Guest Blogger - Lila Dare

Many thanks to the Mayhem and Magic duo for inviting me over to talk about Tressed to Kill, the first in my Southern Beauty Shop mystery series.


Since I’m at Malice Domestic as you read this, participating in a panel discussion about settings, I thought I’d chat a bit about my book’s setting, a small, fictional town on the Georgia coast called St. Elizabeth.

When you’re an author writing about the Deep South, you have a gaggle of literary heavy weights breathing over your shoulder: William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, and Pat Conroy, among others. They’ve defined the South in such iconic ways it seems as if there’s nothing left to add. You also have the stereotypes of Southern life that trickle down through movies like Gone with the Wind, Driving Miss Daisy, and Deliverance. Is that a pair of dueling banjos I hear? And you practically have a duty to mention grits, kudzu, and the Civil War since that’s what a large percentage of the non-South U.S. population thinks about when they think of any state south of the Mason-Dixon line.

My own experience of the South—I was born in Georgia and have lived in Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas (which some consider the West but which has distinct Southern sensibilities in some areas)—includes some of these stereotypes but not all of them. Trust me, I know less about the Civil War than the average fifth grader in Oregon; luckily, my husband who grew up in L.A. (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) is a Civil War buff and was able to feed me enough facts to make the Civil War enactor in my series realistic. I was never a debutante, but recall looking at their black and white photos in the local newspaper and thinking how much fun it would be. I eat grits reluctantly and collard greens not at all, and would rather die of dehydration than drink sweet tea; however, I love biscuits and gravy, Tab, and pecan pie.

Tressed to Kill depicts a small Southern town that is likewise a mix of expectation and surprises. Violetta Terhune, sixty and widowed, runs a beauty parlor out of her Victorian home. Her recently divorced daughter Grace has returned from Atlanta to work with her mom and has some difficulty settling back into small town life after her stay in “Hotlanta.” Violetta’s best friend Althea is the salon’s aesthetician. She’s black and therefore had a significantly different experience growing up in the South than Vi did. The salon’s seventeen-year-old shampoo girl, Rachel, shows the young, modern side of small town Georgia. When one of the salon’s snootiest and most obnoxious clients is murdered, the women bring their separate backgrounds and abilities to finding the killer since the police suspect Violetta. Grace takes the lead in investigating a case that seems to have more snarls than a beehive hair-do. I like to think of the book as “Steel Magnolias with dead bodies.”

The story also features an antebellum mansion and a water moccasin, two familiar Southern images. What “southernisms” have I failed to mention? Leave a comment about your favorite Deep South tradition, image, or saying and you might win an autographed copy of Tressed to Kill!

Guest Blog - Stalking the English Village by Maria Hudgins

Stalking the little English Village

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time: Why can’t cozy mysteries set in today’s America evoke the same charm we find in those of the Golden Age? I’m talking about the murder in a little English village where everybody knows everybody else. Where the village idiot is as much a part of the community as the doctor but is never referred to as challenged, special, or any other modern euphemism. Where curtains shift when a car drives past. American mysteries seem to be either urban with lots of blood and action, or suburban with everyone on the block the same age, upper-middle class, and flashing impossibly white teeth.

Our failure is certainly not for lack of trying. A quick scan of the mystery section at Barnes and Noble reveals dozens of new cozy titles every month. But (okay, here’s where someone throws a heavy object at me) many of them are silly. Some insult the reader’s intelligence. Some feature towns where the smartest residents are either feline or canine.

Essential features of the cozy plot include an isolated or limited group of suspects, a victim that everyone knew but no one will miss very much, and a murder committed under baffling circumstances. Usually we have an amateur sleuth but not always. Usually the body is discovered near the beginning of the story and the solution is revealed near the end. Usually the clues needed to solve the mystery are right there, in black and white, but still somehow concealed.

Readers of cozies are intelligent people who love a mental challenge. The only thing they like more than figuring out “whodunit” before the author tells them is NOT figuring it out and slapping themselves on the forehead with “Oh, no! How did I miss it?”

For this reason, plotting a mystery is hard. So hard I have to squeeze my eyes tight shut, groan, hands on head—basically the same process as childbirth—and twist my clues, red herrings, and sub-plots around until something makes sense.

