Kate Collins's Blog, page 72
January 11, 2018
When something doesn't work
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Back in October, I put my latest Life On Victoria Square story, It's Tutu Much, for pre-order. But oddly enough, readers didn't seem interested in the story. I wondered if it was just the fact that the holidays were coming up, or if it might be the cover. My beta readers liked the story and they liked the cover. But when it came to debut day, the pre-orders were 2/3 less than the previous three stories.
Something wasn't right.
I kept focusing on the wrong aspect of the story. I kept thinking it was about the children in the dance class, but the more I thought about it, the story is really about their teacher, Dana Milton.
I asked my review crew what they thought, and they were split. Some like the cover, some thought it looked like it was a children's story. I didn't like hearing the latter, but I had to listen. Although it's only been 10 days since the story has been out, the sales went right down the toilet. In fact, I've already had a couple of days without a single sale. That's not good.
So yesterday, I asked the members of my Facebook Group (Lorraine's Perpetual Tea Party -- if you haven't joined--why not???) what they thought of the current cover and a dummy cover I put together. I'm no Photoshop wiz, and I couldn't get the ballet dancer to stay on a colorful background. After a lot of trial and error, I managed to get her on a gray background.
Readers thought the covers were bland. They wanted color. They wanted a proper tutu. They wanted whimsy. They did NOT want a photo on the cover. The original cover didn't mesh with the other covers in the series.
They were right.
However, that didn't tell me what I needed to convey to my cover designer. So, I decided to let her decide what to do. I told her what the readers said, I showed her what I had done, and let her play with it.
I love what she came up with. It's whimsical, it's bright, there's color -- and the ballet and tap shoes say there's more than just one kind of dance being taught in this studio.
Being quickly able to correct something like this is one of the best things about being an indie author. Had this been a traditionally published story, it would have been stuck with a "bad" cover for eternity. I was able to turn it around in less than two weeks from publication.
Now, see if you're more interested in the story.
Dana Milton opens a dance studio on Victoria Square. Can she teach her students kindness, respect, and shuffling off to Buffalo, or is it all tutu much?
Kindle | Kindle Worldwide
Nook | Kobo | iBooks
What do you think?
-----------------------------------------------------
P.S. On our Cozy Chicks Facebook Group Page, our reader, Zaida Nightingale, has a cooking challenge going on. Every week for the rest of the year, she'll be making a recipe from The Cozy Chicks Kitchen. Tune in to see what she's making this week!
Back in October, I put my latest Life On Victoria Square story, It's Tutu Much, for pre-order. But oddly enough, readers didn't seem interested in the story. I wondered if it was just the fact that the holidays were coming up, or if it might be the cover. My beta readers liked the story and they liked the cover. But when it came to debut day, the pre-orders were 2/3 less than the previous three stories.Something wasn't right.
I kept focusing on the wrong aspect of the story. I kept thinking it was about the children in the dance class, but the more I thought about it, the story is really about their teacher, Dana Milton.
I asked my review crew what they thought, and they were split. Some like the cover, some thought it looked like it was a children's story. I didn't like hearing the latter, but I had to listen. Although it's only been 10 days since the story has been out, the sales went right down the toilet. In fact, I've already had a couple of days without a single sale. That's not good.
So yesterday, I asked the members of my Facebook Group (Lorraine's Perpetual Tea Party -- if you haven't joined--why not???) what they thought of the current cover and a dummy cover I put together. I'm no Photoshop wiz, and I couldn't get the ballet dancer to stay on a colorful background. After a lot of trial and error, I managed to get her on a gray background.Readers thought the covers were bland. They wanted color. They wanted a proper tutu. They wanted whimsy. They did NOT want a photo on the cover. The original cover didn't mesh with the other covers in the series.
They were right.
However, that didn't tell me what I needed to convey to my cover designer. So, I decided to let her decide what to do. I told her what the readers said, I showed her what I had done, and let her play with it.
