October Blog will publish October 24th 2016. I'm having my second cataract surgery on the 19th so I'll be back in time to publish.



WELCOME,  WELCOME, WELCOME ! ! !       
                    SEPTEMBER 2016
           RUTH KERN BOOKS BLOG
  


                         

     September is a pleasant month. The heat of summer is fading, fall flowers coming into bloom, school has begun and life is getting back to normal.  But September is more complicated than it seems.  Actually "sept" means seven and once upon a time it was the seventh month of the year.  Yes, the year started in March and September was the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 153 A.D.  Then the powers to be shifted the calendar about so here we still are today with September being the ninth month. 

September does have a flower that you are probably very familiar with: the aster. In North America the aster is split into nearly 180 species. Aster comes from the Ancient Greek work meaning star that of course, refers to the flowers head. They are also called Michaelmas daisies. Since it comes in a wide variety of colors it is a very popular flower for gardens.  It is said if your birth flower is the aster you are supposed to love leading a good life and you are a perfectionist in everything you do.  You are a good listener more than a talker which means you are a good communicator.  And guess what!  Like the honey bee you are industrious. 

Enjoy this pleasant month.

The Sapphire is the birthstone for September.  This is a beautiful and desired gemstone since ancient times.  Although we are used to the sapphire being a variety of shades of blue with the most desired shades a medium dark blue or slightly violet-blue.  Surprisingly, since the sapphire is in the corundum species of gemstones there are pink sapphires and green sapphires.  I own a brooch made of diamonds and a nice dark blue sapphire. A gift from a great aunt, Jessie, who passed on in the fifties.   Lucky me!



THREAD PICTURES by Jennifer Day
 (An Encore article. I ran this article three years ago but when I discovered Jennifer now has a book out I decided to rerun it with updates and changes. Her work is worth visiting twice.)

    

      While I was at the EGA National over three years ago I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Jennifer Day's free-motion embroidery class. I know little about sewing machines other than my short experience in grade school home economics class when I learned to thread a sewing machine and fill bobbins with thread. I don't remember what we sewed but some years later I managed to machine sew some maternity tops with the help of a neighbor. Machines has changed a lot since then but it doesn't take a fancy machine if you have the magic fingers and talent that Jennifer has.  (Discount code is: 0916 for 20% off)

     When I walked into her class I found myself in a world of humming machines and a classroom of intent students sewing busily. I must have looked lost with my mouth agape and camera in hand for Jennifer came right over to me and introduced herself and invited me to take a tour of what was being taught. 

     This is one of my favorite thread pictures by Jennifer. Her model was 96 years young. She is dressed to the nines. Even her dainty nails are painted a bright red. From her curious expression on her world worn face and her leaning slightly forward she appears totally interested in the outside world she is staring at. To create this realistic portrait, Jennifer used thirty different shades of thread to get this wonderful face perfect. The more I study this picture the more it reveals to me. Now I notice her rosary about her neck and the ring on her right finger I discover through Jennifer it is her wedding band, worn on the right in honor of her dead husband. Like a great painting this portrait tells us a story, makes us think, and brings a wealth of emotions to the surface.

     Jennifer uses a Janome Domestic Sewing Machine for her thread stories, an easy to use machine, uncomplicated. She thread paints on cotton duck or if texture is needed Belgium linen. The photos are hers. She shoots portraits, wildlife. flowers, places and whatever her imaginative eyes see. After Jennifer selects a photo she sends it off to a printer along with the material on which the  photo is to be imprinted. She has a wonderful eye for choosing colors and blending them for a realistic result. Take another look at her work and what her choice of thread color does for her work. 

     I love the pomegranate so real I can almost smell it and my hands just itch to peel it!  It conjures up all the fruit I harvest from my pomegranate tree. All those delicious and nutritious seeds.  Yuumy!





     Her quilt of a newborn in a pair of hands flashed me to my children's births; the helplessness of an infant in their new world, the feeling of wanting to protect this child and the immensity of this miracle of new life. At the time of this work she had been doing this art for only three years.  I find that mind-boggling. I think her artistic background has been leading her to the year she ran a needle over her first picture proving creativity is a process not a destination. 

     On her website she says this about her machine art, " I utilize free-machine embroidery in most of my art quilts. I photograph a subject then print the image onto fabric. Then I begin the process of covering the image in thread. My images may have between 10 to 40 threads per subject. The process of blending colors seamlessly together is quite exciting to me. I then will incorporate free motion quilting into the background of the piece as well as applique and many times trapunto, to create my photo quilts and portrait quilts. My quilts range between one and three million stitches in the finished art quilt. My style of thread painting is very intense and the projects may take as long as 160 hours to complete."

     Jennifer has won numerous awards for her thread painting and her entries jury into 98% of the shows submitted. After scanning her website (for over an hour) I saw the passion she brings to work. I also discovered she is an ASID interior decorator. The photos of the homes she worked her decorating magic are absolutely breathtaking. This is on my wish list for my personal library! (I wish!) I've gone back to her site a number of times to re-enjoy her talent.  I hope you will take a peak.  www.jdaydesign.com

     Her book out late last year, Thread Stories: A Visual Guide to Creating Stunning Stitched Portrait Quilts - is a masterpiece. Jennifer invites you to create realistic portrait quilts with thread painting. Turn your own photos of people and animals into one-of-a-kind story quilts. as you learn to masterfully stitch in the details. This step-by-step visual guide takes you from photo selection to editing, printing on fabric, thread painting, and free-motion quilting. With just a home sewing machine, quilters of all experience levels can capture and quilt life's precious memories.   $29.95

Here are some more books on this art and how to do it.

Tope. Terri Henderson - Quilted Portrait Book - Sewing imitates art in this unique method of transferring photos to wallhangings. Step-by-step you learn how to choose a photo, trace images, threadwork, and finishing. Your tools include a home sewing machine and black thread. Watch as your personal photo comes to life through threadwork. A perfect project for the beginner to advanced sewist. The author is a lifelong seamstress and quilter, a popular lecturer and teacher.  $19.95

Walters, Angela - Free-Motion Quilting Workbook: Angela Walters Shows You How! - A master-of free-motion quilting, Angela Walters, teaches you everything you need to know in her new book. Unlike an ordinary how-to-manual, this interactive workbook will get your creative juice flowing as you doodle designs of entire quilts, individual blocks, borders, and even negative space. The pages have plenty of line-art shapes and inspiring photos to help get you started. There's also a bonus section of graph paper to plan your own quilt designs. So, go ahead, start sketching!  $16.95

Loughman, Gloria - Radiant Landscapes - Transform tile colors and textures into dramatic quilts! With four inspiring projects to get you started, bring light into your quilts to set a mood. Learn how to create your own landscape quilt with easy to master techniques, including fusible tiling, invisible machine applique, free-motion stitching, plus fabric fabric dyeing and painting.  $29.95  

Sherrill Kahn - Mixed-Media Master Class - Create over 50 fascinating surfaces with fabric and paper! Make luminous textures and surfaces while exploring more than 50 fun and inventive techniques using easy-to-find supplies. Step by step visual guide shows you exactly how to get great results and add color and texture to collages, art quilts, and just about any creative project.  $29.95

Wiener, Leni Levenson - Thread Painting: Simple Techniques to Add Texture and Dimension - Contains exciting lessons in achieving elaborate embroidered and embellished looks with a simple sewing machine and a home computer and printer.  $25.95





POTPOURRI OF NEW BOOKS

ALISON COLE IS BACK! 

