Kate Collins's Blog, page 251

Inspiration from other venues

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

Over the summer, Mr. L and I have enjoyed the antics of Doc Martin.  What an odd duck.  I said, "this guy has to have Aspergers Syndrome."  Sure enough, by the second season he'd been accused of having Aspergers by someone sent to investigate him from (one assumes) The National Health.
Of course flawed characters are endlessly fascinating to me.  In fact, I'm getting known for writing believably flawed characters.  My Jeff Resnick character seems to carry the most baggage, with Tricia Miles coming in a close second, and Katie Bonner the sanest of the lot.  (Good old Katie.)

(By the way, the first Jeff Resnick book, Murder On The Mind is STILL FREE for Kindle, and all other ebook formats.)

While watching an episode of Doc Martin, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to wrap up a subplot that's been building in the Booktown Books.  I gave it a lot of thought over the next couple of days and wrote the scene where Tricia learns a devastating truth about her past.  (Boy, that was fun!)

More than one person as told me that Tricia is a doormat and they are annoyed by the way she puts up with Angelica.  I posed these questions to the latest person who said that:  Have you got an older sibling?  Have they changed that much since childhood?  If they annoyed you then, do they annoy you now?  Have you ever had the upper hand?  Do you just abandon your sibling and walk away?

Do you hear the sound of crickets in the background?
Is the situation between Doc Martin and Tricia the same?  Not in the least, but his situation got me thinking about her situation (and the fact that it needs resolution). Will this big revelation change the relationship between Tricia and Angelica?  Probably not.  As their grandmother was famous for saying, "a leopard doesn't change its spots."  You are what you are.  Angelica is always going to be the bossy older sister, and Tricia will put up with her for one reason and one reason only:  she loves her.  And when you love someone, you love them--warts and all.


We've finished all the episodes and we've loved all.  After a couple of months, I'll revisit crabby old Doc Martin and the people in Portween.  Meanwhile, as I work to finish the next Booktown Mystery, I can't wait to see what else befalls Tricia and Angelica.  It's gonna be a bumpy, but fun ride.

P.S.  Don't forget -- the latest Booktown Mystery is  Murder On The Half Shelf.

Inspriation from other venues

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

Over the summer, Mr. L and I have enjoyed the antics of Doc Martin.  What an odd duck.  I said, "this guy has to have Aspergers Syndrome."  Sure enough, by the second season he'd been accused of having Aspergers by someone sent to investigate him from (one assumes) The National Health.
Of course flawed characters are endlessly fascinating to me.  In fact, I'm getting known for writing believably flawed characters.  My Jeff Resnick character seems to carry the most baggage, with Tricia Miles coming in a close second, and Katie Bonner the sanest of the lot.  (Good old Katie.)

(By the way, the first Jeff Resnick book, Murder On The Mind is STILL FREE for Kindle, and all other ebook formats.)

While watching an episode of Doc Martin, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to wrap up a subplot that's been building in the Booktown Books.  I gave it a lot of thought over the next couple of days and wrote the scene where Tricia learns a devastating truth about her past.  (Boy, that was fun!)

More than one person as told me that Tricia is a doormat and they are annoyed by the way she puts up with Angelica.  I posed these questions to the latest person who said that:  Have you got an older sibling?  Have they changed that much since childhood?  If they annoyed you then, do they annoy you now?  Have you ever had the upper hand?  Do you just abandon your sibling and walk away?

Do you hear the sound of crickets in the background?
Is the situation between Doc Martin and Tricia the same?  Not in the least, but his situation got me thinking about her situation (and the fact that it needs resolution). Will this big revelation change the relationship between Tricia and Angelica?  Probably not.  As their grandmother was famous for saying, "a leopard doesn't change its spots."  You are what you are.  Angelica is always going to be the bossy older sister, and Tricia will put up with her for one reason and one reason only:  she loves her.  And when you love someone, you love them--warts and all.


We've finished all the episodes and we've loved all.  After a couple of months, I'll revisit crabby old Doc Martin and the people in Portween.  Meanwhile, as I work to finish the next Booktown Mystery, I can't wait to see what else befalls Tricia and Angelica.  It's gonna be a bumpy, but fun ride.

P.S.  Don't forget -- the latest Booktown Mystery is  Murder On The Half Shelf.

