Connie Berry--A Grave Deception

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I have been huge fan of Connie Berry's Kate Hamilton books since the first one, and now with A GRAVE DECEPTION we have SIX! And, look, there is a quote from Hank on the cover!!!! I'm jealous that Hank got to read this one first, because this plot sounds amazing. Here's Connie to fill us in!

Inspiration: Finding Plot Ideas Hiding in Plain Sight

by Connie Berry

Thank you for inviting me! Today A Grave Deception, the sixth full-length novel in the Kate Hamilton Mystery series, makes its debut in the world. I’m excited and a bit nervous. After more than a year of thinking, developing characters, sketching out plots and subplots, slogging through a first (hideous) draft, and then shaping that unruly blob into a novel, my book must make its own way in the world. I hope my loyal readers will love it, and I hope the book will be discovered by new readers as well.

I’ve been thinking about how that happens—how books find readers. Every series has its own distinctive vibe, its own world populated by characters we hope readers will care about. The Kate Hamilton books are traditional amateur sleuth mysteries set in the British Isles in the world of antiques and antiquities. The focus isn’t on the objects themselves, however. The precious artefacts Kate deals with are literal time travelers, born in another age but surviving for decades, centuries, millennia. I use them as metaphors or launching pads for plots exploring the impact of the past on life today.

I’m often asked where my plots come from. Are they inspired by real events or real people in history? The answer is yes. Every book I’ve written began with something I’d read about, a place I’d seen, or people I’d heard about: What if something like that happened to Kate? How might she get involved? If I’m intrigued, chances are my readers will be, too.

The first novel in my series, A Dream of Death, for example, was inspired by a tale I heard in Vermont years ago while researching an article I wrote for a scholarly journal. In the 1740s, a young woman perished when her horse-drawn sleigh went through the ice on Lake Champlain. It was nighttime. It was March. What was she doing out there alone? Didn’t she know the ice was unstable? Was she fleeing from someone? I moved the setting from Vermont to the Scottish Hebrides, and the story took off in my mind. Since one of my plotlines was set in the 1740s, I brought in Bonnie Prince Charlie and placed my modern story on a fictional island in the Inner Hebrides that refused to let “The Great Hope” die.

Book Four, The Shadow of Memory, was born when I heard a story on NPR’s This American Life about a group of young teenagers who explored an abandoned house in New Hampshire one summer. Who were the people who’d lived in that house, and why had they left everything behind, including clothes, wallets and eyeglasses? It felt creepy. What if those teenagers had stumbled upon something nefarious, something that put their lives in danger? At the time, I was also reading Bill Bryson’s The Road to Little Dribbling and was fascinated by his stint as an aide in a Victorian mental hospital now being converted into luxury apartments. What if the abandoned house had belonged to one of the psychiatrists? What if traces of blood could still be seen on the wooden floorboards?

My new book, A Grave Deception, is based on the discovery in Cumbria in 1981 of a fourteenth-century body so miraculously preserved that archaeologists thought at first they’d discovered a modern murder mystery. The body has since been identified as a knight killed in the crusades in Lithuania and shipped back to Britain for burial. The lead coffin and the methods used to preserve the body turned out to be so effective, liquid blood was found in the man’s chest cavity. What if a medieval body was found in Suffolk, in archaeological excavations in an abandoned plague village—this time of a woman murdered when she was about to give birth? Kate and her colleague Ivor Tweedy might be called in to appraise the grave goods. But then what if another body was found in the excavations—one of the archaeologists?

Plot ideas begin as a single seed that takes root in an author’s brain where it begins to grow and multiply and mature. And these seeds are scattered everywhere. Prolific author Anthony Horowitz said:

There isn’t a single thing in the world that doesn’t have a story attached to it, and all you have to do is ask the right questions. An example: there’s a black telephone box outside my house that’s never actually had a telephone installed. What’s it doing there? Who paid for it? This could be the beginning of a sci-fi novel (it’s a portal to another university [sic]), a spy story (it’s an MI6 dead letter box) or a satire (it’s a costly mistake by an incompetent council… possibly true). [“Five Things Anthony Horowitz Can Teach You About Writing,” https://www.writingcoooperative.com, Oct 13, 2017].

Where in your world might you find the seed of your next plot? That seed could be as simple as a city bus running ahead of schedule or as enigmatic as a gravestone with a disturbing epitaph. It could be as innocent as a child’s imaginary friend or as chilling as a mummified body found in Disney World’s Haunted Mansion.

I hope you enjoy Kate’s adventures in medieval archaeology and murder.

