Kate Collins's Blog, page 314

The Stomach Rules! Yippee?

by Kate Collins

This may sound odd, because I'm on the small side, (think chicken bones) but my day pretty much revolves around my stomach's happiness. I have to eat breakfast right away because I wake up hungry. I have to travel with almonds or pecans in my carryon in case of a delayed flight. I cannot ever skip a meal without everyone around me suffering.

Basically, I'm a slave to my digestive system. This is unlike my daughter, my sister, or my best friend, who don't seem to focus on food like I do. In fact, my daughter will sometimes go eight hours without eating (to my GREAT dismay, btw). She claims she gets too busy to think about food. Seriously? Is there ever a time when a person is that busy?

My sister can have coffee first thing in the morning and not eat for hours. Both of the above situations would have me snarling, crabby, and nauseated, and a Kate in those conditions is not about to produce an entertaining book. It would probably sound like I was writing in tongues.

Wherever I am, I have to plan my dining itinerary carefully. It's hard to be spontaneous sometimes, but the consequences of not paying attention to my hunger signals are really bad.

I've found that it helps a lot to include a good source of protein with my meals. That helps to insure that I won't get the hungries in between . Note the word "helps" in the above sentence.

Are you a slave to your tummy or are you one of those lucky ones who can go for long stretches with nary a growl?

Kate, hoping she's not alone in this.

But I Didn't Say That

by Leann Sweeney

I get plenty of emails from readers and most of them are very nice. I'd say 99%, in fact. Seems the world knows, for the most part, that if you can't say something nice ...

But this week I got a strange one. The person who wrote felt that they "had" to write and tell me that they were reading one of my books when were totally shocked and dismayed. It had to do with a piece of dialogue and then the emailer said, "Why did you have to say that?" She went on to explain that because "I" said that, she will never read another book I write.

And that got me to thinking. I am well aware that not everyone likes every book. We have books we love and books we hate and books we could care less about. But it was her phrasing that got to me. This person has confused me with a character in my book. That particular phrase is something I don't think I have ever used in real life conversation. (And I'm not going to repeat it here for fear of incurring more wrath!)

Yes, my characters are separate from me. They have different views than I do. Their flaws and strengths are not mine. Their language and phrasing belong to them, not to me. I replied to this person and said I was sorry they felt offended, but that this was the character's choice of words. I add that certainly just because I write about murder and a few of my characters commit murder that doesn't make me a murderer, either--which, by the way, would seem a lot worse than a snippet of dialogue. :-)

What do you think about this? Can you separate author from fictional characters who are sometimes not very nice? All in all, it was an interesting email, one that I found more amusing than some mean reviews I've gotten!

ABOUT THAT AUTHOR SWAG . . .

Last week offered to give some Cozy Chicks author swag to five of our readers who weren't able to attend the recent LOVE IS MURDER mystery conference.

The winners are:

Kim
Carol Brown
Shushan
Sue
bookwyrm217

Wow--were we overwhelmed by all your enthusiasm, and we feel bad that not everyone can win a goodie bag filled with swag.

But wait -- we didn't want to disappoint you all so . . . if you haven't already received our bookmarks, we'd like to send you a few.

Send us an email and tell us which of last Saturday's comments was yours, and give us your snail mail address. (Darn that post office, they won't let us mail stuff unless there's a valid address on the front of the envelope.)

Write to us at cozychicks @ gmail.com (remember to close up those spaces) -- and please put Cozy Swag in the subject line.

We'll also add you to our Cozy Chicks newsletter list so you can get all the Cozy Chicks' updates.

We'll have more swag in May, so stay tuned.

Places I Go in My Head

By former Cozy Chick (we're so glad to have her back, even if for a day!) Karen MacInerney

The other day, a writer friend was telling me of this wonderful idea she had involving a love story she'd thought of, and I realized an 'idea' like that would probably never, ever occur to me. Why? Because almost all of my stories start with a place – and always a place I'd like to go in my spare time. (A place, preferably, where things like dishes and laundry get taken care of behind-the-scenes, and there are no needy children with massive school projects they forgot about until 11:30 the night before they're due, and people don't keep me up the whole night with croup or stomach viruses and the fridge cleans itself. But I digress.)

