Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022

I'm not sure how today is the last day of 2021. What a year it's been! There have been lots of lows, COVID, anyone, but lots of highs too. I asked some favorite cozy authors what the best thing about 2021 was, any New Year's Eve plans (I'll be in lounge wear relaxing with my cats, in bed well before midnight), and resolutions and goals for 2022. Here's what they said.

From Meg Macy

Kathy: The best thing that happened in 2021...

My granddaughter's birth

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022?

More reading! Hoping we can go to Hawaii for our anniversary

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? 

Buying lighter dinnerware! Our Pfaltzgraff is getting too heavy

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

Playing games, usually, a wine cooler, snacks. I'd prefer being in bed before midnight, but the hub is a night owl. 

Meg Macy
National Bestselling Author of the ShamelesslyAdorable Teddy Bear Cozy Mysteries
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Also writing historical mysteries as
D.E. Ireland Meg Mims
~ Witty Mystery, Vivid History ~

 

From Kathleen Kalb/Nikki Knight

New Year’s Resolution:

Do better at accepting that there are things I can’t control – pandemic, family health issues, rejections – and focus on doing my best with the things I can control.

New Year’s Plans:

My favorite family – and Work Family – holiday is New Year’s Day. I work weekends and holidays so I can be a stay-at-home mom during the week. On New Year’s, I pull one last holiday fill-in shift with the same people I’ve been with for almost 20 years, then come home and have a wonderful dinner with my family. Everyone is relaxed and happy and it’s easily the best day of the season both at work and home!

Kathleen Marple Kalb
Author of the Ella Shane Mysteries: A FATAL FIRST NIGHT out now, A FATAL OVERTURE, 3/29/2022, Kensington Books
As Nikki Knight: Author of LIVE, LOCAL AND DEAD, A Vermont Radio Mystery, 2/8/2022, Crooked Lane Books
"Bad Apples" Honorable Mention, Black Orchid Novella Award 2021
https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/ 

 

From Ellen Byron/Maria DiRico

Best thing that happened in 2021?

Pogo, our beloved chihuahua mix rescue, survived a serious injury. He’s 15, so that’s saying something. Also, I was invited to be the 2023 Toastmaster at Left Coast Crime! I’m so excited about this.

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022?

Professionally, the launch of BAYOU BOOK THIEF, the first book in my Vintage Cookbook Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. Personally, our daughter’s graduation from Loyola University in New Orleans. Although that’s bittersweet. I’ll miss her college days.

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? 

Lose. WEIGHT!

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

Good luck getting me out of my jammies on New Year’s Eve! We celebrate twice, once at 9 p.m. PST, when it’s midnight in my hometown of New York. Then at midnight – if we’re still up! 

https://www.ellenbyron.com/

From Nancy Cole Silverman

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions?

More walking, less worry and the start of a new series. Book One, THE NAVIGATOR’S DAUGHTER, drop June 7, 2021.

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

We’re not big New Year’s Celebrators. We’ll go to dinner early, come home and toast the New Year in quietly. 

 https://www.nancycolesilverman.com/

 

From Tina Kashian

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022?

 

As a mother, my oldest daughter graduates high school. It will be a sad and happy time. I will most likely be the mom sobbing in the bleachers. As a writer, I'm looking forward to the release of "Murder in the Mountains," an anthology with nine mystery authors. My story, "A Killer Pocono Hike," features my Kebab Kitchen amateur sleuths. Lucy Berberian and Katie Watson take a girlfriend trip to the mountains, but murder follows them. 

 

 Here is a link to the book for a special pre-order price of $0.99. https://amzn.to/3D41QHk

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? 

Exercise more!

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans? 

We used to go to big parties. Now we get together with close friends for food and wine.

 

From Victoria Hamilton

Best thing that happened in 2021? 

I had two well received books out in 2021, (DOUBLE OR MUFFIN, Merry Muffin Mysteries #7 & A CALCULATED WHISK, Vintage Kitchen Mysteries #10) and I feel so fortunate to be able to do that. That’s pretty special.

But… on a personal note, I started and stuck to an exercise routine, something I’ve never been able to do for longer than a few weeks. I was shaken to the core by the death of a close friend and neighbour in late 2020. He was someone I went to high school with, and one year younger than I am. It shook something loose inside of me; I want to have a long an active life. So I started and stuck to a ‘diet’ and exercise plan (ongoing), lost a little weight, but better, started to feel that exercise is now a part of my life. I’ve become a planking zealot.

