Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 84

Wicked Wednesday: Celebrating Gratitude

Edith/Maddie here, with our last Wicked Wednesday focused on celebrating.

Tomorrow is American Thanksgiving. The holiday has lots of history and mythology attached to it, which we won’t go into. Many regard the day as an opportunity to gather with loved ones and share food – I know I do – and to be grateful for blessings.

Wickeds, will you celebrate your gratitude for food and dear ones tomorrow? How will the table look? What is your favorite – and least favorite – dish to prepare? What are the blessings you’re grateful for?

Julie: I will celebrate with loved ones tomorrow. It has been a tough year in a number of ways, but we’re going to celebrate the blessing of being together. I’m always the pie maker, so I’m working on those. I also make the sweet potato casserole. We make a roasted vegetable mix that includes beets, Brussel sprouts, carrots, and parsnips. It’s a pain to prep, but so, so good.

Edith/Maddie: I am more than thrilled to be hosting my favorite holiday tomorrow, with family and the close friends we always gather with – except for last year, of course. I’ll set the white damask tablecloth with my mother’s china and my grandmother Dot’s silver. I’ll bake four pies today, with my son and his wife’s help, and roast a fresh turkey tomorrow, spatchcocked and dry-rubbed, with my mother’s bread dressing on the side, plus smashed potatoes and gravy. Guests will bring smiles, wine, and all the sides. What could be a better celebration of how many blessings we have?

Barb: I’ll be at my daughter’s house. My son and his family will be there, too. (Assuming everyone has negative covid tests. Nervously awaiting results as I write this.) I’ll make the turnips before we leave Portland. At my daughter’s house, I’ll make the apple and mince pies with my granddaughters. My mother’s dressing will be my contribution to the main meal on the day.

Liz: I’m having a low-key day with a friend, and yes we’re doing my go-to feast – the vegan meal from Whole Foods. It’s been quite the year, with so many blessings to celebrate and so many new, exciting chapters to look forward to. And I’m really looking forward to the pumpkin pie!

Sherry: We are having a small Thanksgiving too. My daughter isn’t a big fan of traditional Thanksgiving food so I think I’m going to make Chicken Marsala. It’s a dish we all like. I haven’ thought about sides yet but there will be pumpkin and apple pie. We have lots to be grateful for — most of all that we will be together.

Jessie: Sherry, I love to make Chicken Marsala for Easter! We will be hosting a family gathering which will include traditional and additional foods. I am always happy to make the meal for loved ones, but do find myself missing my grandmothers and aunts on the days leading up to the festivities quite keenly. One of my grandmothers always came to help me to prepare and was a delightful conversationalist. I am very grateful that I have members of the younger generation that pitch in and are just as good company!

Readers: How and what will you celebrate on Thanksgiving, if you do?

Violet Mooney’s Favorite Holiday Harmony Crystals

Happy almost-Thanksgiving, readers! Liz here, and today I thought it would be prudent to get Violet Mooney’s take on the best crystals to take with you on those family visits–especially the ones that might be, shall we say, less harmonious. Read on for the stones Violet always has on hand when she’s interacting with her mother, Fiona, especially during a tense situation…

Clear quartz is a powerful, high vibe stone that not only gets you crystal clear on all your “stuff,” it is able to absorb and release negative energy. It also amplifies good energy, so it’s a must-have on the holiday table.

Turquoise is great for self-healing, and for people who want to prioritize their own health and wellness. It clears negative energy and gives off peaceful, serene vibes at the same time, so it’s a great one to wear into battle–literally. In ancient times, warriors would wear it into battle. So if turkey day can get contentious in your house, this is a stone to bring!

Ocean jasper. Like all the jasper stones, ocean jasper is calming and grounding. This stone is straight up happy and positive, and trust me, you want it with you if you’re in need of ditching any pessimistic feelings.

Rose quartz is the go-to stone for love and romance, but it’s also a great stone to bring self-love and healing vibes to the party. It also helps give you clarity about other people. This stone is all about the heart chakra, and helps you attract unconditional love. And yes, that can be from Mom, Dad or Grandpa too.