A lot of writers seem (from my extremely informal survey) to start with a character, or even just a fragment of a situation that sounds interesting, and build a book from there. Me? I almost always start with place – because that's what I read for. Where do these fictional people live? I wonder. Do they have gorgeous, towering trees to shelter them, or miles of sugar sand beaches? What delicious local dish do they often eat? (Surely it's got to be better than the tuna salad I just made, using mayonnaise that I hope is good past the sell-by date.) Do they have lovely, sprawling woodland areas where they can go for afternoon jaunts and pick berries? Do they live in delightful, cozy cottages furnished with antiques and rag rugs? I don't know about you, but I tend to pass on books that take place in gritty downtown areas or run-of-the-mill suburban neighborhoods. I want to fall into a world that has quaint cottages, low-slung bungalows with gorgeous, blowsy gardens, and verdant village squares. Heck, I'll even throw in a thatched roof or two if I can manage it!

In fact, it's only after I've got the place down in my head that I start thinking about characters. Then, once I've got the characters sketched out – or at least my main character and a few supporting staff – I can start deciding who to kill. (Surprisingly, that one isn't too tough – I always have plenty of real-life inspirations suggested by friends and family.) Plot twists and interesting rabbit trails always follow, taking me into directions I'd never guessed possible.

But for me, setting always comes first. If I don't like the place, I won't like writing the book – and it's a good bet my readers won't either. I'm experimenting with three series ideas right now – and all of them take place in villages set in Ireland, England, and Texas. I'm learning that I'm a rural girl – at least on the page.

What about you? Is it setting that excites you, or characters – or even a clever opening? What makes you pick up a book – or pick up the pen to start one?

A Love Letter to the Cozy Chicks

Ellery Adams
As this is Valentine's week, I wanted to spread a little love to the other Cozy Chicks.

Writing is an extremely solitary process. All of us spend day after day in a chair facing a computer screen, our focus on imaginary worlds and fictional people.
When life throws me a curve ball I can reach out and connect with all six of these remarkable ladies. No matter how deep they are in their work in progress, they will stop what they're doing and offer support.
The only way I could thank them was to put my sentiments into print. You can't really read this photo, but it's the dedication page from A DEADLY CLICHE, which comes out March 1st. I wanted them to read it before it hit the shelves.

To the Cozy Chicks, my sisters in crime:
Deb BakerLorraine BartlettKate CollinsMaggie SeftonLeann SweeneyHeather Webber

Spread the love today, friends. Contact someone you haven't connected with in a while and put a smile on their face.

Mission Accomplished (Almost)

 by Deb Baker (aka Hannah Reed)

I've just turned in book three in the Queen Bee mystery series, and if feels so good to write 'The End'! Next comes an editorial letter outlining bits and pieces that need revision. After that, we'll have to narrow down a title. Usually my publisher likes what I submit. But not always. Sometimes I have to go back to the drawing board.

Book one was Buzz Off and book two coming May 3rd is Mind Your Own Beeswax. But I've hit a wall with book three. Nothing is really jumping out at me, screaming, "pick me!" So I'm opening the nominations to you.


So far the nominees for best title are:
1. Beeline to Trouble
2. Beeline to Murder
3. Plan Bee

What do you think? Do you have a title to nominate?

Messages

I was deeply touched by Kate Collins's post yesterday, Monday, Valentine's Day. And the comments to Kate's post were even more touching. Glimpses into people's lives as they shared their experiences and feelings. Those moments are powerful. Moments when we reach out to one another and share our thoughts, our feelings, and sometimes our pain.


I've always felt honored when someone has chosen to share some of their private memories or stories with me. It has happened quite often. Sometimes I'm here in Colorado, other times I'm in other states visiting or speaking at an event and quite often at booksignings. In fact, it seems to happen regularly at booksignings. People will come up to the table wherever I'm signing, pull up a chair, and ask me to sign a book. . .and then they tell me their stories. All of us have stories. As novelists, we're unapologetic storytellers. Maybe that's why they choose me. They know I'll listen. And I hear the most amazing stories.

It happened again while I was traveling in California last week. First in Sacramento, then again in the Los Angeles area. One day my Sacramento friend & I were driving to a knitting shop in the Grass Valley area, which is north of Sacramento. The knitting shop, Meadow Farm Knits, was a wonderful & warm shop and filled with lots of friendly and fun knitters & other fiber folk. After an hour of chatting, my friend and I were ready to head to lunch when another woman came in, one of the shop regulars, and she said she simply had to share a story with m e. And it brought tears to my eyes.

