On Wednesday night, Joyous Singers, our senior chorus, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a minor league baseball game in our city. It was a scorchingly hot evening, but I thought we sang well, and it was fun to dip into a whole other slice of life in our community. As a kid and later the…
The other day, I was reading an interview of an author who confessed that she becomes anxious and a bit irritable when she’s not writing. I can relate. It’s not that I haven’t been writing for the past few weeks, but I’ve focused on guest blogs and articles in connection with my recent releases of…
My mom used to say, “As we get older, we get so patterned.” She usually said this when my sons and I had descended for our annual summer visit and disrupted all of her usual routines. I’m pretty sure she loved having us come and especially loved seeing us leave! I can definitely relate. I…
Have you ever had a week where so many nice things happened that you felt as though your head was on fire? Last week was one of those for me. First came the release of DEATH IN THE END ZONE, a sequel to MISSED CUE featuring the same homicide detective, Caitlin O’Connor. As many of…
I’ve been so crazed writing articles in connection with the upcoming May 18 release of DEATH IN THE END ZONE that I’ve barely had a moment to reflect on my experience attending Malice Domestic at the end of last month. But being a part of this special weekend was genuinely an uplifting experience! For those…
Having heard stories about homeowner’s association boards, it’s clear to me that they offer plenty of material for mystery authors! Susanna Sullivan does a terrific job of setting her novel at a condo complex with a “challenging” board. First off, congratulations on the release of DROWNING IN DECEPTION, the first book in your Lily Gallagher…
Debut Author Susan B. Nolen Talks About the Importance of “Social Context” for Character Development
Having published my first novel at 65, I have a soft spot for debut authors who publish their first novels later in life, and who draw upon their professional backgrounds to enrich their fiction. So, it was a special pleasure to interview Susan B. Nolen! First off, congratulations on the release of your debut novel,…
I’ve always felt extremely fortunate if I have a newly released novel every year or two. But quite by accident, by mid-May, I will have three book releases within the space of three months. I only write one book at a time, and all three were written at different times. But publishing calendars occasionally mean…
I’ve had the pleasure of “speed-dating” to pitch our books at Malice Domestic with mystery author Darlene Dziomba whose Lily Dreyfus series is every bit as delightful as she is! It’s a pleasure to welcome Darlene back to my blog as she writes about the importance of community as authors. What Holds Up an…
What fun to have Syrl Kazlo as a returning guest author on my blog! Syrl has just released her eighth book in her Samantha Davies Mystery series. Who can resist a dachshund named Porkchop as a major character? First off, congratulations on the release of MUSKETS, MUTTS, AND MURDER, book 8 in your Samantha Davies…