Back In The Saddle

In the event you think I’ve forgotten about all of you–I haven’t. I’ve just had my nose buried in my computer the past week as I put the finishing touches on my first Amish cozy mystery–HEARSE AND BUGGY (due out June 2012). The rest of today is about the final tweak/polish and then I get to turn it over to my editor. Yay!

Once that’s done, I’m giving myself a few glorious days off before tackling some edits on REAP WHAT YOU SEW (April 2012) and writing the first three chapters of a new romance for Harlequin American. The romance, itself, isn’t due until January but I’ve got to send the first three chaps to that editor as a sort of looksee. Then, come September 2nd, it’s time to hunker down and write Sewing Circle’s first ever Christmas book (November 2012).

No rest for the weary, eh?

Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow (and all the other days) with regular blogs. So, until then, have a great day!

~Elizabeth

From A Different Angle

Growing up, I was the kid in the family who was never very crazy about the city. I liked visiting my grandparents but I wasn’t wild about walking from the car to their apartment. I guess it was big and kind of scary to a little kid who’d been raised in the suburbs.

When I went off to college, I headed out to Ohio. After that, there were stints in South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Missouri before, eventually, finding my way back to the New York area.  For a few months immediately following the move back east, my girls and I had an opportunity to live in my aunt’s apartment on the west side for about six weeks. Suddenly, the big city I remember as being so intimidating was like a new world. One we explored from top to bottom, learning the subways, finding our way around the park, and figuring out the steets/avenues and everything in between.

And in doing so, I uncovered something I hadn’t expected. I love the city. This place that used to make me feel so small and so inconsequential suddenly made me feel like I could do anything. Be anything.

My kids felt it, too.

I think part of that is because we got to live there. We got to be true New Yorkers. We developed an appreciation for people who let others be who they are, dress in a way that makes them happy, get around on foot power,  and leave the electronic toys and communication crutches behind in favor of thinks like walking and picnics and (gasp) talking.

A few weeks ago, I got to share this amazing city with a friend from St. Louis who was in town to attend a conference with me. Rather than stay in the hotel in the heart of Times Square (way too crowded and touristy), we stayed at my aunt’s place…where we could live like New Yorkers (the real ones, not the tourists).  The second I walked down the street and into the park, I felt like I was home.  Not home as in the structure that makes me feel warm and safe…but the home that I feel inside–a kind of contentment that allows me to truly be who I am. And to celebrate that person if only for a little while.

So tell me, have you ever gotten a true taste of a different life? City to country or country to city? Notice anything different about yourself? 

~Elizabeth

A Ticket To The Past

Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, the whole brood will be back home. And, since it’s summer, that will surely mean a few movie nights on the horizon. One (or several) of those nights will include some of the classics from the 80′s for the teenagers in the house…

The idea for such a night came after introducing the teenagers to Breakfast Club a few months ago. They liked it so much, I’m quite sure it’s been watched a few extra times since that first viewing.

While Breakfast Club is certainly a classic and one of my favorites during my own teen years, I have many others, too. So, while wandering through Target the other day, I came across a few of the best (in my opinion) on the $5 shelves. There was Footloose (a long time favorite of mine)…which I know they’ll like because all three of them love, love, love dancing (in fact, I’m willing to bet a box of Milk Duds that they’ll find the scene where Ren teaches Willard how to dance a real hoot)!  I also found Sixteen Candles.  Both have now been set aside for one of our 80′s movie nights.

I know there’s more, though. Classics. The kind that they simply shouldn’t miss.  So I posed the question on my childhood friend’s facebook page and got some great replies.  Seriously, how could I have forgotten Top Gun?? 

But I know there’s more. So tell me, what else should I be tracking down? 

~Elizabeth

A Shot of Hope

From the first moment I saw this bridge (on the “December” page of a calendar while working in Borders three-and-a-half years ago), it’s held an appeal I’m not sure I can explain. In fact, it was seeing that very picture, that convinced me to spend my 40th birthday in New York City. While there, I saw Hairspray, went to the top of the Empire State Building at midnight, and bought my very first framed photograph of the bridge.

Three years later, the image of that bridge still calls to me. It ushers in a feeling of complete peace whenever I see it–whether in a picture (I have several now) or in person (I visit it often these days). And it always brings a sense of hope. 

I got a chance to see it this past weekend and figured I’d share a shot of it (this one  taken by me) with all of you. It’s the Gapstow Bridge in Central Park if you’re curious.

So tell me, do you have a non-home setting that calls to you in much the same way?

~Elizabeth

Words of Wisdom

Sometimes life feels a bit like a rollercoaster. You’ve got your ups, you’ve got your downs, and you’ve got your something-is-coming-but-I’m-not-exactly-sure-whats. At times, I want to close my eyes and hope it all goes away. Other times, you sit up a little straighter in your chair because it’s actually kind of fun. And sure, sometimes you’d like to T your hands and take a break.

