Tag Archive for: Pampered Pets Mysteries

Strong, Smart and Not Ordinary

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Here’s to strong smart women. Especially those who fly
under the radar.

Amateur sleuths, particularly women amateur sleuths, often
don’t seem all that strong or all that smart at first blush. But they are,
aren’t they? Whether they have ordinary jobs like small-town librarian, preschool
teachers, haunted bed and breakfast owner or for that matter they may be like, pet
therapist, Caro Lamont and pet boutique owner, Melinda Langston, in our Pampered Pets mystery series.

Whatever their regular, everyday job…these women are
strong. They are smart.
They may seem ordinary, but they’re definitely not.

We love writing (and reading) these seemingly ordinary women
because they’re often underestimated, and even at times, overlooked. These
ladies can take care of themselves and anyone else who needs it.

Writing a strong heroine can be tricky. It’s a balancing
act. You see, a strong woman isn’t just a guy named Lance who’s been given some
curves and renamed Linda.  A strong
heroine is a multi-faceted person with feelings and flaws. She understands her
weaknesses, learns from her mistakes and draws on her strengths to face what
she needs to face. She’s loyal and fierce and believes in fighting the good
fight, not only for herself but for others who can’t fight. She may get
knocked down, but she always gets up, ready to try again.
Joss
Wheldon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, says he writes strong
women because of his mother was a cool, sexy, funny, woman. And because of his
father and step-father prized wit and resolve above all things.

We believe part of the fascination with strong, smart women
who fly under the radar is that they are going along, leading ordinary lives,
and suddenly they must rise to the occasion when faced with extraordinary
circumstances. In our books, it’s almost always a murder. But the murder isn’t
really the call to action for Caro and Mel. It’s the injustice. Someone is
falsely accused. Someone is in danger. Someone has been wronged or someone bad
will get away doing something bad.

And don’t we all hope that if we were placed in a situation
that called for it, that we’d put on our big girl capes and perform
extraordinary feats.

So here’s to us – the daughters, mothers, grandmothers,
sisters, and friends who fight the good fight. Even if, sometimes, we have to
save the world between grocery shopping, special events, and nonstop meetings.

Here’s to you – may your battles be small and your
superpowers sufficient to the challenge before you.

What
makes a great strong female character for you?


Sparkle
Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods aka Mary Lee Ashford and Anita
Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series.
They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways
to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from
readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite
social media sites.
Their
most recent book is The Dogfather, the tenth book in the Pampered Pets series.
Also,
if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the
SparkleAbbey.com website.

#WalkAroundThingsDay

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by Sparkle Abbey

We’ve survived the second most brutal Iowa winter in history. We’ve also sprung our clocks forward, managed to escape April Fool’s Day unscathed (we wish we would have thought to keep all of our Amazon boxes for an April Fool’s prank!), and are ready to celebrate National Walk Around Day. Never heard of it? That’s okay, we hadn’t either. Living in Iowa, we’re used to walking around snow piles, icy parking lots, and Grand Canyon-sized potholes so it seemed like an excellent National Day to talk about.

We conducted a little research about Walk Around Things Day. . . .and by “a little,” we mean there wasn’t much information to find. We did learn the day can be celebrated literally and figuratively.

In the literal sense, one can take advantage of the day to benefit your health. Up your activity by walking your dog around the block or walking around the office building. Make sure you complete a full circle otherwise you haven’t actually “walked around” anything.

As for figuratively, if you’re looking for a reason to procrastinate on dealing with a work situation or an uncomfortable conversation, today is a valid excuse to put it off for another twenty-four hours. Living in the Midwest-nice culture, it’s not uncommon for people to “walk around” difficult conversations. You wouldn’t want to hurt your co-worker or neighbor’s feelings, would you? Which is probably why, as writers, we love to explore characters who tackle their problems head-on, who are unafraid to express their opinion, and speak before thinking.

We plan to celebrate the day both figuratively and literally. What about you?

Oh, one last thing. In our research, we discovered Sunday is National No Housework Day. Shouldn’t National Walk Around Things Day come after No Housework Day? Just a thought.

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods aka Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. 