If you don't know this ultra-creative designer, needlework teacher and author here is your chance to acquaint yourself with the incredibly talented Alison Cole from Australia.  She not only designs, has a gorgeous website but also teaches all over the world. I have met her, visited her classes, and talked to her students and they give her two thumbs up! And I give her thumbs up for her books. 

Alison brings us a new book - The Embroiderer's Little Book of Hints and Tips - This is a workbasket-sized 144 pages soft cover publication with a concealed internal spiral binding so that it opens flat. She includes sections on everything from setting up a workbasket through to framing your finished embroidery. She has special sections with hints for Goldwork and Stumpwork embroidery as well as general stitch hints and hints for photography and going to class. At the suggestions of some of her students, this book has some blank pages throughout so that you can add the tips that you pick up along the way and at the back are needle identification pages with actual sixe photos of needles for comparison.  $40.00  NOTE: THIS BOOK IS DUE OUT THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER - SO PRE-ORDER.  DON'T FORGET YOUR 20% DISCOUNT.  FIND THE DISCOUNT CODE IN THIS BLOG. 

One of her Amazing Creations

HERE ARE THE REST OF HER PRIZED BOOKS:

Stumpwork Masterclass - While the main focus of this book is techniques found on historical pieces of Stumpwork, it also encompasses modern techniques. This book takes Stumpwork apart and looks at its history and each element that makes it up - from motifs such as flowers and animals to stitches and needle-lace. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this book.  $49.95



All That Glitters - This book showcases the embroidery techniques of Goldwork and Stumpwork often combining the two techniques to offer you a chance to try your hand at these beautiful embroidery styles - it also gives an insight into Alison, herself,  and her journey as an embroiderer. This is a book of requirements and techniques as well as a project section with designs both framed and free standing pieces suitable for both those new to Goldwork and also for the advanced embroiderer.
It is laid out with clear diagrams, color photos and hints and tips.  $39.95

The Midas Touch -As with the above book, this book features sections on Basic Supplies and Requirements, Techniques and a Project section. The eleven projects range from small pieces suitable for beginners to this style of embroidery to larger, more complex designs for those already hooked on Goldwork and Stumpwork.  Both of these books are classics!  $39.95


GUESS WHAT? SANDY ARTHUR HAS A NEW BOOK OUT!

After authoring a winning book series of four books some years back, SHAPES OF NEEDLEBOOK, that taught us how to handle a variety of shapes such as corners, hexagons, ovals, circles, squares, etc, etc. - each book covering some of the shapes.  They were a big seller and still are requested by needlepointers everywhere.  Now she is authoring a new series of needlepoint books: Pocketbook Series.  The first in the series is now available: Can Do Hairdos. She has taught classes on this was repeatedly asked for more.  This first book is 5.5"x 8.5" in size with 32 pages in color of "dos" with instructions, diagrams, pictures, and diagrams for a suggested hairstyle.  Easy-to-follow directions and easy to carry about.  $26.00


JUST A REMINDER...... A GREAT BOOK

I've had just a great response to this book I've gotten involved in singing it's praises.  The author Hazel Blomkamp brought us two great crewel embroidery books that were internationally acclaimed: CREWEL TWISTS and CREWEL INTENTIONS. Now she does the same for crazy quilting in her latest book: HAND STITCHED CRAZY PATCHWORK: More Than 160 Techniques and Stitches to Create Original Designs.  Hazel teaches you how to make ordinary patchwork extraordinary through a fabulous mix of embroidery technique and bead embellishments. All of the incredible pieces in this book have been made with only a needle, thread, fabric, ribbons and beads. You can even learn to use embroidery to create your own patchwork pieces from scratch.  $29.95

MORE NEAT BOOKS 




Bethmann, Laura - Hand Printing From Nature - Discover how to use found natural materials - such as leaves, feathers, vegetables, fruit, shells, weeds and wood - to print on any surface, from paper and fabric to ceramics, wood, stone, and more.  $20.95



Edmond, Janet - From Art to Stitch - Our author creates amazing textile pieces inspired by the artists Chuck Close, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Matisse. Hunderwasser, John Piper, and Giogio Morandi. She outlines each artist's work, sharing what inspires her, then creates a series of artistic projects using various media and techniques, exploring inspiration. These works lead in each case to a stitching project with a stitch sampler to introduce each one.  $35.00


Kelly, Anne - Textile Nature - Inspired by the Natural World, a variety of examples by today's most innovation embroiderers.  $30.00









Marquez, Jessica - Stitched Gifts - This book includes 25 irresistible embroidery projects for every occasion - weddings, holidays, baby showers, birthdays, anniversaries, and more. Each project is simple enough to complete in a weekend and can be easily personalized using the directions and templates within. With great color photographs, helpful stitch guides, and detailed instructions, this charming book will have you stitching memorable gifts and keepsakes in no time.  $19.95



Search Press - A-Z of Embroidered Flowers - Search brings back the wonderful A-Z books for a great low price. This title is a delightful guide to recreating an alphabet of blooms, from Alyssum to Zinnia, through the intricate medium of embroidery. Garden enthusiasts and embroidery lovers alike will enjoy poring over this handy guide for inspiration on how to replicate their favorite floral bouquets using needle, thread and plenty of creativity.  $19.95

Search Press - A-Z of Quilting - A comprehensive manual covering everything you need to know about quilting. Learn how to create and assemble a quilt top with a vast array of techniques including piecing, patchwork, applique, embroidery beading, tucking, ruching and slashing. Discover both hand and machine quilting, corded quilting and tufting. Finally, learn how to make and use binding to finish your quilt. The complete guide will be invaluable both for those new to quilting and those who have been creating quilts for decades.  19.95

Search Press - A to Z of Ribbon Embroidery - This classic contains 400 color illustrations and more than 40 neat designs using ribbon. Step-by-step photos lead you through the process along with clear instructions. There is also wonderful advice on choosing ribbons, fabrics, needles and frames, as well as a host of other hints and tips. Templates, a pattern key and a comprehensive index are also included.  $19.95

Saito, Yoko - Yoko Saito's Houses, Houses, Houses - Using varying interpretations of quilted houses, from one-dimensional designs to silhouettes. In addition she teaches you how to design your own house block. There are 34 projects from which to choose. These include handbags, pouches, carry-all, tissue case, pencil case and wall quilts.  These houses are so adorable!  $34.95 




Waugh, Carol Ann - Stupendous Stitching: How to Make Fun and Fabulous Fiber Art - Start using these decorative machine stitches to make stunningly textured fabric that you can use in home decorations, clothing, accessories, or for wall art. Combine them with couching and hand embroidery to make unique works of art.  The author has taught over 8,000 students and some of them are teaching this fiber art using this book as a textbook.  $29.95.

by Mylovelybeads.com

IT'S A BEAD -A-FUL WORLD

Ahh, beads!  Since man lived his life out in caves beads were already his constant companions.  If you remember your American history Manhattan was bought for some beads and other trade items.  Think of the Oscar Awards and I'm sure gowns in bugle beads, bugle beads, or other beading accessories will come to mind.  Needlework can be beaded whether it is quilting, embroidery, needlepoint, crochet, knitting, or even lace. I've seen dollhouses with ALL the furniture made from beads.  Beading is not just for jewelry but of course that will always be popular as will beaded evening bags and all types of clothing. 

