I know a lot of you, at least those of you who aren't equally obsessed, who read this think I'm obsessed with quilting, and to some degree I suppose I am. But hey, it keeps me out of the bars and off the backs of motorcycles. ;-)
Even before I started quilting I liked mysteries. But then about the time I started quilting I because aware of "Quilting Mysteries." I know, I know, you're thinking how can you write a mystery story around, quilting, I mean, what can be more begnin than quilting. Well, you'd be surprised.
It would seem on the surface that there is a "cookie cutter" layout to most of the stories even from author to author. Most usually some woman, who has been "done wrong" by some man, moves to another part of the country and somehow, not only takes up quilting, but becomes someone in the quilting business (a longarm quilter, shop owner, etc.). Someone they know dies and the woman ends up solving the mystery. And the next book progresses the characters, but the origianl quilter solves another mystery. And then another.
Well, it ain't rocket science. And some authors are better than others. But they are fun, quick reads, don't take you too far away from real life and in most cases get you back to your world in an afternoon or an evening or two. For me, it's just the thing between two heavier books (and I'm not talking about physical weight or number of pages).
Last Saturday I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Arlene Sachitano in Friendswood, Texas at Quakertown Quilts. She was there signing copies of her latest book, Quilt As You Go. No, this is not a pattern or instructional book on quilting, it's a mystery.
The store wasn't crowded while we were talking so we just kept talking. I had never read any of her books and had the intention before I got there that I'd get all three (start at the beginning) of her books. I bought all three and she signed all three for me. As we talked more I mentioned driving in from Beaumont and then I said "Not being from here, I'm sure you don't know where that is." She said "OH, but I do!!!" Her husband and sister-in-law, Beth, are from Beaumont and went to South Park. And they come back to the Beaumont area several times a year.
We were so excited about finding something in common that we just kept talking. I got her information and when I got home e-mailed it to our guild's speaker chairperson for 2011. Arlene is looking for some guilds to speak at in the Beaumont area and hopefully in 2011 we can get her as a speaker. She's a very smart woman, very tallented and extremely entertaining to talk with. I was a bit sad our converstation had to end as she got busy with other customers.
I've now added links to the bottom right of this page for Books/Quilting Mysteries. I don't have all the authors there yet, just the ones I remembered off the top of my head. So I'll be updating that soon.
2 comments:
Didja mention to her to tell her bro and sis-in-law to come see SP before they knock it down?
I'm surprised that in all those "Murder She Wrote" episodes, that the police chief didn't lock up Jessica Fletcher as a suspect, because she was always snooping around crime scenes, possibly destroying evidence and such. Same goes for similar stories of plain ol' folks who are always around when somebody gets bumped off; hello, police? Serial killer? ;)
The SIL still lives in the area, though I'm not sure if she lives in Bmt or not. In any event, she is aware of SP's eminent removal.
The protagonist is nearly alawys "in good" with the police/constabulary. They have a reputation of solving crimes and that reputation proceeds them. While the police aren't happy to be "shown up" by the average citizen, they solve a crime, so Whatchagonnado?
All part of the fantasy that is the book/story.
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