Tag Archive for: Sparkle Abbey

Mysteries in a Series – In Order or No?

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by Mary Lee Ashford aka 1/2 of Sparkle Abbey

Do you like to read books that are part of a series? And, if you enjoy reading series fiction, do you always read them sequentially? 

When asked most authors will say that each book stands alone and that they don’t neccessarly need to be read in order. And, of course, that’s the goal, right?

Whether it’s the tenth book in the series or the first, the goal of the writer is always to create a story that can stand on it’s own. A self-contained adventure that doesn’t rely on the reader knowing something that’s not on the page in the installment they’re reading.

Many well-known authors with long-running series, such as the late Sue Grafton with twenty-five books from “A is for Alibi” to “Y is for Yesterday” or Janet Evanovich, who is headed for her twenty-sixth Stepanie Plum novel, have purposely created story arcs (and character arcs) of limited changes.

Others such as G.A. McKevett aka Sonja Massie, author of over seventy books, defty uses life changes and character growth to add richness to her plots. Her latest “And the Killer Is…” is on my bedside table right now.

And then there’s yet another approach. The inimitable Laura Levine, simply tells you, the reader, in an aside what you need to know. “You’ll have to read about when that happened in…” And though I was always taught that author intrusion is something to be avoided at all costs. I’ll be darned if it doesn’t work just fine when she does it.

You know, I have to say that I enjoy each of these different approaches to storytelling.

But I also have to admit that my preference is always to read a series in order. I like getting to know the people and the places as the series unfolds. Occasionally, I have started with a book that was in the middle of a series. Usually because a friend has shared it or it was part of a conference giveaway. But if I really enjoyed the story, I’m going to track down book one and start at the beginning. Otherwise, to me anyway, it would seem like starting with season three of Downton Abbey or any other great continuing television series. I want to be a part of the story from the beginning.

Is it just me?

How about you? Are you a reader that always wants to read a series in order or do you not care about reading the books strictly in order?

Mary Lee Ashford writes the Sugar & Spice mystery series for Kensington Books and also writes as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey, authors of the Pampered Pets series from Bell Bridge Books. 

GAME OF SCONES is the first book in the Sugar & Spice series.

DESPERATE HOUSEDOGS is the first book in the Pampered Pets series.

Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for both of these “first in the series” titles. Or if you already have them both, any book you’re missing in either series!

How Are You Coping?

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by Sparkle Abbey

Wow, we’re at the half-way point and 2020 has been quite a year! It’s been a long how-ever-many weeks since this pandemic began and we have to confess that sometimes the fact that it’s June seems surreal. We’ve been staying safe/staying home, wearing masks, social-distancing, shopping online, supporting local businesses, doing curb-side pickup. In other words, doing what we can.

We must say working from home sounded so much more fun than it actually is. And yet, any complaints we have are absolutely trivial when we think about what others are going thorough. Our hearts go out to those directly affected or those who have family members dealing with the virus.

Our problems are minor. Some days are so busy that it’s hard to keep up and other days it seems like time has stopped. Sometimes the technology breaks down at the worst times. Occasionally the delivery is completely different from what we ordered.

All truly minor problems in the big picture. The hardest part of all for us has been being away from friends and family.

But we’ve found some ways to cope – here are a few of them: 

1. Zoom Get-Togethers – We’ve done family dinners, met with our critique group, even played long-distance bingo with out of state family. It’s an easy way to stay in touch and have some human contact, even if it’s not in-person.

2. Facetime Parties – Though Facetime with grandkids had always been a great way to hear about their day, the Grand Doll Party took it to the next level. Invitations went out for the date and packages with supplies were dropped off. And with three grands and their American Girl dolls, everyone did a mini-spa day, switched to pajamas, and watched a movie together. Of course, there was popcorn.

3. Helping Others  – There are opportunities to help wherever you look. The local residential Y put out a call for some very simple needs their residents had. And so, we reached out to family members and rounded up some of those items.

4. Staying Active – It’s great if you have exercise eqiupment at home, but it’s not a requirement. In our area walking has been okay most of the time. Few people are out if you go early or late. Also, we’ve discovered some online exercise classes that also work to keep us moving.

5. And last, but not least, another big coping strategy for us is reading. Reading is the ultimate escape to a different world when the world you’re living in seems out of control. Sometimes it’s taken a few tries to find just the right book for that escape. It can be difficult to concentrate with everything that’s going on. But the adage is true: Reading gives us someplace to go, when we have to stay where we are.

