Pink Saturday: Happy Easter and Thanks to Jody for Swap!

Running behind today so hopefully some visitors will still stop by today for PINK SATURDAY, hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

First I stopped by Karin at Creative Chaos (Love that name! Is that what this is??) Loved her pretty pinks and all kinds of creative stuff!


As tomorrow is Easter Sunday, I wanted to share a few Easter miniatures... like the lily I made (above) and the sunny yellow cake and orange tarts.

I also wanted to share the beautiful flowers Jody at Peach Blossom Hill made for me for our swap. They look so real!

Though not Eastery, I wanted to share the spooky painting Jody did. I love it! It'll be a perfect large wall painting in a half scale scene I'm making in a gothic clock case. Just been collecting things for it. Already thinking I have to expand the back and enlarge the space!




A Happy and Blessed Easter!

Fooling and Shopping

No it's not an April Fool's joke. What are they doing to old favorites at the grocery?
That's my topic today at Fatal Foodies

Miniatures Wednesday: See the light!

A teeny tiny half scale lamp I won as a prize from Sue B on the Half Scale Yahoo group. Cute! Thanks, Sue!


Oh going to be 73 out today. wow!!!!!!

It's a Dog's Life.. Really, Doggie Yoga anyone?

Ok now your dog has to exercise, too. Well, some may need to lay off the chew bones, but is this dog stuff getting, well, too trendy?

The latest fad - Doggie Yoga - (see link for video) "Doga"

So, would you? Or could you?

Happy Pink Saturday!

It's another PINK SATURDAY at Beverly's blog, How Sweet the Sound.

So what is new and PINK this week?

Well first I stopped and visited Colette at The Open Cupboard who has the cutest collection of vintage plates and all kinds of stuff. Love the pink shelves!

As for my pink stuff...

For fun, here's a set of fun 50's tin plates I picked up at a flea market....




My favorite Thumbelina doll (early 60's) has a pink hat and a pink bunny...

The miniature scene at the top is from my Tudor tea Shoppe. I'll have to take some new pix when I remove the plexiglass cover.

So that's all for now! Thanks for stopping by!

Revising: Again and again and...

I'm a chronic revisionist, it seems.

I think something is done, but every time I open the document, I find something to change.

One manuscript has been shortened several times. It went from over 700 words to 600, and under 500. Now I shaved off another 20 words. I realized the deleted words weren't needed. I could have used them, but no one will miss them.

I wonder if it's the end.

I do like where the manuscript is at now. Hoping that someone else will.

It makes me wonder what other writers think, and do.

** How many times do you revise?

** Do you see things to change after you think you are done?

** Share your experiences.

Spring Cleaning and Motivation

Talking about spring cleaning, focus and all that today at Fatal Foodies

What's your motivation? How do you stay focused?

Miniatures Giveaway!

Marleen's Miniatures is celebrating 100 followers with a great giveaway!

Sign up and post the pic and link on your blog too!

Miniatures Monday: Half Scale Swap

Thought I'd show part of the stash I got from the recent annual anniversary swap from the Half Scale Yahoo Group. Great stuff and a lot of fun!



There are some more items I have to take pictures yet, including the picture and Godey's book I made. There were 32 items in the swap.

Odd Friday: Barbecued Barbie

Yes you read the title right. I was checking out an interesting Barbie auction where designers dressed Barbie dolls to be auctioned by the Ballet Phillipines for scholarships, when I started checking other sites.

So what did I find?

Well... I'm cracking up as I'm sure many a kid has wanted to make their own electric chair! This science project uses a tiny chair to fry Barbie, with step by step instructions! What a fall from grace! Now Barbie truly has had every career, even a criminal on Death Row!

Book Signing: Independent Miniature Artisans Show, April 16, Schaumburg, IL

I'll be signing copies of my books, In Miniature Style, and Searching for a Starry Night at the Independent Miniature Artisans Show (IMA), April 16-17 at the Embassy Suites Schaumburg/Woodfield in Schaumburg, Ill.

