When I saw the topic for this week's Top Ten Tuesday list, I was in the middle of a book my 13-year-old daughter recommended to me—Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas.  The main character is Chloe Novak, an adorkable redhead who gets caught up in a mystery on Christmas Eve at the grocery store where she works.  Since I'd just read two other books about women with auburn hair, it got me thinking about other fictional carrot tops.  Gingers are rare in the real world, so it's kind of funny to realize how often they turn up in literary ones.  I thought it would be a fun subject for this week's list about Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who _____ (are musically inclined, have lost someone, have depression, who grow up poor, etc.).

One of the funnest things about fill-in-the-blank lists is that they're all different.  I love to see the variety of answers everyone comes up with.  If you've got a great idea for this week's list, be sure to join in the fun.  All you have to do is click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for instructions.  It's a good time, I promise!

Okay, here we go with Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who Are Redheads:


1.  Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery)—I'm sure Anne (with an e!) is the first literary redhead who pops into most people's minds.  Her personality matches her fiery locks—she's passionate, stubborn, and quick to lose her temper.  She's also a fun, spunky dreamer who's fiercely devoted to her family and friends.  What's not to love about unforgettable Anne?


2.  Ron Weasley and family (Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling)—Loyal Ron is another beloved redhead, as are all the members of his kind, loving family.


3.  Pippi Longstocking (series by Astrid Lindgren)—I used to love the Pippi books!



4.  Nancy Clancy (Fancy Nancy series by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser)—Ooh la la, it's hard to ignore this little redhead who's enamored of all things glam.


5.  Scarlet Benoit (The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer)—a "rebooted" Little Red Riding Hood


6.  Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare)—a kick-butt, demon-fighting red-haired heroine


7.  Amber Sterlington (A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack)—This Regency romance is all about a beautiful socialite dealing with the sudden, inexplicable loss of her thick auburn locks.


8.  Jacinda (Firelight series by Sophie Jordan)—In her human form, she's a beautiful redhead.  In her true form, she's an even more beautiful dragon.


9.  Gemma Doyle (series by Libba Bray)



10.  Chloe Novak (Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Csukas)—Lastly, the one who started it all!  Chloe's a fun character.  Her story is predictable, but cute.                  

So, what do you think?  Did I miss anybody?  Who should I add to my list?  I couldn't think of ten, after all, so I cheated a little bit, using this fabulous article from The Huffington Post.  Also, in my Googling of redheaded heroines, I came across a blog devoted to the subject.  Who knew, right?

What did you fill in the blank with this week?  I'd love to see your list.  Leave me a comment and I'll be sure to return the favor.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

P.S.  Book images are from Barnes & Noble; others were "borrowed" from around the Internet)

Life in her small Colorado town has gotten a little uncomfortable for amateur sleuth, Sadie Hoffmiller. Her involvement in five different murder cases over the last year has earned her a reputation as a "murder magnet." She's proud of her detective skills, has even opened Hoffmiller Investigations to make it all legal, but still, she can't help but notice the suspicious looks she's been getting from longtime friends and neighbors.

Getting out of town seems like a good idea, especially when handsome Pete Cunningham needs her help to watch his three young grandsons while their parents house hunt in Texas. Being in the Boston area during Halloween time is lovely, albeit a little spooky. Maybe it's the nearness of Salem that's giving her the creeps or maybe it's the boys' colorful neighbors or maybe it's something more ... sinister. Sadie does not believe in ghosts, but when strange things start happening at the family's house in suburban Jamaica Plain, there are few logical ways to explain them. With lightbulbs exploding, doors slamming shut, lights flickering on and off, and obvious signs that someone's sneaking into the house while Pete and Sadie aren't home, all of them are on edge. Ghosts or not, Sadie's determined to solve the mystery. But the more she involves herself in the strange goings-on in the neighborhood, the more dangerous it's becoming. When a woman ends up dead, Sadie knows the weird things that have been happening are no joke and that the killer's becoming increasingly violent. If she doesn't solve the mystery - and fast - she could be the next victim.

You may not have noticed, but I broke one of my cardinal reading rules with Pumpkin Roll by Josi S. Kilpack. Normally, I'm too anal to read books in a series out of order; due to time constraints, though, I had to finish this one (number 6), before reading numbers 3 - 5. So, I did. Shocking, I know. The books actually stand alone quite well, though, so I only ruined a few plot surprises for myself. Regardless, I found that I liked this new installment much better than I liked the first two books in the series. Why? Because it's a little different, a little more complex. I still don't love Sadie's character and I definitely think the books in this series could be trimmed down by at least 100 pages each, but Pumpkin Roll engaged me more than others in the series have. I'm not saying the book's not predictable - it is - or that the characters couldn't use some major development - they can - I'm just liking the improvements I'm seeing as this series goes on. Oh, and did I mention the Fall recipes included in this one? Um, yum. Even if the book isn't quite perfection, the recipes just may be.

