How I Write a Short Story, Part IV

To review:  

I have these elements...a time frame (St. Patrick's Day), interesting factoids (people actually DO make their own luck to some extent), a conflict (Clancy hates St. Patrick's Day), and a mystery (why? because it's the day her husband left her). 

I need some activities (Kiki's crafts--I'll have to come up with these), and a resolution (I'll think of something).

I also have a cute sidebar problem. Anya loves animals and when she hears that Laurel owns a rabbit's foot, she goes nuts! (Or course, it's a fake rabbit's foot, but Anya doesn't know that.) 

What else do I need? Well, I need a snappy opening line. Something that sets the stage for my story. It should foreshadow problems, entice my readers, and get the ball rolling.

Now, back to the resolution. I'll need a BIG ending. Remember, I've been thinking a lot about Clancy, and I have a surprise in store for her. To me, a BIG ending would mean a change of luck for Clancy. 

Okay, I've got all my ducks in a row! Again, here's my list for preplanning a short story:

* time frame -- often concurrent with a holiday
* interesting factoids -- research
* a conflict or problem to be solved
* a mystery or a secret
* a sidebar perhaps, or a link back to an earlier Kiki story or book
* activities 
* a resolution

And of course, I already have my cast of characters because it's a Kiki Lowenstein short story. Tune in tomorrow, and I'll get the story started.

How I Write a Short Story, Part III

So Barb H. had a wonderful idea, "Perhaps St Patrick's day has always been unlucky for Clancy because that is when her father died or her husband left her or she lost a child. I am getting all these crazy ideas and am probably off base. I will be anxious to hear what you say!"

Barb thinks like I do! 

So now I have these elements...a time frame (St. Patrick's Day), interesting factoids (people actually DO make their own luck to some extent), a conflict (Clancy hates St. Patrick's Day), and a mystery (why? because it's the day her husband left her). 

I need some activities (Kiki's crafts--I'll have to come up with these), and a resolution (I'll think of something).

I also need to look back over Kiki's world and think about possible ways to tie this story into Kiki's life. One idea comes immediately to mind. In Handmade, Holiday, Homicide, we learn that Laurel has a lucky rabbit's foot--but it's fake fur. We know that Anya loves animals. She would be appalled to hear that Laurel has a rabbit's foot, especially if she didn't know it was fake! So somehow, I'd like to weave that into my story.

We're almost at the end of the planning stage...except that I'd been thinking about Clancy, a lot, and I had surprise in store for her and her life. Keep reading to see what that is!

How I Write Short Stories, Part 2

In Part 1, I chose a theme (getting lucky) and did some research. Now I need a conflict, some sort of friction, because conflict drives action.

Since this is a short story, and not a book, I need to keep it simple. A disagreement. A problem. A minor hassle.

Hmmm.

Okay, what about someone who complains that she is chronically unlucky bumping up against the luckiest woman on earth? These words resonate with me because right now there's a really stupid commercial on local TV where the announcer says, "I'm the luckiest woman on earth because I got to take a three day cruise to the Bahamas!" Her voice is totally annoying.

How would this work?

My readers love to "watch" Kiki teach a class, because so many of them are crafters, too. So what if I have Miss Lucky and Miss Unlucky in the same class? Certainly that could get troublesome. What if they get into a fight? A quarrel?

What if someone bets Miss Unlucky that she'll become lucky with the right lucky charm?

Okay, I like that. But it seems a bit too easy. I want to bump it up a bit. How about a lot of lucky charms? What if an entire class contributed lucky charms and loaned them to our Miss Unlucky?

Now that sounds kind of interesting to me. How about you?

Kiki Lowenstein and the Life Stories, Part !

By Joanna Campbell Slan

As the owner of Time in a Bottle, a scrapbook and craft store in St. Louis, I teach a lot of classes. Sure, it might make sense to delegate them, but teaching is one of my favorite activities. Besides the joy of putting together the projects, I learn so much about my customers, their lives, their hopes and dreams. Usually, I come away from a class feeling inspired.

Now there are those who say the lives of “ordinary” women are boring. None of us have super-powers. Most of us don’t run huge companies. Very few of us make world-shaking decisions. But ordinary women bring new life into this world. Once a child has arrived, we nurture that life and the lives of everyone we come into contact with. And very often, we are there to see death when it comes to claim our friends and family members. Tell me, what’s more important than all that?

