Clicking Our Heels – Crimes We’ve Avoided Writing About

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Clicking Our Heels Featured ImageClicking Our Heels – Crime We’ve Avoided Writing About

Each member of the Stiletto Gang has dragged their heels in the dirt rather than write about certain types of crime, but if we did, we’d have to develop a special protagonist or antagonist.

T.K. Thorne – Murder has been my go-to crime, although I have written about others in the course of telling stories—rape, theft, and some crimes that have no name have found their way in there! I have a very competent police officer, who is also a witch, to deal with them. (House of Rose, House of Stone, and House of Iron.)

Lois Winston – Because I write humorous cozy mysteries, I don’t write about certain crimes, especially ones involving children. I won’t read about them, either. They give me nightmares. I’d never want to get into the mind of someone so depraved as to commit such crimes.

Saralyn Richard– One of my novels deals with sex trafficking, but I’ve stayed away from sex crimes like rape. A novel about rape would require a different protagonist, antagonist, AND author.

Donnell Ann Bell – I am not a fan of sexual or physical abuse or writing about it. As a former volunteer victims’ advocate, I know what victims endure. If abuse is part of a character’s backstory, I do my best to place it off scene. I’m not a fan of gratuitous anything in any form.

Bethany Maines – I recently wrote a short romance story and had the hardest time not having any crime. Crime makes everything fun. So let’s run through the list… murder (solved by an ex-CIA agent and his granddaughter), criminal organization with all the drug dealing and trafficking that goes with it (mob enforcer and the high school’s fixer go toe to toe with a mob boss), diamond smuggling (struggling dog walker and TV news cameraman catch feelings and the bad guys), murder and white collar crime (the Deveraux cousins all take a swing at this Big Pharma baddie) and of course there are the paranormal shenanigans that require some witches, wolves, and selkies to keep the world from disaster.

Paula G. Benson – Suffocation. I wonder about a protagonist and antagonist who have been co-workers on an auto assembly line as the air bag was being developed. Why would one focus on it as lifesaving and the other see its deadly potential?

Debra H. Goldstein – I’m an equal opportunity crime user, but I prefer not to write about children or animals being injured or killed. If I did, I would have to give my protagonist a good reason to save the day and my antagonist a better reason for being deviant.

Donalee Moulton – I don’t do gruesome, at least I haven’t to date. That is partly because I dread having to do research into some of these topics. It’s also because would prefer not to dwell on the dark underbelly. That said, I can see I time coming when the underbelly may demand a scratch or two.

Gay Yellen – My novels deal mainly with homicides, but the tone is ultimately light-hearted, so Samantha Newman is an amateur sleuth and the killers often multi-task with fraud, petty theft, and plain old fibbing.

Judy Penz Sheluk – I’ve never included a cat burglar, but if I were to do it, I’d like to emulate something along the lines of the very clever 1960s Robert Wagner /Fred Astaire TV series, It Takes a Thief.

Mary Lee Ashford (1/2 Sparkle Abbey) – Although I spent the last several years of my public service career in IT, I’ve not tackled a cybercrime in any of my stories. It could be an interesting premise, right. There are so many possibilities. But I’d need a super smart villain and a tech savvy protagonist with mad skills to set up the story. Still thinking on this one…

Barbara J. Eikmeier – Something on a farm that seems like part of the daily operation but over time could become toxic. A death could easily look accidental.

Anita Clark (1/2 of Sparkle Abbey) – I haven’t dealt with crimes that involve children. I just can’t go there and can’t imagine I ever will.

 

 

 

Writing Life and Inspiration: Strangers + “What if?” = Plots and Characters in Fiction

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By Lois Winston

Whenever I hear a writer complain that she can’t come up with an idea for a plot or character, I offer this advice: “Get off your phone and keep your eyes and ears open.” No matter where I go—from the supermarket to a doctor’s appointment to the line at the DMV—I see people with their noses buried in their phones. I’m the outlier. As an author, part of my writing life is spent eavesdropping on conversations and observing the behaviors of those around me. That’s where I get much of my writing inspiration. For me, strangers + “what if?” = plots and characters in many of my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.

