Tag Archive for: Murder Takes the Cake

Green Trash Bins

/in /by
The saying goes that the devil is in the details. And
sometimes the details bring out the devil in otherwise normal human beings.

The question I bring to the loyal Stiletto Gang
readers is how much truth do readers of fiction expect? How much do they
deserve?

Recently my coauthor and I received a review at
Amazon from a reader who protested that we had failed to do adequate research
for our latest mystery MURDER DOUBLES BACK. She complained that we used the
wrong color trash bins in a scene set in a particular city. In great detail she
explained that she had lived in Arlington, Virginia for many
decades and not once had “green” trash bins been used in the area.
Apparently had we chosen just about any other color, the story might have
passed muster with her as the bin color had varied over time. But never green!

Honestly, when I read the review I was hard
pressed to remember any trash bins in the mystery. I knew it wasn’t a
significant plot point.  So doing what
any mystery writer would do in this situation , I opened the Word file of
MURDER DOUBLES BACK and did a search for the word “green.”

The software program brought up a list of
sentences with “green” in them. Whiskey, the Irish wolfhound in our
Sullivan Investigations Mysteries, sleeps on a “green futon” in Mac’s
office. I think we are safe there, although I confess I did not research futons
to see if any manufacturer produced “green” futons. If we get
challenged on it, I plan to say JJ, Mac’s assistant, reupholstered the futon in
the green fabric. JJ does a lot of things besides being a computer wiz and
detective-in-training. In MURDER OFF THE BOOKS, the first mystery in the series,
she renovated the Sullivan Investigations Inc. office by painting walls,
refinishing furniture, etc. I’m sure she could recover a futon if push came to
shove.

The next time “green” came up in my
search was in relationship to vegetables – green beans, green peas, green bean casseroles.
Yes, I’m making a note that for future books we should branch out – maybe add some
yellow squash, white hominy, and orange carrots. Although we probably wouldn’t
need to describe carrots.

Finally I found the object of our reader’s ire.   

Afternoons
in late December got dark early. Mac was glad he found the group home while
there was still light. It looked like most of the others on a block of tract
homes built in the 1950s. The house numbers were hidden by a large Christmas
wreath on the front door. There was a well-used basketball hoop attached to the
garage. Three garbage cans sat at the curb waiting for trash collection the
next day. Next to them was a green plastic container marked recyclables.


Busted. We never checked the color of the
recyclables bin in Arlington, Virginia. All I can say is that we
profusely apologize for offending the citizens of Arlington. And thank heavens
we sent Mac back home to D.C. right away without further ado or more erroneous
color choices.

(Note to self – Mac was the character who saw
“green” while visiting a group home residence. Is it too late to make
Mac color-blind? According to the reviewer “blue” would have been an
acceptable trash bin color for that town. No, maybe not. Surely that handicap would
have come up before in earlier books and after all, let’s get “real”
here for a minute, the mention of the trash bins was just made in passing. The
bins, green or otherwise, were of no significance to the plot.)

Of course Mac also visited West Virginia in this
book while chasing after a kidnapper. I’ll do another Word search, but I’m
positive we didn’t involve any trash bins in those scenes. Seriously, what do
you think? Should every detail in a work of fiction be researched by the author?
What is the reader owed?
 

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
______________________

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

 


Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Zoned for Murder – stand-alone mystery

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

COMING SOON – MURDER DOUBLES BACK!

/in /by
 
 
 
It’s been a long time coming but if you listen carefully you can hear the sounds of an Irish wolfhound running towards you. Whiskey is back!
We’re celebrating the upcoming publication of our third book in the
Sullivan Investigations Mystery series,
MURDER DOUBLES BACK
with excerpts
from the first book – MURDER OFF THE BOOKS
and the second book – MURDER TAKES THE CAKE. 


“The gun should be right about there.” Edgar pointed
to a spot under a rose bush about a foot from where Mac was kneeling.

“Gun!” Mac’s voice was a little louder than he’d
intended, but the old man had failed to mention a gun before.

“What did you think we were digging for? Bulbs?” Edgar
cackled and then coughed.

“Shush. We don’t want to wake her up,” Mac warned,
glancing at the dark house, glad he’d left Whiskey in the truck.

The old man nodded, lowering his voice to a whisper. “It
was late, just past 11 P.M. on Saturday night. The brother drove up and instead
of going to the front door, he came around to the side of the house and started
digging by that bush. I saw him pull a gun out of his jacket, wrap it in one of
those knitted caps, and stick it in the hole. He covered it up real nice with
some of that cedar mulch you see there.”

