A Game of Clue with a Special Suspect
“My cousin is a suspect in the Master Detective edition of Clue,” June, one of my closet friends, told me one day. Continue reading A Game of Clue with a Special Suspect
Author: Ellen Byron
Correct Facebook Party Time!
Oops! Ellen here, who has a terrible time with time zones. Our Facebook party tonight is happening from 7-8 p.m. CST. (I got it wrong in the original e-blast.) Hope to e-see you then! Continue reading Correct Facebook Party Time!
Introducing… The Catering Hall Mysteries!!
My new series – written under the name Maria DiRico, my Nonna’s maiden name – officially launches tomorrow and I am beyond thrilled. It was inspired by my real life. Cousins by marriage ran two catering halls in Queens, the Astoria Manor and the Grand Bay Marina. (Which ended up as headline news story in New York when it abruptly closed, leaving hysterical brides stranded. … Continue reading Introducing… The Catering Hall Mysteries!!
The (Pen) Name Game
Which author’s real name is Kate? Whose is Mary, Marilyn, or Mariella? Pen names are a literary tradition. (Hello, Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell.*). The reasons for them are manifold. A publisher may request an author assume a new identity for business or financial reasons. An author might use a pseudonym to write in a totally different genre. (I’m talking to you, J.K. Rowling and … Continue reading The (Pen) Name Game
Heroes of the sky… and land and sea.
We hear the roar of engines. Not jets. Propeller planes. Jer and I run to our bedroom window just in time to see an inspiring sight… WWII trainer planes flying in formation over the San Fernando Valley. Jer and I clap and cheer like kids. This scenario has been enacted every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veteran’s Day, as well as a few other … Continue reading Heroes of the sky… and land and sea.
Good Neighbors
Robert Frost once wrote, “Good fences make good neighbors.” To paraphrase him in the clunkiest way possible, good neighbors also make good neighbors. And for years growing up, my family was blessed with great neighbors: the Kimbriels. We moved to Scarsdale, a New York City suburb, when I was ten. Not long after that, the Kimbriels moved next door: Dad Harry, Mom Betsy, and their … Continue reading Good Neighbors
Cover Me
FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL, My fifth Cajun Country Mystery, launches tomorrow and I cannot believe I’m saying that. But I am. And it’s awesome. There are people who say covers don’t sell books. I heartily disagree. I know I’ve stumbled upon an author only because I was seduced by a great cover. My series is the lucky beneficiary of some gorgeous art painted by Stephen Gardner … Continue reading Cover Me
I can’t believe I know how to…
When I began writing mysteries, I knew that a lot of the promotion would fall on me. What I didn’t know is that I’d have to pick up some new skills. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are useless if you don’t have cool stuff to post on them. The thing is, I have the attention span of a gnat, which gives me a pretty shallow … Continue reading I can’t believe I know how to…
“Cozy” is not a four-letter word.
Not long ago, mystery author and Sisters in Crime president Sherry Harris wrote a wonderful post decrying a disdainful attitude on the part of some in the mystery community toward the cozy genre. The post hit home for a lot of cozy authors, including yours truly. https://wickedauthors.com/2019/05/09/can-we-just-stop/ Since embarking on a career writing mysteries, I’ve noticed there are organizations and conferences that don’t seem to … Continue reading “Cozy” is not a four-letter word.
Thoughts from a Second Class Citizen
Recent news in the mystery community has sparked a conversation about male authors using female pseudonyms for books specifically targeting women readers. While pseudonyms have been around for years – I’ll be using one myself on my next series – using them to lure a specific gender of reader is a textbook case of false advertising. Worse, though, is the message it sends… Women aren’t … Continue reading Thoughts from a Second Class Citizen
Pie not?
My Cajun Country Mystery series contains recipes, but I’ll be honest. Sometimes coming up with them, whether as originals or adaptations, is the hardest part of writing the books. Still, when KCRW, our local public radio station, announced their tenth annual Good Food Pie Contest, hosted by Good Food‘s Evan Kleiman, I decided to be adventurous and enter a recipe I’d created that I like … Continue reading Pie not?
Mama mia, what a mama!
When my mother told me that the daughter of her old friend Adia would be speaking at the Orsogna Mutual Aid Society’s Women’s Day luncheon, and that Adia herself would be there, my first response was, “You have to go!” My second response was, “And I want to go with you!” My mother is from Orsogna, a small town in Italy, and Orsogna M.A.S. looms … Continue reading Mama mia, what a mama!
Chicks on the Case 