Kate Collins's Blog, page 267

A New Kelly Flynn Mystery Coming Soon!

by Maggie Sefton


Hey, hey, Everyone. . .I'm officially proclaiming from the rooftops, the blogosphere, online, offline, and every way I can think of:  the 10th in the Kelly Flynn Knitting Mysteries, CAST ON, KILL OFF, will be out June 5th.   Wow, that's even hard for me to believe.  Just looking at that sentence gives me pause.  Ten.  Ten Kelly mystery adventures have been published.  Readers were first introduced to Kelly and her friends seven years ago in June 2005, and ever since then, I've been astounded by how many of you have taken Kelly and her friends to heart and joined in her adventures.

Over ten books, readers have watched lots of changes come along for Kelly and Company.  New friends have "walked onstage" and joined the cast of characters.  There have been lots of good times, fun, and new relationships have appeared---along with several dead bodies.  Can't have a murder mystery without a murder, right?  And we can't forget the villains.  There's never a lack of villains who resort to murder as a way to solve problems.

And we can't have all those relationships without problems.  Stress takes its toll on people as well as relationships.  So, there have been tears along with the laughter in Kelly Flynn's world---just like there is in real life and in all our lives.

If you've been reading all of Kelly's adventures, I think you'll definitely enjoy CAST ON, KILL OFF.  The "drama, trauma, and melodrama" of Kelly's & Steve's breakup will finally be resolved.  :)  And, there will be lots of "wedding prep" scenes to enjoy leading up to Megan's & Marty's wedding.  You'll even get to see a Megan Meltdown.  And----there's even a fun scene in a cowboy bar which I think you'll all enjoy.  I know I enjoyed writing it.  

For those of you who haven't tried the Kelly Flynn mysteries, maybe you'll be intrigued and give this a try. (The first book is Knit One, Kill Two.)   If you do, I'd like to hear from you.  maggie@maggiesefton.com.   But I warn you. . .if you like it, then you will definitely want to find the earlier books and meet these characters way back in 2005 when they first walked onstage.  Enjoy!

Everything I Need to Know About My Past, I Learned From Shredding

by Leann

The purging of all unneeded things continues in our house as we prepare to put our house on the market. Saturday was shredding day for me and garage cleaning day for my husband. At least I had air conditioning.

We did take 5 file boxes to a professional shredding company, but I thought I could handle the two garbage bags full of papers that somehow got overlooked. I was surprised to see out income tax returns FROM 1971. Yes. It was important to save those pieces of paper for 31 years.

I came across other things, though. Interesting reminders. For example I saw a perspective on the economy. In 1985, we paid $200 more for our mortgage than we do now. That was two houses ago! And we haven't downsized. Interest rates in the '80s were quite high. I discovered that though I thought my washing machine was about 12 years old when I traded it in for an HE model in 2010. Actually, it was 17 years old. Got my money's worth out of that sucker!

Reminders of all my pets who have died brought a few tears to my eyes. My three Shelties, the Bichon that was supposed to belong to my daughter (but who was my dog in the end), the kitties, the hamsters, the birds and all the litters of puppies we had. One of the Shelties I'd sold to a man in nearby town actually saved his family from a fire. I found out when he returned to buy another puppy the following year. Shelties sure are smart!

My trip down memory lane would have been fine if I'd remember how monotonous shredding is. The memories were good for the most part, but I am glad it's done. Now we have plenty of packing material.

How do you manage all those pieces of paper that can't be thrown away? Do you shred as you go--or wait 30 years? :-)

Follow us on Pinterest

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

[image error] Guess what? I'm on Pinterest.  So is Deb Baker.  And Leann Sweeney.  And Ellery Adams. And Heather Webber/Blake. And our pal Julie Hyzy.  And so (as a group) are the Cozy Chicks.

Talk about a time sink.  But the thing is, it's so much fun!  I vow I'm going go to "play" on there for a few minutes, and the next thing I know, it's been two hours. 
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What is it about all those lovely pictures that's so appealing?  Personally, I love all the beautiful pictures of homes, and cooking, and gardens, and ... well, I could go on and on.  As a group (and individually) we have boards about our books, and food, and other fun stuff.  And it's a lot of fun seeing what our readers are up to.  We really don't get to meet many of you face-to-face, but seeing the pictures you choose gives us insight into who you are and what you like and ... isn't it amazing we like so many of the same things?

