Who’s ready to start a new year? It’s here, and like always, I’m excited. There’s so much hope and promise on January 1. It’s a clean slate. A fresh page. Or as C. S. Lewis says, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
Research suggests less than 10% of resolutions are kept, and most people give up before the end of the month. That’s so sad. Despite the negative feedback, I usually set goals and pick a word for the year.
My word for 2024 is focus. I hope to be more focused on my writing goals and my health.
Whether you make goals or pick a word, I hope 2024 is an amazing year for you.
Yesterday, I heard people talking about Christmas. They are not ready and don’t know what to do. This got me to thinking. Does Kate Sloan, amateur sleuth in Clutter Free, have any tips?
Yes, she does. I hope you find these tips helpful.
Don’t stress over décor. One year my young son asked if we could do a Beanie Baby Christmas tree instead of the normal ornaments. For some reason, I agreed. We put lights on the tree, then we arranged the Beanie Babies, and it turned out to be a fun tree. If you’re feeling stressed this year, maybe you could decorate your tree with favorite books.
Holiday cards can be sent anytime of the year, and if it simplifies your month, why not? Also, ecards are an option.
For those of you who prefer giving experiences, you might buy gift cards to a movie theater, the zoo, a museum, or somewhere else fun. Gift cards can save time wrapping, and it extends the celebration after the actual holiday.
Sticky notes come in handy to keep yourself organized on what gifts are going to whom.
If it’s a hassle to store wrapping paper, tissue paper, and bows, use gift bags. They are easy to store, and they aren’t as bulky as the rolls of gift paper. (Of course, it is fun to create beautifully wrapped presents.)
When it’s time to decorate, you may need to move furniture to make room for your holiday décor. Before unpacking your decorations, declutter and clean.
If you haven’t already done so, label each tote and container. That will make it easier when you put everything away.
Declutter your kitchen. Toss anything that’s expired or that you don’t use. Then go through your Christmas recipes and make your grocery shopping list, so you’ll have all the ingredients you’ll need, and they’ll be fresh.
If you don’t have storage bins for your decorations, buy some that are the same size. Stack them with the heaviest on the bottom, and be sure to label them to make next year easier.
Are you hosting a big meal? Plan your menu and shop for the items. Decorate your table, and plan what bowls and platters will be used. You can use sticky notes on these dishes so you’ll remember your plan on the day of your big event.
Asking others to pitch in by bringing a dish, should give you some extra time to enjoy the holidays or read a book. Instead of baking a wide variety of cookies, have a cookie exchange. It simplifies life, if you only bake one kind of cookie.
If you want this to be the most enjoyable time of the year, do things that make you happy. If you don’t enjoy some of your family traditions, make new traditions and memories. Make notes of the foods your family and friends raved about. Make notes on the games and activities your family enjoyed the most. Make notes of your successes and failures, and that will start paving the way for your next organized holidays. Just don’t forget where you put your notes.
I hope these tips help you enjoy your holiday celebrations. They are supposed to make your life simpler, not more challenging.
I thought it might be fun to step away from the holiday stress and play a little trivia game. Let’s see who can get all the answers right.
What is the name of the book that Clarence gives to George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life? “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
In Elf, why does Santa’s sleigh crash in Central Park? A shortage of Christmas spirit.
Christmas with the Kranksis based on a 2001 novel by what bestselling author? John Grisham
What Disney character playsEbenezer Scrooge in Mickey’s Christmas Carol? Scrooge McDuck
In The Santa Clause, what is the name of the head elf? Bernard.
According to the song “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch has all the tender sweetness of what kind of crocodile? A seasick crocodile.
What movie is this famous line from? Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. Christmas Vacation
In the movie White Christmas, what are the sisters’ names? Betty and Judy
What book does angel Clarence have with him when he comes to help George in It’s a Wonderful Life? The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Thanks for playing. How’d you do? I hope you’re having a wonderful month as you prepare for your Christmas festivities.
Let’s welcome Ruth J. Hartman to the blog today and learn more about her new book, Butterfly Betrayal. Welcome, Ruth. Tell us about your newest book and the cats in your life.
