Kate Collins's Blog, page 257

Back East Celebrations

by Maggie Sefton



Yes, I'm Back East once more  Home again, home again.  I guess I'll live with two "homes."  My Colorado home in the beautiful Rocky Mountains where the air is clearer and cooler and has waaaaay less humidity, and. . . my Native "home" of Northern Virginia, where I grew up and lived for so many years.  I can never stay away from the Washington, DC for long.  "She" keeps calling me back.  :)

I arrived in time for lots of family celebrations:  my youngest granddaughter had her 5th birthday last Wednesday, August 22nd, the evening of my arrival.  The weekend was full of celebrations with the 50th Wedding Anniversary dinner for dear relatives and the Sunday church service renewing their vows.  Truly lovely.  And I returned to my daughter Christine's home Sunday early evening just in time for granddaughter's birthday party for friends----12 children + 25 adult parents.  :)   And that didn't count our family members which numbered seven.  Believe me, people large and small were EVERYWHERE.   On Labor Day, we'll celebrate granddaughter Natale's 14th birthday.  All these occasions required cake, you understand.   Cake was also everywhere.

Oh, and yesterday, Monday, August 27th, was my birthday.  :)  I celebrated by going into Washington with granddaughter Natale and paddling in the paddle boats all around the picturesque Tidal Basin beside Thomas Jefferson's graceful memorial.  Then, we had an elegant luncheon at the beautiful and historic Willard Hotel (Natale declared the chef's sauce for poulet roti was "amazing."), and we finished off like the girls we are by shopping along Downtown Washington's F Street which is filled with shops and stores.  Then back home for volleyball practice for Natale, and I went to meet daughter Maria for a delicious dinner in one of my favorite Georgetown cafes, the Sea Catch, which has a precious balcony which overhangs the towpath of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (which is mentioned in my latest suspense DEADLY POLITICS).

I returned to daughter Christine's that evening only to find another cake!  Yikes!  With presents.  :)  Which was lots of fun, of course.  And yummy.  But. . .I have to tell you. . .by now I am completely "caked" out.    How did you celebrate your last birthday?


[image error]

What Harry Does in Vegas . . .

by Kate Collins


What Harry did in Vegas obviously did not stay in Vegas.  Seriously, in this age of instant cell phone communication and Facebook photos, did Harry really think it would?  You have to wonder what crossed his mind as he slowly stripped down to his birthday suit. “Who’s going to care if I’m buck naked?” or maybe “Who’s going to notice?” or even “What are they gonna do, shoot a pic of me?”
On the other hand, maybe he was too far gone for anything to cross his mind.
Surprisingly, at least to me, a full 68% of Brits surveyed said Harry’s antics were acceptable for a young man on a private holiday.
Even a “Royal?” Apparently so.
I was expecting him to receive a severe dressing down from his grandmother the Queen, but if she gave him one, then what happened in Buckingham Palace clearly stayed in Buckingham Palace.
I’ve heard that Las Vegasians are up in arms over this violation of their code of honor (you know, the what happens in Vegas thing) and are trying to smoke out the person who snapped those pics of Harry. I sure wouldn’t want to be in her or his shoes right now.
What’s your opinion? Should a Royal, even a young one on holiday, remain dignified wherever he finds himself or be able to let loose and git nekkid?  Do you agree with the whole "What happens in Vegas" mindset?

This Book is a Bestseller? Huh?

by Leann

When I am writing a book, I cannot read cozies. Perhaps I am afraid the influence of other writers will creep in. Or I get too distracted. I'm not sure, but I know it slows my own writing so I choose other books. I am an exclusive mystery and suspense reader and have been for many years. The last two books I finished were both big and recent bestsellers. When I finished them, I was left wondering why they were bestsellers.

I won't name the authors or the books. I would never do that, nor would I ever go on Amazon and trash someone else's book. We all have different tastes, after all. And writing a book, any book, is a huge and complicated undertaking.  I also know my books aren't for everyone. But when I read what I believe is a "flawed" book and it's making the writer millions of dollars, I get a little frustrated. Am I missing something? Is it me?

One thing these last two books have in common is unlikeable protagonists. I don't know if this is a trend--but both these books hit #1 on the NYT bestseller list. They left me feeling sad, disgusted, and wondering what it is about these books that made people go out and buy them. Why did I buy them? I suppose if someone had told me that there is no redemption in this book, there is no hero, and no one is ever happy, I probably would have passed. But I don't like movie trailers that give away the whole movie and I don't read reviews that give away plots, either. So, I guess I bought these books because of the hype.