(And how's that for a cozy reading nook?  Hmmm...that's a great idea for a new board, isn't it?)

We'd love to have you follow us.  Collectively or individually.

Come on -- there are plenty more pictures to share.

The incredible 10-year pregnancy

[image error] By guest blogger Edie Claire

(Don't worry… it has a happy ending!)

My cozy mystery series with NAL/Signet ended in 2002, after five books featuring advertising copywriter (and veterinarian's daughter) Leigh Koslow. For years afterward I received emails all asking the same, angst-inducing question: When is the next "Never" book coming out? The question caused angst because I didn't want to give the real answer, which was: "probably never." The publisher didn't want any more. And since I'd recently quit my day job to try working from home with three kids, I couldn't afford to spend months writing a mystery I couldn't sell. Which was unfortunate, because I had done a terrible, unforgivable thing to my protagonist. I had left her pregnant.

Now, it's one thing to marry a heroine off and let her walk away into the sunset with her man. She can even have a baby in her arms at the time. But readers insisted—and I agreed with them—that having a woman tell her husband she's expecting (literally in the last sentence of the last book) and then closing the curtain with a snap is just, well… rude. Did she have the baby? Was it a boy or a girl? Did motherhood mellow her? WHAT HAPPENED?!

[image error] As far as I was concerned, Leigh was still pregnant. Which worked okay the first year. But as time marched on and my publishing future looked ever more bleak, the poor woman's abdomen grew to epic proportions. If you've had a baby yourself and can still remember the kind of language you used when that ninth month rolled around, when you could no longer remember having ankles and getting out of bed in the morning required a crane, you can imagine the abuse this character's mouth heaped upon  my internal ears. It wasn't pretty. But thank goodness, help was at hand.

That help was the advent of e-books. After sitting on the rights to the series for years, having no clue what to do with them, I finally pulled out the old files (written in Microsoft Works, anyone remember that program?), converted, re-read, revised (a little), and tossed them back out into the fray. Much to my surprise and delight, people found them. And they read them, and they liked them. And then the emails started coming all over again. When is the next "Never" book coming out?

This time I have a better answer. "NOW!" J

[image error] Never Con a Corgi went on sale in April, and never has an author been a prouder godmother. Leigh Koslow is no longer pregnant. In fact, it turns out she had the baby right on schedule … a decade ago. After polling my Facebook friends, I decided to keep the series in real-time, making her (in 2012) the middle-aged mother of ten-year-old twins. Not only do we get to skip the sippy-cup years (during which time it's hard to be sympathetic to a mother who goes off solving mysteries anyway), but I get to update to modern technology, instead of trying to figure out what the heck kind of cell phones people were using in 2003!

And of course, I also gave her a corgi. Because no matter how unnaturally likely you are to trip over corpses, or how much trouble your kids are giving you, or how crazy your relatives are… there's always room in your life for a dog who would break into your pantry and eat an entire container of jalapeno cheddar instant noodles, Styrofoam and all.

I guess I'd better get used to that screaming in my head.
=====================================
[image error] Visit Edie's author website: www.edieclaire.com  and her Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/EdieClaire  The Leigh Koslow books are, in order:  Never Buried  -- Currently FREE on Amazon and iBooks! Never Sorry; Never Preach Past Noon; Never Kissed Goodnight; Never Tease a Siamese, and the newest book, Never Con a Corgi  (NEW in April 2012). 

Cozy Pet of the Month: Tara!