Ideas for plots and characters are all around us if we just take the time to look and listen. Neighbors, friends, relatives, strangers, and the daily news provide constant sources of ideas for plots and characters. All you need to do is channel your inner snoop gene while pretending not to pay attention.

I’ve been privy to the most sensitive of conversations while sitting on a commuter train, in a department store dressing room, and even while doing the necessary in a mall ladies’ room stall. Sometimes, I’ve even heard both ends of the conversation, thanks to the person on the train or in the dressing room or lavatory having placed the call on speaker. Those lavatory experiences became the source of a scene in Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series.

The world is full of interesting and odd individuals, and I came across some of the oddest back in 1998 when my husband and I moved to a new house. These people and their strange habits have stuck with me over the years. With the encouragement of some of my readers to whom I told about these former neighbors, I incorporated them into my latest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. To my knowledge, none of the real people were ever murdered or committed murder, but the traits I observed did make their way into Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the fourteenth book in my series, currently up for preorder with a release date of February 2, 2025.

Seams Like the Perfect Crime

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 14

When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor?

Revolutionary War reenactor Barry Sumner had the odd habit of spending hours mowing a small patch of packed dirt and weeds until his mower ran out of gas. He’d then guzzle beer on his front porch until he passed out. That’s where Anastasia’s son Nick discovers his body three days after the victim and his family moved into the newly built mini-McMansion across the street.

After a melee breaks out at the viewing, Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect. However, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other possible suspects, including a woman who’d had an affair with the victim, his ex-wife, the man overseeing the widow’s trust fund, a drug dealer, and the reenactors who were blackmailing the widow and victim.

When another reenactor is murdered, Spader suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but Anastasia wonders if the killer is attempting to misdirect the investigation. As she narrows down the suspects, will she jeopardize her own life to learn the truth?

Craft projects included.

Preorder now. Available 2/4/25

P.S.: On Monday evening, January 27th at 7pm ET (6pm CT, 5pm MT, and 4pm PT), I’ll be the guest of the Cozy Mystery Party Facebook Group, hosted by Heather Harrisson and Shawn Stevens. If you’d like to join in for a fun hour + of all things murder, mayhem, and cozy mysteries (there will be prizes and surprises!), join the group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozymysteryparty. 

Hope to see you there! 

~*~

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, and children’s chapter books. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.

donalee Moulton

In summary

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When I completed my first mystery novel, Hung Out to Die, I quickly discovered that the novel would not stand alone. A synopsis was required.

As a freelance journalist and communications specialist, I’ve put together a lifetime of pitches and proposals. Still, I spent some time reading up on what makes a successful synopsis. Then I wrote my own.

My synopsis does not follow the traditional pattern, but most of the required elements are there. I wondered if this would pass muster. Overall, the people I shared the synopsis with liked it. One person didn’t like it at all and said it would never pass muster with publishers. I took a long hard look and, respectfully, disagreed.

This was nerve-wracking. I knew it would be easier to simply follow the path well taken, but I felt I needed to branch out. I entered a shorter version of my synopsis in the Synopsis Skirmish contest – and won. The judge (one of my favorite people) had this to say: The author’s handling of voice in this synopsis is so powerful, it made me want to read the novel right away. The synopsis is unusual and intriguing—a winning combination.

When the acquisitions editor at BWL (another of my favorite people) reached out to me requesting a full copy of my manuscript, she noted, “We were quite taken with your synopsis.”

The synopsis issue has driven home to me the need to listen to yourself, that inner voice that knows you better than anyone. At the same time, it has taught me more about flexibility and being open to feedback. There is nothing as helpful as constructive criticism (whether accepted or not) and editors are worth their weight in gold.

I thought I’d share my synopsis – my very first – with you. I’d love to know what you think.

