Collecting Can Be Murder – Susannah Hardy – #bookgiveaway

China CatsWe’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.

Today, a peek behind the scenes with Susannah Hardy, author of FETA ATTRACTION, first in the new Greek to Me Mysteries.

“Over the years I’ve collected lots of stuff: Nancy Drew books, Talking Heads and B-52’s CDs, shotglasses, bad boyfriends, and Hazel-Atlas Moroccan Amethyst dishes, to name a few. But my latest collection is Shafford redware black cats. I inherited one sugar and creamer from my mother-in-law, and then I got another set from her sister, and now I’m starting to get a little obsessed with them. Are they cute? Creepy? I can’t decide. All I can say is I can’t pass a tag sale or flea market without looking for these things.

Elvira

And here’s a picture of my real-life black cat, Elvira. She’s small but mighty, a ferocious rodent slayer, and she’s the real reason I love the china cats. Not that there are any cats in my book FETA ATTRACTION–the Bonaparte Bay Board of Health frowns on them in a restaurant.”

Connect with Susannah and read more about her books on her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter @susannahhardy1

Leave a comment on my Facebook page or blog, for a Feta Attraction Coverchance to win a signed copy of FETA ATTRACTION. 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.)

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

#butteroffdead

 

70 thoughts on “Collecting Can Be Murder – Susannah Hardy – #bookgiveaway

    • Good luck, Debbie! So you’re in the “cute” camp, not the “creepy” one, LOL! I haven’t done much research into these cats yet, but I think they were popular in the 1950s.

      • I love ’em! Wonder if my own almost-black cat — actually a sable Burmese — would think they were friend or foe?

  1. I lived in Athens, GA for several years home to the B-52’s and REM…so I love the B52’s…my colleciton is vintage 1950’s sweaters…the button down the front short ones…thanks for the giveaway…
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

  2. Feta Attraction sounds wonderful! I used to collect Nancy Drew books in the 40s/50s and have many cat figurines.

    • Loved Nancy! She still drove a roadster in that era, but later, it became a Mustang — and the inspiration for the blue Mustang convertible Pepper, in my Spice Shop books, drives!

  3. I love the black cats! My first cat was a pure black stray that adopted us.
    I love reading all the collection stories.
    Thanks for the chance to win.

    • Hi, Barbara! I love tuxedo cats (which I’m not just saying because Ellie is lying on my keyboard reading what I type at this moment) too. You know how intelligent tuxedos are. Good luck!

      • Don’t either of you tell Ruff you love tuxedos! There’s one in the neighborhood and they are mortal enemies. Probably see each other as competition for the same hunting grounds.

  4. I think that they are cute! My mom collects mice figurines all sizes I don’t know what started her on them lol she has two curio cabinets with lots of shelves and so many cute mice. She can remember where she bought them or who gave her which one. If I am stuck for a gift idea for her I always can find a cute mouse figurine for her 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win a copy of your book!

      • So does Ellie! She is so sweet to bring me guts and leave them on the front porch. I wicked hate real mice (oops, slipped into New England Speak there), because my mother let me stay up late to watch the movie “Willard” when I was a kid. But I’ll bet your mom’s collection is super cute! Good luck.

  5. The black cats are adorable, great idea, to have a goal at flea markets, seeking more. What fun. How about the bad boyfriends, where do you keep that collection, and have you found any at flea markets? I have your “Feta Attraction,” and still must give it a read.

  6. I’m not sure if they are cute or creepy, either. My son made a huge black cat like that for me in high school – displayed it but not sure if it was cute or not. Mostly not. My mother collected salt & pepper shakers. My sister has them boxed up somewhere now. I got all the books and cookbooks.

    Love the book title. Always makes me a little hungry, though.

  7. I don’t have a collection of black cats but I do have two kitties that are black! I would love to read Feta Attraction! Thank you!

  8. In the late 50s I remember my mother had a ceramic black panther. I wish she were still around to ask her about it. It disappeared at some point…probably a move in the 60s. I have seen similar in antique-collectible shops since, but not something I collect. Those redware cats brought it to mind though. Judy D.

