Crafting Away

Wow! I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve blogged. It looks around the time that I started helping the grands with virtual school. I had thought it would be an easy endeavor and I’d be able to get a lot done while they were schooling. Turns out, I was wrong. I spent most of the day running back and forth to help one and then the other. But I am happy that my schedule allowed me to step in and help my daughter out during this time. I haven’t started any book projects as my brain is tired after trying to help the grands with school (especially having to relearn math so I can help them with math)m and I didn’t want to feel like I was failing by missing deadlines so I’ve taken a small break from writing.

What I have been doing is catching up on my crafting projects. I had a long list of crafts (along with all the supplies!) that I’ve been meaning to do for awhile so I’ve used the days I don’t have the grands to work on them. I’m making pretty good progress. I completed my son’s scrapbook album, have photos sorted to make my oldest her scrapbook album, and the pieces cut for a t-shirt quilt. And crocheted tops onto the top of my kitchen towels so I can hang them. One of the hobbies I’ve been working on more is sewing. It started out with sewing hundreds of masks for family, friends, and those in need of one, and after having gotten the Cricut Maker, trying out some of the patterns on Design Space.

Cricut Maker cover and tool caddy

I really like the patterns on Design Space, especially the option of using the washable fabric marker to have the sewing guidelines drawn on the fabric. It’s really helped me get better at sewing straight seams and also giving me a good feel on how to shift the fabric when going around the curves. (On the picture above you can see the lines for the pockets for the caddy. I haven’t washed it yet as I was so excited to complete it, I had to test it out and snap a picture.)

The first project I picked was making a cover for my Maker. I had made covers for my Explore and figured it wouldn’t be hard since there was a pattern so the Maker cut out all the pieces. After that I made a couple of masks using the pattern on Design Space. I do like that pattern and how they have you insert the elastic to where it goes around the head rather than ear loops. I saw the pattern for the tool caddy and thought about making one to match my cover but it looked a little complicated…or so I told myself. With a crop coming up in a few weeks, and March being National Craft month, I decided to just go for it. It was much an easier than I had told myself.

There is a great tutorial on YouTube for making the cover. It was like being in sewing a class. I sewed along with video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=419QM42k8QM

I also found a tutorial for the caddy (and the cover though the first video link I posted is more detailed for sewing the cover). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIdpirgAu1c

Happy crafting!

What Next?

I have spent the last few hours typing and then backspacing away what I wrote. Changed topics. Thought about other ones and none turned out to be what I really wanted to say. And that, my blog readers, pretty much sums up the writing experience for me since I turned in Dash Away All back in March. I’ve started a new book then stopped as I couldn’t get further than a few pages before I drew a blank and hated everything I typed. I’ve tried outlining and nothing. I’ve even gone back and started editing unpublished manuscripts and I get into them for a while before losing interest.

I don’t know if it’s just 2020 and all that has come and been taken away by this conundrum of a year or the fact that for the first time in a long while, I don’t have a book contract. There is nothing guiding me as there is no book I need to write next. It’s all up to me.

Do I continue one of the series I have written and self-publish? Do I finish up a book that is a third of the way done and I had put aside years ago–but I still think about? Do I start an entirely new book (I have a few “want to write next” ideas in a file), and if so series or standalone? What genre? I have ideas for mystery, suspense, inspirational romantic suspense, romantic suspense, paranormal which kind of falls into the mystery genre but also leans toward suspense (this is the put aside project from years ago).

I have put writing to the side the last few months as I’ve been a caregiver and virtual school monitor for my grands, hoping that would help clear my mind but my muse is still confused. The only thing I know is I miss writing. It’s always been my go-to way of making sense of stuff and working through stresses and if this year has been anything it’s definitely been a stress.

 

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Rosie Hardie from Fowl Murder

Welcome to the Self-Rescue Princess, Rosie. Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life. 

Life’s become rather complicated.  My husband, Craig, and I moved to Nanyuki, a small market town three hours north of Nairobi, when he retired as a farm manager.  We expected a peaceful life: Craig enjoys his crossword puzzles and I still work as a community vet, treating animals and wildlife in Nanyuki, and the surrounding area known as Laikipia.

