Tag Archive for: #amwriting #mystery #beachread

Crazy About Socks?

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Recently I read that during the pandemic online shopping spree, socks became a hot item. Socks? Really? Must have taken some pretty bored people to shop for socks!

I wondered if socks had ever been written up in literature. As a mystery writer, I immediately thought of possible book titles: Murder by Socks, The Sock Strangler, or Forensic Socks.

Next, I researched books with “socks” in the title and found the expected “how to” category teaching you to knit socks. Children’s stories have a surprising number of titles with socks, starting with Dr. Seuss’s famous Fox in Socks.

In Battle of Hogwarts, the Harry Potter book/movie, Harry tricks Lucius Malfoy into freeing the house servant Dobby. Harry uses one of his socks to gift-wrap Tom Riddle’s Diary before giving it to Lucius. When Lucius throws away the unneeded sock, Dobby catches it, thus freeing himself from Lucius.

My personal experience with socks was during my corporate days when I racked up millions of airline miles flying all over the globe. At that time, business and first class gave an amenity kit that included a cheap pair of socks that were supposed to be used once and discarded. Well, I collected and used those socks. For over twenty years I never bought a pair—I had all those airline ones. And they never wear out! Though my husband disagrees; he’s thrown away the ones with the comfortable holes in the toes.

My stream of consciousness led me to research the sock market. Every theme you can think of can be printed on a pair of cotton, stretchy, or wool socks. The most expensive, so expensive in fact that the price was not listed, are those made from Cervelt, a fiber from New Zealand’s Red Deer. Only 20 grams of fiber can be collected per deer per year making it one of the most exclusive fabrics in the world.

In my search I discovered an organization in the Netherlands, Sock by Sock, whose mission is to keep overproduced socks from ending up as waste. After seeing the availability of socks on the Net, I can assure you that organization has plenty of work to accomplish.

Do you have a sock story? If so, sock it to me!

***

Kathryn Lane is the author of the award-winning Nikki Garcia Mystery Series. Nikki Garcia, the protagonist, is a private investigator based in Miami. She does work in foreign countries, including countries where private investigators are forbidden by law.

Kathryn’s early work life started out as a painter in oils. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation.

Two decades later, she left the corporate world to create mystery and suspense thrillers, drawing inspiration from her Mexican background as well as her travels in over ninety countries.

***

Photos are taken from the public domain. They are used in either an editorial or educational manner.

Stormy Candlelight Dinners

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By Kathryn Lane

My husband and I did not celebrate
Valentine’s this year. Yet we made up for it the following night with a romantic,
candlelight dinner. Not exactly to make up for Valentine’s but as a consequence
of the deadly snowstorm that hit Texas. When our power failed, we started
lighting candles. 

Donning a headlamp, I cooked a “prepare in a
pinch” dinner of Spanish-style scrambled eggs with Spanish chorizo, cherry
tomatoes, black olives, and a hint of hot paprika on my faithful gas stovetop. 

The Valentine storm came a
little more than two months after half our house flooded during the first week
in December. A pipe broke in the master bathroom (CLEAN water, mind you!).
Nothing to do with our balmy early December weather – a pipe joint simply came
undone behind the toilet after we’d gone to bed. I awakened at 1:30 in the
morning, heard a hissing sound, got out of bed, and stepped into 4 inches of
water. Bob and I cleaned up what we could. Later that morning, he called the
insurance company. They sent out a cleaning crew that afternoon. For two months
we’ve had workers every single day except for holidays. And the storm gave them
a six-day break. The workers are becoming part of the family!

With the sadness so many
people have endured through the pandemic, I keep reminding my husband (and
myself) that our flood issues are merely an inconvenience, not a tragedy. Add
the snowstorm, blackouts, and lack of water to an already royal mess in our
house, we kept our sanity in the face of the storm’s fallout by calling friends
to make sure they remained safe. The power outages created a dangerous
situation for millions of people.

For lack of water, well, we bypassed bathing. I was thankful all
our bathrooms were functional again after the flood, at least until the winter
storm knocked out the water supply. But I won’t go there! 

In the past two months, our house has either had too much water
or none at all. But hey, we live in Texas and Texans are tough!

Below is my simple, easy recipe to
use in a pinch. What’s your “use in a pinch” recipe?

