From Rose. . .Okay, Dru Ann, I know you didn’t ask this but I need to explain a little about me before we go on. Here’s the thing. I’m not the main character in How to Knit a Murder. Not by a long shot. But the four women who are—Nell, Izzy, Birdie, and Izzy—have become my friends. When I wandered into Sea Harbor they took me in, gave me a place to live, a job. And, geesh, they wrapped me up in this great warm way, like I could never have imagined. Nor expected. After all, it wasn’t why I had come to Sea Harbor. Nor had I come to unknowingly fall head first into a murder. But sometimes you just don’t know what the next day will bring. Let’s get to know Rose.
What is your name?
My name is Rose Chopra. Well, names can change, can’t they? Good friends call me Rosie. My dear mom named me Rosemarie. I think she had seen a play or movie with an actress by that name. My mom thought it was a happy name, and above all, my mom wanted me to be happy. Always.
How old are you?
Not quite 30—I just don’t pay much attention to things like age. I’m a Cancer, maybe that’s why. Some folks think it’s also why I’m so sentimental. Like about cats. But I think it’s why I am finally letting myself fall in love with the sea. Cancers are water children and I think I am becoming one very quickly.
What is your profession?
I’ve done different things— preschool teacher, carpenter, plumber, science teacher—but mostly I love working with my hands. Fixing things.
Do you have a significant other?
I did when I was in college. But it turned out we were better suited to be good friends. But now that I’m in Sea Harbor, I think I am open to a different kind of relationship.
What is his name and profession?
It’s really hard for me to say. Maybe we can talk about it after you read my story?
Any children?
I don’t have any children. But I love cats.
Do you have any sibling(s)?
I have one sister. She’s married with sweet kids, and lives in Oregon. She’d love me to come live there.
Who is your best friend?
I have two. My former therapist and my present employer.
What town do you live in?
I am in between towns. A wanderer. I’ve lived in a couple, most recently Omaha, Nebraska, where my family moved when I was just beginning high school. They moved because of me, of that I am now certain although we never talked about it. Right now I am back in the town in which I was born: in Sea Harbor, MA.
House or building complex? Own or Rent?
I am staying in Izzy Perry’s apartment above her knitting shop, which she has generously offered to me as an interim place. But I will be moving into another place soon.
What is your favorite spot in your house?
I love sitting cross-legged on the sofa in Izzy’s apartment. I light a candle, maybe some incense, and watch the waves beyond the window. It helps me order my mind and my life. It brings me peace. Namaste.
Amateur sleuth or professional?
Neither, really. I’ve been focused on what I really love — fixing things, making things work again. But then one day things changed a little when a guy was murdered. And that’s when I was pulled into a crime, whether I wanted to be there or not.
Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
My boss and I are trying to work our way through a terrible event that we’ve become entangled in. The seaside knitters—Nell, Izzy, Birdie, and Cass—are definitely the master sleuths. We follow their lead.
Favorite meal?
Unfortunately I like every meal. A lot. During my grade school and middle school days, eating became a panacea for me. A protection. It was nearly my downfall.
Favorite dessert?
I have always–and always will–love Harry Garozzo’s Zabaglione. It’s absolutely the best dessert I’ve ever had in my life. He serves it warm in his deli with strawberries and dribbles of chocolate sauce on top.
Favorite hobby?
My job is my hobby, I guess. Fixing things. But I love yoga, too. And even meditating. Can that be a hobby?
Favorite vacation spot?
My mother loved the sea. And the longer I’m here in Sea Harbor seeing the ocean through her eyes, I’m falling in love with it, too. My favorite vacation spot may well end up being my home.
Favorite sports team?
My new Sea Harbor friends tell me it’s the Boston Red Sox. And because I love my friends, I go along with it.
Movies or Broadway?
I love both. Old movies are great, and the music of Hamilton will be in my soul until my dying day.
Are you a morning or a night person?
I love to get up early and watch the sun rise. Yoga on the wharf.
