Welcome Margaret Grace, miniaturist and author of Mourning in Miniature!

Today, I welcome special guest, Camille Minichino/Margaret Grace, miniaturist and author of the wonderful Miniature Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.

Book four in the series, MOURNING IN MINIATURE comes out today! Be sure to check out the contest after the interview - and come back tomorrow for a special how-to by Margaret!

In MOURNING IN MINIATURE, miniaturist Gerry Porter has been looking forward to her thirtieth high school reunion. But when a former athlete is murdered, Gerry must employ all her skills to reconstruct the scene of the crime. Read the prologue of the book.

Writing What She Loves:

Camille Minichino built her career writing about her favorite topics. Given that she has a Ph.D in Physics, it seemed natural for her to write her first books, the Periodic Table of Elements Mystery Series.




Under the pseudonym Margaret Grace she's thrilled to now be writing about another of her passions - dollhouse miniatures - in her popular Miniature Mystery series. The Miniature Mystery Series includes: MURDER IN MINIATURE (Feb. '08); MAYHEM IN MINIATURE (Aug. '08); MALICE IN MINIATURE (Feb. '09); and MOURNING IN MINIATURE (Oct. '09).











As a writer, and a collector, Camille has the best of both worlds! (Who says you can't be paid for your hobby? Hmm, wonder if that qualifies miniatures as a tax deduction now? ha!)

Camille knows she's lucky to be able to do what she enjoys. Writing "was the next thing to do once I finished with physics," she says. "I'm definitely blessed. My hero was Isaac Asimov who wanted to 'never have an unpublished thought' and I'm on my way!"

Making Miniatures a "Crime"

Camille actually found inspiration for some of her miniature scenes through her first series of eight books, beginning with THE HYDROGEN MURDER.

Since her protagonist Gloria Lamerino, a retired physicist who consults with the police on science-related murders lives above her friends' mortuary, Camille naturally had to make the scene in miniature.

She also enjoys creating different miniature scenes and vignettes to give away as promotional prizes or to auction off for charity. This hospital scene was auctioned as part of a May 2009 fundraiser for the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, Cal.

Not surprisingly, many of Camille's other scenes center on mysteries, too. Bet you never thought of a bullet casing as the perfect miniature vase, did you?



So, what's next in miniature?

She says, "usually I'll teach myself a new technique and then use that for a couple of scenes. I have a new product that is great for making mini flowers and I'll be taking it to Bouchercon for the 'Make-and-Take' in the crafts room."




(She'll be explaining how she makes her miniature flowers in a craft workshop at this month's Bouchercon mystery conference, held Oct. 15-18 in Indianapolis.)

It should be interesting to see what reaction the miniatures get from mystery lovers. She says the response usually is encouraging: "I get a lot of people who just like the idea of Murder She Wrote meeting Nancy Drew."




Now about the Books:

Q: What is your favorite part of writing?

A: "The research. My favorite part of working on MALICE IN MINIATURE was researching the Lincoln-Douglas debates, which provide the backdrop for the story. I was writing it around the time of our 2007-8 debates here. It was fascinating to compare the formats (long, issue-oriented speeches in 1858; sound bites in 2008!)"

Q: How have the books changed as the series moves along?

A: "I had to figure out what Gerry's arc would be. She's been a widow for two years. Time to break out and be open to new relationships? Turns out, not! That had to wait until the new book, MOURNING IN MINIATURE."

Q: You mentioned getting stuck when you write - did you get stuck in this one? How'd you work your way out of it?

A: "I always get stuck! I write too sparsely, then have to go back and pull out threads and add subplots to reach my goal of 80,000 words. In MALICE IN MINIATURE, (not to give anything away), I pulled out a character in the television studio and gave her a family, and so on."



Q: How many hours do you write? Do you have a special writing spot or office?

A: "I'm lucky to have a well-equipped office, but I also carry my characters around in a notebook and have them join me in coffee shops. I don't have a set, structured schedule; that would freak me out."

Q: How much promotion do you do?

A: "More and more it seems. It's almost scary to go to sleep, lest I miss an opportunity to socially network. This year I've been to LA, Omaha, San Diego, Washington DC, New York, and I'm headed to Indianapolis and then Boston. The mileage for my local travel last year was the equivalent of crossing the country."

