A Mannequin By Any Other Name . . .

Posted by Kath Rutledge 
From the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries 
by Molly MacRae


Hi, Kath Rutledge, here with a . . . I don’t really want to say it’s a problem. Geneva says it’s a problem, though, and if you know Geneva, then you might see my problem. 

Here’s how she put it this morning when she was sitting on the shoulder of the mannequin that stands near the sales counter at the Weaver’s Cat. (Quick aside – do you know that Geneva haunts my fiber and fabric shop? Literally haunts. She’s a ghost. I’d tell you more about her, but then this wouldn’t be a quick aside.)

“Why have you never named my friend, here?” Geneva asked. She reached down and patted the mannequin’s cheek. “While it’s true she does not say much, she does support me in my times of need.” 

There were customers in the shop. They couldn’t see or hear Geneva, so to answer her question I turned my hands palm up and raised my shoulders a bit.

“Have you developed an unattractive twitch?” Geneva asked. “Or was that meant to be a shrug? That’s all right. I know what we can do. We’ll have a name the mannequin contest and I’ll pick the winner!”

A mannequin without a name doesn’t seem like a problem to me, but it’s bothering Geneva. And when Geneva is bothered, well . . . 

So we’re having a contest! Leave your suggestions in a comment below by noon Sunday the 27th. That gives you plenty of time to come up with something wonderful, and Geneva plenty of time to read all the names over my shoulder. She’ll pick her favorite and I’ll send the winner a copy of our new book, Crewel and Unusual. And the mannequin’s new name will appear in our next book (due to be published in late 2020 or early 2021), along with credit to the winner in the acknowledgements. Good luck! 

Molly MacRae is the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest, connect with her on Twitter @mysteryMacRae.