Kate Collins's Blog, page 192
June 9, 2014
YARN OVER MURDER---Kelly Flynn #12
by Maggie SeftonHey, hey! This past week the 12th in my Kelly Flynn Knitting Mystery series hit bookstores!
YARN OVER MURDER follows the dramatic and real life event in Northern Colorado in June 2012---the High Park Wildfire. I've included actual details of how the fire started and grew then died down then flared up again with that dangerous wind. Of course, a murder happens in the midst of all these dramatic events. :)
I just returned earlier this evening (writing this on Monday evening) from a week Back East in Northern Virginia, my hometown area, across the Potomac from Washington, DC. I spent a super hectic week visiting bookstores, Barnes & Nobles and others, in the NoVa/DC and suburban Maryland area. Three non-stop days of that, then visiting my daughter and family, then------back to the book store visits! This time, I visited bookstores in Fredericksburg, VA and Richmond, VA-----and then, I finally had the chance to escape down to the river house near the Potomac, east of Fredericksburg until you run into the Potomac. :)
Peace and quiet and lovely weather cooperating. Visiting with the great neighbors I've met. Kate's post yesterday made me smile because that's EXACTLY what I do when I get to the river house:
RELAX. :) Just sitting with a mug of hot tea on the deck looking into the deep woods that surround everything. Birds I knew from childhood singing and winging into my trees and bushes and across the road to the woods. Deer moving through the trees. Bald eages and hawks winging high in the air, then swooping into the tall trees-------peaceful. I bet my blood pressure drops 20 points just sitting there.
Do you have a favorite place to escape that relaxes you?
June 8, 2014
Pay Attention!
by Kate Collins
My patio last summerYesterday after dinner, I took my iPad outside with me to my patio table, intending to enjoy the incredibly beautiful weather. I set it up in front of me, inhaled the sweet air, and started playing games. Great activity for a nice evening, right?
Until I got so frustrated by the levels I'm on (I HATE you, Candy Crush, Farm Hero Saga, and Pet Rescue!) that I had to sit back, take a deep breath, and look around.
The water in the big pond behind my house was rippling along in a gentle flow. The light stratus clouds were feathering past. The red winged blackbird was warbling his little beak off, as were the robins, wrens, and cardinals. Two geese flew over, honking. A mallard landed in the water just off shore.
Directly in front of me, my newly planted petunias lifted their pretty, pink and yellow and white faces to the setting sun. The rose buds on my bush quivered in the breeze; and my itty bitty tomato plants bent to catch the last rays.
Feeling calmer, I opened my iPad, ready to attack that stupid game with a fresh supply of determination. I could feel my body tense, ready for the fight -- and then I thought, why am I doing this?
I see so many people with their heads bent over their phones or tablets, eyes focused, foreheads wrinkled, expression intense -- and I know that's what I must have looked like while I was trying to "play" those games. Is it play when you have to work so hard at it? Wouldn't' working at a game be an oxymoron? There is definitely a place for games, but not to the point where they're an irritant.
So I shut it off, went to get a glass of Merlot, and came back outside to take in those lovely sights all over again. And in the music of nature, I felt such a sense of peace, such a oneness with the universe, that I sat there with a smile on my face, breathing it all in until the sun disappeared. And as I sat there, ideas came to me. Ideas for the book I'm working on now, ideas for expanding my garden, ideas in general. There was no stress, no rush, just a feeling of joy.
The buzzword these days is mindfulness. That's what I experienced when I shut off the game. I was being mindful, living in the moment. There are no worries in the moment because you can't enjoy something and worry about something else at the same time. You can't hold both emotions at once. So you must choose which one you want.
Tomorrow it may rain, literally or figuratively, but I won't think about that. Because right at this moment, I choose to be at peace.
My patio last summerYesterday after dinner, I took my iPad outside with me to my patio table, intending to enjoy the incredibly beautiful weather. I set it up in front of me, inhaled the sweet air, and started playing games. Great activity for a nice evening, right?Until I got so frustrated by the levels I'm on (I HATE you, Candy Crush, Farm Hero Saga, and Pet Rescue!) that I had to sit back, take a deep breath, and look around.
