We are thrilled to be hosting Lucy Burdette, author of the Key West food critic mysteries! Please join us in giving her a warm welcome. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS First, thank you for inviting me to be part of the Chicks today! It’s an honor to be here. I know that there are authors who don’t read reviews, especially anything negative. I … Continue reading Guest Post: Lucy Burdette
It’s release day for Solid Gold Murder, the second in the awards-shortlisted Golden Motel Mysteries, a series inspired by Ellen’s prior life as a sitcom writer. Read on for the synopsis… Dee Stern’s Golden Motel promises a tranquil getaway for outdoor lovers in the scenic Californian village of Foundgold. But when Dee accidentally triggers a modern gold rush, she suddenly turns her peaceful retreat into … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday, Ellen Byron!
It’s July, and most of us are baking. No, not whipping up fabulous snacks in our kitchens. Just…in general. Some of us Chicks have had it up to our feathery necks with the soaring summer temps, smoky skies and endless rains of the New Normal. Grab an ice pack from the freezer and read on… Continue reading Your New Go-To Summer Recipe: Pre-heat Oven to 4000 Degrees
It’s hard being a grammar geek in the digital age. When you’re online, it seems like the rules are more like… suggestions. Anyone who spends any amount of time on social media will run across all SORTS of crimes against the English language. And you know what? Some of them, I’m not even mad at. “I can’t even”? It’s an incomplete sentence, but I know … Continue reading Grammar Crimes of the Digital Age
When I first sat down to pen my debut mystery novella series, I had a head full of tangled plot threads and characters who wouldn’t stop talking to me. Like many writers, I was driven by an almost compulsive need to get these stories out of my mind and onto the page. But as I reflect on my journey as a mystery author over the years, I’ve come to recognize how much my purpose—my “why”—has evolved. Continue reading Guest Chick: Barbara Howard
When I was little enough to still go trick-or-treating, my favorite candy was anything that included chocolate. I still rarely turn down chocolate. In the sixth grade, I won the school-wide spelling bee, which advanced me to the county-wide competition. I believe I finished 26th, which was respectable for a contest with hundreds of competitors. There wasn’t any money on the line. But my school … Continue reading Changing tastes
I’ve been asked many times in a panel whether I’m a plotter or pantser. I generally land in the middle. (Although since my publisher prefers having a synopsis, I’ve veered more toward plotting.) For traveling, though, I’m a serious plotter. I’ve tried before to be more “spontaneous,” and it just ends up with people sitting around staring at each other and doing nothing. To maximize … Continue reading Travel Style: Plotter or Pantser?
The Chicks are thrilled to have Delia Pitts as our guest Chick today. The Library Journal touts Death of an Ex as “a literary, absorbing whodunit encompassing murder, human compassion, and grief.” It was just released this month from Macmillan books. Below Delia gives us the author’s scoop of “dropping the body” — a key moment of any whodunit. Take it away, Delia. Where Do … Continue reading Guest Chick: Delia Pitts
My second Golden Motel Mystery, Solid Gold Murder, launches on 7/29 – hello, shameless plug! I like to try something new in terms of promotion with every launch. I’ve always thought it would be fun to have a map of the fictional locations in my series, so I connected with mapmaker extraordinaire Rhys Davies and put him to work. The first step was determining the … Continue reading Mapping out Gold County
Summer’s doing what summer does best here at Chicks on the Case: keeping us busy with vacations, family time, and beach reads (both reading them and writing them!). Wherever you are, we hope you’re soaking up some fun, snacks, and a seriously good read. And here are a couple shots of Santa Cruz in the summer, from Leslie: Notice the otter swimming with the surfers. … Continue reading Happy Summer!
It’s always a special day when our fabulous author friend Leslie Budewitz is our guest here on Chicks. Today Leslie discusses “the other” stuff that makes good stories great–and she’s giving away a signed copy of her Spice Shop mystery LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING to one lucky winner! Continue reading Guest Chick: Leslie Budewitz & #Giveaway
We are thrilled to be hosting a special guest today: Randal Brandt is Head of Cataloging and Curator of the California Detective Fiction Collection at The Bancroft Library (University of California, Berkeley). Randal has also been announced as the Fan Guest of Honor at Left Coast Crime in 2026 (where our own Leslie Karst will be the Toastmaster). Please join us in giving Randal a … Continue reading Guest Post: Randal Brandt
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