“How did you see all that? The goggles?”

“Nah. Didn’t need them. The Wilsons‘,” Edgar pointed to his right,
“have one of those motion detector lights. When the brother walked across
the yard, it lit up.”

Mac looked towards the house the man had indicated. He didn’t
remember any light when Whiskey was busy stealing a ham on Sunday night.
“It must not be working now.”

The old man shrugged his bony shoulders. “Hasn’t worked
since the burglary. Think the thieves did that?”

“I don’t believe in coincidences. What happened after you
saw Thayer bury the gun?” Mac continued sifting through the loose soil and
mulch around the bush, trying to avoid catching his coat on the thorns.

“He left. Just got in his car and drove away.”

Mac leaned back on his heels. “Okay, I’ve found the hole
but nothing is here now. How come you didn’t call the police?”

“Did call–twice. They put me on hold–twice. I don’t have
enough time left in this world to be spending any of it on hold.”

Mac dusted off his hands on his jeans. “You didn’t see
anyone around later that night? Or how about the burglary on Sunday
night?”

Before the old man could answer, the lights in the house began
coming on.

“Let’s go,” Mac whispered, scrambling to his feet.

The sound of the back door opening panicked both men.

“Save yourself,” Edgar gasped, waving Mac towards the
nearby oak tree. “Get up there. I’ll divert her.”

Feeling as foolish as he probably looked, Mac climbed the tree,
hoping there were enough leaves left on the branches to hide him.

 
“Like I told you on the phone when I asked you to come in,
Mac left me in charge until he gets back tomorrow,” JJ announced to the
man and the Irish wolfhound sitting in front of her desk. “He’s in Boston checking out the
police corruption Bridget was involved in. We’re supposed to work on the turkey
farm murder and try to keep tabs on Bridget without being too obvious about it.
He also wants you to finish up that background check on Joshua Lasky.” 
Edgar and the dog stared at her. 
“What?” She didn’t need to ask why they were staring
at her. After Mac’s order to change her wardrobe, she’d visited a consignment
shop. Currently she was wearing a circa 1930s, knockoff, Chanel suit. Even
though she’d had to re-sew the seams, the old suit had still cost her more
money than she was comfortable spending–especially just to make a point. It was
black wool with gold metal buttons. She’d added a white silk blouse. Around her
waist she’d cinched a black leather belt to hide the fact the jacket was a
little large. The four inch heels were already killing her feet and it wasn’t
even noon yet. She’d left her jet-black hair in its normal spiked style, but
she’d replaced her large hoop earrings with fake pearl studs and a matching
double strand necklace. 
“You got one of those little hats with the black netting?”
Edgar asked, waving one gnarled hand across his eyes showing where the netting
would be. 
“Maybe.” She had seen one of those at the shop and
thought about buying it. But she wasn’t about to take fashion advice from the
old man. “Why?” 
“Widow’s weeds. You could get a job as an extra at O’Herlihy’s
when Mac fires you. You know, as one of those paid mourners.” He chuckled,
and then coughed. “They still have those?” 
“I don’t like you very much. If anyone is going to get
fired around here, it’s going to be you. You were the one who was supposed to
research Brian Crager. Instead, at the least, you let us get fooled by an
imposter and at the most, let a killer escape.” 
Whiskey barked and looked towards Edgar. 
“I’m not the one who signed up a dead client and traded the
services of this firm for a few turkeys and a percentage of nothing!” 
Whiskey turned towards JJ and whined.
“Hey, don’t you start too. Who drove you through your
favorite fast food place this morning?” 
“Now you’re bribing the dog so she’s on your side? Come
here, girl!” 
Whiskey looked from one to the other, then stood and walked into
Mac’s office. 
The door slammed. 
JJ and Edgar both jumped.
They looked at each other, then the door. 
“Did she just.…” 
“I’m not even going there,” Edgar mumbled. “Didn’t
happen.”
 

 

————————————

 
 

 

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback 
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

 

 


Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

A Slice of Cake!

/in /by

February is the month of love but we like our love stories served with a large slice of mystery. How about you? Start your week off right with something sweet, but not too sweet – sample an excerpt from MURDER TAKES THE CAKE

***

 
“Live turkeys or frozen ones?” Mac frowned at JJ. It
didn’t sound like much of a case. “Have I mentioned we should be aiming
for jobs that pay actual cash?”