The show will be held from 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday, April 16, and 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday April 17 at the Embassy Suites-Schaumburg/Woodfield, 1939 N. Meacham Rd, Schaumburg IL, 847-397-1313.

The hotel also has a free shuttle that will travel to the other two shows, the Bishop Chicago International, at the Marriott Chicago O'Hare, 8535 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL; and the Three Blind Mice show at the Radisson Hotel, 1725 E. Algonquin Rd., Schaumburg, IL.

I'm also raffling off a miniature reading scene. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

First Graphs: Excerpt from "A Night to Forget" in Timeshares Anthology

Today I'm sharing the beginning of my story, "A Night to Forget" from the recently released anthology, TIMESHARES from DAW Books, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg.

About the Book:

Sixteen original stories about taking your dream vacation-in any era you desire.

Take a vacation through time with the help of a Time Travel Agency offering excursions into the past and future. Readers will find themselves in exotic, adventurous locales-and in all manner of trouble and mysteries. And figures from the past will be able to squeak by the other way.

Picture Cleopatra in modern-day New York City, or Hannibal searching for elephants at Wisconsin's Circus World. And that's just the beginning of the thrills and danger...

In my story, Jess Adams finds herself checking out a mysterious travel agency with misgivings. On a whim, she signs up for a dream trip to see an exhibit about the Titanic, an experience that becomes more real than she ever expected.


Excerpt, "A Night to Forget" - C.A. Verstraete

The building’s faded pink brick and dirty windows made Jessica Adams question whether she’d found the right place.

She eyed the ad once more before exiting the car. Matt should’ve come and checked the place like he promised. Would’ve saved her a trip, and a ton of aggravation, she muttered.

Her mood sour, Jess inched closer and tried to peer beyond the layer of dirt in the front window. The inside of the store was dim and dark, its secrets well hidden. She rubbed the dirt from the section of a pane of glass, her effort providing a slightly improved view of the items piled haphazardly on the window ledge. The collection included a faded cruise program, a black-and-white image of a woman in an elegant, ankle-length dress, and a pair of lady’s gloves, the tiny pearl buttons dull with age, the cloth’s once pristine white a memory.

The quaint scene seemed better suited to an antique shop than a place offering the kind of vacation she had in mind. She’d envisioned a private beach in the Caymans or a secluded cabin in the woods, just the two of them. Instead, Matt had begged off, telling her he was too busy for vacations. So, a little peeved, she went alone to investigate the new agency he’d seen advertised in the paper. She had half the mind to book a vacation for herself.

Her bravado faded now that she was here. She read the small, hand-lettered sign tucked into the bottom window pane and scoffed – Timeshares: Adventure for the Ages. The place was as likely to book her dream vacation as she was to win a million dollars. It sounded, well, kind of odd, and a bit too good to be true.

“Good old Matt,” she groused. “He did it again.”

Disappointed, Jess refolded the newspaper page and shoved it in her bag. She needed a good, strong cup of coffee. Maybe someone at the coffee shop could recommend another travel agency so the trip wasn’t a total waste.

She was about to leave when a flicker behind the glass caught her eye. Maybe the owner had arrived. Guess she could at least see what the place offered and hope that the pickings weren’t as slim as she expected.

Finding the door partly open, she stepped inside. “Hello? Anyone here?”

BUY:

Miniatures Monday: More Weird Plants

Another selection of odd plants.

They seem to be the only things I am finishing lately in mini, that is besides the writing, of course.

Latest plants: a mini corpse flower and an interpretation of the Rafflesia. I love the red and the dots! Oh, and a bonus with the corpse flower- no smell. haa! (Haven't seen one in real life; not sure if I'd want to!)

(I did make a larger one awhile ago, but I have to find it, of course!) The plants are all made from Crayola Model Magic clay that was painted. The blue pot is a water bottle cap.

