#CRAFTING WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR ROSALIE SPIELMAN'S DECADE QUILT

The Finished Quilt

Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. She writes for the multi-author Aloha Lagoon mystery series and her own Hometown Mystery series. Learn more about Rosalie and her books at her website.

The Decade Quilt

For many years, I strove to express my creativity through textiles, as in quilting, sewing, or yarn related crafts. I do pretty well with counted cross stitch, which appeals somehow to my need for order and precision. I've been taught crochet, knitting, quilting…but let's just say, there's a reason I'm a writer! With writing, I can envision a story and through some magic, make it come out in reasonably understandable form. I might get stuck in that messy middle for a while, but eventually, the story is complete. But creating an epic textile art? Mmm, no magic happening there. Case in point: the infamous Decade Quilt. 

 

Around 1998, I visited my sister where she was stationed in Ohio. She had bought her first house, an older house with some antique wallpaper. After I returned home, I sought out vintage-style material that would go with the wallpaper and set to work. 

 

I was at Fort Bliss, Texas at the time and had friends who were quilters. Under their instruction, I had learned to quilt. My friends were surprised to hear I wanted to do a full-sized bed quilt but were happy to give me advice.

 

I didn't have trouble piecing the quilt top. That's the fun part to me that appeals to my sense of order, like cross stitch does. Then I combined the quilt top with the batting and backing and set to hand quilting it. 

 

Yes, hand quilting a full-sized quilt. By myself. 

 

When I finished the top, I took one square and 

made a pillow to show my sister what she had 

in store. The cat was out of the bag…

 

It was slow going. So slow, that my husband's assignment was up, and it was time to move. Off we went to Germany. Three years later, we left Germany for Virginia, where my son was born. Then after a few years, we headed back to Fort Bliss, where I gave birth to my daughter and reconnected with my quilting friends. They were amused – and probably not surprised – to see that the quilt for my sister was still unfinished. 

 

When we got orders to move on, I asked my friend to use her fancy quilting sewing machine to finish the quilting on the project for me. She said no, that I should finish it for it to mean more. I told her I was not going to move with it again, and if she wasn't willing to help me out, I would throw it out. I was not going to move that thing again!

 

So, finally, in 2008, after my friend finished quilting it with her machine, I finally gifted my sister her Decade Quilt, which in no way matched the walls of her current house, or any houses she had lived in since that one with the crazy classic wallpaper. 

 

She's used it on her bed ever since (at least when I visit) even though she has other quilts. Like her quilt from the Quilts of Valor foundation. Along with my husband, father, sister, and brother, I was presented a quilt in 2018. Quilts of Valor is an organization that creates and gifts quilts to veterans. I included a scene in my newest Hometown Mystery, Murder Comes Home, where my main character Tessa Treslow, her best friend Deputy "Freddie" Frederickson, and boyfriend Nick Hunt, are all presented with Quilts of Honor at the New Oslo Veterans Day ceremony.

 

I have been tempted to give back to the foundation by creating a quilt for another veteran. But I think they'd want it in less than ten years…

 

Readers, do you have an unfinished project out there, haunting you?

 

Murder Comes Home

A Hometown Mystery, Book 3

 

Army retiree Tessa Treslow is as excited as the other residents of New Oslo, Idaho, when the cast and crew of the TV show Picks with Ricks comes to town! Tessa and her Aunt Edna put their car restoration business on hold to let the celebrity antique hunters pick through their old garage, hoping the trash contains a treasure that will help fund their new business. But it turns out that the pickers come with TV cameras, likeable stars, a stressed-out producer—and a murderer!

 

The show’s lead makes an insistent offer on one of Aunt Edna’s renovation projects and won’t take no for an answer. And when Tessa finds the show's cameraman dead in the restored 1965 Mustang, Tessa knows murder has come home yet again. And the mystery takes a very personal turn when the dead man is found with an antique inscribed pocket watch connected to the former owners of Aunt Edna's farmhouse. As Tessa digs into the history surrounding the pocket watch and the relationships of the TV crew, shocking details—both old and new—arise. Will Tessa be able to catch a killer...before they return for a repeat performance?

 

Preorder (available 11/7/23) 

Gemma Halliday Publishing is donating a portion of the presales of Murder Come Home to Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

ATYPICAL DETECTIVE ATTIRE TAKES CENTER STAGE IN ROSALIE SPIELMAN’S LATEST COZY MYSTERY

Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world with her cozy mysteries. Learn more about Rosalie and her books at her website.

Hallo-waiian Shirts

The detective in the Aloha Lagoon mysteries, shared by all the authors who write for the series, is Detective Ray Kahoalani. The series sleuths are often initially confused by his causal "Island Time" lack of urgency and his Hawaiian-print shirts, but he is still a professional who gets his job done. Our sleuths just sometimes help a little!