“Live turkeys. And there’s money with this one.”

There were a lot of turkeys in the nation’s capital, but very
few with actual feathers. “Live turkeys? Are you sure? In D.C.?”

“They were the backup team for the guys headed to the White
House to get pardons.”

“Why would someone pay to find them?” He laughed. “Especially,
if they were the second string. My fee would be more than what they are worth.”

“It’s not only turkeys that are missing.”

“JJ, do you want those fries some time today? Let’s hear
the whole story, but make it quick.”

“The turkey farmer’s employee, stock truck, and wife are
all missing.”

“And?”

“And the contents of his savings account–$400,000 and
change. He’d just sold some land. Needed the money to invest in some spin-off
business.”

“A turkey spin-off business? What? Gobbles in a Can?”

JJ narrowed her eyes and remained silent.

“Okay. Missing employee, truck, wife, turkeys, and money.
What’s our client the most interested in finding?”

JJ grinned. “The money of course. And the turkeys…but only
if you find them before Thanksgiving, which means a rush job. He didn’t seem
too broken-up about the wife or the truck.”

“Must have been an old truck.” Mac sighed. “Okay.
We’ll do it. Give Edgar a call. He’s been wanting to get his hands dirty on a
job. He won’t admit it, but I think since Elinor’s sudden death, he’s been
lonely. Tell him to interview the farmer, neighbors, anyone who knew the wife,
and any acquaintances of the hired hand. He can do it over the phone.”

“So we’re officially taking the case? He’s offering a
turkey and 5% of whatever we recover.”

“Yeah, we’ll take it. The cash, not the turkey. Something
already smells funny.”

“You’re still thinking about the turkeys.”

Mac chuckled. “Besides them. If you’re running off with the
boss’s wife and a whole lot of money, why bother to haul around a load of
smelly birds? Tell Edgar to make sure the two disappearances aren’t just a
coincidence. And get the farmer to sign a contract.”

They both turned as the bells on the office door jingled.

A tall woman with red hair and an even redder leather bomber
jacket walked in.

“Uncle Mac! Surprise!”

“Bridget!” Mac wasn’t too surprised to see his
goddaughter. He knew she was coming home this week for the holiday and to work
on wedding plans. Plus, Jeff had mentioned the Thanksgiving dinner invitation
again to him the day before, trying to get him to humor Kathleen and leave
Whiskey at a kennel for the occasion. Now it appeared Bridget had been given the
mission. The issue of abandoning his dog for the day aside, he’d really rather
stay home with a six-pack of beer, take-out from his favorite pizza place, and
a football game on his new flat screen television. “Whiskey and I are a
team. I’m not leaving her behind even for a plateful of your mother’s candied
sweet potatoes.”

“Good to see you too.” Bridget gave him a hug. “You
don’t have to come to dinner. I’ll eat your share of sweet potatoes. And
pumpkin pie. But I do need something from you.”

“What?”

“You can’t tell my father.”

“I already don’t like the sound of this.”

“Someone is trying to kill me.”

 

 

 

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback 
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Moonlighting at the Mall

/in /by

Our first mystery, Murder Off the Books was published in 2007. It introduced three memorable characters: Mac Sullivan, retired D.C. cop and newly-minted private detective; Whiskey, his adorable canine sidekick, an Irish wolfhound who could tackle a cheeseburger and a murderer with equal ease; and Rachel Brenner, makeup artist in a funeral home whose clients never complained.

We followed it up two years later with Murder Takes the Cake, a sequel with a killer mystery, lots of laughs, and a nice touch of romance. We also published Riley Come Home, a short story featuring this delightful trio, set in the hard-edged world of purebred dog shows.

And then we moved on to a new series featuring psychic Brianna Sullivan, a distant cousin of Mac’s, and set in Lottawatah, Oklahoma. We’ve written seven Brianna novellas – with lots more to come.

But we missed Mac, Whiskey, and Rachel. And for this holiday season, we are delighted to bring them back in a new story sure to intrigue and enchant you. Moonlighting at the Mall finds Mac Sullivan as an undercover Santa Claus, determined to find the mall thief who is brazenly robbing local jewelry stores. He’s got more help than he wants. His girlfriend Rachel Brenner is very convincing as Mrs. Claus; septuagenarian Edgar is a less-believable Elf; and Whiskey steals the show as Rudolph.

