Carol Pouliot on Christmas Traditions

DEBORAH CROMBIE: We're getting into the spirit of the season today with Carol Pouliot, author of the Blackwell and Watson Time Travel Mysteries. This series has such a great premise, a fold in time that allows modern day journalist Olivia Watson and Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell to connect via a doorway in Olivia's (formerly Steven's) house. (My love of magical doorways goes back to Narnia, I'm sure!) As RSVP TO MURDER is set at Christmas, Carol is sharing some of her own cherished Christmas traditions with us! (And I have to add that this cover is absolutely fabulous. I'd like a poster of it.)

CAROL POULIOT: Thank you so much for hosting me today on Jungle Reds, Debs. I’m thrilled to be here and to talk about Christmas traditions!!

Every year as I turn the calendar to December 1st, I sense a familiar tingle. Christmas is coming! I can't pack up my fall decorations fast enough. I clean the house from top to bottom and strip it down to bare bones—throw pillows tossed into a closet and knickknacks swept off the kitchen windowsill. I get an almost magical sense when I open the door to my Christmas closet and start gathering up the wooden Santas that my Mom painted, a small sleigh—glossy red, black, and gold—crafted by my Dad, and a tiny Santa Claus clinging to a miniature Eiffel Tower, a gift from my niece the year I took her to Paris.

During the holidays, I read a lot of children's books. I think this probably started when I was a kid. My parents read voraciously, and I inherited their love of reading. It wasn't Christmas in our house if we didn't get a book! So now, I dig out my Little Golden Books, as well as the others I’ve acquired over the years. I go to the library and check out a bagful. I stack them on the ottoman near my favorite chair and, as the weeks go by, I read each one, savoring the stories, pouring over the illustrations.

 

One of my favorite childhood traditions is something my sister and I continue to this day. Most years, my mother would buy a new ornament or two for the tree. One year, she bought a beautiful red glass ball with the sides cut out. My sister and I thought it looked like someone had taken a bite out of a juicy apple and named it "The Apple Core." Because there were only two of us, my sister and I each had our own designated side of the tree. Every Christmas morning when we hurried down the stairs into the living room, we knew which gifts were ours. The year of The Apple Core caused a serious discussion. My sister and I both loved it and we both wanted it on our side of the tree. To be honest, I don't remember who got it that first time, but every Christmas after we took turns—one year she had it hanging on her side of the tree, the next, it adorned my side. Fast forward to when my sister got married and moved to her own house. What do we do with The Apple Core? We decided to share it. Again, I don't remember who got first dibs, but one of us took it for five years then, on that fifth Christmas, wrapped it, put a bow on it, and handed it over as a gift to the other. We have been doing this for fifty years. It's one of my most cherished traditions.

We all acquire beloved traditions over a lifetime. My new book, RSVP to Murder, is a Christmas mystery. My main characters, Steven and Olivia, are a couple now, and I knew I wanted them to begin their own holiday rituals. It was a lot of fun deciding what to choose for them—like giving a gift to a loved one.

Reds and Readers, what are your favorite holiday traditions?

RSVP TO MURDER - A new twist on the English country house mystery.

Embarking on their most daring time-travel experiment to date, Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and his 21st-century partner-in-crime Olivia Watson travel to the Adirondack Mountains for a Christmas party at one of the legendary Great Camps. Their host, a wealthy New York publisher, has planned a weekend filled with holiday activities, but, as the last guest arrives, temperatures plummet, and a blizzard hits. Before long, the area is buried in snow, the roads are impassable, and the publisher is poisoned.

Unwilling to wait until the local police arrive, the victim’s widow convinces Steven to launch an unofficial investigation. Soon, a family member goes missing, and Steven and Olivia discover a second victim. Trapped with a killer, Steven and Olivia race against the clock before the murderer strikes again.

Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a time-travel twist and a seemingly impossible relationship between a Depression-era cop and a 21^st-century journalist. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books have earned praise from readers and mystery authors alike. Carol is a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks, Co-chair of the Murderous March Mystery Conference, and President of her Sisters in Crime chapter. Sign up for Carol’s newsletter and learn more at https://www.carolpouliot.com and https://www.sleuthsandsidekicks.com

Yay, Sweater Season!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:   Happy Saturday, Reds and readers! And are you doing fall things today?  Part of our farmshare was HoneyCrisp apples.  JACKPOT!  A neighboring town has prohibited pumpkins on doorsteps because they bring rats.  Our maple trees are going bright red, and the basil stems are woody. You can almost feel the plants sighing, and getting ready to give up. And the supply-chain problem hits the bulb place--our tulip bulbs will be delayed. But yay, sweater season!

The world is so insane. And that’s just one of the reasons I am so delighted to welcome our dear Carol Pouliot today! It’s always a special treat when a loyal reader and commenter gets to come to center stage--and today with her third mystery! And with such a lovely essay, too!

Stop the insanity for a few moments. Read this. And soak up the niceness.

An Ode to Autumn

 

CAROL POULIOT: I LOVE fall! I love the sights, sounds, and scents of this glorious season. As soon as I turn the calendar to September, I get excited about all my favorite fall activities—picking apples on a cool crisp sunny day, driving out to the country or up into the mountains to see the spectacular display of changing leaves, stopping at a roadside stand for pumpkins and buckets of jewel-toned mums.

 

Autumn also brings the excitement of learning and creating. I spent my entire life in school, first as a student, then as a language teacher, so September always feels like a new year to me. I’m inspired by the promise and possibilities of a clean slate. Even though I’ve retired from teaching, I still go out and buy new notebooks, folders, and pencils every year. Now, instead of class notes, they hold ideas for upcoming mysteries, plots, and characters. There’s nothing like opening a brand new notebook—those blank pages draw me in and my imagination soars.

 

My first real memory dates from when I was 5 years old and rode the school bus to kindergarten. I couldn’t wait to explore this new part of my world! I remember sitting on the hard vinyl seat looking up out of the window. I was so little that all I could see was the sky, treetops, and telephone wires strung like bunting from pole to pole. I was one of those kids who soaked up every second of learning, making new friends, and having adventures (One of my favorite words, by the way.) I remember not liking naptime. I wasn’t tired, and our classroom had lots of corners filled with exciting things to play with and books to look at. I would lie there silently bemoaning the waste of time napping when there was so much to explore. I haven’t changed much!

 

(See? I was buzzing with excitement on my 1st day of kindergarten, September 1955. )

 

In the fall, as temperatures drop, and nights become cool, the leaves on our trees here in the Northeast begin to change. The world transforms into a canvas of gold and scarlet, tangerine and chocolate. Like confetti, maple, oak, and hickory leaves dance in the breeze, floating down to cover the ground. They crunch and rustle under my feet as I take my daily walk. As we approach November, everywhere I go, people bundled up in flannel shirts and jeans are outside raking and burning piles of leaves by the road. The scent of burning leaves mixed with the crisp, chilled autumn air is a comforting smell. It signals longer nights, curled up with a book under a cozy throw. I dig out my collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories and Agatha Christie’s Halloween Party. I read it, then watch the DVD with David Suchet as Hercule Poirot.

 

I can’t wait until Labor Day, when I unpack my fall treasures and decorate with fat orange pumpkins, black cats, witches, and plenty of candles. Years ago, at an auction, I bid on a “grab bag” of unseen items and hit the jackpot. The brown paper bag was filled with 1920s-1930s tin Halloween noisemakers. How much fun is that? I set them around the house, and I have to admit that whenever I walk past one, I usually pick it up and give it a whirl, a bang, or a blast—my own private affirmation of life.

 

 

What are your favorite fall memories, Jungle Reds and Readers?

HANK: Oh, those noisemakers are treasures!

And I just realized I get to go buy Twizzlers now, the test Twizzlers first, to make sure the ones we’ll eventually give out are good enough.

And I do wish I remembered kindergarten. It’s got to be in there somewhere. I kind of remember first grade. And I remember when I got toothpaste on my brand new and beloved first-day-of-school red sweater. I can honestly still picture that.

How about you all? 

