Sherry Harris's Blog, page 9

Happy New Year: Goals for 2016

Happy New Year!! As we ring in 2016, it’s time for the Wickeds to fess up to some writing goals for the new year!

Edith: My first goal is to thank all our lovely blog readers and commenters! We love having you pop in to share our world, our guests, and our celebrations, and hope you’ll keep coming around all year.

Now, for more mundane goals: Write Local Foods Mystery #5, Mulch Ado about Murder, due May 1. Finish polishing Country Store Mystery #3, When the Grits Hit the Fan, due March 1. Organize a big splash to release Delivering the Truth, Quaker Midwife Mystery #1, on April 8. Turn right around and celebrate the release of both Murder Most Fowl and Grilled for Murder on May 31. Write Quaker Midwife Mystery #3, and later do copyedits and proofs on #2, Breaking the Chain. Oh, and also write proposals, which will hopefully be accepted, for Local Foods numbers 6-8 and Country Store numbers 4-6. Fit in attending Malice Domestic, Bouchercon, and Crime Bake. And exercise. And a family vacation. And a summer garden. Yes, I’m already tired!

Liz: Echoing Edith in the thanking department! Also thanks to all our guest bloggers for jumping in and adding variety to our blog. We love you!

First up, I have to finish book 5 in the Pawsitively series, Custom-Baked Murder, by April 1. Then I’ll be deep in the editing process of Cat About Town book 1, as well as writing book 2. And of course, synopsis for book 6 in the Pawsitively series, and most of the writing on that. And I still have that other book I wanted to finish editing to start shopping around…

Going to work in a real vacation – a visit to Key West – in 2016, as well as the typical conferences. Plus the day job. Yikes.

Sherry: I want to write two really good books — book four (A Good Day to Buy) and book five (I Know What You Bid Last Summer) in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series. I want to make each book better than the last. And I want to write two proposals for series that have been rolling around in my head.

Jessie: I will be revising the first book in my new Change of Fortune series and writing the next one. I also want to write one other book I have in mind. I need to develop a website for my new series and all the accompanying social media that supports it. And, of course, there will be blog posts here and at Killer Characters and Maine Crime Writers.

Julie: Writing/finishing Book #3 in the series (working title Chime and Punishment), and celebrating the release of Clock and Dagger in August. Like my friends, I will also spend some time noodling with some new ideas. I am also going to conferences–Sherry and I will be at Left Coast Crime, the Wickeds will be at Malice, Jessie, Sherry and I will be in LA this spring for a Sisters in Crime event, many of us will be at Bouchercon, and of course, there’s Crime Bake.

Barb: My year feels very front-end loaded. My Christmas novella Nogged Off is due to Kensington on January 15. Thankfully, it is mostly done. Just polishing left. Then, book 5 in the Maine Clambake series, Iced Under, is due April 15. On the personal side, my daughter Kate and fiance Luke will be married in The Wedding of the Century in Portland, Maine, in May. After that, I’ll be writing Maine Clambake #6, but honestly that feels very far away.

Readers? Happy New Year! From all of us to all of you, may your reading and writing year be a wonderful adventure in 2016. Now, tell us your goals, small and large, long-range and immediate!

Filed under: Group posts Tagged: Change of Fortune Mysteries, Killer Characters, Maine Crime Writers, new year's goals, writing goals

Happy New Year: How Would Your Protagonist Celebrate?

Tell us, Wickeds, how would the protagonist of your series celebrate New Year’s Eve? Do any of your books take place on New Year’s Eve?

Edith: After Grilled for Murder (Country Store Mystery #2) takes place, Robbie Jordan goes to Pisa, Italy over New Year’s to visit her new-found father, Roberto. There they celebrate abundance on New Year’s Eve with a rich meal of risotto, lentils, and pork sausage. They throw old pans out the window, and everybody wears red underwear (under their clothes). And of course there are fireworks!  I haven’t set any books on New Year’s Eve – yet.

Liz: In the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, one of Stan Connor’s favorite places to hang out is at her boyfriend Jake’s Irish pub, McSwigg’s. I’m betting there’ll be a big bash there on New Year’s Eve! I’d like to go, myself.

