MYSTERY AUTHOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK OFFERS ADVICE FOR WOULD-BE AUTHORS

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website. Today Judy joins us to discuss her new nonfiction book for those who dream of writing a mystery.

Dreaming the Dream

If you follow this blog, and others like it, chances are that, like me, you’re an avid reader of mystery novels. My love of the genre started early, thanks to my mom’s parttime job in the toy department of Zeller’s department store, where, in addition to toys, they also sold children’s books. Every week, when she received her paltry paycheck for the few hours worked, she’d buy me a new book. Nancy Drew was a favorite, but there was also Trixie Belden, and Robin someone (if anyone knows her last name, please tell me!), which I remember liking. Anyway, the point is, I was hooked on mystery from a very early age.

 

As a teen, I discovered Agatha Christie and Ngaio Marsh, and by my early twenties, I’d read every book in both series. That led to the discovery of Dick Francis, John D. MacDonald, PD James, Martha Grimes, Sue Grafton, and many more.

 

Like many avid readers, I’d always dreamed the dream of writing my own book, though I didn’t follow that dream for decades, instead following a path of corporate finance. It wasn’t until I attended Bloody Words in 2012, a now defunct mystery conference once held biannually in Toronto, that I thought, “I’d like to try that now.”

 

Fast forward 11 years and I’m the author of two mystery series consisting of seven books, a few short mystery stories, and three multi-author anthologies. But the path to publication, for me at least, had many ups and downs, and the one thing I’ve learned along the way is that the world of publishing can be even more mysterious than Agatha Christie at her best (which, I’d argue, is Murder on the Orient Express).

 

In May of this year, I published Finding Your Path to Publication, where I share what I’ve learned about that world. No hard sell here, but if you’ve ever dreamed the dream, I’d like to think it’s a good place to start. After all, your dreams can’t go anywhere without you and neither can your book.

 

Finding Your Path to Publication

The road to publishing is paved with good intentions…and horror stories of authors who had to learn the hard way. 

 

For the emerging author, the publishing world can be overwhelming. You’ve written the book, and you’re ready to share it with the world, but don’t know where to start. Traditional, independent press, hybrid, self-publishing, and online social platforms—all are valid publishing paths. The question is, which one is right for you?

 

Finding Your Path to Publication is an introduction to an industry that remains a mystery to those on the outside. Learn how each publishing option works, what to expect from the process start to finish, how to identify red flags, and avoid common pitfalls. With statistics, examples, and helpful resources compiled by an industry insider who’s been down a few of these paths, this is your roadmap to decide which path you’d like to explore, and where to begin your author journey. 

 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GREEN BEANS ALMONDINE RECIPE AND A NEW MARKETPLACE MYSTERY

Photo Credit: Green Beans Almondine, photo by Sara, Dinner at the Zoo

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the bestselling author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including the Superior Shores Anthologies, which she also edited. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website. 

I have a confession to make. Unlike Calamity (Callie) Barnstable in my Marketville mystery series, I’m a dreadful cook. But Callie, bless her cold case solving heart, finds great solace in cooking. In my latest book, Before There Were Skeletons, Green Beans Almondine play a small, but surprisingly significant, part to the story line. 

 

The French word amandine, often Anglicised as almondine in American cookbooks, is a culinary term meaning a garnish of almonds. This recipe is both nutritious and easy. In fact, even a dreadful cook like me could make it!

 

Five-Step Green Beans Almondine

 

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb fresh green beans, stems trimmed

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp minced shallot or garlic (whatever you prefer or have on hand)

Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste, but a pinch of each is plenty)

Juice from 1 lemon

 

Place trimmed green beans in salted, boiling water and blanch until bright green and tender-crisp about 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

 

Toast almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

 

Add butter and olive oil to the skillet, then add garlic or shallot and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until garlic or shallot is softened and fragrant. Add lemon juice and continue cooking until slightly thickened.

 

Add the green beans back into the skillet. Continue cooking until beans are heated through.

 

Place in a serving dish and top with toasted almonds.

 

Click here for a PDF of the recipe. 

 

Before There Were Skeletons

A Marketplace Mystery, Book 4

 

The last time anyone saw Veronica Goodman was the night of February 14, 1995, the only clue to her disappearance a silver heart-shaped pendant, found in the parking lot behind the bar where she worked. Twenty-seven years later, Veronica’s daughter, Kate, just a year old when her mother vanished, hires Past & Present Investigations to find out what happened that fateful night. 

