Kate Collins's Blog, page 206

Way to Go, Denver Broncos!

by Maggie Sefton

(This photo shows Penn State University's football stadium when I joined family to watch grandson Matthew play last year).

Yes, I'm going to blatantly brag about our wonderful football team here in Colorado, the Denver Broncos and their winning the AFC Playoff Championship which earns them the ticket to the Superbowl.  They will play the NFC winner, the Seattle Seahawks  February 2nd at the Superbowl.

I grew up Back East and cheered for the Washington Redskins for most of my life, even while our family lived in Indiana at Purdue.  I was faithful to the Redskins until we moved to Colorado.  I would have stayed a Redskins fan, except my two youngest daughters were growing up in Broncos Country and they started singing the praises of the Denver Broncos and their marvelous quarterback,John Elway.

Well, I became a believer and have been a faithful Broncos fan for over twenty years now------through good times and bad times.   And if you have a favorite sports team that you cheer for, then you know what I mean.  There will be good years and bad years.  And you manage to survive the bad years by remembering the great victories of those previous games.  Like John Elway's fabled "The Drive."  And I still recall how exciting it was to watch Elway lead the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories years ago.  

Now----Elway is in charge of Football Operations and the Broncos have another quarterback, who is a legend in his own time:  Peyton Manning.   I've been an admirer and fan of Peyton Manning while he played for the Indianapolis Colts even though I was a Broncos fan.  Our family still has strong Indiana connections.  We were at Purdue for 15 years.  Daughter Christine and son-in-law Tim are Purdue grads, and have always been staunch Colts fans and big admirers of Peyton Manning.

It's hard not to admire Peyton Manning's career  accomplishments----championships, Super Bowl appearances, shock of what promised to be a career-ending back injury and his determination to recover and excel on the football field yet again.  Peyton has accomplished all of that while remaining a modest, and unassuming person, with a sense of humor.  A Class Act in my book.

So. . . .on Super Bowl Sunday, I'll definitely be cheering for my favorite Denver Broncos and all those great players and especially for Peyton Manning.  I'd love to see him get that Super Bowl win he so richly deserves.   What about you?   Will you watch the Super Bowl or go to a movie?  Do you have a favorite team?   Baseball, soccer?  

The Story Behind the Story

by Kate Collins

If you haven't seen "Saving Mr. Banks," I highly recommend it. The movie details the difficulty Walt Disney had convincing P.L. Travers to let him turn her book into a film. Emma Thompson is excellent in the role of the author and demonstrates how possessive we writers become of our characters. But what was most fascinating to me was learning who Mary Poppins was based on and why P.L. wrote about her. (Hint: it's about her childhood).

The movie got me to thinking about other classic as well as popular books and wondering why those authors chose the characters they did. How did Margaret Mitchell come up with the character of Scarlett O'Hara? Was Rhett Butler based on anyone she knew?  How about Suzanne Collins with Katniss? Who did Ian Fleming base James Bond on and why did he chose to write about a super spy?

I wish I had an equally fascinating story for my sleuth, Abby Knight, but honestly, she sprang fully formed into my mind one day. I had a vision of a 5'2" feisty, busty, 26 year-old redhead with a passion for flowers and justice, and a hatred of bullies. And yes, I do have a passion for flowers and justice, and a hatred of bullies, but trust me, 26, busty, and redheaded I am not. Feisty? Okay, I am that. Ask my friends what happens when I meet a bully.

If you could interview a famous author about a character in her or his book, who would you choose and why?

Plotting Away

by Leann

Book number 6 in the Cats in Trouble series is now in copy edits. There has been some strange delay in getting it up for pre-order, but I have bugged the powers that be enough to be certified an "annoying author." It will turn up one of these days. Despite that, I plan to share the cover art this coming Tuesday, though I do not like to do that without the ability of readers to pre-order. But it is so awesome, I cannot wait.

As one book is finished it is time to start another. That means cat antics
and insight into Jillian's past that has yet to come to light. Plotting a book is always fun. I dream about it, ideas invade my mind quite unexpectedly during the day, so the process begins before I have ever sat down to write a
synopsis. The unconscious is a powerful thing.

I have a few questions for all of you. Who would you like to see more of in this book? Who should go away and never come back? Okay, let me qualify that. Lydia won't go away. But is there some other character you'd just like to see less of or never see at all?

Book 6 is titled The Cat, The Vagabond and The Victim. Look for it because it surely has to appear soon. But the cover? Well, the big reveal is Tuesday! Watch for it!