The water in the big pond behind my house was rippling along in a gentle flow. The light stratus clouds were feathering past. The red winged blackbird was warbling his little beak off, as were the robins, wrens, and cardinals. Two geese flew over, honking. A mallard landed in the water just off shore.
Directly in front of me, my newly planted petunias lifted their pretty, pink and yellow and white faces to the setting sun. The rose buds on my bush quivered in the breeze; and my itty bitty tomato plants bent to catch the last rays.
Feeling calmer, I opened my iPad, ready to attack that stupid game with a fresh supply of determination. I could feel my body tense, ready for the fight -- and then I thought, why am I doing this?
I see so many people with their heads bent over their phones or tablets, eyes focused, foreheads wrinkled, expression intense -- and I know that's what I must have looked like while I was trying to "play" those games. Is it play when you have to work so hard at it? Wouldn't' working at a game be an oxymoron? There is definitely a place for games, but not to the point where they're an irritant.
So I shut it off, went to get a glass of Merlot, and came back outside to take in those lovely sights all over again. And in the music of nature, I felt such a sense of peace, such a oneness with the universe, that I sat there with a smile on my face, breathing it all in until the sun disappeared. And as I sat there, ideas came to me. Ideas for the book I'm working on now, ideas for expanding my garden, ideas in general. There was no stress, no rush, just a feeling of joy.The buzzword these days is mindfulness. That's what I experienced when I shut off the game. I was being mindful, living in the moment. There are no worries in the moment because you can't enjoy something and worry about something else at the same time. You can't hold both emotions at once. So you must choose which one you want.
Tomorrow it may rain, literally or figuratively, but I won't think about that. Because right at this moment, I choose to be at peace.
June 7, 2014
Another Month of RENT!
by Leann
For those of you who follow this blog, you know we have been building a home on the lake for a looooong time. To say I am frustrated by the delays is an understatement. Are we closer? Yes! Will it be a June move in? I don't know. I am not good at the "I don't know" part. Nothing makes me more anxious.
I decided to share some "happy pics" of the things we have done since I last shared photos. I had them paint our front door red. Red is my favorite color and the entry door makes a statement. "Enter here. We are not afraid to be bold."
Today, as the rain begins and I worry again about what can be done to get that driveway concrete poured next week, I am still excited about our new home. We designed every inch. We picked out every fixture. We will have a view that will calm and cheer us.
Here's the stove and hood vent we chose and you can see my wonderful subway tile, too.
Here's one of my very favorite light fixtures. There are three of these over the island and they have old fashioned bubble glass and "Edison" bulbs. You can see my pretty corner cabinet in the background.
This is the job they did last week. Finally a front sidewalk! Now if the rain would just hold off and we can get a driveway we will be very very close!
I can't wait to share the news of the move-in date. Soon!
For those of you who follow this blog, you know we have been building a home on the lake for a looooong time. To say I am frustrated by the delays is an understatement. Are we closer? Yes! Will it be a June move in? I don't know. I am not good at the "I don't know" part. Nothing makes me more anxious.
I decided to share some "happy pics" of the things we have done since I last shared photos. I had them paint our front door red. Red is my favorite color and the entry door makes a statement. "Enter here. We are not afraid to be bold."
Today, as the rain begins and I worry again about what can be done to get that driveway concrete poured next week, I am still excited about our new home. We designed every inch. We picked out every fixture. We will have a view that will calm and cheer us.
Here's the stove and hood vent we chose and you can see my wonderful subway tile, too.
Here's one of my very favorite light fixtures. There are three of these over the island and they have old fashioned bubble glass and "Edison" bulbs. You can see my pretty corner cabinet in the background.
This is the job they did last week. Finally a front sidewalk! Now if the rain would just hold off and we can get a driveway we will be very very close!
I can't wait to share the news of the move-in date. Soon!
