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
A couple of months ago, I was driving to GotPrint in nearby Burbank to pick up yet another batch of my infamous swag. I reached an intersection where I faced the choice of going straight or making a right turn. As the light changed, I made the split-second decision to stay in my lane and continue driving straight ahead. I crossed the intersection and suddenly … Continue reading Split-Second Decisions
Today we’re talking something super fun: toys and games! Remember Slinkies and Twister? Battleship and Candy Land? Troll dolls? Or were you more of a Barbie and G. I. Joe kind of kid? Let us know what were your go-to amusements as a child, so we can all take a nostalgic walk down memory lane. (Extra points if you still have the toy or game!) … Continue reading CHICK CHAT: Our Favorite Childhood Toys and Games
The Stanley Hotel. Some will know what I’m talking about. Others may not. As a native Coloradoan, all I usually have to say is, “You know. The Shining? Stephen King.” That brings a nod and a comment about the creepy twins. Continue reading Guest Chick: Kathleen Donnelly & #Giveaway
Currently, I’m recovering from a total knee replacement. Comes with a bit of downtime afterwards, and it was quite a surprise to discover that I quickly ran into a wall regarding new things to watch. Nothing seemed interesting somehow…I’d start watching something and then stop after 10 minutes. This may have been due to the pain; I just wanted to lose myself in something soothing. … Continue reading Looking Backwards
I’m a creature of habit. I love my routines. I think I have a ritual for everything; actions I must take when I wake up, and before I go to sleep, exercise, cook, clean, write. Conventional wisdom is routines are good for us for a variety of reasons. They keep us focused on the tasks we’re working on, which increases our productivity. I’ve also read … Continue reading It’s routine
Jen here, and happy to host Debra, who moderated my Malice panel. Besides being a thoughtful moderator, she’s clearly a creative at heart. Check out how she uses an innovative way to kickstart her writing. Plus, she’s generous—comment below for a chance to win a physical or e-copy of Serving Up the Truth! We All Have Those Days We all have those days when we’ve … Continue reading Guest Chick: Debra Klein & #Giveaway
I’m a Baby Boomer, I admit it. Born in 1956 with two older brothers to influence me, I fall squarely within the generation of Captain Kangaroo, Hula Hoops and Slinkies, Sputnik, the Sears Catalogue, JFK, Scholastic Book Fairs, and long-play record albums (aka LPs). my childhood lunchbox The digital age arrived when I was in my late twenties—I was 28 when Apple released its first … Continue reading An Analog Gal
Writing is a lot of hard work, but sometimes luck plays a part in our success too. What are some lucky breaks you’ve caught as an author? Maybe it was in the writing, or inspiration, or on your path to publication. Perhaps it affected your sales after the fact. Tell us about one of your unexpected wins. Readers, please share your lucky breaks with us … Continue reading Chick Chat: What’s luck got to do with it?
Lisa here, chirping the happy news that fabulous author and Chicks close friend Diane Vallere is our guest today! Not only is Diane here to tell us about her latest Madison Night mystery, My Nightmare is Yours, but she’s offering insights into how she discovers new books! Continue reading Guest Chick: Diane Vallere
Chicks on the Case 