CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--NASHVILLE ZOOLUMINATION

Zoolumination at the Nashville Zoo is billed as "the country's largest lantern festival, featuring magical scenes of more than 1,000 custom-made silk lanterns," some 100 feet long and 50 feet high. You'll find everything from mythical creatures to wildlife to flowers and even an outdoor skating rink! Each year the event grows bigger and more spectacular. If you're anywhere near Middle Tennessee through February 9th this year, it's a not-to-be-missed evening of awe.

And for another special evening, join author Lois Winston on Monday evening, January 27th at 7pm ET (6pm CT, 5pm MT, and 4pm PT), where she'll be the guest of the Cozy Mystery Party Facebook Group, hosted by Heather Harrisson and Shawn Stevens. If you'd like to join in for a fun hour + of all things murder, mayhem, and cozy mysteries (there will be prizes and surprises!), join the group ahead of time at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozymysteryparty. Hope to see you there!

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--AUTHOR KAIT CARSON ON HOW WRITING IS LIKE POTTERY

Kait Carson writes two series set in the steamy tropical heat of Florida and is crafting a new series set deep in the Maine woods. Like her protagonists, Kait is an accomplished SCUBA diver, hiker, and critter lover. She lives with her husband, four rescue cats and a flock of conures in the Crown of Maine. Learn more about Kait at her website.  

How Writing is Like Pottery

When Lois asked me to appear on her blog, I jumped at the chance. Lois won’t remember, but way back in the dark days of 2010 I attended her online Submission Process class. I’ve been a fan ever since, and it was with her help that I landed my first publishing contract. So, allow me to offer you a very public thank you!

 

Crafting is a big part of my life. In high school and college, I seldom went anywhere without a sketchbook. On the first of every month, I filled a length of butcher paper with a collage that I hung in my dorm room. I moved from there to photography, sculpting, pottery, scrapbooking, and writing. What! Writing? Yes. Writing is a craft. In fact, it’s very similar to pottery, or crochet. 

 

Okay, Kait. You’re getting a bit fanciful here. Pottery and crochet are not even distantly related. In fact, clay and yarn do not mix, then when you add in paper – what are you making? A sticky fiber decoupage? Hey, that’s not a bad idea. I may have to try that. Maybe later. For right now, stick with me.

 

When I sit down to throw a pot, I start with a lump of clay on my wheel. It’s nothing special, just a grey blob. But then I flip the switch, press on the foot peddle, and that clay is whirling between my hands. It’s still a lump at this point, but magic is happening. When the clay centers you feel it. From the center, you build your form. As you shape and pull, that lump of clay becomes a vase, a cup, a bowl. Something wonderful grows and takes shape between your hands. All that remains is the finishing. Cut in your designs, glaze, and fire the piece, and there you have it. A perfect bowl.

 

Writing is similar. I begin with a blank page and an idea – not as slimy as wet clay, but it’s worse in some ways. Gradually the page with words spins from my fingers to the keyboard where I shape and pull them into a form. Floppy verbs are strengthened, adverbs are discarded, concepts tightened, action increased. Like pottery, you know when it’s done. The story has a “feel.” Then it’s time to glaze and fire the tale. For me that comes with the voice of Word. Sounds…mystical. In truth, I let my computer read the story to me and edit until I not only like how it sounds, but want more of the story.

 

All well and good, but how does crochet figure into this? Writing fully occupies the mind, and there are times when the story simply stalls. Crochet is physical and repetitive. The repetition frees the mind to untangle the knot of the plot. Somewhere between single crochet and cluster stitch, the story becomes clear and the block dissolved. 

 

2023 has been an uber productive year. Death by Blue Water re-released on January 24^th. The book blurb follows. Hook Line and Sinker, the seventh Guppy anthology, released on January 27^th and contains my story “Gutted, Filleted, and Fried.” My Writers Who Kill blog mates and I have a February gift for our readers in the form of Broken Hearted Killers. It’s a series novella that runs from February 1^st through the 18^th. My chapter is up on February 10^th. Finally, my story, “Blood is Thicker than Water,” debuts in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Lessons I Learned from my Cat on February 14^th. Whew – that’s a full two months and a lot of wet clay.

