Kate Collins's Blog, page 280

Dru's Cozy Report: January 2012 Reading List

Welcome to Dru's Cozy Report. This month we have four new series for your reading pleasure. The fourth one is a gem I found in my TBR pile and I'm so glad I read it.

An Appetite For Murder by Lucy Burdette is the first book in the new "Key West Food Critic" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, January 2012

Hayley Snow is a woman of many passions. She's followed her soul mate to funky, foodie Key West, but when their romance loses its sizzle, she's determined to find a new life in this island paradise. She's always been a foodie, so when she applies to be a food critic for Key Zest, the new Key West style magazine, it seems like a perfect pairing. Then Hayley discovers that her potential new boss is Kristen Faulkner—the woman who stole her boyfriend. Hayley can't see how things can get worse now that she's loveless, possibly working for her romantic rival, and living on her friend's boat—until Kristen is murdered and the police pull Hayley in as a suspect. Unfortunately, Hayley's got more motive than Key Lime pie has meringue. To clear her name she'll have to find the real killer fast or the only restaurant she'll be reviewing is the prison cafe.

What a great read. All Hayley wanted was to stay in Key West and work as a food critic, but instead she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her soon-to-be boss and it doesn't look like the police are looking elsewhere. To prove her innocence, Hayley will have to create a recipe that will expose a killer. This engaging and page turning murder mystery kept me guessing throughout most of the story. The evenly-paced story boasts a perfect backdrop that is Key West, delicious meals interwoven into the story and likable characters. I especially like Hayley who is funny, strong yet vulnerable and has a zest for living that made this well-written tale come to life. This is a fantastic beginning to a delectably entertaining series.

Visit Lucy at http://lucyburdette.com

FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Stay At Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen is the first book in the new "Stay at Home" mystery series. Publisher: Kensington, January 2012

It's a day like any other for Deuce Winters, a stay-at-home dad in sleepy Rose Petal, Texas, where he and his three-year-old daughter Carly are making their weekly trip to the grocery store. But the discovery of a dead body in his mini-van quickly throws his quiet life into disarray. In a town where gossip spreads faster than a brush fire in July, it doesn't help that the victim ruined Deuce's high school football career and married his ex-girlfriend. As the number one suspect in the court of public opinion, Deuce is determined to clear his name, with a little help from his wife Julianne, a high-powered attorney who lovingly refers to him as her "househusband." His search for the killer leads him to a business plan gone awry and a gaggle of jilted lovers. All the while, he'll have to contend with a diminutive but feisty detective, the ruthless preschool PTA, and more than his fair share of Texas-sized hairdos—not to mention the laundry.

What a fun debut! Stay-at-home dad, Deuce, finds a dead body in his minivan and when the town's gossip has him all but convicted, Deuce looks into this case to clear his name with help from unlikely sources. This is a light-hearted, fun-filled, and well-written who-dun-it that I enjoyed immensely. The mystery was a good one and when I thought I had the killer's identity in my grasp, the author changed direction. I love the people in Deuce's world; especially scene-stealer Carly. With a clever plot, a comfortable ambiance, an enjoyable banter and a likeable cast, this is great start in this charming and amusing series.

Visit Jeffrey at http://jeffreyallenbooks.com

FTC Full Disclosure - I bought my own copy of this book

If Fried Chicken Could Fly by Paige Shelton is the first book in the new "Country Cooking School" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, January 2012

At Gram's Country Cooking School, Betts and Gram are helping students prepare the perfect dishes for the Southern Missouri Showdown, the cook-off that draws lots of summer visitors. Then they discover the body of local theater owner Everett Morningside in the school's supply room—and Everett's widow points the finger at Gram. Betts must clear Gram's name and keep the cook-off preparations on schedule—all while worrying about a mysterious cowboy only she seems to be able to see. And after shots are fired at her, Betts has to dig deep into Broken Rope's history to find the modern-day killer—before the last wing is served.

I like this book. When Betts and her grandmother find a dead body in their school's supply closet, it doesn't look good for Grams when she becomes the primary suspect. To save Gram's reputation, Betts and Jerome will have to find a killer before Grams becomes dead meat. This was an enjoyable read that kept me going until the last sentence. This well-designed tale of mystery had worthy suspects and I enjoyed watching Betts blend the clues from Jerome's past memories to expose the killer before more harm was done. The small *old-west* town atmosphere; the casual conversations; and a charming cast makes this a delightful read in this wonderful and appealing debut series.

