It’s been nearly six years since I was invited into the feathery fold of Chicks on the Case.  Over these 72-odd months, I have blogged about everything from writing to my overuse of exclamation points to my penchant for running in argyle socks.  I’ve also had the incredible pleasure and privilege of collaborating with my dear, dear Chicks, hosting guests, and having hilarious, meaningful, and … Continue reading Free-Range

I’m getting ready for the fight of the year, and no, I’m not talking about boxers who don eponymous garb to jab and uppercut their way around the ring.  I’m referring to the battle of the bons mots to see which will be crowned Word of the Year. I’m fascinated by these verbal fisticuffs. I love language in its ever-evolving iterations. How else can we … Continue reading War of the Words

I’m a big fan of BuzzFeed quizzes. Curious which Pink Lady you would be? Wondering what your dessert preference reveals about your inner animal? Ready to help decipher “which celebrity my dad is talking about”?  BuzzFeed has your back. Or tells you which famous background you most resemble. Either way, inspired by BuzzFeed, I’ve been thinking about creating my own quiz: a Nosy-O-Meter that measures … Continue reading Nosy-O-Meter

One reason I decided to double my major—and my fun—by adding psychology to my English literature studies was my fascination with dreams. Okay, sure, the idea of psychoanalyzing coworkers when I wasn’t diagramming sentences or analyzing Swift (two tasks I was certain I’d perform with my lit degree) had more than a little appeal. But it was the thought of being tasked with interpreting dreams … Continue reading Dream On

As mystery readers and writers, our minds often turn to things that go bump in the night. However, I’d like to talk about a terror much more immediate and acute: things that creep in the day and night. I’m, of course, talking about spiders. We all have our phobias or the lesser, non-clinical version, phobiettes (yes, I made that up). Conventional wisdom places public speaking … Continue reading The Creeps

My son is home from college, and in addition to hauling along what seems to be a semester of dirty laundry, he’s brought a whole new vocabulary. I embrace linguistic trends. To me, they point to a language that’s alive and well. (Not a lot of new words and phrases in Latin.) And while I can, no cap, talk about how bussin his new drip … Continue reading Peevish

Facebook is like my very own time capsule. Every couple of months, it’ll unearth a photo or a post that reminds me that my hair used to defy gravity, I spent a lot of time cutting up grapes for my children, and once, when I didn’t realize the house was on fire, I responded to the gathering smoke by gleefully exclaiming, “Hey, smells like camping!” … Continue reading Are you there, Muse? It’s me, Kathy.

You know the expression “Go big or go home”? I’ve decided I’m more of a “Go small and stay home” kinda gal. I’m a big fan of embracing the little things. (Yes, I’m talking about my dog, Olive, but other little things, as well). Their compactness just seems more manageable—more doable—than the grand counterparts. There’s less hoopla, fewer spreadsheets, smaller decision points and downsides. Plus, … Continue reading Small Stuff

Ah, Hawaii… land of gentle breezes, Aloha spirit, and irritable dinosaurs. The latter reserved for the big screen, of course. I just returned from a lovely Oahu getaway with Ian, during which we went to Kualoa Ranch, a full-time ranch and sometime film location known as the backlot of Hawaii. What surprised me–in addition to how many people love George of the Jungle–was how often … Continue reading Movie Magic

It probably comes as no surprise that I have nutty dreams. After all, I have a long and storied history of sleepwalking (and I mean “storied” literally since my sleepwalking inspired the plot of my second book), and vivid dreams and parasomnias like sleepwalking often go hand in hand.  Or foot after foot, if I’m sleepwalking. Dreams fascinate me. In addition to being an English … Continue reading Open to Interpretation

My dad loves to say that my job is writing slogans and jingles. Although I have only jingled on a few occasions (or if we’re being fancy, written “song-beds with sing-out”—and I’m not making that up), slogans are bread and butter for copywriters like me. And honestly? I’m here for it. The verbal equivalent of a logo, a slogan (a.k.a. tagline) reflects a brand’s promise, … Continue reading Tag!