#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--POMPOM ORNAMENT

Drop Dead Ornaments, the 7^th Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, is now available. In celebration, here’s another no-talent-required glass ornament, simple enough for even little kids to make (but substitute clear plastic ball ornaments for the glass ones.)

That clock is also counting down to Christmas. There are only 43 days (if I've done my math right) until Santa slides down the chimney. Time to start making that list and checking it twice. Anastasia’s ornament crafts from Drop Dead Ornaments are so incredibly easy to make that even if you’ve never picked up a glue gun or a paintbrush in your life, you can create beautiful gifts in next to no time at all. And none of these ornaments require a glue gun or a paintbrush—or any other specialized tools!

Pompom Ornament

Materials:

clear glass ball ornament (use plastic ball ornaments for young children)

red, white, and green pompoms in various small sizes*

9”-12” of 1/4”-1/2” wide red, green, white, or gold satin or grosgrain ribbon*

Carefully remove the metal cap from the glass ball.

Fill the ornament with the pompoms.

Reattach the metal cap. Tie ribbon through the loop for hanging.

* You can also choose your own color combinations and substitute yarn, twine, thin braid, or a thin strip of fabric for the ribbon used for the hanging loop.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

Anastasia Pollack’s son Alex is dating Sophie Lambert, the new kid in town. For their community service project, the high school seniors have chosen to raise money for the county food bank. Anastasia taps her craft industry contacts to donate materials for the students to make Christmas ornaments they’ll sell at the town’s annual Holiday Crafts Fair.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--INTERVIEW WITH COZY MYSTERY AUTHOR MARY ELLEN HUGHES

Today we sit down for an interview with cozy mystery author Mary Ellen Hughes. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

After writing a few short stories, I realized I wanted to write longer, more in-depth stories.

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

About five years after my first short story was published.

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

Traditionally published, but I’ve reissued earlier books that I regained the rights to.

Where do you write?

Upstairs in a spare room, next to a window where I can watch the seasons change as the book progresses.

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

Definitely silence. I enjoy music too much to be able to ignore it.

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

I don’t write “ripped from the headlines” plots, but since I also don’t write science fiction, some things have to come from real life, just hopefully with added drama and twists.

An inspiration for my Keepsake Cove series came from something that happened to friends. They had bought an 18^th century house, and as they moved in, they were greeted by the faint sound of music. They tracked it to a music box, found locked inside a roll-top desk. How it got wound up or turned on, they had no idea.

In A Fatal Collection and A Vintage Death, my protagonist, Callie, seems to get messages through a family heirloom music box that plays on its own at critical times. Warnings? Confirmations of clues? Callie is never 100% sure.

Describe your process for naming your character?

I’ll search through baby-naming books and also the Social Security list of popular names by decade to find the perfect name for a character. If she’s 60-something, she probably shouldn’t be named Ashley, and a teenager is unlikely to be named Hilda. I also avoid having names start with the same letter, which tends to confuse the reader.

Real settings or fictional towns?

I create fictional towns, but place them within reach of real cities.

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

Tabitha, the part-time assistant in the music box shop, has a thing for dressing, um, creatively. She might show up to work looking like a 1940s Joan Crawford or Wonder Woman’s alterego, Diana Prince. Luckily, Callie’s music box customers enjoy it.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I don’t think I have any, but since we all think of ourselves as normal and everyone else as a little odd, I’m probably not the best one to ask.

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

Ohhh, so many. But more recently, I would love to have written the Harry Potter books or Stephen King’s 11/22/63 about the time traveler who tries to stop the Kennedy assassination. Such impressive imagination in both!

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

I might have majored in English instead of science, which might have led to writing much sooner.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

In the grammar category, the increasing misuse of “I” in sentences, as in, “He gave directions to Harry and I.” (shudder)

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

Assuming I have food, water, and shelter, I’d require a cell tower, iPad, and a solar-powered charger (if that exists.)

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Believe it or not, it was in a bookstore (a now-extinct chain.) I thought it would be wonderful to be surrounded by books, but I was usually too busy to open them!

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

That changes from month to month as I enjoy one good book after another.

Ocean or mountains?

Probably mountains.

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

Country (but with a city within reach.)

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m currently polishing A Curio Killing, the third book in the Keepsake Cove series.

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

Just that it’s been an amazing ride, having ten books published with the eleventh on the verge. It’s hard work, but for me, the best job in the world. And hearing from a reader who’s enjoyed them or getting a positive customer review is absolutely the icing on the cake.

