Slowing Down Has Its Benefits

Slowing Down Has Its Benefits by Debra H. Goldstein

Recently, I had surgery. It ended up neither as extensive as expected nor as painful as predicted (Tylenol and a few muscle relaxers took care of everything for the first few days). Recovery has gone very well as I’ve worked to be a model patient – walking, drinking water, being kind to myself, and pacing my return to my regular Energizer Bunny status. Still, there are restrictions, including no lifting over ten pounds or flying for eight weeks. 

Being forced to slow down has had some benefits. I’ve read a book from my TBR pile each day or two days since I stopped taking the muscle relaxers, become a pro at doing online jigsaw puzzles up to 300 pieces in an amazingly quick amount of time, gotten ahead on some of my behind-the-scenes-blog obligations, printed out lots of short story calls, caught up on my backlog of magazines, and made notes on the two longer pieces I’m working on. I’ve also enjoyed leisurely visits from friends (who, based upon the cookies and other treats they have brought, know how much I enjoy chocolate) and, of course, the grandkids (I did have to take a nap after the first one of those). 

What I haven’t done is much actual writing. It isn’t a matter of writer’s block or post-surgery brain fog, but more of the need to slowly think things through respecting the pieces I’m working on. It has been exciting to consider different approaches to what I’m writing. The result is that what I have produced has been more thoughtful and I think better written. 

For example, I had a short story, “Musicians of Bremen,” published in early June in the Wish Upon a Crime anthology edited by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson. Each story in the book is inspired by a fairy tale. In my case, I took the characteristics of the four animal characters from the original story and transferred them into the four main human characters of my tale, which incorporates the Holocaust, October 7th, and the Violins of Hope project. After my surgery, Art Taylor allowed me to explain my process for coming up with the story in his wonderful “The First Two Pages” blog ( https://arttaylorwriter.com/2026/06/23/the-first-two-pages-musicians-of-bremen-by-debra-h-goldstein/  ) In writing my piece, I realized that slowing down the story and the action before reaching a big bang instead of beginning with the bang is what makes this story all the more powerful. (true confession: I think it is one of my best stories).

It’s funny, but in writing the blog for Art, I understood that the slower process of my recovery is much like the analysis necessary to make my work better. Consequently, although I’m not writing as much per day, I’m much more satisfied with the words I’m producing.

Have you ever found that slowing down helps you produce a better product whether it’s writing or something else in your life? 

Writing Resolutions - Why Bother? by Debra H. Goldstein

Writing Resolutions - Why Bother? - by Debra H. Goldstein

For the past few weeks, we have been inundated with writers of articles and blogs, podcasters, TV interviewers, and even family members discussing New Year’s resolutions. One common theme is how many of the resolutions, like exercising to lose weight or writing 1,000 words a day, aren’t followed through upon. Many reasons are given for individual failures: “I got sick and couldn’t get to the gym,” “I got sick and couldn’t get out of bed long enough to write one word let alone 1,000,” or “I got carried away by the season and set an unrealistic goal for myself.”

The latter often is the case. But, I ask you, why set yourself up to be disappointed? Why bother using time and energy to make a resolution? Why not simply do the act, whether it is exercise or writing, to the best of your ability on any given day?

Some say that making the resolution provides accountability. After all, success reinforces good behavior. That’s wonderful, but what level of accountability does failure instill? Will the exerciser or writer crawl into a ball and opt not to do anything rather than strike out again?

Maybe I’m being cynical about resolutions? What do you think? Would you rather simply do what you can or adhere to a resolution (and will you stick to it)?

 

Life and Other Plans

Life and Other Plans by Debra H. Goldstein

In his 1980 song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy),” John Lennon sang “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Although the line is often attributed to Lennon, a version of it appeared in a 1956 Mary Worth cartoon written by Allen Saunders. The line in the cartoon was “…life is something which happens while we’re waiting for something else!” The quote, as attributed to Saunders, was rephrased in 1957 in Reader’s Digest as “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” 

Even older references to this thought date back to B.C. Specifically, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” (Cor hominis disponit viam suam: sed Domini est dirigere gressus eius. - Old Testament: Proverbs, xvi, 9. (c. 350 B. C.); “Man intends one thing, Fate another.” (Homo semper aliud, Fortuna aliud cogitat. Publilius Syrus, Sententiae. No.253. (c.43 B.C.); and from The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis 1400s/ translated from the Latin in 1881 by Reverend W. H. Hutchings), “For Man proposes, but God disposes.”