June 6, 2014
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CAT IS A SOCIOPATH, Part One
by Mary Kennedy
Anyone who's watched enough Criminal Minds or CSI knows the warning signs, but I'll go through them quickly. The cat pictured above, by the way, is my cat Henry, fondly known as "Gladiator Cat." Is he a sociopath? I'll let you decide. Here are some of the criteria from the DSM V--as many of you know, I'm a clinical psychologist and the DSM V is my "bible" when it comes to diagnosing humans. (but I don't see why it wouldn't work for cats.)
Okay, here we go.
1. Sense of entitlement.
Oh please, that goes without saying. He's a cat for heaven's sake, of course he has a sense of entitlement. He wants to be fed first, he wants the best sleeping place, he wants to be groomed first and he is convinced the world revolves around him. I am a mere mortal, put on earth to serve him. If he lived in Downton Abbey, he would be Lord Grantham.
2. Disregard for the rights of others. (see number one)
Henry has no regard for any other cat's belongings, just like the cat in this photo.
3. The sense that rules are made for other people (er, cats.) Definitely, Henry believes he is above all rules, either man-made, or those in the animal kingdom. As Leona Helmsley once said, "Rules are for the little people." (I suspect she may have been a cat in another life.) Henry thinks nothing of nudging other cats aside to get at his dinner, or eating *their* dinner if he can get to it. 4. Aggressive, irritable, prone to violent outbursts. Now this is a tough one, because Henry is lovable with me, a real pussycat. However, he has a history of violence and has lost a few homes because of his temper. I called him "Gladiator Cat" when I first rescued him. He lived in the garage and I tried to gradually socialize him by allowing him into the house for meals. He was far from the ideal dinner guest. He raced into the den, made a wide swath, beating up my cats and then ran out the door. (no wonder he lost his previous homes!) 5. Criminal history . Henry managed to evade detection and has never been penalized for his crimes.
6. May possess a superficial charm.
Henry is one charming cat, I have to say! He purrs loudly, acts like I am his favorite human in the whole world and that a word or smile from me makes his day.
7. Incapable of remorse or regret, without a conscience. I'd like to think that Henry feels badly about beating up his adorable housemates, but he's given no sign of it. (sigh.)
I'd like to end on a happy note. Henry has turned into the ideal pet and has been 98% cured of his sociopathic tendencies. How, you ask? Please check back next week for Part two and I'll tell you exactly how I did it!!
Mary Kennedy
Anyone who's watched enough Criminal Minds or CSI knows the warning signs, but I'll go through them quickly. The cat pictured above, by the way, is my cat Henry, fondly known as "Gladiator Cat." Is he a sociopath? I'll let you decide. Here are some of the criteria from the DSM V--as many of you know, I'm a clinical psychologist and the DSM V is my "bible" when it comes to diagnosing humans. (but I don't see why it wouldn't work for cats.)
Okay, here we go.
1. Sense of entitlement.
Oh please, that goes without saying. He's a cat for heaven's sake, of course he has a sense of entitlement. He wants to be fed first, he wants the best sleeping place, he wants to be groomed first and he is convinced the world revolves around him. I am a mere mortal, put on earth to serve him. If he lived in Downton Abbey, he would be Lord Grantham.
2. Disregard for the rights of others. (see number one)
Henry has no regard for any other cat's belongings, just like the cat in this photo.
3. The sense that rules are made for other people (er, cats.) Definitely, Henry believes he is above all rules, either man-made, or those in the animal kingdom. As Leona Helmsley once said, "Rules are for the little people." (I suspect she may have been a cat in another life.) Henry thinks nothing of nudging other cats aside to get at his dinner, or eating *their* dinner if he can get to it. 4. Aggressive, irritable, prone to violent outbursts. Now this is a tough one, because Henry is lovable with me, a real pussycat. However, he has a history of violence and has lost a few homes because of his temper. I called him "Gladiator Cat" when I first rescued him. He lived in the garage and I tried to gradually socialize him by allowing him into the house for meals. He was far from the ideal dinner guest. He raced into the den, made a wide swath, beating up my cats and then ran out the door. (no wonder he lost his previous homes!) 5. Criminal history . Henry managed to evade detection and has never been penalized for his crimes.
