PAUL GRIGGS Werewolf and owner of Griggs Hardware. He is Luke’s closest friend in town. He is married to Verna and has two sons: Jeremy and Adam. His nephew Johnny is a frequent visitor.
FRANK One of the more garrulous vampire retirees at Sugar Maple Assisted Living.
MANNY Another vampire retiree who pals around with Frank.
ROSE Frank’s and Manny’s love interest. She is also a retired vampire who resides at Sugar Maple Assisted Living.
SAMUEL A four-hundred-plus-year-old wizard who pierced the veil at the end of Spun by Sorcery. He was Aerynn’s lover and the father of the Hobbs clan.
SORCHA The healer who stayed behind in the mortal world to raise Chloe to adulthood after her parents died in a car crash. Sorcha is Lilith’s birth mother.
AERYNN A powerful sorceress from Salem who led the magickal creatures from Salem to freedom during the infamous Witch Trials. A gifted spinner, she founded Sinzibukwud in northern Vermont (later renamed Sugar Maple) and passed her magick and her spinning and knitting skills down to generations of Hobbs women. Aerynn is responsible for the magick charm that enables Sugar Maple to hide in plain sight.
GUINEVERE Chloe’s sorceress mother. Guinevere chose to pierce the veil after the auto accident that took her beloved husband’s life.
TED AUBRY Chloe’s human father. Guinevere’s husband. He was a carpenter by trade.
ISADORA The most powerful member of the Fae. She is also the most dangerous. Currently Isadora is banished from this realm until the end of time but who knows what the future might bring.
GUNNAR The good twin, he sacrificed himself so Chloe and Luke could be together.
DANE The ultimate evil twin.
THE HARRIS FAMILY They were carpenters in life (c. 1860) but now inhabit the spirit world.
THE SOUDERBUSH BOYS Father Benjamin, mother Amelia, and sons David, William, and John are all ghosts who spend a lot of time on the Spirit Trail, which passes through the Sugar Maple Inn.
SIMONE A seductive spirit who specializes in breaking up happy marriages. She usually manifests herself in a wisteria-scented lilac cloud.
FORBES THE MOUNTAIN GIANT His name pretty much says it all.
THE MACKENZIE CLAN
BUNNY Matriarch, knitter, retired nurse. Born and raised in the Boston suburbs near Salem.
JACK Patriarch, sport fisherman, retired welder. Also born and raised in the Boston suburbs near Salem.
RONNIE A successful Realtor, father of four. Married to Denise. He still lives in the town where he was born and raised.
KIMBERLY Luke’s oldest sister. Kim is a financial analyst, married, pregnant with her first child by husband Travis Davenport. They have been married eight years. She and Chloe form an easy bond right from the start.
JENNIFER Another of Luke’s older sisters. She’s married to Paul and mother of Diandra, Sean, and Colin.
KEVIN Luke’s younger brother. He has been married to Tiffany for nine years. They have four children: Ami, Honor, Scott, and Michael.
PATRICK Another younger brother. He’s newly divorced from Siobhan. They have two daughters: Caitlin and Sarah.
MEGHAN The wild card of the bunch. Meghan is the youngest of Bunny and Jack’s children and the least predictable. (Her two-minutes younger twin died at birth.) She has the habit of taking up with the wrong guys and paying for it with a broken heart.
FRAN KELLY Retired administrative assistant to Boston’s police chief. Close friend of the MacKenzie family.
STEFFIE Luke’s daughter, who was six years old when she died in a bicycle accident.
KAREN Luke’s ex-wife, who sacrificed herself to save their daughter’s soul.
JOE RANDAZZO County Board of Supervisors; a politician who is an occasional thorn in Chloe’s side.
JEREMY BREDESON: THE MAGIC OF FIBER
We’ve all read the Sugar Maple books (because, um, how would you know where to find this if you hadn’t). Chloe’s shop has yarn that never knots up. It has amazing colors and perfect substitutions. Literary license goes a long way in making her shop fantastic and fun.
When you take a good, long look at knitting, crocheting, spinning, and dyeing, there’s not much to any of them. Color theory, sure. Manual dexterity. The right combination of tension, needles, yarn, and patience, and voilà! You have created something!
