Investigator’s Tool Kit

Investigator’s Tool Kit

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Imposters, Intelligence, Skills

Let’s Fill Your Kit!

A good investigator knows never to leave home without a few crucial tools…do you have these in YOUR bag?

Keys

Keys

Did you know that in Victorian and Edwardian times, there were only about 18 lock designs in all the world? And 90% of the locks could be unlocked with one of THREE master keys!

It’s no surprise, then, that the Imposters always carried the most common master keys in their pockets or bags.

Today, it’s a bit trickier…but if you frequently need to find your way into locked rooms (from forgetfulness, of course!), you can buy model door handles and locks and lock pick sets specifically designed to help train you.

Measuring Tape

Measuring Tape

Precision is often required in the world of investigating. Just ask Yates, who occasionally drills holes to plant listening devices. To avoid drilling in the wrong place, he falls back on the obvious: measure twice, bore once. 😉 Soft, pliable measuring tapes may be a bit more difficult to use, but they’re easy to slip into a pocket and don’t weigh you down.

A Dependable Watch

A Dependable Watch

Accuracy is important in more than physical measurements–it’s just as crucial in matters of time. When coordinating efforts, it’s vital that all members of the team have a dependable, accurate watch, and that the team has syncronized their timepieces. In 1909-1910, Wilsdord hadn’t yet perfected his Rolex wristwatch, and pocket watches were still the most reliable.

Pocket Torch

Pocket Torch

Okay, I admit it…I exaggerated how small flashlights were by 1909, just for ease of storytelling. The ones commercially available at the time were a bit bulky for a lady’s handbag. But let’s just assume our crew had some ingenuity and rigged their own. At any rate, small flashlights come in handy for everyone. Especially those slinking about in the dark!

Pen and Paper

Pen and Paper

This may seem obvious, but how often do we find ourselves needing to write something down but lacking the utensils? A pen or pencil and a notebook is a must for any investigator…even ones as skilled in memorization as the Fairfax siblings.

Listening Device

Listening Device

We think of microphones as being modern inventions, and they are…but as early as the late 1800s, there were amplification devices, first designed as hearing aids. The Imposters are in possession of a rather cumbersome Aukophone (a later version pictured here that is considerably more transportable) that had been their grandfather’s as he lost his hearing. Very handy for listening in on hushed conversations!

First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit

Though adhesive bandages weren’t invented until 1921, first-aid kits have been around for far longer than that! And though the Imposters pride themselves on their skill and care, they still wouldn’t risk leaving evidence behind them in the form of blood drops in case of scrapes or punctures. They would most assuredly have a first-aid kit with bandages and salves with them on any excursion.

W R I T E   T O   Y A T E S

Have an investigative questions?
You can email Yates directly at
Yates@TheImpostersLtd.com

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Fruit Tart

Fruit Tart

by | Jul 8, 2023 | Dessert, Imposters Recipes, Recipes

Fruit Tart

This classic fruit tart recipe eliminates the most time-consuming aspect by using a boxed pudding mix. Delicious and easy!

Printable Version

Makes

8-12 servings

Active time:

30 minutes

Total Time:

90 minutes

Good For:

Dessert

Inroduction

About this Recipe

Perfect, buttery-sweet pastry crust…creamy filling…fresh fruit bursting with flavor. What could be better on a bright summer’s day? Best of all, this fruit tart recipe is EASY! (Because, yeah, I cheated. And I’m not apologizing for it.)

As I was hunting for classic fruit tart recipes, I quickly decided that the time-consuming custard filling was the part making me not want to actually tackle the recipe. Then I thought, “Why get hung up on that? Just use a boxed pudding mix, silly!” And so I did. 😉

I chose a cheesecake flavored pudding (great choice, but vanilla would work too!), and it was sugar free, because that’s what my supermarket had in stock. As it happened, I also had sugar-free apricot jam on hand when I randomly decided to make this on a Monday evening over the summer…so I thought, why not embrace the no-sugar-added thing and use All Purpose In the Raw for the crust too? It turned out PERFECTLY, and I didn’t spill the beans on the sugar-free bit until AFTER the four adults, 1 teen, and 5 children had already devoured their initial servings and fought over the the last pieces. 😉

Making this in the summer meant I had some really delicious fresh berries on hand–I chose strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and some fruit-cup mandarins that I had stashed too. I’ve made it before with kiwi slices, which I love, and mango slices would work as well. The key to fruit selection is making sure they’re things that won’t juice too much or turn too brown, which rules out apples, bananas, pears, peaches, or sliced full-size oranges.

This recipe takes a bit of planning ahead, but most of the time is just chill time. Active time is really only about 30 minutes total. Plus, you get the joy of something truly beautiful and artistic with those berry arrangements! I promise you, this dessert LOOKS incredibly impressive and will get some oohs and ahhs from whomever you share it with, but it’s easy-peasy to put together.

