Old is New Again With Daisy Buchanan by Cate Price

Hi, I’m Daisy Buchanan, the fifty-something-year-old proprietress of Sometimes a Great Notion, a sewing notions and antiques shop in the quaint village of Millbury, Pennsylvania. Actually, I’m fifty-eight, but fifty-something sounds better. And yes, in case you’re wondering, my sainted mother was a huge F. Scott Fitzgerald fan.

About a year ago, my husband convinced me to take early retirement from teaching and we moved into what had been our vacation home for many years, a Greek Revival right on Main Street. Joe settled easily into country life, while I have to admit, I was restless. I missed New York. I missed the hustle and bustle and my trips to the Garment District, fascinated with the endless displays of French ribbons, braided trim, and satin passementerie.

My salvation (and Joe’s!) came the night that we attended the Sheepville auction. I bid on an old steamer trunk that turned out to be filled to the brim with sewing notions and exquisite fabrics. It was the inspiration for my store. Now I’m addicted to auctions and estate sales, and I scour the countryside’s attics and barns for hidden treasures. I swear that my car brakes by itself now for a yard sale sign.

I specialize in offering what’s called “new” old stock – vintage, but untouched – like unopened packages of Lucky needles, flawless wax flowers for ladies’ hats still in their paper wrappers, and snaps, hooks, and fasteners on their original cards.

Somehow my quirky little shop has also become Millbury’s hub for news, gossip, a good cup of coffee, and tasty treats. My best friend, Martha, is a fabulous baker and brings her creations in every day so she won’t be tempted to eat them at home. But then she comes here and eats them anyway. And some of those goodies are downright evil, like her Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Squares. Millbury doesn’t have a local newspaper, but we have Martha, and that’s the next best thing. So sometimes I hear an interesting tidbit, and next thing you know, I’m in the middle of a murder investigation, determined to solve it, the same way I’m compelled to finish my crossword puzzle every morning.

Well, time to unlock the door to Sometimes a Great Notion. If you’re ever in the neighborhood and in the mood for some strong coffee and spicy conversation, come on in!

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You can read more about Daisy in Going Through the Notions, the first book in the new “Deadly Notions” mystery series, published by Berkley Prime Crime.

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Thanks to Penguin, I have one (1) copy of GOING THROUGH THE NOTIONS to give away. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. Contest ends September 5; US entries only per publisher’s request.

In addition to the book giveaway, there’s an extra prize for another lucky winner! A vintage hand-sewn table runner/dresser scarf that might have come straight from Daisy’s quirky shop in Going Through the Notions. Plus three Essie nail polishes with fun names: “Beyond Cozy”, “Cute As A Button”, and “In Stitches”. Good Luck!

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Meet the author
Cate Price is a regular sight on the streets of her home town walking her two amazing rescue dogs, and she also enjoys gardening, yard sales, and cooking with friends. Writing Going Through the Notions proved to be rather an expensive project, because while researching auction houses, she became addicted to bidding on box lots. Cate is the VP of her local Romance Writers of America chapter and a member of Sisters in Crime. The second book in the series, A Dollhouse to Die For, has been submitted to her editor, and she is hard at work on the third.

Visit Cate at www.cateprice.com or on Facebook

Books are available at retail and online booksellers.