Spanish
Chorizo/Cherry Tomato Eggs

2
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6
slices cured Spanish chorizo ham, cut into pieces – (substitute Mexican
chorizo, omitting the paprika)

1 cup
cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1
tablespoon finely chopped green onions

¼ cup
chopped black olives

4 large
eggs beaten

Salt
and pepper to taste

¼
teaspoon hot paprika (optional)

1
tablespoon cilantro, chopped

¼ cup
shredded manchego or gouda cheese

Heat olive oil in a
skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and onions. Cook until chorizo begins to
crisp, about 2 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook
and stir until tomatoes soften and release their juices, about 4-5 minutes.
Beat eggs with salt, pepper, and paprika (if using) in a small bowl. Stir
seasoned eggs into tomato mixture in the skillet. Add olives. Reduce heat to
medium-low and cook and stir until the eggs are set, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle
with cilantro and cheese. (2 servings)

Bon Appetit.

                                                                                ***

Kathryn’s books – The Nikki Garcia
Thriller series and her short story collection – Backyard Volcano.
All available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082H96R11

About Kathryn

Kathryn Lane started out as a starving
artist. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked
on a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation.
After two decades, she left the corporate world to plunge into writing mystery
and suspense thrillers. In her stories, Kathryn draws deeply from her Mexican background as well as her travels
in over ninety countries. https://www.kathryn-lane.com

Photos: Wine and Rose, and Chorizo and Tomato Eggs – Public Domain

Kathryn cooking with a Headlamp – Bob Hurt

The Nikki Garcia Thriller series, book covers by Bobbye Marrs


What’s Next?

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 By Lynn McPherson

September is one of my favourite months. The weather is glorious, the kids are excited to be back at school, and it’s time for me to start a new book. I’ve had a few ideas for a new story floating around my mind and have pondered which one, if any, I should choose. A few are quite dark. I’ve stuck with cozy mysteries so far and have enjoyed every minute. Could it be time to try something new? With my mind flip-flopping around, I’ve decided to outline a few criteria to help me decide. Sometimes choosing a project is the most difficult part. Anyone out there in the same dilemma? Let’s do this together and see what we find out.

1. Does it excite you? This may seem obvious but sometimes I get so caught up in the planning of a story that I fail to think about if it’s something I really want to write. Considering the hundreds of hours that go into each book, it’s important to feel passion for each project. If it’s not there, you might run out of steam before it’s done.

2. Does it have a hook? To grab a reader’s interest, it’s important to have a quick and easy way to describe your book. You need to be able to sell your story to an audience in one of two sentences. 

3. Are you a fan? One of the best ways to decide what to write is to think about what you want to read. Chances are, you won’t be the only one.

4. Does the story have strong characters? A big project requires a good team. Make sure the characters you choose are interesting enough to hold a reader’s attention. Are they smart? Funny? Unique? Choose the qualities you deem important, just make sure they stand out from the crowd.

5. Give it a try! Sometimes writers begin a project to see if it feels right. If you’re unsure, give it a week-long trial to see if it’s working for you. Read what you wrote and, if you like it, keep going!

There you have it. My ideas of what to consider when writing a new book. If I’ve left anything out, please let me know in the comments. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Lynn McPherson has worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ran a small business, and taught English across the globe. She has travelled the world solo where her daring spirit has led her to jump out of airplanes, dive with sharks, and learn she would never master a surfboard. She now channels her lifelong love of adventure and history into her writing, where she is free to go anywhere, anytime. Her cozy series has three books out: The Girls’ Weekend Murder and The Girls Whispered Murder, and The Girls Dressed For Murder.  

On the Road to Santa Fe

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 By Kathryn Lane

Just beyond the Santa Fe Opera, on
the road to Los Alamos National Laboratories, is Camel Rock Monument. I
traveled that route as a young CPA on my way to perform financial audits at the
Labs. Camel Rock sits, almost Sphinx-like, guarding the southern fringe of
the Española Badlands in New Mexico. Back then, the geologic formation seemed
to speak to me every time I drove past. In the Land of Enchantment, the idea of
spirits in the desert inhabiting an eroded rock and speaking to travelers
seemed perfectly normal.

