Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers

COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR SUSAN SANTANGELO & STUFFED MUSHROOMS

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

An early member of the Baby Boomer generation, Susan Santangelo has been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the New York metropolitan area, including a stint at Cosmopolitan magazine. A portion of the sales from the Baby Boomer Mysteries is donated to the Breast Cancer Survival Center, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut which Susan founded in 1999 after being diagnosed with cancer herself. Learn more about Susan and her books at her website. -- AP

It’s been said that the secret to a long life is to go to bed early, eat healthy, and drink in moderation. Now, I ask you what kind of fun is that?

More than you’d think. No kidding.

My fourth Baby Boomer mystery, scheduled for a July 2013 release, is Class Reunions Can Be Murder. Here’s the back cover blurb: Baby Boomer Carol Andrews has no interest in her upcoming fortieth high school reunion. Her memories of days at Mount Saint Francis Academy are mixed, to put it mildly. But BFF Nancy convinces her to join the reunion planning committee, so she’ll have some say in how the event is organized. All is going smoothly until the dead body of one of their classmates is found the night before the reunion – in Carol and Nancy’s room.

Since this is the class’s fortieth reunion, committee chairman Nancy insists on calling the event the Ruby Reunion, since ruby is the stone which represents a 40-year anniversary. And also because Nancy doesn’t want to admit how old they all really are. (Any resemblance between Nancy’s vanity and the author’s is purely coincidental.)

Of course, the Ruby Reunion in this mystery is a lunch (none of these chicks drive at night if they can help it,) and the food is served buffet style. I wanted to include recipes in the back of the book, and since I’m not that familiar with my kitchen any more (just ask my family,) I turned to chef Paulette DiAngi, whose television show, Love On A Plate, airs weekly on Cape Cod Community Media.

Paulette came up with an ingenious idea. She prepared a menu for the book two ways –first, the way the dish would have been prepared back in the 70’s, then the way the dish would be prepared today – low fat and healthy.

Here’s an example:

Veal and Mascarpone Stuffed Mushrooms (the old, high cholesterol way)

Serving size: 2 stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients:
16 extra-large white mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

3 scallions (white and green parts)

1/2 lb. veal sausage, casings removed and crumbled

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

4 oz. mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated Romano or Asiago cheese

salt and pepper

Clean and remove stems of mushrooms. Mince stems with garlic and scallions. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, scallions, and veal sausage for 5-7 minutes. Add Panko crumbs and mascarpone cheese, stirring until creamy. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Fill each mushroom cap with mixture. Arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 8-12.

Chicken Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms (healthier version)

Serving size: 2 stuffed mushroom

Ingredients:

16 extra-large white mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

3 scallions (white and green parts)

1/2 lb. Italian style chicken sausage, casings removed and crumbled

cooking spray

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

2 oz. lt. cream cheese

1/2 cup lite four cheese Italian mix

salt and pepper

Clean and remove stems of mushrooms. Mince stems with garlic and scallions. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray. Heat. Sauté mushrooms, garlic, scallions, and chicken sausage for 5 minutes. Add Panko crumbs and cream cheese, stirring until creamy. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Fill each mushroom cap with mixture. Arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 8-12.

As you can see, there’s quite a difference in fat content, cholesterol, and calories between the two versions. And both are delicious. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I never lie when it comes to food.

There’s also a recipe for a Pink Squirrel cocktail that plays a key role in Class Reunions Can Be Murder, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy so I can’t tell you any more than that. Suffice it to say that squirrels can pack quite a punch in their cute little pink claws. Who knew? Everyone can find out the secret by buying the book from indie booksellers, or in e-book format, in just a few more weeks.

And, yes, I tested that recipe, too.

Thanks for letting me blog today. Hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Anastasia's Fabric Stash

Waste not, want not. That’s what my great-aunt Penelope Periwinkle used to say, and now that I’m counting every penny, I realize how right she was. But even before pauperdom walloped me upside the head, I always saved all the fabric scraps from my sewing projects. If you’ve ever had to buy an 1/8 of a yd. of fabric because you needed one 3” x 12” strip, you know how right I am. I keep all my scraps of fabric in a plastic storage bin, and it’s amazing how often I find myself rooting through that bin to find exactly what I need. However, sometimes the storage bin gets to overflowing. When that happens, I have lots of project ideas stored away for using up some of that overflow. Here are a few I’ll share with you today.

*Make sachet bags to drape over your clothes hangers or place in dresser drawers.

*Create drawstring gift bags for odd-shaped or any-size presents. You will be giving the recipient two gifts in one because afterwards the gift bag can be used to hold jewelry, lingerie, toiletries, or just about anything else. Decorate the bags with smaller scraps of fabric and scraps of ribbon and lace.

*Make a crazy quilt fabric-covered picture frame. Embellish the frame with ribbon, lace, buttons, and beads.

*Cut out small simple shapes, such as hearts. Sew two together and stuff for ornaments or gift package decorations. Glue them to pin backs or barrettes for soft-sculpture jewelry.

*Glue or fuse fabric to heavy paper and use as appliqués for hand-made greeting cards and gift tags.

*Cut fabrics of different textures, patterns, and colors into 3”, 4”, or 5” squares. Sew six squares of the same size together to form a cube, then stuff. These make wonderful, tactile soft blocks for babies and toddlers.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR LOIS WINSTON

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Author Lois Winston writes the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series (sound familiar? Hint: it’s the series about moi!) as well as romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, and non-fiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Her most recent release is Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, the third book in the series about moi. Today she stops by to share with us some very special quotes about the value of reading. Learn more about Lois at her website and her Emma Carlyle website. – AP

25 Quotes on the Worth of Reading

When I was a child, I escaped into books. They were my refuge from a childhood that was less than ideal. So it always comes as a shock to me when people tell me they don’t read. I can’t imagine a world without books to read, whether they be physical books or ebooks. Here are some thoughts on the topic by others:

1. You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. -- Paul Sweeney

2. Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. -- Charles William Eliot