By Melissa LapierreMy angel kitty Sashi crossed the Rainbow Bridge on February 15, 2006. She was almost 17  years old, and had struggled with various health problems for a couple years prior. Her final illness and passing was a devastating loss for my family, and though the house was so empty without a cat, we allowed ourselves time to grieve.
After a year went by I started scouring the local Petsmart Adoption Center every couple weeks. A few caught my eye, but I knew I would know it when the right one came along. On May 15, 2007, I was scanning the cages when suddenly I just gasped. I saw her. The shelter had named the beautiful tortie Kelly; she had recently been picked up as a stray. I knew immediately that she was "the one". I went home and looked her up online, applied for her the next day and got the call that afternoon that I was approved. What fun it was to ready the house for a cat again! I knew the name Kelly had to be changed. It just did not fit the most beautiful cat I had ever seen. I was stumped until my mother suggested Tara, because of our favorite movie Gone with the Wind. Tara the tortie...it was perfect!On May 20th Tara came home. (I'll never forget how she hissed and growled at another cat in a cage on her way by as if to say "Ha ha...I'm going home and you're not!) She immediately made it hers. There was no fear or shyness; it's like she knew she was where she belonged. Now one thing I never knew was that torties are no ordinary cats. They are known for their "tortie-tude" and we soon discovered that Tara has it in spades! For the first several months she got herself into plenty of trouble before learning what was acceptable behavior, even managing to fall out the bathroom window 5 weeks after coming home. She despises all other cats, and we think she may have pushed the screen out trying to move a neighbor cat out of "her" yard. On another occasion she carried on at the door so badly that the unwanted visitor ran across the street all the way home like he was screaming for his mommy.  Eventually she settled down and has become a treasured family member and an absolute joy. But she still has opinions on most everything and has the most expressive face on a cat you will ever see. I can just imagine what she would have to say if she could talk.One of my favorite cozy mysteries is Leann Sweeney's Cats in Trouble series. The adoration that Jillian Hart has for her beloved Chablis, Syrah, and Merlot is the same love I have for my Tara, and I love all the feline trivia she sprinkles into the books. Her latest in the series, The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon , has extra special meaning for me. Jillian's boyfriend's cat Dashiell has diabetes, and last summer Tara was diagnosed with the same disease. It was a terrifying diagnosis, but she has adjusted with such bravery. She gets 2 insulin shots daily, I test her blood at home, and her sugar level has gone from nearly 500 to around 150. The vet is very pleased. For the first several months I emailed Leann frequently. She had been through it all with her beloved cat Agatha, and provided me with a wealth of information as I digested all I could. I was so saddened when sweet Agatha passed away a few weeks ago. Tara is 12 now, and I hope and pray we have many more years together. I just can't imagine life without her.Thanks to Melissa for sharing her story. The Cozy Chicks will donate to the ASPCA in her honor. How about you? Is one of your pets getting older? Have you been together a long time? Tell us about your fur kid and we'll add your pet's name to our donation. 

The Power of Flowers

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

Last weekend I went over to pick up my best friend for a fun trip to the garden center. She opened the door snarly - not directed at me, just one of those mornings when the dogs, kids, husband weren't cooperating and she'd lost patience.

And, she said, "I'm not in the mood to buy flowers. But I'll come." Grudgingly. Cuz I said I would.

Then we walked into the center, one of those enormous outdoor festivals of brilliant color, outbuildings filled with geraniums, the more delicate herbs, annuals like you've never seen before.

Within five minutes, maybe less, my friend had on a smile as brilliant as any rose.

Flowers have incredible power to lift our spirits, make the sun shine, improve our emotional health. With an immediate happy impact.

What about you? Do flowers have power over you?

Dru's Cozy Report: May 2012 Reading List

Welcome to Dru's Cozy Report. This month we have three new series for your reading pleasure.

A Deadly Grind by Victoria Hamilton is the first book in the new "Vintage Kitchen" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, May 2012

When vintage cookware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton spies an original 1920s Hoosier-brand kitchen cabinet at an estate auction, it’s love at first sight. Despite the protests of her sister, Rebecca, that the nineteenth-century yellow brick house they share in Michigan is already too cluttered with Jaymie’s junk, she successfully outbids the other buyers and triumphantly takes home her Hoosier. But that night on the summer porch where they’ve left the Hoosier to be cleaned up, a man is murdered–struck on the head with the steel meat grinder that is part of the cabinet. Who is this stranger, and what was he doing on their porch? Does his death have anything to do with the Hoosier? As the police struggle to determine the man’s identity, Jaymie can’t help doing a little digging on her own, accompanied by her three-legged Yorkie Poo, Hopalong. But in her bid to uncover the truth about the hidden secrets of the Hoosier, Jaymie may be the one who ends up going, going...gone.