Back to my original question: Whatever happened to the little English village? Do they still exist? On a recent trip to the English Cotswolds, I rented a car (big mistake) and drove around looking for that quiet, charming place where a good murder or two would upset the local applecart and bring out the nosy Parkers. They do still exist! They are as pretty as ever, but they’re not the same. The photo is one I took on my ramble through the countryside west of Oxford. What’s different? Under the thatched roofs they now have computers and TVs and microwaves. The man and the woman of the house are both wage-earners, employed in jobs that didn’t exist twenty years ago. Their children have tattoos and wear T-shirts with strange messages. A Beamer sits in the driveway.

On the other hand, I did find one sign that told me the quaint little village hasn’t changed all that much. A chalkboard menu outside a tiny tearoom announced the arrival of Samantha’s four boys and two girls. I suspect Samantha is neither human, cow, nor horse, but is a valued member of the community anyway. Samantha and offspring were all doing well.

Maybe I’m looking at this the wrong way. Maybe I should quit looking for the modern equivalent of the little English village and content myself, as I have been doing, with settings that isolate a small group of suspects. So far I’ve used a Scottish castle, a tour bus, and a cruise ship. The story I’m working on now takes place in a Swiss chateau high in the Alps.

What do you think? Where can I go to find a great setting for a mystery?

Many thanks to Pamela and Terri for inviting me in today. Please check out my website, www.mariahudgins.com.

Monthly Movie Review - Duck Soup by Jeff Cohen

DUCK SOUP (1933)
Starring The Four Marx Brothers
Margaret Dumont
Louis Calhern
Edgar Kennedy

Written by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with additional dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin Directed by Leo McCarey

Certainly in the running for "Funniest Film Ever Made," this is the purest expression of Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo. In fact, it's the last time Zeppo appeared with his brothers on film or onstage. After this film, he left the act and opened a talent agency, prompting Groucho to tell their next producer during salary negotiations, "without Zeppo, we're worth twice as much."

The plot, such as it is, gives us the country of Freedonia, being run into financial ruin by the current prime minister. Enter Rufus T. Firefly (Mr. G. Marx), appointed at the inexplicable insistence of Mrs. Gloria Teasdale (Dumont, the best straight man a comedian ever had), and determined to line his own pockets and play around at being the head of a government as long as there isn't much work to do. But the "evil" Ambassador Trentino (Calhern), from neighboring Sylvania (no, really) is plotting against Firefly and trying to start a revolution. Trentino (once again, without good reason) sends two spies to dig up some dirt on Firefly, which you wouldn't think would be difficult. But the silent Harpo and the you-wish-he-were-silent Chico, as the spies, are not all that interested.

Of course, war ensues. That's the only realistic thing in the whole movie.

The story is negligible, anyway. The movie is a 68-minute excuse for the Bros. to make excruciating puns (I'll have a nice cold glass eliminate"), perform impossible pantomimes (the mirror sequence is among the best anyone has ever shot on film) and sing the occasional song. Groucho, as head of the country, gets to sing "If you think this country's bad off now/just wait 'til I get through with it," and while that might seem a little too close to too many historical events, he makes it funny.

No description can do this movie (or the Marxes, for that matter) justice. Rent it, TiVo it (Turner Classic Movies runs it about once a month), buy it, just SEE it. It is a wall-to-wall collection of gags that in some way make up a movie, and the sheer energy of the four comedians at its center is both irresistible and overwhelming. It's damn close to perfect.

An Interview with Cross Sticher Sherry Benic

Sherry at what age did you learn to cross stitch and who taught you to stitch?

I began cross stitching at the tender age of 35.  We had just arrived at Scott AFB in IL, and my new neighbor was a stitcher.  Her name was Karen, and she guided my early efforts.

Do you design your own patterns and are you a model stitcher?

I am not a model stitcher.  I have designed a very few patterns, and would like to turn some of my drawings into stitch patterns, but never have worked that hard

Have you learned any speciality stitches? Which ones do you like to stitch?

I really enjoy making french knots, which I understand some stitchers just hate.  I think they are fun and a challenge.  Other than that, no specialty stitches.

To date what has been your most challenging project?

  Nine years ago I stitched a wedding sampler for my son and his new bride.  It was my first effort on evenweave.  It took months, was not ready in time for the wedding, and I think of it as a major achievement

Do you attend any retreats, trunk shows or do you stitch with any friends or family members?

Sadly, I don't have any friends who stitch, although I often bring my stitching along when I visit.  I have never attended any retreats -- wouldn't that be fun?! -- or shows, except for the Western Washington State Fair where I admire all the needlework entries.

