Just as I always wished to be more athletic, I've always wanted to be "crafty." Sadly, both those talents seem to require more coordination than I possess. (Case in point: not too long ago, I broke my wrist while strolling down a sidewalk.)
But let's put the lack of athleticism aside and focus on crafts. We'll start with painting. The two times I tried Painting with a Twist, the effort resulted in what could best be classified as abstract art. (That would all be well and good, but I was going for realism.) Then, when I took up knitting, my mini-afghan contained so many dropped stitches it looked more like a doily. (The knitting phase provided me with some thoughts about possible fictional methods of murder, so all was not lost.) And let's not even talk about cake decorating. (I'll just mention the Leaning Tower of Pisa and leave it at that.)
The one crafting skill I seem to possess is an aptitude for cross stitching. Since cross stitching is a bit like color-by-numbers, it doesn't require a great deal of innate talent on my part—just the ability to discern colors, to organize threads, and to count. Once I complete all the prep work, there's not even a lot of thinking required. It's an excellent way to keep my hands busy while I'm watching TV, and the dozen or so Christmas stockings I've created for family members fill me with a sense of accomplishment.
Still, I see people who possess so much crafting talent, and I sometimes long for more skills of my own. Perhaps that's why I created a character who leaps with unfettered abandon into so many activities. Maggie Cassidy—the kind, loving, funny mom of the main character in the Callie Cassidy Mystery series—tries out a new craft in almost every book. In fact, her family calls her a "hobby jumper," because she bounces from one pastime to another in the quest for an artistic endeavor that scratches her creative itch.
For example, in Suitable for Framing, Maggie proves she's a much better knitter than I, especially when it comes to creating sweaters for Callie's dog Woody and cat Carl. When she takes up cake decorating in Double Exposure, she even wins an award at the local Fireweed Festival. In book three, Frozen in Motion, scrapbooking snags Maggie's interest, resulting in a sentimental Valentine's album for her devoted hubby Butch.
Though a trip to a dude ranch in Photo Finished means a hiatus in Maggie's crafting journey, she'll rededicate herself in book 5, tentatively titled Negative Reaction. (I'm thinking origami might be right up her alley.) And I can already foresee her undertaking in book 6: genealogy—more specifically, grave rubbing. (Who knew that was even a thing? I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to researching it.)
And therein lies the beauty of being a writer: I can live vicariously through my characters. Will I ever be a grave rubber in real life? Seems unlikely (though now that I think about it, I do live within walking distance of a cemetery...) But Maggie can pursue it. She can invest the time and money in whatever craft captures my interest, and she'll be successful in a way I likely wouldn't.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. When a specific mode of murder piques my curiosity, I can let it play out on paper. When certain people irritate me, I can use their annoying traits to manufacture characters I can finish off in unsavory fashion—and I'll never face a consequence. This author gig is the next best thing to counseling. (Or maybe all this only goes to show that I need more counseling...)
Maggie and I are always looking for new and interesting crafts to entertain us—and our readers. What are some of your favorites?
A Callie Cassidy Mystery, Book 4
When a visit to a Colorado dude ranch turns deadly, it's up to photographer Callie Cassidy to corral the killer...
Callie thinks she has planned the perfect bridal shower for her best friend Tonya: a week-long girls' trip to Moonglow Ranch, where they can all bask in nature and enjoy each other's company. Then, a conniving local woman publicly threatens the ranch's owners, and Callie worries the trip may be destined for disaster. The next morning, she and her golden retriever Woody and tabby cat Carl discover the woman's body in the stable, trampled by a horse. Or did the woman die from a snakebite? Or—as Callie suspects—could something even more sinister be at play? Answers are as difficult to find as a needle in a haystack. And when the town's police chief accuses the ranch owners of murder, Callie realizes she'll need to lasso the real outlaw—before the wrong people end up in the pokey.
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