Kay Nimitz Smith's Blog, page 4

Granini's Cornbread Stuffing

Granini's Cornbread Stuffing
Granini's Cornbread Stuffing
Cornbread Recipe:
(for step by step instructions, click here: Granini's Cornbread)

2 eggs, lightly beaten1/3 cup sugar (*)1/3 cup vegetable oil1 Tablespoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup cornmeal1 1/4 cups milk1 1/2 cups flour
Additional Stuffing Ingredients:4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (if all you have is salted butter, that's fine, simply reduce the amount of salt you add to the stuffing)5 or 6 celery stalks, washed and diced1 medium onion, peeled and diced2 teaspoons salt3 teaspoons sage2 teaspoons poultry seasoning1 egg, lightly beaten1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth **(Veggie broth works too, but only if it doesn't have tomatoes in the broth)*

Instructions:Preheat your oven to 350°.  Add the ingredients, in order, mixing thoroughly after each addition.Lightly spray an 8x8 glass baking pan with cooking spray.Use a rubber spatula to ladle the wet ingredients into the baking pan.Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.  If you are unsure if the cornbread is finished, simply insert a knife in the center of the cornbread, pull it out, and make sure it comes out clean.  If the knife has wet cornbread on it when you pull it out, pop the cornbread back in the oven for 5 more minutes and repeat until the cornbread is completely baked.Allow the cornbread to cool completely.  Feel free to wait a day or two before making your cornbread stuffing.  Or, freeze the cornbread after cooling completely, and use it when needed.  Freezes well for up to 6 months in a freezer ziplock storage bag.When the cornbread has cooled completely, crumble the cornbread into small pieces into a large glass bowl, and set aside.While the cornbread is cooling, in a large sauté pan, melt the butter over low / medium heat.Slowly stir in the diced celery and onion.  Allow to sauté over low / medium heat until the onions and celery are completely soft.  Do not allow the onions to become so hot that they brown.Gently pour the sautéed onions and celery into the bowl of crumbled cornbread.Mix in the spices, and stir thoroughly.Slowly mix in the egg.Gently add in the chicken broth, a little bit at a time, until the cornbread is lightly moistened.  DO NOT OVER MOISTEN. Too little chicken broth, and your stuffing will be dry.  However, too MUCH chicken broth, and your stuffing will be a mushy mess.  Try to err on the side of too little broth.  You can always pour gravy over your cornbread to give it more moisture.  Mmmm.  Gravy!  Some people prefer it one way, some the other.  I find that if I add just a wee bit too much broth, I simply bake it a little longer, and it tends to crisp up on the outside.Lightly grease a medium sized casserole dish.Pour your cornbread stuffing into the casserole dish, and pop it into the oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes or so, or until the top is lightly toasty.You can make your stuffing a day or two before you need it, as long as you keep it refrigerated before baking.  Simply pop it from the fridge into the oven.  You may need to add an extra 5 to 10 minutes of baking time if your stuffing is cold, rather than room temperature, when you pop it into the oven.  Making stuffing ahead of time makes meal prep a bit easier.For those of you who like pictures, here you go!
Enjoy!
 Crumble up your cornbread
(this is about 1/2 my cornbread from my 8x8 inch dish)

 Sprinkle on some poultry seasoning

 Sprinkle on some sage, salt and pepper

 Sauté up your veggies

 Add in veggies

 Stir altogether

 Add in egg

 Pour in some chicken broth

 Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish
(I use the end of a stick of butter -- I just slather that butter stick around until it coats all the surfaces, nooks and crannies.)  Pop it in the oven for 1/2 an hour or so, and it's done!

All done, and making my kitchen smell fantastic!  MMMMMM BOY! I love me some stuffin!



* * * * *

* * * * *

Find other tasty Thanksgiving Dinner dishes here:


And tasty pie recipes here:


* * * * *
I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

Granini's Glazed Carrots

Granini's Glazed Carrots
source

So I hate cooked carrots.

And I never eat them.

But the thing is, my family loves (!!) glazed carrots. And I mean LOVES them. Loves them as in no matter how many pounds of glazed carrots I make, they will eat them all.

And lick the plate clean.

And ask for more

So that must mean they like my recipe.