DEBS: Here's more about A GRAVE DECEPTION:

American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton and her husband, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Mallory, have settled into married life in Long Barston. When archaeologists excavating the ruins of a nearby plague village discover the miraculously preserved body of a fourteenth-century woman, Kate and her colleague Ivor Tweedy are asked to appraise the grave goods, including a valuable pearl. When tests reveal the woman was pregnant and murdered, the owner of the estate on which the body was found, an amateur historian, asks Kate to identify the woman and, if possible, her killer. Surprised, Kate agrees to try.

Meanwhile, tensions within the archaeology team erupt when the body of the lead archaeologist turns up dead at the dig site with fake pearls in his mouth and stomach. Then a third body is found in the excavations.

With the help of 700-year-old documents and the unpublished research of a deceased historian, Kate must piece together the past before the grave count reaches four.

And more about Connie!

Connie Berry, unashamed Anglophile and self-confessed history nerd, is the author of the USA Today best-selling and multi-award-nominated Kate Hamilton Mysteries, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, and travel. During college she studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany and St. Clare’s College, Oxford, where she fell under the spell of the British Isles.

Connie is a member of the Crime Writers Association (UK), the Authors’ Guild, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Buckeye Crime Writers, and Guppies, of which she is the immediate past president. Connie lives in Ohio and northern Wisconsin with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie. Her latest novel, A Grave Deception, is available at fine bookstores everywhere. You can sign up for her very entertaining monthly newsletter at www.connieberry.com.

 

  

The Christmas Clock is Ticking

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My suggestion (which I don't see being adopted anytime soon) is that Americans should celebrate Thanksgiving in the middle of October, like our dear Canadian neighbors. The fourth Thursday in November is pretty arbitrary, after all, as President Lincoln originally designated a holiday of thanksgiving (hoping to calm the strife of the Civil War) on the last Thursday of November.  But there was a big stink in 1939 when there were five Thursdays in November, and in 1941 Congress decreed that Thanksgiving would fall on the fourth Thursday of the month. This was condemned as a blatant power grab by retailers to extend the Christmas shopping season (gosh, imagine that!) but there Thanksgiving has stayed. 

 

But when Thanksgiving falls late, as it did this year, it leaves us with a mere four weeks to recover from one holiday and get everything organized for the next, and I am one of those folks who is never ready! Here I am a week into the month and I have bought a total of four gifts: a bottle of the amazing garlic-removing hand scrub for my daughter, and two books and a fountain pen for my granddaughter. I don't even have a list!

Nor have I bought a tree, and my one little gesture towards decorating has been to change the sofa cushions to the Christmas version. I have a good friend, an interior designer, who has all her shopping done and wrapped at least two weeks before Thanksgiving! I gaze at her and marvel!

How are you doing, my darling Reds? Is your shopping finished or barely started? Are you do-ahead-ers, or last-minute-ers? Do you welcome the Christmas season with cries of joy, or with moans of "Already? Please can I have another week or two?"

RHYS BOWEN:  I’m almost done. Everything ordered online which means packages arriving in a steady stream. Most of my cards are mailed. On Sunday my neighbors who are dear friends come to decorate the tree. Since they are Jewish this is a lovely moment for all of us. Then it’s wrapping presents before I juggle the logistics of where to put 7 people in which bedroom and how much food will 15 people eat. 

 

JENN McKINLAY: I hosted Thanksgiving and then had three days to write 12K words to finish a book due on the first. Then I caught the crud and have mostly recovered. I have a 5K to run this Sunday and then I might start to think about decorating for Xmas. Thankfully, I’m not hosting — just bringing dessert— none of my people are gift oriented so it’s mostly cash, gift cards, a sweater, a book or two and boom we’re done! 

 

HALLIE EPHRON: Hanukah will be early this year, too, and I’ve just bought chocolate coins for the kiddoes and a fresh bunch of candles. 

But the best thing is that my kids and grands will be here for a week, celebrating Christmas. so I’m heading out soon for a mini tree and the Xmas presents from the kids are ordered. Otherwise I try to keep gifts for grownups limited to homemade candy (chocolate turtles and chocolate-coverred orange rind) and money. And of course lots of good food (potato latkes and brisket for Hanukah-after-Hanukah). 

 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ha ha ha ha ha.  I have holiday cards. In their boxes. I have a mailing list. Will the two ever meet? We shall see.

All of the Christmas decorations are up all over our neighborhood, so we will bask in the reflected light of our more organized neighbors.

