Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 224

And the winners are…

 

For the An Unexpected Accessory: And a Giveaway blog on Monday, congratulations to Mary McD who was selected by Random.org from 94 entries to win the Snowden Family Clambake tote bag and the Arc of Eggnog Murder with novellas by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross.

We’ve reached out to Mary via e-mail and her prizes will soon be in the mail!

For the Tracing Inspiration with Mollie Cox Bryan blog on Thursday, the winner is Kelly Braun for a copy of Death Among the Doilies. Kelly message us your emails on the WCA Facebook page and we’ll put you in touch.

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Filed under: Contests Tagged: Death Among the Doilies, Eggnog Murder, Mollie Cox Bryan, Snowden Family Clambake

Intensity

Edith north of Boston, finally enjoying a little break from one of the hottest, driest summers on record. And talking about an intense summer brings me to today’s topic: intensity.

I am known among people close to me for being rather intense. I tend to do things whole hog, full steam ahead, not proceeding with half measures. When I walk, I use the briskest pace I can. When I’m working, it absorbs me and I am both productive and efficient (well, usually). I love good food and wine and most of the time end up consuming

too much of both. There’s a down side to having this kind of personality, too – if someone wrongs me, I never, ever forget it.

Some would chalk it up to being a double Scorpio: my sun sign is in the constellation Scorpio, and my ascendant (or rising sign) is, too, because the sun at the moment it rose above the Eastern horizon was also in Scorpio. And Scorpios can be pretty intense (I just

learned Hillary Clinton is a double Scorpio exactly the same way I am…).

Regardless of cause, that’s who I am. So when I went on a writers’ retreat last week with three author buddies, guess what kind of retreat it was for me? Yup, intense. I gathered with Ramona DeFelice Long, KB Inglee, and Wicked Accomplice Kim Gray at Clare House, a convent retreat house in Pennsylvania. We each had writing projects to work on, and we mostly ignored each other all day and worked, having the house to ourselves.

And it was fabulous. I wrote over 11,000 words. I started writing Country Store Mystery number four, getting over five thousand words down. Then I switched gears and wrote a proposal, start to finish, for a new series, including the first two chapters. I had to keep my head down and keep going to get that much done, and I did, mornings, afternoons, and even part of one evening. I never work like that at home, usually devoting only the morning to my creative writing or revising and doing author business in the afternoons.

Sometimes when I fixed a bit of lunch to eat at the picnic table on the deck, one or more of the others would join me, and that was fine. But I always ate and then went right back upstairs. I even declined to go out to lunch with the rest on the penultimate day – because I had to finish the proposal before I left early the next morning. And finish I did.

Kim Gray, Ramona DeFelice Long, and Kb Inglee

It wasn’t all work. We gathered for wine and dinner every night and talked – a lot. Some of it was brainstorming about our work, but some was just chewing the fat. And those women have a lot of stories in them, no surprise! (Sorry, what’s said at the retreat stays at the retreat…) Everyone else had a drive of an hour or less, and mine was seven or eight. But I’d go back in a New York minute. I love an intense immersion like that.

What about you? Does intensity suit you or do you prefer a more relaxed pace, more steady progress? Have you had intense times away from your usual routine that suited you?

Filed under: Edith's posts Tagged: Aston PA, Clare House, Our Lady of Angels convent, writers retreat

Tracing Inspiration with Mollie Cox Bryan

Edith here, happy to welcome our cozy author friend Mollie Bryan, also published by Kensington, who had a first-in-a-new-series release only two days ago! I can’t wait to read Death Among the Doilies. And Mollie is giving away a copy to one lucky commenter here.

Here’s Mollie’s post, Tracing Inspiration

“The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. ” Alan Alda

When I approached the keyboard each morning, coffee in hand, and began writing any of the books from my Cumberland Creek Series, I felt comforted by my old friends there. But I became a little antsy because a new character kept pecking at me.  She might have fit in at Cumberland Creek with my circle of scrap bookers. But she felt strong enough to develop a book or a series around.

It’s hard to know what to do in this case, isn’t it? Invite her in? Start something new?

I love my Cumberland Creek characters and there’s probably still more exploration and fun to come with them. But sometimes, if you can figure out where your gut is leading you, it’s best to make the leap and try something new. So I did.

I’ve been thinking about what led to the creation of Cora Chevalier, the character who first grabbed me to build this new series around. As a writer of crafty mysteries about scrapbooking, I tried to keep up with crafty happenings and the latest trends.