So I'll share it with you.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

 4 large carrots peeled and sliced (at an angle) into 1/2 inch slices (or so)
2 Tablespoons salted butter (if you don't have salted, then just sprinkle on a wee little bit salt)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cardimom
The juice from one satsuma orange
1 large squirt honey or maple syrup (about 2 Tablespoons)

Directions:

**I usually steam the carrots for 7 minutes when I have time on Thanksgiving day, and then let them sit in the corner somewhere until I'm ready to make the glaze. I make the glaze as one of the very last things before serving my dinner, because I want them piping hot. Sometimes, I have people start gathering around the buffet before I even start glazing the carrots, just so that they're the last thing out.**

Steam carrots for about 7 minutes or so, until they're al dente.
Don't oversteam, or they'll be mushy. Drain.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the drained carrots, and stir, until they're all coated with butter. If you have a lot more carrots, feel free to add in a little more butter.
Once the carrots are all coated in butter, sprinkle on top the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Once all the carrots are coated, squeeze the orange juice over the carrots, and then squirt in a wee bit of honey or maple syrup. Yep, the kind you put on your pancakes. Stir.

Cook on a medium low heat, stirring often, cook for 3 minutes or so, allowing the ingredients to melt and bubble. Do not overheat or the sugar will burn and ruin your carrots. Once the topping starts smelling delish, dip in the tip of a spoon, blow on it (or you'll burn your tongue), blow on it again, and then give it a good taste. If it needs a wee bit more syrup, or brown sugar, or salt, add in just a weeeee bit more, and mix together. Get a fresh spoon (or wash the first), and taste again. If it tastes good, then you're ready to serve immediately. While they're piping hot.


 Enjoy! That is, if you can get any. I'm guessing they'll all be gone before you even make it around to that end of the buffet.

Click here for more Thanksgiving Recipes

* * * * *
So. If anyone cares, here's why I don't eat carrots.
First of all, I hate cooked carrots.

And I never eat them. I don't know what it is about them that I don't like. The mushy texture, the weird taste? I've tried smothering them in gravy, but that's usually the only way I can gulp them down. But now, get this...

I'm actually allergic to them.

Which is awesome.

Because when you're allergic to something and you hate that something, and you can NEVER EVER EVER eat it again, it's a fine thing.

Best excuse ever.

Because when you're allergic to something and you love that something, and you can never ever ever eat that again, it's a very, very sad thing.

And I know this from first hand experience.

Because I am allergic to SO many things, and I still crave them. Dream about them. Yearn for them. And it's a sad, sad thing.

But, the funny thing about carrots is that I'm not actually allergic to carrots. And no, I'm not cheating. It's that I'm allergic to birch trees. Evidently my body thinks that carrots are birch trees, and every time I try to eat a carrot, my throat closes off, my nose plugs up, and I start going into anaphylactic shock. Because my stupid body can't tell the difference between a carrot and a birch tree.

Which is ridiculous.

But true.

And why I never have to eat my vegetables ever again.

hahahaha.

And I'm not even joking.


* * * * *

Find other tasty Thanksgiving Dinner dishes here:


And tasty pie recipes here:


* * * * *
I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

Granini's Roasted Turkey

Granini's Roasted TurkeyNope, not my picture. I keep forgetting to take pictures before carving into mine!But here's the link to where you can get the recipe for THIS turkey: source And I *PROMISE* to try to remember to take a picture of my own turkey this year!!!

Granini's Roasted Turkey
(or what I like to call bathing a turkey in butter in a toasty oven)
Ingredients:

One large turkey
One onion
One apple
½ pound (1 stick) salted butter
Spices
(Here are the ones I use, but if you don't like something,
don't use it. Obvs.)

Sage
Poultry Seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Rosemary
Cayenne Pepper
Ginger
Cumin (just a teeeeeensy bit)

Directions:

Baking a turkey is actually quite easy, as long as you follow a few simple directions.

First, you'll need to prepare your turkey.

