New Miniatures Story in CDHM Magazine: Sherri Colvin's Dolls

See my story on doll maker Sherri Colvin titled, "And Then There Was Magic," in the October CDHM's Miniature Way Magazine,.





** Check out Colvin's fantastic miniature dolls and detailed resin mini doll kits. (Love the kits for miniature witches or older ladies; great faces!)

Miniature Eye Candy!

For fun, an assortment of some miniature candy from past swaps that I've displayed in my wallhanging market box.

Read Something Scary! Killer Valentine Ball & Muse Masquerade Festival!

Getting in the Halloween mood! Come to MuseItUp Publishing's Masquerade Festival all month!

* Prizes, free ebooks and more! Visit the MuseItUp Publishing blog to sign up to the reader's list and check out the day's blogs!

** The perfect scary read! The Killer Valentine Ball

A party at a day camp; a blind date on Valentine's Day. Can you say loser? But this is no ordinary party...

The Killer Valentine Ball has more thrills than Jess ever expected--or will ever forget. (You've got to read it for the surprise ending!)

Excerpt:

As they walked into the shadows, Jess noticed that things weren't quite as they appeared. Sections of the room lightened for a moment before being cast again in deep shadow. What Jess thought she saw in that split second made her heart race...Buy: The Killer Valentine Ball

Writing when Hungry? Food in Searching for a Starry Night and the Killer Valentine Ball

I'm not sure if it's a matter of writing when hungry, (like shopping when hungry? Don't do it!) but food seems to appear quite a few times in many of my stories and books.

Even funnier, I just noticed the connection via a group of my favorite quotes from Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery.

In the book, friends Sam and Lita eat favorites like ice cream (several times!), but they also enjoy other favorites like iced tea, lemonade, cookies and turkey sandwiches. (Read chapter 1 and see reviews at link.)


Memorable Quotes:

Lita: “Butter cookies. Any cookies, really. That always does it for me.”

Sam: “He (Petey) looked like a hot dog without the bun.”

Petey the Dachshund: “Woof!”

Buy:
* Print
* KINDLE
* B&N eBook
* KOBO: Smartphone, Tablet, Ereader
* Sony Reader

** Got any food favorites in your own stories or books you like to read? **


In the new ebook, The Killer Valentine Ball, Jess attends what sounds like a fun Valentine's Ball - at first... They have drinks... the tables are fully set, but not how you'd expect...

Just in time for Halloween!

A party at a day camp; a blind date on Valentine's Day. Can you say loser? But this is no ordinary party...

The Killer Valentine Ball has more thrills than Jess ever expected--or will ever forget. (You've got to read it for the surprise ending!)

Excerpt:

As they walked into the shadows, Jess noticed that things weren't quite as they appeared. Sections of the room lightened for a moment before being cast again in deep shadow. What Jess thought she saw in that split second made her heart race...

Read more & Buy: The Killer Valentine Ball

** Also available on Kindle. Buy:

New Searching for a Starry Night Themes 2

The brain's working overtime! Parents/Teachers: Check out a couple more themes I just added for Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery. Read chapter 1 and see reviews at link.

Themes:

Dollhouses: Some of the described pieces and houses owned by housekeeper Mrs. Drake are based on the author's own collection. Miniatures collecting is a great hobby and creative outlet for kids of all ages.

Miniature Art: Miniatures are a specialized art category, usually 6-inches in size and smaller done by noted artists in oil and acrylic. Some artists recreate works by the masters in miniature for dollhouse collectors.

Family & Community: Students can make connections and discuss their family and community in comparison to Sam's relationships with her mother, friend and neighbors.

History: Students can discuss modern conveniences and their history by comparing what isn't used or available at the late aunt's Victorian house.

Dogs and Kids: Animal Adoption: The Dachshund, Petey, plays an important role in the book, and demonstrates the relationship between kids and a pet. The dog brings attention to animal shelters as Petey was adopted from a shelter.

Buy:
* Print
* KINDLE
* B&N eBook
* KOBO: Smartphone, Tablet, Ereader
* Sony Reader

Miniatures: New Half Scale Couch

New half-scale couch I made to go in the 1/2" witch's house. It's hard to tell here, but both fabrics have a sparkly finish. I made the pillow too. (A how-to is coming up!)

News Ad Nauseum - The latest epidemic...

Is the news trying to scare us? Just when you think it's safe to turn on the TV... more bed bugs! An epidemic. Don't go out with covering yourself in plastic!

