Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 167

What If?

Jessie: In New Hampshire where the leaves are starting to well and truly turn.

[image error]You know those things you think you can’t do? You know what I mean. Tight rope walking, singing on stage, learning a new language? Everyone I know, myself included,  seems to have a running list of things we think we are not or things we simply can’t do. A veritable laundry list of impossibilities.

But every now and then something in life makes the world tilt ever so slightly on its axis and somehow a glimmer of possibility wriggles its way into the back of the mind. What if? What if I traveled overseas alone? What if I learned to scuba dive? What if I took that class?

My transformational what ifs started with a book. What if I could actually write one?

As many of you know the answer to that what if was a resounding yes. I did write one and then went on to write a bunch more. In the process of discovering that such a thing was possible my world tilted, a bit more than slightly, and I started to ask myself what else might be possible for me if I just stared down my laundry list of things I couldn’t do and asked instead “what if?”.

I have never thought of myself as possessing even rudimentary skills in drawing or painting but about a year ago I went to a class hosted at a friend’s house and left with a painting I still can’t believe I produced. It isn’t anything that will light the art world on fire but it far exceeds my wild imaginings of what I could ever dream of creating.

Over the last few years I’ve said yes to public speaking events in connection with my writing career even though I was a kid who couldn’t summon the voice to phone up and order a pizza. I would dial six digits and replace the handset in the cradle before reaching the seventh. My beloved little sister would have to take over and save the day if we were going to eat.

Most recently I have turned my what if question to running. By the end of today I should have completed Week 5 Day 3 of a Couch to 5K program. It takes eight weeks and I completed it once before at the beginning of the year but got sidetracked from continuing my running practice by  coming up with a bevy of creative excuses. This time I am determined to see it through and then to ask what if I could be one of those people who regularly runs? After all, I can order pizza and travel to far away lands and dabble with paint in pleasing ways.

To think, it all started with asking myself if I could write a book!

Readers, which things have you thought you could not do and yet have surprised yourself by accomplishing?

On The Road Again

I have had so much fun traveling the past few months that I thought I’d share some pictures of my adventures.

In June I headed to Boothbay Harbor, Maine where Barbara very generously hosted the annual Wicked retreat. The setting is beautiful (Cabot Cove anyone?) and time spent with the Wickeds makes my heart sing.

In July I returned to my hometown of Davenport, Iowa for a class reunion. I love my hometown and also did an event at a local library. It was a fantastic trip.

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I couldn’t get the whole room in the library. It was such a fun crowd!

Davenport has a new rooftop bar at one of their hotels. It was the perfect evening with mild temperatures, a great breeze off the river, and not too much humidity!

We took a cruise on the Mississippi River on the Channel Cat — a water taxi, stopped by one of my favorite houses that sits across from a park that looks out over the town, and admired all of the sculptures scattered throughout the city!

In August I made my first trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin to attend Writers’ Police Academy for the first time. Green Bay is a great town and EVERYONE should attend WPA. I’ve talked about it with so much enthusiasm that my husband wants to go next year. Then there’s the cute Wisconsin accents and the cheese! The Green Bay Fire Department let us watch an exercise at the Burn Tower. WPA had a carnival where we got to use fake pepper spray, cuff someone, use a baton, and get timed putting on and off a policeman’s uniform and utility belt (sans a real gun)!

They have so many classes to choose from. The one on interrogation techniques was fascinating and so different from what you see on TV.  After I took a class on using a baton and yes we got to use one (whew, I didn’t injure anyone)! Even after they saw me use the baton they let me use a TASER in the next class. They aren’t as effective as you think for as long as you think! How would you like the spike below stuck in you?

In early September I was in St. Petersburg, Florida for Bouchercon. I headed down a few days early to spend time with a friend who I’ve known since ninth grade. As soon as I got to the hotel I ran into friends enjoying a drink on the veranda. I got to see Julie and Barbara there, but don’t have any pictures of all of us together.

The hotel was beautiful! And the frozen Cabernet Sauvignon amazing!