3. What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though. -- J.D. Salinger

4. In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. -- Mortimer J. Adler

5. Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home. -- Anna Quindlen

6. You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive. -- James Baldwin

7. The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours -- Alan Bennett

8. Today a reader, tomorrow a leader. -- Margaret Fuller

9. A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. -- Chinese Proverb

10. Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new after all. -- Abraham Lincoln

11. So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall. -- Roald Dahl

12. To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting. -- Edmund Burke

13. A house without books is like a room without windows. -- Heinrich Mann

14. A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting. -- Henry David Thoreau

15. To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one. -- Chinese Saying

16. Give me a man or woman who has read a thousand books, and you give me an interesting companion. Give me a man or woman who has read perhaps three, and you give me a dangerous enemy mind. -- Anne Rice

17. The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade. -- Anthony Trollope

18. We read to know we are not alone. -- C.S. Lewis

19. No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. – Confucius

20. The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past centuries. – Descartes

21. The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. -- Dr. Seuss

22. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested. -- Francis Bacon

23. Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. -- Frederick Douglass

24. Read in order to live. -- Gustave Flaubert

25. A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance. -- Lyndon Baines Johnson

Revenge of the Crafty Corpse

Anastasia Pollack’s dead louse of a spouse has left her with more bills than you can shake a crochet hook at, and teaching craft classes at her mother-in-law’s assisted living center seems like a harmless way to supplement her meager income. But when Lyndella Wegner—a 98-year-old know-it-all with a penchant for ruffles and lace—turns up dead, Anastasia’s cantankerous mother-in-law becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Upon discovering that Lyndella’s scandalous craft projects—and her scandalous behavior—made her plenty of enemies, Anastasia sets out to find the real killer before her mother-in-law ends up behind bars.

Buy links: (ebook) (paperback)

BEAUTY WITH NICOLE - NAIL CARE

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Give Yourself a Nail Lift

Many women try to ward off the signs of aging with everything from botox injections to face lifts, but one of the first places to show signs of aging is our nails. They become yellow and brittle and develop ridges. Ever think of giving yourself a nail lift? Here are a few simple ways you can counter nail aging:

1. Buff your nails in an up-and-down direction, never side-to-side. This will help minimize ridges and yellowing.

2. Avoid deep colored polishes. They can discolor nails. Use pink and nude shades instead.

3. Exercise is not just for your muscles. Your nails benefit from exercise as well by increasing blood flow to your hands and feet. Increased circulation in your nail beds will improve the look of your nails.

4. Biotin supplements can help improve nail brittleness.

5. Did you know that thickening toe nails can be caused by wearing heels and shoes that are too tight? Stuffing your tootsies into pointy-toed stilettos impedes circulation.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE-BASKET STORAGE

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

No matter the size of your home, everyone always needs more storage, but organizers can be expensive. Here’s a tip to help maximize the space you have without putting a huge dent in your wallet.

Do you like the look of baskets? They make great storage for everything from magazines in the den to mittens in the mudroom. But baskets can be really expensive, right? Not if you know where to buy them. Head to your local chain craft store like Michael’s. They sell a huge variety of baskets at quite reasonable prices, even more reasonable when they’re on sale. They also offer weekly coupons for 40% off regularly priced items.

Because baskets come in all shapes and sizes, you can use them to organize in every room of your home. In the bathroom, they’re great for everything from toiletries to towels. Place one on top of your toilet tank for a spare roll of toilet paper and a box of tissues. Keep a larger one under the sink to corral your hair dryer, flat iron, etc.

Line your pantry shelves with baskets to organize bagged foods such as pastas, cereals, and chips.

Baskets are great storage for a kid’s room as well. Instead of a toy box, place a row of baskets along a wall to separate different types of toys--blocks in one, cars and trucks in another, etc.

Need to label your baskets? Buy miniature chalk boards at the crafts store and hot glue them to the ends of the baskets. Write the contents of the baskets on the chalkboards. If you decide to switch things around, just erase the board and relabel.

COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR CAROLE SHMURAK

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Carole Shmurak, Professor Emerita at Central Connecticut State University, is the author of the Susan Lombardi mystery series, including Deadmistress (named a Notable Book of 2004 by Writers Notes Magazine), Death by Committee, Death at Hilliard High and Most Likely to Murder. As Carroll Thomas, she co-authored Ring Out Wild Bells, nominated for the Agatha for Best YA mystery in 2002. Learn more about Carole at her website.

Deadmistress is the book that introduced my sleuth, Professor Susan Lombardi. Of course, the Susan Lombardi character is based on me—she has the same professional background and my insatiable curiosity. Fortunately, I’ve never been close to anyone who’s been murdered, and I’m happy solving puzzles in books. But everyone wants to know if Susan’s husband, Michael Buckler, (affectionately known as ‘Swash’) is based on my husband. He’s not. I decided when I created Susan that this was also an opportunity to create my ideal husband, so Swash is independently wealthy — and he cooks! (My real husband, Steve, is a wonderful person but he lacks those two traits). When Susan returns home at the end of a long day of teaching and/or sleuthing, there is always a delicious meal awaiting her. And because Susan’s ethnic background is part-Italian, Swash often makes Italian dishes. His cioppino recipe is the one I’ve chosen here.

Swash’s Signature Cioppino

1 lb fresh cleaned shrimp

1 lb sea scallops (or 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch chunks)

3 Tbl olive oil

1 small pepper (red or green) diced

1 cup chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 28 oz. can crushed whole tomatoes with liquid

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

5 Tbl dried parsley

Dried basil leaves to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

1 lb cooked linguini

Grated parmesan cheese

Heat 2 Tbl of oil in large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Lightly brown the scallops (or chicken) on both sides, but don’t worry if still a little pink inside. Remove to a platter.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining oil, and the onion, garlic and peppers. Saute 3-4 minutes until soft. Add wine and cook 2-3 minutes more.

[If your skillet is large enough you can keep going in that, or you can transfer everything (except the scallops or chicken) at this point to a large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add tomatoes with liquid, tomato sauce, broth, parsley, basil, salt and pepper, to the onion, garlic and peppers. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add scallops or chicken and simmer partially covered for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for 5 more minutes. (If shrimp were raw, check that they are now cooked through; if using cooked shrimp, 5 minutes is enough.)