 

In Death Rang the Bell, the 3rd installment in The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, my protagonist, 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson, thinks traveling back in time to 1934 to attend a Halloween party with her friend Detective Steven Blackwell will be a lot of fun. And it is...until she witnesses the head of the Shipley Five-and-Dime empire murdered, and fears the killer saw her face.

 

The smart move is to return to the safety of the present, but Olivia possesses a secret and is about to defy the unwritten rules of time-travel. She convinces Steven to let her stay in his time and help unravel the motives behind the murder, even if it means risking her own life to save another.

 

When Steven delves into the investigation, he discovers how a bitter relationship, a chance encounter, and a fateful decision converged to set the stage for murder. In a maze full of unreliable clues and misdirection, dark secrets refuse to stay buried and forgotten ghosts won’t fade away. Steven is reminded that old sins cast long shadows.

 

Can Steven catch the killer before time runs out for Olivia?

 

About the author:

A Francophile at age 11, Carol Pouliot dreamed of going to Paris. After a Master’s at Stony Brook University, she headed to France for her first teaching job. She taught French and Spanish for over 30 years in Upstate New York, and founded an agency that provided translations in over 24 languages. Carol is the author of The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, including the latest Death Rang the Bell. When not writing, Carol can be found reaching for her passport and packing a suitcase for her next adventure. Sign up for Carol’s newsletter and learn more at http://www.carolpouliot.com

 

 

Try To Remember

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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Is it snowing where you are? We were BURIED, earlier this week, But hey, it’s New England. But you know, if bet if I took a little whiff of that orange gel Bain de Soleil, I might be transported.  And when I wear the ivory leather jacket I got in Florence—well, I am back on the Ponte Vecchio.

Our dear Carol Pouliot has been thinking about what conjures her favorite memories. See if you agree.

Souvenirs               

By Carol Pouliot

First of all let me say how thrilled I am to be here with the wonderful Jungle Red Writers. A sincere thank you to Hank Phillippi Ryan for inviting me to stop by today.

In the midst of the holidays and most of the country already in the grip of winter weather, summer vacation is a fond memory. But . . . we do have our souvenirs.

The French verb se souvenir de means “to remember.” That is exactly what our travel treasures are. They elicit those carefree times, when we pack away our everyday problems and pack our suitcases instead. Now, when we gaze on the shells that we picked up on the beach, we hear the roar of the ocean, feel the heat of the sun on our skin, and smell the salt in the air. When we uncork that special bottle of Bordeaux and unwrap the brie or camembert, we are transported back to the Paris métro and its signature aromas of garlic, Gauloises, and wine. And when we don the cherished baseball cap, we can still hear the crack of the bat and the cheering fans; we can practically taste the hot dogs.

When I was sixteen, I went on a school trip to New York City. It was the first time I travelled without my parents. I was thrilled beyond expression to be in this most glamorous and exciting of cities. During our visit to the Museum of Natural History, I saw things I never imagined existed. My mind exploded with curiosity about archeological digs, ancient cultures, foreign lands, and dinosaurs! I still have the souvenir I bought in the gift shop. It’s a tiny bronze statue of a rooster, Pre-Columbian in design. I have had this statue on my desk for over 50 years. Every time I look at it, I am back in that place, in that time. I can smell the crisp spring air mixing with the diesel fuel from vehicles crowding the streets and the pretzels sold on every other corner. I hear the blaring horns, squealing brakes, and shouting people. I feel alive.

We all have our favorite things to bring back. People collect salt and pepper shaker sets, rocks and shells, t-shirts, mugs, and refrigerator magnets. Many of us purchase an addition to a personal collection. I’ve collected statues of owls since I was a freshman in college. I usually buy one unique to the city or country I’m visiting−sculpted from lava rock, hand-painted ceramic, blown glass, carved wood. For years, I bought a purse in every foreign city I visited. Yes, some women like shoes, I go for the leather bags. 

And since I never lost that yearning for exotic locales and archeological digs, I have a small collection of things I’ve picked up off the ground: a piece of limestone from the Great Pyramid at Giza, a tiny bottle of sand that I scooped up in the Sahara Desert, a black volcanic rock from the Minoan eruption of Thera, a stone from Mycenae, and one from Troy that I like to think dates back to 1300 BC. 