I love what she came up with. It's whimsical, it's bright, there's color -- and the ballet and tap shoes say there's more than just one kind of dance being taught in this studio.Being quickly able to correct something like this is one of the best things about being an indie author. Had this been a traditionally published story, it would have been stuck with a "bad" cover for eternity. I was able to turn it around in less than two weeks from publication.
Now, see if you're more interested in the story.
Dana Milton opens a dance studio on Victoria Square. Can she teach her students kindness, respect, and shuffling off to Buffalo, or is it all tutu much?
Kindle | Kindle Worldwide
Nook | Kobo | iBooks
What do you think?
-----------------------------------------------------
P.S. On our Cozy Chicks Facebook Group Page, our reader, Zaida Nightingale, has a cooking challenge going on. Every week for the rest of the year, she'll be making a recipe from The Cozy Chicks Kitchen. Tune in to see what she's making this week!
January 10, 2018
Thinking About Spring
by Karen Rose Smith
When Pennsylvania is in the middle of ice and snow, I think of Spring!!! Seriously, it's the way I get through the winter. With my outside time limited, I think of the plants I can start inside. I have two grow lights and heat pads in the basement. (The two strays we care for make use of one in the winter so I have to leave room for them!)
My favorite petunias to grow are Purple Pirouettes and Red Pirouettes. They are a flashy flower and look beautiful in pots, hanging baskets, or in a protected area in the garden. Sometimes there are variations on the colors in the seed packet and they are happy surprises. But the sun also changes their colors.
Snapdragons also need to be started by the end of January. Again I have my favorites. I like unusual ones I can't find in the garden centers or nurseries around Hanover. We lost one of our garden centers that had the unusual in herbs as well. What I like about Spring is that we can purchase flowers and herbs from small local businesses. These are Appleblossom Twinny Snapdragons and they make a terrific border flower as well as grow healthily in pots.
I usually plant profusion zinnias in peat pots in February. They are a slow grower. They reach their full potential and beauty with plenty of bushiness in August. They come in several color varieties--white, yellow, coral, red and pink. These flowers also change hues with the amount of sun they absorb. Especially the coral ones.
I also grow heirloom tomatoes. Hubby insists we could buy bushel baskets of them to cook to freeze for winter with less expense, but I prefer knowing that my tomatoes are pesticide free and I can eat the skin! Nothing is better than using that first lush tomato on a salad or burger. I like yellow ones for less acid both in cherry tomatoes and larger ones. I usually choose varieties that can grow into a pound. That makes cooking and freezing take less time.
When I ordered seeds in December, I forgot to order marigolds. But they are a flower that can be planted anytime after mid May. I start some inside to use in pots since I plant those first. But last summer, I just put ground in smaller flower pots, sprinkled them with marigold seeds, watered them and put them in sunlight. They grew into beautiful pots of flowers.
How do you THINK SPRING???
When Pennsylvania is in the middle of ice and snow, I think of Spring!!! Seriously, it's the way I get through the winter. With my outside time limited, I think of the plants I can start inside. I have two grow lights and heat pads in the basement. (The two strays we care for make use of one in the winter so I have to leave room for them!)
My favorite petunias to grow are Purple Pirouettes and Red Pirouettes. They are a flashy flower and look beautiful in pots, hanging baskets, or in a protected area in the garden. Sometimes there are variations on the colors in the seed packet and they are happy surprises. But the sun also changes their colors.
Snapdragons also need to be started by the end of January. Again I have my favorites. I like unusual ones I can't find in the garden centers or nurseries around Hanover. We lost one of our garden centers that had the unusual in herbs as well. What I like about Spring is that we can purchase flowers and herbs from small local businesses. These are Appleblossom Twinny Snapdragons and they make a terrific border flower as well as grow healthily in pots.
I usually plant profusion zinnias in peat pots in February. They are a slow grower. They reach their full potential and beauty with plenty of bushiness in August. They come in several color varieties--white, yellow, coral, red and pink. These flowers also change hues with the amount of sun they absorb. Especially the coral ones.