Citrine is one of my (as well as Violet’s) favorite stones for positivity, joy and happiness. The orange color alone makes me happy, which is no surprise because it’s literally like you’re bringing rays of sunshine into your life when you work with citrine. For all you writers out there, it’s also a stone of creativity – and what writer doesn’t get happier when the muse visits?

And, if those aren’t enough, take a black obsidian along. It’s Violet’s favorite protection stone, and it shields against negativity.

For those who celebrate, have a happy, safe, and peaceful Thanksgiving!

Readers, do you carry any kind of talisman with you for peace or protection? Leave a comment below!

Head-Spinning Season

Edith/Maddie here, delighted it’s almost Thanksgiving, which means family, friends, and food!

But it’s also a period when my head is spinning.

Marmolejo1489, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

No, I don’t mean like the girl in the 1973 movie. But I do have a lot on my plate right now, and it feels like bumper cars.

METRO96, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s why:

A. I have a book due December first, which is in nine days. Four Leaf Cleaver, Country Store #11, is still too short. I’m still not sure I’ve gone deep enough into the characters and their motivations and their secrets. This is late for me. I’m usually ready to send in a book a month early. Gulp.

B. I have a book releasing November thirtieth, which is in eight days. Have I arranged enough guest appearances, written my release newsletter, scheduled the right kind of posts? (Hint – the answer is NO.)

C. My son and his wife are coming tomorrow through Friday. Is the guest room ready, do I have all my pie makings in house, have I planned a couple of vegetarian dinners for them? (Hint – uh, not yet.) At least I ordered a fresh local turkey in time, and guests are bringing all the sides.

D. The minute all this flurry is over, I have to pack my bag for my first airplane flight since March 2020. I’m taking a quick trip, leaving December third, to San Francisco to see my 94-year-old Uncle Dick and my cousins. I am exceedingly nervous about traveling among a bunch of people whose vaccination status I will never know. Yikes. (My relatives, blessedly, are among the fully vaccinated.)

E. On top of all this, the next book is knocking at my brain. “When are you getting back to us?” say my historical characters from a not-yet-under-contract manuscript I didn’t quite finish last summer. I can’t wait to dive back into it.

See what I mean? But throwing my hands in the air and screaming isn’t an option. And really, I’m living my dream. It could be a lot worse.

So I’ll do what I always do. Make lists. Put my head down and work. Breathe deeply and drink a lot of water. Get out for at least one long walk every day. Take time to enjoy my loved ones, because that’s more important than anything. I know it’ll all be fine, and it’ll all get done. Right? (Uh, just say Yes…)

Readers: How do you get through times when you have a lot on your plate?

Guest Marilyn Levinson

News Flash: Kay Garrett is the giveaway winner! Congratulations, Kay, and please check your email.

Edith/Maddie writing from a dark and cold north of Boston.

But a bit of light comes from today’s guest, Marilyn Levinson, whose Death on the Shelf is her fifth Haunted Library mystery (written as Allison Brook). And she’s giving away a copy of the new book to one lucky commenter!

In Death on the Shelf, librarian Carrie Singleton is attending her best friend’s wedding reception when a guest suddenly dies. Was it illness or murder that ended the life of the good doctor? Carrie investigates and discovers secrets and intrigues.

What’s In a Title?

Authors know that choosing the right title for a book requires considerable thought. You want something clever but not so clever that its meaning is obscure; catchy but not overused; trendy but not derivative. It needn’t be original because titles are sometimes used again and again.  The title should give some insight into the story printed on its pages as well as reflect the book’s mood and genre.

Years ago when I was writing kid lit, I usually came up with the titles for my books. I loved taking a line from my novel, a line I felt summed up the mood and feeling of what my book was about. But perhaps that type of novel-naming is a thing of the past, along with borrowing phrases from the Bible like THE SUN ALSO RISES, SONG OF SOLOMON and EAST OF EDEN.

