Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 232

My Grandmother’s Quilts

By Sherry who is frantically trying to break out of book jail

In each of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries, something I own has ended up in the book. I’m finishing the fourth book A Good Day To Buy and in it one of my grandmother’s quilts shows up at an estate sale.

I’m lucky to have five quilts my grandmother made. My sister has another five. Each one was hand stitched long before I was around. I like to picture my grandmother, with friends stitching away, gossiping, and laughing — a reprieve from the long, hard days of being a farmer’s wife in rural Missouri. The picture below is my grandmother (on the right) as a young woman with one of her sisters, Armeda.

For a long time, my favorite quilt was the double wedding ring. It’s been on my bed, hung on the wall (don’t worry my mom made a sleeve for the back to hold the weight), or been folded at the bottom of the bed. And sometimes it’s been relegated to a shelf in the closet.

The detail and the border boggle my mind! All those tiny stitches, so carefully crafted, all those tiny pieces of fabric cut, and positioned.

Then I fell in love with the feed bag quilt. The fabric came from feed bags. If I’m right one side of the bag was burlap and the other cotton. I don’t know the name of the pattern of this quilt, maybe one of you can help me out.

I love all of the different colors and patterns. How artistically my grandmother put them together. Here’s a close up:

And then there’s the name quilt. Each block has someone’s name embroidered in the middle. I love to look at the names and wonder about the women who made them.

I recognize some. My grandmother’s name was Ursula but her nickname was Zula. I have no idea why.

Here’s a square by my Aunt Ginny (my dad’s sister):

And one by my great-aunt Alberta:

Then there’s the two women who used their married names:

And a couple from people I don’t know but their names (Chloe and Rowena) fascinate me:

I wish I’d asked more questions about them when I had the chance. But I treasure each one.

Readers: Do you have a family item that you treasure?

Filed under: Sherry's posts Tagged: Double Wedding Ring pattern, family heirlooms, feed bag quilts, grandmother, hand stitched quilts,

My Big Fat Toast To The Wicked Cozies — Guest Michele Dorsey

“Surprise, surprise, surprise.” (Gomer Pyle)

I am not an extrovert. Forget that I look and sound like one. Trust me on this.

I was reminded about this heading to my first Malice a few weeks ago. I was confident having survived my first Bouchercon in October that I would sail through smoothly. I forgot how overwhelming a condensed weekend conference filled with events could be, no matter how much fun, how many old friends you get to see, or new ones you get to meet. For me, it can feel so over-stimulating, I may as well wear my nervous system on the outside of my skin. Upon my arrival from a tropical island to a dank and drizzly Bethesda on Thursday evening, I was offered an umbrella that would symbolize the warmth of the Wicked Cozy Authors during the entire weekend.

So here’s to the Wicked Cozy Authors, affectionately referred to by me as the Wicked Cozies, whose skirts I clung to for nearly 72 hours straight.  I have known all of them for years now, some better than others. I’ve suffered through and celebrated the path to publication with them and had a lot of fun along the way.

Julie on the Best First Novel panel.

To Julie, who gently prodded me to attend Malice, thank you for reaching out and including me in the Pre-Con dinner and for recommending I stay at a residence-type hotel two blocks away from the Marvelous Madness of Malice. When I hit a wall Friday evening and opted to order pizza in and go to bed early, I knew this respite was why she had suggested I give myself permission to take a conference time-out.

To Sherry, whose understated words of warning merely cautioned without instilling panic. Yes, avoiding the crush of the pre-Agatha Awards Banquet, was a good idea. So were so many other of her little baubles of wisdom. And Sherry, like all of the other Wicked Cozies, never failed to know who needed a friendly face in the audience during a panel.

Michele on her panel!

To Jessie, with Wicked Cozy Accomplice Kimberly Gray Hurth, for joining me at my table at the New Author Breakfast at the ungodly hour of 7:00 a.m. after a wild night at the banquet, and for cheering me on, assuring me the fact that I couldn’t hear the interview questions (bubble in ear after plane ride, of course) wouldn’t matter at all.

Michele at the New Authors Breakfast!

To Barb, for volunteering that I did well in the interview, even if I couldn’t hear the question or the answer, for that matter. Barb’s direct, businesslike honesty made me believe her, and I knew she was facing a deadline, so there was no time for fluff. Encouragement is such a  balm.

For Liz’s equanimity during the entire weekend. Also facing a deadline, Liz’s calmness and generosity was impressive. Sitting near her, I couldn’t help but absorb some of her serenity and chuckle at her quiet quick wit.

