July 26, 2010 Monday
Gayle Trent will be chatting with WOW! Women On Writing at The Muffin. One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Amanda Lee’s book!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

July 27, 2010 Tuesday
What type of person has two names? Spies, people in witness protection, movie stars…and writers. Amanda Lee tells us what it’s like to go through life with two personas–one writing mysteries about a cake decorator and the other writing mysteries about an embroiderer.
http://hellorhighwaterwriting.wordpress.com/

July 28, 2010 Wednesday
In her interview today, Amanda Lee (a.k.a. Gayle Trent) tells us that murder isn’t the only thing she has to research for her cozy mysteries. For The Quick and the Thread, the first book in her new embroidery series, the unlikely subject was whales!
http://www.sellingbooks.com

July 29, 2010 Thursday
Amanda Lee is stopping by Mom-e-Centric to tell us about how murder and embroidery make a wonderful mix. She’ll also be giving away a copy of The Quick and the Thread!
http://www.momecentric.com/

July 30, 2010 Friday
Stop by today for an interview with Amanda Lee by fellow mystery writer Christine Verstraete. These two will be sharing some great mystery writing tips!
http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/

August 1, 2010 Sunday
Blue hair, the early bird special, embroidery. Three things grandmas like. Or are they? Amanda Lee tells us about what a fun hobby embroidery can be for all ages and about her young embroiderer who also solves murders in The Quick and the Thread.
http://www.cozychicksblog.com/

I’m so excited! Romantic Times has named The Quick and The Thread an RT Top Pick!!! And reviewer Pat Cooper gave the book 4 1/2 stars!!! Pat says:

Site Spotlight: Curiosities 808

This site offers a tutorial for embroidered flowers that I really want to try. The flowers are made on felt and tinted with crayon. The blogger says she’s challenging herself to make this project simple and affordable. I can buy the affordable, but the project doesn’t appear simple. But, the flowers are gorgeous! I’m thinking of trying the iris.

In order to see the tutorial blog posts, use the archives to pull up June of 2008 and then follow the posts. The first one is on June 24.

Good luck!

I truly appreciate everyone else who pre-ordered The Quick and The Thread. The book was just named a Romantic Times Top Pick and given 4 1/2 stars.

Please keep in mind that I’m throwing a virtual launch party on Facebook on August 3 where there will be opportunities to win prizes all day long. Join me, won’t you?

Thanks again, everybody, for your support and encouragement!

Hi, there! Only one more week to enter the pre-order contest for The Quick and The Thread and be entered to win the $50 Amazon gift card. If you pre-order the book, just e-mail Gayle (gayle@gayletrent.com) with your confirmation e-mail or a jpeg of your order form or receipt by midnight on June 30. You don’t have to preorder the book from Amazon. You can order it from any online or brick-and-mortar store.

Thank you to everybody who has entered so far!

There will be plenty more fun and prize giveaways on August 3 at the virtual release party. “Like” the Facebook page, follow Gayle on Twitter or stay tuned to this blog for more details.

Summer Embroidery Spotlight:

If your weather is like our weather, it’s too hot right now to go out and enjoy much of the great outdoors. So why not use this as an excuse to stay inside and get some stitching done? Below are some sites featuring summer embroidery projects:

http://www.dollarstitch.com/home.php?cat=509 - I love the Soda Pop Top Covers or Coasters!

http://www.sulky.com/embroidery/summer_sampler.php - Isn’t the kitten adorable? And how pretty are those flower borders?

http://www.bunnycup.com/viewset.aspx?designset=344 - Cool appliques!

http://www.homeberries.com/summer/ - Freebies!

http://livinglearningandlovingsimply.blogspot.com/2009/06/simple-summer-embroidery-project.html - Wonderful keepsake idea.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/fruity-button-napkins - How cute are these?

http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Features/summer+projects.htm - For those of you who like to knit or crochet.

Have fun and stay cool!

As I told you in a recent post, The Quick and The Thread written under the pseudonym Amanda Lee is now available for pre-order from Amazon.com and AmazonUK.com.  To celebrate, I’m having a special contest for the month of June. Anyone who pre-orders The Quick and The Thread from either Amazon or Amazon UK by June 30 will be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

To enter the contest, simply forward a copy of your Amazon confirmation e-mail to gayle@gayletrent.com or send a jpeg of your order. If you choose to pre-order from your local bookseller, please send a jpeg of your receipt with sensitive information blacked out. Be assured your Amazon confirmation is safe. Sensitive information is protected by the customer’s password.

One winner will be drawn from all the e-mail addresses submitted on the morning of July 1, 2010. The winner will be notified by e-mail and will receive an electronic Amazon gift certificate in the amount of $50 US.

Order from Amazon UK at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Thread-Embroidery-Mystery/dp/0451230965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275316489&sr=8-1.

