Kate Collins's Blog, page 190
June 28, 2014
Red Retail Therapy
by Leann
To say I am a little down because we will be paying yet another month's rent would be a huge understatement. The house is still not finished thanks to ... been there, you don't need to hear it again. I don't sleep well as it is but now I awaken at least 5 times each night. Yes, I am a tad depressed.
So, I figured a little retail therapy might help and I thought I'd share with all of you the wonderful accents I've bought for the future when we do move in. Red is my favorite color, always has been, and so my island legs and cabinet, my built in corner cabinet, my front door and the door to the basement are all a lovely shade of deep red.
The first thing I bought (a good while ago) to sit on my counter were stoneware canisters. We have the perfect spot for them and they look exactly like this.
But this week, when everything at the new place was going to hell in a handbasket, I got very busy online shopping. Since the rent house smells so awful, I know we will need a new quilt for our bed. I do not want to take that smell with me. The first quilt I bought was from Wayfair, but unfortunately it was not as advertised on their site. I can only have 100% cotton due to my allergies and the lining had polyester in it. But, I love Wayfair. They sent a return label and immediately corrected the description on their webpage. So, I ended up with this gem and it will be perfect--and sorry for the blurry image but it's the best pic I could get.
Next, I started cruising EBay and found exactly what I wanted. I once had a Le Creuset Dutch oven that was flawed. I got it for a bargain price. But that flaw proved fatal after a few years. There is nothing I have used that cooks like Le Creuset. I bought an imitation when mine died and it was not the same. So, I now have this beauty. Brand new, no flaws and I cannot wait to use it.
Today was a sale on another favorite brand of mine--Fiestaware. All my plates and bowls are various colors of Fiestaware. I love them. But a new color arrived since the last time I bought any dishes--scarlet! Since there was a sale and I had a coupon for another 20% off, I bought mugs and bowls in scarlet and also a couple mugs in ivory.
For now, the knots in my stomach at this seemingly endless wait to move have eased a little. How about you? Does retail therapy help? Tell me what makes you feel better when you have absolutely no control over outcomes.
To say I am a little down because we will be paying yet another month's rent would be a huge understatement. The house is still not finished thanks to ... been there, you don't need to hear it again. I don't sleep well as it is but now I awaken at least 5 times each night. Yes, I am a tad depressed.
So, I figured a little retail therapy might help and I thought I'd share with all of you the wonderful accents I've bought for the future when we do move in. Red is my favorite color, always has been, and so my island legs and cabinet, my built in corner cabinet, my front door and the door to the basement are all a lovely shade of deep red.
The first thing I bought (a good while ago) to sit on my counter were stoneware canisters. We have the perfect spot for them and they look exactly like this.
But this week, when everything at the new place was going to hell in a handbasket, I got very busy online shopping. Since the rent house smells so awful, I know we will need a new quilt for our bed. I do not want to take that smell with me. The first quilt I bought was from Wayfair, but unfortunately it was not as advertised on their site. I can only have 100% cotton due to my allergies and the lining had polyester in it. But, I love Wayfair. They sent a return label and immediately corrected the description on their webpage. So, I ended up with this gem and it will be perfect--and sorry for the blurry image but it's the best pic I could get.
Next, I started cruising EBay and found exactly what I wanted. I once had a Le Creuset Dutch oven that was flawed. I got it for a bargain price. But that flaw proved fatal after a few years. There is nothing I have used that cooks like Le Creuset. I bought an imitation when mine died and it was not the same. So, I now have this beauty. Brand new, no flaws and I cannot wait to use it.
Today was a sale on another favorite brand of mine--Fiestaware. All my plates and bowls are various colors of Fiestaware. I love them. But a new color arrived since the last time I bought any dishes--scarlet! Since there was a sale and I had a coupon for another 20% off, I bought mugs and bowls in scarlet and also a couple mugs in ivory.
For now, the knots in my stomach at this seemingly endless wait to move have eased a little. How about you? Does retail therapy help? Tell me what makes you feel better when you have absolutely no control over outcomes.