Synopsis

Hung Out to Die: A Riel Brava Mystery
By donalee Moulton

Hung Out To Die Book CoverLet’s start with the obvious.

Meet Riel Brava. Attractive. Razor-sharp. Ambitious.

Riel, born and bred in Santa Barbara, California, has been transplanted to Nova Scotia where he is CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation (CCC). It’s business as usual until Riel finds the company’s comptroller hanging by a thread. Actually, several threads. It doesn’t take the police long to determine all is not as it appears.

Let’s dive beneath the surface.

Meet Riel Brava. Observant. Cautious. Psychopathic.

Not the Dexter-Hannibal Lecter-Norman Bates kind of psychopath. The kind who live and work among us, mostly unnoticed, often successful, always on full alert their differences will be uncovered. Riel is personable, even charming. He’s keen to understand how the human mind works, so he’ll blend in. After all, his goal is to be president of the United States. (An aspiration that will feature in future books.)

Let’s talk plot.

So Norm Bedwell has apparently hanged himself in his office at CCC. Emphasis on apparently. It takes Detective Lin Raynes mere minutes to suspect the obvious is deceiving and what appears to be death by suicide is actually a murder. Over the course of 13 chapters (there is also an introductory chapter), he works to uncover and discover who would want Bedwell dead and how they could have pulled the murder off.

He’s not alone. In an unusual pairing, Raynes and Riel work together to chase down leads – the bully who tortured Bedwell’s son at school, the mysterious orange truck that belongs to no CCC employee but was parked in the company lot the night Bedwell was murdered, the employee, who despite stringent security measures, has managed to steal weed from CCC and start a healthy little illegal business.

Raynes manages to engage Riel, albeit reluctantly, in the hunt for Bedwell’s killer, and in the process, the seeds of an unexpected and unusual friendship are sown. (These seeds will blossom in subsequent books.)

Various motives are explored through a number of suspects – revenge, fear, greed – but ultimately, it’s love that becomes the reason Norm Bedwell no longer lives. Unfortunately, the evidence is circumstantial. Raynes and Riel concoct a scheme to draw a confession out of the killer, but that plan is never put into place. Instead, Riel finds himself on the receiving end of a rifle in the ribs and a long drive to the middle of Nowhere, Nova Scotia.

Let’s look at the core cast of returning characters. You’ll like them all.

Tiffany Brava. Riel’s wife and loyal supporter. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, Tiffany knows Riel is not quite like everyone else – and why. For now, that door is closed. What’s openly obvious is her affection for her husband, her loyalty, and her acumen. Don’t count Tiffany out as the dumb blonde. Oh yes, she’s vegan.

Franklin Raynes. The Halifax Police Department’s lead detective on this case is Black, quintessentially Nova Scotian, and a consummate charmer. He can read the room and respond accordingly. He takes a shine to Riel, and also realizes how helpful the psychopath can be in solving this case. (Yes, Lin Raynes is privy to Riel’s deepest secret, but he doesn’t admit it to his new friend – just yet.) Oh yeah, Raynes also does this thing with his left eyebrow.

Senator John Williams. Tiffany’s dad | Riel’s father-in-law is the Democratic Senator for District 19. A seasoned and senior politician, Williams is a co-owner of CCC, although it’s not an asset he talks about with constituents. He’s brusque, except where his daughter is concerned, and well connected, even in Canada.

Zahra Bashir. A practising Muslim and savvy TV reporter who’s always on the lookout for the inside scoop. Bashir makes many of the other characters very nervous despite her friendly demeanor.

David Clements. The recreational cannabis sector in Canada is heavily regulated. Clements is the federal DOJ’s contact for Riel. Their relationship is one of power and powerful expectations. Clements holds that power. A minor character, Clements plays an important role. He’s the first person to use a special word.

There are other characters introduced in this book who will also return but play a smaller role in this mystery.

Let’s look at the cast of characters in the book. You won’t like them all.