She and three friends had grown up together in the area and all had enjoyed knitting at that shop and had also enjoyed reading my Kelly Flynn mysteries. They all read them at the same time. Last year, one of the friend's breast cancer returned after six years and spread. Unfortunately, there was no cure this time. The three friends surrounded their dying close friend with their love by visiting her in the hospital and reading the mysteries to her, even when she was unable to respond to them by speaking. But, this woman said, their dear friend still found a way to respond to them while she was leaving them.

Oh, my. All the dear ones and the loved ones in our lives are so precious. And they all have stories. Their lives are stories. Share your love with the people closest to you. Keep sharing and let them know you care. It's a blessing for you and for them.

Dru's Cozy Report: February Reading List

Welcome to Dru's Cozy Report. I will be sharing, on a monthly basis, my views on current cozy mysteries. The first two entries are debut series featuring a librarian with mystical cats and a struggling actress working in the family's baker; the next four entries are about a specialty shop owner, a newspaper reporter, a hairstylist, and a plumber's apprentice, all in an on-going series.

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly is the first book in the new "Magical Cats" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, February 2011

When librarian Kathleen Paulson leaves her life in Boston and moves to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life. Owen is a tabby with a catnip addiction, and Hercules is a stocky tuxedo cat who shares Kathleen's fondness for Barry Manilow. But beyond all the fur and purrs, there seems to be something more to these felines. When murder interrupts Mayville's Wild Rose Summer Music Festival, Kathleen finds herself the prime suspect. More stunning is her realization that Owen and Hercules are truly special—perhaps even magical. Suddenly she's relying on their skills to solve this crime and save her reputation. With a little legwork from her four-legged friends, Kathleen may be able to solve this purr-fect murder.

Kathleen, new to Mayville, was there to help renovate the century-old library and bring it into the 21st century when she encounters the visiting and rude musical conductor. When she finds him dead the next day, she becomes the person of interest. Kathleen decides that the more she knows about the deceased, the better chance of finding the killer. When suspicious incidents strike Kathleen, her furry friends are there to protect and help her bring the killer to justice. The story started out slow and then BAM! I was flipping the pages so fast to see what happens next. The home-town setting, the lively and eclectic characters, the two lovable felines and the dialogue creates a charming atmosphere that you want to revisit again and again. I look forward to more adventures with Kathleen and friends.

Visit Sofie Kelly's website at www.sofiekelly.com

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

To Have and To Kill by Mary Jane Clark is the first book in the new "Wedding Cake" mystery series. Publisher: William Morrow, December 2010

Piper Donovan never imagined that decorating wedding cakes could be so dangerous! A struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement, Piper moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. She steps tentatively into the family bakery business and finds herself agreeing to create a wedding cake for the acclaimed star of a daytime television drama. But soon someone close to the bride-to-be is horribly murdered and it seems that that someone is ruthlessly determined to stop the wedding. With the help of her former neighbor, Jack, a handsome FBI agent with a soft spot for the gorgeous cake-maker, Piper moves closer to the truth. And as she narrows in on a suspect, she realizes that it's hotter in the kitchen than she may be able to handle.

When we first meet Piper, she is moving back home while her acting career has stalled and is working with her mother in the family bakery. As soon as friend Glenna announces her engagement, things goes terribly wrong around her. Piper's observation, determination and her father's lessons will help solve this crime. This page-turning mystery kept my attention and I couldn't put this book down. The cleverly written chapters gave us clues to the identity of the killer and every time I thought I knew who the killer was, the twists and turns through me off and I was surprised at the killer and the motive. Rounding out the story was the delightful cast that included her parents and her former neighbor, Jack who I hope we'll see more of in Piper's life. The evenly-pace, action-filled and suspenseful tale was an enjoyable read and I can't wait to read the next one is this captivating series.

Visit Mary Jane Clark's website at www.maryjaneclark.com

FTC Full Disclosure - I bought this book

Stitch Me Deadly by Amanda Lee is the second book in the "Embroidery" mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, February 2011

Marcy is the proud owner of the Seven-Year Stitch, an embroidery specialty shop in the sweet small town of Tallulah Falls, Oregon. Her best friend, Sadie, owns the coffee shop down the street, and her Irish wolfhound, Angus, is practically the shop's mascot. But trouble strikes when an elderly woman brings an antique piece of embroidery to Marcy...and promptly dies of unnatural causes. Marcy is convinced that the antique sampler holds a clue to an even older crime and that somebody may have killed to hide it. Now it's up to Marcy and her pals—two-legged and four-legged—to unravel this mystery.

