Thursday, October 18, 2018

Knitting Up a Narrative by Nancy Warren

JENN McKINLAY: One of the best parts of being a writer is the writer friends you acquire along the way. Nancy Warren is one of my long time writer pals and such an inspiration to me in writing and in life. She had me when she crafted fabulous romantic comedies, and then she hiked the Grand Canyon all by her lonesome. Wow! But she finished me off when she went to Bath to get her MFA (diploma handed to her by Jeremy Irons - yes, THE Jeremy Irons - no less). 
Truly, she's a remarkable woman who I'm honored to call my friend. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the first book in her new series and the knitter, reader, and writer in me, LOVED it! But here is Nancy to tell us more about her latest project. 

Nancy, knitting in Oxford
Nancy Warren: I can’t knit, don’t live in Oxford, and I’m not undead (or not that I’m admitting, anyway) so why would I, a craft-impaired, red-blooded Canadian, undertake The Vampire Knitting Club, a series of paranormal cozy mysteries set in Oxford?


The answer, of course, is one of those What If? games writers love to play. I’m going back a few years, to when literary mash-ups were all the rage. I hate to even mention the abomination that was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but that’s the kind of thing I mean. 

At the time, Kate Jacobs’ The Friday Night Knitting Club was a huge hit. I was also loving the wildly successful Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, which became the TV series True Blood. Wait a minute, said I. Vampires! Knitting! What a mash-up! Thus was born The Vampire Knitting Club. 

I loved that title and carried it around for years until I found myself living in Oxford. I was great friends with the mystery author Elizabeth Edmondson, now sadly deceased, and we spent an evening or two at the Eagle and Child Pub (where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to drinkcritique.) Lizzy and I drankbrainstormed my idea as it became a cozy mystery series. 

I think there’s a good reason that so many mystery books and TV series are set and filmed in Oxford. It’s not only historic, but the atmosphere is mysterious. You slip down Magpie Lane, and you’re transported back in time, you walk into a college quad and feel some of the greatest thinkers in history walking, ghost-like, at your side. Go to the Pitt Rivers Museum and you’ll find a bizarre collection of occult items, including my favorite, a witch trapped inside a bottle. At this very moment, the witch-in-a-bottle is on loan to the Ashmolean Museum’s wonderful exhibit called Spellbound: Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft, which traces supernatural beliefs in Oxfordshire. Where else would witches and vampires go to knit? 

There are also tunnels which run beneath the city. In Medieval times this underground network connected homes in the Jewish quarter. Some of these homes had massive vaulted cellars. Later, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) claimed he canoed the underground Trill Mill Stream beneath Oxford. What a perfect location for vampires to live and commute. In short, Oxford was the ideal setting for my cozy knitting series.

I still couldn’t knit and, even though my amateur sleuth, Lucy, can’t knit either, she does inherit Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting shop with its colorful undead knitting circle. I felt I should at least learn the basics. Fortunately, there’s an absolutely charming knitting shop, The Oxford Yarn Store in North Parade. Serendipity struck. The owner, Karen, had lived in Vancouver and we knew some of the same people. She invited me to a knitting circle in her shop, where the lovely, experienced knitters helped me in my frequent knitting emergencies. I even discovered a knitting circle set in pubs. The Oxford Drunken Knitwits are my kind of knitters.

Nancy and shop asst James (I love his sweater!)

Inspiration comes in surprising ways, even though the history of how this series came to be is as tangled as my fledgling knitting projects. 

What about you, Reds and Readers, are you a knitter? Have you been to Oxford? What writing mashups are your favorites?


At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do. 

Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on? 

When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan. 
The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar? 

First in a new series of paranormal cozy mysteries with bite! 

86 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Nancy, on your new series . . . it sounds like a lot of fun!

    Yes, I knit [and crochet and embroider] but, alas, I’ve never been to Oxford . . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joan. I so admire people who can craft. I did needlework for a time but knitting is fiendish. I'm determined to crack it, though. I started a beautiful sweater that I want to finish. Someday...

