Pen, Spoon & Dagger

Have you hugged your dog today?

2011-09-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

National Dog Week starts today. Woof! Time to give your pooch some extra love, belly rubs, butt scrubs or whatever your hairy companion prefers

As I sit at my desk, Clue, my Golden Retriever, is dozing on the floor next to me, dreaming of her next meal or hug, whichever comes first. She is now 12 years old, grey-faced, deaf and severely arthritic. But that doesn't stop her from enjoying life. Every morning she wakes up, tail beating a joyous tattoo on her bed, waiting for our morning ritual of belly rubs and wriggling.

Clue is the perfect name for a mystery writer's dog,right? But it's actually short for "Hasn't got a Clue." You see, Clue is a rescue dog. When she was just a couple of months old, her owners dumped her on a back road to fend for herself. Fortunately someone found her and took her to the local shelter. After keeping her the required 30 days, the shelter listed her on Petfinder where I fell in love with her at first sight.

I drove 90 minutes north to the shelter to see her -- all 55 pounds of untrained, unfettered energy. The first thing she did was jump up on my then-80-year-old mother and knock her flat on her derriere. Not a promising start. Fortunately Mother has a sense of humour and loves dogs. And, if Clue had inexhaustible energy, she also demonstrated boundless love, despite her history. Thirty minutes later I was loading her into the back of my SUV for the drive home. She spent the entire trip trying to climb out the window or into the front seat. "No," "sit," "down," "stay" were simply not part of her vocabulary. My comment to my mom: "This dog hasn't got a clue how to behave."

I'll admit it took three, yes three, basic obedience classes to get the message through to her, but it was worth every minute. She's given me 11+ years of undiluted joy, love and companionship. And she sits on command! So if you're looking for a wonderful pet, ADOPT DON'T SHOP! Rescues make the best pets -- somehow they just know, and they repay a thousand times over.

Here's a recipe for an extra special treat for your beloved canine family member. I use a large (5 1/2-inch) cookie cutter, but you can use any size or shape you like. Clue will be savouring hers as soon as they cool.

Clue's Secret Treats

1 cup    All-Purpose flour
1/2 cup    Powdered milk
1/2 cup   Quick-cook Oats
1 cup    Wheat flour
1 Tbs    Margarine
1 tsp    Brown sugar
1    Egg
2.5 oz jar Gerber's Beef & Beef gravy baby food (or any flavour you like)
4 oz jar Gerber's Vegetable Beef baby food (or any flavour you like)
Approx. 1/2 cup Low-Sodium Chicken broth

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, cut in margarine until mixture resembles corn meal. Stir sugar and baby food into the egg, and add to dry ingredients. Add chicken broth gradually (approx. 1/2 cup) to make a stiff dough. Knead on well-floured surface until dough is smooth. Roll to 1/2" thick and cut into desired shapes. Preheat oven to 325F. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

Yield: 12 5 1/2-inch biscuits

An Interview with Pat Deuson

2011-09-15T07:00:00.006-04:00

Pat's ebook, Superior Longing, debuts today!

Tiger: Pat, as an aspiring-to-be-published writer, how does it feel to see your book about to be published?

Pat: First Tiger, thanks for asking me to visit your blog.

While it’s great to no longer be ‘aspiring’ at least after 9/15/11 when Superior Longing comes out, writing goes on, with all the ups and downs that brings. While I’ve tried to maintain a ‘professional’ attitude toward writing, defined sublimely by Christie: "There was a moment when I changed from an amateur to a professional. I assumed the burden of a profession, which is to write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you're writing, and aren't writing particularly well." I now can add marketing, which carries the same proviso. Note this is an ebook. I was offered a contract for a print book as well but I have seen the future….

Tiger: When did you decide to write novels? And how did you come up with your mystery idea?

Pat: I wasn’t a stranger to writing. I wrote stories in college and then stopped for years. But as we all know when you’re bitten you stay that way, so one summer I came back from one of the countries in Africa – it may have been Niger – where we lived, on R&R. I spent a month in California during ‘fire season’ and a plot [which turned out to be too big for one book] came to me and I just started writing it down.

Tiger: Tell me a little bit about the process you went through writing Superior Longing. Did you work with a critique group or muscle through alone?

Pat: I’ve moved around too much to form the strong bonds critique groups need, so it’s generally been a battle I’ve fought alone. Once I joined Sisters in Crime and then the sub-group Guppies, I’ve gotten to ‘know’ a lot of writers and found ‘us’ to be great and very supportive. That said, if you can find a group of writers with whom you can develop sympathetic bonds, and the trust to say what must be said, you are very lucky and shouldn’t hesitate.

Tiger: How did you get started with writing?

A creative writing course in college. But it took a late night call from friends one summer who urged me to submit some of my stories in a contest [which I won] that made me think.

Pat: Tell me a little bit about Superior Longing, without giving away too much.

I though you’d never ask! This is my ‘best’ blurb:

Life is what happens when you're looking elsewhere. SUPERIOR LONGING, a mystery, is set during the frigid spring on the beautiful and harsh southern shore of Lake Superior. When Neva Moore's uncle drowns and the details of his death twist and turn, her pursuit of the truth weaves through small town politics, smuggling, and superstition, to end where it all began, back in the family and another death in an icy lake.

Tiger: Now that the ebook is about to come out, what do you hope for?

Pat: To keep writing and, with luck. selling. I’m in a second draft of the next Neva Moore mystery and have about ¾ of the one after written in second draft as well. I can’t say this is the best way to write but it turned out that way.

Tiger: Which novelist most influenced your own work? And which writer, past or present, would you like to spend some time with?

Pat: Without question Raymond Chandler. Crystalline prose. The writer that I would like to spend time with is the late Robert Fagles. His translation of the Iliad is an inspiration. However, if I’m allowed a second, it would be G. R. R. Martin, whose Song of Ice and Fire quintet [so far, 2 more are coming] is a lesson in how to write, that goes on for 4.5K pages and was far more compelling to me than any craft book I’ve read.

Tiger: It's obvious from this blog that I'm dedicated foodie. Any good food in your mystery? Recipes? What do you eat while you're writing? Any "brain" foods?