Even my daughter--who works for a literary agent and reads vociferously across genre--read one of the books I am talking about and afterward, she Googled, "Bad reviews for _______." She couldn't find any, even though she was hoping to find someone--anyone--who felt the same as she did. She should have talked to me earlier because today we learned we have the same opinion about said novel--flat writing, unlikeable characters, poor structure and a self-indulgent author. The good news is, I learn from books I consider flawed. (And I am not saying I write perfect books. I am ALWAYS trying to improve.) One thing I will never have in common in with these writers (excluding the money I will never make) is the lack of  a true hero or heroine. There will be justice and satisfaction at the end of every novel I write.

What about you? Been disappointed recently in a book you spent a good hunk of change on? I'd love to hear about your opinion!

End of Summer Treat

By Ellery Adams

This week, I was thinking about the things I didn't do this summer that I really wanted to do. Projects, trips, outings with the kids or friends I hadn't seen in awhile, but there just never seems to be enough time.

One thing I managed to do was bake and share the results with the neighbors. We've only been in our house for about a year, and bringing goodies to the folks living around us has been a great way for us to get to know each other.

Here's the recipe I think they liked the most. These were made with blueberries my daughter and I picked (here she is taste testing a different treat), but the ones in the store are still juicy and fresh, so whip up a batch of these to capture a little taste of summer!

What did you "not get done" this summer?


Blueberry Lemon Bars 1, 19.35 package Krusteaz Lemon Bar Mix (1 pouch each  lemon filling mix and complete crust)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Powdered sugar (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 8x8x2-inch pan. Press full pouch of complete crust into bottom of pan. Bake 8 minutes (crust will be pale). In medium bowl, stir full pouch lemon filling, whipping cream and eggs together using a whisk until eggs are well incorporated. Stir in blueberries. Pour filling over hot crust. Bake 25-30 minutes or until center does not jiggle when shaken and top begins to brown. Cool completely and cut into squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Makes 16 bars.(Recipe reposted from http://www.continentalmills.com/brand...)

Do you like us? Do you really, REALLY like us?

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

[image error] Poor Sally Field, it seems she'll be forever mocked because she was surprised when she won the Academy Award.  But then, aren't we all kind of surprised when we find that we are admired or liked?

In the world of social media, being LIKED takes on a new definition. You NEED to be liked. Not just for yourself, but your social networking sites, your book pages on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com -- and you want followers on Twitter, Goodreads, and Linkin, too. Being LIKED means that people know about your work, and when you're a self-employed author who never knows if she will have grocery money because she only gets paid twice a year by her publisher, being LIKED takes on a whole new urgency.

[image error] When I accept friend request on Facebook, I generally ask the person if they will LIKE my author page.  For some reason, our publishers think that author pages carry more weight than personal pages.  Maybe because a LIKE page can have thousands, MILLIONS of likes, whereas a personal page will only allow you 5,000 friends.  That sounds like a lot ... until you think about authors like Janet Evanovich.  Ole Janet has a like page with over 536,000 LIKES, where as my Lorna page has 1,743; my Lorraine page has 786 LIKES, and my poor L.L. Bartlett page has only 357 LIKES.  Oh, I feel so ... so low compared to Janet.

Okay, Janet has been in this writing game (at least professionally published, I've been working at it for over 30 years, but published for only 7) a lot longer than me.

[image error] Maybe it's because I was a geek in high school.  I had two friends.  Period. Everybody else just dismissed me, so maybe I crave to be LIKED just a bit more than your average human being.  But ... will it ever happen?  Eh, who knows?  Meanwhile, the rest of the Chicks who have LIKE pages would also love it if you LIKED their author pages, too.  Here are the links:

The Cozy Chicks
Heather Blake
Julie Hyzy
Leann Sweeney
Maggie Sefton
Jennifer (JB) Stanley

So, if you're so inclined, PLEASE, PLEASE like us.  We don't want to have to beg.  (She said, begging.)

P.S.  Thank you!



[image error]

Always a Celebration!

by Julie


My husband and I celebrated our anniversary on Monday. We tend to find excuses to celebrate, whether it be to commemorate our first date, or the day we got engaged, or this one -- the biggie -- our wedding anniversary. We'll hit a milestone next year but so far we have no big plans except to wonder about how the time has flown. Seriously, when we were kids, the only people married this long were old. We're :::cough, cough::: not.