To Edith, whose good-natured advice about what to miss or what could be skipped, for helping me sort through the “abbreviated” 50 page “Malice at a Glance Guide.” And for the fun we had trying to figure out the check at the Lebanese tapa restaurant that foolishly declined to give our end of the table separate checks. We’re writers, not accountants.

My takeaway from Malice is that it can be a fun-filled and informative conference where new friendships are born and old ones nurtured.

Michele in the audience for Barb and Sherry’s panel.

But my lesson from the Wicked Cozies is even better. In a profession where self-doubt, isolationism and pressure constantly abounds, there is no better remedy than the warmth and generosity of a group of writers who understand how mutual support and encouragement breeds confidence, accomplishment and joy. The Wicked Cozies get that success comes to writers who are collaborative and inclusive.

So here’s to the generosity the Wicked Cozies bring to the writing community. May it be the gift that keeps on giving.

Readers: What kinds of encouragement and support do you most appreciate? Writers: Who has lent a helping hand along the way in your journey as a writer?

C. Michele Dorsey is the author of Sabrina Salter Mystery series. First in the series is No Virgin Island and Permanent Sunset releases October 11, 2016.

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: C. Michele Dorsey, Malice Domestic, Michele Dorsey, No Virgin Island, panels, Permanent Sunset, Sabrina Salter, Sabrina Salter Mystery

Building a World

Many of you know Laura DiSilverio from her mystery series. I got a chance to catch up with her recently, and was fascinated to hear about a new series she is working on, a YA triology. Welcome back to the Wickeds Laura! Tell us about your new series!

My oldest graduated from high school last May and her gift was a family trip to Universal Studios in Florida. Our actual destination was Hogwarts and the wizarding world of Harry Potter, because those books captivated Lily from the time I read The Sorcerer’s Stone to her as a bedtime story. As we walked into Universal’s meticulously detailed version of Diagon Alley on a hot, muggy Florida morning (is there any other kind?), Lily paused in the middle of the cobbled street, and teared up. “I grew up here,” she said, voice quavering with emotion and wonder.

That simple statement brought tears to my eyes and convinced me the outrageous price for a couple of days in the theme park was worth it. It also made me think about the worlds writers create and how, if we’re lucky or good (or both) they become real and meaningful for readers.

I had my first go at building a new world while writing my young adult dystopian trilogy. (The first book, Incubation, is available now on Amazon.) It took a lot of thought and research, a lot of pulling at ideas to examine all the ramifications. My world is North America at the end of this century. A flu pandemic has killed off the birds and decimated the human population to the point that survival of the species is at risk. The United States and Canada have merged to form Amerada; there are fewer than three million people alive on the North American landmass. With the demise of the birds, insect populations exploded, and swarms of locusts created famine and made it impossible to grow food outside. (I had great fun thinking of ways that the government and scientists might have tried to get rid of the locusts once they grew resistant to pesticides: they engineered spiders with extra sticky silk, hoping they’d trap more locusts, they created bigger bats, etc.). That’s what I mean by “pulling at ideas.”

The government that rises to power in Amerada is called the Pragmatists, or Prags. They’re all about being practical, rebuilding the population by any means necessary. Wombs are in short supply, so women are pressed into surrogacy service. The nation can’t afford to feed people who can’t contribute to its rebuilding, so scientists manipulate DNA to implant embryos that will be scientists, doctors, engineers . . . people capable of rebuilding the society. Artists of all kinds are devalued, and people with disabilities are a drain on society, so . . .

I had to think through things like “What is the role of religion (if any) in this society?” “How does this society feel about homosexuals?” “Do they allow women in the military?” It was a grand and exciting undertaking to try and make this world as internally consistent as possible. I will definitely be doing this again.

What books have swept you away to new worlds (even if just “new to you” and not fantasy or sci fi)? Do you look back on any childhood books and think, “I grew up there?”

Here’s a quick blurb about Incubation:

Bio-chemistry whiz Everly Jax wants one thing: to know who her parents are. Raised with other repo kids in InKubator 9, she has pinned her hopes on Reunion Day, the annual event where sixteen-year-olds can meet or reunite with their parents. When her Reunion Day goes horribly awry, she and he pregnant friend Halla escape the Kube, accompanied by their friend Wyck who has his own reasons for leaving.

In a world where rebuilding the population is critical to national survival, the Pragmatist government licenses all human reproduction, and decides who can–and must–have babies. The trio face feral dog packs, swamp threats, locust swarms, bounty hunters looking for “breeders,” and more dangers as they race to Amerada’s capital to find Halla’s soldier boyfriend before the Prags can repo her baby and force the girls into surrogacy service.

An unexpected encounter with Bulrush, an Underground Railroad for women fleeing to Outposts with their unlicensed babies, puts them in greater peril than ever. Everly must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to learn her biological identity–and deal with the unanticipated consequences of her decisions.