Pat: Here’s an unexpected answer: no. It is a cooking school, but the focus is on crime. Food is discussed, time is spent in the kitchen, but it’s all about murder and justice for the dead for me - a strong Chandler influence. However, Neva, the series main character, does like to cook and has a blog where she will [I started to set it up yesterday] talk about food, but in a slightly different way – although she does have an outstanding chili recipe – her first post will probably be about olive oil. And I did a guest blog about tabouleh, and, come to think of it, Neva ghosted one for me on daube, because that was a class she was giving and frankly the girl doesn’t know her place. I try not to eat while writing, it’s hell on the keyboard. I think a good night’s sleep is the best brain food, although this is closely followed by Pepperidge Farm cookies.

Tiger: What advice would you give someone in my position - finished manuscript, no agent, no publisher?

Pat: First I’d ask what ‘finished’ means. Is it a first draft? Has anyone else looked at it? Do you think it’s the best you can do? Or are you just a little ‘brain fried’ with that manuscript and need a rest? If you, and your posse, if you have one, really think it’s great and in your heart you’re satisfied, then you need a great synopsis [ONE page or LESS] and a sterling query letter which you can send around to agents and small press alike – or even the big boys. I should mention that I do 8-10 drafts. Not look it over change a word or two, but back to the beginning as if I was writing it first time. And really a manuscript is never done, in my opinion.

If I may here are some links that will help the curious find Superior Longing information: http://superiorlonging.blogspot.com/ http://goo.gl/AfIVM The ebook, published by Echelon Press, will be available September 15, 2011 on Kindle, Nook, Smashwords,Omnilit.com and other places I don’t know about.

Tiger: Pat, thanks so much for stopping by with your great news. All the best on this and future books.

You can find Superior Longing at http://tinyurl.com/pd-sl-Omni and http://tinyurl.com/pd-sl-Smash

Chicken or Egg, Book or Movie?

2011-08-15T10:57:00.002-04:00

Do you read the book or watch the move first? Come on, you know it's an either-or question.

I figure there are two types of people in the world. Actually there are three, but I don't count those who never pick up a book and actually read it. Of the remaining, some read a book and, if they like it, go to see the movie when it comes out...maybe. Others rush to the local MulitPlex and only read the book if a) the movie was really good or b) the movie was really bad and they're curious to find out if the book is any better.

I fall securely in the first camp. I'm a writer ergo I read. I rarely go to the movies. I don't want my sense of time, place and character influenced by a casting manager, set designer or film director. I hate seeing a movie where the characters look and sound nothing like what I'd imagined while reading the novel. I'm still trying to process the myriad of Miss Marples's I've seen paraded across the screen: fat, skinny, tall, short.

I loved the Harry Potter books, and I'm amazed at the films' casting. Everyone looks just as they should, in my mind at least. And the movies are true to J.K. Rowling's' writing. But whole chunks were left out. What happened to the house elves and their revolt, for example? You miss a lot if you don't read the books.

Cinematographers take "artistic" license, some to the extent that the original novel is unrecognizable. Filmmakers invent or amplify characters to appeal to a segment of their audience, such as the part of Meryl Streep in Ironweed. Can't fault them for making a good movie, but can't love them for butchering an author's work, either. Would have recognized Robinson Crusoe when watching Tom Hanks in Cast Away? Ok, maybe that's not the best analogy, but you get my point.

Brian De Palma 's adaptation of Wolfe's social satire The Bonfire Of The Vanities totally missed the book's tone. Where are Wolfe's from-the-inside-out descriptions of stockbrokers, social activists, tabloid reporters, and civil servants?

Bicentennial Man and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen are other adaptations which widely missed the mark - or the novel.

The Scarlet Letter is textbook Hollywood-style revisionism. The film was labeld as a "free adaptation" of Hawthorne's book, which apparently meant including a softcore coupling scene between Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale that would have had Hawthorne running screaming from the theatre. Not to mention all that PC dribble about Prynne's long-lost husband going native with the local Algonquin tribe, the voyeuristic interlude featuring a horny slave girl, and Prynne furtively pleasuring herself in a bath. And, last but not least, the "happy ending" that never entered Hawthorne's literary mind.

It poured all weekend here – 8 inches (with 2 more predicted for today). It was the perfect weekend for a movie and I really wanted to see The Help. But I bought the book on Thursday and haven't even had time to read the first chapter. So, no movie theater and pop corn for me. Instead, I watched five BBC productions of Jane Austen novels on DVD, with a glass of wine and a plate of assorted cheeses for nourishment.

So which are you: reader first or viewer first? Note: non-readers need not reply.

In Defense of Good Penmanship

2011-07-31T14:58:00.000-04:00

July 3, 2011
Archaic Method? Cursive writing no longer has to be taught

TERRE HAUTE — Starting this fall, the Indiana Department of Education will no longer require Indiana’s public schools to teach cursive writing.

State officials sent school leaders a memo April 25 telling them that instead of cursive writing, students will be expected to become proficient in keyboard use

Just reading the above set my blood boiling. Are they telling us that cursive writing is obsolete? Will our next president print his name on documents, or worse, just pen a big X? How are we going to determine if a check signature is a forgery if there is no signature? Will our grand kids even be able to read cursive, I mean little things like the Declaration of Independence?

At the risk of slotting myself in with the dinosaurs, I'll admit that I learned cursive script back in the 50's, actually using an inkwell and a nib pen (no, not quill). The nuns were very fussy about our writing, both its form and neatness. No dribbles, no ink blotches, no unfinished loops. And certainly no I's dotted with little hearts.

Of course this was all before the Internet and email took over the world, before brides considered it good form to send out email wedding invitations and, horrors of all horrors, to send email thank you notes.

What happened to sitting down with nice notepaper and actually composing and penning a heartfelt thank you note to the person who spent not only money, but precious time, picking out that gift?

As a boarding school graduate, I can vividly remember the excitement of checking my mail cubby every day, and exhilaration of finding an envelope from home or a postcard from a friend "incarcerated" at a distant school.

I'm not denying the usefulness of keyboarding -- I keyboard my manuscripts -- but this shouldn't be an either or situation. One should not be required to make a choice; both should be taught. Not every kid can afford a computer, not every situation is keyboard viable.

The nation's founding documents were written in cursive.

Colour me old fashioned, but writing is a beautiful art of expression. Which you would rather read?

How do I love you, let me count the ways

hw do i lov u? let me count d wAz

A Little Fun

2011-07-06T20:45:00.001-04:00

In honour of the debut of the Maine Crime Writers' blog, I thought I'd offer a little mystery puzzle. See if you can find the last names of the writers and their protagonists in the puzzle below. Remember, words can go up, down, across or diagonally.

