OWNER OF THE SILVER BULLET DINER AND SANDY HARBOR HOUSEKEEPING COTTAGES, SANDY HARBOR, NY
I work the graveyard shift at my Silver Bullet Diner (open 24 hours, daily specials, air conditioned). My shift is midnight to eight in the morning. I’m a cook, although I prefer to be called a chef even though I’ve had no “professional” training. I trained at the side of my Uncle Porky and Aunt Stella Matkowski, the original owners of the diner.
After Uncle Porky died, Aunt Stella decided to retire. That’s where I came in. It was a perfect time in my life to move from Philly to small town Sandy Harbor, New York, and start over. I bought everything (the Silver Bullet, twelve housekeeping cottages and a big Victorian) from Aunt Stella on the “niece, easy payment plan” (NEPP).
Sometimes, I don’t go to sleep after my shift, but sometimes I do. It all depends where and when I’m needed. Most of the time, I feel like a zombie without sleep, but I love to cook diner food-comfort food.
Within shouting distance of the Silver Bullet, is the Victorian, painted white with green shutters that I call the “Big House”. As I mentioned, on the shore of Lake Ontario, are twelve housekeeping cottages that I own (also white with green shutters). It looks like the “Big House” had a litter!
The winters are harsh, so the graveyard patrons are the snowplow drivers, the cops, and an assortment of night owls. As soon as the lake thaws, the fishermen arrive. In the spring and summer, I’ll get families who have vacationed at the cottages year after year, just like my family and I did. I counted down the days to a summer at Cottage Four starting in September when school started!
I’m still feeling my way. As soon as Aunt Stella handed me the massive amount of keys and we figured out a payment plan on a Silver Bullet placemat, she headed for a cruise with her lady friends and bought a condo in Boca.
Talk about a fish out of water! I was a tour guide in Philly.
I love my staff, and they have been a great help. My pal, Juanita Holgado, is the day cook. Cindy helps her and makes the best cinnamon buns. Clyde and Max are my handymen, and are old U.S. Army pals of Uncle Porky. Waitresses are Chelsea, Bettylou and several others in varying shifts.
I try to make sure that everything is in ship shape: the grounds, the cottages, the diner, the Big House. Sometimes, I have to scout out Clyde and Max’s hiding spots, to get them working, but I’ve become a pro at it. If I could develop a decent spreadsheet, I could computerize my orders for food, but my notebook with all my innumerable lists will have to do.
Collecting recipes from family and friends is my hobby. I experiment with their various recipes at the diner. Someday, I’m going to publish a cookbook-RECIPES FROM THE SILVER BULLET DINER.
Oh sure, in my spare time!
Right now, I’m in the process of bringing back the Saturday night Dancefest on the grounds. Uncle Porky started the Dancefest back in 1950, and Aunt Stella stopped them when he became ill. But every Saturday in the summer, people would flock to the deck behind the Silver Bullet and the dance floor on the lawn and spend the night dancing, eating, and singing around a big bonfire. I’ve got my menu planned, booked the band, hung the posters, and it’s going to be a great time. Fingers crossed that there will be a big turnout.
And then there’s Deputy Sheriff Ty Brisco a transplant from Houston. He is six-foot-something-and-then-some when he wears his cowboy hat. Then there’s his drawl. Yum. Ty’s a Silver Bullet regular along with the two other members of the Sandy Harbor Sheriff’s Department, and he’s sweet, and kind, and smart and loves dogs and he’s, well, absolutely perfect.
But I’m not looking, really I’m not. I still haven’t recovered from my divorce from Deputy Doug.
No more cops for me.
So, that’s about it. My day seems totally boring, but it’s not. I keep busy, and I love it. I live on a beautiful piece of land on one of the Great Lakes. I just have to remember to take time to sit in an Adirondack chair and let the lapping waves relax me. Nice.
If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop in for the daily special at the Silver Bullet. I make a delicious meatloaf. Or maybe mac and cheese is for you. Grilled cheese and tomato soup? Spaghetti and meatballs? Baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy?
And then there’s dessert….
And if you’re looking for a nice vacation, think of the Sandy Harbor Housekeeping Cottages.
We’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and even holidays because everyone needs a place to go!
And remember: What happens at the lake, stays at the lake!