Eek! The news grabs something and will-not-let-go. Remember the flu epidemic?

What's your favorite - or non-favorite news story that would not die?

Miniatures Monday: Medieval Books

Some of the new miniature medieval books I made with leather covers.

Perfect for Halloween, medieval castles, wizards, etc. Just a few of the different types and sizes I make. They're also for sale. Contact me if interested.

Searching for a Starry Night Fun Facts and New Links

A few fun facts about Searching for a Starry Night. Parents and Teachers: check out the themes.

About the book:
Sam, her BFF Lita, and a mischievous Dachshund named Petey, face a cranky housekeeper, a dog-hating gardener and an ancient family curse as they search for a missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, "Starry Night."

Buy:
* B&N eBook
* KOBO - Smartphone, Tablet, Ereader
* Sony Reader
* Print
* KINDLE


Characters:
Samantha Carlton: A 13-year-old "tomboy" who loves to fish and solve mysteries

Lita Jackson: Sam's best friend who has an aversion to ghosts and scary movies. They've been friends since childhood.

Petey the Dachshund: Petey has the energy of 10 dogs. He's a digger and always seems to be in trouble!

Memorable Quotes:
Lita: “Butter cookies. Any cookies, really. That always does it for me.”

Sam: “He (Petey) looked like a hot dog without the bun.”

Petey the Dachshund: “Woof!”

Setting:

Sam and Lita think they're going for a vacation in Lake Geneva, but instead help Sam's mom, Grace, search for that missing miniature painting apparently left behind in her late Great Aunt Hilda's old Victorian home just outside Lake Geneva, Wisc.

First Sentence:

Samantha Ann Carlton tilted her head back and tried to see all the way to the top of the old three-story Victorian. Funny, it looked much bigger than she remembered—and creepier.

Themes:
Dollhouses: In their search for the missing dollhouse-sized "Starry Night" painting, Sam and Lita realize the cranky housekeeper, Mrs. Drake, is a dollhouse collector. And when they see her houses, they get a glimpse of real life - only smaller. Some of the described pieces and houses are based on the author's own collection, some of which can be seen in her miniatures gallery. The author hopes to interest kids in a hobby and collecting for fun and as a creative outlet.

Miniature Art: Miniature art is a specialized category usually 6-inches in size and smaller. These are real paintings done by noted artists. Some artists paint in oil and acrylic for the dollhouse collectors' market.

Dogs and Kids: Animal Adoption: The Dachshund, Petey, plays an important role in the book, and also demonstrates the relationship between kids and a pet. It also brings attention to animal shelters, as Petey was adopted from a shelter

Neat Miniatures Idea: Tired of that plain old desk?

Oh this is soooo cool! In real life, it's a neat idea, but of course, it has FANTASTIC miniature applications!



This information desk at a library is made of --- recycled books! Yes, it would be a LOT of work in mini, but how original this would be! You can see more pix here.

Now Available: New Short Horror Ebook, The Killer Valentine Ball

Just in time for Halloween!

NOW AVAILABLE!!

A party at a day camp; a blind date on Valentine's Day. Can you say loser? But this is no ordinary party...

The Killer Valentine Ball has more thrills than Jess ever expected--or will ever forget. (You've got to read it for the surprise ending!)

Excerpt:

As they walked into the shadows, Jess noticed that things weren't quite as they appeared. Sections of the room lightened for a moment before being cast again in deep shadow. What Jess thought she saw in that split second made her heart race...

Read more & Buy: The Killer Valentine Ball

** Also available on Kindle. Buy:



** Purchasers: there are some fantastic upcoming contests so be sure to check out the MuseItUp Publishing bookstore!

Miniatures Monday: Welcome to the New Minis by Kitty blog!

Say hello to a new minis blogger!

My Dutch friend, Kitty, has started an English version of her blog, MinisByKitty.

It may take a while for her to set up her photos and stuff, but make her feel welcome and be a follower, okay?

Photo: The spoon set (I love how she's aged it!) is part of some recent additions to her Brocante house, one of my favorite projects that she's done. I'm sure she'll be sharing more of the pix from this great project. Check her blog for the full photo.

New Dog Mystery Coming: Cat Author Defects!

Well, the headline is only slightly exaggerated.

Author Clea Simon, who's known for her cat-centered mysteries (PROBABLE CLAWS, Theda Krakow Mystery Series, Poisoned Pen Press; and GREY MATTERS, book two in the Dulcie Schwartz mystery series, Severn Press), does have a cat in her upcoming latest-- but the book's real focus is a dog!!