I also grow heirloom tomatoes. Hubby insists we could buy bushel baskets of them to cook to freeze for winter with less expense, but I prefer knowing that my tomatoes are pesticide free and I can eat the skin! Nothing is better than using that first lush tomato on a salad or burger. I like yellow ones for less acid both in cherry tomatoes and larger ones. I usually choose varieties that can grow into a pound. That makes cooking and freezing take less time.
When I ordered seeds in December, I forgot to order marigolds. But they are a flower that can be planted anytime after mid May. I start some inside to use in pots since I plant those first. But last summer, I just put ground in smaller flower pots, sprinkled them with marigold seeds, watered them and put them in sunlight. They grew into beautiful pots of flowers.
How do you THINK SPRING???
January 5, 2018
Hurry April
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
This time last year, Mr. L and I were snowbirds for the first (and possibly last) time. Of course, the current weather (with temps as low as the 30s) in Clearwater, would have made it rather unpleasant. When you have cats, rental possibilities aren't that frequent and we were STUCK with a terrible rental house. (The world's most uncomfortable beds, a house surrounded by millions of LIZARDS, and nightly kitchen visits from palmetto bugs, who usually died overnight -- but not always. That was the house from hell.)
Paid $2 for these three cocktail shakers for Mr. L's collection.Good things? HGTV. Publix. The Cricketer English Pub. And thrift shops and yard sales. There were scores of thrift stores near where we lived, and we visited every one. And then eagerly searched the online listing for sales in our area. We learned Clearwater pretty quick driving around town looking for sales.
Our first weekend there, we went to five yard sales and a rummage sale. IN JANUARY. Now that's one part of the Florida lifestyle I could get used to in a hurry. We won't see a yard sale here until at least mid- to late April. *Sigh*
A prize from my holiday FB event.No doubt about it, I'm a collector of many different items, but I also subscribe to the "catch and release" program. When I had a booth in an antiques arcade, I would buy stuff, live with it for a while, and then sell it. Now ... I mostly give stuff away.
I especially collect teacups and occasionally give them to readers via events on my Facebook. I should give away more of them, but have you seen the weather? I haven't taken my car out of the garage since before Christmas. I probably won't need gas until at least March. But getting to the PO this time of year is proving to be a problem.
A rummage sale find.Another problem I have with all this stuff is storing it so I can actually see it. I'd be giving it away. Wayfair had a great sale on storage cabinets back on Black Friday and I thought I had ordered one. But apparently I didn't finish all the steps. Say goodbye to that cabinet. They don't stock it anymore. It was perfect for a spot in my basement. Haven't found anything the right size since. Right now most of the teacups and plates are carefully wrapped in paper and sitting in boxes. I don't have x-ray vision, so to find everything, I need to haul them all out and unwrap them. Kind of messy. I need to come up with a new system.
I love cookbooks and last summer I bought more than 24 of them. I sorted through them the other day and today those that didn't make the cut (for one reason or another) are going to the Friends of the Library bookshop. (When I left Florida, I left another 10-15 of them at my favorite thrift shop so that someone else could enjoy them.) They cost as little as a quarter and as much as a dollar and gave me many hours of pleasure.
If you'd like to see some of my yard sale treasures, you can find them on one of my Pinterest boards. This one is called (funny enough) "My Yards Sale Finds."
For now, I'm going to start dreaming about the upcoming yard sale season. Maybe I'll write a short story about going to yard sales so I can live vicariously through a character.
What do you look for at yard sales?
This time last year, Mr. L and I were snowbirds for the first (and possibly last) time. Of course, the current weather (with temps as low as the 30s) in Clearwater, would have made it rather unpleasant. When you have cats, rental possibilities aren't that frequent and we were STUCK with a terrible rental house. (The world's most uncomfortable beds, a house surrounded by millions of LIZARDS, and nightly kitchen visits from palmetto bugs, who usually died overnight -- but not always. That was the house from hell.)