Anyway, in honor of my husband's patience for me all these years, I thought I'd share a few photos. The top one is -- you guessed it -- our wedding day. I opted not to crown my bridesmaids with the hats and head-rings (is there a proper name for those horizontal floral bands that encircled bridesmaids head? I can't remember.) that were so popular back then. I don't know why, but I think my girls voted the idea down. No matter. I think they all look so very lovely. I can honestly say that I'd planned a multi-colored wedding from the time I was a young girl, well before they became all the rage.

The one thing I insisted on was that the girls come down the aisle in color order that resembled an actual rainbow. I didn't want them photographed out of order even once. And believe it or not, I got my wish.



Fast forward many years and here are photos of when our three daughters surprised us with an anniversary party and -- the most beautiful of mementos -- a quilt made up of photos of our family over the years.

This --->                 .was when we opened it and I realized what it was. I was overcome -- as evidenced by this shot. My husband was, too.





<---
This second picture gives you an idea of the quilt's size. It's enormous. But I suppose it would have to be to hold all the memories and love that it does.

It's one of our most cherished treasures and I wanted to share it with you.

That's all I have for today... sharing a little bit of our recent fun. I'd like to know more about what you like to celebrate: weddings, kids, work, personal achievements, health?

What's your favorite non-holiday celebration?

Is Big Brother right around the corner?

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

Have you heard about Square?

You sign up online, start tabs at all your favorite stores (like Walgreens, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Macys…), enter your debit or credit information, and your smartphone does the rest.

Stop in at Starbucks and your phone talks to the register. Bingo, your name and photo flash over to the clerk. So does your payment information. No cash, no card swiping, no hassle. Next, Office Max for a few supplies. By the time you walk in the door, the cashier has all your pertinent information.

Cash is dead! Or will be soon.

Does this sound like utopia to you? Frankly, it scares me silly. I place a high value on my privacy.

1984 introduced telescreens that monitored the oppressed inhabitants of Oceania.

George Orwell couldn’t have envisioned our modern technology way back in 1949, but he came close enough.

Because one day very soon, Big Brother will be watching us from those cell phones in our pockets.

Radio Days

by Maggie Sefton


I've done several radio interviews over the last few years, usually talking about one of the Kelly Flynn Knitting mysteries.  I always enjoyed them.  They never lasted very long, only a few minutes, and you  got to be at your home, sitting in your sweats or jammies or whatever, talking on your own landline telephone.  With radio, there's no camera, so no one can see you.  You can totally relax and talk to the radio station program host and answer questions.  Cozy and comfortable.

Well, tomorrow, Tuesday, August 21st--EARLY Tuesday morning--I will be doing over 20 radio interviews with stations that are located all over the U.S.  From Seattle, WA to Hartford, CT.  In fact, I may be doing an interview as you're reading this blog post.  The interviews start a little after 7:00am Eastern Time and go on for five hours.  Yes, there are breaks in between, which is a very good thing, especially for someone like me who drinks a LOT of hot tea.  :)

The tricky part for me is--I live in Colorado which is on Mountain Time.  So--7:00am ET becomes 5:00am MT.  Yikes!   I plan to set my alarm for 4:30amMT to make sure I'm up and ready to go--provided I've got plenty of hot tea ready.  I also have several different breakfast items that I can quickly microwave during those little breaks.  Plus, make more tea.  :)  The dogs will be sleeping in that  morning.

My website has a list of all the radio stations that are doing the interviews.  In addition to Seattle and Hartford, there's Norfolk, VA area, Little Falls, MN area, Orlando, FL area, Cincinnati, OH area, Carbondale, IL area, St. Louis, MO area, Corpus Christi, TX area--and several more.   So, check it out.  You'll find the list on the Molly Malone Suspense mysteries website under "Appearances."  And, yes--I'll be talking about the first in my new suspense series, DEADLY POLITICS, set in Washington, DC.

