One great thing about being a writer is that you can allow a character to make up for your own personal failings. My case in point… I attended Tulane University in New Orleans, and loved it. But there was a fraternity, Kappa Alpha, which celebrated an event called “Old South.” The guys in the chapter rented Confederate soldier uniforms, and their dates rented southern belle … Continue reading Party Like It’s 1865
Since the publication of my first book, Plantation Shudders: A Cajun Country Mystery, I’ve learned that I am more than just an author. I am a brand. And I’m okay with that. My late father was a “Mad Man,” and I grew up in a household where a good ad campaign wasn’t just admired, it was revered. But how to create my brand, a look … Continue reading WWDVD? What Would Diane Vallere Do?
I have a confession to make. I’m a little jealous of my Plantation Shudders protagonist, Maggie Crozat. For one thing, she’s a few inches taller than me, and doesn’t need to lose twenty pounds to get off cholesterol medication like I do. She can eat boatloads of her mother’s incredible Cajun cooking and never gain an ounce, the lucky so-and-so. Plus, she’s thirty-two, and I’m, … Continue reading True Confession: I’m Jealous of My Protagonist
While trying to meet a recent deadline, I hit a bit of a roadblock in my rewrite. I needed to come up with a story fix, and fast. So I did what any self-respecting writer would do. I procrastinated. I’ve found that etymology is a great way to stall. Exploring the origin of words gives you the illusion of working, hence less guilt. Since I … Continue reading Who Put the “Dead” in “Deadline?”
When I was a moody, disaffected teen who could have used a heavy dose of anti-depressants, my family vacationed in Vermont. We meandered around the state and happened upon The Haunted Mansion Bookshop. Housed in a spooky Victorian home across from a cemetery, the used bookstore was run by a man with only one arm. As I perused the dusty, packed aisles, the one-armed … Continue reading I’m Breaking Up With Heathcliff!
Chicks on the Case 