Their most recent book is The Dogfather, the tenth book in the Pampered Pets series.

Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Crimes of Passion

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by Sparkle Abbey


We have a confession. February, the month of love, bring us thoughts of hearts, flowers, and. . . murder.

Over the past few years, with the growing popularity of true crime podcasts, American’s are gobbling up true crime stories like discounted Valentine’s Day chocolates at Walgreens. Who’s not listening to the wildly popular podcast My Favorite Murder? There’s even a Netflix show called, Murderous Affairs — “True crime stories of lovers and spouses driven to kill.”

Obviously, love and murder go well together. Why? Maybe because both involve passion, an emotion so strong it can push someone over the edge. Thriller writer, John Lescroart

once said there are 14 motives for murder, but he summarized them as love, lust, lucre, and loathing.

As a motive for a crime of passion, love and murder are clearly a great match. However, in addition, love also often becomes a part of the storyline for the characters solving the mystery. It’s no accident that popular crime shows often feature a love interest. Love is a common human experience. Almost everyone can relate to it. Love motivates our decision making. In fiction those decisions are mostly bad, which only amp up the tension, keeping us on the edge of our seats.

A lingering glance over a dead body, repressed romantic feelings during a serial killer investigation, a confession of love when two people are convinced they are about to die, only to be denied when both people survive—reasons that keep us watching our favorite shows, episode after episode.

So what do you think? Do you like a serving of love with your mystery? Or would you rather keep the hearts and flowers far away from your crime fiction?


Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series set in Laguna Beach. Their series features former Texas beauty queen cousins, Caro, a pet therapist and, Melinda, a pet boutique owner. The most recent installments (book nine) BARKING WITH THE STARS and  (book ten) THE DOGFATHER continue Caro and Mel’s murder-solving adventures.

Friends and Sidekicks

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by Sparkle Abbey

In life and in fiction, sidekicks and friends are important.

In fiction, authors use sidekicks and friends to give insight about the main character. That insight helps us, as readers, understand more about who that characters is and what makes them tick. While you can know quite a lot about a character through their actions, it’s the friend or sidekick who sometimes provides perspective and/or relief, but always adds dimension to the protagonist.

Whether it’s Watson to Holmes or Jeeves to Bertie Wooster or, if you’re a Hallmark Mysteries fan, Dani to Jennifer (Garage Sale Mysteries), we develop our view of the main character through the eyes of these sidekicks and friends.

In our books, we’ve had some fun with unusual sidekicks. Our readers love Diana Knight, the former star of the silver-screen turned avid pet advocate, who is Caro Lamont, our pet therapist’s, best friend. And we constantly hear from readers of the series who can’t get enough of Betty Foxx, our pet boutique owner, Melinda Langston’s feisty senior sidekick. Betty always adds her own view of things to the story!

Both play some role in solving the mysteries in our books, but they also provide insight into the two cousins’ thinking and their motivations. Something that would be much harder without them, and much less fun. At times they also, much like real-life friends, provide support or keep the cousins accountable.

How about you? Do you have any favorite fictional sidekicks or friends, either books or movies? And, if so, we’d love to hear what you especially like about them.

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

The Dogfather, book #10 in the series, is just out. Here’s a little bit more about the book:

Who knew the world of designer purses could be such a dog-eat-dog business?


When a local, designer handbags store owner is found dead, the police first believe it’s an unfortunate accident. But the evidence doesn’t lie. Before you can say “wiseguy,” Bow Wow Boutique owner, Melinda Langston’s, former fiancé and undercover FBI agent, Grey Donovan, is the prime suspect.


Now the two are working side-by-side to prove Grey’s innocence— nothing personal, just business. Or is it? Suspects are piling up, family secrets are exposed, and no one is who they appear to be, including Mel’s newest employee. Time’s running out. Mel better sniff out the killer before she and Grey end up sleeping with the fishes.

Also, if you’d like to keep up-to-date on Sparkle Abbey news, stop by the website and sign up for their newsletter.