A Vintage Death

A Keepsake Cove Mystery, Book 2

As the new owner of a music box store in Keepsake Cove, a quaint town full of collectible shops on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Callie Reed is eager to get more involved in her community. So she volunteers to plan the fall street decorations and welcome a visiting author who's come for a special book signing. But the celebratory mood is cut short when the local B&B owner is found dead, killed with a pair of vintage scissors.

Suspicion is cast on the victim's estranged wife, Dorothy, who owns Keepsake Cove's vintage sewing shop. Callie is sure Dorothy is innocent, and the visiting author agrees. Together, they begin their own investigation, only to discover that many people in Keepsake Cove have secrets. Secrets that are worth killing to keep.

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#TRAVEL--GET TO KNOW PRAGUE WITH INTERNATIONAL THRILLER AUTHOR KATHRYN ORZECH

Prague city map

Author Kathryn Orzech writes mystery, suspense, and thrillers set in New England “and other exotic locations” where everyday women face chilling situations, flirt with romance, and brush with the supernatural. An avid film fan, news nerd and traveler, Kathy’s other interests include history and geopolitics, archaeology and psychology, earth science, and parapsychology, leaving few subjects off her literary table. Her real-life website, DreamWatch.com, true paranormal experiences of everyday people, has been online since the late 1990s and was the inspiration for Premonition of Terror when she wondered, What if…?  Learn more about her and her books at her website.

“Exotic Location” Prague, Czech Republic

After character development and plot, setting is next important to me. My world travels (30-plus countries) offer readers a glimpse of another place and culture. Most of Premonition of Terror, a psychic thriller with a global terrorism threat, is set in the northeast USA, with key scenes set in Prague.

A hoard of international souvenirs is stored in my basement, stacked in plastic bins labeled by country. When drafting Premonition, I was torn between an overseas setting in Budapest or Prague. I reviewed my stash of brochures, receipts and mementos including the street maps I used while there. Prague emerged the clear winner.

Prague overview

At first glance, districts on a city map can be confusing with the Old Town, New Town, Lesser Town, and more. I needed the big picture so my first stop was the elevated location of Prague Castle for a confusion-clearing overview. Prague’s most striking feature is the Vltava River that runs through the city, thus easing navigation to at least determine which side you were on.

Said to be one of Europe’s most haunted cities, I found Prague to be fascinating, vibrant, and affordable, an easy walking city with deep-rooted culture. From historical castles, palaces and cathedrals to underground cave restaurants with delicious food and “outstanding” beer (so I was told); from concerts and galleries to river cruises and ghost walking tours, it’s no surprise that Prague attracts visitors from around the world.

Protagonist as innocent tourist

I have no qualms about writing what I don’t know as long as my point of view remains that of a stranger, a visitor, a tourist. In Premonition of Terror, protagonist Kate Kasabian explores popular attractions including Old Town Square with the 600-year-old Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge, Powder Tower, Peace Wall, and Prague Castle.

Old Town Square. The Old Town looked to me like a fairy village with Romanesque and Gothic architecture in a labyrinth of cobblestone lanes, and there was always something interesting happening at the square. I especially enjoyed evenings with new friends at favorite sidewalk cafés to people-watch and listen to conversations at nearby tables in a medley of languages, background I used in the book.

The Charles Bridge (aka: Karluv most). An icon bridge and one of many river crossings. Completed in 1390 (30 mostly Baroque statues were added later), it connects Old Town with Lesser Town. More than 500 yards across, by 9:00 AM it is a gauntlet of hawkers, tourists, and an occasional pickpocket. I relished the incessant activity.

Lesser Town (aka: Mala Strana). A lovely area in which to walk, home to Prague Castle and foreign embassies. As my steps crushed fallen leaves against worn sidewalks, I felt I was back home in the Northeast.

John Lennon’s Peace Wall. Let me explain. Sometimes called Prague’s answer to the Berlin Wall, this graffiti-covered wall is often credited for having inspired the Velvet Revolution, a non-violent youth rebellion against Communism. The Peace Wall began with an image of Lennon, a remembrance following his murder. Lyrics from his songs and messages of peace, love and freedom soon followed. Located near the French Embassy, an impulse to find the Peace Wall draws protagonist Kate to Mala Strana where not all is as peaceful as it appears.

Writing this post stirred memories of the sights and sounds of Prague, so thank you all for that.

Premonition of Terror

DreamWatch.com, true paranormal experiences, began as a hobby. It was supposed to be fun—until premonitions from around the world predict the same catastrophic attack.

