Sherry Harris started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry combines her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her years living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series.
Sherry, her husband, and guard dog Lily are living in northern Virginia until they figure out where they want to move to next.
Kim: Air Force! Can you share a funny experience from you service as a military spouse?
Sherry: When we were stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts the Spouses Club had an event where we were supposed to bring a pie. I arrived with my mini-pies only to find out it was a contest. I set my easy to make pies (all it took was some melting and stirring) in phyllo shells (from the grocery store) on the table with all these beautiful homemade pies with handmade, from scratch crusts and fillings. My mini-pies won the chocolate category. I was horrified and then they asked for the recipe for the newsletter. I never gave it to them.
Kim: My first duty assignment in the Air Force took me to Hanscom AFB (link). When I served as the Executive Officer for the AWACS program office, I coordinated a spaghetti lunch. I somehow won a trophy for best sauce ... it was Paul Newman's!
Virginia - what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?
Sherry: I love it when we are driving into DC on the 395 and we come around a corner and there is the Air Force Memorial (link) spiraling into the sky. It’s a beautiful memorial from a distance or up close. In the spring the sight and smell of all the flowering trees and shrubs -- our neighborhood is filled with tulip trees, cherry trees, redbuds, forsythia, azaleas, and lilacs. It’s a feast for the eyes and nose. As for my favorite sound it’s probably when I walk out my door at night in the summer. We live by some woods and there is a cacophony of frogs, birds, and insects -- it sounds like a rain forest.
Kim: Who or what helped you along the path to publishing?
Sherry: So many people helped me. Attending conferences like Malice Domestic and Crime Bake and being a member of Sisters in Crime directly led to my being published. I also took a lot of writing classes and didn’t give up in the face of a lot of rejection!
Kim: What inspired you to pen cozy mysteries? Stories about bargain hunting?
Sherry: I’ve always loved reading mysteries so it was natural for me to try writing them. My first two and a half books are unsold and sit in a computer file. I’ve always loved going to yard sales but an editor in New York City came up with the idea for the series. He went to an agent and asked him if he knew anyone who could write the series. The agent went to my friend, author Barbara Ross, and asked the same question. She came to me. So it was a series of fortunate events that led to me being published.
Kim: What's next for Sherry Harris?
Kim: What's next for Sherry Harris?
Sherry: My second book The Longest Yard Sale comes out on June 30th! And I just turned in the third in the series, All Murders Final which will be out in May 2016. Thanks for much for having me on your blog, Kim!
Learn more about Sherry and her books at sherryharrisauthor.com.
Mahalo, Sherry, for your service as a military spouse! I look forward to catching up with your series! I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about yard sales, flea markets, and thrift shops - have you stumbled across a treasure? I enjoyed the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet (link) ... the treasure was the delicious food!
2. Comments are open through Saturday, July 4, 10 pm in Baltimore.
3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 5.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
I loooove going garage sale/thrift market shopping! I've found so many cute things to decorate my house with! Not to mention, BOOKS!
ReplyDeleteOne person reject is another person's treasure! I love the things I've gotten - they may not be worth a lot of money, but they were fun to find & bring home!
ReplyDeleteThere is one thrift shop around here, but haven't been in it in years.
ReplyDeleteThere always seems to be someone in our street having a garage sale. I try not to drop in, or I go home with more ''treasure" I have no real use for.
ReplyDeleteI love going to thriftshops, it's a bit like going to a quirky museum. Where you can actually buy a "treasure" and take it home. I have found some cookbooks, a glass teapot. A few unwritten postcards and my latest find a green mason jar. All lovely and super cheap. What's not to like about that :)
ReplyDeleteI've had garage sales and this year I'm still debating if I should have or donate the items to charity.
ReplyDeleteI have been to some but have not found any true treasures as yet.
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me today! I have to say I go through a lot of stuff to find something good.
ReplyDeleteI don't go to yard sales. however, I've been to the Goodwill store and have found some nice books.
ReplyDeleteWe have a second hand shop which a charity runs nearby and I always go in to look at the books - can't help myself lol.
ReplyDeleteI used to go to swap meets and found a brand new leather jacket for my hubby for just $10 a few years ago. I haven't been doing much of anything the last two weeks since I broke my arm. Just now getting back online.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy going to garage sales, thrift shops and flea markets. Have picked up a number of good cast iron cookware pieces, an enamel pot for my compost scaps, and hand tools.
ReplyDeletedon't really go to them
ReplyDeletemy first ever purchase from a flea market was a little penguin figurine....I still have it, to this day......probably about 30 years now!!!!
ReplyDeletecyn209 at juno dot com
I love finding yard sales, especially ones with great book finds :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a large swap meet held every weekend that I used to go to. It has been a long time since I have been to it. I should check it out again.
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of thrift stores, Our house is mostly decorated with treasures . The hunt for things is half the fun.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy going to yard sales, flea markets, and thrift shops because you never know what you are going to find. Books, knick knacks, and floral arrangements are my favorite finds.
ReplyDelete