Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 92

Wicked Wednesday: Fantasy Hangout or Hideaway

We’re still celebrating the release of Sherry Harris’s A Time to Swill and Cate Conte’s Claws for Alarm. Both books are about wonderful places to spend time. A seaside bar in a beach community and a cat cafe on an island. I want to go there. To both. Seriously.

Since most of us spent the last while indoors and only hanging out with our fellow residents, I’m not going to ask about your current hangout. Instead, I’m inviting you to invent a fantasy place where you can meet other interesting adults. Is it a bookstore, a coffee shop, a bar, a museum restaurant? Wherever you’re mentally hanging, I want to come by. Or, as we all learn to socialize again, maybe your fantasy place is a hideaway, where you can escape when re-entry is too much. Tell us about either or both!

Julie: Congratulations Sherry and Cate! And Liz! This was a great question, Barb. My initial response was a house by a lake, But upon reflection, and since this is a fantasy, my dream hideaway is a suite on a river cruise boat that travels the world. Weeks on the Nile. Months in Europe. Adventures in Asia. Since it’s a suite, people can visit.

Jessie: Add my congratulations to the chorus, Sherry and Edith! I love Julie’s idea of a river cruise! I think my fantasy would be an enormous house facing the sea where I could invite anyone I chose to stay for a visit. There would be a wrap-around porch, vast expanses of glass and at least two dozen bedrooms, a solarium, a dining room to seat fifty, a library, a walled garden, an outdoor fireplace rising from a stone patio and an art studio. It would include a turret room with a widow’s walk where I could spend a bit of time on my own looking over the churning waves to the horizon.

Liz: Thank you! Jessie, I’m totally stealing yours – a seaside house has always been my dream and the one you created sounds lovely! I would probably fill mine with foster animals (oh, who am I kidding, they would become permanent residents) but the idea is the same.

Barb: I think prior to the last year and a half I would have gone with a hideaway, one of those wonderful book nooks you see on Instagram. But, for now at least, even this introverted homebody has HAD it. I’m thinking about a diner full of regulars, where everybody knows your name and your order before you’re halfway through the door. Maybe like Gus’s from the Maine Clambake Mysteries.

Edith/Maddie: I think I’m with you, Barb, on wanting to be (safely) around people again. I’m inventing Books and Brews – a book-centered pub where all my author pals and avid fans hang out for a drink, some chat, maybe reading curled up in an armchair with an Irish coffee, but lots of company and comfortable seating. Plus walls lined with filled bookshelves and a sign reading, “Take One, Leave One.” Since we’re fantasizing, it will also be at the beach! And many congrats to Sherry and Liz/Cate.

Readers: Tell us about your fantasy hangout or hideaway.

Happy Book Birthday, Sherry & Liz, and #giveaways

Congratulations to two of the Wickeds, who have books being released today. In keeping with our theme for the month, both of these books are about wonderful gathering places: The Sea Glass Saloon and JJ’s House of Purrs.

Sherry and Liz (Cate) are celebrating by giving one book to each of two lucky commenters below.

Sherry Harris’s book, A Time to Swill, is the second book in her Agatha-nominated Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mysteries.

Here are some early reviews

From Goodreads

What can I say other than I loved it even more than the first book! I read it in one day, couldn’t put it down.

The mystery grabs the reader’s attention from the very first pages and doesn’t let it go until the end.

As a lover of all things Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries, there was no way I was missing out on this new series by Sherry Harris. I was not disappointed…

From NetGalley

I now love two series from Sherry Harris!

Great characters, lovely setting, interesting mystery to solve and a little hint of romance…

There are so many twists and turns in this book I couldn’t put it down.

Cate Conte’s (Liz Mugavero’s) release is Claws for Alarm, the fifth book in her Cat Cafe Mystery series. (Fifth book? How on earth did that happen? Time flies when you have good books to read.)

Here are some early reviews

From Goodreads

…guaranteed to put a smile on the reader’s face.

A solid whodunit and cute kitties. What more can you ask for?