Q: What are your other jobs?

A: "I work part time at several jobs -- scientific editing at a lab; teaching an online science class for a university; teaching workshops at community colleges. The specifics are on my website, http://www.minichino.com/ under classes."

Q: Any thoughts on publishing and the changes going on like the Kindle?

A: "My books are on Kindle, though I don't have one. I'm waiting for all the beta versions to be finalized! I do think e-reading and e-publishing are here to stay and grow, though I'm nostalgic about the smell of paper and ink or the 'feel' of a paper book."

Q: What keeps you motivated in your writing?

A: "I love book events and talking about my books, words, the writing process. I think I write so I can talk."

Q: How in the world do you juggle it all: job, meet deadlines, promote minis, arggh!!! (Are there two of you? ha!)

A: "Once you get to my advanced age, you need less sleep!"

Q: This isn't the last in the series, is it? So, what's next?

A: "There's another coming in the spring, MONSTER IN MINIATURE. It's a tough decision how to age characters, especially this little girl. I don't want to deal with teens, fictional or otherwise, so I'm keeping her preteen no matter how long the series goes on!"

Q: Any new ideas and projects?

A: "Always! I'm working on a TV treatment, a feature film, a mainstream novel, a kid's science book, a romance, a business communications book ... and of course another mystery series that I can't reveal yet!"

Q: After that, is there anything else left you'd like to do?"

A: "All of the above, and then go to lunch with Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Russo, and a hired assassin."


CONTEST & GIVEAWAYS:


** Buy:




** Read about the Miniature Mystery series.

** See her miniature how-to in part 2

Miniatures Monday: Keep It Clean!

Other miniaturists understand how far we all will go to achieve realism in our dollhouse and miniature projects.

But.... this time, I think my friend, Kitty, has gone too far.

Cleaning is one of those things you try to avoid in real life, right? It's the last thing you want to do...

Well... Kitty recently added some "essentials" to her 1" scale (1 inch = 1 foot) Canal House that she's been working on.




She's even thrown in the soap and dirty rags! Now that's dedication! (I am teasing her, of course!)



Seriously, she did a great job! Kitty has a knack for adding little details and a lot of realism to her projects. I love seeing what she comes up with next. You can see more of her work at her blog, Minis by Kitty.

A Blog A Day.... NaBloWriMo

Figured I already had a lot of posts scheduled for this month, so I'll be joining a bunch of other bloggers this month for the daily NaBloWriMo blog.

This is a take-off on the annual NaNoWriMo each November where writers finish a novel in a month.

Instead, the NaBloWriMo group will be doing a blog a day all October. And I already have my novel almost done (almost if I can get the last 65 pages done! Nudges, nags and questions are welcomed!)

So stop by each day and see what's blogging! Some events are in the upcoming guests list in the right column. Be sure to check out the other participating blogs also!

Happy Blogging!

Another Pink Saturday: Pink miniatures and more

Another fun PINK Saturday and time to visit with the "Pink Ladies." Thanks again to Beverly for inviting everyone to get out and mingle. See the full list of participants at her blog, How Sweet the Sound.

First off, I took a peek at Connie's Living Beautifully blog and she really loves pink! Even her laundry room is pink. Too cute!







**An important PINK NOTE: Clicks have dropped at the BREAST CANCER Site. Go HERE to click daily to help women get a free mammogram!**

So, I'll start my Pink Posts laughing about those false teeth jokes. Why? Because they happen in miniature, too! Pink is the color of the Dogcatcher's false teeth, trapped by the dog in my miniature Dogcatcher's House.




Speaking of dogs... my real life canine, Shania, has a very pink nose. Here she is howling again.





And since it's almost that spooky time of year, I just had to include a photo of lovely Lydia sitting by her pink table. (Hey, you think she's reading a copy of SEARCHING FOR A STARRY NIGHT or THE WITCH TREE?)

Hope you enjoyed your visit! Take a look around and be sure to come back again!

First Graphs: Too Rich & Too Thin: Not An Autiobiography, a mystery by Barbara DeShong

Prepare for big laughs in this Texas-sized mystery by psychologist Barbara DeShong.

