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Authors Who Are Similar to Donna Huston Murray

March 18, 2012

Mary Joy wrote a letter to me that included the following:

“For me the sleuth is always a woman and she lives in very comfortable, if sometimes eccentric surroundings. She can live alone or with or without any combination of boyfriend, husband  and children. As soon as she gets home, she tries, not always successfully, to head for a nice bath or shower followed by a favorite meal or drink – the way we wish life could always be.

One of the authors she follows is Donna Huston Murray. She would like some ideas of:

Authors Who Are Similar to Donna Huston Murray:

Kate Borden: Peggy Jean Turner Mystery Series

Jill Churchill: Jane Jeffry Mystery Series

Diane Mott Davidson: Goldy Bear (Catering) Mystery Series

Monica Ferris: Needlecraft Mystery Series

Sarah Graves: Home Repair is Homicide Mystery Series

Carolyn Hart: Death On Demand Mystery Series AND Henrie O Mystery Series

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone Mystery Series

Ayelet Waldman: Mommy Track Mystery Series

Valerie Wolzien: Susan Henshaw Mystery Series

Please post your recommendations of authors who are similar to Donna Huston Murray, and I will add them to the list.

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by theme click on this link.♦

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Too Many Significant Others Who Happen to Be Private/Police Detectives?

March 2, 2012

At the end of last month, as MJ was recommending three authors to us, she brought up a really good point about a lot of our sleuths’ love interests. (Keep in mind that MJ liked all three of the authors.)

MJ:
Re: Author #1:
“… has some quirky characters, and the ‘requisite’ (of many cozy writers) police boyfriend love interest…”

Author #2:
“…This author ALSO follows the ‘cozy’ formula of the love interest being a police detective…”

Author #3:

“…It appears *** is utilizing the same love interest formula as the previous two – police dept. boyfriend to-be!

I know several mystery cozies have love interests with OTHER occupations. But many (if not most) love interests are detectives (police or private), which is why I jokingly call them ‘formula’.”

My answer was:

“MJ, I totally agree about the ‘requisite” detective love interest! Either that, or the detective is their niece, nephew, son, daughter, best friend, neighbor, ETC! Sure helps the sleuth gather interesting clue-solving tidbits…”

Susie followed our line of conversation by adding:

“MJ’s point both intrigues and worries me. In the series I’m developing, I don’t have a detective as a love interest in the first book, but I do for the second. But the problem is, as Danna suggests, that the detective (or in my case, constable) comes in handy when you have an amateur sleuth, especially in a time period when women couldn’t serve as police, detectives, etc (my books are set in early modern England). But I suppose he doesn’t need to be a detective, but for a series you need a reason to keep bringing them together. Do you think a lawyer as the love interest is equally formulaic? And if so, do you mind? (I can think of the Anne Perry novels, but not too many others). I would love to know your thoughts on this.”

What do you all think? Do too many sleuths have too many police/private detective significant others?

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Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color

December 5, 2011

As I started working on this list, I realized that all three of my very favorite recent holiday movies were Jim Henson movies, although The Muppet Christmas Carol was under the helm of Brian Henson, his son. I realize that family memories are wrapped up with family favorites, but I am trying to be objective here – and obviously I am failing miserably! These are movies that I enjoy revisiting during the holidays simply because they bring such joy.

Now that we have worked on the Favorite Holiday  Classic Movies: Old, Black & White, and A Few In Color list, let’s move on with the more recent Holiday Movies.

Here are some of my favorite, more recent holiday movies:

The Muppet Christmas Carol—–1992

A Muppet Family Christmas—–1987

Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy—–1986

I am not sure if this one should be in the Christmas or Halloween movies:

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas—–1993

Here are the favorite more recent holiday movies from your suggestions:

An American Christmas Carol—–1979–Henry Winkler

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever—–1983–Loretta Swit

The Christmas Box—–1997–Maureen O’Hara & Richard Thomas

The Christmas Card—–1996–Ed Asner

A Christmas Carol—–1984 –George C. Scott

A Christmas Carol—–1999–Patrick Stewart

The Christmas Choir—–2008–Rhea Perlman

Christmas Hope—–2009–Madeleine Stowe & James Remar

The Christmas List—–1997–Mimi Rogers

A Christmas Memory—–1997–Patty Duke

A Christmas Story—–1983–Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin

A Christmas Visitor—–2002–Meredith Baxter & William Devane

Christmas with the Kranks—–2004–Tim Allen & Jamie Lee Curtis

Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle—–2009–Doris Roberts

Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle—–2010–Doris Roberts

A Diva’s Christmas Carol—–2000–Vanessa Williams

Elf—–2003–Will Farrell

Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas——-2014

The Family Stone—–2005–Sarah Jessica Parker & Dermot Mulroney

The Gathering—–1977–Ed Asner & Maureen Stapleton

The Holiday—–2006–Kate Winslet & Cameron Diaz

Love Actually—–2003–Hugh Grant & Emma Thompson

Mickey’s Christmas Carol—–1983–Scrooge McDuck & Mickey Mouse

Mrs. Santa Claus—–1996–Angela Lansbury

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation—–1989–Chevy Chase & Beverly D’Angelo