That all changed when my old schoolfriend, Aisha Onyango returned.  She was looking into a case I hoped would remain in the past, but before we could discuss it in detail she was killed.  Our local Police Commissioner was told by the ‘powers-that-be’  in Nairobi to close the case.  

I was angry that there would be no justice for a friend who had dedicated her life to fighting corruption, and promoting her vision of Kenya, with equality and economic prosperity for all.  

Aisha’s son, Thabiti has persuaded me to help him find his mother’s killer.  He called in a debt I owed his mother.  She intervened and saved me from going to prison for shooting a poacher, the case which I thought was dead and buried.

So here I am, in my mid-60’s investigating the murder of an influential lawyer, anti-corruption advocate….and my long lost friend.

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor? 

My conscience.  It’s not right that someone who spent her whole life fighting injustice and corruption in Kenya, should be killed and her assailant allowed to escape punishment.  As the bible says in Psalms, ‘blessed are those that act justly, who always do what is right’.

I try to do what is right, to treat people kindly and fairly so that my conscience is clear and I have peace of mind.  The trouble is I don’t…have peace of mind.  I mentioned the case in which I shot a poacher.  He was a young man and I was acting in self-defense, but I still took a life and that is a sin.  One I cannot justify or seek repentance for.  So if this investigation is dangerous and I am injured or killed?  Perhaps that is the justice I deserve.  If I can help Thabiti discover who killed his mother then maybe I can begin to seek atonement for what I did.

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

At my age certainly not.  Sure we all do our bit and there have been occasions where I have administered my own judgment and punishment.  I’m afraid our police and justice system in Kenya cannot always be relied upon.  A culprit may languish for months in jail without a trial and sometimes the wrong person, such as the culprit’s wife, might be thrown into prison for her husband’s misdeeds.

There is so much that needs doing to help the community that I prefer a practical and useful sentence, such as digging latrines or a new vegetable patch for my local church’s orphanage.  Generally the wrongdoers are not career criminals, just someone trying to improve their way of life, or feed and clothe their family.

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

I wouldn’t call my work a career.  I began treating injured animals in the local community 40 years ago and over time my experience, expertise and following have grown.  So has my workload.  I get paid by the European farmers but the Africans can barely afford to pay for the medicines.  For my time I am often giving a basket of vegetables, or a stallholder at the local market will put something aside she knows I will like.  It’s kept us fed and to an extent clothed over the years.  

My husband Craig is not happy that I’m running around Nanyuki looking for a dangerous killer.  He knows how impulsive and headstrong I can be.  At first he argued against my involvement but he understands why I feel compelled to help Thabiti.  He has his own guilt from the shooting incident and also feels indebted to Aisha.  I am afraid Craig is not well.  He caught polio as a boy which damaged his left leg and left him with a limp.  After all these years he’s developed a secondary complication and I think it’s causing him pain, although he won’t admit it.  I’m sure he would prefer me to stay safely at home with him.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I’ve become rather less tolerant with age.  Whilst there are those people who suffer through poverty, there are others who are lazy or selfish which I cannot abide.  I value honesty, hard-work and resourcefulness.  

I know Craig thinks me impulsive, and at times stubborn.  I am not generous in monetary terms, as we barely seem to have enough ourselves, but I try to be with my time, and to help those who are really in need.

I think I’m becoming forgetful with age.  I can never remember where I’ve put my glasses!

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

I’m no princess, more likely the ugly step mother…but I would prefer to be the fairy godmother.  As for being strong and confident, it’s not always possible as life is not easy and sets us many challenges.  We have to strive to do what is right, to act with a clear conscience as we judge ourselves, and as God will judge each of us when the time comes.  I have done a great wrong.  I took a man’s life so I do what I can to make amends by helping the innocent, and those who are less able or poor.  

I survived some very difficult times, begging for a roof over our heads and with barely enough food to feed the family.  This made me stronger but also more aware of other people’s struggles, especially here in Kenya.  If I am strong now it is so I can assist those who are not.   