DOGS DON'T LIE, a Pru Marlowe Pet Noir Mystery, will be published in April 2011 from Poisoned Pen Press. (The pictured cover is not final yet.) The book centers on a traumatized, rescued pitbull and a pet psychic. Sounds good. Great idea, Clea!


About DOGS DON'T LIE: (from website)

Pru Marlowe isn't your ordinary animal psychic. A tough girl on the run from her own gift, Pru left the big city to return to her picturesque Berkshires hometown looking for a little peace. Too bad that her training as an animal behaviorist got her mixed up with Lily, a rescue dog, and Charles, her person.

Now Charles is dead, and Lily looks good for it. After all, Lily is a pitbull, a fighting-ring dropout, and way too traumatized to give Pru a clear picture of what she has witnessed. But Pru knows something about bad girls trying to clean up, and, with a sense of justice strong enough to overcome her dislike of human society, she takes the case.

Listening to the animals, Pru picks up clues—and learns there are secrets in the pretty little town that make murder look simple. Unable to tell anybody about her psychic abilities, uncertain at times about her own sanity, Pru comes to realize that if she clears Lily, she'll likely become the prime suspect—or the next victim.

While the only creature she can totally trust is her crotchety tabby Wallis, Pru's got to uncover the real killer—and find a way to live with her gift—before the real beasts in the town savage her and those she has come to love. I'll include more on the book nearer publication.

Buy a Book or Ebook: Help a Shelter Pet!!

Authors Patty G. Henderson, MG Williamz and VW Massie, are putting their art where their heart is with their latest anthology, DARK THINGS (Black Car Publishing, Lulu, $11.99, Kindle, $2.99).

The collection of dark fiction stories, which includes The Hunted by Williamz; Her Apparition and I Sing the Body Dead by Henderson; and Skin by Massie; is available in print, Kindle and ePub versions.

**ALL proceeds go to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (ASPCA). With foreclosures on the rise and families on the edge, family pets are being abandoned in shelters across the country.

Henderson, known for her dark supernatural fiction, calls it a "win-win" situation, saying "the book came out of a deep love and respect I have for God's creation of our four-footed friends. They are here to give us comfort, joy and laughter in our tough times. We mistreat them horribly.

"I once wanted to put together a short show on my local community public access television on our Humane Society shelter, but the PA funding went broke and I couldn't get the program put together. But I spoke extensively with the man in charge and got a tour of the facility. My sister just adopted a cute dog named 'Tanner' from the Humane Society and I have donated some of my artwork yearly to their annual fundraiser.

"DARK THINGS was an 'invitation only' project. I knew both authors invited. There are four stories in the collection and all four are top notch. I contributed two and both MJ and VW contributed one apiece." (Note: some stories do feature lesbian characters.) Vampires in New Orleans, haunted houses and a terrifying twist on modern cable and demonic beings are some of the story themes.

** The next anthology, DARK THINGS II: Cat Crimes, is open to all authors and will focus on cat stories. See submission guidelines. (Submissions open to 1/16/11.)

A New Miniatures Magazine: Welcome Taller de Miniaturas & List of Other Online Magazines

Miniaturists have another reading choice as Spanish miniaturists shared the first issue of their new online magazine, Taller de Miniaturas.

The first issue includes some very nice how to projects such as a wood planter and a neat imprinted clay book by Eva from Mini Escenas y Manualidades. (Articles are in Spanish but with good photos to follow.)

Congratulations to the miniaturists! Muy bueno!


** Miniaturists now have several free online magazines to choose from, including:

* CDHM Miniature Way (August)
The August issue includes my story on doll maker Judy Raley of Once We Were Fairies










Artisans in Miniature (AIM) Magazine
Quarterly, with projects also provided by members. See September AIM.

(See Help page where you have to sign in to Scribd to download the PDF but you can read it online.)

Halloween Miniatures: Mrs. Julliard Awaits the Wizard

Mrs. Julliard insisted on staying around the tower, desperate to learn the wizard's secrets. Well.... she learned one, but alas, she's in no condition to talk now. Halloween is coming, you do have an idea what she'll look like, right? haaa!

She's dressed in a Victorian style gown in a flashy red with a black lace bodice and fashionable lace cloak, with matching cloth and leather slippers.



Included is the wizard's table with the wizard's magic orb, a leather-bound medieval map (does it lead to his secrets?), a magical crystal plant and a set of potions, all on a vintage table. Items are not glued. Everything handmade by me. Item for sale; contact me if interested.

