Kate Collins's Blog, page 23
November 4, 2019
Changing Seasons
by Maggie SeftonMy favorite Fall pie: Pecan
I really love the Fall. Maybe because the changes that occur in Nature are so dramatic. And, I'm a novelist after all, so I love "dramatic" events/things/occasions. All of it. Here in Northern Colorado, lastt week brought the lower temps necessary to to start those dramatic changes in the weather and in Nature surrounding us.
Thanksgiving Turkey will be coming into grocery stores now.
Temps started going down the day after Halloween, sparing Trick or Treaters from getting too cold. This week has started the shedding of leaves from the trees. The tall Maple tree in my front yard is almost bare. And the Maple and Cottonwood trees in the back yard are starting to shed their leaves, too. I hope all of you are ready, because Fall is here :) .
Some of my grandchildren roasting marshmallows in the fireplace at the River House. We were making S'mores.
November 3, 2019
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?
By Mary Kennedy
This is probably the most frequent question writers face--at conferences, in classes or during interviews. And of course, there is no right answer. Most of us don't really know where we get our ideas. And some of us, I'm ashamed to say, give flippant replies. One of my friends always says breezily, "Oh, you know, I buy them at the idea store." She follows this with a big smile, but I bet people find her answer irritating.
Another friend (who shall be nameless, I don't want to embarrass her) says, "Oh that's easy. I steal them. It sure beats trying to think them up myself!" And then she gives a merry laugh. Not condoning her silly response. I think she's just fed up with answering the same question so many times.
The fact is, ideas are elusive, mercurial. If you look at them too closely, they fade like frost on a window pane. Some ideas are "book worthy," some are just passing fancies. Kind of like people you meet at a cocktail party. They drift across the edges of our consciousness, never to return.
Ideas can come from so many places, including snippets of conversation. I was riding a cross town bus in Manhattan when I overheard a conversation between two women sitting behind me. One woman said, "So how are Howard and Sylvia doing? I haven't heard from them in awhile." Her friend replied, "Not so good. You know, things have never been the same since he threw her through that plate glass window."
It was hard not to gasp. They both got off at the next stop so I never heard the rest of Howard and Sylvia's story. That idea stayed with me for a long time, though. What kind of woman would stay with a man who threw her through a plate glass window? Would any of my characters ever do that? If Howard was murdered, would Sylvia be the prime suspect? Would Sylvia play the forgiveness card and then secretly plan his demise?
A snippet of a song can lead to a book idea. I was watching The Big Chill (an old movie but a favorite) and heard the famous lyrics from the Rolling Stones:
And, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you might find
You get what you need.
Definitely some good book material there! And food for thought.
Someone once said that writers are like sponges, absorbing sights, sounds, impressions and ideas all day long; a never-ending stream flowing across our brains. Some are good, some are okay, some are terrific. The smell of freshly cut grass, hearing the words from a long-forgotten song, the sound of a screen door banging shut on a hot summer night, the patterns the sunlight makes as it filters through the trees, this is all grist for the mill. We'll tuck it away and it will all turn up in a book sometime. Nothing is wasted.
Writers are always thinking, recording, taking mental notes about our surroundings. We can't help it. We do it automatically. I think it's in our DNA.
One of my friends said to me, "Are you always thinking about books? Always coming up with ideas for plots and characters and settings?"
Busted! "Yes, I am. Why?"
"Well, it's sort of annoying," she told me.
"Sorry," I said. "It goes with the territory."
But was I really sorry? Probably not. Where would I be without ideas? No ideas, no books! No books, no readers. So I guess I'll keep on thinking and welcoming those elusive ideas...
Happy reading, Mary Kennedy
This is probably the most frequent question writers face--at conferences, in classes or during interviews. And of course, there is no right answer. Most of us don't really know where we get our ideas. And some of us, I'm ashamed to say, give flippant replies. One of my friends always says breezily, "Oh, you know, I buy them at the idea store." She follows this with a big smile, but I bet people find her answer irritating.