The last time reluctant psychic Kate Kasabian revealed a prediction, people close to her were hurt. But with thousands of lives at risk, she has no choice but to badger her FBI brother to investigate. He refuses to help. When she sets off to prove her suspicions, he thinks he’s heard the last of her supernatural silliness—until the legendary Matt Chase from Counterterrorism alerts agents to a credible threat eerily similar to Kate’s warnings.

Tracking clues from Prague to New England, Kate trusts dreams and premonitions while Chase relies on technology and global intelligence, but can their unlikely alliance stop the U.S. plot?

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CLASSIC BOOK INSPIRED GIFTS FOR READERS AND WRITERS

The holidays are fast approaching, and if you need a gift for a reader, writer, librarian, or teacher, we’ve got you covered—and with the added bonus of a discount! Today we’re thrilled to introduce our readers to Melissa Chan. Melissa is a reader, designer, and founder of Literary Book Gifts. As her holiday gift to our readers, she’s offering a 20% discount on all items from her website. Just use KillerCrafts&CraftyKillers20 at checkout for 20% off any order, no minimum. This coupon code does not expire.

Melissa started Literary Book Gifts earlier this year as an online store for book lovers. She features a wide selection of gifts for teachers, librarians, writers, and readers of all ages. (The items featured here are just a small selection of what you’ll find on the website.)

Melissa says, “I love to read. But I also love talking about some of the great ideas, characters, and stories I've read. These days everyone is reading something different, whether it's the latest bestseller or the 5th book in a series. It's not often two people are reading the same book at the same time. It can even be hard to find others who have read some of your favorite novels, especially if they aren’t well known. Showcasing one of your favorite books or authors, or even your general love of reading on a shirt or tote bag is a great way to generate some fabulous literary conversations.”

The website showcases book t-shirts and tote bags in a variety of sizes and colors. Even the tote bags come in multiple sizes! The shirts are made of 100% cotton and there are even a few colors that have some polyester content for those who prefer heathered fabrics. There are men's and women's versions of each design. The tote bags are sturdy with black lining and cotton handles. Each tote bag has a different color printed as background all the way into the seams.

So start your holiday shopping now, and don’t forget to add the promo code KillerCrafts&CraftyKillers20 when you check out.

#COOKING WITH CLORIS--AUTHOR JUDY ALTER'S NEW COOKBOOK

Today we welcome back frequent visitor Judy Alter. Judy writes three different mystery series as well as historical fiction based on the lives of women in the nineteenth century American West. She’s recently written a cookbook and is here today to tell us about it. Learn more about Judy and her books at her website. 

A New Cookbook…and an Old Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

A little more than two years ago I moved from a 2,000-square-foot house, where I’d lived for twenty-five years, into a 600-square-foot cottage (a remodeled garage/guest house) on the same property. It meant downsizing big time. My daughter and I were ruthless about clothes, books, even my beloved but appalling recipe collection. And kitchen utensils.

Size dictated that my kitchen be the size of a postage stamp, so it is way short on counter space. A bigger complication: local zoning laws forbid more than one full kitchen on a property. That means I cannot have built-in appliances such as a stove or dishwasher. Anything you plug in is okay, so I have a large refrigerator, toaster oven, magnetic hot plate, and coffee maker. I do not have a microwave, an Instant Pot, an air fryer, or a crock pot.

My cooking changed dramatically. My magnetic hot plate became the center of my cooking. I learned to do all kinds of things on it. I also learned that it cooks hot and fast—and you have to push the start button. That was a biggie. The first time I used it, I set the temperature I wanted and waited for the pan to heat. My daughter was with me. We put a lamb chop in the pan. Nothing. No sizzle. She held her hand out to feel heat, put her ear down, poked the meat. Nothing. Then we saw the start button.

The hot plate requires special pots and pans, which of course you buy from the company that sold you the hot plate. Gone, with regret, are the days of cooking in a cast-iron skillet. These new pots and pans will scorch food if you turn your back, but they are super easy to clean, and I have one large pot in which I can simmer a pot of soup all day.

But with one hot plate, you cannot, for instance, cook pasta and sauce at the same time. If I use the hot plate and the toaster oven, I blow a fuse. So I developed a new technique. If the pasta must sit a bit while I fix the sauce, I stir just a bit of olive oil in to keep it from clumping. Then I give it a quick re-heat before adding the sauce.

