Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 270

Wicked Wednesday: Favorite Childhood Holiday Memories

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice – the Wickeds are sharing our childhood holiday memories. Scared of Santa? Tinsel or no tinsel? Butter cookies? What about stockings?

Edith: I grew up outside of Los Angeles, so when we got a new bike, we could always go outside and ride it. Yes, tinsel on the tree, and my oldest sister (I’m third out of four) wanted the tinsel very precisely hung instead of the way I flung it up to see where it landed. We were allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve, which was always new homemade flannel nightwear from my mother’s mother. On Christmas morning, we could open stockings – which always had the first orange of the season, plus some whole walnuts – but then had to get dressed and have special cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, and bacon before the rest of the gifts were opened. Being a family of readers, the rest of the day was usually spent with all six of us curled up with our new books. Guess, what? Most of these traditions passed right on to my Christmases with my own sons, cinnamon rolls, books, and all. Except we’ve added mimosas…

Liz: Christmas Eve was always the big night with my family. It always seemed magical – my grandparents would come over and we would have a big feast. Sometimes my Uncle Joe would come home from Texas if he could get the time off from his job as a pilot, which made it even more special. My gramp, brother and I would play 45s until dinner was ready. Then after we ate, we’d open most of the presents, save for the big “Santa” gifts that would be unveiled in the morning. Afterwards, we’d have dessert (there was always homemade fudge, among other yummies) and watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Frosty the Snowman. Lots of great memories.

Jessie: My favorite childhood memories are ones shared with my children. For years I hosted a gingerbread decorating party for my kids, my nieces and friends of the family. I’d bake and assemble houses for each of the kids and then have them ready for them to decorate. Each place at the table was set up with a house, a decorating bag full of royal icing and a plate full of candy. By the end of the party the table was sticky and the houses were gaudy but everyone was filled with holiday cheer!

Sherry: I had one bad experience with Santa when I was about four. He asked if I’d been good and I told him yes. Then he asked if I ate all my peas. I hated peas above all other foods and burst into tears. I was terrified I wouldn’t get any presents that year. My mom made Christmas mornings magical and for me it was all about getting a doll. Mom would make pillows and blankets for bedding for them. She’d sew wardrobes of clothes. I still have a few dolls from my childhood. Shirley Temple is one of them.

Barb: I have so many happy memories of Christmas, at pretty much every stage of my childhood. When I was a teenager, my brother and I had a special, secret ritual. One night close to Christmas, when my parents were out at a Christmas party, we would turn off all the lights and listen to carols (always Robert Gould Shaw) by the light of the Christmas tree. We’d been close when we were little and we’re close as adults, but this was at the age when we were like ships passing in the night on our way to our separate schools and activities, so that quiet pause, in the busy season of Christmas, was especially meaningful.

Julie: I love reading these memories! I have all sorts of memories of Christmas. Wonderful ones as a kid. I have refound joy as I celebrate with my nieces and nephews, and indulge in creating new memories for all of us.  One of my favorite memories is just before I became an aunt, when my youngest sister brought her boyfriend up to meet the family. I got us all tickets to the Revels at Sanders Theatre. I was able to get four tickets in the third row. My other sister and I had seats a little further back. At the end of the first act, John Langstaff (founder of Revels, and wonderful performer) would take someone from the audience, and start a “Lord of the Dance” conga line into the transept. He chose my father. For as long as I live, I will remember my father getting up, grabbing the rest of the family, and starting the dance. My future brother-in-law joined right in, dancing up a storm. I knew he’d fit right in. I wasn’t a child at the time, but it is a favorite memory.

What about you, readers? Any special childhood memories?

Filed under: Wicked Wednesday Tagged: gingerbread houses, holiday parties, Shirley Temple doll

The Detective’s Daughter — You’d Better Watch Out

By Kim Gray baking cookies in Baltimore

It was a few weeks until Christmas and we had more gold tinsel garland decking our halls than Blaze Starr had pasties, or so my grandfather informed me. He always had a witty remark that was rarely ever appreciated by my grandmother. I was in the first grade and my grandfather,

Pop-Pop, was the center of my world. Just as he was about to explain pasties to me, my grandmother insisted Dad go to Epstein’s for more garland and to take me with him. Instead of ignoring his mother, as he usually did, he took my coat from the hall closet and shoved my arms in the sleeves. I told him I needed a hat and mittens and he begrudgingly found them, too.