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

I’m not one for popular music so I asked my younger friends Chloe, who recently arrived from the UK, and Thabiti.  They suggested ‘Bright Side of the Road’ written and sung I believe by Van Morrison.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

I shouldn’t say this but it’s rather exciting being involved in an investigation.  Craig would not be happy with me but…

 

Readers can learn what Rose and her friends become involved in next by joining my mailing list and receiving a free novella, Grevy Danger.  

Two deaths. No crime.  For this determined sleuth the answers are not black and white.

When Rose joins an endangered zebra expedition, she’s shaken to her core when an injured girl she treats suddenly dies. And after another death days later, Rose can’t silence the alarm bells in her head that point to murder.

 

Blurb for Fowl Murder

A shooting on the savannah. A tragedy she’d rather forget. When past and present collide, will she survive to see her future?

Kenya, 2016. Semi-retired vet Rose Hardie just wants to enjoy her golden years and care for her disabled husband. But her peace of mind shatters when a forgotten confidant returns and reopens a case where Rose pulled the trigger. With her memories of a poacher’s shocking death flooding back, she barely catches her breath before her childhood friend is brutally murdered.

Braving blackmail and entrenched corruption, our tireless heroine dives headfirst into helping the victim’s son solve the crime. But when the lead suspect is killed, Rose’s plans for a peaceful life end up dead and buried…

As her own traumatic history unravels, can Rose catch a killer before she becomes the next victim?

Fowl Murder is the first book in the compelling Kenya Kanga Mystery series. If you like Agatha Christie and Agatha Raisin, determined heroines, unpredictable twists and turns, and vivid African settings, then you’ll love Victoria Tait’s pulse-pounding tale.

Buy Fowl Murder to solve a searing whodunit today!

 

Wine Bottle Christmas Tree

For Christmas in July, I thought I’d share how I made my wine bottle Christmas tree. It’s a quick craft (well, it takes me less time now that I have done a few) and is a great way to have a tree out during this time of the year without having to dig one out from the attic or wherever you store your holiday decorations.

Supplies:

• Green Wine bottle
• 651 Vinyl: White for tree and various colors for ornaments, and gold for star
• Wine bottle lights (multi-color)

The first step is finding the perfect wine bottle. I have been known to choose a wine based on the color and shape of the bottle. Sometimes it’s been good tasting wine, other times not so much because of course one of the steps is emptying the bottle and I do that by drinking it. This shape is perfect for the project as it’s the right size for the Christmas tree decal, a lovely shade of green for a tree, and it’s wide enough for the lights to settle into bottle.

The next step is finding a Christmas tree design. I use an SVG that is available on Design Space. The design I picked is easy to weed, place on the bottle, and has enough space between the branches to add some ornaments (which are also on Design Space).

Now that I have all the pieces cut, I use transfer tape to get the tree from the backing sheet onto the bottle. For the star and ornaments, I just peel those off the backing sheet and place them on the bottle without using transfer tape. This works because of how small the pieces are. The decal size for the tree is 4 inches wide by 6 inches long, and the ornaments were 1 inch long (based on the tallest one as the design is with three), and the star was 1 1/2 inches long.

For those not familar with using vinyl, weeding is when the area of the vinyl that isn’t needed for the design is pulled away from the backing sheet. After that, transfer tape is placed on the design, and you rub the transfer tape down so the vinyl sticks to the tape. Most of the time, crafters will use a vinyl scraper tool to rub over the design and make it stick to the tape.

Now that decal is on the trasfer tape, I place the top of the tree onto the bottle and keep the remainder off the decal off the bottle by curling the tape up. I smooth/press the decal onto the bottle and work my way down, pressing and peeling the decal from the tape one set of branches at a time. One time I tried going from the bottom to the top to place the decal and found it didn’t work as well for me and the vinyl crinkled a bit when I was applying it. It’s also helpful with curved designs to make cuts on the tape (without cutting the design) so the tape can “bend/curve” more easily over a round surface. Once your tree is on the bottle, decorate it however you like or just leave it unadorned.

