The Importance of Family Time...and Shopping! by Katy Lee

Happy Thanksgiving, all. Katy Lee here. Today is Black Friday, and I am gearing up to head out on the town. But this year is a little different than years' past.

This year, I picked up my daughter from college and packed up the family, and we headed north into the mountains of Vermont. I wanted to have a full, long weekend away with just my immediate family together as we haven't all been together since my oldest left for school. Next year, I will have two away in school. My house is shrinking, and the empty nest is happening so fast.

So as I write this, I am sitting slope-slide watching skiers zip by the windows and listening to my children talk and laugh over breakfast. They, too have missed being together and needed this time as much as I did. Each year I realize more and more how I must be thankful for these gifts from God.

And time really is a gift that no store can sell.

It is my hope my children will learn this well too. And I think they are, judging by their excitement to head down to the quint Vermont villages and walk along the glass window displays together. Maybe throw a few snowballs and have a cup of hot chocolate, too. And yesterday, my three competitive swimmers lined up in the pool and showed their sibling rivalry in race after race. All in good jest, of course. Even the hotel's lifeguards got in on the action. It was great fun for all.

My point being, you don't have to spend a lot of money to spend time together. The gift of time is free. What you do need to do is recognize Time as the gift itself. Make the effort to enjoy each other's company. Play some games. And of course, laugh. Laugh as much as possible. That, too, can't be bought.

Enjoy your day, all! I saw a great consignment shop in the village that us girls are excited to find some hidden gems! I hope you find something special this week of Thanksgiving too!

Katy Lee has penned fifteen published novels. She writes suspenseful romances and mysteries that thrill and inspire the reader—from the edge of their seat. A native New Englander, Katy loves to knit warm wooly things. She enjoys traveling the side-roads and exploring the locals’ hideaways. A homeschooling mom of three competitive swimmers, Katy often writes from the stands while cheering them on. Two of her books have received a RITA® and a Daphne du Maurier award nomination. She has won an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award as well a Selah Award for her book Blindsided.

Love Inspired Ladies at Bouchercon 2017

Katy Lee / Sandra Orchard

This past month I was Canada bound for the World Mystery Tour known as Bouchercon. This was my first conference where the main focus wasn't on the romance of writing, but rather on the body-count. There were all kinds of talks on forensics, private investigators and amateur sleuths from all backgrounds.

But first, I would love to know if you have a favorite mystery series and/or mystery character you love to read. How dark and dangerous are you willing to go? And do you like a little humor in your mysteries to break up the tension?

I ask these questions because the five-day conference covered a wide range of mysteries. From the terrifying horror genre to the sweet cozy, from the twisted psychological thriller to the amusing comedy. I had no idea the gamut of sub-genres existed in the mystery world. I'd decided to make the trip to garner a better grasp of the mystery genre, but instead came away with more questions on where I fit in.

And more importantly, where a Katy Lee books fit in.

As an inspirational romantic suspense writer, my name carries with it an expectation to fulfill a certain kind of book. When I wrote Blindsided my editor warned me not to go too dark. It's a story on human trafficking. How can that not be dark? I had thought. To express the weight of the issue, I thought it had to show an accurate representation of this very dark world. But looking over the many sub-genres at the conference, I began to see why my editor curtailed my pen. Each book I looked at held a promise for a certain emotion. Some books made me smile. Some I dropped as though they burned me. But then, there were the ones that called to me with messages of hope and of purpose--even with a bit of blood spatter on the cover.

That's when I knew my editor had only been considering my readers when she had warned me to keep the story light. She knew a Katy Lee book held a promise to readers of a higher purpose story, and I would never want to surprise my readers into dropping my book as though it burned them.

So, knowing this I was able to concentrate my focus at the conference on the workshops that would highlight my style--while still giving me ideas on ways to bring in the danger--and maybe a few dead bodies. After all, my characters do have to fight and overcome the evil deeds the villain has in store for them, and not everyone will make it out alive.

But I promise, I will keep it light!

So, tell me, do you have a favorite mystery series and/or mystery character you love to read? And what emotion do they promise you?