M C M O R R O W N B D S G R S

B S Z K E N S O O O S R N P U

X O K V A J S Y U O D L I U M

N X W M Z S L D R D C N M I M

U F Y D U E E A R O L F E F E

B A G G I R B G X J Y V L G R

H A R A A T T E N N U D F F Y

V E E P E M C C A B E O R Q L

F H M P S E U H J H X N E D W

H L G L X S R R R F M O C K S

X W U E F D A T P V X R N A N

W A I T R A B L P H M I E Z Y

E S P O Z G R A G I Y O P O F

J K W N D T F R U N T D S K I

T Y E L H S U W H C P V P Y C

Appleton      Bowditch      Boyle   Doiron   Doudera
Dunnett   Farr    Fergusson   Flora   Glass   Hayman
Kozak   McCabe   McMorrow   Murphy   Ross
Spencer-Fleming   Summer   Tiptree   Wait

Where do you find your characters and plot?

2011-06-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

Today, July 18^th, is National Caviar Day. Who knew? June is also National Candy Month, National Dairy Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, National Iced Tea Month, and National Papaya Month. Who knew? Or cares?

Personally I think caviar is vile – probably a result of my brother telling me, in vivid detail, what it was when I had a large mouthful at age 7. Mother was not amused when I spit it out. And, I’ve never touched the stuff again. This is a bit of information none you are interested in, with good reason. But what about the other sound bites we snatch every day?

As a writer, I love sites that list trivia, and that includes the “today in history” pages. How else would I know that on July 18^th, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere , or that on this day in 1991, the remains of President Zachary Taylor were briefly exhumed to test a theory that Taylor had died of arsenic poisoning (results showed death was from natural causes). These are facts I might be able to work into a plot.

Most writers I know carry around little notepads so that they can jot down thoughts, bits of conversation or interesting ideas for future books ( I usually resort to the back of my grocery receipt). You can pick up great ideas people watching at Starbucks or riding MetroNorth into the city.

My town (population 17,637) still has annual town meetings. Now just imagine the high school gym bleachers packed with hundreds of people, the town Selectmen (we don’t have a mayor) up on the dais, everyone watching the line of incensed residents lining up behind the microphone, waiting for their 3 minutes of ranting. Oops, I meant fame. You can actually hear the buzz of speculation bouncing off the gym’s walls: who is going to bring up the increase in the tax mil rate? Is Joe going to complain about lack of leash law enforcement again? Will Sam and Marion get into a shouting match over wetlands preservation like they did last year? What a perfect setting for a murder.

Plot and character inspiration is all around us if we’re just willing to pay attention.

Have you ever used an overheard conversation in one of your books? Did you feel guilty or amused?

Heat's on, but not for dinner

2011-06-11T12:36:00.007-04:00

Connecticut just had it's first heat wave of the summer. That means I'm concentrating on salads for dinner. Check out one of my favourites.

Shrimp & Asparagus Salad

3 cups spiral shaped pasta, uncooked
1 lb shell-on medium sized shrimp
1 lb asparagus, tough ends discarded, remainder cut into 2" pieces
½ cup bottled ranch dressing
1 cup lite mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
½ cup seafood cocktail sauce
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large tomato, cored, seeded and chopped
6 scallions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
2 Tbs fresh parsley and chives, chopped

In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ranch dressing, seafood cocktail sauce,lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt& pepper to taste. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp salt. Drop in the asparagus and cook 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook 4 minutes longer. Remove the asparagus and shrimp with a slotted spoon or Chinese spider and drop in an ice bath.. When cool, drain all. Peel the shrimp.
Cook the pasta in the same water according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well.
Mix the shrimp, asparagus and pasta together in a large bowl. Add the tomato, scallions and parsley. Add enough dressing to coat well - as little or as much as you like.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Serves 4
Serve with warm ciabatta rolls and a chilled rose wine.
Note: Any remaining dressing makes a great sandwich spread

Flights of Fancy

2011-06-09T12:41:00.000-04:00

Today I'm indulging in a flight of fancy - anything to escape the heat and humidity which have suddenly descended on Connecticut.

A couple of days ago, a Jungle Red blogger posted about St. Hilda's Crime and Mystery Conference. held every August in Oxford, England. As I sit fanning myself with a paperback, my thoughts wander into the realm of "what if," as in what if I won the lottery or a rich relative (of which I have none) left me a large legacy.

Normally, I only attend two conferences each year, more for financial reasons than anything else. One is Murder 203, a Connecticut-based event heavily attended by readers as well as writers, and, of course, Crimebake.

But, what if ? Just sit back and fantasize with me.

St Hilda’s is one of the longest running events in the United kingdom -- the first event having been held in 1994. The annual themes have been as diverse as the presenters: “The Queen’s of Crime” (1994); “The Golden Age – There and Now” (1995);“The Historical Mystery” (1996); "Murder in Academia"(1997); “Partners in Crime”(1999); “Mind Games, Psychology, Crime and Mystery” (2000); “The Scene of the Crime” (2001); “A Female of the Species….” (2002); “Absent Friends and Future Loves” (2003); “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (2005).

This year's conference, Aug. 19 - 21st - is just around the corner, so I'm making my fantasy plans. Obviously,
the only way to get there is on Cunard's Queen Mary II. Seven days of relaxation,gourmet food, and constant pampering on the high seas will definitely put me in the mood. As long as this is my fantasy, I'll be staying in a Princess Grille suite - the one with a private balcony and a butler who assists with unpacking your case and, should you be so inclined, delivers breakfast in bed every morning. And let's not forget the Pillow Concierge -- he's the guy offering nine pillow options and various duvets of your choice.

Cunard has thoughtfully provided a list of 100 things to do on a TransAtlantic crossing, so I don't have to stretch my imagination. So while renewing my wedding vows during a ceremony conducted by the Captain might not work (I am, after all, still single), a string quartet concert, a massage, afternoon tea, Yoga, and a stargazing stroll around the Promenade Deck all fit in nicely with my R&R theme.

The QMII leaves NY on July 27th, so I'll have plenty of of time to attend the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, as well. It's July 21-24th, at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, where David Baldacci, Linwood Barclay, Lee Child, Martina Cole, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Dennis Lehane and Howard Marks. among other will be appearing. I can hardly wait to hear them speak!

