Author Sandra Carey Cody makes a return visit today. Sandra is the author of the Jennie Connors mystery series, published by Avalon Books. Left at Oz is the fourth and latest book in the series. Learn more about Sandra and her series at her website.
Sandra has graciously offered a copy of Left at Oz to one lucky reader who posts a comment this week. -- AP
Sandra has graciously offered a copy of Left at Oz to one lucky reader who posts a comment this week. -- AP
A Creative Potpourri
(potpourri - medley, miscellany, assortment, hodgepodge)
One of the things I like about Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers is its variety, the way it gives voice to people who create in all sorts of different ways. When I say create, I don't just mean making something. I include individuals who look at ordinary things in a different way and encourage the rest of us to take a fresh look at the world - like the tips and tidbits that appear here some days. Very creative.
If you do want to make something, there are plenty of ideas to get you started. I don't know how many recipes I've printed out from this site. I made a few of them; others are tucked away, waiting for me to find time or be in the right mood. The same holds true for the craft ideas; most get filed under "some day." That's OK. I like having a long "some day" list, and if that list includes a few things I haven't done before - so much the better. I'm convinced that taking my creative urges down a different path not only keeps them alive, it makes them stronger.
Writing will always be my first love, but I also make quilts. I am fascinated by color, by the way the mood of a color changes according to other colors near it. I enjoy playing with different shapes, curved or straight lines and the texture of fabric. Choosing the fabric, the colors and pattern of a quilt is very like choosing the attributes of a fictional character. Combining dark and light shades is like working out the details of a storyline: main color, accent color; main plot, sub plot. Writing is almost completely intellectual; quilting is very tactile. I find that working in these two different mediums enhances perception and, thus, creativity, in both.
Sometimes, working in the same medium, but looking at it from a slightly different perspective, produces a needed creative jolt. Left at Oz, the latest release in my Jennie Connors mystery series, is a prequel. In the previously published books, Jennie is a single mom with an ex-husband she doesn't hate - most of the time. In Left at Oz, I show her still married and what happened to break up the marriage. I had a great time doing it and readers have told me that they enjoyed seeing Jennie in a different light.
So, to all the creative folks who contribute to and read this blog, let your imaginations run wild. Try your hand at something you haven't done before. Maybe you'll hate it and do a terrible job, but maybe you'll love it and create a masterpiece. Either way, you'll learn something about yourself.
Thanks, Anastasia (and Lois), for letting me add my bit to this potpourri of ideas.
And thank you, Sandra! Always a pleasure to have you spend some time with us. Readers, if you’d like to read more of Jennie’s pre-divorce life, post a comment. You could be the lucky person who wins a copy of Left at Oz. And don’t forget to check back on Sunday to see if you won. -- AP
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