Gradually, as I learned new techniques, the idea for a cookbook formed. A friend suggested the title, Gourmet on a Hot Plate, and I began collecting recipes for the things I cooked—some new experiments, many old familiar dishes adapted to my new situation. Believe me, there were some disasters. I regularly burned things, even in the toaster, which set off the smoke alarm more than once. The smoke alarm hurts my dog’s ears, and she associates it with the toaster, so Sophie now begins barking when she sees me with a slice of bread in my hands. But Gourmet on a Hot Plate includes lots of cooking tips along with some tasty recipes.

Gourmet on a Hot Plate will be available as an e-book and in print November 15, perfect for holiday gift giving. It’s currently available for pre-order. Meantime, here’s a spaghetti sauce recipe a good friend contributed. Her mom got it from a woman in Rome in 1950. When I made it, even twelve-year-old Jacob said it was good, really good—and such praise is hard to come by.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 14.5 oz. can tomato puree

1/2 tsp. each sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, savory, marjoram, and basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are slightly softened. Add spices and mix thoroughly.

Add tomato paste, puree and diced tomatoes, and stir well. Simmer on low heat for about three hours or in a slow cooker for six hours.

Serve with your favorite pasta and fresh grated Parmesan.

Gourmet on a Hot Plate

Without formal culinary training, Judy Alter has cooked her way through life, feeding family and friends at everything from casual dinners al fresco to elaborate meals for twenty. An award-winning author and publisher, she jokes she’ll come back in another life as a chef.

Today Alter finds herself cooking in a four-by-six kitchen where zoning laws forbid built-ins but allow anything that plugs in. So she cooks with a hot plate, a toaster oven, and a large refrigerator/freezer. Given these limitations, she has developed a new approach to food, one that she says lets her get in touch with the food itself. By choice, she does not have an Instant Pot, an air-fryer, or a microwave. Her menu choices are dictated by her cooking facilities—and she loves it. She shares her tiny kitchen tips and recipes, developed over the past couple of years, in Gourmet on a Hot Plate.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--SEQUIN & GLITTER ORNAMENT

Here’s another ornament featured in the Drop Dead Ornaments, the newest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. This one is just as easy as the others, but it might take several days for the glue to dry. So plan accordingly.

Sequin & Glitter Ornament

Materials:

clear glass ball ornament

decoupage medium (you can also use either liquid floor wax or thinned tacky glue)

disposable plastic cup

assorted sequins

glitter

Carefully remove the metal cap from the glass ball.

Pour decoupage medium or thinned tacky glue into the glass ornament. Rotate the ornament to swirl the glue around the interior to coat the entire ornament.

Turn the ornament upside-down and set over the disposable plastic cup to drain excess glue.

Add sequins, rotating to distribute around inside of ornament.

Pour glitter into ornament. (You can make a funnel from a piece of rolled paper for easier pouring.) Place your finger over the opening and shake the ornament to distribute the glitter. Pour out excess.

Allow glue to dry with cap off until glue turns clear. This may take up to several days, depending on temperature, humidity, and the type of glue used.

Reattach the metal cap. Tie ribbon through the loop for hanging.

Drop Dead Ornaments

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 7

Anastasia Pollack’s son Alex is dating Sophie Lambert, the new kid in town. For their community service project, the high school seniors have chosen to raise money for the county food bank. Anastasia taps her craft industry contacts to donate materials for the students to make Christmas ornaments they’ll sell at the town’s annual Holiday Crafts Fair.

At the fair Anastasia meets Sophie’s father, Shane Lambert, who strikes her as a man with secrets. She also notices a woman eavesdropping on their conversation. Later that evening when the woman turns up dead, Sophie’s father is arrested for her murder.

Alex and Sophie beg Anastasia to find the real killer, but Anastasia has had her fill of dead bodies. She’s also not convinced of Shane’s innocence. Besides, she’s promised younger son Nick she’ll stop risking her life. But how can she say no to Alex?

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AUTHOR MISSYE K. CLARKE

Today we sit down for a chat with author Missye K. Clarke. Missye writes in a variety of genres, including (but not limited to) mystery, suspense, new adult, magical realism, and urban fantasy. Learn more about her at her blog.  

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?
Nearly twenty-one years ago, when my kids were still young and the story ideas and cast of characters were too big for short stories.