 

Death by Blue Water

A Hayden Kent Mystery

Warm tropical waters. A deep dive, a body. 

 

Hayden Kent takes to the world beneath the sea to come to terms with her broken heart. Instead of peace, she discovers the body of her ex’s brother clad in a swimsuit and anchor chain. How did Richard end up in the wheelhouse of the Humboldt, and why do the cops claim she was the last person to see him alive? He never showed at Faulkner Marina, or did he? A vicious migraine robbed Hayden of her memory of that night. The clues she follows to save herself uncover criminal activity at the highest level. Can she find the killer before he drowns out her life?

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--A MERMAID FRAME AND LITERARY THRILLER FROM AUTHOR DEB ROGERS

Today we are making a Mermaid Frame with Deb Rogers. She is the author of the new literary thriller Florida Woman which is teeming with off-beat crimes and mysteries to solve. Deb lives in the coastal town of St. Augustine, Florida where it’s easy to comb the Atlantic shore for driftwood, shells, and sea glass. Her mom Diane, who painted the seascape in the frame, taught her how to craft with the shells that she finds, but you can also buy bags of shells from craft supply outlets. Learn more about Deb and books at her website where you can also find links for her other social media. 

Mermaid Frame

 

Materials:

Small unpainted wood frame

Acrylic paint (white and an additional color—I used gold)

Sponge paint brushes

Crackle medium

Spray acrylic

Hot glue gun and glue

Assorted seashells

Assorted bits of sea glass, acrylic chips, colored stones, beads, or baubles

 

To create the faux driftwood frame, apply three layers of paint to the frame, allowing each to thoroughly dry. The first coat of paint is the color that will peek through the crackle. It can be any color you choose. I used gold for the example, but a gray tone, black or brown will look natural too. Or for fun, you could use purple or teal for a fantasy look—it’s up to you!

 

Apply a layer of Crackle medium. Allow to dry.

 

Apply your contrasting acrylic paint layer. I prefer white to achieve a bleached driftwood look. Tip: avoid overlapping your brushstrokes because doing so will diminish the cracks. Allow to dry.

 

Give the frame a coat of spray acrylic to protect your layers. Allow to dry as well.

 

Fire up your glue gun for the adornments. This is the fun part! Think about creating a cluster that feels like a collection of a mermaid’s favorite things. I usually start with three larger shells to form the basic shape. Then when they are settled in place with enough glue to create a firm bond, I add smaller shells between them to fill the gaps, then tuck in contrasting bits for a pop of color or more texture.

 

You can use anything in your craft bins or find objects in the floral or hobby departments of your favorite store—including colorful aquarium gravel, pearl buttons, mosaic bits, and jewelry findings. You can even sprinkle in a little glitter or sand while the glue is still wet. I love to center one bead in the cluster as though the mermaid is showing off her prize possession.

 

Florida Woman

Jamie is a Florida Woman. She grew up on the beach, thrives in humidity, has weathered more hurricanes than she can count, and now, after going viral for an outrageous crime she never meant to commit in the first place, she has the requisite headline to her name. But when the chance comes for her to escape viral infamy and imminent jail time by taking a community service placement at Atlas, a shelter for rescued monkeys, it seems like just the fresh start Jamie needs to finally get her life back on track — until it’s not.

 

Something sinister stirs in the palmetto woods surrounding her cabin, and secrets lurk among the three beguiling women who run the shelter and affectionately take Jamie under their wing for the summer. As Jamie ventures deeper into the offbeat world and rituals of Atlas, her summer is soon set to inspire an even stranger Florida headline than she ever could’ve imagined.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MEET ROMANCE AUTHOR, ARTIST, AND CRAFTER DARLENE FREDETTE

Today we welcome Darlene Fredette to the blog. Darlene resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. She writes contemporary romances with a focus on plot-driven page-turners. When not working on her next book, she can be found hanging out with her husband, her daughter, and her yellow Labrador. Learn more about Darlene and her books at her website and blog. 