We’re delighted to be back with the Sullivan Investigations crowd. They’re old friends of ours- yours too, we hope. Enjoy this holiday whodunnit with a mystery to confound you, humor to make you laugh out loud, and a romance that doesn’t need any help from mistletoe.

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Evelyn David’s Murder Takes the Cake

/in /by

Weddings can be murder! Murder Takes the Cake is the sequel to Murder Off the Books. Private Detective Mac Sullivan and his furry sidekick, Whiskey, are back for more mystery, romance, and fast food. For a taste of the “cake,” read the excerpt below:

____________

Time seemed to pause, then Mac sensed, rather than heard, the initial crack. Instinctively, he ducked behind the open car door, but his reflexes weren’t quite as fast as they used to be. Damn middle age. He could feel the flesh on his right arm burning, knew the wetness soaking his clothes and dripping down his hand was blood.

More bullets slapped into the car door, breaking the window and showering him with cubes of safety glass.

“Get down.” He hissed a warning to Merrell, but was much too late. Amid a third volley of bullets, Mac saw the Boston cop was face down on the asphalt, hand still in his pocket reaching for his wad of cash.

A bullet ricocheted off the door, striking the floorboard only a few inches from Mac’s hip. He needed to be somewhere else and quick. The bullet rounds continued. The shooter had to have more than one weapon or he’d reloaded.

Mac reached for his gun, tucked in a holster next to his left shoulder. The well-practiced movement was almost impossible. His right arm ached. His shooting hand was slippery with blood and felt strange…weak. He looked to make sure he was actually holding his gun.

The motel dumpster, twenty feet away, would offer more protection than an ancient Cadillac door. He decided to chance it.

A hail of bullets erupted as soon as he started running. One bullet bounced off the asphalt uncomfortably close to his left foot. He was three feet from the dumpster when he crouched and pivoted to return fire. The shooter was well hidden. Mac knew better than just to point and shoot. He needed to verify his target. If he could see the muzzle flash, he’d consider firing.

He never got that chance. Another rounds of shots and suddenly he found himself flat on his back, fur in his mouth, a 120-pound wolfhound as his personal bulletproof vest.

Squealing tires signaled the all-clear.

“Get off.” He attempted to push Whiskey off his chest, but the dog refused to budge.

“It’s okay, girl.” He tried to soothe the dog, running his left hand along her back. The quivering furry body told him she wasn’t convinced, although she appeared to be unhurt. A few more not-so-gentle pushes and Whiskey reluctantly gave up her perch.

Mac tried to sit up and failed. He’d twisted a muscle in his back when he fell; the muscles in his lower back had seized up. He rolled to his side and crawled next to the dumpster. Leaning against the cold metal, he propped himself upright gingerly and took inventory.

His arm throbbed. His favorite jacket was sliced open and damp with blood, probably ruined. With his left hand, he fished a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped the makeshift bandage around his upper arm. Conclusion–battered, but he’d live. Whiskey whined and Mac realized she was pacing the space between him and Merrell. For a moment he’d forgotten about Merrell.

Gritting his teeth against the pain in his back, Mac reholstered his gun and crawled over to the body sprawled twenty feet away, across two parking spaces. Judging from the exit wound that had taken off the back of the man’s skull, Mac knew there wasn’t much point in feeling for a pulse, but he did anyway. There was none.

He could hear sirens in the distance. Somebody had called the cops, but they were too scared to come out to the parking lot to help. He couldn’t blame them. Flying bullets don’t usually encourage heroics. Not from strangers.

Mac reached into Merrell’s pocket and withdrew the wad of cash. He shoved twenty back in so the cops wouldn’t think it was a robbery. He’d make sure Merrell’s kids got the money, like he promised.

The ache in his arm was increasing; winning the competition with the pain in his lower back. His gunshot wound now had his full, undivided attention. Mental exhaustion was also beginning to take a toll. Or maybe he was going into shock. Mac leaned against the Cadillac’s wheel and waited with his nervous dog for the cops to arrive. He had to figure out just how much explaining he was willing to do. It went without saying that Whiskey would go along with whatever version of the truth he told the police. Partners did that sort of thing.

_____________

Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David

Buy the Kindle version at Amazon

Buy the iPad version at the Apple iBookstore

Buy the e-Pub version at The Digital Bookshop

2nd Edition Trade paperback version coming this Fall from Wolfmont Publishing. Limited quanity of autographed 1st edition copies are available now at The Digital Bookshop. For more information click here.

