It’s a brand new year! I hope it’s a great one for everyone. Wishing everyone peace of mind, integrity, joy, interesting challenges, great reading, and a sense of purpose in the year starting today!
I have plans that I will try to share here soon. I will also shortly post a quick report on the chaotic but wonderful Christmas celebration here in Casa McCullough.
It’s fresh out of the oven and smelling divine! I always make pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving, and it always goes over well with the family. Bonus: I’ve pasted the recipe below. It’s surprisingly easy!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family. I hope you have a great day!
Pumpkin Bread
3 cups self-rising flour (or 3 cup plain flour + 4-5 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. salt)
3 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 cup melted butter
Sift dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Form a well in the center and eggs, pumpkin, and butter.
Stir until moistened.
Pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans
Bake at 350 degrees, 45 – 50 minutes.
It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but Unleashed for Murder has now released in both ebook formats and trade paperback. I’m excited for this book, the fourth in the Market Center Mysteries series.
Market Center Mysteries #4
ISBN: 978-1-335-50561-1
Amazon (print and ebook): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FVG552CL
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unleashed-for-murder-karen-mccullough/1148502547
Other formats: https://books2read.com/u/bMvkV5
Price: ebook $2.99; trade paperback: $11.99
In a previous post about our visit to Biltmore Houe to view the decorations, I mentioned that there was a definite theme. I don’t know if they adopt a motif every year, but this year there was a notable trend toward the use of the outdoors in the decorations. Trees were topped with bunches of red berries or, in one case, a crown of antlers, rather than stars or angels. Ornaments in the shape of pinecones, carved wooden spindles, garlands of wood beads, and animals of all sorts abounded.
The wood ornaments and pinecones were particularly noticeable on the huge, live tree in the massive dining room. This one also featured antlers as ornaments near the top, and garlands of strung wooden beads.
A pair of trees in the huge Tapestry Hall had models of Noah’s Ark beneath them and a variety of blown glass and porcelain ornaments in animal shapes. Pictures of animals interspersed the glittery glass and a very large stuffed or taxidermied white dove with wings spread created a focal p
oint near the top of each.
Mantels were draped in festive garlands that often included fresh or silk flowers. Pink and red roses were used lavishly. Of course, there were huge pots of poinsettias scattered throughout. A docent we asked said that many of the plants were live and real, from Biltmore’s own greenhouse and plant rooms, but admitted that some silk versions were also in use.
But all of the décor was tastefully chosen and arranged, appropriate for the season, and inspired joy.
Roses are a large part of the mantel decor here.
Antlers form a crown at the top of this tre.
Branches of berries crown the top of a tree.
Late last week, my husband and I drove to the Asheville area to visit his sister and see the Christmas display at Biltmore House.
We’ve been there before, several times, in fact, but this is the first time we’ve visited during the holiday season. And it was totally worth the trip.
The crew that runs the house and grounds goes all out with the decorating and the results are impressive. Every fireplace mantel bears 
an elaborate arrangement and each room has at least one tree, including Mr. Vanderbilt’s and Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedrooms.
Because the place has its own greenhouse/orangery as well as rooms dedicated to floral arrangements, fresh flowers and live plants are an integral part of the décor. Not all the trees are live and not all of the decorations are either, but according to a docent we asked, a large portion are.
And they don’t decorate the same way each year. In fact, there was a definite theme this year. I’ll look at that in a future post. But all of the décor was beautifully and tastefully presented, with the theme included in sometimes novel ways. Meanwhile, enjoy a few pictures. (Click on the picture to bring up a larger image.)
Market Center Mysteries #4
ISBN: 978-1-335-50561-1
Pre-order Now!
Ebook: Amazon Kindle Nook Other Electronic Formats
Trade Paperback — Coming Soon
Pre-order price: ebook $2.99; trade paperback: $11.99
Murder crashes the pet products trade show…
The Pet Palace booth is the undisputed crown jewel of the pet products trade show, and its owners, two retired pro football players, bring their own brand of star power to the sale of high-end, luxury gear. When one of them dies at the show, however, he leaves behind jealous competitors, angry suppliers, a line of women he pumped and dumped, and a fiancée he may not even have known about.