Highway to Friendship

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By Sparkle Abbey
We love to travel. Whether it’s just the two of us, with our critique group, or with our husbands, we love the adventure that lies ahead.  We’ve traveled together by plane and car. We’ve been to Illinois, New York, California, Washington DC, Michigan (on accident), Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, and Texas to name just a few states. We’ve hopped in the car for book signings, writing conferences, for personal vacations, and even a couple spur-of-the-moment road trips to work out plot problems.
Not only does our traveling together strengthen our relationship, it strengthens our writing. We’ve explored cozy small towns and bustling metropolitan areas, soaking in the cultures, smells, sounds, and rhythm of the people to color our stories with relatable details and memorable characters inspired by real life.
We’ve brainstormed our best titles on an airplane—Fifty Shades of Greyhound and The Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo. We’ve stuffed 300 individual dog treats into tiny cellophane bags for conference giveaways, created detailed marketing plans, all while jotting down notes on the conversations we’ve “accidentally” overheard during a lunch stop at the Cracker Barrel, (they have the best restrooms). For us, travel inspires creativity and helps us focus. We especially love it when we have those famous “ah-ha moments.”

When traveling with someone for twenty years (yes, that means we started traveling together since we were twelve), you not only can you finish each other’s sentences, but you can communicate an entire conversation with a single look. You know each other’s entire routine before bed, how they like their coffee in the morning, and when they’re ready for morning conversation—no real talking before the first cup of coffee. You each know when the other needs their downtime or just a trip to Starbucks.
Traveling with a best friend, you know you’ll find adventure. Swimming at midnight. Dinner with an Elvis impersonator. A Rod Stewart sighting. Nonstop talking to the point you’ve lost your voices. And best of all, permission to act silly. Never judgment, just someone you trust to join in on the fun!
Now we’re planning to take a cruise together with our husbands. Who knows what mischief we’ll cook up on a ship?  We can’t wait to find out!

What about you? Do you have someone you enjoy traveling with? What do you like about traveling together?

We also have some exciting news to share! Book 10, The Dogfather, will make its debut September 21st!

It’s available now for presale. 
About The Dogfather –
Who knew the world of designer purses could be such a dog-eat-dog business?

When a local, designer handbags store owner is found dead, the police first believe it’s an unfortunate accident. But the evidence doesn’t lie. Before you can say “wiseguy,” Bow Wow Boutique owner, Melinda Langston’s, former fiancé and undercover FBI agent, Grey Donovan, is the prime suspect.

Now the two are working side-by-side to prove Grey’s innocence— nothing personal, just business. Or is it? Suspects are piling up, family secrets are exposed, and no one is who they appear to be, including Mel’s newest employee. Time’s running out. Mel better sniff out the killer before she and Grey end up sleeping with the fishes.

Sparkle Abbey’s Top Five Writing Books

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by Sparkle Abbey

We are list people. By that we mean we like to make lists for just
about everything. On any given day you could ask to see our daily to do lists,
goal lists, grocery store lists, movies we want to see list, books we want to
read list, conferences we want to attend list, places we want to go list, home
improvement projects list, or a vacation/conference packing list (yes, that
really does exist). We love lists! It’s possible some might call us list
obsessed.

Creating lists makes us feel organized, helps us to remember
things, and at times is a way to relieve stress and get focused. Crossing items
off of our list is extremely satisfying. It’s a visual of what we’ve
accomplished. We’ve been known to jot down an item we’ve already accomplished just
to have the satisfaction of crossing it off.

One of our favorite lists is of writers’ reference books. There
are so many amazing books available that a writer’s education can never be
complete. We’re always learning ways to bring new insight and inspiration to
our craft. Even the most seasoned writers have their favorite, go-to reference
book.

There is an abundance of writing books, and we are all ears when a
fellow writer starts talking about a new one they’ve just purchased. Could it
help us find new inspiration?  Has
someone explained “scene and sequel” in a new and interesting way? Is there a
new plotting book that will help us develop a stronger and more intricate plot?
There are books for beginning writers, intermediate writers, and books for the
writer who’s been around the block a timer or two.

Here’s a list of five reference books that we highly recommend and
use frequently.