Sit down and think about everything that would go into your knitting. (Yes, I’m going to go toward knitting, because I knit. Substitute your Craft of Choice.) On any given project for me, there’s searching for the pattern, deciding who it’s going to, what color would be best for them, what fiber would be best for them, finding the right yarn, getting the yarn, winding it into balls (because I like center-pull balls), and getting the needles ready. Then there’s the cast-on and actual knitting itself. The mechanics of it aren’t what’s important so much as what you do while you’re knitting.
Magic is a matter of raising and forming energy and moving it into what you need it to do. Intent is important when it comes to magic. It’s also important when you create something with your hands. For the most part, you’re not going to create weapons, unless you’re a blacksmith working for a Renaissance fair, and then it’s usually only because that’s what sells. If you’re a fiber artist, though, some of your projects can take hundreds of hours. Those hours will be filled with laughter, movies, talking, cocktails, coffee, friendship, love. Most knitters will tell you, “Don’t knit angry!” and most of them will tell you that the minute you pick up your projects while you’re mad, you’ll mess something up dreadfully.
And really, when you think about it, we take one reeeeeeeeally long piece of string and make it into something completely not-string. It’s magic!
JEREMY BREDESON: NO MORE MOTHS!
We went shopping one night out at one of our local shopping centers, and we found a store that had, just randomly, things to help protect your clothing from moths. We weren’t looking for that, but there it was. Of course, they had the mothballs, but who wants their clothes to smell like those? They also had packages of small cedar balls, so I grabbed a package of those.
We almost walked away right then, but the box next to the cedar balls caught my eye. It looked like it was full of teabags, but when I opened it, the most wonderful smell came out. I was skeptical, because I’d never heard of an herbal mixture that would prevent moths. But my tree-hugging, dirt-worshipper side came out and I knew then and there that I needed to find out what it was. I bought and skimmed the package but it wasn’t until I got home and looked closer that I saw what it was:Peppermint
Rosemary
Thyme
Cloves
Bingo! I can make that! The only thing that I can’t grow on my own is the cloves, but I can easily buy those. Anyone can grow peppermint, rosemary, and thyme, and then you just dry them and get yourself some DIY teabags from any organic grocer (I bet even Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s would have them) and add a teaspoon or so of each one to the bag and toss one or a few in with your stash. Not only will it keep the moths away, but your yarn will smell good, too!
Incidentally, I keep my stash in plastic shoe boxes and each box has two or three projects’ worth of yarn, a cedar ball, and an herbal sachet in it. It makes my knitting that much more enjoyable!
JEREMY BREDESON is a professional administrative assistant (who has very strong opinions about certain fonts—I’m lookin’ at you, Comic Sans and Papyrus) and the high priest of one of the oldest cybercovens on the Internet, knits like a fiend, and plays video games like a teenager in his copious spare time. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his husband, Leon, and their very spoiled and pretty, pretty princess dachshund, Belle. You can find him at www.givemamasomesugar.net (though you may want to turn off your judgments; he has very few filters and has a mouth like a sailor) and on Ravelry as technocowboy.
KALI AMANDA BROWNE: ALL BY HAND, PUERTO RICAN STYLE
There was a time, not long ago, that when a baby girl was born, she got a handmade outfit
, whether sewn, embroidered, or knitted. Generally, a grandmother took care of this. If she herself was not a seamstress, there was always an old lady somewhere who could expertly design and stitch and embroider.
By the time the child made her official debut into the world, she was outfitted like a princess. Lace and satin and delicate designs adorning the precious addition to the family.
Today, because of pressures from work and availability of store-bought ready-to-wear, this is not as prevalent. But the more recent immigrants and those who still have ties to their old country (whatever that may be) keep the tradition alive.
My memories of Puerto Rico are replete with rich, beautiful creations by unknown little old ladies that could rival all the European design houses!
Mom was fortunate enough to have one of these talented ladies growing up in upper Manhattan. Doña Maria, who sometimes babysat for my grandmother, had no children of her own but a deep love for them and my mother soon became one of her favorites.