An Artist at Heart

I’ve always been a crafter, from painting free-hand and ceramics, to needlepoint and cross stitch, diamond art beading, and pencil sketches. While I pencil sketch a picture once a week for my daughter and have a diamond art beading project started but not finished, I haven’t done other crafts in a long while.

 

During visits to see my aunt, who lives in a small town nestled on the Atlantic Ocean, we take walks along the beach to find sea glass. I wanted to design a sea glass project from all the little treasures I’ve found. I checked online for inspiration and came across an artist who works with sea glass. In one of her projects, she incorporated acrylic paint. I’ve always loved painting and the pouring technique piqued my interested, which led to following several painting artists.

 

I decided to haul out my paints and give painting a try. My first couple of paintings weren’t too bad, but I knew I could do better. I hadn’t painted in years, so I was a little rusty. I received plenty of painting supplies for Christmas and all I needed was an idea. My husband requested a painting design with The Rollings Stones tongue. I was thrilled with the result, as was my husband who requested another design.

 

Since then, I’ve done several more paintings, and I’m getting better with each one. There are many different elements to use instead of a paint brush, and I’ve already tried balloons, chains, and bubble wrap. My Daisy Balloon Burst is one of my favourites. Today, I finished another painting using red, pink, and white for the background and I painted a deep red heart on top. This painting will go on our front door for the next two weeks.

 

I have many designs I want to try, such as a themed series of fire and water, and earth and outer space, as well as a skull with a spooky background. The painting project ideas I have are endless!

 

I am happy to have rediscovered my love of painting, and while I may not consider myself an artist, I have been told by many that the title is appropriate.

 

If you want to check out more of my paintings and pencil drawings visit my website or blog.

 

Finding Home Again

A Redford Falls Novel, Book 5

A missing dog, a potential poisoning, and a suspicious death. Will Jordan and Logan find their happy-ever-after before another mysterious accident occurs?

 

Caretaker of a historical home, Jordan McKenzie, promised to keep a secret, but doing so gets harder by the minute, especially when an innocent kiss misses its intended target. Entangled in a web of mysterious mishaps, she discovers a surprising family connection. Is putting her trust in her boss' handsome nephew a risk worth taking?

 

Chef Logan Crane returns to Redford Falls hoping to claim an inheritance to open a restaurant, but he side-lines his plan after meeting Jordan. When past secrets intermingle with a present attraction, will Logan open his heart to the possibility of a future in Redford Falls…and with Jordan?

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--CRAFTING IN THE TIME OF COVID

I believe that people are born creative. Just watch any baby or toddler exploring his surroundings, and you’ll see what I mean. Unfortunately, most adults start squelching that creativity (Don’t touch!) in their children early on. Eventually that innate creativity is so suppressed that it’s nearly impossible to retrieve. So why are we then surprised when our kids prefer to sit around for hours, staring at a computer monitor or TV screen?

Now, when most kids are on screens in virtual classrooms for hours each day, crafting is needed more than ever. Solving problems and resolving conflicts require creative thinking. Creativity needs to be nurtured in order that today’s children grow up to become tomorrow’s leaders, but too many outside forces are at work, influencing our children to “color within the lines.” Now think about this: people who color within the lines never learn to think outside the box. It’s that outside the box thinking that finds solutions to the world’s problems. 

 

One of the ways we can help our children continue to grow their creativity is to encourage them to craft, beginning at a very early age. The first step is to have creative materials around the house for children to use. Keep ample supplies of paint, glue, markers, chenille stems, craft sticks, pompoms, and other basic craft materials handy for those “I’m bored; there’s nothing to do” days or when the virtual classroom closes for the day.

Once life returns to normal and birthday parties resume, buy craft kids instead of yet another video game for that next birthday party or special occasion. Keep a few kits on hand for rainy days and snow days and when sleepovers with friends resume. Encourage children to make gifts for family members’ birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc. instead of buying gifts.