I had never, ever been to a store with Dad. Ever. I wondered if he knew where the stores were. We drove the couple of blocks to Light Street in silence with only Dean Martin crooning in the background. Dad parked the Cadillac in the lot behind Holy Cross where I went to school and we headed to the store. It was dark, but only a little after dinner time. Most of the stores were closed except for Epstein’s and Read’s. Dad said if I behaved he’d buy me a hot chocolate at The White Coffee Pot afterwards. We found the garland immediately and were near the check out line when Dad changed

direction and headed towards Santa.

I panicked. I couldn’t see Santa like this, in my brown loafers and stirrup pants! Mom would have a fit. She had rules about what to wear when visiting Santa. My new white satin dress was at home in my closet. I hadn’t even had my appointment at Andre’s yet to get my hair done. This was going to be very bad. I thought I might start to cry which would have made Dad angry, he hated tears, and I didn’t want to wreck my only shopping trip  with Dad and spoil my chances of hot chocolate later.

My dad — suspicious from an early age.

Santa sat on the landing between Women’s Wear and Housekeeping. His yellowing gloved hands rose high above his head as we stepped next to him. He began to talk very fast about his probation officer having it out for him and promising he’d check in with her in the morning. Dad instructed him to put his hands down. I looked at his stained, faded suit and his beard that hung a little too low off his face. He was nothing like the real Santa who we saw at Hutzler’s each year. I was relieved that Dad didn’t make me sit on his lap or have my picture taken. Maybe Mom didn’t need to know about this visit after all. From where I stood I told the man in the Santa hat what I wanted most for Christmas; a Barbie Dream House. Santa seemed relieved as he pulled his beard up and gave a slight wave when we walked away.

Over hot chocolate, Dad asked me not to say anything about the “Santa thing” to Mom and especially not to my grandmother. I kept my promise, well until now, and on Christmas morning awoke to find a three-story Barbie house complete with elevator. The card read,”Love,Santa”, but I knew by then who really wore the red suit.

Filed under: The Detective's Daughter Tagged: Baltimore City, Santa Claus, The Detective's Daughter

Consumption

Jessie: Surrounded by twinkling lights and sparkling snow of mid December New Hampshire

Every year about this time I begin to feel the weight of consumption. Consumption of goods, food, music, all available free time. I look at the to-do lists and calendars and feel the burden of the disconnect I see between them. Invariably I start to think about what all of this consuming means and why it feels so draining. Why does filling yourself with so much from without make you feel so empty within? What is really going on and more importantly, what is the antidote?

Not long ago one of my beloved sisters and I were talking about consuming and the ravages it places upon the soul. I mentioned that what I’ve noticed was that it wasn’t really that consuming of television programming or books or baked goods that was the heart of the problem. It was the fact that all the consuming of things created by others squeezed out time spent creating things oneself. That the way through to morass was not really to worry about lowering consumption but to raise creative production.

I find that I am utterly replenished by creating things. Whether I knit a pair of socks or plan a party or write a few scenes on my latest novel, I am filled with a sense of absorption and delight while engaged in the act of creation. The pleasure lingers long after the time spent in the activity is over. It permeates my attitude, maybe even my aura. Invariably, days where I act as a creator as well as a consumer are happier days then ones during which I simply consume.

Which makes me ask why sometimes it is so hard to create? What holds us back? Why are excuses not to try so easy to concoct? Is it perfectionism? Fear? Sloth?

Readers, do you find creating things refreshing? What types of things do you produce? If you don’t, what do you think keeps you from doing so?

 

Filed under: Jessie's posts, Uncategorized Tagged: consumption, creativity, delight, Joy, production

We Have a Winner — guest Donna Andrews

We are so happy Donna Andrews could join us today.

When my latest book, The Nightingale Before Christmas, came out, I notified the readers on my email mailing list with a short newsletter. Since I also had a Meg Langslow short story—and a Christmas story at that–in Homicidal Holidays, the latest book in the acclaimed Chesapeake Crimes short story anthology series, I decided to have a drawing to give away a few copies of Homicidal Holidays. And to make the giveaway more fun, I asked people who entered to tell me “which of Meg’s friends and family members is your favorite character?”