–  Faye Bedwell, distraught and disrespected wife of Norm Bedwell.
–  Bran Bedwell, the Bedwell’s 12-year-old son who takes a liking to Riel. Good grief.
–  Thorne, media consultant and very protective of Riel.
–  The bully and his parents.
–  The poor sod who owns the orange truck.
–  The killer.

What’s familiar about Hung Out to Die to make mystery fans feel at home.

–  It’s fast-paced.
–  It lays out a path of breadcrumbs that lead, ultimately, to the killer. First, of course, the path branches off in several misdirections.
–  It creates suspense.
–  It builds understanding and affection for key characters.
–  It leaves readers wanting more.

What’s novel about the book to make the mystery stand apart and readers turning pages.

–  It introduces a unique character that, ironically, we empathize with
–  It’s funny as hell
–   It’s written by an award-winning journalist who knows both how to tell a story and how to use words to maximum effect

Riel Brava: Vital Statistics.

Height: 6’1
Weight: 165 pounds
Waist: 35 inches
Age: 37
Spouse: Tiffany, the vegan
Job: CEO, Canadian Cannabis Corp.
Location: Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ambition: President of the United States of America
Favorite food: Donairs (definitely not vegan)
Top personality trait:  Psychopath
Burning question: What the hell’s a chunderf**k

 

Synopsis Workshop

If you’d like to learn how to craft a successful synopsis, sign up for donalee’s online workshop on February 11 & 18, 2025.

This workshop will explore:
* what should go in a synopsis and why
* why and how to break the rules with care (and flair)

https://donaleemoulton.com/crafting-a-synopsis 

About donalee

donalee is a professional writer from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her byline has appeared in over 100 publications across North America. Her most recent book Conflagration!  won the 2024 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Historical Mystery Suspense. Her other books include a murder mystery based in Nova Scotia and a non-fiction book about effective communications, and she has more coming out this year. She is a longtime educator and currently offers a variety of editorial services and workshops to help authors hone their writing and get it published. 

You can catch up with her on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

What to Do When a Genie Sits on the Edge of Your Bed

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This is the time of year to wish peace on Earth, a goal and prayer that seems always before us, and “When will we ever learn?” echoes in our minds.

But what if you had a magical chance to change things….?

 

I pondered this question many years ago and was recently asked it again in an interview. As a child, my answer was always simple and the same: I’d wish for a horse.

As I grew older and more sophisticated, I started appreciating the entanglement of the question: What kind of horse? Do I need to use my remaining two wishes for funds to maintain the horse and keep it healthy? How much do I wish for? What if someone I loved got sick, and I had to use a wish to make them well?

In fairy tales, I noted that the first two wishes, though well-intentioned, got the protagonist into hot water of some sort, and the third wish invariably had to be spent rectifying the situation. Very poor decision-making, in my opinion. The same is true in writing, a decision by the characters often takes the story in another direction entirely.

I pondered the problem (because you never know when you might find a genie on the edge of your bed, right?) When the solution came, I was very relieved. I had the answer. I was prepared. The resolution was beautiful in its simplicity and legal soundness: My first wish would be—to be granted three more wishes whenever I used up the other two! Clever, right?

As an adult, I realized that the real lesson of fairy tales was not how to use one’s wishes wisely but that there are always unintended consequences.

Creating more food with less work and loss is a worthy goal, and we have accomplished it. It came about through the use of pesticides that, indeed, resulted in fewer insects but also killed off the beneficial insects along with the pests and introduced sneaky carcinogens into our food chain that, in turn, raised health care costs and cut short the lives that “more food” was supposed to support.

China tried to control its population growth with a one-child limit, which resulted in a significant reduction of female babies (which were seen as less desirable than male children), and now, the country has negative population growth and a problem with too few women available for marriages.

In New Zealand, rabbits were introduced and became a problem, so they brought in stouts (a type of weasel) to eat the rabbits. However, now, the stouts are a threat to the bird population.