June 27, 2014
The Secret Life of Duffy Brown
by Mary Kennedy
Duffy Brown, as many of you know, is our newest Cozy Chick and we are so happy to have her on board. She writes two series for Berkley Prime Crime, the Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries set in Mackinac Island, coming in the Fall.
Duffy has so many interests and so many passions in life and I wondered how her adventures have inspired her books. Is it true that everything that happens to a writer is used as material? Are writers like sponges, constantly making observations, remembering bits of dialogue, watching people carefully for body language "tells" that they may use in a future book?
Here is what Duffy said when I asked her if writers should write what they know. "Write what you know...unless it's murder mysteries. Then again, I work in a consignment shop and have watched three women fighting over a Gucci bag."
My maiden name is Castelluccio so having the mob in my Cycle Path series was a branch off the family tree.
When writing about the gang in another series, I didn't join one, but drove through the Savannah projects. That the police followed was a big hint I shouldn't be there.
I've worked in the stock market where fortunes are made and fortunes are made an lost in an hour.
Inside trading comes in many forms and there are enough secrets to make the CIA look like choir boys.
So now you have a glimpse inside Duffy's Brown's life, including of course her love of cats (a prerequisite for being a cozy writer). Her cats are Spooky,
and Dr. Watson.
I can't wait for GEARED for the GRAVE, the first Cycle Path Mystery release in the Fall, and I promise to check back and give you a full report.
In the meantime, I'll try to come up with more inside information on our fabulous new sister Chick. Inquiring minds want to know about this fascinating writer! Mary Kennedy
Duffy Brown, as many of you know, is our newest Cozy Chick and we are so happy to have her on board. She writes two series for Berkley Prime Crime, the Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah and the Cycle Path Mysteries set in Mackinac Island, coming in the Fall.
Duffy has so many interests and so many passions in life and I wondered how her adventures have inspired her books. Is it true that everything that happens to a writer is used as material? Are writers like sponges, constantly making observations, remembering bits of dialogue, watching people carefully for body language "tells" that they may use in a future book?
Here is what Duffy said when I asked her if writers should write what they know. "Write what you know...unless it's murder mysteries. Then again, I work in a consignment shop and have watched three women fighting over a Gucci bag."
My maiden name is Castelluccio so having the mob in my Cycle Path series was a branch off the family tree.
When writing about the gang in another series, I didn't join one, but drove through the Savannah projects. That the police followed was a big hint I shouldn't be there.
I've worked in the stock market where fortunes are made and fortunes are made an lost in an hour.
Inside trading comes in many forms and there are enough secrets to make the CIA look like choir boys.
So now you have a glimpse inside Duffy's Brown's life, including of course her love of cats (a prerequisite for being a cozy writer). Her cats are Spooky,
and Dr. Watson.
I can't wait for GEARED for the GRAVE, the first Cycle Path Mystery release in the Fall, and I promise to check back and give you a full report.
In the meantime, I'll try to come up with more inside information on our fabulous new sister Chick. Inquiring minds want to know about this fascinating writer! Mary Kennedy
June 26, 2014
What's a little 5 lb weight?
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Almost four months ago, I decided to start doing some serious exercise. I had a few DVDs by Leslie Sansone from her Walk At Home program, but never really enjoyed them. Then I got one that one of my Facebook friends suggested: Walk It Off In 30 Days.
This one was different. Instead of just Leslie (or two or three other people) walking, this one had a crowd. They all seemed so happy while walking, and side-stepping and lifting knees (even doubles), and (my favorite) skaters. I actually enjoyed it.
The next day, I tried the weight training work out. OMG -- I absolutely LOATHED it. Squats, squats and more squats. Leslie said, "Squats: they really take care of that lower body." She wasn't kidding.
Walk it off three days a week--weight training three days a week. Leslie was generous, giving me Sunday's off. Some weeks I took Sundays off ... some weeks I didn't.
In the midst of all this exercising, I was also trying to lose weight, but I didn't diet. Nope, I am DONE with dieting. I've been on every one and you do lose weight ... SHORT TERM ... and then you gain not only the weight you lost back, but then 10-20 pounds more.