Another friend (who shall be nameless, I don't want to embarrass her) says, "Oh that's easy. I steal them. It sure beats trying to think them up myself!" And then she gives a merry laugh. Not condoning her silly response. I think she's just fed up with answering the same question so many times.
The fact is, ideas are elusive, mercurial. If you look at them too closely, they fade like frost on a window pane. Some ideas are "book worthy," some are just passing fancies. Kind of like people you meet at a cocktail party. They drift across the edges of our consciousness, never to return.
Ideas can come from so many places, including snippets of conversation. I was riding a cross town bus in Manhattan when I overheard a conversation between two women sitting behind me. One woman said, "So how are Howard and Sylvia doing? I haven't heard from them in awhile." Her friend replied, "Not so good. You know, things have never been the same since he threw her through that plate glass window."
It was hard not to gasp. They both got off at the next stop so I never heard the rest of Howard and Sylvia's story. That idea stayed with me for a long time, though. What kind of woman would stay with a man who threw her through a plate glass window? Would any of my characters ever do that? If Howard was murdered, would Sylvia be the prime suspect? Would Sylvia play the forgiveness card and then secretly plan his demise?
A snippet of a song can lead to a book idea. I was watching The Big Chill (an old movie but a favorite) and heard the famous lyrics from the Rolling Stones:
And, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you might find
You get what you need.
Definitely some good book material there! And food for thought.
Someone once said that writers are like sponges, absorbing sights, sounds, impressions and ideas all day long; a never-ending stream flowing across our brains. Some are good, some are okay, some are terrific. The smell of freshly cut grass, hearing the words from a long-forgotten song, the sound of a screen door banging shut on a hot summer night, the patterns the sunlight makes as it filters through the trees, this is all grist for the mill. We'll tuck it away and it will all turn up in a book sometime. Nothing is wasted.
Writers are always thinking, recording, taking mental notes about our surroundings. We can't help it. We do it automatically. I think it's in our DNA.
One of my friends said to me, "Are you always thinking about books? Always coming up with ideas for plots and characters and settings?"
Busted! "Yes, I am. Why?"
"Well, it's sort of annoying," she told me.
"Sorry," I said. "It goes with the territory."
But was I really sorry? Probably not. Where would I be without ideas? No ideas, no books! No books, no readers. So I guess I'll keep on thinking and welcoming those elusive ideas...
Happy reading, Mary Kennedy
November 1, 2019
Changing with the season
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
A few years back, I didn't decorate for any holiday other than Christmas. Then I discovered YouTube videos and all the decorating challenges and collaborations. It's a whole network of women (and a few men) who decorate their homes with thrift-store finds and Dollar Tree hauls.
Truthfully, I've lost my taste for Dollar Tree hauls. Most of the stuff is cheap (hey, it only costs a buck) and the expectation is that it will be tossed in short time. That doesn't sit right with me. I whole-heartedly believe in recycling, which is why I have decided to cut back my visits to the Dollar Tree and heartily embrace thrifting.
And I've done it! If I want to buy an item to decorate my home, I will try to get it secondhand, either through yard, rummage, or thrift store sales. I even apply that to clothing. The items I buy new are socks, underwear, and jeans. I might buy a new T-shirt if I go to a tourist site, but for the most part, I buy secondhand. And it's not because I can't afford to buy new. But in my soul I'm a picker. (Did I mention I had a booth in an antiques/collectibles arcade for 12 years?) As a child, I wore my "cousin" Barbara's hand-me-downs. I never bothered me because those dresses were new to me.
I've tried to stop using so much plastic, but it's hard.
When Mr. L and I go out to lunch, often we only eat half of what we order. We have a fiber-mesh bag (originally from a winery and meant to hold 4 bottles of wine that I got free at a yard sale) that I cut out the segments, and now perfectly holds two reusable plastic containers. Now we don't have to use plastic or Styrofoam containers.