Nothing. Because life is all that matters. In the end, we hope that we’ve lived a journey worth celebrating. Scrapbooks do just that. They celebrate our lives, committing our stories to paper so we can pass them along to the next generation.

That’s exactly what I told my eight students on that blustery day in January. “Welcome to ‘My Journey,’ a class designed to help you record your lives. We’re going to meet monthly to share our stories. While this is a scrapbooking class, a lot of our focus will be on journaling. Since it’s often an undervalued part of our craft, that might seem hard at first, but I’ll be here to help.”

“We’re going to be writing?” A slight frown marred the perfectly made-up face of Leah Adagio. Of course, it wasn’t a complete frown because she couldn’t wrinkle her brow, the result of heavy Botox use. I knew Leah by reputation since she ran with my mother-in-law’s country club crowd. To say I’d been surprised to see her was an understatement.

“That’s right. Although you’ll be making a scrapbook, you’ll also be working to tell your life story in words.” At that point, I hesitated as my co-worker Clancy Whitehead slipped into an empty chair at our worktable. I raised an eyebrow to question Clancy. She caught my drift.

“I decided to join the class. I hope you don’t mind.”

As usual, she wore a classically stylish outfit—in this case gray slacks, a matching sweater, and an ivory silk blouse. Her glossy presence reminded me that I was struggling with my post-baby weight. Consequently, I was still wearing my maternity pants and large blouses. Clancy has a touch of OCD, which makes her quite the perfectionist. She’s the first to admit that she goes too far in her quest to have everything “just so.” Although we’ve known each other for three years, and despite the fact I consider her a best friend, she’s still a mystery to me. There are parts of her life that she won’t share. And now she was joining a class designed to encourage sharing. Would she really let down the barriers and let me see what she was hiding?

I couldn’t help but wonder.  Clancy guarded her privacy with all the zeal of the Fort Knox security forces.

Rather than ponder the matter further, I gave my class their first assignment. “I want you to write about a toy you had as a child, and why that particular toy mattered to you. Tell us who gave you the toy. How you played with it, and where it is today, if you know. When you come back next month, please bring photos of the toy or pictures of you as a child.”

The words were no more than out of my mouth when I glanced over to see Clancy frown. 

And unlike Leah, Clancy’s whole face creased in disapproval.

Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for part 2!

Joanna Campbell Slan is a national, bestselling and award-winning author.  She has just completed Shotgun, Wedding, Bells: Book #11 in a mystery series featuring ace scrapbooker Kiki Lowenstein. It’s available at  http://www.amazon.com/Shotgun-Wedding-Lowenstein-Scrap-N-Craft-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00SURBH7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425331179&sr=8-1&keywords=Shotgun+Wedding+Bells

How I Write Short Stories--Part I

I get a lot of questions about how I write short stories, so I thought I'd take you through my process, step-by-step. Just so you know, I don't consider myself an expert. There are probably a million ways to approach a project like this. But perhaps walking through it with me will be interesting to some of you. I'm going to concentrate on how I write the Kiki Lowenstein Short Stories because I'd done so many of them.

Part I -- What's the point? Or what's the theme? What's my goal?

I like to have a purpose behind my stories. An idea or theme or goal. I think of this like the pole of a Maypole because it provides the structure for all that follows. I like to use holidays when writing the Kiki short stories. That works pretty well, because the holiday provides a natural launch date. Holidays give me an easy way to market my stories. And of course each holiday also has its own rituals, foods, celebratory activities, colors, and so on. These elements provide natural points of interest for the story.

I've decided that I want to write a story about St. Patrick's Day. I've been noodling that idea around, and I've been wondering, "What makes people lucky?"

With that in mind, I googled, "What makes people lucky?" and found several fascinating articles:

http://www.rd.com/advice/how-to-get-lucky

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-miglani/making-your-own-luck_b_3988785.html

As you can see, Mr. Wiseman has identified four principles that define "lucky" people:

1. Taking advantage of chance opportunities.

2. Listening to hunches.

3. Expect good fortune.

4. Turn bad luck into good luck.

So now I have four new ideas that I can incorporate into my story. Any one of these or all of them might be useful.