Kathy: What are you most looking forward to in 2022

Professionally, I am going to tackle the BIG ONE, the passion project that haunts me day and night, a proposal for a mystery series unlike anything I’ve ever written. I don’t know yet if it will be any good, but I’m going to work on it, then put it out there. 

Kathy: Do you have any New Year's Resolutions?

Kinda/sorta. Christmas of 2020 a friend gave me a 2021 weekly planner. The cover said ‘Make yourself a priority’. Revolutionary thought!

So… on January 4th, 2021 I started exercising and kept it up all damn year, recording what I did almost every day. It has brought some weight loss and better health, but it is also something I am doing just for me, and there aren’t many things I do just for me. I resolve to continue to make me a priority, my health and well being. I resolve to keep working on me, how I can be and do better. I resolve to find a serene place in my mind where I can find peace. Bring on 2022.

Kathy: Any New Year's Plans?

2020/2021 was a couple of crappy years, although I will say 2021, while not great, has been consequential for me. I’ve made some changes. Midnight, New Year’s Eve I’ll be in front of the tube eating Chinese food with the two cats, and watching the two Andys on CNN. I’ll make it to midnight, shout hurrah, and yell “get out of here you stinking lousy 2021”, and hello to a hopeful new year.

2022 has to be better, right? That’s all I’m asking for, is better.

http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com/

 

From Jenny Kales

Celebrating the New Year with a Recipe from Callie’s Kitchen

When I started envisioning The Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries, one of the things I was most looking forward to was the food. True, this is a cozy mystery series, requiring my amateur sleuth, Calliope “Callie” Costas to find a killer amidst cooking assignments, but she is also a Greek American and a Midwesterner. The food traditions are plentiful, and they say a lot about who Callie is as a person. Yes, she is warm, nurturing and kind, but also ready to think on the fly and use kitchen equipment that just might help her in the face of a killer!

Of course, holiday foods play a role in my series. The following recipe for kreatopita, a special Greek New Year’s “pita” or pie, appears in my Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries Cookbook. Kreatopita is hearty and homey, true comfort food, and especially welcome at this time of year. What makes it special is that a coin is placed in the pie and whoever finds it has good luck for the New Year. This pie is traditionally served on New Year’s Day, and it has many derivations – you can use ground pork, beef, or lamb. I’ve included my family recipe for you below. It’s a delicious tradition that you don’t have to be Greek to enjoy! 

 New Year’s Kreatopita

Ingredients:

4 cups finely cut leeks

½ lb. unsalted butter, melted (2 sticks)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs.’ ground beef or lamb

6 eggs

1 -2 tsp. dried oregano, ¼ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp dried basil OR 2 tsp. Greek seasoning blend, if you have it

½ cup grated kasseri (hard Greek cheese – available at many well-stocked supermarkets or gourmet grocery shops) or Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

½ lb. phyllo sheets (pastry sheets), thawed if frozen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready a large baking pan and a sterilized coin. Or, you can wrap your coin in a small amount of aluminum foil. This is also a good way to make the coin stand out so that the diners can see it so that they don’t accidentally eat it.

Sauté the leeks in a small amount of the melted butter until wilted and golden. Set aside to cool. In a large, wide frying pan, sauté meat in olive oil until browned. Set this aside to cool. When both meat and leeks have cooled, stir in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed. Add cheese and mix gently. Add seasonings, plus salt and pepper to taste, and mix thoroughly.

On the bottom of a large baking pan, layer 8 phyllo sheets, one at a time, spreading melted butter generously over each sheet, all the way to the corners. A pastry brush works best. Place your sterilized coin on top of the last baking sheet. Work quickly so that the phyllo doesn’t dry out and cover it up with plastic wrap while you do the next step.

Spread filling evenly over phyllo, then cover the top with 8 more phyllo sheets, spreading melted butter on each sheet, one at a time. With a sharp knife, score into even squares before putting into oven (this makes it easier to cut after baking). If any of the phyllo overhangs your baking pan, carefully trim with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the phyllo looks golden brown.