Ingredients

Instructions

For the Crust

  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar or substitute
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Nonstick cooking spray and/with flour for the pan

 

Filling

  • 1 box vanilla or cheesecake instant pudding
  • 2 cups milk
  • ~4 cups fresh fruit (berries, kiwi, mandarin pieces, mango) assorted
  • ¼ cup apricot jam
  1. Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar or sweetener and salt until pale and creamy. This should take about 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and then add the flower, mixing until it’s fully incorporated. It ought to resemble course sand. Add the egg yolk and mix again. Knead the dough into a ball with your hand. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 5 days.
    .
  2. Spray a tart pan with a removable bottom (anything from 9-11 inches in diameter will work for this recipe) with nonstick cooking spray; either use the kind that has flour in it already, or else flour the pan after you’ve sprayed.
    .
  3. Press the crust dough, bit by bit, into the pan in a thin layer, making certain it gets in all the fluted edges and covers the whole bottom. There will be enough, promise! Use a knife to trim any excess from the top edge and work it into the bottom. Freeze for another 30 minutes.
    .
  4. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350˚. Bake the crust for 23-26 minutes, until lightly browned and golden. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
    .
  5. While the crust is cooling, mix up your pudding with the milk according to package directions, making sure you get all lumps out. Chill while the crust cools.
    .
  6. Once the crust is COMPLETELY cool, spread the chilled pudding over the shell. Top with sliced strawberries, (unsliced) blackberries and/or raspberries, blueberries, mandarin orange slices, sliced kiwi, sliced mango, or other fruits that won’t juice too much or brown too quickly.
    .
  7. Melt the apricot jam in the microwave in 30-second intervals until it’s loose enough to spread. Use a pastry brush to brush it over the fruit, giving it a nice gloss.
    .
  8. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Slice like a pie into 8-12 servings and enjoy!
Printable Version

From the Books

Fruit tart plays a rather crucial role in A Beautiful Disguise when Lady Marigold’s “stunt double” makes the misstep of eating some when the lady herself never would have. For shame, Gemma! 😉

A Beautiful Disguise - The Imposters, Book 1

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Cover Reveal – A Noble Scheme

Cover Reveal – A Noble Scheme

by | Jul 6, 2023 | Book News, Cover Designs

A missing child.
Friends (or more?) turned enemies, forced to work together to save him.
Disguises and theater training and hidden, buried corridors beneath a manor house.

Welcome to a new aspect of the world of the Imposters! Here, nothing is quite what it seems, but the bonds of blood and friendship run deep, faith lights the path forward, and the quest for Truth underscores everything they do.

I am so excited for the first book in the Imposters series to launch in just a few short weeks! And, yes, okay, it feels odd to be sharing a cover for book 2 before you’ve even read book 1. But I’m gonna do it anyway. Because I can. 😉

In book 1, A Beautiful Disguise, we focus on the Fairfax siblings, with all their acrobatic skills and derring-do. In book 2, A Noble Scheme, they’re obviously still around, but the focus shifts to the other two members of the Imposters team: Gemma, journalist and shorthand expert who excels at theater, and Graham, whose architectural prowess helps them get into and out of a lot of literal tight (and secret) spaces.

In this part of the adventure, these two–who are CLEARLY at odds in book 1, though we don’t know why–are thrown together to rescue a kidnapped child. And sparks–and tears–fly. This one deals with some heavy topics of grief and loss, but as always, there’s also some lighthearted humor, clever wit, and lots to smile about.

This cover came in while I was in the middle of a writing retreat for another book, which naturally meant that I was terribly, wonderfully distracted. Because OH. MY. GOODNESS.

I’d given some specific-ish wants. It’s winter, and there’s snow. So a nice snowy background would be great. Most of the action takes place on-assignment on the southern coast of England, in Weymouth, which boasts the same white chalk cliffs as Dover, being very near it. I wanted to see Gemma in a blue or green dress, to keep with the cool scheme. Though her hair was actually “dyed” red with carrot and beet juice at that point in the story, I did NOT want that on the cover, LOL. I asked for her actual blond (and then said the natural dye was fading at one point, to appease all the readers who haven’t read this note, ha ha).

And man, did they deliver! Are you ready to see?

Ready…

Set…

VOILA!

Gaaaahhhhh! Right?? Don’t you just love that cool, icy blue, offset with gold and white? I sure do. And I love the dress. And that gorgeous archway! Zero changes requested from me on this one! I’m in love!

What are your thoughts?

Here’s the official back cover copy:

Gemma Parks is known throughout high society as G. M. Parker, a columnist renowned for her commentary on the cream of society. Behind the scenes, she uses her talent to aid the Imposters in their investigations by gathering intel at events and providing alibis for the elite firm’s members through her columns. Yet her clandestine work would be more exhilarating if it weren’t for the constant presence of the gentleman who broke her heart.

