Newsletters

More fun writing research! In my current work-in-process I'm applying some of what I learned during my studies at the Community Police Academy. This picture is my graduating class! I'm at the back row. What an experience. My next book is a full mystery investigation by Katherine Watson when a messenger bag delivers information contrary to the police investigation. Don't Shoot The Messenger Bag . . . . coming soon

I certainly learned a lot about police operations, from Patrol Duties, Homicide Investigation, Street Crimes Unit, Use of Force, Financial Crimes, Property Crimes, Human Services Unit, Traffic Unit, Domestic Violence, and of course K-9 Partners.

Here's one interesting glimpse into this multi-week academy. The officer in charge of photos at a crime scene is expected to recreate a story with the photos they take. These photos are used by officers, detective, lawyers, FBI, DEA and more! The photos should tell a story. They should start far out on the edge of the scene and move in. They need to include the address/building/any landmarks. The photos need to be taken from every angle with the best of lighting and well focused. Picture subjects should avoid unnecessary people. All evidence must be photographed. This could include items like pry marks on a door lock. Rulers should be used to show sizes. Most important, the photography should not be rushed.

On the horizon for 2023 - If you're looking forward to summer, how about a taste of summer with my fun, romantic mystery romp - Cherry Shakes in the Park

I'm looking forward to more book signing appearances in 2023 and meeting readers, and a new experience - this spring I'll be teaching a community college 6 week zoom course - The Art of Writing Mysteries. Watch for more information on that.

Sending you all best wishes for this exciting year ahead!

July, 2022

Pam's Summer Tea Recommendation - Blueberry Cinnamon Crumble Sun Tea, Over Ice

Set the tea leaves in an infuser, set in a large glass container with a lid and fill with water. Let it steep in the sun for an afternoon. It will be ready for 4:00 tea time. Pour over ice for a delightful, fruit sweet herbal that will revive you. A rooibus, it's caffeine free. Tea leaves available from many sources, including Tea Runners. Of course Pam's tea leaves are from Bayside's Tea Ladies Shop.

Half price ebooks sale to kick off summer 2021!

Kat Out of the Bag $2.99

Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash - 99 cents

Amazon, Barnes & Noble

And, both books are now also available through Target and Walmart

For clutch situations, great mystery reads are blooming.

Here's trivia about K-9 Pawtner Hobbs' enjoyment of the garden flowers - his officer Jason Holmes in his spare time enjoys gardening very much and has studied the history of flower meanings. He blogs about different flowers' meanings here

Jason shared this picture of pretty dahlias. These flowers symbolize elegance, inner strength, change, creativity and dignity. There is also a connotation of potential betrayal, dishonesty and instability. An interesting mix of traits for a potential suspect . . . .

Here's a hint about the sequel, Kat 2 - An autopsy leads to the declared cause of death to be suicide, but the family does not agree and there are clues that indicate abduction and murder . . . . Here's a little information about Messenger Bags, one of the bags featured in this mystery.

Messenger Bags Are Styling Vintage

The history goes all the way back to the Roman Empire, from some notations. The bag made from either canvas or leather can be carried in a brief case style by the handle or most usually with a strap cross body over the shoulder. It became most popular in the middle of the 19th century with postal carriers including the Pony Express. They needed lightweight, practical and mobile bags. Later the Army, letter carriers, utility repair workers and others used these shoulder bags to carry tools and other items needed for their work.

The more modern, and waterproof canvas messenger bags appeared in the 1950's especially for telephone pole workers. A more populace surge in use came in the 1980's for bicycling messenger businesses. From there designers began matching this bag's functionality with style for students and professionals, especially for carrying not only books and files but also laptops. It also works well as luggage for a getaway, or as an alternative to a backpack.

It's a versatile carry - close to your body as a cross body that lies across your back. OR especially if it's a hot day you may prefer a shoulder carry. OR most have a briefcase style handle on top to grip in your hand. The versatility and organization of this bag style have been greatly valued through generations.

Memorial Day - Honoring Those Who Died in military service

Wishing you a thoughtful and memorable holiday weekend

Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued the 1868 proclamation declaring the first Decoration Day, which was celebrated with a large memorial observance at Arlington National Cemetery, with about five thousand attending. Those attending placed small flags on the graves of veterans. General Ulysses S. Grant and his wife presided.

Logan credited his wife, Mary Logan, with the suggestion for the commemoration.

