Describe Sarah Booth in One Word – and Win an Advance Copy of THE DEVIL’S BONES

on February 25, 2020 Carolyn
Jitty's Jilted Hearts
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Dear Reader,

February (like January) has been warm, drizzly, gray, and pretty all around icky. I don’t mind cold, but I am tired of cold and wet. I need some sunny sun! And hopefully I have some sunny news for you.

[ARC Giveaway]

St. Martin’s has provided several advance copies of THE DEVIL’S BONES, and I’m hosting a give-away. Here’s how you enter:

  1. Send an email to DearJitty@yahoo.com and put Devil’s Bones in the subject line.
  2. Describe Sarah Booth in one word—and don’t say bossy! Ha ha ha. Seriously, say anything you’d like.
  3. Be sure and include your mailing address in the email so I can get the books sent out. And let me know how you’d like the book signed or if you just want a signature or nothing at all.

We’ll pick 5 random winners and pop these advance review copies into the mail ASAP, and I’ll even sign them if you wish. That way, you can read Sarah Booth’s next adventure weeks ahead of everyone else! Many thanks to St. Martin’s for providing the ARCs! Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone you think may be interested in this giveaway.

[Smarty Bones]

And in the run up to the release of THE DEVIL’S BONES, St. Martin’s is also running a special this month. You only have a few days to get SMARTY BONES at $2.99. But next month, BOOTY BONES will be on sale for $2.99. So, lots of good book news happening so far in 2020.

[Year Round Trouble]

Also, don’t forget about YEAR-ROUND TROUBLE. We have terrific Mardi, Gras, Valentine’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day stories—and Trouble is in rare form. We’ve gotten so many compliments about the wily feline detective, Trouble, and his travels around the USA to solve mysteries. It’s a big, juicy book with lots of suspense and in some instances laughs! Each story is unique and original and written by a seasoned author. You can get it in digital format or print.

[Mardi Gras!]

On a personal level, I will be inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame March 9 in Tuscaloosa. It’s a big honor and I’m excited. Some of my buddies are planning to attend, and that will be an extra pleasure for me. There are several inductees, including my friend Mark Childress. And a few writers who are no longer with us. Imagine, Zelda Fitzgerald and I are being inducted at the same time. I think Raissa (my character from PLUTO’S SNITCH) would find this very amusing.

[Karma]
Karma has all the answers, but she’s not telling.

The dismal weather this year makes me want to do bad things. Something to liven up my world, and practical jokes always get things hopping. I am fighting the impulse, but if I break bad, just remember, the devil made me do it!

I’ll have some photos from the induction ceremony in my next newsletter. Until then, here’s a little music video to give you a laugh. I’m not familiar with this band but the title fits! (Watch out for the truly cheesy devil in this video—ha ha ha)

Adios from Carolyn and the Critters

CH

P.S. I’m gifting one paperback copy of BONE APPÉTIT on my website.

 

[Furry Friends]
Beulah Girl loves Athena. They sleep together. Beulah grooms the cat. They are true blue friends.

[photo][Furry Friends]

Jitty's Jilted Hearts

Dear Jitty,

My mother-in-law is a bitch and I need advice on what to say or what to do. I have a severe nut and gluten allergy. My mother-in-law, let’s call her Betsy, is dismissive of my allergy and in the past, only provided one allergy-free side dish and crudités during family dinners. She claimed she “simply forgot” and that I would be fine. I believe she thinks I’m making up my allergy. I carry an Epi-Pen wherever I go, and I swear she wants me dead. Anyway, thankfully I didn’t marry a limp dick and my husband has informed his parents we won’t be joining them during meals at their home because of their behavior. Betsy has told friends and relatives I am being “overdramatic” about my allergy. Some have even hinted that she thinks I am lying about it and that I’m just trying to “ride the gluten-free diet trend”. Jitty, is it tacky of me to provide a doctor’s note proving I have Celiac disease and a nut allergy to all of those who look at me skeptically in regards to the rift between my MIL and me?

Signed,
Fed Up

Dear Sassy Pants (see how I changed your name),

Whoa, back, Missy. You may have Celiac disease, but I know for a fact you got some anger issues. Let’s put this in perspective. This isn’t about what someone is serving at a family dinner, this is about being recognized and considered. You have a serious illness, and you feel your medical needs are being ignored. You MIL has family traditions and the need to keep those–and her family–in line, provin’ she is the Queen Bee. She wants things to be “the way they always were,” including the dishes she serves at her table. You don’t really have a choice. Eating the wrong foods can make you seriously ill. But, here’s the rub: Is all of this family drama really worth what you’re going to stuff in your pie hole for one meal? Really?

Many people don’t understand the seriousness of a nut allergy or Celiac disease. The fact that you have both limits many recipes your MIL and her family grew up eatin’. She may not know how to prepare the foods you need, or she simply may not be willing to learn new recipes. From where ol’ Jitty is sittin’, that’s her loss. But your husband is the one caught in the middle. He may have stood up to his mama, but at what emotional cost to him? Think about that.

The solution–take your own food to family gatherings. Boring. Tedious. Not much fun. Yes, all of those things. But you be the grown-up in the room. Show a graciousness that she can’t manage. Make your husband proud that you’re the bigger person. As to any outsiders the MIL has dragged into this–forget about them. What difference does it make what they think? Facts are facts. You have an illness. But how you react to this situation can plant the seeds of real respect and a bond between you and your spouse, or it can put him in the middle of an family row that he can’t win. And neither will you. When you share your recipes with them, you are including them in your world. That’s the person you want to be.

Signed,
Jitty

P.S. For everyone reading this, let me guide you honey chile. Get some advice by writing me at DearJitty@yahoo.com