But, despite all these beautiful and intriguing objects that I’ve picked up or purchased, my number one souvenir continues to be the photographs I’ve taken. Years ago, I established “My Dining Room Wall,” a display of framed 8x10 photos that I’ve taken. When I return from a trip, friends and family ask, “What’s the new dining room wall picture?” It’s become a conversation starter. The space gets crowded so I rotate them from time to time. I also print out all the best shots and keep an actual, physical album with the pictures pasted in and captions under each. Old school but I love it. 

In Threshold of Deceit, the 2^nd book of my time-travel mystery series, 21^st-century Olivia Watson travels back to 1934 to spend some time with Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell. As a former reporter, Olivia is a news junkie. She can’t wait to get lost in the local newspaper shop and buy as many newspapers and magazines she can get her hands on. Those and a stack of comic books, to feed her inner child, will be her souvenirs from that incredible trip.

So, Dear Readers and Jungle Red Writers, what are your favorite souvenirs? What do you look for and hope to bring home from a trip or vacation?

Let’s do a give-away. Every comment is entered to win a copy of Threshold of Deceit, A Blackwell andWatson Time-Travel Mystery.

HANK: Oh, this is great! And your dining room wall is such a great idea! Like a room sized photo album. I have little trinkets from all over—including lots of elegant stationery from hotels in Florence and Milan. I should use it, but I can’t bring myself to. Matches. And postcards! And shells. And a billion little soaps. And little bath gels from Paris. How about you reds and readers? What are your favorite souvenirs? And Carol, why owls?

About the Author


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A Francophile at age 11, Carol Pouliot dreamed of getting her passport and going to Paris. After obtaining her MA in French at Stony Brook University, she headed to France for her first teaching job. She taught French and Spanish for over 30 years in Upstate New York. She also founded and operated an agency that provided translations in over 24 languages. Carol is the author of The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery series, which includes Doorway to Murder (Book 1) and Threshold of Deceit (Book 2). When not working on her series, Carol can be found reaching for her passport and packing a suitcase for her next adventure. Find Carol at

http://www.carolpouliot.com

THRESHOLD OF DECEIT

On a sunny spring day in 1934, local lothario Frankie Russo is murdered in broad daylight. It seems no one saw anything, but things are not always what they seem in this small New York town.

Tackling the investigation, Detective Steven Blackwell discovers Frankie’s little black book, a coded list of dozens of flings, affairs, and one-night stands−and a solid motive for the widow. Soon, what appeared to be a straight-forward case gets complicated. A witness goes missing, a second body turns up, the victim’s cousin disappears, and an old flame surfaces. Faced with conflicting pieces of evidence, lies, and false alibis, Steven creates a psychological portrait of the killer. He realizes he’s looking for someone wearing a mask. But the killer is not the only one in disguise. 

Two months ago, Steven came face-to-face with 21^st-century journalist Olivia Watson when time folded over in the house they share−80 years apart. They’ve experimented within the safety of its walls and proven Einstein was right: there is no past, present, or future. All time exists simultaneously. Now, Steven and Olivia test the boundaries of time travel, risking the exposure of their secret. Olivia travels to Steven’s time, where she is embraced by the community, unaware of who she really is. She unwittingly falls in with Steven’s main suspect, putting her life in jeopardy.

Would You Visit Another Time?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Some of us already live in another time—Rhys for instance, lives in the historical world of Lady Georgie.  Some of us live in another place—Debs, for instance, her books are set in the UK. And we all live in fictional worlds. Sometimes I see places in Boston where something happened to Jane—and I can picture her there.

The fabulous Carol Pouliot (who wowed the new authors’ breakfast at Malice Domestic)  has written a time-travel mystery—and I have to say, I am in the population of people who thinks, kind of, that it might really be possible. Okay, right, there are things we don’t know. Aren’t there?

Time−What if you had a do-over?

By Carol Pouliot

First of all let me say how thrilled I am to be here with the fabulous Jungle Red Writers. My heartfelt thanks to Hank Phillippi Ryan for inviting me to stop by today.

HANK: Aw, my pleasure.

