#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR ELLEN BYRON ON COURIR DE MARDI GRAS

Award-winning mystery author Ellen Byron writes the Cajun Country Mystery series. Ellen’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents. She’s also written 200+ national magazine articles, and her published plays include the award-winning Graceland. As if that weren’t enough, she also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. Learn more about Ellen and her books at her website.

Mardi Gras Murder, my new Cajun Country Mystery, revolves around the Cajun tradition, Courir de Mardi Gras – Mardi Gras Run. The runs are down-home affairs, with fantastic masks often made by the wearer or a local craftsperson, and costumes that are also primarily made by hand. What I love are the fabrics Mardi Gras – in Cajun Country, the term is often used as a proper noun – chose for their outfits.

They range from sedate…

To exuberant.

Some are a little bit country…

Some are a little bit rock ‘n roll…

No matter the pattern, all the fabrics reflect the joyous nature of the Courirs. Yes, they can get crazy. And being an animal lover, I don’t love the part of a courir where they chase a chicken and then catch it for the communal gumbo that ends the festivities. Some are men only, which pushes a button for me. But local women responded by creating their own runs. There are family runs, too.

Still, I love the fact that such a unique and specifically regional celebration not only exists but thrives in today’s homogenized society. My friend Jan Gilbert, a renowned NOLA artist, participated in a run and took these photos. Someday I hope to join a run myself, well… laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll.

Mardi Gras Murder

A Cajun Country Mystery, Book 4

The resilient citizens of Pelican aren’t about to let some hundred-year flood ruin their Mardi Gras festivities, which include Courirs de Mardi Gras – Mardi Gras Runs – a gumbo cook-off, and the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant contest.  But when a body of a stranger washes up in the bayou Crozat Plantation B&B, and a pageant judge is shot, Maggie Crozat is convinced that the deaths are connected. Does someone want the pageant queen crown bad enough to kill for it? Or are the deaths somehow related to the Orphan Train, which delivered its last charges to Cajun Country in 1929?

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(Photos courtesy of Jan Gilbert and EPrimeMedia.com)

#COSTUMES OF YORE WITH GUEST AUTHOR CAROLINE LEE

Note the mini-tricorn hat. How cute it that?

Caroline Lee is the author of the bestselling sweet Western romance series, The Sweet Cheyenne Quartet. Learn more about Caroline and interesting social history finds—including gorgeous costumes—on her Facebook author page.

Confessions of a Costume-a-holic

(I’m 78% Certain That’s a Real Word)

One year ago this week, my family (or The FamiLee, because I like puns) moved to a new home. As you can imagine, the process of moving, putting things in storage, and then moving again was the perfect time to go through ten years’ worth of accumulated stuff, to decide what we could get rid of.

That doesn’t mean that we actually did, though.

My husband still has his boxes of childhood comics, and eighteen rolls of different kinds of tape, and that bin of assorted, outdated ethernet wires (“just in case”). My sons have every LEGO piece known to man. And I have this:

The Costume Closet

This is my costume closet. I haven’t acted in or crewed a performance in almost ten years, but I’ll be darned if I’m going to give up my costumes. Yes, that’s an entire closet in my new house, dedicated to bins and bins of costumes I haven’t worn in years. I moved all of those boxes into storage, and then moved them here, because I’m addicted.

I love to costume. I’m a social historian, and a big part of social history is the material record left by our ancestors… often in, well… material. The history of clothing and fashion is just fascinating, and I love knowing the evolution of the necktie (from utilitarian scarf to cravat to tie) and the sock (from ‘hose’ to ‘stocking’ to ‘sock’), although I try not to share too much at cocktail parties, because that gets annoying. “Would you like to know the history of that skirt, ma’am?” just isn’t a good way to meet people. I mean, it’s a great way to be remembered, but usually as “that weirdo.”

So I limit myself to costuming at Halloween. And school spirit-nights. And the murder mystery parties I have to throw just to make sure my costumes get used. And of course, the kids’ collection.

