Kate Collins's Blog, page 337

Kelly Flynn Knitting Mysteries on Audio At Last!

I am really excited! The downloadable audio of the very first book in the Kelly Flynn Knitting Mysteries will be out soon! KNIT ONE, KILL TWO will be available August 2nd from Audible.com. Yay!!


Readers have been asking me for YEARS----yes, years----when the Kelly Flynn books would be released on tape or audio. My answer was always the same: Whenever the publisher decides to release them. This Spring, my editor gave me the happy news that KNIT ONE, KILL TWO would be released this summer. Augu...

When Good Appliances Go Bad

by Kate

My air conditioner never goes out . . . until there's a sustained outdoor temperature of 90+ degrees with no end in sight AND at least one other major repair crops up at the same time.

A few years back, four appliances conked out at once. I swear one of them caught a virus and spread it to the others. They all looked a bit pale, and the refrigerator was wheezing.

This time, in addition to the a/c unit malfunctioning, we also had a plumbing problem. Luckily, we use the same local company ...

Whe Good Appliances Go Bad

by Kate

My air conditioner never goes out . . . until there's a sustained outdoor temperature of 90+ degrees with no end in sight AND at least one other major repair crops up at the same time.
A few years back, four appliances conked out at once. I swear one of them caught a virus and spread it to the others. They all looked a bit pale, and the refrigerator was wheezing.

This time, in addition to the a/c unit malfunctioning, we also had a plumbing problem. Luckily, we use the same local company ...

I Hate Cars

by Leann

Last week, my relatively new car (has about 5000 miles on it) stalled out at a stoplight. First of all, that makes the people behind you honk and make unpleasant gestures. But second of all, when I have an impending deadline, car trouble is the last thing I need. I have no time to sit around and wait for the "diagnosis" at the dealership. Those people are in no hurry to do anything.

Ordinarily, one stall in traffic wouldn't bother me, but I panicked. It's because of what I call "the b...

Book Trailers

By Lorna

Everybody loves to jump on a band wagon, and I'm not immune.  In this instance, I'm talking about book trailers.

There's no proof that book trailers help to sell books.  There's no proof that most promotional efforts reap results, but one thing I know is that book trailers are fun. (Or scary.  Or ... well, if nothing else, they're neat.)

My friend Janet Koch made two book trailers for me. The first was for DEAD IN RED.  http://tinyurl.com/3726fu3 and after that, she made one for BOOKM...

Trying New Things

By Heather

How are you with trying new things? New foods, new activities? I have to confess, until recently I wasn't good with it. New foods scared me, and I wasn't that fond of trying new activities for the simple fear that I'm going to stink at it.

But I kind of had that light bulb moment that new things might be fun, and who can't use a little more fun in their lives? So, when the opportunity to play cornhole came up, I played. I think this is primarily a Midwest game, but it's fun—especial...

Unplugging

This is the first time in days that I've gone near a computer. I was on vacation this week - finally! - after a very long period of solid work.
The hardest part of getting myself to relax was unplugging. I'm not just talking about the computer, but all of the electronic gear. No cell phone, no laptop, no logging onto relative's machines, and very little TV.
I read a book this week. I swam in the Atlantic Ocean. I had ice cream. I remembered what it was like not to check email every five...

You Can't Tell a Book By Its Cover

Well, that's certainly true when we think about the people who come into our lives. What we see isn't always what we get, right? The same is true with books. Yet don't we reach for the fancy packaging, the one with all the splashy colors and pretty pictures on the front? Or the one with an image that resonates with us? Even when we know it's what's inside that counts the most. That cover is the first impression and it means a lot.

So when we authors see our cover art for the first time, it can...

Jazz Time

Last week was filled with long-delayed appointments---doctors, dentists---and other everyday stuff that I wasn't able to attend to during most of May and all of June. And this week will be more of the same. So----this past weekend I relaxed again---big time.



No, I didn't spend the days reading . . .well. . .I did read a little, Couldn't help myself. But most of Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I chose to join many others in Fort Collins and gather at our picturesque Old Town Square. Last...

If You Had Only One Tip

Conversation around the dinner table got lively last night as our two grown-yet-single daughters (one each from our first marriages) were complaining about the lack of husband material. The girls expressed their disappointment that most guys in the 20-early 30 range were not interested in getting married, only in "getting," if you catch my drift.

Their talk soon turned to concerns over recognizing the right guy when he came along, and from there to fears of divorce. They asked us what was the ...