Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 235

Key West, Where Reality Trumps Imagination by Lucy Burdette

Hi! Today the Wickeds welcome our friend, mentor and all-time great cozy author Lucy Burdette back to the blog to celebrate the release of Killer Takeout, the seventh book in her Key West Food Critic Mystery series.

Take it away, Lucy!

Two Zombies

Some writers hate being asked where they get their ideas.

I don’t hate that question at all: I need only to step outside the door in Key West and the characters and plot snippets come raining down like an old-fashioned New England nor’easter. Let me show you a little about how this works. Killer Takeout, the seventh book in the Key West foodie mystery series, is out today. This book takes place during Fantasy Fest, the ten-day adult themed costume party leading up to Halloween. In some ways, the book came close to writing itself. (Although I’m surely repressing months of whining about the fact that I had no story at all…)

Costumes. John and I of course had to attend the festival for background research. We went so far as to get our faces professionally painted for the zombie bike ride, and I ordered handmade tutus for us and our friend Steve, and for Tonka, so we could attend the tutu party. (Absolutely no admittance without that costume element.) I skipped over the scenes that would not fit into a cozy mystery (e.g., the Adam and Eve foam party. Don’t ask.)

Big Chef by Matt Brown

The heat of the kitchen. Since my heroine is a food critic, I needed a restaurant angle in this book, too. As I was writing, I fell into watching an amazing back-and-forth on Facebook about a restaurant popular with the local residents that had been bought and refurbished by an outsider. Although the local chef was initially slated to continue running the kitchen, there was some kind of fracas between him and the owner, and he left. Fired or quit, according to whose story you believed. The locals were outraged about this turn in the chef’s fortunes. As a friend reminded me, spurned islanders can behave like middle schoolers, growing cliquish and vindictive. This is understandable if you look at it from their perspective – newcomers fall in love with the island and think that no one has discovered it before them. You can imagine that I ran with this story, twisting and tweaking along the way of course.

Courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

A force of nature. I added another element of conflict for good measure—an impending hurricane. If you look at a map, you’ll see that the keys consist of a fragile string of island pearls, with Key West at the very end. There are 3 ways out—boat, plane, or single-laned Route 1. Do any of them sound like a good option in a major storm? And what to do with the 90,000 people who’ve descended on the island primed for a week of parties? They’ve paid a lot a of money to be there. On the other hand, the authorities are responsible to keep everyone safe. Conflict? You bet!

So now you know one of my secrets—I love weaving reality into my fiction. For writers: How do you feel about including real places and people in your stories? For readers, do you prefer settings to be real or imaginary?

About Killer Takeout: It’s Fantasy Fest at Key West, and food critic Hayley Snow is ready to celebrate. But a killer seems intent on crashing the party…

Every year, Key West’s weeklong Mardi Gras–style festival has tourists and locals alike lining up for costumed revelry and delicious eats. Key Zest magazine has assigned Hayley to write a piece on the fest’s grab-and-go food, so she’s planning on hitting up the mobile eateries while checking out the party preparations.

Hayley’s office mate, Danielle, recently elected Queen of Fantasy Fest, is also buzzing between festivities and fundraisers. But when her former royal rival gets taken out, Hayley needs to put down her party hat and her pen and figure out who served up a side of murder—before Danielle gets crowned a killer.

Praise for the National Bestselling Series

“Lucy Burdette writes evocatively about Key West and food . . . [a] charming series.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Diane Mott Davidson

Killer Takeout is available wherever books are sold: http://www.penguin.com/book/killer-takeout-by-lucy-burdette/9780451474834

Follow Lucy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lucyburdette

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lucyburdette

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyburdette

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Key West Food Critic Mysteries, Killer Takeout

I Don’t Have Time to Read

I don’t have time to read any more. Ironic, isn’t it?

All my life I’ve been a reader, starting with Winnie the Pooh, then graduating to Nancy Drew, and moving on to a broader world of books as I grew older. And when I was in my twenties, I thought I had all the time in the world. Since I wasn’t dating a heck of a lot (like, uh, never?) I had plenty of quiet time on Saturday nights to read—classic science fiction, contemporary novels, and of course, mysteries.

The pile next to the bed

I watch Jeopardy now, and I’m amazed by how many older books I read and still remember. After college I did have a life—friends, marriage, a child, travel, home improvement, community activities. When did I read all those books? But I know I did, because I kept almost all of them.

