Kate Collins's Blog, page 273

Cozy Mystery Pets of the Month - Special Contest!

This is a contest for cat lovers!
Instead of introducing you to an adorable cozy pet, we're going to have you try to guess the names of three famous fictional cats. They all work together in the same series of books and while they do all the typical things real-life cats do, these cats also help an amateur sleuth investigate crimes.
No, they're not quite looking for clues using a magnifying glass, but they have their methods. They also serve to comfort their mistress, make her laugh, and get in her way when she's trying to sew one of her soft and colorful quilts.
Here are the clues about the three cats: One always sits on top of the sofa behind our heroine and is a smart alpha. The second cat is big, has a long red coat, and is the "watch cat". And the third is champagne with seal points, allergic to human dander, and is a total lap kitty.

Do you think you know their names?
If so, please DO NOT POST in the comments section, but email me at elleryadams@verizon.net with your guess. One lucky winner will receive this I LOVE CATS prize pack from the ASPCA (earrings, water bottle, and super cool cat toy). Not only will these goodies make you smile, but we'll be helping shelter animals. A pretty great combo, I'd say.
One last hint: The author of these books has a new release on April 3rd.
I'll post the cover next week when I announced the prize pack winner! Good luck, kitty lovers!
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Lost in Translation? Or Discovered?

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

In 2012, I was overjoyed when Japanese translation rights for Buzz Offand Mind Your Own Beeswaxwere sold. Then, for a full year, I heard nothing. Until last week when the translator contacted me with a few questions about specific scenes, mainly attempting to understand some of the interactions between Story and her sister.

She was extremely polite, lavishing praise on my work and actually apologetic for having to ask me for assistance. I could picture her bowing. She seemed afraid of offending me, so her words reflected modesty and humility. I sensed an underlying embarrassment for what she defined as her 'mistake' when I explained those scenes.

I'm not used to such kindness, but from what I've heard, the Japanese culture is based on respect.

Respect. It's so important. Self-respect, respect for our children's hopes and dreams and for our aging parents' needs, for our friends, for the strangers we meet as we go about our day.

Maybe some parts of my stories will be lost in translation from English to Japanese. I'll never know. But I've found that, while each of us is unique, at the core we aren't so different after all.

Respect is easiest when we all agree. It gets harder when some of us have differing opinions.

So the challenge for today is to show a little respect. It will come back to us ten-fold.

Sayonara

Books, Books, and More Books

by Maggie Sefton








We novelists learn to juggle fairly quickly. We juggle our time, writing time, family time. And we juggle books. Most of us have more than one book we've written or are writing or plan to write. These past few weeks, like many of my fellow Chicks, I've been juggling the various books.




First, I'm still promoting the latest Kelly Flynn mystery in the Berkley Prime Crime Knitting Mystery series. UNRAVELED came out last June, and I'm leaving for a mystery conference in Sacramento, CA, next week. More, next time.







And I'm starting to promote this next Kelly Flynn mystery, #10, CAST ON, KILL OFF, which will be out this June 2012. Stay tuned and there'll be more information coming this late spring.




But right now, I'm in the midst of writing the Kelly Flynn mystery, #11, which is due to my editor in June but won't be published until next June 2013. See what I mean about juggling? The cover for that one won't be available until next year.





Meanwhile, I'm also thinking about promotion for DEADLY POLITICS, the 1st in my Washington, DC - based mystery series, which will be published by Midnight Ink and released this August 2006.



And, I'm also doing final editing on the 2nd in the Molly Malone suspense mysteries which won't be coming out until 2013. No cover ready for that one, yet.







On top of that---my Ebook release on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other formats of my amateur sleuth mystery DYING TO SELL came out this last January. This was previously pubbed in hardcover & paperback by two publishers. See how easy it is to become confused?


And---in late April, I'll have another Ebook released---my historical romance set in 1871 Kansas. ABILENE GAMBLER is an old fashioned Western with villains to hiss and heroes to cheer. And, love scenes, too. :)






And---there's another exciting publication to brag about: our Cozy Chicks cookbook which was just released this week---The Cozy Chicks Kitchen. Also available on all formats.

Whew! And that's not even counting the books that are waiting in line to be allowed on the page. :)

Like I said----all of us are juggling like mad!

Still doing that "Writer Thing"

While our wonderful Kate Collins finishes the last part of writing her manuscript--rewrites, copy edits and even more edits--we are fortunate to have Julie Hyzy, who writes two cozy series, join us for a few weeks. Many of you are probably familiar with her White House Chef series as well as her Manor House Mysteries. We welcome Julie while we await Kate's return. (We do miss our Kate!)

