Kate Collins's Blog, page 106

November 2, 2016

How could something so small give a writer so much aggro?




By Mary Jane Maffini aka Victoria Abbott
If you ask me, the curse of the modern age is technology.  You didn’t actually ask me, but I am a writer and so I’ll answer anyway.  Technology may be the ticket in many an arena (medicine, education, real-life policing), but it chews up way more time than it saves in many cases. In police procedurals, it can save the day what with advances in forensics, databases being connected across police forces and even countries and other communications. But in the world of amateur sleuths, where the central idea is people figuring out a plot, it’s a pain. 
The worst culprit is the cell phone!  That small troublemaker got even worse when cameras and even video cameras became commonplace on cells.
My early books (some still in the drawer, where some projects should stay) were written before the cellphone became ubiquitous.  I managed the first one without a single reference to one. They were scarce then. My big innovation was a 'door answering machine' but alas, that did not catch on and make me billions. By the time the second Camilla MacPhee book came along, many people had cell phones.  Darn. 
How could you be out of contact with people who could help/save you if you had a cellphone at your  fingertips? Maybe you wouldn’t dial 911 as you were meddling in police business (ahem), but you could call a sidekick. And vice versa, of course.  Luckily, the universe sent me a large puddle of icy water and I could arrange for a little slip and then … but of course, you can only do that once in a series and get away with it. 
The same with the sleuth who is smart enough to solve the mystery but can’t remember to charge her cellphone.  Sure, I forget sometimes in real life, but really, you can’t keep doing it in fiction. Fiction, as they say, has to make sense. 

Oops! Looks like my own phone will run out of juice by midnight! Lucky I'm not in danger.
We've all used 'dead zones' or 'no service' to solve the problem if the sleuth is driving.  In fact, in Eastern Canada (say Cape Breton) I will be able to use that in the new Camilla book as there are plenty of dead zones, but in Ottawa or upstate New York, not so much.  See those towers?  All that improved coverage is a nuisance, especially when you’ve finally got your sleuth separated from her friends and the night is dark and something bad is about to happen.  Oh well.  Fine. Call the police if you must. Ruin the climax.
They would probably use the phone's GPS to find the stranded/desperate sleuth. That's no fun for the reader. Our cozy sleuth has rescue herself.
All my complaining is because tech gives me extra challenges to make my story run its course.  Mind you, I like having the sleuth take a shot of a license plate or to note something wrong in a site or Google a suspect but I still long for the days when nothing was easy for our sleuth.  And in real life, I really like it!
What about you? Do you like technology in your mystery reading or …? 
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Published on November 02, 2016 21:00

November 1, 2016

Sandwich...yummmmmm!

It seems like there’s a day for everything even beyond the biggies of Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas. And to tell you the truth I like it. I like celebrating even the simple things in life and a lot of times they are the very thing that make life interesting.
Well, tomorrow is one of those special days for something we use a lot, the sandwich. Yep, tomorrow Nov 3 is National Sandwich Day.
Sandwiches are an amazing invention. They are perfect for  breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. And they come in so many forms with fun names—hoagie, hero, grinder, sub, wedge. I’m not sure what a wedge is but if it’s a sandwich in any form I’m in. Fact is, it’s rare to find anyone who doesn’t have at least one favorite sandwich.

So how did this whole sandwich thing start you ask? It was born in London during the very late hours one night in 1762 when an English nobleman, John Montagu the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was too busy gambling to stop for a meal even though he was hungry. It must be a guy thing. Women would have no problem stopping cards and going out for lunch.

But I digress...
The legend goes that Montagu ordered a waiter to bring him roast-beef between two slices of bread. The Earl was then able to continue his gambling while eating his snack and from that we have inherited that quick-food product that we now know as the sandwich.

It seems that old Montagu had the meat put on slices of bread so he wouldn’t get his fingers greasy while he was playing cards. God forbid he mess up the cards.
So my question to you is... What is your fave sandwich? BP&J, ham and Swiss, grilled cheese, a Rubin...don’t you just love Rubins...chicken salad, fried bologna, pastrami on rye?
IMHO the key to a really good sandwich is everything sliced really thin! You can put on layers but the meant and cheese have to be thin sliced. And there has to be mayo and maybe add chips and I don’t mean just eat chips with the sandwich but put the chips on the sandwich. Love the crunch!