Want a free PDF of Incubation in return for an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads? Email me and I’ll send you one! ldisilverio at gmail dot com

A retired Air Force intelligence officer, Laura DiSilverio is the national bestselling author of 15 mystery and suspense novels (including the Swift Investigations series, the Readaholics Book Club series, and the Mall Cop series). Her standalone suspense novel, The Reckoning Stones, was a Library Journal Pick of the Month and is currently a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. A Past President of Sisters in Crime, she pens articles for Writer’s Digest, and teaches writing in various fora. She plots murders and parents teens in Colorado, trying to keep the two tasks separate.

Filed under: Guest posts, Uncategorized Tagged: Incubation, Laura DiSilverio, young adult

Wicked Wednesday: You Know You’re In Book Jail When

On Wednesdays the Wickeds all weigh in on a topic. This week, a topic that is near and dear to our hearts–the realities of Book Jail. Book Jail is the crunch time before a book deadline. Wickeds, how do you know when you are in book jail, and that the deadline is looming, aside from the calendar?

Liz: Having recently been liberated from Book Jail, I can speak with authority on this topic! I know I’m in Book Jail when…the whole world seems to blow up at once. Usually, a couple of cats get sick and at least one needs to go to the vet. A special project inevitably comes up at work. Often, a personal crisis is thrown in. The computer may or may not have an issue (hopefully not fatal, but very definitely a close call). And when you go to drown your sorrows or chase them away with potato chips or sweets, we’re out of wine and the cupboards are bare. You can’t even go out to get more because ALL the clothes are dirty (of course you haven’t kept up with laundry), and you can’t spare the 20 minutes anyway to drive to the nearest liquor store. It’s truly a desperate time!

Liz in book jail on one of our retreats.

Sherry: I’m in book jail! I know it because when anyone asks me to do anything my answer is: After May 15th. While in book jail I decide my hair looks okay in it’s natural state (it doesn’t) and makeup isn’t necessary (it is, trust me on that one). And when my daughter asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day I said: for everyone to pretend I’m not here for the next two weeks (fortunately they ignored that comment). I also know I’m in book jail because I make grandiose plans for after. I’m going to clean out every closet. I’m going to organize the storeroom in the basement. I’ll put the hundreds of loose photos into albums. Any bets on how much of that will really take place?

Edith: I know I’m in book jail when I’m casting about for guidance on revision. The book is done, but have I polished it enough? Have I eliminated all those superfluous words, those trite phrasings, those unnecessary descriptions? Have I used all the senses without being stupid about it? Is there another book on revision I could consult? I keep looking for a lifeline, sure that I could make the story better – but how? And then, of course, just when I need full attention on the book, I get proofs in on another series, an event I need to attend, or copyedits on yet another series. Gah! Just send me to somebody’s empty house for a week and don’t talk to me.

Jessie: For me book jail usually is about head games. And bags of baby carrots.  Lots of bags of carrots. This year marks my fourth time in five years that I have a September 1 deadline. My stints in book jail usually coincide with the weeks I’m at the beach and I use my fervent desire to get onto the sand to get the day’s work done early. But I can’t always seem to make it work and that’s where the carrots come in. If I end up spending the whole day at the desk, listening to the sounds of beach carts rolling past and smelling the salt air, I have a tendency to hop up from my desk and make unnecesary trip to the refrigerator. I’ve trained myself to grab the baby carrots instead of more tempting options since I wear my jaw out before I eat enough of them to turn orange.

Barb: I’m embarrassed to tell you I am very whiny when I’m in book jail. “Why is everyone outside playing except me?” (They’re not.) “Why is everyone at that movie/concert/play except me?” (They’re not.) By the same token, I love finishing things and I love revising. I love it when I can read the book through in a day or two and really get a sense of the pacing and overall coherence of the story. And I love being in a position to focus on just one thing, instead of spending half the day on a to-do list that pulls me hither and yon. So the truth is, I actually love book jail.

Julie: I’m heading into book jail soon. I know because the first bag of Fritoes has been purchased. (Fritoes, chocolate and end of day Malbec are my book jail foods.) I am being asked to do things on weekends, and defaulting to “no”. I am also rereading my plotting cards every day, and Ruth, Ben, Bezel and the gang are with me most waking hours. My challenge with book jail is that the rest of my life continues without sympathy.

Readers: Do you have deadlines that make you ignore all the other things in your life? Writers: What happens to when you are in book jail? Have any of you managed to avoid it?

 

Filed under: Uncategorized, Wicked Wednesday Tagged: book jail, deadlines, Wicked Cozy Authors, Wicked Wednesday

Malice Memories with guest Annette Dashofy

Annette, thanks so much for taking time to stop by during the launch of With A Vengeance the fourth Zoe Chambers!