Jessie: My protagonist, Dani, would likely celebrate with her extended family, gathered round a bonfire in the back pasture sipping hot mulled cider and roasting marshmallows.

Sherry: Until her divorce Sarah spent New Years Eve at parties at the Officers Club. They were big parties, with bands, dancing, and breakfast buffets in the wee hours. Now she’d more likely attend a smaller party with a group of close friends.

Barb: Julia Snowden is now running a restaurant with her boyfriend, Chris. I think they would be open New Year’s Eve to provide a gathering spot for the year-round residents of Busman’s Harbor. Then, after closing, she’d open a beer with Chris, her sister Livvie, and Livvie’s husband Sonny, and they’d toast the New Year. It would be quite a contrast to the parties Julia attended when she lived in Manhattan, but I think she would be content.

Julie: Clock and Dagger (next book) ends on New Year’s Eve, so I know how Ruth will spend it–in the Cog & Sprocket, with her friends and family, murders solved. Can’t tell you much more than that for now, but I do know that Ruth’s journey has been to rediscover her roots, and her family. Moving back to Orchard, and discovering what makes her happy is part of that journey as well.

Filed under: Group posts Tagged: Barbara Ross, Dani Greene, Edith Maxwell, Grilled for Murder, Jessie Crockett, Julianne Holmes, Just Killing Time, Liz Mugavero, mulled cider, New Year, Pisa, roasting marshmallows, Sherry Harris

Wicked Wednesday: Who is Your Favorite Celebrity Chef?

We are celebrating the release of Murder Most Finicky today. The wicked question of the week, in keeping with the theme of the book: Who is your favorite celebrity chef? The cooking show you like to watch?

Liz: I’m probably going to be the worst at answering this question because I don’t watch cooking shows! I’m going to go with Kris Carr. She’s not a traditional celebrity chef, but her Crazy Sexy food revolution is helping people use food as their pharmacy. Via her blog and cookbooks (Crazy Sexy Diet, Crazy Sexy Kitchen, Crazy Sexy Juice), Kris offers tips on how to eat way better without sacrificing enjoyment. Her recipes are yummy, vegan, and offer gluten- and dairy-free options.

Jessie: I don’t watch cooking shows either. I do love to watch Anthoy Bourdain travel the world and experience other cultures through food. Does that count?

Julie: Jessie, we’ll let him count. I have three favorites. #1, of course, Julia Child. #2 Martha Stewart. #3 Emeril Lagasse.

Edith: Ha. I don’t watch cooking shows, either. So Julia Child gets my vote. And does anybody remember Graham Kerr, the handsome Galloping Gourmet? I watched him in high school. I was so impressed that he would pour some wine into his cooking, and then some into his glass (my parents did not drink) and drink it right there on air. Now I AM him. (Look, I found a picture of Julia Child and Graham Kerr together!) And congratulations, Liz!

Sherry: It’s ironic that I’m probably the worst cook of us all and yet I love to watch cooking shows. One of my favorites is Chopped on the Food Network. I love the judges on the show but have a new favorite, Chris Santos. There was a recent episode with military vets, one of them (the first runner up) was having a particularly hard time in life. Chris said he was opening a new restaurant and offered him a job adding that he didn’t do it lightly and thought the vet was a great cook. It touched my heart because I’ve never seen a judge do that before.

Barb: I have to go with Tom Colicchio and Top Chef. It was eleven years ago that I spent a snowy Saturday wrapping Christmas presents and watching a marathon of the first season of Project Runway. I had never watched reality TV before, not even American Idol or Survivor, but Project Runway spoke to me. I’m not into fashion, but I loved watching creative people solve problems to compete in interesting challenges. When I learned the same production team was doing Top Chef, I had no interest. “If you can’t smell it or taste it, what’s the point?” I said to my husband. But nonetheless, around the second season, they got me. I have to say I’ve learned a lot about cooking and a lot about food from Top Chef.

Readers: Cooking shows or no? Who’s your favorite TV chef?

 

Filed under: Book Birthday, Wicked Wednesday Tagged: Anthony Bourdain, Chopped, Chris Santos, Crazy Sexy Diet, Food Network, Galloping Gourmet, Graham Kerr, Julia Child, Kris Carr, Murder Most Finicky, No Reservations

Cooking, Italian Style

By Liz, hoping the first winter storm warning of this season is a joke.