Calamity (Callie) Barnstable is drawn to the case, the similarities to her own mother’s disappearance on Valentine’s Day 1986 hauntingly familiar. A disappearance she thought she’d come to terms with. Until Veronica’s case, and five high school yearbooks, take her back in time…a time before there were skeletons. Universal Book 

 

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MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE FIRST LINES FROM AUTHOR AND EDITOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans, Heartbreaks & Half-truths, and Moonlight & Misadventure, which she also edited. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website. 

Moonlight & Misadventure: First Lines

There’s a famous line in the movie Jerry McGuire: “You had me at hello.” Opening lines are every bit as important in novels, and especially so with short fiction, where the author doesn’t have the luxury of allowing the reader to explore the story over several chapters. In the case of Moonlight & Misadventure: 20 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, I received 93 submissions representing 26 U.S. states, 4 Canadian provinces, as well as the U.K., the Netherlands, India, Austria, and New Zealand. Culling that down to what I considered the best 20 went far beyond the opening sentence...but a good one really helped. Here they are, in order of appearance:

 

‘Crown Jewel’— Joseph S. Walker

Given a choice, Keenan Beech wouldn’t have committed his first felony on the night of a full moon.

 

‘The Ballad of the Jerrell Twins’ — Clark Boyd

The second and final time the Jerrell twins met was at their father’s funeral.

 

‘Tammy Loves Derek’ — Bethany Maines

Tammy Lee Swanley climbed out of the dumpster and walked the three blocks through the salty slush of chemicals, dirt, and snow until she got to the corner across the street from the strip mall that housed Lombard’s Jewelry.

 

‘Moonset’ — Jeanne DuBois

Three train routes ran from Camden to Atlantic City in July, 1921.

 

‘Reunions’ — John Floyd

Larry Taylor woke up somewhere over the Oklahoma panhandle, dreaming of a woman’s voice.

 

‘A Currency of Wishes’ — Kate Fellowes

Josh O’Leary shook his head.

 

‘Cereus Thinking’ — Tracy Falenwolfe

It started with a Barbie doll.

 

‘Just Like Peg Entwistle’ — Robert Weibezahl 

Girl Leaps to Death from Sign—Los Angeles Times headline, September 19, 1932

 

‘Scavenger Hunt’ — Michael A. Clark

I killed the outboard motor as we approached the dark lagoon, moonlight shining over our ebbing wake.

 

‘My Night with The Duke of Edinburgh’ — Susan Daly

I shifted my body for the third time.

 

‘Dead on the Beach’ — KM Rockwood

Oliver was my big brother. He wasn’t supposed to die like that.

 

‘Madeline in the Moonlight’ — Susan Jane Wright

Something hit the floor and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

 

‘Not a Cruel Man’ — Buzz Dixon

Feeling good after he finished, he set the bloody sledgehammer down headfirst on the white shag carpet.

 

‘12 Miles to Taylorsville’ — C.W. Blackwell

The clatter of liquor bottles.

 

‘Chicken Coops and Bread Pudding’ — K.L. Abrahamson

Old Man Harper’s undulating fields were fallow with the fall’s last cut of hay, but around the edges the grass stood tall and brittle like the hair around an old man’s ears.

 

‘The Promotion’ — Billy Houston

Peter Hayes felt a swell of pride when he finished going through the last customer in the database—Mr. Anthony Yates, who signed up for his security system in 1983.

 

‘The Library Clue’ — Sharon Hart Addy

For hours, snow flew, fell, billowed, and blinded, covering everything with a distorting layer of white.

 

‘Ill Met By Moonlight, Proud Miss Dolmas’ — Elizabeth Elwood

In my forty years as an English and drama teacher, I have never had a problem with keeping high school principals in their place, but in that blissful unaware-of-what-was-to-come-September before the pandemic took over the world, one appeared who tested my patience to the limit.

 

‘The Moon God of Broadmoor’ — M.H. Callway

The life of a public health inspector is not easy.

 

‘Strawberry Moon’ — Judy Penz Sheluk

The U.S. border guard looked at me with barely concealed contempt.

 

So, there you have it. Twenty opening lines. Twenty different approaches. Do you have a favorite?

 

Moonlight & Misadventures: 20 Stories of Mystery and Suspense

A Superior Shores Anthology, Book 3

 

Whether it’s vintage Hollywood, the Florida everglades, the Atlantic City boardwalk, or a farmhouse in Western Canada, the twenty authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “moonlight and misadventure” in their own inimitable style where only one thing is assured: Waxing, waning, gibbous, or full, the moon is always there, illuminating things better left in the dark.

