So…. I may or may not come from circus folk. Find out about that time I was researching my ancestors and learned the incredibly true but somewhat exaggerated story of Oscar Kraus, The Kansas Giant, and his ongoing quest for true love. Continue reading “Circus Freak” Seeks Same: A Tall Tale
We Chicks love to read, of course—but sometimes we’re so busy writing that those “to-be-read” piles on our nightstands start growing out of control. Here are a few of the books and series by other mystery authors that we can’t wait to dig into! Continue reading TBR Updates: What’s Next On Our Reading Lists
In the mystery course I recently taught, we found the ending of Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced to be both disconcerting and glorious. There are many wonderful aspects to her writing, but we were most engaged by how she gracefully “undoes” the characters we felt we knew because she had built them so convincingly. On the flip side, we were slightly less excited about … Continue reading Endings and Undoings
Of all us Chicks, I seem to be the one who’s always under the wire, holding on for dear life by one claw. Sure, I do plenty of chirping, but it takes a while sometimes for me to work up to the flying part. And of course that includes the business of writing a manuscript, typing “The End,” and sending it winging its way to … Continue reading Hoping for Feathers
Dying on the Vine has been out for three days, and we’re still celebrating! We’re toasting Marla’s wine-country mystery by sharing what wine would pair perfectly with each of our series. And since our friend Nadine Nettmann is not only a mystery writer but a Certified Sommelier, we couldn’t resist asking her to chime in on the topic. Bottoms up!
It’s almost April Fool’s Day! Find out which Chick is most likely to pull a prank or get pranked.
Continue reading April Fool or Fool-er?
So, here’s a conversation I had recently with my main character, party planner Liv McKay. (WARNING: Making sausage can be hard to watch. Some of you may enjoy the books more if you’re blissfully unaware of the author’s process). Me: The writing is going painfully slow. Why are you not talking to me? Liv: Do you really have to ask? Me: Apparently. Liv: You are … Continue reading Liv Inside a Mystery Writer’s Head
(gratis image courtesy of Pixabay) When I was nine, my parents decided to move from the NYC boroughs to the ‘burbs for a better school system. This is a migration as common to New York as the wildebeast migration is to the plains of East Africa. The search began in a Long Island suburb called Great Neck, which was next to our Queens community, Little … Continue reading My parents almost bought “The Gatsby House”
When if comes to mysteries, there are certain elements that get repeated a lot: The alcoholic detective who’s running from his past. The amateur sleuth who has to investigate to clear her name. The suspect who confesses everything at the end of the book for no particular reason other than tying up loose ends. This week, we’ve rounded up some of the usual suspects.
Continue reading “Mystery tropes: It was a dark and stormy night…”
I’m fresh off the plane from Left Coast Crime, and it was held in Honolulu this year—which, in case you’re wondering, does not suck at all. Herein, a recap. Continue reading Honolulu Havoc: Left Coast Crime
Technically, not all of us Chicks are Irish, and as writers, we may not have pots o’ gold to hand out to our readers at the end of each book. But we do have a few words to share–so grab a mug of something steamy (or foamy) and pull up a chair!
With Winter finally saying goodbye, the Chicks share what we’re most looking forward to now that Spring is upon us.
Continue reading “You Give Me (Spring) Fever”
Chicks on the Case 