Remember that your children’s efforts don’t have to be perfect. Always praise the attempt and encourage children to continue creating. The act of crafting develops small motor skills and hand/eye coordination. Creativity helps grow their brains. By encouraging your children to craft, you’re giving them an incredible foundation for future endeavors. 

 

All it takes for children to learn to love crafting is an environment in which they can satisfy their creative nature. Nurture that inborn talent, and you’ll help your children grow into creative adults that just might wind up solving many of the world’s problems.

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--FIRE-STARTERS FROM AMATEUR SLEUTH AUTHOR JUDITH COPEK, PLUS A BONUS #RECIPE

Judith "Judy" Copek describes herself as a writer, ex-geek, cook, gardener, traveler, and cat fancier. Today she joins us with a twofer—a craft project and a recipe. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website.

Fire-starters*

These will work for wood-burning fireplaces, fire pits, and wood stoves. 

 

Materials: 

Old muffin tins

Baking cups (not metal) 

Wood shavings (Available at pet supply stores. You can also use sawdust.) 

Paraffin wax (Gulf Wax is good) 

Small cones and pods, dried wildflowers, dried rosebuds (small) milkweed pods, dried statice flowers. (It’s easy to collect these in the fall with a walk in the woods, or down an alley.)

 

Lay out all supplies and have dried items organized by size and color. 

 

Place paper baking cups in muffin tins. Fill muffin tins with wood shavings. 

Melt wax on stove. I put wax in an old coffee can, and put the can in a pot with water. Turn heat on medium. When wax is melted, carefully pour into shavings-filled baking cups. Fill to the brim. 

Working before wax can harden, arrange dried cones and pods, weeds, flowers, and milkweed pods in hot wax. Crowd dried items together. A milkweed pod (small or medium) gives some height, and colorful (red, orange, purple) dried items lend visual interest. 

 

I made twenty in all. It’s fun to do with a friend, older grandchild, or someone who likes crafts, but for 

 

*Safety Warnings: Do not let small children participate. They could be burned by the hot paraffin. 

 

Store away from small children in a metal container. 

 

These fire starters burn like crazy, and they ignite almost instantly. As for anything combustible, keep children away. Once ignited, the wax burns for 20-30 minutes. 

Laura’s Lemon Squares

My heroine from my amateur sleuth mystery Murder in the North Woods took these lemon squares to a party. They quickly disappeared. 

 

(This is really my mother’s recipe Easy and delicious. For best results use butter and under no circumstances use "Real Lemon" or anything other than fresh lemon juice and fresh rind.) 

 

Ingredients for Step 1:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/8 tsp. salt

 

Ingredients for Step 2:

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

2 T. flour

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Grated rind of 1 lemon

 

Additional ingredient:

Powdered shugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Cream together butter, sugar, flour and salt from first ingredients list. Press mixture into bottom of an 8” x 8” square pan lined with parchment paper. 

 

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

 

Combine ingredients from second list. Pour over hot crust. Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes longer. Do NOT overbake. 

 

Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool thoroughly before cutting into squares. 

Murder in the North Woods

She’s into high tech. He’s into homicide. The Northwoods rock and roll when a savvy cyber-sleuth teams up with a hunky homicide cop to route corporate miscreants and to solve a murder. 

 

When she arrives in Wisconsin’s North Woods, Laura Goode discovers her only contact is now a corpse. The information officer at Great Northern Shoe Company was a local lothario whose killer could be anyone from an enraged husband to a bitter factory worker whose job is heading overseas.

 

Working undercover, Laura digs into the Y2K Millennium project, but office politics thwart her mission to determine who is subverting it. Adding more complications to her life, boyfriend Jack, a homicide cop visits unexpectedly, and makes friends with the local cops. Her soon-to-be ex-husband also makes an appearance. Laura welcomes Jack’s help, but he’s also a distraction as she segues from boardroom to bar room, trolls for bass, hunts hackers, and tries to rescue her kidnapped cat, all while getting closer to the identity of the murderer. The exciting but off-beat conclusion involves high water rafting and a naked motorcycle gang. 