Ch-Ch-Changes

/in /by

With a tip of the hat to Dreamgirls, picture both halves of Evelyn David warbling, “We are ch-ch-changing.” Maybe not quite so dramatic, but in fact, there’s a whole lot of change going on in the Evelyn David households.

Here’s the takeaway, as they say in the news biz:

Murder Drops the Ball, the third in the Sullivan Investigations Series, will be published next spring by our new publisher, Wolfmont Press!

Cue, fireworks!

The past twelve months have been a roller coaster ride, both personally and professionally. We both had health issues, which are now behind us (but let’s add a poo, poo, just to be safe). We had family issues (some exceptionally wonderful like Ms. Riley, who made the Northern half of this writing duo, a Grandma!). And then there were the hard decisions of what do we want to do next professionally.

Some of the questions and answers we faced as we made our decision?

Do we both still like to write mysteries? Yep, you bet.

Do we still want to write mysteries together? Absolutely, no question – heck, in truth, if we’re not writing them together, we’re not writing them.

And finally, with respect and gratitude to our first publisher who first believed in us, nonetheless, was it time for a change? And the answer was a sad yes.

We are so pleased to be working with Tony Burton, owner of Wolfmont Press and Honey Locust Press. Many of you know Tony from the wonderful charity mystery anthologies he creates each year, funneling thousands of dollars to Toys for Tots, and this year, hopefully for Homes for Our Troops. Tony is also Vice President of the Southeast Mystery Writers of America – and an author himself.

Here’s the plan. The Kindle editions (as well as e-book editions for the Nook and the i-Pad) are already available for Murder Off the Books and Murder Takes the Cake. The new print edition of Murder Off the Books (with a new cover) is now available at Amazon. The new print edition of Murder Takes the Cake will be out this winter.

Then next spring, Mac, Rachel, Whiskey and the gang are back in Murder Drops the Ball. It’s New Year’s eve and the body count is rising – while the temperatures fall. There’s a story to die for, humor to make you laugh out loud, the characters you love, and Whiskey, full of sass and an insatiable appetite.

In the meantime, we’ve got a fun contest for you. Thanks to Tony we made one change in the story to Murder Off the Books. We’re grateful for his expertise and readily agreed to the revision. The first three people who identify the change will receive a free copy of the new edition of Murder Takes the Cake.

In the midst of all this Ch-Ch-Changing, one thing remains constant: Evelyn David is here to stay!

Enjoy!

Evelyn David

Very Taxing

/in /by

Turbo Tax and I have started working on my 2009 income taxes. I say “started” because ever since I added “fiction writer” to my resume my taxes have gotten complicated.

Oh, I always itemized. But my “items” were few and simple – mortgage interest, property taxes, interest income and a couple of other things. Click a few keys, hit print, then send and my refund would arrived in 2 to 3 weeks.

Now I have a “home office.” I have to sort through a drawer-full of crumpled receipts. Promotion expenses are the worst – I have receipts for tiny rubber ducks (they were wedding ducks used in the promotion of Murder Takes the Cake). I also have actual “cake” receipts. My co-author and I ran a promotion last summer for librarians – “Have Your Cake & Eat It Too.” Very successful, if expensive. We sent Smith Island Cakes to a half dozen very happy librarians.

There were also flyers and bookmarks. Not cheap, but deductable. And the postage to mail all those flyers and bookmarks, yep I’ve got piles of those receipts. Just need to find my calculator and total them up.

And books. Note to the public and authors’ relatives – authors at small publishing houses (and many large ones too) don’t get a lot of free authors’ copies of their novel. So when a reviewer needs a copy or a charity wants to raffle off an autographed copy, it’s more likely than not, the book being supplied is one the author purchased. The costs of those promotional copies also get itemized.

I attended the Love Is Murder Conference in Chicago last February. I drove so there’s a rental car receipt in that file drawer somewhere, along with the hotel receipts. And gas receipts. Note to self – include the fuel costs from Oklahoma to the Windy City.

What’s next? Website hosting fees? Nope, my co-author paid for that. I paid for the Constant Contact newsletter service. I’ve got those receipts in my desk drawer, along with copies of my annual dues payments to Sisters In Crime and Romance Writers of America (don’t ask – at some point I was considering writing romantic suspense).

