While the cats are away…

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EDITED TO ADD: The winners of the two advance reader copies are ASHLEY CATE and TOMEKA. Please contact me through my website, http://www.sadiehartwell.com and let me know where to send your books. Thanks, everyone, for playing along!

Jane/Sadie/Susannah here, holding down the fort while the other Wickeds and Accomplices are at Malice Domestic…

This will be my second year in a row missing the cozy-fest known as Malice Domestic. Last year, I was in St. Louis at a robotics competition with my son. And this year, because I started a new job, my vacation time was limited. But you can bet I’ll be cheering on all the Wickeds in the quest for the elusive Agatha Award!

So while everyone else is gone, why don’t we have some fun? I just got a box of advance reader copies of A KNIT BEFORE DYING, book 2 of the Tangled Web Mysteries that will be releasing officially on August 29. And I think today would be a pretty good day to give a couple away, don’t you?

Here’s the blurb:

A new business might add some much-needed charm to downtown Dorset Falls—and draw tourists to Josie’s yarn shop. But when someone gets murdered, a close-knit community could come undone . . .

Shop owner Josie Blair is finally settling into the pace of living in Dorset Falls, Connecticut. Between running Miss Marple Knits, jumpstarting a blog, and handcrafting items with the help of her knitting pals, Josie’s too preoccupied to worry about her past in New York. And thanks to Lyndon and Harry, the owners of the brand-new antique shop next door, she has another project in her midst—repurposing a box of vintage crocheted doilies adorned with the most curious needlework . . .

But before Josie can formally welcome her neighbors, she discovers Lyndon on the floor of his shop stabbed to death by a rusty old pair of sheep shears. Police have pinned Harry as the killer, but Josie isn’t so sure. Now, she’s lacing up for another homicide investigation—and no eyelet or stitch can go unexamined, lest she herself becomes ensnared in the criminal’s deadly design . . .

Leave a comment below, telling me what your favorite thing to do is when you have a free morning or afternoon all to yourself, and I’ll choose two winners randomly. Good luck!

Edited to add: You must comment by 11:59 p.m. today, April 27, to be eligible to win. Winners will be posted tomorrow, so check back.

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123 Thoughts

  1. Reading or listening to a book while either knitting, sewing or gardening. I have been waiting for this book for ages! Loved the first one. But I’m probably out of the running, as I live in the UK. 😦

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  3. Susannah, I love the cover art of A Knit Before Dying. I am so looking forward to book two!
    When I have an afternoon alone I clear off a couple of work tables and make a print or two of my pictures. It takes all my focus and in that way has the effect of a little vacation.

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  4. Hi Susannah, I enjoy walking through the neighborhoods of my area as I have seen so many species of birds, deer, raccoons, fox.,etc…It just relieves all the stresses of my job. Thanks for writing a Knit Before Dying, Maureen

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    1. I also enjoy walking, Maureen. It’s really the only exercise I enjoy, LOL! I usually listen to an audio book when I walk–makes me go farther and with almost no perceived effort because I have to find out what happens next.

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  7. I’ve recently become hooked on crocheting (sorry for the pun!) so I’ve been doing that when ever I can grab a free moment or two.

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    1. Debbie, have you seen the titles of our books? We love puns around here, LOL! I also love to crochet. Knitting is very good for unwinding (or working out story plots), but I find crochet to be just as effective, maybe more. My favorite thing to crochet is a granny square. Last fall I made a huge afghan and managed to use up almost all my acrylic yarn–and no two squares had the same color pattern. (I edged every square in two rows of charcoal for uniformity) My son loves it.

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  9. I always like to read when I have a free minute, and if I don’t have a free minute – I make one! The new book sounds like a great fun read.

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  10. When I have some quiet time for myself, I enjoy reading and crafting. Making jewelry or creating greeting cards are two of my current favorites although there are times when I enjoy painting too. The cover of Susannah Hardy’s latest book is very eye-catching.

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    1. I can’t take any credit at all for the cover. Kensington’s art department does an amazing job. At some point I would love to take some painting lessons. I’ve done a few of those guided painting sessions, where everybody paints the same simple painting, and I love working with the acrylics. I’m not very good–but it is fun!

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      1. As my father always told me, practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the better you will become. I started by taking a class as the community college and fell in love with the ability to express myself this way.

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    1. I hear you. These days, since my day job is also in the book business and I am reading manuscripts all day, I do most of my pleasure “reading” through audiobooks, which is a satisfying, but totally different experience. There is nothing like the feel of a physical book in your hand, a cup of tea or coffee on one side and a cat on the other!