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--AUTHOR CAMILLE MINICHINO CRAFTS MYSTERIES AND MINIATURES

Camille Minichino is turning every aspect of her life into a mystery series and a miniatures project. Her protagonists in five series are a retired physicist, a miniaturist, a math professor, a postal worker, and the owner of a diner in Alaska. She’s published 28 novels and many short stories. Learn more about Camille at her website and blog.

Modeling Life

As far back as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by miniatures. Not teddy bears or baby dolls or little amorphous creatures with enormous ears (or no ears at all),  but very small replicas of real life things. Dollhouses, roomboxes, standalone scenes.

 

To be more exact: a world where one foot gets mapped into one inch, the standard dollhouse scale.

 

I’ve also been fascinated by novels, another sort of modeling, where as readers and writers we map the real world into a different universe with fictional people and the furniture of our choice.

 

Combining these two passions, I’ve created dollhouses or separate scenes to match all my cozy mystery series. (You can go to my website and find a “Slideshow” under Mystery Novels.)

 

Probably not every miniaturist has a replica of a mortuary like the one that’s featured in the Periodic Table Mysteries, or a post office to complement my Postmistress Mysteries, but to me it seems the obvious thing to do.

 

Now it’s time for me to build a scene from my newest series, the Alaska Diner Mysteries, written as Elizabeth Logan. It will be a while before an entire miniature diner is ready, but here’s a sneak peak for Lois Winston/Anastasia Pollack’s crafty blog. The photos are a glimpse into a typical scene in both of the first two books of the series—my protagonist Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke loves sitting in her rocking chair with Benny, her orange tabby, on her lap, sometimes sharing the ups and downs of her day, sometimes reading aloud. 

I’ve included photos with two versions of the scene. The photo above is a draft, much like the draft of a novel. I toss mini things around the way I toss ideas around, trying various combinations of words and scene elements. In the draft photo, I haven’t decided whether to use the brown or the white rocker, which plant to add, what “toys” to scatter on the floor, where to place Benny. Is the pizza stool good enough for a table or shall I use nicer furniture? Should there be a carpet in this family room? And so on.

 

The photo at the top of this post shows what I decided on as the final version, or close to it, one I was ready to glue down. You’ll see that I ditched the hat, for a possible Hawaii scene some other time! I added a tiny mouse, the way I might write a little humor, even into the plot of a murder investigation. I thought this second pose for Benny was more active, and the spoon was too over the top. I came up with a feather toy and more of the “yarn” that Benny likes.

 

In other words, I edited.

 

Which brings me to one more similarity between writing and miniaturing:

 

The mouse is no more a threat than a rodent that might appear in a chapter of my novel. They're both works of fiction. 

 

When I put a roof on a dollhouse I don't have to worry about the materials really being weatherproof. Like readers, dollhouse admirers assume all will be well if it rains. 

 

In the world of dollhouses, as in the world of novels, there's no laundry to do, and a houseful of carpeting can be changed in a matter of minutes. Complete remodeling may take a week! 

 

In my dollhouses, all the plumbing works, as do all the appliances. In my mystery novels, the good guys always win and justice is always served.

 

No wonder both are so satisfying.

 

Fishing for Trouble

An Alaska Diner Mystery, Book 2

 

Summer has come to Elkview, Alaska, bringing twenty hours of sunlight every day, not to mention a surge of tourists and seasonal workers. Chef Charlie Cooke is eager for a busy yet relaxing season, but when a young man working a summer job at the local fish processing plant dies moments after walking into the Bear Claw Diner, she’s quickly swept into the investigation.

 

Soon, through her best friend Annie Jensen, Charlie learns that another student worker at J and M Processing has disappeared, leaving more questions and fewer answers. The near-endless sunlight gives plenty of time to search for clues, but Charlie will have to work with Annie and local reporter Chris Doucette to net the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--ROMANTIC SUSPENSE AND MEDICAL THRILLER AUTHOR BEVERLEY BATEMAN'S GLASS FUSION HOBBY

Glass Fusion Peppers Dish

Canadian author Beverley Bateman's life writes contemporary romantic suspense and medical thrillers and loves to plot, kill, and hopefully baffle her readers along the way. Today she joins us to talk about one of her hobbies. Learn more about Beverley and her books at her website and blog.