In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
Up early these days. Feed Purl, the knitting shop cat, his breakfast, then down to the wharf for free yoga, a latte at Coffees Shop and off to work at Palazola Real Estate to fix up houses and get them ready to sell. And hoping I don’t find any ‘skeletons’ in the closets.
Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win one hardcover of How to Knit a Murder and a trade paperback of Murder Wears Mittens. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends November 28, 2018. Good luck everyone!
You can read about Rose in How to Knit a Murder, the second book in the “Seaside Knitters Society” mystery series, coming November 27, 2018 from Kensington.
A mysterious woman arrives in picturesque Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, and the Seaside Knitters welcome her into their cozy world of intricate patterns and colorful skeins. Unfortunately, nothing frays a warm introduction like cold-blooded murder . . .
With her shy manner and baggy jeans, Rose Chopra becomes an unlikely superhero the night she stumbles into Izzy Perry’s shop and inadvertently saves a shipment of yarn from water damage. When the Seaside Knitters help the enigmatic handywoman settle into town and find work at a popular real estate company, Rose proves she can fix just about anything—until a potential homebuyer is killed and she becomes entangled in murder . . .
The moment controversial entrepreneur Spencer Paxton is found dead in a pricey ocean-side house, accusations fly at the last person on the property—Rose. But the Seaside Knitters have their doubts. After all, Spencer’s political aspirations as well as his company’s plans to pave over Sea Harbor’s historic art district with luxury apartments earned him some very real enemies . . .
Now, Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass must swap knitting for sleuthing as they struggle to move the needle on a twisted homicide case causing turmoil across town. As tensions build in the sleepy New England community and Rose’s secret past unravels, the ladies face an unsettling realization—true victims aren’t always the ones buried six feet under . . .
Purchase Link
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About the author
Sally Goldenbaum is a former philosophy teacher, editor, and one-time PR writer at WQED public television where Mr. Rogers kept her feeling good about herself. She is the author of forty plus books, including the Seaside Knitters Society Mysteries. How to Knit a Murder is the 13th book featuring the four Sea Harbor knitters.
She lives in Prairie Village KS, and Gloucester, MA (where she rubs shoulders with her fictional friends).
All comments are welcomed.
I love this series. Thanks for the great post & giveaway!
Thanks, Doward. Hope you enjoy the story. I
This cover is absolutely adorable and I’d be very pleased to receive this book if I were lucky enough to win it. I was a knitter in college and would like to begin again and this book just might be the incentive. It sounds like a wonderful series.
Thank you.
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia~ I’ve recently learned all kinds of good things about knitting, from keeping us calm to lowering blood pressure. I hope you enjoy the story, too?
Sounds like a great series that I have yet to discover. Thanks for a chance to win this book.
Welcome to the seaside family, Linda. I hope you enjoy Nell, Izzy, Birdie and Cass. They keep me entertained (and even inspired, sometimes). Happy reading.
What a GORGEOUS cover!!!!!
Thank you for the giveaway…..
The artist did a wonderful job. And two of those kittens appear in the book~
I have always enjoyed this series and I am glad there is a new book! The cover is so adorable!
Thank you for the review and also for the chance to win these books.
Hi Debbie~hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness….how precious and adorable is the cover on this new book! My heart just melts looking at all of those cute kittens! This sounds like a super exciting book! My precious mom was a knitter, and growing up she made so much wonderful things! Thank you so very much for the chance to win! 😻
Hi Beverly–I learned from my grandmother. Happy memories for both of us! Hope you enjoy the book.
I love this series and am looking forward to reading this new chapter in the lives of the knitters.
Hi Gram~and the seaside women are happy to have you back!
My fingers are crossed my name is chosen as the winner of this
wonderful giveaway. The cover is a winner and I’m sure the
story inside must be. Can’t wait.
Hi Robin,
Good luck. I love the cover too (and I love Rose, who appears in How to Knit a Murder.)
A wonderful series and a lovely giveaway. Thanks.
Thanks, Ellie. And good luck!
That cover is too cute! <3
Thanks, Amy. I like it too–and there is a nice scene in the book featuring an important cat….
I love this series–I’ve bought every one–although I’m no knitter, the characters are great, and the description of food has me running for a take out menu. Looking forward to the next installment.
