What To Do, What to Do? by Edith Maxwell aka Maddie Day

LUCY BURDETTE: We're in the dead of winter, which those of you in the path of that storm know too well. How are you keeping yourself from going crazy? Our friend Edith Maxwell aka Maddie Day has some ideas...

EDITH MAXWELL: Thanks for inviting me over to fill in some of everybody’s mid-winter slog, Lucy.

I’m not only trudging along mid-winter – and it’s been a damn cold one in my northeastern corner of Massachusetts – I’m also in a long gap between book release days. Murder at Cape Costumers released in late August, and A Poisonous Pour won’t be out until late April. I know many authors have one book birthday per year (or less often, ahem, Debs and Julia, making their readers suffer patiently). Me? I channel Jenn. For the last decade I’ve written and had published at least three books a year.

Is the gap because my sales are slumping? Does my publisher hate me? No to both. But, as regular readers of the comments here know, I now have TWO adorable grandbabies. I’m not a spring chicken, and I didn’t want to be too busy to hang out with them while I’m still here, so I ended one of my three series. (Sorry, Jay!)

Anyway, at a time like this, dual questions arise. How do I stay in touch with readers between releases? How do I stay healthy and lively and interested in life when it’s too cold and icy to venture outside, and when the world seems about to explode? Following are my top ten (or so) solutions for both issues, in a purposely mixed-up order:

10. Writing. Working on my books is one thing I hope I will not abandon for many years to come. Crafting and polishing stories is what keeps me going, morning after morning. It keeps my brain sharp (as much as is possible) and my imagination honed. The royalty checks are lovely, too.

9. Walking. If I don’t get my 10k-plus steps in after my morning writing every day, I don’t feel right. What about when it’s too icy outside? I walk fast laps in my long kitchen-dining-sitting room, listening to the radio or a good podcast.

8. Dreaming. I cheer myself by paging through the Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalog, dreaming about when the snow is gone and I can plant greens and peas and everything else. Speaking of growing things, a cluster of paperwhite bulbs are blooming in a glass bowl right now. The growth and scent are lovely.

7. Cooking. Cold weather is perfect for cooking up stews, curries, loaves of bread, and cakes. My Hugh, who prefers not to cook if he can help it, is supportive of my cooking habit. And being part of an author-chef group blog, Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, along with Lucy, means I’m obliged to come up with an original recipe twice a month. Triple purpose – feed myself and Hugh, survive the winter blahs, AND stay in touch with readers.

6. Protesting. Every Saturday at noon, kindred spirits in my small city of Amesbury hold a standout for democracy in the town square. I’m there with my sign every week I’m in town. Forgive me this foray into real life, but if our democracy doesn’t stand, I won’t be able to do any of the other things I love. (Photo courtesy of Christine Green)

5. Planning fun travel. I’m organizing my plans for Left Coast Crime in San Francisco in a few weeks, which will include a visit with dear family for a couple of days beforehand. I’m also planning an Author-Reader Connection field trip to a wine bar! I’m looking forward to a Kensington Cozy Con in Connecticut on March 14, with an event at the Groveland, MA public library the afternoon before. 

The end of April brings Malice Domestic. This year my slightly evil tale, “When the Iron is Hot,” is nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story! Fingers crossed, my friends – it’s my ninth Agatha nomination, four of which have been for short stories. In other travel plans, I always look forward to my spring solo retreat on Cape Cod a couple of weeks after Malice, followed by who knows what in the summer, and the Calgary Boucheron in the fall. I know planning the future takes me out of the moment, but when winter is long and frigid, that’s just fine. And there’s nothing like an award nomination to warm us up – right, Hank?

