Kate Collins's Blog, page 125

spotlight on Bambino and Cleveland

Cleveland and Bambino here all the way from Mackinac Island and talking to you from Braking for Bodies, book two in the Cycle Path mystery series. I’m the cute one on the pillow and Bambino is the scary cat just peeking over the top.
It’s gearing up to be a great summer on the island...if you don’t mind a dead body or two...and that’s the problem. If the tourists...who we all call fudgies cause they eat so much fudge...get wind that there’s a killer loose they’ll stampede the docks. This place will be a ghost-town, my servant Evie Bloomfield who owns the bike shop here on the island will go broke. The very worse part is that Bambino and I will be without tuna! God forbid!
So now we all need to think of how to get rid of that pesky old body so the fudgies don’t know there’s a murderer afoot? I have a few suggestions and you can tell me which one appeals to you. Keep in mind all of these suggestions require strapping the body to a bike or renting a horse and buggy as Mackinac is without cars!
Bambino suggested we hide the body in Arch Rock. There’re enough bushes there to conceal the corpse and if anyone goes snooping they’ll have to snoop really hard.
Irish Donna says we shove the body back in Skull Cave. The trouble is that the place sounds a lot scarier then it is and the cave is actually too small for much stuffing. And there’s the likelihood that the fudgies will think it’s an island attraction, they think everything around here’s an attraction.Then there’s Fort Mackinac. I saw a pit up at the fort where they put the bad soldier guys back in the day when such things were done. I think they should dump the body in there. That would work till it starts to stink and I don’t think that will take long.
Saint Ann’s Cemetery is a good choice for body dumping. I’ve snuck out of the bike shop and took a walk up there. Another body just fits right in. What’s one dead guy more or less?
Then again, Grand Hotel might work as a place to stash a body. Evie and that chief of police guy, Nate Sutter, can just prop the corpse up in one of those rocking chairs on that really looooong front porch they have. They can put a drink in his hand and he’ll look like a guy fallen asleep.Or maybe they should just push the body off the East Bluff and into Lake Huron. Weight it down with some rocks. Plug, glug, glug.
Or maybe push the body off Shepler’s dock or off the ferry on the ride back to the mainland? Where should they get rid of the body? Mackinac Island is a great place for more than eating fudge. Some people have a drop-dead good time here and wait till you see where they actually do hide the body. You’ll loooove it!



Till next time...hugs from Cleveland and Bambino.

SPOTLIGHT ON Molly Malone

by Maggie Sefton


Most readers have only met my "heroine-sleuth" Kelly Flynn.  Today on SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, I'd like to spotlight Molly Malone, the heroine-sleuth from my Suspense---DEADLY POLITICS.  Here's an introduction below.  You can read an excerpt from the novel on my website:  www.maggiesefton.com


Welcome to Molly Malone’s world----
Politics is a blood sport in Washington, DC, and only the strongest survive.    Like the politicians she’s rubbed shoulders with for a lifetime, Molly Malone is smart and tough and savvy enough to stay out of trouble---most of the time.  However, trouble has a way of finding Molly.
Years ago, Molly Malone was driven from Washington, DC by political back-stabbing, scandals, and personal heartbreak.  But now, circumstances have forced her to start a new life in the one place she swore she’d never return to—the city that broke her heart---and face the ghosts and the enemies from her past.
As the daughter of a respected United States Senator and once the wife of a rising star young Congressman, Molly has seen it all in Washington politics
---the cynics, the sincere, and the schemers.  But the brutal murder of her Congressional staffer niece brings Molly up close with Washington’s darker side.  “The beautiful monuments and parks are deceiving.  Washington can be ugly.”  How ugly, Molly’s about to find out.  There are other schemers out there who may not have won elections, but are more powerful than the politicians they ensnare.  

My characters are in danger!!!

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

I'm stalled in the two books I'm currently writing, and it's not writers block.

MY CHARACTERS ARE IN DANGER!!!

And it's not like I don't know where the stories are going, it's just ... they're in DANGER and I put them there!  I feel guilty and I'm finding it hard not to move forward and get them the heck OUT of danger!!!

