Kate Collins's Blog, page 256

My pretty, pretty teacup(s)

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

For a number of years, I've been collecting teacups.  I know, I know -- very frivolous.  But, what is life without beauty? 

[image error] Last week Mr. L and I went to Niagara On The Lake, one of the (if not THE) prettiest villages in Canada, and had tea at the Prince Of Wales Hotel.  Lovely, just lovely. While there, I bought a bag of scones from one of the local bakeries. I froze them and yesterday I decided to have one for breakfast.

Can you say "yum-yum?"

It was de-lish!  Of course, I couldn't have it and drink my tea out of an ordinary mug. Okay, my mugs aren't really ordinary. Most of them have a story behind them. Christmas or birthday gifts.  Bought as souvenirs on one of our many vacations over the past twenty-plus years.

[image error] I have about twenty cups in my collection, but it seems like when I decide to drink tea from any of them ... I'm attracted to the same one.

As it happens, I described it in the 4th Booktown Mystery, Chapter & Hearse. Tricia was visiting the mother of the latest murder victim and this happened to be one of the cups on her shelf. Actually, Mrs. Roth's dining room is actually my dining room.  I needed a description and there I was sitting at the dining room table and ... the next thing you know ....

So it was that I ate my lovely scone and drank from one of my favorite cups. Did the tea and scone taste any better because of the pretty china?

You bet your booty!

Do you have a favorite china tea cup?  If so, please tell us about it--and the story that goes with it.
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[image error] Just as a reminder, if you like scones and other teatime recipes -- boy, can I (and the Chicks) help you out!  Try recipes from my Recipes To Die For: A Victoria Square Cookbook, and the Cozy Chicks Kitchen.  Yum-yum, eat it up!

Cozy Conversation and a Contest!

We Cozy Chicks love to chat among ourselves. Recently we were talking about our writing spaces and we decided that we should turn this into a fun blog post ... and contest. 

It's your turn to be an amateur sleuth!

As you hear about our desks and our particular clutter or cleanliness, read closely for clues. Each of the desks pictured below belongs to one of the Cozy Chicks. See if you can match up which desk is whose.

Then be sure to comment below - those who get them all correct will have their names thrown in a hat and one winner will receive some great cozy swag (so please include your email address!). If no one gets them all right, we'll draw a name from all commenters. How fun is that?


Desk ASee? Added incentive to join in the conversation! We'd love to hear about your desk or workspace, too!

I got the conversation going with a simple question: 

Julie: Hey, CozyChicks, I'm about to start working on a new manuscript. But before I
begin a new project, I always have to clear the clutter that piled up while
writing the last book.  What about you ladies? What's
your relationship with your writing space?

Lorraine:  When I think of my writing workspace, there’s only one word to describe it:  messy.


Desk BJulie: Ha! Me too. I truly have a love/hate relationship with my desk. I adore writing here, but despise how messy it gets. It's *crazy* the amount of stuff that collects. Time for me to clear out.


Lorraine:When I initially set up my office, I had such good intentions to keep it neat and tidy.  The rest of my house is tidy, but not my workspace.  The problem is that I don’t have a lot of storage space and I keep ordering bookmarks, postcards, and books.  Whenever I tidy one area, another picks up the slack.  It was so bad, that for three years I answered my email on my PC and took my laptop into the dining room to write. 

[image error] Desk CKate: Because I have to have a neat desk, the real personality of my workspace lies in the bookshelves behind my desk, where I keep my reference books, cookbooks, CD player, CDs, mementos, photos and meaningful knickknacks. Across from my desk is a bright, cheerful modernistic oil painting, and to my left are big windows that look out onto my backyard and the woods beyond, where I often see deer.
Desk D
Heather: A few years ago, the “formal living room” was converted into my office. Lots of bookshelves, a cozy chaise, billowy curtains, all my knickknacks...  I had grand plans of working in there all day, every day, but as life would have it, I work mostly on my laptop in my favorite chair in the family room. But when I’m on deadline and need to buckle down, I head straight to my desk and my PC (which doesn’t have Internet) and get straight to work. Deadline or no, my desk is always in disarray. I’m a clutter-bug, but it’s organized chaos—I know precisely where everything is under the mess.



