Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 65

A Dozen Possibilities!

Jessie: Trying to sneak in a few dips in the sea while racing towards a looming deadline!

I am so surprised to be able to say this, but today is the twelfth anniversary of my first book, Live Free or Die, being released. Since that time I’ve released twelve more novels and have written two others. With each and every one, I’ve learned something new. So, I thought I would share the book cover and a memory associated with each of the dozen published novels that followed the first one so many years ago!

It is possible to write on a deadline.

It is possible to write the second novel in a series before the first one is published.

It is possible to write a novel when one isn’t sure there will be another in the series.

It is possible to learn to write historical novels.

It is possible to write a dual point of view novel in the first and third person.

It is possible to write two series at the same time.

It is possible to meet a deadline even when the kids are out of school for the summer.

It is possible to write even when you consistently feel like reading someone else’s work instead.

It is possible to write a novel even when you have a new puppy!

It is possible to write a novel while renovating one’s office.

It is possible to escape into writing a novel to ride out a pandemic.

It is possible to have the best job in the worl d .

Thanks for being avid readers and for spending time with me over the last dozen years!I couldn’t have done it without you!

Readers, what were you up to twelve years ago? Writers, what have you learned by writing your own novels?

A Wicked Welcome to Gabby Allan **plus a giveaway!**

by Julie, grateful for the break in the heat wave in Somerville

I first met Gabby Allan in Mechanicsburg, PA at a tea festival. I was struck by her wonderful dresses, cheerful demeanor, and love of writing and her readers. I’m delighted to welcome her to the blog today to celebrate the first in a new series.

Heading back to Catalina by Gabby Allan

There are so many elements to any story but one of my absolute favorites is setting. Now, I love writing the characters and the community, and heck yeah on the murder investigation with its twists and turns. But setting is pretty high up on the list of things I feel are part of a strong foundation for stories, especially if it’s going to keep showing up in a series.

So when I decided to set my books on Catalina Island off the coast of California, I of course, made the ultimate sacrifice for my art and headed over to research––that’s what we’ll call it on the taxes anyway…

And when I arrived in Catalina with my aunt, we dove into being tourists, but also trying to get into the nitty gritty of island life so I could make it come alive on the page. We visited restaurants and stores, walked around the streets and admired the homes. My favorite stop was definintely the golf cart rental place! I am prone to asking weird questions, and I did not disappoint when I asked the poor guy at the counter if it was possible to chirp the tires of a golf cart. He gave me the side-eye, which I totally don’t blame him for, but then we got down to logistics. And the answer is, if you were wondering, only as you’re stopping because the take off on a golf cart is not powerful enough within their fleet to chirp at the start. Disappointing but still usable.

I also took in the smells and the sounds, the way the light hits the ocean at certain times of day, the fact that there are a lot of boats anchored out in the water some distance from the shore. I asked questions about groceries and how to get a car on island (thirty-five years on the waiting list is not out of the norm), and then marveled at how some very ingenious people found a way to get a car on island without having to wait. The amount of small cars with the bumpers chopped off in order to fit the length requirement was astounding!

And this will all go to into the ground work within the story. I might not use any piece ever, or I might pepper them in throughout each book. I might turn the fact that you have to pay to have everything shipped to the island into a reason why most people don’t have very heavy furniture. I might use the discovery that they filter salt water for fresh water on the island. But all of it is there for my taking to make the setting almost a character of its own.

Because in the end, I want any reader to be able to escape to the small island of Santa Catalina off the coast of California. I want you to be able to feel the breeze in your hair coming in off the ocean as you read about murders and shenanigans with Whit and her chonky cat Whiskers, especially if you’re sitting in the middle of America wishing any breeze would kick up and ruffle even just the grass at your feet.

To me that’s one of the greatest things, helping the reader put away whatever is happening around them and dive into not only the mystery but the community, check in with the characters you wish were real so you could go ask them out for coffee, mentally hop into the golf cart with Whit, or watch as she tries to (just once) get Whiskers to do as she asks. Feel the sand between your toes as Goldy walks along the beach in her high heels and cover-up. And that all starts with setting.

Readers, do you have a favorite aspect of mysteries? No answer is ever wrong. It could be characters, justice, animals, the chase, clue finding…whatever floats your boat, I’d love to hear it! I’ll choose a commenter and send them a copy of Something Fishy This Way Comes . US only.

Bio:

After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, Gabby Allan finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever.

