Summer’s doing what summer does best here at Chicks on the Case: keeping us busy with vacations, family time, and beach reads (both reading them and writing them!). Wherever you are, we hope you’re soaking up some fun, snacks, and a seriously good read. And here are a couple shots of Santa Cruz in the summer, from Leslie: Notice the otter swimming with the surfers. … Continue reading Happy Summer!
It’s always a special day when our fabulous author friend Leslie Budewitz is our guest here on Chicks. Today Leslie discusses “the other” stuff that makes good stories great–and she’s giving away a signed copy of her Spice Shop mystery LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING to one lucky winner! Continue reading Guest Chick: Leslie Budewitz & #Giveaway
We are thrilled to be hosting a special guest today: Randal Brandt is Head of Cataloging and Curator of the California Detective Fiction Collection at The Bancroft Library (University of California, Berkeley). Randal has also been announced as the Fan Guest of Honor at Left Coast Crime in 2026 (where our own Leslie Karst will be the Toastmaster). Please join us in giving Randal a … Continue reading Guest Post: Randal Brandt
I grew up in New York. Our house was walking distance from a library. Walking distance. Growing up, walking distance was considered as far as you could walk before your legs cramped up. Segue: The first time I invited my husband to visit my family in New York – we were dating at the time – we walked from my house to the subway to … Continue reading The Superpower of Books
Today the Chicks are happy to present the marvelous Jenny Dandy, author of the Houses of Crime mysteries: The Brownstone on E. 83rd and The Penthouse on Park Avenue. Today she’s talking about characters inhabiting her dreams. Take it away, Jenny! What Are All These Characters Doing in My Bed? Well, more accurately, in my dreams. Yes, I dream about my characters. I don’t mean … Continue reading Guest Chick: Jenny Dandy
I love the word “gal” and use it quite a bit in my speech. So it came as a bit of a surprise to be told recently by a friend that she would never use the word. In fact, she said, she finds the use of it to be improper and backward, as if one were to say “ain’t.” I looked up the word online, … Continue reading For Me and My Gals
It’s summertime! Let the entertaining of out-of-town guests commence! We Chicks live in all sorts of interesting places — and a lot of us have been lucky enough to visit each other in our natural habitats. And let’s just say one of us has a carful of in-laws showing up any minute expecting us to play tour guide. Which leads us to this week’s question: … Continue reading Chick Chat: Stopping by for a visit?
Happy Wednesday! Patricia here, and it’s truly my pleasure to welcome Ann Claire to Chicks on the Case. I love her post. As a writer and runner, it especially resonated with me. Whether you’re an aspiring author or a published author with millions of words under your fingers, I think you’ll find it inspiring, too. Welcome, Ann! Take it away! Mid-pandemic, my husband confessed. He’d … Continue reading Guest Chick: Ann Claire
Welcome, world-weary (wary?) Chick friends. News got you down? Sometimes it’s the little things that can help us feel better when life gets tough… Continue reading The Little Things: Authors and Readers Survival Edition
Yesterday morning, I got mad at a talking cartoon bee. I went to the kitchen and opened up the cabinet, and there he was, mocking me.
Hear me out.
Continue reading “My Ongoing Beef with the Talking Bee”
Happy to have Molly back on the blog! I’m always excited to hear about origin stories, and Molly has a great one! Clouds in My Bathroom Sink – An Origin Story and a giveaway Origin stories are great. Though the origin of the phrase is a bit nebulous, first appearing in print sometime between 1910 and 1915, origin stories themselves are as old as human … Continue reading Guest Chick: Molly MacRae & #Giveaway
Yesterday was Father’s Day. For lots of folks that meant buying just the right tie or a bottle of scotch. Cards and phone calls. And lots of hugs. For me, as for many of you, it was time for a good cry. I know I’m lucky because so many people will never know the blessing of having a wonderful daddy, like mine. He passed away … Continue reading Daddio-mine
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