Alice in Wonderland: Miniature Food Ideas

I've heen waiting for this movie since it was announced - the wait was worth it! Wow! Color, costumes, background (Johnny Depp!) cool 3D, it has it all!

And mini ideas!! Found the above picture of another view of the Mad Hatter's Table. Check out the character pix today at Fatal Foodies - some fantastic cakes and tea sets, more table ideas.

Miniatures Monday: Egg Carton Pots Tutorial

Sometimes the most obvious things aren't so obvious, it seems.

A friend I'll call the "Frugal Miniaturist" shared her great ideas for making cheap planters.

Materials:

* Papier mache egg carton; shapes on bottom may vary.
* Xacto knife and/or razor blade.
* Sharp scissors

Besides making great faux stones, realistic looking bricks, or a detailed brick walkway, papier mache egg cartons also will provide a variety of cheap pots and planters.

1. Using a sharp Xacto knife or new razor blade, carefully cut around cup shapes on bottom of egg carton. Different cartons may provide different shapes.

2. Cut around large cup shapes (see top image) at base where it is attached to carton. Even out top edges by cutting with scissors. Press cup down firmly to make bottom level. The resulting large round pot (not pictured) is perfect for floor plants or large plantings.

3. Make square pots: Cut out the square indented shapes between the round cups to form smaller square pots.

Carefully cut "pots" out at top, close to carton bottom, with sharp blade or knife. Trim down the pot edges to make a shorter plant dish or flatter pot. Note: Blades dull quickly.

Once shape is cut out, even out top edges with scissors. Press pot down firmly to level base. Decorate pot with paint and trims like lace, rhinestones, faux stones, etc. for different looks.

My pictured "monster" plant uses one of the square pots.

Have fun! I'd love to see what you come up with.

(c) 2010 C. Verstraete Candid Canine blog

How Sweet It Is!

Talking about my favorite topic - chocolate - today at Fatal Foodies. Great way to start the day huh?

Sci fi anthology Timeshares out today

I just got my copy of Timeshares, a time travel anthology from DAW Books, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg.

I'm tickled pink for many reasons. It includes my story, "A Night to Forget," in which a woman visiting an unusual travel store gets tickets for a dream trip to see an exhibit about the Titanic - and finds the experience more real than she ever expected.

It's also my first appearance with this publisher. Check out the cool back cover (see my name?) and be sure to go check it out at your local bookstore or Amazon.

Not that I'm the reason to buy it, of course! (Oh? ha!) The anthology is organized around a frame story by noted author Kevin J. Anderson involving Timeshares, a company that allows customers to vacation anywhere in time.



It includes the story, "By Our Actions," by noted fantasy/sci-fi author Michael Stackpole and features stories by: Robert E. Vardeman, Matthew P. Mayo, Greg Cox, Dean Legett,Annie Jones,Kelly Swails, Chris Pierson, James M. Ward, Jody Lynn Nye, Vicki Steger, Gene DeWeese, Patrick McGilligan, Steven Saus, C. A. Verstraete, Donald J. Bingle, Allister Timms and Linda P. Baker.

Miniatures Monday: Weird Plants

Got inspired and did a few more strange plants for the Witch's Greenhouse.

They're a relation to a Venus Fly Trap. I'd seen a couple on eBay one time and had to try my hand at making some.

They were made with Crayola Model Magic Air dry clay. I also added a few fake silk leaves on top. The "teeth" are from the same clay, too.

I'll let you guess what the flowerpot is made from?


(* Check out the greenhouse, inside and out so far.)

2009 Agatha Award-Nominated Mystery Short Stories

The 2009 Agatha award nominees for best short story were recently announced, and the stories can now be read online. The awards for best mysteries and short stories a la Agatha Christie are awarded at the annual Malice Domestic Mystery Convention, to be held April 30-May 2 in Arlington, Va.