Last step is placing the wine bottle lights into the tree. You can use a solid color but I prefer multi-colored lights. The hardest part of the lights can be unwrapping them as they are usually wrapped pretty tight in the box they come in. When I’m putting the lights into the bottle, sometimes I’ll bunch some of the wire together so the lights are closer together. I also use the wooden handle of a skewer to arrange the lights in the bottle if I don’t like how they’ve “settled”. Just be careful not to poke the wire with anything sharp. Then I place the top on the bottle and turn on the switch. A lighted Christmas tree!

 

 

The Holidays in December

Since I’m doing a Christmas in July celebration on my blog and author Facebook page this year, I decided it would be nice to list all the holidays in December.

Chanukah (Hanukkah), this year is December 10. I checked a couple of resources online to find the correct spelling and found that both spellings are correct. Hanukkah is the spelling used the most, while Chanukah is the more traditional spelling. Chanukah is the celebration of the Jewish people fighting for freedom and to reclaim their holy temple. It lasts for eight days and is celebrated with a menorah lighting each night.

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah

Winter Solstice, this year is December 21.  The winter solstice is the beginning of winter and also the shortest day of the year. After the solstice, days become longer as spring is coming and it is celebrated in many places. It happens twice a year, June in the Southern Hemisphere and December in the Northern Hemisphere.

https://www.britannica.com/list/7-winter-solstice-celebrations-from-around-the-world

https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/winter-solstice

Christmas, December 25. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and has also become a cultural and secular celebration for people throughout the world.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zkc86sg/revision/2

Kwanzaa, December 26. Kwanzaa is a celebration of African-American culture held from December 26 to January 1, with gift-giving and a feast of faith, called Karamu Ya Imani. It was created by Maulana Karenga and first celebrated in 1966.

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history

 

 

Release Day – Dash Away All

Today is the release day for Dash Away All, the third book in the Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery Series. I was excited to combine Christmas in July and Christmas movies in this story.

Here’s a little bit about Dash Away All…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…Merry Winters is excited for her dream-come-true moment: being an on-site crafter for a Christmas movie. The tidings of joy are short-lived as she finds herself becoming a referee, dealing with a raging Ebenezer, participating in a bucket brigade, and finding evidence in a “murder.”

Is someone trying to stop the production or is it tied to a secret someone has on Luna Carmichael, the star of the movie and the queen of Christmas?

When Marie, Luna’s assistant, stumbles away from a car accident and dies, Merry believes the accident wasn’t quite so accidental. Was Luna or Marie the target? Merry finds more questions than answers, but one thing is certain: Everyone has an ulterior motive for being part of the production—including Marie.

After another murder, Merry wonders if the deaths are tied to a baby born long ago and abandoned. And more importantly, will Merry live long enough to find out?

To celebrate the release of the third book in the series, the ebook version of the first book in the series, Not A Creature Was Stirring, is on sale for $0.99.  Better Watch Out (book 2) and Dash Away All (book 3) are $4.99.

Amazon Link

Nook Link 

 

And if you’d like to hear more about Dash Away All and me, please head on over for a listen to The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon.

Christmas in July Kickoff

July is one of my favorite months not only because two of my children have birthdays this month but also because of Christmas in July. My other child is born in December which is actually Christmas month. This month, I’m going to be doing a little celebrating of Christmas in July with a FB event (also to celebrate the release of Dash Away All), Christmas/holiday related topics on my Facebook author page and on my blog. There will also be some giveaways.

One of my mystery series, Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery, features a heroine who loves Christmas and crafting as much as I do and has made Christmas crafting her career. Merry’s newest adventure, Dash Away All, releases July 7th, where she’s venturing to Indiana as the resident crafter for a Christmas mystery movie.

https://www.amazon.com/Dash-Merry-Bright-Handcrafted-Mystery-

ebook/dp/B086TYK58V

Tomorrow (July7th), I and my co-host Sybil Johnson will be holding a Christmas in July event on Facebook where will be celebrating the release of Dash Away All and Christmas. Join us to talk about books, Christmas, crafting, and there will also be some giveaways. So please join us tomorrow from 4-6 pm EST. https://www.facebook.com/events/4704050036287313/

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Courtney Kelly from A Sprinkling of Murder

Welcome to The Self-Rescue Princess, Courtney, please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life.