Your Absolute YES list

by Mary Kennedy
                                                       
      
            A lot of readers told me they could really connect with last week's S.M.A.R.T method for goal-setting. (it's always nice to hear that these little hints help!) A couple of people asked me if there was some simple mantra they could use to help them stay on track with their goals. It's so easy to get distracted, and we all have so many obligations.
                                                        
      Here's a secret that I use with my clients. I ask them to make an absolute YES list and look at it several times a day.  It's simple and effective. Choose the three most *important* things you want to accomplish in the next month or two. It could be work-related, it could be a home renovation project, or it might be making plans to recharge and relax. But you can only pick three.                                                         

       Now that you've identified the three items on your list, write them down and post them in several places in the house--especially by the phone. The next time you're faced with a new obligation, an invitation, a request, ask yourself: Does this match any of the three goals on my "YES" list? Because if not, the answer has to be NO. Don't over-think it, don't prevaricate. It will feel uncomfortable saying "no," in the beginning, but you'll soon appreciate the extra hours you have to say "yes" to your goals! If a month or two seems too daunting, try your "Absolute Yes" list for a week and see what happens. You may feel more calm, more in control of your time, and more productive. Mary Kennedy

The truth about authors

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

There are a lot of misconceptions about authors. First of all, that we're all rich.  ROTFLMAO!!  Who came up with that one?  An author might have a good year once in a blue moon, but for the most part, many of us still have day jobs. (I'm lucky.  I'm not in that category...anymore.  And who'd hire me, anyway?)

Unless your name is Stephen King, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, James Patterson, or Danielle Steele, chances are you're a midlist author.  That means you can keep writing and selling books, but if they tank, you change your name and start allllll over again.  (So if you like a series--keep buying it.  Save an author from obscurity.)

Another, is that we all live fascinating lives.  (Pardon me while I laugh hysterically once again.)


Most of us live lives, if not of quiet desperation (see above and not being multi-millionaires like Stephen King, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, James Patterson, or Danielle Steele), then of tedious boredom. Perhaps that's why we have such vivid imaginations.  We live vicariously through our characters.  Most days we sit staring at a blank computer screen, waiting for the muse to visit.

This weekend, the big excitement around my house will be ... wait for it .... taking down the Christmas tree!  It might actually be a 2-day ordeal, since I not only wrap every ornament in tissue paper (and there are a LOT of ornaments on my 7' tree), but I have to take off each and every individual light enhancer.  (They go around the tree lights and make them shine twice as bright.)

What other myths about authors have you heard?

The soothing power of sweaters

by Mary Jane Maffini
If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything at all. It’s so hard to live by that “rule”. When it comes to January I am tempted to say nothing at all.  This year there have been record storms, freezing rain, power outages, and disastrous roads.  Right across the continent, it’s been colder than usual. We’re not even halfway through it. 
Never mind: there are three things I really like about January (and we’re not talking closets here). I have more time to read and knit and the chance to wear those sweaters I’ve collected over the years.  In the depths of winter, I enjoy knitting sweaters  for my family which of course includes my dogs.







 And my grand dog.

Makes me feel good.

There's something so comforting and soothing about the right sweater. Although I like to knit them, I  tend to buy my own. 
My favorite sweater is eighteen years old. I am ridiculously fond of it. I bought it in January 1996 in a consignment shop in England while on an outing with an old friend.  It was charcoal cashmere, still had the tags on it and I paid less than twenty dollars for it (ten English pounds to be more accurate.) Every time I wear it, I remember how much we enjoyed our trip to the village of Winchcombe in the Cotswolds and our troop around historic Sudeley Castle and its grounds.  I remember laughing in the rain and being glad to have that sweater in the damp and chilly climate. I also remember that it’s time to work around the six hour time difference and call my old friend in England.
All to say, that sweater has a certain power to make me relax. So, let it go to minus 30. Let it blow. Let it snow. I may not be happy about it, but I will be ready, reading in my comfy chair with my ancient sweater with the happy history.  Thank you, January.  I hope you all found this sufficiently snuggly. But what about you? Are you attached to a piece of clothing? Does something you wear have special memories? Does it make you happy?  Let’s hear about it!

The January 2014 Report

* * * * * * * * * *Welcome to Dru's Cozy Report: January 2014. This month I have two new series for your reading pleasure, and highlights from recent releases. Enjoy!



