Bad Boy from Winona Kent

Guest Blogger: Winona Kent

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Winona KentWelcome to Winona Kent!

The Stiletto Gang welcomes Winona Kent as our guest blogger today as she celebrates the upcoming release of her musical mystery Bad Boy. Winona Kent is the current Chair of the Crime Writers of Canada, and is also an active member of Sisters in Crime-Canada West. She lives in New Westminster, BC with her husband, and a concerning number of disobedient houseplants, many of which were rescued from her apartment building’s compost bin after being abandoned by previous owners.

CLIMBING PRIMROSE HILL

Most of my Jason Davey stories take place in England. Jason himself is English, it’s where I was born, and it’s the country I’ve always been happiest writing about. So when I flew over to London in 2022, I knew there were a few locations I really had to visit—not just for old time’s sake, but for practical research for my next mystery, Bad Boy, which was then in its earliest planning stages.

Even if you don’t recognize Primrose Hill’s name, I guarantee you’ve seen it in countless films and tv episodes. Every time a character ends up in a place that offers a high-up panoramic east-to-west view of London’s church spires and skyscrapers, 95% guaranteed, they’re standing (or sitting) on Primrose Hill. (The other 5% are probably at Parliament Hill, which is a little bit further to the north, on the edge of Hampstead Heath.)

Not uncoincidentally, I spent the first three years of my life in a flat which is an eight-minute walk from Primrose Hill. My mum used to wheel me there often, in my pram and then in my push-chair. After we moved to Canada, I kept faint pictures of it in my mind (I’m apparently one of those exceptional people who can remember back to when they were aged two, and occasionally, even earlier.) And each time we returned to England to see relatives, there was that obligatory pilgrimage to reinforce those memories.

No Ashes Here

My mum died in 2021 (aged 95). The primary purpose of my visit in March 2022 was to scatter her ashes. I won’t tell you where in London my sister and I left a small part of her, because, while not technically illegal, it is very highly discouraged. I will add that we had a little ceremony that involved a blanket (to sit on, and also a handy cover); some gin (mum’s favourite tipple, good for encouraging absorption into the ground); lots of handfuls of tufted grass; and several startled earthworms.

There is a place in Bad Boy, near the end, where Jason has the opportunity to scatter the ashes of a dearly departed friend. I thought about sending him to the same spot where my sister and I nearly drowned the worms, but thought the better of it, and (spoiler alert) sent him to Level 72 at the top of The Shard, instead.

Kite Flyers, Bike Riders, and Macaws

It’s quite a steep hike up the paved path to the summit of Primrose Hill (64 metres, or 210 feet). On the day we visited, there were people flying kites, a few kids on bikes, and there were two guys exercising three brilliantly coloured red, blue and yellow macaws. I’d never seen macaws up close before—they’re immense!—and apparently these ones are quite famous—if you pop onto YouTube you can see videos which feature them. They’re entirely free-flying, but they don’t ever abandon their owners. They always come back. We asked how this could be, and were told that they knew who was going to be feeding them their dinner.

I thought, how absolutely marvellous. The top of Primrose Hill in London’s probably the last place in the world you’d expect to see huge tropical birds flying around free. And, since I was in the middle of researching Bad Boy, I wondered if I might include them—as well as the bike riders and the kite flyers—in the story.

Of course, I did. And in quite a spectacular way, too. In the novel, Jason finds himself at the summit of Primrose Hill, following clues which will, presumably, lead him to a collection of stolen manuscripts by the well-known British composer, Sir Edward Elgar. There’s a bit of subterfuge and some clever diversions (after all, there’s a nasty Russian who’s also after the collection, as well as a notorious Soho crime lord). And those macaws prove to be highly effective when chaos is called for.

Chalk Farm Murderer?

Oh, and I also managed to work in the block of flats—and, indeed, the individual apartment—where I spent my first three years, just up the road from Chalk Farm tube station. Different chapter and no macaws. Just a beautiful art-deco lobby in a posh building constructed in the 1930s, with a porter guarding the front door, and an inscrutable woman living upstairs who may or may not be a murderer. She’s highly connected to London’s musical past, anyway…a fact which isn’t lost on Jason, who is, himself, a professional guitarist with a permanent gig at a Soho jazz club—and an amateur sleuth, on a bespoke basis only, when his skills are called upon to solve just such a mystery.

