Teacup Tuesday: Every Cup Tells A Story

Oops!  Missed a week.  There's lots going on while I gear up for a BIG new project, finish up Booktown #9, and start a brand new series, while working on other shorter projects.  Whew!  I'm pooped!  But never too pooped for teatime!

On of my favorite albums is called EVERY SONG TELLS A STORY by Randy Bachman (he of Guess Who and Bachman, Turner, Overdrive fame). He performs all his hits, but tells a story about how the song came to be written. I love it.  I never tire of hearing the stories.  Likewise, all my teacups have a story.



 Isn't this ivy cup a beauty? I'm very fond of ivy ... but not growing in my yard. The former owners decided to use ivy as a ground cover around the inground pool. It not only spread around the pool, but took hold in the front yard--taking up a gigantic area near the garage. But it also turns out that ivy is a great place for mice to live.  Eradicating the ivy has been a challenge, especially since it has taken over a portion of our neighbor's yard. They seem content to leave it there, while we constantly rip it out--and it just keeps creeping back. So, now instead of the mice living in our yard, they live next door and visit. We've been able to keep them out of the house, but they're still out there (quite a few of them drown in the pool every summer.  And you know it isn't going to be me emptying those skimmers).



This lovey cup is the big brother to one my mother gave me (same pattern, just half size). If I'm not mistaken (and believe me, she will correct me if I'm wrong), my mother received her cup from a woman who taught her to hook rugs. "Marge" has been gone many years now, but when I pass her house, I always think of that little teacup. When I saw this one at a yard sale, I knew it needed to keep the other cup company.



Another of my yard-sale finds. I almost didn't buy it because there's a hairline crack in the cup, but during the past few years I feel kinship to the cup. Nobody's perfect, why should a teacup be perfect too?  Its perfection lies in the pattern and the graceful handle. I think it's perfectly fine.

Have you got a story to share about a teacup?

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Pet Peeve Thursday: That Devil Facebook

I'd long ago run out of things to rant about, but the more I deal with Facebook, the more I dislike that evil empire.

Facebook started out as a great place for people to hang out and to connect. And it was free.

Then it went public. Already the beginning of the end was in sight, but the end has been creeping closer and closer ever since.
Several years ago, Facebook (and my publisher) began pushing people with profile pages to change up to a LIKE page.  (Once called FAN pages.)  You could merge all your friends from your profile page into a like page and were promised FAR BETTER coverage.  More people would see it. (That was the fantasy at least.  Many authors often LOST all their profile friends, and the process isn't much better several years down the line.)

A lot of authors fell for that and soon found that there were a lot of tradeoffs in having a like page.  Your fans/friends could post, but those posts would be relegated to a sidebar where people HAVE to go to look at them. No more face-to-face communication.

And then Facebook came to promo Like pages. That is, pay for a $5 ad and MORE people will see your page. Only now it's turned out PAY US TO PROMOTE OR WE'LL RESTRICT those who liked your page from seeing you.

Since January, I've started two new pages and have been intensely posting to see how I could get around that "pay-for-promo" (only  the suggested payment per post is now THIRTY DOLLARS!!!).  The thing is, who can afford that?  Even big companies like General Motors have pulled back and stopped advertising on Facebook because they saw NO VALUE.

If I post a link on a page where I have more than 3000 Likes, I might get 500 views.  On a page where I have 1200 likes, if I don't post a link, I might get 50+ views.  Post a link and I'll get 20 or less views.  They actually PUNISH you by posting a link to a blog, website, or anything that takes a Facebook member OFF the site.  (Even when you post a link to another FB site, they still limit the views from people who already made the effort to like your page.)

So what am I going to do?

I'm not totoally giving up on FB. I do like to know what my friends are up to, but to see their posts, I have to go to their actual pages. How many of my readers will think to go to an author's page on a regular basis?  I'm thinking not many. What can you do to keep seeing my posts (and those of the other LIKE pages you've favored)?