About the book:

Since returning home from mainland California and finding her groove with the family tourism business, Whitney Dagner’s daily routine has become a wonderfully chaotic adventure. She and her nimble kitty, Whiskers, often find themselves at the center of the action on Catalina, from staged treasure hunts to gossipy birdwatchers. But before Whit can get too comfortable in the place where she grew up, a gift shop order leads to a stunning discovery—someone’s dead body . . .

One of Whit’s best boat tour client’s, Leo Franklin was young and newly engaged when he unceremoniously took his own life. Only it doesn’t seem like that’s what really happened—not after the suspicious activity displayed by his family’s old rivals at the scene of his death. As a bitter, generations-long feud between Leo’s kin and the local Ahern clan comes to a head, Whit and her police diver not-so-ex-boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood to figure out who’s innocent . . .and who’s covering a killer’s tracks.

A Wicked Welcome to Zac Bissonette **plus a giveaway**

by Julie, summering in Somerville

I am delighted to welcome Zac Bissonnette to the blog today! Zac’s debut mystery, A Killing in Costumes, was released on Tuesday, and we’re thrilled to help him celebrate!

My Little Perry Como Memorabilia Collection Some shots of Perry Como with the stars of the day. Center left, the meeting of the only two hobbies I have: Perry Como and Angela Lansbury

As part of the research for my debut mystery novel, A Killing in Costumes, set in the world of Hollywood memorabilia dealers, I interviewed Joseph Maddalena, who runs the Hollywood memorabilia department at Heritage Auctions. He’s been in the industry for thirty-five years, and has sold millions and millions of dollars of Hollywood props and costumes.

I asked him what he thought of my book’s plot.

“It’s totally plausible,” he said. “These people are crazy. You have some old lady with a collection no one’s seen in Palm Springs, and get a couple dealers competing for it? Someone could hypothetically end up dead, absolutely. This memorabilia is an obsession. People covet it. It’s not like any other collectibles category. There’s a passion, an intensity that’s different.”

“Why?” I asked him.

“These objects give people a connection with these people. It’s what movies do: They transport you somewhere and then having the objects takes that to another level. If you hadDorothy’s ruby slippers [Which Maddalena once sold for more than two million dollars], what else do you need? It’s the ultimate symbol of hope. That’s the thing, to be able to have that moment. It’s magic.”

A couple comic books that guest starred Como.

I don’t own Dorothy’s slippers, nor do I have a large or varied memorabilia collection.

Peter Lawford’s script from a 1960 guest appearance on Perry Como’s TV show; a few candid photos Como, including with Frank Sinatra at a charity event.

Instead, since I was twelve years old and decided I loved Perry Como after I heard my grandparents playing him, I’ve been assembling what is, I have to assume, the largest collection of Perry Como ephemera in the world. None of this stuff is terribly valuable, but it’s given me great joy—and browsing eBay and emailing with dealers about hot finds has been a weird constant in my life for twenty years. Over the years, my collecting has brought me into contact with people who knew him—TV producers, relatives, and, most recently, a singer who was a member of the cast of his TV show in the early 1960s. The warm and wonderful reminisces they share of the barber from Pennsylvania who became, according to a LIFE Magazine poll, the man women most wanted to marry, enhance the joy my collection brings me. Perry Como was, unlike the other famous Italian-American singer of his era, a wonderful person, as kind and carefree, as his mister-nice-guy persona would have you believe.

A signed menu from an appearance Perry Como made at a Catalina Island restaurant in 1939—shortly before he left the band and contemplated reopening his barbershop, but stayed in the business when he got a radio show offer. Check out those prices!

So, there you have it: A few favorite pieces from my personal Perry Como collection. I probably wouldn’t kill anyone over any of this stuff—though maybe there’s some piece that’s eluded me that would meet that hurdle!

Wickeds Readers and Writers: Do you collect anything, or even just have one piece that has special meaning to you? Would you go to extreme lengths to get something?

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment and we’ll pick someone and send them a little piece of Hollywood memorabilia: a Murder, She Wrote script signed by Tom Sawyer, a writer for the show and longtime producer.

About A Killing In Costumes:

Stardom fades fast when you’re on the line for murder, in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Jenn McKinlay.

Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were soap opera stars in the late ’90s, a wholesome young husband-and-wife duo who combined musical talent with humor and charisma. When the truth about their sexual orientations came to light, their marriage and TV careers ended, but decades later they have remained friends. Together, they open Palm Springs’ chicest movie memorabilia store, Hooray for Hollywood–but no customers and dwindling finances spell trouble.