And then after a long time I started writing in 2001. I figured by then I had collected enough knowledge of styles and themes and genres and whatever to try my hand at it, and I was stubborn enough to stick to it until I got it right (it took a while, and (unsolicited endorsement) it would not have been possible if I hadn’t had a working spouse with an income).

I’ve heard many of my writer friends say that they can’t read within their own genre while they’re writing because they’re afraid of imitating what they’re reading. That’s never been a problem for me (maybe because I can’t analyze styles all that well). I love to read cozies. I try to read the new ones that my friends publish—but there are just too darn many of them (the new books, not the friends!), and they keep coming. I applaud their productivity, and their creativity, not to mention their energy. But when do I get to read them?

The stack in the hallway

Then there are the books I know I won’t have time to read any time soon—mostly non-fiction—because if I don’t buy it when I see it or read an intriguing review, I’ll forget and never find it again. That stack is about five feet high. Every now and then I actually manage to read (and finish!) one. And I won’t even talk about the books I plan to use for research (such as The History of Underclothes, that might come in handy someday).

There are a few writers whose books I will read as soon as I can. There are a lot more writers whose books I want to read if I can ever find the time. On the flip side, there are writers whose books I reject for purely arbitrary reasons (and I apologize, because I’m sure they’re well-written and interesting, but I have to chop something). For example, I find it hard to read historical fiction, in part because I was an academic and I keep questioning the accuracy of the facts presented. I don’t read science fiction any more. I’ve never gone near YA or new adult or any of the “new” genres—no time. I used to read women’s fiction, and thank goodness it’s kind of disappeared (what? That author is still alive and writing?)

What about you? How do you as readers decide what to read? By genre? Based on past books by an author that you’ve enjoyed, or because someone has recommended it to you?

Filed under: Reading, Sheila's Posts, Uncategorized, writing

Where Are the Wickeds?

First Saturday: where are the Wickeds appearing this month? In person or in cyberspace, anything goes.

Edith: Busy month for me! April 8 at 7 PM I’ll be at Jabberywocky Books co-launching Delivering the Truth with Elizabeth Atkinson and her new middle-grade novel, Island of Beyond. April 10 is my historical walking book launch at 1:30 through the streets of Amesbury with readings at several spots in the book, followed by a book party at Crave Restaurant from 3-5. Join us! On April 16 I’ll be teaching “So You Want to Write a Mystery” at the Fairfield County Writers Studio from 9:30-noon. April 17 I’m hosting Sisters in Crime New England’s Member Reads from 2-4 at the Amesbury Friends Meetinghouse. On April 20 Barb and I share the book stage at the New England Mobile Bookfair at 7 PM. And on April 28 I head to Malice Domestic in Bethesda, where I’m nominated for an Agatha Award.

Cyberspace-wise, watch these spots: 1 April Omnimystery News. 3 April Auntie Em Writes, Mystery Lovers Kitchen, and my usual spot at Killer Characters. 7 April Drus Book Musings. 8 April Mysteristas. 9 April Shelley’s Book Case. 10 April Rocco,  Melina’s Book Blog, and my normal spot at Midnight Ink Writers. 12 April Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers, Cozy Up with Kathy. 18 April Jungle Red Writers. 19 April Writers Who Kill, and 25 April Stiletto Gang.

Liz: I’ll be visiting the Club Hen House blog again April 21, then heading off to Malice Domestic also on April 28. I’ll be on the Small Town Murder panel on Sunday at 10.

Sherry: I’m so excited to be with Julie, Jessie, and Sheila at the Adapting to Hollywood Sisters in Crime Conference through Sunday, April 3! We are having a great time!

Filed under: Group posts, Where Are the Wickeds? Tagged: Delivering the Truth, Jabberwocky books, New England Mobile Bookfair

Stardust and Twinkling Lights – Susan Van Kirk

We’re delighted to welcome Susan Van Kirk, author of the Endurance Mysteries, to the blog today! Take it away, Susan!

I’m thrilled to be able to write on a New England website because I love visiting New England. In truth, however, I am a native Midwesterner, product of Galesburg, Illinois, a town that hosted the fifth Lincoln/Douglas debate and led the abolitionist fight during the pre-Civil War days. Now I’m a resident of a smaller, nearby town called Monmouth (Illinois, not New Jersey.) I mention this because woven throughout my mystery novels is my first love— history.