Happy last Tuesday of the year, Wicked Cozy friends! There’s a lot to celebrate today too – it’s launch day for Murder Most Finicky! What a fun way to ring in the new year, right?

I had a ton of fun writing this book, which takes Stan out of her new Frog Ledge comfort zone and plops her in the middle of a bunch of crazy celebrity chefs–one of whom is, naturally, murdered. I had a blast with Sheldon Allyn, the head of this nutty pack, and the chefs he’s tapped along the way to help build his empire. These guys range from the quintessential Italian who loves her cannoli (and I can say that, as an Italian) to the brooding, troubled hunk, to the up and coming vegan chef. They’re all a little absurd, but a lot of fun. I hope you like hanging out with them for a few hundred pages.

But back to cooking. Most of you who read the blog or have heard me talk know that I’m a little bit of a fraud when it comes to the cooking thing. As in, I barely cook. Don’t get me wrong – I do sometimes, and I’m perfectly capable of following a good recipe. But I usually don’t have much time or patience for it. As a kid growing up in the aforementioned Italian home, cooking was EVERYTHING. My mother was not a gourmet chef, but she made all her food, including sausage from scratch. That was a sight to behold, when she and my grandmother set up the ancient sausage making machine at my grandmother’s big table in her basement and cranked out pounds of the stuff. I remember watching in (slightly disgusted) fascination as my mother fastened the casings onto the end of the machine and fed the meat inside while my grandmother cranked the handle. No wonder I don’t eat meat today.

On a happier note, my family made tons of Italian cookies. Pizelles, anginetti (Italian lemon drop cookies), Italian Christmas cookies, the wandies with all that yummy powdered sugar. Wandie making was a huge deal too. My mother, grandmother and a couple of great-aunts would gather around that same huge table in my grandmother’s basement (on a different day than sausage day) and make wandies. I don’t really remember what went into it, but I remember it was a huge project. Lots of time, dough and confectioner’s sugar. They weren’t my favorite, but the tradition of them always seemed special. Me, I preferred the fudge.

The one thing I did manage to take from my Italian upbringing was a talent for tomato sauce. This is one where I don’t even need a recipe – and it’s different every time. The past two summers, we’ve had a farm share at a lovely local farm. The tomatoes were perfect for sauce making, and there were so many of them that I’ve got frozen containers of it for the long winter days. Even though nowadays I eat gluten-free pasta, that sauce still brings back a lot of memories. My mother would bottle all her tomatoes and have sauce at the ready all the time. Back then, we followed the Italian meal plan: Pasta on Wednesdays and pasta for Sunday dinner. My father and I used to argue over the type of pasta we ate, especially on Sundays. He preferred ziti, while I was a rotini girl. I still have a fondness for those spiral-shaped pastas today.

So even though I’m not the best cook you’ll ever find, I have enough happy food-related memories to get me to the stove every now and then. I even got new cookbooks for Christmas. Not exactly Italian food, but yummy just the same. And a chance to make new foodie-related memories.

Readers, what are you favorite memories of food?

Filed under: Liz's posts Tagged: cookies, cooking, gluten free, Italian food, Murder Most Finicky, Pizelles, sausage, wandies

Taking a Breather

Edith here, post Christmas, in between books, still north of Boston.

In between books? Is she ever in between books, you ask?

Preston knows how to take a breather – under the Christmas tree.

Well, yeah, sort of. On Friday I’ll start writing a new book (Local Foods #5, Mulch Ado about Murder). After I finished one round of polishing of the March 1 book on December 16 and sent it along for our very able Sherry Harris to edit, I realized I could take a little break. Shouldn’t we all take a breather now and then, especially at this time of year?

Me and Allan

Sure, I have blog posts to do, and a couple of proposals to get ready, and a launch to gear up for. Those can wait. One of my sons has been here for more than a week, always a treat. I’ve also spent time with my young friends and with older friends, and will have a whole day with Master J (age 6) on Wednesday.

