Happy New Year from Mystery Playground

Happy New 2015! 
2014 was a wonderful year for Mystery Playground. 

• We got to meet James Duff and many of the cast and crew of Major Crimes. 
• We hung out with Jeffery Deaver, JA Jance, Lee Childs and Eoin Colfer. 
• Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine recognized the blog and wrote about our Drinks with Reads and Crafty Thursdays features. 

And we went to speakeasies, conventions, had tea parties, made crafts that we never would have without Mystery Playground. 

And I have so many wonderful people to thank. 

First of all I want to thank all of our wonderful readers, especially Bobbie T., Petite, Traveler, Brook B, Cathy T., Library Pat and Ilona Arcari. 

Next I want to thank Kerry Hammond, who has been blogging away, covering everything from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries to crime fiction fan panels at Bouchercon to teaching us how to go autograph hunting. It's really just the tip of the ice berg. She has so much more coming in 2015 too. 

Here's Kerry getting Catriona McPherson to sign her book at Bouchercon

Kim Hammond is also due big thanks. She's been my partner in crime at Bouchercon, when she's not hanging out with Castle's costume designer, Luke Reichle or reporting on Karin Slaughter's visit to Cleveland. 

Here's Kim and Eoin Colfer

A big thank you to our wonderful crafty club members - Pat & Janet (and we have some cool new crafts coming in the new year. One involves vintage Kodachrome slides.)  Pat & Janet are the go-to team on the ground for photos, ideas, cooking and encouragement. Janet made everything this year from Game of Thrones Dragon Noodles to The Queen of England's Scones. If you haven't made those Dragon Noodles, you need to do it soon. They are easy to make and very satisfying. 

I would also like to thank all of our wonderful guest bloggers without whom Mystery Playground would not be possible. 

• Laura K. Curtis (She made a very cool Tardis notebook cover and the skull shawl above is to die for) 
• Duffy Brown (you really have to read her poisonous posy post -- for your own safety)
• Janet Bolin with the super fun embroidered book bag and her book, Night of the Living Thread.
• Mia Bard keeping us straight on Coven and the Walking Dead
• Amanda Flower - Covering everything from banana muffins to pin cushion jars
• Amy Ball - Fabulous book recommendations on both sides of the pond
• Nancy Keith Kelly - Reviews to die for
• Diana Chambers with her globetrotting London book benches report
• Cathy Ace with her wonderful feature on momentos from all of her book research 
• Mollie Cox Bryan with fabulous button bookmarks
• Christina Freeburn with a DIY creative family wall art project with a Disney theme

Special thanks to Jo Ann Gaglione for letting us use her Comic Con photos for the second year running, and the gang at TLC Tours.

And super special big thanks to Lori Caswell over at Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book. 

And of course, my mom, who whips out book reviews when my work schedule gets heavy. 

You can see all of the Drinks with Reads posts and bloggers here. 

Here's wishing you and yours a fulfilling 2015!