Chris V.

Inspiration for Pink Saturday: A Miracle Makeover

Today is a special Pink Saturday!

Beverly at How Sweet the Sound has linked with Guideposts, talking about the "Miracle Makeover" and celebration of Collette Gauthier's recovery from cancer; the story was printed in GUIDEPOSTS Magazine. (Like Guideposts on Facebook!) and thank them for sharing the video online.


From the Katilac Shack website:

Design Changes Things: When a room is falling apart, and we are also feeling physically or mentally down, it's easy to believe that things are hopeless. For Colette Gauthier, a cancer patient, this was especially true. So, in two and a half days, and on a tiny budget, we set out to change things. Transforming her rental house bedroom from bleak to beautiful helped her through chemotherapy. The restored and renewed space filled her with hope. A visual reminder that healing is possible for our homes and lives....that miracles do happen. (See video below...)


** Some other inspiration: **

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
-- Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Ozarks

Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. -- Ella Fitzgerald

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. -- Corita Kent

Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others. -- Helen Keller

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. -- Marie Curie



** Click at the Breast Cancer site for free mammograms for women in need!





** Comment on Beverly's blog above or at the Katillac Shack- ** A $1 donation for every comment on Pink Saturday will be given to Design Gives Back for another miracle makeover.

Paying to Blog or Write - What do you say?

It's common practice for many businesses to have to get a license or some kind of registration, depending on the location, of course. But let's say you blog or are a freelance writer. Maybe you have a few ads on your blog, or sell a few things here and there...

Well if you live in Philadelphia, that city believes that in both cases, you need a "business privilege" license allowing you to operate. And in this case, it'll cost you $50 a year or $300 a lifetime to do it. See full story.

And by the way, it doesn't matter whether you make $10 a month or your blog or writing, or $1,000 a month.

Is this a case of a governmental entity reaching their hand into your pocket and finding another way to make money off people? Finding another way to tax the Internet or making people who are making good money pay up? But what's the sense in taxing someone $50 who doesn't make much on their venture? And if you're a freelance writer, why should you have to pay more?

What's your opinion?

Dollhouses and Collages Meet: New Mixed Media Dollhouses Book

Assembly and collage meets dollhouses. I just saw this new book at B&N, and thought it was a fascinating approach.

It takes the idea of dioramas we learned as kids, and hooks it up with the adult trend of collages, scrapbooking and artistic scenes, resulting in fanciful roomboxes combined with artistic paper craft. I thought it was an interesting new way to collect miniatures with often very pretty, eye-catching results. Might be fun to experiment with things that "traditional" miniaturists often don't try.

Description:

Mixed-media doll houses include beautiful castles, undersea fantasy-lands, gothic attics, inspiring tree houses and much more. Authors Tally Oliveau and Julie Molina share a host of interesting alteration techniques while showing readers how to construct beautiful, fantasy doll houses. Readers learn to how to construct or repurpose found boxes into rooms and houses, how to decorate interior surfaces, how to build miniature furnishings, how to make their own paper dolls, and how to embellish their houses using a variety of imaginative materials.


Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Quarry Books (March 1, 2010)

Miniatures: Feels like Fall!

Where'd summer go? Thinking of fall already so I decorated these small wheelbarrows...

Searching for a Starry Night, Barnes & Noble Anniversary

Fun event Sunday at the Mount Pleasant (Racine) WI Barnes & Noble celebrating their 10th anniversary.

Fantasy/Sci-fi author Jean Rabe and I shared the early morning session.

Interesting that at this B&N, they expanded and added a whole new section with games and puzzles; the mystery section was also moved near the religion and crafts. I didn't catch the move at first, but I had the impression the area was a little smaller, or maybe it was just laid out differently.

Note: A new print version of Searching for a Starry Night will be available soon.

The new cover is similar to the Searching for a Starry Night Kindle version except the bottom print (subtitle and my name) are both dark blue.

* Read/download Searching for a Starry Night chapter 1.

Searching for a Starry Night Author and Others Help Celebrate B&N's 10th Anniversary in Wisc. Sunday

I and other authors will be on hand Sunday, Aug. 22 helping Barnes and Noble Booksellers, 2710 S. Green Bay Road, Mount Pleasant, WI (Racine) celebrate their 10-year anniversary. The party goes until 9 p.m. Stop by and say hello!