She combined her passions and made the most beautiful things for her ward. For years, she would lovingly create the clothes and accessories that spoiled Mom to the point that she became the style maven she is today.
In my mother’s bedroom there is a photograph of her as a child, standing at the foot of the lake in Central Park. Adding to its sweetly nostalgic essence, the photograph contains more trees in the horizon than high-rises. Front and center is an adorable toddler, all innocence and wearing a pout across her lips, outfitted like a priceless collectable Victorian porcelain doll.
For this park outing, Doña Maria had made a dress. She worked all week, as she did every week, so that she and her husband could have a leisurely Sunday stroll with Mom.
This dress was a magnificent handmade work of art, with a ruffled A-line skirt, including seven layers of hand-stitched lace. The top of the dress has a doily collar with four layers of lacy ruffles that draped over her shoulders and extended to her little waist.
But it didn’t stop there! Doña Maria had also added accessories to complete the ensemble. On the child’s head, a sculptured, tulle ribbon had a few smaller but matching lace columns stitched vertically across the fabric. Peeking through the hem of the little dress, she wore a pair of matching lacy panties. On her feet, she wore a pair of knit socks, with hand-stitched lacy borders, matching the ribbon and undergarment, of course.
(Yes, I know.... Take a moment to fully picture it and let out that “Awwwww!” you have stuck between your diaphragm and throat.)
Nowadays, you almost always see this only for baptisms in the Latin American community that lives here. Mom and I make it a spectator sport to stand outside the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to witness the intricate baby outfits at the end of a baptism.
Traditionally, for all Latin Americans, a baptism not only brings the child into the faith, but it is the formal introduction of the bundle of joy to God and the world.
For Puerto Ricans, of course, this means a party. And a party means food. Not sandwiches, although finger foods are allowed. I mean actual cooked food and a lot of it! We’re talking a buffet fit for kings. There is no traditional menu as such, except that it requires sturdy paper plates because there’s going to be rice, meat, salad, and some of the aforementioned finger foods piled up on those things and everybody is going be dressed up to the nines—though not as extravagantly as the baby.
Usually there is at least one kind of rice in the offerings; and it will be served with ham, turkey, and probably a rump or shoulder of roast pork—or just salad for those who have (largely) given up meats. (I’ve never met a Puerto Rican who has entirely given up meat, though there must be six or seven of them somewhere, probably in Los Angeles.)
This is one of our national dishes, but I’ve tweaked it for busy cooks who don’t have time to soak beans overnight. It is delicious and provides a good dose of protein to boot.
ARROZ CON GANDULES
Rice with Pigeon Peas
A splash of olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
garlic (to taste; I use 3 or 4 cloves, chopped or pressed)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup medium-grain rice
2 cups stock*
1 can pigeon peas (15 oz., drained, but reserve the
liquid)
2 tablespoons small manzanilla olives (pitted and stuffed
with pimentos)
Heat oil and sauté onions until almost translucent. Add garlic and pepper flakes and oregano (about 2 minutes over medium flame).
Add rice and stir in pan to make sure grains are coated in oil (about 1 minute).
Add stock, increase flame to high, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Add drained pigeon peas and olives. Add reserved liquid if dried out. Cover and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
Fold in pigeon peas and olives into the rice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let sit, covered, for a few minutes before serving.
* Depending on your preferences or dietary restrictions, you may use chicken, beef, or vegetable stock (including low or no sodium). Each will add a slightly different depth to the dish. Instead, if you prefer, use water and add one bouillon cube. If this is all you do, the finished product will have a “dirty” rice look. If you prefer a yellow finish, add a packet of sazón (with annatto and saffron).
The vegetables will disintegrate in cooking and flavor the oil—which the rice will incorporate in its entirety—as well as the stock. Both will plump up and flavor the rice. Also, if you want that authentic old-world taste, you may add a smoked ham hock to the rice in the first stage of cooking. Leftover rice goes well in tacos or to heft up a soup.
¡Buen apetito!