Bad Boy from Winona KentNext from Winona Kent…

Bad Boy, Book 5 in The Jason Davey Mysteries, is released on September 26, 2024. You can read the first two chapters on my website: http://www.winonakent.com/badboy.html and you can find it on Amazon (ebook and paperback) here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001KDWQ9E

 

The Stiletto Gang wishes Winona Kent the best for her new release!

Remember to check out books from the Stiletto Gang as well on the Our Books page: https://www.thestilettogang.com/books/

 

 

donalee Moulton

From Hung Out To Die

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by donalee Moulton  

I’ve been doing a lot of book readings recently from Hung Out to Die, my first mystery book. I thought I’d share the scene where the main character, Riel Brava, finds a dead body — and finds himself a suspect.

COVER of Hung Out To Die I’m reaching for the hallway switch when I notice a light three doors down. That’s Norm Bedwell’s office. And that’s unusual. Our comptroller is typically among the last to arrive. Only a fresh honey cruller from Tim Hortons has ever changed his timeline.

I’m running to Norm’s office now, tirade at the ready. The only thing that can prevent the outside security system from working, aside from someone hacking into our server, is if the door doesn’t latch firmly behind the entering employee. A loud audible click lets you know the system is armed, and then you can move forward. Employees are trained to wait for the click; if they don’t, an alarm will sound for two minutes, albeit relatively soft as alarms go. But at this time of day, no one is around to hear it.

It must be Norm’s fault, which may mean the system has only been down for minutes if he just arrived. It’s a question I’m tossing at our comptroller even before I’ve stepped inside his office.

Norm doesn’t answer.

He can’t because he’s swinging from a rope tossed over an open beam (the designer’s brilliant idea), a noose tight around his neck. He’s blue, but not as blue as I believe a dead man should look. This poses a dilemma. I need a few moments to assess my options and identify the safest and most effective course of action. However, I am aware I don’t have the luxury of time. I’ve seen enough Law and Order episodes to know if you don’t call the cops immediately, the delay in time will get noticed, and you’re more likely to find yourself on the suspect list.

Dammit. I’m a suspect.

This realization hits at the same time I’m dialing 911. The perky young woman on the other end asks how she can help.

“I’m in the administrative office of the Canadian Cannabis Corp., and my comptroller appears to have hanged himself. He is dangling from a noose and turning blue.”

“Sir, I have radioed for police; they are on their way,” she says, inhaling to continue with her script.

I cut her off. “Look, I know I shouldn’t disturb anything, but Norm may be alive. I’m going to grab his legs, so the noose doesn’t cut into his windpipe.”

Great, now she knows I understand how hanging kills someone.


It doesn’t matter. I’m going to reduce the pressure around Norm’s neck. His feet are tucked into the crease in my left arm, his testicles on par with my bottom lip. I’m not a small man, 6’2”, and I work out regularly, so I can maintain this, albeit a distasteful posture, for quite some time.

I hear sirens, and it hits me. The police won’t gain access to the building without destroying expensive technology. I explain this to the 911 operator. She is not that interested in the cost of our tech.

“I’m going to get someone to open the gate for the police,” I tell her. “That means I’ll have to hang up. I’m on the third floor of the admin building, inside the only office with a light on. My name is Riel Brava. I’m the CEO.”

donalee Moultondonalee Moulton is the award-winning author of Conflagration! — a historical mystery that won the 2024 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense (Historical Fiction). Her other books include a mystery novel based in Nova Scotia, Hung Out To Die,  and a non-fiction book about effective communication, The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say. As a freelance journalist, donalee has written for over 100 publications across North America. You can catch up with her on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Author Bill Crider, one of the loveliest people I ever knew.

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The other day I picked up a used book from the bookshelf in the little library at the 55+ community in which I live. The novel is one of the over 100 Bill Crider published during his lifetime. Bill was the head of the English Dept. at Alvin Community College, which is a few miles from Galveston where I am from. I met him at my first Mystery Writers of America, Southwest Chapter, meeting in Houston. He and his wife, Judy, were two of the loveliest people I have ever met during the ten years I was active in that chapter. Both encouraged me every time I’d be around them.

I was one of those writers who would start a project and about halfway through come up with what I thought of as a better idea, drop the current WIP, and start a new one. At one point I used to kid that I had ten (10) unfinished novels in my drawers. The joke would have been funny if it hadn’t been true.

Bill knew that. Every time I went to a conference at which Bill was speaking, I would attend his section. I usually sat on the back row. I swear, in Bill’s talk he would always say that in order to get a book published, you had to finish the book. And he would pointedly look in my direction and grin.