 

Kiki Hepburn, the protagonist and amateur sleuth introduced in Death Under the Sea, is a dive tour leader in Aloha Lagoon, a resort town in Kauai. She has settled into a comfortable life living with Auntie Akamai and dating Dex Kokoa, and occasionally solving murders.

 

In our most recent visit to Aloha Lagoon, Hallo-waiian Murder Mystery, Kiki is hanging out with Auntie Akamai and her friends in a rousing pre-Halloween game of mahjong, when one of them collapses, presumably from an allergic reaction. Kiki performs first aid, and the friend is sent off to the hospital, where they later find out she has died. When Detective Ray shows up, Kiki and Auntie Akamai realize it was not an allergic reaction, but murder.

 

While Ray is questioning Kiki, she notices his shirt:

 

Ray's usual Hawaiian shirt was dominated by orange flowers and had a black background, so I couldn't help but smile that he was wearing Halloween colors. At least until I saw the tiny lime green skulls between the flowers. 

 

And in a later scene:

 

Tonight, his Hallo-waiian–print shirt had a purple background with grinning jack o' lanterns scattered amongst fuchsia hibiscuses and teal surfboards.

 

I wrote this, thinking myself quite clever and not realizing that shirts like this actually existed. But I'm thrilled to see that they do! A simple internet search will show you a world of alternatives to the colorful surfers, sunsets, and hibiscus shirts we usually picture, including Halloween-themed ones.

 

I didn't find exactly what I had pictured, but some on Amazon.com came close. I will fully admit to then falling down a rabbit hole of Hawaiian shirts. I've found shirts for enthusiasts of many different things, like cats, Sasquatch, Star Wars, cows, cartoon characters, dinosaurs, and…capybaras. You can even get a custom shirt with pictures of yourself or your pet, nestled among Hawaiian-type foliage.

 

But my absolute favorite find, the Inception of festive casual wear: The Hawaiian shirt of…Hawaiian shirts.

 

You should fully expect to see that one in my fourth Aloha Lagoon book!

 

Hallo-waiian Murder Mystery

An Aloha Lagoon Mystery, Book 20

It's Kiki Hepburn's first Halloween in Aloha Lagoon, and she doesn't know exactly what to expect. Between working at the busy Aloha Lagoon Dive Shop and living with the eccentric Auntie Akamai, life is always unpredictable. But one thing Kiki definitely didn't expect is the sudden death of Auntie Akamai's life-long friend, Celine Suzuki! And when the island's Homicide Detective Ray shows up, Kiki knows the death is not an accident—it's murder.

Now Auntie Akamai's friends are all suspects in the death. Was it Oliana Harris, the Pineapple Princess, and heiress to a pineapple fortune? Margaux La Roux, a transplant from New Orleans? Or Stella Keawe, Akamai's gossipy goose of a neighbor? They're all acting suspiciously. And each is hiding something. But is what they're hiding worth killing over?

Instead of enjoying her first Hawaiian Autumn under the waves, Kiki's investigation takes her to gardens of flowering poisonous plants, an over-the-top animal shelter, a prickly pineapple plantation, and a zombie theme "Hallo-wedding." With time running out and "something" stalking her every move, will Kiki live to see her Halloween treats? Or will this year end in a "trick" Kiki won't come back from?

Preorder (available Oct. 3^rd)

INTERVIEW WITH COZY MYSTERY AUTHOR ROSALIE SPIELMAN

Today we sit down for a chat with cozy mystery author Rosalie Spielman. Originally from a tiny town in the Palouse region of Idaho, as a military brat, veteran, and military spouse, Rosalie has moved more times than she has fingers to count on! She enjoys reading to escape from the real world and hopes to give you the same sense of escape with her stories. Learn more about Rosalie and her books at her website and the Writers Who Kill blog.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels? 

I had toyed with the idea of writing for many years, but never felt like I would be capable. Then entered my forties and figured if not now, then when? What was I waiting for?

 

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

I started seriously writing with the goal of publication in 2016. My first book was published in 2021, but it was the fifth one written.

 

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author? 

Traditionally.

 

Where do you write? 

Mostly in my office, but sometimes in cafes, the car, in bed (in the middle of the night on my phone!)…pretty much anywhere that the words demand themselves to be written.

 

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind? 

I don’t have a preference for silence or not, but I don’t listen to music. I usually have the TV on for “noise” even if it’s just the weather channel. It’s one reason I used to write in coffee shops—the noise. One side of my mind is occupied by whatever is going on around me, leaving the creative side to do its thing.

 

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular? 