I believe in inviting magic into one’s life, but, um, when uninvited trouble enters my shop, I realize I’ll need more than a sprinkling of my imagination to solve a murder. Yes, a murder. Since childhood, I have loved fairies. After my mother died, however, I lost touch with that feeling of magic. A year ago, at age twenty-nine, I rediscovered it when I left my father’s landscaping business to spread my wings and start a fairy garden business in beautiful Carmel, California. But the light of the magical world I’ve created inside the shop is darkened when I find the neighboring dog-grooming business owner, Mick Watkins, dead beside the fountain. To make matters worse, the police suspect me of the crime. Me! Utter nonsense.

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor? 

After my mother died, I studied hard to make my father proud. In college, I turned my attention to chemistry and earth sciences. After graduation, I joined Dad’s thriving landscaping outfit in Carmel and dedicated myself to working the land: dig, plant, don’t have fun, repeat. Boring. Dad loved it, but me? I needed something more. When I went to a Renaissance Faire, I met a fairy garden designer. I was so enamored by the whimsical creations, I begged the woman to teach me the art. As I learned to design gardens, the woman gave me tips on how to attract fairies. I remembered laughing at the notion. But guess what? When I took the risk, spread my wings, and invested in Open Your Imagination, it happened. 

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

My father is NOT pleased with me trying to clear my name. A former cop who turned to landscaping after an injury that sidelined him, he believes the police will uncover the truth on their own. But I’m not so sure. With Fiona’s help—Fiona is the fairy who revealed herself to me the day I opened the shop—I’m sure I can discover the truth faster. I do not want to go to jail. I will not look good in an orange jumpsuit.

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

During high school, I had a steady boyfriend. When we went to college, we remained faithful. After we graduated, we became engaged. And then, the day after we had a co-ed bridal shower, he announced he didn’t want to be married. Ever. He needed to focus entirely on becoming a judge. Luckiest day of my life. That was when I realized that I did not need a man to complete me. I needed me. My energy. My artistic gifts. Don’t get me wrong, I like men, and there might be someone in Carmel who will catch my eye, but I won’t need him. I have created a business that is blossoming. I surround myself with supportive friends. And if I need saving, I’ll do it with my wits, brain, and spunk.

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Find your passion and pursue it with all your heart.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Persevere. Despite all the naysayers, you know what you want, and you can have it if you keep focused on the goal. Also, if you’re ever suspected of murder and you know you’re innocent, fight, fight, fight for justice and the truth.

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat? 

Oh, gosh, I’d like to think this is the only time I’ll run across a dead body. Honestly, how many times does that happen to a person in a lifetime? I’m hanging up my hat. Definitely. Unless, of course, something happens…

Thank you so much for asking me such thought-provoking questions.

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Jolie Tucker from Cast Iron Stake Through the Heart

 

Welcome, Jolie, to The Self-Rescue Princess. Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life.

On again, off again, ON AGAIN–Jolie Tucker and Mick Meiser are giving their relationship another try. Things seem to be working out for them so far, and love is on the menu all over Leavensport! An unexpected pregnancy with a surprising partner, a therapist pairs off with the chief of police, and the mayor of Leavensport falls for Jolie’s Aunt Fern! 

Although Leavensport is serving up affairs of the heart, there are a lot of mysterious activities lurking in the air. The townspeople awake to find freshly dug empty holes throughout the fields that were recently up for sale under suspicious circumstances. Jolie and Ava believe they are taking a break from solving murders when they start teaching an online cooking course–until they witness one of their students take a stake through the heart!

 Welcome to Leavensport, OH, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn.

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

Lately, my life has been nothing but risky. Crime has been on the rise in my little village and I seem to always find myself in the middle of it. My BFF, Ava Martinez, got her PI license and started a PI service called BOUNTY-FULL Investigative Services, figuring we should at least make a little money off of solving so many mysteries. 

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

Honestly, no. My life has always been ho-hum, and that’s the way I like it—well, other than my helicopter family—which, don’t even get me started with them. I mean, they mean well—I think? My mom wants to run my life—and my grandma—oh man, she is a pistol—all four-foot eight of her, but don’t let her height fool you. Then, there’s my Aunt Fern, who is the village gossip and always butting into my love life—well, my mom and grandma always are popping into my home unexpectantly and at the worst times too . . . wait, I told you DON’T get me started on them—GEESH! I guess my point is that I’m flawed—seriously flawed in so, so many ways—but I’m working on it—going to therapy, journaling, trying to figure it all out. Wait, what? No, don’t judge me—if you were raised in my family, you’d need therapy too!