1. Thaw your turkey (if it's frozen). If your turkey was previously frozen, you'll need to thaw it several days in the fridge before you want to bake it. It takes a while to thaw out. If you've started the thawing process a little too late, you can try warming your turkey in a little hot water bath. But if it's still frozen and today's the day, you're a bit out of luck, so sorry. I am not a food specialist and I don't play one on tv, so I cannot recommend how to thaw a turkey quickly, and I can't recommend using a frozen turkey as that's just not going to work. I also don't want you to get botulism or some other form of food poisoning. If you want an amusing movie with an amusing under cooked turkey scene, please watch
"The Accidental Tourist."

Once your turkey is all thawed out and ready to go:

*Preheat the oven to 325*

2. Clean your sink.

3. Get out your ginormous turkey roasting pan. Spray this pan with cooking spray.

 If you haven't got a ginormous roasting pan, borrow one, buy one, or use one of those disposable tins. But if you use a disposable tin, please take extra care when moving the turkey in and out of the oven, as they are not terribly sturdy.

4. Take your turkey out of the fridge and carry it to the sink. Take the turkey out of its plastic bag. Remove the bag of turkey innards and the turkey neck.  If you're not going to make your own turkey stock, you can throw this all away. Rinse your turkey on the outside and the inside. No soap. Just water. Just sayin.'

5. Place your turkey into your roasting pan. Scrub your hands and your sink. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Wash your hands again.

6. Peel an onion and wash an apple. Some people like to put dressing inside the turkey (thus coming up with the side dish called 'stuffing'). Some people argue that eating the stuffing can be a hazard to your health if the stuffing does not come up to the proper temperature, since stuffing is baked inside a raw turkey and usually contains eggs. So eat at your own risk. If you want to have stuffing, you'll need to make 1 ½ times the recipe for dressing, and put ⅓ of the stuffing inside the turkey cavity. If you are not wanting to eat stuffing, then feel free to simply fill the cavity with the peeled onion and the apple.  Then wash your hands. Again.

7. In a medium sized, microwaveable bowl, melt your butter. Sprinkle in all the spices you'd like to include onto the melted butter and stir. Honestly, you can't really have too many spices. Using a pastry brush, spread the spice infused butter all over the turkey.

8. Cover the turkey with a lid or with tin foil.

Pop the turkey into the oven.

Here is a simple guide to how long you need to bake your bird. If your turkey has an apple and an onion inside, it is not considered "stuffed." In case you were wondering.


Please remember to leave ½ an hour after the turkey is finished to let the turkey rest on the counter, and an extra fifteen minutes to carve your turkey. So you'll need to add 45 minutes total when you are counting backward to decide when to put the turkey into the oven.



So if you have a 12 pound bird, and you want to eat at 6 p.m., you will need to take the turkey out of the oven at 5:15 p.m. If your bird is unstuffed, you will need to have your turkey in the oven by 2:15. Give yourself ½ an hour to prepare your turkey if you're new at this, or 15 minutes if you know what you're doing. So you should be preparing your turkey around 1:45 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Every hour take a spoon and drizzle the butter (that is now usually underneath your roasting turkey) over the turkey, basting it completely. Replace the tin foil and put the turkey back into the oven.

For the last 1 ½ hours, remove the tin foil, and baste the turkey every half an hour.

If your turkey has a built in pop up thingie, remove your turkey from the oven once your popper has popped. If your turkey does not have a built in pop up thingie, you'll need to make sure that your bird is at least 165 degrees inside the breast. If the wing falls off, you can be pretty sure the meat has cooked completely. Allow the turkey to rest for ½ an hour before carving.

That's it! Sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Honestly, as long as you keep an eye on your turkey, it should be fairly easy to roast.

Good luck, and happy roasting!!

* * * * *
In case you're interested, here are links to other great Thanksgiving dishes:Thanksgiving Recipes Appetizers and Other Tasty Savory TreatsSpinach Artichoke Dip
Granini's Stuffed Mushrooms
Cream Cheese Red Pepper Dip

Roasted Turkey

Side DishesCornbread Stuffing / Cornbread Dressing
Bacon Beer Cheese Dressing (recipe to follow shortly)Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with MarshmallowsGravyDinner Rolls (aka Parker House Rolls)Ratatouille (for the vegetarians!)Cranberry Orange Relish
Glazed CarrotsCreamed Corn Casserole
Cheesy Creamed Corn Casserole (recipe to follow shortly)Sautéd Green Beans with peppers and onions
Sinful Macaroni & Cheese