Currently, I write the Endurance mysteries, cozies named for my small, fictional town in downstate Illinois. Three May Keep a Secret, Marry in Haste (Nov. 2016), and Death Takes No Bribes (spring, 2017) follow Grace Kimball, recently retired high school English teacher, whose friend is TJ Sweeney, her former student and now Endurance police detective. Each of these is a cozy mystery that follows the dictates of the genre.

Recently, however, I decided to write a novella called The Locket: From the Casebook of TJ Sweeney. Unlike Grace, TJ is biracial, thirty-nine, and has never married. I should mention, too, guys go in and out of her life at the speed of light. It’s been a stretch to live life through Sweeney’s eyes. The Locket is a spinoff of the Endurance series and could be classified as a police procedural that compliments the cozy Endurance mysteries.

Susan’s parents

The idea for the novella came, once again, from history. Back in the 1940s, my parents used to go dancing at a big band venue called the Roof Garden. It was on the roof of a four-floor office building in downtown Galesburg. Unfortunately, my parents are no longer alive, so I had to go searching for someone in their late 80s or early 90s who could talk with me about the Roof Garden. Enter an 88-year-old lady named Ruth Pecsi. She can still jitterbug. Seriously.

Her interview yielded wonderful information about the Roof Garden in the 1930s and 1940s. “Back then,” she said, “people were just crazy about dancing. My brother was seven years older than me, and he taught me all the latest dance moves.”

The Roof Garden opened officially on July 3, 1929, and closed shortly after World War II. But during the 1930s and 1940s, it was “the place to be,” especially on Saturday nights. Ruth grew up during the Depression. Working at a grocery store from the time she was fourteen, she saved her money so she and her friends could go dancing on Saturday nights. At that age the girls danced together, and she had a strict nine o’clock curfew.

On summer nights, the Roof Garden would be crowded with people wanting to dance, no matter how hot the night, and a cool breeze blew across the dance floor. Couples could see all of the town from the rooftop, and, for safety, the owners had put a railing all around the sides. Twinkling lights were strung throughout, and a band shell was over to one side. It was magical. Bands led by Tiny Hill, Lawrence Welk, Tommy Dorsey, and Paul Whiteman all played there.

Ruth Pecsi

“On dance nights, you had to buy a ticket to get in,” Ruth said, “and it cost about twenty or twenty-five cents. You weren’t supposed to bring alcohol, but most of the guys slipped a pint bottle into their coat pockets. Smooching or other displays of affection were frowned upon, and they had security guys. But never, in all those years, was there a fight or brawl.”

On the north end of Galesburg was an army hospital built in 1943. Casualties were brought in by railroad because the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe both came through the town. A bus would take the more ambulatory patients downtown on Saturday nights so they could go to the Roof Garden. A local school, Knox College, had an air cadet program, so some of those men would also go to the dances. [And here I am rubbing my mystery writer’s hands with glee at this transitory intersection of strangers.]

How did I translate all this interesting history into a murder mystery? In the current day, a

A ticket to Starlight

construction crew is digging the foundation for a building and finds buried human remains. Investigating the site, TJ Sweeney must try to identify this person and figure out how he or she came to die. Items in the burial site lead her to the Roof Garden. Using modern technology and forensic experts, she can trace the bones back to the 1940s, but that was long before DNA databases. How will she close this cold case?

After speaking with Ruth, I dedicated an entire chapter of the mystery to her information, and I used one of her images directly in the conversation. It seems like a lovely way to end this posting. Sweeney asks an elderly character what people did back then if they couldn’t afford a quarter for the dance at the Roof Garden.

“If you looked over the edge, you could see people dancing in the street and on the sidewalks. The music simply floated down there from the top of the building, and a whole ʼnother dance was going on down below. From above, you could gaze down on the couples and the glowing streetlights. You see, back then, even if you couldn’t afford the dance, you could still have a little of the starlight.”

Thanks for sharing this story, Susan! Readers, leave a comment for Susan below.

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Endurance Mysteries, history, novella, Susan Van Kirk

What is your most productive time of day and do you need caffeine

Sherry where the cherry blossoms are flying about like pink snowflakes

We are so happy to welcome back author Cheryl Hollan who writes the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery series. Cheryl knows glass and makes the most beautiful jewelery among many other things.