In TOO RICH AND TOO THIN: Not an Autobiography, (Echelon Press, Oct. '09), Psychologist Jessica LeFave isn't your average shrink. When she's summoned to profile the killer who drove a spike through the heart of the notorious Bernice Jackson, Jessica is more than a little excited.

Not because Bernice Jackson is dead, but because Bernice, who'd soared to fame and wealth by shamelessly re-writing treasured historical events into wildly successful soft-porn novels and movies, was a psychiatry patient of her husband's at the time of his death.

She's convinced her husband was murdered to keep a secret revealed in therapy buried. Now she's trying to prove she's right as she uncovers clues in a family stranger than any Hollywood script.




Excerpt from TOO RICH AND TOO THIN, Not an Autobiography:

Here's the truth about psychologists:

We endure all those years of school-the killer exams, even graveyard shifts interviewing God-talkers and mothers who drown their babies-because we want to help people, of course. But that's not the brass ring. The top prize, once we're stamped and certified, is that we dan draw a line in the sand. Crazies on one side; psychologists on the other.

Well, that's not how it worked out. At least not for me.

My name is Jessica Rose LeFave, Ph.D., P.C., and I could not breathe.

I was parked on the curb at 44 War Admiral Run at the Flower Mound Country Club, staring up at the ugliest mansion on the planet.

* Buy: Amazon.com

* Buy: Echelon Press

Featured Guest: Miniaturist Alice Zinn and her Amazing Miniature Dogs!

Today, I welcome guest Alice Zinn, who creates an array of realistic dogs and other miniature animals.

(Don't forget to check the blog special and contest at the end of her interview!)

Pictured: Amore del Puppy, patterned after The Lady and the Tramp

Even as a child, Florida miniaturist Alice Zinn knew the difference between real and collectible. Eight-year-old Alice was sick with chicken pox when her grandmother gave her a china replica of her collie, Lady. She loved it, but never thought the dog should go in her dollhouse. “To me, it was a statue, not a ‘real’ dog,” she says.

Old English Sheepdogs

Red Hat dog

In her 20's she began what many would consider a "dream job" - making miniatures professionally. Now 30 years later, she continues to provide collectors with a range of quality miniatures, including realistic dogs, cats, birds, and other animals that they can’t wait to add to their dollhouses and miniature scenes.

Borzoi
Why does she do it? For two reasons: she loves it and she loves to create.

“I love the process of working in a way which I think of as ‘inside out’,” she says. “I design pieces and THEN figure out how to achieve them.”



Chinese Crested Dogs

Of course, as much as she loves creating in miniature, there is one drawback…

“Designing is my passion, re-creating the same piece dozens of times is my curse!” she notes. “I enjoy learning, and developing new techniques and finding new media to make the pieces I design.”

Custom dog
One of her favorite aspects of designing is working with a theme. It's like potato chips... you can't have just one.

"When I am inspired to make something new, I usually work in themes, or categories," she says. "For example, a few years ago I got interested in making some Art Deco stuff, so I made everything from furniture to knickknacks for that period. The same with my line of Egyptian minis, wedding themed items and many other themes."

Even better is when that theme comes as a special order, like the amazing miniature circus she began working on in 2001.


In This Ring…


The circus, housed at the Miniature Memories Museum and Dollhouse Shop in Charleston, South Carolina, includes more than 100 animals and figures.

Then there are props and accessories such as tents, the bandstand, souvenir cart, signs, etc. It’s still a work-in-progress, with the audience members as yet to be completed.

(Note: Photos of the circus are not on the museum site and can be viewed at Alice’s webshots pages, see circus album. You may have to create an account and sign in to view the photos.)

Lions, Tigers, Bears, Oh My!

Another large-scale project, “Disembarking,” was shown at the spring 2006 Bishop’s Chicago International Show. It took her three months to make the room, which features a backdrop of an original pastel painting by her mother, Julie Pantages. It shows 108 animals Alice made that have left the Ark after the flood waters receded.

That's just a fragment of the incredible assortment of miniatures that Alice has made over the years. For her and her customers that's the best part - seeing what new creation she comes up with next.

