Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 140

Cooking from Scratch or Not by Debra H. Goldstein

We’d like to welcome FOW (Friend of the Wickeds) Debra Goldstein back to the blog. Two Bites Too Many, the second book in her Sarah Blair Mystery series released on September 24.

Take it away, Debra!

[image error]When I look at the beautiful made-from-scratch salads, pies, and other dishes posted on Facebook by Wickeds’ Edith Maxwell, I salivate. Unfortunately, Alabama is a bit too far away for me to invite myself over for a quick bite. Faced with the same situation, most people would simply ask Edith for her recipes, but cooking from scratch frightens me. Consequently, I do anything to avoid a kitchen.

I attribute my kitchen phobia to an elementary school cooking class. We were divided into groups and tasked with making a rhubarb crisp. Our teacher, who seemed ancient but was probably around fifty years old, explained the recipe and warned us to be careful because part of the rhubarb plant is poisonous. Sadly, by the time we went to make our dish, we realized no one in our group could remember if it was the stalks or leaves that would kill us.

We went ahead with our cooking, petrified at taking the required bite of the final product. The four of us shuddered at the thought of dying in school, while wondering if the teacher would be upset. Our first solution, burning our rhubarb crisp, failed to get us an “A” or out of tasting our food. What could we do with the teacher hovering over everyone in the classroom to make sure we each sampled our rhubarb crisp? Perhaps it was foreshadowing of my career to come, but I devised the plan to save us from certain death. Our group each stabbed a forkful of rhubarb crisp under our teacher’s watchful eye, but when she glanced at another group of students, we tossed our tastes under the metal prep tables where we sat.

It worked, but from that day on cooking from scratch terrified me. Consequently, when I began writing Kensington’s Sarah Blair series, I imparted my fear of the kitchen to Sarah. I also gave her some of the workarounds I use to feed my family and friends. In One Taste Too Many, the first book in the series, two of Sarah’s recipes are Jell-O in a Can and Spinach Pie made with Stouffers Spinach Souffle. The book published this week, Two Bites Too Many, features Sarah’s Sweet Potato Puffs the Convenient Way and a Howellian Catnip Wine Spritzer. Thanks to the pre-made ingredients in each of these recipes, I know I’m not offering anyone anything to eat or drink that will kill them. At least, I think I’m not.

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The proof of this has been, as they say, in the pudding. During the past few months, when I’ve talked to groups about the Sarah Blair series, the snacks served come from my recipes. Even though none of my featured dishes are made from scratch like Edith’s, I think you’ll agree some, like the pictured Jell-O in a Can, look almost as good as hers.

Readers: Do you have any easy recipes or cooking tips you’d like to share with Sarah (which means me)?

About the book

[image error]Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce.  Settled into a cozy carriage house with her Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her law firm receptionist job and – if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts – lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end…   When the president of the town bank is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands – the twins’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle.  Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block.

Welcome Back Lynn Mcpherson

I’m so happy to welcome back Lynn McPherson whose latest book, The Girls Dressed for Murder, released on August 31. It’s the third book in the Izzy Walsh mystery series. Here’s a bit about the book:

[image error]When Izzy gets a killer dress for her birthday, she isn’t expecting to accessorize it with murder…

It’s 1958 in the cozy coastal town of Twin Oaks and amateur sleuth Isabelle Walsh is armed with a fresh perspective, two years after tragedy strikes. The first stop on her journey back to joy is the best little dress shop in town—introduced to her by best friend and fashion fiend, Ava Russell. Izzy falls in love with the store and its style. So, when the boutique is marred by murder, Izzy wants to help. But with more suspects to choose from than a spring collection, she isn’t sure where to start.

Can Izzy unravel the twisted truth or will she become the victim of a deadly trend? Find out in the third book in the Izzy Walsh Mystery Series!

The 1950’s were a time of change in America. There were new suburbs, new cars, and new problems.  As a cozy mystery writer, I like to focus on the positive (with the exception of murder, of course!). So when I began doing research for the Izzy Walsh series, I realized the best source for my stories would be found in the popular magazines and movies of the day.