Additional Recipes you may want to peruse:
Cornbread
Spaghetti Sauce (for the Ratatouille)
Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie for the days after Thanksgiving



Pies!The week of Pie 
(all of my pie recipes in one place)



* * * * *

Buy my books!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

2019 Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Recipes

This year as I make plans to put together a lovely Thanksgiving dinner, I thought it might be nice to have all my recipes on one page.
Many of my recipes do not (yet) have photos. When I'm making Thanksgiving dinner, I rarely have time to breathe, let alone take photos of the lovely yummy dishes that I'm making. So, alas. I shall try to do better this year.
But for now, here are my recipes:(I will add the links as I post the recipes)

Enjoy!!
Appetizers and Other Tasty Savory TreatsSpinach Artichoke Dip
Granini's Stuffed Mushrooms
Cream Cheese Red Pepper Dip

Side DishesCornbread Stuffing / Cornbread Dressing
Bacon Beer Cheese Dressing (recipe to follow shortly)Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with MarshmallowsGravyDinner Rolls (aka Parker House Rolls)Ratatouille (for the vegetarians!)Cranberry Orange Relish
Glazed CarrotsCreamed Corn Casserole
Cheesy Creamed Corn Casserole (recipe to follow shortly)Sautéd Green Beans with peppers and onions
Sinful Macaroni & Cheese



Additional Recipes you may want to peruse:
Cornbread
Spaghetti Sauce (for the Ratatouille)
Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pie for the days after Thanksgiving



Pies!The week of Pie 
(all of my pie recipes in one place)


Pie Crust recipe & instructions
Traditional Apple Pie
Dutch Apple Pie with caramel drizzle
Blueberry Pie (with 3 crusts!)
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Eclair Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
French Silk Pie
(it's a fancy chocolate cream pie with chocolate crumb crust)
Grasshopper Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Pumpkin PieSnickerdoodles(What to make with the leftover pie crust)
OR, if you prefer to drool over recipes with pictures, see below:










Dutch Apple Pie with homemade caramel sauce










Appetizers and Other Tasty Savory TreatsSpinach Artichoke Dip
Granini's Stuffed Mushrooms



Links to all Granini's Desserts and Sweet Treats
Pie Crust
Traditional Apple Pie
Dutch Apple Pie
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Blueberry Pie
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cupcakes
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Cinnamon Rolls and Caramel Sticky Buns
Coconut Cream Pie
Coffee Cake
Danish Pastry Dough
French Silk Pie
Grasshopper Pie
Lemon Almond Cake
Lemon Breakfast Cake
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lemon Pound Cake
Oreo Cheesecake
Oreo Truffles
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with chocolate on top
Pecan Tassies (Mini Pecan Pies)
Pumpkin Pie
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles (Cookies made from leftover Pie Crust)
Thin Mint Truffles




* * * * *No One Noticedby Kay Nimitz Smith
Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Seriesnow available on Amazon!!
Book 2
Meanwhile, please go and buy my book.

And then leave lots of great feedback!! 



* * * * *

Buy my books!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

The post publishing relief

So now that No One Noticed is officially out and published and rarin' to go, I'm FREEEEEEEEE. I know that I sound suspiciously like Doby the Elf. But, alas, that's a wee bit how I feel. No, I was not enslaved by evil wizards who made me wear a dirty pillow case and be at their beck and call to do whatever they needed done. However, sometimes, as a writer, one does feel a bit trapped by the intensity of the project. The relief one feels is euphoric, with a dash of glee, and a dollop of bliss, followed by a slow fizzling out like a balloon sadly leaking out its birthday helium.
I spent the better part of today cleaning off half of my desk. I couldn't face the other half. So I was pleased with half. And you should be too. If you had seen the sorry state it had grown into, you'd be quite pleased with me.
And then I went browsing. Which is really a way of saying I went shopping, but without my credit card.
And, just to make sure you know everything I did today, I spent an enormous amount of time trying (and failing) to make travel arrangements for my daughter to fly overseas. Hopefully tomorrow things will be easier.
I walked the puppy and played a lovely game of chuck it.
And then I decided to settle in and see what I could start coming up with for this idea I had for my very first "Granini and me" story.
It's going to star a snail.
Like this one.