What themes, types of patterns and what are some of your favorite patterns?

My favorite themes are whimsical designs.  I've really enjoyed stitching heirloom Christmas stockings for my six grandchildren.  My favorite designers are Margaret Sherry and Michael Powell.

What favorite projects do you have from your own stitching collection?

 

 I have a beautiful farm scene, which I stitched during the weeks my father was dying from pancreatic cancer.  He was always a farmer at heart, and I think of him with happiness when I look at the piece now.  It was fifteen years after he passed before I could frame and hang it.

Tell us about where you live and your family life?

 My ex husband was in the Air Force, and was assigned here to Tacoma, to McChord AFB in 1978.  I've been here almost ever since, with the exception of three years in southern Illinois.  I am single now.  I have a daughter who works for the city of Tacoma, and a son, who is a lawyer in Houston.  Each of my children has three children, so my family consists of my kids and my six grands.

 

What has been your most fun project to stitch?

Two of the Christmas stockings I've done stand out in my mind as having been especially interesting and fun to stitch.  One shows Santa driving his sleigh, and the other has a tiny little mouse in a matchbox bed under a Christmas tree. 

Now for a fun question or two; What is your favorite beverage to drink, your favaorite meail, your favorite dessert and some of your favorite movies, books and places to visit?

  I love Diet Coke, pizza, and potato chips.  Not a very nutritious meal, but my favorite, next to a cheeseburger.  I also enjoy a hot fudge sundae.  I love to read, mostly I read cozy mysteries.  Any time I travel, I am visiting my Texans in Houston

In your home where is your favorite place to stitch and do you have any other hobbies?

 

My favorite place to stitch is sitting on the couch in the family room, while I watch tv.  I also do some writing, and am working on a Young Adult novel about World War II.  I like to draw and do watercolor.  Recently I was asked to illustrate a friend's book.  My artwork has been published in two local anthologies here in Tacoma, along with my poetry and short stories.

What are some of the online groups that you belong to and what are the rewards of joining an online stitching group?

?  I belong to two other stitching groups online, and a group of people who read cozy mysteries.  The reward is learning of new products, new authors and books, and new designs.  I have a lot of reading and stitching ahead of me, if my eyes hold out.

Why do you love to cross stitch and what are the benefits of cross stitching?

 

 Stitching is beneficial for relaxing; it must help lower blood pressure.  I find that when I am stitching, I can think about things that worry me, and often am able to work through problems to know how to deal with them or solve them.

In closing; Is there something you would like to add about the pictures that are posted today or something you would like to say to your online stitching buddies? 

  I am grateful for the friends I have made in my online groups.  I know my groups helped pray me successfully through my open heart surgery two and a half years ago.  These groups have put me in touch with people who are like me.  It's wonderful

An Interview with Cross Sticher Sherry B

Sherry at what age did you learn to cross stitch and who taught you to stitch?

I began cross stitching at the tender age of 35.  We had just arrived at Scott AFB in IL, and my new neighbor was a stitcher.  Her name was Karen, and she guided my early efforts.

Do you design your own patterns and are you a model stitcher?

I am not a model stitcher.  I have designed a very few patterns, and would like to turn some of my drawings into stitch patterns, but never have worked that hard

Have you learned any speciality stitches? Which ones do you like to stitch?

I really enjoy making french knots, which I understand some stitchers just hate.  I think they are fun and a challenge.  Other than that, no specialty stitches.

To date what has been your most challenging project?

  Nine years ago I stitched a wedding sampler for my son and his new bride.  It was my first effort on evenweave.  It took months, was not ready in time for the wedding, and I think of it as a major achievement

Do you attend any retreats, trunk shows or do you stitch with any friends or family members?

Sadly, I don't have any friends who stitch, although I often bring my stitching along when I visit.  I have never attended any retreats -- wouldn't that be fun?! -- or shows, except for the Western Washington State Fair where I admire all the needlework entries.

What themes, types of patterns and what are some of your favorite patterns?

My favorite themes are whimsical designs.  I've really enjoyed stitching heirloom Christmas stockings for my six grandchildren.  My favorite designers are Margaret Sherry and Michael Powell.

What favorite projects do you have from your own stitching collection?