A hands-down winner emerged: over a third of the readers who responded chose Meg’s father, Dr. James Langslow, as their favorite. Since Dad was inspired by my own father, this doesn’t displease me at all. Not even the fact that Dad got more votes than Meg herself, because the way I asked the question did rather suggest that I meant “other than Meg”–although in spite of that, a few people simply listed her as their favorite and others began their emails with variants on “well, apart from Meg herself, of course.” But Dad was definitely the winner.

I didn’t require people to tell me why they chose the characters they did, but many of them did anyway—which was really kind of cool. I wasn’t planning a survey, but that’s what it turned out to be. I thought I’d share some of the reasons people cited for choosing Dad as their favorite—with the authors’ permission, of course.

“I like his zest for life, and his resemblance to the Elephant’s Child–who was full of ‘satiable curiosity,” Sue Kamm says.

“He seems to be such a Renaissance man with so many interests and hobbies,” reports Lauri Walker. “I just get a kick out of him with every book.”

“He has mellowed over the last few books,” Sharon Kay says. “He is not as manic. Dad is a wonderful person, gave his children a life-long interest in animals, flora, medicine and mysteries whether they wanted it or not.”

“Dr. Langslow is the perfect combination of confusion, intelligence, and curiosity in a fumbling, bumbling, eager-puppy sort of way,” Happy Herbert says. “He’s very endearing, and I love when he gets involved in the actual escapades, not merely just rushing in to apply some medical skills. I would enjoy seeing him and Meg team up to solve a mystery/crime.”

“He’s hilarious, smart, inquisitive and tackles everything with gusto!” according to Peggy Woods. “He’s always ready to offer his medical services and thinks that Meg is capable of anything.”

Maureen Niford calls him “adorably bumbling but also brilliant,” and Denese reports that “Even after thinking about it for a while, I’m going with the first character to pop into my head: Meg’s dad. He’s just so likeable!”

“He is quirky, and fun,” Jessie Secrest says. “I think that he is more intelligent than what he lets on in the stories–he is a doctor. He is always encouraging his children and grands from a more sidelines role, allowing them to grow and shine. He’s just cool.”

“I think the character who makes me happiest when he enters the scene is Meg’s dad,” says Elizabeth Gosney. “Who can resist Dr. Langslow’s childlike enthusiasm and unfailing confidence in Meg’s ability to solve any problem?”

I think if Meg’s dad were reading this, he’d be blushing with pleasure, and perhaps exclaiming some variation on Sally Field’s famous “You like me, right now you like me!” But you don’t need to worry about him getting a swelled head—in another five minutes he will be off to treat a particularly fascinating medical case or collect cuttings from an interesting new (and probably poisonous) plant cultivar. And there’s nothing more exhilarating for a writer than to know her characters resonate with the readers—though I, too, am unlikely to get puffed up because all too soon I will be trying to think up another plot, with the added pressure of worrying about whether I’m giving not only Dad but all the reader favorites a large enough role.

But who else turned out to be a reader favorite? I’m keeping that a secret for now. Partly because I’m going to reveal the rest of the survey results later this month at the Femmes Fatales blog—and partly so I can offer a challenge: if you can guess which character came in second in my informal reader poll, you’ll be entered to win a copy of Homicidal Holidays. Heck, I’ll even throw in a second copy to be randomly given away to someone who guesses wrong.

Many thanks to the Wicked Cozies for letting me share the results of my accidental survey.

Donna Andrews was born in Yorktown, Virginia, the setting of Murder with Peacocks and Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos, and now lives and works in Reston, Virginia. When not writing fiction, Andrews is a self-confessed nerd, rarely found away from her computer, unless she’s messing in the garden.

 

Readers do you have a favorite character from Donna’s books?

 

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Donna Andrews, Dr. James Langslow, Homicidal Holidays, Meg Langslow, The Good The Bad and The Emus, The Nightingale Before Christmas

Guest Blogger- T. C. LoTempio

 

Jessie: Enjoying the pleasure of the holidays in the wilds of New Hampshire

Today the Wickeds are delighted to welcome T.C. LoTempio to the blog. Toni has a brand new series, The Nick and Nora Mysteries. The first one, Meow if it’s Murder, released last week. Here she is with a few thoughts on the series, writing and cats.

Jessie: I noticed your sleuth’s name is Nora Charles. Were you inspired by the fictional character of the same name in The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett? Are you a fan of the Nick and Nora films?