Serve over linguini. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.

Blurb: The headmistress of an exclusive private school for girls has been found murdered in her office. When professor Susan Lombardi learns that her friend John is the prime suspect, she sets out to clear his name, but her research uncovers some troubling secrets about the school's faculty and students. And soon it becomes clear that John is not the only one with a motive for murder.

Buy Link

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--COUNTED CROSS STICH SUNFLOWER

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:49:00 +0000

Summer is nearly here, and here’s a quick counted cross stitch sunflower design to herald the warm weather. Stitch it on a prefinished bookmark, sachet bag, or placemat, or use waste canvas to stitch on a garment.

Stitch count: 22w x 44h

Finished design size on 14-ct. fabric: 1-3/4”w x 3-1/8”h

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR MARY KENNEDY EASTHAM

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Mary Kennedy Eastham, had the good fortune of growing up in a small New England town. She spread her wings and moved to New York City, San Francisco and Malibu which is where many of these stories took shape. Her first book, The Shadow of A Dog I Can't Forget, now in its Fifth Printing, was a 2011 WILD CARD winner in the Hollywood Book Festival and a 2010 Celebrity Achiever Award winner. Her second book, Squinting Over Water - Stories recently was a Runner-Up WILD CARD winner in the Paris Book Festival. Learn more about Mary and her books at her website.

Pixar's 22 Rules of Phenomenal Storytelling

I live in Silicon Valley and was lucky enough to be in a seminar where Emma Coats, a Pixar storyboard artist shared with us these rules of Phenomenal Storytelling. They are shaped around the world of movie-making but they are great creative tidbits of inspiration that we can all use.

1. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

2. You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience NOT what's fun to do as a writer.

3. Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about 'til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.

4. Once upon a time there was______________. Every day____________. One day__________. Because of that__________________________ until finally _____________________________.

5, Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it actually sets you free.

6. What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

7. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

8. Finish your story and let go, even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.

9. When you're stuck, make a list of what wouldn't happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.

10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you, you've got to recognize it before you can use it.

11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, that perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.

12. Discount the first thing that comes to mind and the second and the third and the fourth and the fifth. Get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

13. Give your characters opinions. Passive, malleable might seem likeable to you as a writer but its poison to the audience.

14. Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of. That's the heart of it.

15. If you were your character in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

16. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against them.

17. No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on. It'll come back around to be useful later.

18. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out if it is cheating.

19. You have to know yourself. The difference between doing your best and forcing the story is testing not refining.

20. Here's an exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How would you rearrange them into what you DO like.

21. You gotta identify with your character's situations. You can't just write cool. What would make YOU act that way?

22. What's the essence of your story, the most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

Squinting Over Water - Stories

There are no perfect people here. These characters are you and me trying to make sense of things -- good and bad -- coming up with a Plan B when life gets messy. One early reader said she would walk across continents to get to this book. These whimsical stories transformed her, made her believe once again in the true beauty and playfulness of life.

Buy Link

TRAVEL WITH SERENA--CHECKED BAGGAGE TIP

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Are you planning to fly somewhere on vacation this summer? Checked baggage fees add a huge chunk to the cost of the airfare. Here’s a great tip: If your credit is good, apply for a travel rewards credit card linked to the airline of your choice. Most of them entitle you to check at least one bag for free and give you $1,000 or more in frequent flyer points. The cards carry an annual fee, but the first year is free. You can always cancel the card before the year is up to avoid paying the fee. Some credit card companies will even wave the fee for the following year if you ask.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY GUEST AUTHOR GAIL BARRETT

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Former Rita finalist Gail Barrett is the author of thirteen books for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Her books have won numerous awards, including the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Book Buyers Best, the Holt Medallion and Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart. For more about Gail and her books, visit her website. – AP

Ever since time began, people have done bizarre things in their quest for beauty. And I do mean bizarre: Leech face lifts. Setting their faces afire. Drinking pig placenta (popular in Japan). Using facials consisting of everything from song bird feces, bee venom, and caviar to gold. The ancient Romans even gargled with imported Portuguese urine to whiten their teeth and kill bad breath.

People have modified their bodies for beauty, too -- and not just with piercings and tattoos. The Sudanese and Ethiopians began using lip plates in 8,700 B. C. The Kayan women of Thailand have used metal coils to elongate their necks for a thousand years. At one time or another, various cultures have engaged in cranial binding, scarification, and breast ironing (!), all in the pursuit of beauty. And let’s not forget Chinese foot binding to create those “beautiful” lotus feet.

And then, of course, comes the big gun in the beauty arsenal -- plastic surgery. The first recorded nose job was in 600 B.C. By the first century B.C. Romans were not only operating on noses, but doing breast reductions in men. They also removed scars, especially those on their backs (a terrible stigma, implying that a person had turned his back in battle, or worse, been whipped like a slave.)

But plastic surgery isn’t always about beauty. There’s another side to it, the healing side, restoring features disfigured by accidents, violence or disease. This corrective side predates its use for beauty, with written records of it going back over four thousand years.

This is the side of plastic surgery I focused on when I created the heroine of the final book in my Buried Secrets trilogy, Seduced by His Target. Nadine Seymour is a plastic surgeon who specializes in doing reconstructive work on battered women. Thanks to her own abusive upbringing, she understands the value plastic surgery can have, not just in making women beautiful, but in helping them regain their dignity and self-esteem.

I was inspired to create this character after losing the tip of my nose to skin cancer some years ago. Several operations (including the Mohs procedure and two skin grafts) left me very depressed about my appearance, especially after several doctors assured me that there was nothing more they could do.

Then I found a plastic surgeon willing to try. It took several operations -- scar revision surgery, microdermabrasion, and finally rhinoplasty -- to get my nose somewhat back to normal, or at least to the point where I didn’t feel self-conscious in public anymore. But that ordeal taught me the real value of plastic surgery. I began to see past the fillers and face lifts to how liberating it could be, how it could restore confidence, elevate self-esteem, and rehabilitate shattered lives.