At Bouchercon I became president of Sisters in Crime. It’s such a wonderful organization and has had such a huge influence over my life. Julie was the first person to tell me about SinC and she encouraged me to join. My friendships with all of the Wickeds and so many other authors came through SinC. Below I’m pictured with Kellye Garrett the publicity liaison of SinC, and past presidents Roberta Isleib and Hank Phillippi Ryan. I’m holding the official “seal” of the office.

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In late September I traveled to Connecticut to visit Liz. I took the train which I haven’t done for eons! My page proofs were due when I returned and I got them all done on the way up and back. I’m in love with train travel! The shot below is when we were passing New York City.

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Liz took me to a tag sale (garage sale). Liz headed straight for the jewelry. And we had lunch with Shari Randall.

We stayed in an old inn that boasts F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald as visitors! I loved the old key.

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And I just got back from visiting my mom and doing some research in the panhandle of Florida for the new Chloe Jackson Redneck Riviera mystery series!

I snapped a few photos as I flew back into DC.

And here is my dear Lily. I miss my family and Lily when I travel. (Okay, and my pillow — I love my pillow.)

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Readers: What do you miss when you are away from home?

 

Wicked Wednesdays — Writer’s Life Part 1

October seems like a good time to reflect on the writing life and all it involves. Wickeds, does writing energize or exhaust you? Does it change with the phase of the project you are in? Is there a part of the writing process that you like best?

[image error]Edith: Writing first draft often energizes me. The start of the book is fun, the end is exciting – the middle not so much. But I know if I sit (and walk) with it, I’ll be able to move the story forward. What exhausts me is the promotional side of the writing life. I’ll look at another author’s meme or Instagram promotions, for example, and think, “Ack, I should probably do that, I should figure that out.” And then I don’t, for the most part. I never know how much promotion is too much and what is effective (yes, I do send direct email newsletters, said to have the biggest impact). But when I’m away from my work for a week or more and I’m dying to get back to it, like I was last week? I know I’m in the right career.

[image error]Liz: Right now, I’m exhausted at the thought of finishing my current book, but that’s more situational. First drafts are harder for me – I find it’s much easier to face whatever’s written and fix it, even if it’s terrible. Also, there’s my procrastination problem….but once I remind myself I’m blessed to be doing this, it all seems to shift and get back on track.

Sherry: I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I don’t think any part of the writing process exhausts me. Sometimes I’m afraid I’m not up to the task but that is a whole differe

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nt thing. Writing is hard work but when it flows it’s amazing, when it doesn’t you just have to dig deep.

[image error]Barb: I’ve noticed with my current work-in-progress that writing dialog in the first draft flies. It really does energize me. On the other hand, I find it really hard to write when I am uncomfortable about my knowledge in an area. For example, I’ve written eight mystery novels, two novellas, and numerous short stories without ever shooting anyone. Now I have finally gone and done it, but I know so little about guns, ballistics reports, etc., etc., I am having to do a lot of research to get these scenes written. I always say it’s easier to tell a lie (i.e. make something up) when it has a foundation in truth. I’ll run these scenes by someone with expertise before I foist them on a unsuspecting public, but I have to get them written before I can even do that and it’s a slog for me.

[image error]Julie: I love the process of writing, but cranking out the first draft does exhaust me. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s because I try and write too much in one day. Lately I’ve been sprinting to finish a draft, and I’m dragging myself over the finish line. I need to learn patience with myself and the process, and to not work to the point of exhaustion.

Jessie: I am exhausted when I fail to follow the fun. When the deadlines are stacked too closely or the project is hitched up somewhere I feel stressed and unhappy and then I feel drained. But, like the others have mentioned, when the story is gathering speed and direction and is amassing into something I love and of which I am proud it is more exhilirating than anything else I experience!

[image error]Readers: Do you have a part of your life that energizes or exhausts you?

A Return to The Scene of the Crime – For The First Time

by Barb, who is on a writing retreat at home (i.e. her husband is traveling)

[image error]Last April we had a lot of fun when Devon Delaney visited the Wickeds to tell us about her (and her protagonist’s) hobby of competing in cooking competitions. Back then, we celebrated the release of Expiration Date . Now Final Roasting Place , the next book in Devon’s Cook-off Mystery series, is out and we’ve invited her back.

Take it away, Devon!