A Hail Mary arrives in the form of Yana Tosh, a ninety-year-old diva of the silver screen who has amassed a valuable collection of costumes and props and is looking to sell. But first, Jay and Cindy have to beat their competition, a vice president from a mega-auction house with ten times their resources. And when he winds up dead, they become prime suspects in the murder.

With their freedom and livelihoods on the line, Jay and Cindy desperately need to clear their names. There are plenty of other potential suspects, but they’ll have to solve it soon before they’re forced to trade in their vintage costume collection for two orange jumpsuits.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Zac Bissonnette‘s most recent book is 2015’s The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. He is an equity analyst at a hedge fund, and lives in New York City with his partner and a tuxedo cat named Perry Como. A Killing in Costumes is his first novel.

Wicked Wednesday: What’s in a Name?

Edith/Maddie here, with another August Wicked Wednesday.

August is an unusual but not unheard-of name. I know of two young men, one in his twenties and one age eleven, named that. One was born in August, one wasn’t. And my Brazilian friend Guta’s real name is Augusta (pronounced ow-GOOST-uh, more or less).

Wickeds, have you met someone named after another month in the year – June, May, April, July, maybe – or or have you named a character after a month? What are your favorite unusual character names in your books? (Now I have the urge to name a little girl December.)

Barb: I know two little boys named Julian, ages 3 and 5, so clearly that’s coming back. And a June, age 9. (And one my age.) I don’t know anyone named May, but I know lots of Marys and Marias who are nicknamed May. (When you marry into a large Italian family you are bound to know lots of Marys and Marias.) I just put an April in a new book. She only gets two scenes, but they’re important ones. And, of course, Gus and Mrs. Gus, Augustus and Augustine.

Liz: Edith, I have a friend who named her daughter December! I also knew a woman named September at a previous job. I don’t think I’ve named anyone after a month, but for unusual names, Stan Connor in my Pawsitively Organic series got a lot of attention for her name (it was a nickname, but all she used). I also have a female character named Reagan in another book I’m working on.

Sherry: I knew a girl named April growing up. She was rather shy. And there is a May on the name quilt my grandmother made.

Julie: My grandmother was born May Alberta Evans, but she changed it to Mae so that her initials matched her name. (That branch of the family is an ancestry nightmare. They were always just changing names and getting shady with dates.) I also know a June, an April, and an August. More than one person has thought I spell my name July. BTW, I agree, December is a wonderful name.

Jessie: My very first novel has a character named Augusta! I don’t believe that I know anyone in life named after a month, but I am rather partial to the idea of naming someone January.

Edith/Maddie: Look at all those month names! When I lived with my family in West Africa, my son had a friend named Talia. Her father was American and her mother from Niger, and Talia means Tuesday in Tamashek, her mother’s language. I always loved the sound. I have a fan named April who uses my Quaker Midwife mysteries in her college women’s studies course.

Readers: What’s your experience with month names for people?

Welcome Liz Milliron

Edith here, packing to go on vacation in New Hampshire and Maine for a week!

And also so happy to welcome Liz Milliron back to the blog, with a new Laurel Highlands mystery. Read on and you’ll see why this one is close to her heart – and isn’t that a gorgeous cover?

Here’s the blurb: Trooper Jim Duncan’s first day with the Criminal Investigation Division starts off with a bang when he is called to a murder scene with a badly decomposed body. After he finds an abused greyhound in the victim’s garage, the simple homicide becomes more complicated. Why would anyone want an unreliable racetrack employee dead, especially when greyhound racing is illegal in Pennsylvania?

Assistant public defender Sally Castle is facing her own career change. When she accepts a position with an old law school friend, her first case seems to be one that is exactly what she wants to do. Then she learns the greyhound adoption group her client may have embezzled from has ties to the shooting victim. What else is her client hiding?

Jim and Sally work their respective investigations, which may or may not be related. Along the way, they learn important lessons about themselves, those they work with, and the people they protect. But can they complete their tasks without falling prey to a killer?

Thanks, Wickeds, for having me back. I’m very excited about this book, Lie Down with Dogs, the fifth in the Laurel Highlands Mysteries series. Let me explain why.

In January of 2019, my husband said the words I’d been waiting for since my last dog passed away in 2011. “I think it’s time to get a dog.”

