Dorothy Cannell:
Reflections on what brought me happiness in 2015
Being part of the Maine Crime Writers community and meeting up at events including
At the beautiful Rangeley Library
library programs where the welcomes have always been heartwarming.
Publication of Death at Dovecote Hatch, second of my new series set in England during the early nineteen thirties. Working on the third – Peril in the Parish – and having a plot shift surprise me in the middle.
Receiving revenue from backlist via e-book sales. It has been particularly pleasing that Down the Garden Path – my second mystery and a non-series – is one of the bigger sellers. Further good news in this regard is that Alibi has picked up Withering Heights and Goodbye Miss Chips and is putting some publicity behind them.
Attending Malice Domestic, Bouchercon, Magna Cum Murder, and Crime Bake. At each had a great time getting together with old acquaintances and getting to know new people – writers and readers. Also spent a wonderful weekend at the Jessup Library’s first Booked for Murder.
Having a short story featuring Hyacinth and Primrose Tramwell (from Down The Garden Path and The Widow’s Club) accepted for the anthology Red Dawn (Best New England Crime Stories) edited by Mark Ammons, Katherine Fast, Barbara Ross, and Leslie Wheeler.
Discovering Ann Cleeves’ wonderfully atmospheric and impressively plotted Shetland Series. Not once in the seven books did I guess the identity of the murderer. I was already an admirer of her Vera books.
Watching English mystery series on TV. I wasn’t enthused about the new modern day Sherlock until my nineteen year old grandson talked me into watching an episode with him and was instantly hooked. My husband Julian and I just finished watching all six seasons of Detective George Gently set in the nineteen-sixties and were bereft until the discovering the availability of season nine of Foyles’ War.
Last but certainly not least is the happiness of the ordinary: Julian bringing me a raspberry turnover after grocery shopping at Hannaford; seeing the bay across the road from our living room windows; staying in my pajamas all day if I wish; basking in the company of our dog and two cats; discovering easy recipes – most recently for baking salmon filets at 400 degrees for twenty minutes in maple syrup and bourbon.
Here’s to 2016!
Dorothy
Kait Carson
Charlene D’Avanzo 
Happy new year, Dorothy!
Congrats on publishing success.
Dorothy
How much maple syrup to how much bourbon?
I’ve just compiled a list of my 19 fastest dinner recipes, which I intend to rotate (the spouse won’t notice) so as to have more writing time. Your salmon recipe will be #20. Also, I now make salad in a huge bowl, with some greens but more pre-cut brussels sprout/cabbage/kale mix from Hannaford’s, craisins and walnuts, hurl on some dressing, and serve from it for three nights. So the greens wilt a bit. Little children don’t die of it.
Anybody out there got some other quick ideas?
Half cup of maple syrup to quarter cup of bourbon – up to two pounds of salmon.
Marinate salmon for two hours before cooking 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Cook with marinate; pour what’s left over salmon when served.
Dorothy
Thank you, Dorothy! The spouse will thank you, too.
Wonderful year indeed, Dorothy! Thank you for sharing! And — yes — your salmon sounds delicious! Looking forward to seeing yu at more conferences, on more panels, in 2016 — and on reading your new books! Lea
Just discovered Withering Heights so read The Thin Woman (wonderful!) and now looking forward to the rest in series – thank you!
Glad you enjoyed The Thin Woman. Hope you will try my new series.
Dorothy
So pleased to have been a part of one of the good things in your year.
Congrats on all of your literary success! As well as staying in your pj’s all day….
Lovely post, Dorothy! I enjoyed seeing you again at the Crime Bake, and thanks for the mention of Level Best Books. Would love to get that recipe for salmon with maple syrup and bourbon. Lately, I’ve been finding some great recipes in the Wednesday food section of the Boston Globe, but alas, they’re not always that easy!
Happy New Year, Mrs. C!
Hi Dorothy,
I’ve read lots of posts about New Year’s resolutions, but none about the good things that happened in 2015. Thanks for the reminder to look back as well as forward! Hope to meet you in person this year at Malice. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, pj-filled New Year!