In this new series, we are introduced to Jaymie Leighton who is a collector of vintage cookware and works part-time. Jaymie is thrust into murder when a dead body is found near her prized purchased of the Hoosier kitchen furniture. Concerned for her safety and peace of mind, Jaymie begins to piece together snippets she overheard and facts she learned to unpeel a killer in her midst. This was a great book with good writing, great dialogue and an all-around nice place to visit and stay awhile. Jaymie is a strong heroine who shows her vulnerability and strength at the same time as she looks for clues to this murder mystery. The secondary characters are likable and I can’t wait to see more interaction between them. The author did a good job at keeping me guessing, especially when I thought it was all over and then BAM, the story wasn’t over and I was a bit surprised at the killer’s identity, as I didn’t see that one coming. A great debut and I’m looking forward to the next book in this wonderfully crafted series with bonus recipes.

Visit Victoria at www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com

Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates is the first book in the new "Magical Bakery" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, May 2012

Katie Lightfoot's tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah's quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees. While working at the Honeybee Bakery—named after Lucy's cat—Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren't just tasty—Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells! When a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben's name and find the real killer.

I love discovering new series, and in this one Katie Lightfoot learns that she was born to a family of spell-casting witches. That newfound task may be put to use when her uncle becomes the prime suspect in a murder. Knowing that the police will need absolute proof of her uncle’s innocence, Katie and the others begin an investigation into who had a stronger motive. This was a fun book that I enjoyed immensely. The murder mystery stomped me and totally caught me unaware of the killer’s identity. I like the spirit of Katie as she comes to term with her heredity and the supporting characters blend beautifully in the storyline and I can’t wait to read more about their history. This fast-moving whodunit boasts a great plot, a lovable and colorful cast, entertaining dialogue and a warm and a friendly tone. This is a great beginning in this charmingly enchanting debut series that I hope is here to stay. Bonus recipes are included in this delightful read.

Bailey Cates is the pseudonym of Cricket McRae and you can visit her at www.baileycates.com

Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book

The Big Kitty by Claire Donally is the first book in the new "Sunny and Shadow" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, May 2012

Sunny Coolidge left her New York City newspaper job to go back to Maine and take care of her ailing father. But there’s not much excitement—or interesting work—in Kittery Harbor. So when Ada Spruance, the town’s elderly Cat Lady, asks for help finding her supposedly winning lottery ticket, Sunny agrees. But when she arrives at Ada’s with a stray tomcat named Shadow tagging along, they discover the poor woman dead at the bottom of her stairs. Was it an accident—or did Ada’s death have to do with that missing lottery ticket, which turns out to be worth six million dollars? Town constable Will Price suspects the worst, and Sunny’s reporter instincts soon drive her to do some investigating of her own. Even Shadow seems to have a nose for detective work. Following the trail of the purrloined ticket, Sunny and Shadow try to shed some light on a killer’s dark motives—before their own numbers are up.

Sonata “Sunny” Coolidge goes to help a neighbor known as the Cat Lady, locate a missing lottery ticket in her home, but instead finds the dead woman’s body. Suspecting that there is more to the woman’s death than the police wants to believe, Sunny puts on her reporter’s hat and discovers that someone doesn’t want this case investigated and Sunny with help from a purrsonable friend, will have to unpick the number of suspect to find a killer. What a great read. This was a fun and intriguing read filled with tension and suspense as this whodunit quickly grabbed my attention. The author did a good job with the many twists and turns in this story, and caught me by surprise when the real killer was revealed. Sunny is a lovable heroine and with her newfound friend, their internal dialogue played an enjoyable role in the delightful and lighthearted mystery. This debut novel is a great start to a series I hope to keep reading for years to come.

Full Disclosure - The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Grinding my teeth!

by Julie Hyzy


[image error] The last time I bought a coffee grinder, I did so in a hurry because my old one had pooped out. I rushed out to Target and picked up the best one I could find for the least amount of money. You know what they say about getting what you pay for, right?