There are two ways “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans” has been interpreted. The first is that no matter what one plans, “sh-t happens.” The other is that people are so busy striving for the next thing in life, whether in terms of schooling, jobs, or possessions, they miss what is happening in the present.

Writers tend to experience both interpretations of the quote. Even as an author tries to write the best story or book, a part of the brain is thinking about the launch and the potential success of the work. Will it make the NY Times bestseller list? At the same time, the publishing business can be cruel. One can be thrilled producing a work only to see it be orphaned or publicity not put behind it.

Sometimes, though, an author is focused on writing, but life occurrences – illnesses, births, deaths, caretaking, or natural disasters – interfere with the writing process. When any of these occur, despite the best intentions, plans to write can dry up or be so interfered with that nothing of quality can be produced.

For some, life destroys plans to write or read. For others, it is merely a temporary blip that distracts from the master plan. The interesting thing is how one weathers the storms and if one can maintain a present presence. As a writer or reader, how have you functioned when life and plans collide?

Plotter vs. Pantser in Life and Writing

Plotter vs. Pantser in Life and Writing by Debra H. Goldstein

When it comes to my everyday existence, I am a plotter. I make prioritized to-do lists based upon the tasks needing to be done, where I am going to be, and how long each activity should take (so I can squeeze in things so as to not waste time). It gives me great satisfaction to strike through each item on my list and know that at the end of the day, I’m ready to make the next day’s list. 

Plotting is the last thing I like to do when I write. Oh, I may have an idea where the story or book may go, but the reality is I’m a pantser from beginning to end. It is only when I’m in the “writing zone,” where the words glide forth effortlessly, that I feel a sense of satisfaction.

I have friends who set a specific word count each day. Not me. I write when the muse strikes. For the past few years that worked well. Maybe my production wasn’t as good as some of those word-counters, but seven published books, one book in review, and almost fifty published stories isn’t something I am ashamed of. I puttered or pantsed, but things got done because somewhere in my head, I knew being a published author required balancing time with my computer, family, civic obligations, and playing.

In the song “Beautiful Boy,” on the Double Fantasy album, John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Different versions of this line have been attributed to many other people over time. Who said it first doesn’t matter. What is important is the realization that sometimes the best plot or plan we have gets shaken by life events. That’s what happened to me with some personal family issues during the past couple of years. They were events that often directly impacted my ability to write more than a story here, a blog there, or a few pages of the new book that I’d thought the world would see two years ago. 

Recently, things reached a point that I had to lean on friends, blog mates, and even a few strangers to accomplish things that normally would easily be checked off my to-do list. I thank everyone who stepped up and gave me the time and freedom to address life without worrying about the plans I’d made. Today, the issue is resolved. I’ve taken a deep breath and accepted the changes thrown at me as I live life; and, I’ve regained the feeling of joy that writing gives me. I doubt I’ll ever be a person who knocks out so many words a day, but I know that that’s okay for me. Understanding the balancing of being a plotter and a pantser in life and writing is what it’s all about.

Do you use plotting and pantsing in life - or writing? Have you ever had everything unravel and did you find your way back to a state of balance?

An Interview with Author Debra H. Goldstein by E. B. Davis

When Sarah Blair’s mother participates in a reality show competition for brides in Wheaton, Alabama, things get a little too real as a murderer crashes the wedding party . . .

Sometimes Sarah’s mother, Maybelle, can be higher maintenance than her Siamese cat RahRah. Maybelle and her friend, Mr. George Rogers, have been chosen to be one of five couples competing for a small-town “perfect” wedding and dream honeymoon on a Southern Belles reality show—and guess who has to be chaperone. Even more vexing, the producers have decided to put up the crew and participants at the restaurant/bed and breakfast owned by Sarah’s nemesis Jane Clark.
 
But when someone turns up dead with Jane kneeling by the body with blood on her hands, she goes from being Sarah’s chief rival to the police’s chief suspect. Neither Sarah nor her twin, Chef Emily Johnson, can stand Jane—still, they don’t think she’s a murderer. The producers vow the show must go on, but to protect their mother and the other contestants, Sarah vows to find the true killer before someone else gets eliminated . . .

Amazon.com

 

Five Belles Too Many, Debra H. Goldstein’s fifth book in the Sarah Blair mystery series, will be released on June 28^th. This book involves two things I have no experience with—reality TV shows and gambling. Most of my questions involve learning about these topics so please forgive my ignorance.

 

As a regular blogger with WWK, Debra needs no introduction. But please ask any questions I may have missed. Thanks!        E. B. Davis

 

Debra—did you study reality show psychology and marketing to write this book?

