Ellen here, so happy to welcome back Chicks and personal pal Edith/Maddie. AND she includes news about a really fun upcoming virtual appearance with yours truly. 😉 If you’re like me and love virtually other authors’ workspaces, read on… Where I Work Thanks for inviting me over, Ellen and the Chicks, to help celebrate the release of Murder at the Lobstah Shack at the end … Continue reading Guest Chick: Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day
Whee! It’s that time of year again, when no one seems to agree on when holiday decorations should begin to appear around town. Stores have started putting out displays earlier and earlier, and inquiring minds want to know: Does the sight of holiday decorations going up right after Halloween make you want to scream? Or does it make you want to run for your favorite … Continue reading Almost The Holidays…Or Maybe They Already Started!
People ask me about the recipes in my Crossword Puzzle mystery series all the time, and it always makes me laugh. I think I’ve told this story here before, so if you’ve heard it, just hum to yourself for this next bit. When I was noodling over the series, thinking about who these people were, I decided that Georgeanne (the mother of Quinn, my sleuth) … Continue reading My Unintentional Culinary Cozy
Ellen here, and I’m so happy to welcome back one of my favorite authors and people, M.E. Browning. And boy, does she have some valuable tips to share… Ten Things I’ve Learned About Writing By M.E. Browning Writing 90,000 words is easy, it’s putting them in the proper order that’s challenging. Occasionally, I unearth some of my earliest writing… and cringe. But those early words … Continue reading Guest Chick: M.E. Browning
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?
Chicks on the Case readers are some of the most creative folks on the planet. Come play Chick Pic with us! Who is this character? What’s their back story? Victim, murderer, nosy neighbor, innocent suspect? The more ridiculous, the better! Each comment can build on the next–or, start a new one. Writing is all about rewriting, after all. Continue reading Time for a Chick Pic!
The Chicks are so happy to welcome Liz Ireland, author of the delightful Mrs. Claus Mysteries, to the blog today. Take it away, Liz! A Cake Walk Thank you, Ellen, and to all you Chicks for having me as your guest today! Growing up, November was my favorite month. I loved that it fit snugly in the middle of Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas time. Also, four out of … Continue reading Guest Chick: Liz Ireland
It’s said that writing is a solitary pursuit. Or is it? Continue reading Me, Myself, and My Characters
In the advertising world, we’re discouraged from falling in love with our ideas in case the client hates them or they die on the cutting room floor. (And by “cutting room” I mean “creative director’s.” And by “die” I mean “squashed like grapes made into a post-work glass of wine.”) Despite decades of adherence to this edict, I didn’t apply it novel-writing, not because I … Continue reading Playing favorites
We Chicks are thrilled to have the fab Debra Goldstein visit us today to talk about her Sarah Blair series and her newest book! The Culinary Evolution of a Character and an Author When my first two books were orphaned by their respective publishers, I knew I wanted to try my hand at writing a cozy mystery series. As I analyzed the genre, I realized … Continue reading Guest Chick—Debra H. Goldstein
It’s Release Day for It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder, the 3rd book in the hilarious Catering Hall Mystery series, written by our very own Ellen Byron under her pen name, Maria DiRico! You can pick it up at your local bookstore or buy it through the links below. Congratulations, Ellen! IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE MURDER Astoria, Queens, is decorated … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday, Ellen/Maria!
It’s October, which means, well I guess it means a lot of things, but one of those things is Halloween! Here’s one from back in the day, with little sister and baby brother. If you look closely you can see sponge rollers in my hair, which means Halloween fell on a Saturday that year. Mama always rolled our hair into sausage curls for church. When … Continue reading Frightfully fun
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