I never expect people to be rude. Never. And thus, I'm never prepared for it and I do a terrible job at reacting properly. I'm polite to the Nth degree. It's ingrained and my default mode. Can't help it - though sometimes I wish I could. Like for instance, just about two weeks ago...


I'd been invited to participate in a panel at a conference in downtown Chicago and, rather than drive, I decided to take the train. In the crowded station that morning, I ran into a male friend, a gregarious guy who used to be part of the writing group I belonged to. Let's call him Fred. Fred's warm, funny, and genuinely nice. My husband really likes him, too and we're hoping to all get out to dinner soon together. All good, right?

Well, as Fred and I chatted, I encountered someone else I knew. She's mom to a couple of my daughters' friends, and she and her husband have always seemed like nice people. We have a friendly (or so I thought) relationship.


She stood and gave me the "Aren't you going to introduce me?" look after sizing up my male companion. I did, referring to him as "a friend." She started asking questions about where I was headed and why I was taking the train today. Honestly, from the glint in her eye and the smirk on her face, I think she thought that Fred and I were on our way to some sordid tryst. When I explained that I was appearing on a panel at a conference, she wrinkled her nose and said, "Oh, so you're still doing that writing thing, huh?" -- this accompanied by dismissive finger wiggling. Like tickling the air. Hard to explain, but it felt dismissive.

This is the wonderful quilt Dru Ann Love
made for me to commemorate
my first appearance on the
New York Times Bestseller list!
Isn't it gorgeous?How did I respond? I smiled (polite, ugh!!) and said, yes, I was still writing.

At that point Fred -- who looked as flabbergasted as I felt -- rose up to become my knight in shining armor. I can't remember his exact words, but he pretty much told her off (nicely) as he expounded on my writing career and cataloged my successes, including hitting the New York Times. (See photo --->)
She hurried to backpedal, insisting she hadn't meant anything by it and claiming that she respected what I've accomplished. But don't we all know better? Yeah, we do.
When the train came, she went one way, Fred and I went the other. On the train, I thanked Fred, but over the next few days I couldn't help but wonder why I didn't (and don't) generally stand up for myself.

Anybody else out there have this problem?

How Badly Will I Pay for the Irish Dinner?

by Leann

There was a time I could eat just about anything. And I did as an adult. Nice change from my childhood where I was a skinny, pale picky eater. Unfortunately, as I aged, the food intolerances began to show up. The list has grown so long I cannot keep track.

My husband is dedicated Irish (the name IS Sweeney) and though last year I skipped making corned beef and cabbage, he was practically begging me Friday for his favorite holiday meal. Problem is, I LOVE corned beef and cabbage, but it doesn't love me. And finding an uncured corned beef brisket is difficult--unless I want to drive for an hour and go to Whole Foods in Houston. (And pay about 25 bucks for a cheap cut of meat.)

Next year, if I can think to plan ahead, I will make my own. Did not do it this year, unfortunately. See, I am very sensitive to all preservatives--especially the nitrites in corned beef, bacon, pastrami, pre-basted turkeys, luncheon meat ... I could go on and on. There are preservatives in so many foods these days it's no wonder the whole world isn't sick. Preservatives are chemicals, after all.

So, I found myself at the grocery store at 7:30 Saturday morning. The good husband (he's been SO wonderful working on getting us to South Carolina) deserved his corned beef and cabbage. But guess what? Out of corned beef. What??? On to the next store and got one for $6. (Take that, Whole Foods!) I cooked it all day in the Crock-Pot with potatoes and carrots and sweet onions. It smelled wonderful. Since the veggies cooked with the meat, they, too, were infused with nitrites. But I had been smelling that corned beef all day. (Curse you, Crock-Pot!!) I had two small pieces of meat, a half a potato, a few onions and carrots and cabbage (that was cooked separately). I added a handful of digestive enzymes that sure do help for some foods.

I have a feeling, however, that by Sunday evening, I will be very sorry I didn't plan ahead and brine a brisket myself ten days ago. (Can you spell stomachache and migraine?) Homemade corned beef requires much planning and next year I will do better. But, oh, were those two little pieces of meat delicious! What about you? Did you enjoy an Irish dinner yesterday? What about green beer? I asked my granddaughter if she had green beer and she is finally at the age when she gets Grandma's jokes. She laughed. Nice. :-)

Welcome to our Cozy Kitchen!

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

Come and get it!  And by that, I mean THE COZY CHICKS KITCHEN!