Heather McNeil’s job as assistant to the director of the D.C. Market and Commerce Center is mostly about keeping events running smoothly, dealing with disputes, accidents, and conflict. She never signed on for solving murders, but sometimes it’s part of the job, too.
Amidst the plethora of cozy canine couture, upscale pet feeding stations, slick kitty litter boxes, and unmentionable lizard foods, Heather has to sort through the human emotions at play and follow the clues to a killer, all while dealing with her own personal heartbreak.
It never fails! It seems like whenever I have a new novel releasing, I also have a short story in some project that is coming out at the same time. It’s happened with the last two books in the Market Center Mysteries series, and it’s occurring again with the fourth book, set to release on November 12.
But first, the KissMet Quarterly: The Greatest Holiday Romance Stories Ever Written anthology has just released in ebook and paperback. This collection of very short Meet-Cute romantic stories includes my piece titled, “At Any Age.”
Here’s part of a fun scene from the pet fashion show that happens during the story. Note the “I” is the protagonist/amateur detective Heather McNeil, who is assistant to the director of the D.C. Market and Commerce Center, where this event takes place.
_____________
Margeaux stepped up to the microphone to welcome everyone to the show, thanking the sponsors, the pets and their people who were participating, and the audience for coming. She finished by yielding to another woman who did the introductions of the pets, owners, and the creators of the outfits they wore.
Soothing music poured from the speakers as the owners paraded in, leading their canine, and occasional feline or other, friends. The first few dogs marched along the runway in a business-like manner. One balked for a moment, but the promise of a treat got him going again.
A French poodle (I think) in a stylish blue vinyl raincoat and matching booties sashayed down the length of the table platform in a gait worthy of any French human model. The German Shepherd stalking behind him or her in a handsome knit burgundy sweater glowered at the audience. A pug in a Halloween costume complete with elf ears, green felt body and fake legs and feet in the front looked like he wondered why he’d ever thought this was better than life at the shelter. But they all marched obediently down the line of tables and back.
Even the cats were, for the most part, surprisingly compliant, though several wore looks of resignation that made clear they were only here for the rewards.
The ferret appeared ready for anything, even clad in a blue and white knit sweater, and didn’t seem to mind being on a leash, while the guinea pig that hopped onto the runway a few critters later, appeared intent only on squeezing out of the pink knit hoodie. He had to be picked up and carried by his human partner after flatly refusing to budge on the first table.
The audience ate it up, laughing at the animal antics, applauding, and cheering some. Apparently Faulkner wasn’t the only animal celebrity present based on the level of clapping some received.
The show appeared to be going smoothly aside from occasional balky animals. Better than I expected. Something still tickled in my brain, something I couldn’t quite connect. My stomach started to warn that it was in need of sustenance, too. I wasn’t needed here, so I turned to go.
As I reached the door, I heard a grunt, then a screech, followed by a babble of voices and laughs rising into a commotion. I looked back to see what was going on and something rushed past me on the floor, so fast I could barely absorb what it was. After a moment, though, I realized it was a clear plastic globe, maybe ten inches in diameter, with a small, furry brown occupant. I searched back through childhood memories and came up with it. Hamster ball.
Market Center Mysteries #4
ISBN: 978-1-335-50561-1
Pre-order Now!
Ebook: Amazon Kindle Nook Other Electronic Formats
Trade Paperback — Coming Soon
Pre-order price: ebook $2.99; trade paperback: TBD
Murder crashes the pet products trade show…
The Pet Palace booth is the undisputed crown jewel of the pet products trade show, and its owners, two retired pro football players, bring their own brand of star power to the sale of high-end, luxury gear. When one of them dies at the show, however, he leaves behind jealous competitors, angry suppliers, a line of women he pumped and dumped, and a fiancée he may not even have known about.
Heather McNeil’s job as assistant to the director of the D.C. Market and Commerce Center is mostly about keeping events running smoothly, dealing with disputes, accidents, and conflict. She never signed on for solving murders, but sometimes it’s part of the job, too.
Amidst the plethora of cozy canine couture, upscale pet feeding stations, slick kitty litter boxes, and unmentionable lizard foods, Heather has to sort through the human emotions at play and follow the clues to a killer, all while dealing with her own personal heartbreak.