By the time you read this, Malice Domestic will have been long past. But as I’m writing this post, I haven’t even unpacked yet. Seriously. I need to do laundry. Later.

Wow. What a fabulous weekend.

Sherry Harris, Joyce Tremel and Annette Dashofy

Malice, for those of you who have never experienced it, is one big family reunion. Every year the family grows by leaps and bounds. The moment I walked through the hotel doors, I spotted Dru Ann Love charging toward me with her lovely smile and her arms open wide for the first of many hugs. Yeah. It’s like that. All weekend long. I’ve learned to start out at least fifteen minutes early to get from Point A to Point B because there will be many stops along the way for embraces and squeals of delight at seeing an old friend or meeting a new fan.

Last year I had been nominated (along with Wickedly Wonderful Sherry Harris!) for Best First Novel. I didn’t think it could get any better than that.

I was wrong.

This year, I went to Malice carrying the mantle of nominee for Best Contemporary Novel (for Bridges Burned). With fellow nominees like Hank Phillippi Ryan, Margaret Maron, Catriona McPherson, and Louise Penny, I went in with low expectations for a win, but with high expectations for breathing rarefied air. My Cinderella weekend. It was definitely that and more.

Does an author ever tire of having readers stop her in the hall to tell her how much they love her books? Or having readers and fellow writers whisper, “I voted for you!” as they scurry to the next panel? I think not.

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Looking back at the weekend, there are a lot of special moments that stick with me and keep the smile on my face. Some big, like Opening Ceremonies, sitting in the front row next to Guest of Honor Victoria Thompson, a fellow Pennwriter, whom I’ve long admired and adored. On my other side, none other than Best First nominee Julie Hennrikus herself! Then having my name called, walking up to collect my nomination certificate, and standing with Hank, Margaret, and Catriona for the photo. Let’s just say tears were very close to the surface.

Speaking of tears, Amanda Flowers’ sweet speech following her win for Best Children’s or YA Novel in which she shared emotional memories of her parents will also stay with me.

But there are those smaller moments. Quieter moments. The ones with no photos to document the occasion. Sitting in a corner catching up with a long time friend. Chatting one-on-one with a reader I’d just met, and with a wonderful pair of fans—a mother and daughter I met two years ago who have become my good pals. An unplanned Working Stiffs (my old group blog) lunch reunion. And of course, hanging out with all the Wicked Cozies!

Speaking of… You ladies rock! Congratulations to Julie and Edith on your nominations! I loved watching both of you bask in the limelight. And while none of us brought home the tea pot this year, here’s my biggest take-away from Malice Domestic 28. Those Cinderella moments don’t necessarily only happen once. Never take them for granted. But don’t completely count out the idea of starting a collection of those nomination certificates!

Who knows. One day we might add a teapot.

Readers: What dream are you waiting to accomplish?

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE, published by Henery Press, was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel and BRIDGES BURNED was an Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel of 2015. Her latest release, WITH A VENGEANCE, is the fourth in the series.

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Agatha Award Best First Novel, Annette Dashofy, Catriona McPherson, Dru Ann Love, Hank Philippi Ryan, Henery Press, louise penny, Malice Domestic, Margaret Maron, With A Vengeance, Zoe Chambers

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings, Weddings

by Barb, in frigid New England, STILL waiting for spring

Hi all. I handed in the manuscript for Iced Under a week ago, so now I’m on a bit of a writing break. That’s a good thing because my daughter is getting married in May 21, so it’s wedding, wedding, wedding, 24/7 around here.

One of the things we’ve done is go through old family wedding albums.

Here’s my grandmother, Eleonore Kimbel Taylor, on June 17, 1926. She was married to my grandfather on a Thursday afternoon in her home on Soundview Avenue in New Rochelle, New York. Her wedding gown was short in the fashion of the times. The photographer told her to pull her veil in front of the dress for some of the photos, because he thought styles would soon change and her dress would look “ridiculous.”

Here’s a photo of my in-laws, Bill Carito and Olga DiIanni, on their wedding day in June of 1951. They were married at Saint Mary’s Church at in the North End of Boston. After the ceremony, there was a sit-down luncheon for 100 people, and then, in the evening, a reception for 650 people at the Manger Hotel by North Station, (which later became the Madison Hotel and even later, disappeared altogether). At the evening reception, there was an orchestra and the guests danced until 1:00 AM. I noticed in the photos that my father-in-law changed from a morning suit to a dinner jacket between the events.

