Women Craft

How We Do It is an anthology curated by Black writers for the creation and proliferation of Black thought. While a creator’s ethnicity does not solely define them, it is inherently part of who they are and how they interpret the world. For centuries, Black creators have utilized oral and written storytelling traditions in crafting their art. But how does one begin the process of constructing a poem or story or character? How do Black writers, when faced with questions of “authenticity,” dive deep into the essence of their lives and work to find the inherent truth?

Textbook writer Suzie Tuft discovers a body near her rural home and learns he was an attorney from the estate of her deceased ex-boyfriend, who bequeathed her a small fortune. Suzie's life is thrown into chaos when she is threatened by the ex's crazy live-in girlfriend and his unsavory friends looking to recover nearly a million dollars from a con they executed him. Fortunately, Suzie has her book club friends to help her unravel the mystery, all while falling in love with the handsome detective investigating the murder.

When tiny River Bend, Illinois, is hit by a string of burglaries even Sheriff Frank Biddle can't solve, the clients of LaVyrle's Cut 'n' Curl can hardly talk of anything but. There are no signs of forced entry and no fingerprints, and valuables are missing from secret hiding places, as if the thief knew what he wanted and just where to look. Helen Evans wonders what the world has come to if even their once-quiet town isn't safe anymore.

What if you could still work at home, but have a personal area that’s professional, well-appointed, and not easily accessible to your curious kids? With your own shipping container workspace, separating work and home life is possible even if you work from home.

Lilyan joins Patriot spies in British-occupied Charlestown, South Carolina, to rescue her brother from a notorious prison ship. She'll lie, steal, kill or be killed in order to protect her family. Desperate for help, she seeks out Nicholas, a scout with Francis Marion’s partisans. Together the pair set out to save her brother. But will they reach him in time? Or will her growing feelings for Nicholas compromise their mission and send the pair to the gallows?

Garage sale reseller and reluctant amateur sleuth, Macy Garson, is up to her elbows in bath water. The Happy Paws shelter where she volunteers is in desperate need of funds and they're conducting a dog washing fundraiser. When a pipe bursts in her bathroom, flooding most of the house, Macy has to get creative in order to figure out how to pay for the damage. And, as if her flood of bad luck isn't enough, her coworker's neighbor goes missing, under some very mysterious circumstances.

When the historic Waverly House is transformed into a wedding venue, the town buzzes with excitement. An out-of-town couple with the loosest of local ties has adopted them as their own. But amidst the celebration, tragedy strikes when a guest is found dead in the chapel before the wedding march plays. Suspicion quickly falls on the bride. Poly's ex-boyfriend, the groom-to-be, needles Poly for help in solving the murder, but things take a complicated turn as the bride points the finger—at him.

Kiki is eight months pregnant and trying to cram as much ho-ho-ho into the holidays as possible. When a customer drops dead during an offsite event, this intrepid scrapbooking sleuth is left holding the bag. After her name is cleared, Kiki isn't one to sit around while her friends are threatened with false imprisonment. Instead, she vows to wrap up this case and tie it with a bow. Leave it to Kiki to determine who was nice, and who was very, very naughty, indeed. A nasty Christmas Grinch is targeting one of Kiki's friends—and that's just not kosher.

Ellie Vanderwick has hair-raising problems, and we're not just talking about her unruly locks! Yoga may ease the tension, but when it comes to dead bodies, she needs more than just downward dog. Her life may seem imperfect without friends, family, or a stable job, but she's got her trusty VW Microbus named Mona and her loyal piggy companion, Penelope. Unfortunately, her hair is a different story. It's like magic, but not the kind she likes! Her hair can go berserk at any moment, transforming into curls, bright purple, or even limp strands.

"Geh hör ma auf. Das gibt's ja nicht. Und des steht alles in dem Biachl von der Frau Bürgermeister?" Die Frau Fuith war wirklich schockiert. "Nun", sagte Hilda und leckte sich die Finger ab. "Dieses Buch ist sehr, sehr ordinär." "Wirklich? Ordinär sagst du?", murmelte die Frau Fuith in gespielter Empörung. "Und", Hilda machte eine bedeutungsvolle Pause, bevor sie etwas Puddingcreme auf ihre Gabel balancierte und zum Mund führte: "Ich glaube, es ist alles wahr, was da drin steht..."