This lovely beaut was found nibbling on the leaves of a tree in Indonesia last month when I was poking about on a coffee plantation. It was HUGE. And I think it makes quite the perfect picture for my snail of inspiration.
I know, I know, I promised Book 3 for my Jack Diamond Series. And I promise, I'll get to work on that one just as soon as the holidays are over. But I thought I might dip my hat (my pen? my fingers??) into Children's Stories and try to whip up an adorable story that involves a snail. And three princesses. And the Jeff.
How's that for a tantalizing treat?
Alrighty! That's it for today! Wish me luck on my travel planning tomorrow. And hopefully I'll have such amazing success I can sit down and write more on this Children's book!
* * * * *No One Noticedby Kay Nimitz Smith
Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Seriesnow available on Amazon!!
Book 2
Meanwhile, please go and buy my book.

And then leave lots of great feedback!! 



* * * * *

Buy my books!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

Underwater crime scene investigations

No One Noticedby Kay Nimitz Smith
Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Seriesnow available on Amazon!!
Book 2
Someone asked another intriguing question this week and I thought I'd share the answer.

How does underwater crime scene investigations and scuba diving play a role in your new book?
That's a great question!
For those of you who have read my first book, Diamonds for Diamond, you'll remember that our protagonist, Jack Diamond, is a detective for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO). He is *ALSO* the head of the MCSO's Dive Rescue and Recovery Team.
And before I go any further, yes, in real life the MCSO has a Dive Rescue and Recovery Team. Yes, the folks who dive for them are amazing. They do great work!! Sometimes they're saving lives, other times they're doing underwater crime scene investigations, recovering weapons, evidence, cars, and dead bodies as the needs arise.
So, back to Jack Diamond.
In my first book, Diamonds for Diamond, a serial killer is on the loose, dumping his dead bodies in various bodies of water throughout the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Jack Diamond and his team perform underwater crime scene investigations, scuba diving in the black water conditions of the Columbia River, the Willamette River, and other bodies of water, to recover the victims' bodies and various evidence associated with those crimes.
Jack and his MCSO Dive Rescue and Recovery team are back into action throughout the book No One Noticed. And although the scuba diving and under water crime scene investigations play a smaller role in this book, there are several intriguing scenes throughout the book involving underwater crime scene investigations.
I have done extensive research regarding these crime scene investigations. All my underwater scenes have been thoroughly "vetted" by a specialist who used to perform those types of blackwater scuba diving investigations. And although I have yet to go scuba diving myself, I finally got my first official snorkeling experience in the Indian Ocean just a few weeks ago. The visibility in the waters around Lembongan Island is a gajillion times better than that of the Columbia River, but hey, it's a start!!
Here is a picture of my favorite scuba diver (and underwater crime scene specialist) off the coast of Menjangan Island a few weeks ago (October, 2019):

And here is a picture of my favorite scuba diver under the Columbia River:



hahahahahaha
So it's not really a picture of him under the Columbia River. The water isn't that clear. I could never have been able to get such a great picture. Seriously. Visibility is less than a foot. No bueno for pictures. Or visibility. And the lack of visibility makes it exceptionally difficult and challenging for his team to do underwater crime scene investigations. But they do. Mostly by feel. 
And they're awesome.
Can you imagine how incredibly challenging it must be to locate a dead body, under water, without visibility?!? They use these incredible search patterns, lead lines, under water communications gear; they try to avoid kicking up the silt, and they feel around, hoping (and sometimes not hoping) to find something. 
One time my most favorite scuba diver described a search in which he was seeing absolutely nothing under the water, and he felt something. Something suspiciously like a bone. A vertebrae. He knew it felt human. He'd found cow bones before, but they're bigger. So he popped it into his pouch and kept on looking, because that's not what he had been searching for. Turns out they believe the neck bone was the bone of a human skeleton from many years before that they believe had floated downstream from an ancient Native American burial ground located near the Columbia river.
He has also told me stories about finding something rather gruesome through his scuba gloves, but not knowing exactly what it was until he took a steadying breath and brought the item right up next to his face to find out what it was. Sounds down right gruesome to me!! What a horror nightmare.
I am equally fascinated by the thought of his team recovering bodies that have been in the water a very long time, relieved that their families can have closure and being able to bury their loved ones; and sheer mortification and horror at the idea that water critters have nibbled upon these bodies, which is great for the ecosystem, but rather terrifying for the poor soul who has to try to scoop the water logged body into a body bag, hoping not to lose a toe bone that is apt to float away.
So yes. Underwater crime scene investigations. I write about them in my books. I find them fascinating. And unique. And a whole realm of crime scene investigations that are rarely, if ever, discussed in murder mystery books. 
So there you have it.
If all y'all have more questions, please don't hesitate to post them. I'll answer them along the way!
Meanwhile, please go and buy my book.