As for gifts. Ha ha ha, see above. 

Every year I say – – let’s get a tree! And Jonathan says we’re Jewish. And I don’t see how that matters. 

And we’re not sure if anyone is coming, so hey, if they can’t decide, I don’t need to decide either. Right? It’ll all be fine. No matter what. 

 

LUCY BURDETTE: We are pretty much done because we had to be. We head to California next week to see the grands and needed to send things ahead so we can open while we’re there. (Otherwise our gifts get lost in the mayhem of the actual day…) We don’t have a live tree anymore as by the time they arrive in Key West, they are already losing needles. So we pulled out our little fake tree last night, put lights on the balcony, and decorated a small extra Norfolk pine. The pillows are in varied states of disarray as Lottie tore into them over the years–they are all out anyway except for my favorite Santa, which she still believes is hers! (PS cards are done too because we had a good photo to use! Plus Shutterfly makes it pretty darn easy.)

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: The tree arrived yesterday, courtesy of my friend Samantha, who picked it up from the Gray Fire Department sale. Only live trees in Maine - at least for now.

I've shopped for several kids in actual stores, and will probably order the majority of the rest of the gifts online. Cards? Ahahahaha! I have the same box I bought last year, untouched. Someday, I'll have my act together enough to send them out on time, but this is not that year.

The next step for me is house cleaning, which fell WAY off while I've been traveling for the new book. I can't stand decorating on top of dust or mess, so everything needs to have at least a swipe with the lemon oil and a few passes of the vacuum. 

The holiday is a bit in flux this year, since my son just got a new job and the Mrss. haven't decided how much of it will be at my house and how much at home with the new baby. Which is fine; since the pandemic years, I've been more and more relaxed about the holidays. One way or another, it will all be fun! 

DEBS: How about it, dear readers? Is Christmas sneaking up on you? 

I hope you are all so organized that you will spend the next couple of weeks sitting in front of the fire, sipping hot chocolate and reading good books!

Rambling Notes on What I'm Reading by Lucy Burdette

 LUCY BURDETTE: Probably because I finished the draft of the short story I was working on as well as the murder mystery for the library, and because I was sick of course, I had more time to read this week. I feel so lucky (and I know you guys do too) to have talented writing friends from this blog and beyond whose books I savor. But once I’d torn through the three new ones from Jenn, Rhys and Julia, what could be next?

“I’ve got nothing to read,” I said to John. He just laughed.

Since our library book sale season is coming up, I took this as a sign to sort through my stacks to cull out ones that, to be honest, I will never read or reread, and try a few others that I’d set aside for some reason. One of those was Fly Girl by Ann Hood. She was a guest speaker for our Friends of the Key West Library series last spring, along with her husband Michael Ruhlman. They were so lovely! Fly Girl tells the story of Ann’s years training and working as a stewardess with Pan Am. It may sound like an odd topic, but it was really fascinating and she’s a wonderful writer so I highly recommend. Then I picked up The Family Chao, about a family of Chinese immigrants with three sons who have settled in a small town in Wisconsin and are running a Chinese restaurant. It was beautifully written, but I had to skim through parts of it because their lives were so grim. I’ll probably think about it for a long time. For something lighter, I moved on to Jenny Colgan’s Secret Christmas Library. It’s a perfect Christmas read, with people snowed into a castle in northern Scotland with hundreds of thousands of old books as they hunt for the one that might be worth enough to save this estate. Very much fun and on point for the season.

Next I turned to my dusty iPad to open my Kindle app because you know and I know I have hundreds of books waiting there. I’ve been wanting to read The Correspondent forever. But I was thwarted because I’d let the charge die, so I had to turn back to a paper book. I dug out Lizzie and Dante by Mary Bly. I wondered if this was one of the books that Debs recommended? I often follow her lead when it comes to women’s fiction. I’ll keep you posted on that--so far I love it. 

What are you guys reading? Anything out of your usual lane?

***By the way, SUSAN is the winner of Ellen Byron's Crescent City Christmas Chaos! Please email me at raisleib at gmail dot com and we'll arrange the drop...

Book Clubs, Part 2

LUCY BURDETTE: Back in August we had a post that featured our new summer releases, The Mango Murders, Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure, and All This Could Be Yours. 

The Reds have three more books out this fall, and we invite you to choose one or more of them for your book group’s discussion. Here now are questions for Jenn McKinlay’s WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN, Julia Spencer-Fleming’s AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY, and Rhys Bowen’s FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE. They might also suggest a snack that might best complement the stories!