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK WEAVES A TALE AROUND OLD DAGUERREOTYPES

 

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of The Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plansand Heartbreaks & Half-truths, which she also edited. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website.

Facts in Fiction: Daguerreotypes

 

“There is, at least, no flattery in my humble line of art. Now, here is a likeness which I have taken over and over again, and still with no better result. Yet the original wears, to common eyes, a very different expression.” Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables (1851).

 

What Hawthorne is referring to is the daguerreotype, an early photographic process using silver-plated copper and mercury fumes (doesn’t that sound safe?), which results in a mirror-like image, similar to a hologram. While the use of negatives in photography would eventually become the norm, in 1840s and 50s America, the daguerreotype had little competition, especially in the area of private portraiture. Until the daguerreotype, portraits and miniatures were considered luxuries for the rich. 

 

Nevertheless, the heyday of the daguerreotype was short-lived. The beginning of the end came in 1854, with the patenting of the ambrotype, a less expensive photographic process, followed by the tintype in 1856. Although the images produced were clearly inferior to the daguerreotype, soldiers in the Civil War embraced the lightweight tintype; almost as quickly as the daguerreotype had risen to fame, it became obsolete.

 

The shift towards renewed public recognition began in October 1995, when Sotheby’s sold a half-plate of the United States Capitol, circa 1846, for a [then] world record price of $189,500. Other auction sales followed. One of the most significant was The David Feigenbaum Collection, which included 240 daguerreotypes from the renowned Boston partnership of Southworth & Hawes. The sale totaled $3.3 million.

 

I first became familiar with daguerreotypes in my early days as a freelance writer specializing in antiques, and my fascination with them increased with every article written. Later, as the Senior Editor of New England Antiques Journal, I would interview Keith F. Davis, a renowned expert in the field, as well as members of the Daguerreian Society. One of those members was kind enough to send me a copy of The Daguerreian Annual 1998: The Official Yearbook of the Daguerreian Society. Inside, there’s an article on Reading Daguerreotypes written by Keith F. Davis, and while it took a few years, it eventually inspired one of the plot points in my latest Glass Dolphin antiques shop mystery, Where There’s A Will. 

 

In the book, the beneficiary of the old Hadley house estate, Faye Everett, asks Arabella Carpenter, owner of the Glass Dolphin, to appraise a reading daguerreotype found hidden inside the house. Of course, the daguerreotype is not the only thing hidden inside the old Hadley house, as Arabella soon finds out. 

 

Where There’s a Will

A Glass Dolphin Mystery, Book 3

Emily Garland is getting married and looking for the perfect forever home. When the old, and some say haunted, Hadley house comes up for sale, she’s convinced it’s “the one.” The house is also perfect for reality TV star Miles Pemberton and his new series, House Haunters. Emily will fight for her dream home, but Pemberton’s pockets are deeper than Emily’s, and he’ll stretch the rules to get what he wants.

 

While Pemberton racks up enemies all around Lount’s Landing, Arabella Carpenter, Emily’s partner at the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, has been hired to appraise the contents of the estate, along with her ex-husband, Levon. Could the feuding beneficiaries decide there’s a conflict of interest? Could Pemberton?

 

Things get even more complicated when Arabella and Levon discover another will hidden inside the house, and with it, a decades-old secret. Can the property stay on the market? And if so, who will make the winning offer: Emily or Miles Pemberton?

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Photo credit: An example of a reading daguerreotype. Mary H. Lee, half-length portrait, seated, holding a book; McClees & Germon, photographer, 1850-55. Library of Congress #2008680501. Used with permission.

#COOKING WITH CLORIS--JUDY PENZ SHELUK'S SLEUTH COOKS UP BRIE & ASPARAGUS QUICHE

Photo courtesy of Half Baked Harvest
(www.halfbakedharvest.com)

Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of the Glass Dolphin Mystery and Marketville Mystery series, and the editor of The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense. Learn more about her at her website.

I’m not much of a cook, truth be told, but I have learned to live vicariously through my Marketville Mysteries’ protagonist Calamity (Callie) Barnstable. And while there are no actual recipes in my books, Callie can often be found making dinner (when she’d not ordering in Thai or cheese pizza with hot peppers and extra sauce). In A Fool’s Journey, Callie makes Asparagus & Brie Quiche, which she pairs with mixed greens with balsamic dressing, angel food cake with fresh strawberries and a dollop of strawberry whipped cream for dessert. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?

