Have Yourself a Merry Little QuizMas

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”

Mystery Solved: What to Give the Cozy Lover on Your List

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

Guest Book Blogger: Sheryl Hagan Booth

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

Guest Chick: Barbara Ross

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

The Gifts of Christmas Past

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

Pants-er or Recipe-er?

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?

Guest Chick: Mary Lee Ashford

We’re thrilled to have the delightful and talented Mary Lee Ashford visit today as our Guest Chick! To celebrate the release of GAME OF SCONES, the first book in the Sugar and Spice Mystery series, Mary Lee is doing a GIVEAWAY OF a copy of the book (ebook or print, winner’s choice), plus a GAME OF SCONES T-shirt to one lucky commenter (Please include your … Continue reading Guest Chick: Mary Lee Ashford

A Night of Magic… literally and figuratively.

Sometimes the universe throws a little serendipity your way. Case in point: I needed to research an event at a catering hall, the setting for my new series. (Here Comes the Body, Catering Hall Mystery #1 by “Maria DiRico,” coming your way from Kensington in March 2020!) Lucky for me, my friend Kristen Sagona is the Senior Event Planner at Pickwick Gardens, a popular party … Continue reading A Night of Magic… literally and figuratively.

Being a Mystery Author Is Murder On My Social Life

Here’s a snippet of a conversation between me and my best friend at a recent Jazzercise class: Me: Did you read about the body found floating in the Pacific? Bestie: Murdered by the scientist, right? Me (tying my shoes): Then decapitated. Bestie (lunging into a calf stretch): I think they only found the torso. Me: Oh, I hadn’t heard that. It was at this point … Continue reading Being a Mystery Author Is Murder On My Social Life

Time to Hang the Lights

Neighbors up and down the block put up their lights over the weekend. We did too. It’s one of our favorite holiday things, along with driving around to see everyone else’s lights and going to local sites (e.g., gardens, zoo, parades) to see even more lights. Long story short: we like lights. We don’t go overboard at home: icicle strands along the eaves, some spiral … Continue reading Time to Hang the Lights