In the American South, we are “blessed” with kudzu, a prolific Asian vine imported for cattle grazing. Unfortunately, cattle don’t like it. It will eventually consume the world.

Even wishing for “peace on Earth” could have unintended horrific consequences. Hitler wanted a reign of peace. He just needed to conquer a few countries and wipe out a few peoples first.

This is one of the problems we would/will face if Artificial Intelligence (AI) were tasked with such a goal and could make real-world changes. Imagine what lengths it would go to ensure “peace!” We might be stripped of the ability to speak freely or even interact or force-fed the “blue pills” [The Matrix] to remain in contented ignorance. Freedom and safety have always been a matter of delicate balance.

That said, I admit I would be sorely tempted to use a wish to bring about peace on Earth. But it would require a well-thought-out document with a team of lawyers and futurists! Even then, we know what happens to the best-laid plans of mice and men….

Happy Holidays to All!

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Happy Holidays!

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Last Post by Dru Ann

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Thank you guys for letting me participate on The Stiletto Gang blog. It’s been a wonderful experience and I’ve learned a lot from all the authors in this group.

My last blog post and I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! and I wish you a prosperous and successful 2025.

 

Dru Ann Love
dru’s book musings

I found joy – as a jellyfish (and other aquatic animals)

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As the year draws to a close, I thought I would share with you a bit about my self-care journey. This article, originally published in The Globe and Mail, explores how I ended up on a yoga mat, twisted, inverted, and smiling.

yoga/meditation

There were several occasions in the last three decades when I took a yoga class, four by my latest count. Nothing stuck for more than 60 minutes. Now I’m on the mat (as we, ahem, like to say) four or five times a week.

Not sure what happened between decades three and four, but here I am today in my 60s actively seeking out a yoga flow class, searching YouTube for restorative practice and talking retreats with new-found friends. I have blocks, straps, pillows, bolsters, blankets and mats in many colours, designs and grips. I even have a plastic frog in full lotus. Truth is, I have a yoga room.

I’m not an exercise person. I have never had the desire to scale mountains, ski down or hike mountainous terrain. I’m equally averse to water aerobics: surfing, paddling, polo. Give it all the cool names you want – finswimming, aquajogging, wakeskating – and I’m staying on terra firma.

Fact is, I’d rather have an enema than exercise.

Actually, that was the old me. The new me would rather do a downward dog.

I’m not sure which came first – not being good at sports or not being interested in sports. They are indelibly intertwined, like chicken and egg or the yoga pose eagle arms and legs (which I can do).

Regardless, here I am, sports unenthusiast. I want to be healthy. What I’ve never wanted is to work at being healthy because it’s boring and hard (so I had come to believe). Yet, periodically I would propel myself to some gym, some piece of equipment, or even some yoga mat to get my body in shape.
In the case of yoga, that lasted for a full 240 minutes over 30 years. (In the case of lifting weights, running on the treadmill, aquacise, the number is much, much lower.)

The turning point in my yoga journey, it turned out, was around the corner from where I live. An instructor started renting studio space in a new building, and my aunt and I decided to give it a try. We liked it. We really liked it.

I’m not sure why. It may be the variety of poses we learned, that each class was new and different, that we got to know participants. But I had all that before. The reason, I discovered, is not important. The reality is.

At some point, actually several points, my body responded in ways it never had before. My feet touched the mat, both of them, when I did a downward dog; my hands (both of them) held each other doing a bound side angle.

I also noticed a marked improvement in my knee. My doctor had diagnosed a tear in my meniscus and wished me well. When I couldn’t complete a yoga pose because of it, an instructor recommended putting something like a sock between my knee and my bent leg. It worked. As I spent more time on the mat, I used the sock less and less. Today, I get no complaints from my knee, and use socks only to cover my feet.

It wasn’t only my knee that got better. My strength, my balance and my flexibility improved.

