#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Amy M. Reade

/ Marcia Meara

Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming author Amy M. Reade to The Write Stuff, and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her better via her wonderful Ten Things list. Amy, I’ll turn things over to you now, so take it away!

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Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Amy M. Reade

  1. I played oboe for years when I was in school and my favorite classical music is any piece featuring oboes. I know they sound like ducks, but I love ducks (and I’m not counting ducks as one of my 10 things because everyone loves ducks).
  2. My favorite way to spend an evening is to sit outside in front of a roaring fire. I love everything about it—the woodsy scent, the crackling sounds, and the warmth. I’m always the last one to go back inside and that’s the way I like it.
  3. I don’t want to brag, but I can catch a case of poison ivy just by thinking about it.
  4. A lot of people who follow me on social media or have read blog posts I’ve written know that I love to cook and that I collect cookbooks and read them like novels. What they may not know is that I also subscribe to at least five cooking magazines. When I find a recipe that sounds good, I rip it out and add it to a (forty-foot-tall) pile of folders, each labeled with the type of recipe inside. You know, breads, appetizers, desserts, that sort of thing. Recently, upon surveying the literally thousands of recipes I’ve saved, I lamented that I’ll never live long enough to try them all. It made my middle child cry (she is an adult, so don’t go thinking I said something so callous to a five-year-old), so now I don’t bemoan that issue out loud anymore.
  5. I am one of the millions of people who took up backyard bird-watching during the COVID lockdowns.
  6. I believe that most of us were forced to learn higher math solely in order to help the next generation with their homework. If you majored in math or anything that looks like math, please don’t be offended—just know that you’re WAY smarter than I am.
  7. My idea of a perfect evening snack is a glass of port and a hunk of bleu cheese (eaten with a fork). Bonus fact: everyone else in my family hates bleu cheese … so, more for me. Second bonus fact: if port and bleu cheese aren’t available, a spoonful of creamy peanut butter will do nicely (and not the natural kind—it has to be the processed stuff you get at the grocery store).
  8. I have a weakness for fancy soaps.
  9. My father used to call me “Imelda” (who knows—maybe he still does. I’ll have to check on that) because I also have a weakness for shoes. And yet, shoes are my least favorite thing to shop for, with the exception of anything at a hardware store.
  10. The thing my Alexa hears more than anything else: “Alexa, play songs by Vince Guaraldi.”

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BLURB

The holiday season should be a time for peace and joy, but for Lilly Carlsen, this Christmas is murder.

On the busiest shopping day of the year, Lilly opens her jewelry shop only to discover that it’s been burglarized. And then … she trips over the body. Talk about a Black Friday.

When a second victim turns up, Lilly finds herself squarely in the crosshairs of suspicion. The clock is ticking as Lilly tries to unwrap the mystery of the real killer’s identity.

Can she figure out who killed the victims before she’s arrested—or becomes a victim herself?

And as if dealing with all this isn’t hard enough, Lilly’s deadbeat ex-husband resurfaces, her mother’s mental health is declining, and her two teenagers are acting just like … teenagers.

Find out whether her family’s Christmas will be merry or scary in this cozy, small-town mystery perfect for fans of Kathi Daley and Jacqueline Frost.

Recipes included!

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Author Amy M. Reade

Amy M. Reade is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of cozy, historical, and Gothic mysteries.

A former practicing attorney, Amy discovered a passion for fiction writing and has never looked back. She has so far penned fourteen novels, including three standalone Gothic mysteries, the Malice series of Gothic novels, the Juniper Junction Holiday Mystery series, and the Cape May Historical Mystery collection. In addition to writing, she loves to read, cook and travel. Amy lives in New Jersey and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

You can buy The Worst Noel here:

Amazon
Apple
Google
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
All other retailers

You can reach Amy on social media here:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads Page 
BookBub

Email: Amy@amymreade.com

75 thoughts on “#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About Amy M. Reade”

  1. These are all great! I love Amy´s cozy mysteries. Like Amy, I will never live long enough to try all the recipes I have saved or the books I have on my TBR stack too. But I will continue to collect. Have a great day, Marcia and Amy!