T.C.: Absolutely! I loved the Thin Man movies and I have every one of them on DVD! While my Nick Charles is a furry black and white tuxedo, I like to think that he’s every bit as dashing – in his own way – as the fictional human one.

Story about that: I’d been writing paranormals and getting nowhere. My former supervisor told me I should write a story about my cat. I went home, turned on the tv, and The Thin Man was on Turner Classic. Then I started thinking…and the Nick and Nora mysteries were born!

Jessie: You write mysteries featuring a cat that helps to solve crimes. Is it safe to assume you are a cat lover?

T.C.: OMG very safe. I’ve had seven cats over the years, all of them rescues or adopted from shelters. ROCCO, the model for Nick, was adopted from the Clifton Animal Shelter six years ago. I got him as a companion for my gold tabby Maxx, who was a rescue from South Jersey. From the minute ROCCO stepped out of the box and lifted his paw, he was the boss! (or at least he thinks he is)

Jessie: You set Meow if it’s Murder in California. Is that a region close to your heart?

T.C.:  Yes, even though I was born in New York and grew up in Jersey, I’ve always loved California – the weather especially. A good friend of mine lives in Pebble Beach/Monterey/Carmel area and I’ve visited there many times – I love it! Especially San Francisco! So it just seemed sort of natural to me to set the series in Northern California.

Jessie: The book description for Meow if it’s Murder mentions spooky coincidences and a cat that spells out words for your sleuth using Scrabble tiles. Does this series touch on the paranormal?

T.C.: This version doesn’t – but the original version did. In the first draft, Nick the cat was actually the reincarnation of Nick Atkins, a PI who was killed investigating the murder of a presumed drowned socialite. Nora found she could actually talk to the cat – but when it was submitted to the publisher, they loved everything about the book EXCEPT the talking cat, so I had to find another way for the cat to communicate with Nora – hence the Scrabble tiles. As to whether or not this version of Nick the cat has paranormal capabilities, well, cats ARE supposed to be psychic to some extent….

Jessie: I love to hear about other writers’ working habits. Would you share your writing process with us?

T.C.: Well, first I write an outline that I end up pretty much changing, and then I try to write at least 1-2 hours at least three days during the week and four hours each day on the weekend. I have a full time job so that’s how I have to work it for now. I have to have ROCCO next to my feet, chewing on the cable wires, and plenty of music on the CD player – Phantom of the Opera is a favorite!

 Jessie: Mysteries are my first love but other genres also have appeal. Do you write any other sorts of work?

T.C.: I actually started out writing horror stories and some of them were published by Whiskey Creek Press (they’ve since gone out of print) then I switched to paranormal romantic suspense and self published three: No Rest for the Wicca, Raven’s Quest and Raven’s Kiss that were pretty well received, but I think the cozy mystery niche is my favorite!

Jessie: Are there any cozy mysteries written by others you’d like to recommend to our readers?

T.C.: Gee, where do I start! I’ve met so many writers from their appearances on ROCCO’s blog, where we generally have interviews and giveaways at least every other week (www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com) Some of my favorites are, Midnight Louie, of course, by Carole Nelson Douglas, the Cat in the Stacks mysteries by Miranda James, the Diva mysteries by Krista Davis, The Magical Cat mysteries by Sofie Kelly, Second Chance Mysteries by Sofie Ryan, Italian Kitchen Mysteries by Rosie Genova, Psychic Eye Mysteries by Victoria Laurie, the Haunted Guesthouse series by EJ Copperman, Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown…gosh I must have at least fifty more! Too many to list here LOL. If you check out our blog you’ll find lots of great writers and books! Rocco also reviews books for Night Owl online magazine, mainly cozies, so if anyone has a book they’d like him to review, please contact me!

Jessie:What can readers expect next from you?

T.C.: Well, I’ve just finished up another cozy series my agent will be shopping around, and then there is the next Nick and Nora mystery, due out next December! Nora’s sister Lacey finds herself in a spot of trouble… Visit my website, www.tclotempio.com or ROCCO’s blog for current information on new releases!

About the Author…..

