Book giveaway and a new fan

Best-selling mystery author and my good friend Susan Wittig Albert is offering an autographed ARC (advance reading copy) of her new book, Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover, exclusive to readers of this blog. Leave a comment, and Susan will use a blind number system to choose a winner. Hey, I’m just the middleman here, but glad to do it. Susan’s a wonderful writer, and the Darling Dahlias is a terrific series.

Take a nostalgia trip back to 1934. FDR is in the White House, the New Deal is in full swing, and Prohibition has finally been repealed. In Darling, Alabama, ladies of the local garden club aren’t afraid to dig a little dirt if that’s what it takes to cultivate a mystery. A string of bad luck may have ended for Darling’s favorite barbershop quartet—just when the Dixie Regional Barbershop Competition is about to take place. To complicate things, there’s a serious foul-up in Darling’s telephone system. The town’s party lines may have to go out of business, which would be bad news for the gossips.

This is a charming story of richly human characters who face the Great Depression with courage and grace. Albert reminds us that friends offer the best of themselves to each other, community is what holds us together, and luck is what you make of it. Traditional southern pie recipes (and a little cookery history) included!

And my brag: I got a new fan today. I’ve been exchanging emails about rescuing feral cats with a neighbor I’ve never met. She’s given me great material for a piece for the neighborhood newsletter that I edit. But today, she happened to read the slug line after my signature—it hawks one of my books, Murder at the Bus Depot. She wrote that she’s going to buy it right away. I thanked her and suggested it’s part of a series, and I also have a series set right here in our part of the city. She said she’s going to order them all. I may hire her as a publicist! But it’s proof those tag lines work.

And a meatloaf note: I had the best meatloaf ever last night at the Tavern on Hulen. Menu says the Monday night special is made with USDA Prime. Served with buttery mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. I may have to go back every Monday night.

Don’t forget—leave a comment on this blog (not on the Facebook listing) to be included in the drawing for the giveaway of The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover.

Happy Hour

Jordan leaves for ten days in Italy--an overwhelming itinerary--at 5 a.m. tomorrow, so tonight we had a happy hour at my house. Just neighbors, the people who routinely come for happy hour. It was noisy and happy and full of advice from travelers, though Jordan herself is a seasoned traveler. When I travel with her, I simply do whatever she tells me and say, "Yes, ma'am." She'll be going to Rome, Venice, Milan, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como--I know I've left something out. This is a work trip, what the travel industry calls a "fam trip" to familiarize travel agents with destinations they can recommend to their clients. She's had many wonderful trips on the wings of "fam trips" but this is her first European jaunt...and the longest time she'll be away from her husband and son. So there were many toasts and good wishes.

Two dogs slept peacefully through most of the festivities. Well, Santiago slept--he's old and tired and can't be bothered, though he is the sweetest, most loving dog and, being a seeing-eye dog, is perfectly trained. Sophie on the other hand was delighted to have so many people she adores around and flitted from one to the other, though she focused on Margaret who sometimes takes her for a walk. Sometimes she fusses at Santiago because she wants him to play with her, but Jordan caught them in a quiet moment together. Lovely to have two quiet dogs.
I've been working hard--devoting some time to Christmas since my family will be here Dec. 6 for Alter Alternative Christmas. But I'm also writing a thousand words a day, and proud of that accomplishment. Plus I'm trying to promote my new books.
To that end I'm offering two coffee cups to people who tell me the first complete sentence on p. 62 of The Perfect Coed. Winners will be chosen at random by a blind drawing by my grandson. Please include your email and snail mail address when you email me at j.alter@tcu.edu to enter. This offer will be repeated on Facebook and Twitter. Entries close November 24.
Now I have to go bake a Bundt cake to freeze and then write my thousand words. No wonder I'm tired at night.