It’s the last Wicked Wednesday of February. The theme this month is wishing and we’re celebrating the release of Shucked Apart, the ninth Maine Clambake Mystery. In the book, Andie Greatorex shows up at Julia Snowden’s door seeking help investigating the robbery of two buckets of oyster spat, baby oysters worth $35,000. While Julia has helped the State Police Major Crimes Unit solve several murders, no one unknown to her has ever approached for help solving a non-murderous crime before this.
Wickeds, if someone were to show up at your door and invite you on an adventure, who do you wish it was and what would they invite you to do?
I’m giving away a signed copy of Shucked Apart to one commenter who answers the same question.
Edith/Maddie: That’s a good one, Barb. I kind of wish midwife Rose Carroll would ask me to provide additional support at an 1890 birth she was about to attend, one where she also thought we would learn something important about a crime in town. More realistically I wish Leslie Karst would invite me on a personally guided foodie tour of Hawaii. A good friend, warm feet, schmoozing about writing, and delicious food? (Plus she loves bourbon as much as I do.) That’s my kind of adventure.
Liz: I kind of love this question! At the moment, I’ve been completely obsessed with Bosch on Amazon Prime and I would be more than happy to accompany Harry on one of his cases. He’s kind of perfect – he hates authority, he’s passionate about what he feels is right, and he loves jazz. It would definitely be an adventure!
Julie: Congratulations on the release, Barb! Two buckets of spat worth $35,000. I can’t wait to read this latest adventure. I’m listening to the Amelia Peabody series, having read the series several times. I’d love to visit her Egypt, with her family. In real life, I’d love to plan a travel adventure for 2022 with any one of the friends I’ve had adventures with in the past.
Jessie: Congratulations, Barb! I love the intriguing bits or research that seem to spark your novels! I have two people I would love to come knocking. One is Tuppence Beresford. She has such an adventurous spirit, not to mention a fondness for hats which I share! We could make stops at milliners a part of our adventure. The other, is Merlin. I would adore being whisked off by a powerful wizard to wherever he suggested!
Barb: Oooh, Merlin! That brings up all kinds of interesting possibilities. I do love the idea of time travel. I’d like one of my ancestors to knock on my door and show me 18th century New York City.
Sherry: I can’t wait to read the final version of Shucked Off, Barb. The version I read was fantastic. I’d love to have Jane Austen show up at my door and take me make to her world for a few days — only a few days — I like my modern conveniences way too much.
Readers: Same question–If someone were to show up at your door and invite you on an adventure, who do you wish it was and what would they invite you to do? One lucky commenter will receive a hot-off-the-press copy of Shucked Apart.
It didn’t happen pre-COVID; not happening DURING COVID. It’ll have to be a REALLY intriguing case to get me out POST-COVID as I suspect I shall still have a long queue of past-due ARCs and unread emails (currently 8,981).
I definitely should have specified post-covid on this post.
It would have been my friend Blanche and it would have been to go on a trip together like either up to Maine or maybe on a cruise. It would have been so much fun. That would have had to be pre covid. Blanche got the virus and when they were taking the breathing tube out, she had a massive stroke. It will be a long time before she can go on any adventures again. I have to settle on my many memories I have as I’ve known her all of her life. pgenest57 at aol dot com
I am so sorry about your friend. I am glad you have those memories.
Oh, I’d love if my sister showed up at my door with two tickets for an all-expenses paid trip to Italy! Hey, I prefer to dream big lol…but it really is an item on my bucket list. There’s just so many wonderful adventures to be found, I do try to find little ones every day, even if it’s on my daily walks outside!
Here’s to adventures big and small. And here’s to Italy.
I’d love for my sister to show up and want to go on an adventure. I’d be up for anything. JL_minter@hotmail.com
This sounds wonderful.
I would love for Rick Steves to show up at my door and take me to see nearly anywhere in Europe. His knowledge of various places is fascinating and endless,
I like the way you think.
I would like to spend a month, OK the rest of my life really, living in a Gilded Age mansion. Some place like a “cottage” in Newport, or the Biltmore, or San Simeon. All expenses paid of course. With access to the clothes, jewelry, carriages, library, and servants. I’d take friends and family, AND a photographer.