Paid $2 for these three cocktail shakers for Mr. L's collection.Good things? HGTV. Publix. The Cricketer English Pub. And thrift shops and yard sales. There were scores of thrift stores near where we lived, and we visited every one. And then eagerly searched the online listing for sales in our area. We learned Clearwater pretty quick driving around town looking for sales.Our first weekend there, we went to five yard sales and a rummage sale. IN JANUARY. Now that's one part of the Florida lifestyle I could get used to in a hurry. We won't see a yard sale here until at least mid- to late April. *Sigh*
A prize from my holiday FB event.No doubt about it, I'm a collector of many different items, but I also subscribe to the "catch and release" program. When I had a booth in an antiques arcade, I would buy stuff, live with it for a while, and then sell it. Now ... I mostly give stuff away.I especially collect teacups and occasionally give them to readers via events on my Facebook. I should give away more of them, but have you seen the weather? I haven't taken my car out of the garage since before Christmas. I probably won't need gas until at least March. But getting to the PO this time of year is proving to be a problem.
A rummage sale find.Another problem I have with all this stuff is storing it so I can actually see it. I'd be giving it away. Wayfair had a great sale on storage cabinets back on Black Friday and I thought I had ordered one. But apparently I didn't finish all the steps. Say goodbye to that cabinet. They don't stock it anymore. It was perfect for a spot in my basement. Haven't found anything the right size since. Right now most of the teacups and plates are carefully wrapped in paper and sitting in boxes. I don't have x-ray vision, so to find everything, I need to haul them all out and unwrap them. Kind of messy. I need to come up with a new system.
I love cookbooks and last summer I bought more than 24 of them. I sorted through them the other day and today those that didn't make the cut (for one reason or another) are going to the Friends of the Library bookshop. (When I left Florida, I left another 10-15 of them at my favorite thrift shop so that someone else could enjoy them.) They cost as little as a quarter and as much as a dollar and gave me many hours of pleasure.If you'd like to see some of my yard sale treasures, you can find them on one of my Pinterest boards. This one is called (funny enough) "My Yards Sale Finds."
For now, I'm going to start dreaming about the upcoming yard sale season. Maybe I'll write a short story about going to yard sales so I can live vicariously through a character.What do you look for at yard sales?
January 3, 2018
Tea Pots
by Karen Rose Smith
One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was a holiday tea pot. Now I didn't need a tea pot. But I do collect one here and there, though never a holiday one. My love for tea pots began when I grew up with them in my mother's china hutch. There's something about tea pots that is refined, cozy, and meant for sharing.
I have to admit I was mostly a tea bag connoisseur before the past few years. I would use the tea pots to keep water warm for guests. (By the way, if you put water in the microwave for tea, the tea supposedly doesn't taste as flavorful as when you heat it on the stove. Try it yourself to see.)
Now I enjoy making tea with loose leaves. I enjoy light teas so I began with white tea that also has less caffeine. White Symphony is my favorite. I learned quickly that I wasn't a fan of Jasmine White Tea.
This is one of my favorite tea pots. It's a James Sadler bone china pot. The reason that it's a favorite is that it holds six cups of water. That's enough for company when I brew tea. And if I use tea cups rather than mugs, I have even more servings. I seem to lean toward flowered tea pots but I have another favorite.
Cute cat tea pots are hard to find. My son gifted me with this one last Christmas and it's a favorite when my best friend comes for tea. She prefers Black Tea.
A tea accessory that comes in handy is a tea cozy. They come in all shapes and sizes--flowers, proverbs, yellow tabbies, plaid, solid colors. The advantage of using a cozy is that it will keep your water warm longer. The other advantage is covering an old tea pot that might have seen better days.
No matter what type of tea you prefer, the ritual of brewing and serving tea from a tea pot can be a calming experience for you and whomever you share your brewed tea with. Try it and see if you like it!
Because I do like tea, my new cozy mystery series is set in a tea garden in Lancaster County. MURDER WITH LEMON TEA CAKES is the first book in my Daisy's Tea Garden mystery series.
One of my favorite Christmas presents this year was a holiday tea pot. Now I didn't need a tea pot. But I do collect one here and there, though never a holiday one. My love for tea pots began when I grew up with them in my mother's china hutch. There's something about tea pots that is refined, cozy, and meant for sharing.