Someone, somewhere coined the phrase, “you can never go back.” Don’t believe it -not true. People who commit crimes often go back to the scene of the crime, but it isn’t wise because the chances of getting caught increase, I’d imagine. I went back to a place that held only bad memories for me, and that led me back to the scene of the crime I’d only been to in the pages of my book, Final Roasting Place. Let me explain.

Two weekends ago, I competed in the National Mushroom Cook-off. The Mushroom Cook-off holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. Number one – I love mushrooms and adoring the sponsor’s required ingredient always gives me a boost of creativity that propels me well on my way to a better recipe entry. Number two – I was the Grand Prize winner last year with my Bon Vivant Mushroom and Chicken Crepes, putting me in the enviable position of being the defending champion. Third reason – the Mushroom Cook-off is the sight of my most epic failure in the history of my cooking competitions.

[image error]Here’s how that went down. Four years ago, I entered the Mushroom Cook-off with what I considered a well-balanced recipe showcasing the required fungi. A few months later, I was notified I’d made the finals. Problem was, I had entered two recipes and the voicemail on my phone didn’t specify which recipe was chosen, so I went to the cook-off prepared to make one recipe only to find out it was the other the judges chose. I had all the wrong ingredients with me. I immediately went into panic mode. Luckily, the officials let me prepare the unselected recipe, but because of the circumstances the final result wasn’t my best effort. I still cringe when I think about the embarrassment I felt.

Fast forward a year – the time came and went to enter the annual mushroom contest again. I couldn’t do it. I froze when I saw the entry blank. I had plenty of ideas but I wasn’t ready to revisit something I had messed up so badly. The fine folks who put on the event were probably still talking about my lack of preparation and overall stupidity for not double-checking important details such as the actual recipe that was to represent me as a proficient mushroom cook! If they saw my name on the entry form they would surely delete the email instantly. But, thank goodness, the old adage, “time heals all wounds”, kicked in the next year and I entered the contest with a renewed sense of “put the past to rest”. I was chosen, once again, as a finalist.

[image error]I returned to Kennett Square, PA, the mushroom capital of the United States, with a confident swagger and took my place at my designated cook-off contestant area. An hour later, I was the Queen of All Things Mushroom. This year I took second place, solidifying the Mushroom Cook-off as officially one of my favorite cook-offs.

When I returned home with trophy in hand, I had a sense of urgency to reach out to our local TV news channel, which runs a daily feature, “Chef’s Quick Tips”, to let them know not only was I a recipe contest winner but their station was the inspiration for the setting for my soon-to-be-released book, Final Roasting Place. Why? Because I wanted to the return to the scene of my book’s crime, not as the author, but as a participant in a real life story. A first time return, of sorts. The host of the segment invited me to come cook on-air and hawk my book, not aware New 12 Connecticut was literally the scene of the crime. I would be saving the nugget of information about the ambitious young news anchor at the station falling victim to murder in the midst of an on-air cook-off for a more opportune time – say, just as we were about to start filming.

[image error]I’ve visited television stations for various cooking related activities but I was beyond excited to set foot in the station depicted on the cover of my book. (See photo.) The News 12 setting in my book was born from the vision I formed while watching the local broadcast from the comfort of my playroom couch. Cooking on camera with the young ambitious host interviewing me was like stepping into the pages of my own book, a bit surreal. While it was my first time at News 12 it was a return to the scene of the literary crime. The crime my main character, Sherry, finds herself embroiled in. I’m glad to report I got through the taping of the segment without witnessing a murder, thank goodness, and without any terrible missteps reminiscent of the disastrous cook-off years ago.

Looking back, the experience of a cook-off gone horribly wrong was painful and took time to get over. But, a lot of good came out of the experience. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to ever repeat that mistake again but, if it ever happens again, I think I won’t wait two years to go back.

Thank you, Devon!

Readers: Have you ever returned to the scene of a former defeat or low point? How did that work out for you?

Graham Robb and Middle Earth

I’m a mystery writer, so I read a lot of mysteries, most often books by friends or those recommended by friends or bloggers that I respect. Then there are the books I read for research for my own books. I am a stickler for getting the details right (I was an academic long before I became a writer, and sometimes I have to resist the urge to add footnotes).