 

Having appeared on Jeopardy and participated in early try-outs for a show that never aired, I had a limited amount of personal knowledge of what happens behind the scenes on game shows. I also had the benefit of being able to interview a friend who once worked for an invitation company that produced an invitation that became a finalist for a similar “Perfect Wedding” segment. Finally, I networked and was put in touch with an individual who, having been associated with many reality TV shows, was able to explain the call sheet and the roles different people have for a television show to successfully be taped.

 

Jane is scathing to many people, but she creates her own problems by not taking the time to do her homework. Is she too busy, not detail oriented, or a scatterbrain?

 

Jane is none of the things you mentioned. She is an individual who dreams of hitting it big no matter what it takes to get there. Jane jumps at opportunities, but never thinks things might not occur the way she wants. Her continuous competition with Sarah and Chef Emily reflects a jealous desire to have the same level of success they do, but she fails to recognize the hard work they put into achieving their goals. When things to wrong for her, she blames everyone except herself.

 

Many of the contestants on the show know each other or have connections to the show’s production staff. Cliff is a contractor for the show and his uncle is a contestant. Maybelle is a contestant and her daughters own the restaurant hosting the show’s dinners. Aren’t all of these relationships conflict of interest to the competition of the show?

 

In real life, the interconnected relationships would never occur. I took some leeway in setting the show in a small town with a limited number of available venues, competitors, and experienced laborers. Rather than shying away from the conflicts, I highlighted them by having Jane and Chef Bernardi argue their impropriety, but I had the producer explain:

“We’re in complete compliance with the network’s rules for segments like this. We even have a compliance person on set every day. Jane’s Place and you will either win or lose on merit. The audience will vote on the invitations, dress, and things like that, but guest judges will be evaluating the competitions involving tasting of food and cakes. Their judging will be based on your abilities and final products.”

 

How can “no kill” animal shelters put down about ten percent of healthy animals?

 

Shelters have different philosophies in terms of killing unwanted animals. Many traditional shelters used euthanasia as their means of dealing with too many animals for the shelter or an overflowing population of unwanted animals. It was an adopt some and kill the rest approach. Today’s No Kill shelters specifically reserve euthanasia for irremediably suffering animals or those whose behavior precludes rehabilitation. Instead of using death as a remedy for otherwise healthy animals, No Kill shelters believe in promoting adoption, fostering, targeted spay/neuter programs, and other means that control the flow into shelter life. Ten percent is a maximum with most having and achieving a goal far less than that.

 

Sarah blurts out her comments about Cuban cigars without a filter, and then she worries she’s becoming her mother. Do we all worry about that?

 

Don’t you? Although most of us love/adore our mothers, there are the times that they chide us, ask a question we don’t want to answer, or say or do something that absolutely embarrasses us. When that happens, we all resolve to never become our mothers. There is even an insurance company that now has a series of commercials about becoming our parents. In Sarah Blair’s world, Mother Maybelle can be the perfect Southern Belle who smiles sweetly while saying “Bless your heart,” and the woman Sarah hopes to never become, but Sarah loves her mother and will do anything for her (despite Sarah’s groaning and fear of becoming her mother).

 

I’m surprised that in this era the show’s management thought that cigars would be a perfect gift for the male contestants. Am I naïve? Do guys really like them?

 

I used cigars for two reasons. First, many guys really do like them as evidenced by the number of cigar stores that exist in most urban areas. Second, it was a play on the Southern tradition of the Gone with the Wind era when after dinner the women retired while the men had a final drink and a cigar. Stereotypical images of the South are deliberately being emphasized by the reality show producers in Five Belles Too Many. Besides the cigars, there is a challenge that includes Southern Belle costumes and another one with flower arranging.

 

Are reality shows less about the competition and more about the rivalry and conflict like any drama?

 

Reality shows are edited to make the viewers engage with different characters. If you think of Top Chef, the Bachelor or Survivor franchises, or any of the Housewives shows, the editing always makes someone appear to be a villain and someone a well-liked angel. Similar to a novel, without episodic conflict or drama, there would be no reason for a reader to turn the page or a viewer to tune in to the show’s next episode.

 

Does it matter that the contestants weren’t randomly picked? I guess none of them really are.