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

I’ve been writing journalistically since the mid-1980s, so I’ve had bylines numerous times, which never get old seeing. I was lucky enough to get in when editors and newshounds were willing to mentor and help a journalism apprentice grow and hone their craft. Though I still periodically freelance. My first novel idea came to me in 2005 with the convergence of several events: New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had resigned and comedian Richard Pryor had died. There was also the mob-related back-story of why my family and I moved to Arizona in 1980 and my long-deceased maternal grandmother being a shameless alley cat to fund her vices. Something clicked. I changed these elements slightly, tucked in the offstage murders of two prostitutes, and thirteen years later in the same month the idea bloomed, Jersey Dogs, Casebook #1 was born.

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

Indie published.

Where do you write?

At home, mostly. Sometimes in a bookstore or where there are comfy chairs. And I always have a notebook and pen in my backpack to write longhand.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?
Silence sometimes but other times I’ll have a song I adore on repeat, putting me in the “zone” where I can almost hear my cast talking, and I can’t type fast enough to keep up!

As for which kind(s) of music I write to, it really depends. I’ve listened to verything from Motown to Patsy Cline to opera to movie scores while writing.

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

Always from my life and always from real people!

Describe your process for naming your character?

I don’t really have a process; I just pair together names that sound really cool, roll off the tongue with ease, or aren’t used beyond their expiration dates. (John Smith, anyone?) Also, the name has to fit the character. If I need a name, I’ll look at street signs, read a book, check out old world maps, listen to music, I’ll ask people what names work for them, etc. I once even found a great name from an episode of Jerry Springer.

Real settings or fictional towns?

Both.

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

Casper frets his thighs or air guitars when he’s nervous, cornered, or frustrated (he’s an acoustic player). His cousin Logan finger-combs his curls for the same out-showing of nervousness or frustration. But when Jay Vincent Pedregon’s laughing really hard, his laughs end with hic-CAWS! that sounds like goose honks while in flight.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I either have to have the window seat or the top-most bunk in a bed. Slightly claustrophobic, I prefer being up high and wide open spaces.

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

Sorry, I’ve more than one: Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books, D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon series and Piers Anthony’s Xanth books.

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

Reuniting with my book boyfriends sooner than I’d done. 

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

When people say they want real people and sometimes land somebody like me, they’re suddenly a): shy, b): have pressing business elsewhere; c): nakedly run the other way; d): shamelessly ignore me; or e): all of these above. I’m intense. I’m in-a-good-way scary. I’m a bold, acquired taste. I’m a loudmouthed extrovert. But I’m also the best friend you’ll ever get to know if you’re good with getting past the uncomfortable.    

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Fresh water. Fire. And a way to keep from severely sunburning.

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?
Three jobs where all three bosses went out of their way to make me feel unappreciated and/or covertly wishing they’d not have me on staff.

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

Leaving the religious factor out and read strictly on a literature standpoint, I have to say The Bible. It’s got everythng in there: mystery, homicides, fantastic sex scenes, intrigue, complex characters, etc.

Ocean or mountains?

Both.

City girl or country girl?

Having lived in both, also both. I need the energy people feed me, even if they sometimes get on my nerves, but I'll never skip a chance to go to the country and stargaze.

What’s on the horizon for you?

Lord willing, I’ll be tending bar, taking forensic classes pertaining to my mysteries, teaching myself acoustic, and moving west after my family and I see the total solar eclipse in Erie, PA in April, 2024.

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

My other mystery series, Threesome of Magic Mysteries, has me as an amateur sleuth in a Scottish domestics academy for professionals in the hospitality industry or stay-at-home moms come to hone their domestic skills. My character has albinism, because I actually do. So I thought it was time an author with albinism wrote a lead character with the same condition in a positive manner. I'm also working on plotting the next books in each of my series.

So that’s me. I hope you post a comment here and stop by my blog to share your thoughts, insights, and perspectives. I love to hear from readers.

Jersey Dogs

McGuinness/Pedregon Casebook #1

Two adopted cousins. Two mysterious prostitutes. And a biologic father wants both sons dead.

Casper's and Logan McGuinness's junior year opens with a bloodstained, unexpected contact and an eerie text coming to pass. While Enzo and Angela de Francisci's stubbornly refuse to explain the boys' biologic parents' backstories, the cousins dig into their pasts in stealth, only to unravel a sordid history meant to stay unknown and bigger than they realized. The first of several attempts on the boys' lives reveals a desk clerk's true identity, and conversations with a former john, lands Casper and Logan on the streets of New York and respite from a former madam. Through an intricate tale of loyalty, humor, first love, and discovering trust and sacrifice, Jersey Dogs Casper and Logan venture into the personal and collective unknown to stop a brutal killer and a network of thugs from fulfilling a murderous to-do list—and learning to trust one another so they'll stay two steps ahead of alive. 

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