Okay, that was fun, but now it's time to feed the dog and start dinner. Reality trumps fantasy every time, but it's still fun. Where would mystery writers be without fantasy?

If you could attend any conference, which would you choose? And how would you get there?

Reading the "Classics"

2011-05-26T15:09:00.001-04:00

One sure way to improve your writing is to learn from the best. And while we may not be able to agree on who is best, there are plenty of lists of there if you're willing to bend to general consensus.

Pick a list of Top 100 books, and see how many you've read. I chose the BBC's list since it was the first one Google brought up. Since I'm writing a traditional mystery, I find myself drawn to that genre more than any other type of fiction, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover how many of the 100 books I have actually read: forty-eight (*)! Conversely, I'm amazed by the number of classics I haven't read. And even more ashamed that I've never even heard of a couple.

*1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien
*3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
*4. Harry Potter series – J. K. Rowling (I’ve read all of them!)
*5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
*6. The Bible (parts, at least)
*7. Wuthering Heights
*8. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
*10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
*11. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
*12. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
*13. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare (many, but not all)
*15. Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier
16. The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien
17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
*18. Catcher in the Rye – J. D. Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
*20. Middlemarch – George Eliot
*21. Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
*22. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
*23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
*28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
*33. The Chronicles of Narnia – C. S. Lewis
*34. Emma – Jane Austen
*35. Persuasion – Jane Austen
36. The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe – C. S. Lewis
37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - William Golden
*40. Winnie-the-Pooh – A. A. Milne
*41. Animal Farm – George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery
*47. Far from the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
*48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
*49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
*51. Life of Pi - Yann Martell
52. Dune – Frank Herbert
*53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
*54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
*57. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
*58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60. Love in the time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
*61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
*65. The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
*67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
*70. Moby-Dick – Herman Melville
*71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula – Bram Stoker
*73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson
74. Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
*75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal – Emile Zola
*79. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - A. S. Byatt
*81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - Charles Mitchell
83. The Colour Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
*85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
*87. Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
88. The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom
*89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
*92. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
*94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
*97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
*98. Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
*100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Now to get started on the other 52! Maybe I'll start with The Woman in White.

How many have you read?

LBD Day

2011-05-04T10:22:00.004-04:00

May 4^th marks Audrey Hepburn’s birthday. Obviously Hepburn is famous for her work in films and with Unicef, but in my mind, she will eternally be associated with the LBD – the Little Black Dress.

Hepburn wore iconic LBDs in both Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffany's. The "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's, designed by Givenchy, was sold at a Christie's auction on 5 December 2006 for £467,200 (approximately $920,000 at that time).

Every woman needs at least one LBD. Personally, I have one for each season. It’s an absolute essential in any woman's wardrobe. But that's not really the point.

As a writer, I look at an empty page in my WIP in much the same way as I contemplate my LBD: a blank slate to accessorize, up or down as necessary, for the occasion. I might add dialog or a red herring to the page, just as I’d add a scarf or a string of pearls. Then it’s time to stand back, examine the result and judge the effect. Does it work?

Givenchy gave Hepburn a look, a kind, a silhouette. Her style was spare. “What is more beautiful than a simple sheath made an extraordinary way in a special fabric, and just two earrings?" she once asked.

The same might be said for writing style. Flowery language, excess backstory, awkward transitions – all detract from the simple beauty of a well-written book. The LBD book comes in all sizes and styles, but it should remain simply, elegant, evocative.

It's Murder in CT

2011-04-10T12:44:00.000-04:00

Just back from Murder 203 - Connecticut's homegrown mystery festival. Held for the third year, it's a fun mix of writers and fans organized by the hard working staff of the Easton library.

This year's guest honour was the delightful Carolyn Hart, ably interviewed by Leslie Meier. What a treat to hear the secrets behind this award-winning, cozy writer's success. Carolyn traveled all the way from Oklahoma to share her wit and wisdom with us.

Others on hand included Rosemary Harris, Jane Haddam, Amy Patirica Meade, Meredith Cole, Stefanie Pintoff and Larry Beinhart. In all more than a dozen authors, many from the tri-State area, participated in sessions ranging from "Leading Ladies" to Mistakes I Wish I'd Never Made."

The highlight of the weekend (at least for me) is always the cocktail party held Saturday evening at the lovely Easton Library. Mingling with authors and attendees over scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and a glass (or two) of wine is a real treat.

One of the things I like best about this conference - aside from the fact that it's less than 30 minutes from where I live - is the diversity of attendees. I ate lunch (and as a foodie, I have to say the food is fantastic - no rubber chicken in sight) with four women who were just completing their MFA's in writing at Simmons College. All were concentrating on either YA or children's mystery series. Wish there had been more of those around when I was growing up! I have to admit, it's a market I never considered.

Looking forward to next year's event!

Friday Food Frenzy

2011-04-08T10:03:00.002-04:00

It’s the end of the week and time to clean out the refrigerator. Sometime, in a past life maybe, I must have been hungry because I tend to keep my refrigerator chock-a-block full. My mother was the original frugal gourmet and passed on the gene. I refuse to throw anything out. I may end up feeding it to the dog, but I won’t throw out perfectly good food.

It wasn’t until I attended Johnson & Wales one summer that I realized my idiosyncrasy could be a good thing. During my course, every Friday was dedicated to making restaurant quality (and priced) meals out of leftovers. Nirvana! A string of chefs unveiled the mysteries of $35 leftovers. I learned the secrets of crepes, manicotti and quiches, not to mention soups, roulades, pates and terrines – all good ways to use up leftovers.

Over the years, I’ve discussed this philosophy with friends and come up with one basic, undeniable truth: you need to cook good meals to have good leftovers. Not necessarily gourmet meals, but not -- please excuse my language – crap. Crap, IMHO, includes boxed macaroni and cheese, TV dinners, and bologna sandwiches with canned tomato soup.

Just for kicks I opened a friend’s refrigerator yesterday to check out the situation. She had half a platter of rollups from Costco, a huge bag of wilting lettuce, megajugs of diet ice tea, 2 eggs, and some dubious Chinese takeout. I won’t horrify you by listing the freezer contents. Suffice it to say, it was not the stuff of which gourmet meals are made. Susan (not her name, but I don’t want to embarrass her) is not much of a cook, but then again, her husband isn’t a fussy eater.