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But there are a few books I read solely for pleasure. Most recently I read The Discovery of Middle Earth: Mapping the Lost World of the Celts, by Graham Robb. It was published in 2013, and I’ve had it sitting on my TBR pile for quite a long time. But I was going on vacation, and I knew I had some long flights ahead of me, and the book mysteriously sneaked to the top of the TBR pile. I started reading it before I left, and then I couldn’t put it down. I took it with me. I read it on the plane, and in Ireland, and still didn’t finish it until I was back home. It took that long not because the book itself was long, but because it was fascinating and I wanted to pay attention.

Forget the “Middle Earth” part of the title, because the book has nothing to do with Tolkien or hobbits. It’s about a period in historic time before writing existed, and the startling accuracy of laying out the known world—settlements, temples, even battlefields–without written communication.

I think many of us have assumed that a culture that does not possess writing is made up of ignorant people (I know I did). Robb in his book makes it abundantly clear that this was not true. He also points out that the Romans—who did have writing—managed to claim credit for a lot of things that predate their civilization, particularly in western Europe. But if you believe Robb’s elaborate and extremely well documented theories (and there are lots of maps in the book, and 54 pages of footnotes!), early cultures had a consistent philosophy of the connectedness of places within the world they knew, which they applied when they extended their reach and claimed new regions and built new towns. We’re not talking “A is to the west of B,” but the alignments between places, and even the orientation of significant buildings, are accurate to an extraordinary degree, based solely on the accumulated cultural knowledge and observations of the stars and planets. The physical evidence suggests a level of sophistication that few suspected existed.

I can’t say whether Robb’s theory is sound, because he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the evolution of place names and early settlements that most of us could never achieve. Many of the sites are lost, reduced to a pile or rubble, or a field with an ancient coin or two under the surface, and finding them requires an extraordinary attention to small details from unlikely sources. But put all the evidence together and the theory is persuasive.

The author went far beyond doing research in dusty libraries. He took himself to the sites on foot or on a bicycle and took his own measurements and had a wonderful time doing it—and making his story convincing his readers. This is a man I’d like to meet, and talk with him about lost history.

His book also answered a question that has nagged at me for years.

[image error]My favorite: the Drombeg Stone Circle in West Cork

I’ve loved prehistoric stone circles since I started reading about Stonehenge when I was in college. I’ve visited as many as possible in England and Ireland (and the aligned rows of stones in Carnac, in France). I’ve waded through fields of wheat and slogged through muck to visit the less well known circles, or what’s left of them. But I have never understood how the builders managed to line up their circles with the significant solar events. with striking accuracy. Robb shows clearly that this wisdom did not come out of nowhere: rather, it came from cultures that pre-date the builders of those circles. The populated world seems suddenly to have grown older—and wiser.

For me, Robb’s book represents a beautiful balance of conveying obscure information and entertaining the reader, blending an amazing array of facts with humor and clear enthusiasm for the subject. It was well worth stepping out of my comfort zone to read it.

Have you ever found a book that had an unexpected impact on you? One that you still remember, years after reading it?

 

 

A Final Tribute

By Liz, trying to get used to a too-quiet home.

Hi, readers. If you’re friends with me on Facebook or follow my author page, you’ve probably heard the news by now that I lost my best little friend – my Shaggy dog – almost two weeks ago. [image error]

I’ve lost many furry friends over the years, most recently two of my long-time cats back in January, and it’s always hard. This was different, though. She was my first dog as an adult, and —I know everyone says this about their kids, furry or otherwise, but bear with me—she was the best dog ever.

Shaggy and I had an immediate bond when we met after she arrived on the transport from South Carolina at 10 months old. Plus, she was the most adorable little girl. She had the sweetest personality, and the most expressive face I’d ever seen on a dog. And those eyebrows, right? I was instantly in love.

