Continue reading “A Good Mood is a Good Motivator”
A Good Mood is a Good Motivator
Continue reading “A Good Mood is a Good Motivator”
Continue reading “A Good Mood is a Good Motivator”
Author Interview: Kathleen Ernst, A Memory of Muskets
“Veteran Ernst provides a new perspective on the Civil War woven together with a compelling mystery.”
―Kirkus Reviews
“Kathleen Ernst knows how to spin a tale, weave an intricate plot, and hide clues in the embroidery. A Memory of Muskets takes two stories separated by more than a century and knits them together into one thoroughly satisfying read.”
―Kathy Lynn Emerson, Agatha Award-winning author of How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries
―Kirkus Reviews
“Kathleen Ernst knows how to spin a tale, weave an intricate plot, and hide clues in the embroidery. A Memory of Muskets takes two stories separated by more than a century and knits them together into one thoroughly satisfying read.”
―Kathy Lynn Emerson, Agatha Award-winning author of How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries
Curator Chloe Ellefson is happily planning to spotlight home-front challenges and German immigrants at Old World Wisconsin’s first Civil War reenactment―but her overbearing boss scorns her ideas and proposes staging a mock battle. And when a reenactor is found dead at one of the historic site’s German farms, Chloe’s boyfriend, cop Roelke McKenna, suspects murder.
The more Roelke learns about reenacting, the more he fears that a killer will join the ranks at Chloe’s special event. Then Chloe discovers a disturbing secret about Roelke’s Civil War-era ancestors. Together they struggle to solve crimes past and present . . . before Chloe loses her job and another reenactor loses his life.
Q: Kathleen, it’s great to have you back at Island Confidential! Can you tell us a little about your protagonist, Chloe?
A: Chloe Ellefson is a 33-year-old Norwegian-American living in Wisconsin. She is employed as curator of collections at Old World Wisconsin, an outdoor living history museum focused on the lives of European immigrants and American settlers who arrived in the Upper Midwest in the 19th-century. She is in a long-term relationship with a slightly younger man, Officer Roelke McKenna of the Village of Eagle Police Department. She’s not always practical but she is passionate about treating people well and doing her job to the best of her ability.
Q: How much of you is in Chloe? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A: Chloe is not me, but there is quite a bit of me in Chloe. I worked as a curator at Old World Wisconsin for over a decade. Chloe and I went to the same college (West Virginia University) and the house she lives in at the beginning of the series is the house I once rented. But her emotional backstory is different from mine. She’s also braver than I am, and more likely to speak her mind regardless of the consequences. I admire her.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: Yes, they change and grow over the course of the series, and also within each book. I develop plot ideas based on whatever life issue or challenge the main characters are facing, so their personal struggle is reflected in the mystery.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: I’ve never written a character who is absolutely based on a single person from real life, although I may take certain traits from an individual and make those part of the mix. That said, yes, I have considered fictionally killing off a couple of people.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: I write about real historic sites and museums, so I do my very best to present an accurate picture. The series is set in the early 1980s; sometimes, if being accurate about something that has no bearing on the plot would confuse readers familiar with a site, I’ll stick with a modern description. I try to let readers know, in an Author’s Note or on my website, about any deliberate liberties taken.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Oh my, what an exciting thought. Scarlett Johansson for Chloe. I’m not sure who would play Roelke. Maybe Alex O’Loughlin?
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: I tend to shy away from any advice presented as an absolute. In college I studied with a wonderful instructor who taught me a great deal, but he insisted that I get up early and write in the morning before classes. The idea was to write while I was fresh, but I am not a morning person. If I had stuck with that advice I wouldn’t be a writer today.
Good advice? Someone once said “If you don’t write what you know, know what you write.” I love the freedom inherent in that thought.
About The Author
Kathleen Ernst is a former museum curator who remains passionate about history! In addition to the Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites series, she has written many books for American Girl, including nine about the historical character she created, Caroline Abbott. Over 1.5 million copies of Kathleen’s 33 titles have been sold. The Chloe series has earned a LOVEY Award for Best Traditional Mystery, and several of her mysteries for young readers have been finalists for Edgar or Agatha awards.
Author Links:
www.kathleenernst.com
www.sitesandstories.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/kathleenernst.author
Purchase Links:
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Indie Bound
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“Many of the purported academic benefits of sports — recruitment, prestige — have all proven to not be true. They don’t exist.”
