Sometimes the universe throws a little serendipity your way. Case in point: I needed to research an event at a catering hall, the setting for my new series. (Here Comes the Body, Catering Hall Mystery #1 by “Maria DiRico,” coming your way from Kensington in March 2020!) Lucky for me, my friend Kristen Sagona is the Senior Event Planner at Pickwick Gardens, a popular party … Continue reading A Night of Magic… literally and figuratively.
MARDI GRAS MURDER, my 4th Cajun Country Mystery, launched on October 9th. Yippee!! It revolves around the Cajun tradition of Courir de Mardi Gras. I thought I’d update and re-share this post about my own personal Mardi Gras experiences while a student at Tulane University. Laissez les bon temps rouler!!! I went to school in New Orleans for a couple of reasons. One, I was a … Continue reading Mardi Gras Memories
One Monday a few weeks ago, my friends and I were hanging out after a gym class. I don’t remember how it came up, but someone mentioned that a popular rapper named Mac Miller lived around the corner from us. I’d never heard of him so I looked him up on Twitter and saw this tweet: “No one in my neighborhood invites me to their … Continue reading A Celebrity Death Hits Home
A couple of weeks ago, we brought our daughter to Loyola University, New Orleans, to begin her freshman year in college. Before we left, friends asked me if I’d be okay. “Oh, for sure,” I said. I adore my kid but she’d been working my last nerve, as kids are wont to do before heading out the door. And while I’m a sensitive soul, I’m … Continue reading College Drop-off Made Me “Meme Mom”
The American Library Association – or as I now like to call it, the Amazing Library Association – hosted its national conference in New Orleans last weekend. Because Sisters in Crime partners with the ALA sub-group, United for Libraries, SinC was offered a seat on the mystery panel. When SinC asked if I wanted to be put on the list of potential panelists, I jumped … Continue reading Booktopia – the ALA National Conference
I’ve always been afraid of flying. I do it, but not without copious amounts of Xanax and wine. I once burned through so many sedatives traveling from New York to Australia that I thought I’d have to check into rehab when we landed. Then there was the time I burst into tears on a particularly turbulent cross-country flight and was comforted by a ten-year-old girl … Continue reading Parenting a Teen Cured My Fear of Flying
Here it is, my obligatory Malice Domestic post! Actually, it’s my second. Yesterday I was over at Cozy Up with Kathy blogging about the fact that the thirtieth Malice happened to coincide with my fifth visit (although not in order), so it felt like a bit of an anniversary for me as well. Today, I thought I’d share a fun photo album. Let’s start with … Continue reading Malice-iously yours: a photo album
Get the inside deets on New Orleans’ favorite holiday! Continue reading An Insider’s View of Mardi Gras
I’m currently working on a stand-alone mystery where the protagonist is a private pilot, which necessitated research into the world of private aviation. I did an online search and located a few companies at nearby airports, then called them and explained I needed information for a mystery I was writing. And…. nada. No one would talk to me. The one-percenters will be happy to know … Continue reading Ellen goes undercover.
Notice a familiar face standing next to Martha Stewart? That’s right, I worked for Martha. Continue reading What’s Martha Stewart really like?
When you write mysteries, you tend to gravitate toward the macabre, which is how I ended up on the Creole Mourning Tour offered by St. Joseph Plantation in Louisiana. Continue reading Good Mourning
Christmas came early for the Chicks this year with today’s release of A Cajun Christmas Killing, the third book in Ellen Byron’s award-winning Cajun Country Mystery series. It’s available today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Target, and Walmart. Read on to learn more!
Chicks on the Case 