My newest book, Butterfly Betrayal, is about a butterfly farm, a young woman named Seneca, and her cat, Winifred. Seneca runs into trouble when she discovers a body in her greenhouse. The man turns out to be her attorney, who she’d depended on to get her out of a current jam, when a neighbor double-crosses her by going back on a legal contract.
Winifred, a caramel colored, feisty feline, likes to wear butterfly costumes every day. Yes, really! When Seneca is working with her monarch butterflies in her green house or milkweed fields, or when in her café, Painted Wings, Winifred is right there supervising what the cat considers to be her property. And why shouldn’t she? Don’t cats really run the world? 😊
If you own a cat, or three, like I do, you become many things. When they want to lie on your lap just as you were planning to get out of your chair, you become their pillow. When you walk into the kitchen, even just to pass through the room, you become their waitress, supplying them with much longed-for treats. And when you’re standing there, minding your own business, not realizing you have a thread hanging loose from the bottom of your jeans, you become their plaything.
Those of you who are cat moms or dads know what I mean. Cats are funny, sweet, and affectionate. They are also, spunky, feisty, and dramatic. I love all sides of my cats. They keep me entertained when they leap four feet into the air to catch a catnip mouse I’ve thrown, and they sleep on me (all three!) when I don’t feel well and need some little furry nurses to get me through my illness.
I’ve been a cat lover my entire life. I think it started in the womb because my mom was one too. They’ve always been there, no matter what stage of life I was in, from hurrying home to see my cat after a long day at elementary school, to choosing the first cat I picked out with my husband, to retiring from my dental hygiene job so I could write full time, where my cats earn their keep (not really…. they’re usually napping!) as my fuzzy editors.
Winifred is a combination of a couple of different cats I’ve had. Actually every cat in every one of my books (yes, they all have cats!) has personality traits and quirks from one or more cats I’ve had through the years. If you like felines as much as I do, or if you’d like to learn more about them, I hope you’ll enjoy my new release, Butterfly Betrayal!
I first met Ruth on Zoom meetings, then when we got together at a mystery conference, we hit it off. THEN our husbands hit it off. Here’s a little more about my friend, Ruth.
Ruth J. Hartman spends her days herding cats and her nights spinning mysterious tales. She, her husband, and their cats love to spend time curled up in their recliners watching old Cary Grant movies. Well, the cats sit in the people’s recliners. Not that the cats couldn’t get their own furniture. They just choose to shed on someone else’s.
Ruth, a left-handed, cat-herding, farmhouse-dwelling writer uses her sense of humor as she writes tales of lovable, klutzy women who seem to find trouble without even trying.
Ruth’s husband and best friend, Garry, reads her manuscripts, rolls his eyes at her weird story ideas, and loves her despite her insistence all of her books have at least one cat in them. See updates about her cozy mysteries at Ruthjhartman.com.
Friends, be sure to check out Butterfly Betrayal.
Blurb:
Raising butterflies is peaceful and calm, until someone dies.
Majestic Monarch Butterfly Farm might flitter away forever. That is, unless Seneca James acquires the property next door. She and Winifred, her costume-wearing cat, have a fight on their hands. Their land sits next to a milkweed-covered field, essential for monarchs. If she’s unsuccessful in buying it, her precious, winged friends won’t survive. When people end up dead on her farmland, Seneca is suspected of murder.
What is it about the milkweed field that’s worth killing for? And who’s the murderer?
November was a great month of writing. NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization and it promotes creative writing around the world. The goal is November is to write a 50,000-word manuscript. I always find it helpful, and I enjoy meeting other authors with the same goal. This year I wrote 56,068. My story is the rough draft for the second book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery series.
This month I’ll focus on editing the rough draft.
Also, it’s time for #12DaysofCozies on Twitter and Instagram. I’ll be featured on the blog, Monday, December 4, and I’ll be part of the Twitter chat from 7:00-9:00 PM EST.
I hope you’ll be able to join the fun! Don’t forget to use the #12DaysofCozies to find the most current information.
Have you ever noticed Jessica Fletcher always has her purse with her? She doesn’t drive, so she doesn’t need keys and a drivers license. She has different purses for different outfits. Some purses are elegant, and some are functional.