So, there are a few of our #COVID-Coping methods. We’d love to hear what things you’ve been doing to cope with the changes over the past several months?

Sparkle
Abbey is actually two people, 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 other neighbors.) 


They love to hear from
readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media
sites. Also, if you want to
make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website

Checking In with Yourself

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By Sparkle Abbey

For us, it’s week seven of practicing social distancing and working
from home. Or as we like to call it, doing our part. Basically, like everyone
else, we’ve been hunkered down in the same living space for over fifty days. (Why
do fifty days seem longer than seven weeks?) Sheltering in place or staying
at home, depending on your community, has us all feeling some sort of emotion—anxiety,
fear, worry, boredom, solidarity, gratitude or blessed. With this mixed bag of
emotions emerges the need to support each other, and it only takes a quick scroll
through social media to see or hear the reassuring phrase, “We’ll get through this
together.”
While it’s true we’re in this together,
each one of us is dealing with the pandemic crisis differently. Some of us are
staying busy baking, learning a new language, or tackling those long-forgotten DIY
lists. Others are just trying to make it through each day, putting one foot in
front of the other. Even for us glass-half-full folks, it can be difficult to
stay positive while the world is self-isolating.
We need to do more than just
survive, we need to thrive. With that thought, it’s more important than ever to
practice self-care. We wanted to share five questions to ask yourself daily.
  1. Who am I connecting
    with today?     – We may call it social distancing, but it’s really physical
    distancing    . Humans are social
    beings. Pick one or two people to check in with each day.
  2. What
    expectations of “normal” am I letting go of today?     – This is the time to
    figure out what’s really important. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic.
    You don’t have to check off each item on your daily to-do list.
  3. How am I getting
    outside today?     – Getting outside can improve your mood and reduced
    anxiety. Take a walk. Do some yoga in your backyard. Sit in the sun.
  4. How am I moving
    my body today?     – Keep moving! An active lifestyle during quarantine is an
    important part of keeping both your body and your mind healthy.
  5. What am I
    grateful for today? –     Take two minutes and jot down what you’re grateful for
    or what has brought you joy that day. The practice of being thankful can help
    you relax and improve your mental health.

Sheltering in place is our normal for now. The idea is to ask these questions to check in with ourselves, but not
to stress about the answers. What you need might be different. If so what questions would you add to the list?



By the way – In honor of National Pet Week THE GIRL WITH THE DACHSHUND TATTOO is only $0.99 through
the 15th at your favorite eBook retailer!


Getting Together When We’re Apart

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By Sparkle Abbey

We’re all doing it. If you haven’t yet, trust us you will. No, we’re not talking about drinking wine at noon. Although if you are drinking wine at lunchtime, more power to you. We’re talking about virtual meetings. Around the world, people are working from home as we practice social distancing, which means you may have already had to embrace the virtual meeting.

There are lots of options for online meetings. Last week our critique group used Google Hangouts. Our next meeting we’re going to use Zoom. It seems pretty straightforward and some of us have already used it for day-job work meetings now that we’re working from home.

If you’re considering using technology to stay in touch with family and friends, we have a few tips – besides the very important don’t take your computer with you to the bathroom.

So, before you accidentally turn yourself into a potato filter, here are our five tips for a successful virtual get-together.

  • Test everything first. Does your computer or mobile device have a microphone and camera? Make sure you know how they work. 
  • Before your first meeting learn a bit about the virtual meeting tool.  Practically all the available options have a tutorial on their website and YouTube is packed with how-to videos. 
  • Try out a few different options and see which one works best for you. There are a bunch of them out there. Google Hangouts, Zoom. Slack, Skype, Teams, Go-To-Meeting, and more.
  • Manage your expectation. It’s not going to be perfect and you’ll mess up, but keep trying. We promise it will get better with more experience. 
  • Have fun! Though it’s not as good as seeing your friends and family in person, it’s a creative way to stay in touch and see those faces you’re missing. 
Zoom seems to be the most popular meeting app of choice and so we’ve also included a link to a great article from Fast Company on the 7 Tricks to Make Zoom Meetings Great.
Let us know what you think! Have you been doing virtual meetings? If so, what’s your favorite app? If not, is it something you’d be willing to try? 
Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, 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 other neighbors.) 
They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

People Watching Opportunities

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by Sparkle Abbey

As writers we love watching people. Sitting back and looking for something that might spark an idea for a character or storyline. The clothes someone is wearing, a subtle hand gesture or facial expression, a speech pattern, any and all of that can inspire our characters. And conversations, too. Not that we’d ever eavesdrop…

At their core, people are fascinating. And when they get together, whether it’s a political caucus, a run on supplies at the hardware store, or a packed sports arena, those places they gather become prime people-watching territory. Here the political candidates, their staff, and the news media have all moved on. But now we’ve got a swim event with top-ranked Olympic swimmers in town and high-school basketball tournaments are in full swing. Hotels are packed, parking is at a premium, and we find ourselves with even more opportunities to observe and make notes.