I, of course, was prepared for this. I knew what dog I wanted. I’d known for several years, ever since a friend of mine brought her retired-racer to a morning swim practice (our kids were on the same summer swim team). I wanted a greyhound. Solomon was a beautiful, gentle, well-mannered dog in a lovely fawn color. I was determined to own a retired-racer one day.

Of course, it wasn’t that easy. My husband wasn’t convinced. We did research. In the end, he agreed and we filled out an application to adopt a greyhound. And in March of 2019, we met Koda at the kennel and that, as they say, was that.

Needless to say, there aren’t a lot of greyhounds in my neighborhood, so I always got a lot of questions when I walked him. I also did “meet and greet” events at a local pet store with the adoption group I worked with. People were fascinated by the dogs. Here are the top five comments/questions I received (and still do when Koda and I are out).

1. Is he fast?

Yes. Koda was not a superb racer, which is why he retired early. But he did place in slightly more than 60% of his races. As a breed, a greyhound can run up to 45mph and it takes him just three strides to hit that speed. That makes him the second-fastest land animal on the planet. Of course, he’s a sprinter, so after about thirty seconds to a minute, he’s ready to lie down and take a nap.

2. He’s so soft!

When people see a dog with short hair, they expect them to feel a bit bristly. Add this to the fact that a lot of hounds have slightly oily coats. That’s because they spend a lot of time outdoors in the rain. Greyhounds are velvety soft all over. Koda is especially fun to pet after he’s been to the groomer and had his bath. And his ears are like velvet. Fortunately, he likes ear rubs, because I like touching them.

3. Is he hyper?

No. Greyhounds sleep anywhere from 18-20 hours a day. See above about being sprinters. A greyhound needs 1-2 good walks a day, or access to a nice-size yard. After that, he’s pretty chill. They are nicknamed “45mph couch potatoes” and they come by that name honestly. They make great apartment dogs, because they don’t bark a lot, don’t require excessive amounts of exercise, and can curl themselves up in surprisingly small spots.

4. He’s so friendly!

Greyhounds in general do not make good guard dogs. Why? Because they like people. For a snack and a belly rub, Koda will show an intruder where we keep the silver and smile while he does it. The dogs truly are gentle giants, good with small children and older people. Some greyhounds can be slightly aloof. They gladly accept affection, but they can be indifferent about seeking it. Not Koda. He’ll trot up and introduce himself to anyone. In a way, it’s a good thing because it means on the few occasions he’s gotten out of the yard, he never gets very far before he meets someone and has to stop for attention.

5. Does he eat a lot?

Yes. Besides his two-cups-of-dog-food-per-meal, Koda is a bottomless pit. He’ll eat just about anything, not just meat or fish. He once won a contest called “my dog will eat that.” Some of the odd things he’s gladly munched: broccoli, green beans, carrots, spinach, parsley, grapefruit, orange slices, marshmallows, cereal, asparagus, peas (in and out of the pod), cooked mushrooms (not raw), celery, berries, and melon. I’ve probably forgotten something, but you get the idea.

If you’ve gotten the idea that I’d heartily recommend a retired-racer greyhound as a pet, you’d be right. Some people think they look big and scary, but they truly are sweethearts. To learn more, visit www.ngap.org or look for a greyhound adoption group near you.

Readers: What questions do you have about greyhounds?

Liz Milliron is the author of The Laurel Highlands Mysteries series, set in the scenic Laurel Highlands and The Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo, NY during the early years of World War II. She is a member of Pennwriters, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and The Historical Novel Society and is the current vice-President of the Pittsburgh chapter of Sisters in Crime. Liz splits her time between homes in Pittsburgh and the Laurel Highlands, were she lives with her husband and a very spoiled retired-racer greyhound. Find her at her web site, on Facebook , and on Instagram.

Local Business Closes

CAMBRIDGE, MA: The proprietor of a Professional Busybody business in West Cambridge today announced its imminent closure. The sign has been removed from the end of the garden walk at Jane Darrowfield’s residence and she is accepting no new cases.

“I’m gratified to say the people who used my services were pleased, but sadly, there weren’t enough of them,” said Ms. Darrowfield, owner and sole employee.

While she was operating, Ms. Darrowfield provided a service fixing things that required discreet handling for select clients. She dealt with problems that while vexing, costly, or even dangerous, were not appropriate for the police. “Never underestimate the value of common sense and a direct approach to difficult conversations,” Ms. Darrowfield has said.