If you are already into beading or want to begin beading,  I've listed a great selection of books to get you inspired. It's not as hard as you might imagine.



Eha, Nancy - Bead Creative Like Crazy - This how-to beading book will teach you how to recreate the opulent thread embroidery stitches featured on crazy quilts - with dazzling beads. Over 100 beading patterns with illustrated instructions, clear color photos, and stitch direction diagrams gives even a novice beader the tools and confidence to create works of art.  $29.95



Kettle, Liz - First-Time Beading on Fabric - This book contains nine beading techniques in nine easy lesson. Seed Stitch, moss stitch, couching, backstitch bugle beads, stacks, fringe, picot edge and peyote stitch. Tow beaded sampler projects are included, one beaded garden quilt.  A dozen inspiring beading ideas.  $24.95




Leder, Eve - Casual Bead Elegance Stitch by Stitch - Our author offers 24 stitching projects in a wide variety of colors, styles, and skill levels ranging from easy designs to more challenging pieces. Projects include multiple stitches: Ladder, right-angle weave, cubic right-angle weave, herringbone, square stitch, circular brick stitch, and peyote stitch.  Easy-to-find, affordable materials, Seed beads, crystals, pearls, gemstones, shaped beads and a variety of gorgeous jewelry projects: Rings, necklaces, earring, brooches.  $21.99



Morse, Teresa - Learn to Use Two-Hole Beads - These 20 Fabulous Projects offers a visual guide to learning two-hole bead techniques. You will find creative projects for stitched earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and pendants that in-corporate the techniques within the step-by-step instructions. This complete course in two-hole stitching helps you get started quickly and make beautiful jewelry while you learn.  $21.99

Search Press - A to Z of Bead Embroidery - This great encore Search Press book is a comprehensive guide to bead embroidery that has over 440 step-by-step photos showing all the techniques required, including tambour beading, beadpoint, padded beading, how to handle sequins and bugle beads and more.  There are 30 great projects. This book is packed with hints, tips and historical insights, and all patterns are provided.  $19.95

Schultz, Carolyn - Jewellery School: Let's Start Beading - If you want to get started in making jewelry here's a great place to begin. This author's designs are used by magazines, retailers, manufactures and television in both the U.K. and U.S. She has edited three popular craft magazines and loves to share her talent in the form of teaching classes so she knows of what she writes.  This first book in a new series is similar to the hugely popular beginner's course she teaches.  Learn the tools, basic techniques, and materials used with both UK and US terms; an index; and 12 step-by-step projects to use the basic techniques.  She includes clear instructions, step-by-step photography and diagrams where necessary.  Projects will take no more than a couple of hours.  Search Press is the publisher.  $12.95

Mystery Corner  


Abbott, Victoria - The Hammett Hex: Book Collector Mystery - Jordon has been able to swing a romantic trip to San Francisco with Officer Tyler Smiley Dekker on one condition she must return with a rare copy of Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest for her irascible employer, Vera Van Alst. For his own part, Smiley is full of surprises. He's a Dashiell devotee himself excited to be in the city of Hammett's hard-boiled heroes like Sam Spade and the Continental Op and also announces he plans to visit his previously unmentioned grandmother, who lives in an old Victorian in Pacific Heights. But the trip goes downhill fast when Jordan's is pushed from a cable car and barely escapes death. And when a dark sedan runs the couple down, it's clear someone's after  them but who? Just like Hammett's world, nothing is quite what it seems.  $7.99

Berenson, Laurien - The Bark Before Christmas - There is nothing lovelier in than Christmas in Connecticut, but Melanie Travis can scarcely find a moment to enjoy the festivities. With her youngest son approaching toddlerhood, she's decided to return to her old job at Howard Academy, a posh private school attended by the children of Greenwich's well-heeled gentry. Balancing work, motherhood, and the hectic dog show circuit takes some fancy footwork, especially when headmaster taps her to be the chairman of the school's Christmas Bazaar. This bazaar is the Academy's biggest and most important fundraiser, so Melanie feel the pressure to make it a huge success. But everything goes awry when a prize show dog goes missing and Santa turns up dead. The dog's owner is one of the school's most perfectly pedigreed alums, and she enlists Melanie to help find the pooch. But just as Melanie starts pawing at the truth, she digs up a sleighful of sinister secrets that leaves everyone feeling less than merry.  $7.99

Budewitz, Leslie - Killing Thyme (A Spice Shop Mystery) - There are two spice shop mysteries so don't get them confused. This series set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is savoring her business success, but soon finds her plans disrupted by a killer. Pepper's to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she's got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a dash of fun. While Pepper and Lena make a trip to a pottery market, Lena recognizes a pottery, Bonnie Clay, as an old friend who disappeared years ago, and the day turns sour. To Pepper's surprise, Bonnie seems intimately connected to her family's past. After Bonnie is found dead three days later, Pepper is determined to uncover the truth. But as Pepper roots out long-buried secrets, will she be digging her own grave? This series is a national best-seller.  $7.99

Child, Laura - Parchment and Old Lace - Enjoying dinner at Commander's Palace with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, Carmela finds the food and the company equally divine with the exception of Isabelle Black stopping by to brag about her upcoming wedding. Leaving the restaurant, the couple is interrupted once again this time by a terrifying scream from inside the cemetery. Rushing to investigate, Carmela and Edgar find Isabelle lying across an above ground tomb, strangled with a piece of vintage lace. Carmela would rather leave the case to Edgar, but she can't say no to Isabelle's sister, Ellie, the tarot card reader at Juju Voodoo. As she untangles the enemies of Isabelle's past, Carmela hopes she can draw out the killer before someone else gets cold feet.  $7.99

Erickson, Alex - Death by Pumpkin Spice - Bookstore Café owner Krissy Hancock would rather spend Halloween serving pumpkin goodies than wearing costumes with Pine Hills wealthiest at Yarborough mansion, especially when the soiree shapes up to be more trick than treat.  As if a run-ib with an old flame and a failed marriage proposal weren't enough to horrify Krissy for one night, a woman is found strangled to death in a room filled with ominous jack-o-lanterns. All signs suggest a crime of passion but when the hostess's jewelry disappears, malevolent intentions seem way more likely. When the estate on lockdown and a killer roaming the halls, Krissy must help Officer Paul Dalton investigate each nook, cranny, and guest for answers while also confronting a few demons of her own. Someone has lots of skeletons in the closet, and Krissy better tread lightly to expose them.  $7.99

