On a recent trip to New York, my hometown, I bookended a day by having breakfast with one cousin and drinks with another. But these are more than cousins. To me, they are “frousins” – cousins who’ve become dear friends. I had breakfast with Felicia, who’s a cousin from my father’s side of the family. Hi, Felicia! Felicia, who very patiently allows me to call … Continue reading Is “frousins” a thing? It should be.
Wiley, painted by Eliza when she was 9 A sentence uttered by Eliza when she was five years old paved the way for a little dog named Wiley to enter our lives. We already had Lucy, a basset hound rescue. But Lucy was a sweet, sedentary creature with a lot of emotional baggage who basically lived in our closet or on our bed, making … Continue reading Fond Farewell for a Darling Doggy.
A few years ago, I was in the library browsing for some new light mysteries to read and I happened upon the Jaine Austen series by Laura Levine. I did a double-take when I saw the author’s name. Could it be? I wondered. You see, from the mid-1990s through the early aughts, I taught a class called “Improv Storytelling: On Paper and On Your Feet,” … Continue reading Laura Levine – Lost and Found
Sometimes the universe throws a little serendipity your way. Case in point: I needed to research an event at a catering hall, the setting for my new series. (Here Comes the Body, Catering Hall Mystery #1 by “Maria DiRico,” coming your way from Kensington in March 2020!) Lucky for me, my friend Kristen Sagona is the Senior Event Planner at Pickwick Gardens, a popular party … Continue reading A Night of Magic… literally and figuratively.
MARDI GRAS MURDER, my 4th Cajun Country Mystery, launched on October 9th. Yippee!! It revolves around the Cajun tradition of Courir de Mardi Gras. I thought I’d update and re-share this post about my own personal Mardi Gras experiences while a student at Tulane University. Laissez les bon temps rouler!!! I went to school in New Orleans for a couple of reasons. One, I was a … Continue reading Mardi Gras Memories
Happy book birthday to Mardi Gras Murder by our very own Ellen Byron–book 4 in the Cajun Country Mystery series is now available wherever books are sold!
One Monday a few weeks ago, my friends and I were hanging out after a gym class. I don’t remember how it came up, but someone mentioned that a popular rapper named Mac Miller lived around the corner from us. I’d never heard of him so I looked him up on Twitter and saw this tweet: “No one in my neighborhood invites me to their … Continue reading A Celebrity Death Hits Home
The Chicks are so happy to welcome the delightful Cheryl Hollon, author of the bestselling Webb’s Glass Shop mystery series. Let’s join Cheryl and her husband on their Queen Mary 2 cruise. And yes, you read that right! This year my husband and I marked off one of our major bucket list items. We sailed transatlantic on the Queen Mary 2 from New York City … Continue reading “Shattered at Sea” at Sea!
Ever wonder about the story behind some of your favorite book bloggers’ websites? Well, wonder no more because each month we’re featuring an interview with a well-known blogger. Our September guest is Danna from cozy-mystery.com Ellen Byron here! Before I even committed to the idea of my Cajun Country Mystery series, the first thing I did was visit cozy-mystery.com to make sure no one was … Continue reading Guest Book Blogger: Danna of cozy-mystery.com
A couple of weeks ago, we brought our daughter to Loyola University, New Orleans, to begin her freshman year in college. Before we left, friends asked me if I’d be okay. “Oh, for sure,” I said. I adore my kid but she’d been working my last nerve, as kids are wont to do before heading out the door. And while I’m a sensitive soul, I’m … Continue reading College Drop-off Made Me “Meme Mom”
The American Library Association – or as I now like to call it, the Amazing Library Association – hosted its national conference in New Orleans last weekend. Because Sisters in Crime partners with the ALA sub-group, United for Libraries, SinC was offered a seat on the mystery panel. When SinC asked if I wanted to be put on the list of potential panelists, I jumped … Continue reading Booktopia – the ALA National Conference
I’ve always been afraid of flying. I do it, but not without copious amounts of Xanax and wine. I once burned through so many sedatives traveling from New York to Australia that I thought I’d have to check into rehab when we landed. Then there was the time I burst into tears on a particularly turbulent cross-country flight and was comforted by a ten-year-old girl … Continue reading Parenting a Teen Cured My Fear of Flying
Chicks on the Case 