Instead, I decided I needed to really, REALLY eat healthier. I did a lot of research on diets. (The BBC has a lot of really fascinating documentaries on weight control that I watched on Youtube. Also, I read a couple of books and lots of stuff online.) I also starting seriously thinking about portion control.
After three months of squats (going from 2 lb weights to 5 lb weights), I'd lost 5 inches off my butt and regained my waist. And though I only lost 7 pounds, suddenly my clothes weren't so tight. Things I hadn't been able to wear in years (not so) suddenly fit again.
Three weeks later, I've lost another 3.5 lbs, but I've also lost another inch off my butt.
I'm not quitting those squats. I've never sweat so much in my life, but when I look in the mirror, I no longer cringe. And all this exercise takes only 30 minutes a day.
Squats ... they really take care of that lower body.
Have you ever tried weight training?
Almost four months ago, I decided to start doing some serious exercise. I had a few DVDs by Leslie Sansone from her Walk At Home program, but never really enjoyed them. Then I got one that one of my Facebook friends suggested: Walk It Off In 30 Days.
This one was different. Instead of just Leslie (or two or three other people) walking, this one had a crowd. They all seemed so happy while walking, and side-stepping and lifting knees (even doubles), and (my favorite) skaters. I actually enjoyed it.
The next day, I tried the weight training work out. OMG -- I absolutely LOATHED it. Squats, squats and more squats. Leslie said, "Squats: they really take care of that lower body." She wasn't kidding.
Walk it off three days a week--weight training three days a week. Leslie was generous, giving me Sunday's off. Some weeks I took Sundays off ... some weeks I didn't.
In the midst of all this exercising, I was also trying to lose weight, but I didn't diet. Nope, I am DONE with dieting. I've been on every one and you do lose weight ... SHORT TERM ... and then you gain not only the weight you lost back, but then 10-20 pounds more.
Instead, I decided I needed to really, REALLY eat healthier. I did a lot of research on diets. (The BBC has a lot of really fascinating documentaries on weight control that I watched on Youtube. Also, I read a couple of books and lots of stuff online.) I also starting seriously thinking about portion control.After three months of squats (going from 2 lb weights to 5 lb weights), I'd lost 5 inches off my butt and regained my waist. And though I only lost 7 pounds, suddenly my clothes weren't so tight. Things I hadn't been able to wear in years (not so) suddenly fit again.
Three weeks later, I've lost another 3.5 lbs, but I've also lost another inch off my butt.
I'm not quitting those squats. I've never sweat so much in my life, but when I look in the mirror, I no longer cringe. And all this exercise takes only 30 minutes a day.
Squats ... they really take care of that lower body.
Have you ever tried weight training?
June 25, 2014
New friends and old - what matters to you?
By Mary Jane Maffini (aka Victoria Abbott) and friends
I am sure you have heard our excited squeals as the amazing Duffy Brown has joined the Cozy Chicks this week. Welcome, Duffy. Our joy is mixed with sadness that Deb will no longer be posting weekly. Why can’t we have an eight day week? Huh?
Duffy brings a surprising amount of energy and enthusiasm to everything. She writes two series, is a supportive colleague and a lively conversationalist. She puts her shoulder to the wheel. Best of all, she is the kind of person you like the minute you meet her.
All this has caused me to ponder the nature of friendship. When we were kids, many of us had tons of friends. Most of those school yard friendships are long gone, but the special ones endure. I met my friend Janet in Kindergarten an alarming number of years ago. She was my maid of honor and the model for Camilla MacPhee in the Camilla mysteries. She didmake me laugh in church on my wedding day. Someday over a drink, I’ll tell you that story. She’s still my friend and we still pick up our conversations where we left off, even if that conversation was three months earlier. She doesn’t care to be introduced as “my oldest friend”. Not sure why not!
Once we leave school we meet friends through spouses, work, neighborhood and common interests. I have friends who found themselves widowed or divorced and many people they thought were their friends fell away. But the good ones didn’t. They stayed the course. That’s what real friends do.
Have to mention, I do think of my husband and my daughters as friends too. A lot of time and a lot of talk!