6. May possess a superficial charm.
Henry is one charming cat, I have to say! He purrs loudly, acts like I am his favorite human in the whole world and that a word or smile from me makes his day.7. Incapable of remorse or regret, without a conscience. I'd like to think that Henry feels badly about beating up his adorable housemates, but he's given no sign of it. (sigh.)
I'd like to end on a happy note. Henry has turned into the ideal pet and has been 98% cured of his sociopathic tendencies. How, you ask? Please check back next week for Part two and I'll tell you exactly how I did it!!
Mary Kennedy
June 5, 2014
It's all in the recipe!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
I'm a collector of cookbooks. I have wayyyyyy too many. I love the ones that have beautiful photographs to accompany the recipes. I like to know what my food is supposed to look like (at least according to a well-paid food stylist).
Recently, I edited the latest edition of The Cozy Chicks Kitchen. Man, I have new respect for cookbook editors. It's HARD WORK. I pretty much learned editing recipes from (what I used to think were the hack jobs) of the copy editors who review my traditionally published books. The Booktown and Victoria Square mysteries both contain recipes. I learned that the directions need to follow the list of ingredients. (Nobody told me, I just figured it out after a couple of books and lots of revisions to my recipes.) That all the recipes (written by different people) need to follow the same style. I learned lots more, too, but I've put it out of my mind until the next time I'm called upon to do something similar.
Well, not ENTIRELY out of my mind. It's those cookbooks I buy that don't have terrific instructions that remind me what a good recipe is supposed to consist of.
Okay, let me clarify, not really cookBOOKs but cookBOOKLETS. Well, that's not entirely right, either. They're little digest size cookbooks that are usually done to promote products or as fundraisers for churches, schools, scouts, 4-H, etc. The recipes in these little booklets vary in quality.
For example, the directions for Monster Cookies says: Combine all ingredients together until well mixed together. Watch closely as they will burn easily. Bake about 10 minutes in a 350 oven.
Okay...should the cookie sheet be greased? Ungreased? How much constitutes a cookie? Do you roll them in balls? Do you drop them from a spoon? What sized spoon?
Million Dollar Cake: Bake in greased floured pans for 30 at 350.
Okay...what SIZE floured pans? 8 x 8? 9 x 9? 13 x 9? How about adding those dry and wet ingredients?
Sometimes it's just fun to read through these recipes just to try to find the glaring mistakes or omissions that can really play havoc with a recipe. Not that I haven't been guilty of the same. How about that peanut butter cookie recipe I supplied that had no peanut butter in it? (Gulp!)
What's your favorite kind of cookbook?
I'm a collector of cookbooks. I have wayyyyyy too many. I love the ones that have beautiful photographs to accompany the recipes. I like to know what my food is supposed to look like (at least according to a well-paid food stylist).
Recently, I edited the latest edition of The Cozy Chicks Kitchen. Man, I have new respect for cookbook editors. It's HARD WORK. I pretty much learned editing recipes from (what I used to think were the hack jobs) of the copy editors who review my traditionally published books. The Booktown and Victoria Square mysteries both contain recipes. I learned that the directions need to follow the list of ingredients. (Nobody told me, I just figured it out after a couple of books and lots of revisions to my recipes.) That all the recipes (written by different people) need to follow the same style. I learned lots more, too, but I've put it out of my mind until the next time I'm called upon to do something similar.Well, not ENTIRELY out of my mind. It's those cookbooks I buy that don't have terrific instructions that remind me what a good recipe is supposed to consist of.
