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!

 

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. 

 

SRP Interview: Angel Delaight from #A SmallTownCanBe #Murder

1. Please tell us a little bit about what is currently going on in your life? 

You have all heard the story: big-city girl moves to small town and lives happily ever after. That’s not the forever-after Angel Delaight found when she moved to Whistle Stop,
Minnesota. First, her realtor is found dead in her new house, which is also rumored to be
haunted. Then homeless animals began showing up at her door, along with a bevy of
townspeople who seem to know what she is doing at all times. Not to mention a secret
journal turning up during a renovation, revealing more secrets hidden in this small community.

Will those secrets from the past put Angel’s life and those of her friends and family in
danger? When the big-city girl meets a small town, it can be murder.

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

It wasn’t a decision I made when I moved from Chicago to small-town Whistle Stop,
MN. It was made for me when a dead body ended up in the house I bought to
renovate.

3. Did you ever imagine yourself being involved in fighting crime?

No, absolutely not. I moved from Chicago to a small town for peace and tranquility and
to figure out the rest of my life.

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

I am a carpenter by trade. I know it is an unusual career for a young woman, but I
followed in my dad’s footsteps. I decided to take a break from the work world when my
dad sold his construction company, and though I could have worked for the new owners
or taken over the helm, I felt the need for something different. Who knew I would be
solving mysteries involving the history of a small town in Minnesota. I was least pleased
by dead bodies. That wasn’t in my old job description.

5. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I am a strong woman. I am good at problem-solving and I found I have creativity in my
head. I have a soft heart and my patience at times runs a little thin, especially when my
privacy seems to be invaded.

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

I used to think being a self-rescue princess meant being able to solve anything on your
own, not dwelling on the problem but taking action to solve it. I turned down proposals because my fiances wanted me to change who I am, meaning my career. I believe a strong woman is confident in who they are. You have to learn to be alone with you and like spending time with the authentic you. Moving to Whistle Stop I learned that letting others help you is also a sign of strength and not a weakness because by accepting their offer you also help them because they feel valued.

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

Take the time to figure out who you are. Don’t make decisions out of fear because you
doubt your value.

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

Eating chocolate and drinking wine helps.

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

It’s A Wonderful World.

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

I am not quitting. I still have some mysteries to solve and I have learned small towns hold secrets and they come out when you least expect them. The Whistle Stop sage will continue.

Cover Reveal: Dash Away All

Here it is…the cover for Dash Away All, the third book in the Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery Series, and my ninth book with Henery Press.

In Dash Away All, Merry Winters is taking a break from her hometown of Season’s Greetings–and all her problems there–and heading to Indiana to become the 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 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 answer and 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 then abandoned. And more importantly, will Merry live long enough to find out?

I had a love-hate relationship with writing Dash Away All. I loved the story: the plot, taking Merry out of hometown and away from her family and friends, Christmas movie setting, some of the scenes (which caused some of my problems). It was a new challenge to write Merry without using the other characters I had grown to love in Not A Creature Was Stirring and Better Watch Out. I found I missed them a lot and Merry’s reasoning for getting involved just wasn’t strong enough without her having a personal tie as her love for her friends and family is her strongest driving force. In the fourth draft, I brought in a personal connection for her: Marie is Paul McCormick’s cousin.

And then there were the scenes I loved. Capital L.O.V.E.D. That made it really hard to get the right flow for the book as I wanted to use these chapters so badly I was forcing them into the story…which is probably why writing scenes as they come to me isn’t the method of writing for me. My love of a scene even had me starting the book at the wrong point. I wanted this scene so much but it made no sense at the beginning. If that scene took place there was no reason for the production to continue so it couldn’t be the reason for Merry’s investigation, so back to the typewriter. I rewrote the first quarter of the book four times before I finally found the right start for the book. And, I evidently had to concede that one scene I adored had no place in the book anymore. It was so hard to pull it out.

There was also another part of the story I struggled with and even when I turned in the book I still wasn’t quite happy with the ending but it was time for me to stop fighting with the manuscript (I had my deadline extended while I wrestled with it). The main problem was I have a few will-not-ever-do/write rules in my head. There are just some things I like steering clear of but these self-imposed rules placed restrictions on the story and didn’t allow it to flow naturally. By forcing the direction too much, it took out the emotion in the book. Everything was just happening because I wanted/needed it. (I’m keeping this part vague as I don’t want to give away a big part of the story.)

Fortunately, I have a wonderful editor who is patient and understanding of my angst and helped me get over the hurdle I created for myself and encouraged me to see that there was nothing wrong with “breaking” one of my rules. I’m now very happy and excited with this story, and I love it. It’s more authentic to itself–and all because in the end I said screw it and broke a rule.