An intricate plot with a satisfying ending.

From NetGalley

Cate Conte skillfully crafts a complex mystery in this hard-to-put-down Cat Cafe Mystery.

Great read. Lots of action..

OMG this is totally just what I needed I’m so glad I brought my Kindle to the beach with me perfect setting! And quirky adorable characters I wasn’t bored for a second.

Readers: Join us in congratulating Sherry and Liz on their latest releases, or simply say “hi,” to be entered to win one of these fabulous mysteries.

Musing on Muses

Edith/Maddie here, writing from north of Boston, ecstatic to see my younger son again (and his new girlfriend) later this week after a year and a half!

But family reunions aren’t today’s topic. Instead, let’s talk about muses (and be sure to read to the end for a giveaway). According to Wikipedia, they are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. In the following drawing, where they play for Zeus, I don’t see anyone with a pen and paper, or even a stylus and a papyrus. Still, they are the domain of writers.

John Flaxman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I am not entirely sure where the words come from when I’m writing along and my characters surprise me with their words and actions, but I know I love it. Is it a muse guiding my story? Possibly. I also know it won’t happen if I don’t show up for the job, day after day, and keep my fingers moving on the keyboard.

Many of you know I start my writing day by checking in at seven AM with Ramona’s Sprint Club. Ramona DeFelice Long started the practice many years ago on her personal Facebook page. Early last fall, when her illness made it clear she didn’t have much longer to live, she and Wende Dicek shifted the check-in to a Facebook group, which Wende ably runs, now in Ramona’s absence (sniff). She always starts us off with a quote and a graphic.

Several weeks ago, the following graphic and message headed up the sprint.

Graphic by Wende Dikec

Wende Dikec: “One of the authors [in a documentary Wende had watched] … said she couldn’t write until her muse showed up, and her muse had been painfully absent. Uh, no. That’s not how it works. You can’t sit around and wait for your muse to show up … Tchaikovsky felt the same, so I’m obviously not wrong. Have a great day, friends. And if your muse is giving you trouble, don’t wait for her to show up. Hunt her down.”

I love this so much, and I also loved the comments some of the writers shared about their muses. I give you the ones that struck my fancy, with the authors’ permission.

Annette Dashofy: “That author needs to join us here! We’ll handcuff her muse for her and whip it into submission.” [The documentary had been about erotica writers…]

Hilary Hauck: “We are masters of the muse. We summon her every morning for the sprint. If we left it up to her, we might all have a nice, long lie in.”

Amber Foxx: “I have a date with my muse every night at my desk, and she seems sufficiently committed that she often goes running with me or joins me for housework.”

Triss Finkleman Stein: “Barbara Kingsolver was the writer who said, ‘Chain that muse to the desk and get the job done.'”

(Edith: As shown in this picture I printed out and posted above my desk, Kingsolver’s is the kind of muse we all need.)

Claire Murray: “I find my muse is very active most mornings after I’ve painted the night before. She must like the relaxation of painting and sees it as an invitation to join me–then and the next morning.”

Kait Carson: “My muse presented me with a storyline for the 4th book in the series I’m writing. My muse is ambitious – I’m currently writing book 2!”

Jane Kelly: “My muse just got back from vacation. At least I hope she is back. I missed her.”

Gloria Muhly Baer Bostic: “Heading to the beach with the kids this morning.  I’ll let my muse come along, but we won’t seriously get to work until later.”

Denise Weaver: “Here musie, musie, musie.”

Me: “After I woke up this morning, my muse kindly passed along six ideas for how to improve the book.”

Tiger Wiseman (in response): “Please have your muse text mine. I could use some ideas.”

Last week our guest Bruce Coffin said this about his muse: “…when I finally returned to writing, my muse grabbed me by the lapels and shoved me headlong down the murder/mystery path.”

Muses come in many forms, it seems, and call us in different ways. That’s a good thing!

Readers: Have you felt moved by a muse in any artistic pursuit? Tell us about it. I have three ARCs of my November-release Murder at the Lobstah Shack to give away (US only)!