Scheduled authors include:

• 10 a.m. - Jean Rabe, award-winning science fiction author and Christine Verstraete, author of children's mystery, "Searching For A Starry Night."

• 11 a.m. - Storyteller and historian Jerry Apps, author of "Barns of Wisconsin."

• 1 p.m. - Best-selling authors Chloe Neill, author of "Twice Bitten" in the Chicagoland Vampire series, and Linda Godfrey. author of "Haunted Wisconsin."

• 3 p.m. - Jerry Rannow, author of "This One'll Killya," George Fennell, author of "Racine: Drum Corps Capital of the World" and Nick Comande, author of "Climbing for Causes."

A book fair fundraiser will be held all day to benefit the Racine Public Library. A percentage of each purchase will go to the library Vouchers must be obtained in advance at the library, 72 Seventh St., Racine, or visit the website.

For more information, call the library, (262) 636-9241, or Barnes and Noble, (262) 598-9757.

Chocolates in Miniature!

Nothing's better than chocolate - unless it's in miniature, of course!

My friend, Kitty, made some new chocolates for the chocolate shop she's working on that look good enough to eat!

See more at her blog, Minis by Kitty

Preview: Steampunk'd Cover!

I just discovered that the cover for the upcoming book, Steampunk'd from DAW Books is now online! I'd seen it in b/w but wow in color, it's really cool! (To be published Nov. 2!)

About the book:

Steampunk can be defined as a subgenre of science fiction that is typically set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian setting, where steam power is prevalent. Consider the slogan: "What the past would look like if the future had come along earlier." The stories in this all-original anthology explore alternate timelines and have been set all over the world, running the gamut from science fiction to mystery to horror to a melding of these genres.

The 320-page collection, edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg, includes my short story, "Edison Kinetic Light and Steam Power" by C.A. Verstraete, in which an ailing, but resourceful Alva Edison helps her soon-to-be-famous brother, Thomas, overcome a tragedy and find the answers he'd been seeking. As they say, behind every man is a powerful woman, right?

Miniature Sightings: Free miniatures tutorials

There are so many fun things to do in miniature online, I thought I'd include a few things I've come across lately that visitors may or may not know of. But a reminder is always good, too, right? Hope you find something new to try!

Free Tutorials:

* Doll maker Cynthia Howe has a great free miniature corset pattern for a mannequin, among other freebies

* My Small Obsession's free tutorials list: sofa, plate shelf, and more

* Zooplies miniature hand fans tutorial

* Different! Miniature cereal tutorial video

* AnneMarie's chef's hat tutorial

* Carol Cook's miniature mussels tutorial

* Make a miniature layer cake by Betsy Niederer - ** Best part: How to make mini chocolate roses!

Miniatures Thursday: Another Artist Comes to Life in Miniature - Francisco Goya

IGMA Artisan Lucie Winsky, whose incredible miniature portrait dolls have been featured here before (put art in miniature or her name in the search box in lower right column), recently completed another amazing figure.

This time, for a special commission, she's brought artist Francisco Goya to life, inspired by the dark movie, GOYA'S GHOSTS, set during the Spanish Inquisition.

Goya, (born 1746, died 1828) was a bridge between the old masters and the new "modern" style of painting. His portraits were favored by royalty, including King Carlos III, and Charles IV, for whom he worked as court painter.

Lucie based her figure on Goya's self-portrait, "Self Portrait in the Studio," also known as "Self Portrait with Easel" painted in the early 1790s.

The 16 1/2 x 11" oil on canvas is at the Museo de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes, Madrid.

What's interesting is how Lucie seemed to match the features on Goya's face in the portrait! I thought the candles were an amazing addition, too, (as inspired by the movie. I've never seen this movie and am intrigued!) Fantastico!

About Goya's Ghosts:

Academy Award® nominees Natalie Portman and Javier Bardem star in a thrilling romantic drama by two-time Academy Award® winning director Milos Forman. The historical epic, GOYA'S GHOSTS, is told through the eyes of celebrated Spanish painter Francisco Goya (Skarsgard).

Set at the end of the Spanish Inquisition and start of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon's army, the film captures the essence and beauty of Goya's work which is best known for both the colorful depictions of the royal court and its people, and his grim depictions of the brutality of war and life in 18th century Spain.

When his muse (Portman) is accused of being a heretic, renowned painter Francisco Goya (Skarsgard) must convince his old friend Lorenzo (Bardem), a power-hungry monk and leader of the Spanish Inquisition, to spare her life.