Judy told the story of Bill’s first successes. Bill was a runner. He would write two pages a day, stop, and go for a run. While he was gone, Judy would read those two pages and make any corrections or be ready with suggestions when he returned. She said the most frustrating thing about this practice was that Bill would stop at the end of the second page. He didn’t make any exceptions for what point in the novel he’d stop, end of a sentence or a paragraph, no, he would stop at the end of two pages no matter where he was, even in the middle of a sentence! Judy had a sweet smile and an infectious laugh. When she told that story, her listeners were always treated to both.

Bill and Judy are both gone now, sad to say. The world was made richer by those two loving people. I think of them often when encouraging new writers. And then tell myself, if I’d just follow Bill’s example, I’d be better off for it as well. (and would publish more books!)

http://www.billcrider.com/

For a topical and, possibly, a polarizing read, check out Susan P. Baker’s latest mystery, The Underground Murders, No 6 in the Mavis Davis Mystery Series.

donalee Moulton

Discovering the donair

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by donalee Moulton
 

Food seems to weave its way into my writing uninvited.

In my latest book, Conflagration!, food is the foundation for a friendship that springs up in 1734 between the main character Philippe Archambeau, a court clerk, and the jailer he befriends. Lunch becomes a means to extract information, then it becomes much more.

image of a donair

In my first book Hung Out to Die the main character, an American transplanted to Nova Scotia, discovers the delicious joy of the donair. Many people have never heard of this juicy, meat-filled, garlicky concoction, but it is the official food of Halifax. Popular history says the donair – spicy meat wrapped in a pita and embraced with lots of sweet sauce – was invented in Halifax in the 1970s where it rapidly became a must-have menu item for late-night partiers, snackers, and food aficionados.

As my main character, Riel Brava, discovers, the donair can be a little difficult to eat. There is an art to juggling a stuffed pita while licking sauce off your face and adjusting foil wrap to get more donair in your mouth.

The recipe below avoids that dilemma. It’s an appetizer compliments of the Dairy Farmers of Canada. I have adapted the recipe slightly.

Let me know how it tastes.

Donair Dip

 Ingredients
  •  1lb (450g) lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
  • 1 block (250 g) cream cheese
  • 1 cup (250 ml) shredded old cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) paprika
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) garlic powder
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2,5 ml) salt
  • 1/2 tsp (2,5 ml) black pepper
  • 1 cup (250 ml) donair sauce (see below)
  • 1/2 diced tomato (optional)
  • 1/2 diced onion (optional)
Donair Sauce
  • 1 can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) white vinegar
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic powder
  • Add all ingredients in a bowl and combine.
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
  2. Cook the ground beef and the spices together, mix well in a frying pan.
  3. Drain off excess grease.
  4. Mix the softened cream cheese, cheese and Donair sauce together.
  5. Place ground beef mixture on the bottom of 9”x9” cooking dish (or equivalent).
  6. Add the cheese and Donair sauce mixture on top of the ground beef mix.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes.
  8. Top with diced veggies after removing from oven (optional).
  9. Serve hot or cold with tortilla chips or baked pita slices.

How Can Writers Help Create a Safer Society for All?

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How Can Writers Help Create a Safer Society for All?  by Linda Rodriguez In 2015, Dylann Roof murdered nine innocent people at a church prayer meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, and was later sentenced to death. This brought back the horror of so many racist mass murders before and since. It tied into a concurrent […]

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Clicking Our Heels: Author Cravings

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Clicking Our Heels: Author Cravings

We often hear about food cravings in reference to pregnant women and children, but what authors would die for isn’t usually mentioned. Today, Clicking Our Heels tells you what each of us considers our favorite snack or drink.

Bethany Maines – Matcha lattes and chocolate covered almonds.

Barbara J. Eikmeier – Hot green tea in the morning then I switch to water.

Saralyn Richard – Icy cold water in the summer and boiling hot water in winter. Sometimes popcorn, but only if the writing is slow.

Debra H. Goldstein – Pizza.

Dru Ann Love – My favorite snack is Twizzlers and drink is water.

T.K. Thorne – Anything that will distract me from putting words down, but I usually start with a cup of coffee or tea.

Lois Winston – Coffee, coffee, and more coffee!

Gay Yellen – I don’t snack as I write, but after a solid hour or two of desk-sitting, almost anything handy works for me—chips and hummus, or a cookie and another cup of coffee.