And then leave lots of great feedback!! 

No One Noticed(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)

Here is a closer look at the entire book cover for book 2,
for those of you who are interested:



* * * * *

Buy my books!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond 
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

No One Noticed, Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series

No One Noticedby Kay Nimitz Smith
Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Seriesnow available on Amazon!!
Book 2Back cover summary:
Marjorie Goverman was a devoted wife, loving mother, and dependable full-time employee. She disappeared for six weeks, and no one noticed.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 17.0px 'Minion Pro'; color: #ffffff; min-height: 20.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 20.0px 'Minion Pro'; color: #ffffff} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 20.0px 'Minion Pro'; color: #ffffff; min-height: 24.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none; text-shadow: 1.6px 1.1px 1.0px #000000} At the urging of his beloved grandmother, Detective Jack Diamond brings this missing person’s case to his colleagues at the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, hoping that solving the case will help ease his way back to work after his near death experience. As Jack wrestles with his own personal issues, he and his colleagues peer into the bizarre and seedy underbelly of new-age prenatal care, racing to figure out where Marjorie went, why she disappeared, and why no one noticed when she did.

I have had several people ask questions, and others requesting more juicy details about my book, other than where to buy it (click here, or click the links below). So here you go:
1. Can you read No One Noticed without having read the first book in the series?
First of all, No One Noticed is book number 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series. Yes, you can read the book as a stand alone novel, without having read the first book (Diamonds for Diamond). It holds up quite well all on its own. However, in my personal opinion, if you're going to start reading a book series, why not start with the first book and then move on to book number 2? 
2. Is this book based upon a real story?
Well, yes, and no. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I heard a story about a missing person whom the police suspected had died. The story was fascinating and resulted in a non-body conviction. (A person was convicted of her death, even though her body was never found.) But after discovering many details of this case, I found myself uninterested in the person who died, and frankly, I had no sympathy for her. As a writer, I found several challenges with writing about that case. First of all, I try never to write about real cases -- other than to get a hint or an inspiration from a case -- so that I do not step upon the toes of the dead. Or the living. I have a rather vivid imagination and I like to embellish upon stories, molding them and changing them to suit my own personal needs. Secondly, I didn't think anyone would really care to read about someone who may or may not have died who may or may not have been a likable person. I wanted my victim to be well-loved, to be an important and significant person at home and at work, so that when she disappeared, her absence would most definitely be felt, be important, be significant. I felt that a more likable character would create more of an interest when the reader found out she disappeared for six weeks before anyone noticed.
3. Will there be a book 3 in the series?
Absolutely. Book number 3 will also be inspired by a real case, but will be completely fictionalized so that I can embellish upon the story, use my own imagination, twist the plot lines to suit my needs, and so forth. I wrote more about book number three at the end of book number two, so that's just one more reason why you should go and buy No One Noticed. 
FURTHERMORE, I am seriously contemplating writing a book that will go between book 2 and 3. Book 2.5 if you will. In this in-between book, I am contemplating writing a romance book that features Jack Diamond and Claire Wilcox, the love of his life. I had several thoughts behind this idea. One, many people have told me how much they love Jack and Claire, and they want to see more of them, and more of the romance. Two, I love romance stories. Three, I struggle to write too much romance in the middle of a murder mystery. Some romance, sure. Some hints here and there about sexual tension seems fine. But to me, it would be almost a bit too distracting to have the romance and sexy bits in the background of the murder investigation story line. 
I also am madly in love with the idea of writing more stories that move the character plots along. Character development is one of my favorite aspects to writing my novels and reading other people's novels. I have always loved reading book series where the same characters appear in book after book after book, learning and growing and being. I fall in love with characters and want to know more and more about them. 
I am also fiercely determined to have all of my books have a character connection between them. For example, I have a rough plot outlined for the story of Monday's mother. I have a fairly significant plot planned out for a two-book romance series that includes both Monday's mother and someone from the book about Matt's life (Charlie's roommate). I have written an entire draft of a book (which needs to be heavily re-written) which explains Matt's background. And so on, and so forth.
4. You're a female writer, why do you have a male detective as your main character?
Good question. Before I began writing Jack Diamond's story, I had always planned to write a male main character. I guess it never occurred to me to write a female main character. In No One Noticed, I do introduce Andi Overton, a female detective who is currently in charge of the Special Investigations Unit, specializing in domestic violence cases and cases involving child abuse. Andi, the character, is based upon the real - life Andi Overton whom I met at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in San Diego in 2016. She's delightful and amazing, and is currently running for mayor in the town of Hagerstown, Maryland. Go Andi!! It is my intent to have Andi (the character in my book) have a larger and more significant role in the Jack Diamond Mystery series as the books continue.
In the very first manuscript I wrote, I had two main characters, one male, one female. It was so much easier for me to write the male main character. Perhaps it's easier for me to write males because I watch them every day and interact with them every day. Self-introspection as writing inspiration seems odd to me. Most of the detectives and peace officers that I know are male. My one friend who is a female officer reminds me a great deal of Claire. She's stunningly gorgeous, fiercely independent, unbelievably intelligent, an incredible athlete, and truly a lovely human being. She's an amazing cop, and almost too good to be true. I made Claire into a plastic surgeon who dedicated her life to fixing children who were born with birth defects. Seems fitting to me.
If all y'all have more questions, please don't hesitate to post them. I'll answer them along the way!
Meanwhile, please go and buy my book.