But it’s all part of life, I guess.

Lately, I’ve been getting inspirational quotes in my inbox. Some from some quote-a-day list I got on somehow (still trying to figure out how), some from my friends. What’s interesting though, is the way the right one always seems to come in on the right day. Like this one, when I was feeling low about Hobbes…

**Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.
~Bernice Johnson Reagon

And this one last week when I was having an awesome writing week…

**Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night.
~Collected by Terri Guillemets

Can’t forget this one either (mostly because it’s just a good one)…

**Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.
~Albert Einstein

Quotes. I like them. They have a way of motivating me…and making the dips and turns a bit easier to take thanks to a fresh perspective.

Do you have any favorite quotes?

~Elizabeth

A Pinch-Me Day

If you’ve ever clicked on the “about” page on this website or listened to me during a speaking engagement of some kind, you know that I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was ten-years-old. It’s essentially been a part of me–my hopes, my dreams, my thoughts–for over thirty years.

In 2005, that dream became a reality with the publication (small press) of my first book, Jury of One (written under Laura Bradford). A year later came, Forecast of Evil. Marked by Fate, in 2007, was the last book in that small press series by my choice.

I made that choice because I knew I wanted to reach for something bigger…

Top on the list? One of the big NY publishing houses.

In July of 2008, I realized that goal when I signed the first three books in the Southern Sewing Circle with Berkley Prime Crime (part of Penguin Publishing). 

Lots has happened in the almost three years since I signed on the dotted line with my NY house. I’ve sold a lot more books (seven so far in the sewing circle series, three romances to a different big house, and three more in my upcoming Amish mystery series–also with Berkley/Penguin). And I’ve loved it all. Every new cover, every new title, every new book written and then shelved, every new reader I’ve met, every group I’ve ever spoken to about writing, etc.

It’s a dream come true. Truly.

And the fun stuff keeps coming. Even some of the woo-woo moments, too. In fact, I had one (or two) just yesterday…

After a fabulous lunch with Editor Extraordinaire, we went to the office so I could get a picture by the sign!!

While there, I got to see a very cool case that houses some of their titles.  Mine was one of them!  See? That’s DEADLY NOTIONS in the middle.

Oh. There’s one more thing. She brought me a few cover flaps for DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS (book #5–Nov. 1, 2011). They came out so good, I’d love to give ONE away. So, if you’re a fan of the series (and happen to be reading this blog), post a comment in the comment section. Then, tomorrow morning, I’ll randomly select one cover flap winner from those who have commented. 

Not sure what a cover flap is?  It’s literally the front and back cover of the book (without the book, of course).

Have a great day!

~Elizabeth

A Self Inflicted Hug?

I envy people with a skill or talent that lends itself to uplifting “me” time. It’s as if, by the very hobby they love, they can escape from the real world into a place where contentment and fulfillment rules…something everyone can benefit from in life.

My youngest has one in her violin, though, at this age, I’m not sure she understands the gift she’s been given should she opt to continue it into adulthood. How wonderful it would be to snap open your violin case after a tough day at work and soothe away the edges with music…

There’s people like blog reader, Dru, who quilts. By her own hands, she can make items that bring a smile to someone’s face. She can embark on a project that she can watch from start to finish, knowing that she was responsible for all of it.

Then there’s someone like Lynn D, who sews and quilts and does all sort of creative things. She can lose herself in a project that will bring good to a needy child, a sick woman, a person in need of prayer. Through her skill/talent, she can make a person feel as if they matter, at a time when maybe, perhaps, they aren’t completely convinced that’s true.

People with these kinds of abilities have a built-in decompresser in their life. A way to step back from a tough place–a bad day at work, bad news from a doctor, worry over their kids–and escape into a place that’s almost hug-like. Warm. Safe. Encouraging. And, maybe even, renewing.

I don’t have a talent or skill like that. I wish I did. I wish I’d stuck with piano as a child or that I could find the time to pick up an instrument now. Sure, I like to write, and it’s an escape at times, but it’s also my job.  So I guess that’s something to add to my bucket list: Learn how to do something.

How about you? Do you have a hobby or interest that doubles as an escape/recharge?

~Elizabeth

Cool Places and Clever Spots

Since I still have about six days remaining in my catch-up-on-everything-I-failed-to-do-during-deadline week, I’ve branched out past the mailings I needed to get caught up on and moved into organizing.

Yup, organizing. 

My drawers. My office. My bedroom. Everything.