Desk EDeb: When my son moved out a few years ago, I finally got my own office (with a view even). I love this space, and find it really conducive to creativity, although it’s almost too comfortable. I social network way too much. My cat celebrated her seventeenth birthday in August, and she thinks my desk belongs to her. If nothing else, she keeps me organized. I found the crow in a little shop in Kennebunkport. He keeps me in line.

Desk F
Lorraine:  What I love most about my office/workspace are the wonderful things I’ve collected over the years to decorate it.  Pictures, knick-knacks, and other flotsam and jetsam which I can’t seem to part with.


What I’m most proud of is the framed cover for Bookplate Special and the New York Times listing that accompanies it.  I was the first Berkley Prime Time author to crack the top 20, and my publisher rewarded me with that gift. 
Ellery/Jennifer: My desk was my mom's and I've been coveting it for years. It has a really cool history. It's called a Campaign Desk because it comes apart in three pieces in order to be carried on horses or camels. According to the London antique dealer who sold this to my parents a few decades ago, the desk belonged to an officer who fought in the Boer Wars. I hardly made such important decisions on my desk, but I like to think that it's seen quite a bit and now has to deal with me and four cats!


Desk GKate: I like my office during the afternoons when the sun streams in, but hate it in the mornings because it's gloomy. I can't write in a cave. If I could change one thing about it, I'd change the orientation to the sun. Because I'm moving in a few months to a new house with a smaller office, it'll be a challenge to make that workspace as convenient as this one. On the plus side, it'll be much sunnier. On the minus side, it'll look out onto the street, not the woods.

Julie: Leann, you've just moved. How's that going? How does it affect where you write?
Leann: The photo I submitted is my desk as I now know it. Not too different from the desk I left behind--except there is no space for my research books, my notes, my bottled water, my cortisone cream, my eyeglass cleaner, my latest craft project, my notepads, my ipad ... okay, you get the idea. What I like about this desk? It's comfortable, it's clean and there's room for my cat and my dog. Always good to end on a positive note, right?
Desk HMaggie: It's a good thing I'm back home in Northern VA, suburbs WashDC, that way I can't send a photo of my messy work area(s) back in my House/home in Colorado. Yes, there are more than one. Now, I move around with my laptop. I'll work beside the living room windows in my rocking chair, on the sofa stretched out, outside relaxed on my chaise lounge in the shade, outside in the front yard in a lawn chair beneath the shady maple tree. And yes---small piles of papers have started appearing on one of the living room end tables. Arrrgh! I'm hopeless!

Kate: When I write, I need a cup of tea sitting nearby. I often forget to drink it, but having it there is comforting. I usually write in silence (there's enough chattering taking place in my head) but on the occasion that I need a soothing distraction, I go to my main man Mozart. I've tried other musicians but always find myself gravitating to Wolfgang. I always have to start my writing sessions with ten minutes of Free Cell. It's like having recess before school starts. 

Julie: For me, I need silence. Complete silence. And a mug of hot coffee first thing in the morning.

Kate: My office is the best place to write because I know when I enter the room, I'm at work. When I use my laptop around the house, I tend to do things like email, shopping, and Facebook. I need the confines of an office to tell my brain "you're at work now, buddy. Shape up!

...You've seen the pictures and heard the stories, now see if you can guess which photo belongs to which author. You can win some fun cozy swag!! Bookmarks, postcards, a recipe, a button, and a teapot cookie cutter!

Don't forget to tell us about your workspace, too. If no one guesses all eight spaces correctly by Wednesday, September 13th, we'll draw names from all commenters. Lorraine will post the winner's name on Thursday, September 14th.

Have fun!

September - A New Beginning

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

Summer's coming to a close, ushering in a new season, a new beginning. School has started, the Packers first season game is approaching, a maple tree down the road is already changing its colors.

Time to start a new project (in my case Beewitched, book 5 in the Queen Bee series). Autumn is my most productive time of the year. I can really crank now. Is it because I lollygagged all summer? Is it the clean, crisp smell of cooler weather on its way? I don't know, but I'm ready to rock and roll.
Are you with me? What's your 'game' plan for September?

