So…. I may or may not come from circus folk. Find out about that time I was researching my ancestors and learned the incredibly true but somewhat exaggerated story of Oscar Kraus, The Kansas Giant, and his ongoing quest for true love. Continue reading “Circus Freak” Seeks Same: A Tall Tale
I’m fresh off the plane from Left Coast Crime, and it was held in Honolulu this year—which, in case you’re wondering, does not suck at all. Herein, a recap. Continue reading Honolulu Havoc: Left Coast Crime
UPDATE: The response was so great that I decided to give away all five books! Congratulations to the following winners. Send your address to marlacooperauthor @ gmail.com to collect your prize. Green Stripey. Kathy Gonzales Red Literary. Marcy Konecny Japanese. Katharine Kan Be filled with joy. Kim McMahan Davis The Kiss. Beth Peters Lately, we’ve been trying to reduce our household book collection to only what will fit on four … Continue reading Win a Free Book Filled with Nothing
Just before Christmas, my husband and I were browsing in an antique shop in Healdsburg, California, when we saw a life-size skeleton hanging out in the corner by some old traffic signs. Of course, my first thought was, “YES, we need a skeleton,” because what mystery writer doesn’t? But then my second thought was, “Whoa, now, slow down a second,” because whether to get a skeleton … Continue reading Introducing: The Skeleton in my Closet
Okay, Cyber Monday shoppers, there’s only some ever-decreasing number of shopping days left until your chosen holiday celebration! If you have a mystery lover on your list, here are 12 ideas under $30 that will help keep you on their good side. Last year, I know several people who actually received presents on this list, so this year, I’ve added some brand-new gift ideas. I know I was thrilled to receive official-looking crime scene tape in my stocking, so I thought it was only fair to spread the joy!
Continue reading “Criminally Thoughtful: 12 Gifts for the Mystery Lover”
This week, in our first-ever Chicks on the Case interview, we’re talking to Vickie Fee. Vickie writes the Liv and Di in Dixie series, featuring party planner Liv McKay and her best friend Di who live in Dixie, Tennessee. Hi, Vickie. Thanks for joining us!
Continue reading “Chicks Interview with Vickie Fee”
I finally did it: I survived my first Boucheron. I’ve flirted with the idea of attending the world’s largest mystery convention for several years now, but I’ve always ended up getting intimidated by the sheer size of it. Everyone says it’s fun, but the word I most consistently hear used to describe it is “overwhelming.” This year, it was held in New Orleans and, with … Continue reading Bouchercon 2016: A Recap
A while back, I saw this notebook while browsing at a gift shop. On the front was a colorful frog with the caption “A Leap of Faith Never Fails.” Now, I love a good motivational message as much as the next gal, but I’m also pragmatic enough that things like this kind of piss me off. Because you know what? Sometimes a leap of faith … Continue reading Just Be Awesome
This week, I kicked off a blog tour with Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book, and I’ve had a great time meeting different bloggers, writing guest posts, and answering interview questions. It reminded me of this fun interview I did with Criminal Element a while back, where they asked me about planning fictional literary weddings, my character Kelsey McKenna, and how to get blood uh, cranberry juice out of a wedding dress. Continue reading “Interview with Criminal Element”
The internet makes it all too easy to act in haste, whether it’s a careless “Reply all” or a click of a button that wasn’t quite ready to be clicked. (Perhaps it’s even a premature blog post… if you’ve ever gotten an email alert from us, then clicked to find there was nothing there, odds are, that’s exactly what happened!) We’re sharing our most embarrassing online moments—and we want to hear yours, too!
Continue reading “Our Most Embarrassing Online Moments”
It’s been hard to watch the news lately, so when I was thinking about what I wanted to write about this week, I decided I wanted to tell a story with a happy ending.
Last year, my dad passed away. (Don’t worry, despite the way it starts, this is a happy story!) He was 89 years old, and he lived on a ranch in Oklahoma. Part of his daily routine entailed taking care of a whole slew of dogs and cats, as well as eight horses.
Yesterday was Father’s Day, which got me to thinking about my stepdad, Jim. We got stuck with each other when I was in eighth grade, and I often tell people how grateful I am that he didn’t smother me with a pillow. (I mean, come on, you were all eighth graders once; you know what I’m talking about here.) Not only did he not smother … Continue reading An Author’s Father Comes Around—Eventually
Chicks on the Case 