P.S. I really should mention that you can find all the recipes included in Kilpack's books on her website. While you're over there, be sure to check out her giveaway for an iPad2. There are multiple ways to enter, including commenting on this review. Good luck!

(Readalikes: Lemon Tart, English Trifle, and other books in the Sadie Hoffmiller series by Josi S. Kilpack; also Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Strawberry Shortcake Murder, Blueberry Muffin Murder, Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, and other books in the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for some violence

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Pumpkin Roll from the generous folks at Pump Up Your Book Promotion (for whom this review was written) and Shadow Mountain (a division of Deseret Book).

After solving the murder of a young mother in her quiet Colorado neighborhood, 56-year-old Sadie Hoffmiller's ready for a little R&R. A trip abroad is just the ticket. The fact that Sadie gets to travel with her daughter, Breanna, and stay at a luxurious English manor owned by the family of a future earl is icing on the cake. Especially since the earl-to-be happens to be Breanna's boyfriend, Liam Martin.

When their indulgent week of sightseeing comes to an end, the women are ready to go home, but reluctant to leave Liam, who's staying in Devonshire to care for his dying father. Liam's despair, coupled with a strange tension amongst the staff of the manor, unnerves Sadie. Her instincts tell her something's not quite right at Southgate. The corpse she discovers behind a drapery confirms it. Shocked to come face-to-face with another murder victim, Sadie immediately calls the local police. But when the Police Authority inspector shows up, the body's gone. Although everyone thinks she's crackers, Sadie knows what she saw. A man was killed and she intends to find out why. And by whom. Since she's not being allowed to leave the city, she might as well solve a murder.

As Sadie pokes her nose into the intricate lives of the people at Southgate, she stumbles upon a complex web of secrecy and lies. Everyone seems to be hiding something - even Liam. The question is what? The more she discovers, the more troubling the situation becomes. If Sadie doesn't solve the mystery soon, she's afraid she might be the next victim.

English Trifle, the second book in a series of culinary mysteries by Josi S. Kilpack, didn't do a whole lot for me. The plot seemed stale and contrived, the characters cliche, and the finale predictable. With about 100 pages more than it needed to have, the story dragged, getting especially dull in the middle. I did appreciate the fact that Kilpack fleshed her heroine out a lot more in this installment than she did in Lemon Tart - I'm not sure if I like Sadie, the overbearing do-gooder, but she's definitely getting more interesting. Not interesting enough, though, to carry this novel. In the end, I found English Trifle bland and disappointing. Rather like English food - or so I hear.

(Readalikes: Lemon Tart and other novels in the Sadie Hoffmiller series by Josi S. Kilpack; also Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Strawberry Shortcake Murder, Blueberry Muffin Murder, Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, and other novels in the Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke)

Grade: C-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for a small amount of violence

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of English Trifle from the generous folks at Deseret Book. Thank you!

LDS book clubs are a funny thing. A lot of them started a few years ago when Relief Society (the church's organization for women) was restructured and we were urged to plan small group activities. I think most of the clubs have moved away from church "sponsorship" for various reasons, but still exist as groups of friends who want to read books that are in keeping with their common morals. I'm not sure exactly how The Bookworms got started - I've only been in the ward (my local congregation) for a year and a half - but I've enjoyed my brief association with these ladies.

Since our group's been a little defunct as of late, our leader organized a fun kick-off. We gathered to hear Josi S. Kilpack and Julie Wright, two LDS authors, speak. Since they were staying with Janette Rallison (who, I didn't realize, lives here locally), she came along as well. The trio talked about their lives, their writing, and the unique experience of writing for an LDS market. It was fascinating, even though I have only read Kilpack, and only one of her books.

Some of the interesting things they said were:

Josi talked about how writing her own novels has stolen much of the pleasure out of reading others' books. She mentioned a 50-page rule - if a story hasn't grabbed her by then, she abandons it. I know a lot of us bloggers do this, too. My question, though, is this: Have you had this same experience with blogging? Does reviewing books steal some of the pleasure out of reading? It has for me, although I feel like critiquing others' work has been more instructive than destructive. What do you think?