While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic. She lists among her favorite mystery/suspense writers Erle Stanley Gardner, Mary Higgins Clark and James Patterson, as well as EJ Copperman, Steve Hockensmith, Victoria Laurie, Ali Brandon, Rita Mae Brown, Miranda James and Sofie Kelly to name only a few! Toni is also passionate about her love for animals, as demonstrated with her four cats: Trixie, Princess, Maxx and, of course, ROCCO, who not only provided the inspiration for the character of Nick the cat in the Nick and Nora mystery series, but who also writes his own blog and does charity work for Nathan Fillion’s charity, Kids Need to Read!   Toni’s also devoted to miniseries like The Thorn Birds, Dancing with the Stars, reruns of Murder She Wrote and Castle (of course!). She (and ROCCO, albeit he’s uncredited) pen the Nick and Nora mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime – the first volume, MEOW IF ITS MURDER, debuts Dec. 2, 2014. She, Rocco and company make their home in Clifton, New Jersey, just twenty minutes from the Big Apple – New York.

Where to find them:

ROCCO’s blog:

www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com

Website:

www.tclotempio.com

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Guest posts, Uncategorized Tagged: Berkley Prime Crime, California, cats, cozy mysteies, Nick and Nora

Wicked Wednesday: Where’s Dead Fred?

After Crime Bake, Barb gave little remembrances to the Wickeds, sticky note pads of a outline figure with a bloody pen sticking out of his chest. This seemed like the perfect gift for a group of mystery authors.

Since then, some of us have been having fun finding Dead Fred in various places around our homes and farther afield. Here are some photos of his exploits.

Barb: One of the figures who serve as handles for our kitchen cabinets attempts a climbing rescue of a grievously wounded Dead Fred.

Edith: Dead Fred meets his end on the spear of Princess Yenenga, the fierce warrior who founded the land of Upper Volta.

Edith: Hooked by the old man and woman who guard our house and our keys. Or maybe he’s just hanging with them…

Jessie: Unfortunately, Fred gave the key to his heart to the wrong girl and she gave it back.

Sherry: Fred made the mistake of being first in line on Black Friday.

Julie: Fred meets the neighbors. Will (Shakespeare) and Tim (Gunn).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liz: These are hilarious! I’m pleased to report that my Dead Fred is terrorizing my office. I wanted to take a picture of the “crime scene” but HR frowned on sharing that photo…..you’ll all have to use your imagination!

Filed under: Wicked Wednesday Tagged: Dead Fred, mystery, Upper Volta

A New “Cat About Town”

By Liz, wondering when the heck I’m going to get my Christmas shopping done! How did it get to be almost mid-December?

Yes, it’s the most wonderful – and busiest – time of the year. This year, even more so because of some exciting news. I’ve asked my pal Junkyard Johnny to pop in for this announcement. He’s been anxiously awaiting this moment, as seen here:

Okay, so here goes – I’m so excited to share with all of you that I’m going to be writing a second series, the Cat About Town, for St. Martin’s Press under the name Cate Conte! Note – The Cat About Town is modeled after Johnny. For those of you who don’t know his story, he was rescued from a junkyard in New Hampshire back in 2003. So after that humble start, he’s thrilled to be on the fast track to stardom.

In addition to Johnny’s alter ego, the series features Maddie James, a twenty-something entrepreneur who has just returned to her hometown, Daybreak Island, a fictional island off the coast of Massachusetts. Maddie’s spent the last ten years in San Francisco dabbling in successful business ventures. She loves her life, but has been yearning for home especially after she hears of the tourism troubles her beloved island is facing. Earlier in the year, the president of the island’s Chamber of Commerce died in a tragic car accident, and the board can’t settle on a replacement. Not to mention the state is cutting funding for tourism overall, which leaves the island in a precarious position. Maddie’s long since had the idea of bringing some San Francisco culture to her hometown, so she jumps on the opportunity to start up a business on Daybreak. She recruits her pal Ethan Birdsong, an esteemed gelato maker who studied in Italy, to return with her and they make plans to open a shop that will also feature healthy smoothies. Maddie’s vision is to elevate the perception of the island by attracting younger, more hip residents and business owners, and ultimately help the island reach the status of premier vacation spot on the east coast.

Maddie’s business acumen precedes her, and before she knows it, she’s elected president of the newly-formed Daybreak Island Business Association. With the presidency comes two key responsibilities: successfully organizing the upcoming food stroll (which she’s got about three weeks to pull off) and negotiating with the president of the mainland Chamber of Commerce, who wants the association to merge with his group. Neither of these things make Maddie particularly happy – especially when she gets a taste of Frank O’Malley, the sketchy Chamber president.