Jenn McKinlay’s Readers Discussion Questions (no spoilers version): Witches of Dubious Origin

Identity and Legacy

Zoe discovers she is descended from a powerful line of witches. How does her background and family history shape her sense of identity? In what ways does she resist and in what ways does she embrace her witch heritage?

Magical Books

The mysterious family grimoire plays a central role in the story. What does the locked book symbolize for Zoe and for the BODO (Books of Dubious Origin) team? How is knowledge (especially magical knowledge) portrayed as a form of power? What did you think of Freya? Would you want a book-cat of your own?

Fear, Vows, and Promises

Zoe made a vow (to her mother) never to use magic — how does that promise affect her decisions? Do you think her fear of magic stems more from personal loss, or from the responsibility that comes with power (or both)? How do promises like that drive the conflict?

Found Family & Community

The BODO staff become a kind of found family for Zoe. What roles do Jasper, Olive, Miles, and Tariq play in her journey — not just in solving magical mysteries, but in her emotional growth? How does belonging to a community change her outlook?

Good vs. Evil & Moral Ambiguity

There are dark forces at work, including an antagonist who threatens Zoe. How does the novel define “evil”? Are the magical threats purely bad, or are there shades of gray? What moral challenges does Zoe face as she learns to harness her power, and how does she choose to use it?

 

Because our heroine Zoe survives on a diet of junk food, here is the classic recipe for Rice Krispie Treats, a bad breakfast choice for her—IYKYK.

 

Recipe: Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

4 cups mini marshmallows (or about 10 oz large marshmallows)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional) A pinch of salt

Instructions:

Prepare your pan

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or line it with parchment paper) so treats don’t stick.

Melt butter and marshmallows

In a large pot over low to medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are completely melted and smooth. If using, stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Mix in cereal

Remove the pot from heat. Quickly add the Rice Krispies cereal and gently fold until all the cereal is coated with the marshmallow mixture.

Press into pan

Using a buttered spatula or lightly buttered hands, press the mixture evenly into your prepared pan. Don’t press too hard — you want them compact but still a little light so they're chewy, not rock hard.

Cool and cut

Let the treats cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes (or until set). Then cut into squares.

Serve and store

Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days at room temperature.

Discussion Questions for Rhys Bowen’s newest Royal Spyness mystery,  From Cradle to Grave.

What do you think of Georgie’s reaction to a new nanny appearing on her doorstep?

What would your reaction have been?

Do you think she should have spoken out sooner?

How would you feel about having a nanny for your child?

Did you cheer when Georgie finally put Fig in her place?

Did you enjoy the complex puzzle of the mystery? 

Were you surprised when you  found the link between the victims or had you guessed something similar?

If you’ve been following the series from the beginning how do you think that Georgie has grown and matured?

Queenie…love her or hate her?

Has the writer played fair with the clues?

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:  

 

Discussion questions for AT MIDNIGHT COMES THE CRY (and book club snack suggestions!)

 

Both Russ Van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson are wrestling with changes of their identities - from police chief to unemployed, and from a couple to a family with a child. How well do they manage these transitions? Do you think they're avoiding these changes, or tackling them head-on? Have you ever faced a major life change, and if so, how did you deal with it?

 

Clare impetuously (how else?) gets involved with two women on the fringes of a white militia movement. Is her desire to change their views generous, or naïve? Do you think she succeeds in any way?

 

Kevin Flynn has always wanted to be a police officer. After the events of the book, do you think he still belongs in law enforcement? 

 

Hadley Knox juggles her job, her kids and helping her grandfather. She doesn't really want to care about Kevin and what nay have happened to him, but she just can't help herself. If you were sitting down to a cup of coffee with Hadley, what advice would you give her?

 

Nature plays a large role in the story. Can you see yourself winter hiking through the Adirondacks, or are you more likely to be at home playing Christmas music by the fireplace?

 

Do you see any symbolism in the natural world versus the man-made concrete environment we spend time in later in the book?

 

We meet two new characters who throw their hats in with our heroes. What do you imagine happening to them after the end of the story? 

 

Snack: Clare serves shortbread cookies to Russ, Hadley and Yixin Zhao when they meet at the rectory. If you don't have parishioners dropping cookies off to you, I suggest Celia Wakefield's shortbread recipe. You can make it more seasonal by adding crushed candy cane or peppermint crunch to the dough. Serve with the strong hot cocoa the group shares while decorating the tree - and if you're not sober, like Russ and Clare, a tot of bourbon in the cocoa is very nice indeed!