Someone asked how the authors "found" the time to write. I thought Julie's answer was interesting. She said she writes in 15 minute increments. I don't know about you, but I can take just about anything for 15 minutes, be it a sports competition or a dentist drilling (which are equally torturous for me). Her advice has inspired me to work on all those novels that have been germinating in the back of my brain.

Mostly, I appreciated hearing the women talk about why it's so important to them to write clean novels. My reading always vascillates between G reads and R reads, but I love the fact that I can walk into a church bookstore knowing I don't have to worry about the content in the books I choose. Now, you know how I feel about LDS lit, but listening to these ladies convinced me to give it another go. I love that there is this new crop of writers who are making the genre better and better every day. So, for those of you who are sick to death of hearing me talk LDS lit, I apologize, because I'm not done yet :)

(Sorry about the poor quality of the picture - food photography is A LOT harder than it looks)

Today, I'm welcoming Josi S. Kilpack to BBB. She's the author of a number of LDS mystery/suspense novels as well as a
series of culinary mysteries written for general audiences (as in, no mention whatsover of those pesky Mormons). She's currently on tour with Julie Wright. If you live in Arizona and you'd like to hear Josi and Julie speak, they will be appearing on Tuesday, November 17, at 7 p.m. in the Relief Society room of the LDS church building on McDowell and 78th St. in Mesa. You can also check here for local book-signing events. If you have any questions about Tuesday night, feel free to email me.

Welcome to BBB, Josi!

Me: I know you didn't start writing in earnest until just 10 years or so ago. So, did you ever dream that you would be a published author? As a child, did you like to read and write? If yes, what were your favorite books?

JSK: I didn’t begin to enjoy reading until I was 13—until then reading a book was pretty much like weeding the garden; to be avoided at all costs and suffered through if it became unavoidable. At 13 I read “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” and fell in love with stories. I enjoyed writing in school, but never had a teacher tell me I was particularly good at it and I never did more than I had to do for school. For me, my writing really was a dormant gift that stayed quiet and hidden for a long time; until I found myself in circumstances that allowed me time to explore myself a little bit. It’s been a completely unexpected journey.

Me: You've published a number of LDS mystery/suspense novels. What made you decide to write for the LDS market, especially in the mystery/suspense genre? How does writing for an LDS audience differ from writing for a more general one?

JSK: I write for the LDS market because I find the balance between in the world and of it to be a fascinating one. I have enjoyed exploring the Mormon experience very much and like writing about ‘my people’ to ‘my people’. I write mystery/suspense because that’s what I love. I like to read fast-paced stories about characters I care about, so I try to write the same type of story. The differences between an LDS audience and a general one is mostly in expectation. LDS readers, for the most part, expect the bedroom door to stay closed and the violence to not get out of hand. I’m very comfortable with this and it makes the LDS market a good fit for me.

Me: I generally shy away from LDS fiction because it never seems to address "real issues," but you've tackled topics like infertility, Internet predators, inactivity in the church, etc. How do you write clean books about offensive/touchy subjects? Why do you think it's important that LDS books reflect the "real issues?"

JSK: While we, as Mormons, live in the world, not of it, we are IN it and I think we do a disservice when we believe that modern issues don’t affect us. If we manage to escape some of the pitfalls of our society, our loved ones might not. My books address many issues of Mormon culture that are not quite as ‘celestial’ as they ought to be and while I don’t mean to pass judgment on any of us, I think that it’s important for us to be aware, so that we can be compassionate and charitable. Ignorance is just that, ignorance. I love books that make me stretch; books that teach me something I didn’t know. I really hope that my ‘issue’ books do that for my readers, and I hope to get back to them again one day.

Me: You've said that you don't enjoy reading culinary mysteries, so what in the world inspired you to write not just one, but a whole series of them? And how do you think your series differs from others on the shelves?

JSK: When I first started Lemon Tart, it was just a mystery novel with a quirky, domestic ‘sleuth’ - it wasn’t until after it was accepted that one of us (either my publisher or myself) suggested putting recipes in. I had heard of culinary mysteries, but never read any. After that I picked some up and never even finished them. Die hard culinary mystery readers assure me I just got the wrong ones, and maybe they're right, but the ones I got just didn’t resonate with me. They were too gourmet, or they were about characters I didn’t care about. I think my books are different because Sadie is an average woman. She doesn’t cook super fancy stuff, but it’s good, and she genuinely loves to feed the people around her. There are very few recipes that require special ingredients or knowledge, which I think makes her more relatable to those people that read about her.