Here are my parents, Rick Ross and Jane McKim at their wedding in June of 1952. This looks like the moment of the toast. This was a much smaller affair than my in-law’s. My father and both my grandfathers were only children, so there wasn’t a lot of family to invite. The reception was held at the Woman’s Club of Maplewood, New Jersey. That’s my grandmother, Eleonore Taylor Ross, from the first photo above, off to the side.

The “leaving the church for the reception” photo must have been a classic in the 50s.

Here are Bill and I in April 1976. (Yes, we did get a lot of patriotically themed wedding gifts.) Never have there been a more clueless bride or groom. Ours was only the second formal wedding either of us had ever attended. Whenever anyone asked us what we wanted, we said, “traditional,” oblivious to the fact that this meant something quite different to each set of parents. (See above.) At my mother’s insistence, we had a live orchestra at the reception, which was held at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and I often think my invitations were the last ones on earth printed from an engraved plate. But we didn’t have a sit down meal, just heavy hors d’oeuvres, which must have come as quite a shock to Bill’s Italian-American family. And our Presbyterian ceremony was about ten minutes long, which also must have been a shock.

Nonetheless, we had a blast, as you can see from the looks on our faces.

Here are my son, Robert Carito, and daughter-in-law, Sunny Basham at their wedding in 2008. They met at a playwriting summer session at the University of Virginia when he was sixteen and she, fifteen. It was a long courtship, but when they announced their engagement eleven years later, it was a scant nine weeks before their wedding in March. The wedding was a lovely, intimate affair with parents, grandparents, siblings, and a very few close friends in a private room at Mistral in the South End of Boston. They wrote their own vows which still make me cry when I read them.

So many weddings. So many couples. So many different ways to do it.

Here’s Kate Carito and Luke Donius’s engagement photo. Soon there will be another wedding photo to add to the family collection.

Readers, what about you? Wedding stories? Warning: right now, I only want to hear the good ones. (We’ll save wedding-disasters-I-have-known for another time–after May 21.)

Filed under: Barb's posts Tagged: Eleonore Kimbel Taylor, Eleonore Taylor Ross, Jane McKim, Kim Ross, Luke Donius, Olga DiIanni Carito, Richard Morrow Ross, Robert Carito, Sunny Basham, William Carito

Happy Blogiversary to Us!!

Once upon a time, a little over three years ago, dreams were coming true. Contracts were being signed, books were being written, and publication dates were being set. Sherry Harris started the ball rolling by sending out a “does anyone want to do a blog with me” email, but all six of us had a lot to do with the shaping of this blog, and the Wicked Cozy Authors were born.

This week, we celebrate three years of blogging. We’ve added three accomplices who join us once a month, and we’re delighted to include guests. We’ve also added names on the masthead, since a few of us are writing more than one series. But the best thing about this blog: our readers. Dear readers, you will never know how much your comments, reviews, likes, and retweets mean to us.

So, dear Wickeds, thinking back upon these three years, let us know your thoughts.

Liz: Wow – three years! I remember our mad rush to get the blog launched before the first books in my and Edith’s series came out. Three years later, I feel so blessed looking back at this journey. First, we’ve picked up some accomplices along the way, which has been lovely. Second, I’ve lost count of all the books we’ve published since that day. Third, this blog has given us the opportunity to get to know so many of our readers at a much deeper level. And best of all, I think this is not only a celebration of our blog, but of our friendship. We are so lucky to have each other, and I love these ladies more every day.

Barb: What a ride it has been! The answer, Liz, I think is 24 books, plus 3 short story anthologies, and 5 more mystery novels that are not yet published but can currently be pre-ordered, for a whopping total of 32! And that does not even include the Accomplices, who are extraordinarily prolific. I’m so proud that we’ve embraced the cozy label, and created a brand, Wicked Cozy Authors, that is a big, comfortable house we can all live in.

Edith: That’s a lotta books, Barb! It’s been such a treat to see this blog grow and reshape and become more well-known. I love that we have regular reader/commenters who show up faithfully every day. I love that, at conferences, we now sometimes hear, “Oh, you’re one of the Wicked Cozys!” I love that we’ve figured out a way to wrangle the schedule that doesn’t overwhelm any of us. I love that Accomplices Sheila Connolly, Kim Gray, and Susannah Hardy find new content every month and post it on time. Mostly I love being part of this super creative and incredibly supportive family that is my blogmates.

Julie: I love being part of this blog, and knowing these women. Having a safe place where you can say anything, and have five people who don’t judge, just support. I knew everyone prior to this journey, but to lesser degrees. In the past three years they have all become friends. Writer friends, find your group. You don’t have to blog together, but you do need each other. (Sisters in Crime is the root of all things Wicked Cozy, btw.) Readers of both this blog and our books–we wouldn’t exist without you, so thank you for being part of this journey.