This sounds wonderful. Would you permit house guests?
My wish is simple… in this world of COVID … I wish my doorbell would ring and it would be my 19 month old grand-daughter wanting me to spend the afternoon playing with her (although I saw her during the first few months of her life, our interaction has been limited to facetime and one quick distanced visit since Covid shut down travel last March. That, would be the best adventure for me!
The best. I have granddaughters who are little so I totally get this.
I feel so plebeian! I’m going with Indiana Jones (a/k/a Harrison Ford – sorry Calista) and I’d go on any adventure with him!
You focused on the stranger, not the adventure. I like it!
Honestly I would love to visit every location for the Wicked Cozy mysteries with the characters as guides of course. Now about how we will travel, it would need to be like Dr. Who…is there a telephone booth big enough for all of us? Is that the doorbell I hear now? 😉
This is such a wonderful idea. I want to come, too.
I should have said, “And authors come, too!” I have just always wanted to go to New England, especially Maine and to England…just all the locations in your books!
We’re in!
A friend inviting me to explore a hidden tropical paradise. Or, inspired by Sherry, Walt Disney on a tour of opening day Disneyland.
Hmmm…someday? Seems doable.
Edith–come visit, and I’ll take you on that tour!
And I wouldn’t mind a tour by you of New England (during the summer, mind you) that includes lobster, a clam bake, and other seafood delicacies! (And some bourbon too, of course!)
You got it, my dear – we can even head up to Boothbay Harbor for a clambake at the inspiration for Barb’s books!
C’mon out!
LESLIE & EDITH: I am jealous, can I come join you on your foodie adventures?
So many choices! I would love a tour of Paris & a visit to her salon with Gertrude Stein, 2nd choice would be a visit to the Algonquin Round Table with Dorothy Parker.
Bring me along!
I’d like my best friend from high school to show up and we’d go on a road trip just about anywhere.
“Just about anywhere!” I totally get this, especially this year.
Although I already replied above that I want to crash LESLIE KARST and EDITH’s foodie adventures in Hawaii and New England, I will add my own wish to have a travel genie grant me an open round-the-world plane ticket. I would start by going somewhere warm where it’s not snowing, and the food and scenery are divine.
Any of my crime fiction family can knock on me door saying let’s head to a convention.
Would love it if my travel friend brought me tickets to a trip to England.
Yes!
It would be my Sister with plane tickets to Nepal so we could see Mount Everest up close. I don’t want to climb it, just see it in person. Mount Everest has always fascinated me.
Fly right by. I get it.
It would have to be my son I have not seen for over a year now since COVID and he would be taking me to a cabin in the mountains where my 9yr. old grandson, and my daughter in law I haven’t seen for over a year also , and my husband my daughter and her little family -they live in our same town and we are able to see them (I have a granddaughter and a grandson ) and all my siblings and their family would all be waiting and we would all have a Big ol party! I can’t forget our pup Honeybear! <3
I identify with this one so much!
I actually have had adventures with strangers (tho’ they hadn’t come knocking on my door), and the challenges and negatives just made the adventures a lot more fun. As for a wish: I wish when our daughter arrives in April, we could take off for a month or more and have adventures in Egypt, and Petra, Jordan. Not gonna happen this year, but it’s a serious wish.
I hope your serious wish comes true some day.
Good question. Mine would be my best friend wanting to whisk me away with her on a month long adventure around the world. Road trip!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Road trip! Indeed.
I’d love to open my door and find the Lindt Master Chocolatier standing there ready to wisk me away for a private tour of the chocolate factory, including free samples. A girl can dream, can’t she?
This is a very intriguing dream.
I would love the surprise of getting to photograph the 50 states via a road trip!!
I am IN for this one.
I am handicapped and unable to walk. It would be hard for me to go on an adventure. It sounds like a lot of fun.
I would give anything to go on an adventure with Alexander McCall Smith’s Precious Romatswe of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Imagine what fun it would be driving around Gabarone, Botswana, in her little white van!