As for the series, I originally thought that Sadie would make a great repeat character. Once Deseret Book read Lemon Tart, they agreed. We originally planned on three books in the series, but we’ve extended that to five. From there, we’ll see where it goes. I’m not sure I can keep Sadie clever and alive much longer, but we’ll see.

Me: Do you enjoy cooking as well as baking? How did you learn to bake? What's your favorite thing to bake?

JSK: I love, love, love to bake. Cooking...is alright, but baking is awesome! I learned to bake from my mom, who baked everything. The first time I had an Oreo cookies I cringed, it wasn’t nearly as good as a homemade cookie and while I hated homemade bread growing up, I crave it as an adult. As for what’s my favorite thing—cookies. You can go from pulling out the recipe to eating your creation in half an hour. That’s awesome!

Me: How do you choose which recipes to include in your culinary mysteries?

JSK: There’s always the main recipe, which serves as the title of the book, and the others come in a variety of ways. I’ve had readers suggest something, I’ve simply gone through my cookbooks looking for something that would fit, and then I also have a test kitchen: a group of 7 cooks who suggest ideas and then make each of the recipes so that we can get it just right. They have given me many suggestions and it’s very helpful, I don’t know what I’d do without them.

Me: I know you've addressed this on your blog, but how do you juggle marriage, motherhood and other obligations with your writing career?

JSK: I like the word ‘juggle’ better than ‘balance’ because I’ve come to the conclusion that balance—for anyone—is a myth. There is always something up in the air, something plummeting to the earth and something in hand. It becomes a give and take. Sometimes my family sacrifices for my writing (like now, when I’m gone for two weeks) and sometimes my writing sacrifices for my family. Sometimes exercise is sacrificed for school projects, and sometimes reading is put off for yard work. It’s impossible to give 100% to everything, and so I simply try very hard to be objective enough to see what is currently plummeting to the earth so I can catch it before it falls. Sometimes the balls are moving faster than others and things are intense, and sometimes I find a really good rhythm. I try very hard to keep my family from suffering, and yet at the same time I can’t do it without their support. It’s a tricky game, one that doesn’t always work, but one I continue to work at. But I don’t think it’s any different than any other woman. There is simply so much to do in life—if all we did was temple work, our lives would fall apart just as surely as if all we did was bake, or write, or lift weights. It’s all about keeping the ball from hitting the ground—that’s my goal every day. Most of the time it works.

Me: I ask this of every author I interview simply because I find the answers so intriguing: What's your writing routine? Do you write every day or just when the mood strikes? Do you outline or let the ideas flow freely? Where do you write? Is there anything you absolutely HAVE to have by you when you're writing? Can you concentrate if you're wearing your PJ's or do you have to get dressed to feel like you're really "at work?"

JSK: Oh, how I fantasize about a writing schedule! I have tried for ten years to get one. I’ll find a routine that works for a few weeks and then life happens, and it spins into the abyss and I find myself trying to find a new one. The fact is that my life is crazy and the season where I can have a set schedule is not yet here. As it is, I simply do the best I can to carve out time as often as possible. Rather unromantic, I know.

Me: Tell me about your Book Tour '09. How's it going? What has been the best part of it? The worst?

JSK: The Book Tour is doing great. We are exhausted, but in a good way; kind of like after a party when you’ve put so much time into it, your feet are killing you, but you smile when you think about it because everyone had such a good time. We’ve met so many people: readers, bookstore employees, etc. and it’s been a rich experience to come to them and live in their worlds for a little bit. We get to rub elbows with readers who have never heard of us, and some that have followed our careers. That is the best part—the people. The worst part is traffic! Julie lives in a town with a population of 600. I haven’t lived in a ‘city’ for years. Now we are on California freeways, white-knuckling our way through a spaghetti bowl of freeways. The traffic is horrible and we are finding ourselves driving twice as long as we expected. We both hate that so much. But, we’re surviving :-)

Me: Lastly, I grew up near Portland, so it made me laugh when you said that it's your fantasy city. Powell's Books - what more do you have to say, right? Seriously, though (and this may just be the most important question I've asked you so far), what is it about rain that is so appealing to us bookworms?

JSK: I think the rain gives us permission to stay inside—and if we’re inside, well, why not read a book? Or write one? There is no more perfect afternoon than snuggling into the corner of the couch with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa. I think every avid reader can agree that is a perfect day. And I am so jealous of you having lived in Portland. It was honestly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Me: I absolutely agree - just talking about it makes me homesick :( Thanks so much for hanging with us at BBB today, Josi!


(Author photo is from her website.)