Then I left New Mexico. My new corporate
job gave me the international travel I
had dreamed of doing.  My life took such
an interesting turn that I completely forgot about Camel Rock. After two
decades of traveling the world in my corporate job, I resigned and moved to
Texas to follow my dream of writing mysteries.

For the past two years, my
husband, Bob, and I have spent the summers in northern New Mexico – my writing
retreat. Being here has brought me face-to-face with Camel Rock again. Every
time we drive past it on the road to Santa Fe, it seems to whisper, “welcome
home.”

At the Bell Tower

For
the past couple of months, I’d been working so hard on the Spanish translation
of my novel, Waking Up in Medellin, that Bob suggested I take a break
and we spend a couple of days in Santa Fe. Maybe even catch a sunset from the
Bell Tower, the rooftop bar, at the historic La Fonda hotel. With hardly any
tourists in Santa Fe, we had the Bell Tower almost to ourselves.

Then
two men arrived and sat at the next table, social distancing observed. When one
of the new arrivals discovered I was originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, he
asked if I’d ever been to the border town of Palomas. I told him that was the
port of entry we used for traveling between my hometown in Mexico and the US
when I was a kid. He immediately asked if I’d ever heard of Tillie.

 

“The
famous Tillie from Palomas, Chihuahua?” I asked. “One of my high school friends
married her son Pedro.”


In the sheltering and social
distancing world of COVID-19, I was amazed at meeting a man from Amarillo,
Texas, who knew a woman from the tiny border town of Palomas, a short distance
from where I grew up.

 

A case
of six degrees of separation. Except here, I was connected by one step, not
six.

Bob and I enjoyed our visit to Santa Fe. The
entire trip brought back memories from the years I’d lived in New Mexico. And
the Camel is right. I’ve come home!      __________________

Ever had an amazing or personally
touching six-degrees of separation event? I’d love for you to share it!

Photos: By Kathryn Lane or from the public domain: Camel
Rock Monument; Bell Tower Poster, and the adobe style façade of La Fonda Hotel.

Kathryn’s
books –
The Nikki Garcia Mystery Series and her short story collection – Backyard
Volcano and Other Mysteries of the Heart. All available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082H96R11

 

Kathryn Lane started out as a starving artist. To earn a
living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in
international finance with a major multinational corporation. After two
decades, she left the corporate world to plunge into writing mystery and
suspense thrillers. In her stories, Kathryn draws deeply from her Mexican background as well as her travels
in over ninety countries.

https://www.kathryn-lane.com                                https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlanewriter/

Lesson from Bon Jovi: “Do What You Can”

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By Kathryn Lane

When I give presentations on
writing, I’m often asked if I’ve experienced writer’s block – a slowdown of
creativity or the inability to create a new work.

When my creativity slows, I
turn to researching topics I’m writing about and that attracts my creative angels
again. But I’ve heard stories of how dreadful writer’s block can be. Truman
Capote spent the last ten years of his life speaking about the masterpiece he
was writing, a work that never materialized and possibly caused the stress that
triggered his nervous breakdown. How sad is that? 

On the other hand, Gabriel Garcia
Marquez, often spoke of his inability to progress on “One Hundred Years of
Solitude.” He gave up and drove his family from Mexico City, where they were
living, to the seaside resort of Acapulco for vacation. They were just arriving
at the bay of Acapulco when he stopped the car and turned around, explaining to
his wife that he now clearly saw the premise for “One Hundred Years of
Solitude.” Skipping vacation, he drove back to Mexico City, sat at his
typewriter, and banged out his masterpiece, the novel which undoubtedly won the
Nobel Prize in literature for him.

So
what happens when a writer hits a wall?

 

Recent
news about a song in the upcoming album 

When Bon Jovi’s tour was
cancelled due to COVID-19, he didn’t just stay home and fret. No, he stepped in
as dishwasher at his JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey – a restaurant he
established years ago which often provides food to those in need.

 

An Instagram posting showing
him washing dishes, stated “When you can’t do what you do, then do what you
can.” That inspired him to create the song “Do What You Can.”

 

The
lesson in Bon Jovi’s action is to turn disappointment around when facing
adversity. If it’s writer’s block or any type of setback, flip it over by doing
what you can, rather than forcing yourself to do what you normally do. Until
inspiration hits again!

  

If
I experience writer’s block and turn to dish washing, I think my creativity
would return very quickly!