I spent countless hours perusing through mid-century issues of Life Magazine, which Google kindly posted online. Looking through the articles, photos, and advertisements was a great way for me to get into the mindset of my characters. Television shows and movies were wonderful, too. I was drawn to films like Roman Holiday and Rear Window because they indicated a demand for strong female leads, as well as an appreciation of glamour. Perhaps my favourite character from the Silver Screen was Dorothy Shaw, played by the fabulous Jane Russell, in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Some of her lines had me laughing out loud. What I achieved by delving into all the pop culture of the 1950’s was a better sense of who my characters were and what they did for fun.

The sense of kinship between women was also something I picked up on and tried to convey in my stories. Protagonist Izzy Walsh, and her best friend, Ava Russell, have a tight-knit bond featured in the books. Loyalty, compassion, and humor are a few of the key elements of the friendship. One episode of I Love Lucy showcasing the relationship of Lucy and Ethel is a perfect example of this unmistakable trend. My books are not an accurate portrayal of the real day-to-day life in the 1950’s but more of a domestic fantasy—a break from the reality of hard times, meant strictly to entertain and lighten one’s mood.

Readers, do you have a favourite character from a classic Hollywood film? Who is it and why do like them?

[image error]Bio: Lynn McPherson has worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ran a small business, and taught English across the globe. She has travelled the world solo, where her daring spirit has led her to jump out of airplanes, dive with sharks, and learn she would never master a surfboard. Lynn serves on the Crime Writers of Canada Board of Directors, and is a member of Sisters in Crime. You can find her at http://www.lynnmcpherson.net

 

 

 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Happy first Wednesday of October! Liz here, wondering if everyone else (except Barb) is excited about Halloween coming up. Since we’ve already talked about that from our own perspectives many times, I want to know about your characters – who loves fall, Halloween, the changing of the leaves, the new season? Who hates it? Why?

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In my new series, The Full Moon Mysteries, my character Violet LOVES Halloween – even before she knows she’s a witch. But more to come on that

The Finishing Line

The finishing line is in sight. The research is all over. With any luck by day’s end I’ll have sent my editor From Beer to Eternity the first book in the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass mystery series. The series is set on the beach in the panhandle of Florida near the town of Destin. It releases in August 2020. I’ll confess this book has been a bear to write for a variety of reasons. A college friend did the shell art below.

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Here’s what I’m going to do between now and when I hit send:

Look for overused words. I’ve already started that process. The first word I checked was “nodded.” I quit counting when I got to thirty. Instead, I went through the manuscript and deleted as many as I could. I always picture this world full of bobbleheads sitting around bobbling away. Over the years I’ve learned not to use “just” and “that” very often so hopefully they won’t be a problem in this manuscript.
I’ll look at the last sentence of each chapter to make sure it has a strong ending. I don’t believe each chapter has to end with a cliffhanger—because that would be exhausting for the reader, but it should end with something that makes the reader turn the next page.
[image error]I’ll write the acknowledgements. I have so many people to thank for helping me with this book from a fireman to a children’s librarian to a former neighbor who knew about boats.
I’ll read the beginning and end one last time. Is the opening compelling enough? Is the end satisfying? I love the ending and hope you will too.
[image error]I’ll take one last look at the list of questions independent editor Barb Goffman gave me after editing the book to make sure I didn’t overlook anything.
I’ll check to make sure there isn’t any fluff that doesn’t advance the story.
There’s one scene that I’m still not quite satisfied with so I’ll give it a final polish.
[image error]One more check of the timeline won’t hurt either. I have a chart, but I always worry that I somehow skipped a day.
Oh, heck. I’ll probably reread the action scenes again too.
I’ll do a quick review of character descriptions. I tend not to do a lot of description so I want to make sure there’s enough there so readers can picture someone in their heads.