I have to admit I was mostly a tea bag connoisseur before the past few years. I would use the tea pots to keep water warm for guests. (By the way, if you put water in the microwave for tea, the tea supposedly doesn't taste as flavorful as when you heat it on the stove. Try it yourself to see.)
Now I enjoy making tea with loose leaves. I enjoy light teas so I began with white tea that also has less caffeine. White Symphony is my favorite. I learned quickly that I wasn't a fan of Jasmine White Tea.
This is one of my favorite tea pots. It's a James Sadler bone china pot. The reason that it's a favorite is that it holds six cups of water. That's enough for company when I brew tea. And if I use tea cups rather than mugs, I have even more servings. I seem to lean toward flowered tea pots but I have another favorite. Cute cat tea pots are hard to find. My son gifted me with this one last Christmas and it's a favorite when my best friend comes for tea. She prefers Black Tea.
A tea accessory that comes in handy is a tea cozy. They come in all shapes and sizes--flowers, proverbs, yellow tabbies, plaid, solid colors. The advantage of using a cozy is that it will keep your water warm longer. The other advantage is covering an old tea pot that might have seen better days.No matter what type of tea you prefer, the ritual of brewing and serving tea from a tea pot can be a calming experience for you and whomever you share your brewed tea with. Try it and see if you like it!
Because I do like tea, my new cozy mystery series is set in a tea garden in Lancaster County. MURDER WITH LEMON TEA CAKES is the first book in my Daisy's Tea Garden mystery series.
January 2, 2018
Is It On Sale?
Duffy Brown here and I’m always looking out for a deal. We all work really hard for our money, not born with a silver spoon in our mouths and every buck needs to count, right?So, now that the holidays are over there’s something else to look forward to. SALES! Really good sales especially on Christmas stuff! It’s like 70% off for some stuff. Who can resist that!
Not me. I just bought an adorable snowman to add to my collection...like I need another snowman. But he’s so cute and makes me happy.
And then there’s the new Christmas tablecloth I just bought. It was $70 originally and I got it for $39 and it’s the perfect colors.My cousin buys all her wrapping paper for next Christmas and so many buy Christmas cards now for next year. Ribbon...great deals on ribbon and a good friend picked up an artificial Christmas tree for nearly nothing.
Of course the down side is you have to store the stuff for a whole year before you can use it but next Christmas will be here before you know it.So what about you? Did you buy Christmas stuff now for cheap? Did you take advantage of those great sales going on?
January 1, 2018
Welcome, New Year 2018!
by Maggie SeftonI want to wish everyone---all of our Cozy Chicks readers, fans and friends---a wonderful and productive New Year 2018. I'm presently back East with my family and childhood friends in Northern Virginia. Like the rest of the country, we're having a really COLD New Year. But, getting together with friends and family always seems to warm things up. :)
For those of you who hate to leave the wonderful holiday times, you can take a quick retreat back into the December spirit and check out the 6th Kelly Flynn mystery---FLEECE NAVIDAD. Meanwhile, try to warm up while you gradually start this New Year 2018.
December 31, 2017
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Happy New Year from all of us at the Cozy Chicks! I hope everyone has a wonderful 2018 filled with wonderful books!
December 29, 2017
What Santa Brought
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Was Santa good to you this year? He was to me. He brought me something I have wanted since I was 11 years old. A lava lamp.
YES, a Lava Lamp!
My friend Cherie either got one for her birthday or Christmas and I remember going over to her house and we sat there for a long time watching that goop go up and down and up and down making odd shapes. It was mesmerizing. I wanted one too.
My mother grew up in England with open fireplaces and had a terrible fear of fire. She used to go around the house at night and unplug everything "just in case." She would come into my room, unplug my radio and I'd pretend to be asleep. As soon as she left, I'd plug it back in and listen to music.
Mum was convinced that lava lamps were a FIRE HAZARD. Of course, they had to be. They got WARM so that the goopy "lava" would go up and down.
So, I never got a lava lamp.
Until Monday.
Weeeeee! Although ... I haven't actually plugged it in yet. Mr. L thinks we should have it in the pub, where we spent winter evenings. I'm thinking I'd like it in my office so I can watch the goop go up and down inbetween writing a sentence or two.