Welcome Back, Ang Pompano and #Giveaway

I’d like to welcome Friend of the Wickeds, Ang Pompano, back to the blog. The Wickeds met Ang through Sisters in Crime New England and the New England Crime Bake. Plus, he’s been in a writers group for years with Wickeds favorite, Lucy Burdette!

Ang is here to celebrate the release of his latest book, Diet of Death: A Reluctant Food Columnist Mystery. Leave a comment on the post below and one lucky person will receive a copy of Diet of Death.

Here’s the blurb

Betty Ann Green is the Oprah of the cooking world. No wonder cookbook authors, celebrity chefs, and weight-loss experts alike would kill for a mention in the “Cooking with Betty” column in On Topic Magazine. Diet Guru, Dr. Alan Tolzer, is no exception.

He craves the chance for instant success for his latest Westport Diet Book with an interview by the columnist. It’s enough to make him swallow his pride and try to patch up his long-standing feud with the reclusive Betty.

No surprise there.

Everyone sells their soul in one way or another in the cooking industry. But murder is on the menu when Betty’s assistant, Quincy Lazzaro, arrives for the interview. Quincy becomes entangled and his complicated relationships with both Betty and investigating police sergeant Nina Estevez is nothing less than a recipe for disaster. Bringing the murderer to justice without exposing the secret to Betty’s success proves to be more difficult than sticking to a fad diet.

Take it away, Ang!

Barbara, thanks for having me back to talk about my new book, Diet of Death. It’s my version of a culinary mystery. Or as someone said, Agatha Christie meets Christmas in Connecticut. But in this case, an aspiring investigative reporter, Quincy Lazzaro, is tricked into writing a food column called ‘Cooking with Betty.’ He’s not a good cook but with recipes provided by his octogenarian neighbor, Mary Ticarelli, the column becomes a hit. When an interview results in the murder of a Diet Guru, Quincy must solve it with Mary’s help. All while protecting the secret that Betty doesn’t exist.

Barb, as you know, I’m a big fan of your Jane Darrowfield character. I love reading about and writing about older people. My last book, When It’s Time for Leaving, has a detective in the early stages of dementia. And my short story, “The Bucket List,” deals with an older couple whose devotion to each other gets them involved with a hitman.

Older characters have so much to offer. They have wisdom based on experience. Think of how Miss Marple bases her theories on her observations of the villagers of St. Mary Mead.

In Diet of Death Mary not only helps Quincy by providing recipes for the column, but she fancies herself a detective. In this excerpt, she’s trying to convince Quincy that there may be a coverup in the Diet Guru’s death. As Miss Marple might, she relates her theory to the experience of her cousin Lucy.

 “How did he die?” She pulled me into her apartment. She brought me into her kitchen and put a plate of baked eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce in front of me.

“I don’t know. He was old, I guess.” I caught a glimpse of her gnarled fingers and wished I could have taken back my snarky comment. “It was probably a heart attack.”

“Well, that doesn’t look good for a diet doctor—to die of a heart attack.”

“I guess not.”

“Of course not. My cousin Lucy can vouch for that.”

“What does your cousin have to do with it?” I shoveled some of the eggplant into my mouth. It was delicious. 

“Everything. She had a catering business she ran from her kitchen to make ends meet. Her husband, Charlie, was a gambler, never worked a day in his life. He died in the chair.”

“The electric chair?”

“No, the kitchen chair. He was eating dinner. So she dragged him outside and put him in a lawn chair under the grape arbor before she called for help.”

“Why would she do that?”

She gave a wave of her hand as if I were a fool not to understand. “People talk! If they found out he was eating dinner, right away they’d say ptomaine. End of business.” She slapped her hands in an up and down motion as if they were two cymbals.

 It almost scared me that I got her point.

I must confess that the Mary in Diet of Death is based on my late mother-in-law, Mary. She was also a feisty force of nature and an excellent cook. She loved making cooking videos that received thousands of views while in her mid-nineties. And she loved to solve little mysteries!