Just Cause

by Julie

I need help with a plot point for the next White House Chef mystery. But, in order to request specific help, I need to divulge some key plot points from FONDUING FATHERS and I don't want to do that. This story builds on that one and FF doesn't come out until December. I hope to have a whole chunk of #7 written by then. But to do that I need my plot.

Are you starting to see my problem?

Ollie's life is turned upside down in FONDUING FATHERS. A lot happens to her, personally, and I want to tell everybody what's coming for her, but I know I need to keep that secret.

Keeping secrets for others is easy, because I know better than to share what isn't mine to tell. But keeping secrets for myself is hard. Gosh, I want to spill.

Sigh. But I can't.

Suffice it to say that Ollie encounters a problem early on in the story and I need a sensible reason for her to investigate. But I can't say more than that right now, so I guess I'll just muddle through on my own.

In the meantime, I'll ask for your help on this question: Let's say I need have a background "cause" that other characters in the story support. I don't want to make it a political issue because that'll just get ugly. I'm trying to come up with a cause... an active group that supports something that would be hard to argue with. And, I'd like it to be a domestic issue.

My current front-runner is something along the lines of the ASPCA. I'd fictionalize it for my purposes. Who can argue against kindness to animals, right?

Do you have any suggestions? Any "cause" you know of that wouldn't rise political ire?

Throw 'em at me. I'm all ears![image error]

St. Joseph To The Rescue

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed


Mr. and I have decided to sell the home we’ve enjoyed for the last 20+ years, the place where we raised our kids. It’s too large for just the two of us, and really, it deserves another family torpedoing down the halls and writing on the walls:)

Only the housing market has bottomed out. Everybody is holding tight, worried about the economy and their futures.

That means it’s time to bring out the big gun – St. Joseph!  And appeal to him for help!

Before we moved here, when we had to sell our starter home, I drove across town to a Catholic gift store for a statue. Back home, I asked Mr. to bury it properly – upside down, facing the house. A week later, we still hadn’t had any house action.

“Where exactly did you bury the statue?” I wanted to know.

“Um.”

Not a reassuring response. “Where?”

“Er…Um…I tossed it in the window well.”

“WHAT?” After correcting the situation myself, our home sold in just a few days.

This time I’m not leaving the job to an amateur. I’ve ordered the statue, directions, and prayer card from Amazon, and as soon as it comes, I’ll bury St. Joseph just right, in the perfect spot.

I better go house hunting! [image error]

New TV Season

by Maggie Sefton




The new Fall TV season started while I was away in Washington, DC and was busy meeting readers almost every night the last two weeks in September.  Consequently, I missed the beginning episodes of some of the newest TV series offered this season.  So, if you've seen any of these that I've missed, jump in and let me know what happened in the opening episodes.  New shows debuting this season that have caught my eye:
ARROW---This is a fascinating concept---the time period is definitely a contemporary time period, but with some changes in the worlds the hero or heroine occupies.  Apparently the hero was lost on some isolated island somewhere and finally discovered.  Again, I missed the first episode, so jump in there if I have it wrong.  What fascinated me, however, is the hero's worldview has changed during his sojourn away and he's come back as a vindicator of sorts.  And his weapons of choice are high-tech arrows, capable of penetrating walls, metal, etc.  Obviously, willing suspension of disbelief is required here.  I'll give it a few episodes and see what happens.  
REVOLUTION---This is a sci-fi type "us vs. them" action show.  Should be interesting to see what happens.  Again, I missed the beginning.
Returning TV programs & continuing series:
My favorite returning drama---REVENGE---is back and the action has shifted into a higher gear.  More characters from the past---but new to the series viewers---are appearing, and new plotlines opening up.  More conflicts, new relationships, new opportunities for betrayal and----revenge.  Excellent.  Actors are perfect in their roles. 
PERSON OF INTEREST---This show also has racheted up the tension and the action.  A wonderful villain---female mastermind and villain supreme---is there and intent to do harm to Finch and Rhys.  And yet, they still attempt to save the lives of persons whom the "computer" has shown are at risk of death.  This is an ensemble cast and they work beautifully with each other.  A thinking show as well as action.  Excellent villains.  So the conflicts are challenges.
FRINGE----Not only has this fifth year of the series ramped up the action, it's also turned its world on its ear.  It opened 21 years in the future when the world is ruled by The Observers.  The stalwart crew of Walter, Peter, Olivia, and Astrid have been sealed in amber for 21 years and are finally liberated by new cast members who will guide them through a world where they are mastered by no-longer benevolent Observers.  

