O Typo, I know ye well. You are a constant companion. A feared adversary. The source of “send now” trepidation. The raison d’etre of my delete key. The typo and I go way back, all the way to tenth grade, the year my father insisted I learned to type. My father is A Man of a Certain Generation who, as an attorney, had an office … Continue reading Ode to the Typo

Confession: I’m a terrible cook. Actually, that’s an understatement. I’m abysmally awful at cooking. I have seven dinners that I can make with consistent success that don’t involve help from the Hamburger Helper hand.   But that doesn’t stop me from poring over #foodstagram posts or oohing and ahhing over master chef creations. I also love to buy cookbooks. For Christmas, I bought my dad … Continue reading Food for the Soul

There seems to be cosmic power in the number three. Triple crown. Triumvirate. The three Rs. And let’s not forget the three pigs, the Three Musketeers (the men AND the candy,) and those bastions of slapstick, the Three Stooges.   However, the triple-powered axiom that’s been on my mind the most is “third time’s the charm.” Why? My third book came out this month. As … Continue reading Third time’s…the charm?

I used to hate my guts. Not literally, of course, and not metaphorically in the door-slamming, I’m-never-speaking-to-you-again way of teenagers. I’m talking about my refusal to listen to my gut, to heed my instincts, to trust my intuition or the possibility that I know myself best. Case in point: a recent health event. About a year ago, I started having issues with my right eye. … Continue reading Know thyself.

Here’s a snippet of a conversation between me and my best friend at a recent Jazzercise class: Me: Did you read about the body found floating in the Pacific? Bestie: Murdered by the scientist, right? Me (tying my shoes): Then decapitated. Bestie (lunging into a calf stretch): I think they only found the torso. Me: Oh, I hadn’t heard that. It was at this point … Continue reading Being a Mystery Author Is Murder On My Social Life

This week, we’re excited to introduce our second “Free-Range Chick,” the hilarious and delightful Kathleen Valenti, author of the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series. Kathy also blogs at Mysteristas, and is helping fill in while the fabulous Kellye Garrett takes a much-deserved blogging hiatus. Take it away, Kathy!

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