If anyone would like to compare her to the Mary in Diet of Death, here is a link to her Pasta Fagioli video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np7yfWh_4TQ

Readers: Do you enjoy reading about older characters? Writers, have you ever based a character on a relative? Leave a comment to win a free copy of Diet of Death. U.S. only, please.

About Ang Pompano

Ang Pompano’s short stories have appeared in many anthologies, including the Anthony Winning, Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Edible. His first novel When It’s Time for Leaving, was nominated for an Agatha Best First Novel Award. His second novel, Diet of Death was published in June, 2021. A member of Mystery Writers of America, he was a awarded a Helen McCloy/MWA scholarship for a novel in progress. He served for many years as a board member of Sisters in Crime New England and has been on the New England Crime Bake Committee for fifteen years. He is the co-founder and editor of Crime Spell Books. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, and their two rescue dogs.

Genre Hopping with Bruce Robert Coffin

Bruce Coffin is a fellow Maine crime writer, one of many in a group that extends across all crime sub-genres. I invited him today because his sub-genre, the police procedural, is among my favorite types of reading. I started off on the British ones, P.D. James’ Adam Dagliesh and Ruth Rendell’s Reg Wexford, but now I love procedurals from all over the world, both in books and on TV. Bruce’s books in the John Byron series are excellent, full of strong characters, both male and female, and so real-feeling–for reasons you’ll soon understand.

About Bruce

Bruce Robert Coffin is the award-winning author of the bestselling Detective Byron mystery series. A former detective sergeant with more than twenty-seven years in law enforcement, he supervised all homicide and violent crime investigations for Maine’s largest city. Following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, Bruce spent four years investigating counter-terrorism cases for the FBI, earning the Director’s Award, the highest award a non-agent can receive.

Winner of Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion Award for Best Procedural, and the Maine Literary Award for Best Crime Fiction Novel, Bruce was also a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel. His short fiction appears in several anthologies, including Best American Mystery Stories 2016.

Bruce is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. He is a regular contributor to the Murder Books blog.

Take it away, Bruce!

Name: Bruce Robert Coffin

Genre: Mystery/procedural

What drew you to the genre you write? It might be more accurate to say that the police procedural genre chose me. After three decades away from fiction writing, due to a law enforcement career, when I finally returned to writing, my muse grabbed me by the lapels and shoved me headlong down the murder/mystery path. 

What sets your books apart from what is out there? Admittedly, there are so many great mystery authors it is difficult to set oneself apart. If I have anything distinct to offer I hope it is authenticity. My decades as a detective have provided me with a wealth of insider knowledge and real life experiences allowing me to create and solve fictional murder mystery cases.

What are you currently writing? I am currently hard at work on the next Detective Byron novel, tentatively titled Under the Gun.

Do you write a series or standalones? Under the Gun will be the fifth book in the Byron series. Although I hope to see the John Byron adventures continue well into the future, I have begun writing several standalone books. With a little luck one or more of those stand-alone volumes will one day occupy a space on the shelf beside my other finished novels.

What are you reading right now? I just finished reading Karen Dionne’s wonderful novel The Marsh King’s Daughter. I heard Karen discuss the book at a writer’s conference and I was immediately hooked by the premise. I highly recommended it.

What is your favorite deadline snack? Whenever I’m under a looming deadline nothing beats homemade nachos. After completing a novel I always like to celebrate by hoisting a glass, or two, of Writer’s Tears Irish Whiskey.

Do you have a favorite quote or life motto? My love of the outdoors has led me to hike many miles and climb many mountains. One morning over breakfast at a remote hiker hostel the topic of conversation turned to the different ways that hikers treat their drinking water. Some use iodine tablets, while others like to filter or use UV waves. During that same conversation one of the hikers, whose trail name was Jingles, in a perfectly delivered deadpan said that he always treated his water with respect. Words to live by. I still smile when I think about his comment.

Favorite writing space? I have a designated writing den in my home, but I still enjoy writing while seated in a diner over coffee. Perhaps my favorite writing space is at one of the local libraries. I find that libraries provide a fabulous escape from distractions. And great WiFi!