Brie & Asparagus Quiche

Ingredients:

1 - 9” pie shell

3 eggs

1 small white onion, chopped

1tsp. butter or margarine

8 ounces Brie cheese, cut into wedges

½ cup milk

½ cup 18% table cream

8-10 asparagus spears, ends trimmed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Nutmeg

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400°F

Melt butter and lightly fry the onion until clear.

Blanch asparagus in salted water for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain in ice cold water to retain color.

Cut the rind from the cheese and chop into small cubes.

Mix cheese, eggs, and milk into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Spread onions on the base of the pie shell, pour in cheese mixture, then place asparagus spears on top.

Bake thirty minutes until set and lightly browned.

Click here for a printable PDF of this recipe

A Fool’s Journey

A Marketville Mystery, Book 3

In March 2000, twenty-year old Brandon Colbeck left home to find himself on a self-proclaimed “fool’s journey.” No one—not friends or family—have seen or heard from him since, until a phone call from a man claiming to be Brandon brings everything back to the forefront. Calamity (Callie) Barnstable and her team at Past & Present Investigations have been hired to find out what happened to Brandon, and, if still alive, where he might be. As Callie follows a trail of buried secrets and decades-old deceptions only one thing is certain: whatever the outcome, there is no such thing as closure.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--ANTIQUE PERFUME BOTTLES INSPIRE MYSTERY AUTHOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK

A Tappan collection. Photo courtesy of Helen Farnsworth.

Judy Penz Sheluk, author of the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries, as well as various short stories, returns today to talk about antique perfume bottles and how they factored into one of her books. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website. 

Facts in Fiction: Herman Tappan Perfume Bottles

Until recently, I was the Senior Editor of the now-defunct New England Antiques Journal. During my decade-plus of employment there, I learned a lot about antiques, the show and auction scene, as well as the various collector associations that represented specific areas of interest. One of my favorites was the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA). While I don’t collect perfume bottles, the images that accompanied their press releases always captivated me.

The Herman Tappan perfume bottle
that inspired the text.
Photo courtesy of Helen Farnsworth. 

When I was writing A Hole in One, the latest book in my Glass Dolphin Mystery series, I needed a decorative item, ideally valued in the $100-$150 range—something my protagonist, Arabella Carpenter, could donate on behalf of the Glass Dolphin antiques shop. I went to the IPBA website and started checking out their virtual museum. When it became quickly apparent that I had no clue what to select, I contacted the IPBA, who in turn put me in touch with longtime member/volunteer and archivist Helen Farnsworth. I did so, explaining my mission, and Helen came to the rescue.

Her suggestion of a figural bottle of a small girl wrapped in a wolf skin fur, made by the Herman Tappan Perfume Company, New York, NY, circa 1890, was perfect, and not just because it was valued in the $100-$150 range. This was the kind of “sleeper” find Arabella might have discovered at an auction or estate sale. While Tappan’s colognes and figural bottles were aimed at the middle class and the prices affordable, he’s not a household name like Lalique. In short, it was the sort of thing that could have been found in an inexpensive box lot.

Facts in fiction, like this perfume bottle, are often just a small part of the overall book—anywhere from a single paragraph to a couple of pages—but they are by no means insignificant. An author who gets the facts wrong is guaranteed to lose more than one reader for life. Get them right, however, and the author not only satisfies those in the know, she’s added another layer to the story, providing a bit of trivia for those who enjoy such things.

A Hole in One

A Glass Dolphin Mystery, Book 2

Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.

They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.

Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.

All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--FULL NOOSE NACHOS FROM MYSTERY AUTHOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK

Judy Penz Sheluk is the Amazon international bestselling author of the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short stories appear in several collections. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

The Hanged Man’s Noose is the name of a local pub in Lount’s Landing, the setting for my Glass Dolphin Mystery series (The Hanged Man’s Noose; A Hole in One). Lount’s Landing is named after Samuel Lount, a real life Canadian politician who was hanged for treason in the eighteenth century. The pub’s owner, Betsy Ehrlich, is a local history buff.

Along with their signature drink, the Treasontini, The Hanged Man’s Noose is known for their Full Noose Nachos, which according to the series’ main character Arabella Carpenter, are “to die for.” Definitely not diet food!

You can also find a printable PDF copy of this recipe, as well as the Treasontini, on my website’s Food & Drink page. 

The Hanged Man’s Noose is available in trade paperback at all the usual suspects and in eBook format on Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Apple Books, and GooglePlay.