When a customer comes into Marcy's shop with a piece of antique embroidery looking for help, she later dies and Marcy being the last one to see her, naturally becomes the prime suspect due to a misunderstanding, again. With her mother back in town championing her innocence, they both will stitch the clues together to solve this murder. What a great read. This was a fast-paced and well-written mystery that kept me glued to the pages. There were many suspects and surprises that caught me off guard and every time I figured out the killer, someone else came to the forefront with a stronger motive. The small town atmosphere, the wonderful characters and comfortable dialogue made this an enjoyable and delightful read. I look forward to more adventures with Marcy and friends.

Visit Gayle Trent writing as Amanda Lee's website at www.gayletrent.com

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

Shot Through Velvet by Ellen Byerrum is the seventh book in the "Crime of Fashion" mystery series. Obsidian, February 2011

With newspapers folding across the country, fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian's latest story hits a little too close to home. Touring a failing Virginia velvet factory on its final day of operations, Lacey finds more than fading fabric—she finds a body. Workers nicknamed the hated manager the Blue Devil, and now he's blue, indeed. Rumors spread that the killer is the Velvet Avenger—his calling card, a length of blue velvet ribbon. But when a ribbon appears at Lacey's paper, it could be more than her job at stake—it could be her life.

While touring the upcoming closing of the last velvet factory in Virginia for a story she plans to write, Lacey finds the body of the man responsible, dead wrapped in blue velvet ribbon. Lacey discovers a connection between the town and the paper and when a blue velvet ribbon is sent to Lacey's work it becomes apparent that danger may be lurking. What a great read. This was an action-filled, non-stop read from beginning to end. The list of suspects was plenty that kept me guessing and as usual, Lacey gets tangled in a couple of situations. All the gang was here from Stella the hairstylist to Damon the conspiracy theorist to the teddy bear that is Turtledove and to the lovable and handsome Vic, showing us parts of Washington DC and Virginia. The storyline on the loss of jobs, particularly factory and newspaper jobs was cleverly written and the dialogue was refreshing. This was an enjoyable read that left a smile on my face and I look forward to more escapades with Lacey and the gang.

Visit Ellen Byerrum's website at www.ellenbyerrum.com

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

Polished Off by Lila Dare is the second book in the "Southern Beauty Shop" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, February 2011

It's business as usual at Violetta's salon, until Audrey Faye sashays in looking for stylists for the Miss Magnolia Blossom pageant. Grace jumps at the opportunity, but on her first day she finds a theater full of anti-pageant protestors, angry mothers, frantic contestants and an aloof Audrey. Even Violetta's manicurist, Stella, is acting strangely. Then, during the talent portion, protestors storm the stage—and Audrey Faye is found dead, murdered with a nail file. It turns out Audrey was having an affair with Stella's husband, which makes Stella a prime suspect. Now, Grace and Violetta's beauticians must find the real murderer before Stella is polished off permanently.

Taking on a hairstylist job at the local beauty pageant, Grace didn't think she'll have anything to worry about except styling hair until she discovers the dead body of the beauty pageant director. When Stella's husband, who was having an affair with the deceased, becomes the primary suspect, Grace believing in his innocence, will do anything to bring the killer to justice. This was a good mystery with plenty of action involving Grace's friends. I loved the tone of the story, so laid-back it made me smile as I continue my reading; the various local setting gave me a view of St. Elizabeth and the crisp dialogue made me feel more than welcomed. With a southern feel, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next adventures with Grace and friends.

Visit Lila Dare's website at www.liladare.com

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

Drip Dead by Christy Evans is the third book in the "Georgiana Neverall" mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, February 2011

When plumber's apprentice Georgiana Neverall crawls under her mother's house to check the pipes, she's horrified to find her she's not the only body down there. Georgiana always thought her mother's flashy fiancé, real estate mogul Gregory Whitlock, was a real drip—but now he's a dead one. Instead of a wedding ring, Georgiana's mother soon finds herself wearing handcuffs, accused of killing the man she loved. To clear her mother's name, Georgiana's going to have to crawl into a few more dark spaces and uncover secrets Whitlock was hiding...the ones someone want buried with him six feet under.