Visit Paige at www.paigeshelton.com

FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book

Skeleton in a Dead Space by Judy Alter is the first book in the "Kelly O'Connell" mystery series. Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press, August 2011

Kelly O'Connell never thought real estate was a dangerous profession, until she stumbled over a skeleton in a dead space in an early-twentieth-century Craftsman house she was transforming into a coveted modern home in an older urban neighborhood in Fort Worth, Texas. From that moment, she runs into teen-age gang members, a manipulative ex-husband, a needy and single pregnant friend, a cold-blooded murderer, and a policeman who wants to be more than her protector. As free-spirited as the chocolate-peanut-jalapeño candy she craves, Kelly barges through life trying to keep from angering her policeman-boyfriend, protect her two young daughters, pacify her worried mother a thousand miles away, and keep her real estate business afloat. Too often she puts herself in danger, and sometimes it's the girls, not Mike, who come to Kelly's rescue.

All Kelly wanted to do was finish the house she was renovating, but instead she got a dead skeleton and threats against her family. What a great read that I could not put down. The author had me quickly turning the pages in this suspenseful who-dun-it and the many twists and turns kept the plot moving towards a rewarding conclusion. With a comfortable tone, lovable and quirky characters, great conversation, especially the internal dialogue that Kelly has with herself, and a hint of romance, this was an enjoyable debut and I look forward to the next book in wonderful new series.

Visit Judy at http://judyalter.com

FTC Full Disclosure - I bought my own copy of this book

Keeping Lenny's Clock Alive

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

Not long after I moved into my second house, my Dad gave me a grandfather clock.  My Dad gave all three of us grandfather clocks.  Well, almost.  The first clock he made -- yes, he made them from an Emperor Clock kit -- was a grandmothers clock.  That means it looks like a grandfather clock, but it's considerably smaller.  It was the first clock from a kit that he made.  (My Dad fixed clocks and watches for a hobby, so making one was to be expected.) My grandfather, who was visiting from England, helped him make it.  My older brother HINTED VERY STRONGLY that he would be thrilled to own it.  Hence, the first gifted "grandfather clock."  Since my Dad's favorite wood was cherry, that first one was a cherry clock.

Since my favorite wood is oak, my clock (which I believe I either got for my birthday or Christmas) is made of oak.  You don't see many light-colored grandfather clocks, and I've had a lot of compliments.  I've had it for about 25 years now, so it's mellowed into a nice golden color.  My clock is medium sized.  I'm the middle child, so I thought that was appropriate.  (And maybe my Dad did, too.)

My younger brother got a MASSIVE cherry clock.  The biggest one.  When it bongs, you know it.  Which is why the clock hasn't run in at least 20 years.  (My sister in law doesn't like it bonging.)

My clock is a little temperamental.  Quite often I would let it run down (duh--I forgot to wind it) and would have a hard time getting it started again.  We'd go to the cottage on the weekends and the clock would be silent.  We'd come back on Sunday (my Dad was our pet sitter) and the clock would be back to its chiming self ... until I forgot to wind it again.

Since my Dad passed away, Mr. L has become the keeper of the clock. While my Dad was in the hospital/nursing home, during his last months, we had a hard time keeping the clock going.  Mr. L had many conversations with Dad about how to keep it going.

The clock stopped rather suddenly just before Christmas.  Mr. L and I tried about 150 times to get it going.  Mr. L was getting quite upset that nothing he did made it work.  He played with it and played with it to no avail.

The other day, my mother jammed her sewing machine.  She spent hours trying to unjam it.  Finally she said, "Lenny, what would you do to fix this thing?" and suddenly it came to her.  Break the needle.  I broke it for her and voila!  Unjammed.  With this in mind, I went home and looked at my Dad's picture (not far from the clock) and said, "Dad, what's it going to take to get this clock working?"

I went back to working on my book.

Several hours later, I was sitting on the couch and looked up.  Miraculously, the clock was BONGING!  (Oh, how I have missed that sound!!!!!  My sister in law doesn't know what she's missing.) Somehow, Mr. L got it working again. (He won't tell me exactly how--and I don't care.)

