When Peg came into my living room singing, Deep Purple, I knew that it would be a particularly rollicking critique, and it was! Fun and informative–that’s the Cozy Critters.
Since this was our last critique before Valentine’s Day, we had a Valentine motif. The sweet theme included Valentine cookies, pecan tartlets, and bits of chocolate mayonnaise cake accompanied by good, hot Folgers coffee. Then, in honor of St. Valentine, I read my poem that sold to True Love Magazine in 1994, “Love’s Garden.” And then, because I don’t have the opportunity to play it often, I got out my owl music box, wound it up, and we listened to “Love Makes the World Go Round.”
Peg has read or is reading three cozies. Two, she is really enjoying and the third one is a bit dark for her taste–well-written, but dark. She voiced some pertinent insights into the realm of books. “The power of words,” she said. “You can feel the emotion and tone with just a word, just a stroke of the pen.”
One of her just-read books is Bats in the Belfry by Ginger Bolton. This is a Home Repairs Is Homicide mystery.
A book’s cover means a lot to Peg. It often is the determining factor on whether she’ll open a book and read. The captivating cover of Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton particularly appealed to her. A plate of doughnuts and fritters, a bakery case, a curious cat, and the pastel colors all drew her to a particularly neat cozy mystery.
She is now in the middle of reading Biscuits and Slashed Browns by Maddie Day. “This book is well-written,” Peg confided. “I like the main characters and I like the side characters too.
Oh, and by the way, not to brag or anything, but Peg has read The Cemetery Club three times! I’m flattered beyond words. However, that is not her favorite book by Blanche Day Manos. Her favorite is Grave Heitage. Jane tells me she liked By the Fright of the Silvery Moon best of all.
If you click on any of these cozies, the link will take you directly to Amazon.
I don’t think there was ever a more creative person than Jane. She has written two poems and a children’s story since our last critique. The first one, Bossy Cora Mae, had us in stitches. “Eat your peas,” said Cora Mae. “Clean your plate; do what I say. She told her brothers what to do. She was bossy through a through.
With a complete change of tone, Jane read a tribute poem she had written for a family member, An Angel Walks Among Us. It was beautiful and something that will be treasured forever.
When Jane and her son made a trip to Philadelphia, they saw many unforgettable sights, including Freedom Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the carriage horses. She particularly remembers three of those magnificent horses: Freedom, Liberty, and Blueberry. So, Jane wrote a story about Blueberry, the carriage horse who used to live in New York City. This was a lively children’s tale. She mixed fact with fiction and the result was a peek into a bit of history told in an interesting way.
I’ve been doing a spot of fact finding, so I read what I had found out from a trusted realtor. I write fiction, but when I cite facts, I want them to be correct. As you’ll remember, in By the Fright of the Silvery Moon, Ned took a job with a realtor. So, in the current work-in-progress, she continues with this occupation, but instead of keeping her out of trouble, it leads her into some of the most perilous adventures of the three Moonlight books. 
Well, we ate, read, commented, advised, critiqued, and laughed our way through a lively afternoon. And, although Deep Purple isn’t exactly a hilarious song, in this case, it got us started off in exactly the right mood.
Speak Your Mind