What do you see when you look up from writing? The real world. When I write I really immerse myself in the fictional world between the pages of my stories where my characters reside. Pausing to look up from that can be jarring, like plunging back though the atmosphere into the real world and its inhabitants.

Many thanks to Barbara Ross and the rest of the Wickeds for inviting me to be a guest author on their fabulous blog!

Readers: Do you like police procedurals? If yes, which books, series, TV shows?

Be on the lookout for Bruce’s fourth Detective Byron novel, Within Plain Sight, winner of the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction.

Be sure to read Bruce’s award-winning novel, Beyond the Truth, winner of the Silver Falchion Award for Best Procedural, Agatha Award Nominee for Best Contemporary Novel, Maine Literary Award Nominee for Best Crime Fiction, and Maine Sunday Telegram #1 Bestseller.

“Authentic and gripping.” — Joseph Wambaugh, bestselling author of The Onion Field 

http://www.brucerobertcoffin.com/

http://www.murder-books.com

Wicked Wednesday: College-Age Hang

Wickeds, continuing with our theme of hangouts and hideaways what was that place you hung out in during your early twenties? Noisy bar? Smoky coffeehouse? Fraternity/sorority? Describe it for us. (I’m not even going to ask about shenanigans for this one.)

Edith/Maddie: I stuck around near my college town (Irvine, California) for another year after graduation. Around the corner from the apartment I shared with friends in Costa Mesa was the Bull and Bush, a British pub. We would go over over in the evening for a pint, a plate of mash and bangers, and a few games of darts. It wasn’t particularly smoky, everybody was friendly, and we could walk home. What’s not to like? (And yes, the shenanigans, of which there were many, shall remain unnamed…)

Julie: I went to Boston University, and there were two hangouts. One was in the space my theater group had. Boston University Stage Troupe had an entire garage for many years, which was fab. Then we got moved up Commonwealth Ave to a still great space. I spent hours there, or in the theater during tech. I spent many other hours in the Dugout, the college bar. Many, many hours drinking Miller, smoking, and laughing.

Liz: I went to school in Salem, Mass. and I spent a lot of time in the coffee shop across the street from campus (no surprise there). But also, I spent a lot of time in town at all the woo-woo bookstores and other witchy shops – that was always my jam. I loved all the things – crystals, incense, oracle cards, spiritual self-help books, and all the Laurie Cabot-vibe stuff that was so prevalent in Salem.

Jessie: I am a huge plant fan, in my twenties and today so I spent a lot of time hanging around in greenhouses and garden centers. I also spent a lot of time in my own gardens, adding plants and cultivating those already in place.

Sherry: I went to college in the small town of Kirksville, Missouri–the same college my parents attended and where they met. If I wasn’t at the Sig Tau house I was at The Tap Room. The Tap Room was in the basement of this creepy old hotel. You went in through cracked cement stairs outside the hotel–think the of the steps to the TV show Cheers only scary. It reeked of old beer and smoke. The tables were carved with initials and an old shuffleboard table sat against one wall. We had a LOT of fun. But my favorite story comes from my parents. It was a particularly hot summer in Kirksville. Mom worked in an office with no air conditioning. Dad went to The Tap Room to “study” because it was one of the few places in town with air conditioning.

Barb: I went to college in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania was a 21 state, even in an era when most surrounding states had lowered the drinking age to 18. That definitely affected where my college hangout was. A bunch of my friends worked and hung out at a coffee house in the basement of one of the older dorms. I spent way too much time there playing bridge and pinochle and listening and singing along to songs played on the guitar, along with regular Wickeds reader Vida Antolin-Jenkins. I have many happy memories.

Readers: Tell us where you hung out in your late teens/early twenties.

Where Did You Get the Idea for the Series? by Catie Murphy

Hi Friends of the Wickeds. We’re here today with author Catie Murphy celebrating the release of The Death of an Irish Mummy, the third book in her Dublin Driver mystery series, released on June 29th.