Thank you for inviting me. I thought I’d talk about a hobby of mine. It’s Glass Fusion. I’d never heard of Glass Fusion, also referred to as fused glass, until a few years ago. When winter arrives, we head south to a warmer climate for about five months. The place we winter has multiple craft opportunities. I thought I’d like to try something new. I checked the large display of projects in the window of a glass fusion shop. One of the volunteers saw me, took me on a tour, and talked me into trying it. Cutting glass? I don’t know.

 

I signed up for the introductory class, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Glass fusion is the process where different forms and colors of glass are bonded through heat in a kiln. Glass fusing allows people to create an endless range of objects that capitalize on the unique properties of glass. As a beginner, you learn to cut glass with a glass cutter and fuse it together in a large or small kiln into multiple projects. 

 

You do not use window glass or regular glass. You purchase the glass you want for your special projects from Bullseye glass. There is an amazing amount of colors and patterns. You can check these out on their website. http://www.bullseyeglass.com/  There may be other suppliers, but this is the one I’m familiar with and have used.

 

Bullseye also sells supplies you need to do this hobby – safety glasses, running pliers, and breaking pliers. You also need access to a grinder to smooth edges after you’ve cut the glass into the shape you want. I started small, making jewelry in the small beehive kiln. Many people have one like this at home. It can hold any projects up to about 4” or smaller. I advanced to Christmas ornaments, things for Valentine’s and small dishes, still using the small beehive kiln and doing most cutting by hand. 

 

I got addicted and advanced to appetizer trays, plates, candle holders, sushi dishes, pictures, etc. I even made a clock which actually works. Because these items are larger, they get fused in the largest kiln, the Scutt kiln, or the medium Paragon kiln. Some people have the beehive kiln and/or the Paragon at home to fuse their home projects. 

 

You can also buy, or make Frit, which is finely chopped glass. I used it to make the desert sand on one plateand to make grass on another one. For last Christmas I made a Mr. Peanut bowl for my husband for his peanut shells.

 

At the moment I don’t do Glass Fusion at home, just when I go south and have access to the glass fusion shop. I’m Canadian so with Covid this year we can’t cross the border. I have some equipment, but I may buy a small kiln. If you’re interested in trying this, you may be able to find a glass fusion store or studio near you that offers classes and the use of their equipment.  

 

Death Southern Style

When Perrine Dupré dies under suspicious circumstances her daughter, Julie Ann Dupré, returns to New Orleans to find the truth about her mother’s death. She uncovers a family secret, hidden for years. Now someone is trying to kill her. Will the little dog who appears after her mother’s death help her? Is the sexy detective out to help her, or is he part of police corruption?

 

Detective Connor O’Reilly, a native of New Orleans, comes from a family of police. He’s an honest cop but realizes there is corruption in the division. His father may have died as part of that corruption. He meets Julie Ann, checks out her mother’s death and finds it was badly handled. Julie Ann deserves the truth and he wants to find it for her. 

 

Julie Ann and Connor work together to unravel the real reason behind Perrine Dupré’s murder, Julie Ann’s mysterious past, and why people want her dead, while developing their challenging relationship. Can they both survive? And can their relationship survive?

 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR JEANNETTE DE BEAUVOIR'S SLEUTH TAKES A BREAK FROM MURDER AND DISCOVERS A HOBBY

Jeannette de Beauvoir didn’t set out to murder anyone—some things are just meant to be! Her mother introduced her to the Golden Age of mystery fiction when she was far too young to be reading it, and she’s kept following those authors and many like them ever since. She wrote historical and literary fiction and poetry for years before someone asked her what she read—and she realized mystery was where her heart was. Now working on the Sydney Riley Provincetown mystery series, she bumps off a resident or visitor to her hometown on a regular basis. Learn more about Jeannette and her books at her website. 