These days certain words are popular in titles. Think of the number of books that include the word “girl” in their titles. Like GONE GIRL, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON to name a few. “Last” is another recent popular word in titles, along with “widow” and “wife.”

Cozy mysteries have whimsical titles because while they involve murder and mayhem, their tone is lighthearted. Cozy titles let readers know that these are fun books to read and often are puns of familiar sayings such as NO GRATER CRIME by Maddie Day, THE GUN ALSO RISES by Sherry Harris, and A CHRISTMAS PERIL by JA Hennrikus.

Alas, my success rate of creating titles for my HAUNTED LIBRARY series that I write as Allison Brook is rather low. The first title came easy enough. Since the series centers around a library, I wanted the title to have something to do with books or a library as well as murder. Since a cold case was involved, I thought that DEATH OVERDUE was an appropriate title. My publisher agreed and that became the name of book number one. Afterward, I discovered there was already a mystery out with that title, but they weren’t concerned and neither was I.

I was asked for title ideas for the following books and happily came up with a list of possibilities. My group of cozy authors also provided their wonderful suggestions. Some of their proposals were taken. Other titles came from my publisher. None came from me.

It doesn’t bother me . . . anymore. After all, what’s in a title? In truth, I sometimes confuse my own titles. I even posted a giveaway in my newsletter changing the first word in DEATH ON THE SHELF to MURDER. No matter. The winner received her prize. Most importantly, my readers know what to expect when each new book in the series comes out, regardless of the title on the cover.

Readers: Does a book title determine whether or not you plan to read the book? I’ll send a copy of Death on the Shelf to one US commenter.

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series. Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids. She invites you to sign up for her newsletter: http://www.marilynlevinson.com

Guest Marilyn Levison

Edith/Maddie writing from a dark and cold north of Boston.

But a bit of light comes from today’s guest, Marilyn Levinson, whose Death on the Shelf is her fifth Haunted Library mystery (written as Allison Brook). And she’s giving away a copy of the new book to one lucky commenter!

In Death on the Shelf, librarian Carrie Singleton is attending her best friend’s wedding reception when a guest suddenly dies. Was it illness or murder that ended the life of the good doctor? Carrie investigates and discovers secrets and intrigues.

What’s In a Title?

Authors know that choosing the right title for a book requires considerable thought. You want something clever but not so clever that its meaning is obscure; catchy but not overused; trendy but not derivative. It needn’t be original because titles are sometimes used again and again.  The title should give some insight into the story printed on its pages as well as reflect the book’s mood and genre.

Years ago when I was writing kid lit, I usually came up with the titles for my books. I loved taking a line from my novel, a line I felt summed up the mood and feeling of what my book was about. But perhaps that type of novel-naming is a thing of the past, along with borrowing phrases from the Bible like THE SUN ALSO RISES, SONG OF SOLOMON and EAST OF EDEN.

These days certain words are popular in titles. Think of the number of books that include the word “girl” in their titles. Like GONE GIRL, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON to name a few. “Last” is another recent popular word in titles, along with “widow” and “wife.”

Cozy mysteries have whimsical titles because while they involve murder and mayhem, their tone is lighthearted. Cozy titles let readers know that these are fun books to read and often are puns of familiar sayings such as NO GRATER CRIME by Maddie Day, THE GUN ALSO RISES by Sherry Harris, and A CHRISTMAS PERIL by JA Hennrikus.

Alas, my success rate of creating titles for my HAUNTED LIBRARY series that I write as Allison Brook is rather low. The first title came easy enough. Since the series centers around a library, I wanted the title to have something to do with books or a library as well as murder. Since a cold case was involved, I thought that DEATH OVERDUE was an appropriate title. My publisher agreed and that became the name of book number one. Afterward, I discovered there was already a mystery out with that title, but they weren’t concerned and neither was I.

I was asked for title ideas for the following books and happily came up with a list of possibilities. My group of cozy authors also provided their wonderful suggestions. Some of their proposals were taken. Other titles came from my publisher. None came from me.

