Travel Merci's!--By Linda P. Kozar

Yes, that is a picture of a hot mess of smoked fish. Sardines to be exact. Whaaaat? Sardines? Aren't those the little tiny fish packed in vintage roll-top tins?

Sardines do indeed come packed in tins, but you can also buy them fresh out of the ocean and some of them are much larger. They are exquisite! Lots of tiny bones to deal with, so they must be eaten quite slowly. More on that. . .

My family and I just returned from two weeks of bliss along the California/Oregon coast. The trip began in Sacramento all the way to Cannon Beach, Oregon. We visited lighthouses, lots of windswept beaches where we were the only living souls. We hiked through redwood forests and along the sides of cliffs, visited the Sea Lion Caves, went crabbing in Nehalem Bay and ended our trip with bumper cars and a tilt-a-whirl in Seaside, Oregon--the end of the trail for Lewis & Clark.

Which brings me to the crux of my post. Every story is a journey--one that readers take with you. To be a better writer it is advantageous to travel, to visit other places, meet new people, even try different foods. Journeys enrich our souls, broaden our horizons and give us a better base of information to work with. Sure you can sit at a laptop and google everything you need to know about places and people, but you can never capture the feel of the place. The scent of a windswept beach is like no other. In the cooling breeze are the captured fragrances of seaweed and sand baked in the sun, of salt and briny depths, of charred driftwood from bonfires, the remnants of 's'mores--and more. No google search will bring those scents to life.

If you can't afford to go anywhere far, visit someplace closer. Travel will refresh you and inject new life and new ideas into your writing. Try it and see!

Now for the sardine story. The last week of our vacation was a family reunion at a beach house on Cannon Beach, Oregon. On the last evening of our trip, my husband's cousins decided to smoke some fresh sardines and mackerel. I had no concept of sardines out of a tin. But I was open to trying them and so glad I did! They were delicious. All I could handle were two. But Michael's cousin Linda is a chef, trained in France and quite amazing. She decided immediately what to do with the remaining fish. She would pick apart the fish, then prepare the pieces with capers and finely chopped onions and other ingredients that whizzed right by me as she spoke. We would be gone for that amazing meal, but I'm sure it was delicious.

Hope this post has inspired you to travel. If you do, be sure to keep a travel notebook and take lots of pictures for future inspiration behind the keyboard.

Linda is the co-author of Babes With A Beatitude—Devotions For Smart, Savvy Women of Faith (Hardcover/Ebook, Howard/Simon & Schuster 2009) and author of Misfortune Cookies (Print, Barbour Publishing 2008), Misfortune Cookies, A Tisket, A Casket, and Dead As A Doornail, (“When The Fat Ladies Sing Series,” Ebooks, Spyglass Lane Mysteries, 2012). She received the ACFW Mentor of the Year Award in 2007, founded and served as president of Writers On The Storm, a local ACFW chapter for three years. In 2003, she co-founded, co-directed and later served as Southwest Texas Director of Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband Michael, married 23 years, have two lovely daughters, Katie and Lauren and a Rat Terrier princess named Patches.

Represented by: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Agency

Member of: CAN (Christian Authors Network), RWA (Romance Writers of American), WHRWA (West Houston Romance Writers of America), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), Writers On The Storm, The Woodlands, Texas Chapter of ACFW, Toastmasters (Area 56) The Woodlands, Texas. WoodsEdge Community Church, The Woodlands, TX.

Linda P. Kozar

Sweet Tea Fiction

www.lindakozar.com

http://bookishdesires.

blogspot.com

Find me at about.me/LindaKozar

WHAT A CHARACTER!