University of California, Santa Cruz athletes at a drill. Some students want to roll back the fees they pay to support sports teams.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Andy Pinedo likes sports. He just doesn’t want to pay more so other people can play them.
As sophomore at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Pinedo voted “no” last year in a referendum about whether he was willing to hand over another $270 a year to support his school’s Division III teams, above the $1,221 in fees the campus charges now.
Read the rest at The Hechinger Report.
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Well, I'm doomed: Extroverted optimists live longest.
Who lives the longest?
1. Introverts versus extroverts
Outgoing, sociable people have the strongest immune systems, a recent study finds.
Those who are the most careful, though, are more likely to have a weaker immune system response.
The research found no evidence, though, that a tendency towards negative emotions was associated with poor health.
2. Optimists versus pessimists
Optimists have healthier hearts than pessimists, a study of over 51,000 adults has found.
Professor Rosalba Hernandez, who led the study, said:
“Individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts.
This association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health.”
Optimists also had healthier body mass indexes, were more physically active and less likely to smoke.
Researchers found that the more optimistic people were, the greater their overall physical health.
The most optimistic people were 76% more likely to have health scores that were in the ideal range.
3. Conscientiousness
Men with conscientious personality traits and those who are open to experience live longer, a study has found.
For women, those who are more agreeable and emotionally stable enjoy a longer life.
This means that for women the best personality traits for a long life are:
- Extroversion
- Optimism
- Agreeableness
- Emotional stability
Whereas for men, the best traits are:
- Extroversion
- Optimism
- Conscientiousness
- Openness to experience
Ask your friends how long you will live
The kicker is that it’s your friends — not you — who are better at judging these personality traits from the outside…
…and consequently predicting how long you will live.
Dr Joshua Jackson, the author of a study on the subject, said:
“You expect your friends to be inclined to see you in a positive manner, but they also are keen observers of the personality traits that could send you to an early grave.
[…]
Our study shows that people are able to observe and rate a friend’s personality accurately enough to predict early mortality decades down the road.
It suggests that people are able to see important characteristics related to health even when their friends were, for the most part, healthy and many years from death.”
Source: 4 Personality Traits That Affect How Long You Will Live – PsyBlog
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These Nightmare Videos Are Generated From Still Baby Photos by a Neural Network
Is that a baby or the blob? It’s actually just the sick and twisted result of a neural network predicting what a still photo of a baby would look like if it were moving. Researchers at MIT have published demonstrations of their work on generative video, and the “hallucinated” outcomes of are both impressive and repulsive.Source: These Nightmare Videos Are Generated From Still Baby Photos by a Neural Network
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New #Audiobook: Murder Strikes a Pose
Murder Strikes A Pose
by Tracy Weber
Audio Edition
Written by:
Narrated by:
Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
Publisher’s Summary
Seattle yoga instructor Kate Davidson often acts more like a champion fighting rooster than the Dalai Lama. When she’s not teaching yoga, she spends her time hiding from her creepy landlord and dodging her best friend’s relentless matchmaking attempts. Even though her father was a cop, Kate has zero crime fighting aspirations. She has enough trouble keeping her struggling yoga business afloat while trying to live up to yoga’s Zen-like expectations.
Then she stumbles over a body in the studio’s parking lot.
The police dismiss the murder as drug-related street crime, but Kate knows that George – a homeless alcoholic she had befriended-was no drug dealer. And if the police won’t take his murder seriously, she’ll just have to solve the crime herself. After all, “Drunk Dies in Drug Deal Gone Bad at Yoga Studio” isn’t exactly the free publicity she’s been hoping for.
Kate stretches herself and takes on two new challenges. First, solve George’s murder. Second, find someone-anyone-willing to adopt his intimidating, horse-sized German shepherd, Bella, before Animal Control sends her to the big dog park in the sky.
But with Bella’s time almost up and the murderer hot on her trail, Kate will have to work fast. Or the next time she practices Corpse Pose, it may be for real.
©2014 Midnight Ink (P)2016 Tracy Weber
REVIEWS
“Weber’s debut, which launches the Downward Dog series, should appeal to anyone who likes canines, yoga, and a determined sleuth. … Cozy fans will eagerly await the next installment.”
Publishers Weekly
“Weber’s debut fits into that newest of intriguing niches, what I call “extreme cozies.” While the yoga and the animal rescue (and a potential romance, of course) neatly fit the amateur sleuth mold, Weber breaks new ground with her protagonist’s desire to remedy a social ill, in this case, urban homelessness. The series has tremendous potential, particularly with Kate’s BFF’s humorous help, and some seriously good yoga tips.”
