Julia Spencer-Fleming:
"Antiques to Die For
sets the gold standard..."

Best-selling author, Julia Spencer-Fleming, the Edgar-finalist author of All Mortal Flesh, read an advanced copy of the fourth Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery (April 2008). She wrote:

"Antiques to Die For sets the gold standard for the classic contemporary cozy.  Agatha-finalist Jane K. Cleland’s writing is top-notch; her plotting and pace smooth and assured. This antiquing series is in mint condition!"

When asked for her reaction, Jane said, "Oh, wow. I’m completely awed."

Cooking Tip from Josie's Mom

"My mom loved to cook with onions," Josie says. "She invented this recipe and it became a staple in our home. Yum!"

Sweet and Sour Onions

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large Vidalia onions
• 1/8 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup melted butter
• 1/8 cup boiling water
• 1/8 cup sugar

PREPARATION:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300°
2. Thinly slice the onions
3. Arrange them in a shallow baking dish
4. Whisk together the remaining ingredients
5. Pour the mixture over the onions.
6. Bake at for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until the onions are tender
   

Serves 2-4 people.

Unpublished Fact About Josie

Josie doesn’t like stuffed grape leaves. "I don’t know why. I just don’t enjoy the flavor."

See photos of Josie's world.

Antiques Collecting Fact:
Did You Know?

"To determine the authenticity of old maps, in addition to all of the standard antiques appraisal procedures," Josie says, "there are four additional factors that should be considered."

"For instance, this map was purported to be a 1792 Jan Barent Elwe’s re-issue of the 1694 Jaillot copperplate, with updates to California and the Great Lakes; entitled Amerique Septentrionale. Amsterdam. It looks right, but you need to be careful. Since collecting maps has gained in popularity, a lot of fakes have shown up in the market."

The four factors to consider are:

1. Is there a dot matrix pattern? Use an 8X-power magnifying lens, a loupe, to see whether there are tell-tale signs of photo-reproduction: You should NOT see a matrix of little dots in the image.
2. There should be a fold mark running down the center of the map. Most of the antique maps that have survived until today were produced for atlases. Any map bigger than a standard sheet of paper would probably have straddled two pages; thus it would have a fold down the middle so as to fit into the atlas when closed. Maps manufactured in the 20th century were meant primarily to be mounted on a wall as decoration, and lack these folds.
3. Most maps produced before the middle of the 19th century were copper engravings. This process creates a little ridge, called a plate mark, around the edge of the map—the result of the plate pressing against the paper. While wood cuts and lithographs do not have plate marks, the absence of a plate mark on a pre-1840 map should raise a red flag, because of the prevalence of copper engraving during that period.
4. Almost all maps made before 1800 used hand-laid paper. This kind of paper was made by pouring paper pulp into a wooden frame. The frame bottom was made of wire mesh in a cross-hatched pattern, which left a mark in the paper.

"We determined this map was genuine," Josie says.

The official Prescott’s auction catalogue lists the estimated value as $2,200 to $2,500.

For other Prescott’s appraisals, see the archives.

New Cover Art Style to be
Used for Antiques to Die For

St. Martin’s Minotaur has decided to change the style of art for the third Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery.

"The murder weapon is part of the mystery in Antiques to Die For," Jane explains, so the concept of ‘large murder weapon, small antique’ didn’t work. I love the new look! Once Julia Spencer-Fleming’s quote is added to the cover, I think it will be just perfect!"

Managing Time Wisely:
It’s All in Your Head

An excerpt from
Jane’s new Blog

For many years, I was the official "cookie baker" for my family’s holiday get-togethers. Chocolate chip cookies were my specialty, but I dabbled in sugar, chocolate, apple, creamy fillings, and other gourmet styles, too.

As the years passed, and I became busier at work, I grew less entranced with the prospect of baking dozens of cookies under enormous time constraints. In fact, to me, baking cookies for the holidays became a duty, not a pleasure. Then came the year when I was up past midnight completing the task. I was irritated and snappy. The next day, I grumbled to my husband that this had to stop. "I’m too busy to bake all these cookies!" I complained. And, cleverly, I thought, I asked him to call my mother and tell her that I was no longer going to bake cookies. He declined.

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