Paws For Murder by Annie Knox is the first book in the new "Pet Boutique" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, January 2014

Izzy McHale wants her new Trendy Tails Pet Boutique in Merryville, Minnesota, to be the height of canine couture and feline fashions. But at the store’s opening, it turns out it’s a human who’s dressed to kill.

Izzy’s own beloved pets are dressed to the nines for the grand opening of Trendy Tails. Feisty feline Jinx is large and in charge, and happy mutt Packer is lapping up the attention. Izzy and her best friend Rena have their hands full meeting Merryville’s menagerie and serving tasty pupcakes and kitty canapes from their “barkery.” The last thing they need is Sherry Harper, the town's local activist, scaring off customers and getting tongues wagging by picketing the event.

The two manage to stop Sherry’s protest in its tracks, but the trouble for Trendy Tails is just beginning. Sherry is found murdered in back of the shop, and Rena is immediately named as the lead suspect. Now Izzy and her furry friends have a new pet project—collaring a killer.

As many cozy mysteries that I read, I liked this one as it was quite different in that you never really saw the police investigating this murder, but instead you had a Izzy, our heroine and Sean, the lawyer, looking for others with a stronger motive to have murdered the local activist than Izzy’s best friend.

This was a fast-paced, action-filled drama that once I started I could not put down. I love the comfortable tone and the ease at which each chapter flowed from one to the other. The author did a great job in keeping the suspense going and it was fun narrowing down the list of suspects as each clue gathered kept the pages turning in this wonderful tailor-made mystery.

It was fun getting to know each of the main characters including their four-legged friends, from Izzy, to her sisters, and family and friends. The author description of the animals outfit had me looking for a picture of Packer in his cute little Hells Angel’s outfit.

With a lovable, yet quirky cast of characters, witty and engaging dialogue and a feel good atmosphere, this book is full of tailor-made charm and I can’t wait to see what adventures awaits Izzy and her friends in this wonderful addition to the cozy genre field.

Visit Annie at annieknoxauthor.com

FTC Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book, in hopes I would review it. Forget Me Knot by Mary Marks is the first book in the new "Quilting" mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, January 2014

Welcome to San Fernando Valley, California, where Martha Rose and her coterie of quilters are enjoying life on the good side of retirement—until murder pulls a stitch out of their plans.

Martha and her besties Lucy and Birdie are set to expand their Quilty Tuesdays by inviting newcomer Claire Terry into their group. Though at forty Claire's a tad younger than their average age, her crafty reputation could perk up their patchwork proceedings, especially as they prepare for the fancy quilt show coming to town. But when they arrive at Claire's home and find her dead inside the front door, and her exquisite, prize-winning quilts soon missing, Martha is not one to leave a mystery unravelled. Especially if she wants to stop a killer from establishing a deadly pattern.

The author did a good job in delivering a fast-paced, fun and lighthearted whodunit centered around three quilters who happened to find the dead body of another quilter and what followed was their eagerness to find a murderer who’s hiding in plain sight. With plenty of suspects to choose from, I loved the twists and turns the mystery took as it rapidly pulled me into an intriguing storyline where secrets are uncovered and threats are made. Everyone had a role to play and it was done in a way that each clue gathered took us closer to the killer’s identity.

This was an enjoyable read featuring a lovable cast of characters and good conversations in this engaging debut novel. You don’t necessarily have to be a quilter to enjoy this book, but the tidbits and tips will add to a quilter’s repertoire. I look forward to more exploits with Martha and her friends in this lovely new series.

Visit Mary at marymarksmysteries.com

FTC Disclosure - The author sent me a copy of this book, in hopes I would review it. Other books released this month:

Pecan Pies and Homicide by Ellery Adams

Owning the Charmed Pie Shoppe and serving enchanted treats in the magical town of Havenwood, Georgia, seemed like a little slice of heaven for Ella Mae LeFaye. But now her hopes for both a lasting romance with Hugh Dylan and business success are starting to seem like pie in the sky, and Ella’s left wondering: Where has the magic gone?

When an enchanted grove is set ablaze, Ella realizes she has more grave problems. With her magic waning, she’s going to have to sleuth from scratch to stop an arsonist who has no respect for sacred ground—or human life.

Release: January 2014
Series: Charmed Pie Shoppe #3
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime A Dark and Stormy Knit by Anne Canadeo

Knitting graffiti, in Plum Harbor? Maggie Messina doubts it could ever happen in her quiet village. Until the new parking meters on Main Street are found covered with cat-faced cozies. In the dark of night, the mysterious Knit Kats have struck again! The infamous gang of stitching graffiti artists are totally harmless, and their pranks all in good fun. Or so Maggie and her friends think. Until a yarn-covered corpse is discovered a few days later—the tangles identical to Knit Kat handiwork.

