In Misery, novelist Paul Sheldon has a ritual when he finishes a book: he drinks champagne and uses one match to light one cigarette. (Not that I’m suggesting it’s healthy or anything. It’s just what he does.) Interestingly, at a crucial moment in the story, this ritual will make something else possible during his time with Annie Wilkes, so it serves more than one purpose in … Continue reading Finishing a Project in Style
Before I get started, you should know I’m omitting the names of the real people in this recount to protect myself. It’s not that I think I’m going to be doxed or anything like that. I’m just exercising an abundance of caution. Continue reading Get real
Update: Congratulations to cupcakecache, winner of Courtny’s ebook giveaway! Marla here, and I’m delighted to introduce a new-to-me author because we might be related. Okay, maybe not, but she’s from Broken Arrow, and I was just visiting my niece there last month. It’s a suburb of Tulsa, where I grew up, and also my grandmother was hugely into crochet, and also we might own the … Continue reading Meet Guest Chick Courtny Bradley – plus a #giveaway!
I was asked the other day what were my favorite movies that I’d seen in a theater this year. I had to think for a while, but came up with two: The Sheep Detectives and Project Hail Mary. Which then got me thinking about movies in general, and in turn got me thinking about the Bechdel Test. What’s the Bechdel Test? you may ask. Well, … Continue reading The Bechdel Test
Indie bookstores–how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! No, let me count the stores. What are your top favorite bookstores a) near you and b) that you’ve ever been to? Lisa Q. Mathews Sadly, I don’t have many indie bookstores near me in NH. I do love Gibson’s in Concord and The Bookery in Manchester and have attended great author events … Continue reading Chick Chat: Our Favorite Indie Bookstores
Jen here. So happy that Manju is our guest today. Grab a cup of chai (or your favorite beverage) and learn about Manju and her new debut! 🎉 In honor of her visit with us–and her mom–Manju’s offering a giveaway. (U.S. residents only, please.) Comment on the post and be entered to win a signed copy of THE MASALA CHAI MYSTERY CLUB. Thank you for … Continue reading Guest Chick: Manju (MJ) Soni & #Giveaway!
Just how much do writers’ childhood memories shape the people–and authors–they become? Oh, hardly at all. Really. Take Lisa, for instance… Continue reading Mystery on Cherry Street
Back in February, I wanted to do an Author-Reader Connection at Left Coast Crime, and I got a wild hair to try book bedazzling. I’d never bedazzled anything, but it seemed easy enough. So I bought the supplies, watched a few videos on YouTube and suddenly I was a sparkly expert. We had a blast, and when I came back home I told my Sisters … Continue reading The Book Bedazzler Strikes Again
Fellow Angeleno resident Rochelle Staab has written a great historical mystery set in the City of Angels. And wait until you read about her deep and fascinating dive into the city’s past! You’ll feel like you’re right there with her. And Rochelle is giving away a paperback copy of her new release, Behaving Badly, to one lucky commenter. SLEUTHING SETTINGS I’m a big fan of … Continue reading Guest Chick: Rochelle Staab #giveaway
I’ve caught bits and pieces of stuff on TV for America’s 250th anniversary. It prompted me to remember Tennessee’s “Homecoming ’86” celebration. The yearlong statewide event in 1986 anticipated the state’s bicentennial by 10 years. The guys at our newspaper office decided to grow beards for the occasion. It took my husband, who was still just my boyfriend at the time, quite a while to … Continue reading Celebrating the 4th and more
When my brother was in high school, he took a photography class that stretched his creativity. One of the assignments was to find objects that formed the letters A to Z. It was fascinating to see common items transformed into letter shapes. I decided to do a quick repeat of this idea—but with punctuation. Here’s what I found: Backslash \ Colon : Dash – Exclamation … Continue reading Punctuation is Everywhere!!
The Chicks are delighted to welcome Melinda Mullet, author of the Whisky Business Mysteries and A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder! I’m a big fan of all the ladies in the coop and immensely enjoy the Chicks on the Case postings. I was recently struck by a piece from Lisa Mathews lamenting that the Sunday Scaries have now invaded the rest of the week unrelentingly disturbing … Continue reading Guest Chick: Melinda Mullet
Chicks on the Case 