My refrigerator, when inventoried this morning, had goat cheese, the end of a marinated pork tenderloin, half a roasted chicken, artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, roasted pepper puree, and light cream. Home-made chicken broth, pasta sheets, crepes, and (store bought) puff pastry are freezer staples for me. And yes, my family are picky eaters; they’ve been spoiled and like it that way.

So what’s on my menu for this weekend: goat cheese and red pepper ravioli in chicken broth with wilted spinach, chicken enchiladas, and pork nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice). And I’ll still have the chicken rack to make more broth!

Now if I could just find a way to "recycle" left over pizza I'd have it made!

How about you? What’s in your refrigerator and what are you going to do with it?

Rereading and Learning from the Classics: Raggedy Ann

2011-03-31T12:53:00.000-04:00

Did you ever own a Raggedy Ann doll? If you're female, I'm betting you did.

I live in Wilton, CT. I've lived here for almost 30 years, but it wasn't until recently that I discovered that Ann -- and her equally raggedy brother, Andy -- were created right here in my home town.

The duo's creator, Johny Gruelle, was born in Illinois. He eventually moved his family to the East Coast, where he'd accepted a full-time position with The New York Herald, turning out a weekly comic strip - "Mr. Twee Deedle" - about a sprite who lived in an old gnarled apple tree, befriended a small boy named Dickie and sometimes Dickie's sister, Dolly, and dispensed homilies about proper behavior.

Around 1912, he built a house in the Silvermine area of Wilton -- home of Mr. Deedle's tree. Somewhat of a pioneer, he included amenities most homes didn't have: electricity, running water and -- ta dah - indoor plumbing.

There are several versions of the story of how Raggedy Ann came to be, but around here we go with the bittersweet version.

Marcella, the Gruelles' 13-year old daughter, contracted smallpox (perhaps after being vaccinated at school without her parents' consent. In order to amuse his ailing child, Gruelle created entertaining stories, about the rag doll she'd found earlier in her grandparents' attic -- a plain doll with no face until Gruelle penned one on, including her trademark triangular nose. It was not until after Marcella's death that the stories -- featuring Raggedy Ann, her brother, and Marcella's playroom friends --were put down on paper for generations of children to enjoy.

But what about the candy heart? That red heart survived dousings and drenchings, and even a trip through the ringer. and still held together. The candy heart was, it seemed, the invincible, and spiritual, source of Raggedy Ann's kind, sweet nature. One legend claims that the first dolls, created by Gruelle's own family, did, indeed, have real-life candy hearts, with "I Love You" printed on them, sewn into their bodies. True? Who knows.

My red-headed doll may not have had a real candy heart -- just a heart-shaped stamp and "I Love You" heart embroidered on her chest -- but I remember clutching her tightly as my mother read from tattered copies of Raggedy Ann Stories and Raggedy Andy stories, the same copies that lulled my older brothers to sleep when they were young.

I recently read Raggedy Ann in Cookie Land to a friend's granddaughter. I'd forgotten the pure joy of these books. In Cookie Land, Raggedy Ann and Andy fall down a deep hole,and find themselves in a magical world called Cookie Land. There they meet Little Weakie, Hookie-the-Goblin, and Mr. and Mrs. Cookie and their two cookie children. It's the Cookie family who award bravery medals to the Raggedys after they save them from one of Hookie's sneak attacks. Then Hookie brings along his friend the Snitznoodle to help him capture the Raggedys, but Snitznoodles don't mess with dolls wearing bravery medals, no siree. Don't worry, though, the Raggedys find a way to make everyone friends.

And therein lies a lesson for all of us. And here's a pie (eating cookies seems barbarian right now).

Snitz Pie

1 lb. dried tart apples
3 cups water
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
2 9-inch pie crusts

In a heavy panl, cover the dried apples with the water and cook over medium heat to a pulp.Be careful not to burn them. Add cinnamon, sugar, orange juice and zest. Mix well. Allow mixture to cool.
Preheat oven to 450.
Line pie plate with one crust. Fill the pastry with the schnitz mixture, Cover with the second crust, crimp edges, and cut several slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Serves 8 - with ice cream.

Lent: Then and Now

2011-03-08T12:01:00.001-05:00

Today is Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, or Mardi Gras, depending on your religion, location, and frame of mind.

But any way you look at it, today is the last day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent officially begins. It’s interesting that the Mardi Gras season, with its parties and gluttonous meals, begins with 12^th Night (twelve days after Christmas) and runs through today, while Lent -- and fasting -- only lasts 40 days.

Shrove derives from the verb to shrive -- to obtain absolution for one's sins, usually through confession and penance. Mardi Gras, translated to Fat Tuesday, so named because it marks your last chance for rich, calorie-ridden food before the fasting of Lent begins.

Things have changed a lot since the days when I attended a Catholic boarding school. Back then, fasting (no meat) and abstinence (limiting your daily eating to only one full meal in a day) were observed on both Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent. At school, that translated to sardines and beans in oil on Wednesdays, and coddled eggs and creamed spinach on Fridays. Add that to the fact that the nuns expected you to give up something you loved for the full 40 days. Sweets were strongly suggested (if you went to Catholic school, you understand), although I always rooted for vegetables.

Today, Catholics, 14 and older, are expected to abstain from all meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays of Lent, while fasting is required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for those aged 18 to 59. Yeah! I no longer have to fast! I knew old age had some perks!.

It has always fascinated me that a bishop can alter rules in his diocese. For example, New Year's Day is a must-attend-mass day in some dioceses, but not in others. For Lent, many bishops give dispensations from the normal Lenten regulations if St. Patrick's Day (March 17) falls on a Friday. And most of us who are Irish believe the dispensation is lifted no matter what day of the week – just in case you gave up liquor for Lent.

Growing up in Belgium, the big Mardi Gras celebration took place in Binche, in the Wallon part of the country. The main event is a parade of “Gilles” – men between the ages of 3 and 100 – dressed in clogs and a traditional costume, hung with bells and stuffed with straw, giving the Gille a hunched back. . During the parade, they throw blood oranges to (and sometimes at) the crowd .
In honour of this memory, rather than another recipe for King’s Cake (though it is delicious), here’s one for Orange Cake

Orange Bundt Cake

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 cup butter, at room temperature

· 3 eggs, separated

· 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

· 1 3/4 cup sifted flour

· 1 tsp. baking powder

· 1 tsp. baking soda

· grated zest of one orange, coloured part only.

Preheat oven to 325^o.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, sour cream, and orange rind; beat until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder together into the first mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold into the batter.