Rant over. You may now return to your daily grind. But if you want to know what your favorite authors, TV personalties, and musicians are up to, I hope you'll think about visiting their Like pages.
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Teacup Tuesday: What we'd wear to tea!

Lately we've talked about tea--what kinds you like to drink. Where you like to drink it and with whom. What you'd like to wear when having tea.  Here are some of those comments.
From Beth H. in Dallas, Tx:  "I'd definitely wear my tea dress with the pansies on it. It's not exactly vintage like Pixie's but it looks like it. I made it years ago by a 'vintage' pattern.



Debbie S. from La Vergne, TN said, "Since I've never been to a tea I would want to do it right. I think that I would go shop and find a dress similar to the one that was pictured (since what I have in my closet right now would not work). Gloves might be fun, I would love a hat but they don't always love me, LOL."

Margaret M from Melbourne, FL said:  "I'd wear something gauzy, filmy probably in every and off the shoulder, topped off with a pert little straw hat."

Lisa M. from Centerville, GA said:  "If I were ever invited to an afternoon tea, I believe I would wear something that Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn would wear...classic dress with a nice hat. I know this would be a special day that I would always remember."

Mary P. from Toowoomba, Australia said:  "When I was a child & visiting my Grandfather & Aunt we would be there for afternoon tea. My Aunt would wear long flowing tea dresses, long strands of beads & have bare feet. She was certainly a free spirit. I can totally picture myself wearing the same."



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NEXT TIME:  Let's talk about opening a virtual tea shop. What should it be named?  How do you think it should be decorated? Hardwood floors or rugs? Retro, vintage, or elegant?  What about the china? (Feel free to suggest a pattern!). (Next time, we'll talk about what to serve!)  Leave your answers in the comments section.

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And the winner of the Bonyard tea sample from Latteda.com is Barbara T. from Moreno Valley, CA.  We'll choose another one next week from the comments.  (P.S. We'd love to hear how the previous winners have enjoyed their tea sample!)

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On Audio today--NOT THE KILLING TYPE, Booktown #7

YAY -- NOT THE KILLING TYPE is now available on Audio.

Audible
Amazon
iTunes:
CD from Tantor Media

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FOODIE FRIDAY: The story behind the recipe

Because I'm basically lazy, I'm updating the recipes on my Lorna Barrett website at a rate of once a week.  Maybe people will keep showing up to get the next one, maybe they won't.  (I'm not seeing a huge influx of hits, so it's undoubtedly the latter.)

In MURDER IS BINDING, Angelica makes homemade meat sauce.  Well, there's always a little bit of me (okay, sometimes a LOT of me) in my books, and there's always a story behind every favorite recipe.

When I was growing up, my mother made sauce from scratch. So, the first time I invited my boyfriend over and made him a home cooked meal, I decided to make my sauce from scratch, too. We always had spareribs, meatballs, and sausage in the sauce we ate growing up.  I never cared for the pasta--just the sauce (and LOTS of Italian bread plastered with butter).

I decided to impress this boyfriend (now known as Mr. L) by making homemade lasagna WITH my mother's homemade sauce. I spent the ENTIRE DAY in the kitchen.  The house smelled HEAVENLY. (Formerly) Mr. S showed up, and when I brought out this GIGANTIC lasagna, he ate ONE TINY PIECE. I offered to send a big chunk of it home with him (hey, he had three teenagers at home) and he said, "No, thank you."

Let me tell you, Mr. S lost a helluva lot of points that night. In retrospect, he says he was a fool to turn down the leftovers, but his excuse was he didn't want to look grabby. My mother, father, and I ate that lasagna for a week. (Damn fine it was, too.)

Anyway, long story short(er), the recipe this week is my mom's homemade sauce. You're going to love it.
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Want your own Foodie Friday mug?  Get one here!
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Tea for two ... dogs and more!

