When my mother told me that the daughter of her old friend Adia would be speaking at the Orsogna Mutual Aid Society’s Women’s Day luncheon, and that Adia herself would be there, my first response was, “You have to go!” My second response was, “And I want to go with you!” My mother is from Orsogna, a small town in Italy, and Orsogna M.A.S. looms … Continue reading Mama mia, what a mama!
On a recent trip to New York, my hometown, I bookended a day by having breakfast with one cousin and drinks with another. But these are more than cousins. To me, they are “frousins” – cousins who’ve become dear friends. I had breakfast with Felicia, who’s a cousin from my father’s side of the family. Hi, Felicia! Felicia, who very patiently allows me to call … Continue reading Is “frousins” a thing? It should be.
Wiley, painted by Eliza when she was 9 A sentence uttered by Eliza when she was five years old paved the way for a little dog named Wiley to enter our lives. We already had Lucy, a basset hound rescue. But Lucy was a sweet, sedentary creature with a lot of emotional baggage who basically lived in our closet or on our bed, making … Continue reading Fond Farewell for a Darling Doggy.
A few years ago, I was in the library browsing for some new light mysteries to read and I happened upon the Jaine Austen series by Laura Levine. I did a double-take when I saw the author’s name. Could it be? I wondered. You see, from the mid-1990s through the early aughts, I taught a class called “Improv Storytelling: On Paper and On Your Feet,” … Continue reading Laura Levine – Lost and Found
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
Chicks on the Case 