Graham Wharton has never had eyes for anyone but Gemma, and she left his soul in tatters when she walked away from him. When the Imposters take on a new job to recover a kidnapped boy mistaken for his aristocratic cousin, Graham is determined to use the time with Gemma not only to restore the missing boy, but also to win back the only woman he’s ever loved. As they trace the clues laid out before them, Graham must devise a noble scheme to save the boy’s life and heal their hearts.

Christy Award-winning author Roseanna M. White whisks you away to Edwardian-era England in an exhilarating tale of glamor, intrigue, and romance set among high society’s most elite–and most dangerous–families.

Pre-Order Now!
Word of the Week – Season (Archive)

Word of the Week – Season (Archive)

by | Jul 3, 2023 | Word of the Week

Before bed one night, while we were waiting for his sister to finish washing her face and brushing her teeth, my son and I were coming up with silly reasons for each season’s name.

It began with the easy-to-determine fall. “Hey!” Rowyn said, “I bet it’s because of when the leaves fall.” I assured him that was, indeed, the reason. “Then what about winter?” he asked.

I thought for a moment, and then said, “Because that’s when all the leaves already wint.”

He laughed at my deliberate mispronunciation of went and said, “So how about spring?”

Another real answer. “It’s when new life springs forth. But for summer…?”

Rowyn thought for a little while then said, “I know! It’s when the school year is all summed up.”

Aren’t we just the cleverest things. 😉 I’ve already looked into the real etymologies of pretty much all those season words, but it occurs to me that I’ve never looked up season itself! So a quick lesson.

The English word (which has been in use since English itself originated, in the 13th century) comes directly from the French saison, which means exactly what the English does–“a period of the year; the appropriate time.” But if you trace saison back, it comes in fact from the Latin sationem, which literally means, “to sow, to plant.” In the days of Vulgar Latin, the word was used most often to indicate spring, when said sowing and planting was done. It was the French who broadened it to mean any season, and we of course borrowed that from them.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer season!

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Train the Brain

Train the Brain

by | Jul 1, 2023 | Imposters, Intelligence, Skills

What Does It Really Take to Be a Spy?

We have action/adventure ideas about spy training, thanks to movies lik The Bourne Identity and James Bond. But you know what the most important skill is for an intelligence officer?

A good memory!

Memory training is not only the most common training across all branches of intelligence, it’s also the oldest. Not weapons, not hand-to-hand combat…memory.

Because spies are sent into the field to gather information, pure and simple. That leads them into danger sometimes, sure. But that information-gathering is always key.

So how to organizations take ordinary citizens and turn them into memory machines?

The Classic “Bunch of Items” Technique

The oldest method is a very simple one, so tried and true that it’s still in use. It’s simply this:

Every day, perhaps even several times a day, have someone bring in a tray or a box with a set number of items on it. Start with 10. Then go up to 15. Then to 20. And so on. Set a timer or stopwatch and look at the items for a set amount of time. First a minute. Then 30 seconds. Then 15. And so on.

Then write down as many objects as you can remember.

Sounds easy, right? And it is…until it isn’t. As the items increase and the time decreases, it forces you into new levels of memory creation.

Then new complications will be introduced. Perhaps after you’ve looked but before you’ve written anything down, someone has a conversation with you. Or perhaps while you’re looking, there’s a distraction going on.

These complications simulate the real-life environments that spies will be working in.

Put It In Your House

Each agent will discover ways that work best for them. One modern agent shared with a reporter in recent years that his method was to “put it in his house.”

For this technique, you start by choosing the environment you are most familiar and comfortable with. The home that you dream about most often. The one you could navigate with your eyes closed. Often this is a childhood home, or the place you’ve lived the majority of your life. Transient places aren’t recommended.

Next, as you encounter new information, you turn it into an image or even imagine the words written down on a piece a paper. And then you put that object in a specific location in your house and visualize it there.

So let’s say I just met Sue, who will be of interest to my superiors. I take a mental photograph of Sue–red hair, brown eyes, 5’7″ perhaps–and I put that photograph in a frame and put it on my mantle. Or perhaps it’s a number–a date, maybe. I write that date down on my calendar that hangs on my fridge. A drop location could become a knick-knack that I store in my curio cabinet.

This method would require just as much practice as the older one, because you’re still training your brain to store and process information in a new way.

The Benefits

The fun thing is that these exercises aren’t just useful for spies–they’re useful for all of us! You could make memory games part of your routine in order to keep yourself sharp and improve your own mental faculties, no matter what your profession!

W R I T E   T O   S I R   M E R R I T T

Have an intelligence questions?
You can email Sir Merritt directly at
SirMerritt@TheImpostersLtd.com

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