She was the easiest dog, too. She loved people, other dogs, and even (mostly) the cats. As a puppy, she was very curious about the cats and wanted to play with them. Or harass them, in some cases. She tried her luck with a few of them, but ultimately it was Pumpkin, my sweet orange boy, who put her in her place. Pumpkin wasn’t enthralled by her antics, and he let her know it. One day when she was playing a little too aggressively for his liking, he took his big orange paw and put it on her head, and put her right down on the floor. He made her stay there for a minute, then walked away and went about his business. [image error]

His point was well taken. From then on, Shaggy gave him a wide berth. She would even hesitate to chase her toy if it landed too close to where Pumpkin sat, in fear of invoking his wrath. There were, however, a few cats who let her get away with more. She focused her energy on them. Soon, she learned the best part about cats was their food, and made it her mission in life to try to steal their wet food. This was a tradition that carried on her entire life, through diets and ultimately, her doctor’s recommendation that she stay away from anything salty. Which made it even more of an exciting challenge for her to try and break the rules. [image error]

I’ve been blessed to be able to work from home for the past four years, which meant I got to spend a lot of time with her. We spent a lot of hours in my former basement office together, where she of course had her own special bed and purple rug. Or playing with her favorite toys, or walking around the town green or later, in our new neighborhood that she claimed as her turf from day one.

One of my favorite things about her was her genuine love for people, and her desire to be adored. She pranced through life – the halls, the elevator, the streets, and everywhere else – demanding that people stop and talk to her. If they didn’t, she got very indignant about it. She’d turn and look at me as if to say, What the heck is wrong with them?

Granted, most people couldn’t resist her charms. Even the woman in our building who was afraid of dogs began to allow Shaggy to travel in the elevator with her, and even had conversations with her. Shaggy seemed to know she had to behave a certain way with that lady. No matter how much she wanted to climb her leg for a kiss, she sat very nicely in front of her and let her talk, hoping that one day she would give in and pet her.[image error]

A friend of ours who did Reiki regularly for Shags said it best: Shaggy was a lightworker. Over the years, she visited hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, and brought smiles to many faces. She made friends everywhere she went. Even when her health began to decline early this year, she was still the happiest little dog I knew.

[image error]She loved food of any kind, treats, sharing smoothies with me, playing with her pink flamingo toy, and snuggling in her fluffy purple blanket. She was my sidekick and my constant companion for a long time. I could tell a million more stories about her, but really, only one matters – how much we loved each other, and how much she meant to me.

We were so blessed to have shared nearly a decade together.

Readers, is there a friend past or present for whom you’re extra grateful? Tell us in the comments below. 

 

The Accidental Garden

Jane/Susannah/Sadie here, preparing to go on a working vacation . . . 

Hey, Wicked People. Has a month gone by already? That means that in just a few days I’ll be leaving on a 5-day tour of Ohio’s Amish country. Even thought it’s technically a work trip, I’m really looking forward to it! In October’s post I’ll give you all the details.

[image error]A pumpkin of any size, even this little guy, makes me happy!

So if you’ve ever been to Amish country, or can imagine a bit of what it’s like, one thing you might think of is carefully tended gardens. And you would be right. I grew up in an area of New York State where there is a rapidly growing Amish population, and I visit family there frequently. I’ve gone to Amish country in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and I’ve never seen an overgrown, out-of-control vegetable patch on an Amish farm. Ever.

The same cannot be said for my own backyard. It’s been a few years since we’ve grown any kind of significant produce (now we rely on local farm stands or our generous neighbors to bless us with their excess). But the old garden where we used to grow giant pumpkins as a family endeavor (largest: 475 pounds–which is a baby in the giant pumpkin world yet pretty darn big when you try to move it to display it at the fairgrounds) is still there in an unused area of the yard. We’ve never seeded it over with grass, even though it’s probably long past time to do that. But memories are harder to kill than violets and dandelions, and we let the garden stay, even though it now boasts an impressive crop of weeds. It’s also home to my makeshift compost pile, where I often throw vegetable scraps. (You can’t see the stuff under all the weeds, and it eventually decays, even without turning it)

[image error] Ripen, willya?

I don’t specifically recall throwing last year’s jack-o-lantern seeds or carcass out into the garden, but I must have. I do have a vague memory of tossing out the seeds of a spaghetti squash this past spring. Lo and behold, about six or eight weeks ago vines started growing and flowering, all of a sudden it seemed, out of the old garden. Half a dozen small pumpkins set, as well as about the same number of spaghetti squash. The pumpkins are doing fine, beginning to turn orange. And I’m cautiously optimistic the spaghetti squash will turn a golden yellow and be ready to harvest. (I hope so, because I now have a serious hankering for Italian sausage, green and red peppers, and onions cooked together and served over one of those spaghetti squash…)

Life is kind of like my garden, isn’t it? Sometimes you make plans, till the soil, plant seeds in an orderly fashion, tend the young plants, and things grow the way they’re supposed to, giving you a predictable harvest. And sometimes you have to just toss stuff out there and see what happens. Maybe you’ll get nothing. Or maybe you’ll get a surprise crop that will bring you unexpected joy.