Since I write murder mysteries, I will not confirm nor deny that I pull my plots from my real life. My characters are usually not based on any specific individual I am acquainted with. Maybe.

 

Describe your process for naming your character? 

I love etymology and I like to have fun with names. I tend to look at foreign roots or names that have other meanings. Like in this book, the murdered man’s name is Auggie Toat. “Tot” in German means “dead.” (And is pronounced toat, not like a tater tot.) Aunt Edna is a Harridan, which is a “strict, bossy or belligerent old woman.” 

 

Just for fun, my old curmudgeonly ladies are The Prunn Sisters—like prunes. And there’s a character named Forrest Sherwood. My editor didn’t comment on that. Lol

On the other hand, my main character is Tessa Treslow—Treslow is a street name I drove past one day. So hers is completely random, but I liked the flow. 

 

Real settings or fictional towns? 

My fictional town of New Oslo is based on a real one that was originally settled by Scandinavians, as New Oslo obviously was. My hometown, in fact, and some of my description of the town is accurate to the real place.

 

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has? 

Tessa’s grandma, who is deceased, probably has the biggest quirk…she liked to create taxidermy creatures by mixing different ones together and posing them in unlikely poses. Like a raccoon eating Jif or a squirrel in a canoe. A favorite of Tessa’s is Bundeersquirrella, a bunny/squirrel with deer antlers, in a Cinderella dress. Grandma’s creations are all over the Harridan house.

 

What’s your quirkiest quirk? 

I like…moving. It makes me break out in a cold sweat to imagine living in one house for five years. That’s weird, right?

 

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

The Harry Potter books, because I would love to have created a world as immersive and thorough as Rowling did. She didn't just write magic—she made magic.

 

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

I wouldn’t mind doing college over again. Study something a little more useful, and study harder but also have more fun… And stay in the dorms. Now I feel like I'm lecturing my college kid!

 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People being hypocrites. 

 

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Books, reading glasses, and a hammock. I cringe to say reading glasses but unfortunately the books would be useless without them…

 

What was the worst job you’ve ever held? 

I worked at a military library once in Germany. The supervisor didn’t like that I was an officer’s wife and made it solely my job to “shelf check” the entire library. Shelf checking is going book by book, making sure they are in order…and in an open and active library, it is literally never ending. Day after day…book after book. Despite it being books, I started applying for other jobs after two weeks.

 

What’s the best book you’ve ever read? 

That’s so hard! That’s like asking which of my kids I love more! I have very fond childhood memories of Little Women and Island of the Blue Dolphins. I love the Harry Potter series. My most recent “book that stuck with me” was 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I mean, how do you even plot that? How?!

 

Ocean or mountains? 

Mountains. Definitely. Preferable the Alps. 

 

City girl/guy or country girl/guy? 

Country girl at heart. City girl by address. Unfortunately. 

 

What’s on the horizon for you? 

There are two more books coming in the Hometown Mysteries series, and I also write for the multi-author Aloha Lagoon series. I wrote #16, Death Under the Sea, and #18, Death on a Cliff, will be coming in August, and I will be doing two more after that! At least once I figure out more prepositional places for murder.

 

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books? 

My publisher, Gemma Halliday Publishing, generously offered to donate a portion of the proceeds of all sales during the release month of Welcome Home to Murder to the veterans charity of my choice. So please buy the book in June and support the Disabled American Veterans, or DAV!

Welcome Home to Murder

A Hometown Mystery, Book 1

 

Tessa Treslow never wanted a small-town life. As soon as she graduated high school, she happily escaped her tiny town to join the U.S. Army, leaving New Oslo, Idaho, population 852, firmly behind her. Twenty years later, the hometown hero is finally ready to come back—even if she has just a visit with loved ones in mind while her family is hoping to convince her to stay for good.   

 

With her fawn Boxer dog, Vince, in tow, Tessa falls into the unsettlingly familiar small-town life, helping out in her family's general store and her feisty Aunt Edna's auto body shop. But her peaceful homecoming is suddenly shattered when the dead body of a crooked con man turns up in her aunt's shop, and the police have some serious questions for the family. To make matters worse, the sheriff in charge just happens to be Tessa's ex-boyfriend... and things did not end well between them all those years ago. When it comes out that the con man was trying to get his hands on the family business, Tessa knows they're in trouble. 

 

With her family in danger of being dragged away in handcuffs, Tessa becomes a woman on a mission to find the con man's killer. Between a slew of suspects, a meandering moose, and a handsome newcomer with his eye on Tessa, she has her work cut out for her. But when the killer changes tactics—putting everything her family holds dear in jeopardy—Tessa begins to realize what home really means to her. Can she be the hero for her hometown once again... before it's too late? 

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