Full disclosure, this book was written by our publisher at Bell
Bridge Books. But we read this book, breathed this book, and lived this book for
years before we began working professionally with Deb. Goal Motivation and Conflict (or GMC) will teach you how to tell a
clear story by using your characters goals, motivations, and conflicts.

This is a dense book and we don’t recommend reading it
in one setting. He explains the fundamentals of a good story, action and
reaction, and scene and sequel.

If you’re writing a mystery, this is a must have.
Besides breaking down what a mystery is and its subgenres, you’ll learn how to
create three dimensional characters, effective plots, and strategic revision. If
you like worksheets, like we do, this book has them in spades.

There are probably hundreds of books on self editing, but this
book is the one that w have found the most useful. The book helps you identify
what needs editing and revising, and covers everything from, show don’t tell,
voice, dialogue, and point of view along with hands on exercises.

Anne gives advice and inspiration by sharing experiences from her
own life. She will move you from laughter to tears  as she talks about getting past that crappy
first draft, dealing with writer’s block, and finding inspiration in not only
by what’s around you,  but by what’s
inside of you.

We have so many more recommendations, but we thought
we would just start with these five.

What about you? Are you a list maker? Or does just the thought of
making a list increase your anxiety? What about reference books, do you have a
favorite? If so please leave a comment and let us know which ones you
recommend. If
we don’t have it, we probably will add it to our list of books to buy next.


Sparkle
Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and
Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this
series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue
pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

The authors co-write the best-selling Pampered Pets Mystery Series which focuses on the wacky world of precious pedigrees,
pampered pooches, and secrets in posh Laguna Beach, California. The main
characters and amateur sleuths are Texas cousins, Caro Lamont, a pet therapist,
and Melinda Langston, a pet boutique owner. The two would join forces and work
together if they were speaking, but they’re not.  Midwest Book Review
calls the series “A sassy and fun mystery!”

The Balancing Act Between Reader Expectations and Fresh Writing

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by Sparkle Abbey


Reader
expectation is a powerful thing.
Especially today when readers can jump on the Internet and express with
contagious enthusiasm that what we’ve created has met their expectations. Those
reviews rock! Or they can write a scathing review on Amazon when they’re upset
with a book, promising to never, ever read that author’s work again. Ouch.
We believe every author thinks about what their readers want. And we love the fans who tell
us they really don’t have expectations. They just want to read a good book and
escape from the daily chaos of their life. Hmmm…that’s kind of an
expectation.
If you’re
writing genre fiction, there are a few universal expectations to keep in mind
right off the bat.

In a romance,
readers want a heroine and hero who are worthy of each other. Readers look for
chemistry, tension and a conflict that can’t be resolved with a simple
face-to-face conversation. They want an engaging plot and an emotionally
satisfying ending.

We write cozy
mysteries. There are also basic reader expectations for our genre. The obvious
one—our readers expect a dead body. Two? Even better. Cozy readers often don’t
want to see violence or anything graphic on the page, but they do want rising
tension and a strong conflict. The savvy cozy reader also expects a great
puzzle to solve along with the sleuth.
Those are
pretty straightforward.
It’s the
expectations that come after fans have read a specific author or series that
plant themselves in the writer’s thoughts and can potentially derail or bog
down the storyline. How do you give the loyal reader what they want and still
keep the series evolving?  
Is it
possible to add new and fresh ideas and still not disappoint? An author’s
voice, tone, theme and characters are part of why a reader returns to a
favorite author or series. It’s important those elements remain consistent, but
you can still change things up. Add a twist. Perhaps a new challenge or a new
character.
We write pet
themed cozies—no animals are harmed; only people are dead. That’s an
expectation. Could you imagine if we ever put an animal in danger? Talk about
blowing up reader expectations. We’d lose most of our audience. So we choose
not to go down that path. Is that us being swayed by our reader expectations?
Sure, it is. But we’re not really interested in writing that type of story
anyway, so it’s a win-win situation.
Our readers
of the Pampered Pets series (some anyway) also want Caro and Mel, our Texas
cousin amateur sleuths (who are currently not speaking to each other) to make
up and work together. Will we change the course of the series to meet that
expectation? Probably not. If we did, we’d lose built-in conflict and tension.
You know, those basic genre standards mentioned earlier. However we can’t let
Caro and Mel rehash the same scenarios over and over, or our readers will
quickly tire of the conflict.
To maintain
what readers want and yet keep the story new, you have to throw in some surprises.
Still it’s important to note that while surprises are good, twists that come
out of left-field are not. You want a spin that logically flows from the
characters’ journey, not a jarring bolt from the blue. A revelation, not a
bombshell.  An unexpected development, but one that feels exactly
right for these characters.
To do that a
writer must walk the line. It’s a balancing act. Sometimes a tight-rope
balancing act. You must find that intersection where the story continues to
provide the experience that made readers fall in love with it in the first
place. And yet, you must mix in something fresh and new that provokes readers
and makes them wonder just what you’re going to be up to next!
What do you
think? Authors, do you take into account readers’ expectations as you’re
writing? Have you ever been influenced by fans to alter a storyline or a
character? What methods do you use to keep a continuing storyline fresh?
Readers, what
kinds of expectations do you have? Any things you love or pet peeves about
stories in a continuing series?