 

 I have a beautiful farm scene, which I stitched during the weeks my father was dying from pancreatic cancer.  He was always a farmer at heart, and I think of him with happiness when I look at the piece now.  It was fifteen years after he passed before I could frame and hang it.

Tell us about where you live and your family life?

 My ex husband was in the Air Force, and was assigned here to Tacoma, to McChord AFB in 1978.  I've been here almost ever since, with the exception of three years in southern Illinois.  I am single now.  I have a daughter who works for the city of Tacoma, and a son, who is a lawyer in Houston.  Each of my children has three children, so my family consists of my kids and my six grands.

 

What has been your most fun project to stitch?

Two of the Christmas stockings I've done stand out in my mind as having been especially interesting and fun to stitch.  One shows Santa driving his sleigh, and the other has a tiny little mouse in a matchbox bed under a Christmas tree. 

Now for a fun question or two; What is your favorite beverage to drink, your favaorite meail, your favorite dessert and some of your favorite movies, books and places to visit?

  I love Diet Coke, pizza, and potato chips.  Not a very nutritious meal, but my favorite, next to a cheeseburger.  I also enjoy a hot fudge sundae.  I love to read, mostly I read cozy mysteries.  Any time I travel, I am visiting my Texans in Houston

In your home where is your favorite place to stitch and do you have any other hobbies?

 

My favorite place to stitch is sitting on the couch in the family room, while I watch tv.  I also do some writing, and am working on a Young Adult novel about World War II.  I like to draw and do watercolor.  Recently I was asked to illustrate a friend's book.  My artwork has been published in two local anthologies here in Tacoma, along with my poetry and short stories.

What are some of the online groups that you belong to and what are the rewards of joining an online stitching group?

?  I belong to two other stitching groups online, and a group of people who read cozy mysteries.  The reward is learning of new products, new authors and books, and new designs.  I have a lot of reading and stitching ahead of me, if my eyes hold out.

Why do you love to cross stitch and what are the benefits of cross stitching?

 

 Stitching is beneficial for relaxing; it must help lower blood pressure.  I find that when I am stitching, I can think about things that worry me, and often am able to work through problems to know how to deal with them or solve them.

In closing; Is there something you would like to add about the pictures that are posted today or something you would like to say to your online stitching buddies? 

  I am grateful for the friends I have made in my online groups.  I know my groups helped pray me successfully through my open heart surgery two and a half years ago.  These groups have put me in touch with people who are like me.  It's wonderful

Review: Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline

TITLE: THINK TWICE

Author: LISA SCOTTOLINE

Genre Legal Thriller (Series)

ISBN: 978-0-312-38075-5

Hard Cover pgs:374

Bennie Rosato has an exact double in her twin sister Alice but Alice has a dark soul and other that mirror image look alike twine they are as different as night and day. Still Bennie finds Alice a job and she does all she can to help Alice so when Alice asks her Friday night dinner at her new place Bennie feels like she cannot refuse the invitation.

At dinner Bennie becomes sick and dizzy the last thing she remembers before passing out is how easy Alice said it would all be. The next thing Bennie knows is that she is buried beneath the ground and soon she figures out it's a wooden box. An animal keeps digging as Bennie keeps fighting for her life.

Meanwhile Alice has become Bennie she has taken her place in all things, her law practice, her friends and the love of Bennie's life. it becomes a matter of money Alice wants Bennie's three million dollars and tries to get it all transferred a little at a time to offshore accounts. Alice needs to leave the country before her worst nightmare finds her and while it takes a few days for this to happen Alice is having fun making a mess of Bennie's life.

Meanwhile Bennie survives but now she is out for blood and revenge and the clock is ticking over this game of good and evil and sister against sister.

I often thought never is more deadly than family and this book proves me right. It only takes one rotten soul in the family to give you murderous thought of revenge or worse.

This is an excellent legal thriller and more to the point it's Lisa Scottoline at her finest..

**********

Pamela James

Guest Blogger - Kelly Gay

Hi Mayhem and Magic Readers! Thanks to Pamela and Terri for having me over to talk about Chilling Plots. When I wrote THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS I only had a few characters in my head, the world of Underground Atlanta, and the big decision my main character, Charlie Madigan, must make in the end. How I was going to get from beginning to that particular point, though, was unknown.

I didn’t plot Charlie’s escapades, but as the story progressed, certain scenes took shape or came to mind for later moments in the book. These I wrote down to save for the proper time, but for the most part I ‘pants’ it and let Charlie take me where she felt she needed to go. One step at a time.