By guest blogger Mary Jane Maffini

Winter is hanging around into April, longer and more unpredictable than usual. That means there are still days when it seems like I have a death grip on the steering wheel for hours because of icy roads and rough conditions.  Plus, we seem to have Olympic size potholes on our street. Simple errands cause my back muscles to knot. That’s when it’s great to come home to the words, “I put the tea on.”

I think this is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for a person.



Of course, as the dogs can’t be counted on to do that, it can only be the Little Mister. I truly appreciate this when it happens. It’s such a lovely thought and it’s a great way to unwind and share a little break together. I’m hoping to get him trained to set things up like this.

However, he’s a mug kind of guy. What can I say?  Sometimes a mug is just what the doctor ordered.  I know we all love (and I mean LOVE) teacups here on Teacup Tuesday, but tell the truth, do you sometimes take great pleasure in a very large mug of hot tea?  Especially if it’s in front of the fireplace and there’s a dog or two to snuggle up with.

So tell me, does a cup or mug of tea make your day? Would you prefer to substitute cats for dogs?  We make our own rules here – let’s hear yours.

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The very versatile Mary Jane Maffini writes a number of mystery series (The Camilla McFee, Fiona Silk, and Charlotte Adams Mysteries) and is also part of the mother-daughter mystery writing team of Victoria Abbott with the Book Collector Mysteries.  The first in that series is The Christie Curse.

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The winner of the Tea for One is Beth H. from Dallas, TX.
 


The winner of the Boneyard Tea sample from Latteda.com is Lisa M from Centerville, GA.

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Hot off the Press!

Audio Bonanza!

Wow--it was terrific to hear that the Booktown Mysteries were going to continue on audio.  Yesterday Murder on the Half Shelf was released.  What I like best about this new contract is that they're not only selling them as MP3 downloads (did you know you can listen to them on your Kindle?), but also as CDs.

I have to admit, while I do have a couple of MP3 players, I've never downloaded a book to either of them. I still prefer to listen to a CD and maybe that's because I used to listen to a LOT of loud music with earphones, and now I want to protect my hearing as much as possible. (I rarely listen to my MP3 player with earbuds.  I have tiny speakers that sound surprisingly good.  Great for when you travel.)

I hope many libraries will buy the new edition and that a lot of people will get enjoyment out of the rest of the series. (Sadly, there are no plans to put the first five books on CD.)
It's available from:

Audible | Amazon | iTunes| and discounted from the publisher, Tantor Media

Next Up:  Not The Killing Type.  It'll be released on April 14th. They did a nice job with the cover.

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Teacup Tuesday: Cups, dresses, tea and so much more!

As you know, I am crazy mad for bone china teacups -- so much so that I "rescue" them and try to find new, loving homes for them. That's what Teacup Tuesday is all about.  I regift what was probably a gift from someone else and the happy cycle continues. The cups are once-again admired, appreciated, and hopefully used and enjoyed.

But here's a problem I've run into more than once ... people enter my contests and don't always give me complete information.  Several weeks ago, Sharon S. won the bone china mug.  YAY!



However, Sharon never signed up for my newsletter so I don't have any information on her, just her email address from when she entered the contest. I've contacted her via email twice, and left messages on Facebook for her to no avail. Sharon's loss will be someone else's gain, and that someone else is Cindy H. from Council Bluffs, IA.

Meanwhile, this weeks winner of the free sample of Boneyard tea (doesn't that sound mysterious?) from Latteda.com is Toni N. from Carol Stream, Il.

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I've had a lot of fun with my character Pixie Poe in the Booktown Mysteries.  As it happens, there's a scene in Book Clubbed (that will be debut in July) where Angelica holds a tea party at Haven't Got a Clue ... and Pixie and Mr. Everett can only stand there and watch the festivities with mouths watering. If you've read the latest Booktown Books, you know that Pixie only dresses in vintage clothes. If she went to a tea party, she'd wear something stunning like this dress.


Which leads me to this week's discussion topic:  What would you wear to afternoon tea? 

To enter, you need to answer the question and supply your SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS. (When you enter the contest, you agree to be added to my mailing list (if you aren't already there).  Send your entry to Lorna @ LornaBarrett.com (close up those spaces).