Agatha Award Nominees - Best Short Story:

“Femme Sole” by Dana Cameron, Boston Noir (Akashic Books)

“Handbaskets, Drawers and a Killer Cold” by Kaye George, Crooked ezine

“The Worst Noel” by Barb Goffman, The Gift of Murder (Wolfmont Press)

“On the House” by Hank Phillippi Ryan, Quarry (Level Best Books)

"Death Will Trim Your Tree” by Elizabeth Zelvin, The Gift of Murder (Wolfmont Press)

Miniatures Monday: Ah, Spring flowers (almost!)

Spring is coming! Really! I heard cardinals singing. Just waiting for the red-winged blackbirds to return.

So I made some flowers... I punched these - the plant has 3 layers of petals and faux flora leaves in a painted wood paint with moss.

** KITS: Kits are available for $6 with $2 shipping. Choose red, yellow, mixed, or pink. Includes all materials for three flowers (plus a few extras in case you mess up) and unpainted pot.

(I'll try to get new pix of the yellow flowers as the definition doesn't want to show up.)

Are you Ready to be Published? Writing Advice from Jennifer Stanley, author of Stirring Up Strife

Are You Really Ready to be Published?

By Jennifer Stanley

You can feel it. Your book is done. You’ve worked on it for months, for years. It’s been all you’ve thought about for ages and now it’s finished.

Your baby. Your hopes and dreams printed out on crisp, white paper.

Now what?

It’s time for an initial test.

Test Question One: Have you taken your punches?

In other words, has your book been critiqued by a group of honest, educated peers? Not your mother, your spouse, or your best friend, but fellow writers.

Have you heard and responded to both praise and criticism?

Have you gone back and examined portions of your writing because a member of your critique group made a solid recommendation?

Have you struggled, yes, struggled, over points raised by others?

Answer: If you haven’t exposed your book to several rounds of constructive criticism, you’re not ready.

Test Question Two: Have you edited your book at least three times?

Once is not enough. It is sometimes helpful to take a break between rounds of editing, but you will find new areas to tweak each time. Be patient. Hone your writing. Get that manuscript polished until it glows in the dark.

Answer: Edit, edit, edit.

Test Question Three: Have you done your homework?

In other words, you know into which genre your book falls; you’ve abided by the general word count rule (approximately 80,000 words for fiction – more for sci-fi and fantasy); you’re emotionally prepared to be rejected by multiple agents and publishers and will not throw yourself off a bridge.

Answer: If you’re done all the above, you’re ready! It’s going to be a tough road, but if you can write an entire book, you can make it!

Feel free to post questions and I’ll do my best to provide intelligent, helpful answers!


Jennifer (J.B. Stanley) is the author of two mystery series (the Supper Club mysteries and the Hope Street Church mysteries). Her third series will debut this summer.




** Jennifer, thanks for the constructive, and timely, advice. A few possible questions:
What things do you look for in subsequent edits?

Do you remember what were your first editing pitfalls that you overcame in later books?

What do you find to be the hardest point of editing?

What are the main things you advise writers to search for in their manuscript that can be easily overlooked?

Talking about Miniatures, Writing and Olympics, oh my!

I'm all over the place today like... well, never mind. ha!

I'm sharing a few comments about writing and miniatures - is there a connection? - at the Cozy Chicks blog. Stop by and say hello! Thanks for hosting me, Jennifer.










And I'm talking about Olympian chocolate and other kinds at Fatal Foodies.

Speaking of food... I thought these pix would be included too at my blog stop so I'm sharing them here. The fast food items are in my collection from a swap some years back. Hungry yet?



** Be sure to stop back tomorrow for a few thoughts on agent hunting and other writing advice from Jennifer Stanley, author of Stirring Up Strife, A Hope Street Church Mystery.

Miniatures Monday: Greenhouse Front

I finished the front of the Witch's Greenhouse so thought I'd share a photo. I added a front mat from that snakey print fabric and put some of the inner wallpaper on the door panels. There are green hanging beads in both windows. I like the flower emblem on top; the shop has more of a hippie feel to me, doesn't it?

Well sharp eyes will see that I haven't added one thing yet - the doorknobs! Had to look for them! haa!