Taking a Break From Murder… With Crafts!

 

Wedding planner and super-sleuth Sydney Riley is looking ahead to the winter, the “quiet season” in her hometown on Cape Cod, and has decided that what she needs is a hobby. Winters are a nice respite from the tourist season, but the days are long and dark, and even Sydney admits there’s just so much reading you can do. Inspired by Anastasia Pollock’s crafty ways, Sydney decided to try doing something completely different with her time and energy (usually she reserves both for solving murders!), and then she couldn’t wait to share her first efforts with Anastasia. 

 

“It’s not exactly art,” Sydney told her best friend, Mirela, who actually is an artist. “Of course it is,” said Mirela. “It is called decorative art, sunshine.”

 

Mirela is from Bulgaria and thinks “sunshine” is an endearment. She’s never really caught onto the irony of it.

 

Sydney decided to start small—after all, she doesn’t really know if she’s going to take to this enterprise—and so has begun by playing with mirrors and picture frames she finds at thrift shops and yard sales. She cleans the pieces and then hot-glues artifacts to them: coins, seashells, sea glass, whatever strikes her fancy, creating a one-of-a-kind decorative conversation piece. 

 

Sydney’s first project was a gift, a request from a priest friend who wanted a frame. Sydney removed the mirror and created this frame encrusted with religious artifacts to encircle the priest’s favorite icon. What do you think of it?

 

“What on earth are you doing?” asked Ali, Sydney’s boyfriend. “Where did you get these ideas?”

 

“It’s a matter of availability,” said Sydney. And it’s true that Provincetown is filled with the raw materials she needs and then some. A walk on the beach—any beach—provides shells, pebbles, and sea glass. The Shell Shop across from the Provincetown Town Hall has hundreds of different shells, seahorses, shark’s teeth, starfish, and so much more that she found herself entranced and stayed in the shop for an hour. (She also has to work fast, since The Shell Shop is seasonal only, and due to close soon!) 

 

Then there’s Marine Specialties, Ptown’s go-to shop for anything a little out of the ordinary—it’s been a landmark for more than fifty-five years. Often known simply as “the army-navy store,” it is an eclectic trove of salvage, surplus, closeouts, overruns, misprints, mistakes, spare parts, odd lots, cast-offs, and new and nearly-new items. What artisan could ask for more?

 

She’s had to take time off from her new hobby—because this year’s Women’s Week has brought a little more mayhem than usual when the Underground Railroad, a tainted legacy, and a murderer all come together and it’s up to Sydney to unravel what’s going on in The Lethal Legacy, the seventh book in the Sydney Riley Provincetown mystery series. But you can be sure that with winter coming, there will be a lot more decorate art projects to occupy the sleuth!

 

The Lethal Legacy

A Sydney Riley Provincetown Mystery, Book 7

Despite a slew of weddings to coordinate, Sydney Riley refuses to miss the Women’s Community Dinner—the high point of Women’s Week. During the festivities, she meets vocalist Jordan Bellefort, a direct descendant of a fugitive slave whose diaries suggest the Race Point Inn was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Then Jordan’s wife, Reggie, is murdered while Jordan performs onstage before a crowd of adoring fans. When Sydney probes Reggie’s death, she uncovers a tainted legacy that may provide a motive for the killing and place her own life at risk.

The Lethal Legacy explores the past’s influence on the present in a world-famous seaside resort with a rich history of diversity and acceptance. This seventh book in the Provincetown mystery series maintains the masterful blend of gripping suspense and unique characters Sydney Riley readers have come to expect.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR BARBARA BARRETT ON CRAFTING & WRITING IN QUARANTINE

Mystery and romance author Barbara Barrett writes the Mah Jongg Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in central Florida, and contemporary romances, the most recent being the UnderWright Productions Series. Learn more about her and her books at her website. 