I kept reading about these fabulous craft retreats. I nearly drool every time I think about getting away to do nothing but craft. No meals to prepare, no errands to run, no homework checks. Wow.

And in the mean time,  I’d run across posts about the healing nature of crafting, especially knitting and crochet. There’s a lot written about it.

This character poked harder at me. What could put her in the life situation  where she could run a craft retreat?  Why would she want to do it? What is her mission?

Cora leapt out of my imagination and onto the computer screen when I came up with her back story, which is what kept her out of Cumberland Creek—as she was a social worker in Pittsburgh (my home city). I imagine her as a cross between Zooey Deschanel and Stevie Nicks (odd combo, isn’t it?), and as she poked at me, she became more clear to me.

She definitely needed her own series. It was a thrilling decision to make—and a scary one, as well.

My readers expect Cumberland Creek, and I’ve been very pleased to write those books. (I still may write more!)  Of course, I don’t want to disappoint them. I think they will like Cora, her friend Jane, and Ruby. Also, I’ve decided that my Cumberland Creek characters will visit my new town of Indigo Gap, as well. I hope that tempts my readers to come along for the new series.

How it has come together is better than I expected. Cora left behind Pittsburgh and her job at a women’s shelter, which created a life-threatening anxiety disorder for her. Cora wants to help, but she is not cut out to be a social worker. Perhaps she’s found her way as a craft retreat purveyor and blogger, still helping in a different, way less stressful manner. Not completely stress free, of course, else we would not have a murder series.

Mollie Cox Bryan, author of the Cora Crafts Mysteries and the Agatha Award-nominated Cumberland Creek mystery series, is also an award-winning journalist and poet.  She’s recently published her first historical fiction, “Memory of Light: An Aftermath of Gettysburg.” She currently writes and crafts in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and two daughters. Please visit her at molliecoxbryan.com, where you can sign up for her exclusive newsletter. For scrapbooking, recipes, and other crafty-freebies, join her on Pinterest atpinterest.com/molliecoxbryan.

Readers, do you follow your favorite writers as they start new series or venture into other kinds of books? Writers, how do you make the decision to start something new? Remember, a copy of Death Among the Doilies to one lucky commenter!

Filed under: Guest posts, Uncategorized Tagged: Alan Alda, Death Among the Doilies, Mollie Cox Bryan

Wicked Wednesday: Labor Day Resolutions

There’s something about Labor Day. All those years of school make it seem like another clean start, another New Year’s if you will. So Wickeds, how are you doing on your goals this year? Are you adding any new ones, or doubling down on previous ones now that Labor Day looms?

From Wikimedia Commons: “Septembre est illustre par les vendanges.” (September is illustrated with the harvest.)

Edith:  Well, since I never cleaned my office this summer, that’s one ongoing goal (but I’d rather be harvesting grapes). I do have an entire new book to write before the snow flies – Country Store #4 – so I’m just going to continue on my three-books-a-year goal until it’s done. It’ll be a busy fall, but a good one.

Liz: I’m planning to regroup over the next week and set serious writing goals for the rest of the year. That includes writing a full draft of book six by the end of December, editing the first book in the new series that finally seems to be moving toward publication, and also reworking a draft of another project that’s been lingering on the shelf way too long. Also have to figure out a launch plan for book five, out right after Christmas. I guess it will be a busy fall here too!

Julie: I think of September as New Years. I use an academic planner, and since I teach and work in theater (where summer seasons are ending and regular seasons are kicking off) I consider September my new start. How am I doing on goals? Time for a reset on some of them. Time to double down on others that have become more important–like getting enough sleep. I hate summer being over, but do love the reboot of September!

Sherry: I’m not a huge goal setter but being an author has forced me to be more organized. I’m writing I Know What You Bid Last Summer and hope to have the first draft done by November 1st. It means I have to write 1000 every day which has been my current pace. However, Bouchercon and other life events will mess with that plan so I need to up the number of words.

Barb: I’m on the same schedule you are Sherry–and very close to Liz’s. Would love to have a first draft completed sometime in November, definitely by December 1. In the past, I have found December to be a pretty disastrously bad month for writing. I’ve had real time off this summer and done a lot of touristy things (i.e. research–ha, ha, ha), so come Labor Day, I’ve really got to buckle down. (But first comes this big party in New Orleans.)

Jessie: I still have kids in school so the end of summer is all about fresh starts and new energy. I’ve been working on my goals all year and am fairly pleased with my progress but I always look forward to buckling down in September and making a final push through the last third of the year to see them to completion.