Interview with Mystery Author Tim Myers

Today I have a special guest! I'm happy to welcome multi-published mystery author Tim Myers.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim a few (ok quite a few!) years back when he came out with his first books, the Lighthouse Innkeeping mysteries, and followed his short stories as part of the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

In his many mystery-writing personas, Tim has introduced readers to card making, pottery, lighthouse innkeeping, soapmaking, candlemaking, and more.

These days, he's writing about pizzas and math puzzles, as well as publishing several new middle grade/YA mystery and fantasy novels on Kindle. (He's even showing his "darker" side in a Werewolf PI book for Kindle. (See Amazon book list.)




Here's what Tim has to say about writing and his mysteries:

Q: What would you say is different now in this stage of your career (and in your writing?) vs. when you started the lighthouse books?

A: Publishing has changed in so many ways in 10 years, I wouldn't even know where to begin to answer that. I'm writing under several different names now, and Tim Myers is out of print, though I've never had more books published by the major houses: six this year from St. Martin's, Kensington, and Penguin/Berkley alone.


Q: What is your writing schedule? (Do you sleep? ha!) How much do you write?

A: I write seven days a week, almost without fail. It sounds boring, but I'm having great fun doing it.

Q: Is there a secret to such prolificness?

A: I've written millions of words since I started in 1993, and I still love the process, so that helps a great deal.

Q: Wow, that keeps you busy. So what's your favorite book so far and why?

A: That I've written? All of them! I tell my stories for myself, and hope other folks enjoy them, too. That sounds so arrogant in print, but I love to write, and love the process of finding out what happens next! Weeeeee!

Q: What made you decide to go direct to Kindle and begin doing your own ebooks?

A: As I said, I've got several books under contract with major publishers, but over the years, I've written books that many editors and some of my own agents had a hard time seeing me publish.

Kindle and other venues allow me to explore dark sides of the world I'd never be able to otherwise. I also wrote several books for my daughter as she grew up, some of my favorites, and couldn't find homes for them. With e-publishing, I can share them with the world! But trust me, I'm still working very closely with my agent and NY houses.

Q: What's the hardest part of your writing now?

A: Hard to say. I love what I do. It's tough not being able to claim some of my work in public, especially since some of it is doing so well!

Q: With so many books finished, how do you come up with new ways to solve the mystery? Does it make it that much harder, or?

A: There are so many ways to kill people! It's great fun, and I can always find a new victim to knock off. It makes you kind of sweet when you get your aggressions out that way! I am constantly thinking about new ways to kill people. Makes me sound gruesome, but I'm not. Seriously!

Q: What do you foresee as the future of publishing? Some authors have been cut; some houses may be in trouble in days to come. Your thoughts on the Kindle and ebooks?

A: I am happy to be living in both worlds at the moment. My out of print titles are on Kindle and Smashwords -- there's a list with links on my website. Wow, that was shameless, wasn't it? I absolutely see a place for both, and am happy to have them!

Q: How about some writing advice?

A: Write, all the time, whether you feel like it or not. Try new things if you're stale. Read, to learnand get better. Study someone who does what you want to do, and try to figure out how they do it. I still live by these words, each and every day.

Q: What was your worst writing moment?

A: Wow, when folks say no, it's never easy, is it? I still get bounced, and still don't care for the feeling!

(On a funnier note...) I had a woman standing in a line of about 50 clutching one of my books tightly. When it was her turn, she blurted out, "I just love your book. It puts me to sleep every night!" She was smiling, so I took it as a compliment and thanked her, though folks behind her were appalled by the implication.

Q: A closing thought?

A: I've never written so hard, or so much, or had so much fun doing it! The money's nice, I won't lie, but I love the story, first and foremost, and try my best to deliver every time!

Q: So what's next for you?

A:
* In July and August, I have:
A Slice of Murder (Pizza Lover's Mysteries), written as Chris Cavender, paperback for Kensington.

In A SLICE OF MURDER, A Pizza Lover's Mystery by Chris Cavender (Kensington), Not too much happens in the sleepy little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina--which is fine with pizza-purveyor extraordinaire Eleanor Swift. The spunky owner of A Slice of Delight is trying to mend her broken heart and could use a little quiet time. But when a late night delivery customer turns up dead, she's in for just the opposite in this delicious mystery series debut, featuring pizza as the prima character . .

* Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (Pizza Lover's Mysteries)

When someone bashes in the head of Wade Hatcher, the brother of Eleanor's best delivery guy, Greg Hatcher, with Eleanor's maple rolling pin in her pizzeria kitchen, it appears at first that Greg killed Wade, who was contesting their grandparents' will. Eleanor and her sister, Maddy, join forces to investigate after the local police chief, Kevin Hurley, who always knows how to ruffle Eleanor's feathers, doesn't do much. As the sisters pursue some sticky but somewhat predictable clues, their suspect list grows. - Publishers Weekly

* Coming in Sept: A Deadly Row (A Math Puzzle Mystery) written as Casey Mayes (Penguin/Berkley/Prime Crime) comes out in September. The new Math Puzzle mystery series.

Math whiz Savannah Stone makes a living creating Math puzzles in rural North Carolina. But when the mayor starts receiving death threats, Savannah needs to solve this puzzle-before the next box to be filled is the mayor's coffin.

I also have three other novels coming out or recently out from major publishers under names I can't disclose.

Tim, thanks for sharing with us. Wishing you every success and can't wait to read the latest books!

Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery - now at Smashwords

Searching for a Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery is now up at Smashwords in pdf, html and other formats.

See sample or preview.

Searching for a Starry Night Blog Tour winners

It was a chore picking out the winners bu there are their names and thanks to all who commented about Searching for a Starry Night --

The book is now up at Smashwords too if you want a pdf or other version. (But I am checking if I need to reformat as I'm not sure if the other versions look right and I have no way to tell.)

Winners:
Print: Jill McCullough - Jill's kids love dogs, so a perfect fit! (print will be coming in a few weeks I think)

Kindle: Monti Sikes

Mini version: just because I know she could use it - Camille Minichino

New Article: The Fairies of Judy A. Raley: CDHM's The Miniature Way, August

See my story on the charming fairies made by Judy A. Raley of Once We Were Faeries, in the free August issue of The Miniature Way

Searching for a Starry Night blog book tour - Nonfiction vs fiction

Talking to L Diane Wolfe today about nonfiction vs fiction at Spunk on a Stick blog

** NOTE: I've updated the Kindle version so it may be unavailable until Weds or Thurs, so please check back.

Searching for a Starry Night blog book tour - Crafts: Make a Miniature Pillow!

Since Searching for a Starry Night focuses on the hunt for a missing miniature painting, today I'm offering a simple how to.

Here's an early Halloween treat - I'm sharing how to make a simple miniature pillow over at Anastacia's blog. The pillow can be used as is for a miniature scene, or use it to decorate a card or other decorative item. See directions at link above.

A few finishing notes: the bed is a wood punch-out kit in half-scale. I cut off the ends that stick out; sand and fill with wood filler.

I used a stretchy lace fabric at bottom sides for a ruffle. Cut out an extra picture from the fabric to decorate the end of the bed. The other pillow is purple velvet with lace glued at the ends.

Blog Tour: Amanda Lee/Gayle Trent, The Quick and the Thread

** Today I'm welcoming guest Gayle Trent, writing as Amanda Lee for her new embroidery mystery series, beginning with The Quick and the Thread: An Embroidery Mystery, coming out in August from NAL/Penguin. The next book, STITCH ME DEADLY, comes out in Feb. 2011.

Gayle, who's a fellow Fatal Foodies blogger, is also known for her previous cake mystery series, Murder Takes the Cake and Dead Pan, (Bell Bridge Books).

MURDER TAKES THE CAKE, which has been revised and updated, is also being re-released in Jan. 2011 by Simon & Schuster.

About THE QUICK AND THE THREAD:

First in a new mystery series that will have readers stitching-and itching for more

When Marcy Singer opens an embroidery specialty shop in quaint Tallulah Falls, Oregon, she throws a soiree and a Stitch-In. Soon, Marcy's sign-up sheet for embroidery classes fills up and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass-or a needle-to support the newly-opened Seven Year Stitch.

Then Marcy finds the shop's previous tenant dead in the store-room, a message scratched with a tapestry needle on the wall beside him. Now Marcy's shop has become a crime scene, and she's the prime suspect. She'll have to find the killer before someone puts a final stitch in her.

About Gayle/Amanda:

(And readers, be sure to check out her last answer!)

Q: What you did before you began writing fiction?

A: Before I became a full-time writer, I was a secretary in the accounting and legal fields. I also did freelance writing in my spare time.

(books are: names, date released, publisher.)

Q: How did you get started in fiction and why write a novel?