I can move onto the next portion of my prep, creating conflict. To make a short story work, I need to create friction among my characters.

Any ideas on how I can do that?

What's the Difference? Blurb, Review, and Back Cover Copy?

A reader recently asked me to explain a few term that can be confusing. Knowing the difference might help you, as a reader, better discern whether a book is right for you.

Blurb, Review and Back Cover Copy

* In the book business, a "blurb" is a comment made by one author regarding the merits of a book by another author. These are always positive, and usually you try to match the blurber's audience to your intended audience. "Reviews" are written by reviewers, who may or may not be authors themselves, but who are disinterested parties who are weighing in. These are either negative or positive, although certainly you wouldn't share a negative comment on your book itself. "Back cover copy" is a teaser, a bit of a synopsis that will (we hope!) entice readers. Often the back cover copy is written by marketing interns at a publishing house. Several times, sad to say, I've had mine written by young folks who haven't even read the book in question. (Hard to believe, but true.) The purpose of the back cover copy is to give potential readers enough information so they can decide if the premise of the book sounds interesting, but not so much as to give away the whole plot. It's tricky.

 How Do You Get Them?

* I once overheard a bookseller telling a customer that authors pay for blurbs. That is not true! In fact, some blurbs are requested on behalf of a book by the publisher, who goes to another author in their "stable" of authors and asks for a blurb. Other times, we humble ourselves and ask friends if they'd blurb our books. This is tricky, since a refusal can mean the loss of a friendship.

*There are those in the industry known as "blurb sluts," people who will blurb any book by anyone to get their name in front of the public.

* Books are submitted for reviews, and of course, readers are now encouraged to submit reviews to Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, and other sites. There are now services that will review a book for money, and then leave it to the author/publisher whether to share that review. Amazing, huh?

* Also when writing a review, versus a blurb, the reviewer will often structure their reviews so that portions can be excerpted. The professionals are particularly good at this. I use the term "professional" to divide those who review regularly and have training  from those who are simply reacting to a book they've read. But please note, I am NOT disparaging of the reader who shares his/her opinion. I appreciate it! The fact that someone would take time to share means the world to me.

My friend said, "I must admit to being a little puzzled by the back cover copy (of your newest book)." 

* The cover copy is supposed to be a bit puzzling so that I encourage you to pick up the book.This is tricky business. I aim to tease you, but be transparent about the mood of the book. Therefore, I need to simplify the concept, and give you enough so you can make an informed decision, but not so much that you don't feel the urge to buy the book. 

* Certain genres have certain "conventions" when it comes to back cover copy. For example, cozies are full of puns. Thrillers are ripe with hyperbole. It's a way of signaling to the reader, "You've come to the right place."

I hope this helps you make better decisions about which books you want to read. Of course, you can judge a book by its cover--and its back cover, but I must admit, these are tricky sources of information. Now you know why!

Ten Things I Learned from Alice Zinn that Any Miniature Enthusiast Can Use -- Plus a Contest!

 By Joanna Campbell Slan

1.      Label all your storage containers. It makes locating items so much easier.

Win this basket by Alice Zinn. Go to Joanna's Facebook page for details. http://www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbellSlan  and click on the GIVEAWAYS icon in bright blue under the BIG picture of Joanna.

2.      Use plastic storage containers. You never know when there will be water damage. Especially for those of us who live in Florida, this is a key. It should also cut down on the risk of mold.

3.      Surround yourself with things you love. Find unique ways to display them, as Alice did with her shelves above the doorframes.

4.      Collect fascinating containers. Many of Alice's most interesting scenes were inspired by boxes or containers that spoke to her, such as the kabuki theater that began "life" as a household shrine. She's stored more containers in her garage, where they wait for her magic touch to transform them into mini worlds.

5.      Stick to one scale at a time. That said, if you have an interesting collection in varying sizes, you might consider creating a "museum" in which to display these items. Think about it: In a real museum, you would see full-scale artifacts as well as models of the same. The sizes of the artifacts might vary, but that wouldn't be a problem because the setting around the items is always just one scale!

