Greetings from Josie's Friends

Come visit Jane's and Josie's Gallery of Friends

Send us your comments and a we'd just love a photo,
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Dear Ms. Cleland,
I just finished reading Consigned to Death and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I'm not typically a "cozy" reader, but your book has turned me toward the genre and I look forward to reading more books penned by you.  The character of Josie Prescott came alive for me and kept me intrigued enough to read it every possible second I could and the plot was superbly interesting--I'm not an antiques buff, but you made me one for the duration of the story.  I feel like I've had a mini education.  The story took a few turns and I was guessing until the end--I had in my mind a few suspects but I didn't know who was the culprit for sure until you revealed it.  Thank you for providing such a delicious experience!  
Sincerely,
Tracie H

Dear Miss Cleland,

I'm a voracious and eclectic reader. I wanted to let you know that I very much enjoyed your book. I'm looking forward to the next one. Johanna B

Dear Jane,

I just finished reading Consigned to Death & really loved it, what fun!  Can't wait to read more adventures of Josie & Alvarez.  There's only 1 problem, you  can't write them as fast as I can read them, he he.  I instantly liked your characters, both main & supporting & cleared quite a bit about antiques & the business. Thank you for writing such wonderful entertainment for me to read & keep pt the good work.

Sincerely,  Michelle D

Dear Jane,  I just finished your book.  What a delightful mystery!  I enjoyed reading every page.  I will be waiting for your next book in this new series. 

Ileane G

Posted Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:27 pm (PDT) from the "Murder Most Cozy" news group

You will love Consigned to Death! T R U S T me on this!!! It's a great read!!! I rate it an 10! Can't wait to get her next book!

Loved Consigned to Death even with the hard-to-read font. It may be great for everyone, not just us over 65.

Can't wait for the next Josie Prescott book. With all the great sales on the book, you will have clout to request St Martin's to use a darker thicker font!

Mary M.

Jane,

Thought you'd enjoy this.  The word is spreading! When am I going to be able to read your next book?

The WHATCHA GOT? radio network is at twenty-two affiliates as of October 1 and growing at the rate of about one per week.  Info on my website at www.harryrinker.com.

Trust you had a great summer,

Harry L. Rinker

Harry,
I took a few of your classes at Kutztown University a couple summers ago and obviously respect your opinion on matters of antiques, collectibles, and business.  I also read your column religiously and wanted to comment about one of your more non-traditional columns.  It appeared in our local paper, the Morning Call, on May 2 of this year.  "Why are antique dealers always portrayed as the bad guys?" you posed.  You recommended certain authors and books for travel and vacation reading, and I followed your advice with Jane Cleland's Consigned to Death. You said we wouldn't be disappointed and we weren't.  It was great reading for our trip to Myrtle Beach this year.  I have since loaned my copy to other friends who are dealers and will also be able to relate extremely well to many of the "behind the scenes" happenings even if not in their field.  Thanks again.

Howard E

Jane's Reply:

Harry, I'm thrilled that you enjoyed Consigned to Death enough to recommend it. It was very thoughtful of Howard to let you know that he enjoyed it, too. That's just great!

Jane

Hi Jane,

I just finished reading your book and enjoyed it alot. It was a refreshing change of pace and the plot was different from what I usually read. Awesome for the first book! I am looking forward to your next books. Thank you for such a good read.

Lisa H.

Hello Jane!
 
Just received the newsletter.  Thanks so much for adding me to the list.
 
It was such a pleasure for me and my two sisters to meet you at ConMisterio in Austin.  You seemed like  just the nicest woman-approachable, friendly, someone you would like to know.
 
I checked your tour schedule - nothing in Texas in the near future, so we were really lucky to meet you in Austin.(Although we are beginning to travel to see our favorite authors. Middle of Sept. we are going to Aurora, Ill. for the Midwest Literary Arts Festival to see Dennis Lehane.  So maybe we will see you again before too long.)
 
I am so proud for you!  First printing sold out before pub date, Russian edition and now UK edition - on your first novel - what an accomplishment!
 
Here's to continuing success to you and Josie. May the ride be long and fun.
 
Sincerely,
Libby

Jane's Reply:

Hi Libby:

Thank you for your kind comments -- you've made my day!

I remember you and your sisters well, and I so enjoyed the opportunity to visit with you all!

I'll be back in Texas after Deadly Appraisal is published next spring -- sometime between April and June 2007 -- and I look forward to meeting you again at that time.

With best regards, Jane

Thank you for a book with a lead female who is human and smart, not always jumping into bed with someone, who has a real life and not someone always doing something stupid or putting herself at risk, who is capable of making sane and rational choices.

Your dialogue was easy and believable.  I look forward to the next release and hope it will be a continuation of this style.