NIKITA---The 3rd season debut was last week, and the first episode showed the changes that Division has undergone.  Nikita and the CIA guy are in charge, and they're having to round up the "Dirty Thirty," the 30 rogue agents that went AWOL when the power had shifted to Nikita and others working to oust Evil Percy, the former head.  Nonstop action like always.  And another ensemble cast that works beautifully together.  Lots of sharp fast humor as well.
BLUE BLOODS----I haven't checked on this new season yet.
Have any of you been watching the new & old programs?  What do you think?  

The Clothing Experiment

by Kate Collins

I read an article in a newspaper about a woman who had a hard time getting rid of her old clothing. She hung onto things for years, even decades, because she felt a sentimental attachment to them. She finally decided that the only way she was going to be able to cull her wardrobe was to wear every single item in it for one day each.
So she did. Some things she found so uncomfortable, that it was an easy decision. Some things were so out of style she felt foolish in them. Other things she was able to repurpose by combining them with newer articles. She was so attached to one particular item that she decided to put it in a box and store it. But then she had to ask herself, what good would that do? Would I ever take it out of the box and look at it? Does having it stored make me feel better? If her answers were yes, she kept the piece. If not, buh-bye.
I can so understand her feelings about her clothing. There are a lot of items in my closet that I haven’t been able to part with because my husband picked them out. I have other pieces that were fashionable in their time and cost a pretty penny. They, too, have stayed.  But I’ll be moving soon and need to condense my clothing to fit in a smaller closet, so I’ve decided to try the experiment.
Having to wear the items all day is a real endurance test, let me tell you.  But three days into it, I’ve got two tops in the donation pile and one shirt that’s staying. Up for tomorrow is a pencil shirt in light blue that I always thought looked a little sloppy on me. If I’m able to keep it on all day and feel good in it, it’s a keeper.  
Actually, the experiment is kind of fun. Would you be daring enough to try it? Do you hang onto clothing for sentimental reasons?

========================

Oops!  I inadvertently posted last Monday -- on Dru's Cozy Report day.  The post received a lot of comments before it was rescheduled.  Here they are.  (Keep them coming!)

Linda McDonald said...

    I am in the process right now of going through every room, closet,and drawer in my house. So far I've made three trips to the goodwill and two to the library bookstore. The motto is: if I don't use it or love it I don't need it. There have been a few things I've thought about keeping, but then I've realized they have been sitting in the house for the past 10 years out of sight, and it would be much better to donate them and let someone else love and use them. But, yes there are a few articles of clothes I'll keep for sentimental reasons (they are in the love category). Good luck Kate. I think it is a good thing that you are doing your experiment.
    October 15, 2012 12:07 AM


Bella-Cozy Mystery Book Reviews said...

    I used to, but since I had kids (who are now 4yos) I have used a tip my mom told me - if you haven't worn it in a year then it should go. That's my motto now.
    October 15, 2012 12:15 AM


Book Dragon said...

    no way and absolutely!

    I've got clothes that are too small as well as too big in my closet, laundry room, and boxed up. Some I keep for sentimental reasons, some for hope (that they'll fit again).

    I'm not one of those women that gets all dressed up then doesn't go anywhere. I may shower first thing but I stay in comfy clothes for as long as possible.

    I do like the idea of "if I can't were this all day why do I keep it". Thank you so much for sharing
    October 15, 2012 12:17 AM

Adrienne said...

    Kate...I often thought that if someone came over and held up each item and asked me "Have you worn this in a year?" it would be easier for me to have HER put it in a give away pile. So as soon as you're done with your closet and it's only got clothes you wear/love, please come over and help me. I promise to make something delicious to have on our many breaks. I figure it'll take at least a week! Wishing you lots of success in your experiment. You'll be an inspiration for all of us slackers so be sure to let us know how it goes! Adrienne in MN :-)
    October 15, 2012 1:07 AM

Sarah M. said...

    Kate:

    Brava! I hate going through stuff due to a "drop and run" lifestyle making a living and working on my writing and blog. I'm finally an Empty Nester and love being a grandma. (A young grandma, but a grandma nonetheless.)