6.      Eschew miniature snobbery. Some of Alice's cutest pieces were found in non-traditional environments. For example, her Southwestern Storytellers were actually eraser-tips for pencils. Another storyteller doll was discovered in the gift shop section of a gas station. But taken together in a miniature Southwestern Museum, their origins don't matter one whit.

7.      Hoard cool stuff. (Like you needed permission? Seriously!) Alice found a tiny jukebox nightlight years ago. It will be a focal point in her "Piano Man" room.

8.      Embrace verisimilitude. Alice points out that real denim shrunk to the proper size for miniatures would be the same weight as silk on our bodies. And that wouldn't look right. The fabric wouldn't have enough heft. So the trick is to find the proper balance between "realistic" and "real."

9.      Fall in love and never give up. Alice couldn't afford Goebel's set of three tiny Alice in Wonderful figurines when she first saw them. Years went by, and she became a successful artist, so when presented with the chance to buy one of the figures, she did. More time passed, and she found the two remaining pieces of the set—and quickly snapped them up. Then when she was at a miniature show, a vendor was selling the empty case for the Goebel's collectibles. Voila! Now Alice has the set she originally wanted.

10.   Question everything. Rather than toss out packaging paper, the kind that has a lot of little slits in it, Alice saw the material as basketry. The tiny heart she made from a piece is truly a-ma-ZINNing!

Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of twenty-eight books, including three mystery series. She loves turning trash into treasure. She shares tutorials are on her blog http://www.joannaslan.blogspot.com You can follow her on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/joannaslan

For a free sample of Joanna's work, send an email to her assistant, Sally Lippert at SALFL27@att.net and request the free copy of Ink, Red, Dead, one of Joanna's mysteries.

Visit Alice Zinn at her website http://www.AliceZinn.com or see her in person at the Tom Bishop Show. For info on the show, go to http://www.bishopshow.com/chiinfo.htm

CONTEST

Win a Zinn! You could win this basket by Alice Zinn. Just enter our contest.  If the link doesn't work, copy and paste this in your browser--

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Valentine's Day! (I'm Feeling the Love!)

Hi Joanna,   I just wanted you to know that I was so excited to find out my copy of Shotgun, Wedding, Bells was waiting for me on my kindle when I went to bed. I had to read "just a little bit." I am now starting chapter 45 and forcing myself to stop reading (it is after 1am) but man oh man that is a tough thing to do! The book is WONDERFUL! It is by far your best Kiki story ever! I know it is full of tragic circumstances, but I am totally spellbound and feel like I am in the room with Kiki. You ROCK Joanna! Fantastic job. I will have to wait to finish it in the morning, but I couldn't wait to tell you how great it is and thank you for writing it. Big hug to you! Happy Valentine's day to a fantastic author and someone who feels like a friend. I can't wait to finish the book!   XOXO,   Barbara Hackel

 

An A -ma-ZINNing Afternoon with Alice Zinn

By Joanna Campbell Slan

At first blush, Alice Zinn's home looks like all the other houses in her neighborhood. The building is pleasant, on a pretty corner lot in a small city in Florida. However, when she opens the door and permits you entrance, you feel like you've fallen down a rabbit hole into an enchanted universe where fairytales and wishes come to life in miniature.

Because she knew I was interested in her workspace, Alice took me on a quick tour of her shop before we had the lunch she so kindly prepared. The converted garage is packed with supplies, as you might imagine, but most importantly, everything is labeled. Alice can put her hands on things quickly. I stood there and turned a tight circle at the stacks of plastic storage tubs that lined the walls and towered over my head. Her computer is at a right angle to the desk where she works, and therefore, perfectly situated for convenience. Although she enjoys working from the comfort of a big cushy office chair, because her work space is so large, she also makes use of a backless stool on rollers so she can scoot along the corridor in her warehouse of supplies.

When you meet Alice, you are immediately struck by her active, seeking mind. Her breadth of knowledge about the world in general is amazing. Her process is one of problem-solving. The pneumatic stool is an example. Its height is easily adjustable, and there's a tray on the bottom so the stool can actually be used to transport items. Really, it's perfect. I found myself coveting this handy seat. Alice laughed and said, "Stop by Harbor Freight. It's on your way home." I did and bought one for myself, a bargain at $26.