Two of them have been kidnapped.  Two of them are in hiding from bad guys. They've all got mysteries to solve (even if one of the books isn't a mystery), but first they've got to protect themselves from the bad guys. That isn't good when all of them are unarmed. They've all got to use their wits to get out of the predicaments I've put them in.

So, why am I stalling?

I don't know. But this always seems to happen when I'm in the middle of a book -- and when you're in the middle of two books, it gets rather hairy.

What I'll probably do is go back to the beginning of each and read the stories to date. That often gets me going again, so that's what's on the agenda for this weekend.

When you find yourself procrastinating, what do you do to get back in gear and move forward?

Old photos: magic and mystery

By Mary Jane Maffini
We have found ourselves the keepers of many old photos: my parents' pictures and keepsakes, my mother-in-law’s, my aunt’s and, more recently, my cousin's.  These albums, collections and loose photos occupy about five plastic tubs, and, as we continue with our basement renovation, more seem to appear every day.  
We find them irresistible. Hope, happiness, a bright future may be reflected in a moment captured for ever. 
  We all love all these old photos, but in many cases, we have no idea who is in them.  Still they always seem to have a significance that means we must keep them, even though nobody we know would be able to identify the people in them.

But you know, you have to be tough sometimes.  So we are organizing the ones we know: sending originals off to people who would value them, scanning others to send to relatives who are involve in genealogical research and framing the ones with emotional and historical value to our family.  It has been a pleasure and I've also shed a few tears, because sometimes I do know who the people are and how their lives unfolded. 
Here are a few of 'the keepers' from my dad's large family.  
I know that these four little boys in their new coats with the brass buttons and their snappy hats, back in 1917, didn't realize that they were about to be shipped off to boarding school in a remote corner of Cape Breton, probably because the family was up to seven children by then and it was too much to manage for their mother. They would next see the rest of the family in the spring. My dad insists that that year it was so cold that the cows went 'dry' and there was no milk for porridge. Did boarding school make a difference in their lives? I think so. 





The girls must have been less of a handful!  They stayed home until they went away to school in their mid-teens. There are many photos of them in elaborate, handmade costumes, looking like something from a fairy tale. I know that one of these little girls had a comfortable happy life and the other had a huge tragedy.  There's no way to know by looking at this photo.  Perhaps you won't be surprised to know that well into their eighties, they were always dressed 'just so' and quite beautiful. 





This very cute lad was the seventh of nine, so not the baby, but the apple of everyone's eye. I remember him as the dashing bachelor uncle with a penchant for practical jokes and a roaring sports car.  I also remember his funeral when he was far too young and vital.  But he sure packed a lot of living in those forty-five years.



 I'll keep you posted on this project, which will probably take about a year.  In the meantime, have you had the same kind of bittersweet reaction to your family photos?  Come by and tell me about it!

Little White Lies...

Evie Bloomfield here from Braking for Bodies, book two in the Cycle Path mystery series.
It’s the Lilac Festival and thing should be fantastic, right. We got a ton of tourists, the lilacs are in full bloom the whole island smells terrific and everyone is making more. But we got a little problem. There’s this guy who’s come here all the way from LA and now he’s...dead!
 “What’s going on?” A guy called down from the porch of the Grand Hotel right above us. “Is somebody there? Did somebody fall?”Sutter and I exchanged uh oh looks and a woman on the porch squealed. “Ohmygoodness! It’s a body! This is fantastic! I know what this is. It’s one of those murder mystery weekends right here at the Grand Hotel. The victim’s right there, I can see him all sprawled out on the ground. Oh this is so much fun.”“Look, lady,” Sutter shot back. “This is no mystery weekend party this is a real crime scene here.”“Of course it is,” she squealed again. “You all are great actors, this is amazing. What a fantastic surprise right here on Mackinac Island.”
Yep, that’s right I’m playing right along with this guest at the Grand Hotel and passing the whole thing off as a mystery weekend. Nate...the local chief of police...is not on board with this at all as he says it will totally screw up his crime scene. Well, that’s too bad. If the tourists get wind that this is a real dead body and there’s a killer on the loose they will all stampede for the ferry docks and the whole island will go broke!  
We can’t have that now can me so the idea of a mystery weekend and a fake dead body seems like a really good idea to me. Don’t you think so? 