What a delight it’s been to not anchor myself to 1500 words per day, reading through a manuscript on paper for two or three days straight, or doing multiple editing passes. I really do treat this fiction-writing thing as a job, and a job means working every day but Sunday. So I guess I’m taking a staycation!

I’ve seen movies, baked, played Scrabble,  socialized, gone on a beer tour (fun!), taken

Wine glass coasters made from West African cloth

endless walks both alone and with others. And sewed. I love sewing. I learned it from my mom, and really enjoyed spending a couple of days creating these cute (and complicated) wine glass coasters for several friends as Christmas gifts.

But mostly I’ve been reading! I have SO many books I wanted to catch up on, and it’s the holidays, after all. Here’s my list since December 16 (and I still have four days left…):

An Interpretation of Murder by BK Stevens. The first mystery I’ve read with a sign language interpreter protagonist, and a great read.
To Brew or Not to Brew from Joyce Tremel – who was our guest right here recently. I loved this Brewing Trouble mystery – and boy, did I think of her on my brewery tour yesterday.
Guilty as Cinnamon by Leslie Budewitz (who has also guested with us), the second and very delicious Spice Shop Mystery.
Ho-Ho-Homicide. I’m finally getting to Kaitlyn Dunnett’s Liss MacCrimmon series and am glad I did – I really liked Liss and her adventures. Kaitlyn, aka Kathy Lynn Emerson, is another Wicked friend.
The Gerbil Farmer’s Daughter, my author pal Holly Robinson’s memoir, to which I was very tardy getting to. I knew I would love it, and I did.
Princess Elizabeth’s Spy from Susan Elia MacNeal. I’m slowly getting through her Maggie Hope mysteries, which all take place in England during World War II. This is the second I’ve read and I can’t wait to finish the series to date.
I read an ARC of Wendy Tyson’s A Muddied Murder, which was right down my alley, since it’s a Certified Organic Greenhouse mystery. Nice job, Wendy – I’ve already sent in my endorsement.
Murder at Beechwood from Alyssa Maxwell, another intriguing Gilded Newport Mystery. And she has a new early-1900s series coming out, too!
And of course, Murder Most Finicky will be out tomorrow from Wicked Cozy Liz Mugavero, so I’ll be sure to finish that by the end of 2015, too

It’s a real breather for me to immerse myself in my author friends’ book – and yes, I know all these authors personally. I suppose I could read books by people I don’t know – but the To-Be-Read pile by people I DO know never gets down to zero!

Readers: How do you take a breather, recharge, regroup? Are reading binges part of it?

Filed under: Edith's posts Tagged: Alyssa Maxwell, BK Stevens, holly robinson, Joyce Tremel, Kaitlyn Dunnet, Leslie Budewitz, Murder Most Finicky, Susan Elia MacNeal, Wendy Tyson

Holiday Wishes for Our Readers!

Filed under: Group posts Tagged: Barbara Ross, Edith Maxwell, Holiday Wishes, J.A. Hennrikus, Jessie Crockett, Julianne Holmes, Liz Mugavero, Maddie Day, Sherry Harris

Opening Lines

Add your opening line for this photograph:

Liz: From my vantage point on the balcony I watched, hoping to catch a glimpse of her in the Christmas melee below. I had a clean shot from up here and didn’t want to waste it.

Edith: Christmas, Shristmas. Wait’ll that fake cone-shaped tree pops. The explosion is gonna send everybody divin’ for the deck. They’ll be fishin’ for them hundred dollars bills as soon’s they look up, though. Hey, I’m not the Grinch. They don’t call me Old Saint Nick for nothin’.

Jessie: It used to be easier to arrive unseen every Christmas Eve. But ever since they invented the electric light crowds gather around my sleigh at least five times each night.

Sherry: His first mistake was wearing the khaki pants. They almost glowed in the dark. But that wasn’t really his first mistake, going after my family was.  Hopefully, with luck on my side, it would be his last.

Julie: “Wanna build a snowman” he said. Actually, he sung it to me every time I walked past him in the mall. Buddy, I get that dressing up like a snowman sucks, but really. Really? I’m old enough to be your mother. Listen, I told him to stop, but did he listen? No. But honestly, I have no idea how the surf board display fell on top of him. Surely, you don’t think I have enough brute force to make that happen, do you?