Fee, Vickie - It's Your Party, Die If You Want To (Liv and Di in Dixie Mystery #2) - Between a riverboat gambler-theme engagement party and a murder mystery dinner for charity, Tennessee party planner Liv McKay is far too frenzied to feel festive. Add to the mix her duties at the annual businesswomen's retreat and the antics of a celebrity ghost-hunting diva, and Liv's schedule is turning out to be the scariest thing about this Halloween especially when the ladies stumble across a dead body in a cemetery. Morgan Robison was a party girl with a penchant for married men and stirring up a cauldron of drama. Any number of scorned wives or frightened philanders could be behind her death. As Liv and her best friend, Di, set out to dig up the truth, they'll face the unexpected and find their efforts hampered by a killer with one seriously haunting vendetta.  $7.99

London, Collette - The Semi-Sweet Hereafter (Chocolate Whisperer Mystery) - As an authority on all things chocolate, Hayden Mundy Moore is traveling across the pond to lend her expertise to the owner of a posh London "chocolaterie-patisserie. Hayden's mouthwatering creations quickly impress her client. But her knowledge doesn't end there. The detective constable is taken by surprise when she identifies an exotic murder weapon: a stone "metlapil", used to grind cacao beans and apparently to bludgeon someone to death in Hayden's own lodgings, no less. The victim is a sexy celebrity chef who just happens to be the ex-husband of Hayden's client. Now, amid the terraced town houses and local pubs, a killer is lurking and the police have an assortment of suspects: a culinary rival, an ambitious agent, a recently-sacked assistant, and unfortunately, Hayden herself. She will have to find out who clobbered a famous cook or her career may come to a bitter end.  Neat reviews.  $7.99

McHugh, Mary - High Kicks, Hot Chocolate, and Homicides: Happy Hoofers Mystery) - It's a Christmas miracle for the Happy Hoofers. They've scored a gig at New York City's Radio City Music Hall with the legendary Rockettes, complete with sexy Santa suits and microphones on their shoes. But when a dazzling diva of a dancer is found dead under the stage, there's quite a lineup of suspects. In between rehearsals and seasonal sightseeing and the discovery of a multitalented, multi-colored cat the tope tapping troupe has to sort out the intrigue before another victim kicks the bucket.   $7.99

Orgain, Diana - Yappy Hour: A Roundup Crew Mystery #1 - A rollicking start to a new cozy mystery series featuring a loveable heroine and a colorful band of dog lovers who gather regularly with their pets at their pets at their local watering hole. Every Friday night in the seaside town of Pacific Cover, Ca, the Roundup Crew, a group of dog-loving friends, meet at a neighborhood wine bar for Yappy Hour. When Rachael, the owner, mysteriously leaves town and asks her sister, Maggie, (who is neither pet friendly nor business savvy), to run the bar in her absence, things get complicated fast. Maggie opens up to find a body sprawled on the floor, and even worse, an incriminating letter with Rachel's name on it nearby. On impulse, she hides it from the detective, Officer Brad Brooks. When Rachel is declared the top suspect, Maggie decides to investigate on her own. She gets to know the Roundup Crew and its chief organizer, Yolanda. This is only the beginning to this fun mystery with great reviews.  $7.99

Oust, Gail - Cinnamon Toasted: A Spice Shop Mystery - Murder comes well-seasoned in amateur sleuth Piper Prescott's newest case in the charming, "must-read" (Publishers Weekly) Spice Shop mystery series.  It is time for the town's annual Oktoberfest, which has cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom flying off Piper's shelves in record numbers. New spreads faster than a text message, and Piper's former mother-in-law Melly is the toast of the town. But it isn't long before Melly's status changes to public enemy number one when Chip's body is found at the foot of her basement stairs. Questions start to pile up when handsome police chief Wyatt McBride arrives on the scene and the coroner set the time of death for the previous evening. McBride wants to know why it took Melly so long to report the incident - especially after she admits to arguing with Chip about the contract he wanted her to sign.  $7.99

Tremel, Joyce - Tangled Up in Brew: A Brewing Trouble Mystery #2) - Brew pub owner Maxine Max O'Hara and her chef/boyfriend, Jake Lambert, are excited to be participating in the Three Rivers Brews and Burgers Festival. Max hopes to win the coveted Golden Stein for the best craft beer but even if she doesn't, the festival will great publicity for her Allegheny Brew House. Or will it? When the notoriously nasty food and beverage critic Reginald Mobley is drafted as a last-minute replacement judge, Max dreads a punishing review. Her fears are confirmed when Mobley spits out her beer, but things get even worse when the cranky critic drops dead after trying one of Jake's burgers. Now a new police detective wants to pin the murders on Max and Jake, who must pore over the clues to protect their freedom and reputations and to find the self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.  $7.99

Vallere, Diane - Masking for Trouble: A Costume Shop Mystery #2) - Halloween conjures up big business for Margo Tamblyn's costume shop, Disguise DeLimit, but this year, the holiday comes knocking with serious trouble. Venture capitalist Paul Haverford plans to rezone historic downtown in a glitzy commercial area which would push out local business. Margo is set on saving her family's store, especially after a nasty run-in with the chain-store tycoon, but after Haverford's body is discovered during a spooky party at the derelict Alexandria Hotel, Margo finds herself dressed as the police's prime suspect. Anxious to clear her name, Margo begins hunting down anyone who might have wanted Haverford dead. Between all of his malicious maneuverings, the murdered mogul had buckets of people anxious to see him gone. Now, Margo will have to use every trick in the book to find a cloaked killer before someone else winds up wearing a death shroud.  $7.99 


Introducing Ruth Kern Books

I hope you enjoyed your visit. If you haven't visited us before I'd like to introduce you to our business. We've been in business nearly 24 years and have set up needlework bookshops at both the ANG and EGA nationals and regional seminars and other needlework groups as well as being available on the web.

Can't find a certain book? Give us a call Monday through Saturday at 602-943-0738.  If I don't answer I'm probably in the middle of helping my husband Mark with M.S. or at the post office mailing off books.  So please, please leave a message and I will return your call ASAP. Or you can e-mail us at rkern3@mindspring. com com or rkernbooks3@gmail.com.  To reach us by mail: Ruth Kern Books  7235 N. 9th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021. Love to hear from you.

IMPORTANT!! Don't forget to find the discount code in this blog that gives you a 20% discount on any new book you order.

Have a great month.  Enjoy the coming of fall.  See you in October.

SEE  YOU SEPTEMBER 20th with New Blog


AUGUST 2016 BLOG

Welcome!  Whether you are joining us for the first time or you are a long time follower I welcome you.

Why Is August, August?

I picture August lying on its side with a tongue hanging out exhausted from the summer heat, hectic vacations, and unfortunate fires and floods. But it has a grander background than that. 

As our month of July, August is named after a Roman. This time it is for the great Emperor Augustus after he defeated Marc Anthony and Cleopatra and became the emperor of Rome. The Roman Senate decided he should have a month named after him.  Since he entered Rome in victory three times and since Julius Caesar had a month thirty-one days long so should Augustus. So here we are, after all Augustus couldn't have an inferior month.  Gee, how scientific!  By the way, that extra day was taken from February so February is stuck with 28 days most years. Poor February!

Now the flower for August is actually two: the Gladiola and the Poppy with lots of meanings: the Gladiola for strength of character, sincerity, generosity, natural grace and for the Poppy eternal sleep, imagination and oblivion. 

Remember the Wizard of Oz when they all fall asleep in the poppy fields? But the poppy like the gladiola is a pretty flower.  Let's forget the opium dens of old and negative uses of this flower and think of the people this

flower has helped.