KALI AMANDA BROWNE was born in New York City, came of age in Puerto Rico, and has spent her entire adult life in New York. Perverse and twisted, cynical and overeducated, and still a little naïve, she has entirely too much time on her hands. Currently living, cooking, and writing in Brooklyn, she has authored Kali: The Food Goddess: A Compilation of Delightful Recipes and Memories of Food; the crime novel Justified; and a short story, “Putting May to Rest.” Her books are available at several online retailers and through Smashwords at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Kali Amanda. She regularly shares her thoughts about her writing life at http://ebooksbykali.blogspot.com, her own life experiences at http://kalistempleofdoom.blogspot.com, and thoughts about food and cooking at http://barbarabretton.com.
ELIZABETH DELISI: PI OPENWORK DISHCLOTH
Materials Cotton worsted-weight yarn (I used Peaches and Cream, color #130 Shaded Pastels)
Size 7 knitting needles
Crochet hook or tapestry needle to weave in ends
Finished size Approx. 9 × 9 inch square
Gauge Not important
Pi Openwork pattern stitch Multiple of 3
Row 1 (RS): K2, *YO, K3, with left needle pull first of 3 sts just knitted over last 2 and off the needle; repeat from * to last st, K1.
Row 2 and all WS rows: Purl.
Row 3: K1, *K3, with left needle pull first of 3 sts just knitted over last 2 and off the needle, YO;
repeat from * to last 2 sts, K2.
Row 4: Purl.
Repeat these four rows for pattern.
Dishcloth instructions Cast on 43 stitches.
K 6 rows in garter stitch.
Row 6: K5, follow row 1 of Pi Openwork pattern over next 33 stitches, K5.
Row 7: K5, P33 (row 2 of Pi Openwork pattern), K5.
Row 8: K5, follow row 3 of Pi Openwork pattern over next 33 stitches, K5.
Row 9: K5, P33 (WS row of Pi Openwork pattern), K5.
Repeat rows 6–9 until piece is ¾ inch less than desired length, ending with WS row.
Next 6 rows: Work in garter stitch.
Bind off, weave in ends.
Variation: Use seed stitch for border instead of garter stitch.
Questions? Contact me at [email protected].
Have fun!
Copyright 2007 Elizabeth Delisi
ELIZABETH DELISI’S time-travel romance set in ancient Egypt, Lady of the Two Lands (a Bloody Dagger Award winner and Golden Rose Award nominee), and her romantic suspense novel Since All Is Passing (an EPPIE Award finalist and Bloody Dagger Award finalist) are available from Amber Quill Press. Fatal Fortune (a Word Museum Reviewer’s Choice Masterpiece), the first in the Lottie Baldwin Mystery series, is currently available from Fictionwise. “Mistletoe Medium” (Elizabeth’s novella-length prequel to Fatal Fortune) is featured in the paranormal romance anthology Enchanted Holidays, available from Ellora’s Cave; and “Restless Spirit” is published in the paranormal anthology One Touch Beyond, also available from Ellora’s Cave.
Elizabeth’s two short story collections, Mirror Images and Penumbra , are available from BWLPP. Her contemporary romance novella “The Heart of the Matter” is featured in the DiskUs Publishing Valentine’s Day–themed anthology Cupid’s Capers (an EPPIE Award finalist). Her contemporary romance novella “A Cup of Christmas Charm” is featured in the DiskUs Publishing holiday anthology Holiday Hearts 2 (an EPPIE Award finalist), and her romance novella “A Carol of Love” is still available in the series’s first anthology Holiday Hearts (an EPPIE Award finalist). In addition, Elizabeth has a short story in the holiday anthology The Holiday Mixer, available from Haypenny Press.
Elizabeth is an instructor for Writers Digest University. She has taught creative writing at the community college level, and she edits for individuals. She holds a B.A. in English with a creative writing major from St. Leo University. Elizabeth is currently at work on Deadly Destiny and Perilous Prediction—sequels to Fatal Fortune—and Knit a Spell, a paranormal romance. For more information, visit Elizabeth’s website, www.elizabethdelisi.com, or her blog, http://elizabethdelisi.blogspot.com/.
Spells & Stitches Page 25