Kate Collins's Blog, page 274

Cha-cha-cha

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!)

My husband and I are still adjusting to our newly empty nest, and we talk often about stepping out of our comfort zones.

Neither of us is eager to parachute out of a plane or go deep-sea diving in shark-infested waters, so we looked long and hard, and finally (woo-hoo) found a park-district activity that's more our speed.

Ballroom dancing.

Yep. So far, we've learned the Fox Trot and Waltz. We've tried to Rhumba, and we excelled at the Polka. But, hey, we both have Polish in our blood. In our last class we attempted to Tango, a step our teacher told us to approach like a cat snatching at the ground. She told us to be smooth and fluid in our movements. Don't know how catlike we looked, but the Tango sure was fun!

I know you probably think I talked my long-suffering husband into these lessons, but let me set the record straight. These lessons were his idea. He comes from a very dance-y family and I recall one wedding we went to, early on in our dating years, where the entire dance floor was empty except for my husband and his immediate family. They were all doing the Cha-cha like pros. His sister's date turned to me, shaking his head. "Look at them," he said. "The Dancing Hyzys." He wasn't kidding. That date never showed up again. I'm still here...

My husband has always been a far, far, better dancer than me. He's got rhythm, he knows how to move. But at our most recent class, after about a half hour of smooth sailing to a Carlos Santana tune, the teacher introduced a twist on the Cha-cha called the "Chase." My husband froze up. He started over-thinking it, and we kept bouncing into one another. Whenever I mess up (often) he's quick to assure me it's fine and he tells me not to worry. But when he messed up, he got frustrated and kept wanting to try again. Class ended and because he still hadn't mastered the swivel turn, he didn't want to leave. "Just one more try," he said - about fifteen times. They were ready to lock up the place and shut the lights. I had to drag him out with the promise that we'd practice at home before the next lesson.

He's more relaxed about it now, and I'm glad. But I'm secretly gleeful. For the first time in our married life, I *got* the dance steps before he did. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself, and trying hard not to gloat.

I enjoy dancing, especially when I think no one is looking. Except for ballet and tap when I was a little thing, this is my first experience with dancing lessons. Have you ever taken any? How did it go?

Watching Their Minds Work

by Leann


This past week we had landscapers come to see what we could do with our yard to get the house ready to sell. This particular landscaper worked on a house right near us and did a fantastic job. I must admit I was surprised at the two men who showed up.

They're brothers and look as different as day and night. Plus, they're "country boys"--as Texas as you can imagine, cowboy hats and all. My husband, after some discussion, asked me to do most of the talking since even though he's the outdoor guy and raises wonderful vegetables, landscaping is a whole lot different. He doesn't know about "curb appeal" but I do.

I didn't need to take too much of a lead. These two guys knew exactly what I wanted without me having to say too many words. It was like we were on the same page. Plus, they even acknowledged I had a few "darn good" ideas myself. I could see their vision and it was so neat to watch their minds at work. It was fun and exhilarating. Creativity found! What they brought to the table that I still don't have even after living in this state for decades was an extensive knowledge of Texas plants and what would look right in certain spots, how those plants would handle the brutal summers, what shrubs we could save and what really had to go (like the monkey grass that has taken over one front border).

Our pretty redbud trees that were damaged in Hurricane Ike will have to go, too--they are looking pretty scraggly--but they will be replaced with new healthy trees. I am glad we are doing this, but I must say, I wish I could have convinced my husband years ago that our yard needed a do-over so we could have enjoyed what I suspect will be a beautiful transformation.

How about you? Any time you finally got around to doing something and had to wonder "Now why did I wait so long to fix this, change this, do this?" And do you understand what I'm talking about when I say, "I could see their minds at work?"

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Are you ready to Spring Ahead?

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

[image error] Can you believe that spring is only TEN DAYS AWAY???  Of course, with the mild winter we've had, it's hard to believe that it's already March.  We've had a few 60 degree days here in Western New York, and we're about to get a few more (yay!) I read somewhere (online? USA Today?) that, thanks to global warming, winter is about ten shorter than it was even 50 years ago.  (Sounds okay to me.)   And tonight we "spring" ahead (a little too early if you ask me) and change out clocks to daylight savings time. 

I love the flowers of spring.  I love the smell of the earth as it reawakens.  The grass is already starting to green up a bit.  The daffodils are about four inches high already--they're really looking forward to spring.