    Liked by 4 people

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    • Glad you enjoyed Amy’s Ten Things List, Sharon, and you folks who love to cook have my greatest admiration. (I mostly love to eat! 😁) Thanks for stopping by today and taking a moment to comment! Happy Holidays! 😀 ❤

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    • Thank you, Sharon. I actually made dog treats yesterday, which was a first for me! Cooking is the best way I can think of to show people (and pets!) how much I love them. You can never have too many cookbooks…

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  3. Unlike you, I hate cooking (did I just hear you gasp? Lol!). I do, however, love a crackling fire. Unfortunately, I don’t get to experience too many of those in South Florida. Your math comment cracked me up. My son is currently taking college math in tenth grade, and I’m trying to hunt through the recesses of my brain to remember whatever I can from my trig and calculus days (too many cobwebs to sift through). Great meeting you, Amy! Thanks for sharing her fun facts today, Marcia! 🙂

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    • Yay! Finally someone who hates cooking, too. (When I spend that long creating something, I want to varnish it and hang it on the wall to admire for years to come! 😁) No good at math, either. I’m definitely a word person! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by today, Yvette, and I’m glad you enjoyed Amy’s Ten Things List! Happy Holidays! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 2 people

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    • One of my daughters hates to cook, too, and my attempts to change her mind are met with a “Heck, no.” Kudos to your son! He must be a whiz. My neice is majoring in math in college and it never ceases to amaze me that we share some of the same genes.

      Thanks for stopping by today! I hope your weather in Florida is nicer than the weather we’re expecting in New Jersey today!

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  4. Wow! A forty foot stack of recipes is impressive by anyone’s standards! My husband calls my cooking ‘space food’ because it’s still clinging on for dear life if you turn the plate upside down. I have lots of cookbooks, too, but simply to drool over. Love the sound of The Worst Noel. Many thanks, Marcia. xx

    Liked by 3 people

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    • So glad you enjoyed Amy’s Ten Things List, Trish! (Space Food, huh? I like that!) I really enjoyed her list, too, and love the sound of The Worst Noel, too. Thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a few moments to let Amy know you enjoyed her list! Happy Holidays! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 2 people

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    • The “space food” comment made me laugh. I’ve definitely made meals like that. I love to experiment with new recipes and my family are good sports/guinea pigs. I’m so glad you stopped by and left your comment. Thanks and have a great day!

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    • Glad you enjoyed Amy’s list, Harmony! Some cool stuff on there, huh? I like that she used her COVID stay at home time to become a backyard birder. (I’ve been an ardent birder since I was about 18, so I’m always happy to meet a new one.) And while I only have maybe THREE recipes in the drawer by my stove, I can certainly identify with the towering TBR stack! 😁 Thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a moment to comment, my friend! Happy Holidays! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 3 people

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    • Thank you, Harmony! One of my favorite things to do is to sit and leaf through all the recipes I’ve put in my folders. Sometimes I go through and cull out the ones that make me go, “What was I even thinking??” I have a folder for each thing, like chicken, beef, sandwiches. salads, breakfast foods, etc. They’re like cooking genres. 🙂

      I’m glad you enjoyed the list! Have a great day and happy holidays!

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  8. Nice to meet you, Amy. Great list! I have more shoes than I need, too. I have a hard passing up a cute pair on a good deal 😁 I also have more recipes saved on my Yummly account than I’ll probably ever be able to fix.

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    • So glad you enjoyed Amy’s list, Jeanne! And I confess, I USED to love shoe shopping back in the day when I could wear really pretty ones, with high heels. Since foot surgery, those are right out! 🙄 Oh, well. Amy will be glad to meet someone who enjoys shoe shopping AND cooking, I’m sure. Thanks so much for stopping by today! Happy Holidays! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 2 people

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    • Hi, Jeanne—there’s just something about shoes, isn’t there? And it’s funny how much I like them, since my go-to shoes are plain old sneakers.

      The recipes…so many recipes. I love reading them and I love experimenting with new ones. Happy cooking and happy holidays! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

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  10. I can relate to Amy’s “Imelda” name because I’m addicted to shoes (much like books and clothes, LOL). I’m not so much on cooking, but I enjoy watching cooking shows. Weird, I know. And I got a chuckle out of the poison ivy reference. I’m not quite that bad but close to it.
    A most enjoyable ten facts. Thanks for sharing Amy and Marcia, and happy holidays!

    Liked by 3 people

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    • LOL, Mae! It’s funny–I don’t watch most cooking shows, but I do love the Great British Baking Show (called the Great British Bake-Off in other parts of the world, I think?). For whatever reason, waiting rooms where I live, whether it be doctors’ offices or auto shops, always have cooking shows on. Those places are where I watch most cooking shows.