 

Almost all shows have try-outs. The contestants are then chosen based upon demographics the show’s producers want to have represented. In Five Belles Too Many, the segment, which will play on a New York televised show, is being filmed in Wheaton, Alabama. The big rivalry in Alabama is between Auburn and Alabama football. Consequently, there had to be a couple representing each team. The show also needed to have a couple who represented the stereotypical image people have of the South (think Jethro and Elly Mae from The Beverly Hillbillys). With the South covered, I went the opposite way by having one couple be fans of the Day of the Dead. Finally, because most couples trying to win a perfect wedding are young, I had four couples be in their twenties, but I gave the final slot to Mother Maybelle and her friend, George, to represent an over sixty dynamic. The mixture makes for great fun!

 

Is there outside betting on reality show outcomes?

 

Hopefully not, but the reality is that bookies take bets on anything. If you Google betting on game shows or reality shows, you will find many advertised lines of bets taken on scripted and unscripted shows. There also is the history of scandals involving the giving of answers or questions in advance associated with original game shows like The $64,000 Question.

 

What is a gambling line? Do gambling lines change during the competition? What’s a push?

 

In gambling, the line is the odds. It can change based upon circumstances and betting. A push in betting is a tie between the better and the house. In that instance, the odds maker fails to make money and the better only ends up with the return of his/her original bet.

 

Is the type of gambling set up by Chef Bernardi illegal?

 

The best thing to say about the way Chef Bernardi manages the gambling in Five Belles Too Many is that his actions aren’t particularly kosher.

 

How did you manage to delay the murder until Chapter 7? Did your publisher comment?

 

My editor/publisher loves Five Belles Too Many and never mentioned that the murder doesn’t happen until Chapter 7. In fact, I never noticed that fact either, until you asked this question. I tend to write short tight chapters and there was a lot of fun character and gameshow groundwork to lay before a murder occurred.

 

Why did Sarah go out of her way to help Jane by getting her counsel and investigating when Sarah can’t stand Jane?

 

Sarah can’t help herself. Despite Jane (aka the Bimbo) breaking up Sarah’s marriage, trying to steal Sarah’s Siamese cat, RahRah, sabotaging Chefs Marcus and Emily’s restaurant endeavors, and being a general pain in the neck, Sarah doesn’t believe Jane is a murderer. Consequently, Sarah’s better nature beats out the hatred she feels toward her greatest nemesis.

 

I was confused by the doctor, who I assume was the ME or coroner, who took orders from the police chief. Isn’t that a conflict of interest? Isn’t the norm that they are separate offices so the chief wouldn’t have undue influence to bend the forensics to his line of inquiry?

 

Wheaton, Alabama is portrayed throughout the series as a small town with a limited police presence. Besides the Chief and another officer, the doctor does double duty as a detective and the coroner. In small towns, coroners are often appointed or elected. In Wheaton, it is an appointed position held by a very scrupulous individual who believes in doing things the right way rather than jumping to conclusions. In this case, it is clearly indicated in all the books that Dr. Smith never deviates from proper forensic behavior.

 

Sarah asks herself is Harlan a saint or fool for helping Jane, but he’s doing it for Sarah. Shouldn’t she ask herself that question?

 

Don’t all of us sometimes miss the most obvious question that we should be asking ourselves?

 

Is Cliff really changing or does he want to be with Sarah again?

Throughout the five books, the individual arcs for each character change. The Sarah from One Taste Too Many goes from being an insecure woman who married at eighteen, was divorced at twenty-eight, and only got RahRah, the Siamese cat out of the marriage, to a woman with more confidence and the ability to believe in herself as she interacts with others and successfully solves crimes that allow her to protect family and friends. Cliff, too, matures. They have a special relationship which may or may not be a permanent one.

 

A “Day of the Dead” wedding theme. Really?

 

When it comes to weddings, anything is possible. One thing to remember in terms of reality shows is that not everyone enters for the prize that is being given. In this instance, the Day of the Dead couple has an ulterior motive for competing and saw this wedding as a means to distinguish them from other competitors trying to win a spot on the show.

 

To me, tiramisu is much ado about nothing. What’s the appeal?

 

Tiramisu, which is a recipe found in Four Cuts Too Many, is either loved or hated. I, for one, love its strong coffee flavoring and the texture of tiramisu – as well as the fact that the amount of coffee and sugar the dessert contains gives one a quick energy boost.

 

What’s a bromance?

 

A bromance is a very close non-sexual relationship between two men. In the Sarah Blair books, Sarah often thinks Harlan and Chief Gerard have a bromance because of their mutual respect and interaction, despite the Chief always getting it wrong until Harlan and Sarah feed him the correct information and conclusions.

 

What’s a kill fee?