Perspective changes on the mat. There is a common yoga pose called child’s pose. You put thighs on calves, buttocks on heels, and fold yourself into a ball. It’s supposed to be a resting position, one you come to after other poses have offended your body in ways you didn’t know existed. For most of us, child’s pose is, at first, the farthest thing from a rest primarily because there is a wide gap between our bottom and our heels. Most of us accommodate, as yoga teaches us. We shove bolsters, blankets and blocks under our rear to close the gap. Still a faint wisp of failure lingers.

I’m in an extended child’s pose during one class and realize I’m enjoying this fetal shape. I am relaxed, breathing deeply, and feeling something new: contentment. I tried to figure out what had shifted and realized, in part, the answer was physical. My rear end was not pointed heavenward; it was nestled on my feet. I was a ball without the need of a bolster.

There are those poses that continue to confound. My legs refuse to rearrange themselves into a lotus, although they are inching closer. Crow pose eludes me. Both feet refuse to come off the floor, but one will, so I’m making progress. And there are those poses I have yet to attempt. Their names will tell you why: formidable face pose, handstand scorpion, destroyer of the universe.

Overall, however, I find a sense of peace and contentment in many poses and in my practice. Indeed, I find more than this. Yoga has taught me that practice is about more than positioning the body. It is about body, mind and spirit. It is about connecting with yourself. It is about finding balance. It is about going to the edge, but not over the cliff. It is about acknowledging growth and recognizing limitations. It is about joy. The joy that comes from sitting on a mat with your heels stuffed into your bottom and your heart soaring.

Ultimately yoga has taught me patience and acceptance. The fundamental reality of any practice is this: yoga teachers cannot count. They put you in a pose, say warrior II, then they suggest you place your right shoulder against your inner thigh while extending your left arm toward the ceiling, bending your elbow, bringing your left arm behind you, and clasping your right hand. It’s like scrubbing the floor while looking at mold on the ceiling.

I can actually do this. And I can hear my yoga instructor saying, “Hold for three breaths,” just before launching into a tale about their morning drive to work. Three minutes later – not three breaths – we unbind and unbend. All yoga teachers are trained to do this.

When instructors tell you to hold for five breaths – a lifetime when your hips are squared, your shoulders flexed, and your legs interwoven – they are lying. Admittedly, they are well intended. Some even come with timers, beacons of false hope.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. I am on the mat, moving in sync with my breath, finding my body moving with me (or against me) and I’m okay with that. I have learned the challenging poses – lizard, dolphin, fish – are friends. We meet here on this rectangular piece of vinyl, and I take pieces of them with me when I roll up my mat, put away my straps and head out the door.

The joy of having been for a time an aquatic animal infuses and informs. It is so much more than legs splayed, ankles nestled, arms extended. And holding for five delicious breaths.

Ish.

A Few Favorite Books by Saralyn Richard

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May be an image of 4 people, Christmas stocking and text

 

I’m often asked about favorite books, and I consider that an unfair question for someone who reads as much as I do. Practically every book I read is my favorite when I’m immersed in its world, identifying with its characters. I truly have hundreds of favorite books that have touched me at different times in my life.

I love to read various “year’s best books” lists, and I’m delighted when one of mine makes someone’s list. Thanks to Hungry for Good Books, MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX, is one of the top mysteries of 2024. I’m honored and thrilled.

And if you’re like me, the most fun post-holiday chill-event is reading great books. Here are a few of the MANY books I’ve enjoyed and recommend at this time of year.

I would start with A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. I love all of Irving’s novels and all 54.0his quirky characters, but I could read this book over and over again and find new bits of cleverness each time. Beneath Irving’s sometimes preposterous plot events lie an impressive bedrock of commentary about the absurdity of life and the relationships that make it all worthwhile.

 

The second book I would choose is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Verghese was a protegee of John Irving, and this book, while telling an amazing story of its own, can be read as a tribute to Irving’s body of work. Indeed, there are nods to Irving throughout that bring knowing smiles to those of us who catch them.