Reds, have you read these books yet? What are your book groups reading--and eating?

Holiday Nostalgia by Lucy Burdette

 LUCY BURDETTE: I was stuck at home for thanksgiving with the dregs of a cold and feeling a little sorry for myself. Then my cousin sent this photo of their home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and that made me feel nostalgic for holidays in the past, and yes, even winter. 

We grew up in New Jersey, and there were never palm trees, always snow. Always a house full of relatives and home baked cookies and books and dolls under the tree. (Despite the Barbies in the second photo, we were so jealous of my brother's guinea pig.)

I got over the envy though, with my brother last year

I can remember one year for my January birthday my father tromped what seemed like miles through the deep snow in the back woods to make a scavenger hunt for the friends at my party.

photo by Ed Drew

When John and I lived full time in Connecticut there was plenty of snow too around Christmas—it seemed like a gyp to go to the service of carols and lights on Christmas Eve without snow!

I miss people who are gone, and animals, and parts of my life that I’ve moved past. 

Tonka at the door

Poco loved the snow!

These days, when I’m feeling nostalgic, I try to channel that into one of my characters. Miss Gloria is the best, because at 85, she’s seen so much change. She doesn't shy away from her feelings about that and yet she embraces life as it is completely. Here’s a little snippet from The Mango Murders where Hayley went to find her in the cemetery:

I sat beside her on the bench and tucked my arm around her shoulders. “I got a little concerned about you because we’re due at Salute in an hour or so. I hope you don’t mind that I came to give you a ride home.”

She looked at me, seemingly puzzled, her expression a million miles away.

“I thought you might have been hit by a car or one of those crazy people drinking beer in golf carts with the right-hand turn signal permanently on.” That was a joke she loved to tell about how some tourists behaved on our island.

Miss Gloria smiled briefly and patted my knee. “We can’t really know when our time is up, can we?” she said in a wistful voice. “I don’t think mine is anytime soon. Though with a murder or a freak accident, those are impossible to predict.” She paused and I suppressed the urge to fill the silence. She needed to talk, and I needed to listen. “The one thing I don’t like about getting older is remembering and missing all the friends and relations who’ve passed before me. I love my life and my new friends, but I miss the old ones too.” 

“Of course you would, that seems only natural.” She had a melancholy look on her face that I’d rarely seen. I wondered if she was thinking about her husband Frank. He’d been gone for many years, but they’d had a happy marriage full of adventure and love and I knew how much she still missed him. 

“Are the plans for big gatherings and parties this week wearing you out before they even happen?” I asked. “We could call the whole thing off, it’s not too late. I can tell the influx of relatives and friends that they should consider this a vacation rather than a birthday party, that you are feeling indisposed. People will understand.”

“Some of them,” she said, with a wry grin. She shook her head. “No, these are my people, the people who love me. Let’s shake it off and carry on.”

Miss Gloria helps remind me how very lucky I am to have the life I have now with its wonderful family and friends and career, and memories too. Moreover, I'd last about an hour in that snow and ice!

How about you Reds, do the holidays make you feel nostalgic sometimes?

My Love of Library Sales by Ellen Byron #GIVEAWAY

LUCY BURDETTE: You know how devoted I am to the Friends of the Key West Library--in fact it turns out our first book sale is this weekend. It also turns out that our friend Ellen Byron feels the same way about her California library. I'll let her tell it...

ELLEN BYRON: On the last Saturday of every month, this sign goes up outside my local library branch in Studio City, and I do a happy dance.

When you’re a passionate reader like I am and a collector of a specific genre— in my case, the vintage cookbooks that inspired my Vintage Cookbook Mystery series—there are few things in life more thrilling than the vast array of affordably priced books available at a Friends of the Library book sales. I make sure to hit the ones hosted at New Orleans’ Milton Latter Library whenever I’m in town. And every month I’m available, I show up to the sale at our local branch of the famed Los Angeles Public Library system.

As a regular patron, I’ve established a pattern. First, of course, I check out the Cookbooks section, where I’ve scored some incredible finds, all for the incredibly low price of a dollar for hardcovers and fifty cents for paperbacks.

My favorite find is a 1928 edition of Photoplay’s Cook Book [sic] of the Stars. Film fans know that 1928 was a pivotal year in the industry, marking the transition from silent movies to talkies. This is reflected in the cookbook itself, featuring recipes from silent stars to those who survived the seminal change like Greta Garbo and Gary Cooper. (BTW, the odds of the stars actually supplying the recipe are minimal. I’m sure they were “cooked” up by studio publicists.)