[image error] In a couple of weeks I'll plant my sugar snow peas.  I waited too long last year and they didn't do well.  But this year, I'm going to plant them on March 31st and watch them grow.  (And hopefully have a bountiful crop come June.)

What is it you like best about spring?

Ahh-choo

By Heather

When my kids were wee little, we used to refer to March as the "plague" month. Any germ going around inevitably came home with them. It was always a month of doctors, medicine, and long, long nights.

As the kids grew, the plagues seemed to fade away—for everyone but me. Each and every March, I get a nasty head cold that inevitably turns into a sinus infection (no matter how hard I try to ward it off). Last year, it lasted two months, turned into two ear infections, a sinus infection, and a touch of bronchitis, too. Yeah, lucky me.

Anyway, I lasted seven whole days of March without feeling so much as a sniffle. Then yesterday I woke up with a terrible throat. And then congestion started. Just in time for me to hit the road. I leave for Chicago today for a few events... If you're in the area, I'll be speaking and signing with Denise Swanson and Kelle Z Riley on Saturday, March 10 at 12:30 PM at the Coal City Public Library and Sunday, March 11 at 1:00 PM at the Bolingbrook Barnes & Noble Booksellers. I'm really hoping this cold is a quick one and that I don't infect anyone attending the events (I promise not to share my germs).

But be forewarned. I don't like to suffer in silence. I definitely whine a little too much when I'm not feeling well. "My throat huuuurts." "I cannn't breeeaaathe." LOL. My poor family is probably glad I'm going away. But I am determined not to whine on this trip. Too much.

And let's hope that this is the only plague of the month (I can dream!).

What kind of patient are you? A whiner or a silent sufferer?

Guest Blogger Denise Swanson: Leap of Faith

by guest blogger Denise Swanson
Like a lot of people, I'm not a big fan of change. I think I must have been a cat in another life, because I really, really like routine. In other words, the status quo is my friend. So why did I decide to write a second series? That's a good question and I've tried to come up with a good answer—mostly for myself since I've beat myself up about that decision almost every day since I sold the Devereaux's Dime Store Mysteries.
      Stick-in-the-Mud Denise asks, "The Scumble River series has been doing well, heck, you even made the New York Times Bestseller list, why in the world would you want to write an additional series?"      Open-Minded Denise answers, "Because the Dime Store books offer me a chance to spread my wings and write about some edgier situations, while still keeping my same voice AKA writing style."     Insecure Denise demands, "But what if your readers don't like Dev and her friends as much as they like Skye and the Scumble River gang?"     Flexible Denise explains, "It's been both challenging and exhilarating to create a new cast of characters who I hope my readers will find as likable and interesting as the Scumble River gang. My goal is to continue to give my readers a satisfying mystery, but add a tiny bit spicier romance and more complicated family relationships. And come on, who doesn't like the nostalgia that only an old fashion dime store can truly provide?"
     Apprehensive Denise whines, "What if the reviewers skewer you for writing something too similar to your original series?"      Easygoing Denise clarifies, "Although there are parallels in both series—small town setting, quirky family and friends, and murder—there are also some big differences. Whereas Skye is a 'good girl', who has trouble saying no to her mother and wants to help everyone, Devereaux has spent time in the hard-nosed financial investment world and her only family is the grandmother who raised her after her father went to prison and her mother abandoned her."
      Anxious Denise whimpers, "You aren't going to quit writing the Scumble River series, are you?"      Calm Denise enlightens, "While I'm thrilled to be writing the new Devereaux's Dime Store series, I'm just as excited to be continuing the Scumble River series. In fact, the next Skye book comes out in September."      As you can see, making the decision to write a second series has not been an easy one for me. But I knew it was time to take that leap of faith and push myself to do more (or as the Army say, be all I can be). So it is my hope that Little Shop of Homicide will have something for every reader—mystery, romance, family dynamics, friends, and small-town living at its best.
=======================================--Denise Swanson is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Scumble River Mysteries. Little Shop of Homicide debuted March 6 and is the first book in her new Devereaux's Dime Store Mysteries.

Order it at Mystery Lovers Bookshop or Aunt Agatha's

Candles for Readers

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

I was surfing the web for honey ideas for my next Queen Bee mystery when I stumbled across Paddywax, a company "pairing favorite quotes with exquisite fragrances", and I just had to share with all you bibliophiles out there. Not only did I find a candle and fragrance collection called Journey of the Bee, with scents like rose, clover, raw honey, and orange blossom, but I also found a library collection.

