A warm welcome to José, who is giving us a peek behind the writing curtain. Read on for tips on how he finds opportunities to write, all while spending time with his family and juggling a day job. Finding the time to write By José H. Bográn As many authors do—dare I say most?—I have a day job to pay the bills. More than a … Continue reading Guest Chick: José Bográn + GIVEAWAY
This spring has been quite the crazy whirl for all of us Chicks, and as we barrel into summer it doesn’t look as if things will slow down anytime soon. There are pros and cons to that, of course, but this past weekend one of us did a Very Good Thing: She spent quality time with a great group of authors and readers at her local library… . Continue reading You’ve Come a Long Way, Author
In my (mumbles number) years on the planet, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve discovered that I can go an alarming amount of time without water or vegetables. That I have ridiculously strong opinions about punctuation, but little else. And that I’ll channel my inner Weird Al to belt out a parody of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” in order to sell a … Continue reading The Art of Arting
Hi, Ellen here, happy to welcome Leanne Kale Sparks to Chicks today. She’s sharing her thoughts on one of my personal favorite topics – humor in mysteries. Not only is it a fun read, Leanne is giving away a book from her Kendall Beck Thriller series! The Art of Making Readers Laugh with Murder and Serial Killers All Around As a rule, death is not … Continue reading Guest Chick: Leanne Kale Sparks and #Giveaway
Harry Potter turned 33 last week. (Not the one who went to school at Hogwarts, but the one (aka Daniel Radcliffe, who was born in London and who, apropos of nothing, is still only 5 ft. 5 inches tall. This makes me feel a bit old, since Harry is eternally 8 years old to me. I had a birthday in May that was a millstone, … Continue reading Sunrise, sunset
Hey readers, It’s release week for Hot Pot Murder! (Here’s the buy link: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/673134/hot-pot-murder-by-jennifer-j-chow/9780593336557/) Go ahead and visit it… I’ll wait. Now that you’re back: Did you know that I worked in a family restaurant (serving Chinese food) for years? That influenced me to write a culinary cozy, and it also served as an inspiration for Ba’s dim sum eatery in the L.A. Night Market … Continue reading Jen’s Restaurant Biz Quiz
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Tina Kashian, author of the Kebab Kitchen Mediterranean mystery series, who is generously offering a giveaway today! Favorite Summer Vacations Summer is coming! Do you have a favorite quick getaway? I live in South Jersey and we escape to the Jersey Shore every summer. I vacationed there as a kid, and we continue to visit with … Continue reading Guest Chick: Tina Kashian
Yes, it’s release day for Hot Pot Murder! Hooray, Jen! Here are a few reviews for fun:“Great characters and a delightful mystery filled with luscious descriptions of food.”—Kirkus Reviews “The second installment of Chow’s cozy mystery series set at a California market, Hot Pot Murder is as charming and delightful as the first…Spending time with these characters is a treat, but—full warning—this book will make you hungry.”—Parade … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday to HOT POT MURDER!
A funny thing happened on my way to post today. I forgot. Okay, that’s not funny, but it makes for a derivatively witty opening. As for forgetting, the theme of my life these days seems to be blockage. The condition that landed me in the hospital for a week has been changed from an ileus (I still don’t really know what that is) to IBS … Continue reading On Blockages, Literal and Figurative.
Welcome to “Behind the Book,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share the real stories behind our stories. Inspiration, motivation, frustration, jubilation–you’ll find them all right here… You may notice that the cover of my most recent Sally Solari mystery, The Fragrance of Death, depicts artichokes. No, it’s not the murder weapon (though that’s there, too), but the noble … Continue reading Behind the Book: “The Fragrance of Death”
It’s my pleasure to introduce Donna Schlachter to the Chicks on the Case for her inaugural visit! The Mafia in America in History—through to the 1890s In researching my most recent release, Claire, I discovered some interesting facts about the mafia in America. • For readers who have watched The Godfather, it comes as no surprise that the mafias we recognize originated in Italy. However, … Continue reading Guest Chick: Donna Schlachter
For many of us, it has been a difficult week, as we bid goodbye to Succession, Barry, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel all at once. Now with Ted Lasso ending in a few days, it is almost more than one can bear. *Pause for deep breaths.* Thank goodness we have some new things coming our way that may be intriguing. Because of our focus here on the blog, I’ll keep … Continue reading Goodbye and Hello: Show Edition
Chicks on the Case 