Turn the batter into a well-greased, floured Bundt pan. Place in preheated oven and bakes for one hour.
Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Loosen carefully around edge and turn-out onto a rimmed plate (this is important when you glaze the cake.).

Deeply and repeatedly pierce the top of the cake with a very thin skewer (eg, a wooden skewer or cake tester) and then slowly spoon the hot orange sauce over the top of the cake.

Orange Glaze

· Juice of 2 oranges (a little less than 1 cup)

· Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 Tbsp);

· 3/4 cup of sugar

· dash of salt

Combine ingredients; let sugar first dissolve over low heat, then bring to a rolling boil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Note: if necessary, substitute 6 oz of frozen orange juice concentrate, but then you miss the zest for the cake.

How do you stay organized?

2011-02-28T14:38:00.006-05:00

There are only two reasons I clean my office:

because although clutter doesn't faze me, I can't stand dirt, and
when the clutter starts taking over the floorspace, it scares my Golden Retriever.

This is why every six months or so I have to spend an entire day decluttering my office. In between, I simply lift up the stacks, dust and vacuum under them, and put them back where they were. Spotlessly clean chaos. It drives my neat-freak brother crazy when he visits, but I can always put my hand on just the piece of paper I want, without hesitation.

This morning we had had once again reached situation critical , the point where Clue just stands in the doorway, looking pitiful and whining -- a sure sign I needed to take action.

We're talking about a 10' X 12' room here, not a huge area. Some things have to stay: the desk, computer table, scanner stand, filing cabinet (one drawer dedicated to recipes, the other to expenses and important papers); and three bookcases, two overflowing with cookbooks and the third with my "to be read" piles. Those are a given.

It's the other piles that cause the problem: recipes I might want to try some day; print outs from courses/blogs/websites on writing; scraps of paper, index cards, and notebooks filled with ideas, dialogue and description for future manuscripts; pictures of people -- total strangers -- I might want to base characters on in the future; the pile of "to be shredded" papers (the ones with my SSN/bank account/etc. on them)... well, you get the idea.

Last time I had a clean out day, I bought boxes to sort and store the odds and ends, but by the time I'd read the first three or four, I'd been diverted to doing something else -- like writing a chapter in my book. The boxes remain empty and the piles remain, well, where ever they were.

I did manage to fill 2 trash bags before I got side tracked this morning. But then the mailman came with my copy of Shameless Promotion for Brazen Hussies, and it was all down hill from there.

Maybe tomorrow...

So how do you keep your research/notes/thoughts organized?

Can the Internet cause ADD?

2011-02-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

Most of us can't write our mysteries without the inevitable research. Since a living/breathing expert is not always handy, I often (most of the time) turn to the Internet for facts and figures.

It may be a flaw in my character, but I can't seem to stop researching once I get started. I jump from page to page, using those handy little hyperlinks the "experts" so thoughtfully provide. And I swear I'm developing a new disease: Research ADD.

The other day I was researching Swedish towns, looking for a likely name to use in my current manuscript. I found a site listing town names and from there, it was all down hill, at least in terms of writing productivity.

My navigation went something like this: town names -> country information -> things to do-> cultural festivals -> regional foods -> recipes -> gravlax. Once I'd landed on recipes for this delectable treat, I felt compelled to discover gravlax's origins.

It wasn't a total waste of 15 minutes -- you never know when I'll be able to work the fact that the word gravlax comes from the Scandinavian word grav, which literally means "grave" or "hole in the ground" and lax which means "salmon", thus gravlax means "buried salmon" -- but it only augmented my word count by 1: Borgholm (the name of a city).

Obviously, I have no self-restraint when it comes to research. I'll happily follow links, red herrings, and footnotes for hours, and, by the end, I've usually forgotten what I started out looking for.

Is it just me? Or do others suffer from Internet-acquired ADD?

In case you want to ponder this question over a nice glass of wine and some hors d'oeuvres, here's how you make gravlax.

Homemade Gravlax

Gravlax is essentially smoked salmon, minus the smoke. You can finish this recipe with a couple of hours (3-5) of smoking in your barbecue or smoker, but the salmon is delicious on its own. Or with a bagel and cream cheese.

One 2-pound salmon fillet, skinned
¼ cup kosher salt
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1-2 bunches fresh dill (the more, the better)
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

   1. Rub the salmon fillet all over with the salt and sugar, and sprinkle with the pepper.
   2. Place half of the dill, stems and all, in a glass or other non reactive container, big enough to hold the salmon flat (it can be cut into pieces to fit as necessary), lay the salmon on the dill, and cover with the other half of the dill. Cover with plastic wrap, and place a board or plate, large enough to cover the salmon, on top. Place bricks or heavy cans on the board to compress the salmon.
   3. Refrigerate for 2 days, draining off the water that collects daily. Check to see if the salmon is finished after 2 days. The texture will change, and become denser, and it will look like smoked salmon when finished. If it is not all the way through cured, give it one more day of curing.
   4. Discard the dill, rinse off the salt and sugar, and slice on an angle, as thinly as possible, with a very sharp knife.

Gravlax freezes well so don't be put off by the amount of fish called for in the recipe. Portion it already sliced in the freezer and you'll be ready for drop in guests or Sunday brunch.

What I'm Reading - Cut to the Quick by Kate Ross

2011-01-16T22:00:00.002-05:00

This was my first introduction to Kate Ross' Regency-era Julian Kestrel -- a charming dandy hiding a mysterious past and a complex personality. Ross has created a character with a number of extraordinary attributes which she reveals slowly, layer by layer, drawing the reader into a red herring-laced plot.

Kestrel is a typical Regency-type (think Georgette Heyer) figure, but with more intuition, brains and depth of character. He receives an invitation to be best man at the wedding of the future Sir Hugh Fontclair and commoner Maud Craddock. This is odd since he only met Fontclair once previously, when he helped him out of trouble at a gambling house. He has no idea why a virtual stranger would ask him to stand as best man, but welcoming any excuse to escape boredom, he accepts the invitation.

The tension between the soon-to-be in-laws is impossible to miss. It's no secret that Mr. Craddock, Maud's father and a former Fontclair employee, is holding something over the Fontclairs' head, but no one is talking. Loathe to get involved in others' personal affairs, Kestrel is happy to just be a guest until he discovers the body of a young woman neatly tucked into his bed.