Back to my decorating finds...95% of my fall decor was previously enjoyed by someone else. I have no plans to buy anymore Christmas stuff. I already have a full storage closest full of it. But thanks to yard and rummage sales, I can now decorate my home (and for dirt cheap) for every season.
"Oh, but you're an author. You must be rich!"
Ha! Did you know that publishers only pay authors twice a year? In April and October we can shoot the wad, but for the rest of the year we're watching our pennies. (Try telling the utility company you only get paid twice a year. Can you say "Collection Agency?")
But I digress.
So, Halloween is over and now it's time to decorate for Thanksgiving. I don't have much for that holiday, but the colorful pumpkins and faux autumn leaves can hang out until the fourth week of the month. I have two carved Pilgrims my Dad made, a beauty of a brown transferware turkey platter, and a couple of 1950s turkey candles (never burned). I'll haul them out this weekend and enjoy them for the month and then it will be full-out CHRISTMAS 24/7. I love it! Mr. L...not so much.
So, what are your decorating plans for the next month?
A few years back, I didn't decorate for any holiday other than Christmas. Then I discovered YouTube videos and all the decorating challenges and collaborations. It's a whole network of women (and a few men) who decorate their homes with thrift-store finds and Dollar Tree hauls.Truthfully, I've lost my taste for Dollar Tree hauls. Most of the stuff is cheap (hey, it only costs a buck) and the expectation is that it will be tossed in short time. That doesn't sit right with me. I whole-heartedly believe in recycling, which is why I have decided to cut back my visits to the Dollar Tree and heartily embrace thrifting.
And I've done it! If I want to buy an item to decorate my home, I will try to get it secondhand, either through yard, rummage, or thrift store sales. I even apply that to clothing. The items I buy new are socks, underwear, and jeans. I might buy a new T-shirt if I go to a tourist site, but for the most part, I buy secondhand. And it's not because I can't afford to buy new. But in my soul I'm a picker. (Did I mention I had a booth in an antiques/collectibles arcade for 12 years?) As a child, I wore my "cousin" Barbara's hand-me-downs. I never bothered me because those dresses were new to me.I've tried to stop using so much plastic, but it's hard.
When Mr. L and I go out to lunch, often we only eat half of what we order. We have a fiber-mesh bag (originally from a winery and meant to hold 4 bottles of wine that I got free at a yard sale) that I cut out the segments, and now perfectly holds two reusable plastic containers. Now we don't have to use plastic or Styrofoam containers.Back to my decorating finds...95% of my fall decor was previously enjoyed by someone else. I have no plans to buy anymore Christmas stuff. I already have a full storage closest full of it. But thanks to yard and rummage sales, I can now decorate my home (and for dirt cheap) for every season.
"Oh, but you're an author. You must be rich!"
Ha! Did you know that publishers only pay authors twice a year? In April and October we can shoot the wad, but for the rest of the year we're watching our pennies. (Try telling the utility company you only get paid twice a year. Can you say "Collection Agency?")
But I digress.
So, Halloween is over and now it's time to decorate for Thanksgiving. I don't have much for that holiday, but the colorful pumpkins and faux autumn leaves can hang out until the fourth week of the month. I have two carved Pilgrims my Dad made, a beauty of a brown transferware turkey platter, and a couple of 1950s turkey candles (never burned). I'll haul them out this weekend and enjoy them for the month and then it will be full-out CHRISTMAS 24/7. I love it! Mr. L...not so much.So, what are your decorating plans for the next month?
October 30, 2019
"Wood" You Shop Here?
by Karen Rose Smith
Recently my husband and I went for a drive through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Since my Daisy's Tea Garden cozy mystery series is set in PA Amish country, I like to take an occasional drive though the area to soak in the Amish way of life which was immediately evident as we veered off the Old Philadelphia Pike onto several side roads that wound through Amish homesteads and farms. It was a beautiful fall day and the horse-drawn farm equipment was active preparing the fields for winter and next spring's crops. Amish scooter cycles were being maneuvered along the country roads and wash was strung on pulley lines from the houses to the barn roofs.