What about you, dear readers. Any Labor Day resolutions?

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Filed under: Wicked Wednesday Tagged: back to school, goals, Les vendanges, new lunchbox

Last Beach Reads of the Summer

Well, Wickeds, summer is winding down, sad to say, and I’m wondering, what were your best reads of the summer, and what have you saved to savor over this Labor Day Weekend?

Edith: I’ve had such a good time catching up with the books in Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy series and Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries, both set at the start of the 1900s in New York City. I hadn’t read some of the earlier books in Vicki’s and some of the later books in Rhys’ and I’m glad I did. What I’ll be savoring over Labor Day will be Nancy Herriman’s new No Pity for the Dead, which takes place in San Francisco in the 1860s, and then more catching up – this time with Catriona McPherson’s historical Dandy Gilver series. Yes, I am immersed in the past – and I like it that way!

Liz: I’ve got a bunch of books going right now, as usual. Loving Jennifer McMahon’s The Night Sister. I’m also really enjoying Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. I guess I’m embracing my inner introvert! Also reading Laura Lippman’s Wilde Lake on my iPad when I’m training it back and forth to NYC for work.

Jessie: Next up for me is A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar Suzanne Joinson and Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton.

Barb: I’ll spend Labor Day weekend as I have for the past several years, reading a Louise Penny book. This year’s is A Great Reckoning. Cannot wait. I have spent much of the summer reading William Kent Krueger‘s Cork O’Connor series. I’m up to the sixth one and I am loving them. After Labor Day, it’s back to work. Reading The Shingle Style and the Stick Style: Architectural Theory and Design from Downing to the Origins of Wright, as Julia and the Snowden family debate whether to restore Windsholme, the mansion on their island in Maine. Not a hardship, truly!

Julie: I am getting ready to teach, so reading a lot of arts admin books including The Cycle by Michael Kaiser. Looking forward to William Kent Kruger at Crime Bake, so I’m going to start on his Cork O’Connor series.

Sherry Harris: Julie I just finished Boundary Waters by William Kent Kruger. His writing is like poetry. I’m very excited to be reading an advance copy of Sky Dive by Agatha Award nominated author Susan O’Brien! It’s the third book in her Nicki Valentine Mystery series and releases on 11/29/16. Susan has a knack for mixing humor, layered characters, and social issues into a seamless plot. This time Susan tackles the issue of what happens to foster children when they age out of the system. I’m almost done so next on my TBR pile is Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye — it comes highly recommended.

Readers: What will you be reading over the holiday weekend?

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Filed under: Beach Reads Tagged: A Great Reckoning, A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar, Boundry Waters, Death of a Kingfisher, Jane Steele, louise penny, Lyndsay Faye, M. C. Beaton, Sky Dive, Susan O'Brien, Suzanne Joinson, The Shingle Style and the Stick Style: Architectural Theory and Design from Downing to the Origins of Wright, Vincent Scully, William Kent Krueger

An Unexpected Accessory: And a Giveaway

by Barb, just back from a beautiful week at the Jersey shore and headed back to Maine

I love it when serendipity happens. Don’t you?

Back in July, Liz Mugavero started a Wicked Wednesday thread here on the blog titled, “What’s in your Character’s Purse?”

I really liked the question, because it was one of those things I had thought about without thinking about it, you know? The question of what my main character Julia Snowden would use as a purse had come up in Clammed Up, the first book in the series. I decided Julia would throw the things she had to carry around with her in an old Snowden Family Clambake tote bag. Julia’s mother Jacqueline had run the gift shop at the clambake for many years, and it seemed natural the shop would offer such a thing.

I thought it would be fun if there was a picture of the tote bag for the blog. So I went on a site that offered custom printed bags and I designed one. Just for the photo, for the blog, mind you. I wasn’t going to order any. I didn’t even price them.

Why did I know where to find such a thing, you ask? Because for my daughter’s wedding the welcome bags were little, tiny L.L. Bean-style tote bags, which felt appropriate to Maine.

But Liz hadn’t just asked what the character’s purse was, she’d asked what was IN the purse. That gave me pause. I have always been a purse minimalist. When my kids were young, I used to joke, “I am the mother who never carries tissues.” Or Bandaids. Or chapstick. Or photos of her kids.

