(The answer to that question today is: stressful! Vickie’s on deadline with the manuscript for My Fair Latté, the first book in her new Café Cinema series, due tomorrow! So, here’s one of her posts from the Chicks’ archives we believe is worth a repeat.) I get asked this question and related questions —Why did you become a mystery writer? How did you end up being … Continue reading So, what’s it like to be a mystery writer?
Lots of authors and readers are gearing up for their annual pilgrimage to Bethesda, Maryland for Malice Domestic this week. Many have posted on social media how much they’re looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and how attending their first Malice was like finding their tribe. Kindred spirits. I felt that way, too. In fact, it was at my very first … Continue reading Unhappy camper, and finding your tribe
As a new author, I took to Facebook like a book nerd (which I am) in a library, but I originally resisted Twitter. It looked like a lot of gibberish to me with the abbreviated messages (remember when they could only be 140 characters instead of 280?). And all those symbols mixed in that I grew up calling pound signs looked ridiculous. My husband insisted … Continue reading Do hashtags give you a #pounding headache?
So, when you are a writer and you occasionally (daily) spend too much time on social media, you may start looking for writing wisdom and inspiration on Twitter. Unfortunately, I must not be like other writers because oftentimes these memes completely miss the mark for me. For example: You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write. … Continue reading It was the best of memes, it was the worst of memes
In December, my glasses broke. They didn’t come apart, mind you, they broke like a brittle bone. Not that there’s ever a good time to break your glasses, but in the middle of Christmas shopping isn’t the best time to have to suddenly shell out a few hundred bucks. But since I’d need a guide dog and a white cane to get around without them … Continue reading Buying new frames is a spectacle
When our niece Molly, who is fourteen now, was about two, we gave her a bouncing Tigger doll for Christmas. While enthusiastic with the idea, my husband later became less than enamored with this gift. After I had already wrapped the box and slipped Tigger under the tree, he started bouncing—and singing. He wasn’t moving very far, but he was making quite a racket. Naturally, … Continue reading The Gifts of Christmas Past
The Halloween candy isn’t even stale yet and I’m already thinking about Thanksgiving. Because: I have much for which to be grateful. I love watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Miracle on 34th Street. And (who are we kidding), the annual feast! My list of Thanksgiving dinner must-haves: Turkey. I’ll admit here, somewhat red-faced, that I’ve never cooked a whole turkey by myself. My … Continue reading Thanksgiving thoughts, with all the fixin’s
The Chicks are thrilled to share that our very own Vickie Fee is the newest hen in the Henery Press henhouse. The popular press has picked up her Café Cinema Mystery Series in a three-book deal. We’re all looking forward to the adventures of an amateur sleuth who inherits a time-worn movie palace. What a great location for a cozy series! Cheep cheep hooray to … Continue reading Congratulations, Vickie!
It’s October, which means, well I guess it means a lot of things. But one of those things is HALLOWEEN! When I was a kid, Halloween meant roaming the neighborhood collecting candy in a sack. And by roaming the neighborhood I mean going only to those houses where my mother actually knew the people (Mama’s rules, of which there were plenty.) It also meant donning … Continue reading Dressed to Thrill
Since it’s Labor Day, I thought I’d reminisce about some of the jobs I’ve had over the years. Best gig: Mystery Author – even if the paydays can be a bit spread out (and paychecks, for most authors, on the thin side). I LOVE that I get to write books! Readers have been very kind, and I still get a lump in my throat when … Continue reading The best of jobs and the worst of jobs
Like so many things, the writing life is easier if you celebrate the small victories along the way. Example: I hit 1,000 words in my work in progress – Yay! Although, if you’re like me, it’s more like: I hit 1,000 words – gosh, only 79,000 more to go. It’s that feeling of stepping on the scales at Weight Watchers after being really, really strict … Continue reading Tipping the word count scale in your favor
HAPPY FOURTH FROM ALL THE CHICKS! To celebrate, I’ll be giving away a signed copy of ONE FETE IN THE GRAVE, set around July 4th, to one lucky commenter. Hey, I’ll even throw in a Chicks on the Case pin! The Fourth of July – hamburgers and hot dogs are on the grill, ice cream is on the cone, and ripe tomatoes are on the … Continue reading Ice Cream — and Fireworks, too?
Chicks on the Case 