The August birthstone is the peridot, the light lime, gentle gem that  is also known as the Evening Emerald.  The stone is legended to ward away evil and nightmares, giving one peace and progress in life. It is also considered the perfect gift for a couple's 16th anniversary. It was found in ancient Egypt and called the Gem of the Sun.  Although I'm not born in August I love this gem that reflects different shades of green with a dash of yellow in it.

DON"T FORGET YOUR 20% DISCOUNT.  LOOK FOR THE DISCOUNT CODE IN SOME PART OF THIS BLOG AND CASH IN!




SILK FROM A SPIDER 

This is a story about silk but the famous silk worm will not be mentioned.  How can that be you are probably wondering?  Well just keep reading and discover a fascinating story about another silk-making critter I'm now going to introduce you to. It is a spider known as the golden silk orb-weaver. It genus name is Nephila which in Ancient Greek means "fond of spinning". This spider has existed on this earth for 165 million years with an known fossilized specimen. This species are widespread in warmer regions all around the globe including Australia, Africa, Costa Rica, Asia, and areas of both North and South America.  In the United States they have been found throughout the coastal southeast and from North Carolina to Texas. Rats! I was hoping these spiders could be found in the warmer parts of Arizona, especially where I live in Phoenix.  But apparently not so I can't go spider hunting and find one.

What gives this interesting spider its name is simple: the yellow threads of their webs shine like gold in the sunlight.  This spider use this yellow color to attract bees and in shady areas can act as camouflage. Apparently research shows that the golden silk orb-weaver can adjust the pigment intensity from light levels and color to deeper shades.

Their webs are wonderful creations but due to wind, rain, etc. the spider is kept busy replacing damaged areas of the web. Yes, be careful if you are spying on this spider as its venom is not lethal but can trigger allergic reactions and respiratory troubles or even muscle cramps.  But you know us humans, we have to experiment with "stuff".  And the web of the golden orb spider has received its share of tests.  What was discovered is the silk is strong, strong enough, to be an excellent scaffold material. There are fishermen on the indopacific coasts that roll these webs into balls and throw them into the water where it opens up and catches bait fish.  Ingenious!

Even more ingenious are the experiments to produce garments from this spider silk but it will never be financially feasible to produce silk garment en masse.  Simon Peers, a textile designer and another gentleman in 2004 worked three years with 1.2 million golden silk orb-weavers that were nicely let go after their silk was gathered while these clever men were able to produce a shawl that was on exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in 2009.  A few years later they created a cape, that along with the shawl, were on exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  I don't know about you but I would have loved to be there. Well, with that background on this special spider I hope you enjoy the photos of the cape made the silk of the Madagascar Golden Orb spider.  I hope you are as amazed as I was.

Below in honor of silk, I've listed a number of books on silk of all kinds.  Sorry no books on spider silk.

Cox, Ann - Beginner's Guide to Silk Ribbon Embroidery - This classic teaches how to create beautiful flowers using silk ribbon embroidery techniques that includes foxgloves, roses, hydrangeas, delphiniums, primroses, geraniums, irises, poppies and much more. Only a few stitches are needed to create exquisite designs. All the techniques are explained using step by step photos and instructions. There are also full instructions on how to paint and stencil fabric backgrounds. Suitable for beginners and experienced embroiderers. This classic has been redesigned to appeal to the modern embroider.  $12.95

Editors of Sixth and Spring Books - Noro Silk Garden - Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Noro's popular Silk Garden yarn with this elegant collection. Made in Japan, Silk Garden is a truly unique yarn consisting of 45% silk, 45% kid mohair, and 10% lamb's wool. Featuring sweaters, hats, scarves, shawls, and more, these designs all showcase the yarn's hand-dyed, vibrant colors and luxurious texture.  $24.95

Hansen, Valerie - The Silk Road: A New Documentary History to 1400 - What was the Silk Road exactly? It conjures up a hazy image of a caravan of camels laden with silk on a dusty desert track, reaching from China to Rome. The reality was different - and far more interesting. Our author describes the remarkable archeological finds that revolutionized our understanding of these trade routes. Hansen explores eight sites along the road, from Xi'an to Samarkand, where merchants, envoys, pilgrims, and travelers mixed in cosmopolitan communities, tolerant of religions from Buddhism to Zorastrianism.  This book offers a selection of excerpted primary sources in each chapter. The wide-ranging sources include memoirs of medieval Chinese monks and modern explorers, letters written by women, descriptions of towns, legal contracts, religious hymns, and many other things. A final chapter provides coverage of the Silk Road during the period of Mongol rule.  $49.95

Hanham, Clare - Beginner's Guide to Silk Shading - Learn how to transfer a design, prepare the fabric, frame up and then work silk shading. Learn to create four exquisite designs, featuring climbing leaves, tulips, a butterfly and dog roses. Both beginners and experienced embroiderers will be inspired by this beautiful guide to silk shading.  $15.95




Meller, Susan, Don Tuttle, Photographer, Robert Kushner, essayist - Silk and Cotton: Textiles from the Central Asia That Was - The traditional textiles of Central Asia are an unknown treasure, now revealed in this book. Straddling the legendary Silk Road, this vast region stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Gobi Desert in the east and is home to hundreds of tribes. Whether nomadic or sedentary, its peoples created textiles that related to every aspect of their way of life, from ceremonial objects marking rites of passage to everyday garments to practical items for the home. Author Susan Meller has spent years assembling the extraordinary collection of 590 textiles illustrated in this book. She documents their history, use and meaning.  $60.00


Miller, Lesley Ellis - Selling Silks: A Merchant's Sample Book 1764 - I featured this book sometime ago, but I thought this was an appropriate time to bring it back.  In 1764, British Customs confiscated a book containing hundreds of silk samples of different qualities from French agents who were attempting to sell them illegally in London.  The merchant's sample book acquired in 1972 by the VandA may be this very book, a fascinating record of the 18th century French and English silk industries and their commercial practices. Along side a faithful reproduction of the whole album, Lesley Miller sets in context the role of the book as a marketing tool from the premier European silk-weaving centre of Lyon and as a model for Spitalfields manufacturers. This publication makes accessible the contents of an extremely rare and fragile object. Translations of French inscriptions, identification of how samples have migrated from one page to another, and technical analysis of some of the silks, as well as a glossary and biographical data on the Lonnais suppliers make this an invaluable resource for historians, collectors. and designers.  $60.00

Van Niekerk, Di - Little Flowers in silk and Organza Ribbon - This great step-by-step project book is all about making little flowers in silk and organza ribbon. Using a combination of thread, ribbon embroidery, stumpwork and other techniques, you can produce gorgeous poppies, sweet strawberry blossoms, delightful daffodils and a ring of daisies. Or create magnificent wild roses, chamomiles and meadow grass in 3D, lisianthus and lavender, with butterflies and ladybirds and so much more. For both beginning and advanced . All completed projects are smaller than A4 size and templates of all the original designs are included, with easy0to-follow instructions on how to layer the embroidery and stumpwork to achieve the exquisite three-dimensional effect. She includes an extensive range of step-by-step photos as well as a complete gallery of stitches make it virtually impossible to go wrong.  $24.95 