I think this is because I am an accessories minimalist generally. I have enough trouble keeping track of the essentials, believe me. When I was in seventh grade, the first year I carried a purse to school, everyday the period after my study hall there was an announcement on the PA. “Barbara Ross, please come to the office.” And then I would realize I’d left my handbag hanging off the back of a chair in the auditorium. Every. Single. Day. My husband would tell you this behavior now extends to my reading glasses, my car keys and my phone. He would be exaggerating when he said this. But not very much.

Over the course of the series, Julia has carried some mundane things in the tote bag, like Snowden Family Clambake brochures (Clammed Up) or her mother’s mail, fetched from the post office (Iced Under). She’s also carried some mystery clues, like a copy of an old photo and an insurance report (Fogged Inn) or a priceless diamond necklace (Iced Under).

But what does Julia carry everyday? I decided she was a little less minimalist than me, and gave her “a nylon wallet, sunblock or chapstick depending on the season, a bundle of covered rubber bands to pull back her hair if she’s on a boat or around food prep, and her smartphone, which works pretty well in Maine, except where it doesn’t.” Not a lot of stuff really. I can also imagine a paperback book and a toothbrush and toothpaste in a plastic holder, a hairbrush, business cards, pens and a small notebook.

After I designed that tote bag for the blog, I couldn’t get it out of my head. So I decided to order some for real to use for contests and such.

So that’s what I’m offering, dear readers. If you comment on this blog post before noon on September 1, you’ll be entered in a contest to win your very own Snowden Family Clambake tote, along with an Advanced Reader Copy of Eggnog Murder, the collection of three holiday novellas by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and me to be published October 25th.

Good luck!

 

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Filed under: Barb's posts Tagged: clammed up, Eggnog Murder, Fogged inn, Iced Under, Snowden Family Clambake, tote bag, wedding welcome bags

Changing the Narrative

Bezel and Blue, created by my niece.

Last week I was fortunate enough to go on vacation with my nieces. The three of us rented a house up on a lake in New Hampshire. Their folks left Sunday night, and then my sister came back Thursday night. But for the majority of the week, it was the three of us. Both of my nieces have a lot of interests, and varying types of artistic expression. One of them, B., created Bezel and Blue out of piles of fluff and a needle, I kid you not. The other niece, T., loves music, and so she DJ’d our puzzling time on the porch. “Who’s this?” I’d ask. “Which one is that?” I sounded cranky, even to myself. I kept getting the names of the bands wrong, which she tolerated with a laugh. (My Chemical Romance turned into My Chemically Induced Romance, which isn’t the same thing. At all.) I mentioned that to my sister, and she said something that called me up short.

“Well, we had Flock of Seagulls, and Tears for Fears. Not a lot of room to throw stones. Remember the grief we’d get?”

Time for a behavior shift for Aunt Julie. I remembered my thirteen and a half year old self, discovering music and books, hesitant in my adoration, trying to play it cool just in case someone made fun of me. I remembered my father bringing home a Partridge Family album when I was about eleven, and the joy of feeling supported in my love for David Cassidy. (Dad still made fun of the songs, but I think he knew the lyrics.) Being a fan of something is risky, especially for a teenager. Having an aunt who isn’t listening won’t help.

So I started asking questions better questions, so she could teach me. “Is this Panic! At The Disco or My Chemical Romance?”

“Guess.”

I’d listen to the lyrics, and I’d guess. Her sister likes both bands, but doesn’t share her passion, so she’d guess as well. We’d all discuss the difference between the bands, and their music. T. would quote lyrics, and give us the backstory on songs. I’d still offer opinions, but I made sure I’d never make her feel like her musical taste didn’t matter. I didn’t pretend that I loved everything. I just acknowledged that we could have different opinions, because we had different points of view.

Have you heard of the musical Hamilton? I haven’t seen it yet, but I have listened to it a bunch of times and love it. The lyrics and the show itself upend expectations around history, casting, musical, storytelling. Changing the narrative is part of the conceit of the show. “Who lives, who dies, who tells their story” matters. As a writer, I control narrative. I tell the stories. Is my entire narrative told from the point of view of a fifty year old, or do I try to use other lenses? Who else tells their story? What stories do I read/watch/listen to that aren’t like my own?

I am very proud to have played a small part in Sisters in Crime’s 2016 Publishing Summit Report on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Mystery Community, titled Report For Change. The report talks about issues around inclusion in the field. The topic is complicated, but important. The report is forward thinking, which we all need to be, and lays out some paths for change. One thing I am thinking about a lot as we wrestle with these issues is the same life lesson I learned from my niece.

Being kind, and open to other narratives, does not take away from your own. They may make you reconsider things, but that’s alright. It adds to the richness of your life. Who knows, they may also give you a new perspective to add to your life.