I would be lost without my mystery writing friends. Yes, sometimes we kvetch. And sure, they all know 147 ways to kill someone, but they don’t put that into practice. Instead they’re warm hearted and full of life. As are the members of my book club and the Ladies Killing Circle and the Pink Bra Society. The list goes on.
So what makes a friend? At the heart of friendship, I believe is the spark of liking someone. Then that spark can thrive when the friends are good listeners, helpful, enthusiasm, fun, positive thinkers and have some common interests (say mysteries?) They’re there when you need them.
Hey, that pretty well describes ‘the Chicks’! Someone once said that for any relationship, you mustn’t take out more than you put into it. Words to live by.
So tell me, what’s important to you in a friendship? Got a great story about your friend?
I am sure you have heard our excited squeals as the amazing Duffy Brown has joined the Cozy Chicks this week. Welcome, Duffy. Our joy is mixed with sadness that Deb will no longer be posting weekly. Why can’t we have an eight day week? Huh?
Duffy brings a surprising amount of energy and enthusiasm to everything. She writes two series, is a supportive colleague and a lively conversationalist. She puts her shoulder to the wheel. Best of all, she is the kind of person you like the minute you meet her.
All this has caused me to ponder the nature of friendship. When we were kids, many of us had tons of friends. Most of those school yard friendships are long gone, but the special ones endure. I met my friend Janet in Kindergarten an alarming number of years ago. She was my maid of honor and the model for Camilla MacPhee in the Camilla mysteries. She didmake me laugh in church on my wedding day. Someday over a drink, I’ll tell you that story. She’s still my friend and we still pick up our conversations where we left off, even if that conversation was three months earlier. She doesn’t care to be introduced as “my oldest friend”. Not sure why not!
Once we leave school we meet friends through spouses, work, neighborhood and common interests. I have friends who found themselves widowed or divorced and many people they thought were their friends fell away. But the good ones didn’t. They stayed the course. That’s what real friends do.
Have to mention, I do think of my husband and my daughters as friends too. A lot of time and a lot of talk!
I would be lost without my mystery writing friends. Yes, sometimes we kvetch. And sure, they all know 147 ways to kill someone, but they don’t put that into practice. Instead they’re warm hearted and full of life. As are the members of my book club and the Ladies Killing Circle and the Pink Bra Society. The list goes on.
So what makes a friend? At the heart of friendship, I believe is the spark of liking someone. Then that spark can thrive when the friends are good listeners, helpful, enthusiasm, fun, positive thinkers and have some common interests (say mysteries?) They’re there when you need them.
Hey, that pretty well describes ‘the Chicks’! Someone once said that for any relationship, you mustn’t take out more than you put into it. Words to live by.
So tell me, what’s important to you in a friendship? Got a great story about your friend?
June 24, 2014
I’m a chick!!!!!!
Yippeeeeee!!! I’m here and still can’t believe it.
It’s me, Duffy Brown, now a for-real Cozy Chick! I am so excited. This is a dream come true to be included with such amazing authors and meet you all! The best part of writing is meeting the readers.
I live in Cincinnati, have four kids (ever try and get a pic of your son…impossible!), two grandkids two cats
and write two series, the Consignment Shop series set in Savannah and the Cycle Path series set on Mackinac Island.
I love to garden and watch mysteries on TV. I’m totally addicted to anything Sherlock, my license plate is Shrlok, and I think the new PBS Sherlock is the best thing ever. IMO Cumberbatch is to die for! Freeman is the best Watson…so smart and a fab partner for Sherlock.
I am a Castle nut. Glued to the TV every Monday and if Becket and Castle don’t get married soon I’m going to have a hissy!
I do Zumba, work at a consignment shop…The Snooty Fox…part time and am always painting or doing some decorating with this house. My daughter often helps me…we call ourselves two girls and a hammer.
Half of me is Southern belle...I have the pearls and baton to prove it and, yes, I can twirl!
And part of me is fudgie, what the Mackinac Islanders call the tourists. And yes, I have eaten enough Mackinac fudge to be a true fudgie. Yummm.