 

Ever
had writer’s block? How did you overcome it?




Kathryn’s books –
The Nikki Garcia Thriller series and her short story collection – Backyard
Volcano. All available on Amazon.



Kathryn Lane started out as a starving artist. To earn a living, she became
a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in international finance
with a major multinational corporation. After two decades, she left the
corporate world to plunge into writing mystery and suspense thrillers. In her
stories, Kathryn draws deeply from

https://www.kathryn-lane.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathrynlanewriter/

“If I Had Something to Say” by re_birf is
licensed under CC BY 2.0

Other photos from public domain.

In The Mood For Writing…

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By Lynn McPherson

Today I want to address a question a lot of writers face at some point in their career. What should I do if I don’t feel like writing? The short answer is to write anyway. My opinion is not shared by everyone. For that reason I’ve decided to give you my thoughts on how to get it done and hope I will persuade those who disagree. Let’s get started.
1. Find your focus. Writing requires a clear head. With the turmoil and difficulties facing the world over the last few months, it is no doubt almost impossible to naturally fall into that sweet space where the thoughts clear and the imagination roams free. So how can one reach the level of concentration required to get their stories down on (virtual) paper? Here are a few ideas:
a) Meditate—I’m not talking hours, how about 2-5 minutes?
b) Get up early before the mind is clouded by news and chatter
c) Go for a walk. Simple yet effective.
2. Be Creative. Writing time doesn’t have to mean adding to the manuscript every time you sit down. Editing, Plotting, and Character Development are all essential elements that don’t always require the same level of concentration first drafts do. Why not use the time to work on other parts of your book if you’re not in the mood to push the story forward?
3. Eliminate distractions. For an hour a day, whether it’s early, late, or during your lunch break, sit down in front of your laptop (or whatever device you write on) and stare at it. Make sure your phone and wifi are switched off and put your email on hold. One hour. My guess is that blank screen won’t stay blank for long.

There you have it. My thoughts on how to write even when you don’t feel like it. I’m not saying you should write every day. That’s up to you. But it’s a good idea to figure out a schedule and stick to it—whether that means once a day, three times a week, or only on Sundays. What works for me is to get up with the sun and write every weekday morning. It gives me about 8-10 hours a week of concentrated writing time. It’s not a lot but it’s something.
What works for you?
Lynn McPherson has worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ran a small business, and taught English across the globe. She has travelled the world solo where her daring spirit has led her to jump out of airplanes, dive with sharks, and learn she would never master a surfboard. She now channels her lifelong love of adventure and history into her writing, where she is free to go anywhere, anytime. Her cozy series has three books out: The Girls’ Weekend Murder and The Girls Whispered Murder, and The Girls Dressed For Murder.  

Calling Our Readers

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Calling Our Readers

By Cathy Perkins

The days leading up to a new release are always hectic for an author. Add in a nerve-wracking pandemic, wrenching racial and political crises, and life can feel downright overwhelming. Other members of our group have posted thoughtful discussions about this turmoil and I hope you will read through those posts and think about their words. Whatever your personal beliefs are, may you be a force for change, a positive note in the chaos. 


Ready for an escape? Without further ado, I bring you Calling for the Money! 

Cover of Calling for the MoneyHolly Price has it all—or
does she?

Holly
finally has the dream job at the top of her field, the money and prestige she’s
worked so hard to attain. But when a friend disappears while Holly is working a
make-or-break career assignment, she’s drawn into another criminal
investigation. A ruthless con ring will stop at nothing to extort its victims
and her friends are directly in their cross-hairs.

While
she’s searching for her missing friend, behind the scenes she’s wrestling with
a backstabbing boss, a hurtful family situation, and the devastating worry
she’s made a massive life choices mistake. When the gangsters target Holly,
however, facing certain death has a way of making her reevaluate her life.

Now
Holly must confront her painful past in order to redefine her future…and hope
she lives long enough to see it.
Available at all major online retailers: https://books2read.com/CallingForTheMoney

Note, each book in the Holly Price Mystery Series is a standalone
novel or novella. Although these books can be read individually, they are best enjoyed
chronologically.

Holly Price Mysteries:

So About the Money

Double Down

In It for the Money

Calling for the Money

Malbec Mayhem