Once I’ve thoroughly perused cookbooks, I move on to the mysteries section, which the Friends of the Studio City Library separate into two categories, Paperback Mysteries and Mysteries and Suspense, which are hardcovers. I love searching for my friends’ books, which I photograph, buy, and mail to them.

After working my way through the mysteries, I travel to the travel section (see what I did there, wink wink?), after which I scope out Crafts. I’m an avid needlepointer and have found great needlework books at the sale. I also check out Nonfiction and the special section where items are incrementally more expensive. 

Here’s my haul from this past Saturday’s sale: A 1949 cookbook I’ll keep for myself, plus two or three to use as giveaways (I’m on the fence about the Paris Café cookbook. It’s so cool!) There’s a hiking guide I picked up in the Travel section and a collection of walks in Paris from the Special Section that set me back a whopping two dollars.

Over the years, I’ve befriended many of the volunteers, making the monthly event even more special. I’m incredibly grateful to them for their commitment to the sale and to our library branch. So grateful, in fact, that this is the dedication in Crescent City Christmas Chaos, my fourth Vintage Cookbook Mystery:

Readers, do you have a Friends of the Library sale in your neighborhood and do you occasionally pay it a visit? Comment to be entered in a giveaway for a Kindle edition of Crescent City Christmas Chaos.

SYNOPSIS: 

Have yourself a merry little . . . murder?

Ricki James-Diaz gets the best present ever when her parents arrive in New Orleans for the holidays. Not only is it a chance to catch up, it’s also an opportunity to jog her mom Josepha’s memory about Ricki’s adoption. The details have always been shrouded in mystery. And Ricki understands why when she learns her mother was blackmailed for years, simply for not wanting to lose her precious daughter.

But digging into the past soon lands the James-Diaz clan in water hotter than a big pot of gumbo! When the woman who extorted Ricki’s mom is found dead at her home, Josepha becomes the primary suspect. Now Ricki has another murder to solve, and tracking down a killer in Crescent City is going to take a miracle.

Luckily, ‘tis the season! And Ricki has all the staff at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum on hand to help. Can she prove her mother’s innocence and have the case wrapped up in time for Christmas? 

ORDER NOW:

Crescent City Christmas Chaos a book by Ellen Byron - Bookshop.org US

BIO:

Ellen is a bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries,  Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico), and Golden Motel Mysteries. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. Visit her at http://www.ellenbyron.com/. 

Let's Talk Audiobooks!

 LUCY BURDETTE: I know some of you, Debs in particular, are big fans of audiobooks. John is too, he always has his EarPods in listening to something. Usually when I’m out walking, I prefer to be looking around at the world or trying to come up with plot ideas. One time I do listen is when I’m trying to get to sleep. This is very particular, though. The story has to be something that I’m already familiar with so I’m not worried about keeping up with what will happen. One of my favorites is Jenny Colgan, especially The Endless Beach or others in her Mure series. Since I love those, I bought two other titles when I saw them on sale. But oh horror of horrors, it was a different narrator—one that I did not feel the least bit soothing. I tried listening a little more while I was walking to see if I could get used to her voice, but it was like nails on chalkboard.

So that’s the question of the day. If you listen to audiobooks, how important is the narrator, and when do you most enjoy listening? And one more question, do you like the narrator acting out the voices or would you prefer they just read the darn book? (I guess you can tell what side I’m on!)

HALLIE EPHRON: I’m not (is it anathema to say this?) a huge fan of audio books or of narrators who get into all the voices. Plus I fall asleep and then have no idea where I tuned out when I restart the thing. 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Yeah, um, oops. Well, I cannot listen to them. I HAVE listened to mine, although I have to say it’s really difficult to listen to one’s own audiobooks for a million reasons, but I adore my actors and am happy with the terrific response to them. The actor who reads  ALL THIS, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, is incredible, and shows how a good reader can make a book fully realized.

 But me, listening to an audiobook? Is me, sleeping. Boom, done, I am out. (I think it has something to do with not knowing where to look.)

If I try to do something else while I’m listening, I cannot do either thing, god forbid I should drive, which would be deadly. 

I’ve just downloaded one now, though, because someone told me it was unmissably fabulous, so we shall see. 

Adding this later: wow. This is interesting. The book I am “hearing” is great--but I can sort of tell that if I would have been reading it on paper, I would have thought: ”backstory backstory get on with it” but because I am hearing it, it’s like someone telling me a story, and that’s fine. Whoa.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’ve adored audiobooks ever since they were cassette tapes in HUGE boxes. The audiobooks of the Harry Potter series and novels like The Wizard of Oz and The Boxcar Children made many a long, long car trip bearable when my kids were small.