It also made me rethink my attitude toward beauty treatments in general. And while I doubt I’ll ever drink pig placenta or set my face on fire, I do own an impressive collection of retinoid and antioxidant containing products that I hope will repair my sun-damaged skin and prevent the need for future surgeries. So no matter how bizarre they are, I never snicker at beauty treatments. Because who knows -- that snail mucous cream just might improve someone’s life.

The Buried Secrets Trilogy: Three murder witnesses, one deadly conspiracy

Book one - Fatal Exposure, June 2013

Book two - A Kiss to Die For, August 2013

Book three - Seduced by His Target, December 2013

Fatal Exposure

Cold-case detective Parker McCall has spent fifteen years trying to solve his brother’s murder. Now a chance photo of the killer in the newspaper sets him hard on the woman’s trail. A former teenaged runaway, reclusive, award-winning photojournalist B.K. Elliot chronicles the harsh reality of life on the streets -- until a photo in the paper reveals her identity, blowing the lid off her secret past. With a powerful murderer now dogging her heels, and her police officer step-father determined to silence her permanently, the last person she can afford to trust is a cop. So why does sexy police detective Parker McCall tempt her to break her silence and resurrect ideals she’d lost years ago? As danger closes in, and with more than her own life at stake, Brynn must decide if the duty-bound cop will betray her...or heal her battered heart.

Buy Link

COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR EDITH MAXWELL

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

We welcome back today mystery author Edith Maxwell (aka Tace Baker) who writes the Local Foods Mysteries. Edith once owned and operated the smallest certified-organic farm in Essex County, Massachusetts, so she knows about food. Today she shares with us a recipe for one of my favorite veggies. Learn more about Edith and her books at her website. -- AP

Local Asparagus, Local Murder

My new mystery, A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die, opens on the first pick-up day for the subscribers to the farm share program at Cam's organic farm. She hands out recipes to her customers and, since everybody loves fresh June asparagus in New England, she includes instructions for her special Marinated Asparagus.

Cam’s Marinated Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 pound farm-fresh asparagus

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced

1 Tbsp fresh chives, finely minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice or wine vinegar (or a mix)

1/4 cup good-quality olive oil

Salt and pepper

Snap the bottoms off the stalks of asparagus and wash the stalks.

Place asparagus in a steamer (microwave or stovetop) with water and steam several minutes until just bright green. The stalks should still be crisp. Plunge in cold water for one minute to stop the cooking, then remove to a colander.

Press the clove of garlic through a garlic press into a small bowl. Add the mustard, herbs, and lemon juice or vinegar, and whisk to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly, whisking as you go. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Dry the asparagus with a clean dishtowel and cut it into inch-long segments.

Place asparagus pieces in a bowl, add the dressing, toss, then add all to a green salad.

You can also serve the asparagus as a side salad by arranging the stalks pointing in the same direction on a plate. Pour the dressing over them, then roll the stalks to coat them.

I hope you enjoy the asparagus and the first in the Local Foods Mysteries series. What's your favorite late spring recipe? Do you belong to a farm share program or have a good farmers' market nearby? Would you want to continue shopping at a farm that also featured locally sourced murder?

A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die

It's harvest time in Westbury, Massachusetts, and novice farmer Cameron Flaherty hopes to make a killing selling organic produce. A colorful Locavore Club belongs to Cam's farm-share program. But when a killer strikes on her property, her first foray into the world of organic farming yields a bumper crop of locally sourced murder.

To clear her name, Cam has to dig up secrets buried deep beneath the soil of Produce Plus Plus Farm. And when the police don't make progress in the case, she has to catch a murderer whose motto seems to be, “Eat Local. Kill Local.”

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CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--"DAD" CROSS STITCH

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Father’s Day is coming up. If your dad loves to fish, why not cross stitch him this design? The piece is 33 stitches wide x 34 stitches high, 2-1/4”w x 2-3/8”h when stitched on 14-ct. fabric. It will look great mounted on the lid of a small box. Or use waste canvas and stitch it on a placket shirt or hoodie.

Directions:

Following the Color Key, cross stitch design the design with two strands floss. Backstitch and French knot with one strand black floss (310.)

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY GUEST AUTHOR ALISON STONE

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Fri, 31 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Alison Stone credits an advertisement for writing children's books for sparking her interest in writing. She never did complete a children's book, but she did have success writing articles for local publications before finding her true calling, writing romantic suspense. Learn more about Alison and her books at her website. -- AP

Making Time

Thank you for hosting me on Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers. I think this is the best title for a blog, ever. Anyway, it got me thinking how much I used to love to do crafts. I say “used to” because life and writing have gotten in the way over the years.

I have a beautiful cross stitch I completed for my wedding twenty years ago. I completed another two cross stitch projects announcing the births of each of my first two sons. I have a third cross stitch half completed for my daughter. She turned thirteen earlier this year. I also have an eight year old. I had to mention her or she’d feel left out. I never even purchased the materials to start a cross stitch for her. It makes me sad to think how days roll into months and months into years and we fall away from the things that used to bring us enjoyment.

Over time, I put the cross stitch aside, and picked up a notebook and found writing also brings me great joy. I’ve been fortunate to turn what started out as a hobby into my career, with the support of my hubby who brings in a steady income. J

My latest book, Plain Pursuit, will be out in June 2013 from Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense. In doing research for my suspense set in Amish country, I took a trip down to Conewango, NY. (I set my book in fictionalized Apple Creek, NY because, well, it has a nice ring to it.) My daughters and I stopped into a local shop and admired the beautiful handcrafts made by the Amish—everything from potholders to quilts. There’s something very tranquil about the country and the image of women gathered around a quilt or sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, the rhythmic motion of their hands as they stitch the fabric…

Taking the time to do things they enjoy…

All this talk of crafts, makes me want to take a trip to a craft store. Maybe I could start a wedding cross stitch. I figure I have a good ten years or more before my oldest gets married. In the meantime, I’ll be working on my next book. I hope you’ll check them out.