When Dipper, his pickpocket-turned-valet sidekick is arrested for the murder, Kestrel turns his brain to detection, relying on a craggy country doctor to act as his sounding board for conjectures.

Cut to the Quick has everything historical fans crave: a period setting; a character-driven, intricate plot; and a cast you can't wait to meet again.

Senior Texting: IMHO (Is my hearing aid on?)

2011-01-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

Since Seniors are texting and tweeting, there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). I wish I could take credit for the ingenious codes below, but I can't --they were forwarded to me by my much older brother. I personally find texting a challenge - my thumbs have a mind of their own - but I try. And some of these sound pretty handy.

ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Fainted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Later
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil

Any one have additions to the list for the benefit of your fellow seniors?

Blessings, not Resolutions

2011-01-01T07:47:00.000-05:00

New Year's Day -- the time we make that long list of resolutions most of us will never keep despite our best intentions. This year I've resolved not to resolve.

Rather than a long list of empty good intentions, this year I'm writing down my blessings. Scratch exercise every day from the list, add completed water-proofing leaky basement -- and it worked.

This year's list is diverse:

a year of good health for the entire family
celebrating my mother's 90th birthday
the safe rescue of all 33 trapped Chilean miners
attending Seascape, Mystery 203, and Crime Bake
an improving economy
seeing my "foster" puppy go to his wonderful "forever" home
a friend's first published book - hope for the rest of us .
renewing an old friendship after 15 years
much needed house repairs complete
the Gulf oil spill clean up
the slow, but steady recovery of an ill friend (no more dialysis! Yeah!)
finishing 50K words of my WIP
the safe return of many (but unfortunately, not all) of our young service men and women
my many friends, near and far, old and new
the promise of another exciting year - 2011

I intend to print out my list will, placing it in a small frame on my desk . That way, whenever I'm feeling low, defeated, or even angry, I can remind myself of my many, many blessings. Now that's a good way to start the year!

What's on your list?

The benefit of memory lapses

2010-12-30T17:15:00.005-05:00

The human memory is short, particularly when it comes to painful experiences. That's one of the miracles of human proliferation. Without the benefit of suppressed memory - let's call it selective amnesia -- few women would endure the pain of childbirth more than once (or so I've heard -- no first-hand experience, myself). The same can be said for raising more than one puppy.

Clue, my Golden Retriever, is almost 12 years old. I rescued her from a shelter when she was 10 months old - still a puppy with all the joys and aggravations that brings. Over the years, the memories of chewed shoes, chair rungs and rugs, ADHD at obedience classes, and mad escapes from the yard have faded. And, in my blissful state of amnesia -- or maybe it's conscious repression -- I aagreed to foster a puppy.During the holidays! Colour me crazy.

So Henry arrived. A six-month old border collie mix rescued from a kill shelter in TN, Henry has charm, personality, and energy to burn. In fact, he could probably power the city of New York all by himself.

Day One suckered me in. A shy little bundle of fur, he appeared quiet, exhausted from the 24-hour trip and traumatized by all the changes in his short life. That was the honeymoon... By Sunday morning he had recovered from the journey and was raring to go, full of puppy kisses, curiosity, and -- OMG -- energy. He's been a whirlwind ever since, settling down for a nap only after meals. A very, short nap.

Everything is new, everything has to be investigated, sniffed, touched and, preferably, tasted. Chew toys can't compete with the allure of shoes, though human fingers are an acceptable substitute, and repentance for transgression can be measured in nanoseconds. On the plus side, he's really smart. In just three days he's learned to sit for his treat - but not for anything else. "Come" means nothing; "No" even less. "Leave it" is beginning to filter through...slowly..but only when he feels like obeying. So far I've removed two pennies, a ballpoint pen, and tree bark pellets - among other things -- from his mouth. Yuck.

I decided not to crate train him. My bad. I religiously take him out every two hours and he's really good about doing his business. No accidents in the house, I'm happy to report. But bedtime? SuperNanny couldn't cope with this little scamp. Night One: 45 minutes of repeatedly putting him on his cushion, saying "bed" with a quick cuddle and a soft toy. Night Two: 30 minutes, Night Three: 30 minutes. Night Four: 30 minutes. We seem to be in a holding pattern. If he's not on my bed, he's on Clue's -- anywhere but his own.

The joys of raising a puppy are indescribable. The small triumph when he learns to walk across the slippery floor, the pride when he returns at the call of his name -- even if it is a fluke. And then there's the flip side: the discovery of a white Christmas on your bedroom floor when he shreds a queen-size roll of quilt batting or drags a 36" doggie bed through the entire house, knocking over everything in his way. Did I mention he weighs 12 pounds!

As women we are biologically programmed to bear our children when our bodies are young and strong. Resilience is a prerequisite for motherhood. The same should apply to puppies, particularly since grandparents are far more willing to babysit for their two-legged grandchildren than the four-legged ones.

Soon Henry will go to his "forever" home and only the good memories will remain. The painful memories will dim, the selective amnesia will cloud my sanity and, yes, I'll foster again.

No Fuss, No Muss Cocktail Food

2010-12-13T12:17:00.001-05:00

This time of year there are never enough hours in the day, but I balk at skimping when it comes to serving food to friends and family. Many years ago, someone gave me a cookbook called How not to miss the Cocktail Hour. I loved the idea of not being stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun, and began compiling my own stash of recipes for entertaining. The holidays are here, so it's once again time to dig into my special box of "quick & easy, make ahead" goodies. One of my favourites is marinated mushrooms, which can double as cocktail fare or an appetizer. They can be served chilled or room temperature and, aged overnight, they only taste better!

Clue's Marinated Mushrooms

1 lb		small white and/or cremini mushrooms (quarter if large)
5 Tbsp		oil (vegetable or canola)
4 tsp		vinegar (white or cider)
3 tsp		chopped onions
3 Tbsp		dry white wine or white Vermouth
2 Tbsp		Cointreau
2 Tbsp		tomato paste
1 Tbsp		chopped parsley
1/2 tsp		Herbes de Provence (optional)
		Salt & Pepper to taste

1	In a large frying pan, saute the onion in oil until it is light brown.
2	Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes.
3	Add all the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes
4	Cool. Serve alone or with toast points. Serves 6

I surrender, undefeated

2010-11-22T13:08:00.007-05:00

How long does it take to discover if you're no good at something? Three days into the 30-day NaNoWriMo challenge I discovered an interesting fact about myself: I'm not cut out to be a speed writer.Twenty-two days have done nothing except substantiate that fact.