NANCY JILL THAMES

Ever say that about someone? Sure - you meet a person who immediately impresses you (good or bad) with their personality. In a cozy mystery the main characters must have memorable qualities if readers want to spend precious time reading about them. Close your eyes and think for a moment (after you read the next sentence of course)! What characters stand out in your mind the most? I thought of Jessica Fletcher, Miss Jane Marple and Sherlock Holmes right off the bat. Who did you think of?
     Now why are they so memorable? Maybe because the authors had total freedom to create whoever they wanted to, while we mere mortals for the most part are just ordinary everyday people. But the characters we've thought of aren't ordinary, right? Let's take a look at what makes them memorable.
     Jessica Fletcher is a mystery writer, widowed, lives in Cabot Cove, Maine and doesn't drive. Miss Jane Marple is a pink little old maiden aunt with an uncanny ability to observe and analyze criminals and the crimes they commit while knitting booties for babies. And Sherlock Holmes must be the biggest character of all (seconded only by Hercule Poirot). Mr. Holmes is eccentric, outspoken, a genius in the power of deductive reasoning and terribly unsociable. Memorable. And take my protagonist Jillian Bradley and her little Yorkie companion Teddy.       
    Jillian writes a syndicated garden column, loves fine art and serves afternoon tea to her friends while she helps investigators solve homicides. She's a childless widow who's husband died a hero in the war in Vietnam so she's all alone. Well, almost...I created a companion for her, a tiny Yorkie I  named Teddy so she wouldn't be so lonely. He becomes her sleuth dog in the stories by using his uncanny instincts to sniff out clues. 
    I created the character of Cecilia Chastain, a young quick-witted hotel housekeeper working her way through college who becomes Jillian's personal assistant and Teddy's sitter when Jillian travels. You'll have to read the series to learn more about Walter, Jillian's garden club friends and Jillian's love interests.
    So when you think of characters, who are some of your favorites and what makes them memorable? And if you could  change places with any of your favorites, who would it be? 

Free (A $2.99 Value!)

If you'd like to read about Jillian and her friends, "Murder in Half Moon Bay" is free this weekend on Amazon.com.

So please pick up a copy! My treat.

 
And don't forget to try Traci's new recipe for Huckleberry Duff in our Cozy Kitchen. My mouth is watering!

 

Have a lovely weekend Cozy Lovers!

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries - stories often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.” She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. She has won awards for her blogs,  a pie contest for her Chip Chocolate Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit the Cozy Book Store and her blogs: 

Cozy Mystery Author, Nancy Jill Thames

"Queen of Afternoon Tea"Celebrity Author Interivews

What Inspires Me? You'd Be Surprised.

As a writer I am often asked how I get the ideas for my plots. I think most writers will agree that inspiration can come from anywhere. And I do mean anywhere

For instance there is my second book, The Island of Living Trees. What? Is that plug you may ask? Of course it is that’s what blogs are for, shameless self-promotion. Anyway, the inspiration of this book is kind of humorous, at least to me.

To this day my sister dearly loves cheesy horror films. I mean the really bad ones from the 50's. You know, where you can see the zipper in the monster’s costume. It all started when we were kids where one of our favorite shows on KTTV (Channel 11) matinee horror program (a term used very loosely here) called “Chiller”. There were a lot “so bad they were good” types, but there was one (of many) that was “so bad you have got to be kidding”.

But they weren’t.

The movie is called “From Hell It Came”. Now in case you think this would bother anyone’s Christian values, trust me it’s too silly for that. I have a very low tolerance for the scary factor and it couldn’t even scare me. Not even when I was a kid and everything scared me.

So how bad is this movie? This is the plot in brief (believe me you want it to be brief). The son of an island chief is wrongfully executed for murdering his father. The execution, which is supposed to set up the terror which is to come, is a very strange scene where he is defending himself while tied up to stakes in the ground while chickens aimlessly roam around. Not mutant, murderous chickens just...chickens. You've got to wonder who thought that would strike terror into anyone’s heart. Anyway, the chief was actually done in by the guy who took over his job and the island witch doctor, but no one suspects them even though they gained by the murder. Obviously these writers were not fans of good mystery fiction, no one even thinks to consider the obvious suspects?  Bad plot construction. Okay, long story short, please, the wronged man is then reincarnated to exact his terrible revenge.

As a tree.

I’m not kidding. A really bad rubber suit type tree.