 

A kill fee is an amount of money a party makes after scrapping an agreed work or project. In writing, an editor may accept a story, but then, pay a kill fee when the editor decides not to run the story. Where parties have contracted for food or other services with reliance by the second party, the one canceling the agreement may pay a kill fee rather than having a dispute tied to breaking a contract

 

What’s next for Sarah?

 

That is up in the air. Her fate is in the readers’ hands.

 

Why Are We So Fascinated by Reality TV?

Why Are We So Fascinated by Reality TV? by Debra H. Goldstein

Recently, all the different television channels announced the shows they were renewing and the ones they were canceling. The majority of shows renewed were reality based while many fine scripted dramas and comedies went by the wayside. From an economic perspective, this wasn’t a surprise. It is far cheaper to film a reality show and, if viewers become attached to the cast/scenery, easier to make money off of product placement and repetitive showings.

 

Although I personally have little interest in most reality TV shows, I’m addicted to the ones that incorporate a competition. Because I’ll watch and even rewatch gameshows like Jeopardy, cooking competitions including Top Chef and Chopped, or shows that offer big prizes, I couldn’t resist incorporating this world into the fifth Sarah Blair mystery, Five Belles Too Many, which releases on June 28 (available for pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your favorite indie, or by calling your library and asking them to obtain it).

 

In Five Belles Too Many, Sarah’s mother, Maybelle, and Maybelle’s friend, George, are one of five finalist couples hoping to win a perfect Southern wedding being given away by a New York television show which is taping its competitive segments in Wheaton, Alabama. The five belles vying for the prize include four twenty-something-year-olds who love Day of the Dead, Auburn and Alabama football, and the southern world inhabited by the Beverly Hills Clampetts, as well as sixty-plus Maybelle and George. Each belle is required by the show’s rules to have a chaperone. Because Mother Maybelle doesn’t want to impose on her friends and Chef Emily works at night, the assignment falls to Sarah despite the belles and chaperones having to stay at Sarah’s greatest nemesis’ bed and breakfast. Sarah’s hope for the week to go by quickly is complicated by murder. (For more details, catch Elaine Douts’ WWK review and interview on June 22, 2022).

 

The fun in writing Five Belles Too Many was incorporating what goes on behind the scenes in reality shows. Much of what we, the audience sees, is somewhat scripted and definitely edited to play on our emotions. My job was to bring these fake moments to life for the reader, while establishing a whodunit that was fun.

 

I find reality TV doesn’t take much concentration to enjoy and each show provides a relief from the true reality of whatever is happening in my life. Tell me, does reality TV hold a secret pleasure for you? If so, which shows do you like?

Life Happens, Writing Isn't Always the Highest Priority

 

Life Happens, Writing isn’t Always the Highest Priority by Debra H. Goldstein

Have you ever had time get away from you? Promised to do something or made a to-do list and then life got in the way? That’s where I am this week. I’m being pulled in too many different directions to feel that I’m accomplishing what originally were my priorities.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m getting things done, but only the items on my to-do list that have time limits or are obligations that would impact other people’s schedules. My personal goals, like writing, have slid to the bottom of the page or been moved out-of-sight. The only reason this blog is being thrown together is because 1) When I became a WWK blogger, I promised something would be posted on the third Monday of each month, and 2) I looked at the calendar and realized that my Monday was coming sooner than I thought.

The point is that what needs to be done is getting done and I’ve had to come to terms with letting a few things go by the wayside. Some authors insist on drafting so many words a day while others write when the muse hits. In weeks like I’m having, when juggling is of the essence, writers have two choices: go with the flow or beat oneself up. To me, the latter is foolish because it wastes energy and can’t change anything. Bemoaning and wailing what isn’t being done diminishes one’s time and focus.

 

This week is going to pass. Things will get back to normal. My writing will again top my to-do list. And when all is said and done, I’ll be ready to move forward. What about you? Ever have one of these weeks and how did you cope?

Blogs and Columns- All the Same and All Different

Blogs and Columns – All the Same and All Different by Debra H. Goldstein

Engaging blogs or columns don’t simply come out of thin air. Just as there is an art to crafting a short story or book, writing a blog requires a careful balancing of words. A good piece has a central theme or point the author wishes to convey. Consequently, from the opening to the end, the work produced must stay true to itself or it won’t be effective.

 

A successful blog or column begins with a topic sentence that catches the reader’s eye by being informative or provocative. After the killer opening, the next sentences set the tone for the piece and make the reader want to keep reading, but don’t delve into the subject matter. That is left for the body of the work.

