Today we Chicks are delighted to welcome our good friend, newbie author Tammy Barker, who’s sharing one of her favorite places for mystery inspiration. Take it away, Tammy!
What If?
Hello, all!
Thank you, Chicks, for having me as a guest on your blog. It’s because of you I got truly involved in the cozy/traditional mystery community, making it my own. (**The Chicks respond: Aw, Tammy, that’s so sweet–thank YOU for your friendship, inspiration, and love of all things cozy!**)
“What if?” is the question most frequently asked of mystery writers and readers. It’s the most important question we can ask, and we do it all day, every day, while reading, watching the television, shopping, cooking, even watching people.
Recently I was forced to use vacation time. The hubbs asked, “What if we went to Peddler’s Village again?” My response? “Sure!”
When Earl and Sheila Jamison purchased a hen farm back in 1962, they asked, “What if the area became a shopping destination?” The couple created Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, Pennsylvania, and the village is still family-owned.
Peddler’s Village is 42 acres with 60+ shops (less than 10% chains) for fashion, accessories, art, home decor, specialty foods, and collectibles. There are six restaurants, several quick food places, the Golden Plough (originally a travelers’ dwelling, then a post office, tavern, and now the inn), a working antique merry-go-round, and yes, even a hair salon for gossip. From my research, only The Cock and Bull restaurant is from the original town setup. The pièce de résistance is the gazebo, built in 1983. If you love shopping local and USA-made like me, you need to go.
My favorite stores so far are Fehrenbach, Mama Hawk’s Kitchen, Artisan’s Gallery, and Colts Collectibles.
Town events include at least one food festival a season, comedy shows, mystery dinner theaters, and competitions including scarecrow decorating, sand art, and yes, art made with Peeps! Six weeks of Christmas decorations.
For those who believe, Postmaster Thomas Betts (first Peddler’s Village postmaster) haunts Room 202. We stayed in 302 this time, but didn’t hear a thing, darn it. And the Cock and Bull has a young girl ghost that misplaces table settings, plays with silverware, and runs through the admin offices on the second floor. Again, no sightings by me, but I’m open to it.
I’ve only ever met one shop employee that wasn’t sickly-sweet friendly. They are very helpful, aren’t sad if you don’t buy anything, and many are willing to help if you’re looking for something specific they don’t have, but the competition does.
Anyway, I digress. Back to the “What if?” While we were there, I was walking around and said out loud, “What if a murder happened here?” I could imagine it. It’s a cozy setting, with lots of people who know everything. Places to hide bodies, clues and red herrings. Some shops are spacious, while others are so crammed full of treasures they remind you of a closet that hasn’t been opened in years. Plenty of weapons and suspects galore! With the number of big events they host…
What if someone on the board wanted to change the direction of the whole venue?
What if a new store didn’t like the competition?
What if a wedding went awry?
What if someone finagled things so the murder could be blamed on a ghost?
What if a dead body was dressed up like a scarecrow?
What if a tourist tricked their friend into…?
Readers, what makes you shout out, “What if?” Is it a place you want to read about? A person you see doing something that makes you wonder? An item that seems like a cool way to murder someone? Let Tammy know in the comments below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
TAMMY BARKER is a government accountant by day and rookie writer by night. Her literary agent is shopping CALL IN FOR MURDER, Book 1 in the Neon Desert Mysteries, to publishers while Tammy works on the sequels, short stories, and a stand-alone novel. Her first short story, Dollface Catches Lead, can be found at https://mystericale.com/article/dollface-catches-lead/. Tammy lives in Northern Virginia with the hubbs, who is a self-proclaimed hermit.
Chicks on the Case 
Love this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you Dru Ann. You need to go there some day. I can see you and Kristopher writing a short story about the place.
Tammy
LikeLike
Thank you Dru Ann. You need to go there. I can see you and Kristopher writing a short story here.
Tammy
LikeLike
thank you Dru!
