From The Desk Of Trixie Matkowski, Owner
Hello Everyone!
I’d like to tell you about my recent visit with my friend, Dru Ann. She asked me about my day as we sat in a booth in the back of my diner. It was the middle of January, and I was having a great day in spite of the blizzard raging outside. I always have a great day because I live in little Sandy Harbor where everyone knows everyone. Where else can I experience New York’s snow belt from a front row seat?
I’m here to tell you that the snow belt was alive and well and dumping snow as Dru Ann and I caught up on the comings and goings of our respective family and friends.
I told her about last Christmas and the fact that I was the Christmas pageant director at the Community Church after the original pageant director was found dead in the church’s kitchen. I had broken my leg falling down the stairs on Thanksgiving night, but luckily my friends and relatives helped me get through all my catering commitments along with my commitment to the Sandy Harbor jail, courtesy of Deputy Sheriff Ty Brisco.
As we looked out the window, Dru commented that the snow was falling so hard and thick, it seemed as though we were looking through a gauzy curtain. We could barely see the outline of my “Big House’, which is what I call my big farmhouse. I call it that not because it’s a correctional facility, but because it’s a big house! Even though Dru Ann lives in another part of New York State, she’s never experienced “real snow.”
Dru Ann was about to fly back home, and we were worried about the drive to the airport. However, in exchange for four cherry hand pies and a jumbo cup of coffee, Karen Melott, one of our two snowplow drivers, was going to drive Dru Ann to the regional airport in the town’s brand new Snowblaster Pro 567A, a hulking yellow plow and sand spreader that sounded like a jumbo jet.
Only in Sandy Harbor could you be driven to the airport with such class!
Dru Ann wondered about my lack of sleep. “Trixie, you seem so busy. Do you have enough help here?” I explained that my diner is open 24/7/365, and I’m the chef on the graveyard shift: midnight until eight in the morning. But during most of that week, I was working a double shift since Juanita, my day chef, went to Tucson, Arizona, to see her nephew’s new baby.
I always have events to plan, too. February, of course, is loaded with Valentine parties, and with this being a leap year-I have several Sadie Hawkins events scheduled. That’s when the ladies ask the guys out, and the residents of Sandy Harbor always love that. Dances, luncheons, bowling, blind dates-most all the clubs and organizations got into Sadie Hawkins invites and fundraisers-including church bingo!
I would be sponsoring an evening where the ladies ask the men out to dinner at the Silver Bullet, and the men have to wait on the women, eat with them, and then have to pay for the meals! All tips (and my profits) were going to the library for new books.
Karen came all too early with her snowplow to pick up Dru Ann, so we quickly hugged and vowed to keep in touch.
And now you-like Dru Ann-have been updated on the happenings in Sandy Harbor and a day in the life of Trixie Matkowski—me!
It’s nothing but work, work, work!
And I love every second of it!
Have a fabulous 2016!
~~ Trixie ~~
It’s A Wonderful Knife is the fifth book in the “Comfort Food” mystery series, published by Obsidian, February 2016.
All Trixie Matkowski wants for Christmas is a break—just not the broken leg she got after slipping on some ice. With Sandy Harbor alive in the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s the busiest time of the year at Trixie’s Silver Bullet Diner. There are millions of things to do, including cater the town’s annual Christmas pageant and community dinner with some delicious holiday comfort food.
But the festivities turn into a bit of a turkey after Liz Fellows, the director of the pageant, is found with Trixie’s butcher knife in her back. Now Trixie must help the police arrest the scary gentleman—or lady—guilty of the crime if she hopes to get herself off the naughty list.
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All comments are welcomed.
About the author
Christine Wenger is the national bestselling author of the Comfort Food Mysteries, including Macaroni and Freeze and Diners, Drive-ins, and Death. She has worked in the criminal justice field and is thrilled to bring the beauty of upstate New York to life in this series. Visit Christine at christinewenger.com, and on Facebook.