Terry Jacobsen
Library Journal
“What a treat! A charming heroine, a cantankerous pooch, and a clever page-turner of a mystery make for delightfully original entertainment. You don’t need to love yoga to love this series—its good karma makes it an instant winner.”
Hank Phillippi Ryan
THE WRONG GIRL (Forge)
“Make room on the cozy mystery bandwagon—there’s a new dog in town! Cozy mystery readers will love the soft-hearted, self-deprecating yoga teacher and her German shepherd sidekick in Tracy Weber’s debut, Murder Strikes a Pose.”
Lucy Burdette
TOPPED CHEF (Signet)
“Weber’s debut novel is a yogalicious romp. She mixes yoga with sleuthing and the perils of second-time-around dating into a compelling, inviting read.”
Maggie Toussaint
DIME IF I KNOW (Five Star/Cengage)
“Kate Davidson’s pluck, humor, and determination make her a welcome addition to the ranks of amateur sleuths. Reading Murder Strikes a Pose made me want to study yoga. It also left me hoping for a sequel so that I can visit with Kate and Bella again.”
Laurien Berensen
GONE WITH THE WOOF (Kensington)
“Murder Strikes a Pose, by Tracy Weber, is a delightful debut novel featuring Kate Davison, a caring but feisty yoga teacher who’s recently opened her own business, Serenity Yoga. When Kate meets a homeless man named George and his loud but loving German shepherd Bella, life in her colorful Seattle neighborhood turns upside down (or dare I say Downward Dog…). Namaste to Weber and her fresh, new heroine!”
Penny Warner
HOW TO DINE ON KILLER WINE (Obsidian/Penguin)
“When a good dog seems to go bad, a yoga teacher comes to the rescue in this charming debut mystery. Murder Strikes a Pose pieces together a skillful collage of mystery, yoga, and plenty of dog stories against the unique backdrop of Seattle characters and neighborhoods. The delightful start of a promising new series. I couldn’t put it down!”
Waverly Fitzgerald
DIAL C FOR CHIHUAHUA (Kensington)
“We hope to see more Downward Dog Mysteries. Our judges thoroughly enjoyed reading this murder/mystery/suspense manuscript. The writing is fresh, the story is relevant on several levels, and the suspense keeps the pages turning. A hands down winner!”
Chanticleer Book Reviews
“Three woofs for Tracy Weber’s first Downward Dog Mystery, Murder Strikes a Pose. Great characters, keep-you-guessing plot, plenty of laughs, and dogs—what more could we want? Ah, yes – the next book!”
Sheila Webster Boneham
DROP DEAD ON RECALL (Midnight Ink)
About Tracy Weber:
Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mysteries 
A certified yoga therapist, Tracy is the owner of Whole Life Yoga, a Seattle yoga studio, as well as the creator and director of Whole Life Yoga’s teacher training program. She loves sharing her passion for yoga and animals in any way possible.
Tracy and her husband Marc live in Seattle with their crazy new German shepherd pup, Ana. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, trying to corral Ana, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house.
For more information on Tracy and the Downward Dog Mysteries, visit her author website: http://TracyWeberAuthor.com/
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Blast Participants
Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my!
Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
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Interview: Tangled Up in Brew author Joyce Tremel
Another intoxicating mystery featuring brew pub owner Maxine “Max” O’Hara—from the author of ToBrew or Not to Brew.
BEER TODAY, GONE TOMORROW…
Brew pub owner Maxine “Max” O’Hara and her chef/boyfriend, Jake Lambert, are excited to be participating in the Three Rivers Brews and Burgers Festival. Max hopes to win the coveted Golden Stein for best craft beer—but even if she doesn’t, the festival will be great publicity for her Allegheny Brew House.
Or will it? When notoriously nasty food and beverage critic Reginald Mobley is drafted as a last-minute replacement judge, Max dreads a punishing review. Her fears are confirmed when Mobley literally spits out her beer, but things get even worse when the cranky critic drops dead right after trying one of Jake’s burgers. Now an ambitious new police detective is determined to pin Mobley’s murder on Max and Jake, who must pore over the clues to protect their freedom and reputations—and to find the self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.
Q: Aloha, Joyce, and welcome to Island Confidential. Can you tell us about your protagonist, Max?