We’d love to
hear your thoughts!
Mary Lee and Anita aka Sparkle Abbey





Here’s a little more news from us:
We are busy working on books nine and ten in The Pampered Pets Mysteries.

Also, if you’re missing any of our backlist this is a great time to catch up so you’re ready for book eight. Details on all the titles are available here.
And if you want to make sure you’re up on all the Sparkle Abbey news, stop by our website and sign up for updates at sparkleabbey.com

This blog first appeared on The Seekerville blog in August of 2014.

Mesmerized by British TV

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by Sparkle Abbey

Since we read and write cozy mysteries, there was a high probability that we’d also like 
British mystery shows. We do. And not just the mysteries, but also the cooking, drama, and comedy shows. In fact, British TV has been popular for a while—well before the smash hit Downton Abbey. Did you know American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Wife Swap, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? were based on hit British shows?  Obviously, we’re not the only ones who like British TV. 




Since the arrival of Netflix, Acorn TV, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, there are more and more opportunities to stumble over shows that are just the bee’s knees! 

Why are we so drawn to them? It’s pretty simple: British TV is heavily character driven. The characters quirky, eccentric and still vulnerable, have a dry wit, are sarcastic, and some aren’t even likable. These are flawed, non-cookie-cutter characters who find themselves in extreme situations, whether drama or comedy, yet feel so realistic you find yourself rooting for them to get their act together and succeed. Plus there’s the fun English accent. 

Of courses there’s the food. Most of the time we have
no idea what the Brits are eating unless it’s a delicious pastryIn . Crumpets,
scones, buns, tea cake sandwiches, biscuits. Our stomachs are growling just
writing this blog!


 We’ve definitely binged on our share of British TV. What happens when you watch too much? Well, you start using words like lovely, bollocks, bugger, nutter, daft, gobsmacked, tosser, dodgy, and cheers. You crave scones, fish and chips, Victoria sponge, shepherd’s pie, and pasties. You take drinking tea seriously, even going so far as to buy a lovely porcelain pot and loose leaf tea, and begin to hone the perfect cuppa tea (that would be pouring boiling water over the tea in the pot, let it steep for 2-5 minutes, remove the tea, adding a splash of milk and then sugar.) And sometimes, you accidentally-on-purpose slip into a really great American version of an English accent.

 Here are a “few” of the shows we’ve enjoyed over the years:

The British TV Place

Midsomer Murders
Death in Paradise
Father Brown
Poirot
Murdoch Mysteries Movies
Sherlock
Downton Abbey
The Crown
Very British Problems
Call the Midwife
Broadchurch
Happy Valley
Doc Martin
Vera
Doctor Who
The Great British Baking Show (all versions)

What about you, luv? Did we miss your favorite? If so, let us know. We’re always open to recommendations.


Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets–Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). If you want to make sure you’re up on all the Sparkle Abbey news, stop by their website and sign up for updates at sparkleabbey.com.



photo credit: adactio Tea and scones via photopin (license)

A Promise to Yourself

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by Sparkle Abbey

Each January our agent asks us for a business and marketing plan for that year. We don’t exactly look forward to it, but we are goal setting, planning kind of women, so we don’t mind. Part of our business plan includes an author mission statement. That’s not unusual. Every business should have a mission statement, and being a published author is running a business. We have goals and objectives, we need to know our target audience, and we need to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Makes sense.

But what about a personal mission statement—one that guides our actions, behaviors, and the way we treat others? A description that defines who we are and puts our dreams into words.

A personal mission statement takes honest introspection. You have to know what brings you joy, and causes you sorrow. You have to take an accounting of your strengths—and your weaknesses—a critical observation of your behaviors and patterns. The kind of statement we’re talking about brings focus and purpose to your life. Think of it as a promise to yourself.

Here are personal mission statements from two very successful women:

Denise Morrison, CEO of Campbell Soup Company

“To serve as a leader, live a balanced life, and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.”

Oprah Winfrey, Founder of OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network

“To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.”

What if everyone had a personal mission statement? A positive sense of purpose? We could change the world.

What about you? Do you have a personal mission statement?

If not and you want to create one, but have no idea where to start, check out Time Thoughts. Not only do they provide great tips and guidelines, they also have a number of sentence templates that you might find helpful as a jumping off point. Keep in mind, your personal mission statement isn’t static. It can change and grow as you discover new things about yourself and enter new seasons in your life. 

Leave a comment and inspire us with your personal mission statements! We’ll start with one of ours: “To live life fully and honestly. To be kind and compassionate to those around me. To always chose joy.”

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets–Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). If you want to make sure you’re up on all the Sparkle Abbey news, stop by their website and sign up for updates at sparkleabbey.com.

Fun Facts About Sparkle Abbey

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by Sparkle Abbey
We’ve had a crazy week. We know, it’s only Thursday, but it feels like we’ve crammed in seven days since Monday. It’s times like this when we like to laugh and remind ourselves we have pretty amazing lives. So we thought this was the perfect time to share some fun facts about Sparkle Abbey.

  • We are friends as well as neighbors. We live just one street away from each other. We can see each other’s houses from our windows.
  • We’re plotting to buy the house between to use as a writer’s retreat house. We’ll put in a pool.
  • We were part of the same critique group for years before we started writing together. Our critique group sometimes travels with us and we love to plot stories with them on road trips.
  • We love to travel together and usually navigate pretty well. Although we did once accidentally go to Michigan. (Shh…don’t tell our husbands. We’ve never told them.)
  • Our favorite drink is a margarita on the rocks or an iced tea. When we stop in our neighborhood pub, Francies’, after work the waitresses just ask if it’s an iced tea night or a margarita night.
  • We’re also regulars at our local Starbucks, where they call us Non-Fat, No-Water Chai and Skinny Hazelnut. If one of us is there without the other, the barista often asks where the other half of the team is.
  • We both love beaches and find the ocean soothing.
  • Our husbands enjoy each other’s company and enjoy scotch tastings and comparing preferences.
  • We’re both grandmothers and are crazy about our grandchildren.

  • We both enjoy old movies, especially the vintage romantic comedies.
  • We have taken yoga classes together, although one of us (guess who) has been known to fall asleep during the relaxation portion.
  • We love Broadway shows and packed as many as possible into our last New York City trip. We also had a Rod Stewart sighting. Ask us about it.
  • At least once a week, we text each other and ask if it’s possible to join the Witness Protection Program.
  • We are featured in a Writer’s Digest book “Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict” in the chapter on “Tension and Pressure.”
  • We picked the pen name ”Sparkle Abbey” because those are the names of our two rescue pets, Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog.) The other choice using our other pets’ names was – Chewbacca Matisse

  • We go to the same hairdresser who has the best stories. She used to cut Elvis’ cousin’s hair. Yeah, that Elvis.


Okay, now it’s your turn. Share some of your fun facts!




Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series. The pen name was created by combining the names of their rescue pets–Sparkle (Mary Lee’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog). If you want to make sure you’re up on all the Sparkle Abbey news, stop by their website and sign up for updates at sparkleabbey.com.