Is there any craft project you’d like to work on that you just haven’t made the time for lately? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section.

Plain Pursuit

Danger in Amish Country

When her brother is killed in a small Amish town, Anna Quinn discovers she's an unwelcome outsider. But the FBI agent investigating the case is right at home—because Eli Miller was born and raised in Apple Creek's Plain community. Eli left his Amish faith behind long ago, but his heart is rooted in a local cold case he can't forget—a mystery with strange connections to Anna's loss. Desperate to uncover the truth, Anna and Eli are faced with stony silences and secrets…secrets that someone wants to keep buried in the past.

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TRAVEL WITH SERENA--GUEST TRAVEL EXPERT KENDRA THORNTON

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Thu, 30 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Full-time mommy to three Kendra Thornton was the former Orbitz director of communications and has traveled to 28 countries on 6 continents. She loves to write about travel and offer travel tips. Today she joins us to share some of her favorite tips on traveling healthy with your kids.

Family Fun In The Summertime: 5 Travel Tips

Summer is on its way. That means road trips and days at the beach with the kids. Before you soak in those rays, though, you have to get to your destination. That can be an adventure in itself! What do you do when the kids are hungry and screaming in the backseat? As a full-time mom who's roamed all around the country with her husband and kids in tow, I've put together some tips on keeping your family healthy, safe, and happy while traveling.

1. Eat Breakfast

If you're headed out for a full day at the amusement park, be sure your family eats a healthy breakfast beforehand. During sleep, your body is hard at work making repairs. All that energy needs to be replenished in order to function the next day. Aim for a serving of healthy protein, such as scrambled eggs, and complex carbohydrates that provide sustained energy. If you're staying at a hotel, take advantage of the continental breakfast offered. Eat foods like whole-grain toast, oatmeal, and fresh fruit. Steer your family clear of sugary cereals and pastries. These provide little nutritional value and won't satisfy hunger for very long.

2. Pack Healthy Snacks

The munchies can hit hard while you're on the road. Instead of settling for greasy, salty convenience store snacks, pack your own healthy food. Keep a cooler stocked with juice, water, low-fat string cheese, Greek yogurt, apples, and celery and carrot sticks. Keep bags of trail mix and pretzels, too. Kids always hungry on road trips? Instead of constantly stopping for food, I like to surprise mine by packing their favorite cookies or candy. Keep in mind that if you must stop for something on-the-go you should still take the time to make healthy decisions at fast foods places!

3. Keep Hand Sanitizer Handy

Here's something to think about the next time your family uses a public bathroom at a rest stop or airport. According to an SCA survey, four in ten adults have admitted to not washing their hands after sneezing or coughing. Fifty-eight percent have seen other people walk out of restrooms without having washed their hands. Gross, right? Teach your children to lather up on the soap and wash their hands for at least twenty seconds under running water. Keep sanitizer on hand when soap and water are not available.

4. Maintain Regular Sleep-Wake Schedules

You know that crying baby on the airplane? Chances are, he's probably traveling during the hours when he's usually asleep. Disruptions in children's sleep-wake cycles can lead to episodes of crankiness. As much as possible, schedule flights, meal times, and rest periods around the usual times your family engages in them at home. There are a bunch of Orlando hotels in Walt Disney World that offer quiet hours to ensure their visitors get the proper night’s rest they need.

5. Make Time For The Adults

Mom, Dad, this is your vacation, too. Fit some grown-up time into your days. Enjoy cocktails at the bar or have a couple's massage at the spa. Many hotels have childcare options that you can utilize for a few hours. This way, you and your spouse will come away refreshed from the vacation instead of frazzled.

Use these tips to plan for a healthy, safe, and fun vacation with your family!

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE--GERMY KEYBOARDS

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Did you know that the average keyboard has more germs than a public toilet? Euwww, right? Since cold and flu germs are spread through touch more than any other way, get in the habit of disinfecting your keyboard and mouse. Wring the excess liquid from a bleach-free disinfectant wipe, then rub it over your keyboard keys, mouse, and mouse pad. While you’re at it, wipe down the other items on your desk, such as pens, pencils, rulers, scissors, tape dispenser, etc.

COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR DORI HILLESTAD BUTLER

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Tue, 28 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Dori Hillestad Butler is an Edgar-award winning author of mysteries for children. Her Buddy Files series introduces Buddy, a crime solving therapy dog. She’s also been hard at work on a new series called Haunted Library which launches in 2014 and features a ghost boy named Kaz and a “solid” girl named Claire who work together to solve ghostly mysteries. Learn more about Dori and her books at her website. – AP

Never has my personal life and my work life come together so seamlessly than while I was writing the Buddy Files books. I’d always wanted my own series. And I was lucky—a publisher I’d been working with for quite a few years had invited me to submit a series proposal. But I was having a hard time coming up with anything. That was about the time my dad’s health took a turn for the worst, and I had just learned that my oldest son would be moving from Iowa City, IA to Seattle, WA the following summer. I always knew my kids would grow up and move out one day, but I thought they’d move across town, not across the country! That was an adjustment. For me.

I knew I should be celebrating my son’s entry into adulthood, not mourning it. I realized I needed a new project to throw myself into. Not a writing project. Something else. I’d been hearing a lot about therapy dogs. I knew there was a therapy dog group in my community, and I was especially interested in the program where kids read to therapy dogs. A dog is a non-judgmental listener. He doesn’t care whether a child is reading at grade level or not. He’ll never laugh at a child who stumbles over a word. He just lies there and enjoys the story. And the child learns to associate reading with something positive.

What I missed most about my kids being little was reading to them. So I decided this was the perfect new project to throw myself into. I loved dogs; I loved kids; I loved books. I had a dog already, but I knew my dog wouldn’t make a very good therapy dog. So I went to the P-O-U-N-D (by the way, you should never say that word out loud in front of a dog) and adopted this guy:

Mouse

And I started training him to be a therapy dog. It was while I was training him that I got the idea to write the Buddy Files. A therapy dog comes into contact with a lot of different people…and all those people could have problems, or maybe mysteries, to solve. I loved writing from a dog’s point of view.

