Motives for murder have not changed over the millennium, the three common ones being the pursuit of money, sex or power. Methods, however, are a different matter. The modern crime writer has at his/her disposal a trove of new ways to kill off characters. The first that may spring to mind is Covid, but I’m … Read more
Back in April, I posted 10 Silver Linings to sheltering in place during the pandemic. As we drag toward the ninth month of not even leaving the county, it’s definitely more difficult to find blessings. Yet, the original list holds up. I’ve included it below. Here are a few additions: 11. Instead of just reading … Read more
With the pandemic and now our fires, I did not expect to have so much wonderful news to report. On Saturday, September 12 at noon PT, I’ll be on a Zoom short story panel sponsored by NorCal Sisters in Crime. I am swooning to be on “stage” with Art Taylor, my absolute favorite mystery short … Read more
With writers conferences, bookshop appearances, and the publishing industry grinding to a standstill the last few months, I feel very fortunate to have any events to announce. On July 3, at 5 p.m. (Pacific Time), I will be reading with other Santa Cruz Women of Mystery at a Bookshop Santa Cruz Zoom Forward event. You … Read more
I can’t say that there is a single positive to COVID-19, especially when I know people who have been quarantined and have lost loved ones. But the forced changes to our lives have not been all bad—at least not for me. These are some of the silver linings, listed in no particular order: Change is … Read more
On my last post, I pointed out that my books are not cozies, and that I’m not particularly fond of cozies. Yet, I read a lot of them. My own series starts with a murder in the kitchen of a restaurant, so one might think I’d be drawn to culinary cozies. Nope. I created baker … Read more
I’m not a fan of cozy mysteries. For those unfamiliar with the term, a cozy is a mystery with an amateur sleuth, no foul language, the sex and violence off the page. As my friend and cozy-mystery writer Mary Feliz puts it, “There’s a murder, but no one gets hurt.” In my world, it means … Read more
I’m supposed to be in Morocco now. My husband and I planned this big trip for months! But in early September, a stressful situation caused Danny to stop sleeping. By the time the situation was resolved a week later, he had developed a pattern of insomnia. He tried remedies from chamomile tea to warm milk, … Read more
I wasn’t planning to attend another writing conference this year! I’ve already been to Left Coast Crime in March and the California Crime Writers Conference in June–one more conference than I usually budget in a year. But then this happened: The Claymore is for best 50 pages of an unpublished crime fiction manuscript. Finalists are … Read more
I started June by attending the California Crime Writers Conference (CCWC) for my first time. I highly recommend this biennial conference. Why? First, this is a small, intimate conference with about 200 attendees. You will not be lost in the crowd! You will rub shoulders and make valuable connections. I ended up seated at a … Read more