Okay, let me clarify, not really cookBOOKs but cookBOOKLETS. Well, that's not entirely right, either. They're little digest size cookbooks that are usually done to promote products or as fundraisers for churches, schools, scouts, 4-H, etc. The recipes in these little booklets vary in quality.For example, the directions for Monster Cookies says: Combine all ingredients together until well mixed together. Watch closely as they will burn easily. Bake about 10 minutes in a 350 oven.
Okay...should the cookie sheet be greased? Ungreased? How much constitutes a cookie? Do you roll them in balls? Do you drop them from a spoon? What sized spoon?
Million Dollar Cake: Bake in greased floured pans for 30 at 350.
Okay...what SIZE floured pans? 8 x 8? 9 x 9? 13 x 9? How about adding those dry and wet ingredients?
Sometimes it's just fun to read through these recipes just to try to find the glaring mistakes or omissions that can really play havoc with a recipe. Not that I haven't been guilty of the same. How about that peanut butter cookie recipe I supplied that had no peanut butter in it? (Gulp!)What's your favorite kind of cookbook?
June 4, 2014
Time to toss the old author photo - eek!
Sheepishly presented by Mary Jane Maffini aka Victoria Abbott
It’s that time that all authors seem to dread. Well, those of us past the first flush of youth do. I speak of that iffiest of images: the author photo. We need our photos. They are our introduction to you, our readers. They need to look like us, only better. However, if they look too much better, we then seem ridiculous. You see the problem?
Makes me want to pull a balaclava over my head. It would solve the wrinkle problem.
I find that photos either make me look either much better or much worse than the real me. Naturally, I prefer the better version. I also like a “sort of” natural look (except for my blue nails and my prematurely blonde hair). Ever since the time I had professional photos taken and the photographer airbrushed out every wrinkle and one of my ears, I’ve asked my daughter, Victoria, to take my pix. She has let me keep my ears and some of the wrinkles. Sweet girl.
Where was I? Oh yes, after five years, I desperately need that new photo. You see, I have a new hairstyle since the last one, I’ve also lost a bit of weight, and I have been found by a few more wrinkles. Apparently, I look quite different.
I sat across from our own Maggie Sefton at dinner at a recent conference and I had to introduce myself.
She said it was the hair. But could it have been that old photo?Okay then.
So those are my two choices. Victoria did a good job with soft light, a filter and a bit of magic. The balaclava covers a multitude of flaws and you didn't get to see the rejects. Would you like to vote on the one you think I should use? And yes, none of the above is an acceptable answer. By the way, Victoria and I also had a great time taking our new shots as Victoria Abbott - our pen name for our collaboration on the book collector mysteries. We hope to share those with you as we prepare for the release of The Wolfe Widow.
Have fun and pick one. If my feelings are hurt, I’ll just have a martini. Surely, it will be five o’clock somewhere. Maybe we’ll get a shot of that.
June 3, 2014
Someone's Been Kilt!
by Hannah Reed/Deb Baker
My trip to Scotland last year was quite the experience. I loved the Scots in kilts. (Only there weren't nearly enough of them:)
Here are two manly men in kilts for your enjoyment - Colin Farrell, always cool, and Gerard Butler, who even manages to pull off pink and still retain his manly macho.
Which brings me to a plug for my new series set in the Scottish Highlands, coming October 7th. There is murder and mayhem, romance in the air, and, of course, men in kilts.
You can order now through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or from your favorite indie bookstore.
My trip to Scotland last year was quite the experience. I loved the Scots in kilts. (Only there weren't nearly enough of them:)
Here are two manly men in kilts for your enjoyment - Colin Farrell, always cool, and Gerard Butler, who even manages to pull off pink and still retain his manly macho.
Which brings me to a plug for my new series set in the Scottish Highlands, coming October 7th. There is murder and mayhem, romance in the air, and, of course, men in kilts.
You can order now through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or from your favorite indie bookstore.
June 2, 2014
Springtime Into Summer---Flower Time!
by Maggie SeftonOne of my favorite activities of late spring and early summer is planting colorful flowers. I LOVE to plant bright annuals of all kinds in lush vibrant colors. Luckily I have shady areas and sunny areas, so I can indulge myself by planting lots of pots and planters everywhere I can, especially in my front yard and approaching entry way.