A: Maxine “Max” O’Hara is a certified brewmaster who recently opened a brewpub in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. She is from a large Irish Catholic family—she has five older brothers, and the oldest is a priest. Her dad is a homicide detective for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and her mom is a homemaker.
Q: How much do you and Max have in common? How would you feel about her if you met her in real life?
A: Other than the fact that we’re both Catholic, Max is entirely a figment of my imagination. If I met her, I think I’d like her a lot. She’s spunky, kind, and tends to look for the best in people.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: They do. Max becomes more sure of herself, and also more sure of her relationship with Jake, her boyfriend/chef. Supporting characters evolve as well—even the detective she butts heads with in Tangled Up in Brew eventually “sees the light.” And in the third book that will be out next year at this time, the readers will see bakery owner Candy’s story come full circle.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: Ha, ha, ha! Um. Yeah. That’s all I’m going to say, lol.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: The Brewing Trouble series is set in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, which is a real place. What I did, though, was invent an entire block of Butler Street (a real street) and plop it right down in the middle. It gave me a little leeway to invent fictional shops and restaurants, but anyone who is familiar with Pittsburgh could picture where they’d be.
Q: When the movie or TV series is made, who plays the major parts?
A: Oh, that’s a tough one. I imagined Max to look a little bit like a younger Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White in Once Upon a Time). And Jake—maybe Adam Levine (without the tattoos)? I did a Google search and most of the male actors are too “pretty.” I think I’ll leave it up to the readers. Any suggestions?
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: I think “Write what you know” is bad advice. If I only wrote what I knew it would be an awfully boring book. “Write what you love” or “Write what you’d like to know” is much better advice. If you love it, it will show. And just about anything can be researched. I didn’t know anything about brewing beer when I proposed this series. The research has been fun!
About The Author
Joyce Tremel was a police secretary for ten years and more than once envisioned the demise of certain co-workers, but settled on writing as a way to keep herself out of jail. She is a native Pittsburgher and lives in a suburb of the city with her husband and a spoiled cat.
Her debut mystery, To Brew Or Not To Brew has been nominated for the 2015 Reviewers’ Choice award for best amateur sleuth by RT Book Reviews. TTangled Up In Brew is her second book.
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Chrystle Fiedler, author of Dandelion Dead: Yes, you can eat wild plants!
In a cozy mystery filled with natural cures and edible plants that you will love, an organic winery becomes the backdrop for murder! Fortunately, solving crimes comes naturally to charmingly unconventional amateur sleuth and holistic doctor, Willow McQuade, as she looks for clues that will reveal a killer’s true vintage.
Business is blooming at Nature’s Way Market & Café, and shop owner, holistic doctor, and amateur sleuth, Willow McQuade has never been happier. Her new medicinal herb garden is a hit, so is her new book, she’s in love with ex-cop and animal rescuer Jackson Spade, and enjoying teaching seminars about edible plants and natural remedies.
But everything changes when Willow’s old boyfriend and TV producer, Simon Lewis, winemaker David Farmer, and his wife Ivy, ask her to cater a party at Pure, their new organic vineyard, to kick off North Fork’s Uncorked! week and the competition for Wine Lovers magazine’s $200,000 prize. Pure’s entry, Falling Leaves, is the favorite to win, and the wine flows freely until after Simon’s toast when smiles give way to looks of horror. Ivy’s twin sister, Amy has been murdered! Turns out, the poison that killed her was actually meant for David. But who wants him dead? A rival vintner? Or someone closer to home? This time the truth may be a bitter vintage to swallow.
GUEST POST
Yes, You Can Eat & Enjoy Edible Plants!
Edible plants are full of good for you nutrients that impart strength and vitality. Not only are they gluten-free and sugar-free, edible plants go from your yard, or a forest, field, or garden to your table with no loss of freshness. Imagine savoring a salad, or a fresh green drink, from plants that have been foraged and collected only five minutes before consuming!
Remember: Safety First!
However, before you forage, it’s absolutely essential to learn how to identify the most poisonous plants. Not only do some plants have poisonous look-alikes, but certain parts of some plants are poisonous. For example, blue elderberries are yummy, but the leaves are toxic. To avoid any problems, choose and use a good guidebook. You’ll find recommendations at the end of this post, or even better, take a tour with an experienced herbalist of edible plants you can grow, forage for, enjoy, and use in natural remedies.