      Delete
    2. Joan, you are my crafting people! I do all those, too, but mostly knitting these days.

      Delete
    3. In quilting circles we call those projects we intend to finish someday UFOs--un-finished objects. Good luck with them!

      Delete
  2. This is quite the mashup. Congrats on the new series. And I'm with you, I don't knit. Unfortunately, unlike you, I've never been to Oxford.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, Oxford's not going anywhere :) I love thinking of places I haven't been yet. They're still undiscovered...

      Delete
    2. I’ve never been to Oxford either - now it’s on my list!

      Delete
  3. Yes, I am a knitter but have never been to Oxford although my nephew has been there for a few years. I'm not crazy about paranormal but your mash-up might be fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Judi, what fun for your nephew. Is he involved with one of the colleges?

      Delete
    2. Judi - Nancy makes the paranormal work! It’s so perfect in this setting. As Hank would say - Trust Me! I loved it!

      Delete
    3. He is Nancy but sorry to say I don't know exactly which one. He got his doctoral a couple of years ago but he is still there my brother tells me. I will have to read your book!

      Delete
    4. Thanks, Judi. You have a very clever nephew!

      Delete
  4. You had me at Oxford, then you threw in knitting and vampires! I have never been to Oxford (bucket list item!), my knitting leaves a lot to be desired, and I do love a good vampire story. I think I found my new series to read!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your series sounds like fun, Nancy! I just bought the first book. Did you know the Kindle version is on sale for .99?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for that tip! I just bought it, too, after seeing your comment.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Cathy. Yes, it's a pretty low entry point to try the series starter :)

      Delete
  6. I don't knit either, and I've never been to Oxford though it is very near the top of my bucket list. I have a little "guilty pleasure" series that probably fits the term mashup. It's Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mystery series. On the surface they seem sort of silly -- the protagonist is a modern day witch running a vintage clothing store in San Francisco -- but I have found the characters so compelling and the writing so engaging that I have read all but the most recent one. Actually, the description of your books reminds me of that series a lot. It also has a strong sense of place -- and apparently San Francisco has a lot of atmospheric history, too. Looks like I can pick up your series to fill the void when I wrap up hers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Susan, I'll look for Juliet Blackwell's series. The fun of these mysteries is always the characters and the quirky settings. Vintage clothing sounds filled with possibilities...

      Delete
    2. Susan , you’re so right. I’m a huge fan of both of these series!

      Delete
  7. I'm not at all interested in vampires AND I don't knit (I am a black hole for handcrafts) but- I have been to Oxford, and good grief, this sounds like fun! Memo to self -find and read. And thanks for introducing yourself here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Triss, A black hole for handcrafts. Haha, that made me burble in my tea. Yep, I hear you on that. I hope you enjoy the Vampire Knitting Club :)

      Delete
    2. Triss - I am so jealous! I’d love to go to Oxford. I really need the Hooligans to up their academic game and get over there so I can visit!

      Delete
    3. Haha. My son had an idea that he wanted to go to London School of Economics. I was SO supportive of this idea. However, he ended up in Toronto which is a nice city, but it's not London, now, is it?? Kids!!

      Delete
    4. I went to London a few times in my early adult,single,first-ever travel days. Then my sister lived there for a few years. Then I had a job which sent me a few times for meetings. And I never got to Oxford! Finally a few years ago went to Ireland with husband on vacation, connected through Heathrow and I craftily suggested I stay a few extra days. Purposely found hotel in the not-interesting area around Paddington Station because the airport train goes in there and the Oxford train goes out! Wonderful day in Oxford.Not enough but memorable

      Delete
  8. Don't you love it when an idea that seems ridiculous just won't go away? And then, when you finally take it seriously, all sorts of things fall into place to make it not only possible, but fun? Sure. A vampire knitting club in Oxford. Riiiight. But then Oxford has all these tunnels, and a great knitting store with a supportive, quirky staff, and . . . You pretty much HAD to write these books, didn't you? I haven't knitted in years, I've never been to Oxford, and I'm not a vampire, but the Vampire Knitting Club sounds like a real delight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gigi, you're so right! Not only with books but other things, too. You'll have an idea about something and then this trickle of an idea turns into a tide that pushes you forward. When I did my MA in Bath last year, I was lucky enough to rent a flat in a Georgian manor house. A few months later, one of my neighbors, who'd been a librarian brought me the history of our house and the people who'd owned it. She was tickled because a former owner had the same last name (my real name, which is not a common one). I did some digging and found out he was, in fact, an ancestor. Oh, and he'd run it as a psychiatric home for wayward ladies, which, I thought, was perfect!!