When was the last time you threw caution to the wind? Did something spontaneous? Or do you need to plan  to do something spontaneous?

Wicked Wednesday-Back to the Future

Jessie: Still basking in the glow of yesterday’s release, Murder Flies the Coop!

[image error]As we finish up our series exploring variants of “back” I hope you won’t mind if I tie it to historical mysteries as a way to keep celebrating my love for my Beryl and Edwina series. Those books are set in the the early 1920s and it got me to thinking about things we take for granted now that people in that time would have been surprised by. So, Wickeds, what do you think people living almost a hundred years ago would find shocking or incredible about life as we know it? Or, which things have come into being during the course of your own lifetime that are the most surprising to you?

Sherry: I love Edwina and Beryl so much, Jessie. I think they would both be amazed and delighted by search engines! There is so much information available at our fingertips. Some day I should count how many times in one day I look something up on my phone or computer. With that wealth of information comes the great responsibility of parsing what is true and what isn’t. But I constantly marvel at our ability to look up who that actor is on the TV or what houses in Croatia look like. It’s heaven!

Julie: Huge congratulations, and an even bigger thank you for the latest Beryl and Edwina adventure, Jessie! You glowed the first time you told me about this series, and I’m so pleased that readers are able to enjoy them. The time period you are writing about is a tough one–post WWI England. I loved Agatha Christie novels, and have done a lot of research on her. WWI had a huge impact on her. She was a nurse during the war, which led to her interest in potions and gave her the expertise on poisons she used in her books. The advances in modern medicine are incredible, especially compared to a hundred years ago. As for my lifetime, I’m with Sherry. Smart phones blow my mind, and the web as it exists now can be challenging, but what a connection tool.

[image error]Barb’s grandmother, Eleonore Kimbel Taylor in the 1920s

Barb: First of all, congrats again on Murder Flies the Coop, Jessie. I am so excited about this series. All four of my grandparents were born around the turn of the last century. When I knew them in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, they were thoroughly modern people. The changes they had seen in their lifetimes were astonishing. Telephones, television, airplanes, and the ubiquity, if not the actual invention, of home electricity and private automobiles. How could all that happen in one lifetime? And yet time marches on. I have often reflected how much my grandfather would have HATED Google. He kept a diary all his adult life, ultimately they spanned more than six decades. Whenever there was a dinner table discussion like, “What year was that hurricane?” “What year were there three huge snowstorms in a row and the snow was six feet high?” “What year did the Verrazano Narrows Bridge open?” He would get out his diaries and give us the answer, which made him the Greatest Living Authority on All Things. Now that everyone at the table could get the answer from a device they can carry in a pocket, it would drive him crazy.

Edith: I am delighted for your new book, Jessie! It’s such a great series. My paternal grandmother Dorothy Henderson Maxwell, born in 1899, was always ahead of her time. She was the first woman to drive halfway across the country in an automobile when she was only eighteen, and I just discovered her very roaring twenties wedding picture.  As a woman skilled at navigating (she always drove the family car, not my grandfather), I think she would be fascinated by GPS and Google Maps. So much information at the ready.

[image error]Edith’s grandmother, Dorothy Henderson Maxwell, in about 1920, at her wedding.

And my father, who fake-broadcast his own radio show when he was nine? He would be all over podcasts! That, and Google.

Liz: Congrats, Jessie! So excited for you. I think smart phones for sure, and really just the breadth and depth of the technology advances overall. It would seem like a different planet to them, I’m sure!

Jessie: I love hearing all your responses! I think Beryl would be surprised at the reality of an international space station. I am certain she would want to visit it but she would be surprised it had arrived so early in time. She also would be very interested in the sorts of improvements made to outdoor clothing with all its extra warmth and or moisture repelling properties. And, as she is a horrid cook would delight in the invention of the microwave. Even she could heat things without burning them  too often!