The chickens were more terrifying.
The rest of the plot isn't that bad, it’s much, much worse, so I'll stop there.
Now my book has little to do with this movie, really I promise, but it is where the inspiration came from. So are all my plots based on bad horror movie plots? Of course not. My point is that inspiration can be just downright weird sometimes. So you’ve got to pay attention.

 

Mystery writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a Christian Mystery Series. A California native, she loves to "surf" the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories with just a bit of whopper in them. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she uses liberally in her plots. She loves to embroider and knit and is a big fan of the old Scooby Doo cartoons.

Current E-Books
THE REBOOT FILES:  The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghost.

www.shortmysteriesandtalltales.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale219184744858421

Proceed with Caution

Many of the most loved cozy mysteries are historicals. It's not hard to figure out why--everyone from the past is dead!

And where there is a death, there is a potential mystery.

Of course that could just be my mystery-writer brain hard at work.

If you spend any time over at ancestry.com (and why wouldn't you?!) you will have run head-first into many a historical mystery already. One simple example is that census records from 1820 and earlier only list the name of the head of household. When digging up my own family tree I've stared at the screen, scratched my head and said, "Well, if I do the math right those should be the same people." Moments later though, my mystery-writer brain kicks in to say, "But what if they aren't?"

Immigration records are another source for inspiration when you are plotting your first--or next--historical mystery. For my own little family researches I found myself asking, "Why might they have come on separate boats?" and "If they were from Wales why did they leave from Liverpool?" A simple matter of several hundred miles could equal 300 pages of solid suspense.

One caution: If you turn to your own family history to help with future plots, be sure to keep the story that inspired it close to your chest. Change names and dates, and even locations if you must. Family peace is worth a thousand best sellers!

In honor of family, historical fiction, and coziness, enjoy our family's yummiest traditional family dessert: Huckleberry Duff.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, plus 1 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1/4 cup milk
1 quart fresh huckleberries (or blueberries, blackberries, black caps, you get the picture)
 2 cups water

Directions

Sift together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Grate cold butter into flour mixture with a cheese grater. Stir together with a fork. Add milk to form dough. Combine berries, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings into berrie sauce by the tablespoonful. Cover pot. Turn heat down to low and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Don't open until your timer beeps! Serve with fresh cream, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Traci Tyne Hilton is the author of The Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery Series. She is also a wife, mom, Sunday School teacher, and award winning playwright from Portland, Oregon. She is madly working on her next mystery series which has finaled in the Books of Hope Contest at Write Integrity Press and has an impending deadline.

Traci earned a degree in History from Portland State University and lives in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest with her husband the mandolin playing funeral director from Kansas, their two daughters, and their dog, Dr. Watson.
More of Traci's work can be found at tracihilton.com

Mystery Loves Company--by Linda P. Kozar

Ask anyone who lives with one. Mystery Writers are a peculiar breed. We traffic in what could only be described as morbid conversations in nonchalant ease over lunch in restaurants or in elevators, discussing everything from  murder weapons to how best to do away with people. No wonder people steer clear of us!

Maybe you like reading mysteries, but have never considered writing one. Do you have what it takes? Rate yourself in this short profile:

Mystery Writers are:

Suspicious--We are forever narrowing our eyes at the most ordinary news of the day.

Your cat disappeared? When was Flossie last seen? Hmmm. Let me ask around. Aha, someone's behind it. An elderly woman with a large knitting bag was seen walking around the neighborhood that same day. But she walked with the gait of someone much younger and later, a grey wig was found in Mrs. Delano's trash. There can be only one conclusion. A cat-napper is in our midst!

Morbidly-Minded--Though we may protest the opposite, a mystery writer must know how and why and by what means a character might die. To be accurate, that is. So we Google some strange topics--topics that police investigators would surely find suspect if any of us were ever under investigation.