      Delete
    2. It is a delight, Gigi! You totally get it!

      Delete
    3. Oh, wow! An unknown ancestor who used his house as a psych ward for wayward women? And then you rent an apartment there? That's a whole new series by itself. What a fun find! How can you resist that one? (Maybe he encouraged his "patients" to knit?)

      Delete
  9. I love Oxford, Nancy, and I love the way you've combined these varying elements into what sounds like a terrific book! I do not know how to knit, and I admit, I've never felt the urge. However, never say never. Congrats on the book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I'd never felt the urge - honestly, my yarn stash alone is embarrassing! Nancy, have you accumulated a stash of yarn?

      Delete
  10. I too loved the first Sookie Stackhouse books, but look what they engendered: a torrent of paranormal romances, mysteries, YA, cookbooks, how-to's, baby names--sorry, the paranormal trend just exploded! However, if I had a bucket list, Oxford would be near the top of it. As for knitting, my projects are confined to scarves--repetitive linear rows of stitches I can do :-), but I love buying yarn and a great yarn shop would be irresistible! And humor always grabs me--so, yeah, I love a good mash-up and can see myself getting acquainted with Lucy, Gran, and company! And my still-favorite writing mash-up was a STAR TREK meets HERE COME THE BRIDES novel based on two TV series.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Flora, thanks so much for your comment. LOVE the Star Trek mash-up. Sometimes, putting strange things together really works. Or, at least, inspires the imagination.

      Delete
    2. I love a good mashup. Why not have all the things you love in one place? Oh, and I heard recently that paranormal is coming back. I wasn't aware it had left...

      Delete
  11. Hello Nancy,

    I haven’t done any knitting in this century, and only ever completed two projects as far as I can remember. I liked The Friday Night Knitting Club, although it didn’t inspire me to attempt knitting again. I admire people who can knit and carry on a conversation at the same time, or knit and watch TV, etc. (Those pub knitters might have the right idea!) If I start buying lottery tickets and if I win enough money, an Oxford trip could be in my future.

    As for mashups, the closest thing I could think of that I really enjoyed (and became addicted to) is the Thursday Next series of books by Jasper Fforde.

    I’m going to give your books a try. It’s good to put reality aside every now and then, especially NOW.

    DebRo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Deborah! OMG, I love the Thursday Next series. It's so brilliant. He throws in so many little treasures for us English majors. I hope you get to Oxford someday and yes, I hear you on needing escapism. The crazier the world gets the more we need escapist fiction, just for a rest!

      Delete
    2. Oh, I'll have to check out the Thursday Next series! Thanks, Deborah!

      Delete
    3. Jenn, aa Nancy said, it’s a great series for English majors, and I am sure librarians love it, too!

      DebRo

      Delete
    4. Oh,I don't know the Thursday Next--thank you!

      Delete
  12. This series sounds like great fun, Nancy! Those ideas that won't let go are the best, aren't they?

    I know how to knit, kind of, but it's really not enjoyable to me. I'd much rather sew. However, I stand in awe of friends' complicated projects.

    One of my daughters was in Oxford for her job this summer, for five weeks. We wanted to join up there, but between her schedule and the crazy airfares, it didn't happen. She sent me a million pictures, though, and I really want to go sometime.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Karen,

      What fun for your daughter! Did she enjoy herself? I hope you get to Oxford, too. And, I agree with you, I'm in awe of some of the knitting projects I've seen. And these people are talking to you while their hands go a mile a minute in some convoluted pattern. It's amazing!