Alice agrees that she is lucky - she has a job that's fun, creative, and that she doesn't mind doing every day. She jokes, "needing to eat and pay bills keeps me going. And...this is probably the best job I can get at my age! LOL. But seriously, what I enjoy about it is the creative process, and the freedom of being my own boss. I'm a night owl so making my own time schedule suits me."


Notable achievements:

* Making an 8-foot-long miniature circus with more than 100 pieces.

* Making 108 animals for an original Noah’s Ark scene.


Worst moment?

* "It had to be the very first show I ever did, an outside craft show, where it began raining in the middle of the day, or the first Ann Weiner Miniature Show in NJ where I sold one piece to another dealer during set up and nothing else for the rest of the show."

Of course there was that tree in the Noah's Ark scene, which, she admits, "took several days alone" to glue over 1,000 leaves.

Most miniaturists might pause at that thought, or even give up; not Alice, who calls it, "sort of a Zen couple of days."


Blog Special:

** Get Alice’s fun how-to book, A DOG FOR ALL SEASONS with instructions to make more than 15 holiday dog outfits. (The outfits can also be adjusted to fit other animals.)

The A DOG FOR ALL SEASONS set, which includes the book, plus a kit with fabric and accessories to make 15 of the outfits, is available for $25. (Dogs not included.) Seven sets are available. The book is available individually for $10.

See details at her webshots link above or here.

Blog Contest:

* Share your favorite dog story, or a story about one of Alice’s mini dogs or other animals, in the comments section and you can win your own book/kit set of A DOG FOR ALL SEASONS. (Dog not included). Contest ends 10/15/09.

NOTE: If you have one of Alice’s dogs or animals, send me a photo of it alone or in a scene with description (to chrisATcverstraeteDOTcom) and I’ll post it for you. This is for photos with descriptions ONLY.

Comments without photos must be posted on the blog to be entered. Emailed comments will not be considered. **Be sure to include an email, blog address, or name of miniatures list you’re on so we know where to find you if you’re the winner.** (Note: Comments are manually approved so will not show up on blog immediately.)

Interview with Shobhan Bantwal, author of Bollywood book, The Sari Shop Widow

Welcome to special guest author, Shobhan Bantwal, best-selling author of women’s fiction with a touch of India.

In her latest book, THE SARI SHOP WIDOW, young businesswoman Anjali Kapadia’s posh sari boutique in New Jersey is on the verge of financial ruin, until her wealthy uncle from India comes to her rescue.

But the wily, dictatorial uncle arrives with some unpleasant surprises—a young Indo-British partner named Rishi Shah for one—and a startling secret that disturbs Anjali.

Falling in love with the mysterious Shah only adds to Anjali’s burgeoning list of complications. Torn between her loyalty to her family and her business on the one hand and her growing attraction for a man who could never fit into her life on the other, Anjali turns to her family and cultural roots to make a life-altering decision.

NOTE: Be sure to check the contest details at the end of the interview!

Review:

The book is pungent with rich scenes and flavors, sure to transport you into a new world scented with curry and filled with glowing colors. Growing up, I recall watching the fascinating “Bollywood” movies that used to air on Saturdays. For me, this book was an interesting and charming introduction to a different culture. Reading it, you of course anticipate the outcome, but you can’t wait until the beautiful Anjali appreciates the potential of the sexy Rishi as more than a business partner. This was a delightful story that will leave you wanting to read more. I can’t wait to read her other books, THE DOWRY BRIDE and THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER.

Talking with Shobhan Bantwal:

Q: How did you begin writing? What inspired your stories?

A: “I stumbled into writing at the age of 50. I call it my ‘menopausal epiphany’ since I took it up as a hobby at first to keep my evenings occupied while my husband worked on an out-of-state engineering project on weekdays. What started as a pastime has mushroomed into a second full-time career (I work at a demanding day job on weekdays). I gradually segued from social interest non-fiction articles to short stories and when my ambitions grew, I tried my hand at full-length fiction.

“My stories are inspired by my deep interest in women’s issues combined with reading romance novels, my childhood years growing up in a conservative Indian family, and my experiences as a woman in an arranged marriage. Additionally, having moved to the U.S. as a young bride, I have had an opportunity over the past 35 years to look at India and Indians almost from an outsider’s viewpoint. Everything that seemed ordinary and not worthy of discussion while I was growing up in India became a story worth telling others about after I became a writer.”