It doesn’t bother me . . . anymore. After all, what’s in a title? In truth, I sometimes confuse my own titles. I even posted a giveaway in my newsletter changing the first word in DEATH ON THE SHELF to MURDER. No matter. The winner received her prize. Most importantly, my readers know what to expect when each new book in the series comes out, regardless of the title on the cover.

Readers: Does a book title determine whether or not you plan to read the book? I’ll send a copy of Death on the Shelf to one US commenter.

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades. As Allison Brook she writes the Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series and the Twin Lakes series. Her juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, and chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids. She invites you to sign up for her newsletter: http://www.marilynlevinson.com

Genre Hopping with Elizabeth de Veer

Edith/Maddie in a chilly week north of Boston.

 I’m so happy to welcome debut author Elizabeth de Veer to the blog. The Ocean in Winter is an atmospheric and beautifully told tale of three adult sisters. I absolutely loved reading it after it came out last summer, and I know you will, too.

Here’s the blurb:

The lives of the three Emery sisters were changed forever when the oldest sister, Alex, eleven then, found their mother drowned in the bathtub of their home. Now the girls are grown and navigating different directions. Alex, a nurse, has been traveling in India and grieving her struggle to have a child; Colleen is the devoted mother of preteens in denial that her marriage is ending; and Riley, the youngest, has been leading what her sisters imagine to be the dream life of a successful model in New York City. But Riley has many dark secrets, and she’s cut off communications with her family. Now, Alex and Colleen are desperate to find her, but what if they can’t get to her in time? “Fiercely intelligent and always engaging, de Veer does what the best novelists do: she takes the full measure of her difficult subject, and transforms it through some alchemy into hard-won wisdom and grace.” –Elisabeth Elo, author of Finding Katarina M. and North of Boston

Let’s get our interview started.

What genres do you write in?

I mostly write literary fiction/women’s fiction, although now I’m trying my hand at a murder mystery.

What drew you to the genre you write?

It’s just how my first books came out, but I enjoy exploring and expounding upon the characters’ emotional lives. The Ocean in Winter includes a mystery and a ghost story. I thought including ghosts would be a good way to explore the theme of what it means to be haunted.

What sets your book apart from what is out there?

The Ocean in Winter is the story of three sisters whose mother committed suicide when they were children. The story picks up when they are adults and all three sisters are at a crossroads. I think my writing style holds the reader in the center of the character’s emotional experience, which is sometimes traumatic, but I don’t tip into melodrama. This lets the reader experience the feelings but stay inside the story.

Do you write a series or standalones? Why?

I write standalones. I guess that’s just what the Muse tells me to do. I feel like it might be more sensible to write a series, but I’m one and done, baby.

As a series writer, I always find that so interesting! What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m writing a standalone murder mystery set in a town very similar to Georgetown, Massachusetts, where I live. The story is about a teenager, Tyler Sturges, who went missing fifteen years ago. The case wakes up again when one of the friends finds his ID in an abandoned house. Why would the owner of the house, Old Man Egmont, have murdered Tyler? And if he did, what happened to the body? (I actually happen to know those answers but you, dear readers, will have to wait to find out more!)

I can’t wait. What are you reading right now?

I spoke to my first book club last week (squee!! So fun!) and one of the readers had just read Stephen King’s book On Writing. I read it a long time ago, but she reminded me what a great book it is. Now I’m listening to the audiobook. The man really is a genius storyteller. My favorite story so far is about flatulent babysitter Eulah Beulah and how she fed little Stevie way too many eggs. It’s just the smallest anecdote, but it is absolutely wonderful. It’s also such a treat to get writing advice and insight from the master.

I should reread that, too. It’s on my shelf of books about writing. Do you have a favorite quote or life motto?

From Finding Nemo: “When life gets you down, you know what you got to do? Just keep swimming.” I think about that lot when things get discouraging. Keep your head down, focus on what works, and keep swimming.

I love that quote! What’s your favorite writing space?