Giveaway: Leave comment below for your chance to win a print copy of It’s A Wonderful Knife. US entries only, please. The giveaway will end February 12, 2016 at 12 AM EST. Good luck everyone!
this is sure to be a fun book! I am anxious to read it. Thanks Dru! Thanks to Christine for the chance to win a copy. 🙂
I love a day in the life, and love these diner stories. Thanks for the chance to win.
This looks like lots of fun
I love this series. Have a wonder 2016.
This sounds like an amazing book. Love finding new authors to read, thanks Dru Ann for all your emails and thank you Christine for the chance to win.
I love this series and all of its comfort food. Can’t wait to read this one. Thank you for the chance to win.
Wow Dru Ann What an adventure you had!
WOW WEE….you sure had a super duper awesome time with this new book Dru! I have to say that I love the cover of this new book, love, love, love the title of this new book, and already love, love, love all the other books in this series so totally cannot wait to read this!!!! Thank you so much Dru for the chance to win! God bless you and Christine!
Wonderful adventure. Bet the snow plow ride was fun too. 😉 Thanks for the chance to read an other book in this awesome series. 😀
I love these culinary cozies! Thanks.
I love food based cozies!!
I purchased this book this week on new release day. Can’t wait to read it. I love this series.
Love the cover on this book, reminds me of my high school days!
wfnren at aol dot com
This is a great series, I love the diner series. Thank you for sharing
Great cover.new series for me
The Comfort Food series has become one of my favorites. I just picked up It’s a Wonderful Knife from my local library and can’t wait to read it.
This is a new series for me, but it sounds just like something I would love. Thanks for the chance to win one.
I love this series, one of my favorite. Thanks for the giveaway.
What an adventure! I’d love to win a copy for sure.
I’ve read books from this series and loved all of them. I can’t wait to get my hands on this new one. robeader53@yahoo.com
If only I could have been in the booth right next to you! Looking forward to the new book, thanks so much for the chance to win!
Book sounds like a very fun read, and in a diner, sounds great, would love to win, ty
Terrific series!
Diners are such fun to eat in – wish there were more of them.
I love the title! I haven’t started this series but it sure sounds like a winner.
A wonderful title to add to my cozy challenge list. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.
I have finally gotten around to reading the first in this series and loved it! I can’t wait until I catch up to this one. 🙂
The image of driving to the airport in the snow plow is marvelous. But can the planes fly in all that snow?
This sounds so cute, I would love to curl up in a comfy chair with it. Thank you for the chance to win.
Yes please Dru, that scene reminded me of the year I flew into Buffalo in a snowstorm. It felt like I’d spent a month there at the end of the weekend. LOL You also know how much I love old diners, so please toss my name into the contest hat.
This one sounds so good! Love the fun title. Foodie cozies are my favorites.
This sounds so good, I’ve put Christine’s books on my tbr list! Thanks for the chance to win one!
It’s A Wonderful Knife sounds great. I’m looking forward to reading this one. Thank you for the chance to win.
Thanks, Dru, for discovering such a wonderful series!
OH, I love finding a new series! Thanks!
Thanks for introducing me to another great book and series.
I have been looking forward to the next book in the series! Being from Western NY, it’s fun to read about places I am familiar with.
Thus looks like a really amazing book. Another new to me author. Would really enjoy reading.
I really like this series and am looking forward to this installment. I love the idea of a dinner where the men wait on the women–I’m sure that will make for an interesting night.
Have recently added this author to my TBR list and thoroughly enjoy her characters.
I’ve never been a fan of the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life—-but I bet I like this book. Thanks for the contest.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
Sounds like Trixie’s busy. I’m looking forward to reading about all her going-ons. Thanks for the chance to win.
Cannot wait to read this!!!!
Thanx for the giveaway….
What a promising read! Thanks for the heads up on their series. So looking forward to reading it. Thank you for a chance to get it soooner
I really like this series. I read the first one from the library and I own the second one.