I tend to lean more to nonfiction for my audiobooks, interestingly. Right now I’m listening to Becca Syme’s ENERGY MANAGMENT FOR WRITERS. Next up will be 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History by Andrew Ross Sorkin. 

I’m going to give a shoutout to the reader who performs my audio books, Suzanne Toren. She is SO good, and I can’t tell you how many readers love her. I’ve listen to her narration for other books as well, and she always knocks it out of the park. The performer/reader/narrator is SO important to the enjoyment of the book!

JENN MCKINLAY: Like Julia, I’ve been a listener since the old “books on tape” days. I used to listen during my commute in CT and now I listen at the gym, while gardening, etc. My latest love is the graphic audio books where they have multiple narrators and sound effects! I listened to all of Sarah J Maas’s ACOTAR and Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing on audio — so good! 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Well, obviously, I am a fan. I did start with the books on cassettes, how many ever years ago, then CDs, but that was mostly in the car on long trips. (I can't listen to audio books while driving in Dallas traffic.) But the digital audio books were revolutionary. I think my gateway books were the Harry Potters, read by the marvelous Jim Dale, because I knew the stories and didn't have to worry if I didn't understand or was missing something. (The new full cast audio of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is really good and is unabridged, but I think I prefer one narrator.) I do like readers who do different accents and character voices!

Lucy and Hank, I listen while I am cooking (as long as not following complicated recipe!), washing dishes, doing mindless chores like watering and cleaning out catboxes, and I do listen in bed at night. I just set the Audible timer on my phone, so if I fall asleep I only have to back up a bit the next day.

RHYS BOWEN: there was a huge upheaval in my world when the narrator for the Royal Spyness series died. Not only because she was so young and it was so unexpected but because she was so talented. She was nominated for an Audie award every year and one year she won, beating out Meryl Streep. So the fans had a hard time accepting a new narrator, who was quite good. But this time she was nowhere to be found so I had to choose yet another new narrator. Luckily the actor who has done the Molly series was available so all is well. But the narrator makes a huge difference. A grating or inappropriate voice and the book is ruined!

Red readers, are you audiobook fans? How important is the narrator?

But Who Is She? a guest post by Cara Black

 LUCY BURDETTE: Reds, I’m delighted to welcome our long-time friend Cara Black back to the blog. You probably know her as the author of 21 bestselling Aimee Leduc mysteries set in Paris, but she’s here to introduce something new. You know I will always follow her to Paris...Welcome Cara!

CARA BLACK: 

Bienvenue, Reds and readers, to Huguette! 

But who is she?

Unlike most of my stories, which begin with a “What if . . .?” Huguette began with a “Who is she?” 

I referred to the mistress of Aimée’s treasured grandfather Claude in several of my Aimée Leduc books set in Paris. he always remained a cipher, making me wonder—who is this woman? Granted, she was only a small detail within the Aiméeverse. Aimée herself wasn’t even born when this novel takes place. If you haven’t read the Aimée Leduc series, no worries, this story stands alone.

Huguette’s life reflects the reality of existence  in postwar France, a little-addressed subject in fiction, though very real and within living memory. This time fascinated me. I knew there had to be more than just what is seen in Libération–era photos of GIs kissing French girls on the Champs-Élysées, popping Champagne, and handing out chocolate. That, combined with the stories I heard about the French cinema from a friend’s mother, spurred me to explore this era. The more I researched, the more I wanted to understand what it would feel like if I wasn’t one of the lucky wearing Dior’s new look in 1947. If, facing rationing, power cuts, and equipment shortages in postwar France, I had to fight to survive. 

That brought me to the character of Huguette. An orphaned young woman struggling with the odds stacked against her—and forced to make tough moral choices for the sake of her own survival. Once I had answered the question “Who is she?” I could pursue “What is her story?” and finally, “What if . . . ?”

Though many of Huguette’s circumstances are specific to the times she lives in, I’ve faced plenty of struggles and hard decisions of my own. Difficult choices when it seems like one can’t win for losing. Maybe you can relate to this, Huguette’s journey and resilience may resonate with you. 

Have you experienced a dilemma and knew the outcome would be life changing? And in so doing find an inner strength? 

Let me know.