And then leave lots of great feedback!! 

No One Noticed(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)

Here is a closer look at the entire book cover for book 2,
for those of you who are interested:



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Buy my books!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions

Diamonds for Diamond (Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)

Buy my books!

They're available!!
Paperbacks & Ebooks for both novels are now available!
Diamonds for Diamond and No One Noticed(The first two books in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)

Book 1 Book 2  
You can find the paperback and an e-book versions here:  Diamonds for Diamond (Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)andYou can find the paperback version of Book 2 here:No One Noticed(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)


You can find the e-book version here:


No One Noticed (Ebook version)
(The paperback and the ebook are not yet linked, 
but that will happen over the next few hours)


Here is a closer look at the entire book cover for book 2,
for those of you who are interested:



* * * * *

The last (and hopefully final) proof will be here tomorrow!

Happy Days!

So don't get the theme song stuck in your head (for Happy Days), but blissful news, the first proof came back and it looks LOVELY!!!

Just a few minor changes and it'll be ready to go!

The cover, for example needed a few tiny bits of change.

For example:

When I put No One Noticed right up against Diamonds for Diamond, I noticed that the size of my name and "A Jack Diamond Mystery" were larger on one book than the other. So I had to fix that. I also noticed that my Jack Diamond logo was practically invisible on the proof. It gets lost in the blue, cloud-covered skies. So I fixed that. Then after a much more careful look at Diamonds for Diamond, I noticed that I could get away with a much smaller font for my photographer acknowledgement (thanks Jen!!) since I thanked her inside my book (and here too!), and thus I could put that whole section into one line, like it is in my first book. It's frustrating that these things weren't caught in the first round, but alas.

These things do happen.

(And now I have Phantom of the Opera in my head. When Carlotta says, "Si! These things do happen! Well, until you stop these things happening, this thing does not happen." I actually think that my life is one long running playlist of movie clips and television show clips and song clips with lines from each one playing back to back to back. It's amusing if you happen to be with me and you happen to know the movie or television show reference. My mind persistently pulls from the television show Friends and the movie The Princess Bride. So if you want a good place to start, start there.