      Delete
    2. She absolutely loved it there. Her husband came to visit her, too, and he also enjoyed that lovely place.

      I lose track of rows and stitches too easily. Some people seem to have no trouble at all with that, amazingly.

      In 2002, I wrote for Cast On Magazine, which is the publication for The Knitting Guild Association. Mostly, I interviewed knitters and wrote about their fascinating projects. So many clever people using yarn as expression.

      Delete
    3. You know, I find some new resource every day. Cast On Magazine. A new magazine for me to try out. As you say, a couple of needles and some wool and it's incredible the art that these people turn out. I'm so glad your daughter and son in law loved Oxford.

      Delete
    4. Karen, how wonderful for your daughter. As a knitter, one of my bucket list places to visit is the Shetland Isles, home of Fair Isle knitting, with which I am obsessed. Thankfully Ann Cleeves's Jimmy Perez allows me frequent visits.

      Delete
  13. This series sound perfect for Halloween! Welcome to Jungle Reds, Nancy Warren! I studied at Oxford and loved it there. I learned how to knit from my college roommate. I tried for many years then finally succeeded! I have not knitted for a while and would love to again. I am laughing at the image of a vampire knitting. I wonder if the yarn ever gets tangled in their fangs or their long sharp pointed nails?

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Diana, and thanks for the welcome. How wonderful for you to have studied at Oxford. I felt, when I lived there, that there was a kind of unofficial club. If you'd attended one of the colleges, you were in. Otherwise, you'd always be a bit of an outsider. I just loved how smart everyone was. I'd walk down the street and the undergrads would be chatting about things I didn't even understand. Amazing place.

      Delete
    2. It was a summer abroad program and I loved it there!

      Delete
  14. Hi Nancy! I don't knit, and I'm not a vampire (not that I would tell you if I was) but I have been to Oxford many times and I adore it. I love the mashup. Isn't it amazing what you can come up with while brainstorming with writer friends? I'm off to get my Kindle copy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deborah, I replied and I must have forgotten to press publish. Or my comment will show up twice, for which I apologize. But YES! Brainstorming with friends is the best. I've got a very small group and we call ourselves the Placemat Plotters because we use paper placemats. They are the perfect size for sketching out a rough plot. Many brains are so much better than one, at least at the What if? stage.

      Delete
    2. This sounds like a perfect morning spent at a diner, Nancy! I love it!

      Delete
  15. Hello Nancy. It's so intriguing how the idea for the series just seemed to come together through happenstance. It reminds me that I need to pay attention to the little oddities around me. They do have something to say. So, knitting- tried and found it's not for me. Oxford - like the others, on my bucket list (thanks to Inspector Morse). Vampires - not a vampire, but definitely a night owl. Congratulations on the new series and thanks to Cathy for the tip. I'm off to Amazon now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lyda. You are so right, I think, that it's a good idea to pay attention to those little oddities, as you say. Sure, they could be coincidence, but even just the fact that you're noticing probably means something. I'm a night owl too and, after getting skin cancer on my face this year (EEEWWW) I'm constantly diving into dark alleys and wearing big hats to avoid the sun. It's been very good for vampire research :)

      Delete
    2. There is an upside. Having survived melanoma, I now wear long or 3/4 sleeves. While it is in support of prevention, it also hides the upper arm dilemma that we women of a certain age have to deal with. Win/win!

      Delete
    3. Haha, Lyda, you're so right. And congrats on being a survivor! Mine was basal cell, so certainly not deadly, but it was a real wake up call. Apart from the scar on my face, which does not thrill me, I'm a passionate hiker and love to be outdoors. I thought I was good with sunscreen and hats. Apparently not good enough!! But, yes, hiding those upper arms, that's a Good Thing!

      Delete
    4. I live in AZ - I hear you on the sun!

      Delete
  16. Thank you so much, everyone, for having me and for the nice comments. Jenn and I go back a way and I'm in awe of all she's achieved. I'm also a huge fan of all the authors in this group.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Nancy! I'm just thrilled for you on this new fabulous series.