Mississippi

Hi Jane,

I loved your book! I met you in Bowling Green, Oh, and what a charming person you are.  I enjoyed your book very much and I am looking forward to the next.

I was there with my sister, and we both enjoyed the signing. 

Best wishes, Joan

Dear Jane,

Just finished Consigned to Death Loved the story and Josie. As someone interested in antiques and collectibles, I really enjoyed the book's setting. Hope it is very successful and that there will be many more Josie stories in the future.

Best, Margaret

Absolutely loved your book!!!! Every nook and cranny! Will be learning much more from you.

Thanks, Lois

Dear Jane,

It was a pleasure to meet you [at the Deadly Ink conference] and I can not wait to dive into your book. You struck me as a lady of style and grace, and I was comforted by your emotions when I explained my situation. Your demeanor during those two days meant more to me than you will ever know.

Fondly, Bonnie/Anna

Dear Jane,

It was lovely to meet you at the Deadly Ink conference this weekend. I wish you the best of luck with your new book and have been talking it up with my mystery/antique loving friends at work.

Cheryl

A customer was heading north for a trip and stopped in for a book. I was pleased to recommend yours. She bought it, read it, and on her way back bought 3 more as gifts!

Gary, Once Upon a Crime, Minneapolis, MN

I thought CONSIGNED TO DEATH was one of the best first novels  ever. I got it from my library -- after a wait, I might add -- I guess it's a  popular book --  I saw on Jane's website that it's a series -- and no surprise,  she just got a new contract so Josie will be around for years. That's such great  news!

Bev

I loved Consigned to Death! The book left me wanting to know more. I feel that there's a lot more that I want to know about Josie  and the other characters. For example, why does Gretchen just show up on the doorstep? Why is Eric down on himself, etc., etc.

There was a lot I enjoyed about Consigned to Death, but the intriguing background of Gretchen seemed a bit contrived (a set-up for a future book, perhaps).  The one who did intrigue me was Sasha.  She was clearly competent and dedicated to her job, yet insecure and shy socially.  I really enjoyed seeing her unbend when a kindred spirit came into the picture, and will watch for her in future books.  And I�d like to know if Max really has a family life or if those kids in the background of his phone calls are just some tape he plays to deflect single female clients from getting �ideas� about him.

Karla

loved your book. I was so happy that in the end you let the two characters show their interest in one another, leading me to want to get the next book, hoping they will pick up where they left off! You have a great series going. It is awesome, the combination of antiques, mystery, etc. Keep up the good work, you sound like such a lovely person. Your mother gets my vote, going back to college at that age! Congratulate her from a true fan of yours.

Very Sincerely, Bonny

I wanted to share news about a great new book I just read -- CONSIGNED TO DEATH by Jane K. Cleland.

Has anyone else read this book? I LOVED, loved, loved, LOVED this book... what a great sleuth. Josie Prescott is an antiques appraiser -- and she's smart and savvy... a strong woman. I thought the mystery was clever -- and I think Ty (the police chief and romantic interest) is hot. Does anyone know the author, Jane Cleland?

Pris

I met you at "Bloody Words" conference last weekend where you autographed my copy of your book Consigned to Death.  You asked me to email you when I finished reading it to tell you what I thought.

I Loved it.  I started reading it yesterday afternoon and couldn't put it down.  When I did have to put it down it was all I could do to get other stuff done so I could get back to it.   I love how Josie remembers special words of wisdom from her father.  They are actually good thoughts we should all keep in mind for different situations.

[Spoiler Hidden]

I am looking forward to future books you write especially when they involve this character - Josie.

Thanks. 

With Love from Marc and Diane.

Best Find

Several years ago, I was looking though the breakfont in my dining room and realized I had a very nice, but small collection of teacups and matching saucers. These were given to me by my mother's friend in the early 1960's. I decided I'd like to add to my collection and one of my best friends told me about an antique mall in Woodbridge, VA called Featherstone Antiques. We decided to go with a bunch of friends to scout out this huge mall.

While I was in one of the booths, I spotted a wool oriental rug. The price on the tag read $2.50.!!! Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe it. Needless to say, I went to the front desk and asked the cashier if I was reading the price correctly. She said I was, and that the price was reduced from $10.00!! Yikes. I told her to ring me up right away. This has got to be the best find that I have ever purchased. It sits in the middle of my living room and I love to tell the story of it's purchase to anyone who will listen.

Susan O
Burke, VA

Calvin Ingram Fletcher Water Color Painting

I read with great interest the finding of Calvin Fletcher's painting; I'm a former Owen County, Indiana historian and and the mother of an artist and wouild love to know if the finders would sell. 

In the meantime, my favorite find: An old photograph in a flea  market sale that had belonged to the next-door neighbors of my grandparents made when I was a frequent visitor and growing up in the l940's. 