Light the Walt Whitman candle and bask in the aroma of grass, thyme, and red clover.

The fragrance from an Edgar Allan Poe candle wafts through the air, carrying cardamom, absinthe, and sandlewood.

Or decide between Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde.

If you want to read the quotes, check out the rest of the classic authors represented, and maybe even order, go to Paddywax. Or if you buy all your stuff through Amazon, here's the link to the Library Collection there.

I love candles. Don't you?

Tax Time. . .Again

by Maggie Sefton

Yes, it's That Time again. Time to do your income taxes, if you haven't done them already. If so, good for you. You're in better shape than I am this year.





Somehow this year, February disappeared in writing the next Kelly Flynn mystery and taking care of all the details that land in your lap when you decide to e-publish your backlist books that were previously published by "traditional" publishers. There is SO much to do.

Anyway, as I said, February simply disappeared---and it even had one extra day! Fe bruary had always been the month when I'd sorted through, categorized, organized, and analyzed all the writing expenses that I'd incurred during the previous year. Well, this year March arrived, and all I'd done is sorted through the big stack that accumulates in The Expense Drawer in my den/office and put everything in piles. Lots of piles. Well, at least it was a start.

Weekend before last, I spent all of that Sunday afternoon getting down to work. The serious work of going through credit card statements, debit card statements, cash receipts, etc. Tedious, yes, but absolutely necessary. I got a lot accomplished, but I knew I needed to devote ALL of last weekend to the task of completing all of my writing business Schedule C revenues and expenses p lus all the other schedules. And, like last year, I needed to finish by mid-March at the latest.


Why? Because I started to use a CPA last year for the final task of completing several additional schedules and forms that are necessary. Consequently, I cannot be finishing my taxes in early or mid-April like I did before. Ah, no. In all fairness, CPAs have to schedule their client workload during tax season. I know that. I was a CPA several years ago, and I remember those 60+ hour work weeks during tax season----which started in mid-January. So, I want to be one of the "good" clients who gets their information in on time. Plus, that means my return will be completed before April 15th.


Thus, this past weekend was spent slogging away through expenses, revenues, categories, and schedules. And. . .I am almost there. Within smelling distance of finishing. Just a few more passes through my daytimer for automobile mileage records of all the trips to bookstores and conferences and other writing/book events. Almost there. I should be finished before the end of this week. Wish me luck. :)

Now, how about you? Have you finished? Not even started? Or just given the entire thing to your accountant or CPA?

Always an Adventure

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!)

