Molly MacRae has written short stories, two previous mysteries as well as mystery dinner plays. Now, she's launching The Haunted Yarn Shop mystery series with Last Wool and Testament. It's a pleasure to welcome Molly MacRae as guest blogger today. Thank you, Molly.
Putting
the Woo-Woo in the Wool
Knitting,
weaving, a cat, chocolate, crocheting, more chocolate, and a . . . ghost? When
an editor at Penguin asked if I could write a cozy mystery series – maybe with
a ghost – I said sure. I mean, given that chance, who wouldn’t? I did wonder,
though. Ghosts? Me? Could such a creature be lurking in the dusty corners of my
mind? Apparently yes, because from somewhere out of my head, the ghost in Last
Wool and Testament materialized. Who knew being haunted could be so much fun?
Maybe
“fun” isn’t the right word, though. This ghost isn’t exactly the life of the
party. She’s depressed and she looks like . . . that is she’s . . . Well, she isn’t easy to describe. I’d ask her
speak for herself, but it takes her awhile to warm up to people.
Ghost:
Oh sure. Ignore the ghost in the room.
Me:
I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were here. Did you want to participate in the
blog?
Ghost:
It’s very sad when your friends make fun of you.
Me:
I wasn’t making fun of you.
G:
Yes you were. You said I don’t warm up to people. Of course I don’t. I’m stone
cold dead.
M:
I didn’t mean . . . Let’s start again. Would you like to introduce yourself to the
readers?
G:
No. I’ll just sit in the corner and moan.
M:
Um, okay. (She does that a lot, bless her heart. I’ve never known anyone who
could make herself look so much like a heap of dank, dingy rags as this ghost.
Maybe if we tiptoe over this way she won’t notice.)
G:
Yes I will. Just because I’m dead doesn’t mean I’m dead to the world.
M:
Sorry.
G:
Or that my manners died with me. They aren’t even ailing, as yours seem to be. You
didn’t even tell the readers that I’m the main character in your book.
M:
But that’s because you aren’t. Kath is.
G:
Hmph. At least I’m more interesting than Aramis or TTFN.
M:
Her name is Ardis and the group is TGIF – Thank Goodness It’s Fiber.
G:
I thought it was Take Time for Noodles.
M:
You’re being silly. They could’ve named themselves Take Time for Needlework,
though.
G:
Or Take Time for Napping or Nitting.
M:
Knitting starts with a k.
G:
I was talking about nits.
M:
Now who’s being rude? I think we should thank the readers for stopping by,
invite them to visit you in LAST WOOL AND TESTAMENT, and wrap this up.
G:
Only if I can be the one to sign us off. I’ll do it the way Walter Cronkite always
did it. You give me my cue, okay?
M:
(Pretty much all she knows about modern life she learned from steeping what’s
left of her brains in endless television. Whatever you do, don’t ask her about
Gunsmoke or Law & Order.)
G:
GIVE ME MY CUE!
M:
Okayokay. Cue.
G:
Beam us up, Scottie.
M:
Oh for . . .
G:
We’re beamed up. Stop talking.
M:
And that’s the way it is for Kath Rutledge who inherited her grandmother’s yarn
shop in Blue Plum, Tennessee. Thanks for stopping by and if you see Kath, wish
her luck with her new “situation.” She’s going to need it.
Thank you, Molly! I hope readers stop by tomorrow when I review Molly's Last Wool and Testament.
Molly MacRae's website is www.mollymacrae.com
Last Wool and Testament by Molly MacRae. Obsidian. 2012. ISBN 9780451237828 (paperback), 337p.
16 comments:
Looking forward to reading this book. It's working its way up my TBR.
That's great to know, Janet. Thanks for stopping by and telling me.
I've enjoyed the introduction to Maggie and her new series. It sounds great and it must have been a lot of fun to write as well. I have it on my book list and will be on the lookout for it. Thank you, Lesa, for inviting Maggie to participate in your blog!
What a fun post! Nice to meet you Molly - looking forward to reading Last Wool and Testament.
Thanks, Jane! Thanks, Karen! Hope you like the book. I had fun bringing Kath and the ghost to life. Well, not so much to life for the ghost, but at least to print!
And, I'm finishing the book tonight to review tomorrow, Molly. I'm loving Kath. Thank you for taking time to do the guest post!
Thanks for having me, Lesa. I always enjoy talking to readers! Hope the end of the book is satisfying. I should say, though, that although we lived in Tennessee for twenty years, I ran the bookstore for only about seven. The rest of the time I was in the museum world and in the mom world!
This series sounds very much like my cup of tea. I'll definitely have to check it out!
A librarian, bookseller, AND mystery author -- now I know who to say hello to at Bouchercon for some wonderful stories :)
Gigi, look me up - I'll be there. I bet I see you first, though, unless you no longer have the wonderful strip in your hair.
I'm looking forward to reading LAST WOOL AND TESTAMENT. It sounds like it's right up my alley! I love ghost stories, mysteries and knitting!
Gotta love those librarians!!
Hi Molly. I'm looking forward to reading Last Wool and Testament. And thanks to both of you for the fun post/interview.
Thank you everyone! And, looking forward to meeting both Molly and Gigi at Bouchercon. Say hi if you see me first!
Hi Pat and Cinette - hope you like the book!
Thanks, again, for having me here Lesa. Gigi will be at the New Author Coffee Hour Friday morning at Bouchercon and I see you're on the Blog and Bloggers panel shortly after. Cool! I'm moderating the Cooking up a Mystery panel Thursday afternoon with Julie Hyzy, Sandra Balzo, Connie Archer, and Kathleen George. Should be a good time!
This sounds like a fun read - and I love the cover. Is there a cat in the book as well, or just on the cover?
Hi Ingrid - cat? Yes! Incidentally, everything I've ever had published (novels, short stories in Hitchcock) I've written with a cat on my lap. As it should be. (I posted this a minute ago, not realizing my husband had logged into his Google account, so the comment posted from him - hah! Wouldn't he be surprised!)
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