"Oh, Kaye!" has a novel coming out!

Before I say one word about me, I have to tell you to scoot over to Meanderings and Muses today.  My pal Mary Jane Maffini, author of the Camilla MacPhee series, the Fiona Silk series, and the Charlotte Adams series, is my guest.  She's talking about a new series she and daughter Victoria have coming out.  They're writing together under the name Victoria Abbott and you can read all about them at their new website - http://www.victoria-abbott.com/ .  The first book in the series, THE CHRISTIE CURSE, will be out next month.


Now then,

In case you're one of the few people on God's green earth who hasn't heard me squealing about my debut novel - well, here's my news . . . .

I have a novel coming out!

Squeeeeeeee!!!!!!


After many months of agonizing over agent querying and all that goes with it, I made the decision to self-publish.  If you're interested in my reasoning, you can read all about it by clicking this link to my Meanderings and Muses.

 

 

WHIMSEY is a novel of southern fiction with a splash of magic and a touch of fantasy, topped with a sprinkling of humor.

The magic was already there when cigar-smoking matriarch Elizabeth Calhoun established an artist’s colony on an island off the coast of Georgia and named it Whimsey.

Elizabeth’s ghost still drops in from time to time to make sure things are going as she planned.

There’s also a wicked pixie named Earlene who fancies tight-fitting designer clothes and Louboutin stilettos.

Elizabeth’s grandniece, Emma Hamilton Foley, a once-promising jewelry designer who moved away from the island, now fears her talent has deserted her.

Along with her four best childhood friends, she has been invited to be a resident artist at Whimsey’s new upscale gallery, Les étoiles. To join them, she’ll need to regain her talent, face the demons from her past and her feelings about Eli Tatnall, whom she loved as a girl.

Will moving back to the Island of Whimsey bring the magic back?
 

WHIMSEY is a story of hope and affirmation, about families and best girlfriends, connections and feelings. It’s about the things in life that make us happy and the things that scare us to death. And the people who walk through life with us.

And, here's what people are saying  - - -
 

"Delightful!"

- Margaret Maron, New York Times Best-Selling Author. Winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity Awards, and 2013 Mystery Writers of America Grand Master
 

"Kaye Barley is a treasure and a delight. Her wit, wisdom, imagination--and yes, whimsy!--shine from every page."

- Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-Winning Author




And here's my new webpage for Whimsey: A Novel - http://www.kayewilkinsonbarley.com/

 

 

 

And - I'm excited!

I don't know the exact date it'll be available, just "soon."  Booknook.biz is doing the conversion to EBook format for me and they are real pros.  Kimberly Hitchens and her crew are great to work with and have made this whole process so much easier than it would have been if I had attemted doing this all on my own.  Right now we're in the stage where the manuscript file is being converted to a mobi file.  When that's complete, and after I've proofed it, I'll take it to Kindle Direct Publishing.  It will be available in Ebook format and as a trade paperback.

So.  I'm proof positive that it's never too late to do something you want to do.  And, honeys, I'm here to tell you - don't let ANYBODY step on your dreams.  But most of all, don't step on them yourself

 

 

 

Key Lime pie a la David L. Sloan

LUCY BURDETTE: I know I've bombarded you with Key West things this week, but it's hard to resist when the place is so full of interesting people! 

As many of you already know, I have a particular fondness for Key lime pie, as it became the murder weapon in the first food critic mystery, AN APPETITE FOR MURDER. Naturally Hayley Snow is suspected when the victim turns out to be her ex-boyfriend's new squeeze. 

“Are the cops looking at any other suspects?” I asked.

“Not that they’ve mentioned. You are in the unfortunate position of having a decent motive and no alibi. And you’re a cook with more than a passing knowledge of key lime pie.” 

So what do we do now?” I asked. “I swear I never touched the girl. Or fed her any poison. I’ve never even made a key lime pie. To be honest, I’m totally freaked out by the idea of meringue.” 

So you can understand that when the Key West Citizen publicized a booksigning last week for THE ULTIMATE KEY LIME PIE COOKBOOK, we had to go meet David Sloan and buy a couple of signed books. I told him about our JRW blog and how we love food and recipes and he was happy to share a pie from the cookbook. He offers hundreds of options for combinations of crusts, fillings, sauces, and toppings, but I've chosen a traditional crust with a classic filling.

TRADITIONAL GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine the crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter until crumbs are coated. Press evenly into a nine-inch pie pan. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before filling.

CLASSIC KEY LIME FILLING

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup Key lime juice

Preheat the oven to 350. combine eggs and milk and mix well. Slowly mix in the Key lime juice. Pour mixture into the prepared crust. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool, then chill until firm.

Serve topped with whipped cream or meringue and enjoy your little taste of Key West!


 

  

Spring Housekeeping

 No, you don't need mops and brooms...

Jungle Red readers, it's a new month and the start of a very exciting spring reading season. We want to keep you in the loop and make sure you know what's coming up. Here's the dope:
Coming February 5, Rhys Bowen's e-story The Face in the Mirror
 

Also the first Molly Murphy book, MURPHY'S LAW, reissued as a trade paperback.

 

 

On February 19: THE SOUND OF BROKEN GLASS, by Deborah Crombie

 

On March 5, THE FAMILY WAY by Rhys Bowen 

Also the trade paperback edition of HUSH NOW, DON'T YOU CRY
 







On April 2, THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN by Hallie Ephron

Join Hallie's mailing list
 









On May 7, TOPPED CHEF by Lucy Burdette

 








And coming this summer:

On July 2, THE OTHER WOMAN in paperback! by Hank Phillippi Ryan 

On August 6, HEIRS AND GRACES, A Royal Spyness mystery, by Rhys Bowen

In September, THE WRONG GIRL by Hank Phillippi Ryan 


And we know since you're here, that you like us. But do you really like us? Please click on our Facebook fan pages so you don't miss a trick..

Rhys Bowen  
Deborah Crombie 
Hallie Ephron
Lucy Burdette 
Hank Phillippi Ryan 
Julia Spencer-Fleming 
Rosemary Harris 

And if you want us to "like" you back, leave your links in the comment section. And come back tomorrow for some unusual key lime pie....