Murder and Malaise

Second Chance Charms Kickstarter update:

Just under two weeks to go!

We are roaring through the stretch goals - both Charlie and Anton have character art unlocked and will be appearing on the postcard (check out the finished Charlie art!)

I just unlocked a secret 100 backers stretch goal - a recipe for a "burrito". And we're about $400 off the final revealed stretch goal, which is die-cut stickers of the characters. I really want Charlie and Anton on my laptop, and we're so close to that I can taste it.

After that come some secret stretch goals I dare not hint at, lest I displease the Fates. I can say only that they're great, especially if you like pretty things.

One other quick promo note: I'm participating in a May Contemporary Romance Sale - you can check that out and pick up my Persephone in Bloom for 99c (US), plus a bunch of other contemporary romance titles!

Malaise

Possibly the greatest gift I can ever give Future Me is making sure that there is always an extra box of tissues stashed in the hall cupboard.

Writing can be a solitary job, but working in a school is not, and at this time of year, various viruses abound and absolutely love latching on to everyone in range. Yesterday, I felt my energy levels plummet off a cliff, a warning sign I have learned to heed. I'm not too bad today, but then a) I slept for 14 hours and b) I am spending a lot of my waking time looking vaguely at things I need to do and then just not summoning the power to do them. It's taken six hours to write this newsletter.

Regardless, I am grateful, both for my ample provision of sick leave (thank you, unions) and for the fact that whatever this is held off until the end of the week.

Because on Monday night, I got on a train to solve a murder.

Murder

Yes! I attended the Spy of the Year Awards, and it was glorious, marred not at all by the untimely death of one of the nominees and the resulting need to figure out who dunnit as we travelled back and forth to Tormore on a cold Christchurch evening.

I love murder mysteries so much - the combination of clues dropped and red herrings revealed, the way you have to discern motive from hearsay. My preference for theatrical murders is that everyone had a good reason to do it, and in this case, they all had such good reasons that one of my companions argued for a time that perhaps they had all done it.

Our table ate delicious food and I personally drank many New Zealand wines. We solved the mystery handily enough, (I worked out cause of death very early, and was unbearably smug about it) but the MOST important part of the evening was my outfit, which was made by me and extremely murder-adjacent. For things like this, even if I am not the murderer, I like dressing like someone who conceivably could kill, and I think I nailed it.

Vamping on my friends for kicks, also, food!

When I am given a theme I dress to it, and don't really worry that other people might not. But in this case, if I were the kind of person to worry about that, I needn't have. All the guests took the black tie dictate very seriously, and everyone looked amazing.

I finished my dress and jacket on Sunday, and on the Monday, I made gloves and a turban to go with it, because I am a CLASSY LADY, thank you. This necessitated some speed sewing, always a dangerous proposition. I collected a couple of pin stab wounds, and there was also a fun moment where I lightly cut into my finger pad with the tip of my scissors.

I also destroyed my formerly rather tidy living room. This is what I woke up to on Tuesday:

Everybody mocks my tuna can weights, but they are very good actually.

Worth it!

I won't spoil anything, of course, but if you wish to experience an excellent night and chat with some excellent improvisors, I can heartily recommend Tormore Never Dies.

That Healey Girl is the weeklyish newsletter of Karen (or Kate) Healey, a romance and speculative fiction author who lives in Ōtautahi, New Zealand and shakes plots loose by wandering along the river.