Dixie
Indianapolis, IN

Mandrassi Bronze Sculpture

During my teens, my mom and I had fun looking for antiques on various parts of Long Island. At one point she decided to redecorate the house and hired a local decorator to help. We scoured antique shops for objects to place in a "decorative" fashion. My mom had a marble pedestal table that needed a statue, and we found a nice white 2-1/2 foot statue of a woman leaning on a shephard's crook. We paid $60 for it. When we got it home and started dusting it my mom noticed that some of the white paint was flecking off. At closer scrutiny it appeared metal colored underneath the paint. After many hours of cleaning, we found a beautiful French bronze sculpture, signed in the bronze by the artist, including the foundry mark! The artist, Mandrassi, was fairly famous in turn of the century Paris, and the sculpture was valued at quite a bit more than $60! It's the find of the family, and we still talk about it at family dinners!

Felicia
Huntington Station, NY

Vintage Postcards

I have mail and postcards that my grandmother received and saved over the decades (early 1900's) that must have had sentimental value for her (even postcards and letters with the "old" airmail stamps on them. In her belongings was a telegram (telegraph wire service) she had received. I had never seen such a thing as this because the message and information was printed on small strips of paper and overlaid on the telegraph form. Any value (early 1900's)?

In addition she had a postcard showing the Twin Towers in NY signed by Lee Iaccoca. This postcard was printed in 1983. Any value??
MJD
Phoenix, AZ

German Coffee Cup

I am 73 years old. My greatgrandmother, Sarah Smith Bennett, had one thing she considered a "pretty" in her difficult and poor life -- a coffee cup made in Germany and painted with pink roses. She never used it because it was too precious. She gave it to my grandmother, Nellie Melindy Viola Moore Bennett, who gave it to my mother, Annie May Bennett Melton, who gave it to me, Patricia Ann Melton Hoel. I have inscribed all this on a ribbon, having added my cousin, Jennifer Lawson Harris Worth, who will in turn pass it on to her niece, Harris Ann McInnis. One "pretty" that gives joy and a sense of family to those of us who cherish those things........
Patricia
Bryson City, NC

Rocking Chair

Antiques mean family and history to me. For example... In early 1972, when pregnant for my son, my first child, I was given a rocking chair by my maternal grandmother. She was about 75 years old at the time and said she remembered the chair being in her family when she was a very little girl. My son is 33 now so the chair is 100+. I don't sit in it much, but it holds a prominent position in my living room and in my heart. Each time I look at it, I remember stories my grandmother told me about her childhood and being raised on a farm with 13 siblings including two sets of twins. I remember that my mother loved to spend her childhood summers on that same farm, helping her grandmother - my great-grandmother - in the summer kitchen. The chair brings memories of my son and how we rocked and read books day after day from the time he was born. I worried about the creaking sounds waking him and when I wrote to a newspaper help column, they suggested removing the nails or screws and using something to fill in the holes a bit before reinserting the nails/screws. I forgot to tell them - the chair is pegged, or fitted, no nails, no screws.

And lastly, each time I look at the rocking chair I see 6" high initials - mine - carved in the headrest by my precocious, take-charge little daughter - now 22. They remain there and probably always will. The chair has never been refinished and why should it be? So many memories might be washed away! I do wonder sometimes who made the chair and exactly when, and there is nothing on the chair itself to give any indication. Hmmm, let's see if I have a photo of it somewhere... Found one. If you enlarge the photo, you can just see the "R." carved in the headrest on the right. I couldn't access your blog archives. Is there a password? :) Have a good day.
Kathleen
Corning, NY

Pen and Ink Drawing

Hi, I found a pen and ink illustration that I am convinced is an original Charles Dana Gibson, "The Greatest Game in the World, His Move". It is pen and ink on yellowed paper, you can see the faint pencil marks behind the strokes, especially on the title. It is not signed unfortunately. I found it at an antique store in Siloam Springs, AR. Prints of this original are readily found on the internet by typing in the title.
Marsha
Hominy, OK

Marble Lamp with Crescent Moon and Clouds

Dear Jane, my biggest find has to be this lamp. Well, let me describe it. Let me know if it sounds unusual. It has five pieces. The first, is the bottom. A column of marble maybe 36 inches tall. Then a second piece that fits on top of that, it fits inside, making it look like more of the column, adding about 4 more inches in height. It has a square of marble on top of this. So what you have now is this tall fern stand looking thing of marble, or alabaster. I am not sure of the difference. Then this rectangle piece goes on top of the whole thing, and that has the bulb in it with the plug. Upon this sits these alabaster clouds, and on that fits this alabaster crescent moon, and fitting on top of the moon is a troubadour playing a guitar. It is beautiful when lit(glows from inside) I have no idea anything about it, except it is very old, and all gray marble/alabaster? What do you think? PS I read your book and LOVED it! I can't wait for the second one! Hurry up! One thing I learned, to my dismay, was about the books from book clubs, not worth a dime! Well, maybe a dime! All these years collecting from my book clubs, building up my library, only to find, like the man in your book, they are not worthy!
Bonny
Westlake, OH