Now, I'm not one who believes in messages from the great beyond ... but sometimes ... ya gotta wonder.

Anything like that ever happen to you?

What It Takes To Be A Biographer

By Jeff MarksHeather kindly offered to let me chat today on the Cozy Chicks. I'm currently finishing a biography of Erle Stanley Gardner, which has consumed my life for nearly 3 years now. It's nice to be able to write something else, even if it is related to Mr. Gardner still. I'm finishing work on my third full-length biography and about to begin my fourth, and I've learned a few things about what you have to do in order to write a good biography. I thought I'd share a few lessons learned. PerseveranceIf a short story is a sprint and a novel is a marathon, then a typical biography is a race across America. A biography is 200+ pages of facts, each one which needs to be accumulated and synthesized. It's not enough to just have those broad outlines sketches of the people in the subject's life, you have to know each person and find out about each one of them as well. So parents, partners, spouses, children and more are all involved. And dead ends abound! I've run into many promising leads, only to have them evaporate like a puddle on a summer's day. Stories that went nowhere, people who did not want to be quoted on the record, and those who simply got their facts wrong. It also means a lot of reading. I'm happy to do that, but 200 letters between the subject and the green grocer or financial statements with the banker can become a bit tedious. Still even in the smallest of places you can find tidbits. One of the best pieces of information on Erle Stanley Gardner was tucked away in a brown paper grocery bag at the library. Details I make a joke that I know it's time to start writing when I begin to correct the correspondence I'm reading. Craig made a mistake about how much she'd made the previous year, and I knew it. Gardner said that he'd sent a copy of a particular book to Marlene Dietrich, and I knew better. And the devil is definitely in the details. For some reason, marriages seem to take an inordinate amount of time in my books. You'd think they would be easy – were they or weren't they, but they're never black and white in my books. Was Craig married to this man, or just saying so? For "husband" number two, I had to finally assume that they weren't married. I scoured courthouses in the Chicago and Milwaukee areas but couldn't find anything to support a marriage, even though she called herself a wife. Why did Gardner not divorce wife #1 for his secretary? Many answers have been posited through the years, but no one knows for sure. All of these things have to be answered and answered correctly. CuriosityI'll admit that I'm nosy.  I can watch those silly gossip shows all night, if they had them. So it's not bad for me to read other people's letters and notes. There is a small twinge when I'm reading some poignant like the break-up letters between Erle Stanley Gardner and his wife, citing their reasons for separation? I highly doubt that 80 years ago, he expected anyone to ever read those and comment on them. Even more so, the letters where he complained vigorously about other mystery authors and their books, but all of it has to be read and commented on. Do I ever draw the line at anything? I have. There are some items that I've merely alluded to, rather than write about in detail. I couldn't see that it served any purpose other than to cause needless pain and suffering. Other than that, everything has a place in a good biography. Jeff
www.thelittleblogofmurder.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeffrey-Marks/271929135155 https://twitter.com/#!/Jeffrmarks

Guest Author Kate Carlisle on Her Passionate Love for Book

Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mystery series, which launched in 2009 with HOMICIDE IN HARDCOVER. The latest Bibliophile Mystery is PAGES OF SIN, an ebook exclusive novella, which will be followed on February 7 by ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE in paperback and ebook. The Bibliophile Mystery series follows book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright as she attempts to restore classic texts to their former glory, and to solve the contemporary murders that are linked to each book.

I love books. I don't just mean that I love reading, although I do, of course. I mean something more than that. I love the books themselves, especially antique bo

oks with embossed leather covers and a gilt edge on each page. I view an antique book as a survivor in the war against time. Somehow, against all odds, this book made it.

I view the book as an art form, in the visual arts sense in addition to the literary arts sense. If you've ever seen a painstakingly detailed illustration from a fine, antique text, you'll know what I mean. Back in the day, a skilled craftsman poured days of his life into producing a thing of beauty that would be treasured through the ages.

So it's pretty sad to find one of these treasures in poor shape, sitting outside in the rain at a local flea market. Sad but exciting, too, because I know that it can be brought back to full health by a master bookbinder. Since long before I started writing the Bibliophile Mystery series, I have taken classes in the book arts. Even so, I'm a hobbyist, nowhere near as professional as my protagonist, Brooklyn Wainwright. She's one of the world's foremost experts on bookbinding. She's the person you call with the worst cases, and she gets all tingly with excitement when presented with a book that desperately needs to be saved. (She's less tingly with her unfortunate proclivity to discover victims of murders that are somehow linked to the latest book on her worktable.)