Or you may order from Amazon using this link:

Good luck!

Gayle received galleys for The Quick and The Thread yesterday. She sent them to Nordic Needle, Needlework Retailer and The Book Report. She’s waiting to hear back from a reviewer on another galley.

Although the galleys are tan with plain covers, and they specifically tell book reviewers these are uncorrected proofs, the books still look great. And the covers are fantastic! The picture of Angus is even carried over to the spine! He’s adorable, and I think he’ll give our book an edge over those that don’t feature darling canines on the cover.

Site Spotlight: Needlework Retailer

I’ve highlighted Nordic Needle for you before, but I haven’t introduced you to Needlework Retailer. That’s mainly because I’ve only just met them myself.

Needlework Retailer is for those of us who work in the embroidery industry. In addition to blogs, guest articles and magazine archives, the website hosts contests for displays. See the current contest and get information on entering. Who knows? You might win!

If you’re an embroidery shop owner–or even if you’re not–check out Needlework Retailer. Gayle really enjoyed the guest article ”Maximize Your Time: Achieve More with Less” by Joelle Jay, Ph.D.

I’m so excited! A book trailer has been prepared for The Quick and The Thread, and the book is available for preorder from Amazon!

See?
Now, check out the book trailer!

Also, if you enjoy doing cross-stitch, check out the patterns from The Quick and The Thread. Have fun!

Hi, everybody. Angus and I are happy to see signs of springtime. Although it’s still cold here on the Oregon Coast, the trees are budding and we’re seeing more sunshine.

Gayle tried her hand at a new embroidery technique this week: ribbon embroidery. We’re going to spotlight that technique in just a moment. First, take a look at Gayle’s projects, a keepsake box and a tote bag.  The technique is surprisingly easy, but you can’t rush it. Gayle says she caught herself humming that old .38 Special tune Hold On Loosely while she worked!

Before I forget, I want to direct your attention over to FreshFiction where you can enter Gayle’s latest contest. The contest is called Beautiful and Cozy Springtime Prize Pack and the prize is a signed copy of Dead Pan and a Tarte Health Couture Spring Greening Reusable Straw Palette (a $95 value).  Be sure and enter (and you can do so more than once), and good luck!

Embroidery Spotlight: Ribbon Embroidery

Even if you’re new to embroidery, don’t be afraid to give this beautiful needlecraft technique a try. To get you started, here are some links to ribbon embroidery sites:

Beginners’ Silk-Ribbon Embroidery: Five Easy Stitches - Here the editors of Threads magazine provide illustrated step-by-step instructions.

Gathered Flower Demonstration 

Silk Ribbon Embroidery Beginnings - Allow Suite 101 editor Michelle Dompierre Southern to help you learn the basics of ribbon embroidery.

Ribbon Embroidery Patterns and Instructions - Includes links to patterns by various About.com contributors.

If you try your hand at ribbon embroidery, please share your photos here!

Hi, guys! Sorry I missed putting out a newsletter on the 17th, but I hope you all had a happy St. Patrick’s Day and that you’re looking forward to a wonderful Easter weekend.

Springtime Hand Towels

If you’re looking for a way to “spring” up your home, you might do like Gayle did and embellish some hand towels. She bought two white towels and two Crafter’s Square flower & lace trim packets. Not having time to sew the felt flowers and lace to the towels, she used fabric glue. Within fifteen minutes, she’d made both towels. She let the glue dry, and then hung the towels up in her bathroom. “They’ll do until the tulips bloom,” she said.

Site Spotlight: Kaboose

Kaboose gives you an opportunity to introduce the children you love to the world of crafts. Timely craft projects include April Fool’s Day crafts (a prank gift box, a fake cake, an outrageous letter from a “teacher”), Passover (printables, greeting cards, placemats), Easter (bunnies, lambs, eggs and an adorable clay pot Jesus) and Earth Day (planters, seeded bookmarks, mobiles).  The craft site also include birthday party crafts.

Hi, there! Congratulations to Dianna Salciccioli, winner of Gayle’s FreshFiction “cozy, romantic February prize pack.” Dianna won an autographed copy of Dead Pan and a sterling silver locket.

As you can see, Gayle made good on her promise to do more redwork. She started this pillowcase on Super Bowl Sunday. Hey, you have to do something between commercials, right? (Kidding!) Now if she can just find time to do the other one….

Artist Spotlight: Peter Fasolino 

I’m introducing you to Peter because he did some wonderful drawings which Gayle turned into cross-stitch patterns for The Quick and The Thread. Peter is a talented artist and also something of a noir detective film buff, so he and Gayle got along great. Peter was gracious enough to prepare these drawings this past weekend when he was snowed in.

Thank you, Peter!

Just look at my precious Angus! Isn’t this a terrific rendering?

Look for the cross-stitch patterns for these coming soon in The Quick and The Thread!