We went skiing the weekend before last. Friends invited us to join them, we had nothing planned, and snow was predicted. What more could you ask for? Well...the snow never materialized and – for the record – I'm not complaining. We've had a fabulous winter this year and I'd be thrilled if they were all this mild.
But…when I took a look at those giant hills (they were giant to me, okay?) and I realized that the teensy cover of manufactured snow the resort had shot onto the slopes probably wasn't going to mitigate the ice factor, I got cold feet. (Literally, ha ha – I was standing in snow.) My husband, compassionate fellow that he is, suggested cross-country skiing instead.
The day was gorgeous—sunny and crisp. The people at the lodge were friendly and helpful, warning us that we were overdressed and that we'd probably overheat and be back in fifteen minutes to shed clothing. I'm always cold, so we decided to keep the ski pants and jackets on, along with our hats, scarves, and mittens.
Here we are, about a hundred feet away from the starting point, when we realized we'd left the paper trail map with our belongings back at the lodge. "No worries," said one of the veteran skiers, "the trails are well marked."
Uh-huh.
Did you ever see "The Princess Bride"?
Then you will hear this next sentence in Inigo Montoya's voice: "I do not think 'well-marked trails' means what you think it means."
Couple things I didn't know about cross-country skiing. There are grooves on the very edge of the trails to help keep newbies on the straight and narrow. Thank goodness they were there. I don't think we would have lasted five minutes otherwise. Ice coated everything and I could barely keep vertical.
The beauty of cross-country is the quiet. We were able to converse when we weren't panting, and we enjoyed the solitude with only the occasional expert whizzing by, saying hello. As promised, there were maps at every juncture…but they weren't in color the way the paper map was. That may not seem like a big deal, but there are loops everywhere at this place and we couldn't figure out where A ended and D began, or where E ended and G began. We thought we were on D, but we were really on G. It got most confusing when E and G met, but neither went the way we wanted, and the path behind us—unmarked—didn't even appear on the map. There were different difficulty levels and after trying one "more difficult" (puff, puff, gasp) we knew we needed to stay on "easiest."
Except…some of the trails are one way only, with giant DO NOT ENTER signs. Which means you can't backtrack. When we got to K we knew we were in trouble. Somehow we managed to find an "easiest" path back, via N. And don't let anyone tell you there's no downhill in cross-country. We took plenty of tumbles. Plenty. Sometimes even while still in our handy-dandy grooves.
When we finally got back, sweaty, tired, but ultimately proud of ourselves, the folks in the lodge commented on how far out we'd gone. "All the way out to K, huh?" one said. "How do you know?" we asked. Turns out that we weren't as alone as we'd thought. Several of the staffers told us that they'd gotten regular reports of our whereabouts. We'd gone out much farther than anyone had expected. I think the fact that we were doing the equivalent of shuffling rather than skiing put giant neon signs over our heads flashing "Newbies!" But it was nice to know that people were watching out for us.
BTW - this is my husband's "after" picture. I refused to let him take one of me. I looked MUCH worse (:::shudder:::). 
We learned a lot that day. Enjoyed ourselves immensely and felt good about the amount of exercise we'd gotten. Would we do it again? Probably. My husband and I agree that we wouldn't go out of our way to find cross-country opportunities here at home, but if we're out and it's available, we'd be willing to give it another whirl.
As always, I made mental notes (my hands were too sweaty to jot real ones) about the experience so that I could use it someday for one of my characters. Maybe I'll have it snow in North Carolina and Grace can traverse the white stuff and happen upon a murder victim. Or a murder in progress. She'd have to be a better skier to get away safely ... but it sure would be hard to be worse than we were.
What about you? Have you ever skied cross-country? Other than making sure we have a detailed map handy, do you have any hints for our next trek?  [image error]

Who Has Time for a Timeline?

by Leann


Many folks on Facebook already have the "timeline" page that will become mandatory in two days (no, Facebook is not a democracy). I have wasted much time trying to figure out the new way of doing things (yet again). Wasted because I cannot seem to figure out the pictures, aside from the "cover page" and the "profile picture." It only took me three days to get rid of TV shows that were canceled last season and two days to do the cover picture. I felt no joy in this. Just relief that I am not completely dumb. At least not yet.


Is this a reminder that I am getting old? If so, I do not need this. I already know I'm getting old. There was once a saying "if it's too loud, you're too old." I think that needs to change. It should now be "If you can't figure out your Facebook page in 12 hours or less, you're too old." AND if you can't ever figure out your Facebook page, you need to quit trying and read a book. Turning pages, not "fixing" pages, is simple, enjoyable and made for young AND old.


Facebook, can you tell I'm a teensy bit angry with you? What about you? Frustrated yet?[image error][image error]

Cozy up to our Cozy Kitchen

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

[image error] The woman who copy edits my Booktown and Victoria Square Mysteries probably would not believe it, but for eight years I was a copy editor for a Fortune 500 company's weekly (and then biweekly) newspaper.  I grant you, I probably was never the best copy editor who walked the face of the planet, but I wasn't chopped liver, either.

For more years than I care to remember, I edited a number of amateur publications. I became a pretty good story editor, helping fledgling writers bring out the best in their work.  I even won a few awards for it.  (Brag, brag.)

[image error] So it's been a kick to do the first pass edit on the upcoming Cozy Chicks cookbook, The Cozy Chicks Kitchen .

Oy!  Imagine seven different authors with divergent styles (and abbreviations) coming together in one manuscript!  It's enough to make one's hair stand on end ... and yet, I've been absolutely charmed by the recipes--and the stories that go with them--contributed by my blog sisters.

All good things take time, and it will take a few more weeks before our cookbook is ready for the big reveal. It will be released first as an e-book. A few weeks later, it'll come out as a reasonably priced trade paperback. It will feature our own recipes, and those of some of the characters from our various mystery series.

We think we've got a winner on our hands--and hope you will, too!

So, are you interested in The Cozy Chicks Kitchen ?[image error]