By the way, I downloaded Panic! At The Disco’s Death of a Bachelor. Changing the narrative.

Filed under: Julie's posts Tagged: #ReportForChange, Changing the Narrative, Clock and Dagger, Julianne Holmes

Rebalancing Act

Jane/Susannah/Sadie here, wondering where the summer has gone…

Financial advisors often tell us to be sure to rebalance our investment portfolios at least once a year, or whenever we have a major life change, to make sure we keep an appropriate mix of investments for whatever our life goals are.

Right now, I’m in a similar kind of rebalancing act.

I was laid off from my corporate job three years ago, and I’ve been freelancing since then. Anybody who’s ever been self-employed or has freelanced knows that it’s incredibly, well, freeing to be in charge of one’s own work destiny. But it takes discipline, both of the mental and financial varieties, to be successful. With no boss but yourself looking over your shoulder, and steady paychecks a thing of the past, you’ve really got to bring it.

And I’ve loved bringing it.

But during this time, I’ve also been open to new opportunities. I applied for quite a few jobs, but got surprisingly few interviews. A few months ago, I put in yet another application for a job I found through an online job matching service. I’d more or less forgotten about it when, lo and behold, I got an interview. And then another. And then was asked to do some job-specific testing and to travel out-of-state for an interview.

Bottom line is, I’m going back to work full-time, at a job in the book business that I’m incredibly excited about, right after Labor Day. The same day I officially become an empty nester when my only child starts college in the city. And almost exactly three years to the day after I left my corporate job.

So where does this leave my writing? Well, darlings, to paraphrase Rick Astley, never gonna give that up! But now that I’ll be on someone else’s schedule again, I’ll need to rebalance my days. Writing, exercising, housecleaning and cooking (I fantasize there will be less of that with my son gone!)–all these things got done, and probably more efficiently, when I worked before. So I’m not worried. And I am, as I think I mentioned, very, very excited about my new situation.

As summer comes to an end (and yes, you scientific types, I know summer doesn’t actually end astronomically until September something), do you rebalance? Any tips for me for getting it all done again?

Filed under: Jane's posts, Sadie's Posts, Susannah's posts Tagged: End of summer, getting it all done, interviews, new job, rebalancing, schedules

Wicked Wednesday: Mythbusters VI–Getting Advice on a Manuscript

Pre-published and published authors get lots of advice on getting advice. Some people say you must have a writers group to succeed. Others say that kind of review stifles creativity and produces homogenized products. Some people have beta readers, some use outside editors. There all kinds of opinions about what advice you need, when you need it, and what to do with it once you get it.

Discuss!

 

Edith: I think what kind of critique a writer gets depends partly on her personality. I don’t mind sharing scenes with my in-person writing group, even if they aren’t fully polished, because the members have such good feedback and they know my several series by now. I know some writers, though, who cringe at the thought of getting scene by scene critiqued. At this stage in my career I do rely on an outside editor (yay, Sherry Harris!) to be my beta reader/developmental editor before I send the book in, but I didn’t for my first couple of books. Some of the Guppies find manuscript swaps invaluable.

Liz: Agree with the personality comment, Edith. With writing groups, I think the structure and level of the group matters as you get further along in your career. As you grow, your writing grows, which means you need critique partners who are also growing and maturing in their work so you can help each other. I enjoy getting plotting help from my fellow Wickeds and a few other creative folks while I’m in development mode. Then when I have a good draft, Sherry offers her invaluable advice and feedback (we sure do keep her busy, don’t we?). If there’s time, I’ll get other opinions from those I trust, but alas, I often don’t leave myself enough time!

Barb: I’ve been in a writers group for twenty years. It’s taken a long time for us to learn how to critique–that different levels and kinds of comments are needed at first draft, second draft and so on. We have different strengths as critiquers–structure, plot, action scenes, pace. And we know each others’ foibles. “This is very over-written, but we know you always do that in the first draft and simplify later, so no worries.” So it’s a comfortable, safe place. I also have a developmental editor who looks at the whole draft once I have it (Hi, Sherry! Another shout out.) What I’m lacking are “virgin eyes.” Someone to look at the next book who hasn’t read the rest of the series and can tell me if someone who is new to the series will be able to follow. I find it harder and harder to judge that.