Pink Saturday: Happy Valentine's Day!

Welcome to another Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

I also stopped by Marina's blog, Only Cute Things. Marina, who blogs from Argentina, had a fantastic post on Friday of some fascinating buildings. (And being into dollhouses, I love looking at architecture, especially the older brick and stone photos she posted.) Hi, Marina!

We're celebrating from the heart this week and what better symbolizes Valentine's Day than a yummy box of chocolates?

Doll artist Christa Chayata summed up the best part of the holiday with her new miniature doll named Ann. Christa says she'd already made the chocolates, so why not have someone like a cute little girl holding them?

Good idea, right? She's darling! See more of Christa's work (and a fantastic closeup of those chocolates!) at her blog.

Snow Snow Snow!

Tons of it. Sigh. Here's a use for it - how about snow ice cream?
See recipes and a video at Fatal Foodies. Let me know if you try it. :>)

Miniatures Monday: Congratulations to Anna Hardman for Doll of the Year Award!

Doll maker and IGMA Artisan Anna Hardman can add another title to describe her amazing, hand-sculpted miniature dolls - award-winning!



Anna's wonderful miniature porcelain bride, Livia, made from her own original mold, was named a 2010 Doll of the Year Industry Choice Winner from Doll Reader Magazine.

Doll Reader Announces 2010 DOTY Industry's Choice Winners

Artist Miniature Doll
• Tiny Wonder, by Claire Taylor Dolls
• Livia - Victorian Bride, Anna Hardman
• Elle, by Laura Tuzio-Ross
• Little Darling “Joy of Life,” by Gabriele Mueller, Gaby-Dolls
• Chocolate Bunny Surprise, by Goodreau Doll

Anna, who sculpts many of her own dolls, says this doll is special as it was named for her grandmother, Livia, a rare name in Russian. Sadly, Anna says the week she finished the doll she'd found out that her grandmother, whom she called Babushka Livia, had passed away in Ukraine. But she feels her grandmother "must have been watching over me or something."

Anna decided to dress the 5 1/2" tall doll in late Victorian style, deciding to go "the less the better. I didn't want to lavish her with flowers and gems and ruffles. She portrays youth, beauty and sadness. No Victorian woman was very happy to get married then."

Congratulations, Anna! The recognition is well-deserved! Be sure to check out her other amazing dolls, too.

Pink Miniatures for Pink Saturday: An early Valentine

Getting a late start today for Pink Saturday at Beverly's blog, How Sweet the Sound.

I also stopped by Jeanne's blog at Back Yard Neighbor - she's showing some great vintage Valentine's today. I love those!

Seeing so many beautiful pink cakes and mini goodies lately on The Mini Food blog got me in the mood to create a Valentine's scene.


I had this table and several cakes, so decorated a few more and made some mini magazines which was fun. Hadn't done these in awhile. But there are some great covers out there! (I added the pic with the penny so the non-miniaturists can get an idea of size.)

I included a couple of the cover pix already shrunk down for you to use. Just add your own back cover. These magazines have a slight edge so leave about 1/16" of white space in the center.

Megan's Miniatures has some great modern magazines to print, too.

** Be sure to come back for Miniatures Monday and see an amazing original - an award-winner, too!

Is it Real or Miniature? Photo Scenes

These are some of the most fantastic photos I've seen. Check out these
amazing scenes. Look at the cars! These are incredible 1:24th scale models. These are the kinds of photos you can look at again and again. These are the best I've ever seen.

A Good Laugh Today at Fatal Foodies

Sharing a good laugh today with two famous women at Fatal Foodies. It's a good one! And we all need that once in a while right?

First Graphs: Children's book, The Secret of the Bradford House by Albert Bell Jr.

Welcome to Albert A. Bell, Jr., author of THE SECRET OF THE BRADFORD HOUSE (Ingalls Publishing Group, April 2010), the sequel to the award-winning SECRET OF THE LONELY GRAVE.