Having taken a week out to talk about my trip to Boston and my grandson’s wedding, it’s time to get back on track, preparing for the release of Unleashed for Murder, the next book in the Market Center Mysteries Series.
I worked for several years as an editor at a couple of different trade publications. The first company was a publisher of a magazine covering the pet products industry. I don’t know that it’s quite as true today, but when you’re an editor at a trade publication, you go to trade shows because a lot of the action in any given industry takes place there, or at least, things get revealed at the shows.
My very first trade show was in the pet products industry, and it was a revelation. I hadn’t been at the show long before I realized that it made a great setting for a murder mystery, or maybe even a series of them. A closed show (not open to the public) restricted the cast, the limited time 
frame provided a built-in ticking clock, and the high stakes offered a welter of possible motivations.
Plus, in the exhibitors, you have a group of people who mostly know each other. They are friends, competitors, rivals, enemies, and sometimes even lovers. Sometimes more than one of those things at the same time.
And the stakes are really high for an event that lasts just a few days. Retail buyers attend to view new products, and they order in large quantities. Some represent chain stores that will make huge deals. A good show can ensure a company’s viability for the next year.
So manufacturers, importers, and other vendors will go to great lengths to draw attention to their products at the show. Elaborate booth displays and contests, including having a basket or bowl for people to drop business cards to enter a drawing, are almost de rigeur. Special events with high-end coffee or food service are common. Product demonstrations and celebrity appearances are frequent. I attended one trade show where a large manufacturer actually put on a small circus that featured magicians, jugglers, clowns, and a high wire act.
I’ve included a few pictures of elaborate trade show booths to give you an idea of what they can be like.
I included several of these things in Unleashed for Murder, trying to work them into the plot in interesting ways. Even the pet fashion show played a small part in our detective’s figuring out whodunit. Tune in to this blog tomorrow for a sneak peek at one of those events – that pet fashion show.
Isabella Stewart Gardner, painted by John Singer Sargent.
Our final day in Boston was the Monday after the wedding. We’d already done some major touristy stuff and were ready for a change. Plus, it was cold, windy, and raining – not a good day for outdoor activities.
I love art and I’ve been wanting to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum for a long time. A rainy day made it a perfect time to explore indoors.
This may be the most eclectic and oddly presented collection of art in the country. Certainly, I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The brainchild and passion project of Mrs. Isabella Stewart Gardner is an Italianate villa centered around a gorgeous and extensive atrium garden. A series of rooms on each of three levels contain mixtures of art work in various media and from a variety of periods, all arranged according to Mrs. Gardner’s sometimes quirky personal aesthetic.
A Medieval carved limestone altarpiece.
Although each room is named, the collection of objects it contains doesn’t generally fit completely inside the theme suggested. Though the walls of each room are hung with magnificent paintings, those may be a hodge-podge of styles and time periods. Works from some of the best-known masters of the past, including Titian, Raphael, Giotto, and Rembrandt, and some more modern giants of the art world like Anders Zorn and John Singer Sargeant, hang side by side with those by lesser known, though mostly very accomplished painters. And each room also features beautiful furniture, accessories, and sculptures, some dating back as far as Roman times.
Visiting it makes for a fascinating and brain-boggling experience. We mostly explored the highlights in this trip, the well-known masterpieces and works of better known artists. But it would take many more trips to really take in all the wonderful contents of the museum. I hope to get back some day for closer study.
Rembrandt, self-portrait
As a mystery writer, I had a secondary motivating interest in the museum. It was the site of one of the most brazen and devastating art heists of the twentieth century. Memorials of that robbery remain on display in the form of the empty frames that masterpieces by Rembrandt, Degas, and others were cut from. They’ve been left on the wall, partly because Gardner’s will stipulates that items in her museum cannot be rearranged, but also as a melancholy reminder of what was lost, and perhaps even a ray of hope that they may someday be returned.
A final irony: on the day we visited the Gardner museum, another, even more famous museum was the victim of a yet more brazen heist, when thieves stole some of France’s most prized jewels from the Louvre.
