Here is the cover of the hardcover version of The Chronicles of Deer Abbey. I love the vivid colors of it. We are going to get a couple of copies to look at and approve and then the book will go on sale from Amazon in a couple of weeks. This is very exciting!

We had a lovely Easter. Good friends, good food (too much food, of course), and a movie. We watched “Moana,” which was even better than I thought it might be. Then I got out my hats and Ann, Becky, and Tanya tried them on. I had made an agreement with Ellen that every time I brought home a new hat, an old one had to depart.  [Ellen, the webmistress, would like to note at this point that she has something like fifty hats. Monica is not a crazy cat lady, she’s a crazy hat lady.] My new spring hat was a success on Easter Sunday, so I had to decide which of my other hats I could part with.

Tanya and Becky are coming with us to Magna cum Murder in Indianapolis this fall and Tanya wanted to wear a hat in honor of the occasion.  So I told her she could  have her pick.  I have a rather beautiful purple felt hat with a bunch of curly feathers and ribbon on one side that looked really good on her, and she chose that. I was a little sad to see it go, but I know Tanya will take good care of it and will love it as I have. Then Becky tried on my “Mardi Gras Parade” hat, a silver lamé number that is towering twirls and a big medallion, flat on the back and with a little brim in front. Or, if you like, flat on the front and with a little brim in back, you can wear it either way. It looked amazing on her, and I have agreed to loan it to her for Magna. I’m not sure which hat (or hats) I’ll bring.

The event is a mystery convention and takes place at the Columbia Club, a historic and very upscale place in the center of the city with old-fashioned rules such as gentlemen must wear a suit or blazer and tie in the formal dining room. The sort of place you almost expect to see Christie, Sayers, Marsh and Allingham at a table having tea and talking about poisons. Ann fell in love with a strange hand-crafted hat in autumn colored fabric I might loan to her some time, but not to Magna, as she’s too insecure to travel.