    Recently my husband and I joined Weight Watchers and took off 40 pounds each. Long overdue. Then we had that Good Problem to Have: way too many huge clothes. This time, it was easy to get rid of a van load of stuff! But I dutifully tried every piece back on to see what was salvageable. The answer? Not much.

    I've never been so happy to get rid of things in my closet in my life.

    I like your idea, though, of making yourself wear things and see if you still really like them or just think you do. I've kept back a representative outfit or two, such as my favorite jeans from high school, but one or two items like that don't take up much space.

    Great subject for all Packrats.

    Bless you in your ongoing endeavors,
    Sarah Gunning Moser
    Bellevue, WA
    October 15, 2012 3:06 AM

LD Masterson said...

    I came up with a new test for going through old clothes. I used to ask myself, "Will I ever wear this again?" And I usually convinced myself I would (especially if sentiment was involved). Now I ask myself, "If this were stolen, would I run right out and buy a replacement?" If I wouldn't need a new one, I don't need that one. It works for me.
    October 15, 2012 3:10 AM

Aurian said...

    Great post Kate! I went through my closet last year, and gave away 12 garbage bags full of old clothes. I kept a lot too, but to be honest, I have not touched those clothes I did keep. So, time for another run to the Salvation Army.
    I cleaned my closet to make room for my boyfriends clothes when he moved in. Otherwise my motto is: if the closet can handle it, don't throw it away yet. But when he moved in, I went through all my closets and threw away many many junk.
    But not one single book of course ;)
    October 15, 2012 3:27 AM

Book Dragon said...

    grr, the word I wanted is wear

    Adrienne in MN: would it be better to come in Spring or Fall. I don't think I could handle your Winters. Then you could come here (California) during the summer and we could have long breaks at the beach.

    LD: great question!
    October 15, 2012 3:32 AM

Mardel said...

    I have a problem with getting rid of clothes - even t-shirts that are "manly" and have sayings or say...a wolf picture on it. I always think it'll be comfortable to wear but then I notice I haven't actually worn them in a very long time....so maybe I should try this experiment also. It's a good thing for a lot of us women to try, makes sense and should be easy to do, right? Thanks for this very timely post - my closet is so crammed with clothes that I don't wear that there isn't even room to hang up the clothes I DO wear. ;) which is very silly of me.
    October 15, 2012 5:13 AM






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There's a Cat on My Head!

by Leann

My husband has been gone the past week hunting. That means Rosie the dog and Wexford the cat can take up as much room as possible in the bed at night. In fact, they actually started being increasingly annoying about WHEN we would go to bed--as in begging, barking, scratching furniture and toppling stuff off the table next to me. Yes. They own me.

Friday night I stayed up way too late, enjoying my last evening off before the husband came home. I was tired and I thought since Wexford had bothered me so much about going to bed that he was tired, too. Nope. He's more about making sure where I am than going right to sleep. But I thought the dog was knocked out completely. Wrong there, too.

Perhaps I need to backtrack. Since we moved in to this lovely temporary home, I have been bothered by hives and insect bites--and sometimes I wake up with bites on my face. Last weekend I sprayed bug killer under the bed and attached a piece of fly paper to the wall near where I sleep as I was seeing tiny little gnats at times.

Friday night, I was just dozing off when all of a sudden there is a chase--a very noisy frantic chase, I might add. The cat ended up using my head as a launching pad and the dog was hot on his tail. She ran over me, too. What in the HECK was going on? No more dozing. Up I got, wanting to know what was with these two fur friends--who had just become bed enemies. The dog was sitting in the living room looking very guilty. I didn't know why. Then, before I could go to sleep again, I heard the cat under the bed playing with a rattling toy. A LOT. I went to sleep, woke up to the rattling toy again about 3 AM and then was finally forced to get up T 7. THE NOISE! Oh, and my head hurt. That's when I found blood matted in my hair. A mirror revealed a four inch scratch on my scalp, still oozing a little. Thank you, Wexford!

But my unhappiness with my fur friends turned to laughter when I was at the back glass door waiting for Rosie to finish her business. I heard the rattling toy again. Only it wasn't a toy. Wexford came into the kitchen with fly paper stuck firmly to his side, the little attached tube dragging noisily on the floor. No wonder he'd freaked out. He had what he probably thought was a snake clinging to his body all night--and the dog probably thought so too and thus the late night chase. Wexford didn't protest at all when I pulled the fly paper off of him--along with quite a bit of hair. Payback for the scratch on my head, and the wonderful bruise on my arm, I decided.