On May 30, 1870, General Logan gave an address in honor of the new commemorative holiday. In it he said: "This Memorial Day, on which we decorate their graves with the tokens of love and affection, is no idle ceremony with us, to pass away an hour; but it brings back to our minds in all their vividness the fearful conflicts of that terrible war in which they fell as victims... Let us, then, all unite in the solemn feelings of the hour, and tender with our flowers the warmest sympathies of our souls! Let us revive our patriotism and love of country by this act, and strengthen our loyalty by the example of the noble dead around us...."

The acknowledged and more direct root of Decoration Day was the practice of women of decorating the graves of their loved ones who had died in the Civil War.

It was not until 1915 that Moina Michael, wrote a poem about cherishing "the Poppy red," and began encouraging people to wear red poppies for Memorial Day, wearing one herself. Moina Michael is featured on a 3 cent postage stamp in the United States, issued in 1948.

November 6, 2020 - Kat Out of the Bag . . . . Spilling the news

Wishing you all well, and thank you so much to all of you who have let me know how much you're enjoying

Kat Out of the Bag

AND ALSO

The prequel Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash

Interesting Trivia About Purrada (I mean Prada)

(Picture of Katherine Watson's adopted, pampered pet Purrada)

Prada owes its present success to Miuccia Prada, granddaughter of founder Mario Prada. The Italian luxury brand made its debut in 1913 manufacturing premium Italian leather bags. It was Miuccia who brought out the ready-to-wear in the 1990's. Today Prada specializes across a range of goods including accessories, shoes, and perfume.

Miuccia is quoted as saying, "I love fashion but I think it should stay in its place, not rule your life. It's a very nice part of your life, but I think it should be fun."

The Devil Wears Prada is purportedly a tell-all film based on a novel fictionalizing an assistant's experience working for Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. Despite the comedy-drama's witty depiction of a powerful fashion magazine editor with disparaging demands and an exhausting schedule, Wintour did not respond negatively to the movie, and even attended the special premier in New Yok wearing and carrying Prada

Hope You Enjoyed National Handbag Day! (October 10th)

For a memorable celebration, I podcast with a very special guest and it's an exciting interview - Joy Egbejimba, owner of Nuciano Handbags

Enjoy this peek into the world of handbag fashions -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c5mP-pz1Cg&ab_channel=WendyKendallInPurse-SuitofFashion

The Neverending Bookshop Zoom Appearance Nov. 14 - You're Invited!

I hope you can join me at noon on Saturday Nov. 14th for a live chat together.

I'm looking forward to talking about mysteries, purses, my books, answer any of your questions

WOW! - All Kat Out of the Bag books ordered from The Neverending Bookshop will be author signed books mailed to you with special complimentary matching bookmarks

Sign up for free for the Zoom link by emailing: theneverendingbookshop@gmail.com

And remember to order your signed book copies - they make great holiday gifts too!

Looking Forward To Thanksgiving - Thank You Sarah Josepha Hale

She was widowed in 1822, single parenting 5 children. Her many accomplishments including publishing poetry, a novel, and a second book of poetry that included the familiar - Mary Had a Little Lamb .

By 1828 she became the first American woman editor of a magazine - Boston's Ladies' Magazine. By 1837 she merged her magazine with another creating the most popular fashion magazine of the 19th century - Godey's Lady's Book

The magazine was famous for its drawings of women dressed in the newest fashions. Those illustrations were produced by engraving a sheet of flat metal called a "plate" in the shape of that woman model. That flat metal sheet the image was reprinted into the pages of the magazines. The images were then meticulously colored by hand. In the past, have you ever heard of a woman referred to as a fashion plate? This process is the origin of that saying.

Sarah Josepha Hale also campaigned President Lincoln persistently to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She pitched the idea as something that would bring the country divided by the civil war back together again. Lincoln issued the proclamation in 1863.

Here's text from a page right out of her own magazine, showing the fashionable Marguerite Pouch, an oval shaped purse and a style which is still sold today:

Our pattern is in dark blue velvet, lined with white silk. The ornaments, the lock and chain, are in steel. The velvet may be worked with a pattern in braiding or beads, the stars with steel beads, the steel hanging ornaments replaced by tassels made with steel beads, and the chain by blue velvet ribbon now so much in vogue. They make a pretty finish to a linsey dress.