Here’s a bit about Shards of Glass the second book in the series: When a glass-making competition turns deadly, glass shop owner Savannah Webb must search for a window into a criminal’s mind…

As the new proprietor of Webb’s Glass Shop, Savannah has been appointed to fill her late father’s shoes as a judge for the Spinnaker Arts Festival, held in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. With her innovative glass works, the clear winner is Megan Loyola, a student of Savannah’s former mentor.

But when Megan doesn’t show up to accept her $25,000 award, rumors start flying. And when Savannah discovers the woman’s dead body on festival grounds, the police immediately suspect her of murder. To keep from appearing before a judge herself, Savannah sorts through the broken pieces of glass scattered around the victim for clues as to who took this killer competition too far. . .

It sounds great! Take it away, Cheryl:

I’m lucky to have two highly productive writing times. The first is between seven and eight in the morning. I put my fingers on the keyboard and type like a maniac. That’s when the words literally spill onto the page tumbling over each other like acrobats. The second best time is in the late afternoon between four and five. It’s not quite as productive as the early morning, but the words slip onto the page with little effort.

When I’m behind schedule and racing to the finish on a manuscript, I am sometimes forced to write during my less productive times. Then, I have to track down my words like a big game hunter, grab them by the scruff of the neck and stab them onto the page. At least the words are there. They can be revised later. Because as everyone knows, you can’t revise a blank page and sometimes the looming deadline dictates more hours in the chair.

That early morning start demands a strong cup of coffee with a generous helping of half-and-half to get the word flow going. I follow that with some strong black tea. If I’m still in the writing seat for the afternoon, I make some ginger tea. So, my caffeine levels decline during the day. That’s mostly because I need to sleep at night. Finally, after my writing day is finished and I head into the house to start dinner. I pour myself a large glass of wine to reward myself for another day of living my dream.

Meet the author:

Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind the house, Cheryl and her husband George design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass and painted glass artworks.

You can visit Cheryl and her books at:

http://www.cherylhollon.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-Hollon-Writer/357992230995844

http://www.twitter.com/cherylhollon

Readers: What is your most productive time of day?

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: A Jolly Christmas at the Patterprints, A Webb Glass Shop mystery, best time of day, caffeine, Cheryl Hollon, fused glass, glass studio, Kensington Publishing, productive, Shards of Glass, stained glass

Wicked New England – Favorite Foods

Because there are five Wednesdays in March this year, let’s combine Wicked Wednesday with Wicked New England today.

Wickeds (and readers in the Comments section): What are your favorite New England foods? And which have you already included in one of your books?

Liz:  So much good New England food! I do love lobster rolls and French fries, but since I don’t eat real bread anymore  I’ve had to get creative. If I’m out, I’ll get the lobster on a salad (with the fries, of course!). At home, I found a fun vegan recipe reminiscent of the  traditional New England lobstah roll, but using tofu. It’s actually really good, and looks almost like the real thing! Since my books have food for pets, this, naturally, has not appeared. But maybe Stan will find a nice vegan cafe and try one…

Edith: Because of our long winters, when the growing season starts up it’s a huge treat to eat fresh local produce again in the spring. I suppose asparagus in May and local strawberries in June aren’t particular to New England, but I can never get enough of them. The first thing I did when I moved three years ago was prepare a wide bed for asparagus crowns. Breaking off a stalk and eating it in the garden is just the best, and I included Cam’s Marinated Asparagus in A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die. And then there are sun-warmed heirloom tomatoes a little later in the summer…

 

Jessie: One of my favorites is Anadama Bread. It’s a yeast bread made with cornmeal, oatmeal  and molasses. We used to eat it often when I was a child and every now and again I bake a couple of loaves. I included a version of it in my book Maple Mayhem, which is a speciality of the protagonist’s grandmother, named Grandmadama Bread. Since that series features a sugarmaker I substituted maple syrup for the molasses and was pretty pleased with the results.

Sherry: I’ve live a lot of places since my husband was in the Air Force. You end up finding different favorite things for different parts of the country. Moving to Massachusetts opened up a whole new food world for me! My very favorite which I’d never had before is a lobster roll — heaven on a bun, a New England style bun, of course. Next comes pizza — I don’t know why they taste different and oh, so yummy there but they do. And one slice is the size of your head. Then I discovered Italian pastries — cannoli and lobster tails, perfection!