Jessie: Three years! Not only that, but today marks our 800th post! The mind boggles! I don’t think any of us would have thought that such a strong, supportive community would grow up around the blog. Truly, it has been a marvel and a privilege. It’s a rare thing to develop meaningful new friendships as an adult. What started out as a way to thrive in a marvelous and bewildering business has turned into one of the high points of my professional and personal life. Thanks so much ladies!

Sherry: I had no idea what I was getting into when I wrote you all! I’d never written a blog post and only read a few. I felt like I was from one of those old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland movies saying: Let’s put on a show. And you ladies certainly know how to put on a show. What I like best, and what was always our intent, was that we wanted this to be about more than us. We wanted it to be about our writing friends and our readers. I love you ladies and the people who join us! What an adventure.

Readers: Who forms your support committee? Where do you find community, validation, like-minded friends?

Filed under: Group posts Tagged: blogmates, lifeboat, Wicked Cozy Authors

Jane/Sadie/Susannah Goes to Malice!

Our Wicked Cozy Accomplice Susannah Hardy/Sadie Hartwell (also known as Jane Haertel) couldn’t make it to Malice Domestic, so we took her on a stick! She had a really great time and met so many fabulous fans and authors.

Agatha winner Barb Goffman

Laura DiSilverio and Jessie

Nancy Parra/Coco

Sparkle Abbey and Cathy Ace

The Wickeds, plus fave commenter Mark Baker

Elaine Viets, C. Ellett Logan, Alan Orloff, and Becky Hutchison

Liz, Jacqui York, and Mark Baker

Joyce Tremel

With Annette Dashofy

Terrie Moran, Ellen Byron, and Cheryl Hollon

Paula Benson and Harriette Sackler

Fans Nikki Bonani, Risa Rispoli, Dru Ann Love, and Aimee Hix

Edith and Rhys Bowen

Helping Kim and Shari Randall stuff goody bags

She even got to go to the banquet!

Jane helps with the goody bags!

Readers: did you spot Susannah/Sadie around Malice? Who wants to go on a stick next year?

 

Filed under: Conferences, Uncategorized Tagged: Guest on a stick, Malice Domestic, Sadie Hartwell, Susannah Hardy

Wicked Wednesday: Malice Edition

The Wickeds did Malice last weekend. Malice Domestic is an annual fan convention in Bethesda, Maryland. We’ve all been several times, but haven’t all been there together for a couple of years. Panels, banquets, dinners, meetings, catching up with friends and laughs, lots of laughs. You’ll  be hearing a lot about the weekend in the next few weeks, but for this Wicked Wednesday, here’s the question. What is your favorite Malice Memory of 2016?

Edith: Can I have three? I got to listen to two of my very favorite authors be interviewed as honorees and later get my picture with each. Katherine Hall Page was the Lifetime Achievement awardee – and she’s one of the reasons I write the kind of mysteries I do. Victoria Thompson was this year’s Guest of Honor – and she also writes about a historical midwife solving crimes. And then the great Margaret Maron moderated Julie’s Best First Novel panel, the panel she has moderated every year – and brought us all to tears with her farewell ending remarks, because she is retiring from the business. Three awesome, talented, productive women. Truly a Malice to remember.

Sherry: I have to share three also. Getting to see people I only see at conferences and catching up with them is first! I’m going to have Leslie Budewitz withdrawals since we’ve been at five conferences together in the last six months. Second, I signed next to the amazing Charlaine Harris — what a thrill and she is lovely! And third, I’m still new enough at this author thing that when someone asks me to sign a book I want to leap up and hug them.

Liz: Every moment at Malice is a fabulous memory. Just being able to be on a panel and sign books that people have bought is a fabulous feeling. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones is the best part of the weekend, and of course enjoying two of the Wickeds being nominated was fabulous! And agree with Edith – Julie’s panel moderated by Margaret Maron was unforgettable.

 

Pre Malice Dinner: Wickeds, Accomplices, Friends

Jessie: I loved the interviews with both Victoria Thompson and with Hank Phillippi Ryan. It was such a pleasure to hear about their careers and the plans they have for the future.  I also love being surrounded by all the positive energy that always fills the conference.

Barb: Seeing friends, especially the people I only see once a year is a definite. Malice-Go-Round was a blast. I remember what a deer-in-the-headlights I was the first time I did it. Also, so wonderful, the third New Author Breakfast including a Wicked in a row–Liz, then Sherry, then Julie. So cool!

Julie: Being nominated for Best First Novel was wonderful. I can remember the first time I went to Malice, and walked in the hotel alone, seeing groups of friends (authors I knew and admired) sitting together, laughing and talking. I wasn’t jealous as much as I could never imagine sitting on one of those couches, laughing. Yet, here I am, living my dream, seeing friends, meeting new ones.

