by Leigh Perry / Toni L.P. Kelner
My last post for the year is a double treat, which I suppose is appropriate for someone writing under two names. My guests today are fellow New Englanders Liz Mugavero and Barbara Ross, both of whom have brand new books released this week, just in time for you to use some of those gift cards you got for holiday presents. Liz lives a bit south of the, in Connecticut, while Barb is to the north, in Maine, which puts me in the middle of some fine writing. For this guest post, Liz interviews Barb, and vice versa. I'll just read along and enjoy.
Liz: Happy holidays everyone! My friend and fellow Wicked Cozy Author Barb Ross and I celebrated a double book birthday on December 27. Iced Under and Custom Baked Murder are the fifth books in our respective series, the Maine Clambake Mysteries and the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries. Barb also recently celebrated the release of a novella, which was included in the Eggnog Murder compilation. And we’re both in the throes of writing our sixth books in each of our series. So clearly, there’s no rest for the Wickeds.
Given that the day we're writing this is Boxing Day, and that we’ve been dreaming of a restful, pay-yourself-back kind of day, I really want to know, Barb - if you didn’t have to write 1200 words today, how would you relax and recharge?
Barb: I won’t be writing today. I’ll be cleaning up after the twenty-five guests we had yesterday, de-Christmassing the house, and packing. My husband and I leave for Key West on the 28! I know, I know, no one feels sorry for me. But I did have Boxing Day almost perfectly constructed in days of yore. I would get up, eat breakfast, put a few dishes away, load up the dishwasher, plop on the couch with a shiny new book and read until the dishwasher was finished and the dishes cool enough to touch. Repeat. Repeat. Sometimes for a couple of days, depending on the party. It was the ultimate me time.
What about you, Liz? Describe your perfect day after Christmas.
Liz: My life is a little crazy this year, so I’m envisioning the perfect day after Christmas even more! I want to sit on the couch with my fluffy blanket and some yummy coffee and read a ton also. We’re not very exciting, are we Barb? Ok, my alternate vision would be jetting off to some lovely, warm beach. Kind of like Key West….
So if you could do that reading, what book would it be?
Barb: Authors have a lot of “have to” reads—books they are blurbing (yes, I always read them!), books for panels they’re moderating and books for research. Early on, author Kate Flora told me about her tradition of reading whatever she wanted between Christmas and New Year’s. I love this tradition and have adopted it. There’s always a chance they’ll be something that tempts me under the tree, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be savoring Red Knife, the eighth book in William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series. Kent was the guest of honor at the New England Crime Bake this fall and I’ve been reading his books all year, so it’s a great way to finish.
What about you, Liz. What will you be reading?
Liz: Like all of us, I have a stack to read too. And I’m woefully behind on my William Kent Krueger also - I really want to (finally!) read Ordinary Grace. I’m also looking forward to reading Tana French’s new one, The Trespasser. I adore her books.
So theoretically speaking, Barb, if you couldn’t read on Boxing Day and were being forced into a different kind of pampering, I’m dying to know: Massage, mani/pedi or facial? Personally, I’d go for a hot stone massage….
Barb: Mani/pedi for sure. With the vibrating chair, please.
Good luck with the book, Liz. And to readers, we hope you had a very happy Boxing Day!
Both book are on my kindle. I can't wait to read them. I live both series.
Posted by: Annette | December 28, 2016 at 09:38 AM
Thanks Annette!
Posted by: Liz | December 29, 2016 at 07:15 AM