Over the years, I’ve worked out a writing schedule that accommodated my enjoyment of lunches with friends, lifelong learning classes and two Mah Jongg games a week. But my writing has always taken precedence. The sewing machine I purchased two years ago, with the exception of a couple projects, has remained unused. Other projects I’ve started have been stored in bags in my closet, rarely seeing the light of day. My mind was on my books and getting the word out about them.

Then in March, even those limited external activities came to an abrupt halt when COVID-19 hit.  

Because I have spent the last several years focused on my writing, adjustment to the “new normal” of the coronavirus was easier for me than for some. I’ve been able to remain fairly productive, finishing the sixth book in my Mah Jongg Mystery series, Jokers Wild, due out in early July. I started the next book, The Charleston Challenge, scheduled for release next fall. I also wrote and published The Mistresses of Mah Jongg, an introduction to the four protagonists in the series. You can download it for free here. 

However, with little outside stimulation, when either the words wouldn’t flow or I just needed a break, I’ve been revisiting some of those craft projects that have gone wanting. If you’re old enough, you may remember the sitcom “That Girl” starring Marlo Thomas. At one time, she leant her name to a collection of dress patterns. In the mid-70s, I used one of those patterns to make a white sundress trimmed with a red and blue quilt border in honor of the Bicentennial. Forty-five years later, with that dress having been given away years ago, I decided to see if the pattern would produce a new sundress that looks as stylish today as the original. This time I used a bright aqua sport cloth. Took a little restructuring, but in the end, it turned out pretty well. Everything is finished. Except for the hem. Now, with warmer temps, it’s time to wear it. If only there was somewhere to go. 

While I was working on my dress, others were sewing face masks. I couldn’t get excited about such a project, even though they were easy to make and so needed. I held off until my son requested some for his family, since they didn’t have a sewing machine. As part of recent downsizing efforts, my fabric collection was no longer the robust assortment it used to be, so I was lucky to find four pieces, plus an old torn sheet. But once I got started, my mind took on a factory line mentality. 

In fact, once I finished the first batch of ten, I braved a trip to the fabric store to purchase licensed college and professional team cotton featuring the Iowa Hawkeyes and Minnesota Vikings. I produced another twenty-five masks. The main challenge was finding enough elastic. Everyone was sold out. I finally purchased ponytail bands. I still have a few masks to finish, but after those first two efforts, I can’t get excited about completing the job.    

I was somewhat more successful with the needlepoint Christmas stocking I began three years ago for my youngest grandchild. I find needlepoint restful, unless I miss a stitch. There’s still a little more to finish, but I think this is the Christmas it will be hanging with the rest of the collection. 

Since I only work on the stocking in the daytime when there’s enough natural light, I needed something else to occupy my restless hands later in the day. I pulled out an old knitting project that I worked on whenever my knitting group met. While the rest of them created sweaters and afghans, my speed was squares. These will eventually be stitched together to make a bed cover. I laid them out to photograph for you. Looks like I’m not done with this project yet, either. 

Notice any trends here? I think it has something to do with what feels like the never-ending nature of the quarantine. Guess I just don’t feel rushed. Except to get the next book finished. 

Jokers Wild

The Mah Jongg Mystery Series, Book 6

Marianne Putnam’s one-act play is about to come to life, if she can put up with the guidance of an egotistical New York director who seems to think his primary job is tormenting the cast and crew at the Serendipity Springs community center. Jason Newhall’s efforts might be working in more ways than one — while the play gets better, everyone hates him more and more, including a trickster playing jokes in the theater. 

Just when Marianne’s baby is about to have its moment in the spotlight, the director fails to show up for curtain time. Marianne and his wife rush to his house to find him dead. Though no one really liked him, who hated him enough to kill him? Everyone in the cast and crew is considered a suspect, along with the director’s wife and Marianne. 

Sheriff Formero plays a trick of his own when Marianne and her mah jongg friends want to investigate the case—he invites Syd, Micki and Kat to work with him and his deputies to interview a long list of potential suspects, but only under his conditions. But Marianne can’t resist getting involved too. She enlists the hapless husbands of her friends, and they set out to solve the crime on their own ... only to learn the hard way that independence can be dangerous. 

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