      Happy holidays to you and may 2022 be free of poison ivy!

      Liked by 2 people

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    • So glad you enjoyed Amy’s list, Mae! I thought it was a great one and was truly happy to share it with you guys while I’m on LoDeWriMar break. (*wink*) Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a moment to say hello! Happy Holidays to you, My Penderpal! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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  11. Thank you so much for having me here today, Marcia. Writing the post was such a fun way to introduce myself to your readers and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the comments. I wish you a very happy holiday season and all the best in 2022! 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Glad you enjoyed it, Bette. I think this Ten Things series has been super fun, and I hope to continue with it for a long time yet. (Just in case you’d like to take part one of these days, hint, hint.) Thanks so much for stopping by today! Happy Holidays, too! 😀 ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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  16. What a fun interview, Marcia. I can tell that Amy has a great sense of humor. I’d join her for the outdoor bonfire with some port and bleu cheese. 🙂 And the book sounds like a wonderful read for the holidays. Wishing you both a joyous holiday season. Enjoy your break, Marcia. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks so much, Diana! I’m enjoying painting our new picket fence today. Boy is that backbreaking work! But I’ll be SO happy to have it done, and the roses will look beautiful against it. (One of these days.) Amy’s interview was really a fun one, wasn’t it? So glad you enjoyed it, and I’ll be looking forward to having her back in the weeks ahead. (BTW, when are we going to learn 10 Things We Don’t Know About D. Wallace Peach? Hint, hint.)

      Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope your holidays are joyous, too! See you in 2022! (If the bridge don’t go, an’ the creek don’t rise, as they say.) 🤗💖

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Ha ha. I was trying to remember if I did one of these, and the old brain hadn’t a clue. Lol. I’ll work on one and send it to you over the holidays for a posting whenever. And congrats on the picket fence. That’s a ton of work! Yeesh. But I’m sure it will look gorgeous with the roses. Makes me long for spring! Have a wonderful holiday break, my friend. Hugs. ❤

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        • Well, you got me worrying about MY memory, so I double-checked. Nope. Can’t find one featuring you, and I sure would love to have you. Won’t be scheduling any until my next open slot on Jan 19, but after that, you have lots of choices. Hope you’ll decide to give it a whirl!

          I got about half of the fence done before I had to quit. Between the heat and the bending over, I came in half-dead and with an aching back. If I’m not up for more tomorrow, I’ll finish it Monday, I guess. I only do heavy stuff like that when Mark’s home, in case I should suddenly fall face down in the paint! URK. But I will get it done. It’s a small section of fence, and if I like how it turned out, I’ll do the stockade fence around the backyard, too. (Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment!)

          Let me know what you decide on Ten Things. We’ll be ready when YOU are! 😁

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          • Lol. Thanks for checking! I really wasn’t sure. Now I’ll get going on it. 🙂

            And I’m glad you stopped painting when you did. There’s always Monday or Tuesday or… Picket fences are tough with all those darn nooks and angles. The stockade should go a little easier.

            I spent two days last week, bleaching the mold from my window panes. Here it’s the rainy dampness that keeps me busy. It’s relentless! At least I get to listen to books while I do it. That’s the fun part. 🙂

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            • Oh, we have mold problems in Florida, too, believe me. I always say it’s either drought or monsoon down here, without much in between. Seriously, we do have rainy spells that last for days and days, and in this heat, mold will take over if you aren’t careful, so I can sure relate to your problem. Right now, though, it’s dry and while cooler at nights, we are having another batch of 80+ degree days. (What passes for “winter” down here most of the time.) And of course, since I wanted to work outside, it couldn’t even help me out by being overcast. I had to try to work under a beach umbrella to keep the sun off. Urk. BUT, what I got done looks really good, and I’m eager to get back to it. If not today, then Monday, as you say.

              And YAY to your decision to get a Ten Things List together. Can’t wait to have you visit! 😊

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                • I started having skin cancers in my 30’s, and still have to see a dermatologist twice a year. They always find something that has to be removed, no matter how careful I am. All those sunburns growing up in Florida BS! (Before Sunscreen.) I wear Total Eclipse Sunblock to check the mail! 😁 Plus umbrellas and any other shade protection I can find. And if I could swap my 80+ degrees for some 60 degree weather, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But … we must bloom where we’re planted, eh? 🤗💖 Stay warm!

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