Buddy

Like my real-life dog Mouse, my fictional character Buddy is a good and loyal dog. He loves everyone and everything.

But he tends to get a little distracted…especially when there’s food around.

“Pizza? I LOVE pizza. It’s my favorite food!”

“French fries? I LOVE French fries. They’re my favorite food!”

“Hamburgers? I LOVE hamburgers. They’re my favorite food!”

I get a lot of letters and e-mails from kids who want to know what is Buddy’s real favorite food. So here’s a recipe for Buddy’s FAVORITE dog treats:

Buddy’s FAVORITE Dog Treats

1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 T. chicken bouillon granules

1 T. honey
1/3 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cup hot water

1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes (found in health food section)

3 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and grease baking sheets.

2. In a large bowl, stir together oatmeal, bouillon, honey, and butter. Pour hot water over mixture, then allow to stand for about five minutes.

3. Add beaten egg, powdered milk and cornmeal. Stir well.

4. Add yeast and flour, a little at a time while mixing. Continue to stir thoroughly. Add more flour if necessary to make the dough very stiff.

5. Divide dough into three balls. Roll each ball out to a ¼ inch thickness. Cut dough into small squares (or use a dog bone cookie cutter) and place on baking sheet.

6. Bake at 325°F. If your dog likes softer treats, take them out of the oven after about 20 minutes and let them cool on wire racks or paper towels. If your dog likes crunchy treats, bake them for 30 minutes, then turn off oven and crack oven door, but leave biscuits in to cool and dry out.

Oh! And my real-life dog Mouse LOVES Buddy’s Favorite Dog Treats, too!

The Buddy Files

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MEMORIAL DAY 2013

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Mon, 27 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Graves at Arlington National Cemetery

Anastasia and the gang are taking the day off to honor all those brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR KIM CRESSWELL

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Trained as a legal assistant, Kim Cresswell has been a story-teller all her life but took many detours, including working for a private investigator, running a graphic design business, and teaching computer classes at a local business school. After becoming disabled with Fibromyalgia and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, she returned to her first love, writing. Kim has a busy year ahead of her with three releases coming in 2013. Learn more about her and her books at her website. – AP

CONFESSIONS OF A GAMER CHICK: Love for a Good Story

I'm not much of a crafty type person, and I really don't enjoy cooking anymore. I wish I did. My children are grown and married, but over the years, one thing hasn't changed...

I am a gaming junkie. I have been since the '80s—the decade of big hair, leg-warmers, snap-crotch bodysuits (remember those?), acid washed jeans and authors Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins.

It was also a time when gaming evolved from arcade style games (Pacman and Space Invaders) to plot based games.

One of the first games I played was Kings Quest, an adventure game, the first of the series, which followed the fictional royal family of the Kingdom of Daventry. To show my age even more <grin> I played the game on a Commodore Amiga 500, a 16-bit computer which cost me $400.00. Ouch, what was I thinking?

photo: obsoletecomputemuseum.org/amiga500

Much like a great suspense or mystery novel, Kings Quest involved a quest, solving riddles, and completing tasks using logic and lateral thinking.

The main character, a brave knight, was motivated by the desire to protect his family and shield the innocent from evil. If he succeeded, he would become king and eventually throughout the game series, find his queen (yes, romance.) The villains created hardship for the inhabitants, threatened the security of Daventry, and battled to defeat other kingdoms.

photo: stockfreeimages.com

Fast forward to 2013. I'm still a die-hard PC gamer and known to play first-person shooters (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3) but I'm still drawn to adventure, fantasy and RPG's (Role Playing Games.)

Why?

Mystery. Suspense. I want the hero to triumph over the bad guys! I want a Happily Ever After ending! It must be the writer and the reader in me.

As an author, what have I learned from years of gaming? A lot, in particular, the importance of story structure, GMC (Goal, Motivation and Conflict), pacing and plotting. If I get frustrated or stuck with the direction my plot is going, The Big List of RPG Plots by S John Ross (download it here) is an excellent resource and idea generator.

Do you play games? What type of games do you play?

Let the games begin!

REFLECTION

Florida investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, has lived in the shadow of her legendary father long enough. To prove herself she needs to find the “Big” story.

She found it.

Now it may kill her.

After receiving a lead pointing to the world's first cloned human, now a small child, Whitney vows to unravel the truth. However, sifting through the facts proves to have dangerous results, including death threats and murder.

When she's nearly killed, but is saved by undercover FBI Special Agent, Blake Neely, he refuses to let her get in the way of his own objective—at least not right away.

Caught in a lethal game between a billionaire obsessed with genetic perfection, his hit man’s thirst for retribution, and a Colombian drug lord fresh out of prison determined to make Blake pay for his twin brother’s death over a decade ago…

Can they save an innocent child before it’s too late?

Faced with tough choices, with deadly consequences for many—Whitney soon realizes that sometimes a story becomes more than just a story.

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TRAVEL WITH SERENA--BUDGET VACATIONS, PART 2

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Last week I talked about booking vacation homes and apartments to cut down on the cost of a vacation. Another big budget buster when traveling is food. Eating three meals a day at a restaurant can be very costly, especially if you’re traveling as a family. Here’s a tip for reducing those meal bills:

Eat where the locals eat. If you’re visiting a large city, check out the local coffee shops for breakfast. At lunch time, head for the food trucks and food carts that have the longest lines. Local residents go where the food is cheap and good.

Want something a little nicer for dinner? Before you go on vacation, visit online deal sites like restaurants.com, Groupon, and Living Social to stock up on discounted meal vouchers for restaurants in the places you’ll be visiting.

MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--SUPERMARKET PRICING

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Price check, aisle 2!

We all know that food is more expensive at convenience stores than in supermarkets, but did you know the same item might have multiple prices in a supermarket, depending on where it’s shelved?