Well, I despise my grinder for a whole bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that the cord is so short that I have to lean across the counter to hold the button down while it's grinding. Yeah, it's not a touch-and-go. Urgh.

After more than a year of this, I decided to treat myself to a better grinder and began a search online. I wanted one made in the USA, if possible. Unbelievably I found one right away at Dillard's. I don't have a Dillard's around here, but I could order it and have it shipped.

Here's the link to their site for you to see exactly what I saw: Krups Burr Grinder.  It says Made in the USA, right? I didn't misread that. In order to save a little money, I ordered it elsewhere, where the grinder cost less and shipping was free. Same item, but the description on the site didn't mention country of origin.

You probably guessed it. The grinder is NOT made in the US. It's made in China, which is where my last (awful) grinder was made. Not that one grinder's performance should impact another's, but I do *try* to buy American made whenever possible (not easy).

This model is the same as the Dillard's one, so I can only guess that Dillard's mislabeled it on their site. If I'd bought it from them, I could have returned it for that reason, but because I went elsewhere, I'm don't have that option. This has me grinding my teeth more than grinding coffee beans.

So, here's my question: Do you try to buy goods made in your own country? And do you experience frustration finding "home made" items?

Julie

Storage Wars!

by Kate Collins
This isn’t about the reality show.  It’s about what’s going on at my house these days as I prepare to downsize my house. I’m talking about a major downsize. My home, since my husband passed away, has gotten too big for me. I rattle around in it like a lost soul, making me yearn for something cozy, something Kate sized. So I’ve bought a condo home with half the storage space, hence the reason for the war.
It’s a battle between me and my stuff. I’ve hauled around this “stuff”, for lack of a better word, for twenty years, as our moves kept taking us to bigger homes. Now I have to go through it to decide what’s important and what’s not. What’s absolutely essential to take with me and what’s a waste of space. Lo and behold, three-quarters of it is non-essential. At least that much has never made it out of boxes in the basement since we moved in fifteen years ago. Yet each time I packed for a move, I kept it, fearing I’d be lost without it.
What’s there? A box of papers from my college days and another one from my teaching days. My ceramic cat collection that hasn’t seen the light of day in twenty plus years. Boxes of random toys of no value that my kids played with. A giant box of board games. Two huge garbage bags of stuffed animals that I was certain they’d want as keepsakes. Ha. My kids, I’ve learned, have no attachment to the “stuff.” Lucky them.
It hasn’t been easy to let go of it. I have to keep asking myself, “Do I want to haul it to yet another basement where it will sit unopened and take up valuable space?” And even though those cats were lovingly collected when I was into country things, I’m so beyond that now.
Have you ever had to clean out a closet and get rid of your “love them and can’t live without them” things? What was the hardest part of paring down for you? Did you find it cathartic?

The Gift is The Mothering

by Leann

Happy Mother's Day to all of you. It is my belief that all women, whether they end up having children or not, are mothers in one way or another. What great assets we have. The ability to nurture, to have compassion, to love unconditionally. Those are mother attributes. Even most men possess these qualities, though they might not want you to believe such a thing. It's the female part of them, that x chromosome, that probably keeps them sane.

For me, having had a mother who lost her way, I craved the good mother, the sweet mother, the one who could make me feel that unconditional love. Instead, as an adult, I found myself giving what I so wanted. My first choice of career--nursing--certainly said as much. No surprise my sister is a nurse as well. The greatest joy of my life, however, was having two children of my own. I was determined they would never suffer as I had. I believe I accomplished that goal. They are giving, nurturing, kind and successful human beings. Yes. I know I succeeded.

Giving love in the form of boundaries and good meals and straight talk and always being present and so many "I love yous" comes back to surround me in what I never received. Unconditional love. Does my mother's absence still leave a scar on my heart? A scar is a scar. It never goes completely away. The wound is covered with a different kind of skin, a thick and rough reminder. But covered all the same.

Now I have two grandchildren who know nothing but how to love--completely and without reservation. Kisses on the ipad screen, calls on the phone with loud--"thank you for the pretty dress, Grandma!" I smile just remembering.

Most of all, thanks to my children and to the two people they married. Thank you for letting me posses what I never had. You surround me with love and I am forever grateful.[image error]