Ten years ago, before my daughter was born, I had a sweet little home office. After she came along, I came to love getting out of the house and writing in coffee shops. Nowadays, my husband works full time (and overtime) in that home office, and I have taken over the desk in the dining room where my daughter did school over Zoom last year. But I’m miss coffee shops!! I can’t wait to get back to them.

Favorite deadline snack?

Whatever’s easy to prep, light and tasty, microwaveable, vegetarian, but nothing too fattening. Oh, and coffee.

What do you see when you look up from writing?

There’s a big window behind my desk in the corner of the dining room and it looks out into our front yard. There’s a lovely little Japanese elm out there whose leaves turn scarlet-crimson in the fall. The birds just love flitting about that tree and in the summer, we had two pairs of hummingbirds who frequently spent time in that tree. Looking up and seeing them was just a treat.

Thank you so much for inviting me to “talk” with you!

Edith: It’s been a delightful chat. I was so happy to help you celebrate being a Debutante at Crime Bake last weekend!

Readers: What’s your favorite paranormal mystery or ghost story? What makes you pick up a book in a genre you don’t usually read?

Elizabeth de Veer has a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and has been admitted to writing residencies at the Jentel Artist Residency, the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and is a member of several writing groups, including the Newburyport Writers’ Group and Sisters in Crime New England. She lives in a Georgetown, Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and labradoodle.

Wicked Wednesday: Our Characters Celebrating

Edith/Maddie here. Let’s talk this week about how our protagonists like to celebrate.

We’ve been talking about how we, the Wicked Authors, celebrate. But how about our main characters? When your protag has something exciting happen, how does she – or would she – celebrate? Is there a fictional celebration you’re looking forward to writing?

Sherry: Hmmmm, I don’t think my characters do a lot of celebrating. I need to fix that! They are usually so relieved the murderer has been caught that that in itself is a celebration. However, I’m going to make sure they start popping some sparkling wine with loved ones!

Jessie: Like me, my characters seem to have a fondness for celebrating. Edwina often buys special skeins of yarn or a new hat to mark an occasion. Beryl invites people over for a game of cards and whips up a batch of Gin Fizzes.

Julie: The Garden Squad celebrates by being together. Sometimes, most of the time, it’s with food. But at the end of Wreathing Havoc I have them celebrating by standing in a circle and cheering for each other. I love gatherings and celebrations in cozies–it drives home the warm feelings of the genre.

Liz: I don’t think my characters do enough celebrating either. When they do it’s usually food-related too. Maybe I need to get them having more fun…

Edith/Maddie: Julie, I love that circle of cheering. I had so much writing Robbie Jordan’s wedding at the end of No Grater Crime. Now that was a celebration! But you can’t have a pig roast and dancing in the barn for every small occasion. Robbie and Adele tend to sit around and celebrate with a little Four Roses bourbon, and Mac gathers with the book group and food.

Barb: Many of the Maine Clambake books and novellas end with a gathering, at the Snowden Family Clambake if the story is set in the summer, or at Julia’s mother’s house if it is not. Jane Darrowfield might have a nice dinner with her boyfriend, Harry, and after any adventure she does a complete post mortem with her bridge group.

Readers: How do you think our characters should celebrate? Writers – what do your characters do?

Joys of Research with Guest Skye Alexander

Edith here, writing from the dark days of northeastern MA in mid-November.

But that doesn’t matter when you have a fun new historical mystery to dive into! Please welcome today’s guest, a former denizen of our region, who shares a few areas of research she enjoyed while writing her newly released Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife. Skye is offering a giveaway of an ebook version as a giveaway to one lucky reader.

Here’s the blurb:

August 1925. Jazz singer Lizzie Crane and her troupe land a plum job that could give them their big break in show biz: a week-long engagement celebration for the daughter of a wealthy industrialist to a Russian count. But before Lizzie can enjoy her good luck––and the amorous attention of her employer’s son––she finds the group’s saxophonist stabbed to death. Police suspect her and her musician friends and place them under house arrest, where they’re at the mercy of the very people who have the most to lose if the murder is solved. As Lizzie delves into her slain colleague’s mysterious past, she discovers secrets worth killing to protect and risks her own life in the process.