Barb: Busy as I was, I spied the surfboards below as I flew off in my sleigh. “One more day, and you’re on vacation,” I told myself. “Sun, sand, surf, here I come!” Just the pick-me-up I needed to get through the rest of the night.

Readers, give us your opening lines.

Filed under: Opening Lines Tagged: Christmas, khaki pants, Old saint nick

Wicked Wednesday: Best Gift of Advice in 2015

Wickeds, we are closing in on the new year. For some of us, Christmas is two days away. So tell me, what is the best advice you got in 2015? How was that advice a gift? What did you learn that you can pass on?

Edith: My fifth and sixth novels were published in 2015. This stuns and delights me, and is still a little hard to believe. Advice is often given to debut novelists, like, ahem, the AWESOME Julianne Holmes (aka our own Wicked Julie Hennrikus), to enjoy the ride. I think this is still one of the best admonitions, despite nobody actually saying  it to me in 2015. Even when it’s our second or sixth or sixteenth published book, it’s important to celebrate. To toast with a glass of bubbly, to do a dance, to order a cake. To walk out of your house and yell, “Whoopee!” Don’t ever stop celebrating. And you know, everybody has something to celebrate.

Liz: Some words I’ve been trying to live by: Everything will happen exactly as it’s supposed to. I try to focus on this if I start getting ahead of myself, like thinking I should have published a certain amount of books by now, or be at a different place in my life. I have a laminated card in my office with a slightly different take: Whether or not it is clear to you, the Universe is unfolding as it should. Good reminder for all.

Jessie:  The best advice I received was to start a gratitude journal. I think of myself as a person who is generally appreciative but makign a habit, every Sunday morning, to sit at my desk and to write down those things in the past week for which I feel grateful has made a real difference in what I focus my attention upon. I feel uplifted on Sunday mornings and I can remind myself by just thumbing through of all the wonders, large and small, my life affords.

Julie: As Edith said, the advice to enjoy every minute was well taken. Also, to stop and celebrate each milestone. Too often goals are met (like finishing a draft, or getting copy edits in), but we just blow past them and set the next goal. Now, I am trying to take every milestone, and celebrate it.

Sherry: My daughter gave me my best writing advice this year. I was upset about a review that wasn’t very nice and she said (paraphrasing someone) “You can be the sweetest juiciest peach in the whole world and there’s still going to be someone who hates peaches.” It’s why I know can occasionally be seen chanting “not everyone likes peaches.” It’s so true and applies to all of us. Then she painted the saying for me and I keep it in my office.

Barb: The best advice I got this year was during Julie Hennrikus’s interview with Elizabeth George at Crime Bake. George said something like, “Always move in ways that open up the story.” This struck me as good advice not just for writing but for life, especially as we get older.

What do you say, readers? Good advice or bad? What’s the best advice you got this year?

Filed under: Wicked Wednesday Tagged: book release, celebration, gratitude journal, peaches

Holiday Reflections

by Julie, sitting by the lit but undecorated tree in Somerville

This time of year, though festive, is also a challenge. There, I said it. Much as I enjoy eggnog, December is bittersweet. I miss the people who aren’t here, reflect on the year behind me with both joy and ennui, navigate the stress of the season, and dread the winter looming in front of me. I’m hardly a holiday elf. But there are a few things that I find get me in the holiday spirit.

One, connecting with people. For some people that connection may be a phone call, or even a card exchanged. For others, it may be a quick cup of something with a promise of a longer visit. I’ve run across a lobby to give someone a quick hug. Facebook posts may suffice. Often, it requires carving time, and making choices. But for whatever reason, this time of year feels like it is more necessary than others to make sure to connect, and remind people that you are thinking of them.

Two, give up the sugarplum dreams. As we get older, perfect gets in the way of good enough. I’m all about good enough. Wrapping isn’t stunning, but it is done. The niece may get more of a vest than a sweater on Christmas day, with a promise of sleeves in the new year. I’m sending New Year’s cards, because there’s no way Christmas cards are getting done in time, so why pretend?  My halls may not be decked until I’m done with work, but they’ll be decked.