4. Puzzles. All kinds of puzzles get me through to the next release and warmer weather. I do Wordle every morning, then compare notes with Hugh when I come downstairs for my second coffee. I always listen to the NPR Sunday morning puzzle and its weekly challenge, which half the time is too hard for me and the other half I’m one of 1,693 who sent in correct answers (but I’m determined to get randomly selected and on the air one of these years). I read the Boston Globe “May I have a Word?” biweekly column and try to send in entries for the word challenge. Hugh and I always have NYT Sunday puzzles going on a clipboard we trade back and forth. Words are a great way to stay lively, as are cards and numbers: Hugh and I play cribbage every afternoon or evening. 

3. The Next Writing Project. The book I’m working on, Murder in the Lighthouse, is due April 1st, and it’s currently out with an independent editor. In the meantime, I’m noodling a short story for this year’s Best New England Crime Fiction anthology from Crime Spell Books. But I’m also getting closer to writing book one in my new Golden Broads series. Ideas for the next novel are dancing in my brain, as usually happens when I’m close to finishing a book, but I need to stay away from it until I turn in the one with the closer deadline. 

2. Almost Everything Else. I sit on the couch and read in the evening, with a cup of tea or a little glass of bourbon (or both combined). We watched Ballard and now are making our way through all of Bosch. I fill various volunteer roles with Amesbury Friends Meeting (Quaker), and I meet up with friends when I can.

1.Grandbabies – You knew I was saving the best for last, right? I’m blessed with being beloved Grammy to the sweetest, spunkiest little two-year old, and I love the regular time I get to spend with Ida Rose. Reading and dancing and playing with her is the very best antidote to winter, as is tracking her exploding language development (a long-time personal interest). 

And now Ida Rose’s little cousin Silvio Ilán is in the world, born to my younger son and his wife on January 4th. The little guy is thriving on his mama’s milk and is gaining weight fast, just like his daddy did after he was born. The family lives less than an hour away from us, and I can’t wait to spend regular time with Silvio, too.

Readers: What are your best tricks for getting by and thriving at a time like this?

Fourth-generation Californian Maddie Day writes the Cece Barton Mysteries and loves the California wine-tasting research. A transplant to Massachusetts, she also pens the Country Store Mysteries, the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, and the historical Dot and Amelia Mysteries. As Edith Maxwell, she writes the Agatha-Award winning historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries and Agatha-nominated short crime fiction. An MWA member and a proud lifetime member of SINC, Maxwell/Day lives north of Boston with her beau and their cat Martin, where she writes, cooks, gardens, and wastes time on Facebook. Find her at her website and at Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

How to Write and Produce a Murder Mystery Tea by Lucy Burdette

LUCY BURDETTE: you may remember last year that the friends of the Key West library hosted a murder mystery tea event featuring Ann Cleeves and the script she wrote to share with libraries across the world. Though we didn’t know exactly what we were doing, it was a huge success, and we were determined to repeat it.

I *might* have volunteered to write the script this year… Here are some tips and tricks in case you want to pull a stunt like this yourself!

Secure an author. Ahem. Easier said than done. Already worrying about next year...

Decide on a theme and a murder. This was easy. I live in Key West, I write mysteries set in Key West. Key lime pie is a thing. A poisoned key lime pie was the next logical step. I happen to know that our head librarian has ordered a nursing dummy to set up the crime scene. There will be a blonde wig involved, along with a key lime pie. (The staff at the Key West Library is amazing!)

Choose motives for four suspects. This is hard, but critical. Money? Love? Greed? Lust? Loathing? Ambition? They aren't going to tell...

Write the play. Ahem. See above, easier said than done.

Share the theme with the library staff so they can set up the crime scene, including any physical clues. (If you haven’t been completely successful writing the dialogue so that the audience has a fair shot at guessing the murderer, these clues can relieve the pressure.)

Suggest costumes to actors and hold rehearsal. Tell everyone it’s going to be great and don’t be afraid to ham it up! Write a snappy description and invite the world.

Recruit an amazing team to produce the tea with a tropical twist this time...