[image error] Friends, food, and fellowship. That is what home feels like. And the kitchen is the heart of the home. This sense of warmth and companionship is what The Cozy Chicks try to invoke in our novels. And now, our cookbook will allow you to enter the heart of our cozy mystery worlds—the stories of our characters, of their authors, told through food. For a short while, our heroines have taken a break from crime solving to don aprons and wield spatulas and wooden spoons. And they'd like nothing more than to spend some time with you.

By the way, I cannot take credit for that lovely paragraph above.  Our own Ellery wrote it!

But I can take credit for 1/7th of the recipes included in the cookbook, which if full of wonderful recipes from all of us:  Deb Baker (Hannah Reed), Ellery Adams (J.B. Stanley), Leann Sweeney, Heather Webber (Heather Blake), Kate Collins, Maggie Sefton and ... me ... not forgetting many of the characters from our various mystery series.

But don't just take my word for it. 

"THE COZY CHICKS KITCHEN is chock full of mouthwatering gems. Everything is here: main dishes, desserts, salads, soups, drinks, and did I mention desserts? Don't miss this fabulous collection. I've got both the ebook version and a hardcopy. Get yours today!"
--Julie Hyzy, New York Times bestselling author of the White House Chef and Manor House Mysteries

As of today, the e book is available through the following retail channels (don't worry, the trade paperback edition is in the works and should be available in about three weeks -- just in time for Malice Domestic!)

Kindle          Nook          Smashwords (all other e formats)

We hope you'll enjoy our recipes as much as we do.  So, now, -- get cooking!

Try, Try Again

By Heather

Do you challenge yourself to try new things? Over the past few years, I've been challenging myself to learn new hobbies—no biggies (like skydiving or bungee jumping), but little things that broaden my horizons a bit.

Sometimes I fail. Like the year I was determined to learn conversational Spanish. I have a decent Spanish vocabulary, but stringing it together into complete (recognizable) sentences is still out of my grasp.
Scarf I made.
But sometimes I succeed.

Last year I was bound and determine to learn how to crochet. I had learned how to knit, but didn't do it very well, and it hurt. I have tendonitis in both forearms and cubital tunnel, too—so the double needles did me in after a while. But I love making things with yarn, so I thought crochet might be better suited for me, since it's just one needle (discovered it's better but I still have to take lots of breaks).

Well, last March I received a quickie crochet lesson from friend Shelly (you can read about it here), but after that, my crocheting fell by the wayside. Until last December when I rushed out and bought a how-to book, lots of yarn, and more hooks.

Baby blanket I made.There was a lot of trial and error. Lots of unraveling. Lots of repetition of basic stitches. Lots of going to You Tube for visual help (LOVE You Tube for this!). After a week of solid practice, I finally got the hang (the hook?) of it.

So far I've made a couple of bookmarks and hearts, and a baby blanket and a scarf. I still have trouble reading patterns (even after a lesson from friend Judy Clemens), so my goal this year is to continue practicing and learning and making cute things (I've started a crochet inspiration board on Pinterest).

Have you tried a new hobby lately?

Dru's Cozy Report: March 2012 Reading List

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

Adrift on St. John by Rebecca M. Hale is the first book in the new "Mystery in the Islands" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, March 2012
No one knows better than resort manager Pen Hoffstra that the idea of a tropical paradise is an illusion. So when a young woman named Hannah Sheridan disappears and a water taxi sinks mysteriously off the island of St. John, she is not surprised that all is not what it seems to be. Pointing out Hannah's resemblance to the Amina Slave Princess from the 1733 slave revolt on St. John—whose ghost is rumored to haunt the island—the local community quickly latches on to the belief that her spirit is behind the sinking and the disappearance. Only one person on the island knows the whole truth, and it's not what anyone suspects.

I like it. This was an easy flowing, narrative tale that took a different path in its storytelling. Snapshots of historical folklore were interspersed with the present as the tension built as to how this drama will unwind. Pen, the heroine in this mystery is a mystery herself and that in itself kept me turning the pages as we are introduced to some of the local flavor of the island from the laid-back approach; to the local dialect and the people that have become a part of her circle. This is not your typical cozy, but an intriguing and adventurous jaunt on a tropical island and I look forward to the next excursion in this wonderful series.
Visit Rebecca at www.mysteryintheislands.com
Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Murder Buys a T-Shirt by Christy Fifield is the first book in the new "Haunted Souvenir Shop" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, March 2012
Glory always dismisses ghost stories–until she inherits her great-uncle Louis's souvenir shop, where items seem to rearrange themselves and her pet parrot, Bluebeard, is suddenly uttering phrases he couldn't have picked up from customers. If Glory told anyone the shop was haunted, they'd think the fresh sea air has gone to her head. Then, at an end-of-summer party, local football hero Kevin Stanley dies, and the store starts to go haywire. Glory finally shares her secret with her best friend, who takes it seriously–and is convinced the ghost is trying to send a message. Kevin's death was no accident, and it's linked to Glory's very own great-uncle Louis. Now Glory must dig through the junk to find the truth, before someone leaves her with a deadly souvenir of her own.