I'll also be doing a few more interviews later this week and next:  Thursday, August 23rd:  Des Moines & Minneapolis.  Friday, August 24:  Middletown/Poughkeepsie, NY.  Tuesday, August 28th:  Milwaukee.    So--check out the list folks.  I may show up on a radio station near your town.  :)

Breaking News: Suri Learns to Ride a Bike!

by Kate Collins


Yes, you heard that right. Suri Cruise, daughter of actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, is learning how to ride a bicycle. And get this. Suri wore flats. Not sneakers. Not flip flops. Flats. Even more startling – her mom wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
Are you stunned? Awed? Intrigued?
Could care less?
I don’t know about you, but I’m simply (yawn) not that interested.  I only bring it up because this story was a headliner on Yahoo News, as reported in US magazine, where it was also, I’m sure, a big headline.
Do people really care that this particular six-year-old is learning to ride a bike? Do they REALLY care that she wore flats to do so? If that’s not bad enough, readers in their follow-up comments were actually criticizing Katie Holmes for letting Suri wear flats for her lesson.
I mean, really?
I remember when my own children learned to ride a bike. They wobbled and teetered and fell several times – and would have been mortally embarrassed if a camera crew was filming them. I doubt they’d have wanted a second lesson. 
You could argue that anyone with fame has to take the grain with the chaff, so to speak. But poor Suri didn’t ask for fame. Suri, by virtue of her parentage, is going to be subject to such embarrassment every time she goes out. Should her mom rent an indoor arena to teach her in private? Or should Katie be able to enjoy being in the park with her child like any normal citizen? Should we give celebrities their privacy?
What’s your opinion? 

How I Became Spiderwoman For a Day

by Leann

After being married to a person for about 40 years, you would think you knew that person, right? You'd be able to anticipate how they do things so that you can then adjust your own strategies and requests. But this move to south Carolina from Texas has been a reminder for me.

1. I am married to an engineer.
2. Engineers are very concrete.
3. Engineers can be so focused on the problem at hand they do not anticipate problems in the future.
4. My engineer is disorganized--and that's me being nice.

I did write down several important things before I left for South Carolina. (I left ahead of above-mentioned engineer.) Example:

1. Make sure the television and the computer are unloaded AT THE RENT HOUSE in SC.
2. Forward the mail.
3. Turn off the utilities.

To his credit, the utilities did get turned off. The mail item? Not done. I ended up doing it online. As for the TV and computer? A bit of a problem. I failed to remember #2 in my first list--engineers are very concrete and #3--that pesky lack of anticipation of future problems. This is how I found myself becoming Spiderwoman.

We rented two air-conditioned storage units (because one large one was unavailable). One of those storage units was packed to the ceiling with furniture for our future home. The other unit is about half full. The Direct TV installer was coming last Monday between 8-12. When engineer put up TV Sunday night, guess what? No power cord, no cables, no nothing but a TV. Where are they? I asked. After much thinking, it was determined that the cords to make the TV actually work were put in the entertainment center drawer--the one that's in storage. 

Could it be in the one half full? I prayed so as I went to the unit late last Sunday night. Of course not. That section of the entertainment center where the holy grail parts to the TV lay was in the back behind boxes and pieces of furniture stacked to the ceiling. Not to be deterred, I started climbing. Up and over, a few slides down between boxes, but finally I reached it. Except the drawer was blocked by heavy boxes and wrapped in shrink wrap. I had to unpack two boxes while fitting between a space about 12 inches wide. But aha! After an hour's struggle, I got the cords, all of them. And discovered I was stuck. I couldn't get out and I didn't have my cell phone with me. Would either of heroines, Abby or Jillian have done such a dumb thing as go to a deserted storage unit at night and leave their cell phone in the car? THEY WON'T. NOT EVER.

After another 30 minutes of struggling, hanging on all the while to those precious cords, I managed to climb to the top of the boxes again. And then dropped the lock to the storage unit onto the floor far below me. I couldn't go back down there. I COULDN'T! So, I made sure my car keys were secure and made my way out of there, leaving the lock behind. They never show Spiderman with bruises, but this Spiderwoman was covered in them--arms, legs, back, you name it, I was black and blue. I got back to the rent house and thank goodness engineer had an extra lock. He went back to the storage unit and while he was gone, I discovered, yes, we had a computer. But no screen. No keyboard. No mouse. All I asked for was that the COMPUTER to be unloaded, right? I was back at item #2--concrete.

I found the rest of the pieces of the computer eventually--all in different places. Remember #4? My engineer is disorganized--something he will never be cured of, I am certain. As for me, I hope writing this all down will help me remember the next time we move to be very specific in my requests.

What about you? Do you know an engineer like this? :-)