All my best wishes to you and yours,
Trixie Matkowski
Click HERE for more chances to win a copy of “Do or Diner” while participating in Christina’s blog tour.
Thanks to Penguin, I have one (1) copy of DO OR DINER to give away. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. Contest ends August 12; US entries only per publisher’s request.
Meet the author
I have worked in the criminal justice field for more years than I care to remember. It seems like I was forever going to school while I was working full time, but in the end, I received a dual master’s degree in Probation and Parole Studies and Sociology from Fordham University. Unfortunately, the knowledge gained from way too many years in night school, didn’t prepare me for what I love to do the most – write!
To date, I’ve written nine romances for Harlequin and one cozy mystery-my first!-for Obsidian Books.
DO OR DINER will be released from Obsidian Books on August 6, 2013, and it’s their first “comfort food” mystery! My second cozy mystery will be called A Second Helping Of Murder, and will be released in 2014. A third is yet untitled and unscheduled.
For fun, I enjoy watching professional bull riding and rodeo with my favorite cowboy, my husband Jim. We put on our cowboy regalia (I look horrible in a cowboy hat!) and have traveled to events in Las Vegas, Florida, Connecticut, and other states.
You can visit Christine at her website and on Facebook.
Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
This sounds great. I look forward to starting this series…Dee
I really enjoy cozies and this sounds like a good one! Thank you for the giveaway!
Sounds like an interesting read.
sounds like a wonderful new book. I’d really like to read it 🙂
Looks great – would love to win!
A new author, A new book. Thanks, Dru!
The atmosphere sounds perfect for a small town diner. I like the idea of a diner and cottages in a beautiful lake area.
Hope I am lucky enough to win.
Yes please Dru,
I’ll take a heaping helping of contest entry please.
NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com
Sounds like a great cozy mystery. Can’t wait to read it.
is that meatloaf made with tomato sauce/paste w/ ketchup on top? or no tomato taste & brown gravy? only the former will do!
would love to spend some vacation time in one of the cottages – maybe next summer? [any time of year will do to read about it!]
This sounds like a greatvstartvto a new series! Thanks for the contest dru!
This sounds like a fun book. Thanks for the chance to win.
This sounds very funny and I would like to read.
This sounds like my kind of series, of course I love anything to do with food.
This sounds like a cozy I will enjoy – thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
I’m also on this book tour ( and wont be entering your contest ) – but just wanted to say…I’ve been reading this book, and I really like it! =)
I enjoyed your post!
I love diners and thank you for giving us a chance to win. I bet this will be a fun and humorous read.
Meat loaf and Mac and Cheese at the Silver Bullet….I’m in!
Looks like a fun read – would love to win a copy. Thanks for the give-aways.
Looks like a fun read. Thank you for the chance to win.
I love an old fashioned small town diner—should be a good read. Thanks for the contest.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
This sounds intriguing!
I love diner food, cozies and didn’t love graveyard shifts Maybe it was because I had a three year old who didn’t understand why I wanted to sleep in the daytime. I am reading looking forward to this book. Thank you for hosting this giveaway.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Looking forward to reading your first cozy.
What a tease! I want to go there now, where is this place? lol Thanks for the giveaway, and I will definitely get this book to read if I don’t win. I worked graveyard & it brought back memories, some good-getting the job done in peace & quiet, some bad-trying to sleep during the day with everyone trying to line things up for me to do since I was off.
I love your posts. Thanks for being part of this tour and kicking it off with a bang!!
Thanks for inviting me.
Silver Bullit Diner — What a great name for a diner. I’d love to read the book. Please include me in the .drawing
Wish I could book a cabin right now!
I have this on my TBR list already.
So happy to “meet” Trixie! I think the series debut sounds great!
I am so homesick for NY, having just moved to GA. This sounds like such a great read, thanks for letting me know about it!
I also worked at the “Silver Bullet”, but it was the gift shop under a ride at Knotts Berry Farm 🙂 I love visiting NY. Have worked the 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at juvenile hall, but I imagine the diner’s a little more entertaining. Count me in for the giveaway. Thanks. judydee22002@yahoo dot com
I would like to have that cookbook.
Added to my tbr list. Looks like a fun new series. Thanks for the giveaway. 🙂
Thanks Dolly for including me in the tour. Thanks Christine for introducing us to Trixie.
contest is closed, but you can still make comments.
Sounds like a fun place to stop in!