Here’s the blurb.

Squiring a self-proclaimed heiress around Dublin has got limo driver Megan Malone’s Irish up—until she finds the woman dead …
 
American-born Cherise Williams believes herself to be heir to an old Irish earldom, and she’s come to Dublin to claim her heritage. Under the circumstances, Megan’s boss Orla at Leprechaun Limos has no qualms about overcharging the brash Texas transplant for their services. Megan chauffeurs Cherise to the ancient St. Michan’s Church, where the woman intends to get a wee little DNA sample from the mummified earls—much to the horror of the priest.
 
But before she can desecrate the dead, Cherise Williams is murdered—just as her three daughters arrive to also claim their birthright. With rumors of famine-era treasure on the lands owned by the old Williams family and the promise of riches for the heirs, greed seems a likely motive. But when Orla surprisingly becomes the Garda’s prime suspect, Megan attempts to steer the investigation away from her bossand solve the murder with the help of the dashing Detective Bourke. With a killer who’s not wrapped too tight, she’ll need to proceed with caution—or she could go from driving a limo to riding in a hearse…

Take it away, Catie!

I was contemplating a topic for this post, and a friend of mine suggested the “hideous ‘where did you get the idea for the series’ question,'” which made me laugh because I actually enjoy “where did you get the idea” questions—especially when the answer is clear, which this one definitely is.

I moved to Ireland (from Alaska!) the better part of 20 years ago, and have always wanted to write cozy mysteries. Over the years, my husband (who is an absolute idea machine) had suggested several different cozy ideas, one of which was “a limo driver keeps getting tangled up with mysteries that her clients are involved in.”

The idea of making that limo driver an American in Ireland seemed like a perfect fit for making use of the endless “it’s like living in a foreign country” moments of, well, you know…living in a foreign country. The Dublin Driver mystery series has given me the chance to showcase the Ireland I’ve come to know, as well as to put a funny twist on being an incomer and seeing a culture from the outside.

Now, of course, there can be issues with writing about Ireland for a mostly-American audience! My copy editors (who are the people who check your grammar and commas and a number of other sorts of details in the last stages before publication) really struggle with some of the Irish phrases that are simply not part of the American lexicon. The Irish will say, for example, “It’s only gorgeous,” to mean “it’s tasty,” so I get a lot of “Are you sure you mean this?” kinds of questions at the copy editing stage, and I’ve gotten to where I just respond with “Irishism” in the comments.

On the flip side of that, I also spend a lot of time running terminology by my Irish-born friends, making sure I’ve got the phrasing right. At this stage, I have it right about 70% of the time. Most of the rest of the time, when they give me the Irish version of the phrase I’m looking for—for example, “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?” in Irish vernacular is generally, “What’s the story?”—I recognize the ‘correct’ phrasing immediately and am mortally embarrassed that I didn’t remember that myself—or, as they’d say here, “I’m scarlet.”

The truth is, it’s actually harder for me to remember American phrasing these days than Irish! I’ll be working on a piece set in America and I’ll write something—”She went for takeaway,”—and then I sit there and stare at it and think, “No, that’s…that’s not how Americans say it, how do…what do we call…take…away? Takeaway makes sense! We can’t possibly call it something else! We…oh take OUT, it’s takeOUT food, not takeAWAY food!”

And the truth is, all of this feeds exactly in to ‘where the idea came from.’ It’s not just the high concept: it’s the details that make building the Dublin Driver world so much fun. That’s where the story comes to life, and that’s where I really get to revel in what I’m doing.

Readers: What parts of a story bring it to life for you, as readers? I’d love to know!

About Catie

CE Murphy began writing around age six, when she submitted three poems to a school publication. The teacher producing the magazine selected (inevitably) the one she thought was by far the worst, but also told her–a six year old kid–to keep writing, which she has. She has also held the usual grab-bag of jobs usually seen in an authorial biography, including public library volunteer (at ages 9 and 10; it’s clear she was doomed to a career involving books), archival assistant, cannery worker, and web designer. Writing books is better.