Edwina would likely be captivated by the internet and all the available information. She would adore Ravelry ( a sort of Facebook for knitters and crocheters), online garden forums and Pinterest. I also think she would enjoy audiobooks as she does so love to listen to radio dramas on the wireless when she thinks Beryl isn’t paying attention!

Readers, which changes since 1920 do you think are the most impressive, impactful – or egregious?

Release Day-Murder Flies the Coop!

Jessie: In New Hampshire still startled to realize that it is the release day for my eighth novel, Murder Flies the Coop! Tonight I wil be celebrating by hosting a Facebook Live event on my Jessica Ellicott page at 8 pm EST. I hope to see a bunch of you there!

[image error]Today is a milestone day for me but it also feels like a special day for my most recent protagonists, Beryl and Edwina. I thought it might be fun to let the ladies take the spotlight and to interview them about some trivia.

Jessie: So, ladies, would you be interested in answering a few questions for the readers here on the Wickeds blog?

Edwina: It doesn’t sound quite nice, does it. I am not entirely sure Vicar Lowethorpe would approve of one of his parishioners associating with anything that could be described as wicked.

Beryl: Come now, Ed, I’m sure it is all meant in good fun. As for me, I’m always up for something wicked. Although I am not sure I have ever heard of a blog before. Is it some sort of newfangled conveyance?

Jessie: It is if you mean a manner of conveying information. It’s a sort of a newspaper or a magazine.

Beryl: Publicity! I have always been rather good with the press. And besides, our fledgling enquiry agency business could always use a way to get the word out.

Edwina: Not so hasty, Beryl. I’m not sure we are ready for such scrutiny yet.

Beryl: If we had waited until we were ready to show off our sleuthing skills you would still have a rather unseemly reputation in the village and no one would have solved the murder of that poor girl back last autumn.

Jessie: I assure you you needn’t answer anything that makes you uncomfortable. It is more of a chance for people to get to know you a little better. Especially you, Edwina since you have spent most of your life out of the public eye.

Beryl: That’s right, Ed. It is your chance to shine. Go on, ask your first question. If Ed doesn’t want to share something she can just make up an answer that pleases her.

Edwina: Beryl, you make me sound like an accomplished liar!

Beryl: Well, you really are a terribly good fibber. But only in service of a worthy cause.

Edwina: I’ll endeavour to take that as a compliment. Perhaps you should go ahead and ask your questions.

Jessie: I think our readers would like to know about your lives before you renewed your friendship and began sleuthing together. Why don’t you tell us about your families?

Beryl: Do you mean the families we were born into or the ones we married into? Although I suppose the latter applies only to me.

Jessie: Either. You decide.

Edwina: My father was a country solicitor and my mother was a woman entirely devoted to nursing her fragile health. I had a younger brother who was unfortunately taken from us far too young. I have never married and do not expect to do so as eligible gentleman are in shockingly short supply, what with the war and then the influenza epidemic. Besides, Beryl has most certainly married more often than enough for the both of us.

Beryl: I shan’t bore you with the details of my childhood. Suffice it to say I left home early and have not made a habit of frequent visits. I have, however, married with regularity as Edwina pointed out. Between the men I  divorced and the ones I buried I’ve been involved with a five families besides my own. Fortunately, I had the good sense to always keep my own name. It made things every so much easier.

Jessie: What about something more up to the present day like favorite foods and pastimes?

Edwina: I do love a full English breakfast and also the teacakes and scones served by Minnie Mumford, proprietress of the local tearoom, The Silver Spoon. Minnie has a very light hand with the pastry. As for pastimes, I spend countless hours pottering in my garden during the growing season. During the winter I knit and all through the year I am an avid reader.

Beryl: It is hard to believe Edwina has time for any of it with all the work she does on committees in the village. Between the WI, the church and the garden club I don’t know how there are enough hours in the day. She makes me look slothful.

Edwina: That is very kind of you to say. But I really am only doing my duty. You have far more interesting ways of amusing yourself than do I.