By the way, I'd love to hear from past winners.  Are you enjoying your cups?  Did you enjoy your Boneyard tea?  Email me and share your stories on Teacup Tuesday!
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Be sure to drop by next week when my good friend Mary Jane Maffini (who also writes with her daughter as Victoria Abbott) joins us to tell us about her teacup collection!  We'll announce the winner of the floral teacup on April 15th (since it's tax day, it may make someone's day!).

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Miss Marple is ready to BUZZ about Not The Killing Type

Miss Marple would like to create some Buzz for the paperback edition of NOT THE KILLING TYPE, which will be released on July 1st. Send in your entry and you could win an Advance Review Copy of the book, or an Advance Review Copy of Book Clubbed, the 8th Booktown mystery (also due out July 1st--we'll have a contest for that one in a couple of weeks.)

So, what do you think Miss Marple would say about the book?

Foodie Friday: The Miles Sisters talk murder and food

The contest is still on and the giveaway is a Foodie Friday mug.  Wouldn't you like to pour your coffee (tea, or cocoa) into this mug every Friday morning when you read the latest Foodie Friday blog post?  You can ... by submitting a recipe idea for Angelica to make while she and Tricia talk in Booktown #9, which I am calling A FATAL CHAPTER.  Here's what the sisters are saying in this snippet:

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“I change my toast,” Angelica said, raising her glass once again.  “Rest in peace, Pete.” She took a healthy slug.  “But there’s more, isn’t there?”

Tricia nodded.  “Pete may not have died of natural causes.”

Angelica raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Tricia took a sip of her martini.  She wasn’t sure if she’d ever really like them.

She hadn’t told Angelica what Pete had muttered before losing consciousness, but she’d have to tell Grant Baker when he came to talk to her—and he would. Not that what Pete had said made sense. He’d died with his secret and now no one would never know what it meant.

Angelica tasted the [whatever], declared it done, and enlisted Tricia to set the table. She did so on autopilot but had no appetite. She’d been wounded to learn Angelica’s secret and now shocked to hear of Pete’s death.

She wasn’t sure she would take any more shocks that day.

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So, what should Angelica be making for a summer supper while the sisters talk?

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TO ENTER ...

I've been having giveaways on Teacup Tuesday and been trying to chase people down to send them the prizes. No more. To enter, you need to send me your recipe and supply your SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS. And if you enter the contest, you agree to be added to my mailing list (if you aren't already there.) Send your entry in before April 1st to Contest @ LornaBarrett.com (close up those spaces).  The winner will be announced on April 4th.

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An online booksigning!

Not a week goes by when someone asks me, "When are you coming to my town for a booksigning?" The truth is, probably never. More and more bookstores are reluctant to set them up, and since I don't fly (and tend to fall asleep at the wheel when I have to drive for more than two hours), it's usually a mighty long (and expensive) train trip to get anywhere.

But fear not, those of you with e books--and even those without--I can have an online booksigning at any time of the day or night thanks to Authorgraph.



What's Authorgraph? A FREE online service that connects reads to authors.  Authors sign a digital bookplate and the reader can add them to his/her books, or print them out and add them to print books.  (Hey, win-win situation!)

You can request my Lorna Barrett/Booktown books here:  Lorna

You can request my Lorraine Bartlett/Victoria Square books here:  Lorraine

You can request my L.L. Bartlett/Jeff Resnick books here:  L.L.

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Hey, it's Update Thursday -- I'm adding a recipe a week to my Lorna website.  Check out this week's recipe from Murder Is Binding.

Teacup Tuesday: Spill it -- hot or hotter?

Last week, I asked readers to tell me about the kinds of teas they like to drink--bags or loose. Whoa! Lots of opinions there!