And then I’ll finally, finally let it go—hoping I’ve done enough. That its intriguing and funny. That I’ve breathed life into Chloe and the people who surround her. Then I’ll be done wrestling with the editor in my head who likes to say things like “you can’t do this.” I’ll hit send and tell that editor, “Yes, I can.”

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Readers: What do you do before finishing a project? How do you celebrate?

A Tale of Two Rescues, Part II

By Liz, picking up where I left off last month…

So. Where was I? I think we were just about to pick up Penny when I left off last month.

Of course, her name was Wizzy then, which I kept for a couple of months until the animal communicator told me it probably was contributing to her excitable personality. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I picked her up less than a week after I got Molly. I didn’t plan it that way, but the rescue was a little disorganized and she was on a transport before I even knew I was getting her. When I met her, she was as adorable as in her photos. Molly came with me and she was interested in her new friend – until “Wizzy” peed in the backseat on the way home (I wonder if that had anything to do with her name?). Then Molly came up front with me and decided she didn’t want to get so friendly yet.

Unfortunately, Penny’s entry was a little rocky. She had parasites and an upset tummy and was clearly not feeling well for the first week. Actually, if I’m honest, the first six months of Penny’s being home was a little rocky. She was a wild child, for sure. She played rough, she was hyper, she ate her food so fast I worried she’d have constant indigestion. She was also very jealous, and had violent, fearful reactions to seeing dogs outside on leash. A couple of times, she and Molly had real fights that scared me enough to prompt my engagement with a “lifetime” trainer.

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The trainer helped, and having a real family who didn’t give up on her has helped even more. Her progress is more like baby steps than leaps and bounds. Compared to Molly, who is seriously the easiest dog (next to Shaggy), Penny can be challenging.

But she’s getting better, little by little. And one thing is for sure – she is one of the most loving dogs you’ll find. She’s cuddly and loves to snuggle and always has to be near me, or at least see me. She’s like my little shadow and follows me everywhere, even to the bathroom. She loves getting and giving kisses.

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As someone said to me recently, she just wants love – and she’ll give buckets of it in return. She still roughhouses with Molly and gets mad at other dogs in the building. She still eats really fast like she’s afraid she won’t get enough. She’s still super hyper.

But Molly and I love her, and she’s home.

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Readers, share something you’ve found challenging but worth it in your life below!

Welcome Guest Vivien Chien

I’m so happy to introduce Vivien Chien to our readers! Vivien writes the wonderful Noodle Shop Mystery series. The fourth book, Wonton Terror, released on August 27. Here’s a little about the book:

[image error]In the fourth in Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop delicious mystery series, Ho-Lee Noodle House is ready to take the Cleveland night market by storm—until a brand-new food venue literally explodes onto the scene.

Lana Lee is all smiles when the first evening of Cleveland’s Asian Night Market kicks off the summer. The weekly festival is always good for business, packed with locals and tourists, and this year, some stiff new food-truck competition. Wonton on Wheels, run by old friends of Lana’s parents, promises to have customers lining up for their delicately wrapped delights—until the truck blows up at evening’s end.

Lana’s boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau, had been planning a birthday getaway for the two of them but, lo and behold, Lana must assume the role of amateur sleuth yet again. With one proprietor of Wonton on Wheels dead, it’s beginning to look more like murder and less like an unfortunate accident. And as they begin to unwrap layers of disturbing secrets, Lana’s own family erupts into new drama. Will Lana be able to solve this crime—or has she jumped from the wok right into the fire?

Vivien: Joseph Campbell, professor and storyteller, is well-known for saying, “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” I often consider this ideology myself and incorporate it into my Noodle Shop mysteries, especially where my amateur sleuth, Lana Lee, is concerned. The greatest challenge, I believe, especially in your twenties as you’re beginning to transition into self-sufficiency, is usually adversity. Depending on the situation, it can be a struggle to handle things gracefully and maybe even difficult to find something positive that comes from it.