The Joy of Doing Research

Writing historical fiction requires doing a lot of research, which may sound tedious to some people. But once I started delving into the Roaring Twenties for the first history-mystery in my Lizzie Crane series, Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife, I was rewarded with all sorts of fascinating facts, fads, and trivia.

For example, I learned that Prohibition didn’t outlaw drinking alcohol or serving it in your home, only making, selling, and distributing it were illegal. In the 1920s, police roamed beaches performing “modesty checks” on women bathers by measuring the distance from the bottoms of their swimsuits to their knees. Charles Lindbergh, before he became famous for flying across the Atlantic Ocean, performed air acrobatics in barnstorming events across the central U.S.––his risky demonstrations earned him the nickname “Daredevil Lindbergh.”

The Devil’s in the Details

Because mystery readers are sticklers for accuracy, I had to make sure I got the information right. To that end, I sought resource materials that would provide the details I needed. I purchased a 1925 Sears catalog that showed what ordinary people wore, the products they used, and how much things cost in those days. I bought old postcards, newspapers, and magazines. I downloaded period menus from restaurants to learn what people ate then––Jell-O, it turns out, was considered a classy dessert because it meant the person who served it owned one of the new refrigerators. I found vintage maps on eBay, including a hand-drawn one of Greenwich Village in 1925 that indicated which ethic and cultural groups lived in which areas, and one of New York in 1926 that showed which elevated railways were being transitioned to subways.

To familiarize myself with Jazz Age slang I turned to slang dictionaries including Tom Dalzell’s Flappers 2 Rappers and The Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life from Prohibition through World War II by Marc McCutcheon. There I learned that the convertible one of my characters drives was known as a “breezer” and that a hot-blooded young woman was called a “bearcat,” which became my protagonist’s nickname.

To augment my Sears catalog, I sought fashion advice from style expert Debbie Sessions at Vintage Dancer, who gave me a course in 1920s clothing. To expand my knowledge of jazz, I listened to old recordings and watched performances of Louis Armstrong, Al Jolson, and other jazz greats on YouTube. I read books, stories, and plays, and watched movies from the period. What fun!

The Personal Touch

On a few occasions, I talked with elderly people who shared personal stories. A gentleman in his nineties whose parents had owned a grand resort featured in Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife recounted his family’s tales of the good old days spent there. Another man whose father worked in the film industry in Los Angeles in the 1920s explained how early records were made. And a woman centenarian told me how ladies tended to their personal hygiene.

Settings are important to me, and the locations in my books are based on actual places. Crane’s Castle in Ipswich, Massachusetts (former summer home of the plumbing magnate Richard Crane) served as inspiration in Never Try to Catch a Falling Knife. The second book in my series, What the Walls Know, takes place in an eerie seaside castle much like the Gothic Revival home of inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. in Gloucester. The Peirce-Nichols House in Salem, Massachusetts, designed by Samuel McIntire in 1782, served as the prototype for the mansion in book three The Goddess of Shipwrecked Sailors. For the sake of authenticity, I visited every house, restaurant, hotel, museum, train station, store, library, factory building, cemetery, and park I’ve written about, from Boston’s Gardner Museum to Salem’s Old Burying Point Cemetery, from New York’s Penn Station and Carnegie Hall to the fishing docks of Gloucester, Massachusetts. If it’s mentioned in my books, and if such a place still exists––for sadly some have been destroyed––I’ve been there.

 In the process of writing my Lizzie Crane series, I’ve learned about clipper ships, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, art forgery, pipe organs, bootlegging, Ouija boards, merry-go-rounds, elevators, and many other things I didn’t realize I wanted to know. And every day I discover something else.

Readers: Share your story about the Roaring Twenties or another era in the past. I’ll send one commenter an ebook version of my new book.