Sheep Tales

by Maggie Sefton



This is the adorable baby lamb that visited Lambspun a few years ago on a busy Saturday.  What a doll.    Notice the diaper.    





I was clicking through some of my photo files and other downloads that were stored on my laptop, and I was surprised how many photos I had of sheep.  :)  I guess that's not too surprising considering I write a mystery series that involves knitting and yummy wools and other fibers.  But as I scrolled through those photos, memories returned.   I thought
I'd share a few of them with you folks today.  





This photo  was taken in England when I traveled there in December 2004 before the very first Kelly Flynn mystery was published in June 2005.  I had just finished writing the 2nd in the series, NEEDLED TO DEATH.  





 




These beauties belong to a talented knitter, Jill, who's also a part-owner of a nearby sheep farm where they specialize in raising Navajo Churros sheep.  They have the curly wool.










That's Shirley in the middle.

This little lamb became a family pet because its  mother died after it was born, so the sheep owner bottle-fed the little one.   I couldn't resist adding this little lamb to a Kelly Flynn mystery as a foil for Kelly's Rottie Carl.   Drove Carl crazy.  He had to lie in his "Down" position beside Kelly at the shop while Little Lamb wandered about going "Baaaaaaaa!"  :)






Here's another handsome specimen from Jill's Navajo Churros flock.  If you like to see photos of new lambs and all kinds of sheep, stop by the Lambspun shop every Tuesday night when the Knitting Table stays late from 6:00pm until 8:00pm.  Jill's there usually from 6:00 to 7:00pm, so you can talk "sheep" as well as watch her use the old-fashioned drop spindle.  We have lots of talented folk around the table.  You can meet the real-life owner, Shirley, too.  :)    









 

MARY, MARY, HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

By Mary Kennedy                       
 How does my garden grow? Not too well, I'm afraid. The thing is, I have a very shady backyard and the dirt is like clay. A long time ago, I decided the best thing was to have a small strip of grass in the back yard and let the rest go "au naturel." I call it "the woods," and it's a quarter acre of trees (plus a little ground cover) that provides homes for birds, squirrels, raccoons, possum and the occasional skunk. (even though I'm a big-time animal lover, I don't encourage Mr. Skumk to come calling. )                                      What do you grow on a shady lot with poor soil? Well, Hosta, of course. And you can go for different varieties and colors, and try to make it look a little interesting.
                                                 
Astilbe is a good choice...                    
 Astilbe comes in a lot of different colors and is quite hardy in a shady garden.                                            
Don't be stingy when planting Astilbe. Instead of a few lone plants, try to plant masses of them together to make more of a statement.  Caladiums are also a good choice. Don't forget to dig up the bulbs next Fall and save them. Here in the northeast, they will freeze if you leave them in the soil.                                                               And you can never go wrong with ferns. They're practically indestructible and they love the shade.                                                           Lily of the Valley are delicate, lovely and they adore the shade.
                                                            They also do well in pots....and I always keep some at the edge of the deck.                                                             You may not have the beautiful flowering plants that my characters Ali and Taylor Blake enjoy in sunny Savannah in the Dream Club Mysteries.                                                               But with some careful planning, you can have a lovely shade garden that provides beauty and tranquility, as well as a nice refuge for wildlife.  Next week I'll tell you about my herb garden and share a delicious recipe.  Happy gardening! by Mary Kennedy

