In December, my glasses broke. They didn’t come apart, mind you, they broke like a brittle bone. Not that there’s ever a good time to break your glasses, but in the middle of Christmas shopping isn’t the best time to have to suddenly shell out a few hundred bucks. But since I’d need a guide dog and a white cane to get around without them … Continue reading Buying new frames is a spectacle
As Monty Python famously said, “And now for something completely different!” But since I do pen culinary-themed mysteries, I thought it only right and proper that I begin to sprinkle the occasional recipe into this blog. So here’s one to celebrate the new year! As some of you probably know, my wife Robin and I spend half the year in Santa Cruz (where my Sally … Continue reading Making Sushi Is No Mystery
Or guest rooster? E.J. Copperman is a pseudonym and now you know the writer behind it is a guy – and a great one! Today he shares what it’s like to hit the double digits in a mystery series. (1-0! Wow!) What It’s Like to Hit Book #10 in a Series It is totally unexpected. When the Haunted Guesthouse series began with NIGHT OF THE … Continue reading Guest Chick: E.J. Copperman
A few years ago, I was in the library browsing for some new light mysteries to read and I happened upon the Jaine Austen series by Laura Levine. I did a double-take when I saw the author’s name. Could it be? I wondered. You see, from the mid-1990s through the early aughts, I taught a class called “Improv Storytelling: On Paper and On Your Feet,” … Continue reading Laura Levine – Lost and Found
Christine Gentes is the brains and brawn behind the delightful book blog, mapyourmystery.com. Considering what a world explorer Christine is, it’s no wonder her blog’s theme is maps! (This fab photo was taking at a coffee plantation in Costa Rica.) Continue reading “Guest Book Blogger: Christine Gentes”
The Chicks on the Case are signing off for the holidays to spend time with family and friends, read books and eat cookies. We’ll be back in 2019 with fun posts, some new special guests — and some new book releases! Until then, we wish each of you the very best of the season and much happiness in the New Year. In the meantime, here’s a little holiday quiz to get you in the spirit. Continue reading “Have Yourself a Merry Little QuizMas”
Looking for a holiday gift for your favorite mystery lover? Stuff their stockings with feisty heroines, lots of laughs and lively plots that are sure to keep them guessing! (Last-minute shopping? Send an e-book!) CAJUN COUNTRY MYSTERY SERIES by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books) Life can be murder in quirky Pelican, Louisiana, but native daughter Magnolia “Maggie” Crozat uses her artist’s eye to spot clues … Continue reading Mystery Solved: What to Give the Cozy Lover on Your List
Ever wonder about the story behind some of your favorite book bloggers’ websites? Well, wonder no more because each month we’re featuring an interview with a well-known blogger. Our December guest is Sheryl Hagan Booth from Booth Talks Books. Please tell us about your blog. Why did you decide to write it? I love reading, have loved writing, and LOVE fictional crime stories. I noticed a … Continue reading Guest Book Blogger: Sheryl Hagan Booth
We’re delighted to have author Barbara Ross visiting with us today! She pens the popular, Agatha-nominated Maine Clambake mystery series. And her latest novel, Steamed Open, releases next week — just in time for Christmas! Hi Chicks! I’m so happy to be here, especially since I know (and read!) so many of you. I write a series of cozy, culinary mysteries about a family that … Continue reading Guest Chick: Barbara Ross
When our niece Molly, who is fourteen now, was about two, we gave her a bouncing Tigger doll for Christmas. While enthusiastic with the idea, my husband later became less than enamored with this gift. After I had already wrapped the box and slipped Tigger under the tree, he started bouncing—and singing. He wasn’t moving very far, but he was making quite a racket. Naturally, … Continue reading The Gifts of Christmas Past
Authors are often asked whether we’re plotters or pantsers—do we plan out our story lines in advance and outline them in detail, or merely start writing and just see what happens? I’ve been a devout plotter for all my fiction writing career. And for my legal writing career, as well. Though truly, I can’t fathom how anyone could draft a legal brief without doing at … Continue reading Pants-er or Recipe-er?
Chicks on the Case 