“She helped me change hairdressers with no feelings hurt and without getting kicked out of the salon,” Mil Foster said. “Frankly, I’ve never looked better. I am eternally grateful.”

“She didn’t get our cat back,” Ralph Pilchner said. “But she did repair our relationship with our next door neighbors and dear friends. We presented her with one problem, but Jane understood, without our ever saying it, what the real issue was and went about fixing it.”

Despite the deliberately low stakes nature of Ms. Darrowfield’s cases, she has worked with the Cambridge PD on major criminal investigations. “Jane’s instincts are unerring,” said Detective Tony Alvarez. “I was pleased to work with her on two big cases involving multiple murders and a kidnapping. I will greatly miss her contributions. She is a citizen-hero.”

Asked what she planned to do with her time, Ms. Darrowfield said, “I have a few cases to finish up. Then I’m going to San Francisco to live in a rental apartment near my son and his family. We have a lot of work to do. I expect to be there for several months. Happily, my fiancé, Harry Welch, will be visiting frequently, which will give me the support I’m sure I’ll need. In addition, we hope to fit in a bit of sightseeing while we’re on the west coast.”

Ms. Darrowfield’s friends are generally supportive of the closure. “The business has made for some very entertaining conversations at our weekly bridge games,” Irma Brittleson said. “but Jane has ended up in harm’s way more than once. I, for one, am happy to see her give it up.”

“Of course with this San Francisco trip, we’ll have to find a temporary fourth for bridge and the pickings are slim,” said Phyllis Goldstein, quickly adding, “Not that I begrudge her.”

“Pish,” said best friend Helen Graham. “Jane has retired unsuccessfully once before. I don’t think this one will stick, either.”

Despite Ms. Graham’s skepticism, Ms. Darrowfield is committed to closing the business. “It’s been fun,” she said, “but it’s time to move on.”

Guest Leslie Karst, plus #giveaway

Edith/Maddie here, writing north of Boston and gearing up for a fun month! (Can you spell vacation?)

Leslie Karst is my third Leslie guest in a month, and certainly not least (none of them is). I’m so excited to have her back with the Wickeds, because that means she has a new Sally Solari mystery for me to inhale…I mean, read. If you haven’t read this wonderful foodie series set in Santa Cruz, California, you need to catch up, stat. Let’s see what The Fragrance of Death is like.

Ooh, artichokes, one of my favorite foods! Here’s the blurb:

Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, she’s noticed her nonna’s friends have now taken to crossing themselves when they see her in the street. Adding to her woes, a sinus infection has knocked out her sense of smell, making cooking on the hot line difficult, indeed. Nevertheless, Sally is determined to stay out of trouble and focus on her work.

But then her old acquaintance Neil Lerici is murdered at the annual Santa Cruz Artichoke Cook-Off, and her powers of investigation are called into action once more. Sally plunges headfirst into the case, risking alienating everyone she knows—including the dapper Detective Vargas, who finds her sleuthing both infuriating and endearing. And soon it’s not only her restaurant and tentative new relationship that are on the line—it’s her life . . .

A Rose by Any Other Name…Would be Sally!

Coming up with names is hard, be it baby names, pen names, or character names.

For babies, new parents often simply use those of family members or people in their close circle, naming their daughter after a favorite aunt or grandmother or a good friend. (I, for example, was given my father’s middle name, who had been named after my grandmother’s best friend’s husband, Les.)

Grammy and Belle, 1920s

(Edith butting in here – Leslie looks just like her Grammy!)

And for pen names, it’s often a whimsical choice, the chance to use a moniker you always thought would be fun to have, but never wanted to actually change your name to. When I worked briefly as a disc jockey at a local country radio station, for example, I did so under a name I’d come up with years earlier as an amusing alter-ego: Iris Haven. (It came to me one night after having imbibed several cocktails, when I was trying to articulate the phrase “artists’ haven.” I was in my twenties at the time, and thought it would be marvelous to go live in such a place.)

Or again, one’s pseudonym might derive from a family member. Ellen Byron’s pen name, Maria DiRico, for example, comes from that of her Italian nonna. Similarly, I always thought that if I had to come up with another author name, I’d use Olivia Cook, the maiden name of my maternal grandmother (and a highly appropriate one, at that, given the culinary mysteries I write).