Q: How much of you is in your character, Anjali (Anju)?

A: “The rebellious and stubborn facets of Anju’s personality are similar to my own. I was always the black sheep and hellion of the family, always different from my studious, compliant sisters. Anjali, although cognizant of her parents’ delicate sensibilities and her driven sense of responsibility to them and her young brother, still wants to hang on to her independence. Despite the guilt and shame of having a boyfriend who gives her no more than an hour or two of fun every now and then and nothing permanent, she continues to see him and lie to her parents. It is her one vice she is loath to give up. Anju’s old-fashioned sense of family combined with a strong need for emancipation is something I see in myself as well.”

Q: Is there a sequel to Anju and Rishi's story? (Don't leave us hanging!)

A: “No, there will be no sequel to Anju and Rishi’s story unless my editor requests it. She seemed to like the hopeful ending without a clichéd happily-ever-after. Unless a publisher is interested in sequels, a writer rarely writes them. Also, sequels sometimes don’t perform as well as the original book and that is something an author needs to consider as she plans future books and budgets her time. Many of my readers ask me about possible sequels after reading my books. In the future, I might think about a series of some kind, but at this time there are no such plans.”

Q: What is your favorite part of writing, and why?

A: “My favorite part of writing is creating the chemistry between my heroine and hero. It is an integral part of women’s fiction with romance and it needs a lot of planning and delicate handling. Since my characters are Indian, I cannot put too many scenes with overt emotional displays. Most Indians are programmed to internalize their feelings and not show them in public. Consequently I have to put in a lot on introspection and internal dialogue in my books, making it a challenge to bring two personalities together, possibly have lots of conflict, but who ultimately have to fall in love.”

Q: What do you try to show in your writing?

A: “When I started to write, I wanted to entertain as well as inform. I wanted to offer readers a different kind of Indian novel, distinct from literary books that are typical of South Asian authors. I call my books ‘Bollywood in a Book’ since they contain all the emotion, drama, color, and romance of Bollywood movies.

“My first two books deal with hot-button social issues that plague contemporary Indian society. Incorporating women’s issues into a romantic story was both a fun and effective way to bring awareness to them and hopefully start a debate. Many women’s organizations, especially South Asian non-profit groups that assist victims of domestic violence, have indicated interest in my books and I have become involved in their fund-raisers. I donate a portion of my profits to them."

Q: The book offers readers a glimpse into a unique shopping experience. Is Anjali’s boutique based on a real concept? What makes it 'different' than the typical American way of shopping?

A: “My familiarity with the Indian fashion industry is merely as a shopper and not as an insider. However, shopping at an Indian-American store is a vastly different experience than an all-American store. The vivid colors, fabrics, glitzy beads, gold and silver embroidery, the jewelry, footwear, and other accessories are quite dazzling. Also, unlike most American stores, a little price negotiation is allowed in small Indian stores. The boutique concept is real. Many of India’s top designers now have outlet stores in Edison’s Little India, and they definitely exude the posh boutique flavor. Of course, the prices, too, reflect the exclusivity to a great degree.”

Q: What is your writing schedule; where and how do you write?

A: “Juggling a demanding full-time career and writing is a tough challenge. I rise at around 4:30 a.m. and write a little. I go to my regular job (the one that pays the bills) at 7:00 a.m. and return home around 4:30 or 5 p.m. I immediately sit down to write again. After a brief break to cook dinner and share it with my husband, I get back to writing. A lot of my time is spent in book promotion, tending to emails, social networking, and events like addressing book clubs, library groups, writers’ groups, book signings and such. Promotional activities leave little to no time for writing the next book. When I finally go to bed sometime after 10:30 each night, I am exhausted.

“As for where I write, my computer sits in one of our bedrooms converted into a small home office, which I share with my husband. It is also the room that has the altar, a special place for practicing our Hindu faith."

Q: How much of your books relate to your life? Is it hard, or easy, to write on topics that can be so personal?

A: “Writing about my Indian culture is fairly easy. But choosing subjects that might potentially interest my readers is not that simple. Topics that are personally close are something I like writing about, but I generally save them for my non-fiction articles, which include opinion pieces or brief personal experience essays in Indian-American publications.”