They don’t get a closet (because their closets are filled with LEGOs), but I made sure their costumes are readily accessible to them and their friends, and haven’t regretted it. I can still remember sitting in the car on the drive home from the doctor’s office after finding out that our first baby was going to be a boy. My husband was grinning ear-to-ear, and I was stunned. Finally I said (in a pitiful little voice), “Do boys like playing dress-up?” I’d spent years dreaming of making princess dresses and hoop skirts, and knew nothing about little boys. My husband, bless his heart, knew immediately what I needed to hear: “You’ll have to start making pirate and firefighter and knight costumes.” And I did.

Now I have two little boys who love playing “dress up and adventures” as much as I do! Granted, the Red Ninja and the Black Pirate end up in a sword fight within seconds of donning the appropriate headgear, and the knight always has to chase the dragon around with a spear… but still. They’re using their imaginations, and that has to count for something, right?

But I don’t have to rely on my kids to fulfill my costuming love, oh no. Because, see, I write historical romance. And in historical romance everyone’s in costume. Yep! No matter what my characters are wearing, it’s a costume to me, and some of my fondest bits of social history research are related to the characters’ clothes.

In an effort to make a use of these neglected skills, I decided to costume my cover models myself. The cover of A Cheyenne Celebration, the second book in my Sweet Cheyenne Quartet features the heroine in her favorite yellow bustled dress with the black trim. This is the dress she wears to the town’s Fourth of July festival and bonfire, right before she gets lured onto the dark prairie with all sorts of dangers waiting for her. Of course, the hero manages to save the day… but not before this lovely yellow dress gets conveniently… ruined.

 

Not pictured: another sleeve, the neckline, and pretty much the entire front of the dress. Which is why I didn’t make those parts.

Confession: I actually designed the dress in the book around what material I had in my sewing closet (my sewing closet is a story for another day.) It was an old bolt of (fairly ugly) fabric I’d been looking to get rid of for years, and just happened to fit the “look” of the 1880s’ patterns. I added some lace in appropriate places, and made the dress.

Further confession: I was actually too lazy to make the entire dress.

For Serena’s dress, I made only one sleeve, the bodice, the bustle, and enough of the skirt to wrap around the model. You would not believe how many pins (safety and otherwise) appear on the cover. It’s not perfect, and it’s not perfectly accurate… but it’s fun. It was fun to make and fun to model and fun to shoot, and that’s what costuming should be all about. We all had fun making that cover (and that genuine 38-star flag!), so I count that as a win.

Costuming should be about having fun, whether you’re reenacting or messing around in heels for Halloween or making your kid that Jedi Knight costume he’s been bugging you about out of a bathrobe and a piece of rope. Or even creating the cover of a bestselling book. Costuming is merging history and research and fabrication and patience (and impatience) and pins and creativity. And fun.

A Cheyenne Celebration

Circumstances dictate that Serena Selkirk must choose between two very different men for a husband: her coarsely handsome rancher neighbor, and a sophisticated and urbane Cheyenne schoolteacher. Cam MacLeod and Sebastian Carderock embody opposing aspects of success in Wyoming, but both types of men are necessary for the Territory to become a state. And while Wyoming’s future hangs in the balance, so does Serena’s. She’ll have to decide between pragmatism and her dreams, but only one man will be able to make her truly happy. It will take a Fourth of July showdown for Serena to realize what her heart—and her future—really desires.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR BARBARA PHINNEY

Today’s craft blog is a bit of a stretch, but it’s a fun post and author Barbara Phinney did find her inspiration while attending a craft fair, so we’re going with it. Learn more about Barbara and her books at her website. 

Years ago, I ran into a friend of mine at a craft fair. Like me, she was serving in the military, but she belonged to a Society of Creative Anachronism. At their display, she wore a beautiful green velvet dress in a 16th century style, complete with stunning jewels. She'd saved her money to sew her gown and buy those wonderful pieces of bling she wore. She was also an attractive Native Canadian woman and when she knelt to speak to my toddler daughter, with her black hair flowing down her shoulders, my daughter thought she was a magical princess.

I knew then I had to write a story filled with fabulous gowns and medieval societies. Later that summer, our family visited my husband’s family. So, the story forming in my mind suddenly became a comedy of wacky family frolics. With those beautiful gowns of course.

 So All For A Good Cause was born.

It came together as beautifully as the gowns my friend had created. There would even be a fairy tale wedding featured, for what is a romance about lovely clothing without a stunning wedding?