Walking from the workroom into the house, I paused to gawk at the shelving over the top of the doorsills. Alice set cove molding a ninety-five degree angle, turning the wood slats into narrow shelves. On these she's displayed miniature chairs in all sorts of furniture styles. There's also a cabinet full of gifts, including a china collie given to Alice by her grandmother. Alice was eight at the time and suffering from chickenpox. Young Alice was bothered by the fact that the dog didn't have fur, which made the piece more like a statue than a miniature pet. Many years later, when Alice decided to make miniature animals for a living, she set herself the task of making them furry, because no one else was doing so at the time.

We passed Alice's bathroom, and oh, my! A person could get lost in there. She's packed the place with tiny scenes, including a shadowbox of Teddy Bears, which houses another childhood favorite of hers. There's also a small nautical scene on the back of the toilet. "Guests go to the restroom and take forever," said Alice. "They get so involved with the minis."

As I wandered around Alice's home, it was delightful to pause and admire all the minis, including one particular castle, a showcase for Alice's sense of humor. The piece is called "Fear of Flying." It depicts a wizard teaching a young dragon to spread his wings.

"Dis-embarking"  *  Photo courtesy of Alice Zinn.

Nearby is a large Japanese house with a most unusual provenance. It was built post-WWII by a Japanese architect who wanted Westerners to see what a typical Japanese home was like. Alice's iconic Noah's Ark scene—"Dis-embARKing"—took my breath away, as I challenged myself to find as many of the 54 pairs of animals as I could. This is harder than it sounds, since tiny creatures scamper their way up the trees and hide in the leaves. The faces on her tigers are truly exquisite.

Her Amish barn scene shows off Alice's commitment to being tech-savvy. To produce two tiny saws and a wagon wheel, she turned to a "plotter," a "Wishblade" by Xyron. This machine allows Alice the freedom to design whatever she wants and let the machine cut it out for her.

A scene with Calpurnia and Caesar, emperor of Rome, delights the viewer, as it is easy to imagine these tiny people come to life. Their costuming is exquisite, right down to the way that Calpurnia's gown is carried over her forearm. The hair on Calpurnia is stunning, her tiny curls arranged perfectly in a noble style.

It is hard to believe that Alice designs the settings, curates and creates the furnishings, and creates the dolls as well. This speaks to the multiplicity of her talents.

Joanna Campbell Slan holding the "piano man" and the "bartender" by Alice Zinn.

In another room, Alice has the "Piano Man" scene she's busy creating for the Tom Bishop Show that will be held in Chicago, April 17-19, 2015. The dolls have already been created, although they have not yet been dressed. Currently, Alice is toying with the placement of the various elements that will bring the Tropical-style bar to life. We discussed where she might place a tiny gift shop, a cute way to display more tropical minis as part of this setting.

When assembling a "museum" scene that depicts various cultures, Alice likes to include a miniature house. These "minis within minis" serve as Alice's nod to the industry and a wink to her audience. They serve as a vivid reminder of the pervasiveness of miniatures through all cultures in all eras.

I left Alice's workshop with my head spinning. In fact, I went into a sort of "craft-induced" mental fugue state. Creativity begets creativity. Watching Alice decide what to place where in her "Piano Man" setting, see all the fantastic scenes she's already made, soaking up tidbits about her process, and thinking of how to apply all this to my own life nearly overwhelmed me. It occurred to me as I climbed into my car that I'd just attended a Master Class in miniatures from a Master of the Craft.

< > < > < >

 

Coming soon--"Ten Things I Learned from Miniaturist Alice Zinn That Any Miniature Enthusiast Can Use"

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Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of twenty-eight books, including three mystery series. She loves turning trash into treasure. She shares tutorials on her blog http://www.joannaslan.blogspot.com You can follow her on Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/joannaslan

For a free sample of Joanna's work, send an email to her assistant, Sally Lippert at SALFL27@att.net and request the free copy of Ink, Red, Dead, one of Joanna's mysteries.

Visit Alice Zinn at her website http://www.AliceZinn.com or see her in person at the Tom Bishop Show. For info on the show, go to http://www.bishopshow.com/chiinfo.htm

Crafts to Do When the Weather Outside Is Frightful

By Joanna Campbell Slan

Snow, snow, snow. The weather report sounds like a broken record. As I write this, the Boston area is bracing for yet another blizzard-like blast, adding more flakes to the growing mountains of white fluff.