Cleaning the pipes under her mother's house, Georgiana find the body of her mother's fiancé. When her mother is arrested for the murder, Georgie will have to unclog Gregory's secrets to clear her mother's name and find the person who wanted him dead. The closer she gets to uncover some truths, her life is threatened and someone is willing to make her their next victim. This story had me quickly turning the pages. It was nice to see the relationship between Georgie and her mother fully explored which was humorous at times. With her trusty friends at her side, Georgie survives scraps after scraps with the determination to unmask the killer. This light-hearted and charming tale full of plumber tips was a wonderful and fun read.

Visit Christy Evan's website at www.christymystery.com

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

I ASKED THE UNIVERSE AND IT ANSWERED

by Kate Collins

It's been four-and-a half months since my husband passed on, and to be honest, the grief is still very raw, very sharp, and I have to work hard to keep a positive attitude so I don't get mired in self-pity. That task has been made so much easier by the support of my family, my friends, and all of you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Sometimes it's the loneliness that hits hardest, and Valentine's Day promised to be one of those times. Just the thought of it was enough to bring me to tears. My husband loved to give me thoughtful gifts and take me out to dinner. This Valentine's Day will be the first in fifteen years that it won't happen, and I really didn't want to spend the day thinking about that.

Going out to dinner with a girlfriend was a possibility, but I had a feeling that I'd be thinking of my husband the entire time. I didn't want to inflict that sad mood on anyone.

Then I remembered some advice my friend Maggie Sefton once gave me. She said, "Ask the Universe, Kate. It listens." So Saturday night I asked for a way to get through Valentine's Day without dissolving into a puddle of grief, something that would take me outside myself, get the pity party over with, and let me help someone who was worse off.

And the Universe heard me.

Last night, I got a text message from a friend telling me that an extra ticket to a charity luncheon for the local women's shelter had come up unexpectedly. She asked if I would be her guest. What was really amazing was that this shelter had been a special cause for my husband who, as a lawyer, was a strong advocate for many abused women. And the event is on Valentine's Day.

I thought about it for about two seconds. "Yes," I texted back. "I'd love to. Thank you!"

It promises to be a great time. You can read about it here http://tinyurl.com/4su4qj9

Whether you call this power the Universe, God, Goddess, Creator, or Divine Guidance, try asking it sometime. If you have pure intentions and the request is something that will be good for you, I promise you'll be amazed at the results. I'd love to hear from you if it works, by the way.

And just as an afterthought along those same lines, I received a book for Christmas entitled, "Sacred Signs: Hear, See and Believe Messages from the Univers e," that you might want to check out. My daughter was browsing at a bookstore for a gift for me, and that particular book seemed to leap out at her. Hmm. A sign? I think it's one of those mysteries we'll never know the answer to. Maybe we don't need to.

Have a week of peace and happiness.

Kate

Sorry I've Been Away

by Leann Sweeney

I have not been blogging or doing any typing that requires my left arm and I've missed talking to you. Time for me to get back to business after a week of doctor's appointments, sleepless nights, tests and strong medicine.

As I have mentioned, I hurt my shoulder last August in a freak fall--at least my dog thought it was freakish. I cannot even explain. Just know that I ended up hanging by one arm from kitchen island. Yes, I am a klutz. Nice German word for a nice German woman. After seven months of dealing with varying degrees of pain, things started to get decidedly worse about six weeks ago. For no apparent reason.

But I was reassured by the bigwig orthopedic shoulder surgeon at the Texas Medical Center that some people's shoulders react to even minor injuries in excessive ways. That's what happened to me. I have a small rotator cuff tear but my body decided to make all kinds of scar tissue--way too much. I have a frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis if you want the fancy term. This overreaction by my body in turn led to bicep and tricep tendinitis. Pain, in other words.

I have been shot up with cortisone, given lots of drugs and been told to rest the arm until the pain begins to subside. Then it's rehab time. Gentle rehab. I like the sound of anything gentle. See, my husband has been taking care of me. I appreciate what he has done, since driving has been very difficult. But he has a new secret name: the shoulder drill sergeant. He doesn't do kind and gentle. I have had to bite my tongue a lot in the last two weeks. I call that taking a different kind of medicine.

What about you? Have you had a weird reaction to medicine or an illness or an injury? Or am I just a freak of nature?