Full Noose Nachos

Note: You’ll notice there are no amounts given for each ingredient. That’s because you decide how much or how little to use of each, depending on your taste and the number of people you plan to serve.

For a special holiday version, substitute red and green tortilla chips.

Ingredients

Blue and yellow corn tortilla chips

Black beans

Finely chopped tomato

Scallions/green onion

Jalapeno peppers

Green olives

Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese blend, shredded

Guacamole

Sour cream

Salsa

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a layer of tortilla chips on an oven safe pan or cookie sheet. Top tortilla chips with a sprinkling of each of the main ingredients, building layers of chips and ingredients as you would with lasagna, topping with the remaining cheese.

Heat until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, place on plate, and top with guacamole and sour cream. Serve with salsa.

The Hanged Man’s Noose

A Glass Dolphin Mystery, Book 1

Freelance writer Emily Garland is cash-strapped, newly single, and tired of reporting on the same old condo stats. When she’s offered a lucrative assignment in the village of Lount’s Landing, she decides to take a chance. All she has to do is relocate and uncover the real story behind a proposed redevelopment plan. What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty, as it turns out. Not everyone is happy with real estate mogul Garrett Stonehaven’s plans to convert an old schoolhouse into a mega-box store. At the top of the list is Arabella Carpenter, the outspoken owner of The Glass Dolphin antiques shop, who will do just about anything to preserve the integrity of the town’s historic Main Street. 

But Arabella is not alone in her opposition. Before long, a vocal dissenter dies. A few days later, another body is discovered. Though both deaths are ruled accidental, Emily’s suspicions are aroused. 

Putting her interview skills to the ultimate test, Emily teams up with Arabella to discover the truth behind Stonehaven’s latest scheme—before the murderer strikes again.

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--AUTHOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK BAKES UP A BATCH OF CROUTONS

Mystery author Judy Penz Sheluk stops by for a return visit and to share a recipe today. Judy is the Amazon international bestselling author of the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short stories appear in several collections. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

Following her adventures in Skeletons in the Attic, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable is back in Past & Present, this time as the co-owner of Past & Present Investigations, where she hopes to earn a living investigating cold cases long abandoned by police. Potential love interest Royce Ashford is also back, and Callie hopes to encourage that relationship by having him over to her house for a dinner of lasagna with salad, complete with homemade croutons. Unfortunately, the evening doesn’t end as romantically as planned, but it had nothing to do with the croutons. Here’s the recipe. You can also find a printable PDF copy on my website’s Food & Drink page: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/recipes/

Garlic Butter Croutons

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. sea salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 loaf French stick and/or pumpernickel loaf cut into cubes (slightly stale bread is best)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and sea salt when butter is melted; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Add bread cubes and toss to coat, making sure the cubes are coated on all sides.

Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp and dry, turning once. Check frequently to prevent burning.

Let cool before serving.

Past & Present will be available in trade paperback at all the usual suspects and on Amazon Kindle on September 21, 2018, where it is currently available on pre-order for the promotional price of $2.99 (reg. $5.99).

Past & Present

Sometimes the past reaches out to the present...

It’s been thirteen months since Calamity (Callie) Barnstable inherited a house in Marketville under the condition that she search for the person who murdered her mother thirty years earlier. She solves the mystery, but what next? Unemployment? Another nine-to-five job in Toronto? 

Callie decides to set down roots in Marketville, take the skills and knowledge she acquired over the past year, and start her own business: Past & Present Investigations.

It’s not long before Callie and her new business partner, best friend Chantelle Marchand, get their first client: a woman who wants to find out everything she can about her grandmother, Anneliese Prei, and how she came to a “bad end” in 1956. It sounds like a perfect first assignment. Except for one thing: Anneliese’s past winds its way into Callie’s present, and not in a manner anyone—least of all Callie—could have predicted. 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH ANTIQUES SHOP OWNER AND AMATEUR SLEUTH ARABELLA CARPENTER

Today we sit down with Arabella Carpenter, amateur sleuth of the Glass Dolphin Mysteries by author Judy Penz Sheluk.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings?

I was recently divorced and getting ready to open my own antiques shop, the Glass Dolphin, on Lount’s Landing’s historic Main Street. Everything was going according to plan. Then Judy came along and the next thing you know, this big city developer is coming to town with plans to build a mega-box store. Can you imagine how upset all the indie shops on Main Street felt about that? I don’t know what Judy was thinking, bringing that man into our lives. Of course, murder ensued, and I found myself playing amateur sleuth.

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself?