      Delete
  17. I love the idea! A vampire knitting circle. Do they gossip? Crack jokes? I've never been to Oxford but love to make that trip. I don't knit. I did try crocheting years ago. I made one sorry looking afghan which eventually found its way to a better home, I hope. I enjoy humorous paranormals and look forward to reading yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just the idea cracks me up, but the book is excellent, too.

      Delete
    2. Hi Pat, so, here's my theory on your modern vampire. He or she doesn't have to hunt, as we have good blood banks etc now (and they run their own private one, btw, so don't steal blood from those who need it!). They don't need money as they've had centuries to accumulate wealth. What they have too much of, is time. I think they're biggest problem is boredom. So, they definitely sit around gossiping and solving murders gives them something interesting to do. I'm not sure that they crack jokes, so much. Though I may introduce a wise-cracking vamp at some point. How fun would that be? The humor is mostly coming from Lucy, this normal (ish) young woman, coping with this bizarre situation she finds herself in.

      Delete
  18. What a great title and concept, The Vampire Knitting Club! It sounds like such a fun series. I'll be getting the first one on Kindle at that great price. I don't knit and haven't been to Oxford, but I am hoping to get to Oxford one day.

    ReplyDelete
  19. You had me at "series of paranormal cozy mysteries set in Oxford." Just take my money.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love Oxford and mysteries. Perfect setting. I want to go back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd be happy to get there once - so you've got me beat, Teri!

      Delete
    2. Me, too, Teri. Do you love the new Endeavour series? It's my latest TV crush.

      Delete
  21. Hi, Nancy. Unfortunately, I can sort of knit, but it's the kind of knitting where I would end up with a 50-foot long scarf and not know how to finish it. There's still time to learn though. I did read a Titanic and zombies mash-up, and it surprisingly was not bad. I too love mysteries or stories set in Oxford, and am really looking forward to diving into yours. Thanks so much for visiting Jungle Reds ~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Celia. I love your comment, 'Unfortunately, I can sort of knit." I think, unfortunately, so can I, now. I've got one scarf on the go and then I fell in love with this wool and sweater pattern. That bang you hear is the sound of my head on the desk. What was I thinking?? Titanic and zombies is actually quite brilliant. Like one doom wasn't enough!

      Delete
  22. I'm not much of a traveler so I enjoyed "seeing" Oxford through your books, Nancy.
    I loved the first books (Stitches and Witches is out now, too), and can't wait for more. I'm favoring one of the guys for Lucy to choose :-)
    I'm not crafty at all, so I can relate to Lucy. I enjoy all your books, but this is really unique.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Judy! Hahaha, I think I know which one you favor! I'm trying to keep an open mind :)

      Delete
  23. Sounds like fun, Nancy! And I could never master the art of knitting, either.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Karla. I see people knitting at great speed, while carrying on conversations and they make it look EASY. Hahahahaha. So. Not. True.

      Delete
  24. I do knit but not very well, and I was just in Oxford in May for the RNA Summer party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Elizabeth! What fun. I went to a couple of the RNA meetings when I lived in Oxford, at that lovely pub on the river. I miss it!

      Delete
  25. SO LATE! But this is incredibly fabulous and hilarious. Congratulations! And yes, I can knit! (Is everyone surprised?) It's such a lovely memory, too, because my Gramma Minnie taught me how to know, and crochet. And how to type. These days, I'm more of a typer than a knitter, but I do enjoy it, and think, actually, it seems like magic. (And I am still laughing about how you told us you are not undead. Whew.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly, typing IS a more useful skill than knitting, but how lovely that your Grandmother taught you both skills. I actually failed typing in high school. It's the only course I ever failed. How ironic it's the skill I use most!

      Delete
  26. I used to knit, was in Oxford once, and only want to see vampires in fiction. I still have that Star Trek/Her Come the Brides book. Mark Lenard was in both series, also.

    This series sounds interesting. I'm pretty sure I've read a number of your romances.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sally, I think I agree with you that vampires are best if they stay tucked between the covers of a novel, or in a TV show. Definitely! Great to see you here :)

      Delete