Occasionally, for fun, I like to browse the real estate listings in cities I’ve thought about moving to. Move back to Austin? See if I can take the rain in Portland? Try out a small town like Auburn in Northern California? That’s how I stumbled across my future mansion. I don’t throw around the words “my future mansion” lightly. I’m not really “mansion people.” Give … Continue reading My haunted mansion/ B&B / writers’ retreat / wedding venue

When you’re planning a wedding, nothing is supposed to go wrong. But when you’re writing a mystery series about a professional wedding planner, you want everything to go wrong. In addition to scouring Pinterest for wedding inspiration, I’ve spent my fair share of time Googling “wedding horror stories” just for fun—errrr, I mean, research. And I’ve noticed that there are some common threads: Minor details. … Continue reading Wedding Horror Stories

It’s no surprise that when I sat down to write about a murder that takes place at a wedding, the first image that came to mind was of a bridesmaid dress. Because let’s face it, they can be awful. 

I’m still not over my first. I was a flat-chested pre-teen with braces and a bad haircut, and I had to wear a powder-blue polyester dress that only exacerbated the situation. Thank God the pictures are tucked away in a box somewhere, because, seriously, no one needs to see that. But not everyone is so lucky. Thanks to the internet, a lot of bad bridesmaids’ dresses are just a Pinterest-search away.  Continue reading Bridesmaid dresses: A motive for murder?

Happy New Year! I mean, sort of. I know we’re already eight days into this shiny, new year, but I’m still feeling the little spark of optimism I get each year around this time. This year will be DIFFERENT! This year will be BETTER! This year I will be MAGNIFICENT!

For at least three weeks or so.

Continue reading “2018: Bring it on!”

I have a deep and abiding love for all things Halloween-related. So when the always-awesome Kim Davis asked me to be part of Kathi Daley’s “Halloween Spooktacular” on Facebook, of course I said yes. A Facebook party with a whole bunch of mystery writers and a whole lot more Halloween hijinks? No way was I going to miss that. Since I didn’t know what the other … Continue reading A Killer Halloween Wedding

There are lots of great things about being a mystery writer, but one of the best is watching people’s reactions when you tell them that you kill people for fun. Most mystery lovers are in on the joke, but it’s fun when someone’s eyes go wide as they wonder whether or not you’re actually dangerous. The good news is, you don’t have to write a mystery … Continue reading How to Cultivate an Air of Mystery

One of the reasons I love writing the Destination Wedding Planner Mysteries is that each book lets me spend time in a new location. I don’t just mean literally, like during research trips, but also mentally, like a mini-vacation every time I sit down to write. I can spend the day pretending I’m in a beautiful Mexican village or having a picnic in the wine country, … Continue reading What I Did(n’t Do) on My Summer Vacation

Last month I went on a road trip with one of my favorite people in the world. Along the way, I realized it was the perfect metaphor for the whole plotting vs. pantsing debate. So which am I? Both, as it turns out! Continue reading Plotter? Pantser? Or Road Tripper?

When I wrote about my visit to San Quentin prison with my NorCal Sisters in Crime chapter, I had a hard time keeping my story from sprawling on for pages and pages. I focused on one specific aspect of the story — meeting the prisoners — but didn’t get a chance to talk about the tour itself. A couple of people suggested I write a followup, so here goes! Continue reading “Doing Time, Part 2”

Last Thursday, my local Sisters in Crime chapter visited San Quentin State Prison. It wasn’t exactly what I expected; it was actually way better. I may never use it as “material” for one of my novels. But I definitely wanted to share it with you guys. Continue reading “Doing Time with my Sisters in Crime”

I was hoping she’d work out the kinks in my shoulders. Instead, she gave me some good material for a crime novel. Was it relaxing? Or was it an assault? I’m still not entirely sure… Continue reading Death by Masseuse