Collecting Can Be Murder – Sheila Connolly – #bookgiveaway

Sheila MixersWe’re celebrating the upcoming release of my third Food Lovers’ Village mystery, BUTTER OFF DEAD (July 7—save the suspense and pre-order it now!), with a glimpse of some of your favorite authors’ prized collections.

If you know the delightful Sheila Connolly or her books, you won’t be surprised that she’s got some amazing collections. Killer collections. I’ll let her explain:

early-wake-200h“If one is good, more is better, right? If I like something, I don’t stop with just one—I’m always on the hunt for a better, different, more interesting example of whatever it is (not that I get rid of the earlier ones). It probably started with books, but if you snoop around my house you’ll find collections of rocks (all from interesting places, but none labeled), coffee mugs, t-shirts (100+), antique bottles (dug out from under our house), three generations worth of sewing notions, and no doubt more that I can’t even remember.

Then there’s the antique cookware collection. I didn’t mean to start that one, but one Sunday afternoon a couple of years ago I walked into a small local auction (housed in the basement of my town’s Elks Club) and there it was: a table full of antique cookware. A single lot of 52 pieces, looking as though it had been stuffed in a cupboard in 1900 and forgotten. I had to have it.

Sheila Choppers But of course I had a dark motive: I looked at the food choppers (fourteen of them) and they cried out to be used as murder weapons. I had only to pick one up, test the blade with my thumb, and take a few practice swipes, and I realized how easy it would be to slash someone’s throat with one (not that I said that out loud!). I bid on the lot; I won it. Now I am the proud owner of that dozen choppers, a hand-turned wooden bowl to go with them, seven egg-beaters of varying design, a lard bucket, a handmade wooden rolling pin (that I use and love, because nothing sticks to it), and a whole lot more that I can’t even remember, and a few items I can’t begin to identify.

Sheila The weapon I used that wicked sharp chopper in the next Orchard Mystery, A Gala Event, where a member of the Historical Society in Granford is unpacking a collection of antique cookware to put on display when she’s startled by an intruder and takes a swipe at him with a handy chopper—and draws blood.

And if you like all things food related (as I do), you should order Leslie Budewitz’s newest Food Lovers’ Village book, Butter Off Dead, ASAP!” (Do as Sheila says, kids—she’s got weapons!)

Sheila Cover AGEConnect with Sheila on her website or Facebook.

A Gala Event (Orchard Mystery #9, Berkley Prime Crime) will be released October 6, 2015.

Leave a comment on my Facebook page or blog for a chance to win a SIGNED copy the AN EARLY WAKE, the third in Sheila’s County Cork Mysteries, set in Ireland. Ruff the Cat will choose a winner at random—check back in the morning to find out!

(Hint: if you subscribe to the blog, you’ll receive the posts by email and you won’t have to hunt for them on FB.)

Butter Off Dead (final)

 

(This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by Facebook.)

#butteroffdead

 

35 thoughts on “Collecting Can Be Murder – Sheila Connolly – #bookgiveaway

    • Pigs! My late mother-in-law (who is a character in BUTTER OFF DEAD!) collected pigs. We never knew how many until we cleaned out her apartment! The pig weather vane is now mounted on our front deck rail and gets a sparkly bow at Christmas time!

  1. This looks great!!! I have never read any of Sheila Connolly’s books, but I check The Mystery Lovers Kitchen blog daily and I love her recipes!!! I would love to win this book thanks for the giveaway!!!

  2. I find antique cooking implements fascinating. Thank you for the giveaway – An Early Wake is on my wish list.

    • Some of them are a little scary, though, eh? Makes you wonder what future generations will think of our kitchen gear!

    • Barbara, they really are fun to try (and they work well). What’s interesting is how some fit your hand better than others–it’s really a matter of personal taste, and there are so many to choose from! BTW, they sharpen really well, better than some modern knives.

  3. Some of the most interesting collections people have seem to be the ones they just stumbled upon and got hooked into. Sheila, thanks for sharing yours with us. Thank you also for the chance to win.

  4. I collect stuff — but don’t think any would be considered ‘a collection.’ I just don’t like to get rid of anything once it enters my house — lol. Oh, maybe all the crosses on our walls, or the nativity sets packed away, could be called ‘collections,’ but they really didn’t start out that way.

    • Although Sheila bought some of these items as part of a collection, turns out collections rarely start on purpose. As with Kate Carlisle’s beavers, friends build on other friends’ gifts, or we’re drawn to certain things and decide to look for more, one at a time, as with Connie Archer’s dice — or one day we look up and realize we’ve got a lot of something, as with her masks! Check out the blog tomorrow — we’ve got a fun one coming up!

  5. I love this series: Sheila Connelly has done such a beautiful job of crafting this story! I’ve read the first two and can not wait to see what happens next!
    BTW, I collect hippos, OLD dictionaries, and oddly enough: books 😉

    • Hippos? Hmm, did those come about like Kate Carlisle’s beavers — an accidental collection? LOVE old dictionaries, though we only have one — about 8″ thick! Mr. Right was looking for a place to put it: the shelf underneath the antique school desk!

  6. I would love to win a SIGNED copy the AN EARLY WAKE, the third in Sheila’s County Cork Mysteries, set in Ireland. I haven’t read her books yet, but would like to. Her recipes on Mystery Lovers Kitchen blog! I inherited a number of my Mom and Grandmother’s old kitchen tools and most work better then the gadgets designed to replace them!

  7. Being a music lover, I collected records – 33’s, 45’s and then it was on to 8 track tapes, cassettes and now CD’s, and of course all the equipment to play all of them! Thank you, Leslie and Sheila, for the chance to win this giveaway. T

  8. Teapots and Books are my collections. I have about 15 teapots and about 1,000 books including Kindle. I also think collecting is good for you. Everyone needs a hobby.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

  9. I love kitchen tools. I “live” in Ireland vicariously via a blog called Beltaine. This sounds like a perfect book to win as an intro to your writing, Sheila.

  10. Sheila Connelly is a new author to me but I love the premise of her book.Back about 20 years ago when Beanie Babies first came out, I thought that they were cute, but it wasn’t somethingI wanted to collect and then I caught the fever. I am a recovering collector with an adorable collection. I’ve tried to stay on the straight and narrow since then! So, I would love to read Sheila’s book Collecting Can Be Murder. Thank you, Leslie and Sheila, for the chance to win this giveaway.

  11. I have a cookie house collection. Started because I like houses. Also have button collection which started when I was sewing a lot. Cannot throw away a button. I guess now it is books I’m collecting since I love to read.

Leave a Reply to GramCancel reply