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  13. So sorry you’re going to miss Malice Domestic again this year.
    My favorite thing to do when I have free time is read or eat while watching episode after episode of Investigation Discovery.

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  14. My favorite thing to do when I have quiet time is definitely to read … or take a nap. I have a four year old and a 7 month old so it’s a tough call sometimes. Reading usually wins though

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  15. What a fun series! I’m adding it to my to read list.

    On a free afternoon, I like to read, draw, or go for a walk at our local botanical garden.

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  16. I’m free all day since I’m the stay at home part of this equation. Other then cooking, cleaning, shopping and doing laundry I enjoy sitting and reading 200+ books a year and hanging out online most of the day. Occasionally I’ll go out to lunch with a friend or a dinner if my wife is working late or is out with her co-workers.

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  17. In my free time I like to read cozy mysteries and this one looks like a really good one! My favorite kind of book is the old fashion paper kind. I was a librarian for many years and love the feel, smell and look of books!

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  18. This is a no brainer for me. Like so many others here, it’s READ, READ, READ, especially cozies.

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  20. I like to read. If I have some extra time I sit down and read and then when I have to get back to what I was doing I feel much better – refreshed and ready to tackle whatever I have to.

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  24. One of my favorite things to do is to have a cup of tea and to either 1) read a book of
    2) catch up on watching YouTube videos or 3) Sleep in!!!

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  25. Hmmm… My favorite thing to do when I have a morning or afternoon to myself… Depending on the weather and time of year, there is always the garden or working on my latest crochet project…

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    1. Sigh. Gardening. In my heart I am a great gardener but the reality is I don’t put the planning, maintenance, or time into it I should, and it shows, unfortunately. My dream (one of them, anyway) is to have someone else landscape my yard and make it look beautiful. I’m pretty good with crochet flowers, though!

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  28. My favorite thing to do is sit outside and read if it’s a nice day or adult coloring. Love, love, love reading. This book looks great.

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  29. I can’t wait for the newest installment! I bought the first book in a darling independent bookstore on Catalina Island last October. I love reading in any form although there is just nothing like an actual book, that is, when I’m not knitting, quilting, or golfing (now that spring is here in the Midwest)!

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  31. Jane/Sadie/Susannah,best of luck with the new book! (Cats and cozies!)I have found that by far most creative people are creative in more than one area. My time? Mostly reading and writing. I love to cook!
    I have dropped a number of other crafts, but you never know what is next.
    Reading, writing and blogging, (especially the interviews), are my favorites.

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  32. I either knit and watch Inspector Lewis or I read a book with a nice cup of coffee. I’m so excited that this book is finally coming out! I’ve been anxiously awaiting since finishing the first novel.

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  33. I absolutely loved the first book. I couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to read the second book….its driving me nuts to find out what happens!! Thank you for the great adventure!

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  36. Well, I SHOULD do housework or at least catch up on email, but I would RATHER read or knit.

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  37. I love to bake, read, garden in my spare time. I’ll soon have more free time when I retire from teaching in June!

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  38. I enjoy knitting or reading when I have some free time during the day. I tend to knit more in the winter. This is a new series to me, I would love to read “A Knit Before Dying”.

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  39. Got to enjoy your first book. I could not put it down.
    I couldn’t sleep and got up, got a glass of wine and sat and finished the book. I can hardly wait for the second one to come out. Guess I’ll pretend I’m sitting in MS. Marbles shop knitting with the girls. Thanks for a great read.

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    1. You can learn SO much from watching YouTube videos. I recently corrected my lifelong purling problem by doing just that (I had been wrapping the yarn the wrong way, which skewed stockinette stitches on the right side and caused other problems too). Good luck!

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  41. I love to read, Knit ,Crochet and cross stitch. I often have more than one project going on at the same time.

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    1. I don’t cross stitch anymore–I was never very good at it, not careful to keep the back neat so it got all lumpy 🙂 I also usually have more than one yarn project going–just like I always have more than one book going. I tend to leave them all over the house and whichever one I pass by when I’m in the mood to read, I pick up.

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  44. I’m excited for this release!!! I rarely get time alone and when I do I either can’t handle it and end up sitting there pondering the thought or I’m able to get off my duff and get busy in the craft room making cards and other fun papercrafts that I enjoy. Thanks for the chance to win!!!

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  48. I love your books Susannah. My favorite thing is to sit with a nice cup of hot coffee or a large iced caramel coffee and read. Hope this one is another big success.

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  50. I read, of course. Sometimes I knit or make jewelry, in which case I listen to an audiobook.

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