The trend in supermarkets these days is to shelve the same item in several areas. For example, cheese is found both in the deli section and the dairy section. You can find nuts in the gourmet food section, the produce section, and the baking aisle. If you suddenly decide you’d like salsa with your chips but don’t want to walk all the way back to the condiments aisle, it’s convenient to be able to reach for a jar next to those chips. This added convenience can be costly, though. That salsa might be more expensive by the chips than the jar in the condiments section. Next time you go shopping, check the prices. You might find it worth your wallet to trek back a few aisles.

COOKING WITH CLORIS--LEA WAIT'S MUSSELS STEAMED IN WINE & HERBS

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Lea Wait is a Maine author who writes the Agatha-finalist Shadows Antique Print Mysteries staring antique print dealer and college professor Maggie Summer. Lea also writes historical novels for ages 8-14 set in nineteenth century Maine. For more about Lea and her books, visit her website and the Maine Crime Writers blog she writes with nine other Maine mystery authors.

Mussels Steamed in Wine & Herbs

(as seen in Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding)

In Lea Wait’s Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding, her latest Shadows Antique Print Mystery, antique print dealer Maggie Summer heads for Cape Cod to help her friend Gussie with pre-wedding planning and jitters …. and although finding a body on the beach and having to prepare for a hurricane do complicate their task, Maggie and Gussie find time to share several meals of scrumptious fresh seafood while counting down to Gussie’s big day. One of their favorites is Mussels Steamed in Wine & Herbs. Easy to prepare, easier to eat, and delicious.

You’ll need 1-2 dozen mussels per person, depending on whether the mussels will be an appetizer or main course. This recipe will assume you’re using 4 dozen fresh mussels, and that you’ve scrubbed & debearded them (taken off the long “beards” that attach them to rocks) and removed any mussels that are open (open = dead) before starting.

Finely chop 8 large shallots, 2 large onions, and 8 large cloves of garlic, and sauté them in 3 tablespoons of salted (preferably sea-salted) butter in a large Dutch oven or the heavy pot you use to cook spaghetti.

When the vegetables are soft, add the mussels, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 3 cups of a dry white wine like Chardonnay. Cover the pot and bring the wine to a boil. Steam until the mussels open – about 3 minutes.

Serve mussels in individual bowls or in one communal bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Be sure to have crusty French bread available to soak in the broth. Accompany with a glass of white wine.

Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding

Antique print dealer Maggie Summer is happy to help her best friend Gussie with pre-wedding preparations on Cape Cod ... until she finds a body on the beach, and the close-knit New England community no longer seems so friendly. Why does the dead man's daughter say he died two years ago .. in Colorado? Who was supplying drugs to teenagers in town? Already nervous about a critical discussion she needs to have with the man in her life, Maggie immerses herself in the murder investigation and wedding plans ... and then there's another murder ... and a hurricane ... and Maggie herself becomes a target. Maybe this time around, Maggie's gotten herself in a little too deep.

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CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR AND PAINTER JERRIE ALEXANDER

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Jerrie Alexander writes alpha males and kick-ass women with a hit of humor. Her latest romantic suspense is The Last Execution. But there’s another side of Jerrie, and today she’s here to tell us about it. Learn more about her and her books at her website. – AP

Most people wouldn't guess I'm a crafter, but they'd be wrong. I have my own work room where I sew, paint, make stuffed animals, and share my love of making things with my granddaughter. Shoot, back when they were popular, I made beautiful cigar box purses.

Writing romantic suspense and researching profiles of past killers has given me nightmares more than once. When I need a break, mainly for mental health, I either bake or paint. Out of respect for my ever expanding waistline, I decided to tell you about my painting. Lord knows, if I get to swapping recipes, I'll be testing them out shortly.

Does anybody remember Bob Ross? A lovely soul whose program on PBS always captivated me. Sadly, no matter how hard I tried, my talent paled in comparison.

Undaunted, I signed up for painting lessons. My first assignment was a butterfly. It wasn't bad. Not good but passable. Then came the sunflower. I looked for it but I must have hidden that horrible thing or perhaps thrown it away. The one thing I learned during that time was I love to paint flowers.

The instructor taught the "One Stroke" method, and soon I could actually recognize what I was painting on a canvas. Are they good enough to sell? My stars and garters...never. But that's okay, I couldn't part with them anyway.

When I'm working on an arrangement, my self-imposed pressures and worries fade into the background.

A bonus? My granddaughter will pull up a chair and join me. In fact, she's bought her own paint brushes. They live in a jar next to mine in the craft room.

I've included a couple of examples. A few are first drafts and the framed final picture. One is a yellow rose that I have practiced until the world looks level! I haven't mastered that particular bloom yet.

Whether I'm sewing, painting, or decorating a cake, I enjoy taking a break. Regardless of the finished product, it's rewarding. Then I'm ready to tackle my imaginary psycho who is lurking inside the pages of my next book.

I love hearing about other people's craft addictions. So I hope people will share their favorite hobby or pastime with me today.

The Last Execution

To survive, she must put the past behind her. To love, she must learn to trust.

Homicide detective Leigh McBride's first assignment with the FBI brings her face-to-face with a past she's tried hard to forget. And when her temporary partner, a cynical ex-marine, lights a fire in her she thought long-extinguished, her darkest secret is threatened.

Scarred both physically and emotionally, Special Agent J. T. Noble is a man of few words. He prefers to keep people at a distance—until he meets Leigh. He's attracted to her strength and drawn in by her secrecy. But in their line of work, secrets can be deadly.

When the killer they are hunting aims his vigilante justice at Leigh's past assailant, the fine line between right and wrong blurs. To heal the past—and find their future together—Leigh and J. T. must learn that only through trust and forgiveness can love grow.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR AMANDA BALL/LEANN COSTON

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:24:00 +0000

Amanda Ball is a self-described musician, author, and filmmaker. Her mother calls her a professional juggler. Amanda grabs one project, works on it, then tosses it back into the air and grabs another project. When not actively engaged in creative endeavors, she enjoys hot cars, cowboys, bass players, cooking, crocheting, photography, travel and things with motors. Her latest book is Famous...or not, written under her LeAnn Coston pen name. Learn more about Amanda at her Amanda Ball and LeAnn Coston websites and her blog. – AP

Living a creative life

I was listening to a speech once, when the speaker said: without art, life is nothing.