LikeLike
What a fun place, Tammy! I love your “what if” scenarios. My wife and I went to the Indiana State Fair on Sunday and what ifs abounded in my mind. Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
JC,
thank you. This is the kind of place I bet every state has, and few know about it. What ifs are fun, am I right?
LikeLike
JC. Thank you. Every state has one of these places, but I bet few people know about them.
aren’t what if’s fun?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Forget the fried dough and Ferris Wheel–fairgrounds are prime people-watching venues!
LikeLike
Welcome, Tammy! I love your “what if” scenarios – they really make those creative ideas flow for a new story! Thanks for sharing and good luck in finding a home for your book.
LikeLike
thank you Kim. Fingers crossed. I am way too patient.
my mind is always going what if. Some of the scenarios I’ve come up with even freak me out!
LikeLike
What a great place for a cozy mystery! For me it’s local settings – “what a great place to find a body.” There are so many natural sights in the Laurel Highlands (forests and streams) that are great body-hiding locations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
my friend Liz!
settings are the best beginning to figure out a murder, aren’t they? Love your highlands area. There’s a notebook with the cover saying something like “the places where I hid the bodies” that would be a perfect jotting down pad for the highlands!
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I was reading through your blog, I could only keep asking myself possible cozy mystery questions…. and then I got to the end where you asked all of them. Good luck on finding a home for your cozy. Sounds like it will be a lot of fun to delve into.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Debra,
thank you for the kind words.
and see what I mean? You started thinking about it before I even suggested it. Hmmm… a festival with a cooking competition perhaps?
LikeLike
Fun blog post, Tammy! I love to play “what if” when I write picture books, too.
LikeLike
Susan,
thank you.
and ooh, picture books, getting to emm reading young, holding paper and cardboard instead of a phone. Isn’t what if the best sentence in the world?
LikeLike
What if Tammy wrote Murder at Peddler’s Village so we could read this and come up with more What If’s?? As always, you make me laugh and excited to read your book when it comes out! And remember, as a fellow No. VA’er, I’m open to taste testing as discussed previously – just sayin’! Oh….and thanks for sharing “The Chicks” – a new follow for me!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m thinking about it! As soon as I get my stand alone finished and write my cozy (the 3rd in the series I’m trying to start publishing). I think doing a murder at some kind of food festival would be fun, especially some weird food festival. Or maybe some collectors’ festival? Or a festival of handcrafted only off the wall items?
stay tuned.
go NoVa peeps!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for joining us!
LikeLike
Hi Tammy!!! So happy you’re visiting us today. What a cool post…and fascinating location!
Can totally see how the wheels would start turning on the what ifs! That’s such a mystery writer brain thing…love it. 🙂
LikeLike
Cynthia,
if you are ever on this coast with some time, you need to check it out. Or the book barn in West Chester PA. A literal 5 story barn of used books!
LikeLike
Tammy!!! What a fun post and the pix are awesome! OMG, I LOVE Peddler’s Village and want to go so badly now! I know I’d do some damage in their shops, lol.
My “what if” is probably Columbia State Historic Park. My great-aunt took me there on my very first visit to CA in 1975. Many moons later, it became the “What if” that inspired my new Golden Motel Mystery series.
LikeLiked by 1 person
excellent choice, Ellen! A historic park would be awesome. Lots of history that could so be the basis of an unsolved murder, that then becomes a current murder when someone is nosy about the past.
we need to do a Chicks on the Case field trip to Peddlers Village! We would rule the town. Shopping here we come!
And write an anthology of short stories about places just like this, a festival would be the theme.
and the gauntlet had been thrown down.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! As I read through your blog today, Tammy, I kept thinking: “This sounds like the perfect location for a cozy mystery!” I wonder if they ever do murder games there; if not, they should!
I’ve been plotting a new mystery, and find myself saying “What if…?” out loud as I go on my morning bike rides. I wonder what the people I whiz past think of my murder musings, lol.