I can’t remember Jessica opening her purse very often. What do you think she carries in there?
More than once I’ve seen Jessica with a flashlight. What else do you think she carried in her purse?
To make it even more fun, I’ll randomly choose one commenter to win a prize.
Sherlock Holmes was created in 1887, and for over one hundred years generations of fans have loved him. We’ve read his books. We’ve watched his movies, and we’ve seen how people reimagined him.
Today let’s look at some of his most famous quotes.
“My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people do not know.” The Adventures of the Blue Carbuncle
And this might be one of my favorite quotes:
“Only one important thing has happened in the last three days, and that is that nothing has happened.” The Adventure of the Second Stain.
November 1 is the beginning of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It’s fun and exhausting, and it’s a great way to get your story written. The goal is 50,000 words in thirty days. To make your goal, you need an understanding family. Because they may come home at night and feel like nothing has happened. And really, who has time to focus on mundane things when you’re in your writing cave for NaNoWriMo?
If you’re also participating, look for me on the NaNoWriMo site. We can cheer each other on.
I’ll be writing The Con, the second book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery series. Happy November!
I’ve also got my Post-it notes, pens, vision board, and my loose plot outline ready. I’ll be writing The Con. It’s the second book in An Organized Crime Mystery series.
I’m ready to write as soon as November 1 gets here.
Heather Weidner has graciously joined us today to talk books and holidays. Thanks, Heather. Let’s begin talking holidays.
Heather, what are some of your holiday traditions? Do you have a favorite holiday?
I love all the holidays, but Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are probably my favorites. I have so many wonderful holiday memories. My grandmother and I would always put up her Christmas decorations on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it was always a magical, fun time. (Back then, that was early for holiday decorations, but she’d be right in style today.)
Do you want to share a recipe?
This is a quick (and delish) one that’s perfect for holiday gatherings. It’s from my new mystery, Christmas Lights and Cat Fights.
Triple-layer Peanut Butter Brownies
Ingredients
1 package of brownie mix (20 ounces)
1 cup of cold milk
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cups of Cool Whip
½ cup of dry roasted peanuts, chopped
1 package of vanilla instant pudding
½ cup of powdered sugar
3 squares of semi-sweet chocolate
Directions:
Bake brownies in 13×9-inch pan. Follow the package directions. Beat milk and pudding mix with a whisk for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and sugar. Mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled. Spread pudding mixture over brownies. Microwave Cool Whip and chocolate on high for 1 minute. Stir every 30 seconds. Spread over pudding. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Why’d you decide to write a Christmas cozy?
Each of the Jules Keene Glamping mysteries are set in the season after the previous book. Christmas Lights and Cat Fights fell during the winter months, and the holidays were a perfect backdrop for a cozy. Fern Valley is planning weekend holiday festivities to bring tourists to the quaint town in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town sparkles with all the decorations and lights. Everyone is excited about the festivities. What could go wrong?
And if you like Christmas all year, check out my Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. My amateur sleuth, Jade Hicks, owns a Christmas shop in a little beach town in Virginia.
What did you do to get in the mood? Did you decorate your office with Christmas decorations?
I love Christmas, and I go a little crazy sometimes. I put up five trees last year, but I love all my ornaments, and it’s such fun to theme the trees by room. I have gold/silver/white tree, a toy tree, a purple tree, a blue and silver tree, and a peacock tree that goes in my Florida room.
We watch holiday movies and shows while we decorate. (And this is going to start a discussion about whether or not it’s a Christmas movie, but I always watch Die Hard in December. Other favorites are the classic 70s and 80s cartoons and A Christmas Story.)
Did you play Christmas music? Do you have a playlist for this book? If so, what’s on it?
I love holiday music (after Thanksgiving). I like to celebrate the holidays in order. I always have music on, and the holiday songs add to the festivities. I love all kinds of music, but I’m an 80s girl, so “Do They Know It’s Christmas” is always a favorite.
Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.
She is a member of Sisters in Crime: National, Central Virginia, Chessie, Guppies, and Grand Canyon Writers, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers, and she blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
Jackie Layton 