1,000 Ways to Die: (www.spike.com/shows/1000-ways-to-die)
The Effects of Poison: (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoning.html)
Crime Scene Investigations: (http://crime-scene-investigator.net/)
The Body Farm: (http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/july/bodyfarm_070709/)
Five Minute Mysteries (http://www.5minutemystery.com/)
How to Get Rid of a Body: (www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=99.0)

Tenacious--We can't give up! Even if the clues go cold, we keep wondering. Are you still bothered that  investigators were never able to solve the murder of JonBenet Ramsey? Now do some arithmetic. (I know that's hard for writers), but that was back in 1996. Twenty years ago...just kidding...sixteen years ago. Only a detective or mystery author would keep the file open for so long.


If you check off five out of three of these traits, you're a writer (and can't add), but if you check off one or more (out of three), you're kin to that rare breed--a mystery writer.


So break out your magnifying glass and cape (hold the pipe please), and follow those clues. But before you do--read a few mysteries. There are some great ones on this blog. . .

http://www.spyglasslanemysteries.com

Linda is the co-author of Babes With A Beatitude—Devotions For Smart, Savvy Women of Faith (Hardcover/Ebook, Howard/Simon & Schuster 2009) and author of Misfortune Cookies (Print, Barbour Publishing 2008), Misfortune Cookies, A Tisket, A Casket, and Dead As A Doornail, (“When The Fat Ladies Sing Series,” Ebooks, Spyglass Lane Mysteries, 2012). She received the ACFW Mentor of the Year Award in 2007, founded and served as president of Writers On The Storm, a local ACFW chapter for three years. In 2003, she co-founded, co-directed and later served as Southwest Texas Director of Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband Michael, married 23 years, have two lovely daughters, Katie and Lauren and a Rat Terrier princess named Patches.

Represented by: Wendy Lawton, Books & Such Literary Agency

Member of: CAN (Christian Authors Network), RWA (Romance Writers of American), WHRWA (West Houston Romance Writers of America), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), Writers On The Storm, The Woodlands, Texas Chapter of ACFW, Toastmasters (Area 56) The Woodlands, Texas. WoodsEdge Community Church, The Woodlands, TX.

Linda P. Kozar

Sweet Tea Fiction

www.lindakozar.com

http://bookishdesires.blogspot.com

Find me at about.me/LindaKozar

Take Your Dog to Dinner

'When Dogs Dine Out' You Tube Video

If they're well-heeled that is. Now, more and more restaurants around the country are catering to pooches. As of February 27, 2012, LA county gave the okay for dogs to eat on restaurant patios and there's even a Dog Restaurant Week coming September 16-23 this year. Of course your dog must be under 40 lbs, leashed and well-mannered or you may be asked to leave! If you're interested in participating restaurants here's the list. And not only are dogs allowed - they're catered to with doggie menus featuring anything from lamb stir fry to meat loaf to scrambled eggs with bacon bits. One restaurant even provides a space behind the restaurant, complete with waste pickup bags for bathroom breaks. So cool! Why is this important to a cozy author like myself? Because my heroine Jillian Bradley takes her Yorkie companion everywhere with her - including restaurants. 

For example in "The Ghost Orchid Murder" I had to write Teddy into having lunch with Jillian and her assistant:

 'The elements restaurant was buzzing with customers. I’m sure it was due to the notoriety of the criminal guests they were hoping to get a glimpse of. The maitre d’ seated us right away in one of the private booths overlooking the terrace. I placed Teddy in his satchel comfortably on the seat next to me and gave him a little treat. “Now I expect you to behave yourself and be very quiet, Teddy.” He looked at me with those warm brown eyes as if to say, “Would I ever give you trouble, Mistress?”' 


And in "The Mark of Eden" I wanted to write Teddy into a lunch date as well:

'The parking lot was full but she found an empty space and pulled in. Delicious aromas of seafood being prepared wafted on the air as she and Teddy entered the restaurant, nestled on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Sam’s was reminiscent of an East Coast style seafood house, with a large patio overlooking Half Moon Bay.

Ira was waiting at a table perusing the menu when the host mentioned discreetly to Jillian that dogs were only allowed on the patio. Seeing that Jillian was experiencing difficulty with Teddy, Ira motioned to a server and whispered in his ear. The server walked to the front desk and spoke softly to the host, who in turned blushed slightly.