 

Unlike the first paragraph which establishes what the blog is about, the next few paragraphs must again name the topic or concept being discussed, define it, and explain it through example or application. The final paragraph, whether referring back to the opening or standing on its own, must tie up the loose ends and bring the piece to a tight conclusion.

 

Although the mechanism for delivering the blog or column’s concept seems cut and dry, it isn’t. Word counts differ, voices range from somber to comical, ideas are delivered factually or with unsupported rationale. Writing styles also vary, but to stick the landing as a gymnast would do, the work must evoke an obvious or subliminal reaction for the reader. Ann Patchett is adept at reaching into the human soul in her blogs or essays, Art Buchwald used humor to deliver pointed satirical commentary. We, the members of Writers Who Kill, reflect a dichotomy in our presentation styles, but we all produce blogs that we hope inform and engage you.

Half-Year Resolutions by Debra H. Goldstein

Half-Year Resolutions by Debra H. Goldstein

Half of 2021 is gone.

I consider “Half of 2021 is gone” to be a profound statement. It has so many connotations: time has slipped by, life is closer to ebbing, a good six months is in the books, the world has started to normalize, and …   I could go on from a philosophical standpoint, but what does it mean as a writer?

 

For some, it translates to having finished and submitted books, short stories, or other manuscripts. If the writer is lucky, the work has been accepted; if not, the countdown of prayers has begun. If a book has been published, it probably means the author is caught in a whirlwind of virtual and possibly real-life promotion, with limited time to write. Others have spent the six months aspiring to start or complete a project.

 

I fall into all categories and yet, like imposter syndrome, I don’t feel I’ve done enough. I had a new book, Four Cuts Too Many, released by Kensington on May 25. Two weeks earlier, I turned in the manuscript for Five Belles Too Many, which will be published in June 2022. For weeks before and after Four Cuts Too Many came out, I focused on promoting it. At the same time, I added the tasks of enhancing my brand, building my newsletter audience, promoting three short story anthologies that I have stories in while balancing my family and organizational responsibilities (including planning a shower, rehearsal dinner, and the logistics involved with my son’s upcoming out-of-town wedding).

 

What I haven’t been doing is writing. I’ve got a new project in mind, but after six months, all I can show for it is eight hundred unedited words. Part of the problem has been putting writing at the bottom of my to-do list because I haven’t fully fleshed out the story in my head. When I worked, I carved out time every night and on weekends to write. Now, my attitude is one more reflective of “when the spirit captures me.” Looking back, that wasn’t too often in the first half of 2021.

 

Normally, I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but this time, I’m going to make some half-year resolutions that I’m going to let you help me evaluate my success with at the end of 2021. Here they are:

1)     I am going to plant my bottom in a chair and write something every day.

2)     I am going to ignore, as much as possible, the distractions in my personal life (whether emotional or simply playing games on my phone) until I crank out some words [okay, I’m realistic enough to want to succeed, so I’m not giving myself a word goal].

3)     I’m going to remember that I enjoy writing and being with other authors, so I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity to do both now that the world is becoming saner.

Will you join me in making some half year resolutions? What will they be?

An Interview with author Debra H. Goldstein By E. B. Davis

 

Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in culinary school serves up a main corpse in Wheaton, Alabama . . .
 
Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister’s restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life’s finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she’s considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah’s more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal.
 
Although she wouldn’t mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef’s position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah’s business rival—and her late ex-husband’s lover. But Grace’s future lands in hot water when the school’s director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend’s name, Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer . . .

Amazon.com

 

As Debra H. Goldstein explains in the forward of Four Cuts Too Many, the plot starts with a jump-rope rhyme. Creepy! But very effective since the victim dies of a culinary knife wound—a specific type of knife wound. (To find out how those two tie together—read the book!) What I don’t know! Like there are methods to knife someone to insure a kill. More creep factor—but the truth is that even though the premise and method are creepy, the book is a fun cozy read—really cupcakes and Jell-O are featured.

 

Main character, Sarah Blair, investigates the murder of a college official and arrives at the scene minutes after the murder. Grace, an up and coming chef and instructor is the primary suspect. We’ve met Grace before as a secondary character in previous books. A black, gay woman, Grace has overcome a disadvantaged upbringing. She’s a worthy person to champion, and Sarah strives to prove her innocence.

 

If I miss any questions for Debra, please ask them for me in our comments area.                                                                                      E. B. Davis

The cover art of your book, Four Cuts Too Many, is wonderful, delicious, and colorful. Do you have input in choosing the artwork?