Fast forward twenty years to my daughter’s lovely summer nuptials. And her dress resembled the one my heroine wore in my story! I loved it the second we laid eyes on it. And perhaps by unconscious design, the fun we had before the wedding reflected All For A Good Cause.

Thankfully, my daughter didn’t faint. Oops! I’m telling you too much about All For A Good Cause! No more, except that it’s a fun romp through medieval societies, fabulous gowns and meddling families.

I hope you’ll check it out.

All for a Good Cause

With the 'fun' back in fundraiser and relatives firmly entrenched where they think they should be (in her personal life), Janet Jemseg struggles to stay sane at a local charity function run by her old Society for Creative Anachronism.

She's been roped in to help, by blackmail and everything that family think they can get away with.

Enter hunky philanthropist, Devin Kidder, uncle to the disabled child for whom they're raising money, and Janet is ready to jump ship. She's had her fill of charming men.

Suddenly, he's suggesting the unthinkable -- a 'wedding' to stir up interest. A wedding to him.

Her quiet summer just went south. But it's all for a good cause, they say.

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CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR AND SEAMSTRESS QWILLIA RAIN

Qwillia Rain wrote her first romance in middle school and hasn’t looked back. Learn more about Qwillia at her blog/website.

Costuming with Qwillia Rain

The old adage: “Write what you know” never really appealed to me because there’s so much you can actually learn without have to “experience” it first. For the most part, though, writing what I knew was what I did when I penned my romantic suspense novel, In A Lover’s Silence. The main character, Wynne Smith, works in Anchorage, Alaska as a bill collector, yet she also works part-time in the costume shop of the theatre department at the university she attends. These are key elements to the beginning and conflict in the book.

To Wynne, the search for a serial killer begins and ends with a pattern. Much like mysteries, sewing is all about patterns and putting the pieces together. The part of costuming for Wynne is the alterations she often has to make to get the costume to fit the actor wearing it. In that same manner, she steps outside the box (and goes against direct instructions) to find alternate avenues to identify the killer

In her world, one size doesn’t fit all, and even if the size of the pattern matches the size an actor wears, it doesn’t mean that particular pattern won’t need adjustments. Beyond the sewing aspect, Wynne’s connection to the actors, students, and the university itself, figure into the investigation. Thus, allowing the reader to experience Anchorage in ways many tourists do not.

It’s ironic (or maybe not) that I formerly learned how to sew (gotta love home economics classes) around the same time I first began writing romance novels – I was 12. I’ve come a long way from my first attempts – both sewing and writing – and I’ve even added to my sewing résumé – purses and totes. Again, it’s all about the patterns.

One day, Wynne and her sexy Deputy US Marshal may return (my mother still hasn’t forgiven me for the ending), but for now, Wynne’s story can be found exclusively at Amazon.

In A Lover’s Silence

Alaskan bill-collector Wynne Smith has a problem. Actually, she has two. The first is sexy, six-foot, Deputy US Marshal, Seth Vassar, fresh off the plane from Dallas, Texas and looking for answers to a five-year-old murder investigation. The by-the-book marshal doesn't take no for an answer any more than Wynne likes to let a puzzle go unsolved.

Which leads to her second problem. A serial killer intent on making Wynne pay for destroying his next work of art.

Now Wynne has to guard her heart against a man she knows is going to leave her while she tries to keep one step ahead of a maniac.

In a game this deadly, her only hope lies In A Lover's Silence.

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FASHION WITH TESSA - GUEST BLOGGER GRACE KONE/BLAIR BANCROFT

Today we have with us a very special guest. Grace Kone, who writes as Blair Bancroft, talking about the fashion of bygone days. Grace began her writing career the year the Internet was born—1991, the year of the first Gulf War. Alas, the Internet has become considerably more famous and influential, but she can claim a Golden Heart win, a RITA final, a Best Regency award from Romantic Times, a Best Romance award from the Florida Writers’ Association, and two nominations for an EPPIE, plus a great many four- and five-star reviews.