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: “Thank you for interviewing me for your popular blog. I like doing interviews and enjoyed this one very much.”

Shobhan, thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed hosting you!

(c) 2009 candidcanine.blogspot.com

(FTC disclaimer: I'm not a reviewer, but received an ARC for this book. Loved it regardless!)

* Find information on Shobhan’s books, short fiction, articles, recipes, contests and more at her website.

* Watch the book trailer

* Buy:



* Visit other stops on the Virtual Blog Tour

New Miniatures Projects

One of my finished projects that I'm selling. The porch is handmade with Paper Clay steps and front area, plus "stone" and stucco walls.

It's decorated with vintage Halloween pictures. It's set in a stuccoed foam core box. The frame is a standard size oak frame (9.5 x 11.25").


The musical skellie couple are also for sale. Their piano is haunted by some creature, but that doesn't bother Mrs. Skellie. she still sings her "heart" out.... well, where it used to be, anyways.



Thanks for looking!

New Miniatures Story: Michele's Amazing Tropical Drinks

Look good, don't they?

These amazing miniature drinks by Michele Kelly are featured in my new story, "Delectable Drinks" in the Nov. '09 Issue, #185 of DollsHouse and Miniature Scene.

The issue also includes a how to by Michele to make your own miniature drink, definitely worth a try!

The drinks are in 1"scale-1/12th scale (1 inch=1 foot). The drink glasses are about 3/4" and under.

Excerpt:

Massachusetts miniaturist Michele Kelly has had some success since she began selling her own homemade miniature food and cakes more than 10 years ago. But it’s her latest offerings that have everyone who sees them almost wishing they could take a sip.

That Michele’s tropical drinks are gaining fans is not surprising, given their realism. Of course, it helps when you are a licensed bartender, too!

Michele admits that making the drinks began as kind of a lark. “I started the drinks less than a year now,” she says. “Every now and then I get an idea and try something different.”

* See DollsHouse and Miniature Scene

Halloween Read: The Witch Tree

With October just around the corner, thoughts, well at least mine, I confess, turn to Halloween.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed getting scared. No, I don’t enjoy being scared – big difference in real life. But in fiction, a good scare, a few goosebumps, a Stephen King back-of-the-neck feeling is a good thing.

In hard economic times, especially, what beats opening a book or reading a story that’ll have you double-checking to make sure the door is locked and have you jumping at every little sound?

When I wrote my short, THE WITCH TREE, it started with the huge flocks of blackbirds that gathered in the trees at the wetlands in front of my Wisconsin home. By early summer and late fall, usually one tree became a kind of avian gathering spot with tens, twenties, hundreds of birds gathering together in this crazy, screeching mass.

You couldn’t help but wonder… what were they telling each other? What were they planning?

That’s what my character, Jimmy Grayson, wonders in The Witch Tree. He was looking for utopia. Instead he found….them. Jimmy soon is tormented by his own obsession to destroy those that torture him.

It’s him vs. them…. Who will win?

Excerpt from THE WITCH TREE by C.A. Verstraete:

What he noticed first was the sound.

Jimmy Grayson lifted his head from the grimy pillow, stared at the open window, and cringed. The onslaught seemed to come from every direction. He placed a hand over his ear to try to block it out. No such luck. High-pitched screeches, nonstop chattering, the endless wall of freaking sound was making him crazy.

In one swift motion, he threw off the dingy, worn quilt, catapulted from the bed, and rushed to the window. "Shut up!" he screamed, not caring how unhinged he sounded. "Shut the hell up!"

It stopped.

Ahhh. A deep sigh escaped him; an appreciation for the quiet filled him. He exhaled in a soft whoosh of air. The muscles in his neck relaxed as the tension left. His eyes closed almost of themselves-then popped open as the cacophony started up again.
The endless, unendurable shrieks, chirps, and chatters surrounded him from all sides like a blanket. With each passing second, the sound from hundreds of blackbirds increased in volume.

** I dare you to read on! Turn the lights low, get out your
Kindle or Sony ereader, or fire up the laptop and read THE WITCH TREE. Oh, don’t forget to lock the door!

* Buy THE WITCH TREE at Fictionwise