I went to school in New Orleans for a couple of reasons. One, I was a huge Tennessee Williams fan. And two, well… it was New Orleans. Beautiful, atmospheric, a culture unto itself. And a big part of that culture revolves around Mardi Gras. My first Mardi Gras was memorable mostly because a guy friend from SUNY Binghamton, which I’d left only a month before, … Continue reading Mardi Gras Memories
Kathleen Costa is the lucky winner of Leslie Karst’s terrific new mystery, A Measure of Murder, the second in her Sally Solari Mystery series. Congratulations, Kathleen! Email your contact information to ellenbyronla(at)outlook(dot)com. Thanks to everyone who commented on Leslie’s post. And thanks to Leslie for sharing a fun story and delicious recipe! Continue reading And the winner is…
As I scrolled through celebratory messages on my birthday, I noticed an email forwarded from my website. Usually people getting in touch this way are readers letting me know they enjoyed my books or asking for travel advice on an upcoming Cajun Country vacation. Figuring this email fit into one of those two categories, I opened it. The reader – I’ll call her Betsy – … Continue reading I Hated Your Book.
(gratis image courtesy of Pixabay) One thing I’ve learned in L.A. is that certain cars reflect and even possess certain personalities. I can pretty much count on BMWs to zoom in and out of freeway lanes like a soccer forward moving down the field. Pickup trucks seem to revel in exceeding the speed limit and bullying people out of their way by tailgating. (Hence my … Continue reading My Love Affair with a Vintage Car
For my sixteen-year-old daughter and me, the TV show Once Upon a Time is appointment viewing. (To be honest, we both have a crush on Hook, aka Guyliner. He’s so cute!!!!) As we watched the show a few weeks ago, it occurred to me that cozy mysteries have a lot in common with fairy tales. In both, the hero or heroine’s mission is to identify … Continue reading Are cozy mysteries modern fairy tales?
One thing I love about writing my series is how someone’s off-the-cuff comment can inspire a subplot or even an entire plot. I’ll give you two examples straight out of my newest release, BODY ON THE BAYOU. (How’s that for a smooth segue into shameless shilling?) When I was mulling over a plot for the second book in my Cajun Country Mystery series – available … Continue reading Gifts from the Writing Gods – that’s you!
Tomorrow, September 13th, BODY ON THE BAYOU, the second book in my Cajun Country Mystery series, launches. I should be all… But instead, I’m all… When your debut novel gets published, you’re nervous, but it’s more of a giddy-nervous than an uh-oh-I-better-not-be-a-one-hit-wonder nervous. Everyone is excited for you. Family and friends buy your book just to show their support. There are contests specifically devoted … Continue reading The Terror of Book Two
How are these for opening shots? On the left you see Pogo. The white furbaby in the picture on the right is Wiley. Both were adopted from the Amanda Foundation, an animal rescue in Beverly Hills. I tell my husband all the time, “It’s the dogs or anti-depressants.” And I’m not kidding. I love my dogs. Like, crazy love them. Lucy, the first dog we … Continue reading And they call it puppy love
To be honest, I didn’t really do the Romance Writers of America convention. But I couldn’t resist an opportunity to pay homage to the iconic porn movie title, Debbie Does Dallas. Anyhoo, this year I had the great good fortune of having my debut mystery, Plantation Shudders, nominated for a Daphne Award in the category of Best Mainstream Mystery. The Daphne’s are sponsored by Kiss … Continue reading Ellen Does RWA
I was getting ready for work this morning when I got a telephone call. In a hurry, I didn’t check Caller ID. Here’s the conversation: Me: Hello? Woman on the other end: Ellen?(Tinkly laugh) Hi, wow, you’re harder to reach than the last cookie in the cookie jar. Me: (Confused) Who is this? Woman: Oh, it’s Jenny and I’m calling from the – Me: CLICK! … Continue reading A Telemarketer Gave Me a Character
I’ve always been an avid reader. I have a small scar on my forehead from where I walked into a tree as a kid while I was deep into a book. When I gave birth to our daughter, I promised myself two things: she would never be a bully and she would always be a reader. These days, the former is easier than the latter, … Continue reading My daughter the reader.
We invited this year’s nominees for the Agatha Best First Novel award to fantasize about what film or TV stars they’d cast in their mysteries should Hollywood come calling. TESSA ARLEN: Aha, I have already done this exercise with the wonderful Marshal Zeringue over a year ago. It is such a great question. So, for Clementine Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Montfort -my amateur sleuth, who … Continue reading Casting Call for Agatha Best First Novel Nominees
Chicks on the Case 