Donnell Ann Bell – My favorite writing snack depends on my mood. Am I trying to eat heathy or am I having a carb attack. I keep cooked broccoli spears in my fridge when I’m on a health kick. When I crave carbs, all bets are off. Chips and salsa, or a bowl of cereal are not safe from my clutches!

Debra Sennefelder – Coffee.

Anita Carter – I like to drink a hot chai latte when I sit down to start writing. When I’m super focused and the words are flowing, I’m usually chewing gum – Orbit White Spearmint. For some reason, chewing gum helps me stay focused.

Mary Lee Ashford – My favorite writing drink is tea. Hot or cold depending on the season (or the day) and sometimes with a bit of honey. Snacks are hard when you’re writing because you don’t want to gunk up the keyboard. So, my go to is usually nuts and/or dark chocolate.

 

WHAT DO YOU WRITE?

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My new novel, The Underground Murders, was released yesterday, July 1, 2024. Do you write (or read) political novels? Or novels that contain even a bit of a political message? Or novels that address societal concerns? Or novels that are pure entertainment? I chose the subject of my latest novel with the intent of speaking out against the direction in which our country headed and knowing there would be backlash. I’ve already received a tongue lashing from one of my advance readers. I’m hoping she, at least, gave some thought to the issue, that her mind, which probably wouldn’t be opened, would get a small crack. Since the book only arrived on the scene yesterday, I’m waiting to see who else protests.

In some of my novels in the past, I’ve included (in addition to murder) gambling addiction, false allegations of child abuse, child trafficking, greed, adultery, characters with a sense of entitlement, judicial corruption, mental illness, theft—well, basically, my characters breaking all Ten Commandments!

History is replete with nursery rhymes that have been interpreted as political commentary or as a rendering of historical events. At https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/ many authors give their interpretations of historical pieces. I particularly liked Author Lucinda Brant’s Part Two about nursery rhymes including “Georgy Porgy” and “Jack and Jill.”

Fairy tales were another way authors expressed themselves. A nice piece that discusses how fairy tales can be used as teaching tools today can be found at  https://www.kidsbookhaven.com/article/exploring-relevance-of-fairy-tales-in-todays-world. There is also discussion about how they form the basis for so many current books and movies.

At https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03061973241241877, there is a book review of Buried Treasures: The Political Power of Fairy Tales by Jack Zipes. Zipes discusses social ills, to put it mildly, and who the authors often were.

I’m a fan of John Sandford and his “Prey” novels. I was pleased to find he addressed environmental problems in his latest novel Toxic Prey, where the protagonists hunt down a mad scientist who believes the violent actions he intends to take will save the planet

It’s 2024 in the U.S. So far we still have the right to free speech. For the most part, we have the right to write what we want, unlike authors in some countries and those in history. I believe it’s my duty to address modern society’s ills. Though there is no guarantee what I write will be read, I fully intend to continue to write as my conscience dictates. If only a few readers will have their eyes opened, I will have accomplished my goal.

Susan P. Baker is a retired family court judge from Texas and the author of 15 published books. You may read more about her at https://www.susanpbaker.com.

 

 

Christmas in July: Bringing Holiday Cheer to Your Summer Reading

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Welcome to the enchanting world of Christmas in July, a delightful time to infuse your summer with a sprinkle of holiday magic. For reader, this is the perfect season to blend the warmth of Christmas with the sun-drenched days of summer. This year I’m all in on Christmas in July and I think it has to do with the fact that I’ve just turned in the next Food Blogger mystery and it’s set during Christmas and I’m beginning the planning of the book’s release so my thoughts are definitely very merry. I thought today I’d share with you some tips to help you bring a little holiday festivity into your summer reading. Ready?

Create a Cozy Reading Nook:

Transform a corner of your home into a festive retreat. Drape twinkling fairy lights, add some holiday-themed pillows, and keep a cozy blanket nearby. Surround yourself with the scents of Christmas by lighting a pine-scented candle or simmering a pot of cinnamon and cloves.

Choose Festive Reads:

Dive into holiday-themed cozy mysteries and romantic suspense novels. Titles like “A Christmas Cozy Mystery” or “Snowy Nights of Romance” can transport you to a winter wonderland. The mix of mystery and romance will keep you turning pages, no matter the temperature outside.

Holiday Treats and Drinks:

Enjoy your reading with a side of festive treats. Bake some gingerbread cookies, make hot cocoa (or iced cocoa if it’s too warm), and indulge in peppermint-flavored snacks. The familiar tastes and smells will heighten your holiday experience.