In The Secret of the Bradford House, friends Steve and Kendra find a new neighbor-and a new mystery.

What is that light in the attic window of the spooky old Bradford House? Could it be a ghost? Hidden stairways and secrets from World War I draw the friends into investigating the mysteries of this small town in Kentucky’s Land Between the Lakes... what they find is beyond any of their imaginings.

The spooky old Bradford House at the top of the hill has loomed over Steve Patterson and Kendra Jordan's neighborhood for years. But not until a new neighbor, 11-year-old Rachel Mendoza, notices an eerie light in an attic window does the question arise: Is there a ghost in the house?

While they try to answer that question, Steve and Kendra have to deal with the tension caused by the presence of a "new kid" in the neighborhood, one who seems to have a more than casual interest in Steve. Steve is also reconnecting with his divorced father and learning how difficult that process can be.

Excerpt from THE SECRET OF THE BRADFORD HOUSE:

“Okay, ten more serves from each side and you’re done.”

When Kendra and I heard the tennis pro at Barkley Lodge say that, we knew the lesson before hers was almost over. That was always the last thing he made his students do. We stopped in the shade of a big maple tree beside the tennis courts, where her mother had dropped us off. Kendra put down the bag with her rackets and other equipment in it. I had brought along a book my dad sent me and a folding chair.

The pro held up one hand and waggled the fingers to us. “Hey, Kendra. Good morning, Steve. Five minutes.”

He spells his name Rolfe and, for the tourists, pronounces it like a dog barking, but everybody around here knows he’s actually just Ralph from over in Paducah. He must be a pretty good tennis instructor, though, considering how good a player Kendra is becoming.

Today Rolfe was working with a dark-haired girl. She was wearing white shorts and a green t-shirt with a school name on it. I guessed she was my age.

“Boy, she’s booming those serves like she’s mad at somebody.” Kendra put her arm up against the tall wire fence surrounding the court and leaned her forehead on it.

** Get information at the author's website. Sample chapter to come!

** A Buy link will be added when the book goes up on Amazon.com

** Review:

Even if I hadn't received an ARC of this book, I'd still have to say I loved it! Kendra and Steve are fun kids to get to know, with a natural curiosity that makes their investigating a perfect extension of their personalities. The book offers an interesting historical tie-in and information that makes the past real and more than just dry facts. I have to admit that I even learned something I didn't know! Boys and girls both will enjoy reading the book.

Welcome to Melissa M. Williams, author of children's book, Iggy the Iguana

Today we welcome Melissa M. Williams, author of IGGY THE IGUANA. Oh, and we welcome Iggy, too, who seems to have a lot to say. (Take that insurance company lizard!)

IGGY THE IGUANA is the first book in the Iggy chapter book series for ages 7 to 11. The story focuses on the major themes of acceptance, friendship, and diversity as Iggy goes from a private "all-lizard" school to a public "all-animal" school.

Iggy soon accepts that just because other animals are different doesn't mean they can't be your friends. By the end of fourth grade, Iggy realizes that changing schools was the best move he ever made.

Who is Iggy? Let Him Tell You…

Well, before I became a cartoon character in the Iggy the Iguana series, I was a real, live three-foot green Iguana living in Houston, TX back in the 1990's.

I think the author liked to pretend I was human, because she used to dress me up in clothes, send me to school, and I even slept in her bed. Yes, I was basically human in her eyes, so eventually she turned me and my friends into cartoon characters.

In Iggy the Iguana, I get to experience most everything real kids my age do in elementary school. As I change to a new school, I show the kids that it's okay when life changes and you move to a new environment. I made all kinds of new animal friends—one of them, Liz the Lizard, even became my secret crush! Kids love when they can relate to the life of a lizard!

So, Iggy, what else do you like to do?

Definitely baseball! Ever since I was a little lizard my dad would play catch with me in the back yard after dinner. He is a professional marathon runner, so being healthy and active is a big deal in my family. I've been in Little League ever since I was five. My favorite pastime would definitely be the time my dad took me to Chicago to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field.