We are so happy and excited that you’re joining us today on the Chicks, my dear, and can’t wait to read CALL IN FOR MURDER! (Great title, BTW.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Leslie, such kind words. I love you!
they do a murder dinner theater some weekends, but to do a, let’s say, scavenger hunt for clues during the week, on your own, and check in for the answer at the visitors center? Brilliant!
as for talking to yourself about what ifs on your bike, yup! People are listening and wondering if it’s real or not. We were at a restaurant one day(Earl’s in Peddlers Village as a matter of fact), and I was talking about a murder plot with the hubbs. Got some strange looks from other patrons, and yes, one did ask if I was an author. I laughed at the look on her face and yes yes, after a mischievous grin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! Love that, Tammy! (And I just got back from a bike ride and, yes, I did talk out loud to myself and came up with a couple more plot points. And as I said aloud, “I wonder if…” I thought of YOU!) xoxo
LikeLike
Hi Tammy! This is such a fun post. As soon as you mentioned a scarecrow contest, the what if popped up! I think you need to write a whole series set at Peddler’s Village.
-Paula Charles
LikeLiked by 1 person
Paula, your comments made me smile.
I am not sure about a series, but a stand alone for sure. I’d just have to consult with the Chicks in the Case to see if my muse would work.
maybe a senior pair of ladies as the sleuths? We don’t have enough mature sleuths! Writing this idea down!
LikeLike
Loved learning about and virtually visiting Peddler’s Village! Thanks being here, Tammy!
I ask a lot of what ifs–sometimes it’s locations, news, or overheard conversations. Everything goes into my ideas folder!
(Can’t wait to hear happy publication news from you!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jennifer, you are so sweet. And so right. Everything can turn into a what if. Some would be great opening lines.
and the Chicks will be the first to hear the news, after the hubbs, of course. I will be asking my agent “when can I tell people”, caused I’ve learned some jump the gun.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Tammy, I love this and I love having you as a our guest!! As for Peddler’s Village, you had me at Peeps art!
“What if” is such a powerful engine for ideation. I find that a lot of my own “what ifs” feature scenarios in which everyday folks are thrust into extraordinary (and murdery) situations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kathy,
thank you and all the chicks such a wonderful, heartfelt welcomes.
Art from peep, right? I did see one in the german click shop, but was too careless to take a picture.
What if they have to create the art on site? Perfect for a revenge poisoning. Anyone would be a suspect.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Poison by Peeps! LOVE it, Tammy!
LikeLike
I’m never quite sure what will spark a What If moment for me. But my mind will start spinning when that happens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mark, spin away my friend! Spin away!
LikeLike
Tammy! What a great vacation. And I especially loved the name, The Cock and Bull Restaurant. What if we had a few drinks there (like in Alexandria)? Your friend, Chris Dreith
LikeLike
Chris! It’s great to hear from you. I love the Cock and Bull. Next thing it to see if in my research it says why the restaurant is called that. The funny thing is all 3 sit down restaurants are all connected, like they share the same restrooms.
or we could go to Mama Hawks. They have sodas and coffee with theme names like Elaine’s. The Sherlock seems interesting, but I haven’t gotten that far into the menu yet.
but… what if we did meet, and shop, and eat/drink, and find tje perfect place to hide a body?
LikeLike
Love it! 😀
LikeLike
Great post, Tammy! My current state of residence–New Hampshire–has no shortage of possible locations for mysterious activity. Lots of remote antique buildings, in various stages of decay, and the weather is a character in itself these days. When I really get suspicious is when things look too “perfect.” I immediately start glancing over my shoulder for evildoers.
LikeLike
Lisa,
antique buildings in decay? Oh yes.
Weather is always fun. That’s a prompt I use when I’m stuck. And NH has lots of weather variations.
don’t look over your shoulder too much, else you might become a murder victim. You know the scared one always gets it in the end. At least that’s how it is in the horror movies.
thank you for having me. This was lots of fun!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for sharing this article. Your effort is truly appreciated, and the information is invaluable. I’m grateful for your generosity and the time you took to pass it along.
LikeLiked by 1 person