Even though I now live in Florida, I remember those winter days "up yonder" when we could get out the front door because the snow was piled up high.  I can still hear the sound of a snow shovel scraping the concrete of our walk. My nose prickles to the smell of the diesel fumes that wafted over the neighborhood as husbands vroom-vroomed from behind their snow blowers. And I'll never forget how my son would send up a cheer at the words, "Snow day!" Meanwhile, I would groan, wondering, "How am I going to keep him busy?"

So I used these memories in my newest book—Shotgun, Wedding, Bells—to create a scene where Kiki Lowenstein's children are going stir-crazy, thanks to days of inclement weather. Because Kiki has a criminal to track down, her good friend Laurel helps out by babysitting Anya Lowenstein (age 13) and Erik Detweiler (age 5). Laurel is a kid at heart, so she comes up with these terrific ideas for indoor fun:

1.      Snow candy – You need good, clean snow for this. So the badder the weather, the gooder the treat! Scoop up enough to fill a cake pan. Stir together ¼ C. butter to 1 C. maple syrup in a sturdy pot. Bring to a boil, watching constantly. (This is a job for grown-ups, of course!) After it bubbles for six minutes, pour it over the snow. The candy will harden. Once it is cool, break it into pieces and enjoy. Alternately, you can use ½ C. honey and ¼ C. brown sugar for your mix.

 

2.      Newspaper sailboats – Grab some newspapers out of your recycling bin. Or grab some paper out of your printer. I could explain it, but instead, go here http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Boat and follow the directions! Now fill a bath tub with warm water and sail your boat.

 

3.      Fashion show – Throw open your closet doors and invite the kids to play dress up. Be sure to take lots and lots of photos.

4. Catalog memory album -- If you're like Kiki, you get a zillion mail order catalogs every week. Since the US Postal Service will keep delivering, no matter what the weather deals us, here's a jiffy way to have fun with those catalogs. (You can also use a magazine in a pinch.) Start with one that isn't too thick, preferably one with a staple holding in the pages. Glue pages together in sets of two or three to make stronger, less flexible pages. Now cover the pages with scrapbook paper--and use those pages as the base for your layouts! This is perfect for kids because there's a lot of activity, but it doesn't need to be precise. They can use a glue stick to add photos, words, or even images they like.

5. Pistachio nut boats (miniatures) -- Going nuts? Why not put those shells to good use? You'll need shells, paper, toothpicks, glue, scissors, markers, acrylic paint and a brush, and buttons. Begin by painting the outside of your boat. (Tip: Tape a piece of masking tape sticky side up to your work surface to hold the shells down.) Now snap your toothpicks in half and paint them. While those pieces are drying, work on your sails. Snip off a corner of your piece of paper so that you have a triangle about 3/4 inch on the longest side--this will be your sail. (Play with these! They should vary according to the size of your empty shell.) Use your markers to add stripes to the sail. Glue the long edge of your sail to your toothpick. Glue the toothpick to the hull of your boat (the painted shell), and finally glue the sailboat to a button or a small piece of balsa wood.

 

6.   Curl up and read as a family -- Your children will be more likely to read if they see you doing it! Need a good book? Send an email to my assistant Sally Lippert at SALFL27@att.net and she'll "gift" you a copy of Ink, Red, Dead for your e-reader.

7.   Plan for better weather--or more of the same! I suggest you pre-order a copy of Shotgun, Wedding, Bells, so you have something fun to look forward to. When the book is released on Valentine's Day, you'll get a special treat—along with this e-book comes a second e-book, your free copy of Tear Down and Die (the first book in my new Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series with 48 five-star reviews on Amazon). 

 Meanwhile, stay safe and stay warm!