 

Next, I would re-read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver manages writing in multiple points of view more skillfully than any other writer I can think of. The family of a missionary in Africa during turbulent political times experiences many physical and emotional hardships and deprivations. We see these through different lenses, so the resulting picture is much like that of a kaleidoscope, sometimes beautiful, sometimes horrifying, but always changing.

 

Finally, I would read William Kent Krueger’s Ordinary Grace. This book nails it all. It’s a compelling mystery that unfolds itself with extraordinary wisdom at every turn. Its characters and the situations they are in are hauntingly familiar and yet fresh and fascinating.

 

However you’re celebrating and whatever you’re reading this season, I’m sending my very best wishes to you and yours.

 

Calling All Black Utensils – Or Else!

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Calling All Black Utensils – Or Else! by Debra H. Goldstein

Do you have any black plastic spatulas, spoons, or ladles lurking in your kitchen? New research shows that they may cause cancer, hormone and thyroid problems, neurobehavioral and development problems in children, and interference with reproductive and immune systems. The causation factor is the possibility for toxic flame retardants (decabromodiphenyl ether – decaBDE) to contaminate your food when you cook with them. Consequently, the scientific conclusion is that you should throw all of them out.

Most of the spatulas, spoons, and ladles in my kitchen drawers were the dangerous black kind. One friend said that because of the way I function in a kitchen –I only occasionally used a few and some never, I didn’t have to worry. Still, I threw my darling spatulas, spoons, and ladles out.

Why?

Better to be safe than sorry.

Sometimes, the same thing holds true in writing. Often extra words contaminate our thoughts as we transfer them to paper or the computer screen. If our work in progress is to be safe and healthy, we must, no matter how much we like them, prune the words. It isn’t easy, but it is a matter of necessity for the successful survival of the piece we are writing.

Have you thrown out your black plastic kitchen utensils? If you are a reader, have you found pieces that are perched precariously because of an overabundance of “bad” words? If an author, can you make the necessary cuts for the health of your writing? Or, in all cases, will you be overcome by the harmful substance you cannot see?

5 Tips for Finding Reading Time During the Busy Holiday Season

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The holidays are a magical time of year, but they can also be overwhelmingly busy! Between shopping, decorating, cooking, and attending festive events, it’s easy to feel like there’s no time for yourself—let alone for reading. But if you’re a book lover like me, you know how important it is to sneak in those quiet moments with a great story. Here are five tips to help you carve out reading time during the holiday rush.

 

1. Start Your Day with a Chapter
Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier to enjoy a peaceful start to your day with a book. Pair it with your morning coffee or tea to create a calming ritual that helps you ease into the day.

2. Carry a Book Everywhere
Whether it’s a paperback, e-reader, or audiobook on your phone, having a book with you means you can read during those unexpected pockets of time—waiting in line, during your commute, or between holiday errands.

3. Replace Screen Time with Reading Time
The endless scroll can wait. Dedicate a portion of your evening, even if it’s just 10-20 minutes, to putting down your devices and picking up a book.

4. Embrace Audiobooks
Holiday prep doesn’t have to come at the expense of your TBR pile. Turn on an audiobook while baking cookies, wrapping presents, or decorating your home. It’s multitasking at its finest!

5. Schedule a Cozy Reading Break
Block off time in your calendar for a dedicated reading session. Whether it’s an hour by the fireplace or 30 minutes with a warm blanket and a cup of cocoa, treat it like any other important holiday appointment.

Now that you have these tips, why not put them to good use with a festive mystery? My newest release, A Corpse Among the Carolers, A Food Blogger Mystery, is a Christmas-themed cozy mystery packed with holiday cheer, twisty clues, and plenty of suspense. It’s the perfect book to curl up with during this busy season—or to give as a gift to the mystery lover in your life.

You can order your copy now from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and don’t forget to treat yourself to some well-earned reading time this holiday season. Happy holidays and happy reading!

 

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.