These threads of evidence should be easy to follow. But the clever Knit Kats hide behind a website and secret identities. The murderer could be anyone. A familiar face in town, even a copy Kat. But when Maggie’s assistant, Phoebe, becomes the prime suspect, the knitting friends know the police have dropped a few stitches. With no time to rest on their needles, the Black Sheep set out to unmask the crafty killer. No simple task, when all Knit Kats look the same in the dark.

Release: January 2014
Series: Black Sheep Knitting #6
Publisher: Gallery Books Playing With Fire by J. J. Cook

Fire Chief Stella Griffin is working to solve the mysterious death of her predecessor, Eric Gamlyn—who also haunts her cabin. Yet the more she learns, the more burning questions she must answer. Just as Stella thinks she has a lead from Deputy Chum, someone snuffs her hopes—and the lawman.

Adding fuel to the fire, Stella’s parents soon arrive—with her ex-boyfriend—hoping to persuade her to return to Chicago. Now Stella is torn between the life she left behind and uncovering what happened to her ghostly friend. But she’d better think fast or more than her investigation could go up in flames.

Release: January 2014
Series: Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade #2
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Murder Sends a Postcard by Christy Fifield

Residents of Keyhole Bay, Florida, are dismayed when Bridget McKenna, an auditor in chic attire, arrives to assess the local bank’s shady dealings. Curious about the new arrival, Glory brings dinner to Bridget at her temporary residence—the notorious Bayvue Estates, a halted development complex with no view and no estates – just a couple of hastily-completed model homes .

Bridget’s assignment is to figure out where all the money went. But someone wants to keep her in the dark permanently. When Glory finds out her new friend won’t be leaving town alive, she knows she and Bluebeard will have to catch a killer and unravel a financial scandal before it leads to more murderous mayhem…

Release: January 2014
Series: Haunted Souvenir Shop #3
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Death of a Chocoholic by Lee Hollis

Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell is not looking for love this Valentine's Day. Of course she also isn't planning on looking for a murderer.

Fed up with dating after a disastrous setup, the only thing Hayley wants to snuggle up to is a box of made-to-order chocolates from plus-sized, plus-mouthed chocolatier Bessie Winthrop. But when Bessie is found dead in her kitchen, only Hayley suspects that Bessie's "heart attack" might actually be a candy-coated murder.

Turns out Bessie had more enemies than a boxful of chocolates, each one a suspicious flavour. It's sticky business juggling a job, two teenagers and finding a killer, but it's better than letting a killer find Hayley first.

Release: January 2014
Series: Hayley Powell #4
Publisher: Kensington Home of the Braised by Julie Hyzy

Tensions are running high as the White House staff adjusts to a new chief usher and prepares for a high-stakes state dinner, where everything must be perfect. But as the date for the event approaches, things go disastrously wrong when the secretary of defense is found dead in his home, seemingly killed during a break-in.

At the same time Olivia’s fiancé, Gav, is looking into the mysterious murder of an old friend. Is there a connection? Despite an increase in security following the secretary’s death, Ollie learns the president is in imminent danger at the dinner and must do everything in her power to get to him—before it’s too late.

Release: January 2014
Series: White House Chef #7
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Zero-Degree Murder by M.L. Rowland

As a volunteer for Timber Creek Search and Rescue, missing out on holiday festivities is nothing new to Gracie. After all, disasters don’t stop happening because of a cooked turkey. So when Gracie is called out on Thanksgiving for four hikers missing in the wilderness of Southern California, she packs up her gear and heads out to find them.

The mission quickly goes from routine to deadly. An early season blizzard sets in. The one missing person the team does find, famous actor Rob Christian, remembers being attacked by someone else on the trail, someone trying to kill him. And Gracie’s partner leaves to get backup, taking the radio—their only link to the outside world—with him.

Alone in the mountains, Gracie will have to use all her expertise to keep Rob alive. But with an unknown killer lurking somewhere in the dark, even that might not be enough to save them.

Release: January 2014
Series: Search and Rescue #1
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Murder Strikes A Pose by Tracy Weber

When George and Bella—a homeless alcoholic and his intimidating German shepherd—disturb the peace outside her studio, yoga instructor Kate Davidson’s Zen-like calm is stretched to the breaking point. Kate tries to get rid of them before Bella scares the yoga pants off her students. Instead, the three form an unlikely friendship.

