Book Plates Available

If you're unable to attend one of Jane's events to get an in-person autograph in your copy of one or more of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series, you can still have a signed book by inserting an autographed book plate.

Jane's glad to send them for free if you send her a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE). Send your request, and the SASE (first class postage is required) to:

Jane K. Cleland
P.O. Box 3233
New York, NY 10163-3233

Cooking Tip from Josie's Mom
Josie's Mom's Mashed Potatoes

Add cream to mashed potatoes to get the perfect consistency.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large Idaho poatoes
• 2 tabs butter
• 1 tab heavy cream
• ½ tsp. salt

PREPARATION:

1. Peel potatoes, then slice them into 1" cubes.
2. Add potato pieces to 1 quart boiling water.
3. Cook uncovered for 10-15 min, or until fork pierces the potato, but it still holds its shape.
4. While potatoes are cooking, melt the butter.
5. Whisk the salt and cream into the melted butter.
6. Drain the potatoes.
7. Mash the potatoes until all lumps are gone. Don't over-mash.
8. Add in the butter mixture. stirring evenly.
   

Serves 2-3 people.

Write Big and Bold, Says
Cosmo Editor-in-Chief and
Best Selling Mystery Author,
Kate White

An excerpt from
Jane's latest Blog

The idea of writing big and bold appeals to me in every way. I like the words themselves—big and bold—and I like the image those words conjure up for me. If I write big and bold, it's possible that my words will impact people, will make them think, encourage them to do their best, or inspire them to take courageous action.

But it's far easier said than done because what speaks to one reader's heart and mind doesn't necessarily touch another at all. You know that old adage, One man's meat is another man's poison. Certainly that's true in mysteries. To paraphrase, One reader's "big and bold" isn't another reader's "big and bold." The trick, I think, is knowing what's big and bold to your target readers. Here are some big and bold statements that will occur in Killer Keepsakes (Josie #4) .... [MORE}

Antiques Collecting Fact:
Did You Know?

"Prior sale catalogues can serve as an important resource, but only if the catalogue writer did a good job," Josie says. 

"For instance, this casket is purported to have been made for St. Thomas Becket in about 1200," Josie explains.

"The most reliable guide is a catalogue prepared by Emile Molinier in 1903. The dimensions given by Molinier are within half a centimeter of those of the Drey casket and the subject matter is the same. However, the positioning of the apostles appears to be different, raising the question of whether this casket is the one referenced in the catalogue. It's complicated, especially since, if it's real, the value is close to incalculable — certainly in the many, many millions."

For other Prescott's appraisals, see the archives.

Jane's Keynoting February 2, 2008
for the Friends of the Library
Rockville Centre, NY

Jane will be delivering a keynote speech on KILLER ANTIQUES: A Detective's Knowledge of Antiques Helps Solve Crimes.

The speech discusses the three ways that antiques can figure into mysteries: stolen antiques, fraudulent antiques, and faked association.

"I use lots of examples, like a Remington sculture," Jane says, "and paint pictures of how a crime might be committed—and how the antiques expert as detective, might solve it."

Unpublished Fact About Josie

Josie likes word games. "Upwards is my favorite," she says. "But I like Boggle, as well. I'm better at them than Ty, so I win a lot, and that's fun, too."

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