But what about our characters’ names? Where did Sally Solari get her name? Well, it’s actually a fun story:

Back in the early 1980s, I sang and played guitar in a new wave rock n’ roll band called Enigma, during which period I had my hair spiked and wore red hightop Chuck Taylors and pegged black slacks. One of the songs I wrote for the band was called “Jet Black,” about a gal named Sally (inspired by Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally”) and her shiny black guitar. Many years later, when casting about for what to call my fourth-generation Italian amateur sleuth, I decided it would be fun to use the same name—partly because it meant I could have her named after her grandfather, Salvatore.

A young Leslie rockin’ out

But next I needed to find a last name for the restaurant-owning family, whose fishermen ancestors arrived from Liguria in the late nineteenth century. Researching surnames from that area of northern coastal Italy, I spotted “Solari” amongst the list. I loved how it evoked the word “solo,” as in someone working on her own against the odds. (There’s a reason other fictional characters have been called Napoleon Solo and Han Solo.) And I was also pleased that the name would be a nod to a local treasure, Mary Solari, who’s been a generous patron of the arts in Santa Cruz over many years.

These Italian fishermen in San Francisco in the late 1890s could be Sally’s great-grandfathers. [Photo public domain from Wikimedia Commons]

As for side characters, the trick is to have the names start with the different letters and not sound too much alike. But it’s great fun coming up with monikers for secondary characters, and the ones in my books derive their names from a host of different places: authors and musicians I admire (e.g., [David] Byrne, [Ray] Davies, [Declan] McManus); friends of mine; opera characters (Violetta/Letta; Mario); and once I even named someone after a stack of soda water cases I spied in the grocery store (Lacroix).

Readers: For a chance to win a copy of the first book in my Sally Solari series, Dying for a Taste, answer this question in the comments (US only; don’t forget to leave your email): How much attention do you pay to characters’ names? Do you have any favorites?

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari culinary mystery series. The daughter of a law professor and a potter, she waited tables and sang in a new wave rock band before deciding she was ready for “real” job and ending up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as a research and appellate attorney in Santa Cruz, California, that she rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking, and she once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts.

Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, singing alto in her local community chorus, and of course writing. She and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

The Ultimate Road Trip

Last January when our friend Christine from Australia was visiting, she mentioned her son Jono (who we met once ten years ago when he was eleven) was playing in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Lebanon, Ohio. We immediately said, “We’ll meet you there.”

My very limited knowledge of the sport came from a friend talking about her daughter playing and blogger Mark Baker (Carstairs Considers) posting about it on Facebook. It intrigued me enough that it comes into play (pun intended) during my third Sarah Winston book, All Murders Final. And I just wrote a short story “The Ultimate Bounty Hunter” that includes the sport. It will appear in the next Chesapeake Crimes anthology in 2024.

Two weeks ago today we set off. For once, I convinced my husband to take back roads. Eastern West Virginia is stunningly beautiful. Once we left Virginia we almost had the roads to ourselves. We crossed the Appalachian Mountains, climbing and descending over and over. There were 9% grades and hairpin turns and forests and streams. We passed places called Dismal Hollow, Hopeless Lane, and Cheat River. There were so many towns that ended with either “burg” or “ville.”

Ohio flattens out, but this Iowa-raised girl loves to see a field of corn or soybeans and an old barn, so I was perfectly content. They have their own special kind of beauty.

We rented an AirBnB that said it was a luxury apartment. My husband took one look at the picture of the living room and said it looked like we were all going to donate blood. But the apartment was situated just off the highway in an area of shops, restaurants, and grocery stores. The chairs reclined and were comfortable. Best of all no one came to draw our blood.

Christine arrived and we set about making our first meal. There were four plastic glasses – two of which were so cracked they didn’t hold liquids. The dishware was also flimsy plastic with deep scratch marks that looked disgusting. I said the place was luxury redefined. A quick trip to TJ Maxx and we had suitable glasses and dishware—which are now residing in our basement.

When we said we’d go to the tournament we had no idea what we were getting in to! This wasn’t some small tournament. It was the World Ultimate Club Championships played every four years. There were 40 countries represented and 128 teams. Bob and Christine went to every game—two a day. I was a bit pickier choosing the game where the heat index was less than 100, okay 90. The athleticism of the players was astounding. They dive, leap, throw, and roll. The game is self-regulated meaning there are no referees. The players talk out conflicts. It was so much fun.

Jono making a catch during practiceThe Australian (in black) and Colombian team after a hard fought game which the Australians won!