So what about you? Got a fave sandwich and what do you thing makes a sandwich really yummy?
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Published on November 01, 2016 23:00

October 31, 2016

Missing Trick or Treaters

by Maggie Sefton




Some of the neighborhood kids enjoying my deliberately unraked leaves.  :)  



(I'm writing this post Monday, Halloween Night, late).

Well, I bought two big bags of those miniature candy bars that kids love (and I do, too)
and dumped them into my big metal mixing bowl.  But for some reason, not as many Trick or Treaters came by this evening than usual.  I know we have kids in the neighborhood.  They're right across the street from my house and down into that nearby cul-de-sac.  But they didn't show up tonight.


I'm wondering if a lot of the kids had already
had Halloween parties over the weekend at various places.  I know several churches were having Kids' Halloween events.  Plus our Old Town area was decorated and had several activities going on over the weekend.  Plus, we also have Farms right on the edge of Fort Collins that have Halloween activities in the Pumpkin Patch.  Also----the very, seriously scary Halloween Corn Maze is also out there for the teenage kids to enter and be scared out of their wits by very realistic Zombies.


Meanwhile, I ate entirely too many Tootsie Rolls.  So now I'm putting the candy into two plastic bags and tomorrow I'm taking one bag to the Salvation Army office to hand out to any children that come in with their parents.  Then, I'll take another bag to the Mission which takes in homeless women and children and men, feeds them, and puts them up for the night.  Then gives them a good breakfast in the morning.
Also, lots of help finding employment for them.  Again-----some Halloween candy can't  hurt to have around.

I love the yellows of Autumn.  

These photos show all my leaves which still cover my front and back yards.  I was so busy writing revisions for Kelly Flynn #15 that I just hadn't called my yard clean-up guy to bring his leaf blower and rakes.  Meanwhile, the neighborhood kids enjoyed making big piles and jumping in them, which is exactly what my childhood friends Nancy & Diane & I did when we were their age.  Jumping in big piles of crispy, crinkly autumn leaves.  What fun!   We also had a blast going Trick or Treating in our
neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia.  What a treat to come home with a big bag of candy.  :)   What are some of your Halloween memories?

For a fun Halloween read with the Kelly Flynn characters, check out my short, short story "Halloween Scare" on Amazon.  There's even a  scare.  :)    
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Published on October 31, 2016 22:34

October 30, 2016

WHAT DOES YOUR PURSE SAY ABOUT YOU?

By Mary Kennedy                              
         If my purse could talk, it wouldn't have very nice things to say about me. I usually am too lazy to change purses with the seasons, so I end up carrying a massive, dark heavy bag in July (with faux fur trim, yet!) and a glossy white purse in December. Yes, sheer laziness, I know! Why do I hate to change purses? Because my purse is always a mess. I recall what Sister Mary Catherine said all those years ago in Catholic convent school. "A cluttered purse is the sign of a cluttered mind." Oh dear, I fear Sister MC was right! I went to a political event tonight and actually transferred (some!) of the contents of my huge satchel into a smart little black Coach bag. It was no easy task.                                    There is some immutable law of Physics at work here. When you take everything OUT of your bag, you will discover there is no way it will fit back in! Try it the next time you change purses, and you will see what I mean.                                                        Some women get around the problem by carrying a massive bag. Seriously, they carry a bag the size of an airline carry-on! It's insane. Anything that big should have wheels!                                                          One thing Sister Mary Catherine suggested (which I did NOT take to heart!) was to carry a clear plastic purse. HUH? Seriously? I think the idea was that we would be "shamed" by everyone seeing how messy our purses were. An exercise in masochism, if you ask me! (Don't tell Sister I said that, please!)             One of my friends always has a neat bag and she seems to keep everything useful in it. Want a breath mint? She's got one. A safety pin? She has a complete miniature sewing kit for repairs. Spilled a little spaghetti sauce on your white sweater? No worries, she has a bleach pen.  Plus a selection of tiny notebooks, color coded post-it and ball point pens for those times when you simply MUST write something down. (True confession time, she was horrified to see me making a note in lipstick on the back of a napkin.) What can I say? Guilty as charged. I just don't have her organizational skills. She was probably BORN carrying a neat purse.  (Like Queen Elizabeth who has carried the same handbag for over five decades! I always wonder what's inside.)                                                 Let's face it, some women carry way too much in their purse. They seem to tote their whole lives around. Look at this purse. Really--when's the last time you needed a bottle of hair conditioner at work. I don't think so!                                                              I did an informal poll and most of my friends confessed they fell into the "messy purse" category. So I'm not alone in my slovenly ways.                                                               And if  you happen to DROP a messy purse, well, we all know what a disaster that can be!  Your untidy habits are there for the whole world to see!        So maybe Sister Mary Catherine was right. I try to tell myself that "creative types" tend to be disorganized (Nonsense! Sister MC would say. It was very hard to put anything past her.) How about you? Do you change purses with the seasons? And if someone peeked into your purse, what would they find?   More true confessions. Besides all the wadded up grocery store coupons, half used up lipsticks, coins, business cards and slips of paper, I found a half eaten peanut butter sandwich. Yes, a sandwich! It was hard and dense as a sequoia. How long had it been there? Who knows? Months, I would guess.  If you have any organizational tips for me, I would love to hear them. Or just a funny story about what you found when you cleaned out your purse! Mary Kennedy
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Published on October 30, 2016 21:00