But she’s not the only one who’s not a fan of Frank. This becomes apparent when her new friend, the Cat About Town, sniffs out his dead body under one of the food stroll tents a couple of hours before the event is scheduled to kick off (and immediately following a contentious meeting with Maddie).

Suspects abound, but the cops have their eye on an “outsider” – Maddie’s business partner. Now she’s in a race against time to prove them wrong – AND reschedule the food stroll before the island’s reputation is as dead as Frank. With the help of her Grandpa Leo (the retired police chief) and some other quirky pals, Maddie has to figure out who the real killer is before she finds herself out of business – for good.

So that’s the set-up and a quick summary. There’s plenty more mayhem, romance and other fun stuff I haven’t mentioned. I’m still tossing around titles, but am tentatively calling the book Fatal Food Stroll. I don’t have a pub date yet, but am presuming it will be early 2016. I’m having a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you’ll all check it out! Johnny says thanks a lot :)

 

Filed under: Liz's posts Tagged: cats, cozy mystery, Liz Mugavero

Welcome, Lucy Burdette!

by Barb, who enjoyed a happy weekend making Christmas cookies with my granddaughter

The Wicked Cozies are thrilled to welcome Lucy Burdette to the blog. We’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating: Without Lucy, there might not have been a Wicked Cozies at all. Sherry, Edith and I were all members of Sisters in Crime New England, but our friendships were cemented on the weekend we spent at Seascape, the writing boot camp Lucy (in her alter ego disguise as Roberta Isleib) ran with Hallie Ephron and S.W. Hubbard. Even more important, that’s where we got to know Liz, who hadn’t even planned on attending that year, until Lucy talked her into it. We all knew Julie and Jessie from SinCNE, and it took off from there.

Lucy has a new Christmas book out in her Hayley Snow Key West Food Critic Mystery series, and I’m chatting with her about that today.

About Death with All the Trimmings:

It may be Christmastime, but thoughts of peace on earth, good will toward men, don’t seem to extend to the restaurant business. Food critic Hayley Snow has been assigned to interview Edel Waugh, chef/owner of Key West’s hottest new restaurant. But off the record, Edel reveals that there’s been sabotage in the kitchen and asks Hayley to investigate. Things heat up fast when the restaurant is set on fire—and a body is discovered in the charred wreckage. Is someone out to destroy the chef’s business—or actually kill her? Amid holiday festivities like the lighted boat parade, and visiting relatives who stir up mixed emotions, Hayley needs to smoke out an arsonist and a killer before they turn up the heat again…on her!

Barb: One thing you and I have in common is Key West. Lots of adjectives spring to mind when I think of Key West, but “cozy” isn’t one of them. What was your inspiration to set a cozy mystery in Key West?

Lucy: Such a good question Barb! I suspect the Disney cruise ship was wondering the same thing when they docked for a day during Fantasyfest (the Halloween week celebration that involves a lot of body paint and not much else, LOL.)

But Key West makes a good setting for a cozy because of its many layers. A great mystery setting becomes a character of its own–a place that readers yearn to visit. A place on the precipice of something happening. A place filled with secrets, and conflicts, and places to hide. A place like Key West, with its delicately balanced development, and its conflicts between old-time Conchs and newcomers, between the richest of the rich, the homeless, and the millions of partying visitors. Underneath its fashion-model looks, magical, whimsical, bizarro Key West has so much more. On the outside, warm weather, tropical plants, happy tourists, Sunset celebrations…and on the dark side, competition over money, space, and what kind of town we’ll become.

Barb: Oh, that’s so true! In Key West, it looks like it’s all hanging out, but there’s so much beneath the surface. I love Christmas cozies, which Death with all the Trimmings is. But Hayley is in the tropics, where the writer can’t rely on a snow-covered New England town square to set the mood. Can you give us a sense of the holiday season in Key West?

Lucy: Hayley and I are getting adjusted to Christmas in our Key West paradise. Though we miss the snow and the snappy cold air and our friends and family most of all, there’s something pretty magical about lights on a palm tree. But Key West goes a whole lot further than that. The town sponsors a lighting decoration contest, a lighted boat parade, and the hometown holiday parade, with elaborate floats from local organizations. And don’t let me forget the Winter Wiener Wonderland, which is a parade of costumed dachshunds. (I marched in that last year with my husband and our Australian shepherd—we all wore hot dog costumes.) It was so much fun to work all of those events into the book!