Host a Christmas in July Book Club:

Gather your friends for a virtual book club. Pick a Christmas-themed mystery or romance, and discuss it over a video call. Add some holiday trivia games or a secret Santa book exchange to enhance the festive spirit.

Festive Soundtrack:

Create a playlist of your favorite Christmas carols and background music. Listening to holiday tunes while you read can make the experience even more immersive.

 

There you have it, five tips on how to bring a little Christmas charm into July into your summer reading. If you’d like some more Christmas in July inspiration, check out my website’s blog where I’ll be sharing a weekly guide to the Hallmark movies and some cozy mystery recommendations to pair with those movies. Let me know what you’re reading this month in the comments below. I hope you have wonderful July and be sure to stay cool!

 

 

 

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series.

She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie.

You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stack of books by water

‘Tis the Season…for Summer Reading

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by Mary Lee Ashford

Stack of books by waterI’m guessing that you all, like me, read no matter the season. But that said, there truly is something special about summertime reading.  Maybe it’s the memory of leisurely warm summer days as a kid where there was plenty of time to sit by the pool, picnic in the park, or enjoy an afternoon indoors with the air-conditioning on and book in hand.

Maybe we no longer get a summer break but the beauty of summer reading lies in the endless possibilities. Whether you’re lounging by the lake, embarking on a trip, or simply enjoying a quite weekend at home, it’s still the perfect time to dive into a great book. But how to you choose the book?

As the days grow longer and the temperatures rise, we begin to see those lists of “Best Beach Reads.” I’m always curious enough to check them out and there are often some good suggestions to consider.

BookBub offers this great list of recommendations in their Ultimate Guide to 2024’s Best Beach Reads with a wide variety of choices.

Barnes & Noble has their Top Books for Your 2023 Reading List.

Publisher’s Weekly gives us their Top Ten Summer Read for 2024

Those types of lists are a good place to start.

Books with basket and hat

Here are a few additional tips for choosing your perfect summer read:

  1. Consider what type of read you’re in the mood for. Are you after something light and breezy. Or maybe dark and dangerous with a twisty plot. Or perhaps an emotional page-turner?
  2. Think about exploring something new. Summer is the perfect time to step out of your reading comfort zone and try a new genre.
  3. Browse bestseller lists. Maybe this is the time to try that book everyone’s been talking about.
  4. Sample a few pages. A quick read of the first few pages will give you a taste of the storyline and the style.
  5. Check reviews and ask for recommendations.  Librarians and booksellers are great sources as well as friends and family.

Now I’d love to hear from you.

Do you have any recommendations? What book (or books) are you looking forward to diving into this summer?

Book covers for Sugar and Spice MysteriesMary Lee Ashford is the author of the Sugar & Spice mystery series from Oliver Heber books and also half of the Sparkle Abbey writing team. She is a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and public library champion. Prior to publishing Mary Lee won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa as well as a member of Mystery Writers of America and Novelists, Inc. She lives in the Midwest with her family and her feline coworker.

 

 

Short Story Provides Met Gala Theme

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by Paula Gail Benson

This year’s Met Gala, the annual event held as a fund raiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute drew its theme, “The Garden of Time,” from the name of a short story by J.G. Ballard. Here’s a link, if you want to read the story:

Read the 1962 Short Story That Inspired This Year’s Met Gala Theme ‹ Literary Hub (lithub.com)

In LitHub, the story is described as: “Count Axel and his wife live and listen to Mozart in a magnificent villa, surrounded by a garden of crystal flowers, as an angry and unruly army advances upon them. To keep the ‘approaching rabble’ at bay, Axel must turn back time by plucking the flowers, one by one, until they are all gone, and there is no time left.”

True to the theme, the gowns and suits worn to the Gala featured images of flowers, aristocracy, and time.

1st Edition Hardcover (Wikipedia)

Ballard (whose name was James Gordon) was born in Shanghai International Settlement in the Republic of China where his father, a chemist, became the chairman and managing director of the China Printing and Finishing Company. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army occupied the settlement and imprisoned the Allied civilian families. From his experiences during this time, Ballard wrote the semi-autobiographical novel Empire of the Sun, which became a film written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Steven Spielberg.

Today, as we celebrate Memorial Day, let us remember those who gave their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. We acknowledge with gratitude their sacrifice and wish comfort and peace for their families.