Maybe we just need to get another lava lamp!
What did Santa bring you this year?
Was Santa good to you this year? He was to me. He brought me something I have wanted since I was 11 years old. A lava lamp.YES, a Lava Lamp!
My friend Cherie either got one for her birthday or Christmas and I remember going over to her house and we sat there for a long time watching that goop go up and down and up and down making odd shapes. It was mesmerizing. I wanted one too.
My mother grew up in England with open fireplaces and had a terrible fear of fire. She used to go around the house at night and unplug everything "just in case." She would come into my room, unplug my radio and I'd pretend to be asleep. As soon as she left, I'd plug it back in and listen to music.
Mum was convinced that lava lamps were a FIRE HAZARD. Of course, they had to be. They got WARM so that the goopy "lava" would go up and down.
So, I never got a lava lamp.
Until Monday.
Weeeeee! Although ... I haven't actually plugged it in yet. Mr. L thinks we should have it in the pub, where we spent winter evenings. I'm thinking I'd like it in my office so I can watch the goop go up and down inbetween writing a sentence or two.Maybe we just need to get another lava lamp!
What did Santa bring you this year?
December 27, 2017
New Cozy Mystery Series
by Karen Rose Smith
In an old Victorian in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Daisy Swanson and her aunt Iris serve soups, scones, and soothing teas to tourists and locals—but a murder in their garden has them in hot water . . .
I am excited to announce the release of a new cozy mystery series from Kensington Books. Daisy's Tea Garden Mysteries begin with the publication of MURDER WITH LEMON TEA CAKES this week. Daisy's Tea Garden, a Victorian house in downtown Willow Creek, has become a town gathering place. Daisy and her Aunt Iris are the proprietors.
I created the fictional town of Willow Creek and located it in beautiful Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with its Amish buggies, manicured gardens, fertile farms, hex signs on barns, delicious baked goods and home-grown food, handcrafted quilts and cottage industries. This area embodied all the feelings that I want my readers to have when enjoying DAISY’S TEA GARDEN Mysteries—a strong sense of home, belonging, friendship and warmth. Setting the series in a small town in Lancaster County was taking a step back in time to when values, home and hearth mattered.
My sleuth, Daisy Swanson, is a widow with two teenage daughters—Violet (aka Vi) and Jasmine (aka Jazzi). Daisy’s mother Rose named her two daughters Daisy and Camellia. Rose’s sister’s name is Iris. Flower names are a family tradition. Since Daisy likes to garden, she followed the tradition. By the way, Daisy and her daughters adopted two cats—Marjoram and Pepper!
Marjoram is modeled after my own feline, Miss Paddington!
Pepper is modeled after my companion feline, Zoie Joy.Daisy and her daughters live in a renovated barn which she transformed into a unique home when she returned to the area after her husband's untimely death.
I hope you enjoy the new series and add this new cast of characters to your list of cozy mystery favorites.
NOW AVAILABLE
MURDER WITH LEMON TEA CAKES
DAISY'S TEA GARDEN MYSTERIES, Book 1
Daisy, a widowed mom of two teenagers, is used to feeling protective—so when Iris started dating the wealthy and not-quite-divorced Harvey Fitz, she worried . . . especially after his bitter ex stormed in and caused a scene at the party Daisy’s Tea Garden was catering. Then there was the gossip she overheard about Harvey’s grown children being cut out of his will. Daisy didn’t want her aunt to wind up with a broken heart—but she never expected Iris to wind up a suspect in Harvey’s murder.
Now the apple bread and orange pekoe is on the back burner while the cops treat the shop like a crime scene—and Daisy hopes that Jonas Groft, a former detective from Philadelphia, can help her clear her aunt’s name and bag the real killer before things boil over . . .
In an old Victorian in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Daisy Swanson and her aunt Iris serve soups, scones, and soothing teas to tourists and locals—but a murder in their garden has them in hot water . . .