Barb: One reason I love the Key West Food Critic series is because your protagonist Hayley Snow seems to be growing up before our eyes. She’s very young and pretty naive in the first book, An Appetite for Murder, but she’s had a lot of experiences both good and bad since then. How do you think about Hayley as a person? Do you think about a personal arc for each book? Across the series?

Lucy: Thank you for that observation, Barb! I did get a lot of feedback on An Appetite for Murder about Hayley’s immaturity and self-absorption. To tell you the truth, I don’t think she’s much different than a lot of young adults in their early to mid twenties. She knew she needed to get out of her mother’s house, but how? The whirlwind romance gave her the perfect ticket out. Readers meet her just as that relationship has blown up. She’s in Key West, she’s panicked and desperate, she doubts herself, she’ll do anything to stay on the island. The good news is that leaves her room to grow! And understanding how the characters will grow and change is my favorite part of writing. There was so much I didn’t know about these characters when I started writing–they’ve evolved on the screen before my eyes. So yes, I think about what might happen in these relationships over the course of each book. And I have a bigger, more general idea for the series.

Barb: What are you working on now?

Fatal Reservations is due mid-January–yikes! One of the trickiest parts of writing a cozy mystery is figuring out the heroine’s stake in solving the crime. Why in the world would a food critic be involved in puzzling out a murder? I realize that readers are willing to suspend disbelief to a certain extent, but when I’m reading, I want to feel convinced that the characters are behaving reasonably. So I spend a lot of time figuring out that ‘why.’ In Fatal Reservations, which will hit bookshelves next July, Hayley’s dear friend the Tarot card reader, Lorenzo, is accused of a brutal murder. He’s been supportive of her since she arrived on the island and he’s clearly afraid to talk to the police. For these reasons, she has to step up to sort out what really happened.

Thanks so much to the Wicked Cozies for hosting me on your blog!

Readers: Do you have questions or comments for Lucy?

Lucy’s bio

Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) is the author of 13 mysteries, including the latest in the Key West series featuring food critic Hayley Snow. Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a past president of Sisters in Crime.

Lucy Burdette’s fifth Key West food critic mystery, DEATH WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS, was published on December 2. She blogs about food and mysteries at Mystery Lovers Kitchen (www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Jungle Red Writers (www.jungleredwriters.com). You can also find her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lucyburdette) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lucyburdette) and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib).

Buy the Book: http://www.penguin.com/book/death-with-all-the-trimmings-by-lucy-burdette/9780451465900

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: An Appetite for Murder, death with all the trimmings, Hallie ephron, Key West Food Critic Mysteries, s.w. hubbard

Opening Lines

It’s Tagged for Death week! Write an opening line for this garage-sale-themed picture:

Jessie: Ellie was a literally minded woman. When she said she was holding a garage sale she meant it. She took it as a good sign that the first thing to go that morning was the garage door.

Julie: Leave it to Ted. “I can open a time vortex and bring Uncle Chet back.” “That’s nice, sweetie.” “Don’t believe me?” “No, no I don’t.” The next morning the car, sans Uncle Chet, shows up at the garage sale. And I can’t find Ted anywhere. The car could probably help get him back. But who could turn down $1000?

Edith: Man, doing surveillance at a yard sale sucks. All these people coming and going. But I know the guy who left that wad of drug money in the pile of clothes last week is going to show up looking for it. And then he’ll be looking at a nice long stay in prison.

Liz: I hoped I was a good enough shot to pick off my target; otherwise I was going to ruin some poor innocent schmuck’s Saturday morning bargain hunting.

Barb: The fourth time the red Corvette cruised by, I got my hopes up. He was cute and blond, though his face was obscured by his sunglasses. By the fifth time, I was worried, and when he was still doing it, long after we’d shut down the sale and picked up the lawn, after night had fallen and my parents had gone home, I began to panic.

Sherry: I put a “price firm” sign on grandpa’s old truck. If one more person asked me to lower the price they were going to be hanging upside down from the rope in my neighbor’s tree.

Readers: Add yours!