Here are a few of my favorite edible plants:
Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.): Although most everyone recognizes dandelion, not everyone realizes that nearly every part of the plant is edible. The leaves, which are most palatable in spring before the plant flowers, are high in iron, beta-carotene, and potassium. Dandelions are also mildly diuretic. Try sautéing well-scrubbed dandelion roots in a little toasted sesame oil and tamari. Yum! Herbalists have long prescribed dandelion-root tea to relieve acne and eczema as well as to enhance liver function.
Chickweed (Stellaria media): Delicate and delicious, chickweed is high in vitamin C. Its leaves, flowers, and stems are a terrific addition to salads, soups, and stir-fries. Store up to two weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Herbalists make the tops into a tea to soothe bladder and bronchial irritation and ulcers; they also put them in salves to relieve skin disorders ranging from diaper rash to psoriasis. You can find pre-made tea and salves in your local health food store.
Lamb’s-quarters (Chenopodium album): The leaves of lamb’s-quarters can be eaten raw or cooked and are rich in iron, calcium, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. To make a tea from the leaves, pour one cup of boiling water over two heaping teaspoons of fresh leaves (or one heaping teaspoon dried). Steep, covered, for ten minutes. When cool, the tea may also be used to moisten a compress to relieve headache or sunburn.
Malva (Malva neglecta) is a member of the Malvaceae (mallow) family. The word malva is Latin meaning “soft,” and neglecta means “neglected.” Malva leaves are soothing and anti-inflammatory and can be eaten raw along with the seeds. Malva leaves have served as a traditional medicine in a tea for sore throats and ulcers. Malva can also be used in a simple poultice for treating skin rashes, burns, and insect bites. The leaves are rich in beta-carotene and have been included in teas and syrups for coughs and irritated lungs.
Purslane (Portulaca oleracea, P. sativa) is a member of the Portulacaceae (purslane) family. The genus name Portulaca is from the Latinporto and laca meaning “milk carrier” in reference to the plant’s juicy liquid. High in the essential fatty acid omega-3, purslane is also rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. Not only does it make a good salad herb, but is wonderful in raw soups such as gazpacho or used in place of okra in recipes. As a poultice, it is used to treat bee stings, boils, burns, and hemorrhoids.
Violet: Found in shady areas, with heart-shaped leaves, brilliant purple flowers, and a lovely aroma, the violet (Viola odorata) is a member of the Violaceae (violet) family. While violet leaves are edible year-round, the flowers are in their prime in the spring. Try using raw violet blossoms on the dishes you serve to add an element of whimsy. The leaves and flowers are both high in vitamin C and are a valuable remedy for coughs, fevers, and lung complaints such as bronchitis.
How You Can Use Edible Plants:
1.Salads. All of the greens mentioned here, when young (before flowering), may be included in a salad.
2. Blend clean chopped greens into some soaked nuts to make a pâté. Season with lemon, garlic, salt, and chopped onion to make a dip.
3. Use greens as you would spinach in making raw lasagna.
4. Puree young greens to make a raw pesto or soup.
5. Enjoy fresh wild-greens drinks like this smoothie!
Green Smoothie
1 cup of apple juice
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 cup of wild greens such as malva, violet, lamb’s-quarters
Blend for 2 to 3 minutes, strain, and pour into large glass. Enjoy this nutrient-packed drink.
NOTE: When trying a new food for the first time, it’s good to have only a moderate amount, just to test how it affects you.
Before foraging for any edible plants, you’ll need a guidebook like one of these:
· The Wild Wisdom of Weeds: 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival. Katrina Blair. Chelsea Green Publishing: 2014.
· Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health. Jo Robinson. Reprint edition. Little, Brown: May 2014.
· Wild Edibles: A Practical Guide to Foraging, with Easy Identification of 60 Edible Plants and 67 Recipes. Sergei Boutenko. North Atlantic Books: 2013.
· Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat. Ellen Zachos. Storey Books: 2013.
About the author:
I love natural remedies and I’ve been using them for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, my mother practiced natural cures such as tea bag baths for sunburn, homeopathic remedies for colds and allergies, arnica oil for sprains and bruises and, of course, chicken soup with garlic was always a staple.
My specialty is writing about natural remedies, alternative medicine and holistic health and healing. As a freelance journalist, I’ve written about natural cures for USA Today’s Green Living, Natural Health, Remedy, Better Homes & Gardens, Prevention, Vegetarian Times, and Sprituality & Health. You can see my work here: https://chrystlefiedler.contently.com.