(LBB)Skye Alexander is the author of the Lizzie Crane series of historical mysteries, published by Level Best Books (LBB). In 2003, she cofounded LBB with fellow authors Kate Flora and Susan Oleksiw. She has over forty fiction and nonfiction books to her credit, her stories have appeared in anthologies internationally, and her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. After spending thirty-one years in Massachusetts, Skye now lives in Texas with her black Manx cat. Visit her at http://www.skyealexander.com.

A Bit of Fun

Jessie: In New Hampshire where the rain looks a lot like sleet!

I don’t know about all of you, but I am in the mood for a bit of fun. So much of life has felt heavy and serious of late and although I feel capable of shouldering life’s responsibilities, I am ready to turn my attention to those things that lighten my heart.

So, I’ve been looking for ways to add a little sparkle back into my days. I’ve started a list and have even managed to check a few things off of it, like visiting a hat store with a friend and booking a trip to a museum with an exhibit I am excited to attend. Here, in no particular order is a sampling of items from the list:

try a new recipe from each of my cookbooksvisit a yarn shop that is new to memake a watercolor sketch each day for 30 days in a rowteach my dog, Sam, a new trickattend an online webinar on a topic of interesttelephone my sisterdrive with the top down on a bright, sunny day, even though it is chillyorder flowers for a friend, just becausedress up in a formal gown and jewelry for a day of work in my home officemake a batch of membrillo from fruit from my own quince bushtake on online class in a topic of interestcast on a new knitting projectframe a piece of art and find the perfect spot for it on the walltake the record player, some of my favorite records, and a glass of wine out to the screen house for an evening of fresh air and beautiful musiclook through an album of photos of my husband and children walk my dog in the evening as the sun is beginning to streak reds and pinks across the skytake a kite to the beach and watch it soarblow bubbles in the backyard for my dog to chaselook online at trips I would love to take in the futurespin the crystal prsims hanging in my office windows so that rainbows dance all over the wallshead to a fragrance department and smell all the perfumespull out a notebook and start dreaming up a new novel

So readers, what about you? Are you in the mood for some fun? Do any of the items on my list tickle your fancy? What would you put on your own list?

Guest Catriona McPherson

Edith here, with another delightful guest to present. The ever lovely and brilliant – and entertaining – Catriona McPherson has a new Dandy Gilver mystery out that’s burning a hole in the top of my TBR pile. But let’s let her tell you all about it, and a few other books, too.

What a Way to Make a Livin’

THE MIRROR DANCE, Dandy Gilver Book 15, is a work-place mystery more than anything I’ve ever written before. It takes place in 1938 and is largely set in the offices of Doig’s & Co., a fictional magazine publisher, the home of The Rosy Cheek for women, and its sister paper, The Freckle for girls.

Man, I had a blast writing it. The circulation desk, the home hints department, fashion, cooking and baking, the print room, the receptionist and telephonist . . . If there’s more fun to be had than writing a scene where five people have a solemn discussion about what to do with a leftover pipe-cleaner Baby Jesus, once the Christmas issue is put to bed . . . I’ve never had it.

And it got me thinking about how few and far between work-place mysteries are. IF – and it’s a big if; that’s why it’s in caps – you disregard police stations, forensics units, investigations firms, and the alphabet agencies of CIA, FBI, NSA, MI5 & 6 and GCHQ.

 I decided to compile a top five, in case anyone else out there loves a workplace setting as much as I do and finds them as hard to come by. Note: I am not including the small businesses beloved of my fellow cozy authors and my fellow cozy fans. If I started a list of the shop, café, library, guesthouse, and service industry cozies I love one of two things would happen: either we’d all die of old age before I was finished; or I would finish and the list would break the internet.

This is a different list. This is a list where characters might wonder who it is that never fills the paper drawer in the photocopier and why the coffee fund keeps running out. I hope there’s something here you haven’t read yet. I really hope you’ll be able to suggest more in the comments.