One of the things, however, I did plot out was the antagonist’s goal. I needed to be very certain about what he was doing and why he was doing it.

In the beginning of the story, Charlie is a cop. She’s been one for a long time. But when we meet her, things are changing. She’s suddenly thrust into unfamiliar territory when the crimes being committed start hitting close to home and start affecting her and her family in very personal and scary ways. I won’t deny I’ve gotten flack from a few folks who don’t buy or like the whole cop who then does un-coply things. And, if Charlie was dealing with a criminal plot that was within her usual working realm, I’d agree. It’d be totally out of character and not ring true for her to go off the grid and stop following protocol.

But, I specifically wanted to explore what would happen if a law enforcement officer suddenly found themselves having to defend their child and family against someone with wealth and political power. Would they stick to the letter of the law when it came to protecting their child? Or would they do whatever it took? Charlie, in the circumstances she found herself in, in the little time she had, did whatever it took. Doesn’t mean that has to be anyone else’s answer, but it was hers.

And yeah, she doesn’t have all the answers and she makes mistakes. She's not infallible. She is only human, after all. Strong emotions can make people think and do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do. How many times do we tell ourselves one thing, yet do another? How many times do we internalize things and don’t reach out to others even though we know we probably should? Charlie doesn’t care how many years on the force she has under her belt, she’d give it all up to save her kid. Her child means more to her than her job, her life, the laws, etc… And once she knows this is personal, and this is where things are headed, she doesn’t want to drag others down with her.

I’m no expert, but as I try to identify what makes a chilling plot, I think this might be one aspect – to take your main character out of their comfort zone. To throw them into a situation/plot where they haven’t been before, make it hit close to home in some way so the emotional level is high, and see how they react. I don’t believe my plot would’ve been nearly as tense if I’d had Charlie dealing with her usual cases, or if I’d had her react to this new personal threat in the same way she always has in the past.

So when I think of really chilling plots, I think of putting my characters into new and unanticipated situations and I try to have them react in a human, relatable way. Sure, it’s easy to look back on something and say “this is how it should’ve been handled”. But as a reader, I’m not as interested characters that have all the answers, who don’t make mistakes, whose reactions are spotless. I want mine to mean well, to use what they have in their arsenal, and try their best to get themselves out of the situation I put them in. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t, but I’ll keep trying, keep writing, and keep doing my best just like those crazy characters swarming around in my head. 

An Interview with Connie (A Cross Stitcher)

Connie when did you learn to cross stitch?

I learned to cross stitch about 27 years ago, after I got married. My grandmother had taught me how to embroider when I was little

What are some of your favorite types of floss to use and where do you purchase them?

I still like using DMC thread or Anchor thread.  I get the DMC  at JoAnn’s, but I have to order the Anchor from the 123stitch.com site.

Give us an idea on what themes and patterns you like to cross stitch?

I like stitching anything that is something – a landscape, a picture 

Do you apply specialty stitches and what specialty stitches do you use?

French knots are about the only specialty stitch I use. 

So far what is your favorite piece you have cross stitched?

My favorite is After the Rain, and a picture of Santa in his sled that I made for my mom 

What was your most challenging piece?

My son’s Daniel Christmas Stocking called Deck the Stall – to much brown.

Do you attend Cross Stitch Retreats or stitch along with friends?

No


What is your closest or favorite Local Cross Stitch Shop?

I am right between JoAnn’s and Hobby Lobby.

How many online cross stitch groups do you belong to and please name them

123stitch.com

Craftbubble.

KyKrossstitcher.

Do you know what your next cross stitch project will be and when you will start the project?

My next project will be a peacock and I hope to start it in a few months 

Tell us a little about your family life.

I am married, have two kids a boy and a girl, both in college.  Three dogs and one rabbit. I work for a local hospital as a medical transcriptionist.

Okay now for a fun question; Connie what is your favorite dessert, movie, books, and place to visit?

This is a hard one, there are so many desserts, as for movies I like Dancing with the White Dog and Secondhand Lion.

In closing what are you currently stitching and tell us what inspired you to become a cross stitcher and why you love to cross stitch?

I am stitching right now Treasured Time.  I started stitching because I had moved to a new place and it is hard for me to make new friends so I had to do something while my husband was at work (we worked different shifts.)  I love cross stitching because it is a way I can express myself