Lately I’ve become a writing class junkie. In the last six months, I’ve been to three day-long writing intensives as well as a weekend-long writing conference in Austin with nonstop craft classes. What a fun excuse to hang out with other writers and hear really smart people saying really smart things! I end up taking copious notes during the classes. Sometimes I capture brilliant nuggets … Continue reading Writing Conference Wisdom
Happy summer! Okay, so summer doesn’t officially start until [checks Google, does spit take] … June 21st!? I mean, I knew it didn’t literally start today, on Memorial Day, but let’s face it, it should. Even though we have almost a month left, I refuse to believe that it is not summer right now.
Right at this very moment, the random files sitting on my computer are a near-perfect representation of the things that have been going on in my life for the last month: active projects, miscellaneous pictures, screenshots of things that amused me, a mai tai recipe…. It’s like my own personal time capsule of April, 2018. So if you were to peek at my desktop, what … Continue reading A writer’s laptop junk drawer
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.
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”
Chicks on the Case 