Neighbors up and down the block put up their lights over the weekend. We did too. It’s one of our favorite holiday things, along with driving around to see everyone else’s lights and going to local sites (e.g., gardens, zoo, parades) to see even more lights. Long story short: we like lights. We don’t go overboard at home: icicle strands along the eaves, some spiral … Continue reading Time to Hang the Lights
Please welcome special guests Cindy Brown and Alexia Gordon! Last year, unbeknownst to us at the time, all three of us were writing books set in theaters. Not just theaters but specifically opera houses. And not just opera houses but haunted opera houses. We must have been plugged into the same cosmic channel while we were drafting…or perhaps the spirits had a little something to … Continue reading Three Hauntings
The day I began writing my first mystery followed the typical routine. I’d dropped the kids at school and was headed to work. But during the drive, I mused about the novel I had wanted to write forever. I had come up with the premise fifteen years earlier, but teaching and parenting seemed to take up all my time. Was I ever going to write … Continue reading Time for Sisters in Crime
(Dedicated to all the teachers heading back into classrooms right about now.) What We Talk About When We Talk About Going Back To School (Sliver of open door.) How the summer went by like lightning. How much we miss the summer already. (Hallway of good intentions.) Whom we’ve seen and not seen. Whom we want to see and not see. (Charts and more charts.) Which … Continue reading What We Talk About When We Talk About Going Back To School
Unveiled for the first time anywhere, here’s the cover of the next Lila Maclean Academic Mystery: The Spirit in Question!* As you can probably guess from the orange and black, it’s set during Halloween. If you’ve read the first two books, you already know that there are holiday celebrations depicted within–(also) Halloween for The Semester of Our Discontent and Valentine’s Day for The Art of … Continue reading Cover Reveal: The Spirit in Question
Last week, edits for the third book in the Lila Maclean series were due (and by “edits,” I mean big revisions) AND final grades were due (and by “final” grades, I mean multiple stacks of projects to be commented on plus final calculations for four classes). I stumbled across the finish line somehow (it’s a miracle, frankly) but I couldn’t form sentences for awhile, and … Continue reading Regarding the Spark
We will be sharing our Left Coast Crime roundup on Friday, but we wanted to focus today on one of the highlights of the convention: A Suite Life Happy Hour! On Friday night, we were delighted to welcome Colleen, Chris, Del, Dianne, Fran, Jack, Laurie, Leslie, Linda, Marilyn, Mary, and Mary Lou to the Chicks Suite for wine and cheese and conversation. We had Mingle … Continue reading A Suite Life
Dear Good Intentions: Where did you go? This was supposed to be the year of decluttering and more veggies, remember? You’re here somewhere…under the clutter and mac-n-cheese, right? Dear Semester: How have you managed to best me already? Normally it takes at least three months before I fall into the Slough of Despair. I am trying to reject your overwhelmy-ness but have been reduced to feeble … Continue reading Just a Friendly Note (argh edition)
We’ve just moved, and my mind is going in about a thousand directions at once these days. I can’t begin to focus…so here are some of the random things I’ve been pondering while unpacking…and unpacking…and unpacking. How long do we wait for the paper towel holder to resurface before buying a new one? All of the kitchen boxes have been unloaded and it’s still missing. … Continue reading Ten of the Many Things
Do you watch house-hunting shows? Aren’t they lovely? The new owners go from finding their dream home to blissfully reporting back at the end of the show that they are so glad they did it, while the camera zooms around their completely set-up new digs. It makes moving look absolutely delightful. But the truth is very different. Once you decide to take the leap to … Continue reading Seemed Like A Good Idea
Most of the readers I know don’t just “enjoy” reading—we love it. Must read. Can’t imagine a day without it. With this in common, it’s very interesting to consider how differently we all do the same thing. Some favor routine: a favorite time and location, perhaps with a desirable beverage. And many people are fond of reading in bed, snuggled under a cozy blanket with … Continue reading Variations on Reading
It is lovely and appreciated when readers ask questions. However, I don’t always feel as though I’ve answered satisfactorily–sometimes not giving enough information and other times sharing too much. For example, I once participated in a group interview in front of a crowd who had just held a lively and joyful conversation with another author about how much they loved cats in their cozy mysteries. … Continue reading Take Two
Chicks on the Case 