Judy D. from Getzville, NY said, "My favorite tea is Mint Brook Meadow’s Peppermint and Spearmint caffeine free Herbal tea. I came across this tea last Spring when I was shopping at  Miller’s bulk barn located on Route 104 near Medina, NY. It is a very relaxing tea and is great if you have a slight upset stomach. I enjoy sipping the tea when I am reading, especially a great mystery book! Enjoy!"

Mare F. from Winsted, CT said, "I grew up with both loose and bags...leaves at my grandmother's and bags at home. My father even brought a jar of "instant tea" into the house but my grandmother shamed him so that it disappeared soon after. Tasted awful! Until the past few years I stuck with bags for convenience sake, but I find  myself ordering more 'I'm at home and settling in' routine each afternoon. I've two cups with china strainers in them and then tea balls at home."

Ruth N. from Dixon, CA said:  My oldest son and shared many a cup of tea. I lost him five years ago and I'm the only tea drinker left in the family. Down to a small pot instead of a big pot but lots of memories of our chats over a pot of tea.  I use both loose tea and tea bags, my son always wanted tea bags like his Grandma from Scotland shared with him.  I've branched out and try different loose teas.

Debbie C. Cottonwood, AZ said:  "At the moment, my favorite method of brewing tea is by teabag because there is a wide variety of places that I can buy them here in town.  However, we've just had the cutest little tea shop open up in Old Town that sells it loose, so I've been itching to try that method as well.  I made a brief venture in while I was waiting for my daughter to come dancing down the street with her ballet troop, decked out in one of her costumes for the Nutcracker for our town's Christmas parade.  What can I say, it was love at first sight. However, I knew I'd have to ease my husband into moving a larger stash of tea into the house.  Last time I brought home six new boxes and he just rolled his eyes at me.  Good thing he loves me. Honestly, I think I just grew accustomed to drinking tea from a teabag from the time I was little.  We would heat the water up in my grandma's old teakettle and then pour the water into a what would now be considered a vintage brown drip McCoy teapot  that already had a few bags in it waiting to be steeped.  Those were precious days sitting in my grandma's kitchen, sipping on tea while crunching on cookies.  It reminds me to make the most of the time I have with my family. But, that doesn't mean I can't be adventurous and try other methods."

Mary P. from Australia said:  "I use both loose leaf & tea bags. I have some very fussy family members who insist upon "real" tea. I generally just add the loose leaf to the pot - no infuser at all. The fun part is reading the tea leaves afterwards. (I'm still waiting for the tall, dark, handsome stranger to appear.)"

Antonette N. from Carol Stream, IL said: "I also love tea and try lots of different ones. On vacation I try to find a local tea - or at least one that 'feels' like the location. Current favorites are White Blueberry by Adagio Tea and Pomegranite Green Tea by Republic of Tea."

Vanessa P. from Seahurst, WA said:  "I too have had many teas that I found only once or received as a gift and then could not find again... my solution is to go see Vicki at my local tea shop; Cascadia Herb'n Tea! She has actually created blends for me!"

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And The Winner Is...

Brenda T. from Howard City, MI winds the tea for one pot and teabagholder.  She said:  "I usually use a tea bag, not because I think it is the best way to make tea it is just a convenient way for me to make my tea.  Such a pretty little tea set!  Would love to win and share with my grand daughters!"

Tracy R. from Paducah, KY winds the free tea sample from Latteda.com.  She said: "To be honest, I have never had tea from loose tea leaves. I am a huge coffee drinker, but I am starting to enjoy tea more. I have a terrible cold now, so I am having a hot cup of tea that is from the Boston Tea Company. My hubby, Jeff, got me a trio of tea tins for Christmas. Right now I am enjoying Jasmine Green from this trio. This is the first time I have had it, and I really like it. I will have to try the loose tea and see which I prefer. I love Teacup Tuesdays!"

P.S.  I still haven't heard from last week's winner (Sharon S), although I e-mailed her.  If she doesn't get back to my before next Monday, we'll be giving the bone china mug to another reader.

Next week ...

Okay .. are you old school and boil your tea water in a kettle ... or heat it in the microwave?  Confess all!