Yasuda, Anita - Traditional Kimono Silks - This swatch book is an inspiring visual tour of elegant fabric designs using beautiful  historic kimono remnants from Japan's Showa Period (1926-1989). More than 400 photos and detailed captions provide information on motif identification, Japanese history and cultural traditions. The book is organized around favorite Japanese motifs, including cherry blossoms, peonies, maple leaves, bamboo shoots, waves, and clouds. It will be a source of ideas and inspiration for collectors, designers, quilters, and historians. A glossary of related terms, antique fabric resources, and a substantial bibliography point the way to further reading and study.  $34.95

If you want a good story about silk here it is:

Estes, Kelli - The Girl Who Wrote in Silk - The smallest items can hold centuries of secrets. Inara Erickson is exploring her deceased aunt's island estate when she finds an elaborately stitched piece of fabric hidden the house. As she peels back layer upon layer of the secrets it holds, Inara's life becomes interwoven with that of Mei Lein, a young Chinese girl mysteriously driven from her home a century before. Through the stories Mei Lein tells in silk, Inara uncovers a tragic truth that will shake her family to its core - and force her to make an impossible choice. Inspired by true events, Killi Este's brilliant and atmospheric  debut serves a poignant tale of two women determined to do the right thing, and the power of our own stories.  $14.99

POTPOURRI OF NEW BOOKS

Needlepointers Alert!!

I borrowed the picture from Carole Lake's site so I could show you these two great books she and Michael Boren collaborated on:  Twisty Stitches: String Art for Needlepoint:  Vol. I was all about the Amadeus-Jessica Stitches - twisty stitches that are often referred to as "Hilton Stitches". This first volume contains the Amadeus Stitch through the Jessica Stitch.  $54.95
(discount code: Ken16)

Twisty Stitches: String Art for Needlepoint: Vol. II - contains the Mistake Stitch through the Walnetto Stitch. These two volumes are full of curve stitching. As these authors explain this technique was invented by an Englishwoman in 1904, that produces curves and other flowing shapes by means of a series of perfectly straight lines.

As in all the Boren, Lake books there are wonderful directions, color graphs and both are spiral-bound for easy use. 

The second book will be released on September 15th 2016 and if you order BEFORE August 30th the retail price is only $41.95 after that date it will be $54.95.    All copies will be shipped right after the release date on September 2016.


SPEAKING OF JEAN HILTON......

I received a message that a new book is available that combine's Jean Hilton's 18 Little Guys with Tony Minieri's border, Rockaway in a single volume. For years you had to buy these separately and pick one of the Little Guys and now you can get the whole package for only $50.00.  Give me a call and don't forget your 20% discount.  Just find the discount code in this blog.



Bates, Susan - Beautiful Stitches: Over 100 Freestyle Embroidery Motifs - Susan turns her design talent to free-style embroidery. The designs in this book illustrate her love of color, pattern and detail. This book contains over 100 motifs and focuses on a variety of subjects, such as birds, flowers, and

the natural world. She also includes trendy motifs that feature lettering, fashion accessories and travel. The book uses simple stitches, all clearly explained in the tools and techniques sections. The diagrams are in full color and each project is beautifully photographed.  For all levels of stitches.  $21.95

Carlessi, Maria Angela - 3D Origami: 15 cute creatures to making using modular paper triangles - 3D origami is a new and original technique that doesn't require and special skills - just a little patience. While traditions Japanese origami is a well-known technique, this clever adaption uses individual triangular folds to construct impressive, modular designs. Our author shows you how to create a colorful range of animals and creatures. There are 15 projects to choose from including rabbits, owls, squirrels, dogs, cats and even a tortoise. Each project comes with detailed instructions making them easy and fun for papercrafters of all skill levels.  $13.95


Fassett, Kaffe - Kaffe Fassett's Bold Blooms - This renowned textile explores flowers as a source of inspiration for patchwork and needlepoint in this new quilting guide and needlepoint pattern collection. For the first time ever he shares a behind-the-scenes look at his fascinating creative process, shedding light on how he creates the vibrant fabrics, quilts, needlepoints, and ribbons, floral displays, and paintings. He brings us a passionate ode to flowers in the form of 18 quilts and 7 needlepoints divided into color moods ranging from neutrals and soft pastels to rich, dark tones. Accessible to all skill levels, the designs on each page will inspire you to see how much more colorful and alive your needlework, quilts, and creative projects can be.  $35.00

Fraser, Stephen - The Spoonflower Handbook - Designing fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap used to be the stuff of dreams. Only a few select creative got to do it, and it required formal training and significant financial investment. But times have changed, and today anyone with a computer, internet connection, and ideas can upload a file and order their own fabric or paper, printed affordably one yard or more at a time. At the forefront of this revolutionary DIY movement is Spoonflower located in North Carolina. They have produced designs for hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. This book is written for both new and experienced users of this print-on-demand technology and covers everything from equipment to software to working with photos, scans, repeats, vector files, and more. $27.50

Kennedy, Katherine - Alphabets for Swedish Weaving and Huck Embroidery - Adding names and dates to these techniques create a unique one-of-a-kind item that is sure to be cherished for years to come. Whether you are just beginning or have been stitching for years, you will find this book to be an invaluable resource for customizing your hand-stitched pieces for yourself or to give as a gift. There are 11 unique and fun projects in this book plus numerous border patterns that can be used to embellish any number of pieces.  $21.95

Pailles, Lionel - Chanel: The Art of Creating Fragrance: Flowers of the French Riviera - Since Chanel No. 5 is one of the perfumes I love (the others are Ombre Blue, Ombre Rose and Tabu) I had to include this book. Chanel No. 5 has been made with flowers from the same picturesque patch of land between the Alps and the Mediterranean, known as the Pegomas Valley, since the perfume was created in 1921. Every year hundreds of pounds of flowers are cultivated, picked and distilled, following secret traditions. For the first time, the artisanal techniques used to create the world's most coveted perfumes are revealed. The six-volume collection contains a book on each of the main five flowers from which all Chanel perfumes are made - centifolia rose, iris, jasmine, geranium, and tuberose - with the first book profiling the creators and detailing the process. This beautiful and lavish gift set offers a fascinating look into the storied brand of Chanel and the art of making perfume. $200.00 

Summer, Rachael - Stitched Textiles: Birds - Birds are an enduring theme in art and textile work and this book will appeal to any textile artist interested in exploring their design possibilities. Featuring a range of birds including much-loved garden blackbirds, characterful chickens, cute and curious puffins and cheeky seagulls, this book captures these feathered friends in a range of habitats.  It covers the design process itself, from inspiration to final design, and provides information on the materials used and step-by-step demonstrations of a whole range of techniques including dyeing, using dissolvable fabric, using found objects, piecing, and stitching.  This book is broken down into three chapters: Creating character, depicting a scene and Telling a story. Each chapter contains two-step-by-step projects and a gallery of other inspiring, vibrant pieces. The purpose of each chapter is to capture a different aspect of the characters of the birds we love to watch, either in our gardens, as pets, or in the wild. Very much aimed at the contemporary textile artist, this beautiful book is designed to inspire and encourage.  $29.95



Murder, Murder, Read All About It! 

