A Someday Quilts Mystery Giveaway!

Clare O'Donohue writes mystery books, and one of her series is the Someday Quilts Mystery series. I was given an advance copy of her new book THE DEVIL'S PUZZLE to give away! I'm sure many of you are familiar with her work. In fact, Clare was the supervising producer of HGTV's Simply Quilts. She's here with us today with a guest blog.

First, let me tell you a little bit about THE DEVIL'S PUZZLE.

Witchcraft in a small New England town typically harkens Salem, Massachusetts. However, amateur sleuth Nell Fitzgerald finds the upcoming anniversary of Archers Rest, New York drawing out the town’s own dark history of witchcraft, as well as that of its residents in THE DEVIL’S PUZZLE. Nell is thrilled when her grandmother Eleanor’s boyfriend plans a double surprise—restoring the rose garden of her old Victorian house, and a marriage proposal. However, Oliver’s plans are put on hold when a skeleton is unearthed in Eleanor’s backyard. Police Chief Jesse Dewalt launches an investigation, and for once, Nell vows to stay out of his way, instead focusing on organizing a historic quilt show as part of the town’s upcoming anniversary festivities. When clues lead to questions about Eleanor’s past, Nell is forced to uncover the truth. As the anniversary approaches, a chilling wave of vandalism strikes town hot spots, raising fears that witchcraft has returned, and revealing secrets that could change life in Archer’s Rest forever.

The Someday Quilts series includes The Lover’s Knot, A Drunkard’s Path, The Double Cross and The Devil’s Puzzle (Oct. 2011), and her Kate Conway series recently made its debut with Missing Persons. O’Donohue lives in Chicago, IL. Visit her website at clareodonohue.com and the Someday Quilts fan page on Facebook.

 

And now from Clare:

Recently I was working on a hand appliqué project with thin vines and small berries. I wanted each of the vines to be exactly the same, and the berries to be perfectly round, but that wasn’t happening. I’m not very experienced at hand appliqué. I usually piece my quilts and only sometimes do I add appliqué, and usually by machine. So I was struggling.

But I was also happy. It took me a moment to realize that. I was doing a bad job at this project, having to take it apart and do it again (several times on one vine), yet I was happy. I was learning something new and I was caught up in the joy of discovery, without any worry about whether it was good, or worthwhile. I just had fun.

How often, I wondered, do I allow myself – do any of us allow ourselves – to be bad at things, to be new at things? After childhood ends, not often. We expect to be masters at what we do. So, without even thinking about it, we only do the things we have already mastered.

Letting myself be bad at something, and knowing that awkward beginning is the first step toward a new skill, is something that quilting has taught me. And when I look at my slightly crooked vines, my not quite perfectly round berries, I remember that. And hopefully, try to use it as a reminder to be happy even when I’m struggling.

So true, Clare! Thank you so much for being with us today!
To win a copy of THE DEVIL'S PUZZLE, simply leave a comment by midnight CST on Friday, October 14. I will randomly draw a winner on Saturday. Good luck!

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1

Love,

xoxo