She was born and raised in Alaska, and now lives with her family in her ancestral homeland of Ireland.

Chickens, Eggs and a Giveaway

Jessie: In New Hampshire, surrounded by family

I know that I have previously mentioned on the blog that one of my favorite parts of my job as a novelist is the research. That pleasure has only increased since I turned my attention and efforts to writing historical fiction several years ago. But something I am not sure that I have mentioned, is how my research influences my life and the experiences I begin to wish for, and vice versa.

It feels a bit of a chicken and egg situaton. Do I have a notion for a story and a desire to dive headlong into a topic because the interest lay latent within me already? Or does the rabbit hole of research spark fresh questions and notions that blossom into new curiosity and urges?

Many examples of this spring to my mind as I recall books I have written over the years but the one that occurred most recently pertains to painting. For some reason or other that I cannot for the life of me recall, I decided to make the character of Charles Jarvis, a country solicitor in my Beryl and Edwina mysteries, an enthusiastic watercolorist. It is not a major point in the early novels but it has allowed for the occassinal dropping of clues and provides insight into his feelings for Edwina.

But as the series has gone on I found myself repeatedly researching the sorts of tools and techniques Charles would employ as he pursued his passion. I discovered the kinds of brushes and easels that would have been available in the early 1920s. I looked up antique paint palettes and types of paper. I found myself drawn to online exhibits of watercolor paintings. I downloaded an app on my phone that sends me an image of a painting to view each day at noon.

Before I quite knew what had happened I bought a few modest supplies of my own and challenged myself to a project that involved a small watercolor sketch each day for 100 days in a row. It ended just before Mother’s Day 2020. When asked how I wished to be feted by my family I surprised myself by requesting a gift of an easel and oil paints. Like Charles, I ended up painting out-of-doors more often than not. Like Charles, I possess more enthusiasm than skill.

But I have high hopes for us both. In my upcoming release, Murder in an English Glade, I was taken with the notion to send him to an artists’ colony where he improves his skill set simply by being in the presence of other painters. Not long after I completed the final page proofs for that particular novel I surprised myself by signing up for a plein air watercolor class. Perhaps it will work as much magic on me as the colony has for Charles.

I still wonder if Charles paints because I wanted to, or if I have started because his passion intrigued me. In the end it, it likely doesn’t matter so long as both the books, and my life, are the better because of it.

Readers, do you find yourself drawn to books that cover topics that already interest you? Or do you stumble into new interests by dint of your reading? Both? I have ARCs of Murder in an English Glade to give away to three randomly selected commenters.

Guest Linda Lovely #giveaway

Edith/Maddie writing from a full-summer north of Boston.

Linda Lovely has a new book in a new series out, and she’s here to share it with us!

High on the Lowcountry

It’s hard not to be high on the Lowcountry. My husband and I lived in the Lowcountry for twelve years and loved the small islands we called home. Well, our love did wane a bit during hurricane evacuations.

Depending on who’s drawing the map, the Lowcountry encompasses between four and eleven South Carolina counties, but always includes coastal Beaufort County, the setting for With Neighbors Like These, the first book in my new HOA Mystery series.

Why did I choose the Lowcountry as a setting? Did I mention I love the region? The landscape is gorgeous, and there’s water—everywhere. A major lure for my heroine, Kylee Kane, a retired Coast Guard investigator, who lives on a 38-foot sailing cruiser moored at the downtown Beaufort marina.

Beaufort County claims more than three hundred islands, including Hilton Head and St. Helena Island, two of the largest. While some “islands” are only surrounded by water at high tide, the diverse delta offers Kylee plenty of opportunities to sail off to island hideaways to discover clues and stymie killers.

My heroine works as a security consultant for a company that provides management services to homeowner associations. It’s owned by Kylee’s long-time family friend, Ted Welch. Ted’s hobby is restoring a mansion in Beaufort’s Historic District. His restoration project treats readers to a glimpse of Beaufort’s historic allure. Founded in 1711, the town boasts the same beautiful antebellum architecture as Charleston in a much more intimate setting.