Three, as Bing Crosby sings in White Christmas, fall asleep counting your blessings. Every night, I list five things I am grateful for. That is more challenging some days than others, but there is always something. In that spirit, allow me to list five things I am most grateful for in my writing life.

I am grateful that I write cozy mysteries. In these difficult times, I am thrilled to create puzzles that challenge readers, but only intellectually. They also create communities, characters, familiarity, and comfort.
I am grateful for my fellow mystery writers. Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, folks I meet at conferences and conventions–I’ve met a lot of writers over the years. I’m here to tell you, they are terrific people. Maybe we all work our an

Clock and Dagger will be released August 2016!

xiety out on the page?
I am grateful for my Wicked Cozy blogmates. Regular readers of this blog know that we are all friends as well as blogmates. What you don’t know is how kind every one of these women are, and how much they have added to my life.
I am grateful to you, our readers. So many of you come by every day, and say hello, or leave a comment. I wish you knew how much your support of this blog and our books means to all of us.

I got a wonderful holiday gift, the cover of Clock and Dagger, which is coming out next August. Isn’t it wonderful?

How about you, dear readers? How are you doing as fall turns into winter, and a new year is almost here? I’m sending you lots of good wishes for a wonderful new year.

Filed under: Julie's posts Tagged: Clock and Dagger, J.A. Hennrikus, Julianne Holmes, Just Killing Time

Why Writing a Cozy Is Harder Than It Looks

By Sherry — It finally feels like December

At a recent conference I went to dinner with my editor and two thriller writers. I looked up the two writers before our dinner. They were tough men with great credentials and popular series. And then there was little old me — the cozy writer. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I know how some people react when I say I write cozies. No one has actually ever patted me on the head and said, “that’s so cute” but I’ve seen it in their eyes. (Read Barb’s great blogs: How I Learned to Relax About Being a “Cozy” Author and Just Write the Damn Books–Part I, Part II, and Part III)

The two thriller writers laughed when my editor told them you couldn’t kill more than two people in a cozy. (And really, is that a thing? Because I’d never heard it and now I think I’m going to have to kill three people in my next book since I’m ornery that way.) However, our conversation got me thinking. So here’s my tongue-in-cheek look at why writing cozies might be harder than writing a thriller.

 

Our protagonists don’t have mad skills. They haven’t been in the CIA, aren’t Navy Seals, and don’t have any special training. They are more likely to have a bum knee than be a martial arts expert. They are regular people in extraordinary circumstances and often live in small towns.

They don’t have access to equipment. No helicopters, flame-throwers, or automatic weapons are at their disposal. Our protagonists only have their wits and their cellphones (okay maybe they have a laptop and knitting needles too but that’s it).

Access to information — oh, how nice it would be to have my protagonist, Sarah Winston, call her contact at the CIA who’s willing to break the law and share information with her. Sarah would be happy to be able to call someone at the police department but I’ve set up an antagonistic relationship with the police so she can’t even do that. Cozy protagonists have to piece bits of information together to come up with a solution.

Themes — most cozy mysteries have some kind of theme (cooking, clocks, yard sales, apples, farming, etc.) that have to be incorporated into the story. One of the reasons people read a specific book is because of the theme. As a writer I have to balance using enough of the theme to make the reader happy while not letting the theme overwhelm the story.

Methods of killing people — cozy antagonists don’t have guns, knives, or bombs. They kill with household items — a common poison (no biological weapons stolen from a super-secret facility), pitchforks, picture frames. Cozy writers have to be very creative to stay within the expectations of their readers and come up with unique way to kill someone.

The investigation — no one’s going to call Sarah and say, “Sarah, we’ve got a situation and you’re the only person who can solve this crime.” More often than not a cozy protagonist is being told to stay out of the investigation. Cozy writers have to get creative so it’s somewhat plausible (and we trust that our readers will allow us a little leeway) that someone like Sarah can solve a crime.

(Okay, okay, so now I have a confession. I’d love to write a thriller some day full of crazy weapons and secret sources. And I know it will be hard — like all writing is.)

Readers: What draws you to cozies? What other kinds of books do you love?

Filed under: Sherry's posts