There were the patient ones who waited in long lines, chatting quietly or on their cell phones. The elderly woman who grabbed the last hand sanitizer off the shelf looked like she’d just won the lottery. The guy who attempted to pay to get out of the parking garage with a credit card but was in the cash-only line was not feeling so lucky.

Over the past few weeks, we have definitely refilled our pool of creative ideas. And it isn’t even time for the Downtown Farmer’s Market or the Iowa State Fair, which takes people watching to a whole other level. We can’t wait!

What about you? Where do you people watch?

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, 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 other neighbors.) 
They
love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest,
their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get
updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Readers Under the Magnifying Glass

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by Sparkle Abbey

A topic that’s endlessly fascinating to those of us who write is you – our readers.

That’s right, we’re curious about what makes you tick. Why do you choose a particular book. Was it the cover? The back cover blurb? That catchy title? Did someone recommend it?

Did that first line we worked so hard to get just right, pull you in? How did you feel about the main character? Did you love them right away? Did we tell you enough to make you care? Or was that too much information? 

What keeps you reading? And those special books…
You know, the ones you keep to read again and again. The ones you always recommend to friends. What is it that makes them keepers?

So many questions, right?

We recently read an article about how fiction readers choose their next read. A poll had been conducted and below is what was found to be the top five criteria.
1. The book was written by a favorite author.
2. The book was classified in a favorite genre.
3. The book sported an attractive cover.
4. The back-cover copy was appealing.
5. The book was recommended by reviewers and bloggers.

So, what do you think? Would you agree or disagree? How do you choose your next read?
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets mysteries which are set in beautiful Laguna Beach, California.

Downton Tabby, the 7th book in the series, is currently available for only 99 cents in all ebook formats for a limited time.

The authors 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.

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

Decluttering – The Time Has Come

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by Sparke Abbey


This past year we’ve learned a thing or two about decluttering and downsizing. In this era of minimalism, we don’t need as much “stuff” as we might have once believed. And just as we didn’t want to inherit a menagerie of ceramic owls or metal butterflies from our mothers, our children weren’t interested in our amazing book collections, stylish size-seven shoes, or cabbage soup tureen. 



Three garage sales, and more trips than you can count on one hand to local donation centers, we not only decluttered our own homes, we downsized Abbey’s parents’. The process took time, was hard work, yet highly rewarding. And in a crazy way, reminded us of editing or “decluttering” our stories.



Like the rest of America, you’ve certainly heard about Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up method.” 

  1. Commit yourself to tidying up.
  2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
  3. Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose.
  4. Tidy by category, not location.
  5. Follow the right order.
  6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

Six easy steps, right? Heck, the first two don’t even require physical action. But here’s the reality—the process is never that simple. While the KonMari lifestyle doesn’t “spark joy” for everyone, there are some principals that can be applied to storytelling. So we thought we’d put our spin on Marie’s six steps and create the Sparkle Abbey writing decluttering method.


  1. Commit yourself to unclutter your story. You have to be ruthless. Don’t be afraid to put your writing under a microscope and edit. 
  2. Keep in mind the story you wanted to tell. This will serve as your compass as you unclutter your story. Everything must enhance the story or bring it “joy.” If not, it has to go.
  3. Declutter by category.
    1. Plot – Does your story structure make sense? Are there plot holes? Do your scenes unfold in a way that escalates conflict? Are all the plotlines resolved at the end of the story? 
    2. Subplots – Do your subplots enhance the plot and relate to the overall story goal? Are there too many subplots?
    3. Characters  – Do your characters serve a purpose? Do they have goals, motivation? Do they bring conflict? Are there too many characters? Are the characters unique?
    4. Clarity and Concise – How’s the pacing? Are you showing or telling the story? Is there too much or too little description? Is there too much or too little dialogue? 
  4.  Does your story spark joy? – You’ve carefully decluttered your masterpiece. Does it still bring you joy? It should. Remember step number two. Be careful that you don’t edit the life out of your story.