Suddenly, where piles had started to accumulate, I can now see tops of furniture (hoorah!). Where stacks of printed manuscripts once were, I can see the floor. It’s a beautiful thing, really. And it reminds me of just how much I prefer order over chaos.

The downside that comes with organizing, though, is the nesting of sorts that comes with it–a desire for new drawers, new cabinets, new do-hickeys, new anything that can turn you into a veritable organizing guru. Then again, any reason one finds to go into an office supply store can’t truly be a downside, can it?

With any luck, I can satisfy the sudden craving to go into Staples by living vicariously through all of you. Sooo, what’s the coolest organizational contraption you own? Bonus points if your description makes me salivate…

~Elizabeth

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

“It is by chance that we met, by choice that we became friends.”
                                                                                          ~Author unknown

Eighteen months ago, while vacationing in St. Thomas, I stepped outside my comfort zone and approached a total stranger on the other side of the pool. And while that might be nothing out of the ordinary for some folks, it was unusual for someone like me who tends to be a little on the shy side.

So why did I do it? Well, for a couple of reasons. She looked nice. She was reading a cozy mystery. And she was enjoying the book so much she was smiling and laughing. Fortunately for me, she was open to having a stranger say hello and seemed happy to talk books with a fellow book lover.

Since that brief conversation, we’ve talked via email many times. While reading one of my blogs one day, she learned about my M.S. and made (along with some women from her church’s prayer shawl minstry) a beautiful shawl for me. She also told me about a project her group does from time to time and it became the basis for the group project the ladies of Sweet Briar will be working on in book # 5 (due out November 1st).  

Anyway, Monday night, I drove down to Harrisburg, PA  to meet her prayer shawl group and give a talk about my writing.  The event was a fundraiser for their ministry. From the moment I arrived, I had a wonderful time with my friend and her group. They were welcoming and friendly–the kind of people that everyone wants to know. We heard a presentation on the work their group does (wonderful) and then it was my turn to talk.   When it was all done, Lynn D. presented me with the sweetest bouquet ever. You see, after reading my blogs and visiting my Facebook page over the past year, she’s figured out the kinds of things I like (note the Charleston Chews, the Kiss flowers, and the placards depicting the covers of every one of my books thus far). And she put all of that together in a few thank you gifts (including one of those VERY cool writer t-shirts I’ve always wanted) that were completely unnecessary but so very inkeeping with who she is…a wonderfully sweet person I never would have met had I not left my comfort zone.

When I got home last night, I showed the bouquet and the other treats to my kids. My oldest stepson asked me about Lynn. I explained to him how we met and how blessed I am to be able to call her my friend. He asked if she was also a fan. I said yes, but that it’s a mutual thing now…she enjoys my books, I enjoy the friendship we have made. He cracks a smile and says, “I’m a fan of your fans.”  Awww….

So here’s a question for all of you. Have you ever stepped outside your comfort zone and found that it blessed you in ways you never could have expected?

~Elizabeth

Racing Toward the Finish Line

If my posts are a bit more hit-or-miss over the next two weeks, it’s because I’m on deadline for book #6. Which means I’m pretty much focused on one thing and one thing only–finishing.

When that glorious day arrives, I’ll be taking a few days off to catch up on sleep, binge read my way through a half dozen or so books, get a pedicure (heaven), meet a friend for lunch in the city (hi, Dru), watch a few tried and true chick flicks, and start researching/dreaming about the next writing project. And I can’t wait.

But first, I have to finish. 

In the meantime, here’s what’s been going on (and what’s coming up) around here lately…

**Friday marks the start of the Lethal Ladies’ North Carolina tour. I–along with fellow authors Kate Carlisle and Hannah Dennsion–will be participating in a slew of amazing events throughout the Chapel Hill, Apex, Pittsboro, Morrisville and Cary areas of North Carolina. Then, when that’s over, I’ll be making a quick solo stop at the New Bern Public Library for a discussion/signing. If you or a fellow book lover friend of yours happens to live in any of these areas, we’d sure love to meet you/them. For more information on the dates/times of our events, click on the “events & more” tab at the top of this page. Not able to attend? No worries. I will be taking pictures during the tour so you can get a glimpse of the fun we’re sure to have!       

**I’ll be heading down to Lancaster County, PA in a few weeks. Final destination? Amish country. Reason? Some behind-the-scenes research for my upcoming Amish Mystery Series with Berkley Prime Crime. I’ll be taking my 12-year-old sidekick with me as she’s bound to pick up nuances that I miss and vice versa. I’m looking forward to it very much.

**I’m in need of three more sewing tips for the “tips” portion of book #6. If you know a good one, please share it in the comment section. 

That’s it for now. Have a great day, everyone!

~Elizabeth

P.S. Be sure to come back tomorrow. I’ve got a fun post in store for all of you!