In no particular order except for number one then:

5. Deep Water, by Christine Poulson.

Katie Flanagan is a researcher in a private biotech lab, where the race to cure a genetic disorder is knocked off course by murder and mayhem. There’s a simultaneous thread about the family of a child waiting for the cure, but it’s the lab and the people who work there that I adored about this book. I’m married to a scientist and, as a result, hang out with a lot of them, so I’ve heard a fair bit of grumbling over the years on the topic of mad scientists, supervillains, nutty professors and all the other ways fiction gets quotidian science wrong. Christine Poulson gets it right.

4. Feared, by Lisa Scottoline

I swithered about this one. Maybe law offices should be ruled out like cop shops and path labs, but this is different. The Rosato and DiNunzio novels are about the work of Bennie Rosato’s law firm in a really granular and realistic way. The office, partners, associates and staff have adventures, yes, but they do what looks like real jobs too. Here, in Feared, Bennie is being sued for sex discrimination by three disgruntled men who didn’t get hired, and the only man who does work there is on the side of the guys. Timely and gripping. She’s got a great future in the genre, this Lisa Scottoline. Wink.

3. A Glimmer of Death, by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Dessa Jones wants to be running her struggling catering business full-time, but to keep the lights on she’s working at a real estate agency. And what a real estate agency! Risko Realty is exactly as dodgy as it sounds (it made me think of the airline called Wheee! Who’d fly with them?), the owner is one of those characters you love to hate, and pretty much everyone there is someone you remember working with once and hope you never do again. I loved it! There’s a murder and peril and paranormal elements but it’s the real-life grind of Dessa surviving a toxic office culture because she doesn’t have a choice that gives the book the edge on relatable jeopardy.

2. Corporate Bodies, by Simon Brett

I love Charles Paris, Simon’s often out of work and seldom completely sober actor hero, and would follow him to any television studio, regional theatre or film location he ever gets a day’s work. This is one of my favourites, though. Here Charles is playing a fork-lift-truck driver in a promotional video for the Delmoleen Corporation (sounds as sketchy as Risko!) as they launch a new sustainable snack product of dubious origin, known only as Delmoleen Green. The skewering of business-speak is merciless and the War of Biscuits and Beverages make me laugh every time I look at it. I think Simon should let Charles have a late flowering, like Judi Dench did, but I must admit I relish his struggles in the meantime.

1.Murder Must Advertise, by Dorothy L Sayers

Of course. (DLS’s academic mystery Gaudy Night, tops that chart for me too. And her Nine Tailors is number one in my list of campanology murders. Out of a total of one, mind you.) I must have read MMA half a dozen times. It’s so rich with detail that there’s more to find every time. DLS herself worked in an advertising agency like Pym’s in the book and I don’t think there can be a single nugget of office life, politics, or gossip leftover. It’s all here. But it’s so well done that it’s never too much – unlike the bell-ringing in The Nine Tailors, I have to say. Peter Wimsey undercover as an ad man coming up with a winning slogan to sell soap and cigarettes is a delight. The flip-side plot of degenerate socialites and their drug habits is a bit dated but when you get to the solution of the puzzle it’s easy to forgive all.

Readers: And now – I know this because it’s not my first listicle – what have I missed? What famous and fabulous office-set crime novel sitting on the shelf in my room right now have I forgotten? Comment and let me know!

National-bestselling and multi-award-winning author, Catriona McPherson (she/her), was born in Scotland and lived there until immigrating to the US in 2010. 

She writes historical detective stories set in the old country in the 1930s, featuring gently-born lady sleuth, Dandy Gilver. Book 15,  THE MIRROR DANCE, is coming in November. After eight years in the new country, she kicked off the comic Last Ditch Motel series, which takes a wry but affectionate look at California life from the POV of a displaced Scot (where do we get our ideas, eh?). Book 4, SCOT MIST, is coming in January. She also writes a strand of contemporary psychological thrillers. The latest of these is A GINGERBREAD HOUSE, which Kirkus called “a disturbing tale of madness and fortitude”. Catriona is a member of MWA, CWA, Society of Authors, and a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.  www.catrionamcpherson.com