Then there’s the toner costs, paper costs, posters, poster frames, a folding table and two folding chairs for book signings, and the cost of some netting material to stuff those little yellow rubber ducks into.

Since authors usually only get two royalty statements a year, adding up the income is easy. I’m sorry to say I don’t even need a calculator for that.

Sigh. Nothing like tax time to discourage an author.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

The Thanksgiving Menu

/in /by

Evelyn David will be at two Thanksgiving tables this year – a thousand miles apart geographically but just nextdoor in spirit.

Rhonda:
I watched an HGTV cooking special the other night. Four families were competing for $10,000 and the honor of best Thanksgiving feast. They had six hours to prepare the meal from scratch. Each team had 3 members. Each team’s leader was the matriarch of the family. The obligatory turkey ranged from fried, to roasted, to “tofu-ed.” It was fun to see the variety in the menus and the interaction of the families.

My family is from Oklahoma and our traditional Thanksgiving meal is rooted firmly in Southern cuisine. A large turkey is prepared. If it’s not at least 18 pounds, it’s not worth the trouble. It’s thawed over several days in a cooler, then wrestled into the oven by my mom (the only one in the house up at 5 am.)

I get involved in with the preparation of the centerpiece of our meal – the cornbread & sage dressing. It’s very labor intensive – lots of chopping, mixing, and tasting. The recipe is very close to what our ancestors fixed a hundred years ago. Each generation has tweaked the spices – my paternal grandmother added a couple of cans of chopped oysters. My mom and I have added cheese. About ten years ago we invented “dressing balls.” We had more dressing than we could fit in the oven to bake, so we put the leftover raw dressing in greased muffin tins. We baked it after the rest of the meal was done. The result was individual portions of dressing that had a crusty top and sides – perfect for reheating in a microwave for the second, third, and fourth meals with the Thanksgiving leftovers. Now we bake all the dressing in the muffin tins. Modesty aside, I’m sure our Thanksgiving dressing is the best in the world.

The rest of our menu includes gravy, mashed potatoes, a cranberry/apple ring, a pineapple/orange Jell-O dish, green beans, steamed broccoli, baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows, homemade yeast rolls, pumpkin pie, and cherry pie. We wash it all down with gallons of iced tea.

My co-author is from New York but her mother was Southern. We’ve found that we have some of the same traditions and some different.

Marian:
Thanksgiving dinner seems to be set in stone. Sure we can mix it up a little, maybe try a new dessert, but basically my family wants to see the same items on the menu from year to year, regardless of whether I’ve got my Barefoot Contessa apron on or not.

Turkey is a given – although personally I ate all sides last year and never touched the bird. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows is a staple, a salad (which is more an homage to nutrition than actually eaten), and this year I’m trying a new cranberry conserve, but I’ll also have a can of Ocean Spray cranberry jelly for the traditionalists in the group. My daughter wants to make a pecan pie (yum!), and I’m going to make a devil’s food cake with a turkey decoration. If time is running short, it may just be chocolate cake sans the fancy bird – chocolate is a perfect way to express thankfulness.

Equally important to me as what is served, is what it is served on. I have several platters that belonged to my mother, the original Evelyn. A holiday wouldn’t be complete without having those dishes heaped with food – reminding me of wonderful holidays of long ago.

Our latest mystery, Murder Takes the Cake is set during the week before Thanksgiving. In one scene our main female character is debating on how she was going to spend her holiday and with whom.

Murder Takes the Cake – Evelyn David – May 2009

Mac started to walk to the door, but paused. “So what are you doing on Thanksgiving? Jeff and Kathleen want me to join the family, but I’m not up to that scene. You’re probably doing something with your family.…”

“Not this year.” Rachel sighed. “Sam is going skiing with his new girlfriend and my brother is off visiting his fiancée’s family. Kathleen asked me to come too, but I’m not up for that scene either. I thought I’d stay home and feel sorry for myself.”

“So maybe we could do that together? Or if we got really inspired we could get a pizza and watch some football or something?”

“Or maybe we could eat some turkey with cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and pecan pie and then watch a movie?” Rachel countered.

“We’d need to negotiate the menu. Whiskey doesn’t like pecan pie.”

“How does she feel about apple pie?”

“A la mode?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“It’s a date.”

Tell us about your Thanksgiving menu? Does it vary from year to year? What’s your favorite dish?