CAROL: Because Doorway to Murder is a time-travel mystery, I’ve had quite a few conversations about time. The question that arises most often is: What would you do if you could go back in time? Would you relive a happy moment? Try to change something? Talk with someone now deceased–a relative, friend, famous person?  

                                          

My mother once told me the secret to being happy is to recognize that moment when you finally have what you’ve been working or looking for. She said I should stop there and enjoy it.

I have been blessed with many happy times in my life. The first time my great-nephew said my name in that tentative baby whisper, I was thrilled to my toes. The day I stood on the steps of the Palais de Chaillot gazing out on the Eiffel Tower, I got chills. When I held my first published article, joy surged through me and I danced around my kitchen, the magazine in hand.                                                                            

I don’t think that reliving those moments would make me any happier than I was at the time or than I am right now. I’ll pass on that option.

So, what about trying to change something? I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. If I’m meant to arrive at Point C, I can take Path A, Road B, or Route X, Y or Z and I will still end up at Point C. Personally, I wouldn’t mess around with what has already happened. What if I screwed up and made something worse? Egads! The pressure! No, thank you. I would choose to be an observer or a gatherer of information.         

That takes us to that often imagined conversation with someone who has left this world. I am reminded of an old Twilight Zone episode where the grandmother of a young boy gives him a telephone. They spend many hours behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes of his parents, talking on this phone. After she dies, the conversations continue−it was a very special phone.                                                       

There are two people with whom I would love to sit down with for a good long chat–Hatshepsut, who became the first female pharaoh of Egypt around 1473 BC, and my maternal grandfather, lovingly known as Pa.

Hatshepsut is one of my female heroes. At a time when men ruled the world (Hmm, I’m totally re-thinking this sentence. sigh), she seized power and refused to let go. She was smart, clever, and driven to improve the lives of the Egyptians and maintain peace with their neighbors. I’d sit for hours listening to her talk about how she managed it all.

                                                        

My grandfather died when I was still a teenager. My memories of him are largely those of a child. He was born in 1900, fought in WWI, survived the Depression, and made a success of his life. I borrowed certain traits and interests from him for my main character Detective Sergeant Steven Blackwell, who solves crime in 1934. Like Steven, Pa loved baseball and Chevy cars. I’d be overjoyed to talk with him now that I’m an adult. I’d like to know about his life and life in the early 1900s. I have so many questions.          

What about you, Jungle Reds, what would you do with the gift of time travel?

Let’s do a give-away. Every comment is entered to win a copy of Doorway to Murder, A Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery.

Dear Readers, what would you do if you could go back in time? Is there a wrong you would right or a happy moment you wish to relive? Is there someone you want to talk to? I’m looking forward to “chatting” with you.

HANK: I'd love to see where my gramma Minnie grew up--was it Russia or Austria? And be with my Dad in the fifties of Blue Note Chicago, wth Harry Belafonte and Studs Terkel. I'd adore to eaves-watch my mother in art school--wouldn't that be great? But I do want to come home to now.

What about you, Reds and readers?

 

 DOORWAY TO MURDER

    A Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery

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In a small New York town, secrets lurk and betrayal is just around the corner. The morning after the worst blizzard of 1934, Detective Steven Blackwell takes on a highly charged murder case. The investigation starts badly: one clue, lots of lies and alibis. To make things worse, Steven is seeing visions of a woman in his house. One night, she speaks. Her name is Olivia Watson and she lives in 2014. She believes time has folded over in the house they share. As their relationship deepens, Steven’s investigation intensifies. Soon he can no longer trust anyone in his own time. Can Olivia help crack the case—and catch a killer?

The past collides with the present in an exciting new mystery by debut author Carol Pouliot.

"There's nothing I like more than a time-travel tale, but how much better to get a crisp, fair-play police procedural, too. The atmosphere grabbed me. The ending surprised me. I'm already looking forward to Steven and Olivia's next adventure."       

      −Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series and

        quiet neighbors

Carol Pouliot is a former French and Spanish teacher and business owner. She lives in upstate New York, where the lake-effect snow reaches over ten feet every winter. Passionate about travel, her passport and suitcase are always ready for the next adventure.

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