 

Kensington asks me for general thoughts about my covers. I always ask for RahRah to be on the cover (which I think would happen even if I didn’t ask) and I highlight something to do with the murder or tied to the book’s title, but they create something far better than I ever imagine.

 

Have you wondered why many nursery tales and rhymes are violent? Were they passed down through the generations without thought? Were they supposed to be warnings to children? I never really thought about it before. Have you?

 

There are two schools of thought about why nursery tales and rhymes are violent. The first notes that they originally were meant to be told by adults to less educated or illiterate adults in a serial type of format. The violent elements made them more interesting. The second theory, which I think piggybacks the first, is that the rhymes reflect the political and social thoughts of the times that couldn’t be directly expressed without the speaker being beheaded or arrested. By couching the protests or beliefs in humor or silly rhyme, the point was made to all who heard the tale or rhyme without the risk of bodily harm to the writer. As it is often said, “A lot of truth is said in jest.”

 

Sarah’s cat, RahRah, was actually her mother-in-law’s cat. According to her mother-in-law’s will, would Sarah be able to afford to give up her job and go to school full time?

 

Although her mother-in-law’s will created an animal trust that provides for RahRah to own the carriage house and a caregiver who receives a stipend and reimbursement for whatever expenses RahRah has, it isn’t enough for Sarah to give up working to go to school full time.

Why would Dr. Williams, the head of the college’s hotel-hospitality program accuse Grace of murdering Dr. Martin without any evidence? It made me think there was something wrong with him.

 

Dr. Williams knew there was an argument between Dr. Martin and Grace, so he jumped to a conclusion that made sure not to cast any possible doubt on himself.

 

Sarah knows Grace well enough to call Harlan, the attorney she works for, to caution and defend Grace during questioning by the police. What responses does she anticipate Grace will make?

 

From her knowledge of Grace’s background, she knows Grace stands up for herself and is honest. Consequently, she fears Grace will be defiant with the police or blurt out something negative about Dr. Martin that can be construed against her.

 

Wanda, a student who was in Grace’s class and a former stepdaughter of the victim, Dr. Douglas Martin, is very forthcoming about her dislike of him. That surprised me. Why was she so verbal especially after his murder? Why would she choose to go to a college where he was an interim official?

 

Because the culinary program was so strong, Wanda was a student at the junior college at least a year before Dr. Martin took his job there. She doesn’t say anything negative about him in the hallway after he is found dead, but Wanda is lulled into expressing her honest feelings because in a situation where she is being protective and worries about Dr. Martin’s mother, Kait, who has been a grandmother and somewhat of a mother to her. She also, perhaps subconsciously, realizes that Sarah is liked and trusted by Eloise, a dear lifetime friend of Kait, who has joined Wanda for dinner at the retirement center to break the news of Dr. Martin’s death to Kait. I think her anger, fear, and churning emotions at that moment are what loosen her normally more reserved tongue.

 

Are personal weaknesses the root of failure?

 

To understand the concept of root of failure in any situation, one must analyze the base data of the failure and determine if it is a failure, a human error, or of no consequence. Sarah Blair is more frightened of the kitchen than of murder. Her personal weaknesses in the kitchen, as well as her fears after her divorce, result in her having a lack of confidence (and the potential for oven failures), but that is not really a failure. She has the ability to grow. While Sarah can’t overcome every personal weakness, she learns to live with them and to be successful despite them.

 

How can a “no kill” shelter put down ten percent of its animals and still be considered a no-kill?

 

That was my first reaction, too, but as I researched it, I discovered that often it is the animals who are ill or have other severe behavioral problems that are in that ten percent. Most no kill shelters strive to be well under the ten percent, but that is the defined permissible percentage. This is a significant difference compared to shelters that don’t follow no-kill policies.

 

I was surprised Glenn, the veterinarian, asked Sarah for a date. Doesn’t he know about her relationship with Cliff, or is it because he does know about the relationship that he did?

 

The period of time that the Sarah Blair series covers isn’t that long. Consequently, most people in Wheaton wouldn’t recognize Cliff and Sarah as being in a relationship because their interaction has been on and off. Plus, Glenn hasn’t been back in Wheaton long and, during the time he has been there, he’s been busy getting his veterinarian practice going.

 

Grace lied by omission to the police. What did she lie about?