October 29, 2016

Scrumptious Sunday...Beer Beef


From Harriett Harra
Thanks tons, Harriett. This looks amazing. Guess what I’m having for Sunday dinner tonight!
Hugs, Duffy 

Beer Beef (a slightly altered recipe from Ruth Reichl)

Ingredients:
1⁄2 lb of stew meat (chunked) or brisket (whole) per person
Fresh onion, thinly sliced long-ways into slivers – the amount is up to you Neutral cooking oil (a good olive oil, or Wesson or whatever)
One can or bottle of beer – I prefer a lager-type beer
Salt, pepper
One bay leaf
Tad of vinegar (whatever you have on hand)

Pat the meat with paper towels. Slick a skillet or Dutch over with the oil and sear the salt and peppered meat on all sides. Remove meat to another dish/platter. Cook the onion until golden in the skillet with remaining fat/oil.

If you’re using an oven, preheat to 350 degrees at this point.
If you’re using a big slow cooker/crockpot, turn it on after loading it up. Cook on medium for about one hour per pound of meat. Maybe longer, depends on your slow cooker. Test the meat – no pink. Meat must be thoroughly cooked yet tender.

In either a Dutch oven, big ovenproof casserole or big crockpot, cover the bottom with 1⁄2 the onions. Add the meat on top of the onion, then top with the rest of the onion. Throw in the bay leaf, pour the beer in, add a tiny splash of vinegar and cook. If you’re using your oven, cook for about 3 1⁄2 hours. Use your judgment. If I have leftover beef au jus from something else, I might add that in as well.

If serving brisket, remove and place on a platter. Let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing into portions. Spoon juice from the pan or crockpot over the meat, or put it in a gravy boat and let people help themselves. Serve with starch and vegetable of your choice. If you want to be “fancy” serve over spaeztle. 
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Published on October 29, 2016 23:00

October 28, 2016

IT'S NATIONAL CAT DAY!

By Mary Kennedy                                
 Time to honor our fur-babies on their special day! This is Calpurnia, in the photo above, a truly lovely cat who I rescued a few years ago. She was born outside, it seems, and I spotted her playing with her mother (who I also rescued) on a bright, sunny day. She was about 4 months old at the time. I suppose technically she would be called "feral," and 4 months is a bit beyond the time when it's possible to socialize a cat. Still she's incredibly sweet, very shy, and enjoys her home with us.                                                          This is her mother, Eliza. Not quite as shy as Calpurnia, Eliza is a lovely cat, who enjoys being pet, and occasionally jumps up next to me and nuzzles me. I feel sure she had a home at some time, because she immediately found her way to the fridge!  There a few myths and misconceptions about cats. (True cat lovers will know these are false, but I thought I'd list them anyway.)  The biggest misconception is that "all cats are alike." (usually quoted by someone who has never had her very own cat fur-baby.) Those of us who have been lucky enough to have cats in our lives know that their personalities are entirely different.  This is Shadow, one of the most adorable, loving cats I have ever had. Just look at that intelligent little expression!   Another misconception is that cats are not "loyal," and tend to be "self-absorbed." Well honestly, they may not show their loyalty and affection as readily as a dog, but they definitely do care about their "humans" and love to curl up with us on the sofa, sleep on our pillow and tap us with a velvet paw when we fail to pet them. This is Oliver, who always had a very sweet expression on his face and was so happy with us for so many years.                                                           And cats are interested in other species, here they are watching the Nature Channel!                                                          Some people feel that cats are "sneaky," and I totally disagree.  Yes, I do have one cat who I call "my little sociopath," but he has changed his ways and isn't terribly naughty any more. In fact, he seems to make every effort to be well-behaved since I devoted 20 minutes a day to him. For those 20 minutes, he was "top cat" in the house and was lavished with petting, grooming and playtime. Did it make a difference? Yes, it did. I saw a huge improvement in his behavior. Here he is, posing "behind bars." Ha-ha.                                                                                                                         Some people think that only kittens are playful and grown cats are serious. False! Siggy, a wonderful tuxedo cat, used to go "surfing" on a large square of cardboard. He would back up, make a running leap at the cardboard and glide several feet across the kitchen floor, jumping off before it hit the wall. And then he would do it again and again! Forget about expensive cat toys, all Siggy needed was a piece of cardboard to make him happy.                                                             
 Some people think that cats don't bond like dogs do. They're not pack animals, but they surely bond with other cats as this picture demonstrates (and they also love boxes, as every cat owner knows!)   I have two cats in my Dream Club Mysteries, named them Barney and Scout. These fictional cats are just "cats," they don't solve crimes and they're not magical.  Many readers have said they enjoy hearing about Barney and Scout even though they don't have any particular skills. In fact, they act like "pillows that eat" (Gallagher's description of cats) and spend a lot of their time sunning themselves on the windowsill.  Hope you've enjoyed this look at some of my cats and happy Cat Day to you and your fur-babies! To truly celebrate National Cat Day, please consider making a donation (even a small one!) to your local animal shelter. They always need funds--desperately--and every penny helps. If you can't give money, they always need clean towels, blankets and even bedspreads. Just do whatever you can, the cats will thank you! By Mary Kennedy                                                            
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Published on October 28, 2016 21:00

