Lisa here, delighted along with my fellow Chicks to welcome multi-award-winning author Tracy Clark as our guest today. We’re sure you’ll enjoy hearing about her process for getting her new detective character to talk–or not. Take it away, Tracy! Continue reading Guest Chick: Tracy Clark
I was unexpectedly reduced to tears last week. I’m just getting over Covid, and my eyes are still watering a bit, but without emotion. Mid-January also marks the anniversary of my dad’s death, which also elicits tears – but those were not unexpected. Then Lisa Marie Presley died suddenly. I stared at the TV report and sobbed. I have cried after hearing about the death … Continue reading Lights out in Memphis
I don’t like the rain. There, I said it. Sorry, El…I know you’re a pluviophile. To be fair, I do appreciate the water and the survival of plants. I also like being inside and reading a book on rainy days. I could do without the flooding and severe weather warnings, though. Apparently, I also can’t handle multiple days of rain and sequential weekends spent indoors. … Continue reading All Things Cozy and Warm
Leslie, here, pleased to welcome back to the Chicks the fab Francelia Belton. ‘Tis the season for–or not for–new year’s resolutions, and here’s a terrific take on the issue by Francelia: To Resolute, or Not Resolute, That is the Quandary. First off, I would like to thank all the Chicks for having me back on the blog again. It’s an honor, and one that I … Continue reading Guest Chick: Francelia Belton
Well, hello there! If you’re wondering to yourself,” “Wow, this post is late,” it’s because yours truly dropped the ball. I blanked. While there’s no such thing as a good excuse for flaking, here was my week last week: Tuesday night – cross our beloved dog Pogo over the rainbow bridge; Wednesday – pack for the first MWA board meeting of the year in New … Continue reading When Life Gets Away From You
Let’s talk New Year’s resolutions! Did you make any this year? If so, how are they going so far? Or…which ones have you broken already? Continue reading “Chick Chat: Resolutions”
Kathy here, and I’m delighted to welcome the first Guest Chick of 2023, Lynn Chandler Willis. Not only was Lynn one of the very first authors I had the good fortune to connect with, Lynn is also president of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, a Shamus Award finalist, a PWA’s Best First PI Novel winner, and the author of three series including … Continue reading Guest Chick: Lynn Chandler Willis
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
… then my phone is every set of the World Book Encyclopedia hidden in Grandma’s basement, stored on thrift store shelves, and sitting in dusty library back rooms. Several months ago I got a bee in my bonnet about the photos piling up on my phone—I mean, have you SEEN my dog??—so I uploaded them all to my laptop. The idea was that I’d sort … Continue reading If a picture is worth a thousand words …
Happy holidays, dearest friends! We hope your days are merry and bright–and filled with good books, good friends, and good cheer. The Chicks are on holiday until January 6, 2023. (Yes, we had to edit that a couple of times to get the year right.) We’re looking forward to hanging out with you in the New Year and beyond. xoxo Continue reading Ho ho hooo boy! The Chicks are on holiday.
I stumbled upon a Tweet thread on Twitter this week that caused me to have a flashback. A newish author shared that she was invited to talk about her book at a book club meeting. Turns out she had a very similar experience to one I had. Spoiler: No one was the least bit interested in talking about the book. To be clear, they had … Continue reading Whine club?
Confession: Sometimes I have Christmas tree envy. I see these beautifully decorated trees in holiday movies or in my neighbors’ homes, and I wonder why our tree isn’t like that—in which I mean artfully styled. For example, who wouldn’t want this cozy tree decked in knitted creations? We recently added a gnome to our ornament collection. A warm welcome to our Gnome Sweet Gnome. We … Continue reading A Journey Through Ornaments
Chicks on the Case 