Ever have a night like that? I'd love to hear about it. :-)[image error]

It Might Be Time

By Heather
I’ve been traveling a lot lately. A LOT. Here, there, everywhere. Some for writing, some for family to-dos.

Seven weekends ago, I was in North Carolina.

Six weekends ago, I was in Chicago.
Five weekends ago, I was in Gainesville, Florida.
Three weekends ago, I went to Louisville.
Two weekends ago I was in Cleveland for Bouchercon, one of the biggest mystery conferences around.
Last weekend I was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
It was in Alabamathat an incident occurred that made me think that it might be good to stay home for a while.
Here’s how it went down...
After a loooong ride to Alabamafrom Cincinnati, Mr. W and I had checked into the hotel, dropped off our stuff, and went out to dinner. When we came back, I pulled the keycard out of my purse and swiped it through the lock. Once, twice, three times. I double-checked the room number to make sure that I was swiping the right lock (I was). I tried the card again. Turned it upside down, backwards. The thing just wouldn’t work. 
Mr. W was just about to try his hand at it when I noticed something unusual about the card...
It was for the Marriott in Cleveland – not the Country Inn and Suites in Tuscaloosa.
Oops. Turns out I had quite the stash of keycards in my purse from various trips.
Now, Mr. W thinks this is a cautionary tale about not cleaning out my purse more often (ha!), but I think it’s a clear sign that I need to stay home for a while... 
Either way, I still laugh just thinking about if I had brought that card to the desk and complained about it not working.Thank goodness it didn't come to that.
Any trips on your horizon?[image error]

Start carving that pumpkin (or gutting that squash)

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

Last week (or was it the week before?) the food reporter at our local newspaper wrote a story about pumpkin seeds and how WONDERFUL they are if you roast them.  Somewhere in the article she mentioned that if you weren't going to carve a pumpkin to feel free to roast any squash seeds.

Can you say "big light bulb going off above my head?"

Ha!  Saturday I went to the local farmers market and bought a big bag of different squashes.  Mr. L voted for acorn squash, so I scraped out the messy stuff and he finished the job by fine-tuning the squash and doctoring them with butter and brown sugar, and then  he baked it.

[image error]

I cleaned the seeds, for they were icky and slimy, dried them off a bit, stuck them on a small tray, drizzled them with olive oil and sea salt (McCormack sells it in a jar with a grinder for dirt cheap) and stuck them in the toaster oven at 350F.

[image error]

About 35 or so minutes later, they were done.

[image error]

We were rather shocked that instead of tasting like pumpkin seeds (which they weren't) they tasted more like movie popcorn.  What's with that?  Anyway, we LOVED them.  I can't wait to gut another squash.

Do you roast squash seeds, and if so -- how do you cook them and what flavors do you add?[image error]

Presidential fun

by Julie

You know what's more fun than writing the White House Chef Mystery series? Collecting White House goodies! I've picked up a few knick-knacks and souvenirs over my many trips to Washington, D.C. and I have a sizable (huge!) library of White House-based books, movies, cookbooks, and other paraphernalia.

My favorite White House items, however, are those that have been given to me by good friends. Some have arrived by mail, some have been presented in person and I am so incredibly lucky to have such thoughtful people in my life. Before I received my first Secret Service medallion (see the group, pictured), I didn't even know such things were out there for "regular people" to acquire. Wow. You may not be able to make out the little crab at the far right, bottom. That was a Secret Service pin from the Baltimore, Maryland field office. Did an agent actually ever use it? No way to tell, but I love it just the same.

The plates are reproductions of presidential china. They're smaller than actual dinner plates may be, produced by The Danbury Mint. I received twelve as a very thoughtful gift. Now I'm hooked and on the lookout for more.

I don't know what drives people to collect but I am having a wonderful time building my collection. As I said, I've picked up quite a bit on my own, and I'm thrilled with my finds. But I cherish every gift I've received that adds to my stash and thought it would be fun to share a couple of photos with you today.

These two pictures represent only a small portion of the White House goodies I have here.

What do you collect? How did you get started?