It is so fun to "bump" into an author that is original and interesting with a eye for the different.  I was looking for a particular book and I stumbled over Christine Trent.  Since she writes historical with a mysterious twist I had to find out more about her.  We share similar traits: at three she drove her mother crazy with wanting to be read to ALL the time. Like my mother, Christine's mom got her going on books on her own. Like Christine I have a huge collection of book (not counting the ones I stock for you).  I am jealous of her two-story home library - mine is all on one story. She loves libraries but doesn't use one as she HAS to own books (as I do)so she spends more time at library sales than in the stacks.  I don't own a Kindle or the likes because I have to be surrounded by books and consider them very precious.  Christine too, considers books valuable and has taken the time to add a huge library onto her house.  I love her attitude.

She also writes historicals and since I love them too (and have one with an editor), I had learn more. Her latest mystery/historical series she's written, I've included below. I find the Victorian heroine, an undertaker absolutely fascinating.  Christine thoroughly researches her facts and her and her husband travel to England regularly for her research. She has received wonderful reviews for all her books so I'm diving into the series. If you want to learn more about Christine visit her website: christinetrent.com.

AN INTRIGUING SERIES ABOUT A LADY UNDERTAKER IN 1860's LONDON BY CHRISTINE TRENT


Lady of Ashes - In 1861 London, Violet Morgan is struggling to establish a good reputation for the undertaking business that her husband has largely abandoned. She provides comfort for the grieving, advises them on funeral fashion and etiquette, and arranges funerals., Unbeknownst to her, Graham, who nurses a hatred for America since  his grandfather soldiered for Great Britain in the War of 1812, becomes involved in a scheme to sell arms to the south. Meanwhile Violet receives the commission of a lifetime: undertaking the funeral for a friend of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. But her position remains precarious, especially when Graham disappears and she begins investigating a series of deaths among the poor. And the closer she gets to the truth, the greater the danger for them both.  $15.00

Stolen Remains - After establishing her reputation as one of London's most highly regarded undertakers, Violet Harper decided to take her practice to the wilds of the American West. She and her husband are summoned back to England, where she is honored to undertake the funeral of Anthony Fairmont, the Viscount Raybourn, a close friend of Queen Victoria's who died in suspicious circumstances but his body disappears. She and Scotland Yard begin the search for his earthly remains Violet own investigation takes her from servants' quarters, to the halls of Windsor Castle, to the tombs of ancient Egypt to get to the truth. As Publisher Weekly says, "Rich with historical incidents and details." Mystery Scene Magazine raved, "A book you can sink your teeth into, with characters you'll fall in love with."   $15.00

A Virtuous Death - Queen Victoria, still mourning her long-dead husband Prince Albert, has found solace in John Brown, an enigmatic palace servant who dabbles in the occult and keeps the grieving queen entertained with his tarot card readings. Undertaker Violet Harper is invited to attend one of Mr. Brown's infamous readings, during which he implies that Buckingham Palace will soon be shrouded in death's dark veil. Well acquainted with death, Violet shrugs him off as a charlatan until his sinister divinations begin to prove true.  $15.00

The Mourning  Bells - As one of London's most respected undertakers, Violet Harper has the new duty of accompanying coffins from various undertakers on the London Necropolis Railway for respectful funerals and burials in Surrey. But on her first trips, the mournful silence of the train is shattered by the shrill ringing of a coffin bell - a device that prevents a person from being buried alive. Inside the noisome coffin Violet finds a man wide-eyed with fear, claiming he was falsely interred. When a second coffin bell is rung on another trip Violet grows suspicious. She voices her qualms to Inspector Hurst of Scotland Yard, only to receive a puzzling reply that, after all, it is not a crime to rise from the dead. Is this all merely the result of clumsy undertaking, or is there something more sinster afoot. Determined to get to the heart of the matter, Violet uncovers a treacherous plot and villains who will stop at nothing to keep a lid on her search for the truth.  $15.00

Death at the Abby - While on a much-needed respite with her husband in Nottinghamshire, undertaker Violet Harper is summoned to Welbeck Abbey by the Fifth Duke of Portland to prepare a body. His Grace is known as the "mad duke" and Violet has more than an inkling of why when she arrives at the grand estate and discovers that the corpse in question is that of the duke's favorite raven, Aristotle. Many of the duke's servants believe a dead raven is a harbinger of doom, and the peculiar peer hopes to allay their superstitious fears with an elaborate funeral for his feathered friend. But Aristotle's demise is soon followed by the violent murder of one of the young workers on the estate. Wishing to avoid any whisper of scandal, Violet wonders if the manner of the raven's death might provide a crucial clue in solving the crime.  $15.00

A Grave Celebration - Undertaker Violet Harper and her husband are attending the long -anticipated opening of Egypt's new Suez Canal, which has been masterminded by the brilliant French engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps. Fireworks, galas, and canal cruises are all part of the planned festivities at stops along the way. But when two men are found murdered, it becomes obvious that there are malevolent forces among the revelers who will stop at nothing to keep Violet from discovering the truth.  $15.00

Other Mysteries to Solve

Bolin, Janet - Seven Threadly Sins - Fashion turns killer in the latest novel of this series. While Willow Vanderling has certainly never wanted to be a model, here she is, voluntarily strutting her stuff in a charity runway show in outrageous clothing, all to support the Academy's scholarship fund. But the lascivious, mean-spirited director of the academy, Antonio, is making the fashion show a less-than-fabulous affair. After Antonio plays a shocking prank on Willow and her friends that doesn't exactly leave the ladies in stitches, he mysteriously winds up dead--and someone is trying to pin the blame on Willow. Now she must do whatever it takes in order to clear her name, even if it means needling around other people's secrets.  $7.99

Buckley, Julia - Cheddar Off Dead - (Undercover Dish Mystery #2)- Caterer and cook Lilah Drake is up to her elbows in deadly trouble in this latest mystery by the author of The Big Chili. The Christmas holidays are one of Lilah's favorite times of the year, filled with friends, family, and, of curse, tons of food orders for her covered dish clients. But Lilah's Yuletide cheer ends when she sees a most Grinch-Like crime; the murder of a Santa in a school parking lots. It turns out the deceased Kris Kringle was a complicated tangle of naught and nice, with a long list of people who might have wanted him dead. And whoever did the deed wants to make sure that Lilah keeps quiet. Now, Lilah's will have to team up with her former fling, Detective Jay Parker. to unwrap the mysteries of a deadly Christmas killer and stay alive long enough to ring in the New Year.  $7.99 

Cahoon, Lynn - A Story to Kill (Cat Latimer Mystery) - A new series from the author of the Tourist Trap Mysteries! Former English professor Cat Latimer is back in Colorado hosting writers retreats in the big blue Victorian she inherited, much to her surprise, her carousing ex-husband. The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and bestselling author Tom Cook is among the first guests. Cat's high school sweetheart Seth, who's fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat brings on mixed emotions for Cat. But it's her uncle, the local police chief, whom she'll call for help when there's ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room. Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun.  $7.99

