mystery....
To all Mrs Bundle fans,
The fifth Mrs Bundle mystery is being readied. Yesterday's final draft was approved for proofs and the first printing is expected to be available by November.
In this current adventure, Mrs. Bundle's efforts are focused on solving a mystery in Springfield, Vermont. As usual, Cracker is at her side to offer assistance and unwavering loyalty at all costs.
There's a loose cannon named "Hambone" causing a lot of trouble in the little burg, and Mrs. Bundle is, unfortunately not by choice, right in the thick of it. Meanwhile, it seems there are a number of men of a mature age---all available---getting in her way.
We will begin pre-orders on October 20th; email bundlepublishing@yahoo.com for details.
Cheers!
The fifth Mrs Bundle mystery is being readied. Yesterday's final draft was approved for proofs and the first printing is expected to be available by November.
In this current adventure, Mrs. Bundle's efforts are focused on solving a mystery in Springfield, Vermont. As usual, Cracker is at her side to offer assistance and unwavering loyalty at all costs.
There's a loose cannon named "Hambone" causing a lot of trouble in the little burg, and Mrs. Bundle is, unfortunately not by choice, right in the thick of it. Meanwhile, it seems there are a number of men of a mature age---all available---getting in her way.
We will begin pre-orders on October 20th; email bundlepublishing@yahoo.com for details.
Cheers!
Mrs. Bundle Mystery Series set in Vermont
"I love Allison Cesario Paton's books -- they are perfect rainy day, curl up, steep your pot of tea and have fun books!!! Mrs. Bundle is adorable and the storylines will keep you amused!" (Goodreads ...more
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