I hadn't thought of it that way. But, what would life be without the beauty of music, the entertainment of movies, the diversion of a book, without the expression of poetry, without the visual aesthetic of art?

What would life be with just work and the mechanics of life? A life without beauty would be no life indeed.

But, what is it to be the one chosen to bring the arts to life? When one is given a gift of talent, and uses that gift to connect to other people--in any way--that is an amazing achievement.

I live my life in pursuit of creativity. It started off in music. As soon as I could talk, I told people I wanted to be a "country western singer." It branched out from there, into learning many instruments, learning to sing, and it grew from there: songwriting, music business, publishing, producing, arranging, etc.

When I started college, I wanted to write. I tried and tried and tried. It took me ten years to figure out "how to pull a book out of a human," but when I was twenty-nine, I completed my first manuscript. When I was thirty-five, I was offered my first publishing contract.

Then, when I was thirty-six, out of the blue and with no warning, I was sitting with a dear friend in a bar, eating a blue cheese burger, and I announced that I had decided that I wanted to direct movies. I remember it vividly. It was in January, and the Sundance film festival was going on, and I wanted to be there so bad, I could taste it. The friend, Don, knows me pretty well. I expected him to laugh, thinking I was telling a joke. He didn't laugh. He seemed intrigued. He made some innocuous comment. I (thinking I was making a joke), popped off and said, "You wanna make movies with me?"

I got to the word 'movies', and didn't even finish the sentence, before he was nodding and said yes.

From that moment forward, it was full steam ahead. Any form of creativity, any time, anywhere.

I try to treat these gifts as reverent. To be one of the few, who has been chosen to bring art to the world...it's special.

I wish for you all joy, as you share your gifts and talents with the world.

Famous...or not

So, imagine this:

You’re sitting in your backyard, in middle-America, and you hear a noise. You look up. The Sexiest Man in the Universe hops over your privacy fence and runs across your yard. After a few seconds, about seven or eight paparazzi hop the fence and follow him. Now, that’s something you just don’t see everyday in Oklahoma.

As the commotion continues and dogs start barking, you can hear the chase going all through your neighbors’ yards. Finally, it quiets down again, and you look back at the magazine you were reading--the celebrity magazine showing the cover picture of the Sexiest Man in the Universe.

After a bit, you hear a noise, and Mr. Sexiest Man hops the fence--again! You realize he’s probably only eluding paparazzi, but part of you hopes he came around to see you just one more time. You nod at the open door to the lawn mower shed. He ducks inside. The paparazzi hop the fence again, but you tell them their prey has eluded them. With disgust, they walk down your driveway and leave.

So, with wry amusement, you walk across your own backyard to your lawnmower shed, where the Sexiest Man in the Universe happens to be hiding.

Even if this were the movies, meet-cutes don’t get any better than this.

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TRAVEL WITH SERENA--VACATIONS ON A BUDGET

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Vacations are expensive, but we all need to get away every so often to refresh and rejuvenate. One way to cut down on the cost of a trip is to book your stay at a vacation home or apartment rental instead of a hotel. There are options for all budgets. You can book anything from a spare bedroom to a multi-million dollar villa. Although, if you’re looking for a multi-million dollar villa, you’re probably not worrying about your budget! You can find listings for rentals online. Two to check out are airbnb.com and homeaway.com.

MONEY MATTERS WITH SHEILA--WEDDING RECEPTION DISASTERS

noreply@blogger.com (ANASTASIA POLLACK) — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Here at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers we’re all about DIY and saving money. However, sometimes it’s best to hire experts. Such is the case with wedding receptions. Today we welcome back guest blogger Zain with tips to help avoid wedding reception disasters. Zain writes for Feast Your Eyes! Inc. They provide services such as catering weddings in Toronto as well as event design.

Catering Secrets: Avoiding A Wedding Reception Disaster

Weddings can be wonderful yet expensive occasions. They are most wonderful if planned and done effectively, including the reception and catering. Couples often easily use a good quarter of their wedding budget on food and alcohol for the reception. Since the average wedding budget is around $20,000, that amounts to at least $5,000. If you want to have a successful catered event for your wedding, making all the time and money put into it worthwhile, there are some common mistakes and mishaps you want to AVOID making that can cause a wedding reception disaster.

Mistake one, the DIY disaster. Unless you're a professional in such services and just have to be hands-on, it's best you avoid taking the catering into your own hands. There are many levels in the planning and execution of a wedding reception and its catering. Beyond the food itself, you have the decorations, storage, the serving, and the actual timing of it all, including the food preparation. So it's best to leave it to professionals and not let your inexperience lead to a major headache.

Another no-no for wedding catering is the overly elaborate menu. Some actually believe that having a big menu will make the event grander, but having an extensive menu can lead to a waste of food. So it's best to keep it simple. A little variety is good but not too much.

Nothing can leave a bad taste in the mouths of guests like less than tasty food. Be sure to have a taste testing and know what's in store from your caterer. The last thing you need is food that is way too dull in taste or way too salty. Guests may not remember the color of the decorations and clothing from the ceremony, but food is likely to stick with them, being either really good or bad. Also, be sure to give clear instructions to the caterers and lay down the terms of the service so all parties have a sure knowledge of what to expect. This can spare you from poor service and disputes.

Another possible disaster that can be catastrophic in terms of implications (including crowd control) is not having enough food. This is why careful planning is critical and you must work with experienced chefs that can calculate and accommodate needs based on the number of guests. You may want to have a backup plan just in case expected numbers happen to be exceeded.

For a successfully catered event, make sure you do your homework. Look closely at catering companies and cross examine them, knowing what to expect and knowing what you want. Keep communications clear and remember to have a taste test if possible, not doing so could be a disastrous mistake. Your wedding is probably one of, if not the biggest, day of your life, and it's something you may have dreamed of for years. If you want it to go smoothly and happily, be sure to avoid the mistakes we went over and do all necessary research.