A: I've enjoyed writing fiction since I took creative writing courses in high school. I've always been a little too long-winded to write short stories effectively, so novels have always been my first love (to read as well as write). :)

Q: How hard/easy has it been for you to write a novel? (and how did you find your agent?)

A: I've found the hard part has been writing two novels at once. Last year I wrote two books in four months. (Host: Four?? Gulp!) Actually, I was very blessed in that my current agent - the incomparable Robert Gottlieb - found me.

Q: How long did it take to get an agent and get your book published? What was that process like?

A: I've been on a long and weaving road as far as book publishing is concerned. I started by publishing a book called Photo Finish with a small press located in Florida. That company closed down, and I never received any compensation for my book.

I continued with small presses publishing romantic suspense and romantic comedies. I discovered the fun in writing in first person when I contributed a story to Belle Books' popular Mossy Creek series. My story appears in 'Blessings of Mossy Creek'. I formed my own publishing company and published my own books and the books of other writer for a few years. After closing the publishing company, I signed with my first agent and wrote the first book in the Daphne Martin series, 'Murder Takes the Cake'.

Q: Some nuts and bolts questions: What is the one thing that you try to put in your stories to make them unique?

A: Interesting, multi-dimensional characters.

Q: Your tip: What would you say many starting/beginning novelists miss?

A: I think many are so married to their stories and characters that they're unable to see errors an editor will spot immediately. Let me give you an example. When I was acquiring manuscripts for Grace Abraham Publishing, there was a manuscript that was good but in which there was a scene that needed to be rewritten because it was unrealistic. The writer chose to forgo being published by GA because the scene was "so cute" she refused to revise it.

Q: What keeps you inspired?

A: Deadlines, these days. [grin] Seriously, the constant "what if." I got my inspiration for Killer Sweet Tooth when we had to take my son to the orthodontist at 10 p.m. I wondered aloud, "Wouldn't it be terrible if we got there and found her dead?"

Q: What is your writing day like?

A: Chaotic. I have a lot of distractions throughout the day, so I write whenever and however I can. I've been known to write in the morning before the children get up, at night while everyone else is in bed, while sitting in the car rider line at school....

Q: What was the hardest part of writing that first book?

A; Knowing when and how to end it.

Q: What writer or writer's style inspired you and how/why?

A: I loved Victoria Holt's books when I was in high school. When introduced to Mary Higgins Clark, I found I really enjoyed those, too. I love books that are suspenseful without being too heavy.

Q: So, what's next?

A: I'm currently working on "Killer Sweet Tooth," the next book in the Daphne Martin mystery series, and the third book in the embroidery mystery series.

Q: And to sum up, what is the oddest thing you've done as a writer?

A: I once called the FBI to learn what a frozen corpse would look like and what process it would undergo as it thawed. I was referred to a coroner who, by the way, told me my question was the second strangest she'd ever received. Despite my pleading, she wouldn't disclose THE strangest question.

Gayle, thanks for sharing, (especially that last answer. Now we're wondering too. ha!) Good luck with the tour and the new book!

** Upcoming contests: Check out Gayle's Facebook page (see website) on release day, Aug. 3, for prizes and other stuff!

* See more giveaways on the rest of the tour




BUY:

Searching for a Starry Night blog book tour - Talking about Kindle!

Today on the tour I'm talking about Kindle and getting "Kindle-ized" with Helen at Straight from Hel. Stop by and comment!

(and ignore that other woman's pic in the post if she's still there. haa!)
(Helen, aww, I missed my one chance to be a tall, gorgeous super-model!!)

Seaching for a Starry Night - Talking about writing and wiener dogs!

Today's stop for the Searching for a Starry Night blog tour is at Marian Allen's blog, where I'm talking about writing and stuff.

Oh, and since it's supposed to be a "Food Day" there, she says having a "wiener dog" is close. haaa!

Reminds me of my favorite few lines in the book:

Next to them, Petey lay on his blankets. He snored and turned over on his back, sticking his legs up in the air. Sam tried not to laugh as he rolled to his side. He looked like a Vienna hot dog without the bun. All he needs is relish, she thought.

Searching for a Starry Night blog tour - Crafts and Writing at Killer Hobbies!

Today I'm talking about crafts and writing (what's better?) over at Killer Hobbies with Camille Minichino - stop by and comment!

Searching for a Starry Night blog tour - talking with Morgan about dogs!

The Searching for a Starry Night blog tour continues!

Today and tomorrow (Monday), I'm camped out over at Morgan Mandel's blog, yakking about dogs and other stuff. Stop by, say hi and enter the contest!