 

Click to view slideshow.

 

Filed under: Conferences, Wicked Wednesday Tagged: Barbara Ross, Charlaine Harris, Edith Maxwell, Jessie Crockett, Julianne Holmes, katherine hall page, Kim Gray, Leslie Budewitz, Malice Domestic, Margaret Maron, sheila connolly, Sherry Harris, Victoria Thompson, Wicked Cozy Authors

Guest: Marian Stanley

Edith here, freshly back from Malice! I’m delighted to interview Marian Stanley on the blog today. She’s a fellow New Englander and her brand-new debut mystery is out from Barking Rain Press. The Immaculate is a mystery about the murder of Sister Mary Aurelius, an elderly Boston nun so tough that she was secretly nicknamed Spike by her students, and the determined search for answers by a former student whom the nun had mentored throughout her life.

I read the book and happily endorsed it: “You’ll be a faithful fan of Stanley’s work when you finish this tale of ambitions and betrayals, powerful figures with something to hide, and enduring childhood friendships – a story which grows more compelling page by page.” Marian is giving away a copy of the book to one commenter here today!

E: Marian, The Immaculate is your first mystery to be published and it’s a stunner. Do you have a number of books in the drawer or is this really your first book?

M: Very kind of you, Edith. No books in the drawer, though plenty of early drafts of The Immaculate all over the place!

E: When did you know you wanted to write crime fiction, and how did you get to today – release day?

M: When I was a kid, one of the things I did was to keep my father supplied with mysteries from the Winchester, Massachusetts Public Library. He’d sit in his recliner after work and go through those books like potato chips, so I would sweep seven or eight at a time off the library shelves and bring them home in bags. His tastes ran to hard-boiled mysteries – private eyes, smoking guns, luscious babes and broads, racetracks and fast cars. Not my thing, but the mystery and crime fiction part stuck.

I enjoyed two long careers, one in corporate and one at a university. When I was semi-retired from Northeastern University, I threw myself into various writing classes and workshops for two or three years. Every exercise that I submitted for class critique was related in some way to what would become The Immaculate. I’m getting on in years, and I figured that if I was going to get this thing done, I had better focus pretty tightly!

When I felt The Immaculate was ready and I looking for a good home for the story, I sent the manuscript to Barking Rain Press during its open submission period. Happily, publisher Sheri Gormley was enthusiastic, assigned me a fabulous editor in Melissa Eskue Ousley and we were off to the races!

I have to say that along the way the support and camaraderie of the New England Sisters in Crime organization and the Guppies group was immensely valuable, especially since I was pretty sure I had no idea what I was doing. Of course, some of the best things in my life happen when I’m pretty sure I have no idea what I’m doing.

E: You seem to know the dark side of the culture of nuns and the Catholic Church quite well. Is this your church, or the result of research, or both?

M: While I think there is a dark side to every hierarchy and organization – indeed to all of us, some situations are darker and deeper than others. Yes, I was raised as a Catholic and had a largely Catholic education. For my first two years at the small Catholic college I attended in upstate New York, I lived in Saint Elizabeth’s convent where, for their sins, a group of long-suffering Franciscan nuns had responsibility for fifty lively young women. In graduate school at Boston College, I worked in the office of the Dean of Graduate Arts and Sciences, who had just returned from leading the Jesuit university in Baghdad, and I was grad assistant to a Jesuit English prof and civil rights activist, a veteran of the Selma march. For a brief time later, I was the only lay teacher among a staff of teaching nuns at a Catholic school in Cambridge. So, yes, I feel comfortable talking about that world and I remember that time with great fondness.

Now that I’m a Unitarian – though I guess I’ll always be a Boston Irish Catholic at heart – someone asked me when I was going to start writing about the dark side of First Parish in my little town. I told him that I’m not sure that I have enough to work with – yet.

E: Your protagonist, Rosaria O’Reilly – love the name, by the way – is a single woman with some kind of high-power job. Tell us a bit more about her, and if there’s anything in your background that resembles her.

M: Oh, Rosaria is gutsier and smarter than I will ever be – and she probably has better hair. Her name – glad you like it – is similar to that of an old friend from Boston College I lost touch with over the years. Perhaps that other Rosie will read the book some day and be startled to find her name on the lead character in a mystery novel.

Like Rosaria, I worked internationally for a large company – in her case, high-end athletic shoes (see thread to Converse Rubber company below). In my case it was cameras and Polaroid. My territory for a long time was what was then called Emerging Markets – China, Vietnam, India, South Africa, Turkey and what we termed the “Stans” – the former Soviet republics like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. So, what we see of Rosaria’s life in that respect is my own. As the story rolls out, we see Rosaria growing increasingly restless with her corporate life and feeling the pull of the old town she desperately longed to escape as a young woman.