[image error]In the first book of the series, Death by Dumpling, we meet Lana Lee at a shaky part in her late twenties—twenty-seven to be exact—and life has taken a turn she was clearly not expecting. In her mind, she had previously assumed a fanciful life with successful romances, a top-notch office job that afforded her a means to a glamourous wardrobe, and a cushy lifestyle of peaches and sunshine. But, alas, rude awakenings are no one’s friend and we often learn early on that things don’t always go as we originally imagined.

With each book in the series, I enjoy exploring this concept in different ways and developing Lana’s personality further with the adversities she has to overcome on a daily basis. Of course, handling murder investigations is a large part of that, but I also like to delve into the more intimate aspects of life, like career aspirations, relationships, and personal development into mindset and character traits. She is often humbled and learns more compassionate ways of dealing with things as she attempts to see both sides of a situation. And, I’ll also try finding ways to make the mystery or outside events with others relatable to her current life as well.

Though in the beginning of the series she is reluctant to take a different path, she slowly begins to find that she enjoys it more than she’d assumed and comes to the realization that life is what we make of it. As the series continues, I hope to engage Lana and the other characters in diverse challenges that make them consider thinking outside of their usual mental boxes and opening themselves to new roadmaps of life they may have not previously considered as part of “the plan.”

So, how about you, fellow mystery lovers? How important do you find mindset to be when dealing with adversity – do you fight against the grain or go with the flow?

(In case you were wondering, I myself have always been a grain fighter, but in recent times, I’ve been practicing riding the waves.)

[image error]Author Bio: Vivien Chien was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where she grew up in a mixed-race home, making for some very interesting cultural experiences. Her most recent release, Wonton Terror, is the fourth installment in the Noodle Shop mysteries. She is currently working on the sixth book, Kung Pao Killer.

Website link: http://www.vivienchien.com

Guest Carol Pouliot

Edith here, happy to welcome fellow Sister in Crime Carol Pouliot to talk about time-traveling characters. Threshold of Deceit, her new time-travel mystery, came out this week from Level Best Books, in a series with a very cool premise. Read on!

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On a sunny spring day in 1934, a local lothario is murdered in broad daylight. Tackling the investigation, Detective Steven Blackwell discovers the man’s little black book, a coded list of dozens of flings, affairs, and one-night stands−and a solid motive for the widow. A witness goes missing, a second body turns up, the victim’s cousin disappears, and an old flame surfaces. Two months earlier, Steven came face to face with 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson when time folded over in the house they share−80 years apart. Now, Steven and Olivia test the boundaries of time travel. Can Steven and Olivia solve the case of the poisoned philanderer in time to protect her true identity and their time-travel secret? 

Will They or Won’t They?                                                              

I love the creative process of writing. It’s challenging and
there are many decisions to be made. One of those decisions deals with
character. Who are the main characters and what are they like? What are their
hopes and dreams? What motivates them? What do they fear?

Because I write a time-travel mystery series, I needed to create two characters who could find common ground and relate to each other even though they live 80 years apart. My protagonists are Detective Sergeant Steven Blackwell and Olivia Watson, both in their early 30s and single. Steven lives and solves crime in 1934. Olivia is a former journalist who owns a research agency and writes free-lance travel articles. She lives in the present day. Since they first saw each other when time folded over in the house where they both live, they’ve learned how to travel to each other’s time and have spent many evenings together.

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I was lucky because I felt like I already knew Steven−somehow
he came to me fully formed. He’s ethical and drives himself to discover the
killer and get justice for the victim, often at the cost of his personal life.
Like most young, unmarried people in the 1930s, Steven lived at home with his artist
mother until her recent unexpected and devastating death. His father works for
the Navy in Washington, D.C. and comes home when he can. Steven inherited his
mother’s Bohemian, non-judgmental outlook on life and his father’s love and
appreciation of rules and routines. These qualities serve him well when he’s
working on a case.

Olivia is a modern, independent young woman. She lives alone in a house that she owns. She’s curious about the world, travels extensively, and is always ready for an adventure. Olivia doesn’t let anything stop her if there’s something she wants to do. She runs and practices kickboxing, a sport Steven has never even heard of.  