The Amish operate many of the business establishments along the main route. I always enjoy shopping in these stores and appreciating the hand crafted quilts, wall hangings, garden ornaments and furniture.
We stopped at a small coffee shop in the town of Intercourse for a quiet lunch. I enjoyed watching the horse and buggies clopping along the street and the multitude of tourists who were enjoying the shops and outdoor entertainment at Kettle Village, directly across the street.
Sharing the same building as the coffee shop was a furniture store with locally-crafted pieces, many from reclaimed wood. This shop immediately reminded me of WOODS, the business that is owned and operated by Jonas Groft in my tea garden mysteries. Daisy often makes the short trek down the main street in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania, the fictional town I created based in historic Lancaster County, to visit Jonas.
Jonas makes many of the pieces featured in his shop, most made from reclaimed wood he often travels to purchase. Sometimes wood is found in old buildings that are being demolished or renovated. Daisy often observes the chairs lined in cubicles along one wall of the shop, very similar to the display in the store we discovered in Intercourse. They also featured tabletops which could be mounted on the pedestal bases of your choice, reclaimed wood mantles, and beautiful doors.
Some unusual items also caught my attention. The shelf planter bicycle would be the perfect addition for a porch or sun room. There were also many signs made from reclaimed wood, some with just a single word, others with more thought-provoking messages.
I really enjoyed this visit to a shop that took me to a place that I had created in my imagination and shared on the written page. I truly felt friendliness, warmth and peace knowing that such places truly do exist.
*************
Coming in December!
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
In Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Daisy Swanson has a tea shop to run, a daughter to marry off—and a murder to solve . . .
Daisy’s worried one of her employees at Daisy’s Tea Garden may be in a spot of trouble. Lately Karina’s been loading up on soup and second-day baked goods at the end of her shift—and while the shop’s scrumptious treats may be hard to resist, Daisy suspects there’s more going on, especially since Karina has been seen hanging out in a rundown part of Willow Creek.
Planning her own daughter’s wedding is enough to keep her busy, but Daisy can’t help feeling a protective maternal instinct—and an instinct to investigate. It turns out Karina has been helping a down-on-his luck single dad who’s been making ends meet—barely—by selling antiques at a place called Pirated Treasures.
But when an employee at the antiques store is bludgeoned to death with a marble rolling pin, Karina’s new friend is suspect number one. Though the motives are muddy and steeped in intrigue, Daisy is more than determined to flush the real killer out.
MURDER WITH CHERRY TARTS on Amazon
MURDER WITH CHERRY TARTS on Barnes and Noble
Recently my husband and I went for a drive through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Since my Daisy's Tea Garden cozy mystery series is set in PA Amish country, I like to take an occasional drive though the area to soak in the Amish way of life which was immediately evident as we veered off the Old Philadelphia Pike onto several side roads that wound through Amish homesteads and farms. It was a beautiful fall day and the horse-drawn farm equipment was active preparing the fields for winter and next spring's crops. Amish scooter cycles were being maneuvered along the country roads and wash was strung on pulley lines from the houses to the barn roofs.
The Amish operate many of the business establishments along the main route. I always enjoy shopping in these stores and appreciating the hand crafted quilts, wall hangings, garden ornaments and furniture.
We stopped at a small coffee shop in the town of Intercourse for a quiet lunch. I enjoyed watching the horse and buggies clopping along the street and the multitude of tourists who were enjoying the shops and outdoor entertainment at Kettle Village, directly across the street.
Sharing the same building as the coffee shop was a furniture store with locally-crafted pieces, many from reclaimed wood. This shop immediately reminded me of WOODS, the business that is owned and operated by Jonas Groft in my tea garden mysteries. Daisy often makes the short trek down the main street in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania, the fictional town I created based in historic Lancaster County, to visit Jonas.