Your friend,

Joanna

 

PS Just in case the link to Shotgun, Wedding, Bells doesn't work, try this:

http://www.amazon.com/Shotgun-Wedding-Lowenstein-Scrap-N-Craft-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00SURBH7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423503614&sr=8-1&keywords=shotgun+wedding+bells

An Excerpt from Shotgun, Wedding, Bells

SHOTGUN,WEDDING, BELLS

(Book #11 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)

By

Joanna Campbell Slan

 

Chapter 1

 

Our wedding day dawned like a scene from a fairy tale. Frozen rain coated the freshly fallen snow. The glassy surface glistened like a million tiny diamonds. Icicles hanging from the eaves of our house formed natural prisms, casting rainbows across the blanket of white. Sunlight transformed the long dead banks of mums into mounds, like glittering pillows under a white duvet. The scene before us was beautiful, but treacherously slick. This overnight winter storm had paralyzed travel throughout the St. Louis area. All the salt and sand we’d tossed down on the walkways hadn’t done much good.

Our friend Detective Stan Hadcho guided me along the flagstones, by means of a good grip on my elbow. He escorted me from the back door of our house to the gazebo. As we walked, Leighton Haversham, our former landlord and dear friend, snapped photos so I could make a memory album. That’s what I do. I'm a scrapbooker and owner of a store called Time in a Bottle.

At the stairs to the gazebo, I stared up into the smiling faces of the people so dear to me: my newly adopted son, Erik; my daughter, Anya; Erik’s aunt, Lorraine Lauber; our nanny, Bronwyn Macavity; my fiancé, Detective Chandler Louis Detweiler; and of course, our animal friends, my dog Gracie and Lorraine’s dog Paolo. They’d all stood there patiently in the cold, waiting for me to arrive. Detweiler reached down to take my gloved hand so I could step up and join him. His eyes were warm with emotion, and his gaze was steady. Moist clouds of exhalations floated around all our faces, forming gossamer veils of moisture. As we turned to face Lorraine, who would be conducting the ceremony, Detweiler wrapped an arm around my waist.

Correction: A small portion of my waist.

At eight-and-a-half months pregnant, I’m the size of the Goodyear Blimp. Or at least that’s how it feels.

But Detweiler loves me. I’m carrying our baby, and our other two children are happy and healthy. Even though the overnight storm was keeping much of our extended family from joining us today, our wedding would be a joyous event.

Detweiler’s shoulder brushing up against mine, so strong and solid, augured a good start to the rest of our lives. We stood side-by-side, exactly the way we intended to go through life, as friends and lovers.

          "Not too bad for a wedding thrown together in forty-eight hours," he whispered in my ear as Lorraine (aka “Aunt Lori”) opened her prayer book. There was a chuckle in his voice.

I tried not to giggle. Although I have been dreaming about marrying Detweiler ever since I met him nearly three years ago, this day was a long time coming. Even though I kept telling myself that a ceremony was only a formality, deep down I really wanted to wear a wedding band again—as long as it was his! The legalities of our relationship might not matter much to Detweiler and me, but they could matter terribly to our two kids and to the baby who was kicking imaginary field goals inside me. I’d learned the hard way that the legal system can be your best friend and your worst enemy.

          Initially I'd planned for us to get married in the gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Detweiler and I had even talked about flying our whole family to Las Vegas and visiting the wedding chapel inside a Denny’s. The kids would have loved that combination, wedding bells and pancakes. But my friend Clancy Whitehead reminded me, "You're eight months along. They don't allow women that pregnant on a plane."

          Oops.

          Who knew?

          So I'd tabled that project, and made a notation on my calendar to revisit our wedding plans after December 25^th. I would have hurried through the holiday season and put the idea out of my head, except for something unsettling that happened to my son.

          My sisters, Amanda and Catherine, had asked if they could spend a Saturday baking cookies with my kids. Of course, I said yes. Anya and Erik were delighted. From the big smiles on their faces, they’d had a wonderful time.

“Look, Mama Kiki,” said Erik, as he offered up a small shopping bag. Inside were two shoeboxes and two Pringles cans filled with yummy treats.

“I’ve got one too.” Anya grinned at me. “We’ll have plenty to share with Aunt Lori and Leighton.”  After thanking my sisters profusely, I hustled my children out to the car.

          My mouth began to water as we were pulling away from the curb of the rental house my sisters share with my mother. The car’s interior smelled wonderfully of butter, sugar, and vanilla. Now and then, I caught a whiff of cinnamon.

Sometimes playing chauffeur is a drag, but there’s an undeniable magic that happens when you’re looking out the front window and your children are in the back seat. Remember Arthur Godfrey? How he said that kids say the darnedest things? Something about car rides encourages that. Especially longish car rides.

