There was a time in my life when I believed that once your manuscript was written, revised, edited, and sent off to the publisher to be made into a real live book, the work of the author was basically done. Then I had an actual book come out. No. It turns out [spoiler alert] that once the book is finished, the work of an author … Continue reading Bloggin’ My Days Away
Congratulations to Leslie Karst, on the release of the fifth book in her delectable Sally Solari culinary mystery series, The Fragrance of Death Restaurateur Sally Solari is a champion, both in the kitchen and on the case, but after getting mixed up in one too many murders, she’s noticed her nonna’sfriends have now taken to crossing themselves when they see her in the street. Adding to … Continue reading Happy Release Day to Leslie Karst
I was reading the Parade magazine that comes with our Sunday paper a few weeks back when Robin happened to see that the page was turned to the “Ask Marilyn” column, in which the author solves puzzles and answers various questions. “Did you know she’s supposedly the smartest person in the world?” Robin said. “What?” I asked. “Yeah,” said Robin. “Look it up.” So I … Continue reading Ask Marilyn About Door #1
Several weeks ago, I was on call for jury duty. Part of me wanted to be selected for a jury; part of me not. If the trial were only for three or four days, then it would be a fascinating look into our criminal justice system. And—having been retired now for quite a few years from my previous career as an attorney—it would have been … Continue reading One’s Civic Duty
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been on a constant quest towards…something. In school, it was to get good grades. After graduation from college, I formed a rock band and the quest became one for a recording contract (alas, that never happened). Then, once I decided to go to law school, it was to do well enough on the LSAT to get into … Continue reading Like a Shark
During a gathering at my house not too long ago, my sister Laura mentioned how as a kid she often wondered what a “donzerly” light looked like, having always heard the first line of our national anthem as “Oh say can you see, by the donzerly light…” “I always imagined it to be some sort of amazingly beautiful kind of illumination,” she told us, “and … Continue reading The Donzerly Light
Writing (and finishing) a manuscript is a big deal. And so is finding a publisher to get it out into the world for others to read. But once you’ve secured that contract, the next big question is, What will my cover look like? Because as we all know, people do in fact judge books by their covers. It’s the first thing that makes someone pick … Continue reading Sally’s Cover Reveal!
Here in Hilo, a group of my fellow mystery authors have formed a group called MAHI (Mystery Authors of Hawai‘i Island), which meets once a month to chat about our works-in-progress, publishing woes, good and bad restaurants we’ve tried, and a host of other fun topics. Last week, I had lunch out with two of my fellow MAHI members, Jane Lasswell Hoff (author of Bones … Continue reading Lock Pick Chick
For those of you wondering what the heck has been going on with Sally Solari, her father Mario, her ex-boyfriend/best pal Eric, and all the others in my culinary mystery series (the last of which—Murder from Scratch—came out over two years ago), I have some exciting news: Sally is back! Yes, I’ve just signed a two-book deal with Severn House Publishers to continue the Sally … Continue reading Sally’s Back!
I’m guessing that, as you read the title of this post, every single one of you did a mental double-take. “No,” your brain surely rebelled (perhaps even with a shudder). “That word order is not right. It should be ‘big brown’ cow, not the other way around.” But why? Why is one wrong, the other right? And why is the “wrong” one so exceedingly disturbing … Continue reading How Now, Brown Big Cow?
Many of you already know that I once had the privilege of hosting a dinner party for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. My law professor father had known the future justice since the 1960s, and when she agreed some years back to come speak at the UCLA Law School where Dad taught, I’d impetuously offered to cook dinner for her at my parents’ home. … Continue reading Cooking for Ruth—Soon To Be a Book!
By now, most of us bibliophiles are well aware of Marie Kondo’s admonition that we ought to declutter our homes by purging them of excessive “stuff,” books included. Her notion is that you should pick up each item in your home, hold it to your breast, and if it doesn’t “spark joy,” then you should toss it. But as my wife Robin (who would be … Continue reading Books Spark My Joy
Chicks on the Case 