A Full House

 by Maggie Sefton  (who is annoyed with Blogger because it suddenly went blue and underlined)

Wow!  These past two weeks have flown by, filled with birthdays, anniversaries, and family celebrations.  I'm still here in Northern Virginia--Fairfax County, to be specific--at my daughter Christine's home along with my in-laws, Nancy & Jim Zanellato from Crown Point, Indiana.  Along with my daughter, son-in-law Tim, and three grandchildren (grandson Matthew is off to college now) make for a very full house.  But, we're all old pros at handling large family gatherings.  We fill up all the bedrooms, the downstairs sofa, and Natale and AnaSofa double up in her bedroom.  I'm on the downstairs sofa and am quite comfortable.  I proudly proclaim myself the Queen of Sofa Sleepers, if there is such a thing.  :)  Since I've made it a point of traveling a LOT since the Kelly Flynn Mysteries first debuted in June 2005, I've slept on a lot of sofas, believe me.  Freeloading on Family and Friends, I call it.  Hey. . .I'm a good guest!  I'm neat and tidy, clean up after myself, and always treat my hosts to a very nice dinner at their favorite restaurant while there. 


Monday night will be the last night for me and for Nancy and Jim.  (I'm writing this post on Labor Day).  We three will be clearing out Tuesday morning.  Nancy and Jim will drive back to their Indiana home.  And I will head to another Northern Virginia location, Vienna, VA.  It's right next to McLean, VA which is on the edge of my old hometown of Arlington---which is beside the Potomac River, right across from Washington, DC.   My oldest, dearest friends---
Nancy & Diane---both live in Vienna with their husbands.  Nancy & Diane are the closest things to sisters I've ever had, and those friendships grow dearer and more precious over the years.

After that, I'll be staying alone at my daughter Maria's Arlington condo apartment while she's out of town on  business for three weeks.  Her location is super convenient for me to slip into Washington on the Metro and disappear among the tourists----laptop in backpack---so I can start writing the third in the Molly Malone Suspense series.  Meanwhile, I'll also be doing book events for DEADLY POLITICS, first in the series, during the month of September.  

But tonight, the family will gather for Natale's 14th birthday dinner at her favorite Japanese steakhouse. And cake when we return home.  That leaves only one more family birthday for next weekend when the clan will gather and celebrate yet again.   And, yes------that means more cake.  :)

Did you travel over the Labor Day weekend?  Any family birthdays or celebrations?

Procrastinators Unite . . . When You Get Around To It

By Kate Collins
Are you a procrastinator? Do you put off tasks until the last minute – or beyond? Well, boy, do I have a book for you! It’s called, “The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing,”  by John Perry.
Sounds like it’s written about me.
After I saw a review of the book last week, I’d meant to write this post right away, but, well, if you’re a procrastinator, you know how that goes. Even today, as I headed toward my office to write this, I remembered that the dryer had dinged about half an hour ago, so I had to turn around and head back to the laundry room to fold towels. Then of course, they had to be carried upstairs to the bathroom. While I was there, I noticed that I needed to clean the mirror. With those tasks done, I headed back for my office and saw that the pillows on the sofa were crooked. Can’t have that!
I finally made it to my desk but couldn’t begin to write until I’d played at least 3 games of Free Cell. It’s a ritual that I do every time I sit down at my computer. It goes by the name of Lollygagging.
I’m not that way about everything.  I do manage to make my appointments on time, however I’m never early.  And except for when my beloved husband passed, I always finish books by their due dates, but I thank God for deadlines. They keep me honest. I know I have to write a certain number of pages daily in order to finish by the deadline, so if I dawdle, I have to make up that lost time somewhere, often by sitting at the computer until half the evening is over.
You’d think that would teach me to stop dilly-dallying, but that’s the thing about us procrastinators. We never learn.
Have any thoughts on procrastinators? Are you one, or do you live with one, and if so, how do you cope? Share your comments . . . if you get around to it.

Living in a Cheap Motel

by Leann

I have said since we moved into this 50-year-old rental house that it's like living in 1960's style motel. The grungy tile in the bathroom, the shower stall with enough soap scum on the walls to plaster a ceiling, the creaky floor, the thermostat that never really works--it's either too hot or too cold, no in between. Yup. Cheap motel-ish.