So you might ask… as a passionate bibliophile, how do I feel about the ebook revolution? The truth is, I'm okay with it. Ebooks are bringing a resurgence of readers back to the written word. People who hadn't read a book since high school are suddenly reading ten books a month because of the convenience of being able to order it on the fly.

Mass market paperbacks and even most of today's hardcovers are not the same thing as those fine, leather-bound antique books whose aesthetic virtues I just extolled. The binding is more disposable, never intended to last 100 years or more. With these contemporary books, the story is the thing, and the story is the same, whether read from a physical book or a digital one.

The latest Bibliophile Mystery novella, PAGES OF SIN, is an ebook exclusive. (ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, out on February 7, will be available in both paperback and ebook formats.) I have great news for those of you who don't have an ereader: You don't have to miss out on an ebook exclusive ever again. You can get free software that lets you read books on your computer!

Kindle for PC - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

NOOK for PC - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-for-pc/379002322

Sony Reader for PC - http://ebookstore.sony.com/download/

I'm so excited about my first e-book adventure, I hope you will consider buying (or at least downloading the free sample of) PAGES OF SIN. And while you're at it, you can pre-order ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE in the format of your choice!

Have you embraced the ebook revolution? If so, when did you buy your first ereader? If not, what do you love about physical books that you feel you'll miss with digital books? What other technology have you been reluctant to accept, but that you came to love?

Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest - Answer

Here's your answer! Lots of correct guesses this time, but this month's $10 card goes to Paula Miller.
Congrats!
Tune in next month for another contest and thanks for playing!

Meet Five Aging Female Sleuths

by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed

When Gertie Johnson started talking to me in my head, she was 77 years old.  "But they want their heroines young," I was told. Over and over. As a newbie writer, I caved to peer pressure and made her 66 (not exactly what my advisors meant). At first I thought 'they' equaled readers. But as it turned out it was the  publishers who didn't want older protagonists. That's still true. My publisher turned down my last proposal for a group of 'mature' women for that very reason. Have they completely forgotten about the famous Miss Marple?

I love, love, love writing and reading about older folks. They don't have all those issues young people have. They aren't afraid to take risks, don't care what others think, and have accepted themselves exactly as they are. Peer pressure doesn't scare them one bit.

So, without further ado, I bring you five contemporary older sleuths.




1. Ninety-two year old  Victoria Trumbell (by Cynthia Riggs). She live on Martha's Vineyard and has quite a reputation for her investigation skills.






2. Mrs. Jeffries (by Emily Brightwell) keeps house in nineteenth century England and also keeps villains at bay.






 3. Agatha Raisin (by M. C. Beaton) isn't quite as old. She's 53 and lives in

the  Cotswold's. Agatha isn't everyone's cup of tea, but readers who start with the first in the series ( The Quiche of Death) learn to love her.




4. Gladdy and the girls (by Rita Lakin) reside in a Fort Lauderdale retirement community and never lack for interesting adventures and laugh out loud fun.






 5. Okay, I had to thrown in Gertie (she made me.)


Anymore to add to the list??

Looking Forward, Not Back

by Maggie Sefton



I just saw this quote a couple of days ago. It's a quote from Stephen Covey for the New Year:


"I can change. I can live out of my imagination instead of my memory. I can tie myself to my limitless potential instead of my limiting past."


I agree with Stephen Covey. Years ago, my dream was to create an entirely new life out of my imagination. My dream was to become a successful published novelist, supporting myself financially with my writing. I have accomplished that.

Was it easy? Heck, no. It was hard. Darn hard. A lot of hard work, late nights, lack of sleep, and doing without. Doing without a lot of things---new clothes, semi-luxuries, travel, even food, sometimes. Just a few years ago, when my frugal budget monthly allocation ran out before month's end, I lived on peanut butter, bread, and milk. Boring, yes, but nutrious. Dogs never did without. I always had enough food for them. :)

But through it all I never lost my dream. I KNEW inside I could do it, even before I sold my Kelly Flynn mystery series. So, I kept working.