What do you want readers to learn?

Acceptance. I learned that just because I'm a reptile—or green—or not like the other animals at my new school doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. We are all different, and our differences make us cool! I learned so much about other animals when I became friends with a box shell turtle (Surfer Dude), a silly cat, a bullfrog from the Bronx, and a mouse from Spain. Since I accept others who are not like me, I actually accept myself more, too!

What else do you want readers to know?

I'll let Snap Shell, my best turtle friend, take this one…

Well, dude, I want readers to understand that even if we go through difficult situations in our lives, it doesn't mean we can't learn from those experiences and become better animals. We all have a purpose in life, and later we can help others who may go through something difficult.

Iggy, share a favorite phrase in the book.

I like Snap Shell's comment, "I'm Land Only, Dude!"

When I asked Snap Shell, why he couldn't swim, Snap had to explain to me that not all turtles are swimmers. Snap's not a sea turtle and doesn't have webbed feet, I learned much to my surprise.

What is the lesson of the story?

First impressions are not always correct. Don't be too quick to judge others on the outside. We all have a story.


About the author:

Melissa M. Williams is an advocate for literacy and creativity in children. Her children’s chapter books were inspired by real life experiences with childhood pets she owned while growing up in Houston, Texas.

While finishing her Master’s degree in Professional Counseling, Melissa started substitute teaching in elementary schools to understand the daily life of her young audience.

She now enjoys speaking to students about her own journey as an author and the process of creative writing, while encouraging them to be creative thinkers and write their own stories.


Win Cool Iggy Stuff!

Win the newly released items in the Iggy Collection: Snap Shell the Turtle plush doll, Iggy collector's baseball cards, and the Read3Zero T-Shirt supporting the fight against illiteracy 30 minutes at a time.

** To win the Iggy collection, be the most active visitor during the tour. See tour schedule.

** Buy:

Miniatures Monday: Kitty's New Ladies' Shop

I had to share a couple photos of my friend Kitty's latest project, a Ladies' Shop. The project is in an Ikea miniature greenhouse. (I used the greenhouse for my tropical room, which I'll have to share here yet. They do have a lot of room inside.)



* See more of Kitty's minis at Minis by Kitty blog.

First Graphs: Stirring Up Strife, A Hope Street Church Mystery by Jennifer Stanley

Today, we welcome Jennifer Stanley, author of STIRRING UP STRIFE, A Hope Street Church Mystery. (St. Martin's Minotaur, Dec. 2009).

WELCOME TO THE HOPE STREET CHURCH…where good folks study The Good Book, but everyone loves a good mystery!

Cooper Lee can repair a copy machine—but can she repair her life? After being dumped by her boyfriend, she moves back home and goes back to church.

The members of the Sunrise Bible Study Group offer the friendships she needs. Then her new friend- the woman who invited her to church-gets her wedding ring stuck in a copier and is found dead. The suspect? Her husband. Now Cooper and the the Bible Study group members hope to snoop out a murderer...

Excerpt from STIRRING UP STRIFE:


Chapter One

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Psalm 25:16 (NIV)

Cooper Lee was more comfortable with machines than with people. She drove all over the city of Richmond to fix them. By the time she got to these copiers, laminators, or fax machines as they waited in their offices, hospitals, or schools, they were broken. Broken and quiet.

Cooper would arrive and meticulously lay out her tools, and as she did so, the machines didn’t raise their brows in surprise or barely concealed amusement that a woman worked as an office-machine repairman. A thirty-two-year-old woman dressed in a man’s uniform shirt didn’t seem odd or funny to them at all.

Most importantly, they never stared at her eyes.

Her left eye wasn’t worth a second look. It was a flat, almost colorless blue. No one would have dreamed of comparing it to sapphires or deep seas or cloudless summer skies. But the other eye, the eye Cooper had received through ocular transplant surgery after being smashed in the face with a field hockey stick in junior high, was a shimmering green. It was exotic—invoking images of lush jungles flecked with firefly light or the green shallows of tropical waters, in which sunshine was trapped just below the surface.