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Steven and Olivia are different yet they complement each other. Steven is regimented, Olivia is a free spirit. He is fascinated by the future and reads science fiction. She dreams of the Golden Age of Travel during the 1930s and watches old Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto movies. Where Steven carefully considers his actions, Olivia often acts without thinking.

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In order to create conflict between Steven and Olivia over a multiple-book
series, there needed to be a certain dynamic between them. I decided to place
them in starkly different points in their lives. Since Steven’s mother’s death,
he misses sharing his day and talking to someone in the evening. He’s lonely
and could use a friend. Olivia is healing from the devastating betrayal of her
ex-fiancé and is thoroughly enjoying being single again.

Each of the books in my series is a traditional mystery with
plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing who committed the
crime(s). But, the biggest question of all is Will they or won’t they? Could
they?

Readers: What do you think about the potential for a relationship between two people who live in different centuries? Could they manage it? How would they do it?

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A Francophile at age 11, Carol Pouliot dreamed of getting her passport and going to Paris. With an MA in French from Stony Brook University, she headed to France for her first teaching job. Carol is the author ofthe Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, which includes Doorway to Murder and the latest Threshold of Deceit. Find Carol at www.carolpouliot.com

New Beginnings — Writing a Novella an Interview with Edith

[image error]We are celebrating Edith’s debut novella “Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse” in Christmas Cocoa Murder from Kensington (written as Maddie Day, because it’s in the Country Store Mysteries series). We are asking Edith questions about how writing a novella was different from writing a full length novel.

Sherry: Did writing a novella make you cut down on the number of characters? Was it harder to introduce new ones?

Edith/Maddie: Good question, Sherry. Yes, the whole scope had to be tighter. I relied on my usual cast of characters, introducing only two new ones, bringing a minor character back from a previous book, and getting to know two who had been mentioned but whom we hadn’t yet met (Abe’s parents).

[image error]Jessie: How does writing a novella differ from writing a short story?

Edith/Maddie: I asked myself the same thing! The longest short story I’ve written was five thousand words and my editor asked for twenty-five thousand for the novella, so there’s one difference right there. I used the structure of a novel rather than that of some short stories, which lead you astray and surprise you with a twist – or two.

Liz: Did you find it easier or harder overall to write this kind of story? Not a short, but not as long?

Edith/Maddie: At first I was daunted. Could I fit a whole book into 25000 words? Being a pantser, I just barged ahead. I found I was relieved not to have to worry about getting up to my word count, as I usually am (Barb knows what I’m talking about, we of the Sparse First Draft Club).

Barb: Laughing. I am dealing with a too sparse first draft right now. And I loved writing novellas for just that reason. My question is about the novella collection. Did knowing two other authors would be writing on the same topic effect how you approached your novella in any way–inciting incident, weapon, crime, anything?

Edith /Maddie : Great question, Barb. You might recall that when we were at Boothbay Harbor on our 2018 Wickeds retreat, several of us brainstormed with the group and it was time for me to start thinking about the novella. The black Labrador puppy named Cocoa came out of that session at Jessie’s suggestion. She said, “Everybody’s going to have poisoned cocoa. You need something different.” A brilliant idea – and thanks, Jessie!

Julie: The 25,000 words intrigues me! Did you start to explore a subplot and decide to save it for the next novel? Is this a separate entity, or will it have repercussions on the novels moving forward?

Edith /Maddie: I don’t think I purposely excluded a subplot, Julie, and I’m not sure what you mean by repercussions. This novella slid perfectly into book time. Strangled Eggs and Ham took place in August, and book seven, Nacho Average Murder occurs in February, so sliding a Christmas book into slot 6.5 was easy, and Robbie harks back to those events in later books. Book #8 will also be a Christmas book – and you all get to hear the title first here: Candy Slain Murder!