Savannah is old South with big houses, huge oaks, Spanish moss and martinis on the veranda. It’s sundresses, big hair, splashing fountains, hospitality and bless her heart. My daughter went to school in Savannah and I fell in love with the city! I know it better than Cincinnati!
Mackinac is amazing. It’s a time warp with no cars, the clip-clop of horses, whicker baskets on vintage bikes, a ferry the only way to get there and snowmobiles buzzing across a frozen lake.
I love talking food. What’s your fav dish? There is no better place on Earth to be a foodie than Savannah. I adore shrimp and grits, pralines, martinis at Jen’s and Friends, pecan pie at Auntie KiKi’s house and pecan chicken at the Pirate House where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island. And did I mention the martinis.
Not only does Mackinac have amazing fudge it’s known for fried green beans...vegetables my way. Horse and bicycles are the transportation of choice...actually they’re the only transportation, the only delivery service, the only everything. The horses are of the Budweiser variety, the bikes with baskets to shop and carry. I went to Mackinac with my daughter Ann and had the time of our lives. We should all meet up there and party. That would be great!
So, that’s a little about me and my books. I’m thrilled to be here at the Cozy Chicks and meet you all and I want to share the excitement.
Sooooo, I’m giving away 100 Cozy Chick beach balls. All you have to do is leave a comment here and send me your name and mailing address to duffybrown@duffybrown.com with chicks in the subj line so I know where to send your beach ball.
Next week I’ll take you on a walking tour of Savannah. Did you know it’s one of the most haunted cities in the US. Just wait till you see what’s going on at the Marshall House and the Old Harbor Inn...both in my books. It’ll be a hair-raising time, I promise.
Have a great week!
Hugs, Duffy Brown
It’s me, Duffy Brown, now a for-real Cozy Chick! I am so excited. This is a dream come true to be included with such amazing authors and meet you all! The best part of writing is meeting the readers. 
I live in Cincinnati, have four kids (ever try and get a pic of your son…impossible!), two grandkids two cats 
and write two series, the Consignment Shop series set in Savannah and the Cycle Path series set on Mackinac Island.
I love to garden and watch mysteries on TV. I’m totally addicted to anything Sherlock, my license plate is Shrlok, and I think the new PBS Sherlock is the best thing ever. IMO Cumberbatch is to die for! Freeman is the best Watson…so smart and a fab partner for Sherlock. 
I am a Castle nut. Glued to the TV every Monday and if Becket and Castle don’t get married soon I’m going to have a hissy!
I do Zumba, work at a consignment shop…The Snooty Fox…part time and am always painting or doing some decorating with this house. My daughter often helps me…we call ourselves two girls and a hammer.
Half of me is Southern belle...I have the pearls and baton to prove it and, yes, I can twirl!
And part of me is fudgie, what the Mackinac Islanders call the tourists. And yes, I have eaten enough Mackinac fudge to be a true fudgie. Yummm.
Savannah is old South with big houses, huge oaks, Spanish moss and martinis on the veranda. It’s sundresses, big hair, splashing fountains, hospitality and bless her heart. My daughter went to school in Savannah and I fell in love with the city! I know it better than Cincinnati! 
Mackinac is amazing. It’s a time warp with no cars, the clip-clop of horses, whicker baskets on vintage bikes, a ferry the only way to get there and snowmobiles buzzing across a frozen lake. 
I love talking food. What’s your fav dish? There is no better place on Earth to be a foodie than Savannah. I adore shrimp and grits, pralines, martinis at Jen’s and Friends, pecan pie at Auntie KiKi’s house and pecan chicken at the Pirate House where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island. And did I mention the martinis.
Not only does Mackinac have amazing fudge it’s known for fried green beans...vegetables my way. Horse and bicycles are the transportation of choice...actually they’re the only transportation, the only delivery service, the only everything. The horses are of the Budweiser variety, the bikes with baskets to shop and carry. I went to Mackinac with my daughter Ann and had the time of our lives. We should all meet up there and party. That would be great!