The good news is we have two bedrooms for storage and one to sleep in. There is plenty of room for our washer and dryer and my new fridge. The oven is iffy and I've burned just about everything I've tried to cook on the ancient electric range. But I'll figure it out. The landlord has been kind enough to put up handrails on the steps that lead outside in two places. Good thing, because I could win Klutz of the Year award even under perfect conditions.

But the sinks are slow to drain, every time the air conditioner cycles off, the duct work makes a "boom" sound that sends animals scurrying for cover and there are many many insects outside, even after I had the exterminator come. I keep telling myself this is temporary. We'll move as soon as we find the right house plan--which I hope happens quickly.

So I told my daughter about how this house is like living in a bad 60's motel and she decided we needed an "accent piece" for our new abode. And here it is!

This is our new and lovely ceramic horse ASHTRAY!! Perfect for the motel ambiance. I am so excited! (And am so grateful my daughter and I have the same sense of humor.)

What about you? Did you ever get the perfect gift from someone who knew you well?


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Not So Ordinary Coffee Cake

By Lucy Arlington
(This is a continuation of my posts that sample recipes from The Cozy Chicks Kitchen  cookbook.)
When I was a child, my aunt used to bake a coffee cake that was so delicious, my family would devour it as soon as we were allowed to cut into it. Sweet buttery cake, with cinnamon and walnuts interspersed throughout. Oh, my mouth waters to think about it.

Many years later, when I grew up and had my own home and family, my baking skills evolved. I tried many new recipes, made my own special cakes, and for a long time the idea of a coffee cake seemed just too ordinary for me. I never asked my aunt for her recipe.
She died last year at the age of 96 after a long and full life. Lately, I’ve been thinking about her coffee cake, remembering how scrumptious it was and how good a piece would taste mid-morning with a cup of coffee.
Last week I was scheduled to host my art group and wanted to make one to serve to my fellow artists, so I was thrilled to find in The Cozy Chicks Kitchen cookbook a recipe for a coffee cake that comes pretty darn close to my aunt’s. (Page 92) The cake is delectably rich, with just the right amount of cinnamon and nuts. Thank you Heather, for including this recipe in the cookbook.
Suzannah Ruggieri’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Heather Webber/Heather Blake An important note from Lucy about the recipe: Although sour cream is in the ingredients list, nowhere in the instructions does it mention what to do with it. So I’ve inserted in instruction #5 where I added it to the cake. You might want to write that in your copy.




Ingredients2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking soda1 cup sugar½ cup butter2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla16 ounces sour cream
The good stuff:¾ cup chopped walnuts1½ teaspoon cinnamon¼ cup sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a Bundt pan. 2. In a small bowl, combine the good stuff. Set aside.3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 4. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add two eggs and beat by hand. Add in vanilla. 5. Gradually add contents of small bowl into the large bowl, mixing slowly, and alternating it with additions of the sour cream. Begin and end with the flour. 6. Alternate batter, good stuff, batter, good stuff, batter, good stuff, into a greased pan. 7. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!
========================P.S.  Did you buy the print edition of the cookbook and wish you could have it signed?  Guess what?  We've got free bookplates   signed by all the contributing Chicks! To get yours, just write to us, give us your snail mail address, and we'll send you one (plus a few Cozy Chicks bookmarks).  Our email address is: cozychicks(at)gmail(dot)com -- Please put BOOKPLATE in the subject header.  Thanks!



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A new-to-you cozy mystery by ... yours truly

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

What do you do with a perfectly good manuscript that's sitting on the shelf?

These days, you publish it, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

The problem?  Way back in the day (we're talking 2004), I sent the 2nd Jeff Resnick book (Room At the Inn) to my agent.  She read the first three chapter and told me, "I won't represent this.  It's a cozy."  PIty she didn't read the rest of the book. It does have a cozy setting (a country inn in Stowe, Vermont), but it's still a Jeff Resnick book, and that means it's gritter than my Booktown or Victoria Square books.

She went on to say, "Write another book.  You have lots of ideas."  The problem was, I was working full time, I was running my own little business, and I didn't have lots of ideas or time.  I started the book and then lost my job, which did give me the time to write and finish it (in record time, I might add). I decided to set Dead In Red three months after the first book (where the original second book happened six months after the first), and I borrowed elements from that book and incorporated them into Dead In Red. I will admit, Dead in Red is a lot grittier and violent than Room At The Inn, but man, both have exciting endings.

