Ta-da! Here it is!

 

The cover to Irene in Danger, second in my series, “Irene in Chicago Culinary Mysteries.” I’m delighted with the cover. In this one, Irene has been in France for a year, running a small café, but she’s back in Chicago now for Henny and Patrick’s wedding, a small but classy affair to be held at the legendary Palmer House Hotel. In the week between her arrival and the day of the wedding, murder, drug smuggling, and kidnapping combine to make Henny doubt she can pull off the day of her dreams. Through it all, Irene remains the diva—demanding, spoiled, always the center of attraction, and yet somehow a sympathetic character.

The arrival of Henny’s family from Texas adds a whole new set of characters to the story—and a new cuisine to rival Irene’s insistence on everything French. Henny includes some of Irene’s recipes, the best of French cooking like a gibelotte, and recipes from her mom’s kitchen. Down-home Texas food at its best. Henny’s mom will tell you the simple way to make the best pot of beans ever and suggest an unusual addition to deviled eggs.

Irene in Danger launches November 14, unless supply chain problems cause delays. For comparison, I’m attaching the cover to Saving Irene, available at Saving Irene: A Culinary Mystery - Kindle edition by Alter, Judy. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, it’s free.

Cover reveal

If anyone asks me what I did during quarantine, my snappy answer is that I wrote a mystery. Watch for it in September in both print and ebook form.

The Daily-ness of Life

Are those not guilty looks?

I’m struck by the daily-ness of life in these perilous times, as the fate of our country literally hangs on one man’s testimony tomorrow. In truth, I don’t expect it to be as earth-shaking as the media seems to expect. I’ve already heard three or four times about “Breaking news”—Comey said Trump told him, “I expect loyalty.” Pressure, yes. Obstruction of justice? Probably not. Comey has already said he will not say Trumpf tried to obstruct justice. I will watch tomorrow’s hearing, at least for a bit, but I don’t expect any “real” breaking news. Would be nice if I’m wrong. For those who remember Watergate what we need today is another Deep Throat with a source and an Alexander Haig to hold things together. Trumpf does not have a Haig around him.

But what I’m struck by is that with all this drama in the background, we all go about our daily lives. Today was an ordinary day for me—desk work, dinner with Betty at a fairly new Italian place. Really good food but limited and pricey menu. Highlight of my food day: I made myself a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and didn’t burn it. My hot plate that operates by magnetic force is great for low, slow cooking—or fast and hot that burns things.

I’m editing the sequel to The Perfect Coed. The new book will almost for sure be titled, Pigface and the Perfect Dog. Someone pointed out that could be a children’s book, but it will have a subtitle: An Oak Grove Mystery. And I’m thinking about cover art. I liked the cover of The Perfect Coed. Today I tracked down the designer and queried to see if she’s interested in doing the new cover. I’d like to use her for a consistent look. A small accomplishment but one that makes me happy.

Thanks to a hint from friend Mary Dulle, I am taking small practice walks holding on to someone but not using the walker. I’m awkward, and Christian says it’s obvious I put more weight on my right leg, but I’m doing it. We figure I just have to practice every day and eventually I’ll make it.

Off to bed to read. What a delicious part of the day.

 

Grandson Ford is a happy and loyal TCU fan

Drum roll please for the cover of Murder at Peacock Mansion

 

Ta-da! Drum roll please! Here’s the cover of Murder at Peacock Mansion! Thanks to Kim Jacobs of Calliope Designs. Kim is the publisher of Turquoise Morning Press, which has up until now, been my publisher. The press is now focusing on romance—no more mysteries—so I will self-publish the new one (I already did that with The Perfect Coed with fair success, but I hope to get better at the self-publishing game with this new title). Kim did such wonderful covers for both the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries and the Blue Plate Mysteries that I asked if she’d continue to do my covers. By happy coincidence, she’s part of a design group. I love what she came up with on the first try and am delighted to reveal it.

I have spent the entire day, except for Wednesday night dinner with Betty, at my computer dealing with first edits on the Peacock manuscript. I sent the editor, the wonderful Lourdes Venard, what I thought was a clean manuscript. She proved to me again how important it is to have a professional editor. She caught everything from commas I should have put in and typos (how did bottom become bppyypm?) to major development flaws—the man lurking in the bushes who is never again mentioned, the strange fellow who gives Kate a ride and then disappears—is he related to the action? There were scenes where a character suddenly became a part of the action though he wasn’t originally there.

It’s been a long day, but I think the book will really be better for all the work both Lourdes and I have put into it. Sometimes I’m a slow learner with a tendency to think I can do all things myself…but I can’t. I know have valued help—a cover designer, an editor, a web maven. It takes a village to help me with a book.

I’m simultaneously taking an online course in self-publishing. Now the question is if I can post this book myself or need to pay someone to format it. Self-publishing may let you get all the profits, but it also costs money. I’m not enough of an accountant to figure out that balance sheet.

Anyway, long story short, how do you like the cover?