One night Kate finds George’s body behind her studio. The police dismiss his murder as a drug-related street crime, but she knows George wasn’t a dealer. So Kate starts digging into George’s past while also looking for someone to adopt Bella before she’s sent to the big dog park in the sky. With the murderer nipping at her heels, Kate has to work fast or her next Corpse Pose may be for real.

Release: January 2014
Series: Downward Dog #1
Publisher: Midnight Ink

Downton Abbey Drama

by Maggie Sefton


I've been watching the PBS series, Downton Abbey, ever since the first season debuted three years ago in January 2011.  The multiple storylines captivated me from the start, and the wonderful actors that brought each character to life were marvelous.  I have been a regular viewer of the wonderful PBS series, Masterpiece Theatre, for decades.  Really.  :)  So, of course, I quickly tuned in to the first episode of Downton Abbey, and am I glad I did.

The creator, Julian Fellowes,  and the  screenwriters/script writers have never disappointed the audience with boring and predictable storytelling.  Far from it.  Each of the main and supporting characters has his or her distinctive  character arc and storyline.  And the creator and creative writers have never shied away from traumatic and tragic events.  Consequently, at the end of last year's third season, I---like the rest of the Downton Abbey audience---watched in horror as a beloved character was senselessly killed in a car accident.  I'm sure my reaction mirrored millions of viewers all over:  "Ohhhh noooooooo! Not . . . "

Since that was the Season Three ending episode, the audience eagerly awaited the start of Season Four last week.   We were not disappointed.   New complex storylines emerged, offering all sorts of complications.  And our favorite characters were there. . .at least most of them.  So. . . .I was definitely not prepared for the shocking and disturbing plot turn that occurred at the end of last Sunday's episode.  Shocking is putting it mildly.  And, disturbing is not an exaggeration.  Those dramatic scenes kept playing through my mind and kept me from falling asleep easily Sunday.  Talk about dramatic storytelling.   Every viewer will be glued to their screens next week to see what happens in the next episode.  I'm starting to worry already.

Of course, I'm a novelist and a storyteller, so perhaps my reaction to that traumatic "plot event" is unusual.  So, I'm curious, Cozy Chicks Blog readers and fans-----what were your reactions to that Downton Abbey episode?   Tell us, please.  
     

IS THERE A NEW FACEBOOK?

by Kate Collins
 
Writers, artists, musicians, and anyone in the creative arts, depend on getting the word out about our work through social media. At first it was MySpace, and then suddenly Facebook burst onto the scene like gangbusters.
Then Twitter appeared, followed by Google Plus, followed by Instagram, followed by ….the next big thing.
The question becomes, where do we promote? As a writer, I need to spend hours on my current work-in-progress, but for the past six or seven years, I’ve had to carve out more and more time for Internet work.  So where do I focus my attention?
I keep hearing more and more complaints about Facebook, so I know it’s a matter of time until people find something they like better and shift over. And that will mean that we authors/artists/musicians will need to shift, too. But there are so many social media sites coming out now that it’s impossible to predict which one will be the new Facebook.
Are you still on Facebook or have you found a better place to socialize? Is Instagram becoming more than just a place to share photos? And what about Google Plus? Do you use it?

I wish there was a social media guru, or one place where everyone could go and not have the rules change constantly. Don’t you?

The House is Becoming a Home!

by Leann

The long journey to build a house in a new state after more than 35 years in Texas is getting to what I consider the "good part." Not that I haven't learned the importance of crawl spaces, venting, insulation and soffits. But let's be real--it's not very exciting.

I now have bought appliances (fun and yes these are two of my choices!)




and I have made the difficult tile decisions. Honestly, that was probably the hardest choice I've had to make. I remember from our last house that I had a really difficult time choosing tile. 

The cabinet maker is busy, the first coat of paint is on the wall and the outdoor "boxing" is happening in starts and stops. The weather, as all of you know, hasn't exactly cooperated. Boxing was something I didn't know about--at least I didn't know the term. It's all that outdoor trim work where the roof ends and the brick begins. No one worked during the "polar vortex" and I don't blame them. Now we have the monsoons, but it should clear up by next week and that "boxing" should be finished.

But the most exciting development is the wood floor. That's the part that
really helps me finally visualize MY HOME. Soon, I will no longer be living in a glorified storage facility and it's getting hard to be patient. Writing about it all makes me happy. This has been quite the journey!