Getting to Know You…

Hi, Jennifer Walker. Great getting to know you. Thanks so much for doing the interview. 
-Where do you live now? Ranburne, AL (population ~ 400) – in North Alabama near Alabama/Georgia State Line
-Pets? Kids? Hobby? 3 cats (Myst, Blackie & Amber) and 2 dogs (Honey & Pepper) – they are my kids!   Reading is favorite hobby.
-Day Job? Software Engineer/Database Administrator-Upcoming plans? No big plans
-What do you do for fun? Read, shop, go to concerts
-Do you travel? Got a fav place? Not much but of the places I’ve been I liked : Denver, Asheville & Savannah
-How did you come to reading mysteries? My two older sisters read them so I picked them up early. 
-Do you have a fav mystery show? Movie? Poirot & most of the Sherlock Holmes movies – does classic Scooby Doo cartoons count too?
-Do you have a fav book that you reread from time to time? Haven’t reread anything recently – I am trying to read all the new books that I have
-Do you remember the first mystery you read? Probably was Nancy Drew book – first that was ‘adult mystery’ would be Sherlock Holmes or one of Agatha Christie’s books
-Is there a character in a book or movie that you’d like to pal around with?  Aunt KiKi from Duffy Brown’s Consignment Shop Series
-Tell us anything else about yourself. We all love meeting new friends.  I’m a dedicated Diet Dr Pepper drinker (probably drink too many), native Southern, and of course I’m a dedicated reader of not only mysteries but also fantasy & science fiction.     

SPOTLIGHT ON ALI BLAKE AND THE PERFECT VEGGIE BURGER

By Mary Kennedy                          
   Ali Blake, from my Dream Club Mysteries is on the hunt for the ultimate veggie burger. As readers, know, Ali and Taylor have added a "café" to their vintage candy store, Oldies But Goodies, and they serve soups, sandwiches and pastries.  But I'll let Ali tell the story, since she is bound to, anyway! A long-time vegetarian, she enjoys experimenting with recipes that are both healthful and delicious. People in Savannah love good food and Ali is determined to keep her customers happy.                                                            Ali says, "Are you eating those veggie burgers out of a box? The ones that are flat, uninspiring and have about as much taste as a hockey puck? I know I have. Did you know that you can make your own veggie burgers, using fresh veggies, and they're scrumptious? And easy? A home-made veggie burger can be a delight!                                                               Here's a recipe that easy, delicious and will knock your socks off. You can tweak it however you want.  Sometimes I substitute black beans for white beans or use half and half." Ali's Veggie Burger Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 to 2 cups kale, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
2 (15 oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup panko
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Next, cut the center stem off the kale. This is very important. The stem is bitter and will ruin everything. Chop the kale and sauté in the same pan as the other vegetables. Drain and rinse the canned beans. You can use black beans if you prefer.   Add the egg, the Panko bread crumbs and paprika.  Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times. You don't want the mixture to be completely mushy, you want it to have a little texture. Refrigerate the mixture for half an hour. This will help it hold together. Now, add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a frying pan and heat. Shape the mixture into six patties.  Fry lightly on both sides.                                                                        Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!                                                                                                                             Bon Appetit, everyone! Mary Kennedy

SPOTLIGHT ON ALI TAYLOR AND THE PERFECT VEGGIE BURGER

By Mary Kennedy                          
   Ali Taylor, from my Dream Club Mysteries is on the hunt for the ultimate veggie burger. As readers, know, Ali and Taylor have added a "café" to their vintage candy store, Oldies But Goodies, and they serve soups, sandwiches and pastries.  But I'll let Ali tell the story, since she is bound to, anyway! A long-time vegetarian, she enjoys experimenting with recipes that are both healthful and delicious. People in Savannah love good food and Ali is determined to keep her customers happy.                                                            Ali says, "Are you eating those veggie burgers out of a box? The ones that are flat, uninspiring and have about as much taste as a hockey puck? I know I have. Did you know that you can make your own veggie burgers, using fresh veggies, and they're scrumptious? And easy? A home-made veggie burger can be a delight!                                                               Here's a recipe that easy, delicious and will knock your socks off. You can tweak it however you want.  Sometimes I substitute black beans for white beans or use half and half." Ali's Veggie Burger Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 to 2 cups kale, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
2 (15 oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup panko
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Next, cut the center stem off the kale. This is very important. The stem is bitter and will ruin everything. Chop the kale and sauté in the same pan as the other vegetables. Drain and rinsed the canned beans. You can use black beans if you prefer.   Add the egg, the Panko bread crumbs and paprika.  Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times. You don't want the mixture to be completely mushy, you want it to have a little texture. Refrigerate the mixture for half an hour. This will help it hold together. Now, add one tablespoon of the olive oil to a frying pan and heat. Shape the mixture into six patties.  Fry lightly on both sides.                                                                        Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!                                                                                                                             Bon Appetit, everyone! Mary Kennedy