I like to say authenticity matters, and it does, and not just in antiques. People should be authentic and honest. I’m proud to say that I have both of those qualities.

What do you like least about yourself?

Okay, I can be a bit irascible, is that what you wanted to hear? But it’s just because I’m passionate about things I believe in.

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you?

Oh my gosh, where do I start? Beyond mixing me up in multiple murders, I’d have to say she keeps throwing me into situations with my ex-husband, Levon Larroquette. Those indigo eyes of his should be illegal.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about?

I’ve told her, on occasion, that I wouldn’t react a certain way, especially when it comes to Levon. So far, she’s listened to me.

What is your greatest fear?

Knowing Judy, she’ll have me accused of murder one of these days.

What makes you happy?

Good friends. A great antique find. The Hanged Man’s Noose’s Full Noose Nachos (to die for!).

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why?

I’d have tried to make it with Levon. As much as we both hate to admit it, we’re meant for each other.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why?

Kerri St. Amour. She’s the editor of Inside the Landing and I know she’s the venom behind that anonymous blog, Outside the Landing. She’s always muckraking, that one.

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why?

Sometimes I envy my best friend and business partner, Emily Garland. She’s confident and so tech savvy, and she’s in such great shape. She runs every day; she’s even run the Toronto Marathon. That’s 26.2 miles; can you imagine? But I think I’d really rather stay being me.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

Judy’s website is www.judypenzsheluk.com. She just did this complete overhaul to it, and it looks amazing. Though I have to say, there are no pictures of me on there. Pictures of her dog, Gibbs, a 2-1/2 year old Golden Retriever, he’s there. Not sure what to make of that.

What's next for you?

Judy’s hard at work on the third book in the series, but she’s superstitious about saying too much about it. She’s also working on the sequel to Skeletons in the Attic, her Marketville Mystery series. I have a small role in Skeletons and she’s brought me back for the sequel. I’m the only one of Judy’s characters who is in both her series. Take that, Gibbs!

A Hole in One

A Glass Dolphin Mystery, book 2

Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.

They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, Levon Larroquette, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of Levon’s innocence.

Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.

All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR JUDY PENZ SHELUK SHARES PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

With the holidays coming up we've allowed Cloris another spot this week to feature one more author who bakes. After all, you can never have too many Christmas cookies, right? 

Judy Penz Sheluk writes the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries, and her short crime fiction has appeared in several anthologies. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website/blog. 

Judy is offering a giveaway to a lucky reader. Click here to sign up for her newsletter before December 20th for a chance to win an Audible.com audiobook of either The Hanged Man’s Noose or Skeletons in the Attic (winner’s choice). 

While I don’t write the sort of books that contain cats, crafts or cookie recipes (my amateur sleuth mysteries have bit more of an edge), like me, my protagonists have a sweet tooth, at least when it comes to cookies. When I visited last December, I shared a recipe for my mom’s Almond Crescents, a to-die for shortbread that Arabella Carpenter of The Hanged Man’s Noose would surely appreciates. You can find that recipe here. 

In Skeletons in the Attic: A Marketville Mystery, my protagonist, Calamity (Callie) Barnstable, is searching for clues that might help her find out more about her mother—a woman who disappeared thirty years earlier, when Callie was just six-years-old. As Callie digs through a box of her mother’s belongings, she finds a peanut butter cookie recipe that bears a striking resemblance to the recipe my mom used. Maybe it’s the childhood memory of baking with my mother, but I truly believe these are the best peanut butter cookies you’ll ever taste.

Anneliese’s Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy; I prefer smooth, but if you like bits of peanut in your cookies, the crunchy peanut butter works well)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla (real vanilla, not the imitation stuff) Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. Beat butter, peanut butter and white and brown sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well after each addition.

Drop a tablespoon of cookie dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Flatten each cookie in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Allow to cool completely.

Skeletons in the Attic, a Marketville Mystery

What goes on behind closed doors doesn’t always stay there…

Calamity (Callie) Barnstable isn’t surprised to learn she’s the sole beneficiary of her late father’s estate, though she is shocked to discover she has inherited a house in the town of Marketville—a house she didn’t know existed. However, there are conditions attached to Callie’s inheritance: she must move to Marketville, live in the house, and solve her mother’s murder. 

Callie’s not keen on dredging up a thirty-year-old mystery, but if she doesn’t do it, there’s a scheming psychic named Misty Rivers who is more than happy to expose the Barnstable family secrets. Determined to thwart Misty and fulfill her father’s wishes, Callie accepts the challenge. But is she ready to face the skeletons hidden in the attic?

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