It's just a LITTLE too early for me ...

by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett

Every year it annoys me more. There I am on a bright, balmy afternoon, bringing in the mail (which, for some reason, still brings me joy even though the days of receiving letters and greeting cards is long past), and there it sits on the bottom of the pile. The first Christmas magazine.

Okay, the usual holiday barrage of catalogs had begun back in September, but I find it really jarring to read about Christmas before the first snow. (Unfortunately, that happened yesterday. But it rained later and everything melted away before we could get too depressed.)

This, of all years, I'm not nearly ready--or in the mood--for Christmas yet. Wayyyyy too busy.  And you know in early December when I am in the holiday mood, they'll be sending me magazines featuring Valentine's Day and St. Paddy's Day recipes.

Now the catalogs I like. I love the t-shirts and signage. They give me ideas for graphics.  Like this one I made earlier this week. Isn't Sarge just adorable? Couldn't you just pick him up and smother him with love? I'll be using it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

But getting back to those Christmas issues, I'm going to read them all (and so far four have arrived), but not until at LEAST Thanksgiving. Luckily, I have lots of other reading material (just found a cache of magazines from June and July I'd put aside and forgotten). I see it as delayed gratification.

So how do you feel about the early holiday barrage?
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Published on October 28, 2016 04:12

October 26, 2016

Ouch! But thank you ...



Mary Jane Maffini aka half of Victoria Abbott

Achoo!
Okay, that’s just me after having my allergy tests yesterday. For months now, I have been suffering from allergies, not surprising since there are so many allergens in our area.  I’ve been though a mountain of tissues and now just bought a new mountain.  It won’t be the last.


Most of August and September was spent inside with a/c on and windows closed because we are in the ragweed capital of the world. Ragweed looks innocent, but it isn't. I missed the best season in the garden. Whine, snivel.


Now that ragweed is gone for the season (pause while I kiss the ground), leaf mold (or mould, depending on where you live) is gearing up to give grief.  Neither one is my friend!

So yesterday, I had the scratch test for the common types of allergens, including about five mold/moulds.  By the way, did you know that there are snow molds?  But I digress!
All but two little ‘picks’ swelled up dramatically and now instead of spending time dosing myself all the time with nasal sprays and my best friends from the over the counter remedy world,

Lots of choice in my medicine cabinet! But who stole the Advil cold and sinus?
I’ll be going through another round of allergy shots.  They are quite miraculous, but don’t last forever, so my last regime about ten years ago must have worn off.
My plan was to illustrate this post with a photo of my reaction. However, a one-handed shot of pasty pink skin with a bunch of much pinker throbbing bumps did not yield the right artistic result.
I can’t wait to be free of eighty percent of these allergies. Even half would be great.  It will mean regular extra visits to the doc for the shots and sitting there for forty-five minutes afterwards, but you know there’s a bright side to that: I’ll be stockpiling mysteries that I want to read and I’ll treasure that time without the phone ringing, the computer calling and any other of the daily distractions.