    • I’m imagining a mystery plot here. Your mother’s statue ends up in an antique shop and you find it, not knowing it was hers, but inside likes a key to a secret place… Sounds like a Nancy Drew mystery!

  9. Since I downsized into a smaller condo unit, I no longer collect anything but books. Of course, they are beginning to take over.

  10. Our daughter collected the original Nancy Drew books. I collect teddy bears (although my husband would say I collect cozy mystery books!). I also have a small number of antique kitchen tools, all in working order, that I inherited from my mom and grandmother.

    • These are all excellent collections! You can’t go wrong with things to read and things to snuggle. Though I guess I don’t want to snuggle the antique tools. I have them too, ones I inherited from my mom-in-law. I use her Foley mill to make applesauce and tomato sauce. Still works like a charm. Good luck, servedogmom!

  11. The cats are a bit of both (IMO). Other than dogs (live ones), I don’t really collect much of anything these days. Oh, except books (of course!). Love FETA ATTRACTION and know whoever wins it will too.

  12. I think I passed “collector” a long time ago. Lately, I’ve been knocking on the door of “hoarder.” 😉 That said, I think that may make me a real-life dragon because I’ve seen how dragons have “hoards.” So what if I don’t hoard gold and jewels, but books, magazines, and makeup? Anyway, I love your collection of black ceramic kitties. Do their eyes follow you around the room?

    • Rhonda, the line between collector and hoarder is probably little more than regular visits by a professional housecleaner!

      • The eyes do follow you, Rhonda! Maybe THAT’S what makes them border on creepy. And there are plenty worse things to hoard. I think they should make a reality show: Real Book Hoarders of Connecticut. Or Yarn Hoarders. I know a few of them too. Good luck!

  13. I would love to read this — a good mystery is a wonderful read — thank you for the opportunity. I love black cats — my sister has one who loves to give neck rubs.

  14. My big collection is my books (of course). I think I actually may have just about every book I have ever owned in my life. There are those in my life that tell me to get rid of some of them (either by donating or selling them) and for those that don’t mean as much to me, I’m willing, but there are just some that I will fight to keep. I actually have one group of books from my childhood (The Baby-Sitter’s Club and all its spinoffs) that I don’t want to get rid of and still hunt for when I can.

    But I’m trying to get my cozy mystery collection to rival it and I hope I get the chance to add Susannah’s book to that someday. Thanks for the chance to have that happen.

      • Agreed! You can never have too many cozies. If you need room for them, get rid of some of those boring home repair guides and old National Geographics. Wait–that’s my house, not yours. Good luck, Meaghan!

  15. I like the picture of your cat. I have a Tuxedo cat, Suzie, and her siblings are two black cats. I collect CD’s and books and other stuff: pens, writing paper, stuffed animals, etc. I have a lot of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books in the attic. Some of them are the older ones. This weekend our library is having a program about Nancy Drew. Mildred Wirt Benson, who wrote some of the earliest Nancy Drew books, maybe 23, lived here in Toledo and wrote for the newspaper.

    • Ellie says “hi” to Suzie and her sibs! I wish I could go to that program about Mildred Wirt Benson. One, because I would love to know more about those early Nancy Drews, which I think were groundbreaking in many ways. And two, because it would mean I was in Toledo and you and I could go to Tony Packo’s for chicken paprikash and those little dumplings. Good luck, Michelle!

    • Thanks! I love my covers. The art department at Berkley Prime Crime is top notch! Which New York sports teams do you like, sportsnyfan? It’s the Yankees for me! (ducking so as not to be hit by rotten tomatoes) Good luck!

  16. Love the ceramic kitties. I’ve always been a cat person, and seeing yoru ferocious real kitty made me miss Smokey and Poogaloo-old age got them-even more. Loved Feta Attraction-all the twists and turns of the plot. I laughed out loud at the scene of your heroine trying to get a table to an island on a boat. Good stuff. Keep it coming.

  17. You are quite right! The black cats were popular in the 1950s. My mother bought me my first and favorite tea pot, a little black cat with a paw for a spout. Just tea for one. My daughter in law came to dinner this week and went home with Feta Attraction, she chose if from my collection of 60 or so cozy mysteries.

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