Julie: I love clambake foods–lobster, clams, corn, potatoes. YUM. But to top it off, the real New England food–ice cream. We love our ice cream here. Coffee ice cream is a special favorite. I used to love frappes (shakes to most of you) , but now I’m wicked happy with a dish of delish ice cream. One of my favorites comes from Somerset Creamery in Cataumet (down the Cape). Cranberry Bog ice cream has craisins, cranberries, walnuts, and white chocolate. So, so good. There is some food mentioned in Just Killing Time, but the food talk gets ramped up in Clock and Dagger.

Barb: Since we’ve just passed St. Patrick’s Day, I have to go with a New England Boiled Dinner. That’s corned beef, cabbage and other vegetable such as potatoes, carrots, and onion. It sounds disgusting, but cooked properly it ends up being a smoky, salty delight with a little crunch left in the cabbage.

Readers: Favorite New England food? Please dish! (The groan heard round the world – hey, it’s been a long month…)

Filed under: Wicked New England, Wicked Wednesday Tagged: anadama bread, Jessie Crockett, lobster roll, lobster tails, local asparagus, Maple Mayhem, maple syrup, New England foods, pizza, sugarmaker, You Cannoli Die Once

Launching History

Edith here, still north of Boston. Not launching history, exactly. But Delivering the Truth, my first historical mystery, comes out on April 8 and we have a fun launch planned! I’m giving away my last ARC of the book to one commenter today, too.

Note: Sarah H, you are the winner of Leslie Karst’s book! Please write to Edith at edithmaxwellauthor at gmail dot com, or send a facebook message. Congratulations.

In case you haven’t heard, the book features a Quaker midwife solving crimes in an 1888 Massachusetts mill town – the one I live in. I was trying to think of a good way to tie all that together when a local author pal, Elizabeth Atkinson, asked if I wanted to do a joint launch party at Jabberwocky Bookshop, the independent bookstore in the next town. Her two children and my two all went through the Pentucket Regional schools, and she wanted to pay back by having the launch benefit the Pentucket Arts Foundation.

Elizabeth writes award-winning middle grade fiction, and I love her books, including her new one, The Island of Beyond. Saying “yes” was easy. A Pentucket High student is going to interview us during the launch and then write up the story for the school paper, which both my sons also wrote for. We’ll have a raffle and other activities. It’ll be fun. Join us at 7 PM on April 8 if you can.

Picture used with permission from Edward Gerrish Mair.

But – that didn’t address the historical side of my book. When I walk the streets of my town, I’m always imagining my characters doing the same. When I sit in silence in the Friends Meetinghouse on Sunday morning, I picture midwife Rose Carroll at my side, and John Greenleaf Whittier across the room. When I walk up Carriage hill, I imagine the clatter of carriages on paving stones.

I decided to engage the services of a publicist to help me with this launch. And Skye Wentworth came up with a very cool idea. I’m going to conduct a short walking tour of Amesbury on Sunday afternoon, April 10, with comments about various places that occur in the book, and what happens at each. We start in front of Market Square Bakehouse at 1:30 PM. We’ll visit the Meetinghouse and the John Greenleaf Whittier Home Museum, too, and have a few short readings.

A local historical seamstress is making a Quaker dress for me. I hope it works out, since I no longer have the waist of a corseted woman (well, okay, I never did…) If it does, I’ll wear that on the walking tour. I made a Quaker bonnet that turned out okay, too!

Finally, we’re going to finish the day with a book party from 3-5 at Crave Restaurant, a fabulous local place housed in the historic train depot building. It’s owned by the son of an awesome local real estate agent, Cathy Toomey, who had the winning charity bid to name a character in the series. Look for Catherine Toomey in Delivering – and she has an even bigger part in book two, Called to Justice! At the

Cathy Toomey

party we’re going to have snacks and you can buy a glass of your favorite beverage and talk history – oh, and get a book signed by the author, too.

I hope you’ll join us. But if you can’t, you’ll be able to find the map and virtual walking tour on my web site by April 10. And don’t forget, an advance copy of the book to one lucky commenter today!

Readers: What’s your favorite historical place to walk around in? Who from the past do you imagine walking around with you?