I finished Dead in Red, was in the midst of polishing it, when I got a note from my agent. "Surprise! I'm retiring!"  And she did. I had no representation, and that was it.  I was not a happy camper.  I felt abandoned, and I'm sure I could have sold that original book to Five Star (where the first one ended up) without a blink of an eye.

So, Room At The Inn has been sitting on a shelf for the past eight years, gathering dust.  The problem was ... I'd already finished the first four books when I wrote Dead in Red. I hadn't figured out how to remedy the stolen storylines. But ... now I have.

Despite the fact I did not then see the book published, I decided NOT to remove references to it in Cheated By Death and Bound By Suggestion.  I figured Room At The Inn was a part of Jeff's history and in my heart of hearts I knew that somewhere down the line I'd figure out a way to get that story out there.

[image error] And so, I've spent the past month getting the book ready for publication.  I got a copy edit, I got a new cover and, most importantly, I changed the plot points that were borrowed for Dead In Red.  The results?  I'm quite happy with them.

Room At The Inn is officially slated to be published on September 10th.  To read more about it, click this link.

Although you cannot pre-order it, Room At The Inn will be available on Monday September 10th for all e formats (although Sony and iTunes might be a bit slow listing it--those of you with those readers can always download it from Smashwords), and as a trade paperback from Amazon (and eventually from Barnes & Noble, and any other bookstore on the planet).

Do you think you'd be interested?

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[image error] P.S.  Another Cozy Chick has a new book debuting on September 10th.  It's MURDER BEGINS AT HOME, a Gertie Johnson Backwoods Mystery by Deb Baker.  (It'll be available as an ebook.)  Watch these pages for more information on Murder Begins At Home.
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Fly My Pretty, Fly....

by Julie

Today's the day!

I'll be turning in the manuscript for the fourth Manor House Mystery. I've titled it GRACE ON A PLANE, but I have no clue if Berkley will let that fly (heh, heh. Pun intended).






These last few weeks have been busy ones. Although I'd promised myself I would work ahead of schedule this time, I was still scrambling at the end.

The truth is, I had worked ahead, but a combination of unexpected interruptions coupled with a few planned interruptions that took more time than I'd anticipated, slowed me down some. I'll do better next time (I say that every year).

I can't speak for other authors but I always find it difficult to give the manuscript up when it's time to go. It's like dropping your baby off for the first day of kindergarten and having them shoot a forlorn glance over their shoulder, silently asking, "Are you sure about this?"

It's tough. Even now after I've turned in a bunch of manuscripts. Isn't that weird?

This story, Grace #4, is set up a little differently than my prior books. I wanted to take a chance and try something new. It's still first person, but the plot moves at a different pace. I hope you enjoy it. Ooh... let me not get ahead of myself ... I'd better hope my editor enjoys it first! Otherwise nobody will see it! LOL

Anyway, the manuscript -- all 320 pages of it -- will be emailed to her a few hours from now. Keep your fingers crossed for me!



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Wisconsin Supper Clubs

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

Wisconsin is my home and the setting for the Queen Bee mysteries. It’s so special – the Packers, four seasons, lots of lakes and parks, and traditions you won’t find any place else. One of my favorites is our supper clubs. The very first one was started by a Milwaukee native in the 1930s.

The interior décor is usually dark wood paneling, low lights, and every meal starts out with a relish tray – crackers, pickles, including pickled peppers, celery, sometimes a cheese spread, carrots – on a Lazy Susan.

Friday nights feature all-you-can-eat fish fries, Saturday’s are all about the prime rib. It’s traditional American cuisine. You won’t find a pasta dish on the menu, that’s for sure. Oh, and most have full bars. Be sure to go back in time and order a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet and you'll get it with maraschino cherries and an orange slice.


Once while traveling through the middle of the state, I stopped to eat at a supper club and asked what kind of wine they served, thinking they’d give me a few brand names to choose from. Instead the server answered, “Mogen David.” I almost snorted my water right out my nose. That’s the sweet stuff my mom used to keep in the fridge in case company came. Did they even make it anymore? Apparently.

This weekend the family will gather to celebrate Labor Day. Guess where we are dining Saturday night? Aren't you jealous? [image error]