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Can a ketchup-and-mustard color scheme help you study?
From Psyblog:
Brightly coloured rooms can boost your concentration, new research finds.
Brightly coloured rooms can boost your concentration, new research finds.
This is the exact opposite of what most people expect, according to the same research.
Two-thirds of people believe that a bright red room was linked to discomfort, depression and annoyance.
When psychologists tested it, though, they found that vivid reds and yellows enhanced students’ concentration.
Aseel Al-Ayash, the study’s first author, said:
“Bright colors can support students’ learning performance by positively affecting psychological and physiological states.
If the reading tasks are difficult, the vivid colour conditions may increase arousal to optimal levels.”
This was the exact reverse of what most expected, Ms Al-Ayash said:
“In general, most participants believed that pale colors with high whiteness would be appropriate color schemes in learning environments, because they are considered calm and relaxing.
However, the calmness and relaxation aspects may not help students to be alert and active.
They performed better in the vivid color conditions, because these colors have arousing properties that stimulate neural activity.
If the task is boring, a red condition may stimulate individuals and enhance their performance.”
The finding is consistent with a century-old psychological finding called the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
This is simply the idea that people perform at their best when somewhat stimulated.
Too much and too little stimulation, though, tends to make people’s performance worse.
For the research participants read passages of text and had to answer questions afterwards.
They did this in six different rooms painted a variety of colours, including pale and vivid shades or red, blue and yellow.
The results showed that their reading comprehension was higher in the vividly painted red and yellow rooms.
The study was published in the journal Color Research and Application (Al-Ayash et al., 2016).
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Author Interview: Rebecca Tope, The Coniston Case
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and business at Persimmon ‘Simmy’ Brown’s flower shop is booming. But when Simmy fulfills a string of anonymous delivery orders, she is startled to realize that each contains a secretly menacing message for the recipients. When one of the people who receives a bouquet disappears, it seems that her worst fears have been confirmed.
As if that isn’t enough, Simmy’s friend Kathy turns up, on the trail of her wayward daughter Joanna, who she fears has grown too close to one of her university tutors. When Kathy attempts to reason with her daughter she finds that Joanna’s older lover may be even more dangerous than she had imagined. With both Kathy and Joanna in peril, Simmy and her friends find themselves caught up in a web of deception, blackmail and murder…
Q: Aloha Rebecca and thanks for stopping by Island Confidential! Can you tell us a little about your protagonist?
A: She is Persimmon (Simmy) Brown, in her late 30s and recently divorced. She moved to Windermere in the Lake District and opened a florist shop. Her parents run a somewhat eccentric B&B in the same town. Simmy’s only baby was stillborn, two years earlier, and she is still suffering from the grief and trauma of that.
She has quite a soft nature, and is essentially innocent about the wicked ways of the world. Very soon after opening the shop she is involved in a murder, and she gradually realises that flowers can be used for malicious purposes as well as benevolent ones. This becomes especially apparent in ‘The Coniston Case’ which is the 3rd book in the series.
Q: How much of you is in Simmy?
A: There is not much of me in Simmy. She is perhaps how I would like to be if I was less cynical and acquisitive.
Q: How would you feel about Simmy if you met her in real life?
A: If I met her, I think I’d feel quite protective of her.
Q: Do your characters change and evolve throughout consecutive books in the series?
A: The younger ones do, very much. Melanie (Simmy’s first assistant in the shop) establishes herself in a career; Ben (a young geeky student) grows up considerably in Books 5 and 6. Simmy herself recovers steadily from losing the baby and grows clearer about what she wants from life. She also is faced with the inevitable aging and decline of her parents.
Q: Have you ever thought of killing someone that you know in real life–on the pages of a murder mystery, I mean?
A: Oh yes.
Q: How realistic is your setting? Do you take liberties, or are you true to life?
A: My settings are real towns and villages. I keep the main landmarks accurate, and then take liberties with individual buildings and businesses.
Q: What’s the worst and best advice you’ve heard or received as an author?
A: Best – spend more time reading than writing. Worst – get an agent.
About The Author
Rebecca Tope is the author of four murder mystery series, featuring Den Cooper, Devon police detective, Drew Slocombe, Undertaker; Thea Osborne, house sitter in the Cotswolds, and now Persimmon Brown, Lake District florist. She is also a “ghost writer” of the novels based on the ITV series Rosemary and Thyme.
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