So today's post on the very week of the 12th (excuse my mistake of last week----YARN OVER MURDER is #12 in the Kelly Flynn mystery series)----will be mostly photos of flowers. Share with us if you've started your gardens.....or pots.......or flower boxes.......whatever. What have you planted?
June 1, 2014
NAME THE BABY CONTEST!
by Kate Collins
As fans of the Flower Shop Mysteries know, Abby Knight's cousin Jillian is having a baby girl. Up to this point, Jillian hasn't been able to decide on a name, so I'm going to let one lucky reader choose it. Details to follow, but first, some history on Jillian.
Full name: Jillian Ophelia Knight Osborne, or JOKO, as Abby likes to tease her. The Knight family is big on initials. Abby's, for instance, (Abigail Catherine Knight Salvare) is ACKS! Her brothers Jonathan and Jordan are JAKs
Jillian is a true diva, a drama queen and fashionista. She's all about the latest trend. But her husband, the youngest of the uppity Osborne clan, is all about appearances and etiquette.
Names Jillian has considered and discarded: Rain, Snow, Park, Emerald, Isabelle (Izzy) Osborne -- way too close to Ozzie), and last but not least, Poinciana Ophelia Osborne (POO), dismissed for obvious reasons.
Now it's your turn! I need a name befitting Jillian and Claymore's daughter, a fashionable, trendy, but pretty moniker, and beware of those initials (although if they're funny, that's even better.)
Abby KnightIf I choose your entry, I will also use YOUR name in the story, and you'll get an autographed copy of any of the books in the series that you decide on. You can keep it for yourself or gift it to someone. Your name will be posted on my website, Twitter, and Facebook, as well.
Contest details are on my website: www.katecollinsbooks.com
Now have at it! I can't wait to see your ideas.
As fans of the Flower Shop Mysteries know, Abby Knight's cousin Jillian is having a baby girl. Up to this point, Jillian hasn't been able to decide on a name, so I'm going to let one lucky reader choose it. Details to follow, but first, some history on Jillian.
Full name: Jillian Ophelia Knight Osborne, or JOKO, as Abby likes to tease her. The Knight family is big on initials. Abby's, for instance, (Abigail Catherine Knight Salvare) is ACKS! Her brothers Jonathan and Jordan are JAKs
Jillian is a true diva, a drama queen and fashionista. She's all about the latest trend. But her husband, the youngest of the uppity Osborne clan, is all about appearances and etiquette.
Names Jillian has considered and discarded: Rain, Snow, Park, Emerald, Isabelle (Izzy) Osborne -- way too close to Ozzie), and last but not least, Poinciana Ophelia Osborne (POO), dismissed for obvious reasons.
Now it's your turn! I need a name befitting Jillian and Claymore's daughter, a fashionable, trendy, but pretty moniker, and beware of those initials (although if they're funny, that's even better.)
Abby KnightIf I choose your entry, I will also use YOUR name in the story, and you'll get an autographed copy of any of the books in the series that you decide on. You can keep it for yourself or gift it to someone. Your name will be posted on my website, Twitter, and Facebook, as well.Contest details are on my website: www.katecollinsbooks.com
Now have at it! I can't wait to see your ideas.
May 31, 2014
Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest
Hosted By Ellery AdamsIt's the first of the month and a chance to win an e-gift card for $10 to the bookstore of your choice).
This is how it works: I post a few lines from a cozy mystery. You post the title and author in the comment section. Then, I'll draw a random name from the winning guesses and post that person's name on this page and on Facebook by 10 p.m. on June 2nd.
Okay, here we go! Here are the lines from this month's mystery cozy:
"Murray, the local real estate mogul who had tried to develop large swathes of Cranberry Island in the past, was motivated by one thing only: money."
Ellery's helpful hint - This author is a former Cozy Chick and creates some of the funniest Facebook posts I've ever read. Good luck!
