Tomorrow, MY FAIR LATTE, the first book in my Café Cinema Mysteries, will finally be out in the world!
If you’ve heard me mention the book (non-stop) the past few months, you already know a little about it: Broke, unemployed barista Halley Greer unexpectedly inherits a timeworn movie theater and reopens it with a coffee bar showing classic films. Opening night’s premiere of “My Fair Lady” is a bit of movie magic until, faster than you can say Eliza Doolittle, a customer turns up dead. Apparently, the deceased wasn’t a very nice man and several people may have had reason to kill him – including Halley! (At least that’s the way the cops seem to see it.) Halley and her friends must find the killer or her new business and her new life in charming Utopia Springs could be DOA.
In promoting the book, I’ve been using the tag line: Old movies, new bodies—and coffee to die for! (Thank you to my agent for her input on that line, by the way.) But, in addition to coffee and old movies, and murder, of course, family is a major theme in this book: Our family by birth and by choice, the family we wish we had known and the family we wish we understood better. Halley has a personal quest, of sorts, to learn more about this uncle, who was basically a stranger to her, but decided to make her his heir. In addition to inheriting his theater and apartment—and cat, she essentially inherits her late uncle’s friends who are eager to help her. And she discovers a couple of things among her uncle’s belongings that give her some insight, and more questions, about Uncle Leon.
Halley’s grandmother in Sun City, Arizona, who worries and tries to keep tabs on Halley, affectionately calls her granddaughter “Cupcake.” Growing up I had one cousin everyone called Peaches and another we all called Little Sister. I was grown before I knew Little Sister’s real name was actually Ruby. Maybe it’s a southern thing.
What about you guys, did your family have a pet name for you growing up (that you’re not embarrassed to share)? Or, do you have a cute nickname for a family member? Please share in the comments.
Chicks on the Case 
Vickie, your book sounds great! It will be on my read list. My family did not have a pet name for me, but when my daughter was born, she had such beautiful coloring, like peaches and cream. We called her Peaches. She is grown now and asked that we use her name. We do, (most of the time)
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Thanks, Carol! I’ve always thought Peaches was a sweet nickname!
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This is such a cute premise for a cozy series! I grew up in the 50s/60s with a father who called his two daughters “Princess” 🙂
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Aw, that’s sweet, Becky! My daddy didn’t call me princess, but he treated me like one!
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Wasn’t “Princess” the name Robert Young called his daughter in “Father Knows Best”?
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Yes, it was:)
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One was Princess and the other was Kitten, I think. (Am I imagining that?)
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I think that’s right!
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Lisa, that is correct.
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I’m drawing a blank on nicknames. I guess there were none that we used for a super long period of time.
Congrats on the new books. It’s a lot of fun.
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Thanks, Mark! No nicknames, eh? How about Mark the Shark or Book Mark?! Maybe not, lol!
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So excited about the book! It’s a great read. I had a bunch of nicknames, not in the family but among friends and not-friends. The one I wish I’d never told my husband was the nickname the resident mean girl gave me – the new girl – in fourth grade: Nosy. Oh, does Jer love that. Because, to be honest, she wasn’t wrong.
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Not nosy, just curious — you’re a mystery writer, after all!
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I was going to say the same thing!
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Reading the book now, Vickie (yes, my order came early–yay!), and loving it! Did you know that My Fair Lady was one of my favorite films growing up, and I did a presentation on it–and the Broadway musical and George Bernard Shaw play, Pygmalion–when I was in high school? Congrats on the new release, my dear!!!
Some friends called me “Toothpick” in elementary school, until I hit puberty and lost my scrawny figure, that is.
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It’s a fabulous film — and I’d love to hear you sing “I Could Have Danced All Night”!
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I’m so excited that this book is out in the world! It’s SUCH a great read!! It truly has all of my favorite things.
We’re big on nicknames. We call our son Dominick “Dom da Bomb,” which is semi-ironic since he’s lanky and more of a chess-player/reader than, say, a football bruiser. We call our daughter “Seal,” which is a mutation of the shortened “Cel” of “Cecilia.” She’s not a fan of it, but I can’t stop!
Congrats on your wonderful book, Vickie!!
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I should have said ALMOST out in the world! See? I’m EXCITED!!
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Thanks, Kathy — I love Dom da Bomb!
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I can’t WAIT to get my hands on this book, Vickie!
I had an Uncle Doc (who was a chiropractor before it was cool) and I was about 10 or 12 when I found out his real name was Lloyd. I thought it was hiLARious to call him Uncle Floyd. I don’t know why. He used to call me Skinny Indian because I always wore braids and was, yanno, skinny. It was a simpler time.
When my daughter Jessica was born, my mom got irked at me for calling her Jess or Jessie. “You named her Jessica, you should call her that.” I was so taken aback, Mom was 50 miles back to her house before I realized she called my brother Robert “Bob,” my sister Deborah “Debby,” William “Billy,” Victoria “Vicki,” and—ferpetesakes—Rebecca “Becky!”
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Thanks, Becky! And I’m with you. Vickie and Becky sound perfectly appropriate to me!
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Love this post! And love this book already–was thrilled when it showed up this weekend in the mail (preorder is magic) and dove right in. Congratulations, V, on another stellar mystery!
Can’t think of any nicknames right now…am too excited to finish my chores and get back to reading. 😉 xo
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Aw, thanks, C! (Can’t think of any nicknames, eh? lol)
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They called me catin (ka tan) which is the Cajun French word for doll. I was the youngest of six and only girl. rgp1950@yahoo.com
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Aw, how sweet! Doll seems like a good name for the baby girl!
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Congratulations on the book. It sounds great. My nickname as a child was Fly. My mum said it was because I used to go over the furniture rather than around it. (I don’t do that now!!)
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The big day is here at last–congratulations, Vickie!!! Dollars to donuts (and coffee), MY FAIR LATTE: The Book will be as big a hit as the show! We called my middle daughter Bam-Bam (yes, as in that Bam-Bam) because she kicked hard in the womb and ever after. Weirdly, her college friends also call her Bam, because she kicks butt and gets stuff done. They were delighted when she told them of her identical childhood nickname. My parents and older sister always called me Sara Bernhardt. I had no idea who she was, but they claimed it was because I was always over-dramatic. MOI???
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My family is huge on nicknames. Uncle Sonny (Jay), Uncle Bud (George), Uncle Skip (Norman). My mother’s nickname was Sissy in school (Elizabeth). Like where did those come from!
My family nickname is Tam. I mean, really! You have to come up with a nickname for Tammy? Seriously?
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together a loaded plot-line that may seemingly be headed one way, only to surprise us all as it veers further and further away from the expected
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