Readers: Do you have a preference in how long a story is? Do you like epic novels, short stories, or something in between?

Fall Reads

Fall is a great time to snuggle up with a great book. Today the paperback versions of Murder Flies the Coop by Jessie and Yule Log Murder with Barb’s novella release. And of course Christmas Cocoa Murder with Edith’s novella comes out too. What are you reading, Wickeds?

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Edith: Yesterday I found myself suddenly caught up on my TBR pile, oddly enough, so I went shopping for my kindle. I added The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (the first in her new series) and Ellen Byron’s Fatal Cajun Festival. Soon I can pick up Debra Goldstein’s Two Bites Too Many and Tara Laskowski’s One Night Gone, and I can’t wait. I’m waiting for Edwin Hill’s The Missing Ones and Louise Penny’s new one to come in at the library, too.

Barb: I am having a marvelous fall of reading. I got a $100 gift certificate to Print: A Bookstore two blocks from my house when I won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. So far I’ve bought Louise Penny’s A Better Man as a Labor Day weekend treat. I thought she was in great form, although I did see the perpetrator/twist coming. But any day with a Louise Penny is better than a day without a Louise Penny. I just finished Ann Cleeves The Long Call yesterday and loved it. It’s like a master class in setting and character with that woman. Next up, an ARC for a blurb, and then William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land.

Liz: This Tender Land is also my next up, Barb! I just finished Alison Gaylin’s Never Look Back, which was awesome. I’m also reading Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable.

Jessie: I can’t believe you are caught up, Edith! Wow! I have just started The Address by Fiona Davis and am halfway through The Hanging Girl by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Julie: I don’t make enough time for me to read, but I’m working on that! Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls is coming with me to Mechanicsburg, PA this weekend for the PA Tea Festival (I’ll be there Sat at 10am). I’m finishing Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable this afternoon, a great non-fiction book.

Sherry: I had no idea it was possible to catch up on one’s TBR list! I was just looking in my office wondering how I’d ever read all the books stacked in my office and I can’t even think about everything on my iPad! And now all of you have made me add more books! Last week I read The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Myerson. It’s one of the few books I’ve read this year that isn’t by a member of Sisters in Crime. I also read Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern. Next up is Miracle Creek by Angie Kim.  And like Edith, I’m really looking forward to One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski.

Readers: Tell us about your fall reads.

Cozy Capers Cover Reveal & #Giveaway!

Edith here, feeling a little like a truck hit me – but in a good way!

This has been a record-breaking year for me, bookwise. As of tomorrow, five books of mine will have been published since January.

[image error]In order of release starting clockwise from Murder on Cape Cod.

Whew. And now I won’t have a new book out until March, although Murder on Cape Cod goes to wide release on New Year’s Eve. All you Kindle readers and dedicated Amazon shoppers can finally dive in.

So I thought I’d show you the cover for my next mystery, which is book two in the Cozy Caper Book Group Mysteries.

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Do you love the cover as much as I do? Here’s an early blurb:

It’s August, full season on Cape Cod, with plentiful sunshine and tourists alike. When Mac Almeida heads out for her early daily walk with her friend, she finds a horrified Gin staring at Beverly Ruchart, an imperious summer person, dead on the sidewalk in front of Gin’s candy shop, Salty Taffy’s.

Lots of people wanted Beverly gone. But when the police find the murder weapon in Gin’s garage, the Cozy Capers book group members put their heads together to clear Gin’s name and to figure out who killed the woman whom almost everyone disliked. Mac’s bike shop is vandalized one night, and when the killer later invades her tiny house to finish her off, Bella, Mac’s African Gray parrot, comes to the rescue.

Murder at the Taffy Shop will again be on a one-year exclusive at Barnes & Noble, and you can preorder yours now! Book three in the series (possibly titled Murder at the Lobstah Shack) is next up on my schedule to write, and it’ll take place in the fall.

To celebrate this banner year, I’ll give one lucky commenter the book of your choice from my 2019 selection.

Readers: What’s your good news, small or large?