Happy Turkey Day from Rhonda, Marian, and Evelyn David

http://www.evelyndavid.com/

International Dog of Mystery

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On Tuesday the collective Evelyn David received a pleasant surprise. We got a look at the cover of the Japanese version of Murder Off the Books, the first book in the Sullivan Investigation series. We can’t wait to get our hands on an actual copy. We found it interesting that the title has been slightly altered: It’s Murder Off the Book (singular) for the Japanese audience.

It was during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2007, that we first received an e-mail from an agent in Japan. The agent contacted us through our website (If you’re a writer, don’t let anyone tell you that websites aren’t important.). She was working for a publisher who was interested in acquiring the Japanese rights to Murder Off the Books.

Thrilled, we forwarded her email to our agent. He assured us that the agent was real, the interest legitimate. Can’t remember a Thanksgiving that I’ve enjoyed more: turkey, dressing, family, and a possible Japanese sale of our novel – doesn’t get much better than that.

Like everything in the publishing world, nothing happens quickly. It was spring 2008 before we signed our contract and received our advance. After that it was just waiting to see when the book would be published. We knew this summer when they asked for information about obtaining the rights to use the photograph of the Irish wolfhound on our cover, “Whiskey,” that publication of the book was moving forward.

We’re going to be keeping our fingers crossed that Japanese readers fall in love with Mac, Rachel, Whiskey, and the Sullivan Investigations gang. If so, maybe they’ll want the second book in the series, Murder Takes the Cake.

Maybe in book three we’ll send Mac and Whiskey on a trip to Tokyo. I hear they have Golden Arches over there now – anyone who’s read our mysteries knows Whiskey loves McDonald’s!

Sayonara,

Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com

On the Clothesline

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Writing clothes has developed into a theme on the Stiletto Gang this week. I’ve been thinking of what I have to say on the matter. Unfortunately, it’s not much. I write at night. So when I write, I wear whatever I wore to work that day minus shoes, jacket and jewelry. I pull my hair back in a ponytail, grab a Pepsi One, maybe some Strawberry Twizzlers, and I’m good to go.

Of course I do have to dress my “people.” Descriptions of clothing can help define your characters. Anyone who has read Murder Off the Books can tell you what kind of clothes JJ wears.

“Can I help you?” A young woman in her late teens reluctantly looked up from her computer screen, then stood and stretched. Her short spiked black hair was shaved over her left ear, which sported a silver hoop earring the size of a tennis ball. A red plaid flannel shirt, cargo pants, black studded leather belt, and heavy work boots completed the receptionist’s attire.

In Murder Takes the Cake, JJ’s style draws her boss’s ire:

“Hey, you already yelled at me once this morning. You don’t pay me enough to put up with it all day long, mister.”

Mac narrowed his eyes. After her outburst, JJ had actually flounced out of his office; a difficult feat for someone wearing an outfit better suited for a military grunt than a southern belle.

He obviously needed to establish some boundaries. She worked for him! “And buy some appropriate clothes for the office. Nothing in camouflage! A suit maybe. And no hobnailed boots. I’m tired of you scaring off the clients.”

There! That was something he’d been intending to say for days.

And somehow when JJ does upgrade her style, she still stands out.

Edgar and the dog stared at her.

“What?” She didn’t need to ask why they were staring at her. After Mac’s order to change her wardrobe, she’d visited a consignment shop. Currently she was wearing a circa 1930s, knockoff, Chanel suit. Even though she’d had to re-sew the seams, the old suit had still cost her more money than she was comfortable spending–especially just to make a point. It was black wool with gold metal buttons. She’d added a white silk blouse. Around her waist she’d cinched a black leather belt to hide the fact the jacket was a little large. The four inch heels were already killing her feet and it wasn’t even noon yet. She’d left her jet-black hair in its normal spiked style, but she’d replaced her large hoop earrings with fake pearl studs and a matching double strand necklace.

“You got one of those little hats with the black netting?” Edgar asked, waving one gnarled hand across his eyes showing where the netting would be.

“Maybe.” She had seen one of those at the shop and thought about buying it. But she wasn’t about to take fashion advice from the old man. “Why?”

“Widow’s weeds. You could get a job as an extra at O’Herlihy’s when Mac fires you. You know, as one of those paid mourners.”

Do you pay attention to what characters are wearing in the novels you read? Is there a character you’ll always remember because of his/her clothing?

Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com