Note: Warn your guests that there is a coin in this pie, and of course, supervise any young diners so that there are no unhappy surprises. We only want good luck! Chronia Polla! That’s Greek for Happy New Year!

To learn more about my books, visit my Amazon author page: and follow me on Facebook at Jenny Kales Author.

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So, mystery fans, what are you looking forward to in 2022?

Slayed by Souvlaki - An Interview & Giveaway

I'm happy to welcome Jenny Kales back to Cozy Up With Kathy. Jenny writes the Callie's Kitchen Mystery series. SLAYED BY SOUVLAKI is the fifth book in the series and was released in October.

Kathy: In SLAYED BY SOUVLAKI Callie Costas finally gets to travel to Greece. Have you ever been?

JK: Believe or not, I have not been there! It's somewhere I would like to go and my husband was there several times in his younger days; he even lived there for awhile, so he has been a great resource in my research. Visiting Greece was a natural trajectory for the characters in my series and I had planned to send them there for awhile. Given all that has happened in the world lately, I thought that readers would enjoy an exotic escape. I know I did! It was a lot of fun to research the Greek Islands, and I have been told I captured the experience of visiting Greece. I hope readers enjoy the journey!


Kathy: Callie gets to meet a slew of family members, invited by Callie's father to celebrate his recent marriage. In 2019 I was fortunate enough to travel to Poland to meet family members I've never met before. Have you ever had that opportunity? If you had it, would you take it?

JK: How wonderful that you got to do that! Callie gets to reconnect with some relatives in the new book, in particular her feisty and funny Aunt Glkyeria, aka Sweetie, who appeared in the second book in my series, SPICED AND ICED, a Christmas-themed cozy. If I had the opportunity to meet up with long-lost family members in another country, I think it would be very interesting and I would do it. In fact, it sounds like it could be a good basis for a story....


Kathy: Was there a specific inspiration for this story?

JK: Yes, I was inspired by the islands of Milos and Paros, and the various characteristics of these Greek islands. I ended up creating a fictional island because I wanted creative license, but I definitely have some flavor of these specific places, such as parts of the landscape and even some of the tourist attractions.

Because Callie is of Greek descent, I always thought it would be fun to send her to Greece, especially because the atmosphere is so different than her hometown of Crystal Bay, Wisconsin. However, as she finds out in the story, there are many similarities to the small villages she visits and her small town life back home. You'll have to read the book to find out more!


Kathy: Are you able to share any future plans for Callie?

JK: I can share that there are both personal and professional changes coming for Callie. Her family and work life are being challenged in both good and bad ways. Big shakeups, shall we say. And of course, she is always sharpening her amateur sleuthing skills. That's all I can say for now!


Kathy: When it comes to writing I understand there are 2 general camps-plotters, who diligently plot their stories, and pansters, who fly by the seat of their pants. Are you a plotter, a panster, or do you fall somewhere in between?

JK: I feel that I fall in between. I always know the ending and who the killer is before starting a book. I write a complete but not overly detailed outline and I do know the plot before I begin. Along the way, characters may say and do things I didn't plan or expect, and I go with it if I feel it helps the story. Sometimes characters take you somewhere you didn't know you wanted to go, and that's exciting.

Kathy: Authors are required to do a lot of their own marketing, especially for a new release. What's your favorite part of marketing your work? What do you dislike about marketing?

JK: My favorite part of marketing is connecting with readers and bloggers! It's rewarding to know that people are reading and enjoying your books and even trying the recipes from my series. I also really enjoy creating graphics for my posts on social media.

My least favorite part is that sometimes you don't quite know what will work, and there can be a lot of trial and error when you'd rather be writing. But in general, I enjoy the marketing aspect. I used to write marketing, ad copy, etc. so maybe that's why!

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 Slayed by Souvlaki (A Callie's Kitchen Cozy Mystery) by Jenny Kales

About Slayed by Souvlaki

Slayed by Souvlaki (A Callie's Kitchen Cozy Mystery)
Cozy Mystery 5th in Series
Independently published (October 30, 2021)
Paperback: ‎ 267 pages

Greek vacations can be murder! Recipes are included in this cozy mystery set in the Greek Islands.