I believe we CAN achieve our dreams and re-create our lives. I've met lots of people who've done it. It's not easy, but, boy. . .is it worth it. It also involves risk. More about that in another post. But one of the points Covey makes in that quote is we also have to be willing to surrender our limiting past. I've learned that some people can't do that. They've used their past experiences to define themselves for so long, they don't know how to give that up. Who would they be? Well. . . I think that's Covey's point. We're all free to create new lives for ourselves out of our "limitless potential." But that requires looking forward.


I realize this post is a little different than most that I've written for Cozy Chicks. Blame it on the New Year. Or, January. I'll be posting more about January next week. But, I would be curious to know how many of you agree that we are free to re-create ourselves if we choose. If not, what's stopping us?

Great Month For Cozies!

by Kate


Since I am busy finishing a book, I thought I'd take time to simply remind all you readers out there that two of our Cozy Chicks have books out this month. They were released last Tuesday and to keep these wonderful writers in business, they need sales. So if you can spare the time and the money for some great reads, try out the first in Heather Webber's new mystery series (writing as Heather Blake) It Takes a Witch , or the latest Queen Bee mystery from Deb Baker (writing as Hannah Reed) Plan Bee ! If you enjoy these two, write a few sentences and post it on Amazon or B&N.com. Our editors LOVE when readers do that!


(click on the covers for more information)

Happy reading in 2012!

The "Cheers" Song? Really?

by Leann

I understand musicians, like writers, deserve money for their work. I'd probably sell a book to Hollywood and say "have at it" while hoping they'd do a good job, but knowing I'd have little say. (I would ask for input as far as casting the cats, however. LOL) I sure hope the people who wrote the Cheers theme song so many years ago are getting MEGA royalties for it right now.

You've seen the commercial, right? It's a big insurance company now using that theme to push their business. Trouble is, I really don't think "everybody knows my name" at aforementioned insurance company. No, I'm pretty sure they don't. This is the first time I've been quite annoyed at a song being used to hawk something. I want to shout "NO! Quit with the lies!" every time it comes on. Silly, huh?

I've seen some songs used wonderfully to sell everything from coffee to diamonds. Plus, when any sports play-off comes along, they'll use a song about heroes or super-people or dreams. I can handle it. But this song? Nope. Doesn't work for me. I think if they used the M.A.S.H. song for a commercial, I'd have trouble with that one, too. What about you? Any song used in an ad that bothers you? I'd love to hear your reasons as I think my reaction is based on pure emotion. Certain stuff should just be left alone. It's a little bit sacred.

Beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

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

Lots of people are on diets after the holidays, and I'm no exception.  I've tried every one of them, too, and the only one I was really successful on was Weight Watchers.  The only problem is, you have to keep a food diary, and I really don't have that kind of time right now. 

But I'm not completely doomed to never losing weight.  Another tried and true that as worked for me is lettuce for lunch.  I eat a really big salad (from the generic iceberg bag from Wegmans -- a 99 cent special) and I'm pretty much set to go.  So far in the past year I've lost 25 pounds on this method.  I went off of it for the summer, but now I'm back at it.  I hope to lose another 15-20 pounds, and if I'm good I know I can do it.

I find myself reading all the AOL diet success stories.  This person lost 100 pounds by cutting out soda and french fries.  Another lost 150 pounds by doing that AND giving up something else.  Ya know, I don't drink soda.  (I mostly drink water and fat-free milk.)  I hardly ever eat fast food.  I don't eat bags of chips or cookies, either.  (I try to keep that kind of stuff out of the house because if it's there, it'll get eaten.)  I guess my problem is portion control.  I've been working on that, too.  But it takes a l-o-n-g time for me to lose weight.  I've been wrestling with the same 3-4 pounds for months now. (They're on, they're off.  They're on, they're off.)  But I'm determined.  I've even starting seriously exercising. (Although all I seem to be doing is adding muscle weight.)

So I'm really fascinated by author Joe Konrath going on an all-beer diet.  Yup.  If Trappist monks can do it, why can't he, he figures.  (They give up food for lent and subsist entirely on beer for the entire 40 days.)  He's got all basis covered heath wise.  And guess what?  He's making a documentary and then he'll write a book.  (And probably make a fortune.)  You can read all about his diet here.

Have you ever gone on a crazy diet before?[image error]