Beaufort’s small-town atmosphere is another asset for a mystery writer. Like Kylee’s friend Kay, who owns a B&B, locals know the movers and shakers. This means there’s plenty of gossip to mine regarding the tourist trade, land development, and the business community. While the town has an Old South core, it also has a diverse population, thanks to military installations and its billing as a retirement Mecca. More good material for a mystery writer.

The homeowner associations featured in With Neighbors Like These are fictional. I have zero knowledge of any HOA disputes in the Lowcountry. However, I doubt any region is immune to HOA dust-ups, and dozens upon dozens of HOAs are scattered about the Lowcountry. An HOA’s potential for good or harm depends on the ethics, personalities and agendas of the people who serve on its board. Plus, one person’s ideal HOA may be another person’s nightmare.

I hope you’ll come visit the Lowcountry with Kylee and me. While it’s not my current home, I keep coming back. I hope you’ll be a frequent visitor, too.

Readers: Have you visited the South Carolina Lowcountry? If so, what’s your favorite memory? Do you live in a homeowner association? If so, have you witnessed/been involved in any neighborhood spats? My heroine lives on a boat? Could you? I’ll send one commenter an ebook of With Neighbors Like These!

A journalism major in college, Linda Lovely has spent most of her career working in PR and advertising—an early introduction to penning fiction. With Neighbors Like These is Lovely’s ninth mystery/suspense novel. Whether she’s writing cozy mysteries, historical suspense or contemporary thrillers, her novels share one common element—smart, independent heroines. Humor and romance also sneak into every manuscript. Her work has earned nominations for a number of prestigious awards, ranging from RWA’s Golden Heart for Romantic Suspense to Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery.

Worlds Colliding **Plus Giveaway**

by Julie, summering in Somerville

I love creating worlds and bashing them into other worlds. Especially when it works.

I am preparing for my September 28 launch of WREATHING HAVOC, the fourth book in my Garden Squad series. I’ve been thinking about what to talk about in blog posts and on panels, and the thing that strikes me is that the book is about worlds colliding, both for the characters and the author.

What do I mean by worlds colliding? In real life, of course, our worlds collide all the time. We meet people who share one interest and realize that they also share another. Someone from your church ends up in a class you’re taking. You’re reading the Facebook post of someone you went to college with, and realize that they know someone you currently work with. Attending a grant writing workshop and recognizing someone from your Sisters in Crime chapter gives you a start: worlds collide in unexpected ways. Have you ever been visiting somewhere and you see someone from home? Your tourist life and home life collide.

As a writer, my mystery writing world collides with my theater world in a major subplot of WREATHING HAVOC. The two worlds collided before, of course, in my Theater Cop series. But theater hasn’t played a part in the Garden Squad series until now, though I mentioned the theater world a bit in DIGGING UP THE REMAINS. Having the world of the past and the present collide affects all of the characters in WREATHING HAVOC, and it was fun creating both of those worlds and then bashing them into each other.

Worlds colliding are always part of the plot of a cozy. Gardening and murder are worlds colliding. But I always enjoy it when there is expertise or a new angle on those colliding worlds. Elizabeth Peters expertise in Egyptology colliding with history and mystery are wonderful ways for worlds to collide. In Three Days of the Condor, the world of research collides with the world of espionage. In Dr. Who the world of what is collides with the world of what could be.

The tricky part for mystery writers is colliding worlds in a way that helps tell the story, but doesn’t feel contrived. Coincidences resulting from worlds colliding have to be handled carefully. “Her cousin worked with a safe cracker? What?!?!” doesn’t work if that’s the reader’s response. If a reader’s gut response is “pul-leeze”, the writer needs to rethink the storyline. Collisions need to feel organic. That’s harder than it sounds.

When writing a series, colliding worlds helps upend expectations, and adds layers to characters and storylines. It can also shake things up.

Readers, what are your favorite examples of worlds colliding? I’m going to choose one commenter and send them an ARC of WREATHING HAVOC.