So, that’s a little about me and my books. I’m thrilled to be here at the Cozy Chicks and meet you all and I want to share the excitement.
Sooooo, I’m giving away 100 Cozy Chick beach balls. All you have to do is leave a comment here and send me your name and mailing address to duffybrown@duffybrown.com with chicks in the subj line so I know where to send your beach ball. 
Next week I’ll take you on a walking tour of Savannah. Did you know it’s one of the most haunted cities in the US. Just wait till you see what’s going on at the Marshall House and the Old Harbor Inn...both in my books. It’ll be a hair-raising time, I promise. Have a great week!
Hugs, Duffy Brown
Meet our Newest Chick!
June 23, 2014
Movie Time
by Maggie SeftonI figured I hadn't posted about movies in a while, so I thought I'd catch up with some
of the recent movies I've caught. I know I'm skipping over a bunch of films, so apologies if I only include the more recent ones.
DIVERGENT----I enjoyed it and book, but my favorite is still---hands down---HUNGER GAMES. Far superior storyline throughout first two movies of HUNGER GAMES, and the preview for the last in the trilogy just whets your appetite. The expression on heroine's face at the end brought back the marvelous threat of character Wyatt Earp in TOMBSONE when he was shouting his response to the savagery of the Bad Guys: "I'm coming back, and Hell's coming with me!!" Oh, yeah. And Wyatt delivered, too. :) Hey----you guys know I'm an Action-Adventure girl.
DRAFT DAY---I like Kevin Costner and I also liked the set up. New coach of a losing Cleveland football team has been snookered into given up 1st three round future draft choices for next 3 years. All for the promise of this young new recruit who supposedly the greatest. Or, is he? Old pro coach smells problems and tries to find a way out of the box he's in. All under a ticking clock pressure. How the coach manages to outsmart the schemer other coach and get the players he really wants is a masterful exercise in strategy----and guts. If you can even tolerate football, you'd enjoy this. No games. It's all about people and people problems. Anyone who likes tactics would also enjoy.
AMAZING SPIDER MAN 2---Enjoyable. Great special effects. I really like this new Spiderman. Very human and a good actor. Also a better sense of humor.
EDGE OF TOMORROW----Hey, I love futuristic stories and action adventure. :) Delivers on that.
CHEF-----My Number 1 Choice for Best Movie in months. This little movie is great. A talented Los Angeles chef is fired by his tyrannical restaurant owner boss for daring to deviate from owner's BORING menu. Chef is fantastic cook. Everything he cooks is fantastic, and he LOVES to try new things. Fired and wonderfing how he'll make ends meet, another restaurant sub chef friend joins Chef in getting a Food Truck, cleaning the wreck up, then starting on a cross country tour from Miami thru New Orleans and Austin TX back to Los Angeles. What you witness is how this talented guy manages to reunite his divorced family and actually form a strong bond with his young son in the process of becoming the Fantastic Food Truck Chef is a pure delight to watch. It's funny and touching and the acting is great. The little 10 yr old boy who plays his son is the best child actor I've seen years!! No lie. So natural he grabs your heart. And the young son manages to provide the spark that makes the Chef into a Traveling Star instead of just a traveling chef. Son is a Twitter genius and constantly tweets where truck is going and what Chef is cooking, all along the country. There are tons of people already lined up and waiting for Chef to pull in by the time they get to Austin, TX. :) So he rolls into LA, having become a real father to his son and also getting his family all back together. A real winner. You will enjoy it. Catch at your local cineplex. :) Main roles are newcomers to me, but scores of BIG actors make appearances throughout the movie. Enjoy!
June 22, 2014
THE BIG COVER REVEAL!
By Kate Collins
Ta da! Here it is!!! The long-awaited cover of my next mystery, A ROOT AWAKENING, #16 in the Flower Shop Mystery series. Isn’t it eye-catching? I love the colors – turquoise is one of my favorites -- and the way Abby’s little rescue mutt Seedy is gazing up at the tilted ladder leaning against the old Victorian. (Could that be a clue?)