Filed under: Opening Lines

Wicked Love

By Sherry Harris

Grateful in Northern Virginia

A launch week can become a bit “all about me”. You end up writing blogs, posting links to your book, and checking the three “r’s” ranks, reviews, and ratings. But I wanted to put that all on hold for a bit today to talk about the Wickeds and other friends.

In June 2013 I wrote about how we (the Wickeds) met in a blog about the importance of networking. In mid-March of 2013 I realized going it alone as an author terrified me and reached out to Barb, Edith, Jessie, Julie, and Liz saying something like,

Seascape 2009 where I met Liz, Edith, and Barb. (And our lovely Australian friend Christine)

“Anyone interested in doing a blog?” I still have whiplash from what happened next. Liz’s first book Kneading to Die released in May 2013 and the group said let’s start the blog the first of May. As often I tell the Wickeds, the blog would still be an idea I was thinking about if it wasn’t for them.

Soon Sheila Connolly joined us for a monthly column. I love her way of looking at the world. Not to mention she has this awesome “dump” (or archeological dig) under her house where she’s found tons of china fragments among other things. Sheila also shares my love of chairs and collecting things.

Catching up after Crime Bake.

Last January Kim Gray joined us with her monthly column “The Detective’s Daughter.” She had told us many of her stories over glasses of wine at various conferences. Kim can make me laugh even during the grimmest story — honestly, I was almost crying I was laughing so hard when she was describing getting robbed. I’m so thrilled she’s sharing her stories with us each month.

The Wickeds are so much more than blog mates. They hold my hand, cheer me on, slap me up side the virtual head when I need it (I tend to be a worrier). Barb recently gave up a day and a half of her busy life to help me with a bunch of computer stuff. We send each other a lot of emails. Here is a sample of our topics: Huge News, This Just In, Aargh!, Checking In, Boiled Over in Woman’s World, Title, ARCs!, Shh! Gift for Liz, Hermit Like Behavior, Ups and downs,Killing trees, By Golly It Works!, Goodreads Etiquette, Ready for Parole, Being Silly. I couldn’t be associated with a better group of women and I love you all.

Chessie Members: Barb Goffman, Me, Shari Randall, Ellen Crosby, and Donna Andrews at a library event.

In 2010 my husband and I left Massachusetts and moved back to northern Virginia. I missed my writing community and my many friends from the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I knew there was a Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime in this area. Every couple of months I’d look at their website and think, I ought to join. Finally, in 2012, I did. Walking into a room full of strangers is always a bit scary but fortunately Barb Goffman, Logan, and Carla Coupe were there to welcome me. As I continued to attend meetings I met more and more of the members and am so fortunate to have a wonderful writing community here too.

Some of the Wickeds (before we were wicked) with other New England Sinc friends singing the now famous (not) song Agatha Christie, Sweet Queen of Mystery

What would an author do without all the reviewers, bloggers, and commenters out there reading and reporting? If authors were super heroes, reviewers, bloggers, and commenters would be our sidekicks. I’m afraid I’ll forget to mention someone so I’m not going to list you individually. But these people read books and post reviews on their blogs or comment on blogs. They don’t get paid, they do it for their love of books. But they are a huge support to authors and help by spreading the word about our books.

Then there are my Delta Zeta sorority sisters. I know that the word “sorority” turns some people off because of stereotypes. I went to a small college in Missouri, we weren’t rich, we weren’t all blonds, and we weren’t snobby. What we were and are, is friends who can laugh at the stupid things we did when we were young and enjoy our limited time together as adults. Last September over fifty of us gathered in St. Charles, Missouri for a weekend of fun. I was overwhelmed with how happy my sisters were for me — I’m humbled by it. I use some of their names in different combinations for some of the characters in my books. And maybe I even borrow bits and pieces of their personalities but shh, I don’t want them to know.

And last but far from least are all the wonderful friends we’ve met in our moves around the country. Every move was hard but I don’t regret any of them because of the great people who came into my life. Also a big thank you to my family who supported my dream for years — oh so many years.

My heart is full today because of the many people that touched my life. Thank you.

Photo by Meg Manion Silliker

Filed under: Sherry's posts Tagged: Barb Goffman, Bloggers, Carla Coupe, Commenters, Delta Zeta, Kim Gray, Meg Manion Silliker, New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Reviewers, sheila connolly, Sisters in Crime Chesapeake Chapter, Wicked Cozy Authors