This should come as no surprise to those who know me. I'm your typical, garden variety Virgo: shy. reliable, practical, intelligent and analytical. Oh, and did I mention fussy, overcritical, perfectionist and a worrier? These are not the traits of a successful NaNo marathon writer.

I understand the principles of the NaNo. Obviously you have to get something down on the page -- anything -- before you can try and revise it into something polished and publishable. As a journalist I learned to just put a piece of paper in the typewriter (yes, I'm that old) and start typing. Eventually the "good" stuff would start flowing and you could strike out the bad beginning.

But the whole idea, or maybe just the only way to survive, NaNo is to eradicate all thoughts of editing -- self-editing as you write or post-writing editing -- at least until December 1st. There's simply no other way to produce 50,000 words. And I can't wait that long to fix the plot/character/grammar/logic problems that I've already created in the piece. My finger keeps twitching at the DELETE key. It's become an uncontrollable tic.

I didn't want to be considered a quitter, so for days, I've fought my inner editing demons and written...and written...and written. Almost 20,000 words of pure, unadulterated bad prose. Remember that old joke about "there must be a pony in there somewhere?" (If you don't, email me and I'll tell it to you.) Well, I feel that way about what I've written so far -- there must be a mystery in there somewhere, but finding it isn't going to be easy to find amongst the padded descriptions, monstrous background dumps, and rambling characters.   And believe me, stream of consciousness dialogue is not pretty.

I once learned a wonderful word: logorrhea. It basically means verbal diarrhea. NaNo has given me a serious case of its close cousin: diarrhea of the keyboard.

To paraphrase Peter Finch in Network: I'M FRUSTRATED AS HELL, AND I'M GOING TO EDIT!

Dinner Anyone?

2010-11-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for something to do for dinner this Thursday night -- and you have $1,000 per person to spend -- you might consider attending the Daniel Fall Game Feast.

The annual event benefits the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation. If you're not a "foodie" this may not mean anything to you, but both Danial Boulud and the Bocuse d'Or are legendary in the culinary world. Think Arthur Conan Doyle (or Agatha Christie) and the Edgar Awards.

This year's dinner is hosted by culinary master Boulud, as well as Ariane Daguin: owner of D’Artagnan gourmet foods and founder of Les Nouvelles Mères Cuisinières, an international association of women chefs.

If, like me, you're an enthusiastic foodie, but find yourself a little short of cash, you can still dream. The evening will begin at 6:30 pm with a Champagne Reception and succulent charcuterie buffet, where you’ll indulge in exotic game dishes like warm tourte of wild grouse and juniper.

Then, at 7:30, diners will sit down for the five-course dinner menu including: a robust soup of red-legged partridge (a gamebird in the pheasant family) studded with foie gras and cabbage, served underneath a dome of delicate pâte feuilletée; warm duck salad with porcini mushrooms, dates, and peppery arugula; and pillows of chestnut ravioli stuffed with wild hare. All this paired with only the finest wines.

A thousand dollars is a steep for me (discounted tickets are available for only $800), so I'll be eating my own cooking on Thursday, but if I close my eyes, and let my imagination run wild, maybe my roasted chicken and Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon will morph into red-legged partridge and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Or, then again, maybe not.

Crime Bake Withdrawal Symptoms

2010-11-15T12:53:00.000-05:00

Crime Bake is over. What can I say except I'm counting the days until next year's event - the 10th anniversary! It was great to meet up with old friends and meet new ones - lots of them, thanks to Hank Philippi Ryan's genius scavenger hunt.

I'm experiencing my normal "withdrawal" symptoms: a renewed energy and determination to finish my manuscript, find an agent, and get published, and a sadness that I won't see many friends until next fall.

This year's theme -- "Written in Blood" -- paid homage to guest of honour Charlaine Harris. Although Sookie Stackhouse did not appear in person, she was certainly there in spirit. In fact, her alterego made an appearance at the costume event! And a screening of HBO's True Blood closed out Day 1 in a most fitting manner.

A second day of learning to hone our writing craft skills was topped with the Red & Black Banquet and Vampire Ball. Just let your imagination run wild and you won't even be close to the real event! Vampire and ghouls dancing with everyone from Little Dead Riding Hood to Wednesday Addams (complete with her guillotined Marie Antoinette doll). Oh, and did I forget to mention the bottles of Vampire wine?

The Master Classes, seminars, sessions and panels were, as always, informative, entertaining and studded with successful authors. What a thrill to see Charlaine Harris, Dennis Lehane, Katherine Hall Paige and Julia Spencer-Fleming all together on the dais in a session moderated by Hallie Ephron. I can only hope that breathing the same air will kick start my writing this week.

I was lucky enough to win one of the raffle baskets of books, which included Rhys Bowen's newest mystery Royal Blood. Don't expect I'll get much done around here until I finish reading it! Between the wonderful basket, all the books I bought, including a copy of the Thin Ice anthology, I'm a happy camper. But I foresee many late nights of page turning.

So here's to next year everyone. And a special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this year's event such a huge success!

Let the Insanity Begin

2010-10-31T13:23:00.000-04:00

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow so don't expect to hear from me for a while.

For those of you unfamiliar with this event, National Novel Writing Month is a writing challenge -- a seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Over 120,000 world-wide will participate this year. But how many will finish? And let's be honest, the aim here is quantity not quality.

Since I generally write between 500 and 1,000 words per day, the 1,667 words/per average is going to be more than slightly challenging. Thankfully I have a plot in mind, mixing a Victorian Inn with psychics, food, and, of course, murder. Stay tuned to see how it all turns out.

In the meantime, I won't have time for much cooking, so I'm sharing the world's easiest soup recipe. It's delicious and makes a huge amount! A mug of this will keep you typing all afternoon.

Pumpkin Soup

3 10-oz. cans cream of chicken soup
3 cups canned pumpkin (or one medium can)
3 cups half & half or milk
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbs minced parsley
1 pinch sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds (or more to taste)
3/4 tsp salt
   pepper to taste

1 Combine all ingredients in sauce pan; mix well. Simmer 3 minutes, adjusting seasonings and/or liquid as needed.
2. Garnish with chives, if desired.

NOTE: DO NOT use seasoned pumpkin pie filling. Make sure the only ingredient in can is pure pumpkin.