For more stories of the extraordinary accomplishments of ordinary women, check out the blog A Passion For Purses, narrated by Kat Out of the Bag characters - https://apassionforpurses.blogspot.com/

Enjoy Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash

Novella available now for sale as ebook on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and all over online sellers

https://www.amazon.com/Purse-Stachio-Makes-Splash-Scoop-Book-ebook/dp/B08FGLZ5SC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1X88BW8ON0L4P&dchild=1&keywords=purse-stachio+makes+a+splash&sprefix=purse-stachio%2Caps%2C270&sr=8-1

Also available in paperback anthology - A Taste Of Danger - through The Wild Rose Press

https://www.thewildrosepress.com/product/a-taste-of-danger

And I'm working on the sequel . . . .

I hope you'll contact me, and I hope to meet you via zoom on Nov. 14th at noon.

Wishing you all the very best, including great reading!

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April 13, 2020 - Kat Out of the Bag . . . . Spilling the news

Today is Release Day!

available on Amazon, other online, and bookstores

I hope you are all safe, and in good health during these difficult times. I'm wishing you all the best, to get through this together, apart.

Publishing my first mystery of the In Purse-Suit mysteries has been an exciting process for me. From signing the contract with The Wild Rose Press on August 16, 2019 to today's release, I've learned so much. I've learned as much as I learned when I researched and when I wrote this book. What an exciting adventure!

If you decide you'd like to read it, I sincerely hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed the write.

I did a lot of research for my book, some of it was at the local police station.

At the end of this newsletter, I've included an excerpt from the book that you won't find elsewhere. It's when Katherine, celebrated international purse designer, first meets local cop Jason Holmes' K-9 partner Hobbs. I did a lot of research with a local police department, including a ride along with a K-9 patrol when I was researching the book. Hear more about that adventure in this episode of my Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries episode - My Ride Along

Some of my research was on my trip to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit Esse Purse Museum, one of only 3 in the world, telling women's history through purses of the decades. Katherine Watson in my book opens her own purse museum, Purse-onality in Bayside Wa. I am a big purse fan, and although I don't own enough of them for a museum I do have a nice little collection of vintage through contemporary. Here's some interesting blog episodes of my visit to Esse from my blog - A Passion For Purses

Esse - A Dream Trip in Herstory

Esse Gifts

Esse Vintage

Esse More Gifts

Esse and Morgan Hill Jewelry

My Disco Donation to Esse

Here's an excerpt from the mystery Kat Out of the Bag that you won't find anywhere else but in the book - Katherine meets Hobbs

"You shouldn't be here. You need to go."

It wasn't so much the commanding voice that freaked her out, as it was the hand grabbing her arm. Katherine screamed and jumped. Seeing the officer and then his dog's intent stare at her, she took a breath. "You shouldn't sneak up on people."

"You're disturbing evidence. We haven't cleared this shed for entry yet."

Katherine bristled visibly at that declaration. "Well it's my shed and I found something." Katherine's mind raced back to when he'd taken the note from her and refused to give it back. "I found out that tonight's trespasser disturbed it first." Katherine quickly added. Sticking her hand firmly in her pocket, fingers around the jewel, she moved to continue out the back door.

"No, go out this way," the officer instructed, pointing back to the front of the shed.

" Do you always speak in commands?" Katherine kept an eye on the dog, not convinced she could trust his controlled demeanor. She took a step and reached her hand out to the man. "Maybe we should start over again? I'm the owner of this place. I'm helping your investigation."

"I know who you are. Hobbs and I will walk you back to your house." He indicated she should keep walking.

She tilted her head curiously, with a small smile that she hoped appeared friendly. "Hi, Jason. It's nice to meet you. And your dog, what is his name?"

Jason commanded, "Fuss Hobbs." The dog stood up and heeled to Jason as he walked forward. Was that an odd dog name or another command? Katherine was deciding what she wanted to do next, when Jason stopped at the light switch, waiting for her. She walked outside as Jason turned out the light and moved through the door with the dog. They were back out on the lawn now and it seemed that the storm had moved through.

"His name is Hobbs." Jason firmly closed the shed door behind them.

"Hobbs. Hello Offier Hobbs. Is that dog language you speak to him?"

"Hobbs is trained in German, ma'am." At this mention of his name, the dog gave all his attention to Jason.