This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it’s a good start to tidy up your story. Whether you’re tidying up your home or your writing, the process requires you to make a judgment on what is important and what’s just “stuff” taking up space.


Have you jumped on the “tidying up” wagon? We’d love to hear any tips you have for organizing your home or your story! 

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.

Pets in Mystery Fiction – Partners, Props, or Presence?

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Guest Post: Arlene Kay
Today Sparkle Abbey welcomes Arlene Kay to The Stiletto Gang as our guest. Her topic is Pets in Mystery Fiction, a topic that’s near and dear to our hearts. Here’s what she has to say…

A recent poster on a mystery blog lamented the overuse of
cover art featuring pets. False advertising, she charged! Many of these novels
barely mention a dog or cat yet their images are used to entice cozy readers.
As a mystery writer and ardent animal lover, I offer a different perspective.
Occasionally a pet may grace a cover without any connection to the novel in
question but that is uncommon. Animals are and have always been intimately
connected to crime fiction in different ways. Even the great Sherlock Holmes,
hardly an animal lover, frequently relied on the scenting prowess of Toby the
hound and in Silver Blaze, the key clue was provided by the guard dog that didn’t
bark.
Some novels may feature service/military dogs, whose
official job it is to help catch criminals or simply animals that further the
exploits of their human partners. For instance, the late Virginia Lanier’s
series featured tracking dogs, while Diane Kelly’s “Paw Enforcement” series
includes an intrepid K-9 officer and his human partner. One of my all-time
favorites, anchovy lover Lulu the Basset Hound, the brainchild of author David
Handler, is the tireless pal of ghostwriter Stewart Hoag. Other examples
abound. Rita Mae Brown co-authors the Mrs. Murphy series with her tabby Sneaky
Pie Brown. Mrs. Murphy, a spunky feline, marshals her animal pals to help and occasionally save their human mama, Harry, from
harm. In each of these novels, animals play an active and integral part in resolving
the mystery.
For many authors, animals are a constant presence in our
novels as they are in our own lives. While pets may stay in the background,
they help to define the protagonist and advance the plot. For instance, Keats
and Poe, (part of my Creature Comforts series), are retired military canines who
join a rag tag band of rescues residing with Persephone Morgan. They may not
solve the puzzle, but they sustain their human caretaker and enrich her life.
Fans of Lillian Jackson Braun’s “Cat Who” series know that the contributions of
Koko and Yum Yum were only vaguely connected to the mystery at hand, but they
defined Jim Quilleran as a most sympathetic character.  I ask you, who can resist a man who nurtures
and loves felines?
From pet salons to dog shows, our animal friends provide
fans with a host of venues and plot devices that enhance their reading
pleasure. Perhaps that old saw is actually true: you can tell a book by its
cover!
Arlene’s Short but Sweet Bio
An artful combination of humor, satire and savagery make
Arlene Kay’s tales unique. The published author of nine mystery novels, is a
former Treasury executive who traded the trappings of bureaucracy for the
delights of murder most foul. She wisely confines her crimes to fiction
although like all mystery writers she firmly believes that most deaths are suspicious,
and everyone is a suspect. Her Creature Comforts series from Kensington
(Lyrical), includes Death by Dog Show; Homicide by Horseshow; and Therapy by
Murder.

Must See Mystery TV

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by Sparkle Abbey


Since we read and write mysteries, it was probably also a given that we’d like mystery shows. And there are a lot of great ones to choose from right now. 


Since the arrival of Netflix, Acorn TV, BritBox, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, there are more and more opportunities to stumble over shows that are not only great mysteries but are unique and different. 


Why are we so drawn to them? First off, most of these shows are heavily character-driven. The characters are quirky, eccentric and still likable. They are flawed, non-cookie-cutter characters who find themselves in extreme situations. Some serious, some with a mix of humor. Yet they feel so realistic you find yourself rooting for them to get their act together and succeed. 


Plus these shows have great plots! Twists and turns and puzzles to figure out. We love it when we get it figured out before the end of the show; and we love it even more when we don’t. 


Here are a few of the shows we’re watching:
My Life is Murder
Midsomer Murders
Death in Paradise
Father Brown
Agatha Christie’s Inspector Poirot
Murdoch Mysteries Movies
Shakespeare and Hathaway
Vera  
Queens of Mystery
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Miss Fisher’s Mysteries
Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries


What do you think? Did we list your favorite? Or did we miss your must-see? We’re always open to ideas.


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.

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.