Cochran, Peg - No Farm, No Foul (Farmer's Daughter Mystery #10) - This is set on a picturesque frame in Michigan, where Shelby McDonald runs a popular lifestyle and cooking blog, "The Farmers Daughter", Shelby McDonald is growing her audience as she posts recipes, gardening tips, and her experiences raising two kids and running Love Blossom Farm in the small western Michigan town of Lovett.  Her peace is shattered when the minister's wife is murdered on Shelby's property during a fund-raiser for a local church. Shelby's good friend veterinarian Kelly Thacker emerges as the prime suspect. Shelby decides to dig in and find the murderer by herself.  $7.99

Coyle, Cleo - Dead to the Last Drop - This bestselling author brings us another mystery in her Coffeehouse Mysteries. When the White House asks coffeehouse manager and master roaster to consult on a Rose Garden Wedding, she uncovers long-simmering secrets that threaten to boil over. First a State Department employee suspiciously collapses in her coffeehouse. Then the President's daughter goes missing. After another deadly twist, Clare is on the run with her NYD detective boyfriend. Branded as enemy of the state, she must uncover the truth before her life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness come to a bitter end.  $7.99

Day, Maddie - Grilled for Murder (Country Store Mysteries #2) - Robbie Jordan may have had reservations about the murder victim, but she still needs to turn up the heat on a killer if she wants to keep her new restaurant open for business. Our author is a doctor in Linguistics and an Agatha nominated and Amazon-bestselling author and is a talented amateur chef.  $7.99




Flowers, Jean - Cancelled by Murder (Postmistress #2) - Cassie Miller returned to her sleepy hometown in the Berkshires to start over as the new postmistress. But she soon finds that dead letters are nothing compared to murder victims. With a massive storm about to hit North Ashcot, Massachusetts, threatening floods and widespread wind damage. Cassie is forced to close up the post office along with the rest of the local business owners and residents, who are battening down the hatches and bracing themselves for the worst. Although the storm proves not to be as bad as predicted, fabric shop owner Daisy Harmon is found dead, seemingly killed by a fallen branch. But the police quickly determine that her death had nothing to do with foul weather and everything to do with foul play. After Daisy's widowed husband approaches her to help solve his wife's foul play.  47.99

Gerber, Daryl Wood - Grilling the Subject - Things heat up for bookstore owner Jenna Hart in the latest Cookbook Nook mystery from the Agatha Award-winning author. As the Wild West Extravaganza rides into Crystal Cove, California, Cookbook Nook store owner Jenna Hart is ready to indulge her appetite for grilled and barbecued treats and maybe even try the Texas skip. But when the body of one of her father's neighbors is found the next morning smoldering in a bonfire,
the rodeo revelry is extinguished. Sylvia Gump had acquired plenty of enemies with her practice of illegally encroaching on her neighbors properties including Jenna's dad, who was off fishing by himself and has no alibi for the murder. Now it's up to Cary Hart's dutiful daughter to clear up his name before the killer turns up the heat and rakes someone else over the coals.  $7.99

James. Miranda - Digging Up the Dirt -This New York Times bestseller is back with more of those sleuthing Southern belles, the Ducote sisters.  Angel and Dickce Ducote, busy with plans for the Athena Garden Club's spring four of grand old homes, are having trouble getting the other club members to help. The rest of the group is all a-flutter now that dashing and still-  eligible Hadley Partridge is back to restore his family mansion. But the idle chatter soon turns deadly serious when a body turns up on the Partridge estate after a storm. The remains might belong to Hadley's long lost sister-in-law, Callie who everyone thought ran off with Hadley years ago. And if it's not Callie, who could it be? As the Ducotes begin uncovering secrets, they discover that more than one person in Athena would kill to be Mrs. Partridge. Now Angel and Dickce will need to get their hands dirty if they hope to reveal a killer's deep-buried motives before someone else's name is mud.  $7.99

Sweeney, Leann - The Cat, The Collector, and the Killer (Cats in Trouble Mystery) - This New York Times bestselling author is back. A cat collector is suspected of murder. Jillian Hart and police chief Tom Stewart are enjoying peaceful, newly weeded bliss in Mercy, South, Carolina, until a woman is found wandering the streets one night. She's in her night clothes, disoriented, and carrying a kitten in a tote bag. A search of the woman's house reveals many more cats, a maze of cardboard boxes and a dead man. Although the evidence suggests the frail woman is the killer, Jillian doesn't believe she's capable of such a crime. The dead man had many enemies in town, which means finding the real murderer may prove to be its own cat and mouse game.  $7.99


Maddock, Nancy - Paint the Town Dead - From the national bestselling author of "Basket Case" comes the second mystery starring the crafty and cantankerous Silver Six. Leslee Stanton Nix thought moving to small-town Lilyvale, Arkansas, would be about as thrilling as watching paint dry. But keeping up with her retired Aunt Shrry and her troublemaking housemates collectively known as the Silver Six has proved to be as exciting as it is exasperating. To kick off the grand opening of their craft shop, the handcraft Emporium, Nixy and the Silver Six invite Doralee Gordon to teach a gourd painting class. Doralee's spirit gets squashed when her ex-husband crashed the class with his new fiancee, but things really messy when the bride-to-be later turns up dead. Now it's up to Nixy and the silver Six to use their melons to find the killer before someone else gets painted out of the picture.  $7.99

Vallere, Diane - A Disguise to Die For - No sooner does former magician's assistant Margo Tamblyn return home to Proper City, Nevada to run Disguise Delimit, her family's costume shop, then she gets her first big order. Wealthy nuisance Blitz Manners needs forty costumes for a detective -themed birthday bash. As for Blitz herself, his Sherlock Holmes is to die for - literally - when, in the middle of the festivities, Margo's friend and party planner Ebony Welles is caught brandishing a carving knife over a very dead Blitz. Margo is left to play real-life detective in a town full of masked motives, cloaked secrets, and veiled vendetta,  $7.99

Vallere, Diane - Suede to Rest - The author skillfully blends two mysteries in this smart and engaging tale that will keep you guessing to the end. Her knowledge of the fashion business adds an extra layer of authenticity.  $7.99






I couldn't resist adding this fascinating historical novel: The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - Engaging the service of a miniaturist to furnish a cabinet-sized replica of her new home, 18 year old Nella Oortman, the wife of an illustrious merchant trader, soon discovers that the artist's tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways.  This all takes place in 17th century Amsterdam.  The wonderful reviews go on for pages for this first-time writer.  $16.99





Introducing Ruth Kern Books

I hope you enjoyed your visit. If you haven't visited us before I'd like to introduce you to our business. We've been in business nearly 23 years and have set up needlework bookshops at both the ANG and EGA national and regional seminars and other needlework groups as well as being available on the web.

Can't find a certain book? Give us a call Monday thru Saturday at 602-943-0738 and if I don't answer I'm probably in the middle of helping my husband, Mark with M.S. or at the post office mailing books, so please, please leave a message and I will return your call ASAP. Or you can e-mail us at: rkern3@mindspring.com or rkernbooks3 @gmail.com. To reach us  by mail: Ruth Kern Books 7235 N. 9th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021.  Love to hear from you.

Important!! Don't forget to find the discount code in this blog that gives you a 20% discount on any new book you order.

Have a good month.  Enjoy the rest of summer.  See you in September.