I love this book. Glory lives in Florida with her parrot Bluebeard. When one of the local sports player is killed in a car accident, Bluebeard has something to say and it's not "Polly want a cracker", instead it may be a message from her long-dead uncle. This was a fun read and I enjoyed meeting Gloryanna and her friends. The mystery was good as it kept me guessing in this page-turning and well-crafted novel. The tone of the story was very comfortable and the setting of a souvenir shop was a perfect backdrop to this lighthearted tale. With a fun-loving cast of characters and entertaining dialogue, this was a great read and I can't wait to read the next book in this charmingly appealing series. Also includes recipes based on traditional Southern cooking.
Visit Christy at http://christy-evans-mystery.blogspot.com
Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson is the first book in the new "Devereaux's Dime Store" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, March 2012
After Jollie Ayers, the fiancé of Dev's ex-boyfriend, is found handcuffed to a hotel bed, murdered with a champagne bottle and a stiletto-heeled shoe, a revenge-crazed cop is determined to put Dev behind bars. The cuffs and the champagne were part of a gift basket Dev put together for the victim, and they have her fingerprints all over them. Desperate to clear her good name, Dev enlists her two longtime pals, Poppy and Boone, to help investigate. Luckily, the sexy new guy in town, Jake Del Vecchio, also feels compelled to assist, and it doesn't hurt that he's a deputy U.S. marshal. But Dev had better fight her attraction to Jake and focus on discovering the killer—or this brand-new business owner may find herself trading her nostalgic five-and-dime store for a modern-day prison cell.

In order to clear her name when she becomes the prime suspect, Dev teams up with her two best friends and sexy newcomer Jake to find the person responsible as the detective working the case is determined to send Dev to where her father resides. What a ride! From the moment I picked up this book, I was thoroughly engrossed in this fast-moving story that had me quickly turning the pages to finish this character-driven tale. The mystery was good as it kept me guessing throughout most of the book. This well-written whodunit boasts an awesome cast with Dev leading the way to Gran who is a charm and friendly and engaging conversations. I love the idea of a dime store serving as the backdrop in the delightfully attractive series. This is a great debut and I hope to spend more time with Dev and company for years to come.
Visit Denise at www.deniseswanson.com
Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Death of a Kitchen Diva  by Lee Hollis is the first book in the new "Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails" mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, March 2012
Single mom Hayley Powell is barely keeping her leaking roof over her head when her boss at the Island Times gives her a new assignment—taking over the paper's food column. Hayley's not sure she has the chops—she's an office manager, not a writer, even if her friends clamor for her mouth-watering potluck dishes. But the extra income is tempting, and Hayley's chatty first column is suddenly on everyone's menu—with one exception. When rival food writer Karen Appelbaum is found face-down dead in a bowl of Hayley's creamy clam chowder, all signs point to Hayley. To clear her name, she'll have to enlist some help, including her BFFs, a perpetually pregnant lobster woman, and a glamorous real estate agent. As she whips up a list of suspects, Hayley discovers a juicy secret about the victim—and finds herself in a dangerous mix with a cold-blooded killer.

This is a fun read. Hayley gets a promotion and the next thing she knows she is fighting to clear her name when she becomes the main suspect in the murder of a rival food writer. I had such a good time reading this amusing story from beginning to end. This fast-paced and lighthearted mystery was wonderfully written with some comedic interludes. With a lovable cast and great dialogue, this is a welcome addition to the cozy genre and I look forward to more adventures with Hayley and her friends in this pleasingly entertaining series.

Movies and Bookstores

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

Cozy Chicks blog friends have a lot in common, especially when it comes to books and reading. We all love bookstores. We like to get lost down the aisles, immerse ourselves in the smell of books, read jacket covers, flip through the pages, read first paragraphs.

Kindles and Nooks and all the other eReaders are great inventions and wonderful fun, but we still are on the lookout for a new bookstore to wander through. And we also are big on movies set around bookstores.

Like the one here from You've Got Mail, where Meg Ryan takes on the mega-store along with Tom Hanks.