We were merging onto the heavy traffic on Highway 40 when Erik explained to me that because Detweiler and I weren't married, our new baby would be a "littermate."

          "A littermate?" I adjusted my rearview mirror so I could look at him. My son’s solemn face stared back at me. His chocolate brown eyes, his mocha-colored skin, and his red hair testified to his biracial heritage. He might not be the child of my womb, but he's certainly the child of my heart. From the moment I set eyes on him, I fell in love with that little boy.

          "A littermate? I don't understand what you mean, sweetie.”

          Anya rolled her eyes and explained, "He means i-l-l-e-g-i-t-i-m-a-t-e."

          It took me a while to put those letters into a word. When I did, I nearly drove off the road. "Uh, Erik, honey? Who was talking to you about the baby being a ...littermate?"

          "Grandma Collins," he said.

          My mother. That paragon of parenthood.

          I gritted my teeth. “That figures.” Although she didn’t know it, my Mom had just moved one step closer to an apartment in assisted living. Mom didn’t know it, but the rental house was going up for sale. My sisters and I had several meetings, trying to decide how to cope with our aging parent. In the end, we decided to wait until after the holidays were over.

          Calling my child "illegitimate" marked a new low, even for her.

          I told myself to shrug it off. To consider the source. But Anya turned her denim blue eyes on me and said, "She's right, Mom."

          "Don't worry," I said. "Detweiler and I still have plenty of time to tie the knot."

          Two hours later, the contractions started.

 

<< To Be Continued >>

 

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A Year of Daring Greatly Starts Now!

I’ve been reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and as a result, I’ve decided to dedicate this year to reaching out to other people. That means putting myself in a vulnerable position, because they might “shut me down” or reject me. It involves taking a risk, doesn’t it? That’s exactly what Brown means by “daring greatly.”

Well, so far, the venture has been worthwhile. On a whim, I emailed Alice Zinn, a renowned miniature artist, who lives just up the road, and invited her to lunch. 

I’ll let Alice tell you what happened next: I did a little research on Joanna, including getting in touch with my pal author Camille Minichino. (Margaret Grace to those of us who read her "M" in Miniature murder mystery series.) Camille assured me I would have a good time.

We agreed to meet at Riverwalk Café in Stuart, because it’s halfway between us. Right as I pulled up in a parking space and opened my door, a lady two cars over sang out, “Are you Joanna?”

And so I met the lovely and vivacious Alice. From then on, we could hardly keep up with each other. We had so much to share. Not only does she know Camille, but she’s also a friend to Chris Verstraete (http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/). And of course, she’s familiar with Fay Zerbolio, the curator of the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis. When it comes to mystery writers and to miniaturists, it’s a small world—pun intended.

Here’s Alice’s take on our meeting: We had a lovely two-hour lunch and visit. Joanna knows the owner, Pam, who came by to say hi. I don't think there was a moment of silence!

When Alice asked if I brought any photos of my work, I considered lying. After all, showing my work to a real, live artist seemed pretty silly. Okay, that would certainly be taking a risk, but why not? She knows I’m just a hobbyist. So I went to the camera roll on my phone.

Alice says: Although she had several pictures I liked, there was one piece I really LOVED, a fireplace that looks like a gargoyle’s mouth!

On our way back to our cars, we talked non-stop, but we did pause to admire a Schnoodle (a designer dog, Schnauzer and Poodle mix). I showed Alice a photo of Jax, and she gave me a business card printed with images of her miniature dogs. One of them looks a lot like my pup! (Guess what I want next? An Alice Zinn original of Jax. Wouldn’t that look splendid in one of my mini-homes?)

Alice says: I think the most fascinating parts of our conversation, however, had to do with the similarities of our professions, working in a solitary environment, and what fame on a (no pun intended) small scale is like. We talked about being a self-starter, and she was so sweet about understanding that I'd had to carve out some time for this meeting just a week before I'm doing a show. There was a lot of talk about various forms of creativity, and the differences between doing something creative as a job as opposed to a hobby.

So this week my Daring Greatly gamble was a success. I’ll let you know what happens as I continue to “stick my neck out!”

All best from your friend,

Joanna