Callie Costas can’t believe she is finally traveling to Greece with her significant other, Detective Ian Sands. However, this isn’t your average voyage: Callie’s father has invited a slew of colorful family members to his beautiful childhood village to celebrate his recent marriage. Callie is especially delighted to be reunited with her Greek “Aunt Sweetie” aka Glykeria.

The Costas family’s Greek getaway turns to Greek tragedy when murder turns up on the menu at the seaside restaurant of her father’s friend, Dimitrios. A restaurant employee has been killed and Dimitrios is a prime suspect.

With a hodge-podge group of tourists and villagers to round out the suspect list, can Callie help her father clear his friend’s name, before the killer skewers her?

About Jenny Kales

Jenny Kales is the author of The Callie’s Kitchen Mystery Series, featuring Greek-American Calliope Costas, feisty food business owner and amateur sleuth, who lives in a scenic Wisconsin town with colorful characters -- and a high murder rate! Each book contains several delicious recipes, both Greek and American. Callie’s latest adventure, SLAYED BY SOUVLAKI is the 5^th Callie’s Kitchen Mystery series and was released in October 2021.

Jenny is an avid reader, cook and baker and she’s addicted to reading and British TV mysteries. She lives just outside of Chicago with her husband and is the mom of two daughters and one cute but demanding Yorkshire terrier. She's hard at work on additional writing projects including more Callie's Kitchen Mysteries and a new series releasing in 2022.

Author Links: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennykalesauthor/  

Website: https://jennykales.wordpress.com/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jenny_Kales  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennykales_author/

• Purchase Links – Amazon
• Also available on Kindle Unlimited

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A Visit from Callie Costas - Guest Post

I'm quite pleased to welcome Callie Costas to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Callie on the pages of the Callie's Kitchen Mystery series by Jenny Kales. Secrets and Pies is the third book in the series and was released last week.

Callie Costas, of The Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries by Jenny Kales

Talk about biting off more than I can chew. I think I may just have done it this time. First I agreed to bake more pites than I can count for Crystal Bay’s annual Greek Fest, hosted by the local church. For the uninitiated, “pites” is the plural of “pita,” or savory Greek pies made with buttery phyllo dough. These delicious treats are just one of the many things I serve at my Wisconsin-based eatery, Callie’s Kitchen. My dad, George, is one of the Greek Fest organizers and it’s very hard to say no to him when he’s enthusiastic about something. My sense is that Dad agreed without even thinking and is now counting on me to bail him out.

That’s OK. Dad is a great dad, even if he can be just a tad bit meddlesome. Make that a LOT meddlesome, but lately, he’s been trying to keep a tighter rein on that side of his nature.

Summer has officially arrived here in Crystal Bay, Wisconsin. After a long, cold winter and a long, cold spring, locals are ready to enjoy the warmth. We’ve also got our fair share of tourists ready to take a trip to our neck of the woods for leisure activities, including boating, swimming and our usual roster of summer festivals and events. Our influx of summer visitors all have one thing in common: they’re hungry! In particular, they crave my summer fruit pies, especially my sour cherry pie and my blueberry pie just loaded with fresh berries. This is great for my business, but this time of year, it’s all I can do to keep up with my workload.

For example, right now I’m on my way over to The Harris House, a beautiful mansion-turned-hotel, right on the waterfront. It’s a beautiful space with a 1920s-themed interior and bar, and it draws people from miles around. Tonight I’m not just delivering treats. I’m also staying for a show, a murder mystery night, to be exact. Recently, the hotel acquired a new owner, but I haven’t met her yet.

            You’d think I would have had enough of real-life murder for the last year and wouldn’t need to experience a fictional one. The thing is, one of the actresses is my daughter’s teacher, Holly Tennyson. She’s an amateur actress and loves to perform on summer break with a local troupe.

            I’m told that the event is kind of an Agatha Christie-style thing. I can’t wait to see it. After all the excitement of the past year in Crystal Bay, what with some shocking murders that I unfortunately found myself involved in, it will be nice to sit and enjoy some entertainment for a change.

            I’m sure everything will go just fine. You be sure to stop by Callie’s Kitchen for a piece of sour cherry pie and maybe some spanakopita to take home.  

You can buy SECRETS AND PIES, the third installment in The Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries by clicking this link.