Sherry: I have that same new eyes worry too, Barb! And it’s been weighing on my mind as I write the fifth book in the Sarah Winston series. I write my first draft and ship it off to Barb Goffman to do a developmental edit! She’s really great about making me up Sarah’s internal dialog and emotional reactions to the events happening in the book. I rework the manuscript and send it to a group of Beta readers who change depending on who has time. Their input has been invaluable and they always seem to spot different things. Thanks for the shout out ladies! I’m honored to be a small part of your writing process and learn from all of you.

Jessie: I agree with Edith about the value of the groups being tied to personality. I sort of wish I wanted to join a writing group but I don’t, not really. I feel very private about my early drafts and never share any of them with anyone at all. I think if I knew I had to let anyone see those first stabs at the story I would be unable to write at all. In fact, the only person I always share my work with before it goes to the readers is my editor at Berkley. I usually have my husband cast his sharp eyes over the last couple of drafts for plot holes but not always.

Julie: I don’t belong to a writing group. I have tried a couple, but for whatever reason it hasn’t worked for me. My first reader is my friend Jason–he loves cozies, and is a good “this doesn’t work” “I didn’t understand why she did that” reader. He is also very encouraging, and I feel “safe” having him be the first person I trust with my baby. I do find the Wickeds to be great sounding boards, and I also benefit from the Sherry read through. I was once in a workshop that was so detrimental with feedback that I didn’t write for a year. As I’ve gotten better, I’ve learned how to filter feedback, but for early career writers, take heed. Choose critique partners well. As I progress as a writer I am looking for more detailed feedback, but I still work alone through the first draft. And then, of course, there are my editor’s eyes, which are incredibly important in the process.

So there you have it. One Wicked doesn’t show her manuscripts to anyone until her editor sees them, and others get multiple levels of critiques–and everything in between. Like all the Mythbusters posts, this shows there’s no one way to write.

Writer friends, what are your thoughts on critiquing? Readers, do you think you can tell when a manuscript has been under or over-critiqued?

 

 

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Filed under: Mythbusters, Wicked Wednesday Tagged: beta readers, critique group, developmental editing, emotional reactions, internal dialog, manuscript swaps, writing process

Wicked New England: Summertime Memories

In New England, unlike much of the rest of the country, lots of schools and colleges don’t start until after Labor Day. But if you’ve ever camped out or spent the latter half of August in drafty New England camp or cottage, you know the days are getting shorter and the nights often provide those crisp temperatures referred to as “good sleeping weather.”

So, before it gets away from us, I’m going to ask all the Wickeds to describe a specific and happy New England summer memory from any year.

Edith: My older son went off to Boston University in 2004. Before he did, I gathered

2010, Crane Beach, Ipswich

his brother, some good friends, my beau – plus food and drink, of course – and we all went to the beach at the end of the day for a picnic. We swam and ate and played games in that special air and light that is the seaside in the late afternoon. We repeated the gathering for many years until he moved away – and still try to grab a late day beach dinner when he comes home in the summer!

 

Liz: Summer’s my favorite time of the year, and I have so many lovely memories usually

Shaggy, her first summer in New England

involving the beach. As a kid, it was always a treat when I’d get up in the morning and my mother would have an unusual twinkle in her eye and sandwiches packed, and announce that we were going to the beach. It was such an adventure then, and it seemed like such a long ride to Salisbury. In reality it was only about 20 minutes. I remember coming off the highway exit and there was a store that used to have giant stuffed animals, and they would be set up along the roadside. Those animals were always my signal that we were almost there – plus they were adorable! As an adult, my favorite summer memory was seven years ago when Shaggy came to town. She loved ice cream and the beach right from the start, so clearly she was meant to be in this house!

Barb: Oh, Liz. I love those childhood memories. There was a railroad track near my grandparents’ house on the Jersey shore and the minute we would cross it our dog would stand up in the car, sniff the air, and wag her tail. She knew we were almost there. One of my favorite New England summer memories is at Tanglewood in Lennox, Massachusetts where the Boston Symphony Orchestra spends the summer. A whole group went, my parents, kids, brothers and sisters-in-law. It was a beautiful night, we out did ourselves with the picnic and somehow watching the young cousins on blanket on the lawn, listening to the music…

Sherry: I love going to Maine in the summer, especially in early June before the crowds arrive! The weather is perfect and the roads aren’t too crowded. It gives me time to poke through antique stores or stop at yard sales. A walk on the beach, an outside table at a restaurant, and a great lobster roll say summer to me.

 Readers–what is your favorite summertime memory?

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Filed under: Group posts, Wicked New England Tagged: Crane Beach, lobster roll, maine, Salisbury Beach, Tanglewood