Filed under: Edith's posts Tagged: amesbury, Delivering the Truth, elizabeth atkinson, historical fiction, Jabberywocky Books, launch party, Midnight Ink, Skye Wentworth, The Island of Beyond

Guest: Leslie Karst

Edith here, busier than heck, but not too busy to welcome Leslie Karst! Leslie and I met when we roomed together at Left Coast Crime in Monterey, California a couple of years ago. We’d only known each other online previously, but in person we learned we both had a taste for a spot of whiskey and good conversation. I am SO thrilled her debut mystery is coming out, and she’s giving away a hardcover copy to one commenter today.The story is set in Santa Cruz, California – where I almost went to college – and when I read an advance copy, I was able to unreservedly give it a glowing endorsement:

“You won’t want to push away this delicious plate of mystery from debut author Leslie Karst. And you’ll be Dying for a Taste of sleuth Sally Solari’s family’s cooking, both Italian and Polynesian. Don’t read while hungry!”

Here’s what the book’s about: After losing her mother to cancer, Sally Solari quits her job as an attorney to help her dad run his old-style Italian eatery in Santa Cruz, California. But managing the front of the house is far from her dream job of being a real cook.

Then her Aunt Letta is found murdered at Gauguin, Letta’s swank Polynesian-French restaurant, and Sally is the only one who can keep the place afloat. When the Gauguin sous chef is accused of the crime, however, Sally is forced to delve into the unfamiliar world of organic food, sustainable farming, and animal rights activists—not to mention a few family secrets—to help clear his name and catch the true culprit before her timer runs out. 

Take it away, Leslie!

Food Revolution or Food Fad?

Santa Cruz, California—my home town, as well as that of my protagonist, Sally Solari—is probably best known for two quite different things: its historic roller coaster (take a ride on it here https://beachboardwalk.com/Giant-Dipper !), and its high population of hippies and

The Giant Dipper

hipsters.

The juxtaposition of these contrasting cultures—as played out on the food scene—provides the backdrop for my culinary mystery, Dying for a Taste. Sally, who practically grew up in the kitchen of her family’s old-school Italian eatery, knows little about the “food revolution” that has recently descended upon her sleepy seaside resort town. But when her aunt is found murdered at her trendy restaurant and the sous chef is accused of the crime, she is thrown into the unfamiliar world of organic farming and animal rights activists in her quest to find the true killer.

This plot line stems from beliefs that are dear to my heart. I’ve long been a proponent of sustainable and humane food practices, and do my best to buy pastured meat, sustainable fish, and local produce when I can. But at the same time, I’m well aware that

Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market

aspects of the current food movement could be seen as completely unrealistic, or just another food fad. There are, no doubt, those out there for whom buying local and organic food is merely a status symbol—rather like owning a Versace purse.

And let’s face it: Most folks couldn’t become pure locavores no matter how much they wanted to (try getting “local” citrus or bananas in New England, for example, or “local” coffee or maple syrup in California). And for countless inner-city residents, finding fresh vegetables at all—not to mention organic ones—is a near impossibility.

Hawaiian chameleon blending in

That said, I don’t think we should simply dismiss the change that is now occurring around the world in how we look at food. For the last fifty years (I’d date it from the advent of the TV dinner) we, as a society, have become disconnected from what we eat. We haven’t known—or cared—where it came from or how it was produced, being under the thrall of the convenience and cheapness caused by its mass-production. We have no idea what it took to produce that dollar meal cheese-burger, and it would require a chemist to translate the dozens of artificial ingredients that are in that “shake” (they can’t call them milkshakes, because they contain no milk).

But lately people seem to be waking up. Once more they’re starting to see the connection

Egg farm near Santa Cruz

between the foods they consume and the health of themselves and the planet. Just five years ago, for instance, I had a hard time finding eggs from pastured hens in Santa Cruz; now Safeway carries them.

And Walmart is selling organic foods, a sure sign that even “middle America” has become concerned with the amount of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and herbicides in our food.

Fad or not, I see these as good signs.

Readers: What are your views of the “food movement”? How much is fad and how much is true concern for the health of people and our planet? What do you think of Walmart and other giant corporations jumping on the organic/sustainable food bandwagon? Remember, Leslie is giving away a hardcover copy to one commenter!

Leslie Karst is the author of the culinary mystery, Dying for a Taste, the first of the Sally Solari Mystery series (Crooked Lane Books). A former research and appellate attorney, Leslie now spends her days cooking, gardening, reading, cycling, singing alto in the local community chorus, and of course writing. She and her wife, Robin, and their Jack Russell mix, Ziggy, split their time between Santa Cruz, California and Hilo, Hawai‘i. Visit her at Leslie Karst Author http://www.lesliekarstauthor.com/ for more.