And we learned a lot of Aussie lingo. First and foremost, they don’t say “throw some shrimp on the barbie” because they call shrimp prawns. And they don’t call women “Sheila.” They do however, say “g’day.” Here are some other things we learned:

Whinger – (win jah)   complainer

Sledging – giving someone a hard time in a funny friendly way, banter

Phaffing – taking too long to do something – find keys, etc. wasting time or doing something unproductive

Farnarkling – to waste time, muck around, or phaf about

Sin cupboard – that’s where you keep the nuts, crackers, chips, and sweets

Physio – PT

Coriander is what we call cilantro

Capsicum – bell peppers

Australia – Straya

Indicator is a turn signal

Leaving Christine at the Cincinnati airport (which is in Kentucky) was so hard and involved lots of long hugs.

On the first half of the trip home, we took the fastest route. The second half we went just a bit out of the way so we could end the trip on a high note. Lunch with Barb Goffman and a stop for a glass of wine to see our daughter.

A rest stop in Maryland

Below are some random photos of things that caught my eye. A beautiful house in Springboro, Ohio, a tiny church, a bush that looks like a creature, fun decorations, a tiny house, and a horse on the interstate — I kept worry about its eyes as it sped along at 80 miles an hour.

Readers: Have you ever watched Ultimate Frisbee? Is there another sport you love to watch?

Wicked Wednesday: Inspiring Admiration

Edith/Maddie here, happy to celebrate a month of August Wednesdays with you all.

Graphic by the talented Jennifer McKee

I looked up the definition and word history for August and found the following at the Online Etymology Dictionary (one of my favorite places to check when a particular word of English first started being used):

August: “inspiring reverence and admiration, solemnly grand,” 1660s, from Latin augustus “venerable, majestic, magnificent, noble,” perhaps originally “consecrated by the augurs, with favorable auguries.”

It goes on to talk about the name of the month. As a gardener, I got a giggle out of the following:

In England, the name replaced native Weodmonað “weed month.” Traditionally the first month of autumn in Great Britain, the last of summer in the U.S.

August is most surely Weed Month! But back to the first definition.

Wickeds, share a character in your books who inspires admiration or even reverence, either in other characters or in readers.

Julie: Lilly Jayne is a town elder of Goosebush, and has played many roles in town government over the years. Her best friend Tamara is a real estate person, and she’s also served the town in many ways. Those two women inspire admiration. That’s one of the things that lets them take on the role of clean-up in Goosebush.

Barb: Julie, I admire Lilly and Tamara very much. In Muddled Through, the character of Alice Rumsford is respected by almost everyone in a divided town. She’s a philanthropist and a former photographer for National Geographic, something a stunningly small number of women have achieved. She supports the institutions the townspeople use and appreciate and always puts her money where her mouth is.

Edith/Maddie: I loved Alice, Barb! In my Quaker Midwife Mysteries, Rose Carroll admires her wise old teacher, Orpha Perkins, and fans do too. She’s unflappable and competent during difficult births, she treats all women fairly, and she sees deep into Rose’s soul. Aunt Adele in the Country Store Mysteries, like Lilly Jayne, has served South Lick in several ways, and she’s also fun, courageous, loving, and full of life.

Liz: In the Cat Cafe books, Maddie’s mindfulness mentor Cass Hendricks is respected across the island, even by those who don’t understand anything about what he does. He’s got such a calming presence and he helps a lot of people, and I don’t think he’s had an enemy his whole time on the island.

Sherry: Great question and it has me thinking about all of my characters. Everyone seems to love Joaquin in the Chloe Jackson books. He’s helped Chloe and Vivi understand each other, he dances, makes a great drink, has an upbeat attitude, and works hard as a fisherman too. What’s not to love?

Readers: Tell us about a character or a real person you admire or revere!

Opening Lines

Wickeds, add your opening lines!

Edith/Maddie: I told him not to go poking around in the forsythia. One more nosy boyfriend is now a late boyfriend.

Jessie: Marilyn was foolish enough to comment on my new garden had really taken off since my husband set off for parts unknown. She won’t be doing that again.

Barb: “I buried my ex-wife here, you know, for the tax break.”

Sherry: Digging holes is hard work. And I realized mine was too shallow when I noticed my former boss’s hat was still above ground.

Liz: Stupid meter reader. If he’d only listened when I told him not to go to that corner of the garden looking the meter.

Julie: And they wonder why I don’t weed more often.

Readers: Add yours in the comments.