Presley and Cooper are permanently back in Hunter's Hollow, where she is taking over her mother's flower shop, Petal Pushers. Her biggest concern is how little she knows about flowers. One day, as she walks through the town square to the Uptown Café, she finds the mayor's face planted in a bed of snapdragons, and he's not moving.

Autumn in New England brings out the changing leaves, and the leaves bring out the tourists. When Brenna Miller gets stuck as the tour guide for a group of leaf peepers, she tries to make the best of it. They can collect leaves for her decoupage class at the shop she runs with her boss and best friend, Tenley Morse. But it's hard to stay enthusiastic after the trail leads them straight to a dead body. At least Brenda has nothing to do with the investigation this time around - until she learns that the victim was Tenley's father's business partner.

Iris Buckley is busier than ever this July, with the town's annual Lobster Festival fast approaching. In just a matter of days her apron shop, Ruffles & Bows, will be jam-packed with tourists eager to lay eyes on its world-class collection of aprons and linens - and Iris' inventory is running low. Then, just when all hope seems lost, Iris gets a call from Eleanor Brady, a wealthy, reclusive spinster who just happens to have trunks full of vintage fabrics. Before long Iris is on the scene - and on the case.

Dumpster diving for her lost paycheck is definitely the low point of Kiki Lowenstein's day—that is, until she finds a severed leg in the trash. Who'd toss a body part in the garbage outside of Time in a Bottle, the crafts store where Kiki works? Accompanying the grisly "gift" is a creepy computerized voice message, a warning to the store's "rich and snotty" female shoppers. Kiki soon discovers that the amputated leg belonged to a customer with a tyrannical and violent husband, a powerful man in the community. And that jerk is now harassing Kiki.

When Jennifer finds her great-aunt Sadie dead from a fatal blow to the head and the police run out of clues to solve her murder, everything changes. Calling upon their unconventional skills, the quilting club discovers what the police could not—the identity of the killer and even better, a confession. That was the easy part. Now they’re left with a dilemma. How can they convince the police to believe them before it’s too late, without ruining their reputations in the process?

Iggy Alewell, Hazel's friend and candle shop assistant, is eager to purchase his own home with the advance from his first big book deal. Iggy is on the hunt for something with character, so what could be better than the old Cragmire house that's rumored to have buried treasure somewhere on its property? Hazel is thrilled her friend has found success, but things in Crucible take a nasty turn when another potential buyer for the Cragmire house goes missing. He was last seen taking a boat out on Lake Glenmyre, and when the rental is found empty, it's clear to police that foul play is involved.

Former big-city photojournalist Callie Cassidy is finally feeling at home again in the mountainside village where she grew up. She’s bought her own townhouse, made friends, and rebooted a romantic relationship with her long-ago boyfriend. She even entered her lovable golden retriever and cantankerous tabby cat into the upcoming Fireweed Festival pet pageant.

Trixie, Sally, and Cora are determined to open Read Wine on schedule. After all, this is their dream—opening a bookstore in their small town. But you can’t open for business when there’s a dead body on the floor. Not only does it ruin the ambiance, but it definitely didn’t appear anywhere in their business plan.

Cleo Mack's life has been a whirlwind since she inadvertently became the executive director of Harbor Village, a retirement community bustling with energetic seniors. Juggling apartment sales, quirky residents, and a fast-moving romance is tricky business. But on-the-job stress develops a new meaning when Twinkle Thaw, a portrait artist known to ruffle a few feathers, arrives unannounced for the weekend's festival and drops dead hours later - mysteriously poisoned.... Twinkle's bizarre death doesn't seem like an accident.

There are two sides to every divorce . . . yours and the jerk's. In this case, there's Clancy's side and then there's the JERK's side. Of course, Kiki sides with Clancy because they're BFFs (Best Friends Forever). As for the JERK, well, the poor guy can't make up his mind.