Jonas makes many of the pieces featured in his shop, most made from reclaimed wood he often travels to purchase. Sometimes wood is found in old buildings that are being demolished or renovated. Daisy often observes the chairs lined in cubicles along one wall of the shop, very similar to the display in the store we discovered in Intercourse. They also featured tabletops which could be mounted on the pedestal bases of your choice, reclaimed wood mantles, and beautiful doors.
Some unusual items also caught my attention. The shelf planter bicycle would be the perfect addition for a porch or sun room. There were also many signs made from reclaimed wood, some with just a single word, others with more thought-provoking messages.I really enjoyed this visit to a shop that took me to a place that I had created in my imagination and shared on the written page. I truly felt friendliness, warmth and peace knowing that such places truly do exist.
*************
Coming in December!
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
In Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Daisy Swanson has a tea shop to run, a daughter to marry off—and a murder to solve . . .
Daisy’s worried one of her employees at Daisy’s Tea Garden may be in a spot of trouble. Lately Karina’s been loading up on soup and second-day baked goods at the end of her shift—and while the shop’s scrumptious treats may be hard to resist, Daisy suspects there’s more going on, especially since Karina has been seen hanging out in a rundown part of Willow Creek.
Planning her own daughter’s wedding is enough to keep her busy, but Daisy can’t help feeling a protective maternal instinct—and an instinct to investigate. It turns out Karina has been helping a down-on-his luck single dad who’s been making ends meet—barely—by selling antiques at a place called Pirated Treasures.
But when an employee at the antiques store is bludgeoned to death with a marble rolling pin, Karina’s new friend is suspect number one. Though the motives are muddy and steeped in intrigue, Daisy is more than determined to flush the real killer out.
MURDER WITH CHERRY TARTS on Amazon
MURDER WITH CHERRY TARTS on Barnes and Noble
October 29, 2019
Happy Fall!!!!!!
Hi, Everyone! Duffy Brown here and I think fall is the best season of all. Maybe because the leaves change colors, temps drop, Halloween is just around the corner, it’s time to drag out the sweaters, time for kids to go back to school.For me it’s the food! Then again for me it’s always the food. I love to eat. (I never did understand the protein drink thing. Where’s the crunch? But that’s another blog) Some people eat to live, and then there’s me who lives to eat!Now that it’s October I’m already thinking apple pie. I love pie! Pumpkin and pecan are my favs. I even learned to make that lattice top crust so my pie looks cute. ‘course it looks a lot cuter with a scoop of ice cream on top.
And then there’s the pot roast. Fall is so pot roast season. A chunk of beef surrounded by gravy and carrots and potatoes and peas and did I mention the gravy? And what is pot roast without popovers! I finally bought a non-stick popover pan. Nothing better than bread that is all crusty on the outside and warm and hollow in the inside. Yummmm. And of course it has no calories because of the hollow part.And then there’re root veggies. I gotta tell you I’m not a veggie person but roasted turnips, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, fennel are the best.But the very best autumn food is doughnuts. Okay, I know you can eat doughnuts anytime but a doughnut with hot apple cider is amazing. A just out of the fryer doughnut and sitting around an open fire on a chilly night with hot cider and the stars overhead is what autumn is all about.So what about you? Now that September is here what part of autumn are you looking forward to the most?Happy Autumn!Hugs, DuffyHalloween Soon
by Maggie Sefton
Halloween
by Maggie Sefton
Enjoy Trick or Treating!
Enjoy Trick or Treating!
Halloween Time
by Maggie Sefton
by Maggie SeftonI love these photos of my Halloween decor...
by Maggie SeftonI love these photos of my Halloween decorations from last year, so I'm sharing them again. I'll be putting out these decorations.
Halloween Fun
by Maggie SeftonI love these photos of my Halloween decorations from last year, so I'm sharing them again. I'll be putting out these decorations.
