Leslie Karst here. Today, I am pleased as all get-out to welcome fab writer and super-fun gal, Tara Laskowski, to the Chicks. Tara was already well-known for her short stories (one of which won the Agatha last year), but has now also published a terrific novel, One Night Gone, which has just been nominated for a coveted Lefty Award! Take it away, Tara: As 2019 … Continue reading How Do you Define a Year?
Given today’s title, I’d forgive you if you thought this post was going to be about murder and mayhem in the mystery novel. But no, it’s about the writing of mysteries. Those flesh and bones, you see, are a metaphor. A host of ingredients are required to make up compelling novel (slipped in another metaphor—and a cooking one this time!): among them, plot and subplot, … Continue reading Flesh and Bones
Hi, Vickie, here. Today the Chicks are thrilled to welcome author Debra Sennefelder. Silenced In Sequins, the latest entry in her Resale Boutique series was released this week! Take it away, Debra! Inspiration From Prime Time I want to first thank the Chicks on the Case for this opportunity to visit with you today. I’m excited to tell you a little bit about where the inspiration … Continue reading Guest Chick: Debra Sennefelder
Chick Ellen Byron here, thrilled to welcome back friend and fab author Sherry Harris. Sherry writes theSarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries, which are loaded with unique, irresistible characters. Today she’s sharing the genesis of a few of them… Secondary Characters One of the best things about being published is having people write and tell you that they absolutely love a character. Here are a few … Continue reading Guest Chick: Sherry Harris
Whether you’ve already seen Greta Gerwig’s new Little Women movie, or you’re still planning to, I promise: No real spoilers here. Of course, the book has been out for about a century and a half, there have been multiple previous film versions, and if you weren’t exposed to the general storyline through those, you probably saw the Friends episode where Rachel spills the beans about one sister’s fate to a devastated Joey. Continue reading Chasing Amy March
Season’s greetings, beloved readers! We wish you and yours the happiest of happy holiday seasons and a bright New Year. We’ll see you in January – the 6th, to be exact – but thought we’d celebrate the end of a year with some photos from each Chick’s early beginnings. Leslie Karst Ellen Byron Lisa Q. Mathews Vickie Fee Cynthia Kuhn Kathleen Valenti Becky Clark Readers, … Continue reading Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!
Ellen here, welcoming Kimberly O’Malley to her first Chicks visit. She shares a touching story of how becoming a mom and an author were intertwined for her. When Writing Becomes Therapy I never meant to be a writer. I mean I was always good at writing; it came easily to me. And that really helped in nursing school, but I never set out to be … Continue reading Guest Chick: Kimberly O’Malley
Hi, I was just here an hour ago. This receipt shows that I was charged for three of these things, but I only bought two. No, I didn’t notice until I got home. But then I came right back. Since I was charged for three instead of two. Um, I’m not sure how to prove that. Here are the two I bought, still in the … Continue reading Adventures in Shopping: A Monologue
Leslie Karst here. Today, the Chicks are pleased to present Misty Simon, author of the fabulous Tallie Graver Mystery series. Although Tallie now works cleaning houses, her family runs the Graver Funeral Home (what an appropriate name, lol), which comes in quite handy when she sets her sights on solving a murder. And today, her creator, Misty, has some great advice for dealing with the … Continue reading Guest Chick: Misty Simon
Last week, I received the good news that the audiobook for my most recent Sally Solari mystery, Murder from Scratch, had finally been completed and was now ready for purchase on Audible. Yippee! (You can find it here.) The previous three books in the series will also soon be made into audiobooks but, because of its subject matter, I’m delighted that the company chose to … Continue reading The Different Sounds of You
I’m not a very sentimental person. I’ve shoved heirlooms into closets, squirreled away family photos and pitched old love letters in the recycling bin, all in the name of chaos control. Of course, afterwards I’m usually filled with two-slices-of-cake-and-three-glasses-of-champagne level regret. But that doesn’t curtail my enthusiasm for tyrannical tidying. The exception: Christmas decorations. Some people decorate with taste and elegance. I deck our ranch-style … Continue reading Ho ho hoooo boy. My holiday decor highlights.
I’m the author of the Natalie McMasters Mysteries. I want to thank Becky Clark for allowing me space on Chicks on the Case to talk about the growing popularity of audiobooks. Natalie McMasters—a detective for the new millennium. I finished my first Natalie McMasters novel, Stripper! when I was 65, and after a year of querying agents with no takers, I decided to publish it … Continue reading Guest Chick: Thomas A. Burns, Jr
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