Cara Black is the author of twenty-one books in the New York Times bestselling Aimée Leduc series as well as the WWII thrillers Three Hours in Paris and Night Flight to Paris. She has won the Médaille de la Ville de Paris and the Médaille d’Or du Rayonnement Culturel and received multiple nominations for the Anthony and Macavity Awards; her books have been translated into German, Norwegian, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew. Her latest book HUGUETTE, a novel of Libération comes out in December.

All I Want for Christmas Is...

 LUCY BURDETTE: Here come the holidays, sprinting toward us again! For some of us, that means we need gift ideas, yikes! I almost always end up giving books, unless the recipient has made it clear this would be unwelcome. (Like one great nephew who opened his present a couple years back, burst into dramatic tears, and said “A book! That’s not a present!” We’re giving him a game this year LOL.) Of course we love to have our own books given as gifts, but this year I have several other suggestions.

The New York Times Book of Games is perfect for a wordsmith who doesn’t have all the time in the world. Next to that is a gorgeous book of poetry by women and girls by Ella Risberger. (Debs told us about this a couple months back and I immediately ordered it for our granddaughter. It’s so lovely!)

And two cookbooks–the newest by my Paris-loving idol, Dori Greenspan, and the Key West Woman’s Club cookbook for fans of history and Key West, which can now be purchased online.

HALLIE EPHRON: My yearly challenge is what to get for my grandchildren. Last year I knocked it out of the park with a personalized soccer ball light for my grandson who regularly scores goals for his soccer team. It comes from ETSY. So there’s a real person out there who makes them to order.

I’ve also found gorgeous silver (earrings) for my daughters on ETSY. (My fave: Liz Blanchflower at Stone and Sterling Design.)

And more. I like that there’s a real craftsperson who made the gifts. And if you read the customer reviews carefully you get a sense of whether the workmanship is up to snuff.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I am so eager to hear what you all have to say! I have nothing, and need help. I saw some slippers (see photo attached)  that look like you have monkeys climbing up your legs and was tempted. Because I am clearly scraping the bottom.  I used to try incredibly hard to be perfect but there’s no way, so I gave up. 

JENN MCKINLAY: When the Hooligans were youngsters, we implemented the four gift rule to mitigate the conspicuous consumption: So it’s something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read for the entire family (Hub and I included) and I really haven’t had to stress about gifts ever since. I await their lists and will shop and wrap in an afternoon and go back to cookie baking - the real holiday joy for me! The only other gift recipients are nieces and nephews and they get a Venmo transaction and we call it a day. 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Shopping for my family is easy, because, like Jenn, we have protocols. Santa leaves cold weather necessities (lip balm, hand sanitizer and pocket-sized hand cream), candy, good socks, a book and something small and fun. Now they’re all grownups, everyone gets ONE gift from me beneath the tree. We all exchange Christmas wish lists right after Thanksgiving.

I have two suggestions for hostess/neighbor/I wasn’t expecting a gift from you needs. First, the Bed Bath and Beyond Fresh Balsam candle. I promise this isn’t sponsored; I love this candle SO much this time of the year. It smells just like fresh pine, and it lasts FOREVER.

The other is super cheap and easy. I get a few Christmas-themed mugs at a Dollar Store, a box of fancy Ghirardelli hot cocoa packets, and a box of candy canes. Each mug gets a few cocoa packets, a couple of candy canes, and voila, the perfect last-minute present. I usually tell the recipient it’s a cheap mug and they can recycle it in the new year - nothing to hang around cluttering your kitchen!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I have two books for my granddaughter, the Ella Risbridger-edited volume of poems for women and girls, EVERYTHING WILL BE GLAD TO SEE YOU, which is, as Lucy says above, absolutely gorgeous. I think it is available for less and more quickly from Blackwell's in the UK than from Amazon. Blackwell's does not charge shipping to the US! And Jane Langton's THE DIAMOND IN THE WINDOW, as recommended by some of you here. I also may get Wren her first fountain pen. Lamy Safari now has Hogwarts pens, a different color and badge for each house. So cute!

My daughter will want a book, but she usually gives me a list to choose from.

Here's an idea for cooks in your life: Naomi After Cooking Hand Scrub, which was raved about in Bon Appetit and supposedly smells fabulous and will really, truly, get the smell of onions and garlic off your fingers. I ordered some to try, but if it is as good as advertised it may be too late to order as a gift for anyone else as it is apparently selling out. Bon Appetit recommended Bergamot and Pepper but there are other fragrances.

For the guys in my life, no idea. Hopefully they will have suggestions.

Weigh in please Reds, any gift suggestions from you?