Rochelle, you’re the best. Thanks so much for the lovely bit of marketing for the seaside knitters. It’s much appreciated.
This sounds like a fun cozy, thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
Good luck, Wendy (and I love your raggedy ann and andy meme!)
I love to get to know the supporting characters, too! Thanks for the giveaway in a great series.
Thanks, Sally (from Sally).So happy you are enjoying the seaside women.
It sounds like Rose has a great view from Izzy’s apartment.
She does! If she were a good swimmer, she could leap right into the harbor waters from the window.
Rose may not be the main character but she certainly sounds like an interesting one!
Hi GB–I like her a lot! Hope you do too.
Hey Dru. A story with a connection to real estate… I love it. I’m going thru the photos my sister sent up from Florida after dad passed on. In it are my mom’s photos of her life growing up in Brooklyn. Lots of photos of her with the grands in front of the family’s real estate office. LOL Yeap I grew up sharpening pencils and bringing mail to the post office. I’m in it to win it…. so please toss my name into your magic contest hat.
Nora-Adrienne, you make me smile! You and Dru have things in common. And I love the real estate connection with the book.
Wow. A hardcover AND a paperback?
That’s very generous.
Hi Libby–I wish you luck! Happy reading.
It was nice to meet Rose and I would love to know more about her story. She sounds like she needs friends and lots of support and hugs. Thanks for the chance to win!
Autumn, that’s exactly what she needs. (And readers, too!) Thank you and good luck.
I love this series and have enjoyed each visit to Sea Harbor. The friendship between Nell, Birdie, Izzy, and Cass is very special. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
And thank You, Cheryl, for the nice book comments. (And as always, i need to thank Dru Ann who gives us such a wonderful vehicle for the giveaways.)
Wow! 2 books at once. I’d love to win these.
Good luck, Amy. Enjoy!
This sounds like a series my Mom would enjoy. She knits.
Good luck, Sandy. I know a lot of moms and daughters who share the books. (Knitting helps get the the seaside women together, but, sadly, the mysteries won’t teach you how to knit. (hough many people have told me it introduces them to the wonders of yarn) Have a happy day.
Love this series and cannot wait to read the next installment. Thanks for a chance to win!
Thanks for the kid words, Lori. (And good luck!)
Wow! What a great giveaway! I’m looking forward to reading How to Knit a Murder. This is one of my favorite series.
Thanks, Ashley!
What a contest.! Would be a definite contest to win!
Good luck Renee–and happy reading!
Sea Harbor sounds delightful and I liked the synopsis of the book. Love knitting and cats, sounds like a delightful book.
Dianne–I hope you get to know the women of Sea Harbor. Good luck.
I love this series even though I am not a knitter. Izzy is my favorite character (most of the time). Thanks for the generous give-away. It would be the perfect Christmas present for my sister who inherited the knitting genes from out mom! (And I bet she’d let me read them as well!) 😄
Hi Barbara–thanks for you lovely words about the seaside women. Izzy reminds me of my daughter so I’m so happy she’s one of your favorites. Good luck!
What an interesting series. Thanks for the chance to win copies of How to Knit a Murder and Murder Wears Mittens.
Good luck, Vicki!
Love the Q&A with Rose.
Thanks, Mary. I truly liked getting to know Rose as I wrote about her.
This book has one of the cutest covers I’ve ever seen! Thanks for offering this giveaway!!!
Hi Linda,
I love the cover too. And you’ve given me a nudge to let the artist know. Thank you.
Sally
A most heartfelt thank you to Dru Ann Love for letting Rose (and me) spend the day with all of you!
Fondly,
Sally
I love this series and your cover art. Thank you for this opportunity.
Sounds like a great read
I have not done any knitting for a long time. I did enjoy it. My oldest sister did the one in the family who did a lot of knitting. Thus I’ll just read about it.
Would love to win. I just discovered these characters recently and everytime I read one it makes me wish I could knit. Renee
**** WINNER ****
How to Knit a Murder/Murder Wears Mittens is Cynthia Blain
Congratulations!