That single moment at field hockey practice, when a girl on Cooper’s own team had accidentally swung her stick too high as she prepared to hit the ball with incredible force, made Cooper more self-conscious than other teenagers. Still, she wanted what most people want. She longed to have one close friend, to be loved by someone she could grow old with, and for her life to have purpose. Cooper thought she had found all of those in her boyfriend, Drew. Until he dumped her.

Shaking off her gloomy thoughts, Cooper cut a piece of crumb cake for breakfast, wrapped it in a paper towel, filled her twenty-eight-ounce travel cup to the brim with milky, unsweetened coffee, and tossed a banana onto the passenger seat of her truck.

She drove east on I-64, the sun blinding her most of the way. According to Bryant Shelton’s weather report, there wasn’t going to be a cloud in the sky this April Friday. For once, it appeared as though Bryant might be right, though it didn’t matter much to Cooper. She’d be inside offices most of the day, but could enjoy brief moments of sunshine while driving the work van from one destination to another.

At ten minutes to nine, Cooper pulled into the parking lot belonging to one of a dozen corporate buildings re­sembling silvery LEGO blocks. The Make It Work! head quarters was on the fringe of an area called Innsbrook in which hundreds of different companies, replete with an abundance of office equipment, depended upon Cooper and her coworkers in order to operate smoothly.

“Mornin’, Coop!” Angela called out a chipper greeting as Cooper approached the reception desk. Angela’s smile, combined with a vase filled with plump, yellow roses, created a warm welcome. Few people visited the office as most of Make It Work!’s transactions were conducted via telephone, but Angela bought a dozen roses every Monday, claiming that a good workweek always began with fresh flowers.

Angela was in charge of setting up appointments and billing. She was at her desk every morning before anyone else, wearing one of her vintage sweaters, a pencil skirt (both of which were always too tight), and a pair of sexy heels. Angela’s platinum hair, powdered face, and fire-engine-red nails and lipstick were supposed to call to mind an image of Marilyn Monroe, but Angela was older and plumper than the late actress had ever been. Still, Angela was the heart and soul of their small operation. Filled with pluck and boundless optimism, even the frostiest customers thawed once Angela worked her magic on them.

“You’ve got an emergency waitin’ for you, sug.” Angela examined her reflection in a small compact that was never out of reach. “Some poor lady has gotten her weddin’ ring jammed in the insides of a copier.” She held out a pink memo pad and ripped off the top sheet with a flourish.

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The Miniature White House

I finally had the chance to do something I've always wanted - tour the Miniature White House, now on display at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry until Feb. 15.

I discuss the house and some of the rooms today at Fatal Foodies.

** Check out the Chicago Tribune's 36 photos of the miniature White House in this photo gallery.

Doll Collecting Inspires Historical Fiction Novel

I first spotted the book, THE QUEEN'S DOLLMAKER, when The Historically Obsessed blog mentioned it and being a doll collector, too, I thought how cool!

Well, although the majority of my collection involves dollhouse miniatures, I also enjoy large size dolls. I have several Barbies and a Cher doll on the shelf above my computer, along with my favorite Thumbelinas sitting in a chair in the living room. Mostly my dolls are smaller and fit in the dollhouses, a way to save space and enjoy two hobbies in one.

But besides thinking this book was a super idea, it appears that author Christine Trent found a way to make her hobby a tax deduction! Laugh, but 300 dolls is no small collection!

In a recent interview, Trent said she was inspired by her dolls, and after reading about France's queen, came up with an idea to combine both interests.

The book, which is sympathetic to Marie Antoinette, is part romance, but deals mostly with the main character's dollmaking profession, which sounds even more interesting.

And get this--Trent is a debut author, who after receiving dozens of rejections, was signed by Kensington after meeting an editor at a conference. Nice to hear good news for a change amid all the the doom-and-gloom book and publishing news lately.

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