We Chicks are absolutely delighted to welcome Rhonda Blackhurst for a visit today. She writes the Melanie Hogan mysteries, with her beauty salon protagonist, and a little chickie tells me there’s a new cozy series in the works! Goal Setting: Then and Now Lessons in goal setting began way back in high school, with the suggestion of setting short-term and long-term goals: 30 days, one … Continue reading Guest Chick: Rhonda Blackhurst
We haven’t heard from Lisa since Barbenheimer—and it’s her day to post here at Chicks on the Case. But someone calling herself Mystery Kristee offered to step in for her. As you can imagine, we were in quite a bind, so what could we do? Take it away, uh…Kristee… Continue reading Mystery Author Kristee: Writer of Worlds
As some of you know, my boyfriend is a Brit. Ian is a delight, and I’m crazy about him. There is a problem, however. The language barrier. As many in Britannia are wont to do, Ian speaks UK English, a.k.a. English English. Or as I like to say, English2. Sure, we understand each other most of the time. As a Python-quoting, Austin-reading, English lit-majoring Anglophile, … Continue reading What do you fancy?
The Chicks on the Case are thrilled welcome author pal Leslie Budewitz to the blog. Just out this week is the seventh entry in Leslie’s Spice Shop mystery series. What Chick Jennifer J. Chow said about the book: “In Between a Wok and a Dead Place, Leslie Budewitz serves a literary feast showcasing Seattle’s Chinatown-International District—spiced with murder. A complex mystery peppered with delectable recipes, inspiring quotes, … Continue reading Guest Chick: Leslie Budewitz
Recently I was looking through some old photos, mug shots, pictures of me at events, signings, and other promotional type stuff. It occurred to me that “the Cloud” enables me to hang on to crummy photos almost indefinitely. It also occurs to me that I need some new photos. I’m not terribly vain, so I decided to share some of the outtakes with you. (These … Continue reading I need some new photos
Whew, it’s been a week! I’m deep in my revisions cave (for my new Magical Fortune Cookie series–coming to you in February 2024), where I sequester myself and stare at a screen for hours on end. Not only that, but I’ve had some stressors pop up over the last few days: tech problems, miscommunications, awkward run-ins… I’d say it’s a case of “when it rains, … Continue reading Interpreting Common Phrases
Today the Chicks are delighted to welcome author Karen C. Whalen, author of The Dinner Club Mysteries and The Tow Truck Mysteries, to the blog. She’s sharing both a giveaway for joining her newsletter and her thoughts about why she writes. Take it away, Karen! Continue reading Guest Chick: Karen C. Whalen
It’s sum-sum-summertime and you know what that means. Family vacays! Growing up, that meant loading up the family station wagon and leaving at 2 or 3 a.m. (my favorite part of every trip) so we’d avoid traffic and start our trip with a full day of activities. I saw the sun rise over many East Coast states. In my family, summer vacation also meant trudging … Continue reading Hambones gotta hambone.
Remember last week when I posted about my new obsession with online jigsaw puzzles? We were having a GIGANTIC thunderstorm so I went downstairs where the noise from the hail wasn’t quite so deafening and tried to distract myself with a jigsaw puzzle. One of the other “weighty mental paths” I traveled while I worked on it ended up being something I keep thinking about. … Continue reading … But It Makes Perfect Sense
Leslie here, happy to welcome to the coop the fabulous Barbara Howard, author of the just-released The Taste of Rain, book one in the Clover City Files, as well as many other books, with a beautiful take on the importance of back-story. OF MERMAIDS AND MYSTERIES I love meeting my characters for the first time. They introduce me to their fears and childhood traumas, lovers, … Continue reading Guest Chick: Barbara Howard
Ah, summer. Just the thought of it summons visions of beach romps, picnics, cookouts, concerts, camping, hiking, swimming, and more. Long days and lovely starry nights. But there’s something else, too: the expectation that when the season arrives, we will have fun. No matter what we’re doing, summer always brings a glamorous shimmer of potential. We spend time during the rest of the year … Continue reading Hello, Summer
I have recently discovered my love for jigsaw puzzles. Well, technically, I’ve always liked jigsaws, but haven’t done them since I was a kid when my mom would set up the card table and dump out a box. What changed was I found an online app—Jigsaw Planet—that is perfect for my iPad. At breakfast and lunch, I typically solve crosswords while I eat, but I’ve … Continue reading It’s So Puzzling …
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