Beryl: I admit, I do like to hurtle down the lanes and along the hedgerows in my automobile. There is nothing like feeling the wind in my hair and my hands upon the steering wheel. I also love to play poker, lay down a few bets with the local bookie and whip up a shaker of cocktails. As far as food goes, I am not picky in the least so long as I needn’t cook any of it myself.

Jessie: Have you been working on any interesting cases lately?

Edwina: I am not sure we can speak about that publicly. We pride ourselves on respecting our clients’ confidentiality.

Beryl: Come now Ed, surely we can divulge a bit without saying too much.  After all, what sort of publicity will this be if no one knows the range of our services?

Jessie: I promise not to give too much away.

Edwina: Oh, all right. How about you say something like this:

One would hardly call them birds of a feather, but thrill-seeking American adventuress Beryl Helliwell and quietly reserved Brit Edwina Davenport do one thing very well together – solve murders.

Sharing lodging in the sleepy English village of Walmsley Parva has eased some of the financial strain on the two old school chums, but money is still tight in these lean years following the Great War. All of Beryl’s ex-husbands have proven reluctant to part with her alimony, which is most inconvenient. So when the local vicar – and pigeon-racing club president – approaches them with a private inquiry opportunity, the ladies eagerly accept. There’s been a spot of bother: The treasurer has absconded with the club’s funds and several prized birds. Beryl and Edwina hope to flush out the missing man by checking his boardinghouse and place of employment at the coal mine. 

But when they visit the man’s loft, they find their elusive quarry lying in white feathers and a pool of crimson blood, stabbed to death – the only witnesses cooing mournfully. After a stiff gin fizz, the ladies resume their search for the missing funds and prized birds – and now a murderer. Beryl and Edwina aren’t shy about ruffling a few feathers as they home in on their suspects. But they had better find the killer fast, before their sleuthing career is cut short.

Jessie: That’s perfect. I’ll be sure to let readers know they can read more for themselves in Murder Flies the Coop, available today, wherever books are sold! Thanks ladies!

Readers, which fictional detective would you like to interview and what would you ask? I have two copies of Murder Flies the Coop to give away to randomly chosen commenters!

Happy Days & a Giveaway

Edith here, with lots of happy  news: two family weddings and books to give away. What’s better than that?

I took a real vacation in the first half of the month. Hugh and I traveled to one of my favorite parts of the world, New Mexico. We toured Tijeras, Santa Fe, and Taos, and gaped at the Rio Grande Gorge from the bridge six hundred and fifty six feet above it. I love the dry air and subtle shades of grays and browns in the landscape out there, and the lovely (and energy-efficient) adobe construction.

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[image error]Because I grew up in the shadows of six-thousand foot high mountains, I’m never happier than when I see real mountains on the horizon. The Sangre de Cristo range is stunning in its beauty.

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We were at around seven thousand feet in elevation in New Mexico, and did pretty well with the altitude. But the impetus for the trip was niece Emily’s wedding in Crested Butte, Colorado. We headed north and crossed the Great Divide.

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Going up another two thousand feet really took our breath away. The old mining town is in a valley literally surrounded by much higher mountains.

The aspens on the slopes had turned and the vistas gobsmacked me over and over.  Our family get-together was happy and filled with conversation and laughter.

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I had a less than a week at home, and am now ensconced half a mile from my older son’s home in Maryland helping the couple get ready for their wedding on Saturday! I’m so very happy for Allan and his bride, Alison, who are just perfect for each other. It’s awesome having my other son in from Puerto Rico, too, and I’m excited to see my own sisters and brother at the weekend celebration.

[image error]Alison and Allan about an hour after she said Yes in 2017.

[image error]Speaking of celebrating, I have pile of red-hot advance copies of Murder on Cape Cod burning a hole in my office floor at home. It releases December 18 in a paperback exclusive from Barnes & Noble.

Mackenzie Almeida’s only experience with murder investigations is limited to the cozy mysteries she reads on Cape Cod with her local book group, the Cozy Capers. But when both she and her brother become suspects in a murder, Mac summons help from her Cozy Capers co-investigators and a library’s worth of tips and tricks. This is one mystery where Mac is hoping for anything but a surprise ending…

I’ll give away two copies – one to celebrate each wedding!

Readers: What’s the latest celebration you have been part of? How did you celebrate?