Penguins and Other Collectibles

I collect penguins. I have hundreds of penguins. Short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, crystal ones … and brass, silver, pewter, ceramic, plastic, porcelain and, of course, stuffed. I have light switch plates, cups, towels, rugs, music boxes, wall hangings, even one I embroidered.  I try to NOT get more penguins. The hundreds I have take up too much space.  At least I know why I’m a penguin nut – my mother lost my stuffed penguin when we moved when I was six.  To make matters worse, she disavowed all knowledge of my even owning a penguin.  This was back in the days when children (or at least relatively poor children) only had 10 or 15 toys of any kind.  When I was 9, she was going through the old pictures and what was there:  ME AND MY PENGUIN!

So all these years later I am suffering from a surfeit of penguins.  But this trauma left me with another couple of collection addictions.  I also collect old family photos dating as far back as the 1870s. I’ve interviewed older aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. and identified everyone in all but a dozen or so pictures out of a few hundred. I’ve scanned them, made a database with the information about who and what is in each picture and when. Now I just need time to finish my web site!  And my final collectible is my mother’s and grandmother’s very few nic-nacs. Some are dinged, some are ok.  But I can’t bear to part with any of them.  Luckily I never buy new nic-nacs (except those darn penguins).  My favorite is a statue made of blue-glazed pottery of a young boy and girl with their arms around each others waists. There is a planter behind them that my mother always kept planted with philodendron. I thought it was a statue of my cousin David and me. David was a year older than me and my special friend, all through the years.  It turns out that the statue was given to my mother by David’s mother, my Aunt Ethel, when I was born.  David died over 15 years ago of Aids, so I love that planter because it reminds me of all the fun times David and I had.

NYC, NY

A Pot to Cook In

Early in my marriage I had wanted to impress my husband and I needed a pot to cook beans in. So, I went to an antique store and found this enameled pot with a lid and one handle. I thought how unusual for a cooking pot to have one handle. Well, I went home thinking I had found an unusual treasure and cooked up a bean dish in the pot and served it to my husband in the pot. He just roared with laughter and politely declined the beans. I learned it was a chamber pot and that would explain the one handle. We decided then to go out and eat.
Linda
Portland, OR

Painting by Calvin I. Fletcher

My wife and I married in 1999. We both sold our homes to buy another one. While helping her pack her miscellaneous items I came across an old painting that had a wooden frame and old wooden back. I knew it was old; it was signed this way: "copied by calvin ingram fletcher 1875 naples". Asked where she got the painting, she said her grandfather had contracted to clean out the coach house of the Fletcher family. He was to take the contents to the city dump and keep anything he wanted. That was in the early forties. He kept the picture. It was given to my wife by her mother when she moved to Florida from Indiana.

When I saw the picture I knew it should have some value since the Fletcher family was a big name in Indiana. I still do not know the value; have not had it appraised. The. frame was in pretty bad shape and the glass was broken. I had it put in a new frame and hung it on our wall. I guess will be our greatest find. Sorta found in the attic, I guess you could say.
Mel & Duana K
Davis, CA

Y Collection

My last name begins with the letter "Y" and as a result, my husband and I collect Ys. We have some in wood, metal, rubber stamps, and even a three-dimensional marble sculpture. It's hard to find new examples, so when we do, you can imagine our excitement. Guess what! I just found one -- an old sign for a ranch called the Bar Y Ranch. Now my dilemma is whether to save it for my husband's Christmas present! A good problem, right?!
Margaret Y.
Sonoma, CA

Grandmother's Legacy

When I was eight, my grandmother died suddenly. It was terrible, because we’d been so close. What I didn’t know was that she had left me and my sister $100 each in her will with the instruction that when we were 18, and got the money, we were to use it to buy something that reminded us of her. Isn’t that a great idea? I bought a vintage hat box – granny loved hats! My sister bought a gilt picture frame because granny had a piano in her living room covered with photos. Everytime we look at our items, we think of granny. I just love that idea and wanted to share it with others.
Flora P.
Little Rock, Arkansas

Loves Hearts  

I love hearts! My house is filled with them – pillows, dishes, textiles, everything! I just found a gorgeous cut glass ornament that I’ve hung on clear nylon thread from my dining room window – it’s like a prism! I smile everytime I see it! I found it at a flea market for $5.00. I couldn’t be happier!
Lee M.
Rochester, MN