Rosaria married a man of some repute, though her mentor Sister Aurelius didn’t think much of him. Rosaria’s husband was content with this bright spunky girl from a factory town until she started to show some independence and have some achievements of her own which might even eclipse his – then perhaps not so much. So, they ended up parting.  A common story – though happily not mine. In The Immaculate Rosaria finds an unlikely, but better fit for herself.

Converse Rubber factory on the Malden River

Rosaria grew up in a factory town, and I did too to some extent. Every summer, like Rosaria, I worked on the floor of the Converse Rubber sneaker factory on the Malden River, packing Chuck Taylors and enormous All Star basketball shoes. I did not have a lifelong mentor like the indomitable Sister Mary Aurelius, but she is an amalgam of various well-loved nuns, teachers, and priests in my life – including one called Spike.

Rosaria and I both enjoy the company and affections of a small West Highland White Terrier named Archie, who appears in The Immaculate. Finally, Rosaria’s close friend and fellow sleuth Nuncie, who is dying of cancer in the book, is modeled after my own friend Anna who didn’t make it either.

E: I felt like Malford was really Malden, Massachusetts – or maybe Medford. Is it a fictionalized version of one of those (full disclosure: I used to live in Medford and my older son was born in Malden), and if so, why did you disguise the town?

M: How nice that you are so familiar with the area, Edith. Yes, Malford is much like Malden with some of neighboring Medford thrown in there. To be honest, I gave the town a thinly disguised name so that I could take liberties with the description of its character, the street names, landmarks and geography. In that sense, Malford is indeed a fiction. Also, in the back of my mind, maybe Malford could be translated into “bad or dangerous crossing” – giving a little more meaning and weight to the name. I was born in Malden Hospital and spent my early childhood in Medford.

E: Tell us something surprising about yourself nobody would have heard.

M: Goodness, I’m an open book. Let’s see. Between Polaroid and Northeastern University, as I was nearing sixty, I did the AIDS bike ride from Boston to New York City. I’m not sure that I was the last rider to pull in over the finish line, but I could have been.  I do remember enthusiastic New York City police officers and shoppers on the sidewalk cheering me on at the end – “Come on, lady. You can do it!”  Afterwards, I went to the apartment of an old friend (from Saint Elizabeth’s) in SoHo and collapsed in a heap. Who knew there were that many #%$&*! hills in Connecticut? Oops – sorry, forgot this was a cozy blog and we don’t use those words!

E: What’s next in your writing life? Will we see more of Rosaria, or is The Immaculate a standalone?

Buried Troubles is my current WIP, set in Boston and Ireland. Rosaria is once again the protagonist. This time, she is caught up in the legacy of old grievances and secrets in Ireland that cross the Atlantic with its immigrants – leading to the murder of a young Irish student in Boston. Some of the characters in The Immaculate make an appearance in the new story, and I think there will be at least one more Rosaria mystery after Buried, perhaps more. Rosaria has a flair for adventure– I’m just along for the ride!

E: Oh, goodie! I’m so glad Rosaria will be back.

M: Now, my turn to pose a couple of questions to dear readers. A free copy of The Immaculate goes to one randomly selected commentator! (E: So make sure we know how to reach you.)

The Immaculate went through some heavy-duty and beneficial critiquing in all those writing classes, workshops and manuscript critiques that I took while the book was being formed. I appreciated and used much of the advice I received. Some advice, for better or worse, I didn’t heed. I’d appreciate your thoughts on two of those points that I considered and left behind.

I deliberately kept Rosaria’s age ambiguous, though she is clearly older. I got advice several times that the female protagonist in a mystery generally should be no older than her early forties. What are your thoughts on that advice?
Similarly, Rosaria does have a high-powered job, as Edith points out – though that changes in the course of the story. I was advised that this career or job was not a good fit for a female protagonist in this genre. Do you have an opinion on that, and would the suitability of the career – like age – be different if the protagonist were male?

Many thanks for your thoughts and to Edith for the opportunity to guest blog. It was fun!

Marian Stanley writes in a small town outside of Boston where she lives with her husband Bill and a Westie named Archie. She was fortunate in two long previous careers – the first in an international Fortune 500 company and, more recently, at a large, urban university. Marian attended Saint Bonaventure University, the University of Exeter UK, Boston College and the MIT Sloan School Executive programs. A dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, she is the proud mother of four adult children and a small pack of adorable grandchildren.

 

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Barking Rain Press, Converse Rubber Factory, Malden, Medford, The Immaculate