Now we have 175 guests registered, with more on the waiting list. Wish us luck! And by the way, if I posted the script on my website, can you imagine libraries actually using it? What else would you need to make this happen at your library?

GETTING MY DUCKS IN A ROW by VM Burns

LUCY BURDETTE: Today I'm happy to bring back a friend from Mystery Lovers Kitchen, VM (Valerie) Burns. If you love comfort food with a southern twist, visit her on alternate Thursdays on our cozy foodie blog. But enough about food--today she's talking about big life changes, and how they made their way into her new book. Welcome Valerie!

VM BURNS: A year ago, I realized it was time. Time to make a change. Time to take a leap of faith. Time to quit the soul sucking day job and write fulltime. It was time I got my ducks in a row.

Ever since I came out of the closet and announced to the world that “I AM A WRITER.” I’ve met hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who all want to write. I never knew there were so many people who shared my dream. Sadly, most people never get beyond the dream stage. Some start writing, but never finish. Others finish a book, but are quelled by the cold realities of traditional publishing. It’s HARD. Even for those of us who are fortunate enough to land an agent and a traditional publishing deal, getting to the stage where you can support yourself as a writer, is almost impossible.

Why is writing fulltime such a challenge? The primary reason is that traditional publishing doesn’t provide a steady, regular income. The day job paid me every two weeks. Most traditional publishers pay royalties twice per year. And royalties are based on sales made six months in arrears. There are also things like taxes, insurance, and intellectual property that I needed to figure out. Thinking about all the things that I needed to do was overwhelming. I read books. I attended seminars. And I talked to people who were doing it. Ultimately, I came up with a plan (and a backup plan) which enabled me to take the leap. Giving up the safety of a regular paycheck along with health insurance felt like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. It was scary. But, it has also been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Getting off the corporate ladder isn’t for everybody. And for anyone who’s stuck in a soul sucking day job, I recommend doing your research before making that leap. Getting your ducks in a row may involve consultations with doctors, lawyers, accountants, financial planners, and therapists. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And sometimes, you may need to make small baby steps rather than giant leaps. As Samantha Washington says, “Life is too short, not to be happy.”

My journey to corral my ducks was the inspiration for the 11th book in my Mystery Bookshop Mystery series, Murder From A to Z. Whatever your goal is for organizing your ducks, don’t be afraid to put in the research and come up with a plan (or three). After all is said and done, you may ultimately decide NOT to jump out of that airplane, but at least you’ll have neat orderly ducks.

Most people think of making big life changes at the start of a new year like diets, exercise, and financial changes. Do you have ducks that you want to organize in 2026?

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Nana Jo has volunteered her lawyer granddaughter, Jenna, to teach estate planning to retirees—with Sam providing her bookshop as the venue. But during the seminar, entitled Getting Your Ducks in Order, it quickly becomes clear someone’s up to Fowl Play. When elderly Alva Tarkington, accompanied by her niece, sits down for a consultation, Sam realizes the woman’s frequent blinking is actually Morse Code—S.O.S. The sisters get her alone, and Alva tells them she believes her life is in danger and must change her will . . .

Unfortunately, Alva is found dead the next day—seemingly from natural causes. But Nana Jo and the sisters suspect otherwise. In between penning her latest historical mystery, set in 1939 as England declares war on Germany and Lady Elizabeth Marsh pursues stolen paintings and a traitor, Sam teams up with the senior sleuths of Shady Acres to search for motives—beginning with Alva’s family. They soon learn not everyone is who they say they are, and someone is more than qualified to teach a class on cold-blooded murder . . .

Murder From A to Z releases on January 27th.

Valerie (V. M.) Burns is an Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Award-finalist. Writing as V. M. Burns, she is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, and RJ Franklin Mystery series. As Valerie Burns, she writes the Baker Street Mystery series. She also writes the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series as Kallie E. Benjamin. In addition to writing, Valerie is an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in Northern Georgia with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at vmburns.com.