And now, over to you! Do you have allergies? Have you had shots and if yes with what results? Feel free to dispense advice while you’re commenting. Finally, what would you be reading if you were sitting in that waiting room?
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Published on October 26, 2016 21:00

October 25, 2016

Is this a trick or a treat

Okay, all the other neighbors will be giving out candy for Halloween so my thought is why not go rogue and out these healthy, non-candy ideas instead this year? Before you throw darts at me here are a few ideas that seem pretty cool.
What about these cool glowsticks? This are terrific and will keep the kids safe while they trick or treat and they can hang them on their bed when they get home to remember what great fun they had. Neat, huh!
And then there’s bubbles! I mean who doesn’t like to blow bubbles. I’ve seen adults blow bubbles for hours and fill the yard with them. Esp if I give them to the little kids who don’t eat candy. There are kids who don’t eat candy right?
What about these neat tattoos? They look great, wash off and don’t rot your teeth. Kids love tattoos. I think this is a winner...maybe.

And then there’s snack packs. Not exactly a nutritious meal but not all that sugar. What about a nice bag of fish crackers or potato chips?? Who doesn’t love a chip.

I love Halloween fun stuff like these fangs and lips. What about giving away these? A little fun that keeps on giving if you scare your mom the next morning. See, what a good idea.
Then there’s the fun pencils with cute erasers...what about that? A Star Wars pencil with light-saber eraser? Princess pencil with tiara eraser? Sounds like a winner to me.


So what do you think? Do I dare not give away candy and try this? Will I get my house egged? Would you like any of these if you were a trick-or-treater? Or do I just cave and give away Snickers like I always do?
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Published on October 25, 2016 23:00

October 24, 2016

Are You a Fan?

by Maggie Sefton


The giant screen on the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship last February.


Are you a football fan?  Do you enjoy watching televised  NFL football games on TV?  
I do.  Well, I have to re-phrase that statement somewhat.  I love watching my favorite football team play on TV.  Which team is my favorite?  Well. . .that will be pretty easy to figure out.  I live in Colorado, so the Denver Broncos are my very favorite football team.  They're MY team.


My family (husband and daughters and moi) first moved to Colorado way back in 1988, when my husband accepted a leadership position with  Colorado State University here in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Both my husband and I were Washington Redskins fans even though we'd been living in West Lafayette, Indiana (home of Purdue University) for fifteen years.  Those were the tough years of Washington Redskins football.  We had great quarterbacks in Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer, but the Redskins didn't win much in those days.  That was when we learned how to be Die Hard fans.  Die Hard Fans will cheer for their favorite teams until the very last second. . .or the whistle blows, whichever comes first.  Win, lose, or draw.

So, moving into Colorado and devoted Dyed-in-the-Wool Broncos Country, it took a while for us to switch allegiance to the Denver Broncos.  Our daughter Serena, who was in early junior high then, had already gravitated to the Broncos like all her school friends.  So, she was instrumental in our making that change since she wanted to watch the Broncos on TV and most stations weren't broadcasting Redskins football---of course.  But---what really helped us switch over was the very dramatic quality of the games back then.  John  Elway was the Denver quarterback, and he was one dynamic player.  I still remember how Elway, ball in hand, literally threw himself over the opposing team in order to score a touchdown and win in the Super Bowl game in 1998.

Most of us as Broncos fan didn't expect to ever see such dramatic play again.  But then
football veteran Peyton Manning came to town.  By then, John Elway was the general manager of the Broncos, and he grabbed Peyton Manning as soon as he was available.  Manning had had a terrible neck injury that had pushed him out of football for a while.  Nobody ever thought he would return to Super Bowl greatness again.  But last season, during the February Super Bowl game, Manning went out a winner one more time. 

Grandson Matthew making a play when he was a senior at Lake Braddock H.S. in Northern Virginia a few years ago

 I was actually on the Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship out in the Caribbean
on that Sunday.  I'd staked out a comfy armchair in the large great room where a huge TV screen dominated one entire wall.  The coffee bar and cafe was nearby and no one lacked for liquid refreshment of their choice.  As well as lots of food.  Servers were actually bringing in hot dogs and all the trimmings.  Desserts were also way too convenient.  Needless to say, we were all having a great time watching last February's Super Bowl.  And that entire audience seemed to be cheering for the Denver Broncos in their win against the Carolina Panthers.  Everyone wanted to see Peyton Manning go out a winner. . .one more time.  :)        

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Published on October 24, 2016 22:17