 

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Crooked Lane Books, Dying for a Taste, foody mystery, Leslie Karst, Sally Solari Mysteries, Santa Cruz

Mind’s Eye

Jessie: In New Hampshire where ice is out of the lake and robins are flitting round the garden!

To quote The A-Team, don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

A few months ago I announced that I’m currently  writing a new historical series. The first book, Whispers Beyond the Veil, will launch September, 2016. Here’s what the publisher’s back cover matter has to say:

First in a dazzling new historical mystery series featuring Ruby Proulx, a psychic with a questionable past who suddenly finds her future most uncertain…

Canada, 1898. The only life Ruby Proulx has ever known is that of a nomad, traveling across the country with her snake-oil salesman father. She dreams of taking root somewhere, someday, but, until she can, she makes her way by reading tarot cards. Yet she never imagined her own life would take such a turn…

 

After one of her father’s medical “miracles” goes deadly wrong, Ruby evades authorities by hiding in the seaside resort town of Old Orchard, Maine, where her estranged Aunt Honoria owns the Hotel Belden, a unique residence that caters to Spiritualists—a place where Ruby should be safe as long as she can keep her dark secret hidden.

 

But Ruby’s plan begins to crumble after a psychic investigator checks into the hotel and senses Ruby is hiding more than she’s letting on. Now Ruby must do what she can to escape both his attention and Aunt Honoria’s insistence that she has a true gift, before she loses her precious new home and family forever…

But what I really wanted to share is the front cover. I have loved all my Berkley covers but this one just makes my heart sing. Early in the process I sent a Pinterest board to my editor filled with images I loved from the Gilded Age. I also sent a letter with suggestions. In my mind’s eye I saw the beach, the pier, a young woman in a red dress with her back turned to the reader. I imagined her holding a parasol and looking off into the distance. I envisioned a filigree frame edging the art and an ornate font spelling out the title and my name. Below is what my editor sent to me.

Readers, did you ever have a time when things turned out exactly how you imagined they would? Writers, do you have a favorite cover?

 

Filed under: Jessie's posts, Uncategorized Tagged: book covers, Change of Fortune, clairaudient, Jessica Estevao, Jessie Crockett, old orchard beach, parasol, pier, psychic, waves, Whispers Beyond the Veil

Jessie: In New Hampshire where ice is out of the lake and...

Jessie: In New Hampshire where ice is out of the lake and robins are flitting round the garden!

To quote The A-Team, don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

A few months ago I announced that I’m currently  writing a new historical series. The first book, Whispers Beyond the Veil, will launch September, 2016. Here’s what the publisher’s back cover matter has to say:

First in a dazzling new historical mystery series featuring Ruby Proulx, a psychic with a questionable past who suddenly finds her future most uncertain…

Canada, 1898. The only life Ruby Proulx has ever known is that of a nomad, traveling across the country with her snake-oil salesman father. She dreams of taking root somewhere, someday, but, until she can, she makes her way by reading tarot cards. Yet she never imagined her own life would take such a turn…

 

After one of her father’s medical “miracles” goes deadly wrong, Ruby evades authorities by hiding in the seaside resort town of Old Orchard, Maine, where her estranged Aunt Honoria owns the Hotel Belden, a unique residence that caters to Spiritualists—a place where Ruby should be safe as long as she can keep her dark secret hidden.

 

But Ruby’s plan begins to crumble after a psychic investigator checks into the hotel and senses Ruby is hiding more than she’s letting on. Now Ruby must do what she can to escape both his attention and Aunt Honoria’s insistence that she has a true gift, before she loses her precious new home and family forever…

But what I really wanted to share is the front cover. I have loved all my Berkley covers but this one just makes my heart sing. Early in the process I sent a Pinterest board to my editor filled with images I loved from the Gilded Age. I also sent a letter with suggestions. In my mind’s eye I saw the beach, the pier, a young woman in a red dress with her back turned to the reader. I imagined her holding a parasol and looking off into the distance. I envisioned a filigree frame edging the art and an ornate font spelling out the title and my name. Below is what my editor sent to me.

Readers, did you ever have a time when things turned out exactly how you imagined they would? Writers, do you have a favorite cover?

 

Filed under: Jessie's posts, Uncategorized Tagged: book covers, Change of Fortune, clairaudient, Jessica Estevao, Jessie Crockett, old orchard beach, parasol, pier, psychic, waves, Whispers Beyond the Veil