But let me tell you, it didn’t start out eye-catching. In fact, it was, well -- how shall I put it – not so good on its first pass. It had me scratching my head and wondering, what the art department was thinking. They usually do a wonderful job. I’ve always liked the stylized design and the arch that separates the title from the picture. The Flower Shop Mysteries have a unique look that makes them easy to identify.
The problems with the cover on the first attempt were that the background colors were identical to one of my more recent books, and clashed with the first color of the house. And Abby’s outfit, well, trust me, her cousin Jillian, the wardrobe consultant, would’ve shuddered. No, make that she wouldn’t have let her leave the apartment. See the initials on Abby’s bag? (Abigail Christine Knight Salvare = ACKS). Magnify them ten times. That’s how gigantic they were. (However, that might have actually passed Jillian’s inspection.)
I won’t even go into the dog’s body. If you remember, the last book had Seedy with four legs, and she has just three. But I explained that OOPS moment in my last newsletter. (If you haven’t signed up for it, go to my website, www.katecollinsbooks.comand do it now before you forget. I send a newsletter only before a new book, and it always has fun stuff inside.
But a good tweaking was all it took to make this cover a stand-out. And wait till you read the mystery inside. I promise a roller-coaster of a story that will have you hanging onto the sides with white knuckles. But don’t get white-knuckled yet. The book will be out February 3, 2015, and your hands will hurt.
All writers know how important it is to have a catchy cover. The wrong colors, the wrong “look” can kill sales. This is why we work with our editors and the art department to make them right.
Do you like this cover? If you have the other books in the series (the actual paperbacks), which is your favorite?
Have a happy week.
June 21, 2014
The Lists
by Leann
As we tentatively prepare to move out of the 60's Motel from Hell aka rent house, I am making lists of what I cannot wait to do and what I won't miss. Let's start with what I won't miss:
1. The dogs who bark all night. ALL NIGHT. EVERY NIGHT.
2. Going right along with that--the dogs who roam the streets in this neighborhood, or take a nap in the street or just run at you when you are headed for the mail box. I have a dog of my own, whom I adore. She doesn't bark all night and she doesn't roam the street. It's not hard to do if you TRAIN them. Not a priority here.
3. The dust. I have never seen so much dust in my life. This house is old--
built in the 60s and has never been renovated to any degree. The stove and the oven are original. They are gross. I am not the greatest housekeeper on the planet but this dust is unbelievable. I could dust all day everyday and start again tomorrow.
4. The smell. Musty, dirty and just plain awful. I will have to throw out clothes, I am sure, because I know the smell clings to them.
Okay, enough. I could go on but the positives are so much more important and I will appreciate them so much more after this living experience.
1. The beautiful, peaceful lake.
2. A home where we have chosen everything and is fresh and clean.
3. The upgraded HVAC system to help with my asthma and allergies. We had an electrostatic prepcipitator added.
4. My own bed. We have had to use the queen size guest bed and my back has suffered.
5. The box of socks I haven't seen in two years. Funny how you can miss something as simple as a pair of socks.
6. Cooking again. I love to bake and cook and this will be my first experience with a gas range. I am SO excited as I love to bake and cook. (Yes, that is my actual new range!
7. A quiet spot to read and write. It is never quiet in this neighborhood. If people aren't shooting off their guns (yes, THAT happens) then motorcycles and other loud vehicles are barreling down the street.
Yes. Paradise truly awaits us!
As we tentatively prepare to move out of the 60's Motel from Hell aka rent house, I am making lists of what I cannot wait to do and what I won't miss. Let's start with what I won't miss:
1. The dogs who bark all night. ALL NIGHT. EVERY NIGHT.
2. Going right along with that--the dogs who roam the streets in this neighborhood, or take a nap in the street or just run at you when you are headed for the mail box. I have a dog of my own, whom I adore. She doesn't bark all night and she doesn't roam the street. It's not hard to do if you TRAIN them. Not a priority here.
3. The dust. I have never seen so much dust in my life. This house is old--
built in the 60s and has never been renovated to any degree. The stove and the oven are original. They are gross. I am not the greatest housekeeper on the planet but this dust is unbelievable. I could dust all day everyday and start again tomorrow.4. The smell. Musty, dirty and just plain awful. I will have to throw out clothes, I am sure, because I know the smell clings to them.