 Grace admits to having a run-in with Dr. Martin, but she doesn’t go into the details beyond what he did to one of her students. One of the subplots in Four Cuts Too Many is the existence of a relationship between Grace and Mandy. As an author, I treated them with respect, but Dr. Martin’s comments and actions reflect a different societal viewpoint. Grace doesn’t feel that rehashing his behavior should have a bearing on what happened, so because she considers the matter personal and doesn’t want to involve Mandy, she leaves out any mention of that part of their disagreement when she talks to the police.

 

What did Jane propose to the college and the city? Would it have cut into Southwind’s business? Is the college private or government-funded?

 

Jane’s Place, Jane Clark’s restaurant and bed and breakfast, took a hit in Three Treats Too Many from which it hasn’t recovered. She proposes as a win-win that because the college’s culinary and hospitality classrooms are outdated, the college should pay her a fee for students to run Jane’s Place. Jane argues the college can claim a win by advertising to high-level culinary and hospitality students that their program will expose them to a study/work environment where the kitchen equipment is top of the line and the hotel side is up to date. In her own mind, Jane wins because she would be drawing an income without paying the fees associated with her building. She wants the city to enter into the partnership to give her proposal and the program more credibility and to steer tourists and events to Jane’s Place. Because she will offer discounts to the city for using or recommending her facility and hopes the college faculty will support having all of its events at Jane’s Place, the indirect impact, if the proposal is accepted, would be a drastic cut into Southwind’s business.

 

What is the “ice pick” method of stabbing?

 

The “ice pick” method of stabbing uses an ice pick or a knife with a very sharp point. When it is thrust into the neck or a part of the body, the point of entry and the weight of the stab is focused on an exceedingly small area. Consequently, it is an effective means of piercing the skull or a particular organ or artery. In Four Cuts Too Many, this method of stabbing requires good knife skills.

 

Dr. Martin’s mother, Kait Martin, lives in the Sunshine Retirement Home, as does Sarah’s mother’s beau, Mr. Rogers. Kait suffers from early-onset dementia. How did she come to have so much money?

 

Kait married the love of her life and traveled all over the world with him as he worked himself up the corporate ladder. When he died, whether it was from salary or investments, she was left a rich widow. The money and the assets passed to her rather than to their son, Dr. Martin.

 

Have you known any real-life matchmakers?

Yes. When I moved to Birmingham, there was a woman in the community employed by one of the organizations to do newcomer work. She decided to add a personal mission to her work. If a newcomer were single, she would extend a “getting to know you” invitation for lunch. After each lunch, she’d figure out the good matches and then concoct ways to introduce the single men to the single women. Although she didn’t formally claim to be a matchmaker, she was responsible, during a twenty-year period, for many successful marriages.

 

When Sarah gets together with Cliff, she drinks a lot of wine. Afterward, she drinks hot chocolate with her twin sister, Emily. Is Sarah more a sweets eater than a meat and potato gal?

 

Sarah will always take pizza and junk food, which includes ice cream, cookies, and, of course, the wonderful desserts served at Southwind, over meat and potatoes.

 

Sarah says to Harlan, “…but even as kind as you are, people view you as an authority figure. I’m different. People identify with my lack of kitchen skills and not-so-perfect life.” Is that the secret to Sarah’s sleuthing?

 

Yes, Sarah’s ability to be the common person with troubles and tribulations in her past, as well as an ability to listen, makes her a perfect amateur sleuth. People aren’t intimidated by her as they might be by Harlan’s legal credentials.

 

Sarah notices that her mother and sister do everything for the right reasons. Is this an affirmation of values that attracts readers to cozy mysteries?

 

It is an affirmation of the values of good over evil or caring for others that often is found in a cozy mystery. In writing the Sarah Blair series, I strive to bring family values and relationships to the forefront.

 

At certain points in the investigation, Sarah doubts Grace and her partner Mandy’s innocence. Why?

 

Sarah feels, rightfully so, that Grace isn’t being forthcoming with Harlan or her. She also worries that as she follows the money or blood trails that the police chief advocates, Grace and Mandy, based on the information she has, won’t have completely clean hands.

 

Your ending surprised me—the sign of a great mystery. What’s next for Sarah?

 

Kensington released Four Cuts Too Many on May 25. On May 12, I turned in the fifth book in the series, Five Belles Too Many.  In that book, which will be published in 2022, Maybelle and George are one of five finalist couples vying to win “the perfect wedding” in a competition being filmed in Wheaton by a national television show. To Sarah’s dismay, because the rules of the show require each belle to have a live-in chaperone to make sure the belle doesn’t engage in hanky-panky during the show’s taping, Sarah is drafted by her mother to be Maybelle’s chaperone.