Meanwhile, INSIDE the book, I found a few changes as well. One, I found a typo! That almost never happens at this stage. Super excited. The perfectionist in me is beyond thrilled. It's like scratching a satisfying itch that I didn't even know I had. In one of my sections in No One Noticed, I have a character who is from Scotland and has a lovely brogue. Trying to translate that accent to the reader's ear is a challenge in and of itself. Trying to get my computer to recognize the misspelled words as intentional is another. Inside a whole flurry of brogue I had the word whose instead of the contraction who's. With all the red underlines in that chapter, it's no wonder we all missed it. One's mind simply glosses over the misspelling as it sounds correct, particularly when one is struggling to get the brogue into one's head. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Also, along the way, some of the spacing of the words needed slight adjustment. I loathe reading a book where the words on a line are all stretched out or overly squished together. So I had to adjust for those issues.

I also found a last minute minute oddity. (Get it? minute minute?) Some of my chapter headings were ever so slightly longer than others, even though they all had three hard returns before the word Chapter. Turns out I had a 12 point font on some and a 16 point font on another. Again, something that the perfectionist in me reveled in discovery before publication.

Then, while I was making those adjustments, I noticed some dialogue in several places that could also use a quick touch up. It's so hard not to keep editing. Over and over, making things better and better.

Because each amendment is, in fact, an improvement.

But at some point, one must simply stop, let go ("Let it go, Let it go..."), and move on to the next book.

As someone who strives to get things right, I do find it a challenge to go back and re-read my first book and find things -- some big, some small -- that were I to go back and re-publish, I would change.

My daughter, for example, despised the way I spelled GranNini in the first book. I wanted people to understand the connection between the fact that she is a grandmother and her nickname is Nini (pronounced gruh-nee-nee). My daughter, however, said I should assume that the audience is bright enough to get that. She also didn't like the capitalization in the middle of the name. And she said the extra N was superfluous. Thus, in No One Noticed, I have changed the spelling of Granini's name. And sure enough, she's right. The simplification works well. But changing the spelling from book 1 to book 2 is a struggle for me, as it is inconsistent.

Furthermore, my father-in-law, bless his heart, said he was pleased that he had only found one or two typographical errors in book 1. I have yet to discover any, as I have read the book so very many times, and clearly I gloss over them. My editor didn't find any either. When he re-reads the book before starting book 2, I shall have him point them out to me, again, not just for posterity, but also so that I can make the edits should a second edition of the book ever be released.

I strive for perfection.

I am humbled by my imperfections.

And I hope that you all understand the infuriating frustrations that arise from the conflict.

So. Enough ramblings for the day.

Here is one last lovely look of the book's cover before the book is sent out for final print. Should be sent out Sunday night or Monday morning, and will be available for purchase very shortly afterwords!

SOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!






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Diamonds for Diamond (the first book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) can be bought by clicking on the picture or the link below.


You can buy my book in both e-book and paperback on Amazon here:  
Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith



No One Noticed (the second book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) will be available shortly!
* * * * *

well, drat

Well, drat.
So I just got a notification this afternoon that my proof has been delayed by the publisher.

Whah!!!

Super bummed.

Supposedly (which makes me think of Joey and supposebly) they shipped it today and it will be here next week. But I've been waiting with baited breath for today to arrive, and the proofs didn't show, and now I'm mopey.

Sniffle.

And it doesn't help that the puppy is super sick.

Sigh.

I hate delays.

And sick puppies.

So. Back to the waiting game. I'll let you know when it arrives. As I'm sure you're all as excited as I am to get this new version out!!!

And to top it off, the cover of the book that I put in the last blog wasn't the final cover for the actual book, so that's interesting. Makes me hope that the final book cover on the proof is the right one. Fingers crossed, people! Let's see if I can at least scrounge that up for you, to give you something lovely to look at rather than just being all bummed along with me.

Here you go:



Here's to wishing your Thursday afternoon is much better than mine.

* * * * *



Diamonds for Diamond (the first book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) can be bought by clicking on the picture or the link below.


You can buy my book in both e-book and paperback on Amazon here:  
Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith



No One Noticed (the second book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) will be available shortly!
* * * * *