I am excited to announce the release of a new cozy mystery series from Kensington Books. Daisy's Tea Garden Mysteries begin with the publication of MURDER WITH LEMON TEA CAKES this week. Daisy's Tea Garden, a Victorian house in downtown Willow Creek, has become a town gathering place. Daisy and her Aunt Iris are the proprietors. 
I created the fictional town of Willow Creek and located it in beautiful Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with its Amish buggies, manicured gardens, fertile farms, hex signs on barns, delicious baked goods and home-grown food, handcrafted quilts and cottage industries. This area embodied all the feelings that I want my readers to have when enjoying DAISY’S TEA GARDEN Mysteries—a strong sense of home, belonging, friendship and warmth. Setting the series in a small town in Lancaster County was taking a step back in time to when values, home and hearth mattered. My sleuth, Daisy Swanson, is a widow with two teenage daughters—Violet (aka Vi) and Jasmine (aka Jazzi). Daisy’s mother Rose named her two daughters Daisy and Camellia. Rose’s sister’s name is Iris. Flower names are a family tradition. Since Daisy likes to garden, she followed the tradition. By the way, Daisy and her daughters adopted two cats—Marjoram and Pepper!
Marjoram is modeled after my own feline, Miss Paddington!
Pepper is modeled after my companion feline, Zoie Joy.Daisy and her daughters live in a renovated barn which she transformed into a unique home when she returned to the area after her husband's untimely death.I hope you enjoy the new series and add this new cast of characters to your list of cozy mystery favorites.
NOW AVAILABLE
MURDER WITH LEMON TEA CAKES
DAISY'S TEA GARDEN MYSTERIES, Book 1
Daisy, a widowed mom of two teenagers, is used to feeling protective—so when Iris started dating the wealthy and not-quite-divorced Harvey Fitz, she worried . . . especially after his bitter ex stormed in and caused a scene at the party Daisy’s Tea Garden was catering. Then there was the gossip she overheard about Harvey’s grown children being cut out of his will. Daisy didn’t want her aunt to wind up with a broken heart—but she never expected Iris to wind up a suspect in Harvey’s murder.Now the apple bread and orange pekoe is on the back burner while the cops treat the shop like a crime scene—and Daisy hopes that Jonas Groft, a former detective from Philadelphia, can help her clear her aunt’s name and bag the real killer before things boil over . . .
December 26, 2017
Family and Friends...through think and thin
This is the season for family and friends and there are no families or friends closer than Southern families and friends. That’s especially true in my Consignment Shop Series. Book 5, Lethal In Old Lace, out March 13. Here’s a few examples from the series.Mamma and KiKi were sisters. At birth the muses tangoed over auntie’s crib turning her into Savannah’s dance diva and they wrapped mamma in a blanket with little elephants resulting in this campaign and me getting the name Reagan.
Friendship means being there for each other when the chips are down, like when Walker Boone is wanted for murder.
I looked at my ’57 red Chevy convertible parked at the curb. “Might as well put a target on my back trying to get away from the cops in this thing.” Reagan shoved her helmet at me. “Take Princess.” “A scooter? You want me to ride a pink scooter named Princess?” “Better than that being your nickname in the big house.”
And there are all kinds of friendships…friendships between guys…
“Dawg,” Big Joey said to me as I slip onto a stool next to his, everyone in the place giving Joey space. “Know you’d show.” Big Joey was built like a Mac truck, muscles buffed to jet black, gold tooth, ponytail and main man of the Seventeenth Street gang...my former home and forever family. He was my brother in every sense of the word except parental commonality.
Friendships between girls…
Footsteps skittered across the floor over our heads and I tore up the steps, with Auntie KiKi right behind me. We turned the corner at the top and faced a big guy with alcohol-infused breath and wild-looking bloodshot eyes that I could make out even in the dark. The guy took a swing at me and missed. KiKi threw the rest of her martini in his face and I added an added a cocktail shaker uppercut to his jaw. “I give up! I give up!” The guy stumbled back against the wall and slithered down to the floor as I switched on the hall lights.
So who’s always there for you? Who always has your back come hell or high water? Hugs, Duffy Brown