After nine published print books and eight books presented by major e-publishers, Blair plunged into indie publishing  in the winter of 2011, uploading a good deal of her backlist and beginning to add new titles in 2012. Blair has been an advocate of online publishing (as long as it’s done with professionalism) since her first e-book came out in 1999 and an enthusiastic proponent for the freedom of Do It Yourself. [She considers e-readers one of the great boons to mankind, thank you very much, Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek.)]. She looks forward to another twenty years of writing and at least as many new books. Currently available online are nineteen Blair Bancroft books, ranging from traditional Regencies to Suspense, Mystery, and Steampunk.

Footnote: the mother mentioned in today’s blog as the source of Grace/Blair’s costuming interest would later become well-known as the children’s book author, Wilma Pitchford Hays. Grace never even thought of being a writer until later in life, as it never occurred to her you could have two writers in the same family!

Read more about Grace/Blair at her website and blog. -- AP

           

Sleuth in a Costume Shop

I have been blogging about Craft for eighteen months now. The craft of writing, that is. When it comes to the crafts presented by Anastasia Pollack, I blush. I study the instructions she so graciously shares, and my mind boggles. Beyond an occasional hand puppet for the grand girls, I confine my craft suggestions to the nuts and bolts of romance writing, to those who think a tag is a game, a hook for fishing, and presentation doesn’t count.

So what am I doing on these pages?

Once upon a time I was adept at another craft: creating costumes. And after following a serpentine path of remembrance through several careers, I discovered how very much the craft of costume creation has affected my life. So much so, I recently began a mystery series set in a costume shop, a shop where many of the “costumes” are simply the fashions of bygone eras. From the flowing lines of Grecian gowns to Fair Maidens in veils and Knights in dagged surcoats. From Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to Scarlett and Rhett, bustles, frock coats, and—oh, joy—the great rebellion of the Twenties, when women threw away their corsets, cut their hair, shortened their skirts, and thumbed their noses at thousands of years of female fashion.

We often talk about the debt we owe the Suffragettes, but what about all those ordinary girls who defied convention to make the Twenties resonate through modern history? And, yes, Twenties outfits— from flappers and pearls to striped suit jackets, fedoras, and tommy guns (plastic, I assure you)—were the most popular outfits in DreamWeaver - Costumes & Creations, the costume shop I once owned and managed. And for which I created more than eighty-five percent of the costumes.

So it should come as no surprise when my heroine in Death by Marriage, a mystery I call a “not quite cozy,” opens a costume rental business called DreamWear - Costumes & Creations.  But how on earth did someone who majored in Music Education with a Minor in Voice (and sang professionally for twenty years, including touring with The Sound of Music) end up with a costume shop?

I believe it all goes back to my mother, who for some mysterious reason directed plays in our small Connecticut town. Which led to people giving her a whole slew of Victorian and Edwardian outfits found in their attics. Plus a few homemade pirate and gypsy costumes, circa 1900-1930. The most spectacular of these was an elaborately embroidered kidskin cape with silk ruffles and gold filigree tassels, so stunning I gave it up only five years ago when I moved to a smaller house in Orlando, gifting it to the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, which accepted it with awe.

What a time I had growing up with all those “costumes” to parade around in. So it’s no wonder that even as I performed on stage in college theater and opera, I was also in the costume room, helping out. I recall one memorable night when the costumer collapsed just before an opera performance in Boston and the director asked me to take care of all the last-minute emergencies.  So how could I not come back to it decades later? I loved those years in the costume shop, but when my husband became an invalid and I was confined to the role of caretaker, I made the big switch to writing.

And, naturally, where else to set a mystery but a costume shop?

To close these nostalgic moments of remembrance, I offer a challenge. Take a good look at what you’re wearing, or at what you wear the next time you dress up for some grand event. Will that outfit, like those poodle skirts from the Fifties, rate space on some future costume shop rack? Will future generations think it great fun to wear the styles of the first two decades of the 21^st century ? Or will they, like the fashions of the sad Thirties, the war-filled Forties, and the grunge-look of the Nineties, be ignored, while the glitz of the Eighties and the Steampunk fashions of the past decade stay bright?

You’re thinking: sweat pants and sneakers at a costume party? Well, maybe not. But who knows what the future will bring? I’ve been around long enough to know it can be mind-boggling. Will today’s fashions be tomorrow’s costumes? Only time will tell.

Thank you for allowing my whimsy into your life today.

And thank you for joining us today, Grace! -- AP