"You really are a GermanShepherd, Hobbs." Katherine laughed as the dog momentarily glanced toward her and then immediately back to his partner. They all started walking across the lawn toward the museum, but Katherine began to cut over toward the alley. "My grandparents live in that cottage across the alley. I need to check that they're okaNy."

"We'll go together then," Jason answered.

And More Good News To Come -

I've signed a new contract with my publisher The Wild Rose Press, for the novella prequel to Kat Out of the Bag. So stay tuned to find out when the prequel will be available.

And I'm busy writing the sequel . . . .

Katherine and Moonjava react to Release Day on their blog, now that they've taken over A Passion For Purses

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Archives:

The Awkward Adolescence of my Cozy Mystery - The Completed First Draft of Kat Out of the Bag

I'll be finishing my book's first draft in October. That's a meaningful milestone to celebrate, as many of you know. Like many writers, I'm so proud of my first draft, but it's not pretty. It's not ready to stand on it's own. My book is no longer in its cute, enthusiastic, exciting ideas of a childhood. It has entered into its awkward adoloscence.

My initial idea that at one time was just a glint in my eye is now all on paper. This is the story for me. Its not publish ready, but it's written and I can see it all even with its blemishes. I've gained momentum and I feel empowered. I know how the story ends and all that happens to get to the ending, but I don't know how it will all turn out - if it will get published. If published, will anyone buy it or read it? That's the risk I take and now I know I can go the distance and rewrite/edit my first draft to guide it from adolescence to an independent future when it will stand in the world on its own.

If you're working toward your first draft, take heart and keep writing. One word after another. Keep writing every day. You may feel fear, but write it anyway and take heart that you're writing your draft. You'll have time to fix it afterwards.

• You can't fix what's not on paper

• You're establishing your writing habit

• You have a story and first you need to tell the story to yourself

• During your first draft you're getting to know your characters even better

• Your first draft will show you how what comes before can be fitted to the end of the story

So let your joyful, innocent young story idea grow in writing. You'll want to celebrate its awkward adolescence, which holds its own beauty.

Upcoming Workshops -

I'm so excited to be presenting two workshops at the Write in the Harbor Writers Conference on November 4th. Last year was my first adventure at this Conference and the organizers, presenters, and attendees are all so enthusiastic and we all learned a lot from each other.

The Contemporary Cozy

Layering Your Writing

Write in the Harbor - http://continuingedtacoma.com/writeintheharbor/writeintheharbor2017/

I was so impressed and motivated by the other two Writers Conferences I attended and presented workshops at this past summer

PNWA

Rivers of Ink

Learn From Published Authors - Kendall & Cooper New Podcasts:

Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Claire Johnson - writing mysteries with a side of politics and humor

Recommended: Beat Until Stiff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoqePYM_L5w

Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Tonya Kappes - mystery and the supernatural

Recommended: A Ghostly Murder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJcXUd-oDa8

Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Kevin O'Brien - A genius of suspense, he's Kevin OMG O'Brien

Recommended: Disturbed and also his newest Hide Your Fear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYtQOT80-Fc

Kendall & Cooper Talk Mysteries with Kellye Garrett - Mystery goes Hollywood, written by an insider

Recommended: Hollywood Homicide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biOpPAXU6F0

Recommended Reads - http://recommendreads.blogspot.com/

Exploring the Soul of an Octopus = by Sy Montgomery

Here’s a sweet read written by a mesmerizing storyteller who spins a true novel all about a sea creature that I discovered I knew very little about. This book entertains with so much interesting information that surprises.

Deep Under Cover - by Jack Barsky

The tension and intrigue of a thriller, spy novel is irresistible for so many of us. What about reading a spy memoir? Can real life spying stand up to artistic license to kill? In this case, yes.

Ghost Man - by Roger Hobbs

A casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly sideways, despite all appearances of its intricate planning. The brain behind the operation needs to repair the damage and make it go away.

Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot by Jane K. Cleland

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

Fast Fiction by Denise Jaden

Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

The Art and Craft of Storytelling by Nancy Lamb

How To Write A Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey

Fun Fact From Cozy Research - Gucci

Guccio Gucci established the Florentine Company, which was a leather manufacturing company, in 1921 after working at the Savoy Hotel in London. Inspired by the style of the Aristocratic luggage passing through the hotel, his first Gucci iconic bag was The Bamboo which came from wartime shortages. Designed in 1947 with a handle made of burnished bamboo. It was seen on the arm of Elizabeth Taylor early in the 1950's and then it became a must-have.