Vinnie First, I’ve been invited to speak to a Book Club. I’m thrilled! They’ve been reading the first book in my series, Murder, Honey, set during the Christmas season. My engagement is this Friday, November 20th. I’ll address the Scotts Valley Senior Center Book Club at 1:00 p.m. My topic will be Research, Research, Research! The group has invited others … Read more
Our Fall Showcase at Books, Inc. in San Francisco was a huge success as you can see by the crowd! In spite of a broken knee, Eileen Magill made it to the event to read from her spooky House of Homicide, putting to use her experience of living in a haunted house. We’ll miss her when she … Read more
I’ll be reading my most recently published short story, Critical Mass, at the NorCal Sisters in Crime Fall Showcase. Many talented authors will entertain you, including Juliet Blackwell, Heather Haven, Ellen Kirschman, Bette & J.J. Lambe, Eileen Magill, Camille Minichino (as Jean Flowers) and William Wallace. Treats, book raffles, and fun! Join us Saturday, November 7, 2015, … Read more
Bouchercon is almost upon us. The biggest mystery conference in the world takes place this weekend — October 8 through 11 — in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stay dry, my friends. I sadly will not be there. I have my sights on next year in New Orleans. However, for everyone attending the conference, the goodie bag … Read more
I just received my “coveted” Golden Donut Award! Sounds like something invented by a cop, right? It is. The Writers’ Police Academy (WPA) awards the Golden Donut. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews of the WPA, held this year in Appleton, Wisconsin at the new Fox Valley Technical College Public Safety Training Center. The WPA … Read more
Whoot! Destination: Mystery! is now available. Check out my story Critical Mass, set in Santa Cruz and featuring a cameo appearance by Laurie R. King. To what would you resort to procure a New York agent for a book? That is the question for protagonist May Knight. Read it and weep. Or laugh. Also, if … Read more
If a villain drops our protagonist into the wilderness, what would our heroine do to survive? This question and a love for camaraderie propelled 13 brave Northern California Sisters in Crime members to a Wilderness Survival Camp. We met our fearless leader Dan, a consultant to various reality television shows, in the redwood forest of … Read more
1. To celebrate the new version of One Tough Cookie from misterio press, I have a giveaway this week at Goodreads. 2. I just received my contract from Darkhouse Books for my story, Critical Mass, to appear in the upcoming anthology, Destination: Mystery! Isn’t this a great cover? Especially for my story set in Santa … Read more
I just received notice that Black Beans & Venom has received a B.R.A.G. Medallion Award. I am elated and proud! Only 10% of indie-published books submitted receive B.R.A.G. Medallion’s stamp of approval.
Real setting or fictional setting–that is the question. Sue Grafton and Marcia Muller were my gateway drugs into mystery addiction. I had a slight preference for Grafton’s series except for one aspect. Sue Grafton set her stories in Santa Teresa, a thinly disguised Santa Barbara, while Marcia Muller, at least initially, set her tales of … Read more