Or this one - Flourish and Blotts in Harry Potter - where Harry, Ron, and Hermione buy their school supplies, including required reading like The Standard Book of Spells.







 Then there is the amazing train station bookstore and Mr. Labisse, the gatekeeper, in Hugo.






Our very own Chick, Lorraine, writing as Lorna Barrett, has a booktown series, where Tricia Miles owns Haven't Got A Clue.

I don't have a photograph of Tricia's store, since it hasn't been made into a movie (yet), but an image is in my head, and it's fabulous.

Which movie bookstores are your favorites?

Keeping Track. . .It Works

by Maggie Sefton






I've always paid attention to nutrition. I've never subscribed to trendy diets or eating regimens. I've found the balanced approach best---regular cardio exercise and healthy eating. I've also paid attention to the alerts to the foods that can sabotage maintaining a healthy weight and lead to health problems. I kicked sugar back in 1997. I used to add white sugar to hot tea (and I drank 6 to 8 cups/day) and added sugar to other foods. Once I educated myself about the problems (not the least of which was weight gain as we reach middle age), I did a 180 degree turn. Started drinking my strong black tea with no sugar and no cream. And I noticed a big difference in weight. White flour was another problem food, along with salt. But I'd never abused salt, and I ditched all those addictive white flour bakery items when I cut out the sugar. You know. . .doughnuts, cakes, bagels, all those treats. Does that mean I never eat them? Of course not. But I eat them only occaisionally. And that made a BIG difference.

Well, I'm writing about this today because last fall I started cutting out something else that is known to cause problems. Fat. Yes, I'd educated myself about cutting the amount of fat we eat, and knew the health reasons for it. And I'd applied those nutrition principles for years. And I'd noticed the scale going down over th e years. Again---cardio exercise is an absolute addition to the lifestyle for many of us after what the French so charmingly call: "une certaine age." :) Well, I'm in that "certain age" and I pay attention.


So-----last fall, I decided I wanted to get rid of those last eight pounds that had hung on for years. So I decided to REALLY start paying attention to everything that I ate and the calorie, carb, and fat counts for everything. I started the first of October and started writing down each meal in a little notebook similiar to the one pictured. And----this is a biggie----I decided to really cut the fat intake particularly AND to increase the dense and high fiber breads & cereals. I'd already been using them, but this time I only ate the denser high fiber and multiple grains. I'd always enjoyed the flavors of those products so it was an easy switch.

But what really surprised me was how easy it was to cut the fat intake. Really. Ten years ago it wouldn't have been this easy. But now, there are SO many yummy fat free alternatives, including delicious vegetarian alternatives available, that I didn't miss those other foods. Not at all. What really shocked me was that I started looking at a lot of those foods differently. They no longer looked as appetizing or inviting. In fact, I can honestly say that I can walk past the ice cream freezer displays and not be tempted to buy some. Honestly. No kidding. Ice cream has always been a weakness. Not anymore. Once, since October first, I actually opened the ice cream freezer door in front of my old faves Ben & Jerry's, Godiva, Hagen Daas (sp?). I picked up a pint and turned it over and read the AMOUNT OF FAT IN ONE HALF-CUP SERVING! ! ! Then, I shrieked. Really. Right there in the store (small shriek) and tossed the container back into the freezer. No way was I going to eat that. One 1/2 cup serving of some of those flavors had my entire fat intake for one day. Honest. That really registered. :)


What about holidays? No problems. I denied myself nothing when I joined daughters for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Over several days each holiday. Enjoying many meals, at home and at restaurants. Even my old temptation, Maggie's Chocolate Mint Fudge. No problem. I would eat some of my old fattening faves and enjoy it, but I never ate as much. I was changed. :) Sure, the weekly weigh-in showed a little gain, but it always disappeared once I returned to "healthy eating."

As for the scale---and that old tape measure---well, I have to say I've been shocked. I've lost those old 8 pounds. And I haven't seen those lower numbers for 20 years. No lie. And the tape measure? Even better. Inches off waist and hips. Old slacks and jeans from the back of the closet are fitting. And it's only been five months. . .with two major eating holidays. Wow.
I give credit entirely to the KEEPING TRACK METHOD. That's why Weight Watchers works for people. I didn't do their program. I had my own version of well-balanced, but with lower fat. And my daughters told me about another tool which really helps. It's a food & exercise tracker for your mobile phone, iPad, or computer. And it's SO easy to record everything you eat. Plus, it keeps track. It's absolutely free. Just go to MyFitnessPal.com and download the program. It's great. And it's made keeping track even easier.