Let's Visit Callie's Kitchen

I'm happy to welcome Jenny Kales to the blog today. Jenny pens the Callie's Kitchen Mystery series. SPICED AND ICED, the second book in the series, will be released December 5 but you can pre-order it now. ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK is the first book if you are new to the series and want to catch up!

 
Kathy: Callie Costas is the Greek-American proprietor of Callie's Kitchen. I love Greek food! What's your favorite Greek dish?

JK: Great question. I love so many of them, but spanakopita, the spinach feta cheese pie is my favorite. It's so delicious.

Kathy: Do you enjoy cooking yourself or do you prefer eating someone else's efforts?

JK: I love to cook. I probably prefer it because I am one of those "food is love" people. I truly enjoy cooking and baking good food for my friends and family. Now, my husband is a great cook so when he cooks, that's very welcome.

Kathy: Callie sees a cooking contest as a possible answer to financial woes. Do you watch cooking contests either on TV or in person?

JK: I love Chopped, The Great British Bake-Off, and Cupcake Wars. I used to watch Top Chef religiously.

Kathy: Setting plays such an important part of books, especially cozy mysteries. What makes Crystal Bay, Wisconsin the perfect setting for your series?

JK: My fictional waterfront town is perfect for a cozy mystery because it is a naturally beautiful setting that readers will hopefully enjoy visiting-- but it also can have a dark side and that creates a lot of opportunity for mystery. A large body of water, small shops, tourists, competitive business owners, city types and more rural folks converging in one place -- for me the opportunities are endless for mysteries.

Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?

JK: I love to figure out the mysteries themselves and I thoroughly enjoy getting to know the colorful characters that populate cozy mysteries. My first cozy was probably Dianne Mott Davidson's DYING FOR CHOCOLATE. I picked that one up in the 90s and was thrilled with the combination of mysteries and recipes. And here I am today...:)

Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?

JK: I've written non-fiction (essays, a non-fiction book, articles) extensively as a freelancer.

Kathy: Tell us about your series.

JK: My Callie's Kitchen Mystery series follows the adventures of  Greek-American food business owner Calliope "Callie" Costas -- entrepreneur, single mom and now, amateur sleuth. She's juggling family demands, work complications and personal relationships -- all while trying to keep her business afloat -- and solve murders. She's got a lot on her plate -- literally.

Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

JK: I obviously  love Callie, my main character because she is loving, feisty and smart. But I have a real soft spot for her father. George. I think he's a complicated and heart-warming figure that many people may be able to identify with.

Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?

JK: The setting is inspired by Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a beautiful waterfront town that hosts many tourists. The Greek-American inspiration and food come from the Midwestern Greek-American family that I married into.

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?

JK: I considered the traditional publishing route but kept being told by agents that the cozy market was in bad shape. However, those that I shared my book with really liked it. I decided to self-publish, a decision that I never thought I would make, but I'm very glad that I did.

Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?

JK: I would invite: Dianne Mott Davidson, Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, (my favorite suspense author) and cozy mystery writer Linda Reilly because we've only met online and she's been a huge supporter of mine.

Kathy: What are you currently reading?

JK: I'm always reading a bunch of stuff at once. I'm currently reading Ann Purser's TERROR ON TUESDAY, a cozy mystery set in a small English village along with ALL THE GOOD PARTS, a women's fiction book by my friend and neighbor Loretta Nyhan. And, I'm starting VOYAGER, the third book in the Outlander series.

Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?

JK: I love to read, cook & bake. I also love vintage shopping, hearing retro bands and hanging out my husband and daughters.

Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.

JK: Butter, eggs, sugar, flour! Can you tell that I love to bake?

Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?

JK: I'm getting ready to release book 2 in my Callie's Kitchen Mysteries. It's called SPICED AND ICED and it's set at Christmastime. SPICED AND ICED will be up for pre-order at the beginning of November. Book 3 is in the planning stages. I also have a new book -- more of a traditional  mystery with cozy elements -- that I'm working on. 

Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?

JK: When you get lost in the world of your setting and characters, it's just magical. But now that I've published, the second thing is interacting with readers and bloggers. It's wonderful to know that you have been able to entertain discerning cozy mystery readers!

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SPICED AND ICED is the latest addition to Callie's Kitchen. Here's a link:  http://tinyurl.com/hxd94d3

For more information about Jennifer Kales check out the following links:

jennifer.kales@sbcglobal.net
www.jennykales.wordpress.com

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