“I do beg your pardon, Mrs. Bradley,” he said. “Won’t you and your companion please follow me? So sorry for any misunderstanding. Dr. Sinclair is one of our best customers.”

Jillian was a little surprised but impressed at the influence Ira had with the locals. She glided toward his table, Teddy scrunched down in his tote, as Ira stood to greet her and make sure she was seated comfortably.

“Why thank you, Ira,” she offered. “We could have sat on the patio. I really wouldn’t have minded following the rules.”

“Rules were made to be broken, or at least I enjoy pushing the boundaries, but that’s just the scientist in me speaking. Have you ever eaten here before?”

“No, not this particular restaurant. I have eaten at The Distillery many years ago.”

“With the Blue Lady Ghost?” he chuckled.

Jillian chose not to comment but cast her mind back to an earlier case involving the said lady ghost.'

How many of you enjoy taking your dogs with you whenever you go out? Do you take your dogs out for their birthdays? I used to take our Maltese 'Chloe' to the drive thru at McDonald's on her's and got her a cheeseburger. Oh how she loved it! Some drive thru services even offer dog treats when your pooch is along for the ride. What's been your experience?

THIS JUST IN: CONGRATULATIONS TO DAPHNE AND BRENDA - THE WINNERS OF THE BOOK GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!

COZY CUSTARD PIE

FROM MY COZY KITCHEN:

FEATURED RECIPE OF THE WEEK IN THE COZY KITCHEN

 

Nancy Jill Thames is the author of "Jillian Bradley Mysteries," a series often set in exclusive hotels and resorts, based on real life travel adventures with her husband of 44 years. Her mysteries incorporate her love of afternoon tea, which has earned her the title of “Queen of Afternoon Tea.”   She holds a music degree from UT Austin and lives in Leander, Texas where she is a member of the Leander Writers Guild. Nancy Jill is busy working on book 6 Waiting for Santa, a murder mystery taking place on Christmas Eve near Jillian Bradley’s home in Clover Hills. She has won awards for her blogs,  a pie contest for her Chip Chocolate Cream Pie, and has been on the Author Watch Bestseller List numerous times.

To check out her books, Murder in Half Moon Bay, The Ghost Orchid Murder, From the Clutches of Evil, The Mark of Eden, and Pacific Beach, please visit: 
http://www.nancy-jill.blogspot.com ,
http://www.nancyjillthames.wordpress.com
http://www.authornancyjillthames.webs.com

Can You Give Me A Hint?

Okay now for something a little different.

I am going to take another foray into hint fiction yet again, only this time I will play by the rules. This is a story that is twenty five words, or less, and even falls in the cozy mystery category. I think Nancy Jill will enjoy it for obvious reasons (the hero is of the four legged variety). I find it is also a very good exercise for writers, because it is not easy as it sounds to write a story with so few words. Try it if you like and post them in the comments. I’d love to read them. However, there must be a beginning, middle and an end. No cheating with cliffhangers! Unless you plan on doing a sequel that is.

I know this is a short post, but this is all about being short. Makes my usual books look downright longwinded by comparison.

Here’s mine entitled The Ominous Man of Mystery

A man with secrets. A woman with a dog. Things get hairy, but the dog saves the day. Woman’s best friend indeed.

There. I don’t think it will win any literary awards, but it was fun to write.

Don’t forget to sign up for the giveaway!

 

Mystery writer C.L. Ragsdale is the author of The Reboot Files a Christian Mystery Series. A California native, she loves to "surf" the web to research plot details for her fun, quirky stories with just a bit of whopper in them. She has a degree in Theatre Arts which greatly influenced her writing style. Working in various fields as a secretary has allowed her to both master her writing skills and acquire valuable technical knowledge which she uses liberally in her plots. She loves to embroider and knit and is a big fan of the old Scooby Doo cartoons.

Current E-Books
THE REBOOT FILES:  The Mystery of Hurtleberry House, The Island of Living Trees, The Harbinger of Retribution, and The Wrong Ghost.

www.shortmysteriesandtalltales.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CL-Ragsdale219184744858421