Suede to Rest | Leslie Budewitz

We’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, we’re peeking into Diane Vallere’s not-so-secret obsession!

“You may have heard me say that I write about shoes, clues, and clothes…well, this little lady had something to do with that. yep, I’m a Barbie fan. I didn’t always collect them, though. One day I was wandering the aisles of Toys R Us (long story) and ended up in the Barbie aisle. The first in the seasonal series, Autumn in Paris, was marked down to $20. I was in my early thirties at the time, but I felt like a child, standing there, holding the box, staring at this little doll. Sure enough, she went home with me, and slowly I started collecting more. Several of these were gifts, and I’m totally fine with that. There used to be more, but space limitations forced me to streamline my collection. They all used to reside in a box in a closet until a pipe burst and ruined the packaging (blog post about that traumatic event here). Now I enjoy the sight of them every day!

PS: the background of the photo is officially called Barbie Pink, otherwise known as Pantone 219. I even used that color in my 2015 mailing!”

After two decades working for a top luxury retailer, Diane Vallere traded fashion accessories for accessories to murder. SUEDE TO REST, the first book in the bestselling Material Witness Cozy Mystery Series, was a Lefty/ Best Humorous Mystery nominee. CRUSHED VELVET, book two, comes out August 4. Diane is the current president of Sisters in Crime Los Angeles, and co-chair of the 2015 California Crime Writers Conference. She also writes the Mad for Mod Mysteries and the Style & Error Mystery Series. Diane started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since. Connect with her on her website, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Leslie says: I’ve still got my original Barbie from 1963, in the case, plus the raft of handmade clothes that came with it, courtesy of a church fundraiser. Diane and I would love to hear about yours!

Leave a comment on my Facebook page or blog for a chance to win a SIGNED copy the SUEDE TO REST, first in the Material Witness series from Berkley Prime Crime/Penguin Random House. Ruff the Cat will choose a winner at random—check back in the morning to find out!