Tuesday, December 4, 2012

And Then You Dye

Riddle:  There is a word that begins BR.  Insert an E and it is pronounced the same, but means something entirely different.  What is the word?

And Then You Dye will appear December 5.  Please look for it in your local bookstore, or reserve it at your public library.  Meanwhile I will be at the mystery bookstore Once Upon A Crime on that date starting at 7 pm.  I’ll do a short reading and answer questions.  And sign books, of course! There will be sweet treats and beverages on hand.  Once Upon A Crime is at 604 W. 26th St, Minneapolis.

Then Saturday, December 8, I will be at Excelsior Bay Books in Excelsior, MN – yes, the locale of this series is a real town – at 1 pm (after we have lunch at Antiquity Rose).  The address is 36 Water Street, which is the main street of Excelsior.  There are gift shops and antique stores and good restaurants in town for your shopping pleasure.

Then I’ll head off on a little book tour:

Monday, Dec. 10, 6:30 - Crosse Stitchery and Main Street Framing, 223 N. 3rd St. La Crosse, WI 54601, (888) 907-7008, contact Sarah Hall.  This is in connection with their Embroiderers Guild of America meeting, so I suspect only members are attending, but call Sarah to make sure.

Tuesday, Dec. 11, 6 pm – Booked for Murder, 2701 University Ave Madison, WI 53705.  Contact Sara Barnes.  This is a great store!  608-238-2701.

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 7:00 pm – Barnes & Noble, North Park Mall, 320 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport, IA 52806.  Contact: Paul, 563-445-8760

Thursday, Dec. 13, 6:30 pm – Village Needlework, 1123 7th Avenue, Marion, IA.  Marion is a suburb of Cedar Rapids.  Contact Julie Ackerman, 319-362-3271

Friday, Dec. 14, 6:30 – Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA.  A beautiful store with all kinds of books (not just mysteries).

Saturday, Dec. 15, noon – The Mystery Bookstore 1414 S 13th St. in Omaha.  Contact: Kate Birkel  402-342-7343,  Then we’re all going to lunch at the Bohemian restaurant (great food!) next door.

If you are in any of these neighborhoods, I’d love to see you!

This past Sunday was the First Sunday of Advent (there are four), during which Christians prepare thoughtfully for Christmas.  When I was growing up Roman Catholic, we were not permitted to do any decorating (wreath on the door, lights, tree) until Christmas Eve, and then the celebration lasted twelve days, ending on Epiphany – or, as we called it, the Feast of the Three Kings.  One thing we were allowed was an Advent Wreath, which was laid flat on a table and had four tall candles rising from it, three purple and one pink – the pink was for the Third Sunday.  One candle was lit the first Sunday at dinner, then two the second and so on.  When the fourth candle was lit, we knew Christmas was less than a week away!

When living in London (1966-1968), I got a boyfriend who, like me, was mad about castles and, more especially, cathedrals.  One weekend we visited Ely, whose history dates back to St. Ethelreada the Virgin in the seventh century.  The current building was begun in the eleventh century.  When we visited, the Lady Chapel (dedicated to the Virgin Mary) was being restored, and the stone tracery around the windows had been knocked out.  From the rubble, I picked up a piece of carved stone about fourteen inches long.  I still have it, and now it is the base of my “Advent Wreath.”  I bought four small glass candle holders shaped like bowls, three lavender, one pink, and used votive candles.  A piece of artificial greenery lies along the back of the stone.  Then earlier this year I found a set of five little evergreen-shaped candles in a catalog, three red and two green.  They fit perfectly in the little bowls (one left over) and I think the result is very pretty.






Remember: Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s peace of mind.

Answer to the riddle: Braking, Breaking

9 comments:

Christine Thresh said...

I ordered And Then You Dye from Amazon, and this morning I received a notice that it was shipped.
I hope it will be more upbeat than your last book.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Wow, Monica, how busy you are! Congrats on the publication of And Then You Dye, and have fun at all the signings.

Christine Thresh said...

I am waiting for my book to arrive from Amazon.

Monica Ferris said...

I think it's pretty upbeat, Christine. It's got an exciting climax - shots fired - but nobody gets hurt, or not badly. And there's a fun Fourth of July celebration.

C said...

Monica I am midway through And Then You Dye (it was waiting for me this morning on my Kindle, hurray!) I am thoroughly enjoying it. It brings back the feel of the earlier books with the Monday Bunch and even Irene was a welcome sight! I am enjoying the glimpses into what is going on with everyone in the sense of a homecoming and catching up with old friends. I have loved the recent books that have stretched beyond the borders of Excelsior too, but I like this sense of gathering of everyone together, the original and newer characters as well. I am torn as usual between savoring every page and eagerness to see how it all unfolds.

I think your Advent "wreath" is lovely and has a an elegant simplicity that speaks to the meditations of the season. Appreciating Advent and not jumping early into Christmas makes Christmas that much more joyous I think. Starting Christmas before Halloween takes the energy and excitement out of the celebration and can just make me feel too exhausted to enjoy when the actual Christmas season arrives. I hope your tour and signings go well and leave you energized rather than exhausted to celebrate the holidays. I am eager to get back to reading and see what happens next!

Monica Ferris said...

C., I hope you continue to like And Then You Dye. It was fun seeing what Irene was up to - I like her as a character, she's eccentric and sees the world in a slightly different way from the rest of us.

I strongly agree about holding back on celebrating Christmas; nowadays, by the time Christmas Eve arrives, the actual holiday seems tired and shabby.

Betty Hechtman said...

Congrats on And Then You Dye! Your books tour sounds like fun. I hope you have good weather.

C said...

Just a quick PS to say I finished And Then You Die and it was excellent all the way to the end. It is quite possibly my new favorite in the entire series, pushing Crewel Yule into second place as the "hmmm, which one do I grab to reread for the umpteenth time for a Betsy fix." Before ATYD, it was Crewel Yule, Embroidered Truths, and Threadbare as the newest of the favs--I like Annie a lot and was very pleased to see her again. I am edified by her making the tough choices and sticking to them.

Overall, I have enjoyed every book in the series and even better (in my opinion) I have always learned very interesting things from your research you reflect in each book. ATYD, however, includes all the best loved aspects of every previous book, especially the Betsy/Godwin/Jill friendship/teamwork combo, while still feeling fresh and moving forward in a captivating, intriguing manner. Thanks for this latest bright spot in my reading world.

C aka Candi

Monica Ferris said...

Wow, Candi, what a day brightener! Heart-warming compliments like that keep me on task.