Noel—–2004–Penélope Cruz

November Christmas—–2010–Sam Elliott & John Corbett

One Christmas—–1994–Katherine Hepburn, Swoosie Kurtz, & Henry Winkler

One Magic Christmas—–1985–Mary Steenburgen & Harry Dean Stanton

The Polar Express—–2004

Santa Claus: The Movie—–1985

The Santa Clause trilogy—–1994, 2002, 2006–Tim Allen

The Santa Suit—–2010–Kevin Sorbo

Scrooge—–1970–Albert Finney

Scrooged—–1998–Bill Murray

Trading Places—–1983–Dan Aykroyd & Eddie Murphy

The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve—2004–Steven Webber & Molly Shannon

Undercover Christmas—–2003–Tyne Daley & Jaime Gertz

Here is the list of the Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

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Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White

December 3, 2011

A few days ago, Marja submitted the following comment asking for different holiday movies suggestions. Here is her comment:

“I think a great idea for the coming month would be a post on wonderful Christmas/Holiday movies and TV shows …

Like you, I really enjoy the old black and white movies, and even the ones that only have a Christmas Reunion within part of the plot [not the whole plot] are wonderful at this time of year. I’ll bet a lot of us could make recommendations that others would enjoy!”

Let’s focus on the old, black and white holiday movies for this entry. We can do another entry with more recent, color holiday movies another time. I’ll add your suggested black and white holiday movies to the list.

Here are some of my favorite black and white holiday movies:

Christmas in Connecticut—–1945–Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan

The Man Who Came To Dinner—–1942–Betty Davis, Ann Sheridan, & Monty Wooley

Remember the Night—–1940–Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray

The Shop Around the Corner—–1940–Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan

Here are the favorite black and white holiday movies (and a few classics that are in color) from your suggestions:

A Christmas Wish—–1950 –Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, & Tom Drake (has been colorized)

Bachelor Mother—–1939–Ginger Rogers & David Niven

The Bells of Saint Mary’s—–1945–Bing Crosby & Ingrid Bergman

Beyond Tomorrow (aka Beyond Christmas)—–1940–Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith, & Charles Winninger

The Bishop’s Wife—–1947–Cary Grant, Loretta Young, & David Niven

Bright Eyes—–1934—–Shirley Temple

A Charlie Brown Christmas—–1965 Charles Schulz animated classic

The Cheaters—–194–Joseph Schildkraut, Billie Burke, & Eugene Pallette

A Christmas Carol—–1951–Alastair Sim

A Christmas Carol—–1954–Fredric March & Basil Rathbone

Christmas Eve—–1947–George Raft, George Brent, & Randolph Scott

Christmas in Connecticut—–1945–Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan

The Desk Set—–1957–Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy

Going My Way—–1944–Bing Crosby & Barry Fitzgerald

Holiday Affair—–1949–Robert Mitchum & Janet Leigh

Holiday Inn—–1942–Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire

The Holly and the Ivy—–1954–Ralph Richardson & Celia Johnson

How the Grinch Stole Christmas—–1966 Dr. Seuss animated classic with Boris Karloff

I’ll Be Seeing You—–1944–Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton, & Shirley Temple

It Happened on 5th Avenue—–1947–Don DeFore & Ann Harding

It’s a Wonderful Life—–1946–Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed

The Lemon Drop Kid—–1951–Bob Hope & Marilyn Maxwell

Love Finds Andy Hardy—–1938–Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, & Lewis Stone

The Man Who Came To Dinner—–1942–Betty Davis, Ann Sheridan, & Monty Wooley

Meet Me in St. Louis—–1944–Judy Garland & Marbareg O’Brien

Meet John Doe—–1941–Barbara Stanwyck & Gary Cooper

Miracle of the Bells—–1948–Fred MacMurray & Frank Sinatra

Miracle on 34th Street—–1947–Maureen O’Hara & Natalie Wood

Remember the Night—–1940–Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray

The Shop Around the Corner—–1940–Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan

Susan Slept Here—–1954–Debbie Reynolds & Dick Powell,

White Christmas—–1954–Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, & Vera Ellen

Here is the list of Christmas: Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color.

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

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