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

H-E-double toothpicks—who ISN’T annoyed at my sleuthing? My boyfriend, Mick Meiser, is a detective, but he has MS and has been having some balance and leg weakness lately—he’s never happy to see me in harm’s way. My family, well, we won’t go there again—but yeah, they can’t stand it. I mean, the criminals—they typically seem to hate my guts—oh yeah, and Lydia, my frenemy from toddlerhood. 

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Did I mention I’m flawed? Yeah, I analyze things way too much. I have trouble trusting. There’s maybe a handful of people that I completely trust, but I am loyal and dedicated to those people—beyond loyal. I’m a cat lover—tend to love animals more than most people. I’m an excellent cook but horrible with numbers—that’s why I hang out in the kitchen and leave the front of our restaurant (did I mention Ava and I co-own Cast Iron Creations?) to Ava who is ALL PERSONALITY all the time!

Describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.

Hey, I’m still figuring it all out. I just turned twenty-five in May. My guy, Mick–he’s ten years older than me, with a lot on his plate. I’ve come to realize I need to get my act together, hence therapy and journaling. Solving crimes has proven to help me grow up and have more confidence in myself. I’ll get back to you in a couple years when I’ve worked through more stuff!

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Be yourself and trust yourself—go with your first instincts because it will save you a lot of time, trouble, and energy in your life.

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

To trust my instincts—I haven’t mastered this yet. I’m slowly getting better at it!

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

 Beyonce’s “Girls Run the World” because it’s true, babeee!

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

Oh, it’s FAR from over! Look for the dum-dum writer, Jodi Rath, to get me into more trouble coming up with Deep Dish Pizza Disaster this September 4, 2020, then Yuletide Cast of the Iron Skillet coming December 18, 2020, and three more crimes to solve in 2021—this chick needs to chillax!

 

 

 

SRP Heroine Interview: Marygene Brown from Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse

We’re welcoming Marygene Brown to The Self- Rescue Princess. Here’s a little bit of intriguing information about her before we jump into the interview:

On Georgia’s picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .
 
After their mama’s passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately, Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.
 
But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman’s charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they’re catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .
 
Includes Seven Recipes from Marygene’s Kitchen!

What made you decide to take on such a risky endeavor?

I don’t have a choice in the matter. From what I’ve gleaned from Mama, when one of the deceased is forced to remain, it creates an energy around the person they’re communicating with. An aura, if you will. The deceased will be drawn to that person to enlist their aid. In this instance, me. 

Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No way! I saw myself hosting a Food Network cooking show. Too bad that didn’t work out. 

Who would you say is the least pleased about your additional career choice of amateur sleuthing? Or is detective work your only career?

My father Sheriff Edward Carter isn’t at all happy that I’ve gotten involved in these sorts of cases.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? (Interviewer note: Question six is: describe what being a self-rescue princess (a strong, confident woman) means to you.) 

Wow, I think this answer would cover both questions 5 and 6.   I’ve been through a few trials in my life. The one that shaped me the most was choosing Mr. Wrong. Since my painful marriage and equally painful divorce, I’ve come to terms with the abuse I’d endured by my ex’s hand. I’ve been surprised by how much sharing with a group of others who’ve had similar experiences helped me along my healing journey. I’ve learned that I possess the strength to endure and grow. And that our pasts do not define our futures.

What one advice/wisdom would you like to pass onto young women?

Never give up. Ever. 

What was one lesson you learned during this challenging time in your life?

Failure is not fatal nor is it final. Keep moving forward. 

If your story or life had a theme song, what would it be?

Song? I have an entire playlist! https://www.kateyoungbooks.com/marygene-browns-baking-playlist.html

Do you plan on dabbling in amateur sleuthing in the future, or have you hung up your detective hat?

My amateur sleuthing days are just beginning. Stay tuned.