Okay, enough. I could go on but the positives are so much more important and I will appreciate them so much more after this living experience.
1. The beautiful, peaceful lake.
2. A home where we have chosen everything and is fresh and clean.
3. The upgraded HVAC system to help with my asthma and allergies. We had an electrostatic prepcipitator added.
4. My own bed. We have had to use the queen size guest bed and my back has suffered.
5. The box of socks I haven't seen in two years. Funny how you can miss something as simple as a pair of socks.6. Cooking again. I love to bake and cook and this will be my first experience with a gas range. I am SO excited as I love to bake and cook. (Yes, that is my actual new range!
7. A quiet spot to read and write. It is never quiet in this neighborhood. If people aren't shooting off their guns (yes, THAT happens) then motorcycles and other loud vehicles are barreling down the street.
Yes. Paradise truly awaits us!
June 20, 2014
DELA-WHERE?
by Mary Kennedy
A lot of people are confused about Delaware--first of all, many people aren't exactly sure where we are. A reader recently asked me if we were "up around Boston." Er, no, not by a long shot. Other people have a vague idea that we are "somewhere near New York, not too far from Baltimore and Washington and Philadelphia." Wow--that covers a lot of territory, doesn't it? The photo up above, by the way, is one of our lovely Delaware beaches, Rehobeth.
I live in northern Delaware, just minutes from the PA state line. Here are a few facts: it's only a 30 minute drive to the Philadelphia airport.
And Manhattan is just a 2 hour train ride away.
Washington, DC is only a two hour drive, and it's fun to explore the wonderful museums of the Smithsonian, shop in Georgetown and enjoy all the excitement city has to offer.
Baltimore is even closer, just a 90 minute drive to the Inner Harbor.
Cape May, New Jersey, is also a great place to visit, and there's a ferry from Lewes, Delaware, which is about 90 minutes away. Cape May is a wonderful, laid-back place to spend a few days.
And here in Delaware, we have Historic New Castle, one of the oldest cities in the US, established in 1651.
You can stroll along the Delaware river and go sailing. A few years ago, someone ran a contest asking Delawareans to come up with the best slogan for the Visitors and Convention center. One entry (and I hope they were kidding) was "Delaware--it's near every place else you'd rather be." Ouch. It's true we're conveniently located, but with lovely old towns, beautiful state parks and greenways, and of course, the ocean, we have a lot to offer on our own. Come see us! Mary Kennedy
A lot of people are confused about Delaware--first of all, many people aren't exactly sure where we are. A reader recently asked me if we were "up around Boston." Er, no, not by a long shot. Other people have a vague idea that we are "somewhere near New York, not too far from Baltimore and Washington and Philadelphia." Wow--that covers a lot of territory, doesn't it? The photo up above, by the way, is one of our lovely Delaware beaches, Rehobeth.
I live in northern Delaware, just minutes from the PA state line. Here are a few facts: it's only a 30 minute drive to the Philadelphia airport.
And Manhattan is just a 2 hour train ride away.
Washington, DC is only a two hour drive, and it's fun to explore the wonderful museums of the Smithsonian, shop in Georgetown and enjoy all the excitement city has to offer.
Baltimore is even closer, just a 90 minute drive to the Inner Harbor.
Cape May, New Jersey, is also a great place to visit, and there's a ferry from Lewes, Delaware, which is about 90 minutes away. Cape May is a wonderful, laid-back place to spend a few days.
And here in Delaware, we have Historic New Castle, one of the oldest cities in the US, established in 1651.
You can stroll along the Delaware river and go sailing. A few years ago, someone ran a contest asking Delawareans to come up with the best slogan for the Visitors and Convention center. One entry (and I hope they were kidding) was "Delaware--it's near every place else you'd rather be." Ouch. It's true we're conveniently located, but with lovely old towns, beautiful state parks and greenways, and of course, the ocean, we have a lot to offer on our own. Come see us! Mary Kennedy
