Kathy Cano-Murillo - Waking Up in the Land of Glitter: A Crafty Chica Novel

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright 2010 by Kathy Cano-Murillo

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Grand Central Publishing

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New York, NY 10017

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First eBook Edition: March 2010

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ISBN: 978-0-446-55889-1

Every word in this fun read sparkles. I woke up in the land of happy reading!

Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Simple Act

A fun read about stumbling into love, honoring friendship, and celebrating the power of craft. Full of good cheer!

Kate Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Friday Night Knitting Club

Kathy Cano-Murillo is an amazing storytellerher narrative is as bejeweled as her crafty creations!

Alberto Ferreras, author of B as in Beauty

Who knew that glitter really does make the world a better place? Kathys book is creative, inspirational, and empowering. I couldnt put it down!

Terri O, TV personality, spokesperson, and craft expert

Kathys novel dazzles! WAKING UP IN THE LAND OF GLITTER weaves a story of friendship, trust, and self-discovery. Whether youre a painter, crocheter, sewer, or have nary the crafty bone in your body, youll leave this book with the feeling that creativity is key, but love conquers all! A must-read for crafty women of all generations!

Vickie Howell, host of DIY Networks Knitty Gritty and author of Pop Goes Crochet

The first dedication of this book is for my husband, Patrick Murillo. If it were not for him, I never would have had the courage to come out of the closet as a wannabe artist so many years ago. Seeing potential I could not, he coaxed me into decorating a blank wood box with paint pens, glitter, feathers, and Mexican imagery. Little did we know that action would set our future in motion!

The second dedication is to all the creative individuals out there who have a vision to do something great. Whether it is on a public or private scale, I hope the characters in this book will inspire you to reach your goals. Rememberno idea is too big or too crazy!

The third dedication is to my parents, David and Norma Cano. Thank you for blessing me with your artful spirit and extreme tenacity so I could fulfill my dream of writing and sharing this book!

And last, to Ellen DeGeneres, self-proclaimed disliker of glitter. May she see that there is a type of sparkle for every personality, and that waking up in the land of glitter can be a good thing!

H ello, Arizona! Crafty Chloe Chavez herebraving the heat in front of La Pachanga Eatery with your weather update! Its already ninety-eight degrees on this otherwise lovely Phoenix August morning, and it is time to break out the ice cubes, because well hit one hundred and ten by this afternoon! Coming up after the breakwhy was this beloved local business a target of vicious vandals?

Um, you cant go on live TV with blood on your arm; our viewers are eating breakfast, the cameraman said, nodding at Stars elbow as he hoisted his equipment up on his shoulder.

Crap! Star whispered before she licked her finger and scrubbed off the stain. I wish it was blood, she mumbled, while standing in the parking lot of her parents restaurant.

Ah, dont be so nervous. Youll do fine, he said.

Im far from fine this morning, but Ill deal. And for the record, its not blood, just a smidge of spray paint.

Spray paint? he repeated, his attention piqued.

Hey! Star chirped. Speaking of blood, by any chance, do you knit?

Star set aside the current troubles on her mind to enthusiastically explain the blood-to-knitting transition. See, Ive been working on this high-impact art projectthe Victims of Violence blanket. It is dedicated to those who have been wrongly hurt all across the world. I want to get as many people as possible to help create a ginormous knitted blanket to represent our unified offerings of comfort and warmth. I feel that if we all just came together in the name of peace and love

I dont knit, he deadpanned, cutting off her passionate plea. Youre live in less than three minutes.

Star shoved her arm into her limited-edition Tokidoki messenger bag that was slung across her chest and fished for her cherry lipstick. Its totally cool if you dont know how, she said as she retrieved it. She whisked the color across her mouth, and then wiped the sweat from her neck with her other hand. Its not about technique or even knitting itself. Its about the intention. Each stitch is original and represents that persons energy. Thats what makes it art. Art that matters. Not silly crafts that Crafty Chloe does. The Victims of Violence Blanket project could change the world.

Were outside, sweating like pigs in a sauna, and youre talking about knitting? At least its for a good cause. Almost done?

Actually I havent started. I dont know how to knit either. Im more of a visionary type. She raised a fist, shrugged, and grinned. But I have hope! All I need is to find the right person to partner with, and Im on my way!

Star mentally congratulated herself for being so perky and positive, despite her current off-color condition, which consisted of a guilt-ridden hangover and eighty-seven minutes of half sleep. Who was she kidding? Every time someone cornered her, she changed the subject to an endearing topic. It served as her cutesy defense mechanism.

The cameraman didnt find her cute. He appeared as if he wished he had taken the evening shift, where they cover stories like trials, riots, murders, and football gamesor any combination thereof.

Live in one minute. Can you harness that hair? he barked. Chavez is territorial about her screen time, and your headll take up more than half the shot.

Sure. Hey, has anyone ever told you that you look like that actor Ving Rhames?

He ignored her.

Rude! Star thought. That was a compliment. Ving Rhames rocked. Hello, Pulp Fiction? Even if this man knew how to knit, she didnt want his grumpy vibes woven into her blanket. She grabbed a stray lock that hung over her face and used it to tie back her curly mane, which hadnt been tamed since the day before.

Meanwhile, a concerned crowd gathered in the parking lot to witness the damage to the property. Star looked at them and bowed her head. Oh God, this is really, truly happening. Suddenly the magnitude of last nights crime sank into her gut and, even worse, her conscience. She bit her lip, looked to the sky, and chanted a power prayer seconds before she would lie to thousands of TV viewers across Arizona.

Star kept her knees in locked position as she stood in front of La Pachanga, Phoenixs most-famed Mexican restaurant, adored by art enthusiasts, culture hounds, visiting celebrities, and wealthy folks in Hummers looking for a dash of instant culture.