Happy book birthday to me! This is the second book in my Sassy Cat Mystery Series, and I’m really excited about the wonderful cover. Look at those two cute cats! Plus, it’s even captured the amazing beach vibe. I’m excited to participate in a Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour this time around. Today, I’ll also be on the Writers Who Kill blog and on Writer’s … Continue reading Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines launches TODAY!
Like many people I start each January with a list of resolutions of all the things I’m going to accomplish during this calendar year. You know the list – ambitious, optimistic, unrealistic goals. Most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by March and have forgotten all about them by April. Not me. I stop actively pursuing those goals by March, but I tell … Continue reading All the things I’m (not) going to get done in November
Welcome to Chicks Book Club! Please feel free to ask any questions you have about the book, the series, the characters, the writing process, the research, or anything you’re curious about. Continue reading “Chicks Book Club: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard”
The Chicks are thrilled to welcome back Dianne Freeman, author of the award-winning Countess of Harleigh mysteries! Dianne gives us a fascinating glimpse into one of the challenges of writing historical fiction. Bonus: she is very kindly offering a giveaway too…read on for more. Watching My Words I’ve always loved history, and writing the Countess of Harleigh mystery series is one of my greatest pleasures. … Continue reading Guest Chick: Dianne Freeman
Reading is a brave thing to do. We must sally forth into the unknown imaginative world. We must suspend our disbelief. We must agree to follow the rules of the text. We often end up living in a space of almost understanding. I want to take a moment to honor the almost. We tend to race past this; it’s not always comfortable to entertain uncertainty. … Continue reading Almost and In-Between
Writing comp titles really is an art form. Boiling a story down to “when x meets y” requires a lot of skill. Some tips I’ve heard before are: Nix the bestselling titles (a.k.a. Please don’t think you’re John Grisham) Try to use semi-current works Use ones in a similar genre (some folks recommend using just books, while others are okay with references to short stories … Continue reading The Art of the Elusive Comp
We have something super fresh and seasonal for you today: please welcome Melissa Bourbon and Wendy Watson, authors of several terrific series on their own who are now writing a series together: the Book Magic Mysteries! Nothing like a little magic just in time for Halloween… Hello readers! We are so excited to be with you on Chicks on the Case today. I’m Melissa Bourbon, and … Continue reading Guest Chicks: Melissa Bourbon and Wendy Watson
November is just around the corner, and we writers know what that means. Yes, the all-important Nov. 3rd (please vote!!), but also that exhilarating, frustrating, triumphant, despairing roller coaster of National Novel Writing Month, a/k/a NaNoWriMo. It’s a crazy 30 days, and we’re ready–but are some of us clinging a little too tightly to the safety bar? Continue reading Risky Business: NaNoWriMo 2020 Edition
Puzzling Ink, the first in my new Crossword Mysteries launches on November 3rd and I’m wiggly with excitement. Wiggly, I tell you! All the launch deets and how you can get your hands on a print copy (and win even MORE prizes) are here. I hope everyone has joined the Facebook groups Becky’s Book Buddies and Cozy Mystery Crew because that is where all the … Continue reading Crossword Conundrums
Sorry about the delay, friends! Sometimes… stuff happens. Anyhoo, we’re happy to welcome Anne Louise Bannon, author and president of the Sisters in Crime Los Angeles chapter, to her first visit with the Chicks, where she shares her very unique-for-L.A.-situation. I’M CARLESS IN L.A. My husband and I don’t own a car. We do live in the greater Los Angeles area, which is all about … Continue reading Guest Chick: Anne Louise Bannon
My law professor father used to like to say, “There are only two times I’m miserable—when I’m writing and when I’m not writing.” And I have to agree. Because when you’re in the middle of a book, you’re nervous about getting it right and angsting that you should be working on it whenever you’re not. But when you’re not in the middle of a book, … Continue reading Starting From Scratch
The Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, which is online this year, is happening this weekend–hope to see you there! We’ll be appearing on the following panels: Not So Secret Lives of Authors: Simon Wood (M), William Kent Krueger, Ellen Byron, Gary Phillips, Catriona McPherson Authors are forged by the things they’ve done… and the things they shouldn’t have done. Drop by the “Not So Secret Lives … Continue reading Bouchercon 2020
Chicks on the Case 